Time To Celebrate (November 2001)

Logan was being overly dutiful and present as Natalya laid in their bed. She had gotten an infection from the metal and there was a little internal damage that required extra surgical procedures to fix. Now though, the infection was dying down and she was healing. Logan had been a nervous wreck which was very unusual for him. All of his brash and rude quips and jibes were all but nonexistent. Whenever she shifted or made a sound, Logan nearly jumped out of his chair.

On the end table next to her there was a large covered cup with a straw, a bowl of her favorite candy and a half eaten sandwich that he had made for her by his own hands. She was right handed so using her left hand, by necessity, had taken some getting used to. It also exemplified how much Logan truly loved her. A sentiment they had tried to keep at bay but now it out and obvious how they felt about one another.

Logan was on the floor leaned up against the bed. Nataya’s arm was in a sling and she had pillows behind her that set her up at just the right angle where her shoulder didn’t ache so much. They had to turn the bed and set up the bedroom so she could reach with her left hand and easily get up and down in and out of bed. Logan was actually pretty exhausted and he was dozing there back against the side of the bed.

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T’Challa decided to hang around a bit longer. He and Shuri liked New York and had scheduled a few day trips while they were there. Steve, Kate, T’Challa and Shuri were playing a game with Serena while Tony and Isabella made snacks and watched them. Bruce was in the lab with Loki. They were taking shifts at watching him and it was Bruce’s turn.

Natalya had never been tended to the way Logan was tending to her...nor had she ever seen Logan like he was. He was softer and gentler than he ever had been before and he did everything possible to make sure she was comfortable. Her shoulder still ached, but it was a dull ache now of healing. She had refused to take any pain medication, even right after the surgeries. Through her time with the SSB, she had been taught to live with pain, and so she had refused the medication, even though Logan and Bruce had both tried to make her. 

She had slept for a little while and as she woke up she glanced over and saw Logan's head leaning up against the bed. She smiled and reached over and gently ran the fingers of her left hand through his hair. When he turned and looked up at her, she smiled down at him. "You know you don't have to stayed glued to my side. Not that I don't like having you here, but if you wanted to go do something else I'd understand."

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Isabella smiled over at Steve, Kate, T'Challa, and Shuri as they played a game with Serena. Serena was sitting on T'Challa's lap as they played. Isabella paused for a moment in preparing the snacks and looked at Tony. "We should have a party to celebrate our success. I think we all deserve it."

Logan had been having nightmares. It was Kayla all over again. One moment he was happy and in love and the next? Everything had been taken away from him. How could he tell her how losing her would affect him? And, inevitably, it would happen. But Kayla was taken from him and, for a few moments, he thought Natalya had been to.

"I'm exactly where I wanna be babe," Logan said sleepily as he yawned. He hadn't dealt with that yet. The fear, the horrible fear. Fear was an emotion that was alien for Logan. He was one of the bravest men alive. Not in any small part do to his particular invulnerability. He still experienced pain like everyone else but not the mortality that an injury could bring. Losing her though...Logan had felt pain. It bubbled up from inside of him and consumed his heart. It nearly drove him insane as he attacked with such ferocity that Isabella was worried for the SHIELD agents...for a moment.

A few moments passed where his smile faded and he closed his eyes as he felt the feel of her fingers in his hair. "When I thought I lost you...the pain of it...of the loss. I've never experienced anything like that before," he said softly.

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Tony watched them interacting for a moment before he answered. "So, full catering, a band, fireworks, the whole deal?" he asked. "I mean, I think we deserve fireworks," He said. "Ya know, the Mayor called me to say...Thanks...wasn't that nice of him?" Tony said sarcastically.

Natalya continued to lightly run her fingers through Logan's hair. She had finally convinced him to shower and his hair was clean and soft. She lightly massaged his scalp with her fingers. However, when she heard what he said she paused for a moment. She thought back to that moment...the moment when she had realized what was going to happen. 

"When I saw those blips on the radar and realized there was nothing I could do to stop them, you were the only thing that came to my mind. The thought of not ever seeing you again...of not ever feeling your arms around me...of feeling your lips against mine...of not ever being able to tell you how much I love you...."

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Isabella pulled down a stack of small plates for the snacks and then looked over at Tony. "We're going to invite the Mayor. I also want to invite Phil, Maria, Fury, and Erik. What happened wasn't their fault and I want them to know that there's no hard feelings."

"You're irreplaceable Natalya," Logan said as he tilted his head back to look up at her. "Everything in our lives happened in order for us to be together. To find one another. What we have is a delicate, precious thing. It is finite, and unrepeatable and yet, I know tomorrow...after you heal I mean, we'll back out there risking it all. So babe? If I seem a little bit overbearing or...clingy, I don't mean to be," he said.

