The One with James and Rae's Wedding

February 14, 2015

"Should I ask what you're doing?" Phil asked as Thor typed so earnestly on his laptop at his apartment. Phil was still getting used to the idea of Thor with a laptop.

"Steve has been showing me how to use it," Thor explained. Phil cringed. It was the blind leading the blind.

"Pepper would be a better choice," Phil suggested.

"I thought if I had a woman, then you wouldn't have to worry about me so often and the others say I have to 'move on' from Jane," Thor spoke. "Bruce explained about dating on here."

He pointed to prove his point.

"Online dating?" Phil clarified.

"No, you're not in a line. It's on the internet," Thor spoke and Phil felt a headache coming on. "I've already found someone to converse with."

"I need to get ready for the wedding," Phil spoke and headed for his bedroom. However, he didn't like the way that Loki was eyeing Thor's laptop.

After putting on a fresh suit and a fancier tie, Phil stepped out and his phone began to ring. He had a foreboding feeling especially with the way Loki was giggling.

Shit. It was Director Fury.

"Coulson here," he answered.

"Where's Loki?" Fury asked.

"About six feet in front of me," Phil answered.

"And who the Hell gave him a laptop or cellphone?" he asked.

Phil glared at Thor before questioning, "Did you give your brother your laptop?"

"He said it would only be a moment," Thor argued. Phil sighed.

"Thor." He replied before asking, "What did Loki do?"

"He let loose a virus on the internet that has hit every single government and crippled them for the time being, made easier by the fact that he used YOUR account to do it!" Fury screamed in his ear. It took all of Phil's reserve not to crack. Instead, he calmly turned to Loki.

"Why did you use my account?" Phil asked. Loki could have broken into anyone's email. Thor still used "PASSWORD" as his password.

"It was easier. You already have such high security clearances," Loki explained. Phil felt his brow furrow. "How bad is it exactly?"

"We're bringing in Romanov, Hill, Sage, Pryde, anyone who could possibly help to crack it, even Pepper. Right now, even the president is watching alternating clips of Nyan cat and something referred to as the world's most annoying cat," Fury explained.

Phil once again turned to Loki, asking, "What is it with you and cats?"

"They're evil and serve no purpose," Loki explained.

"You can't even ride them," Thor added.

"Exactly," Loki agreed. Normally, Phil would have basked in the amazement of Thor and Loki agreeing on something but he was still too pissed.

"Do I need to come in?" Phil asked.

"No, go to the wedding. Keep an eye on it but come in two hours earlier tomorrow. We have to redo all your security protocols," Fury answered.

"Yes, sir," he answered. "Has SWORD responded?"

"No, I'd rather not deal with her today," Fury replied.

"It's Loki, we might need all the help we can get," Phil stated.

"That's your territory," Fury spoke and hung up. Phil glared at the two Asgardians.

"You two, I can't leave you alone for five minutes! Even Barton's toddler has more self control," he chastised. Thor looked remorseful while Loki smiled. "And since I can't leave you alone, I'm having someone come while I'm at the wedding."

"Romanov?" Loki asked. Phil was pretty sure he shuddered on the inside.

"Why?"

"She bested me twice. She's the only one of you almost worthy of my company," Loki explained.

"No, I'm asking Bruce," Phil spoke and liked that fraction of a fraction that Loki paled more than usual.

"My lady has gone," Thor complained. "She says she has to work."

"Yeah, you can probably thank your brother for that," Phil told him and prepared to call Bruce. He should be able to work here just as well as headquarters since computer hacking was not his specialty.

Steve watched as Franklin Richards chased his sister along the pews of the church. He watched for them to be reprimanded but nothing came. Times were different. The last time he saw Valeria was at Phil's failed wedding when she was still just an infant. They certainly grew fast. Her blonde hair flew behind her as she ran.

"They're cute, aren't they?" Peggy asked beside him. She clutched his hand. Steve nodded. "They're always cute at that age. Even my grandchildren have grown up now."

"You could always move back here," Steve suggested.

"I could," she agreed although she didn't sound excited about it. She looked gorgeous in her dress. Steve tried to concentrate on that.

"Dop it!" Valeria screamed. Steve caught sight of her just as she disappeared.

"I can do that, too!" Franklin screamed. Then, Steve couldn't see him anymore. There were some screams from the guests.

"That's not so cute," Steve stated.

"I really hate when you do that," Bruce complained, covering the plastic piece coming off his head. Thor backed up from reading over Bruce's shoulder. He just wanted to help. Son of Coul seemed really angry at him. Loki moved forward until his head was almost resting on his shoulder.

"But I'm not going to get angry for you," Bruce clarified. Loki backed away. Despite the blank expression, Thor could tell he was disappointed.

"Who is this person?" Thor asked at the name.

"No touching! If you touch my screen, you can activate something. This isn't like the cheap laptop we let you play on. Tony and I worked on this. Go on your computer," Bruce complained. Then, he let go of the plastic piece.

