Avengers 1. In the Aftermath

Peggy smiled at M as she attempted to embarrass the double-0 standing near the door. "I'm fairly certain the double-0's can't blush, M."

M turned her head slightly towards her agent. "Perhaps, James simply doesn't have any shame."

James smirked at them both and cracked his neck before pretending to ignore them completely.

M turned back around with a chuckle. "I understand that your boy Fury has a flying monstrosity now."

Peggy snorted. "He most certainly isn't my 'boy.' That flying monstrosity is supposed to defending the world."

With a hum, M leaned forward to pick up her tea cup.

The door near James cracked open and Peggy's butler stuck his head in.

"Ma'am, there appears to be aliens attacking New York."

Peggy frowned. "Aliens."

"Yes, ma'am."

Peggy nodded and sat down her cup. "Get me a line to Fury."

"Right away, ma'am." The butler disappeared as James held the door open to watch him go.

Peggy gestured towards her office. "Let's see how bad it actually is." She lead M and James into her office. Turning on her news streams they all stared.

Peggy glared as the replacement Captain America appeared in one of the streams. "I still want to know what Fury was thinking having someone take up Steve's role."

M covered her mouth with her hand as another screen showed the Hulk smashing alien soldiers. "I'm curious as to how many he had to go through to find one that would."

They watched for several minutes until Peggy's phone buzzed.

She picked it up. "Yes?"

"I have gotten through to Agent Hill, ma'am."

"Very well." Peggy twisted the phone cord around her hand as the line clicked over several times.

"Ma'am?"

"Agent Hill, I want to speak to Director Fury."

There was a pause as something on Hill's end of the line made a screech noise. "This isn't the best time, Director Carter."

Peggy rolled her eyes. "Yes, I can see that by the amount of aliens invading New York City. One hour, Agent Hill, and I _will_ be calling back."

"Yes, ma'am."

Peggy thumped down her phone and looked up in time to see a camera pan across a group of civilians being herded along and in front of them was... "It can't be." She picked up the remote for the screens and paused the one she was staring at.

"Can't be what, Peggy?" M stepped closer as Peggy drifted over.

Peggy touched the cheek on the screen. "Steve."

M looked from the screen to her and back. "He died."

Peggy whirled around and grabbed up her phone. "Thomas, I'm going to the States. Get my passport and the go bag ready." She hung the phone up and looked again at the screen. "He time traveled or someone cloned him, which means his body was found. Either way I need to get there."

M nodded. "Of course, dear." She turned towards James. "Go along with her. I want to know details."

James nodded even as he kept watching the screens. "Yes, mum."

* * *

Agent Hill had just settled into her chair as the Director took his proper place when another agent touched Hill's shoulder. She turned towards them. "What?"

"Uhm, ma'am, there's a Carter on the line wanting to talk to the Director."

Grimacing, Hill clicked over to the line the agent indicated. "Ma'am..."

"Don't ma'am me, Agent Hill. He will speak to me now. Right now. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am." Hill muted the line and turned her head. "Sir, Former Director Carter is on the line."

Fury winced. "Tell her I'm unavailable, Hill."

Hill mentally rolled her eyes. "Yes, sir." She clicked the line back one. "Ma'am, he is currently..."

"Do not tell me that, Agent Hill. I know he's standing right there trying to look badass. You will put him on. The. Line."

"One moment, Director." Hill muted the line again and glared at Fury, who was pretending to be busy with his screens. With an annoyed snort, Hill pulled up a secure line to medical. "I need to talk to Agent Coulson."

"He's barely awake. Can't it wait?"

Hill rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Not really. Please?"

There was an irritated sounding noise and then footsteps.

"What?"

Hill grinned at the guff sound of Coulson's voice. It was good to hear him alive. She walked across the bridge to get out of Fury's earshot. "I have a situation. How do I tell the Former Director that the current Director is too scared to talk to her?"

"She's...seen the...Captain?" Coulson's gasping breaths sounded clear.

"From her tone, oh, yes."

"Find a...junior agent that...hasn't...fielded a...call from...Boss' mother."

"Oh." Hill grinned wide. "You are the best, sir."

"Sure. Can...I sleep now...Hill, or...do...I need to come...up there?"

Hill headed for the agent that had been playing that stupid game when Stark had come on the bridge. "I promise to let you rest now, Agent. You are supposed to be dead after all."

There was a pained laugh and then tsking from the nurse. Hill clicked that line off and switched back over as she stepped up beside the target agent. "Ma'am, I'm sorry to make you wait. I'm having to have another person transfer you on to him. Just a moment."

There was a snort from the Former Director. "Oh, this should be lovely. Do go on."

Hill muted her again and leaned down to loom over the agent. "You will patch this call through to the Director and tell him it's his mother calling. _Understood_?"

The agent gulped and nodded. "Uh, yes, ma'am."

"Good." Hill headed back over to her station as Fury's headset beeped.

"Yes?" Fury's expression softened. "Put her through."

Hill bit her lip as Fury's head jerked to the side. He glared at her as he turned away from his screens. "No, ma'am..."

Hill smiled as she brought up her screens as she sat back down. Fury strode from the bridge as the fastest pace he allowed when he wasn't trying to stop nukes.

