Steve's POV

The meeting room was particularly crowded today as all of our extra members were crowded into the small room. Scott and Hope had arrived last of all early in the morning. It was apparently a long story that Hope insisted we didn't want to know.

"You know it's like one of those awkward family reunions." Tony said spinning circles in his chair like a little kid. "You got the old creepy grandpa. That's you Fury. The drunk uncle counts as you Scott. The teenagers who don't want to be here also known as Bruce, Scar, and Peter. Then you've got the cousins who get along like brothers, Bucky and Steve. The responsible adults Nat, Hope, and Chimichanga."

"You know that is not my name." T'Challa said flatly.

"Then you have the distant relative no ones knows about." Tony gestured at Sharon. "The one who never knows what's going on is Thor and Vision."

"What does that make you?" I asked.

"He's the little kid who annoys everyone by interrupting adult conversations." Bruce said smugly.

"I feel highly attacked right now." Tony feigned hurt placing a hand over his heart.

"Who gives a shit let's get this family reunion started." Fury said stopping Tony from completing another spin in his chair. "We have more important things to talk about."

"Like what you'd look like if you had a mustache?" Peter asked. "I think it could work. Oh even better giving him Jedi robes. You're like that purple Jedi dude Mace Windex."

"That's not even his name." Fury said rolling his eye. "Anyways most of you received a quick debriefing on the current situation of things."

"I leave for like five minutes and everything goes to hell? Yeah then I got the debriefing." Bruce joked half heartedly.

"The threat is very...mysterious so to speak. The team's already been put in danger countless times but the Uniter doesn't seem to want them dead." Fury said leaning back in his chair. "Point is we need to figure this out fast because according to our scientists the radiation these beacons have is only growing."

"So what do we do? Split up the clues?" T'Challa questioned.

"That's exactly the plan. I have your new team assignments." Fury picked up a folder and opened it passing papers around the room. "Team one. Peter, Sharon, and Vision. Team Two. Cap, Tony, and Bruce. Team three. Bucky, Nat, and Thor. Team four. T'Challa, Scar, Scott, and Hope."

Bucky smiled leaning back in his seat and putting his feet on the table. "My team is sweet!"

"Agreed." Thor bellowed clapping Bucky on the back a bit harder than intended.

"Then it's settled. You'll all receive your missions and locations this afternoon. If I were you I'd take these next few hours to enjoy each other's company. You won't be seeing much of them most likely." Fury stood and left us all alone with a somber feeling to the room.

"Game time?" I asked hopefully. "That's always fun."

"What game can we play with this many people?" Scar asked.

"I have an idea." Peter smiled his eyes taking on a crazy gleam. He sprinted out of the room and down the hall. Needless to say everyone groaned knowing whatever he'd come up with was going to be...interesting.

As it turns out everyone was right. We stood crowded in the living room as Peter stood in front of us arms outstretched.

"Ultimate Twister!" He smiled proudly and stepped aside revealing an interesting set up. He'd managed to combine three twister mats to make one massive one. "Come on pick a spot and someone can be the spinner."

"I call dibs." Tony said eager to not be part of he mess that was about to happen.

"Do we have to?" Nat asked looking at the set up with an expression of distrust and distaste.

"You love twister." Peter said dragging her onto the mat.

"Well not today." She said glaring at him but Nat could never be completely mad at Peter.

"Hush." Peter said covering her mouth and looking at everyone expectantly. With groans and grumbles we all made our way to a starting spot.

"Right foot red!" Tony called. Everyone did as instructed. A few minutes later everyone was in a painful and tangled mess. Unable to keep up their positions Scar, Vision, and Scott all collapsed in a heap on top of one another.

Thor was keeping himself in check by sheer strength. To be completely honest my arms burned from the lack of blood flow. Then again T'Challa was practically on top of me.

"My apologies Captain." He smiled charmingly.

"Not a problem my friend." I laughed returning the smile.

