"That's crazy, Peter…"
"Yeah. I know."
"So this Thanos guy is the one I dreamed about?"
"If you had the same dream I did, yeah – only I lived it, too."
"Jesus."
Peter shrugged.
"It's over, now, though. Thanos is gone, and pretty much his whole army, too."
"What happened to Sirah?"
"She went to Wakanda with Shuri. She's going to work in the orphanage, there."
"That's cool."
"Yeah."
"So… do I get to meet the space pirates?"
"The guardians is what they call themselves," Peter corrected. "Yes. They're around. I'll introduce you to them."
"Wow." Ned shook his head. "And this is just the stuff that you can tell me…?"
"Yes."
"So there's more that is even crazier?"
"I can't tell you."
Ned rolled his eyes, good=-naturedly.
"Whatever, Parker."
Peter grinned at that.
"Sorry."
"Bullshit, you are." He wasn't annoyed, though – Ned was well aware that he was being let in on a lot more than pretty much anyone, after all. "Let me see the ball your physical therapist is making you use."
Peter pulled it out of his pocket and handed it over, and then reached for his laptop.
"I'm going to send a couple of emails and then we can go meet Tony and Pepper."
"Yeah." Ned bounced the ball off the wall, under the Wakandan painting. "How are you living without your phone? I'd have gone bonkers, by now."
"It sucks. It could be worse, though; because I didn't get grounded from the net, or anything, so at least I can still write to everyone."
"MJ told me to tell you to write to her."
"I'm going to." He hesitated. "Did she say anything about me?"
"Just that she's worried about you. We've been trying to figure out what's been going on, and then this dream thing was pretty crazy – and a little scary." He hesitated, debating just how much he wanted to get in the middle of their spat. "She asked me to tell you she's sorry. Well, she told me to tell you that, actually. But same thing."
"Sorry for what part?"
Ned shrugged.
"No clue. Just sorry."
"Huh."
"Sorry, dude. You'll have to ask her that."
"Yeah."
He turned his attention to his emails, listening to the steady thump of Ned bouncing his therapy ball against his wall in the background.
OOOOOOO
Tony and Pepper were late getting to the lounge, and they both saw Peter sitting at the corner table, with Nutmeg on the cat tree behind the boy, dozing. They sat down, smiling because he was looking so cheerful – which was so much better than stressed or concerned.
"Hey. How'd it go?" Tony asked.
"Good."
"He didn't run off screaming?" Pepper asked.
"It's Ned," Peter said, shrugging. "He's used to me being a spaz."
"You're not a spaz," Pepper said.
"A little bit," Tony disagreed, earning himself a look from his wife and a snort of amusement from his son. "Did you check on Shuri?"
"I emailed her – and MJ," Peter replied. "Shuri didn't reply – so hopefully she's sleeping like they want her to."
"And MJ?"
He looked a little uncertain, then.
"She said she'd like to do something on Sunday when I asked her."
"That's good," Pepper approved. "Did you suggest the park?"
"Yes. That's okay?"
One of them was going to be doing the driving, after all.
"It's fine, son," Tony told him. "Mom wants you to get a haircut, so we can do that before we take Ned home."
Peter gave her an exasperated look.
"Another one?"
"You're shaggy."
He ran his fingers through his hair, mentally gauging how long it was compared to every other time she'd complained that he needed a haircut. It wasn't too bad, yet.
"Not too bad…"
"You might as well look good for MJ," she pointed out.
Peter just rolled his eyes.
"Fine."
A movement diverted their attention and Ned was suddenly standing beside the table, holding a pad of paper and a pencil and wearing an apron around his waist.
"Good evening. My name is Ned and I will be your server, today…"
Tony looked at his son.
"Seriously?"
"He wanted to do it."
Ned grinned, nodding.
"Yeah. Peter can't, right? So I asked if I could give it a try. You know, in case I end up being a starving waiter during college, or something. I might as well know what to do."
Pepper shook her head, amused.
"I doubt you're going to be starving while you're in college."
The boy nodded.
"You never know. Now, what can I get you to drink?" he made a show of looking over his shoulder, as if worried. "My boss is watching and I don't want to get fired."
"Coffee," Tony ordered. "Times two."
Ned made a show of writing it down, and then looking at Peter.
"A coke."
"I'll be right back."
He turned and headed for the bar, and Tony looked at Peter.
"How's the hand?"
"It's not bad. I could be serving…"
"No. We'll wait until the physical therapy is going strong, first. You can be server – or helper – when they sign off on you."
"Okay."
"Did Ned make any requests for what he wants to do while he's here?"
"Spar with someone, play in the pool and check out the Milano."
"Did you mention the test run?" Pepper asked, smiling.
"No. I thought it would be better if someone else invites him, along. Preferably one of the guardians, since it would be presumptive of me to suggest it."
"True." Before Tony could say more than that, Ned returned, easily carrying two cups of coffee and a glass of soda, which he set before Peter. "You only get to serve this table, Ned," the billionaire told him, as he took the coffee with a smile of thanks. "We have a lot to do, tonight, and I don't want you worn out from serving before we get part way through it."
"Sure."
The novelty would have worn off by then, anyway.
OOOOOOO
"How do you feel?"
Shuri sat up a little, looking at her brother and mother, who were both standing beside the bed. Sprawled at the foot of her bed, tail thumping a hello to the new arrivals, Shuri's huge puppy, Tony, was just looking pleased to have his momma back to keep him company after being gone so intermittently.
"I am fine. I do not need to be in bed."
The fact that her voice was much deeper than normal, and her nose was dripping made both of them smile – although Ramonda did frown, slightly, as she reached for her daughter's forehead to test for fever.
"You are warm."
"I am fine, mother."
Neither was convinced. T'Challa leaned forward to brush his hand against her forehead, as well.
"You will stay in bed until the healers say otherwise," he told her with all the authority a king could bring to bear – although it was somewhat negated by the fact that he was also older brother. "I will not risk Wakanda's greatest treasure, Shuri."
She scowled at that; torn between annoyance at the command and pleasure at the nod to her abilities and just what she meant to her people and her country. And her family, of course.
"I do not need such fuss."
"And yet you will do as you are told," her mother said, firmly. "We were told it is a simple cold, so far, and will not escalate so long as you do not do anything stupid."
"I have work to do."
She'd been away quite a while, and wanted to take care of projects that had been put on hold during the emergency at the Avenger's compound; first with Thanos and then Peter's dreadful injury.
"It will wait."
"But-"
"Shuri." T'Challa's tone left no room for argument. "You will stay in bed until further notice and do as the healers say."
The princess scowled, again, and sneezed several times in rapid order, which made both adults smile as Ramonda handed her a tissue.
"Get some sleep, dear," she said, tenderly. "I will have them bring you lunch, later."
"Perhaps I will take a nap…" she said, primly, sinking back down into the pillows and closing her eyes. "But not for days…"
T'Challa waited, to make sure she wasn't going to make any further arguments, just then, and then offered his mother his hand and led her from the princess's bedroom.
"It is just a cold?" he asked, knowing that she was more abreast with what was going on with his sister.
"It is. As long as she does what she is told, she should be on her feet in a few days."
"Good luck with that," the king of Wakanda said, amused. "Perhaps I should call Tony and ask him how he keeps Peter in bed when he is not feeling well…"
"From what I understand, it is Natasha."
T'Challa smirked.
"Think we can borrow Steve Rogers?"
Ramonda's look was not amused – although her eyes definitely were.
"I will pretend you did not say that."
"Yes, mother."