When I met Peggy Carter I thought I had died and went to heaven. She was a radiant, lovely, gorgeous girl, I loved her instantly. It took a while but at the end of my junior year and her sophomore year of high school I finally got the guts to ask her out. She just smiled and said that she'd been waiting for me to ask her out for almost a year. I laughed and confessed I hadn't had the courage. When she asked me why I told her that she was so pretty and I was just a normal guy. Once again she smiled and told me something that I've never forgotten. "Steven, you're the most special guy I've ever met. You've got heart." Whenever I would get down she would tell me that and soon it became our saying.

When I graduated she was still a senior so I got an apartment an equal distance from my college and the high school and we lived together. Soon after I came home from work and found Peggy sitting at the table staring blankly into space, which she only did if something was wrong. I sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her. "Hey baby what's wrong?" She looked up at me and gripped my shoulders.

"Steve," She said in her lilting British accent, "I'm pregnant." I paled and then my brain exploded in a flurry of thoughts. Pregnant, how? Well I know that part but I mean… Then it all stopped suddenly when I saw Peggy's face crumple and the tears start. I immediately wrapped her in a hug and rubbed her back as she sobbed into my shirt.

"Hey, it's alright. We'll figure something out Peggy I promise." I pulled back to look her in the eye. "I love you and I'm going to stay right here with you and this baby." I smiled at her and she gave me a kiss before going to take a nap. I felt like a bag of bricks had hit me in the gut. I was going to be a father. I nodded to myself and set my jaw, it was decided. I was going to be the best father ever.

-7.5 Months Later-

I stirred slightly in my sleep and was knocked awake by Peggy's head hitting my chin. I sat up slightly and looked at her, she was awake and her eyes were shut tightly. "Peggy," I slurred sleepily. "You okay baby?" She looked up and me and nodded but a huge full body wince of pain alerted me otherwise. "Peggy?" I asked in a warning tone.

She grimaced, "I think it's the baby." I immediately looked down at the swell of her belly and leapt out of bed to get dressed. I help her into some loose clothes and we drove to the hospital. They immediately brought her back and when I tried to follow they stopped me.

"Are you a family member?" The nurse asked.

I shook my head. "Then I'm sorry," she said apologetically. I panicked slightly and pulled off the dog tag that I always wore.

"Give these to her," I said frantically. "She'll understand." The nurse nodded and I went and sat in the uncomfortable chairs in the waiting area. I pulled my phone out of my pocket to call my mom, she had supported us until now. She answered on the second ring.

"Hello Steven?" Mom asked. I wiped at my eyes and sniffed. "What is it dear?"

"The baby," was all I could choke out.

"I'll be right there," she said and the line went dead. I sat waiting anxiously until Mom came and we sat together waiting for something, some bit of news or something. The nurse from earlier came out smiling at me and my mom.

"Are you the father?" She asked politely and I nodded. "Mom and baby are doing alright, Ms. Carter is a bit shaky but you can come see them now if you like." I followed her to a clean room where Peggy was laying her brown hair a mess and making her pale face stick out even more than usual. I crossed over to her and took her hand lightly in my own.

"Hey baby, how are you feeling?"

"Ill Steve," she said pulling a face that made me laugh weakly. She coughed violently making me jump and then they brought in the tiny baby. The little one was bundled up in a white blanket and they slipped it into Peggy's arms. "It's a little baby girl Steve." Peggy smiled so brightly. "Do you want to hold her?" I nodded and Peggy transferred the light bundle into my arms.

"I love you Peggy," I said giving her lips and then cheek a kiss. That's when everything went out of control. The most I saw was a huge amount of blood staining the hospital sheet and then the baby was taken from my arms and I was pushed out of the room. I stood outside the door wondering what had happened and sank down onto the floor. No one walked down this hall and I felt so alone until a nurse walked out.

"Mr. Rogers?" I nodded. The nurse composed herself and then proceeded. "I hate to inform you but Ms. Carter has passed away due to hemolysis. I'm so very sorry." My stomach dropped as I stared up at this girl. No way, no way on Earth was Peggy gone just like that. The tears ran hotly down my face and burned in the back of my throat. I shuddered and she knelt down next to me and put a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Would you like to say good-bye before we call her family to come get her?" I nodded and tried to thank her for the thought but no sound came out. I stood and slowly made my way back into the room. Peggy lay still and white as the sheets she was laying on. Her face seemed peaceful in a way and I choked down a sob. I sat down in the chair next to her bed and stared at her not sure what to do or say. Right before she had slipped away I had told her I loved her, what more was there to say?

