Disclaimer
I do not own either of the characters in this story. This is just what I think could have happened. It's called FANfiction for a reason.
Summary: A/U. What if Peggy had survived just like Steve? What if Steve got a second chance?
"Peggy, where are we going?" Steve asks, following her around another corner. The pitter patter of their feet echo down the hallway. The chill in the air makes her shiver. "Here," he says taking off his sweatshirt, "Take it." She smiles tugging it on over her simple black shirt. "Why are we underground?"
"I'll answer all of your questions when we get to the lab," Peggy answers jogging down the hallway.
"Gosh, I hate surprises," he mutters, raking a hand through his hair. He picks up the pace and catches up to her in no time.
"You're working with Fury, get used to it," she says with a slight smirk. He studies the back of her head, trying to place why she looks different.
"You let your hair grow out didn't you?" He finally says.
"Took you long enough. You were good in the war but just awful with girls."
"Yeah, I suppose I was. Err, am," he says as they lapse into silence. She turns right three times, then left twice. Finally, they stop in front of an old lab door. "I take it this is the place," he says opening the door. He inhales a lungful of dust and mildew. "Ack," he says coughing.
"Wrong room," she says.
"What do you," he pauses to cough, "mean wrong room?"
"It's this one," she says pointing to the one right next to it. Steve rolls his eyes and opens that one. "No dust bunnies?" Peggy asks with a tone of mischief.
"None that have attacked me," he says stepping inside. "Why am I here again?" Steve asks changing the topic. He walks deeper into the room, around old tables and broken equipment.
"Steve, how long have you been back?" She asks pulling herself up on the counter. He stays quite, looking around the room. "Everyone you know, and everyone we knew is dead. I've watched a new age come. Technology has improved beyond what we thought possible. I thought I had seen it all in that war. When you became a super soldier. I've been an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D since it was formed. I still have yet to meet someone who measured up to you," she says taking a deep breath.
"But you did. You found someone who gave you the world. You fell in love, and got married," Steve says crossing his arms.
"Yes, I did love him," she says. "I don't know how but I did. We were happy, then he died because he found out what my work was. People say it's possible to just move on and forget the pain. Steve," he looks up, "I never forgot you," she says, a sad smile stains her face. "I can't lose you. You're all I have left."
"Don't you have children or family?" Rodgers asks.
"No, I can't have kids," she says leaning back against the cabinets.
"I'm sorry, Peggy I had no idea."
"You can't either," she says. Steve takes a deep breath.
"What do you mean?" Steve asks hoping he misheard her. "You-you're saying I can never be a dad?"
"I'm sorry Steve I suppose Howard didn't tell you that did he? That was one of the side effects of the super solider program." He shakes his head, and paces back and forth.
"I can't lose you," she says softly. Steve turns around and walks toward her.
"Hey," he says putting a hand on her cheek. "What makes you think I'm going anywhere? I'm sticking around for a long time. Trust me. Who else would annoy you to death?"
"Tony would," she mutters.
"You replaced me that quickly? Ouch," he says a teasing smile on his face. He shoves his hands in his pockets and sits next to her.
"I didn't replace you, he stepped up. Not my fault he's a jerk," she corrects.
"Are you saying I'm a jerk? Wow, first you try to kill me then you insult me," he says shaking his head.
"I did not try to kill you," she says staring at the wall.
"I can think of two occasions. One, when you shot a gun at me, and two when you let the dust bunnies attack me. How could you?" He asks in mock offence.
"Not my fault that mighty Captain America couldn't handle a room of dust."
"It's called allergies. If I remember correctly, you also had them. Didn't you complain about the amount of pollen in Spring?"
"Fine, you win," she says shaking her head.
"Why are you giving me that look?"
"You mean the, 'you're seventy years late for our dance' look? Because you didn't show up."
"To be fair you did make a date with a dead man."
"That excuse isn't going to work," she says hopping off the counter and turning toward the door.
"This is not all on me," he says holding his hands up. "We both knew what was going to happen." She glares at him spinning around.
"You can't just stand me up on a date and expect everything to be fine. I went there that day. Even though I knew you wouldn't come. You couldn't come. My heart shattered, I-"
"Peggy, wait. I'm here now. Let's just focus on that okay?" Steve says cutting her off.
"But for how long Steve? How long before you're gone? Forever this time."
"That's the thing, I don't know. I have a feeling I'll be around for a while," he confessing scratching the back of his neck. "How did you survive?" He asks changing the topic.
"What?" Confusion clouds her face.
"How are you still young like me?"
"After," she pauses taking a deep breath. "After you vanished I went through a super soldier experiment. They figured I had a reason to fight I suppose. It was different that yours. I wasn't upgraded for physical strength. I don't have bulging biceps like you, but I have heightened senses. It's quite queer honestly. One of the side effects is I can't have kids, but also my life span is twice as long as most peoples. But I only start aging… in the last thirty years of my life," she says biting her cheek.
"Peg, how do you stand the scraping of forks on plates?" He asks in a teasing tone.
"There's a reason everything I own is plastic," she says with a small smile. She turns her back to him and walks toward the door.
"Margret," Steve says quietly stopping her in her tracks.
"Yes?" She asks turning around.
"How about that dance? Better late than never right? I will warn you, I still can't dance," he confesses.
"Well good thing you have me for a teacher," she says moving the tables against the wall. "Put your hands on my waist, good. Now I'm going to put my hands around your neck and just sway to the music."
"What music?"
"This," she says pulling out her phone and playing the one song she has on it. They sway until the song ends.
"Peggy, I need to tell you something," he says closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.
"Yes?" She asks looking at him. He glances down, and kisses her. For anyone else they would have gotten a black eye or some other brutal punishment. But this was Steve Rodgers, Captain America. The boy who had claimed her heart all those years ago. She smiled as they pulled apart.
"Would you give us another shot?" He asks hope filling his face.
"Steve," she says slowly as if it hurt her. "I've changed. I'm not the same person I was seventy years ago. I've done things. Horrible, twisted things. Anything you may have felt, or we may have had is gone. You'll never be able to look me in the eyes again once you know what I did."
"Look at me," he says tilting her chin up. "There is nothing you could have done that would change the way I feel about you." He looked down at her with a small smile. "Tell me your demons, let me help, just like you helped me all those years ago."
