Peggy smiled at M as she attempted to embarrass the double-0 standing near the door. "I'm fairly certain the double-0's can't blush, M."

M turned her head slightly towards her agent. "Perhaps, James simply doesn't have any shame."

James smirked at them both and cracked his neck before pretending to ignore them completely.

M turned back around with a chuckle. "I understand that your boy Fury has a flying monstrosity now."

Peggy snorted. "He most certainly isn't my 'boy.' That flying monstrosity is supposed to defending the world."

With a hum, M leaned forward to pick up her tea cup.

The door near James cracked open and Peggy's butler stuck his head in.

"Ma'am, there appears to be aliens attacking New York."

Peggy frowned. "Aliens."

"Yes, ma'am."

Peggy nodded and sat down her cup. "Get me a line to Fury."

"Right away, ma'am." The butler disappeared as James held the door open to watch him go.

Peggy gestured towards her office. "Let's see how bad it actually is." She lead M and James into her office. Turning on her news streams they all stared.

Peggy glared as the replacement Captain America appeared in one of the streams. "I still want to know what Fury was thinking having someone take up Steve's role."

M covered her mouth with her hand as another screen showed the Hulk smashing alien soldiers. "I'm curious as to how many he had to go through to find one that would."

They watched for several minutes until Peggy's phone buzzed.

She picked it up. "Yes?"

"I have gotten through to Agent Hill, ma'am."

"Very well." Peggy twisted the phone cord around her hand as the line clicked over several times.

"Ma'am?"

"Agent Hill, I want to speak to Director Fury."

There was a pause as something on Hill's end of the line made a screech noise. "This isn't the best time, Director Carter."

Peggy rolled her eyes. "Yes, I can see that by the amount of aliens invading New York City. One hour, Agent Hill, and I will be calling back."

"Yes, ma'am."

Peggy thumped down her phone and looked up in time to see a camera pan across a group of civilians being herded along and in front of them was... "It can't be." She picked up the remote for the screens and paused the one she was staring at.

"Can't be what, Peggy?" M stepped closer as Peggy drifted over.

Peggy touched the cheek on the screen. "Steve."

M looked from the screen to her and back. "He died."

Peggy whirled around and grabbed up her phone. "Thomas, I'm going to the States. Get my passport and the go bag ready." She hung the phone up and looked again at the screen. "He time traveled or someone cloned him, which means his body was found. Either way I need to get there."

M nodded. "Of course, dear." She turned towards James. "Go along with her. I want to know details."

James nodded even as he kept watching the screens. "Yes, mum."

Agent Hill had just settled into her chair as the Director took his proper place when another agent touched Hill's shoulder. She turned towards them. "What?"

"Uhm, ma'am, there's a Carter on the line wanting to talk to the Director."

Grimacing, Hill clicked over to the line the agent indicated. "Ma'am..."

"Don't ma'am me, Agent Hill. He will speak to me now. Right now. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am." Hill muted the line and turned her head. "Sir, Former Director Carter is on the line."

Fury winced. "Tell her I'm unavailable, Hill."

Hill mentally rolled her eyes. "Yes, sir." She clicked the line back one. "Ma'am, he is currently..."

"Do not tell me that, Agent Hill. I know he's standing right there trying to look badass. You will put him on. The. Line."

"One moment, Director." Hill muted the line again and glared at Fury, who was pretending to be busy with his screens. With an annoyed snort, Hill pulled up a secure line to medical. "I need to talk to Agent Coulson."

"He's barely awake. Can't it wait?"

Hill rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Not really. Please?"

There was an irritated sounding noise and then footsteps.

"What?"

Hill grinned at the guff sound of Coulson's voice. It was good to hear him alive. She walked across the bridge to get out of Fury's earshot. "I have a situation. How do I tell the Former Director that the current Director is too scared to talk to her?"

"She's...seen the...Captain?" Coulson's gasping breaths sounded clear.