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Tony began to fill the plates with the small bite desserts. Serena had cards in her hand and knew how to play. It was the adults that were having difficulty it seemed. "So, I play blue?" Steve said. "Nooo!" Serena giggled. "Green Steve Green!" She said delightedly. "Ohhhh, greeeeen!' Steve said and played a green Uno card.

"Well, we can always hope he doesn't come," Tony said. He had no issue with the SHIELD people. Well, maybe with Fury. "Something fancy? Tuxes and evening dresses or something more casual?" Tony asked.

Natalya felt a few tears come to her eyes as she listened to what Logan said. It touched her like nothing else ever had. She had never experienced feeling love for someone, or having someone love her in return. She had never thought she was worthy or capable of such feelings...until she met Logan...a man who also believed he wasn't worthy of love. They had found each other and changed each other's lives for the better.

"Can you come up here now so I can kiss you?"

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Isabella looked over at Serena and she couldn't help but smile proudly. She loved her daughter very much and she felt that she was growing up too quickly.

"Let's go with fancy," she said as she looked back over at Tony. She grinned and walked over to him and lightly pressed her body up against his to whisper in his ear. "You know how much I love seeing you in a tux."

And Logan did. He was careful not to jostle her....too much. Their kisses were soft and gentle but also deep and meaningful. And pretty hot, he thought. He felt her groan internally and their kisses drifted away. He did shift down to lay his head on her thighs. He was facing her and though she was wearing jeans, he kissed her thigh anyway.

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"You know how I like seeing you out of a nice dress," Tony said softly. "In all seriousness, You did well Isabella. And kept the team going. You were under alot of stress. I will deny you nothing. If you want a party, a celebration, then lets do it and the skies the limit," he said. "Thanksgiving is around the corner. And then Christmas. Do we have any idea what we're going to get princess this year?" he asked

Natalya smiled down at Logan as he settled his head on her thighs. He was facing towards her and she reached down again and ran her fingers through his hair. "I can't wait to be able to train again. I'm already going stir crazy. So the containment unit is still holding Loki without any problems?"

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Isabella smiled and shook her head a little at his comment. However, as he complimented her she looked into his eyes. Tony did not just give out compliments. Well, he complimented her body all the time, but other kinds of compliments were different. She knew Tony meant what he said and that meant even more to her. She did feel proud of the team. They had all done well. 

"I can't believe it's almost Christmas." She looked over at Serena and then back at Tony. "I think she's old enough to start letting us know what she would like."

A bubble of laughter came from the living area and Serena's little giggle was infectious. Tony and Isabella brought the plates, one in each hand and everyone partook except for Serena who was a fairly picky eater and didn't like how some of those things looked. Tony had a cherry sucker for her, ready to go as soon as everyone had what they wanted. Uno was Serena's favorite game and even with how young she was, she understood how it worked and loved to pick on Steve when she played. Steve had a fist full of cards and didn't care at all.

Tony sat on the couch to watch with a drink in his hand. He was wearing a tan suit with a salmon shirt and light blue tie with brown shoes. He had been to Stark Industries to help retool to make electronic components for the power outage. Millions of components needed to be replaced, maybe billions of them. The Expo was in April but Isabella was also busy with that. The theme this coming year was durability. Making electronics that could withstand an EMP pulse. EMP was a buzz word being tossed around almost everywhere. It was actually a devastating weapon. The death toll, crime rate and lost income in New York alone was staggering. Now, with the Eastern Seaboard, it was only affected moderately do to the short duration of the pulse, would likely be dealing with some of the same things New York had.

Tony had a crew working on Isabella's Yacht but he was thinking that, perhaps, a place that was without electricity altogether might be what they all needed. He had his sights on a small island in Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean that already had an estate built but not finished. The US Government had fell short on thanks what the Avengers had done. Everyone deserved something special and he would give it to them. He was smiling as he watched the game. Smiling in a way that told Isabella he was up to something.

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"Yeah, Bruce is in there now. The binding collar that Thor had given us seems to be working. I think we'd know if it didn't," he said as he rubbed her hip with his left hand as he snuggled into her, careful not to jostle her right side.

Isabella walked over and took a seat next to Tony on the couch. She sat close to him and she felt him reach down with his free hand and take hers into his and interlace their fingers together. Isabella had been needing the closeness that they shared after all the events that had happened. So much could have gone wrong, but thankfully they had managed to pull it all off. They had worked together like a true team and Isabella was proud of everyone because of that. Of course their work was not over...not anywhere close. There was a lot of recovery and rebuilding that needed to happen thanks to what Loki had done. However, she had no doubts that everyone was going to come out stronger because of this. 

