"What do you mean you're going to London?!" Betty, Sally, Cindy, and Liz all screeched into the receiver of the phone, prompting Danielle to cringe from the loud sound on the other end of the line.
"Uh, just that. I'm going to London for a funeral for the remaining week of school. I just thought you guys would want to know," Danielle explained. She set her phone up on another dresser, set on speaker so she could talk and pack at the same time. Her and Sharon's flight to London left in about seven hours and she had yet to find something decent and formal to wear to the funeral, especially after she burnt a majority of her nice and colored clothes a few moths ago. Man, was she regretting that choice right about now.
"When do you think you'll be back?" Cindy asked.
"Maybe by the time you get back we could all hang out and catch a movie or grab some ice cream," Sally added.
Danielle shrugged to herself as she skimmed through her drawers for anything to wear. "Maybe," she called over her shoulder. "I'd have to check with my Aunt, of course. But if I'm in town anytime soon, I'll definitely try and hang out." Danielle felt a slight twinge of guilt in the core of her chest. She was giving her friends false hope by letting them believe she'd ever be allowed to even leave her house or the Compound during all this Accords mess. Maybe when it got all sorted out she could sneak a quick hang out with them. After all, she didn't want to let the down. They were all the normal friends she had at the moment, aside from Michelle and a few other of the Decathlon members and Soccer Girls.
"Hey, speaking of hanging out, have you talked to Peter recently?" Liz asked, prompting Danielle to drop the odd looking navy blue sweater in her hand onto a pile of other discarded clothes she'd left on the floor.
Peter... God, she hadn't even talked to her former best friend in weeks now. He did hate her, but she still wondered if she had a chance at reconciling their friendship. Now, after she'd been ignoring him unintentionally for almost a month and a half? She doubted he'd ever want to see her, let alone speak with her, again.
"Uh... no," Danielle answered. "Why?"
"No reason," Liz answered.
"I actually heard about Peter's fight he got into a few days ago," Betty exclaimed.
Danielle stopped packing her toiletries for a moment at the blonde's statement. "Peter got into a fight?" She gasped. "Is he alright? What happened?" Danielle asked rapidly. She couldn't believe it, she couldn't even imagine it. Peter, the Peter she knew, getting into a fight? A physical fight?
"Yeah, he got into a fight with Flash. As usual," Cindy explained. "It was about something stupid. Flash apparently thought he heard Peter mumble something under his breath during gym. Then, after school, Flash jumped him on his way to the buses. Pretty sure Charles got it all on camera."
"Is he alright?" Danielle repeated her question from before. She couldn't care less about what sparked the fight, all she really wanted to know was if he was alright.
"Uh, yeah," Betty answered, allowing Danielle to finally release the heavy sigh she had been holding since finding out about the fight.
"It was crazy. Flash just kept punching him and punching him and punching him. But he came out with nothing but a tiny scratch. And last I saw him, the scratch was just totally gone," Cindy exclaimed in awe.
"Well, hopefully he stays out of trouble from now on," Danielle mumbled, mostly to herself.
"Yeah. Him and Flash got suspended for a few days, but they came back a couple of days ago," Sally explained.
"Danielle!" Sharon called from her room. "Are you packed yet?"
"Uh, almost!" Danielle called before turning back to the phone call. "Hey, uh, I got to go, guys. I have to finish packing and we leave in a few hours," she explained to her friends.
"Okay, we'll talk to you later!" Liz told her, she could hear the smile in her voice and practically picture the older girl waving goodbye.
"Text us when you land!"
"And take off!"
"Send pictures!"
"Bye!"
Danielle chuckled before saying her last goodbye and hanging up the call. She smiled at the blank screen on her phone before quickly getting back to work on what to wear.
She had a few good options laid out on her bed already. Option one: a dark olive green blouse with black jeans. This one seemed most comfortable, especially with her new black and white Vans Sharon had just recently bought her as a 'end of first year of high school' gift. She figured the outfit would look nice with a black beanie and maybe a black coat – since it was a funeral after all – but, that being said, the olive green would stick out like a thumb and she doubted it would match the color scheme of white and black.
Danielle set the outfit aside because despite the fact that it was too colorful for a funeral, it would be a nice outfit to wear afterwards at the dinner. She had to look presentable as well due to the fact she was going to meet Sharon's entire family. Danielle's 'fake' family. This was going to be weird to explain...
