I Want To Be Loved

Rating: T

Summary: Jason takes the blow for Peggy to stop Whitney Frost at the cost of his own life.

Warning: Major character death

Peggy stepped between Daniel Sousa and Whitney Frost, her gun in hand, pointed at her target despite the lack of good it would do considering her opponent would simply absorb the bullet. Whitney just smiled as Peggy looked into her cold dark eyes. There was no question she was completely under the insane influence of the zero matter. She had to be killed, it was the only way to stop her at this point. Samberly was currently working on the gamma ray gun in hopes of eradicating her once and for all while Thompson went off to search the perimeter to find Vernon.

"Step aside Agent Carter, unless you'd rather I kill you first," Whitney toyed as she stepped forwards her hand raised toward Peggy's neck.

"Whitney Frost, you're under the influence of zero matter. I don't want to have to kill you, but I will."

"Oh, Agent Carter. You already made up your mind about killing me a long time ago. Unfortunately for you your measly scientist wont be able to finish constructing a new battery for the gamma ray in time to save you, and those you love," Whitney finished, looking in Chief Sousa's direction with a sugar sweet smile.

"Stay away from him," Peggy countered if Samberly worked fast enough he might be able to finish the gamma ray to save one of them, despite Whitney's confidence, and Peggy was determined to make it Daniel rather then herself.

"Peggy don't do this!" Sousa begged from behind her, able to see her sacrifice, but unable to stop it.

In answer Peggy pushed the safety back and aimed the gun at Whitney's forehead.

"Do you honestly think that gun will stop me Agent Carter. You've already seen it fail," Whitney laughed, stepping forward.

"That doesn't mean I can't try it again. Perhaps the second times the charm," Peggy replied with a coy smile of her own.

"Usually it's the third try."

Bang!

Whitney was thrown back by the force of the gun shot to the head, but quickly recovered and whipped around, her hand clutching Peggy's throat as the zero matter instantly flowed from her hand into Peggy, but unlike the time before in the Roxxon plant, Peggy didn't fight her back.

The pain was immense, worse then the first time if possible. Peggy could feel herself choking, suffocating on the zero matter as it pulsed through her veins, scorching through her body with the pain of burning needles. She tried not to scream, it wasn't the last sound she wanted Daniel to hear from her, but even her iron will couldn't combat the pain as she screeched against the zero matter, clutching at Whitney Frost while her legs failed her.

Then suddenly it was gone. Peggy collapsed to the ground, moaning in pain, doing everything in her power to keep from blacking out as spots and stars clouded her vision. She had to focus. She knew she had to focus. Whitney was probably killing Daniel in this very moment while she was doing nothing about it. Slowly, Peggy fought against her body to turn over onto her stomach and look over to where she saw not Whitney and Daniel, but Whitney and Jason, both shaking as their zero matter fought for the control of the other. Their eyes were black, a testament to how infused their body's were with the lifeless matter.

"I've got it!" Samberly cried out as he quickly turned the gamma ray gun in Jason and Whitney's direction, aiming to shoot.

"NO!" Peggy cried out as she held her hand up, trying to stand, but it was too late.

The beam of light was intensely bright as Peggy could feel the heat it radiated burn her skin. "JASON!"

It seemed like an eternity before the beam finished it's work, despite it only being a matter of seconds. Both Whitney Frost and Jason Wilkes were lying there on the ground. Whitney had obviously taken the brunt of it as her lifeless eyes stared up at the sky, but Jason moaned softly beside her, struggling to keep his eyes open.

"Jason!" Peggy yelled as she drug herself over to him as fast as she could, taking his finally warm hands between her's. "Jason look at me. We need to get him to a hospital! Someone grab the car!"

"No..Peggy, it's too late," Jason whimpered as he coughed up blood.

"No, it's not to late. It can't be too late." Peggy countered as she ripped off a part of her blouse to clean up the blood from his face. "We can still fix this!" She exclaimed as she started to get up to bark orders, but a weak hand kept her down.

"Peggy, no. I've caused you enough trouble. Just let me go," Jason pleaded as he held onto her hand.

Peggy watched him as tears started to cloud her vision, blinking then away as fast as she could in hopes her vision would stay clear so she could see him one last time. "But I want to fix you...Jason let me keep fighting for you."

"Peggy...you've been fighting for me this whole time, but now it's time to stop. At least...at least we got that dance. If only we'd gotten dinner. What I wouldn't give..for lasagna right now. I'm starved."

Peggy couldn't help but scoff a choked laugh between her sobs as she leaned down and rested her head on his chest for a second before looking back up at him. "You're ridiculous."

He answered her with his classic "incandescent" smile before coughing again, this time a considerably larger amount of blood then before, which Peggy cleaned up as best she could, before gently stroking his cheek, leaning over to kiss him gently one more time. A kiss he returned weakly before she pulled away, before slowly starting to sing. Her voice was beautiful despite what she thought, croaking gently with sobs as she cooed out the lyrics to his favorite song.

"I wanna be loved...with inspiration. I wanna be loved starting tonight," she watched as he smiled gently while his tired eyes shut, listening as she lulled him into sleep.

"Instead of merely holding conversation, hold me tight," Peggy continued as her fingers gently traced over his face, memorizing it while she still could as she watched his breathing shallow out to nothing within a matter of moments, but she didn't stop singing.

"I wanna be kissed...until I tingle. I wanna be kissed, starting tonight. Embrace me 'till our hearts intermingle, wrong or right..."

And with those lyrics Peggy could feel arms wrap around her as she became overcome with sobs, turning into Jarvis's pressed suit, clutching his lapel without letting go of Jason's hands. Oh, how she'd wanted to love him.