It's Coming Down
''Would you shut up? She's still sleeping''. ''I see someone is still angry, was that the Staff talking or you?'' ''Are you going to blame the Staff when I shoot you in the head?'' ''I don't like all the hostile energy in this hotel room, I'm so upset I might not even give you the breakfast I brought''. There's a shuffle, a string of curse words break out against the early morning light.
Skye wakes to an empty bed, the blanket long cold. The curtains are still drawn, the clock on the nightstand informs her it is ten a.m. She stretches, runs a hand through her hair and pads across the room to brush her teeth. She enters the kitchen area of their hotel room, Grant has his back to her as he leans over the table.
''Hey''. She approaches him from behind, wraps her arms around his neck, kisses below his ear. He strokes her arm, nuzzles her palm. ''God I'm gonna puke''. Skye turns her attention to Kebo and grins at him. ''Good to see you too Popeye''. ''You too Skye, I see you calmed him down''. She shrugs, ''I try''. Skye has a vivid memory waking in the middle of the night, Ward's mouth warm against her neck.
Kebo hands her a to-go bag which contains a few of her favorite doughnuts and she winks at him, moves to sit next to Ward. ''Not that I'm not happy to see you but why are you here?'' She asks Kebo, notices that Grant is still sweaty, he must have worked out before she got up. ''Offically I'm in Japan, but unoffically I'm here because my life is very boring without you two and all of your drama''.
Skye rolls her eyes and takes a sip of his coffee. ''We do not have drama''. ''The Miles thing, Ward jumping out of a plane, Thor coming back and almost killing us all, not to mention Raina and all of her issues. Ward I'm telling you that woman is seriously messed up in the head''. ''Wait, Raina, isn't that woman who took Chan?''
''The girl in the flower dress, heard Garrett is interested in her''. ''She better run for the hills''. Skye ignores the look Ward gives her. ''Speaking of your psychotic father figure, he says hello''. Skye sips her coffee and barely listens to thier conversation, her thoughts on Shield. What will she do when or if this all ends the way Garrett wants? Will she stand with Coulson, or Ward?
After kissing her softly Grant goes to take a shower, they have to be back on the Bus soon. As soon as he's out of ear shot Kebo takes his seat beside Skye, turns to her. ''How is he?'' Skye has flashes of Grant in all of his rage, taking down those people with the Staff like they were nothing. The look on his face as he lived through the horrors of his childhood again.
''I've never seen anything like that before Popeye, he was so angry. I don't know how to help him''. ''I got here a few hours ago and he was in the gym, looked like he'd been there for a while''. ''I guessed that's how he'd handle all of it''. Kebo refills her coffee cup before asking how she is.
''If I'm being honest? I'm afraid''. He looks around the room as if there's an unknown danger that somehow slipped place Ward. ''Of what?'' ''This whole situation, Garrett, Shield, Hydra. What kind of part I play in it all''. Understanding dawns on her friend's face. ''You're worried that you won't be on Ward's side''. ''Coulson's team is good they're trying to make a difference, they don't deserve what could happen, no one at Shield does''.
Kebo sighs, dumps half of his flask into the mug in his hands. ''Look I'm just as loyal to Hydra as Garrett and Ward are. So I can see where you're coming from, Hydra is bad news. But you knew what you were getting yourself into, this is a dangerous game Skye. And good people are going to be hurt if Hydra really does reveal itself''.
''Any word on that?'' Kebo shakes his head, ''none that I'm aware of. You're probably the safest person in this mess anyway, Ward won't let anyone hurt you''. ''Except for John Garrett''. Kebo does not answer her for a long time. ''I've seen a lot of screwed up relationships in my time Skye, and what John did, is doing to Grant is cruel. But in a sick strange way, they're all each other has''.
''Grant has me''. ''But John saved him from a life of prison''. ''He also threw him out into the woods and basically brain washed him''. ''I'm not saying that isn't true because it is. But Skye if the situation was in reverse, wouldn't you think you owe everything to him too?'' That stumps her. ''I dont know. You know my opinion on Garrett''.
''And I feel the same way, for the most part. He's turned Ward into a solider to use at his disposal, but Ward cares about him. He'll do anything to save him''. ''I'm aware of that''. Skye listens for the shower, it's still going. ''Kebo I had a dream the other night that Garrett and I were dying and Grant chose to save him over me''.
