Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It's your first evening on the Eclector II.

You finally had a chance to look at Kraglin in a little room off the docking bay, and were able to get some stitches and pain killers in him. He seemed a lot better afterwards, and he was called away by to attend to things elsewhere. You were given a short whirlwind tour by Yondu, but he was also whisked away on official Ravager business before you were finished.

You place the speckled stone on the shelf above the small desk in your private cabin, next to the pictures of your family. You’re lucky, Yondu had said, to have your own cabin. Most of the Ravagers sleep in shared barracks. Even luckier, you have your own private bathroom, complete with shower.

You sink onto the bed, looking around. It's a little bigger than the size of your bedroom back home, with a dresser, a small bedside table, a chair and desk, with what Yondu called a holoscreen above it.

There are two doors to your room. One leads out into the hall, and the other, on the same wall as your bed, leads directly into the med bay. Both are lockable from the inside, thankfully, and that's the one thing Yondu was able to help you with before he was called away - programming your locks. It's a number-pad / vein-reader combo, which you've just been hearing about back on earth. It reads the veins in your hand instead of your finger prints. It's new tech on back home, but Yondu seems to think it's pretty outdated. "Fine for a Ravager ship," he'd said.

You smile softly as his grin slips into your mind, and you wonder where he's gone to. He asked you to keep to your room and the med bay until he had the chance to give you a real tour, so you've been stuck here for several hours now. You were busy unpacking and getting settled into your room for the first hour or so, but you've been pretty idle for since then. Idleness is not good for you; you think too much when you're not busy, and that's when you start to worry. You begin to worry about things back home, and then you worry that you might have made the wrong choice, then you worry that you're worrying.

You jump up from the bed with a frustrated huff at yourself and dig in your medical bag – the only thing you didn’t unpack, in case you need to grab it in a hurry. You did not make the wrong choice, you berate yourself, pulling out a pair of medical gloves and sticking them in your jeans pocket. You haven’t really taken a good look at the med bay yet, and you might as well do something to stop yourself from going crazy.

 You lift the bolt on the door leading to the med bay and step into your new work space. The door opens with a slight suctioning noise – it’s double-walled and vacuum sealed from the rest of the med bay for safety reasons.

Rectangular in shape, the med bay is a set of four interconnected rooms. Each room also has vacuum sealed doors separating them from the other rooms in case of quarantine, as well as exits leading to the outside hallways, in case of emergency. The rooms have translucent walls, so if you were to stand in the first room, you could see all the way to the back of the third room.

This third room is holding area for patients and extra supplies; there are just a couple of floating cots shoved in there right now and a rusty cabinet. The second room is the surgery room, with bright lights lining the ceiling, and a broken curtain hanging from rungs along the perimeter. There are drains in the floor, which you understand the necessity for, but it still unnerves you a little. The first room is the largest, and is used half for another holding room, and half for examinations. This is also where the diagnostic equipment would go, you think.

The fourth room is the one you are currently standing in – connected to your quarters, it’s the smallest of the four, and unlike the other rooms, the walls are opaque, so no one can see inside. You surmise that it is meant to be used as a private examination room, or a maybe an office, or both. There are connections for holoscreens above the lone L-shaped desk, but the holoscreens themselves are absent.

You walk through the office – your office – and into the first examination room. The floor is some kind of epoxy resin, and is a dingy, dirty grey-brown. You throw your weight against a metal chest of drawers nearby to budge it, revealing that the floor was once an off-white. You gaze around, and the more you look, the dirtier you realize it is. Dirt, broken medical equipment, and – are those blood stains? 

You sigh, putting your hands on your hips. It's going to take a lot of work to fix this up.

You shrug at yourself. Might as well do something to keep myself busy until my spaceman swings by. With the thought of Yondu to make you smile, you pull on the gloves, tighten your ponytail and get to work.

“All set, Cap’n,” Kraglin says. “Wanna try it out?”

Yondu whistles, and the Yaka arrow leaps from Kraglin’s palm and into the air. It flies around his quarters smoothly, and there’s no variation or falter in its lights. With a soft trilling note, the arrow zips back to Yondu’s hand. He nods. “That feels right. I was damn sure I had it fixed.”

“Ya had it pretty close, Cap.”

Yondu sticks the arrow in his holster and lets out a scoff. He sidles over to his private bar, where he pours two glasses of alcohol. He pinches the glasses between the fingers in one hand and grabs the bottle with the other. He nods to the padded chairs around a low table in the foyer, to the right of the bar, and Kraglin sits. “Good thing I got ya to fix all my shit,” Yondu smirks, and Kraglin laughs. “Cheers.”

“Cheers.”

They both down their glasses with a sigh, and Yondu refills them. “Ooh, that’s good stuff. So. Any promisin’ opportunities ya seen while I was away?”

“Well, we been lookin’ fer ya mostly,” Kraglin admits, “But looks like there might be some deals goin’ on near K’ai.” He navigates to a page on his holopad and hands it to Yondu.

“K’ai, huh?” he scans the information on the page, and nods. “A’ight. We’ll look at that tomorrow and start preppin’ a team based on the intel.”

“Sounds good, Cap’n.”

Yondu pauses, and just looks at Kraglin. Sometimes, it’s hard to believe how long they’ve known each other, and everything they’ve been through. Sometimes when he looks at his First Mate, he still sees the young boy he brought on board all those years ago.

Kraglin seems to notice the silence and looks up sharply from his holopad. “Cap’n? Everythin’ all right?”

Yondu coughs a little, and nods, glancing away. “Yeah.” He takes a long drink, then licks his lips and places the glass back down. He sits, and gestures for the First Mate to do the same. “So.”

Kraglin raises an eyebrow. “So?”

“Whatcha ya think about [y/n]?”

Kraglin rolls his glass between his palms, giving Yondu a soft smile. “As a doctor, or on a more personal sorta level?”

Yondu takes another sip of his drink, letting the alcohol mellow out on his tongue. “Personally.”

Kraglin nods. “I like her.” He almost laughs at the spark of joy in Yondu’s eyes. “I mean, I don’t know her much yet, but she seems real sweet and caring-like. And she’s got some spine, that’s fer damn sure – goin’ after the Kree like that.” He shakes his head. “Whew. I was surprised.”

“You and me both, boy.” Yondu sips on his drink, smiling at the thought of you. “She’s somethin’ else.”

“I can tell ya really like her,” Kraglin offers tentatively, and Yondu smiles wider into his glass.

“Like ain’t a strong enough word fer it,” the Captain replies quietly, and sits in silence for a moment before shifting uncomfortably in his seat and clearing his throat loudly. “And what ‘bout you?”

The First Mate gulps down a sip too large, and coughs. “Me?”

“Yeah, you. I seen ya, eyein’ lil’ Ryx.”

Kraglin busies himself with his glass, but he can’t hide the blue flush that creeps up his neck and into his ears. “Oh, well, she – she ain’t gonna be interested in no one like me.”

“Ya kiddin’? I seen the way she looks at ya, boy.” Yondu chuckles, reaching across the table to slap the First Mate’s uninjured leg.

Kraglin’s eyes grow wide, and a shy smile flits over his lips. “Really? Ya think so?”

“Boy, I know so,” Yondu says. “Offer to buy her a drink the next time we go planetside. Give ya anythin’ she says yes.” He gets to his feet again, and Kraglin does likewise. “I gotta go check on my darlin’ doctor. She’s been by her lonesome fer awhile now. I’d like ya to gather up the crew – anybody that’s not on necessary duties. I want to introduce her as the lead medic.”

“Yessir.” Kraglin places his empty glass on the table and turns towards the door.

“Hey, uh. Krags?”

The First Mate turns just before he reaches the doorway, coming back towards him a few paces. “Cap?”

“I…” Yondu rubs the back of his neck, and Kraglin swears he sees purple tinge the Captain’s cheeks. “I, uh. I did a lot a’ thinkin’ while I was down on Terra,” he says. “And, well. I never realized how much…I mean. I jus’ wanted to say that I’m – well, I’m damn lucky to have ya, boy.”

Kraglin ducks his head shyly, but smiles.

“Hell. C’mere.” Yondu tugs the man’s arm and pulls him into his arms. “I call Peter my boy,” he says softly, cradling the man’s head against his own, “But you were my boy first. I’m real proud a’ ya, son.” He hears Kraglin breathe in shakily, and the First Mate’s arms wrap around him tightly.

“Thanks, Cap’n,” he whispers after a moment. “Ya…ya’ve been more of a father t’me than anyone in my life, sir.” The words sound slightly strained, as if he’s fighting back tears. “Don’t know what I’d do without ya. Ya sure done me a frighten, goin’ off like that.”

Yondu chuckles, slapping his back. “Dontcha worry. I won’t go disappearin’ on ya again.” He pats the back of Kraglin’s head, and the First Mate backs out of his arms, furtively wiping at one eye.

“So, do I gotta call ya Dad like Pete does, now?” he asks with a smirk.

Yondu slaps a hand over his eyes, his groan turning into a laugh. “Might be better that ya didn’t,” he replies with a grin.

Kraglin looks relieved. “Fine with me, sir. I’ll go and gather up the crew.”

Yondu nods. “Have everybody meet me in the mess in oh, twenty minutes.”

“Yessir.” With a salute over his heart, Kraglin smiles, and leaves the room. Yondu follows him out, but heads in the opposite direction, towards the med bay.

You’re hard at work. You found an empty bin wedged on the bottom shelf of a mostly-empty medical cabinet, and it’s filled nearly to the brim with whatever you thought looked like garbage - pieces of uniforms, tattered bedsheets, discarded pill bottles, broken pieces of tech equipment, and what looks suspiciously like a large chicken bone. You are very careful as you find broken scalpels, old syringes and snapped needles, securing these in a plastic bag you had in with your medical supplies. You’ve been at this for a while and are just thinking of getting your phone and some earbuds when you hear a voice behind you.

"Damn, darlin'. Not even here a full day and yer workin' already?"

You turn happily - and gasp.

Yondu is standing there, but he's not wearing the black t-shirt and jeans he was earlier. He's dressed in dusky purplish-brown leather pants and shirt, with buckles crossing his chest and waist. Peeking out at his side is the Yaka arrow, firmly secured in a custom holster. At his throat is an off-white neckerchief, covered by a leather jacket with offset lapels. Over it all is a maroon duster that hangs nearly to his ankles, upturned at the collar. A gold badge, shaped like a flame, shines over his left breast.

The reds in the duster play off his eyes, brings out his blue skin, and makes him look bigger, more powerful. You feel heat flood your cheeks, and you hope faintly that Yondu doesn't notice. But he grins that shark smile at you, and it makes you weak at the knees.

Sliding the med bay door closed behind him, he saunters slowly towards you, leather creaking and heavy metal-toed boots thudding on the floor. You smile, playfully backing up until you feel your backside hit the counter at the other end of the room. He's suddenly right in front of you, hands on the counter on either side of your body, trapping you. "Whatcha blushin' fer, baby?" he asks, leaning in.

You smile and trace your fingers teasingly over the flame badge. "I just think you look damn fine, Captain."

Hooking his hands around your thighs, he lifts you onto the counter, and draws your legs around his waist. "Issat so?"

You circle your arms around his neck. "Yes sir."

He makes a satisfied hum as he leans his head to your neck, licking the skin all the way up to your jawline. You clutch his shoulders and moan. "Yondu...."

"Mm, baby." He grunts and pushes away, stepping back. He lets out a low, shaky breath. "Damn, girl. Now look what ya did." He nods down at himself, and you see the leather between his legs is bulging. "Sadly, I don't got time fer that right now. I came to getcha to meet the crew, and there ya go gettin' me all horny n' such."

You laugh and slip down from the counter. "I think it's really your fault, coming in here looking like that."

He smirks. "Guess I'm guilty, then." He lets the smile fade and stands up straight. "I'm gonna take ya t'meet the crew now, sweetheart. But first I gotta lay down some ground rules."

"Okay.”

"I'm the Cap'n of this ship, and yer technically crew. So - at least fer now, no huggin' or kissin' me in front a' the rest of 'em."

It makes you a little disappointed to hear him say this, but you completely understand. You wouldn't want him hanging over all over you while you were trying to do your job, either. "Okay, no PDA. Got it."

