Imagine Peggy having to manage the Commandos because Colonel Philips just cannot deal with them.
It's not so much that Colonel Phillips can't handle the Commandos as it is that they don't want him to.
The decision to grant her field command is an easy one for him. She's grieving and needs something to do, and so are they. And they respect her.
And she gives the best pep talks.
"All right, boys," she says briskly, rolling up her map. "Objective: explosions. Make some things blow up. Important things. I expect you lot will be good at it. Any questions?"
"No ma'am," grins Falsworth, saluting her. He looks like a child in a candy shop.
"Excellent," she answers him with the tiniest of smiles. "Let's have a go at it then, shall we?"
Things are busy for a long, long time after SHIELD falls. Sharon has to leave her apartment in DC - it's not safe anymore, not since it was on SHIELD's records.Â
It's months later when she finally knocks on Steve's door. She's exhausted - hunting down the remnants of HYDRA is hard work - but she'd heard he was in the area, and she's planning to be here for a while.
"Hey," she says when he opens the door, brushing her hair out of her eyes. She really could use a shower, but it's too late for that. She knows there's dirt all over her face.
"Sharon," Steve says, surprised. "Hey, it's been a while. Are you okay? What brings you here?"
"I'm fine," she tells him, brushing off the concern. "I was just wondering - about that cup of coffee you offered me?"
He grins at her. "What's that gonna cost me this time?" he asks.
She pretends to consider it.
"The use of your shower," she tells him, giggling.
"You really didn't have time to catch a shower before asking me out?" he teases her. "It's a deal."
Imagine Sharon having to protect Steve from all the idiots that want to kill CAPTAIN AMERICA and then hide the bodies before Steve finds them. "Infected clothes, more like bloody clothes."
The offer for coffee is really very sweet, and Sharon almost regrets having to turn him down. But then she remembers that it's his fault she had to smuggle an unconscious, bleeding terrorist down the fire escape to a SHIELD van and thus now has blood all over her favorite shirt (concealed neatly at the bottom of her hamper), so she lets herself feel the tiniest bit vindictive instead.
Imagine Sharon bringing Peggy to school for her show and tell.
Sharonâs classmates loved to hear her stories. The teachers, of course, never believed her. They would chastise her when they overheard stories of Aunt Peggy fighting with Captain America, and the Howling Commandoes getting up to no good in the camp. Telling not to make up lies, that people died for our freedom, not to make up stories to be popular.
Not that it stopped her.
She knew she was telling the truth. And all the teachers could take a hike if they didnât believe her.
Wednesdays were show and tell. One of Sharonâs favourite days. This week, she had a surprise for everyone.
âAnd that is why Alice in Wonderland is my favourite book.â
âThank you, Dylan,â Mrs Jones praised, âthat was lovely.â Dylan sat back in his spot on the floor, clutching his well-loved copy of Alice in Wonderland to his chest.
Before Mrs Jones could say anything else, a knock on the classroom door interrupted her. A brunette woman, with red lipstick peered her head through the door, âsorry to interrupt,â her British accent sounded, âBut, Iâm here for show and tell.â
Mrs Jones, stunned into silence nodded her head, slowly.
The woman made her way to, sit on one of the tiny elementary school chairs at the side of where the children were gathered. Initial shock over, Mrs Jones cleared her throat and âso, whoâs next?â Sharonâs hand was in the air faster than the speed of light, âOkay, Sharon.â
Sharon stood and proudly made her way to where Dylan had previously stood, smile on her face, âFor my show and tell, I brought someone very special to me. This is my Aunt Peggy.â
Peggy waved from where she sat, âhello, everyone. Sharonâs told me a lot about you all.â
Imagine the kinds of Christmas gifts Sharon gets from her Aunt Peggy over the years.
Christmas day was one of Sharonâs favourite days of the year. Not for Santa, but because she would usually spend the day with her parents, Peggy and her kids.
When Sharon was younger, she had a fascination with Disney movies. The Jungle Book was her favourite, which Peggy bought her. Sharon would open a new Disney movie from Peggy, straight after Christmas dinner, everyone would sit in front of the TV to watch it.
Then came the board games. Monopoly, Game of Life, Mouse Trap. Sharon had all the classics.
One year, Sharon announced she wanted to be a doctor. In response, Peggy bought her a little doctorâs kit, complete with a stethoscope, blood pressure monitor, thermometer, reflex hammer, otoscope, even an eye drop bottle and little white coat.
