Nothing Lasts Forever But This Is Getting Good Now
Grant Ward takes a second to absorb the moment unfolding before him. The love of his life is cross legged on the floor, hands over her mouth. She's practically bouncing she's so excited, the owner of the pet store finally comes out, holding a tiny ball of brown fur in his arms. ''Oh my god''. The man leans down and places the dog in her hands, and Ward can tell by the slump in her shoulders, she's fallen in love with it. ''Ward come down here''. He can't refuse her, settles on an appropriate position. Facing the door, half between her and the owner, he can see every person in this store. He's a Specialist down to the core.
He'll admit the puppy is cute, small, light brown eyes, big ears. ''You're so adorable''. It's ridiculous that tears are falling down her cheeks but they are, he takes his thumb and wipes them away, helping her off the floor. ''Buddy is going to be so excited''. Daisy crushes the dog to her chest. The owner rings them up while glancing at Daisy's chest too long for Ward's liking. He solves the problem with a glare and wrapping one arm around her waist. Because he can. He can do that now. He can be her inpatient jealous boyfriend, he can kiss her whenever he wants. There was a time not long ago he never thought she'd love him, or even like him. Ward loves this tiny life they have built for themselves.
All the way to the car Daisy is baby talking the small animal, even getting a blanket from the back seat and wrapping it around her. ''You picked out a name yet?'' He asks as they are pulling out onto the main road. ''Peanut''. Ward chuckles, ''I like it''. At the sound of his laughter Peanut stumbles out of Daisy's arms and into his lap. ''I think she likes you''. ''Yeah? I like her too''. He scoops her up with one hand into his chest, she falls asleep like that. ''I'm already jealous''. Daisy says not ten minutes later, Peanut dead to the world on Ward's chest. ''Why?'' ''I'm going to have to fight for that spot now''. He laughs, leans over and kisses her.
Buddy warms up the new addition of the family quite well. As soon as Daisy puts Peanut down in the house he takes a protective stance behind her. Follows her around as she explores her new surroundings. ''Another one? Are you two trying to drive me mad?'' Kebo is not a dog person, half of Daisy thinks he might actually be afraid of them. ''That's the plan Popeye, going to have a whole pack of them before too long''. Ward puts the pet supplies away in the kitchen while Daisy sprawls out on the couch, Buddy hops up next to her. ''I guess it's cute''. Kebo comments when Peanut sniffs his shoe, Daisy picks her up and places her next to Buddy.
''Peanut is adorable''. ''You named the dog Peanut?'' ''Do you have a problem with that?'' He mumbles under his breath and soon finds himself thrown from the couch onto the hard wood floors. Ward joins Daisy on the couch, stretches out his hand and starts a fire. ''Why do I continue to live with you people? All you do is abuse me''. ''Oh can it Popeye you'd die without us''. This is true. They spend the rest of the weekend at home, spending time with Buddy and Peanut, Kebo drinks Saturday and Sunday away, Daisy finds him Monday morning on the bathroom floor.
''God. Grant!'' He runs inside like the word is on fire, asking if she's alright, the dogs trailing after him. ''Can you move your goon please? How the hell did he get in our bathroom without us knowing?'' ''Must of been after I got up''. There's no way Kebo could have stepped foot in their room without Ward waking up. ''Idiot''. Ward throws him on the couch, Buddy falling asleep at his feet. An hour later Ward is handing her a travel mug and kissing her goodbye. ''Kiss Peanut for me!'' She yells out the window. He winks in response.
Daisy remembers why she never worked in an office before Shield found her. Four hours of running reports, fetching coffee, listening to a man yell at her, Susie bursting into tears, she's about to explode. Pressure she can handle. Hunting an alien? No problem. Crazy mission gone wrong? Piece of cake. Turning into an Inhuman, being tortured by Lash was easy compared to this. For unknown reasons Daisy finds herself stressed to the breaking point. The windows start to crack. She escapes to the bathroom down the hall and calls Ward.
''You okay?'' She takes a deep breath, closes her eyes. ''No''. ''What's wrong?'' She explains her troubles and just the sound of his voice calms her. ''Take a fifteen minute break, close your eyes, put your head between your knees. It's all going to be just fine baby, I promise''. She does as she's told. ''I thought I was going to lose control, that hasn't happened in a long time''. ''Are you okay now?'' ''Yeah. Losing it over a job? How ridiculous is that?'' ''Stress can be a trigger. Take a walk with me tonight when you get home''. ''Stop sounding like my SO''. He laughs, ''old habits''. ''Stay on the phone with me?'' ''Of course''. They talk for another ten minutes. Her day sails smoothly after that.