* * *

Peggy shook her head as a baby agent lied to Fury about her being the Director's mother before patching her straight to him. "Nicholas Fury. I am not pleased."

"No, ma'am..." Fury's footsteps sounded hurried. "I am certain..."

"Oh, don't give me that. Is it actually him?"

There was the sound of a door shutting. "Yes. He was found by Stark Industries and when they thawed him out he started breathing. He's been awake a couple of months now."

Peggy wanted to shred something, preferably Fury's beloved coat. "You failed to mention that at last week's briefing."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I will be landing in New York in less than an hour. I expect him to not have disappeared." She narrowed her eyes as she hardened her tone of voice. "Am I understood?"

"Perfectly, ma'am."

"Good. How is my favorite agent? I didn't get him when I called."

"He is currently listing as deceased."

Peggy cocked her eyebrow. "Currently?"

"There was a small stand off between him and Loki."

"I take it Loki is responsible for his injuries?"

"Yes." Fury settled against something that creaked. "Coulson's surgery went well. Medical is confident he'll make a full recovery."

"He had better." Peggy looked out her window to the plumes of smoke coming up from the city below them. "I'm descending now. I expect an update on my favorite agent's condition by nightfall, Nicholas."

"I'll send one along, ma'am."

Peggy leaned back in her seat. "You did a fine job with the Avengers' Initiative. Don't let those bloody idiots on the Council try to tell you any different."

"Yes, ma'am." Fury sighed softly. "Thank you."

"Nicholas, if you ever try to wiggle out of speaking to me again I will be miffed. Do I make myself understood?"

Fury hung up on her.

Peggy smiled at James watching her. "I scare him."

James smiled back at her. "Yes, mum, you do."

* * *

Steve kicked softly at Tony poking him in the knee. "Go 'way."

"Trust me, you want to wake up."

Steve cracked an eye open and frowned at Bruce holding out a clean shirt at him. "What?"

Bruce smiled softly. "Get dressed, Steve. You really want to be cleaned up."

With a groan, Steve sat up and scrubbed his hand over his face. "Okay. Why?" He stripped his under layer of uniform up and over his head, the scab over his shoulder wound pulling away with the fabric. He glanced at the healed skin before shrugging into the shirt Bruce handed him.

Tony grinned wide and threw jeans at Steve's head. "Surprise for you."

Steve caught the jeans and sat them aside as he looked from Bruce to Tony and back. "Do I want this surprise?"

Bruce nodded hesitantly. "I think you do, yes."

Steve ignored Tony's nodding so hard he had to hold onto the back of the couch Steve was sitting on so that he wouldn't fall over. "Alright. Tony, stop nodding." He slipped out of the rest of his uniform and into the jeans. They fit like they'd been molded to him.

"Sir, the Captain's guest is requesting permission to use your elevator."

Tony smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Awesome, Capsicle. Just in the nick of time. Permission granted, J."

Steve stood and nudged his shield where it stood at the end of the couch with his heel. "What's going on? I don't have anyone to be my vistor, Tony."

Tony headed over to the bar. "Sure you do, Cap."

Bruce kept close to him. "You might want to sit back down."

Steve turned his head to ask why when the elevator dinged. Steve turned towards it as the doors slid open.

* * *

Peggy stepped out of the elevator and stopped to stare at him. So young, still so very handsome. "Steve."

He blinked, took a breath, blinked again, and then fell down to sit on the couch behind him. "Wha..." The man beside Steve, Dr. Banner, if Peggy had her briefing packets right, put his hand on Steve's shoulder.

Peggy moved over to them and stood in front of her wonderfully alive, Steve. "You owe me a dance."

Steve nodded dumbly. "I...uh, I still haven't learned how."

He started to stand back up, so Peggy shoved on his shoulder and settled right down into his lap. He froze and stared at her like she was going to shoot at him again.

"I can still teach you."

He snorted and wrapped himself around her, burying his face in her neck.

* * *

Bruce backed off a little when Steve's scent leveled out from terrified to happy with a side of worry. Moving over to Tony, Bruce leaned against Tony's bar. "Who is she?"

"Peggy Carter."

"Oh." Bruce leaned more onto the bar. "The girl he left behind."

Tony put a drink down in front of him. "Yeah."

Bruce turned the glass around and around. "She's not as old as I would have thought."

"Retired Director of SHEILD. They all get longevity treatments." Tony poked Bruce in the ribs. "You don't know that, though."

"Sure." Bruce smiled wistfully and tired not to think about Betty.

* * *

Peggy smoothed Steve's hair back as he slept. "You are staring, James."

"He's in remarkable shape, mum."

"Yes." She looked up at the double-0 agent standing against the wall. "If you had the chance would you take the super soldier serum?"

"No, mum." He gestured at Steve. "There's been four times the failures as successes."

She lifted an eyebrow. "Each man was exposed differently as well as being vastly different themselves."

"Yes, and we are quite lucky that the Hulk has turned out to be aimable, mum."

Peggy nodded as she threaded her fingers through Steve's hair. "Yes, I suppose there is that."

* * *

Bruce looked up as Peggy settled next to him at the table. "Morning, ma'am."

"Call me Peggy." She sipped from her cup. "When you get around to asking Steve to help with your research make sure to explain to him that he's not a monkey doing tricks for you."

