"I've Grown Familiar with Villains that Live in my Head"

Epilogue

x-x-x

The quin jet had barely touched down in the hangar, allowing Skye, Ward and May time to disembark, before they had found themselves surrounded by the rest of the team. Coulson had been at the head of the group, nothing but concern mapped out in the lines of his face.

Ward had barely let go of Skye for the entire flight, settling her on his knee even as he co-piloted the jet with May, who had really done the majority of the work on the way home. Skye had been quiet, uncharacteristically so, and Grant was relieved to see her smile finally when she saw the sea of worried faces assembled to greet them. The only ones missing had been Jemma and Vivi, who Fitz had promised were safe and well back in the quarters, where the child had finally fallen asleep after one too many Curious George stories, courtesy of her favourite uncle.

Lincoln had insisted that the three be checked over back in the med. bay, much to May's intense annoyance and Ward's relief. He had assessed Skye's injury himself back on the jet and was in agreement that her wrist was more than likely broken. It seemed that the Ward women were not having the best of luck in that department of late.

Just as Vivian had been, Skye was unimpressed with the strapping and support Lincoln insisted on putting on her, although reluctantly agreed that it was somewhat better than a cumbersome plaster cast. Luckily for the Inhuman in question, her x-rays had revealed a small hairline fracture, which was already beginning to heal up during the half hour period between the first x-ray Lincoln had taken and the last.

The med. bay was deserted save for Ward, Lincoln, and the unwilling patient, who huffed out a sigh as her doctor finished wrapping the Velcro fastenings around the wrist support.

"Alright… given your accelerated healing, I figure you'll be out of the field for a week, maybe two at most." At Skye's irritable eye roll, Lincoln added with a patient smile, "Which is better than the six to eight weeks a normal person would be laid up for."

"I guess," she agreed, smiling as she realised that, all in all, she had escaped the whole terrifying incident with relatively minor injuries. The three of them had managed to get out alive, and that was all that mattered.

Ward remained at her side, her uninjured hand clasped in his, whilst he held her gently around the waist with his other arm. He seemed loathed not to be touching her - to have that reassurance that she was okay. He leaned close to press a kiss to her temple, and Skye turned to face him with a smile, letting her weary head fall against his shoulder.

Lincoln, who had been about to hand over a bottle of pain killers, suddenly stilled and stared down contemplatively at the ground. "I um… I owe you an apology, Skye. For everything I said before, I'm sorry. I had no idea… I mean, I didn't even believe in ghosts until tonight."

"I'm not sure I did until a few days ago," Skye admitted, running her gaze up and down Lincoln's form. His shoulders were somewhat slumped and he kept his head bowed slightly, his remorse more than evident in his general demeanour.

"I thought I knew what was going on and instead of talking to you about it, I went behind your back," he continued, frowning as he added, "I see now that that was a pretty shitty move."

"Really was," Skye agreed, but the small smile she flashed him was mostly good natured.

"I just… I hope I haven't ruined our friendship," he lamented, eyes downcast to the floor, making him look so much like a child that had been scolded for having his hand in the cookie jar that Skye began to giggle.

"Shut up, idiot," she declared, momentarily freeing her good hand from Ward's grip in order to slap Lincoln's arm. She rolled her eyes, obviously more amused now than annoyed, although Lincoln's perceived betrayal had stung at the time.

"I forgive you," she promised, her words immediately coaxing a relieved sigh from Lincoln's lips, "and although I was pissed at you, I know you only acted that way because you were concerned about a friend. It's good to know that I can rely on you to call it as you see it, even if I may not like what you see."

"But in this case, I was wrong…" Lincoln began, pausing when Skye held up a hand to demand silence.

"You were," she conceded, nodding somewhat sadly as she added, "but that doesn't mean you will be next time, or the time after that."

"Let's just agree there won't be a next time," Ward interjected, picking up Skye's jacket and shirt from the nearby chair. He had helped her out of them in order to change into a hospital gown, much to her immense displeasure, but the x-rays and subsequent splinting had necessitated a change of clothing.

"I mean he should still trust his instincts, not that I plan on going cuckoo for Coco Puffs anytime soon," she stated, a look of amusement crossing her features as she regarded her husband.

Lincoln nodded in agreement, handing over the pill bottle to Skye, his eyes widened in an attempt to sway her to accept the medication. "Take one or two up to three times a day. Ice packs for no longer than 10 minutes at a time, and plenty of rest."

