It had been 3 weeks of meetings with Angie at church, whispers during the service, and glances that Peggy emphatically declared had to be more than simply amicable. It was as if the natural chain of order was restored and Peggy's change in demeanor was hard to miss.
Being with Angie again made Peggy feel reckless, just as invincible as she had felt before that still unnamed man had changed everything. With Angie Martinelli by her side once again Peggy Carter was a changed woman, a decidedly braver one and so after mass that Sunday she finally turned to Angie, asking a quiet question.
"If you're not busy, would you like to perhaps get coffee or something of the sort?"
"Gee Peg, I'd love to but I just don't think I can today." Her smile faltered at the end, flickering before going out just like a candle in the wind.
"Oh, well, another time then?" It was hard to ask that question because Peggy had learned the hard way that there might not be another time, after all life rushed by and it waited for no one.
Angie watched Peggy's face fall for the briefest moment before laughing freely and grabbing her hand without a care in the world as they stepped out of the holy doors. "I'm just pullin' your leg English, I'd love to have coffee with you."
The automat was surprisingly quiet for a Sunday afternoon, but then again Peggy hadn't been there in ages and things always change. But some things never change, and Angie leading her to the usual booth and sitting her down with that mind numbing grin, well it felt like coming home.
"You wait here and I'll get us the good stuff."
"The good stuff?"
"Coffee made within the week, rhubarb pie, and some schnapps." She looked around after the last part making sure the boss was out before winking quick and wicked.
"Schnapps? Angie its barely past noon." It was reprimanding but adoring all the same, it was such an Angie thing to do, it was something her Angie would have done after all.
The hopeful star crossed her arms and huffed back. "Don't judge English, it's not ladylike."
Peggy shrugged in response, slipping right back into the banter she hadn't even realized she was missing. "Well I don't believe drinking schnapps at noon is either."
"Well good thing I never said I was a lady then huh?"
"You are quite the lady Angie Martinelli." Peggy hadn't meant it to sound quite so suggestive but the blush that blossomed on Angie's cheeks stopped her from even thinking about regretting it. Angie tried hard to recover quickly, fighting the blush away and lightly biting her lip before disappearing into the kitchen.
After various things being dropped and curses muttered under her breath Angie returned with two plates of pie, and mugs, which she set down and filled with steaming coffee. It was only after surveying the room did she pull out a bottle of schnapps, pouring them each a glass.
"So Peg, what is it you do when ya aren't livin' it up with me in church?"
For some reason the question caught her off guard, it was easy to forget Angie had no clue what she truly did, not anymore. "I work at the telephone company."
"That's what you do, with legs like those?" She said it flippantly, restlessly, but causal all the same. Angie had a way of saying something like that, meaning it, and treating it like she was just commenting on the weather.
It took Peggy a minute to get over that line, to get over those moments where history seemed to repeat itself. "Angie, my legs don't exactly get me jobs."
"Well color me shocked." But Angie shook her head like she understood, like she wasn't shocked at all before taking a long sip of her schnapps.
"And what is it you do Angie Martinelli?"
"You've seen me in action English, waitress extraordinaire who always aims to please." Her grin was wide and mischievous but underneath that steady demeanor there was unrest, disappointment.
"Yes and you're quite good at your job." It was a subtle innuendo but the pink tint to Angie's cheeks and sinful grin let Peggy know she had caught it, and it was alarming and satisfying all at once. "But for a woman like you, that can't be all."
Angie put her glass down, laying her hands flat on the table and staring into dark eyes, thinking far too hard. "You know English, you're a real charmer."
"Oh, You don't say?"
"Yeah, you've got a way of making a gal feel special." It came out softly, as if Angie was mulling over how Peggy did it, how Peggy pulled her from the depths of inadequacy that had held her captive for so long.
"Perhaps the gal is special, and I've got nothing to do with it at all." The word gal leaving Peggy Carter's mouth made the commentary all the more endearing and Angie smiled gently before it slowly turned into a frown, preoccupied and disappointed.
"You should tell some of the directors that, they don't see my auditions as all that special."
Peggy could see it clearly, almost the same conversation months ago but the roles suddenly reversed and so she leaned forward, trying to sound just as convincing as Angie had all that time ago. "The way I see it Angie, we've all got to pay our dues."
The hopeful star leaned in too, staring, jaw clenched in a serene sort of confusion. "Huh, couldn't have said it better myself." And it was so strange how the words seemed to be taken right from her mouth, like a script had been written and they were just reading from it.
The questioning gaze wasn't one Peggy could answer so she opted to lean back and finish her pie slowly before allowing herself to catch Angie's numbing gaze once more.
"Besides, stars shine no matter what tries to cover them up. They always shine through eventually."
