Because I can't accept that Ward's truly Hydra.

Also because I was jumping up and down that Skyeward's final canon... er, somewhat canon. So here's the real story about what happened between Victoria Hand offering him a job and the scene on the plane.

Before Ward leaves on the plane with Victoria Hand, him and Skye talk.

It's brief and it's definitely not that drink, but it's still something. He's reeling from Garrett's betrayal when she decides to drop another shock over his head.

"You have to kill Hand." He blinks, once, twice, and then decides he heard her wrong.

"What?"

"Victoria Hand. You need to kill her-"

Now, he's worried. She can see it in his eyes.

"No, it's not like that," she cuts him off before he can even begin.

"Then what is it like?"

"I started hearing stuff, a hours ago, and at first, I thought it was just some hackers playing a trick on me, but it's SHIELD intel and it's everywhere. There's all the members and names and their all compartmentalized and Victoria Hand is part of Hydra." The words stumbled awkwardly out of her mouth.

"Hand is part of Hydra," he slowly comprehends, "Then why-?"

"Bring you on her team?" He nodded. "I have no idea. Maybe Garrett recommended you? Decided he could try to convert you? I don't know. What I do know is that the list released on the Internet was incomplete. There's a lot of agents out there that are Hydra. So you need to pretend to be on his side. Shoot Hand, pretend you only know she's SHIELD, do whatever it takes to make him think you've converted to them. And then come back to me."

She knew they weren't dating yet, they'd never gotten that drink, but she leaned over and kissed him again. This time, he kissed her back with more enthusiasm than she'd expected.

"Work on those push ups while I'm gone. Have May or Coulson help you with your hand to hand."

He looked all awkward, like he didn't know what to say post-kiss. She smiled sadly and nodded, fully aware this could be the last time she saw him.

"Be careful."

Their fingers intertwined and she felt a comfort and intimacy with the simple gesture that she'd never experienced before. He leaned down, kissing the top of her head momentarily before he took off.

Skye looked on. Grant Ward was a specialist and in the end, he'd have to go in there alone. But this time, he'd have a team backing him in case anything went wrong, from another side of the playing board.