Authors Note: Originally posted to Archive of Our Own.

This is one of several stories in my head (to see names of planned stories in the series, google search 'Marvel "Captain Skye" series' with the Captain Skye in quotations, top result.)

In this fic, the MCU movies (up to but not including Black Panther - haven't seen it yet) and both of the ABC shows (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. up to Mid-Season 5's departure from the future) has happened. The... that last bit with Agents is me saying "what if it didn't send them properly". Skye, as the only one with super powers gets the rewind on steroids. Side note to understand how she relived her life from a baby with that trip and not remember the old timeline: In Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix, there's a time cabinet in the department of mysteries, and a death eater ends up head-first into it, his head got timewarped to being a baby. That, but her whole body, and since it was time being unwound around her body... reversed the terrigenesis, then the healing from GH325 and the being shot as why for 325, all the way back. And then I'm taking one little detail I don't think anyone picked up on.

Skye never had a DNA test to confirm what Cal, Jiaying, Sonic and The Ass were saying about who her parents are. In my head canon, that baby died in a foster home and another orphan of similar ethnicity was used to cover that up. And GH325 is even why Skye got her powers through Terrigenesis. Just like it was why Skye's blood (and not some other inhuman) could be used by HIVE to create other Inhumans *gasp* does this mean that in canon, there's a good chance that she's NOT Daisy Johnson?. My headcannon. (It's Phil and May after the academy. Already read that in one fic, I think it also went with the 'mix up' route where Skye then DID find the real daisy, who wasn't dead, but also powered because Hydra exposed her to terrigen crystals as a baby, hence 'baby 0-8-4'. Why else would a baby be designated that, and POWERS were mentioned though implied that they didn't know if the baby did or did NOT have them. The fact it even came up as baby might have powers... no seriously?)

Anyway, in this story, the background is simple (and complex, as usual). While unconscious, her powers interacted with the trip back in time, and ended up in 1951. Somehow, blabla will be revealed in the story so shh not spoiling that part, and was found by Peggy on the doorstep of her New York Apartment (not the one from the show, either of them). Peggy raised her as her own child, butterfly effected Peggy's own family in several ways, for starters, she never married, and Angie stuck around and though, story-canon is they were just friends, in-universe some people think they were a lesbian couple.

Skye, because of Time spatial Doctor-Who-sounding reasons, is smarter - or rather, has access to her adult-level intelligence at a young age, and so as she grew, got even smarter. This ends up with her graduating high school as a preteen, university with several bachelors and masters at seventeen, and joined the military early. Around and through that, her intelligence and who her mother was meant that some people paid attention. Other people, not knowing why on the family side, also start to do so and this that the other, spoiler spoiler, blabla, She meets Natalia Alianovna Romanovna. yadda yadda, stuff not relevant to story, skip to the eighties and Skye and Natalia end up married. (No, I am not calling this a Quack fic.) Get to 1986, and Sharon's orphaned when only a week old, and Skye and Natalia adopt Sharon.

Ripples and waves, though a lot stays the same, but some things are the same but not, by being early, or reached through different path like how Sharon does not have the cover, 'Kate, the nurse' who's not actually a nurse, but rather, she actually is a nurse, and also other offscreen things so she does get to sell the nurse cover by, being an actual nurse, working at a hospital and everything, and as such DOES spend more than two-minutes screen time interacting with him to the point that they're friends and... ahem, sorry. Anyway. That happens, EARLY, as in between him waking up and Avengers,... important, because this fic features them as a couple, and takes place a month before the events of the film, where they're already friends, both have a massive crush on the other, and even not having spoken to him yet, Natasha still wants to play match-maker for him.

Story Relationship Tags: The Carter family in this fic:

Peggy Carter & Skye Carter [Daisy Johnson] (Mother : Daughter via adoption)
Peggy Carter & Natalia Carter [Natalia Romanovna or Natasha Romanoff] (Mother-in-Law : Daughter-in-Law)
Peggy Carter & Sharon Carter (Grandmother : Granddaughter via adoption, Great-Aunt : Great-Niece by blood relation)
Skye Carter / Natalia Carter (Married)
Skye Carter & Sharon Carter (Mother : Daughter via adoption)
Natalia Carter & Sharon Carter (Mother : Daughter via adoption)
Sharon Carter / Steve Rogers

Anyway, on with the show.

