Quick fic. Enjoy.

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN CAPTAIN AMERICA, THE AVENGERS, OR DOCTOR WHO.

A Message Through Time

"Miss Peggy Carter?"

"Yes?" She replied, looking up to find an awkward man in a tweed suit standing before her.

"This is for you." He said, handing over an envelope.

"Leave it with my assistant. He'll read it, summarise it, and have a reply to you in ten to fifteen days. Good day." Peggy replied crisply.

"I think you may want to read this yourself." The man replied. "It's from a… friend of yours. He really wants you to read it as soon as possible."

"Oh? And who is it from?" She asked, carefully opening the envelope. There was no reply, and when she looked up, she found she was alone. There was a strange, pulsating noise coming from somewhere in the distance, but she brushed it off and busied herself with reading the very important letter.

Peggy,

I'm so sorry. That's the only way I can start this off. I'm sorry because you and I won't ever get to have that dance. I'm sorry because I'll be late for our date. Very late. And I'm sorry because there was so much I had meant to say to you, but can't. Not when it counted. I want you to know that I am fine. Or I will be. You see, in about seventy years, they will find me, and I'll be brought out of a cold-induced sleep. You may find that hard to believe, and you may even think that this is all a big hoax, but I promise you it's not. The man that gave you this letter is called the Doctor. He's a Time Lord, and he can travel anywhere, even to the past and the future. I wanted him to take me to you. To take me back to you, so that maybe we could be a couple and maybe we could go on dates and get married and maybe we could have kids, if you wanted them, and maybe we could grow old together. But my life in the future is a fixed point. I can't have the life with you that I want. I can't disrupt the universe for a few maybes and what ifs. So, as a favour, he said he would take a letter to you. Just this once. So, I'm writing this letter, trying to condense all of my feelings for you into simple words, but it's difficult because there are no words that could describe the way I feel about you. You could call it love, but it's deeper than that. Not that I don't love you, I do, a lot. I love you and everything about you. But there's more to my feelings for you than just love. I admire you, Peg. You didn't need a serum to be brave and strong and wonderful and amazing. Because you were born that way. You are fierce and smart and you would never let anyone put you down because you know you're worth more than that. You give me strength that the serum never could. There are so many things I want to say about you, but I don't have the words. None of them could do you justice. I know my friends would like you a lot, especially Natasha. Which reminds me, don't worry about me being all alone and sad in the future, because, to be honest, I'm not. At first, maybe, but I'm getting used to it. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches, right? I wish I could show you the future, Peg. It's amazing. Though I've yet to see any of those flying cars that Howard promised me. I'm not sad. But there is a bittersweet feeling to it. And, were I given the choice, I don't know if I could go back, knowing what I know and having seen the things I've seen, because it would feel alien to me all over again. And I don't think I could ever adjust. I mean, I would be overjoyed to be back with you, it's just… it would always feel so far behind me. Everything would be too… old. I like the future, Peg, I like it and the new discoveries that we've made. They are so far ahead it's laughable that they did it all in seventy years (but still no flying cars). I'm enjoying learning about how the world has changed, even if I don't understand it all. Some of it's difficult, but I can manage. I recently learnt to use an iPod! Though you don't know what that is… Peg, the things they have nowadays are mind-boggling. There are devices that can connect you to someone halfway across the world in seconds. The cars may not fly, but you wouldn't know it by the speed they can go. Peggy, they put a man on the moon! And they're planning to send some to Mars! It's just so amazing. I wish I could share it with you. I wish you and I could walk the streets of New York and marvel at the times we live in. Though this time isn't perfect, and some things have changed for the worse, it isn't bad. If only we could meet one more time, you and I could see the world in a way no one else ever has. We would be amazed by the smallest of things that others take for granted. And we'd be together. But I'm gushing and you probably find it unbearable. It's just, part of me wishes you had been with me. But then I remember that I was probably extremely lucky to have survived a deep-freeze like that. And I'm happy knowing that you lived a full, happy life rather than for me to wake up and find you had died beside me. I don't think I could bear the thought of that. And don't be afraid to move on from me, though I doubt you need my permission or anything. Don't mourn me. I'm happy, and I want you to be happy too. So forget about me and live. The world is a big place full of lots of wonderful people. You won't have any problem finding a dancing partner.

Love, Steve.

