You're Still All Over Me Like A Wine Stained Dress I Can't Wear Anymore
''Should we tell Daisy?'' May has closed the picture of Grant Ward because none of them can stand to look at him. ''No''. Coulson decides, his voice rushed and panicked. Because he knows. He knows once Daisy finds out he's alive, and exactly how he died, she'll leave Shield. And Coulson can't let that happen. ''Right now we need to focus on how he's alive. It's impossible. I saw him die''. May pauses at this. ''I thought Fitz said there was a storm and when it cleared you saw his body''. The Calvary recognizes the look Coulson is sporting, a deer caught in the headlights.
She crosses her arms, ''Phil what happened on that planet?'' ''Exactly what I told you. No one tells Daisy until I give the all clear, understood?'' The file out of his office with ''yes sir'' and frowns on their faces. Coulson sits at his desk, rubs his human hand against his non human one. Flashes of that day comes back to him, when he saw a play for revenge, to settle the score and he took it. The Director can still feel Ward's heart beat crawling to stop, his lungs being crushed into nothing. No one can survive that.
But clearly he did. Coulson needs to find him, question him, and then put him down. Without Daisy knowing, she'll kill him if she ever finds out. So he makes a tough call, weighs his phone in his hand before dialing the number he knows by heart. ''Hello?'' ''Agent Hill good afternoon''. ''Not an agent anymore Coulson, what do you want?'' The other woman asks, ice in her tone. ''I have a situation I think you'll be very interested in''. ''Unless it involves a beach and a drink with an umbrella you can count me out''. Coulson smirks, ''how about finding Grant Ward?'' ''Now you're talking. How can I help?''
Daisy wakes from a nightmare filled with blood and a dark creature reaching for her. She takes a cold shower, has a glass of whiskey which takes the edge off, before dragging herself to the kitchen. Two cups of coffee later Lincoln joins her, kisses the back of her head, getting his own mug from the counter. ''How'd you sleep?'' Horrible. ''Fine. Coulson have anymore news on Inhumans?'' ''Not that I'm aware of. His office is locked''. ''That's weird. He never locks his door''. Lincoln shrugs like it doesn't bother him.
Bobbi and Hunter come in a few minutes later, Daisy looks up and meets the other woman's gaze. Guilt. Fear. Pity is all over her. Bobbi is trying to hide it, but she's not a master at it like May is. ''Bobbi everything okay?'' Lincoln asks her, noticing as well. ''Oh yeah, everything is fine''. Daisy isn't buying it, but doesn't really care all that much to ask. She checks her watch, only a few more hours until she leaves. This is the only time she looks forward to leaving the Playground, her meetings with Kebo continue on just like, like the last time they lost Ward.
Daisy exits the kitchen and wanders down the hall, craving a nap but also the punching bag. She settles for the punching bag, nap can come later. An hour later she's drenched in sweat, her fingers are aching, when she takes a break, Ward is standing next to her. ''Did you ever listen to me when I was training you, or did you just blow everything I said off?'' She gives him a smile, ''I was really distracted by your muscles''. ''You're still wrapping your knuckles wrong. Didn't we cover that over and over? Not just on the Bus but at Hydra too''.
She rolls her eyes, takes a sip of her water. Almost like he's forgotten as well, his hands make a move for hers. Touches nothing but air. She stares at him. Stubbled jaw, hair she longs to run her hands through, lips she hasn't felt in months. ''Skye''. She needs a drink. She goes back to the punching bag, all the while he's commenting on her form and how she needs to shift her weight more. It's so much like it used to be that she breaks down in the middle of the training room. ''Shut up Ward''. Daisy says through her tears, they both know she doesn't really mean it.
He's gone when she looks up and this maker her cry harder. When Daisy gets back to her room she takes a cold shower but that doesn't help. She's left sobbing on the bathroom floor, the tile cold on her face. She's late for her meeting but knows Kebo won't mind. He's waiting for her in the same damn park, lemonade in hand, vodka in the other. ''I've said it before and I'll say it again Quake, this is morbid, meeting in the park every time Ward dies''.
