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Morning. Peggy was there, bright and early, as ever. She's moved into the biggest Director's office (his old office) shortly after his funeral because there is no doubt she's the one running the show now. A perky secretary sits outside, directing traffic in the front hall, taking fingerprints of visitors, and generally being far too alert and dangerous for a woman who is just supposed to be a pretty secretary. SHIELD hasn't changed overly much since he was last there. Perhaps a bit more busy, perhaps a bit more stressed. The world carries on.
*
The sounds of freshly polished dress shoes against the floors rings out as that man in his dark brown suit walks through the hallways. The only reason he isn't hung over is because he's tries a new little experiment on the side. Mainly just having an IV drip in his arm as he slept with a nice saline solution to keep him from being too messed up the morning after.
Everything about his suit and tie is in perfect order as he moves along with all the self respect and confidence of the man who had been running the show when things first started. Never-mind that it didn't last very long that way. At least he's not drunk or hungover as he goes through all of the nonsence, his visitors pass clear as day around his neck as he makes his way to that secretarial desk.
"Evening beautiful, how far back did you start?" A light pause before he adds. "I'm sure I'd recognize an angel like you if you'd been here long." That award winning smile climbing right up onto his face as he leans up against the desk, simply oozing that natural charm. "I never forget a face when it knocks me off my feet."
*
Howard adds a slight playful wink to it as he stands up a bit to offer with a bit of a smiling laugh of confidence. "Mind sending me in? I've got an appointment with Director Carter" As he turns a bit more serious then before still smiling somewhat after his bout of playful banter with the secretary. "Should be under Howard Stark."
*
The woman stares up at Howard, recognizing him ever before he says his name. She might not always have had the front desk guard job, but she's smart, trained and she know their history. She cuts him off almost immediately, "I…I know your name, Mr. Stark. I've been with SHIELD for five years now, two in this position. And yes, Director Carter is expecting you. She's in the last office in the hall." The woman nods for him to go, but she doesn't abandon her desk or position. She, and her gun, are the first line of defense in this hallway. Also, the last office in the hall used to be his.
If Howard doesn't stop to flirt more, he'll find Peggy there, bent over her morning paper work with slightly tired eyes. If he bothers to knock on her door, she calls up: "Come in." Or, well, she'll say it whether he knocks or just opens the door as he has wont to do. A slight loft comes to her brows as she looks up, trying to decide what condition he's in this morning.
*
For someone who got completely and utterly hammered the night before Howard looks calm collected and in top form. Even as he gives one last slight wink back to the secretary at the front desk. "Remind me why I never let you pick my secretary?" Pausing at his own rhetorical question as he reaches the desk. There's a smile on his face, and after pushing the door closed behind himself his hands are in the pockets of his dark brown suit.
*
Peggy gives him a half smile, far calmer today than she was last night. She's had a night to try and get a restless sleep about it all and help process her emotions. She then sets her pen down and comes around the side of the desk. If he doesn't stop her he will, suddenly, find himsel pulled into an entirely too tight hug now. Peggy's thinner than she used to be, more bones than softness, but that's probably from working insane hours more than anything. She was also getting over having a kid the last few years he knew her. SHe holds on tight for a few heartbeats. "…I'm glad you're alive, even if you're driving me up a wall already."
*
well that's something of a surprise. Howard is caught off-guard but plays it off like he knew exactly what was about to happen, simply joining back in on the whole Hugging situation. "I did say I'd be back." He pauses a few heartbeats. "And when was the last time I lied to you right before a mission to a Mideastern country, about coming back?" Giving an oddly specific rendition of his little question as he gives a slight smile. "Not to mention: I'm Howard Anthony Walter Stark, takes a little more then a plane crash, some cancer, liver failure, a bad lung, fourty three broken bones, a stab wound, and bad air-line food to kill me."
*
There's a slight pause as he adds. "Now if it was fourty five broken bones?"
*
There is a slight tremble of her breath as she pulls back, looking him over, confirming that he really does look not near so sickly as he had been before. She nods quietly, "I… I guess. I also know that you are good at talking a bigger game than you play sometimes and… you were sick, Howard. More sick than… I ever imagined. I thought maybe they eventually got one over on us." Peggy gives a bittersweet smile at some thought, "Eventually, we're all going to go. We just need to keep fighting until that day. I'm glad your day wasn't here yet." She then lets go and steps back, turning around just a moment to dab at her eyes as she moves back for her desk. "…So. What are your plans? Please tell me you told Tony."
