Chapter Text
They heard Margaret coming in late again . She had been at someone’s wedding, a friend of hers or a friend of a friend. Peggy didn’t quite understand why she even went to it, everyone knows that weddings get her upset. Margaret herself even knew that but it seemed that they had become some kind of obsession of hers.
What Steve and Peggy didn’t appreciate was her coming in the house at 3 o’clock in the morning, drunk off her face and making so much noise that it woke Charlotte up as well as their four month old baby. Peggy gave birth to a healthy baby boy at the end of June. They named him Noah and he was perfect, except when he was woken up in the middle of the night and ending up crying and screaming at the top of his lungs. Steve got up and handled Charlotte whilst Peggy went and soothed Noah.
Steve rested Charlotte on his waist as he gently rocked her, she pulled back from resting her head on his shoulder “Daddy, what’s wrong with Aunt Maggie?”
Still hearing all the noise on the outside, Steve sighed and rubbed Charlotte’s back “She’s just going through a tough time. Adult stuff”
Soon enough, Peggy came in Charlotte’s bedroom with Noah in her arms. He was still crying, she sighed as she walked in “Steve I need you to take him” she looked to Charlotte and said breathlessly “Hi darling”
Steve put Charlotte back in her bed and took Noah out of Peggy’s arms as she leaned down to her daughter, putting her hand on her head “Do you think you will be okay getting back to sleep, love?”
“Yes mummy”
“Good girl” Peggy pressed her lips against the top of the four year olds head before standing up straight and shooting a look to Steve to let him be aware of her stress as she headed for the door, Steve quickly taking a few steps after her and calling quietly “Where are you going?”
“Where do you think?” Peggy looked to him, hearing the drunken groans from the other side of the upstairs floor. She sighed and shook her head, looking simply exhausted “I won’t be long, I just need to get her in bed”
Steve frowned as he watched his wife make her way over to the other side of their home to attend to her cousin. Sometimes it was like Peggy had to play parent to three children, she was getting more exhausted from staying up with Margaret than she was with her toddler and baby.
Peggy didn’t bother in knocking and just walked into Margaret’s room, seeing the 27 year old prance around her room in a drunken state before she dropped down onto her bed. She had been doing most of her drinking in her room rather than at this wedding, Peggy sighed, dropping her hand from the door knob “Margot”
Margaret looked up from staring down at her whiskey, she took her cigarette from her mouth and smiled “Well if it isn’t my perfect cousin” she didn’t say it in a bitter or vicious tone. She was actually been rather serious and said it in more admiration. Peggy was the one that had everything figured out and sorted out of three of them. Elizabeth pretended she did but they all knew that wasn’t the case.
“You need to stop this” Peggy said gently, taking the cigarette from her and crushing it in the ashtray, then taking the whiskey which Margaret commented as she reached out for “I wasn’t done”
“It’s three o’clock in the morning. Believe me you are most done” Peggy said, swigging back the drink herself for all it was worth. There was no point leaving it on the side because Margaret would just pick it up again and besides, she needed it now.
“Oh dear” Margaret slapped her wrist “Are you cross with me?”
“Now is not the time to have this conversation” Peggy said, putting her hand on Margaret’s petite waist to pull her from the bed and take off her dress for her before throwing her nightgown at her “Come on”
Margaret then just did as she was told and put on her nightgown as Peggy pulled back the duvet covers ready for her to get into, which she then just did. Peggy put the covers back over her and sighed “You need to start taking better care of yourself”
Margaret just grumbed and turned to her sides as her eyes shut. Just like that, she was out like a light. Whereas Peggy doubt she would get back to sleep so quickly. She stood there, she stared, seriously thought about strangling her and then left. Making her way back down the mile long walk that was the hallway to get back into their bedroom, Steve already there. She nodded “Of course the children went down quicker”
Steve just huffed and pulled the duvet back “Come to bed, baby”
Peggy pressed her hands on the foot of the bed as she leaned down on it for a moment and bowed her head. Just taking a moment for herself before eventually climbing onto the bed but not getting under the duvet just yet, she sat back and just pondered for a moment. She shook her head “It’s getting worse”
She looked back to her husband after the silence and saw him shrug “There’s not that much we can do, Peg”
“I know” Peggy sighed. She felt his hand grip hold of hers which caused her eyes to shift back to him, seeing his kind and warm expression. She soon felt better bit by bit. Peggy moved herself forward and more towards him, putting her hand to his cheek, stroking his skin with her thumb before dropping into a smile and leaning forward to kiss him. Her hands resting on his cheeks as her body pressed against his, her tongue brushing against his. Steve smirked against her lips before pulling back and mumbling “Where’s this going?”