As Sharon grew up, she learned more about Captain America and Peggyâs work for SHIELD and the SSR. This was when her fascination for Captain America and âsecret agent stuffâ, as Sharon put it, set in. Her first gift after this was an Action Man figure.
Sharonâs fascination never ended, though. As the years went on, Peggy bought her more and more to help her dream.
Martial arts lessons, shooting lessons, visits to army and SHIELD bases, fencing lessons.
Then came Sharonâs most prized possession.
Sharon never told Peggy she was joining SHIELD until after she had passed her training.
December 2007. A few days before Christmas was Sharonâs ceremony, celebrating her and her fellow trainees passing out.
Peggy looked on with pride lighting up her face. She gently rubbed a small engraved box in her hands.
She waited until the end of the day, once Sharonâs friends and family had left before she gave her the box.
Sharon carefully lifted the lift, tears welling in her eyes when she saw what was inside.
Peggyâs stripes, service medals, Sharonâs favourite drawings Steve Rogers had drawn, and Peggyâs SHIELD badge.
âYouâve worked hard to get this far,â Peggy told her. âIâm so proud of you.â
imagine Sharon going an a date with Steve and it's awkward as fuck because Steve is really only interested in Sam (who set him up on that date btw) and Sharon is only interested in Natasha and why the hell did they agree to this and in the end they just talk about how cool Sam and Nat are and give each other flirting tips.
Sharon didnât want to go on this date, but she promised Natasha. âHeâs a great guy, youâll love him,â she said. Her aunt was Peggy Carter, and she lived next door to him for months, of course she knew he was a great guy. She just wasnât interested.
Who knows? Maybe things would change when they were out? Maybe they would hit it off? âUnlikely,â she muttered to herself, as she applied the last of her mascara.
Natasha had organised a picnic for her and Steve in Anacostia Park. She had told her the picnic will be ready for them at 13.00, under a tree by the river.
She checked her appearance in the floor length mirror one last time. She wore a pair of dark blue jeans with a white blouse, wedged heels, straightened hair, make up simple, yet elegant. She might not want to go, but this is the first date sheâs had in a while. Might as well enjoy herself.
When she arrived, Steve was stood, looking out at the river. He was dressed in jeans and a black shirt, only sign of nerves was a slight dip where he was chewing his cheek. Sharon smiled as she approached, giving him a casual wave to catch his attention. Steve returned both.
âHi,â she said, cheerfully, âI hope I havenât kept you waiting.â
âHi,â he repeated, âno, no. I only just got here, too. How have you been?â
âGood thank you. And you?â
âYeah, Iâve been good, thank you.â Silence fell between them, two pairs of eyes darted around. âUh, shall we sit?â
Sharon nodded, âYes. We probably should.â
Awkward greeting over, the blanket was laid out, and the picnic basket was opened.Â
The basket was filled with various sandwiches, (tuna fish, egg, chicken and stuffing and more), pastries, yoghurts, fruit, and a bottle of red wine, along with cutlery and plates.
Steve offered Sharon the wine and a glass, which she gratefully accepted. The sandwiches and desserts were handed out. Just simple small talk passing between them, neither knowing what to say.
Awkwardness falling between them as they ate. Sharon thought for a moment, âI have to say it. Iâm really sorry, but I feel like Iâm wasting your time. Youâre a great guy, but I donât really like you in that way. I -â Sharon noticed the look of relief on his face, âyou didnât want to be here either, did you?â
Steve shook his head, âNo. I was actually thinking of some way to say the same thing.â
Sharon cocked her head, âhuh. So is there anyone you do like?â
âYeah. You?â
âYeah. Are you not going to tell me who?â
âIâll tell you mine, if you tell me yours.â
âFine. You go first. I was a SHIELD agent, so donât try and lie to me.â
Steve took a deep breath, âSam.â
Sharon raised her eyebrows, âSam? Sam Wilson, Sam? As in the guy who set you up on this date?â
Steve nodded, âYeah. I know, heâs a guy, Iâm a guy. Not really what you were expecting.â
Sharon shook her head, âNo, no. Itâs not that. Itâs justâŚ. Mineâs Natasha.â
âReally? We both like the people who tried to set us up together. I wasnât expecting that.â
Sharon laughed, âso, what do you like about him?â
Steve thought for a moment before smiling, âheâs funny. He uses his own experiences to help others. Heâs a looker. His smile is fantastic.â
