You Made Your Promises & I Held On Believing In All of Them
Daisy doesn't get to see her mother board the plane, she trails slowly after Mack, dragging her feet. ''You okay D?'' She sighs and wraps her arms around Ward's waist. ''We just left Shield, I don't like being back so soon. It feels like I threw a tantrum and Coulson just won in the end anyway''. ''He could have killed her on the spot if you weren't there. I think it's a good thing Shield has her in custody, if we find out she's not a threat then we go from there''. Ward tells her, erasing some of her anxiety.
''Does anyone else feel like this was too easy?'' They make it up the cargo ramp and sit in the bay. ''Of course it was too easy, Skye she wanted to be taken, I wouldn't be back on this plane otherwise''. ''But why? What's her motive?'' ''Guess we wait for Coulson to find out''. It doesn't take long to figure out that Jiaying isn't talking. May comes down with a scowl on her face. ''She only wants to talk to you Daisy, you up for it?'' Ward puts his hand on the small of her back, ''yeah I'm ready''. Coulson, May, Mack and Lincoln are watching the interrogation room from the video monitor.
Daisy looks to Coulson before turning in the hallway. ''This doesn't mean that I forgive you for Cal, or that we're working together. If my mother tells the truth and she's not a threat, we take her to the Playground for further information, then let her go''. ''Fine, your call''. Daisy looks at Ward, stops for a moment, takes a deep breath. ''I'll be right here if you need me''. He tells her, touching her face. She leans into it, kisses his palm. After giving the Shield agents a threatening look because she still doesn't trust them alone with Ward, she walks into the room.
Jiaying is hand cuffed to the table, smiles when Daisy sits across from her. ''Why didn't you want to talk to Coulson?'' ''I don't trust Shield, you know that''. ''So what's the plan here mom? Because this feels all too easy to me, last time you put up a fight. You don't give up easily''. ''That's where you got it from you know, you got Cal's eyes but my stubbornness''. Daisy sighs, spreads her hands out onto the steel table. ''I told you earlier Cal is not apart of this, all you have to do is tell me why all of a sudden you came out of the shadows. You've been dead to me for two years, why reveal yourself now?''
''You had such a good life going for you, away from Shield, away from all of this death and tragedy. I'm sorry that I was the one who pulled you away from that, you deserve better''. ''Answer my question''. Jiaying taps her fingers on the table, looks around the empty room. ''They're watching us, I can't tell you''. Daisy looks the camera, motions for Coulson to turn it off. He doesn't. Ward must have warned them about her next step because someone is trying to stop her from hacking into the plane's system. They fail. Cameras are down.
''Alright we're alone, talk''. Daisy tells her after she's locked the door. ''How do I know you're telling the truth?'' ''Because any minute now Ward is going to break through that door, so you'd better hurry''. ''I've been rebuilding the Afterlife''. If Daisy had water in her mouth, she would have choked on it. ''What?'' ''Are you surprised? You shouldn't be. Why wouldn't I want to do that? I want our people to have a safe haven to go to again''. ''Skye?'' The door handle shakes.
A desperate look comes into her mother's eyes. ''Shield can't know, please sweetheart, I'm begging you don't tell them''. The door comes crashing open, Coulson and Ward behind it. ''You're paying me for that''. Ward rolls his eyes and moves to stand behind Daisy. ''Daisy you're leaving this interrogation room, you're done here''. She raises an eyebrow. ''And did you bring Ward in as the muscle?'' Coulson looks ashamed when he responds, ''yes''. Daisy scoffs and looks up, Ward is grinning at her. It's the kind of dangerous grin that makes her toes curl.
Ward and Daisy leave Coulson with Jiaying. ''So? Did you find out anything?'' Mack asks her as they pass him May and Lincoln. Daisy has a choice here. She can lie and say no, or she can tell Shield the truth. She has no reason to believe what her mother says, but she also has no ties to Shield. No matter how much she tries to avoid it, she has history with both parties. Her decision is made when she sees Jiaying look directly at the cameras that are now back on.
''She said she wants to try and have a relationship with me again, and I believe her''. ''That's it? That's all she wants?'' Lincoln asks. ''That's what she says''. ''So why wait two years to do? Why let you think she's been dead all this time?'' ''She was scared, afraid I'd never forgive her for what she did''. ''And do you?'' The expression on May's face makes Daisy sad for some reason.
''I hope your mother is everything you want her to be''.
''I don't know''. After Grant studies someone he can always tell when they're lying, which is why he doesn't believe one word coming out of Daisy's mouth. She knows this too, and when they get back to her bunk he turns on her. ''What really happened in there?'' She sighs, takes off her jacket and sits on the bed. ''She told me she's been rebuilding the Afterlife''. He comes to sit next to her. ''It makes sense I suppose, do you believe her?'' ''I have no reason not to. Even though she went the wrong way about it last time she did put her people first''. Ward is waiting for her to crack, for all of this to come crashing down on her. She's waiting for it too.
''You and I don't trust Shield and neither does your mom. She might be telling the truth about the Afterlife but there's something else babe. She has a hidden agenda''. ''And you know all of that after watching her?'' ''Yes''. She gets up and paces until it starts to make her head hurt. ''I don't think she's lying about the Afterlife, she might be about something else but not about that''. ''Taking down Shield could be her plan, she failed last time, I'd try again if I were her''.
''You want me to let her go''. Ward shrugs, ''I want this to be over, to stop hurting you. I want you to be happy, I hope your mom has good intentions so it doesn't come to the worst possible scenario''. She gives up pacing and puts her hands on his shoulders, running her fingers in his hair and on the back of his neck. ''I just can't believe she's really alive''. And when the break down comes he's ready for it, holds her tightly to him as she cries. It lasts for a couple hours and his attempts at calming her fail. Eventually he just pulls her face to his neck and lets her weep.
