Chapter Text
Angie was finishing cooking dinner when she heard the elevator ding and the click of Peggy’s heels on the stone.
“In the kitchen English!” Angie called out glancing into the living room where Natalia was curled up on the couch reading a book.
“I think I need a reminder of why I can’t kill Thompson. I have an idea of why, but still-” Peggy sighed heading to the liquor cabinet.
“His being your boss is a big reason.” Angie pointed out.
“There is that.”
“And you keep saying killing is wrong.” Natalia pointed out.
“Yes, yes I do, and it is wrong. Good listening darling.” Peggy sat on the couch next to Natalia and patted her head. It had been a few months but it was nice to know the daily lessons of no killing was sticking.
“But animals don’t count.” Natalia pointed out.
“It depends on what animals and what situation. A cow when you are in a slaughter house, yes doesn’t count. A puppy in a park. No.”
“What about a cow in a park?” Natalia questioned.
“Unless it’s your cow no.”
“What if its a stray cow?”
“There is no such thing as a stray cow. They’re branded for that reason.”
“But…what if its a rat in this house?”
“Then yes. But I’d rather you let one of us know so we can take care of it.”
“But I could just throw a knife and kill it quickly.”
“I know but I would still rather you get an adult to handle it. Anytime anything needs to be killed, you get an adult.”
“Fine…”
“Enough talk of killing, both of you go wash up for dinner.” Angie called out to them both.
…
Peggy was braiding Natalia’s hair for her as they relaxed in the living room.
“I’m not working tomorrow, how about we go to Coney Island and you can see all those rides and games?”
“You can also have those really yummy snacks.” Angie pointed out.
“Sounds like a good idea. What kind of games do they have? Like shooting ones?”
“Target ones, yeah, you get a little BB gun and use it to knock down targets.”
“Oh…Can we try it with a real gun?”
“No.”
“But the targets are suppose to be hard right? Like hard to get?”
“I have a feeling you’ll be able to do it easily.” Peggy reassured her.
“You’re going to love it Nattie, I would love the times I’d go with my parents and brothers.” Angie explained to her. “We’d go almost weekend, even if we couldn’t afford to do anything there, between all of us we’d figured out a way to get the money.”
“Legal ways that did not involve stealing I’m sure.” Peggy quickly added wanting to make sure that Angie was not planting seeds of pickpocketing or something else in the former assassin’s mind.
“Of course not.” Angie nodded correcting herself. She needed to be more careful about sharing stories.
“So tonight, we go to bed with no fight and in the morning we can have a big American breakfast-”
“Just called a normal breakfast.” Angie interrupted.
“With all of your favourites in the morning before we go to spend all day in Coney Island.”
“When you say no fight…” Natalia questioned.
“I mean no fight. We tuck you in, read one story, then you go to sleep.”
“Only one?”
“Only one.” Peggy nodded.
“Fine.”
There wasn’t a fight but Peggy was starting to see why they might need to stick with a lot of stories, or start having her run laps around Central Park.
After one story Natalia was still wide awake.
Peggy had the handcuff on the looset setting only for Natalia to tighten it completely, so Peggy loosened it by four notches.
“Compromise right?”
“Right.” Natalia agreed.
“Good night darling. We love you.” Peggy pressed a kiss to the top of Nat’s head.
“So so much Red.” Angie added pressing her own kiss to the girl’s cheek.
“Love you too.” She yawned before cuddling into the pillow with her stuffed toys.
…
While all three were stopped at the top of the Ferris Wheel Natalia grinned.
“This is a great vantage point.”
“No.” Peggy quickly answered.
“Just look around sweetie. Enjoy the view.” Angie tried. “Look, there is the target game. There is the Freak Show, they have the smallest grown ups.” Angie pointed out.
“We are not paying to see children pretending to be adults.” Peggy groaned. “Unless you really want to Nat.”
“I want go on more rides!”
Turns out that the Ferris Wheel was child’s play for Natalia. If there was a ride that went fast, or flipped you, or spun you around she wanted on it. The bumper cars were beloved, however after a few people (children and adults) lost teeth Peggy had to put her foot down and say no they can’t go on it again. At least not for the day.
After have more junk food than they probably should have they had one thing left to do before they headed home.
Peggy didn’t like the comfort and ease Natalia held the BB rifle but that was for another time.
“Ya ready lass?” The Carney asked from behind the wooden plank that served as the front of the booth.
“Uh huh.” Natalia grinned. He hit rang a bell and as fast as the gun could fire she took out each target in a perfect bullseye.
“Wowzer, ain’t you a little Annie Oakley?”
“Just lucky.” Natalia grinned accepting the giant stuffed bear that looked like it would need it’s own seat on the subway being wider than Natalia and a bit taller than her too. She looked up at Angie. “Can I go again?”
“Sorry kid. Booth’s closed now.” The Carney said yanking the gun from her. Peggy was pretty sure he was just annoyed that his con game was defeated by a little girl.
“Maybe next time.”
The sun was setting by the time they got back home, Natalia worn out from her day of excitement, Peggy had to carry her the last bit from the subway station to their home while Angie had to manage all the prizes that were won.
Peggy carried Natalia straight to bed where the little girl clung to her tightly.
“Today was really fun. Thanks Mummy. We can do it again soon with Ma right?” Natalia asked in a tiny yawn.
Peggy just blinked back the tears suddenly crowding her eyes, just behind her putting the prizes away she heard a squeak from Angie and knew she was in the same predicament as her.
“Of course we can.” Angie answered for them both her voice a bit shaky.
The second they were out of the room Peggy pulled Angie down the hall to their own bedroom.
“She called you Mummy!” Angie squealed to Peggy, the tears fully flowing now.
“She called you her Ma.” Peggy grinned.
“She’s getting so close to having that normal life she deserves.”
“So close.”
“And we’re not fucking it up!”
“We’re not!”
The women were so excited.
“Are we not having dinner?!” Natalia yelled out.
“Three meals. Right. Children need to be fed.” Angie laughed before going to make dinner for the bottomless pit of a child.