Chapter 1
“You can’t just walk around killing people!” Fitz exclaimed after Ward had just killed two Hydra agents. Fitz knew that his old friend was very mentally disturbed but there were only so many people that Fitz would be able to see the man kill.
“But they were evil.” Ward said so blatantly his voice seemed like it belonged to someone making a comment during a game of chess, not someone who just murdered people. The doe-eyed look that Ward was giving Fitz made the engineer want to believe that Ward really thought he was doing good.
“You’re one of those evil men, Ward. Don’t forget you were-are- standing right alongside them.” Fitz sneered looking straight ahead and beginning to walk again.
“How many times do I have to say it to try to get it through your dense skull. For someone so intelligent you really are a goddamn moron, Fitz.” Ward shook his head walking after the younger man. “I. Was. Loyal. To. John. Not. Hydra.” Ward said pronouncing every word clearly and loudly for emphasis.
“Same difference, Ward. He and you are both still homicidal maniacs.” Fitz said huffing out loud, still not turning to see Ward.
“I’m nothing like Garrett, I just owed him a debt. That's all and that’s something that you’re too ignorant to understand.” Ward said, his annoyance was sweeping into his time and it was giving Fitz nostalgia to the bus days.
“That doesn’t excuse you from becoming a murderer!” Fitx exclaimed, finally stopping in his tracks to turn around and face Ward. “It was meant to float!” Ward yelled back. “I know what this all comes back to and I’ve said it before, I will say it a thousand times more. It was meant to fucking float and I’m so goddamn sorry it didn’t.” Ward composed himself looking straight into Fitz’s eyes.
“You don’t mean that, you’re a liar, and a killer, and you’re just a terrible person. I know you’re going to try to get me to trust you so I can help you get you something you want. I may not know what that is yet, but I know you’re not just here for a ride.” Fitz said, causing Ward to roll his eyes so heavily, they looked as they would fall out of his head.
“Call me whatever you want but I’m not the monster you think I am.” Ward said, he left ‘I’m worse.’ unsaid.
“Then tell me exactly who you think you are and we’ll see who’s right.” Fitz said, causing Ward to let out a laughless chuckle as he took a seat on the sand.
“Take a seat because we’re going to be here for awhile.” Ward said as Fitz sat down. Ward started patting around in his pocket when Fitz saw a glint of metal.
“You’re trying to kill me you bloody monster!” Fitz shrieked as Ward looked at him with bewilderment as he pulled a flask out of his pocket. “Well, this is awkward.” Fitz said as Ward smirked before taking a sip of whatever was in the flask. Ward tilted the flask towards Fitz who just shook his head and pushed it away. “I’ve seen The Princess Bride enough times, no thank you, mate.”
“You know, I actually understood that reference. Unless you think a sip of vodka will kill you.” Ward said closing up the flask and just holding it in his hand. The motion humanized him.
“Ward, I don’t care what's in your flask, can we just talk. You seemed so keen on talking about something that could possibly humanize you so let’s hear this deluded theory of yours.” Fitz said and Ward gave him a look that could be defined as sad but Fitz wasn’t sure Ward understood what being sad was.
“So you remember when I touched the Beserker staff? I remember something that I never wanted to remember again. My older brother was terrible, god. He used to beat the shit out of me and my younger brother and would make me beat the shit out of our younger brother too. I was too scared he would hurt me so I took the easy way out. Thomas, he was young but he knew I was looking out for myself.” Ward gave the ground a sad smile.
“Just one day, Christian threw Thomas down the well and our backyard and he wouldn’t let me take Thomas out. He threatened to throw me down there too. I just waited for Christian to get bored of Thomas’s cries and I threw him a rope. But the damage was already done. I was just done. I was done being Christian’s pawn.” There was a tone in Ward’s voice that was so human, Fitz wanted to believe him but he wasn’t finding himself able to trust him.
“What about your parents? Why didn’t they ever do anything to stop it ever?” Fitz asked before he could control the question.
“They were worse.” There was a dark edge in Ward’s voice that gave him the chills. “Once I started fighting back against Christian, my parents sent me to military school, they wouldn’t dare see anyone messing with their perfect little boy.” Ward let out a bitter laugh.
“And that’s where you met Garrett?” Fitz asked, causing Ward to shake his head.
