The Monsters Turned Out to be Just Trees
''That, that's impossible. She's dead''. Daisy's voice is ice, controlled and low. Ward knows what she's doing, locking it all down, putting it in boxes inside of her head. He taught her how, May finished the job perfectly, Daisy is stone next to him. He hates it. He comes to the conclusion pretty quickly, the woman in the picture is her mother, they look too alike to be anything else. ''We don't know how this happened''. ''How did you get this Coulson? Were you looking for her?'' ''No, we were searching for Inhumans and we stumbled upon it''. ''This is a sick joke, you're lying. This is just a trick to get me back onto that plane''. ''Do you really think so low of me?''
Daisy doesn't answer his question, can't feel Ward's hand on her arm. ''Daisy we're not lying we''- ''Why didn't you tell me this yesterday?'' ''Because they're manipulating you Skye, they knew you wouldn't come back to Shield unless something horrible happened, something you couldn't refuse''. ''Shut up Ward''. Grant and Coulson start arguing and Daisy can't breathe. Her trick at blocking it all out and focusing on the problem at hand isn't working. Her old instincts kick in, run. She leaps up from the couch and sprints out the back door into the snow. She's deep in the woods in a few short minutes.
''See what you did?'' Ward grumbles, grabbing his jacket from the coat rack and a pair of Daisy's shoes. He goes after Daisy, following her tracks in the snow until he finds her, doesn't take long. She's barefoot, only wearing a thin shirt, she'll freeze. She's sitting under a tree breathing hard, the snow making her shake and skin flushed. Ward puts the shoes on her, wraps his jacket around her already frozen shoulders. She's crying. He sits next to her, pulls her in his lap.
Daisy can't process what's happening. Jiaying is dead. Cal killed her, she saw it all. There's no way in heaven or hell that she could be alive, Shield has to be lying. They just want her to get away from Ward, to be their perfect little agent again. But then there's that small voice in her head, a shadow of doubt. What if she is alive? Daisy did think Ward was dead and he's clearly not. ''What do I do?'' She asks him, tucking her face into his warm shoulder blade. He strokes her back, calms her. ''If there was a chance Garrett was still alive, no matter how small, I'd find him''. ''Why?'' She already knows, because her reason is the same as his.
''To ask him why, why he did the things that he did. How is he still here? Why didn't he look for me? To get the closure I was denied. But the difference between you and I? I'd put a bullet in the back of his head''. ''Would I be a terrible person if I still said no to Coulson? If I let them handle this by themselves?'' ''No. But I think we both know you won't. She's your Mom''. He wipes away her tears, helps her up. ''We don't have to go back, they can wait''. He tells her, stroking her face. ''I should have known our happiness wouldn't last forever''. ''Look at me''. She does, he takes her hands in his.
''I'll be happy as long as I'm with you. Skye you're my home''. She kisses him because he is her home too. ''But I want my life to be here with you''. She whispers, kissing his jaw. ''It will still be here when we get back''. ''Did you two really leave those Shield agents alone in the house?'' Daisy jumps, not having heard Kebo's approach. Kebo takes one look at Daisy and worry over takes him. ''You alright Quake?'' She shakes her head, buries her face in Ward's shirt, clutches him like he's the only thing keeping her a float. He is. ''What's wrong?'' ''Shield is full of manipulative bastards that's what's wrong. Skye's Mom is alive, and they didn't think to tell her yesterday so she could base her decision upon that. Instead they wait until it's already done, until she chose what makes her happy so they can shatter it''.
''Jesus. Do you want me to go for you? I'll take care of it''. Daisy tells him no, clears her head, squares her shoulders. ''Popeye can you stay here for us? Look after things, feed Buddy and Peanut''. ''Of course, whatever you need''. She moves away from Ward, gives Kebo a hug. ''Thank you''. ''Be careful, and take care of him''. She winks, ''I promise''. The trio heads back to the house, May and Coulson are waiting in the yard. ''I'll go back with you, I have a few conditions first''. Daisy says as she goes to stand in front of them. ''I'm listening''. ''No one touches Ward, if he is threatened or feels threatened at all, I pull the plug. If Jiaying really is alive we do things the way I want on the best possible way to handle the situation. And if she is a threat like she was last time, I'm the one who takes her out''.
Ward puts a soothing hand on the back of her neck. ''I think Ward can take care of himself Daisy''. ''That's not the point''. ''I agree to your terms, we'll give you a few minutes to pack your things''. They head off to the Shield van and Daisy and Ward walk into the house. When Ward closes the front door she locks it, like that will prevent everything that's happened from catching up with them. Ward finds it easy to slip back into mission mode, too easy, it surprises him that he finds it comforting in a way. Put all essential items in a bag, guns ready, one at his hip, the other at his thigh. All other weapons hidden on his person, he's ready in less than five minutes.
But this mission is different than the rest, this time he isn't leaving some hotel room or safe house that means nothing to him. This time he's leaving the only home he's ever had, the one he shares with a woman he loves, and it's a hard pill to swallow. Garrett always taught him to never get attatched, it didn't work when he met Skye all that time ago, and it's not working now. He let himself be compromised and it didn't take any effort, he didn't even try to resist. And that's why he is finding it so hard to leave the old leather couches, the small kitchen and living room, the bedroom him and Daisy share, it's their own cut of heaven and he doesn't want to give it up.