Something she can't identify passes across his face, like he'd had the same dream or the thought had occured to him before. ''That's a thin line Skye''. This makes her angry, her spine stiffen. ''It shouldn't be! Grant cares about me, doesn't that count for anything?'' Kebo holds his hands in front of his body, ''you had the dream not me. Look I think if that were to really happen, he'd save you''. The shower stops. ''Not sure I believe you''.
Kebo leaves not too long after and Skye is jumping into the shower while Grant packs up their things and straightens the room. When they make it to the Bus Coulson is briefing May, Fitz and Simmons about an upcoming mission. More Centipede soliders, and Grant knows exactly why they've come around again. Garrett is desperate to find a cure.
''Centepide''. ''It seems they've salvaged some of their research from Hong Kong''. The soliders broke out someone from a high security prison, ''who'd they break out?'' ''Eddison Poe. Former marine expert in tactics and rapid response, he fell off the grid in oh eight reappeared eighteen months ago at a diner in Boston''. ''Where he stabbed a friend's eyes out''. ''With a stake knife, then finished his meal''.
''That's funny, Poe doesn't look crazy''. Skye comments. ''I'm kidding the guy's a walking mug shot''. ''Which means he shouldn't be too hard to track down, finding Poe and these centepide soliders is a top priority for Shield. We'll be running point but we won't be working alone''. ''What team did HQ send for back up?'' Grant asks, Garrett is going to need a number.
''Not a team, a person. Someone who can help us fight fire with fire''. ''Somebody we worked with before?'' ''Not exactly''.
Ward being irritated never really bothered Skye before, but with what happened to him yesertday she's a little on edge. So when he finds out Mike Peterson is coming aboard on the Bus, working with his team, he isn't exactly thrilled about it. ''It's not good at all, the guy was a ticking time bomb, literally''. ''HQ wouldn't of sent him if he was still combustible, they must have found a way to stabilize him somehow''.
''Did they stabilize his attitude? It was pretty hostile in Union Station, he kidnapped Skye and tried to kill her''. Skye rolls her eyes. ''Okay Mr. Over protective he did not try to kill me, besides you saved him at the end of the day''. Simmons glances at Skye. ''Besides it's not like we haven't opened our doors to other people, people with questionable track records''.
''Not cool, but true. Grant don't worry about Mike, okay?'' She puts her hand on his, draws small patterns onto his skin. ''He's a good guy''. ''Just saying this could easily go sideways, I mean the last time we saw this guy he was a raging homicidal''- Skye notices Mike walking up behind Ward.
''Grant, honey stop''- ''maniac that''- He pauses when he sees the look on Fitz's face. ''He's standing right behind me, isn't he?'' ''Yeah''. ''Mr. Peterson this is Agent Grant Ward, he's the man who shot you at Union Station, Fitzsimmons designed the weapon he used and I think you remember Skye''. She smiles at him. ''Good to see you again Mike''.
Ward walks off, Skye brushing his arm as he passes. When Mike asks Coulson what his problem is he replies, ''oh nothing personal, just that you kidnapped his girlfriend and he's still not okay with it''. Mike awkwardly clears his throat, ''sorry about that Skye''. She waves him off, ''don't worry about it. How's Ace?''
Nothing could have prepared the team for what lies ahead, the mission seemed so simple, so easy. But Grant knew better when they entered the wearhouse full of centipede soliders, what John's real plan is. Coulson. He needs Coulson, wants to get inside his head on how exactly Director Fury brought him back to life.
So when that mission fails and he's back on the Bus, Skye applying a warm wash cloth to the cut on his lip in their bathroom. ''I hate seeing you hurt''. She comments, grazing her thumb across his cheek. ''I'm fine, it's nothing''. ''I know you're smart enough to read the double meaning there. How are you doing?'' Ward rises from his perch on the edge of the counter, wraps his arms around her.
''I'm alright, you don't have to worry about me''. She puts her hands on his chest, looks up at him. ''I can't help it''. She kisses his cheek and stays in his arms until they have to go back to the real world. Which turns out to be chaos.
Mike called his son and it turned out to be a trap. Raina who is apparently the new spokesperson for Garrett, or as he likes to call himself, the Clairvoyant. Which is so like John Skye almost snorts. Almost. Arrogant prick. Skye and Ward walk in on Coulson going over a plan to save Mike's son.
''They want a trade, Ace for his father''. The couple shares a glance, both knowing how this is really going to go down. ''They've set a time and a place''. ''Bloody savages''. ''They want to experiment on him to determine how he still has his abilities''. ''And we're going to let them? We fought these guys before''. ''And we don't have a choice. The instructions they gave Mr. Peterson were very specific''.