"I just want to know who that is. They have the same user name as my lady," Thor explained. Compared with the other internet names, it had seemed unusual to him. He could be wrong but it seemed that way.

"Fine," Bruce spoke and covered the plastic piece again. "I don't remember her name. I've only met her once before. She's one of the people they brought in to clean up Loki's mess. Her user name references some set of geographical coordinates or stars or something. If I promise to introduce her, will you leave me alone?"

"Yes, you have my word," Thor agreed.

"I'll do it when we're finished," Bruce told him.

"I'll retire now," Loki spoke, heading for his bedroom.

"You do that," Bruce called after him. Thor barely noticed because he was too busy thinking about his lady and meeting her tonight.

Clint looked at his watch. The wedding was fifteen minutes late and still no Phil. Then again, he hadn't seen Pepper either. Had something come up? He checked his phone but there was nothing there. The only reason he was even here was to be Phil's date. He didn't know the groom or the bride. Phil was the one who took care of these military types. Tony stood near the groom. He knew they were good friends. Everyone seemed ready. Clint fidgeted some more. He hated wearing suits and being in these types of situations. It was another good reason why he and Jessica had eloped.

Then, the wedding march started and the bride came walking down with her mother. Everyone stood up which is when the doors opened again. Phil entered and tried to sneak in, using the outside of the pews.

"Excuse me. Sorry. Excuse me."

His whispers seemed so loud despite the music. Clint felt so bad for Phil. Finally, as the bride was given to the groom, Phil squeezed in beside him.

"You made it," Steve whispered and Phil's face reddened further. Clint was hit with the urge to laugh. A few giggles escaped before Phil hit him with a glare. Then, he noticed Tony giving him the death stare, too. Clint laid his arm around Phil's back.

"I'm sure nobody noticed how you came in late and upstaged the bride," Tony spoke before draining his glass afterwards.

"Everyone noticed," Phil spoke. "I shouldn't even be invited to these things. It's always a disaster."

"I'm okay with not doing any of these again," Clint offered. Tony checked his phone for the umpteenth time. It was almost cute how lost he was at a social occasion without Pepper at his side.

"No, the disaster was inviting all of us in the first place. We somehow make these things a disaster by our very presence," Tony explained. "How long is that thing supposed to last?"

"I don't know. It's Loki. Did you want me to get you a laptop?" Phil asked. Tony seemed to consider it.

"No, I have a Best Man's speech in fifteen minutes," Tony spoke. "I should get back there."

"So, is this normal for you guys?" Leila asked.

"Basically," Sam answered with a grin. Phil didn't feel like being so accepting of it tonight.

Phil, Clint, Steve, Peggy, Sam Wilson and Leila Taylor had a table near the back while Tony's empty chair was right up front near James and Rae. The doors opened and Phil turned his head to look. It was second nature. However, he didn't recognize the woman. She was extremely tall and slim with long black hair. Her green dress hugged every curve.

"Who's that?" Tony asked.

"I was going to ask you," Phil told him. They watched the strange woman come closer. Was she coming towards them?

She stopped at their table and leaned in. Something about her eyes seemed familiar.

"I got tired of Bruce so I decided to come out and have some fun," she spoke. Phil felt his mouth gape open and saw that everyone else had their mouth open, too, except Peggy. "There, already begun."

With a smile, she left the table.

"Who was that?" Peggy asked.

"Loki," Phil answered with a sigh.

"Did we know he could do that?" Steve asked and Phil shook his head.

"It's mentioned in the Old Norse mythology but we weren't sure whether any of that was actually useful," Phil explained. "I don't want to cause another scene but..."

"No, we can't do that," Tony argued. "I'm Best Man and I'm putting my foot down. We're not going to ruin Rhodey's wedding day."

"But he's dangerous," Clint argued.

"As a man, but he's currently a woman, how bad could he be?" Tony asked. The rest of the table glared at him. "Fine, I'm curious. Pepper's not here and I'm bored. We could wager on who kisses him first."

Phil still didn't like the idea of willfully putting everyone in danger.

"Twenty bucks on that guy there," Peggy offered from her purse.

"Senator Stern? You have yourself a deal. I'll put twenty-five on Aldrich Killian a couple of tables over," Tony said with a grin. Then, he left for his actual table.

"This can't end well," Phil spoke. Loki seemed to be flirting with the entirety of one table. Then, his phone rang.

"Coulson here," he answered.

"It's finished," Fury spoke and hung up. Coulson allowed himself a little smile.

"They finally broke Loki's virus. Everything's back to normal...almost," Phil told them.

"I wonder how my photos would turn out in this lighting," Leila asked, almost to herself as she fumbled with her camera.

"No," Phil ordered.

Leila narrowed her brown eyes.

"Do you know how much Jameson would pay for these? Loki as a woman?" Leila spat.

"I'm well aware, but I'm not sure if you realize the magnitude of panic that would entail from knowing that Loki can shapeshift. We'll pay double if you forget this happened," Phil spoke.

"That sounds like a deal," Leila agreed. Sam shook his head and shared a look with Steve.

