Chapter Sixteen

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Fury was in the middle of a terse verbal duel with Tony Stark when the conference room fell absolutely and completely silent. Even Tony stopped talking, eyes widening and shifting sideways to look at something past Fury's shoulder.

Curious at the sudden hush, Fury turned around to see Peggy Carter and Captain America standing in the doorway, wearing identical stern expressions. For a moment he briefly wondered which one had learned it from the other - and then stunned realization kicked in.

Tony finally broke the silence by dropping his head to the table with a dull thunk. "Dude, not the best timing. How can I convince him she's dead when she waltzes in? I'm good, but not that good."

Natasha smiled a broad, dangerous smile, and Clint tipped his chair back on two legs, ready to enjoy the show. Thor, on the other hand, remained angry. Low thunder rippled outside as he strode across the room to Peggy's side before facing the SHIELD director.

"Depend upon it, we will defend our shield sister to the death," he rumbled, and then his lips twitched slightly despite himself at the blank look of total shock on Fury's face. The formidable man looked like he had seen a ghost and was severely reevaluating his priorities.

Peggy didn't say a word. She merely folded her arms across her chest and stared the man down. Steve, shoulder firm behind hers, was a strong presence at her back, and suddenly she was reminded of how badly she had missed his support and confidence in her.

Finally recovering to some extent, Fury opened his mouth. She chose that moment to cut him off neatly.

"I understand you want to take me away and cut me up for study."

Clint snickered. Natasha elbowed him hard, but the archer skillfully kept his balance. Fury, to his credit, regrouped swiftly. "Miss Carter..."

"Agent," snapped Steve instantly, and Peggy almost cast a surprised glance up at him. He had always been respectful of her title and position, but she hadn't really had anyone stand up for her in a long time, wasn't used to it anymore.

Fury cleared his throat a little awkwardly. It was one thing to come demanding a body. It was another thing altogether to come and have to explain the situation to the body in question.

"Agent Carter," he corrected himself carefully. "We need to study the serum Stark injected into you before your last plane flight."

Peggy stared him down, unblinking. "Howard never injected any serum into me. He had nothing to work from - I destroyed the last remaining sample of Steve's blood."

"Pardon me, agent," Fury was recovering his stride, "But our scans clearly indicate injection sites in your left forearm and shoulder."

"Frankly, that's none of your business, not to mention incredibly invasive," Peggy retorted promptly. "The injection was designed solely to help us resist the cold. Corporal Dugan and I each had one, but he gave me his as well." Her voice threatened to catch at the memory of her friend giving his life for hers, but she held herself well in check.

Fury looked unconvinced. "You attribute your survival to that?"

Peggy's voice dropped ten degrees. "I attribute my survival to the Stark Tube, the double injection, and the scientific and medical genius of Tony Stark and Doctor Banner, not to mention the trust and faith of Captain Rogers."

Tony jerked in surprise at his name being brought into the conversation, and Fury blinked for a moment, caught off guard by her vehement defense. "Regardless, we need you to come in..."

"I will not."

The room froze. Even the irrepressible Clint was silent. Nobody refused anything to Fury. Sooner or later, the man always got his way. Peggy felt Steve behind her, and was inexpressibly gratified at his trust. It had been a very long time since anybody believed in her enough to stand back and let her fly.

Fury's tone was low, subtly threatening. "As an Agent of SHIELD..."

Peggy bit in crisply, voice ringing. "As an Agent of SHIELD, I outrank you. I am your senior officer by at least twenty years, and a founding member of the organization you so spectacularly failed to protect. You do not get to order me to heel like an obedient dog."

For a towering moment, the room was silent. Nobody breathed, stunned at her audacity. Tony's jaw had dropped theatrically, and he was staring at her with huge eyes. Then Peggy lowered her voice, though the core of steel was still very much present.

"Now, this nonsense has gone quite far enough. You and your agents outside will stand down immediately. Those of my personal medical records you require will be forwarded as per my approval. Understood?" She leveled her gaze with Fury's. "I believe that will be all, Director."

Clint gave some kind of gleeful chortle, cut off as quickly as it began. Nobody looked at him - every eye was fixed on Fury, whose expression was beginning to match his name. He took two steps forward, and Tony later swore he'd seen steam come from the man's ears.

"Now just a minute, Agent. You can't just step in and dismiss me like that."

"Can't I?" Peggy interrupted, standing tall and strong and confident. "Try me."