âI canât argue there, he is a sexy man.â Steve raises his eyebrows and holds his hands out jokingly, âso are you. I was agreeing with you, idiot.â
He chuckled before continuing, âHeâs a good man. He has his faults, but he uses them to help. And, he wasnât afraid to jump right in and help us. What about you and Natasha? With the say she talks, you seem pretty close already.â
She shrugged, âwe had a thing a few years ago. It wasnât much, but I fell. Guess Iâm just not as over her as I should be.â
Steve pursed his lips, âwhat attracts you to her?â
âIâve seen a side to her that most people havenât. Thatâs whatâs I fell for. When she lets her walls down, sheâs almost care free. She has fun and sheâs fun to be with. And sheâs doesnât care what people think of her, sheâs not afraid to speak her mind either.â Sharon looked down at her hands, sadly, âbut, she set me up on this date. I doubt anything would happen again.â
âYou wonât know unless you try.â Sharon looked up at him expectantly. âShe smiles when she talks about you. Iâve never seen her smile when she talks about anyone else.â
Sharon shrugged, âWell, we could use this time to decide what weâre going to do about them. We need to make them jealous.â Steve nodded slowly, âI think we should pretend this date went really well. We hit it off almost instantly, seen as this would be your first relationship in the twenty-first century, we agreed to take things slow.â
Steve thought for a moment, âare you busy tomorrow? We could meet up again for ice cream.â
âYes. That would be perfect. We need to flirt in front of them. Lunch with them in a few days to show off?â
âIâm free on Saturday.â
âSounds good. Weâll organise it with them. Soon, we should be able to make them jealous enough.â
Steve raised his glass to hers, clinking them in a silent toast. âI should probably tell you, Sam snuck a couple of condoms in my wallet before I left.â
Sharon threw her head back and laughed, âdoes he even know your size?â
imagine Sharon starting her training for S.H.I.E.L.D. and in the beginning she tries to hide the fact that she's related to a founding member so people don't think she only got in because of her family, but she quickly realizes that she's so good she has nothing to fear and she embraces Peggy's "heritage" proudly
Training came a little easier to Sharon than most others. Growing up, Peggy had taught her how to fight, how to shoot, the basics of surveillance, how to act, questioning techniques. But, still, nerves filled her everyday. The thought of people finding out she was Peggy Carterâs niece made her worry.
Would people still accept her if they found her? Would they think she was only there because of her aunt?
So, she kept it quiet. Only Nick Fury knew.
As the weeks past, things remained the same. Up at six, train for most of the day, a few breaks in between, then dinner in the cafeteria, before relaxing in her room.
She would eat with people she was training with, chatting about who they thought was cute, what their training, families and friends back home, places theyâve been. Sharon would take part, of course, just never mentioning Peggy.
Time went on, and day by day, she questioned herself more about why she was keeping it a secret.
Sharon had worked just as hard as everyone else to get to where she was. She had to work even harder if she was going to stay in SHIELD and get the job she wants. Why should she keep her family a secret? Peggy didnât just inspire her to join SHIELD, she inspired her to be a good person. The kind her Aunt Peggy and Captain America would be proud of.
So the next time someone asked her at the canteen table, what made her join SHIELD, she straightened her shoulders, held her head high, and stated proudly, âmy Aunt Peggy.â
Imagine Peggy and Howard actually did stop in Lucerne for some fondue.
They donât actually make it on the way home from dropping Steve in the middle of an active war zone.
Itâs not, in fact, until well after the war, after Howard has gotten Peggy to join him at SHIELD, that, at the end of a particularly grueling mission in western Germany, Howard surprises her at the airport to suggest a little detour.
Peggy is surprised a second time when, contrary to Howardâs usual panache, they end up paused outside a tiny hole in the wall restaurant accessible only via an entrance in a side alley far from the center of town.
"It may not look like much, but they have the best melted cheese in all of western Europe."
"Well, I should hope so."
He opens the door and a sweeping arm gestures for her to enter. âShall we?â
She graciously steps inside, and as theyâre quickly seated at a corner table, Howard doesnât even glance at the menu before immediately ordering two bowls of fondue and a bottle of their best red wine.
