A/N: Ok, finally posting the sequel to Adagio (please don't kill me for the delay!). Rating is for the entire story. This will be a series of one-shots in chronological order. If I post something out of order, I'll note it at the top of the chapter.

As always, a HUGE thanks to sithwitch13, my awesome best friend and eternal beta.

Pepper rose as Natasha reappeared, amused that it had taken the spy barely five minutes to shower and change. "You know, I'm pretty sure you could have taken more time than that."

Natasha chuckled and shrugged. "Probably. Old habits die hard and all that. Shall we?"

Pepper shook her head, gently touching Natasha's arm to stop her as the other woman started to move for the door. "Just a minute." At Natasha's questioning look, she took a deep breath, considering how to broach the subject.

"Pepper?" Natasha's look had become concerned. "What's wrong?"

"What are we going to tell the others?"

Natasha cocked her head, apparently puzzled. "I hadn't really planned on telling them anything."

Pepper frowned. "What? Why not?"

"Why would we?" She sounded genuinely confused.

Pepper blinked in surprise, unsure how to respond to that. Was this some spy thing? Don't tell anyone you're dating someone because it won't last long? Or maybe Natasha was concerned about what the others thought? What Tony would say? What—

Natasha turned to face her fully and grabbed her hand, stopping her runaway thoughts and forcing Pepper's attention back on her. Squeezing Pepper's hand lightly, she smiled. "Not because I'm embarrassed, or concerned, or not serious, or any of a dozen other reasons, I promise. I just don't think it's any of their business. I won't hide it or deny it but…" She shrugged. "I'm not really one for declaring these sorts of things to everyone else either. If you want to tell them we can."

Pepper studied her for a moment. Oh. Or that. She smiled softly, squeezing back. "No, it's fine. I understand and… it's kind of a nice thought, not being with someone who wants to publicly announce almost everything."

Natasha laughed. "I think it's safe to say that I am not like that. Besides, Darcy already knows which means Jane, at least, knows. Or she will before the end of the night."

Pepper grinned. "Which means Thor will likely know soon and before long… everyone else."

"Yeah, pretty much." Natasha smiled wryly. "Though I'll wager Clint will figure it out within a few seconds of us getting upstairs."

Pepper smiled, entwining her fingers with Natasha's and beginning to tug the other woman toward the door. "He does seem rather observant."

Natasha allowed herself to be tugged along, laughing softly. "He is. Most of the time. And sometimes he can be very oblivious."

The elevator opened as soon as they arrived. "Thanks, JARVIS," Pepper said absently.

"Of course, Ms. Potts."

They made the short ride in silence, hands still firmly clasped. Pepper was mildly surprised that Natasha hadn't pulled away. Even though she'd said she wouldn't hide it, Pepper still hadn't pegged the spy as the PDA type. As if she could read Pepper's mind, Natasha turned her head slightly with a half-smile. Flicking a glance down at their hands she said quietly, "I don't mind as much inside the Tower."

"JARVIS, close the doors and hold the elevator here for a moment," Pepper ordered. The AI complied in silence and she turned to Natasha. Gazing at her companion seriously, she said, "Look, if it bothers you, please tell me."

Natasha gazed back just as seriously. "It's not so much that the idea bothers me as that I'm just… uncomfortable. In theory, I don't have a problem with it. In practice…" She shrugged slightly. "I've spent most of my life as a spy; that's not a line of work where publicly showing your emotions gets you very far." She smiled gently and placed her free hand on Pepper's cheek, pulling her down for a sweet kiss. "But, maybe it's time for me to rethink that idea. If it gets to be too much, I promise, I'll tell you."

"You do that." Pepper returned the smile. She glanced at the closed doors and asked wryly, "You ready for an Avengers Thanksgiving?"

Natasha grimaced. "Somehow, I don't think any of us are ready for this. Even Coulson."

"JARVIS, you can open the elevator again now."

"Yes, Ms. Potts. You should know that Mr. Stark is preparing to send Agents Coulson and Barton after you."

Pepper and Natasha exchanged equally resigned looks. "Of course he is. Tell him we're coming, JARVIS."

"Yes, Ms. Potts."

The television volume had been turned down marginally although the football commentary was still perfectly audible throughout the floor. They could also clearly hear Darcy telling Tony pointedly that he didn't need to send a search party for Natasha and Pepper. It sounded like a rather lively conversation periodically being interjected into by Clint and Steve.

