Title: Everything is Fine
Fandom: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Pairing: Skye/Grant Ward
Length: 2,559
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Adult language, minor non-graphic violence
Challenge: #136: Hit the Wall
Summary: On the road after leaving S.H.I.E.L.D. together, Skye and Ward run into more obstacles.
Notes: This is #4 in the Adventures in Redemption series but stands on its own.
Takes place after Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 1x08 but has spoilers for all of season one.




Ward jerks awake. For a few brief moments following, he has no idea where he is, what day it is, or what time it is. The familiar feel of a gun in his hand steadies him, and his mind starts to clear. It's then he realizes that he’s pointing the gun at Skye.

Shit. Thankfully, she’s not looking his way. Her back’s to him while she tries -- and fails -- to quietly close the door. He lowers the gun as she turns around, and has it put away before she lays eyes on him. Her arms are laden with shopping bags, which makes sense since she told him she wanted to go out so she could shop the post-holiday sales. He’d wanted to go with her but she insisted on going alone and he couldn’t tell her no without telling her why and he’s not ready for them to have that conversation, yet.

“Oh hey, I didn’t mean to wake you,” Skye says.

He forces himself to smile. “Don’t worry about it.” He’s so tired. Between the insomnia and the nightmares, his mental state has taken a serious beating lately. He checks the clock. He's managed to sleep for a whopping forty-five minutes while Skye was out shopping. Great.

“It’s snowing,” Skye says in a sing-song voice that should really annoy him, but doesn't.

Ward groans. “How bad is it?”

“Just flurries right now, though the weather report is promising something like a couple of feet over the weekend.”

Fuck. He rubs the sleep from his eyes. He needs to head down to Connecticut and check on a storage unit he has down near one of the casinos there. Two of his stashes of cash and other emergency items had already been cleaned out when he checked on them. One in New Hampshire and the other in his home state of Massachusetts. Two could maybe be a coincidence but a third? That'll mean he’s been burned.

Ward’s not sure how he could have been found out this quickly. Maybe if Coulson reported his departure to S.H.I.E.L.D. Head Quarters, then Garrett could have already heard about it. He could have put two and two together and figured out that Ward jumped not just one ship but two. Either that or he’s testing Ward. He wouldn’t put it past the bastard to play head games with him that way. There’s no telling what that man would do.

“What’s with you, Mr. cranky pants?” Skye wants to know.

“Not looking forward to driving in the snow, that’s all.”

“Then why don’t we just stay here for another couple nights? Surely Connecticut can wait. What’s so important there anyway?”

“It’s a storage unit, I’ve got some stuff stashed there that I need.”

“Stuff, what kind of stuff?”

“Cash, papers…” weapons, various passports, and a variety of other things Skye neither needs nor probably wants to know about.

“Uh-huh, and that can’t wait? What about the other storage lockers?”

How does she even know about those? “What about them?”

“I’m not stupid Ward, we’ve been hitting specific places like you’re on some sort of treasure hunt. What’s so important?”

“It’s complicated.” What else is there to say? He can’t tell her the truth.

She sits on the bed with a huff. “Whatever, when do you want to get going?”

“As soon as we get everything packed and in the van.” The sooner the better.



It’s still snowing when they get back on the road, but only flurries and it melts as soon as it hits the pavement. Skye is being uncharacteristically quiet and Ward’s pretty sure she’s mad at him. Which is fine, it’s not like he doesn’t deserve her anger. He turns the radio up and tries not to think about what he’s going to do if Skye leaves.

It’s nearly an hour before Skye starts talking to him again. She turns the radio down and looks his way. He glances at her briefly before turning his attention back to the road. It’s easier to lie to her if he’s not looking her in the face.

“What was wrong with your other stash -- houses or whatever you call them?”

Ward takes a hand off the wheel and runs it through his hair.

Skye sighs. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s going on.”

“I don’t need --“

“What? You don’t need my help? Then why am I even here Ward? Why did I leave S.H.I.E.L.D. to go on this not so magical mystery tour?”

