Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel or Agents of SHIELD

He was back in the Cage again after revealing all the locations of HYDRA agents that he knew of. Being Garrett's right hand man, he'd been allowed full disclosure on almost everything- John's condition, the placement of the agents, but towards the end, John had begun to drift and became more unpredictable and impulsive- shooting Skye, killing the general at Cybertek, raving about the beginning of an end.

And seeing Skye… she had looked relatively healthy, maybe a little tired and pale, but otherwise physically unharmed. When they had first made eye contact, she had looked away, her expression screaming confusion. It had hurt when she had flinched away from him at the table, but he figured that it served him right. Eventually, she would understand, he just needed to guide her to realizing that he wasn't entirely evil or a serial killer. Or a Nazi. Just loyal to those he cared about. The confusion in her face for that split second had lifted his hopes up again. It meant that she wasn't so fixed on believing that he was her worst enemy, even if she acted like it.

Grant Ward leaned his head back against the silicon carbide-coated vibranium alloy walls of the Cage and closed his eyes. She was more beautiful than he remembered. Although he was glad they were able to see each other, he had wanted very badly to have a moment alone with her. With Coulson and Triplett there, the Command Center had felt unnaturally crowded. She seemed to have filled up the room with her presence and with the other two agents there watching him, he felt suffocated. Maybe it was because he had gotten use to the isolation. Or maybe it was because…

No. Ward got up and began pacing. He was a specialist. The isolation was nothing new; it was his thing. He worked best alone, in and out, looking after no one but himself. The whole team thing "wasn't his speed" as he had said plenty of times before. His imprisonment conditions hadn't affected him as badly as it would affect a normal person who was used to the company and comfort of others.

Suddenly, there was a thump outside of the door, like the sound of someone who slid down the wall and sat down on the ground. The sound was too light for Coulson and Triplett, and Ward knew better than to think that it was Fitz. He was positive that May would not have sat herself down in that manner. If it were Simmons, she would have just come in- she wasn't hesitant about facing Ward and always had a bodyguard at her side anyway.

"Skye, I know you're there. Don't trust the door to keep me in, do you?" He called out, continuing to pace.

"Why'd you do it?" Her voice was muffled by the door, but he could hear the desperation between her cool tones, like she needed to confirm her worst fears about him. He knew what she was talking about, but he decided to play dumb, trying to buy some time before the inevitable.

"Reveal the coordinates? I'm a survivor, Skye; I know what I have to do to make it through alive. HYDRA"S nothing without a leader, and now that they've lost Pierce, Sitwell and Garrett, they'll be scrambling to reorganize and collect their bearings. HYDRA's at its weakest now. " He tried to ignore the way his stomach knotted up at the sound of her vulnerable voice.

It was quiet for a long time after Ward had spoken. He was beginning to wonder if Skye had left when she spoke again.

"I meant Garrett. Why did you become his…follower?"

Ward sighed and waked to the door, sitting down with his back against the cool surface, no doubt in the same position that she was in. Somehow, it gave him comfort to think that they were practically back to back, separated by the door.

"And don't tell me that it's because you're a survivor because that's complete bullshit." Skye added quickly, making Ward smile to himself. Her spice was back.

"It's a long story that I'd rather tell to your face than this door." Ward told her in a low voice, but Skye was quick to respond.

"No deal. Don't worry, I'll tell you if I need a bathroom break but this better be good. No more lies."

"No more lies." Ward promised, hoping that he could keep this first promise to her. He settled himself more comfortably against the door and angled his head down to where he imagined her head to be resting on the other side, "Well, you know that my brother beat up both me and my younger brother-"

"Good to know that wasn't a lie," Skye whispered but Ward's specialist training kicked in and he picked up every word.

