Chapter 35
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When Skye, Tripp, Sharon and Maria return to the hotel once they got some food they find a note saying that first thing tomorrow morning there is going to be a meeting about arrangements that have to be made.
When Skye gets up the following morning she walks out to the main part of the room where she finds Tripp and Maria having what looks like a pretty intense conversation and Sharon doing her best not to watch.
"What's going on?" Skye asks sitting down next to her cousin.
"Tonio wants Maria to be at the meetings but Maria is worried that it's not her place and how Aunt Angela will react considering she is a director of SHIELD." Sharon explains.
"If Tonio wants her there then she should be." Skye says to Sharon.
"That's my vote too." Sharon tells her cousin.
"See they agree." Tripp says hearing what his cousins said.
"Just stating an opinion not getting between you two." Sharon comments.
"I think we kind of are." Skye says as the door opens and Melinda, Angela, Coulson, Steve and surprisingly Bucky walk in.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Skye asks surprised walking over to her boyfriend, though she is very glad to see him.
"Steve asked me to come, because I knew Peggy." Bucky explains.
"And I thought it was a good idea." Melinda says to her daughter.
"Thank you." Skye tells her mother who nods as she gives Bucky a hug.
"The chaplain as well as military representative should be here soon." Coulson says as Melinda puts something down on the table that Sharon recognizes as the funeral plan they came up with many years ago.
"Ma, I would like you to meet my girlfriend Maria Hill, Maria this is my mother Angela Triplett." Tripp introduces.
"It's nice to meet you Mrs Triplett." Maria says shaking her hand.
"Doctor." Angela corrects, "And it's nice to meet you too." Angela responds as she shakes Maria's hand, clearly looking Maria up and down.
"I wanted you to know that I care about your son, a lot, and I'm very sorry for your loss." Maria tells Angela.
"Thank you." Angela responds as there is a knock on the door.
"I'll get it." Sharon says getting up and walking over to the door to get it, "Father, General." Sharon greets when she sees the two people standing at the door.
"Agent Carter." They both great.
"Please come in." Sharon requests and they walk in and Melinda walks over to them.
"General Jacobs, Father Reed." Melinda greets, Sharon and Melinda both knowing who they are because they are two people who have worked with Peggy in the past and who she requested be the ones who organize the funeral.
"Agent May, we're truly sorry for your loss." General Jacobs says, "Director Carter's was a truly great woman, and her death is truly a lost to us all." He tells Melinda.
"Thank you Sir." Melinda tells him as Angela walks over.
"Yes, thank you Sir." Angela says.
"Doctor Triplett, you have my sympathies." Father Reed tells Angela
"Thank you." Angela responds, "I believe you know my son Antoine."
"Yes we do." General Jacobs says.
"Well I would like to introduce you to my niece, Melinda's daughter Skye, my Brother-in-law Phil Coulson, my Son's girlfriend Maria Hill and two of my mother's oldest friends Steve Rogers and James Barnes." Angela introduces.
"Skye, Captain Rogers, Sargent Barnes, nice to meet you. Agent Coulson, Agent Hill, nice to see you again, though I wish it was under better circumstances." General Jacobs says.
For the next ten minutes the group discuss the plans that Peggy made and whether they want to use them and what they need to change. To the surprise of Tripp, Melinda, Sharon and Coulson; Angela doesn't object to the public funeral though it is clear that she isn't happy about it.
"Now for the actual service, there will be the part I say about who she was and the military part that General Jacobs says, but what about personal eulogies?" Father Reed asks.
"I would like to give one." Steve says.
"So would I." Tripp adds.
"Melinda, Angela?" Father Reed asks the pair.
"Can you Melinda, I don't think I would be able to." Angela says to her sister.
"Of course." Melinda answers.
"Pallbearers?" Father Reed asks and Melinda, Tripp, Steve, Bucky and Coulson puts up their hands.
"You need one more." Father Reed informs them.
"I can ask Tony." Steve hesitantly suggests, "Considering how close his father was to Peggy it would be fitting." He says.
