"What's VIP A?" Pete asked as they walked out of the workroom, Peter holding Nutmeg.

"It's one of the VIP rooms that they have here for the more important visitors." Peter smiled. "They're nice. A living room, a bedroom and a bathroom – and big TVs that stream everything."

"That's cool."

"Right?"

He'd known what would be important to him, after all.

"You really live here?"

"Yeah." Peter hesitated. "We moved out here when May died."

"Oh." The other boy hesitated. "What was that like?"

"It was terrible," Peter admitted. "I wouldn't have made it without Tony and the others. I never knew anything could hurt so bad. When you get back, make sure you hug her, close."

"I will." He looked around, trying to think of a less depressing topic. "Do you like it here?"

"Yeah. Tony adopted me, and then he married Pepper, and they decided it was better to live out here than at the tower – although my room there is pretty cool."

"Stark tower?" Pete asked, looking awed, once more.

"Yeah."

"Wow. And they let you have Frodo…?"

"Frodo?"

The other boy gestured to Nutmeg, who was already half-asleep.

"His name is Nutmeg, here," Peter said. "Pepper named him."

"Ned named Frodo."

"Which explains the name."

"Why did she name him Nutmeg?"

"Because of the nutmeg thing that almost killed me. It's kind of how I ended up spending more time with Tony and them – and how I met Stephen."

"Cool name," Pete said, approvingly.

He reached out and ruffled the kitten's ears.

"He doesn't know he's a Flerkin," Alec told Peter.

"Do I tell him?"

"No reason to. Let him have the same fun of discovery that your folks did. Although I'd love to see Stephen and Wong's faces when they find out."

Peter smiled, still walking down the corridor.

"Tony said that you're learning magic with Stephen…" he said. "How did that happen without you knowing Tony?"

"Dr. Strange found out about me and said he was curious how I could do what I do." Pete smiled. "He thought I was using magic, or something. He tracked me down one night while I was out patrolling and approached me."

"What did you do?"

"I thought he was some kind of perv," the other boy admitted. "And I took off."

Peter laughed at that.

"What did he do?"

"Came knocking at the apartment like normal people do," was the reply. "He didn't tell May what he did, immediately – she thought he was just a heart surgeon – but when she found out, and when Dr. Strange asked me if I was interested in discussing an internship, she said she wasn't against the idea as long as it didn't put me in danger while I was doing the Spiderman thing."

Peter stopped in the corridor.

"She knew?" he asked, surprised. "I mean… she knows?"

"Yes. Yours didn't?"

"She did," Peter said, feeling that same pang when he thought of the moment that May had informed him she knew his secret identity. "But I didn't know that she did."

Pete's smile was rueful.

"She caught me coming in one night," he told his doppelganger. "I was so busted."

"Was she mad?"

"Yeah. She got over it, though, and said she was proud of me."

"That's amazing…"

"Yeah."

They were quiet as the walked the rest of the way, but Pete was looking around with interest. That interest grew when Peter opened the door to his quarters, and they walked in.

"Hello, Peter. Hello, Pete."

"Hi, Karen."

"What's that?" Pete asked.

"Karen," Peter replied. "She's my AI. Like Tony has FRIDAY in his suit, and in his rooms – and pretty much everywhere he is. I have Karen."

"Wow. To keep you out of trouble?"

"No. She's in my suit, too – so she does keep me out of trouble, then."

"Your suit has an AI?"

Now he was impressed, and it showed.

"I live with Tony Stark," Peter reminded him. "Of course it does."

"Can I see it?"

"Yeah."

"Later," Karen suggested, before Alec could. "If you start talking technology you won't be finished for days, and your father will have to come looking for you."

Peter shrugged, looking at Pete.

"She's probably right."

"Yeah."

"Remind me, tomorrow, though – if you're still here. I'll show you, then."

"Cool." The other boy looked around the room, noticing all of the different items that made the room distinctly Peter's. "This is nice."

"Yeah. I'm lucky. I-"

"Incoming call from Shuri," Karen announced, interrupting.

"Oh." He looked at Pete. "Stand over here a minute, will you?"