"-yeah, that's all true." He acknowledged. Ward could almost see her eyes grow wide with shock that he had heard her, "Anyway, my parents eventually enrolled me in a military academy. I was beginning to think about sticking up for my younger brother and I and Maynard wanted me out of the way. One day, I broke out of the academy and set the family house on fire. Honestly, I knew that Maynard was in there, that's why I set the fire in the first place." Ward continued to recount his experiences in juvie and Garrett approaching him about SHIELD only to recruit him straight into HYDRA.

"He didn't give me a choice. I was really vulnerable when he approached me. Besides, I didn't know any other side of SHIELD other than the one that he told me."

"You don't owe him anything," Skye's voice became quiet and soft, just like the way it was when she had comforted him at Providence.

"I owed him everything!" Ward growled, a little tired of people underestimating his relationship with Garrett, "He saved me from hell, taught me how to be a man."

"Fat lot he taught you! He was a sleazebag and a filthy traitor." She snapped.

"SHIELD left him to die!" Ward said defensively, his voice rising, "SHIELD isn't everything you think it is. It isn't some noble organization-"

Skye cut in, her voice almost too quiet to hear, "trust the system."

Ward slammed his hand down at the floor, trying to keep it together, "Even you don't believe that."

She scoffed, her voice icy, "You think that I don't know that? You think that I don't believe that SHIELD has its faults? New flash, Ward, all these supranational organizations have their faults. There's no way they can save everyone! In order to operate for the better good, sacrifices have to be made!"

He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to regain control of his anger, "All I've ever known since escaping my old life is John and he took good care of me."

"All he cared about was saving his own ass." Skye replied coldly. "You could have been the good man and told Coulson about Garrett. You could've told SHIELD even before you joined the team! They would have protected you."

"That's funny, because I learned from John that SHIELD doesn't protect its own, remember? Even with Coulson. Sure, they saved him, but at what cost?"

He heard Skye let out a frustrated yell, "God, Ward, It's all about Garrett isn't it? Have you ever learned to thing for yourself? Or are you really just a robot, following orders-"

"My feelings- I was prepared to do anything-" Ward began desperately, trying to keep the conversation from spiraling into a yelling match.

"And Fitzsimmons? The team? Tell me you cared nothing for us. NOTHING when you lied to our faces, every single freaking day, while we bandaged your wounds, asked about your feelings, cared for you?"

"It was a weakness." Ward said automatically, echoing the words that Garrett had put into his head. Ward thought back to Buddy, the most loyal companion anyone could ask for.

He heard the rustle of clothing that signaled that Skye was standing up. "You son of a bitch. Forget it, I'm done."

"-It was supposed to float-" He said hoarsely, "the cargo hold-." But he knew she was already gone.

A meal passed and Ward was given a change of clothes from Trip- just a standard white Tshirt and gray sweatpants. Ward did another round of push-ups: normal ones, clappers, one armed, legs propped up on, before his door suddenly burst open. He was mid push up when Skye flew through the door, her hair in a loose braid and clothed in sleepwear. Ward got up quickly and opened his mouth to speak and make up for losing his temper from when they were talking earlier when she slapped him. He honestly should not have been caught off guard by that but it took him a few moments to recollect himself. When Ward looked up again, Skye fisted her hand in the collar of his white shirt and jerked him down to her mouth. Ward reacted faster this time; he took her face in his calloused hands and kissed her back roughly, putting in two months' worth of angst and six months' worth of lust into the kiss. She responded equally as fiercely, one hand positioned at the base of his neck, the other running up and down his arm, squeezing his bicep while his tongue flicked in and out of her mouth.

Suddenly, she broke away, eyes blazing. She took him in, then spun on her heels, storming out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Groaning, Ward threw himself into a steel chair and covered his face with his hands, trying to ignore the taste of blood in his mouth from where Skye had bit his lip.

"Dammit, Skye," He growled, still trying to stop his head from spinning.

Alrighty, another Ward chapter down. Like? Dislike? Improvements? Ideas? Those can all go down in that box down there! Thanks again for reading and endless love and appreciation to those who followed/favorite/reviewed! You guys are what keep me going~