Stimson and Roosevelt glanced at each other for a moment before Stimson replied, "It's better than nothing.", as Peggy finished signing the papers, and turned them around to Roosevelt, "There you go, done.".
Roosevelt then grabbed the Presidental ink stamp, inking it properly before marking the papers one at a time, spreading them out to dry the ink out, glancing at Stimson who nodded, bringing out a match, sparking a candle, while Roosevelt took out a wax stick, and the wax stamp of the American seal, working on melting the wax stick while Stimson went to carefully fold the papers precisely, grabbing a envelope to put the papers in after airing them for a few moments.
After melting the wax stick properly, Roosevelt carefully moved it from the candle, and went to pour a good amount on the back of the envelope, and then pressed the wax stamp for a few moments with good pressure of his strength before releasing it, and with a satisfied nod, sliding it over to Peggy, "Once you get to London, you hand this to Churchill first, and he will do his part, and then with the permission of the President and the Prime Minister, Phillips will have an easy time to make you officially part of the Allies army, after you hand it to him.".
"Thank you very much, sir...", Peggy nodded. "I promise not to let either of our countries down; and to keep what Steve had started going...", she smiled as she shook the man's hand.
Roosevelt smiled, "I know you will. Steve had spoken highly of you, and I would always trust him in life and death. By the way, the outfit and shield fits you very well. I'd be impressed if you catch anyone off guard while in battle. After all, a woman like you shouldn't be underestimated, but sometimes there are fools and idiots in this world.", with a smirk.
Peggy chuckled, "Indeed, sir. And Stimson, even if I would love to be escorted in the air, it's better to stay low and secret, and there's a neighbor's spread of acres near my hometown, since he always is gone for trips, we'll land there, and I'll take the train to London. I do hope you'll understand.", determined to keep secret of her newest friend's offer to portal Peggy, and perhaps Bucky too.
"Very well. I suppose you're right. Still, at the very least, a message should be sent ahead about your plain so that patrols don't try to take it down or anything of the sort.", Stimson reminded her. Last thing anyone would've wanted was Peggy to be killed in a tragic friendly fire accident.
Peggy nodded, "Alright, but I'll take the train to London still. No need to scare my neighbors with any noticeable escorts, and besides, Mr. Whitmore promised that his private plane is as much as quiet and fast as it'd well be with an engine or two, due to borrowing some ideas, not exactly copying off Howard Stark, but just the same.".
Stimson nodded, "I see your point. Good luck and godspeed to you, Captain Carter. We'll not keep you any longer from your family.", with a smile.
Peggy gently tucked the envelope into her suit and shook Stimson's hand before grabbing the shield off the floor next to her chair, and saluted both men, "And godspeed to you, sirs.", with a smile before leaving the Oval Office. After checking through points with the Secret Service for the next 10 minutes, she changed back to her casual clothes, and tucked her shield in her luggage bag, walking out and heading to the same park in the next 20 minutes, to the deep part of the park where she pressed her tattoo tracker for the first time, hoping that it works as Bebinn said.
Instantly, a minute later, a golden fizzing portal opened into the familiar view of her and Steve's living room, with Bebinn holding it, and Peggy quickly stepped through, with Bebinn closing it after her, smiling, "Welcome home. You're just in time. Lunch aka dinner is about to be ready, and we got a couple of new guests that Audrey had called for the meal, and Preston portalled them over after some explanation.".
Peggy blinked, "Ones we know?", with a pensive look, and a chortle of a male voice replied, "You ain't kidding that Peggy got a boost!", as a female voice deadpanned, "Well, I'm impressed.", and Peggy looked over to see Cookie and Packard looking at her with smiles.
Peggy widened her eyes and smiled happily, dropping the luggage bag, "Cookie, Packard!", walking to hug her friends gently, relieved that Packard isn't having one of her usual cigarettes, probably because of the children.
"Boy... you certainly packed on some weight...", Packard said, her voice still fairly monotone and face pretty grumpy but she could tell that she was in a joking mood with what she had said.
Peggy laughed, "Only you, Packard, would refer to weight as muscles. It's good to see you two...How are you two feeling with the crystals and all?".
Cookie hummed, "Spry and healthy as much as we could be, Peggy girl, and the crystals done good for us. But we ain't slowing down as we working on making an inn from the mansion...Honestly, we done had no idea with all the space, especially with Preston buying it in the first-place years ago!".
"It was a hardcore deal, Cookie!", Preston replied, "I was buying the land. The house was bigger than I thought with my artifacts and all, but it was perfect for privacy either way.", with a snort as he poked his head around the corner, "Lunch's on, and Asher's calling for ya, Peggy.".
"Oh, right, almost forgot... it felt so weird not being with him for a few hours.", Peggy said as she moved with a bit of pace to where Asher was, mentally preparing herself and her body to get ready to feed him.
