A/N: I seriously never thought I'd get this chapter done. It's so long and so much is going on in RL at the moment, but at long last, it's done. I'm not happy with the ending, kind of just trailed off there, but I don't care right now, at least I can post it.

Just answering some questions from folks kind enough to review but I couldn't answer them directly because they were guest reviews. Yes, I have a plan for Pepper in this story and it's a heroic one, she gets to be more than den mother to these lovable rogues. ;) Pepperony is going to start their own little story in amongst all this very soon. And as to how long this fic is going to be? Well, that's a tricky one. I've done a bit of an outline and I'm pretty worried I've got so much to go that we may only be half way through, less than that. ARRGGHH! Scary thought. . I do have a pretty complex story being told here by virtue of all the players, so it's going to take time to tell all of their stories and the overlying one with JH and his Magnificent Octopus, of course. ;)

Anyway, moving swiftly on, here's the chapter. Not one of my best, but I guess the cookie just crumbles that way sometimes. :)

Chapter Twenty-Five

Steve pulled out the chair for Olivia as they settled into the coffee shop down the road from the Avenger's Tower. Some of the shop front was still under reconstruction from the mantis attack earlier that week, but there was a sign on the sidewalk proudly proclaiming them open and ready for business.

Immediately there was a smiling young woman by their table. "Hi, I'm Megan and I'm your waitress. Would you like to see the menu?"

"Oh, we're just here for coffee," said Olivia quickly.

"Would you like something to eat?" Steve asked her.

"I'm not hungry," said Olivia and then her stomach gave a very loud growl, causing her to blush bright red.

Steve couldn't help but smile. "Either that was a little white lie or you've got some kind of animal in that purse of yours," he teased her. Steve looked up at the waitress. "We'll have a look at that menu, thanks."

Their waitress smiled and handed a menu to each of them. "I'll be back in a moment," she promised them and then she was whisking herself away to deal with other customers.

"I'm sorry," said an embarrassed Olivia, "I haven't had lunch today."

"Either have I," said Steve easily, "and I'm starving, so we make a good pair."

Olivia relaxed a little and looked at the menu. "Everything looks so good."

"I don't know what half of these things are," Steve admitted as he perused the menu. He shook his head. "Even the coffees are confusing. Where I come from there used to be black coffee and coffee with milk. I don't know what a soy latte double decaf is." He looked at Olivia in confusion. "It's all coffee, right?"

She gave a little laugh. "Yes."

Steve sighed. "There is so much choice in this world."

"And you think that's a bad thing?" asked Olivia with interest.

"I think it clutters you up, all these choices," said Steve honestly. "It's too much to process all the time, it kind of drives you crazy." He grimaced. "Or maybe that's just me."

"I think modern people just get used to having all of that clutter around them and don't see it," said Olivia. "I know when I moved here from the farm, I found it so strange that people needed to have so much going on at once. You know, like have the TV on while they're working on their lap top and music is playing and they're using their phone. It's all so much activity all at once. I don't think it can be good for your brain. You never get to process and enjoy one thing completely."

"So, it's not just me then?" asked Steve hopefully. "I'm not the only one who thinks this world is moving too fast?"

"You're not the only one," she promised him.

"Where's your farm?" he asked curiously.

"Missouri, outside of Kansas City," she said. "My dad's a dairy farmer."

"And you lived there all your life?"

Olivia nodded. "I went to The University of Missouri, Columbia to do my teaching degree and then I wanted to see the world. I figured I'd start in New York and earn some money to do more travelling. Thing was I hadn't been here a month before I realised the whole world comes to you when you're in New York."

Steve smiled. "It's quite a town alright."

"I still get homesick for the farm sometimes," she admitted.

"I was born near here, but it may as well be on the other side of the world when it comes to feeling homesick." He looked to his left. "The Lower East side of Manhattan."

"I know," said Olivia and when Steve looked at her in surprise. "Everyone knows, Steve. Captain America's history is taught in schools these days. Every school kids know where and when you were born and how you helped win the war." Olivia smiled. "You and my dad were born on the same day, the fourth of July. Dad is going to be sixty this year."

Steve did some quick mental arithmetic. "I'm going to be ninety this year," he realised. He blinked as that sunk in and left him with a depressed feeling. "Damn." Steve grimaced. "Sorry, I didn't mean to swear."

Olivia gave him an understanding look. "It's alright, most people have a run up to turning ninety and it isn't as big of a surprise." She gave him a shy look. "And besides, you don't look ninety." Olivia couldn't hold his gaze then, looking away and suddenly becoming engrossed in cleaning her spoon on the table.