He squints. "What now?"

"PDA - public displays of affection."

He chuckles. "Right. No pee-dee-ay. Unless I initiate it first."

"Oh." You frown slightly. "So, I can't initiate it, but you can. Because you're the Captain."

"Ya got it." He smiles, but it falters as he sees your frown deepen. He sighs a little, then comes forward, rubbing his hands up and down your arms. "Look, it ain’t always gonna be like that, but this crew is new, I'm still feelin' 'em out, and I don't wanna give 'em any reason to think I'm - that I'm...."

"Affectionate?" you prompt.

"Soft," he says with a shake of his head. "Weak." You open your mouth to protest, but he holds up his hands. "I know ya think bein' affectionate ain't weakness, but Ravagers is different, baby. And like I said, I gotta get to know this crew. I gotta keep control."

"And that includes keeping control of me?" you ask, crossing your arms.

"No, ya don't-" he sighs again, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Look I know it's hard fer ya to understand, but let's jus' give this a try, huh?"

You unfold your arms, and taking his hand, give it a squeeze. "Okay, spaceman. I want to make this work," you say, gesturing between the two of you, "So I'll play by your rules. But I don't want you to feel...” Your shoulders lift as you try to find the right words. “I don't want people to think you're ashamed of having me. I don't want you to feel like you have to hide what we have going on."

He bends slightly to look you straight in the eyes. "I ain't ashamed a' ya. Yer a treasure t'me, [y/n]. I'm jus' askin' ya to give it a lil' time." He lowers his gaze to the floor, and his eyes move back and forth in thought, trying to put his thoughts into words. "I'm tryin' to feel out this crew," he repeats slowly. "Fact is, I don't know if I can't trust 'em one hundred percent yet, and I can't take the risk that they'd use ya - or hurt ya - to get to me because they think I'm weak, understand?" He looks at you again. "If anythin' ever happened to ya, I don't know what I'd do, sweetheart."

“Yondu.” Taking his face in your hands, you lean forward and press your lips against his. You hear his breath catch, and feel his hands clench in your shirt, pulling you against him. This is the first time you've kissed since this morning, when you told him you wanted to go with him, and he's hungry for you. 

When you break apart, his eyes are still closed, and his tongue sneaks out to run along his lower lip. When he opens his eyes, his eyes are glowing. "I may not always be affectionate in front of the crew, girl," he says, and his voice comes out in a growl, "But ya jus' wait until I getcha alone." He pulls you against him again, and his voice is husky in your ear. "I'll keep ya plenty satisfied."

With that, he releases you, and steps away, straightening his duster. He turns for the door. "Now c'mon, the crew's probably wonderin' where we are."

You nod, and dust off the knees of your jeans. You reach up to redo your ponytail again. "Do I look okay?"

He turns as he opens the door and looks you over. "Ya look damn fine t’me."

You roll your eyes and laugh, following him out into the hallway. "Now, pay attention where we're walkin’, we're goin' to the mess. Yer probably gonna visit it a couple times a day, so ya should know where it’s at. It's one of the biggest spaces on the ship besides the hangar, so I use it for gatherin’ the crew, stuff like that, besides eatin’.” He stops and gestures up a stairway on your right. “Listen up, doll, ’cause this is very complicated. Ya take these stairs to the top, make a left, then a right – and yer at my quarters.”

“Wow, I don’t know if I can remember that,” you say with a smile and roll of your eyes.

He chuckles. “Like I said, complicated.” He winks. “If ya ever need anythin’, ya come n’ get me, ya hear? And if I ain’t in my quarters, I’m most likely in the control room, but I like to wander the ship, so I’ll get ya one of these to wear.” He raises his wrist, showing off his communicator brace. You notice that there’s a thin, wide knife strapped onto the back of it. He nods, then continues walking the way you were going, heading down a long flight of stairs that branches off on several levels. The further you go down, the more you can hear a dull roar of voices. “I’m gonna introduce ya, did ya want to say anythin’?”

The idea of addressing this alien crew sends huge butterflies fluttering around your stomach, and your heart starts to beat faster. "Um...I - I don't know."

"Well, jus' think about it. Here it is.”

A huge space opens before you, filled with tables and hundreds of Ravagers, all dressed in different modifications of the maroon Elector uniform. The crew are made up of all shapes and sizes, all heights, all skin types. Some have four arms, some have none. You spy wings, tails, horns, multiple eyes, and other features that you can’t even begin to explain. In addition to the varied appearances, many of them have scars, prosthetic appendages and everyone has a general air of gruffness to them. You glance at Yondu. Considering he’s their Captain, with his cerebral implant and scarred head, and Kraglin is the First Mate with the scars on over his eye and tattoos all over his neck, you shouldn’t be that surprised that their crew looks much of the same breed.

Still, you can’t help but swallow nervously as Yondu leans over the landing, one flight above the room. “Listen up, y’all!” he roars.

“Quiet down!” you hear Kraglin bark and see the First Mate seated on top of a table nearest the stairs. “Cap’n’s got somethin’ to say!”

More instantly that you expect, the crowd falls silent, all faces turned towards Yondu.

“First off,” the Captain begins, “I wanted to give y’all my regards on takin’ care a’ the ship and keepin’ her runnin’ while I was gone. And to the rescue team – that was some good timin’ and sharp work takin’ care a’ those Kree. Ya know who ya are.” You follow Yondu’s gaze down to Jesper, who’s standing near Kraglin. The First Mate gives him a soft punch in the shoulder, and the young man’s cheeks turns a bright shade of blue. “Kraglin and I been goin’ over some missions in the area that look promisin’, so we’ll be stealin’ shit and rollin’ in units in no time!”

The room cheers and laughs, some of the Ravagers pounding their fists against their chests, some thumping the tables.

Yondu grins and holds up a hand. “But the big reason I gathered ya up, is that we finally got ourselves a proper medic.” There’s a cheer, and you feel like you’re going to throw up as Yondu reaches for you, pulling you to the railing alongside him. You take a deep breath and give what you hope is a confident smile to the crowd. “This is [y/n], she’s a trained doctor. Y’all are to report to her in the med bay if needed. If I find out one a’ y’all is hurt or sick and didn’t go to the Doc, and it’s impactin’ the business, then we’re gonna have a problem. She’s gonna keep on top of y’all to make sure yer healthy, too.” He turns to you. “Got anythin’ to add, Doc?”

You want to scream no and run from the room, but you feel yourself nod and straighten up, squaring your shoulders. He steps back slightly, giving you a nod.

You swallow and clench the railing to steady your nerves. “It’s probably pretty obvious that I’m new to this whole – Ravager – thing,” you say, projecting your voice loud enough so the whole room can hear. “It’s going to take me a while to get up to speed on how to care for a Ravager ship.” You swallow as you hear murmurs through the crowd. C’mon [y/n]. You’re not on earth anymore. I’m a Ravager now. Act like it. “I just want to make one thing perfectly clear,” you say sharply, and see some of the Ravagers look up at you, surprised. “I can be your best friend or your worst enemy. You treat me right, I will take care of you. But you cross me, and I can easily make your life a nightmare.” You feel Yondu’s eyes on you but keep your eyes on the crowd. “On Ear- on Terra, we doctors have a rule about doing no harm. But we’re not on Terra now, so if you make an enemy of me I will not hesitate to leave your ass bleeding on the floor.”

You see Kraglin shift out of the corner of your eye, and as you glance down into his face, you see he’s grinning. It gives you a little boost of confidence. “I really don’t want that to be the case. I want to take care of you, and I want to be on good terms, but that is totally up to you.” You shift your weight and continue. “In the coming months, I’ll be scheduling exams to make sure you’re all in top shape. I’m looking forward to getting to know you.” You’re out of words now, so you just nod, and step back.

Yondu gives you a wide smile as he steps back into place, leaning his hands on the railing. “Now, I’m sure I don’t have to tell y’all to behave yerselves, especially in the examination room,” he begins, and there’s a chorus of laughter. “But,” and his voice darkens to a growl, eyes glinting. “With regards to the Doc, she is off-limits. If I hear y’all talkin’ to her some way I don’t like, or gods forbid one a y’all touches her in a way she don’t like–” he gives a sharp whistle between his teeth, “– this arrow is gonna be so far up yer ass yer gonna be chewin’ on it! Y’all got that?”

There’s a resounding mxi of yes and aye cap’n throughout the mess, all eyes fixed on the Yaka arrow zipping around in the air above Yondu’s head. You stare at it. Looks lie

He scans the crowd for a moment before whistling the arrow back into its holster. “Good. Now git back to yer business.”

Yondu has a few things to attend to, so you backtrack to your cabin and prepare to turn in for the night. You change into your pajamas and climb into bed. You draw the blankets over yourself. So much happened today. Was it only this morning that the Kree attacked the cabin? It’s only been a day? And it’s only been a few weeks since I met Yondu. Everything’s happened so fast. You shake your head. By all rights, you should be exhausted, but you’re wide awake.

You lower the lights, trying to induce sleep, but the precarious creaking of the vessel around you, combined with the knowledge that you’re on a ship in the depths of space, and realizing you’re part of a team of pirates and are going to be their doctor and first line of defense against disease and injury has you so nervous that you almost feel sick.

On top of it all, you’re cold.

You try to fight off the feeling. You put on socks and an extra layer of clothes, curling up with your knees tucked up against your chest, but you’re still freezing.

If ya ever need anythin’ ya come n’ get me. I’ll get ya one of these to wear.

You free your hand of the blanket and reach for the wrist brace communicator Yondu gave you before you retired to your room. It’s sitting on your bedside table. Hesitantly, you push the button to call Yondu. It chirps a couple times, then his aggravated voice says, "Yeah, what?"

"Oh - sorry, I-"

"Darlin'? Shit, thought you was Luggh again. I swear I'm gonna take his com away. Whatcha need, sweetheart?'

"Do you store extra blankets somewhere?"

"Aw, shit darlin'. Yer probably freezin'. I'll bring some to ya."

"I don't want to bother you-"

"Honey, y'ain't no bother. I'll be down in a few minutes.”

"Thank you."

As promised, you hear a chime at your door a short time later. You open it, and Yondu has a bundle of blankets and a couple pillows in his arms. "Didn't know what ya needed, so I brought it all. Keep what ya like."

"Thanks," you reply quietly, hugging them to your chest.

"Hey now," he says softly, hooking a finger under your chin. "What's the matter, sweetheart?"

"I'm...I'm just a little nervous, I guess," you say, hanging your head.

But Yondu can tell by the tremor in your voice and downcast eyes that you're more than just nervous. You're scared. He sits on the bed, and pulls at your hand, taking the blankets out of your arms. "C'mere." He hooks an arm under your legs and seats you on his lap, leaning his forehead against yours.  “Tell me what’s wrong, baby.”

“I’m – I’m just afraid I’m not going to be able to cut it. I can’t believe I said what I did out there – I don’t know anything about this crew or being a Ravager. I can’t read your language, I don’t have the materials, and everybody’s gonna know, I’m gonna be a complete failure-”

“Hey, hey now. Calm down, sweetheart. Lookit me.” You raise your eyes to his, blinking back tears. “Y’aint alone in this. I’m gonna help ya, okay? I said I would. I ain’t goin’ nowhere. Ya need anythin’, I’m right here.”  You loop your arms around his neck and lean into his shoulder. He shakes out one of the larger blankets and wraps it around the both of you snugly. "I'm gonna getcha everythin' ya need, don't ya worry none. Yer gonna be the best Ravager medic in the whole fleet, I know it." He sees a smile creep into the corner of your mouth, and chuckles softly. "And ya know what's better than all that?"

"Hm?"

"Yer all mine, and I get to kiss ya anytime I want to."

Your cheeks flush and you can't keep a wide smile from blossoming across your lips. Leaning forward, you aim to kiss his cheek, but he turns his head at the last second, and cradles your head as he places a long, gentle kiss on your lips. After you break apart, he stares into your eyes, and you're once again captivated by all the shades of red in his ruby eyes. His eyes search yours for several moments, as he combs his fingers gently through your hair. "What are you thinking about?" you ask quietly.