“No, I was in military school from when I was 12 to 15. I was excelling, I was on a path to graduate actually and go into the military, they thought I could really be something. That’s until one day I got a call from Thomas. Christian- he-” Ward started but the words got caught in his throat. “He did something he shouldn’t have done to our baby sister. Thomas- he didn’t know what to do, he’s a kid. Just a kid.” Ward’s jaw was twitching if you knew where to look.
“I stole a car and drove over 1000 miles to Massachusetts and I burnt down my family’s house. I just snapped. I wanted Christian dead but he survived unfortunately. I was caught by the police and sent to juvie.” Ward said looking at Fitz who had a near sympathetic look on his face. “Don’t look at me like that, Leo.”
“Don't call me Leo.” Fitz shot back in a way that sounded so much like old times it was almost painful for the engineer.
“I was in juvie, I was going to be charged as an adult for attempted murder and arson. That’s when I met Garrett. He said he could get me out of the mess I’m in and give me a real chance to share my military skills.” Ward said and started laughing. “I wish I said no but I was scared. I was all alone, I had no family, no money, nothing. So I took him up on his offer.”
“He said he could make me a man, that I would be strong enough where nobody would ever hurt me again. I just never wanted to feel the way my big brother made me feel about myself again. So I said yes.” Ward said opening his flask and gulping down another sip.
“So what happened after you went with Garrett. You joined hydra and that’s the end of the story?” Fitz said as Ward looked at him deadpanned.
“No, Garrett actually led me into the woods, said he’d be back in a few weeks but it was like six months. I wasn’t alone, he left me with a dog, his name was Buddy, and some clothes.” Ward said as the look of horror entered Fitz’s face.
“You were alone in the woods for six months? Why the bloody hell didn’t you tell anybody sooner?” Fitz asked in astonishment.
“I wasn’t in the woods for six months, I was in the woods for almost five years but I wasn’t alone. I had Buddy and Garrett would visit from time to time. He would bring supplies sometimes.” Ward said and it became very obvious to Fitz that Ward wasn’t seeing what was wrong with the picture.
“So Garrett abandoned you in the woods at 15 and you still followed him around like a loyal lapdog? You don’t see anything wrong with this picture?” Fitz said.
“He didn’t abandon me, he gave me another chance to make something of myself. There’s a big difference. God you sound like Kara.” Ward murmured the last part to himself. “Also I had Buddy and he was my best friend. Well that’s until… just let me finish.” Fitz realized that Ward was trying to convince himself to finish the story and not Fitz himself.
“At the end of the five years, I was 21 and I was accepted into the SHIELD academy so I was going to be let out of the woods. But Garrett told me I had to do one thing before I left. I had to kill Buddy.” Fitz let out an audible gasp.
“Whenever I would hunt, Buddy, he would run off to catch whatever I had shot. So I fired the gun off in the air and Buddy ran to go get it. Even though nothing was there I wanted him to have a chance… I couldn’t kill him.” Ward said and tears started gleaming in his eyes. “But Buddy, he was so loyal, the damn mutt came straight back to Garrett and I. So Garrett pulled up a gun and shot him. Right there.” Ward’s voice was breaking
At this point, Fitz was tearing up too, he was expecting a lot of things but how Ward lost his best friend was hitting him hard. “For the longest time, I thought that I was weak, that I didn’t kill Buddy, that it should’ve been me to do it. But I didn’t wanna betray someone who cared about me but then I did the same thing to you guys on the bus.” Ward put his head in his hands and his body was shaking. Fitz put his hand on Ward’s shoulder.
“Let it out, big guy, let it out.” Fitz said letting a tear slip down his own face.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you guys. I didn’t want to hurt anyone.” Ward mumbled into his hands brokenly, cries clearly hidden in between breaths.
“I suppose you didn’t, did you?” Fitz said to his old friend who was still hunched over with his head down. Fitz kept his hand on Ward’s shoulder and let the man gain his composure. Fitz was completely and utterly horrified but worst of all, he was more astonished about how SHIELD never found this out.
Fitz sat over protectively of Ward until the man sat up and took a shaky breath to gain his composure. It was so unlike Ward to see him this emotional, it was making Fitz feel sick.
“When I went to the academy, Garrett told me not to make friends but to make alliances. To fit in. I had no idea how to fit in. Sure you go to the parties, you sleep with people but I just never felt like I belonged. I guess that’s what high school would’ve been like for me. But it went by so fast and then I was out of the academy, running my own ops. Next thing I knew I went from 15 to 30 and I had been with Garrett for 15 years.” Ward began mumbling the last part.
