Two weeks. They'd come and gone far more quickly than I liked, but gone they were. The Saturday before Halloween and the big day of the fundraiser. I was already happy to see the end of it; too bad that guests had only begun to arrive.

I threaded my way through the crowded hallway serving as a temporary ante-room, listening to the voice chattering rapid-fire in my earpiece. The caterers. Something about there not being enough tables for the food. I suppressed the curses I would have uttered if not for the three-dozen children milling around. They'd only been here ten minutes and I'd had to bite my tongue several times already.

One of the little hellions darted in front of my path, nearly slamming right into me. I managed to stop him just in time, holding him still by the shoulders. His mother- I assumed- came running after him and offered an embarrassed smile of apology before dragging him off. I shook my head and slipped into the conference room to deal with the next catastrophe. The kids in the hall were someone else's problem.

"Ms. Morgan!"

I turned at the sound of my name to see the head caterer running up to me. She looked panicked even from across the room. Given that she'd never done an event of this size before, I wasn't entirely surprised that she was so quick to lose her head. Hadn't I already talked her off the ledge multiple times since I hired her?

Stay calm. If you don't feed her anxiety, she'll settle down and you can think about a rational solution to the problem.

"Yes? I heard about some mix-up."

"We're short one of the long buffet tables. I spoke with the crew that set everything up- they don't have anything left in the truck."

I cast a once-over around the room to see how we could make do with what we had. Had to think of something fast; everyone was waiting to be let in any minute. I spotted the three round tables we'd set aside for the kids to construct costumes in the guise of their favorite Avenger. Wouldn't need those until after dinner, so we could put the food on them for the time being.

A solution she could have come up with on her own.

"Repurpose the craft tables," I instructed the woman. "Ask the decorations crew to help you get them in place while I let Mr. Stark know he can get started."

"Yes, Ms. Morgan."

When she'd gone, I headed back for the hallway, switching my earpiece to its second channel.

"Stark?"

"You ready?"

"All set. You can go ahead and let them in."

The doors opened, and a stream of people poured into the venue. Orderly on the part of the adults; nothing short of chaos when it came to the kids. They skipped around the tables with far more energy than I could have expected, laughing and squealing with excitement. Of course, a few of them were further along in the disease, and stayed closer to their parents. But a fair number were only recently diagnosed, and still had all of the unbridled energy of a box full of puppies.

How are we ever going to get them quiet long enough for Stark to make his opening speech?

I'd no sooner had that thought when I heard a cajoling, "Hey Lilith, doll?" in my ear.

"Uh uh." I kept my voice low as I spoke into the microphone. "I know what you're going to ask when you use that pet name. Forget it."

"Oh c'mon."

"No."

"Just corral up the kiddos and entertain them for a second or two. Pretty please?"

"Ask Cap to do it."

"No dice. I need him and the other guys to be front and center."

Our gazes met from across the room, and I shot him a dark look. But he was right. The Avengers were the centerpiece of the event. Stark needed to shove them at the donors he'd invited to get them to pry open their wallets. That left me to handle the 'kiddos', as he'd called them.

"You owe me," I retorted before switching off the channel.

At the far end of the room, we'd set up a haunted house of sorts. Several of the kids were already checking it out, so I decided it'd be the best place to gather up the rest of them. But first they had to know to head over there. I opted for the quickest way to get their attention, and let out a sharp whistle. That one earned me the attention of more than just the kids. Pretending that I didn't notice all the eyes on me, I addressed the group of faces turned up to listen to what I had to say.

"Hey- we're all going to play a game together at the haunted house while the adults are talking. We'll need six team leaders, so I'll pick three of them out of the kids who get to the steps first, okay?"

They nodded eagerly.

"Ready?"

More nods.

"Go!"

While it wasn't the most orderly way to get them where I wanted, they sure moved fast. By the time I'd gotten to the house, my three winners were waiting. Still had to choose the other three, but I hadn't wanted to make it unfair for the kids who couldn't help moving slower than the rest. I waded through the half circle of children to stand where everyone could see me. One of the more precocious ones sided up next to me and poked my thigh.

"What's your name?"

"Ms. Morgan, but you may call me Lilith if you like."

That opened a floodgate of sorts, as another little girl of seven or eight asked, "Are you one of the Avengers, too?"

"No, but I work for them here in the Tower."

