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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[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?"