Without really thinking about it, Pepper released Natasha's hand as they rounded the corner to the dining room. Pepper didn't particularly mind if people knew that her and Natasha were together, but she had to admit, it would be nice to keep the knowledge private for at least a little while. Or at least until the information trickled down the Avengers gossip grapevine within probably the next two to three days. Idly she wondered how quickly after that all of SHIELD would know.

She saw Natasha's questioning glance but the other woman didn't say anything. Pepper gave her a small smile, trying to convey that she would explain later. Natasha appeared to understand, or at least accepted the situation; Pepper wasn't quite positive which.

Quietly they entered the dining room. Clint and Phil both immediately looked over though Pepper was positive neither she nor Natasha had made a sound. Clint studied them for a few seconds then flashed a grin and wink. Phil merely arched an eyebrow, clearly having come to the same conclusion as Clint and just as clearly not about to say a word.

It didn't take long for everyone else to realize they'd arrived. Tony spun with a broad grin. "There you two are! Didn't realize the gym was that fascinating." He leered but Pepper could tell it was more just Tony being Tony than out of any actual suspicion.

Pepper rolled her eyes at him, ignoring the insinuation.

"My fault, I needed to shower after my workout." Natasha spoke up, voice as bland as her expression. "Pepper was kind enough to wait for me."

"Ooh! A shower!" Tony gave her a piratic grin.

Natasha merely raised an eyebrow at him and smirked, voice dropping to a purr. "Wouldn't you like to know, Stark."

He swallowed and gave her a nervous look, edging closer to Steve.

Clint barked a laugh. "Smart idea, Tony." He meandered over to Pepper and Natasha. As soon as he was close enough to speak without being overheard, he gave them a warm smile and murmured, "Congrats, you two."

The others were still chuckling at Tony's reaction and he recovered enough to comment loftily, "I am not so crass as all that."

There was a momentary silence before everyone started laughing even harder than before. Tony looked disgruntled but Pepper could see the humor in his eyes.

Phil commented dryly, "The day you are not so crass as that, Mr. Stark, is the day we need to check and make sure Loki hasn't replaced you."

Even Natasha chuckled at that comment.

Darcy piped up, "So, now that we've established that Tony's still capable of sticking his foot in his mouth, can we eat?"

"Are we not supposed to give thanks prior to consuming this meal?" Thor asked.

"We can do that once everyone is seated, Thor," Phil replied serenely.

The god considered that for a moment then nodded. "This sounds wise."

Phil smiled faintly and Pepper wondered whether Phil or her girlfriend was worse about being sociable. Running her own thought back through her mind she couldn't stop the slightly silly smile from curving her lips. She didn't notice everyone starting to migrate towards the table until Natasha nudged her lightly, giving her a quizzical smile.

Pepper whispered, "I'll tell you later," before starting for the table, deliberately moving close enough past Natasha to brush hands briefly.

She barely heard Natasha's whispered response, "I'll hold you to that."

Fortunately, so many communal dinners had ingrained a seating chart into everyone's head and even the addition of Phil didn't cause too much disruption. As usual Pepper found herself to one side of Tony (who had, of course, long since claimed the head of the table) and across from Steve. By mutual consent the group gave Phil the seat at the foot of the table. If anyone was the mother of this strange family, it was him. Pepper studiously avoided the fact that traditional seating assignments would make Tony the father; that didn't even bear consideration.

Natasha took her usual seat at Pepper's side, fending off Clint's attempts to poke her side with a faintly amused expression while he settled in on her other side. Pepper glanced down the table to find Phil watching the two agents with a somewhat resigned expression but a slight smile edged his lips. He met her gaze and his smile widened briefly as he flicked a glance from her to Natasha and back. She smiled slightly in return, understanding the silent message of approval.

Once everyone was seated, Tony immediately reached for the first dish, garnering reproving looks from both Steve and Thor. Pepper smothered a grin at Steve's stern "Tony."

Tony glanced around the table, eyes wide. "What?"

"We must give our thanks first, Tony," Thor said just as sternly.

Tony blinked, appearing thoroughly confused by this idea but he shrugged slightly and settled back into his chair. "Uh, sure, ok. So how're we doing this?"

Everyone turned to look at Phil. He looked around the table and gave an obvious sigh. "Just go around the table and everyone say something you're thankful for."

The atmosphere in the room turned expectant as everyone continued to gaze at Phil, clearly waiting for him to start. With a wry smile, he stated simply, "Being alive."

