A/N: Surprisingly I got this chapter done. Working with a lot of characters here, so bear with me guys, the night has just begun... ;)

Chapter Thirty

"Everything is secure and unless you have anything for me, I'll be off."

Pepper looked up from her desk and smiled warmly at Lewis. "Yes, of course, thank you, Lewis. Have Cody and John gone home yet?"

"I sent them home half an hour ago."

Pepper made a regretful face. "I'm sorry this day has gone on for so long. You'd better get home or there will be talk of divorce."

Lewis chuckled and winked. "I'm good with the sweet talking."

She laughed as well. "Well, that's lucky. I'll see you tomorrow."

He nodded. "Goodnight, Pepper."

"Ms. Potts, Agent Romanoff has entered the building," came Jarvis' voice.

Lewis looked at Pepper expectantly and she shook her head at him. "It's fine, you go home. I don't think I have anything to worry about when it comes to Natasha."

Lewis smiled. "I guess not, see you tomorrow."

Pepper glanced at her watch and saw that it was already past eight. "Jarvis, where is Natasha heading?"

"To the lab."

"Ask her to meet me in the kitchen when she's done," said Pepper.

"Very good, Ms. Potts."

Pepper closed her office door and locked it, heading towards the elevator. After a short ride she was at the main kitchen level and stepping off the elevator. "Lights," she called out to the automated system and the state of the art kitchen lit up, revealing everything a person could possibly want or need in a kitchen. Pepper went about making a couple of omelettes as she waited for Natasha. She was just dishing up the first one when Natasha walked into the kitchen. Pepper smiled at her. "Hi."

Natasha smiled back. "Hi."

"I thought you might not have had time for dinner yet," said Pepper and pushed the omelette towards her.

Natasha hesitated for a brief moment but then sat down at the counter top and took the offered plate. "I haven't," she admitted.

"I had a dinner meeting but didn't really get to eat," Pepper confessed. "We had a lot to discuss, so I'm starving."

Pepper finished plating up her omelette and passed a knife and fork to Natasha. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Water will be fine."

Pepper poured them both a glass of water and set it down on the kitchen counter, taking a stool across from Natasha. She picked up a forkful of egg. "Did you get access to the lab alright?"

Natasha nodded and swallowed her mouthful of food. "Jarvis let me in." She gave Pepper a considered look. "Aren't you going to ask me what I was doing in there?"

Pepper gave a little laugh. "I figure if you want to tell me you will and if you don't, you'd lie anyway."

Natasha gave her a rueful look. "I suppose I deserve that."

"I wasn't having a dig at you," said Pepper mildly. "I just appreciate the kind of work you do and that it goes hand in hand with secrecy sometimes."

"And that doesn't bother you?"

"Let's just say I find it easier to handle when you're doing it rather than Tony," she said wryly and then took a sip of her water. Pepper eyed her curiously. "I thought you might be out with the rest of the Avengers tonight."

"I wasn't invited." Natasha's tone betrayed no emotion about that. "Fury sent Hawkeye to break it up."

Pepper's lips twitched. "It's so cute that he thinks that is going to make a difference to Tony. It's a shame you're not there though. It'd be a good opportunity to bond and get to know the rest of the team a little better. "

"It's not my kind of thing," she said shortly. "I work alone."

"You used to work alone," Pepper corrected her gently. "You don't anymore. You're part of a team and not an average type of team at that."

"There is a natural separation between Hawkeye and myself and the rest of the team," she offered up. "We were recruited by SHIELD before them and live on the SHIELD base, plus, we have different skill sets. It's natural that we wouldn't be mixing with the others as much."

"Maybe it's time to do something about that?" Pepper suggested.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you can't really enjoy living on that floating military base," Pepper noted. "Why don't you come and move into the Avenger's Tower? After all, you are an Avenger."

Natasha frowned, clearly never having considered the idea before.

