Winter In Training(ON HIATUS)

Chapter Seventeen

London was calling my dad and I. I had never met Peggy but the way my dad talked about her, she must have been one special lady. Uncle Sam came with us, to give my dad moral support.

"Dad, are you going to be okay?" I asked and he solemnly nodded, his eyes still red from crying the entire flight here. Uncle Sam and I got ourselves seated in the front of the cathedral as Dad came in, carrying the casket. Dad still looked on the verge of tears. I squeezed Sam's hand, worried for my dad. I looked up the front as a priest addressed everyone there.

"And now, I would like to invite Sharon Carter to come up and say a few words" he said and a beautiful blonde walked up to the podium. Dad sat down beside Sam and I gave my dad a smile from across Sam. I watched as Sam nudged my dad and I raised an eyebrow at his reaction.

"Margaret Carter was known to most as a founder of SHIELD . . . but I just knew her as Aunt Peggy. 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 took a breath and looked right at my dad. At this point, I was really confused.

"I asked her once how she managed to master diplomacy and espionage in a time when no one wanted to see a woman succeed at either. And 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 they eye and say " No, you move."" she said and tears came to my eyes. Even though I didn't know either of these women, I really felt for her. I leaned on Sam's shoulder and smiled into his shoulder. After the service, Steve found Nat. I stayed with Sam.

"So, who was that woman and why did she know my dad?" I asked my uncle and he just chuckled at me.

"That woman and your dad had a thing, kinda. When they were looking for your dad. Your biological one, I mean" I nodded, now knowing why I had never heard of this Sharon Carter person. The time period where Dad found and then lost Barnes is off-limits.

"That makes sense. Dad doesn't really talk about his time trying to find Barnes" I said and then I saw Auntie Nat.

"Auntie Nat" I called and I ran to her.

"Hey, Aves" she said, hugging me tight.

"Who else signed?" Dad asked and I turned to Nat.

"Tony. Rhodey. Vision. Lydia" she said and my heart broke. The government would be going after me if everyone signed the Accords and she still signed them? I thought that we were friends.

"Clint?" Dad asked and I got super worried. What if he chose to sign the Accords too? What if everyone that I love thinks I don't deserve to be left alone?

"Says he's retired" Nat said, giving me a soft look. I forgot that Nat can basically read my mind.

"Wanda? Lillian?" Dad asked, pulling me to his side. They, being Nat and my dad, knew what I felt for Tony's daughter.

"TBD. I'm off to Vienna for the signing of the Accords. There's plenty of room on the jet. Just because it's the path of least resistance doesn't mean it's the wrong path. Staying together is more important than how we stay together" Auntie Nat said and I gave her a small smile. The family that I had grown to love was now splitting apart and I felt like it was all my fault.

"What are we giving up to do it?" Dad asked, pulling me to his side. "I'm sorry, Nat. I can't sign it. They want after my daughter" he said and I squeezed my dad. He kissed me on the top of my head.

"I know," she said, giving both of us a small smile.

"Then what are you doing here?" he asked, giving Nat a confused look. I was thinking the same thing.