6271/The Framework: Dead Rising

The Framework: Dead Rising
Date of Scene:	19 May 2021
Location:	The Framework: Exploded Warehouse / DC Townhouse
Synopsis:	Daniel Sousa crawls out of the rubble of his grave in the Framework and ends up coming back home to Peggy. Only, she doesn't understand when he says the place isn't real.
Cast of Characters:	Daniel Sousa, Peggy Carter, Melinda May
Tinyplot:	The Framework

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Daniel Sousa has posed:
They'd explained it all to him in detail; what the Framework was, a reality created in a computer that to the people plugged into it was indistinguishable from the real one. To which Daniel had summed up, 'a dream in a computer, got it' though he hadn't been prepared for quite how real it'd be.

Once they connected him it only took a moment and then his eyes opened and the smell of smoke and death filled his nostrils, he sat up, brushing off dirty clothing, pausing to feel the hole in his suit jacket that definitely came from a bullet. Too high to be fatal unless it wasn't tended to. Then it hit him, right this was all in some machine, this wasn't real but damn did it ever seem like it.

And that's when he takes a long slow look around.

Peggy Carter has posed:
The warehouse is a collapsed mess. There is no way his body should be alive. Not with a broken neck and probably some crushed limbs. But the Framework wasn't ready to make a dead body parade around and, as far as Daniel's brain is concerned, his body is totally fine. Which means, though he's covered in dust, debris, and all his own blood? He is also totally fine. Instead of making the impossible happen of a body waking up in a squashed pile of rubble, or maybe it's pure luck, he's moved slightly to the side in an airpocket of the collapsed roof.

Around him is all destruction. Shattered glass, twisted beams, concrete walls fallen to rubble. He can see some dim street light breaking through a little to his left, and it's half a window still in tact, the metal frame holding up a beam from the roof. There's a puddle of dried blood beneath him and his clothing is covered in it. If he wasn't dead when this place went down, someone left him here to die.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel's eyes widen at the blood until he comes to realize it didn't come from him, or well, this him? He wasn't sure how any of this worked, but then, he barely understood the 21st century, so what else was new?

Calming he looks around at the debris that somehow spared him, before he gets up walking on two legs. He feels at his left thigh through his pant leg and feels the seam of his new prosthetic. He frowns a little, figuring it was a 'dream' he hoped for a real leg, but the modern prosthetic was good enough, he wouldn't need a cane to get out of here.

If he can get out of here.

He follows the light from beyond the rubble in hopes of finding his way out.

Peggy Carter has posed:
It's going to take time and sweat, pushing his shoulder into a few beams to shift rubble off of it and tumbled to the side, then climbing his way up some rocks. As he goes? He'll find other bodies. Why the Framework has opted to keep dead bodies in here, who knows. But he was probably one of those dead bodies, really. No one he recognizes immediately, but the light is poor and those bodies are in far worse shape than his was. All of them have bullets through them. Some have been crushed by the building collapse. There's more spots of blood in the dust and rubble. Something awful happened here.

Eventually, though, with scraped hands and dusty body, he'll drag out to the topside. The place was a warehouse. There's the coolness of a river just to it's side. The dock, which is mostly unmarred by rubble, has dark spots on it as well. Whatever happened is long gone, though. A flash of lights cuts down the road and an SUV on patrol of the area starts driving past. He can probably hide in the rubble before being noticed, but he'll see the HYDRA logo on the side of that SUV, surveying the area like a disaster scene. That car? Perfectly clean. Gleaming. Spotless.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
The bodies give Daniel pause, eyes widening in suprise at first before growing more grim as he takes in their injuries. This was the scene of a slaughter. After the first body he doesn't pause to examine anymore, he'd seen enough with the first to know what happened and dream or not looking at a mangled stiff was never pleasant.

He breaths clean cool air when he emerges, looking around. Where was he? It looked like DC-

He spots the patrol car and flattens himself against the rubble, peering out through a crack to scope the car, when he spots that symbol, he mutters, "What in the hell?" but stays low waiting to see if it passes.

Peggy Carter has posed:
The patrol car shines a few lazy lights across the place, but they genuinely don't expect to find anyone so they aren't looking too hard. By the grace of some ironic god, they don't catch Daniel in their beams. Sure enough, across the river is the skyline of Washington D.C. and he seems to be in a slightly more industrial area. Things are quite otherwise, now.

