Beginning Sweetness Never Stays
Ward isn't sure how long he spends kissing Skye. All he knows is that he never wants to stop he never wants to let her go. Her hands are warm as they tangle in his hair and before he's aware of his movements he's lowering her onto the hotel bed. It's just as amazing as he remembers, the taste of her on his lips the feel of her skin beneath his palms as he slips his fingers under her shirt. It's different this time, this time she doesn't think he's going to die.
This time she isn't lying to him. He could spend forever kissing her. His hands can't seem to settle on one part of her they keep drifting over her hips, in her hair, stroking whatever exposed skin he can find. It should bother him, he's a professional this is breaking so many rules. But for once he doesn't care. All he wants is to keep her pinned beneath him, wanting this moment to never end. He gets his wish, for a while anyway.
Skye's hands roaming across his back, her fingernails digging into shirt when he removes his lips from her's to kiss her jaw, her neck. Maybe this was inevitable, him and her. Maybe they were just always supposed to end up here like this the two of them together despite all the odds. Maybe he isn't thinking clearly and he'll regret it in the morning, maybe she will too. But for now Ward shifts so he's lying next to her and pulls her to his chest.
Kissing her deeply, slowly without rushing. Because he can. Skye breaks away for air and puts her hand on his cheek, lightly tracing his jaw then his lips. There's wonder on her face like she can't believe this is happening, Ward thinks he probably looks the same. He can't think about what she said to him earlier, if so he might get up and leave the room and he doesn't want to do that. What he wants is still the same as it was that night at Providence.
What he wants is to stay here with her and imagine the world outside doesn't exist.
But the world does exist. It's ugly and harsh and comes back to them like a slap in the face. Skye has wrapped her legs around his waist his shirt has been tossed onto the floor and her hands on his skin are doing things to him, when she freezes suddenly. Ward stops his movements instantly, opens his eyes to find her holding his Shield lanyard that Billy Koenig insists he wear at all times or else he won't be allowed back in the Palyground.
She glances between him and the giant silver eagle, a frown on her face her body tensing. Did she forget why they were here? Ward certainly did. He forgot his own name. All he cared about, cares about is Skye and how he wants her and he couldn't give a damn about anything else. And then he realizes that this is a mistake. Skye seems to realize it as well and scoots away from him.
It's not very far but it feels like oceans. Ward knows that if they were to move any further if they were to act on how they feel about each other, it would just make what Ward has to do harder. They would suffer in the long run being apart, he a free man and she locked up in Vault D or wherever Coulson sends her. Grant's stomach sinks for the first time at the thought of her being in that place again. Does he want her to pay for her crimes? Yes.
Is he still angry at her for everything, for lying? Yes. But he doesn't want her to suffer and that is exactly what will happen when she's back in Vault D. But he starts to think about how she did indeed give Fitz and Simmons a fighting chance, if she didn't Garrett would have shot them. Wardd could kick himself he's a Specialist, how did he not see that angle before? He wonders yet again how Skye got involved with a man like John.
Coulson won't believe her and even if he did, he'd have no sympathy for Skye. But Grant does. So he clears his emotions, puts her in a box, slips on his shirt and sits back down on the bed. Faces her as she brushes the hair out of her face and calms her breathing. Ward admires how beautiful she is, how much he has missed her despite everything. He has to fight the urge to take her in his arms again and kiss her until nothing else matters anymore.
Skye looks over to Ward her heart racing, the heat of his gaze warming her skin. She's still not over the way he kissed her, how it seemed as if he lost all self control. But she understands why he stopped, this is a bad idea. It would only hurt them in the long run. Nothing good would come from them going any further. Skye already misses the feel of his lips against her's, his hands as they ran up her spine.
''You know I expected you to ignore me this whole time. Didn't know being arrested meant this''. Skye gestures in between them and the hotel sheets and Ward smirks. ''Oh you're smiling! Does that mean you're not mad at me?'' Skye's tone is light and teasing but he can hear the honest fear in it. She wants to know why he kissed her back if he's still so upset with her, why he's acting this way when a few minutes ago he was scaring the hell out of her.
''What did you mean when you said you just wanted to save Garrett?'' Skye gives him a surprised look, ''you really want to talk about him?'' Grant shrugs and gets off the bed, he can't think clearly with her so close. ''Ward look it's a long story okay? And I don't think anything I say will make you see me differently. I don't think you'll be able to forgive me''. His face is blank when he responds, ''try me''.
