Hello, dear readers. Hope this finds you well and in the mood for another chapter.
Qweb: So glad you enjoyed the wedding. I must admit, I'm rather fond of Phil's little family.
ChEiFi: Glad he's now an ex. I just hate that there are people who treat others like that, especially their kids. Here's to the ones who get out.
Divinia Serit: Thanks. I feel I write relationships much better than action and am really enjoying developing the relationships between the characters. Not just the main relationship, but all the others as well
Jokerang: Yup. This whole marriage thing is uncharted territory and pretty scary. I see her trying to gain all the intel she can before making her decision. (which will probably be soon)
kali rogers: Thank you kindly, my friend. I'm glad you're enjoying.
star3235: Aw. Thanks.
a graceless heart: Here's your update. I hope you enjoy it.
As always, thanks to all for the lovely reviews. They always make me smile. Marvel stuff isn't mine and all those other disclaimers apply. Story time!
Stroll 25
It had been almost 2 weeks since Phil and Jen's wedding. The groom was back at work and still, at least to those who knew him, walking on air. Maria was glad that Steve hadn't begrudged her the long hours to cover for her friend.
"I have no doubt he'll reciprocate when needed," he had told her, sharing a quick dinner in her office late one night.
In fact, Phil had been in earlier in the day, trying to encourage her to take off early for the day. She had declined, telling him that Steve was involved in training exercises for several more hours. Instead, she focused on the myriad of items that had collected on her desk overnight.
Her phone dinged with an incoming text and she glanced down to see who it was from.
Charlotte.
XXXXXXXXXX
Several days earlier, the two had lunched together. The older woman had seemed distracted and subdued. Maria had waited waited patiently for her to unburden her mind.
"They found a spot on my mammogram," she finally commented, looking up to meet her gaze.
Dozens of questions came to Maria's mind, but she bit them back. Her friend would give the information she wanted to give in her own time.
"Okay."
"Spot. Shadow. Mass."
'Cancer,' they both thought.
"Now what?" Maria asked.
"I'm scheduled for a biopsy in a couple of days, then we should know more."
"What do you need? What can I do?"
Charlotte sighed and closed her eyes. "I don't know."
"You need Nick there with you?"
"Need him? No. Not really, I guess."
But her eyes said otherwise.
And he would be there if she had to drag him, she decided. As it turned out, all she had to do was tell him that she'd do whatever he needed her to do. He had nodded his thanks, and taken her up on her offer.
XXXXXXXXXX
Maria knew that they were expecting results anytime now. She took a deep breath as she touched the screen to open the text.
Benign is such a beautiful word!
After allowing herself a brief moment to celebrate, she sent up a prayer of thanks, shot back a text thanking her for the update, and got back to work. Page by page, she worked her way through the stack of stuff on her desk.
One of those items took her down the corridor to Nick's office. After wrapping up business for the moment, talk turned to personal matters.
"Phil seems to be enjoying married life," he commented.
"So far," she agreed. "But they're still in the honeymoon phase. The test is in the weeks and months and years ahead, right? You've got twenty years under your belt I'm sure there were a lot of ups and downs over the years."
"There were," he nodded. "Lots of disagreements and discussions and reminding ourselves of the things that brought us together. There's also been a lot of laughter and passion and those perfect moments of complete contentment."
"Like getting good news from the doctor?"
He grinned broadly. "Definitely. Of all the terrifying things I've faced over the years, this was certainly at the top of the list." He paused for a moment. "You know, I never planned to marry. I decided early on that my career would be first and foremost in my life. No family, no wife or kids to hold me back. Now, I don't know what I'd do without her."
"So what changed your mind? About marriage?" she asked him.
"Meeting the right person, I guess," he admitted. "I had sliced my hand open trying to fix a piece of equipment on one ot the sensors. I went down to medical to get a bandage. A couple of the nurses were trying to tell me it needed stitches and I was letting them know in no uncertain terms that I did not have time for that. They were intimidated enough to give in to me when this woman that I had never seen before walked in and told me to sit down, shut up, and behave myself."