Even if Jiaying has more than one plan, Daisy decides after the sadness passes, that it doesn't matter. She believes her about the Afterlife, and if it comes to light that she's hiding something, they'll deal with it then. She tells Ward this and he agrees, kissing her forehead. He tries to get up and she whimpers. ''Come here''. Her hands are at his belt buckle suddenly and he chuckles. ''Skye''- ''Just shut up and kiss me''. Ward never can deny her anything.
They make it to the Playground an hour later, Daisy is zipping up her jeans when a knock sounds on the door. ''What?'' ''We're landing''. Lincoln tells her, ''be out in a minute''. Ward is putting on his shirt and she frowns. ''What?'' ''I miss our house, you used to walk around shirtless''. He kisses her and together they walk out of the plane. Ward tenses when they get inside and she suddenly remembers why. This is where so many horrible things happened, he died here. They both did.
It's as if an alarm goes off in every Shield agent's brain. An alarm that says, ''Look there's Grant Ward! He betrayed us!'' Each agent they pass glares daggers at him, hand on their gun. Which causes Daisy to wave her hand, and they back off immediately. ''We'll be here for an hour tops. No one is going to hurt you''. ''Are you trying to insult me? Of course no one is going to hurt me. Even after all this time, still doubting my skills babe''. May comes to Daisy's side and crosses her arms.
''He shouldn't be here''. ''May we've been through this''- ''I don't care about him Daisy but I care about you, if he dies I don't want to you go through what you did last time. If I were you I'd get him into a bunk and stay there. Coulson isn't going to reprimand anyone if they shoot him''. ''She's right Grant, we came for Jiaying, nothing else''. He sighs, ''lead the way''. ''I'll meet you in a minute May''. She nods and trails after Coulson. They turn the corner and come face to face with Bobbi and Hunter.
''Hey guys''. Surprise over seeing her causes them to forget about Ward for a second, they hug her and tell her how much they've missed her. ''The bloody hell is he doing here?'' ''He's with me Hunter''. ''Course he is, and you let the Director of Hydra into our secret base. That'll end well''. ''Not the Director anymore Hunter''. ''Daisy tell him not to talk to me, I'm going to shoot him if you don't get me out of here Bob''. Bobbi says nothing, just winks at Daisy and pulls Hunter along.
''You know I expected this to be a lot worse''. Ward comments just as they are about to pass the lab. ''You just jinxed our luck baby''. Daisy turns out to be right, Simmons is leaning against the door way, Fitz behind her. The two women look at each other before hugging, Daisy has missed Simmons more than she knew. ''Hey Fitz''. Leo isn't looking at her, his eyes are glued to Ward. ''Have you come to help with Daisy's mom?'' ''Yeah''. And much to everyone's shock, Fitz hugs him.
Simmons actually pulls him away from Grant's stiff and tense form, Daisy finds herself crying. Grant is frozen on the spot, then seems to remember himself. Daisy realizes that whatever happened on that other planet last year, still binds the two men. Ward has never told her what went down, but part of her is glad it did. Fitz is hugging him! She knows that Ward has missed him, despite what he says. ''Good to see you''. Ward can't seem to get it together, Daisy puts her hand in his. ''We'll talk later okay? Fitz, thank you''. He nods at her and pulls Simmons into the lab.
''Fitz misses you, you know. You saved his life on the other planet, I think he forgave you for everything when that happened''.
Grant is silent for the rest of the walk to an empty bunk. Daisy pulls him inside, her hands on his chest. ''Was the hug too much? I think Fitz forgot that robots don't like physical contact''. He presses her against the door, his lips warm on hers. And just as he lifts her around his waist, her phone rings. She's about to throw it against the wall because Ward has hit that spot on her neck he knows drives her crazy, but the call could be about her mother. ''Grant I have to''. He sighs into her skin, releases her neck.
''This better be important''. ''Your mom is telling the truth, with your permission we'd like to release her''. ''Good, I'll be down in a second DC''. ''Hurry''. She hangs up, cups Ward's face in her hand. ''I have to go''. He doesn't put her down. ''Grant this might be over, I don't think Jiaying is dangerous and neither does Coulson. Baby we can be home in a few hours''. He doesn't return her smile or her joy. ''You still think this could turn out badly''. ''Skye I don't think this is over, it was too easy''. ''Then we'll deal with the hard part when it comes''. And just like back on the plane, he agrees.
''I'll be right back''. He sets her down slowly, kisses her nose. She leaves the room and catches up with Bobbi and Hunter, who follow her into the room where Jiaying is being held. Coulson is unlocking the cuffs. ''I thought you might want to see your mother off''. The agents leave the room, mother and daughter are alone. ''They're taking me back to California''. ''So Coulson believes your story?'' ''Yes, and you didn't tell him about the Afterlife''. ''Shield doesn't need to know mom, it's Inhuman business''. Jiaying gives her a proud look, Daisy sighs.
''This doesn't mean that I forgive you or that we'll ever see each other again. But I do believe you, at least we have that''. ''I understand''. Coulson comes back with Mack and Lincoln, Jiaying is about to leave with them when Daisy says, ''don't speak to Cal again. He doesn't need us anymore''. And when her mother looks at her with tears in her eyes, Daisy finds herself crying as well.
Daisy and Shield should have listened to Ward, should have shared his uneasiness in the beginning. They shouldn't of jumped to conclusions right away. If they had they would have seen it coming. They could have stopped what was about to happen. So when the bomb goes off, Daisy is caught in the middle of the explosion. She doesn't even have time to register the fire.