"Do you need anything?"

Peter shook his head, smiling.

"I have everything I need."

"We could probably go find you a few goats," Tony offered. "You know, just in case you find something you want to buy."

"I don't need goats," he replied – and he already knew that Tony and Pepper knew it. "Shuri is going to be with us, and she's got the royal credit card. If we want something we find along the way, she'll buy it for us and then we'll pay her back when we get home."

"There is no such thing as a royal credit card," T'Challa told them, watching as the boy said his farewells to Tony and Pepper. For the third time. The portal was opened, and Stephen and Natasha (who had already said their goodbyes) were waiting more or less patiently, but Tony kept lingering. "But there will be no issue if they find something they would like to bring home with them."

"Nothing with a heartbeat," Pepper reminded all three teens – and T'Challa. "We're running out of room."

"A battle rhino would be pretty cool," Ned said, grinning because he knew Tony would roll his eyes and that Pepper would get that mom expression that he thought was so cool on her.

Sure enough both happened, and Pepper even swatted his shoulder.

"It'd have to stay in your room."

"Ugh."

"We'll see you in a week," Tony said to Peter, knowing that he was being clingy and forcing himself not to be. "If you need anything-"

"We will provide it," T'Challa interrupted, smoothly. "Much as you do when Shuri is staying at the compound."

The young king was equally amused, so there was no annoyance in his expression or tone at what could possibly be an insinuation that Tony didn't trust T'Challa or the Wakandans to take care of Peter and his friends. He knew better, of course.

"Right." He hugged Peter, quickly, and then stepped back – toward the portal. "Stay out of trouble."

Since he was looking at all of them, all three nodded.

"We will."

Pepper smiled at Peter and then caught Tony's hand and led him through the portal. Natasha gave a slight smile as she turned and walked back into the portal as well, but Stephen refused to not have the last word.

"Don't get eaten by anything," he told them.

He stepped through and the portal closed on itself, leaving the three teens smiling at the parting comment. T'Challa gestured for a couple of servants to come forward and take the luggage.

"We are going to put you in the suite you shared with Tony and Pepper," he told Peter – and the others. "While I am not commanding it, I do suggest that you get some rest rather than explore the palace. It is very early our day, still, and I know it is late in yours. Take a nap and you will be refreshed enough to enjoy the latter part of our day – and the welcoming ceremony that is planned to start your visit off on the right tone."

"That sounds like a good plan," Peter agreed, speaking for them all since he knew the man best. "Thanks."

"You are most welcomed." He nodded to the servants – and then to his councilors – before turning back to the teens. "Shuri will come for you in time for lunch and can give you a tour of the palace and the city, time permitting."

Peter knew his way around the palace fairly well, and Ned had been there a few times, now, but MJ hadn't seen much the last and only time she'd been to Wakanda, so he was sure the boys were eager to show her around. He was equally sure that Shuri was, too.

The kids followed the servants out of the room and into a broad hallway that led to the many guest quarters in the palace. MJ couldn't help but slow to look at the artwork, both on the walls and in small alcoves that lined the corridor.

"We're still going to the orphanage, tonight?" she asked.

"Shuri says we are, yeah."

"Great.' They walked into the suite and looked around the main room. "Wow. This is nice."

It was, of course, since it was intended as a guest suite – which meant that it offered the best that Wakanda had.

"There are only two rooms," Peter told them, nodding a thank you to the servants as they set the bags on the couch in the main room. "You can have one of them," he told her. "Ned and I can share the other – or I can take the couch. Either way."

It wasn't like they were going to be there long, after all. That evening and then when they got back from their safari for a couple of days. When Ned stayed at the compound he usually just stayed in Peter's quarters, after all, and this suite was much larger and nicer than even that impressive living space.

"Sounds good," Ned agreed. He took a quick look into both of the adjoining rooms and pointed at the larger one. "We get this room," he told MJ.

She rolled her eyes but shrugged. The room they were in was amazing. It had all kinds of traditional Wakandan décor, and she was – of course – impressed. She had plenty of Wakandan items from Peter's many trips (he almost always brought her back something, although usually they were small items) but this was even better. Even the covering on the sofa was made of a high quality fabric that had been woven into a brightly colored blanket of sorts.

"That's okay."

"You should try to get some rest," one of the servants told Peter. He'd spent enough time with the boy during his previous visits that he knew he could be casual around him. "The princess plans to have many people here, this evening, to greet you properly."

"Thanks, Lamon. Will you ask someone to make sure we're awake by lunch?"

"Of course."

The servants bowed themselves out and closed the door behind them and Ned flopped down on the sofa, grinning.

"I can't believe we managed to get here without something coming up to keep it from happening."

"I know," Peter agreed, reaching for MJ's bag so he could take it to her room for her. "I didn't want to jinx it by saying something, but I really expected something to happen and I'd bleed and Tony and Pepper would decide that they needed to come, too."

"Me too." He looked at his friends. "By the time we're awake and ready for lunch, you guys can check in with your folks and tell them that we're here. If we took the Quinjet, we would go supersonic so it's going to be about right for timing."

"I'm not tired," Ned told him, walking over and checking out the bowl of fruit and treats that had been left for them. "Think T'Challa will care if we go look around, instead?"

"I think he'll be annoyed if you fall asleep during his welcome ceremony after you'd been advised to get some rest." Peter smiled at Ned's eyeroll. "We'll have plenty of time to look around," he reminded Ned. "We're going to be here for a week, remember."

"Yeah. I guess." It was grudging, but he knew his friend was right. "I'll take the couch."

"You're not just going to wait until we're asleep and sneak out, are you?" MJ asked, looking a little suspicious.

"Nah." Ned tossed his bag onto the floor and stretched out, using a cushion for a pillow. "I'll wait so we can all go looking around, together. It'll be more fun that way."

Peter didn't feel anything in his gut that told him Ned was thinking otherwise, and Alec silently confirmed it, so he carried MJ's bag to the room she was going to use and pointed out the door to the bathroom, as well, as he did. Then he dropped her bag on the bed, which was just as big and comfortable looking as he remembered.

"I'll see you in a few hours," he told MJ.

She grinned, excited but trying hard to hide it and look worldly. Like she hung out in palaces in foreign countries all the time.

"Night."