*
Howard falls back silent again giving her a small smile of reassurance, that confidence back in full force doing its best to reassure her that everything is roses. "Nah, not me." A slight pause. "I'm going to live forever or die trying." He winks his eye hard at her still smiling slightly a bit of a smirk more then a full on grin.
Though he does fade more to a respectable neutral tone as she brings up Tony. "He was the first person I went to, tried to give him some peace, handed over the company, and a few other things." He stops for another moment. "Had the generosity to let me move back into my own house in return…" There's a slight falter in his cocky confident exterior as he speaks. "I turn around for one minute and he's already a man, with his own company, and if I may be so bold, a real smoking secretary of his own." The smile coming slightly back to his face. "If I don't have three grand-kids by years end? Color me surprised."
*
Well, that's enough to make Peggy smirk though she's a touch relieved as well as he mentions having gone to Tony first. "…I'm glad you went there first. I don't know if it meant a lot to him, but it was the right thing to do." She's still smirking, "It's already June, Howard. I dn't think it's possible to have three grand kids by years' end, it simply doesn't work that way. And, with Tony… I wouldn't be surprised if you have three grandkids runninga round out there somewhere already." Peggy states with a half laugh, teasing just a bit more but not pressing the issue further. She motions for Howard to sit down across from her, perhaps even relax a bit. "…So, you have a place to stay. I'm certain you have money left, it is you. What… what do you *want* to do, Howard? Come back to work? Enjoy retirement? You could actually retire."
*
"Made my first million from absolutely nothing, think even without the place to stay I'd be back up and running by." He pauses looking towards his watch. "Now." Smiling once again as he nods his head slightly. Though that does give him some thought a long pause as he taps the bottom of his chin."What? Go golfing, hitting on women half my age, inventing some new abomination every other week just because it's fun?"
He pats her on the shoulder for a moment. "Peggy I did all that stuff BEFORE I left, only difference if I retired would be that I wouldn't get as much of a chance to put you through hell." He's just full smile right now as he gives her a light joking slug to the shoulder. "Some men weren't meant to retire Peggy, it's not for me." A single heartbeat. "No, I think I'm going to start work on enacting Alpha Protocol."
*
"True, but it's nicer not to be sleeping on my couch. I need it for the times I piss off Daniel." Peggy states, only half teasing. For how very much she and her husband seem in love, there are times. She keeps that levelled look on him as he mentions the things he could do with retirement. "Yes, you could do all those things and NOT put me through hell. Seriously. While I have missed you, I… I have a handle on things here. I do. Things are fine." She's tired, things are insanely busy, but even before, she chased after his messes as much as she got help from him.
Then he brings up Alpha Protocol and her lips turn into a somewhat deeper frown. "Howard… we decided to table Alpha Protocol for several reasons. Just because someone isn't Steve Rogers, doesn't mean they can't be just as effective against super strong threats. And… we are not making a super hero police. The pubilicity alone could be a complete mess. Why now? What… what makes you want to revive things now?" Peggy has been against it since the beginning, but then she fought with the Howling Commandos who were mostly all regular men.
*
"Peggy, we live in a world where criminals can turn four times their size, where people can lift entire bridges with their minds." Howard starts after a moment looking down towards her his voice somewhat passionate as he gets serious about this idea. "I saw something when I was down there, and I.. we need to enact Alpha Protocol before it's too late." He pauses for a long moment moving over towards the desk, thrumming his hand down across the surface. "Listen we might not need it now, but if we don't have something ready to fight back? We might as well just launch a few nukes at the reds and end it early."
He moves over leaning his back against the desk belonging now to Peggy. His own attention falling back down onto her. "Peggy, I'm going to enact Alpha Protocol, it's just a question of if I have SHIELDS backing to do it." He pauses for a long moment. "Officially you can make any concessions you want, claim it was just an old handsome, charming, charismatic, strong, incredibly irresistible former director acting on his own. Jot it down as.. as a deniable operation It wouldn't be the first time."
