Fic: You just ask for Jane.
Title: You just ask for Jane
Rating PG 13
Characters/Pairings, Fred Davis, Toro, Jeff Mace (Patriot, Captain America III), Anne Raymond, OCs, Peggy Carter, Destroyer, Spitfire.
Warnings: As the title/Summary might indicate, discussions of abortions and abortion methods, mostly back street.
Summary: Inspired by Anibester's pictures again, FBI Fred Davis has a run in with an old Friend, working for Jane.
Notes: I know I've been a bad mod for the last few months. A lot of personal stuff came up, and this got slightly lost in the mix. That said, I'm back and I've got loads of fic on my disk. So Sorry, I'm going to be a community hog for tonight.
For Ani Bester's art work ages ago
http://theinvaders.livejournal.com/64287.html#cutid1
“Well?”
The new agent made him think of a puppy dog, who’s just brought back a stick, rather than an FBI agent with a bunch of photos.
“Well what?”
Peggy Carter had had an abortion.
Fred was about 99% certain he wasn’t supposed to know this, but nightmares and Toro as a roommate, meant he’d spent a lot of time sitting in the kitchen with Roger, who was a confirmed insomniac. And because of the way Roger and Brian were, the women trusted them with things they would never have dreamed of telling the other guys.
“I am currently failing to see any evidence of a termination of pregnancy.”
He picked the photographs up, flicking through them. “All I see is a young woman meeting with another young woman and a man” (Toro and Anne,) “And moving in a clandestine manner. Suspicious, I grant you, but hardly proof of wrongdoing.”
She’d used a knitting needle. Just walked in to the forest, lay down and shoved it up.
Would have probably bled to death out there, if Jackie hadn’t had “women’s troubles” (and Roger turned scarlet when she mentioned that, so he really didn’t want to know what that was) and gone to borrow an aspirin.
Jackie had gone looking for her, and found her out in the garden where she’d managed to crawl back to.
“I grant you, if you take in to account the use of the pillow case as a mask, we have a potential case for kidnapping, but as the woman is returned, apparently unharmed, to the same spot,” he checked the time stamp on it. “Two hours later, I hardly think it’s an urgent case.”
He wasn’t supposed to see her. Roger had had a hurried, whispered conversation with Jackie, then ordered him back to bed. But Toro had threatened he burn him if he woke Toro up one more night that week, and while the others might say that Toro was just joking, Fred wasn’t so sure.
So he had gone upstairs, as ordered, but had hidden in the doorway.
Roger had spotted him, but he hadn’t been able to say anything. He couldn’t stop staring at her, at this vibrant, carefree woman, who lay still and pale, as Roger laid her down on the bed.
Her breathing was shallow, and the blue eyes, normally so full of life, could barely focus on him.
“She’s needs a doctor.” Roger muttered.
“You know any willing to risk everything?” Jackie muttered, pushing a stray hair out of her face.
“You have yet to present me with any proof that the lady in question was even pregnant.”
A muscle twitched in the young agent’s face. “She was sir. Believe me.”
So this was personal. He wasn’t surprised.
“Why did she do it?” Roger’s voice was soft. Fred knew it was rude to eavesdrop, but he couldn’t help it. He was worried.
“Perhaps she was afraid.”
“Not two words I ever thought I’d heard in the same sentence, Peggy Carter and fear.”
Roger shook his head. There was a pause, then he heard crashing, like a table being over turned.
“Dam it, Jac, How could I not know? She was throwing up last week, but since the food started coming in everyone’s being sick at least once.”
“I know.” Jack had moved to place a hand on. “Roger, I know you don’t’ want to hear this, but there was no way for you to have known. She wasn’t very far along and she hid it well. She was probably only just sure herself.”
Roger didn’t seem to hear her. “Why didn’t she come to me? I could have helped her.”
“How?”
Roger shrugged. “Marry her, give the kid my name. Steve was a blond, so she’s...we both know those with less likely parentage.”
Silence reigned for a moment, before Jac said, softly and uncertainly. “Maybe that’s why she didn’t.”
“What?” Roger looked confused. Jac swallowed.
