Author's Note – Well, here is the first chapter for Alphabet Soup's sequel! This takes place between Alphabet Soup & Announcement. I still own nothing you recognize from anything official. Enjoy!

"We do need to determine a date," Phil commented as he clipped two wires. "One yellow, three greens, and two red left."

"June is out," Darcy noted, her fingers flying over the keyboard in front of her. "Way too cliché for us."

"April or May perhaps?"

"Hmm, I like the idea of spring," she hummed for a moment and let her fingers rest. A message popped up on her computer. "Tony says to cut the middle yellow, right red, and then the green…and he's pretty emphatic about cutting them in that order." She began typing once more.

He wielded his wire cutters again and watched in quiet satisfaction as the electric timer blinked and went blank. "Done," he informed her. Tucking the tool into his jacket pocket, he rose to his feet and moved to stand beside her. "What are you doing?"

"Reminding Tasha we need the flash drive more than we need another rescuer," she replied.

"She wouldn't make it in time," he pointed out. "Boston-"

"She's not in Boston," Darcy interrupted. "Her target packed the whole party onto a private plane and flew them into the city for a Knicks game." One of his eyebrows rose in question and she shrugged. "Apparently he's a big fan of the Miami Heat."

"Not the Celtics?"

"Too Irish for him." Darcy shook her head. "Something seriously wrong with that man…beyond the whole bad guy thing."

Phil just nodded, apparently deciding to let that one slide. "Did she have anything else to report?"

"Only that her next assignment needs to be a scientist or something requiring some kind of intelligence," she laughed. "I think Tasha's tired of playing the brainless beauty."

"What about the rest of the team?"

"They should reach us in the next ten minutes or so." Her eyes came up to sparkle at him over the edge of her laptop. "Tony can't decide whether to be impressed or disturbed by the sheer number, not to mention variety, of curses Clint can go through without ever repeating himself." Phil blinked and she giggled. "He couldn't keep up and got JARVIS to keep track."

He took a deep breath. "At least his distraction should keep him out of trouble for the time it takes them to reach us." Another breath. "April or May?"

"Spring is definitely a good idea," she nodded before turning a pointed look on him. "Anyway, I thought you were the one who wanted a long engagement? Spring is just around the corner."

"I rather meant next…" He trailed off as her eyes darkened. The corner of his mouth twitched. "Darcy-"

"I know," she broke in. "I know there's target this and danger that and a whole blend of what-if's to highlight the issue, but I kind of figure security's going to be an issue no matter when we do this." Her green gaze trapped him. "Phil…I'm going to be a target and in danger no matter what. Open any blog about the team and I'm on there somewhere. There are pictures of me with pretty much everybody, including the other 'support staff'," she continued, using finger quotes to denote the nickname that the media had given to all of the non-heroes involved with the Avengers. Her lips quirked as she remembered Jane's ranting over the term. Pepper just shrugged and Betty seemed startled to be mentioned at all.

Phil sighed, "Yes, but-"

"But nothing," she interrupted once more. "I've been threatened by some low-life Russian Mafioso type because of Tasha, Loki is always a potential issue, and some loony want-to-be Nazi throwback tried to grab me off the street because of Steve. Tony's competitors keep lurking around, General Imbecile Ross likes to shout at me and I've gotten threatening letters from Barney Barton." His eyes narrowed and she just rolled hers. "Oh, please, if I wait for you guys to tell me everything, I might as well put on rose-colored contacts permanently. Yes, I know about the screened mail. And no," she shook her head, "I'm not telling you my sources." Darcy had learned a great many skills over the years, and her time with SHIELD and the team had taught her many more, but none as valuable as those she learned at her mother's knee. One of Maire Lewis' best lessons? Always have a hidden ace in the shape of a woman on the inside up your sleeve…and Darcy had one doozy of an ace in Maria Hill.

Thank goodness for a shared love of rum and historical dramas.

"I don't like it."

