Tony surveyed the group seated around a large boardroom table in the conference room and grinned. He wasn't fond of meetings on the whole, but he aimed to enjoy this one. Whether anyone else did…well, he had his doubts. As his gaze caught on the raven-haired god from Asgard, who happened to be distracted by something Cap had said, Tony's grin broadened.

I know beyond a doubt you won't be so amused by what I have to say, Trickster.

On his left, Pepper was giving him a sidelong glance. He read her unspoken message loud and clear: Get on with it already. In a voice loud enough to get everyone's attention, he announced, "I guess you're wondering why you're here."

"Well, your message was rather vague," Thor drawled with a shrug. "Didn't sound like the usual 'call to arms' deal, either. So yeah, we're a little curious."

"You'd be right- this is about pleasure, not business."

"Oh here it comes," Hawk whispered loudly as he leaned closer to Nat. "I really don't like how happy he sounded just then."

Tony ignored the comment, and let his gaze land on each person as he revealed why he'd called the meeting.

"The Tower will be hosting a charity event two weeks from this Saturday."

A chorus of groans- the loudest from Hawk and Bruce, who hated anything that involved large groups of people. A few others wore a more neutral expression. More resigned than anything. No reaction yet from Loki, but Tony could bet he wasn't thrilled about the announcement. Charity was not typically a word in his vocabulary. And once he found out which charity they were hosting for…well, wouldn't that be amusing?

Tony let the furor die down some before he gave more details.

"Have you gotten that out of your systems?" He paused a half-second, not really giving them time to answer. "Good. So what are we doing, you may be asking."

"Or not."

"On Tuesday, the Huntington's Disease Society of America received news that the venue they'd hired to host their annual autumn children's fundraiser had cancelled last minute. Being one of their most notable donors, they approached me with the hope that I could help."

Silence around the table. A few nervous looks when he'd said the word 'children'. Even Loki's serenity had taken a hit on that one, just as Tony had hoped.

"Naturally, I wouldn't dream of refusing when it's for such a good cause. So the Saturday before Halloween, we'll be hosting a Halloween party on behalf of the families with children facing the disease."

"Hosting as in invite them here- to the Tower?"

"Not to this floor, of course. But the building has a space we use for conventions and investor conferences. It'd be perfect."

Now he was looking to Pepper for her help. She'd been with him when he met with the Society on Wednesday to discuss some of the details, and had been enthusiastic about the idea. She'd been the one to suggest hosting it here at the Tower. Tony could really use that passion now to sell this to the others. Or at least to sell it to Nat, Thor and Cap. If those three got on board, they would drag the others with them. Pepper must have realized it, and she leaned forward, folding her hands calmly on the table.

Oh they're in for it now.

Tony had seen her adopt that posture in many a board meeting. For anyone unlucky enough to be on the receiving end, they usually walked away suitably browbeaten into agreeing with whatever position she'd come to the table to argue. His tough negotiator. Tougher than him half the time.

"Huntington's disease is devastating, especially for children. The HDSA offers support and funds research that helps people across the country. People who might not have the means to get treatment otherwise. They're only asking for a few hours of your time that could well secure funding to keep that research running as long as possible. Are you really saying that you can't spare even that much?"

Cap and Bruce looked as though they might slink under the table in shame. Several of the others traded mildly guilty glances. No one could quite meet her eye, and even Tony had to resist the urge to wince at the biting censure in her voice. Only Loki seemed unaffected by her speech.

Typical.

Pepper held the silence, waiting for someone to answer. Eventually, Cap fell on that particular sword on behalf of the group.

"No, we're not. And it's not that we don't want to help, Pepper. But what do any of us know about putting on an event like this?"

"Well, for most of us, the contribution is simple- show up and be entertaining to the guests and potential donors."

"Most of us," queried Hawk suspiciously. "What, then, are some of us doing?"

She turned to him with a sharp smile that likely had him regretting having asked the question. Tone deceptively light-hearted, she answered, "Keep it up, Clint, and I'll put you in charge of decorations."

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

"I wouldn't test her on it, Hawk," Tony interceded with a chuckle. "Unless you want to spend all of the Friday before filling balloons and constructing a haunted house."

"You might get the job done quicker if you used your bow to hang crepe paper streamers from the ceiling," Nat snickered.