“Well if I’m not going to get anymore sleep easily” Peggy straddled him and continued to kiss him before saying with a wicked smirk “I should try to do something to wear me out”
Steve smiled as he gazed at her, his hands gripped tighter to her waist as her hip rocked against his, hearing her giggle as he buried his face in his neck and kissed her skin, her fingers running through the back of his hair. Considering she had just been annoyed and frustrated, this was certainly a surprising outcome but he wasn’t complaining one bit. Gently, he turned for Peggy to be lay on her back. Where only good things followed.
The very next morning, Peggy was shocked to find out that the event that Margaret had come home from, she came home as an engaged woman. Margaret rangand told Elizabeth early morning and then informed Peggy over breakfast.
Peggy just looked at her, staring in complete and utter shock “Engaged...to Billy Wallace?”
“Yes”
“As in Billy Wallace, Billy Wallace ?”
“Unless you know others” Margaret muttered as she lit her cigarette before grabbing a piece of toast, feeling her cousins eyes still burning on her beside the odd glance to Steve over the table. Margaret looked to them both and rolled her eyes “What?”
Peggy and Steve continued to look at each other for a moment and then Steve looked to her and muttered “Billy’s a damn idiot”
Margaret’s face dropped to a stern glare “He has been a friend to the family for years”
Peggy sat back in her chair and sighed, trying to find her words carefully. She knew why Margaret had agreed to this, not because she loved Billy, she in no way loved him. She didn’t even like him in a romantic way and Peggy was absolutely certain that she wasn’t even attracted to him. Margaret had agreed to this because she was alone, and has found no one to take care of her since Peter left.
“What has Lilibet said?”
“Well she’s given her approval to this one” Margaret muttered bitterly. To which Peggy just ignored and didn’t press, glancing to Steve again, she then decided to try and be as supportive as she could be “Margot, we can’t tell you what to do and if you really feel good about this then you have my support. All I ask is that you know what you’re doing, that you won’t regret it”
Margaret just nodded, partly surprised that Peggy had let it go so smoothly, but in all honesty Peggy was just tired of having a debate nearly every single day of her life. She knew Steve would have a few things to say about it when being in private.
He couldn’t even save it, as soon as they walked down the hall he put his input in “We both know why she’s doing this”
“Of course we do”
“Trying to prove a damn point to her sister” Steve stated as he put his hands in his pockets “I mean, of all the guys it had to be Billy? Jesus I should’ve introduced Bucky when I had the chance”
“I’m starting to warm up to that idea now” Peggy sighed “What’s one more American to the party?” she looked to him and smirked which he then did back. Looking forward again, he shook his head “He’s just going to hurt her, Peg”
“There’s nothing I can do”
“You’re a good talk her can’t you just…” he paused as he frailed his hand about “Talk”
Peggy laughed breathlessly, linking her arm with his “Darling. You always say to me that I need to leave her to her own devices”
“Yeah well this device is going to come back and bite us all on the ass. He’s either going to cheat or doing something else to humiliate her like...like show up at the wedding drunk. We both know he would”
Peggy thought for a moment before muttering “How fast do you think you can get Bucky here?”
Steve snorted and shook his head “Don’t tempt me”
She rested her head against his for a moment and let out a light sigh “Listen, we will have to cross the burning bridge when it comes to it but right now all we can do is just-”
“Sit back and wait for the flames”
“Exactly...also it’s her birthday soon enough, I want her to have as little disappointment and trouble as possible”
Steve sucked in a breath and shrugged “Not really up to us, that’s up to Billy”
“God and we have such good faith in him” Peggy mumbled under her breath, both of them just exchanging a glance and sighed as they continued to head to their children’s nursery.
A few days past and it was the evening of Elizabeth and Philip’s ten year wedding anniversary dinner. Steve and Peggy were almost halfway there at least.
Walking down to the front, Margaret’s lady's maid came over to them and informed them that Margaret would not be joining them until later on, she had gone to Billy’s home after hearing that he had taken a serious injury. Steve looked to Peggy and raised his brows “Let’s hope it’s nothing too serious”
“Stop it” Peggy whispered with amusement, pushing him towards the car before getting in beside him. When in the car though, they did come up with theories on what could have happened. They all knew he was a bit of a moron but how the hell has he got seriously injured? Steve came up with drink driving and Peggy had to admit that that was the most likely situation.