Maria grinned. "I knew I liked her."
"Told me she had grown up in her father's vet clinic and she wouldn't hesitate to grab a tranquilizer gun from the vet and put me out."
"Sounds like love at first sight," she teased.
"I suppose. We butted heads on so many things. How long an agent needed to be off. How much treatment a prisoner needed before we could interrogate him. The proper pronunciation of the condiment you put on french fries."
"Mayonnaise?" she asked.
"You're the only one I know who does that," he told her with a shake of his head. "Anyway, one day we were going at each other and I had this urge to grab her and kiss her. So I did."
"And?"
"She wasn't sure whether she should kiss me back or slug me. She ended up doing both, and the rest is history."
"So, how did you know you wanted to get married? What prompted you to pop the question?"
He grinned. "Actually, she asked."
Maria raised her eyebrow.
"I picked her up at the hospital one night after a long shift. Asked if she wanted me to take her home or if she wanted to do something. I was thinking dinner. Movie, maybe. She suggested Atlantic City. See a show. Gamble a little. Get married." He shrugged. "I figured why not. So we did."
"Any second thoughts?" she probed.
"Nope," he assured her. "Best thing I ever did."
Her phone rang and she grabbed it up.
"Hill."
"Carter," the voice at the other end replied. "My office. ASAP." Even with the quiver of age, her voice still held that edge of authority.
Maria thought of the work she had done already and decided that, with the early start she had gotten on her day, she could probably take off without too much problem. She'd have to run it by Nick, but didn't think he'd take issue.
Besides, the drive out to the home would allow her some time to focus on the other item on her mind.
Steve's proposal.
"Yes, ma'am. I need to secure the project I'm working on."
"Of course. Your convenience, Agent Hill. Must take care of business first."
"I will." Maria assured her.
"Oh, and would you mind bringing some of those toffees, dear? You know the ones I like."
"I do."
Ending the call, she looked to Nick.
"Peggy is in need of an emergency toffee delivery," she told him. "Would it be alright if I take a trip out there?"
"Good idea," he nodded. "I like to send someone out to check up on her every once in a while if I can't make it out there myself."
"I didn't realize you were that close," she answered.
He shrugged. "She may not always remember it, but she still has a lot of information tucked away in her brain that certain factions might be interested in. We have people keeping watch, but I like to keep watch on them, too. Besides, she's one of the few people who understands the position I'm in."
"See you tonight at dinner?" she asked.
The group had fallen into the habit of getting together for dinner at the tower every few weeks and that was scheduled to happen tonight.
"Char and I plan to be there," he told her. "I think she was picking up Max and Mia from school for Jen, then they were doing something."
Nodding, she took her leave. She made a quick stop at the British Emporium, selecting a package of the toffees requested as well as something to drink, then was on her way.
At the retirement home, she made a circuit of the grounds, alert for anything suspicious or out of the ordinary. Finding nothing, she proceeded inside, checked in at the nursing station, then headed for Peggy's room. She hoped that the woman would remember why she had asked her to come.
"Ah. Deputy Director Hill. Glad you made it. Everything going well back at HQ?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"And you'd tell me it it wasn't?"
"No, ma'am."
Peggy laughed. "Good for you. Did you bring me something?" she asked, pointing towards the bag Maria carried.
"I did," Maria told her, pulling out the tin of toffees. "I also brought something to wash them down with."
"Please tell me it's not tea. I'm English, so everyone always brings me tea. I have enough tea to last me a lifetime." She considered a moment. "Though, at my age, that's not much."
"You're going to outlive us all, Carter."
"God forbid," she protested. "So, what did you bring?"
Maria pulled out a bottle of scotch. "I checked with the nurses and they said that a moderate amount shouldn't interfere with any of your meds."
"A woman after my own heart," she grinned. "Look in the cupboard for some glasses."
