AN: I really am sorry that the updating is only once a week, right now. I'm hoping things get less hectic as summer clears and we come into fall. We'll see. I hope you all are happy and safe.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"This place is amazing."

Shuri smiled, looking around the lower court. She and MJ were looking around the palace while the boys went to the orphanage, and MJ was gratifyingly impressed with everything she was seeing – and willing to show it.

"It is very old," the princess told her friend, nodding a greeting to one of the palace servants who was dusting the room. It was later in the Wakandan evening, but it was the best time for rooms to be cleaned, obviously, since no one would be using them, just then. "Many generations of my family have ruled here, but always with help from councilors in this room."

She was proud of her heritage and it was obvious.

They'd started the tour in the throne room, but had been to several different rooms, now, related to running Wakanda and the people who accomplished it. MJ was interested in the politics of the Wakandan government and Shuri knew this, so she'd geared the tour to what rooms and people that she knew MJ would want to see.

"Is councilor a hereditary role?"

Another intelligent question. This was the most time Shuri had ever spent with MJ alone and she was just proving how smart she was – and how she managed to keep up with someone as intelligent as Peter, and Ned, for that matter.

"Partially. But if someone is not up to the task, they are gently nudged to find a different outlet for whatever talents they may have instead." She smiled. "We do not suffer fools."

MJ echoed that smile.

"I can relate to that."

"Come, I will show you the dungeons, next."

"You have dungeons?"

"No. But make sure that you tell Ned and Peter that you toured them. It will be amusing to watch them try to find them – or ask one of the pages for directions to the dungeons."

MJ smirked.

"Sounds good."

OOOOOOOOOOO

"You're at the orphanage?"

"We're leaving right now," Peter replied, cheerfully.

Not to Tony, either, surprisingly. This time it had been Steve who had called him. Officially to check on how things were going in Wakanda – even though it was way too early for things to be going wrong yet – but Peter knew that he'd want to hear how Sirah was doing. He was the one most vocal about not letting her go back to the Collector, and everyone knew that that made him feel responsible for making sure she was happy and healthy in her new life on Earth. He didn't go to Wakanda and check on her every day, but there were plenty of calls between Rogers and T'Challa where her name had been mentioned.

"We saw Sirah," Ned said, looking at Steve's image on Peters phone over his friend's shoulder. He knew that Steve would be interested in Sirah's welfare, too. "She looks really good, and she says that she's happy."

Steve looked pleased and didn't bother to try and hide it.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. The kids liked the baseball stuff, too."

Steve had sent enough baseball equipment to form a half dozen little leagues, but it wasn't a known sport in Wakanda. Steve decided to change that, since as far as he was concerned every kid should know how to play baseball. "Besides," he'd pointed out to T'Challa when he'd brought it up. "It's good exercise and it'll promote teamwork." The king of Wakanda couldn't think of a good reason to say no and now with the crate of equipment that Peter had taken with him and Ned, America's pastime was going to be introduced to the kids at the orphanage, first, and then further afield if there was interest.

"Great. And you made sure they had the videos with the basics of the game?"

"Yes." Peter smiled. "They already know all the movies, so now they can try it out."

Pretty much every baseball movie had been included a long time ago in one of the many care packages sent to the orphanage. Baseball and most every other movie they could lay hands on at the time.

Rogers looked smug, now.

"That's the idea. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"You guys are leaving for safari tomorrow?"

"Yes. Bright and early, Shuri says."

"Make sure you get a good night's sleep."

Ned smirked.

"This public service announcement brought to you by Captain America and Wholesome snack cake," he said, imitating an announcer as seen on most of the public service announcement videos that Steve did for schools and other similar entities. "Now back to our regularly scheduled program…"

Steve rolled his eyes.

"Just for that I'm going to tell Nat you said that you wanted to fly home."

Steve wasn't that great at threats.

Both boys grinned.

"What's she doing?"

"Looking for Nutmeg."

"What did he do?"

"Stole her credit cards."

Peter rolled his eyes.

"Really?"

