Chapter Text
The image was burned into his memory, her limp body left for dead; the IV's and tubes that connected her to the machine that was giving her life. He remembered feeling helpless, angry, filled with rage that he couldn't control - a concept he had never had to deal with because he was the best at compartmentalization, the best at keeping a lid on his emotions... But that image, it unnerved him, opened the lid that he kept sealed shut - and with this new found truth, it brought back all those emotions.
Garrett.
He'd been the one to orchestrate the entire thing. As the words came out Ward tried to keep a composed face, but Garrett knew him better than that and the words that followed alerted him that he'd exposed himself. "It's not a weakness, is it?" The words rang loud in Ward's ears but he was quick to respond, "No," he said it with such assertion that he almost believed his own lie - but the look on Garrett's face was enough for him to know Garrett bought it. His mind was racing, moments ago he would have gone to the end of the world for the man who took him in, the man who gave him an identity - but now?
Skye was the unknown variable, something - someone - who was never supposed to be a part of the equation and at the beginning, Ward was positive that he would be able to adjust his plan with her in it and at first he'd been succeeding but something about her broke through his ice cold wall. Now, now he was paying for the mistake of letting her even remotely in - he was in too deep and he wasn't sure what was left from right anymore. Did it matter? Him and Garrett had a mission, they had yet to complete and he knew that his mentor wouldn't settle for anything less than perfect, Ward needed to sort this out. His mind ran rampant as Raina and Garrett shared words, the mention of Skye's name reigning his focus back in on the current situation: the hard drive. He had to fight back the proud smirk at the realization that Skye set up security measures that only she could bypass. "It seems that Skye has encrypted it to where no one can unlock it. It's useless without her. "
That was the sentence that sent his mind off the deep end, it was the look in Garrett's eyes that confirmed his fears. The older male looked to Ward, a smug grin spread across his lips, "Son, I'm going to need you to bring her to me." He couldn't trust Garrett with Skye's life, not after the revelation... The phone in his pocket began to buzz, her name appearing on the screen, "Sir, this is her now. If she gives me her location I can convince her to unlock the drive and bring it back myself." It was his hopeless chance of trying to keep her safe from Garrett's grasp, as Garrett nodded a quick yes, Ward answered the phone and minutes later after he sold yet again, another lie - he had the coordinates and a master plan to sell his story.
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After countless punches & knees to the abdomen, and a few good solid hits to the face when Garrett finally decided the younger male looked the part of a man who barely managed to survive Garrett's escape. The cuts on his cheek were red, bruised and he had a cut across his lip to match - he was positive that no one would be able to smell the stench of betrayal on him, his deceit; or so he hoped.
As he trekked through the snow, he got to the coordinates Skye had sent and when the secret door opened, waiting for him was Skye - he could have swore his heart stopped. "Is it a weakness?" The words echoed in his mind and he reminded himself to breathe, to be normal; well, as normal as Skye and the rest of the team thought he was. In that moment he knew that after today everything would change, that the smile Skye wore upon her face when they met each others eyes would no longer have that sparkle when it all came out.
Everything that Grant Ward had come to be familiar with and all he held close was going to come crashing around him. And for the first time in his life, he was scared. He had something to lose; no- someone to lose and as he neared her, breathed in that familiar scent of vanilla he knew he was going to have a hard time letting go… Could he really follow through with his orders? Years of being the perfect soldier for Garrett and his resolve was crumbling at the hands of a woman? He could hear John’s voice now, You’re weak. But god, when her hand warmed his cheek and she looked at him like something holy - he felt anything but.
For the first time, he was second guessing his orders… second guessing his mission, but now he had a bigger question to battle. Would giving up this mission count for anything, after all the evil he’d done? When his sins came to light - which he was sure they would, would Skye be able to look at him the same? He didn’t know, what he did know was- all he wanted to do was stay here with her and imagine the outside world didn’t exist.