Peter was even more pale than he had been, and his eyes were filled with dismay as he looked between Wong and Stephen.

"She'd dead?"

"Here, in this reality, she is," Strange said, gently. "Yes."

"But how?"

"She was very sick."

"But you're a doctor…"

It was so similar to the initial conversation that he'd had with Peter the day he'd explained May's illness that it made Stephen ache with sorrow.

"I know."

"He did everything that he could," Wong told the boy. "In the end, she passed in peace and with the person she loved the most right beside her, holding her."

"He… I mean… me… What did he do?" Peter asked, obviously upset. "How did he handle… how could he handle it…?"

"He was surrounded by the people who love him, most," Strange replied. "They supported him and helped him through the worst of it. And still are."

"Tony Stark…"

"Among others."

"How did I... I mean, he… how did they meet?"

"That would be a story for another time," Stephen said, well aware that that particular story could take hours, and there were other things that needed to be done. Unfortunately, they were things that they needed to do without Peter underfoot. "We need to figure out which reality you're from and get you back there. Your aunt must be frantic."

Peter nodded his agreement and looked at his watch. Not the fancy watch that Tony had built him with the web slinger nanotech and GPS locator spell in it that Stephen, himself, had assisted in the creating of, but a cheaper one that had a calculator built into it.

"She wouldn't know anything is wrong, yet," he said. "It's still early, and she won't be expecting me for a while." He hesitated. "I imagine neither of you are going to be rushing to tell her. You'll – I mean they – will probably try to figure out what happened, first, and see if you – they – can get me back before she gets told."

Wong and Stephen exchanged a look. It was obvious that the boy knew them well.

"We're going to see if we can figure it out, too," Strange said.

"How?"

"I'm going to go to London," Wong replied. "And see if I can find anything that looks like the statue you described. If I can, I'll bring it back and we'll have Peter take a look at it and see if he can figure out a way to make it do the opposite of whatever it did to bring you here."

"The other Peter?" the boy asked. "The one who lives here?"

"Right."

"Does he know magic, too, then? Is he your apprentice?"

Strange hesitated.

"That's complicated. No. he doesn't know magic and he doesn't live here at the sanctum. He lives at the Avenger's compound with Stark and the others."

"He has some other talents, though," Wong said. "And it might help us with this." He looked at Strange. "Are you going to tell stark what's happening?"

"I have to," Stephen answered. "While you're in London, I'm going to do some reality hopping, and I can't bring Peter with me."

"You're going to take him out to the compound?" the other sorcerer asked. He didn't look concerned, only interested. "I'd love to be a fly on the wall when he hears this one…"

Peter frowned.

"This one?"

"Yes." Strange shrugged. The boy didn't need to be told about being turned into a toddler, just then. They were already throwing a lot at him, and it was plain that he was fairly well stable – emotionally – because he seemed to be handling it much better than Tony's Peter would have, Stephen decided. He wondered why. "Another story for another time," he told Peter. "But I definitely need to stash you at the compound. It's the safest place for you while you're here."

"I could stay here."

"Not unsupervised, you can't," Wong told him.

"I have, before."

"Alone?" Wong asked, pointedly.

"Well… not completely alone. But sometimes in between lessons. If one of you has to leave, or something. The cloak will stay and make sure nothing happens."

It was clear that he knew the sanctum could be dangerous. Another indication that he was definitely Stephen's protégé.

"I need the cloak with me," Stephen told him.

"You'll like Stark," Wong assured him. "He's not going to freak out, or anything, either."

"He might," Strange disagreed. "But that can't be helped. Pepper will calm him down."

"And Peter."

"Yes."

The boy's eyes widened as he realized what all they were saying.

"I can't meet me."

"Why not?" Wong asked. "He's a good guy. You should get along pretty well, all things considered."

"Because we'll die."

"What? Why?"

"Because of Entropic Cascade failure…" the boy told them.

"What?"

"Entropic Cascade Failure," Peter repeated. "It's when two people from different realities share the same reality and they die because of it…"

Strange looked at Wong.

"Have you ever heard of that?"

"No." Wong was a pretty smart guy and had been in alternate realities, before. He was certain. "Did you learn that being Stephen's apprentice?"

"No. I saw it on Stargate."

The sorcerer supreme frowned.

"What?"

"Stargate," Peter repeated. "It's an old TV show about a group of people who go through this stargate and they – well, they aren't all people. One's an alien, but he's a goo-"

"You and the Peter from this reality aren't going to die," Wong interrupted. "Not from being in the same place. I've been in other realms plenty of times and never felt anything off."

"But –"

"What do your spider senses tell you?" Stephen asked. "Are you getting any edginess that is warning you this is a bad idea?"

The boy hesitated, obviously doing a self-check.

"No. Not really."

"Then you're fine."

"How are you going to break the news to Tony and Pepper?" Wong asked, curiously.

"Good question…"

Peter suddenly looked nervous.

"What if they don't like me?" he asked.

Strange smiled, reaching his hand out and putting it on Peter's shoulder, reassuringly.

"They like you. Believe me."

OOOOOOO

They were getting ready to call it a night when the call came in. Tony's watch beeped, and Peter looked at it the same time his father did. Stark smirked, winking at the boy as he raised his hand to allow himself to reply to the call.

"Stephen? If you're trying to reach your girlfriend, you dialed the wrong number."

Peter grinned at the slight hesitation on the other end of the call. He loved it when Tony tried to get a rise out of Strange. As long as it was done in fun, like it was, just then.

"My hot girlfriend is on my speed dial," the sorcerer assured him. "And I'll call her, later. Are you busy?"

"I'm beating Peter at chess."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Because he's much better than Tony is," Pepper replied, before Strange could. She'd been watching them play, but had simply decided to watch, rather than play the winner. It was more fun, really. "And you know it."

"That's true. Hey, I have a bit of a situation, here at the sanctum and I need a quick consult. Can you two come over for a minute? I'll make you a portal."

"Us two?" Tony echoed. "Me and Peter?"

"You and Pepper," came the correction. "It isn't a secret, but I'd rather Peter wasn't here, just yet."

Tony frowned, looking at his son, curiously. Peter was just as confused, and it was evident by his expression.

"Do you know what's going on?" he asked Alec.

"No. Strange is too far away to read him," the ancient sorcerer replied. "And I can't read a disembodied voice."

Obviously.

Tony glanced at Pepper, who shrugged and nodded. The billionaire echoed it, even though Strange couldn't see it.

"Yes. We can come."

"I'll make the portal in your workroom," Stephen told them.

"Do we bring anything?"

"No. And no need to suit up," he added. "It isn't anything that needs Ironman – or Rescue. Just Tony Stark and his beautiful wife."

For now.

"We'll be right there."

The call ended.

"What do you think it is?" Pepper asked before Peter could.

Tony shrugged.

"It's Stephen," he reminded them, standing up. "It could be anything."