"Hey!" The outrage in his voice prompted her to break into a full-throated laugh. Wasn't long before several others added theirs and made suggestions of their own. Hawk crossed his arms and shot her a glare. "Some friend you are."

"Okay, serious up, guys," Tony called out loudly, hoping to be heard over the merriment. "We've had our fun at Hawk's expense, but in reality the majority of the event planning will be in Lilith's capable hands."

The woman in question had been sitting quietly in the corner up to this point, taking down notes. Part of the normal routine whenever they held meetings. When she heard that, though, she stopped writing abruptly and her head shot up. Judging from the horrified shock in her expression, Pepper hadn't gotten to talking to her yet and the announcement had come as a surprise. He hadn't meant for it to be, but it was too late to undo it now.

"You can't be serious," she protested.

"Why not? You're our public relations liaison- makes perfect sense for you to be in charge of this."

"I manage an inbox and a website, draft speeches and set up meetings. Planning a fundraiser is a little more involved."

She was downplaying her skills again. A trait Tony had seen crop up time and again in the three years she'd been working for him. Well, six if he included the years she'd worked as an office assistant for one of the companies headquartered in the Tower. Hadn't known her all that well in those years, but she came to his attention during the search for a public relations manager who would handle everything related to the Avengers. If he'd known Lilith worked in his building when that search began, he would have had a lot less headaches.

The position had been necessary almost from the initial formation of the team. After saving New York- and the world- from complete destruction, the Tower had been inundated by their adoring fans. It got so bad that no one could leave the building. Tony had approached the publicists for his business empire about taking on the task of acting as an intermediary, but none of them would touch this job with a ten foot pole. Too many 'crazies', they said.

Which meant hiring someone from outside for the position. That had been a nightmare. Even with three rounds of vetting interviews, Tony spent far too much of his time making the final decision. Or rather, decisions. At least twenty in the first three years. Some of them didn't last more than a month, turning out to be one of the 'crazies' the team was trying to escape. The worst of them insisted on housing in the penthouse itself with 'full access' to the team.

Those usually ended with restraining orders.

So when Lilith walked into her interview and told him point blank that she had a life beyond the job and that separating the two was something she expected if she took it…what else was he to do but hire her on the spot? Never regretted the decision in the years since. She ran the gauntlet with the fan clubs and organized far more than just 'an inbox and a website'. She was the implacable gatekeeper standing watch over the Tower, and turned out to be even more fiercely protective of their privacy than any of them were. Tony thought it a good time to remind her.

"You've put events together before. Dozens of them, if I recall."

"Small things. And I just ran most of them through an event planner." Lilith combed her shoulder-length hair back from her face and sighed. "You realize that we're only talking two weeks. I won't get on anyone's calendar on such short notice."

"You'll do fine, doll," he told her with a confident grin. "No guts no glory, right?"

She was not amused in the least, rising from her seat and gathering her things. Tony could feel the woman's annoyance from across the room. Didn't bother him; he excelled at getting people riled up. Women in particular. Although, might not have been the wisest choice to antagonize Lilith just now, given that the success of this event depended on her help.

That and she could easily flood my inbox with fangirl spam.

"If you'll all excuse me," she stated with razor-sharp politeness. "It would appear I have a lot of work to do."

That said, she didn't wait for a response before walking out of the room. The team watched her until the door closed and then they all turned to him.

"Well, if you were trying to ruin someone's day, Stark, you nailed it."

"C'mon, Peter- just think what this exposure would do for your firm."

"Lilith darling, if I could, I would," answered the baritone voice in my ear. It came from the pewter-blond man in his late thirties who'd so kindly accepted my video chat request at this hour. "In a New York minute. But I already committed to another event. High visibility. If I back out now, my reputation will be ruined."

I tried not to look as disappointed as I felt. Peter was my last chance. A long shot, but I was hoping he'd be able to help out a friend. Leaning back in my desk chair, I scraped my hair back and held it in a makeshift ponytail. After a few seconds, I let it go again with a dispirited sigh. The man on screen gave me a sympathetic wince.

"Sorry- I know you're in a rough spot."

"No, I understand."

"Have you tried Daphne or Raul?"

"Yes and yes. Double and triple booked as it is, so I got nothing but regrets from them."

After a moment's pause, he suggested, "There's always Julien."

