Oh my god I finally got inspired! It's a miracle! Honestly half of this chapter was written after the last update. Thing is the entire fight at the end was completely blank until I found a Steggy gif by mrgaretcarter truly amazing work you must check her out. I included the quote as a sort of shout out thank you for getting me back onto my feet again.
Peggy steps out of the conference room, goosebumps covering her forearms. It had been forever since she had been interrogated, at least, as far as she could remember. Which then again wasn't much.
"So what did you tell them?" She nearly jumps out of her skin at the sound of Daniel's voice as she steps into her bedroom. His hair is tousled with sleep, his clothes in an array.
"How long have you been waiting?" She asks slowly.
"Only a few hours." His small smile is enough of a truth for her. He had fallen asleep while waiting for her. "Now what did you tell them?"
"Do you remember what happened in Moscow on that mission?" She frowns.
"Only the explosion." She nods moving to sit next to him.
She leans her head on his shoulder sucking in a breath to spill the truth. "That night we went into the art exhibit because Agent Tath told us there were twelve hostages being held in the main gala."
"I remember him." His nose wrinkles at the thought of the man. Yes, it was true he had particularly dreadful on some days towards her. Yet he was the best specialist they had and couldn't rid of him… Not for that reason at least…
"There were no hostages and we were about to leave when a suicide bomber revealed himself. We made it to the front steps when the blast hit. You threw yourself at me to protect me. I remember lying there with you on top of me. Everything on Earth was spinning but you… I was so scared that I had lost you."
"But you didn't." He interjects.
"But I nearly did!"
"Peg we're professionals."
"You don't understand Daniel."
"I understand it just fine."
"Daniel if you would please"
"Peg you just need to listen"
"It was a trap!" She shouts surprising herself as well as Daniel. He stumbles backwards blinking slowly. "I'm terribly sorry. I shouldn't have shouted."
"Peg did you tell them this?" He steps closer once again his hands gripping her arms softly.
"No."
"Peg…"
"Daniel I need you to trust me with this. I have plenty a reason to keep this to myself." She states defensively.
"Of course I trust you." His voice is softer now, almost apologetic.
"It was S.H.I.E.L.D. that betrayed us." The words constrict her throat as they pass her lips. It was as if the mere notion of such a horrid thing could choke her. His shocked expression was enough for her to continue. "They believed I was getting too soft as the director… perhaps I was." She swallows heavily not meeting his eyes. "Agent Taft organized that suicide bomber so that you were supposed to die and I was supposed to live."
"That bastard." He curses.
"I fired him. I just remember thinking if I had killed him in cold blood… It wouldn't have been what you wanted." His hands move to her cheeks forcing her dark eyes to meet his. Understanding seemed to pour from such a simple glance. He swipes a thumb across her cheek causing her heart to skip slightly in her chest.
"I'm proud of you Peg. You did good." His lips press against her forehead but the truth doesn't stop slipping from her lips.
"The man that saved you… he was hydra." His entire body tenses with her words. "He told me so after I fired Taft and I… I let him slip away. I didn't do a thing."
"Why would they want to save me?" if I only have one leg… The rest of the question hangs still in the air.
"He wanted me to trust him… He had saved you despite orders not to and…"
"Wait how can you trust them?"
"They lied about more than that." Peggy states moving her mattress. She digs out reports and other sorts of papers and scatters them on her bed. "They lied to me about Howard's death. They said his liver gave out but he died in a wreck." She states comparing the old newspaper to the S.H.I.E.L.D. report. "Then there are all sorts of reports on our old cases that just seem… Wrong. I don't know how to explain it but these aren't correct. They're trying to hide something from us."
"What could that be?"
"I haven't the slightest idea but I found this…" She passes Daniel a report on an old painting.
"What's this got to do with anything?"
"Exactly that. It seemingly has nothing to do with anything because after this report all records disappear. All it says in the report is that Agent May and Agent Coulson went undercover to retrieve a painting that was assumed to be desired by Hydra. Nothing else. No mention if they succeeded or failed… No mention if they even went through with it!"
"Peg… You're exhausted." She opens her mouth to protest before he realizes he's not wrong. She hasn't slept soundly in days and she was worn out. "I promise we'll look into this," His fingers lace in hers giving it a comforting squeeze, "together if you'll just rest."
She let's out a sigh before nodding. They both change into proper resting attire before they settle into a comfortable position. His arm wraps around her waist protectively, her head tucked on his shoulder. With his breath fanning the top of her head, his scent surrounding her, she slips into a dreamless slumber.
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She awakens to a soft grunt. It doesn't take much to wake her at all. Not after many years as an agent. Though some days Daniel would claim the opposite, she'd never own up to it of course.
She parts her eyes tiredly to find the noise had slipped from Daniel's lips. His hair clings to his sweat covered forehead as he twists in his sleep. His face contorts in discomfort as another grunt leaves his lips.
Night terrors… She surmises rather quickly. It wasn't something she was a stranger to, but Daniel… When he had them they were particularly terrible.
"Daniel." She whispers his name combing her fingers through the hair on his chest. It was a move that normally relaxed him when he was particularly stressed, yet he still remained tensed. "Daniel." She calls again, slightly louder. Her fingers slowly move to the back of his neck, lightly rubbing the clenched muscles with practiced familiarity.
"Peggy no…" He whimpers. Her heart aches as his arms tighten around her waist.
"Daniel what is it?" She questions.
"I can't lose you." The confession makes her heart ache.
"Daniel I'm right here…" His panicked eyes spring open as he violently shakes his head. He's still stuck in his dream… She doesn't let go still, her free hand moves to the base of his spine as she scoots up to press a kiss to his damp forehead.
