A.N.: Hey Guys...I know it's been a long time since I posted anything…but I hope that at some point you'll forgive me for that enormous break (after all it's Christmas time ;D)…I don't want to try and explain myself, it's the usual – school, home, family…lack of time for basically any kind of fun…
I just wanted to say Merry Christmas everybody!
And enjoy this chapter; it's a little bit longer than what I usually write…
Oh, and I almost forgot another 2 or 3 chapters will be SkyeWard-centric, there might be some small parts including rest of the team, but mostly SkyeWard…
Cherry ;D

Chapter 8 – Memory Lane: Part 1 – Preparing for the worst

Skye woke up fresh and well-rested. No nightmares, no waking up in the middle of the night and finally no more of uncomfortable hospital bed. She was finally back at home.

But wait…if she was home…then why Steve wasn't waking her up? He'd always do that and then Skye (after some complaining – she wasn't really a morning person), would go for a morning run with him.

Skye clumsily (due to not very strong but still present pain in her ribs) got up from her bed and slowly headed to the living room.

'You're not supposed to be getting up from your bed.'

Girl quickly spun around, forgetting for a moment that she was injured. 'What-' Skye started, grimacing but soon was left speechless.

Skye could swear that in front of her wasn't standing a human, he had to be some kind of a freaking god! She knew that agent Ward was really good-looking guy, but she had no idea that his body was that great…when she was looking at the man standing in front of her and all of his clothing was just a towel around his waist, she had to remember to close her mouth and start breathing again.

'I…I know' Skye started 'but I have to take Steve for a wa-'

'I already took him' Grant interrupted her 'for a run actually. I hope you don't mind me using your bathroom?'

'No' Skye answered all too quickly and Ward chuckled lightly 'I mean, for now, you live here too and if you won't shower, you will smell and I don't like that idea…'

Grant only laughed more. Way to make a great impression, Skye, she scolded herself.

'Okay, I'll keep that in mind' he said. 'Now, you have to go back to your bed, Skye.'

'But I'm hungry' she pouted.

Ward couldn't help but thought how cute she was right now. He had to admit that even though he didn't like Skye's whining and pouting when they first met, he actually missed it for the last two years.

'If I promise to make you breakfast will you please go back to your bed and stay in it like Doctor Johnson said?' he asked.

'Fine' Skye sighed 'but you better make me a delicious breakfast!'

And with that Skye (this time slowly) turned and headed back to her bedroom.

'Director Fury is waiting for you' agent Maria Hill smiled warmly at Coulson and led him to Fury's office.

Rest of the team and agent Morris has some free time: May went to see her old friend, Fitz-Simmons wanted to go and see new exposition at MET (Simmons choice) and Morris went to her old apartment to grab some things and just rest a little bit.

As for Coulson – he had to meet with Director, so he could talk with him and convince Fury to let Coulson's team take Skye back on the Bus…her safety, just like for Ward, was his priority.

'Coulson! To what do I owe this pleasure?' Nick Fury got up from his seat behind the desk and shook Coulson's hand.

'Sir' Phil started 'as you know, there was an attack on one of our agents-'

'If I remember correctly' Fury interrupted him 'Skye is no longer our agent.'

'Well, with all due respect, she's still part of my team. Like I said there was "an accident"' Coulson made air quotes with his fingers 'in which Skye got hurt.'

'Yes, I know that' Fury said.

'But we haven't told you yet, that it happened at the same time when Adams' family was leaving town' Culson added.

'What do you mean – left?' Fury asked.

'They moved out of Malibu, precisely to New York City, sir' Coulson said.

'And no one told me that earlier?' Fury looked pissed. 'Seriously, I'm the freaking boss here and they're not telling me this kind of details?! With whom I am working?! Coulson you don't want, by any chance, your old job back, huh?'

Coulson chuckled slightly 'I'm sorry, sir, but I have to say no, I really like my Bus.'

Fury smiled a little bit just for one second, and then quickly got back to being serious. 'Okay, I'm assuming that you didn't come here only to tell me about Adams'?'

'No, sir.'

'And where's Ward?' Nick asked curiously. Since the time when Grant Ward was working undercover as Hydra agent, Fury and Ward made this weird relationship; it wasn't only a boss-worker relationship. Fury had lots of respect and was thankful for Ward for what he did for S.H.I.E.L.D. for so many years. At some point (of course only when they were alone), Ward stopped calling Fury 'sir'. Nicholas was almost like a surrogate uncle for him, an uncle that was also his boss and yelled for him so many times (Ward stopped counting when he got to 238), but only because he cared.

