A/N: Hey guys! I hope you're all doing well and staying safe for the holiday season. I'm still here and still writing this story, just much slower. I hope all of you have a good holiday as you celebrate it! I miss you.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Hey, how are things going?"

Romanoff shrugged, looking at Stark's image on her phone screen. She had just woken up, but she wasn't annoyed that the billionaire was checking in with them – no matter what time of day it was. She hadn't heard from Peter – the boy knew she was on a mission, and he wouldn't call her to avoid interrupting her (or distracting her) at a bad time.

Of course, he could probably use the mind stone to tell him if it was a bad time, but Peter was always more cautious, and he'd clearly decided that he'd let her call him when the time was good for her.

"It isn't too bad," she told Tony. "Some housekeeping, but nothing we can't handle."

"Anything you need from me?"

"No. We'll be finished here in a day or two, most likely. We could leave, tomorrow, maybe, but I'm giving some of the contacts a chance to meet Barnes."

Stark frowned.

"Is that wise?"

Another shrug.

"He speaks Spanish and he's scary," Romanoff said with a slight smirk. "It's a good fit. Even if he never comes down here, again."

"Did you just call me scary?"

Tony didn't see Barnes in the display, but he definitely heard him. Romanoff turned away from the conversation she was having with him and Stark saw her shake her head.

"Of course I didn't. I thought you were polishing your arm, or something…"

Now Tony heard a chuckle – and realized it was Rogers.

"Are you talking to Tony?" he heard Steve ask.

"Yes."

"How's Peter doing?"

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

"Peter's fine, you guys," Tony assured them all. Natasha especially, though. "They're finishing up the safari, today, and will head to the Jabari lands, tomorrow. A quick visit with Azoru and then they'll be heading back to the city – and then home."

"We should be back before they are, then."

"You saw the lion cub?"

"Yes." They'd all seen the pictures that Peter had texted to Natasha and Steve, both. Pictures of him with a lion cub. A lion cub, quite alive and very much larger than little Nutmeg. And very close to Peter's face, really. "He isn't asking you to keep it, is he?" she asked, eliciting a smile from the billionaire.

"No. Luckily." It was adorable, after all, and saying no wasn't Tony's strong point when it came to Peter. "It was injured by that crazy elephant – they think – and so it needed to go to a vet or whatever it is that treats wild animals. When it's healthy enough they'll let it back out into the wild to be a lion, again."

"Peter's okay with that?" Steve asked before Natasha could.

Tony nodded.

"He says he is. Besides, it wouldn't be safe at the compound, would it? Nutmeg might look like a tasty treat, but if the lion tried anything, it'd probably find itself on the wrong end of those tentacles, or something. Peter knows that."

True.

"Well, we should be home before he is, but if something comes up let us know and we'll come sooner."

"Will do." Tony nodded, but he was honestly as surprised as they were that so far nothing had happened that had required any of them to head to Wakanda. He wasn't going to say anything and jinx it, though. "If you need anything, call."

"We will."

The call ended and Romanoff put her phone away.

"He doesn't look too concerned…" Barnes said, looking a little uncertain at that. He'd been around long enough, now, to know that while all of the Avengers were protective of Peter, Tony was by far the most careful with him and his safety. "Think he's sneaking over to Wakanda every night to keep an eye on him?"

Steve smirked.

"No. If Peter was anywhere other than Wakanda I wouldn't put that past him, but Wakanda is safer than pretty much anywhere, really."

"Which is the only reason he let them go without him," Romanoff agreed. "I'm sure Peter's continually checking in with Tony and Pepper, but no one is going to be able to sneak up on the Wakandans to allow them to make any kind of play on Peter."

"Except that elephant," Steve added. "It sounds like that thing is a pest."

Romanoff snorted, and then shrugged.

"That's what the guides are for. And the forcefield."

OOOOOOOOOOO

"What are you doing?"

Peter looked over his shoulder at Shuri, and then back to the small stream he was watching so intently.

"Looking for baby crocodiles."

The princess looked toward the water, too.

"They will not be in the stream… they are in water that has less current, usually."

"I know. Mut Chai said that sometimes when they are done being with their moms they'll hang out in little streams like this to catch fish and that kind of thing. Since we're inside the forcefield so mom can't be close by, I thought I'd look to see if I could find one."

"And then what?" she asked with a smile. "Would we eat it?"

She knew better, but it was always fun to tease him.

Peter smiled, too.

"They're babies."

"Which makes them more tender."

He rolled his eyes.

"You wouldn't eat a baby crocodile…"

"Of course I would not. But not because they are babies," she added, hooking her arm into his. "Because they are little and would not be much of a meal."

"Because they're babies," Peter pointed out. With her arm still in his, he turned them both and headed back toward the camp area. "Have you ever had crocodile?"

"No." She leaned against him as they walked. The sun was getting lower in the sky but it was still warm with only the hint of the beginning of the chill that they would have when it went down. The main fire wasn't lit, yet, but it soon would be. The guides didn't need it for cooking; it was for sitting around at night and telling stories. And for the comfort that comes with the warmth and light in the dark of the night. "I hear it is very good."

"What's good?" Ned asked, since they'd walked toward where he was sitting with MJ, both of them looking through the photos that they'd taken that day and sending them off to their families and friends.

"Crocodile."

MJ frowned.

"You've had crocodile?"

"Of course she has," Ned said, shrugging. "She lives in a country filled with them, right?"

"When's the last time you had an owl?" MJ countered.

Ned rolled his eyes.

"It's not the same thing."

"It's kind of the same thing," Peter disagreed.

Shuri let his arm go and went over to sit at the table.

"Have you spoken with Tony or Pepper yet?"

They all knew that he generally called and checked in when they returned to the camp for the day. Since he'd separated from them to go look at the water, none of them knew if he'd made his call.

"Not, yet." He looked at his watch. "I thought I'd wait until their lunch time so I could catch them, together. Did you get any good pictures?"

"Tons." No big surprise, since Ned always had his phone in his hand. "What did you get?"

Peter wasn't using his phone for his pictures; he was using the camera sent to him by Elmer Rudd's wife and daughter. This meant his pictures were first rate, even if he wasn't as quick to take them as Ned and the others, because he wasn't used to using it.

"I don't know. I'll go get my camera."

He started to turn toward the tent but then felt just a slight tingle and his attention went toward the north. He wasn't the only one, though; Chai was already hopping down from the sled that he'd been checking and one of the other guides was holding one of their communicators.

"What's up?" Ned asked, curiously, half standing up, his phone still in his hand.

"I'm not sure."

"Something bad?"

"No." His tingle was gentle. Nothing was warning him that something was going to happen. "I just-"

There was a sudden cheerful bark and a large, furry body came rushing into the clearing from between a couple of bushes, startling Chai, but not Peter or the younger guide. Peter recognized the dog, immediately. He'd bought her, after all. And had given her to-

"Azoru!"

Ned had recognized the dog, too – and was quick to greet his friend. The young Jabari had walked out of the bushes, as well, following Natasha. He was dressed in simple leathers and was flanked by a couple of others. Young men who were dressed similarly to the Jabari noble but hung back, slightly.

They stopped in the clearing, while Natasha pounced on Peter, eager for some attention.

"What are you doing here?" Shuri asked, pleased to see her friend.

"We are here to accompany you to the Jabari lands."

That hadn't been the plan, but it was a good surprise to all of them.

"Awesome."