"You don't look ninety either," said Steve warmly and then realised what he'd said as Olivia looked up at him in confusion. "I mean, because you're not, obviously. Obviously you're way younger than ninety, so why would you look ninety? I just meant that for your age, you looked great, whatever your age is, which obviously isn't ninety, I know that." It was all Steve could do to stop himself from groaning aloud at how big a mess he was making of this.

Olivia giggled and put her hand over her mouth.

"Sorry," winced Steve, "in my head that was a lot smoother."

Olivia took her hand from her mouth and gave him an understanding look around her amusement. "In my head I didn't poke you in the eye with a pen earlier," she said kindly. "So, I guess we're both a lot smoother in our heads, hmm?"

Steve smiled, grateful for her understanding and sense of humour.

Megan was back now, pen poised over her pad. "What would you like?" she asked brightly.

Steve looked at Olivia and nodded. "Ladies first."

Olivia looked up at their waitress and smiled. "I'd like a double cheeseburger with bacon on the side and fries and onion rings with a double choc thick shake, please."

Steve looked at her in amazement.

Olivia blushed again. "My Mom says I have the metabolism of a hummingbird but my Dad says I've got hollow legs."

"I'm impressed," said Steve honestly. He looked up at the waitress and nodded. "I'll have the same thing, but instead of the shake, can I have a black coffee, please?"

"Certainly," said the chipper Megan. "I'll be right back with your meals."

"I'll pay for mine," Olivia assured him as soon as she was gone. "I wouldn't expect you to pay for a meal like that."

"I asked you out," Steve reminded her firmly, "and no lady is going to pay for her own food while I'm around."

Olivia looked both flattered but a little worried. "Do they pay you to be an Avenger?" she asked curiously.

"Not exactly," said Steve and made a rueful face as he remembered a recent event.

oooOOOOooo

Steve stalked into the lab and threw down a wad full of cash in front of Tony as he was soldering two pieces of metal together. "What's this?" he demanded to know angrily.

Tony looked over the top of his soldering iron and over the top of his protective glasses at him. "It's this new thing called money, Cap. It's the 21st century, so we don't use shells and buttons to trade things anymore."

"I know what it is," Steve ground out. "What's it doing in my room?"

Tony shrugged. "I don't know, maybe the Tooth Fairy is getting generous in her old age?"

"I'm not taking money from you, Stark," Steve bit out, furious at even the thought of it."I'm not some charity case."

"No one said you were," said Tony casually, "but you have to deal with some realities here. You need money to get around in this world."

Steve scowled. "I'll get a job."

Tony put down the soldering iron. "You have a job. You're an Avenger."

"Heroes don't get paid to be heroes," said Steve stubbornly. "That's how being a hero works."

"Says who? Did you get a Hero Hand Book with those blue tights, because I sure didn't with the suit?"

Steve made an annoyed noise. "I'm not being on your payroll, Stark. I know you just love the thought of bankrolling the Avengers so you can declare yourself our leader."

"I am the leader but it's because I'm made of awesome, not my money," said Tony indignantly.

"You're not the leader of the Avengers," Steve asserted sharply.

Tony swivelled in his chair, facing off with him. "Look, I've got the brains, the ability and the snappy rejoinders. Clearly I'm the leader of this group. I inspire people."

"You're self-obsessed and reckless. There is no way you're the leader of the Avengers." Steve folded his arms in front of himself. "The only thing you inspire people to do is want to punch you."

"Then I guess you must have some leadership qualities after all," said Tony in annoyance," "because I want to hit you right now."

"Would you two stop fighting?" Pepper's frustrated voice interrupted them. She walked into the lab and gave them both disapproving looks. "Seriously, you're grown men and you spend your time sniping at each other like bored children."

Tony pouted. "He started it. I was just working quietly away and then Captain Craptastic here was all in my face."

"Because you stepped over a line," Steve defended himself tightly. "I don't need your money, Stark."

Pepper looked over at the pile of money and then back at Steve. "Are we talking about this money, Steve?"

"Yes," he said shortly.

"I left that money in your apartment," Pepper clarified. "It's yours."

Steve grimaced. This was even worse than getting money from Tony. "Pepper, I can't take your money."

She gave a little laugh. "It's not my money, Steve, I told you, it's yours."

Steve looked at her blankly. "What?"

Pepper tucked a strand of strawberry blonde hair behind her ear. "When Steve Rogers went missing, he had just over three hundred dollars in his bank account. The money gathered interest until SHIELD took it over in the sixties and invested it in your name."