Looking deeper into his outfit, he's in some make shift tactical gear. He was on some sort of mission when this happened. But his wallet, bearing his name, driver's license with a DC address, some money, cards, and several photos are there. The photos might be what catches him. There's Peggy, of course. But there are also children. A girl just hovering around pre-teen years with braces, straight dark hair, and his eyes. Then a far younger little girl with slightly waving brown hair and big, dark eyes. There's a photo of him with both of them, the toddler on his knee and the older girl standing up, hugging his shoulders. They are all beaming, smiling. Lastly, there's Peggy with a new baby in her arms, still wearing a hospital gown. She's smiling in all the photos. It might be hard to see details in the dim street lamp, but it's hard to miss what that all means.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel breathes a sigh of relief as the patrol car passes. HYDRA patrols in DC? He files that question away for later as he crouches in bit of light amidst the ruins to search himself. It all is pretty standard stuff until he sees the pictures. "What?" he has to lift the pictures a little further into the light to double check what he was seeing. "What the hell is this place?" he asks the empty night.

It takes him some time to look away, to think, to figure out what he had to do next.

Ising slowly alert for more patrols he strips off the more obvious tactical elements of his outfit balling them up in his jacket that he sticks under his arm and then he starts walking towards the first bit of non-industrial space he can find. He had to find a cab, or he was going to have a very long walk to the address on his ID.

Peggy Carter has posed:
It's going to be a bit of a hike. Fortunately, pulling that jacket off means he doesn't look quite the wreck he did before, but three cars pass him up and at least one cab before one feels desperate enough to pull over and take the fare. The mirror is adjusted, looking Daniel over with close, somewhat suspicious eyes. "Address?" The man asks, finally deciding the fare is worth it and Daniel's face isn't one of the wanted ones plastered all over the news. After all, HYDRA thinks he's dead. "Cash first..." The man clarifies, not trusting that the man he's picked up isn't homeless.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel hurries to the car and gets in the back. "Hey" he greets before the demand for payment is thrown his way. "Sure whatever you need pal, how much to..." he gives the address on his ID hoping the cash and cards in his wallet will cover the fare.

Peggy Carter has posed:
"25." Fortunately, Sousa's been doing enough work on the sly that he's carrying a fair bit of cash on him. Some for bribes, some for untraceable meals, cab fare, instances such as this. When one doesn't want anyone on the grid to know what they've been doing, well, credit cards aren't the thing to use. After taking payment, the man motors along rather quickly to the nicer suburb where he lives, at least on the same sice of DC as this warehouse.

The townhouse the cab pulls up to is quite pleasant. Three stories, a yard with a play set and a few toys abandoned in it, a nice SUV in the back driveway. The mailbox says neatly 'The Carter-Sousa's' in elegant print. There's a single light on at the second floor.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel probably looks like a tourist as they drive taking in the sites of the Framework's DC, but once they reach his destination his eyes are just for the townhouse. A quick scan gives him the name on the mailbox, the toys, the light, he definitely came to the right place. "Thanks for the lift," he says absently, handing over a 5 for a tip before getting out of the cab and walking up the steps to the front door feeling his pockets for keys at first before some combination of anxiousness and good manners, has him change up, and he goes to the door and knocks.

Peggy Carter has posed:
There's tape over the doorbell with a little laminated note that says 'Please knock, the baby is sleeping!' so he's definitely doing the right thing by knocking, though the keys might have been a bit more forgiving. There is silence for several moments and then the sound of slipper clad feet. A bolt is opened and the door unlocked, the dim evening light revealing Peggy's mostly familiar face.

She's softer here, three pregnancies and being out of the field for years lends itself to somewhat deeper curves, especially still breast feeding. Her hair is drawn back off of her face and she looks like a woman who hasn't slept well in days. Her eyes are bloodshot with tears she's not actively crying, but was at some point in the last hour. And when she sees him, they go wide in shock. Disbelief. Complete confusion. And then her knees just go slightly weak, nearly hitting the ground as she rasps out, "...Daniel?"

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel had been working on autopilot to get this far, pushing everything else out of his head but find Peggy, but when he finds her, it all suddenly becomes very real, but then he's lurching forward to catch her as her legs threaten to give out. "Easy Peg, yes, it's me, I got you," he says. "I'm here with some of the others to pull you and your team out of here."

