Matter of Importance

Spoilers: Season 2 promo

Disclaimer: I own nothing, Marvel owns it all!

Skye found herself standing by an SUV as several agents lead her former SO to the vehicle. His head was down and his arms and hands in chains, not that it would stop him if he wanted to get away. She merely nodded to the second specialist on their team as he opened the door, Lance Hunter looked at the young agent as Grant Ward was loaded into the vehicle.

"You sure you don't want me to come?"

"Yeah, it won't be a long transport and he's surrounded by agents."

Hunter chuckled, "it's not the security I'm worried about. I'm more worried about your safety, I read that he resets the violent ranking system."

The door was open so both turned at a whisper, "she's the only one safe around me."

Ward didn't look at them or defend himself when the agent beside him knocked his head back. The specialist was left with a bloody nose but still didn't respond, even when the second agent jabbed him in the side with his elbow. Hunter chuckled, "not so tough anymore huh mate?"

Skye shut the door to the SUV before walking around the passenger side, getting in and nodded to the driver to begin the long drive. Reaching under the seat she withdrew a small bag that held medical supplies. Removing a few tissues, she turned slightly and held them out to Ward. He reached out to take them and just as he hand them, the agent beside him attempted to grab them from his hands.

"Touch him again Agent Grady, or anything I personally hand him, and I promise you that when you return to base you'll be nursing a broken hand." Skye looked back at the agent as Ward put the tissues to his nose, "Ward maybe a prisoner but he's still a human being and Director Coulson won't tolerate you beating the crap out of another human being without legitimate reason, I won't either." He stared at her, "is that understood?"

The man nodded, "yes ma'am."

As she turned around, she met Ward's eyes and she saw pride in the murky brown. As she looked ahead she couldn't help but smile at the fact she'd impressed her old SO.

The ride was quiet besides Agent Matthews in the driver's seat talking to Agent Grady about the new recruits from the week before. Skye sat on her phone reading the SHIELD Common News or SHIELD's memo board.

"And then Boston busted the rookie's ass because she dared to contradict him in the middle of the others. I swear the guy was going to blow an artery if she didn't shut up and when she finally did, we find out that she's Agent Newel's daughter." Matthews chuckled, "I think Boston was impressed."

"Agent Skye…" Ward spoke quietly and Skye turned to look at him, the other agents seemed to go quiet. "Two puppies."

Skye looked past him to the rear of the vehicle to see two SUVs, ones none of the others had noticed. "We're being followed. Evasive maneuvers immediately, weapons hot."

Before Grady could open the window to fire on the SUVs, bullets seemed to fly around them. Agent Roswell slumped forward as Grady fired out the window, bullets still reigning down on them. Ward lunged forward in his seat and pushed Skye down, neither agents noticing as they tried to drive and shoot at the vehicles. Skye turned her head slightly to see Ward as he ducked down, his chained hand on her back to keep her down. He met her eyes but said nothing, she got the understanding that he was trying to protect her.

"Can't lose them and they're gaining." Matthews spoke as the SUV spun, "they hit a tire, I can't do anything." The car spun before Matthews hit the break, causing the vehicle to roll.

Grant Ward raised his head to see he was laying against Grady, who had obviously unconscious but bleeding. Trying to sit up, he looked towards the front of the vehicle to see Skye on her side, bleeding from her head as the driver lay against her. The sound of footsteps had Ward paying attention to the outside of the vehicle instead of Skye inside, the door opened and a face was seen.

"Grant Ward, you're free so come on."

Ward took one look at Skye before crawling over Grady, allowing the man to help him out. He saw a team of three men emerge from one vehicle and two from the other. "And you are?"

The man started working on the chains and shackles, "Agent Mayer, served under Garrett and knowing SHIELD had captured his second we decided to get you back to HYDRA." Finally free from the shackles and chains, Ward rubbed his wrists. "After all, who better to lead us right?"

"Can I meet the others?"

"Why the hell not." He waved to the five men, "come meet your commander boys."

They circled around and Ward immediately surveyed their weapons and armor packages despite the smile on his face. "Sir good to meet you." One of the men spoke, "heard a lot of stuff about you."

Ward put a hand on the man's shoulders, "sorry to tell you this but most of it," he shrugged, "it's true." Without a second thought he grabbed the man's gun and started taking out the others, shooting all five before turning to Mayer. "Who told you to rescue me, I know you didn't do it on a whim?"

"No one ordered me." Ward shot him in the leg and he fell, the former specialist bent over and collected his weapon. "I swear…"

"Wrong…" The only sound in the universe that could make him stop let itself be heard.