She poured them each a glass and pulled up a chair.
"Nicky's keeping things under control?"
"As under control as things can be with SHIELD," Maria told her, grinning at Peggy's use of the nickname for her boss.
"And don't forget to tell him I asked about him," she added with her own grin.
They spent several minutes discussing world events and acquaintances they had in common.
"Steve was here the other day. Showed me some pictures from Phil's wedding. Looked like everyone had a good time."
"I think so," Maria told her.
"She's not one of us, is she?"
"Jen? No, she's not in the business. She's a civilian."
"You think it'll stick?"
Maria nodded. "I think so. They've been dating a while and so she's gotten a pretty good idea of what it's like to be in a relationship with a SHIELD operative. She and her kids are pretty independent and level headed."
"Good. Phil deserves good things. So does Steve," Peggy told her with a level gaze.
"Yes, he does," Maria agreed.
"And I think he's found it in you."
The other woman looked at her. She didn't reply, but her face reflected her uncertainty.
"Let me tell you about the man who showed up here a few years ago. He was so lost. Alone. He was looking for something to hold on to. I think maybe he was hoping I could be that. But I couldn't. He kept coming. Kept talking. And I kept listening. When the crisis hit and he was needed, he perked up. He had a purpose and a goal. Once the invasion was quashed, he was at loose ends again."
Maria nodded.
"Slowly, but surely, he started settling in. I knew he would. He's very adaptable. I noticed over time, he started talking more and more about you. About what you said, what you did. What the two of you did. And the more he talked about you, the more 'himself' he became. You helped him find his center. His meaning. Helped him remember who is is. I know you probably feel like he's done so much more for you than you've done for him, but take it from someone who's known him a whole lot longer. You've changed his life, Maria."
"As he has mine," the other woman admitted.
Peggy nodded. "Glad you admit it. Get any ideas from Coulson's wedding?"
Maria looked sharply at her.
"No, he didn't say anything. I just know Steve. These days, people live together. Move from partner to partner,. No commitments or ties. In our day, those things mattered. I doubt he's become 'modern' enough that he doesn't want to marry you."
"He does."
"Thought so." She studied the brunette. "But you're not sure. Feel like you're giving up your independence a bit? I know I struggled with that when Daniel and I started talking marriage."
Maria thought a moment, then shook her head. "No, that's not it." She sighed, frustrated. "I can't imagine living without him, now. I want to spend the rest of my life with him, but there's just sometihng missing. Something I need to get in place to be able to accept. And I can't seem to figure out what it is."
Now, it was Peggy's turn to sigh. When Maria looked at her, she smiled slightly.
"I may be way off base here. If I am, just write it off as the hubris of a senile old woman."
"Never," Maria answered. "I would never accuse you of hubris. I've never known you to profess pride that wasn't wasn't well deserved."
The older woman laughed. "I notice, you didn't protest the 'senile old woman' phrase."
Maria shrugged.
"I like that about you," she continued. "I am senile. It even says so in my medical file. 'Senile dementia.' I'm well aware of that. On my good days, anyway," she amended. "I really appreciate people who call it like it is."
"That I can do."
"What I was saying...If it's my blessing you're looking for, you have it. Steve and I had the beginnings of something very special, but we had that taken from us. I got another chance and found something wonderful. I want that for Steve, too. I think you can be that for him."
Maria sat, pondering Peggy's statement.
Approval.
That was it.
Not Peggy, but there was someone that she needed to talk to about this.
But who?
Peggy waited, watching while Maria relaxed and allowed her mind to sort through things.
Suddenly, her eyed widened and she sat up straight. She knew who she needed to talk to.
"You know what you need to do now, don't you?"
She jumped up, smiling as she reached over and carefully hugged the older woman.
"I do. I know exactly what I need to do. Thank you."
"My pleasure," Peggy replied, returning the hug. "I had better get an invitation to the wedding," she told her sternly.
