Chapter 4 [11:23 AM]

Sharon parked her car within the designated visitors' spots as close to the building as she could manage. She knew she should've been packing her bags in preparation for the mission with Cap and the Falcon across Europe and into Russia itself. Hell she'd even settle for an ice cream with Cap or something before that.

Still Pepper's call intrigued her….

What the Hell does she want? Fury never said anything about my aunt during this time! Sharon leaned back against the headrest and pondered the situation. She knew how dedicated her great aunt had been to the family and various causes while growing up. Since joining SHIELD, she'd learned of the latter's role in the agency after the second world war.

It made her head spin yet warmed her heart. Pride swelled within her chest at the reminder of Peggy Simmons' legacy.

Still the sudden summons provoked several more questions in her mind. What could Stark Enterprises want with a ninety-five year old woman? Hopefully nothing has happened! She resolved to call the older woman when this business was done. She got out and closed the driver's side door with conviction. Then she walked briskly up to the front door and let herself in. She spied Hill typing at a laptop by the reception desk. Not wanting to blow any covers, she addressed the latter, "Good morning, Ms. Hill. How are you?"

Hill looked up from her screen and nodded in a business-like fashion. "Good morning, Agent Carter. Pleasure seeing you again. Ms. Potts and Mr. Stark are waiting in his office. Please follow me." She locked her computer screen and led the visitor through a labyrinth of hallways and passages.

Feels like I'm being led deeper into a spider's web. What the Hell's going on? Sharon's eyes drifted around the plainly painted white halls and the light blue carpeting under her feet. She saw Hill knocking at a door and opening it. "This it?"

"Yes it is. Trust me. You will want to hear this. Talk to you later," Hill assured her before returning to her desk.

Sharon opened the door slowly to find Pepper and Tony talking quietly to each other. "Umm, hi. Sorry to intrude. Your call said it was urgent?"

He stood and considered the visitor with a cocky yet deliberate eye. "Yeah…considering it's about Dear Old Auntie and my Dad, I'd say it is. Quite a surprise too."

"Excuse me? Aunt Peggy would never…!" Sharon insisted angrily. Her eyes flared at the industrialist.

"That's not why I called you, Agent Carter. While your aunt and Howard Stark collaborated on a variety of activities, they never engaged in any questionable activity." Pepper glared at him before continuing. "In fact, as you may know, Howard and his wife, Maria, were close friends of your great-aunt and uncle."

"Yes. I was aware of that." The blonde agent focused on the red headed assistant. "So what is this about anyhow?"

"Seems that Dear Howard left a surprise buried for dear Peggy in the event that her Capsicle ever thawed out," he cracked.

"Tony, drop it!" Pepper directed.

"Why? Girl over there can't admit that her great auntie had a thing for the Boy Scout even when she was with old Reggie?" He shrugged. "Can't understand why either. But well…issues and all that…."

Sharon stood and took a step toward the industrialist. Her hand was raised ready to slap him hard across the face. "My Aunt Peggy was loyal. What have you done, Mr. Stark, besides ride on your father's coat tails, invent that tin can or raise a stink like you're doing now? Maybe you should go hide in that bottle of yours since Sgt. Rhodes does the whole Iron Man thing better."

He got in her face. "Never said she wasn't. Just said she never got over Rogers. You wish you could deal with my stuff, Carter." He snorted. "Keep going and you won't find out what this is." He produced the sealed glass vial with a clear liquid in it. "Dad left this for Simmons. I can drop it and…whoops…she won't get what Dad wanted for her."

"What the Hell? Ms. Potts?" Sharon demanded. "What is he getting at?"

Pepper stared at him in exasperation. "Tony, get on with it!"

"You both are such kill joys. Fine. Whatever." He rolled his eyes. "One of our archivists discovered a project about your aunt that my father was working on. Turns out he designed a formula to make her young again should Rogers come back. Just think, Carter, you could have your aunt back again as a young woman. SHIELD gets an agent back. Rogers might just get to score for once. Big deal there."

"You're saying that can make her young again? Surprised you aren't mass marketing it for your own gain, Stark. That's your speed," Sharon assumed.

"Howard intended this for Agent Simmons and we want to honor his wishes. Don't we, Tony?" Pepper insisted.

"Considering that the old boy locked the formula to Simmons' DNA, we don't have a choice. So anyhow to cut through the bull shit, we want you to try this on your aunt," he surmised.

Sharon almost laughed just managing to stifle a sarcastic chuckle. "You…really…want me to give that to Aunt Peggy? Have you tested it? How do you know it was intended for her?"

"Here's the letter Howard wrote to Tony," Pepper noted while handing her the ancient memo. "I think it's clear what his intent was."

Sharon read and reread the letter several times. Then she considered the vial he was swishing around in his hand. "Have you tested it?"

"Considering that it's in low supply, ummm…no. Kind of hard, you know. JARVIS, however, has analyzed it and run several tests not to mention scenarios. The formula's stable and it seems to work under the simulations. Bruce Banner's other half, Betty Ross, also has looked at it. She's cool with it," he clarified.

Sharon recalled Ross' record and background as a biogeneticist. She'd also seen the accuracy projections for JARVIS' analysis. "And you're saying that would make my aunt young again?"

"We don't know how young but yeah that's the idea. What the Hell? She's dying in that nursing home anyway. Might as well give her another shot at life. Like I said, it might get Rogers straight again," he admitted.

"And you're saying that formula can do it?" Sharon considered the vial. "Can I see it?"

"Why not?" Tony handed it to her. "Remember it's the only stuff we have."

"I get that. Thank you." Sharon accepted the vial from him. She held it up to the light and considered the refractions therein. Do I dare give this to Aunt Peggy? It could kill her. I know she hates being on the sidelines. They've said they done everything short of a live test. Only way to do that is on her. I'll ask Fury when I see him. She knew the deliberations within herself were far from over.

Still to give Peggy back those years…to have the woman who was more her Mom than her own mother back in the flower of life seemed worth it….

Both could be happy…and maybe Captain America too….

She'd want to go for it. She pocketed the vial. "I'll take special care of this. Thank you, Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts."

"Like I'm going to let you just walk with that?" he queried pointedly.

"That is still classified," Pepper pointed out.

"I know. I'm taking it to Aunt Peggy. I want to be the one to administer it to her." She patted the pocket in her coat gently. "I'll take good care of this. Let you know what happens. Thank you." She shook both of their hands and then departed.

"So there she goes. Little Ms. Hotshot herself. Guess she decided to save the world?" he supposed half-seriously.

"She's deliberating about giving it to Agent Simmons, Tony. I have to believe she will. Hard to have faith sometimes," Pepper assessed.

"Faith? Yeah…there's a concept. Rare stuff all the way around." He glanced warmly at her and added a satisfied eyebrow arch. "There now. I did what I was supposed to. Now lunch and the afternoon are ahead."

She wanted to say something but simply wrote off the snarkiness as Tony being Tony. Besides she wanted a great afternoon too. "Carmine's it is." She kissed his cheek. "Come on. Happy's waiting."

"Now that's what I'm talking about," Tony agreed as they left the office and headed for the elevator.

Even Howard would've been happy with that scene….