It's freezing when she and Ward finally take that walk, an hour after she gets home. Buddy runs ahead of them, Peanut had to hang back. Daisy is clinging to Ward's arms, warm in his embrace. ''Work shouldn't stress me out that much''. ''You're right, maybe you should call in tomorrow, have time to collect yourself''. ''I might, but we need to make a deal for that''. He looks down at her, ''what kind of deal?'' ''You have to stay in bed until at least ten o'clock''. Anxiety spreads through him faster than smoke, there's real tension in his eyes. ''I don't know if that's possible''.
She knows why he does it. Five years of living out in the woods by himself, and Garrett's psychotic training has him rising at the crack of dawn. His body doesn't know any other way, it's been conditioned, grained into him for over a decade. ''You can try''. They've been through this too many times to count. ''Why does it matter to you so much?'' She stops walking and wraps her arms around him. ''I don't know. Maybe because Garrett has controlled your entire life, and he still does when you wake up that early''. ''He's dead''. ''I know that, but doesn't it bother you?''
''No''. Subject closed, she tries a different tatic. Stands on her toes, her mouth inches from his. ''I'll be naked''. They spend fifteen minutes under the snow lost in each other. Eventually they reach their destination, a clearing, mountains over looking them. This is where Daisy goes to unleash, unravel herself. When her powers are clawing and scratching at her, begging her for release, she breaks. Shuts her eye lids, cracks her hands. Every time she does this she always pictures Jiaying next to her, praising her. Teaching her who she is and how to accept it.
''I moved a mountain''. ''Remember that feeling, it's not something to be afraid of''.
Daisy will always miss her mother. No matter the awful things she had done or what she wanted to do, Jiaying was there when she needed her most. Helped her, cared for her. She can't make her into a monster, she's seen real ones and none of them wore Jiaying's face. Daisy does not destroy the mountains, that would raise alarms. Instead crumbles fractions, it's enough to soothe her skin and reduce the vibrations jumping around her blood.
She opens her eyes to find Grant gazing at her, love and adoration plain on his cheek bones. ''You're amazing, you know that?'' She can't find it in her to smile back at him. ''It's okay to miss her you know''. He says a few minutes later. ''I know. Do you miss Garrett?'' Ward stops melting snow, raises an eyebrow. ''In some ways I miss him every day. He was the only solid father I ever had, but then I think about all the ways he used me, abused me. I'm glad he's dead''. ''I wish Cal didn't kill her, sometimes I wish she was alive''. He kisses her forehead. ''It's only natural, she was your Mom''.
''She saved me, if not for her I don't know who I would have become, even though at the end she tried to kill me, I can't help but be greatuful to her. Like I owe her my life or something''. ''Your life is your own, you don't owe anybody anything Skye''. ''I owe you''. ''What for?'' ''For loving me even though I shot you three times''. ''Four times''. ''And forgiving me when I thought you turned on me again''. ''You're still in the dog house for that''. She laughs and kisses his nose.
When Daisy opens her eyes the next morning, ten thirty on the dot, she turns over and finds Ward sound asleep next to her. Another small victory. Buddy and Peanut are sleeping also, Peanut on her pillow and Buddy by Ward's legs. She gets out of bed soundlessly and decides to surprise him by making breakfast. He ruins it when she's almost done frying the bacon. ''I could get used to this''. He says when she's putting a hot cup of coffee by his elbow. ''Me making you breakfast?'' ''And wearing my shirt while you do it''. She rolls her eyes and throws her napkin at him.
''You know what? I quit''. It's been a month since Daisy and Ward got Peanut, and she's had enough of her job. Susie gasps as Daisy snatches up her purse and jams her feet into her heels. She's yelled it loud enough that her boss, a man in his late thirties and has a bald spot, comes rushing out of his office. ''You can't just walk out Daisy''. ''Watch me''. Kebo is going to be so proud of her. She's on this high, an adrenaline rush as she speeds home. She calls Kebo and asks if he's home, he's not. Which means her and Ward have the house to themselves.
''What are you doing home so early?'' Ward is in the process of feeding the dogs when Daisy walks in. ''I quit''. ''You quit your job?'' ''Yeah, and it feels really good''. He looks up to find her taking off her blazer, a familiar look in her eye. He puts down the bag and catches her, presssing her against the refrigerator door. The walk to the bedroom is filled with warm kisses and hot hands on skin. Kebo comes up the drive way to find the walls shaking violently, and turns right back around into the woods. Walking in on them one time was enough, the image is still burned into his brain.
''You should quit your job more often''. Ward mumbles, running a hand down her spine. Her tired laugh has him covering her with the quilt and kissing her brow. She's fast asleep in seconds. He follows shortly after, thanking a god that he's never believed in for this beautiful woman he did nothing to deserve. And this life with her, he wouldn't give up for the world. But life always has a way of destroying his happiness, it's only a matter of time.