Hope was somehow managing to stay in a complete back bend over Thor. Her face was red with exertion and I knew she'd be out soon. Bucky and Nat were the most comfortable out of everyone. Being the most flexible they were completely at ease with whatever position they were tasked with.

Moments later more were taken out of the competition. Hope, Sharon, Thor, and Bruce who'd held on fairly well. I was the next to fall much to my dismay. Nat laughed at me along with Bucky.

"Loser!" He yelled.

"It's not fair you guys are flexible I'm just muscly." Nat rolled her eyes at my protest.

"Left hand blue!" Tony said spinning the spinner yet again. Nat moved as told snaking under Bucky to put her hand on the designated blue spot. With a wink to me Bucky feigned a muscle cramp in his leg and collapsed on top of her. The two landed hard on the ground.

"Barnes!" Nat grunted not happy at all by his antics. If there was one thing you didn't do it was interrupt her in a competitive situation.

"Sorry my leg cramped." He smirked as she was unable to see his face laying flat on her stomach. The others laughed loudly.

"Yo what'd I miss?" Glancing up I saw Clint walk in with a half eaten sandwhich looking confused.

"You don't want to know." Tony said waving away his question. "Winner is Chimichanga!"

T'Challa rolled his eyes but nodded in acknowledgment of his victory.

"Get off." Nat breathed trying to wiggle out from under Bucky's weight. He was determined to tease her however and didn't move an inch. "Bucky I'm dead serious get off!"

Nat's tone of voice shifted slightly and he must have realized she was serious and quickly hopped to his feet pulling her up as well.

"Just playing." He smiled and patted her on the top of the head. Nat on the other hand didn't appear happy at all in fact she seemed a bit off. Rather pale.

"Wanna play again?" Peter asked excitedly.

"No!" Came the chorused response.

"I wanna play." Clint smiled finishing his sand which.

"Too bad. I have your assignments." Fury said waltzing in and shaking his head at the twister arrangement. "Team one, two, three, four."

Everyone collected their respective assignment and divided into groups. I on the other hand was curious to know what Bucky and Nat would be up to. Before they could look at there folder I snatched it out of Bycky's hand and flipped it open.

"You guys are going to the Middle East?" I asked raising an eyebrow. "That place is a war zone. No one knows whose really fighting who."

Nat stole the folder back and glanced at it. "Jerusalem."

"Probably has to do with clue number two. The throne of an honest man." Bucky said looking over her shoulder.

"Why do I have the feeling this has to do with Jesus?" Nat asked.

"Because it probably does." Bucky replied. "Not gonna lie I'm pretty sure Fury gave us this one cause it's the hardest."

"I'd say we could do a stealth mission but Thor isn't...stealthy." Nat whispered so he couldn't hear.

"You'll figure it out just stay safe." I said looking pointedly at Nat.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked crossing her arms.

"It means don't be reckless." I smiled kissing her cheek despite her rolling her eyes.

"Says you. You're the worst of us." Bucky pointed out coming to her defense.

"Maybe." I shrugged but left before Nat could team up with Bucky and argue against me.

"What's ours say?" I asked heading to Tony.

"Easy we get to secure a beacon from our good old underground organizations." Tony said closing he folder.

"Location is in Italy." Bruce said.

"Hey do you think they'll have good pizza?" Tony asked genuinely curious.

"How would I know? I've been in Africa the past year." Bruce said.

"Doesn't matter." I said taking the file to keep it from being misplaced. "All it means is we are even farther from everyone and more importantly assistance if we need it."

"You gonna be okay without Nat?" Tony asked.

"Yeah I'll be fine. She'll be okay too. We can handle ourselves." He nodded and pursed his lips seeming to be deep in thought about something.

"Well she has Barnes so she'll be okay." Tony said to himself.

"Why do you make it sound like she's incapable of handling her own mission?" I asked getting a bit defensive.

"No it's not that just...never mind." Tony waved away my remark and I was about to say something further when Fury called us to attention again.

"Pack up and head to your respective jets. The faster you get moving the faster this should all be over...hopefully." He didn't sound at all confident in his last statement.

