He didn't fall asleep. Despite the best efforts of Tony and Pepper sitting on either side of him, bolstering him, and the cloak humming a lullaby in his mind. He felt better, though, by the time Friday announced to Tony that the debriefing on the shield was breaking up, and he leaned into Pepper, slightly, in thanks, before he got to his feet.

"I'm going to go talk to Shuri," he told them. "I want to see what the final result was on the density per square inch on the shield."

Tony rolled his eyes; what a nerd.

"If you need us, we'll be around, close."

"Thanks."

He left their quarters, then, and Pepper moved over, so she was sitting next to her husband.

"Is it my imagination, or is he handling this better than I am?"

Even with the breakdown – which they both knew was caused by Wanda's proximity and her distress over the situation and not Peter, himself.

"He is," Tony agreed, putting his arm around her. "Better than I am, too."

Of course, Tony knew that Peter had been dealing with crazy, awful, things for most of his life. An impending alien invasion was probably just another in the long list. Pepper sighed and leaned into him.

"What are you going to do about Vision?"

"Nothing I can do, really," Tony told her, turning his head and resting his chin on the top of her head. "I helped build him, but I certainly don't own him – and I have no say in what he does and doesn't do." Tony sighed, too. "He's right, though, when he said that he'd be ideal as an AI for the Rescue suit."

"What would that entail?"

"Having the AI?"

"Having it be Vision."

"Same as me having Friday. Keeps track of everything going on around you – in case you can't. And it's hard to watch everything yourself, believe me. Also will control all systems, monitor everything the suit is doing as well as allow constant communication with others on the net. In this case me, Friday and Karen."

"I'd have instant access to Peter?"

"Through Karen, yes."

"And once everything is done… you weren't just trying to reassure Wanda when you said that you could put the stone back where it belongs and Vision would be alright, again?"

"No. We never really intended that he rely on the thing, in the first place. We were using it for its innate power. His system is ambiguous as far as the stone. Alive with it, or without – he would just lose a lot of what makes him unique if we removed it."

"His soul?"

Tony shrugged.

"I'm not the one to ask about if he has a soul, honey."

She sighed, and hugged him, briefly, and then stood up.

"I'm going to go check on the suit's progress."

Not surprisingly, Vision's determination to get the mind stone to Peter, and his certainty that things were going to be coming to a head much sooner than any of them were really anticipating had her antsy.

"I'll come with you," Tony told her, also getting up. "We'll see where we're at – and this way I'll be right there if you have a question about something."

She nodded, and they left their quarters, as well.

OOOOOOO

Peter only had to ask Friday where the debriefing had been to know where to go. There were several people filing out of the room as he walked up to the door, and all of them greeted him in one way or another as they passed by.

"Everything okay?" Natasha asked, stopping at the door and moving to the side to let a couple of the military and SHIELD people exit.

Stephen and Wong were both with her, and both stopped, as well, watching him.

"Oh…" Peter hesitated, uncertain. Not because he didn't trust any of them, but he didn't know what to tell them. He had no idea what Stephen was going to think when the sorcerer heard that Vision was certain Peter was going to end up with the time stone, after all. "It's a mess…" he finally said, honestly. "But I can't really explain it as well as Tony and Vision can."

"Anything we can do?" Stephen asked.

Peter shrugged.

"Probably already doing it," he told them. "How was the meeting?"

"Interesting," Wong said, surprising Peter. The sorcerer wasn't really all that interested in tech – and no wonder, since he could do so many things with magic. "Shuri is a very bright young woman."

Strange rolled his eyes.

"He's always on the look out for an apprentice. Even if it's a princess – in every sense of the word."

That made Peter smile, as had almost certainly been the intent.

"T'Challa might not approve," he told the magicians.

"Might not approve of what?" Shuri asked, curiously, walking out into the hallway just in time to hear the comment.

"Of you becoming a magician," Natasha said, well aware that the Wakandans were still under the surety that the magic that Stephen and Wong both had demonstrated in front of them was simply high-end tech.

The girl smiled at that, looking at the two men and then at Peter, who shrugged.

"He would not approve, I am certain. I do not even own a magic wand."

Wong rolled his eyes, knowing she was messing with them, now, and even Stephen managed an amused smile.

"We're going to go set up the bolt hole," Strange said – mostly to Peter. "It's a bit more complicated than I anticipated – making sure anyone can open it is complicated – but we'll test it with Natasha, first, and then I want you to come try to activate it, later."

"Sure." He had a feeling that Strange wanted to make sure he and Natasha were both capable of utilizing the portal because he wanted to make sure that they had an escape route if something went really, really wrong. It was one of those thought that counts kind of things, Peter knew, because Natasha wouldn't turn and run if things went south on them. "I'm going to borrow Shuri for a while, first," he told them – including Shuri. "We'll be in my quarters."

"Good enough."

Natasha looked at him.

"Need anything?"

"I'm good. Thanks. You?"

She smiled, impishly.

"A kiss?"

Peter rolled his eyes, ignoring Shuri's grin, and offered Romanoff his cheek. She took his face in her hands and held him still while she planted a kiss on his mouth. Fleeting, of course, but more than enough to make Peter smile, too, and shake his head.

"Better watch out," he warned, when she released him. "I think your boyfriend might be watching."

Natasha winked at him.

"We'll see you later."

They parted ways, then; the magicians and Romanoff going toward the gym, and Peter and Shuri heading for his rooms where it would be quieter. The compound was filled with visitors. These days – and would probably only have more as the weeks went by.

"How was your debriefing?" he asked.

"It went well. They are all bright enough that I did not have to explain myself, repeatedly. It was odd, though, when Captain Danvers mentioned trying to break through the shield – just to see if she could do it, and the talking racoon said that he would like to see it attempted."

"He said that?"

"I am almost certain he was joking, but it is hard to read his expression. And I have never spoken to a talking tree, before – but Groot was not interested in the shield. He was just playing with the game he had."

"Yeah. I think he's just along for the ride, really," Peter said. He knew that feeling, sometimes.

"Wanda Maximoff came in, part way through – with Vision," Shuri said. "I would like you to introduce me to them, formally, if you would, please? He seems fascinating."

"Yeah. I think they're going to be around a while." They reached his door, and Peter opened it for her, and found himself immediately being accosted by his kitten, who wasn't happy to have been left to his own devices for the afternoon, and was making sure Peter was informed of it. "Hey, big guy…" he said, plucking the kitten off of his pants leg and pressing his face into his furry belly.

Shuri walked into the living room area and reached down to pick up the Ironman doll, still in its polymorph cage.

"Trade you?"

Peter grinned and handed the kitten over to his friend, taking the doll – cage and all – and setting it back up on its shelf, after making sure it was all still in one piece. Polymorph and doll, both.

"Tell me about the shield test results," he requested, bringing up a display for her. "What kind of power fluctuations did you find? What are we looking at for full activation time?"

Shuri smiled, and settled his kitten into one hand, using the other to swipe information onto his display.

"It was very interesting. Especially since the area is much smaller than what the shield covers back home."

He sat down on the sofa and gave her his full attention, well aware that Tony might want to ask him some questions once he came looking for his own debriefing, and wanting to be ready if that happened. Easier to just have Shuri give Tony a little of her time, too, but you never knew.