Ward, Fitz, Rob and Kain had all geared up with a range of weapons. Handguns, shotguns, even sniper rifles. Coulson was going to play 'wheel spinner' and shout out their targets.
Rob was proud to have served for Queen and Country as a green beret. He was also proud that he had held his troops sniper record. He wanted to test these younger men.
They got to the area Rob had acquired as his shooting range. They all held valid weapons licenses so that wasn't going to be an issue. Rob walked to the target bay and set up the odds and sods (which included empty tin cans, old, broken busts, flower pots out of his wife's garden that he couldn't stand) he had collected for target practise. He purposely made one of each set of targets slightly more difficult to shoot.
"So a round of handguns and then we can have a go with the sniper rifles." Rob said as he made it back to them.
Kain went first. He sent his feet and set his stance and fired at the tin cans Rob had placed on a low wall about 15 feet away. He scored 6/8.
Rob reset the tin cans on the wall.
Fitz went next. He fired wildly, every shot erupting from the gun making him jump out of his skin, before Ward ran forward and took the weapon off him. He scored 0/8.
"Fitz is our resident rocket scientist/engineer. The only gun he has ever fired before is an icer, which has no recoil, sound and knocks you straight out when you get hit with it." Coulson explained while Ward was laughing at the look on Fitz's face.
Rob told Ward he was up next, but Ward insisted that Rob go first.
Rob stepped up, took his stance and his aim and fired. He scored 7/8. He went to reset the cans.
Ward had emptied his weapon on the walk to the range, so he took his weapon, and as he walked up to the plate to fire he slotted the magazine into the gun, lifted it and with minimal aim, he fired.
Rob was watching in amazement. How had he never noticed this young man was a talented spy? He was even more impressed when he went to check the cans. 8/8.
Sue pulled Skye to one side as they approached the next wedding shop they were going to visit.
"It's ok. We'll be in shortly." She called to the others.
"I'm not pregnant Sue." Skye repeated.
"I know, but I wanted to say something to you before we go in there. I know it's customary, especially in America for the bride's father to pay for everything, but if you happen to see the dress in this shop I would like to pay for it."
"I don't have any parents." Skye almost whispered. Sue looked at Skye, the sympathy for the young woman growing by the minute.
"Well then, that's settled. I will buy you your wedding dress, and your bridesmaids dresses."
"You don't have to, really."
"Think of it as a gift my dear. By the way, who are you going to ask to give you away?"
Skye was not going to win the argument and she just wanted to get this over with so she agreed and headed into the shop. She also had something else to think about. Who was she going to ask to give her away. Then she realised she knew the answer to that all along.
This shop was not like the last one they had been to. There were dresses in all shapes, sizes, colours and styles. Simmons, May, Tilly and Amber had all been buy while she and Sue were outside. They had chosen a selection of dresses, yet no two were alike. Skye was shepherded to the changing area and as she passed Simmons she grabbed her by the arm and dragged the startled woman with her. As the shop assistant was fastening Skye into the dresses, Simmons was supporting her shoulder so that it took some of the pain away.
"So are you going to tell Ward what Sue said at lunch?" Simmons asked as they were trying on the fourth dress of the afternoon.
"I'll have to. I still don't think Sue believes me. I think it has something to do with the eight week timetable. Can't risk her bombarding Ward!"
"How do you think he'll react?" Simmons asked while she figited.
"He'll probably find it funny. Are you ok? You look kind of nervous?"
"I kissed Fitz" Simmons blurted to Skye. She was completely unable to keep a secret.
"YOU DID WHAT?" Skye shrieked. It was so loud that the others could hear it outside.
The shop assistant looked up at Simmons. Skye noticed the look.
"Later" she said.
"I'm done. You can go and look in the mirror now." The shop assistant told her.
Simmons let go of her arm and spread the hem of the dress so Skye could walk without falling over. Skye made it to the mirror without incident.
"Aww. You look lovely." Tilly cooed.
"Lovely won't do it. On your wedding day you, along with everything else, has to be unforgettable." Sue said, before continuing "Wait here."
She disappeared into the many racks of dresses.
"The first time we got married was pretty unforgettable." Skye said, sitting down and taking a sip of their complimentary champagne, thinking that she may have to settle for this dress as all of the others didn't quite look right.
