Hi everyone!
I'm back for a new chapter of The German Bride...
You remember that weird text Ward received? this is the reason why he received it! Go have a look...
And try to understand what is going to happen...
Enjoy!
They met at a rusty diner on the side of a dirty road, in the middle of New Mexico state.
It was one of these caricatural places, lost to the world and where life happened in the middle of nothing. The waitress could have been pretty if there wasn't this heaviness in her eyes, and if she didn't look like a zombie. She was weak and placide, chewing on a chewing-gum. When Ward entered, he was met with the wailing of a toddler. The girl immediately left the clients to go shush him. It was her kid but she didn't look more than 18. The baby had visibly taken his mother's chewing habit, as he chased after his gum of predilection, the tail of a tired-looking dog.
Those two didn't pose a threat, even if he dreaded the cries of the toddler. This thing had one of the most annoying voice ever. He sat at a table, and continued his scanning of the room. At the bar, next to a grumpy old man muttering curses under his breath at each sip of beer, a young, scrawny guy, with the stereotypical hat of a cowboy, threw anguished glances to the waitress. He sighed. Teenage love was a bitch. He wouldn't be much of a threat either.
A woman was sitting at the corner, in the shadow. He hadn't seen her face but the way she was moving was familiar to him. She had ordered a coffee but hadn't drunk it. He smirked. As if he wasn't going to recognize her! Sometimes he thought she wasn't even that good. Or it was purposeful. He looked at her and waved a little. Her hand tensed around the cup. Hello Melinda May.
A tall, strict looking man sat in front of him. Of course Whitehall would not have come. He played friendly, chatting and smiling. They talked about nothing for a while, drinking. But soon, the true reason they were both here came into their conversation.
"So, your girl?"
"Yeah... I mean, I didn't see it coming. I came back from work that evening, and the house was empty. No sign of her."
"We never see that coming."
They chatted. It was nothing more, on the outside, than playful, friendly chatter. It was frustrating to see. For her at least. Melinda May had been quietly watching over Ward's shoulder since he first showed signs of possible betrayal. She knew he had seen her earlier. She knew it from his cocky smirk and the little wave of his hand. She knew it, because he had looked somewhat startled. She might now think that it was a fool's idea to show herself and what she was something.
"I miss her… She… was stronger than the others. And you know… Maybe the guy who took her from me knows she has that special thing… But if he doesn't… He misses something and loses a rare gain."
"You wouldn't have missed it, right man?"
Was it really going to be an endless talk about a girl? May rolled her eyes. She should have done something else of her afternoon than just sitting there listening to a man talking about his ex. She drank some of the coffee. It was now cold, and bitter. Gosh, she hated coffee.
"She was more than just a girl. And I lost the other person who kept me out of jail. My dear, but so controlling, friend."
"What are you going to do now?"
"I'll just continue my stuff. Try not to end up in jail again. But this time, it won't be Juvie. Congratulations, Grant Ward. You've been promoted."
"What?"
"Yeah. You're my controlling friend now…"
"Man, I cannot do that. I'm not good enough. If you want a counselor, I know some people but… I'm not the right man…"
"It's not a counselor that I want. It's a commander."
Ward took a fry from the little pile they had ordered and not yet eaten. At the moment his hand was reaching back to his mouth, the piece of potato was taken away by another hand. The hand he had seen tensing around a coffee cup earlier. May was sitting next to him. She had a smile on, but he knew it was just to cover the anger, distrust and slight curiosity he saw in her eyes.
"Sorry, Wess. I have to cut our reunion short. My ride's early."
He slightly glared at May. She looked back at him. He smirked. He didn't want to be in Wess' place right now. She seemed ready to kill him on spot. And quite hungry too. She had already eaten half the fries. The men exchanged what they were supposed to exchange. For Ward, an old looking book. It seemed like the two men had talked about it earlier. And the SHIELD agent seemed eager to read it. And for Wess, an USB key. It was supposed to be a list of the councillors Ward had encountered and his friend needed these contacts.