Onto option two: a dark blue long-sleeve sweater with black dress pants and black slip-ons. This seemed like a little less comfortable option, a better choice on color scheme, but yet again something better left for another time outside the funeral.
And finally, option three: a white blouse, black-knit cardigan sweater, and a black knee-length skirt with her black and white high-top Converse to go along with it. This seemed like the most appropriate outfit choice due to the color scheme – or lack thereof – and of course, it was pretty dang comfortable. So, option three it was.
Danielle quickly folded all three up – making sure to put outfit three on top – before shoving them all inside her suitcase. She had already packed her toiletries and made sure to bring along her laptop (and USB drive tucked carefully in her hoodie pocket at all times) her phone charger, her rose-gold Beats headphones Tony had gotten her for her birthday, and a copy of The Great Gatsby, all tucked away in the smaller pouch of the suitcase.
After finally zipping everything up, Danielle made sure to send a quick text message to Cho, reminding her about both her trip and to thank her for looking after Quintin while she was going to be gone, and turned everything off in her room before knocking on Sharon's door. "Ready," she called out.
A few moments later, the blonde agent came out of her room. "Alright," she said with a small smile. "Let's go. I already called a cab and our flight leaves in about five hours."
Danielle smiled and nodded. "Okay."
Sharon let out a heavy sigh before leading the young girl to the front door and out of the apartment. They were leaving behind their home... Little did they know it would be the last time either of them would ever step foot into it.
—
Meanwhile, back at the Compound, Jack was also prepping to leave on a flight of his own.
He was standing on the launch pad his phone pressed to his ear as he tried calling up his little sister for the fifteenth time in the past few days. He'd been trying to talk to her since their argument, but it seemed that it would be harder than he initially thought.
After the fourth ring, Jack sighed and reluctantly hung up the call, shoving his cell into his back pocket before lifting his duffel bag from off the floor beside his feet and starting towards the private jet a few yards away. As he boarded the plane, he noticed Natasha had already taken a seat by the window, dressed in all black with her hair down in nice, red curls.
"You're looking awfully... dark," Jack commented to the redhead as he took a seat across the aisle from her. When she gave him a pointed look, he quickly added, "I mean, more so than usual."
Natasha rolled her eyes. "Well, we're making a quick pit stop before we head to Vienna," she explained.
"A quick pit stop?" Jack asked curiously. Natasha only turned her head to glance out the window in response. The young man let out a heavy sigh of frustration. "You're not gonna tell me where we're going, are you?" Once again, instead of answering, Natasha took out a thick book to occupy herself. Jack rolled his eyes at her antics and decided to just lay back in his reclining seat and enjoy the ride as best as he could.
About eight hours into the flight, Jack had taken at least five naps, read through two magazines that were sat on the shelf down the plane aisle, and beat Natasha in three games of tic-tac-toe while also losing two. Around the ten hour mark, Jack finally decided to call Danielle again before they landed.
One ring. Two rings. Three rings. Four rings...
"Hi. It's Danielle... Uh, leave a message."
Jack frowned. He was about to hit the 'End Call' button before he finally settled on at least leaving a voicemail he hoped she would hear. "Hey, Dan," he started after the tone rang. "Um, look, I know you probably don't wanna talk to me, but... can you please just text or call me back? I'm sorry... Bye." After the silence on the other end became too much, Jack finally hung up.
He tossed the phone haphazardly onto the seat across from him onto his duffel and slouched back in his seat.
Danielle couldn't be mad at him forever, could she? He wouldn't blame her if she did, though, he had said some pretty shitty things to her. He didn't even know why he would say those things. He'd never actually thought his mom loved Danielle more than him, but it was like all the rage and fury that had been punted up deep within had finally burst after all the stress he had recently from Lagos, Rumlow, Dani, and the Accords. Still, it was no excuse for what he had said to her.
She couldn't be mad at him forever...
"Your sister still isn't answering your calls?"
Natasha's voice came from across the aisle, pulling Jack from out of his guilt-ridden train of thought. The younger enhanced man sat up in his chair and ran a hand down his face before answering, "Uh, yeah... She kind of hates me now after..." He trailed off.
"Does she know you're signing on both of your behaves?" She asked curiously.
