What You Mean To Me
Rating: K
A/N: Inspired by the song "What You Mean To Me" from the musical Finding Neverland
Peggy quickly burst into the lab after receiving a call from Edwin Jarvis that Jason Wilkes 'requested her presence immediately.' Jason had been working on the cure for his intangibility along with Howard, while Howard was in Peru working with Dr. Abner Brody. The only reason Jason would have called for her is if he or Howard had made a break in his case. "Did it work?!" Peggy asked, her voice loud in anticipation while she rushed over to where Jason stood with his back turned to her, looking over the chalkboard- full of equations. Peggy reached out to touch what she hoped would finally be tangible clothes and skin, but instead almost fell through him due to her large faith in good news.
She could feel her heart fall down to her stomach as she watched her hand pass through his shoulder. She tried again, but to no avail. He was still under the effects of the zero matter. She was afraid to see the emotion his eyes held, but she knew she couldn't deny the truth for much longer. If Jason didn't call her down here to show her a positive break through in his case, the only other option was a negative one. Slowly, she looked up into his eyes to his sorrowful, beautiful, deep brown eyes and what was left of her heart broke.
"Peggy...Dr. Brody doesn't have any answers. I don't know if we can fix me."
Her mind was spinning a mile a minute as she struggled to form words from her lips, "Sure...Surely someone else could have those answers. Perhaps another scientist in Malaysia, or a doctor in Hong Kong?" Her voice slowly got higher as she kept talking, her panic growing with each second.
Jason just looked down to the floor and shook his head. "Howard said he would keep trying, but he also said that effects of the stronger silver nitrate formula would probably only last another hour or so, from when he called...so now twenty minutes if I'm lucky. I wanted to spend it with you."
"Where's the formula? I could spray you with it again when you start to fade!" Peggy concluded as she instantly turned and started to shift through various paper piles in order to find the spray gun Howard had crafted the day before, but stopped when she heard Jason's sullen voice.
"Peggy, the formula won't work. Howard had to strengthen it in order to bring me back...He'd have to figure out a way to strengthen it all over again...and I don't know if that's possible..."
Quietly, Peggy slowly fixed the papers she'd ruffled and looked down at them all. "Jason..."
"I just wanted to say goodbye...since we didn't get to the first time."
Peggy would feel the tears starting to fill her eyes, remembering the last words of Captain America before the impact, We'll have the band play something slow, I'd hate to step on your t-
Peggy shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself then turned to look at Jason. "No. I'm not saying goodbye. We'll figure this out. You'll come back."
She watched as he frowned deeply, shaking his head, but his eyes couldn't hide the small sliver of hope that he felt, knowing that when Peggy put her mind to something that task would be achieved or else.
"I promise," She concluded as he started to flicker.
"Peggy!" His voice grew urgent, knowing this would be the last time they would speak unless Peggy found a way to fix him. "You have no idea what you mean to me."
And with that Peggy watched him disappear, she knew he was still there, but the absence of his face still sent a sharp pain through her stomach. "I'll show you just how much you mean to me."
And then, she went to work.