"I think that would be a good idea." Angela says as she grew up hearing stories about Howard Stark, even met him more than once and she thinks that having his son being one of the pallbearers would be very respectful
"I have a poem that I know Aunt Peggy wanted read, Skye can you read it with me." Sharon requests as she knows that she is going to have a hard time reading the poem so if Skye is standing next to her she might have a better chance of getting through it.
"Are you sure?" Skye asks.
"Please." Sharon requests.
"Then of course I will." Skye answers and Father Reed nods.
"Wake?" Father Reed asks the group.
"Here." Angela says, "We can put money on the bar, have it after the private burial." Angela suggests.
"That sounds good." Steve comments.
"What are the plans for security?" Coulson asks, hating to be the one who asked but knowing that it needs to be.
"Plan clothed." General Jacobs answers, "But it will be present, I will go over the plans with you closer to the funeral, considering the recent threats I thought it would be best." He tells them.
"It is." Melinda says.
"This is about Hydra isn't it?" Angela asks, "You think they would attack the funeral." She realises.
"Considering Agent Carter spent most of her life fighting against Hydra it is a strong possibility." Coulson tells her.
Over the next few days Melinda, Tripp, Steve, Sharon, Skye, Coulson and Angela continue to make all the plans and organize everything for the funeral, with the support of the others.
At the same time as funeral planes are occurring, across several oceans in a secret base Ward has been called to his sisters' office.
"Have you seen this?" Grace asks her brother as he walks in.
"What?" Ward asks walking over to her.
"This." Grace says handing him a newspaper.
"Peggy Carter died." Ward says shocked looking up at his sisters face in shock once he finishes reading the page, "Grace No." he tells her when he realises what she is thinking.
"Grant, we will likely never get a chance like this again." Grace tells her brother, "They will all be together at a place with minimal security, this is the chance we dream off." She tells him, "Is this about them?" Grace asks, "Because I will order my men not to harm John Garrett, make it clear that he cannot be hurt in anyway." Grace tells her brother because she knows how much John means to him, "I cannot make the same promise in regards to Skye though." She tells Grant.
"I appreciate that offer Grace, but this isn't about that." Ward tells his sister, "If we do this, they will do whatever it takes to find us and make us pay." Ward tells his sister, "There is not a single doubt in my mind that Skye will use every bit of her power to find us, even if it kills her, and they will put everything they have, everything Stark can make or buy behind retaliation." Ward tells his sister needing her to see logically about that, "If you do this you will be starting a war that we cannot possibly win, not now, we're not strong enough." He tells her, "You do this and we will be dead within the week." He tells his sister, "Grace do not let your emotion cloud your judgment." Ward tells his sister, "I know you are pissed at them, at Skye, after what they did at the academy but you can't let that cloud your better judgment, so I am asking you, don't do this." He tells her.
"You've never asked me not to do something before." Grace says to her brother, "Not like you just did."
"I don't want you to die Grace." Ward tells his sister, "If you do this there is not a chance but a guaranty that you will." He tells his sister, the most important person to him, "So am asking this because I don't want to lose you, so please don't." Ward requests.
"Okay." Grace tells him.
"You won't attack the funeral?" Ward asks.
"No, I'll give them there day of mourning." Grace tells him.
"Thank you." Ward says and with a nod he turns to leave his sisters office.
"Grant." Grace says causing him to turn back around, "I don't want to lose you either." She tells her brother who nods and leaves the office.
Back in DC, everyone with the exceptions of Clint, John, and Natasha, who have flown back to New York to collect the various things that the others need for the next couple of days, are in one of the various suits that have been rented.
"I need to talk to you." Skye says walking out of her room and into the common area of the suit that she shares with Sharon, Tripp and Maria.
"Sure, what's going on?" Sharon asks as Skye sits down next to her.
"So I was talking to Tonio earlier and he told me something that Grams told him that reminded me of a poem that I once heard." Skye explains, "I know that we are going to read the poem that Grams wanted read but I was thinking that we could maybe read this as well." Skye says hesitantly not sure how Sharon is going to react.
"Let me see." Sharon requests and Skye hands over her tablet, "Wow." Sharon says once she finishes reading.