She was already thinking about the party in her head when she looked over and saw the smile that Tony had on his face. She knew that smile very well. It was a smile that told her that he was up to something.

"What are you planning?" she asked him with a little smile herself.

"I'll tell you later...I mean, if you find a way to get it out of me," He said in a whisper as he gently squeezed her hand and shifted it to his leg. Serena was the center of attention and Tony thought that she liked it that way. In many ways she was alot like he was. She was already reading, and doing mathematical flash cards and she had the poise and presence of her mother. "Draw Four!" She squealed and giggled delightedly when she laid down her card. "Awwwww!" Steve groaned and he drew four more cards.Everyone else laughed and gave him false sympathetic commiserations. Everyone was hungry and they picked at the plates of finger foods while the Lasagna's were baking. The table leaves were in and the table setting glittered in silver and crystal. Tony had helped Isabella in the kitchen though he did his best to distract her. He was just all too free with his hands and her dress was definitely not long enough. He loved her legs though and in this intimate setting, it was alright. T'Challa was in a black suit and Shuri was in a black and dazzling blue dress. Kate was in a longer, off white and gold dress and Steve was in an off white suit with just a blue shirt underneath. Kate was leaned up against him as they played. Tony wondered how he was going to get Serena to bed tonight. Normally about this time, it was her downtime before they tucked her in. He looked at his watch as the game ended.

"Again! Again!" Serena squawked.

"Nah, I think it's time to get ready for bed Serena," Tony said. "I'll get this," He said softly to Isabella and got up. Serena was about to throw a fit but Tony scooped her up and softly distracted her before she could. He promised her favorite story as he stepped away with her in his arms. Isabella heard the murmurs of her negotiating with him as they disappeared down the hall. Everyone else decided to get up off the floor and join Isabella on the couches and regain their wine glasses though Steve was having a beer.

"I foresee Serena running the tower in a year or so," T'Challa said lightheartedly. "She is really a wonderful little girl Serena," Shuri complimented. "Gunna be a heart breaker for certain," Steve said.

Tony and Isabella knew how to plan a party and plan one quickly. Invitations were sent out, a caterer/bartender was selected, a DJ was hired, and dresses and suits were picked. It was a Saturday evening and snow was lightly falling outside. Happy was stationed at the main doors of the Tower to guide outside guests in, which included the Mayor, celebrities, and a select few from SHIELD. Serena had been put to bed, despite her insistence at staying up for the party. Sarah had also been invited to the party and she was very excited to be able to attend. Jarvis was monitoring Loki so the entire team could attend the party. 

Natalya's shoulder was still healing, but she felt well enough to join the party. She was dressed in a tighter black, spaghetti strap dress that hit a few inches above her knees and was V-cut in the front. She wore strappy high heels and her hair was left down. Isabella and Tony as the hosts of the party were mingling and greeting everyone. Isabella was wearing a floor length red dress that complimented her skin tone beautifully. It was Tony's favorite dress on her and she had worn it just for that reason. It had a slit on the left side that came up just high enough without being too high (she did have an image to maintain after all) and she wore matching strappy high heels. Her hair was pulled partially back and she wore the diamond bracelet and earrings Tony had gotten her for her last birthday. 

Kate was on Steve's arm. Since the two had gotten back together they had been almost inseparable. Thankfully, their breakup had been short enough that the public had never even been aware that it had happened. Kate wore a floor length champagne colored stain dress with an empire waist and a detailed beaded top. It was more modest in design, but on her it looked anything but simple. She was extremely happy and it showed as she couldn't stop smiling at Steve. 

Ava and Frank finally joined the party. Ava had taken a little while to get ready. She wasn't showing yet and still had her curves so she wanted to wear something to highlight that. She was wearing a silver sequin floor length dress with a high leg slit that showed off her well toned legs. She was upset that she wasn't going to be able to partake in any of the alcohol, but Isabella had made sure that the bar tender was keeping other drinks as well, including non-alcoholic champagne for her.

Brad Pitt was in town and Tony had invited him as a surprise for Kate who really liked his movies. He had met Brad Pitt at the Expo a couple years back when he had been one of the celebrity speakers. All the men were in black though there were minor variances in style and cut of suit. Tony was always in something classic, well cut for him and a bow tie. Steve had adopted the same and only Logan had been the odd ball but not tonight. He had asked Tony to take him with them and his suit was like theirs, well cut for his shape and he even wore a bow tie. Logan always hated wearing ties. Tony knew full well why he did it though, lately, everything he did was for Natalya. And the woman lapped up his deference to her like a cat did clotted cream.

