Out of the Framework, into the reality (Skyeward fanfiction)

Chapter 21: Downhill

It was a dark night and he had to be careful not to wake her, because she was already suspiscious. He went out of bed, put on his black jeans, black t-shirt and his statement leather jacket. He looked back to see her sleeping peacefuly. She was a fire, but whe she slept she was more like a still water. Her black curls he lowed to twirl in his fingers were spread all over her pillow. He took one other look at her before he slipped out of the bedroom and out in the darkness of the night.

He took his car and drove himself to a place he knew he could walk from undetectedly. Once he came to the location, he saw the all to familiar man with his cowboy hat on, denim jacket and mustache smoking outside of the entrance to the base, taking a break from his patrol, a shotgun in his lowered hand.

"So, you're on rota tonight, huh?" Ward asked the man.

"Better me than someone else, right?" Walker said back.

"Sure. I have some news for the Commander. You in the briefing?"

"I'll be there, son. I just need to finish this first" he showed his halfly smoked cigar. Ward nodded and went in.

"So, what's the news? Your girl finally on our side?" Walker asked as he got in the office where Mace and Ward have been waiting on him with Beckett, Simmons and Coulson.

"Not yet. But I've been named the new head of specialist, which has given me the access to all the levels. I still haven't been down to levels 9 and 10 since they are heavily guarded, and I didn't want to raise the suspiscion. But I have also been congadulated by Madam Hydra herself, who you won't believe is actually AIDA. She has gone full "Robots taking over" on us" he explained.

"No way, I thought we got rid of her once she has been discovered as mole and before SHIELD fell" Simmons commented.

"Well, she is alive, if I can even say that for a robot"

"Android" Simmons cut him of.

"Right, android. She has evolved. I don't know how she has taken over Hydra, but she is leading it without any mercy."

"What about Fitz and May, have you seen those two?" Coulson asked.

"Yes. I had the pleasure of working with both of them on missions, and they are two completely different people, as if they have been..."

"Brainwashed" Simmons finished for him.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Because Coulson has been brainwashed. Or at least they have tried to brainwash him but what has been done to him during the TAHITI project has kind of saved him." Simmons explained. "I have scanned his brain, and his brainwaves are different. I still havent't tested my findings on a fully brainwashed person, but I know I would be able to confirm that our friends have been indeed brainwashed"

"So, what should we do then? It's not like we can wash their brains back" Walker said.

"We need to get more people on our side. Our numbers have already grown significantly and our strikes have already messed with their plans, but we also lost one of our best recruiters. So Ward, you get us your girl, Beckett you try and recruit"Mace ordered.

"Sir, if I might add, agent Johnson is someone really observant and preceptive. She has cut onto us. She is already very suspiscious of me that I can't have any more contact with Ward so not to endanger our mission. Are we sure she is the right fit for us?" Beckett stated.

"Don't worry about Skye. She is suspiscious not only of you, but of everything going on at HYDRA at the moment. Just let me handle her, and you get us new people" Ward told her coldly.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where have you been, Grant?" Skye watched him as he entered her apartment from her place on the sofa, still wearing his shirt over her shorts with a cup of coffee in hand.

"Morning to you too" he said as he threw his jacket and went to sit by her. He went in to kiss her, but she backed away.

"You haven't answered my question, Grant. And don't you dare lie to me" she told him sternly. He looked straight into her brown orbs. He could see she was wary.

"I went out. Needed to clear my head"

"Why?"

"Why Skye? Are your really asking me that? Just a few days ago I was just a deputy, and now I am a freaking head of HYDRA"

"Well you wanted to climb the ladder of success" she told him.

"You are no help, you know that?" he told her, hinting a smile.

"I know. But I also know you and you'll manage it just fine. Jakub wouldn't have chosen you if he wasn't sure you could do it. Why do you think Jameson was a mere deputy for since even before I joined?"

"Maybe he just didn't like you enough to cover your back"

"Ha ha, very funny. He just wasn't that good. He was not my Aftershock" she told him tenderly, putting her cup down on the coffee table. She put her hands on his cheeks, feeling his stubble under her skin. She liked the feel of his stubble under her fingers. It just soothed her.

"Well, if I am the Aftershock and you are my Quake, then there is a need for a bang" he took her in his strong arms and put her down with a lot of care on the sofa.

"You know, you are here constantly, why don't you just move in here with me?" she asked him suddenly as she lay on her back, her face looking straight back at him who was hovering over her.

"You just know how to ruin the moment" he said as he  sat back straight and went with his finger through his short black hair. She knew he was upset.

"Why do you have a problem with that?"

"I don't. I just..."

"You just what, Ward?" She never called him Ward when they were togehter, unless she was angry or they were at work.

"I don't know, okay!" he basically screemed at her. She immediately froze and looked at him like a scared doe. "I am sorry" he calmed down. "It is just all too much"

"How is it too much to ask my boyfriend who is basically here every single night for the past year that we have been dating? I thought you and me were good enough to take that next step. I guess we are not!" she said angrily and marched to her bedroom, slamming the doors in his face.

He stood up to look back to where she just went. He screwed up. Big time. He could hear her soft cries coming from behind the door. She must have been crubled against the door crying her heart out. It pained him to listen to her cry, but what was he supposed to say? Yeah, sure and while we're at it, why not just get married? How could she not understand she fired it at him out of the blue? He needed to think. This time he went out just for that reason.

Later that night, he went back to her apartment. No sounds. He went to the bedroom to find it was unlocked. She was sleeping in the bed, all curled up with her pillow. He could tell she went to sleep upset. He decided, once they both sleep on it everything should be back to how it was. So he just stripped down to lay next to her on their bed. He had to admit, it did sound nice in his head to reffer to it as their bed. He could get used to it. As he laid down to her, he put his strong arms around her hoping she wouldn't just start yelling at him for it. Instead, she unconsciously pulled herself closer to him and took a deep breath in. He hoped it was a sign she would forgive him for being that stupid.