11195/Home, Sweet Daniel's Home

Home, Sweet Daniel's Home
Date of Scene:	17 May 2022
Location:	Carter-Sousa Home - Long Island
Synopsis:	Daniel rushes home to the news that Peggy is alright. But now they both have to believe it's really true.
Cast of Characters:	Daniel Sousa, Peggy Carter

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Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel is all nervous energy when the SHIELD SUV pulls into their driveway and the junior agent he's ignored the whole way lets Daniel out. The agent is given a nod and then he strides to the door opening it and calling out "Peggy? You here?" the anxiousness palpable in his voice. Sure, they'd spoken on the phone after the rescue but until he feels her in his arms the knowledge that she's safe refuses to process.

Peggy Carter has posed:
There's guards, though they are distant and mostly hidden, at least one comes closer to the house to confirm it's Daniel approaching in the SUV. May left a short time ago, having been staying with Peggy through it all but with the knowledge that Daniel was nearly home, she had to go back into SHIELD. He probably saw her SUV going out of the driveway with a brief wave, honestly. Everyone is being a bit too understandingly careful.

Peggy also knew he was coming home. They haven't let her go back to work yet, though she's been medically cleared at least. She looks very much like herself. Maybe a little thinner through the face, but definitely rounder at the belly. She's far enough along that two weeks missing is a noticable change. She's in pajamas and one of his robes tied overtop her stomach, her hair down and not even all that curly. She's not bothered to do it. Looking up at the door, there is a moment of fear through her eyes until she sees the familiar cut of his features and suit. There is still something almost wary about her, though. The same paranoia that came after the Framework, it's there again.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Despite seeing the wariness in his wife Daniel smiles to see her whole and healthy. It's almost too good to be true, "Peg," he breathes coming towards her, if not for the fear he'd likely be scooping her up into his arms and kissing her, but instead, if she allows him, he takes her in his arms holds her tightly for a moment before pressing a tender, reassuring kiss to her lips. "Glad you're home," he tells her as their lips part.

Peggy Carter has posed:
The fear isn't of him. She's not been abused in some sort of way that she shies away to the touch. No one's ever been able to break her like that. She lets herself sink into his arms, breath spilling out in a brush of relief and hope as she presses her round, warm frame as tightly against him as possible. "Glad...glad I am too. I... it almost doesn't feel true but I... I think I am." She's not 100 percent certain. She's still holding tightly onto him.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
The initial awkwardness passes quickly replaced with relief that comes through in how the tension leaves his body as he holds her close. "You're safe Peg, for real," he tells her softly. "How are you though? Fury wasn't exactly forthcoming when he called with the news you were back. Heck, I still don't really know all of what happened."

Peggy Carter has posed:
His wife takes a deep breath, her nose in his neck, arms around the back of his body as she holds on for every inch of dear life. What initially happened had been obvious -- the panic room was used, the front hallway of their house and some of the eating area shot up, as well as many of the back windows broken. Their poor new house. But that was fixable. Chances are he'd fixed it already and SHIELD reinforced security. Peggy went out the back of the panic room, running into the woods behind their house and trying to escape. That's where HYDRA picked her up.
ut now she's back. Here. Other than a little thinness in her cheeks, she's perfectly well looking. She turns her head, pressing another kiss against his cheek. "They got the information from Zola and Strucker, it seems...where they had me. Up at the old Weapon X decommissioned compound in Canada. They were updating some of the Framework in there. Had... had a few new beds and mental hook ins. I.. I managed to get free when our people cut the power. Met them halfway through the lab. I.. I'm okay. I wasn't hurt."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Gently stroking Peggy's back Daniel breathes. "Another Framework?" that explains a lot. "Jeeze," a beat. "How bad was it?" he asks before glancing to the sofa in a silent offer to sit while they talked.

Peggy Carter has posed:
"Yeah... at least, a version of it. An updated one. None of those awful pods. They kept trying to make me feel like I...escaped. Then getting me to debrief at SHIELD, asking a few too many questions. It... it was suspicious. I caught a few things wrong. They tried to make it like today, not the...future. It's harder to do that, but they tried really... Really hard." Chances are she's told May this too, but she's still not letting him go. She's breathing deeply of his scent and clinging to those arms, trying her best to be certain he really is there.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Grimacing, Daniel says, "I'm sorry you had to go theough that again... but you're really home and I'm really here," he promises squeezing her a little tighter and then stepping back just enough he can seek out her eyes with his own and let her see the sincerity there before hugging her close again.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Peg lets him pull back just enough to look her in the eye. She looks up to him, something haunted in her bloodshot eyes. She's not sleeping well, but he's not been home so that doesn't help either. She lets out a shaking, slow breath, giving him a faint nod. "I... I think I am. I'm pretty sure. Melinda has her powers here. You smell right. Things feel more right. I know I'm being... impossible. I just..." She shakes her head, finally trying to force herself back. "Shit, I almost wish they'd tortured me."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel presses a kiss to the top of Peggy's head. "You're not being impossible, Peg. You're being reasonable given what they did to you, so take all the time you need to work things out, I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

There's a grim nod about torture being preferable. "I get that," he says. "That sort of thing doesn't mess with your head quite so much as the Framework, anyhow your home and whatever you need me to do to help, you've got it."