Peggy Carter has posed:
There is abject confusion in her eyes as he says that, and then a moment of pure panic sets in, "What are you DOING they'll SEE YOU!" She hisses, forcing herself to tug him inside by his shirt collar even as she doesn't trust her weakened knees. She slams the door hard enough that probably at least one child is going to wake up, if not both, but it's better than HYDRA seeing him. Her breath comes in fast, near panic, shallowed pants as her other hand comes up to shakily trace over his cheek, "Y-you're... Dead. Melinda said you... you were dead..."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel lets him get pulled inside. "HYDRA? I saw a patrol car by the warehouse I showed up in, do they really just drive around in the open? They told me this place was going to be a dream in a computer, but it feels like a nightmare, you should have seen where I came in-"

Her words hit him then and he pauses. "You've found May?" he asks her. "And what do you mean dead, i just got here?" he asks, memories of what he saw back at the warehouse coming to mind. "What did May tell you?"

Peggy Carter has posed:
As he starts rambling on about a dream in a computer and asking about HYDRA driving around out in the open, Peggy's features crumple a bit more in confusion. She reaches one hand up to his forehead, brushing her palm across his skin like she's trying to check if he's sick or delirious. "Daniel, what in hell are you *talking* about? Of course they drive around in the open. They run this whole damn country, practically. What... what in hell did they do to you? You're delirious." She breathes out softly. "And you've been here for almost 15 years, love. You just... they... Melinda said they *killed* you. I just lost you. Again." Her voice trembles as she admits that, the tears which have been coming off and on for days threatening to return.

But before Peggy can melt into tears again, the sound of a door creaking down the hall can be heard. Little feet shuffle out along hardwood floor, Lily clutching her flop eared bunny that she always sleeps with. She rubs one little fist across an eye as she stares down the half staircase to the front door, "...Daddy?"

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel glances up as Peggy touches his brow, "I'm alright Peg," he begins but then the questions and explanations come and he stands there looking stunned. "What? Why would someone build this place?" but when she gets to the part about him dying and he hears that tremble in her voice, he doesn't care about those details. "Peggy," he says calm, firm, meeting her eyes, he takes her hand and if she lets him puts it against his chest. "I'm here I'm alive, I'm not sure what's going on but I'm here to get you out of here and bring you home."

Daniel hears the noises but doesn't think anything of them until the little voice calls out to him, and he turns seeing the girl from the picture. The girl that is unmistakably a mix of Peggy's and his own features. The picture had been jarring enough, but to see them in the flesh (or equivalent) was something else.

His mouth opens slightly, and he stares wide-eyed for a second before he answers simply, "Hello," and shoots an uncertain glance at Peggy. He hadn't been expecting this.

Peggy Carter has posed:
That gentle pressure of his hand across hers, pressing fingertips against the slightly frantic beat of his heart, it gets a little cracked breath of tears from Peggy. One finally slides free of her lashes, a gasp of uncertain, terrified relief crossing her lips. She presses her hand a bit tighter, savoring that beat and his warmth, just confirming that he is very much alive and whatever May thought was wrong. Her eyes press tightly shut, still confused, but the relief is enough to make her dizzy. "You're alive, you're alive, you're alive." She repeats over and over for a few disbelieving, whispering seconds. Then her mind catches up with his other words, "Build...? They built it so we could live in it, Daniel, we *are* home." She confirms between a few shallow breaths through her nose.

But there is no time for more explanations. She turns abruptly as she hears Lily's voice and reaches the base of her palm up to quickly try and push away her tears. She's been so good about not crying around Lily, she certainly doesn't want to start now. The little girl keeps half time sucking on the ear of her bunny rabbit as she watches him with tired, large dark eyes. Her other chubby arm comes forward, reaching out to him. She wants picked up. "Mum said you weren't ever coming home..." She looks like she might be ready to cry too.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel is happy to leave that hand pressed against his chest. "Yes, I'm alive but I was worried for you," he says. "We didn't know what happened to you or the others, May, Morse?" he blinks when she declares this is home. "No Peg, don't you remember? You were captured and put in this place-"

There's no more time than that to argue, when Lily approaches, he just stares at the girl until she reaches for him, he glances between Lily and Peggy and then focuses on Lily, awkwardly reaching for her hand to give it a squeeze almost as if to see if she was real but not yet picking her up . "Hi, um-" he looks to Peggy for help, flustered.

