Once I destroyed most of the base, I followed the Colonel and Peggy towards the radio tower, a radio squawks in the empty room, Peggy looked at me for a moment, then his voice came barreling through the radio:
"Agent Carter, come in…" Peggy ran frantically into the room to grab the radio as a sense of relief flooded my body.
"Steve, is that you? Are you okay?" Peggy clung to the radio like it was her life.
"I'm fine." He exhaled softly as I came to stand next to Peggy.
Looking through the window to see the invader rounding up the last of the hydra men, they turned to stare at me. I saw the victory in their eyes along with hope and prayer for the future.
"Where's Schmidt?" She asked as I turned to look at her.
"Schmidt's dead," Steve said as I exhaled and she nodded at me.
"What about the plane?" Peggy asked with hope for a good answer.
"That's a little bit harder to explain." He stressed as I grabbed the radio from Peggy.
"What do you mean?" I said into the radio as Peggy gave me puppy dog eyes as she frantically looked for a map.
"Tam…" he exhaled as I cut him off as leaned against the table.
"Steve, no, no" I slammed my hand on the table as Peggy took the radio from me.
She spoke into the radio panic "Give me your coordinates. I'll find
a landing site-" she was cut off by Steve.
"There isn't going to be a landing. Schmidt's locked the navigation system." He said in a voice too calm for my liking. "And there's more than enough power to reach the East Coast." Peggy looks at me, grave, before waving Colonel Phillips down.
"I'll get Howard on the line. He'll know what to do." She tried to plead with him as I tried to wrap my head around all of this.
"I'm sitting on a hundred tons of explosives. Hotwiring this thing's not an option." Steve huffs as I move back to the radio "I've got to put her in the water."
Peggy spread her fingers on the wall and her knuckles turned white while I grabbed the radio from her again "give me your location, I can fly out, I can get you," I said but I knew he was shaking his head.
"I am too far gone," Steve says as I hit the table again.
"Steve, please, not like this" I begged into the radio, trying to hold the tears back when Peggy took the radio.
"But you said you couldn't steer it" She tried to reach for any note of hope.
"I can't. But I think I can crash it," he says as I fall into the next available chair.
"Steve, don't do this. We've got time. We can figure this out." Peggy whispers, almost leaning onto the radio as reality settles in my chest.
"I already did. Right now, I'm in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer, a lot of people are going to get hurt." From the sound of his voice, I knew he accepted his goodbye "Peggy, this is my choice." He whispers that almost sounded like a question.
Peggy and Phillips look at each other, then they both stare at me and realize the situation couldn't be stopped, I nodded as tears began to form in Peggy's tears
"We'll send out rescue ships. We'll find you," she said knowing that wasn't much left when he does crash.
"I don't think there's going to be much left to find." I heard the weakness in his voice, he was reaching out for something "Peggy?" He whispers
"I'm here" with such depth like she was holding him.
"I'm going to need a raincheck on that dance." He said with sadness behind his sweet voice.
"All right. A week Saturday. The Stork Club." She looked at me, holding back tears.
"Okay. You got it." I heard the smile in his voice.
"8:00 on the dot. If you're three minutes late I'm leaving, do you understand?" She tried to sound strong but she was holding onto a thread.
"Take care of Tam, will you? She acts tough but she is just a big softie" he said as Peggy nodded frantically "I still don't know how to dance." He says as I stand to walk towards her.
"I'll show you. I'll show you everything. Just be there." I crouched before her and tried to sound as strong as she could but I could see her cracking.
"Maybe the band could play something slow, I'd hate to step on your-" the radio went silent in Peggy's hand and she fell into my arms, I held her close as the Colonel patted her back softly as a raw heaving came from her throat in the silent room.
….
My hand slammed against the hospital door ass I pushed into a very busy hospital, I ran to the reception table as the woman behind it gave me a death glare before slamming down a clipboard with a pen and forms attached to it:
"Fill out the form and we will get back to you," she said in the flattest tone.