On the way back, May drove fast and Ward texted Skye. They didn't talk, they didn't look at each other. Back to base, he went up to the bunk he shared with Skye. He quickly changed and went to the gym for a quick workout session. He needed to get the steam off. He heard a door closing, and footsteps. It was not only his idea to hit some leather to think about something else than the imminent fight between them. Simmons and Fitz were in the lab. With Coulson in his office, and Skye somewhere near computers and far away from the gym, they could deal with what had happened earlier.
The woman stood at the door, watching him punch and hit the bag with determination. She walked up to him. May knew he was hiding something. He was all tensed around her, he was looking around him every time he did something. He knew she was keeping an eye on him.
He kept punching until the looks the woman gave him started to annoy him. He pushed the bag away, and looked at her. She got on the mat, an eyebrow raised, waiting for him to start. Start what? Was it a fight or a conversation she was asking for? Knowing May, it could only be both.
He hated Adele for putting him in this position. He was now commander for God's sake! He didn't know what was going to happen now. He knew very little about being commander and really didn't want to know more. Why him? Because he was 'close' to her? What a mess… He should have said no in the first place…. But to who? Saying no to Whitehall resulted in death and he liked his life. Saying no to Garrett about going in SHIELD would have meant he hadn't met Skye, and would probably have more scars now. Saying no to Garrett about going with him in Juvie… Would he have survived his family? He sighed. He was not going to think about that again. Not now.
"What kind of game you think you are playing, May?"
"Oh, I am playing a game, Ward?"
"Wess is a friend. An old friend. You can check on the databases. Wess Anderson. We met at Juvie. Kept contact. It might even be in my file from the Academy and after. There is nothing. Absolutely nothing."
They started walking in circles, facing each other, each at one end of the mat. Her face was tense, she didn't believe him. She seemed ready for a fight, she was always ready for a fight.
"What is a commander?"
"To show you how truthful I am, I'm going to explain to you the technicalities of juvenile penitentiary."
He smirked. God, she hated this man and his ways of turning the situation to his advantage. He knew she could do nothing with proofs. Proofs she didn't have. And he played with it. He played with her. She had never believed him. She was the only one on this team she didn't trust completely. She trusted Skye like a daughter, even if she had had difficulties with her at the beginning. She trusted Fitz and Simmons because they didn't know how to lie. And she trusted Coulson. Because of reasons.
"A commander, is like a counsellor. But for people who prefer orders to advices. When I was in Juvie, I could not do what people advised me to do, I was too reckless, and I didn't want people to look down to me. Garrett was kind of a commander for me."
"Wess is not a minor anymore. Why does he need a commander? And more importantly you?"
"I don't know. That's why I'll keep contact with him."
This was too big. Did he really believe she was going to take that as the truth? She knew damn well the penitentiary system. things like a commander didn't exist. Something was so wrong with this man. So wrong. How could Skye not see this? How could Skye love him? How could she, May, had slept with him? She didn't believe him. She had the idea that Adele and him had a bigger part in Hydra that they said they had.
She broke the circles suddenly, jumping forward and punching him right in the jaw. He stumbled back. He had seen it coming but hadn't moved. He needed to make her believe she had a power over him. She approached him and hit again.
"Now. The truth."
"I told you what it was already!"
She hit again but he didn't let her. He grabbed her hand and turned her wrist back. She grunted in pain. Her eyes were furious. He couldn't help but smirk. He wasn't at her mercy. He was way above, too many steps ahead.
"I have nothing to hide Agent May. Now stop."
She kicked his legs under him, making him fall down. She was getting angrier by the second. He looked up to her, still with that smirk she hated. He thought he was so clever. But she had him all figured out. Or almost. She kicked him again, hard in the abdomen. He let out a hurt breath.
"Talk."
She was cold and angry. He kicked her legs too, she fell next to him and he punched her hard. They were starting to get messy, and blood was starting to drop on the mat. And they started to fight. Ruthlessly. He had been trained by the best. She was one of the best. Blood was going to flow.
Thank you for reading!
Don't hesitate to comment!
What to you think is going to happen next?
How are they going to react to Ward being commander? And what do you think is a commander? And whose commander?
So many questions...
Until next time (for answers)
The Queen of Heart