"Oh. Uh, okay." Bruce rubbed his fingertips across his forearm. "You think he'd consider helping?"

She smiled at him. "Yes. He is very...earnest. He wants to help people and he'll give all of himself to that role if you let him."

Bruce nodded. "I'll be careful with him, Peggy."

She patted him on the shoulder. "Very good. Now, let's make a phone call, shall we?"

"A phone call?" Bruce leaned a little away from her. "What do you mean?"

Peggy took a sip from her cup even as she smiled. "JARVIS, please place a call to Dr. Betty Ross."

"Yes, Director."

Bruce frowned. "Director?"

Peggy nodded as ringing filled the air. "I was the director of SHEILD before Nicholas. Tony has instructed JARVIS not to use 'former' when he addresses me."

The ringing cut off mid-sound with a click. "Hello?"

Peggy smiled at Bruce staring helplessly at her. "Hello, my I speak to Dr. Ross?"

There was a huff. "Speaking, but I'm telling you right now I will not talk bad about Dr. Banner. I have no comment about the sightings today and..."

"No, no." Peggy patted Bruce's hand. "I thought you might want to know that Dr. Banner doesn't know you were told he never wanted to speak to you again."

Bruce jerked.

"What?" Betty's voice rose. "What do you mean he..." There was a thud and then Betty sounded like she was moving. "He...He didn't..."

Peggy nodded. "No, dear. He most certainly didn't. Would you like to speak to him?"

"You know where he is...I mean, he didn't run right after the..." It sounded like she was rummaging through her purse. "I think this line is bugged."

"I'm certain JARVIS is keeping any Army annoyances from hearing. Isn't that right, JARVIS?"

"Yes, Director."

Betty snorted. "Annoyances. That's a lovely word for what amounts to stalking. I can...I can really talk to him?"

Peggy nodded to Bruce. "Yes, dear, of course you can. Right now, as a matter of fact."

Bruce swallowed, clearing his throat as he removed his glasses. "Betty?"

There was a squeal. "Bruce!"

Bruce rubbed his glasses on his sleeve and put them back on. "Betty, I didn't..."

"I can't believe you got him to fight. Oh, I know..."

"...I would never have..."

Betty voice kept getting happier sounding. "I know, Bruce. Do you remember anything better from this change?"

Bruce's face broke into a grin. "He likes Tony. I got a complete memory without distortions and it was about Tony."

"Tony? Who is...Wait. Tony Stark as in Iron Man?"

"Yes." Bruce tugged at his ear. "I wish you..."

Peggy patted Bruce's hand stopping what he was about to say. "Dr. Ross, sorry to interrupt. I'm sending a young man to come retrive you."

"Really?"

"Yes, his name is James Bond. Don't worry about your annoyances. Do pack lightly though."

Betty laughed. "I can do that."

Peggy gave her a description of James and then had JARVIS end the call.

Bruce rubbed his face with his hands. "She can't stay here. Her father will try to get her back."

With a nod, Peggy leaned back and sipped her tea. "We'll tuck her away safely. After you both have gotten to at least hug."

Bruce rubbed at his chest. "Thank you. I don't know how you even...Thank you."

"I headed a network of spies for most of my adult life." Peggy patted him on the shoulder. "It wasn't a very big problem to solve, young man."

* * *

Steve smiled as Peggy settled more of her weight against his side. "They gave me a file on you. I just didn't know how to explain about me."

Peggy hummed. "Yes, well, the first thought I had wasn't you reviving, that's for certain."

Steve leaned his head against the top of her head. "What was your first thought?"

"When I saw the footage from Germany I was quite upset that they had gotten someone who sounded so much like you to take up the shield. When I saw the footage of you without the cowl my next thought was that you'd somehow been cloned."

"Cloned?"

Peggy pulled away slightly. "What do they have you on? Modern-world-for-imbeciles?"

Steve shrugged. "I buried myself in a gym for the most part. I didn't try to learn anything, really."

"We'll see to that in short order." She patted him on the arm. "It means making an exact copy of the genetics and producing a person with the same characteristics as you."

"Wouldn't that just result in a small-Steve?"

Peggy shrugged one shoulder. "I'm not certain and I do not wish to find out."

Steve pulled her back in close to him. "There's been enough lives ruined by the serum anyway."

"Ruined? My life wasn't ruined, Rogers, and neither was yours."

Steve kissed the top of her head. "I was meaning Bruce losing his whole life and that soldier that tore up Harlem fighting Hulk."

"Ah. Well, I do hope you'll work hard to make him feel a part of your little rag-tag team."

"Rag-tag? We did save the world."

"Yes, because Stark aimed a nuclear warhead at an alien army's headquarters."

Steve wrapped his hand around her wrist. "There wasn't anywhere else to put it."

"I didn't say there was, just that Stark saved the world." She chuckled. "You should probably try not to mention that where he can hear."

"I'm never going to hear the end of that as it is."

Peggy smiled. "Probably not." She patted his forearm. "Rest, soldier."

Steve smiled as he turned his head to bury his nose in her hair and just be for a while.


	2. Orange Filled Cups and Chick-en

By the time Tony was done flying the perimeter for stragglers, he was starving.

