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Ever since Ward had been allowed out of the Cage he had been almost overly affectionate towards Skye; stealing kisses whenever they were left alone, finding reasons to touch her. Skye hadn't minded, to be quite honest, it had been quite refreshing to have Ward be so straightforward and relaxed about showing his feelings and really just interacting with another person on a personal level. More often than not, Skye found herself wondering how she ever caught the eye of such a gorgeous man. With his looks and physique, he could easily get any woman he wanted, the blonde, Victoria's Secret model type instead of a nerdy, young hacktivist. Well, if the part about him being a traitor and Hydra was ignored.

Not that Skye was complaining, it was just unexpected, beyond her wildest dreams that her sexy, uptight SO would fall for her. Some days she pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming, that this Adonis of man wasn't just a figment of her very extensive imagination. Deep down, she didn't expect their relationship to last very long, given who they both were, their differences and the whole situation in general. So, when Ward suddenly became withdrawn and distant, Skye told herself not to be surprised. Instead, she gave him his space. They saw each other every night when Ward came to sleep (Coulson didn't know whether to give him a cell or his own room when he was checked out of the infirmary so Ward continued to sleep in Skye's room to avoid the awkward situation). They would get ready for bed in silence, occasionally exchanging a few polite words (Skye had given up on trying to have a heartfelt conversation) then they would get into bed. Ward would throw an arm around her and she would move into his warm body but that was the extent of their personal contact. When she asked him why he was being so distant, he only denied it so she decided to let him sort through it on his own, hoping that soon, he would open up to her when he was ready.

At first, she had wondered if his emotional distance was due to the discovery of Coulson's midnight wanderings and the possibility that Skye could do the same, the reminder that she wasn't human, but she reminded herself that he was the one who told her about her background in the first place.

It hardly mattered anyway. They barely saw each other since Skye was always attending to Delmore's each and every need or traveling to France with Coulson to run things from there. Ward was apparently helping Trip and May or else sitting in as a consultant on whatever his ex-Hydra background could help with. It sounded like the other agents weren't too excited about the prospect of an ex-Hydra agent helping rebuild SHIELD but Fitz oftentimes accompanied Ward which boosted the general confidence. Plus, no one wanted to question Coulson's orders.

Finally the Director announced that they were ready to leave and let Delmore take hold of things now that he was able to get out of bed. Skye couldn't be more relieved and despite Fitzsimmons' amused looks, she packed up early and spent their last night in Belgium on the Bus. It was for the better- less Delmore exposure and it gave Ward some physical space to himself. She wasn't the only one excited to get out of the base. May also spent the night on the Bus, mostly for maintenance and pilot-y purposes.

When Skye slid open the door to her bunk she was expecting someone to already be out in the common area but what she wasn't expecting was for that someone to be a guy.

He sat with his back to her, a cup of coffee in one hand, his other arm stretched over the back of the couch he was sitting on. Skye abruptly stepped back into her room and slid the door shut noiselessly. Her breath quickened and she felt herself beginning to hyperventilate.

No, Skye, now is not the time to freak out over a guy. She told herself, forcing herself to calm down and open her door again. But she stood dumbstruck, staring at the same figure who was now lifting his cup to his lips to take a sip, making the muscles in his arm and back ripple. His hair was a light brown, cut close to his head in a timeless style and his shoulders were so broad, they'd make any girl swoon. His plain white tee was stretched over his torso, outlining his muscularity in a way that Ward's wouldn't, no matter how tight his shirt. It was so effortless, so casual that there was no way he was just showing off, it was just the way it was, the way his body was structured.

He turned his head slightly to look around and Skye had to swallow a gasp. She compelled herself to walk forward and speak.

"Well, it most certainly is not every day a girl wakes up to a superhero sitting in front of her room."

So maybe we voice was a little higher than usual but she was rendered completely speechless when he turned to look at her. She probably swooned a little when he stood up to properly greet her.

"Steve Rogers, ma'am" He held out a hand for her to shake.

