"Hey, Peter… Wake up."

He opened his eyes, confused, and looked around. Tony was sitting next to him, but he wasn't the one who had spoken. Stark was lounging, relaxed, with his feet propped up on Peter's coffee table and a cup of coffee in one hand. Clint was sitting on the coffee table, with a large brown box in his hands, watching Peter, expectantly.

"What?"

"This just came for you."

The boy rubbed his face, sleepily, and glanced at his watch. It was just after noon and he'd pretty much slept the whole day, getting woken by Tony long enough to eat breakfast and then start a movie. A movie he hadn't finished. The TV was off, now, and Peter wondered if Tony had watched the movie until the end, or had turned it off when he'd fallen asleep.

"What is it?" he asked.

"It's a box," Tony told him, amused.

"From Pepper?"

Clint frowned.

"Why would Pepper send you a box?" he asked. "She could just bring it home with her."

"I don't know."

"Check it out and see," Tony suggested.

"It's from Kayla and Caitlyn Rupp," Clint told him, handing the box over to the boy now that he was sitting up and had a lap to put it in without risking jarring his hip.

"Who's that?"

"Judging from the name, I'd say they are related to Elmer."

The box was heavy, and Peter looked at the shipping label. It was from Boise, Idaho, and like Clint had said, it was from Kayla and Caitlyn Rupp. He worried at the tape on the edge for a few moments until Clint handed him a knife and then he slit the seams, easily, and opened the box.

There was a black leather case inside, and on it a postcard that had a picture of a potato wearing sunglasses that said Greetings from Idaho! in bold letters with a mountain range in the background and a clear blue sky.

Peter picked it up and turned it over. There was a note on the back; the handwriting so perfect that it almost looked like it was preprinted on the card.

"What does it say?" Tony asked, curiously.

"Dear Peter. Get well soon. Here is something to keep you occupied during your recovery. Love, Kayla and Caitlyn Rupp."

The boy handed Tony the card, and pulled the case out of the box. It was a hard case, with a handle and a zipper that went across the side. Peter opened it and pulled the lid back. Inside was a camera similar to the one that Elmer had been using while they were in Montana.

"Wow…"

He pulled the camera out of the case, and saw that there were three different lenses for it, each tucked protectively in their own spaces. Along with five memory cards – also in small plastic snap on cases – and a small booklet that a quick glance showed was a reference and how to guide for using the entire set up.

"I didn't know you were into photography," Clint said, impressed.

"I'm not," Peter told him. "I mean, I wasn't. I could learn, though…"

"That's pretty nice," Stark said, looking at the card and reading it, again. "This must be Elmer's wife and kid."

"Yeah. I never learned their names."

"You didn't have any reason to learn them," Tony pointed out. "And not a lot of time – in between being shot and all."

It was obvious that Tony still wasn't completely over the whole thing, although he privately had to admit that the camera gift was a nice touch. Peter knew him well enough to know that the bland expression wasn't the same as an angry one, and he just smiled and set the camera back in its case and looked at the various lenses. They were conveniently labeled.

"Telescopic, night, and fish-eyed."

"You'll have to try them out," Clint told him. "After Strange lets you out of your room, of course."

"Thanks for bringing it in," Peter said, closing the case and then putting it back in the box and setting the box on the coffee table. "What are you guys doing?"

"We're getting ready to drop some jumpers tonight. Nat and Steve are going over the schedule with the jumpmaster. I just happened to be outside when the delivery guy came up the road looking for you."

Peter managed to control his disappointment when he heard that they were going to take the Quinjet up for a flight, knowing full well that he wasn't going to be allowed to go flying just then – especially since the flight would have included aerials that he had no business trying to deal with in his condition. He must not have hid it very well, though, because Clint reached out and rubbed his hair.

"Don't worry," he told the boy. "There'll be other flights. Faster and more exciting."

"I know."

Barton stood up.

"I need to go. If you guys are planning another one of those internet scavenger hunts, don't start it without me."

He winked at Peter and then left, and Tony slapped Peter's shoulder. He'd seen the disappointment on the boy's face before he'd managed to hide it, too, and he understood completely.

"Since you're awake, how about we have lunch and then I school you in 3-D chess?"

Peter nodded, smiling, and glad for the distraction.

"Sounds good."

OOOOOOOOO

As usual, Stark was waiting for Pepper when she pulled into the garage that evening. She smiled, thoroughly enjoying the fact that she could almost expect to see him first thing when she was done for the day, and that she could unwind with him, leaving the workday behind her for a little relaxation. Even better, it was Friday, and she had an entire weekend to look forward to, now. Down time with him and with Peter.

He opened her door, took her bag as usual, and then kissed her hello, but instead of the usual greeting, he gave her a look that she didn't quite know how to interpret.

"What?" she asked, curiously.

"You need to have a talk with your son."

She frowned.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"Peter?"

"How many sons do you have?"

Technically, she didn't have any, but Peter was pretty close to the real deal.

"Why? Is something wrong?"

"Yes, something is wrong. Something is definitely wrong, Pepper. He's a hustler. He acts all young, and innocent and 'oh, it's a new game and I don't know how to play it – I just got it for my birthday' and then he lets you win a game or two and then all of a sudden you want to make it interesting and suddenly the boy can't lose…"

"What are you talking about?" she asked. Then she tilted her head. "Did you wager with him? Again?"

"Yeah. Because he's a hustler."

"What did you lose?"

"That's not important. The point is, your son is a hustler."

"Wait… so if he saves a woman from being mugged, he's your son."

"Right."

Of course.

"But if he beats you in chess…. Then he's mine?"

"No. If he hustles innocent people, then he's yours."

She shook her head, amused, and shut the car door and headed for their quarters, anxious to get changed into something more casual and then go see how Peter was doing. Tony walked beside her, his arm coming around her waist as they walked.

"Are you going to tell me what you lost?"

"He cheated."

"Tell me it isn't the tower."

"He doesn't want the tower."

"The compound?"

"No."

"Tony…"

Stark sighed.

"I have to give his academic decathlon team an all-day field trip to the compound. Guided by yours truly."

"Really?"

She smiled.

"It's not funny. Do you know how much mayhem a group of rowdy teenagers can cause? There are a lot of breakable things here."

"Ned and MJ are both part of his team, aren't they?"

"Yes."

"I think you'll be okay, Tony."

They reached their quarters and he dropped her bag in a chair.

"Anyway, I was thinking that you could talk to your son."

"And…?"

"And talk him into letting you give the tour."

She smiled and shook her head, heading into the bedroom, shedding her skirt as she walked.

"That's not going to happen. You made the bet. You get to give the tour. I suggest you do it in your Ironman suit. It'd be far more interesting that way."

"Pepper..."

"Nope." She wrapped her arms around him, kissing him lightly, amused and not bothering to hide it. "When is this field trip supposed to happen?"

"We haven't gotten that far, yet."

"Is that all you lost to him today?"

"No. Like I said. Your son is a hustler. Barely 16 and already lost to the dark side..."

"What else did you lose?"

"I'll tell you later."