Hey,... SkyeWard time! Sorry I'm in a hurry today but just needed to help my fellow SkyeWard shippers feel better after epi 21. Happy reading.

Disclaimer : I do not own Agents of S.H I.E.L.D

Summary : Skye understood Ward, finally.

xox

"He lied to me."

"He didn't, Skye." Coulson place a hand on Skye's shoulder and turned her around. "Ward never lied to you."

"How could you say that!?" Skye pushed his hand away and stomped to the other side of the room. "He lied about everything! He lied to all of us!"

"He did it under direct orders, Skye."

"Who?"

"Fury."

"What?!"

"I know. I didn't know about it until after Ward killed Nash. He told me the whole truth."

"You believe that bastard?!"

"Ward is not who you think he is, Skye."

"What makes you believe him? You jab him with the truth serum?"

"I didn't jab him. I spiked his drink."

"What drink?"

"That bottled water that you gave him."

xox

Flashback

"I'm telling you the truth, Coulson. If you don't believe me, check with Director Fury himself."

Coulson stared at Ward as the younger man took a long gulp of water from the bottle Skye had given him earlier. Ward finished the half left in there before turning to his Boss.

"Make me take a lie detector test. Jab me with that truth serum. I don't care. I'm telling you the truth when I said Fury sent me to infiltrate Hydra."

Coulson pulled a chair and tilted his head to study the Agent who just shot The Clairvoyant.

"Let's start from the beginning." Coulson leaned back and folded his arm across his chest. "Were you with Hydra when Fury contacted you?"

"No. It was much earlier than that." Ward looked up at Coulson and ask. "You have time for a long story?"

Coulson nodded. "We have one hour before we land."

"When I was fifteen, Garrett paid me a visit when I was being held the juvenile detention centre."

"Why were you there?"

"I ran away from the military school that I was sent to. I stole a car and drove home to set fire to the house."

"Why would you do that?"

"I wanted my elder brother, Frank, to suffer for what he did to me, Joey and Marissa."

"Joey? Marissa?"

"My younger brother and sister." Ward's eyes turned glassy as he narrated his family history. "Frank had always bullied us younger ones. He even pushed Joey down a well once and forbid me to save him. I would't let Joey drown, I helped him out. That was when the bullying got even more serious.

"Frank would make me beat up Joey. He swore he would harm our sister if I don't follow what he says. I denied him once and he broke our sister's arm. He later told our parents that Marissa fell down the stairs. I snapped and told my parents the truth but they didn't believe me. I was sent away to military school."

"You hated it there and so you ran home to - "

"I ran home and did why I did because Joey managed to get a message to me. He said he has been sent to live with our grandparents in Nevada. And before he left, he found out that Frank was abusing our sister. Sexually. Neither our parents nor our grandparents believed Joey. There was no one protecting her from that beast. I just had to save my sister and make the bastard pay.

"How did Garrett fit in all this?"

"Garrett offered me freedom from being jailed. I agreed and he took me away. He left me in the forest to survive on my own. It was supposed to be for two months but it stretched to six. Buddy, my dog was all I had for company. That was when I met Fury. He followed me after I stole food from a house that he was at. That man has a way to make you talk. He told me who Garrett was and at that time I didn't believe him.

"Fury gave me choice. I could either be trapped for the rest of my life in Garrett's hands. Or pretend to be trapped and be freed when the time comes. I didn't know what he meant but I found out soon enough. I saw who Garrett really was. It started when he made me shoot Buddy. But there was no way I could contact Fury until Garrrett showed me a picture of Skye, years later.

"I persuaded Garrett to let me join S.H.I.E.L.D. Let me be a sleeper in the enemy camp. He agreed eventually. I got word to Fury and that was when he included me in the team."

"Does May know about this?"

"No. It is only between me and Fury."

Coulson studied Ward for a long time before asking, "Why did you kill Nash? Did Garrett ordered you?"

"Yes. But I would have killed him even if Garrett didn't order it."

"Why? Have you turned into a murderer?"

"I did it to save him. You have no idea what they have done to him. How they tortured his mind and body. Nash resisted all that they gave and Garrett decided to use him as a decoy to lure S.H.I.E.L.D away from the real Clairvoyant. There was no way Nash would have survived. He wouldn't make it to S.H.I.E.L.D if he was to be taken back to the HUB. Hydra men were waiting for him if that happens.

