Set a few days later after the end of S1

Although Peggy insisted she was fine and didn't need any rest, Dooley remained adamant and ordered her to take a two weeks holiday. Peggy suspected it was him who actually was in need of a holiday after all that has happened, but she kept that thought for herself and agreed.

"This means I don't want to see you here until the 26th" He concluded.

"Yes sir"

"Get some rest, I want my best agent back on full force so we can go on doing our job again"

"I will" Peggy hesitated for a moment and then added "Sir…I would like to address something"

"Why? Has someone bothered you?"

"No no, not at all. I would like to address the extraordinary work of Agent Sousa"

"Sousa?" Dooley said perplexed.

"Well, if it hadn't been for his skills, I would have accomplished my initial mission. He gave as good as he got back"

Dooley looked back at her and nodded.

"Yeah, well despite of his…"

"He works with his brain, not his leg, sir" She said standing up, sounding slightly irritated.

"I'll see you in two weeks then, have a good day sir"

Peggy walked out of the office closing the door while she would have gladly slammed it. Agent Sousa was sitting at his desk, looking distractedly at a report he was supposed to read. Peggy stopped in front of him and smiled faintly.

"Daniel, I'm going to be on holiday for a while, I'll be back in two weeks"

"Oh!" He said surprised "What are you going to do?"

"First of all, I'm moving away from Griffiths House" She said with a smirk "I'm no longer welcome there"

Daniel shook his head. "Have you found a place already?"

"Yes, a friend of Angie's found me a two room's apartment in Brooklyn. And then I'm thinking of going away. There's a little b&b in Atlantic Beach where I've been before…" For a moment a lost memory carried her away "Anyway I'm thinking of going to the seaside. Read some books, walks on the beach, good food…these so called relaxing things!"

"Sounds like a good idea" He said cheerfully. A few seconds after his face became the expression of pain.

"What is it Daniel?" She asked worried.

"My leg...the fake one" Ha managed to be ironic. "I need to go shopping for a new one!"

Peggy couldn't help laughing.

"Well, if you want to test the new leg, why don't you come next Saturday to Atlantic Beach and we'll see how it goes? Most likely I will be staying at the Rose House"

Daniel swallowed. Was it an invitation he was hearing? He didn't dare ask.

"Thank…you ehm" He stammered. "If I find a new leg and it doesn't bother me, I'll be happy to test-drive it with you!" His eyes opened up wide. This wasn't what he meant to say.

"Excellent!"

One week later.

Daniel placed his bag on the shelf above his seat and sat down with the newspaper. He had telegrammed Peggy the day before, telling her he was coming for the day. He hadn't received back an answer, but he wanted to try his luck and see what could happen. At last, he would spend a day on the seaside, something he hadn't done since he was a child. Well, there was that time, 3 years ago, when he had landed with the Allied troops on the beaches of Normandy. The word Normandy reminded him of sand, blood and dead bodies.

The taxi left Daniel at the Rose House. He stepped out of it and looked at the pink wooden two-storey house in front of him. He took a deep breath and walked up the stairs of the porch. He rang the bell and an older man opened the door.

"Good morning, you must be Mr. Sousa, right?"

Daniel was astounded.

"I'm the owner, my name is Gregory Sully. Miss Carter told us you were coming to visit. She is out for a walk, but should be back soon" He smiled at him.

"Would like a cup of coffee and something to eat? My wife has just baked some cookies. You may like to wait for Miss Carter on the porch facing the sea"

It was a lot of information coming his way. Daniel thought he must look like an idiot to Mr. Sully, standing there with his mouth half open and without saying a word. It must be the effect of Peggy, he admitted. And he hadn't met her yet.

He pulled himself back together.

"Mr. Sully, that's very kind of you. I didn't have breakfast this morning, so I'm actually a bit hungry"

Mrs. Sully brought him a brew of coffee, a plate of cookies and a plate of sandwiches, and watched him eat as if he hadn't had food for days.

He was sitting on wicker chair on the other side of the house, listening to the gentle breeze of the wind caressing his face. He had almost forgotten this kind of sensation. He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them, he saw Peggy smiling at him. She was sitting in front of him, looking stunning in a yellow dress and a slight tan on her face and arms.

"Daniel, I'm very happy to see you here!"

He relaxed.

"Me too! Now that I'm sitting here, I believe I needed a day outside the city"

"And I see you've been already stuffed by Mrs. Sully!" She giggled.

"I think I ate too much!" He admitted.

"Would you like to go for a stroll then?"

"There is a promenade near the beach. I thought the sand might not be good for your leg" She said apologetically "I'm sorry, I don't want to sound…"

"You thought rightly Peggy, thank you! As much as I'd like to walk on the beach, it's unbalanced and it would hurt me"

Peggy took a deep breath. She suspected he would have walked on the beach with her, rather than address his preference. He was that kind of man in the end.

They went out and walked north of the house. Peggy asked Daniel if had changed the prosthetic leg and how it was feeling. Daniel said it was lighter and better, but still he needed to get used to it.

"Peggy, now that we are here, there is something I need…I'd like to tell you" He said sitting down on a bench.

Peggy nodded, gesturing him to go on.

"I've been feeling a little awkward with you since the charges have been dropped"

"Why?" She exclaimed a bit too loud.

"Deep down, I knew you weren't guilty and that there was something more to it. But I worked on that case having many sleepless nights. The facts were there, I was just following them. I kept wishing there was something in my investigations that would prove me wrong. But I didn't find them!" He said in a passionate tone.

"Daniel!" She place a hand on his arm.

"Daniel, if you think I hold any sort of grudge against you, you couldn't be more wrong! You have only my deepest admiration. You were the only one who managed to get to me"

Daniel sighed.

"You were really something!" She said blushing a little.

"So we're…we're good"

"Of course, Agent Sousa. You and me both proved the SSR that our characteristic don't make us any less than the other agents"

"It's a small step forward, but it's one" Daniel agreed.

They spent the rest of the day walking around, eating fresh fish in a tiny restaurant on the docks, and talking.

It was late afternoon when they got back at the B&B. Peggy hesitated a moment but then asked.

"What time is your train?"

"To be honest, I should call the station and check!"

"What if you don't call the station?"

Daniel raised an eyebrow.

"When I got your telegram I asked Mr. Sully if they had a free bedroom for the night" She said rapidly.

Daniel opened and closed his mouth. She had asked this before he had even arrived there.

"When I was packing the bag, I said to myself that I must be out of my mind!"

"So you are staying?" She said grinning.

"I'll stay" He answered.

"Mrs. Sully, as you have seen, is an excellent cook"

"Sounds great! There is still something I want to talk to you about!"

Peggy had a questioning look.

"It's about Captain America" He said.

Peggy froze. Hearing his name was still painful. She had accepted that he was gone forever, but she still was having a hard time accepting the way things had happened.

"It's a long story. But I'll tell you this for now. Captain America saved my life, he actually changed my life!"

Peggy had to lean on a pillar of the porch. She felt like the ground had disappeared under her feet.