Girl You Better Wake Up Girl You Better Run
''Why didn't you have the information ready before you got here?'' Grant asks the men sitting in front of him, under the table Daisy brushes her hand across his thigh. It's been a few days since Ward found out that someone put a hit on his head, and he already has old Hydra agents lining up to help him. They're at a diner a couple of hours from where May parked the plane, Coulson wasn't too keen on the idea about Ward meeting with Hydra, but he got over it when Daisy mentioned a baby name she'd been thinking of.
The men stumble around on their phones for a minute, Daisy is currently drowning a cheeseburger with mustard so she is out of the loop at the moment. ''Mustard is literally dripping off the burger, that's disgusting''. Daisy glares at Kebo and throws a fry at him. After he called Ward this afternoon Ward had him on a plane and in this booth before May even set the coordinates. Kebo informed Ward that he'd been monitoring any whispers he'd heard about Ward or Daisy, if there was anything suspicious or out of character.
Someone put a price on Grant's head, Kebo doesn't know who, hense the meeting taking place right now. ''Sir it came from this address here, but''- Daisy sighs loudly and holds her hand out. ''Let me do it''. The Hydra goon hands her his phone, she can't remember his name but she recognizes him from one of the many warehouses her and Ward used to live in. ''Popeye are you going to eat that?'' He glances down at the piece of cherry pie in front of him before sliding it across the table at her. She grins and asks the waitress for whipped cream.
It takes Daisy a few minutes to figure it out, but when she does she slams the phone onto the table and sighs. ''What?'' She looks at Ward, Kebo sees the anger in her eyes and he bumps his knee with hers under the table. ''The ATCU is offering five million dollars for anyone who can get their hands on you''. Well, no one really expected that. ''The ATCU? Isn't that the organization who hunts Inhumans?'' ''Yeah''. There's a dangerous smile spreading across Ward's face. It makes the men at the table tense up, looking as if they are going to crack under pressure at any moment.
''Director I thought you destroyed the ATCU''. Kebo says, snatching a bite of pie while Daisy is distracted. ''I did. Skye you're the expert, how are they still around? All of the members were killed''. ''I guess like Hydra another head just keeps growing back''. In a whisper the two Hydra agents whisper ''hail Hydra'' and Kebo literally kicks them out of the booth. ''Time for you two to go''. They look to Grant and he tells them to leave, he'll call if he has anymore questions. Then it's just the three of them and Daisy has eaten all of thier food.
''So simple solution, storm the castle, take out the King and go home. I volunteer myself for this mission''. ''Popeye i have to find the castle first, and it's not going to be easy anymore since Coulson won't help us''. ''Oh because you killed his girlfriend right? And the Director killed her brother''. ''Bingo''. Kebo groans, ''you two couldn't stay out of trouble for two weeks could you? Maybe if you stopped murdering people things like this wouldn't happen''. ''In my defense I thought Rosalind killed Grant''.
Ward takes a sip of water and looks around the diner. ''The ATCU had it coming, especially since they were hunting Skye''. ''Speaking of your pregnant girlfriend, why are you out here in the open? Ward does have a price on his head and they could easily use you to get to him. And you know you were stabbed not too long ago''. Daisy rolls her eyes. ''I came for the food, and I'm pregnant not crippled you moron. Besides I feel fine. Plus, I'd like to see any of those agents even try to put their hands on me''. They both look at Ward who has fallen silent, deep in thought. Daisy can see a plan forming in his mind, his body is calm and ready next to her.
''Skye we're going back to the plane to find anything on the ATCU, I need to know where their base is. Kebo get a team together and wait until I call you with the location. We're not telling Coulson about this''. ''You got it Boss''. Kebo finishes his beer and stands to leave. ''Popeye please tell me you did not just abandon Buddy and Peanut''. ''I didn't. Little Ward is watching the house until we get back''. Ward doesn't seem surprised about the information, he's probably the one who asked Thomas to do so.
They part ways, Ward and Daisy promising Kebo to stay out of trouble until he sees them again. He has his doubts however. Ward and Daisy are driving back to Coulson's plane, Bobbi and Mack are following them. ''Here's what we do, I follow false trails to buy us some time, Kebo and the other agents had no information for us. Once Kebo gathers up a team and I secretly find the location of that base, then we tell DC''. ''Good plan, I was thinking the same thing''. She glances at his face and smiles, ''our kid is going to be so smart''.
''So how'd the meeting go?'' They've been on the plane for exactly three seconds before Coulson came down the stairs like he was on fire. ''It was a bust DC, just some old Hydra agents trying to get back into Ward's good graces. But I'm smart so I think I have a lead''. She pulls out her phone and hooks it up to the video monitor upstairs. Ward stands behind her and is once again impressed, Skye isn't really doing anything, but it looks like she's doing something. ''Daisy take all the time that you need. How are you feeling?''
She glances away from the screen, ''I'm fine, speaking of Ward can you get my medicine out of my bag?'' Her chest has started to burn, Simmons says it's perfectly normal for the wound to flare up from time to time, she's still healing. Every time she feels that small fire start to bloom though, it just reminds her that her own flesh and blood stabbed her, and it hurts all the more. Ward knowing this rubs her back as she swallows the pills, and eventually puts both arms around her, his chin on her shoulder.
''Was it too much for you today? You can go rest''. ''Grant I am fine, I'll tell you if I'm not''. She continues working, looking as if she's extremely concentrated on the task at hand. Coulson buys it and leaves them alone. Mack comes strolling in a few minutes later, Daisy still has her eyes glued to the screen, Ward is on his phone with Kebo. ''Tremors what is all of that?'' Daisy looks around before responding, ''nothing. Just some old files I had in my phone''. Mack raises and eyebrow, ''thought you'd be dead set on finding the idiot who's trying to kill Ward''. ''Oh I've already done that''.