“You’re just a kid trapped in a soldier’s body, Ward.” Fitz said sympathetically, getting a chuckle out of Ward.
“Fitz, I’m 31, I don’t think I’m a kid anymore. I lost that innocence a long time ago.”
“That’s not what I mean. You never had a chance to mature on your own or go to prom, that’s what you Americans do. You didn’t lose your innocence, it was stolen for you and it’s not your fault.” Fitz said, causing Ward to give him a weird look. Ward almost seemed bewildered that Fitz was defending him to himself.
“Moving on, being on the bus was probably the best experience of my life. I was just free from Garrett, my family, just everything for a short period of time. Even though Garrett planted me so he could get information on Coulson. He planned for me to get close with May so I slept with her which in retrospect wasn’t like a bad thing Garrett wanted me to do, I’m sorry I’m making you uncomfortable. it was just nice to be away from him. Then Garrett had Skye shot-” Ward started
“Daisy. It’s Daisy now.” Fitz said.
“No she likes pink roses, I remember her telling me after she got shot.” Ward said smartly.
“No, I mean her name is Daisy now.” Fitz said as Ward looked at Fitz and deadpanned went. “That’s a stupid fucking name.” The two men made eye contact and started losing their shit.
The two men kept trying to gain their composure but one of them would mumble “daisy” and the laughter started again. The two continued for a good five minutes until Ward stood up.
“Come on we should keep walking towards the portal, we don’t want to be stuck here. I felt bad for the last bastard who got stuck here, I don’t want to be like him.” Ward said as Fitz let out a gasp scream. “What?” Ward exclaimed in a semi-annoyed tone.
“I have a story after you finish yours. Wait I’m telling you now. That guy, the bastard who got stuck here, met Simmons when she got stuck here and he fucked her.” Fitz blurted out quickly.
“He fucked your girl! Please tell me you did first…” Ward said as Fitz cupped his hand around his ear nervously.
“Well…” Fitz said as Ward let out a groan. “You never scored with Skye so don’t even go there with me.”
Ward just smirked to himself and shook his head, “Come on, buddy, let’s keep walking. I’ll finish my story and you can tell me more about your future wife’s fuck buddy.”
“You know, I think I liked you better when you didn’t have a personality on the bus.” Fitz said trailing next to his friend.
“So where was I, oh the bus and how I was free. Yeah that was great until Garrett shot Skye and came to check in. I was considering turning on Garrett after him shooting Skye but I guess Garrett got good at reading my mind before I did shit and reminded me that he brought me into this SHIELD world and he could make me disappear too. I regret not telling Coulson on the bus, even though Coulson is an asshole now. Seriously that guy needs a reality check.” Ward started ranting until Fitz snapped at him.
“Back on topic, we don’t have a lot of time.” Fitz said.
“Right right, okay so the bus, hydra happened, you guys locked me in the basement, encouraged my suicide and you tried to kill me. Then Coulson handed me over to my abusers. I killed said abusers, reconnected with my younger siblings.” Ward was ranting off in list form.
“Siblings, wait, Thomas said he hadn’t heard from you in over 16 years.” Fitz said, tilting his head in confusion.
“It’s called lying and it’s a family trait. I didn’t think Coulson was going to go after my brother, I didn’t even tell Thomas anything about someone being potentially after him because I didn’t know.” Ward said as Fitz nodded in understanding.
“Then I went back to hydra because I was pissed that SHIELD handed me off to my abusers, I kidnapped Skye. I still feel bad about that time, probably because I ended up getting shot. Four shots and only two made contact, I thought I was a better teacher than that… Then I met Kara and may I just say I love my best friend but this is the nicest break I’ve had without her.”
“Best friend?” Fitz asked confused. “You mean you two aren’t together?”
“No, it just felt too forced between us, I mean the sex was good but that’s it. She was looking for someone stabler than me. She started dating my brother.” Ward said as Fitz started coughing on the air around him.
“I can’t say I saw that coming.” Fitz said as Ward gasped.
“Simmons tried to kill me when we went on that group mission but ended up killing Bakshi instead.” Ward blurted out causing Fitz to immediately go. “I know and I’m sorry but we didn’t know the story.”
“No harsh feelings, maybe I should’ve talked when I was in Vault D and maybe we would all be in a better place right now.” Ward said as Fitz gave a solemn nod.
