She's sitting at the table, the hours get later.
Angie sat at the dinner table, looking at the now cold food she had prepared hours before.
He was supposed to be here,
She's sure he would've called.
Peggy was supposed to be here. She promised Angie that morning that she would be home in time for dinner. It wasn't uncommon for the agent to be late, but she usually called if she was held up at the office. It was supposed to be a simple day at the office, they weren't working on any cases, so what was keeping Peggy, Angie wondered.
She waits a little longer, there's no one in the driveway,
No one's said they've seen him,
Why, is something wrong?
Angie stands from the table and moves to the living room. She peers out the window, no cars in the driveway. She sighs and heads for the telephone and rings up Jarvis. Surely he would know where Peggy is, or at least what was holding her up.
"Jarvis residence,"
"Hey, Mr. Fancy, it's Angie," Angie spoke into the phone, trying not to let her worry seep into her voice.
"Ahhh, Miss Martinelli, How are you?" Jarvis asked
"I'm fine. Have you seen Peggy? Or do you know where she is?" Angie asked.
"I haven't seen Miss Carter and last I heard she was still at the office with Howard, why is something wrong?" he asked, concern lining his words.
"She was supposed to be home for dinner a few hours ago but she hasn't shown up or called."
"I'm sure she is just really busy with some case and forgot to call," he replied. They both knew it wasn't the first time or the last time something like this has happened but something about this time felt different. Angie knew something was wrong, she wasn't sure how but she knew.
"Would you like me to come sit with you while you wait?" Jarvis asked.
"No Jarvis, I'll be okay, thanks anyways."
"Anytime Miss Martinelli."
Angie hung up the phone and sighed again. Picking up the phone again, she dialed Peggy's office. The phone rang and rang. With each ring, dread seeped into Angie's bones.
She looks back to the window.
She hangs the phone up again and moves to look back out the window. Streetlights illuminated the empty driveway.
Suddenly the phone rings.
Angie rushes to the phone, nearly tripping over her own feet in the process.
A voice says something's happened,
And she should come right now.
"Something's happened Angie, you should get here as soon as possible." Angie barely makes out Howard's voice on the other end. The usually cocky voice is filled with a deep sadness that can only mean one thing.
Her mind goes to December,
She thinks of when he asked her,
He bent down on one knee first,
And he said,
I want you forever, forever and always,
Through the good and the bad and the ugly,
We'll grow old together,
Forever and always.
The phone falls to the floor as Angie sinks down the wall. She wraps her arms around her knees and tries not to cry. She thinks of December. She thinks of when Peggy first brought her to Howard's mansion and got down on one knee right in the middle of the foyer.
"I want you forever, forever and always, through the good and the bad and the ugly, we'll grow old together, right here in this house, forever and always," Peggy had spoken softly, smiling up at the waitress. "I know we can't have a big wedding and we can't invite all of your family but we could do a small one here with Howard, Jarvis, and Anna, and of course Daniel."
She pulls up to the entrance,
She walks right up to the front desk,
They lead her down a million halls, a maze that's never ending,
They talk about what happened but she can barely hear them.
Angie, Jarvis and Anna pulled up to the entrance of the hospital. Angie jumped out of the car before it came to a complete stop. She walks as quickly as she could to the front desk, where an older woman with glasses sits, looking over some paperwork.
"Um, excuse me," Angie called out to the woman.
"How can I help you Miss?" The woman asked, giving Angie a soft smile.
"I'm looking for my friend, Margaret Carter."
"Angie!" Howard came sprinting down a hallway to the right, stopping right in front of the waitress. He bent over with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.
Once he had regained his breath, he stood up straight, looking at Angie. "Come with me." He motioned down the hall, taking hold of her hand. Angie nodded numbly and followed him with Jarvis and Anna right behind them.
"We were leaving the office, Peggy had wanted to walk instead of taking a cab or the train," Howard explained as he leaded them down what seemed like a million halls, a maze that Angie thought was never ending.
"We were almost to the mansion when some guy came out of nowhere and shot at us, Peggy had pushed me out of the way but in doing so she ended up taking a bullet to the chest." He sounded so guilty, like he wished it was him that had gotten shot instead of Peggy.
Howard continued talking but Angie was barely listening to his words, all she could think about is Peggy, about losing Peggy. Howard stopped in front of a door in the middle of the hallway and motioned for Angie to walk in.
"We will wait out here for you," Anna said, giving her an encouraging smile.
She tries to keep a straight face as she walks into the room,
She sits by his bedside, holds his hand too tight,
They talk about the kids they're gonna have a the good life,
The house on the hillside, where they would stay,
Stay there forever, forever and always,
Through the good and the bad and the ugly,
We'll grow old together, and always remember,
Whether rich or for poor or for better,
We'll still love each other, forever and always.
Angie nodded and took a deep breath, trying to prepare herself for what she might see. Howard said it was bad, he said that she probably wouldn't make it through the night. He said the doctors did everything they could but the bullet had done too much damage.
Angie schools her features and walks into the room slowly, looking to the only bed in the room. Peggy looked so small in the oversized bed, with all kinds of wires hooked up to her body. Her skin was pallid, her usually full painted lips were pale and thin, her brown eyes dull. She looked nothing like the woman Angie had fallen in love with.
Angie moved to Peggy's bedside and took her hand, holding it way too tightly. She leaned down and kissed the agent's forehead before sitting down in a chair next to the bed.
"How's my best girl?" Angie asked, trying to avoid looking at the bloody bandage across the agent's chest.
"I've been better," Peggy coughed, giving the waitress a weak smile. "I'm sorry I missed dinner."