Mack comes to stand next to her. ''Who is it? Have you told Coulson?'' ''No and you can't either. It's the ATCU''. ''Thought they were dead''. ''You and me both''. Understanding dawns on her partner's face. ''They're after him because he killed all of the higher up memebrs''. ''Exactly. Five million dollars''. Mack turns to look at Ward, ''hell I just might shoot him myself. Any idea on who the new boss is?'' ''Nope, actually I'm trying to look that up now''. The screen empties and Daisy actually starts digging.
It ends up taking hours. She's falling asleep in the chair she's been curled up in, Ward shuts off all of the electronics around her. ''I'm not even tired''. She complains when Ward lifts her in his arms, he smiles and kisses her temple. ''You can try again in the morning, you're not wasting your energy on me''. Daisy opens her eyes long enough to say, ''there's another way to waste my energy''. But she's down for the count as soon as Grant lays her in their bed.
*
Daisy puts the small hula girl knick knack she had on the Bus onto the window seal of her new home. It shakes in the sunlight and she smiles before turning back around. Her Kebo and Ward have gotten everything put together in three days. Furniture is in every room, there's a fire going, she's never lived in a house with a fireplace. They really haven't slept since Kebo came down with everything they needed, three days have been filled with lots of caffeine and alcohol. Currently Ward is outside gathering the last few boxes out of Kebo's trunk.
Daisy only had one box to pack up and duct tape closed, she stopped being sad about that a long time ago. Grant only had four, a few books from one of his safe houses and clothes. Everything is new here, nothing tainted by Shield or Hydra except for themselves. ''I think we should paint the kitchen red''. She tells Ward when he comes through the front door and slams it shut. He smiles at her, it's still so nice to see him smile. ''Whatever you want''.
''Bed is done, try not to break it''. Kebo comes out of the master bedroom with a screw driver in one hand a beer in the other. ''Popeye what do you think about a red kitchen?'' ''Quake I haven't slept in days, do you really think I care what color your bloody kitchen is?" He lays face down on the couch and ignores Daisy when she tells him to get up. Grant unloads the last box, pulls her into their bedroom and shuts the door. ''You missed one, it's yours''.
They sit on the bed, no linens yet just a mattress and a headboard, Ward cuts the tape off with a pocket knife. ''Oh it's my stuff from my bunk in the Playground, forgot Coulson put it in storage when I went to Hydra. How did you get this?'' Daisy doesn't even remember telling him where Coulson put it, she'd actually forgotten all about it. Everything in this box is before the attack on the Afterlife, when she and Shield were still family.
''I have my ways''. Daisy opens it and spills out the contents. There's not much, a picture of her with Fitz and Simmons, one with her and Trip. She stops when she sees Trip's smiling face, like he's hasn't got a care in the world. Her fingers brush over her lost friend, she still misses him so much. Some days she still finds herself looking for him, wondering where he is and what he's doing. Another picture of her with Cal, once she swallows the lump in her throat and moves on.
There a few shirts, some jeans. The surprised look on Ward's face makes her pause, ''what?'' He holds a balled up wrinkly shirt, one that's entirely too big for her. It's one of his old Henleys that she stole from his bunk right before Coulson burned all of his clothes. She'd forgotten she had it. ''You stole my shirt?'' She snatches it from him, ''it was right after I found out you were Hydra, and I, I don't know I just needed it''. She doesn't tell him that she used to sleep in that shirt every night. That even though she hated him, a part of her couldn't let go.
''I love you''. He tells her, holds her face and kisses her sweetly. ''You're not getting this shirt back''. They eventually decide that they probably need sheets and food, so they drag Kebo off the couch to go shopping. It isn't until her and Ward are making their very own bed, she's marveling at the fact that they have an actual house together, an actual master bedroom and a bathroom. This is real. They are finally getting the happy ending they so greatly deserve. Daisy has never wanted anything more in the world.
''I love it here. Let's never leave okay?'' Daisy tells Ward, he runs his finger tips along her spine. ''Okay, deal''. Night has fallen, moonlight is leaking through the curtains, falling on their bare skin. ''Why did you keep that shirt Skye?'' She buries her face in his chest, kisses his shoulder. ''I hated you, I really did. But I couldn't deny not even then that I had feelings for you, that I wished you were still with me. You weren't there, but that stupid shirt was''.
He lifts her chin up to face him. ''I'm sorry''. ''I know''. ''I will never leave you again''. She smiles and kisses him, praying that this beautiful life they've found lasts.
*
Daisy wakes and makes a run for the bathroom, she spends the rest of the morning with her head in the toliet, all the while cursing Ward who has been holding her hair and bringing her water. ''What can I do?'' She's suffering and he feels awful. ''Coulson has gingerale in his bunk, go get some''. May comments after Ward lets her in the bunk. He does and May takes a seat next to Daisy on the floor. ''You maybe fooling Coulson but not me. Who's after Ward?'' Daisy takes a sip of water before responding.
''The ATCU''. ''How is that possible?'' ''Cut off one head and another takes it's place I guess. They want him dead May, bad''. ''Who's in charge?'' ''Don't know, I'll figure it out today''. And she does. It's early afternoon, Mack, Bobbi, her and Hunter are all laying on her bed while she's hacking into every known source about the ATCU. ''Got it!'' Hunter high fives her and Daisy follows the link, when she sees the name and pictue of the new leader of the ATCU, she freezes. ''Oh my god''. ''What?'' ''Who is it?''
It's Ian Quinn.