Did I dream this belief? Or did I believe this dream?
Who: Peggy, guest appearance by ghosts of her past and Howard Stark
When: Just before reset, end of wish week.
Where: Peggy's and Howard's apartment
Summary: Peggy uses the Cosmic Cube one last time, to say goodbye.
Rating: PG-13 passing imagery of war, emotional upheaval.
Warnings: Grief, pain, Howard being a total gentleman and a true friend.
Closed
All those who had taken her up on her offer had come and gone. Some happy for a glimpse of loved ones, other left with tears. But each and everyone of them had at least had that chance, she felt like she offered something, she'd given something to those others who were stranded here with herself. If was a comfort for her and kept her from being able to hole up the entire week for what she was about to do.
The glowing cube pulsed slightly in her hands, it's power mystic and scientific and multiversal all at once. What she held in her hands was the key to creation and destruction, order and chaos. This was a cornerstone of reality, in the hands of a simple mortal.
Peggy had spent forty minutes curling and pinning her hair, her nails shined with a perfect coat of red lacquer that matched her meticulously colored lips. Steve wouldn't see her of course, but this was important. She was, if she allowed herself the complement, stunning. Red dress conformed to her in a way that made it inescapably clear that she was a woman of beauty in design. She dressed for the occasion, a night she'd be the only one to appreciate.
The cube rested in those lovely hands, silent and waiting for her command. She'd waited long enough to give it. Soft brow eyes were hidden under slowly dropping lids, dark lashes brushed her cheeks as she tuned her mind to one figure in particular. Her minds eye solidified the image and she gasped in spite of herself.
The shimmering wall took a mirror like solidity, then the mirror faded to a thin, gawky man in a too big helmet. At the time she hadn't realized he'd looked at her, or the weight of his gaze following her, but she saw it now. Steve Rogers, he wasn't much to look at to be sure, but that wasn't why he'd been chosen. Peggy smiled at the image, it blurred and moved ahead. Steve proving his intelligence in securing the flag challenge issued by the drill sergeant.
She saw his expression as she'd turned to speak to him, his wide smile and nervous short answers. He seemed completely out of his element with her, even though he showed more and more of a desire to be so. Again the image progressed forward, the skinny man throwing himself on a grenade to protect others from danger, proving the hero was not defined by his stature She remembered the discussion with Dr Erskine after that incident, she thoroughly agreed with him, Steve was the only logical choice. He deserved the chance, the others would make it into the field anyway, Steve would have been sent home. As worthy as all the rest might be, Steve was the only one with the heart to do what the program asked for.
She skimmed through images, his transformation, her own reaction to that first sight of him once again stopping her heart and stealing her breath. Was it shallow that she reacted to him physically? She had liked him well enough before, but after... there was something more there. The right partner indeed.
She knew the images that played on, and for the next few hours she replayed the short time she'd had, right up to the conversation that ended things. She was in tears by the time his voice faded away, only this time she saw him. His white knuckled grip on the flight controls, his eyes wide with fear but not relenting to it. They flickered to her picture she could see the pain in his features as he spoke. He had wanted to come back to her, truly. What he did, he'd done for the world, but in his mind it had been for her.
"Steve!" She fell to her knees, the cube tumbled from her hands but retained enough of her command to remain active on her wish. The portal shifted again, Steve woke in a room. He was alive. The back of her hand rose to her mouth, tear filled eyes locked onto the face that bore no injury or scar. He rose looking as though he was bothered by something. Peggy watched with rapt attention as a woman entered the room, and then all hell broke lose. The fight, the escape...and then the street. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen. The New York she knew was covered in light and pictures that made no immediate sense to her. Noise, people... everything shocked her as much as Steve.
"I had a date." He hadn't forgotten her, he hadn't aged a day but he was separated from her but decades. It wasn't fair. To a woman who knew better the idea of being shocked by it was ridiculous. But how else could she react? He wasn't dead, he went on long after she'd died.
You could bring him here.
Peggy blinked, her head jerked up at the voice, but it was not external, those words slithered through her mind with a desperate appeal.
Your Steve, the man who loves you. He could be here, all you have to do is will it.
Peggy looked to the Cube, it pulsed softly, as though it was the most innocent item in the world. As though it wasn't teasing tendrils of thought through her mind. Steve could be here, she could have him with her. "No." She couldn't bring him here, it would be cruel.
More cruel than leaving you?
"He never meant to do that, it was the only choice he had. He sacrificed himself to save the world." She was arguing with the Cube, not a good sign. The Comic Cubes had strong influence, and the longer they were used the more they developed their own personality, their own desires. Their own agendas.
You want him, he wanted you. Why shouldn't you bring him to you?
"He has been here, no one should be brought here if they don't have to be! I won't hurt him like that! I won't hurt those who have lost him before! I..." You love him.
"Yes." It was a quiet confirmation, a pained whisper. "I love him, but... I have to let him go." The realization hit her and drew fresh tears. Shakily she pulled herself to her feet, the cube brought to her in a smooth movement as she rose. Warm brown eyes fell over pale blue, that handsome strong jaw, the set of his chin, the determination of his bearing. He would go on, he would be an inspiration to his country and the world. He would be Captain America. And she had no further place in his story.
"Good bye Steve." Her words were choked, hard to utter from a throat tight with emotion. His eyes flickered as though he might have heard her, turning toward her with his brows raising. Peggy willed the cube away. It fought and shuddered in her hands, but ultimately it could not resist the will of it's bearer. The cube, and the window it created faded to nothingness.
Later ...
Peggy curled into a corner of her room, knees drawn up and her face buried in them as she wept. She'd said her goodbye and now was the time to grieve.
