Steve sighed, "I know...", as he and Peggy finally told the truth to her parents last night about everything as the war's now over and showed them the movie-reel stone. Of course, Harrison and Amanda were rightfully shocked and amazed, but they are ready to support their daughter and son-in-law, hoping that everything goes right for the couple.
"Do you know what progress he's making? Stark?", Harrison asked as Steve nodded.
"Well, apparently, he's made some progress in at least understanding what Schmidt was trying to do. A portal to another world obviously, either similar to ours or one that Schmidt would prefer. It wasn't perfect, obviously but Stark's trying to work on that. Got some of the wreckage from the complex; seems the Germans tried to bury what remained rather than salvage. Himmler's order, Schmidt was apparently trying to make a power grab for his position.", Steve explained.
"I'm expecting a 'but' there, Steve.", Harrison raised an eyebrow as Steve nodded.
"Obviously, Stark's attention still has to be primarily focused on Washington and the Pentagon, we're still at war with Japan after all. Invading the island of Okinawa starting yesterday; practically the front porch of the Home Islands.", Steve sighed.
"Do you think you and Peggy will be called to the Pacific?", Harrison asked.
"Not sure.", Steve shook his head. "Phillips is more or less talking with his heads at the OSS and the Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon to make Berlin our final fight, rather than say Tokyo. I don't think we'll be needed though there, seems like we've pretty much had Japan on their last ropes as well. Only issue is the stories you hear...".
"Fanatical resistance by every man, woman and child. Death before dishonor. Willing to kill themselves by any means if it means taking as many of our boys with them. Suicide planes, bombers...", Harrison muttered.
Steve nodded, "Yeah...But with the news of the war of Germany over, the Allies in Japan and the rest of the Pacific has motivation to keep fighting and end the war of the Pacific sooner.".
Harrison smiled, "That would be great motivation, alright.", with a chuckle, and Steve smiled softly, seeing what he means by that before a knock sounded out. "Harrison, is Steve ready?", Amanda's voice called out.
Steve looked at the mirror, and smiled, nodded to Harrison, who called out, "He's ready!", and the two men walked out of the adjoining room into the main hall, with Harrison patting Steve's shoulder with a warm smile, and went to sit down in the front, next to the movie-reel stone.
Nodding to the officiant that Phillips personally suggested, Steve stood straight, looking up the aisle, with a smile at Amanda who smiled widely, and gave an unseen signal to Peggy who's hiding, and Amanda went to the side, joining Harrison.
Under 20 seconds, Steve's breath caught as he gave a nearly soundless gasp, his heart pounding as Peggy came into the filtered sunlight of the windows. Peggy is wearing an incredibly beautiful shawl collar gown of pearl white, with her rich brown hair in a half updo, half down, with strands framing her face, nearly translucent accents around her eyes that makes her light brown color beautiful, and her smile, so bright as she walked, and in Steve's eyes, she's a gorgeous, angelic beauty.
Not to mention that the dress obviously was defining her build in all the right ways. He had to assume that Amanda just decided that sleeves all the way down the arms to her hands was just not working and decided to go almost sleeveless. Peggy walked up as she gave a small chuckle.
"Like what you see?", Peggy whispered as Steve nodded. "Just when I thought you couldn't be any more beautiful...", he said. It certainly was taking quite a bit for him not to just kiss her right now, but he knew he would get that chance once the officiant was done.
"I wish I was there with you, brother...", Bucky sighed as he continued to watch what was essentially a film to him, seeing Steve and Peggy getting ready to do their vows and all.
Elsewhere, in Modesto, California, Susan Viola Murphy, formerly Carter-Rogers is having a nap as it's now 1991, on the weekend.
Susan was enjoying her rest as she had quite a long week with school and wore herself out earlier playing outside. She was deep asleep before her dreams once more started being less of dreams and more into visions of what lied on the other side of the wall with her true parents.
Susan subconsciously got up and out of her bed, walking to the glowing full mirror that she used for checking her fashion choices to wear to school, and smiled excitedly as she watched on, asleep yet having her eyes open somehow.
She gasped over the sight of her mum, subconsciously wishing she would have a similar dress like that someday and giggled at her daddy's lovesick yet happy face. She grabbed her chair from her desk nearby and sat down to listen to her true parents' vows.
-In the first Earth-
The officiant smiled warmly as he cleared his throat lightly, "Today, on this beautiful day, we are here to witness a beautiful bond that will be even stronger between this couple, Steven Grant Rogers and Margaret Elizabeth Carter.".
Steve and Peggy smiled softly as they held hands as the officiant continued on, "This couple has preserved through many things, from friendship, tests of hardships, bringing themselves to discover love, family, and much more than they could imagine. Do anyone object to this union?".