Fury paused for a moment and for the first time actually looked at the people in front of him. Peggy, radiant like an avenging angel, stood firm, not backing down an inch. Steve was close behind Peggy, just to her side with his jaw set like a rock, star-spangled shield in hand. Thor stood beside the couple with Mjolnir at his belt, eyes steadily fixed on Fury's face, and Clint and Natasha rose to flank the group, stances deceptively casual. Only Tony hadn't moved - he was too busy staring at Peggy Carter with his mouth open, oblivious to everyone else.

In that moment, Fury finally understood. He could argue the finer points of seniority and rank all he liked. The fact remained that the Avengers had claimed her as one of their own, and if he pressed the issue, he would lose all of them. Helplessly, he glared at them all with his one eye, and then brushed past and through the door, swearing bitterly as he accepted his defeat.

For a long moment, nobody spoke. Peggy swayed just slightly, and immediately felt Steve's hand under her elbow. "You okay?" he asked in an undertone, and she nodded. The standoff with Fury had been as draining as it had been empowering, but she didn't want to leave just yet.

Then the door cracked open and Bruce cautiously stuck his head in.

"So... I'm assuming we won? Fury's goons are all taking off in their cars."

Everyone relaxed then, and Peggy took the opportunity to get her first good look at Steve's new teammates. He had sketched them for her, but it was different to actually see them in person. Natasha and Clint were filling Bruce in on the confrontation, watching her out of the corners of their eyes. Thor stood nearby, and when he saw her looking at him, he smiled brilliantly.

Tony still sat in his place at the table, looking like he'd been hit over the head with Thor's hammer.

"Oh boy," he finally managed slowly. "Straight out of my bedtime stories." Popping suddenly to his feet, he bounded over to Peggy and shook her hand vigorously. "Lady, I owe you, like, a million dollars. I always wanted to see someone shut Fury up. Now I know why my old man liked you so much."

Peggy returned the handshake, a little overwhelmed, though she'd never dream of showing it. It was incredibly strange for her to be shaking hands with the son of her friend - and he was so much older than Howard had been when she'd last seen him. "I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Stark," she replied. "I've heard so much about you."

"Believe me, you haven't heard the half of it." Clint Barton smoothly outmaneuvered Tony for her hand, giving a quick, firm handclasp that said more about him than his brief introduction. "Clint Barton, archer and quasi-SHIELD agent. Glad to see you woke up all right."

Tony, irritated at being cut out, promptly stole the limelight. "Hey, guys, breakfast! I can hear Bruce's stomach from here!"

Bruce blushed heavily and vanished behind the door.

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Breakfast was a late and very lighthearted affair. Although Steve and Peggy had already eaten, Tony insisted loudly that the majority ruled, and they would just have to eat another breakfast along with everybody else. Peggy wasn't particularly hungry, but remembering Steve's metabolism, was easily persuaded to join. After all, somebody had to make sure he ate enough.

Steve ended up making pancakes, grinning shyly when Peggy took her first bite and recognized it as her own recipe, which he had seen her make once during the war. They had been a rare treat in those days; rationing meant the ingredients had been almost impossible to come by.

Natasha took the social gathering as an opportunity to introduce herself. Picking up her plate, she scooted over to sit by Peggy at the breakfast bar.

"I grew up hearing stories about you," she began conversationally.

Peggy had been watching the Russian all throughout the meal. There was something disquietingly familiar about the way she moved that had set off alarm bells in her head. "Really? Good stories or bad ones?"

"Depends on your point of view," Natasha admitted, slicing a pancake neatly into eighths. "I'm Natasha Romanoff, SHIELD agent and former Red Room trainee." At Peggy's blank look, she continued. "Remember a Russian facility that you stormed in the late 1940's?"

Recognition and alarm leaped into Peggy's eyes then, and Natasha nodded pleasantly, stabbing a piece of her pancake with relish. "You were the subject of all the stories the headmistress ever told - the one woman who could walk into the Red Room and out again, the Baba Yaga who would come snatch us away if we failed."

Interested, cautious, Peggy scanned the younger woman's expression. "Should I be flattered?"

Natasha carefully gathered up her dishes. "Like I said, depends on your point of view. They were told to frighten us - but I always liked those stories." She winked, lips curling into a sideways, warming smile, and then she turned lightly on her heel and sauntered off to steal Bruce's glass of milk.

Peggy blinked after the assassin and turned to Steve, who had been flipping pancakes industriously on the other side of the breakfast bar. "Do you trust her?"

He smiled boyishly at her and tossed another pancake onto her plate. "Implicitly. She's saved my life too many times not to."

Thor introduced himself as well, enveloping her hand in his huge fingers. Peggy quirked an eyebrow in incredulous surprise as he bent to kiss her hand, and scanned his face closely as he straightened.