“Maybe she didn’t want you, or anyone else to marry her out of a sense of obligation.”
She spoke in a rush, “Roger, even those who won’t admit it, know what ...what you and Brian are. They’d guess the child wasn’t yours.”
“What does it matter?”
“Maybe she didn’t want to be an object of pity.” Jac sounded frustrated. “Maybe she didn’t want the baby, would have still done this even if Steve was still was here.”
“Why?”
Jac paused. “Only Peggy knows the answer that.” She said, sadly. “But maybe she was afraid, of what it might mean.”
“This,” Roger sounded incredulous. “is better?”
“No.” Jac agreed. “But maybe she thought it was the only option.”
“It didn’t have to be.” Roger sounded stubborn. Jac laughed.
“Roger, there isn’t midwife, or a wise woman for nearly three miles. If she went to any doctor, we both know what they’d have said.”
Roger shook his head again. “It’s not right.”
“No,” Jac agreed. “It’s not.”
“Assuming what you say is true, and then you’ve yet to produce evidence for a termination of the pregnancy by any unnatural means.”
“This man,” the agent pushed a photo towards him. “Is a doctor, who has long being suspected_”
“If we arrested people because of suspicions or suspicious behaviour, then half our informants would be under arrest as spies.”
He pushed the files away. “I agree this is suspicious, but it’s not proof. And as when I lasted checked being a gynaecologist wasn’t illegal...” he let it stand, signalling that the interview was over.
The young agent gathered up his papers, muttering darkly to himself. Fred didn’t care. He had an appointment to keep.
“I’ve heard about it, but I never thought….”
“Seen it a couple of times.” Gwennie was talking to the girl they called Blackbird. The kitchen door was between them and Fred, and they were talking softly, but in the silence of the house it seemed like a shout.
“If a girl was desperate enough...and it’s illegal.”
Gwennie seemed to be considering this, as there was a moment before she said, “There’s other ways.”
Blackbird nodded. “Better ways!”
“The women in the relocation camp used to recommend a burning hot bath and gin.”
Blackbird gave a small laugh.
“Doesn’t work?”
“It won’t do you any harm, but won’t hurt the baby either.” There was a pause, before Blackbird added. “A girl in my village flung herself down the stairs to try and get rid of it.”
“Did it work?”
Blackbird snorted. “She broke her neck, so I suppose so.” Blackbird was nearly as bitter and cynical as Toro, especially since she had been briefed about his predecessor’s fate.
She was at least slightly nicer to Fred than Toro was. He watched as she took another drag on her cigarette. “Mentha pulegium. Pennyroyal as they call it, a tea made of. That’s what my father used to recommend for those who came to him.” she breathed out, exhaling her smoke. “Worked most of the time, but you had to be careful. Take too much and it can kill you.”
“So can everything.”
“Yeah.” He watched as Blackbird stubbed out her cigarette against the stone wall. “Come on; better go see what we can do.”
Gwennie followed more slowly. “She’s sick. Roger and Jac were arguing again this morning about a doctor.”
“They better have quickly” Blackbird shook her dark hair back out of her face. “Else it’ll be an undertaker they want.”
The address was in the files, even if he’d never being there.
It was an ordinary house on an ordinary street. Nothing special about it, just like Roger had said. White picket fences with grass cut to the same length and even net curtains in the house next door, which twitched as he pulled up.
As every time he visited Jeff’s house in Glendale, Fred had to fight the desire to laugh. What would the old lady, who he could just see behind the curtain, say if she knew the identity of her neighbors?
Instead, he raised his hat, and got a rush of pleasure as the old busy body vanished in a flurry of curtains.
It was likely to be the only pleasure he got that evening.
Squaring his jaw and automatically adjusting his tie, he walked up the gravel drive and knocked at the door.
Anne opened the door, calling over the shoulder to her husband. Her brown hair was bobbing around her shoulders, and she wore a purple T-shirt and denim shorts. She was laughing, until she saw who was standing on her doorstep.
“Fred.”
“Evening Anne.” He tried to keep his voice natural, but knew he ended up sounding arrogant.
“What are you doing here?”
He shrugged, uncomfortably. “You did invite me to dinner.”
