Authors Note: Originally posted to Archive of Our Own.
Chapter Summary: Setting the Stage, or the one where an Avenger and Sharon Carter enter from stage-left.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Triskelion, Washington D.C. - April 7th, 2012
It was only the third time she had ever been to the Triskelion. From 2000 to 2003, she'd been in training at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy of Operations in Jersey - formerly known as Camp Lehigh. She'd then spent four years training and became a Registered Nurse.
The first time she stepped into the Triskelion was in 2009, when Philip Coulson tasked her for the team responding to the Duel of Los Angeles between Tony Stark and Obadiah Stane. Given her family link to Tony, she was chosen less from my skills - with little experience compared to others - than because Tony was more likely to respond better to her, as was proven. Afterward, Director Fury had her brought to the Triskelion for a debriefing, but did not disclose what specifically he was looking for in her report.
The second time was pretty clear to her. October 7th, 2011 - Only six months ago. Once more, she was tasked because of her family, although this time she had skills that actually were valuable and would have made her a candidate anyway. When she arrived, once more it was a trip up to Director Fury's office, only this time a briefing. Steve Rogers had been found in the ice, alive. They were bringing him to the New York City facility, and she was being tasked for two roles - to be a nurse, and to be a familial link to ease him into the new time. Unfortunately, it was when the only other nurse was on shift when he woke up and escaped into the streets of Manhattan. That was when Fury had a different idea, and informed her that she was being retasked onto an undercover assignment.
For two months she built her cover, lamenting one keen fact: Fury had ordered her to stay undercover in her interactions with Rogers. She imagined several reasons for this, though some didn't make sense given his original plan had been for her to be his first face he saw in the new millenium and therefore know she was S.H.I.E.L.D. from the start. The biggest one, she figured came from his distrust of S.H.I.E.L.D. because of what happened around him when he woke up.
The plan she knew of, was that putting him in a fake hospital room done in the styling of the forties was to ease him with the familiar. What was her own plan with that, was to have clear signs of time having passed, one such being the shirt he wore - printed T-shirts didn't exist back then, and he'd know something was off. She was going to be in the room throughout her shift, reading a book, and actually had music released in the decade or so after the war playing. She wouldn't have even worn a uniform from the forties, but just her regular pink nurses scrubs. She'd have even made a quip first thing that was both joke and, with everything else she had intended, all joined to make him aware that there had been a large passage of time. With that, she was sure he would have only slowly freaked out, manageable, and that the first question out of his mouth would have been who she was - to which she would have definitely answered honestly, with her name and telling him that Peggy was family, and Peggy didn't tell him about her because she didn't even exist yet.
Instead, they'd kept a full front of "no time has passed", and unfortunately, chose details that put him into a paranoid state, he escaped, and ended up hit full-on with the sixty-six years. It was no wonder they'd had to send him to the retreat for two months, only returning to New York just before New Years. And it was there, in his Brooklyn apartment, that they finally met. And she had to pretend not to know who he was. She knew this was a big mistake, when the truth came out it could only make his distrust of S.H.I.E.L.D. even worse. But she was a good little agent, and followed the order.
And promptly found how difficult it was to interact with him for that first month.
During the two months of laying the ground work, she learned a lot, about Rogers, his family, her own, and of herself. She had become a nurse in addition to being a S.H.I.E.L.D. Specialist because she liked the idea of having a non-violent career she could fall back on, or even just use and practice when not on mission, something that her Mom encouraged, but she wasn't sure she could handle the stress of a full-time job in a hospital, rather than the work that would have been involved as a in-home carer, which she'd thought about as the fall-back job. In the field as a Specialist, the stress came in spurts, and overall, was not sustained for very long, unlike the hospital. It gave her a new appreciation for her fellow nurses. She had struggled at first, those first few weeks, during which she also had to deal with setting up a whole host of security protocols she was in charge of.
The plan was that with her job as a nurse for her cover job, she would live in the same apartment building as Steve Rogers, to provide close protection and surveillance. Both of Steve, and for any threats around. Moving in, she learned that technically, she owned the building. Well, her grandmother owned it, as she'd purchased the entire building piece by piece after the war, starting with Steve's apartment. Most of the other apartments had been rented out, but the other three on Steve's floor hadn't been. She also learned that the one she moved into, was once Bucky Barnes'. The two others, once bought, became the home to both her grandmother and Mom in the fifties, with the other going to Aunt Angie, who practically lived in the Carter Apartment anyway.
