Chapter Text
To think, just a few short years ago (or 80 years ago, but he skipped the majority of them) he had resigned himself to a life of bachelorhood. He had let work be his main priority, saving people, protecting people from the strange world that seemed to find any excuse to start to unravel.
Now, things were different. Mostly. The world still kept finding ways to unravel, and he was still on the case of trying to prevent that, but this life was something else. As he watched his wife push their daughter on the swings, his son asleep in a stroller beside him, shaded by the oak tree he was leaning against, light dancing through the canopy creating patterns on the sandy path in front of him.
Phillipa ‘Pippa’ Sousa took after her mother in her looks as well as her daredevil spirits, meaning she had a ridiculous amount of expendable energy but would then crash hard. As Daisy swooped their 5-year-old into her arms, Daniel could tell that that time was coming. He readied himself, throwing their bag under the stroller, before meeting them on the path.
“She’s exhausted, finally. I give it five minutes.” Daisy said, brushing the hair out of her daughter’s face to see droopy eyes. “How’s the leg?”
One of the first things Daniel had appreciated about Daisy was the nonchalance about his prosthetic. That wasn’t to say she didn’t care, but she didn’t treat him lesser due to it, or make a huge fuss if he stumbled or needed to spend time without it. She took a valid interest in what she could do to make life easier for him when necessary, just like he did for her. Pippa thinks he’s like a pirate.
It had been two days since he’d received the newest FitzSimmons prosthetic upgrade, fitted with them virtually in a SHIELD lab. He’d been told to take it easy and get used to the new fixtures for at least a week before he returned to active duty, and only after a clearing physical from the SHIELD scientist that worked with them on the prosthetics for him and Yo-yo as well as a few other amputees within the agency.
“It’s fine.” Daisy raised an eyebrow at him. “It will be fine. Just need to get used to the muscle control. It’s slightly different from the last one and will take a minute to pick it up.” He pressed a kiss to her head before dropping one to his daughter’s crown too. “I know you’re worried. It’s fine I promise. Ready for home Pippa?” There was a hum from the little girl and they headed for their house, just two roads down from the park and almost as importantly, only 20 minutes from HQ.
“How long has Jordan been asleep?” She said, peering into the stroller.
“About 20 minutes, I reckon we will get about another 40 if we can transfer him when we get home.” Daniel said, keeping an even pace with the stroller in front of him.
It was a quiet walk, the two adults in comfortable, companionable silence with their sleepy kids, a world away from the lives either expected to have just a few years ago.
If only it could stay like this.
Their peace was disrupted by the squeal of brakes on the road beside them, the honk of several car horns making Daniel groan lightly as Jordan stirred from his sleep. But his eyes quickly followed Daisy’s to the cause of the noise.
A woman was running across the road, barefoot in a long dark red dress, diving between cars as if being pursued. Daisy shifted Pippa on her hip as they watched two figures follow at speed, shouting muffled by the traffic that had been forced to stop around them. It wasn’t until Daniel let out a shaky breath as the woman being chased banked left and started to run towards them, that Daisy started gearing up to defend their little family.
But there was no need.
Daniel pushed the stroller into her hands, waited for her to safely have hold of their son before calculating his approach. He stepped out in front of the woman in question, taking her by surprise as he grabbed her arm, bending it behind her back and forcing her to the ground in one swift motion. Despite being dressed to the nines, the woman fought against his hold, but the surprise attack meant he had a knee between her shoulder blades and she was pinned to the floor helpless.
“You are under arrest, Underwood.” He muttered. Daisy’s mind swirls in her confusion, searching for why that name was familiar. But her answer came hurtling down the sidewalk at them.
“Hey, she’s ours!” Daniel went rigid at the voice of the tall blonde who was puffing as he came to halt behind him, a shorter, ever more familiar woman stopping to his right. Daniel’s eyes went wide and shot up to meet his wife’s. “Hey pal, you wanna explain yourself?”
“I think he’ll need your handcuffs before he stands up and lets her go, don’t you?” Daisy smarted back at the man, recovering a little quicker than her husband.
“Well… Sorry. Here you go.” Handing over the restraints to Daniel over his shoulder, Daisy watched as he methodically put them on. He took a measured breath, before hauling himself and his detainee up to standing.
“Steady as you go.” He muttered to her as she tensed as if ready to run. He looked once more at Daisy before turning slowly.
A loud gasp escaped the brunette.
“Hey Peg.”
*screen fades to black*
There was just staring for what felt like minutes between the three of them.
“This isn’t…” Peggy ran her hand through her hair. Her face showed a mix of distraught and confusion. Jack was in disbelief, weighing up the man he thought dead that stood in front of him, his breathing heavy after his run.
It was Jack that snapped to first, levelling his pistol with Daniel. Peggy soon joined him, the barrel of her gun at his face. To one side, Daisy plopped Pippa down on the ground behind her, whispering to stay with her brother before returning to full height.
“You’re going to explain why you have a dead man’s face. Right now.” With one hand still on Dottie, Daniel raised the other in surrender.
“Jack…” His old friend just wrapped his finger round the trigger in response. “Peg. It’s strange I know but, it is me.” His eyes flickered to Daisy who had been standing off to the side, but was now getting closer, both hands in fists. This was going to get messy. “I can explain everything. I promise but…”
“Daddy?” Two tiny hands wrapped around his good leg and his heart dropped in his chest. But as it made Jack falter, it made Peggy drop her gun to her side.
“Pip baby, go stand with your brother. Behind Momma. Now.” His tone meant no wiggle room and the five-year-old knew that. “Jack, I can explain. But we gotta get out of here.”
“I’ve called for an evac.” Daisy said, and black SUVs pulled around the corner just in time. Yo-yo was by her side in seconds. “Chief Thompson, if you’ll lower your gun. Or I will be forced to restrain you.”
Daisy didn’t miss that Peggy’s gaze was focused solely on Daniel. Like she was seeing a mirage or couldn’t believe she wasn’t hallucinating. It was a whole spiderweb that they were yet to untangle but right now they had to get off the street, they were drawing the attention of the neighbourhood.
“Underwood will ride in our detainment vehicle.” She saw both Peggy and Jack go to argue back. “It is more secure than anything you have ever seen.”
Peggy seemingly took in her surroundings for the first time. “Where the bloody hell are we?”
“Well ma’am. You’re in the 21st Century.”
A beat passed, several in fact.
“We are where?” Peggy said, her crisp accent reverberating in Daniel’s brain.
“Director Carter, we can explain. But we are attracting attention now.” Daisy gestured to the small crowd of onlookers that were gathering. “If we can take you back to base, we can work all of this out.” She was placating despite her brain running a mile per minute.
Luckily, Jack had dropped his pistol from Daniel’s face but Daisy was ever so grateful that Yo-yo was distracting her curious niece. Peggy nodded and Piper and Davis took hold of Dottie, folding her into the back of a reinforced car.
“Icers up and ready Piper, she’s more capable than most. She's a Widow.” Daniel called.
“On it. Thanks for the heads up.” Piper called.
“I refuse to let her out of my sight.” Peggy stated. It was the first time Daisy saw that fire Daniel had described to her at the base of the Lighthouse on one of the first nights they spent just talking after the last mission.
“We can take another.” Piper indicated. “Ma’am, if you’d like to holster your weapon, you can come with us.”
“Wait a minute-” Jack seemed to join the conversation, looking around in confusion.. “Who the hell are you guys?”
“We’re SHIELD.”