He met her eyes, trying to communicate that she had to let him in, that they had to talk.
“If this is a bad time…”
“No, no of course not.” Anne stood to one side, glancing at him, nervously. “Tom, can you set an extra place?”
She looked uncomfortable. Fred couldn’t blame her. However pure his motives, this was going to be an uncomfortable evening.
/*/**/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/
“I was wondering if there was anything I could do.”
Fred had headed up to the room he and Toro were sharing after dinner, to fetch his book, before he remembered that he had leant it to Blackbird, who was out that evening.
He had slipped in to the girls room to get it and had been about to leave when he heard the voices in the corridor. He crept to the gap in the door to listen.
“Nothing wrong with Peg a few days bed rest won’t cure.” Roger smiled, though the tension was audible in his voice.
“Roger,” the note in Jim Hammond’s voice was unlike anything he’d ever heard from the other man, sounding ancient. “I was a police officer before all this. I know what’s wrong.”
There was a soft thud against the wall, as Roger flopped forward, slamming his hands up against hew all. “Don’t ask me, Torch. Bad enough that Jac and Fred are involved.”
“We all only want to_”
“Well don’t.” Roger snapped. “If command find out, they’ll have the head of anyone involved. If that happens, you can at least say I didn’t tell you.”
Jim was shaking his head. “Command wouldn’t…”
“You willing to bet your life on that, Jim? Or Toro’s?” Roger shook his head. “If there’s any trouble, then it’s only me who goes down for it. Better that way than any other. There’s some honour in it.”
It was the only time Fred could ever remember Roger referring to his probable fate if anyone had found out about him and Brian.
/**/*/*/*/*//*//*/*//**/
“A delicious meal, Anne.” He wasn’t just being polite either. Despite the fact it was only a simple meal of chops, mashed potatoes and peas designed for two people, it was the best food he’d had in ages.
Anne smiled uncomfortably, playing with the edge of the table cloth. Toro continued to glower at him.
Anne had pulled her husband into the kitchen for a talk, almost as soon as she had let Fred in, so nothing had actually being said. But Toro had glowered silently at him across the table all evening, and had hardly touched his dinner. Fred was just grateful he learnt to eat in more uncomfortable situations.
However, the dinner was over and he needed to approach the reason for his visit.
“I had a run in with a mutual friend today.” He said, casually.
Toro’s scowl deepened.
“We don’t have any friends In common, Davis.”
“I think we do.” He carefully reached for his glass. “A young lady called Jane for one.”
Anne put down the dish she had lifted up, her face pale. Fred admired her for not dropping it. He could almost see the flames flickering at the edge of Toro’s face.
“If you have something to say…”
Fred felt his own cheeks flush, wondering why with Toro he automatically always felt like he was in the wrong.
Roger had got a doctor. The guy apparently was a friend of a friend of Roger’s, a woman called Dorothy, or at least that’s what he told Jim.
Peggy had survived, but with a terrible price. She would never bear another child. Would never be a mother.
Slowly, and carefully, he got to his feet.
“She asked me to warn you to steer clear of Alexander.” He hoped that they would take the message, realise that he was trying to tell them that Alexander was an FBI spy and probably the source of the pictures he’d seen earlier. That their drop off point was compromised and watched. He placed his napkin down on the table and picked up his coat.
“Thank you for a lovely evening, Tom, Anne, but I really must be going.”
“What’s your game Davis?” Toro’s voice was confused, like he wanted to believe that this was a trick by Fred, but couldn’t help trusting him. “You want Eva?”
Whenever he thought of the issue, that was what Fred saw, that proud fierce woman curled up weeping, broken in a way that nothing else, not even Steve Roger’s death had ever managed. And there was no reason for it. The pregnancy hadn’t been that far advanced, if another method, if someone else had helped her…she would have been alright.
The blood pounding in his ears, Fred spun around to stare at the other man. “You know nothing of my views on the subject.” He hissed.
Ann moved forward nervously, as though prepared to come between them, but there was no need. Toro backed off, looking at Fred Davis with something that might be respect. It made Fred uncomfortable.
“Thank you again for a lovely evening.” He said, addressing his remarks to Anne, as he stepped out into the night.