Thor couldn't help pacing as Bruce made his call. He had promised to introduce Thor when this was over. An oath is not something to break lightly. However, Bruce's expression was troubling.

"What?" Thor asked, not able to contain his patience anymore. Bruce put the phone down.

"I'm sorry. They said she left. I'll try to get her phone number. Do you want to share a cab back?" Bruce asked and Thor shook his head.

"I will stay here," he said. He felt restless but not enough to go back to the mansion.

"Sorry," Bruce apologized and left.

Pepper was disappointed that she missed the ceremony. James might be Tony's friend but that didn't mean they weren't close as well. The two of them had a private understanding about having to put up with Tony that only the two of them shared until Phil came along.

When he met Rae, Pepper became her friend as well. She had even consulted on the dress so it was sad not being able to see her in it on her big day. Rae had changed into a more manageable evening gown for the meal.

Pepper assumed there would be plenty of photos of Rae in the white dress with the large train and layers accented by Swarovski crystals and a pair of Louboutin heels.

However, Tony needed her. This whole thing made him so nervous; partly because of Rhodey permanently making someone just as important to him as Tony and partly because he would have to speak in public about someone who wasn't him which Tony had very little experience with. Not that Tony would admit to any of this, not even to her. He was getting better but she still had to read between the lines so often.

She squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek. Then, with a little nod, he tapped his glass. It was time for his best man speech. She tried not to laugh when the glass broke from his unexpected force.

"Coulson! I wasn't sure you'd even come, considering what happened at your wedding and all, but then, you made that memorable entrance and all. Nice!" Johnny Storm told him.

Phil just nodded. He wasn't worth it and he had his own ways of getting even.

"Johnny, have you met that woman over there? She was just telling me how hot she thought you were," Clint spoke, pointing at Loki.

"Really?" he asked and when Clint nodded, he ran a hand through his hair before walking over. Phil smiled and Clint grinned. Peggy laughed.

Then, Phil leaned over to Leila.

"I do want photos of this. You can give him some non-descript name like Tess Black," he told her.

Tony swirled the liquor around in his glass. It took some persuading to get the good stuff. Rhodey walked up to him.

"Tony, I know we haven't been as close the past year or so, but...thanks. It really was a beautiful speech earlier," Rhodey spoke.

"No problem," Tony told him.

"Rae and I should have you and Pepper over more often," Rhodey suggested. Tony nodded and added, "Rae seems like a wonderful woman."

Actually...

"Derek Bishop is having one of his charity galas next month. I could get a pair of extra tickets," Tony suggested. "If you want..."

"I think Rae would like that," Rhodey agreed.

"Looks like you won, Peggy," Phil stated. Loki definitely had his tongue down Senator Stearns' mouth.

"Why does he even do that?" Steve asked.

"Because he finds it funny to prove he's better than everyone else and we're just stupid," Clint explained.

"It's over," Phil whispered in Clint's ear.

"Sometimes, it feels like yesterday," he stated with a faraway look in his hazel eyes. Phil took Clint's hand and squeezed. Sometimes, he needed that reminder that Phil was fine now, but he knew that didn't make up for the people that Clint had killed.

Maybe he hadn't been giving Clint enough attention recently between SHIELD and being principal at Peter's school. Sometimes, it didn't seem fair to him.

"Come home with me," Clint whispered. Phil looked at his watch.

"I have to get up in three hours," Phil spoke which is when Clint started rubbing his leg against his. "Fine, but you will have to get up with me and part of those three hours will constitute sleeping."

Clint nodded.

"Goodnight," Phil spoke in a much louder voice for Steve, Peggy, Sam and Leila to hear. Phil and Clint went to track down the guests of honor so they could leave.

Steve watched Franklin and Valeria. They were being cute again. Both were asleep: one on Reed's lap and the other on Sue's lap. Steve and Peggy were alone at the table since Sam and Leila were dancing.

"Steve, I've loved this and if this were seventy years ago, it would be perfect but I can't keep you like this," Peggy spoke.

"What are you talking about?" Steve asked.

"You want that; children and everything. Don't deny it. We both talked about it back then. I had it and you deserve that, too. You deserve someone who can give you all of that," Peggy told him.

Was she breaking up with him?

"What? No, I have all the time in the world for that," Steve argued.

"You say that but none of us knows for sure," Peggy argued. He couldn't come up with a retort. She kissed his lips. It felt like the end.

"Goodbye, Steve. I never forgot you and I never will. You're a good man and you will meet a wonderful woman someday," she promised. Peggy squeezed his hand before getting up and leaving. Steve just watched her walk away in shock.

Thor lay on the couch when there was a knock at the door. He wasn't sure who that could be as he went to answer it. When he opened the door, he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Thor!" she exclaimed and held out her arms.

"Jane!" he called and hugged her before kissing her.

"I...I thought that was you that I was chatting with, but I wasn't sure but then, I heard you. I heard you talking with Bruce and I knew that it was you and I had to see you. I miss you so much," Jane rambled. Thor kissed her again, pulling her inside and closing the door.