"Someone should go in there and talk to him."

Four sets of eyes turned to May.

"Nah-Uh. I'm not doing it. Not after last time."

"Last time?"

"He's been like this before. I tried to get him to talk and..." May said, trailing off.

"What?"

"He broke my jaw."

Skye looked through the glass window to see Ward, her honey of a SO, throwing hook after jab after cross to the punch bag. This, in itself would not normally cause hushed discussion in the Lab but he had been working out for five days straight and not sleeping.

Coulson was concerned the recent events with Lorelei and May were affecting his behaviour and was hoping he would not have to suspend his best field agent. Fitz was also wondering if Ward's recent encounter of the Asgard kind was the reason for this strange behaviour, as he also succumbed to the Goddess and was struggling with it.

May, however was wondering if Ward's mind was with the woman who had captured his heart. Even though she had told Ward that it was just casual sex and Coulson that she was fine, she was secretly hurting inside. She had harboured a flame for Ward for a very long time.

Simmons and Skye had never seen Ward like this and were just generally worried for him.

"I'll go" Skye said quietly and took a step to the door.

"No!" Shouted May and Coulson together.

It was too late. She had already opened the door and gone into the room. Ward paid her no attention and continued to punch the bag. She assessed the situation, after all, a broken jaw did not sound pleasant, especially not so soon after being shot. Hesitantly she took a step towards Ward.

"Leave." It was short. More of a growl than his usual majestic calm.

Sky turned to look at the others watching them and instantly knew Ward would not open up to her with them watching. Skye flipped the switch that dropped the blinds to the training room.

The knife pierced the wall before she had the chance to turn and look back at Ward. There was a slight pause to Ward's rhythm.

"Ward?"

Jab, cross, uppercut.

"Will you please look at me?"

"Skye, please just go."

"I'm not leaving until you talk to me."

Realising Skye was being serious Ward finally stopped punching the bag long enough to look at her. Skye immediately noticed his knuckles were rubbed raw and were starting to bleed. Not wanting to talk, Ward grabbed his bag and stalked out of the room for a shower. After processing what had just happened Skye followed.

"What happened?"

"Did he say anything to you?"

"Are you alright?"

"That knife made me jump"

Everyone started talking at once trying to figure out what went on between Skye and Ward.

"He didn't break my jaw at least, but he wouldn't even look at me"

6 Hours Later

"Coulson?"

"Ward."

"Can I have a minute?"

"Close the door and take a seat."

"Can I please take a few days Personal Leave?"

"If you can't deal with the fallout of you and May then I'm sorry Ward but that isn't my problem."

"It's not about May. It's very personal to me and I wish to take some time"

"What if I say no?"

"Then you will leave me no choice. I will jump and you will not find me until I want to be found." It wasn't a threat, but Coulson knew Ward well enough to know he was being serious.

"If I say you can go. There is one condition. You have to take Skye with you."

"Coulson..."

"She hasn't been off the plane in weeks and I would like her to get out and have some air without bullets flying at her."

"Fine."

"Where do you need to be?"

"London"

"Why are we in London?"

"Skye" She knew he still wasn't ready to talk so she gave up.

He led her to the nearest DLR station and headed towards the centre of London. At Kings Cross they boarded a train and were soon headed out over rolling countryside towards Oxford. Ward sat staring out of the window. Skye sat studying him from across the table. Now there were no prying eyes to watch them she took one of his badly beaten hands and looked at it more closely. To her surprise he didn't pull it away. She was more surprised to find him looking at her. One look into those deep brown eyes and she could tell he was hurting, she just couldn't tell why.

Seeing Skye's expression, Ward softened a little.

"How much of the first time we met do you remember?"

"All of it. Why?"

"So you remember asking me about my home life and why I joined S.H.I.E.L.D?"

"Yeah..." replied Skye, knowing that Ward had no choice but to answer her questions as Coulson had injected him with a particularly potent truth serum. What she didn't know was how all of this was relevant to why Ward had withdrawn. He turned back to the window.

They got off the train in Oxford and Skye; feeling a little overwhelmed and wanting to ease some of Ward's pain, grasped his hand again. They set off from the station walking over the river and down a dirt track road. After 20 minutes of walking in silence they approached a small number of houses. Ward let go of Skye's hand, reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys.

To Skye's amusement Ward took her hand again and guided her up the driveway to the first house they came to. He put the key in the lock and entered the house.

"Wait here" Ward said to her as he closed the door.

He started towards the stairs.

"Tilly?" he called. There was a loud crash coming from another room.

"This is your house?" Skye blurted out before she could stop herself.

When he called out Skye suddenly realised where they were. Ward simply looked at her and gave her a half smile. "

Grant?" Ward spun around and opened his arms wide to allow the woman who appeared in the doorway to enter them. She did and his head dropped to her shoulder.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

"Needed some time"

There was a cough from behind Ward made the woman jump.

"Sorry Till. I forgot. I had to bring a colleague back with me. Tilly. This is Skye, Skye. This is my baby sister Tilly."

Skye offered a wave before asking for the bathroom. On the way to the bathroom Skye had a nosy around Grant Ward's house. She could not get over how nice it was. When she was finished in the bathroom she opened the door to find Ward waiting for her, finally nursing his beaten up hands with an ice pack. She noticed a change in him already.

"It's getting late, Tilly's already gone to bed. You should take my room. Second door on the left. I'll take the couch"

"Second door on the left. Which one is left again?" Ward let out an involuntary laugh and Skye smiled. He was starting to come back.

"Come on. I'll show you." They reached the door to Ward's bedroom.

Skye spun in the doorway to face Ward, pushing her body as close to him as she dared "You know we're both adults. We could share" she offered.