"From her tone, oh, yes."

"Find a...junior agent that...hasn't...fielded a...call from...Boss' mother."

"Oh." Hill grinned wide. "You are the best, sir."

"Sure. Can...I sleep now...Hill, or...do...I need to come...up there?"

Hill headed for the agent that had been playing that stupid game when Stark had come on the bridge. "I promise to let you rest now, Agent. You are supposed to be dead after all."

There was a pained laugh and then tsking from the nurse. Hill clicked that line off and switched back over as she stepped up beside the target agent. "Ma'am, I'm sorry to make you wait. I'm having to have another person transfer you on to him. Just a moment."

There was a snort from the Former Director. "Oh, this should be lovely. Do go on."

Hill muted her again and leaned down to loom over the agent. "You will patch this call through to the Director and tell him it's his mother calling. Understood?"

The agent gulped and nodded. "Uh, yes, ma'am."

"Good." Hill headed back over to her station as Fury's headset beeped.

"Yes?" Fury's expression softened. "Put her through."

Hill bit her lip as Fury's head jerked to the side. He glared at her as he turned away from his screens. "No, ma'am..."

Hill smiled as she brought up her screens as she sat back down. Fury strode from the bridge as the fastest pace he allowed when he wasn't trying to stop nukes.

Peggy shook her head as a baby agent lied to Fury about her being the Director's mother before patching her straight to him. "Nicholas Fury. I am not pleased."

"No, ma'am..." Fury's footsteps sounded hurried. "I am certain..."

"Oh, don't give me that. Is it actually him?"

There was the sound of a door shutting. "Yes. He was found by Stark Industries and when they thawed him out he started breathing. He's been awake a couple of months now."

Peggy wanted to shred something, preferably Fury's beloved coat. "You failed to mention that at last week's briefing."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I will be landing in New York in less than an hour. I expect him to not have disappeared." She narrowed her eyes as she hardened her tone of voice. "Am I understood?"

"Perfectly, ma'am."

"Good. How is my favorite agent? I didn't get him when I called."

"He is currently listing as deceased."

Peggy cocked her eyebrow. "Currently?"

"There was a small stand off between him and Loki."

"I take it Loki is responsible for his injuries?"

"Yes." Fury settled against something that creaked. "Coulson's surgery went well. Medical is confident he'll make a full recovery."

"He had better." Peggy looked out her window to the plumes of smoke coming up from the city below them. "I'm descending now. I expect an update on my favorite agent's condition by nightfall, Nicholas."

"I'll send one along, ma'am."

Peggy leaned back in her seat. "You did a fine job with the Avengers' Initiative. Don't let those bloody idiots on the Council try to tell you any different."

"Yes, ma'am." Fury sighed softly. "Thank you."

"Nicholas, if you ever try to wiggle out of speaking to me again I will be miffed. Do I make myself understood?"

Fury hung up on her.

Peggy smiled at James watching her. "I scare him."

James smiled back at her. "Yes, mum, you do."

Steve kicked softly at Tony poking him in the knee. "Go 'way."

"Trust me, you want to wake up."

Steve cracked an eye open and frowned at Bruce holding out a clean shirt at him. "What?"

Bruce smiled softly. "Get dressed, Steve. You really want to be cleaned up."

With a groan, Steve sat up and scrubbed his hand over his face. "Okay. Why?" He stripped his under layer of uniform up and over his head, the scab over his shoulder wound pulling away with the fabric. He glanced at the healed skin before shrugging into the shirt Bruce handed him.

Tony grinned wide and threw jeans at Steve's head. "Surprise for you."

Steve caught the jeans and sat them aside as he looked from Bruce to Tony and back. "Do I want this surprise?"

Bruce nodded hesitantly. "I think you do, yes."