Sue returned minutes later with a dress that she was concealing. She helped Skye off the seat and back into the changing room. The attendant helped her out of the dress she was currently wearing and into the one Sue had picked.
Skye winced horribly at the pain in her shoulder as the attendant slipped her arm into the arm hole.
"Are you alright dear?" Sue asked.
"Yeah. I kind of broke my shoulder yesterday." Skye told her.
"How did you do that?" Sue continued. She was slightly intrigued.
"Pushed Ward, I mean Grant, down the stairs and he kind of landed on me."
Sue wanted to know why Skye had pushed her fiancé down the stairs, but it was probably something to do with their job, which she didn't want to know about.
Skye felt a soft silky tie being placed over her eyes by Sue as the assistant finished fastening up the dress. When she was ready, Sue took Skye's uninjured arm and led her to the mirror. Skye was feeling nervous, mainly because everyone else was silent. This wasn't going to be good!
Sue stopped her and placed her in front of the mirror, before fanning out the small train at the back.
"Are you ready?" Sue asked.
"Yeah"
"On three, one, two, three!" Sue counted, removing the blindfold on three.
Skye couldn't believe that it was her in the mirror. This dress was perfect. It hugged her curves in all of the right places. The neckline was a plunging sweet heart neckline that showed her natural assets without giving too much away and the skirt hugged her body to the middle of her thighs before fanning out into a small train. Having discussed her preference for straps she had got nowhere until now. These weren't straps as such, as they fitted like a sleeveless bodice.
"Iiit's pperfect" Skye stammered, fighting back tears.
The other had come over and were admiring the dress.
"Do we have a winner?" the assistant asked.
"I think we do." Sue replied, smiling at Skye who was twirling the skirt in the mirror to see how it moved.
"There is an hour left if you would like to select something for the bridesmaids." She informed them.
Skye was helped out of the dress and into her regular clothes, while Tilly and Simmons were now going through what Skye had just been through, except they now had to choose a colour.
Skye had asked May to be a bridesmaid, but she had politely refused with the comment: "If you think you're going to get me into a hideous dress you can go do one. Go ask Tilly."
"Rob, your turn. Right Nostril." Coulson called.
Rob squeezed the trigger of his sniper rifle and the bullet cam flying out of it, hitting the stone bust in the left nostril.
"That was the left!" Coulson shouted.
"Was it?" Rob asked, holding the forefinger and thumb out on each hand before turning around and looking at them.
"Oh yeah! I never could tell my right from my left!"
Coulson chuckled
"Kain, you next. Same statue, straight between the eyes."
Kain fired and missed by an inch. Sniper training is something he had never covered, as he had measles when they taught it at the academy.
"Ward, Left earlobe, but I want you shooting on your back."
Ward gave him a dirty look before carefully wriggling from his stomach to his back. He took off his shirt and screwed it up to support his rifle.
"There's no way he's going to get this!" Rob said, smirking. So far he had discovered Ward was a better shot than he was.
Ward was about to squeeze the trigger.
"Simmons kissed me!" Fitz burst out saying.
Ward immediately took his finger off the trigger of his rifle and sat upright, looking at the engineer.
"Of all of the moments you choose to tell us that, it's when we all have loaded weapons?" Ward asked, looking at Fitz with a smile. Kain and Coulson were also looking at him. Coulson was wondering when this happened, as Simmons was known for not reciprocating the feelings for Fitz that he had for her.
"Anything anyone else want to get off their chest?" Ward asked. When no one replied he laid back down and lined up his shot.
"What does it mean that she kissed me?" Fitz continued.
"Well what type of kiss was it?" Ward asked while he moved his body to slightly better position.
"Ten quid says he misses." Rob offered.
"I'll take that action." Coulson agreed.
"It was a kiss on the lips."
"When did it happen?" Ward probed, pulling the trigger while he was talking.
"Right after the Eridine didn't kill us all."
Couslon looked through the binoculars he was using and passed them to Rob, who promptly looked through them too.
"I hate to break it to you, but it could have been a 'thank God we're alive' moment."
"Probably." Fitz agreed, looking slightly dejected.
"You have got to show me how to do that!" Rob said, handing Coulson a ten pound note.
A/N: No Skye isn't pregnant, I just thought it would be funny for Sue to think that!