Peggy Carter has posed:
There is that fluttering confusion across Peggy's exhausted, tear splotched features again. She genuinely has no clue what he's talking about, though she stammers out quietly, "Melinda was just here the other night. She's the one who told me what happened. I don't know this... Morse. There is the Sky Commander Morse, but I'd sooner shoot her than let her set foot inside our house." Peggy's voice holds a hateful vitriol that he's almost never heard out of her other than when she's talking about HYDRA.

Lily's little hand is warm and soft. She squeezes his palm back and then gives a little tug, trying to get him to scoop her up. "Up. I want your stories. Why wouldn't you come home?" Apparently, Peggy hadn't quite gotten to the explaining death part of this all. She stares at him in open confusion as he looks for help, nodding quietly, "You woke her up, come on, your turn to get her back to sleep. Michael will be up in a moment anyway." The girl pouts at him, vaguely swinging back and forth as she holds his hand. She is NOT letting go.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
"Sky commander?" Daniel asks brows raising, first at the title then a little higher from the vitriol. "I am not sure what you're talking about."

That hand though feels so real, so alive, he squeezes it a little tighter, all thoughts of mysterious sky commanders and the rest fleeing his thoughts. "Um," he stumbles over his words. "I-"
5rWhen Peggy tells him to put the child to bed, he blinks at her. "I don't think that's a good idea Peg," but then she mentions Michael. "Wait, Michael's here too? What about Sharon?"

The swinging hand draws him back to Lily. "Hey you want to cut that out," he says gently, but lacking the feeling his construct might have said it with.

Peggy Carter has posed:
"Sharon?" Peggy's confusion only deepens, "Daniel. *What* is going on with you? Did they muck up your brain or something? I equally have no bloo-... darn clue what you are talking about." Relief is now making way for deeper confusion and a bit more anger. Not at him, but at HYDRA who surely tried to rewrite his brain or do something awful to him that he is talking like this. She even slightly winces as he speaks a bit harsher to Lily, not with any of the complete patience and immediate love he always shows the girl.

Lily is very unaccustomed to being disciplined by her father at all, especially like this. *Especially* when he was never coming home. She goes stock still, her hand still holding his but sudden, large tears welling up in her eyes as she stares at him more, "Daddy, are you... mad at me? Is that why you didn't come home?? I want *up*..." She whines, already on the edge of tearful hiccups even as she pulls herself closer to his hip. "Don't be *maaad*." She begs in that little girl voice.

Up the stairs, sure enough, the sounds of a baby beginning to wail from the now open door of that room can be heard.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
"Who? Mucked with my brain? HYDRA? What do you think happened here?"

Once again his efforts to sort things out are stalled by the child.

He looks at her again, but what ever was about to come out of his mouth is stopped short by those tears and the girl's words. "Hey, hey, no, nobody's mad at you," he tells her. "I'm just trying to talk to Pe-, your mum, okay?" he gives the hand a squeeze and puts on a smile that he hopes doesn't look as rattled as he feels.

The sound of the baby has him looking up, that much is familiar, "That's Michael isn't it?" he asks.

Peggy Carter has posed:
"Then I want up. *Please.*" Lily says it in that way of a child who knows that's the magic word. Knows her daddy can't resist it when she gives him that little, tearful smile and uses her manners. "Bunny wants up. I want up." And how she holds her other arm out, the one still grasping that long earred, very floppy bunny rabbit, it's head and ears lolling towards the floor as she doesn't let it go but reaches with her arm for Daniel's neck. She's a stubborn child. Just like her mother.

Peggy lets out a little huff of a breath, her eyes pressing shut in an almost wince as she hears that wailing start. "Of course, that's Michael. What did they do to your head that you don't know your own *son*?" Peggy rasps out angrily, though her anger is all directed at HYDRA, she can't help but feel it. She then double times up the half staircase to the main living floor so she can jog down that hallway and into the nursery to scoop up the screaming infant, leaving Daniel alone with his daughter.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
"Peg-" Daniel calls after her before she's gone up the staircase. "Well this is great," he says before looking down at Lily, there's no more stalling, so, he bends down and gingerly picking her up, first he holds her almost arms length from his body but then a little closer, like he did with his cousin's child back in the 50's, but still very awkward. "Better?" he asks Lily, tone softening as he studies her close up. God this all felt so real.

