City Never Sleeps

[womanofvalue]

It's been some time since the actual engagement, but Peggy's needed it to sink in.

Perhaps it's because it's not her first time being engaged that she's so hesitant to begin plans. The first time with Fred had been such a flood of planning and a hurricane of activity she'd hardly wanted to take place in (she'd wanted to work on the codebreaking), but this time, with Daniel, she knows it's going to be different. It's why she eventually remembers that while she doesn't have to go to the same lengths to plan, she still needs to take some steps.

The first and most important is making sure that she has the critical people at her side when she's standing there saying her vows, witnessed by the people she cares for. It's why she's sent out a few texts and is sitting at her favourite coffeeshop with a magazine filled with dresses, sipping her tea as she makes notes in the margins. While she's not expecting trouble, she still wants to be sure that if there is, she's well-equipped for it, which means any dress she buys is going to be one that at least allows for a thigh holster.

After all, you can't be underprepared for one of the most important days of your life, now can you?

Comments

[red17]

"Hey, we all get busy," Dutch says, waving a hand. "Hopefully you've been doing good things in the time I haven't seen you."

Peggy looks just fine, whole and in one piece, so Dutch holds back on asking if she's okay.

"I think I'll go with coffee," she decides eventually. "Maybe it's a little too early for wine but it's tempting to ask for that anyway. But no, I'm going with coffee. I've grown to like the taste."

[womanofvalue]

Peggy's about to give it all away, she fears, with the way that she's smiling, but she reminds herself to be cautious and careful, because this is important and she doesn't want to ruin it. "Very good things," she agrees, with a hum, seeing as she's quite pleased with it.

"Coffee it is, on me," she assures, raising a hand to summon the waitress. "I'm hoping to get back into contact more, the codebreaking classes are only so exciting and I keep wanting to do more."

[red17]

"Well, now you've made me curious," Dutch says, gesturing with her hand for Peggy to continue. "Very good things like what? Have you beaten someone up and I've missed it?"

Was there anything better in life than that? Yes, but it's still fun to beat someone up when they absolutely deserve it.

"Come on, don't wait for my coffee to get here. I'm curious!"

[womanofvalue]

Peggy ducks her head down, aware that she's allowed to be happy and smile freely about this, but at the same time, she still feels a touch self-conscious feeling so pleased about something that she wouldn't normally. When she looks up, she's still beaming, though it's in the corners of her lips and the warmth of her eyes.

"It was my first anniversary with Daniel a little while ago," she says. "He's got a new prosthetic," she shares, aware that she wouldn't talk about this with just anyone. "I've been pestering him to get it looked at for ages, and he finally listened to reason."

She's getting to the news, but she feels it important to highlight all the wonderful things about that night.

[red17]

"Congratulations on the anniversary," she says, delight and warmth in her voice. "That's excellent. I hadn't even realized it had been that long."

Time passes in strange ways in Darrow. Sometimes, she can feel every single day as it slogs by, reminding her of where he is and what she might be missing back home. At other times, it goes quickly to a point she can't even remember where the months and now year went.

"And congratulations to him for getting an upgrade," she adds with a nod. "I hope he's liking it."

[womanofvalue]

"It feels like it's been a lifetime and the blink of an eye, both at the same time," Peggy says, rather pleased with that. It means that there's never any fatigue or ennui, because things are always interesting. "Yes, I was quite pleased with the upgrade myself," Peggy says, drawing out the chain around her neck where she wears her engagement ring half the time, always aware that if she ends up in a mess and needs to punch her way out, she doesn't want to lose it.

"He was rather a show-off, what with the dancing," she says, leading up to the real news, a playful smile on her lips, "but really, I was so very impressed when he was able to sink down to one knee with no issues to propose."

[red17]

"To...propose?" It takes Dutch a minute to really process what that means. Proposals weren't all that common in Westerley only because attachments were dangerous and just tended to draw unwanted attention.

But, that's definitely not the case here and, after Dutch realizes what Peggy's telling her, she breaks into a wide grin, unable to help herself.

"Well wow!" Dutch says, laughing. "I bet that was a pleasant surprise for you!"

[womanofvalue]

Peggy's lips are still curved upwards with the happiness of such news, seeing as she's still rather delighted with it. "Not a total surprise, we did discuss it before. It was one of our topics when we were testing my truth serum," she admits.

"Still, it was lovely that he did it on the anniversary," she admits, "and as you can guess, I didn't hesitate to say yes," she says, beaming. "Which is why you're here, now. I have a question to ask you."

[red17]

"Well, congratulations to the both of you," Dutch says happily. She doesn't think anything like that's in the cards for her but that doesn't mean she doesn't want her friends to enjoy something like that.

"And you have a question for me?" she asks, tilting her head. "In regards to a wedding?"

[womanofvalue]

"Thank you, I know Daniel will be very pleased to hear it," Peggy says, though at the same time, she knows they didn't do this for anyone else. "And yes, I do," she agrees, a smile on her lips. "I'm not sure if you've ever done this before, but while we're wanting a small event, I was hoping that maybe you'd be willing to be in my small wedding party."

"Bridesmaid?" she asks, rather hopeful that she'll get a yes.

[red17]

"Bridesmaid?" Dutch repeats, waiting for further explanation. She assumes it has something to do with participating in the wedding but it's not like she's ever been asked to be in anyone's wedding before.

"You'll have to forgive me, I don't know what that is," she says with a laugh. "I'm more than willing to help but you might have to tell me what I have to do though. I have no idea what a bridesmaid is."

