She'd been on the planet surface for what seemed like days – months, even. The sensors in the little spacecraft had assured her that the air outside was breathable, but the servant had huddled, afraid, afraid to venture out for any reason. The planet was dark, and barren and very frightening for a timid soul such as herself. She waited, hoping that her master would send someone to tell her it was safe to come home.

She was tired, and extremely lonely.

The girl was asleep when he came. A proximity alarm chimed, gently waking her, and she opened her eyes with a scared gasp, looking around, fearful that that which she had most feared was finally happening. Surely something on this planet would eventually discover her presence and try to kill her. Or eat her. Or all of the above.

Trembling, she reached for the control panel, barely daring to move, but desperate enough to look at the display that came up to see what was coming for her. To her surprise what she saw was a young man – a boy. Certainly several years younger than her, even. He was wearing all black, and looked pale, and tired. Even more tired than she felt. Only somewhat worried that it might be a trick, she froze when the external sensors told her that he had walked up to the ship, and she still jumped at the soft tapping on the ship's hatch.

"Hello?"

The voice was young, too, and somewhat strained. The translator that she bore allowed her to understand him, but she thought that he must be human. She'd met a few in her time with the Collector, after all. Most were decent, but like all species, she knew that there were evil ones, as well.

She just didn't know which one he was.

The tapping came, again, and wasn't harsh or impatient.

"It's okay," the voice said, coaxingly. "I'm not going to hurt you. Really. I'm here to help."

Hesitantly, the girl stood and walked to the hatch, opening it, almost expecting that he would attack, but so tired of being alone that she was willing to risk it for the hope that he would help her go home. He didn't move, however. He simply gave her a smile, as if understanding just how afraid she was.

"Hi." His voice was carefully gentle – and she appreciated it. "I'm Peter."

"I'm Sirah."

"Are you alright?"

She nodded, tears welling in her eyes in relief. Surely he wouldn't be asking that if he wasn't there to take care of her?

"I'm afraid. And alone."

He nodded, too.

"I know, Sirah. It's going to be alright, though."

"Did my master send you for me, Peter?"

"I'm here for a small sphere," he told her. "I was sent to collect it."

She heaved a sigh of relief, and threw herself into his arms, sobbing.

"Does this mean I can go home?"

"Not, yet," he said, awkwardly putting his arms around her, but only holding her with one hand, keeping the other away from her skin. "I'm sorry. I don't have time to take you there."

"I don't want to be alone," she wailed, her face pressing into the weird metal that he was wearing. "Please… take me with you."

"I'm… it isn't safe where I'm going."

"I don't want to be alone," she repeated, brokenly. "Please."

There was a long silence, as if he was debating what to do, and she couldn't help the sad little sniff that escaped as she clung to him, desperately. She was so tired. So lonely. And so afraid.

"Okay," the boy finally said, still sounding somewhat uncertain. "I'll take you to my home. But you have to stay where I put you. You can't leave there until someone comes and tells you it's safe."

"Will I be alone?" she asked, stepping back, looking hopeful.

"Well, yeah. But-"

"Please don't leave me alone…"

He sighed, and then nodded, looking a little impatient – but also almost as afraid as she felt.

"I'll have someone come stay with you. Okay?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"Can I have the sphere?" he asked, holding his hand out for it.

She handed it to him without question, and watched, breathlessly as he opened it, revealing a small, glowing, jewel.

"It's pretty," she said, uncertainly, wondering why her master had made such a fuss over it.

It was a gem, and he had many such baubles in his collection It wasn't even as large as many of them.

"Pretty painful…" Peter said, speaking to himself, though, she realized. She watched him take it out of the sphere, practically dumping it onto his right hand, where there was a black glove that was only marred by three other jewels on the back of it. They were glowing, too. "Step back a second," he told her, wincing as the new stone seemed to sink into the metal on his hand and he gasped, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth.

"Are you alright?" Sirah asked, worried.

If something happened to him, she'd be alone, again.

It took him a moment to answer, but he finally nodded, even though his face was pinched with pain and even paler than it had been.

"Yes. Ready?"

She nodded.

"Where is your spacecraft?"

"Don't have one." He reached for her arm with the hand that didn't have the bejeweled glove on it. "Hang on."

A moment later she moaned in fear as they vanished.

OOOOOO

The safehouse was dark when they appeared in the middle of the living room, but Peter didn't have any trouble seeing.

"Hello, Peter," Karen said, by way of greeting. "Back online."

"Who was that?" Sirah asked, clutching his arm.

"My friend, Karen. Hold still a sec." Peter freed his arm from her surprisingly strong grip, and went to the wall, turning on a light. "This is-"

Before he could say anything, another voice spoke out of Karen's communication link.

"Peter?"

He frowned.

"Ned? What are you – how did you-?"

"I hacked Karen. Sorry. What's going on, dude? The internet is going crazy with rumors and speculation and the suit told me that you weren't anywhere to be found on the planet. Are you-"

"Where are you?"

"Home."

Peter looked at Sirah, who was looking up, trying to find the person who was speaking.