“Because I need you,” he doesn’t mean to say it but the truth slips past his lips anyways. If she hadn’t said yes -- if she hadn’t come with him -- he’d still be the wolf on the team of sheep, waiting to execute whatever orders came his way, no matter the cost.

“Really? For what?”

Skye sounds so angry right now and he hates it. How had things turned so quickly? A couple of nights ago they were laughing and having fun while dancing to Christmas music. He’d even almost slipped and kissed her - he was so close - and now they’re fighting and if he isn’t careful she’s going to leave. He can feel it in his bones.

“They were empty,” he tells her, skipping back to the earlier question.

“What? The storage thingies?”

“Yeah, one would have been bad enough but both of them?” He shakes his head.

“So, you want to check and see if this other one’s been hit too, is that it?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“And if it's empty, like the others?”

“It wouldn't be great.” He grips the steering wheel and tries not to think about what would happen then.

“Give me the locations of the two that got emptied out.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m here to help you, dummy.” She pulls out her phone. “I’ll see if I can get any surveillance in the surrounding areas - maybe we can get to the bottom of this.”

“I --“ Ward hesitates. He doesn’t want to bring her in on this. If she finds out the truth -- he doesn’t know what she’ll do, but if he keeps shutting her out, she’ll probably take off at their next stop. “Fine” He gives her the coordinates for both locations. “Thanks.”

An hour later he pulls into a gas station so they can refuel as well as pick up some snacks. Skye picks out a variety of junk food and she seems to expect him to comment on it but he just can’t seem to bring himself to channel the stick-up-his-ass Grant Ward that cares about that shit.

The weather stays on their side until they cross the border into Connecticut, and even then it’s not so bad until they’re almost at the storage place. Ward just hopes his luck continues and he finds the unit untouched.

Skye insists on going with him and he’s too tired to make up some excuse to keep her away. To keep her safe.

He can tell that something's wrong as soon as he opens the door. It’s a 5x10 unit; about the size of a walk-in closet, and of course, it’s empty. No, wait not completely -- he takes a step into the room. There’s a book in the corner. He picks it up and the title becomes clear -- Double Cross by someone named Ben Macintyre. He hasn’t read it but the message is clear. He’s been burned.

The rage wells up in him and this time he can’t hold it back. He throws the book and puts his fist through the wall. He hits it again and again; numb to the pain. Suddenly, everything goes black --

He comes to briefly, but his eyelids feel like lead and he can’t get them to open. He realizes he’s in a moving vehicle before the blackness pulls him under again. He resurfaces briefly another two times before he manages to pry his eyes open.

He’s in the van and there’s music playing. He recognizes Skye’s annoyingly upbeat playlist. They’re not moving anymore.

“Oh good, you’re awake. There’s a Best Western next exit,” Skye says.

Ward understands the words, but he has no idea what she’s talking about. “Best what?”

“Best Western -- the motel chain. The storm’s getting worse. I don’t think we should stay on the road any longer than we have to. Visibility’s gone to shit.“

His body feels heavy but he manages to sit up. “What happened - how long have I been out?”

“A few hours give or take - you should probably drink some water. There’s a fresh bottle in the bag next to you. And as to what happened -- I kinda shot you. Sorry. I didn’t know what else to do and I had to think fast. You were totally freaking out. I think you might be having a psychotic break or something.”

Psychotic break? What is she talking about? She shot him? Ward pats himself down. He doesn't feel like he’s been shot. He feels groggy, his hand hurts and he has a killer headache. He feels like he’s been drugged, not shot. Then it dawns on him. “Night-Night Pistol?” Where’d she get a Night-Night Pistol?

“Yeah, I may have liberated a few things from S.H.I.E.L.D. before we left.”

She may have - what? Holy shit. “You shot me.” It isn’t a question.

“You were freaking out, Ward. You haven’t been sleeping, you’ve been irritable and not yourself at all. Then you started punching the wall. I tried to get you to stop but it was like I wasn’t even there. What else was I going to do?”

“Not shoot me,” he mutters under his breath. Oh fuck, that’s right, his storage unit had been empty, and then everything went red and Skye had witnessed everything. He checks his hand. It’s stiff and sore but he can still make a fist. It’s probably not broken.

