Work Text:
The tricky part about unpredictable time jumps is that it always seemed like someone was getting left behind. First, it was Enoch. Although, being a Chronicom had its benefits, and when they happened upon him some thirty years later, he was both unchanged and unflummoxed. Then, it was Deke and Mack. After the Team got them back, they enacted new rules. Better safeguards. A more precise way of monitoring the jumps. They seemed to have it all under control – well, as controlled as an uncontrollable entity can be - until the Zypher catapulted back to 1960s New York City, and then forward to the 2000s, except without Daisy and Daniel.
“What do we do now?” Daniel said, still breathing hard from their unsuccessful sprint back toward the Zephyr.
Daisy was in no better condition, leaning against a tree with her hand bracing a cramp in her side, and looked back over at him with confusion. “What do you mean? You’re back in your time. Well, a bit later, but close enough.”
“I’m also supposed to be dead.”
“Fair point,” she said. “I guess we just wait.”
“Wait,” Daniel repeated. He didn’t sound convinced, and she couldn’t blame him. They had really only gotten Deke and Mack back because of luck, and considering everything that had happened, their luck seemed to be running out.
“They’ll come back for us,” Daisy said with more conviction than she felt.
“If you say so.”
One Month Later
After a few weeks, it became clear that any sort of quick fix was not going to happen and if Daisy and Daniel were going to survive, they needed to start earning some money. You also needed identification papers. Daisy begroaned the era, telling Daniel that if she had access to a modern computer she could whip them up new identities within the hour. But, modern computers were unsurpsingly not available in the 1960s and Daniel worked up the nerve to call up an old friend. He used a payphone, not wanting the number to be tracked to any place that he frequented. He didn’t know if she would still have the same number and was relieved when he heard her voice.
“Hello?”
“Hi Peggy.”
Daisy went with him to Peggy’s house, asking him on the cab ride over how he convinced the woman to see him when he was supposed to be dead.
“I told her the truth,” Daniel said.
“And she believed it?”
Daniel shrugged and said, “I guess we’re about to find out. If we’re greeted with a gun, I’d say the answer is no.”
“Well, that’s comforting.”
Daisy crossed her legs, her yellow shift dress shifting higher up on her thigh. She smoothed the skirt and reached down to flick a bit of dried leaf off her cream boot. “At least if I die, I got to wear these boots.”
“You’re not going to die. Peggy and I always understood each other. She’ll believe me.”
“Whatever you say. But, for the record, I’m not above quaking the Director of SHIELD if I need to.”
Daniel smirked. “Understood.”
The cab pulled to a stop in front of a house and Daniel paid the driver before climbing out of the car. By force of habit, he went to open Daisy’s door but she was already out, striding past him toward the house. He took a hold of her arm and said, “I think I should be the first one up there.”
Remembering that Peggy Carter had no idea who she was, Daisy nodded and followed him up the steps to the house. He knocked on the door and after a few minutes Peggy opened it, her eyes meticulously scanning his face. She glanced behind him and said, “I see you brought someone along.”
Daisy offered Peggy a small wave and said, “We’re sort of a package deal.”
“This is Daisy Johnson. She’s the woman I told you about on the phone.”
Peggy nodded. “Alright then, why don’t you come on in.”
Daniel shuffled into the house behind Peggy, feeling just about every sort of uncomfortable as he began, “Look, I know you probably have questions. Hell, I would have a million if I were in your situation. Whatever your questions might be, I’ll do my best to answer them.”
“I don’t have any questions,” Peggy said simply.
“Really?” Daisy said. “You have no questions for us.”
She thought if anyone would have questions for supposed time travelers, it would be the director of an international spy network tasked with guarding the unexplained.
“I have no questions for you,” Peggy repeated. “Believe it or not, time travel isn’t exactly a foreign concept for me.”
Daniel looked at her with confusion and Peggy said, “That’s a story for another time. Tell me, what do you need?”