Amanda looked at her daughter as she and the others came into the dining room/kitchen, "He must have sensed you the moment you came through the portal...Otherwise, he was not fussy much.", as she handed over the whining baby boy into Peggy's arms as she took a seat.
Peggy smiled tenderly and fondly as she instinctively moved him, glad for the style of her casual clothes as she freed her shirt, and loosened her bra, feeling him breastfeed, "You are truly my miracle boy...Too smart for your own good...Don't worry, darling, I promise I'll be here all day, and with your new aunt's help, I will come here every weekend...".
Asher cooed through his feeding, looking at her with his eyes, showing different emotions in them, and Peggy kissed his forehead, "You won't be alone, Ash...You got our family at this table...", as Ash gave a little attempted smile.
Peggy, with practiced balance, went to eat lunch with her other hand, as Brookyln piped up happily, "Me promise to play gentle with Ash, Mumma! Mumma really promise coming back every weekend?".
"Of course I will, Brooke. After all, if it wasn't for your new aunt's offer, I would miss you and Ash so much that it would hurt me but thank God that a miracle arrived with your new aunt and uncle.", Peggy replied with a smile, glancing gratefully at Bebinn and Preston.
"Mumma not going to be away for too long?", Brooklyn then asked as Peggy shook her head, "No, it shouldn't be too much longer, maybe a few more months at the soonest; maybe by late summer at the latest but I don't think the fighting's going to last that long... those bad people that Daddy fought for sure won't last long.".
Audrey smirked, "No doubt about it. They're gonna be afraid for their lives soon after the first few waves of idiots underestimate you.", and Peggy chuckled.
Bucky, after hearing that the war is hinting to be over soon within this year, eased down a bit better in his thoughts of deciding if he should join Peggy and watch her back with the others of the Howling Commandos team if they're still around, or stay back with Audrey. Sure, he is relaxing much better with less worry about their daughter as she's now in the weight and age of Ash, healthy and active, but still...
Anyway, he put it back in the back of his mind as he joined into the family conversations of explaining things to Packard and Cookie, with fond glances to see Marina breastfeeding from Audrey during the meal.
After the meal, everybody went into the living room to keep the conversation going, while the babies laid to swat hanging toys while Brookyln went to draw in her colorful way before they got really tired, yawning and all.
Packard and Cookie were portalled back as soon as the coast was clear in the manor, happily accepting the invitation to come anytime to help out with the kids or other things, while Audrey, Amanda, and Peggy took the kids to the nursery loft to put them to sleep, and then headed down to their own bedrooms, relieved that Steve had changed the office into another additional bedroom.
Bucky happily was distracted by Audrey in their pleasure time, glad that Bebinn had subtly laid runes of soundproofing somewhat on the doors, through the thick walls helped.
As Audrey looked at Bucky, resting in bed, nude, tracing his scars, "You really are thinking hard in that head of yours...Not complaining since this is nice, but you usually are eager to jump into the next step for our passionate time, mi amor...".
Bucky exhaled, "I think you know what I am thinking, mi amor, and trust me, I really am in so the mood to make glorious love with you, but we need to talk first...", and Audrey sighed softly, "I wouldn't blame you if you want to go with Peggy...After all, Steve would be upset if he saw that Peggy has no one at her side to watch her back, even if she is not helpless anymore as a normal woman, but now is a super soldier...".
"Yeah... Steve would want me to at least be there to watch her back. But there's also the whole deal that... we all can see the fighting in Europe is almost over, and there's a decent chance that after everything we've done, they'll probably just let us sit out of sort of fighting against the Japanese. But... just the whole thing that the end is in sight...", Bucky bit his lip at the thought of it. How tragic would it be to make it through so much only to get killed just days before Germany would finally surrender?
Audrey leaned over slightly to kiss him on the cheek, "Bucky, you have a wicked badass prosthetic arm, and you're quite well at being a sniper and all, and training Peggy up has only sharpened your skills, so there's no worry about being rusty, and besides, having a few weeks off meant that you'll be fresh, eh?".
Bucky smiled, chuckling as he fondly and lovingly looked at her, "When you point it out like that, I couldn't help agreeing with your brilliance...But are you certainly sure you and Marina'll be okay here?".
"Mi amor, we do have family here, and besides, you can join Peggy through the weekend visits by portalling, you just need to be careful when the coast is clear.", Audrey smiled softly, and Bucky nodded, "True...And Marina is healthy and active, up to Ash's age...I still can't believe that her cries of either attention or hunger are loud now...I know you were so worried for her...", caressing Audrey's back.
