They stayed and kept him company while he ate dinner, although they weren't hungry, yet, and didn't eat. Instead they made small talk with him, and with each other, and watched as he started to fall asleep in the middle of the meal.

"So much for spending the evening playing games to keep him from going stir crazy," Pepper said softly, as Tony pulled the tray from Peter's lap before he could spill anything.

"Yeah." He watched as she settled him a little more comfortably against the pillows and then covered him. "Not surprising, though."

And nothing for them to worry about. It had been a long day, after all.

"Any idea where Nutmeg is?" she asked, knowing Tony could find the kitten with help from Friday.

"Romanoff has him in the lounge."

Pepper smiled.

"Sounds like a finale to Clue; Natasha, in the lounge, with the Flerkin."

Tony nodded, equally amused.

"She'll want to check on Peter, later, so she can bring Nutmeg here when she does. You're going to finish working on your preparations for tomorrow?"

She hesitated.

"I should just stay home. Shuri wouldn't mind."

"Peter would, though," Stark told her. He didn't need to say anything more than that, because she knew he was right. No sense making him feel bad about having Pepper stay home, ostensibly because of his brash – and dumb – actions. "Don't worry; I'll hang out with him, tomorrow, while you're gone. We'll see how he feels and line up the physical therapist and I'll see what he thinks about having Doctor Bird come out."

"You think he'll hesitate?"

"Nah. He likes the guy. Besides, it's no different than him going into the city to see him – only this way we save gas money."

She rolled her eyes, amused at that, and then nodded.

"Fine. I'll go talk to Shuri and make sure she still wants to go."

"Which she will."

Of course she would.

"On the plus side, if she watches me working, she can tell T'Challa that it was a learning experience and he might allow her to stay another day or two."

"Maybe." He got up, picking up the tray that he'd rescued. "Kiss your son goodnight and let's go talk to the others."

Peter roused, slightly, when Pepper did as she was told. Either the kiss to his cheek, or her hair tickling his neck when it fell along him when she leaned over. He opened his eyes, looking up at her, sleepily.

"You're leaving?"

"Yes," she told him, softly. "You're okay?"

He nodded, reaching for her hand with his left one.

"It's morning?"

"No. Go to sleep, sweetheart."

He closed his eyes and did as he was told, and Pepper waited until his breathing was slow and steady once more before walking across the room to hold the door for Tony so they could leave.

OOOOOOO

There were several people in the lounge when the two arrived. Most were simply relaxing, getting ready to start their new week, but enjoying the last few hours of the weekend, while they could. They were also waiting (whether they wanted to admit it or not) to hear from Tony or Pepper how Peter was doing. Steve, Carol, Shuri and Clint were sitting with Natasha at one table – with Groot – and all of them looked up when Pepper walked over, while Tony delivered the dinner tray to the bar.

"How's Peter?" Steve asked, looking concerned.

"He's fine," she assured them. Groot looked up from the video game that he'd been playing, but Pepper was relieved when he didn't say anything. There was no one there to translate for them, after all. "Hit his head and his hand, but they took the bandages off the hand and put it in a brace, now."

"Yeah, that's what Nat said," Clint said. "Any permanent damage?"

Pepper smiled, honestly relieved and not hiding it.

"No. It looks very good. The doctors agree. We'll start physical therapy on it as soon as possible."

"It was a nasty wreck," Carol said. "What was he thinking? He had to know that he couldn't really steer that well with only one hand."

"He wasn't," Tony told them, joining the group and sitting next to Pepper. He looked at Carol, realizing her wording. "You saw it?"

"We pulled up the footage from the security cameras," Steve said. "Have you watched it?"

"No."

Tony was curious enough to do so, now, though, and he and Pepper both watched – along with the others – as Peter fishtailed out of the garage, and down the road – only to have the deer jump out onto the road and actually hit the Pontiac, rather than the Pontiac hit it. They saw the car lose control and Pepper literally gasped at just how hard it slammed into the tree where it came to a rest, the figure inside slumped over the wheel.

"It looks worse than it was," Steve said, not missing her reaction and instantly trying to reassure.

"No. It was pretty bad," Natasha said, stroking Nutmeg's furry belly. "But Peter's more durable than most, thank goodness."

