"I'm sorry, it was just a nightmare..." She was lying for him now? Gosh what was wrong with her. He was gone, she should have told them he'd entered the base, it wasn't like they would catch him immediately now. If she'd told them the truth they could possibly think she was going to have trouble bringing Ward in. If it was her that found him.

Coulson hesitated, before finally speaking. She knew he must have known Ward had gotten into the base. He just didn't want to tell her in case she didn't already know. As far as he knew, she had no idea.

"Ward snuck into the base last night. Cameras caught him going out right after your shock waves started." Coulson was giving her that look, the one that told her he was watching her expression carefully. "They also caught him leaving your room around the same time."

"Really?... That explains it.." She said, still playing innocent, she hated this. "I felt, I felt like someone had been watching me.. When I woke up. I thought I'd imagined him. Still dreaming."

"Can you tell me what you were dreaming about?" He looked to believe her more now, so May's training wasn't completely useless.

She crossed her arms, looking down in embarrassment. "Him... It.. I don't know which anymore.. But he was telling me he was coming, that he'd take everything away... I saw all of you.." It wasn't a lie, she'd had the dream the night before, luckily she'd awoken before she'd shook anything past her hula dancer and bed.

"What happened next?" His voice had changed to a more gentle tone, and she felt him place his hand on her shoulders for comfort. She hated what came next, she'd forced herself awake just as it became unbearable.

"Nothing, next thing I knew I was on the floor and Fitz was telling me to wake up." That was a lie, the dream had continued long enough for her to watch their fates while she could do nothing but stare.

"Are you okay?"

Of course he would ask that. That was like code for tell me what's wrong. It had to be, because every time he asked her, she knew he knew she wasn't okay.

"How much damage did I cause?" She avoided it with a question of her own, hoping he would drop it, she didn't want to lie anymore than she had already. Even if they were spies and that was what they were trained to do.

"Some broken dressers and bed frames, nothing too major. Luckily you didn't reach the labs or the whole base would have locked down." Which was his way of pointing that out, if the base had locked down, Ward would have been caught inside. They wouldn't have had to worry about catching him anymore.

"Too bad my dream wasn't worse then." If she hadn't subconsciously held it in, she would have done a lot more than break a few beds, she would have made a real earthquake that would have brought the building down on top of them. But because of her training she'd been able to hold it in enough to keep everyone safe. Though she wished she hadn't made such a big wave, he may have stayed longer if she hadn't.

"Don't say that. Seeing as Ward snuck in and didn't take anything we can figure out his game plan. He didn't take anything Skye. He only came for one thing."

She didn't feel like correcting him at the moment, because honestly, every time someone called her Daisy she immediately remembered the way he had said it. She also didn't want Coulson to finish his thoughts, she already knew.

'I came here for you.'

"Inhumans." Maybe she could direct his thoughts back to that idea, that the dark inhuman inhabiting Ward's body was planning to build an inhuman army, and that was why he'd come.

Unfortunately, his expression told her she was lying to herself, which she was, she just wished she could convince the both of them that she wasn't. That he really had only come for those that had gone through terrigenesis.

"No, he didn't stop at Caleb's, Joey's, or even Lincoln's rooms. He came back for one thing. Just like when S.H.I.E.L.D fell and Hydra was on the rise."

Daisy bit her lip, hoping to hold back the tears that were quickly forming as she slowly nodded her head. "He came back for me."

She silently cursed as a traitorous tear fell. Part of her had been so happy with this discovery, that maybe Ward still loved her as she did him, yet another piece was horrified that this would happen. She wanted him to love her, but was it really him that wanted her. Did Ward have any strings to pull in the alien's actions? Or was that monster from Maveth the one coming after her.

Coulson pulled her close, willing her to cry into his shoulder. But she couldn't, not now, she couldn't let her weakness show. Not like this.

"Hey, it doesn't matter that he or it's after you, they wont have you. There's a whole team downstairs that's not going to let that happen." He soothed, rubbing her back gently. "We understand you may have mixed feelings about this, but we're going to try our hardest to protect you. That's what we're here for."

'I had to learn to protect us. The way I am trying to protect you.'

