"You already asked…?"

Peter nodded, but it was Ned who spoke up.

"Shuri must have jumped the gun," Ned said, rolling his eyes as he settled on the couch in Peter's quarters. "We were planning on talking to them, tomorrow."

MJ's image in the screen that Peter used as a TV or gaming display shrugged.

"It was going to happen. Did you use all of my arguments?" she asked.

"Yeah. They were good ones."

"Did they say yes?"

"No."

"It's not going to be an immediate yes or no," Ned reminded both of them. "Not only because it's a trip to Wakanda but because it's not just Peter who wants to go. Tony and Pepper can't say yes without talking to my mom – and your folks."

"True." She shrugged, again. "I'll bring it up with my folks, tonight before I go to bed. To lay some ground work."

"My mom already knows what I want to do," Ned told them both. "I've mentioned it a few times. She probably just thought I was joking, or being hopeful, but she knows Shuri and what she is, and she knows about the Avenger tribe – a little – so she'll let me go. As long as Tony and Pepper let Peter go."

"I shouldn't have any trouble with my parents. They know who Shuri is." And had met her a couple of times, now. "It'll be a learning experience for me. They're always up for that."

"Yeah." Ned smiled. "I'll make sure to use that with my mom if she hesitates for some reason."

"You do that." She turned her attention to Peter. "Let me know if Tony and Pepper want my parents to meet them somewhere to talk face to face about it."

"They will." The tower was a common meeting place for that kind of thing, since it would save everyone the long drive to the compound and Pepper was considerate like that. "I'll talk to Shuri, tomorrow, sometime, and see what T'Challa said to her about the idea."

"Let me know."

"Yeah."

OOOOOOOOOOOO

"They what?"

"They want to go to Wakanda for Spring break," Tony said, pleased that Natasha didn't seem any more thrilled by the idea than he, himself, felt. "Alone."

"That's a terrible idea."

"What did T'Challa say?" Stephen asked, curiously, nursing the cup of coffee that he'd just retrieved from the pot behind the bar. It was late, and he and Natasha had been surprised to find Tony and Pepper awake and still in the lounge. Especially since Peter and Ned weren't in sight. "Did he veto the idea?"

"No." Stark scowled. "He seems to think it's a great idea. He pointed out that he trusts us with Shuri, and that we should do the same with Peter. We didn't have a lot of time to discuss it, though. He had a council meeting."

"Peter will get eaten by a water buffalo or something," Natasha said. "He's just a baby."

"He's almost seventeen," Pepper pointed out. "And the others are sixteen. And all members of the tribe, and as such, welcomed in Wakanda whenever they want to go."

"T'Challa really thinks it's a good idea to turn them loose in the wilderness of Wakanda?" Romanoff asked.

"There would be guides," Pepper replied. "To keep them away from anything too dangerous and to keep them separated into their appropriate tents at night."

"That's a terrible idea," Natasha repeated.

Pepper raised an eyebrow, forced to play devil's advocate since none of the kids were there to make their own arguments.

"Because you don't trust T'Challa?"

"Because it's Peter."

Meaning – without saying it aloud – that something bad was bound to happen if she wasn't there to watch out for him.

"Aren't you the one who told me that there were going to be times that I'd have to let him loose and not hide him in a safe place?"

He couldn't help but play devil's advocate, either.

Natasha scowled.

"Don't throw my words back at me."

"You can't have it both ways."

"Of course I can."

Stephen snorted at that, amused and not hiding it.

"Let's assume T'Challa agrees, and all the parents agree, as well," he said.

"Which they will," Tony added.

"Then what are your concerns? Wild creatures aside."

"Wild creatures are my biggest concern," Tony said – and Pepper nodded her agreement. "The place is crawling with things that are willing to eat him. Or sting him. Or just bite him and poison him."

"He's been out there, before," Stephen reminded them. "He didn't get eaten, then. Or poisoned. Or bitten."

"He wasn't alone, then."

"He was with skilled guides," Strange pointed out. "I doubt it was your presence there with him that kept him from getting eaten."

"He tried to steal a rhino."

"Because he was under the influence. We can safely assume that Azoru – and anyone else – aren't planning on doing something like that again."

Tony scowled.

"You're for this?"

A shrug.

"I'm not vehemently against it."

"You're the first person who assumes he'll get eaten when he goes somewhere outside," Natasha reminded him, annoyed.

"And so far I've been wrong. I'd think that a short trip – maybe someplace that is exciting but not too dangerous – might be a good idea."

"And you'll keep an eye on him?" Tony asked.

"Of course not. He'd know if I were there, just as easily as he'd know if Natasha was. I think you can assume that if Shuri is off on this little trek of theirs, then T'Challa is going to make sure the guides that go with them are experienced and undoubtedly will have been briefed on the expectation that all of their charges return home hale and healthy."

That earned him another scowl from Tony, but Pepper was already beginning to look a little less concerned. Not because she wasn't worried about Peter's health, obviously, but because she could see the truth in what Stephen was telling them – and wasn't feeding off of Tony's concerns, as much, now.

"I'm sure you're right about that."

"I'm sure I am, too."

That earned an eyeroll from Natasha.

"We'll wait and see what T'Challa has to say," Pepper decided. "When he has more time to discuss it."

"I'd say that's a very good idea."

OOOOOOOOOOO

"He wants to come here?"

T'Challa nodded, leaning back on his throne and looking at his mother and Okoye.

"Shuri has tendered the invitation – when she was in New York for their Valentine's Day – and has reminded me that while she has been allowed to go to the compound several times, now, Peter has not, yet, had a chance to come here on his own. Which is true, of course."

"Shuri told me that she wishes to have her friends MJ and Ned come, as well," Ramonda said.

T'Challa nodded.

"So I have been informed." He looked at Okoye. "What concerns do you have?"

Meaning how did she intend to keep their guests safe.

"None." Not surprisingly, she was confident in her abilities and those of the palace guards. "If they stay in the city, there will be no problems with security."

"And if they want to go out on the plains?"

"I would not recommend that they leave the city."

Ramonda smiled.

"They are from a great city," she reminded both of them. "Why would they want to stay in the city when there is an entire savannah filled with strange and exotic animals for them to explore?"

T'Challa nodded his agreement and looked at Okoye, again.

"Tony and Shuri have both already informed me that the goal of this visit is to allow them a safari of sorts – and without a large presence of guardians in order to make things more intimate."

"Not too intimate, though," Ramonda said, making T'Challa smile, slightly.

"Agreed." Another look at Okoye. "Come up with a plan for a small party to do a simple – but exciting – excursion to the plains. Experienced guides and a small party of guards."

Okoye gave a slight bow, her expression bland and not showing the fact that she didn't care too much for the assignment – although she would do what she'd been told and would bring up any issues or concerns as they arose.

"Yes, my king."

Ramonda had the last word, though, and she smiled.

"Perhaps we will take the opportunity to introduce Peter to Nakia."

T'Challa frowned, but he didn't respond. He had a busy day ahead of him, still, and didn't want to try to match withs with his mother, just then.