They were all suitably impressed by that, eyes wide. A few of them whispered excitedly to one another until one was brave enough to pose the next question.

"What do you do?"

Damn, they were curious little things, weren't they? I'd never spent much time around children. Had avoided them, actually, for most of my life. Kids made me uneasy. Probably the prying questions. I did my best to smile at the group.

"Well, I spend most of my time talking to people like you- adults and kids who want to meet the Avengers."

Thankfully, that answer got them thinking about something other than me. I answered a deluge of questions about anything and everything they wanted to know about the team. The whole time, I noticed that one particular boy standing on the edge of the group wasn't chiming in with the others. I could see that he wanted to, but the other kids nearby kept talking over him. Almost like they were doing it on purpose. After a few tries, the redhead's shoulders slumped and he gave up.

I think I've found one of my other three team leaders.

"When are we going to meet the Avengers, Ms. Morgan?"

"Soon," I promised. "When Mr. Stark-"

"Ironman. He's Ironman, Ms. Morgan."

Count to five and exhale. One, two…

"You've gots to call him Ironman."

I felt ridiculous calling him by that name, but to appease the mob, I forced myself to do it.

"When Ironman is done talking, we're all going to eat. After that, each member of the team has promised to spend time with all of you." A darting look over my shoulder told me that Stark was only halfway finished with his speech. Needed to come up with a game to keep the kids occupied a little longer. "But until then, why don't we all play a game and get to know one another?"

"What game?"

"Well, here's how it goes…"

The children waved at him as he walked away. Steve had been playing with the tykes for the better part of an hour and needed a break. Mentally and physically. Hawk and Nat were taking over in the rotation, relieving him and Thor at the same time- and not a moment too soon. All the same, a few kids were trying to persuade the Thunder god to stay 'just a little longer'. Most had already been successfully diverted by the new arrivals.

I sure hope Hawk thought to set the safety on his bow.

Seeing Pepper and Stark in the crowd, he adjusted course. Didn't want to be concerned by one of the more aggressive donors. Once had been enough. Steve suspected a number of them were just here for the chance to pursue the 'available' Avengers. Or even the not so available. They'd write the checks to the Society and pretend they cared about the kids, but their true interest lie in whatever they could coax out of the team. By whatever means necessary.

Even after so many years of learning to live in this modern world, he wasn't quite accustomed to the radical changes in courtship. Wouldn't even call it that in most cases.

Stark caught sight of him first and welcomed him over to the conversation with a friendly, "Kiddos wear you out, Super Soldier?"

"I'll tell you, Stark- I've fought week-long battles that didn't leave me this tired afterwards. Children are not for anyone lacking in stamina."

"No, they're not," Thor agreed as he strolled up next to him. "But that doesn't stop Frigga from insisting I ought to have some of my own."

"Mothers tend to do that."

"I keep telling her she's wasting her breath."

Pepper laughed softly, remarking, "You may be wasting yours, Thor, if you think that will get her to stop."

Everyone shared a good-natured chuckle before conversation shifted to a new subject. Stark must have promised to behave himself, or no doubt the teasing would have gone on much longer. If Steve were to guess, Pepper had a hand in keeping the billionaire's antics in check.

"I'd have to say this has all gone quite well." He eyed the room and nodded to the knot of kids clamoring for Hawk and Nat's attention. "Been a good time for the kids- not to mention a decent turn out on the donor side."

"Lilith really outdid herself," Steve noted. He shook his head. "Two weeks. I don't know how she found the time to get all of it done."

"Where is she, anyway?"

"Getting things squared away for the costume judging contest, I think. Last I heard from her, we're supposed to do that after Hawk and Nat have had some time with the kids."

The group fell silent, just watching the activity going on around them. Steve tried to imagine all the details Lilith had to organize to pull this off. Food, decorations, facilities. Somehow, she'd managed to find a band for live entertainment. And who knew what went into constructing that haunted house. On top of that, she'd had the guests to contend with. Scheduling and getting all the invitations out…

"You owe her big for this," he commented aloud.

Stark snorted lightly with a shake of his head.

"That's what she said, too."

"Well you do. Would your regular publicists have scrambled to do this with only two weeks' notice?"

"Flat out told me they'd quit," the man admitted with a somewhat sheepish expression. "Pretty sure they advised Lilith to do the same after they found out I dumped it on her."

