X marks the spot

Seeds

"There is nothing more unsettling, being part of something so horrible. Completely unaware. The Cadet could have died." Better then knowing Aaron thought as Jemma and Fitz spoke about their device that was used to freeze a pool of water at their academy.

"Seems like it was planted in the filter days before." Ward added.

"You wouldn't exactly leave something like that in there on accident. Maybe someone wanted just them." Aaron voiced, Ward nodding along.

Fitz explained that the device used a nucleation process that Simmons had designed but used a delivery mechanism that he had made. Now I see why they're Fitzsimmons. Maybe they do click like Skye said.

"So, we're going to the academy?"

"Science and Technology Division. Cadets are pretty shaken over what happened. Agent Weaver asked if you could talk to the student body about potentiality. Calm them down."

"Of course, the talk. We've all had the talk." Simmons said, voice having a slight bit of dread or boredom? Aaron couldn't tell.

"We haven't." Skye said, looking up from her bowl and motioning between herself and Aaron.

"I had a different kind of 'talk'." He said, using air quotes for talk. Despite the fact that his head lowered to ignore the stares from the others.

"I guess you will." Ward said after a beat of silence, finally moving his eyesight from the boy, who had yet to look back up.

"Well, I've heard a lot about the academy. I'm excited to finally see it." Skye said, with genuine enthusiasm, which was paid off by two small smiles from the two scientists.

"Me too, never been to Sci-tech before. What about you firecracker?" He asked, trying to involve the boy more. Said person finally looked up, arms crossed as he leaned against the table.

"Yeah. Yeah, it'd be great. See where you guys came from. Take a break." He replied, a small smile showing on his face, but no one in the room believed it.

"Are you ok?" Fitz asked the question that everyone had been wondering. As he had been distracted lately, he'd always be finding something to do. Mainly punching a bag sure, but still, never sitting still. His hands always moving too if he was sat still, folding over each other or constantly clenching and unclenching. His brain constantly ticking and moving. Firing things off, most of them not healthy things.

"Yeah, fine." Was his response, which again, no one believed.

"Have you been taking your pills?" Aaron closed his eyes and rubbed them with his hands, in an attempt to wake up more.

"Yeah. Yeah, I have." There they were again, short answers. Straight to the point. And while that would have been fine with anyone else. With him, it always seemed like he had more to say but was afraid to say it. That something was holding him back.

"Aaron." His eyes moved to Ward's again, who's held a soft look in them, "I know I don't say this a lot. But, we're your teammates. More importantly, we're your friends. We just want to help you." Aaron had nodded, he wanted to believe them. Their actions had proved nothing but that so far.

"I know." He went to say something else but stopped himself, "There's always something up here though." He pointed to his head, "Something that.... I mean it...." He sighed, frustration building within him. Dragging a hand down his face, he finally resolved on that same smile coming back to his face, "It doesn't matter." He concluded. Ward let out a sigh at the boys stubbornness.