Understanding the request – and the reason for it – the other boy moved to where Peter gestured.

"Good?"

"Yeah, thanks. Put her up on the TV, here, please, Karen."

It would be unusual for him to not have Shuri on the screen and Peter knew she would be curious why the change – especially if he was in his room. He was pretty sure that telling her about Pete wasn't something Tony would want. A moment later Shuri was on the screen, looking cheerful and beautiful as always.

"Hello, Peter my love."

He smiled. That was her way of telling him that T'Challa was near at hand.

"My beautiful princess. How fares Wakanda?"

"It will be a glorious day, Peter," she told him. A quick look off to her left before looking back at him. "Ask me why."

Peter grinned, certain it had to do with her brother.

"Why?" he asked, dutifully.

"Because there are thirty women in the palace, today," replied. "Mother has invited them to come for a day of entertainment, but it is really a chance to parade some of the hopefuls in front of my brother so he can finally choose one and settle down."

T'Challa's face came into view.

"It is ridiculous, Peter," the young king told the boy. "How am I supposed to choose? I am too young to settle down. You understand that."

"I do, your Majesty," Peter assured him.

"You should talk to my mother," T'Challa suggested. "She likes you. She will listen to you."

"She wants grandchildren," Shuri said, pushing her brother out of the way. "And will not look at me to supply them to her, as yet."

"Lucky for me," Peter said, making Shuri laugh.

"I must go," she told him. "Anything interesting going on?"

Peter glanced at his companion, and then back to her.

"I'll tell you, later. Have a fun day."

"I will."

"Good luck, T'Challa."

"Thank you, Peter."

The call ended.

"Who was that?" Pete asked, curiously.

"The pretty one is Shuri." He smiled. "She's my girlfriend. The other one is her older brother T'Challa."

"You called him Majesty…"

"Because he's the king of Wakanda."

"Where's that?"

The display came on, again, and this time there was a map of Africa, helpfully displayed by Karen. The tiny nation was highlighted for him.

"It isn't very large, but it's really pretty, and filled with amazing people."

"Wow. How did you meet?"

"Another one of those long stories." He wasn't sure how much to tell him, really, or if anything was supposed to be secret. It wasn't like he could really mess up the timeline, or something right? It wasn't his timeline. "Do you have a girlfriend?" he asked, curiously.

"MJ. You know her, right?"

"Yeah, of course. We tried to date."

"What happened?"

"We had some differences. She doesn't like being worried about me all the time, and I get into some sticky situations…"

The other boy laughed at that.

"The Parker luck, right?"

"Right."

"We had a pretty big argument about me being Spiderman," Pete told him. "She doesn't like me doing dangerous stuff."

"That's consistent."

A smile.

"I pointed out that if I decide to be a fireman, or something, that's even more dangerous, and I guess she agreed, because we kissed and made up and now she doesn't do more than give me nervous looks when I go out."

"You must be more persuasive than I am."

"Probably. Maybe because I work with Doctor Strange and he's pretty good at that kind of thing."

"Of course, it's likely that he hasn't been injured as often as you, either," Alec pointed out. "So he hasn't given her reasons for being so worried."

"Good point." Peter led Pete into his bedroom. "So you could be here just a few hours," he said, heading to his dresser. "But just in case, I have a lot of clothes – and we know they fit, at least. Sweats to sleep in and some t—shirts?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"The VIP rooms are all set up with toothpaste and stuff like that," Peter said, pulling out jeans, sweats, and t-shirts. He even had brand new underwear, still in the package, which he handed over. No one wanted to wear used underwear, after all. Even if it was their alternate self that had last been in them. "So you should be good to go for that kind of stuff."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." Peter gave the other boy a look. "I know it's weird for you," he added. "If it were me, it'd be weird. And maybe a little scary. But you're in good hands. Not mine," he added. "But Tony and Pepper are great – and so are the others."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome." He added a hand-held video game to the top of the stack of clothes. "Come on. Let's drop this stuff off. You're going to love meeting the Avengers."

And they were definitely going to be interested in meeting him, now weren't they?