That drew Pepper's notice, and she raised an eyebrow at Stark.

"You never said you asked Jeff and Maria."

"Didn't want to hear you say 'I told you so'."

"I would have," she agreed with a sweet smile.

Just then, the three senior members of the Society's board of directors approached, sparing Stark whatever she would have said next. Two women and a gentleman. Steve had met them briefly at the beginning of the event. Seemed like decent people who really cared about their cause. The silver-haired woman in navy blue laid a hand on Stark's arm and gave it a gentle squeeze as she conveyed her thanks.

"We came over to tell you again that we're so grateful that you organized this event for us, Mr. Stark. It's been just wonderful."

"You may thank me, Mrs. Harris, but I can't take much of the credit. The lion's share goes to Ms. Morgan, our PR manager. She's the mastermind behind the magic."

"If you ever think of giving her up, we'd be more than happy to engage her to plan all of our events. Dawes and I can't remember when we had such a fine turnout for one of our fall fundraisers."

Ever the flirt, Stark winked at the lady and drawled in his 'I'm charming and I know it' voice, "I'd best keep my eye out or I'll find you've poached her from my employ when my back is turned."

The banter continued on for some time. Longer than he or Thor had the patience for, quite frankly. Glad-handing socialites wasn't their top priority, or even a skill they wanted to improve. It was deadly boring. But Stark could, and would, do this all night. So while he was monopolizing the trio's attention, Steve let his own wander. Which was when he spotted Lilith.

She had reappeared among the guests, carrying a medium-sized box while an assistant followed close behind with another. The two of them stopped at one of the tables at the far end of the room and began to unpack them. Awards, from what he could see. Likely for the winners of the costume contest. Something else, too, but he couldn't see what it was from this distance.

Some of the kids drifted away from Hawk and Nat to see what she was doing. By the time Lilith had finished, the majority of the group had abandoned the two Avengers for the excitement at the awards table. Steve caught the archer's eye, who shrugged as if to say 'I guess our minute of being important is over'. A commotion with the kids caused him to look back just in time to see that a few of the youngsters had jostled the table and almost knocked the entire display to the floor.

From the look of it, several boys were giving one of the others a hard time, trying to keep the red-headed child away from the table. Steve saw Lilith zero in on the group and separate them immediately. She smiled reassuringly at the boy who'd been bullied, and then turned to the other three children; her expression was very different when she began talking to them. He couldn't hear what she was saying, but Steve was pretty sure she was giving them hell.

Of course, with her attention diverted even for those few seconds, the other kids grew impatient. They were all trying to ask her questions at the same time until finally she let out a whistle.

Damn is that loud.

Loud but effective. The kids settled down and listened to her explain what they needed to do for the costume contest. Steve smiled to himself as they nodded in unison after every sentence. A hand shot up from one of the youngest children, who must have had a question. Lilith answered it- and several others- with the patience of a saint. When the questions tapered off, she straightened up and brought a hand to her right ear.

"Well, I think that's our cue," Stark announced a second later. "Just got my marching orders from Lilith that she wants the judges to come over."

"Us, I take it?"

"Full panel. All of us. She says we'll get our judging sheets to pick the winners when we get there."

Thor raised a quizzical eyebrow at the word 'all', and asked, "She actually got Loki to agree to do this?"

"Don't ask me how, but as far as I understood, he's participating."

"This I have to see."

For what reason is any of this necessary, Loki wondered. If they want money, why does it require such an outlandish event? We could all be spending this time elsewhere, doing any number of activities that would be more enjoyable.

Of everyone at the event, only the children appeared to be having a good time. The adults merely pretended- to varying degrees- to be anything other than bored. Most of them, anyway. A few actually took pleasure in the spectacle; Loki was not one of them. Too many people. Too much noise. He didn't appreciate either, and couldn't wait for this wretched affair to end.

If it had been just the adults, maybe he would have found it more palatable. Maybe. But the horde of waist-high chatterboxes made for a miserable evening. Thankfully, most of them gave him a wide berth, keeping their interactions to staring at him from a discrete distance. Loki wasn't sure if that was their idea or if they were acting on the strict order of their parents. They, also, kept at a distance, preferring to strike up their conversations with Thor or one of the Avengers.

