Hey Everyone,

I understand some of you didn't like the happenings between the last two chapters, and are now weary of Ward and Daisy ever getting together, but please stay with me. This all has a part to play in where the story is going. I know it was pretty bad, but really I needed Hive to do something truly horrible, and that was the best I could come up with on short notice.

Also I'm sorry this chapter might end in a cliffhanger, I don't have much time to write and plan today.

Chapter 14

Was this some form of medieval courtship? Force yourself on the female of your choice, then go about trying to win her heart over through extravagant presents and dinners or acts of random kindness? All the while keeping her locked away from the outside world.

Daisy wasn't sure how much more of this she could bare. It had been five days since Hive had brought her to this damn island and what did she have to show for it? Nothing! Zip, zero, nada! Just a bunch of fancy clothes, flowers, and whatever else he thought she might want. Nothing actually being what she wanted.

"I hope everything is satisfactory."

She nearly jumped out of her seat, looking up at the man sitting across the table from her. He was smirking at her, probably having noticed she'd drifted off to lala land, and wanting to see her startled expression.

She had to remind herself to breath as she smoothed the dress she'd been told to wear for this particular dinner. It was darn gray and hugged her body like a second skin, with very little range for movement. Purposely made that way, she was sure. Needless to say, she was sorely missing her jeans and t-shirts.

"Everything's delicious."

Hive had Ward dressed in a dark suit, with a long black coat that just screamed 'I'm sexy evil and I know it!' He had even shaved that morning, making him seem more like 'her Ward.' Clean cut, not scruffy. It was almost too much to handle, when he looked at her the way Ward had before. When they had been at providence, right before they'd left, after she'd scratched her note to the team.

'Ward is Hydra.'

'What I want.. is to stay here with you, and imagine the world outside doesn't exist.'

He took a sip from his wine glass, and she felt like he was jabbing at the fact that she had neglected to even taste hers. Daisy had kept her focus on the food until this point, only sparing small glances in the parasite's direction.

"I haven't seen Malick or Giyera, for a few days." She said it the moment he looked like he was about to speak, afraid of what he may want to discuss.

It looked a little surprised she'd spoken first, even more so on the topic. Though it was quickly washed away by his indifference. "I'm surprised you noticed. Malick had business on the mainland, that he had to attend to. And Giyera, being his right hand, went with."

"But he's not Malick's right hand anymore. He's yours." She shouldn't have said that. The flash in Ward's eyes told her she should have just left it unsaid. Let go of the nagging feeling inside her that demanded why he even still kept Malick around.

"Observant. Tell me, when did you figure it out?" He placed his glass down, resting his chin on his knitted hands. Curiosity hinting at something more.

'You're picking things up pretty fast.'

"It really wasn't that hard to notice. I saw him standing with you more often than not. There were also the little glances of him waiting for you to agree before he did anything Malick said. Then there was the whole thing with baby-sitting me. Malick wouldn't have Giyera do that. He'd have some lower ranking agent do it. And based on your expression, I'm guessing he doesn't know."

To be perfectly honest, him clapping was not what she expected. Anger, yes. Surprise, maybe. Applause, noway! He even laughed, making her stomach twist. This was either really good, or really really bad. And she knew she'd be lying to herself if she even tried to pretend it was the former. Nothing ever good came from the monster from Maveth.

'You're a monster, a murderer, a trail of death wherever you go.'

He abruptly fell silent, his gaze zeroing in on her. Great, she'd really done it now. Ward's expression said it all. Something really really unpleasant was about to happen.

"You know, no one gives you enough credit." Hive rose from his seat, swiftly coming around to stand behind her chair. She didn't move, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end, but her eyes darted to the knife beside her plate. "Makes me wonder how this host was ever to let you go. I will not be making the same mistake."

The last part was a gentle whisper against the outer shell of her ear. His lips skimming the ridge as he seemed to pause, taking an extra moment to inhale her scent. She let a small gasp escape her lips as he pulled her against the back of her seat, turning her head up to meet his.

Daisy used her napkin as a cover, to slip the knife onto her lap, without alerting the parasite in Ward's body. She was desperate to seem calm as he devoured her from the inside out, but she could feel her toes curling and hands clenching as he turned her chair toward him. Giving him better access to her without having to lean over the back.

Her hand tightened around the knife, and she could feel the goosebumps spreading as he bulled back to let her breath. "He didn't want to let go... I shot him four times."

'Skye shot me.'

Hive smirked down at her. His eyes telling her, he knew something she didn't. It made her feel uneasy about what could possibly be running through his mind.

"He thought you hated him. I wonder what he would do if he knew you still love him."

'The heart wants what it wants.'

She winced, that had been a constant in the back of her mind. Would he care? Was their love doomed to end this way? Would he try to kill her? It was all questions she didn't have the answers to.

"Do you think he would still feel the same?"

"No. He'd just smirk, take out his little revenge book to cross off my name, and gun me down." And that was the truth, at least what she fully expected him to do. It was a foolish hope that told her he might actually have a positive responds to any of it.

If it were possible, her answer had his smirk growing even wider. She felt like the Grinch, or Cheshire cat could pick up a thing or two from this guy. What was so damn amusing?!

As though reading her thoughts, though she was positive that wasn't his gift, the dark inhuman chuckled, placing a soft kiss on her lips. It was nowhere near as demanding as any of other kiss this body had asked of her, and not at all forceful like so many of them were. He didn't even try to push past her lips.

She almost released he knife at the emotions it had building in her stomach. Though he pulled away just soon enough for her to remember why she was clutching that blade to the point her knuckles turned white. This wasn't right. Hive wasn't her Ward, he was impatient. He'd take what he wanted, when he wanted it. Not caring whether she was willing or not.

