Chapter 4
AN: Thank you so much for the support. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, LEAVE A REVIEW! I'm begging here, I love this story so I would love to know that other people do.
October 10th 1952
Four weeks have passed since Peggy and Howard left America and since they got to European Soil the two of them have been doing what they can alone to try to find their answers. Having needed to be careful about how they move Peggy and Howard have finally made their way to Finland and to the location where they are going to meet a couple of old friends.
"When was the last time you saw them?" Peggy asks curious, as the approach the safehouse on foot, each of them holding a single duffle bag.
"Same time you did. Last Christmas," Howard comments.
"When we drunk half your whiskey," Peggy remembers, not being able to help but grin, as she truly enjoyed that night, though she does remember the fact that Howard disappeared for a couple of hours with no explanation.
"That was a good night," Howard says, also grinning.
"It was," Peggy confirms as they get to the door, and when they get there Howard does a very distinctive knock. "You two are ridiculous," Peggy tells him as she rolls her eyes.
"So you've told us, many times," Howard comments, looking amused, as the door opens revealing Dugan and Gabe.
"And I will keep telling you," Peggy reveals, looking at Howard.
"How ridiculous we are?" Dugan guesses, as he has been a part of the conversation enough times to know how it usually sounds.
"Of course," Peggy says as she hugs Dugan as Howard and Gabe hug, and once they do Peggy hugs Gabe, and Dugan hugs Howard.
"Come in. With you two being most wanted it's better no one sees you," Gabe says, and the four of them head into the house.
"Dugan you got anything to drink?" Howard asks curious.
"Of course," Dugan answers, feeling like it shouldn't be a question. "And you two arrived just in time, we've got something," Dugan explains, and as he does Peggy and Howard exchange amazed looks.
A few minutes later Peggy, Howard, Dugan, and Gabe are down in the basement of the safe house, all four of them holding a drink, while surrounded a table.
"What's all this?" Peggy asks, looking interested.
"Intel. It's everything we have that proves that Leviathan is up and running, that they have a base in the Soviet Union," Gabe explains.
"Where?" Peggy asks, feeling a small bit of hope that they are going to be able to finally clear their names, once and for all.
"That's the bad news. We don't know exactly where the base is," Dugan explains. "And none of this proves that they are framing you two," Dugan explains.
"Of course, it doesn't," Howard says with a sigh, feeling like he should have realized that as it would be too easy.
"Which means we have to find the base, and use whatever we find there to try to prove our innocence," Peggy comments.
"Sounds fun," Dugan comments. "Good thing we've got a few ideas of where it might be," Dugan explains and once he does he and Gabe start to explain to Peggy and Howard everything that they know so far.
November 16th 1952
Ever since Peggy and Howard met up with Dugan and Gabe the four of them have been tracking down Leviathan as they try to figure out where their main base is. In their current safe house Peggy, Howard, and Dugan are all in a room together looking over documents, something which has become all too familiar for the foursome.
"What do you think makes this location different from all the rest?" Howard asks Peggy curious as while he always trusts her he is curious about her thought process.
"It's the center of all the activity we've recorded," Peggy explains. "And it's in a strategic position," Peggy explains. "And look at this," Peggy says as she hands Howard a surveillance image.
"Definitely looks promising," Dugan admits, as he looks at the image over Howard's shoulder.
"It does," Howard confirms.
"But we'll have to move quickly, Leviathan doesn't stay in one location too long, we know that much," Dugan points out.
"Just like us," Peggy comments. "But you're right Timothy, we don't know how long we have until they move again," Peggy admits, looking frustrated.
"We've got a problem," Gabe says, walking into the room.
"Of course we do," Peggy says, with a sigh, feeling like she shouldn't be surprised.
"What now?" Howard asks concerned.
"I have a friend in British Intelligence. There are agents in the area searching for you two," Gabe explains, looking at Peggy and Howard. "It won't be long before they search here," Gabe explains.
"Then Howard and I have to leave," Peggy realizes, knowing that there is no question.
"Not just you two, we all do," Dugan corrects, and as he does Peggy and Howard exchange looks, and almost like they can read each other's minds both know what the other is thinking.
"No," Howard says. "We appreciate all you've done, but Peg and I need continue alone," Howard explains.
"That's not going to happen. There is no world where we let you two handle this alone," Gabe argues, feeling like they should both know that.
"You have to," Peggy tells him. "Howard and I are already most wanted. People already know you're here and if they find you gone, then they're going to know you helped us, and you'll be added to that list," Peggy reminds him.
"I don't care," Dugan says.
"Me either," Gabe adds.
"We care," Howard reveals. "You two have done so much for us, we're not going to let you do this too," Howard explains.
"Howard and I will go to the facility alone. If you make me, I will stop you from following us, but I would really prefer not to," Peggy says, and there is no doubt in anyone's mind that she is capable of that.
"Just because you two can do anything alone doesn't mean you have to," Gabe argues, though he knows there isn't much use as Peggy and Howard are two of the most stubborn people he has ever met.
"We know, but this is something which we have to," Howard comments, as Peggy grabs a few things off the table, and it is clear that Peggy and Howard aren't going to let them go with them.
"Thank you, Timothy, Gabe, for everything you've done," Peggy tells her old friends.
"It doesn't feel like nearly enough," Dugan admits.
"It's been more than enough Pal," Howard assures him as he and Peggy hug their old friends.
"We're always here for you two, never forget that," Gabe assures Peggy and Howard.
"We know," Peggy says, and once she does she and Howard head out of the room.
"I can't believe we're just letting them go," Dugan comments, as ever one of his instincts are telling him to go with them.
"We don't have much of a choice," Gabe says, though it is more than clear that he doesn't like the idea of Peggy and Howard going alone.
Four days after they left Gabe and Dugan Peggy and Howard have made their way to the location, deep within the Soviet Union, which they suspect is Leviathan's headquarters. So that they can get an idea of how the locations perimeter security works Peggy and Howard are hidden in the bushes outside the boundary together.
"Once the next guard passes us we've got three minutes to get to the building," Peggy whispers to Howard.
"Should be easy enough," Howard comments, and once he does Peggy hands him a gun.
"Just in case," Peggy explains. "Do you remember what I told you?" Peggy asks as even though he is a weapons designer Howard isn't overly comfortable using weapons himself, and so over the past couple of months she has been giving him advice.
"Of course," Howard says.
"Then let's go," Peggy says as they both run towards the building.
A few minutes alter Peggy and Howard have gotten into the building and are making their way through it.
"I wasn't expecting it to be this quiet," Howard admits to Peggy in a quiet voice. "Especially considering the guards outside,"
"It is not a good thing that it is," Peggy admits. "We need to see if there is anything here that can help us and then get out as quickly as possible," Peggy explains, as she feels like they shouldn't be in this location longer than they have to.
"Agreed," Howard says, and the two of them continue to make their way through the facility.
As the two of them round the next corner they see a figure at halfway down the corridor, and so reacting quickly Peggy grabs Howard and pulls him backwards so that they both lean against the wall.
"What do we do?" Howard asks, hoping Peggy has an idea as he currently doesn't.
"The only thing we can do," Peggy admits, before stepping out from the corridor she and Howard are in to the one where the figure is. "Turn around slowly," Peggy says, pointing her gun at the figure, who makes no effort to turn around. "I said turn…." Peggy starts to repeat as she clocks the gun, and as she does the figure turns. Once the figure turns around Peggy feels a level of shock that she has never ever felt. "Michael?" Peggy asks, sounding beyond shocked as she has never felt this much shock in her life, which says a lot considering everything she has experienced.
"Who the heck is Michael?" Michael asks confused, before pulling a gun.
"PEG!" Howard yells, as he runs out from where he is and tackles Peggy, who is frozen in shock, and just as the two of them fall to the ground bullets fly over their heads. Having no idea what he is doing Howard fires back, causing Michael to run, even though none of the bullets get near him. "Peg? Peg? Are you alright?" Howard asks worried as he looks at his friend who is just staring at the hallway that Michael disappeared into.
"Howard that was Michael, I know it was him," Peggy says, looking at her friend and Howard sees a look he has never seen on Peggy's face, one of true vulnerability.
"I believe you, Pal," Howard assures her, knowing exactly who Michael is. "Come on, we've got to get out of here," Howard says, as while they haven't found what they need he suspects Peggy is in no state to fight, and to his utter horror Peggy just lets him help her up and out of the facility, without even fighting him.
Less than an hour later Howard and Peggy have made their way back to their current safe house, and for every minute that passes Howard has found himself becoming even more concerned about Peggy as he has never seen her like this.