"The very first one will be addressed to you and hand delivered by the bride or groom," she promised.
XXXXXXXXXX
She hoped she remembered how to get there. She had been there only once and it was several months ago, but she had a good memory and sense of direction. It wasn't long before she found herself parking the car and walking up to the small church.
It was just as she remembered. The tall, straight steeple. The doors opened in welcome. She smiled, remembering her last visit, then turned to the side of the building. Taking a deep breath, she opened the gate and entered the small cemetary.
Strolling through the gravesites, she glanced at the markers, remembering the stories Steve had told her. She stopped at the stone for the Barnes family, squatting to brush away dried leaves from the top.
"Thank you for being his family," she told them.
After a moment, she stood, continuing towards her goal, a simple granite marker. She sat cross-legged in front of it, listening to the birds overhead. Finally, she reached out, fingers lightly tracing the name and dates.
Sarah Rogers.
"Hello, Mrs. Rogers. My name is Maria Hill. I don't now if you remember me or not. I was here several months ago with Steve."
She smiled.
"He's an amazing man. But I'm sure you know that. He's so good and kind and smart and talented. And incredibly good looking. Musn't forget that."
Her fingers went to work, nervously plucking blades of grass.
"And for some reason, he loves me and wants to marry me. I don't pretend to understand why he chose me with all the women who would love to be with him, but he has. And I want it, too. I love him and I want to spend my life with him."
She looked down at her hands and made an effort to still them.
"I know when he was growing up, you probably had dreams about the woman he would marry. What she would be like. She would be charming and sweet and good. And absolutely nothing like me."
She paused again. "I know I'm not what you would want for him. I know I don't deserve someone like him. But I'm the one he wants. The one he loves. And I love him. And I want to promise you that I always will and that I will do my very best to be a good wife to him. A good helpmeet."
Not knowing what else to say, she sat for several more minutes, feeling a peace settle around her. Finally, she stood to leave.
"Oh, and if you happen to see my mom, tell her I'm sorry. I know I've probably disappointed her, ut I hope she's found some reasons to be proud of, too. Her name's Averi Hill."
She made her way out of the cemetary. She stepped out, turning to pulll the gate closed behind her. When she turned back, she was shocked to find someone standing in front of her.
"These are for you," the little girl said, holding up a bundle wraped in green florist paper.
The girl was about 6 years old. Her hair had probably started the day in two neat braids, but a day of play had left them fuzzy. Her brown eyes sparkled and her broad smile revealed missing top teeth. The dess she wore had once been a bright yellow, but was now faded from many washings.
"I think you're looking for someone else," she told the child.
She shook her head, braids flying. "Mommy's friends said to give them to the pretty lady at the gate," she told her.
Maria accepted the bundle as she looked around. She didn't notice anyone close, nor did anyone seem to be paying them any particular attention.
"Where is your mommy?" she asked.
When there was no answer, she looked down.
The girl was gone.
She started looking around frantically. The cemetary fence behind her meant that she had not gone that way and the space in front of her was open. There was no place she could have hidden. She started up the steps to the church as a man came out the door.
"Did you see a little girl go in there?" she asked him.
He shook his head, a look of concern on his face. "I didn't see anyone. Did you lose your little girl?"
"No," she assured him. "I don't know who she was. She was just here, then she wasn't."
"Ah."
She looked at him.
He nodded towards the cemetary. "There are those who claim some of our residents go for the occasional walk," he told her.
Maria shook her head.
"Did she do anything? Say anything?"
"Just gave me this," she told him. Turning the bouquet so she could look at it.
And felt herself freeze. Unable to move. Unable to talk.
It was a bundle of simple wildflowers. The kind you could pick up at any supermarket checkout.
A mass of daisies greeted her. Bright, happy, yellow daisies.
Mixed among them were violets, ranging through the spectrum from palest violet to a rich, deep purple.
"Miss?" A hand touched her arm, drawing her attention. "Are you okay?" the man asked.
