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It's not a terribly rare thing that one or the other needs to be away from home for a time, but it's a bit odd that information wasn't shared. Sousa received the message that Peggy had to head out of the country and that was pretty much it. He also got the note that she returned home, is fine, but was still going to be working for a bit. So he took it upon himself to get Mickey settled and ready for bed. There was even a phone call placed to one of his sisters telling them to wait on confirming the beach vacation.
Once Mickey and he were fed and Mickey was tucked safely into bed, he made his way back downstairs towards the study. There was a pause at the new, clean, empty pickle jar on one of the little tables by the front door. Adter a moment, he pulled out his wallet, found a couple of dollar bills, and dropped them into the jar before making his way over to the desk to sit and listen to the radio.
*
Sometime after ten, but at least well before eleven, the sound of Peggy's Aston Martin can be heard pulling up to the driveway and the garage opens a moment later. It's a few minutes, parking, killing lights, coming in and just kicking off shoes right next to the door, but she does make her way into their house with a slow breath of someone coming to an oasis after a long enough time in a desert she thought she might never see water again. Peggy is quiet, figuring that Mickey is in bed and not wishing to wake her.
It's a few moments of searching, but the study is pretty much the second place she looks for her husband. She's still wearing the same suit she was wearing two days ago which, pretty much, sums up how those days have gone. That too familiar, hit-by-a-truck exhausted look weighs on her face, but there is something new beneath it. Fear. Very rarely does Peggy Carter look scared, and it's not the personal fear of their family. It's much larger than that. This is a professional fear. She gives him a wry, ever so tired smile, "… President Kennedy says hello. And that you're a lucky bastard. I told him he never had a chance anyway."
*
Sousa looks up when the sounds of the car arriving are heard, but the radio isn't turned off yet…merely lowered. He's leaning back in one of the chairs in the study, his hands behind his head and his eyes closed as he listens to the radio station but when Peggy comes in, he straightens and opens his eyes. "Does he? And I knew that last part." There's his own wry grin before it fades. "I put two dollars into that jar, so I'm expecting to get my money's worth."
He actually pats at his good leg, inviting Peggy to sit there rather than any other spot in the study. Maybe it was the look on her face that compelled him to offer her the intimacy know that it won't be a pleasant discussion.
*
"…Bribing me now, are we? You know just what I need…" Peggy murmurs softly, even if there's a large part of her that DOESN'T want to talk about it, hence starting with the only pleasant thing about the whole trip and incident. Peggy pads over to him on bare, stockinged feet, one of her stockings with a good run up the center which means it's totally ruined, she's just not bothered taking it off. She peels out of her suit jacket, tossing it carelessly on the couch across the room before she slips over to fully settle on his good leg. No protests. Just settling near and close.
She says nothing for several moments, sinking her head on his shoulder and letting her nose bury into his neck. She takes in a deep breath of the last hints of his aftershave and the simple, masculine scent of her husband after a day. Home. He smelled like home. A lazy hand drifts against his arm, curling up as best she can in his lap. It's another minute before she murmurs softly, "We went out to investigate the fact that a nuclear war head had gone missing from that airforce base. Someone switched it out with a very good replicate, but the device is gone. While we were there… they cross checked other bases and discovered there are no less than 15 nuclear missiles missing in total from US bases across the country." Short, sweet, and completely terrifying.
*
"If I was bribing you, I'd have a scotch and a cup of tea here, waiting for you," Sousa smiles some before he just holds Peggy once she crawls into his lap. As she rests her head against his shoulder, he wraps his arms around her and just holds her until she's ready to move. When she starts talking though, he does listen.
"Oh, my god," is murmured as he leans back some to look at her. "And there's no way to track it down? How can someone just walk off with missiles?"
*
"…It really is that bad." Peggy murmurs softly, as he echoes the same 'Oh my god' that everyone else has. The pallor. The complete feeling of stomach in shoes, world turning upside down to hear news like that. She turns her head again, brushing her nose against his cheek and resting a slow, soft kiss there. How happy she is to be home. To have him in her life. To have their lives. Things like this really are a reminder of how short it all can be.