Jack laughed humorlessly. "Yeah, right. She won't even answer my texts. I haven't gotten the chance to exactly sit her down and talk like civilized people about the Accords after the other day," he explained. Natasha only pursed her lips in response to which Jack groaned. "I'm sorry, Nat," he apologized. "It's just... Everything that's going on... I don't know what's right anymore."
"You're just trying to protect her," Natasha told him sincerely. "She may not realize it yet, but you do a lot for your sister. Sometimes you have to make the hard decisions that the people closest to you can't."
Jack looked at her curiously. "Is that why you decided to sign?"
Natasha sighed and looked out her window. "I've made a lot of bad decisions over my lifetime. I guess, for once, I just want to be able make the right decision. Not for myself, but for the greater good."
There was silence passed between the pair before Jack chuckled slightly. "You're starting to sound like Steve," he remarked.
Natasha smirked before replying, "Well, if you speak a word of this conversation to anyone, just remember I know where you see at night, Harper."
Jack laughed slightly and heave her a thumbs up. "Got it. Don't tell anyone that the Black Widow is secretly Captain America deep down in her Soviet blood."
Natasha rolled her eyes and went back to her reading. Jack shifted in his seat once more before he was finally able to sleep again. It was a long flight ahead of them... and an even longer journey after that.
—
After the long flight to London, Danielle and Sharon didn't waste anytime on checking into their fancy hotel room. When Sharn had firsted opened the door, Danielle didn't know what to run up and admire first. The amazing white fuzzy carpet that squished slightly with each step she took, the expensive looking light fixture on the ceiling above the enormous flat screen TV, the wide open space of the living room, the massive kitchen off to the left, or the amazing balcony view past the glass window panes and doors.
Instead, the teenage girl stayed in place and admired it all from the front of the room as Sharon made her way throughout to go set down their luggage in the rooms down the hall. "Woah..." she breathed in awe as she took it all in. "How much did this room cost?" She asked as she ran over to the window to glance at the amazing view they and of the city. She could almost see the top of the London Eye from where she stood by the balcony.
"Not much," Sharon called back. "You'd be surprising how cheap London is compared to New York City."
Danielle shrugged before parting from the balcony to quickly put away her luggage in her large room just across the hall from Sharon's. She froze when she entered and flipped on the light switch. To the left was another door leading into what looked like a large restroom and off in the far right corner was a walk-in closer. Then all the way in the back was a large, white, lush bed with big fluffy pillows and really comfortable looking comforter blanket. "Uh, Sharon," she called out. "Did you get our rooms mixed up?"
"Is it the room at the end to the right?" Sharon called back frm the kitchen.
"Yes..."
"Then, no. That's yours."
Danielle gaped before running to the bed and jumping face-first into the pillows. Oh my God, they were even softer than she had initially thought. She rolled onto her back and stretched out her whole body. She probably looked like a tiny elf compared to how huge the bed was. It was so comfy, she couldn't wait to sleep in it that night. But first, she had a funeral to prepare for.
After half an hour of trying to tame her hair into a lovely crown braid around her head, Danielle finally got dressed into the outfit she had picked out for the funeral. She made sure there was no lint on all her black clothes before spraying a few squirts of perfume, sliding her charm bracelet she had gotten for her birthday around her wrist, pocketing her phone, and shoving the USB drive into her opposite pocket in her cardigan.
"We ready?" Sharon asked from the living room as she ran a hand through her straight blonde hair do. Danielle smiled and nodded. She'd realized now she'd never seen the Agent wear her hair straight down, it had always been curly or in a mess bun on top her head. It was a nice change. "Okay. Let's go," Sharon gave the teen a strained smile before they both left the hotel room and made their way downstairs where an all-black car was parked.
Daniele smiled at the familiarity of having the cars driving on the left side of the street felt. In Slovakia, it was a normal thing growing up. She wasn't quite sure when she had gotten used to driving on the right side of the road when she arrived in America a year ago, but it was nice to back in Europe... somewhat.
A man – their driver, Danielle assumed – held the back door open as her and Sharon approached. "Miss Carter," he greeted her in a distinct English accent. Sharon thanked the man, Danielle nodding to him, before they both climbed in.
The entire ride to the large church just a few blocks away was quiet, yet lovely and serene. Danielle looked at all the famous and historical places she'd seen in movies and read about in books flashing by through the window. A few times she had to remind herself she was here for a funeral, not a sight-seeing tour. She was here for Sharon.