Story Summary: Peggy Carter has waited for over half a century for his return, and just wanted to see him again.
Skye Carter dreamed of taking his mantle and joined the military under a pseudonym and all she's missing is the costume uniform.
Sharon Carter just wanted to help him fit into the modern world and learn who the real Steve Rogers was, behind the stories and not the poster-boy portrayed by history.
Natalia Carter, who knows what she wants? Except to play match-maker, and have some time alone with her wfe.

Steve just wants to relax, slowly process, recover and yes, maybe take his nurse neighbour out on a date.

This is a story where they all get what they want. More or less.

Chapter Summary: She'd spent a long time away, and now she had a change for a vacation she was taking it. Bonus then that her Mothers' birthday was coming up.

Skye Carter's House, Gardiners Island, Suffolk County - April 6th, 2012

She opened the door to her house in the Hamptons and sighed blissfully at the peace and quiet. There was only so long she could take the noise, the hustle of sea life, before she would wish for the peace and quiet of her home, the place she'd built for herself.

When she'd joined the Navy, she knew that she wasn't going to stick around any one place long enough to buy a house, and she didn't want to be paying rent on somewhere that she wasn't even going to be using most of the year. Instead, she'd bought an RV once she graduated flight school, and had been waiting for a spot on a Fleet Replacement Squadron. It was old, but she got it looking brand-new over many arduous weekends. Then had it parked in a Navy long-term parking lot whenever she was on deployment.

When she heard about her promotion to Lieutenant Commander, she knew that it was time to get an actual house, but again, she knew she wouldn't stay anywhere long enough to justify high rents or price-tags, yet it wouldn't do for a Navy Lieutenant Commander, in charge of a Squadron Department to live out of an RV. So another solution was made. The original owner of the place told her that she would have inherited it anyway, so why not just transfer it then and there to her name?

She placed her bags down by the stairs, though kept a gym bag on her shoulder, and went into the lounge, seeing in the dark and hearing the flickering of the fire. "You're early."

Sat quietly in a rocking chair by the fireplace, an old grey-haired woman looked up at her. "So are you. I thought you'd been spending the next few weeks overseeing her decommissioning?" She tried to hide it, but her visitor still saw it. "Ah, I'm guessing you were finding it too difficult, too many memories?"

"Most of my career milestones were aboard that ship. Once I'd finished not just Flight School, but also training on the Skyhawk, she was my first ship-board posting. My first cruise as a Squadron Commander, as a Commander of the Air Group, as a First Officer, and as a Captain. A Lot of my firsts were aboard that ship." The woman snorted, and gave her a look, which didn't take her any time to decade. "You know what I meant. Mind, gutter, out."

The woman just laughed as she looked down, and turned a page of a photo album laid in her lap. "I hope you brought my pictures, Skye. You know how I get."

"Yes, Mother." Skye replied, and opened her bag enough to pull out a very thick packet, held closed by a dozen elastic bands. She placed them down on a coffee table, put the bag behind the other rocking chair on the opposite side of the fire, and then moved over. "Missed you, Peggy."

Peggy just smiled up at her as she received a soft hug. "No you haven't."

Skye frowned lightly, playful as she let go and sat down, on the floor in front of the fireplace, rather than the other rocking chair. "Yes, I have. All those stories that you never seem to run out of. It's because of you that I joined up with, well..."

Peggy chuckled. "You never did tell me how you got out of trouble for that."

She shrugged as she grinned. "Same way I got in at Seventeen. Pays to have contacts all over the place who can make it legal."

That just got a laugh. "Wait... You mean you weren't joking... He did it?"

Skye sighed as her eyes turned distant. "I miss him." Then she looked at Peggy, "All of them, really. Even Dum-dum."

