Author's Notes: So this chapter is conveniently being posted the day after the "Wakanda Forever" dropped

I'm excited for it right after seeing "Love and Thunder"


The next day, Laura was dragging down her two large suitcases from her old bedroom down the stairs.

"All packed?" her mom asked.

She dragged the suit cases to her other one and strapped her bag over her shoulder.

"Should be." she pulled out her phone to check the time.

The doorbell rang at that moment and she answered it.

"Hi, T'Challa. Right on time." she smiled.

"Laura." he nodded with a smile.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"I believe so." she said but she saw his eyes look over to her mom, standing politely behind her.

"Oh uh T'Challa this is my mom. Mom, this is Prince T'Challa." she introduced them.

"It's an honor to meet you. Laura is an amazing woman." T'Challa greeted, complimenting her.

Laura looked down, doing her best to prevent a blush which her mom noticed.

"It's nice to meet you as well. Keep an eye on her though. She tends to get into trouble." her mom joked.

"I do not." she denied. T'Challa gave her a knowing smile and she frowned.

"You're suppose to be on my side not hers." she crossed her arms jokily.

He smiled back and she reached for her bags.

"So let's get going then." she began to walk out but he grabbed her bags for her.

"Allow me." he offered. Laura hugged her mom before the two walked out of the house.

She saw a black Audi SUV on the street and got into the backseat while T'Challa put her bags in the back.

"Ms. Watson." Okoye greeted her from the driver seat with a nod.

"Okoye." she nodded back.

T'Challa got in next to her and Okoye began to drive away.

"So is that where you grew up?" T'Challa asked her.

"Yep. It was just my mom and I. Pretty normal childhood if you ignore the whole "Gifted child" part." she joked with air quotes.

"Gifted child?" he asked curiously.

"Oh…" so she began to explain her childhood.

How she was always a few grades ahead of any other kids her age.

That she graduated from high school when she was thirteen.

MIT when she was seventeen.

She found him easy to talk too.

It was like they were old friends.

While they talked Okoye had driven them to New Jersey.

Laura raised an eyebrow as she pulled off the divided highway and onto a dirt road.

The road going parallel along the swamps and water that they were above.

"Uh where are we going?" she asked confused.

"You'll see." T'Challa hinted with a smile.

"We're here." Okoye announced as she pulled up to a dirt clearing.

Tall grasses and marsh surrounded them.

The three got out as the dust settled from the tires around them and T"Challa grabbed her bags.

"I don't understand. Why are we in the meadowlands?" she asked again.

"Our ride is here." Okoye answered while tossing her wig off.

Suddenly, a futuristic looking craft de cloaked right in front of them.

It was hovering and Laura dropped her mouth dumbfounded.

"I… what?" she managed to ask.

Okoye smirked but stepped onto the retreating ramp and T'Challa smiled.

"I'm afraid I haven't been entirely truthful with you…"


The craft cloaked itself and took off instantly over New Jersey towards the Atlantic.

While they flew towards Africa.

T'Challa showed her the craft.

Telling her how it ran and answered her questions.

The two were sitting on the bench that wrapped around the interior.

Okoye was piloting it, hovering her hands above the controls.

"My Prince. We are arriving." Okoye announced.

The two got up and looked out the large window.

Down below, Laura saw a jungle covered mountain range that towered over the clouds.

The sun was setting while Okoye flew the craft down into a rocky valley.

Her eyes were taking in the scenery.

Seeing ranchers herd sheep and men in traditional Wakandan clothing on horseback on the valley floor.

"Ok… this was kinda what I was expecting but this doesn't explain this…" she said while gesturing her arms around the craft.

"Just watch." T'Challa hinted as Okoye piloted the craft down towards a forest covered mountain range.

"I am watching and shouldn't we be going up!" she asked nervously.

"This never gets old." T'Challa smiled.

She looked up to him with confusion but back at the windshield and braced herself.

They flew through the "trees" which revealed itself to be a transparent barrier.

