Wow. I literally had a freak attack when I woke up to 83 emails, and I've only gotten more throughout the day. Thank you so much to everyone who has followed, favorited, and reviewed. I can't express my love for you. I just hope it doesn't disappoint.

Chapter 2

As she moved towards the tent and reception, Daisy felt a pair of arms wrap around her. She almost took the arms and flipped her attacker, but realized just in time that it was just her father, and he was actually hugging her. "I almost sent you crashing into the sand," Daisy laughed, turning to hug him properly. They did this so rarely; she was certainly going to take advantage of the opportunity.

Tony cast a sly glance at where the Avengers were mingling. "Natasha would have been proud," he declared, and Daisy sent a smile towards her mentor, but was pulled back by her father's continued speech. "You know I'm proud of you too."

Daisy raised an eyebrow, and studied his eyes. Was he being mind controlled or something? His eyes didn't look like they were under the control of an infinity stone, though. Nope, he just looked happy. "Who thought marriage would make you sentimental." Who thought anything could make Tony Stark sentimental.

"You looking so grown up makes me sentimental. What happened to my baby girl?"

"You never knew me when I was a baby," Daisy reminded, planting a kiss on her dad's cheek. "You got stuck with a snarky Stark teenager."

Tony much to his daughter's surprise, didn't laugh, but instead shook his head. "You were definitely a baby when we met."

Daisy wasn't going to fight him on it. Not only would it get her nowhere, as he never lost a fight, but it was kind of true. She had been so young. After everything that had happened… maybe she had been just a baby. Besides, she was so proud of him. He'd actually married Pepper. He had actually done it. It was a good day.

"Agent Stark?" Daisy turned to see a middle aged man speaking to her as Tony went to greet the other guests. The man had short, graying hair, and a clean three-piece suit on which reminded Daisy of a congressman, but she knew none of those had been invited. She had, after all, been the one saddled with the duty of sending out the invitations. (Thor was, obviously, the most difficult to get in contact with. She had managed it though, after reading far too many Norse legends. Of course, the alien hadn't been able to come, with no bi-frost the journey was difficult, but at least she'd tried. And his human friends, Jane, Darcy, and Eric made it at least.)

"I'm Alexander Pierce," the man's introduction shocked Daisy from her thoughts. She knew who this man was, even if he felt the need to finish the introduction. "I'm the Secretary of the World Security Council."

Daisy nodded, a bit star struck. She often found it off how she could be so completely awed when meeting someone big in S.H.I.E.L.D, and yet so casual around Iron Man and all the Avengers. Daisy Stark's life was undoubtedly odd, though, so really she didn't think all that much about it. "It's an honor to meet you Secretary Pierce. I'm glad you could come."

"I'm glad for that," he answered with a bright smile. "I was worried when I didn't get an invitation. But I figured if Fury was welcome so was I."

Well Fury actually knew the couple getting married, but this man was Daisy's boss on so many levels, so it wasn't like she could tell him he wasn't actually welcome. "I never sent the invitation because I figured you wouldn't have time. Of course you're welcome."

"Rumor is you did a lot of planning. I'm surprised you had time with the work you've been doing with S.H.I.E.L.D. The encryptions on the Nepal case were your work I hear."

Daisy flushed red at the obvious compliment. It really had been a piece of cake to crack those encryptions and reveal the location of a few enhanced drug lords. Just because no one else had been able to do it didn't make it hard, not for Daisy at least. "Hey, if it's not in Russian I can hack it."

"Well we're grateful for it," Pierce replied, shocking Daisy with his sincerity. He seemed to legitimately appreciate the work she did for S.H.I.E.L.D, which was more than she could say for anyone else. Most people were convinced she only worked for them because of the Stark name, and those who knew her skills didn't seem to care enough to give her real assignments. Apparently getting a B+ in an Operations class run by Natasha Romanoff wasn't enough to secure Daisy a field assignment. Nope, she was just another Coms operative typing away on her computer all day, bored out of her mind, but unable to bring herself to quit because, well, there really weren't any more interesting options. Her father had let her into the Iron Man suit once for her eighteen birthday, and didn't seem to have any plans on repeating the event. She wasn't super and so Daisy Stark was stuck behind a computer. Everyone claimed her work made a difference, and on a good day, on a really good day, Daisy could even believe them.

"You know, though, I feel like you're talent is being underutilized on Fury's helicarrier." Daisy perked up at the words. Secretary Pierce thought she was being underutilized? Hell yes she was being underutilized! "How would you feel about me putting in a request for your transfer to the Triskelion?"