"I know. I'm Skye." She said a little breathily, letting the "ma'am" slide.

He raised an eyebrow slightly, "Just Skye?"

She nodded her lead, letting her eyes skim over his brawn, "Yeah, uh, just Skye." There was no way she was going to tell him about Mary Sue Poots.

Captain America only smiled as her eyes reached his again. Not a smirk, just nice polite smile.

"Uhm, I'm just going to-," She said quickly, gesturing towards the bathroom.

"Yes, of course."

It took Skye a moment before she could drag her feet away in the direction of the bathroom.

God, she was glad that she had changed out her pajamas before coming out.

…She really needed to pull herself together. She was a SHIELD agent now, a matured woman, not an awkward young adult that used to cosplay at the Stark Tower. She could handle men. Even if they were ridiculously attractive superheros.

Thor better not be on the Bus too.

When she finally emerged from the bathroom, Captain America was inspecting a bottle of whisky at the mini-bar.

"It's a little early for that, don't you think?" Skye called out casually as she made her way over to him.

He smiled ruefully at her, "I was just checking it out. You've got a pretty good selection here."

"Oh yeah, Ward-," right, that guy still exists, "He's in charge of stocking the bar. Well he was. Refill?" Skye reached for Cap's but he put his hand over it.

"It's okay, I'll get it." He said graciously.

"Please, you're a guest here. No need to be so chivalrous." Skye protested but he only gave her that charming smile.

Leading the way back to the kitchen, Skye asked her first burning question, "So is Romanoff here with you?" She started up the coffee machine and turned back to Captain expectantly.

"No. She'll be here soon thought." He leaned against the counter. "She told me."

Skye didn't have to ask what Romanoff had told him, "Well, when you're the next Spock, people tend to get excited."

He looked at her, adorably confused, and she ducked her head.

"Right, WWII veteran," She muttered then she flashed him a smile, "Nevermind."

He accepted the fresh steaming mug of coffee from her. "Thank you. Look, I know it's none of my business-,"

Skye waved off his apology, "Don't worry about it. Seriously, it's better that you know now than find out some horrible way, when it's too late." Taking her own mug of coffee, she walked to stand in front of him, "So you never did tell me why you came onto out humble abode."

The Captain smiled at her over the top of his mug and Skye felt her insides melt. Good thing this countertop was here to keep her upright.

"I ran into Agent Romanoff the other day."

"You ran into her." Skye repeated dubiously.

He bowed his head concedingly, "I heard chatter that Coulson was alive and I sought her out."

Skye raised her eyebrows, impressed, "Wow. You found the Black Widow. Is super-tracking one of your superhero powers?"

"Is superb coffee making one of your alien superpowers?" He countered and Skye laughed, blushing a little. Was she really flirting with Steve Rogers?

"Captain, you praise too easily."

"Please, call me Steve." He replied and she could've died a happy woman right then and there.

"Steve," She repeated biting her lip to keep from smiling too wide and she looked up to meet his warm gaze.

After a few moments, she remember herself, "So, you found Romanoff…"

He broke his gaze, "Right, I found Natasha and she told me to come here to see for myself…so here I am. She told me to tell you that she's chasing down one last lead and then she'll be back."

"So have you seen him? Coulson, I mean."

Steve's face broke into another genuine smile, "Yeah, he sent me here actually. He was pretty thrilled but he had some more work to do at the base." His face turned serious, "Skye – can I call you that?- I'd be honored to help with anything I can- rebuilding SHIELD and finding out the truth about your history."

She was surprised, "Really?"

"Well, there are a few things that I'd like to make right with SHIELD's policies-,"

"No, about…helping me."

Steve looked down at her, sincere, "Of course. It sounds like you've done great things and I'd like to help SHILD repay the favor."

The hacktivist placed a hand on his arm, partially out of desire to touch some part of him to make sure he was real, and partially in gratitude. "Thanks, Steve."