Pepper leaned in across the counter, determined to make her consider it at least. "It's not entirely selfless. I mean, as much as I love all the guys, I must admit I wouldn't mind having another woman around to cut through all of that testosterone at times. The Tower is huge, you'd have your own private levels to do with what you want, of course." She wrinkled her nose as she tried to work out exactly what she wanted to say. Pepper had been thinking about this for a little while now. "But it's a lot more than that. You're not like them, Natasha, you don't have the same kind of ego the others have. They need you to cut through all the BS and get to the heart of the matter. They need the balance of your personality to really get this team to come together and function properly."

"Me?" asked Natasha sceptically.

"Look, what happened to Phil, Agent Coulson, rallied them in the moment and that was great, but now there is the day to day of being a team and things aren't going so well. There are all of these huge characters jockeying for position and it's not working."

"How can I help with that? They are who they are?."

Pepper tried to explain. "It's like an Oreo cookie. The guys are all these hard, immovable pieces of biscuit-"

"And I'm the sweet, creamy centre?" interjected Natasha dryly. "I think you've got me confused with someone else, Pepper."

"You're the bit that fills all the cracks and holds them together," said Pepper determinedly, "at least you could be. You're good at analysing people, knowing why they do things while the others just tend to react. They need your insight to hold them all together, Natasha, otherwise they're never going to be any kind of team and that's dangerous for everyone." Pepper gave her a serious look. "They need you more than they know, Natasha, and more than you know, I think."

Natasha gave a tight smile. "It seems you have a fair amount of insight of your own, Pepper."

"Yes, but I'm not part of the team," she countered. "You're necessary to the Avengers, Natasha and I want you to consider moving into the Tower."

Natasha just stared at her, clearly lost for words for a moment.

oooOOOOooo

Tony and Bruce lounged back in their private red velvet booth looking very relaxed and content. There were a lot of empty cocktail glasses on the table and they were watching Thor and Steve through the crowd of heaving bodies and entertainers.

Bruce squinted. "Is Steve dancing or having a fit?"

"I have no idea," grinned Tony, "but he sure loosens up after a few drinks."

"What was in those things?" Bruce still wanted to know. "I can't feel my legs anymore."

"They're still there," Tony reassured him blithely. "Don't sweat it."

Thor meanwhile was at the bar demonstrating his strength by picking up four women all at once as they squealed happily and iPhones recorded the act. Happy scurried up to them, a vaguely harassed look on his face.

"Ah look, B, it's our little den mother," said Tony happily. "What's up, Mom?"

"Okay, so Thor has just down two Flaming Sambucas-"

"So?" said Tony. "He's a big boy."

"Without putting them out first," Happy finished his story, "and now he's decided he wants to learn how to eat fire. Oh, and Steve is dancing with a lady man." He looked at Tony expectantly. "Are any of these things something we're going to worry about?"

Tony sat upright in his chair. "Steve is dancing with a man?" asked Tony excitedly. He craned his neck to see through the crowd and Steve was indeed shaking his groove thing with a suspiciously tall and broad shouldered brunette.

"I believe they prefer transgender," said Bruce, his words slurring ever so slightly as he took another mouthful of his cocktail. "Or is that shemale?"

"Whatever it is I want pictures," declared Tony happily. He clicked his fingers. "Happy, photo op and whatever you do, don't tell Grandpa his date pees standing up."

Happy rolled his eyes. "Okay, and what about Thor? Are we cool with him potentially burning the place to the ground?"

"He's the god of thunder," Tony rationalised. "If anything gets out of hand he'll just call up a little rain, no biggie."

"I see a few flaws with that plan," Happy noted.

"Name one," Tony demanded.

"We're inside," Happy observed. "From memory rain doesn't happen inside a building."

Tony pointed a finger at him. "Good point. You better go stand beside Thor with a fire extinguisher."

Happy sighed. "And here was I thinking tonight couldn't get any better." Regardless of his reservations Happy trumped off to find a fire extinguisher.

"And don't forget my photo!" Tony called out after him. He settled back into the seat next to Bruce. "It appears that both Steve and Thor are on the flaming side tonight."