There was a solemn silence after that before Darcy lightened the mood by quipping, "I'm grateful Thor's back so Jane doesn't have to mope around the lab anymore."

The group chuckled and Jane swatted her in the shoulder but grinned anyway. "I'm thankful you work for SHIELD now instead of disrupting my lab with your music."

Thor turned a confused look on Phil. "Are we not supposed to be serious?"

Phil gave him a small smile. "Yes, Thor. You can ignore them."

He nodded slightly. "I am thankful for finding good friends on Midgard! And for Jane!"

Jane exchanged a sappy smile with Thor and Pepper laughed softly at the exaggerated gagging noise Darcy made.

Steve was next and he appeared to give the idea serious thought before he smiled slightly and said, "For the past events that, though unexpected and unwanted at the time, led me to be here with my friends."

There was an appropriately contemplative silence after this declaration before Tony gave what Pepper was certain was his shortest answer to anything and simply said, "The Avengers."

Pepper exchanged warm smiles with him before saying wryly, "Also the Avengers. Thank you for helping to keep Tony out of trouble."

His indignant "Hey!" caused another round of laughter.

Pepper turned to Natasha, curious as to what the spy would say. Natasha exchanged swift looks with Clint before she said quietly, "Friends."

Clint immediately followed up with "and family" making it clear he was finishing her sentiment.

Pepper silently placed a hand on Natasha's thigh, squeezing gently in silent support. She didn't look at the other woman, instead casually turning her gaze on Bruce. She saw Natasha do the same out of the corner of her eye but the other woman's hand grasped hers firmly.

Bruce glanced around before offering up a small smile and saying quietly, "Same here."

There was a short silence as everyone digested the surprisingly sincere wishes of the Avengers. After a moment Phil cleared his throat, asking calmly, "Tony, if you could begin passing the food?"

The comment broke the tableau and everyone grinned as Tony immediately began serving himself enthusiastically before handing off the dishes. Pepper gave Natasha's hand a final squeeze before releasing it and moving to start taking dishes from Tony and pass them on.

The group lapsed into their usual banter, punctuated by Thor's regular "What is this?" question at what felt like every dish. The football commentary fell into background noise as everyone finally settled into eating. At one point Pepper noticed Tony shoot a furtive glance at Phil and then Natasha before setting his roll back down with a sulky look. Grinning to herself, she glanced sidelong at Natasha, seeing the sparkle in the other woman's eye that meant she had noticed the action as well.

In a rare moment of dinner conversation participation, Natasha asked smugly, "Is there something wrong with your roll, Tony?"

He gave her a startled look. "Umm… no, not at all, Natasha." Smiling brightly, he picked up the roll and took a large bite.

Pepper snorted a laugh at the knowing look on Natasha's face. Tony shot her a look, clearly put-out but she just smiled back at him and returned to her meal.

Most of the group was about halfway through their meal (except for Thor who kept re-piling his plate whenever it started to get half empty) when the conversation faltered. Pepper looked up sharply, finding all of the Avengers and Phil suddenly silent and appearing to listen intently. Exchanging confused looks with Jane and Darcy, she mentally tuned back into the football broadcast.

"And we've just received word that there is some sort of disturbance at the stadium entrances," the commentator was saying.

The sentence had barely completed when a loud voice that definitely didn't sound like JARVIS but also didn't sound like anyone else Pepper recognized, stated, "Assemble."

Within seconds the Avengers had vanished, leaving Jane, Darcy, Pepper, and Phil sitting at the table. Phil sighed and neatly placed his napkin on the table next to his plate. "Excuse me, ladies." He rose then paused. "I believe, if you hurry, you can catch Thor and Natasha before they head to the jet."

Pepper exchanged glances with Jane before both women practically bolted for the elevator. JARVIS had the doors open for them. Stepping inside, Pepper didn't even bother telling JARVIS where to take the elevator; the AI was listening to the majority of the Tower anyway.

Pepper glanced at Jane and found the astrophysicist watching her with a small smile. "So, you and Natasha, huh?"

Pepper nodded slightly, not quite sure what the other woman's reaction would be.

Jane's smile was warm as she said quietly, "Darcy told me. I'm happy for you both."

Pepper smiled slightly. "Thanks." The doors opened on Natasha's floor before she could say more. Nodding briefly at Jane, Pepper strode off the elevator heading for where she knew Natasha's room was.

Slipping through the door that was sitting ajar, Pepper found Natasha already zipping up her uniform. "Hey," she said quietly.

Natasha glanced up and gave her a small smile. "Hey. What are you doing up here?"

