Chapter 4
“I do not understand…”
“It’s camp,” Peter told Shuri, excitedly. “You go there and be at camp.”
“Why?”
“To be outside.”
“Surely you can be outside at the compound?”
“It’s not the same.” The boy rolled his eyes at the image on the display. “This is with your friends. Away from home.”
“For a week?”
“Yeah.”
He’d already told her everything that he knew about the camp – which wasn’t too much, yet, but he knew that he had time to get more information. She was just starting her day, while Peter had been sent to his room to get pajamas on so they could watch a movie or something.
“And Tony is going to allow this?”
“Yeah. He said I can go. Him and Pepper both.” Peter’s eyes widened. “Do you want me to ask if you can come, too?”
The little girl frowned.
“I do not want to go. It sounds dull.”
“It won’t be. Jamie said there’s lots of things to do there.”
“Like what?”
“Be outside.”
“And…?”
Shuri was allowed to go outside, plenty. And she knew Peter was, as well. They both had many restrictions on them – more than most kids their age, even – but there was good reason.
“And swim in the lake.”
This time it was the girl who rolled her eyes. Why would anyone want to swim in a lake? Even though there weren’t crocodiles in the waters in the United States, swimming outside wasn’t something she thought would be a reason to be so cheerful.
“It does not sound exciting, Peter.”
“I know. I’m not explaining it very well.”
The princess smiled.
“I am glad you get to go, though.” That was what friends said, after all, and she was a princess, right? She was supposed to be good at sounding impressed by things that weren’t really that impressive. “You will have to take many pictures and send them to me.”
“I will.”
“I must go.”
She had things to do, after all, and while she enjoyed spending time with him on the computer, it was almost breakfast, and she was hungry.
“I’ll see you later.”
The screen went dark and Peter headed for the closet – which was where he was going when JARVIS had announced that Shuri was calling him. She called him once or twice a week, so it hadn’t been too worrisome. The two had fun chatting with each other and keeping up with what was going on in their various countries.
And Peter had been eager to tell her about camp.
“JARVIS?” he asked, pulling open the drawer that held his pajamas. “Do you think I need new clothes for camp?”
“We will need to wait and see what they suggest you bring,” the AI responded. “Then you’ll know if you have enough already, or not.”
There was zero chance that Tony and Pepper would need to take him shopping for clothes, though. Or anything else. Peter wasn’t very materialistic, but he had more clothes than he’d ever wear before he outgrew them, and Pepper and Tony (and most of the Avengers) were always on the look out for something fun to buy him.
“When will that be?”
“Soon, I’m sure.”
“I hope so.”
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
“This place is ridiculous…”
Pepper frowned, looking over Tony’s shoulder. He had his tablet out and had brought up the website for the summer camp. Eric hadn’t sent them everything, yet, but Tony knew it wouldn’t be too long. It didn’t stop him from taking a look at what he could find, before that.
“It looks nice,” she disagreed. “Plenty of wide open spaces and activities.”
Tony scowled.
“It’s surrounded by woods on every side,” he pointed out. “Peter and Ned will probably wander off, get lost and then get eaten by something.”
Pepper smiled, resting her chin on his shoulder.
“I think you might be exaggerating.”
“There’s horseback riding.”
“I see that.”
“He’s allergic to horses.”
“He doesn’t have to go horseback riding to have a good time.”
“He shouldn’t need to go to camp to have a good time, either,” Tony grumbled, softly, to make sure Peter didn’t come out of his room and overhear the comment.
She snorted, but rubbed his arm, lightly, to commiserate with him. She didn’t like the idea of him going to camp for a week, either, but she wasn’t as against the idea as Tony was. She knew if he had his way, Peter would be home schooled and kept close at hand. Not just to keep him safe (although she knew that was a big part of it) but also to keep him near Tony, who enjoyed his company.
She also knew, though, that Peter was a little boy and he was going to want to do the same things that other little boys did. One reason she was so pleased that he was friends with Ned, who was very down to earth and good natured enough to be friends with a superhero’s son but was also as normal as a little genius could be. And being raised by Eric and Nancy Tatro who had far more experience with the needs of raising well adjusted youngsters than Pepper and Tony combined.
“It’s a little late to change your mind, now,” she told him.
He sighed.
“I know.” It was easier to be against the idea when he wasn’t looking at Peter’s big hopeful eyes, though. “Maybe Fury will find something that they don’t like about the place and they can veto the idea…”
“Good luck.”
He started to reply to that when they heard Peter’s door open. Tony turned off his tablet, more than willing to forget about the whole crazy idea of Peter going to summer camp for a little while. They could watch a movie and spend some quiet family time together. He smiled when Peter came across the living room and stopped in front of the couch, now wearing his favorite pair of Ironman pajamas.
“Guess what?” he said, grinning.
Tony smiled, thinking again that he was out of his mind allowing his boy to leave for a week.
“What?”
“I told Shuri about going away to summer camp.”
Ugh.
“What did she say?” Pepper asked, moving enough to give Peter the space between herself and Tony. “Does she want to come, too?”
It was a coed camp, after all.
Peter clambered up between them, shivering happily as he always did when he found his spot.
“No. I asked. She said it sounds boring.”
“It might be,” Tony said.
“It’s going to be great.”
Ugh. Maybe they’d have some kind of outbreak of poison ivy or something.
OOOOOOOOOOO
“Well?”
“It’s a terrible idea.”
Fury shrugged.
“That isn’t what I was asking.”
He didn’t disagree, though.
Romanoff scowled.
“We haven’t had much time to look it over,” she told him. “We’ll want to do checks on all of the counselors and the staff.”
“It isn’t camp time, though,” Steve pointed out.
“The place runs week long camping segments all summer,” Romanoff said. “The participants range from high school kids, to little kids – and to family camps. There’s a core staff, with a camp director and a couple of horse wranglers, lifeguards, and a cooking staff. The rest are volunteers who come up for a week or two at a time to help out. Usually as counselors.”
“You’ve learned that already?” Sam asked, looking impressed. They’d only heard about the place an hour ago.
Of course, it was Peter’s safety they were talking about, so he shouldn’t be too surprised, he supposed.
“That and a bit more.” She looked at Steve. “Want to go for a drive, tomorrow?”
“Are we going north?” he asked.
“I thought we might.”
“Sounds like a plan.”