A/N. Heyyy :) Here is the alternate Steggy ending as promised. It's short but I hope it's enough. So the next time you hear for me, you'll be reading an excerpt from #3 in the trilogy. That sounds so cool! I'm going to write a trilogy :D Also, I managed to find a Marvel Cinematic Universe Timeline online, and it turns out that Steve's crashing the plane year was accurate, however, the Avengers took place in April 2011 O.o So I'm telling you right now that in all stories in this universe (and probably all those in the Avengers fandom that I write or have written), the Avengers movie happened in late May of 2012. It just makes the most sense to me. With all that said and done, enjoy the alternate ending and don't forget to review! i still need 9 more reviews until someone gets their oneshot! ;)

ALTERNATE ENDING

"There's only one thing that can possibly convince you to stay."

"What's that?"

She scooted closer to him and grabbed his hand. She looked up at him and tilted her chin towards his. He found himself leaning forward to catch her lips in a kiss. He found himself flashing back to the first time they'd locked lips when he'd been about to board the Hydra plane. It had been enlightening for him, showed him all that he was fighting for and made his motives all the more clear. This time was no different.
She was the one to pull away after what felt like forever. He blinked. Everything suddenly became clear. He smiled brightly for the first time in what felt like forever.

"Peggy, you're an amazing woman."

"But…?" she urged, thinking she knew what was coming.

"But nothing. You're amazing and I love you." He took both hands in hers and stared into her eyes. "I can't leave everything I grieved for, everything I wished would come back that did. I love you Peggy, and I don't think I could handle leaving you a second time."

Agent thirteen (aka Peggy Carter) felt the tears welling up her eyes from happiness. "Oh Steve, do you really mean it?"

He nodded. "I do. I belong here, the era I grew up in, with you and Howard and the others."

"I was so sure you were going to go with Tania…"

"I was leaning towards her during my stay here, but that kiss… that kiss just made me realize how much I missed you when I was gone and how much it hurt not having you there the first time."

"But what about Captain America? He can't come out if you don't want the future to be altered."

"When Tania returns to the future, she will be in a place where we can no longer affect her. She will be in a different parallel universe. I can do whatever I want here and there will be a Tania in this universe too, but the one I know will live a life that I didn't change. At least, I think that's how it works…" he furrowed his brows and Peggy laughed.

"If you're sure…"

"I'm sure. I'll have Howard make another suit. Though he can't replace the shield…"

"You'll live."

He smiled and pressed another kiss to her lips. "Yeah, I will."

Tania cried herself to sleep that night, unable to stop the grief from crawling its way into her heart like the arc reactor did for the shrapnel inside of Tony. She didn't even remember falling asleep before she woke up. She didn't dare look in the mirror.

She took deep breaths and looked down. Immediately she ripped off the clothes from the forties that reminded her of him and tossed them in the trash compactor in the wall that opened for her automatically. She smiled and dried her tears. Ah, technology. How she'd missed it.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, Miss Banks?"

She sighed and closed her eyes. I missed you."

"You were only gone two point eight seven seconds last night."

"So you noticed?"

"Yes. I would have alerted the others to your disappearance had you not reappeared so quickly."

"Thanks Jarvis."

"Any time Miss Banks."

She threw open the suitcase from under the bed and searched for a suitable outfit. She was dressed in jean short shorts and a purple camisole with a diamond necklace and flip-flops. She tied her hair in a ponytail and added a cute purple headband before heading to bathroom to apply her makeup. She saw herself in the mirror and smiled. She looked… normal. She felt normal. Even though she wasn't in the Tower, she felt at home. She put on her minimal makeup and ran back into her room to grab her cell phone.

It was small and compact and metallic and oh so familiar. She turned it on and watched as the Stark technology (a present from Stark himself) projected 3D holographic imagines from the screen. But that was when she saw the time: eight a.m.

She closed her phone and ran for the kitchen, her heart pounding. She hadn't seen the other Avengers in over a month! She ached to see them again, to interact with them, to-

She entered the kitchen. Everyone was milling about, eating, cooking, or talking. Everyone was there – except Steve. Her smile faltered. She cleared her throat and distracted herself with the "reunion".

"Good morning!" she greeted. She could feel the tears of joy behind her eyelids but she shoved them back. Not yet, she told herself.

"G'mornin," Tony mumbled with his mouth full. She looked at his face and all she saw was Howard. The resemblance was uncanny and she didn't know how to react. She'd kissed this man's father. She quickly averted her eyes to land on Pepper, who waved and smiled at her. She returned it and sat down between Clint and Natasha.

They were both staring at her strangely. "What?" she asked them.

It was Clint who spoke first. "You seem… different."

"Older," Natasha added.

"And sad," he continued.

Across the table, Thor spoke up in his loud voice, getting everyone's attention. "Where is Friend Steve? He is usually among the first to wake."
Tania felt her heart shatter all over again and she covered her mouth with her hand to quell the oncoming sob.

"Tania?" Clint called tenderly. "What's wrong?" This question had everyone's heads swivelling towards her.

"I…" she sniffled. "Steve… is gone."

Everyone gaped. "Gone? What do you mean, gone?" Jane panicked.

"It's… kind of a long story."

"How could it be a long story? You were both lovey dovey just yesterday," Tony pointed out.

Tania sighed. It felt unbelievably good to be with the Avengers again, but without Steve it just wasn't the same. "Last night, Steve and I accidentally came across a time machine. We were sucked back in time for several weeks before we were able to- before I was able to come back."

"A time machine? Are you sure you weren't dreaming?" Bruce asked sceptically.

"She's wasn't," Tony said. Everyone turned to him. "A long time ago, my dad built a time machine. I never thought he'd get it to work considering the lack of technology in his era so I left it to collect dust in the basement by my workshop. Is that where you found it?" She nodded in affirmation. "It's been dormant almost as long as Steve's been frozen. I set it to a date when he was alive when I was twenty to see if I could go back and talk to him – but I chickened out in case it worked and threw a tarp over it. I guess I know that now it works."

"It does."

"So… does this story have anything to do with where Steve is?" Graham asked.

She nodded. "But like I said, it's really long."

Tony scooted his chair closer. "Begin."

Less than an hour later, everyone stared at her disbelief as she started full-blown crying. Clint, being the closest person at the time, wrapped in arm around her shoulders and brought her head to rest in the crook of his neck. He rubbed her arm soothingly while Natasha grabbed her hand on her other side as a sign that she was there for her. Tony nudged her foot with his from across the table and Pepper and Jane sent her reassuring smiles. Everyone was there for her. She laughed through her tears. She was finally home and she knew that she was never leaving ever again. She also knew that with their help and a little something called time, she could heal from the thought of never again having coffee with Steve Rogers.