They will be back, he will die before he lets anything happen to Daisy, but the expression on her face right now breaks him. She was strong in front of Coulson, but here in her own home reality of the situation is finally setting in. She's standing in the middle of the living room, Peanut in her arms, looking around and the windows start to shake. ''Everything will be here when we get back Skye, I promise''. ''You're right, just finish the job and come back here''. But finishing the job could mean the worst thing and she isn't sure she can actually do it. Daisy knows that if she has to kill Jiaying she won't be the same person she is now, standing here with Ward. She won't be the Skye he loves, she'll be the monster that murdered her own mother.
''I know what you're thinking and it doesn't have to turn out like that. There could be another solution than putting her down Skye''. ''You weren't there last time, you don't know. If she's anything like she was I'll have no choice''. ''People change, she might of learned from her mistakes''. Daisy takes a deep breath and heads for their room, ''only one way to find out''. Ten minutes and many tearful goodbyes on Daisy's part, her and Ward are in her SUV, following Coulson and May to the Shield plane. Ward looks away from the road to Daisy, who has been silent since she closed the front door.
''We're coming back Skye''. ''I'm not worried about that''. ''Explain''. ''I'm worried about who I'll be when we do''. ''You'll still be the woman I love''. ''Would you still love me if I killed my own mother?'' ''It's a hard call I hate that you have to make, like I said it might not come to that. Let's wait until we have all the information okay? And yes, nothing could make me stop loving you''. He takes her palm and puts it to his lips. ''Thank you for coming with me''. She says when they pull up to the plane, Coulson and May already out. ''There's nowhere else I'd rather be. You ready for this?'' ''No, but lets do it anyway''.
Mack is waitng for them in the cargo bay, ''I knew you'd come Tremors''. ''Hey partner''. Mack hugs her tightly and she can't help but smile. ''So when I asked you last week about news you couldn't of told me about my Mom?'' ''I was under orders not to D, sorry''. Coulson leads them to the center of the plane, brings the video moniter to life. ''Daisy we don't know how Jiaying is alive, we've been trying to track her but can't. We have no intel on where she is or what she's doing''. ''You told us yesterday that all the information was on the plane''. ''I lied, sorry. All I had was the picture''. Ward grips Daisy's elbow, ''going into a mission without all the facts? Not happening Phil''. ''Well it's not up to you is it? Daisy gets to make that call''.
Everyone looks at her, she sighs. ''Coulson I don't know where you got the impression that I make all the decisions, but Ward and I are equals in this relationship, and if he isn't comfortable going on this mission without all the facts, which I agree with, then neither am I. Look she's my mom so I really want to figure out what the hell is going on, but I need more than just a picture''. ''Hope you have a plan''. She pulls out her phone, walks over to a nearby chair and cracks her knuckles. ''Grant could you get me a cup of coffee please?'' She sits in that spot for ten hours.
''That's enough, you need sleep babe''. Daisy thinks it's around two a.m. but isn't sure. She's come up with nothing, no information on her mother whatsoever. She's even found numbers and emails to fellow Inhumans, who are ignoring her. ''I'll sleep later''. Her eyes are blurry and she can't quit yawning, but she has to keep going. Ward sighs, he's about to just saw screw it and throw her over his shoulder. ''Stop looking at me like that''. She switches back over to a laptop after glaring at him. ''What are you looking for exactly?'' ''Paper trails, a new image, anything really. Coulson said that camera was in California so I've been hacking into everything known to man, so far it's like she's a ghost''. ''She could have left California''. ''Doubt it, she's probably there for a specific reason, a week isn't long enough''. ''That's quite a hunch''. ''I know''.
Finally she passes out an hour later, the plane dark and quiet. Reminding him of their days on the Bus, on nights like these where he would walk in on her in this exact position. Back then he wanted more than anything to pick her up and carry her to her bunk, just so he could have the feel of her in his arms. He may have even loved her then. He'd shake her awake and make sure she got to her bed without stumbling or knocking something over, never thinking he would be where he is now. Now he cradles her to his chest, takes her to her old bunk and lays down with her. Kisses her forehead and falls asleep, the smell of her like a balm to his scars.
He wishes he could tell the Grant Ward then that the road will be long and painful, but in the end, it's worth it. Because Skye is all he's ever wanted, and he will do anything for her. Even if it means making the hard calls for her, if he has to. If the worst happens and Shield has no other choice but to kill Jiaying, he will do it. Daisy will hate him for it, but he'd rather have that blood on his hands than hers. No one should have to be put in a positoin like this, and he hates Shield for doing this to her. ''I love you''. He tells her, wraps his arms around her, she automatically snuggles into his chest.
Part of him wonders if Jiaying faked her death, if it was some elaborate plan between her and Cal. Because a person can't come back from the dead, that has to be it. If that's the case, what a cruel thing to do to your daughter. Grant ignores the fact that he did the same thing to Daisy not so long ago. He falls asleep and the nightmares start. Ward already misses the woods and his cabin. Everything was lighter there, Shield brings nothing but darkness and death to his world. He'll be damned if Daisy gets caught in the cross fire again. Ward will bring her home. She will get the life she's always wanted, they'll be happy when all of this is over. He gets the job done, that's what he's best at, nothing is going to stop him.
''Are they finally asleep?'' ''Yes''. Coulson and May are sitting in the cock pit, Mack went to bed an hour ago. ''How long until we land?'' ''A few hours''. ''Daisy isn't going to like this Phil, you should of told her we were picking up Lincoln and going to see Cal''. ''I'll tell her in the morning''. May sighs. ''Plus I'm kind of hoping Lincoln still believes that Ward brain washed Daisy and he'll electrocute him. Son of a bitch deserves it''. ''You know you're going to have to forgive Ward eventually, Daisy won't ever come back to us permanently if you don't''. ''I hate that he's on my plane''. May doesn't comment, and the silence stretches on and on.