"Yes, doc," Skye smiled indulgently, hopping down from the gurney and turning her head to try to look at the back of her gown, where she was sure the back of her bra was showing. Thankfully, she'd managed to retain her dignity and keep her jeans on, but all she really wanted was a warm shower, comfortable pyjamas, and her husband's accommodating chest as a pillow.

"Alright, well… take it easy. I would say 'don't do anything I wouldn't do' but…" he narrowed his eyes and winced for comic effect.

Skye laughed and offered him a wholly unrepentant shrug. The smile that passed between them let him know that she held no ill will towards him.

"Grant, will you go get Vivi?" Skye looked up at him imploringly, feeling guilty for the little girl's tears that had kept her up way past her bedtime, and exhausted her babysitters in their attempt to console her.

"You sure you feel up to…" he began, immediately silenced by the glower Skye shot at him.

"Finish that sentence and you're bunking with Lincoln tonight," she vowed, arching a brow as the doctor let out a hearty chuckle. He managed to shoot Ward a look of sympathy as the other man passed by on his way out of the medical room.

"She'll be back to normal in no time at all," Lincoln whispered to Grant, his smirk slightly mocking, although Ward took the teasing good naturedly, as it was intended.

It took him somewhat longer than he had intended to retrieve Vivian from FitzSimmons' room, since he arrived there to find the little girl entangled between the two scientists in the middle of their bed. Around them lay all the evidence of their battle to get her back to sleep, which included a small army of stuffed toys, an ipod, and half a bookcase worth of bedtime stories. Ward took just a moment to snap a photo of the scene for Skye's benefit, before he set about extracting Vivi from the situation without awakening Fitz or Simmons. No doubt they had more than earned the rest.

By the time he returned to their own quarter, Vivi clutched to his chest, still snoring, Skye had managed to change into her pyjamas and make herself somewhat comfortable in their own bed. She seemed to have claimed the majority of the pillows to support her arm but Ward would certainly let that misdemeanour slide given the circumstances. The bright smile that illuminated Skye's features upon seeing their daughter made Grant's heart skip a beat, and he quickly laid the child down on the bed next to her mother, who he could see was visibly aching just to touch her.

Leaning down, Skye brushed a kiss against Vivian's forehead, her smile never fading.

"I didn't realise it was possible to miss someone so much in only a few hours until she came along," Skye murmured, stroking her fingertip along the curve of Vivian's cheek. She could see in the dim bedroom light that the little girl's lips were sticky and her mouth was ringed by brown smudges, which she quickly assumed to be hot chocolate. Simmons had a thing for bribery, but Skye had to admit that it often worked in Vivian's case. She supposed it would get harder as Vivi grew older, and cooperation could no longer be bought with Barbie dolls, Cartoon Network, and slices of cake.

Ward smiled as he watched her enclose their daughter in her arms, and he exhaled a breath he didn't even realise he had been holding, thrilled to have his little family safe and together again. He'd never wanted to be a father. It just wasn't something he thought would ever be on the cards for him. The life of a Specialist didn't often allow for a happy family life and, besides that, he had always regarded himself as damaged goods. What child would deserve him as a parent?!

But with Skye he'd found himself secretly thinking about those things, and then Vivian had made her slightly unanticipated arrival into their lives and entirely owned him from the second he'd felt her kick beneath his palm.

"My poor baby," Skye whispered, noting the reddened skin around the little girl's eyes, and her long, dark lashes that were damp and tangled - tell-tale signs that she'd been crying. That explained the hot chocolate; Simmons practically crumbled at the first sign of tears.

Ward quickly stripped down into pyjama pants, electing to scoot up behind his wife, who had wriggled into the centre of the bed and had her arm securely around their daughter.

Kissing Vivi's dark curls first, Skye then smiled as the child instinctively cuddled closer until her head rested on her mother's chest. A sense of sleepy realisation seemed to slowly awaken her, and soon her eyelids flickered open.

"Mommy?" she managed, her eyes refusing to cooperate. She blinked wearily, unable to focus, as sleep threatened to creep back up on her at any moment.

"Go back to sleep, baby. Mommy and Daddy are right here," Skye soothed, pulling up the covers and laying her head down onto the pillow as she felt Grant's arm slide around her waist. His hand settled gently on her stomach as he arched around her.

Vivian puffed out a sigh and then she was silent again, her lips parted as she slept.