"Come to the safehouse. Now. Alone. Hurry."

He was in too much of a hurry of his own to be polite. Luckily, Ned didn't mind.

"On my way."

The communications went dead, and a moment later, Karen was back.

"Your vitals are extremely unstable, Peter," she told him. "Should I inform Tony and Pepper so they can have you checked?"

"No. Don't even tell them I'm back – or where I am. Are they alright?"

"The compound is being attacked, still, but the shield is holding thus far."

He was afraid to ask if everyone was alright, and looked at the girl he'd brought with him. She was pretty young, now that he could see her more clearly. And he was feeling guilty, because he couldn't guarantee that the safehouse was really any safer for her than the spaceship that she'd been on, but he'd needed the stone, and she'd been pretty scared.

"You did the right thing," Alec assured him. "You couldn't leave her there. And you didn't have time to take her home – presuming her master didn't kill her or try to get his stone back from you when you popped in with her."

"Yeah."

He'd been uncertain what to do with her, really, short of leaving her in the safehouse When he'd heard Ned's voice, though, it had been the perfect solution. Well, as perfect as anything he could think of. She wouldn't be alone and Ned could keep her company – and if things went really bad for Peter, but somehow the city was okay, Ned could get her someplace safe. Maybe to the compound, if it was still standing when this was all over.

"Where are we?" Sirah asked.

"My home. I have someone coming to stay with you. He'll take care of you while I'm gone."

"You're leaving?"

"Yeah. I have to." Peter walked into the kitchen, and beckoned for her to join him He opened the fridge, and was relieved to see that Ned must have been by the place, because there was some food there. "Look. These are bottles of water," he told her. "And this is a cheese stick. Ned – my friend – will make sure that you get something more filling to eat when he gets here." He noticed for the first time that she was fairly scantily dressed. "Let's get you something warmer to wear while we wait for him."

He didn't really have the time, but time was his next stop, and Peter was trying to figure out how to meet up with Stephen without letting Tony and Pepper – or Natasha – know that he was back. Stephen would be bad enough, he was sure, but there was no way that Tony and Pepper would allow him to do what he was going to have to do and Peter didn't have the energy or stamina, just then, to try and explain it – or get their permission.

He led her into the bedroom, glad that he kept some clothes in the room there. Mostly sweats and lounge clothes, but that would work. He went to the dresser and pulled out a pair of sweats and then took a SHIELD sweatshirt from the hanger in the closet and handed both to the confused girl.

"Put these on, okay? They're more comfortable. I'll wait for you in the living room – the room we were just in," he added when Alec pointed out that she didn't know what a living room was.

"But…"

"Just do it, Sirah," he interrupted. "Please?"

"Gently," Alec reminded him. "She's scared, too."

"I know." He did know. The mind stone was telling him everything that it could about her, just then, and trying to be as low key as possible to keep from hurting him while it did. "She'll be fine with Ned."

He closed the door behind her to give her privacy, and went out into the living room, pacing as he waited because he knew he didn't dare sit down, now. Not as much as he was hurting. It would be too tempting to just want to close his eyes and drift off, to escape the pain.

He had been waiting a few minutes, wondering if she was having trouble figuring out how to put the clothing on when he heard the door to the apartment opening with a quick knock. Ned came through it a moment later, out of breath and eyes wide when he saw his friend.

"Jesus, Peter," Ned gasped. "What's going on? The internet is blowing up with the craziest stories, and then when I got into Karen's files it said the compound is under attack and holding on with only a shield."

"A lot more than just a shield," Peter told him. "But, yeah, it's pretty serious."

"What can I do to help?" Ned asked, sitting on the arm of the sofa. "And where's Mr. Stark? What's with the glove? Rhinestones aren't really becoming on you. I was-"

The bedroom door opened, then, and Ned's jaw dropped as Sirah walked out, dressed in Peter's sweats and the baggy sweatshirt. She was looking even younger, but Peter realized that she was also beautiful – and exotic.

"Peter…?" she said, uncertainly, looking at him, and then Ned, and then down at herself. "Do you have other clothing? This is too big."

"No. Sorry."

"Who's this?" Ned asked.

"Ned, this is Sirah. Sirah, this is Ned. He's going to watch out for you, for a little while."

Ned's eyes grew even wider.

"What?"

"I need you to keep her here and keep her safe. She's not from here."

"Holy shit." He looked at Peter. "Is she an alien?"

"Yeah. Keep her here, okay? Make sure she gets something to eat. If something happens to me, tell Tony… tell Tony she needs to get home, if he can get her there. Or he needs to take care of her if he can't."

"Wait. What do you mean if something happens to you? What's-"

"I need to go, Ned." Peter hesitated, though, and he smiled, wistfully. "Thanks for being my friend."

"Peter…"

Before Ned could say anything else, Peter raised his hand and vanished, leaving Ned staring at the girl, and Sirah looking at him, uncertainly. The teen wiped his hands on his jeans, uncomfortable, now, and worried about his friend.

"So… um… Sirah? Are you hungry?"

She looked at him, equally uncertain, but nodded.

"Yes."