Peggy Carter has posed:
"No! Hold me *right*." Lily states quietly, trying to shift and squirm her little body so she's on his hip and able to wrap both her little arms around his neck. She smells so real, like her baby shampoo. Her skin is soft and warm. Her hair has the exact same texture as Peggy's against his skin. She hugs him tightly with her bunny now pinned in against his chest and her other arm folded up so she can suck at her thumb against his shoulder. "You're wrong, daddy... why are you being wrong?" Out of the mouth of babes. Children's instincts are good, and Lily knows he's still not holding her like he used to.

It's a few moments later that Peggy's coming out of that room, a little bundle with dark hair against her shoulder as she walks with a faint bounce in her step. She's reduced the crying from total wails to some sniffling hiccups around his pacifier. She looks perfectly natural with the baby on her arm, and like a woman who has definitely had two children in the recent years, not like his Peggy at all.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel struggles to hold Lily as she squirms around to get situated against him the way she likes, but he manages, not having the heart to explain why he's wrong, he just stands there, and murmurs. "I'll tell you later..." he wasn't prepared for any of this.

Peggy's return definitely counted too, his eyes widen a little and he looks like he world has started spinning on him.

Letting Lily down gently he says, "I need to sit down," and he does just that coming down heavy on the second to last step of the staircase. "What the hell is this place..." he mutters to himself.

Peggy Carter has posed:
A few small baby kisses are pressed against Daniel's cheek, Lily trying her best to make things better even though she's confused too. Her father is back, but he isn't. "Are you sick, daddy? You should go to bed if you are sick." She mutters into his shoulder, that the best explanation she has. "I'll come in with you, the way mum lays with me when I'm sick." She rambles on quietly, just desperately wanting to help and make things better. When she's put down, those tears start to return, but she doesn't go into fully wailing. She really knows her daddy is sick now. Her little hand pets against his hair, just trying to help in any way.

Peggy stares down at him, still gently bobbing the baby against her shoulder. It means she can't sit next to him. She doesn't even really have a free hand to touch him, though she wants to. She's not missed his last words, even if they were spoken to himself. "...this is your home, Daniel. But probably not for much longer. If you escaped from them... they'll really be hunting you now. The Doctor already has taken an... Interest in us. We're going to have to get out of here."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel flinches away from the kisses with a pained expression though when Lily pets his hair he makes no move to get away. He looks up and meets the girl's eyes "I'm okay," he tells her. "I promise. I'll lay down in a little while."

He glances behind when Peggy speaks looking up the stairs. "You're not wrong we do need to get out of here and back to the real world, I don't know who this doctor is but from what I hear in your voice he doesn't sound like someone we want to find us."

Peggy Carter has posed:
The girl looks incredibly confused still, and a little sad, but she keeps gently patting her father's hair for a few moments before she scampers back over to Peggy's side, tucking against her mother's hip and half hiding her face against Peggy's thigh. "I think daddy's sick..." She mutters in a slightly whining, worried voice.

Peggy lets out a deep breath, both the children now quite clinging to her. She looks incredibly exhausted for a few moments. Heartsick, even, as she stares on to Daniel and tries to piece together his words. "...This *is* the real world, Daniel. I don't know what you're talking about. And the Doctor... you've met him. The second in command of all of HYDRA. Leopold Fitz. He's... awful." A slight shiver of disgust goes through her, "But we can't leave until we know what they did with Melly. Melinda's trying to find out..."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel gets up and climbs the stairs. "It's not Peg, all of this, it isn't real, it's some simulation HYDRA made to game out various alternate futures, but the world outside the real world it's," a glance down at Lily and another at little Michael in Peggy's arms. "Different, SHIELD is on the ropes but we're no where close to being out of the fight and HYDRA is still skulking in the shadows. The sooner we get out of here the better Peggy, we're still needed back there and you need to come with me so they can safely remove you from the simulation," he says pointedly looking away from the children now.

Peggy Carter has posed:
That heartsick look just deepens on Peggy's features as she hears him going on with this nonsense. Not even able to look at his children. She looks confused and grieved, eyes searching his, desperately trying to comprehend what HYDRA has done to his mind. Slowly, she shakes her head, "I'm not leaving this house until we have our other daughter. We're not leaving Melly to them. I don't know what they've done to you, Daniel, but... you're scaring the children and you aren't speaking sanely."

