Agent Margaret 'Peggy' Carter had been working for the SSR for a lot longer time than Angie Martinelli had, and she knew it. However, that didn't mean that she had to like it, or to think that that meant that Peggy was better than her either. Both women were incredibly talented on top of being the only two women to ever work for the SSR as agents and Angie had always been rather convinced that that meant that they had to be rivals, even if it was a mostly friendly rivalry. Things had been that way between them for a very long time. Until the Captain America incident, Angie hadn't thought that they would ever be able to change.
When Angie had been met at the door by three very anxious looking older agents, she had immediately known that something was very wrong.
"Agent Martinelli," they had said. "we need you help with something." the eldest one had said, scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably and blushed. "She won't stop crying." she had been led to the changing room where, from discreetly behind a corner, she saw Peggy Carter clinging to Captain America's shield and crying so hard that Angie thought that she might actually vomit.
"She knew him?" Angie asked.
"You don't know? They were together. The Captain kept a photo of her on him almost all of the time. They were supposed to be going dancing for the very first time when he got back. He's not coming back." the agent told her.
"Go do something about it. She's making the men uncomfortable." one of the more gruff agents ordered. He was one of the many who had protested having female agents on the team.
"Then send the men away! Can't you see that she's grieving?! Are you blind as well as stupid?!" Angie's temper flared up in the defence of her rival. "Let her mourn her loss in peace. Peggy Carter is ten times the agent that any of you will ever be. Yes, she is a woman, and yes, so am I, but that is no excuse for any single one of you to stand and make a spectacle out of her pain. Go somewhere and do something useful with yourselves. Leave Carter alone." Angie's Italian blood was rising up in her again and for once she let loose on her bosses before going to Peggy and sitting down beside of her on the bench. As gently as possible, she pulled Steve's shield away and let the older agent crumple into her arms and cry until she was all cried out.
"I thought that you hated me." Peggy murmurs when the tears started to stop coming.
"I actually quite respect you. You're strong, brave, and smart. everything that I have always wanted to be. I considered you my rival as well as a comrade that I could look up to and learn from. I have always been incredibly proud to work with you." Angie strokes Peggy's hair to comfort her.
"I am so very sorry for your loss." she adds.
"You're the first person to have told me that." Peggy says with a sigh.
"That's truly ridiculous. Maybe I can be the first person here to call you my friend too." Angie offers.
"Yeah, I have a feeling that for the next little while I might need a few of those." Peggy agrees.