"Even though I was supposed to be dead?" he asked in disbelief.

Pepper shrugged and smiled. "I guess someone had a little faith. Anyway, your money has been accumulating ever since. Director Fury asked me to organise a bank account for you the other day, so you can start to access the money. I thought you might appreciate a little walking around money while the funds clear."

Steve shook his head in amazement. "How much money are we talking about here?"

"I can't give you an exact figure, but it's around five million, six hundred and thirty eight thousand dollars," Pepper recited.

Steve felt his jaw drop open. "I-I'm rich?" He'd never imagined that kind of money before in his life.

"No," interjected Tony, "I'm rich, inappropriately so, you're just doing okay."

"You're not going to have to worry about money, Steve," Pepper reassured him. "And I can set you up with someone to help you manage your funds for the future."

"Yeppers, you'll be able to buy all the plaid shirts you can iron from now on," Tony informed him. "I'll alert 'Plaid and Proud' to stock up."

"I don't believe this," Steve rasped. He gave Tony an accusing look. "Why did you let me go off on you like that when you had nothing to do with the money?"

"Is it wrong to admit that I find you sexually attractive when you're all shouty and vein bulging?" enquired Tony and fluttered his long eye lashes at Steve.

"Don't do that!" snapped an unnerved Steve.

"Tony, stop harassing Steve," Pepper tutted.

Tony scowled. "Why are you always on his side?"

"I'm on the side of common sense," she said in exasperation. "Someone has to be." She gave him a warning look. "Back in your box, Blinky."

Tony reached out an arm and drew Pepper to his side. "There wouldn't be a Blinky if you weren't so damn gorgeous, Ms. Potts," said Tony huskily. He nuzzled her neck as Pepper gave a little smile.

"Ah, do you want me to leave?" asked Steve, suddenly uncomfortable.

"From almost the first moment you walked into the lab," agreed Tony as he planted small kisses along Pepper's neck.

"No, Steve," Pepper laughed as he drew back from Tony's advances, "you stay, I've got to go."

Tony's bottom lip pouted. "Where do you have to be in such a hurry?"

"China."

Tony frowned and looked surprised. "China the country, or China the level?"

"Excuse me?"

"You know, the level of the tower which is filled with china," said Tony. "We've got one of those, right?"

"No, Tony, we don't have a level of the Avenger's Tower filled with china," said Pepper indulgently. "I'm going to the country China for business. Shanghai to be exact."

Tony looked disappointed. "Oh, when will you be back?"

"Tomorrow afternoon."

"Okay, but you've got to bring me back some of those steamed dumpling from that place I love, you know, the one that sells the noodles."

"I know," said Pepper, "and maybe. I'm on a tight schedule."

"Send one of the MMMBop boys to get it," he instructed her.

"We'll see." Pepper turned to Steve. "I'll give you all the details of your bank accounts, Steve, and show you how to access them on line and then I'll give you a quick tutorial on how to use an ATM."

Steve gave her a pained expression. "Can't I just go into the bank?"

"No one goes into a bank anymore," Tony asserted, "not unless you're planning to rob it, of course."

"You're hysterical," said Steve flatly.

oooOOOOooo

"I'm okay financially," he reassured her. "Don't worry, buying you lunch isn't going to bankrupt me and even if it did, I'd still want to do it."

Olivia's face lit up. "That's so sweet, Steve."

"Well, you did save my life."

The pleasure slipped a little on Olivia's expressive face. "Oh."

Steve frowned, not sure what he'd said wrong. "Not that I think a meal can pay you back, of course."

"I don't need paying back, Steve," she said quietly. "I did what I did because it was the right thing to do, not because I was expecting anything in return."

"I know that," said Steve hastily. "I didn't mean to imply anything else." He frowned because he could see Olivia was a little bit sad now. "I'm sorry," he apologised, even though he still didn't know what he'd done wrong.

Olivia shook her head and gave him a determined look. "Don't be silly, you've got nothing to be sorry for."

"But, I've said something wrong, haven't I?" Steve cursed his inaptitude with women. It was so damn frustrating.

"Of course not," said Olivia, but Steve didn't know that he believed her.

Steve hunted around for something to chance the subject. "So, you never told me why you came to the Avenger's Tower."

"Oh," said Olivia, "that's right, we never got to that." She reached down into her bag which was at her feet and this time drew out the item she'd been looking for previously without mishap. She smiled as she handed it to him. "This is from kids in my class."