He lets out a little, embarrassed-sounding laugh. "Jus' how lucky I am. I can't believe yer really here with me, on m’ship."

"Believe it," you say, giving him a soft, swift kiss. "I'm not going anywhere."

Chapter Text

You take a deep breath and enter the mess hall. You got up early, took a shower (limited to ten minutes, you discover), laid out some comfortable clothes, and have your medical bag at your hip - just in case. You wanted to get a good start on your first day. You hope your steps are confident as you pick up a tray and get in the serving line. 

The orange-skinned man that had first addressed you on earth steps in line behind you. He has a protruding brow, and black hair in a buzzed cut. You glance back up at him and give him a cautious smile. "Good morning," you greet him. "It's - it's Luggh, right?"

"Affirmative," he replies, looking down at you. "Ready for your first day, rookie?"

You relax. His voice is rumbling but has a friendly edge, and you notice he holds himself a little differently than some of the other Ravagers you've observed. He stands ramrod-straight, and you notice that his uniform is pristine, his hair not a strand out of place. You offer a small laugh at the comment. "That's Dr. Rookie to you."

He blinks at you, and chuckles, his shoulders relaxing a bit. "So, Yondu said you’re a proper medic. I’m assuming that means you’re from a medical background?"

"That's right, I-" You move down the line, and nearly jump back as a Ravager behind the counter waves a tentacle in your face. "Uh - I'm sorry?"

"She'll have the blue stuff, and so will I," Luggh says, leaning in. The tentacled Ravager blinks at him with watery eyes, and huffs air out of some ventricles on his shoulders, before plopping a ladle-full of a thick, blue gooey substance in bowl and shoving it on your tray. 

You swallow, gazing down at it dubiously. "Uh - thanks." You move down and scan all the options in the containers in front of you. You have no idea what any of them are, or what any of the wrappers say. A feeling of anxiety begins to rise in your chest. You should have asked Yondu about this yesterday, but it didn’t cross your mind. 

Someone pushes in at your right, and you look up to see Kraglin. "Hey, Doc," he greets you, reaching for something that looks like a green potato. He does a double take at your face - and laughs. "Ya look a lil' lost. Here." He grabs a few things out of the containers and piles them on your tray. "Try those out. Keep away from this-" he holds up something in a purple wrapper, "And this." He points to a red, long spiky fruit. "Peter broke out in hives for weeks from that." He nods down at your tray. "Ya should be safe with that stuff."

"Thanks, Kraglin," you sigh in relief.

He winks, shoves the green potato between his teeth and jogs away. He seats himself at a table at the head of the mess which is on a raised platform. Yondu sits there, and there's a pile of what look like tablets by his elbow. Kraglin takes a bite of the thing in his mouth, then says something to the Captain, and Yondu looks up, eyes going to yours. You smile at him, and he gives you a nod.

"You can sit with us, Doc," Luggh says behind you, and you turn to follow him to his table. 

"Thank you." You look back over your shoulder at Yondu again, realizing that you can't sit with him - that's probably something like a senior officer's table.

Luggh sits at a table with Jesper, Ryx and a few other Ravagers that you don't know the names of yet. You cautiously join them, sliding into the seat across from Jesper.

He’s the only one that looks up at you as you sit. "Hey, Doc," he says brightly.

You smile back. "Good morning," you say.

"What the flarkin’ hell is so good 'bout it," snarls a voice, and you look up to see the fuzzy blue Ravager, Nillgrac, slap his tray down next to the boy.

"Uh-"

"Don't pay attention to him," Ryx says, rolling her eyes. "He's not a morning person."

"That's for sure," Jesper murmurs into his bowl, and laughs as Nillgrac shoves his head to the side with a four-fingered hand.

"Shut yer damn mouth, ya lil' flarker," he growls. He gives you a devilish grin and tucks into his food.

You pick up your spork and with a quick breath, you dip it in the bowl of blue stuff. You cautiously lift it to your mouth, and a smell like almonds hits you. You put the spork in your mouth. The texture is a little weird - a little gummy, a little slimy, but it reminds you a bit of oatmeal, and Kraglin didn't say anything about it not being safe for you, so you clean the bowl. There's a small bowl of a sweet, bread-pudding like dish, some dried fruit whose flavor reminds you of a cross between a mango and celery, and a packaged snack that Jesper tells you is a protein bar and has the texture of crispy rice.

You look at the Ravagers around you. This is easily the most surreal meal you've ever had.

"So, we didn't finish our conversation," Luggh says, after swallowing a bite of that green, potato-like fruit. "You have a medical background?"

You reach for a napkin and realize you didn't grab one- and then realize that no one at the table has them either, and carefully wipe your mouth with the back of your hand, making a mental note to a) wash it later and b) tell Yondu the mess needs napkins. "Yes," you reply. "I worked at a hospital on Earth. Terra." Luggh nods. "What about you? Have you always been a Ravager?"

The table erupts into laughter, Nillgrac laughing most boisterously of all. "This bastard?" he says, jabbing a thumb at him. "Naw, the sonuvabitch came from the Corps."

"The Corps?"

"Yeah," Nillgrac pauses with his spork halfway to his mouth. "Flarkin' hell. Ya don't know what the Corps is?"

You shrug and shake your head. "I've - uh, I've actually never been off my planet before."

Nillgrac throws his head back and cackles loudly. "Well damn, we got ourselves a Grounder." He smirks at you, leaning across the table. "Well maybe you should stick by me, sweet stuff. I can teach ya everything ya need to know." He waggles his fuzzy eyebrows at you suggestively.

"I think I can handle that," growls Yondu's voice, and Nillgrac chokes. You hide a smile as the Ravager leaps from his seat, standing to attention before the Captain. Though Yondu is shorter, he somehow seems to dwarf Nillgrac.

"Ah - of - of course sir," the Ravager stammers. "Didn’t mean nothin’ by it, I was just - just foolin', honest." He gives a nervous laugh, and Yondu glances at you, frowning. But you give Yondu a kind smile and a slight roll of your eyes, hoping that lets Nillgrac off the hook. The Captain seems to relax, and steps away from Nillgrac. "Doc, why don'tcha come with me, I got some things to discuss with ya."

"Yes, sir," you say, getting up from your seat. You take your tray, but Yondu shakes his head. "Naw, leave it. Nillgrac's gonna clean off yer tray. Ain't ya, boy."

"Sure - sure thing, Cap."

As you follow Yondu out of the mess, you hear Luggh say, "Not so tough in front of the Captain, are you?" Nillgrac lets out a stream of cuss words in response and tells him to shut his mouth.

Yondu waits until you’re out of earshot of the mess before speaking. “Ya okay, darlin’?”

“Oh, I’m fine,” you say, waving your hand in dismissal. “Not gonna lie, it’s pretty surreal, all these alien faces. But once I get beyond the strange appearances, they’re just people.” You shrug. “There was a guy I went to school with - Nillgrac reminds me of him. A real big mouth, but harmless.” You grin up at him, and Yondu gives you a relieved smile.

“Ya found enough to eat?”

“Kraglin helped me pick out a few things. Not bad for cafeteria food.” You slow your pace until you come to a halt. “So, what did you need to discuss with me?”

“First day type stuff. I’m takin’ ya to the tailor right now, I gotta go over the Code, tell ya how the ship’s organized, and we gotta start talkin’ ‘bout the med bay.”

“All work and no play, huh?” you ask with a small smirk.

Yondu chuckles as he makes his way up a flight of stairs and gives you a wink over his shoulder. “Don’tcha worry none. There’ll be plenty of time fer us to play.” He stops outside an open doorway and raps sharply on the wall outside it. “Segs! Ya in there?”

 "Your crew does not know how to appreciate art, Captain," a voice says. Its tone is irritated, but the voice itself is smooth and melodic, and you step back, backing into Yondu, as a man comes through the doorway, his head level with your shoulders. This Ravager is like no one else you've seen yet - he looks much more alien than anyone you've seen so far. True, his upper body looks humanoid as far as his musculature goes, but his neck and torso are long, and his skin is brown with mottled patches of dark orange. Below the neck and along his arms, his skin is a hard, armor-like texture. He has four arms ending in long spindly claws, and his lower body is segmented and set low to the ground, with several pairs of legs, like a centipede. There's an ornate, maroon sash wrapped between his waist, and some sort of cape hanging off his shoulders. His face is smooth, with one pair of large eyes, surrounded by pairs of secondary and tertiary eyes. They’re all a warm orange color, complimented by his sleek blue hair, pulled into a bun on top of his head. Instead of ears, he has long, narrow bits of skin stretching from his jaw line, almost like antennae. His lips are thin, and there's a faint crease running from each side up all the way along his jaws. He's holding a torn jacket in his hands. "Can you believe this?" he asks, shaking it at Yondu. "Such a disrespect of my talents!"

 "Yeah, yeah, I know, Segs." With a roll of his eyes, Yondu pulls you forward. "Doc, this is Mosegi Vo’ajhix. Resident cobbler, tailor -"

"Designer, and artist," he finishes, taking your hand and bending over it. His mouth opens all the way up, the creases extending from his jaw stretching to reveal thin, elastic skin. Large mandibles unfold from within his cheeks, lightly brushing against the back of your hand. "You can call me Segi."

"Hey, hey! I said she's off-limits," Yondu snarls, pushing him away from you.

Segi skitters backwards, part of his body going vertically up the wall behind him. "Apologies, Captain. Just a gesture of appreciation, be assured. I am just so excited! I have never designed for a Terran before." He cocks his head thoughtfully. "Although, you seem very similar to a Xandarian," he adds with a slight tone of disappointment. "Nonetheless!" he cries after a second, throwing up his hands. "This way, doctor, let me take your measurements." He puts an arm lightly around your back and steers you into the room. What you thought was a cape on his back is actually a pair of wings.

"Watch them hands," Yondu warns, stalking in behind them.

You look around in wonder. The room is the most well-organized you've seen yet, if crowded. There are spools of thread, yarn, elastic and other materials of every color along one wall. Along another, is a huge, desk-sized holopad, with smaller holopads piled on top of it. All of them are flickering with drawings. Sewing machines, needles, leather working tools and several other instruments are on another desk. Shoved up in the corner is a sort of hammock. Looking at this, you also see that the ceiling is hung with yards upon yards of fabric of all kinds, predominantly leather. 

Stepping forward as the tailor releases you, you spy a holopad on the floor just before Yondu crunches it under his boot. You hurriedly scoop it up. "Careful."

"Shit, ya gotta keep those holopads under control, Segs."

The holopad flickers to life, revealing a beautiful dress design. "Oh, this is gorgeous."

Segi freezes in place on the wall, red leather in his hands and a tape measure draped over his shoulder. He patters quickly down the wall to your side. His orange eyes swirl into a bright purple. "You think so?"

You nod. "I love the sheer fabric in the front."

"Oh gods," Yondu groans. "Don't encourage him."

"Oh, be nice, Captain," you say with a smile. "You have a very talented tailor here."

"That's what I keep saying!" Segi cries. "Ravagers don't get it. But you do! Oh, I like her, Captain, we must keep her."

Yondu huffs and crosses his arms. "Plannin' on it. Jus' get her measured, boy. We got places t’be."

"Yes, yes, of course," Segi takes the holopad from you and lays it with the others. "Just the typical leathers?" he sighs.

"Yeah,” Yondu answers.

"Well, I'd really like some medical clothes too," you say, and Segi pauses with the measuring tape. "Like scrubs."

"Scrubs?" he asks.

"Yeah, they're...short sleeved, made of fabric that's easily washable or disposable, with pockets and-"

He scurries to grab a nearby holopad and a stylus. "Can you draw it?"

You hold your hands up. "Oh, I'm not very good at-"

"Just a general idea."

You laugh and sketch out what you typically wear. You wish you had brought some with you, but you didn't think you'd need scrubs on a vacation to your family's cabin. "Kinda...like that. Sorry."

"No, your drawing is much better than others I've seen, even in the fashion industry," he says with a wink of three pairs of his eyes. "You'd be surprised how many hacks they let-"

Yondu clears his throat loudly. "Can we git this process goin'?"