"Oh no," I protested quickly. "After he bailed on me last time and left me scrambling to pick up the pieces? I said I'd never work with him again and I meant it."

A phone rang on his end, and Peter glanced to the right. Didn't pick up, though I could see from his expression that he'd have to return it before too long. His client, most likely. I appreciated that he didn't just dump my call to take it. Wouldn't have blamed him if he had.

"Well, I'd say you're looking at doing this on your own, then."

"Damn."

I chewed absently on my thumbnail, thinking of what I ought to do. I wanted to march back to Stark and tell him that I wasn't going to kill myself to pull this together. But knowing him, he'd laugh it off and find some way of conning me into doing it no matter how much I argued. So why expend the time and energy?

"It's about time you did, if you want my opinion. You could be doing so much more if you just took a chance."

That's one way to end a conversation, my friend.

"You're lucky that with everything I have to do, there's not enough time to rehash that debate again."

"Hmmm, I think you'd find you're the lucky one, because you'd just lose that debate again."

"Remind me- why I put up with you?"

"Because I'm witty and charming, and you just can't resist me."

I rolled my eyes at him, and yet still smiled at what was a private joke between us. A memory from the random encounter in a pub where we met. Peter hadn't gotten the date he'd been shooting for, but it became the basis for a long-standing friendship. He was married now and had two little girls. Every so often, though, he'd like to tease me with that old line.

"That didn't work ten years ago when you first tried it," I teased back.

"Maybe not with you, but Nadine was delighted. She knew a good thing when she saw it."

"Nadine's good people."

"That she is. All right, I have to go, but you let me know if you need any advice. I'll try to help out if I can- good luck!"

"Yeah, thanks. I'll need it."

Peter hung up. I stared at the monitor for a minute or two before removing my headset and pushing away from the desk. Time for a break; I'd been at it all afternoon and most of the evening. Pretty much since I'd walked out of Stark's meeting. Left that and shut myself up in what had come to be known as my 'office' on the penthouse floor of the Tower.

Until last year, I had been working from a real office downstairs- across the hall from his regular publicists. Jeff and Maria were fantastic; I'd learned a lot from them in the first year and a half. Still missed them now and then. When I had time to remember to miss them. But working down there had its limitations for the kind of coordination I needed to do on a daily basis, and so Stark had me schlep all of my stuff to the penthouse.

Advantages and disadvantages. Definitely easier to coordinate schedules and whatnot when I could yell down the hallway for someone. Better yet, when I could just ask JARVIS to fetch whoever I needed. But then I had to deal with the reverse; it was that much easier to get a hold of me. My office sat right in the middle of the 'public' hallway of the penthouse, which meant everyone walked past it at least twice a day.

It looks like I'm going to be seeing a lot of this room for the next few weeks.

My stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn't eaten anything besides a granola bar I'd found stashed in a desk drawer. Could do with something more substantial, given I'd be working late tonight. No point in calling anyone else this evening, but I could start lining up vendors I'd need to call tomorrow when businesses opened again. And since this late night was Stark's fault, I didn't feel bad about pilfering food out of his kitchen.

The penthouse was quiet as I went in search of a late dinner. I thought it unusual at first, until I mentally read through everyone's schedules. Pepper and Stark were out for the evening and wouldn't be back until midnight or later. Bruce, being Bruce, was down in his lab. Hawk was likely already in bed so he could be up as some ungodly early hour tomorrow. That left only three whose whereabouts I couldn't guess for sure.

None of them were in the kitchen. I touched the dimmer switch gingerly to give me enough light to see what I was doing. And then I went about the business of rummaging around the enormous refrigerator, looking for something that'd do the trick. The pizza looked tempting, but all that cheese…better not. My eyes roved over each shelf.

"You'd think Stark knew I'd raid his fridge and hid anything good," I complained after an initial pass turned up nothing.

"More like Bruce and my brother beat you to it," said a voice on the other side of the door. I damn near jumped out of my skin, not having heard anyone come in. "They polished off just about everything between them."

I closed the refrigerator door with a reluctant sigh and cast a sideways glance to Loki. He was leaning casually against the marble countertop, watching me with a slightly bemused expression. But then, I was hardly surprised; he looked at everyone that way. Once you got over the feeling that he was laughing over some private joke at your expense, the God of Mischief wasn't too difficult to deal with. Or at least, I'd never had much of a problem.