“Now after that team mission, I dropped off with Kara and we’ve just been doing our own thing, can you explain how Skye became— Daisy.” Ward said the word Daisy with more disdain than there should’ve been.
Fitz talked slowly about the battle at afterlife and how Skye lost her mother and father so she took up the name Daisy to honor her father. Fitz was realizing he was probably going into too much classified material but him and Ward bonded.
After Fitz finished talking, the two men decided that they needed a break for the crazy reality that they were facing.
“It’s you going to save Simmons’s space boyfriend for me.” Ward said to Fitz
“It’s you getting shot by the girl you love for me.” Fitz replied.
“It’s you trying to take the oxygen out of my cell for me.” Ward retorted.
“It’s not sleeping with a girl you kidnapped three times but claimed to love.”
“It’s you thinking I never slept with Skye for me.”
“When did that happen?”
“That’s classified.” Ward smirked. “It’s the monkey obsession for me.”
“It’s the losing battleship for me.”
Ward let out a laugh at that one but let out a small sigh after. “Fitz I need to tell you something, I need help.” Ward admitted as Fitz stopped looking at his old new friend.
“Yeah.” Fitz said, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Well two months ago-” Ward started but was tackled by a figure coming out of nowhere pushing Ward a hill leaving Fitz to stand there in shock.
There was a man on top of Ward pressing his hand down on Ward’s chest. Fitz began to rush down the hill to realize that the man was Coulson. “Coulson, stop! He’s not evil!” Fitz yelled racing down the sandy hill.
Ward was gasping trying to move Coulson’s hand off of him. “This isn’t your fight, Fitz.” Coulson said back looking down at Ward who was turning pale in the face.
“It’s not my fault… your ex girlfriend… was a genocidal freak.” Ward panted our moving his hand on top of Coulsons. That caused Coulson to push down on Ward’s chest harder making Ward let out a groan.
Fitz went to pull Coulson off of Ward but Ward was grabbing Coulson’s bionic hand and something looked like it changed. All of a sudden there was a spark of flame and half of Coulson’s fake hand was liquid metal. The act caused Coulson to fall on top of Ward’s chest and Fitz to fall on top of Coulson.
“What the bloody hell was that, Ward.” Fitz said as Ward let out a gasp. “Get. Off. Of. Me.” He said as Fitz got off of him and pulled Coulson with him.
“He burned off my hand…” Coulson mumbled disappointedly looking down at his hand which was a pile of melted metal on Ward’s shirt.
“It’s okay, sir, we’ll get you a new one…” Fitz said in an astonished voice.
Ward sat up coughing and reaching into his pocket for his flask to down the rest of what was in it. “I was trying to explain to you that I needed help.” Ward said out of breath before laying back down on the sound.
“It’s you having fire powers for me.” Fitz said as Ward groaned.
“It’s you taking like 7 years to make a move on one girl.” Ward retorted with a cough.
“It’s Coulson almost killing you for me.” Fitz said, getting a glare from both Ward and Coulson.
“I want an explanation right now.” Coulson said as Ward tried to steady himself on his feet, grabbing onto Fitz’s shoulder for support.
“Listen, Phil, I don’t owe you jack fucking shit.” Ward poked his finger into Coulson’s chest. “You lost any last ounce of respect I had for you when you handed me back to my abusers and you just tried to kill me. Literally a minute ago.”
“You killed an innocent woman for no reason other than trying to hurt SHIELD, you hydra scum.” Coulson scoffed as Ward let out a bitter laugh.
“First of all I was loyal to Garrett, not hydra. Secondly, that’s what this is about? Killing your girlfriend well ex girlfriend because she’s dead. Let’s get something clear, she was an anti inhuman freak. I couldn’t sit by and let her wipe out innocent people. Something you wouldn’t know anything about.” Ward shot back.
“You’re one to talk about not hurting innocent people. You corrupt everybody around you, Ward.”
“You act like I’m the perpetrator and the evil one in all of this. You know there might’ve been a period of time I wanted to tell you everything, I would’ve wanted you to know everything but I don’t even care anymore. You don’t know a damn thing about me and I don’t want you to know anything.” Ward started ranting.
“I know that you’re an evil, soulless son of a bitch who deserves to die-” Coulson started but was cut off by Fitz.
“Sir, please stop…” Fitz said as Ward held up a hand to him.