Between Christmas and New Years of 2011, Steve moved back in after about seventy years away, and she'd found herself floundering. She'd basically been his minder when he was asleep, but this wide-awake Steve Rogers was, not what she expected, aside from the time-shock, or whatever they were calling it that week. And she hadn't been ready for the sheer level of attraction she felt toward him. It hadn't been there before, and she hadn't actually had a serious crush on anyone before. Not even the guy she took to high school prom, the one that her Mom and Fury had given the shovel talk to. For the first week, she couldn't get more than three words out without stuttering. The first month, a full sentence. And she still blushed at every kind word. She knew he had picked up on her attraction. But not all of their interactions were like that.
Each time she finished a long shift and got home while he was in, that was different. Not by much at first, he would see how tired she was and always was concerned at how she handled the long shifts, some thirty six hours long which he didn't agree with, but slowly, her own reaction to him faded in those specific interactions, like she was just too tired to react that way and had become comfortable enough with him for it to drop away, but not so much to spill over into her regular wide-awake psuedo-conversations.
After three months, it was actually a regular occurrence to spend the evenings after those day-plus shifts hanging out, either in his apartment or in hers. It wasn't like she left anything to blow her cover out - all of that gear was actually in her grandmothers' apartment. Her own apartment was her personal space, which she'd somehow come to trust Steve enough with that often he was using her better-equipped kitchen to make them dinner when she got home from those shifts, which they'd eat after she showered. They did talk a lot too, as difficult as that was at all other times. In general, they were friends, and she'd like to say they were close friends, if it wasn't for the 'U' word, Fury, and her damn feelings.
Feelings that resulted in her third visit to the Triskelion. What she had to inform Fury about was both serious enough in a professional context, as well as embarrassing, and possibly humiliating, given he was ultimately, her boss, that this had to be done in person.
She knew Steve was fine on his own for the weekend, it wasn't like he was a country-boy who needed hand-holding in the city, it was his own turf he was on, and seventy years hadn't actually changed Brooklyn in the ways that mattered to him. He was getting ready for the day trip, since she'd explained that it was happening in long-island and he didn't actually have much stuff. She hadn't even lied about her own activities, though had kept vague enough that it was firmly in half-truth territory. She did have to go explain to her boss that she needed the weekend and the day after off for definite, and wouldn't take no for an answer. She did have to make other preparations, and even have have a trip out of New York to pick up a present. All of these things were true. He just didn't know that, her boss was Fury, the preparations was basically so she wouldn't be fired for breaking cover, or any number of other things, and she was going to be picking up a present anyway from Washington D.C., and those first two also take her there because Fury was in the Triskelion, and the one she needed to see so she wouldn't get fired.
Despite both of her previous visits being to Fury's office, she still got lost, and ended up not in the area for senior agents' offices, but in the administration wing, where all the red-tape was made. The only face that wasn't condescending, she wasn't sure was any better, since it was Melinda May's stoic face.
"Are you or are you not a Specialist?" Was all May said, before quickly writing down directions on a page from a notepad and handing it over.
Sharon didn't reply, too embarrassed to speak up with her best defence being that there weren't any directions posted anywhere. Of course she also knew that she should have gotten a guide, since her first visit started from the secure S.H.I.E.L.D. Garage level, her second from the small landing platform at the other side of the facility that had been built a decade ago for a dozen Quinjets, and this time, she had arrived via public transport, dropped off at the public entrance. She used May's directions, and found herself at the right elevator to get up to Fury's office.
Approaching the office, she paused only for a few seconds at the secretary's desk before waved directly in, a good sign that she was expected, she presumed.
"Agent Thirteen." He greeted simply, not looking up at her, focusing tightly on his paperwork. "Any particular reason you're not in New York right now?"
"Yes Sir. It's regarding, well... several topics all at once, sir. My Mom sends her regards."
A slight twitch at his lips was all she read in his body language. "Go on, Agent."
She took a bit of a breath, and began, "Several topics, like I said. There's my grandmothers birthday get together coming up, I was told to forward your invitation personally. My attending said get together. Your orders to me about not telling Steve whose, going, and oh yeah, that gift of yours to grandmother. A Quinjet, really? Mom told me she wants words with you over that." She finished out in a rush, hoping her slipping in one particular point would be overlooked... maybe.