She had been furious earlier when Steve told her, ready to give the alien a piece of her mind. "Does he know how many good men died because of that cube? Men who can never be counted because their dog tags were destroyed with those hellish weapons? Rollins and Whaley and Saunders and - you, Steve." Her voice had suddenly cracked, and she had swallowed hard, unwilling to show weakness. "You went down because of that cube, and he needs to face the consequences."

Steve had disagreed, his earnestness written plainly across his face. "Look, I was angry too at first, but he wasn't the one who left it here, and he tried to help fix things. Besides, it's hurt him too. He's been through a lot of trouble lately, and he's been a good friend to me."

She hadn't entirely been sure then, but now, looking up at the alien prince's infectious smile, Peggy found herself being won over. Steve had spoken highly of him, and she could see why. Thor's adamant defence of her to Fury had been a welcome surprise, and she was deeply grateful to him for his friendship with Steve. The idea that he was an alien was still incredibly strange, though.

After Thor had returned to his breakfast, she leaned her chin on her fists, still watching him. "Not quite the vengeful being Schmidt used to rave about, is he?" asked Steve quietly, pouring more pancake batter onto the griddle.

Peggy shook her head. "He's certainly not what I expected," she answered, watching as Thor emptied most of the bottle of syrup onto his pancakes. The alien beamed sunnily, shoving back his brilliant hair and reaching for a fork with an anticipatory light in his eyes.

"So what do you think of all this?" Steve gestured with the pancake turner. "You know, aliens and robots and the future and everything."

Peggy considered a moment and then, eyes dancing, leaned further over the bar. "To be quite honest, I feel like I've been dropped straight into one of Barnes' old Amazing Stories magazines."

Everyone in the room looked up with surprise as Steve dropped his spatula and doubled over the counter, laughing so hard his nose almost touched the griddle.

"Okay, wait - what? Who are you, and what have you done to our captain?" Tony accused, playfully jabbing his fork in Peggy's direction.

"I think she broke him," Bruce slowly decided, furrowing his eyebrows and chuckling despite himself. Steve wiped at his streaming eyes, still hiccuping weakly, and Peggy couldn't help but laugh a little herself as she rescued the spatula from melting against the hot metal.

Natasha kicked Clint under the table, talking low under the general commotion. "See, this is why he needs a girl who understands him. I don't think I've ever seen him really laugh until now."

"Hey, I actually got that reference!" Clint crowed, and then buried himself in his pancakes at Natasha's incredulous look. "What? Long stakeout in a used bookstore - I was bored."

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After breakfast, Steve quietly installed Peggy on a couch in the main living area. He could tell she was flagging, but knew that she would never forgive him if he tried to send her back to bed. Tony didn't have things like afghans lying around, so after a few minutes he slipped upstairs to get the one from her room.

Blanket in hand, he returned to a decidedly unexpected scene. Tony perched on the couch next to Peggy, brand-new tablet in hand. She was peering over his shoulder with intense concentration, trying to keep track of the rapid-fire series of instructions.

"See, you just press this, slide, and then tap this. Oh, and when I say 'tap,' I mean 'tap,' not 'bang-on-the-glass-until-it-cracks' like Thunder-fingers here."

Thor, still at the counter, chuckled good-naturedly over his tenth plate of pancakes. Tony had never let him forget the way he'd broken the first three touchscreens he had ever tried to use, until he figured out just how softly they needed to be handled. He'd long since mastered the technique, but Tony still enjoyed heckling him, and he didn't mind.

Natasha put her plate in the dishwasher and paused by the couch on her way out of the room. "Girl to girl," she confided into Peggy's ear, "If he keeps talking, kick him and run."

Tony squawked in outrage. "I heard that, Romanoff! She's joking, Peggy - I can call you Peggy, right? She's just joking, seriously." Peggy's answering laugh warmed Steve's heart, and he stood in the doorway for a long time, unwilling to enter and break the moment. The team was grouping around her, welcoming her into this new world, and he was incredibly grateful.

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It was late at night when Steve finally headed for his room. The day had been a long one. After their very late breakfast had turned into lunch, Bruce had insisted on running a number of tests, which had taken hours. Peggy had been visibly exhausted afterwards, and had actually fallen asleep on a couch for some time. That, more than anything else, told him that she still wasn't as recovered as she protested, regardless of the miracles his blood had worked.

