Ward stepped closer, so that their bodies were millimetres apart, brushing the top of her head with his chin, he reached behind her and turned the light on.

"I'm sorry about the knife" he whispered, his mouth agonisingly close to Skye's ear. He pulled back. "Good night Skye. Sleep Well" he said as he walked down the corridor.

Coulson noticed the change in Ward the second he and Skye were back on the plane. For starters he could sense tension between them. Obviously something had happened off the 'bus. He hoped he didn't have another Ward/May incident on its way. On the other hand, Ward seemed more relaxed than he had seen him the couple of weeks since Skye was shot.

"Hey Stranger, how was your leave?" Simmons asked as Ward unpacked the few personal items he possessed on the bus.

"It was good. Thanks. How was things round here?"

"Quiet" Ward gave her a rare smile, finished unpacking his things and went to the workout room. He stood in the doorway and looked at the punch bag, while absentmindedly rubbing his sore knuckles.

"I would let those heal if I were you" Fitz advised, wondering if the powerful agent was going to hit him for saying the wrong thing.

"Wasn't thinking about working out. Was just thinking about things."

"What things?"

"Nothing."

"What?"

Suddenly the plane veered and shook everything to one side, bouncing the agents around like it had hit a bad patch of turbulence. Coulson's voice came over the loudspeaker: "Situation room now!"

Five minutes later they were all being briefed by Coulson as to what had happened.

"Twenty minutes ago we received reports of a man fighting."

"That's not new?" Skye pointed out.

"No, you're right. It isn't. What's new is there is five of him."

"Five? Of the same guy?"

"Maybe he's a quint?" suggested Simmons.

"Not when all five are making the same moves at exactly the same time"

"That's new" Ward piped up.

"Which is why we're on our way to find him."

An hour later Coulson and Ward were in the SUV headed out across the Mexico dessert. They reached the spot where the reports were made from. Ward got out of the car first and walked across to, what looked like a park.

"I don't see any sign of him"

The bullet came out of nowhere and hit him in the side. Ward pulled his gun from his holster and awkwardly held it in the direction the gunshot came from, things starting to go a little hazy around him and he dropped to his knees. The next thing he knew, there were five men, all matching the same description, closing in on him. By the time Ward hit the ground there was only one man, spread eagled on the ground with Coulson stood over him holding a night-night gun.

"Ward, can you hear me?" Coulson's face was swimming in and out of focus. He tried to talk but the very act of opening his mouth and inhaling air in order to was proving to be a bit of a challenge. That's when everything went black.

Skye, Fitz and Simmons and May were all waiting in the loading hatch for Coulson and Ward's return. The SUV pulled up and Coulson got out, opened the back door and dragged a handcuffed man out. May, realising this guy was a prisoner and wondering where Ward was, went to aid Coulson. She escorted him to the 'bus's 'cell' and locked him in. Meanwhile, Coulson had walked around the SUV and opened the passenger door. Ward had regained consciousness on the return journey, so Coulson helped him get out. He hefted one of Ward's arms over his shoulder and half carried half dragged the injured man up the ramp. Seeing what was going on Skye and Simmons went to help. They sat him on the Lab table to get a better look at his injury. There was a loud bang and Ward slumped forward, almost sliding off the table, only remaining on it due to the fact Skye had locked her knees around him.

"What did you do?" She asked Coulson, while Simmons still looked a little shaken.

"Hit him with night-night. Now you can do what you need to without him objecting to everything."

"Right, let's get moving then. Wouldn't want him to wake up halfway through."

Simmons took control. After all, she did treat Skye's bullet wound and Ward's didn't seem to be too deep. With the help of Fitz and Skye the bullet was soon removed and the hole left behind sewn up. Coulson added a surprise to the mix by attaching Ward's very own S.H.I.E.L.D bracelet to his wrist. Between all of them they managed to carry Ward to his bunk and took it in turns to check on him.

Ward awoke with a start. He remembered everything that had happened until he got back.

"Easy. Go back to sleep" came a soothing voice.

"How long have I been out?"

"A couple of days. We were worried about you."

"I need to get up."

"No, you need to lie down" Ward summoned the strength to push Skye off his bed and sit up. The pain in his side was immense but he breathed through it. The yelp Skye gave as she hit the floor brought the others running to his door.

"Please leave us." Coulson said.

"I'm sorry Coulson, I shouldn't have been so stupid!"

"It's not your fault Ward. The area looked clear to me as well. Only difference is you beat me out of the car. What you need is rest to I'm placing you on 'plane arrest'"

"Is that like house arrest but on a plane?"

"Exactly like that. To make sure you stay on the plane I have fitted you with a bracelet that will inject you with enough night-night to knock you out for a week should you even enter the lower deck of this plane."

"Coulson"

"That means no working out. In fact, no work. Period."

"Can I at least get out of bed?"

"Sure"

Slowly Ward moved to a point where he could put his feet on the floor. Using the door for support he pulled himself into a standing position. Realising that they had removed his shirt he grabbed one out of the drawer and stumbled into the lounge area.

"Oh look! It's Bambi on ice" Skye snickered.

"I can still shoot you!"

"Please don't!"

Ward was about to open his mouth to tell Skye to shut up when May came over the intercom telling them all to belt in for landing.

"Where are we going" Ward asked.

"We, as in you and Skye are staying here; we as in the rest of us are headed out for a 0-8-4"

"Coulson! What exactly am I supposed to do confined to a plane?"

"I'm sure you will think of something!"

Ward stood at the top of the stairs watching the team, bar Skye, drive off into the unknown. It irritated him to know that he should be out there but can't be due to his own damned fault.

"They shouldn't be too long" he thought, "what can I do? Skye will probably tell Coulson if I do any work." He scanned the room and spotted Skye's laptop computer.

"Skye. Can I borrow this?" he asked lifting it off the table. "Sure. Didn't think you knew how to work them though?" She retorted still feeling a little stung over that night at Ward's house and the fact that they hadn't talked about it. She took the laptop and logged him in.