The woman, who had been so close to killing Peggy, suddenly fell on top of her, lifeless. Peggy opened her eyes wide, breathing heavily, ears drumming. She slowly pushed the dead woman off of her and rolled onto her side, facing the window, which had a small hole in it. Angie rushed to her side, kneeling beside her, saying things, taking Peggy in her arms. Peggy didn't hear a word and her world faded to black.
She awoke to Angie sitting on her bedside. She was in her old room. The room she had had sex with Dottie in for the first time. A lot of memories came flooding back. Angie smiled at her, still concerned, "Hey English, you alright?" She placed a tender hand on Peggy's forehead, "Your temperature has come down at least." Peggy frowned slowly, still coming around, "Are you telling me I'm not hot any more, Angie?" Angie blushed, "Oh, no, I, you are- um," Peggy laughed, "I'm joking, Angie, it's alright. Thank you." Angie folded her arms, smirking, "Glad to see your sense of humour hasn't left you." Peggy sat up slowly, Angie helping prop up the pillows for her. "Peggy, thank you." Angie said seriously, looking Peggy in the eye. Peggy smiled softly, "You know I'd do anything to keep you safe." The aspiring actress' eyes pricked with tears, "I know, and that's why I love you." She whispered before hugging Peggy tightly. Peggy hugged her back, burying her head into Angie's shoulder, "I love you too, Angie."
Jack Thomson walked into the room and raised an eyebrow. "Alright, Carter, quit your gal pallin' and let's go." The girls pulled away from each other and glared at him.
"Go where?" Peggy asked.
Peggy was lead to the observation room, and her face fell. There Dorothy Underwood sat at the interrogation table on the other side of the glass disguised as a mirror, just as she had only a couple of weeks earlier. Her hair was stripped of it's dark brown, leaving her a natural blonde once again. She looked sad. The only other time Peggy had seen Dottie sad, was when Dottie thought she was going to lose her after they argued. "Oh Dottie." Peggy whispered under her breath. The Russian knew she was going away for some time and had even made sure her roots wouldn't grow in, ever the prepared.
"Caught this slippery bitch hanging around Stark's mansion with a sniper rifle." Thomson said, shutting the door. "Don't call her that." Peggy snapped at him. Jack raised his eyebrows, "What's got your knickers in a twist?" Peggy refrained from slapping the man and watched Dottie, realisation growing.
"She shot her." Peggy said slowly. She should have known Dottie would have followed her – the Russian would never let Peggy face her sisters alone. Jack frowned, "Come again, Carter? Who did she shoot?" Peggy turned to face him, "Dorothy Underwood shot the woman who was about to kill me in Howard's study. She saved my life. Before I fainted, I saw a hole in the window, and I or one of your men sure as hell didn't put it there with our automatic weapons." The chief looked confused, "But she's trying to kill you. Why would she shoot someone when they were about to finish the job?" Peggy shook her head, "Because she isn't trying to kill me. She's trying to show us that she could be an ally. Why else would she let you capture her?" Peggy tried to convince him. Jack nodded slowly, putting his hands on his hips, "She did come surprisingly peacefully. But how do we know she isn't just trying to get close before she turns on us?" Peggy looked at Dottie in the other room, "We don't... Yet." She said.
Agent Carter stepped into the interrogation room, Jack Thomson watching from the observation room.
"Dorothy Underwood, welcome back. Love the hair." Peggy started. Dottie smiled slowly, "Welcome back yourself, Agent, and thank you. I see you survived that little...predicament you were in." Peggy allowed the corners of her mouth to raise, "Yes, thanks to you." Dottie nodded slowly, proudly. "I suppose your superiors are wondering why." The Russian said, looking at the mirror, causing Jack to take a step back from it. Peggy nodded, looking down, "Yes, actually." Dottie leant forward, putting her hands together, "Because I want in." Peggy looked back at her, "How can we trust you?" Dottie raised one eyebrow, "Saving the SSR's top agent and her friend wasn't enough? More than once, I might add." Peggy opened her mouth to speak, but Thomson came into the room, "What do you mean more than once?" He asked. Dottie made direct eye contact with him, "I've been following Peggy around for a while now, making sure nobody gets to her. I've been keeping her alive whether or not you knew it, Jack." Jack looked at Peggy, "You didn't know?" he asked. Peggy shook her head, "How could I? She's better trained in stalking her prey than most. It's not as though she's obvious." Dottie nodded, "And the only reason you caught me, was because I wanted you to."
"We get information, a means to the end of Leviathan and the Red Room Academy." Jack said, "What do you get?"
Dottie smiled, "Freedom."
"Freedom." Jack Thomson said in disbelief, walking through the main office space with Peggy. Peggy nodded, "Freedom. From us, and from them." In his office, Jack turned around, "What, you think they're still controlling her?" Peggy sighed, "To an extent, yes. Dottie wants to be good Jack. But as long as Leviathan exists and threatens her, she'll always feel like she is held back by them."
"You really know how to read people, Carter. Or is there just something you're not telling me?" Jack asked, growing suspicious.
