Surrogate Son

Trio of Trouble for Thanksgiving

"Alright, Morgan, you have to see this one,"  Peter said, projecting yet another vine in front of him.  The lab was on lock down to prevent any unwanted entrances by Tony or Pepper if a vine happened to not be clean and Shuri had an alert set it any of the team left the living room.

"I've seen this one!"  Morgan whined, leaning back against Peter's chest.  Peter had one arm wrapped loosely around her waist as she sat on his lap with Shuri beside him, suggesting vines.

"No, you haven't,"  Shuri told her.  She pointed to the hologram.  "It's different."  Morgan huffed, doubting Shuri and expecting the Watermelon man to sing about Pantene and being clean.  Instead, she was greeted with a "watermelon Mercedes".

"How many are there?"  Morgan asked when he appeared again.  Peter just grinned and they watched the entire watermelon series in one sitting.

"Get it now?"  Shuri asked.  Morgan giggled and nodded as the last vine finished.  "Next time I say 'Y'all thought I had a watermelon instead'!"

"But I got a team of pumpkin heads!"  Morgan yelled, throwing her hands up happily.  Shuri gave a yell of approval and high-fived Morgan.

"Boss wants me to inform you that lunch is ready,"  FRIDAY announced.  The three stood up and hurried up the stairs before FRIDAY told them twice.  When they arrived upstairs, the entire team was gathered in the kitchen and the three could smell the food cooking.

"Ah, American holidays,"  Shuri said, taking a deep breath and sighing happily.  "Stupid, but delicious."

"You didn't have to come,"  Peter told her, glancing down at Morgan who shot off towards her dad.

"I know better than to skip out of Natasha's apple pie,"  Shuri said.  Peter rolled his eyes and joined Morgan between Tony and May.  He was home for Thanksgiving break from MIT and even if Shuri was one of his best friends, he was going to spend most of the time with eleven year old Morgan, Tony, and Pepper.

"You know the drill,"  Tony told them team.  Morgan was the first to get her food followed by Peter and Shuri.  The adults battled it out after that and eventually the table was full, making the rest of the team eat in the living room.  Tony and T'Challa managed to steal seats at the table to keep an eye on Peter, Shuri, and Morgan while the rest of the team went into the living room a few steps away.

"What did you do in the lab?"  T'Challa asked, taking a bite of mashed potatoes.  Shuri and Peter glanced at each other over Morgan's head and Tony narrowed his eyes at them.

"We watched educational videos on YouTube,"  Shuri said.  T'Challa pursed his lips and glanced at Morgan.

"How did you take down Captain America?"  he asked Morgan.  She lit up and didn't bother swallowing her food before answering.

"We shot him in the legs because his shield is the size of a dinner plate and he's an idiot,"  she said in a terrible Russian accent.  T'Challa gave Shuri a disappointed look and Tony had to take a moment to come to terms with the fact his daughter was going to grow up speaking the same language Shuri and Peter did no matter what he did.

"What's this about my shield?"  Steve asked from the living room.

"It's a vine,"  Shuri and Peter replied unanimously.  Steve nodded and tuned them back out.

"It's all clean vines, right?"  Tony asked.  Peter nodded quickly even though they had showed Morgan the 'yeet' vine as well as other iconic but unclean vines.  "She doesn't know 'yeet'?"

"No,"  Morgan, Peter, and Shuri replied.  Tony didn't look persuaded but he didn't push anymore.  If he didn't know, he wasn't responsible for when Pepper found out.

"Petey and Shuri would never show me bad things,"  Morgan told her dad seriously.

"Of course,"  Tony said.  "Why would I think otherwise?"

* * *

It was later that night when Peter and Shuri were showing Morgan more vines that they were outed.  They were in the middle of a compilation Shuri had made just for Morgan when Pepper walked in.  Unfortunately, they were in the middle of "whoever threw that paper" when she opened the door.

"Are you guys hungry for din—"

"—your mom's a hoe!"  the man on the vine said.  Peter, Shuri, and Morgan's eyes all shot upright simultaneously as Shuri failed to pause the vine in time.  They all looked up at Pepper who was staring at them in mild interest.

"That's the one I walked in on your showing her?"  she asked.  No one moved.  "Honestly, I've been trying to catch you on worse one's and that's the one I walk in on?"

"Wait, what?"  Peter asked.  Pepper just sighed and gave him a sharp look.

"Just promise me you haven't introduced her to the f-word yet,"  Pepper said.  Peter nodded quickly with wide eyes.

"I'd never do that!"  he exclaimed.  Pepper nodded.

"Good,"  she replied.  "Now, do you guys want dinner or not?"