"You are one smooth operator Peggy Carter." She meant it, there was something about the woman that made her feel invincible, like maybe she was finally enough.
Peggy refused to justify that comment with any sort of reply, instead she just shook her head and together they sat in a strangely comforting silence filled with sips of coffee and a quiet buzz.
"How do you feel about softball English?" Her eyes were bright, and that light could only mean mischief, typical Angie Martinelli.
"The sport?" A foolish thing to ask, but the broken silence caught her off guard, and by then Peggy was used to feeling like a fool around Angie, it was only natural.
And Angie looked at her like she was a fool all right. "Of course the sport, what else?"
She eyed her suspiciously, the way Angie sat upright practically swaying with the electric current running through her, it could only mean trouble. "Well I don't feel much about it at all. Why do you ask?"
The question only made her eyes light up even brighter and they could have rivaled the sun as she stood in a sudden hurry. "Oh you're gonna love this Peg."
"Love what?" She stood too practically knocking over everything on the table as she watched Angie zoom around to clean their spot, her excitement palpable.
"You don't have to work today, do ya?"
"No, not today." The answer was all she needed before she began to practically skip to the back of the diner, and Peggy had to call after her. "Angie where are you going?"
"We English, it's where are we going?" And dear lord she seemed absolutely delighted by the idea, the idea of we, of them, together going anywhere.
"Alright where are we going?"
"A few of my gal pals get together and play softball on Sundays. Big stress reliever and all that. I'm sure you could use it after a week with all those boys at work."
"I'm not exactly dressed for that kind of-"
"Don't worry Peg, I got extra practice clothes in the back." She smiled as if she had the whole world figured out and she held it right in the palm of her hand, just waiting.
"Angie sports aren't quite my thing." It was partially true, running and combat were her specialties, but typical American sports as a whole were somewhat disastrous, much to her frustration.
"With a body like yours, I'm sure you'll be a natural English." Before Peggy could contemplate a comment like that and stumble around like a boob, Angie captured her hand in her own and pulled her out the door without a say.
After a solid half hour of play Angie and the other women convinced Peggy to try a bit of third base. They called it the hot corner and Peggy couldn't imagine why a novice would want to start there but, how hard could catching a ball be compared to catching the bad guys?
Well it couldn't be hard at all was Peggy's assessment. This hypothesis was tested almost immediately when the ball flew right to her hard off the bat. It was practically frozen in time, right in front of her, a mere moment from hitting the glove. But instead of the glove catching the ball, it was Peggy's face that did the job. It hit her hard and she was knocked to the ground quicker than she ever had been by any criminal that was for sure.
The other women covered their mouths in bewildered shock and awe that someone could fail so miserably. Angie however took off running and was by her side in an instant, half of that playful smile in tact.
"Geez English, sports really aren't your thing."
"Yes I believe I did tell you that." Peggy immediately recognized the familiar warmth of blood flowing from a possible broken nose and she covered it with a shaky hand.
Angie looked down at her surveying the damage before shrugging weakly. "Well I thought you were just tryin' to ditch me."
The implication tore Peggy's eyes from the ground and her hand from her bloody nose in an attempt to sit up, ever ready to reassure the young woman kneeling over her. "Angie I would never-"
"Jesus English" Angie watched the blood flowing from Peggy's nose all over the place and she laughed like it was about the funniest show she'd ever been too. Peggy didn't mind the pain all that much, not if it brought about something as staggering as that.
She put her hand, no longer unsteady back over her nose to try and stop the bleeding. She could only let blood ruin so many outfits, and this one wasn't even hers. Despite her protests Angie heaved her up as if she'd been hit in war and pulled her along to the bench, all the while Peggy could only manage to shake her head, trying hard not to laugh.
"Is it broken?" Angie's stood over her looking down nervously, still fairly under control but on the brink of freaking out.
"It's fine Angie, I've had far worse." All Peggy could do was attempt to wave her off, but that questioning glance made her immediately regret her choice of assuring words.
The admission made Angie pause to stare down at the woman she realized she had much more to learn about, and she was practically suspicious as she asked "You sure about that?"
"Absolutely certain." Peggy had to say it without looking up, instead taking a napkin to dab at her nose. She stood once the bleeding stopped using a gentle hand on Angie's arm to hoist herself up. The field was empty by then, the other women had gone home to their families after making sure multiple times that she would live.
"I must redeem myself."
"How do you propose that?" The way Peggy stood so straight and tall and determined swollen nose and all made Angie laugh so hard she could barely get the question out.
"Perhaps my hitting is better than my fielding."
"Gee let's hope so." It was such an inviting sight to see that teasing grin on Angie's face, and it was invigorating to have it be for her.