Tony flew back to where the team was cleaning up. He squinted as the HUD showed him Hulk fussing over the placement of Doombot bits. Tony landed between Hulk and Steve. "Hey, Cap. Nothing left moving. How's it going?"

Steve frowned and nodded towards Hulk. "He hasn't changed back."

"Did you ask nicely?" Tony stepped around a shredded Doombot. "Hey, there, Big Guy? How's it going?"

Hulk huffed and patted the pile of Doombots he was making hard enough to crack the pavement under them.

Tony flipped his faceplate up. "I'm hungry. What about you? I saw this hot dog stand a couple of blocks over." Tony jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "You too tired to walk there? I could bring you some back."

Hulk turned from the pile of Doombots and stared down at Tony. "Hulk not tired."

Tony nodded. "Okay, sure. You want some hot dogs, Big Guy?"

Blinking, Hulk looked to Steve. "What hot dog?"

Steve pushed his cowl off his head. "Uh, it's a type of food."

Tony moved closer to Hulk. "What? You've never had hot dogs? That's tragic. We kicked ass today and we deserve to celebrate it. You coming?"

Hulk frowned and glanced around at the rest of the team watching them. "Team coming?"

Tony flipped down his faceplate so no one would see him smirk at Hulk imitating his tone of voice. "Agent, what about it? Hot dogs sound awesome."

Phil picked his way through the rubble. "I could eat. Mr. Hulk, the hot dog stand I believe Stark is talking about is that way."

Hulk looked down the street and then leaned down to narrow his eyes at Phil. "Agent coming?"

Phil smiled blandly. "Yes, Agent is coming as well. Please consider walking there. I'm sure the maintenance and repair crews would thank you for not gouging up pavement or making holes in the sides of buildings."

Hulk snorted and stood upright. Tony took a hold of the edge of Hulk's hand. Hulk followed Tony slowly, nudging bits of rubble out from under where he was going to set his next foot down at.

* * *

Steve stared after Hulk and Tony for several moments before Coulson sidled up next to him.

"We should follow along, Captain. The Hulk is not known for talking. Let alone asking for people to join him in doing something."

Steve blinked and shook his head a little. "Yeah, right." He followed with a wave of his hand to the others. "Let's go find out what kind of hot dogs street carts serve nowadays."

* * *

Hulk sat down carefully where Spaceman pointed so the puny curb didn't smash under him. He watched the good smells man fix the hot dogs while keeping an eye on Hulk. He liked that because everyone should know where Hulk was so Hulk not step on them. Hulk could find them to step on if he wanted to, but Hulk thought everyone should do their part.

Spaceman came over and handed hot dog to Hulk. "There you go, Big Guy. There's more were that came from. Everyone should be glad I'm rich. Feeding you, Thor, and Capsicle takes a fortune."

Hulk sniffed the hot dog and then watched Spaceman unwrap his to take a bite. "Like hot dog?"

Spaceman grinned with his mouth full. He chewed and then wiped his mouth with a little white square. "Oh, yeah. They are awesome. I made him leave the wrap off yours so you could just eat. Don't worry about the mess, Big Guy. Bruce will take a shower later anyway."

Hulk poked his fingertip into the stuff on the hot dog. "You not have yellow. Hulk has yellow."

"Uh, yeah." Spaceman smiled at the rest of Team as they came closer. "I don't like mustard. Bruce does, so I thought you might. Try it. If you don't like it we'll get you another made, okay?"

Hulk liked the spice smell in the good smell from the hot dog. He tried to take the size bite he saw Spaceman take, but it was too puny so he put more hot dog in his mouth. He blinked as he chewed like he'd seen Spaceman do.

Starman accepted a hot dog from the vendor and came to stand in front of Spaceman. "Tony, the vendor says you bought him out."

Spaceman shrugged. "It isn't like he'll get more business today anyway. Besides, I don't know how much it'll take to feed up the Big Guy."

Hulk smiled at Starman when he glanced up.

Starman sighed and took a bite of his hot dog.

Hulk cocked his head. "Why Starman have brown on hot dog?"

"That's chili. Seriously, have you never had food, Big Guy?"

Hulk shrugged like he had learned to do from Shooty Cupid. "Hulk always smash. No time not smash."

Spaceman looked upset, but he shook his head and waved at the cart. "You want some with chili on it to try?"

Hulk leaned down to sniff Starman's and wrinkled his nose. "No."

Team all smiled or laughed, but Hulk knew it wasn't meant to be mean.

Redhair Lair pushed on Shooty Cupid's shoulder. "Show him yours."

Shooty Cupid glared at Redhair Lair before coming over to Hulk. "Hey, buddy. Did yours have onions on it?"

Hulk squinted at the hot dog in Shooty Cupid's hands. "Little white O's?"

"Yeah." Shooty Cupid unwrapped his and broke off part of it. "Here, try it and see what you think."

Hulk took the puny bite and chewed it. He frowned. "Sharp..." He looked at Spaceman because he could give Hulk new and better words. "What call taste after all food gone?"

"Aftertaste? You mean that icky taste at the back of your mouth from the onions?"

Hulk pushed his tongue to the roof of his mouth trying to make it go away. "Like sharp. No like after-taste."

Agent appeared silently beside Spaceman. "You could drink this and see if it clears the aftertaste, Mr. Hulk." He held up a cup that was huge in his tiny hands.