Peggy sighed with a slight laugh, eyes going just as distant as Skye's had, though this time they turned to the mantelpiece, on which sat a collection of photographs. Some were from the War, some were of Skye growing up, and most of both featured the Howling Commandos quite prominently. Peggy's favourite stood front-and-centre, from when Skye was seventeen. Skye was in her full Navy dress uniform, stood in front of the original Headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D. Camp Le High in New Jersey. At her right shoulder, was Peggy herself, and on her left was Dum-Dum Dugan. And she was holding a round disc, of a silver-star on blue, with a white and two red stripes.

It was also in the earlier photos, the earliest being when she was maybe two years old. But aside from the photo at Camp Le High, there was only one photo of her after ward with it, taken maybe ten years later. And it was this photo, that was Skye's favourite, though she hadn't told even Peggy. The photo was taken here, in her house when it was still Peggy's summer house. Given it was bigger than Peggy's New York City apartment, she had chosen to host that Halloween party here. Skye must have been drunk through the whole weekend, as she actually wore a Captain America costume, and held the shield. But that wasn't why it was her favourite - it was because of the company she was arm-in-arm with. And behind the two, Dum-Dum was stood, stretching his arms above them, about to pour two pint glasses of something over the two of them.

It was the last photo she had of Dum-Dum. He'd died a few months later while she'd been on a deployment.

"She'll be alright." Skye almost jumped, and turned her gaze to Peggy, who just gazed knowingly. "She knows how to take care of herself."

"I know, I just... every mission she has in Russia... I worry."

"I won't tell you not to. Lord knows I'm guilty of worrying too much myself."

Skye nodded, and stood up, "Well... I think I should distract myself by unpacking."

"You can do that in the morning, it's late. And speaking of, help me up?" Peggy extended a hand out, and Skye smoothly pulled her up.

"Please tell me you're not leaving at this hour?" Skye begged, getting a laugh for it. "Speaking of which, you shouldn't be driving on your own."

Peggy waved a hand, as she slowly made her way out of the dark yet warm lounge and into the cooler hallway. The lights revealed more than just her eyes and expression, her hair was long, and silver from age. "I may be turning ninety-one this week, but I'm not an invalid." Skye gave her a look. "Besides, I flew here. One of the newer Quinjets with that wonderful hologram cloaking technology, Nicholas decided that I should have both the best transport and the best protection in my retirement."

"Peggy..."

"I know, I know. I shouldn't pilot. And I didn't. You know how advanced autopilot systems are these days, of course I'm going to take advantage every chance I can get. It won't be long before I can't."

Skye just sighed as she followed the woman she called Mother up the stairs and made sure she got settled in bed properly. "And I here I thought I worried about you too much." Even as Skye helped her get tucked in and that she was warm enough, she couldn't help giving Peggy an admonishing look. "Never mind Talia, you're the one whose going to give me grey hairs."

"And it would be about time too. It's not right that you look young enough to be my granddaughter, when you're only thirty years younger than me."

"Uh-huh." Skye just gave her a smirk, before it faded to a soft smile, "I'm glad you were still up. I get to do this." She leaned in and gave a bigger hug than the one she gave downstairs. "Love you."

"Love you too, Skye."

She pulled away, and moved to the door, but paused to just look at Peggy.

She was a far cry from the woman in the pictures on the mantelpiece, the larger photos hung up in places around the house. And further still from the woman posed in the black-and-white picture that sat on the bedside table, laughing alongside Steve Rogers.

"Good night Mother."

She barely heard the whispered reply, and left the room, returning downstairs to put out the fire.

Before she did, she looked up at the biggest picture above the fireplace, on the wall above the mantel. A long time ago, an enlarged copy of the picture on Peggy's bedside, of Peggy and Steve hung there. Now, and for the last fifteen years, it was a picture of their family.

Margaret Elizabeth "Peggy" Carter, her adopted daughter Skye "Stephanie Rogers" Carter, and her grandniece, Sharon Carter. Peggy was sat, centred, wearing her best suit and giving her best amused smile to the camera. At her right shoulder, stood at attention almost, Skye in her uniform wearing the rank of Commander. And sat beside Peggy, a young Sharon Carter, barely into her teens.