Audrey snuggled closer, caressing Bucky's abs, sighing deeply, "That incubator was a lifesaver, but it was still nerve-wracking to see her so small and fragile...Thank the Kings that Peggy's given milk was a booster to her immune system and everything...Still, I think I would still use some of the given milk on the weekends, just until to the summer, for safety's sake...Maybe do some checkups by Nola for sure by portalling down to Atlantis.".
"Oh, that plan actually makes me feel much better...I love our little angel princess so much...", Bucky exhaled in relief, and Audrey smiled radiantly, "What did I tell you, mi amor? You aren't a bad father at all, and she loves her daddy too. But right now, why don't you show me all of your loving for me, my handsome wolf?", teasing his erection into waking up with her hand.
Bucky growled huskily, "Now you done it, my beautiful jaguar..", kissing her passionately as he enveloped her in his arms, rolling them over, intending to ravish her and take her tenderly yet passionately, so glad that his fiancée took the tea earlier as usual, as they're planning to start having another kid on their wedding night later in the summer, if not sooner, after the war's over.
And so, the extended family went to readjust their cycling body time with naps, lovemaking, spending time with the kids, and such as the afternoon and evening went fast until it was 3 am in their time zone, and with prepared luggage and such, Peggy and Bucky are ready to portal with the help of Bebinn and Preston, as it would be 9 pm in the Wales/London time zone.
"Are you really sure that you want us to housesit sometime?", Bebinn asked in shock and surprise, and Amanda smiled warmly next to Harrison, "Bebinn, you and Preston deserve to have a wonderful honeymoon technically, even if the surface doesn't know of your first elopement marriage, you can always trick them anyway, and if you are portalling often between here, Atlantis, and all, you deserve to have a rest up in our house. Peggy knows where the guest bedroom is, and if you're on your honeymoon from the house, like you said, you have those warning alarm runes, and you can protect the house from common thieves or worse, and of course, in case if Steve comes by.".
"Still, I feel like I'm almost taking some serious advantage of hospitality and all. It's...", Bebinn rubbed her arm. "Not something I've really dealt with in all my long years.".
Harrison replied, "Not even when you are having hospitality for probably many people who pass through your life, and the ones who gave you a place to be safe?".
Bebinn widened her eyes as it was true that her mentor and his wife saved her...She always had thought it was out of sympathy and such, but if they were giving hospitality to her...And she always had been giving people occasionally a place to sleep from horrible weather or a place to feel renewed after having tea, and her people always felt welcomed and appreciated when passing through the Sanctums...
Preston gently rubbed her back, "Bebinn?", and Bebinn looked at her husband with a warm smile, "I just had underestimated myself all those years...They're right...It's time to appreciate the good of this world...", before glancing at Amanda and Harrison, "Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Carter.".
"Please call us Amanda and Harrison...After all, you gave us a wonderful way of getting around, and we wouldn't dare to abuse that gift you do for us. You are part of this family now, face it.", Amanda chuckled with a grin.
Preston laughed warmly, "You can't beat her logic there, Bebinn. And besides, I wouldn't want you to be alone without having a family, even if they aren't related...", with a smile as he kissed Bebinn on the forehead.
Bebinn chuckled, "I guess I really have a lot to learn, and somehow I can't wait. You ready, Peggy and Bucky?", glancing at Peggy and Bucky after they hugged Audrey, holding into Marina and Asher, with Brookyln at her side, as Peggy finished hugging her parents.
Bucky took a deep breath, "Yeah, I am.", and Peggy nodded with a small smile, and Bebinn went to do her motions with the sling ring, a portal forming in the living room, showing a spot of a forest near Whitland, seeing that it was dark as they predicated with the time zone over there, showing the dew and faint frost on the grass and all.
Peggy looked relieved, "Mum and Dad's house isn't far.", before glancing at her kids with a smile, "Behave for your aunt and grandparents, darlings. We will be back with the first weekend.", and Brookyln smiled, "We loving you, Mumma!".
Peggy replied, "I love you too, darlings.", before taking a deep breath as she then stepped through the portal, and Bucky glanced at Audrey and Marina, "I love you, my gals.", as Audrey replied, "We love you too, Bucky.", as Marina gave out a coo, and Bucky smiled as he then stepped through the portal, and Preston followed them then, nodding at Amanda and Harrison, and Bebinn then went through, with the portal closing.
Indeed, the Carter house wasn't even far at all as they made it in 7 minutes, and with Peggy finding her father's secret spot of the backup key, they went in, relieved that even with a light glance to see a bit of dust everywhere, it was as exactly as they left it, next to the pile of newspapers through the mailbox slot.
Bebinn and Preston was given the tour shortly while Bucky headed out to the train station to see if there is still a night train or two left, and about 25 minutes later, Bucky called the house, saying that there's a train coming in 10 minutes on the way to board to London.