A/N: This story involves the Avengers as ALL HUMAN characters. No super heroes, gods, etc, though you will see how I've worked their characters into the AU. This fiction is merely a labor of love for a friend, but I thought I'd share it to see if others get enjoyment from it.

Any bits of canon used in this will be related to the new movie series. In some cases, I have used different names for characters based on their alter egos throughout the Marvel comics. Most notably, these are for Johann Schmidt (John Smith) and Thor (Donald Blake).

If you do choose to join me on this journey, please enjoy!

Prologue

Evie sighed and pushed a piece of long hair off her sweaty forehead. She stopped a moment to pull off the elastic holding the pony on the back of her head, securing it once more with all her hair, but even she knew the action was futile. The bangs, along with the shortest layer, would just come out of the holder again. She thought for a moment to locate her purse and rummage through it for a bobby pin or two, but she didn't want to ruin the rhythm she had started packing up the last of the field research equipment she'd been using on this last dig. And frankly, losing the rhythm would only make her remember her anger.

After all, it was only a few short hours ago when she'd walked into her mentor's office to find him in a romantic embrace with his wife. This wouldn't have been terrible—and honestly, no one would think twice about such a thing—if said mentor had not told her many months ago he had ended it with his wife. Evie would have never let him and his English charms woo her into his bed if she had known he had never done it. Relatively attractive, obscenely learned and intelligent, he had seemed like the perfect man. He even had a sexy, posh London accent to boot. She'd thought she'd struck gold when in actuality it was just like the prehistoric shit she'd been slogging through for her research.

At least she had enough research that she could just return all this to the university and shut herself away for an extended period of time. Because she would need A LOT of time to recover from this. If she had to face this man on her review board any sooner, she knew she wouldn't be able to do it.

With one final slam of the heavy lid on the crate carrying a few of the expensive cameras, she flicked the latches into place and hauled it out to the awaiting university van. Her research assistant looked at her dubiously as she pushed the door shut and let out a low, angry growl.

"What's made you so grumpy?" Charlie asked from under her heavy brown fringe. The kid needed a haircut. Badly. But she wondered if Charlie didn't hold the power of her assistant skills within the unshorn locks, because she was probably one of the best assistants Evie had ever had the pleasure of working with.

"Don't want to talk about it," she remarked.

"Dr. Smith got your knickers in a twist again?" Charlie pressed. She knew everything. It was difficult to hide such a prominent relationship from the person you worked with daily. She'd never made any indication that the association made her uncomfortable. But that was Charlie. She liked remaining neutral and let you sink your own boat if you really wanted.

Which was exactly what happened. How could I have been so stupid?

Evie grumbled again and brushed the ever errant pieces of hair from her forehead. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay," Charlie said. She dropped the cigarette she'd been smoking onto the ground, stamping it out with a rain-booted foot.

"I really hope you weren't doing that around the samples," she said.

"I wasn't," Charlie said. "What do you take me for? An amateur?"

Evie rolled her eyes. "I don't know what to think anymore."

"He must have done you over good," Charlie replied, shaking her head. "You just want this stuff returned?"

"Yeah," Evie replied.

"And the results?" she questioned.

"I will not be working out of my office at the university," Evie replied. "You can deliver them to my flat."

Dr. Smith's office was only two doors down and it would be too easy to run into each other. She didn't want to face that awkwardness. She could still make the classes she taught without having to face him. She hoped, anyway.

Charlie sighed and shook her head. "Have you at least learned something from this fiasco?"

"Never trust a man," Evie replied.

"You're going to live a sad, lonely life if you keep thinking that," Charlie said. "I know men are a handful sometimes, but maybe you just aren't picking the right ones?"

Evie huffed. Of course she was picking the right ones... it wasn't her fault they just turned out so wrong. She knew she wanted an important, academically-minded man who could hold his own in a conversation with her. Not some slimy Eurotrash guy they ran into whenever Charlie convinced her to go to the club.

"Take this stuff back to the university," she said. "I'm going to my flat. If you need me, you know where to find me."

"Fucking ay," Charlie huffed. "By the way, there was a call on your mobile that I took while you were yelling at Dr. Smith."

Charlie produced a slip of paper with the number and a name scrawled beneath it. The number was American, the area code from Arizona.

"Donald Blake?" Evie asked.

Charlie shrugged. "He didn't say anything else. He said you needed to call him. It was an emergency."

Evie blanched at the thought, reaching for the cell phone in her jeans pocket. She dialed the codes and soon the line was buzzing. It picked up on the fourth ring.

"Yavapai Regional Medical Center, this is Angela speaking," said the perky voice on the other end. Evie looked at her watch, trying to rapidly compute the time difference. It had to be early morning there.

"Uh, yeah, I'm calling for Donald Blake?" Evie asked.

"Dr. Blake is on another call," Angela spoke. "Oh, wait, he just clicked off. May I say who's calling?"

"Elizabeth Coulson," she said.

"One moment," the girl said and placed her on hold.

A few short moments passed. "Hello, Ms. Coulson," said the deep, powerfully commanding voice of the man on the other end. "Do you have a moment to speak with me?"

"I can't stay on long. This is an international call," she said.

"Certainly," Dr. Blake said, his voice serious. "You are the daughter of Phil Coulson?"

"Yes," she said, feeling her heart rise in her throat. Evie lowered onto the bumper involuntarily, feeling her legs weakening.

"I'm very sorry to tell you like this over the phone, but Mr. Coulson passed away last night," he said.

Her heart stopped beating for a moment.

"What?" she asked.

"Your father passed away due to complications related to his cancer," he explained.

"Cancer?" The wind effectively stolen from her sails, Evie leaned over herself. How could he have cancer? No one had told her. Her father hadn't even let her know. Granted, the last time they spoke had been many years ago, and that conversation had ended in a blowout argument. But still, this was something you told your only child.

"You were not aware of his cancer?" the doctor said.

"No."

"He listed you as next of kin," Dr. Blake replied. "We followed his DNR on file."

Evie felt tears stinging the backs of her eyes. She wanted to cry. There was a hard lump of emotion stuck in her throat, but she couldn't make herself cry. This was just so unbelievable.

"I..." she said and swallowed around the lump. "Oh, god... what do I have to do?"

"That is entirely up to you," he replied. "I will have our patient liaison call you and speak with you about your father's last wishes."

"Thank you." She hung up the phone and stared at it. Somewhere in her periphery, she could hear Charlie's voice. Finally, she looked up at her friend, seeing her mouth moving, but not making sense of the words.

All the sound returned suddenly and Charlie was kneeling in front of her. "What's wrong? What happened? Are you okay?"

"I-I don't know," Evie replied. "My father died."

"Your father?" Charlie asked. "The one you don't have a good relationship with?"

Evie clenched her jaw. "I have to go back to Arizona. I'm his next of kin."

"There aren't any other family members?" she asked.

"No," Evie said. "I feel sick."

Charlie jumped up and left her only to return with a cold water bottle. "Sip it. Stay sitting. Is there something I can do?"

Evie did as instructed and shook her head numbly. "I have to go."

"Then go," Charlie said. "Term hasn't started yet. They'll find someone else to cover your courses if you have to be there awhile. Do what you have to do... if they say anything about it, then fuck 'em all."

"Thanks, Charlie," she replied.

"I'm taking you back to your flat before I go to the university," she said. "You're not driving like this."

Evie looked up at her friend's steely grey eyes. They brooked no argument. She wasn't going to protest either.