"He wanted to die but Garrett wouldn't let him. He begged me once to kill him. But I couldn't do it. I helped him escaped instead. But they got hold of him again."

"What about Skye? Why did Garrett want her for?"

"She was not the main target. You were. Garrett wants to know the secret to you revival. He needs it for himself."

"And Skye? Why was she shot?"

"Garrett wanted to speed things up. He knew that I have feelings for Skye and he was using that to push me. And Coulson?" Ward looked deeply in the elder man's eyes. "I swear I know nothing about him him ordering Quinn to shoot her. I wouldn't have allowed for that to happen. You have to believe me. I will never, ever hurt Skye in anyway. I vowed that I will protect her. Even before I met her face to face."

"So that first meeting was more than just her getting under your skin? You fell in love with her didn't you, Ward."

"Yes."

"What about the team? Do you really care for all of them?"

"Yes. I would die for all of you. You are all the family that I never have, safe for Joey and Marissa."

"Where are they now?"

"They are safe." Ward answered with a smile. "Fury made sure of that."

"So you and Skye?"

"I'll keep on protecting her. Doesn't matter which side I'm on, I'll keep her safe. Even if she or you don't believe all this? I want you both to know that she is safe with me. I will never let anything happen to her."

"You really love her don't you?"

"Yes. But protocol forbids it." Ward let out a humorless chuckle.

Coulson took a glance at his watch and started to rise from his chair.

"Ward?"

"Yes Sir?"

"Two things. One, screw protocol. And two? Night, night."

Ward frowned in puzzlement at Coulson's words but all thoughts left him when his head landed on the table with a thud.

End of Flashback.

xox

"Hey."

"Hey."

"How's the tummy?"

"Like it's been shot." Ward told Skye as he eased himself up higher on the bed.

Skye came further into his room and helped him with the pillows for his back.

"Thanks."

"Yeah."

Ward was shot protecting Skye. He stood in front of the bullets from Garrett's weapon like a shield. Ward had fallen backward on Skye but not before he managed to aim one perfect shot right in between his mentor's eyes.

"How about a drink?" Skye asked.

"You only asked me that because Simmons had asked you to give me my medication," Ward smirked and held out his hand for the pills Skye had brought for him.

"Nothing gets passed you huh, Super Spy?"

"Only you." Ward replied quietly.

"I know why you lied to me and the team. Coulson told me everything."

Ward laid his hand beside his thigh on the bed, near where Skye had placed her hand.

"I'm sorry." He said.

"For what?"

"Everything."

"Even for the feelings you have for me?"

"I thought you didn't believe me."

"I understand. It was a mission. Nothing personal." Skye shrugged with a roll of her eyes.

Ward chuckled but suddenly held his breath when Skye let her fingers touched his. They both looked down at their hands instead of one another.

"Are we going to be ok?" Skye asked huskily.

Ward captured her fingers in his hand and caressed her knuckled with his thumb.

"Are you sure about this? I was not a good man at one time of my life. I wanted to harm my own brother."

Skye leaned towards the bed and gently raised their joined hands to her lips before setting her eyes on him.

"I was told that no one is born evil. You were just swayed by circumstances," Skye placed another kiss on his knuckles. "The good has always been in you Ward. You just need to remember that."

"Being with you has always been tough because you distracted me from being the bad guy I was supposed to be."

"So what now? We are on the same sides - "

"Have the same scars," Wards pointed to the bandage on his stomach.

"Same feelings for each other?"

"No."

"What?" Skye released his hand suddenly.

"I love you more."

Skye was speechless until she realised his game.

"What? Just because I won more times in Battleship, you need to save masculine ego with saying you love me more than I love you?"

"No." Ward's grin was growing.

"Then what the hell was that for?"

"I just wanted to hear you say you love me."

Skye smacked his bicep.

"Why can't you just asked instead of using some unorthodox way to get what you want?"

Ward slowly pulled her closer to him. When Skye's lips was an inch away from his, he whispered huskily.

"I learned from the best, Rookie."

THE END

Ward Loves Skye.