5799/Old Friend Reaches Out

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Old Friend Reaches Out
Date of Scene: 30 March 2021
Location: Greasy Spoon on Long Island
Synopsis: Dan reaches out to an old friend to try and get a feel for what happened to SHIELD. As always Peggy plays her cards close to the chest but a detante between them is reached.
Cast of Characters: Peggy Carter, Daniel Hastings




Peggy Carter has posed:
The return phone call came a day later and from a different number than the one Daniel had, but it was Peggy's voice. She sounds tired and wary, her voice clipped and quiet, utterly professional. "If you want to help, meet me at the Moon Times diner out in Hempstead at 3 pm tomorrow. Come alone." That's it. No identifying name on the message, not long enough to triangulate a location.

And sure enough, staring at 2:30, Peggy's shown up. She's staking out the place, making certain no other familiar faces or law enforcement personnel seem present, normal cars in the lot, nothing to set off her 'trap' senses. She drags in a deeper breath and finally goes inside, taking up residence at the farthest booth in the most private, windowless corner, her shoulders to the back corner wall. She's in strangely normal clothing. a plain gray t-shirt and jeans. Her hair's pulled back in a boring pony tail. She's got 'stoner' sunglasses on. She looks nothing like the normal Peggy Carter.

Daniel Hastings has posed:
Daniel isn't what one would call a spy. He's a scientist. Sometime soldier. But super sleuth? Not so much. So his attempt at going incognito only really works for him. He's wearing jeans (crazy talk) and a flannel (Canadian lumberjack vibe?) with a baseball cap with a big rec C (an H in the middle). If you were a hockey fan, it's the Montreal Canadiens. Otherwise, it looks like a Chicago team hat of some kind. Does he look out of place? A little. Would he pass for Daniel? If you weren't looking for him, you'd have to double take because the professorial vibe he has not.

As he walks up to Peggy, he smiles faintly and slips into the booth like everything's normal. Does he have his back to the wall? Yep. Can he see in any direction he wants? Yep. "I.. have so many questions." He offers quietly as he picks up the menu. "Most importantly.. are you alright? Can I help? Do you.. need out of the country?"

Peggy Carter has posed:
As she sees him, she arches a brow across her tinted glasses, but a tired, amused smile flickers across her drawn features. She then watches the door behind him, making certain he's not followed in before looking towards the parking lot. Nothing has changed there either. It lets her relax by a few inches and she lets out a breath meant to calm her heart. She doesn't protest as he slides into the same side of the booth as her. People will assume they are a couple.

"You know they could charge you criminally just for this. Especially if you let me walk out of here. Just... wanted to make certain you knew what you were getting into." She studies his eyes for a few moments but seems content with what she sees. She gives him a slight nod. "I'm fine. I mean... no, I don't need out of the country. This is bullshit and I'm pissed but I'm...handling it."

Daniel Hastings has posed:
Followed. Following Dan is probably the singular most impossible thing short of tracking a single quark after being bombarded by a gluon. Once it passes the sensor plate, it's destiny belongs to the heavens. He never left his front door. Arrived on Long Island in an alley. Waited a few minutes.. then came around front and in the front door. "You mean they could try to hold a Canadian citizen who honestly has no clue what is going on. Now.. offering succor to a fugitive.." He shrugs. "What are they going to do? Deport me?" Taking a deep breath, he looks to the waitress, "Coffee, cream and sugar."

There's a discrete pause for her to leave before looking back, "Peg.. You and Steve are all I have left. Oh I suppose I have friends but there's friends and then there's people I'd give my life for. I swore an oath that had me fighting Nazis. Then Hydra. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that they survived to now. I.. don't know why or how but I had a vibe things.. weren't right. There." At Shield. "It's why I left. It's also why I gave you my number." His smile warms a little. "How's Steve, anyway?"

Peggy Carter has posed:
A slight, bittersweet smile crosses Peggy's tired features as he asks after Steve. She slightly shakes her head, "I...don't know. I assume he's still trying to work with the government. They wouldn't condemn Captain America, surely. He's... not been in touch since all this happened. And I don't want to bring trouble on his shoulders, so I've stayed... quiet." She isn't using her British accent right now, so even she sounds America, especially when she looks up and orders coffee with him. Nothing to trace her to her name.

Daniel Hastings has posed:
Dan isn't blind. His head tilts faintly, "Is.. everything alright? I mean.. between you." Speaking of bittersweet assumptions. "I know I never asked. I just assumed that.. well.. once you awoke." That they'd become an item again? He's not got the best American accent but at least he isn't truly British. Waitresses aren't linguists thankfully so he'd be best labeled as 'tourist'. His brow furrows as he brings his hand up to rub his forehead and adjust his baseball cap. Awkward moments. There are questions he wants to ask but he's a proper Brit that way and one does not simply pry into the affairs of a woman that you'd want to date when you're technically friends with the bloke who you think /is/ dating them. It's not cricket. Thankfully the coffee arrives and he smiles at the waitress.