When they arrive at the church, it was packed full of people of different ethnicities, all wearing black, here to mourn for a single person.
The car slowed to a stop at the front of the church and the driver got out to open the door for the pair once again. Sharon and Danielle climbed out and slowly made their way up the steps of the church. Sharon waved and smiled a a few people as she passed, Danielle made sure to smile and stay close to the CIA agent.
As they entered the church, Danielle took in how beautiful it was. Candles, stained glass murals, crosses, and the beautiful sounds of a choir singing near the front as everyone made their way to take their seats. Sharon lead Danielle down the aisle towards the front left row. "I want to introduce you to a few people," the blonde explained as they approached an older couple.
"Oh, Sharon," the brunette woman exclaimed as she brought Sharn in for a big hug. Once her and Sharon parted, Danielle watched as her caretaker turned to give the blonde man beside her a hug as well. "It's so good to see you. It's been a while."
"And an unfortunate event that brought us all together as well," the man exclaimed with a somber tone.
They all hummed in agreement when the woman finally caught sight of Danielle standing off to the side. "Oh, and who is this lovely young lady here?"
Danielle blushed and ducked her head at the compliment as Sharn chuckled and explained, "This is Danielle. She's the girl I've been watching for Witness Protection." Danielle managed to keep her facial expression neutral at the odd explanation as the blonde continued. "Danielle, these are my parents."
Danielle blinked in surprise as Sharon's apparent mother reached out to shake the teen's hand with both of her own. "It's nice to meet you, Danielle," she said with sincerity.
"It's nice to meet you as well, Mrs. Carter," Danielle replied with her usual soft and quiet tone.
"Oh, please," Mrs. Carter shook her head. "You can call us Amanda and Harrison."
Danielle chuckled and nodded. "Okay," she replied as she went to shake Harrison Carter's hand. "I'm very sorry for your loss."
They both smiled sadly at the little girl. "Well, we weren't the closest with our Aunt Peggy. Never was much of the traveling type so we only ever talked over phone call," Harrison explained. "Sharon was much closer with her Aunt. Even joined the military agency her great-aunt helped found."
Sharon blushed under the attention. "Dad, please."
"What? It's something to be proud of," her father reasoned. "She would've been proud of you," he added in a less-joking manner and a more heart-felt tone.
Sharon smiled sadly at her father, tears pricking at her eyes just as her mother chimed in. "Well, the service is about to begin. We should all take our seats. You're speaking today, correct?"
Sharon nodded. "I already have my speech prepared," she assured her parents.
"Alright," Harrison nodded before they both turned to Danielle. "Well, it was nice to meet you. Thank you again for coming and supporting Sharon. We hope to see you again after the service."
Sharon and Danielle nodded in unison as Sharon spoke, "We'll be there at the restaurant, Dad. Don't worry."
"Okay, dear," Amanda said, reaching out and stroking her daughter's cheek before her and her husband started off to go speak to a few more people to the side.
Once they were out of earshot, Danielle turned to Sharon. "They're nice."
Sharon chuckled. "Yeah. They're great," she replied. "Well, like they said, the service is about to start. I'm gonna go say 'hi' to a few more people before I have to go up and speak. Are you okay with just staying here for a few minutes?" Danielle smiled and nodded. "Okay," she sighed heavily and moved to press a quick kiss to the teenage girl's forehead. "Thank you again for coming."
"Anything for the best caretaker I could ever ask for," Danielle replied with a cheeky smile.
Sharon rolled her eyes. "Now you're just being a suck-up." Danielle laughed and Sharn shook her head. "I'll be back."
Danielle nodded just before Sharn walked off. After she left, Danielle tried to remain as invisible and unimportant as she could, taking a seat where Sharon had left her and setting a hand down on a spot beside her for when the blonde would return. A few people passed by nd introduced themselves to her and asked how she knew Sharon's great-aunt to which she would just explain she was Sharon's daughter (a way simpler explanation for what she really was). Most people would ask follow up questions like where she was from or how Sharon was doing (and who her father was) but, thankfully, Danielle was saved by the bell when everyone began to rise.
When Danielle turned her head towards the end of the aisle, she caught sight of a familiar face walking down holding the casket... Steve.
He was wearing a nice suit and holding up the casket with ease. But, he looked pained, hurt. What was he doing here? Why was he carrying Sharon's great-aunt's casket? Was he... crying?