"Sorry Captain. Yes. I can make something like this. Breathable, hardy material, easy to wash..." he stares up at the textiles hanging from the ceiling. "Yes, I believe I should have some fabrics that will work. Let's get you measured, I should be able to get your Ravager uniform to you tomorrow at least."

"Wow, really?"

"He's damn quick," Yondu says. "That's why I hired him."

Segi huffs. "Yeah, quick. Not hired for my talents."

"I'd love to see some of your designs some time," you say, lifting your arms as he measures your chest and stomach.

"Really?" he smiles so widely that his mandibles pop out of his mouth. 

"Really. Maybe I'll have you design some dresses for me, in case -" you stop as you glance towards Yondu. "Uh, in case I ever get to go someplace fancy." You had been going to say I get to go on a date with Yondu, but you caught yourself in time.

“Let’s go, Doc,” Yondu says, edging towards the door.

"Doctor, I would love that." His lower half skitters back and forth excitedly. "I think you will do just fine on this ship. If you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate." He bows his head slightly as he whips the tape measure over his shoulders. "You're all set.”

“Come on, Doc,” Yondu says, pulling at your arm. “We gotta go.”

"Thanks, Segi!" you call over your shoulder as the Captain drags you quickly away. "Hey, you didn't need to rush me out of there,” you tell Yondu. “If you needed to go, you could have gone. I would have found my way back to med bay or the mess."

His hand tightens on your arm slightly. "Ya didn't need to be flirtin' with him," he says gruffly.

"Flirting?" You stop in your tracks, causing him to halt as well. "That wasn't flirting, that was being friendly. Besides," you say in a soft, sultry voice, looking around to make sure the hallway is deserted, "Why would I flirt with the tailor when I have the Captain?" You bite your lip, hoping it looks sexy, and trace a finger along his badge teasingly.

The scowl that was on his face disappears completely, and his eyes dilate. He smirks, one of his gold caps flashing. "Damn right."

"You know what?" you ask, starting to walk again, "You're cute when you're jealous."

A purple blush spreads over his nose and cheeks. "I ain't jealous," he mutters, resuming his pace as well. "And if I am, I ain't cute ‘bout it. If I'm jealous," he hisses in your ear, pulling at your hips, "Yer gonna know it."

You swallow at the ferocity in his tone, but your face flushes with heat. Any heat not going to your face strikes right between your legs. He releases you with a smirk and a swift kiss to the skin right below your ear. “Now let’s go over the Code.”

Yondu reviews the Code with you, which seems pretty straightforward. Respect your Captain, follow orders, don’t deal with slavers. One of them gives you pause, however: You can steal from anybody except a Ravager. Ravagers don’t steal from their own. It’s a good rule, but the reality that you’re living with thieves is beginning to sink in. Your entire moral compass has to be adjusted. You can’t berate Yondu or the crew for lying or stealing, which goes against everything you’ve ever learned.

Yondu seems to pick up on your discomfort as you enter the mess for lunch. “What’s ailin’ ya?”

You pick up a tray and get in line behind him. “Nothing. I just…have to change my mindset on all this.”

“Whatcha mean?”

“This whole stealing, lying, cheating thing. I’ve never lived like that. I mean, of course I’ve told some lies, everybody does, but I’ve never stolen anything, never cheated at anything – well, maybe a test in like elementary school or something but nothing serious.”

“Yer the lead medic,” Yondu replies, grabbing a can and putting it on his tray. You start to do the same when he snags it and puts it back. “Y’ain’t gonna like Beasties,” he murmurs. “Yer the medic,” he repeats. “The amount of stealin’ and lyin’ yer gonna have to do is a minimum. Yer job is to take care the rest of us moldy rogues doin’ the bad stuff, keep our asses from dyin’.”

You smile at him. “Okay, I guess I can do that.”

Once Yondu is satisfied with the food you’ve put on your tray, he leads you to a table in the center of the mess. He sits down, and leers at the Ravager next to him. “Move, boy. Yer in her seat.”

The Ravager jumps up instantly.

“You didn’t have to make him move,” you say, watching as he retreats to the far end of the table.

“I’m the Cap’n, it’s my right.”

“You have your own table up there,” you say, nodding up to the raised platform.

“Yeah, but I gotta talk to ya, so sit yer pretty lil’ ass down.”

You hold back an exasperated sigh and sit down on the bench next to him. “Okay, what.” The frustration creeps into your tone.

“Don’tcha talk to yer Cap’n like that.”

You stiffen at his tone, which is serious and growling, not teasing. “Sorry, sir,” you say quickly.

“Not in front a’ the crew,” he says in a lower voice. “When we’re alone, ya can be frank as ya like, but not in here.”

You relax slightly, and nod. “Understood, Captain. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, darlin’,” he says, leaning over and cracking open what you thought was a large fruit on your tray, but turns out to be a nut the size of your fist. “So. Med bay.”

“Yeah?”

“Ya know the rough layout a’ the ship. The full med bay is in Quadrant 2, but each other Quadrant has its own small med bay as well, in case we need to separate the ship in an emergency. Each of the bigger ships – the M-ships and the Constructions – they got med kits and a single cot for the injured. It’s gonna be up to ya to make sure they’re well stocked and up to the standards ya set, bein’ Lead Medic. So,” he says, pulling a small holopad out of his coat. The hologram flickers over the glass, and Yondu brings up a cross-section of the Eclector. “Ya get to design and layout the med bays any way ya like. Ya jus’ tell me what ya need. Tools, equipment, machines, beds – hell, even the paint and storage systems and holoscreens. Whatever ya need, I’ll get fer ya.”

“First, I need some cleaning supplies and study materials,” you say, taking the holopad from him. “To know what I’m dealing with. I have no idea what kinds of technology you have up here yet.”

“Well, make a list of supplies based on what ya know from Terra, and we’ll start there. Whatcha need the cleanin’ supplies fer?”

You turn to him incredulously. “You’re joking. The med bay is filthy. I would operate in a bathroom before I operated in that med bay.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Y’ain’t seen the public bathrooms,” he says dryly.

You suppress a grimace. “Fair point. Actually, that’s another thing. The state of living is something else I’m going to have to take into consideration around here.”

He straightens up. “Whatcha mean?”

“The sanitation of this entire ship might be having adverse effects on the health of the crew. I mean, I don’t know yet. I haven’t seen the entire ship,” you say, holding up your hands in defense at the indignant look on his face, “And I also have to study, get up to speed on the different races, and then I’ll schedule one-on-one exams with each crew member to establish a health base and history.” You pause, leaning your head on your hand as you pick at your food.

“Ya okay, honey?” he asks quietly.

You nod. “Yeah, it’s just…there’s a lot to do.”

“Remember I’m here for ya,” Yondu says gently, purposely knocking his knee against yours. “Relax, don’t work yerself too hard.”

“I’ll try.”

Chapter Text

You decide to take Yondu’s advice to heart that evening. You spent the majority of the afternoon cleaning the med bay up with some cleaning supplies he provided, and you managed to get your office and half of the Exam Room pretty clean. Kraglin brought you a solution to soak the floors, and recommended you leave it on overnight, so you spread it down and then decided to freshen up and see what there is to see - evening on a Ravager ship has to have something fun going on.

You see Jesper scurrying down a hallway just off the mess, his arms full of bottles. You follow him curiously and hear Nillgrac’s raucous laughter filtering out the open doorway the young man disappears into. Cautiously, you peek your head around the corner – and smack right into Kraglin’s chest.

“Whoa! Hey, Doc. Whatcha doin’, sneakin’ around?”

“I’m not sneaking,” you protest lamely.

He raises an eyebrow at you, smiling.

“Okay, maybe a little. Just looking for something to do.”

“Well me and the boys – er – the crew,” he amends as Ryx pushes past you, “We’re gonna play some cards, ya wanna join us?”

“Well, I don’t know-”

“Afraid, Doc?” Ryx asks with a smirk, sitting across from Jesper at a table near the door.

“No, of course not,” you say, putting a hand on your hip. “I was going to say I don’t know how to play.”

“We’ll teach you,” Jesper pipes up.

You shrug. “Okay, sure. Why not?”

“Ya can be my partner this first couple rounds, I’ll make sure they don’t cheat ya too bad,” Kraglin offers with a clap on your shoulder. “But ya gotta help me carry back some booze first.”

“I can do that. Unless Ryx wants to go with you instead,” you say, noting the way the woman’s eyes linger on the First Mate. You nod at her. Ryx flushes a bright fuchsia and nabs one of the bottles that sit in front of Jesper, using it to hide her face. You laugh lightly, then a little harder as you see Kraglin’s neck is blue. “I’m sorry – lead the way, sir.”

“Y-yeah, this way, I’ll show ya where the stores are.” He walks quickly down the hall, and you follow him. He makes his way through the labyrinthine hallways and stairwells, to one of the storage bays, and back to the room again. You are carrying two large bottles of liquor, and he’s carrying a crate of beer. By the time you reach the common room again, it’s filled up. More tables have been pulled out, and there’s at least twenty crew members playing various games and drinking. They cheer as Kraglin appears with the crate. “Okay, okay, hush down ya idjits,” he says with a grin, placing it on a semi-circle bar in the corner. You help him take the bottles of beer out of the crate, and he takes the liquor bottles from you, nodding to a stack of cups, which you grab.

“Okay, what’s the game?” Kraglin asks, seating himself at the table near the door.

“Mages and Swords,” Jesper announces, dealing cards. They’re longer and narrower than your standard playing cards back on Terra and are double-sided. On one side, they are green, red, blue, or black with various symbols, and on the other side, they have an illustration – the pictures remind you a little of tarot cards.

“Okay, Doc, pay attention. This game has six players, divided into partners that sit across from each other. Ya gotta try to help yer partner with the game by beatin’ the other players’ hands. There are four classes – Bandit, Mage, Swordsman and Cleric…”

The rules are very confusing to you until you play a couple hands, and then you really start to enjoy yourself. The liquor doesn’t hurt either. It’s tangy, and stronger than you realize, because it starts to sneak up on you.

“Beat that, suckas!” you cry, slapping down the Swordsman on top of the pile in the middle of the table.

Jesper, your partner this round, cheers, but the others groan.

“Heehee,” you giggle, drawing the cards towards yourself.

“I’m gonna regret teachin’ ya this damn game,” Kraglin says, pouring another few cups of the liquor. You shove your cup towards him, and he raises his eyebrow. “Ya sure?”

You nod vigorously, then hold a hand to your head. Everything just got a little fuzzy. “Yes,” you say anyway.

He shrugs. “Yer deal, Doc.”

You deal out the cards, and things are going in your favor again, when Nillgrac slaps some units on the table during his turn. “Let’s make it a little more interesting.” He looks around the table. “You bitches in?”

You frown. “I don’t have any of those.”

“I’ll cover ya, Doc,” Kraglin says. “Jus’ win this round and ya can pay me back,” he says with a wink.

You smile at him, probably more foolishly than you realize. “Thanks!” You hiccup as Ryx glares at you and avert your gaze to your cards. When it comes around to you again, you lay down a Trap card. “Boom! You’re goin’ down, Nillgrac!”

He slams a fist on the table. “Dammit! Sonuvabitch!”

“Calm down, ya idjit,” Kraglin says, gathering up and tossing him the cards. “It’s yer deal.”

“We can play something else if you’d rather,” you suggest.

Instead of smiling and agreeing with you, Nillgrac seems to take offense at this and narrows his eyes. “Oh, gloatin’ now, are ya? Think yer hot stuff, huh? Think I can’t beat ya?”

“What?” you ask, reaching for the liquor bottle again. “No. I’m just trying to be friendly.” You pour yourself some more, and gesture for his cup.

His lips pull back to reveal sharp teeth, which he bares at you. You lean back.

“Nillgrac,” Kraglin says in a snarl, leaning forward on the table to partially shield you. “Don’t make me throw ya outta here again. She ain’t tryin’ to get a rise outta ya, she’s honestly bein’ friendly. It’s the way she is, right, Doc?”

“Damn right,” Yondu’s voice says, and the table freezes. The entire room quiets as he sits himself next to Jesper, who moves over a little to make room. “There a problem here, Krags?”

“No sir, no problem,” he says, leaning back into his chair. “Right, Nillgrac?”