It was hard to tell, sometimes, when Steve was joking or being serious. He had a pretty good poker face.

He nodded, though.

"Sounds like it. We found her wallet and phone in the corridor outside the control room, but things were scattered, and she said that her cards are missing."

"Tell her to check the closet by the control room," Peter suggested. "That's where I found Nick's wallet."

"Or the nearest bar," Ned added. "Drinking off his loneliness since Peter's not there."

"He isn't lonely," Steve assured the boy. "We're spoiling him rotten."

"Rottener, you mean," Ned pointed out. "He's pretty spoiled, already."

"He isn't spoiled," Peter protested with another smile. "Just… doted on."

"Right." Steve looked over his shoulder, and Peter thought he heard Bucky's voice from behind him. "I need to go, guys. Stay out of trouble."

"Of course."

Ned's face was innocent personified. Steve just rolled his eyes and ended the call.

Peter smirked and put his phone in his pocket.

"If you're not careful, he'll make you walk home."

"Natasha loves me," Ned pointed out. "She'll stick up for me."

Peter just shook his head and turned his attention back to the city around them as the train they were on took them back to the palace. The kids had been excited, and the visit had gone well into the Wakandan night. It was full dark, now, outside the train windows.

The orphanage had been fun – as always – though, and he was glad that he'd checked on Sirah, even though Shuri and her mom kept a pretty careful eye on her and tended to update Peter (or Pepper or Tony) whenever they were in communication with them. She was doing well, she told him when he'd asked, and she'd looked happy. Alec hadn't said otherwise, and Peter knew that the ancient sorcerer would definitely speak up if something (or someone) was bothering her. There was a small contingent of security with them (mainly to help carry everything) and as Peter and Ned headed back to the palace, one of the contingent pointed out sites and landmarks that they may not have seen before, making the ride interesting and quickly.

There was a page waiting for them when they arrived at the palace, and the boy grinned a greeting to the two as their security team left them with the palace guards, now.

"A message for you, Peter – and for Ned," he added, smiling cheerfully at Leeds.

Peter grinned.

"What's the message, Meran?"

"The princess left MJ at your quarters and said that she will you see you breakfast and that breakfast is at 8 o'clock and do not be late or she will feed it all to me."

His eyes were amused at the 'threat', and Peter had a feeling it was used, often.

"Thank you, Meran."

"You are welcome."

The boy bowed and left at a trot – probably to go to his own bed, considering how late it was – and Peter and Ned went to their suite, trailed by the palace guards who had been tasked with the responsibility of staying nearby in case they were needed for anything.

T'Challa wasn't going to risk anything happening on Peter's first extended stay in Wakanda, after all.

MJ was in sweats and a T-shirt, lounging on one of the sofas and looking at her phone when the boys walked in. She looked up as the door closed behind them.

"How was the orphanage?"

"It was fun," Ned told her. She knew it wasn't a terrible place, like in Oliver Twist, or anything. "They might as well hire a live in glass repairing person, though," he added, sitting down on the other sofa and reaching for a bag of chips from the basket of snacks that had been left for them. "The kids already broke two windows."

She smirked.

"With the baseballs?"

"Yeah." Peter sat on the arm of the couch, but he was tired and was ready to go to bed. "How was the tour?"

"Really interesting. Shuri told me a lot about the system of government, here, and how-"

"Boooring…" Ned pretended to yawn. "Did you see the fountain with the koi fish? And the black panther looking over it? That's pretty cool. I should set something like that up in my room…"

"Because you have so much room in your bedroom for koi ponds and statues?" she countered.

It was good-natured bantering and Ned shrugged, unconcerned.

"I'd figure it out. Tony's an engineer, right?"

"True."

"I'm going to bed," Peter told them, standing up and stretching. "Shuri left a message for us that breakfast is at eight, so you shouldn't stay up too late, I imagine."

"I'm going to bed," MJ said, also standing. "I was just waiting for you guys." She looked at Peter. "Shuri told me to tell you not to call her. She'll see you in the morning."

"Thanks."