Author's Note: I'm trying to do daily updates so I think I'm doing well. It's a short chapter but there is an extra-long one coming up soon. PLEASE REVIEW, things are about to get interesting and I really want to know what people think.
Chapter 28 – The Truth
Hiding her surprise Skye didn't miss a beat, "About two minutes."
Letting go of Skye's hand, Natasha crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, "You're lying. I saw your face when I told everyone about Fury's team, only you and May didn't react."
Skye scoffed, buying herself some time, "So maybe May knew about the surveillance, why not ask her?"
Natasha didn't look amused, "May was as shocked as the rest of the team, she's just better at hiding it then the rest of them. Besides I've known May for years, if she'd known about Fury's team she would have said something. So I'll ask again, how long have you known? The truth this time."
Skye sighed, "Since I left London Zoo."
"You didn't have a one night stand that night did you?" The assassin asked.
Skye shook her head, deciding to tell at least one person the truth, "I was attacked on the way home. He saved me, patched me up, and made sure I was alright. He protected me."
Natasha looked confused, "He?"
Understanding washed over Skye and she almost laughed, "You don't know who Fury sent, do you?"
Natasha shook her head, "I've learned not to ask. And honestly it didn't matter who it was, as long as they did their job. But from the look on your face I'm guessing you knew them?"
Skye just nodded.
"Was it Ward?" Natasha asked.
Skye nodded again.
"He was alone? I thought Fury sent a whole team."
Skye shrugged, "Maybe Fury lied."
Natasha sighed and sat down, "What do you know?"
"I'd like to think I know everything," Skye said, sitting across the table from Natasha, "But something tells me I don't."
Natasha gave a half smile, "I guess there's only so much you can write down. Some things need to be actually said out loud."
"Too bad Ward couldn't talk." Skye snapped, "Would have been nice to know. I even think May would want to know her damage was permanent." If Natasha didn't know Ward could talk, Skye wasn't going to tell her.
"It wasn't my place to tell," Was all Natasha said.
"So for our entire say here you've known someone was following us but you didn't know it was Ward?" Skye asked.
"Yes," Natasha said, the she smiled "Did you hit him? I would have."
Skye gave a small smile, "Multiple times."
"Do you know about Russia?"
"The cure for Fitz? Sure." Skye replied.
"Do you know what he did after?" The Black Widow asked.
"Going after Raina? Yes." Skye answered.
The assassin shrugged, "Then you know more than I do."
Skye was shocked, "Really?"
Natasha raised an eyebrow, "You sound surprised."
"I'm just so used to him lying to me that I didn't expect him to tell me any more than he's told anyone else."
Natasha smiled, "He loves you."
"There's that word again," Skye said, "I think we have two different definitions of word love. If he loved me why did he side with Garrett?" It was the question she knew the answer to because she'd read it in the notebook but Skye needed someone to actually tell her that she wasn't the only one who understand, that her own feelings for Ward weren't clouding her judgment.
"Speaking from experience when someone rescues you from a crappy childhood, when someone offers you a way out you take it and you follow them, wherever they may lead," Natasha smiled, "I take it that's what you wanted to hear."
Skye shrugged but nodded, "Something like that."
"Out of interest what happened between you and Ward that night?" Natasha asked.
Skye was glad she didn't ask about any other night, "I hit him, we talked. Well I talked, he wrote notes."
"You don't seem worried that he didn't check in," When Skye didn't respond Natasha continued, "You've seen him, haven't you?"
Skye nodded weakly, "He's been protecting the team from threats, one of the threats fought back," she didn't mention that the threat was her father, "I patched him up, and it took him a while to heal. He missed a check in but he's alright." A small lie but not big enough for Natasha to notice.
"So Ward's alive? He didn't defect back to HYDRA?"
Skye looked shocked, the thought had never occurred to her over the past few days. After reading the notebook she knew Ward would never go back, he'd never been HYDRA, only Garrett's. Skye shook her head, "He left last night."
"He was here?" Surprise evident on the assassin's face, then understanding, "That's what's been up with you, you've been hiding him."
Skye shrugged, "He needed help. He helped me, so I helped him."
"Glad to know he isn't dead," Was all Natasha said.
Neither woman spoke for a minute, until Skye stood up, "I should go pack."
Natasha nodded, "Sure, I'll see you around."
"You could come with us," Skye said, "You don't have to go back to Fury."
Natasha smiled, "Stark's a friend. If he's going to do something stupid then I need to help stop him, or at least help clean up the mess."