A moment passed with no interruption, and the officiant smiled with a nod, "Then I give permission to both for saying their vows. The groom first, please.".
Steve took a deep breath. He had spent much of the day yesterday trying to think of what he could say.
"Peggy... you... are the most incredible woman that I have ever met. Every day I wonder what I did to earn your love... your passion... just... everything. An absolutely beautiful woman while I was once before almost a pathetic excuse for a man. Yet, you obviously didn't care about that. You saw me for me, even after we changed... and for that, I'll always love that about you. You're not a woman who cares about how the man, she loves, looks like but who the man is... and I'm so happy that I'm that man. I love you now and forever, Peggy...".
Peggy's heart swelled, and tears filled her eyes, smiling happily as she heard his sincere, honest words, and a tear slipped away. Steve gently wiped it away with a finger, smiling softly, and squeezed her hands fondly, knowing how she feels.
Harrison and Amanda sniffled, wiping their tears and smiling brightly, and Bucky smiled, "Way to go, Steve.", and Susan tittered happily as the officiant then replied, "The bride next, please.", with a patient smile.
Peggy took a deep breath, looking deep in her heart, and exhaled with a smile.
"Steve...you are the most genuine man that I have ever met...Every day I keep thinking how you captured my heart by being yourself...your deep love, your gentle passion, everything in your soul and heart...Ever since I saw you for the first time, I didn't see a boy, but a man full of potential to be more than you ever were. You saw me for me, with all my stubbornness and fiery sarcasm, and you saw another side inside me that you have brought out with your incredible patience, and for that, I'll always love that about you. You're not a man that cares about how the woman needs to look for his future, but who the woman is, supporting you, and I'm beyond happy that I'm that woman. I love you now and forever, Steve.".
Steve was on the verge of crying himself almost as the couple turned back to the officiant. "The rings?", he asked as Harrison quickly ran up with their wedding rings.
With smiles, the couple held each other's rings in their hands, as Harrison nodded proudly and happily at his daughter and soon, his son-in-law, and headed back to his original spot.
Bucky may be a man himself, but damn, this is making him cry, and Susan is smiling so much that her cheeks hurt, somehow sensing that her mum is not sad, but very happy, and her daddy, the look on his face, it almost is like he's a mini sun beaming happily.
The officiant nodded with a smile, "First, the groom. Repeat after me as you put your bride's ring on. I, Steven Grant Rogers, will be there always to support, listen, lean on your shoulder, and love you with all my heart, soul, and mind, now and forever.".
And so, Steve repeated after him, gently putting Peggy's wedding ring on with a tender, loving smile as he looked deeply into Peggy's eyes.
"Now the bride. Repeat after me. 'I, Margaret Elizabeth Carter., will be there always to support, listen, lean on your shoulder, and love you with all my heart, soul, and mind, now and forever.'", the officiant replied.
Peggy nodded and said the same before she put on Steve's ring. "Now, by the power vested in me... I now pronounce you husband and wife... you may kiss the bride.", the officiant addressed Steve.
Steve smiled warmly as he leaned in, whispering, "I love you, Mrs. Rogers.", cradling her cheek tenderly as he kissed her deeply and gently.
Harrison, Amanda cheered happily with tears as Bucky whistled loudly and Susan clapped sharply, watching the deep love of their bond, and Peggy returned the kiss happily, smiling as they broke for air, "I love you too, Mr. Carter.", before widening her eyes as she suddenly heard Susan's voice, "Yay, Mum and Daddy!".
Steve widened his eyes, and the couple looked over to see the movie-reel stone showing Bucky and Susan's faces literally looking at them, with Bucky smiling widely, "Congrats, you two!".
Both of them stared in amazement and happiness to their lost family and smiled tearfully. "Do you really think they can hear us as well?", Steve wondered.
"Maybe... or maybe it's something different for them...", Peggy said as she kissed Steve again. "At least they probably know...".
Steve hugged her warmly, looking at her deeply as the officiant announced, "I give you Mr. and Mrs. Carter-Rogers!", and Peggy's parents cheered, as the movie-reel stone dimmed down to black.
Bucky exhaled deeply as his mirror became normal, now showing his reflection, and smiled, "Looks like I got a new sister...Way to go, brother.", before getting up with bittersweet happiness in his heart, intending to visit Mo in his room to have one of their usual deep talks as they are best friends.
Mo believes him when he talks about the moments he felt not spied on, but watched over, and knew somehow that it was his brother and Peggy, and now, he personally witnessed their wedding, realizing that the war is truly forever ended.