They fill the next twenty minutes with talk of her latest mission and casual updates on progress with SHIELD (as they always do on nights like this), but as soon as their meal arrives the discussion is cut short and neither speaks for several minutes, too occupied with dipping bread into delicious cheese (which, Peggy is delighted to find, lives up to Howardâs extolment).
when you grow up going to american public school, the lingering question, the one everyone asks you from a very young age, is âwhat do you want to do when you grow up?â
they ask you when you start kindergarten and are learning about jobs. most of your classmates say they want to be a firefighter, or a doctor, or train horses, or dance in the ballet.
sharon says, âi want to be aunt peggy when i grow up.â
her teachers tell her thatâs not a job, so she says, âthen i want to do what my aunt peggy does. she keeps people safe.â
the answer doesnât change for a long time. sharonâs grown up with aunt peggy as this awesome, larger than life character, and she unquestionably wants to be just like her when she gets older.
when sharonâs in high school, that changes. she starts to see her aunt as a human being, not a character in one of her stories - her aunt peggy isnât perfect, and sometimes her job means she makes hard decisions. sharonâs not sure thatâs for her, anymore. she wants to help people, but is that the way she wants to do it? she doesnât know. she spends all of her career exploration papers researching things like being a doctor, even though sheâs squeamish, or a firefighter, or a social worker. she wants to do something to make the world better and helping people seems like a good place to start.
when senior year rolls around and she has to decide whether or not sheâs going to college, she has a long talk with her aunt peggy.
"sharon," peggy says as they sit on her porch sipping iced tea. "i canât tell you what to do. youâre the only one who can decide whatâs right for you. your concerns about shield are valid and itâs a hard job." she pauses. "but i can tell you, that if you were going to enroll, youâd be a fine shield agent." she smiles. "were i the director, iâd be proud to have you."
sharon lays awake all night, thinking it over.
she graduates from high school and gets a job working at the local hardware store. she passes two years like that, thinking about where to go from here. as the months drag by, she realizes what sheâs really known since she was five: she looks at aunt peggy and sees the kind of person she wants to be someday. sheâs been thinking that shield wasnât for her, but one day she says to herself, âwhy not?â
if thatâs the kind of person she wants to be, then whatâs stopping her from becoming that?
Imagine Sharon and Maria were at the Academy together and had wicked fun girls' nights.
"exams are over," sharon declares, tugging on maria's arm. "you know what that means!" she's much more excited than a person should be after their last exam; she should be exhausted, but she's bouncing enthusiastically. it's almost more than maria can take.
"it means i get to sleep in tomorrow," grumbles maria, rubbing her eyes. sharon might be excited, but she's exhausted.
"take a nap," sharon tells her, "then come to my room. we have celebrating to do."
sharon and maria have two kinds of girls nights:
1) they stay in and watch movies and eat junk food. this usually ends in them up at three in the morning either crying or laughing because they've reached the point in the night where everything is funny. sometimes there are fruity little mixed drinks to go with it, sometimes not.
2) they dress up and go out and drink long island iced teas until they're out of money, then crash on the couch in one of their rooms and talk until they fall asleep.
this is finals week, so maria's pretty sure sharon has a #2 in mind. it's customary, after all - they've conquered another round of exams, and that calls for celebration.
"we're invincible," sharon tells her later, slightly tipsy. "we're awesome. and someday we're gonna be the best shield agents ever, maria, just you wait. you'll see. we'll show them all."
Imagine Sharon being a total foodie and constantly dragging Steve to newer and stranger restaurants.
if there's one thing sharon has learned in her time as a shield agent, it's that most things are worth trying at least once.
okay, maybe the first thing on that list should be that if someone is shooting at you, you should duck. but really, the first lesson is pretty valuable, too.
when she's abroad on assignment, she often doesn't have the change to really experience the local food if it's not convenient for her cover. so she makes it her mission to try as many restaurants as she can when she does get the chance, and luckily for her, dc is full of exciting restaurants.
"come on," she says to steve, tugging on his arm. "it'll be fun, and if t's not, i promise we'll never eat there again."
this is a common refrain whenever the two of them are together, and nine times out of ten, they have a lot of fun. the one time out of ten - well, Â we don't talk about that.
She researches the best artists in DC (even looks into a few worldwide⌠just to be thorough) and considers for months what type of design she wants and where sheâd like it (fortunately SHIELD regulations help her limit the options on the latter).
In the end, she settles on a watercolor design and finds a great artist in New York (a couple of her friends try to insist there has to be someone just as good in DC, but Sharonâs mind is more than made up).
The design she wants takes two trips to New York in all, but when she shows off the gorgeous rainbow eagle painted at the base of her neck, even her most skeptical friends agrees that it was well worth the extra distance. Even Nick Fury gives her a compliment on it. (At least, she's pretty sure it's a compliment. She didn't actually show him, but she's also pretty sure he knows all about it anyway.)