Peggy Carter has posed:
Dark eyes close as she feels that kiss against the top of her head. Peggy leans there a few more moments before forcing herself back. She squeezes his hand one last time and then gently lets go, walking back towards the couch. There's a cup of tea there, not even half drank. "Melinda made some chicken, if you're hungry... we can heat it up. Or we can just go up to bed. I... God. I'm glad you're home. But you should eat." It's like Peggy isn't even entirely certain if this IS her home, but then it's the place where it happened. Poor timing, just having moved in.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel releases Peggy as she moves towards the couch. "It's okay, I had some ration bars on the flight over," he says of dinner. "The chicken we can warm up tomorrow, right now bed sounds too good to pass up." He was operating on Helsinki time, and despite his best efforts the fatigue definitely shows on his features.

Peggy Carter has posed:
There is skepticism on her features as he says he's only had ration bars. Peggy's frowning at him, worried dark eyes looking him up and down to see if he's gotten any thinner since she was last home. It has been weeks, after all. Almost three weeks, if what they tell her is right.

"You can bring something to bed, if you like. Anything. I'm happy to make it real quick, even just toast... ration bars do not a meal make, my dear."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
"I'm not wasting away!" Daniel protests with a laugh as she checks on him. Though he is a little thinner, worry and a busy mission can make food a very low priority indeed. "Okay," he relents. "Some of that chicken would be great, going to join me?" he asks her eyeing her the same way as she eyed him. "Got two of you to eat for after all."

Peggy Carter has posed:
As he insists much the same, Peggy looks down at her stomach not skeptically exactly, but in any sort of doubt that she's wasting away. "Medical cleared me, I promise. Apparently whatever nutrition drip they had going was sufficent." Sufficent doesn't make a round and warm cheeked Peggy, though, so she doesn't fight him too hard on it. "Come on. We'll heat chicken, then bed. I'll finish what I didn't before."

And, sure enough, there is already a plate covered with saran wrap with half a portion of the chicken on it. She still doesn't have overly much of an appetite. But she pulls it out along with a second piece to heat up for him. The kitchen looks fairly austerely clean. No one has cooked here other than Melinda in weeks.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel does not stray far as the food is warmed up, arms wrapped around Peggy's waist. "And the kid?" he asks. "They're okay?" he assumed so knowing Peg would have said something by now but it took him this long to make himself ask. He presses a kiss to her shoulder while he waits for a reply.

Peggy Carter has posed:
As he dares to ask that, Peggy realizes he was holding off asking. That, apparently, the reassurances that she was medically cleared and fine didn't fully communicate that. Something breaks in her heart as it dawns on her how long it took him to ask and she wraps her arms around his, guiding hands to her now quite round stomach. "She's fine... or him... Medical wouldn't have let me out if we weren't both fine, I promise. Promise promise. The moment we lay down this baby will probably be stirring up a storm. You'll be able to feel for yourself. I promise." She really hopes the pattern sticks now.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel nods, his relief evident by how his eyes mist up at the good news. His hands go with hers willingly resting on Peggy's rounded belly. The pattern does get through the anxiety and he seeks out her eyes with her own. "Thank you," he tells her, before pressing another kiss to her lips. "I knew you were probably both fine but still..." he lets that trail off after their lips part. "Anyhow, I'm just glad you're both okay. I'm sorry I couldn't have been here to help been there to help get you out."4

Peggy Carter has posed:
Peggy keeps her hands over his, so she can move them to where the baby shifs just in case the baby wakes up before they're in bed. She squeezes his fingertips gently there, as reassuring and warm as possible. "No, it...it's better that you were back and safe. If... if something had happened to me but they saved the baby, you know... It... it's fine. We're all fine and that's what matters." Peggy realizes that is some morbid math she's done in her head there. She's just trying to shake it off.

She kisses him once more and then lets go, moving to pick up the food. "And Melinda can... she can sense the baby now. I'm far along enough she's... feeling vague things. Mainly contentment, but... The baby is *fine*."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel keeps his hands where Peggy puts them."I understand," he says about the grim mathmatics running through Peggy's head. "Just glad it didn't come to that."

The grim thoughts vanish almost immediately when Peggy mentions Melinda can sense their child. "Really?" he asks with an amazed look cast down at Peggy's stomach. "That's amazing..." a beat. "I'm glad they're content, hope they're not too mad when they get evicted from there," he jokes with a smile, an amazed look on his face.

Peggy Carter has posed:
A slightly deeper laugh, but a genuine laugh, the first one he's gotten out of her tonight, escapes her throat at his last words. Peggy shakes her head with a smile, carrying the food towards the bedroom as she looks back a moment to be certain he's following. "I think the start is always a bit rude, hence the crying, but we'll all manage. We always do." She gives him one last, more reassuring smile, and then disappears into the warm embrace of their bedroom.