Carmine Jewels ║ Wanda Maximoff

Chapter 55 - For What You Believe In

Despite never having met the woman herself, Keira held a deep respect for Peggy Carter.

That woman had managed to be one of the founders of SHIELD and climbed the military ranks despite having the entire system against her. And for that, Keira could only admire her.

Sitting beside Sam as the choir sang, Keira pulled on the sleeves of her black suit. It was Wanda who had helped her to pick it out, digging through the darkest corners of her wardrobe. She didn't normally dress in formal wear, so it had taken some time to find it.

But it did fit perfectly, so after some convincing, Keira had agreed to wear it instead of a traditional dress. Despite not being the same one she had worn in Sokovia, it still gave her flashbacks to Pietro's funeral.

Even if she had agreed to follow along the second Steve had asked her, it had felt a bit wrong to enter the church. She had killed so many innocent lives and their blood was dripping down her hands, so she didn't feel worthy of being in such a holy place.

The guilt was the worst part, although Wanda had mostly managed to talk that guilt out of her head.

Turning around in her seat, she watched with a somber face as Steve and several others carried the casket down the aisle. Covered in the British flag with a big arrangement of white flowers on top of it, it was truly beautiful. Matching the beautiful soul that would rest within it.

She could see how much Steve struggled to keep himself together, but he held his head up. His eyes were red from crying and they were staring unseeingly into the distance. With every shuddering breath he took, he was fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall.

They settled the casket down in the front, gently lowering it to the ground, and Steve joined his friends on the bench. He was eternally grateful for Sam and Keira's support. Sam had lost his dear friend, his partner, on a fatal mission years ago. It had broken his heart.

And he might not know a lot about Keira's past, but the fact that she was here was enough. While their pain might not be the same, they still knew what it felt like to lose someone.

Keira reached across Sam and grabbed one of Steve's hands, running her thumb over his knuckles. It might not be much, but it was all the comfort she could offer at the moment.

The Captain tore his gaze from the casket to look at Keira and Sam. What would he have done without them? 'Thank you' he mouthed, glancing between the two. Turning their attention back to the front, the priest's words became audible.

"And now, I would like to invite Sharon Carter to come up and say a few words."

Keira couldn't help the surprised look on her face as a pretty blonde made her way up the podium, her heels clicking quietly against the ground.

Steve's neighboring nurse was Peggy Carter's relative? What had she missed while HYDRA had gotten their hands on her for a second time?

Sharon's gaze lingered a little bit too long on Steve before she took a shaky breath, steadying herself and gazing out over the audience. "Margret Carter was known to most as a founder of SHIELD, but I just knew her as Aunt Peggy. She had a photograph in her office. Aunt Peggy standing next to JFK." A nostalgic smile made its way up her lips. "As a kid, that was pretty cool. But it was a lot to live up to. Which is why I never told anyone we were related." At the last sentence, she glanced at Steve again, almost pleadingly, as if asking him to understand.

Ah, so Sharon hadn't told Steve who she was when they were flirting as neighbors either. Keira could understand that though. Couldn't be an easy burden to carry the Carter legacy on your shoulders.