Grant has to give it to John, the man is a genius. He knew that when Mike was put into a desperate situation he'd do anything to save his son. Including betray Coulson, which is what they were all counting on. Shield meets Raina and her soliders at a construction site, Grant is in position with a sniper rifle, waiting for his cue to use it.
''Hello Mike it's been a while''. Skye observes Raina from a distance, wonders why in the hell John wanted her. She's just as crazy as they come, which answers her question. Skye glances away from Coulson to look at her boyfriend, praying that he'll be alright, that nothing bad will happen to him. That they all make it out alive from this place.
''I have to thank you Mike, for holding up your end of the deal''. This is the moment, Ward thinks. Where Garrett can finally get what he's been chasing for, this could be it. ''Let's just make the trade, give us Ace and you can have him''. Raina smiles and it sends chills through Skye's blood.
''Oh that wasn't the deal''. ''I'm so sorry''. ''What's happening here Mike?'' ''Well in exchange for his son we asked Mike to deliever you''. And that is exactly what happens. Skye leaps out of the car and catches Ace up in her arms as he runs to her, she is frantically searching for Coulson. And Grant watches her from a distance, the terror on her face when Coulson doesn't return like he was supposed to.
She's grown attatched to the team, to Coulson. That could be a problem, a price they will have to pay. Mike runs up to her, ''Ace I gotta make something right, Daddy loves you so much okay? Stay with Skye. Keep him safe. Take care of my boy!'' There's an explosion and Skye is screaming Mike's name, then Coulson's as the smoke travels into the air.
Grant takes a shot in the shoulder, something he prepared for, he knew Raina would have other men. Skye sees him fall and the scream that comes out of her, haunts the Team until Shield sends reinforcements. He's covered in panic not for himself, but he keeps hearing Skye screaming and if she's injured, it would have been his fault. He dragged her into this.
''Where's Coulson?'' That's the question on everyone's mind, and no one but Grant has the answer.
After he managed to make it back to the team, the Bus and Skye, she's clearly shaken as Simmons stitches up his wound. ''I told you not to get shot again''. She tells them when they are back in the safety of their bunk. Everyone is waiting on HQ to send someone to find Coulson, someone with authority so they can get him back. Ward winces slightly as he sits down on the bed.
''Sorry couldn't help it''. She sits next to him, takes his hand. ''Are you sure you're okay?'' He asks her. ''I'm fine. Grant, where's Coulson? Where did they take him?'' He leans away from her. ''Did you really just ask me that?'' ''I know you know''. ''Skye, don't''. She crosses her arms. He has information and Coulson's life could be in the balance, this one time he should just reveal what he knows.
She tells him this and he shakes his head. ''I can't and you know why''. ''But Coulson is in danger, doesn't that matter to you?'' ''Why does it matter to you? You know how this is all going to end, I warned you that you couldn't do this, get emotionally involved with these people''. She stands, leans over him, her eyes wet.
''Well I'm sorry I'm not a Specialist robot that can control my feelings. Grant this is not about you this is about Coulson, he needs your help why won't you give it?'' ''Because Garrett needs it more, and I will never betray him like that. The fact that I won't tell Shield what I know shouldn't surprise you''. Skye shakes her head looking as if she doesn't recognize him.
''He needs us''. Ward raises an eyebrow. ''Skye there is no us. There is what John needs and he's relying on me to get it. That's all, that's why I'm here. You know that''. ''But Coulson cares about you, you owe it to him to attempt to save his life''. Grant's face turns to an empty slate, he clears his head. ''No, I don't''.
He moves past her to the door. ''You need to decide who's side you're on Skye. Garrett can't afford for you to be questioning your loyalites, not when you know too much''. She glares at him. ''Or what? Is he going to order you to take me out? Coulson is missing and you know where he is! Please Grant, for me just, just tell me''.
''Everything I'm doing I'm doing for John. No Skye, I can't help. I will play along and hopefully we get to him in time, but I can't promise anything and I can't reveal his location. I know my side, and I need you to figure out yours''. Skye sighs heavily, her shoulders shaking. ''Would you do it, if John told you to, would you hurt me?''
The look on his face makes her blood run cold. ''He wouldn't do that''. ''But if he did-'' ''Of course I wouldn't''. He gives her a glance she can't decode before leaving her alone in the bunk. Coulson is gone, gone because of Garrett and his plans.
Skye didn't sign up for this. With shaky fingers she dials the number known by heart. If Grant won't help her, she knows someone who will. ''Hello?'' ''I need your help''. She will stand with Shield to find Coulson, because he'd do the same for her.