Epilogue

OOOOOO

"Peter? Shuri? Wake up, guys, we're home…"

He could have just picked the boy up and carried him to his bed, but Tony knew that his son wasn't really that tired. He and Shuri had just dozed off because it had been a long drive and a long weekend. Sure enough, in the rearview mirror, he saw Peter open his eyes and lift his head, looking around him just as they turned the truck into the compound's main gate. Shuri was stirring, as well, but she hadn't opened her eyes, yet.

"I fell asleep?"

Pepper smiled over her shoulder at him, resisting the urge to reach back and push his bangs out of his eyes. He was going to have to have a haircut before school started, really. Unless long-haired hippie was a new look that he was going for – which she doubted.

"You did. Was the conversation really that boring?"

He shrugged, stretching and yawning.

"I don't remember what we were talking about."

"I fell asleep during the discussion on the pros and cons of getting a beach house," Shuri said, sitting up, now. "I definitely think you should get one – and I should be invited to visit, all the time."

Tony smiled.

"You're welcomed here whenever you can come, honey; you know that."

The girl smiled at being addressed so informally and familiarly. Not very many people – actually, no one – would dare call her that back home. Well, T'Challa would, but that would sound gross coming from him. He was her brother, after all. From Tony it was a paternal vibe, and she felt warm knowing that he was comfortable enough around her to do so.

"Thank you, Tony."

Pepper smiled at the girl, too, before turning back and watching as the garage door opened to allow them access to the parking area.

Stephen and Natasha were waiting for the truck when it pulled into the garage. Tony smiled when he saw that the doctor was holding Ironpig under his arm, and Romanoff had Nutmeg in her hand, tucked against her collarbone.

"There's my boy," Stark said, getting out from behind the wheel of the truck and reaching for his pig.

"I thought I was his boy?" Peter said, pretending to be hurt, as he got out of the truck, as well.

Pepper chuckled, putting an arm around him, relaxed and cheerful and all the better for having had an entire weekend to spend with him and his friends doing nothing but lounging around enjoying the sun, sand and surf.

"Never doubt it for a minute," she murmured into his ear, brushing a kiss against his cheek.

The boy grinned, sliding his arm around her waist as they joined Shuri and Tony in greeting Strange and Natasha. The girl took the kitten from Romanoff, crooning him and cuddling him, as the doctor turned his attention to Tony.

"You really made it through the entire weekend without anything happening?"

"Plenty of things happened, Stephen," Tony corrected him. "We flew the kites that Ned and Peter designed. We spent some time on the beach soaking up sun and Pepper and I even tried boogie boarding."

"You know what I meant. No catastrophes?" He made a show of looking Peter over, carefully, for bruises or scrapes and affected shock that all he found was a bit of a sunburn. "No calamities? How many times did you activate the Ironman suit to save Peter from a shark trying to eat him?"

Peter wasn't the only one to smile, but Tony was the one who answered.

"No sharks. Although the woman in the property beside the one we were in did have a poodle who was very aggressive in her pursuit of Peter cuddling."

"Is that a real thing?" Strange asked.

"Peter is very cuddly," Pepper confirmed – and Natasha nodded her agreement. "You should try it sometime, Stephen. It's almost therapeutic."

The boy rolled his eyes.

"I'll unload the truck," he offered.

"I'll help you," Natasha said, since she didn't have the kitten in her arms, anymore, and she wanted to hear how the weekend had gone.

"Hand over Shuri's things," Tony ordered, returning his pig to Stephen, and waiting for Peter to go to the back of the truck and hop into the bed to hand over a backpack and a small soft-edged suitcase. "We'll meet you guys in the lounge."

The others left them, and Natasha walked to the back of the truck. There wasn't really that much to unload; four bags with clothes and toiletries for the weekend didn't really take up that much space, and each of them had brought a backpack for their electronics or books. That was it. Now they only had three of each.

"Did you have a good time?" she asked, as Peter handed her his backpack and bag, and then loaded himself up with everyone else's. They could stop at his room, first, and drop his stuff off, before swinging through to carry Tony and Pepper's things to their room. "I have to admit; Stephen wasn't the only one expecting a call…"

He laughed, knowing that she was only half-teasing. She, of course, would have stayed in contact with the security team that had been in the beach house next to their own and would have known immediately if anything had happened. He knew that. He pretty much counted on it, really – and knew Tony did, too.

"It was a lot of fun. We did a bonfire on the beach last night. Ned almost lost his eyebrows when he lit it."

"I thought we agreed to keep him away from matches?"

Peter shrugged, putting Tony's backpack over his shoulder as they walked out of the garage.

"I guess Tony figured that he was adult supervision enough to chance it."

"What else did you do?"

"Played volleyball, played in the water a little – not too much, though; I think Tony really was worried that a shark would try to eat me. Or maybe an aggressive jellyfish, or something, and then Stephen would be able to say I told you so when he had to come home and admit it."

"A fate worse than death."

"Yeah. We spent some time at night playing chess and goofing off, but nothing too profound, really. Mainly Ned and MJ asked Shuri about Wakanda until she probably felt like she was on the tourism bureau committee."

"She'll have to invite them out for a real visit, sometime."

He nodded.

"She did. Over Spring break. That'll give them plenty of time to talk their parents into it. Especially since none of them have heard of it up until a few months ago."

"Are you planning on going?"

He shrugged.

"Probably. Gotta check on my baby zebra, after all."

They reached his quarters and Natasha dropped his bags on the sofa and the took a bag from him as they headed for Tony and Pepper's, now.

"He won't be such a baby, by then."

Peter nodded.

"I know. How about you guys? Did you have a good weekend?"

"We did. It was quiet around here without you, but Nutmeg seemed determined to make as much mischief as he could to make up for you being gone."

"Was he bad?"

"What do you think?"

"I think he's an alien in the form of a tiny, cute kitten," Peter told her. "Nothing can be as crazy as he is. Jack wasn't even as bad when he was little."

"He was," she corrected. "We just don't remember it, now that he's over the worst of it. Your little guy will mellow out a bit when he gets older, too, I imagine."

"Maybe." Not too much, though, Peter hoped. He was definitely fun to have around. "I missed him."

"Just him?"

He hugged her, despite all the bags they were carrying.

"You know I missed you."

Natasha brushed a kiss against his cheek before letting him go so they could continue their walk.

"I missed you, too. What's the plan for the rest of the day?"

"Lunch," he said, quickly. "We had a snack before we left the beach house, but then we dropped Ned off, and MJ, and came home, so I could definitely eat. Then I think Tony will have Stephen open a portal to let Shuri get home before T'Challa can worry that we're going to keep her. After that, I'm all yours, if you have something you need help with – or want to do."

"I think we can come up with something interesting to do with the rest of our day."

Peter agreed, completely. It was the Avengers, after all. There was very rarely a dull moment with them around.

"Yeah."

They dropped the remaining luggage just inside the door to Tony and Pepper's rooms and Romanoff slid an arm around the boy, hugging him close as they headed to the lounge.

"Maybe we'll see if we can talk Stephen and Tony into playing Spoons before we send Shuri home. Then she can teach the Wakandans how to play, too…"

Peter smiled.

"The Jabari would probably love it."

The END

A/N: So! They're safely married and home from the honeymoon – and then some. Everything I wanted to accomplish with this story is done, so it was time to end it. I appreciate you all reading it. Watch for the next one to start up in the next day or so… you know I don't make you wait long in between stories. I hope you liked this one!