"Peggy," my voice cracked, "I'm so sorry baby, I love you." I stood and sniffed before planting a kiss on her forehead and then on her lips and pulling myself away from her forever. I looked for our baby and a huge panic set in when I couldn't find her. "Where is she? The baby where is she?" I sounded hysterical.

"It's alright Mr. Rogers, we're giving her a quick checkup due to her being born early, they're filling out her paperwork and then I promise you can see her again." The nurse's voice was calm and I sighed and nodded. I noticed something silver around Peggy's neck and there were my father's dog tags glittering in the harsh fluorescent lighting. I walked forward and gently took them off her.

"Funny, they didn't protect Dad either," I said bitterly leaving the room to seek the solace of my mother's arms. She stood as I walked to her and I held my arms out and she hugged me as I cried into her shoulder not asking any questions until I was done.

"What is it Steven?" Mom asked.

"She's dead Mom," I said my voice hoarse. "She's gone Mom, what am I gonna do without her?"

She pulled back and looked at me sternly. "Steven Grant Rogers, I know you're hurting right now, God knows that I feel terrible for you but you have to be strong for this baby. It's your child and Peggy wouldn't want you to forget about them even though she's gone." She softened. "Now, is it a boy or a girl?"

"Girl, and Mom she's beautiful." I smiled remembering my baby girl.

"Do you have a name?" Mom asked. I shook my head.

"We were stuck between Sarah and Maria. Sarah after you and Maria after a women that Peggy's friends with, she cuts her hair or she did." Mom rubbed my back smiling lightly. "I guess I have to name her now. I think I've got it though." Mom smiled at me and I tried to smile back but it came out as a grimace. The nurse gestured to me and I walked up to the desk.

"This baby girl needs a name, what should I put on her birth certificate?"

"Sarah Maria Rogers please," I said. She smiled and wrote it neatly.

"It's a pretty name." She smiled at me. "Now since she was born early she'll need to stay the night in the NICU and then it shall vary from her health. She seems strong so I don't believe she'll be here very long. That's a plus," she offered weakly.

"Thank you so much, can I go visit her?" The nurse nodded and led me back to where the baby, my little Sarah, was looking around curiously. She was waving her tiny fists around and kicking when I walked over and looked at her through the incubator. She had little things stuck to her and there was the constant beep of the heart monitor. "Can I not touch her?" I asked looking at the woman.

"Oh no she's fine right now," the elderly woman smiled. "She's just under observation. Just don't touch the heart monitors please sir." I nodded and there was a place I could put my hand and I lightly caressed Sarah's head where there was a dusting of blonde hair. Her eyes were blue but from the baby books Peggy made me read I knew that her eyes would change color later.

There was a gentle touch to my shoulder and the young nurse gestured that I had to go so I kissed my fingertips and set them on Sarah's hand before leaving.

-2 Days Later-

I had, regrettably, moved back in with my mother and she and I went to get little Sarah at the hospital. They had kept her for an extra day because she needed to put on a little weight. She was still small when I picked her up, lighter than even the weights I lifted as a daily workout. I smiled down as she squirmed in my arms. "Hey baby." She snuggled into my shirt and fell asleep. I couldn't help but grin at her, she was so small and cute as a button. I put her into her car seat and kissed her head again. She smiled sleepily and fell asleep quickly. She was so small she almost looked like a doll but she stirred and moved in her sleep so I knew it was real. Which, as much as I loved her already, was bittersweet. Having her here solidly meant that Peggy was gone and there was nothing I could do about it.

I shook my head and focused on Mom's instructions on how to get the car seat in the car correctly. I sat in the back to watch Sarah as she rode quietly in her car seat. When we reached home I took her inside and laid her in her new crib where she lay and took a nap. I sighed and watched her for a moment before falling asleep myself.

A few weeks later was Peggy's funeral her family having finally flown in from England. I dressed Sarah in a black dress. It was plain except that the little rounded collar was made of lace as were the cuffs in the sleeves. I held her against my chest rubbing her back soothingly as I sat near Peggy's mother at the funeral home eyes already red and swollen. Peggy was laying in her casket silently and as beautiful as ever. I choked back tears for Sarah's sake, if she noticed I was upset she began crying as well. The service was quiet and nice but when it came to saying goodbye I walked up with Sarah and she looked down not with a blank expression on her face like she didn't recognize Peggy which made my heart clench painfully and tears dripped down my cheeks. She sensed my distress and began crying quietly and I gave Peggy's head a quick kiss and then left.

I sat in the car with Sarah on my lap and dried tear tracks on my cheeks but I took a few deep breaths and then strapped Sarah into her car seat and drove home. Sarah was my little girl and I was going to protect her now.