Phil's quiet admission brought a soft smile to her face. "I know," she said, her voice turning gentle, "I really get it. It's not like I'm terrifically fond of all the assignments and heroics when I have to worry about the phone calls or what I'll see on television when the reporters are dogging the team." Reaching out, she touched his arm. "It's just what we've got to deal with, and I don't want to wait for the 'right' time. It'll never be the 'right' time"

He nodded and then pulled her into his arms. They wrapped around her, fierce and protective, as though he wanted to guard her against any and all comers. She leaned into him, closing her eyes and relaxing as his heart beat strong and sure under her ear. He rested his chin on top of her head. Silence stretched out for several long moments before he spoke. "April or May?"

"May," she decided with a quick grin. "We'll go with May flowers over the April showers thing."

A rough chuckle escaped him and he pulled back, tilting her chin up with two fingers. He began to lean down and she lifted up slightly, prepared to meet his kiss, ignoring the sudden sounds behind her as metal scraped on metal.

"Seriously?" Clint's voice echoed in the space. They looked around to find the men of the team staring at them with a mixture of emotions ranging from amusement to surprise to exasperation.

"Is there a problem, Agent Barton?" Phil's face shifted slightly as his 'agent' mask slipped into place.

"Don't 'Agent Barton' me," Clint pointed at him, obviously repressing laughter. "I don't even know why I'm surprised. You two get locked in an underground vault with a bomb meant to level the building by a half crazed idiot who not only leaves a Stark Industries computer behind that lets you communicate with us, but then he can't remember the combination when we capture him. Stark has to talk you through disarming the bomb via text while the rest of us have to break the code to get in because the damn thing's made of adamantium and Wolverine's not exactly the easiest guy to get ahold of on the spur of the moment. We get through all of that with Tash lecturing us through yet more texts and Doc Jane promising dire retribution just to find the two of you turning this into some kind of date?"

"Well we haven't picked the date yet," Darcy replied, voice laced with an innocent sass, "but we've at least chosen the month. Anybody busy in May?"

"About damn time," Bucky muttered as he moved to take care of the bomb. Steve followed him and the dark haired spy gave him a speaking look. "Thought it was going to end up a shotgun affair." Steve just grinned.

Tony's voice broke in, but when they looked over at him, he wasn't paying them any attention. "Pep? We need to keep May clear," he was saying, voice distorted by the mask. "No, but Agent and Miss Stacked finally narrowed a month." He stopped and then spoke again. "Oh, and JARVIS, lock down the book. No more changes." There was a longer pause. "No, Pep, really…it was just a small bet. Yes…no…not really…okay…right, right…we'll talk tonight…you bet…no…bye Pep." He looked up at them. "Pepper says congratulations again, and I think I'm in trouble. Are we done here?"

"Shall I inform my lady Jane as well?" Thor smiled at them approvingly.

"Let me do that, big guy," Darcy patted his arm. "I need her to stand up with me, and I'll tell all the girls at the same time…well, except for Pepper."

"You might want to call Tash," Clint pointed out. "She hates being the last to know anything."

Phil raised an eyebrow at him and then turned to Tony. "Who is currently in the lead on this wager?"

"JARVIS?" Tony passed the question along. There came a small metallic huff. "It's down to Nat and Fury."

Clint shrugged. "Still-"

"I'll let her know," Darcy nodded, "but right now she needs to concentrate on her job. They're at a Knicks game."

"Nat doesn't seem to like basketball," Steve pointed out.

"All the more reason for her to finish quickly," Phil informed him.

Darcy held up a hand, stopping any further commentary. "Can we go now? I'm seriously tired of the inside of this vault. I want a shower, a change of clothes, and some damn good Italian."

Laughter followed her as Phil led her out of the area and the last thing she heard was Tony directing JARVIS to order a buffet of stuff from her favorite place down on Lexington. She turned a brilliant smile up to Phil.

"They're insane, but I wouldn't trade them."