Tour Guide | Steve Rogers ✓

Chapter Five

Quinn Greene walked out of the side entrance with Spencer by her side as she pulled her coat tighter around her body.

"I'm just saying Quinn, you have coffee with Steve Rogers every week surely one of those times I can meet him," Spencer said, still on the topic, he had been berating Quinn about for weeks now, when would he get to meet Captain Steve Rogers.

"I promise you will eventually get to meet him, Spence," Quinn replied. "I just don't exactly know when that'll be."

Spencer shrugged slightly and Quinn could immediately tell that this wasn't the last time today she was hearing of this. "Usually I would say that we just go to the Roasted Bean but Fletcher was talking to me about this new lunch spot that just opened. Do you want to go there for lunch today?"

"Yeah, sure," Quinn said absentmindedly, spotting a figure in the distance. "You know what I said a few moments ago about not knowing when you get to meet Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"Forget about all of that."

"Wh-?" Spencer started to ask before spotting the same figure that was heading towards them.

"Quinn!"

"Steve!" Quinn replied quickly, waving him over.

"Hey, I was just coming to see you," Steve said with a smile, his eyes flickering to a wide-eyed Spencer standing beside Quinn. "If it's alright, can I talk to you for a brief second?"

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god," Spencer muttered under his breath.

"Yeah, sure. We were just going on our lunch break." Quinn replied, before looking over to the hyperventilating Spencer. "Spence, I'll be back in just a sec."

"Thanks, sorry that I'm taking up your lunch break," Steve replied.

"It's fine, Steve. I can tell that's there's something big on your mind."

"Yeah, there is. I just can't quite talk to you about it here." Steve said, with a look over at his shoulder to Spencer.

"Don't worry about him, he's just a huge fan but he won't say anything if it's so important."

"It's not him I'm worried about," Steve replied gesturing around to the groups of people milling about. "I'm going to see Peggy again this afternoon and I was wondering if you would come with me. That way you can finally meet her and I can talk to you about what's going on."

"Really?" Quinn replied, her eyes lighting up. "You want me to come with you? And meet her?"

"Yeah, I've told her about you and she wants to meet you just as much."

"Wow." Quinn breathed out. "I guess I can get out of my afternoon's shift if I say that I'm going to 'interview' Peggy Carter."

"So you'll come?" Steve replied with a smile.

"I'd be honored."

"I'll pick you up here after your lunch break?" Steve questioned.

"Yeah, that would be great, thank you."

"No problem, see you then," Steve replied briefly pulling Quinn into a hug before walking away with a wave.

"See you then." Quinn farewelled with a smile before turning back to Spencer.

"Oh my god, are my eyes deceiving me or did Captain America just hug you?"

Quinn Greene wrung her hands together nervously, as she and Steve made their way down the halls towards Peggy's room, with each passing step her nervousness only reached fever pitch.

"Relax," Steve said, noticing Quinn's anxious stature. "You've got nothing to be worried about."

"Yeah, I know," Quinn said, dropping her previously tense shoulders.

Steve had filled her in with everything that was currently going on with Peggy, with her Alzheimer's and how it might take a few moments for Peggy to realize that Steve was there. Quinn had thought she was completely prepared to meet her childhood idol but at the same time, nothing could prepare her for such an experience. But fortunately for her, Steve knew exactly how to take her mind off the upcoming meeting.

"Who was that with you today? The man that was freaking out."

"Oh, Spencer?" Quinn asked looking up to Steve, only for him to nod in response. "We work together, he's my best friend, I've known him even before I moved out here for the Smithsonian job."

"Oh okay, then."

"What?" Quinn looked up to the man beside her with a raised brow.

"Nothing," Steve replied shortly, his hand finally resting against a doorknob. "We're here. You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Quinn said as Steve opened the door.

"Hi, Peggy."

"Steve!" The older frail-looking woman cried out in delight. "And who is this?"

"This is Quinn Greene. Do you remember when I was talking about her?"

"It's lovely to meet you, Quinn."

Quinn breathed out, trying to calm her nerves. "It's lovely to meet you as well Peggy. Thank you for everything, you've been a huge inspiration to me my whole life and I can't thank you enough for it all."

"Thank you, Quinn. That means a lot. Please sit down." Peggy said, gesturing towards the two chairs already sitting adjacent to her bed.

"You should be proud of yourself, Peggy."

Quinn sat quietly in her chair, her eyes flickering over the mass of photos of family and friends adorning the bedside table. Peggy's smile clear in every single one of them, the same smile reflected on the woman's face as she stared towards Steve and Quinn.

"I have lived a life. My only regret is that you didn't get to live yours." Peggy said with a smile only to stop as Steve suddenly gazed down at the floor, a sad expression obscuring his face. "What is it?"

"For as long as I can remember I just wanted to do what was right. I guess I'm not quite sure what that is anymore. And I thought I could throw myself back in and follow orders, serve. It's just not the same." Steve said, glancing at Quinn and Peggy before slowly taking Quinn's hand.

Quinn breathed a sharp intake of realization, she now knew what Steve was referring to and although she didn't exactly know all the answers, she knew enough to know that it wasn't good.

"You're always so dramatic. Look, you saved the world. We rather. . . mucked it up."

"You didn't. Knowing that you helped found S. H. I. E. L. D. is half the reason I stay."

Peggy glanced up at Steve's face taking his other hand. "Hey. The world has changed and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes the best that we can do is to start over." Peggy said before a fit of coughs suddenly overtook her fragile body.

Quinn hurried from her chair over to where there was a jug of water and a few glasses, in her haste and thanks to her clumsy tendencies she spilled a tiny splash of water onto the floor but soon handed a glass of water back towards Steve who then passed it to Peggy.

"Peggy?" Quinn asked softly as Peggy finished her coughing fit, but the older woman glanced quickly at the blonde before her gaze settled onto Steve.

The shock lit up her face as she gazed as him in complete astonishment.

"Steve?"

"Yeah."

"You're alive! You. . . you came, you came back."

"Yeah, Peggy," Steve said softly, sharing a glance with Quinn as Peggy started to cry.

"It's been so long. So long." Peggy wept.

"Well, I couldn't leave my best girl. Not when she owes me a dance."