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“So what’s the plan after we get any possible goons off our tail?” Skye asked, as she tapped away on the keyboard, glancing up at Grant when he didn’t reply immediately. “Grant? You do have a plan, right? Or are we just gonna bumble around like I did in my van?”

Grant chuckled. “Bumbling’s not my speed.” Skye let out a little snort. “Pun not intended.”

“Sure it wasn’t. We just happen to be in a fast new car, and you completely missed the opportunity.” She didn’t see him roll his eyes. “Do you have a plan?”

“Garrett mentioned in passing other companies like Cybertek, that specialised in creating the armour and technology that was used on the Deathlok programme.” He replied after a beat.

“What, like sister companies?” Skye closed the laptop, and focused on Grant.

“Something of the sort. I didn’t really ask about it.”

“Does your robot setup not have a curiosity setting?”

“Ha-ha.” He glanced over. “Garrett wasn’t used to me expressing my thoughts, so asking about companies that were off S.H.I.E.L.D.’s radar would have raised a red flag.”

“Okay…”

“It’s another reason why I got you the laptop. You know what Hydra’s communication channels are, right?”

“Yeah, the white noise, but if Garrett made those companies for his own survival, he wouldn’t have told Hydra where they are.”

Grant snickered. “They found out anyway. After the Battle of Cybertek, Hydra took what they could, using their moles in the army. Found a lot of interesting stuff.”

“How come you never mentioned this in the vault?” Skye said incredulously.

“If I’d said anything about sister companies of Cybertek, and then not given more information regarding that, how do you think things would have progressed?” Grant retorted angrily.

Skye opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to come up with a counter argument that favoured S.H.I.E.L.D. “No, you’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Apology accepted.”

A few moments of silence permeated the car.

“Whitehall told me after I approached him about the opening Bakshi left behind.” Grant muttered, keeping his eyes on the road.

“You didn’t hand Bakshi over to us on a spur-of-the-moment decision, did you?” Skye asked, starting to see the plan that Ward had mapped out.

“Nope.” He popped the ‘p’.

“What about your brother?” she was almost afraid to ask.

“He’s alive.” Grant smiled.

Skye blinked. “But…what about the bodies?”

“He had two bodyguards with him that day.”

“There were three bodies, Grant.”

“My mother…attacked me as soon as she saw me walk up the front steps with Christian. My father had been looking for a reason to get rid of her for years.” He sighed, but he was hiding most of the pain that had come with that.

“Former Senator Ward shot his wife?” she was shocked. That’s what the Ward children lived with?

“Yeah. I was just going to burn down the house and have my parents and Christian disappear, but because she was dead…”

“You created the murder-suicide scene.” Skye finished for him, her tone grave and understanding.

Grant nodded slowly. “At my father’s request. I told him and Christian why I was there, and they agreed to help. It also got them out of having to go to her…their…funeral.”

“And the recording?” Skye questioned. “He sounded terrified.”

“I still have a copy of that, actually. And it’s from before the arson.”

“Do you have it on you?”

“No, Skye. It’s in a P.O. Box in San Juan.” Grant quipped.

Skye’s face lit up. “Did you just make a joke?”

“A comment.”

“A sarcastic one. Did it fry your circuits? Do you need an engineer?”

Grant burst out laughing, Skye joining in with delight, both of them remembering a similar banter they had over Battleship.

“But seriously, Grant. Can I hear what was said? Or is that brocode?”

“Is that what?” his face was plastered in confusion.

“Brocode.” At his look of continued bemusement, she leaned towards him. “You’ve never heard of the ‘brocode’? Seriously?”

“What’s the ‘brocode’?”

Skye sighed and sat back. “Technically, you should be getting this from another guy, someone you’re ‘bros’ with.”

Grant shrugged, his fingers lifting off the steering wheel in a vague, restricted gesture. “‘Bro’ as in…brother?”

“Yeah. Or someone you consider to be a ‘bro’. A close male friend.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “How have you never heard of the ‘brocode’?”

“Fitz never mentioned it.” he mumbled.

Skye’s heart seemed to melt and break at the same time. He thought of Fitz as a brother! Oh, what he did to Fitz must be eating away at him… Focusing on the happier thought for now, she posed another question. “Trip didn’t either? He was the type to swing with that.”

“We weren’t close. Most of the time we spent together was around Garrett, and you know how he was with ‘weaknesses’.”

Skye pulled a face at the mention of Garrett. He had screwed everything up in Grant’s life, it was a miracle that Grant turned out the way he did.

Sensing that Skye didn’t want to talk about such sad topics as Garrett, Grant turned the conversation back to his brother. “Christian and I never had much of a sibling dynamic, so no, there’s no “brocode” between us.” He made quotation marks around the word. “And I hope that everyone on the team gives themselves the chance to watch it. You all locked me up in isolation, so you should all see the effects of what you did.”

