They headed back to the lounge, and it wasn't just the kitchen folks and bartenders that joined them, there. Several others were coming into the room, talking excitedly, obviously aware of what had happened but wanting to make sure that everything was alright before going back to whatever they were doing before the alarms had started going off.

"Is Tony alright?" Pepper asked Peter as they walked to the table in the corner.

"Yeah." He handed Nutmeg over to Natasha, who smirked, and pulled chairs out for both women – something that made the two silently squee at a habit that he was obviously picking up from Tony and from Stephen. "Something was going wrong with the ship but they had it figured out and fixed before we even got there to help."

"That's good. Was it serious?"

Peter knew that it was – now – but he hadn't known at the time. In the time between leaving Tony and the others and going to the shelter room, the Mind stone and Alec had managed to share with him what had gone wrong on the ship and how Rocket had repaired it. But it was complicated, and made the boy's head hurt.

"It could have been," he confirmed. "But it's fine."

Tony and Stephen appeared at the entrance, then, and headed toward the table, as well – with Clint, who had obviously come running toward the trouble, only to arrive too late to be any help. Stark waved to a few people as they crossed the room, but he wasn't concerned and it showed, which made those in the room relieved.

"You guys good?" he asked, sitting down and smiling at his wife.

"Fine. Peter says it was the guardians' spaceship?"

"Yeah."

"But it's safe, now?"

"It's fine, honey. They've got it under control. There was just a buildup in one of their drive systems."

He, obviously, had received the information about the problem from Friday.

Pepper nodded, and Tony reached for the cards that they'd discarded when the alarm had gone off. Before he could say anything, however, or ask Peter if he was going to stay up, instead of going to his rooms, his watch beeped.

"Tony?"

That was Steve. Not surprising any of them, since he almost certainly had been given the alarm when the others had. Only he was in Wakanda and in no position to do anything to help.

"We're fine, Steve. False alarm."

"You're sure?"

"Of course. How fares Wakanda?"

"And when are you coming home?" Natasha added, pressing her face into Nutmeg's side.

"The place is beautiful, as always," Rogers assured them. "Sirah has met with the administrators of the orphanage that Ramonda suggested she live and work at, and seems to be comfortable there. I reminded her that she can do whatever she wants, and if she'd rather have a different job, or a different location she can."

"What did she say?" Peter asked, curiously.

"She told me that she likes it – and the children, but that she will call if that changes."

"Good enough."

"We'll stay here the rest of the day, and be back tomorrow, I think," Steve added.

"Sounds good." Tony glanced at Strange. "Just call Stephen and he'll open the door to get you back."

"Good." There was a pause. "T'Challa wants to talk to you."

"Tony?"

"Your Majesty."

His expression was amused, despite the formal greeting.

"Is Peter still banned from using his phone?"

"He is. Why do you ask?"

"Because my sister has caught a cold – almost certainly from bouncing from my climate to yours and back, again, so often – and she insists that she is fine and does not require bedrest as our medics have insisted. I was hoping Peter might be willing to convince her otherwise. She certainly isn't listening to me."

Peter frowned.

"Shuri's sick?"

"It is nothing serious," T'Challa assured him. "But we would like to keep it that way. As you know, the best way to overcome an illness is to rest."

The boy nodded; he definitely knew that. What was more, Stephen was nodding his agreement – not surprisingly.

"Right. What can I do?"

"If Tony would allow it, I would appreciate it if you would call her and interrupt what she is working on in her shop and tell her to go back to bed and do as she is told. She will not listen to me," he repeated.

"But you're the king."

"And her brother."

Peter hesitated, looking at Tony and then at Pepper. They didn't need to discuss it, however.

"Go call her," his mother told him. "And see if you can help get her to do whatever they need her to do."

"Just her, though," Tony added. "You're still grounded."

"Yeah."

The boy got up and left.

"He's on his way to his room, T'Challa," Stark told the young King of Wakanda. "He'll give her a call when he gets there. Anything else we can do? I happen to know a good doctor…"

Strange smirked, but didn't immediately shoot down the idea.

"That is all," came the reply. "Our medics are very well educated. Making my sister do as she is told is the problem. I will speak with you soon, I hope."

The call ended, as did the one with Steve, and Tony reached for the cards, again.

"Where were we?"

"We were kicking your butts," Natasha replied, setting Nutmeg in her lap to free her hands.

"What? I don't remember it being that bad…"

OOOOOOO

He used the TV in his room – that way he could see her expression better. And he could be pretty comfortable.

"Karen? Call Shuri, please."

A moment later the princess was on his display, looking surprised to hear from him – and holding a tissue in her hand.

"Peter? Are you supposed to be calling me? Or is this teenaged rebellion?"

He smiled.

"I've been granted a single exception from being grounded from my phone," he told her, noting that she sounded stuffed up. "How do you feel?"

Her slightly red eyes narrowed, suspiciously.

"My brother told you to call…"

"He said you're sick."

"It is nothing serious," she assured him. "I woke this morning congested and with a cough. He worries for no reason – as does my mother."

"The doctors looked at you?"

"They did." She rolled her eyes. "Doctors tend to overreact."

"What did they tell you?"

"That I am sick – probably because of traveling so often, recently, between your country and mine. And that I am tired because I have been working too hard."

"You have been working hard," he pointed out. "Helping us with the shield, and the defenses, and then saving my life? Plus doing the ceremonies there at home? It's not surprising you're sick. You should take a break and get some rest like they said."

"I am fine. Truly. And I have many projects that need my attentions, now that you are better and I am home."

"You don't look fine."

"It is a bad connection."

He raised an eyebrow at her, amused, but concerned and allowing it to show.

"Please do what the doctors tell you to…" he asked her. "I'm worried about you."

"You have no reason to be worried. It is a simple cold."

"And it could become something worse if you don't take care of yourself."

"I am taking care of myself."

"T'Challa says otherwise."

"He worries too much," Shuri told him with the asperity of a teenaged girl talking about an older brother.

"Shuri…"

"Peter…"

He wasn't very good at cajoling, but Alec was in his head and silently suggested another tactic.

"If you get sick, and it's from visiting here, T'Challa might not let you come back for a while," he told her. "That's not a risk I want to take."

She scowled.

"He would not keep me away."

"He might; if the doctors said you were sick, or might get sicker – or didn't take care of yourself when you got sick. You know Tony will back him, too, because he'd be worried about you not staying healthy. If Tony doesn't let you come visit, I'd be pretty sad."

He wasn't the smoothest, but the message had been sent. And received.

Shuri sighed.

"Fine. I will go back to bed – for today."

"And tomorrow, if you're still sick."

"We will see."

The boy smiled.

"Thank you."

"You realize that I am only agreeing because I do not want to be kept from visiting you, right?"

"Yes. I appreciate it, too."

"Good."

"Going back to bed, then?"

"I suppose."

"Thank you."

Her annoyed expression softened and she smiled.

"You are welcome."