“Don’t try with him. He doesn’t care, he’s not going to listen and I don’t want him to listen. Everything will be easier if I’m the damn villain in the story, won’t it be? I just want to get off of this fucking planet.” Ward said, turning his back and started walking away.
“Walk away, Ward, go get yourself killed.” Coulson yelled at the walking man.
“Go fuck yourself, you prententious bastard, go to fucking hell because I’ll see you there.” Ward yelled back, still walking away.
“You’re better than this, sir…” Fitz said quietly to his boss once Ward was out of earshot.
“You, you’re not really taking his side are you? He tried to kill you and Simmons? You do know that.” Coulson said in astonishment.
“If he wanted us dead, we would’ve been dead, sir.” Fitz said as Coulson sighed in agreement, he knew Fitz was right about that.
“You know he’s right, you really have turned into a ‘pretentious bastard’. Director hasn’t agreed with you, Coulson.” Fitz said before starting to walk after Ward who was yelling profanities to the air around him.
Coulson sighed seeing Fitz walk after Ward, there had to have been something that he was missing if Fitz was defending Ward. That or Ward was the mass manipulator that he knew him to be. Coulson knew he had to be wrong and felt defeat when he started walking after Fitz and Ward.
“I wish I brought more alcohol, it’s bad I have to deal with an alien planet but Coulson being here is a real, fucking drag.” Ward laughed bitterly to Fitz. “Maybe he’s right, maybe I am soulless and I should just embrace that.”
“Ward…” Fitz said as Ward kept laughing, it was making the hairs on the back of Fitz’s neck stand up. “You’re scaring me man.”
“Good, maybe you should be scared of me. He’s right, I could’ve killed you. I could kill you both right now.” Ward said cracking his knuckles.
“But you wouldn’t do that because you’re not a bad person, Ward.” Fitz said as Ward stopped dead in his tracks to give Fitz a ‘bitch please look’.
“You and I both know I’m not going to the place with shiny white gates. I have too much blood on my hands. I killed because Garrett said so. I never-” Ward said crossing his arms over his chest.
“That doesn’t make you a bad person, it just meant you wanted to survive.” Fitz said in a gentle tone.
“I wish I didn’t.” Ward said darkly without giving Fitz time to unpack, he changed the topic. “Wasn’t the portal supposed to open again? Can’t we get out of the damn place.” Ward kicked the sand.
“Maybe the machine broke?” Fitz suggested as Coulson showed up again.
“It seemed like it was unstable when I jumped through it.” Coulson said as Ward groaned.
“Oh god he’s back and I’m out of alcohol. Fitz, what happened to Simmons’s space fuckbuddy?” Ward asked, putting his hands on his pockets.
“Well have you seen anybody else in the desert because I haven’t, captain obvious.” Fitz said annoyed.
“I still can’t believe you voluntarily are looking for the guy that took your future wife. Coulson threatened to throw me off the bus when I was sleeping with May and it was just sex. It wasn’t like an emotional connection.” Ward said, getting a glare from Coulson.
“Are you trying to get me to attack you again because I won’t, you burned my hand off so I have nothing.” Coulson said as Ward turned to his former boss.
“I’d offer to shake your hand for a temporary peace agreement but you’re lacking in that department.” Ward said refraining from making a comment about him lacking in other departments.
“I just have one question, how did you become an inhuman?” Coulson asked as Ward shrugged.
“Kara and I were raiding a hydra base and I picked up a stone, next thing I knew I was naked and on fire. That’s a weak question if that was the only thing you wanted to know. I have a question, did you finally tell May you’re in love with her?” Ward asked watching Coulson clench his good hand into a fist.
“You just killed my girlfriend so what do you think?” Coulson asked bitterly.
“I killed your Republican girlfriend. I've gotten rid of a Republican Representative and a Republican head of a federal organization in the last year, I think you should thank me.” Ward said as Coulson sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“So Jesus Christ help me…” Coulson muttered. “We don’t just kill people because of their political parties, Ward.”
“No, I know that, I killed Christian because he was an abuser and I killed Rosalind because she was a genocidal woman.” Ward said.
“You obviously were looking for me to ask a different question even though you claimed you didn’t want to tell me a damn thing.” Coulson said mimicking quotes around a damn thing.
“I think it rhymes with ‘How did you meet Shmartett.’” Fitz said causing Coulson and Ward to both look at him.
“So why don’t you just tell me, Ward?” Coulson asked as Ward shook his head.