So she does. Skye tells him about how John found her on the streets and if it wasn't for him she'd be dead by now. How she stuck by him for ten years, how he was her father figure. They only joined Hydra because Garrett was dying and since Shield could provide no help, he had no other option but to choose Hydra. She joined Coulson's team to save Garrett's life, she had once tried to explain this to Ward on the Bus after he found out who she was.
But he didn't want to hear it then. Now it seems he does, he seems open to the idea that she isn't the lying moster Shield makes her out to be. That not everything was her fault, Garrett used her brain washed her. How did no one see it? How did they not see that John had switched sides? That he was hiding his own personal asset and no one knew? Ward realizes that it's not just Skye he should be angry with. It's Garrett, it's Shield for not catching him sooner.
Maybe he won't forgive her maybe he will in time, but for right now as she's crying and looking utterly spent, Ward takes her in his arms anyway. He tells her it wasn't all her fault, that Garrett brain washed her. She quickly denies that, saying John was a good man and the only person who ever gave a damn about her. Ward doesn't mention how cruel she was treated, she knows but doesn't want to accept it.
He can understand that more than anyone. It took him a lot of years to work through the pain his family put him through, to realize that that kind of lifestyle wasn't normal. That brothers don't torture each other, that parents don't drink and scream and make their children suffer. He continues to hold Skye and it just feels right. Like he's been searching for something all his life and didn't know it until this very moment, because he found it.
That piece of a puzzle inside him. It's her. The irony of the situation isn't lost on him, how he's only realizing this now when she's about to be put in some kind of prison for the rest of her life more than likely. He isn't sure if he loves her perhaps he does, suppose that's why it was so easy for him to sit down and listen to what she had to say opposed to his team mates who just judged her without looking further into the situation.
The truth basically punches him in the jaw and he sees this woman in an entirely different light. How can he blame her for something she really had no control over? She did whatever Garrett said because she felt as if she owed him, he saved her life put a roof over her head. If Ward were in her position he would have done the exact same thing. It's his job to see and examine every situation with different scenarios, he hates himself for not doing that before.
He's about to tell her all of this when his phone vibrates on the night stand. It's May, she's here. Ward expected Coulson to show up personally for this but maybe something came up and he couldn't get away. Skye looks up at Grant and wipes her face, ''they're here?'' ''Yeah''. Fear enters her face she starts shaking and Ward puts his hands on her shoulders. They're steady and warm and for a split second Skye believes everything is going to be okay.
But it's not. The man she's in love with is about to send her to prison and Skye won't deny that she kind of hates him for it. ''No one is going to hurt you Skye''. She bites her lip and glances out the window, ''you can't promise me that''. ''Yes I can''. She blinks back tears when he pulls out a pair of hand cuffs from his back pocket and puts them on her. They say nothing as they reach the door and just as he's about to open it Skye stands on her toes and kisses him.
It's light, quick, almost as if it's a habit. Like she could do it every day for the rest of her life, fooling him that they will have more time together. But they won't. Whatever potential that's here is gone. It dies the second they walk out the door. So Grant buries his emotions slips into Specialist mode and leads Skye to the black SUV that's waiting in the parking lot. May is standing with her arms crossed, feet apart and that ever present frown on her face.
''Where's Coulson?'' Grant asks her but she doesn't reply. Her glare focused on Skye who shrinks back. ''Skye''. ''May''. And that's it. The Calvary slips into the passenger seat while Ward secures Skye in the back and then walks over to the driver's side. May calls Coulson and tells him they have Skye and they should be at the Playground in an hour or so. Ward tries not to think about Skye but the feel of her lips on his neck won't go away.
Skye sits in the back her leg bouncing up and down nervously. John hated when she did that. She has to find a way out of here but knows it's basically impossible with the T-1000 driving. She wonders what made him change his mind, why he kissed her back why he lisntened to her when she told him about John. It's not like it matters a whole lot anyway, they won't ever see each other again as long as Coulson has any say.
She knows Phil won't make the same mistake twice, there's no way she could hack her way out of Vault D again. She could make a run for it right here but Ward would no doubt catch her. Plus she's in hand cuffs and they're merging onto the highway. So that plan is out. She's stuck, there's no way out of this one. Shield won Ward won, they can all sleep better now that the traitor has been captured. God Skye wishes John were here he'd never let this happen to her.
To calm herself because she's really about to start panicking, Skye leans back against her seat. The two Shield agents next to her don't move, she can feel their breathing against her jacket. Skye tunes them out and closes her eyes, crosses her legs. Thinks about the better days back on the Bus when Simmons would laugh at something she said or Ward would roll his eyes when she was late for training again.
