Three - Time

Camp Lehigh, United States Army Base - New Jersey

1970

"...And together, we will continue to movie the SSR forwards into the future-"

Karen had heard enough. Not caring to hear the end of Zola's speech, she stormed from the boardroom and out into the hall.

She was still extremely bitter - how could the SSR have hired that man, after all he'd done?

"Karen, Darling?" Peggy stepped out of the room and joined her, laying a gentle hand on her arm. "Are you alright?"

"Not really," Karen admitted. "Being in the same room as that man is torture."

"I understand."

"I don't trust him."

"The war's over, Karen, long over-"

"But you know as well as I do that that doesn't stop war-like thinking and measures. And just because Hitler is dead and the Third Reich is long over doesn't mean it stops people from having those thoughts."

Peggy sighed. "I know."

The boardroom door opened and everyone began to file out.

"Okay there, Karen?" Howard asked on his way back to his office.

"Yes, thank you, Howard."

Zola was one of the last to leave. "I'm afraid you missed the end of my presentation, Ms. Granger."

"How terrible." Karen could not keep the sneer out of her tone while addressing him.

"Perhaps I can fill you in on my plans-"

"That is quite enough, Dr. Zola," stepped-in Peggy. "The meeting is over."

Zola only chuckled and placed his had on his head, adjusting his glasses as he addressed Karen. "You are looking very youthful for a woman of your age."

"For a woman of my age?" she scoffed.

"What is your secret, Ms. Granger?"

"Even if I had a secret, which I don't, I wouldn't share it with the likes of you. And it's Agent Granger."

With one last smirk, Zola headed off.

She really hated that man.


"Think you can escape me without signing these documents, Mr. Stark?" Karen just managed to catch Howard before he left for the weekend.

Howard sighed, turning to face her and raising his hands in surrender. "You know, Karen, I'm starting to think you only talk to me when you need me to sign something."

"I know better than to interrupt your work."

"Oh please, come in interrupt me."

"Sign here, and here, and there please."

"Anything for you." He scribbled his signature down on the requested lines. As he handed back the pen and pages, he stared at her, curiously almost.

"Do I have something on my face?" she asked.

"No, no. It's just you have such a youthful look about you. Lots of women must envy you for that. Beautiful as always."

She rolled her eyes. "Always the notorious flirt. How are Maria and Tony?"

"Tony cries at the same time every night. I haven't had a good night's sleep in weeks." Howard rubbed a hand over his clearly very tired face.

"Well give him a hug and tell him his Auntie Karen says hi. And give my love to Maria."

"Like I said, anything for you. Night Karen."

"Goodnight, Howard. Have a nice weekend."

Karen wanted nothing more than to head home herself, but she had something important to take care of first.

"Knock knock." She tapped on the door to the Director's office. "Hey Peg."

"Hello Karen, Darling."

"I have this for you, it's a lab report from Hank. He wanted me to deliver it to the Director herself so you could go over it."

"Thank you. You can just set it on top of this pile." Peggy patted a large pile of papers and files on her desk. She regarded her friend. "Karen, what is it? You didn't only come by to drop off this report."

"No..." The blonde sighed heavily. "I don't know what to do, Peg-"

"What do you mean? Don't know what to do about what?"

"This." Karen gestured to her face. "I look the same, or at least nearly the same, as I did thirty years ago during the war. And it isn't going unnoticed. Howard commented on it again just before he left. And Zola." Recalling his words made her shudder. "I have no idea how, no idea what's going on. But I'm, I'm not - not aging..." Peggy only stared back. "I know this sounds crazy-"

"You're right, it does. But you're also right in that something's going on, and people are noticing. I'm noticing." Peggy sighed. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know what-"

"Maybe you don't know what to do, but what do you want to do?"

"I think I need to go quiet, go off the grid..."

Now Peggy looked alarmed. "But Karen-"

"Peg, people are starting to get suspicious - and I have no answer for them. No explanation. I've been thinking about it a lot and, well, who knows how long this will go on for? I think I need to disappear."

Peggy's expression was dead serious, but she nodded. "Very well. If that's what you want. I will arrange a safe house for you to lay low. You can keep going back there as you figure out what to do."

"Thank you, Peg."

"Of course, Darling." The two old friends hugged.

"I guess I'll have to come up with some story for you to tell the others about what happened to me."

"Don't worry, I will help you through this."

"Thank you."

"But you must promise to keep in contact with me, please. That's all I ask."

"Of course, Peg."

Peggy nodded. "Good."


Saint Luke's Cathedral - London England

2016

Following the funeral, Karen excused herself and slipped away to the bathroom. She and Sam had come to the funeral to support Steve, but now she needed a moment to herself to grieve, to grieve for the loss of her dear friend.

Almost as soon as she had closed the stall door did she choke out a sob, pressing a hand over her mouth to stifle the sound.

"Oh Peg," she cried. She missed her so much.

But she couldn't publicly display her grief. As far as her friends were concerned, she was not Karen Granger, she was Agent Liv Sword, or Spark. According to them, she hadn't personally known Peggy Carter.

"I wish I could tell you I've solved it, that I've figured it out," she whispered, hoping Peggy might hear her. "But even after all this time, I still have no idea what's going on with me." She still hadn't aged a day since going off the grid back in 1970, Peggy there along with her the whole way. But not anymore.

"I have no idea, Peg. I still have no idea. And I'm terrified."

So, I wasn't sure which church Peggy's funeral was held in, but the internet told me it was called Saint Luke's, so we'll go with that!

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :)