Peggy Carter surreptitiously peeked out from behind the window curtains to make sure Steve had left. She breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing she needed, let alone wanted, was for the two men to have some sort of all-out brawl right there in the living room.
She turned back toward her fiance. Daniel Sousa stood there, one arm plugged into his forearm crutch, the other bent akimbo, his right fist against his hip. He didn't look confused. He wasn't smiling.
He frowned at his fiance.
"So, he's actually back?" Daniel sounded as if he knew the answer to his question.
Peggy narrowed her gaze in confusion and then in realization, "You recognized him?"
"I'm a detective, too, you know" Daniel sighed, "and you've had that photo" he gestured with his available hand, "on the mantle since you moved in here"
"That may be true," Peggy began, remembering that what Daniel said was indeed true. After having moved back to New York after the Isodyne case, Peggy had bought the house, feeling that surely her and Daniel would marry, especially after their hushed office romance in Los Angeles. She'd indeed kept Steve's photo on the mantle, along with one of Daniel, "but you could've said something" she finished.
"In front of him?" Daniel looked incredulously at her, "and what if he'd decided to handle things with his fists?"
"This coming from a man who could handle hand to hand combat with Dottie Underwood?" Peggy smiled for the first time during their conversation
"At least I could until she decided to do some crazy jumping thing down the staircase"
"I highly doubt you'll have to worry about that from Steve" she smiled, and then dropped that expression from her face.
"It's ok" Daniel was quick to offer an olive branch, "I didn't want to cause a scene, and you were handling things pretty well, yourself"
"Thank you" she felt herself color
There were a few moments of silence between them, as the easy conversation fell to the wayside.
Finally, Peggy spoke, "You needn't be afraid that I'll rush off after him" she reassured Daniel
"I really didn't think about that until you brought up the idea just now" he was candid, "But I guess I've always been afraid that maybe what Krzeminski said was true"
"That I 'knew' a lot of men during the war?" she pursed her lips
"No" he conceded, "that somebody like you would never be interested in me when you'd had – um" he gestured to the door with his crutch, "him"
Peggy didn't know how to respond to that. It was something she'd thought about, but Steve had been dead, yet now he had returned.
As if on cue, Daniel voiced her thought, "Now, he's back, and you could have – be with him again" he looked at her, "I wouldn't blame you, and I wouldn't stop you"
Peggy didn't look crestfallen. Rather, she looked furious,
"Now see here, Daniel Sousa, as I told you a few years ago, I am more than capable at handling whatever is thrown at me" she went on, "and I certainly don't need you falling on your sword as some sort of poorly aimed sacrifice for my sake" she frowned, "What do you think I planned to do? Run off with someone I hadn't seen for nearly a decade? Someone who shows up in the most ridiculous outfit and expects me to drop everything and act as if no time had passed by?"
"Hold on" Daniel looked confused, "what outfit? He was wearing my clothes!"
"No, no" Peggy shook her head, "I mean, yes he had on your clothes, and I suppose we'll find a way to deal with that-" she walked back to the guest room and returned holding Steve's time travel uniform, holding the suit by its neck. "This" she explained, holding the boots by their uppers in another hand.
"Won't he need that back?" Daniel queried, "I mean, what if he wants to go back?"
"Back to where? Seventy years into the future, as he says?" Peggy snapped, "he can bloody well head back there dressed in his underwear for all I care. I do not need any man, and that includes you, my dear, treating me like some sort of – what do you call it? A side of beef. I do not need such objectifying treatment from any man"
"Understood loud and clear" Daniel nodded, "but still- I better go give this to him"
"This? If he wants it back so badly, he can show up here for it"
"That's what I'm afraid of"
Daniel hobbled to the kitchen and returned with an empty grocery sack. He took the Pym uniform from Peggy and placed it in the paper bag.
Before Peggy could stop Daniel, he was out the door,
"If I was Steve Rogers in New Jersey" he thought, "where would I go?"