Pepper had hustled Peggy off to bed after that, with strict orders to rest up, and Steve finally buckled down to his stack of neglected paperwork. He hadn't been able to focus though; his thoughts kept wandering. JARVIS was programmed to alert him if there was any trouble, but Steve couldn't help wondering if she was all right. Hesitating, he finally turned down the hall toward her room. Perhaps she was still awake, and he could wish her goodnight.

Her room was empty, as it turned out - the door open and an empty tray sitting beside the bed. Evidently she had woken up enough to eat some dinner before going on a voyage of exploration.

Steve eventually found her standing in a little alcove tucked into the corner of the tower. She was looking out the windows to the tiny lighted cars far below, arms wrapped around herself as if she was cold, though JARVIS kept the tower at a comfortable temperature. He approached slowly and stopped behind her, noting the new dressing gown she was wearing and silently resolving to do something really nice for Pepper as a thank-you.

"Do you ever get used to it?" Peggy asked at last. If it weren't for his enhanced hearing, he would have missed her question, it was so low.

"No," he answered honestly. "Not really. Some parts come easier than others, but you figure out how to live with it."

For a long time, she didn't move, and he studied her profile against the window, committing it to heart again. He was watching her so intently that he noticed the nearly inaudible catch in her breath, and the way her lips trembled ever so minutely before creasing into a determined line. Adjusting to a new life was a difficult thing to do, and nobody knew that better than he did.

"I'm so glad you're here, Steve," Peggy finally whispered through the gathering dusk. She swayed a little toward him, just close enough to feel his arm solid behind her shoulder, needing the contact but too proud to ask. He understood the unspoken request, quietly shifting his weight nearer.

"So am I."

They stood together, two people from another time, and watched the lights turn on over the city.

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Steve wasn't used to sleeping in his room anymore.

For the last few weeks, he had been too emotionally compromised to follow a set routine. Before the procedure, most of his nights had been spent in the gym or going over the funeral plans, waking up on whatever couch Bruce managed to talk him to sleep on. Since the procedure, his time had been spent at Peggy's side.

Now that she was awake, though, he had no excuse to stay with her. He also had no excuse to lie awake - and yet here he was, staring at the ceiling at two in the morning. At last, he pulled himself out of bed and stumbled down to the kitchen. Maybe some hot milk would do the trick.

Thor was already there, eating Tony's leftover pizza. Sometimes Steve could swear the alien prince was telepathic, since he always seemed to show up when Steve needed a friend. With an acknowledging nod, the captain poured some milk into a saucepan and set it on the stove, leaning against the counter as he waited for it to warm.

"I was honored to meet your lady earlier," Thor broke the silence first. "She seems a worthy companion."

Steve nodded, thinking back to their quiet moment by the window.

Thor bit through pizza crust with an audible crunch, but the captain could almost feel the weight of his friend's gaze. "Have you told her yet of your feelings toward her?"

Well, Thor was never one to beat around the bush. Steve blinked and stalled for a moment, checking his milk solicitously though it was still quite cold.

"No," he finally admitted. "She's stranded in this time, and I'm the only familiar face left. I don't want her to feel pressured. It's been years since we've seen each other, and we've both changed in little ways. I don't even know if she still feels the same way."

Thor leaned back in his chair, inspecting the last piece of pizza thoughtfully. "Do you not love her?"

Steve stirred the milk, staring at it as if it held the answers to everything. "I do." His voice was very low. "I always will. She's been the greatest miracle in my life, greater even than Project Rebirth. It gave me my ability to fight, but she gave me the strength and guidance I needed to move forward."

"Then tell her so." Thor finished off the last bite of pizza and rose, dusting cornmeal off his palms. He crossed the kitchen, stopping by the captain's side and speaking with great earnestness. "I have lived many thousands of your years. If there is one thing I have learned, it is that all life is fleeting. Do not squander your second chance." Deep sorrow fluttered through his eyes as he laid a heavy hand on Steve's shoulder, and Steve knew he was thinking about his brother.

Long after Thor left, Steve sat at the table and nursed his milk. The first early light of dawn was flushing the sky by the time he rolled back into bed.

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Amazing Stories is a science fiction pulp magazine that was most popular from the 1920's through the 1940's. Many of the stories dealt with aliens, other worlds, advanced robots, epic battles, and futuristic flying vehicles. Sound familiar? Go watch Avengers again, and you'll realize Steve Rogers basically woke up into a pulp sci-fi story from his own era.

If you've read this story on AO3, you'll realize Peggy made a different joke to Steve. I couldn't decide which I liked better, so you can read both versions - one on here, the other over there.

Thank you for all the lovely comments! Hopefully you enjoy this chapter as well.

Thoughts?

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters or Amazing Stories. I just own this storyline.