By all means- bore them with your inanities. Spare me the trouble of pretending to be polite.

If he didn't know that slipping away from this nightmare would earn him several hours' worth of tedium as Thor and possibly Stark lectured him, Loki would have teleported back to the penthouse long ago. As soon as it wouldn't be obvious that he was missing. Well, that and he didn't want to face the look Lilith would give him for not keeping his word.

Not to mention her temper.

He couldn't afford to lose her good will. She'd promised to get Stark to cease using that wretched nickname Loki hated. So in return, he'd agreed to play nice with the mortals and not spoil their celebration by causing any mischief. Not an easy promise to keep, he'd discovered. He'd been presented with several opportunities to stir up trouble throughout the evening, and the temptation had been hard to resist. After all, wasn't the spirit of the holiday to play tricks on others?

Distracted by his thoughts, Loki didn't notice the creeping approach of a child who had wandered away from the rest of the group huddled around Lilith. Which was how he found himself startled by a question posed to him from below his field of vision.

"You're 'sposed to be the bad guy- why'd they invite you to their party?"

He tipped his head down to see a boy with an unruly mop of impossibly red hair- and regarded him in silence for a moment. About eight years old, the boy wasn't used to having patience. He shuffled from one foot to the other, and then decided to prod for a response.

"Did their moms make them invite you?"

Despite himself, Loki couldn't resist the slight pull of a smile at the question. He suspected that it had been asked by one who'd experienced a similar invitation. What party had this little boy attended only because the host had been forced to include him? If he knew human nature well enough- plenty. Well meaning, clueless parents thinking that a pity invite would sting less than receiving none at all. In reality, it always hurt more. The smile faded.

You would know, wouldn't you? Mortals aren't the only ones who can be so naïve.

Disturbed by the direction his thoughts had taken, Loki shied away from them and refocused his attention on the boy. Rather than address the second question, he chose to reply to the first, musing idly, "The bad guy…I always find it interesting that the 'good' guys get to decide who the 'bad' ones are."

Probably too philosophical an answer for so young a child. It kept the boy quiet for a minute as he thought and frowned to himself. Then the redhead looked up at Loki again.

"Which one are you, then? Good or bad?"

After a moment's debate, Loki told him, "Both. And neither."

The boy nodded solemnly, accepting the answer far more easily than most adults did. Another minute of silence passed, and then he spoke again.

"Could I…" he paused, uncertain, before blurting out his question. "Would you take a picture with me?"

Loki blinked in surprise. The child actually wanted a photo of him. Children didn't want their pictures taken with him; Thor usually received that kind of attention. The novelty appealed to him in ways that it really shouldn't, and Loki found himself agreeing to the request.

"If you like."

"Really?" He pulled out a cell phone. "Here!"

After receiving the phone, he realized he'd have to get closer to the ground to capture the two of them at once. He balanced on one knee, feeling oddly self-conscious when the boy slid over a step and waited for the photo with a grin on his face. Loki tapped the button and it was done. He handed the phone back to the boy, who was still grinning as he examined the picture.

"Thanks!" he chirped, angling a look to Loki. The boy was about to run off to the others when he added, "She was right- you're not as mean as you are in the stories."

"Who was right?"

"The pretty blonde lady who helped us make our costumes- Ms. Morgan. She said-" he smiled in a peculiar way- "She said I shouldn't just accept what other people say and find out for myself."

Then he was gone, leaving Loki to stand there. Staring blankly into space. Not quite able to process any of what just happened. And then he heard footsteps approaching from behind, warning him to bury whatever it was to examine later- in private.

"Did I just see that happen," Thor announced as appeared on Loki's left. "You actually took a picture of yourself with one of the kids?"

At least annoyance is a mood I am prepared to face.

He half-turned to his brother and shrugged, saying, "Five seconds. As long as I'm required to be here, I suppose I could spend five seconds on a trivial request."

"Still, though."

Loki did not want to have this discussion, and sought to end it quickly.

"I'm sure you came over here for a reason?"

"Lilith has the kids ready for the judging contest. I was asked to swing by and make sure to bring you over."

"She's really making us do this?"

"Oh yeah."

"Let's get it over with, then."

Thor clapped him soundly on the back, causing him to lurch forward a step. Loki shot the oaf a dark glare, which he ignored, of course.

"That's the spirit."