On the other side laid the real Wakanda.

Laura's eyes widened as she saw the ultra-modern city surrounded by the jungle mountains.

A river snaked its way through the futuristic looking towers.

She saw the Africa themes built into them.

And just how beautiful the city looked with the sunset shining on it.

The greenery that grew up them and in the center of the city was the Royal Palace itself.

It was huge with two large towers emerging from the base.

"I have no words…" she whispered, Still dumbfounded.

"Come. Mama and Baba are waiting for us." T'Challa snapped her out of it.

Okoye spun the craft around on the landing platform and lowered the ramp.

Waiting for them was King T'Chaka, a woman dressed in an elaborate white dress and a younger girl who was looking excited.

She and T'Challa stepped off side by side between a row of female guards.

All wearing the same red armor and holding a spear.

"Is all of this for me?" she whispered to him, slightly nervous.

He nodded yes and she looked between them, still amazed but T'Challa nudged her slightly, getting her attention.

She turned around to see herself right in front of her hosts.

"Hello. I am King T'Chaka. Welcome to Wakanda." he greeted with a smile.

"Thank you King T'Chaka. And Sorry. All of this is obvious a shock." Laura apologized with a bow of her head.

"That is okay. I would like to thank you for your heroic actions in New York." he thanked her.

She swallowed with unease but nodded and turned to the woman next to her.

"I am Queen Ramonda. I am so glad my son has brought you home to us." she said, Laura hearing the emotion in her voice.

"Thank you. I'm honored to be here." she nodded and turned to the younger girl who looked around twelve years old.

"I'm Shuri! T'Challa's sister! I'm so excited to finally meet you!" she beamed excitedly.

"Thank you." she repeated while shifting uneasily at the attention.

"Why don't we head inside. My son will show you to your room." T'Chaka offered.

Everyone headed inside the palace and Laura was still looking around in amazement.

The halls were large and the palace was unlike anything she had seen.

Her mansion looked like a small hut compared to it.

It was at that moment was when it dawned on her.

She let T'Challa guide her into the room absently.

It being large with towering floor to ceiling windows, a canopy bed, wood floors and an on suite.

She saw him place her bags on the bed and turned back to her who was still at the doorway.

"I know this wasn't what you were expecting." he stated obviously.

"I just… I thought I was heading to a third world country!" she blurted out.

He smiled again while stepping towards her.

"I mean I'm the last person to brag but I'm rich! Like really rich!" she rambled while looking up at his face who raised an eyebrow.

"I have a mansion in Beverly Hills… a penthouse in New York. Supercars… so I knew I've been sheltered so when you invited me to Wakanda I thought I don't know that I…" she continued but he finished for her.

"That has been our intention, yes. To protect Wakanda from the outside world."

"And here I am. Trying to humble myself before visiting this place only to figure out just to realize how small I am compared to you." she said in disbelief which he frowned.

"You don't need to treat me any different than you have been, Laura. After all you are an Avenger now." he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

She smiled up at him but a thought popped up in her mind.

"If this is the real Wakanda? Why were my parents living in Brooklyn? In 80's Brooklyn of all places?" she asked confused.

"Ah, that is something Baba wants to discuss with you. I can escort you to the throne room." he offered his arm.

"What a gentlemen. Thank you." she joked but took it with hers.

He walked her to the throne room which was guarded by two similar looking female guards with spears.

"Who are these?" she asked as they walked up to them.

"Dora Milaje." he answered and she nodded.

"Baba is inside." he inclined his head towards the double doors.


The Dora opened the double doors for her and she walked inside the large throne room.

She saw the council chairs and the throne itself in the middle with T'Chaka sitting on it.

"Ah, Laura. Thank you for joining me." he greeted her warmly while getting up.

"I should be the one saying thank you. After seeing everything, this invitation means more to me now than you could even imagine." she replied.

"Not what you were expecting?" he asked knowingly.

"I've flown with a God. I fought an alien army. I saw space and its vastness. But I've never seen anything like this." she said, still in awe about everything.

