The phone call you had just finished left you feeling both excited and uneasy, but you knew that if this worked, it would be an experience that you would never forget. You had been filling in for Maria for the past week, and she said that you had full authority to make decisions in her place, so you felt no apprehension in running with this intriguing opportunity for the team.

"Guys, before you say 'no', hear me out," you began, joining the team in the conference room as they prepared for a mission that would start later in the day. They looked up at you with anticipation, but became apprehensive from your extreme enthusiasm. "I think this could be really fun, and there's hasn't been enough of that around here lately." You all but skipped with giddiness over to Steve and sat on his lap, smiling back at his look of intrigue at what could have you so energized.

"You're being weird," Tony said with a squinted look at you, waiting anxiously for whatever you were going to make him do this time. "I don't like it."

"This isn't another one of those costume parties is it? I will not dress as a Disney princess again," Thor agreed. "I was unable to remove the glitter from my hair for nearly a week."

"But you were a gorgeous Rapunzel," Clint added.

"Guys, listen," you interrupted, "a marketing guy from Marvel just called me." The group looked at you blankly, not impressed by the name drop. "They want to meet you! Your actors want to meet you! They're doing promotion for the next movie that they just finished, and thought this would be a genius idea."

Tony shifted uncomfortably in his seat slightly, glancing over at Steve with hesitation, "which movie?"

"Yes, that one," you huffed, "about the hissy fit you boys were having. And let me just say, I can't wait to see that played out again. Because it was so much fun living through it."

"My character will not be in that movie," Thor whispered to himself.

"Don't worry, neither will mine," Bruce added, putting a supportive hand on the god's shoulder. "So, do they want all of us, or...?"

