I'm in This with You Til the End

Chapter 4 – It Can't Be

Author's Note: First of all, YAY FOR ALL #PEGGYSOUS SHIPPERS IN THE FINALE! We finally got our happy ending in the show, and I love happy endings. Let's hope for a season 3….please…

Now on to the story.

…

Daniel watched the entire exchange of how Panther slid his arm around Peggy's waist, seemingly to silently indicate to Daniel, "She's mine now." There were no words to describe the helplessness he felt. He couldn't move, and would stand watching Panther handling his wife. He was disgusted, furious, and despaired, all in one swoop. He fell to his knees, as he had no more strength to stand. The tears would not stop rolling down his face, and he whispered, "Peggy…I'll wait for you…"

Suddenly, a sound of gunfire erupted from behind him.

His mind went blank.

…

Peggy never got a chance to see Daniel fall, or anything else that may have happened. She turned to Panther, "You gave me your word!"

"I only said I would release him, nothing else!"

Peggy couldn't take it any longer. Her husband…he may be dead. He might truly be dead.

All sense of control over her thoughts, emotions…it all flew out the window.

She was about to launch her revitalized attack but had to stop. With urgent plea, she leaned forward and threw up. The mess landed on Panther's clothes, his feet, and even on the guard next to him. Her head was dizzy with the shock and impending grief blossoming from her chest.

"Ugh! Boss, she got it all over my slacks!"

Panther didn't seem to care as much but sprung back, trying to get away from her episode without a word. Peggy couldn't stop herself from convulsing despite trying to train her mind to do so. She lurched and lurched until there was nothing that was coming out. A spark of fury ignited within her as she slowed her gut wrenching reaction.

Her mind suddenly became incredibly clear.

In a split second, she used her nausea as a distraction and punched both Panther and the guard aside, effectively surprising them and knocking them down. The guards attempted to raise their rifles, but they slipped on her retch and their weapons fell to the metal floor. She effectively picked up the rifles and knocked the guards unconscious with the butt of the rifle before aiming the rifle at Panther's head, who effectively froze at her sudden outburst.

"Miss Carter, please…"

"You murderer…" Peggy lowly said, before screaming, "You killed my husband!"

"I didn't know! I left them there to do as they please, but I swear I didn't give the order! I released all the other others and him…that's it!"

Peggy slammed the barrel of the rifle against his chest and lashed a set of severe punches at his face before kicking him in the gut. Panther doubled over in pain and gasped, but that didn't stop her. She aimed the rifle once again until it was pressing against Panther's skull. Never in her life had she thought of taking someone else's life, not even the most dangerous of criminals, but this—this was a line that she could not stay behind—she had to cross. She had to avenge Daniel's death, make all of Panther's gang pay for murdering an already injured Daniel, unarmed, in cold blood…make him pay for destroying hers and Daniel's lives, and make him pay for inflicting such unspeakable pain on her and the world. A world without Daniel Sousa is a world she doesn't know if she can help protect without him by her side.

She was just about to pull to the trigger when a flash came into her mind.

"Peggy."

She saw Daniel walking in the white distance, without his crutch. Her eyes watered.

"Daniel…?"

Daniel nodded and walked up to her, brushing her cheek. "It's okay Peggy. This isn't you. This isn't our job, remember?"

"He destroyed our lives, Daniel! He killed you, and I can't do this anymore…I can't let all my loved ones die around me without justice! I will be justice—"

"Peg, this isn't justice. It's just anger. You remember our jobs…we're here to protect others, and bring those who need justice, justice. You don't need to do this. You'll see why…"

"Why then, Daniel?"

Daniel smiled while he started to fade. "You'll see."

"No, Daniel! Don't leave me! Don't go…!"

Her hallucination lasted only a few seconds, when it was interrupted by a large, sudden bump the vehicle rolled over in their speedy getaway, sending both Peggy and Panther flying across the truck. Their backs slammed against the walls of the truck before they fell to the ground.

Panther used this to his advantage and grabbed the rifle that had fallen out of Peggy's grasp and struggled to stand up, aiming it at Peggy.

"No one does this to me! Not even you, Peggy Carter! You will behave, or I can easily just finish you right now!"

