I am so sorry I haven't updated in so long, guys!

I'm really out of practice so there's probably loads of mistakes in this thing, so feel free to point them out in a nice, constructive way! :)

Also, if any of ye are getting excited about the Agent Carter character mentioned near the end of this chapter, she will be making an appearance!

So yay!

Sorry again for keeping ye waiting (if there's anyone left following this story anyway!) school has been mad, and I know that's a stupid excuse so I'm sorry!

I hope this makes up for it!

Chapter 15

My first impression of Sunshine Rays was that it was clean, bright and happy. I saw nurses joking and laughing with older residents, and there was none of the strained tension and false smiles that intertwined with the majority of nursing homes. It seemed to be pretty well named. But I knew as well as anyone that looks can be manufactured and first impressions have a notorious habit for being wrong.

As I entered a young nurse was wheeling an elderly gentleman in a wheelchair in my direction. The young woman's eyes widened once she saw me and let out a small gasp. Obviously the visitors that came here dressed a bit better than I did. The elderly man, however, gave me a toothless grin and a wink, and it was easy to return his smile. At least I was making someone happy.

I walked up to the receptionist at the desk. She looked up, a friendly smile on her face, and froze. I glanced up at the mirror behind her and suppressed another smile. I really did look a mess. My face was shining with a mixture of sweat and rain, and my clothes were completely soaked through and clinging to me. Since I had tied my hoodie around my waist while running, the long scar on my arm and the bandages on my hands as I rested my arms on the desk were obvious.

"Excuse me," I said politely to the receptionist who was staring at me in masked horror. She seemed a bit older than the wheelchair nurse and so found it a small bit easier to conceal her horror at my appearance. "I'm here to see someone, and I was hoping you could help me out. Claire, is it?" I asked, nodding at her nametag.

The sound of her name seemed to snap her out of her trance, and she nodded. "Yes," she answered, her friendly smile becoming genuine, "Of course. Who may I ask, are you looking for?"

I opened my belt bag and found a picture of Peggy in there (I made a mental note to thank Jarvis later) and said "Margaret Hawkins."

Claire beamed at me. "Oh yes!" she gushed. "Ms. Hawkins! Oh, I'll take you to her myself. Please just give me a moment."

"Take your time," I assured her, and she bustled out of a door behind her that said 'STAFF ONLY.' I slipped the picture back into my bag. After fifteen years, I was going to see Peggy again. A wave of happiness crashed over me, suddenly mixed with nerves. What if she couldn't remember me? What if she didn't want to see me? What if she was really sick and wouldn't even know if I was there or not?

I pulled myself out of my thoughts long enough to hear the voices drifting out of the open door.

"Oh please Ronnie you'd be doing me a massive favour!"

"Oh for God's sake Claire, I am not covering your shift again!"

"But Ronnie, there's a visitor here that's come to see Peggy Hawkins. Ms.Hawkins Ronnie!"

" Don't be stupid, Claire, no one's come to visit Ms. Hawkins in all the time she's been with us. I should know, since I was here since she first came covering your shift again, I'd like to add."

"But she has a picture of here and everything! Ronnie I swear I'm not having you on. Look, ask her yourself if you like. She's out at the desk now. Come on."

There was the sound of a scraping chair and I quickly turned my attention to a leaflet at the desk to make it look like I hadn't just eavesdropped their entire conversation. Upon inspection, the leaflet was on breast cancer, so I dropped it quickly as the two women came out.

"Hi," said the other woman, who I assumed was Ronnie. She was eying me cautiously.

"Hi," I gave a small smile which she grudgingly returned with a nudge from Claire.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Chrissie. Christina Carter." I held out a hand for her to shake and she shook it.

"And how do you know Ms. Hawkins, Christina?"

"Well, we were neighbours, when I was a kid," that part was true, "but then my parents died," also true, "so I was adopted in Vancouver," still true, "and I've been looking for her for a while now."

"Oh." Whatever Ronnie was expecting, that wasn't it. "I'm sorry about your parents." Ignoring the sudden lump in my throat, I waved my hand nonchalantly and swallowed hard.

"Well I suppose we'd better not keep Ms. Hawkins waiting," Claire interjected cheerily, "come along Ms. Carter, and I'll take you to her."

I gave Ronnie a wave as I followed Claire up a flight of stairs. "You don't mind the exercise, do you?" she asked with a sly wink. I laughed. "Not at all."

We came to a long corridor with two doors on either side. The rooms inside must have been big, I observed, as we past the first doors on the right and the left before coming to a stop outside the second (and last) door on the left. Claire knocked cheerfully and I heard a familiar voice croak "Come in," without much enthusiasm.

Claire beamed at me before opening the door. I had been right, the room was very big. A big four poster bed was in the centre right of the room, and there were wardrobes and shelves lining most of the walls. Straight in front of me there was a massive bay window with a beautiful view of the Brooklyn Bridge, and two chairs facing it. One of the chairs was occupied by a woman in a crisp pants suit and jacket, pure white hair and an IV drip connected to her wrist. I started breathing through my noise, mentally preparing myself for when she turned around, and wouldn't know who I was.

"Good afternoon Ms. Hawkins," Claire said chirpily. "How are you feeling today?"

"Better than yesterday, Claire darling," the woman replied, turning her head slowly so that she could see Claire but not me. "Better than yesterday."

"Well, I'm delighted to hear it, ," Claire said, giving her a beaming smile. Idly, to distract myself, I wondered whether Claire's cheeks were numb at this stage, as she hadn't stopped smiling since I met her first.

" , I have some news for you," Claire ventured.

"Oh Claire darling, don't keep me in suspense, please. Is it Angie? She said she was feeling poorly yesterday."

"No, no, Ms. Martinelli is feeling a lot better this morning, ," Claire quickly reassured her. "I actually have a visitor for you."

Peggy chuckled. "Oh Claire, you are funny! You nearly had me there!"

"Christina, would you like to speak to Ms. Hawkins now?"

I stepped forward as Peggy tried to crane her neck back to see me, so I quickened my pace.

"Who is this, Claire?" She looked from Claire to me, back to Claire, then did a double take and looked at me again, hard. "What did you say your name was?"

"I'm Chrissie, ma'am," I replied, my voice shaking slightly. "Chrissie Carter."

She fell back in her seat. "My God." She put a hand over her mouth. "Chrissie?"

I felt the backs of my eyes starting to burn, as I tried to hold the tears of relief back. "Hi Peg."

She was crying too, so I figured it was okay to let the tears go. She beckoned me to her so I knelt next to her chair. She took my face in her soft, wrinkled hands. "It really is you, isn't it?"

I nodded as fresh tears started falling.

"I never thought I'd see you again. Oh my darling girl," she whispered as she pulled me closer to her. Even though she looked frail, she had every bit of strength she did fifteen years ago. She hugged me to her and I hugged her back as gently as I could in my relief and happiness that she was really here, that I had found her again.

I had got Peggy back.

Enjoy this ending nice and happily, cuz y'all are going to HATE me for the next few chapters!