The car is quiet for so long that when Ward curses it seems loud and harsh. ''What is it?'' May asks and he answers through clenched teeth, ''we're being followed''. Skye turns to look out the window but sees nothing. ''Tan SUV three cars back has a fake license plate. Also he's been lingering since our last exit''. May doesn't even hide the disgust in her voice when she says, ''Hydra''. Turning to glare at Skye who quickly shakes her head.
''If it's them I didn't do anything. Ward you were with me the whole time I didn't call anyone''. He speeds up just a tad and then says, ''don't believe you''. And she can't tell if he's putting on a show for May's benefit or if he really means it. It's soon painfully obvious that there isn't just one car following them, it soon turns into five and they all line in up in a row tailing their vehicle. And Skye knows only one person could pull this off, Kebo.
Whitehall wouldn't send a search like this for her if he was alive and Skye wasn't high up in Hydra for anyone to really care. ''Get us out of here Ward''. ''You're not helping''. Honestly Skye is surprised at the next turn of events because she always thought Ward could handle anything, everything no matter what was thrown at him. But no one counted on an ambush, Skye is really shocked that Kebo was able to get this many Hydra members to rescue her.
Right as Ward speeds off the highway three armored vans are waiting for them, all harboring automatic weapons. Which they waste no time in firing. Ward spins the car around as bullets start flying at the glass and Skye ducks down onto the floor boards. The two agents that were next to her join her with their guns out and Skye knows it won't do any good. May is yelling into her phone that they need back up, Coulson is promising that they are on the way.
Meanwhile their tires are shot out and Skye has never heard Ward curse so much. The SUV nearly topples over before coming to a stop in the middle of a parking lot. ''Get her out of here!'' Ward growls to the two agents who immediately grab her arms and shove her out of the car. She sees both Ward and May load their guns and Skye has this sick feeling in her stomach. She's worried about him. He meets her gaze and she can't tell the emotion in his eyes.
The agents are dragging her somewhere to safety and Skye knows it's no use. Kebo came here for her and he isn't leaving without her. That is confirmed when those same agents drop dead right in front of her. Skye spins around to see Ward has noticed this as well and is making his way towards her, crossing off Hydra agents left and right. But those armored vehicles are slowing him down, they aren't exactly showing him or May any mercy.
Skye is about to make a run for it because no matter what she feels about Ward she's not about to be locked up just because he thinks it's the right thing. When a masked figure (which she knows without a doubt is Kebo because he's nothing if not dramatic) leaves one of the SUV's behind Ward and carefully makes his way over to her. She doesn't notice that Kebo is doing his best to avoid Ward because he knows that there's no way he'd win that fight.
Skye ducks behind a building just as Kebo reaches her. ''You look like an idiot!'' She says and he chuckles under the black ski mask he's sporting. ''Why are you wearing that stupid thing anyway?'' Kebo shrugs and takes her arm, turning her in the opposite direction of Shield. ''We have about two seconds before Ward realizes you're missing so we need to run. There's a car at the end of this alley''. He doesn't give her any time to prepare as they take off.
It takes actually less than two seconds for Ward to catch up with them, Coulson arrived so May had more than enough back up. ''Son of a bitch''. Kebo complains when he looks back and sees the Specialist on their heels. A shot goes of and Skye almost screams but it doesn't hit Kebo or her. A warning shot? That's not like Ward. Skye can see the car and Ward obviously does too because she suddenly finds herself yanked back by the shoulder.
Ward quickly has her pinned against the wall of a building, one arm around her while his free hand has the gun pointed perfectly behind him at Kebo's chest. She's breathing heavily his lip is bleeding, Skye stares up at his face and sees it soften. For a moment anyway. ''Ward please. Please I told you I'd rather die than go back there. I can't. Don't make me. If you ever cared about me at all you'll let me go''.
She sees the war in his mind, the tear between what is right and what he wants. What's best for her, and how if she is locked up he won't see her again. Grant shifts his weight from his left leg to the right, looks at her then at the mouth of the alley where the car is waiting. Taking her by surprise yet again, he releases her but still keeps his aimed locked on Kebo. ''Go''. Grant tells her his voice low like he's too afraid to speak any louder.
''What?'' Skye takes a step to him and he moves farther away from her. His face unreadable, she has no idea what he's thinking. ''Grant''- ''Go before I change my mind''. Kebo pretty much shoves her in the car after that, not looking back. Skye however once the car takes off, glances out the window to see Ward standing there his gun still in hand, looking as if he can't believe what just happened.
That makes two of them.