When: Just before reset, end of wish week.
Where: Peggy's and Howard's apartment
Summary: Peggy uses the Cosmic Cube one last time, to say goodbye.
Rating: PG-13 passing imagery of war, emotional upheaval.
Warnings: Grief, pain, Howard being a total gentleman and a true friend.
Closed
All those who had taken her up on her offer had come and gone. Some happy for a glimpse of loved ones, other left with tears. But each and everyone of them had at least had that chance, she felt like she offered something, she'd given something to those others who were stranded here with herself. If was a comfort for her and kept her from being able to hole up the entire week for what she was about to do.
The glowing cube pulsed slightly in her hands, it's power mystic and scientific and multiversal all at once. What she held in her hands was the key to creation and destruction, order and chaos. This was a cornerstone of reality, in the hands of a simple mortal.
Peggy had spent forty minutes curling and pinning her hair, her nails shined with a perfect coat of red lacquer that matched her meticulously colored lips. Steve wouldn't see her of course, but this was important. She was, if she allowed herself the complement, stunning. Red dress conformed to her in a way that made it inescapably clear that she was a woman of beauty in design. She dressed for the occasion, a night she'd be the only one to appreciate.
The cube rested in those lovely hands, silent and waiting for her command. She'd waited long enough to give it. Soft brow eyes were hidden under slowly dropping lids, dark lashes brushed her cheeks as she tuned her mind to one figure in particular. Her minds eye solidified the image and she gasped in spite of herself.
The shimmering wall took a mirror like solidity, then the mirror faded to a thin, gawky man in a too big helmet. At the time she hadn't realized he'd looked at her, or the weight of his gaze following her, but she saw it now. Steve Rogers, he wasn't much to look at to be sure, but that wasn't why he'd been chosen. Peggy smiled at the image, it blurred and moved ahead. Steve proving his intelligence in securing the flag challenge issued by the drill sergeant.
She saw his expression as she'd turned to speak to him, his wide smile and nervous short answers. He seemed completely out of his element with her, even though he showed more and more of a desire to be so. Again the image progressed forward, the skinny man throwing himself on a grenade to protect others from danger, proving the hero was not defined by his stature She remembered the discussion with Dr Erskine after that incident, she thoroughly agreed with him, Steve was the only logical choice. He deserved the chance, the others would make it into the field anyway, Steve would have been sent home. As worthy as all the rest might be, Steve was the only one with the heart to do what the program asked for.
She skimmed through images, his transformation, her own reaction to that first sight of him once again stopping her heart and stealing her breath. Was it shallow that she reacted to him physically? She had liked him well enough before, but after... there was something more there. The right partner indeed.
She knew the images that played on, and for the next few hours she replayed the short time she'd had, right up to the conversation that ended things. She was in tears by the time his voice faded away, only this time she saw him. His white knuckled grip on the flight controls, his eyes wide with fear but not relenting to it. They flickered to her picture she could see the pain in his features as he spoke. He had wanted to come back to her, truly. What he did, he'd done for the world, but in his mind it had been for her.
"Steve!" She fell to her knees, the cube tumbled from her hands but retained enough of her command to remain active on her wish. The portal shifted again, Steve woke in a room. He was alive. The back of her hand rose to her mouth, tear filled eyes locked onto the face that bore no injury or scar. He rose looking as though he was bothered by something. Peggy watched with rapt attention as a woman entered the room, and then all hell broke lose. The fight, the escape...and then the street. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen. The New York she knew was covered in light and pictures that made no immediate sense to her. Noise, people... everything shocked her as much as Steve.
"I had a date." He hadn't forgotten her, he hadn't aged a day but he was separated from her but decades. It wasn't fair. To a woman who knew better the idea of being shocked by it was ridiculous. But how else could she react? He wasn't dead, he went on long after she'd died.
You could bring him here.
Peggy blinked, her head jerked up at the voice, but it was not external, those words slithered through her mind with a desperate appeal.
Your Steve, the man who loves you. He could be here, all you have to do is will it.
Peggy looked to the Cube, it pulsed softly, as though it was the most innocent item in the world. As though it wasn't teasing tendrils of thought through her mind. Steve could be here, she could have him with her. "No." She couldn't bring him here, it would be cruel.
More cruel than leaving you?
"He never meant to do that, it was the only choice he had. He sacrificed himself to save the world." She was arguing with the Cube, not a good sign. The Comic Cubes had strong influence, and the longer they were used the more they developed their own personality, their own desires. Their own agendas.
You want him, he wanted you. Why shouldn't you bring him to you?
"He has been here, no one should be brought here if they don't have to be! I won't hurt him like that! I won't hurt those who have lost him before! I..." You love him.
"Yes." It was a quiet confirmation, a pained whisper. "I love him, but... I have to let him go." The realization hit her and drew fresh tears. Shakily she pulled herself to her feet, the cube brought to her in a smooth movement as she rose. Warm brown eyes fell over pale blue, that handsome strong jaw, the set of his chin, the determination of his bearing. He would go on, he would be an inspiration to his country and the world. He would be Captain America. And she had no further place in his story.
"Good bye Steve." Her words were choked, hard to utter from a throat tight with emotion. His eyes flickered as though he might have heard her, turning toward her with his brows raising. Peggy willed the cube away. It fought and shuddered in her hands, but ultimately it could not resist the will of it's bearer. The cube, and the window it created faded to nothingness.
Later ...
Peggy curled into a corner of her room, knees drawn up and her face buried in them as she wept. She'd said her goodbye and now was the time to grieve.