Rating PG 13
Characters/Pairings, Fred Davis, Toro, Jeff Mace (Patriot, Captain America III), Anne Raymond, OCs, Peggy Carter, Destroyer, Spitfire.
Warnings: As the title/Summary might indicate, discussions of abortions and abortion methods, mostly back street.
Summary: Inspired by Anibester's pictures again, FBI Fred Davis has a run in with an old Friend, working for Jane.
Notes: I know I've been a bad mod for the last few months. A lot of personal stuff came up, and this got slightly lost in the mix. That said, I'm back and I've got loads of fic on my disk. So Sorry, I'm going to be a community hog for tonight.
For Ani Bester's art work ages ago
http://theinvaders.livejournal.com/64287.html#cutid1
“Well?”
The new agent made him think of a puppy dog, who’s just brought back a stick, rather than an FBI agent with a bunch of photos.
“Well what?”
Peggy Carter had had an abortion.
Fred was about 99% certain he wasn’t supposed to know this, but nightmares and Toro as a roommate, meant he’d spent a lot of time sitting in the kitchen with Roger, who was a confirmed insomniac. And because of the way Roger and Brian were, the women trusted them with things they would never have dreamed of telling the other guys.
“I am currently failing to see any evidence of a termination of pregnancy.”
He picked the photographs up, flicking through them. “All I see is a young woman meeting with another young woman and a man” (Toro and Anne,) “And moving in a clandestine manner. Suspicious, I grant you, but hardly proof of wrongdoing.”
She’d used a knitting needle. Just walked in to the forest, lay down and shoved it up.
Would have probably bled to death out there, if Jackie hadn’t had “women’s troubles” (and Roger turned scarlet when she mentioned that, so he really didn’t want to know what that was) and gone to borrow an aspirin.
Jackie had gone looking for her, and found her out in the garden where she’d managed to crawl back to.
“I grant you, if you take in to account the use of the pillow case as a mask, we have a potential case for kidnapping, but as the woman is returned, apparently unharmed, to the same spot,” he checked the time stamp on it. “Two hours later, I hardly think it’s an urgent case.”
He wasn’t supposed to see her. Roger had had a hurried, whispered conversation with Jackie, then ordered him back to bed. But Toro had threatened he burn him if he woke Toro up one more night that week, and while the others might say that Toro was just joking, Fred wasn’t so sure.
So he had gone upstairs, as ordered, but had hidden in the doorway.
Roger had spotted him, but he hadn’t been able to say anything. He couldn’t stop staring at her, at this vibrant, carefree woman, who lay still and pale, as Roger laid her down on the bed.
Her breathing was shallow, and the blue eyes, normally so full of life, could barely focus on him.
“She’s needs a doctor.” Roger muttered.
“You know any willing to risk everything?” Jackie muttered, pushing a stray hair out of her face.
“You have yet to present me with any proof that the lady in question was even pregnant.”
A muscle twitched in the young agent’s face. “She was sir. Believe me.”
So this was personal. He wasn’t surprised.
“Why did she do it?” Roger’s voice was soft. Fred knew it was rude to eavesdrop, but he couldn’t help it. He was worried.
“Perhaps she was afraid.”
“Not two words I ever thought I’d heard in the same sentence, Peggy Carter and fear.”
Roger shook his head. There was a pause, then he heard crashing, like a table being over turned.
“Dam it, Jac, How could I not know? She was throwing up last week, but since the food started coming in everyone’s being sick at least once.”
“I know.” Jack had moved to place a hand on. “Roger, I know you don’t’ want to hear this, but there was no way for you to have known. She wasn’t very far along and she hid it well. She was probably only just sure herself.”
Roger didn’t seem to hear her. “Why didn’t she come to me? I could have helped her.”
“How?”
Roger shrugged. “Marry her, give the kid my name. Steve was a blond, so she’s...we both know those with less likely parentage.”
Silence reigned for a moment, before Jac said, softly and uncertainly. “Maybe that’s why she didn’t.”
“What?” Roger looked confused. Jac swallowed.
“Maybe she didn’t want you, or anyone else to marry her out of a sense of obligation.”
