Disclaimer: I do not nor will I ever own any of characters depicted below that you may recognize...they belong to forces higher then me, and I respect them and applaud them for their beautiful creations.


"I'm not here to get all buddy, buddy again." Harper warned slowly, studiously avoiding everyone's eyes. "I'm still not over the whole, let's NOT tell Harper that she's a human ticking time bomb thing."

"But we've said sorry!" Tony whined. Clint shot him a lethal glare, and Harper rolled her eyes.

"I've taken that into account." She said dryly. "Thing is, I'm still pissed."

"Understandable." Loki input smoothly. When Thor shot him a glare, he smirked.

"But," Harper shot Loki a dirty look, and surprisingly enough, he inclined his head toward his brother in apology. "I did want to let you all know that I'm making progress, and though I haven't forgiven you guys yet…"

"There's still hope?" Steve finished slowly. Harper caught his gaze, and the two stared at each other for a long moment. Harper nodded a little stiffly.

"Yes." She said softly. "There's still hope."

Steve relaxed. Hope was a good word…a good thing.

"We are also here," Loki said after a beat, "Because Director Fury has asked her nicely,"

"More like ordered," Harper muttered under her breathe, and Loki rolled his eyes, causing the group in front of her to smile. They'd all been asked nicely to do things by Fury before…they knew.

"Director Fury gave Harper orders," Loki rephrased, "to continue her training in a facility better equipped than the ones we were previously using."

"I have a facility." Tony spoke up. "A highly equipped one, according to my former trainer." He fell into an casual pose. "You could use it if you want."

Harper narrowed her eyes.

"What's the catch?" She asked slowly.

"Come to my wedding." Tony proposed. "It's in two weeks."

"I know when it is, Tony." Harper made a face.

"So you have no excuse NOT to come." Tony grinned. "An easy deal."

"Your deal sounds acceptable." Harper said slowly. "But you should understand that Loki is my trainer, and thus where I go he goes."

Tony's eyes narrowed.

Clint made a face.

Thor watched his brother's face closely.

"Fine." Tony said after a moment. "Deal."

Tasha smirked as Tony and Harper clasped hands.

"But he fixes anything he breaks." Tony warns.

"No promises." Harper smirked. She turned to Loki, who sent her a smirk of his own.

"Well then," Loki said slowly. "I guess it's time to train."

Harper's face collapsed into a look of outrage.

"I thought we were just going to ask to use the facility today!" She burst out.

Loki just shrugged. "I'm in charge. And I changed my mind."

Harper made a face.

"Go Train." Loki demanded. Then his look turned sly. "OR…."

"Or what?" Harper asked suspiciously.

"Or go spend some time with your friends." Loki looked pointedly towards where Team Two stood, completely silent.

Scott brightened and waved as the duo looked his way, and Harper let a small smile loose.

"Easy choice." She said softly.

Loki tilted his head, observing his young charge. Then he smiled.

"Go." He said.

And with a grin, Harper approached her friends quickly.

Loki watched their happy reunion for a moment, then he turned to the Avengers with a serious look.

"She is allowed to come and go as she pleases. Do not speak to her unless she initiates it. We train every day for a minimum of three hours. Expect us." And Loki inclined his head…and was gone.


Training

Harper the trainer was ruthless. Charged with whipping the Avengers and Team Two into shape, she would show up at odd hours of the day only to force them into the weirdest exercises and then proceed to work them long after they'd exhausted themselves.

Loki the trainer was on Harper's level.

Harper and Loki would arrive at the Tower daily to use Stark's facilities and their sessions would last hours. Loki would sweat nearly as much as Harper and the Avengers and Team Two, though they would sneak peeks through the video cameras often, never watched for very long.

Not because of Loki's brutal training…but because of Harper's dedication.

As a trainer, Harper was supremely devoted.

As a trainee, she was a hurricane of energy, constantly in a battle to best her worst enemy…herself.

Harper would come out of every session bruised and bleeding, panting and sweating, barely able to hold herself upright, but always with a deep gleam of satisfaction. Harper demanded progress from herself, and she wasn't afraid to work for it.

Harper, having grown up as a child-spy, had all of the basics covered, and alone she could face off any member of Team Two; or any Avenger, at that. So instead of focusing on building her foundation, Harper began to learn how to best utilize the new skills and talents that came with the new DNA strands embedded into her old ones.

Harper was skilled in hand to hand combat and various weapons, but Loki focused her on working with a Mjolner lookalike, and the two often talked theory of how best to use the hammer both with the wielding and the calling of lightning.

Harpers skills were also refined, going quickly and nearly seamless from street to strategic.

Harper had the patience of a saint, but Loki stretched her further by encouraging her to emote without losing control, with the hopes of one day being able to call forth the strength of the Hulk while maintaining that control.