"Well, I suppose that fits the day I'm having."

"The fundraiser, I take it?"

"There are times I seriously question whether Stark thinks anything through. Like this charity thing. I realize he just wanted to help, but he has no idea what it takes to coordinate something of that size. Two weeks? He's insane."

Seeing as though I'd find nothing useful here, I retraced my steps back to the living room. Loki decided to follow, keeping pace with me and offering his opinion.

"That's why he hires people to do the work for him."

"After this stunt, he'll have a difficult time hiring the next person to do this job for him."

We'd reached my office. I went in, grabbing a coat and whatever else I'd need. Might as well just go home for the night. I had to get something to eat, and it made no sense to come back afterward. Meanwhile, Loki watched me from the doorway.

"You wouldn't seriously quit, would you?"

A question I'd asked myself once or twice today.

"I just might. Stark knew in the beginning that I wouldn't put up with this job interfering with my life." I shoved my arms through the sleeves of the coat and wrenched it over my shoulders. "To pull off this event on time, I'm going to have to put everything else on hold. Hell, I'll be lucky to sleep at this rate."

He said nothing to that, frowning. On my part, I had finished packing up and was ready to go. Slung my bag over one shoulder and turned to leave. Only problem, Loki was blocking my way. I paused mid-step, gesturing to the hallway behind him.

"If you wouldn't mind…?"

"Were you going somewhere?"

"I was going to eat and then go home."

At first, I didn't think he was going to move, but then he took a step backwards and extended one long-fingered hand in invitation. An ordinary gesture for anyone else, but Loki had a habit of giving it a touch of elegance without even trying. It was just a part of what he was.

And why I get hundreds of emails a day from lovesick fangirls desperate for a chance to meet him.

"By all means. After you."

I thought he only meant to move aside to let me pass. Was caught by surprise when he fell in step beside me again. Accompanying me all the way to the elevator. When he opened the hall closet to retrieve a coat of his own, I couldn't contain my curiosity any longer.

"What are you doing?"

"It's late. You shouldn't be out on your own," he replied with an arched brow. "And besides, it'll give me the opportunity to advise you on all the reasons why you shouldn't quit."

Loki had fastened the last button at that point, and I could do no more than stand there, nonplussed. He actually meant to come with me. If I read his expression correctly, refusing wasn't going to be an option. Outmaneuvered and outvoted. Loki knew it, too, merely waiting for me to accept defeat.

"Oh all right," I capitulated. "But you'll have your work cut out for you on that second part."

Challenge accepted, Loki answered silently.

Lilith quitting was unacceptable, and he had no intention of letting Stark's folly push her into making that decision. He just couldn't endure the thought of what things had been like before. The constant cycle of hiring- and firing- someone to be the liaison between them and the hordes of…

Fangirls, he finished with an inward shudder.

A phenomenon that had shocked and horrified him upon his return to Midgard four years ago. He had been prepared for any manner of reception as part of that return. Or so he'd thought. Encountering fangirls had been thoroughly unsettling. Theirs was not the sort of adoration he'd wanted to receive from the mortals of this planet. Obedience and submission was one thing, but that level of delusional obsession…definitely not.

Having a reliable barrier to keep them away was highly desirable. Lilith had proven herself very capable in that role, and so he'd make an effort to ensure she stayed on for as long as he intended to be a resident here. That and- though he didn't want to admit it- he might actually miss her. Setting that possibility aside before he could think too much on it, Loki leaned over to press the call button on the elevator.

As he and Lilith waited for it to arrive, he asked, "So, what were your dinner plans?"

"There's a place near my apartment that stays open late. I was going to order carry-out and take it home with me."

Why did mortals insist upon ruining meal times? The people of this country in particular were some of the worst offenders. Carry-out. Drive-through. Frozen dinners. Always in a wretched hurry. Never really enjoying what they were eating in the rush to get it done with. Like a chore to be suffered through than an experience to be savored. Loki would never understand it. He certainly didn't intend to participate in the practice, and decided to suggest a better plan.

"You obviously don't dine out often enough. L'Artusi is open late as well, and the fare would be much better."

The doors opened and Lilith stepped inside. They were on their way down to the lobby when she replied, "Well, yeah. But it's the complete opposite direction of where I'm headed. Not very practical."

