"Are you sure about this, Stephen?"

"Why do you ask me that when I already have him on his feet?" Strange asked, more amused than annoyed. "If I weren't certain he could handle it, he'd still be in his bed."

"He looks ready to fall over."

Both men looked across the medical room at Peter, who was being eased to his feet with a helping hand from Pepper. The boy was now dressed in a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. He had slippers on his bare feet, and the Cloak of levitation now draped over his shoulders, keeping him warm. The right hand and arm were in a brilliant white bandage and tucked carefully into a sling that kept the arm immobilized against his side and the hand pressed into his belly.

He did look pale and fragile, like Tony had commented, but he wasn't in too much danger of falling over – as the doctor was quick to point out.

"He's wearing my cloak, Tony. If he loses his balance, it'll catch him and hold him upright until he's steady, again."

Stark didn't look entirely convinced, but he didn't argue. The two men walked over, and Peter must have seen the worry on Tony's expression, because he gave him a wan smile.

"I'm okay."

"I know." Tony's hand was gentle when it brushed against Peter's forehead. "You're warm enough?"

"Yeah."

"Just to his rooms, guys," Stephen said. "That'll be enough walking for a first time." He turned his attention to the boy. "One thing that you need to be careful of is losing your balance and trying to automatically catch yourself. We have that hand protected like it is for a reason. If you start to fall, reach with the left hand. Got it?"

"Right."

The cloak rubbed a corner of fabric against the boy's cheek, reassuringly, and Peter smiled – presumably at something that only he could hear or feel. Strange shook his head, but turned his attention back to the boy's parents.

"Put him to bed, guys. I'll be by to check on him, later."

Tony nodded and moved to open the door for Pepper and Peter, and then walked with his little family at Peter's slow, tired pace. Pepper was the one to hover at the boy's left side, her hand almost touching his elbow, but clearly forcing herself not to grab him and hold on as she really wanted to do. Tony walked on the right side, careful not to brush against him.

"You're not too sore?" he asked, once they were out of earshot of Stephen and Doctor Thompson.

He shook his head.

"I am, but it's not that bad."

"And you're not just saying that to keep us from worrying?" Pepper asked.

"No. Really."

He flashed her a smile, but needed his breath for walking, so he didn't say anything else – although he did reach for her hand with his good left hand. Pepper squeezed it lightly, but she and Tony were quiet on the way to Peter's quarters.

The boy frowned when he looked at the door – which looked different.

"What's up with my door?" he asked, noticing when they entered his living room area that someone had vacuumed because the marks in the carpet made by the suction were still there.

"One of those alien dogs broke your door down," Tony told him. "We had to replace it. And the frame."

"Why/"

"You needed a door, son…" Tony told him, smirking at Pepper.

Despite being tired from the walk, Peter rolled his eyes, amused that Tony misunderstood his question on purpose.

"Why was the thing breaking into my room?"

"Good question. And a mystery that everyone who has seen the video has tried to solve, without any success. You can watch it, sometime, and see what you can learn."

"Hello, Peter."

"Hey, Karen."

Tony walked ahead of Peter into his bedroom, and pulled the blankets back for him before helping to ease him into the bed without jostling the injured arm.

"Speaking of Karen; I modified her integration a bit – for now, anyway."

"Yeah?"

The billionaire stepped back to allow Pepper to pull the blankets up over him, and then the cloak settled itself over him, as well, its smug mumbling already soothing him.

"She's completely voice activated, now – and I added her to incoming and outgoing communications. Like Friday is for me. You can use her to call out on your phone without actually using your phone – and to answer it, if you get an inbound call."

"In case you're in bed and the phone is in the living room," Pepper told him. "Then you don't need to get up."

"That's cool," Peter said, rolling slightly onto his left side so he could look at them, and still resting his head against the mountain of pillows that had him propped somewhat upright. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. You're going to want to call Ned when you get a chance. He's been trying to get in touch with you – and is worried."

"I will." Peter suddenly frowned and sat upright, wincing. "I left a girl at the safe house with Ned. I can't even imagine what-"

"She's here," Tony interrupted, his hand going to Peter's chest and pushing him carefully back into the pillows. "Relax."

"Who is she?" Pepper asked, curiously.

She'd heard that she was a servant, but none of them really knew where Peter had found her – or more importantly; why he'd brought her to the safe house.