Pepper moved further into the room, glancing around curiously. She wasn't sure whether to be pleased or concerned that Natasha had apparently not changed a single thing in the room. Pepper had been fairly certain she'd guessed well when it came to furniture and décor that the other woman would like but she'd also been sure that Natasha would at least add to it.

Without really thinking she said, "You haven't changed a thing? Really?"

Natasha shot her what could only be called a startled look. "Um, no, I haven't." The spy cocked her head, pausing her movements for just a moment. "Why?"

Pepper blinked, feeling the blush cover her cheeks. "No reason."

Natasha studied her intently and Pepper found herself glancing away, pretending to be interested in the copy of Degas' Ballet Rehearsal hanging on the wall. She heard Natasha sigh. "You and I clearly need to have a long conversation later."

The nearness of Natasha's voice startled her and she whipped her head around to meet the amused gaze of Natasha standing barely a foot away. Sighing herself, Pepper stated simply, "Not really a long conversation. But I think you finishing suiting up is more important right now."

Natasha nodded slightly. She moved away, picking up the belt with its attached thigh holsters from where it hung neatly on one wall. Strapping them on she asked casually, "Can you hand me the knives in the top drawer next to you?"

Pepper blinked in surprise but turned immediately to the chest of drawers. Pulling open the top drawer she encountered what she could only classify as an armory though she was fairly certain Natasha would disagree. Wryly she said, "Sure. As soon as you specify which ones."

Natasha chuckled. "The small throwing knives on the left; should be a pair."

Pepper found what she assumed were the knives in question and pulled them out, turning to hand them over to her girlfriend.

Natasha shot her a smile as she took them, tucking them into her boots. "Thanks." Straightening, Natasha cocked her head slightly at Pepper. "You're not off the hook for that conversation, but I need to go." Pepper nodded and stepped to the side, allowing Natasha to precede her out the door.

They were almost to the elevator when Pepper mustered her courage and grabbed Natasha by the elbow, hoping the spy wouldn't punch her.

Natasha whirled, blinking at her in consternation. "What-?"

Simply going with her impulse, Pepper pulled the spy in for a brief but intense kiss. They broke apart after only a few seconds and Pepper gave Natasha a lopsided smile, murmuring, "Be careful."

Natasha seemed completely stunned for a moment before smiling back. Dropping a quick kiss on Pepper's lips she whispered back, "Promise." She touched Pepper's cheek briefly before disappearing behind the door leading to the stairs. Pepper stared at the door for several seconds before shaking her head slightly and grinning to herself. Yep, definitely an interesting relationship.

Pulling herself from her thoughts, Pepper moved the rest of the way to the elevator, waiting quietly for JARVIS to send it back up, knowing he would prioritize any Avengers trying to use it over herself. A few minutes later the elevator opened soundlessly. Entering, she said quietly, "Movie room, JARVIS."

"Yes, Ms. Potts," the AI acknowledged only slightly louder than she had been.

Not for the first time Pepper wondered just how extensive JARVIS' AI programming really was. The AI seemed to know, and respect, when people needed quiet and anticipated needs more often than not. It was occasionally disconcerting. The elevator opened on the requested floor shortly and Pepper automatically exited, mind occupied with dwelling on Natasha.

She made her way into the home theater, only half paying attention to where she was going. Finding Darcy and Jane already glued to the giant screen, Pepper ensconced herself in a nearby armchair, not quite willing to be too close to anyone else just yet.

Darcy glanced over at her, welcoming smile transforming into a concerned look almost instantly. "Hey, Ms. Potts, you ok?"

Almost automatically, Pepper replied, "Call me 'Pepper,' Darcy."

"Sure, Pepper. Question remains."

Pepper smiled slightly, glancing at Darcy. "Yeah, I'm ok. Thanks."

Darcy gave her a look of patent disbelief. "Why don't I believe you?"

Pepper chuckled when Jane reached over and swatted Darcy on the arm without taking her gaze off the TV.

Darcy edged further away from Jane, grumbling, "It was just a question."

"It's fine." Pepper looked back at the television herself. "I'm just worried."

Jane commented, "What she said."

"You guys are dating two of the most deadly people on the planet. Possibly in the galaxy."

Pepper shrugged, glancing at Darcy again. "True." She smiled wryly. "That doesn't mean they know how, or when, to take care of themselves."

Darcy looked incredulous. "Ok, I know Thor occasionally disregards basic things like safety but you're telling me Natasha, Russian super-spy extraordinaire, can't take care of herself?"