Steve ignored Tony's nodding so hard he had to hold onto the back of the couch Steve was sitting on so that he wouldn't fall over. "Alright. Tony, stop nodding." He slipped out of the rest of his uniform and into the jeans. They fit like they'd been molded to him.

"Sir, the Captain's guest is requesting permission to use your elevator."

Tony smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Awesome, Capsicle. Just in the nick of time. Permission granted, J."

Steve stood and nudged his shield where it stood at the end of the couch with his heel. "What's going on? I don't have anyone to be my vistor, Tony."

Tony headed over to the bar. "Sure you do, Cap."

Bruce kept close to him. "You might want to sit back down."

Steve turned his head to ask why when the elevator dinged. Steve turned towards it as the doors slid open.

Peggy stepped out of the elevator and stopped to stare at him. So young, still so very handsome. "Steve."

He blinked, took a breath, blinked again, and then fell down to sit on the couch behind him. "Wha..." The man beside Steve, Dr. Banner, if Peggy had her briefing packets right, put his hand on Steve's shoulder.

Peggy moved over to them and stood in front of her wonderfully alive, Steve. "You owe me a dance."

Steve nodded dumbly. "I...uh, I still haven't learned how."

He started to stand back up, so Peggy shoved on his shoulder and settled right down into his lap. He froze and stared at her like she was going to shoot at him again.

"I can still teach you."

He snorted and wrapped himself around her, burying his face in her neck.

Bruce backed off a little when Steve's scent leveled out from terrified to happy with a side of worry. Moving over to Tony, Bruce leaned against Tony's bar. "Who is she?"

"Peggy Carter."

"Oh." Bruce leaned more onto the bar. "The girl he left behind."

Tony put a drink down in front of him. "Yeah."

Bruce turned the glass around and around. "She's not as old as I would have thought."

"Retired Director of SHEILD. They all get longevity treatments." Tony poked Bruce in the ribs. "You don't know that, though."

"Sure." Bruce smiled wistfully and tired not to think about Betty.

Peggy smoothed Steve's hair back as he slept. "You are staring, James."

"He's in remarkable shape, mum."

"Yes." She looked up at the double-0 agent standing against the wall. "If you had the chance would you take the super soldier serum?"

"No, mum." He gestured at Steve. "There's been four times the failures as successes."

She lifted an eyebrow. "Each man was exposed differently as well as being vastly different themselves."

"Yes, and we are quite lucky that the Hulk has turned out to be aimable, mum."

Peggy nodded as she threaded her fingers through Steve's hair. "Yes, I suppose there is that."

Bruce looked up as Peggy settled next to him at the table. "Morning, ma'am."

"Call me Peggy." She sipped from her cup. "When you get around to asking Steve to help with your research make sure to explain to him that he's not a monkey doing tricks for you."

"Oh. Uh, okay." Bruce rubbed his fingertips across his forearm. "You think he'd consider helping?"

She smiled at him. "Yes. He is very...earnest. He wants to help people and he'll give all of himself to that role if you let him."

Bruce nodded. "I'll be careful with him, Peggy."

She patted him on the shoulder. "Very good. Now, let's make a phone call, shall we?"

"A phone call?" Bruce leaned a little away from her. "What do you mean?"

Peggy took a sip from her cup even as she smiled. "JARVIS, please place a call to Dr. Betty Ross."

"Yes, Director."

Bruce frowned. "Director?"

Peggy nodded as ringing filled the air. "I was the director of SHEILD before Nicholas. Tony has instructed JARVIS not to use 'former' when he addresses me."

The ringing cut off mid-sound with a click. "Hello?"

Peggy smiled at Bruce staring helplessly at her. "Hello, my I speak to Dr. Ross?"

There was a huff. "Speaking, but I'm telling you right now I will not talk bad about Dr. Banner. I have no comment about the sightings today and..."

"No, no." Peggy patted Bruce's hand. "I thought you might want to know that Dr. Banner doesn't know you were told he never wanted to speak to you again."