"…We've got mass amounts of personnel clock in and outs, the schedules from the last several months, to cross reference over the various bases, trying to see who was in all the places, who might have had the opportunity. But… it's so large. And these planes are rarely used so there's no way to even near pinpoint when things went missing. The head of the Air Force is about to lose his job… It's probably an internal actor, someone who had access to large trucks, uniforms… everything to do it without notice. The replacement missiles were well manufactured too, to look like the real thing, so they have access to a CNC factory somewhere.."
*
"It has to be someone who went undercover long-term. It's not like you can just slip into the Military and slip out and no one would remember…" unless it was someone with extraordinary powers. Sousa gives a heavy sigh and continues to just hold Peggy, "I don't know that it's the Head of the Air Force's fault if someone was able to slip in looking like someone else. Or invisible. Or something like that. We're not prepared for that. This is something the Avengers Initiative is supposed to do, but I'll be damned if I have the faintest idea what's going on with them." He takes a moment to just hold her and hold onto the moment before he asks, "Are you feeling all right? I want you to see the doctor in the morning. Just to be safe. And I want you to give me some of this. No stress, remember?"
*
"Or…someone who just… turned. Changed their mind. Decided to go go rogue and was already inside. There are too many factors to actually figure it out, but…they weren't doing enough checks to catch it early enough as is. People are going to be fired. We still have to clean up the mess." Peggy whispers gently, letting her head sink onto his shoulder again and her eyes shut. She might just end up half falling asleep right here if he doesn't rouse her soon. Who knows if she slept last night and, if she did, it certain was a scant few hours at most. Still, her hand idly brushes up and down his arm, proving she is still awake.
The question of the doctor almost gets a protest, but she lets it catch in her throat. She takes in a slow breath, refocusing her mind, "..I'll go in the morning." She finally says, not even commenting on how she's feeling because there is no way to feel good after all this. "…I know we had other things on the table but… This needs to take priority. If I don't head it all up, you need to. So… take this. Keep me updated, but… All the paperwork's on my desk. The analysts are going through the old schedules now. People are working as fast as they can but… you take this. I shouldn't do it. It's… too much."
*
"People in the Military don't change their minds and decide to smuggle out nuclear warheads unless they've suddenly gone Pacifist. This is a huge undertaking, Peggy. From what you're telling me, this took coordination and foresight and lots of planning. Maybe there are agents working in the Military and they need to be smoked out." They were both involved in the Armed forces…someone just doesn't up and change their mind, spending money and resources on a whim.
"Our major players here are Russia and Cuba. We need to look at them first…but still look elsewhere," he starts but looks down at the woman in his arms; she's so exhausted, so stressed, and she's actually letting him help. "Good. I'll take all the paperwork in the morning. We -might- want to question our new guests, but in a way that we're not feeding them information." No need for them to write back to anyone about this new dilemma.
*
Her dark eyes stare straight ahead, past his chin, into the room and nothingness as she murmurs, "That's…on you. I can't do this right now. I know I can't. I thought I was going to vomit on the President's shoes. I *shouldn't* do this. Paperclip and… this… whatever the fuck we want to call this, it's yours now, Daniel. I can trust you with it. I don't know who else to trust these days." Peggy admits softly against his neck, probably the worst admission she's made in a long time. It's not like Peggy Carter to stand back, to say she can't, but the woman knows her limits and knows she can't risk this without her head fully in the game. So, she gives it to the one person she knows who can.
"I'll turn everything over to you in the morning. The bureaucrats probably…will like talking to you better anyway." She gives a little laugh at the end of that, trying to find something lighter in all of this. It doesn't really work. Her hand tightens against his arm.
*
Sousa leans his head to rest his cheek against her hair, "You do what you need to do, Peg. I'll work on whatever you want to give me." And it's probably for the best this way anyhow - it seems that even those recruited into the Avengers Initiative didn't know why or what their purpose was.