"If you think it's stupid just tell me, I just thought it would be a good idea." Skye says nervously.
"Skye, relax, I think it's perfect." Sharon reveals.
"Really?" Skye asks surprised.
"Really." Sharon confirms, "I'll call father Reed." Sharon tells her, "I think that this would be the perfect thing to close the service on, so we should start with the poem Aunt Peggy wanted read." Sharon explains
"You really think so?" Skye asks.
"I do." Sharon tells her cousin.
"Thanks." Skye respond sand they drift into silence.
"Do you know how Tonio is doing with his eulogy?" Sharon asks curious.
"Not really." Skye answers, "I think Aunt Maria is trying to help him though." She reveals.
"Good, that's good, he needs some help to do it." Sharon comments as the door opens.
"And you need to eat." Sam says walking in the room with Bucky, Fitz and Simmons.
"What?" Skye and Sharon ask together.
"Neither of you have eaten all day, so we're going out to lunch." Bucky tells them.
"Tonio hasn't eaten either." Skye points out.
"That's why he's coming with us." Simmons says walking over to Tripp's room and knocking on the door.
"I am kind of hungry." Sharon admits.
"Good, then get ready and come on." Sam tells her.
"Give me five minutes." Sharon says standing up and walking over to her room.
"You need to eat too." Bucky says to Skye as he walks over and sits next to her.
"I don't even know if I am hungry." Skye admits.
"Well how about you come and see if you are, try to eat." Bucky suggests.
"Yeah, okay." Skye says about a minute later before getting up and heading into her room.
"Agent Hill and Tripp are in." Simmons says walking back out of the other room, "Tripp was hesitant but Hill managed to convince him." She explains.
"Good." Bucky comments.
"So where are we planning on taking them?" Fitz asks curious.
"There is an Italian all you can eat place a couple of blocks away." Sam suggests, "It could be a good idea considering you get to choose how much you eat." He points out, "Of course you've got to try not to eat everything they have." He says to Bucky who rolls his eyes.
"I'll do my best." Bucky says sarcastically, "But it sounds like a good idea." He says seriously.
"Yeah it does." Simmons says agreeing.
Across the hall Melinda is sitting down at the table trying to come up with her eulogy. While Melinda is in their room working on her Eulogy Coulson is out in the lounge area watching TV, wishing that there was something he could do to help Melinda.
"Dad." Skye's voice says and Coulson looks over at the door where his daughter is standing. Skye having walked across the hall to see her parents once she was dressed.
"Hey Baby Girl." Coulson says to his daughter.
"Hey." Skye says to her father, "James, Sam, Jem, FItzy and Aunt Maria are taking Sharon, Tonio and I out to lunch." Skye tells her father.
"Good, you need to eat." Coulson tells his daughter, "Be careful."
"I will." Skye tells him, "How's Mom?" Skye asks concerned walking over and sitting next to her father.
"I don't know." Coulson admits, "If she was crying or drinking or fighting I would know what to do, but she's not." Coulson explains, "She's dealing with it by bottling it up, being stoic and I've never known how to help her when she gets like that." Coulson explains.
"Do you want me to try talking to her?" Skye asks her father curious.
"No, go out to lunch." Coulson tells his daughter, "I'll try talking to her." He says, "We've got to be patient Skye she just lost the only mother she has ever known." Coulson tells his daughter.
"I know, she must be hurting so much." Skye comments and Coulson puts an arm around his daughter and they sit in silence Coulson not sure about what he should say.
For several minutes Skye sits next to her father, his arm around her until the door opens revealing Maria, Bucky, Fitz, Simmons, Sharon, Sam and Tripp.
"Skye, you coming?" Maria asks.
"Um.." Skye says uncertainly not sure if she wants to leave her mother.
"Go." Coulson tells her, "I'll take care of your mother." He tells her and Skye hesitantly nods, stands up and walks over to her friends, "Maria." Coulson says when everyone else has left.
"Yeah?" Maria asks
"Look after them." He requests.
"Of course, look after Melinda." Maria responds before leaving the room.