Peggy is desperately trying to keep herself together. She knows if she falls apart, Lily is going to lose it too, and Michael has only just calmed down against her shoulder. She releases one hand from his back to comb her fingertips through Lily's soft hair, "My darling, your daddy is sick. I need you to go to bed for me so I can take care of him. Can you do that? You can stay up and read to Bunny, if you want, but you need to go to bed." Peggy's voice is utterly loving and patient. Her whole heart is clearly deeply in love with this child and fiercely protective.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel looks up at Peggy, his look a mirror to her own, "I'm sorry Peg, but when we get out of here you'll understand," he says, though he does look at Lily this time, a sad frown on his face before he gets to his feet. "Better do what your mum says and get some rest, she and I have a lot to talk about," he says trying to be kind at least but lacking the warmth and affection Peggy was accustomed to when it came to Daniel and their second child.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Lily peaks back at him, wide, dark eyes rimmed with some tears she's trying not to cry. She's never heard her father talk like that before, so cold. She simply doesn't understand. "...I love you, daddy." She finally stammers out, the only real thing she can hold onto, even if it doesn't feel like he loves her. She then turns and mopes down the hall, dragging her bunny behind her as she goes. The door to her room isn't exactly slammed shut when she does inside, but it's not gentle either. She's pouting and confused.

Peggy then looks back to him, her confusion turning to a bit more anger as she sees the way they are interacting, "Daniel. That's your *daughter*. We thought you were dead. The least you can do is be there for her. If... if HYDRA or SHIELD has turned you away from me, from this life, I... I can't say I understand it. But that little girl thinks the world of you and thought you were never coming home. *I* thought you were dead. We've both barely slept. And I'm not leaving without *all* our children."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel stares after Lily for a long moment before Peggy's words bring him out of it. "Peg, none of this is real. This is not our life, none of our kids except Michael exist, and he's older than we are now. Hell he's got a daughter nearly our age," he explains. "I know this whole simulation has you believing this is real and that I'm the crazy one but if you come with me it'll all make sense, I'm here to bring you home Peg, you, May, Bobbi, Daisy, Fitz, all of you, once you get there you'll understand what I'm saying," he says.

Peggy Carter has posed:
The expression on Peggy's face darkens when he says the name 'Fitz'. It's like an automatic, traumatic reaction, a slight shiver going through her spine. Peggy shakes her head and turns away from him, going back to bouncing Michael as he's started to fuss a little again. She's struggling to get full control of her own emotions and, in truth, failing. "...did he do this to you? Leopold Fitz? The Doctor? We would never, ever willingly work with that man. That's why Melinda thinks we need to run, as soon as she finds Melly, we're all going. to get *away* from him and HYDRA. Somewhere far from here. If I have to go alone, I will, but I'm not letting that vicious man lay a hand on my children."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
"Fitz is the doctor?!" Daniel says running a hand through his hair and then dropping his voice knowing that Lily is likely trying to sleep. "Where we come from he's a nerdy Scottish guy who helped build my new prosthetic. He got caught in this hell simulation same as you, May, and the others. He's on our side Peggy, I don't know what they did to him in here or to you for that matter, but he's an agent of SHIELD and we've got people who are going to try and bring him out, but right now you and May are my priorities, so what do we need to make that work?"

Peggy Carter has posed:
"You *aren't listening to me*. This is where I come from. I'm not leaving my house or my children until they are all here. I have no clue what that man did to your brain, or what HYDRA re-eductaion they put you through to make you talk like this, but I'm not going *anywhere* until Melly is here. Melinda's working on finding her, but HYDRA moved her off being assigned to watch us, so it's harder to talk to her now." Peggy then falls quiet, realizing that if he has been reprogrammed somehow, she's just spilled all her plans to a possible agent of HYDRA. For the first time in her life, Peggy Carter stares at Daniel Sousa with true fear in her eyes.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
The look Peggy gives him breaks Daniel's heart. "Peggy it's me," he says meeting her eyes. "I love you and I am here to help, can you believe that much?" he asks her, before she mentions May and Melly. "Yeah, we can wait for May and if you want me to do anything to prove I'm me, and I'm not here to hurt you, that's fine, but I just need you to trust me so we can get out safely."