"Women's intuition." Peggy responded simply, knowing Thomson would believe her, "That and it's how I would feel if I were her."
They spent the next few days extracting information from her, Dottie and Peggy sharing lingering looks in between. Each night, Peggy returned to Angie, her heart heavy. She hoped this would be over soon and they both would be out of the woods.
It wasn't, and they weren't. Dottie was taken back into custody of the FBI, who allowed Peggy to visit her. The following two months for Peggy were spent not only thinking of her locked up Russian, but moving between Los Angeles and New York, helping Daniel Sousa to close the Zero Matter case once and for all using Dottie's help and information. They were also spent with the SSR drawing up plans to take down the leaders of Leviathan and come up with safety measures for the girls who were bred and raised to be spies.
Dottie stirred in her sleep every night, she craved the English Agent like nothing before. She even worried some nights; Angie was a sweet girl, sweet enough for Peggy to begin to prefer her company over Dottie's. What if when she got out again, Peggy had changed her mind? Doing her sit-ups again every morning usually helped clear her mind of that worry, as well as keeping herself feeling fit.
"Where you goin' this time?" Angie asked Peggy who was packing, again. Peggy considered lying, but chose not to, "Russia." She was wearing the same outfit she did when she last visited the country.
Angie frowned, "Russia? Why?" she handed Peggy a cup of tea. Peggy accepted it gratefully, taking a break. She considered just telling Angie everything; the late nights, the constant flying backwards and forwards, the women who attacked them. Peggy nursed the cup in her hands, "It's a long story, Angie. I promise to tell you when I get back." Angie shook her head and sat down on the floor in front of Peggy, "Oh no, every time someone says that, they don't come back. Tell me now, Peg, give me somethin'." Peggy gave up, she was tired of lying to Angie, and so she started from the beginning, and told her about Leviathan.
She finished her tea, and Angie sat, jaw agape.
"Oh my god, Peggy, anyone could be one of those girls!" Angie exclaimed. Peggy nodded and continued to pack a few more things, "Yes, including our very own Dottie Underwood." Angie frowned, "Who, Iowa? No." The waitress laughed, she refused to belief that the innocent wide eyed blonde girl who said the "beat was dandy" when she heard Angie's music, was a hardened Russian spy. Peggy's expression was deadly serious though and Angie stopped laughing, "Really?" Peggy nodded, "They're all trained to act the way Dottie did when we first met her. It ensures they aren't given a second thought and are able to slip past people easily." Angie's eyes were wide, "Wow. You think you know people, huh?" Peggy smiled, "Well, she's helped us greatly since then. She really wants to change, you know." The brunette said fondly. Angie's face settled and she nodded, "So you don't think she'll turn on you?" Peggy shook her head, confident, "No."
At the office, Jack Thomson called everyone who was flying to Russia that morning into the briefing room to begin. Right before they started, a woman walked into the room, flanked by two men in suits.
Peggy looked over, and her heart skipped a beat, Dorothy Underwood herself. She looked a little worse for wear, but still the smug Dottie whom Peggy knew and loved. She had to force herself not to run over to her and take her in her arms. The men in the office became guarded, Dottie wasn't cuffed after all, and the smile on her face could only mean trouble. But it didn't. Dottie was just pleased beyond belief to see Peggy Carter again.
Once the briefing was over, Thomson looked at Dottie and then at Peggy, "Carter, take Underwood to the locker rooms and get her some gear. Be snappy about it too, we have an hour before we have to leave for the flight, so no sitting doing your makeup or whatever." Peggy nodded enthusiastically, happy to carry out one of Thomson's orders for once.
The two women played it cool on the way to the empty locker room, but before door had barely even closed behind them, the two embraced in a series of hard passionate kisses, relapsing onto each other.
"I missed you." Peggy whispered as they both broke the kisses and caught their breath. Dottie smirked, "I knew you would." She played her false confidence before kissing Peggy again, "I missed you too." Agent Carter grinned and nodded, "Good, let's get you out of these clothes, shall we? We only have an hour."
Dottie finally got dressed again into the tactical gear. Not quite Russian standard, but she was confident it was good enough, and the treatment she had just received would keep her sweet for a while. She laced up her boots without looking, her blue eyes resting on the fidgeting Agent.
"You're nervous." Dottie commented with interest, she had never seen Peggy Carter nervous before. Peggy looked over at the blonde and immediately stopped fidgeting, "Well, slightly." Dottie smiled softly, and instead of mocking or giving her hard love like she might have under normal circumstances, she said, "Peggy, I don't know anyone stronger, more loyal, or more courageous, than you. You've nothing to worry about." Dottie wasn't sure why she was acting so soft, sure she hadn't seen Peggy in two months, and they had just had their mouths and hands all over each other, but they were about to head to battle, it wasn't like they were going to die. Together, they were the best. Peggy's eyelids fluttered along with her heart, and she took the Russian's hand, before she smiled back at Dottie, "Thank you, truly." Dottie wasn't quite sure how she was supposed to react, it was a simple gesture, but it felt meaningful, so she squeezed Peggy's hand, "No, thank you."
They exited the locker room and headed off to meet up with the rest of their team before their departure.