The Seriousness of the Situation
Peggy Carter sat hunched over her desk, a lamp dimly lighting her desk as she poured over case files, she knew she didn't have to, but she had little else to do. Angie was out as usual, still not back yet from her audition for some new radio soap. Peggy hadn't really remembered all the details. Not that she didn't care. She really hoped Angie did well, and her description of the show seemed... well, she didn't really know what it meant about the show, the showbiz jargon confused her a little, but she didn't let on. Angie had seemed so excited, Peggy hadn't the heart to tell her how little of it she understood, and besides, she didn't really want to let on how lacking she was in knowledge in that area... she didn't like to give the appearance of weakness in any area to anyone really. She never liked to admit how competitive she was.
Unless in was a competition. In which case she always boasted that she was more competitive than any other. This mostly occurred when she'd been drinking a little more than necessary. Something which really hadn't occurred for a while... at least not often. Not since the war... and the Howling Commandos... well... not since... Steve. She hated to think it. She usually put it out of her mind. Ever since... the unthinkable... well, nobody had been the same. Especially not her, and she could hardly let on half the grief what with all the S.S.R. agents treating her like all sort of things, none of them what she wanted to be treated as; a person. But that was to be expected. She knew that. She just had to get on with it, do her best, work hard. Living with Angie now, just the two of them... it was like a dream come true. It was such a comfort. The Griffith had been nice, just women, and Mrs Fry keeping them safe, but living with Angie was... different.
They could do anything. She could come home at any hour she pleased, and Angie wouldn't yell, they wouldn't have to keep secrets. She could go undercover, and she'd have Angie to help her with the make up... give her tips on what looked realistic in costumes and everything. Jarvis could come and go as he pleased... and he always called so he rarely surprised her, or did awkward things like trying to climb drain pipes... and failing... leaving her with the first aid work. Now he could just come to the front in his automobile. Clean and simple, and safe and easy. It was something she'd never really had before. Her life before the war... it had been different. There had been secrets, there had been disagreements... but after the war... to have all this respect, and power, and ability to change things... and then to be the lunch lady... she'd had worse times; living on beans, smelling like god knows what, sleeping on the dirt floor, seeing men die. But the thrill had gone out of life, and everything had become different.
Now with Angie... she could enjoy something she never thought she'd have. A safe, relaxing house. A place to live with her friend. With a woman. Not like... with Colleen. This was safer and more sturdy, Angie was just a room over... and she had telephones and resources, and nobody questioned her in this house. It was so... nice. She almost felt like it was a trick or a dream or something. As if she might wake up and it would be all gone... or someone was really tracing her, or something. She felt as if she ought to be wary. She wasn't supposed to relax. She wasn't allowed to relax. Why should she be? What had she done? What did she deserve? She felt so strange... so cautious... worried that she should always be alert. That was why she worked so much here. Even when she didn't have to. Now that she was on a break with the S.S.R. she felt even more lost as to what to do with herself. And more certain that she should be working more.
Whenever Angie made her special treats... pancakes... eggs and bacon... she shovelled in the mouthfuls with some guilt and apprehension. She shouldn't be enjoying this. Angie should be relaxing. Sweet, innocent Angie. She should be the one being served breakfast foods or rich, Italian dinners. Not Peggy. That was why Peggy kept working, and staying up late. Barely sleeping, barely resting... when she wasn't pouring over new case files (which she may or may not have secretly taken before she'd been put on a break) she was looking over the old ones... or looking at code. Every night when she fell into bed she was exhausted. She'd often wake up in her day clothes, or at her desk. Angie was always berating her for not sleeping properly. It was rather sweet, and secretly Peggy rather liked it. Being worried over. She felt that maybe if she were constantly tired, and achieveing things and working hard... maybe... just maybe, she was allowed to enjoy a little doting... a little rest, and time with Angie.
Peggy worked herself to the bone by herself, or she'd work as hard as she could for whoever else wanted it. She'd help Howard with some leads, and solve an S.S.R. case and leave the resolutions on the other agents' desks so they didn't suspect her. She knew those brutes would probably take the credit, especially if she picked them right. And when Peggy had some spare time... wanted a break from the usual stuff... didn't know what to do... she did brain exercises, reviewed her codes... did physical exercise too. To protect Angie of course. Even in a big place like that, Stark security and all, she still wanted to know she could protect Angie. The only time she stopped all this was when Angie wanted her too. It was so nice... too... she didn't know if she deserved it herself, but Angie deserved whatever she wanted, and Peggy figured if she talked to her, Angie must want her attention. She would drop anything just for Angie, not just because she could. She'd dropped some of the biggest leads she'd found just to listen to Angie... audition practise, complaining, asking for advice about things, showing her a new dance routine, singing, wanting some company while she cooked, help with carrying things. Angie stopped time for Peggy. She felt like time was irrelevant, she would do anything for Angie, because Angie deserved it. Besides, she didn't even have a job to do at the moment, she felt that she would work around Angie. Angie was the small bit of joy in her life, and she would take any of it that she could get.
So when Peggy heard Angie come in she shot up. Her eyelids had been drooping, but at the sound of Angie at the door she felt a bit of energy. She pushed her papers away a little and hurriedly changed into a dressing gown, shoving her discarded clothes she ran to the door (her current training allowed her to run without being very out of breath).
“Hi Angie, how was work?” she felt a little guilty, even though she knew she was allowed to work, Angie's disapproval made it feel like she had to keep it a secret.
“Oh Peggy, not again!” she sighed. “You know I... You know you can't do this, and don't you think I can't tell! Some Agent you are. Look, I'll make you a warm drink and come into the kitchen and I'll put you right to bed. Okay?” It was the same thing almost every night. That was usually the worst part.