“No if you want to know, you have to ask me.” Ward said, the three of them deep down knew that Ward just wanted to tell Coulson.
“Okay Grant, how did you meet Garrett.” Coulson said as Ward clapped his hands.
“Oh finally a good question, everyone sit down for the storytime. Fitz, I’m sorry you have to hear this again.” Ward said sitting on the sand and followed by the two other men.
“Do we really have to be sitting for this?” Coulson asked as Ward held up his hand to Coulson.
“Shut up, it’s my story. So when I was 15, I was in juvie, I was sitting on arson and attempted murder charges.” Ward started the story as Fitz put his hand on the man’s knee for support.
“Your family?” Coulson asked.
“My brother. He did something… I don’t want to talk about it but I drove home over 1000 miles from military school. I set the house up and I wish he went down with it.” Ward said, gaining a slow nod from Coulson.
“Garrett knew someone from the military school and Garrett told me he could get me out of facing adult attempted murder charges. He said he could make me a man and nobody would hurt me again. I said yes because I didn’t want to be in jail for the rest of my life. Garrett took me into the woods and Wyoming. He told me he’d be back in a few weeks, it was more like six months.” Ward said it was more composed than with Fitz.
“Six months? Did he give you any training? Or did he give you anything.” Coulson asked, horrified.
“He left me with a dog, Buddy, he was my best friend for those five years.” Ward said smiling at the memory of Buddy.
“Five years… you were just a kid…” Coulson tried to process what Ward just said.
“It gets worse.” Fitz said more to himself.
Coulson and Fitz let Ward continue on with the story. None of the three men would later admit that they all cried when Ward brought up Garrett killing Buddy.
“I didn’t want to kill him, he was my best friend.” Ward sobbed for the second time that day on the same alien planet.
“You didn’t kill him, it wasn’t your fault.” Coulson sobbed.
“I can’t handle the emotional pain of this heart wrenching story, we’re getting you a dog when we go home.” Fitz cried out loud.
“So I presume when you came back all bloodied from the fridge, that wasn’t from fighting hydra.” Coulson stated rather than asked after Ward had told his story. This time Ward was able to go from start to finish because nobody interrupted them by attacking them.
“Well, Garrett figured I needed to look roughed up for the cover so he decided he should take matters into his own hands.” Ward said as Fitz let out a gasp of horror.
“Are you saying you voluntarily let him beat the shit out of you?” Fitz asked in horror as Ward shrugged his shoulders.
“It wasn’t the first time, I don’t know what the big deal is? It was for a cover and it worked.” Ward said, causing Coulson and Fitz to look at each other in horror.
“Ward, Grant, that is a very big deal that we should talk about.” Coulson said in a concerned tone that made Ward tense a little bit.
“Maybe he went a little over the top but-” Ward started bur Fitz cut him off.
“No he went very over the top. Ward, I know you know a lot of what Garrett did isn’t normal but this is bad. Really really bad.” Fitz said to his friend who just shrugged.
“If we ever get back to earth, I’ll see a therapist.” Ward scoffed. “But I think you should really put Skye into therapy after the whole, name change and haircut, Daisy, thing.” Ward said, causing himself and Fitz to start laughing once again.
“How old are you two?” Coulson asked deadpanned watching the two grown men laugh.
“She doesn’t even like the flower. Like yes I know her parents named her after it but she likes pink roses.” Ward said laughing causing Coulson to give him a weird look.
“I mean she changed, I don’t really think it was all her fault.” Coulson said looking at Ward. The laughter halted.
“Are you blaming me for her changing because that’s what it sounds like.” Ward said, a faint red spark was in his eyes and Coulson held his hands up.
“I never said I was blaming you or blaming her. She just went through a lot, had her heart broken quite a few times and that changes a person.” Coulson said as Ward slowly nodded. He never really thought of Skye’s changed personality having a correlation to his actions. Ward instantly felt like an idiot for not realizing certain things he triggered.
“I never wanted to hurt anyone.” Ward said looking down at his feet.
“I know you didn’t.” Coulson said. “I know now and I’m sorry I wasn’t more understanding in the beginning.”
“I’m sorry I betrayed you and melted your hand off.” Ward said.
“You were just a kid. You didn’t know better.” Coulson said and hesitantly put his good hand on Ward’s shoulder.
Ward definitely didn’t leave into the touch for a moment until there was a buzzing and an open portal.