"Good evening, my name is Peter and I'll be your server…"

Natasha and Clint both smiled, amused – although Romanoff glanced over at the table where Tony and Pepper were sitting, automatically making sure the boy's parents were okay with him being a server, once more. The two were having a discussion with Nick, who looked pleased to give up dog-sitting duties now that Steve and the others had returned. Neither looked worried.

"Hello, Peter," Clint said, formally. "I'd like a cup of coffee to start."

Clint wasn't going to ask. He was just pleased to see the kid looking so cheerful and his sharp eyes hadn't missed the fact that the brace was gone from the boy's right hand. Peter wrote that down on his tablet and looked at Natasha, pointedly.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Mom and dad are okay with you doing this?"

Peter nodded; his brown eyes cheerful.

"The brace is off," he said, unnecessarily. "Back to finishing up my punishment so it isn't hanging over my head."

"Good. I'll have coffee, too, please."

He nodded again and left to go to the bar, stopping long enough to see if Tony, Pepper or Nick needed anything, and was waved away by Stark.

"We're sure he's alright?" Nick asked, watching the boy carry a tray with two cups of coffee over to Clint and Natasha, joking with them, happily, as they pretended to have difficulty trying to decide what they wanted for dinner. "They all agreed he doesn't need the brace, now?"

Stark nodded. He was watching Peter, too, but there wasn't any concern in his expression.

"The physical therapists signed off on it this evening when he and Pepper got home. Stephen and the other doctors said he was good to go this morning when they checked. If it aches, he's supposed to tell us so we can restrict him a bit."

"Which he won't," Pepper added. "So, we'll keep a close eye on him for the next few days."

"You're okay with him carrying things?"

"Best way to make sure it's really ready. Short of allowing him to start swinging around the city – and we're not okay with him doing that, yet."

"We'd much rather he drops a tray," Pepper said with a smile, her eyes watching their son who was now walking back to the bar to give the cooks a dinner order.

"How much longer does he have to do that?"

"Another week," Tony replied. "I might give him time off for good behavior."

"And give him back his phone?"

"Nope. That stays where it is, for now."

"You're a cruel man, Tony," Fury said, smiling.

He had to admit that he liked the domestic side of the man. He hadn't asked to be Peter's guardian (although he definitely had asked to be his father once the guardianship became a reality) but Stark was doing an amazing job with a kid that was so extraordinary. Of course, he had Pepper to help. And the Avengers, for that matter, his mind added as he watched Peter come back to joke with Clint and Natasha, again.

"He's being punished," Stark reminded him with a slight smile.

"Speaking of field trips…" Pepper said, turning her attention to Fury, now.

The single eye widened a little.

"Were we?"

She smirked.

"We could be. Peter just informed us that his school is hosting an international academic competition next spring. It would be a rare treat to bring them to the compound for an afternoon – maybe to give them a tour."

"Not as informal as the one his team had, before," Tony added. "This would just be a walk through, maybe a snack and a greeting from a willing Avenger."

"Or two," Pepper said. "There's still plenty of time to make plans – and we haven't even been officially asked, yet."

"But they will," Nick replied.

"Absolutely. What better way to show off as a host, really? Take advantage of the fact that one of your team is connected to the Avengers and earn some serious points with the other teams."

"Let me know."

Nick wasn't too worried. There was plenty of time to decide that – and maybe the group would decide that rather than Avengers, the kids might want to see Stark Tower, instead. It was the mecca for all things nerd, after all.

They both nodded at that, and all three looked at Peter, again – and now he was saying hello to Strange, who had just entered the lounge, although without his cloak to distract and maybe interfere with Peter's duties as helper.

"Anything new come up with the two leftover stones?" Nick asked, whether he'd planned to ask, or had been reminded by the arrival of the sorcerer supreme it didn't matter. "Have you decided what to do with the power stone?"

"Nothing, yet. I assume Stephen is here for dinner with Romanoff," Tony replied. "When they're done, though, and maybe if Peter's through serving by then, we'll sit down and talk about what – if anything - we can figure out."

"Make sure you let me know what you find out."

"We will."

The director got to his feet and walked toward the entrance, stopping just long enough to greet Strange and say goodbye to Peter.

"That went over better than I expected," Pepper said, watching the formidable man leave.

Stark smirked, leaning back in his chair and lifting his hand to snap his fingers for attention from their server – which made Peter roll his eyes, but turn their direction.

"It's for Peter," Tony reminded her. "He'll do anything for him. You know that."

"You needed something, sir?" Peter asked, amused, as he walked up.

"Pie, Pep?"

"Sounds good."

Tony turned to the boy.

"Pie. With ice cream. And more coffee."

"Are you sure you want ice cream?" Peter asked, allowing his expression to be skeptical. "The nanotech in your suit only expands so far, after all."

Pepper snorted, amused, and tried to assume an innocent expression when Tony shot a glare her way. The billionaire scowled at his son.

"You know, you can be replaced… I mean it, I have the technology right at hand. I could build myself a scrawny little robot, glue a mop to the top of his head and ta-da, instant kid."

"You wouldn't do that," Peter told him, cheerfully. "Mom wouldn't let you. Right mommy?"

God, how she loved to see him so cheerful – and Tony, as well, really. She smirked at her husband.

"No robot babies."

"Fine." He ignored Peter's triumphant smile. "But I still want ice cream."

"Of course, sir."

He left the table, and Tony took her hand, kissing it.

"He's a bit of a smart ass when he wants to be, isn't he?"

"He's learning that from you."

"Whaaaat?"

OOOOOOO

"How was the trip?"

"Routine," Natasha replied. "How were things here? Anything interesting?"

"We're working on the mystery of how to return the soul stone to its previous location without sending Peter back there with the space stone, or with the teleportation stone."

"What have you figured out?" Clint asked, frowning. "Obviously, neither of those are options we'd want to use."

"Correct. We've spent the day looking through the library at the sanctum," Stephen replied. "But while Wong did manage to find a name, we don't have an actual location, just yet."

"Peter was there, though," Natasha said. "Can't you figure out a way to get the location from his mind so you can make a portal?"

"That's our first choice," he agreed. "We just need to figure out how. I don't have a spell for it, and we haven't had any indication from the mind stone that it's willing to assist."

"How would you know?" Clint asked, curiously. "Would it tell you?"

"I'm assuming it'll send the image. That's what it does when it gets into Natasha's mind, correct?"

"Yes." She shrugged. "It usually happens when I'm sleeping, though. Not always, but for the most part. And always a vision, never any words."

"Then I'll pay attention to my dreams, tonight."

He started to say more, but Peter was heading their way, carrying a tray that had Clint and Natasha's dinner, and instead he changed the subject to ask the boy about his practice.

Time enough to worry about it, later. He had every intention of enjoying some peace and quiet with the Avengers, that evening – and one in particular.