Another smiling waitress walked up to the table with a large, deep-fried onion ring on a plate. "Your order, sir?"

She offered the plate to Bruce who took it with a grin. "Thanks." He pulled a leaf off and munched on it happily. "I love these things."

Tony picked up his martini and pulled an olive off, chewing on it thoughtfully. He'd drunk quite a bit but unlike the rest of the team, he was used to it and it wasn't having a big effect on him. "What do you think this magnificent octopus thing is about?" he pondered. As fun as it had been leading everyone off the primrose path, Tony's mind had still been working away furiously.

"I thought we weren't allowed to talk shop?" Bruce noted as he lounged in the velvet seat beside Tony, the onion flower plate resting on his chest as he watched the contortionist in front of him. He cocked his head as the young woman lay on her stomach and then bent her back legs completely over so they were resting on the ground in front of her shoulders. "Damn, I've pulled something just watching that."

"You don't think it's got anything to do with Hydra, do you?" Ton continued to ponder. "Their emblem kind of looks like an octopus. Granted, one with only six legs and a death skull, but still, you could go with an octopus feel to the whole motif."

Bruce shoved a mouthful of onion petal into his mouth and chewed before answering. "I doubt even Hammer is stupid enough to get involved with Hydra and make a public announcement about it."

A fire breather approached the young woman and picked her up, balancing her on his shoulders as he continued to spit out flames from his mouth as the contortionist stood on one leg and lifted her other one up to her ear.

"The one thing you should never do is discount the level of that man's stupidity." Tony looked suddenly thoughtful and not really paying attention to the theatrical and colour-filled acts going on around them. "I wonder if the Avengers should have their own insignia?" He paused momentarily and took a sip of his drink. "And I wonder what would be a good one for us?"

Bruce's eyes were on the group of men making a pyramid now while smaller figures bounced through the gaps of their structure with the help of little trampolines. "I'm thinking a hamster eating its own foot," he said distractedly.

Tony twisted in his seat to give Bruce a considered look. "You're kinda a weird guy, B, anyone ever tell you that?"

"Not since the other guy came on the scene," Bruce deadpanned. "Now, are you going to let me eat this onion flower in peace, or what?"

Tony grinned. "I think we both know the answer to that."

Suddenly Clint dropped from the ceiling, doing a neat tumble as he dropped and managing to stick the landing. He straightened up and looked down at the two men.

Tony's eyes went wide from the impressive appearance of the other man. "Now that's an entrance," he declared approvingly. "From now on I'm going to be entering all clubs that way." He grabbed Happy as he walked by clutching a fire extinguisher. "Did you see that, Hap, I want to make an entrance like that from now on."

Happy gave Clint a displeased look. "Thanks for that, man."

Clint shrugged, unconcerned. "They wouldn't let me in at the door. I had to get creative."

Tony clapped his hands together. "And creative you were, my friend and now you're here, it's time to get this party started."

"I'm here to do the opposite of that," Clint corrected him. He glanced around at all the colour and movement. "Fury doesn't think this is a good idea. He wants you to all reel it in."

Tony looked him over. "So, what, you're Fury's own personal party pooper now, is that it, Sparrow Man?"

"My boss gave me an order to tell you the party is over," said Clint, not rising to the bait.

"And you have," said Tony jovially. "Now, let's get down to some serious drinking."

"This is a potentially volatile situation and mixing our particular skill sets with alcohol is a bad idea," said Clint firmly. "We're going and I'm not taking no for an answer."

Tony shrugged. "I guess you're right. We'll go, but first, you have to have a drink." Tony waved at one of the waitresses and she walked over with a Stark Raving Mad cocktail already prepared.

Clint shook his head. "I don't think so."

"Come on," said Tony, "it's got an umbrella in it, how big of a deal is a drink with an umbrella in it?"

"Alright," Clint relented, "one drink, and then we're out of here, got it?"

Tony smiled and gave him an innocent look. "Oh, absolutely, Agent Barton, absolutely."

Clint picked up the drink and took his first mouthful while Bruce and Tony smiled at each other knowingly...