"In order to protect the Vibranium and Wakanda. We have hidden ourselves in plain sight. And have not interfered or interacted with the outside world." he explained.

The two sat down, Laura sitting in one of the council chairs.

She opened her mouth, wanting to ask the question she wanted to ask but closed it.

"That is a beautiful necklace." T'Chaka noticed it.

"Yeah, it was my mom's. I'm assuming you know I'm Wakandan obviously?" she asked while clenching it.

"Yes. In fact it was you who gave it away." he answered.

"What do you mean?" she asked with a frown.

"Well, when you were kidnapped…" he began gently and she took a deep breath.

"I saw your face on the news. And the necklace you were wearing only confirmed my suspicions You are a spitting image of your mama." he revealed.

"Did you know her?" she asked.

"Yes. Her and your Baba. They were Border Tribe." he answered.

"Border Tribe?" she asked with an eyebrow raised.

"One of the five tribes of Wakanda. Your Baba was my closest friend." he replied.

"Really?" she asked surprised.

"They fell in lovely quickly. But your Baba was a War Dog." he continued.

"What's that?" she asked, following along.

"One of our spies. He was our best. Your mama followed him when he was assigned to Brooklyn after they got married. They then had you it seems. I didn't know why they never told me. Maybe to protect you but then…" he began but Laura saw the anguish on his face.

"I know they died when I was young. But I don't know how." she told him.

"They were murdered, Laura." he said quietly.

"Murdered?" she whispered shocked.

"I was betrayed… by someone close to me. I didn't realize it until years later but there was a data leak of our spies. Many lives were lost. We tried to pull everyone back from their posts but it was too late for some." he said gravely and she swallowed.

"I still don't understand. If Wakanda is this reclusive and nobody knows it's this rich then why were my parents murdered?" she asked with confusion.

"Because Vibranium is in everything you see here. We use it to make and power our city, our weapons. In the wrong hands it can be invaluable. Even in the smallest amounts. Which all Wakandans have. The man who murdered your parents was after our Vibranium. To sell it to the wrong hands." he said sadly.

"How did he murder them?" she asked quietly.

T'Chaka inhaled a deep breath.

"They were driving back. I believe you were in the backseat from the police report when they were ambushed." he explained.

"Is that man still alive?" she asked and T'Chaka took a moment before nodding sadly yes.

"Not catching him will forever be my greatest regret." he said sadly.

She was gripping the arm rests tightly by the time he finished the story and Laura wiped away some tears in her eyes.

"Thank you for telling me this. All of it. It means more to me than you know." she said honestly.

"I only wish it had happened a long time ago. Your parents would have been proud at what you have become, Laura." T'Chaka smiled at her.

She simply smiled, the best she could do while trying to keep it together.

"And if I may ask, your adoptive mother?" he asked with a smile.

"She's my mom. She's all I know. If she didn't know my parents. Took me in. Who knows what would've happened." she shrugged her shoulders.

"The world would have lost one of its saviors." T'Chaka said while clasping her hands.

"Thank you for telling me. For all of this."


Laura had supper with T'Challa's family and it seemed like she had settled right in.

Shuri loved her and she saw herself in her.

A young genius with a knack for inventing things.

And she loved her enthusiasm and energy.

It was late at night now and Laura was reading a book in her room.

Sleep once again was eluding her.

She had her headphones on while laying on her bed.

Growing restless, she decided to lift her legs up with her hands and shift towards the edge of the bed where her prosthetics were to insert them in.

Venturing out of her room, she peaked around the door to see the hallway darkened and abandoned.

She walked out to explore, heading down towards the end where she saw a balcony in the distance.

It was late at night and she saw the city lights pouring in.

She walked out, feeling the warm humid summer breeze blow her hair gently.

The towers were all lit up, illuminating the darkened sky.

She stepped up to the edge and gripped the railing to take in the sight.

"Enjoying the view?" she heard T'Challa's voice.

