"So we suspect this garage of what exactly?" Amber asked as Coulson was outlining their latest mission.
"We suspect it is an exchange point for tesseract technology and other items from when the chitauri invaded. According to a S.H.I.E.L.D source there is a meeting like this scheduled soon" Coulson explained.
"So what's the plan?"
"Ward, May. You two are going to be the married couple who are on their way to their vacation and have got lost. Amber and Kain, you will be diner patrons who are hiking as much of America as you can and Fitz and Simmons will be running tech from the van."
"What about you and Skye?" May asked.
"I will be driving the van and Skye will be staying here monitoring everything."
"When do we do this?"
"We set off in half an hour. You best all go get ready." Coulson instructed.
Half an hour later they all set off towards the suspicious garage. It was out in the middle of nowhere and provided the perfect cover for illegal dealings.
Coulson was driving the van to a location where they wouldn't be seen so Amber and Kain could get out and walk the rest of the way to the diner.
"I wonder why he's grounded Skye." Amber asked Fitz, Simmons and Kain.
"Maybe she hacked our servers again?" Fitz offered.
"Maybe she still isn't feeling well?" Kain suggested.
"Maybe." Simmons said, mentally making a note to ask Skye when they returned.
In the SUV Ward was being unusually quiet in the driver's seat.
"Everything ok?" May asked.
"Yeah. Never better."
"I'm going to ask you something and I want an honest answer."
"Go on."
"Is Skye pregnant?"
Ward remained quiet.
"It all adds up you know and Simmons will cotton on sooner or later."
"What adds up?"
"That sickness bug. It lasted far too long. She's put on a little weight recently. She accepted a fluid drip from Simmons without arguing and Coulson has left her behind on the bus. Not in the van but on the bus!" May told him.
"Yes. Skye is pregnant." Ward answered her.
"How far along?"
"Just over eight weeks."
"She's starting to fill out well considering she's only eight weeks."
"I imagine you would fill out quicker when you're expecting triplets."
May was glad she wasn't driving the car as Ward certainly knew how to drop a bombshell.
"Who knows?"
"Skye obviously, Me, you and Coulson. I suspect he's been talking to Fury to make necessary arrangements for later on, but that's it."
"You are so screwed! Oh God, what if they're all identical?" May teased.
"Will you stop?" Ward asked. He was still trying to come to terms with it.
They pulled into the garage.
"You ready to do this?" he asked.
"I was born to do this." May replied.
Ward got out of the car.
"We are not lost." He almost shouted at May as she also got out.
"We are totally lost."
"We aren't. I know exactly where we are going."
May got the map out and spread it out over the bonnet of the car.
"We are headed here, right?" she asked, viciously jabbing their pretend location on the map.
"Exactly. That means we aren't lost." Ward told her.
"Ok then genius. Where are WE?" she shouted before pulling the map off the bonnet and walked over to what looked to be two local people.
"Excuse me. Could you tell us where to find the Nesbit Forest. My IDIOT of a husband has got us lost!"
"How did I get us lost? You have the map!" Ward shouted at her, exasperation clearly evident in his voice.
May ignored him and turned back to the locals.
Ward went inside to get food and a drink from the small shop.
The plan was to scope it out before returning the map to the SUV and arguing some more.
As Ward placed the trail mix bar and water on the counter he heard something behind him.
"Grant?"
It was a voice he recognised. Spinning around he came face to face with Nadia.
"Erm. Hi." He said to her.
"I knew it. I just knew you would hurt her like this. She is one of my best friends." Nadia yelled at him.
"Nadia. It's not what you think." Ward tried to reason.
"It is. I asked you straight out if you were one of those guys and you lied in my face!" she screamed.
Ward walked up to Nadia and grabbed her arm. She started shouting as he dragged her into the bathroom. He pinned her up against the wall and covered her mouth with his hand.
"I am not cheating on Skye. I can explain all of this, just not here and not now."
That's when he heard the gunshot.