She spoke in a rush, “Roger, even those who won’t admit it, know what ...what you and Brian are. They’d guess the child wasn’t yours.”
“What does it matter?”
“Maybe she didn’t want to be an object of pity.” Jac sounded frustrated. “Maybe she didn’t want the baby, would have still done this even if Steve was still was here.”
“Why?”
Jac paused. “Only Peggy knows the answer that.” She said, sadly. “But maybe she was afraid, of what it might mean.”
“This,” Roger sounded incredulous. “is better?”
“No.” Jac agreed. “But maybe she thought it was the only option.”
“It didn’t have to be.” Roger sounded stubborn. Jac laughed.
“Roger, there isn’t midwife, or a wise woman for nearly three miles. If she went to any doctor, we both know what they’d have said.”
Roger shook his head again. “It’s not right.”
“No,” Jac agreed. “It’s not.”
“Assuming what you say is true, and then you’ve yet to produce evidence for a termination of the pregnancy by any unnatural means.”
“This man,” the agent pushed a photo towards him. “Is a doctor, who has long being suspected_”
“If we arrested people because of suspicions or suspicious behaviour, then half our informants would be under arrest as spies.”
He pushed the files away. “I agree this is suspicious, but it’s not proof. And as when I lasted checked being a gynaecologist wasn’t illegal...” he let it stand, signalling that the interview was over.
The young agent gathered up his papers, muttering darkly to himself. Fred didn’t care. He had an appointment to keep.
“I’ve heard about it, but I never thought….”
“Seen it a couple of times.” Gwennie was talking to the girl they called Blackbird. The kitchen door was between them and Fred, and they were talking softly, but in the silence of the house it seemed like a shout.
“If a girl was desperate enough...and it’s illegal.”
Gwennie seemed to be considering this, as there was a moment before she said, “There’s other ways.”
Blackbird nodded. “Better ways!”
“The women in the relocation camp used to recommend a burning hot bath and gin.”
Blackbird gave a small laugh.
“Doesn’t work?”
“It won’t do you any harm, but won’t hurt the baby either.” There was a pause, before Blackbird added. “A girl in my village flung herself down the stairs to try and get rid of it.”
“Did it work?”
Blackbird snorted. “She broke her neck, so I suppose so.” Blackbird was nearly as bitter and cynical as Toro, especially since she had been briefed about his predecessor’s fate.
She was at least slightly nicer to Fred than Toro was. He watched as she took another drag on her cigarette. “Mentha pulegium. Pennyroyal as they call it, a tea made of. That’s what my father used to recommend for those who came to him.” she breathed out, exhaling her smoke. “Worked most of the time, but you had to be careful. Take too much and it can kill you.”
“So can everything.”
“Yeah.” He watched as Blackbird stubbed out her cigarette against the stone wall. “Come on; better go see what we can do.”
Gwennie followed more slowly. “She’s sick. Roger and Jac were arguing again this morning about a doctor.”
“They better have quickly” Blackbird shook her dark hair back out of her face. “Else it’ll be an undertaker they want.”
The address was in the files, even if he’d never being there.
It was an ordinary house on an ordinary street. Nothing special about it, just like Roger had said. White picket fences with grass cut to the same length and even net curtains in the house next door, which twitched as he pulled up.
As every time he visited Jeff’s house in Glendale, Fred had to fight the desire to laugh. What would the old lady, who he could just see behind the curtain, say if she knew the identity of her neighbors?
Instead, he raised his hat, and got a rush of pleasure as the old busy body vanished in a flurry of curtains.
It was likely to be the only pleasure he got that evening.
Squaring his jaw and automatically adjusting his tie, he walked up the gravel drive and knocked at the door.
Anne opened the door, calling over the shoulder to her husband. Her brown hair was bobbing around her shoulders, and she wore a purple T-shirt and denim shorts. She was laughing, until she saw who was standing on her doorstep.
“Fred.”
“Evening Anne.” He tried to keep his voice natural, but knew he ended up sounding arrogant.
“What are you doing here?”
He shrugged, uncomfortably. “You did invite me to dinner.”
He met her eyes, trying to communicate that she had to let him in, that they had to talk.
