A/N: Hey guys! Longer scene here, some fluff involved :3 Not much really goes on aside from Skye getting stitched up, and the sponge bath is next. However, I do hope you like it!

Thank you to ata7226 and Maddison1803 (guest) - yes, a concerned Grant is hot :) Skye still has a very long way to go, she just has a little tidbit of hope, coz that's part of who she is :3

Reviews please! I adore them x

DISCLAIMER: I only own this story.

Grant sat on the floor, his back resting against the end of the double bed, and his lap occupied by Skye's head. Her body lay draped across the floor to his right at an acute angle to his legs, and she was almost entirely naked, except for the too-small pair of panties she had nabbed a couple of days ago. Neither specialist would have minded her exposed breasts, but Skye felt more comfortable covering the nipples with her arms. As a bonus, it allowed for easier access to the wound.

Kara had insisted on unstitching, cleaning and re-sewing the semi-deep trench in Skye's abdomen as soon as she had left the bathroom, claiming that she had more experience and smaller hands. However, Grant suspected that that was just a ruse to get him and Skye in a more intimate position. Not that her points weren't valid.

"Ow." Skye moaned in pain, so quietly he almost missed it. Unfortunately, there wasn't any morphine in the medical supplies, so Kara had to be extra careful not to cause more pain than necessary.

Instinctively, Grant raised a hand to gently stroke Skye's left cheek with his right hand, his thumb brushing stray hairs out of her face. Her eyes were brimming with tears as she clamped her jaw shut, the occasional whimper escaping her lips. The sound of her misery made Grant's chest tighten, restricting his breathing to short huffs.

Immediately, Skye's watery orbs connected with his, guilt and anguish seeming to override her torment. Oh. She thought he was angry. Righting his breathing pattern, he smiled down at her, offering what little comfort he could give. "It'll be alright, Skye." He found himself saying softly. "It'll take time, but it'll be alright."

Skye's gaze softened, gratitude joining the mix of emotions. A spasm of agony flickered across her face as Kara tugged at the thread, closing the cut a little more. Grant tilted his head towards Kara, giving her a look that very plainly said Take it easy, would you! Kara paused in her work for a second to flick an annoyed look back at him, as though she knew what he would do.

"I'm halfway, Skye." She said gently, glancing over to see Skye nod once, sharply and with a partially-resigned expression. She made eye contact with Grant, worried.

"You're doing so well, Skye." He had taken the hint, and turned his focus back to the woman in his lap. "Once this is done, you'll heal properly and it'll never bother you again." He was basically reiterating what he had said moments before, but he needed to say something that sounded supportive, and he wasn't exactly an expert in the area. His thumb slowly rubbed the side of her head, going from her temple to as far as he could stretch it.

Skye watched him, eyes dancing all over his face, drinking in every detail. Then, as though the move was cautiously calculated, her left arm lifted from her breasts and the hand came to rest on Grant's. Tenderly, almost awkwardly, she slid her fingers in between his and Grant lifted his fingers to accommodate that. Her eyes now having had their fill looked directly into his, and the small smile that fit Grant's face so beautifully incited a little twitch at the corner of Skye's mouth.

Hope glimmered in Grant's eyes as he noticed this, and his smile grew a little wider.

Kara looked up for a moment, as she hadn't heard so much a tiny squeak from Skye for the past couple of minutes, and saw the tender scene. She smiled, half smugly, half awed. She took a deep, but silent breath and concentrated on finishing the task at hand, which was just about completed.

The three continued in this way for the next several minutes. Grant smiled down at Skye and murmured sweet words of comfort. Skye focused on Grant, her little kindling of hope that these people would accept her for who she is, scars and all, sparking to life. Kara finished sewing the wound edges together and carefully added a cream to the pink line across Skye's belly.

Sitting back and leaning on her hands after cleaning up, Kara wanted to leave the love-struck pair to their bubble of bliss, but knew that Skye was going to conk out from exhaustion soon. She cleared her throat, and both startled pairs of eyes looked over to her.

"Sorry to disturb you, but Skye needs to wash and then sleep." Kara pointed out with a smirk.

Grant and Skye gazed back at each other, a slight hint of a blush on each of their cheeks. Glancing away, Skye tried to sit up, but found that the movement was stiff and painful. Hurriedly, Grant pushed her up before standing and helping her to her feet. Gingerly, Skye felt the area around her mark and looked up at Kara, who had also risen to her feet.

"How long will it take for this to heal?" she asked, sounding a little fearful.

"I'll leave the stitches in for two weeks. We may have to see a doctor to take them out, I don't want to rupture anything." Kara replied, moving forward to rub Skye's upper arm.

"After that, it'll be some weeks before it stops hurting constantly. The scar will fade with time." Grant added with no hint of malice, yet Skye still winced.

"I'm sorry." She brokenly whispered, her gaze cast at the floor.

She heard Grant sigh and felt Kara's hand drop from her arm, and knew that she'd broached a topic that wasn't ready to be discussed, but she couldn't and wouldn't take back her words.

"We'll talk about that some other time, Skye." He said gently after a stressed silence, then walked away.

"You ready for a wash? Second time's a charm." Kara said with a pleasant tone.

Skye's right arm was still firmly held around her breasts, and she dropped it as she nodded. "I'm beat."

Over in the corner where he had secluded himself after Skye's abrupt subject change, Grant's breath hitched as the memory from the Dublin hotel bar flashed before his eyes.

I'll make the right choice this time.