Steve hadn't seen Danielle as she tried to refrain from grabbing his attention. She didn't try and speak with him, even after he took a seat across the aisle a few feet away beside Sam. Sam. Sam was here too. Why? Were they here for Sharon?
It all suddenly came into focus when Danielle caught sight of the picture from above the casket. The name below reading, 'Margaret 'Peggy' Carter'. Holy shit... Peggy Carter. THE Peggy Carter. That was who Sharon's great-aunt was? One of founding members of SHIELD? One of the most powerful and badass women of the 19th century? Danielle had remembered reading so much about Agent Carter from her days in the SSR before she founded SHIELD and how she helped fight in WWII against the Nazis alongside... Captain America and the Howling Commandos. Oh...
So that was why Steve was here.
Well, wasn't this just one weird puzzle that turned out to be pretty amazing. It was just a shame that the woman that connected them all had now passed on. Danielle now kind of wished she had met Peggy. All the stories Sharon told her about her great-aunt were pretty awesome. And now, knowing who she really was, Danielle wanted to meet her even more. This was as close as she was ever going to get, she guessed. It was good enough for her to be here to support the great-niece of her favorite female trailblazer.
Just then, the Priest came forward. "And now, I would like to invite Sharon Carter to come up and say a few words."
Danielle sat up straight in her seat as Sharon slowly stepped up to the large stand across the church. She looked across the sea of people and glanced down to smile slightly at Danielle briefly before starting her speech. "Margaret Carter was known to most as a founder of SHIELD, but I just knew her as Aunt Peggy. She had a photograph in her office: Aunt Peggy standing next to JFK. As a kid, that was pretty , it was a lot to live up to. Which is why I never told anyone we were related."
Danielle shrugged. It made sense now.
"I asked her once how she managed to master diplomacy and espionage in a time when no one wanted to see a woman succeed at either. And she said, 'compromise where you can. But where you can't, don't. Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right, even if the whole world is telling you to move, it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye and say, 'no, you move'.'"
Danielle bowed her head and thought real hard on the statement THE Peggy Carter had lived by. We wondered if Sharn had chosen that quote on purpose after hearing her troubles with Jack. It fit so well with the situation. So, which side was she on? The one that was wrong, or the one that was right? That was the question...
"We spent our best time together the past few years," Sharon continued her speech. "I asked her, out of all of her achievements which she was most proud of. She patted my hand, smiled, and said, 'dear, I'm afraid that's classified'." Danielle, along with a few other people chuckled at the light-hearted story.
The rest of the ceremony went on this way. Sharon finished up her speech, the priest went on to prayers. And by the time Sharon returned to her seat beside Danielle, when she turned back to look towards the front of the church, she saw Sam and Steve finally had caught sight of her from across the aisle. She gave them both small smiles and waved slightly before turning her full attention back to the rest of the mass.
When it was over, most of the attendants had either left to go home, gone to the restaurant for the after service lunch, or we're all crowded in the back catchin up with each other.
Danielle had kept close to Sharon throughout as she said goodbye to some people, caught up with some family, and even met a few people from her Aunt Peggy's past she had never known about. Danielle met some new people as well, even a few very important government officials that had worked along side the famous Peggy Carter.
By the time most of the fuss had gone down and it was just the close family and friends in the back, Danielle had finally noticed the Steve was missing from the crowds. She hadn't seen where he had gone after the mass, but as she glanced around the room, her eyes landed on Sam. As she made her way towards the Falcon, she stopped in her tracks mid-way when she caught sight of the person he was talking to. Jack.
What was he doing here?
Danielle doubted her brother was actually supposed to be here due to the fact he was wearing blue jeans, black boots, and a dark grey t-shirt, but she started to question why he was he even here to begin with. Had Sam and Steve texted him that she was here? She had been ignoring his calls and texts for a reason but she doubted he would come all the way just to confront her at a funeral of a person he didn't know.
Before he managed to see her, Danielle quickly ducked back into the main area of the church. There, she found Steve... and Natasha?
Nat seemed to be saying goodbye to Steve once Danielle walked inside. She gave him a sad smile, pat him on the shoulder, and started down the aisle towards where Danielle had entered. She froze in place, confused as to why she could've been there. It was all just an odd combination. "Danielle?" she asked as she approached.
Danielle smiled slightly. "Hi, Nat."