Peggy's eyes narrowed for a quick moment before she laughed humorlessly. She laughed and laughed, so much that Panther started to wonder if she had gone insane for grieving her new possibly widowed status. Finally she stopped.

"Do it."

Panther took a step back. "What?"

"What? You seem so horrid and resilient, but you don't have it in you. You already killed my husband, and even if you didn't, I already betrayed him by going with you. I will never be able to face him again. Do it! Finish it!" Humorless tears streamed down her cheeks; she couldn't pull the trigger, and she could care less if Panther did on her behalf. She didn't care anymore.

This was nothing like the Peggy Carter Panther has heard of…a woman of courage and strength so strong that nothing terrifies her. He has heard of how some of the most dangerous criminal masterminds fall because of her, and now, who is this woman? This was a woman who is fragilely clinging to her sanity as the only thing keeping her alive. This was a woman who seemed to have lost everything, with nothing to lose and nothing to fight for.

So be it.

With the gun firmly set on her head, Panther kneeled down beside her and smirked. "As you have said before, 'have it your way'."

He started to reach for her blouse…

…

(meanwhile)

The three gunshots resounded so loudly it was as if a small explosion happened. Daniel awaited the burning pain of the shots, but nothing came. He was sure that he was dead. The gunshots rang out right behind him, and somehow…he looked himself over, and he wasn't hurt?

Instead, two simultaneous thuds of the guards that were formerly behind him fell limp to the ground, startling him.

"Damnit, missed!"

He whirled around on his position on the ground and glanced up, the two figures peeled off their masks and tossed them aside.

"All right, let's go! We have to catch up!"

Standing in front of him were Jack Thompson and Rose, who had their rifles aimed straight forward. Daniel couldn't believe his eyes from his position.

"Rose? Jack? How are you guys…?"

"You have the worse timing, Sousa," Jack yelled back at him, raising his rifle again to chase after the truck before giving up.

"We gotta go, Chief Thompson!" Rose declared, shooting her rifle once again before missing Panther's truck that just rounded the corner.

Daniel was very confused...how did Rose and Jack find them? How did they know about such specifics of this mission when he didn't remember leaving any details behind?

He wasn't about to complain. He quickly shifted on his knees and scrambled to Jack and Rose, pleading, "We gotta get her back…please, you gotta go after her! Peggy, she—"

"Chief Sousa, Chief Sousa, calm down," Rose gently chided, turning her attention to him. "She's a strong woman, and we're sending reinforcements now."

"On our way!" Jarvis' voice came through on her transmitter in her disguise.

Jarvis too? How…?

"No, you don't understand…they forced her, they're making her—" Daniel couldn't bring himself to say it, and he was shaking in Rose's arms.

Jack got on the floor too. "What? What did they make her do?"

"They used me against her," Daniel reasoned. "Panther didn't want the SSR, he didn't need his vendetta…he only wanted—wanted—"

"Sousa, spit. It. Out." Jack ordered.

Daniel's eyes bore shame as he looked at both of his rescuers. "Her."

Rose gasped, and Jack's eyes widened. "Damn it," He cursed, jumping to his feet. He tugged his disguised combat gear further down his chest to pull out his transmitter. "Where the hell are the reinforcements!" he yelled. "We need sites on a black armory truck, heading in the direction of North Gwen Basin! ASAP!"

"We're fifteen minutes out, sir!" Jarvis' voice sounded.

"Not soon enough! Get, there, ASAP!" Jack roared in his receiver before throwing it to the ground in frustration.

Rose in the meantime helped Daniel to his feet, looping his arm around her shoulder to support him while retrieving his crutch.

"Where's the car?" Daniel asked, steadying himself with the crutch in hand.

"Behind the building," Jack answered, picking up his gear. "Let's go!"

Daniel was already ahead of them, stomping furiously to take in this new bead of hope that had miraculously appeared before him only a few minutes prior. He was emotionally drained, but having Rose and Jack show up had reenergized his new mission: save his wife.

I'm coming, Peggy, he thought. Don't give up now. Our end isn't here yet. I'm coming for you, darling.

…

Author's Note: See, I'm not that mean, right? What will happen to our heroes? Tune in next!