The Ravager shakes his head. “Nope, no problem, sir.”

“Here, gimme your glass,” you say, gesturing to Nillgrac’s cup again. “Let me top you off.”

He pushes his cup towards you, and you fill it to the brim. Kraglin takes it and puts it front of Nillgrac, before you can push it over – he can tell you would have spilled it. You’re pretty tipsy already.

“Deal me in,” Yondu says, leaning back in his chair. “Kraglin, sit this one out. Doc, let’s see what ya can do.”

You raise your eyes to his and see a mischievous twinkle in their depths. “Oh, just you wait, Captain. These guys taught me well.”

You keep playing – and drinking – for the next several hours. Nillgrac actually seems to relax a bit, even in the Captain’s midst, and resumes his swearing and loud laughs – especially when you’re his partner. “Yer flarkin’ aces, Doc!” he chuckles after you’ve won another hand. He reaches over the table and bumps your fist with his.

Yondu grumbles as he takes the cards to deal.

You get up to get a beer - and tumble right over your seat and fall onto the floor. Yondu and Kraglin both get up to make sure you’re okay, but your head emerges over the table top again, giggling. Yondu has been noticing that you’re getting tipsier, but he sees your cheeks and nose are very red now, made worse by your laughter.

Nillgrac sniggers. “The Doc can’t hold her liquor!”

“Heyyy!” You shout, your voice louder than you meant it to be. You clamber to your feet and point at him. “Yes – yes I can lick my holder!”

Yondu bites his tongue to keep from laughing but can’t stop a grin. He gets to his feet. “I think it might be time to cut ya off, Doc.”

“No, m’fine, Captain,” you say, swaying unsteadily. You give him a sly smile and point at him as he approaches. “And sooo are you.”

Eyes widen around the table, all faces looking to Yondu, but his face betrays nothing. You reach for the liquor bottle, sitting heavily down next to Ryx. Yondu’s hand closes around your wrist gently as he crosses over to you. He pulls you to your feet “Whoa, Doc. I think ya had enough."

"Oh, come onnn, Captain," you say, tracing your finger along his badge. He laughs to disguise his embarrassment and gently pushes your hand down. You frown and push back your chair, your feet stumbling.

Yondu chuckles. "Easy, Doc. C'mon, yer goin' t'bed."

"Mm not ready for bed," you protest, swatting at his shoulder. You lose your balance and fall into his chest. Heat sears his cheeks as you look up him through long lashes, a coy smile on your features. "Hi handsome."

"Yep, bed. C'mon." He steers you out the doors by your collar, amidst the laughter of the surrounding tables.

Another Ravager cackles softly as he slides into your vacated seat after you’ve left the room. "I'll have to remember she can't hold her drink, if I ever want to have some fun. Am I right?" He grins around the table, then yelps as a wide, curved blade slams down, burying itself in the table between his hands. He looks up in shock, following the hand on the hilt up the owner's arm, and finds himself looking into Kraglin's face. The First Mate is leaned over the table, his eyes are narrowed, gaze steely. "Did ya forget already that the Cap'n said the Doc is off limits?"

"Uh - n-no sir."

"If I see ya tryin' something with her, the knife will be buried in yer side, not the table. Got it?"

"Yes, sir. Aye sir."

Kraglin wedges the knife out of the metal and sheathes it over his left shoulder, then picks up his cards and throws his play in, propping his feet up on the table.

As soon as he's out of sight of the rest of the Ravagers and in an empty hallway, Yondu hooks his arms under your knees and hefts you into his arms. You giggle, tracing a finger along his beard.

"Yer really far gone, ya know that baby?"

"Ohh I'm fiiine," you giggle, throwing your arms around his neck.

"Y'ain't gonna be fine in the mornin'. Yer gonna have one hell of a hangover."

You stick out your tongue childishly. "You're a spoil...spoil...." You frown, trying to figure out the word, then seem to forget what you were going to say in the first place, and grin at him instead. "You're really handsome, you know that?"

He feels his cheeks warm in spite of himself, and he has to fight not to look down at you. He hefts you more securely in his arms as he climbs a stairway, and you nuzzle your head under his chin, kissing the exposed skin above his neckerchief. He bites his tongue and keeps walking.

He reaches his quarters and punches in the entry code. You're going to wake up tomorrow with a brain-splitting hangover, and he'd rather have you here, so he can take care of you, than to have you wake up in pain in your own cabin. You lift your head and look around as he enters, swinging your legs back and forth over his arm. He laughs lightly. So damn cute. He climbs the stairs to his bed and sets you down on the mattress. It’s one of the only real beds on the ship, but it’s more like a nest, covered in multiple blankets and furs and pillows. It’s the way he likes it.

"Ooh, it's comfy," you say, stroking one of the furs.

"Sure is, baby." He fetches a large glass of water and gives it to you. "Drink that."

You drain the glass, to his relief, and hand it back with a sigh, blinking up at him. "I'm gonna sleep heeere, okay?" you ask, struggling to get one of your boots off.

He shakes his head and kneels down to help you, zipping them down and loosening the laces. "Yeah, that was the idea, baby." As soon as your feet are free, you lift your shirt over your head. You must have left your jacket back at the table. You unbuckle and kick out of your pants, too, and heat floods between Yondu’s legs. You're nearly naked. In his bed. He swallows.

"Oh, I need to go get my umm - my pajamas," you say, getting up from the bed. You wobble on your feet and fall back onto the mattress, and giggle. You pull your hairband out and get your fingers tangled in your locks. "Ermmmaybe can I just... borrow one of your shirts, ssspaceman?"

He shifts, pants growing tight. He loves you with your hair down. "Y-yeah, 'course baby." He crosses to his dresser and rummages in one of the drawers, pulling out the softest shirt he can find, long-sleeved so you won’t be cold. "Here ya go." He turns to see you struggling to unclasp your bra. You've got one of the hooks undone, but the other is snagged in the fabric. 

You turn pleading eyes to him. "Help, I'm stuck."

He tosses the shirt on the bed beside you and nods, shrugging out of his duster and jacket. Drunk or not, he's not going to pass up an opportunity to get your bra off. He slides his hands teasingly up your sides before gently unhooking the fabric. It springs open and falls down your arms. You toss it on the floor next to your pants. You roll over and manage to get to your knees, and before he can hand his shirt to you, you've pressed your body up against his, sliding your hands up over his shoulders. "Don't need to get dressed yet," you say, running your finger along the top of his implant.

He swallows hard, and closing his eyes for a moment, takes a breath. He takes your wrists gently in his hands and loosen your hold on him. "Honey, believe me when I say there ain't nothin' I want more than to pound ya into my bed, but yer drunk. I can't take advantage of ya like that."

"You're not...taking 'vantage," you murmur, pressing your lips to his. Before he can stop himself, he's wound his arms around you. He crushes you against his chest, lifting you slightly off the mattress. He buries his fist in your hair, moaning against your mouth as he kisses you hungrily. He keenly tastes the alcohol on your tongue, and with an angry grunt, pushes you backwards onto the blankets. You lose your balance and bounce on the mattress. Your face is flushed and angry.

He swoops in and places a gentle kiss on your forehead. "C'mon, honey. Don't be like that, I'm tryin' to do the good thing here. Lift up yer arms."

You sit up on your knees again with a pout but lift your arms obediently. He slips his shirt down over them, and it pools around your waist, the neckline slipping off one shoulder as you lower your arms again. Your angry face is gone, and you lift an arm. The sleeve is long, trailing over your hand. "It's a little big," you giggle.

He laughs. "Yeah, lil' bit." He takes off his shirt, boots, and pants until he's down to his underwear, and climbs in bed. 

You pull the shirt collar up to your nose and breathe in. "Mm, it smells like you."

He pauses as he folds back the blankets, giving you a wary look. "Issat…good?"

You nod vigorously. "I love your smell." You flop onto your side and crawl up to where he lies. You slip your legs under the covers, and snuggle against his chest, looping an arm around his waist. 

Yondu's heart flutters at the gesture. He's had so many women in his bed, but he's never felt this way about a single one of them. Any other woman, he’d have had under him in a heartbeat. But you’re so damn sweet, and he finds that all he wants to do right now is just make sure you’re safe and comfortable. "Oh yeah?" he replies, putting an arm behind his head.

"Mmhmm."

He runs his fingers over your ruffled hair. "What do I smell like?"

You sigh as you snuggle your cheek deeper against his chest, closing your eyes. "Like....camp fire and mmm...cedar."

"Seeder? Wassat?"

"S' a kind of tree," you a reply with a yawn.

He smiles, reaching behind him to dial the lights down to twenty percent. "What else?"

You sigh again. "Umm... leather. And...."

"And?" he prompts softly.

"And...mmm..." You're silent for almost a full minute, and he thinks you've drifted off. "And metal," you murmur softly. Your breaths even out then, and soon you're asleep against his chest. 

Yondu shifts slightly, securing an arm around you, and places a gentle kiss against your hair before turning out the light completely. "Sweet dreams, baby." 

You wake with a dull throbbing in your head. You groan, voice croaking. It feels like you slept with a bunch of cotton balls in your mouth. As you sit up, blinking blearily, you realize you're not at your family’s cabin. Well no, of course not. I'm on the Eclector. But this - this isn't my room. This thought makes your eyes open wide, and you look around, slightly panicked. Did one of the crew take me back to their cabin?! As you gaze at your surroundings, you relax a bit. The crew's quarters are definitely not this large. You're sitting alone on a huge bed, piled with all manner of furs and blankets of many of colors and patterns, and pillows of varying sizes. On either side of the bed is a small table. The one to your right has a dimly-lit holoscreen on it, protecting a graph that is constantly fluctuating. Looking up, you see the ceiling is hung with lights. Even though they're dimmed, they hurt your eyes, and you place a hand over them for a moment before looking around some more.

To your right is a wide curving piece of wall that you surmise might be a viewing port, but its shade is pulled down. Underneath this window stands a long, low chest of drawers, and beyond that is a dark doorway. You can just see the outline of a toilet and the edge of what you think might be a bathtub. A long, thick curtain hangs from the ceiling to your left, shielding your view from the rest of the room, but there's a curved metal stairwell curving off behind it, leading to a lower level. You lift a hand to brush some hair out of your eyes, and frown at the sleeve trailing off your arm. You shake it to free your hand, then as an afterthought, raise it to your nose. Yondu. You relax completely. This must be his cabin. You clear your throat. "Yondu?"

There's a noise somewhere down below, and a minute later, you hear heavy boots on the metal stairs. Yondu climbs into view, holding a glass of a thick green liquid. He's wearing a sleeveless black zip-up turtleneck and leather pants. "Was wonderin' when ya were gonna wake up," he says with a smirk. "How ya doin', honey?"

His voice is loud and bounces unpleasantly around your skull. You hold your hands to your head. "Ohhh."

The Captain makes a sympathetic noise in his throat and you feel him kiss your forehead. "Here, drink this," he says in a quiet voice, pushing the glass into your hands. You obediently tip the glass back - your throat is just so dry, you don't care what it is, as long as it's liquid. At its taste, however, you nearly spit it out. Yondu sees this and covers your mouth with a large hand. "Nope, drink it," he orders. "It'll make ya feel better."

The concoction tastes like dirty dishwater with hot sauce, pickle juice, ginger and horseradish thrown in, amidst some other flavors you can't identify, and it burns going down. Once he sees you've swallowed, Yondu removes his hand. You grimace. "Ugh, what is that?"

"Old Ravager hangover remedy," he grins at you. "Drink up, doll."

You frown at the glass, but your head is already starting to feel a little less foggy, so you do as he asks. He gives you a couple pills and a glass of water afterwards, and you start to feel better after that. He sits beside you on the bed with a smirk. "Ya know," he says, combing his fingers through your loose hair, "Yer pretty damn cute when yer drunk. Clumsy and flirty."

You stop in mid-laugh and stare at him, horrified. "Oh no, did I flirt with you? In - in front of the crew?"

He grins. "Yeah, a lil' bit."

You slap your hands over your face. "Oh noo," you groan. "Oh, Yondu, I am so sorry. I'm so embarrassed."