Loki also exercised her mind in Tony's lab. Harper, once her new talents were set free, could comprehend far more than she'd been able to previous, and Loki delighted in setting new chemical, technical and biological puzzlers in front of her and seeing how she solved them. (Harper was days, Loki predicted, (maybe hours,) from finding the cure for cancer.)

And while all of Harper's training was important, Harper's most taxing tasks were the ones involving the violet magic that swirled dangerously from her hands.

All of Harpers other tasks were built on a foundation of knowledge that she'd already established.

Learning magic was starting from scratch.

Magic; as Harper learned, was complicated and arduous. But Magic was Loki's forte, and slowly but surely as he showed his charge the use and beauty of magic, she began to appreciate it as well. (Though appreciation made magic no easier to learn.)

And so; whether it was because Harper showed up for every session slightly dirty and very grumpy, or because she always left exhausted and sweaty, or simply because she purposely ignored them; the Avengers watched her progress…but safely, from a distance.

And to everyone's surprise, Harper, was the first to break their silent truce.

But to be fair, she had a very good reason.


Mawwiage

"So this thing tomorrow." Harper grimaced slightly in pain.

"You mean my WEDDING?" Tony clarified slowly, not tearing his eyes away from the sight in front of him.

"Exactly. I never got an invitation for the thing, so I'm not sure if-"

"Oh you're going." Tony interrupted. "Invitation or no."

"Thank you for interrupting." Harper said dryly. "What I was going to say was, do I get a plus one, or am I forced to show up solo?"

"Oh." Tony frowned. "I guess your boyfriend can come." Harper grunted and Tony winced. "Is this almost over yet?"

Loki paused what he was doing to send a lethal glare Tony's way.

"Harp's magic is taking it's time adjusting to being used in a real life setting." He snapped lowly. "Her magic is too excitable yet; and builds up under her skin. If not properly taken care of, these magic pockets will cause her extreme pain."

"Well then, by all means, continue." Tony responded flippantly, though he winced as Loki returned to massaging the glowing blue violet spots that littered Harper's bare back.

Harper looked up to smirk at Tony. "Is this making you uncomfortable?"

Tony nodded from where he reclined on his couch. "Extremely." He admitted quickly. "I don't know whether to be glad Rogers isn't here to feel as uncomfortable as I am, or disappointed that I'm missing his eventual blow up at Loki putting his hands all over you."

Harper rolled her eyes and Loki smirked.

"Well Rogers isn't here and I don't mind, so." Harper shrugged. Tony made a face and stood.

"I'll give you guys' privacy, then." He shot Harper a look. "See you tomorrow?"

"Count on it." Harper shot Tony a genuine smile, one he hadn't seen in nearly two weeks, and Tony returned the smile.

"Good." He said once. "Good."

"Steve, stop pacing."

Steve pulled on his collar and shot Clint a look.

Clint sat up from where he'd been reclining on the couch of the large room Tony and his groomsmen occupied. "She'll be here if only to make wisecracks at Tony and to snap at you."

"She told me she'd be here, so she'll be here." Tony added over his shoulder as he examined himself in the mirror.

"So chill." Tasha stepped in front of Steve, forcing him to stop moving. She fixed his bow tie and shot him a reassuring smile. He took a deep breathe.

"You're right." He admitted. "I'm chill."

"Hey guys. Has anyone seen Harp?" Tony groaned loudly and turned to Morris, who had just entered the room.

"What?" He asked, confused.

"We just got baby America over here to stop whining, and then you bring it back up again," Clint explained.

Morris grimaced. "Oh. Sorry." He pantomimed zipping his lips shut. "Forget I asked.

"Easier said than done." Steve rolled his eyes, but he moved forward to shake Morris' hand. "How have you been?"

"Great!" Morris shot Steve a warm smile. "The case has been really progressing with Team Two's help, I really appreciate you loaning them to me…"

"Hey, Harp here yet?" Team Two filed in, all wearing suits with different colored ties, and everyone shot the group a look.

"What?" Scott grinned. "Are we not supposed to ask?"

"Exactly!" Tony raised his hands.

"Maybe we should all just accept the fact that Harp's not going to show," Will advised.

"Who's not going to show?" Loki stepped into the now very crowded room.

"Whoa!" Tony snapped. "What are you doing here?!"

Loki, dressed impeccably, smirked.

"My "date"", Loki stressed, smirk turning into a grin as Tony winced, "asked me to inform you all that she is here, stop worrying, and she'll speak with you all at the reception."

Steve crossed his arms. "I thought Harper was bringing her boyfriend."

"He was detained." Loki quirked a brow. "I offered to escort her."

Steve's eyes darkened and Scott stepped between the two.

"Uh, So! We're gonna go find Harp and sit with her then. Maybe we'll take this guy with us." Scott pointed at Loki, who shrugged.

"Good Idea." Tasha said dryly. "Smart."

Scott pushed Team Two and Loki out of the room, and Bruce smiled.