"I never said anything about it being practical. Just that it was the superior choice."

"It would take an hour- maybe two- just to get there, eat, and then get home," she argued. "I don't have time for that."

The elevator reached the ground floor, which was deserted at this hour. The business day ended hours ago, and so the large space had been emptied of its never ending parade of staff and visitors. His and Lilith's footsteps echoed loudly in the eerie silence, drawing the attention of the night desk clerk and handful of security guards. They watched the two of them with rapt interest. Loki paid them no mind, waiting until they had exited to the street before responding.

"Sure you do."

Lilith tried to sputter some reason why she couldn't, but he'd already hailed a cab. It pulled up to the curb in seconds, leaving her little choice but to get in. He slid next to her and gave the address to the driver. She, meanwhile, favored him with a mildly disgruntled look.

"Oh would you lighten up? Taking a few hours for yourself isn't going to impact Stark's event one way or another."

A sigh.

"Are you always this exhausting to be around," she queried with a half-smile.

"Only when other people disagree with me."

"That doesn't seem to apply to Stark."

"He's a special case."

"Special in a lot of ways," she quipped.

Loki chuckled at her jest and leaned back in the seat. The cab wouldn't arrive at the restaurant for a while, so he thought it a good time to bring up the subject of her quitting. But then her phone rang. Lilith slipped it out of her pocket, looked at the caller ID and glanced up at him.

"It's a work thing- you mind?"

"Not at all."

She took the call. Loki listened to the half conversation on her end, watching her grow visibly annoyed the longer it went on. Interesting how she talked with her hands, even when the other person didn't have the benefit of seeing it. The discussion turned into an outright argument towards the end, when she must have decided she'd had enough.

"I don't care what Raul told you, Julien. I'm not hiring you for this event after you left me high and dry last time."

The muffled sound of a man's voice came through the speaker loud enough for him to make out a word or two. Definitely not flattering in nature. Lilith's green eyes narrowed, glittering in the shadowy half-light of the cab. She waited until the speaker finished his tirade.

"Hey Julien? Fuck off." She ended the call and stared hard at the screen for a minute before muttering angrily, "Die in a fucking fire."

Loki wasn't quite sure what to make of that. Truth be told, he'd never seen her that upset. Not even when Stark had thrown his curveball at her this afternoon. Not at all in the past three years she'd worked in the Tower. His impression of her had always led him to believe she was one of those people who never lost their temper.

Apparently, I was mistaken.

"I gather you don't get along with that particular colleague."

She put the phone away and looked at him as if she only just now remembered that he was there. With a half-hearted shrug, she answered, "I don't like it when people disappoint me."

"And this Julien disappointed you."

"In a big way."

The car pulled up to L'Artusi. Loki cast her a sideways look, considering what to say.

"Well, then," he remarked. "Having been duly warned, I will do my best not to repeat his mistake."

"No, no, no," I protested. "It's already late enough. I'm not staying for another round. Two was plenty."

"I disagree," Loki argued with a smile that promised mischief. "And besides, it was my turn to repay you for the last round."

"That doesn't even-"

He'd already turned his head to the waiter and bade him, "Two glasses- one for me and the lady."

Clearly eager to take his cue from Loki, the waiter sped off to fetch the glasses of Chardonnay he'd ordered. No doubt eager to increase the amount of his tip, too. I swallowed the rest of my objection, knowing that it was futile and dared a peek at my wrist to note the time. Eleven-thirty. Should have been home over an hour ago, but thanks to the meddling of a certain god, I'd be lucky to see my apartment before 1 AM.

Tomorrow is going to be a very long day.

While we waited for the wine, Loki speared the last of the roasted mushrooms with his fork. Better him than me; I'd already eaten way more than I intended, and set my own fork down to resist finishing off the last of the charred octopus. I just couldn't eat another bite. Between the two of us we'd ordered half of the plates from the dinner menu.

Regardless of how he'd maneuvered me into coming here, I had to admit that the food was amazing. Stark had brought the team to L'Artusi once a few years ago for some reason I couldn't recall now. While I hadn't been back since, some of the others made a point to come here on occasion. Loki was particularly fond of it.

"So I'm curious," he began. "Why did you take this job in the first place?"