You hear him laugh, and feel his hands slide around your waist, drawing you nearer. "It's okay," his husky voice comes in your ear. "Ya can make it up to me.” He crawls onto the bed and pulls you with him. “You can let me do what I didn’t last night.” He pushes you against the furs and kisses you, dialing the lights down again.

You sigh as the warm water of Yondu’s shower flows over your body. You reach for the shampoo, then realize there isn't any. Of course not, Yondu doesn't have any hair. Oh well, I can skip a day, no big deal. You reach for the bar of soap instead and raise it to your nose. So that's where he gets that cedar smell from. As you wash yourself, your eyes widen. There are bruises on your hips and waist, and a couple on your forearms. There's also a couple of scratches on your sides. They're not bleeding at all, but they're dark red. To your own surprise, you're not concerned. In fact, you blush. Even though it was the littlest bit scary, you loved Yondu being rough, loving you without reservation. You smile and finish washing, rinsing yourself off. You allow yourself to stand there for a few extra minutes, because you can. With a final contented sigh, you turn off the water and slide the door open, grabbing a towel. 

Just as you do so, the bathroom door opens.

You gasp and gather the towel around yourself reflexively, but it's only Yondu. 

"Come in," you say, with a slight sarcastic edge.

He pauses, eyes wide. "I'll knock next time," he chuckles. He holds up a bundle of maroon leather. "Segs was done with yer stuff. Adjusted some boots to yer size, too."

"Perfect. Thanks, spaceman."

He leans in and presses his lips to your cheek. "Want me to help ya get dressed?"

You laugh. "If you could get me my underwear and bra from yesterday, I would appreciate it. I'll have to change those when I go back to my room."

He nods out towards the room. "They're over here."

You follow him, and he produces yesterday's clothes from one of his drawers and lays them on the bed. You finish drying and slip out of the towel, running it through your hair thoroughly before putting it up. You put on your underthings and turn back to Yondu. He has a concerned expression on his face, his jaw set, and brows furrowed. You follow his gaze to your midsection, where the bruises are. “I hurt ya,” he whispers, swallowing.

"No,” you say quickly. “It's okay." You lean up to kiss the scruff on the side of his face. "You know I bruise easy."

He doesn't look convinced, but offers a hesitant, half-nod before handing you a pair of matching leather pants with plenty of pockets and a belt, a stretchy, sleeveless black turtleneck, as well as a leather jacket. You slip the clothes on, pleasantly surprised that the turtleneck is warm, but loose-fitting around your neck. Otherwise it feels like you're choking. The jacket is a little stiff, but you know once you've broken it in, it'll have the perfect amount of give in the sleeves and shoulders. The pants are the same way. You put the boots on, shocked at how comfortable they are. The soles are extremely comfortable and cushy, and the bottoms of the boots have thick treads on them - a lot like Yondu's boots, you notice. You spread your arms. “What do you think?”

"Ya look real fine," he says, a little short of breath. He licks his teeth.

You giggle. "Don't be getting any ideas, Captain, we're running late enough into the day as it is."

"Yeah, I know," he murmurs. "Got one more thing for ya, though." He holds up a patch of gold and black thread. It's a seven-tongued flame, like the metal one his has on his duster, but this one has the depiction of an arrow within the flame. You remember seeing the same design on Jesper’s uniform, as well as Luggh’s, Ryx’s and Nillgrac’s. Yondu also holds up a needle and thread. "Take yer jacket off, we gotta sew this on."

You shoot him a confused glance as you shrug back out of the jacket. "Why doesn't Segi do that?"

"Tradition," he says. "The Captain delivers the patch to each new recruit, and if they need help sewin' it in, he helps 'em. I helped Kraglin sew his in, and Peter too." 

"Aww, that's the sweetest thing I've ever heard." You sit down on the edge of the bed and hold the jacket out over your knee. Yondu places the badge on the shoulder of your jacket, and gets the thread started with a tight, secure stitch. You take over. Sewing has never been your strong suit, but you do a fair job with this. Yondu snips and ties it off. You pull the jacket back on and smile fondly at the patch.

"Now yer really official, sweetheart," he says. He cups a hand on the back of your neck and pulls you forward into his arms. He rests his lips against your forehead. "I'm damn lucky to have ya, girl."

Chapter Text

You wake up to noise and commotion aboard the ship. You hurriedly shower and get dressed; when you poke your head out your cabin door, there are Ravagers scurrying back and forth. No one looks panicked or concerned, however, so you relax a little. You rush down to the mess, where everyone is hurrying around and eating quickly; the large room is loud with the clatter of utensils and chatter of your crew mates.

You spot Kraglin dumping his dirty plate and tray on the cart for washing, and hurry after him as he strides away. “Kraglin? What’s going on?”

“Hey Doc,” he says distractedly, running a sleeve over his mouth, “We’re approachin’ a trading station – Taurus V for a supply run. Givin’ the crew some time for shore leave, too.”

“The entire crew?” you ask, nervous butterflies awakening in your stomach. Including me?

“Yep,” he says. “I’m sure the Cap’n’ll come and find ya to take with him,” he adds in a quieter voice, “But I gotta oversee some things before we set off, so I’ll see ya ‘round.”

“Right, I’ll let you go then. Thanks, Kraglin.”

With an absent nod, the First Mate is gone.

You try to eat breakfast but can’t get much down. You jiggle your leg nervously. My first excursion off the ship, my first adventure in space.

“Doctor,” you hear a voice call, and turn to see Mosegi approaching, a bundle of fabrics of varying colors folded in his arms.

“Hi Segi,” you greet him with a smile.

The tailor smiles widely in return, and shifts the bundle to one arm, plucking a matching set from the top, made of blue fabric. “I’ve made your scrubs,” he announces proudly, handing the clothes to you. “They retain heat or keep you cool, depending on your body temperature, and are tear- and stain-resistant. The fabric is very strong and resilient for its weight.”

You hold it up – it’s a short-sleeved shirt with matching pants, just like you drew for him. The fabric is soft and light. The pants are cinched at the ankles with adjustable drawstrings, and has a deep set of regular pockets, as well as a pair of zip-up cargo pockets on each side. There are loops around the waist for a belt or hanging utensils. The shirt has pockets as well, and as you shift the fabric in your fingers, a symbol on the breast catches your eye, the imprint glowing a bright white as it catches the overhead lights. It’s the Ravager flame, but within it is a pair of wing-like shapes, forming a V. “What does this mean?” you ask, nodding at it.

“It is the galactic symbol for those in the medical profession,” Segi replies in a tone that says duh, you should know that. “There is also one on the back.”

You turn the shirt over, and the symbol, large and covering nearly the entire back, shimmers under the light. There’s a couple words under the flame as well, in a language you don’t know. “What does this say?”

“Clan Udonta,” he says, tracing a slender finger under each word. “Just in case you get lost, you can be returned to our ship,” he says with a wink of three eyes. He shifts the bundle in his arms. “I made you a variety of colors; I wasn’t sure what you wanted,” he says falteringly, holding up a purple, red, grey, pink, and green variation of the same outfit in turn.

You gape at him, slowly taking them all into your arms. “You made all of these in just a couple days?”

“Oh yes,” he says with a slight, embarrassed shuffle of the wings along his back, “I don’t require much sleep, and I like to keep busy. Besides, it was exciting to do something new.” He gives you a smile that looks slightly nervous, eyes blinking owlishly. “So, what do you think?”

“Oh gosh, Segi,” you say, hugging them, “They’re perfect. Honestly, better than Earth- Terran scrubs, thank you.”

He grins at this and clasps his hands together. His lower half skitters back and forth, reminding you of a dog’s wagging tail. “I am so glad. I have the pattern and your measurements, so making more will not be a problem in the least if you need them. Just let me know when and if you need more, and if you’d like any extra features or adjustments.”

“Thanks again, so much. I can’t wait to try them on.” You pile the scrubs under one arm, and smiling after Segi’s retreating form, clear off your tray. You head back up to your cabin and try one of them on. They’re comfortable, and not too loose. “Perfect,” you nod to yourself, looking in the mirror. As you change back into your Ravager leathers, you glance at your wrist com and frown, wondering if there’s an alternative kind that you can hook up to your shoulder or something, so it’s out of the way when you’re tending patients. Your gaze drifts to the med bay door. Thankfully, it’s been an uneventful first few days on the ship, and you haven’t had to deal with any injuries or sicknesses. Maybe you can pick up some medical supplies today. You gave Yondu a list of things you needed and went over it with him and Kraglin after lunch yesterday. You’re trying to remember everything you put on the list, wondering if you’ve forgotten anything important, when there’s a buzz at your door.

You reach up and pull down the screen to the left of the door and press the button in the corner of it, like Yondu showed you. A hologram builds across the screen, revealing who is standing outside the door. It’s the Captain.

You open it immediately, and Yondu leans in your doorway. “Hello, darlin’,” he drawls, reaching up a finger to stroke it along your cheek. The gesture makes you smile shyly, and he grins.

“Hi spaceman. Kraglin said we’re going on a supply run? I didn’t know.”

“Yeah, after Jesper corrected our trajectory we saw the station’s course fell into our ship’s path. It was lucky, ‘cause we need some supplies. Plus, the crew is gettin’ antsy and they need some time off the ship.”

“So, are you going to escort me around down there?” you ask, gathering your medical bag at your hip and preparing to walk out of your cabin.

“That’s what I gotta talk to you ‘bout,” he says, pushing you back inside and closing the door behind him.

“You’re going to let me come ashore, aren’t you?” you ask, your shoulders drooping. You’re nervous, but you were really looking forward to seeing a new place.

“Yes, but ya listen t’me,” he says, and his voice is low and stern. His eyes don’t hold any of their usual sparkle. “This is a trading post. Even though we’re in Nova Corps’ territory, the rules are weak at best. That means it attracts lots a’ different races, and some dangerous people. There’s gonna be a lot of commotion, gonna be a lot of crowds. And t’be honest, it don’t matter if we’re planetside, moonside, or on a space station like this. When yer off the ship, ya keep one of the crew that ya trust in yer sights at all times. It can be real dangerous out there on yer own. I know ya can look after yerself, honey,” he adds in a softer tone, “But ya gotta stay near the crew. Especially bein’ new, and what some call a grounder, ya don’t know all the rules n’ stuff yet.” His eyes grow dark. “Goin’ missin’ on Terra ain’t half as horrifyin’ as goin’ missin’ out here - ships are comin’ and goin’ all the time, and if I lose ya, ya might be gone forever.” His hands seek out yours, and clench. He swallows visibly. “I can’t lose ya,” he whispers. “So please, baby. Fer me, keep someone in yer sights at all times. In case ya need help, they’ll be there. I’ll stick ‘round ya as much as I can, and if not me, then Kraglin, but if neither of us are around, I would key on Luggh, Nillgrac, or Ryx. I trust them the most. Jesper too, but he’s young and don’t have the fightin’ skills the others do. Ya understand me?”

“Yes,” you reply with a solemn nod. “Don’t worry, spaceman,” you add quietly, giving him a kiss, “I’ll be fine.”

You and the crew are transported via M-ships to the station. You fly in the Warbird, Yondu’s ship, along with Kraglin and an engineer with yellow skin and deep blue hair named Rhian Voldaraan. She’s a tall, muscular woman and seems like a gruff, no-nonsense type of person upon first meeting her, but she greets you with a friendly (if strong) handshake, and tells you she liked your speech to the crew.

You crane your neck out the windows and see the space station towering above you, filling up the entire viewing port. It’s a gigantic ring, with six arms branching off it. Attached to each of the arms are smaller rings, with multiple levels. Yondu guides the M-Ship to one of these, where several other M-ships from the Eclector are already docked.

A voice comes over the speakers, slightly robotic-sounding. “M-Ship 04655, designation ‘Warbird,’ state the name of your pilot and your business here.”

“Pilot Captain Yondu Udonta, of the Ravager ship Eclector. Lookin’ to do some trading and pickin’ up supplies fer my crew.”

“State the number of sentient beings on board your vessel.”

“Four.”

“Due to order 255.34a from Nova Prime, Skrulls have been banned from Taurus V, for attempted kidnapping of minors and assault of Nova Corps officers. Please identify the race of all occupants of your ship. Please note you will also be subjected to a body scan upon entering the station to confirm your statement.”