"Thank you for coming for me tonight," Skye said quietly, deliberately closing her own eyes so that she didn't have to meet Ward's gaze. She suspected that he would be angry with her for not telling him about the situation with the spirits, and also for leaving the base without informing anyone of where she was going. However, those were arguments she was just too tired to have right then and there. Sensing as much, Ward kissed Skye's bare shoulder where the strap of her pyjama top had ridden down.

"You know you never have to thank me for that," he replied, carefully readjusting the errant strap on Skye's behalf, since her one good arm was tangled around their daughter, "I will always come for you, period."

Turning her head, she sought out his lips in an affectionate kiss, regarding him in the darkness with a mischievous smirk that he could hear in her voice. "You know, I could make a really dirty joke about that…"

His fingertips slid under the hem of her tank top and lightly caressed her warm skin, and Skye grinned as she felt his puff of laughter drift across her neck.

"Well that's also true," he chuckled, pressing a kiss against her neck as he pulled her closer and curled around her body in the same way she embraced their sleeping daughter.

Silence suddenly fell upon them, and Skye was almost at the precipice of sleep when Ward eventually spoke out into the darkness.

"What do you think John meant, when he said he'd helped me out before?" Ward pondered, and Skye could practically hear him deliberating over the spectre's parting words.

She moved her injured hand down gingerly, pleased to find the stiffness and pain was easing off – no doubt as a result of her Inhuman DNA – and she slid her hand over the top of his, brushing her thumb over his wrist where his arm encircled her hip.

"I don't know. Maybe we can ask D.C.?" Squeezing his fingers to capture his attention and also in an attempt to halt the cogs turning in his brain, Skye added, "Whatever it is, Grant, it can't be anything bad that he did, right? Life is… pretty damn good for us."

She felt Ward sigh against her, his mind likely troubled by memories and emotions he'd long ago hoped to banish, but which had been conjured again by Garrett's ghost.

"It's everything I ever wanted," he said quietly, "but, it's Garrett."

Skye swallowed hard, a lump rising in her throat as she found herself once again dwelling on the life Ward had endured as a kid under Garrett's proverbial wing. No matter how wonderful the present was, the mental scars he had accumulated from those years could never be erased, and that was something they both needed to come to terms with. However, that evening, as she had faced down otherworldly forces that wanted her dead, it had been John Garrett that had come to her defence first and foremost. Whilst she could never entertain forgiving the man for what he had done to Grant, and to them all with his betrayal of S.H.I.E.L.D., she couldn't deny the fact that his interference had probably saved her life. Perhaps death had changed Garrett, or perhaps whatever fate had awaited him beyond Earth had been the catalyst that had prompted some sort of spiritual growth. Skye supposed she may never know.

"He helped me tonight, Grant," she said softly, finally craning her neck and consenting to meet her husband's gaze, which was somewhat watery even in the darkness. "I know that doesn't wipe away everything he did, but… I don't think he wants to hurt us anymore."

Ward was silent, hugging her a little tighter as he kissed her shoulder, letting his lips linger for a while on her skin. He was trying hard to dismiss the 'could have beens'; the knowledge that things could have gone so very differently that evening. He needed Skye like he needed air in his lungs, and even the fleeting thought of being without her was utterly terrifying.

"I love you."

Craning her neck, Skye captured Grant's lips in a tender kiss.

"I love you too. And I will always hate him for what he did to you. Thinking about it makes me wanna throw up, but… tonight he wasn't the enemy. So, whatever it is Coulson may or may not know, it's nothing that can hurt you. He can't hurt you anymore, Ward."

She kissed him once again before laying her head back down and snuggling into his arms. Smiling sleepily, Skye let her eyes flutter closed, lulled by the feeling of safety his embrace provided, and the weight of their daughter cuddled against her.

"Now, go to sleep," she ordered, yawning obnoxiously, which made Ward chuckle.

Realising his wife was more than likely right, Grant let his own head rest next to hers on the pillow. Before he closed his eyes, he made sure to silently thank whoever or whatever higher power there may be for the life he had.

x-x-x

It was several days later when Coulson finally got around to catching up with Grant. He had deliberately allowed Skye and Ward their peace, knowing that Skye in particular had a lot to come to terms with. Whilst Coulson had his own fair share of experience when it came to spirits, those that had visited him had been intent upon helping him - redirecting him on the path he walked - rather than hurting him, the way Jiaying, Raina and even Emily had coveted hurting Skye. Whilst her physical wounds had been quick to heal, Coulson knew that the psychological ones would require more care and attention from all those she loved.

