Captain Steve Rogers was in SHIELD headquarters. He still came here to train, finding that its gym was the only one that he could work out in and not break things. He hit the showers after his workout, then changed into a pair of casual tan pants and a military issue white shirt. His dog tags still dangled from his neck, and his hair was wet. He toweled it off as he walked out of the locker room, and he almost ran into a young SHIELD agent who looked frantic. "Whoa, son. Where's the fire?" he asked good-naturedly, smiling at the man. In response, the man saluted. "Captain, Director Fury wants to see you.. says it's urgent." Steve frowned, and he nodded lightly.
He wondered what on earth the Director of SHIELD wanted with him now. Perhaps he had a mission. Either way, if it was urgent, he had no time to lose. He threw the wet towel into a hamper, and ran his fingers through his still-wet blonde hair. He traversed the familiar path, coming to Fury's office. He knocked, and he heard the assent to enter. He nodded to Fury as the man looked up at him with his one good eye. "Director Fury, sir, do you have a mission for me?" he asked crisply, meeting the man's dark eye. The man looked.. well.. somber. He didn't think he'd ever seen that expression in the man's eyes before. "Only if you choose to accept it, Captain." Steve's brow furrowed. An optional mission? "I... can't say I follow, sir." Fury sighed, rubbing his arm that Steve had been told that Fury nearly lost in the war. "Steve, it's Peggy Carter. You know she's been living in England for the past few decades. She's in her late eighties by now." The director hesitated. "I've been told that she is not long for this world anymore. She's dying. Figured you might want to know. There's a jet prepped for you if you wish to say your goodbyes." Steve felt like he had just gotten sucker punched in the chest and had the wind knocked out of him. Each breath was physical pain. Peggy.. dying. Somehow, he managed to push back that pain and speak. "Yes sir.. I'll go."
Two hours and a ridiculously fast jet ride later found him in England, where Peggy had lived out the last decades of her life. He'd been told that she'd married, had kids... grandkids. Not that he blamed her. He would have wanted her to live her life without him. The agent that transported him here brought him to a waiting car, and Steve was taken to a hospital. As soon as he walked into those doors his pain returned, increasing twofold. C'mon Rogers.. you have to do this. You owe it to her. He took a breath, and made his way to the room he'd been directed to. He'd always hated hospitals.. the clean, white walls and endless hallways with endless doors. The sterile smells, the feel of sickness and death in the air. Super soldier or not, he still hated it.
He paused as he reached her door, lingering over the name. Peggy Fletcher. So that's her married name. Steve took a breath, then walked into the room. There was a nurse there, administering something into her IV, and the woman paused with wide eyes when she saw Steve. "Oh, I'm sorry. Are you here to see Mrs. Fletcher?" Steve nodded lightly, throat too tight to speak. "I'll just uh.. give you some time, then.." she replied simply, and hurried out the door. Steve moved to the bedside, and looked upon the woman that was there. The woman lying there looked so small.. so old. Her face and arms were wrinkled, her snow white hair spilling over the sterile pillow. He thought he had gotten the wrong room, until she opened her eyes. Steve had to remember to breathe as he saw those eyes.. those dark eyes that had stopped him in his tracks years ago. It felt like yesterday.
Peggy's lips parted in wonder, and she raised a hand to reach for him. "Steve.." Steve immediately moved forward, and he took her hand in his. It was so cold. "I'm here, Peggy." A smile smoothed her face, and her grip on his hand tightened a little. "You've come to take me home, then?" she asked, gaze meeting his. Steve's brow furrowed for a moment.. and then he realized that she must think that she was dead.. and he had come to take her to heaven. It broke his heart. "No, Pegs.. it's me. I'm really alive. I'm here." Peggy's smile faded, and she seemed to be struggling to understand. "I don't.. how are you alive?" "I've been frozen, Peggy. In a block of ice. You remember cryo sleep?" Peggy nodded. "A body can remain alive.. as long as it's frozen. You mean.. you're really.." A tear came to her eye, and fell. "Please don't cry," he begged. "Don't cry." She looked up at him, lips quivering. "This must be so strange for you. This world. You look so good.. it's not fair at all." Steve smiled lightly, squeezing her hand gently. "You look good, Peggy. How's about that dance?" It broke his heart to say it, knowing that she looked so weak, like she was on death's doorstep. Her face grew somber. "You know that's not going to happen, Steve.." she trailed off, and she had a coughing fit. Steve patiently waited, concern in his eyes. She stopped, and her breath rattled in her chest.
She looked up at him again. "I meant... to wait.. you know. I told myself that if it wasn't you, I wouldn't even..." Another tear found its way down the side of her face. "Joseph snuck up on me. He made me laugh. I hadn't laughed in what felt like years until I met Joe Fletcher." She smiled at Steve. "You would have liked him. He was a good man. We had four children. Three boys and one girl." She smiled sadly. "We named the oldest one Steve." Steve's heart was breaking in his chest as he spoke again. "I wouldn't have wanted you to not settle down on account of me." Peggy smiled. "I know.. and it wasn't until I realized that that I agreed to go out with Joe." She had another coughing fit, and Steve was helpless to do anything as her grip on his hand tightened again. He waited until she was able to speak again.
"I know you, Steve. You're beating yourself up.. don't. Now it's your turn. Don't be.. afraid to love." Her voice was softer. and her eyelids drooped. "Find... find someone ..to teach you how to dance, Steve.. I'm afraid.. I won't.. be able.." Her voice trailed off, and her hand slipped from his. Fear filled his blue eyes, and he cried out. "Peggy... PEGGY!" The nurse came in, and went to check her vitals. "She's fine, Mr. Rogers.. she's just sleeping." Steve was surprised to see that there were tears streaming their way down his cheeks as he looked at the nurse.
"How long?" he asked, brokenly, as he took her limp hand again. The nurse looked at him, sadness and sympathy shining in her eyes. "A day or so, Mr. Rogers. We'll do what we can to ease her passing." He nodded, more tears falling as pushed a strand of her snow white hair from her face. He touched her cheek, his heart breaking for the years he had missed. "I'm just glad that I got.. to say goodbye.." he murmured. He leaned in to kiss Peggy's wrinkled cheek, and he turned, walking past the nurse to make his way out of the door. As he made his way back to the States, the normally stoic soldier had to struggle to try and be strong. The life that they could have had flashed before his eyes, and he mourned for it. But at the same time, he knew he had to honor Peggy's last request. He had to live his life, just as she had hers. No matter much it hurt. No matter how much he hated goodbyes.