Slowly everyone ran off to take care of whatever they needed to before it was time to leave. After glancing over what our drop sight was I closed the folder again and headed to my room. Nat was already there with an array of small hand guns and blades out in front of her on the bed.

"You okay?" I asked after studying her for a moment. She seemed rather tense as she pondered what to bring and what to leave.

"I'll be fine." She said selecting a blade and sheathing it before tucking it into her shoe.

"That doesn't answer the question." I said examining the array of weapons as well.

"Of course it does." Nat said continuing to select her chosen source of armament.

"Nat." I sighed catching her hand to keep her from grabbing something else and holding it in my own. "Talk to me. You should know by now you can't hide things like you used to be able to you. I know you too well."

She sighed and turned to face me looking slightly irritated. She'd seemed sort of angry the entire day and I couldn't figure out why.

"What do you want me to say?" She asked.

"Tell me why you're so...irritable." Nat sighed and instead of saying anything buried her face in my chest and took a deep breath. She didn't move for a while or say anything almost as if she were trying to think of what to say. I'd let her take her time though, she wasn't good when it came to expressing her feelings.

At last she pulled back to look at me again her eyes refracting the light in a beautiful manner. "I've tried telling you multiple times before but every time something comes up."

"Just fate having fun is all." I mused trying to lighten her mood. "They universe likes to joke."

"Maybe." Nat nodded. She frowned in thought again and fate must have thought it was funny to interrupt her once more. Fury spoke over the intercom asking for everyone to board their planes. "Maybe it just likes to torture me."

"Try and cheer up. For me?" I asked. Nat nodded before the two of us hurriedly gathered our things. Holding her hand I lead her to where the jets were hogging the landing pad. "Try and be careful on your mission. You're going to be in the middle of a war zone. There's all sorts of things like chemical weapons and-"

"Steve." Nat laughed quietly. "I've been around the block a few times I know what to expect."

"Right. Sorry." I sighed. The truth was it was the first mission we'd be apart on in a long time. Sure we'd gone on small quests alone but we'd be hundreds of miles apart. It was a bit unnerving.

"Where is your drop stop?" Nat asked stalling for time. She'd never admit it but she didn't like the idea of us being separated any more than I did.

"Italy." I said watching Bucky and Sharon argue over what he did and didn't need to take with him. For instance the three machine guns he was trying to hide in a back pack. Not including the bazooka he was asking for.

"Maybe they have good pizza." Nat joked seeming to be in better spirits somehow.

"You sound like Tony." I laughed.

"Great that's what I want to hear." She laughed and studied my face for a moment before grabbing the front of my shirt and pulling me into a kiss.

"Gross!" Tony yelled walking by and fake gagging.

"If he dies on your mission I won't care." Nat joked pulling back from the kiss a bit disappointed.

"Sure you won't." Nat tried to glare at me but I'd learned a long time ago that whenever she glanced at me her look would soften. Once again I was proven correct as her features immediately shifted to a look of complete adoration.

"After this whole mission is over we deserve a vacation." I noted as Tony and Bruce waved at me to hurry up and get on the plane.

"I know." Nat smiled and made her way to the jet across the way. Walking up the ramp I paused for a moment glancing over my shoulder to watch her go.

"She'll be okay buddy. You said so yourself." Tony's voice was surprisingly gentle and he patted me on the back.

"If there's a girl who can survive anything it's her." Bruce added the two of them gently coaxing me further into the jet as the ramp rose to close her off from view. For some odd reason I felt as though things weren't going to be so simple. This whole time we'd kept insisting that it would pass by quickly. That everything would be fine and maybe in a week we'd all be alive and well back home.

Call it false hope if you will. It was hope none the less, and if it made things easier, I was willing to pretend that in nothing more than two days time I'd be back with Nat. Maybe we could get a nice vacation, go somewhere far away for a long time, have nothing to do or worry about. Just peace for once. Maybe. Just maybe.