A/N I absolutely ship carvis, or jeggy or whatever you want to call them. Anyway this takes place a few months after the season finale and the two haven't really seen each other in a while. Hope you enjoy it, please review, I like to know what people are thinking.
Peggy stood beside a tree watching from a distance. It didn't feel right to go over there now. Not while there were still people standing around, granted there weren't many. But all the same it wouldn't have felt right, they knew her, really knew her, were as Peggy had only heard of her. So Peggy decided to wait, wait until all the other people had said their goodbyes and left their flowers and gone. Waited until it was just him standing there under his black umbrella, looking down at the stone.
Peggy sighed, she wasn't sure what to do, or say. Just be there, she told herself, because that's all she could do really, be there. And it may not seem like much, but when she thought about it she realized that she would've liked for someone to have been there for her. With that thought in her head Peggy made her way towards him until they were side by side.
"Hello miss Carter," Jarvis said not turning to look at her, he didn't sound like his usual, proper self. His voice was void of emotion, not sad, just empty. A tone of voice that Peggy knew all too well.
"Hello Edwin," Peggy said, looking down at the engraved stone, Anna Jarvis.
"You're a bit late, I'm afraid." Jarvis said turning to face her, he turned up the corners of his lips but there was no smile on his face.
"Actually I got here at ten exactly, I just... it seemed best if I waited." Peggy said, hoping he didn't think she didn't care. "The service was wonderful."
"Yes, it was all very nice... I'm glad you came," this time the smile was a bit more of a smile, but still forced.
"Of course, you asked me to." Peggy said, she looked down at the head stone once more and remembered the flowers in her purse with the tops sticking out. She reached down and grabbed them, the simple lilies tied together with a black ribbon.
"You didn't have to get flowers." Jarvis said slowly getting back his proper tone.
"I wanted to, it only seemed right." Peggy told him, setting down the flowers.
When she stood back up the two of them looked at the scene before them, it was pretty in a depressing sort of way. Beautiful flowers lying on the beautiful green grass beside a beautifully cut slab of rock while pretty little drops of rain fell. But all the beauty seemed to be depressed by the grey clouds and the dark clothes and the fact that the head stone was a constant reminder that Anna Jarvis was no longer on this earth.
"Peggy Carter," Jarvis finally said breaking the silence. "Would you accompany me to afternoon tea?"
"Tea?" Peggy was surprised slightly, when Steve died she didn't want to be around anyone, let alone have tea.
"Yes, well it always seems to make me feel a bit better." Jarvis said back to his awkward self.
"Then it'd be my pleasure." Peggy said with a smile as Jarvis linked his arm through hers and sheltering her from the rain with his umbrella.
They went to a little cafe not far from the cemetery. It was nice and quiet, an easy place to just talk. Jarvis ordered the tea for them and Peggy was surprised to find that Jarvis still remembered his she liked her tea. After all it had been over half a year since everything with Leviathan and they hadn't really been in touch since.
The two sat there drinking their tea quietly. Jarvis was deep in thought, Peggy could tell by the look on his face. She slowly set down her cup and opened her mouth to say something, but changed her mind.
"I... I hope you don't mind my asking," Peggy started, having changed her mind again, "but, well, what exactly happened?"
Jarvis lifted his eyes to her, he didn't seem bothered by the question. Peggy was a bit worried that it was a rude thing to ask when he didn't respond immediately. Jarvis took a sip of tea then set down the cup before speaking.
"Anna had cancer, has for quite some time." Jarvis said in a sort of melancholy tone. "I knew this was coming."
"Cancer? Why didn't you tell me?" Peggy asked, surprised. She thought it was a sudden death, not some illness.
"We didn't tell anyone really," Jarvis said, "I never quite liked the way a person looks at you when you tell them your spouse has an incurable illness, and Anna didn't enjoy the looks of pity either." Peggy understood that, remembering the first few months after Steve's death. Anyone that knew of this relationship would look at her as if she was a hurt puppy... She absolutely hated it.
"It was just easier for both of us to only tell family." Jarvis continued, not noticing the look on Peggy's face. "Although she only had a few family members left and only some of my relatives really cared. Most of them thought I had thrown away everything for Anna and resented her for it."
"That's why there were so few people there." Peggy noted, more to herself than to Jarvis.
"Yes, I was able to fly in her brother and two cousins and one of my cousin came. But that's alright, Anna wouldn't have wanted anything too big." Jarvis replied taking another sip of tea. Peggy was silent so he decided to change the subject. "How have you been?"
"Hmm? Oh, fine I suppose, I haven't been doing much. I'm sort of on a holiday." Peggy said with an embarrassed smile, then admitted the truth, "I've been so bored."
"Yes, everyday life does seem a bit dull when no one is shooting at you." Jarvis said with a grin. Peggy laughed.
"You'll never guess how many times I've picked up the phone, debating whether or not to ask for my job at the SSR back." Peggy said with a smile.
"About thirty times, probably." Jarvis said with a grin, "well, that's just about how many times I've done the same thing, thinking about calling you."
"You thought about calling me?" Peggy asked.
"Yes, well, being butler to a man that's never around can get quite tedious and Anna was still very independent, even in her last month's. She never wanted me to do all the work around the house, said I had 'worked quite enough lately' and that I needed to relax. I think I may have relaxed a bit too much, truthfully." Jarvis said.
"You talk about her in past tense." Peggy said without thinking, but she couldn't help but notice how easily it came to him. After she said it, however, Peggy realized just how awful that must have sounded.
"Anna was gone long before she passed" Jarvis said before Peggy could apologize. "To be completely honest, it was almost a relief when she did finally go. Don't get me wrong I loved her, I wanted her to stay, but... it's so hard to see someone you love in so much pain for so long. At least now I know she isn't hurting."
Peggy stared down at her cup thinking about what he just said. "Is it easier that way?" Peggy asked, "losing someone slowly as opposed to all at once?"
Jarvis took a moment to find an answer. "No," he finally said, "no they're both equally horrible... however it may be easier to move on because of it."
"I do hope you're right there," Peggy said, "it took me forever to move on after Steve died and to be totally honest I'm still not sure I've come to accept it all."
"Some day, Peggy, we'll both move on." Jarvis said with a sigh. Peggy smiled back, swallowing down the rest of her tea and silently praying that he was right.