Pepper laughed again, relaxing some; which, she suspected, was Darcy's intent. "In a fight? I have no doubts but still, doesn't mean the bad guys won't get lucky."

Darcy smiled, commenting dryly, "They would have to be very, very lucky I'm thinking."

"Probably," Pepper conceded, turning her attention back to the news report.

The reporter appeared to be listening to someone off camera. When she looked back at the camera, her expression was even more somber than before. "We have just received a report that the entrances to the stadium have been demolished, trapping the thousands of fans and players, inside.

"The group that has taken over the stadium is calling itself the 'Wrecking Crew' and has not made any demands or statements at this time."

The reporter continued to speak but her words were swallowed up by the sound of the jet that flew overhead. The three women still remaining in Stark Tower all smiled recognizing the jet on screen as the Avengers' current quinjet.

The reporter quickly gave up on speaking and had instead turned to watch the jet fly toward the stadium where it hovered briefly. The camera zoomed in on the jet as it disgorged first Iron Man carrying Hawkeye and Black Widow followed by Thor carrying Captain America who was in turn holding on to Bruce.

The video cut back to the cameras inside the stadium and they watched in silence as Iron Man lightly deposited Hawkeye on one of the upper decks before dropping down to casually drop Black Widow directly on top of one of the men with guns on the field. Pepper grinned viciously as the man went down immediately, Widow's legs wrapped tightly around his neck. She leapt off lightly as the man crumpled and promptly vanished, presumably off to track down more bad guys.

Thor settled calmly in the center of the field, gently setting Cap and Bruce down. One of the football commentators picked back up his commentary, sounding somewhat shell-shocked. "And it appears the Avengers have arrived on the field. Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, and the Hulk are in center field while Hawkeye and the Black Widow are currently out of sight. We wish those two the best of luck in putting these people in their place."

A loud banging suddenly came through the sound and Pepper winced. That couldn't possibly be good.

The commentator began speaking rapidly, now sounding a bit more concerned. "It appears our wishes were not well accepted by our visitors and they appear to be trying to break down the door to the press box."

There was a splintering sound and then the cameraman was desperately trying to follow a speeding Iron Man as he powered towards the press box. Once Iron Man had blasted through the press box windows, accompanied by the sounds of breaking glass and screams, the camera cut back to the Avengers still on the field. As soon as the three in center field came into view, a black streak whipped past the lens, causing the picture to shake and tilt as the cameraman clearly tried to get away.

Darcy spoke quietly, "Five bucks says that was one of Hawkeye's arrows."

"No bet," Jane replied.

Sure enough, once the camera steadied, it immediately focused on the body of a gunman only a short distance away. An arrow was neatly through the man's throat. Idly Pepper noted that the sound from the press box had been cut off. She knew with Iron Man around there should be a lot more noise.

Instead, the scene was eerily silent without even the reporter's commentary. More enemies were flooding the field now, clearly having been called down to fend off the Avengers. Thor, Cap, and Hulk stood back to back in the middle of the football field, waiting.

"Why is it Thor always looks like he's having so much fun during a fight?" Darcy asked.

Jane sighed. "I wish I understood it myself."

Pepper laughed. "I think all of them are adrenaline junkies. Except Bruce."

There was a short silence in the movie room and then Darcy commented dryly, "Well, no wonder they all live with Tony then."

Pepper thought about that and had to concede it was probably at least part of the reason. On screen, bad guys were getting tossed around as if they weighed nothing and Pepper was amused to see that the cameras were rotating angles as if covering another football game. Abruptly there was sound again and the game commentator was back.

"Hello, everyone, and welcome back to what used to be the Patriots at the Jets and is now the Wrecking Crew at the Avengers. Iron Man has just left the booth here at MetLife Stadium after fixing our sound system for us.

"Below us on the field we have a small army of what appear to be gang members attacking Captain America, Thor, and the Hulk. And now here's Iron Man sweeping up the sidelines, taking out stragglers still trying to come on to the field. And there appears to have been a small explosion on the East side. We can only assume that was courtesy of Hawkeye or Black Widow though both are still nowhere to be seen."

The three women sat in stunned silence for several moments before Darcy started snickering. Soon all three of them were laughing at the sheer absurdity of the Avengers getting game commentary. Abruptly Jane's laughter cut off with a small scream. Mirth abandoned, they all watched in horror as Thor went flying backward. Standing in front of him, grinning, was a huge man holding what appeared to be a wrecking ball.