Once Maria leaves Coulson internally debates for a while what to do, he considers leaving Melinda alone for a while longer, or luring her out with food or just going in and talking to her. After debating for a while, well over half an hour after Skye left, he decides to just talk to her so he gets up and heads to their room.
When Coulson enters the room that he and Melinda have been sharing for the last few days he finds Melinda just sitting at the desk staring at the blank computer screen.
"Not going well?" Coulson asks sitting on the bed, near the desk.
"No, it's not." Melinda answers turning to face him.
"Why don't you try taking a break then?" Coulson suggests.
"No, I can't." Melinda says turning away from Coulson, "I need to get this done." She tells him.
"Melinda." Coulson says getting up and walking over to her and putting his hand on her shoulder, "You don't have to do this right now, you have time." He tells her.
"No I don't." Melinda tells him, "The funeral is tomorrow." She points out, "I need to get this done." She repeats.
"You also need to let yourself mourn." Coulson tells his wife.
"I can't, not now." Melinda tells her husband.
"Mel." Coulson starts to say but Melinda cuts him off.
"I can't Phil, not right now." She tells him but before he can say anything her phone beeps, "It's Angie, she needs to talk to me." Melinda says getting up and walking out of the room.
Once Melinda walks out of the room Coulson stands and sighs, wishing that there was something he could do to help the woman he loves.
Thankful that her sister has provided the perfect excuses to end the conversation with Coulson Melinda makes her way down the hall to the room that Angela is in. Angela is the only one who has a room to herself because she wouldn't accept Tony paying for a room for her, but unknown to her Tony arranged it so that she would be on the same floor as the rest of them, something that wouldn't have been possible without his interference.
"Angie?" Melinda asks using the key that Angela gave her to enter the room.
"Be out in a second." Angela says from the direction of the bathroom.
"You know you still have your perfect timing." Melinda tells Angela as she sits down on the couch.
"What did I prevent this time?" Angela asks walking over and sitting next to her sister.
"Me, snapping at Phil for no reason." Melinda explains.
"Ah." Angela responds in understanding knowing what her sister is like, "Do you remember when we first met when you were fourteen?" Angela asks curious, wanting to change the subject to have them talk about something pleasant before she says what she has to say to Melinda.
"It was thanksgiving." Melinda remembers, "Mom invited me, Grams and Grandpa over." Melinda remembers, "You and Mom got in a fight, you ran out of the house."
"And you followed me." Angela says remembering, "You didn't really know me and you still came after me."
"It felt like the right thing to do." Melinda tells her, "You didn't seem like you were going to listen to Mom or Mark." She tells her.
"I really wasn't going to." Angela responds, "You know I called Mom after you showed up at that party." She reveals, feeling like it is time that she did.
"You did?" Melinda ask shocked as she didn't know that.
"I knew she was the only one who you were going to listen to." Angela reveals, "And you needed to listen to someone."
"It took me getting arrested to realise that." Melinda tells Angela.
"We all have our bottom." Angela tells her, "And sometimes it takes reaching that to admit that we need help."
"Did you switch to Psychiatry?" Melinda asks curious.
"No." Angela responds and the sister drift into silence.
"So what did you need?" Melinda asks curious a while later.
"Need?" Angela asks then realises that she messaged Melinda, "Oh, right, I'm leaving right after the burial." She reveals.
"You're what!" Melinda asks shocked.
"I got a call earlier, I'm needed in Africa." Angela tells her, "One of the clinics need another doctor."
"And you're the only one who is available?" Melinda asks
"I volunteered." Angela responds.
"You volunteered?" Melinda asks shocked, "Why? Why would you volunteer to go to Africa now?" Melinda asks, "With everything that is going on, with everything that needs to be done." Melinda says angrily.
"Because I have to." Angela tells her, "It's my job, you should get that."
"I do." Melinda tells her, "I really do, but what I don't understand is why you are leaving right after the burial. Why not wait until after the will reading, Tonio is going to need you there." Melinda tells her sister as the will reading is going to happen first thing in the morning the day after the funeral.
"He needs you more than me." Angela tells her sister.
