So Long

Chapter 2: Just A Routine Mission

"Tell me again what happened. From the beginning this time." Agent Coulson looked down at Ward, a small frown creasing the older man's forehead.

The specialist let out a deep sigh at his superior's words, as he couldn't help but feel that this was a pointless exercise. They had been over this already and he didn't think that there was much to talk about in the first place.

Skye had left him hanging and fled after she had found a way to get rid of the tracking bracelet and that was the end of it. Now all that was left to do was to alert HQ and make sure they put out a search warrant for her. He was certain that the young hacker had gone completely underground by now, but he wanted to make sure she was arrested the second she resurfaced again, should she ever be dumb enough to do so.

However, as Ward was a good agent, who obeyed orders, he didn't say any of this out loud. Instead he started to run Coulson through his and Skye's mission, even though their team leader already knew most of it anyway.

"It was just a routine mission. I was about to meet with our potential new asset, Dr. O'Leary, to make sure that his claim of having information about Centipede was valid. Skye and I came here to set up our operation base, as she was going to be my backup."

Ward's thoughts wandered back to a few hours ago, when he and Skye had entered the sparsely furnished hotel room. He had been carrying two heavy bags of equipment, while the smaller brunette had been clutching a binder of files against her chest, her steps bouncing with excitement.

"Thank you so much for taking me with you on this, Ward. I mean it. I know you could have had me run back-end from the Bus, so I really appreciate this. I'll be your eyes and ears on this mission. Or, well... at least an additional set of eyes and ears." Skye grinned awkwardly at her S.O. and pushed a strand of hair back behind her ear.

Ward's face was emotionless as he began to unpack their equipment, but it softened noticeably as he looked at Skye to hand over her laptop.

"You've been doing some very good work in the past few weeks; you deserved to go back out in the field."

The young woman smiled brightly at these words and Ward couldn't help but be infected by her good mood. He really had missed working with Skye like this.

"So, what do you think, if everything goes well today, is Coulson going to consider taking this thing off?" she asked, raising her hand so Ward could get a good look at the bracelet around her wrist.

The agent grimaced slightly, not wanting to make any promises.

"Honestly, I'm not sure and I can't really speak for him, either, but Agent Coulson might not be ready to trust you again just yet. Things like that, they take time."

Skye's face fell a little at this reply as she seemed to be realising that the consequences of her actions might not go away as quickly as she had hoped.

"But," Ward continued, causing the hacker to glance up at him with renewed hope, "should he ask for my advice, I'll tell him that I think you earned your old place on the team back. Unconditionally."

Practically grinning from ear to ear, Skye closed the small distance between her and the agent and embraced him enthusiastically, catching him completely off guard.

"I know I've said this before, but thank you so much, Ward. You honestly have no idea how much that means to me." They stood like this for a few seconds, but even though Agent Ward couldn't deny that he was enjoying Skye's closeness, they still had a job to do; so in the end he pushed her away gently, looking down at her.

"Alright, alright. But let's postpone the celebrations until after we finished this mission, okay?"

Becoming focused again, Skye nodded and grabbed the files she had put down on the table earlier.

"Sorry, you're right. Now, where were we?" She sifted through the various documents until she pulled one out and handed it over to Ward.

"Right, Dr. Thomas O'Leary, 54, biochemist who did some government work in the past, but has been working in the private sector for over a decade now. He used to work in a lab in D.C. that was destroyed in a fire five years ago and after that he was hired by the scientific research department of the Maher Foundation in Denver, Colorado. Now he's contacted SHIELD and claims that the foundation has been a front for Centipede all this time and he wants to come clean about the work he's been doing there.

You'll be meeting him at a café two blocks from here, see if he checks out and bring him in. That's it, no biggie," Skye finished with a smile, waiting for Ward to get to the end of the report.

As he handed the document back to her, the agent's eyes wandered over to the laptop set up on the table.

"And you'll be monitoring everything from here."

"Exactly. Coulson gave me access to a SHIELD satellite, so I'll be watching your every move, make sure O'Leary is alone and that everything goes according to plan." Looking down at her bracelet once more, Skye grimaced slightly before continuing. "And I guess during all of this someone somewhere will be watching my every move, making sure I'm not doing anything illegal. Or fun. Or whatever. Not that I'm complaining, though," she added sarcastically, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Understanding her frustration, but also needing his partner to be focused, Ward looked Skye directly in the eye and waited until she returned his gaze.

"Trust me, it's going to come off again, soon. As I said, you earned it. But for now you have to concentrate on the mission, alright?"

"Alright, fine," the young woman replied with a slight pout before getting back to her equipment and finishing the last preparations.

Back in the present, Ward clenched his fist unconsciously as he remembered his encouraging words to Skye just a few hours ago. 'You earned it', how laughable and naïve that now sounded to him.

He had been ready to trust her, had even been about to put in a good word with Coulson for her, yet again, and also yet again she had thrown this trust right back into his face. Wherever Skye was now, he was sure that she was still laughing at him, the SHIELD agent she had turned into a fool with nothing more but her beautiful smile.

To be continued...