“As horrible as that treatment was…I think I was right.” Skye said quietly. Grant looked at her as though she’d gone mad, and she hurried to clarify. “With what I said in the bar. About you being stronger than any of us.” She looked out the window at the passing landscape before elaborating. “You suffered abuse from everyone who was supposed to love and care for you, and you’re still protective, righteous, bloody magnificent and…so, so loving.” She looked back at him. “How amazing would you be if you’d gotten the right treatment from the beginning?”

Grant sucked in a breath and released it with a shrug. “It may have been because of all the wrongs I witnessed and experienced that I stuck so firmly to what was obviously right. Silver linings, right?”

Skye’s mouth was slowly slipping into a smile as Grant spoke. “Always look on the bright side of life.” She sang.

Grant chuckled. “Well, at least in the position I’m in now…I can do some good. Knowing what I know about Hydra.”

She looked away, uncertainty creasing her forehead. “Yeah.”

Grant’s mildly good mood vanished with Skye’s response. “Skye? What’s wrong?”

“Grant, I…I’m scared that the power that I now have puts you in danger. With S.H.I.E.L.D. it was different, there were so many people who could take care of each other. But with just you? We’re alone.” Her voice broke near the end and tears welled up in her eyes. “I’m terrified that they’re going to kill you to get to me.”

“What changed, Skye? A couple of nights ago, you were adamant that you wanted to be with me, no matter what. Is it ‘cause Hydra attacked you?” When she nodded he sighed. “We can’t let them get in the way of us anymore. You handled them fine on your own.”

“They were two guys, Grant! And they found me the same night that I left with you!” Skye nearly shrieked.

“Do they know that I’m with you?”

“I don’t know. They went for me when I was on my own, instead of when I was with you, so…”

“They’re avoiding me.” This only solidified Grant’s decision to stay.

“And apparently, two goons isn’t going to be successful in retrieving me, so they’re gonna send more as soon as they find out where we are!” Skye’s voice rose several octaves, betraying her intense feelings of horror at the possibility that Grant suffers because of her again. The ground around her started to tremble, shaking the car.

“Skye.” He began calmly, knowing he needed to get her into a relaxed state of mind in order for her to make rational and whole-hearted decisions. “Relax. You’re getting wound up.” Slowly, Skye released the pent up breath she held and felt her racing pulse reduce its breakneck pace. The ground stilled. “Good. Now, you should know that there is no way in Hell that I am ever leaving you. No buts.” He added quickly as Skye opened her mouth to object. “I am not ever abandoning you again.”

Skye tilted her head to the side sadly. “Grant…this is Hydra. I have to do that part alone.”

“It’s suicide.”

“Not if I don’t die.” Skye mumbled, barely pronouncing the words correctly, but he heard her.

“Don’t.” he said, shaking his head. “Don’t throw my words back in my face. The Hub was different, they were level five foot soldiers, and there was twelve of them. Hydra is a worldwide army.”

“I can’t…I can’t lose you. Not ever.”

“If I had to give my life to save yours, I would do so. But if there was a way for us both to survive, I would choose that first. I won’t give you up.” He slowed to stop at traffic lights and turned his head to face her. “Not ever.”

Skye’s eyes, previously brimming with tears, now had tear tracks leading down from them. She reached for his hand at the same time that he reached for hers. “Together, then.”

“Together.” Grant agreed, a sad, yet adoring smile hiding so much hope, gracing his face.

“Yo, Turbo. You wanted to see me?” Mack poked his head around the door of Fitz’s room, where he was seated with Simmons and fiddling with the computer on his lap.

Fitz looked up. “Yeah, we finally got time to watch the debrief conversation in Coulson’s office.”

“Oh, okay.” Mack replied, sidling into the room after glancing over his shoulder. He closed the door and moved to sit on the bed next to the engineer. “What about Palamas? Aren’t you gonna get that mask off her face?”

“We are. We just need for Agent Palamas to be completely rested and energised beforehand, as the procedure may possibly drain her.” Simmons piped up from the chair in front of the bed. “The mask takes DNA from the original and imposes it onto the imposter, physically attaching itself. And so for the face to appear as though it was the actual person’s face, the imposter needs to have the expressions mimic their own.”

“So we need to peel it off of her face using electrical currents, and that’s harmful enough without her being tired already. It needs to be done in doses.” Fitz continued, not looking up from the screen.

“Sounds awesome and…really technical. I’ll take your word for it that it works.” Mack said, lost by most of what the scientists had been saying.

“Got it.” Fitz nearly cut Mack off, speaking a split second later. “Ready?”

Simmons moved to the other side of Fitz, and all three of them shifted backwards until they were leaning against the wall that Fitz’s bunk was built against. Fitz pressed play and settled in between his two closest friends.

Nothing happened for a few minutes, then the door opened and Coulson strode in, heading straight for his desk followed by May, Palamas, Bobbi and Hunter. The agents arranged themselves on chairs and flat surfaces around the room with the exception of Palamas, who remained standing, leaning against the wall beside the door.

