Eva stood at the reception of the old folks' home, flyer for the reason she was there crumpled in one hand. She wondered what the old people- could she call them that? Was that even PC anymore?- would think of her, with her tattoos and bleached-again hair and general demeanour.
"Can I help you?" asked the woman at the desk.
"I, um, I'm here about the old times, new friends scheme," she said, waving the flyer. "You're still looking for volunteers, right?"
"Of course!" said the woman eagerly, coming out from behind the desk to shake her hand. "What's your name, sweetheart?"
"Eva," said Eva, "Eva Kresk."
"Lovely to meet you, Eva." The woman led the way down one corridor that smelt vaguely of hospitals and old paper, lined with closed doors. "Every volunteer is welcomed. How did you find out about the scheme?"
"A friend of a friend has a friend here," she said, "and my friend thought I needed to make another friend." I said friend way too many times there. She had struck a deal with Vision, who worried about her being on her own while he and Sam were both on missions- in return for her being a part of this volunteer programme, he would watch the new season of American Horror Story with her so she didn't freak out and call him at two in the morning, demanding he check under her bed for killer clowns. Of course, he probably would have watched it with her anyway, but at least this way she didn't feel as much indebted to him as she would otherwise.
"Really? That's nice," said the lady, as if she hadn't been listening. "Now, you seem like an… alternative young woman, so I'll pair you up with one of our feistier residents. She has family, of course, but they live a few states over, so don't get to visit very often. She was transferred here from Washington, since an anonymous donor paid for our fees on behalf of her children." She paused outside the door. "I should forewarn you, Margaret has dementia, so if she forgets who you are…"
"I'll be fine," said Eva, though inside she was panicking somewhat. Her own grandparents had died before her birth, and she had never done anything like this before. But if Vision thought it was a good idea, then she was prepared to give it a chance.
"Margaret?" called the woman softly, opening the door to reveal a narrow old woman tubed up to the machine beside her bed, "there's a young lady here to see you."
"Oh?" said the woman, in a British accent not unlike Vision's. "Who is it?"
"I'm Eva," she told the lady. "Um, hello."
"I'll leave you two to it," said the lady, closing the door behind her. Margaret exhaled.
"Thank goodness for that," she said in her wavering voice, "I've never been more mollycoddled in my life than by that woman. Sit down, my dear, and for the love of everything call me Peggy."
"Oh!" Eva exclaimed. "You're Peggy! Steve's girl."
"Steve?" Peggy's eyes widened. "He- he's alive?"
As her eyes watered, Eva shot forward and gripped her withered, liver-spotted hand. She knew Steve visited a lot, but of course Peggy may well have forgotten. "Yeah," she said, her own voice shaking a little, "yeah, they found him under the ice. He's on a mission right now, but he's going to come visit as soon as he can, he promised. He- he sends his love."
"Oh-" Peggy craned her neck a little, and Eva grabbed her a tissue from a nearby box. "Oh, thank you. I knew I was right to keep hope."
"Yeah," said Eva, "yeah, you were." She smiled at her. "You look like you need a cup of tea."
Peggy dabbed at her eyes with the tissue. "Not the way Americans make it," she mumbled.
"Lucky for you, I am both an excellent barista and have a British friend," she told her. "Mind if I use your kettle?"
"Not at all, my dear," said Peggy. "Two sugars, please."
Eva made sure she stayed in Peggy's line of sight as she walked to the tiny kettle and tea set, so the woman wouldn't forget she was there. "Y'know," she said, "the lady who showed me in said you were feisty."
"Why do you think they keep me wired up?" Peggy asked, tapping her nose tube. "It's so I can't get out and cause any more trouble."
"Does it work?" she asked.
"I don't have anybody who thinks letting me out of bed is a good idea to push my wheelchair," Peggy replied, and Eva tutted.
"You got me."
%
Peggy clutched the plastic cup in both hands, her oxygen canister rolling around a little in her lap, as Eva pushed her down the corridor at top speed.
"Wheeee!" she whispered, and Peggy laughed.
"There's a lift at the end of this hallway that'll get us out without being seen by the front desk," Peggy told her. "This is really rather exciting."
"Ain't it just?" Eva pressed the elevator button; the doors rattled open and she spun Peggy round and reversed her into it. "Probably not as exciting as all those missions back in the day, though."
"At least I don't have to fight a dozen armed men with guns this time, however," Peggy said dryly, and coughed.
"You okay?" Eva held her oxygen mask up to her face until the coughing passed, and they sneaked out the back of the home. "Did you really beat up twelve guys?"
"Too many times- although I very often had help."
"Stop trying to make yourself less badass, Peggy. I won't believe it for a second."
"You're too kind," Peggy laughed. "Where are we going?"
"Where would you like to go?"
Peggy closed her eyes in the sun, the light making her skin seem almost transluscent. She took a deep breath, relishing the outdoor breeze and the noise of the Manhattan traffic, then her eyes snapped open. "Prospect Park," she said, "Brooklyn. It's been years since I last saw it."
"You know what, Peggy?" Eva asked, as they made their way down the street. "I think you and me are gonna get along just fine."
A/N I feel like these two could cause a lot of trouble together, and probably give half the Avengers a heart attack with the amount of trouble they are bound to get into. Oh, and if any of you are going to MCM Comic Con London next Saturday, SO AM I! Let's meet up and scream excitedly at each other!