What is this? A new chapter? Do my eyes deceive me?

No, your eyes don't deceive you. It's a new chapter. Completely unbetaed (so sorry for mistakes, they're all mine). And it took me forever because I wasn't happy with what I was writing, and I wasn't really happy with the end of Agents of SHIELD, and a bit disappointed with Civil War. It's also short, but I figured better something than nothing.

It's also two days until Steve Roger's 96 birthday, so Happy Birthday, Cap! A new character is being introduced, and she may play a part in a short O/S down the road when a certain Winter Soldier is recruited, but that'll be a ways down the road. Enjoy the show...

Chapter 10 - No One Expects the Carter Inquisition

The ride to the home didn't take as much time as Skye would have hoped. The minutes ticked by as if they were seconds, and the miles felt like yards as they traveled the short distance across town. Before she knew it, Steve was pulling his truck into the parking lot of Haven's Rest Assisted Living Community, and Skye had yet to gather her courage to meet the famous Peggy Carter. It was odd, give her the entire ACLU, Lash, or even Hydra, and she'd not panic too much, but taking her to see a 96 year-old lady, and she's scared out of her wits.

She was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't even notice that Steve had parked, gotten out of the car, and had already rounded his truck and opened her door. He had just reached around and unbuckled her when she snapped to, and turned to look at him with terror in her eyes.

"Steve, I can't do this," she panted. "You go in, and I can come get you when you're ready to return home."

Steve framed both sides of her face and looked deep into her eyes before leaning down and kissing her pouted lips. "Skye Daisy Johnson, you listen to me, and you listen to me good," he started. "I have met two unbelievably brave women in my entire life, and you are one of them. You are going to get out of this truck and meet the other one. The two of you have more in common than you think, and I promise you that she is going to love you."

Skye's eyes calmed hearing his words, and she leaned further into his touch. "Are you two coming to visit me, or are you going to sit in Steve's truck all day?" drawled a shaky, accented voice from behind Steve. During their own talk, neither had heard the elderly woman walk towards them.

Steve turned towards the woman, and Skye glanced at her from over Steve's shoulder. Peggy Carter exuded as much grace and elegance now as she did in the 1940s; the only differences were that now her hair was white, her skin wrinkled, and her mind not working as well as it once did. Peggy looked past Steve, and right at Skye, and smiled in an understanding fashion. "Hello, Skye," she said sweetly, her eyes alight with mirth.

Skye dropped her head in shyness, "Hello, Agent Carter," she said softly.

"Tsk, tsk. None of that, dear girl," Peggy reprimanded. "I order you to call me Peggy. Now, Steven, move, I want to greet your girl properly." Steve immediately stepped away from the truck and Skye just as Peggy started towards the truck.

Before she knew it, Skye was engulfed in two bony, but strong, arms, and a husky voice whispered into her ear. "You're just as beautiful as Steve said." She let go of the younger woman, and turned towards her former love, "You. What did you tell her about me that terrifies her so?"

Steve raised his hands in surrender. "Peg, I've told her only great things. You have to ask Phil about what his team has been telling her." Peggy rolled her eyes, and put her hands on her hips. "You've got to ask them about what they heard about you while at the Academy."

"You bet I will," she stated, forcefully. "Speaking of, where are you taking me today?"

Steve blinked at Peggy in mild shock before speaking. "What do you mean 'where am I taking you?'" Steve asked, in an alarmed tone.

"I told the guards that you're springing me for the day," she explained calmly. Skye noticed that she had a jacket and handbag with her, ready to go. "How about you take me to Promise Land? Then we can chat in more comfortable surroundings, and I can grade Coulson on how well he runs SHILED."

Steve looked at Skye, who just shrugged her shoulders. He sighed in acquiescence, and helped the older woman into this truck before getting back into the driver's seat.

Steve was just about to pull out of the parking lot when Peggy sweetly asked, "can we stop at Big Belly Burger on the way?"

Big Belly wasn't as crowded as it would normally be. The university was out due to Spring Break, and not many students remained in the city during that time; choosing instead to escape somewhere with a warmer climate for the middle of March. The trio sat in a rounded booth, and just when the waitress turned from taking their drink orders, Peggy pounced on the unsuspecting couple.

"So, I need to know things, children," she stated, simply. "How did you meet? When was your first kiss? Have you slept together yet? How well do you work together on missions?"

If any passers by caught the looks on Steve and Skye's faces, they would have pulled a muscle from laughing so hard. Steve, ever the gentleman from the early twentieth century, was bright red at Peggy's questions about their sexual relationship. Skye's eyes were wide and filled with fear as she glanced back and forth towards the nearest escape. Peggy's face, on the other hand, was filled with mirth at just how uncomfortable the duo before her were.

She laughed breathlessly as the waitress brought their drinks and said she'd give them a few more minutes to decide on their order. Finally out of her stupor, Skye cleared her throat and looked sheepishly at Peggy. "With all due respect, Agent Carter, our sex life isn't anyone business but ours when it happens."

Peggy laughed joyously at her remark. Steve groaned and muttered "And that just told her everything she wanted to know, doll."