"What are you doing here? Steve didn't say he was bringing you," she remarked.
"Uh, I didn't come with Steve," Danielle answered simply.
Something seemed to finally click for Natasha. Danielle assumed that Natasha finally out the pieces together much like she had moments ago. "Right. Sharon," she nodded. "Well, I was just on my way out."
"You're not staying for the lunch?" Danielle asked.
Natsha shook her head. "We have somewhere to be in a few hours," she explained.
Danielle furrowed her eyebrows. "'We'?" Then, just like Natasha had earlier, Danielle froze as realization hit her. Jack was here with Natasha. "Oh." Danielle knew if they were together, it meant it was official business. And what other business could they be on other than the Accords? "You guys are signing in Vienna?"
Natasha nodded. "Jack... He's just trying to do what's right for you. We all are."
Danielle turned her gaze elsewhere in the church. Of course she couldn't escape the Accords, even half the world away at a funeral she couldn't escape the Accords. The teenager shook her head rapidly. "If he signs, I sign... He didn't even talk to me about..." her voice cracked and she trailed off.
"You didn't answer his calls," Natasha replied.
Danielle shook her head. "There's no changing his mind," she said with a hollow tone. "Have a safe trip."
Natasha sighed. "Thank you. Enjoy the rest of yours," she said before exiting the church, leaving Daniele alone in the large space with Steve just down the aisle.
Danielle hesitated before deciding to walk towards the super soldier still leaning on one of the long benches lining the aisle. He was staring intently at the photograph of Peggy up at the front surrounded by flowers and candles. Danielle couldn't imagine how much pain he was in. She couldn't imagine what it would be like to wake up sixty years out of time where everyone you knew, everything you knew, was gone. And to have the one last person that was familiar to you be gone in the blink of an eye.
"Was she as awesome as the history books depicted her?" Danielle asked, prompting Steve to turn his head to glance over at her.
He smiled softly before turning back to admire the photograph. "Better," he answered. She believed him.
"I'm sorry for your loss," Danielle told him after a short pause.
Steve's smile dropped a bit and Danielle could tell she made a mistake in mentioning it. "Thank you," he said nonetheless.
Danielle grimaced. "Sorry. I don't really know how to... talk at these kind of things... Never really went to a real funeral before," she admitted.
Steve looked down at her curiously. "You never had one for your parents? Your family?"
Danielle shrugged. After her father and mother's apparent deaths, her and her brother had initially just propped up two makeshift crosses in a patch of land in the forests surrounding the base in Sokovia. Then, after being released from captivity and finding a home in the Avengers Compound, they had travelled back to their home town in Slovakia to put much bigger crosses over an empty grave. Though, the second time they returned there, their mother's grave was filled.
"Not a proper one," she answered truthfully. "I don't really do good with words in general. Especially not on occasions like these..."
"Well, I'm still glad you're here, Danielle," Steve said with a warm smile.
"Well, you're the person everyone usually turns to during hard times. I guess I never thought about who you would turn to during hard times," she explained, giving the Captain a sad look with her beady brown eyes.
Steve sighed heavily, moved by her truthful and heart-wrenching statement before he wrapped an arm around her shoulders to pull her in for a hug. Danielle returned it by wrapping her tiny arms around his middle and squeezing, just like she had with Sharon.
The pair stayed this way for a few moments, soaking in each other's company. It felt like it had been forever since they had spent time together, especially after everything these past few months. Truthfully, Danielle missed it. She missed being able to turn to Steve for any problem she had, she missed having lunch with him in the Compound everyday like they used to before she started going to school, she missed making fun of how old he was, she even missed making language jokes. She just missed him in general.
After a few moments, they both separated. Danielle chuckled as she wiped a few stray tears from off her face. Once she was decent, she looked up at him and tilted her head. "Are you going to be okay?"
Steve nodded before answering truthfully, "I hope so."
Danielle gave him a reassuring smile. "I have faith in you."
"Danielle," Sharon called from back in the other room. Both Steve and Danielle turned to face her. "We're all headed to lunch if you're ready to go."
The teenage girl nodded. "I'm coming," she called back. Once Sharon was gone again, Danielle turned back to Steve and asked, "Are you coming to the lunch?"
Steve sighed. "I'm not sure," he admit.
"You should go," she suggested. "It'll be nice. Sharon told me that the restaurant we're going to is going to be serving free drinks throughout the day and that their fries are really good. Though, I think they call them 'chips' here. Which is weird because what would they call actual chips here...?"