Hulk gently took the cup, it was small for him so Hulk was very careful not to smash. He drank it and grinned. "Hulk like tickles."

Agent touched his ear. "Have Sitwell bring more of the orange soda as soon as possible."

Hulk carefully handed the cup back and frowned at Starman, who still hadn't eaten the rest of his hot dog. "Starman no like brown smell?"

Team looked confused at Hulk until Spaceman touched his own chest.

"Ooooh. Steve, he means you."

Starman looked down at the star on his chest and then up at Hulk. "Oh, okay. Uh, no, I was just thinking is all, Hulk."

Hulk nodded. "Puny Bruce think, think, think." He pointed at Redhead Lair's food. "Not hot dog?"

"No, it isn't. It is a bratwurst." She produced another from the cart. "Here, you can try it."

Hulk frowned at her. He still wasn't sure about her having put Puny Bruce in so high a place. The fall had not been fun. "Redhead Lair no hurt Hulk?"

She blinked and looked at Agent and then at Shooty Bird before biting her lip as she held the not hot dog out to him. "No, I'm not trying to hurt you."

Hulk snorted and took the not hot dog. He tried it and ran his finger over her hair before she could get out of arm length. "Like not hot dog too." He turned to Spaceman. "More hot dog? Hulk want red on it like Spaceman."

Spaceman's eyebrows went up. "Like me, huh? Spaceman? Where'd you come up with that...Oh. Right. Never mind." He took another hot dog from the vendor. "Here you go, Big Guy."

Hulk chewed happily as his Team settled around him. TooLoud Hair started trying the hot dogs like Hulk had. He liked the brown, which didn't surprise Hulk. TooLoud Hair was stupid puny sometimes.

* * *

Tony waited until Hulk looked like he was about to fall asleep. "You good, Big Guy? All full?"

Hulk blinked slowly. "Hulk...good."

"Good, that's great." Tony balled up his empty hot dog wrapper. "Tell me something, if you don't mind. I'd like to know if you ever ate before this?"

"When Hulk not big." Hulk frowned and pushed his fingertip into the pavement in front of himself. "Puny Bruce always need Hulk. Even before Hulk have Hulk name."

Tony blinked, thinking it through. "Huh. So, this is the first time you've eaten since you turned green and big, right?"

Hulk smiled at him. "Spaceman always understand Hulk."

"Yeah." Tony forced a smile and then looked over to the rest of the team having one of those what the hell do we do now discussions since Hulk still hadn't transformed back into Bruce. "Next time would you like to eat after the battle is over?"

Hulk looked past Tony to the rest of the Avengers and then back down at Tony. "Team no want Hulk."

Tony grimaced. "No, no. That isn't it. You've never stayed so long after a battle. It worries them that you've stayed so long."

Hulk sighed. "No like Hulk."

"Trust me, Big Guy, they like you. It is just different. And that can scare people."

"Remember Hulk like yellow and orange filled cup?"

Tony grinned as he nodded. "Sure thing, Big Guy."

Hulk nodded one last time and flopped over onto his back, shrinking as he went.

Tony waited until he had helped Agent wrap the shock blanket around Bruce's shoulders to stomp over to the rest of the idiots he called his teammates. "Seriously?"

Steve looked relieved when he saw Bruce sitting on the curb behind Tony. "He changed back."

"Yeah, because he thinks that his Team doesn't like him."

Steve blinked and the rest of them looked confused. Tony rolled his eyes and stomped back over to Bruce.

"Hey there, Bruce-y."

Bruce accepted his glasses from Agent. "Don't call me Bruce-y."

Tony smiled and sat down, his armor whirring as he moved. "Hulk likes mustard on his hot dogs."

Bruce rubbed the side of his face as he turned to stare at Tony. "You _fed_ him?"

With a shrug, Tony leaned back a little. "He was hungry."

"Huh." Bruce glanced over at the rest of the Avengers. "I didn't hurt anyone, did I?"

"No. Well, nothing more than Doombots, but you do know how often we do that, right?"

Bruce shifted, pulling his blanket closer around his shoulders. "Then why are they all staring at me like they've never seen me before?"

"The Big Guy thinks they don't like him."

Bruce blinked, turned a little towards Tony, blinked again, and then stopped. "He...didn't smash them for it."

"No, he didn't." Tony sighed and stood up. He turned and pulled Bruce up with him. "Are you hungry? The hot dog guy has enough left over we're feeding Agent's agents lunch."

Bruce smiled at his teammates and willed the other guy to understand it wasn't that they didn't like him. They just didn't know him very well yet.

* * *

After their next battle that required the Hulk, Steve made a point of asking Hulk if he was hungry.

Hulk shuffled his feet and looked to Tony. "Hulk no see hot dog box."

Steve struggled to understand modern English most of the time, but talking to the Hulk was a whole new level of what-the-heck-did-he-just-say at times. Which was when Steve would look to Tony for help.

Tony flipped up the face plate of the Iron Man armor. "What do you say to pizza? You ever have that before? I think we should try a buffet place. That why you can try all the kinds there are."

Hulk nodded, took Tony's hand, and followed Tony. Which was how Steve ended up following Hulk and everyone else following along behind him.