Her love wasn't like that. He had never wanted anything from her, except her love. It hadn't mattered to him what she was. Hacktivist, field agent, monster, inhuman, none of that had mattered to him. Ward hadn't wanted her for anything except herself.

Unlike Hive, the inhuman was only interested in what she could offer him. The destruction she could rage, the power she possessed. That mixed with Ward's memories had been too good for him to pass. Her being female was just an added bonus. He didn't actually care about her as her, just as an inhuman.

"I would have forgiven you in an instant, he did not have the wisdom to see there was no intent to kill in your actions." She gasped softly as his hand encased the one she had on the knife. His gaze was smoldering as he raised the blade up to get a better look. "What were you planning to to with this?"

'This, however, is not the answer.'

She looked away from his stare, feeling stupid for thinking he wouldn't notice. Ward would have saw the moment she moved it off the table.

"We're on the same side, Daisy. We're inhumans, we should be working together."

She let him take the knife from her grasp, placing it back on the table. What had she been planning to do with it? Give him a paper cut? It was practically a butter knife. God, she was so stupid.

He brought his hands back to her face, his thumbs gently brushing her cheeks. It reminded her so much of when the Hydra agent had been telling her his feelings for her hadn't been a lie. The look in his eyes was the frosting on the cake.

"Please, together we could do so much more for our race. Show them their powers aren't a curse, that they're gifts."

'Together.'

She did want to help the new inhumans. S.H.I.E.L.D. Didn't have enough understanding to deal with everyone that they would come across. They weren't exactly fair to those they did find either, like Coulson tried, but a lot of the other agents he'd recently recruited didn't share the Director's thoughts on Inhumans.

"We could give them a world where they wouldn't have to hide. You could bring your little friend out of containment. Where he wouldn't have to hide his change."

Daisy grimaced, recalling how she'd had to tell the young boy he couldn't go out in public like he used to. The look he'd given her after that had made her want to pull him into her arms and hug him till the sun burned out. He had been such a trooper through all of this. He deserved more than the life S.H.I.E.L.D. Could give him.

Would Hive really be able to do anything he was saying, even with her help? He wasn't helping her, if anything he was breaking her down. As though to remind her, memory spiked of four nights prior, he hadn't been on her side then. He'd been tearing her apart.

"How I can I trust a man, who keeps me contained and has hurt me in ways I'll never be able to voice..."

He made Ward's face grimace, his hands falling to her waist. Just the gentle pressure of them resting there had the female flinching back. It was uncomfortable for her to have his hands on that part of her body.

"I'm sorry." It sounded a lot more genuine this time around, than it had then, and his gaze plead for forgiveness. His body language portraying submission, it almost caught her off guard.

'I'm not asking for forgiveness. I just want to help you.'

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to do be like that. I wanted to wait... until I had your approval." He dropped his head then, not letting it touch her, but it was close. Probably hoping it would help her see his side if she wasn't more focused on how he was touching her. "Please give me another chance. Let me show you the good I can do for our people. Then you'll understand, I don't want to hurt you."

'That's why he thought he could make me understand him.'

He extended his hand to her, silently begging she at least give him that chance.

'Was he right?'

'Probably.'

Without fully realizing it, the quake inhuman placed her hand in his. Ignoring the shiver it ran down her spine. She had to try, for Caleb, and any other Inhuman that they might come across. They had to at least try to make a world where they would be accepted.

Ward's lips tugged upward as he rose, bringing her to her feet. Instead of going for a kiss like she'd expected, he placed a soft kiss to her hand. Short sweet and in no way hurtful.

'It's not something to be afraid of.'

"Thank you, I'll show you, you don't have to be afraid."

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Alright, Fitz, Bobbi, give me an estimate. How long until Hydra knows we're here?"

Both agents exchanged a look. "Sir, it's possible they already know we're here and are sending reinforcements." The engineer said quietly, prepping his dwarves to fly in ahead of them.

"Hear that everyone? Hydra's probably already on there way. So let's grab Skye and-"

"It's Daisy, sir."

There was a stifled chuckled from Hunter as the Director cursed under his breath. He really was having a hard time getting used to that. May sighed from her spot beside Coulson on the cargo ship's deck. Luckily they had taken care of the Hydra agents on board after passing the patrol ship.

"Main objective is to grab Daisy. Taking 'Ward' is not top priority but if you get a chance to subdue him, we'll take him. Do not engage unless he engages you, we only know very little of what he can actually do."

The team all looked back at their director, who was still looking a little caught off guard. "Yeah, what Agent May said. Keep radios on, the moment you hear someone has Daisy, head to the south beach, the extraction will be waiting for us there. If everyone's clear, Fitz?"

Fitz sent out his dwarves before he'd even said the last word. A video feed from each drone showing where they were going. Confusion creased his brow as he looked at the older man.

"Sir, there are no outside guards, and I'm only picking up two heat signatures."

"What?" They hadn't expected It to bring Daisy to an island alone. Not after all the guards and agents there had been in England. Was he really that convinced they wouldn't find him here? "Can you tell who they are?"

"Uh.." The rocket engineer tapped the screen a few times, changing the visual, holding it to where both Coulson and May could see the two bodies. One was very obviously Daisy, and there was no doubt in the Director's mind that the one moving toward her signature was Ward's body.

"New plan. We need to move now. Ward is away from her right now, if we want to get to Daisy without dealing with It we only have to go now. Lincoln, and Hunter. I want you to go to the North side of the house. Stay away from Ward but make sure you keep him occupied. I'll take May and Bobbi to Daisy's location. Fitz you wait on the beach for Mack's extraction."

Without anything further the S.H.I.E.L.D. Team jumped into action, going their separate ways, all hoping this wasn't a trap they were walking into.