Steve chuckled at Danielle's antics as she continued to ramble. He caught onto what she was trying to do. She'd been doing it for as long as he knew her, and he doubted she even knew she was doing it; cute-talking her way into convincing people to do things. It was ridiculous that he fell for it every time. "Alright, alright," he caved in. "I'll go."
Danielle gave him a cheeky smile before skipping off back down the aisle to catch up with Sharon. Steve remained glued in place for a moment, taking in her overly-excited reaction. Maybe she knew what she was doing after all...
—
Back in Vienna, Jack and Natasha had just arrive at the large building where the UN meeting was to be held. The outside was packed with reporters, protestors, and other people from all across the globe. When Jack and Natasha's vehicle pulled up in the front, Jack could hear the camera's going wild. Flashes and yelling and questions bombarding his senses before Natasha could drag him along inside.
"So," he began once they were inside and out of the public eye. "Our pit stop was a funeral Steve and Sam were attending? You knew the deceased or something?"
Natasha shrugged. "More or less. I just wanted to see if Steve was okay."
"Was he really attached to whoever passed?"
"The last person he really had tied to his past," she answered.
Jack felt sorry for the Captain now. He wished he could've offered condolences while there at that funeral instead of chatting with Sam the full fifteen minutes he was there. But, sadly, they had a meeting to attend... A meeting that started in ten minutes. "Hey, aren't we cutting it a little close here?" Jack asked as the pair entered a nearby elevator.
"Relax," the redhead replied. "We'll get there in time."
They fell into a comfortable silence once the elevator doors closed and the only sounds were from the dinging each time they passed another floor. In the small moment of silence, Jack took the time to notice on the reflection of one of the elevator walls that the bottom of his jeans were scuffed. God, he was such an idiot. Wearing jeans to a United Nations meeting? And scuffed ones at that?
Natasha noticed the young man stressing over his jeans and chuckle. "You're fine," the ex-assassin assured him.
Jack scoffed. "Yeah. So easy for you to say, you're wearing a black pencil skirt and pumps. I'm just a kid wearing faded jeans and a tee."
"They won't be paying attention to your outfit, trust me," Natasha replied just before the elevator doors opened onto the correct floor.
Jack immediately tensed once most of the people turned their heads at him and Natasha's entrance. He didn't have a doubt in his mind that they either disliked them or were cautious about them being there. Either way, all the eyes on them made Jack feel uncomfortable.
"Excuse me, Miss Romanoff, Mister Harper," a woman with a clipboard and pen in her hand greeted the pair once they got further into the large meeting room. Jack studied her attire and girt his teeth when he noticed she too was wearing a fancy outfit. "These need your signatures."
Natasha smiled and nodded before taking the pen from the woman and signing. When she was finished, Jack signed his own name on a separate paper. "Thank you," Natasha told the woman who smiled and nodded before departing.
"Don't worry about it, huh?" Jack asked his fellow Avenger through gritted teeth after she was out of ear shot. Natasha merely rolled her eyes.
"I suppose none of us are used to the spotlight," a new voice chimed in, a heavy accent coating his voice. Jack and Natasha both turned around to find a handsome man in an equally amazing suit. Jack wanted to kick himself again, but refrained himself in front of royalty, as he recognized the man before them as Prince T'Challa, the son of King T'Chaka of Wakanda. Ever since the incident in Lagos, the Wakandans had been coming out of their reclusive country quite a bit lately to share their concerns after the bomb Rumlow had set off killed eleven of their citizens.
Natasha and Jack gave him their best smiles as Natasha replied, "Oh, well, it's not always so flattering."
"You seem to be doing alright so far. Considering your last trip to Capitol Hill..." T'Challa said suggestively to which Jack took a mental note to ask her abut that later after Sam ha also mentioned the incident back at the Compound a few days back. "I wouldn't think you would be particularly comfortable in this company."
"I'm not," Natasha answered truthfully.
"Yeah, tell me about it," Jack added, glancing over to where a few government officials were casting him sidelong glances and dirty looks.
"That alone makes me glad you're here, Miss Romanoff and Mr. Harper," T'Challa replied.
"Why," Jack asked curiously. "You don't approve of all this stuff?"
