"Elmer…"

Stark realized that their headlong trek through the living room must have woken the man, and he'd naturally followed – probably grabbing up his camera just as automatically. And had seen everything that had just happened.

Rupp raised his hands, pale and shaky.

"Please don't kill me."

"What?"

Tony was still supporting Peter, his concern focused on the boy, but that scared plea grabbed his attention, despite the fact that he could tell he was supporting more and more of Peter's weight every moment.

"I won't tell anyone," Rupp said, quickly.

Tony rolled his eyes, exasperated.

"I'm not going to kill you, Elmer," he said. "Help me get Peter inside."

The man scooped his camera up by the neck strap and jumped forward to take Peter's other side.

"What is he?" Elmer asked, draping the boy's arm over his shoulder as they turned toward the front of the cabin.

"What?"

Stark was distracted, but the odd question certainly got his attention.

"An alien? Is that why you adopted him? Someone in the government made you-"

"He's a fifteen-year-old boy," Tony snapped. "He's not an alien, and no one made me do anything. I-"

"I'm sixteen," Peter reminded him, weakly.

Just as they reached the door, Natasha opened it, obviously on her way out the same door. Romanoff was dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, and her expression was confused and worried.

"What happened?" she asked as the two men walked Peter into the living room and settled him on the sofa.

Stephen was there, as well. He'd been roused when Natasha had bolted from their bed and had followed her down the stairs, assuming that Peter was sleepwalking and that he might be needed.

"Who's all up?" Stark asked.

"Just us," Strange replied, stepping forward and immediately starting to check Peter for a fever or injury. "What's going on, Tony?"

"Let's keep it that way." He looked over at the door that led to their bedroom, debating whether to wake Pepper or tell her in the morning. He decided to wait – only because there wasn't anything that she could do just then. "We had a bit of a situation."

"An avalanche," Natasha said, softly. She was watching Strange, who was sitting on the coffee table in front of where Peter was sitting on the couch. The boy was slumped over with his head low, practically between his knees, and he looked exhausted. "I thought he was sleepwalking."

"I did, too, when he first woke me," Stark admitted.

He went on to tell them what happened, and both shook their heads in amazement.

"A close one," Strange said, looking up from working on Peter. "The Mind stone presumably, using Peter to take care of the danger?"

"Could you have done what he did?"

"I'm not exactly sure what he did."

"I took pictures," Elmer said, automatically. He had been standing quietly off to the side, trying not to remind Stark that he was there and completely uncertain that he wasn't in some kind of danger from having seen what he just witnessed. The man had seen all the movies, after all, and knew what happened to the guy who saw the things that he wasn't supposed to see. Then he realized what he'd said, and hesitated. "I mean… If you want to see them, I might have snapped a photo, or two… not on purpose. Just automatically. It's because that's what-"

"Relax, Elmer," Tony told him. "I told you, we're not going to kill you."

Romanoff frowned.

"Why would he think you're going to kill him?"

"Because I saw what Peter can do," Elmer said. "I know how these things play out."

She actually smiled at that, although he looked a bit frightened, still.

"They don't play out like that for this," she told him. "You're in the wrong country to worry about that. Well… with the wrong group of people, anyway," she acknowledged.

"What he did needs to be a secret, though," Stark said. "I'd appreciate it if you kept it that way. If things got out, it could be difficult for Peter – and he has enough on his plate already."

Rupp nodded, fumbling with his camera and sliding out the memory card.

"You're better off with these than I am, then," he said, handing it to Tony. "You know, for safe keeping and all."

"Thank you." Stark looked at Strange. "How is he, Stephen?"

"Fevered and in shock. I think it's just exhaustion, but we'll keep him warm and let him get some rest and see how he feels in the morning. If he's still fevered when he wakes, we'll take steps to deal with it."

"Would he be alright with Pepper?"

The doctor nodded.

"That would be a good choice."

Tony came around to the front of the sofa and sat on the coffee table next to Strange, reaching out and lifting Peter's head by putting his hand under his chin. The boy was still deathly pale and like Stephen said, he looked shocky and fairly out of it. But he made the attempt to focus when Stark said his name.

"We're going to put you to bed."

Peter nodded.

"I'm okay."

Tony nodded, and gave him a tender smile, his hand brushing the boy's forehead. Like Stephen said, he was pretty warm at the moment.

"I know you are. You're just going to keep Pepper company."

"Okay."

"Good."

Tony got him to his feet and with Peter leaning heavily on him the billionaire walked him into the bedroom. Pepper woke when he pulled the blankets back and sat up when Peter slid under them and settled next to her, closing his eyes almost immediately.

"Is he alright?" she asked, sleepily.

"Yeah."

"Was he sleepwalking?"

"No." He leaned over Peter's already sleeping form and kissed her. "I'll tell you all about it in the morning."

She nodded and lay back down, gathering her sleepy teenager into her arms and frowning when she realized that he was warmer than she was. Peter mumbled something and she pressed a kiss against his forehead, shushing him with the gesture, and he settled back. Tony covered them both back up, told her that he'd be back in a minute and then went back out into the living room.

"Did Friday record what Peter did?" Romanoff asked when he reappeared.

"Yes."

A quick download to his cellphone and they were able to watch the events unfolding on the deck less than an hour before.

"How did he do that?" Elmer asked, after they'd seen it a couple of times.

"It's something of a secret, Elmer," Tony told him. "I'd rather not explain it to you – for your own safety."

"He's not an alien, though?"

"No."

Strange shared a look with Stark and rolled his eyes, as well.

"Is the snowpack stable, or are we going to have a repeat of this scare?"

"Friday says it's safe. I'm going to go out and take another look before heading back to bed." He looked at Rupp. "I'd rather the kids don't hear about this – even leaving Peter's participation out. They're supposed to be having a good time, not worrying."

"I won't tell anyone anything."

"Thank you."

"I'll let the others know tomorrow," Natasha said.

"Good. Thanks. I'll make sure Pepper knows."

"Peter doesn't need anything?" Romanoff asked Stephen.

"For now? Just some sleep. If he wakes and you need me, Tony, call."

"I will."

The two headed back up the stairs, and Elmer sat down on the sofa, checking his camera for any damage from when he'd dropped it, earlier.

"Your life is a lot more complicated than mine is," the Idahoan said as Stark headed across the room to go back outside.

"Sometimes," Tony admitted.