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Jiaying died with a tainted name, and Daisy Johnson didn’t want to think about how her mother wasn’t the amazing woman Cal swore she was- or had been. When Coulson called her into his office to tell her that a single vial of Whitehall’s serum had been recovered, Daisy felt sick. She remembered every time her dad told her what that Nazi did to her mom, remembered the scars on her face, remembered how her mother fought to find her for twenty-six years. Daisy also remembered that her mother murdered Agent Gonzales and brainwashed the Inhumans into believing that S.H.I.E.L.D. was their enemy. She remembered that her mom’s gift made her father feel so inadequate that he’d make himself his own lab rat. Her dad might not have been so awful if he had just been the man Jiaying fell in love with decades earlier.
What to do with the serum, then? No one knew. Everyone could think of how they wished it would be dealt with, like an onlooker watching Aladdin rub the lamp, knowing exactly what they’d ask the genie to do if only they could.
Daisy decided to sit on the information. Coulson respected her decision. Life and death were in that vial. Turning back the clock-or even stopping it altogether- sounded like a dream come true at face value, but with their resident super soldier ever present everyone seemed to remember that prolonged youth could be a burden.
The choice was easy, really. With everyone hinting about how the contents of the vial should (and shouldn’t) be used, it was Steve’s silence that convinced her. It was no well-kept secret that Margaret “Peggy” Carter, founder of the very organization that brought them all together, was on death’s doorstep, still fighting as hard as she had seventy years earlier. Steve was a terrible actor. Anyone who saw his old news reels and movies knew that, so he wasn’t fooling anyone when he’d say he was “fine” after spending a day at Peggy’s bedside.
Daisy understood. For twenty-six years she thought she was alone, only to lose her family so soon after finding them. She knew how it was to live a life feeling totally alone, then suddenly who you’ve been longing for is dropped into your lap only to be snatched away again.
Finally, on a Saturday morning, Daisy broke the ice. She was sitting around a table in the kitchen with Fitz-Simmons, Steve and Coulson, halfway through a bowl of Frosted Flakes, when she finally said what had been eating away at her.
“I want to give the serum to Peggy.”
She got a few differing reactions. Jemma smiled, mostly because she knew this is what their Captain has been wanting, but also because she was Peggy Carter’s biggest fan. Besides, now wasn’t the time to argue about playing God and overstepping nature’s boundaries. Fitz slowly set down his cup of tea, nodding as he thought through the ways this could go. Really, something so bad should only be put to good use. Coulson said nothing, but anyone could see how proud he was that Daisy had made this decision. Before Steve could say anything, Daisy continued: “I know my mom hurt a lot of people in S.H.I.E.L.D., but Whitehall hurt all of us, and I think that using what he took from her is how I can clear her name. She wasn’t a good person all the time, but she knew about separation and I think she’d want to help.”
Steve watched her through tear-blurred eyes. All he said was “Thank you” and it was so much more than enough.