"You told them?" Her voice betrayed her, showing how much all this was effecting her emotionally. She hated that. She was supposed to be the leader of a team, the one to lean on when their lives went to hell, not the other way around.

'This S.O. Thing goes both ways.'

"Yes. It was a little surprising. Most of them accepted it."

"There were some that didn't?" She didn't want to know, though she was sure she would know by whoever suddenly distanced themselves from her.

"Most of them understand you've been punishing yourself for feeling this way, they also know it's not your fault. You didn't know what he was and when you found out, you stayed loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D." Coulson pulled away, wiping away the stray tears on her cheek.

"Who didn't?" She needed to know, so she didn't feel like she'd been slapped in the face when she tried to act like things were normal and they pushed her away.

"Hunter gets you didn't mean to feel this way, but he's still pretty dead set on killing the bastard." She almost smiled at the way the director had said it, that was so Hunter. "Gotta admit I wouldn't mind watching him burn, but I understand how it feels to lose someone close, just as you do that we will put him down immediately if you can't find a cure."

She nodded, knowing this already. That was why she hadn't signaled the team the instant she'd seen him in her room. She needed more time to figure something out.

"How's that going by the way?"

Daisy was sure her face said it all. "I've got nothing, there's barely anything about the monolith in my- Jiaying's books let alone this dark inhuman parasite" She said, thinking of the books S.H.I.E.L.D had recovered from Afterlife and retrieved from Andrew's house

He didn't look too disappointed, but he showed sympathy for her situation. She didn't like that at all. "If there's a way to save him, you'll find it. You always do." He turned back to his desk, as though excusing her silently, but she had to know.

"Does anyone else... Besides Hunter?" She was waiting for him to say Fitz-Simmons, they had been tortured till Hydra found out how to open and close the portal. Before that, Ward had thrown them out a plane. She also expected Bobbi to be named. He and Agent 33 had tortured her and nearly had her killed.

"Just one..." The surprise must have shown clear on her face as Coulson smiled a little. He knew who she was thinking of without her even saying them. "Fitz-Simmons were a little shocked, but they care for you too much to let Ward push them away. Even if they want him dead. Bobbi surprised me too, she understands you didn't want to love him, and that she can't hold what he's done against you, though she wants him dead too."

"And the other one, who probably won't talk to me until he's dead?" She was afraid now. There were only a few people it could be. She knew Lincoln was okay with how she felt, even the part about saving him, and Caleb was too new to everything S.H.I.E.L.D., he only knew little tidbits about Grant Ward.

Coulson hesitated again. Daisy felt goosebumps run through her body, this wasn't good. She suddenly felt the need to run. There were only two people she could think of, yet one had heard little to nothing about Ward, the other knew everything and wanted him dead for everything he had done to the people on his team.

"Coulson, just tell me. Please." She wouldn't be able to stand him trying to soften it with more talk. She just needed to know who was going to avoid her till that monster was dead.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Mack isn't exactly pleased."

She barely even heard him, her eyes closing as she thought about her partner. Of course, somehow she'd known it would be him. He had seen the way Ward had effected the team. She didn't even want to think of how he had felt when the team had been working with him for that brief time.

"He's still on your side, Skye. He just worries that if you do separate them, Ward will be looking to shoot you." The director tried to explain. "He wants you to be happy.. But he also wants you to be safe."

Daisy nodded as she finally opened her eyes. "He's a good partner."

Coulson smiled, finally sitting down in his seat. "They're all waiting for you downstairs."

Oh joy, just what she wanted. To find them all waiting at the end of the stairs, leaving her to feel nervous and self conscious. She peeked through the shades of his windows, sure enough, the entire team was standing around, awaiting the end of their chat. She could see Caleb hidden slightly by Lincoln's shadow, he looked confused as to why everyone was so anxious.

That boy had to have had a sheltered childhood.

"Not even giving me a chance for escape." She frowned, letting the shade close.

She heard the one handed man chuckle as he flipped through something on his desk. Most of the yelling was done this morning. They're probably more worried Ward had done something while you were sleeping."