Remember, she said you'd never hear Stark say it again if you behaved. Bonding the soles of Thor's boots to the floor so he falls flat on his face- amusing as it would be- isn't worth giving up that.

By the time the two of them arrived at the judging area, everyone else was already there. Lilith was passing out clipboards with sheets of pale orange paper on them. All the while, she was harried by a million questions from three-dozen excited children. 'Ms. Morgan this' and 'Where do I stand, Ms. Morgan'. They never seemed to end.

And yet Lilith smiled through it all, as if answering the same question ten times didn't bother her one bit. How Loki envied her patience, even if he didn't expect to ever need it. Certainly would never let himself get roped into playing ringmaster for a circus like this. Which was why, tongue in cheek, he couldn't resist at least a small amount of teasing when she came to hand him his clipboard.

"You've missed your calling, Lilith. I can't help noticing how well you handle the demands of children."

She'd been about to turn away to her next task, but his comment had her meeting his gaze and holding it. The look in her eye promised that her retort would be nothing short of insolent and pithy.

"I don't know why you sound so surprised. I've had three years of practice."

"Ouch."

"The truth hurts," she replied with a wicked smile.

He laughed to himself before adding quietly, "Seriously, though, I don't know how you aren't pulling your hair out."

"I want to," Lilith admitted in a low whisper. "Mine and quite possibly theirs. I'm glad this is the end or I'd lose my mind."

This time, she did back away to shepherd the group into position. Loki sighed inwardly, glancing down at the clipboard. Let's try not to drag this out any longer than it needs to be- for both of us.

The winners had been announced. Trophies handed out and gift bags exchanged. Following that, they'd had round after round of pictures. Now the kids, parents and assorted guests were beginning to pack up and leave for the evening. Tony stood near the doors to usher them along- as did Lilith.

She'd tried to run off as soon as the contest ended, headed to take care of something in the back room. Tony caught her before she made her escape and herded her to the front of the room. He refused to stand there accepting thanks and praise for an event that she had put together. So he'd stood at her elbow to ensure that she didn't sneak away when he wasn't looking.

Despite her obvious discomfort at being at the center of attention, they'd survived. There'd only been that one awkward moment when a trio of boys and their parents had come up. The children kept their heads down, as if they were trying not to be noticed by her. Their parents were equally uncomfortable. A story there, but no one was willing to tell it. Tony let it go, and cast a look over to Lilith after they left. He couldn't help noticing the subtle way she was fidgeting.

"Can you not be still? I swear you're worse than our young guests of honor."

"Sorry," she replied with an audible sigh. "It's just there's so much yet to do tonight. The food needs to be stored, and then there's the tables and chairs to get back onto the truck, and-"

"Relax, okay? The hard part is over. Enjoy this little break and let all that wait."

Lilith didn't look convinced, but she did make an effort to settle down. The next group approached: a red-headed boy and his parents- or possibly foster parents; he saw no resemblance between them and the child. The latter was almost bursting to talk to Lilith the minute they were in earshot. He trotted awkwardly ahead of the adults, holding up a phone.

"Ms. Morgan!" he yelled. "Ms. Morgan- guess what?"

"Why hello, Todd. What'cha got there?"

"I did what you said, an' he isn't so mean that one glare would kill me dead. We were talking an' he never even glared at me once."

Lilith bit back a laugh, trying to keep a straight face at the wild tales children told one another. Tony was likewise doing his best to be serious. By that time, the parents joined them and gave him somewhere to direct his focus. Lilith, of course, was still center of the little boy's attention.

"He even gave me this."

Todd thrust the phone as high as he could reach so that she could see. Out of the corner of his eye, Tony saw the image on screen. Was not expecting to see that the Trickster had consented to have his picture taken with the boy. And judging by the angle...

Looks like he took it himself. I'll be damned.

While Lilith chatted with Todd about his encounter with the god, Tony struck up a conversation with the parents. A much wiser decision, given what he might be prone to say. He wasn't known to be the most child-appropriate conversationalist, even on his best behavior.

"Todd seems to have had a good time."

"He did," the mother replied. "It's always hard for him at these events, so we were glad that this one was better for him."

"Not a big fan of crowds?"

They traded an uncomfortable look, not wanting to answer at first. The father's gaze drifted over to where Lilith and Todd were talking. He must have decided that she had cornered the boy's attention well enough to speak freely.