Tony lead them to a hole-in-the-wall place sandwiched between a bar and a store of some sort that Steve didn't want to look at too closely because it might make him blush so much he burst into flames from it.

Tony gave the owners enough money they sat up tables out front and let Hulk smell everything over. Steve stood ready to intervene if Hulk looked like he was going to smash anything, but all he did was sniff and either nod or make a yuck face.

The ones Hulk nodded at were sliced up and he tried each one as Tony explained the toppings, crust type, and what to call it. Which the Hulk pared down to Red Dots, Red Dots with Ham Bits, and Chick-en with White.

Steve had frowned about the Red Dots with Ham Bits, because it was pepperoni and hamburger, but then he figured it out when Hulk tried to pronounce 'hamburger' and got frustrated with the word.

Tony sat Hulk down with his first plate and then he came over to stand next to Steve at the end of the line while everyone else picked their pizza. "You need to talk to him."

"What?"

"Hulk. You need to talk to him, Steve. He really thinks none of you like him."

Clint turned his head and frowned. "Shit." He grabbed up three slices of pepperoni and headed over to the Hulk.

Steve pushed Tony in front of him in line. "Why does he think that?" He could practically hear Tony roll his eyes.

"Why the hell do you think, Cap? The only people that act like they like him are Agent and me."

Steve glanced towards Phil, who was holding up a small tablecloth for Hulk to use as a napkin. "I didn't think..."

Tony sighed. "Look, Cap. I get it. No one knew he could talk as much as he does until he started asking me things. Him wanting friends is not something they cover in the reports."

Steve frowned and took a slice of pizza at random. He was hungry enough it wouldn't matter what it was. "No, it isn't." He looked at Hulk and Clint playing some sort of catch game with bits of pizza. "Bruce worries so much that I never thought aout Hulk lingering after a battle. Bruce is always so afraid he has hurt someone."

Tony made a face. "I know. He'll learn though. And if you can loosen up a little and enjoy the Big Guy, it'll help. I promise, Cap."

Steve bit the inside of his cheek and followed Tony over to his team.

* * *

Hulk sat down in the green field and waited. Agent would come with a horrible puny thump-thump and Hulk would go home. He rubbed his stomach as it rumbled.

The thump-thump came and Hulk squinted at it, ready to smash if it made pop-pops, but Agent came out of it instead.

"Mr. Hulk."

Hulk bent forward out of his sitting position and smiled at Agent. "Agent. Friend Agent."

Friend Agent smiled up at Hulk. "Sure, Mr. Hulk. Are you ready to go home?"

Hulk nodded and pushed himself up. "Hulk hungry."

Agent looked up at him. "Do you know what you'd like?"

Hulk gave it some thought. "Hulk want orange filled cup and hissing chick-en."

Agent patted Hulk's arm as he tensed up when the thump-thump made more noise. "Alright, Mr. Hulk. By the time we get to the Tower, Stark will have your orange soda and orange chicken waiting."

Hulk picked up Agent and sat him in his lap. Agent tensed for a moment and then relaxed.

"No, Stark, that wasn't a squeak. I was momentarily surprised by Mr. Hulk's need for reassurance while on the helicopter."

Hulk watched the thump-thump's ceiling as their speed changed.

"I am not a Hulk teddy bear, Stark. Do not make me tase you when we get there."

Hulk smiled as he listened to his Team through his Agent.


	3. Finding Limits

**A/N:** There's a chapter between the last one and this one that I can't post on on this site. Check this series on AO3 if you'd like to read the chapter that I won't break the rules to put on this site.

* * *

Tony tapped his fingers on his crossed arm as he watched Bruce work through the glass wall of Bruce's lab. "JARVIS, has he eaten today?"

"Doctor Banner has had two bananas, three cups of coffee, four cups of tea, and an apple."

Tony's eyebrows shot up. "Wow. How close is his metabolism to Steve's again?"

"Sir, I believe you are asking a rhetorical question."

Tony smiled. "Yep." He turned and bounded up the stairs towards Steve's gym. Maybe he could get their leader to be the mother hen as well.

* * *

Steve was busy counting, so it took him a minute to catch on that Tony was talk to him. "What?"

"I said, how long have you been going at that?"

Steve leaned against the heavy bag and wiped the sweat out of his eyes. "A while and now I'll have to start over because my healing factor will catch up now that I've stopped for a minute." He frowned at Tony's expression. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. What did you need?"

Tony came closer and looked up at the mooring for the bag in the ceiling. "JARVIS, how close is that to failure?"

"Another two hours at the same level of strain induced by Captain Rogers' previous actives."

"Okay." Tony made a face at him. "I've got a concern. It has to do with the team."

Steve wiped his face on a towel and blinked at Tony. "Oh. Okay? What's the concern?" He braced himself for another fight about Hulk and how some of the team still weren't quite sure how to handle him, so it floored him when Tony didn't even mention the Hulk.

"You." He waved a hand. "Bruce too, but right now you. When did you last eat today?"

Steve wrinkled his nose. "I've been busy."

Tony cocked his head. "JARVIS?"

"He has not had food in 19 hours."

"Last night's dinner? You didn't eat this morning?" Tony rubbed at his eyes. "Wow."

"I'm fine."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure." He plopped down beside Steve as he sat down on his bench. "Look, Cap. What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Steve twisted the towel around in his hands. "Nothing. Tony, I'm just training. That's all."