Phil was there with Maria. Maria was in a deep, dark blue dress, low on the shoulders and cut in a v down her back and also part way down her front. It was just above the knee and she wore black, 3 inch heels and Natalya knew, from experience that she carried a thigh holster. Her handbag was too small for a weapon unless it was a knife. Maria had been adversely affected by the Loki's control. Apparently he had 'done' things to her while under his control and though she smiled graciously to everyone, her blue eyes had a haunted look to them and she would not leave Phil's side.

Frank was probably the tallest and largest man there and, like the others, he went for the classic tux. He and Bruce were talking about the plane crash though Bruce only vaguely remembered it. Besides what Natalya had told him. Bruce was in love with Natalya but he managed to hide it fairly well. Tonight though he had a difficult time, when he saw her, to avoid allowing his gaze to linger on her. Twice she caught him looking at her her and twice it had embarrassed him. He knew she was in love with Logan but, it didn't change how he felt about her.

"So getting ready for tonight was interesting," Brad said as he spoke to Isabella and Kate. "I'm a fan of candles but shaving without warm water..." He said as he touched his clean-shaven face. "Was not fun at all. "My hotel feels like it's taken a step back in time," he said as he took a sip of champagne. Steve wanted to chuckle with how enthralled Kate was with Brad Pitt right there talking to them.

Kate was nearly beside herself with excitement at meeting Brad Pitt, although he seemed equally excited to be hanging out with the Avengers. Kate was of course madly in love with Steve, but she did have a celebrity crush on Brad and talking to him was a dream come true for her. The Tower was running on it's own power because of the arc reactor and was self-sustaining. That meant that when Loki had knocked out the power to the city the Tower had not been affected. 

"Well, I think you look very good, although you always look good" Kate said with a little smile. She then realized what she had said and she blushed a little. 

Logan had stepped away from Natalya for a moment to talk to T'Challa and Natalya saw that Bruce was alone at the bar. She walked over to him and smiled a little at him. She had noticed him looking at her a few times tonight and she began to guess that his feelings for her went even deeper than she initially thought. "So, I haven't gotten a chance to talk to you since that day that you saved me. I just wanted to let you know how truly grateful I am for what you did."

Bruce hadn't expected Natalya to be right there and he nearly choked on a cherry that had gone into his mouth from his drink. He covered it well though his cheeks were flushed from the embarrassment.

"You don't need to thank me. You would have done the same for me. Being a big, invulnerable green guy does have its perks...sometimes," Bruce said trying to make light of what he did. Bruce was a pretty straight laced guy. He felt he owed it to Natalya to tell her how he felt about her. He knew she and Logan were in love but, life had a strange way of changing things without notice. If he didn't tell her than she'd never know. "You look...amazing tonight, sling and all," he said feeling the butterflies in his stomach doing somersaults. The dream he had about her last night, did not help at all! "But I think you looked amazing covered in soot and blood too on the roof of SHIELD HQ," He said. He recalled that memory though it was all hazy in his head.

Natalya wished her arm wasn't in a sling, but Bruce's compliment was nice to hear. "Thank you," she said with a warm smile. "I hope maybe one day I'll be able to repay you for saving my life, although I'm not sure I could do anything that would come even close to that." She took a sip of her drink and then looked back at him. "So, are you planning to continue to stay at the Tower? I'm sure Tony likes having some extra help in the lab."

To hear her talk made him begin to wonder if he should tell her now. He hadn't given much thought to staying and Tony was helping him clear up the mess he made in Moscow. The US authorities were no longer looking for him at least. He wasn't certain if he could stay feeling as he did about her. He supposed maybe he should get to try to know her more? He decided he could do that.

"Just the lab? Or on the team too?" Bruce asked. He knew he brought alot to the team. An aweful lot.

Natalya smiled at him. "Oh, we could certainly use your help on the team as well." Natalya used the terms "you" and "your" instead of talking about The Hulk as a separate entity. He was apart of Bruce and she believed that Bruce was slowly starting to embrace that side of himself. 

Kate was dancing with Steve. It was a slower dance and she smiled warmly up at him. Love was shimmering in her eyes as she looked at him. Steve was the only man for her. He made her feel whole in a way no other man ever had. "I love you Steve," she told him softly.