"It was him. It was Michael," Peggy says as they walk into the safe house, saying what she has been repeating since they left the vacant Leviathan facility.
"I know Peg," Howard says, as he leads Peggy over to one of the chairs. Because he has known Peggy for so long he knows what her brother meant to her, and the effect his death had.
"I just don't understand," Peggy says as she sits down, and Howard pulls a chair over so that he can sit down right in front of her.
"We'll figure it out," Howard assures her.
"It was him; I know it was, I'd know him anywhere, but he died," Peggy says, tears coming to her eyes. "I just don't understand how this is possible," Peggy admits, her voice breaking.
As he hates seeing Peggy in pain and would do anything to make it so she wasn't in pain, Howard just leans forward and hugs her.
"I know, I've got you Peg, we'll figure it out," Howard promises Peggy, kissing her cheek. "It will be okay," Howard says, not overly sure what else to say, as he leans backwards. "Okay? We'll figure this out, no matter what it takes, I promise," Howard promises, completely meaning that as he knows that he will do whatever he has to do to help Peggy figure out what happened to her brother, and then, to his shock Peggy kisses him.
For a few seconds, as it is that he has wanted, and imagined, for so long Howard returns the kiss, but as he knows what the right thing is to do he pulls away, though he still stays rather close to her.
"No, not like this," Howard tells Peggy. "You're not acting like yourself," Howard explains.
"You're saying no?" Peggy asks shocked, as that is the last thing she was expecting.
"Not because I want to, but because you're not you right now. It wouldn't be right," Howard admits.
"You've changed," Peggy comments, sounding surprised. "The Howard Stark I once knew wouldn't care about doing the right thing," Peggy comments, as she sees her dear friend in a new light.
"What can I say, you've rubbed off on me," Howard comments, with a smile, one that Peggy returns. "Peg, we've got a lot to work out, but we can't do that when we have to constantly move," Howard explains.
"We have no choice," Peggy reminds Howard. "It's the only reason we've stayed safe this long,"
"Then we need to go to a safe place, where we can think and properly investigate and plan. It is the only way we're going to be able to figure out how to Stop Leviathan, how to clear our names…."
"And how to save Michael," Peggy adds, as that is a priority to her.
"And how to save Michael," Howard confirms, with a nod. "Is if we go to a safe place that we don't have to leave every few days," Howard finishes.
"There is no place like that, Howard, no safe place; you know that," Peggy points out.
"There is one place," Howard says, and as he does Peggy realises what he is thinking.
"Howard we can't!" Peggy objects.
"We have to,"
"What happened to not wanting to put our friends in danger?" Peggy asks interested, as not that long ago that was Howard's biggest concern.
"That was before. Peg. We're running out of options," Howard points out. "I don't like it either, do you have a better idea?" Howard asks curious, honestly hoping that she does.
"Not at this moment," Peggy admits. "But Howard, we cannot ask this of him," Peggy says, her voice serious.
"He said if we ever needed anything all we had to do was ask," Howard reminds Peggy.
"He was grateful! We saved his life, and that was a decade ago," Peggy reminds him "Not to mention the fact that we haven't talked to him in what…. A year? Two years?" Peggy asks, sounding uncertain.
"About that long," Howard admits, knowing it could have been longer considering how long they have been on the run. "Peg, I really think this might be our only option, and you know as well as I do that if he can't help us he'll just tell us to our faces," Howard points out.
"That is true," Peggy admits. "I understand the logic, I do, I just worry about the consequences," Peggy admits.
"Honestly, I do too," Howard admits, once more showing that he has changed. "But this feels like the best choice out of a lot of bad ones," Howard admits.
"That is very likely true," Peggy admits, with a sigh. "We don't guilt him into helping us, we don't bring up what happened in forty-two," Peggy tells her friend.
"Agreed," Howard says, with a nod. "You doing okay, Pal?" Howard asks concerned as he reaches across the small distance that separates them and takes Peggy's hand.
"I don't think I will be okay for a while," Peggy admits. "I need to know what happened, I need to make sense of this," Peggy says, pain clear in her voice. "Will you help me?" giving Howard the closest thing to a pleading look that he has ever seen on her face.
"I already promised I would, and I keep my promises to you," Howard tells Peggy as he squeezes her hand.
"That you do," Peggy responds, and the two of them drift into silence, Peggy knowing that it makes her feel better to know she has Howard's support, and it means so very much to her.
