open arms, mcu ✓

fifteen

chapter fifteen
╰  ( civil war  )

💫 ━━ STEVE took Paisley to meet Peggy Carter after the events of Ultron.

"Pais, this is Peggy." Steve said when a kind nurse had opened the door to Peggy's room. The older woman's as sitting on a rocking chair, a book in hands. "I met her before I went into the ice."

Paisley smiled at the older woman. She was slightly hiding behind Steve, she was kinda nervous, not knowing the woman.

"Hi dear." Peggy waved her hand, having placed the book she was reading on the side table. "I'm Peggy."

"Hi." Paisley stepped out from behind Steve, taking a step towards the woman who was looking at her with a bright look on her face. "I'm Paisley Maximoff."

Peggy hadn't heard anything about what was happening in the outside world. The only thing she ever was told about, was whatever Sharon or Steve told her. Besides that, everything was hidden away from her.

"Do you know how to play cards, dear?" Peggy leaned forward, grabbing a deck of cards from the table where she had put her book.

"No, ma'am, sorry." Paisley looked towards her feet, sad that she didn't know how to play something as simple as cards.

"Oh, don't be sorry dear, me and Steve can teach you." Peggy passed the cars to Steve, who shuffled them with ease as he sat at the small at the foot of her bed, beside where he patted the bed for Paisley to sit."How about we start easy with go fish."

💫 ━━ PAISLEY asked to attend the funeral with Steve.

She's sitting in the first row on the right, beside Sam Wilson who's dressed in his best black suit. Steve is one of six pallbearers carrying a coffin draped with a flag and white flowers of some kind. Paisley can tell he's upset, his eyes are red and puffy. She knows Peggy is inside it, that her cold body is resting there waiting to be placed in the ground.

Paisley sniffles, she didn't know Peggy all that well, but whenever she had spent time with her, she couldn't help but he feel like a normal child. Sam wraps his arm around her, bringing her closer to his side.

Steve and the others carrying the coffin sit down after they place it on the stand. Someone steps up to a stand, where he looks out at all the guests. "And now, I would like to invite Sharon Carter to come up and say a few words."

Steve blinks in shock, seeing that Sharon Carter is Agent 13, his old fake neighbour from DC. She makes her way up to the podium, where she grips the sides and smiles at all the guests. "Margaret Carter was known to most as a founder of SHIELD ... but I just knew her as Aunt Peggy."

Paisley knows not to talk, so instead she taps Steve and Sam on their hands, blinking up widely at them. She's met the woman before, when Steve had been babysitting her and took her to a museum. They both know it.

"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." Sharon looks towards Steve, Paisley, Sam. "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'."

💫 ━━ PAISLEY waved when she saw Natasha walk through the church doors.

The red haired woman makes her way down the isle between all the seats. She stands still once she reaches Steve and Paisley.

"When I came out of the ice, I thought everyone I had known was gone. Then I found out that she was alive. I was just lucky to have her." Steve speaks, knowing that Natasha is behind him, he's gazing at one of the pictures of Peggy someone had left behind.

"She had you back, too." Natasha smiled sadly.

Steve looked towards Natasha, "Who else signed?"

"Tony. Rhodey. Vision." Natasha answered, "Which means he signed for Ryder, as well."

"Clint?" Steve tilts his head.

"Says he's retired." Nat smiles slightly.

"Wanda?"

"TBD, which means she hasn't yet signed for Paisley." Nat sighed, but changed her facial expressions when she looked down at Paisley. She smiled. "I'm off to Vienna for the signing of the Accords. There's plenty of room on the jet." Steve just looks down, so Nat takes that as a change to keep talking. "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."

Natasha has a look on her face, one that makes Steve think she isn't sure about the choice she's making. "What are we giving up to do it?" Nat sighed and Steve shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Nat. I can't sign it."

"I know."

Steve looks at her questingly. "Then what are you doing here?"

Nat looks towards Paisley. The little girl had called her before the funeral started, telling her that she should be with Steve. "We didn't want you to be alone."