"Well, now that you have a new lease on life, do you have any aspirations? Anything you'd like to do or places you'd like to go? The world is open to you. Check out a ball game or a prize fight. Go check out an Opera or a Theatre performance. Tony has a Luxury Jet. Go spend some time in Japan. I can see you using a Samauri sword. Have one made, specially for you," He said. "I...saw a documentary on it once. Seems pretty cool to me," Bruce said trying to suggest things that might be of interest to her.

"And I love you," Steve responded as they danced. He was pretty good when the dancing was slow. Speed it all up and he wasn't so hot on his feet. They were very close. So close only the two of them could hear what the other said. Steve tried to see where Brad was. He had asked him to do something for him early when Kate went to the rest room but he obviously got distracted for a bit. Steve just decided to enjoy the moment with Kate. She was very beautiful in that dress. "I was wondering if you'd like to...oh, I don't know go somewhere with me," Steve said.

Natalya finished her drink and she asked the bartender for another one. Due to the Super Soldier Serum running through her veins she couldn't get drunk very easily. She thought about what Bruce said and she smiled a little. "I would love to go to Japan. I think that's something even Logan would like." Her smile then faded a little. "But I can't. The SSB is still out there looking for me."

Isabella was dancing with Tony. They danced close to one another and just enjoyed one another's company. She smiled and laughed a little when she felt Tony's hand slide down a little further south than it needed to be. "Stop that." She glanced over towards the bar and saw Bruce talking to Natalya. She was quiet a moment as she watched them before speaking softly to Tony. "Do you think the fact that Bruce is in love with Natalya is going to cause problems?"

Kate looked at Steve when he asked her if she would like to go somewhere with him. "Where would we be going?"

"Oh, I think you're a bit too high profile now for them. And Logan would be with you, I'd like to see them try to take you with him there," 'Or me' He thought to himself. He'd never say that openly. "I think living your life in fear is at an end Natalya," Bruce said. It was then that he thought about paying the SSB a visit. It wouldn't be that difficult to find at least one of their bases. He would consider it.

"Stop what?" Tony asked innocently though his hands shifted up to a more respectable place. "I recall a time when you 'wanted' my hand there. I also recall a moment when you pulled up your dress to show me you weren't wearing any panties. And then there was the time when you shoved my face..." He continued but she shut him up with a kiss.

"Someplace warm where you could work on your tan without worrying if someone might see you," Steve said. "And not in a tanning booth," he added and then drew in so no one could hear him. "I mean...no tan lines kind of sunbathing," Steve whispered and his cheeks turned a little pink. "But..." He began and then looked around them. "Can I...talk to you, in private for just one minute?" Steve asked her.

Natalya looked at Bruce. "You never know with Tatiana what she's going to do." She saw Logan and she looked back over at Bruce with a little smile. "Go enjoy the party. You're the reason we beat Loki." She walked back over to Logan.

Kate blushed and smiled a little at what Steve said. She wasn't used to him saying such things, especially when they were in public. When he asked to speak to her in private she nodded and together they walked out of the main party area. Steve took her out onto one of the balconies away from everyone else. It was chilly and snowing, but Steve took off his suit jacket and put it around her shoulders. She smiled at him. "What is this all about?"

Steve was feeling pretty amazing with the champagne and seeing Kate in that dress. And the dazzle in her eyes. He wanted to do this in a more traditional way but he wasn't certain if it would be more perfect than now. "You know I tend to do things and like things that are more...traditional and old fashioned," he said as he looked out over the glittering cityscape. The snow fell slowly with large, thick flakes. he shifted to face her and he put his hands on her waist as he looked into her eyes. "I want to marry you, Kate Blackwell," He said and then silently cursed himself for not saying the right thing. "I mean, I don't have a ring, I...thought," he started again and that wasn't right either. "Kate Blackwell, will you marry me?" Steve asked finally,

Kate found that Steve was sexy in almost anything he wore. Whether it be his Captain America uniform or the tailored suit he was wearing now. She had known Steve long enough to know when he was going to say something very serious and she had a strong suspicion that something life changing was about to happen. She found that she was holding her breath in anticipation and her heart had started to beat a little harder in her chest. He was holding both of her hands in his own and he looked deeply into her eyes. She felt a few tears come to her eyes when he finally asked her to marry him. "Steve, you are the most incredible man I have ever known. You are my partner and my best friend. Nothing would make me happier than to marry you."

Steve smiled and his face felt as hot as the sun but he leaned into her and kissed her deeply. he was smiling. Kate had made him the happiest man in the world. "We...we have to keep it quiet until after Frank and Ava's wedding. But we can do a little planning, don't you think?" he said.