Shuri clearly hadn't enjoyed watching the accident, again. Not only because Peter was hurt, but because the car was a mess and she knew how much Peter loved the car. And why.

"Is he awake?" she asked.

"He fell asleep during dinner," Tony replied. "Hopefully he'll sleep through the night. You can check in with him before you and Pepper go to the tower."

The princess smiled, looking surprised.

"We are still going?"

"Of course. Peter was adamant that you don't miss the opportunity," Pepper answered, looking a little chagrined. "But we'll wait and see how he feels – just in case."

"Stephen and Dr. Thompson both seem to think that he's going to heal just fine," Tony told them. "I'm not too worried."

None of them really believed that he wasn't worried, but he was hiding it well, anyway.

"He's grounded, by the way," Pepper added.

Shuri looked curious.

"That is really a thing?" she asked. "Grounding people?"

"I am groot?" the young tree asked, also looking up.

Pepper shrugged at Groot, apologetically, but gave the princess a slight smile.

"Yes. It's really a thing."

"So he cannot leave the compound?" Shuri asked. "Or his quarters? Or his bedroom?"

"He's not allowed to drive for a month," Tony explained.

"It'll probably take a month to get his car running, again," Clint pointed out.

"True."

"What else?" Natasha asked, curiously.

She could read Tony well enough to know that there was more.

"Kitchen helper two hours a day until we release him."

Steve rolled his eyes.

"He doesn't mind helping out in here…"

The punishments sounded severe, but they weren't, really.

"And…?" Natasha asked.

Tony smirked.

"No phone for two weeks."

"Ouch…" Clint said, shaking his head, amused. "That's the painful one."

"Yes."

Shuri frowned.

"So I cannot call him?"

"Correct."

"But I am going home, soon," she pointed out. "I will not be able to see him."

"You can still send him emails, or even regular letters," Tony told her. "He's not grounded from the internet, but starting tomorrow, he won't have access to his phone for two weeks. No phone calls, no texting, nothing."

"Poor guy," Natasha said, wryly. She rubbed her finger against Nutmeg's fuzzy face. "Grandpa's mean… isn't he? Treating poor daddy so badly – and just for making a little mistake."

"It was a serious lapse of judgement," Pepper disagreed. "He could have been killed."

"You are grounding him for wrecking the car?" Steve asked. "Or for not wearing his seatbelt?"

"For not wearing his seatbelt," Tony confirmed. "The car can be fixed. If he'd hit any harder it's possible that he might not have been."

"I can still talk to him?" Shuri asked.

"Yes. Of course. Not until tomorrow, though. We want him to sleep through the night – if he can."

"Is he grounded to the compound, then?" Clint asked, curiously.

The two Starks looked at each other, uncertainly. Clearly that hadn't actually come up. Tony shrugged.

"No. He's fairly restricted, anyway, when it comes to his forays out into the wide world, just by nature of who he is and who he relates to. He doesn't need to be confined by being in trouble, too. If he wants to go somewhere, now, though, he'll have to ask someone for a ride, is all."

"It won't kill him," Pepper added.

"And if he gets an urge to go do something as spiderman?" Carol asked.

Another shrug.

"It'll depend on his hand, really. We can't really help him do his thing, there… my suit isn't going to be shooting webbing anytime soon. Rescue isn't designed to swing from buildings – and we all know Steve is afraid of heights."

Rogers rolled his eyes.

"I am not," he told Shuri and Carol. "It was one time, and it wasn't the height; it was the tacos we'd had at lunch."

Tony smirked.

"We'll just to have to play that by ear," he concluded. "If something comes up, we'll deal with it however we need to. We're going to have Bird come in, just to make sure he has someone to unload on if he needs it, and we'll keep an eye on his activities – without him realizing it – so we can keep him from overdoing it with his hand until he's healthier."

"Can I help?" Shuri asked.

"You already do," Natasha said before Tony could reply. "He knows you're there for him if he needs someone his own age."

She blushed at that, but you had to know her well in order to notice. Tony smiled at the reaction – because he did know her well enough to notice.

"Enough talking about Peter," he said. "You can all have a chance at him, later. Pepper and I need some dinner, and then we will be available for whatever amusements come to mind."

"Not Spoons, though," Pepper added.

"Correct. Not Spoons."

"I am groot?"

No one needed a translator.

"We'll have Peter show you, later," Tony promised.