"Yep, they want the whole team. I think they want to show a unified group before their marketing team starts the big push." You turned to look at Steve with a disapproving expression, and then to Tony, "they're telling fans to choose a side. I hope you're proud of yourselves."

~~~

When the team arrived at the studio it was chaos, with fans of both the actors and the team all gathered at the entrance gate. Steve reached over and took your hand with a small squeeze, watching out the window of the bus anxiously. "I've already met Chris, remember? He's taking me to Christopher's Haven in Boston next month. Do I really have to do this?"

"Wow, you two really are more alike than you realize. And yes, you do."

The bus shook a few times, slowly rolling over several speed bumps that lined the lot before it came to a stop. Tony stood first, quickly moving to the front to be the first out the door. The driver turned back to look for you before allowing the door to open, knowing that you were the lead today, and not the man who now wouldn't stop staring at him.

"Tony, sit. I need to go out first and make sure things are in order." You tried not to smile at the sad face he was giving you, not buying into the small pout on his lips.

"There they are," Bruce announced, pointing to where the group of actors were taking their seats; a long table under a tent only a few feet away, with the entire area around it surrounded by reporters, cameras, and fans barricaded into a holding area off to the side. "Is anyone else nervous?"

"Me."

"Oh, god, yes."

"I might actually throw up."

"Hey, Earth's Mightiest Heroes," you snickered, "maybe pull it together, yeah?" You stepped out to talk to the coordinator for the actor group, formalizing how the discussion would go and how much time would be allowed. When it had all been solidified, you gave a small wave back to the group and watched as they filed slowly from the vehicle. Steve hesitated slightly when the crowd screamed his name at the sight of him, but Tony accepted the attention willingly, waving enthusiastically as he passed by.

"Okay, guys," you directed, "take your seats by your actor. We're doing a really quick Q&A, then signing some autographs before you all get a few minutes to have a more casual meeting. Just be on your best behavior for about two hours please."

Each Avenger was very gracious, giving small waves to the fans as they sat down, then turning to shake the hand of their counterparts. Wanda was the most open, hugging Elizabeth excitedly and showering her with compliments about her choice in clothing, her jewelry, and her portrayal in the last movie. Elizabeth gave Wanda her condolences at the loss of Pietro, and offered another hug when the conversation had turned serious. The two of them seemed to get along immediately and it appeared that they were becoming instant friends.

"Excuse me, everyone, if we could have your attention please? Let's get started," the moderator announced, "we have questions from your fans first."

A small boy of about only five-years-old sheepishly stepped up to the microphone but was too short to reach it properly. Clint jumped up and rushed over to him, kneeling down to lift him onto his shoulders so that the microphone was at his lips. The little boy squealed and his face lit up, now almost too nervous to ask his question. "Um, oh my gosh, um...my question is for...Sam."

"Hey, little buddy," Sam smiled, "how's it going?"

"I'm good," he laughed, jostling slightly when Clint chuckled beneath him. "Um, so, are you sad that Bucky is Cap's best friend again instead of you?"

Your eyes met Steve's when you heard him let out a small gasp, hoping he would stay quiet, knowing that Sam could handle this much better than he could. Bucky didn't seem phased at all, though Sebastian was clearly taking it the worst. "That kid goes hard," he whispered nervously to the soldier, his eyes wide with shock, "starting us out heavy, huh?"

"Yeah," Bucky replied, eagerly looking down the table at Sam, "but I want to hear his answer."

Anthony leaned back in his chair with a wide smile, laughing at the bravery of such a small kid. "Wow, my man, you haven't even seen the movie yet," he smirked with a shake of his head, looking at Sam for the reply.

"Well, I think that it's really good for Cap to have all the friends that he wants. He spent a few years kind of by himself, without Bucky, so as his friend I'm happy for him to have him back, you know?" He leaned forward to look down the table at Barnes with a nod, "whichever one of us is actually his best friend isn't too important."

"Except that it's me," Bucky laughed, inciting a loud response from the fans next to them.

"I am also a close friend," Thor interjected.

"So was I," Tony sighed.

"Seriously? Not now, Stark," Steve groaned. He cleared his throat and leaned into the microphone, opening his mouth to speak, but closing it again for a few seconds to consider what he wanted to say. "Sam's right. It doesn't matter who's the best friend. I'm thankful for all of them."

You glanced between Tony and Steve, knowing that each of them felt the importance of the moment. When the next question was announced for Tony, Robert leaned forward to answer before he had the chance. "I swear, the next time that the first question isn't directed towards me, I will get up and walk out," he chuckled, reaching over to slap Tony on the back. "What the hell, Stark? I'm shocked that you didn't say it first."

"Me too," he sighed. "So, what's the question? Hit me."

A young woman with long blonde hair and a dress that was far too tight had taken the microphone this time, and when Tony wouldn't stop staring, you positioned yourself behind her so he would see you, pointing a warning at him to stop. "Mr. Stark," she began politely, "do you think that Mr. Downey portrays you well in the Iron Man films? And have you seen any of his other work?"

"I think he does a fantastic job of portraying an intellectually complex and dynamic character such as myself."

"Well, I am quite an impressive actor."

"But," Tony continued, "I have to admit that I enjoyed Cumberbatch's version of Sherlock much more. More cerebral."

"Oh, shit," you whispered to yourself, scolding Tony with your eyes. "Move to the next question," you said quietly to the moderator, but it was too late.

"More cerebral?" Robert choked, "I'm sorry, I guess I downplayed it to be sure that you didn't miss anything."

Evans opened up and laughed out loud, reaching over and grabbing Steve's arm for support. "Oh, man, not cool," he gasped, "he could totally kick your ass! You need to watch what you say. I would never say shit like that to Steve."

"Okay, next question," you finally interrupted, leaning down to the moderator's microphone when they didn't move fast enough for you. He gave you a warning glance and pulled it back, but agreed that it was time to move forward. Questions came in for Clint, Scarlett, Don, Vision, and Thor, leaving one more question before the break for autographs. A young woman stepped up to the microphone, clearing the nerves from her voice before finally speaking.

"My question is for Natasha, if that's okay?"

"Absolutely, go ahead," Nat nodded.

"Thanks. First of all, I'm a huge fan. Of you and Scarlett." The girl shuffled her feet a few times, looking down until she built up her confidence to speak again. "In the Ultron movie, they said that you couldn't have kids. I can't either, and I'm wondering how you deal with that."

The crowd had gone completely silent at the question, making the woman even more uncomfortable, which Natasha picked up on immediately. Scarlett put her hand on Nat's arm and leaned in close to whisper, but it was too quiet for you to hear. Nat nodded her head a few times, then turned to deliver her answer to the young fan. "I'm sorry that you have this situation weighing on you. Are you okay?"

"Sometimes yes, sometimes no."

"More than anything else, there's one thing that I want you to remember, okay? Sometimes I'm the same way as you; I'm okay one minute and then I'm not in the next. I'm no less of a woman because of it, and I'm strong, but I also allow it to hurt. I feel it and I accept it, but it doesn't define me. It doesn't define you, alright? You are still whole."

The crowd erupted into applause for Natasha, including the panel of Avengers and actors around her. You could see in her face that the attention surprised her and made her increasingly uncomfortable until Scarlett stood and pulled her up into a firm hug, again speaking to her quietly. Natasha released her and walked around the table towards the woman, grabbing her hand and pulling her close to share a private thought until the moderator called for the breakaway into the autograph session.

You kept your distance, with your focus on Steve and how he was doing under the public attention that he was reluctant to be a part of. The ordeal of fighting with Tony and having the team split apart for so long had taken a toll on him, and he worried that the citizens who relied on him would no longer trust his judgment or his actions. You could see that he was relaxing with each interaction and that he was realizing that his worries weren't as justified as he thought.

"Okay, everyone," you called out, "it's time to head inside."

A few boos were heard from the crowd when not everyone received an autograph, but the group followed as they were told; each pairing of Avenger and actor quickly splitting into their own private discussions.

"It is truly amazing how similar our voices are," Vision said to Paul. "If it troubles you to sound so alike, I'm sure that I could take on another tone easily."

"No, it's fine, really," the actor reassured him, "I find it quite an honor, to be truthful."

You couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Hemsworth trying with all his might to lift Mjolnir, making enough noise and commotion to eventually get the attention of the rest of the group. "So let me get this straight, I'm worthy enough to play you in the movies, but I can't really lift this thing? How does that work?"

"I am truly sorry, but it is not my choice. If it were, I would readily allow it."

Clint strolled casually up to Chris and slapped a firm reassurance to his shoulder, "hey, man, I couldn't do it either, don't feel bad. None of us could, just like you guys showed in the last movie. That was all true."

"Are you serious?" Jeremy laughed, "Man, that sucks. I was really rooting for you, Hawk." He took a long drink from his glass, smiling widely when he pulled it away, "I think we're pretty damn worthy, if you ask me."

"Honestly, I was totally shocked that you couldn't lift it, Bruce," Mark whispered to him as they stood on the sidelines away from the growing group around the hammer. "I know you don't think so, but you're worthy as far as I'm concerned."

Bruce's mouth hung agape at Mark's words, hearing them but not allowing himself to believe it. No matter who said them, he would never believe. "That's a nice sentiment, thank you. I appreciate it, really, but I am far from worthy."

"Nah, give yourself some credit. I would never have agreed to portray you if I didn't believe it myself."

