Fourth in the Timeline series |
Clara Lewis never expected to be back in the 1940s and Howard Stark never expected to have to help her get back...again. But with Howard branded a traitor Clara knows of only one person who can help her: Peggy Carter...
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Clara staggered on the stairs. Her hand clenched around the bannister as she forced herself to keep going. She could just about hear Peggy's voice from a few floors up. Just a few more floors to go. She had to get there. Dottie was there and so long as Dottie was there, they were all in danger.
Clara tumbled up the last steps and stumbled into the room she'd heard Peggy enter. She was there alright and so was Dottie. Both of them were covered in blood. Peggy's cheek was cut from under her eye right down to her chin and was dripping blood all down her jacket top. Dottie's fingernails were stained red. So was her pantsuit. There was something sharp stuck in her thigh. Neither of them looked like they'd stop fighting the other any time soon.
Although her vision was steadily fading, Clara rooted her feet as best she could. She tightened her knees and locked her legs and forced her eyes to focus so the room would stop spinning. She was still lingering in the doorway, they hadn't seen her yet. Clara took two steps across the threshold and grabbed ahold of the mantelpiece to steady herself. Peggy had been thrown to the floor. Dottie was too busy taunting her to notice Clara was even there. Perfect. Clara grabbed the closest, heaviest object to her. A model tooth the size of her head was carefully displayed on the mantelpiece. She threw it, smacking Dottie square on the head. She toppled over like a domino and fell straight out of the open window. Clara heard her skull crack on the ground even three floors up. There was no way she was getting up now.
Peggy had risen to her feet. Clara could see her mouth moving but nothing reached her ears. Her knees buckled and her eyes were suddenly too heavy to keep open. Peggy barely caught her before she fainted.
*
Clara's eye flickered open. She squinted. Everything was blinding her. There was sunlight streaming all around that caused searing pain in the centre of her head. Everything was white. Was she dead? No. She wasn't dead. Not yet. She sat up and looked around, forcing her eyes to open. Everything was white but it wasn't because she was dead. She was in some sort of airbase, white walls all around. Clara shifted and propped herself up on her elbows. She was lying on the floor. Someone had laid a pillow underneath her head. Where'd they get a pillow from in an airbase?
"Awake I see."
Clara shot up, defences and fists raised.
"Woah! Relax."
It was agent Sousa. Clara didn't relax when she realised who it was.
"Here," He said softly and handed her a glass of water. "You've had a nasty shock. Lot of blood loss." He chuckled.
Clara froze. She refused to take the glass of water and Sousa just stood there looking stupid.
"Am I still arrested?"
Sousa laughed and set the glass of water down on the floor by Clara's head.
"No." He chuckled and Clara took a sip of water, "Not now Peggy's explained everything."