“Sorry Angie, I got busy...” Peggy tried to calm her down.
“English, you're always busy these days! You oughta be more careful! Come into the kitchen now and I'll make you somethin', and we can talk a little,” Peggy relaxed a little as Angie resigned herself to mild frustration as she boiled some water, prepared to start sharing her gossip, “You'll never guess who I saw tonight!”
“I suppose you'll have to tell me then,” Peggy replied.
“Ya damn right I will! And you'd better stay put and rest, okay?” Angie told her, Peggy nodded obediently and she continued, “You know Elaine right?”
“From... the Griffith?”
“Yes, exactly, well ain't this somethin'? I met her today, at work. I didn't even know she was gonna be there, and she didn't even know I was gonna be there. But she was real happy, real sweet on this... uh... this new someone,” Angie paused nervously,
“So?”
“Someone who was uh...” Angie heart beat more quickly, she could hear some shakiness in her voice. She had just been excited about meeting up with an old friend, but now she realised she'd gotten carried aw searched Peggy's face for some clue. As if she could determine her future reaction just by examining it. It was useless.
“Yes?”
“A woman...” Angie replied, biting her lip. She was sure her voice had given her away. English liked her, even if she didn't know it yet, but they'd never really talked about this sort of thing. She wanted to look away but found herself staring at Peggy, waiting for the verdict.
“So...?” Peggy seemed quite nochalant actually, she did blush a little, and Angie wondered what that meant... whether it was a good sign or a bad sign. But she did her best to stop running the possibilities and rushed on.
“So, ya see, Elaine, she was real nice to me back at the Griffith, 'coz I knew about her havin'... uh... them relations sometimes... ya know... and 'course I was real nice and didn't rat on her or nothin', and now she's real happy with this girl and she don't know who to tell, so I said, it's all right, tell me. So she did. She told me she found this real nice girl, and she'd been wantin' to tell everyone, but o' course, you can't just say it to anyone, I mean 'cept at them bars, but she says she was so excited and she didn't know many people there, and wanted some relationship advice, but she's real stuck on her.” Angie stopped there, she felt a little flushed and quickly checked to see Peggy's reaction, she wondered what Peggy thought of her... talking about those bars. But Peggy didn't say anything... or give her any strange looks, and after a couple of seconds said, “Go on.”
“Right. Yeah. Well, anyhow, she said she was with this girl... from the Griffith right?”
“Oh, I see...”
“So I said tell me who it is. So she did. She said it was that one girl. The one from Iowa. Dottie.”
Peggy gasped and cried, “Oh my God.”
“What is it English?”
Peggy looked into Angie's eyes and said gravely, “I... she's not who she says she is Angie. She's not from Iowa at all. She's attacked several members of my... branch. I've fought her! She's dangerous... We need to do something now!”
“Oh my God! Poor Elaine! She was so keen on her! She was so happy, and after goin' through somethin' real rough. I was so relieved for her. Oh Gosh! She said Dottie was on the run from some guy, got her shacked at up at this bar. Ya see Miss Miller... she's the one who owns it... she's keepin' her safe from any harm, an' all the girls love her, and she's been workin' there. Oh God Peggy! What do you think she wants... if she's dangerous... Do you think she actually... loves...”
“Oh she couldn't!” Peggy replied, “Not that... I'm sure Elaine's very sweet, but I haven't seen her do anything without a motive. Peggy that bar, it's in danger.”
“Oh my God. I never woulda though! Her! She was a bit... intense at times... naïve... but I never thought!”
“You wouldn't... she's very good.” Peggy paused for a minute and then blushed at the implications, she wasn't sure if Angie picked them up but she hastily spoke again just in case, “At cultivating identities I mean. She's very clever, and manipulative. She must have a plan!”
“Oh Gosh! That's the thing! Elaine said she was real sweet, but she was always real curious. Talkin' to all these other girls, Elaine thought she was just a little curious about the bar an' all, never havin' been there... but now... Oh God. She wasn't sure, but now I guess we can be . She ain't gonna hurt anyone right?”
“I'm sorry Angie, I can't say. But I should think that for the sake of her identity, for now they must be safe, as long as... Elaine, she won't let on she talked to you... right?”
“Why's that? I don't...”
“She might make a connection back to me... and my... uh, branch.”
“Well we gotta do somethin' right?”
“Yes, we must.”
“You got any ideas?”
“Not just as of yet... Do you suppose... I'm not certain I should inform the men at my... uh... branch, as of yet... I'm not sure how much use they'll be.”
“Plus you're on your break.”
“Yes... there's that too.” Peggy admitted sheepishly.
“Oh English! We gotta do somethin'! But... uh... please don't involve... well, for a business like that... people like the police... for women like them.”
“I won't tell anyone who doesn't have to know until we have a definite plan, Angie. But I'll do all I can!” Peggy assured her. “Jarvis and Howard will help if I ask, I'm certain of that.”
“Are you sure she's after you Pegs?” Angie replied, shifting a little closer to Peggy. “You'll be careful... won't you?”
Peggy took Angie's hand in her own, and looked into her eyes with a great seriousness about her. “I promise Angie, I'll be very careful. I know I'll have to be. I've fought her before.”
Angie felt a nervous lurch in her stomach at the thought. Maybe she shouldn't have told Peggy about this. Though she was sure Peggy could handle the case better than anyone else. Better for the girls at the bar especially. Angie snuggled in close to Peggy. She could smell the cigarettes and a little sweat and the soap the Peggy always used. All mixed together... it was a real Peggy smell, and it always comforted Angie. So she held her Agent tightly and whispered, “Oh English, you'd better come back safe.”
Peggy held her tightly too. “I will.” she tried to assure her, trying to fight off exhaustion. The seriousness of the situation seemed to fade away... with Angie's warmth and...