There was no one more adept at healing Skye than Grant, thus Coulson resolved to leave them to it for a while, whilst also ensuring that the rest of the team kept their distance. No matter how well-meaning their offers of babysitting or shoulders to cry on were, Coulson knew better than most that what Skye and Ward really needed was time together; time to re-evaluate both what they wanted and what they needed in light of everything that had transpired over the last week.

However, Coulson knew from speaking with May that Grant had questions for him, mostly thanks to the cryptic utterings of Garrett's ghost, and so on a quiet Thursday afternoon he resolved not to put off the inevitable any longer. He found Ward in the kitchen, making enough peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to feed a large task force, and he immediately knew that that must have been what Skye and Vivi were demanding. Without a word, he rolled up his shirt sleeves, picked up a knife, and began to spread peanut butter onto the waiting slices of bread.

Ward's gaze ticked sideways and he offered Coulson a small smile, which didn't go unnoticed by the director. Still, he remained silent, hoping that Grant would be able to draw upon his inner reserves of strength in order to ask the questions he desired answers to. A handful of minutes passed by uninterrupted before Phil realised that that was unlikely to happen.

"Crusts on or off?" Coulson finally inquired, pausing only to await Ward's instruction.

"On for Vivi, off for Skye," Ward relayed with a brief snort of amusement.

Coulson chuckled, shaking his head at the absurdity, "You know, that really should be the other way around, but… okay."

Placing a piece of bread atop a jelly and peanut butter slathered slice, Ward proceeded to cut it into four small quarters before arranging it on the pink plastic plate that belonged to his daughter.

"Skye knows what she likes," he said absently, picking a handful of grapes out of a colander and beginning to slice them widthways, like the parenting magazines he'd poured over had instructed.

Finally pausing in his task, he laid the knife down onto the counter and blew out a breath. Seeing Grant Ward nervous was not something Coulson was accustomed to and so he too paused, placing the jelly covered knife down as he tried to gather his own thoughts.

"Garrett… he uh… he told me he'd 'helped' me before… he said you knew about it," it was more of a statement than a question, but Coulson nodded before gesturing towards the kitchen table.

"I feel like we should be sitting down to have this conversation." He smiled warmly, hoping to dispel Ward's nerves somewhat. The Specialist followed without a word, sitting down at the table and leaning back in his seat, his arms folded across his chest in a pose that some would call defensive.

"I guess I have a hard time believing that the guy who pretty much destroyed my life could ever do anything other than cause me pain," Ward said gruffly, trying but somehow failing to slip the Specialist mask in place. He wasn't as skilled in that area as he used to be, Coulson was relieved to note. Fatherhood and years of therapy seemed to have stripped him of that talent, which could only truly be a good thing. Nothing positive ever came of shutting off one's emotions, to Phil's mind at least.

"I can't blame you for thinking that way," replied Coulson, finding that he was just a little too nervous himself to fully relax back in his chair.

With an almost hesitant and certainly shaky smile quirking his lips, Coulson began to talk; about years gone by, toxic grudges, robotic arms, and ghosts that hadn't wanted to let him be until they had been certain that his soul had been saved.

For his part, Ward listened, without speaking or so much as twitching a muscle – his body perfectly still save for the faintest rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. He stayed that way for almost ten minutes after Coulson had finished talking, which didn't seem to surprise the director much at all. He only waited patiently for Ward to recover from his tale, which he had to admit was about as easy to swallow as a whole sixteen-ounce steak.

Smiling nervously, Coulson shrugged, "I… I know it sounds crazy. Hard to believe, huh?"

Ward remained quiet, staring down at the table. On closer inspection, Coulson noted his gaze was actually affixed on the silver band on his left hand.

His mind raced through the events of this apparent alternate timeline - all of the destruction and death, the wasted opportunities, and the second chances that never came. It sounded like a world where he had become everything Garrett had trained him to be, but this time to the point of self-destruction, never knowing love or kindness from another living soul. More heartbreakingly for Ward, it was a world in which Skye's life would be cut short, and his daughter was never fated to exist.

Swallowing hard, he forced himself to meet the older man's gaze. "I… I'm not that guy."