“If this is a bad time…”
“No, no of course not.” Anne stood to one side, glancing at him, nervously. “Tom, can you set an extra place?”
She looked uncomfortable. Fred couldn’t blame her. However pure his motives, this was going to be an uncomfortable evening.
/*/**/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/
“I was wondering if there was anything I could do.”
Fred had headed up to the room he and Toro were sharing after dinner, to fetch his book, before he remembered that he had leant it to Blackbird, who was out that evening.
He had slipped in to the girls room to get it and had been about to leave when he heard the voices in the corridor. He crept to the gap in the door to listen.
“Nothing wrong with Peg a few days bed rest won’t cure.” Roger smiled, though the tension was audible in his voice.
“Roger,” the note in Jim Hammond’s voice was unlike anything he’d ever heard from the other man, sounding ancient. “I was a police officer before all this. I know what’s wrong.”
There was a soft thud against the wall, as Roger flopped forward, slamming his hands up against hew all. “Don’t ask me, Torch. Bad enough that Jac and Fred are involved.”
“We all only want to_”
“Well don’t.” Roger snapped. “If command find out, they’ll have the head of anyone involved. If that happens, you can at least say I didn’t tell you.”
Jim was shaking his head. “Command wouldn’t…”
“You willing to bet your life on that, Jim? Or Toro’s?” Roger shook his head. “If there’s any trouble, then it’s only me who goes down for it. Better that way than any other. There’s some honour in it.”
It was the only time Fred could ever remember Roger referring to his probable fate if anyone had found out about him and Brian.
/**/*/*/*/*//*//*/*//**/
“A delicious meal, Anne.” He wasn’t just being polite either. Despite the fact it was only a simple meal of chops, mashed potatoes and peas designed for two people, it was the best food he’d had in ages.
Anne smiled uncomfortably, playing with the edge of the table cloth. Toro continued to glower at him.
Anne had pulled her husband into the kitchen for a talk, almost as soon as she had let Fred in, so nothing had actually being said. But Toro had glowered silently at him across the table all evening, and had hardly touched his dinner. Fred was just grateful he learnt to eat in more uncomfortable situations.
However, the dinner was over and he needed to approach the reason for his visit.
“I had a run in with a mutual friend today.” He said, casually.
Toro’s scowl deepened.
“We don’t have any friends In common, Davis.”
“I think we do.” He carefully reached for his glass. “A young lady called Jane for one.”
Anne put down the dish she had lifted up, her face pale. Fred admired her for not dropping it. He could almost see the flames flickering at the edge of Toro’s face.
“If you have something to say…”
Fred felt his own cheeks flush, wondering why with Toro he automatically always felt like he was in the wrong.
Roger had got a doctor. The guy apparently was a friend of a friend of Roger’s, a woman called Dorothy, or at least that’s what he told Jim.
Peggy had survived, but with a terrible price. She would never bear another child. Would never be a mother.
Slowly, and carefully, he got to his feet.
“She asked me to warn you to steer clear of Alexander.” He hoped that they would take the message, realise that he was trying to tell them that Alexander was an FBI spy and probably the source of the pictures he’d seen earlier. That their drop off point was compromised and watched. He placed his napkin down on the table and picked up his coat.
“Thank you for a lovely evening, Tom, Anne, but I really must be going.”
“What’s your game Davis?” Toro’s voice was confused, like he wanted to believe that this was a trick by Fred, but couldn’t help trusting him. “You want Eva?”
Whenever he thought of the issue, that was what Fred saw, that proud fierce woman curled up weeping, broken in a way that nothing else, not even Steve Roger’s death had ever managed. And there was no reason for it. The pregnancy hadn’t been that far advanced, if another method, if someone else had helped her…she would have been alright.
The blood pounding in his ears, Fred spun around to stare at the other man. “You know nothing of my views on the subject.” He hissed.
Ann moved forward nervously, as though prepared to come between them, but there was no need. Toro backed off, looking at Fred Davis with something that might be respect. It made Fred uncomfortable.
“Thank you again for a lovely evening.” He said, addressing his remarks to Anne, as he stepped out into the night.