Chapter 53-Past meets present

By: MysticFantasy

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prompt provided by Guest

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Steve quietly drove the rented car down a road. The roads were surprisingly quiet for the time of day in the city of London.

He felt it was all the better considering he had his infant son with him.

Today the soldier would be carrying out a promise that he made to his first love. Peggy Carter.

He told her about James in his phone calls and letters and even sent her a picture of the baby. Peggy was happy that Steve was finally having the family he always wanted and asked if it would be possible for her to meet him one day.

With Natasha's approval, Steve was able to make the trip to London with James and they were now closing in on the address Peggy had provided.

Within a few minutes, the soldier found the two storied house and parked in the driveway.

"We're here, buddy." Steve said softly to his sleeping son as he carefully undid the seat belt and brought the carrier out of the car. After grabbing the diaper bag, Steve made his way to the front door and rang the bell.

He waited a few seconds before he heard faint foot steps and the door opened to reveal a woman with light brown hair mixed with a few strands of grey. The woman looked to be around her mid forties.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Hello ma'am. I'm Steve Rogers. I'm here to see Peggy."

The woman gained a look of surprise before putting on a smile and opening the door to allow him in.

"So, you're the man she's always talking about." the woman mused and shut the door once Steve was inside. "It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Alison. Peggy's niece. Come. She's in the library."

Steve followed the woman and quietly walked into the library where he spotted the woman who had caught his heart so many years ago.

"You're on time." Peggy mused with a smile.

"First time for everything I guess." Steve said with a smile. "It's good to see you again, Peggy."

"And you too. It's almost been a year since we last saw each other." she agreed. "So, is this the little one?"

"It is." Steve answered as he placed the carrier on the coffee table facing the elderly Peggy.

James had awoken from all the movement and voices and was looking around curiously while sucking on his pacifier.

"Oh, Steve." Peggy said through a breath. "He's adorable. He looks just like you."

Steve smiled and watched as Peggy slipped a finger into the child's tiny hand. Little fingers held onto the larger finger and James smiled behind his binky.

"You and your wife must be so happy to have him." Peggy said.

"He's the light of our lives." Steve said. "We hardly let him out of our sight."

"He has wonderful parent's and he was named after a good person."

Steve smiled sadly.

When he had learned that Natasha was carrying a boy, a certain person right away popped into his head. It had taken him a while to get Natasha's opinion on names but she had right away agreed on naming their son after Steve's best friend.

"I look at this beautiful child and I see something that you and I could have had together." Peggy said.

"I know." Steve agreed.

Upon learning that he would be a father, Steve had right away thought of the possibilities that had awaited him had he been able to stay in the past with Peggy.

Marrying her and starting a family with her. Having any number of children they wanted, having a dozen or more grandchildren and maybe even great grandchildren.

The dream life he always wanted. One he had believed he would share with the woman sitting next to him but instead was sharing it with the female Russian version of him.

Still, watching Peggy hold James and speak to him in a gentle voice allowed Steve to see part of that missed life. Seeing how wonderful a mother she would have been to their children.

Raising them to be just as tough as herself with as much dedication to things as their father.

"We could have had a wonderful life together." Peggy said as she continued to look at James fondly.

"I know." Steve agreed. "We really could have had the all American dream. Part of me kicks myself for letting it slip by."

"Steve, you did get your dream. It was just a little delayed." Peggy said. "You got to be a soldier and got the family you dreamed about."

"Not exactly how I dreamt it but, yea, I do have them." Steve admitted.

He really did have to admit that he really did get his dream life. A beautiful but tough as nails wife, the son he always wanted, friends that reminded him so much of the ones he had before, his big dream of becoming a soldier and fighting for what he believed and having known love.

"There will always be 'what ifs' for us, Steve." Peggy said. "But we need to get past that. The things that happened were out of our control and were meant to be. Your past built you into the man you are now and it's going to allow you to give your child, your wife and yourself a great future. Make the most of it."

"I'll do that, Peggy." Steve said. "For both of us."

Peggy smiled at him before turning back to James. The possible son she could have had with Steve. He'd still have Steve's eyes but would maybe have had her chestnut brown hair in place of the bright red.

She as well had thought about the family they could have had if he had been able to make it back to her after crashing the Hydra plane. The life they could have shared.

It would have been a dream come true.

Sadly, it was never meant to be and they both had to accept it.

Peggy was just glad that Steve was able to achieve his dream life all these years later and be happy with his new family.