Ward looked up at him desperately, feeling something akin to panic beginning to constrict his chest, making it hard for him to suck in air.

Coulson nodded in agreement and offered a weak smile. He understood how hard it must be for Grant to hear these things. He was disgusted himself when he thought back on the man he had become, and on the things he'd been told he was destined to do with such cold and callous detachment as SHIELD Director.

"I know, Grant. Neither am I."

Ward blinked quickly, as though an abundance of light was hitting him full force in the face and he was finding it hard to focus on anything. He sucked in a few deep breaths that did nothing to calm him, and then he turned his attention back to Coulson, who was peering at him across the table with a distinct air of unease, as though he expected Ward to break at any moment.

"I can't… I mean… it's… this is a lot to process," he finished, scrubbing one palm over his face. He suddenly felt weary, as though he hadn't slept in days, such was the weight of all that he had learned.

"If you want to tell Skye – talk this over with her – then that's okay," Coulson began, falling silent again as Grant screwed up his features and shook his head.

"I don't think that's the best idea right now," he offered, fingers clenching his hands into fists as he elaborated, "after everything that's happened… her mom being one of the ghosts Forbes called… she's just been having a hard time dealing with the 'what ifs' and the 'maybes'."

"Understandable," Coulson admonished with a wince. His own mother, Vivian, had been a strong and unwavering maternal presence in his life up until her death, and Coulson was almost relieved to admit that he could never truly comprehend what it must be like to have been born of a woman like Jiaying; a woman seemingly without conscience, or care for her only daughter. Skye had spent twenty something years mourning the childhood she had been denied with her birth parents, only to eventually discover that it was the cruel life in the care system she had loathed that had saved her from being raised by a monster. He couldn't begin to comprehend how that would affect a person, especially since Skye herself had become a parent, and now knew what it was to bring life into the world. He supposed that that knowledge - that overpowering love she felt for Vivi - could only make her mother's rejection of her all the more painful.

"You know, if I hadn't seen what I've seen over the last few days, I wouldn't believe you," Ward said, a chuckle spilling from his lips as he clambered to his feet and moved to return to the abandoned sandwiches. Skye and Vivian would almost certainly be wondering where he had gotten to by now, and it was getting harder and harder to force his wife to rest as she recovered. He was amazed that she hadn't come to track him down already, and so he reached for the knife again to resume his task.

Coulson also returned to his station at the kitchen counter and the two began to finish up the lunch plates in silence that seemed somehow easier now.

Watching as Ward poured milk into a Minnie Mouse sippy cup, and being struck by the inherently paternal gesture, Coulson reached out and placed a hand almost gingerly on the other man's shoulder.

"The way I think about it, is that… who we were? That's not how it was supposed to turn out. Something went wrong, one decision I made… it screwed everything up. But that's not how this world was meant to be. You and Skye? You're destined to be together and little Vivian is supposed to be here. I… I vaguely remember what life was like… before, and it's all so different now, Grant. There's happiness here - real happiness - and… well… love. All of us together? We're a family, not just a team. And you know what? I like to think that makes us better at what we do, because we're all fighting for each other."

Ward nodded, smiling as he lifted his daughter's plate, filled with sandwiches, grapes, and a few carrot sticks he knew he'd have to bribe her to eat. Coulson eyed the plate with a contented sigh - he couldn't imagine the base without the child around; without stuffed toys down the side of the common room couch, or her juice boxes in the refrigerator, or how he frequently held meetings with a toddler interrupting from his lap.

Loud chattering from the hall caught both of their attentions, and when Ward glanced up he saw Skye walking through the doorway, being dragged somewhat forcibly by the child who had hold of her hand.

"Daddy, I'm hungry!" Vivian complained, letting go of her mother's hand to clamber up onto a chair, where she sat eying the plate in his hand with obvious intent.

Noting the odd expression on Grant's face, Skye walked over to her husband and slid her arms around his waist. She glanced between the two men as though suspicious of what had transpired before her arrival. Coulson retrieved the lunch plate from Ward and walked over to the table to both feed the flagging child and also to allow the couple some privacy.

"Everything okay?" Skye asked, frowning at the slightly faraway and troubled expression that Grant was struggling to banish from his face.