She pulled out her cell phone, and sent a quick message, and remembering to lower the volume scant seconds before she received the reply in the form of it ringing.

"Hey Sweetie."

A very audible sigh at the other end was her own greeting. "How many times, I'm a grown adult, and a trained-"

"Yes yes Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Specialist, I know." Skye rolled her eyes hearing the frustrated sigh that repeated itself. "I still helped raise you. And who is it listed as your next of kin? And, oh yeah, what is it you call me?"

"There's no need to embarrass me, Mom. Anyway, what's up? And what time zone are you in?"

"I've just got home. Your grandmother-"

"-Aunt-"

Skye sighed and reiterated, "Grandmother. Sharon, if you call me Mom, then that makes her your grandmother. Anyway she's here. Rather surprised when she told me how she got here without her driver, or her car for that matter."

"Oh? Wait..."

"Tell Nicky I'll be having words."

Despite being twenty-five, approaching twenty-six, Sharon's response was more like that of a teenager, lots of giggling. "I'll be sure to pass it along." There was a pause, and some sounds in the background told Skye Sharon was likely at her apartment. "So you'll be there for her party? I'm trying to get time off myself, but you know how the hospital can be."

Skye blinked, yet went with it. She knew her daughter was a specialist, and not just any specialist, but had inherited the code-name Agent Thirteen from her great-grand-aunt/grandmother Peggy Carter. She was also one of the few field agents with a significant degree of medical training - enough that any time they need someone to go undercover as a nurse, Sharon had been high up the list for the last few years.

"Yes. I actually have about three months of leave saved up, so I won't be going anywhere for a while." Skye stared for a moment at one of the pictures that was just of herself and one other person - the same one Dum-Dum was about to pour stuff on in the Halloween picture. "Oh, you wouldn't happen to know if he'll be coming along?" Skye asked, referring to Nick.

"Well, when I tell him you want a word, I'll be sure to ask. But you know him."

Skye smiled. She didn't say it, though she thought it, and Sharon likely did too. Nick would be his usual evasive self, even though the answer is obvious - of course he'll be there. "Now, onto more important things."

It was normally difficult, given her training, but her cover as such meant that she had to not cover a more normal emotional reaction, "Such as?"

"Are you bringing a plus one?" Skye grinned as she heard sputtering. "Oh come now, I've heard you have your eye on someone. A Neighbour of yours, apparently." Skye didn't say that knowing she was undercover, that meant that either she was saying that to reinforce the cover... or whoever the neighbour was, was an ally that Fury wanted a covert close-protection detail on.

"God, you're both as bad as grandmother, I DON'T NEED A DATE!" A loud bang sounded, and Skye froze. A second later, her voice came back, distant. "Uh... Hey Steve. Sorry, it's just... My... Mom. It's... Embarrassing." A pause. "Oh I don't think you'd be..." another. "R-Really?" Another pause. "Wouldn't it be a little weird? No - I mean.. No not the age thing, or the... other thing. I mean, they'd think I invited you as a date..." A pause, then Sharon spoke again, only this time it came as a high-pitch squeek. "Reaa-" A Cough "-Really, you'd... I... it's my grandmother's ninety-first birthday, we're having a party - not a big one, small get together really, family and some friends, but... I think you'll be welcome." A pause, and Skye was sure she could hear a thundering heart-beat. "Really? Great!. That's... Great. It's a date- I-I-I-mean, not a date, but.. well. Oh kill me now."

Skye sat heavily on the rocking chair Peggy had been sat in, and couldn't help her silent giggles.

"Mom... Mom? Mom stop... stop laughing... Mom I can hear you."

Skye let go, only barely keeping from being loud to wake Peggy.

"You suck. I'm going. It's late. I'm tired. And... Oh god I just asked him out on a date..."