Bruce jerked.

"What?" Betty's voice rose. "What do you mean he..." There was a thud and then Betty sounded like she was moving. "He...He didn't..."

Peggy nodded. "No, dear. He most certainly didn't. Would you like to speak to him?"

"You know where he is...I mean, he didn't run right after the..." It sounded like she was rummaging through her purse. "I think this line is bugged."

"I'm certain JARVIS is keeping any Army annoyances from hearing. Isn't that right, JARVIS?"

"Yes, Director."

Betty snorted. "Annoyances. That's a lovely word for what amounts to stalking. I can...I can really talk to him?"

Peggy nodded to Bruce. "Yes, dear, of course you can. Right now, as a matter of fact."

Bruce swallowed, clearing his throat as he removed his glasses. "Betty?"

There was a squeal. "Bruce!"

Bruce rubbed his glasses on his sleeve and put them back on. "Betty, I didn't..."

"I can't believe you got him to fight. Oh, I know..."

"...I would never have..."

Betty voice kept getting happier sounding. "I know, Bruce. Do you remember anything better from this change?"

Bruce's face broke into a grin. "He likes Tony. I got a complete memory without distortions and it was about Tony."

"Tony? Who is...Wait. Tony Stark as in Iron Man?"

"Yes." Bruce tugged at his ear. "I wish you..."

Peggy patted Bruce's hand stopping what he was about to say. "Dr. Ross, sorry to interrupt. I'm sending a young man to come retrive you."

"Really?"

"Yes, his name is James Bond. Don't worry about your annoyances. Do pack lightly though."

Betty laughed. "I can do that."

Peggy gave her a description of James and then had JARVIS end the call.

Bruce rubbed his face with his hands. "She can't stay here. Her father will try to get her back."

With a nod, Peggy leaned back and sipped her tea. "We'll tuck her away safely. After you both have gotten to at least hug."

Bruce rubbed at his chest. "Thank you. I don't know how you even...Thank you."

"I headed a network of spies for most of my adult life." Peggy patted him on the shoulder. "It wasn't a very big problem to solve, young man."

Steve smiled as Peggy settled more of her weight against his side. "They gave me a file on you. I just didn't know how to explain about me."

Peggy hummed. "Yes, well, the first thought I had wasn't you reviving, that's for certain."

Steve leaned his head against the top of her head. "What was your first thought?"

"When I saw the footage from Germany I was quite upset that they had gotten someone who sounded so much like you to take up the shield. When I saw the footage of you without the cowl my next thought was that you'd somehow been cloned."

"Cloned?"

Peggy pulled away slightly. "What do they have you on? Modern-world-for-imbeciles?"

Steve shrugged. "I buried myself in a gym for the most part. I didn't try to learn anything, really."

"We'll see to that in short order." She patted him on the arm. "It means making an exact copy of the genetics and producing a person with the same characteristics as you."

"Wouldn't that just result in a small-Steve?"

Peggy shrugged one shoulder. "I'm not certain and I do not wish to find out."

Steve pulled her back in close to him. "There's been enough lives ruined by the serum anyway."

"Ruined? My life wasn't ruined, Rogers, and neither was yours."

Steve kissed the top of her head. "I was meaning Bruce losing his whole life and that soldier that tore up Harlem fighting Hulk."

"Ah. Well, I do hope you'll work hard to make him feel a part of your little rag-tag team."

"Rag-tag? We did save the world."

"Yes, because Stark aimed a nuclear warhead at an alien army's headquarters."

Steve wrapped his hand around her wrist. "There wasn't anywhere else to put it."

"I didn't say there was, just that Stark saved the world." She chuckled. "You should probably try not to mention that where he can hear."

"I'm never going to hear the end of that as it is."

Peggy smiled. "Probably not." She patted his forearm. "Rest, soldier."

Steve smiled as he turned his head to bury his nose in her hair and just be for a while.