"Look, Grant, if this is what we talked about this morning, we don't have to stay living on the base if you don't want to. I just… I just think it's nice that Vivi's got this big extended family around her, and… after everything that happened in our house I don't know if I want to live there, at least not right now… I…"

Grant didn't say a word. Instead, he moved forward and pressed a single finger to Skye's lips to buy her silence. For once, Skye obediently fell quiet and allowed the normally infuriating gesture to slide; she could see the look in Ward's eyes, a curious combination of adoration and relief at seeing her, and she couldn't help but wonder what had brought it all on.

"I couldn't care less where I live, as long as it's with you," he said with unusual firmness, wasting no time in wrapping Skye up in an embrace. He was mindful of her still healing arm, but he tugged her with insistence into his chest. She laid her cheek against his shoulder, allowing herself a small sigh as he rubbed circles on her back.

"I feel like I've ruined it for us all somehow," she admitted, biting her lip but not drawing away from Ward, who she could sense shaking his head vehemently above her.

"You haven't ruined anything," he replied, "I understand. As much as I love the house… it's just a house. We can find another when the time is right and we shouldn't have too much trouble selling it after the renovations. We may even turn over a profit."

"Really?" Skye eased back in his arms, trying to search his expression but finding only adoration lighting up his eyes.

"Really," Ward affirmed, lifting his other hand from around her waist to cup her cheek, "I'd do anything for you, Skye."

She placed her hand over his and leaned into his touch, holding his gaze until she felt a familiar dip in her stomach. Sometimes, looking up into Grant Ward's eyes was like riding a rollercoaster.

A pang of desire forced Skye to lean up and press her lips to his in an urgent kiss that Grant readily reciprocated.

"You're a good man, Grant Ward." She beamed up at him as he pulled her closer and then a moment later kissed her soundly.

"I am now," he countered as he bumped the tip of his nose against hers, "at least I hope I am. I'm trying to be… for you and Vivian."

The story Coulson had told him was all too fresh in his mind, and Ward knew the revelation was one that was likely to haunt him for the rest of his days. He'd never stop being thankful for the life he had. Even before the director's revelation, he had known how lucky he was to have had the support and love to turn his life around. But now, in light of the knowledge that things perhaps once had turned out so very differently, it brought added emphasis to just how fortunate he was.

Skye smiled and directed his gaze over to their daughter, who, upon feeling their stares, turned to reward them with a grin that exhibited her mouthful of carrot.

"Shut up, dummy. In case you missed the memo, Grant, you're her hero."

"Not sure I'm worthy of that title yet, but… maybe one day," he replied, his responding smile wide and warm as he peered down at Skye, who leaned closer into his side.

"Sorry to interrupt over here," Coulson began, approaching the couple almost hesitantly as though he was afraid he was interrupting something of great importance. "Vivi tells me that you're not moving anymore. Is that… is that true?"

Skye swallowed hard and averted her gaze to the countertop, whilst Ward squeezed the top of her arm to assure her that her guilt was not necessary; in truth, he hadn't been at all surprised when Skye had revealed that morning that she was suddenly reluctant to leave the Playground in favour of a house that now held only bad memories. He could understand her change of heart, given that the house they had hoped to turn into a home held only negative connotations, thanks to Mr. Forbes' meddling. Skye's happiness would always take precedence to him over money or property, and so he had promised her faithfully that they would sell the house and perhaps try again in future when she felt ready.

"After what happened there… my mom, and… all that crazy stuff. It just wouldn't feel like home," Skye answered, her disappointment in herself evident as she turned around to lean against Ward's chest. Automatically, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her on the cheek.

Coulson ventured a tentative smile as he probed, "But… here does?"

The couple exchanged brief looks before they each began to nod, visibly delighting Coulson.

"Yeah. I guess it does," Skye said, adding, "and it's kind of nice that Vivi has all of these people here to love her and to watch out for her. You guys are her family too."

Casting a glance back at the toddler, Coulson couldn't help the indulgent smile that escaped him.

"Well, I think I can speak for the whole team when I say she's our favourite newbie. I mean she eats a whole lot, but she's a pretty cute kid."

Skye grinned, easily deciphering the paternal expression that briefly graced the director's features. There wasn't a grandfather in existence more doting than him, and the feeling was more than mutual from the youngest Ward.

Rubbing the back of his neck thoughtfully, Coulson blew out a slow breath.