She sits by him on the same bench, lays her head in his lap. ''How has today gone so far?'' Kebo runs his hands through her hair, swallowing down the tears that are threatning to escape. ''Complete and utter crap. You?'' ''Same''. Daisy wipes her face before responding. ''It hasn't stopped''. Kebo is the only one who knows she keeps seeing Grant, it's going to worry him to his grave. ''Do you see him now?'' ''No''. ''Quake I'm telling you I don't think Shield is the best option for you''. ''Hydra isn't either''. ''I didn't say anything about Hydra. I think you need to take a break for a while''.
''Popeye I miss him, so much it hurts''. ''So do I. So do I''. ''Make it stop''. She's crying into his jacket. ''I can't''. They sit like that for hours, until they've run out of alcohol and tears. Kebo hugs her tightly, kisses her cheek. ''Last chance Quake, we can leave right now''. She shakes her head, ''the world needs me''. He throws his empty cup at her, ''ew. Cheesy lines don't look good on you''. ''I'll see you around Popeye''. ''Take care of yourself Quake, call if you need me''. ''You too''. He winks at her before taking off into the setting sun, she watches him until he vanishes from sight.
When she gets back to the Playground she discovers that Coulson and May are gone. ''Where's DC?'' Daisy asks Mack, who is in the lab with Fitz and Simmons. ''Don't know, he just said he had something to take care of''. ''Oh''. She leaves them and heads to her bunk, stops at Lincoln's door but keeps walking. What she needs right now is a nap, she's dead to the world as soon as her head hits the pillow.
Coulson waits patiently in a parking garage a long way away from the Playground, May by his side. ''You sure she's coming Sir?'' ''She'll come. Trust me''. As if on cue Maria Hill approaches them, heels clicking against the concrete. ''Long time no see, Director''. She greets Coulson before nodding at May. ''You look good Maria''. She smiles, ''Stark isn't too bad to work for, you should have joined us, maybe then you'd still have two hands''. ''I actually like the robot hand, it's really worked for me''.
Hill checks her phone before looking back at Coulson. ''So Ward is becoming a problem again? What happened?'' Coulson then goes into detail about Ward becoming the new head of Hydra, and his demise on the alien planet. Maria Hill listens without a change in her expression, but May can see the edges of disappointment in her cheekbones. ''That's quite a story Director''. ''He's back and I have no idea how''. ''Well did you check to make sure he was actually dead before you left?'' ''Believe me, he was dead''.
''And now he's not. I'll help you put that son of a bitch down. Look it really doesn't matter how he's alive anyway, all that matters now is where to find him. We'll need all your agents on board with this''. May and Coulson share a look. ''What's the problem?'' ''I have one agent that won't agree to this. I was hoping not to tell her, but if I have to she won't like it''. A smirk appears on Hill's face. ''Let me guess, it's Skye''. ''She goes by Daisy now, but yes her''. ''I thought she hated Ward''. ''Not so much anymore''. ''I feel like I'm missing a piece of the story here''.
Phil really hates telling Hill about Ward and Daisy's relationship, it makes him sick to his stomach. ''Romanoff was right, love is for children. Phil this could change everything, she's Inhuman and you're trying to kill the man she loves. From what I could gather she also sounds like she disobeys orders, she's going to disobey you if you tell her not to get involved. You can try and hide this mission from her but one way or another she's going to find out''. Coulson raises an eyebrow, ''any suggestions?'' ''Brace yourself''.
By the time Hill leaves, they've already got Stark's people searching for Ward. ''So are you going to tell Daisy, or do you want me to?'' ''I still think we should avoid that subject for as long as possible''. May gives him a look. ''Phil don't you think despite everything, she deserves to know? That girl is hanging on by a thread, we can't save her. We're losing her every single day''. Coulson sighs. ''Fine, but for obvious reasons don't tell her about the mission''. ''You know once she finds out she's going to go look for him''. ''I'm working on that part''.
