"I know what you said before, Peggy... about the right time for this sort of thing?".
Peggy exhaled softly, "Steve, I know that look. You want to help. I'll be fine with Susan.", as she gingerly pushed the afterbirth out, and used the tarps to clean herself up, and got up, putting her bra, underwear, and war outfit back on.
"And for the right time, you can ask me when we're back up at the fort. I know she's healthy and all, but I need Erskine's opinion.".
Steve nodded, and passed Susan back into Peggy's arms, "You go straight back to the boats. I have to fight.", and Peggy nodded, "Yes, Captain America. You come right back in two hours, you hear?", seeing the vigilant look in Steve's eyes.
Steve smiled, kissing Peggy on the lips, and then kissed Susan on the forehead, "Crystal clear, Captain Britain. And I'll be right back, Sue-P.", with a nod of affirmation and fatherly love.
Steve would quickly assist the 29th and 1st Infantry as they made their way from the beaches; quickly linking up with some Rangers that had to scale the cliffs at
Pointe du Hoc further to the west of Omaha and making sure the road was clear to Carentan where
Utah and Omaha beaches could link up. He probably could've run all the way to the town, but his two hours were up as he was confident that the grunts had it under control.
He found himself sitting next to Peggy as they leaned against a cliff once he returned, as the two of them watched more and more ships pull in.
"What a sight, huh?", Peggy said. "You talking about the invasion or our daughter?", Steve joked.
Peggy giggled, "Technically, the invasion, but yes, our Susan is quite a sight to everyone. You would've wished to see the looks on the commanders'
faces when they saw me walking back with a baby in tow.", smiling gently with a glance down to her arms as Susan is remarkably still sleeping despite all the noise and such.
"Considering her size, at least it should be obvious to anyone that she's ours for sure.", Steve chuckled as he gently brushed Susan's hair.
Peggy chuckled, "Perhaps that's true, but she also looks like both of us...", with a content hum as she lightly leaned her head on
Steve's shoulder..."Do you think your mom would've loved her?".
"Loved her? Peggy, she would go bonkers with spoiling our Susan so much.",
Steve laughed lightly, and caressed Peggy's shoulder,
"But I know a couple of people would love her as much as my mother would have, next to Bucky...".
Peggy smiled, "Yes, Mum and Dad would be happy to know. And Bucky, he would be a swell uncle.", with a chuckle.
Steve smiled, "Oh, for sure.", with a nod before seeing their daughter start to wake up.
"Hey, princess.", Steve smiled, "Nice nap, Susan?", and Susan blinked before wiggling and gurgling as she reached out for Steve. Peggy smiled,
"I think we got a daddy's girl here.", gently passing her over to Steve who immediately held her, playing with her as she cooed and gurgled, trying to smile as she tried to catch Steve's fingers with her hands.
Steve chuckled, "I guess she is as I was technically a momma's boy, so I guess I have a natural thing when it comes to family.", with a grin when Susan squealed excitedly as he teased, poking her nose and tickling her belly.
"Still, you'll have to do quite a lot of mother/daughter bonding, especially when she starts getting older.", Steve joked. "Steve, not here on the beach.", Peggy chuckled as she swatted his shoulder.
Steve laughed heartily, smiling at Peggy before focusing on Susan, "Oh, did you catch my fingers? Did you catch them?", before yelping slightly as she squeezed them, "Oh, goodness, she's strong. I felt that for good.".
Susan gurgled happily with a giggle and an almost-attempted smile, and Peggy snickered, "It's reflexes, luv.
She will learn how to control them.", with a patient, warm smile, looking at Susan with motherly love in her eyes, and Susan cooed at her before her stomach grumbled.
Susan gave her hungry whine, and Steve grabbed one of the tarps from one of the ashore ships, giving it to
Peggy as she removed her war suit to just down by her belly button, but with one of her sleeves on, and taking Susan from Steve, she led her to her freed breast from the bra, using the tarp to shield
Susan and her breast from view as she took to latch into her second meal of the day.
Steve replied, "How many times do she has to feed per day?", and Peggy replied, "Mum said that for newborns, they have to be fed 8-12 times a day.
It lessens when they reach 2 months and so on. Or so she says. She did it with me, and I am sure most mothers do the same as well.".
"Sounds like I'm probably going to have to be helping the front lines solo then for some weeks.", Steve said as Peggy nodded.
"Looks that way, at least until we can find a better way for Susan to be taken care of.
I'm not a bad mother by wanting to leave her behind and go back into the fighting, am I?", Peggy asked with a worried tone as Steve shook his head.
"Not at all; you're wanting to come back to help end this war sooner so we can spend time with our daughter and raise her in a peaceful world.", Steve assured her.
Peggy sighed in relief, "I want the same for our daughter as well...Susan deserves to have a wonderful life.", looking down at their hungry daughter.
Steve smiled, kissing her temple, "At least we can know that our Susan has a very good appetite, and she's healthy.
Well, she'll be a celebrity soon enough, for she's born of a union between our nations...a sign of hope and life...
I mean, she's British and American altogether...You saw those recon planes...And of course, with everybody coming on for the landings...", with a half deep, half weary sigh.