Then there's Valeria to consider. Dan stares at his coffee for a moment or three before looking up, "I can help. Discretely. Eyes on. Infil or exfil." His voice is low with his cup lifted up to his lips so they'd be hard to read if someone was trying. It gave Peggy an out anyway. Another topic to discuss. Even if his eyes watched her with care and concern and maybe a hint of something else.

Peggy Carter has posed:
While Peggy might be a little exhausted and a lot angry at the world, she's still a profiler. She's good at reading people. So the implications that Daniel is putting down aren't lost on her, a slightly long smirk pulling at her lips. She gives a slight shake to her head, "No. Steve has someone else and I outlived him by 30 years. We did not just...pick up where we left off. Hell. I... I married, in the 50s. Steve is a very good friend and I am worried about how he is taking all this. And I'm glad I am *not* seeing anyone... not that I have time, because I'd wish no one pulled into this." Peggy states it all quite firmly, trying to put down the boundaries and be honest at the same moment.

Then he's offering to help. Her expression softens a bit but she does quiet as the coffee is set in front of her. SHe waits for the waitress to disappear and fills the mug with a bit of cream before scooping it up between her fingertips. "We're still tracking and trying to neutralize HYDRA when we can. If... anyone actually ends up arrested, we'd need help in getting then out. Otherwise, I... am not quite certain how much I want to rope you up in this, You got free of SHIELD. Enjoy your freedom."

Daniel Hastings has posed:
Dan peels his hat off to run his hand through his hair before putting the hat back on. "Damnit all, Puh.." He almost called her Peg. It comes out as a verbal hockey puck. "I know it's not what I do.. but I /can/ do.. even if.. it might be painfully obvious I got involved if I simply.. let them out." He takes a sip of his coffee and puts it down. "You don't stop fighting nazis." His jaw tightens on that point. "If you do, then freedom means bugger all." Did he just curse? I think he did. "Pulled in, not pulled in, I couldn't live with myself if I let something happen to you and I could've helped." He is quiet a moment. "I haven't slept at my flat since it all happened. Oh I go home.. I just don't sleep there." Where does he sleep? Tahiti maybe? He's got a little color in his otherwise pallid Canadian hue.

Peggy Carter has posed:
"Then... you have my current burner. Keep the private number you have, I'll call you if I need to, but right now it's a lot of quiet hunting. If you get any other information about HYDRA, hear anything in SHIELD, or the government... god, that's where we NEED contacts. That's why Steve has stayed behind, trying to get the inside scoop on who is doing this to us and trying to clear our names. I can hunt HYDRA. I've been doing it my entire life. I... don't know how to convince the entire country I'm not the enemy." Peggy admits softly, her expression bittersweet and voice full of just restrained anger at the whole situation.

Daniel Hastings has posed:
Daniel Hastings reaches out to put a hand atop hers. A gentle squeeze goes along with an earnest expression. "You are not my enemy. I cannot imagine any circumstance you would be." His smile returns, warmly. "I have been and always shall be your friend." There's a twinkle in his eyes then as he makes the popculture Spock quote. "So if you need help hunting Klingons, I'm here for it. I'll.. ask around. Being the clueless scientist ought set the usual folk at ease if I ask around in proper witless fashion. If I start being followed, I'll snap pictures and send them to you." As he withdraw his hand, he takes a deep breath. "Anyone who knew you would know you couldn't be what they claim you are.. but I suppose he does have that advantage in public image. Spandex does rather stand out."

Peggy Carter has posed:
"Yes, but I'm a spy and have been my entire life so almost no one knows me. Purposefully. I've done my job too well and now the public is prepared to believe anything about me that the news says. So... we keep hiding. You keep your phone on, if you feel like you're being followed or in danger at all, you call me. If we have any science leads I can't follow up on, I'll call you, I promise. And... maybe we'll be able to get through this with clean names eventually. Until then... I shouldn't keep you." Peggy takes another deep drink of her coffee, a beverage she often hates. It helps hide the bittersweet, tired smile on her normally red lips. She's not even wearing her usual lipstick.

Daniel Hastings has posed:
Daniel Hastings offers a dry laugh, "One of these days you'll have to let me save your hide for a change. I do have.. talents.. for that sort of thing now." He gives her a playful sort of wink. "I guess I'll leave first? You're better at this than I am." Which goes without saying. "You.. take care." His eyes show the conflict in him. What might have been, wasn't, likely never will be. It doesn't stop him from caring. Deeply. "Infinite paths.. and I just had to take the one less travelled." Small sigh.

Peggy Carter has posed:
A husky laugh escapes her lips as he mentions saving her for once. "That would require me to be in need of being saved and I so rarely make a habit of that. But I'll keep it in mind." Peggy teases him back gently. At least she is capable of a moment of levity, even in all the stress and exhaustion. She dips her head in affirmation that he should leave first. "Yes. Make certain you aren't followed. Take the long way home. Keep your eyes open. I'll... be in touch."

With that, she gives him a little, mostly hidden salute, then sinks back into the booth with her coffee like some sullen teenager. She'll be there a good 15 minutes after he's gone, making certain no one else comes to hunt her down. Then she's off and back to the house, back to coordinating how to not exist in the world.