Steve took the round item which seemed to be a plastic, disposable plate which had been painted to look like his shield. The children had obviously done it as some of the artwork was a bit questionable, but Steve couldn't help but smile. "Hey, they've made me a back up shield," he enthused teasingly, "it's a bit smaller than I'm used to, but I'm sure it'll be great."

Olivia laughed and Steve felt a wave of relief that he had her smiling again. "It's an invitation," she informed him with amusement, "turn it over."

Steve turned over the patriotically painted plate to see there was a hand written note attached to the back, obviously written by a child.

Dear Captin America,

Can you com and vizit us at skool, pleze? You can pat our hamsta Karamel, he doesn't bit or anythin.

Luv Class 2B

Steve looked up from the note, very touched by the invitation.

"Joshua wrote it," said Olivia. "The little boy you saved that day. He was very insistent you should know that."

"This is great," said Steve warmly, "really great."

"It's alright if you can't come. I told them you're Captain America and you have a very important job and you can't just-"

"I'd love to come and visit your class," Steve interrupted. "They seem like amazing kids."

"Oh, they are," said Olivia eagerly, "they really are. They're the sweetest group of seven year olds you'll ever meet. They'll be so excited to hear you can come."

"When's a good time?" asked Steve, pleased to have a reason to see Olivia again.

"It's Wednesday today, how about Friday, at around ten?"

"I'll be there," he promised her just as the waitress arrived with their food. Steve looked around himself and realised he was having a nice time in a relaxing setting. "I never do this," he admitted as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Oh well, you wouldn't," said Olivia hastily. "You've got to keep fit and coffee is so bad for you."

"It is?" asked Steve in surprise. "I didn't know that."

"They did all this research on the effects of caffeine on your body and it's not good. It's like all that research into the way smoking causes cancer."

"Smoking is bad for you as well?" asked Steve in disbelief. "The Surgeon General used to recommend it to you relax you."

Olivia wrinkled her nose. "They kind of found out that it kills you and people around you."

"People around you?"

"Second hand smoke, it can cause all sorts of upper respiratory complaints and even cancer."

Steve was amazed. He looked down at his cup of coffee. "Boy, I think I preferred not knowing that."

Olivia made a regretful face. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," he said quickly. "It's just this world seems to know a lot of things now. I guess it's more things to crowd into your head. Sometimes not knowing things is easier."

"And other times knowing things can help you make the right choices," she countered.

He nodded his head slowly. "I guess you're right."

Olivia reached for the salt and caught her fork with the edge of her sweater. The knife flicked up and headed straight for Steve's eyes. As quick as a flash Steve snatched it from the air before it could do any damage.

"Oh," said Olivia, startled by the speed which it had all happened. "I'm sorry," she said in distress. "I did it again."

"No harm done," he promised her and returned her fork. "Being with you is good for my reflexes."

She looked embarrassed again. "That's not a good thing."

Steve winked at her. "In my line of work it is."

Olivia grinned and looked reassured. She picked up her huge cheeseburger and looked at him. "I feel like I've been talking about myself all this time. It's your turn, Steve."

Steve watched as she took a big bite of her burger. "Well, like I said, I was born around here and always wanted to serve my country so when an opportunity came up to be part of an experiment-"

Olivia shook her head and finished her mouthful. "I know a lot about Captain America, the legend, everyone does." She smiled. "Why don't you tell me something about Steve Rogers, the man, something the history books don't know?"

"Like what?"

"Like, did you have any pets as a kid? What did you used to do for fun? What was your favourite hiding place?"

He smiled. "What makes you think I had a favourite hiding place?"

"All kids do," said Olivia knowingly. "Mine was in the milking shed, up in the loft."

Steve settled back in his chair. "There was an abandoned house on our street. All the other kids thought it was haunted, but it had the best hiding places."

Olivia picked up a fry. "So, you were brave, even back then?"

"I don't know if you'd call it brave, more like stubborn," he laughed. Olivia asked more questions then and Steve had more answers and questions for her. Before they knew it, they'd been sitting there for three hours and Steve didn't want their impromptu date to be over...

A/N: Re the money thing with Steve. I don't know if it's the writer in me, but I'm always curious about the details of these character's lives. Like, how do they live without jobs or what does happen to the Hulk's underwear when he transforms? These things concern me and I want to know the answers. Of course, I don't question the whole thing about someone actually transforming into a rage monster when they get angry, or a guy frozen in ice popping up with so much as a hint of frost bite. That I just accept, no questions asked, but how Thor pees in his outfit does concern me. Do Asgardian's even pee at all? So many questions, so little time. LOL So yeah, I thought we should address the money issue at least. ;)