Fury paused once she finished, and looked up at her with a blank look in his eye. "I am Director of an International Espionage and Counter-Terrorism Paramilitary Agency that acts independently from any one country, Agent Thirteen."
She immediately thought of a perfect response to that. "So, not scared of her, then?" There was a glimmer of amusement in his eye, which she gave an innocent-looking smile at.
"It was both personal and professional. Having access to a Stealth Quinjet-" She blinked, as she had heard about the covert operations variant being developed, but hadn't known it was operational yet, Fury paused only slightly to smile a little and nod and continuing, "-with biometrics locked to herself, provides the former Director with a secure transportation platform that is both quicker, more fuel efficient and, safer than... that car." His look shifted, and she read it clearer than everything else. Her own training for once not required to know what it was. The shift in expression also meant that his little mini-speech fell a little flat. She smirked at that, knowing what he'd meant by that too. He grimaced, and added, "Get that grin off your face. There's far too much of your Mother in here."
Cheekily, she replied, "Thought you weren't scared of her." She paused, seeing his look, and settled down, "Sir."
She knew that the number of people who could get away with backchat like that was a small one, and thanked her lucky stars that she was on that list, as he growled quietly for a moment. She decided to distract a little, since her Mom would have words anyway, and better to not end up stepping on toes in that regard, in case Fury ended up making her agree with him. He had a bad tendency to do that, hence her current problem.
"So, about the get-together. So far, only one has said they'll make it. Please make it two." She spoke, not even attempting to subdue the subtle plea. "You know how much she cares about you," She added. "You didn't make the last one. I know, I know - we both blame Stark. And..."
She cut herself off, stopping herself from adding that she was worried about how many chances were left. Her grandmother was turning ninety-one. With the family history, she had been lucky to have reached seventy. Every day after was a blessing, never mind years and decades. They all joked about Peggy Carter being too stubborn, but everyone else from back then - with one keen specific exception that was exempt for reasons - was long gone by a decade.
And if that wasn't enough, Peggy Carter was the last remaining Founder of S.H.I.E.L.D., an organisation that was founded before Fury was even born, in the ashes of World War II.
The amusement long faded, Fury simply nodded and asked, "When and where?"
"Monday." She replied, then paused, "As for where, Mom's handling the details. Mostly. I'm handling invitations in S.H.I.E.L.D."
She thought there was a hint of panic in Fury's eye, a slight widening, a twitch of the lips. Or it could have just been light reflecting weirdly. Then his eye narrowed. "Who else said yes?"
The list of people who would be invited that still worked at S.H.I.E.L.D. was small. And they both knew that everyone on that list was otherwise engaged in something important. A detail she knew Fury would pick up on.
"That's the, other thing." His eye widened. "I... may have invited... Steve. I mean, Captain Rogers..."
He blinked, then looked at his paperwork as he thought it over. "He said yes?" Then he looked up, "He doesn't know it's for..." He paused, then muttered about how of course she hadn't told Steve otherwise he'd already have an irate captain complaining about S.H.I.E.L.D. spying on him.
"Well, yeah, he said... yes. I haven't..." She stuttered, remembering how she asked and had been too shocked to actually tell him who aside from 'grand parent'.
Fury looked back at her, back to his 'director' look, professional. "You do realise, this will blow your cover." He made a small hand motion, "He'll see that it couldn't be a coincidence that his neighbour just happens to be Peggy Carters' great-grandniece."
"Granddaughter." Sharon corrected, turning and beginning to pace. Her irritation regarding certain orders now shone through. "And yes, I... I knew that going in. And, sir... I don't like lying to him."
"Really? It doesn't show." Fury commented without a hint of the sarcasm that his comment should have carried.
She shot him her most irritated glare over this issue yet, and they had talked several times on video calls to give periodic updates, so there had been many. "At least if he was to know why I'm his neighbour... Or even that it was me that was supposed to be there when he woke, and that I wouldn't have faked 1940s everything..." She smirked a little as she stopped pacing, "He might even decide not to speak like he's super disappointed in you." Basically she just told him she would blame everything on him. Her own boss.