"She was on this scary planet, hiding in a spaceship…" he said, relaxing just a little, now, and looking at both of them, wishing that Pepper would settle on the bed next to him so that he could cuddle up against her – or Tony, although the toddler definitely preferred Pepper. Peter assumed it was because she was a woman and the little guy wasn't as far removed from the comforts that momma could give that a dad couldn't as Peter was. "I'm not sure – exactly – but she had the reality stone and I couldn't take it from her and leave her alone there. She was pretty scared."

"Of course, you couldn't," Pepper agreed.

"Ned was pretty freaked out, though," Tony told him, smiling. "He called and was looking for you, but when you didn't answer, he called me – and said someone needed to come get the girl Peter left in the safe house."

"Needless to say, we sent Wong to see what he meant – and he brought her back here."

"She's alright?"

"She's fine. Apparently Quill and the others know where she's from. They'll take her back when they leave."

He was fading, a little by then, but he roused.

"They're still here, though, right?"

"Yeah." Tony was quick to assure him. "They're going to stick around until you're on your feet, a bit more. And Gamora is waiting to hear about some questions that she had for someone on some distant planet."

Peter smiled.

"It's weird to say that, isn't it?"

"That it is." Tony brushed his hand along Peter's cheek. "I'm going to go get you something to eat. Mom's going to stay and keep you company. Okay?"

Peter nodded, looking at Pepper, hopefully, and forcing down a little squee that almost escaped him when she settled on the bed close enough to him that he could scoot over and be pressed against her hip. She responded, automatically, putting her hand on his back, since she didn't dare even touch his shoulder. Just in case.

"Yeah."

"You got him?" he asked his wife.

"I think we'll be fine."

"Try to stay awake," Tony told him, leaning over and kissing Pepper's cheek before he left.

Peter shifted, again, and now his cheek was resting on her leg instead of the pillows. In that, at least, he and the toddler were usually in complete agreement. They both loved to cuddle. He closed his eyes, contentedly, feeling her brush her fingers through his hair, lightly.

"Are you going to sleep?" she asked.

"No." Peter turned his head to look up at her – without lifting it, maintaining contact with her leg. "You guys weren't hurt?"

"No, sweetheart. No one was."

"Natasha was."

"She's fine, now."

"I was-"

"Incoming call from Ned," Karen interrupted.

Peter smiled – and the expression made Pepper smile, too, because he looked so pleased.

"Connect, please, Karen." That was just too cool. "Ned?"

"Peter? Jesus, dude. Are you alright? Everyone's going crazy, and that stupid mother-"

"Hi, Ned," Pepper interrupted," smirking at Peter, who grinned at the timely interruption.

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

"Pepper?" Ned's voice was a little less certain. "Is that you?"

"Yes. How are you?"

"Oh. Fine. Thank you."

"Tony integrated Karen into hands-free in my room," Peter explained to his friend. "You're on speaker, pretty much."

The ultimate speaker phone, really.

"Sweet." Ned sounded suitably impressed. "Are you alright? Tony said you were hurt."

"Yeah. I hurt my hand a little."

Pepper shook her head; he was trying to keep Ned from worrying like he tried to keep everyone from worrying. Ned wasn't fooled, though.

"How bad is it, Pepper?"

"It's pretty bad. He'll be laid up for a while."

Peter rolled his eyes, but tucked his face against her leg, feeling a surge of happiness inside, despite the announcement.

"A few days, at least…" Peter told him. "But I'm okay."

"Ned," pepper said, before the other boy could reply. "I'm going to pull the mom card and have Peter call you back, later, alright? After he's had a chance to eat and get some rest."

"Oh. Yeah, no that's good. Get some rest, Peter. Tell Sirah I said hi. I'll tell MJ I talked to you – so call her, later, too. She was asking about you."

Peter nodded, even though Ned couldn't see it.

"I will."

"Call me when you can."

The line went dead, and the boy sighed, reminded by the call that he was going to miss the upcoming dance, but well aware that Stephen was right; he wasn't up for it, for sure. Not even as an observer.

"Don't worry," Pepper told him, softly, as if she knew what he was thinking. "You'll be out of bed soon."

"I know."

Peter touched her leg with his good hand, but then closed his eyes when she resumed her caresses, soothing him.

Maybe a short nap, while he waited for Tony to return.