He checks the bag next to him and finds the water along with several bags of chips. He downs some of the water and grabs a bag of barbecue chips. The weird thing is, he feels more relaxed than he’s felt in - he’s not even sure how long. Maybe he should have had her shoot him with the Night-Night Gun a few weeks ago because right now everything feels clear. He knows exactly what he has to do.

He doesn’t argue when Skye tells him to stay in the van. She checks-in and comes back with two sets of keys. She got two rooms. His chest feels tight. She doesn’t want to be in the same room with him anymore.

The rooms are separate but adjoining. They aren’t fancy but they’re definitely a step above the shitholes he's been having them stay in. It doesn’t even smell a bit like urine.

Skye opens the door between the rooms and sets down a cooler. Apparently, this was a picnic. She must have stocked up earlier while he was unconscious.

“You can have that room.” Skye points to the other room. Ward nods and tosses his stuff on the bed before turning back to Skye. He feels a strange kind of clarity he hasn’t felt since he made the decision to leave S.H.I.E.L.D. “Do you have a way to contact Coulson directly - like a backdoor into the system or something?”

“Of course,” Skye scoffs.

“I need you to get a message to him -- his eyes only.”

Skye crosses her arms in front of her chest. “What’s the message?”

“Tell him --“ He hesitates for a moment. This is it, after this, there really is no turning back for him. “Tell him that John Garrett is HYDRA - that HYDRA is deep in S.H.I.E.L.D. -- at all levels. It goes all the way to the top. They’re everywhere. Tell him to trust no one, other than the team.”

Skye’s face falls. Ward can see the moment the truth hits her -- and he knows this little fairytale he’s been holding onto is over.

“And you know this because?”

He sighs. “Because he was my commanding officer. He’s the one who brought me in -- to S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA.”

Skye nods and turns away from him. Ward grabs a sandwich and a couple of beers from the cooler and heads to his room. He shuts the door between them. It’s all over but for the waiting now.

Grabbing the remote, he turns on the television and settles on the bed. The sandwich is okay -- a pretty basic ham and cheese, but he finds that he’s not that hungry. The beer though, that, hits the spot. He settles on the news, but he’s not really paying attention. He knows he should feel stressed out but he doesn’t. If anything he feels relieved. This is it. It’s over. He’s done.

He’s halfway through his second beer when there’s a knock on the door that separates him from Skye. “Come in”

Skye opens the door and leans against the door frame. She looks tired. Her gaze goes to the tv and then back to him. She walks toward him and hands him another bottle of beer before taking a sip from her own. The waiting is killing him.

“When are they coming?” He asks.

“What? Who?”

“S.H.I.E.L.D. -- when are they coming for me?”

She shakes her head and sips her beer. After a moment she says, “I didn’t turn you in. I sent the message but I didn’t mention you and I made sure to mask our location.”

“Why?” Why would she do that for him? It doesn't make any sense.

Skye sighs and she runs her fingers through her hair. She sits down on the edge of his bed and he moves over.

“You did the right thing. I don’t know how you got wrapped up in all this HYDRA bullshit, but just now you did the right thing.” She shakes her head, moves closer, and leans back against the headboard. Taking another drink of her beer, she turns to face him. “I want to know though - all of it.”

He nods. He owes her this much, at least. “Okay, but we’re going to need more beer.”

Skye smiles at him. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing I have another six-pack in the van then, isn’t it?”

He tells her everything. All of it. Every little awful thing. Not every single detail of course, and not each and every kill, but the bones of it, he tells her that. Skye listens and she doesn’t leave. She’s still beside him on the bed when he’s finished his tale.

Several more beers between them and they’re both close to falling asleep, and because he’s no longer pretending to be some kind of Boy Scout, he doesn’t suggest she go to her own bed. He doesn’t offer to move to the floor either. She has her own bed if she wants to be away from him. She has the keys to the van too.

In the morning, when the light shines through the curtains and ushers him awake; Skye’s still there his bed. She's curled up against him, all sleepy and warm. He wraps his arms around her and everything really is fine. At least for now.