As for Susan, when her mirror turned into her reflection, she shook her head, blinking, surprised and confused to find herself looking at her reflection, the dream of her parents' wedding ceremony deeply seared in her mind, vivid and personally deep, almost like she was there.
She looked around and wondered how she was standing when she was certain she was asleep before. She thought it was best not to tell her parents that unless this sort of thing happened again.
And so, in the other world, Steve and Peggy spent a honeymoon of two weeks in Scotland, and still went on to have movie nights with the movie-reel stone, watching Susan grow up and cheering on Bucky when he has spars.
After the honeymoon, to reserve Peggy's flying powers, they went on a normal plane, back to the USA, and they got paid extremely well, with Peggy's time in the military from 1939, and Steve's time in the military from 1943, and so on.
They found a tall-framed house in the north of Brookyln, in one of the upper sections of Ocean Hill, and settled in, with alternate days of assisting Stark and days of married life and family observation.
Eventually, July 4th came, and to Steve's happiness when they looked at the movie-reel stone, it was one of their daughter's baseball games, proving to be an incredible player for two years since she signed up when she was 8, and now she's just 10 now.
Susan was proving herself to be a hell of a second basewoman, both in terms of fielding and hitting. Once more she was up to the plate; her team was down two in the top of the 9th with two outs and runners at 2nd and 3rd. Susan quickly found herself down for the count with two strikes and no balls, before the pitcher was ready to put her away when the throw went out... and Susan made perfect contact and sent the ball flying forward.
In the stands, Carl, Wendy, and Tara went wild, encouraging Susan, yelling along with the rest of the crowd as Susan ran, unknowing that her true parents are also doing the same as well.
The catchers fumbled, trying to run to catch the ball, but it was no use as the ball was a true home run, and the crowds went even louder as they realized that, with the runners finally hitting home plate, with Susan smiling widely as she reached home plate, her team meeting her up and lifting her up as the announcer screamed out in joy and exhilaration, "The Modesto Nuts win! Susan Murphy wins the game with a home run! Whoo, way to go!".
Susan grinned as she yelled out in joy and pride, waving at her family in the stands who's cheering and clapping and hopping on their feet, and her heart catches in delight as she saw an illusion of her true parents right next to them, with Steve laughing and cheering and Peggy clapping and smiling widely.
This isn't the first time she saw an illusion of her true parents, for she saw them on her past birthdays, occasional holiday breaks, baseball games. For some reason, she was able to hear them occasionally, and saw that they were truly watching her not with zombie looks or anything bad, but actually human emotions.
She only told her best friend, Chris, and he believes her as for some reason, adults would think that she was dreaming or something, and her adoptive parents are supportive, but they were a bit worried after the first and last time she told them when she was 7.
She had learned more about the mystery of her true parents from Carl and Murphy, and she somehow feels that it is off...After all, Steve was clearly a soldier thanks to his uniform he wore sometimes other than casual clothes, and Peggy as well...No way a gun would murder her parents until it was in their sleep, though she doubts that as she heard that soldiers have instincts that they cannot delete, thanks from wars and stuff, something about PTSD.
Of course, she obviously couldn't be sure about anything with that... after all, perhaps they were caught off guard and unable to respond fast enough. She always put those questions to the back of her mind. She knew it was only going to drive her crazy trying to get to the bottom of things. All she knew was that her parent's killer had been brought to justice, and that she had to live her own life as her parents would've wanted her to.
And telling her best friend, Chris alleviates that for her as well, and she knew she will have another one to tell him tonight on their sleepover. But for now, she's enjoying the energy of the celebrations as she was carried all over, her teammates cheering for her and with her as the crowds went crazy, soon to slow down.
She smiled at her adoptive family, seeing that her true parents are shimmering out of sight, giving her loving smiles as Peggy kissed a crying Steve, just like every past baseball game. She figures that her dad was a fan of baseball, and if this is a way of giving respect and love for her dad, Susan is all too happy as she loves playing baseball.
Susan is clearly a mix of girly and tomboy which she doesn't mind at all, unlike Tara who is more girly, and less tomboy. She can't wait to head to her family and spend time at their traditional ice cream place just like past times, and she chuckled as she heard the announcer call out, "See you next week! Two more games for the Modesto Nuts, and then of course, the finals! I'm so stroked, folks!".
-In the first Earth-
Peggy chuckled as she smiled, kissing Steve's tears away, "You really get invested in our darling girl's games, Steve. But you were even more excited today as it is your birthday...Such a surprise gift by our daughter, eh?".
"Shame she probably doesn't realize though...", Steve sighed as he turned to look out the window. "I just wish we could be there in person...", he admitted.
"I know, Steve... Stark is trying his hardest... it'll just have to take some more time.", Peggy said. "Yeah...", Steve looked back at her with a small smile.