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After four shots to the stomach, it's his heart that hurts.
Kara drags him out, hoisting him into the backseat of a stolen car. His blood stains the seats as she drives. His vision blurs as he strains to keep his eyes open. He doesn't want to close them. All he sees are Skye's eyes, dark and full of anger, accusatory as she shoots him. The feeling of betrayal is written across her face. Her eyes pierce more than the bullets.
Kara disagrees. She helps him out of the car and into a shady motel room, his arm slung across her shoulder, her arm wrapped around his waist. He's half dead as she tugs the bullets from his body. He leaves blood stains on the carpet. It blends with the already unkempt room.
He doesn't remember the stitches, just wakes up one morning and lifts his shirt, noting the clean bandages across his stomach. The scars left behind are just permanent reminders of what he did to Skye. To the team. To the people who were willing to be his family.
They go on the run at first, but then somewhere between Missouri and Kansas, Ward gets a determined look on his face, one Kara's learned not to argue with. He explains his master plan of taking down Hydra, one base at a time.
Kara thinks it's a wonderful idea.
The life slowly returns to Ward's face. He has purpose again.
But the haunted look never leaves.
If Shield is onto them, they don't show it.
They're left to their own devices for months. It isn't until the fourth Hydra base that things go down the shitter.
They're searching through drawers and bookcases in an office, looking for information to lead them to the next base. The owner is slumped in a puddle of his own blood on the floor. Ward breaks open a locked drawer and pulls out a suitcase. As he opens it, a mist bursts forth and Ward looks up at Kara. She looks horrified as a look of confusion is permanently sealed across Ward's face.
Kara is at his side in seconds, but Ward is encased. She touches him and the crystal surrounding his body slowly starts to crack. Kara backs away as the material encasing Ward's body explodes.
Ward is breathing harshly as he stares down at his hands.
"What happened?"
Kara shakes her head, uncertain how to answer. Neither of them knows.
They leave after setting fire to the base.
Ironic, as that night, Ward accidentally sets fire to the motel.
Kara and Ward flee in another stolen vehicle, but it isn't long before they leave that behind as Ward accidentally sets fire to the car.
"I think that's what happened." Kara points at the fire emanating from Ward's hands as they stand on the side of a deserted road.
The car explodes.
They spend a week camping in the woods. Kara is miserable, but until Ward can stop randomly combusting everything they're next to, it isn't safe to be near any sort of civilization.
He hasn't quite got the hang of it, but he's stopped sporadically setting things on fire. They hitchhike back to the city and are immediately met by Coulson.
"It might be in Ward's best interest if you guys come back with me."
"What if we don't agree to come with you." Kara is standing defensively in front of Ward. He appreciates the sentiment, but that's really unnecessary. Ward puts a calming hand on Kara's shoulder, but she stands her ground. It's comforting to know that someone still has his back.
"Your kind is sort of our thing now." Coulson doesn't elaborate more than that.
"Is this about Skye?" Ward can't help but ask.
"More or less."
Ward turns and looks at Kara and she sighs. She knows the only thing that will draw Ward back is Skye. She wonders if he knows he's been mumbling Skye's name in his sleep.
The base is bustling with activity when they arrive. The general populous ignores them, but May and Simmons stare at him with unmasked hatred. Fitz stares at him with the same eyes Skye did, the betrayal still there. He meets their steely gazes unwavering, but the guilt eats at him inside.
When Ward sees Skye again, it's like another shot to the stomach. His scars tingle in recognition. She walks into the room and stares at Ward. He wishes Kara were with him at the moment, but Coulson promised to have Fitz look at the photostatic veil.
"So. Fire." And that's all the greeting she's willing to give.
Ward doesn't respond, just opens his palm and a flame forms. Skye extends her hand and he topples backward in his chair. The flame goes out.
She turns on her heels and leaves as he stands back up and uprights the chair.
So that's what Coulson meant.
It's a slow process, but Ward, Skye, and Kara learn to work together. Kara has her face back and with it comes a spunkier attitude. She and Skye become fast friends to Ward's chagrin. Coulson assigns them the mission to find and destroy Hydra bases. Skye hasn't forgiven him and neither has the team, but it almost feels like normal.
Kara asks one night after a couple of drinks if he's talked to Skye yet.
"About what." He knocks back the last of his scotch, examining the empty glass in his hand.
"About how you love her."
Ward snaps up and the glass in his hand cracks and breaks. The tablecloth is on fire.
Kara rolls her eyes and grabs a kitchen towel, smothering the flames as Ward sits there stupefied.
"Don't set off the sprinklers. Coulson will be pissed." Kara leaves the room while Ward stares at nothing.
Skye and Ward don't talk about it, just find themselves in a closet one day, making out like teenagers playing seven minutes in heaven. He doesn't remember when they became friends or even more than friends. He's not sure they're friends at all. He just knows that she's pushing his body against the wall, and her hands are fisting in his hair. He slams his head back when her hands reach into his jeans. In record time, Skye has his pants around his ankles and she's on her knees. He slams his fists against the wall.
All too soon, he sees white and she's laughing. The closet is on fire. He has enough time to pull up his pants before she's yanking him out of the closet. The sprinklers come on.
That night at dinner, Coulson asks Ward if he's having trouble controlling his powers. Skye chokes on her food. Kara gives him a knowing look.
"No, sir. There were just a lot of flammable objects. It won't happen again." Ward doesn't show any sign of emotion and continues eating.
A week later, the women's locker room showers are leaking water into the gym. Skye can't explain the cracks on the wall. Ward refuses to meet Coulson's eye.
The spark creeps back into Skye's eyes. Ward is learning to forgive himself. They fight and they scream and they love.
He could get used to this.