AN: Haha, I figured my long time Stargate readers would appreciate that reference, and I was right!

OOOOOOOOOOO

"Wait. What?"

"Do you really need me to repeat everything I just said?" Stephen asked, pointedly.

Tony shook his head, and only Pepper's hand in his stopped him from running his fingers through his hair.

"He's here? Peter?"

"Yes." Stephen held up a cautioning hand. "But he isn't your Peter, Tony," he reminded the man. "He's from a different reality, and in his he doesn't even know you. Although he knows who you are, of course."

"How is that possible?" Pepper asked.

"There are plenty of realities out there," Strange told them. "In some – and the one that he's from – May is still alive, so he lives with her. It also appears that he's my apprentice," he added.

"Really?"

"So it would seem."

Tony stared at him for a moment, recalling a conversation that he'd had with Peter 0 his Peter – where he'd told the boy that if he wanted to be a magician, Tony would help him in any way necessary. Of course, that must not be what had happened in this new Peter's reality, because he would still know Tony, whether he was a magician, or not.

"Well, that's a good choice, too," Tony conceded. "Why not keep him here until you figure out how to get him back?"

"Because I'm not going to be here, and I don't think it would be wise to take him with me. Wong is already in London, looking through their archives for this figurine the boy told us about."

"Do you think it's safe for him to come back with us?" Pepper asked, uncertainly. "What about Entropic Cascade failure?"

"What is that?" Tony asked, looking at her, and not missing that Stephen rolled his eyes.

"It's when two people try to share the same reality," she explained. "They die-"

"You watched Stargate with Peter?" Stephen asked.

She nodded.

"During some down time we went through a bunch of old sci-fi shows. It was pretty interesting."

"Answer the question, though, Stephen," Tony asked, still looking worried. "What about this Entropic Cascade-"

"It isn't a real thing," the magician interrupted. "Wong and I have both been to alternate realities where we existed, simultaneously. True, we have never spoken with our alternate selves, but there isn't any harm in it. I assure you, it's safe."

"You don't think it would freak Peter out?" Pepper asked. "To have another one of him around?"

"This one isn't a baby, right?" Tony

That drew a smile from Strange.

"No. He's probably the same age as your Peter is – although I haven't asked."

"Is he alright?" Pepper asked – not surprising either man. "I mean, he isn't hurt, I know, but is he freaking out about this?"

They had Peter's sleepwalking mostly solved, it seemed. She wanted to know if it was something that they needed to worry about with the other one.

"He's handling it better than I am," Stephen admitted. "I haven't had much time with him," he added. "But I know your son well enough that I can tell that I don't see those typical signs of uncertainty and stress in this boy that I would see in Peter."

"Of course, he might just be in shock," Tony pointed out.

"True." Strange managed a slight smile. "I wouldn't send him to you if I had a better option," he said. "But-"

"No. We should definitely be the ones that he's with during this," Pepper interrupted. "Who better to keep an eye on him, physically and mentally?"

Tony nodded his agreement and Stephen breathed an almost unnoticed sigh of relief. They were his first choice, as well, obviously.

"Well, he's definitely nervous about meeting you," he told them. "You, in particular, Tony."

The billionaire smiled.

"Of course, he is. We'll get him over the shock that is me, and get him home where we can try to keep him too occupied to worry about things."

"He's your apprentice?" Pepper asked, Stephen.

"So he said. He certainly knows his way around the artifacts in the library as if he's handled them plenty of times."

"Does the cloak love up on him like it does Peter?"

"No. Not exactly." Strange smiled. "But that would be the way it should be if he's my apprentice. The cloak looks to me and can't cozen up to two magicians at the same time. It would have to be more standoffish if it sensed that the boy is training with magic."

"But he could be a wizard someday…?" Tony asked, curiously.

"Of course he could. Your son could, as well, and you know it. But he wants to be an avenger, instead, and marry an African princess, or something crazy dull like that."

Pepper snorted, softly, and Stephen winked at her, which only made Tony roll his eyes – but he was amused, too, and that was a good mindset to be in when meeting the newcomer. Which was probably why Stephen had done it.

"Let's go meet him," he suggested, standing up. "You have a mystery to solve. Where is he?"

"In the library."

"Alone?"

"With the cloak."

The three walked down the short corridor and into the room in question. Sure enough, the boy sitting at the mammoth table that dominated the front part of the room looked almost exactly like the boy that they'd just left at the compound only twenty minutes before. There were some differences, Tony saw them as easily as Stephen had, but the same eyes, the same way he shifted, and those same eyes that looked up at them as they walked into the room.

Then they widened in disbelief.

"Holy fuck…"

"Peter Benjamin Parker!"

The boy flinched at Pepper's automatic response, and Tony actually barked a laugh at both responses.

"Sorry…" Peter – the other Peter? Peter 2.0? AR Peter? Smiled, shyly at Pepper, but then looked at Tony, eyes still wide. "You're really Tony Stark…"

Tony nodded, and he didn't need to force the smile. The kid looked like his son, and the voice was the same. The differences were there, yes, but it didn't change the fact that it was Peter. Reminding himself that even though it looked like Peter, this boy would almost certain freak out if Tony caught him up in a hug, he offered him his hand, instead.

"I really am," he agreed. "It's a pleasure to meet you…"

"Wow." Peter reached out, and Pepper was forced to hide her amusement at the shock and awe in Peter's expression. "I can't believe I'm meeting you."

"We met before, though," Tony reminded the boy, his smile pleased. "At the expo."

The eyes that were already so amazed looked ready to pop out any minute.

"You know about that?"

"I do," Tony told him. "Because you told me. Well, not you, but the you that lives here, with us." He smiled, and let go of Peter's hand so he could gesture to Pepper. "This is my wife, Pepper."

"Wow." Peter offered her his hand, too, and his smile was endearingly shy. "You're really Peter's mom and dad, here?"

"Yes." Pepper wanted to hug him, but – like Tony – she didn't. "We understand that there was some kind of accident – in your reality, that is – that brought you here…"

He nodded, and now he was more abashed than anything.

"I touched something that I shouldn't have."

"That happens," Tony assured him. "Your doppelganger, here in this reality, got into something that he shouldn't have and somehow managed to turn himself into a toddler."

Peter's eyebrows disappeared under his bangs.

"Really? Did you fix it?"

"Stephen did," Tony confirmed. He smiled. "And he and Wong can figure this one out, too. I'm told that they just need time. We'd like you to come stay with us – at the compound," he added. "Not only will it give Stephen a chance to work on things here, but it'll give you a safe place to lay your head while he does."

"And we'd like a chance to get to know you," Pepper added. "If you don't mind…?"

"The compound is where the Avengers live?"

"Most of them," Tony confirmed. "And our son." He hesitated. "You'd be okay meeting him?"

"Does he know about me?"

"Not, yet."

"You don't think he'll freak out or anything?"

Tony shook his head.

"Would you?"

"Maybe." The boy smiled, though, obviously excited at the thought. "But if you're willing to have me, I'd come. Thank you."

"Just until the wizards figure out a way to get you back where you belong," Tony told him, his expression amused and telling Peter that he knew Stephen didn't like being called a wizard.

Sure enough, now it was Strange who rolled his eyes.

"Just for that, you can walk home…"

Pepper smiled but turned her attention to the boy.

"Are you hungry?"

"Yes."

"Let's get you home, then."