"What?" Melinda asks confused, "You're his mother, he needs you more than he would ever or will ever need me."
"I don't know how to be a mother." Angela admits, "Mom, and Mark and you raised him more than I did and now I don't know how to be there for him, it's better if I just go." Angela tells her sister, "You, Tonio, Skye and Sharon can handle everything else that needs to be done, you'll handle it better without me."
"Up until two years ago I had no idea to be a mother to Skye, but one thing I learnt is that you don't give up, you've got to keep trying. Tonio loves you and if you want to start to try to make up for what you have missed then you've got to try, not walk away." Melinda tells her sister.
"I don't know if I can." Angela tells her sister.
"You mean you don't know if you want to." Melinda realises looking at her sisters' face. Angela doesn't say anything but it is clear that the answer is yes, "I've never understood that." Melinda tells her sister, "How you could have a child and not want to be with him." Melinda admits as after losing Skye and wanting to do whatever it took to get her back she never understood her sister and how she was rarely around or there for Tripp.
"You can't understand it, you don't know what it's like to have a job you love so much and have a child." Angela tells her sister, who now has to keep her anger in check.
"Skye was de-aged and Phil and I had to look after her and still do our jobs and you know what, even time I went on a mission all I wanted was to be with her." Melinda tells Angela standing up, trying to keep her anger down.
"It's different." Angela tells her sister.
"Then you know what, fine Angie. Go. Go to Africa." Melinda says angrily. "Sharon, Tonio and I will go to the will reading, pack up Mom's room, and go through her storage lockers, leave all the responsibilities you have just like you always do." Melinda says.
"I'm sorry that I can't be like you, the perfect daughter, sister and Mother, not all of us are prefect Melinda." Angela says angrily also standing up.
"I'm not perfect." Melinda responds.
"Oh but you are." Angela tells her, "You were the daughter Mom always wanted, the daughter that was just like her."
"Mom and I may have had a lot in common but you were more like her and you know it. That's why you fought so much." Melinda says.
"We fought because I don't understand why she did what she did, why you and Tonio do what you do, why would you kill people when you could save them?" Angela asks.
"That's not what SHIELD is about." Melinda says angrily, "It's about Protection, it's always been about protection. That's what SHIELD is." Melinda tells her.
"You mean was." Angela tells her.
"No, I mean is." Melinda tells her, "We're rebuilding and we're doing it Mom's honour, and Howard Starks, in every Agent who gave their lives in the service of protection." Melinda tells her sister.
"She would love that." Angela says a bitterness clear in her voice, "I'm leaving tomorrow, if you need anything just email." She tells her sister her voice calming.
"I won't." Melinda says "Actually say goodbye to your son this time, he deserves that especially after all the times you didn't bother to." Melinda says angrily before walking to the door when she gets there it opens to reveals Tripp standing with a takeout container.
"Hey Aunt Melinda, I brought Mom some food." He explains not aware of what he just interrupted.
"I mean it Angie, you owe him that." Melinda says before storming past a confused Tripp.
"What am I missing?" Tripp asks confused.
"I'm leaving after the burial." Angela explains to her son.
"Work?" Tripp asks not expecting anything different.
"Work." Angela confirms.
"Here, its chicken parm, it should be pretty good." Tripp says walking over and handing the container to his mother, "I'll talk to you later."
"Tonio." Angela says as he walks away.
"Later Ma." Tripp says as he leaves the room, not wanting to show her how much her leaving is actually hurting him.
After leaving her sisters room Melinda goes back to the suit that her, Coulson, Natasha, Clint and John are sharing. When she enters the other occupants of the room are sitting in the lounge.
"Hey Mels, the things you wanted are in your room." Clint tells his sister and instead of a response he gets Melinda slamming the door.
"Um, do you know what that is about?" John asks Coulson.
"No idea." Coulson responds honestly, "Last I knew she was with Angela."
"Yeah she was." Tripp says entering the room, "And my Mom, was well, my mom." Tripp explains, "I'll talk to her." He says walking to Melinda and Coulson's room leaving four confused people behind.
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