Grief is a Funny Thing

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/37041730.

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: Gen
Fandom: Agent Carter (Marvel Short Film)
Relationship: Peggy Carter & Jack Thompson
Character: Peggy Carter, Jack Thompson (Marvel)
Additional Tags: Emotional Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Series: Part 3 of Agent Carter Drabbles and Prompt Fills
Stats: Published: 2022-02-11 Words: 583

Grief is a Funny Thing

by eveningstar477

Summary

prompt from anon: "Carter feels Thompson buries his sorrow deep inside his heart..."

Notes

warning for past canon character death

**this used to be posted as a chapter of my "Agent Carter Tumblr Drabbles" work, which I
am in the process of deleting and turning into a series instead for reasons described on my
Tumblr**

Peggy stood up from her desk and stretched, exhaling a sigh of relief. As much as she appreciated
the newly appointed Chief Thompson giving her fieldwork, she could do without the endless
paperwork that came along with actually running a case. She pulled the last page of her report out
of the typewriter and stuffed it inside the correct file folder.

She rapped on the door to Thompson’s office sharply before letting herself in, not waiting for him
to acknowledge her first.

“Chief - “ she cut off, somewhat stunned by the scene before her. The office, which Jack was still
working on cleaning out and making his own, had been plunged into a state of chaos, papers and
such flung left and right, with Jack himself standing in the middle of the room, about as unkempt as
she’d ever seen him. He turned to look at her, clearly surprised by the intrusion, hair coming loose
from it’s slicked-back state and generally looking frazzled.

“Oh. Carter.”

“Jack. Are you quite all right?”

“I’m fine. Just can’t find this….thing!”

“Exactly what ‘thing’ is it that you’re looking for?” Peggy asked, somewhat amused by the whole
affair.

“That case file, the one from last week on the - “ Jack suddenly froze midway through yanking
open yet another desk drawer. He reached in and touched something Peggy couldn’t see, then sat
down heavily in the chair as if he’d been punched in the gut and buried his face in his hands with a
shuddering breath.

“Jack, are you quite alright? What happened?”

He waved a hand vaguely in the direction of the open drawer, and Peggy moved cautiously
towards it. Jack wasn’t crying, exactly, but more breathing heavily in an attempt to get himself
back together, and Peggy soon saw why. In the bottom of the drawer was a framed photograph of
Chief Dooley and his family, smiling happily for the camera. She knew his family life had been far
less than perfect, but she also knew that he’d been trying, and that his untimely death had taken
away his chance at redemption.

Jack still hadn’t moved, so she reached behind her and quietly pushed the door to the office shut,
grateful that the blinds were already down. Jack was a private person, and like it or not, she knew
he was someone who buried his sorrow deep inside his heart. Belarus had taught her that much,
and he wouldn’t want his newly made subordinates to catch him like this. She intended to forget it
ever happened.

But for now, she reached out and gently laid a hand on Thompson’s shoulder. He startled slightly
but didn’t shrug her off, which she took to mean the contact was alright.

“Don’t let his death be in vain. We will find Underwood and Leviathan and get justice for his
family. I can promise you that much.”

Jack looked up at her and nodded, then rolled his shoulders to dislodge her hand and stood up from
the chair, pushing the drawer closed as he did. Peggy placed the file folder with her case report in it
on the desk, accidentally dislodging another stack of papers as she did so.

“Wait, Thompson, were you looking for the Henderson case file?”

“Yes, did you - you found it!” He grabbed it from her, rifling through the papers and rearranging
them.

Peggy made for the door, planning to make a stealthy escape, but she was stopped by a voice
behind her.

“Hey, Carter. Thanks.”

“Anytime, Chief.”

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