"It's a small community- you get to know everyone and end up at the same fundraisers. For most of the kids, it means finding friends, but for Todd…"

Tony understood immediately.

"I take it he isn't in that group?"

"They tend to pick on him. You know how children can be."

Yeah, merciless. I bet I know now what the story is with those other three boys.

"We've been to a few of these where it got so bad that we just left," the father continued. "Didn't go to any others for a long while- especially after Todd's brother passed away last year. They were both diagnosed with HD, but Brandon's was more aggressive. While he was around, they at least had each other, you know? Without him, Todd didn't have anyone. It was tough. But then the invitation to attend this event came and Todd was so excited to meet all of you- we decided to take the risk."

Well, that certainly put a lump in the back of Tony's throat. He had a hard time talking around it, swallowing once or twice first.

"We were all glad to meet him." He smiled and shook his head. "Even the Trickster, it would seem."

"I'll admit," the mother half-whispered. "I was somewhat anxious about letting Todd go over and introduce himself. But he said Ms. Morgan assured him that it'd be all right."

"She would know. Lilith's the resident expert on everyone in the Tower. You should get Todd signed up for the fan club newsletter she puts out if he isn't already."

"Oh he's been a member from the beginning," she assured him with a laugh. "He reads it to us every month as soon as it comes out."

Lilith must have finished with Todd, who had somehow convinced her to take a photo with him. The boy was now staring up at Tony, pulling on the bottom edge of his jacket.

"Mr. Stark? Could you take the picture for us?"

"Sure thing, kiddo."

He accepted the phone and waved Todd over to where Lilith had crouched in anticipation of getting into frame. Her expression warned him not to laugh as the boy wrapped his arms around her in an enthusiastic hug. Tony obeyed, but she had to know he'd be bringing this up in the not too distant future. After all, she was notorious for avoiding cameras. He couldn't pass up an opportunity to tease her a little.

Not to mention, it'll be a two-for-one deal. I can get her and Reindeer Games at the same time.

"Ready?"

"Yep!"

"And…done."

Lilith got to her feet while boy and parents gave their thanks and said their goodbyes. They'd barely gone through the doors when the next group- finally, the last- came up to them. All the guests were gone, leaving just the Society board members. The three of them repeated their ebullient praise for the event's success- even tried to coax Lilith into putting on their next event. She, wisely, played the invitation very casually and didn't commit herself one way or another.

By the time they'd finished, the rest of the team was gathering up and heading over. Cap and Bruce shared a laugh over something one of them had said. Given the look Hawk shot across to them, it must have been about him. The archer muttered a reply under his breath, which earned him an elbow in the ribs from Nat. Overall, the group appeared to be in good spirits. Tony would consider that a success in and of itself. He grinned at Pepper, who sided up next to him, then turned to the others.

"That's one good deed done for the day. I just want to thank everyone for doing this. I know it's not what some- or most- of you would have wanted to spend your Saturday doing, but we helped raise a sizable chunk of change for the Society and made those kids' day."

Various ones nodded or murmured that the thanks wasn't necessary. Tony turned to Lilith.

"And the real thanks goes to you, doll. None of this would have been possible without your help. You're absolutely right that I owe you for everything you've done. So whatever you want- just name it."

She considered for a long moment, raised an eyebrow and repeated dubiously, "Anything I want, you say?"

"Well, I can't give you something crazy like buying the Eiffel Tower for you. But if I've the means, I'll get you whatever you want."

"Have no worries there. I don't want anything that extravagant."

Why am I not comforted by that answer?

He ignored the warning bells clanging in the back of his brain and queried, "Oh? So you've already thought of something?"

She nodded.

"You have a fondness for using a particular nickname- you know the one I mean." Uh oh. She leveled an unwavering stare in his direction and said, "What I want is your word that you won't speak it again."

Wish she'd asked for the Eiffel Tower, he grumbled dismally. That would have been easier.

Eight pair of eyes bored into him, waiting for his answer. Tony hoped his smile hadn't turned as anemic as he felt. But Lilith had really kicked the wind out of him with her demand. Never could have guessed she'd want that. Want it she did, though. And since he'd made his offer in good faith…

"All right, Lilith. If that's what you want, then I'll hold up my end of the deal. I won't say it again."