Chapter Text
The silence at the Griffiths boarding house after the Dottie Underwood incident was... eerie. Not the comforting silence of a storm, but a tense one, as if the air still held the echoes of gunshots and screams. The SSR had done its job well: the story of the "tragic mistake" and how "the innocent telephone company employee Margaret Carter was mistaken for the dangerous criminal Dorothy Underwood" had been spread in the right newspapers and fueled by gossip. The girls looked at Peggy with pity mixed with a little fear and a lot of curiosity. Miss Frye was being very correct, but there was something more than politeness in her eyes—a suspicion that there was something else beneath the telephone girl's mask. A knowing silence.
At SSR, the atmosphere had also changed. Radically. Rumors about *exactly* what Carter had done to capture Leviathan and save Stark's technology (albeit in an embellished form) had spread throughout the bureau. After witnessing her true skills in action, Sousa began to treat her with respect bordering on admiration. Their working relationship had transformed into a strong partnership based on mutual trust. Even Thompson, albeit with his usual biting wit, had to acknowledge her value. His taunts were more like a ritual than a real feud. Peggy finally felt like a full-fledged agent instead of a secretary.
It was during this period of relative calm and recognition at work that Howard Stark did something completely... Starkian. Fascinated by the history of one of his many side lines of inheritance (an ancient mansion in Scotland that he suddenly decided to buy in order to set up a laboratory to study the "energy of the Loch Ness Monster," apparently), he commissioned a massive genealogical study. Not so much for the sake of the mansion itself, but rather for the whimsical notion of a "spirit of the ancestors" that could inspire his new inventions.
The research was conducted quickly and efficiently, as was everything related to Stark. A comprehensive report was placed on his desk, along with blueprints for jetpacks and designs for flying cars. Howard idly flipped through the report during breakfast, sipping on coffee that Jarvis had prepared to the perfect temperature. His gaze drifted over the names and dates until it landed on a familiar surname in his maternal lineage.
"Carter..." he muttered, putting down his croissant. "Hmm, an interesting coincidence. My mother used to say that she had distant cousins somewhere in the south of England..." He delved deeper into the branch. Grandfathers, great-grandfathers... And there it was. A bright red line drawn by the researcher: a common great-grandfather. Isaac Carter. Born in 1840 in Devon, England. Howard's is through his mother, Martha Stark (née Williams). Peggy's is a direct line through her father.
Howard froze. The coffee had cooled in his cup. "Great-great-grandfather?" He laughed loudly, startling Jarvis, who was bringing in the fresh mail. "Jarvis! Just imagine! Agent Carter! My... second cousin? Or whatever it is called? Cousin! My cousin Peggy!" He burst into laughter again, jumping up and pacing around the office. "What a turnaround! This is a genetic sensation! So my genius and her incredible ability to outshoot and outsmart everyone are family traits! It explains a lot!"
Jarvis, maintaining an icy calm, raised an eyebrow: "Sir, I would be careful to tell Miss Carter about her 'ability to shoot everyone'. And, if you allow, before announcing such a relationship, it would be worth... check the data. Carefully."
"Check? Jarvis, this is Stark Industries! Our research is the standard of accuracy!" Howard waved his hand, but his enthusiasm was a little wilted. "Although... yes. We need to approach it with scientific precision. And with the right amount of drama!"
The drama was assured. Howard didn't call. He came to the SSR in person, which was an event in itself. Past the secretaries, who watched him warily, past Thompson, who gave him a haughty look ("What do you want, Stark? Have you done something wrong again?"), he strode straight to the conference room where Peggy and Suza were reviewing reports.
"Agent Carter!" Howard announced loudly as he opened the door. "An urgent family conference!"
Peggy and Suza looked at him in confusion. "Family?" Suza asked, glancing at Peggy in question.
Peggy frowned. "Howard, I'm busy. And what do you mean by 'family conference'? What are you doing here?"
Howard, unabashed, sat down on the corner of her desk, knocking over a folder. "Dear cousin, it's time you knew the truth!" He solemnly handed her a thick folder with the Stark Industries crest. "Genealogical research. Page marked. We are blood relatives! A common great-grandfather, Isaac Carter! Third cousins, if I'm not mistaken about the degrees of kinship, which is highly likely, but the essence is clear!"
The silence in the office became deafening. Sousa froze with the document in his hand, his jaw slightly hanging open. Peggy slowly opened the folder, her eyes ran over the highlighted line, names, dates. The pallor was replaced by a slight blush on her cheeks. She looked at Howard, then at Susa, then back at Howard.
"Are you... are you kidding?" she finally managed.
"Not a drop!" — Howard beamed. "Checked and rechecked! Our blood flows in each other's veins! Well, figuratively speaking. Not literally, of course. Although..." he thought.
"Howard, this is... very unexpected," Peggy said, trying to gather her thoughts. "And, to be honest, it's not really appropriate to discuss this in the workplace."
"It's absolutely appropriate!" Howard replied. "Family is important! Especially when you're the last of the Starcs, like me! Well, except for a couple of second cousins in Switzerland, but they think I'm crazy, which is probably true. You, Peggy, are now my closest blood relative!"
Sousa coughed quietly, trying to hide a chuckle. Peggy closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her patience. "Mr. Stark... Howard. Even if this is true, it doesn't change our working relationship. And please don't call me 'cousin' in front of my colleagues. Just... let's discuss this somewhere else? Later?"
But it was impossible to stop Howard Stark, who had suddenly become the head of his newfound family. His eccentric concern came down on Peggy like an avalanche.