"They'd learn that you're just as capable, and even more so, if they cared to. They're idiots if they can't see that a pretty face can also have a brain." He then gives a little scootch on the chair, "Come on. Upstairs before you fall asleep right here. Want me to bring you up some tea?"
*
Another slow breath, Peggy reluctant to move from his leg even if his poor thigh is half asleep by now. She turns her head once more so she can kiss along his jaw for a few heartbeats. Then, sore with tension, she shifts off his leg and stands. "…No. Just…bed. Hopefully exhaustion wins over the nightmares about what could happen from all of this tonight." It didn't win last night, that's probably the lines written in on her features. Standing now, she offers him her hand to help up, especially if his leg is asleep. Once he's up and they are standing eye to eye, she stares back at him…"I'm sorry I didn't say more at the office. I'm sorry I brought this home. I…I'm just sorry."
*
"Want me to grab Princess Bear from Mickey's room for you? He helps her fight off the nightmares." Yes, 'Princess Bear' is a boy bear dressed as a princess. Daniel stopped questioning the logic of a then four-year old when she insisted that was just how the bear was. "I won't even be offended." He does accept Peggy's help in standing before he grabs his crutch. The leg is a little numb, but he'll be able to move, albeit a little slowly.
"There's nothing to apologize for. I already put money in the jar and we needed to talk about it. This….is an exception." It seems like the rules for the Pickle Jar are not finite.
*
A slight, wry smile crosses Peggy's lips at the thought of Princess Bear. She's always been quite charmed by their daughter's creativity, even when it gets into the strange area of things. No wonder their daughter is incorrigable, they both completely and forever encourage it! Peggy reaches one hand up to tenderly comb through his hair for a heartbeat or two before she simply shakes her head, "I've got what I need to fight the nightmares right here. It… it's good to be home." She then leans in for a proper, full lipped kiss that she hadn't managed to take yet.
*
"I was sort of hoping you'd say that," Sousa admits, not moving away and enjoying the touch. The kiss is eagerly returned and he's perfectly happy for it to take it's sweet time before coming to an end. "I missed you." Even for two days.
As they start to head up the stairs, he leans over so that she can take his arm and they can walk together. He's actually fairly quiet for the short walk, but he does finally end up asking, "Should I cancel the vacation?" There's only a little disappointment in the tone of the question as this news is big. Bigger than either of them thought they'd have to be handling.
*
The kiss lingers. She needs it. It's soul healing in a way few other things are. Her nose rests against his for another breath or two before she finally forces herself to pull back and shift so they can slowly walk up the stairs together. She takes it calm and easy with him, more than happy for both of them to lag, not trip, and remain touching the whole way. When Peggy Carter came to need someone so much as she does Daniel, she'll never really say, but now he's absolutely the touchstone of her life.
"…I…don't know." She confesses about the vacation. "I don't want to." But there is doubt in her voice. This may actually be that big, as much as she doesn't want to. She takes naother few stairs. "…Get started working on it. See how far we get. You make the decision. This is your case now. I… I'm not in a place I can head up something like this. I know that."
*
Sousa tries to be there for Peggy — when she's stressed, when she's floundering, he tries to be that rock for her because she's that rock for him. She's the anchor he didn't realize he needed and she's given him a life he never dreamed that he'd have.
The fact that she's given him complete control over the vacation and the project actually has him pausing as they reach their bedroom. Turning to look at her, Daniel takes in the weariness and the fear before leaning in to give another long kiss. They have a partnership but if someone needs to relinquish control for any reason, the other will be there to pick up the slack. It's his turn for this.
"All right. We'll play it by ear. I'll tell them not to set out as many lobster traps…just in case."