[womanofvalue]

Sometimes, she forgets that some of the things that Peggy expects everyone to know are things that Dutch doesn't, necessarily. She catches herself, but as she presses her lips together, she tries to figure out how best to explain. "Well, it's a sort of honour," she starts.

"They're the guests at the wedding who are your best friends, the people you trust the most. There's no one I'd like to have more standing at my side than you and John," she says. "And you wear a dress that I pick the colour of, but I promise, I'll be very lenient about that."

[red17]

"Well, I'd absolutely say yes but are you sure it's me you want?" Dutch asks, surprised. She's never really seen herself as being that kind of person to anyone but Johnny and she doesn't want to be taking the place of someone else who might be better served.

"I'm really not that fancy a person even though I do love dresses," she says, laughing. "I just want you to be sure of your choice. For me, that is. I don't doubt the choice of John or, of course, your future husband."

[womanofvalue]

Peggy tips her head to the side, confused as to how she couldn't want Dutch to be there at her side. "Of course I want you there, you're one of my best friends that I've made here," Peggy insists. "And that's what's important, that you're at my side when I'm in the middle of one of the most important days of my life."

"You won't be my only one, if John says yes, but I couldn't imagine without asking you," she says, a touch offended that she could have the day without Dutch.

[red17]

"I'd be happy to be there, then," Dutch says, grinning broadly. "I just wanted to make sure you didn't think you had to ask me. Even if you didn't, we'd still be friends."

But, Dutch is pretty pleased that she's been asked. It might be the first and only time she gets to do this and she can't think of a better person for that to happen with.

"And I do love wearing pretty dresses."

[womanofvalue]

"I'll feel better to have some people at my side, otherwise it will feel terribly awkward," Peggy admits, having never sat around fantasizing about wedding dresses or those affairs. She'd been content enough to let her mother arrange them around her, but this is different.

"Do you think we can convince John to wear the same pretty dress?" she quips, with a wicked smile on her lips.

[red17]

"I think that's going to be your job," Dutch says with a laugh. "I can be pretty convincing but John seems like a pretty hard one to crack. I don't have the added ammo if it being my wedding. Maybe that might get him to say yes."

She doubts it though. She doesn't think John will say no to her idea but she can't picture him in a dress. Or she can but she's pretty sure it's just going to remain a delightful fantasy.

[womanofvalue]

"He does, but the trick that I've learned is that I can look very, very sad with my eyes if I want to," she jokes, strategically and almost half-stern as she lets Dutch know. "Though, perhaps that will be the first job I assign you as a bridesmaid."

"No, not really," she's quick to say. "And, in case you do go away and read anything about it, I don't expect anything else. No bachelorette party, no wedding shower, please," she insists. "I just want friends to stand beside me on the day of and the chance to wear some lovely clothes. Especially," she adds with a smirk, "something that suits his colouring. Maybe an A-line?"

[red17]

"You probably wouldn't want me to throw you any kind of party related to this wedding because I've never done it before and while I can throw a good party, it wouldn't have any sort of connection to a wedding."

But, they'd have fun, that she would and could make sure of. There'd probably just be a lot of drinking and debauchery because that's what she did.

"Do you know when you're looking to get married?" she wonders.

[womanofvalue]

"I'm not entirely sure. I don't think we need a long engagement because I don't want anything too lavish of a party," Peggy admits, which is often why so many of her friends that she'd had at home had required long engagements. "Perhaps in the fall? Maybe the winter?"

"And no party required," she assures. "I'd prefer not to have one, honestly, it would just remind me of my less responsible friends and the messes I used to have to clean up."

[red17]

"Maybe we'll have something small," Dutch muses before adding, "but not a party. A dinner would be good, wouldn't it? A night out before you get married? Everyone can be on their best behavior."

Hopefully. She doesn't know all of Peggy's friends so it's possible there's one or two people in there who could cause an issue.

"I wouldn't want to do absolutely nothing for you."

[womanofvalue]

"That would be lovely," she agrees, thinking of a night out with friends that doesn't end up being a mission to infiltrate Hydra or to investigate a crooked club. It sounds so very dignified and lovely, to the point that Peggy can't imagine anything better.

"I don't expect it, though," she wants to make clear. "It's already something to ask you to buy a dress and come stand with me, though I know you'll be wonderful at it." She's not even sure if they're going to have a church ceremony, given that she's not very religious. "I think your main duty is honestly going to be to calm me down."

[red17]

"You're giving me a lot of responsibilities," Dutch says, laughing. "And putting a lot of trust in me. I'm beginning to wonder if you really know who I am."

She doesn't know all of her but Peggy knows a lot. And she seems to trust her despite that so Dutch isn't going to try and change her mind. She wants to do something nice for such a momentous occasion.

"Asking me to buy a dress isn't a hardship," she assures. "And I think alcohol will do great at calming you down."

[womanofvalue]

"I know exactly who you are," Peggy guarantees, with a fierce look of pride on her face, because she trusts Dutch to do absolutely anything she puts her mind to, which is why she's entrusting her to this. "I wouldn't think of anyone else for the job."

"I'll need the whiskey and some scotch," Peggy warns. "This isn't my first engagement, and the last went far more poorly than this one ought to."

[red17]

"Well, alcohol I can handle," she says confidently. "So, you don't need to worry about that. If there's one thing the dinner will have, it'll be alcohol."

She doesn't ask about the previous engagement, thinking it not appropriate for the celebratory mood but maybe later. Maybe she'll ask at another time when a proposal hasn't just happened.

"That's something I can be trusted with."