The Future Meets the Past

Chapter 4

Everyone stands as if frozen in time, no one knowing what to do. This was real. Everything anyone thought they knew had changed. For the director, time travel is now confirmed, for Daniel it was realizing how much had changed when he was taken, and for the future shield agents? Well they were in shell shock. And by they it was mostly Simmons. She was standing in the same room a her hero; Peggy Carter herself in the flesh. No old articles or classified files, just the woman herself. It was surreal, and Simmons was immobile. The first to break the trance was May.

"Are we done here?"

Everyone glances at her as if she had sprouted a second head. It was very clear they were not done at all. May rolls her eyes and looks to the door, making sure no one else intrudes. Everything was going wrong and they couldn't afford anymore set backs.

"Sorry about him..." Simmons trails off while looking at Mack. "He can be a little much."

"What?!" He exclaims, but Simmons ignores him, her excitement starting to bubble to the surface.

"I must say it is an honor to meet you, Director Carter. Truly!" Peggy gives the woman an unreadable look, glancing towards Daniel.

"She's a big fan. Your... kind of her hero I guess." He whispers back. Peggy makes an 'ah' noise in understanding before smiling gently at Simmons.

Though the smile didn't truly meet her eyes, it was kindly meant. However the intrusion and mind blowing events currently unraveling were distracting enough for Peggy to not be able to be so mundane at the moment. It was always lovely to find how her work had paid off and inspired other woman, but this... it was too much. Daniel was alive, with people from the future, along with a very large fan of Peggy's, another tried to shot her unconscious, and to top it all off, Daniel can't stay.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? But we need to leave. Now." 

"Mack-"

"Simmons you know we're running out of time. We need to leave." Mack crosses uncrosses his arms and turns back towards Peggy's desk, rummaging through her files.

"What on Earth are you dong?!" Peggy Exclaims, moving to stop him, but Daniel grasps her hand in his. A look she knows all too well, even after all these years. She sighs in defeat and steps back beside him. "What  exactly are you looking for?"

"A file."

"Very specific, thank you." Simmons laughs at Peggy's retort and covers her lips to quiet down. 

"Its complicated." Mack replies with a huff. Daniel sighs as Peggy rolls her eyes, but slips her fingers through his. 

Daniel startles for a moment before looking down at their hands and nudging her shoulder with his. Its then he notices her left hand... its bare. He tries to swallow the lump forming in his throat at this, but he shouldn't feel so dejected. To her he was dead, she had every right to take it off. Suddenly he feels her nudge him again and her eyes meet his own. They're full of vulnerability, and even a few tears. Daniel's instincts kick in and he brushes his free hand over her cheek; the audience of everyone else be damned. Peggy moves her free hand and brings it to her neck, pulling out a hidden chain. The engagement ring. 

"You... you kept it?" Peggy bites her lower lip before glancing at him once more. 

"How could I not?" She whispers. And in that moment Daniel wished nothing more than to be alone with her again, if only for a few minutes.

"Aha! Got it." Mack turns around and abruptly halts at the sight of the director and Sousa. He wasn't expecting such intimacy. Sure they kissed in front of him, but this? This was private. Mack clears his throat and Peggy quickly hides the ring in her blouse again. Simmons scolds him, making him wince. "Sorry."

"No, no... its uhm-" She clears her own throat, willing the heat inn her cheeks to flee. "Its quite alright." She looks to Daniel again, a sad smile passing on her lips. They both know what this is. Good bye.

"Mack." May says, grabbing their attention. She moves her head to the side and he gets the hint. Lets go.

Simmons, Mack, and May head out, but not before noticing Sousa wasn't following. Simmons stops to see what was going on, but Daniel assured her he would follow in a minute. She took the hint, with a knowing smile, and left them alone. They were on a time crunch, he knew that, so he had to make this fast. 

"Don't." Peggy says before he can get a work out, leaving Daniel to sigh in defeat. 

"You always do that." He says with no venom, making her chuckle. Her cheeks as tinted pink still, and her eyes shimmer with unshed tears. "Peg..."

"I know." Daniel tugs at their hands and Peggy takes the hint. She presses her lips against his, soft and light, memorizing this moment. All to soon, however, they part, and the tear falls. 

"I'll come back, I promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, darling."

"But I can, Pegs. And I will." A tear of his own slips down as he pulls at her waist. "No more rainchecks, okay? I'll come back, we'll finish what we started."

"How? Daniel if they took you away, leaving everyone to believe you died, that means you're still in danger. If you stay..."

"Then I'll be out of sight, amor." Peggy scoffs light heartedly and Daniel rubs circles on her back. One of the few things he knows calms her down. "When we're done saving the universe I will come back to you. We'll go through with the wedding as planned, just... you know, private," She chuckles, "And then I'll lay low. Get a new identity or something. We'll figure it out. But I can't leave you, Peg. I won't. Not again."

The door opens from behind them and Mack looks between them sheepishly. He understand what's happening, but they have to go soon. Daniel meets his eye and nods, leaving Mack to close the door again. Peggy sighs and Daniel pulls her against him. She wraps her arms around him tightly, breathing him in, before they pull away. 

"I love you, Peggy. I'll be back before you know it and it'll be like this never happened. I promise." She smiles before leaning forward, treasuring the way the lips fit perfectly together.

"I love you too."