She gasped and turned back to him who was back to wearing his more traditional Wakandan clothing.

"You know not many people can sneak up on me like that." she joked.

"I'm keeping an eye on my guest. Can't sleep?" he asked while stepping up next to her.

"Yeah, I've always been a light sleeper. Plus this is my first real break in years and years so I'm not use to just doing nothing." she shrugged her shoulders.

"Well then perhaps tomorrow I can give you a tour of the city and see the Border Province." he offered.

"Yeah, that sounds perfect." she smiled.

He smiled back but stared down at her.

She got lost in his eyes, everything else having seemingly disappear.

She got on her toes and he leaned down… their lips slowly meeting but she leaned back on her heels, snapping out of it.

"I should go I uh…" she tried saying, pointing at the door while stumbling around him.

"I will see you tomorrow, Laura." he said and nodded.

She backed away, still looking up at him until she was down the hall and spun around.

She walked back to the other end of it and entered her room.

Closing the door behind her, she leaned against it and groaned.

"What just came over me?" she asked herself, clearly flustered.


The next day, the two were walking along the main throughfare of the city.

The sun was shining and the Dora were surrounding them because Laura had attracted a large crowd.

Even her she was famous

Ramonda had picked out a traditional dress for her to wear.

She was always a mor causal person, never liking them unless she had to wear them for work or parties but she fell in love with the floor length dress that exposed her forearms.

She just waved and nodded at them while they worked their way through the crowd.

They made their way out to the countryside and into the Border Province.

Walking between traditional huts and farms.

The wooden fences keeping in the herds of goats.

Finally alone.

"Geez even here everyone knows where I am." she said, relieved to be alone.

"You are our most famous Wakandan. We're proud to call you our own." T'Challa complimented.

She smiled at him but felt that same feeling in her she felt last night.

"Get it together." she told herself under her breath.

They walked along the fence and turned to a farm where they saw a man dressed in traditional clothing waiting for them by a barn.

"Laura, this is W' Kabi. He is my oldest friend." T'Challa introduced him.

"It's nice to meet you W' Kabi." she shook his hand.

"So this is the woman T'Challa hasn't stopped talking about. I understand now." he teased them.

The same feeling crept up Laura once again and she looked down awkwardly.

"Stop it…" T'Challa asked with a smile.

"So, T'Challa says you are Border Tribe?" W' Kabi.

"Apparently so." she acknowledged.

"Show her the surprise." T'Challa asked him.

"What more can possibly surprise me…?" she began to ask but gasped at what walked around the barn.

"A rhino!" she said surprised.

The large animal calmly walked up to the fence between them.

"He's friendly." W'kabi reassured her. She looked between him and T'Challa who nodded.

She tentatively reached her hand out to its nose and petted him softly.

It sniffed and licked her on the cheek.

"This place will never not surprise me."


She spent the rest of the day with W' Kabi and T'Challa in the Border Province and among people of her tribe.

She was surprised how she seemed to just fit in and get along with everyone.

She and T'Challa headed back to the city.

Walking side by side.

The sun was setting while they walked along the streets designed for people first.

The streets were still crowded, people enjoying their night at the crowded shops and restaurants.

"So thank you for today. It means a lot." she thanked him.

"Well I was thinking that it didn't have to end yet…" he said while stopping.

She stopped with him and he inclined his head to the small restaurant next to him.

"Uh, sure. Dinner sounds great." the two ate in the secluded restaurant which Laura once again like T'Challa's company.

The couple were at a small table by candelight with plates of steaming lamb stew.

After asking about the large Black Panther statue she saw when they were flying in he was explaining to her the origins of it.

Herself being fascinated by it.

"Ok so let me get this straight…" she began while drinking her glass of beer.

"So your father is obviously the King but you're the Black Panther?" she asked and he nodded.

"I took the power of the Heart Shaped Herb yes. When my Baba became to old so he passed the mantle down to me." he explained.

