This is a oneshot I wrote for my Dark Star universe. Hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: Don't own the Avengers or certain characters that may show up. ;)
Thanks to Kitty Lee Renner for being my beta!
Clint Barton walked into the Rec Room of the Avengers tower. His blue eyes glanced around the room. He smiled when he saw a familiar figure on the couch.
Casey Jackson was on the couch, one foot propped on the coffee table and the other foot tucked under her. She was wearing a blue tye-dye t-shirt, jeans and black high-tops. Her dark hair was pulled back into a simple braid.
Clint saw she was focused on her laptop and grinned. He leaned on the back of the couch and bent down next to Casey.
"Whatcha doin'?" Clint teased.
"Oh, hey." Casey glanced up from her laptop. Her bright green eyes flashed as she recognized Clint and smiled. "Just working on something..."
"Hm," Clint kept his eyes on the laptop screen as he moved around the couch and flopped down beside Casey. "Care to fill me in?"
"Sure..." Casey moved her laptop so that it was balanced between her leg and Clint's leg. I was looking over Steve Rogers' file and an idea hit me..."
Steve Rogers walked toward the Rec Room. When he entered the Rec Room, he was stopped by Clint and Casey. They were standing together, their arms crossed.
"Steve." Casey was the first to break the silence. "You're coming with us."
"Don't ask us where or why." Clint nodded. "Because we won't tell you."
"Okay..." Steve shrugged and raised an eyebrow.
"Come on." Casey took Steve by the arm.
Clint led the way into the elevator and pressed a button. Casey released Steve and he turned to face her.
"At least tell me something." Steve's blue eyes were filled with confusion. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong." Casey smiled. "We just have something we need you to do."
"What?" Steve pleaded.
"If we told you now," Clint was facing the elevator doors. "We'd have to kill you."
"Huh?" Steve looked at Clint.
"C'mon, Clint." Casey rolled her eyes. "You're going to get him nervous..."
"Can't you just tell me what's going on?" Steve glanced back at Casey.
Casey simply shook her head and the rest of the elevator ride was silent.
When the elevator doors opened, Clint and Casey led Steve to the garage.
They walked to a blue convertible and Casey motioned for Steve to get in the back. Clint sat in the passenger's seat as Casey climbed in the driver's seat.
"And we're off..." Clint muttered as Casey started the car.
Casey shifted gears and pulled the car out of the garage. After a few minutes, Clint spoke up.
"You got the address?" Clint looked at Casey.
"Yes." Casey handed Clint a scrap of paper. "It's right here."
"Address for where?" Steve leaned forward.
"You'll see when we get there..." Casey smirked.
After a few minutes of silence, Casey turned into a driveway. The driveway wound through a patch of trees and they came into a clearing; a gravel parking lot sat in front of a nice one-story building. A sign reading "Quiet Hills Assisted Living" hung above the front door.
"A nursing home?" Steve's eyes narrowed. "Is this some sort of joke? Did Stark put you two up to this?"
"No, it's not a prank." Clint rolled his eyes.
"And it's not a nursing home." Casey turned off the car. "The people here can take care of themselves; they just need someone to be around in case something bad happens."
"Okay..." Steve frowned.
"Come on." Casey grabbed her purse. "Let's go in."
Casey and Clint got out of the car. Steve paused a moment before climbing out of the back. Casey led the way to the front door.
"Okay," Steve said. "I know where we are. Now, can you tell me why?"
"You'll see soon enough." Casey opened the door.
Clint and Steve followed Casey into the lobby of the rest home and she motioned for Steve to follow her. She led him into what appeared to be the dining room.
"Steve, you stay here." Casey pointed to Clint. "Clint, you come with me."
"What-"
"Just calm down." Clint interrupted Steve. "Your questions are about to be answered."
Clint followed Casey out of the room, leaving Steve alone. He turned his back to the door and looked around the dining room. It was a nice place, but not too fancy. A large metal door was in the middle of the back wall and Steve suspected it led to the kitchen. His thoughts were interrupted by a shuffling noise behind him.
He spun around to see an older woman walking slowly into the dining room. Her dark grey hair hung to her shoulders in waves and her slightly wrinkled face seemed familiar to Steve. Even thought she had to be in her 80's, Steve thought she had a graceful beauty about her. She looked at Steve for a moment before her hand came to her mouth.
"Steve?" She gasped softly.
"How do-" Steve's jaw dropped.
Memories flooded into Steve's head as he looked at the old woman. Tears began to form in his eyes as he realized where he had seen the woman before.
"Peggy?" Steve stepped toward her.
The woman smiled. "I can't believe you recognize me..."
"I never forgot you..." Steve and Peggy were less than two feet apart now.
"I couldn't forget you." Peggy looked at Steve. She may have been scarred and wrinkled by time, but her eyes were still bright and full of life.
"I can't believe-" Steve's voice was choked. "After all these years..."
"You're lucky." Peggy's eyes were filling with tears. "You haven't aged a bit..."
"You're still beautiful." Steve took Peggy's face in his hands. "You know-"
Steve's eyes fell on the radio on one of the tables. He moved to it and turned the sound up. He flipped through several channels until he heard a soft waltz. He moved back to face Peggy.
"-We never did have that dance..."
"You waited?" Peggy tilted her head.
"Of course." Steve smiled. "For the right partner..."
Peggy's jaw dropped slightly. "Steve, I don't know if I can..."
"Peggy," Steve moved close to Peggy and took her in his arms. "I won't let you fall."
Peggy smiled as she and Steve swayed slowly to the music.
Casey paced back and forth in the lobby; Clint watched her from a chair.
"What if we did the wrong thing?" Casey frowned at Clint. "Maybe it would have been better for them to remember each other the way they were..."
"You told me yourself," Clint stood up. "They need this. I mean, she's lived her life thinking Steve died. And he never even got to tell her goodbye."
"True, but-"
"Casey." Clint put his hand on her shoulder. "This is good for both of them; it'll put both their minds at ease."
Casey just shrugged and continued to pace. Clint walked over to the door to the dining room. He looked in the window and smiled.
"Case, come here." Clint waved at Casey.
"What is it?" Casey walked over to join Clint.
"Look." Clint pointed to the door.
Casey looked through to window and smiled. Steve and Casey were dancing slowly and both were smiling.
"See?" Clint put his arm around Casey's shoulders.
"I guess we did do the right thing..." Casey smiled and leaned against Clint.
So, yeah. I wanted to give Steve and Peggy a nicer ending... :) Hope you enjoyed it!