Then Fury wiped that smirk off her face with his own response. "I've been trying to get him out in the world, this sounds like as good a starting place as any..." There was a little twinkle, and, "I'm surprised he's not sought her out already, he's had the address since his first week at the Retreat."
"Wh... What? You mean I've been sat as his neighbour, struggling not to tell him everything... when he'd have known about us six months ago?!"
"Now, Agent Thirteen. I don't think I'd go that far." There was something off with his reply.
"Sir, there's family photographs all over the house! I wouldn't even have had to be with him for him to know!" He held her stare, calmly, and she figured he was waiting for something else, and then figured it out. "You never expected my cover to last with him, did you? You expected him to have... or... for me to have broken cover to push him to it?"
She knew she'd hit the nail on the head, when he turned back to his paperwork. "I'm a busy man, with other meetings to get to, Agent Thirteen." She blinked at that, seeing that he tapped a few buttons on his computer, probably acknowledging someone was now waiting outside. "So if that is all, if you can send in Agent Romanoff when you leave."
Sharon paled, and contrary to all training at the Operations Academy, began to uncontrollably babble, "Oh... god please don't tell her, she's been driving my crazy about getting a date for ages, if she finds out I finally have one and-"
"What?" Fury interrupted, looking up at her. "Date? Steve Rogers asked you out on a Date?"
She felt her heart hiccup, realising he hadn't made that leap, and the new revelation also made him forget the part where she told him that she was the one to ask. Or he hadn't computed her invite to him as the date in question. "Uh... No, I... I asked him. That's... that's why he's going with me..."
He sighed, and put a hand over his good eye. "Now that's just down right weird." He dropped the hand, and was about to say something else, but the look on hers stopped him.
She knew one of these days her heart would give out, from all the ups and downs every conversation in the last few days had taken. Weeks, even. Months. Since Steve Rogers was found in Greenland, actually. But maybe she was misjudging, but that look he had when he looked up, riled her up. It was very close to the look he had when she was getting ready to attend her high school prom, at fourteen. What it led to that time made her angry back then, and it did now, only now she was also a highly-trained specialist. Most of the time, anyway. "Excuse Me? I'm not fourteen anymore, godfather. Just because I've not dated since that time you and Mom took my prom date out to give him that Shovel Talk, which was twelve years ago, Doesn't mean I'm not interested in a guy, and Steve's only one year and three months older than me, not the four years between Jason and I, which I remind you, he only went as my date because he was the only guy who would even give me the time of day, and was not interested in getting into my pants! I was Fourteen! I'm not anymore!-"
"Enough, Agent Thirteen." Fury interrupted harshly, then sighed. "While you are correct," He gave her a look, letting her know that he referred only to one specific point, "Captain Rogers is only a year older than you, discounting his time in the ice." He blinked, "Which I believe you counted." She looked away a little, caught in that point, but still angry. "That was not why I said it was... Huh." He blinked. "She never told you."
"Hm?" She looked back, and saw he was for once, evading her, looking passed her, at a wall. "Who never told me what?"
"Of course she didn't." Fury muttered.
"Who?!"
"What did your Au-grandmother, tell you about Captain Rogers?"
She froze, and was sure she felt a large pit suddenly form in her stomach, and refused to use her brain to extrapolate. "They worked together during the war, she was part of Project Rebirth, through to his final mission against Hydra." She wanted to ask, what was left out. She didn't dreading the answer.
Fury looked around the room, then at her and reluctantly revealed, "There was a mutual romantic interest between them."
She felt a hiccup. And oddly, a glimmer of hope. She realised that she'd presumed... something more than that. If anything had happened, he wouldn't have used the word interest. Maybe. Best get confirmation. "Please don't tell me that they..."
"Interest, Sharon. As far as any of us are aware, nothing actually happened between them. And I'm almost positive Peggy wasn't holding back about that, with the way she sometimes spoke. If something had occurred between the two..." He paused, then added, "I don't think he'd have been so hesitant about getting in touch."
"You don't know that." She whispered, as she resumed her pacing. "Who, knew, about that, interest, sir?"
She was sure her Mom would have. She was also sure that her Mom didn't know who Sharon was neighbour to, but there were some who did. Some who she thought would be on the list.
"Your Mother, Most of the Howling Commandos' children, Howard Stark. I'm unaware of if he ever told Maria or Tony."