"Don't go…"
"I'm not going anywhere my love." She whispers in the quiet of the room. He presses his face against her chest slowly assuring himself that she's there. "It's not real Daniel… Come back to me." As she lightly scratches his scalp she feels him go slack once more into a much more peaceful sleep. It isn't for another hour as she makes sure he isn't suffering again for her to drift back to sleep as well.
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It's early in the morning when Peggy finds herself slipping from the bedroom to sneak to the kitchen. Her throat is parched from a heavy sleep. If she's being honest with herself, the most restful one she's had since she had returned. She rubs her eyes slipping into the kitchen. She pads quietly over to the sink not bothering to look around.
"I would've paid anything to see this sight every morning."
The glass slips from her hand at the sound of a found clattering loudly into the metal sink. "Oh bloody hell." She states spinning around ready to lash out at whoever dared frighten her at such an early hour.
Of course with her luck it's Steve leaning on the table. Unfortunately nothing is normal with this situation because he is shirtless and… glistening. Meanwhile she is without her makeup, with her hair tousled and dried drool on the side of her chin. Of course he's wearing finely pressed trousers while she is sporting a tank top and a pair of stolen fuzzy pajama pants from Daisy with some odd yellow rat thing printed on them.
"Are you serious?" She gapes.
"Sorry I just finished working out." He shrugs.
"Well not all of us can look spectacular in the morning." She grumbles turning back to the sink. She forces the sink on reminding herself why she had come down here in the first place.
"I think you look gorgeous all of the time." His words cause her to stop her movements suddenly. It's only when water begins spilling onto her hand that she snaps out of it again.
"Look Steve…" She turns back to him finding him rubbing the back of his neck rather adorably.
"Sorry Peg. That was out of line. I shouldn't have said it."
"You're right you shouldn't have." Her words cause him to jerk unsuspectingly. "Steve we've discussed this."
"Well you don't make it easy for me when you're avoiding me like I'm the plague."
"Like you're making it any easier." She scoffs crossing her arms over her chest.
"What am I doing?" He questions.
"This! You can't tell me you flaunt around any random place you'd happen to be staying glistening and flirting." She states exasperated.
"Glistening?" He laughs.
"Don't mock me."
"Look Peg. If it makes you uncomfortable I'll stop. Will you just answer a few questions for me?"
"If I do you'll stop this?"
"I will."
"Fine. Go ahead."
"What are you hiding?" Her spine straightens with the question. She certainly hadn't been expecting that one…
"What ever do you mean?"
"I watched your… interrogation…" He pauses on the word as if it had offended him somehow. "I know when you're holding back Peg. I can see it in your eyes."
"I'm not holding back a thing."
"What about that nightmare you had? The Peggy Carter I know wouldn't be spooked by an explosion."
"The Peggy Carter you knew didn't have a husband in that explosion."
"I know you Peggy. You know more than you're letting on and if you don't tell me…"
"Are you threatening to turn me in?" She gasps.
"No not at all. But you're obstructing justice which is illegal."
"You of all people should be able to understand that sometimes obstructing justice is necessary." She deadpans.
"So you are holding back."
"I never admitted such a thing." She grabs her water with a frown. "Now you said questions so I'm assuming you have more than one."
"Why him?" He asks as she's taking a sip. She almost sputters at the absurdity of the question.
"Excuse me?" Her eyebrow raises.
"You heard me."
"You do realize how idiotic you sound correct?" She clenches her jaw tightly.
"You could have had a pick from anyone in the world but you chose…"
"A cripple?" Oh she could have slapped him then and there. "Is that what you were going to say? Because I seem to remember that there wasn't always a time when you had super strength. Missing a leg does not make him less of a man."
"Peg I didn't mean it like that."
"I'll have you know that after the war Daniel was one of few to actually believe in me."
"He tried to arrest you."
"To be fair I was conducting an illegal second case."
"That doesn't change it."
"I'd say it does."
"He's not me okay?" Steve suddenly blurts.
"He's not…" She takes a deep breath to calm herself. "Of course he's not you."
"We still have a chance."
"Well if you had just given me your coordinates instead of being a stubborn wanker."
"How was I supposed to know I would have survived that crash?" He throws his arms up as his own temper begins to build.
"If you had given them we would've found you. We could've had a chance." SHe's nearly shouting now.
"We still do. I still love you Peg." His hands grip her arms tightly. His eyes beg her to meet them but she forces herself to stare at the ground. This is too much.
"I still love you too Steve. A part of me will always love you but I-" His lips press against hers insistently. They're soft and perfect. His scent threatens to drown her as he wraps his arms around her. It's intoxicating, thrilling… it's wrong. She pushes him away harshly tears building in her eyes. She feels like she's going to be sick.
"You deserve someone who can take care of you." With his words her blood runs cold.
"I will have you know I am perfectly capable of handling myself, as I have for seventy years while you were wasting in the ice. I built myself a life. A career-"
"And look how SHIELD turned out." He suddenly snaps. Regret washes over his face as soon as the the words slip out. She turns away from him as something settles in the pit of her stomach… Rage? Fear? Uncertainty? "Peg I'm sorry I-"
"Go."
"Peggy please I-"
"Leave me alone or I swear to god I will shoot you." She threatens pulling out the gun that she had tucked in the waistband of her pants. No doubt he would be able to dodge it no problem but that didn't stop the betrayal mixed with the guilt from flashing across his eyes.
As he leaves her stomach flips once more. The only person she could possibly trust besides Daniel in this place is gone now. Everyone has lied to her or has been using her in some matter of some way. Her head begins to pound as rage licks it's way through her veins.
"Compliance will be rewarded."
It's too hot. Her gun trembles in her fingers, hands beginning to shake violently. It feels like everything's on fire. Hot rage climbing up her throat, begging to be released. The world spins as she grips the counter tightly.
"Are you ready to comply Agent Carter?"