"I might have a solution? I mean, it might be something you guys are interested in. I know things are cramped in your quarters, and I…uh… I know you'd like your own space as a family. There were plans drawn up and approved to build a director's residence here as part of the base. Nothing fancy, just normal S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel quarters. But it'd have three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, family room… Space enough for you three and… anybody else short of stature who comes along in the future…"

Skye smirked at the almost offhand reference. She glanced up to catch Grant's gaze, finding that he too was smiling now. When they had agreed that morning to remain on base, they had decided that space for another child would likely be severely limited. In consequence, any plans to expand their family would need to be temporarily put on hold, which was perhaps what had disappointed them both the most.

"If you want it, it's yours." Coulson looked between them, unsure if he had perhaps overstepped his boundaries.

"D.C., we can't let you do that," Skye said, shaking her head, although the longing in her eyes was evident to both Grant and Coulson. "You've already broken so many rules for us, we couldn't ask you to…"

"You're not asking," Coulson interjected, a frown taking the place of his smile. "I'm offering, and there's a difference."

"Aren't there like… rules… about… you know, playing favourites with your agents?" Skye queried, lowering her voice as though she was afraid of being overheard, which had Grant almost snorting in amusement. There wasn't an agent left in S.H.I.E.L.D. who wasn't more than aware that Skye Johnson was Director Coulson's 'favourite' – some may say 'teacher's pet' - whilst those in the know referred to her as a surrogate daughter. He had never had the chance to start a family of his own, given the fact he had let one too many opportunities for love pass him by, but since he had welcomed Skye onto his plane and into his heart by extension, he had realised that blood actually didn't matter one bit; family was defined by so much more than DNA, and in Skye he had found something he had been searching for for so long.

"Never stopped Fury," countered Coulson, grinning as he found a certain red headed Russian immediately springing to mind. "It's gonna take a couple of months to get it all set up. You can decorate it however you want. It's still down the hall from everyone else, but it'd be like your own little bubble away from everything."

Ward could practically feel the excitement rolling off Skye in waves, and he grazed his lips against her temple before he reached out to extend a hand towards Coulson. Skye looked back at him and grinned, waiting until Ward and the director had shaken hands before she launched herself at the older man in an exuberant hug.

"Thank you," Ward said gratefully, laughing as Coulson looked at him above Skye's shoulder. He had almost staggered back at the force of her hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Skye enthused, planting hurried kisses on Coulson's cheek. She glanced down suddenly at the feel of tiny arms encircling her leg, only to discover Vivian peering up at her with a quizzical smile on her face.

Skye touched the crown of the little girl's head with her free hand, knowing that her daughter had found her mother's excitement infectious, regardless of the fact she likely had no idea what the adults were discussing.

"I'll iron out the details then," Coulson declared, stepping back and allowing himself a moment to bask in the affection Skye had so readily directed at him. It was still strange to a degree to see how much Skye had grown to care for him, and he knew that he owed that in no small part to their altered timeline. Originally, things had been destined to turn out so differently, creating a world that Coulson was certain he could never have been content to live in. Shooting the couple a final smile, the director hurried from the room, eager to set the wheels of his plan in motion, and perhaps to salvage the tail end of what had been a monumentally strange and unpleasant week.

Skye shot a glance at Ward, who was busy encouraging Vivi to finish up the rest of the carrot sticks on her plate, lest he be forced to hold her chocolate chip cookie to ransom. The little girl didn't seem at all pleased with the ultimatum, which had prompted a rather sulky pout and a narrow-eyed glare that reminded Skye so much of herself that she almost laughed.

She took a breath, and just watched her husband and daughter – her world, to all intents and purposes. There had been a while, back in the thick of all the drama that the death of Emily Forbes had brought with it, that Skye had feared she wasn't strong enough to withstand the assault of the spirits; that perhaps she might bend to Jiaying's will in the throes of her despair, fall prey to Raina's cruel taunting, or perhaps even become a victim of Emily's vengeful ghost. Yet Skye had discovered reserves of strength she hadn't known she possessed, and she could only expect that the source of such was her unwavering love for her family, and her reluctance to be torn away from them.

In fact, it had been proven to Skye now that she was capable of being scarier than any one of her demons, no matter how loud they howled or how insistently they clawed at her. The knowledge was somewhat liberating, especially for a woman who had spent a good portion of her life afraid of one thing or another.

In the wake of everything, Skye may have lost a potential home, but she still had her sanity and the love of the people most important to her. The spirits had tried to strip everything away from her and yet they had failed, largely due to her own resolve and determination. The realisation only brought another, wider smile to Skye's face.

It was her life, and she was in control.