She sighed. "Oh good, that means-"
"And Agent Romanoff."
She strangled her interrupted words, back from the pale of shock to red angry. "She knew?"
Fury figured out what had her angry immediately. Romanoff was one of the few who knew about Sharon's Assignment, and the history he had with Peggy Carter. And those who were close to Romanoff knew how much of a matchmaker the former soviet assassin was. It didn't take a genius for Fury to immediately connect these facts.
"She's..."
"Been trying to set us up since the start."
His lips twitched.
"If that is all, Agent Thirteen?" He waved her to the door, "Then send in Agent Romanoff on your way out." She nodded, angry and fully intent on conveniently not seeing the red-head. Fury spoke up as she passed through the doorway. "One last thing..."
She turned to look, "sir?"
"Good luck with your date."
The door closed on her red face - now not from anger, but embarrassment. She turned in place, already speaking to the secretary, "You didn't hear that did y-"
Sat on top of the desk, looking like she'd just been gossiping with the secretary, was one Agent Romanoff. Grinning at her in victory.
"I hate you."
"No you don't." Romanoff spoke as she stood and walked into the office, a happy pat on the shoulder as she passed by.
Sharon never felt so humiliated in her life, and took every ounce of will to make her legs move - to the elevator, not back in to the office to pound a smug Russian into fury's desk.
Jacquesville, Gardiners Island, Suffolk County
To serve a grand total of two thousand residents spread across two square miles, Jacquesville was the commercial area of the island. Only a paltry fifth of a square mile, it was never-the-less home to all of the shops, from convenience stores, clothing boutiques to that place to get fishing tackle and DIY tools. It was also home to the chapel-of-any-faith, and to one of three community centres. The second was in Gabe Point, the other Falsworth Harbour. Since Skye's house was only around a thousand feet west of Jacquesville proper, it was therefore the logical place to hold the get-together, the not-quite-a-party.
With such a low population of the island, it was built more in a rural than urban style - and that included both Jacquesville, and Gabe Point. Everything was spread out, with lots of trees and grasslands.
It hid a secret. You wouldn't think it, but it had a massive underground facility beneath the island, the true Global Headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Skye had always known about it, since it was first made operational. At the time, she and her Mother, founder and Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Peggy Carter lived in Brooklyn, New York City, and it was around that time Skye was applying to join the United States Navy. Life as an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't appeal to her, she loved more to fly and wanted to be a pilot. While she was away in Basic Training, Peggy had moved to the new house built for her on 'S.H.I.E.L.D. Island' as most called it, though it was still officially named Gardiners Island.
Skye was pretty much the first and only United States Navy Officer with a S.H.I.E.L.D. Security Clearance high enough to even know about it, right up until the nineties.
If she had known that S.H.I.E.L.D. would gain Air and Naval Assets in the form of Aircraft Carriers and Carrier-borne Fighter Jets, she would have joined S.H.I.E.L.D. instead, but Peggy hadn't known her reasons, and even if she had, Skye wasn't sure that those sorts of assets were even planned for at that point. Unlike the land facilities, Aircraft Carriers required large crews and the personnel for the carrier air wings. Generally, that number hovered around five thousand. S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't the personnel to crew one carrier when Skye joined the Military.
The surface village, sparse though it was, was barely enough for a quarter of the three-thousand strong permanent staff and their families. Many lived on Long Island, spread between Montauk and Hampton Bays, access made by a four-mile long tunnel from Napeague, through Cartwright Island, and then only surfacing near Jacquesville, a mile from the southern tip of the island. A further four miles of tunnel extended from before the end of the island access tunnel, with multiple links to the surface, providing vehicle access to the subterranean facility. Staff coming in from Long Island would drive a total of eight miles underground, and would only see the surface on returning to Long Island, or they could come up at Falsworth Harbour, and get two and a half miles before returning underground for the tunnel across Napeague Bay.
With just seven hundred, plus the thirteen hundred civilians, the surface wasn't a crowded place.
