DISCLAIMER: Agents of SHIELD and its characters are owned by Marvel Entertainment.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: For my favourite pain in the ass, who has been a bright spot in a personal dark time.

Christmas Plans

It seemed all clear. Ward turned to go back for Skye – and found her already there, the dead man's gun leveled at him.

"You're going to shoot me now?" he asked.

Skye didn't even blink, keeping the gun trained on him. "Not if you come back with me willingly."

"Is it ever willingly when the alternative is death?"

Her finger tightened on the trigger.

"Ok! Just one question, though…why?"

"Maybe I'll tell you someday, Ward. Until then, turn around and let's move."

Jemma Simmons hummed happily to herself on the ladder as she hung a wreath. Daisy Johnson was spotting for her teammate. "Perfect!" she called.

In response, Jemma placed a magnetic peg to the wall and settled the wreath on it. Climbing down, she exchanged high fives with Daisy before moving the ladder into position for placing a garland. SHIELD might not be the same as a cozy cabin with a roaring fireplace, but that didn't mean it had to be devoid of cheer, either.

"So do you plan on staying here for Christmas?" Jemma asked her friend while she climbed to start to the garland.

"Straight on!" Daisy announced, to which Jemma placed a peg to hold the garland. Daisy held the rest of it while Simmons moved the ladder to the next position, shrugging in answer to the question. "This has been – well, kind of my home for a while now, so I guess so. It's not like I've got anyone I consider family except you guys."

Jemma smiled brightly. "Sister!" She hugged her laughing friend before returning to hanging the garland.

"So, what are your plans?" Daisy inquired.

"Same as yours, really, but for different reasons. I'd love to get away and have some breathing room, but Fitz and I both have experiments we're running that need to be monitored, so we'll be staying right here. I think almost everyone is staying, actually, except Mack."

"Mack's going away?"

"To the best of my knowledge, yes. I'm not sure about Ward, but everyone else should be here, so you'll be in good company."

"Always nice." Daisy smiled, but the gears were turning inside. Despite the fact Coulson said Ward had made tons of progress in psychological therapy and was well on his way toward earning back lost trust and forgiveness, she still felt the need to monitor him over Christmas.

She and Jemma chatted some more while the decorations continued, but once that was done Daisy excused herself to go get a snack. She passed several people she knew along the way, exchanging greetings and holiday well-wishes. Not everyone celebrated Christmas; several celebrated other things, and some didn't celebrate anything at all. It led to a staggered leave schedule, which meant there was always a decent level of personnel available but also meant that until the new year was well underway things were going to feel a little weird, as there would always be some familiar faces missing as the various holidays came and went.

Turning a corner, she nearly collided with just who she was thinking about.

"Sorry," apologized Ward, taking a couple steps back.

"No, it's ok, more my fault than yours," Daisy told him. She brushed back a lock of hair, tucking it behind her ear. "I was just on my way to get a bite, want to come with?"

He shook his head. "Can't."

"Ok. Rain check for Christmas dinner, maybe?"

His face was carefully blank. "Plans."

"You're going away?"

"Yeah."

Daisy hoped she looked disappointed instead of unsurprised. "Oh. Some other time, then."

"Sure."

They went on their separate ways. Except once she was sure she was out of his sight, Daisy changed course, going first to Fitz and sweet-talking a couple toys out of him, then on down to the garage. He wouldn't take a SHIELD vehicle, she was sure. He'd want his personal wheels. So she went right to his Road King.

This was Ward. Even with his bike, he wouldn't take chances. So she took one of the trackers Fitz had given her and planted it behind the seat, activating it. The second one she placed inside the gas tank, just far enough inside it wouldn't risk jarring or damage from a gas pump nozzle. She left it unactivated for now. If Ward scanned for devices, he'd find what he was looking for and be satisfied.

Her covert activities done, Daisy went to finally get her snack. She would miss being around the people who had come to be family on Christmas, but not shooting him when she had the chance made her responsible for Ward. With his one-word responses, she was certain something was off about him. She was going to find out what.