“So, Agent Palamas. You said you were here for Skye. Why is that?” Coulson spoke first, turning to her as he sat down.

“Because she and Grant love each other and are prepared to put the past behind them.” Palamas replied coolly. She opened her mouth again to continue speaking but was interrupted by May.

“Why the Hell would Skye have done that? She’s been furious with Ward for months!”

“Around you, maybe. And anyone else who encouraged it. How would you have reacted if she said that she still loved him?”

The room was silent for a few beats as the occupants realised that they weren’t exactly open-minded about the entire Ward situation.

“It would explain why she was so furious with him over his betrayal. I mean, the last guy she was with was Miles, right? And you know how well that ended.” Bobbi eventually said, checking with Coulson that her information on Miles was correct.

Coulson sighed. “Well, what happened to you in San Juan? After our little shooting match, I mean.” He moved the conversation on and focused on getting to the point of what had happened.

“I found Grant bleeding against the door of the room he was tied to a chair in and helped him out. He promised to help me.” Palamas replied, her voice level and blank.

“He’s a liar.”

“He didn’t lie about that. He did help me.”

Coulson waved his hand exasperatedly. “Why would he do that?”

“Because he’s sympathetic. A quality you seem to lack.” Palamas accused, narrowing her eyes.

“We tried to help you! And you tried to kill Skye!” Coulson raised his voice, his panic for Skye’s safety underlining his tone.

“I was brainwashed! I didn’t think for myself because I was being controlled!” Palamas snapped back, pushing off the wall. “Whitehall used the Faustus method. It took hours to become effective on me, but I couldn’t control what I did.”

“How did it break then?” the Director challenged.

“With Whitehall’s death.”

“You should be thanking Coulson for that.” May spoke up again.

“Using that logic, Simmons should be thanking Grant for saving her life. Twice.” Palamas immediately replied, turning to face the woman she resembled. “Once when she jumped out of the plane, and once when Garrett ordered Grant to shoot her. Except, you put that down to his ‘manipulation’ and Simmons threatened to kill him if she ever saw him again. Coulson didn’t kill him for me, but Ward certainly did it for her.”

“He is a manipulator.”

“Well, he would’ve learned from the best.” Palamas crossed her arms with a false smile. “Not just Garrett, but his mother and brother.”

“He got you to blame his family as well.” May rolled her eyes as though she should’ve expected it.

“I spoke to his family. And saw the well. And listened to the recording.”

“Senator Ward said that the well story didn’t exist.” Coulson put in.

“Senator Ward is a politician!” Palamas almost outright yelled.

“Wait. ‘Is’?” May stood up at the sound of the small word. “What do you mean by ‘is’?”

“I mean exactly that.”

“Christian Ward is dead. And so are his parents. The house was a burned wreck.” May took a couple of steps forward and Palamas stiffened.

“Yes, it was. Fire destroys a lot of evidence.”

“The bodies were identified.” Coulson said calmly, but he seemed to be putting the pieces together.

“By the Ward’s personal possessions.” Palamas smiled at Coulson, twisting her body away from May. “They’re alive.” Her hand, hidden behind her back, clenched as she said this.

“Did you see that?” Mack asked quietly as there was a lull in the conversation.

Fitz paused the video. “I did. Was she lying?”

Simmons pursed her lips. “I don’t think so, not entirely. She only betrayed herself there, but when she said that she spoke to his family, she seemed sincere.”

“So…the senator’s alive. Which one of his parents died?” Mack mused.

“What if they both are?”

“Nah, she said family.”

“And I doubt his younger brother would be in contact unless he absolutely had to.” Fitz added. “Probably changed his name to avoid detection, so it’ll be difficult for Hydra to find him.”

“Hmm. We should finish this and get some rest for ourselves before the surgery.” Simmons said. “Play it.”

Fitz clicked the mouse pad and the video continued.

“So who were the bodies?” Bobbi asked, sounding sickened.

“Christian’s bodyguards. They couldn’t let it slip that the Wards were actually alive, and at least one of them was Hydra.”

“So by killing the guards, it eliminated the possibility of Hydra going after them.”

“Yes.” Palamas was more relaxed as May had moved back to her seat.

Bobbi turned to the Deputy Director. “I’m surprised you didn’t pick up on the fact that she said ‘family’.”

“He has his Gramsy, and his younger brother Thomas is alive, as far as I’m aware.” Coulson said, drawing the room’s attention to him. Bobbi nodded.

“Well, is there anything else you want to discuss?” Hunter piped up, finally speaking for the first time since he entered the office.

“Yes.” Coulson straightened up and looked intently at Palamas. “Why did Skye leave with Ward?”

“I’ve already told you. They’re giving each other a chance.” She shook her head. “You didn’t see what they did up on stage.”

“We did, actually. Fitz found this online.” Coulson swiped upwards on the tablet in front of him and the YouTube video appeared on the big screen on the wall.

“Huh. Well, I wasn’t the only one there. Would you like Agent Morse to tell you her perspective on the matter?”