CHAPTER 8

Ward was sick of running, he'd been running for 2 days. He'd managed to get out of the jumper with the supplies but out of the frying pan and into the fire. It was becoming hopeless. The wraith didn't sleep and rarely got tired, he'd get maybe a few hours of sleep before they were back and searching for him. He wished the jumper hadn't been in such bad shape, he'd have been able to make it to the gate that was in orbit around the planet but he was stuck.

Thump, thump, thump. His foot falls were all he could hear. "Where are you now Skye?" Ward asked under his breath. "So much for back-up. Two days. Two days!" Ward stopped running for a moment and decided to start going up. There was a mountain with a lot of trees so why not. The wraith would find it just as hard to keep following him as he did moving through the thick vegetation. He continued on his new path until he reached a rather large tree.

"Here goes nothing." He muttered before setting up traps in the area around the tree and climbing up.

He sat. Just sat there thinking about Earth and SHIELD. And now he was starting to prefer running. He'd managed to find a well concealed spot but he knew he wouldn't stay concealed forever, they'd notice. He wanted them to sometimes; he wanted it to be over already. But he remembered Skye's face after he got back from the mission she wasn't supposed to know anything about. She had tear marks across her cheeks, bags under her eyes but a smile full of relief on her face. She and Simmons had pulled him and Fitz into a large and tight hug. The next day, Skye had walked down the stairs expecting to see him missing again but when she saw him she sprinted over and wrapped her arms around him. She'd sobbed about how she'd thought it was a dream.

He couldn't risk losing her because he was selfish, for all he knew they might think he was dead. He hoped they didn't because he didn't want to spend the rest of his life running from life sucking aliens. He had plans, he was going to ask Skye out to dinner when they got back but that went slightly off plan.

"Come on guys. Get me back." Ward spoke to the sky. "I don't want a rain check on that date."

…

Skye didn't feel like it was working. She stretched out her mind and tried to focus on Ward but it was very hard. She had no idea what she was doing and she was struggling to 'find him'. It was ridiculous; she could do with a little help.

"Skye, you need to focus on the planet first and then look for him. It narrows down the haystack and you'll know when you find him because he'll be the only one with separate thoughts." Isabel dragged Skye back to reality.

"Can't you help me search? It's been days and I'm no closer to finding him." Skye pleaded. "I know I won't be able to do this without your help."

"I can but you will need to be careful, if you seal me in the bond I'll become it. I'm not the person you're trying to link with so I'll be the extra energy you need." Isabel was wary of whether Skye had the determination and control to not kill her. "It's not like taking someone's physical life energy, you'll take my mind. Everything that makes me, me, will be drawn in and become the bridge between you and Ward. You need to be sure that you can block me out when you do this. I'll be observing you and helping you but you can't ever draw me into the forefront of your mind."

"I could kill you?" Skye questioned slightly afraid.

"Not kill. My body would be here and alive but my mind would be converted into energy and bound to you and Ward until one or possibly even both of you die." Isabel breathed, her stony gaze fixed on Skye. "I wouldn't have the will to stop you either; I'd be conscious but powerless. It would take a lot of energy to pull me out. I'm not being self-centred but it would take a lot more energy than you and Ward could gather combined."

"I don't know if I can do this." Skye's heart sank. There was no way that she could control her powers and not kill Isabel in the process. "If I live forever like you, you'd be trapped."

"I'm willing to risk that. It's my job to help save other people with no care for my own life or well-being. The stakes are a little higher this time round but I trust you." Isabel sounded sure but Skye was still worried that she'd kill her. Ward would have to live with the guilt as well because she'd be tethered to him as well. "There are Wraith on that planet who are getting closer and closer to killing Ward every second we wait."

"Okay." Skye breathed, calming down. She took Isabel's outstretched hands and closed her eyes. The warmth of the fire dragged her further into her mind and further from her body. She could see everything now, the universe was beautiful and she knew exactly what was happening on every planet around every star. She found the smallest one very interesting; it was the planet Ward was stuck on. She could see him, climbing a large tree and crouching high in its branches. "We found him!" Skye exclaimed. She could feel her voice ringing through the air on the planet, echoing across the vast surface. She focused her mind on Grant's and started to speak.

'Hey Robot, can you hear me?' Skye's voice suddenly rang next to him. Ward looked around but he knew she wasn't there.

'Skye?' He thought. It was absurd but he felt like she could hear him.

'I can hear you. And that's probably the stupidest thing I've ever heard you say, or think. Brain dead doesn't suit you.' Her voice echoed to him. 'Isabel's helping me communicate with you so that we can make a secure link between the two of us. I won't lose you this time Grant Ward.'

'Lose?!' Ward didn't think that they'd give up on him and technically they hadn't. 'As in, you didn't know where I was? Or you thought I'd died?'

'The dead one.' Skye could feel him getting angry. 'We tried to call you on the radio but you didn't respond. They were going to give up on you but now I can tell them you're alive.'

'Yeah, why don't you do that now then? Why are we still talking if you could come save me?'

'If I lose this connection, we lose you. I might not be able to find you again. I have to make this connection permanent and unbreakable first. Ward, you have to be okay with us knowing each other's every thought or I can't start.'

'We'll never lose you again on a mission at least.' Ward smiled, he loved her so much.

'I just didn't know it?' Skye's voice rang slightly melancholy. 'May told me how you felt. You and May were the reason that I passed out and you are the reason I'm not giving up now. I love you Grant, now let's get you out of here.'