Peggy Carter has posed:
The woman stares at him with still slightly too wide eyes. Peggy looks quietly shattered, not certain she knows the man standing in front of her and not certain how she can function without him. She lets out a little, shaking breath, tucking her cheek against the back of Michael's head as the heavy, warm reminder of him in her arms is almost as soothing to her as she is soothing to him. "I... I love you too. But I know what HYDRA does to people. I know they told me you... You were dead. You were sneaking around, working for SHIELD again. Helping inhumans. And they had to kill you. Or you were at least in their hands. And now you're here babbling about other worlds and you barely seem to even *care* about your children..."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel lets out a breath and rubs both hands over his face as he leans against the wall. "Peg, all of that was part of the simulation, I just got here a few hours ago, you've been in the machine for days now, but I'm guessing time doesn't work right here and it feels a lot longer or the wrote a bunch of stuff into your brain somehow. Anyhow, I'm really me, Daniel, I proposed to you back in '50 with my grandmother's ring and told you the story about when my grandfather gave it to her," he says. "We got married on the Chelsea pier and got attacked by frogmen and I had to use that horrible cane of Howard's after I lost mine," he says. "We got that house in long island and you used to fall asleep against my shoulder half-way home every night, unless we went to the penthouse or used the pullout couches Howard bought for our offices, and I just came to the future a few months ago do to some stupid magic mirror and we're trying to fix it so I don't have to go back to '56. Any of this ringing a bell?" he asks.

Still no mention of their children.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Peggy's throat just tightens more against tears she's trying not to let herself cry, but they are clearly behind her eyes. She shakes her head fainly as he starts talking about being here a few months ago, though he seemed to have her the whole way through the wedding. "Daniel... You've been with us for 15 years now. I went back and got you when we realized how you died and had the technology to get Melinda back when she got stuck there. I nearly lost my job because of the stunt I pulled to get you here. We had baby Melinda three years later. There is *no way* you are ever going back to 1956. You're dead there and you're my husband here. Now. This is our family and the life we built together."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel's eyes cut away from Peggy's when he sees those unshed tears but he makes them come back to hers, looking sad and sympathetic, he moves to her then, and if she lets him, takes both of her hands in his. "It's not Peggy, I-I don't know how to tell you but all of this," he gestures around at the house eyes lingering on the picture of the five of them all together. He looks back to Peggy. "It's not real it's a messed up dreamworld meant to keep you and the others here. That life," he nods to the picture. "Is the one we wanted but never got to live after I got shot in '56, and out there in the real world we haven't had the time to try and rebuild it."

He looks to her again. "I wish some of this was real, Peggy I do, but it's not and we need to go, people are counting on us, and we need to get back and help dig SHIELD out of the hole it's in, the real SHIELD."

Peggy Carter has posed:
Her hands slightly tremble in his, pulse racing, all of her on the edge of the closest thing to a panic attack she's had in as long as she can remember. The news of his death? That was hard. Nearly impossible. Yet these strange, seemingly insane words from him now are somehow worse. Peggy shakes her head slowly to him, one tear finally cutting down her cheek, unable to restrain it any longer. "You cannot tell me you think our *children* aren't real. Daniel. They're our *babies*. Do you even hear yourself? This madness? SHIELD is gone. Fallen. Destroyed. What help we could give is long passed. Now you can come away with me and the children or you can go back to the resistance and keep fighting for a lost cause. If SHIELD is that damn important to you, I... I won't keep you here. But I'm not leaving our children. They need me."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel can feel that racing pulse, and holds her hands tighter, bringing them to his chest while he tries to wipe away the tear. "I know, Peggy, I know they must feel real to you, hell I've been here less than half an hour and..." he swallows back some emotion. "Michael looks like he did back when I knew him in '56 and Lily, is so much like the pictures from your birthday when you were younger. I know if I felt I'd been here fifteen years, I'd love them too. Hell, Lily already breaks my heart, but they're not real, they're part of the simulation meant to keep you from escaping, it's horrible and it's cruel but it's true, though I wish it wasn't."

Peggy Carter has posed:
As he says they aren't real, she draws her hand back again, trying to pull her fingertips away from his and press them against the baby's back instead of him. She then grabs at his fingertips instead and pulls his hand over to rest against Michael's little warm body on her shoulder. "You *cannot* tell me this isn't real. He is your son. And if you keep this up, you... I'm going to have to ask you to leave. These children have been through enough. *I*... have been through enough. I will not risk them further with whatever HYDRA did to you."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel doesn't let his hand be led, he jerks it away. "Peggy, do you know how much I want this to be real?" he asks her. "I know it's hard for you to hear but it's hard for me to say too, I would love if I could live this life with you, have a house full of kids," he says, tears brimming in his eyes now. "But it isn't real," he says. "And I don't think either of us are the sort to trade the real world for fantasy, not when there's still work to be done," and when wasn't there?

