Holes

Every time Skye asked Coulson about Ward, he told her that he was fine but didn’t have anything new to tell her.

To make matters worse, two weeks before, Coulson gathered the team and Trip to let them know that John Garrett had died. Skye felt relief that Ward’s abuser was gone. However Coulson didn’t have anything new about Ward except that he would be at the Triskelion at little bit longer and he didn’t know yet what would happen after.

Skye became the welcome wagon for new SHIELD agents as they came to Providence and hoping that Ward would be one of them. She was surprised how few came. Fury didn’t trust a lot of people.

Fury had informed Coulson that he was collecting evidence and to bring down Hydra. Once Hydra was cleaned out, SHIELD would reevaluate some of the polices. The biggest issue would be the lengthy background checks to make sure people like John Garrett didn’t get through the system and kids like Ward would be protected.

Eric Koenig put every SHIELD agent into rigorous lie detector. Ward had given them info to check fingers for nails as it would give false positive readings to the machine so a lie might not be detected as easily. Thankfully only one agent turned out to be Hydra and had been placed in the brig.

There was talk that Fury was getting close and less quinjets were showing up.

Skye feared Ward would never come back that Fury would use him for all he was worth and toss him away.

Until she saw him come off the Quinjet chatting with a tall blond woman.

Skye didn’t care she was a SHIELD agent and public displays of affection were kind of frown on, she embraced her SO tightly. The best part was he hugged her back with only very minor resistance.

“What a welcome,” the blond woman said.

Ward pulled back. “Skye, this is agent Barbara Morse.”

“Good to meet you.”

“Please call me Bobbie.”

“Agent Morse is most likely going to be your new SO, either her or May.”

Skye looked confused. “You’re not in SHIELD anymore?”

“I’m still in SHIELD,” he explained. “They reduced my level to three. And they told me not quite directly that’s where my rank will be for good. I’m not a specialist either. I won’t kill anymore except in self-defense. I’m just a field agent like you, nothing special.”

“Don’t believe that.”

“Yes,” Morse said. “Your intel is going to help take down Hydra.”

“My intel is going to take down Hydra a little bit earlier,” he explained.

“What?” Skye questioned.

“Fury already knew,” Ward explained. “He’s known for a year or so. He’s been trying to gather intel and set things in motion but he needed to know how deep Hydra was. I’m not the only agent to give him intel—“

“But he said,” Morse interrupted. “Agent Ward was one of the few agents who volunteered the info.”

“Don’t be nervous,” Even though Eric Koenig was short and a stocky, he looked stern enough look to show he wasn’t a creampuff.

“I’m not,” Ward replied. “I just don’t know why this is necessary. I already confessed to be being a Hydra spy and told Fury everything.”

“It’s a formality. You can’t get a lanyard and access to the base until you are questioned.” Ward didn’t really want to be questioned again. He had to deal with hours of it before and it was tired, but still he didn’t complain.

“Name?”

“Grant Douglas Ward.”

“Name your immediate family.”

“I have a two brothers and a sister. I don’t speak to them.”

Koenig looked at the screen. “It says your lying even though your dossier says it’s true.”

Ward paused. He knew the real truth but saying it made it real. “My immediately family is my team.”

“That is true.” He only cared about one family member and Christian had destroyed that relationship.

“SHIELD level?”

“Three.”

“Are you loyal to Hydra?”

“No.”

“Are you loyal to SHIELD?”

Ward paused for moment. How much loyalty could he have to an organization that allowed Hydra to hide in it for 70 years and who completely missed John Garrett kidnapping and brainwashing a teenage boy?

“Please answer the question?”

“Not really.” His answer didn’t seem to faze Koenig.

“Why are you here then?”

“I’m loyal to my team.”

“Even though you’re not loyal to SHIELD, will you follow their orders?”

“Depends on the order. I’m not going to kill anyone nor am I going to leave an agent behind.”

“Are you loyal to John Garrett?”

“I hope not—“ Ward paused. “Is that true?”

Koenig nodded. Ward felt relived. The therapist had told him that even though Garrett was dead, the effects of the brainwashing might be long lasting. A therapist would eventually come to Providence but in the meantime Ward was supposed to be able to call the one at the Triskelion day or night if he had any problems.

“Are you a Hydra agent?”

“No.”

“Were you a hydra agent?”

“Yes.”

“Why were you a hydra agent?”

“To save John Garrett’s life.”

“Not completely true,” Koenig said. “Why were you a Hydra agent?”

Ward hesitated for a moment. “Because I thought they would make me strong.”

“That’s the truth. Have you told Director Fury everything you know about Hydra?”

“Yes.”

“Were you brainwashed by John Garrett?”

“I don’t know.”

“That’s true, but can you elaborate?”

“I’ll never know for sure.”

When he came out with his lanyard, he was surprised to find his entire team there. He felt a little awkward and embarrassed but underneath he felt relieve to finally have people who believed in him.

He got two big hugs from Fitz and Simmons and a firm handshake from Coulson.

He knew May wasn’t happy. He could see it in her face. Did she think he was weak for resisting Garrett?

He was surprised when when she spoke. “I want you to join me for Tai-chi every morning. It helps with trauma.”

“Thank you,” he said and he meant it. He was sure of all of them May would have to most trouble with him being a former Hydra agent.

May looked uncomfortable. He knew how hard this must be for her. “Garrett was a monster,” she finally said. “I’m glad he didn’t make you a monster too.”

“I’m a level four,” Fitz joked, to break the tension. “So I better hear some sirs from you.”

Ward smiled. “Yes, sir. And no sir, I’m not going to let you win at poker.”

Skye took Ward’s elbow “I need to borrow him for a little while.”

No one protested as she led Ward down the corridor into a room that if it didn’t have computer equipment would look like a den or living room. There was a roaring fire going and the rom felt warm.

Skye sat on the couch. She touched her shoulder.

“You owe me.”

Ward was a little uncomfortable, but there were no more barriers. There was no more mission. He knew it would still take time before he was truly comfortable with his team—with people who cared about him. For almost his entire life, no one cared about him, except it seemed John Garrett.

Ward sat next to her. He didn’t put his head on her shoulder.

“So spill. I’m here for you without judgment.”

“I’ve only loved one person in my life,” he started. “My little brother Thomas…”

The End.