"How are you doing?"

May sighed and leaned back into the upholstery of the leather sofa. She looked up at Strange, who was leaning over the sofa from behind, looking down at her. His usually intense gaze was soft with concern for the woman, who had been separated so long from the boy that she loved so much.

"Thanksgiving is coming."

"I know." He moved around the couch and sat down beside her. "Have you had any more visions?"

They all three had seen various images of Peter the last many days, and it was the only thing keeping Strange and Wong from going crazy trying to figure out how to get the boy back where he belonged. As it was, they were still sifting through research materials, but they didn't want to risk interfering with whatever their alternates might be planning – and truthfully they didn't have a lot of ideas.

She smiled, slightly.

"You'll think I'm crazy…"

"Oh? That good?"

"I saw him in front of some kind of weird looking plane taking pictures with Tony Stark and the Avengers."

His smile was amused – although his expression was a little astounded.

"What's so crazy about that?" he asked sarcastically. "Everyone knows the Avengers – and Tony Stark, especially – love to set up private photo ops with strangers."

That made her smile widen, as he'd clearly hoped that it would.

"When you put it that way, it just sounds mad." May leaned against him, seeking solace. "What do you think these visions are?" she asked. "Are they real?"

"If you were the only one having them, I'd say they almost certainly were your own delusions. Wishful thinking at best, and manic hallucination at worst. Since Wong and I have both had similar happenings, however, there's no possible way the three of us are having shared mental issues." He was a brain surgeon – at least he had been – so he knew how the mind worked. "So they must be real."

"Think we should approach the Avengers?" May asked. "Or Tony Stark?"

"To see if they're holding Peter?"

"To see…" she trailed off. "It isn't these Avengers… if he's in a different reality –"

"Which we are certain that he is."

"Then the Avengers here won't have any idea what we're talking about."

"Right."

"Damn it."

He put a comforting arm around her.

"It was a good thought."

"What do we do?"

"He's safe, May. And I know it's felt like an eternity, but it hasn't been that long. Let's see what happens. But tell me if you have any more visions, please."

"I will."

OOOOOOOO

It didn't take long to clean the mess in the kitchen, and by the time the boys walked out of the room and back into the main area of the lounge, the amount of people sitting around the cake talking had increased. Natasha and Clint were both there, as was Carol, who had joined them but had told Tony and Pepper that she and Steve were going into the city for dinner that evening.

"You have to save us a piece of your cake, Peter," Carol said when the boys walked over to the table.

Peter grinned.

"Sure. You're leaving?"

"She has a date," Clint told him, smirking from the other side of the table. "With Steve."

Carol's smile was cheerful. It had been a long time since she'd been around a lot of people (people that weren't from outer space) and she was more and more glad that she had decided to stick around the compound for a while – and not just because of Steve.

"We're going to a movie," she told the boy. "But I want to try your cake – and I know Steve will, too."

"We can save you some," he assured her, sitting down beside Natasha, while Pete sat next to Carol.

"Unless it turns out to be delicious," Tony told them. "Then we're going to eat it all and you and Steve will have to settle for something from a box."

"It's a big cake," Pepper said with a smile. "I'll make sure there's a couple of pieces left."

"Thanks."

"How are they doing on dinner?" Tony asked Peter and Pete, pretending to huff about being forced to share the cake. "Are we getting close?"

Since the boys had come from the kitchen, they were clearly the ones to ask.

"They're making ham and potatoes," Peter reported. "The other option is meatloaf."

"It smells good," Pete added. "Shouldn't be long." He looked expectantly at Tony, and then at Pepper, who had to force herself not to roll her eyes, well aware what turn the topic around their dinner table was going to take. Sure enough, the next question was asked with a mixture of hopefulness and excitement. "What did you decide?"

Tony smirked.

"She didn't. But not from my lack of trying," he added. "I'm all for you getting a tattoo," he told the boy. "The bigger and gaudier the better."

He wouldn't have to look at it every day, after all.

Pepper did roll her eyes, then, amused, and not hiding it.

"It can't be big and gaudy," she said, firmly.

Natasha frowned.

"What are you guys talking about?"

"My tattoo," Pete replied.

"You're going to get a tattoo?" Clint asked, surprised. He looked at Pepper. "You're letting him get a tattoo? Seriously?"

"I'm considering it," Pepper temporized. "But only if he shows me something sensible – and small."

"Naked lady riding a motorcycle?" Clint offered.

Pete rolled his eyes, too. Clearly he wasn't helping, now was he?

"How small?" he asked Pepper, practically vibrating with excitement.

"No larger than Peter's," Tony said.

"Of what?" Pete asked.

"That's for you to decide," Pepper told him. "But we have veto powers to all designs," she added, gesturing to herself and Tony.

"Wow." He started to get up, but Tony stopped him by holding up a hand.

"Not until after dinner," he said.

"And cake," Natasha added, smiling at seeing how excited he looked.

True, he wasn't Peter, but really, he was, and she loved seeing such a happy expression on the face that she knew and loved so much.

"Aww…"

Peter smiled, too.

"If you want, we'll have Karen help," he offered. "I can't draw, can you?"

"No."

"Then Karen can make the sketches as we input ideas. Something will come up that will be just right."

"Better come up with it fast," Clint pointed out. "Nat said that Stephen thinks they have the information they need to start coming up with how they're going to get you home."

Pete suddenly looked worried, and Pepper smiled, understanding completely.

"If you guys come up with something suitable," she said, emphasizing the word. "We'll have it done, tomorrow."

"Really?"

"Peter has a half day of school because of the holiday break," Pepper told them. "I'll call the same artist who did the rest of them and see if she's available, and if she is, Tony can bring you to the tower after lunch, and she can meet us there. That way you won't be gone long."

"And if Stephen and Wong need him?" Tony asked.

"They can make a portal," she reminded him. "And bring him back here, then."

Now that she had committed to allowing it, she wasn't going to disappoint the boy.

The billionaire's expression showed that he understood, and he agreed.

"Sounds like a plan," he said.

"But it has to be tasteful," she reminded him – and Peter.

He was certainly going to help, after all.

Peter grinned, growing excited, as well.

"Yeah. We can do that."

"Good." Tony smiled, also pleased at making both boys so happy. "Go ask when we can eat."

"Okay."