“One Centaurian, one Xandarian, one Aakon and one Terran.”

“Are you or any persons aboard your ship carrying any spores of Xillan fungi, or have they, in the past twelve day-cycles, been exposed to Xillan fungi or its related disease, Xillantrian flu? Please state affirmative or negative.”

Yondu looks around briefly at you, Kraglin and Rhian, raising an eyebrow. “Negative.”

“This space station is under the jurisdiction of the Nova Corps. By boarding the station, you agree to comply by the laws set by Nova Prime. Do you agree? Please state affirmative or negative.”

“Affirmative,” Yondu says.

A moment later, there’s a loud noise, and the entire ship vibrates slightly. Looking through the main windshield, you see that the ship has just entered a clear, bubble like structure. A mechanical arm extends out of the dock, and clamps onto your ship to lock it in place.

“Welcome to Taurus V, Captain Udonta. You are clear to disembark.”

“Much appreciated.” Yondu unbuckles, and you follow suit. He heads to the tractor beam and activates it with a punch of his fist to the button on the wall. The wide circular area glows under his feet, and metal sheets fold back to reveal the opening. Peering over the edge, you see that there is a metal walkway below, and someone in a bright green suit standing just outside the perimeter of the tractor beam circle.

Yondu steps into the circle and is lowered to the ground. He exchanges a few words with the person in green, then gestures to the others. Kraglin steers you to the tractor beam. You falter at the edge – it looks like you’re going to fall through the hole.

You swallow, then set your jaw. Don’t be silly. You just saw Yondu do it, so you know it’s safe. With a sharp intake of breath, you step out into the middle of the circle. You wobble a little – it’s a little like standing on a water mattress – the surface is unsteady, and your feet sink in slightly. You’ve just regained some semblance of balance when you’re lowered swiftly to the ground. The tractor beam turns off for a moment, and you step out of the circle to stand next to Yondu.

“You’ll want to head to the Mynta Sector for that, sir,” the person in green in saying to him. “Bonnel Sector has better prices, but if it’s quality your after, Mynta is the way to go.”

“Thanks for the tip,” Yondu says with a nod of his head. Once Kraglin and Rhian are on the ground, he walks along the platform that the ship is now resting on. It resembles a tunnel, with the clear bubble enclosing it. You realize with a small jolt of fear that it is only the bubble and the metal walkway separating you from the vastness of space. You marvel at this, looking around, and stop in your tracks. Through the bubble, you see ships of all makes and sizes and shapes docking and departing. The space station looms like a mountain above you, several decks tall. Turning, you see the Eclector hanging in the distance, one of the biggest ships you see in the area. A maroon Ravager flame is painted on its hull, which you didn’t notice before. Above you and all around, stars blaze in the perpetual darkness. The sight makes you catch your breath. You've never seen so many stars.

"Doc?" Yondu calls, and you jump slightly, turning to him. "We're waitin' on ya."

"Sorry," you say, picking up your pace until you reach Kraglin's side. You walk for some time – this is one of the arms extending from the main ring of the station. The tunnel gets slightly narrower as it reaches the bulk of the station itself, and it is flanked by two people in green uniforms. One additional person stands with them, dressed in a blue body armor with yellow accents. There is a contraption set into the doorway; as people walk through, a holographic screen flashes beside it, and the people in green seem to be monitoring the hologram before sending visitors on their way. You remember the words from aboard the ship. You will be subjected to a body scan. "Kraglin, what are Skrulls?"

Immediately, Kraglin's entire body stiffens, and his eyes narrow. Yondu's head whips back over his shoulder, and he replies quickly, "They're a bunch a' cruel, mean-hearted bastards, is what they are - and slavers to top it all off."

"Slavers?" you echo, a chill falling over your shoulders.

"Yeah," Yondu replies. "Glad we got the Corps watchin' out fer 'em here. Right Krags?"

"Yessir," the First Mate replies shortly.

You obviously touched a nerve with Kraglin, so you shy away from the subject and don't mention the Skrulls again aboard the station, making a mental note to ask Yondu about it another time. You walk through the contraption in the doorway, and a thin beam of light scans your body as you do so, chiming softly when complete. You look at the officer in the blue body armor a little nervously, but he doesn’t even look up.

A short walk, and you're in the space station proper. You subconsciously draw closer to Yondu. There are people everywhere. The sheer number of unfamiliar faces, mixed with the cacophony of voices, noises, music and sounds of clattering from a nearby restaurant makes your head spin. The space station is crowded with shops and buildings, and much of your immediate view is taken up by hundreds upon hundreds of stalls, benches and tables, hung with colorful cloths, tents and banners. You spy several of your crew mates milling around in the crowd, their maroon leathers thankfully distinctive among the variety of fashions you see.

"This is the marketplace," Yondu yells over the din. He pulls at your arm, drawing you away into the shelter of a small alleyway. "Listen, doll," he says loudly. "I have some deals to line up now, and some hagglin’ and negotiatin’ that ya can’t be part of. I’m takin’ Kraglin with me, so ya remember what I told ya, huh?”

“Okay. Hey, Captain?” you shout after him as he begins to walk away, and he turns. Kraglin stops a few paces ahead. “You be careful too, okay?”

He looks slightly surprised at this, but only for a moment before his face softens, and he smiles at you. “I will." He rocks forward slightly, as if he wants to embrace you, but turns away instead and disappears with Kraglin into the crowd. 

You instantly whirl around, your eyes focused on Luggh's form, and make a beeline for him. "Hey, Luggh!" you shout.

The Ravager turns. "Hey, Doc."

"Mind if I tag along with you?"

He shrugs. “Sure.”

Relief spreads over your shoulders. You follow him around, stopping at various stalls. Before boarding the M-ship, Yondu had given you some credits to spend how you wanted, and had explained their denominations and how it worked. It was more or less like a pre-paid credit card. Once the units were used up, you could reload more. There were special units that had actual monetary value unto themselves, too.

There are so many different things at each stall you pass - colorful clothes and accessories, gadgets, foods, lotions and perfumes, and so many unrecognizable items that you don't even know what category to put them in. After you've been walking for a while, a delicious smell reaches you. "Ooh, what is that?"

"Must be there up ahead," Luggh says, pointing to a low building with a bright orange striped awning. "Smells like fried lavpen," he says, sniffing the air. "C'mon, you hungry?"

"I'm starving, I didn't eat much this morning."

"C'mon, Doc."

Despite the heavy crowds, there's not a wait and you are both seated immediately. The server comes over to ask you what you want, but you can't read the menu, so you allow Luggh to order for you. "I know that's all safe for Xandarians," he says after the server leaves with your selections. "Not sure about Terrans, but you seem pretty similar."

"It's okay, I have epinephrine in here if I need some," you say, raising the medical bag at your hip. Luggh just cocks his head. "Uh – it’s medicine. From Terra. You know, in case I have an allergic reaction to something."

He nods, then rubs his hands together as two steaming, pink-colored drinks are brought to your table. To your surprise, the drinks are cold. It must have some property like dry ice or something, you think with a wary sip as the vapor drifts into your face. A tart but slightly sweet taste fills your mouth. "Ooh, I like that. What did you call it again?"

"Fiddkav. It's an Aakon alcohol."

"Fiddkav," you repeat, taking another sip. You look around at the crowds and see a person in a green uniform milling among them. You keep watching, but after a while you notice something odd. "I see a lot of green uniforms, but none of those in that blue and yellow.”

Luggh nods. “Yeah, the Nova Corps don’t enforce as much as they make you believe here."

“The green ones aren’t Nova Corps?”

“No,” Luggh answers. “They’re just station workers. Any Nova Corps officers will be in that blue armor.”

"You used to be Nova Corps, right? That's what Nillgrac said?"

"Nillgrac's got a big mouth," Luggh says, and his voice comes out in a rumbling sort of growl, the harshest you've heard him speak yet. "Yeah, I was with the Corps."

"Why did you leave, if you don't mind me asking?" you ask, taking another drink of the fiddkav.

Luggh drains his glass and raises a hand to flag down your server. He orders two more drinks. "No, it's fine," he sighs. "I was with the Corps for twenty-two years. I was happy. I liked the rules, the regulations, the order. But then I got promoted. I was given an assignment to investigate some missing kids whose mothers had died under mysterious circumstances. The further I dug, the worse it got. I'm talking hundreds of kids."

You begin to have a cold feeling in your stomach, and it's not the fiddkav. 

"Turns out it was this Celestial named Ego, kidnapping kids and killing their mothers," he says, running a hand over his buzzed hair, and your suspicions are confirmed. "Anyway, long story short, I discovered that some of my fellow Nova Corps had been delivering kids to this - this monster for payment under the table for years. I couldn't share a badge with people like that anymore. I tried to expose them, but I didn't have the rank or the connections - so I quit. At the same time, I couldn't just go and get a desk job, I'm not wired that way. But I've watched the Ravagers for a long time, and despite their short-comings, their record of freeing slaves is legendary. I figured that was something I could get behind. Then I heard Yondu Udonta had a hand in destroying Ego, so I signed up when I heard he was recruiting."

"Yondu told me a little about Ego," you offer. "He did sound like a monster." You decide not to go into any details - you're not sure what Yondu did and didn't tell Luggh, and it's certainly not your place to share that information. "So your cleanliness, your posture and manners - that's all a side effect of service with the Corps, huh?"

Luggh laughs, a warm booming sound that makes you smile. "Yeah. Nillgrac and the others keep telling me to loosen up, but it's difficult. There's order among the Ravagers, but it's very different. It's hard to get used to. Luckily, the Captain is patient with me."

"Well, I'm sure he knows good talent and solid character when he sees it," you say, clinking your glass against his.

He runs his hand over his head again, chuckling somewhat embarrassedly. "Thanks. So uh...you and the Captain. You're…close?"

Heat floods your cheeks. "Uh-" You're interrupted by your server (you sigh in relief) who sets a tray down between the two of you. Luggh ordered identical plates for each of you - he explains that the lavpen is a meat, pounded flat, crusted in flaky grains and fried, and the other, sumori, is a fried, sugary dough folded in a crescent shape, accompanied by a fruit dipping sauce. The lavpen is very savory; a little salty, and crunchy. The sumori is kind of like a doughnut but airier, you find, and the fruit dip is a little like jam. It's all delicious, especially the sumori, and you are pleasantly full by the time you leave. 

You're feeling much more content and confident after the alcohol and food as you continue to walk around the marketplace. You dare to stray a little farther from Luggh but are still careful to keep him in your sights. You've entered a part of the marketplace with higher-end goods; weapons, large contraptions and machines, ship parts; tools, engine pieces and several other things you can't identify. There's a booth of satchels and bags, holsters and rucksacks which you step into. A broad leather bag with several pockets and a wide, long padded strap catches your eye. It'd be a nice upgrade from the bag you're currently carting around. You’re able to negotiate a slightly lower price from the merchant selling it, and happily sling it over your other shoulder. Emerging from the stall, you look around to make sure Luggh is still nearby. You see him talking with a shop owner just a couple booths down. You smile in relief, and happily tuck your new bag over your shoulder. As you make your way towards him, you pass a large booth with an array of weapons on its front table and spot a small stand with a bunch of little figurines and knickknacks covering its surface. It’s manned by a child.

“Hello,” you say to her, bending slightly.

“Hello,” she says sweetly, big eyes blinking up at you. “Will you buy one of my trinkets?”

You pick up a turquoise, vaguely-octopus-like figurine about the size of your thumb. “How much is this one?”

“Five units.”

That seems a little expensive for such a small item, but you shrug and don’t bother haggling. It’s a child, and besides, you think Yondu will like it. You pass over your card, and make sure only five units are charged before stashing the card back in your pocket. “Thanks, good luck with the rest of your sales!”

You stick the figurine into your new bag and are about to rejoin Luggh when a voice calls out, "Hey! Hey you, pretty lady!"

You look about you, but you're the only woman you see in the immediate vicinity, so you turn. The man at the weapons table, a heavy-set, yellow-skinned man with one brown eye and one yellow eye gestures towards you. "Yeah, you! Oh, you're a Ravager! Even better, come here, want to try your little hands on this?" He holds up a sleek-looking blaster.