"I'm not going to leave Peg, but if you want me to stop talking I will, but like you said we need to wait for May, she needs to hear this too."

Peggy Carter has posed:
"God dammit, Daniel, he's your SON." Peggy hisses as she sees his hand jerk away from the baby like Michael was some sort of bomb. That hurt more than anything. She stares at him in disbelief, another tear cutting free and running a steak down her cheek. "I don't know what they did to you. I don't know why you don't think this is real. I... just hold your son. Please. Just a few minutes. I... I need a few minutes." Peggy tries to pass the bundle off to Dabiel. If he takes the baby, all the better. If not, she stalks down the hall to put him in his crib. Either way, within a minute, she's reaching for that burner phone.

A fast text is sent to May from shaking hands, <<Daniel is here and what did HYDRA DO TO HIM? He's half insane.>>

Melinda May has posed:
There's a good minute before a reply comes back to that text. All it says is: <<OMW.>>

(And somewhere deep inside the Triskelion, Melinda May is suddenly very, VERY alarmed...)

Daniel Sousa has posed:
He's hesitant but Daniel takes Michael in his arms, and unlike with Lily he seems to know how to hold him, his expression softening as he fights back tears. "Hey," he says to the child. Construct or not, he'd missed this, the simple act of holding his son. So for the moment at least he's content unaware of whatever else is going on.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Still not entirely asleep, a little baby fist comes up to gently curl against Daniel's neck and the infant is slightly gumming on the collar of his shirt, but seems quite comfortable in his arms. Awake and warm, he feels just like little Michael did all those years (but really only months to him) ago. He even smells like baby in that soft twist of dark, whispy baby hair on his skull. Everything feels as real and alive as when he was holding his son in the real world.

Peggy stares down at the phone. No other explanation is really needed. Melinda would come, maybe would know how to break the programming that has been done to Daniel, or whatever is driving him mad like this. She sets the burner phone down with a shaking hand and looks back to him, brushing away her tears with the base of her palm. "Melinda is coming. She'll be able to help, to figure out w-what they did to you."

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel holds Michael even closer, feeling how warm and real he seems. "God I missed you," he tells the construct, tears warm on his cheeks now. It might be as close as he gets to having a second chance with son at this age, instead of the older bitter man he'd become.

Looking up at Peggy's words, he nods, "Good," he says, before glancing down at Michael again, he can't seem to tear his eyes away, that much at least is like the Daniel Peggy had come to know here. "I know this has been hard, Peggy, but I promise, we'll sort all of this out."

Peggy Carter has posed:
Seeing the tears on his cheek and that look in his eyes, staring at his son, the look that seems entirely more familiar than anything else this evening? It's enough to let something unclench in her chest. Peggy watches them both, letting out a slow, shaking breath as she steps back over to him and leans up to kiss his forehead. "I love you. You're alive. We're here. Together. Our children are... mostly safe. We can handle anything else. Let's just go sit down with him and... we'll figure anything else later. You're alive and that's... That's what matters." Peggy repeats again, as if she were working on convincing herself it was true. Slowly, she tries to lead him over to the couch, Michael still in his arms. The baby stirs a bit before settling his little head entirely on his father's shoulder. Daniel's going to end up with drool all over his collar.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Daniel smiles at the kiss and turns to beam a Peggy much the way he had when he held Michael on the day he was born. "It hasn't even been that long and I forgot how good this felt," he admits quietly letting himself be lead to the couch, sitting down carefully smiling faintly at how easy it was to sit and hold his son with the new prosthetic.

Looking to Peggy, he says, "I love you too, Peg, and yeah, we're going to figure this out."

After a moment of consideration, he shifts to let Peggy lean up against him, hoping for a selfish moment to live the life he thought he'd left behind.

Peggy Carter has posed:
She sinks in against him easily, letting herself dare to relax as he's not talking about things not being real any longer. He really was alive, sitting next to her again, and Peggy's life doesn't feel quite so lonely for a few minutes. She lets her head lull against his opposite shoulder. "I missed you...so much." She rasps out quietly. And then the crash of adrenaline, combine with the new baby and too many sleepless nights all catches up to her. Much like those nights in the car driving back to Long Island, she dozes off on his shoulder while Michael falls asleep against him as well. For a few minutes, Daniel really does have that perfect life back.