A/N
This is unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine, and I'm always looking to improve my writing so feel free to leave advice or comments.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, nor am I making an profit I am just borrowing them for fun
"She took my arm
I don't know how it happened"
-Walk the Moon
Downstairs in the hotel dining room, Peggy shifted in her seat. This was the part of undercover work that Peggy hated most. She preferred action to small talk, but brunch was stretching well into the third hour and to be totally honest, she was bored.
She and Jack were seated at small table with some of the other guests at the hotel, including a pair of sisters, an elderly woman, a middle aged couple, and of course their target, Anne Whitefield and her husband. She worked at a secretary at a Bank & Loan that the S.S.R. believed to be a front for a drug trafficking ring that Peggy and Jack were investigating. It was their job to determine what the secretary knew, if anything but so far they had gotten no where. Anne was very quiet, but the few times that she had spoken Peggy had thought she had seemed rather dimwitted. She wanted to ask Thompson his impressions, but all through brunch he had been rather obnoxiously flirting with the two sisters next to him. Resisting the urge to kick him in the shin, Peggy decided she needed some air. Avoiding eye contact with the elderly woman giving her pitying looks, Peggy stood, smoothing her skirt and politely excused herself through clenched teeth.
When she finally had made it to the restroom, Peggy slumped against the door. She was exhausted. Going over to the small sink, Peggy gently splashed herself with cold water, before staring at her reflection. Despite her best efforts, Peggy looked haggard. Undercover work took its toll, but this assignment had left her particularly drained. This wouldn't be so hard if Thompson pulled his own weight instead of flirting all the time, Peggy thought angrily. She shook her head. The mission. Focus on the mission.
Taking a deep breathe Peggy put on her best smile before opening the door to rejoin the party. And then saw Lydia standing in a secluded corner, much too close to Jack, her hands playing with his tie. Peggy froze, unable to comprehend what was happening. Didn't Lydia see the ring on his finger? Didn't she know he was married to Peggy? At that moment Lydia's hand tightened around Jack's tie and began to pull him towards her as to kiss her. Peggy sprang into motion, her voice thick with her English accent as she called,
"Get your hands off my husband you twat." Both Jack and Lydia sprang backwards looking surprised.
"Peg-Amelia!" Jack said. "It's not what it looks like, I swe-" Peggy pushed past him ignoring him completely. Getting close to Lydia's face, she narrowed her eyes.
"Scram" she told her, but Lydia held her ground. In an almost confident voice, she protested,
"What? He clearly wants me a lot more than he wants you!" Truly angry now, Peggy raised her hand to slap her, but Jack caught her arm.
"Amelia dear be reasonable" he warned, but Peggy heard the underlying message, control yourself. Don't get us thrown out with your dramatics. "Don't listen to her darling, she's insane. Of course I want you-you're the only one I've ever wanted. No one else makes me feel the way you do." Lowering Peggy's arm, he turned her around so that she could no longer see Lydia. "You're beautiful, intelligent, funny and sweet. My life would be totally empty without you in it. Honestly, I love-she's gone." Peggy blinked. Jack's eyes were looking over her head where Lydia had gone. Mentally shaking herself, Peggy stepped away from Jack, finding it slightly difficult to breathe. She suddenly was furious at him.
"What were you thinking!" she said, smacking him on the arm. "Are you trying to blow your cover, or did you forget the mission?" Thompson smirked as usual but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He didn't even have a snappy comeback. They leaned against the wall, staring at their shoes. Peggy cut her eyes sideways at him, trying to erase the awkwardness by saying,
"And don't think I didn't hear you call me sweet" but Jack only managed a sardonic smile. He pushed off the wall, before saying
"I'm going to grab some air. You go back to the table and I will join you in a minute." Then he walked away, heading towards the kitchens. Peggy stared incredulously after him for a second before turning on her heel. After all that, he still left her to do the dirty work. The mission comes first she thought, as she headed back into the dining hall. Even before I kill Thompson.
Jack burst out the door and into the alley, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. Leaning against the brick wall, he closed his eyes. He had acted like such an idiot. He had tried to use Lydia to distract him from Peggy and it blew up in his face. Way to keep it professional Jack, he admonished himself. This mission was messing with his mind. As soon as it was over, he was going to take a long term assignment far away from Peggy Carter. Maybe in Siberia.
He was debating where or not he could convince Sousa to come with him when he heard the screeching of tires. Jack opened his eyes just in time to see a large truck pull into the opening of the ally and five large men poured out. Glancing behind him, Jack saw that the other end had already been blocked by a shiny black car with tinted windows, and it had even more large men climbing out of it. Reaching for his gun, Jack cursed and used his other hand to feel for the door handle behind him. It must have locked behind him because it wouldn't budge. The large henchmen were advancing. Cursing again, Jack raised his gun and began firing, but the men closed on him fast. Jack had only managed to drop two and wing one when the first meat head swung at Jack's head. Firing a shot into the man's belly, Jack pushed off the wall but there was no where to go. He was surrounded. Ducking punches, he barely had time to think, Peggy before a fist connected with a solid blow to his temple, and then all he could see was the floor rushing up to meet him as blackness filled his vision.