Skye also didn't know anyone, and knew Peggy didn't know many either. When Peggy stepped down from Directorship of S.H.I.E.L.D. in the early nineties, suddenly gaining plenty of spare time didn't mean she got to socialise much, since as the Director, all her neighbours either knew who she was as their former boss, or knew her as the former boss of their husband/wife/mother/fathers. There was a reason why when Peggy retired she didn't return to the house, beyond that she'd already transferred ownership to Skye. By then, Sharon was already in a boarding high school on Long Island. With Skye to teach her, she'd also learned how to pilot a boat, and on many a weekend, made the trip by water to the house, which as a large beach-front property, did actually have a small pier to tie off the boat, regardless of tide. Peggy didn't stay for the weekdays.
Instead, she'd moved back to Brooklyn. Until Eight months ago. Peggy had suffered a stroke. Minor, she recovered quickly, but it meant moving out of the Brooklyn Apartment, which didn't have a service elevator. She'd spent three months in a private medical facility funded by S.H.I.E.L.D., before being released, and that was when she'd somewhat moved back to the Island.
But as Skye was so busy with her work, she didn't know what her Mother got herself up to. But now she knew that she had a Quinjet - She was definitely going to have words with Fury over that, especially since it wasn't exactly a covert means of transport - she found herself curious what a ninety, soon to be ninety-one year old former Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. got up to.
Skye dreaded to think, actually. She knew that Peggy Carter was actually on friendly speaking terms with many people that, for political reasons, were strongly looked down on by other governments, such as the head of state for Latveria, and various high-ranking officials in the Peoples Republic of China. Though in the case of the former, Skye only has herself to blame for that one. All Skye herself could think at the time was 'What kind of name is 'Doom', and naming your kid, who already suffers that as their family name, Victor? ' Never mind that Skye only later learned the family name was von Doom, not just Doom.
It was those aforementioned people that necessitated a few, changes, to her original plans, and lead to her hosting the get together, not only on S.H.I.E.L.D. Island (the people being invited knew it existed, both as a village and hosting a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility) but choosing Jacquesville as the venue.
As she left the venue, she sent a smile to one of the guests who was early, who didn't care about the 'lower class' standards of the Bed and Breakfast in Jacquesville, one of only a dozen on the island.
She joined him in walking to the park he was headed for. "Doctor Doom."
"Please, just Victor, Captain Rogers."
She nodded, "Skye, then."
He sent her a small smile. "Still don't like me, do you?" At her surprised look, he added, "I was surprised that you sent me an invitation, though the question of accepting one was never in doubt." She chuckled.
"I never disliked you, actually. When I was younger," She paused, wondering how to put it, "I was still immature. My, problem, with you, always stemmed from the strange relationship you had... well, have, with S.H.I.E.L.D."
Victor smiled. "Does Nicholas know of my attendance?"
She smirked, "Sharon's actually in Washington right now, so she'll be extending his invite personally." Her evasion was answer enough.
"Well... This should be fun."
"Yeah well, it is Mothers' Birthday. What do you get the former Director of S.H.I.E.L.D who already has all the material possessions she wishes to have?"
Victor laughed, "Right, World Peace." Looks from civilians were sent, but both ignored it. Victor's laughter reduced to chuckles, "That's a tall order with our history, you know. Some would say a Miracle."
Skye looked around, noting everyone was staring at the world-renowned head of state walking beside her, having caught their attention with the joke, now everyone was recognising the man. His, Issues, both with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury were legendary. Oddly, the United States Military had not one problem working along side him in the various incidents requiring it, even though it was the senate and the various presidents over the years who, like Fury, disliked the man.
"I've been known to work a few Miracles." She finally responded, ignoring the slowly gathering crowd. "But then, so have you."
He winced. "Heard about that?"
She gave him a flat look, sarcastically replying, "That you've yet to gain any grey hairs, and you're actually halfway in age between Mother and myself?"
He gave her a rueful look, "So in other words, 'Welcome to the Club'?"
"No." He raised a surprised eyebrow. "Would be yes, except that we never could agree on the secret handshake."
Once more, laughter erupted from them both, "Well, I look forward to seeing his face when he learns I'm in attendance."
"Me too. Serves him right for giving Mother a Quinjet without telling me."
"Really, and your wife did not inform you?"
Skye rolled her eyes, "I haven't even spoken to Talia yet. Last I heard she was still on mission."
"Ah, yes the Volkonoff operation." He gave her an odd look. "Well, here's hoping that Mrs Rogers has completed her mission by now so she may join us in celebration."