*
Those words are enough to draw her attention, eyes narrowing and back straightening even more behind her desk. She stares hard at him, her red lips in a firm line. "Howard…whatever you saw down there, you need to tell me. Now. I'm serious. If you trust me and you trust my oversight of this organization, you cannot keep me in the dark. I trust you. I've trusted you when *no one else* in the world has… You could at least show the same to me. What the hell is going on?" Peggy asks firmly, that sharp bite back in her voice. SHe's not letting him make a move without that explanation.
*
Howard moves in, he flicks a small button on the side of his watch starting up a small white noise generator. Without speaking anything above a whisper he leans in and whispers something in his ear so quiet that only she could possibly hear it before leaning back. His own expression harsh and stern as he looks over towards her. His hands falling down in his pocket as there's definitely a little bit of fear mixed in. "You can't tell anyone else, do you understand?" He offers speaking firmly. "I'm not just saying that as your friend but as your former boss, if in nothing else then name only."
*
There is a slight easing of her shoulders as he pulls out the white noise generator and makes some indication that he is actually going to tell her. The dark haired woman leans forward, listening silently, a trace of a deeper, grim line across her pale features. When he's finally done speaking, she leans back and sighs. There is nothing between them but the collective sounds of their breaths for many heartbeats. She finally just stands up and moves to back to grab an ashtray from the wet bar and the pack of cigarettes she hardly ever touches. But it's better than drinking at work. She brings them over to her desk and pulls one out. "There is agent who worked with us during the war — Nicholas Fury. He… he needs a command again. Talk to him. He'd be a good start. You can over see the project, but you report directly to me."
*
From his pocket Howard pulls a small novelty lighter made from the single rarest substance on earth. The one of a kind lighter flicking out a blue flame to match the odd color of the lighter itself. Leave it to Howard to use something so precious and special as that metal for a gimmick. He holds the flame out for her to light up. "I would never have pressed the issue if it wasn't one in the first place Peggy." The dull hum of that portable white noise generator still running in the background of their conversation.
*
Adding a small nod at the mention of Furry's name. His own grey eyes looking right down to lock onto hers. He's deadly serious about this situation. "I'll hunt him down and we'll have a few words over drinks. Mum"
*
"…Howard… is that… Vibranium…?" Peggy asks, a touch incredulous, but nothing about him should shock her any more, really. She knows better than this. She shakes her head and slips her cigatette between her lips, leaning forward to take a deep breath of her cigarette before she leans back and lets the smoke carry into the air. She crosses her long, stockingly legs and sighs deeply. "…Daniel should be involved also, considering he's Division Head over super-human dealings. And…" Then she grimaces, at his comment about drinks. Peggy's eyes level with him once more, "…does it always have to be booze? You have a problem, Howard. You know."
*
Howard finally flicks shut the lighter tossing it up in his hand once before shoving it back into his pocket. "I got tired of them breaking on me." As if it were nothing that he spent so much of that all too rare element on something so trivial. He falls silent for the Daniel comment looking back down as he leans up against the desk. "It's only a problem when I'm sober."
*
"…Do you hear yourself? Listen to yourself, Howard, truly. Seriously. If another agent came and said that to you or me, what would you tell him? Would you find it acceptable? Healthy?" Peggy stands then, her cigarette still in her hand, but she's restless and angry enough that she needs to pace or she's going to start yelling again and she doesn't want to.
*
Howard takes a long pause, silently looking towards the door, as he comes back to a stand. His own thoughts drifting slightly as he starts walking towards the door. "I'll avoid drinking on the job." He offers as a bit of a compromise of sorts without actually responding to the comment about his drinking habits. Something of a sore spot for the man as he moves over towards the door, hands going back into the pockets of his jacket. "If there's anything else, you have my number, and you know where to find me."
*
Silence for several more heartbeats, Peggy staring at him. She isn't going to fight it any more, though. Not today. She sighs quietly, "I'll set you up in one of the executive offices in the hall. Check in with Cocoa tomorrow up front, she'll tell you which one and take you there. I expect regular reports, including how your meeting with Sousa and with Fury goes. Good luck, Howard… Welcome back." With that, Peggy gives him one last nod and then folds down into her desk chair, picking up the report she was reading again.
*