"And the Heart Shaped Herb gives you super human strength? Like Captain America?" she asked.

"In a way, yes." he nodded.

She sank back into her chair, once again feeling inadequate compared to him.

"I had to work out day with the world's deadliest assassin just to get where I am." she sighed.

"Training?" he asked.

"Yeah well she was insistent on it. And I still think she was particularly hard on me because I kinda pointed a gun at her." she joked with a smile.

"And she didn't take it well?" he joked back.

"No but to be fair she did break into my house. But results don't lie although I'm clearly no where close to you even without the Heart Shaped Herb." she stated.

"Laura, I saw you fighting those aliens with your bare hands. Without any powers or suits. You are strong, Laura." he complimented.

She smiled again, feeling the same familiar feeling.

She picked up her fork to resume eating put paused at the beans.

"Is the meal alright?" he asked, noticing her absently moving the beans to the side of the plate.

"Oh it's delicious its just well after eating beans from a can for three months straight in a cave kinda ruined beans for me." she said light heartedly.

"I wanted to rescue you." he said.

She looked up from her plate to him with an eyebrow raised.

"I was told not to so I didn't but I did want to Laura." he said which she heard the sincerity in his voice.

"T'Challa it's okay. I didn't even know you back then. And even if you did somehow find us I wouldn't have wanted to put you or this place in danger. It's okay. Tony and I fought our way out." she reassured him.

"And then you saved the world." he smiled at her.

"It wasn't just me." she said humbly.

"Well uh thank you for dinner. It means a lot. What you did today." she said while getting up.

"It was my pleasure." he smiled while getting up as well.

The two stared at each other and she felt the tension once again.

Something came over her and she took a step towards him.

He leaned down to her and she reached up to kiss him.

He grabbed her waist and kissed her back.

They deepened the kiss and she released a moan which surprised her.

Stepping back onto her heels, she scratched her head awkwardly and looked down away from him.

"I'm sorry. I'm didn't…" she began but he interrupted her.

"You didn't have to stop, Laura." he hinted with his usual smile.


Later that night, Laura had found herself in T'Challa's bed in his large room.

The lights from the nearby buildings were shining through the windows of the dark room.

Her prosthetics were planted on the floor at the end of a trail of their clothes spread from the door to the large bed.

She was trying to catch her breath and pulled the blanket up to her neck.

"Well I guess there are some advantages to super human strength." she joked while panting, resting her head on a pillow.

"That wasn't the Heart Shaped Herb." he joked back.

"Well in any case I'm kinda a wreck right now and even on my best day I have no use of my legs so thanks. It was very sweet." she said while kissing him on the cheek.

"You're beautiful Laura. Even now." he reassured her while putting his arm around her.

"I'll allow the flattery. After all I'm sure I'm not he first girl you've brought up here." she smiled.

"Well I do have an ex…" he revealed.

"Oh…" she said, unsure what else to say.

"She is a spy. Our duties to our country have… conflicted with our relationship so we decided to end it mutually." he clarified.

"Sorry for prying. I'm not exactly use to all of this…" she said while gesturing her arms around.

"No exes I should be concerned about?" he joked.

"I've never had the time to date. Between work and then my injury. And now The Avengers leaves me hardly anytime just for myself. Let alone anything romantic." she shrugged her shoulders.

"But I do have some time this week…" she hinted with a smile for him.

He smiled back and the two kissed each other again.

"But I should head back into my room before anyone discovers us." she said while using her arms to push herself upwards.

Still clenching the blanket over her.

"You don't have to go. Mama and Baba love you. And so does Shuri." he reassured her.

"Oh, uh ok then…" she said surprised but conceded and leaned back down into the pillow.

"Speaking of Shuri, she wants to show you some of her designs tomorrow." he told her.

"Designs?"


The next morning, another futuristic looking craft flew Laura to a building built into the side of a tall cliff.

The Dora escorted her inside but she tried peaking over their heads to the large hole in the ground by the edge of the cliff.