Yeah, you heard me right, Fury cared about his agents and that was one of the many qualities that made him really great Director.

'Ward's taking care of Skye now…' Coulson trailed off.

'And?' Fury waited for the rest.

'And is telling her some things about S.H.I.E.L.D., sir' Coulson finished.

'HE IS DOING WHAT?!'

'Yes, that's one of the things I wanted to ask you about…you see, we want to get Skye back on the Bus, so she'll stay with us…she'll be much safer with us. We can protect her and at the same time try and get her memories and skills back' Coulson said waiting for Fury to yell at him.

Director sighed heavily 'what's the other thing you want from me?'

'Wait' Coulson was surprised 'you'll let us take her back?'

'Well if Ward is already telling her everything you didn't leave me much choice, did you?'

Coulson just smiled sheepishly.

'So, what's the other thing?' Fury asked.

'Oh, yes, I wanted to let you know that we'll stay here for few more days to observe Adams' family' Coulson said.

'Fine, do what you want, Phil, but you have to report to me and I mean straight to me or Hill if you'll see something odd.'

'Yes, sir' Coulson said, slowly getting up from the chair he sat in.

'Oh, and one more thing' Fury stopped Coulson. 'Did you bring Morris here?'

'Yes, sir.'

'Thank you, you're dismissed.'

'Mmmm…' Skye murmured with delight, 'That was delicious! How did you know that was my favorite breakfast?'

'I already told you that, Skye' he smiled, repeating himself for the fifth time this morning. 'You may not remember me now, but we do know each other.'

'Yeah…' Skye smiled nervously. She had no idea why she let stranger (very, very handsome, but still a stranger) into her apartment. Her decision was based on Kate's words: "You can trust him".

'Skye?' Ward asked, snapping her back into reality.

'Yes? Oh yes, right' she quickly collected herself.

'What were you thinking about?' Grant asked curiously.

'That, I honestly have no idea if I should trust you, because I don't know you…' Skye said quietly.

'You can trust me, Skye, I would never, in a million years hurt you' Ward said sincerely. 'I swore that I would protect you.'

Skye hasn't felt that way – like someone was caring about her – in a very long time.

In that moment Grant saw something in Skye's eyes, as if she was remembering something. He wanted this to be true, like it wasn't something that he thought he saw.

He started leaning very gently and slowly towards Skye…

She had no idea how it was happening, but she started leaning towards agent Ward…he had very nice lips…

They were only inches apart when Steve started barking at something in Skye's bedroom. And then their moment was gone…

'I- umm…I better go and wash dishes after breakfast' Ward quickly got up, grabbed their plates and went to kitchen muttering under his breath something that sounded like "stupid, idiot".

Skye, on the other hand, felt like it wasn't really a stupid idea to kiss agent Ward. Hell, she felt like she exactly knew how his lips would feel on hers; she felt like they kissed already, in the past and she just needed a small reminder…

She remembered about something. Skye reached to her nightstand and opened the top drawer to pull out her notebook. She opened it slowly and gasped looking at the picture she drew few weeks ago.

She could not be mistaken…those eyes..they were his…she riffled through pages and find out that for almost two years now, Skye was drawing Grant Ward's eyes…

Maybe she did really know him?

When she realized who was on her drawings, Skye felt like her world started to fall apart. Her present life was a lie…someone in her past lied to her and it wasn't just a white, meaningless lie…

Skye felt scared and if she was being honest with herself she didn't know if she wanted to find out the truth. Her life was nice and comfortable now, why complicate it?

But still…there was this nagging feeling…and her dreams…it was like a puzzle that she wanted and at the same time didn't want to solve…

But after 30 minutes of building up courage, she called Grant.

'It's now or never' Skye whispered to herself, preparing for what she might find out about her past.

Ward was standing in the middle of Skye's kitchen and for the last ten minutes and was mindlessly drying off with a kitchen towel his already dried hands. He thought about what happened a while ago…

He almost kissed Skye…but he couldn't! God knows he wanted to do that! To feel her warm, soft lips on his again…but first she had to know the truth or at least parts of it…because Ward had no intention in telling Skye everything. He believed that most of the things she'll remember on her own.

