I don't want them to know the secrets

[myorders]

There were some people that were constants in Peggy's life, and then there were some who came and went as they pleased. Howard Stark was one of those, and although Peggy was growing used to his wandering ways, she sometimes wished he were easier to reach when she had need of him.

But as luck would have it, she heard through the grapevine that Howard was back in town, and she wasted no time looking him up. She had stumbled upon a bit of intelligence that she hoped he could help with, and in keeping with their agreement that she could turn up at his house anytime she needed to, that was exactly what she did.

Of course, she knocked first, because propriety still needed to be observed, and one did not simply help themselves to Howard Stark's house. That was best for everyone involved, especially since Howard tended to entertain people, and Peggy preferred not walking in on something she shouldn't.

So, she knocked, stood back, and waited for an answer.

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[priyatel]

It had been a long road to recovery for Bucky. That fall should have killed him and he probably wouldn't have survived at all if he hadn't been found. Howard thinks the cold had helped prolong his life, but then no one is entirely sure how Bucky didn't succumb to frontbite, either.

He'd spent a few weeks in a military hospital down an arm and a best friend and feeling more than a little sorry for himself until Howard had showed up offering him a prototype of a prosthetic and a nicer place to recover. It's because he'd been Steve's friend, he knew, but that didn't make it less appealing. Howard was a man Bucky had already admired before the war and now he was offering Bucky something to focus on and a lot more hope than he'd had before.

So Bucky had moved into a spare room in Howard's impressive home and he'd let Howard tinker with his body and build a metal arm for it. It wasn't ready quite yet, but Howard promised that it was getting where he wanted it to be and on the last test, Bucky could move the fingers even if he couldn't feel it. It was something to focus on and when he wasn't focused on that, he was trying to find ways to help Howard out in any way he could. Bucky was never the kind of guy to just take without giving.

As far as Bucky knew, he was the only person in the house when he heard the knock, so he went ahead and answered the door himself. He wasn't entirely prepared for the sight of Peggy, though. With the door open, Bucky stood there with his sleeve pinned up in place of his missing left arm. His clothes were nicer than anything he'd ever been able to buy for himself, but his hair was still a little tousled, as if he were still out in the field. He couldn't think to worry about his appearance, though, because the sight of Peggy just brings back all of those feelings he'd been trying to push down and ignore. He'd failed to protect Steve. She has to know that.

"Miss Carter." He nodded is head in greeting. "Howard isn't here right now."

[myorders]

Loss was inevitable, and death was very much a part of life, especially these days. But what could one do other than mourn for a time and then try to pick up the pieces and move on? Luckily, Peggy had work that she could throw herself into in order to distract herself, but she knew others weren't quite so fortunate.

She'd heard through the grapevine about Bucky's fall and subsequent recovery, and she did earnestly mean to visit him. He was more Steve's friend than hers, but they were acquaintances, and it didn't seem at all untoward to attempt to stop by for a visit. Time hadn't made allowances for that, however, so gradually, the idea faded to the back of Peggy's mind. That is, until she was given a new assignment and needed an extra set of eyes to look over a piece of intel. With permission, of course; it was hardly standard operating procedure to seek out help from outside sources who could potentially be compromised, but Howard Stark was a special case.

But when the door opened and the very man she'd been thinking of answered the door, Peggy was certainly surprised. "Oh, Sergeant Barnes." The use of his title seemed a bit formal, but, well, respect should be given where respect was due. "I'm sorry I missed him, then. I'll just give him a ring later, if he happens to be back by then."

And then there was a slight pause as she gave him a brief looking over; he looked as well as one could be, after going through what he had, but there was something about him, something she thought maybe she could relate to. Still, she wouldn't dare presume anything, so she merely asked, "How have you been?"