"Did you have fun?"

"Yes. Natasha created this game?"

Peter smiled.

"She did. I think it was out of self-defense, though, because I was driving all of them crazy – and it wasn't pretty. We played an abbreviated version," he added. "The game that I played with her and the others literally lasted us all day."

"We could have played that," Ned said, preening, because he'd won. "But it's already late and Tony told my mom he'd have me home by eleven."

The time change wouldn't mess with them, too much, obviously, thanks to Strange's portal, but it was a school night although luckily he didn't have any homework.

"He told my folks the same thing," MJ agreed. She was smiling, too, having had a very good time that evening, and more relaxed with Peter than she'd been in months. It had been kind of him to invite her to go to Wakanda with them (although he'd pointed out that she couldn't tell anyone, of course) and had been a good way for the two of them to spend time together, but in a group, doing normal tings like just playing a game. Of course, it was in Africa, and they had been lounging around the room of an actual princess, but that was as normal as things really got when Peter was involved. "I had a good time, though."

Shuri's smile was broader than the others', and it was sincere.

"Thank you so much for coming. I am sorry that I could not show you more of my country than just this part of the palace. Perhaps you can come for another visit, when I'm not stuck in bed, and we can show you some of what Peter and his family saw when they were here."

"I'd like that," MJ agreed.

"Your brother is going to feed us zebra," Ned told her, standing up and closing his laptop.

Peter rolled his eyes, knowing that his friend was messing with him.

"No, he isn't. We're going to stop at a McDonald's somewhere, on the way to take them home." He looked at Shuri. "You're okay?"

It was only early afternoon there, after all, and she had an entire day of being stuck in bed, still. He'd have stayed if she needed the company. Tony and Pepper would probably let him, if he asked.

The princess nodded, though.

"I am. Thank you so much."

He leaned over and hugged her, trying to juggle his laptop and stave off Tony's (Shuri's puppy) licking attack at the same time as giving her an embrace. He was glad he only had a small kitten, since the puppy had been big when he'd gotten him for her – and was only getting bigger as he grew older.

"You're welcome. One more week without my phone, so email me if you need anything, okay?"

"Or I will have T'Challa call Tony and get my way much faster."

Peter smirked at her deviousness.

"Whatever works best for you," he agreed.

The other two said goodbye and the three teens walked out of Shuri's room, and headed down the hallway – slowly enough to allow MJ a chance to look at the artwork on the walls and some of the carvings displayed in alcoves along the way.

"That was a great idea," Ned told his friends.

"Yeah." Peter couldn't take credit for it, since Tony had been the one to approach them about playing, but he definitely agreed. "Thanks for coming."

MJ smirked.

"Thanks for coming to the luxurious African palace? Yeah. You're welcome."

Ned snorted, but before anyone else could say anything, they rounded the corridor and saw Strange, Tony and Pepper waiting for them with a couple of T'Challa's security people – although the king was nowhere in sight. Peter understood that, though, because if T'Challa was there, then things were official and there would be some kind of ceremony. They really didn't have time for that. Not if they were going to eat before taking Ned and MJ home.

"Ready?" Tony asked the kids.

When they nodded, he looked at Strange, who rolled his eyes, good-naturedly, and waved his hand in a circle to create the portal. A portal that opened into Pepper's office at the tower. A moment later, they were all standing in the room, and Peter walked Ned and MJ over to look at the space that had been made for him to do his homeschooling.

"You good?" Stephen asked Tony and Pepper.

"We are. I appreciate the help – and your time."

"I was free this evening, and I don't mind the chance to spend an evening in Wakanda. The place is fascinating. I'll see you sometime this week, most likely – this weekend, for certain."

He waved goodbye to the teens and walked out the door, closing it behind him and vanishing the moment he did – although none of them saw it.

"Ready?" Tony asked.

"Yeah."

Stark offered Pepper his arm, and with the three hungry teens trailing behind him, they left Pepper's office, too.

OOOOOOOO

"Did you put a tracker on their ship?"

"Yes, master. It is very low-frequency, so they will not notice it unless they are searching for it."

"Good." The Collector leaned back into his chair. "There's no guarantee that they're heading back to the boy's home world, but they probably have to – to take the woman home."

"And then we send an invasion?" his minion asked, curiously.

"What? No. Of course not." Thanos had tried the invasion thing, hadn't he? Look how well it had worked for him. And while Thanos wasn't close to being as intelligent as the collector, the ancient being had to admit the Titan hadn't been an idiot. And he'd had a large army. Far more than the collector wanted to try and gather. "I'm not crazy enough to try and wrest the stones from the boy. I just want to talk to him. To see what he's like. To meet him. A simple visit wouldn't do any harm, would it?"

"No, master. Of course not. It would be an honor for them to have you come."

He smirked, and nodded.

"Yeah. It would."

OOOOOOO

"You found it?"

Rocket rolled his eyes.

"Yep. Next to the nacelle. What a moron."

"We double-checked to make sure there aren't more?" Drax asked.

"I did," Gamora confirmed. "Not that it matters. We're not heading back to Peter's home, anyway."

They all knew Carol was more than capable of getting herself back to Earth, after all. Now that they were out of orbit of the collector's home world, with credits still intact in the account they'd been deposited in, she didn't have any reason to stick around, and knew that they didn't need her to.

"You guys good?" she asked, getting up from the seat she'd been in.

"Yeah," Quill replied. "You?"

"Always." She offered him her hand, and then all the others. "Keep in touch."

"Tell everyone we said hi."

They watched as she headed for the airlock, and then she turned and winked, waiting for Quill to close it and open the other side, exposing her to space. There was a flare of light, and she flew away and vanished a moment later.

"We're going to go back and visit them, sometime, right?" Drax asked.

"Yeah." Peter sat back in his chair, looking at Gamora. "It was a good trip. They're good people."

She nodded her agreement.

"Next time you should dream of someone for Mantis to connect with," Drax told Gamora.

"I didn't choose who I was dreaming about."

Quill shrugged.

"He's right, though. Or maybe Groot?"

"I am groot."

They chuckled, and Quill pulled out the new device that Peter Parker had given him. It was already installed into the Milano, although they hadn't had a chance to listen to the music, yet. He'd heard some of the songs, but that was about it.

"You guys ready to rock?"

Gamora rolled her eyes, resigned, and there were similar motions among them all.

"We're ready."

"Yes."

OOOOOOOOO

They dropped Ned off, first, and his mother happened to be downstairs when they pulled up to the building. Tony and Pepper chatted with her for a few moments, while Peter and MJ told him goodbye. When they reached MJ's place, though, Pepper suggested that Peter walk her up to her apartment, just to make sure that she arrived, safely.

"Thanks for inviting me," MJ told him as they walked up the stairs rather than wait for the elevator. "I had a good time."

"I did, too. Shuri was sure surprised, wasn't she?"

The girl nodded and threw him a sidelong glance.

"Yes. I think she was happiest to see you, though."

Peter shrugged.

"Probably. She might be tired of me, by now, though. I would be."

MJ shook her head.

"You're clueless. You know that, right?"

The words were annoyed, but her tone was almost amused. Or resigned. One of the two.

"About what?"

"Shuri."

"No, I'm not." The objection was automatic. "What do you mean?"

His friend just shook her head, again, and they stopped at her door.

"Nothing. I'll talk to you, later."

"Okay. Good night."

He waited until she went inside, and then left, heading for the stairs and wondering what she'd been talking about – and why she hadn't said it, since she was usually pretty straightforward about most things.

"She's right," Alec said into his mind – and the ancient alien sorcerer was also amused. "You're clueless."

"What?"

"Nothing."