"Training?" Tony stared at him closely, the same why he had with Bruce on the Hellicarrier right after he'd poked him. He pulled back and stood up. "Training."

"Yes, Tony. Now I need to get back to it." Steve ignored Tony's mutters and went back to his attempt to see how long it took to exhaust himself. He thought over Bruce's behavior as he did. Tony didn't just mention things, if he said something out of the blue it was going to turn out to be important. Steve had figured that out by now.

* * *

Tony went looking for help. There was no way he'd get _Steve_ to do what he wanted without some heavy duty help. "Agent. There you are."

Phil looked up from his reports. "I've been here for five hours, with a few breaks. You knew that."

"Well, I didn't need you five hours ago."

Phil put down his pen. "What is going on?"

Tony put a cup of coffee down in front of Phil and sat his own scotch down as he sat. "I've got a concern."

Phil cocked an eyebrow. "You. Concerned."

"Yes."

"Is it the end of the world?"

Tony smiled. "No, not yet."

Phil nodded. "What is it?"

"Bruce and Steve."

With a blink, Phil picked up his pen again. "I can assure you that Dr. Banner is not involved with Captain Rogers."

"What? No." Tony sighed and downed his scotch. "I know who Bruce is involved with. I'm worried about their time management."

"What?"

Tony poked the screen in the table between them and brought up a helpful chart. "I got hungry, right? So, I was going to get Bruce and find Clint and eat, but then...I watched Bruce working and it dawned on me that I'm always dragging him out. Clint brings him to bed."

"He's not had a lab in a long time, Stark."

"Yeah, but it should have tapered off, right? Once he started getting used to the idea that he's got a place here. Shouldn't he...I don't know, relax enough to eat at least?"

"He isn't eating?"

Tony pursed his lips. "Not enough. Neither is Steve."

Phil flicked the chart to show how much the two had eaten in the last two weeks. There were days of gaps for Steve and a steady low level for Bruce. Phil looked back up at Tony. "Go get Bruce. I'll send Natasha in for Steve. We're having a team dinner."

"Awesome." Tony zipped out of the room as Phil frowned after him.

* * *

Bruce waved away the noise. "Not right now. I've almost got this."

"Aren't you hungry?"

Bruce frowned. He hadn't been until Tony had said the word. "I'm fine."

Tony looked over his work. "You can stop for an hour, no problem. We'll have JARVIS monitor it and you can come eat." Tony cocked his head. "Team dinner."

Bruce tried not to let his reluctance show. "That's great."

Tony rolled his eyes. "You won't get comfortable with them if you don't start interacting."

"I interact."

"Sliding out of a room two minutes after Natasha enters isn't interacting. It's running away."

"I don't..." Bruce sighed. "I still scare her."

"She's no where near as scared now. You know that."

Bruce blinked because he hadn't known that. "Why a team dinner?"

"It's a coverup for an effort to make you and Steve take breaks."

"Sure, right." Bruce put everything into pause and glanced up at the ceiling. "Are you sure JARVIS doesn't mind?"

Tony shrugged. "He'd say if he did."

"Your AI worries me sometimes."

With a grin, Tony hooked his arm into Bruce's elbow. "Why don't you believe me when I say this is an effort to make you and Steve take breaks?"

Bruce watched his lab until they turned the far corner and he couldn't see it anymore. He scoffed. "Like Steve would neglect himself."

Tony didn't say anything to that.

* * *

Clint watched Tony try to keep Bruce engaged as Nat worked on make Steve uncomfortable enough he couldn't get up the courage to try to excuse himself. Thor was giving them all looks, so Clint made a mental note to try to explain it to the guy after dinner.

They managed to eat without destroying the table, which was actually a first. Clint was going to have to ask Phil to give Thor a gold star. It'd be funny to watch the explosion when Thor worked out it was a tactic used on children.

* * *

Tony spent the next week with the help of JARVIS and Phil getting Bruce and Steve to nearly adhere to a half-way reasonable schedule. Steve didn't seem too happy with it all. Since he was standing in Tony's workshop yelling.

Steve wound down and quit flailing his arms. Dum-E rolled closer with one of the green shakes he liked to make. Steve stared at him.

"Take the glass so he'll be happy, Steve."

Steve blinked, took the glass, and stared down at it as Dum-E happily rolled away. "What?"

Tony took the glass and set it aside. "Just, explain to me why you have to try to kill yourself and we'll leave you to that stupid gym of yours if it is really that important."

Steve took a breath and sat down next to Tony on one of the rolling stools. "I don't know my limits."

Tony cocked his head. "You, what?"

"My body's limits. I'm still mapping them out."

"Oh." Tony rubbed his nose. "So, what, you don't eat to see how long you can go before you drop?"

Steve shrugged. "Same with the punching bag. I've run to see my limit on that too." He looked around Tony's workshop. "I'm still fine tuning. Finding the sweet points so I know..." He looked down at his hands. "I need to know my break points."

"Fuck, Cap, that's..." Tony stopped and nodded. "Okay, yeah, I can see how you'd need it to be all you and not some report I can give you based on models and simulations. Still..." He looked at the set of Steve's jaw. "You promise to come out of that gym when JARVIS says and I'll look into getting three weeks cleared for survival training and we'll go somewhere and train. The whole team."

