"She never married, Captain…"

"Eight o'clock on the dot. Don't you dare be late…"

It took every ounce of strength Steve had in his body to not pick up the telephone – though he didn't understand why the handset had no cord – and dial the ten or so digits that would connect him to Peggy.

He looked at her file every day. He didn't know why he hadn't destroyed it yet. Maybe because part of him was far too set on the dream they had once shared. He flipped through the papers again, the rain outside pelting the windows of his apartment. Nothing new was going to magically show up, he told himself. Nothing is going to change.

He threw the papers down, angry with every wrong decision he had ever made. Abandoning the desk and its chair, he pulled his shirt over his head and made his way towards the bed, hoping that maybe, just maybe, he would be able to sleep for once.

He found himself in a dance hall, no, a nightclub, that was completely empty, except for the music filling the air. It was entirely dark except for the spotlights on the dance floor. He was wearing his officer's suit, the khaki color oddly comforting, a single rose in his hands. Steve recognized the song, something from the Andrews Sisters…

"You made it."

The voice, so sweet and gentle, was one that he never thought he would hear again. He turned to find none other than Peggy Carter standing before him, wearing a blue and white polka dotted dress. Her red-stained lips tugged into a smile. He couldn't seem to breathe, let alone find the words to say everything he wanted to.

Instead, what came out was: "You doubted me, Agent Carter?"

"Not at all, Captain Rogers," she said, smiling again. Her auburn curls spilled over her shoulders more loosely than he had ever seen before. "I expected nothing less than perfect punctuality from the man who saved the world."

She began to walk to him. "Of course, what kind of hero can you be if you don't know how to dance?"

Something moved him offer his hand to her. "Peggy," he said, his voice low, "may I have this dance?"

Her hand fit in his perfectly – as though he had doubted it would – and they began to spin across the floor as Freddy Martin's "Symphony" filled the room. He tucked the rose into her hair, just behind her ear.

"Were you worried?" He asked as she showed him where to put his hand on her waist.

She rested her hand on his arm. "What matters is that you're here now, Steve."

He smiled at her and leaned down to place a chaste kiss on her lips. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

They danced for hours, or days, or years – it all felt like just mere seconds to Steve. He had his Peggy back. They talked and laughed and kiss. It was heaven for him. All too soon, though, she glanced up at the clock and heaved a heavy sigh.

"Steve," she said softly. "It's time for me to go. I'm sorry."

He stopped, Peggy still in his arms. "Well, I'll see you soon, won't I?"

She raised a hand to his face, easing some of his hair off of his forehead. "Oh, Steven," she laughed quietly, "You are meant for so much more than this."

He leaned into her touch, nuzzling her hand, kissing her palm. He pulled her closer, and kissed her lips – a long, languid kiss that would be remembered forever. "Peggy…"

"I could have spent forever with you," she told him. "Be happy. I'll see you… on the other side. Don't be late."

"Peggy," he said, frantic. She pulled out of his arms, and walked back into the darkness. "Peggy!"

His voice echoed around him as the music died. He looked down and saw a napkin poking out of his breast pocket. Stained with a red kiss, it read: To my Captain, with love for your next big adventure. – Peggy

The Stork Club faded as he stared into the darkness where Peggy had disappeared.

Steve woke up as the sun rose, golden rays of light spilling in his window and over his bed. He rubbed his eyes, surprised to find them wet, as though he had been crying. He had had the most glorious dream…

Brrrrring, brrrrring

Across the room, the phone rang. Not wanting to move, Steve let the answering machine – what a fabulous invention – take the call for him. A loud beep emitted from the machine, and then Nick Fury's voice filled the room. "Captain, I just received a call from Agent Carter's niece. She… She said that Ms. Carter passed away in her sleep last night –"

Steve ran for the phone, getting his foot tied up in the bed sheets. Once he was standing again, he grabbed the phone out of its cradle from on top of his dresser.

"Director Fury?" He was out of breath, hoarse.

"Captain!" The other man said. "I… Well, I'm sorry for your loss."

Steve leaned heavily on the dresser, pushing his hair out of his face. "Her niece, what did she say?"

On the other end of the call, Nick Fury sighed deeply. "Said she passed away in her sleep last night, with a peaceful smile on her face. They found a rose on her nightstand that the niece said she'd never seen before." The Director paused. "Anyway. I just thought you should know."

The other line went dead.

He walked back to his bed and sat down, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders, finding it suddenly hard to breathe. This is what she must have felt like when he had gone underwater. This pain, this feeling of having your heart ripped from your chest, was something he never wanted to wish on anyone. He set the phone down on his nightstand. A fleck of white caught his eye – was it...?

He reached out and tugged the little corner of the white thing until it came free of everything else on the stand. To my Captain, it read, with love for your next big adventure – Peggy. The same kiss from his dream was nested in the soft tissue. He ran his thumb over it, feeling the warmth of her memory flood his body.

They had had their date.

(A/N: This totally came out of nowhere tonight. Hope you liked it! :) I should get the chance to update my other stories sometime next weekend. Let me know what you thought! Also, I disclaim the second line at the very beginning. That's most definitely from the movie.)