*
She lets him stop her as they come to just outside the bedroom. Her brows loft, expecting him to say somethng more, but the kiss wasn't expected. Deeply appreciated, though. Peggy leans up and into his lips, eyes shutting, frame pressing slightly more against him. She's giving up control, for once. For him, for herself, for the baby. She's stepping back and trusting him to take it all, which might seem a miracle for her, but is so very necessary. Her hands clutch tightly against his back, holding on so close it might almost be uncomfortable. It's the only way she can communicate just how much this means but also how much she needs it.
"…I love you. If…if you decide we can't now, I… we both understand. But we will go. Soon. As soon as we can. I promise that a thousand times over." She whispers against his mouth, still not having pulled back from that embrace.
*
"And I love -you-," Daniel counters. "I'm going to do my best to make it happen. Worse comes to worse though, I'm sending you and Mickey and wo't hear any arguments. We all need a vacation, but you two more than most." Besides, his father, sisters, and their family will be there to help care for their daughter so Peggy can actually get some rest. He inclines his head to press his lips to her forehead, "At the very least, I'll have them find a beach house with a telephone." Maybe he can do both.
*
THAT gets a look from her. Peggy stares quietly back into his dark eyes, not happy at the thought. "…We'll talk about it if you decide you can't go. I don't want to go without you. Maybe we can send Mickey to have fun with her cousins, and we'll have the house here. We'll see. It's…it's not over yet. We'll talk about it in a week, alright?" Peggy settles, still pretty willful herself and not completely willing to roll over to things. But she isn't pushing it tonight.
*
Sousa isn't going to push it tonight either. "We'll play it by ear," is repeated with a smile before he gently tries to guide Peggy into the bedroom. "Come on. No nightmares here…I'll even check under the bed and in the closet if you'd like. It's probably best that Princess Bear stays where he is. Just in case, you know." He even moves in to hand over her robe, "Come on, you need to get some sleep, especially since I know you're going to want to be in the office bright and early tomorrow."
*
"No choice. This is what we do, Daniel…what we signed up for. We need to be there to do it no matter how much we want to sleep. Or run. Or turn our eyes." And she knows neither of them could do anything else. So, she steps into the bedroom with him and begins to unbutton her blouse. It's tossed across the back of a chair, her skirt following a moment later, then her stockings are pulled off and tossed into the trash, that run ruining the pair. She's most certainly gotten a bit *softer* over the last month or so, even if there is no other proof of their other secret.
*
Sousa gives a little grunt of disagreement with that, "Well, I don't know about you, but I joined up for the girls." What girls? He actually manages to keep a straight face at that faux admission. His own preparations for bed are a little slower and a little more elaborate but he'll eventually get there.
*
That comment gets an actual laugh and a little swat to his belly, but he's most certainly broken some of the tension with it. "Well, you've got two of them now and you are quite stuck, so…Good job?" Peggy offers with a tired grin, before ducking into the washroom to finish a few nightly abolutions. By the time she's out, her hair's out of the last few pins and she's wearing nothing but a pair of his boxers that she stole from goodness knows where, but they are comfy. "Mmph…your turn…I'll be right here…keep the bed warm…" She mutters, crawling into their big queen sized four poster.
*
Sousa's belly may also be a little softer after all these years, but he needs to keep a strong core in order to walk as well as he does. "Hey, I have no complaints. I got the two prettiest ones of the bunch!" he kids before trading places with Peggy to finish up in the bathroom. It isn't until he's ready to settle into bed does he remove his prosthetic leg and scoot into 'his' spot on the bed. "Because it's so cold during the summer," is murmured before he makes sure Peggy is fully settled. It's his own little ritual.
*
Fully settled and almost completely asleep. Almost. There is still that tiny part of her that always waits up for him to come back, come home, come to bed. It's not right until he's there. So, though her breath had mostly evened out, her head turns as she feels his weight get into the bed next to her. She smiles drowsily, "You know it, handsome…" Who knows if she even heard what he said about it being cold in the summer, her eyes are still half lidded. She tucks against him, summer warmth or not, and fully settles there. Her breath evens out almost immediately again, the desperately needed sleep finally coming now that he's back at her side.
*