A/N: So I'm going to be a little lazy and not describe each one of the machines that they made, individually. Mainly because that kind of description would take up the whole chapter and would be boring, probably. Just assume they are all a version of some kind of catapult or a trebuchet although all will be impressive, of course.

OOOOOOOO

"So what do I do?" T'Challa asked, looking at the device on the table in front of him.

Shuri rolled her eyes, but Tony understood the question. They'd put all of their creations on the tables – except Shuri's which was a little bigger and was on the ground beside the tables. Tony had been forethinking enough to bring clamps and each one of them were firmly attached to the table. Then, reminding them all that it had been his idea and he should go first, Tony had loaded a medium sized pumpkin into his device. Peter wasn't fooled, though. He was pretty sure that his adopted father was thinking that of something was going to go wrong, he was better off being the first one to have it happen to, rather than one of the kids – or a royal from Wakanda.

Of course, it didn't go wrong.

He hit the lever and the counterweight dropped. The pumpkin soared through the air with little fanfare and landed some 70 feet away with a thud and a splat as it shattered into several pieces. With an excited bark, Spot had chased it down, sniffing those pieces with interest until Jack had called him back to them, and then Tony had given them all a smug look and challenged them to beat his chuck.

Peter had gestured for MJ and Shuri to step up first, and MJ had deferred to Shuri since she was the only princess in the group. The girl had stepped up and smiled a thank you to Peter when he hefted the heavy pumpkin and put it in her launcher. Then she, too, had hit her lever and they all watched the pumpkin get thrown down the course, landing close enough to Tony's that there was some good-natured trash talk about who was ahead.

MJ's had gone, next, with a toss that went further than the other two, and Tony had reminded the girl (after her own smug glance at the billionaire) that she'd designed it, but he'd been the one to build it, so he should get some credit.

"Twelve percent," Pepper had said, making Tony roll his eyes, amused.

"Twelve percent," he'd agreed.

Ned went, next, and his had fallen short of the others, but he'd just pointed out that his pumpkin was less aerodynamic than theirs had been. When Peter loaded his own pumpkin chucker he's grinned, hugely, and hit the lever, releasing his pumpkin to fly across the field, and had forced down his own smug expression when his went beyond the others.

The only one that hadn't been tested, yet, was Ben's, and Tony had offered Pepper a chance to use it, but she'd shaken her head and pointed out that, as king and guest, T'Challa should have a chance at the fun, too. Hiding his excitement behind a mask of royal soberness, he'd waited until Peter loaded a pumpkin and had stepped back, and then had looked at Tony for guidance.

Not all of them had levers, after all, and T'Challa didn't see the mechanism for releasing this one.

"You pull the cord, there," Tony replied, pointing toward a small rope that was cleverly holding it all together.

The Wakandan did as he was told and the pumpkin flew, landing next to Peter's.

"That was very well done," Shuri grudgingly admitted, hating being bested, but princess enough to give credit where it was due.

"Too bad Ben wasn't here to see it," MJ said, already heading to the pile of pumpkins to get another for her device.

It wasn't a one and done thing, after all. They had all morning and plenty of pumpkins.

"I'm making a recording for him," Tony lied, easily.

"Can I have a copy?" Ned asked, hopefully, also going to the pumpkin pile.

This wasn't really a secret Avenger thing, really, and the billionaire shrugged.

"I don't see why not. Don't mention Jack or his place by name, though," he added, looking at Ned and MJ, both. "He and Gina don't need to be overrun with people trying to use them to get to us, right?"

"Yeah. No worries."

MJ nodded her own agreement to that, and they all loaded their devices.

"Same time, this time?" Peter asked.

"Sure."

"Jack?' Tony asked, turning toward their host and gesturing to his machine. "Do you want to try it?"

The old marine smiled and stepped forward.

"Yes."

"Steve?" Shuri was willing to offer hers to Captain America. "You may use mine."

"Thanks."

He stepped up, as well, and Peter smiled at the way he and Jack both stood the same way and even squared their shoulders the same. It was a military thing, he knew from seeing so many of the SHIELD recruits at the compound.

"Come try it, Pepper," Ned said, reaching over and taking her hand so she couldn't refuse.

When Peter looked at Okoye to offer her a turn with his own, the royal guard simply shook her head. They were in a friendly land and surrounded by friendly people, but she wasn't going to let her guard down. Not even to try the device.

No matter how interesting it looked.

Soon the pumpkins were flying, and Spot was barking, excitedly, but didn't chase them, again. Peter and Steve went to the field with a cart to find more pumpkins while the competition went from the farthest toss, to the highest arc, to the most pieces splattered into on landing.

"The deer are going to have plenty to eat," Gina said, walking out to see how things were going, eventually, with T'Choinker's head sticking out from the top of her coat.

The little piglet didn't look too impressed, but the rest of them had a great time.

OOOOOOOO

The money had been a shock. Peter hadn't found it right away, because he'd been so busy greeting everyone and telling them what had happened and who he'd been with. It was only on Thanksgiving morning when he'd decided to unpack his backpack beyond the bag of swag that they'd sent home with him that he'd found the bundle of bills at the bottom.

"Holy shit…"

"Peter Benjamin Parker!"

He'd smiled, apologetically, to his aunt.

"Sorry." He was a teenager, but you'd think she though he was five, or something, and had never heard a swear word in his life. He'd held up the money, all in neat bundles. "Look."

Her eyes had widened as she realized what she was looking at.

"Where did you get that?" she asked. Then she got a slightly suspicious look in her expression. "Did you rob a bank?"

Peter chuckled and shook his head.

"Of course not." He saw a card at the bottom of the bag and set the bundles of cash down in order to pick it up. "'We enjoyed your company, but we're glad you are back where you belong. Use this to buy your aunt something to apologize for worrying her. Tony and Peter.'"

"That was nice of them," May said, smiling at the shock on her nephew's face.

She was surprised, too, of course.

"Yeah." He grinned. "What do you want? And don't say I should spend it on myself, either. It's for you, Tony said."

She didn't argue with him, well aware that she could figure out a way to get herself something that he would like just as much – if not more.

"Why don't we wait until tomorrow to discuss it?" she suggested. "Today we'll eat and drink and be merry with our friends, and then you can take me shopping, tomorrow."

Peter put the money back into the bag but didn't toss it back onto the floor where it had been, before he'd known there was a huge wad of cash in it. Now it was put on his bed and a quick, almost unobtrusive spell was cast to make sure it stayed there.

"Let's get to the sanctum," he agreed. "I'm hungry."

May put an arm around his shoulder, holding him and so happy to have him back.

"So am I."