They saw the capital long before they arrived.
The sun was still up but the looming clouds were following them on their way home. Since there hadn't been anything interesting to see and the forcefield shield was keeping it from being uncomfortably windy in the sleds, most of the younger people in the sled had decided to nap or had simply been lulled to sleep by the thrum of the engine and the motion of their passage. Azoru and his cousins were sprawled in the rear of the sled, using their bags and supplies as pillows and beds, and Ned was asleep across from Peter with his head on his backpack. MJ was awake next to Ned, with her tablet out sorting through her social media during the journey back to the city. Shuri hadn't hesitated to stretch out on the bench seat and settled beside Peter, resting her head on his thigh in an unconscious echo of how Peter, himself, would use Tony as a pillow. She'd fallen asleep almost immediately and had missed most of the last two hours of the trip.
"This place is so pretty," MJ said, looking up from an email as they neared the city. "Thanks for inviting me."
Peter smiled.
"I'm glad you came."
She smiled, too.
"What's the plan for this evening, do you know?"
"No clue as far as what T'Challa has to say," he replied. "Or when," he added. "But Shuri told me that there are going to be a couple of jewel guys available to look through the stuff we got from the mine, so I don't know how long that will take. They might not need us there for it, or anything. I'd like a shower, though, before Tony and Pepper come."
"Me, too."
"I need a shave," Ned said, waking up from his nap while they'd been speaking, and rubbing his jaw – similar to how Tony sometimes would. "Did you bring a razor, Peter?"
MJ rolled her eyes, and leaned over and ran her fingers along Ned's smooth cheek.
"I think you're okay," she told him.
"Are you sure?" Ned offered his chin to her, again. "Check again. It's been a week…"
It was Peter who reached out, this time. He ran his hand along his friend's cheek and ended it with a light slap that was as amused as his expression.
"Nope."
"Damn."
Shuri sat up, then, also woken by the conversation – and because she'd had a good nap.
"What is going on?" she asked, looking around.
"Ned thinks he's grown a beard," Peter told her.
"They're just jealous, Shuri," Ned said. "If I go another couple of days, I'll have a bushy beard going down to my knees, pretty much."
The princess smiled, reaching her hand out to check the boy's chin and jaw.
"A couple of days?" she repeated, allowing a little disbelief into her tone. "Truly?"
"Well, maybe a little more than that," Ned conceded. "But-"
"When we get back to the capital you can borrow my razor," MJ told him with a smirk.
Ned rolled his eyes.
"That's gross."
OOOOOOOOOOO
T'Challa wasn't waiting for them when they arrived in the subterranean garage where the sleds were normally kept. It was an enormous room filled with vehicles of all sorts – including Shuri's Mustang convertible, which had a place of honor in a well-lit corner where nothing else could scratch it. Several of the palace servants were present, however, as was Ramonda, who smiled, cheerfully when the vehicle that Shuri and the others were in came to a stop. She stepped forward, and the guards and guides hung back as Peter and Azoru hopped down, first, and then assisted the girls out, while Ned started tossing out their bags into a pile on the side.
"Welcome home," Ramonda said, hugging Shuri, hard, and pressing a kiss against her cheek. "Did you have a good time?"
"We did," Shuri assured her, letting her go so she could greet Peter, and then Ned and MJ – although they didn't receive hugs. "It was fun."
Azoru bowed deeply, and Mavik and Bartel followed suit.
"Has my uncle arrived?" the young Jabari asked, his expression sunny despite the formality.
"He has," Ramonda replied. "He will be waiting for word from you that you have arrived, safely."
"I will go speak to him, soon." The Jabari all turned to their friends, and Azoru bowed, cheerfully. "I will see you this evening."
Bartel gave Shuri a slight bow, as well, and then turned to MJ and the bow was a little deeper, although his smile was wide.
"It was a pleasure spending time with you, MJ."
She smiled, too.
"Thank you."
"I will see you, this evening?"
"Sure."
"You'll see me, too," Ned reminded him, pointedly, amused, and more than willing to gently tease the guy after spending enough time with him, now, that he liked him and knew he could. "This evening, that is."
Bartel gave a wry smile, and another bow.
"I look forward to it."
They separated, then, and Ramonda took the youngest members of the Avenger tribe to one of the elevators that would take them to the living levels of the palace and the servants gathered up their bags, already knowing where to deliver them.
"So tell me of your trip," Ramonda said, hooking her arm through Shuri's, clearly pleased to have her back home where she belonged. "What was the best part?"
"The animals," Ned said. "It was great. I took a million pictures."
"The scenery," MJ added. "Your country is beautiful. Thanks for letting me come."
"It is your country, as well," Ramonda reminded her. "And you are welcome, here, any time."
"What is T'Challa's announcement?" Shuri asked. "Has he asked Nakia to marry him?"
"It is for him to tell," she replied with an amused smile. "And not for you to pester him about."
"I am not going to pester him."
"Probably," Peter disagreed, earning himself a slap on the shoulder courtesy of his girlfriend.
They laughed, but didn't pursue that particular line of conversation, further. Instead, as Ramonda walked them to the suite of rooms the New Yorkers would be using (the same rooms that were pretty much permanently set aside for members of the Avenger tribe) she explained that they had several hours to rest up and refresh and then there would be a meal.
"I am uncertain when your parents plan to arrive for the council meeting," she told Peter as they stopped at the door. "But they are scheduled to be here this evening – late morning, your time."
"That's what Tony told me the last time I talked to him," Peter said, smiling. "But he didn't know exactly when it would be, either. He mentioned it'd depend on when Stephen was available to make the portal."
"Well, we are happy to have you as long as we can," Ramonda assured them all. "And I am happy to have you all to myself for a while." Her smile was warm as she put her arm around Shuri and used the free hand to gesture toward the door. "There are refreshments in your suite. Get something to eat and some rest. I will send someone to bring you to dinner."
"Thank you," Peter said.
He was ready for a chance to sit for a while on something that wasn't moving.
"We will see you soon," Shuri told him.
Ned and MJ echoed his thanks, and they went into the door, surprised to see that their bags had already been delivered and had been deposited on one of the couches, while there was a platter of meats, cheeses, bread, and fruits chilling on the table.
"Dibs on the shower," MJ said, before the boys could do more than reach for something to turn into a sandwich.
They both scowled, but fair was fair, and Ned shrugged.
"I'm more hungry than dirty."
"Yeah, me too," Peter agreed. He reached for his phone in his pocket. "I'm going to call and let Tony and Pepper know we're here."