Peggy took a ball from the bucket and pushed it into Angie's open hand, hard. "Oh sh and go pitch the ball."
"Alright, alright, but don't cry to me if I strike ya out"
Peggy grabbed the bat like it was her gun and she stepped into the batters box as if she was on a mission, and she was, it was a mission no matter how small. Angie stood on the mound watching her, just watching before throwing the ball in. Then she threw it and it seemed like slow motion but it must have happened in a matter of seconds, the crack of the bat, and the ball flying without an indication of coming down any time soon.
Angie had her back to Peggy as she watched the ball leave what seemed like the galaxy before spinning around, eyes wide with disbelief. "What the hell!"
Peggy answered with a simple shrug, leaning on her bat, surveying her work. "Not bad."
"Not bad Peg, you could be in the big leagues with a swing like that."
"Don't be silly Angie." She said it affectionately, wishing they had gotten the time to have more moments like this before everything had changed.
Angie just stared back at her, seemingly in awe. "I'm never silly. It's like I just pitched to Captain America or something."
The name took Peggy by surprise but it no longer strangled her, it didn't eat up all the air around her. To be compared to Captain America, to hear his name still spoken, well it was all she could ever hope for and so she smiled back at the woman helping to keep his memory alive.
"No, just Peggy Carter"
"Well I'd love to hit like just Peggy Carter that's for sure." She said it softly and maybe Peggy wasn't meant to hear it, maybe it wasn't meant to be said aloud but Angie grinned all the same, honest and raw.
That smile, so open and engaging, it made Peggy yearn for her to be close. She had lost two lovers in a sense, and perhaps it was time she made sure she wouldn't lose another. "Lucky for you she's right here, she can show you."
The young waitress hesitated for a moment, only a fraction of a second before jogging in and taking the bat, strong and steady in her hands, ever ready to prove herself worthy.
"Alright well, get in your stance."
"You got it coach." Angie laughed like mad at the notion and Peggy just sighed at the antics, contemplating how she had come to love such a fool. After calming down Angie got into her stance and Peggy pushed her arm down and moved her legs back, tinkering here and there but she just couldn't quite get it right.
Peggy didn't know why she did it, but she could imagine it wasn't her devotion to the sport of softball; it was her devotion to something else, someone else entirely. It was that devotion that pushed her right behind Angie, not even an inch away, her breath beating heavily against Angie's back, one hand searing her shoulder and the other gripping the bat, tight.
They stood like that for a moment, stock still before Angie turned to look back at her, eyes eager and wide and Peggy should have kissed her right then and there but all that she managed was a meek whisper. "Just like that."
"Thanks English." It was incredibly soft and undeniably earnest, Angie Martinelli wanted something more, perhaps she even needed it, it was just a matter of waiting until Peggy Carter could give it to her.
Peggy laughed at that, cold and hard to cool the situation before the fire could eat them both alive. "Don't thank me until we see if it works."
Just like that she pulled herself away and jogged to the mound grabbing another ball without turning back. If she had turned back she never would have been able to leave.
It took a few practice throws for her to pitch a strike but she did and Angie hit it, far, but not quite as far as Peggy had and so she dropped the bat in a mixture of disgust and disappointment much to Peggy's amusement.
"Guess you can't teach strength."
They walked together to retrieve the balls that had been hit, slowly wading through the partially wet grass, and Peggy contemplated the notion. "Perhaps not the physical kind, but someone special can teach you the mental kind."
It was things like that that made Angie really turn and look at the young woman she had stumbled upon and never quite been able to move on from. "You're like a fortune cookie Peg."
"Incredibly wise and delicious?" She didn't even have to think out the reply it just rolled off her tongue whether she liked it or not and it hung in the air just waiting.
Angie laughed, rather awkwardly but she laughed all the same and Peggy wondered when she had become such a bumbling imbecile that would say something like that. "Well I don't know about the last part but wise, yeah."
But she did know about the last part, or she had, she had known before. Despite the time that had been stolen from them, and how much a fool she had been, Peggy laughed too because there were worse things in the world than having a young woman that she adored think she was the authority on wisdom. "How about we see if the fortune cookie can strike you out?"
"You're on." If there was one thing they had in common it was a love of competition and so Angie pushed her off balance before sprinting back, leaving Peggy to quickly play catch up. They certainly didn't mean to but they stayed at the field for hours, just long enough to watch the sunset and feel it coursing through their veins.
Question of the Chapter: Who would you rather have as a coach, Angie or Peggy?
Title: Geronimo
Lyrics:
Can you feel it?
Now it's coming back we can steal it.
If we bridge this gap,
I can see you
Through the curtains of the waterfall.