Daisy frowned, looking back at him. "If he hadn't have come into my room, would you still have told me he'd been there?" She knew the answer, she just wanted to see if he would tell her the truth. Everyone had been all but silent about anything Ward the day before. Made her wonder if they had been ordered to keep quiet.

"That's classified."

"Ouch, haven't heard that in a while."

"The longer you make them wait the more troublesome it will be." He hadn't even looked up from his papers. Made her want to send them off the desk, but that was something a rookie would do, not a seasoned field agent.

"Thanks a lot D.C." She still hesitated to open the door. It felt like she was going to stand in front of a firing squad. She let out another breath before finally exiting the director's office. Let the interrogation begin.

'You seem nervous Agent Ward.

To say she was a little surprised to find herself being hugged to death was a bit of an understatement. Daisy was sure she was looking down at Jemma with wide eyes as she held her. Her gaze lifted to the others and she frowned, when she realized Caleb had been removed from the room. Were they going to yell at her?

"I'm so sorry." Simmons whispered. "I should have known.. I should have seen the signs."

She smiled weakly, not sure how to respond, this was more embarrassing than she had first thought. Her gaze lifted to the rooms other occupants. Lincoln and May were the only ones that weren't looking at her any different than they had the previous day. Of course they both had already known of her feelings.

"I'm still saying you should've shot him in the face."Daisy cracked a smirk as she looked to where Fitz had moved closer. "But I think if there is any hope, you're the one that can change him."

She should have known he would feel that way. He hadn't given up on the Hydra spy until he'd dropped Simmons and him in the ocean. Even when she herself had accepted it, he still claimed Ward was good, that he wasn't Hydra. "Thanks Fitz."

Jemma released her long enough for the engineer to give her a not so bone crushing hug. "Just do me a favor, okay? Don't get yourself killed trying to save him." He looked to serious for her to make a joke of it, so she jut nodded her head, feeling like she might bite through her bottom lip.

She was willing to though.. She didn't want to go back to the way she had been before seeing him alive. She couldn't bare the thought of leaving them, but she couldn't think of a world without some form of Grant Ward either.

"Not that we don't mind if you can't save him. I'd like to put a few bullets in him before you do though. Inhuman can fix a few holes in his chest, right?" Hunter's voice carried from where he was, leaning against the wall, by the stairs.

"Well uh. Not really, cause he couldn't heal 'his' leg, and yeah, that would just end up killing Ward before Daisy could save him." Fitz replied.

"But then it could have been because that was a corpse and it needs a living host to heal any injuries that it may have sustained." Simmons added.

Once again, the two scientist were launched into possible variables needed for the dark inhuman to heal Ward's body if Hunter were to shoot him. It made the quake inhuman a little worried, she knew they hated him, but were they really trying to find a way to shoot him without killing the bastard?

"Why not just aim for non-lethal?" She suggested, hoping they realized how uncomfortable this topic was for her.

"But that takes all the fun out of it." The Brit whined. Earning a jab in the side from his blonde sweetheart.

Bobbi had yet to say anything, yet the small smirk on her lips was somewhat comforting, at least she wasn't just looking at her like she'd lost her mind. Feeling eyes on her, the agent looked at the hacker. Her smirk grew a little more playful as she came forward.

"I can't blame you for falling for the devil, you haven't done anything wrong." She looked at Mack from the corner of her eye, a tinge of sadness coming to her face. "And if you ever need someone to vent to or something, come find me. I always keep a stash of ice cream and tissues on base."

Daisy almost laughed at that, nodding her head with a grin. "Great, cause I'm sure my stash will be all but diminished by the end of this." That made the other woman chuckle.

She was putting it off, she knew she was. She could go over to Joey, and save him for last, but would that really help? Mack had been watching her, yet when she tried to catch his eye, he looked away. Ouch, Joey it was.

The metal bending inhuman looked more confused than anything, and Daisy had to remind herself that he knew very little about the man his team leader was in love with. He only knew he was bad, and that he was now being controlled by the creature that was supposed to bring an end to the inhumans or something. Every legend was different.

"Can't blame you for wanting to keep it a secret." He said, glancing around at the other rooms occupants.