They walked inside and down the halls that were decorated with Wakandan artwork.

Admiring the modern art, they turned down the lit up hall which she saw Shuri waiting for her.

"Finally! You've been spending all of your time with my brother I thought I'd never get to show you all of this!" the younger girl exclaimed dramatically.

"I haven't been spending all my time with T'Challa." she argued.

"Yes, you have. But anyway welcome to the lab!" she introduced it.

Laura looked around, seeing the large two story futuristic looking lab.

Some scientists in white coats were working at their stations and windows were the front wall.

"Wow. We have ten floors of R&D at the tower and its not even close to how high tech this is." she said in awe.

The two began walking down the circular ramp in the middle of the room to the lower floor.

"Well I would hope so. Even with you in charge Stark is decades behind us. No offence." she joked.

"Hey you guys have an unfair advantage. So are your designs made with the Vibranium?" she asked but gasped again.

They walked to the windows to see the large Vibranium mound.

The mine was glowing blue and reached thousands of feet downwards.

Equipment carrying the Vibranium up through the hole in the ground above.

"All of that is Vibranium?" she asked amazed.

"Vibranium is in everything here." Shuri answered.

"I understand now why you guys have been keeping all of this a secret." she finally realized.

"Yeah but enough of that. I want to show you my designs! I made them just for you…"


The rest of the week flew by for Laura which she mainly spent with T'Challa and occasionally Shuri in the lab.

She couldn't quite describe what she was feeling towards T'Challa individually but it was more than friendship.

The next thing she knew she was saying her goodbyes on the platform.

"Thank you King T'Chaka, for everything. I can never repay you." she bowed before him.

"It was my pleasure Laura. I just wish it could have happened sooner.

She said her goodbyes to Ramonda and Shuri.

Them and everyone else headed back inside, leaving just her and T'Challa.

"And I should also thank you personally for everything…" she hinted with a hug.

"I have some gifts for you…" he said while Okoye walked up with three objects.

He grabbed them and nodded and she took a step back.

She took the high tech looking phone that she tried to unlock but couldn't.

"Uh…" she asked but he reached for a bracelet that looked exactly like her necklace.

"You can only open it with this…" he took her hand gently to place it on her wrist.

That unlocked it and she unfolded it which revealed a large seamless tablet.

"Whoa..." she said with armament at the high tech software scrolled through it.

"You know giving this to a COO of the largest tech company in the world may not be so smart." she joked.

"I trust you, Laura." he replied back seriously.

She looked up to him, genuinely touched by his compliment.

"It's a good thing Stark is already years ahead of the competition anyway..." she joked.

She scrolled through the tablet, realizing what the program was.

"Language program. Very useful…" she noticed the Wakandan characters on it.

"I also want to give this to you…" he held out a gold Vibranium handle.

He pressed it, revealing a spear that was made specifically for her.

"Whoa T'Challa I don't know what to say…" she said while holding it, admiring the craftsmanship.

"I want you to have it Laura. It may come in handy." he offered.

She withdrew it back into the handle and smiled.

"Tech, subtle jewelry and weaponry? You know me so well." she joked.

"I do like giving gifts." he joked back.

"Thank you for everything, T'Challa…" she reached up to kiss him again.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and he grabbed her waist to kiss her back.

Okoye stood to the side but coughed dramatically, snapping them out of it.

"Thank you." she said and began walking back to the craft.

"Right, I guess I should be going." Laura smiled to her then back to him.

"Goodbye, Laura."

Okoye was flying Laura back to New York while she was slouching on the bench.

Her bags were next to her while she mindlessly scrolled through the tablet.

She smiled, clenching her new bracelet and spear handle in her lap.

A realization popped up in her mind and she went wide eyed.

"No. I'm not in love with T'Challa…" she thought to herself.

No it couldn't be love.

"I'm not in love. I don't need a man. I don' t need anyone. I don't need anyone. I don't need anyone…" she repeated the same mantra over and over in her mind.

"I'm not in love."