Out of the corner of her eye, Pepper saw Darcy reach out and put an arm around Jane. "He'll be fine, Jane."

On screen, Thor was standing back up, a feral grin on his face. The man with the wrecking ball was in mid-laugh when a green fist slammed into him, lifting him off the ground and sending him straight through the uprights of the Patriots' goal.

"And that's three points for the Avengers! Excellent field goal by the Hulk there. Wrecking ball-man appears to be unconscious. Back in center field, Thor is back in the fight and there goes his hammer! What's it called? Mew-mew? Mole-ear? Whatever its name is, gang members are going down like bowling pins."

The field was quiet for a moment, all the visible bad guys down for the count. Pepper frowned. "It can't be that easy."

She glanced at the others to find them looking at her incredulously. "Easy?" Darcy asked.

Pepper half-smiled. "Yes. Trust me; that was easy. If this group was that much of a pushover, why would they take over a stadium in the hometown of the Avengers? I mean, they've only been there for what? Twenty minutes? When have any of their fights been that short?"

The others seemed to consider this for a moment. "Good point," Jane said.

They all turned back to the screen, waiting. On the field Iron Man had dropped to stand next to Cap, Thor and Hulk, all four scanning the stadium warily. Barely a minute later three more large men hopped on to the field, forming a triangle around the four Avengers. They looked to all be close in size to the man with the wrecking ball.

"Who wants to bet that's the rest of the 'Wrecking Crew'," Jane said softly.

"No bet," said Darcy.

Pepper was scanning the screen intently every time it switched angles, wondering where the last two Avengers were. A flicker of a shadow to one side, behind one of the two unarmed men, made her narrow her eyes. But there was nothing visible and she wondered if she'd imagined it.

The man wielding a crowbar exchanged a few words with Cap but none of them were audible. The commentator had also fallen silent, apparently equally entranced with the confrontation occurring down on the field. Abruptly an arrow flashed out of what seemed to be thin air and bounced off the chest of crowbar-man. He laughed and the three women exchanged shocked looks. Well, that's definitely not good.

Pepper muttered, "I take it back, it could have just stayed easy."

She hardly noticed that she'd moved to the edge of her seat, hands clasped firmly in front of her. As if the arrow had been some sort of signal, the fighting had broken out in earnest on the TV. She could see Iron Man flitting around, repulsors firing repeatedly whenever he had a clear shot. Cap was fending off repeated blows from the leader's crowbar while Thor slammed his hammer into anyone who got in range.

Unfortunately, the men seemed to be quite nearly as durable as the superhuman members of the Avengers and were giving as good as they got. Hulk was trying to help but unlike when he was able to surprise the earlier man, these men were well aware of his presence and kept dancing out of reach. Hawkeye and Black Widow were still out of sight though various trick arrows were flashing into the fray, periodically exploding.

Pepper narrowed her eyes, watching the small explosions intently. "Is it just me, or is Hawkeye cutting that one guy out of the group?" She heard the confused sound Darcy made but didn't take her eyes off the screen.

"Huh. I think you might be right, Pepper. But why?"

"That's why," said Jane, pointing.

The words were barely out of her mouth before the man, dressed in red and white, had arcs of electricity dancing over him. The temporary incapacitation was enough time for Hulk's fist to finally connect solidly, sending the man flying nearly the entire length of the football field.

Darcy cheered and both Pepper and Jane chuckled. "You know, you guys are allowed to actually verbalize your excitement when something like that happens," she said.

Pepper shot her a smile. "I'll verbalize my excitement when they're back here and safe."

Darcy gave an exaggerated sigh. "Sure, fine, be all boring."

Pepper laughed. "Thanks, Darcy. I will."

They turned their attention back to the news, where the fight was starting to go more definitively in the Avengers' favor now that the Wrecking Crew was down to two. Hawkeye was once more carefully using his arrows to keep the remaining two men separated. A small form leapt lightly on to the leader's back, clearly attempting to strangle him.

Pepper felt her breath catch in her throat as the man started swinging his crowbar around, trying to hit the woman clinging to his back. Black Widow seemed to be deftly ducking each wild swing, though, holding on tightly to the thin black cord occasionally visible around the man's neck. It didn't appear to be actually strangling him but her presence was definitely a distraction.

