Heroes Assemble!

We Are Gathered Here Today

As Steve expected, the church was filled almost to overflowing. There were dozens of British officers in full uniform scattered amongst the hundreds of mourners in black. He'd only just made it to London in time, despite the fact that he'd known that this day was coming for the past three days.

Peggy Carter had deteriorated quickly at the end and, in typical Peggy style, had arranged much of the details for today. She hadn't wanted the time to drag on for those left behind, instead, she wanted to be buried quickly; thus, the funeral only two days after her death.

Memory after memory had filled Steve's time on the plane. The memory of his very first encounter of the no-nonsense British Officer at Camp Hammond. His gruelling training there, including the time that he'd managed to solve the Serjeant's 'flagpole challenge' to earn himself a ride back to the base alongside her.

Undergoing his change, her worried expression at what he was about to put his body through. Italy, when she'd found him again and encouraged him to do the right thing, to be the 'good man' that Erksine had envisioned him to be and when, for the very first time, he truly became Captain America. The sound of her voice as he piloted the Red Skull's plane, knowing that he was going to have to sacrifice himself to keep the world safe. And then, after coming out of the ice, finding out that she was still alive and meeting her once again.

Now ... now Peggy was gone. One of the very last of his links to his old life lost to this new world.

Beside him, Nat reached across and clasped her hand with his, their fingers intertwining as she offered her support while he grieved. On his other side was Bucky; he too, had known Peggy and how much she meant to Steve. The last of their group was Sam, sitting the other side of Bucky, supporting his friends in their grief.

A nudge from Bucky had Steve looking up to find Sharon, his one-time neighbour and a known former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent walking up to the pulpit.

"Margaret Carter was known to most as one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D. but to me, she was simply 'Great Aunt Peggy'," Sharon said. "She had a photograph in her office; Peggy standing next to JFK. As a kid, that was pretty cool. But it was a lot to live up to, which is why I never told anyone that we were related. I asked her once how she managed to master diplomacy and espionage in a time when no one wanted to see a woman succeed at either.

"And she said, 'compromise where you can; where you can't, don't, even if every one is telling you that something wrong is something right. Even if the whole world is telling you to move. It is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye and say no, you move'."

Steve's head dropped. Sharon's story, Peggy's words, it could have been aimed right at him, at them. With everything in him, he wished that he could stay, could mourn her properly, but they were short on time – the Accords were due to be signed that very day.

As soon as the service was over, the four of them – with Nat's arm firmly around Steve's waist – left the church, to be the tree ready to stand firm for what was right. Just like Peggy would have wanted.

ooo00ooo

Vienna was truly a beautiful city. Unfortunately, even strolling around the immaculate parkland in front of the United Nation's building with Daisy on his arm, Harry saw none of it. Instead, he was firmly rooted in the past.

"I hear that a problem shared is a problem halved," she said, bumping his shoulder.

Harry looked up at her, startled and with a great effort, shook off his morose thoughts and returned to the here and now.

"I guess I have been brooding a bit, haven't I?" he said, with a lop-sided grin.

"I'd say it's one of your more endearing qualities," Daisy said. "But I'd be lying."