"Grant stop, we need him." Ward turned slightly to see Skye crawling out from the vehicle, clearly dazed but composed and bleeding. She limped slightly and Ward lowered the weapon, watching as she picked up something near the detached side mirror. Without hesitating she threw it at him and when it landed by his foot he saw it was an ICER. "Use that."

He picked it up and pointed it at Mayer, "you heard the lady."

"You're a traitor, abandoning Garrett and his plan for SHIELD…for some whore."

Ward shot him in the arm and watched him fall back before staring at the man. "Wrong words."

The man lay silent, knocked out by the ICER round as Ward made his way over to Skye. She looked at him but didn't move as he turned her head slightly to see the wound. "I'm fine, Grady and Matthews aren't."

Bending down, he pulled Grady out by his tactical vest and bent down to check the man. Skye groaned as she bent down but met Ward's eyes. "He'll live, bleeding is superficial and just from being knocked around. I'll check on Matthews, you should call SHIELD and let them know where we are."

As he stood to move around to the other side of the overturned vehicle, Skye's voice made him pause. "You didn't run, you could have gone with them. Why didn't you?"

He found her eyes looking up at him and followed as he bent beside her. "I told you I wouldn't turn my back on you. I made some wrong choices but you were my only right one, you're worth more than my freedom." He stood and moved to the other side of the vehicle, pulling the agent with him.

Skye sat against the overturned vehicle and brushed her hair back. "How is he?"

"Alive, just unconscious." Ward sat down beside her, "you contact SHIELD yet?"

She peeled back her hair and pulled it into a ponytail. "After the attempted kidnapping by my psychotic, murder-loving father three months ago Coulson and May said if I wanted to continue field work than I'd have to be chipped. I have a microchip attached to my femur that records vitals and has GPS." Sighing, she looked at the former specialist. "I give it an hour before they arrive."

Grady groaned before pulling a hand to his head. "What the hell happened?"

Skye shrugged as she brushed dirt from her jeans, "we rolled, HYDRA tried to take Ward, he killed all but one and got you and Matthews out of the vehicle."

That had the man sitting up immediately to see Ward beside Skye, the former specialist just put up a hand as if to say hello. Grady narrowed his eyes, "why didn't you ICE him?"

"No need, he's not running." Skye leaned her head back, "besides, with you two knocked out I may have needed him if HYDRA had more men on the way."

"Let's take their damn vehicle and get the hell out of here." Grady started to stand and walk towards one of the HYDRA vehicles.

Skye sighed and looked at Ward, "he makes you look like a big damn fluffy bunny with that personality he has." She rolled her eyes, "Grady get back here, those things have trackers just like ours do and I don't even want to guess what other surprises they hold. SHIELD will be here within the hour so just calm down and enjoy the desert."

"I'm not sitting around here…"

"I said get back here and that's an order!" Skye raised her voice but kept it even. Grady paused and turned to look at her, "don't make me repeat myself. I can put a disciplinary action against you for disobeying orders, don't make me do that."

The man huffed over and leaned down to grab the gun beside Ward before sitting down. "Like I'm letting you have a weapon."

"Who am I going to shoot?"

"Shut up, without chains or not you're still a damn prisoner."

Like she'd said, within an hour two SHIELD vehicles were rolling up and May got out of one. She walked over to them and Skye stood, with a little help from Ward as he gripped her arm to steady her. May looked at the bodies, vehicle and finally at Ward before speaking.

"What the hell happened here?"

Skye motioned to the two abandoned vehicles, "HYDRA found us, shot at us and caused the vehicle to roll. Next thing I know, I wake up to Ward taking out their team and interrogating the knocked out one over there." She motioned to the unconscious HYDRA agent. "He then pulled Grady and Matthews from the vehicle, made sure they were alive before sitting down to wait."

May narrowed her eyes on Ward, "you could have run."

"Some things are more important than freedom." His eyes floated to Skye for a half-second before returning to the Calvary, however she hadn't missed the movement. "I'm prepared to return to my cell or wherever you want to put me."

"That'll be up to Director Coulson." She looked at Skye, "get him to the vehicle while I get Grady and Matthews squared away. Where's Roswell?"

Skye looked down, "he got hit when they started firing at us. If it wasn't for Ward I'd have been shot too."

Grady seemed to even look at Ward when the hacker-turned-field-agent spoke. "How?"

She shrugged, "he leaned forward and pushed me down while you were busy firing, several bullets missed me. I know because I saw them in the dashboard after they missed."

"Get to the vehicle." May's voice was stern but softer than before, an agent moved forward to handcuff Ward but she put an arm out. "He doesn't need restraints. Skye get loaded while we take care of this."

A/N: Well...is this the start of redemption for Ward? Who agrees that Skye will most likely be the light that makes him change?

Next...um, not sure yet.

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