They arrived at the palace not shortly after and met with Elizabeth and Philip as soon as they did. Peggy putting her hands on Elizabeth’s arms and saying as she kissed her cheek “Happy anniversary”
They thanked them both, soon enough Peggy’s eyes met Elizabeth’s and she knew that they were both thinking the same thing. She shrugged to her “I know”
Elizabeth sighed and mumbled as they walked towards the dining room, with Philip and Steve talking behind them “Philip thinks it will end in a disaster. And think’s that Billy Wallis is an absolute-”
“Moron” Peggy sighed, then nodding “Yes, Steve thinks exactly the same. Perhaps they have seen a side to him that we haven’t-though even I think he is a bit of an idiot. Certainly not someone I would have picked for her”
Elizabeth let out a breath and shrugged “But what can we do?”
“We can do absolutely nothing, it’s her choice. I just hope she realises that she is doing this for the wrong reasons before she actually walks down the aisle”
Elizabeth said nothing, she just hummed as her agreement and they didn’t speak of it anmore once they were in the dining room. They sat beside each other, with Steve and Philip sat opposite, Margaret and Billy were to be sat beside Peggy. Well they were supposed to be. But Elizabeth’s Private Secretary Michael came over to inform her that Margaret was on her way but without Billy, it seemed that they weren’t going to announce their engagement. To them, it sounded as if the relationship had ended but they weren’t to know until afterwards.
Billy’s place was cleared by the staff and then Margaret came in afterwards. She said nothing, cearly putting on a brave face. They all just gave her a kind smile as she sat down to make her feel as welcome as possible. She wasn’t sat for long however, just nearing the end of Philip’s speech to Elizabeth for their anniversary, Margaret shot up and left the room.
Elizabeth looked to Peggy, who frowned with exhaustion and simply put her hand on Elizabeth’s arm as she then too got up and left the room. Margaret being just in the next room, her hands on her hips and letting out deep shaken breaths.
Peggy closed the door quietly and remained silent for a moment before finally asking in a gentle voice “What happened?”
Margaret let out a breath, her eyes were closed as she shook her head “You were right, you were all right”
“We don’t take any joy in that, Margot” Peggy cooed as she took another step forward, she raised her brows “What did he do?”
“He was using our situation to get women” she chided, slowly turning to face Peggy, still shaking her head “Is every man I meet going to have an agenda?”
Peggy was then the one to shake her head “No. There will be one that you meet, a genuine one. I promise you that”
“I feel like I already met that man…”
Peggy frowned. Not quite knowing what to say, she couldn’t tell Margaret that wasn’t true because seven years ago she was in that same situation of not wanting anyone else and not trusting any other man to be with her other than Steve who at the time she couldn’t have, the sad difference here is that Peter was never going to come back.
The young woman then extended her arm to the other room “And I have to sit there and listen to Philip profess his undying love to Lilibet. I have to see the looks that Steve gives you and think about how no one looks at me that way”
Peggy just stared at her, at first not knowing what to say but she then just simply shrugged and spoke kindly “Yes. For now. Yes”
“For now?”
“Until you meet that genuine man and no longer feel isolated” Peggy walked over to her and put her hands on her arms, giving her a gentle rub “Listen to me, the speech is over, there will be no more professes of love tonight. Just laughter and booze”
Even though they were slightly concerned about Margaret’s drinking at the moment, it was unlikely that they could have that conversation now and that she wouldn’t drink tonight, so Peggy would use it tonight to try and lighten her mood. Though it didn’t do much.
Not knowing what else to say, she just pulled her close and held her for a few seconds.
Peggy slipped off her heels and tossed them to the side as she heard Steve say when taking off his tie “Part of me wants to go round there and kick his ass”
“Steve he’s already hurt, he’s been shot” Peggy said in an airly laugh.
“Clearly it’s not enough by the way Margaret described his attitude” he muttered as he put his tailored jacket on the hanger, slipping his hands in his pockets and then looking at her
“She has a point though”
Peggy looked to him, resting her arms down against her legs “About which bit?”
“What she said to us. Being hard for her in living with a happily married couple”
“Is that what we are?” Peggy smirked.
Steve nodded as he walked over to her, then kneeling down in front of her “Oh most definitely” Peggy grinned, putting her hand on his cheek as her lips met his. Her arms then went around his neck as she pulled him closer, letting out a satisfied breath through her nose as the kiss deepened much to her delight, and his.
“I think you need help getting this off” Steve whispered between the kiss as his hand went to the zipper of her dress, Peggy buried her face into his neck and just giggled. A few moments after returning her lips to him they then heard another round of Margaret’s breakdown from across the hall.
Music up to full blast and banging. It was a good job that the children were staying overnight at Michael’s and her mothers else this would really have woke them up and caused another constant few hours of crying from Noah. they two of them pulled their lips away from each other and just sighed as they listened.