Far away from the Soviet Union, but in a similar kind of location four men have come together.
"I appreciate the early release," Werner Reinhardt says, looking between von Strucker, Edmund Mallick, and Arnim Zola.
"Think nothing off it," Mallick comments.
"With Carter and Stark being most wanted putting the papers in place for your release was easy, no one gave them a second glance," Zola comments.
"Which is exactly why we should do more," von Strucker comments. "We could get the Tesseract back. Without Carter and Stark it would be easy," von Strucker comments.
"They won't be kept away from SHIELD for long, they're too good, and as soon as they come back they will do an inventory and as soon as they do that they'll realise it's gone, and I will be the first suspect. It will destroy everything we're trying to re-establish," Zola explains.
"And? We'd have the power," Mallick comments, not seeing the big deal.
"Would have one source of power, not enough," Reinhardt comments. "Arnim is right, we do not have the manpower to face a SHIELD being led by Peggy Carter and Howard Stark. Even without Captain America they will destroy us, for good," Reinhardt realises.
"We play the long game. It is our best shot," Zola says, looking around the room and as he does he sees the others nodding in agreement, some doing so more hesitant than others.
December 12th 1952
Just over three weeks have passed since Peggy and Howard decided that their only good option was to go see an old friend and ever since they have been doing their best to make it to where they will find their friend, a journey which has not been easy and so they have travel even less of a distance than there were expecting to.
Just like they were many years ago Peggy and Howard have found themselves Warsaw in the middle of winter. As she woke up and saw no sign of Howard, Peggy who is doing her best not to worry, is searching for him in the old safehouse they are currently in.
When Peggy gets to the main area of the safe house she has to pause as to her relief she finds Howard, but that relief is quickly overtaken by sadness when she sees that he is sitting on the floor in front of, staring at, an unlit menorah.
Knowing what she has to do Peggy, takes a breath to prepare herself, before she walks over and sits next to him.
"You never talk about it," Peggy says, once she is sitting by her friends' side.
"You know?" Howard asks, looking at her, sounding a little surprised as he thought it was one thing he was rather good at hiding; even from Peggy.
"I suspected after you brought up religion when we fought about Steve's blood, became even more sure when you and Manfredi talked about a schwitz," Peggy says, as while there have been other clues over the years they were two biggest. "I wanted to ask you, but whenever a conversation gets even remotely close to your religion you shut it down," Peggy comments, as while she has come close over the years she has always stopped herself because she was truly unsure how Howard would react.
"I had to," Howard admits. "After the war broke out, when I saw what I saw, I knew it was the only choice I had," Howard admits, tears coming to his eyes as he remembers the horrors he saw and heard about that were committed against people who were the same as him, and as she sees her friend so distressed Peggy reaches out and takes his hand. "After the war… I just couldn't bring myself to be open about that part of me," Howard explains.
"But you specifically got this for tonight," Peggy says, being pretty sure that the safe house wouldn't have had a menorah in it. "Is it because we're back here?" Peggy asks, suspecting that it can't be easy for Howard to be in Warsaw at this time of year.
"No," Howard says, shaking his head. "Though it's not easy," Howard admits. "In 1945, that first Hanukkah after the war I found Ana just sitting in front of an unlit Menorah," Howard reveals. "It was safe, we were safe, we didn't have to hide that part of ourselves anymore, but the fear was still there, still is," Howard admits, honestly he is not sure if that fear will ever disappear. "For hours we just sat there, staring at it, until finally Ana picked up the matches. She was shaking so much, so I tried to help, but then I realised I was shaking too," Howard reveals. "Eventually we got it lit, and we just sat in silence, watching as the candle burned down," Howard explains. "Every single year since, until now, we have done that together," Howard admits and as he does Peggy can hear the undeniable, deep, pain in his voice.
"I'm so sorry," Peggy admits, her words feeling a little hollow, but honestly she doesn't have any other idea what to say. "I know it's not the same, and I can't imagine how hard it is being here of all places today, but would you like me to help you light the candle and just sit with you?" Peggy asks, and in response Howard just nods.
Over the next few minutes Peggy helps Howard to light the candle and feels an overwhelming feeling of deep sorrow as she watches his hands shake in terror. Once the candle is lit Peggy and Howard just sit side by side in silence, watching as the candle burns.
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