She rolled her eyes, "First, I'm not even going to ask how you know details of any S.H.I.E.L.D. operation. Second... She's not, Mrs Rogers, and technically, neither am I. It's just my name with the Military. It's not my Legal name. You know that."
He smiled in amusement. "Of course, Mrs Carter. Forgive me for forgetting the circumstances surrounding the events leading up to your recruitment into the United States Navy." He took a seat on a park bench at that point, and Skye looked at her phone, knowing this was were they parted ways. "It was Mrs Carter was it not who suggested the Bet?" She narrowed eyes, "I believe it came up in conversation with Nicholas, that time they were both my prisoners during the nineties. It was actually when I learned of your name with the Military, in fact." He mockingly faked just remembering it.
She shoved him a little with a foot, even as she smiled in remembrance. That was one bet that turned out to be worth it. "Ass." The mention of the imprisoning of her wife and friend was ignored, since they both knew it was merely a show of force and message to S.H.I.E.L.D. to cease covert operations in Latveria. It had happened not long before Peggy retired, and required her to go and get the pair out.
Only Skye knew that Peggy's final choice of Nick Fury to succeed her as Director was thanks to Victor von Doom, for the exact same reasons why the two did not get along, quite the strange dichotomy. Fury was not cowed by Victor, while the other candidates were. Victor liked that, since it also meant that other heads of state (whom Victor made no secret to disliking strongly) that were just as strong-willed would not cow Fury into doing anything. Peggy couldn't help agree, even though both of them saw the irony.
Victor also liked to tweak Fury's nose a fair bit. As well as others' noses, even those who were friendly with him.
"Oh, before you go..." Victor added, "I have been hearing rumors of Captain America returning to Brooklyn, alive and well."
That, surprised her. Victor wouldn't mention something like that unless he knew it was true or false. "If he has, I've heard nothing. Why?"
"Well, it's just that I understand you grew up down the hall from the apartment that he used to occupy, if he returned, it stands to reason that he is once more living there."
Skye blinked. Sharon lived next door to th- Then her jaw dropped as it hit.
"Oh... Sharon." She muttered, hand moving quickly over her mouth as she began to chuckle, then belly-laugh.
Victor stood up with a, victorious smile and waltzed off, most likely to drop in on Peggy at the house.
Skye took his place on the bench, and wrapped her arms around her stomach as everything else pilled on top.
When she was adopted by Peggy, Skye gained her surname. She was, legally, Skye Carter. When she joined the military, she did so under an alias - made legal through S.H.I.E.L.D. without changing her name in law to it - Stephanie Rogers. As in the female form of Stephen. And because her actual legal name was still Skye Carter, when she and Talia married, Talia, for her legal name, took the Carter name, though still went by her own name within S.H.I.E.L.D. like Skye used the Stephanie Rogers name in the Navy. If she had had to make the Rogers name her legal one, instead of a lawful alias, Talia would be a Rogers. And when they adopted Sharon, that would have meant she'd be Sharon Rogers, instead of simply retaining the Carter name.
The irony did not escape her. Sharon, who could have ended up with the maiden name Rogers, whose mom had her professional name as a feminine form, and her grandmother who worked with, was practically in love with Steven Rogers.
That was when her cellphone rang.
Seeing it was her wife, Skye couldn't help the grin, as she answered. "Hey Talia, you won't believe what I just found out."
"Sharon asked Steve on a date?"
She blinked. "Awe, you know alr... wait, you know already?" Silence. "What the hell, Talia! This is big news! This is my name-sake, and... you've been trying to matchmake the two for the last who knows how long he's been back and she wouldn't tell you anyway so how do you know they're dating?!"
"Well, I just got back from my mission to Russia,"
"The Volkonoff operation, right." She rolled her eyes as she looked in the direction Victor had disappeared, and couldn't help mentally picture him and his smug face. "Go on."
"So, I report to the Triskelion, and in the elevator ride up, Sharon gets in, not even noticing me, and so, I have to find out what's going on... so follow her to Fury's office, where I hear, well... everything. Poor thing was so red I thought someone switched her out for a plum tomato."
"Talia." Skye growled.
"And then she walks out, realises I've heard enough and, well, here I am now, just out from the briefing. And sorry for not telling you, but I assumed you would have already known. Something I need to have words with Fury about, right now, actually. Although, in my defence, with the way our work is and that he's only been back about, actually, for exactly six months today, or tomorrow, depending how you-"
"Talia."