May and Lincoln were standing guard, as though they were waiting for a fight of some kind. Fitz-Simmons had run off to the lab, planning to do what they could to find out more about the dark inhuman. Bobbi and Hunter were seemingly talking, but Daisy felt like they were waiting for her chat with Mack.

"It is pretty bad." She agreed, sitting on the edge of the couch. She was afraid now, how had Mack reacted when Coulson had told him? She made a silent note to go back and check the cameras.

"But it's not your fault. He's the monster"

"That he is.."

'You and I aren't that different.'

"I hope everything turns out okay." She was sure her eyes were as wide as the moon, did he really just say that. Joey smiled a little at her shocked face. He had to be the only one rooting for her, that didn't want to shoot the Hydra spy. "I'm serious. I hope he turns out to be the guy you want him to be."

She almost felt like crying. "Me too, Joey. Me too.." Though she knew even then, the Ward she had for an S.O. Was very different from the monster she'd come to know. He'd been a wolf in sheep's wool. Her ward wasn't real, he was a cover for the real thing.

With that, Joey got up from his spot, saying something about finding where Caleb had run off to. She wanted to join him, of how she wanted to join him, but she had to do this.

She lifted her gaze to the stone wall of a man. He had his arms crossed in that Don't-Mess-With-Me stance that just screamed power.

'He looks big and intimidating, but inside he's just a soft, little, fluffy, little, teddy bear.'

Doesn't mean the teddy bear can't pack a punch. She knew she was the muscle, but it was hard to remember that when he looked nothing like the big softy he usually was. He looked like he had right before lashing out at Coulson, when she'd been in her quarantine box, after Porto Rico.

That scared her and made her understand why the four other members of their team had chosen to stay where the others had left. They were there in case someone snapped. Daisy looked down at her hands, forcing herself to remain calm. If she caused an earthquake he'd react.

She peeked back up at the silent man. She wasn't sure whether he was waiting for her to talk or just waiting to wake up from this dream. She doubted he'd believed Coulson when he first told them.

"Ma-" Her voice broke as he got up from where he was leaning against the wall and gave her a long hard look.

"Me now?" She nodded a little, not trusting her voice to speak. He sighed, squaring his shoulders. "Alright."

He wasn't yelling, that was a good thing, right? Then again sometimes quiet was scarier. Being able to hear a pin drop, without her gifts, was nerve wrecking.

"I'm your partner, it's my job to make sure you don't get hurt. Saving Ward is a bad, no terrible, idea." He said it as a fact, not an opinion. She couldn't disagree with that, though she was still hopeful that Ward wouldn't try to kill her the moment she freed him. "I want you to be happy, but in this case, your safety is my top priority."

She nodded once again, she knew he'd say that. She just hoped he didn't plan on hacking the man to pieces with his ax. There was no way even the Inhuman would have been able to revive him then. She heard him sigh again, causing her to look up.

"You may think he's the only one, but I still believe you can find happiness without him." She swore she saw his eyes dart past her head, toward where Lincoln was standing by the door. Was he really hinting at that? "As I said before. You're my partner. I'll always have your back, and if it comes down to it. I will kill Ward."

She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Well, what could she expect. This was Mack, she knew he wouldn't accept Ward. He wanted what was best for her, and he knew Ward was the farthest thing from it.

"Thanks Mack, hopefully it won't come to that." Daisy said as she got up, with the help of his extended hand pulling her to her feet.

And just like that, he was back to that soft fluffy little teddy bear, a smile forming on his face. "Me too, partner."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

There you have it, another long chapter! I promise to bring Ward/It in again soon and have some more Skyeward moments, just gotta put some space between them.

Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, cause otherwise Ward wouldn't have died!

Just a little heads up to everyone, it might be a little while before I upload another chapter, cause in writing this fanfiction I've been neglecting my other story on here.

So I've decided I'll switch off writing chapters between the two, because the readers for that one have been waiting quite patiently for me to continue. I'll try to keep my updates fast, but I apologize if I end up taking longer to upload than I used to.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, feel free to favorite, follow, and/or review. I'll try to get back to this fic soon.

Tootles