At least she had good taste in music. Steve knelt back and just looked to Peggy, expecting her to stand up and go to deal with it. But she didn’t move, he raised a brow and she shook her head as a response. She then did stand but she didn’t leave the room, she just got out of her dress and grabbed her nightgown. He turned around on his heel and looked to her, remaining silent but let her know he was still confused by it.
Peggy looked to him and just shook her head “No. She needs to get through it and deal with it on her own sometimes. If the kids were here then I would go but tonight. I just want to get in bed”
“You really think you’ll be able to sleep with that going on?” he asked as he stood up, Peggy just shrugged as she walked over to the bed and muttered “I can give it my best shot...at least it’s Ella Fitzgerald she is playing, not the worst choice in the world”
Steve shrugged and soon joined her after getting changed. His arm went around her right away and pulled her body close, he laid a kiss on the top of her head and they both closed their eyes. Still hearing the music and the banging. Trying to move past it, suddenly the banging stopped, which caused their eyes to opened. Peggy briefly lifted her head from his shoulder to listen harder. The music was still going but it seemed that she had stopped throwing things around.
“Well” Steve muttered “That’s one down...records gotta stop eventually”
Peggy let out another breath and rested her head back down against his shoulder, her hand resting on his chest and gently rubbing it with her tumb “It can’t go on like this”
“Naw it can’t” he kissed the top of her head again “Can’t for us”
“I don’t know what we can do”
It fell silent between them for a moment, Steve said nothing yet he still got a firm “What?” from Peggy, he looked down to her “I didn’t say anything”
“I know but you’re thinking something”
“How do you know? You can’t even see me”
“I’m your wife, Steve. I don’t have to look at you to see you”
He huffed a small laugh but knew full well that she was right. Peggy then sat up more and faced him, still gently stroking his chest as she asked gently “What?”
Steve just stared at her for a moment, possible getting briefly lost by her captivation and then got on with what he was thinking, letting out a heavy shrug “I think we should get our own place”
Peggy kept silent for a moment and then looked down to the mattress as she thought about his words, hearing him addon “You remember how much we loved having our own place over in Brooklyn?”
“Of course” she looked back to him, he shrugged again and shook his head “we didn’t love it because we were in Brooklyn. We loved it because we had freedom”
Peggy bit her lip as she thought some more about the idea, he had a fair point, she knew that much. Steve held onto her hand that was against his chest “Baby all I’m saying is that we should think about it”
She gave his hand a squeeze and nodded “Alright”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, we can talk about it. But right now, I really just want to sleep”
Steve chuckled and nodded his head to her, holding her close again “Okay honey that I think that’s pretty fair”
Peggy rested back down to the mattress, her head returning to his shoulder as he held her close. Luckily the record finished shortly after.
When Peggy said that Margaret would meet a genuine man, she didn’t expect her to find someone days after. But she had met a photographer at a party that she went to and met Anthony Armstrong. Young, charming and she liked him.
At first, she thought that he was interested in men. But the more time that she spent with him, the more she realised that he was certainly interested in women, though nothing had happened between them. After a brunch with her and Elizabeth, Peggy said for Elizabeth not to say anything to her that can be seen as negative. But Elizabeth didn’t really have anything negative to say right now, neither of them did. Perhaps because they hadn’t met him yet. Margaret seems to think that they would like him.
She also used to term dangerous which quickly made them feel slightly uneasy but they let it go. The good thing about this was that she was out of the house more, her drinking was less. And there were no breakdowns in the middle of the night. The children could sleep which meant that Steve and Peggy could sleep, it was almost blissful.
The conversation of buying their own place dissolved as the days past. With things being better with Margaret it wasn’t considered a top topic at the moment, they were too busy enjoying the night silence and lack of upsets. One thing they greatly appreciated was that they weren’t interrupted when being intimate, people would be surprised how many times that happened over the past few months. It was almost as if they went back in time to how things were a few years ago.
It wasn’t to last long though, as Peggy could tell when one morning the morning paper that they received had an interesting picture on the forth page. Yes, Anthony Armstrong was a photographer. It was plain to see by the naked portrait of Margaret, it wasn’t like it was a full nude photograph, it was just from her shoulders up. Mind you that the bare shoulders was still seen as rather scandalous.
“Jesus” Steve laughed as they both look at it, shaking his head “Aw hell I bet Elizabeth is traumatised”
Peggy rested her head against her head, not quite sure what to think. She would personally never do it, but it could be far worse. It was actually a rather beautiful portrait, just not something that she would choose to have put in a national paper. And she knows that Margaret is behind this, she’s always wanted to stand out and what a way to do it.
She took looked to him and broke out a smirk as she snorted a laugh, she shook her head and pushed it back over to him.
“She’s a braver woman than I am”
Margaret may be happier now, but something told Peggy that this new guy was going to be both a blessing and a curse.