"We don't get to talk much, and only for a few minutes, how could I, if I didn't think you knew yet?"
"Easy. 'Hey Honey, Steve Rogers is alive and well living in his old Apartment.' There."
Skye heard the sigh. "Fine. Anyway, what's this about a Quinjet? I only actually heard every one in five words, but I heard something about Mother and a Quinjet?"
"I've got a big bone to pick with Fury is what." Skye commented with a sigh. "You've not got a mission tomorrow, have you? It's been almost a year, I miss you, Mother misses you, and a friend is visiting to give Fury a coronary, and Peggy's birthday get-together is on monday. Hardly anyone from S.H.I.E.L.D. is even coming, and Sharon's not called me yet about Fury's invitation."
"Red as she was, not surprised. No, no mission so I'll be there. And who's the friend?"
"Vicky."
"Oh god, I'll get the camera." Talia laughed from the other end.
"Don't worry, the town security cameras will catch it all, from multiple angles and there's no way I'm letting S.H.I.E.L.D. hoard the footage. Since you're at the Triskelion, could you pop by Melinda's desk and try to convince her to come? She's the only agent aside from Fury, Maria and yourself who's stateside, and she's Peggy's first protege, they've not seen each other since before..."
"Bahrain, yeah. I'll head on over. I think Sharon already tried though, that was the floor she got onto the elevator from."
"She tried once already, but one more from you couldn't hurt. And tell her, if she tells you no, then I'll head down there to invite her, I won't take no for an answer and if I do have to do that, I won't be happy."
The smile could be heard as Talia joked, "Oh no, the Patented Disappointed Stephanie Rogers Look, whatever shall she do to avoid it?"
"Hopefully, she'll say yes before I have to pull out the big guns."
"Right. I'll text you with her answer, right after I tell Barton to get his ass over there too. I don't care what he's guarding in Nevada, he can come visit his partner on the rare day she gets to stop pretending."
Skye quirked her mouth a bit in amusement. "Your inner assassin is showing."
"Of course it is, he brings out the worst in me. Why I let Fury partner me with him so often, I don't know."
"Pull the other one. He's one of the few S.H.I.E.L.D. field operatives that you do actually get along with. If I weren't so sure you're madly in love with me, I'd be jealous."
"And if you weren't so against guys, I'd have inv-"
"Lalalalala!" Skye interrupted.
"Kidding. Talk soon."
Skye sighed, and murmured, "Love you."
"Love is for Children."
"Talia."
"... Love you."
Skye smiled as the call ended, and looked up around the park. The previous watchers from her conversation with Victor had dispersed, thankfully.
She stood and returned home, passing Victor as he left from the side of the house, indicating he'd come from the bay-facing back veranda.
"Hey Mother." She greeted, seeing Peggy sat on a rocking chair looking out into the bay.
"Skye. You look happy, what's up?"
"Nothing, just... arranged for some presents is all. I think you'll be happy with them... even with, well. You'll understand."
"Of course. Victor just left."
"I saw. What have you to old biddies been gossiping about now?" Skye asked, wondering if Victor would have shared the 'rumor'.
"Oh, just reminiscing about old times. Did I ever tell you the story about how Steve and I rescued Victor and his family during the war?" She blinked. The story of how Victor met Peggy hadn't been told before, and wondered if Victor had said something to prompt this share.
"No, you always told me 'another time'."
"Well, It was 1944, and contrary to what S.H.I.E.L.D. and the SSR would have you believe, less than half the operations were against HYDRA. It was one of those other operations, the mission to liberate a POW camp in Latveria. Howard, naturally, was all bluster about the damage his poor plane would take on the flight, never mind that he enjoyed it far more than he ever told. Steve had the bright idea of landing the plane at the von Doom estates' own private runway, but since it was Steve's idea, naturally, that was the one time the German army had managed to not only breach the walls, but completely take over the castle, taking the family prisoner. So of course, to get around this new set-back, Steve and Bucky came up with an even more brilliant plan."
The sarcasm was heavy, and Skye smiled as she listened to the story.
Authors note: Yes, in this the Fantastic Four characters exist, though Victor is the only one who'll feature. (Susan pops up in a related one-shot set when she's still a college student and intern for him.) I am not going to explore it.