Skye grinned to herself, "Well. Looking forward to meeting him. At least tell me he's not some half-balding office worker with a low IQ?" It may have sounded like a crack at people who work office jobs, but it was her way of asking if it was related to the cover job.

"Mom!"

"I'm sorry. Just joking, I know your type. So. Tell me all. Tall? Short? Skinny? Muscular? What does he do?"

Sharon gave a halfhearted sigh, and a door could be heard closing over the phone. Then quietly, she added, "He's the guy I'm watching."

Skye took a breath, and asked, "Okay, so... please tell me it's what I thought when Talia told me about it. You know, a good guy that Fury wants covert close protection for?"

"Honestly, given who he is, I don't know why Fury thinks he needs it."

Skye frowned. "Huh? So I take it this paramour of yours can defend himself?"

"Mom... Jeez I swear you're trying to give me grey hairs. Yes, he can defend himself. Boy... Can he. And those Muscles... oh god I'm drooling just thinking ab-... Er..." Sharon audibly gulped. "Forget that last bit."

"Not. A. Chance. Come on. Spill."

"No. You'll... you'll understand when I bring him over... Okay? I... can we change subject? Please?"

Skye sighed. "Fine. Fine. Do you know who can make it? I'm not exactly current with our friends activities, beyond you and Bobbi."

"I tried asking Melinda, but, you know how she is these days."

Skye sighed sadly, "Lock-down and brick-wall. I'll talk to her." She looked at one of the many pictures on the mantle, near the left side. It was one of the few without Skye, though she was the one who took the photo. It was Peggy, along with several agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. all in matching suits. "Trip?"

"Sorry, his supervising officer's got him on some survivalist course, completely out of contact. Phil said he'd try, though he makes no promises. And almost everyone else is on missions for the next few weeks. Maria said she'll definitely come though."

"Well, that's a start, I suppose."

"What about yours? Will you be back at work by then, or what?"

"Don't you think I forgot about your birthday next month. I was thinking, just the four of us. Talia, Me, You, Peggy. A couple of weeks off somewhere. No work. No cover. No cracks about me being the female Captain America." Sharon choked. "Yes I still get that from time to time, both here and at work. Just the four of us, and sun, sea and sand. How's your tan?"

Sharon was rather choked a little as she replied, "Oh, not so good. hospital lighting's not really good for it, you know."

"See, you sound like you need a vacation."

"Yeah..." Sharon sounded distant.

"Well it's late, you've probably been pulling a double shift, so..." She knew Sharon would catch the spy innuendo, as she added. "Go get some sleep. Wouldn't want you pulling a ... muscle... now would we?"

"You're terrible. And that's a terrible pun. Night Mom. Love you."

"Love you too. Sweetie."

A half-sigh half-chuckle was her answer as she ended the call.

She put the phone back in her pocket, and stoked out the fire.

Navigating the room in the almost pitch black, she started to loosen her clothes as she got out of the lounge, and slipped her shoes off near the stairs, setting them into a corner near some other shoes. Slowly, padding her way to her bed, she barely managing to strip to underwear as she fell asleep on top of the covers.

In the low light of the full moon casting into her bedroom, the open doors of her wardrobe revealed two interesting items hung on the back of them, one a distinctive pair of pants, and the other, just as distinctive, if not more so, jacket in the pale blue, faded white and blood-red with various accents that was a very real-looking copy of a uniform once worn by one man. And lent against the wardrobe, glinting in the light, the very real Vibranium Shield of Captain America.

Authors note: Skye calls Peggy 'Mother', formal. Skye is 60 at this point (not including the almost thirty-years from the alpha timeline), and has grown up a lot, so she will speak that way. Sharon calls Skye 'Mom', though, as later in the fic, she calls Natalia (Natasha, remember?), 'Mamochka', (Russian tender informal?), 'Mama' (Informal normal?) and 'Mother' (when she's just exasperated or angry though she switches through the three even in the same conversation.)

Gardiners Island is also the home to SHIELD Headquarters in this new timeline, because of various ripples that also went further back then just 1951. No, Skye doesn't have the shield from steve because of that. shh! spoiler!