"That doesn't matter now," Angie spoke softly, trying not to let the tears that welled up in her eyes fall. Angie brushed Peggy's sweat soaked hair away from her forehead.
"How many kids?" Peggy asked, her voice low and pained.
"Four." It was something they talked about often, usually when they were cuddling in bed after a long day. Daniel had offered to father any children they wanted to have whenever they were ready. They had put having kids and getting married off because they thought they had all the time in the world.
"With the house on the hill, with plenty of room for them to grow and play, a place where we can spend of lives together," Peggy smiled then started coughing violently.
"Shhh, don't talk English," Angie ran her fingers through the agent's hair.
"I'm sorry we didn't have a chance to have our wedding," Peggy apologized. "I'm sorry we won't get the life we wanted together, I'm sorry." Tears fell from Peggy's brown eyes and rolled down her cheeks slowly. She knew she wouldn't make it through the night, she wouldn't be able to give Angie the life she wanted, the life she deserved. She had let the waitress down, she had broken every promise she ever made to Angie and that hurt more than the bullet hole in her chest.
Then she gets an idea and calls in the nurses,
Brings up the chaplain and he says a couple verses,
She borrows some rings from the couple next door,
Everybody's laughing as the tears fall on the floor,
She looks into his eyes, and she says,
I want you forever, forever and always,
Through the good and the bad and the ugly,
We'll grow old together, and always remember,
Whether happy or sad or whatever,
We'll still love each other, forever and always,
Forever and always, forever and always.
Angie got an idea. Howard could marry them here and now, it wouldn't be the wedding they planned or wanted but they would be married, maybe not in the eyes of the law or anyone else but to them, to their friends they would be married.
"I'll be back," Angie said, kissing the agent then standing. She walked out the room, looking for Howard and finding him sitting on the floor, his head in his hands as sobs rack his body.
"Howard," she called out and his head shot up, his eyes bloodshot, his hair a mess.
He stood, brushing his pants off before walking over to the waitress. "Is she okay?"
Angie nodded. "Marry us."
"Now?" He asked.
"Yes Howard, now while there is still time, please," she begged. They had to do it before it was too late, before Peggy was gone forever.
"Okay."
Angie looked over Howard's shoulder at Jarvis and Anna. "Can I borrow your rings?"
"Of course sweetie," Anna answered slipping off her ring and placing it in Angie's hand. Jarvis did the same then all four of them walked back into Peggy's room.
"Oh, Peggy," Anna gasped, taking in the woman lying in the hospital bed for the first time.
"I'm fine Anna," Peggy lied with a weak smile.
Angie stepped next to the bed and handed one of the rings to Peggy. "Let's get married."
Peggy nodded her head yes with a bright smile, one that made her look almost like her old self.
Howard stepped to the foot of the bed and looked at the couple with a nervous smile. He wasn't prepared for this, he had no idea what he was suppose to say.
"We are here today to join Angela Martinelli and Peggy Carter in Holy Matrimony, to bond their love in life and in death." He paused and swallowed back a sob. This wasn't how he imaged doing this, this wasn't how he wanted to do this. They were supposed to get married in their home, surrounded by love and happiness not death. "Angie, do you have your own vows?"
Angie nodded yes and took a deep breath, turning to look down at Peggy. "Margaret Carter, I want you forever, forever and always, through the good and the bad and the ugly, we'll grow old together," A sob escaped her lips and she covered her mouth with her hand. Peggy grabbed her other hand and squeezed, nodding for her to continue. "And always remember, whenever happy or sad or whatever, we'll still love each other, forever and always."
She finishes the vows but the beeps are getting too slow,
His voice is almost too low,
As he says, "I love you forever, forever and always,
Please just remember even if I'm not there,
I'll always love you, forever and always."
Peggy sits up as much as she can and takes Angie's face in her cold hands. "After Steve I never thought I would love anyone else but then I met you Angela Martinelli and you changed everything, you changed me and I will always be grateful for that." She pressed her lips to Angie's as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I love you forever, forever and always, please remember that even when I'm not here that I'll always love you, forever and always."
Angie nodded, tears falling from her eyes. Peggy laid back, dropping her hands, her breathing slowing as the heart rate monitors' beeps slow. Angie took the agent's hands in her own and watched as the agent struggled to breath.
"I now pronounce you Mrs and Mrs Carter," Howard announced, holding back his tears.
"I love you Angie Carter," Peggy choked out around a violent cough.
"Shut up English, you talk too much."
Peggy gave the waitress a watery smile and closed her eyes. Seconds later the monitor flatlined and doctors and nurses poured into the room.
"Do something!" Angie yelled at them through her tears, gripping the agent's hand tighter. "Do something!"
"Time of death, 7:5-,"
"No! Do something, help her," Angie begged the doctor but he just stood there, shaking his head.
Angie placed both of her hands over Peggy's heart and started giving her CPR. "Come on English, don't do this to me, don't leave me."
"Miss Carter," Jarvis called, placing his hands over hers. "She's gone Miss Carter, I'm so sorry."
Howard wrapped his arms around the waitress from behind, pulling her away from the agent's body. "Don't do this to yourself Angie, she wouldn't want that." He spoke as gently as possible as the waitress sobbed in his arms.
"She can't be gone Howard, she's all I have." Angie choked out in between her tears. She couldn't breath, she didn't know how she was going to live without her agent, without her Peggy. What was she supposed without Peggy? How could she live in a world without the englishwoman?
"I know Ang but she's gone, I'm sorry."
"Time of death, 7:56 P.M."