Sensing movement to the side, Skye and the Captain turned to see Ward ten feet away, balancing a coffee tray with two cups on it in one hand, a small travel duffel in the other. His expression was blank.

What the fuck?

"Oh, Ward, did you bring me coffee?" Skye gave him a dazzling smile. She spoke endearingly as if he had touched her heart by bringing her a container of scalding, bitter liquid but as he heard her words, he could only see her taking her hand off Captain America's forearm.

"You already have some." He said stupidly, noticing the closeness of Skye and the Captain's mugs and how the two seemed to lean into each other.

"This is for May. And I." He said quickly as the pilot walked by. A moment too late, he shoved the tray in her direction and to his relief, May accepted it after a moment of confusion, a glint in her eye. She raised the cup to him, toasting him, smug understanding written mockingly over her face. Why did Melinda May always have to be so damn perceptive?

"Plane's fueled up and ready to go." May announced, "Two creams, no sugar?" She regarded the cup and shrugged mischievously. Ward groaned inwardly. That was how Skye took her coffee. May drank it black.

Captain America, unaware of the understanding that had passed between the three team members, strode out from behind the counter as May left for the cockpit. He held out his hand cordially to Ward, "Steve Rogers."

Ward dropped his bag to shake his hand, "Grant Ward." He said almost resentfully.

Rogers' grip tightened minusculey on his and Ward saw him tense ever so slightly, his eyes narrowing. Ward knew Rogers recognized his name and he returned the firm grip, looking bolding back at the Captain, daring him to move, to throw the first punch. Animosity burned in the pit of his stomach at the thought of how intimate Skye and Rogers had looked before he interrupted them.

"Whew, you can practically feel the testosterone crackling in the air." Skye exclaimed. Her tone was neutral but Ward knew that she was just as on edge as him and Rogers. His eyes never left Rogers' but Ward knew Skye well enough to know that her expression was warning him to back off.

Rogers was the first to let go and Ward backed away, keeping his eyes on the Captain.

"I'd better go see if Fitzsimmons need help packing up." Ward said tersely, flicking his gaze over to Skye. She looked uneasy, possibly even guilty. She met his eyes for a second and the barrage of emotion in them nearly made him stumble. He said nothing to her though, just turned and walked away. The fact that Captain America didn't seem to have any intention of leaving her side dug into Ward like a knife in the chest.

When he had woken up alone that morning in Skye's room, part of him seemed to be missing. He had quickly packed and made the two cups of coffee with every intention of apologizing and explaining to Skye why he had been so distant the past few days, hoping to make amends once and for all. He had been battling reemerged demons about his loss of Skye and Garrett but he was ready to put those demons down once and for all, hopefully with Skye at his side.

But he hadn't been expecting Skye to replace him so fast with Captain America of all people. Trip had been wrong; Grant Ward could be replaced. With a mix of Cap's bad timing with his arrival and Ward's own mistake of brooding too long. He always seemed to wait until it was too late.

She watched him walk away with a heavy heart. Of course he was envious of Steve. Not only had she spent the night away from Ward, he had come looking for her the next morning and found her with a different guy. And the timing was awful. He had come in right when she had touched Steve.

"So, uh, are you guys involved?" Steve asked clearly trying to be nonchalant but she could tell that he was ready to burst.

All Skye wanted to do was bury her face in her hands and hide in a dark corner. Just maybe not in that order.

"It's complicated." She managed to say, grabbing her cup to wash in the sink.

"Skye-,"

"Look," She turned to face him but instead of the anger she was expecting, she was met with concern. She softened her tone, "I know you've had a bad history with Hydra – we all have- but I know what I'm getting myself into."

Skye turned and took Steve's empty mug from the counter and rinsed it off. She could feel Steve's intense gaze on her back and his silence told her that he was measuring up his next words against her hard resolve.