Daisy stared at him, trying to find the deception in his words. Surely he was just kidding. The Triskelion was the hub of S.H.I.E.L.D (despite there being another base literally named the Hub). Every important mission was dealt with by the Triskelion agents, and the computer lab was said to put Stark Industries to shame. Only the best of the best were stationed there, and Secretary Pierce himself wanted to add Daisy to that list? "I… I would be honored! Thank you so much!"

"Anything for a lovely, bright young lady like yourself," he smiled before nodding and leaving Daisy stewing. She was being transferred to the Triskelion! Finally her work might seem to have meaning. There had to be something good, something important to what S.H.I.E.L.D did. Phil Coulson would not have gone to his death for an unimportant agency. At the Triskelion Daisy would finally get the chance to see the wonderful organization Coulson felt was worth dying for. Daisy was sure of it.

As if she hadn't already been floating on a cloud from the wedding, Daisy drifted into the reception overjoyed. Finally! Finally she would get to see the meaning behind her work! Everything was finally falling into place.

"You look well."

Daisy spun to see one Captain America appraising her with his eyes. He looked nice out of his uniform. His suit-jacket hung over his arm, too heavy for the warm fall night, and his red tie had been loosed just enough for him to look comfortable. He looked like he belonged there, instead of back in Nazi Germany, where he probably still felt most at home.

Daisy hadn't seen him in the months since New York, but looking upon him now she remembered why. Steve was stationed at the Triskelion. She was being transferred to the Triskelion. Suddenly the best news of her career was suddenly better. "You look nice as well," Daisy chuckled back, before realizing that she was holding an arm out, and vaguely motioning to his chest as if saying he looked nice because he was chiseled. (Well it was true, but certainly not what she'd been going for. Woops.)

Steve didn't seem to mind all that much, though. He just laughed, and the room lit up. Daisy suddenly decided he had a wonderful laugh, one of the greatest she'd ever heard. "Would you care to join me for a dance?"

Daisy looked around, and noticed that no one else was really dancing. She wasn't surprised; none of those here were really the dancing type. But Steve was a man of the forties, where the only type of night out was one that involved dancing. Of course he'd want to dance, and Daisy couldn't help but smile because he wanted to dance with her. "We had a dancing class at the Academy you know, but I bet you've had a lot of practice."

"I never went dancing much," Steve admitted, sounding sad even as he led Daisy onto the dance floor. She felt his hand clench the small of her back, and found herself staring up into his deep blue eyes. They seemed to go on farther than the hole to space had, and they certainly held more stars.

"Don't tell me all those stories about swing dancing soldiers were a lie," Daisy teased, her breath making it hard to get the words out. She was dancing with Captain America; of course she was nervous! You're not dancing with Captain America, Daisy, a part of her whispered. You're dancing with Steve Rodgers.

"Not a lie," Steve promised, swinging her out to prove his point. Daisy let out a laugh as she awkwardly rolled back in towards him, and their eyes met once more. "Bucky… he always went dancing, but I… I was waiting for the right partner."

Daisy had to lean her head back to really look at him. He looked so sad, and, despite not being sure she wanted to know the answer, she asked, "Did you ever find her?"

"Yes," he admitted, his eyes seventy years away. "But then it turned out that the timing wasn't right, and I had to start looking all over again."

Daisy knew that would be the answer. She was, after all, a Captain America nut. You couldn't read all the stories and not know about Peggy Carter, and yet she'd asked, because she couldn't help herself. "I'm sorry."

Steve swung her out a little bit, making it easier for them to lock onto each other, feeding off the pain in the other's eyes. "I'm not. I was, at first, but… I have to believe everything happens for a reason. Maybe I had to lose Peggy to meet someone else. Someone who I'd be a bit too old for otherwise."

They weren't dancing anymore. Daisy just stood there in Steve's arms, lost in him. "Secretary Pierce just offered me a job at the Triskelion," she blurted out, unsure what else to say. He had to know. With the way he was speaking Steve had to know that they'd soon both be in D.C. She had to let him know.

Steve seemed to like that, "Maybe when you get to D.C. I can show you around, and maybe go dancing again. I think I like you as a partner." Daisy didn't think; at his words she stood on her tip toes and kissed him. It was short and sweet, but the pain in Steve's eyes were replaced with light by the end. "You know back in my day that would make you my girl."

Daisy giggled at the dated term, "I don't think I'd mind the forties all that much if that could be the case. But I think the modern term you're looking for is girlfriend."

"Daisy Stark, my girlfriend," Steve chuckled, brushing a hair out of her face before starting to dance again. "I could get used to that."

"Yeah, I think I could too."