Ward had one week to tell Skye some things from their past. He had one week to trigger something in her memory that'll start bringing her memories back.

When Grant was about to make a move and get to Skye's bedroom, he heard her calling him.

Ward somehow sensed that this was the time for "the talk".

He straightened his t-shirt, muttered 'Here we go' and headed to Skye's bedroom.

'Hey Simmons, what are you doing?'

'Oh, it's nothing agent Morris, I'm just-'

'Pleas, call me Kate' she smiled coming closer to Jemma, who was now sitting near the desk in a lab and searching for something on one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s tablets.

She looked up from her work and smiled. 'Then I think you should call me Jemma.'

'Okay, so let's start it again' Kate smiled. 'What are you doing here, Jemma?'

'Well, I'm just doing a little research here.'

'About what?'

'Brain mostly' Jemma smiled nervously. 'I don't want to overwhelm you with all the terms from neuroscience and mem-'

'I get it, all the sciency stuff.'

'Exactly' Jemma grinned 'that's how everyone on our team, apart from me and Fitz of course, call it.'

'Okay, so can you tell me, without this science mumbo-jumbo, what are you looking for here?'

'Well S.H.I.E.L.D. labs database here is much bigger than to what I have access on the Bus… I'm just searching for-'

'Searching for something that might help Skye?' Kate finished sympathetically.

'Yes' Jemma answered quietly. 'I mean, I don't know how much Ward will be able to do for Skye, I'm sure he'll do his best but still…'

'Oh, right, agent Ward… Jemma, is he really the best person to take care of Skye now?' Kate asked cautiously. She didn't want to upset Simmons, she was just worrying about Skye's safety.

'Agent Morrison, trust me when I tell you that right now Skye is in the best hands she could ever be. No one will take care of her better than agent Ward' she smiled reassuringly.

'If you say so…' Kate still had some doubts.

'Look, Kate…' Jemma sighed. 'I've known Skye and Grant for almost four years now and I'm sure that the only person (apart from Coulson) that knows her better is Ward precisely. He was not only her S.O., they were close friends, so trust me, when I tell you that there's nothing to worry about.'

'Okay' Kate smiled, Jemma was probably right, Skye was in good hands and from what she heard and saw herself there's no way that agent Ward would hurt her. 'I believe you, you do know her longer than I am.'

Kate wanted to leave lab when she heard Jemma's voice.

'Kate?'

She turned around in the doorway.

'How about we'll go for a cup of tea? I'd love to know you better and hear something more about Skye's life from the past two years.'

Kate smiled. 'As long as it can be coffee form, then I'm all for it.'

'You were calling me, Skye?'

'Yes… I was wondering…' Skye gulped nervously. 'When we'll start?'

'You mean - memory lane?' Grant smiled.

'Seriously? Memory lane?' She snorted. 'It sounds like a title of one of the episodes of some lame TV-show…'

Skye and Grant chuckled simultaneously.

'Sorry' he grinned 'I couldn't help myself.'

But then Grant turned serious. 'Okay, with what we should start?'

'Well, I have few questions myself, if you don't mind' Skye said.

Ward sat back in an armchair across from Skye's bed. He knew that this conversation will be a very long one. 'Okay, shoot.'

'Well…' Skye started 'you're an agent, right?'

'Correct' he smiled at her encouragingly.

'Where's your badge?' she asked.

'What?'

'Well if you're really and agent, you should have a badge' Skye said confidently. 'Where is it? I wanna see it.'

'Umm…okay' Grant said confused a little bit, but at the same time being thankful for Skye's first questions. They were easy one – he could start with answering easy questions; it was nothing too personal nor too emotional. He got up from his seat and went to his room.

After couple minutes he came back and stood in front of Skye, silently asking if he could sit on her bed.

When Skye saw that Ward indeed came back with a badge, she felt relaxed a little bit, she patted free space on her bed 'You can sit here. And now give me your badge.'

Ward handed her his badge with S.H.I.E.L.D. logo on it. When Skye saw it, she instantly remembered her dream from last night. It was the same symbol that she saw on the door in her dream.

Grant saw that Skye hesitated for a second before taking his badge. Normally, people wouldn't notice, but Grant knew his former Rookie too well, so he asked 'Skye, what's wrong?'

'I thought…you said that you're working for government!' She accused him. 'What's this sign? What does it mean?'

