Something Worth Saving

Chapter 13

Coulson walked into Ward's room with a sour expression on his face. Ward saw this and raised his hands in surrender, "I didn't try escaping."

"I know you didn't," Coulson sat down in the chair.

"Then why the expression?"

"Fury gave me control of S.H.I.E.L.D. when he left. As director, I'm forced to look at things objectively instead of being emotionally influenced by them. The Avengers, well, Natasha, brought it to my attention that we haven't been treating you...fairly."

Ward raised an eyebrow, "that was not what I was expecting to hear this morning."

Coulson sighed. "I wasn't emotionally affected by the other sleeper agents within S.H.I.E.L.D. and after a year of proving their loyalty to us through numerous tests, I let them rejoin us. Unfortunately, as I said before, Natasha brought it to my attention that I hadn't been doing the same with you. You've given us information, you went in with us to save two of our own agents, and you've completely respected my rules during your recovery. Now that you're almost recovered, I'm giving you the option to rejoin S.H.I.E.L.D."

Ward's eyes widened almost comically as he stared at the man in front of him. Before he answered he narrowed his eyes again and asked, "is this a trick?"

Coulson sighed, "I wish."

"It would be my honor to rejoin, sir."

Coulson nodded. "I figured." He stood up from his chair and pressed a few buttons on his tablet. "I had Fitz reprogram your bracelet. Since you haven't undergone the lie detector test yet, you're still wearing the bracelet. You can now stay in here, your bunk, which I'll show you in a moment, the kitchen, and the lounge. Any infractions and you get put back in here."

"Understood," Ward nodded.

Coulson stood up and opened the glass door. "Follow me. I'm taking you to your bunk now."

Ward stood up and followed Coulson out of the room and down the hallways towards the bunks. Coulson swiped a lanyard on the keypad in front of the bunk and then handed it to Ward. "I'm short on agents to send into the field after Trip's death," he sighed, "and I can't send agents lower than level 3 on certain missions. So you're now a level 4 agent."

Ward nodded as he accepted the lanyard and put it around his neck.

The door opened to the bunk and Coulson smiled, "all yours."

__________________________

"Thought I would find you here," Lincoln said as he saw Ward creep into the kitchen at around 2 A.M.

Ward swore under his breath and turned on his heel. "How can I help you?"

"Just curious as to why you stay in your bunk all day every day and only come to the kitchen at 2:00 in the morning."

Ward sighed and turned around, starting to make himself a sandwich. "I've just been keeping out of the way."

"Why?"

"Does it matter?"

"I'm a curious guy," Lincoln shrugged and smiled.

"People aren't exactly comfortable with me being around," he explained as he poured himself a glass of milk. "I betrayed their trust almost a year ago."

Lincoln's brow furrowed. "Is that how you see it? Because just yesterday Fitz was asking where you were and why you weren't around."

"He should be one of the ones who hates me the most."

"Except he wanted to talk to you," Lincoln explained with another shrug.

"You're wrong. Fitz hates me."

"Not how I saw it. Apparently I'm the only one who figured that you came to the kitchen late at night, so I figured someone ought to tell you. Maybe try coming out of your room every once and a while. You might be surprised," Lincoln advised as he stood up off the chair and walked out of the kitchen, leaving a stunned Ward behind him.