~~~

When the meeting had ended and was deemed a success, there were phone numbers exchanged and future meetings set up, intermingling the two groups into something that neither side had anticipated. Avengers were meeting families, actors were setting up tours of the tower, and you were sitting back watching it all play out. The team began to file back onto the bus to get back to the jet and the actors were gathering in the studio to say their own goodbyes while you were tying up the final loose ends with your Marvel rep.

"Hey, (Y/N)!" Evans yelled from across the parking lot, jogging towards you. You said your final thanks to the rep and turned to face him as he approached. Since your meeting at the children's hospital several months ago, you had come to know him a little better, but it would always shock you how much he and Steve were alike. "Hey, before you go, I just wanted to say thanks for this, everyone had a great time."

"So did we," you replied with a smile, reaching out to shake his hand, "we'll have to do something again soon. Something a little less official."

He took your hand and brought it to his lips, and you felt your face begin to feel heat rising in it. "I can't wait," he mumbled quietly.

You jumped back to attention when Steve's hand slid around your waist, pulling you tightly to his side so that your hand dropped away from Chris' grip. "Chris, I'll see you next month, then?" His voice carried a deep tone, and you knew that jealous Steve was making an appearance. He knew that you actually enjoyed this side of him and was taking full advantage of the opportunity.

"Yes, sir. Next month," Chris replied nervously. "(Y/N), good night. Thanks again." He lowered his gaze and shoved his hands deep into his pockets and turned away, returning to his own group so quickly that you knew how much Steve really intimidated him.

"Steven Rogers, that was rude. He wasn't doing anything."

"Oh, I know," he chuckled, "he's a great kid. But he reminds me too much of myself, and sweetheart, that means nothing but trouble."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

His eyes grew dark as he looked at you, though a small smile was beginning to curl at the corners of his mouth. He spun quickly and wrapped his arm around your waist, throwing you over his shoulder as you squealed, trying to wiggle away uselessly against his strength as he carried you onto the bus full of waiting teammates.

"It means that one of us is all the trouble you can handle, (Y/N)."