She finally looked up at him. "Do you believe in signs?" she asked.
He laughed. "Yeah, my boss is pretty big on signs," he told her. "Rainbow. Water to wine. Bringing the dead back to life." He noticed her curious look. "I'm the pastor here," he explained, pointing towards the church. "Of course, those are just the big ones. I think there are plenty of little ones every day that we don't bother to notice."
Maria breathed deeply of the flowery scent, then smiled at him. "I think you may be right." She stroked the ptals of the flowers. "Thank you. If you'll excuse me, it seems I need to see a man about a marriage proposal," she told him.
He waved as she headed back to her car, bouquet clutched in her hand. During the drive back to the tower, she kept glancing at it, reassuring herself of what had just happened.
When she arrived in the garage, she grabbed the flowers and jumped out of the car. She smiled as she waited for the elevator and as it carried her up to the common area. When the doors opened, the dogs all raced over to greet her while Cat greeted her from his spot in the sunlight.
After petting and speaking to each of them, she looked around the room at the human occupants. Pepper waved from her spot on the sofa where she was on a call with her assistant. The other Avengers looked up from what they were doing and offered greetings.
"What's your poison, Hill?" Tony asked from his spot behind the bar.
"Maybe later," she told him. "Where's Steve?"
"I think he went into the kitchen looking for a snack," Nat commented.
Betty looked up, startled. "Doesn't he know we're going to be eating before long?"
"And he'll eat plenty then, too," Jane told her. "These guys have such rapid metabolisms that it's next to impossible to keep them full." She gave her fiancee a fond pat.
Steve walked out of the kitchen. His face lit up with a smile when he saw Maria standing there. She crossed to where he stood, setting her flowers down on a table. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, his head lowering to claim her lips in a tender kiss.
After several moments, she broke the embrace. Taking a step back, she rested her hands on his chest and looked up at him with a tender smile.
"Yes."
He looked at her a moment, confusion on his face. Suddenly, his expression cleared and his eyes widened in understanding.
"Yes?"
She nodded.
He studied her, then suddenly turned and left the room.
Maria felt her somach drop. The room had gone silent and everyone was watching her, questions clear on their faces.
Clearly, she had waited too long to give him an answer.
She cleared her throat and tried to force a casual smile. When then didn't work, she shrugged.
"I guess he changed his mind," she commented. She started backing back towards the elevator. "Turns out, I'm not going to be able to stay for dinner. Lots of work waiting for me back at the base."
It was a major act of willpower not to run to the elevator. She absolutely would not break down. She had known this was too good to be true. She would be thankful for what had been and would not mourn for what wasn't.
The doors closed and the care began to descend just as Steve came running back into the room. He looked around the room, brow knit.
"Maria?"
"She left," Pepper told him, pointing towards the elevator.
"Left?"
"Said something about you changing your mind?" Bruce commented.
"Changed my...?" He darted over and pressed the elevator button. After a couple of quick punches, he headed for the stairwell, pushing the door opened and starting to leap down the stairs.
The others looked at each other, no one really sure of what was going on.
"Service elevator!" Tony hollered, heading to the kitchen where the elevator used for groceries and household goods waited. They all piled in and closed the door.
"Where's Hill headed?" Tony asked.
"Parking garage," JARVIS answered.
"Get us there pronto," Stark told him.
"Yes, Sir."
When the doors opened, everyone spilled out, looking around. No one else was in sight.
Just then, the stairwell door opened and Steve burst into the garage, his breathing only slightly heavier than usual. He looked around.
"Maria?"
"Her car's stll here," Darcy pointed out.
"Agent Hill is making use of the facilities," JARVIS told them.
As Steve started towards the door, it opened and the slender agent stepped out. She looked around at the group, remaining stiff as the supersoldier wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.
"What happened?" he asked leaning down to look her in the eyes. "Why did you leave? I came back and you were gone."
"You came back," she explained, "After you left."