'It's a S.H.I.E.L.D. logo. I work for S.H.I.E.L.D. and these initials stands for-'

'Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement Logistics Division' Skye interrupted him. When she finished, she looked at Ward wide-eyed. 'How did I know that?!'

He looked at her amazed, for the past two years Skye had no connection with S.H.I.E.L.D., scientists took care of that; the only logical explanation for that was that Skye actually remembered that part.

'You're starting to remember some small parts about you previous life, Skye' he smiled gently at her, hiding his excitement.

In the first moment Ward wanted to call Simmons or Fitz and tell them about Skye's little revelation, but he didn't. He thought that it'd be better to wait and call them when Skye would remember more, because he was sure that she will.

'Okay, I'm starting to think that either way you or me, or we both are crazy or you might be right…beside-' Skye was quiet for a moment, debating if she should tell him about her dreams. Grant didn't want to push her; he wanted to give her time. '-it's not the first time that I see this symbol' Skye finished, lightly brushing with her fingers cold metal badge.

'What? Wait, did Morris-' Grant stopped himself before blurting out Morris' cover.

'Kate? What does she has to do with all of this? No, I wanted to tell you that I saw it last night…in my dream…'

'Your dream?' Ward asked curiously. He wondered what Skye was dreaming about. Very selfish part of him was wishful thinking that maybe he appeared in Skye's dream.

'Yeah, I was going through white hallway and there were door with this S.H.I.E.L.D. logo on them. There was something else…but I can't remember what it was…' Skye trailed off rubbing her forehead.

'That's great Skye!' Ward was now grinning. 'You're remembering some small details unconsciously.

'Yeah…that's great…I guess' Skye smiled weakly, still unconsciously caressing Ward's badge in her hands. 'Okay, so now that I know you're really an agent, tell me, what is this S.H.I.E.L.D. exactly?'

'S.H.I.E.L.D. is a secret organization, well at least was, until 2012 and famous Battle of New York. It was founded in late forties by Peggy Carter, who was by the way working during World War II with Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America' Ward explained Skye.

'Okay, so secret organization, not being that secret anymore' Skye said as if she was trying to memorize it.

'More or less, but generally…yeah, you could say it like that' he smiled.

'Okay and what exactly I was doing there? And most of all how did I end up working there?' Skye couldn't imagine herself working for a secret agency.

'Well…' Ward started but didn't know how to tell Skye that he kidnapped her. 'Let's just say, you had a rough start…but then' he quickly added seeing Skye's quirked eyebrow 'you've become an amazing agent.'

'Wait!' Skye exclaimed. 'I was an agent?!'

'Yeah' Ward smiled proudly; after all it was him, who trained her so well.

'Okay… so I assume... you and me, we were working together? That's how you know me?' Girl asked unsure if she was following everything.

'Yes, we were actually together on a team that consisted at first four more agents, then five. Four of them, you've met already in a hospital – Coulson, Fitz, Simmons and May, there's also Tripp, I mean agent Triplett, but he's currently on a one-man mission.'

'I see…and how many times a week we were meeting for missions? Is there a S.H.I.E.L.D. office here? In Malibu?'

'What? No, Skye…'

'This wasn't my apartment before everything, was it?'

'No, Skye, you don't understand… we were living together' Ward started, but Skye interrupted him again.

'What?! We lived together, wait…are you trying to tell me that we were a couple?' Skye asked carefully. 'Is that why you're here? You want me to get back with you?'

'What? No, Skye' Ward was now seriously embarrassed, his ears and cheeks now being slightly pink. 'I mean all of us… we had one place to live altogether… well, six of us are still living together.'

'Really?' Skye got more interested with every second. 'Tell me more about that place and this whole team.' She still wasn't sure if she should believe him, but nevertheless she wanted to hear some stories.

If Skye was being honest with herself, she was feeling alone. Sure, she had some work colleagues and Kate. But Kate left few months ago to live with her boyfriend and now it wasn't the same.

Skye would be lying if she'd say that Grant Ward wasn't handsome and that she already liked him. She liked how he was taking care of her and she felt much safer with him. Even Steve liked him.

It was good to have a roommate again, even if only for a week.

A.N.: That's the end of part one of this chapter, hope you liked it. I'll do my best and try to update much quicker this time.
My Christmas wish is to get some reviews from you, can you do that for me ;D?
Cherry ;D