A knock on Daisy's door startles her awake. ''Come in''. She rubs her eyes and Lincoln tip toes inside, shutting the door behind him. ''Sorry, didn't mean to wake you''. ''It's okay''. She was having a nightmare so he came at the perfect time. He sits on the bed next to hear, leans against the headboard. She tries to not let it bother her, Ward was laying in that same position just last night. For the love of god it's all in your head Daisy. That doesn't make her feel any better. Lincoln turns to her, runs his hand up her leg before kissing her.
Daisy still doesn't feel anything when they kiss. Not at the Afterlife all that time ago, not in Seattle when they were hunting Lash, and every time after that. She's still going with theory that Ward has ruined her for all other men, and part of her really doesn't mind. Lincoln's lips are nearing her collar bone when Daisy opens her eyes, and Ward is standing at the foot of her bed. Fuming. She rips herself away from Lincoln with a gasp, straightening her shirt. This has never happened before, not once in all this time her and Lincoln have been seeing each other.
''What's wrong?'' Daisy is frozen on Ward's expression. His hands are clenching the mattress so hard his knuckles are white. ''Daisy?'' She turns to Lincoln and closes her eyes. Calming herself. And she knows when she opens them, Grant will vanish into thin air. She's right. ''Hey, you okay?'' Lincoln holds her face in his hands. ''Yeah I'm fine''. She's breathing hard and her heart is racing, but she kisses Lincoln anyway, hating herself because not for the first time she's wishing it was Ward's hands on her skin.
It isn't until later and Lincoln is gone, that Ward comes back. He's glaring at her as she pulls the cover closer to her, careful not to expose her body. Which is stupid because it's not like he hasn't seen it before. She has to remind herself this isn't real, but it's hard not to when Ward is looking like he's about to break somebody's neck.''Say something''. ''What do you want me to say Skye?'' ''That you don't hate me''. He rolls his eyes, ''I don't hate you''. ''But I'm sleeping with Lincoln''. ''I'm dead''. It's the cold hard ugly truth and she can't stop the tears from welling up.
''I want it to be you. Every time I wish it was you''. The jealous expression leaves his face, pain takes over. He sits next to her. ''This isn't fair to you Skye. You deserve to move on, I'm not coming back''. ''Tell that to the 'I'm going to set this kid on fire' look you had going on earlier''. Ward sighs, catches his fingers that have been inching to her bare leg. ''You want me to say it? I'm jealous, he has you and I don't''. ''You know if you were still here things wouldn't be like this''. ''But I'm not. And I have no right''.
Her hand goes to cup his face, she drops it into her lap, blinks away the tears. ''I love you Grant. I will always love you''. He gives her the sad smile she's grown used to. ''I love you Skye''. He looks like he wants to kiss her, he leans into her, she automatically closes her eyes. Nothing. It breaks her heart. Grant is no longer sitting next to her when she opens them. Daisy drinks until she's too numb to feel anything, and then falls alseep. If this is how the rest of her life is going to be, she doesn't know how she's going to cope.
''Where's Daisy?'' May asks Mack as soon as her and Coulson return. ''In her bunk. What's going on?'' The team is all in the kitchen and May and Coulson join them. ''I have some news, it's not good. It's bad, really bad. And I need all of you to prepare yourselves''. Coulson takes a deep breath, looks at his agents before landing his gaze on Fitz. ''Grant Ward is alive''. May leaves and goes to find Daisy, ignores the gasps that are coming from the kitchen. The Calvary pauses by her door and then knocks. No answer. She must be sleeping.
Daisy wakes to May shaking her shoulder. ''Go away''. ''Daisy we need to talk''. Daisy groans as her SO turns on the lights. ''What?'' May frowns at the stench of alcohol soaking the room. ''Daisy, I, I have some news and I need you to listen very carefully okay?'' Dasiy sits up quickly, eyes focused and sharp just like the Calvary taught her. May takes her cold hands, looks at her with sad and apologetic eyes. ''May, what is it?'' Daisy half notcies the rest of the team filing into her room.
''Daisy. Ward is alive''.
Life plays this cruel joke on her too many damn times.