"There's no possible way you'll get three weeks clear for everyone."

Tony smiled. "That's something I can get done. Promise me about JARVIS."

Steve gave him a sharp nod. "Fine. I promise."

* * *

Tony sicced Clint on Bruce because he was much better at not getting caught up in Bruce's excitement over whatever he'd figured out this time than Tony was. Clint sat and watched Bruce drip things into other things and wait five minutes to drip in more things.

Clint didn't interrupt until the screen next to him lit up with a small message saying that nothing would go to ruin in the next hour. "Bruce."

"Just a minute. I'm not finished."

"Bruce, you are never finished."

Bruce looked up at that. "I..." He frowned down at the tubes in front of him. "I could..." He looked around the lab and seemed to come awake. "I could find a cure here."

Clint knew not to argue with that one. "You might." He gently tugged on Bruce's arm. "Right now you could eat."

Bruce frowned and blinked. "I...There's so much to do." He waved his free arm at the test tubes.

"It will be here when you come back." Clint patted Bruce's shoulder. "If it isn't for some reason then Tony will get you more test tubes."

Bruce swallowed. "He would?" He nodded. "He would."

"Yep." Clint tugged a little harder. "Come on, Doc. Let's go eat."

Clint watched Bruce's reflection in the glass wall as Bruce stared at the lab until they turned the far corner in the corridor.

* * *

Clint tucked his feet under Nat's thigh. "I don't know what to do with him."

She sighed as Thor's character on screen fell off another cliff. "Thor, the cliffs will kill you."

Thor smiled at her and his character shoved Nat's character off the cliff. "I have seen this."

Nat made that sigh she used just before bodily harm became the only option. Clint blocked Thor's character from shoving Nat's off the next cliff.

"I just...I don't even know, Nat. He's weird about that lab."

Nat looked to Phil, who was busy making his character actually solve the puzzle while the rest of them fell off cliffs. "What do you think?"

Phil shrugged. "He was denied access to any formal lab for years. I think binging on newly gained access is a given."

Clint frowned. "He's not slowing down, though."

Nat huffed as her character was picked up and placed on a lever switch by Phil's character. "Steve is actually worse, I think."

Phil nodded. "Stark bribed him into compliance by promising to find a three week hole for training."

Thor looked away from the screen. "Does the Captain not train now? Is that not the concern?"

Clint snickered as Nat pushed Thor's character off the side of the dock their characters were on. "Yeah, Thor. He's training, but to the point of no use. Not just to be fit."

Thor thought about that as he shoved Clint' character ahead of him into a trap to clear it. "Would it not be better to simply explain his habits are worrisome?"

With a snort, Clint patted Thor's shoulder with his controller. "Yeah, sure. Give that a try and let me know how fast he throws his shield at you."

Thor rubbed the side of his head. "He has done that once in the past." Thor turned back to the game. "Perhaps it is something of the culture of his original time?"

"I wish that was all it was." Phil get the puzzle done and they moved on to the next section of the level.

* * *

Thor looked down at the calendar Ms. Potts was holding out to him. "I do not have a formal schedule here."

"I know that." She smiled at him. "I'm asking that you try to be free for these three weeks. No going to Asgard, or any formal things. Alright?"

He looked at it again. "You are appointed by Tony to insure the three weeks promised to the good Captain."

"That's correct, Prince Odinson."

He nodded. "Please, simply call me by my given name." He touched the calendar. "From this Thor's day to this one?"

Her eyebrows went up. "Well, okay, sure. We'll go with that." She patted his arm. "Thank you, Thor. Please be ready to leave on a moment's notice. Just in case."

He nodded and went to pry Doctor Banner from his lab. Son of Coul had said it was his turn.

* * *

Pepper sighed when she finally got everyone rearranged and lined up in the three week time period. "Now, if we can just not have an alien invasion." She glanced around. "Oh, that better not have jinxed anything."

She put on her heels that clicked solidly and headed to Tony's workshop. The man was busy, as usual, doing something with a...She averted her eyes. She hated when she caught him working on his sex toys. "Is this the worse thing I've caught you doing, Mr. Stark?"

He grinned and flicked a towel over the machine. "Oh, I don't think so." She wondered when he'd started displaying that sort of consideration. She could remember a time when he'd have flaunted whatever new function he was putting in. "Ms. Potts. Have we got a date for the team?"

She smiled as she pulled up the calendar. "Three weeks all cleared."

He beamed at her and kissed her on the temple. "Thank you. You have no idea how awesome you are."

Pepper blinked and watched him wonder across the workshop to get whatever he needed for the next project she didn't want to think about. "Wow." She shook her head, and turned to leave. "Will that be all, Mr. Stark?"

He smiled wide at her. "That'll be all, Ms. Potts." He picked up a torch. "Unless you want to tell Bruce he's going to a whatever, that thing that's tomorrow night, with me?"

She made her best oh-so-not-paying-me-enough face. "I don't think so, Tony."

He laughed and waved her towards the door. "Figures. Make me do all the hard work. Go, go. That'll be all, Ms. Potts."

She nodded as she bit her lips to keep from laughing out loud and went.


End file.

Avengers, Adventure, Friendship