UNRAVELED ~ STEVE ROGERS [3]

Chapter Eight

I had only met Agent Peggy Carter once, but she was one of the most remarkable women to ever live.

It was a year after New York, and Steve had invited me to go with him on his weekly visit to the home where she was looked after.

“I want you to meet her,” he had said, grinning. I hadn’t particularly wanted to but thinking about it now I’m glad I did.

Steve had introduced me as his new partner. “Not dancing partner, I mean. SHIELD partner. You’ll always be my dance partner.” He had stumbled over the words, but the way that old woman smiled at him, I knew she understood what he meant. He looked at her as though she were his sunshine, and it wasn’t until a few years later I realized I wanted him to look at me that way too.

But her mind was deteriorating, and after while she forgot our conversation, and then when she looked up again, it was if she was seeing him for the first time.

But I’ll always remember when she said to me, before we left.

“Look after him, will you?” She had asked. “He’s always finding himself in all sorts of trouble, the silly thing. Promise me, you’ll look after him?

“I promise.”

He held my hand throughout the funeral. He eyes were puffy and red, and I had watched his entire body tremble as he helped carry her coffin, draped in a Union Jack, to the front of the church. There were speeches, dedications, and moments of silence for the greatest woman who ever lived.

Sam sat on the other side of him. There had been no discussion about whether or not I would accompany Steve to London. Of course, I would. But Sam came along too, and that proved to me just how good of a man he was.

“And now, I would like to invite Sharon Carter to come up and say a few words,” the priest said, leaving the podium. The pretty blonde, who last I heard was working for the CIA, came up to the podium. I saw Sam nudge Steve out of the corner of my eye, and Steve looked up in surprise at her. I had made the connection between the two women back in D.C, but I guess this was the first time Steve and Sam were hearing about it.

Sharon glanced down at Steve, her eyes drifting past our intertwined hands to look out at the audience.

“Margaret Carter was known to most as the founder of SHIELD…but I just knew her as Aunt Peggy,” Sharon said. Steve breathed in sharply, and his hand squeezed mine a little. I nodded without looking away from the podium.

“She had a photograph in her office. Aunt Peggy standing next to JFK. As a kid, that was pretty cool. But it was a lot to live up to. Which is why I never told anyone we were related.” She looked directly at Steve, whose lips twitched upwards for a moment.

“I asked her once how she managed to master diplomacy and espionage in a time where no one wanted to see a woman succeed at either. She said, compromise where you can. But where you can’t, don’t. Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right. Even if the whole world is telling you to move…it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye and say, ‘No, you move.’”

***

After the funeral, those attending began to file out the back to the wake in another part of the church. Steve stood, but as I tried to leave he let go of my hand slowly, trailing his fingers along mine until they no longer touched, and his arm slumped to his side.

“Steve,” I said softly, reaching out to him, but I felt a tug on my elbow from behind me. I turned to look at Sam, who nodded his head towards the door. I glanced back at Steve, leaning against a pew, and decided that maybe he needed time to be alone. Sam offered his arm to me, and I took it, letting him guide me away from Steve and into the other room filled with black clad mourners.