P.S. Tell Stark to stop searching for me. And tell him that his son says hi and that I say that he should be proud of him the minute he's born.

Peggy's lip quivered as she reread the letter, but she was British, godammit! And there was no way in hell she was going to cry. She swallowed her tears, placing the letter on the desk in front of her. Taking calming breaths, she tried to brush the entire thing off as a hoax, but the words were too sincere, too genuine, too… Steve. She picked the letter up again and turned it over, gasping at the picture on the back: seven people dressed in rather strange garb, smiled up at her in colour. It looked clear and crisp and was if someone had merely taken a moment, squeezed it flat and put it on a piece of paper. Beneath the photo was more of Steve's somewhat careful handwriting.

From right to left: Thor (He's the actual Norse God of Thunder, though he's more of an alien then a god). Bruce (A.K.A. the Hulk, he may look harmless but when he gets angry he turns into an unstoppable force of destruction, which is why I'm glad he's on our side). Tony (A.K.A. Iron Man, he's also Howard's son and a lot like his dad in personality and intelligence). Me (I still have the spangley suit and shield). Clint (A.K.A. Hawkeye, an assassin and spy who's weapon of choice is a bow and arrow). Natasha (A.K.A. Black Widow, also an assassin and spy, though she prefers guns). Phil (he's my biggest fan and one of the best agents at SHIELD, we nearly lost him and I'm glad he's okay). I think you'd like my new friends, Peg. Especially Nat and Phil.

She traced the familiar face with a soft smile. His smile was genuine. And so was hers, because at least he was happy and safe and alive. She wasn't sure how long she sat there, gazing at the photo, completely unaware of the world, but by the time she had come back to her senses, she could once again hear that strange, pulsating sound, closer this time. Getting to her feet, hand on her holster, she crossed to the doorway and pulled it open. The man, the Doctor as Steve had called him, was back and grinning like back.

"I've found a way to fix it!" He told her happily.

"Fix what?" She asked cautiously.

"I told Steve that his being in the future was a fixed point, but I thought about it and realised, that you are not. Well, not now anyway. You were, but now you're-"

"You can take me to Steve?!" Peggy demanded, cutting the Doctor off.

"Yes!" He cried.

Peggy's eyes lit up in a way they hadn't for a very long time. "Then let's go! Let's go right now!"

"Yes, come on!"

"Oh, wait. One minute! Just give me one minute." She called, racing back to her desk. She tucked the letter and the photo back into the envelope and wrote a quick letter of her own.

To Howard,

Don't worry about me. I've gone to be with Steve. He sent this to me, now I'm sending it to you. Be safe, be happy and don't be sad. We'll always remember you. And we'll be together, in the future, with your son. Goodbye and good luck!

From Peggy.

She stuffed it into the envelope, raced to her assistant and instructed her to send it to Howard Stark. She ran back to her office, grabbed a few important things, and then back to the Doctor, who opened the door of a strange blue box and ushered her inside. While she stared about, the Doctor put the TARDIS into gear with a bright smile.

Steve threw down his card triumphantly. "Royal flush, Stark! Beat that!"

Tony started grumbling as he laid down his less impressive hand. "Fine, Capsicle. You win this round, but let's make it more interes-" He was cut off by a familiar pulsating sound, and their cards were whipped around by the sudden wind as a large blue box appeared in the living room. "Oh, here's trouble."

The Doctor bounded out of the TARDIS. "Where's Steve?" He asked brightly. Spotting them, he grinned. "Good, you're here! Stay where you are and close your eyes!" He instructed, racing back into the TARDIS.

Steve looked at Tony, lost for words, but the genius just shrugged. So, an unexplainable butterfly sensation in his stomach, he covered his eyes with his hands and waited.

"Careful, careful, watch your step." The Doctor said, as Tony let out a startled gasp. "Right. You can open your eyes now."

Steve removed his hands and felt his jaw drop several feet. He got to his feet, moving forwards slowly, afraid too sudden a movement might break the seemingly fragile moment. "Peggy?" He whispered, and when she smiled at him, he rushed forwards and wrapped her in a bone-crushing hug. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"You must be so disappointed." Peggy replied wryly.

"I'm never disappointed to see you."

"This is so adorable I may just throw up." Tony said, effectively shattering the tender moment.

The Doctor clapped his hands together awkwardly. "Well, anyone up for an adventure?"

Peggy glanced to Steve, smiling fondly. "Always."