"The Accords, yes. The politics, not really," he answered honestly, Jack humming in agreement. He'd never been one for politics, especially after all those news broadcasts depicting Wanda and Danielle as the bad guys after Lagos, making it seem like they were the ones who were at fault for the explosion to begin with. "Two people in a room can get more done than a hundred," T'Challa joked in a hushed tone to the pair of heroes.
"Unless you need to move a piano."
The trio turned to see a new face approach. Jack tensed slightly at the entrance of King T'Chaka, the man who was slightly pissed at both his sisters currently. Not to mention, he was royalty and Jack was literally wearing jeans in front of a king.
Jack and Natasha watched silently as the Prince and his father exchanged foreign greetings to each other before the King turned back to the pair. "Miss Romanoff, Mister Harper," he greeted them.
Both Jack and Natasha dipped their heads in greeting. "King T'Chaka," Natasha began. "Please, allow us to apologize for what happened in Nigeria."
"Thank you," his Majesty replied. "Thank you both for agreeing to all this. I'm sad to hear that Captain Rogers won't be joining us today."
Natasha and Jack both shared a look of uneasiness before Jack replied, "Yeah, so are we."
"If everyone could please be seated, this assembly is now in session," a voice above the speaker came through, announcing the commencement of the meeting.
"That is the future calling," T'Challa stated, turning back to Jack and Natasha to bid them farewell. "Such a pleasure." Jack nodded and smiled before Natasha dragged him off to take their seats.
Once in place, Jack glanced around the room at everyone else, making sure no one noticed him as he pulled out his phone to skim through his messages once more. One from Wanda that wished him a safe trip, another from Sam about owing him five bucks over some dare, and no texts or calls from Dani...
Natasha nudged Jack's leg with her own, catching his attention. "It's starting," she whispered to him.
Jack glanced up from his screen and saw King T'Chaka making his way towards the center podium. Quickly, Jack pocketed his phone and turned his full attention on the front of the room.
"When stolen Wakandan Vibranium was used to make a terrible weapon, we in Wakanda were forced to question our legacy. Those men and women killed in Nigeria were part of a goodwill mission from a country too long in the shadows," T'Chaka exclaimed. Jack bowed his head in guilt, taking in now how much the deaths in Lagos had meant not only to the public, but to the nation of Wakanda as a whole. "We will not, however, let this misfortune drive us back," the Wakandan King continued. "We will fight to improve the world we wish to join.
"I am grateful to the Avengers for supporting this initiative," his Majesty made eye contact with Jack and Natasha again, to which they both gave small smiles back. "Wakanda is proud to extend it's hand to peace-"
Just then, Prince T'Challa, who had been standing a few yards away beside the large Everybody get glass windows, spun around on his heel and called out towards the rest of the room, "Everybody get down!"
"Nat!" Jack jumped from his seat and turned to quickly grab Natasha by the arm and pull her down, along with a woman sitting beside her, diving underneath the round table they were seated at just as a large explosion shook the building.
Fire, glass, and plumes of smoke clouded Jack's vision and his ears were ringing from the blast. He was vaguely aware of Natasha tugging onto his arm and calling out his name before everything went dark.
—
A/N: Cliffhanger... Dun, dun, dun. Summarizing this chapter? Well, Danielle and Sharon went to Peggy Carter's funeral (Rest In Peace to a true queen), Jack and Nat have gone to Vienna to sign the Accords and met T'Challa, the UN meeting got bombed and R.I.P King T'Chaka. Damn, just a lot of death this chapter, but will Jack pull through? Oooooooooooh.
If you guys have any questions, let me know. Let me know what you guys think as well because I could honestly be doing a shit job and I would have no clue. So, yeah. Hope you enjoy.
Chapter Songs: Don't Know Why by Norah Jones and Empathy by Audiomachine.
Reviews:
madfinn654321: Aw, I'm so happy you're enjoying it. And especially enough to binge all of it, how long did that take? Glad you're liking Danielle's character and the stir progression. And thank you so much. Happy to hear from you.
artemis7448: Ha ha, yes. I friggin love Llamas with Hats. My brother showed them to me years ago and I just remember there was a solid month that I just quoted them nonstop.
Incorrect Quote of the Chapter:
Sharon: Did you stay up all night again?
Dani: ...no...
Sharon: I heard you clapping along to the FRIEND's theme song every 20 minutes.
Dani: ...
Dani: ...dammit.