"We should go say goodbye before we take off." Steve finally said and Skye nodded, following him out of the kitchenette and down to the cargo hold. Coulson was there along with Trip and Ward, talking to Delmore who was sitting in a wheelchair. Fitzsimmons were rattling off instructions to a man in a white lab coat who looked like he was struggling to keep up with their incessant chatter.

Delmore nodded to Skye and the Captain but didn't pause as he spoke to Coulson. Trip looked over and his eyebrows shot straight up for a second at the sight of the Avenger but he said nothing. Ward's eyes simply flicked over Skye, his expression collected and completely unreadable. He ignored Steve.

"Well, thank you, Agent Coulson. You can always count on us to deploy teams when needed." Delmore held out his hand to shake Coulson's.

The Director nodded, "Thank you, and take care."

Delmore turned to Skye, "Any chance I could persuade you to stick around and help out?"

Skye was unable to contain her snort of laughter, "Sorry, but there's no way I'd leave my team, sir." She confessed, looking over to Coulson, who smiled.

"Captain, it was nice meeting you."

"And you, sir."

Skye watched Delmore roll himself away with a feeling of relief and satisfaction. She was finally getting rid of this guy.

As soon as Delmore disappeared from sight, Trip turned to Steve.

"Well I'll be damned. Captain America. I'm Antoine Triplett. They all call me Trip."

"I think it goes without saying that he's a big fan." Skye said amusedly as she watched Trip pump Steve's hand up and down enthusiastically.

"Wheels up in ten." May announced and Skye turned to share a smirk with the Cavalry. She bounded up the stairs to join May on the balcony, mumbling something about securing everything in the living quarters as Fitzsimmons turned away from the man in the lab coat to idolize over Cap. As amusing as she knew it would be, she wasn't sure that she wanted to spend more time in the same room as Ward and Steve. The tension between them could fry an egg.

She knew why Steve would dislike Ward, but she couldn't fathom why Ward was so resentful of Steve. Sure, she understood that he was a little jealous but he had to understand that there were other men in the world besides himself and besides, he pushed her away first. It wasn't as though Steve had kidnapped Skye or anything, they had just been talking, not having sex on the countertop. There was no way jealousy would make Ward so angry.

"Preparing for take off. Better strap in." May advised over the intercom. Skye slide the door to her bunk shut and sat in the booth, reaching for the seat belts under the cushions. A figure sat down next to her, too bulky to be Simmons, Fitz or Coulson and she knew by scent that it wasn't Ward. Why did Steve keep seeking her out?

"I'm sorry, but I have to know. Why him? After all he did…"

Skye didn't meet his eyes, instead, she busied herself with the buckle, "I'm a strong believer in second chances." She said.

"That's one hell of a second chance." Steve said quietly. Skye glanced at him and knew that he wasn't being rude, he just wanted to understand.

"I was offered a second chance after I did something similar." Skye said, searching his face for judgment but she found none, "Ward forgave me and I'd like to repay the favor." She echoed Steve's words from earlier.

Steve looked back at her, intently, "I bet what you did wasn't half as bad as what he did though."

Skye laughed dryly, "That's a lot of faith to put in someone you just met." They were quiet as the plane began to lift into the air, then Skye couldn't help it.

"Have you ever loved someone that you knew was unwise to love but you loved them anyway because nothing else mattered? Have you ever just felt like it was always just the two of you, that the world outside doesn't exist?" Skye remember Ward's words to her the night they left Providence and she knew suddenly that he had been trying to tell her the truth, all along. She just hadn't thought to look for it.

Steve hesitated, "You love him?"

Skye turned away from his intense blue eyes, noticing that he failed to answer her question.

"I…I don't know."

Heyyy all, I know a lot of you wanted to see Skye and Ward make amends but I believe that their relationship is still and always will be a little rocky at best. Plus, I kind of love writing angst. And who doesn't love a jealous Ward? Some of you guys out there ship CapSkye so this chapter is for you! Don't worry, I ship SkyeWard so much it hurts so this isn't the end for them!

Let me know if you liked this chapter or even if you don't- feel free to leave a review!