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Sorry it's been so long since I updated! As always, thanks to all those that review/favorite/followed!

The next time Ward remembered waking up he was in a different cell. This one was about half the size of the Cage with just a small cot and a shelf opposite the cot. .Or maybe it was supposed to be a table. Ward couldn't tell. There was a bleak looking sink with a pump to power it. That was it.

It was nice, thought. Didn't stink of state urine or rotting flesh as some of his previous cells did. Not nearly as nice as the Cage but that meant he would be able to leave the room for questioning.

A clatter drew Ward's attention to the heavy door opposite the cot he was lying on. Getting up, Ward saw that a tray had been slid through a small flap in the door. On the tray was a slice of bread, some stew and a cup of milk. A plastic spoon served as the only utensil.

Ward ate slowly, savoring the food. This was actual, edible stuff, not the slop he was given before the Cage. When he was done, he placed the tray back in front of the flap nad it was soon taken away.

It must have been hours before Coulson and Trip came into his room, but then again, Ward ahd long lost his sense of time. Coulson handed him a light blue colored pill and Ward swallowed it dry.

Upon coming to again, Ward found himself sitting upright cuffed by his legs and arms to a hard chair, his head surrounded by metal. His body was hooked up to a multitude of wires. This was at least familiar. His heart beat quickened as he began to panic, until he realized he had nothing to hide. Unlike the last time when he found himself in a similar lie detector, if not the same one. The last time, he was there to get Skye.

But isn't he here again for the same reason, different intent?

"You know the drill." Coulson's voice brought Ward's attention to the giant monitoring station directly in front of him. After a brief set of baseline questions, the Agent launched into questions about Hydra, confirming locations and people, allegiances and missions and countless questions about Garrett and his relationship with Ward.

"I was never a true believer. Neither of us was. All we wanted was to make Garrett better and the only way to do so was through Hydra and Cybertek." But as soon as Ward said it aloud, he knew it might not be true.

Coulson glanced up from the monitor screen, "You say that Garrett wasn't a true believer?"

"I don't… I don't think he was at first. But it is possible that towards the end.." Ward's voice cracked by not from emotion. All the talking was starting to wear down his healing larynx.

"That's enough for today." Coulson waved a hand behind him to signal for the others to take the prisoner back to his cell.

"Do I get a lanyard now?" Ward asked sarcastically but Coulson didn't even blink. "We are at Providence, aren't we?" He didn't get to see Coulson's reaction because May injected him with the knock out drug and Ward lost himself to unconsciousness.

"Jemma I think there's something wrong with your drug." Ward mumbled as he slowly came to, "I have a pounding headache." But as his vision cleared, he saw that the figure in the corner of his cell wasn't the English woman at all, but someone with longer and darker tresses.

"Skye," He smiled languidly, "Come to congratulate me on getting a lanyard?" Ward knew that he really shouldn't be joking with her, especially since they hadn't really spoken per se since their argument over Ward's story. But he hadn't forgotten the kiss. He had hoped that maybe that meant that they were on better terms. Obviously not, judging by the stoic look on Skye's face. She seemed to be getting better at hiding her feelings.

"Look, Skye," Ward sighed, dropping the playful demeanor in favor of something more serious, "I've thought about this a lot and it hasn't been easy for me either-,"

"I thought about this a lot too and I've returned to my former conclusion-you're just weak. Not evil. But you know what? It would've been better if you were evil because then at least, you would be brave enough to stand up for yourself and what you want."

Ward bristly a little, sitting up to face Skye head on "I know what I want-."

But she cut him off again, stepping closer, "You're just a weak little piece of shit under all that muscle and if you really want a shot at redemption then you're going to need one hell of a new defining moment." Skye snapped and Ward felt her words as a slap on his face. One slap for each word. Momentarily stunned speechless, he watched her as her chest heaved with anger.

"Now get up. There's someone who wants to see you. Hands behind your back." Skye ordered coldly. Numbly, Ward got up and followed her orders. She cuffed him and he grimaced at the tightness of the metal bands around his wrists, thinking of the times he had cuffed her before, first with Miles, then to the staircase. Throwing open the door after it buzzed, Skye gestured for him walk out. She followed behind and he heard her unholstering the ICER. He briefly wondered who had taken over her training. Trip was outside, armed with another ICER waiting to escort Ward down the hall to a door marked INTERROGATION.

Ward turned to Skye who had follower a few steps behind him and Trip, "It was supposed to float." He said simply, needing to let her know.

"You were supposed to be strong." She replied bitterly.

"Fitz," The name slipped out of Ward's mouth upon seeing the person seated at the table.

"Ward," the engineer nodded. Triplett fastened Ward to the table and left the two of them alone.

"When…?"

"A few days ago. I'm okay, physically. Mentally…Jemma's still running tests but she suspects my cognition will be slower, my IQ will be lower and I have enormous gaps in my memory. Also she thinks my rate of speaking is slower." Fitz informed him emotionlessly, as if reading off a weather forecast. Ward noticed that his speech did seem to occur at a slower rate, but not significantly so. All the same, he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He had caused this. It was harder to deal with now that Fitz was awake and sitting not three feet away from him, reporting the damage done to his own brain by Ward's actions.

"It was…You had a… I'm really sorry, but you had a better chance in the cargo pod than face to face with Garrett on the plane."

Fitz leaned forward, "Mate, I'm not here for an apology. I know you're sorry and that you're being punished. That's why you're helping us with all this information, right?"

"I, uh…"

"I just want answers. Why. Why did you betray us? Why Hydra? And do you actually really care about us?"

As Ward began to tentatively answer Fitz's questions, he felt twinges of guilt returning to him. Ward slowly began to understand what Skye had said to him about being weak and why she was so upset. And he became less defensive of his actions and more apologetic. Almost as if practicing his next conversation with Skye.

It always came back to her. Everything he did now was because of Skye.

Once Ward finished, there was a sharp rap on the one way window behind Fitz.

"That'll be Jemma. She doesn't want me to tire myself out. It's only been a week and a half since I woke up." Fitz got up to leave but Ward's mouth dropped open.

"Fitz…did you wake up here?"

"Close to the time we landed. You know, I always knew that you weren't evil Ward. I always knew it."

Ward leaned forward, panic setting in, "A week and a half… wait but-,"

Fitz looked down at Ward pityingly, "You've just been drugged, Ward. It's nothing to wor-."

"I've been asleep for a week and a half?" It didn't make sense… was the lie detector test this morning or a week and a half ago? Had he really been sleeping for ten days straight?

The door banged open and Fitz slipped past Skye as she headed to free Ward from his restraints.

"Jemma left you a dose of medication for your throat in your room." She said emotionlessly.

"Skye, how long have I been asleep?" he asked, his voice a little uneven.

There was a pause as he was led back into the hallway, "A few days," She said softly, "But not ten days."

"Were… were you watching?"

"Just the last part."

Back in the cell, he paced for what felt like hours, although he was too scared to make any more estimations about time. Finally, he turned his head up to the ceiling and announced, "I need to speak with Skye. I know something about her that might be of interest."

This might be the only way to reopen the wells of communication between them.

I know, it's been a few days since I last updated but I planned out the next few chapters and I'm basically done with the boring story set up. Time for some action and Skyeward loving! Thanks as always for reading! Reviews are like butterflies that brighten up my day and motivate me to update 3