“We need new identities. Or, at least I do. Daniel Sousa is supposed to be dead. I know Howard Stark used to have connections.”
“Howard claims to have gone the straight and narrow now,” Peggy began, smiling slightly. “But, I know better. I’ll talk to him.”
“Thank you, Peggy. I really appreciate it.”
“It’s no problem.” Peggy didn’t say anything for a moment, her eyes softening, and she said, “It’s good to see you, Daniel. When I heard what had happened before, well…it is very good to see you.”
Daniel nodded. “It’s good to see you, too, Peggy.”
She cleared her throat and said, “Anyway, would you two care for a cup of tea? Or how about something stronger?”
“We probably shouldn’t stay long,” Daniel said. “I figure it’s best if I’m not seen too much around people at SHIELD.”
“I understand. Where can I reach you when the papers are ready?”
“We’re staying at a motel over on 18thstreet. Do you have paper? I can write down the phone number.” She quickly procured a spiral notebook from the kitchen and he jotted down the address and phone number. “We’re staying there under Daisy and Daniel Johnson.”
Peggy nodded. “I’ll call you when they are ready.”
On their way out, Daniel’s eye caught on a photograph. It was taken in front of a courthouse, Peggy dressed in white next to a tall blonde man. Daniel recognized him immediately, and when Daisy stepped next to him and looked at the photo, she said, “Hey, isn’t that Steve Rogers?”
In a low voice, Daniel said, “Steve Rogers died in 1946.”
Quickly realizing that Daniel didn’t know that Steve Rogers had, in fact, survived his trip into the Arctic, Daisy hurriedly explained what happened, starting to have an idea of how Peggy Carter was familiar with time travel.
“He actually hasn’t been seen for a while. People thought he just retired or something.”
As the truth dawned on Daniel, he looked back at Peggy and said, “You’re familiar with time travel, huh?”
Peggy only smiled in response.
Three Months Later
After they got their identification papers, wanting to stay under the radar, Daisy got a job as a waitress and Daniel worked at a local grocery store. He stopped at the restaurant every day after work, having a cup of coffee, and sometimes a slice of pie, and then walking Daisy home after her shift. She reminded him that she had superpowers and didn’t need a chaperone, but in truth she enjoyed the company. Some nights they walked straight home, but on others they meandered down the city blocks, talking aimlessly about their days. In the beginning, conversation would invariably turn to the Team returning, but after a while they both accepted the low likelihood of that happening and they filled the time instead with talks of her childhood and his return after the war. She filled him in on the gossip at the diner, doing voices for all the different patrons. Daniel’s favorite was an old woman name Gertie who snuck sugar cubes into her purse.
Three months turned into six, and somewhere amongst all those evening walks and stories of Gertie stealing sugar cubes, Daisy realized they had become friends, and then sometime later, as he pressed his mouth against hers beneath a flickering street lamp, something more. That night, Daniel traded in the couch for his own side of the bed, although they woke up entangled in the middle, Daniel amusedly listening to her soft snores before she stirred and looked up at him with a drowsy grin.
Daniel kissed her and she said, “Well, good morning to you.”
He chuckled, his chest rumbling beneath her ear. “Good morning, Daisy.”
She wrapped her arm around around him, feeling entirely content, and said, “Is it bad to feel this way?”
“To feel what?”
“Happy. I think about it sometimes – the team went off to face the Chronicoms, and we’re just here.”
“There’s nothing more we could have done. Going to SHIELD wasn’t an option, you know that. At a certain point, we have to get on with our lives.”
He had a point, but she couldn’t help but feel guilty. They had been her family for so long, and even though it hadn’t been her choice, she left them when they needed her the most. When she told Daniel that, he said, “Your family would want you to be happy.”
Daisy considered this for a moment and then sighed, rested her chin on his chest and looking up at him. “You know, Daniel, you make a lot of sense sometimes.”