Without noticing, Pepper clenched her hands into tight fists, barely registering the pain as her fingernails dug into her palms. Abruptly, Black Widow seemed to go flying backwards, flipping neatly and landing in a crouch some distance away. She was barely clear of the man when Iron Man's unibeam slammed into him, staggering him sideways. Immediately, Thor smashed his hammer into the man's other side. The pair repeated the exercise, appearing to be taking great enjoyment in batting the man between them.

Then suddenly Hulk was there, picking the man up firmly and not-so-gently yanking the crowbar away. The camera angle finally zoomed out from focusing on Iron Man and Thor and Pepper could see that the last man had also apparently been subdued. She was amused to see Phil leading a team of agents in securing the prisoners while the Avengers themselves reconvened at center field.

"And the final score here at MetLife Stadium is Avengers twenty-four, Wrecking Crew zero. A fine shut-out by our home team!"

Pepper laughed a little and rolled her eyes, finally relaxing as she saw Natasha stroll casually to the others while Iron Man hovered, both apparently none the worse for wear. On the screen, the quinjet was landing gently on the field. The SHIELD agents moved the captives aboard while Phil exchanged a few words with Steve. It was only a few minutes before the jet took off, leaving the Avengers at the stadium. Bruce had turned back into himself and apparently acquired a new pair of pants and a shirt from somewhere.

No sooner had the quinjet disappeared than the team was swamped by football players and fans. Pepper sighed. She only hoped Natasha and Clint didn't punch anyone who got too close. The Avengers themselves were now barely visible and the reporter had once more taken over. Ignoring the screen, she picked up a tablet from the nearby end table.

Briefly sparing a moment to be grateful that Tony left tablets all over the house, she began work on drafting a donation report to contribute to the repairs for MetLife Stadium. She hardly registered when Darcy flopped into the chair next to hers.

"What work could you possibly have to do on Thanksgiving?"

Pepper glanced up in amusement. "Funding to fix the stadium."

Darcy looked surprised. "Doesn't SHIELD cover that?"

Pepper nodded, looking back down and adding a few final sentences. Finished, she sent the document to her work folder at Stark Industries and set the tablet aside. Refocusing on Darcy, she smiled slightly. "They do, but Tony and I like to help out with it as much as possible."

"Oh." Darcy seemed to consider that for a moment then gave a decisive nod and grin. "Cool." Her smile turned mischievous.

Pepper eyed her warily. "What?"

"I just had a couple of questions." Darcy's expression was innocent.

Pepper arched an eyebrow. "About?" She flicked a quick look at Jane who was now watching her and Darcy with an amused smile.

"I guarantee she's going to ask you about Natasha," Jane said.

Darcy grinned. "Well it's not like I can learn anything about her at work!"

Pepper blinked. "Really?"

Darcy looked at her like she was insane. "No one talks about Natasha at SHIELD. Or Clint for that matter. If I didn't know for a fact they were real, I'd think they were imaginary."

Pepper laughed ruefully. "I should have known." Leaning back in her chair, she cocked her head at Darcy. "I won't guarantee I'll answer but you can ask."

"Did she really take out twenty guards in less than five minutes at Hammer Industries?"

Pepper shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. I wasn't there and she's never said."

"Oh." Darcy looked slightly disappointed. She perked up after a few seconds. "Can she really kill people with her thighs?"

Pepper chuckled. "I've never asked her but you saw the fight as well as I did." She indicated the television. "It certainly appeared so."

Darcy gave her what could almost be called a pout.

"You know, you could just ask her," Pepper pointed out.

"And risk death? Are you kidding me?"

"I'm fairly sure I can guarantee she won't kill you," Pepper replied dryly.

"Maybe not you, but I'm not sure she wouldn't kill me."

"Am I really the only one who's not afraid of her?"

"I hope you aren't; you're the one dating her. But besides Clint and Coulson? Yeah, pretty sure you're the only one."

Pepper pondered that. Natasha's amused comment about Pepper not being afraid of her made more sense now. She shrugged slightly. "I've never been afraid of her. I know she wouldn't hurt me."

Darcy gave her an admiring look. "That puts you ahead of about ninety-nine point nine percent of SHIELD then."

Pepper grinned in amusement. "Are you afraid of her?"

"Hell yes," came the immediate answer. A glance at Jane found the other woman nodding in agreement.

Pepper shrugged again, not really knowing what to say to that.

"I actually have a couple questions, if you don't mind," Jane said.

Pepper looked at her questioningly.

"How long have you been together, and do you want to continue keeping it quiet?"

Pepper smiled slightly, glancing at the clock. "About two hours and yes, we'd appreciate that for at least a little while longer."