"I didn't exactly leave," he protested.
"You did," she disagreed. "I finally gave you an answer and you just turned and walked away."
He started to speak again, then stopped himself. "I guess I kind of did," he admitted. "I'm sorry. Didn't mean for it to look like that." He shuffled his feet in embarassment. "I needed to go to my place and get something." He held up a small velvet box.
"I know I said I wouldn't pressure you. I was kind of looking at rings. I wasn't really planning to buy anything, just trying to get some ideas. When I found this, it was so right, I figured I'd put it away for a while. Then, at some point, I was going to do dinner on the roof, under the stars. Show you the ring so you'd now that I'm serious about this."
She threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his neck as he lifted her off her feet.
"I love you so much, Steve Rogers," she whispered.
"And I love you, Maria Hill," he replied. He sat her down and lifted her chin so he could look her in the eyes. "Just so we're perfectly clear: You said 'yes,' right?"
"I said 'yes,'" she confirmed.
"And that was 'yes,' you'll marry me?"
She threw back her head and laughed, then placed her hands on either side of his face. "Yes, Steve, I want to marry you." Pulling his head down, she kissed him soundly.
Tony's voice finally broke the moment. "Feeling the pressure yet, Bruce? Clint?"
"About what?" Bruce asked.
"This marriage epidimic that's hit the Tower," he clarified. "Me and Pep. Agent and his lady. Thor and the doc. Now Cap and Hill."
"No," Clint replied. He looked ready to say more, but was stopped by a glare from Natasha.
Pepper elbowed him sharply. "Not your business, dear," she told him.
"Hey," Darcy exclaimed. "Do you have a ring in that box or not?" she asked, staring at Steve. "Because you need to get it on her so she can start showing it off to the rest of us."
He glanced at the box, then at Maria. "It's nothing really spectacular," he told her.
Meaning, she knew, nothing like the baubles that Pepper and Jane sported.
"I'm sure it's perfect," she replied.
He held up the box and opened the lid. It had a classic look, the platinum band ringed with tiny stones. In the center, a low mounted emerald cut diamond brilliantly reflected the light, a slightly smaller stone mounted to either side.
"If you don't like it, I can take it back," he told her. "We can choose something together."
She shook her head. "It's perfect, Steve."
He sighed with relief.
"Put it on her," Darcy prodded him. "The rest of us want to see it, too. At least, I do."
Steve smiled at his fiancee, a glint of mischief in his eyes.
"I haven't done this before. Where am I supposed to put it?"
"Left hand," the intern reminded him.
"Hers or mine?"
"Hers," she replied with a frustrated sigh. "Third finger, left hand."
He lifted Maria's hand and looked at it. "Is that the third finger from the outside of her hand or from the inside? And if it's from the inside, does the thumb count?"
Darcy growled and leaned around him to tap the appropriate finger. "This one. Right here."
He removed the band from it's box and gently slid it into position. Then, he lifted her hand to his lips and turned it over, placing a tender kiss in the palm of her hand.
She leaned close, resting her forehead against his.
"I love you," he whispered.
"I love you, too."
And that's a wrap. Steve finally has his answer. I hope it was worth the wait, even if it wasn't particularly a surprise. Thank you for taking the time to read. I would absolutely love to know what you thought.
Not sure what's going to be next. Risks is due, I think, but it's giving me a couple of issues to resolve. Complications needs some attention, as there was a pretty long break between the last couple of chapters. Courtship is on one of the more difficult challenges. I kind of know what I want to do, but I'm not entirely sure. This one is actually still running in my mind. This chapter had more to it, but it was turning out to be quite a lot and, the way things have been going, I wasn't sure when I'd be able to get it done, so I decided to break it into a couple of smaller chapters. This seemed like a good spot to break. Hope it doesn't feel too abrupt. And, there's always Alternative. Interesting goings on there, too.
Sorry. Rambling again.
Thanks for reading and please, review. I love reviews. They make me smile.