Only partially surprised by the question, I stacked a few of the empty plates on the edge of the table and shot him a quizzical look.

"Didn't we already have this conversation a long time ago?"

"Yes, and you told me some nonsense about it being a temporary landing place in your career. Even if I hadn't known it to be false, you have to admit that explanation doesn't hold water after three years."

I tried not to flush at being caught in a lie. Probably should have known better to try it with Loki. Lies were his specialty. Of course he was going to know my story was less than honest. But he'd appeared to buy it, so I had assumed he hadn't cared much either way. Maybe he did. Or maybe he's just bored. I bought myself a few extra seconds by draining the last of my wine, and then resigned myself to answering his question.

First I had to find an appropriate place to begin. The reasons behind my decision had deep roots that stretched back a long ways into my personal history. How much of that did I want to divulge? How much could I share? I was still asking myself those questions when I heard myself speaking.

"My parents are both educators in their respective fields- physics and engineering." I toyed with my empty glass, twirling the stem and watching the rim so I didn't have to look at Loki directly. "Naturally, they expected I would follow their example and study one of the hard sciences. When it came to my education, they made it very clear what areas of study were acceptable."

And what ones weren't.

My tone had taken on a slightly bitter edge, as it always did when I spoke of my parents. I loved them. I really did. But that love was strained and distant. Very distant now. Especially after what came next.

"It wasn't for me. I tried to make them happy and spent several years devoting my time to studying physics alongside my mother. I hated it- and her. Hated both of them for not letting me do what I wanted. And after a while, I couldn't make myself do it anymore. Told them I couldn't. They wouldn't listen or bend in their expectations, and so I walked out. Never went back."

Can't go back.

"It took me a while to find a direction. Still finding it, I think." The corners of my mouth turned up in a cynical smile. "As to why I took this job in particular? I'd say it was one of the biggest ways I could tell my parents to fuck off with their expectations. They'd see it as having no value or meaning. A waste of my life and a failure on themselves as parents that it's the direction I chose. For now, I'm happy with that."

The waiter returned with the wine, removed the empty plates and scurried off again. Loki still hadn't said anything, but I could see him thinking. I wasn't sure why I'd gone into all that. Could have given him just the last part- abbreviated even- and not given any of the details I was sure he hadn't the interest in hearing. Mundane concerns- not really important to a god.

In particular, not to this god.

"If that's the case," he said at last. "Quitting is definitely not an option."

"Mhmm. Surprised to hear you defend what is, ultimately, a useless profession."

"Useless is a bit harsh."

Bemused, I took up the wineglass and took a sip. Then I sat back in the booth and offered my perspective, contending, "If I quit tomorrow and no one came to replace me, the world would go on as if I'd never been here. I'd consider that a fair description of useless."

That didn't sit well with the god, who regarded me with a slight frown. He was taking this far too seriously. Far more seriously than I thought he would. In the hopes of diverting his attention back to a more light-hearted discussion, I chose to bring us back to what started all of this.

"That's a little of my existentialist reading creeping into the debate. Sartre and his ilk sure knew how to shine a depressing light on life. And if they're right and nothing matters, I guess it's just as well I stick with this useless profession over any other and get something out of it."

Loki wanted to say something, but he must have thought better of it. He opted to follow the new direction I'd taken instead. Went one step further, actually.

"Having put the danger of your imminent departure to rest, then I suppose only one important question remains."

Slightly mistrusting his blithe tone, I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. "And what is that?"

"Your choice of costume for the after party Stark intends to throw in the penthouse."

"The what?"

"After party, so he says. To celebrate the success of the fundraiser. He's insisting on throwing one for the Tower inhabitants and select guests."

"Stark didn't mention that to me."

I sure hope he doesn't intend for me to plan that, too.

"You walked out before he got to that topic on his agenda. Apparently, it's meant to be a costume party."

I thought about the phrasing. Tower inhabitants and select guests. I couldn't be sure I would be included in the latter. Definitely wasn't one of the former. And since no one had specifically told me I was invited- Stark, mostly- I didn't want to presume anything. He was particular about his guest lists for any party held in the penthouse. Loki must have seen my hesitation.

"What?"

"I was just thinking that costume choice might be premature until I know whether or not I'm actually invited."

"Of course you're invited."

I shrugged.

"We'll see."