Both women gave her incredulous looks. Pepper wondered if it was because of how long her and Natasha had (or hadn't) been together or if it was the desire to keep things private.

Finally Darcy spoke. "Two hours? Uh… that's… wow. Gotta admit, I kind of assumed you guys had just been really good at keeping it quiet."

Pepper frowned in confusion. "Why?"

Jane answered, "The whole sneaking off after movies and games to sit in the kitchen together? The skating rink? It… seemed kind of obvious." She added, "But we won't tell anyone if you don't want us to."

Pepper looked at her in surprise. "I… really?" She reviewed the events in her mind. "We… weren't dating." She considered the idea further. "Though I suppose it could look that way from the outside. But until two hours ago in the gym? Just friends."

"Just friends?" Darcy's look was profoundly skeptical.

Pepper gave her a small grin. "Ok, very good friends but yes, friends." She sobered, pinning both women with what Tony called the Pepper-is-going-to-kill-me-in-my-sleep-because-I-did-something-stupid-again look. "Besides, I don't cheat on my significant others."

Both women winced. "Sorry, didn't mean to imply that," Jane said apologetically.

Darcy nodded rapidly in corroboration.

Pepper studied them both a moment longer before nodding slightly and offering a small smile. "Ok."

Darcy opened her mouth for what Pepper suspected was another question when JARVIS interrupted, "Ms. Potts, they have returned."

Pepper sighed and murmured, "And of course Tony couldn't give us a warning."

Darcy and Jane both laughed softly. The trio had just risen when Thor bounded through the doorway, heading straight for Jane. He still held Mjolnir in one hand but was careful to hold it to the side when he pulled Jane into a hug. Pepper exchanged amused looks with Darcy as Jane started immediately checking the god for injuries.

A light touch on her back had Pepper jumping slightly and spinning around to find a quietly amused Natasha watching her. Pepper gave her a wry smile. "You do that just to watch me jump," she accused playfully.

Natasha flashed a brief grin and shrugged very slightly. "Maybe."

Pepper let her gaze roam over her girlfriend's face but she didn't touch the spy. There were no visible injuries. Quietly she asked, "Are you alright?"

Natasha gave her a small smile, gaze warming noticeably. "I'm fine."

Pepper narrowed her eyes, searching for any hint of a lie though she knew it was highly unlikely she'd be able to tell even if Natasha was lying.

Natasha's smile broadened just a little as if she knew what Pepper was doing. "I promise. No one even touched me."

Distantly, Pepper noted that they were now alone in the movie room. Her hand twitched and she winced, glancing down at the small cuts she hadn't even noticed before.

Natasha followed her gaze, smile morphing into a concerned frown. "What happened?" She picked up Pepper's hand, studying the palm intently.

Pepper shrugged slightly, half-smiling. "I was worried."

Natasha flicked a glance at the doorway before tugging Pepper out of line of sight of the door. Once Pepper had followed, cocking her head curiously, Natasha locked eyes with her. Giving the taller woman a flirtatious smile, Natasha raised Pepper's hand and placed several open mouth kisses on the small wounds, still gazing intently into Pepper's eyes.

Pepper swallowed convulsively. Tony could be magnetic when he wanted to be but even he hadn't perfected this level of pure seduction. Finally finding her voice after Natasha had repeated the action on her other palm, Pepper murmured, "You are trying to kill me, aren't you?"

Natasha laughed softly. "Definitely not." Placing a final soft kiss on Pepper's hand, she glanced at the doorway. "They'll be looking for us shortly."

Pepper nodded slightly, still not looking away. "They will. Darcy and Jane have agreed not to say anything just yet."

Natasha's smile transformed from seductive to genuinely pleased. "Really? I'm impressed."

Pepper returned the smile, relaxing now that Natasha didn't appear to be actively trying to seduce her with just a look. "They're not that bad. Besides, I'm pretty sure Jane is far more interested in science and Thor than what anyone else is doing."

Natasha frowned slightly. "Hey… if you're not comfortable with something I do, please tell me."

Pepper took a deep breath and let it out with a soft laugh. "Not comfortable is far from it. Surprised? Maybe a little. Wishing we didn't have to go back with the others? Definitely."

Natasha grinned and winked. "If we don't, Tony will just bug us until we either tell him what's going on or we kill him."

Pepper sighed softly. "True enough. Shall we?"

"Sure." Natasha squeezed the hand she was still holding lightly before dropping it and gesturing for Pepper to precede her.