"She's here, Steve. That's a good thing."

"Yeah, for me." Tony grinned. "She's obviously forgiven me."

"And hopefully I'm next in line." Clint stood up from the chair he'd been sprawled in. "Steve, you're last, but hey! Progress."

"Slow progress." Steve grumbled, but then he smiled. A genuine smile. "But enough about my parenting issues. Let's go get Tony married."

Tony shot Steve a warm look, and Steve shrugged, returning with a warm look of his own.

"Yeah, and let's hurry before Pepper changes her mind." Bruce said dryly.

"Hey! Enough of that!" Tony joked. "You have to be nice to me!" Tony sighed, full of contentment.

"I'm getting married."


Reception

"Well, I gotta admit, you throw a nice party."

Tony, standing next to the bar as he waited for his order, turned slightly to smile at Harper.

"It's gotta be a nice party to deal with all these fancy dressed people." Tony took in Harper's attire. "You clean up nice."

Harper grimaced. "I actually had to show and everything." She whispered furtively, and Tony laughed.

"Well, showering looks good on you." And Harper, dressed in a form-fitting lace navy dress that ended just above the knees, smiled.

"Says the guy who just married the most beautiful person in the room." Harper looked over to where Pepper Stark stood, glowing and gorgeous at seven months pregnant in a beautiful white dress.

"I got lucky." Tony grinned.

Harper huffed. "Tony Stark has it all." She shook her head, and Tony frowned slightly.

"What?" He asked confused.

"That's what the papers headlined this morning." Harper shrugged. "Genius, Billionaire, Superhero, Family Man."

The bartender handed Tony his drink, and he immediately passed it over to Harper, who swallowed it in one gulp.

"You needed that." He inferred. "And you need this." Tony grabbed Harper's shoulders and turned her to face him.

"Harp." He said seriously. "I am an old, washed-out screw-up."

Harper opened her mouth to protest, and Tony rolled his eyes. "Granted, I am an AWESOME, old, washed-out screw up, but old, and washed out I am too." Tony quirked a brow. "Five years ago I wanted nothing more than to live the life I had; as a spoiled, rich, playboy with no responsibilities and no strings. And without my consent, nearly all of that was changed. And I realized," Tony's eyes strayed to his wife, and he smiled. "And I realized that everything I'd wanted, that rich, playboy lifestyle? That it was nothing compared to what I got; a whole lot of crap I didn't want or thought I needed. Kid," Tony looked back at Harper.

"You got a whole lot of crap that you didn't want. The life you've led hasn't been the normal you crave; but there are countless people that you've saved, and lives you've changed, including mine. Happiness isn't getting everything you want, it's accepting all of the things you need. Maybe a normal life isn't in your future. It's not a part of your now, that's for sure."

Harper chuckled, and Tony smiled. "But there are people who want to be a part of your now, a part of your future, and if you wanted, you could trade them for normal. You could leave us all behind and pursue average."

Tony looked over to where the Avengers and Team Two sat, joking and laughing. "But would you even want to?"

Tony shrugged and stepped away. "Maybe those guys come with baggage…a LOT of baggage," he admitted frankly, "too much for you to ever have normal, but personally? I think that group of idiots is worth the trade." Tony reached for his drink, raised it in toast to a thoughtful Harper, and then made his way towards his wife…towards HIS happiness.

And after few moments, Harper made her way towards hers.


Dance

"Hey."

The Avengers and Team two paused mid conversation when Harper appeared at Steve's side and addressed him.

"Uh…Hey." Steve greeted slowly, eyes wide.

"So…," Harper squinted as she thought of something to say. "How've you been?"

"Not awesome." Steve said after a moment. "But I'm coping. You?"

"The same." Harper shrugged. "I've just…been thinking about a lot of things."

Steve nodded.

"And now, for the father daughter dance!" The DJ announced, interrupting Steve in whatever he'd been about to say.

Harper turned to the dance floor, where fathers and their daughters began to dance, and she tilted her head. "I've been thinking through my options." She said abruptly.

"Oh?" Steve's heart began to pound. "Made any big decisions?" He asked lightly, afraid to hear her answer.

Harper turned to him, eyes bright. "One." She said suddenly. She jerked her heads towards the dance floor. "Do you want to dance?"

Steve's eyes widened in surprise at the abrupt question, then he turned towards the dance floor.

His eyes widened as he realized the implication, and his eyes shot to Harper.

Harper tilted her eyed, lips pursed as she looked down at Steve. He fidgeted, but he didn't look away. And finally, Harper smiled.

"So." She said. "Do you?"

Steve returned the smile, his heart nearly exploding out his chest.

"Yes." He said, standing. "I would love to dance with you.


So, some angst, but not a LOT, and a cute reunion scene, and Harper is still EXTREMELY angry, but Tony has given her things to think about. Now, we return to major Plot, to be posted on Sunday, I PROMISE.

~CLC~