"Crap," Skye muttered. "I have got to keep my mouth shut." Skye's red face looked from her soulmate to the founder of SHIELD, and she just shrugged and smiled a shy smile.

Peggy looked at the younger girl with a fond smile on her face, and her heart grew happy at the life Steve has built since he was found in the frozen wreck just five short years ago. She watched as Steve leaned over and gave the shorter girl a kiss on her temple, and Skye grab his hand on the table in return. One day, long ago, she imagined such a move between herself and Steve, but that was not to happen.

Not that she regrets her life since the War, she only hates that she allowed the SSR and SHIELD to give up on their searches for him before he had been found. She regrets that he is just now getting to live his life as a man out of time. Although, looking at the couple across from her, she is starting to believe that Steve being out of his own timeline may be the best thing that happened to him.

Peggy cleared her throat, and looked pointedly at the duo. "Okay children, these secrets, spill them."

Steve laughed, and Skye smiled at the authoritarian tone to her voice. "Okay, Agent Carter, what do you want to know first?" she asked.

"Please, Skye, do call me Peggy, alright?" she pleaded, and Skye nodded. Just tell me from the beginning, how did you two meet?" Peggy noticed that Steve's eyes lit up in jubilation, and Skye hung her head with a grimace. "Well, the look you two just gave - complete different ones at that - make me want to just sit back and hear this story."

Skye looked up at Steve, and noticed the mirth in his cerulean blue eyes, and she mumbled something unintelligible. "What was that, dear?" Peggy inquired.

"I caught him snooping around my office, and I pulled a gun on him," Skye finally spoke a little louder.

At this, Peggy's eyes widened, and she let out a bark of laughter that Steve hadn't heard in such a long time. "What in the world? What happened then?" Steve took over the story from Skye, and told of how he had seen a framed piece of art of him on her desk, and wanted to investigate it further. "That's when she came in and said my soul words."

Steve turned his head towards Skye, and found that she was looking up at him with a smile on her face. "Step away from the sign," she whispered.

"I didn't intend to invade your privacy, ma'am," he responded, just as quietly.

"Look at the two of you, all lovey dovey," interjected the sharp voice of the waitress that brought refills of their drinks and the basket of fries they ordered for the table.

"It's utterly sickening, isn't it?" Peggy quipped back to her, winking at Skye in jest.

"Not really. It's really sweet to see two people so in love like that." She paused in her admission before quickly adding, "You two are lucky you've found each other."

Steve and Skye both blushed in embarrassment at being caught in such a moment, but recovered quickly. Quiet thank yous came from each of them. "I'll check back with you in a bit. Enjoy your lunch."

The conversation almost ceased between the trio as each began digging into their own plates of food, but the quiet was companionable and not stilted. Peggy did let Steve and Skye in on her adventures at Haven's Rest; it was then that Skye realized that Peggy Carter does everything but rest at her newest place of residence.

She explained about her spy tactics to learn that two night shift nurses had been switching some residents' pain medication with placebo pills and then selling the real ones on the street. She told about the time she ran upon one of the doctors and one of the "more plastic" female residents doing the horizontal tango in a supply closet (in which the doctor was canned and the resident asked to move).

Needless to say that retired spy Peggy isn't so retired as she'd like everyone to believe.

After they finished their burgers and fries, the ladies ordered two chocolate shakes to go, and Steve settled their bill. Peggy looked at Skye and smirked, "looks like chivalry didn't die out, after all. It was just frozen for seventy years." Skye grinned widely at her, and nodded enthusiastically.

"Most definitely. I'm just glad I have such a sweet man as my soulmate," she admitted. "For a long time I had thought that I would never be in one place long enough to meet him, but then he came to me." Steve turned just then, and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, smiling while doing so.

Peggy noticed that their waitress had caught the sweet exchange between the agents, and a melancholy look overcame her face. She excused herself to the restroom before they left, but instead of heading towards the ladies' facilities, she went over to the waitress.

"Hello, love," Peggy smiled at her.

"Can I get you anything else, ma'am?"

"Not this trip, dear, but you can do me a favor." The waitress nodded at her request, and Peggy took both of her hands into her own. "Keep your beautiful head up. I think you've been hurt badly before, but I really think that there will be good to come to you soon." The waitresses eyes filled with tears, but none fell down her cheeks.

"Thank you, ma'am." Peggy nodded to the young woman, and made her exit to Steve's truck where he and Skye were waiting.

"Alright, children. Take me to SHIELD so I can tell Phillip what he's doing wrong."

That's all she - er, I - wrote this time. I do not know when the next update will be, but there may be a significant time jump because I'd hate to turn into one of those writers that has to describe every instance of every day they're together cause that can get old quickly.

Anyway, I've gotten some messages from readers asking how the job's going, and I'd like to update everyone on that: I got hired full-time back in April. I still love the job and the people I work with, and I'm being given more and more responsibilities and duties every day. And no, I'm not dead... Still here, just trying to find time to carve into my FT job, family, and general fan life.

Until next time!