I pushed the form towards her "I am here to see a patient, Mrs Stark, Maria Stark, she is having a baby and I am her birthing partner" I explained but the woman) gave me a disgusted look.
"Family only are allowed in the room," she said as I smiled and leaned in.
"I am family," I said as I reached for my purse but the woman stepped back.
"Name," she asked as I rolled my eyes.
"Tamara Johnson-Stark," I said as she began to type on the computer, ignoring me "I need to be somewhere, are you going to help me at all?" I asked as they just stared at me.
"You don't have to be so hostile," she said as pressed a button under her desk "While we can't give personal information without a proper identification" she gave me a fake smile before folding her hands.
I pulled out my driver's license and placed it on the desk. "Here is a picture for reference." I placed an old picture of Me and Maria at her wedding. The nurse looked at it before handing it back to me.
"I am going to check with security," the woman said as a man in a uniform walked towards me and I rolled my eyes watching this woman for about a minute before a man arrived.
"Is everything alright here? Madam" he asked as he placed a hand on my arm, I shook it off.
"Everything is perfect, I am Miss Johnson Stark, I am here to see Maria Stark who is giving birth and I am her birthing partner" I grabbed my driver's license and the picture "this is my name, this is a picture of me at their wedding," I said in a fast yet calm tone, just wishing this would end.
The man grabbed his gun but didn't pull it out "ok, lady, calm down, no need to get upset" he said as I pinched the bridge of my nose, he took the items from me and looked them over "well, we cannot know if these are valid, we need you to phone Mr Stark to come and collect you here" he gave me my papers back.
"How am I supposed to do that?" I asked as I looked at the security guard as I crossed my arms.
"Tam" Howard's voice sounded behind me, I turned to see the man who looked stressed, his tie was loose and hanging to one side, his hair was wild, it looked like he ran his fingers through them and his shirt was untucked.
"Howard," I said with a sigh of relief, I watched him examine the situation at hand and Howard took over instead of the worried husband and friend.
"Is there a problem here?" He asked in a strangely calm voice, one that was filled with rage on the brim of breaking.
The security grabbed my arm roughly but changed his manner towards Howard "nothing, Mr Stark, just showing this woman out" he said but Howard grabbed his arm off me.
"This woman has a name" Howard pulled me behind him "this woman had to be in the delivery room, my wife is having a baby and you won't let her through" he hissed as the woman and the guard suddenly calmed down at his rage "now for an apology for this disrespect behaviour"
"We truly apologize for this inconvenience, Mr Stark," he said as Howard gave him a death glare.
"Oh, it's not my forgive you need to receive but hers' he gestured toward me "apologize for your ignorance"
"We are truly sorry, Miss Stark, please forgive our ignorance," they said stiffly as Howard grabbed my hand and pulled me through the hospital.
When we were further away from the reception and in the maternity ward, Howard stopped in the middle of the corridor, he turned to look at me as if the whole day just defeated him, he pulled me into a hug which I gladly accepted, I felt the heaviness in his body:
"I am so sorry about all of this" I squeezed his tights as he shook his head.
"Don't apologise for their ignorance" He whispered into my hair as we pulled away and hurried towards the maternity ward.
We rushed into the private hospital room to find Maria, looking extremely exhausted but with that fire in her eyes, her hair fell like wildflowers around her face while she sat in a bundle of blankets, she was still as gorgeous even though she has been through labour:
"Hey, mama" I whispered as I crept closer and pulled a teddy out of my bag.
She smiled "well, Mara, come meet your godson" she whispered as I looked at the pouty face of their little bundle of joy, pitch-black hair and rosy cheeks.
"Awe, look at the little potato" I cooed as I looked at the little bundled potato.
"Mara!!" Howard shouted as I hit his shoulder.
"I told Howie that" Maria looked down at her son "my little potato" she giggled as she touched his rolled cheeks.
"What's his name?" I asked as I picked up the little bundle and kissed his forehead.
"Anthony Edward Stark," she said as I smiled down at that sweet face and knew I would go to the end of the earth for him.
….