“Making sense is one of my most valued attributes.”
“Do you want to get some breakfast?”
He nodded, gently pushing her hair away from her face. “Sure, we can get some breakfast.”
One Year Later
On a dreary Saturday in December, Daisy announced that she was finished with living out of a motel. (Both had considered getting their own apartments at various times previously, but always ended up backing out at the last moment.) When Daniel reminded her that it was the 1960s and it would be near impossible to rent an apartment together without being married, Daisy saw a simple solution, and said, “Then we should get married.”
“Just like that?” Daniel said with a bemused smile from his perch on the bed.
“Yeah, just like that.”
“Daisy, I appreciate the offer, but I don’t really think we should get married just so we can rent an apartment.”
“Why does the reason matter?”
“When people ask us about our engagement, do you really want to say that it was for better living conditions?”
“People have gotten married for wayless.”
“I do agree it’s pretty cramped here,” Daniel said, looking around the room. “But, that’s not why we should get married.”
Daisy was getting frustrated with Daniel’s rebuff of what she considered a perfectly acceptable proposal, and said, “Fine, then we won’t get married. Are you happy?”
She walked past him and he grabbed her arm, saying, “Hey, you didn’t let me finish. I said that’snot why we should get married. But, I think there are a lot of other pretty convincing reasons.”
She smiled softly, letting him pull her between his legs, and said, “You do?”
“I love you, Daisy. And I’m pretty sure you love me, too.”
“Good instincts.”
“That’s why we should get married,” Daniel said. “So, what do you say?”
Daisy leaned forward, framing his face with her hands, and just before her mouth met his, she said, “Technically I asked you first –“ he grinned, “- but yes.”
Sometime after the wedding and a spacious two-flat in Brooklyn, Daisy and Daniel had unexpected visitors. Daisy was finishing up dinner when there was a knock on the door. She hollered for Daniel to get the door as she checked on dinner. Cooking was a relatively new pastime for Daisy, but she had gotten relatively good at it or Daniel was a good liar.
“Daisy, I think you should come over here,” Daniel said.
Something was strange about his voice, and when she went into the living room she knew why. Standing beside their new pastel curtains was Simmons and May.
“Oh my God, you’re here.”
Before she could say anything more, she was hugging all of them, surprise and confusion washing over her. By that point, she had given up all hope of seeing them again, and it seemed almost like a dream to have them in her living room. Daniel stood off to the side, watching them somewhat warily.
“I can’t believe you’re really here,” Daisy said. “It’s so good to see all of you.”
“It’s good to see you, too,” Simmons said. “You look happy.”
“I am,” Daisy said. She noted the absence of several people, and carefully broached the subject before Simmons assured her, “They’re on the Zypher. They figured you’d be coming home with us, but…something tells me you’re not.”
Daisy looked over at Daniel and shook her head. “I’m home already.”
Simmons smiled sadly. “I can see that. I’m so happy for you, Daisy.”
“Why don’t you tell the others to come here?” Daisy said. “I’m cooking a chicken that there’s a 50/50 chance I haven’t completely dried out.”
“I’d say it’s more 60/40,” Daniel said. “You’ve come a long way with chicken.”
“We’re only here for a limited amount of time,” May said. “We’re set to jump in another forty minutes.”
“Forty minutes,” Daisy repeated. “That fast?”
“I’m really sorry, Daisy,” Simmons said.
“It’s okay. I’m just glad I was able to see you. Please tell everyone else – I really miss them.”
“I will,” Simmons promised.
Daisy gave them each another hug, and when May pulled away, she kept her hand on Daisy’s bare shoulder and said, “You really are happy.” Daisy nodded. “I’m glad.”
After a final goodbye, the pair left and Daniel walked over to Daisy, sliding his arm around his wife’s shoulders.
“Are you okay?”
She leaned her head against his shoulder. “Yeah, I actually am.”