You glance to your right; Luggh is stalling at a booth, looking at some mechanical supplies. You draw closer to the man with the blaster. "What?"

He nods over his shoulder, and you see that the inside of his booth is very long and narrow and is littered with a series of bullseyes. "If you hit five of the targets, I'll give you one of these here blasters, free of charge."

"What's the catch?" you ask, looking over at Luggh again to make sure he's still there. He is.

"Madam, you discredit me,” he says in a tremulous voice, holding a hand to his chest. “There’s no catch."

You look at the man's face and at the blaster in his hands. He lifts it towards you. 

"What makes this blaster so special?" you ask, taking it in your hands. 

"That is the Traston X. Minimal kickback, more plasma capacity than your standard blaster of the same size, and of course there’s this." He pushes a button on it, and you nearly throw it from your hands as a holographic sight appears, hovering over your right eye. It keys on the targets, forming cross hairs. "Cutting edge, that," the man says. "Maybe you can pick up some for your crew."

"Well I'd have to run it by my Captain," you say.

"Oh, and here I thought you were the Captain. Such a lovely, strong woman, with such a commanding presence."

You fight back the urge to roll your eyes. Sleazy salesman. Oh well, maybe I can win one of these for Yondu. "Sure, why not. I'll take your challenge," you say, hefting it snugly against your shoulder.

"There are twelve targets, hit any five. The first five shots are free. If you want to try again, it's going to cost you.”

"Okay." You lift the blaster to your shoulder, and the holographic sight keys in on the first target you aim towards. You're about to squeeze the trigger when you notice that the sight seems a little off; it won't lock on properly. You squint, and lower your weapon, looking it over, then raise it again. It's off-center, veering a little towards the left. If you fired, the blast would go the tiniest bit wide, and you'd miss. This jerk. Trying to screw people, he's like one of those carnival game workers. Okay, buster. You lower it again and turn off the holographic sight before aiming it again manually.

"What are you doing? Aim is greatly improved with the holographic navigation."

"Not when it's been tampered with," you mutter. "Besides, I’d rather do this the old-fashioned way." You squeeze the trigger, and it hits the first target. The shot isn't dead on, but you still hit it completely.

"I'm so sorry, you missed."

"What?" you exclaim. I obviously hit the target."

"No, it has to be directly in the center."

"You never said that!"

"Oh, I'm sure I did. Now if you'd please hand me back my-"

"Listen,” you say, putting a hand on your hip. “I'm part of the Udonta Ravager clan, and I don't think my Captain would appreciate you screwing one of his crewmen like this."

His eyes grow wide and round, and his mouth snaps shut. "U-Udonta? He's - you mean he's really alive?"

"Very much so.”

He grows pale, and swallows nervously, looking at you, the blaster, his targets, and around at the crowd. He mutters something under his breath, but you catch it. “I was hoping the rumors weren’t true. Very well, very well,” he says, louder. “Just - make it quick."

"I will." You raise the weapon again, and fire four more times. The third shot is rocky; you almost miss the target, but it hits the edge, falling just within the circle. The fifth shot is nearly dead in the center. You turn and smile at him triumphantly. "Okay, so where's my blaster?"

"Keep it," he says, nodding to the one in your hands. He's hurriedly tying down the flaps of his stall, as if he's preparing to pack up.

"No, this one is defective. You messed with the sight, I want a new one. Fresh in the package."

"Fine!" he says irritably, pulling out a case from underneath the table. He yanks out a new shiny blaster and shoves it into your hands. "Fine, just go!"

"Thank you." You grin and turn back to Luggh, excited to show him your prize. 

Luggh is gone.

"Oh crap." You glance around, standing on tip-toe to try and spot his tall form or orange skin, but you don't see him anywhere. You start to move through the crowd, and people are glad to get out of your way with the blaster in your hands. You pass stall after stall, but you don't see Luggh or any of your fellow Ravagers. Anxiety begins to creep up into your throat. You turn around and can’t even recognize the gun table or the little girl’s stall. Idiot!  You should have just stayed put! You’re about to head back in what you think might be the right direction when a hand rests on your shoulder. You turn in relief - it has to be one of your crewmates.

It's not. It's a woman in blue and yellow body armor. She looks like she might Xandarian. "Do you have a permit for that, Ravager?" she asks with a scowl, nodding at you.

You look down at the blaster in your hands. "Uh, no - I - I won this,” you stammer.

She raises an eyebrow. "Hey Fletch," she calls, and another Nova Corps officer comes to her side. "Ravager says she won this," she says with a grin at him.

He laughs. "That's a good one. Where did you win it?"

"There was this guy at a booth with a bunch of targets set up. He said if I hit five of them, I could get a free blaster. He didn’t give me any paperwork.”

"Sure," the woman says with a roll of her eyes. "Knowing you Ravagers, you probably stole it. Put the weapon down and raise your hands. You're under arrest by the Nova Corps for carrying an unregistered weapon.”

Your heart freezes as you slowly lower the weapon to the ground. "No, please, listen. Please, if you just let me-"

“Whoa, whoa there, officer!” a confident, unfamiliar male voice suddenly calls behind you. “This is probably just a misunderstanding. I know this Ravager Clan, and if you just allow me to contact her Captain, I’m sure we can resolve this without things getting messy.” A hand squeezes your shoulder lightly, and you turn to see its owner.

You find yourself looking up into a pair of green-blue eyes under a head of curly reddish-brown hair. The man smiles at you, his neatly-trimmed mustache quirking. “Relax, I got this,” he mutters to you.

The Nova Corps officer narrows her eyes. “And just who are you?”

“You’ve probably heard of me,” the man says with a slight smirk, “The name is Star-Lord.”

Chapter Text

“Who?”

The man’s face falls, and he throws up his hands, walking around in a tight circle. “Oh come on! You know, Star-Lord? Legendary Outlaw?” He spreads his arms, then drops them to his sides and sighs. “Of the Guardians of the Galaxy?” he adds in a quieter voice.

Guardians of the Galaxy? Your eyes widen. “Peter? Peter Quill?”

He flashes a bright white smile at you. “Yes?”

Oh thank heaven, you think. Maybe he really can help me get out of this mess.

“You’re Peter Quill, of the Guardians?” Fletch asks.

“That’s right,” Peter says proudly. “And if you just give me five minutes I’m sure I can get a hold of Yondu to get this cleared up.”

“She’s with the Udonta Clan?” the other officer says, raising an eyebrow at you. She bends to pick up your weapon, which she holds securely at her side. “All right, you have five minutes, Mr. Quill.”

"Tha's my final offer," Yondu says, bracing his hands on the table.

The man across from him, a hooded-eyed Sneeper, strokes his chin thoughtfully. "I don't know. It’s a lot of supplies…."

Yondu holds back a snarl. He hates this bullshit stalling. A small growl rumbles in his throat though, when his wrist com vibrates against his skin. None of the crew should be calling him, unless it’s an emergency. Not when he’s doing business. He tears it from his arm and thrusts it at Kraglin. "Answer that."

"Yessir." Kraglin steps outside the low-ceilinged, dark building and answers the call. "Kraglin here, answering for the Cap'n."

"Hey Krags! Where's Yondu?"

"Pete?" Kraglin says, incredulously holding out the wrist com at arm’s length. "What - how -? Are you on Taurus V?"

"Yeah, man, and I have one of your Ravagers here. She's about to get arrested by the Nova Corps, but I told them it was a misunderstanding - I just have to talk to Yondu. Hurry,” he says, voice dropping slightly in volume, “I can't stall them much longer."

Kraglin has a sinking feeling in his gut. "Who's with you?"

"It's - uh -" his voice grows a little fainter as he murmurs something off-com. "Says her name is [y/n]."

"Shit," Kraglin mutters under his breath, closing his eyes briefly. "Yeah, okay. Hold on a second." He walks back inside the building, where it looks like Yondu and the broker have come to an agreement, for they are shaking hands. The Sneeper departs, assuring the Captain he’ll have the goods transported to the Eclector within the hour. Kraglin is thankful to see his Captain is smiling again; this will make breaking the situation to him a little easier. "Uh, Cap?" he says quietly, bending to Yondu's ear.

Yondu straightens up as Kraglin relays the situation. "[y/n]?! Gimme that!" he snaps, swiping the com out of Kraglin's hand. "Quill!"

"Hey, asshole."

"I ain’t got time fer yer lip, boy," he growls. He can feel his blood pressure going up already. "Put the com on speaker, so I can speak to [y/n] and the officer."

“I-”

“NOW, dammit!”

"Okay, okay!" There's a slight shuffling noise, a click, and Peter's voice comes again, slightly distant. “Go ahead.”

"[y/n]?" Yondu says, his voice more grating than he intends.

Your voice comes back to him, quiet and trembling slightly. "I’m here, Captain."

"Explain to me what happened."

He listens patiently to you, trying to focus on what you’re saying instead of the trouble you’ve suddenly found yourself in. He finds his heart constricting as your next words come in a quieter rush. “I swear I only took my eyes off Luggh for a few minutes, Captain, I didn’t mean for this to happen, I’m sorry."

Yondu shifts his weight, clenching the back of the chair he had previously been sitting in, trying to remain calm. "This man that gave ya the weapon,” he grates out. “What did he look like?"

"He had yellow skin, and he had two different colored eyes."

He straightens. "One yellow eye, one brown? Was he heavyset, kinda greasy lookin'?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

Yondu grinds his teeth. “Sonuvabitch. Officer,” he says louder. “Can ya give me yer position, so I can come to meet ya in person?”

“We are on the south end of the Mynta sector just outside Cesari’s,” comes a stern, female voice. “Are you familiar with it?”

“Yeah,” Yondu answers. “I’m nearby. I’ll be there in a few minutes. Yondu out.” He slips the wrist com back over his hand, and whirls on his heel. “Dammit.”

“The Doc okay?” Kraglin asks; he’d been wiring the unit transfer with the Sneeper while Yondu was on the com.

The question makes Yondu’s step falter slightly; he hadn’t asked. He reflects on your voice. You sounded afraid. But were you afraid of your situation? Of the Nova Corps? Or, were you afraid of him, and what you thought he was going to do to you for disobeying orders? He shakes his head, trying to put that thought out of his mind as he makes his way out of the building and into the alley leading into the Mynta sector marketplace, Kraglin on his heels. He has to clear his thoughts to deal with the situation at hand, but it’s difficult, especially with Quill in the mix.

Yondu supposes he should be thankful that Quill found you. Truthfully, he is, but his mind is racing, trying to figure out how to tell his boy just who you are to him, and how he’s going to explain how he feels about you. Kraglin was on Terra and saw your interactions first hand; he didn’t need to explain anything to his First Mate. Of course, Kraglin has a cooler head and a little more tact than his adoptive brother. Yondu decides he should probably just treat you like any other member of his crew, at least until he has the chance to tell Quill properly – and he certainly doesn’t want to have that conversation with Quill in front of the Nova Corps. He closes his eyes briefly, mortified at the mere thought. That’d be a flarkin’ nightmare. With a rising sense of apprehension, he recalls that he hasn’t even talked to Quill since being back from Terra. The boy must be pissed.

With that not-so-comforting thought in his mind, he spots Peter’s distinctive curly red hair and the glint of Nova Corps uniforms ahead. He juts out his chin, squares his shoulders, and puts on his best don’t gimme any shit face as he strides towards the group. 

Then he sees you.

Your face is worried, your eyes wide and frightened as you gnaw your lower lip, standing at Peter’s side. Yondu’s heart clenches at the sight; all he wants to do is pull you into his arms and tell you that he's not going to let anyone hurt you or take you away. He must still have his scary face on, however, because the second you make eye contact with him, you cast your gaze shamefully, fearfully downward. 

“Hey, Yondu.” Peter greets him with a smile, but his eyes are narrowed, flinty. Yondu sighs inwardly; he’s in deep shit. But at least he has the sense to not call him Dad in front of the Nova Corps. “Hey Krags.” This greeting for the First Mate is much more pleasant and genuine – some of the sparkle returns to Peter’s eyes.

“Pete,” Kraglin replies with a nod and a soft smile.

 “Quill,” Yondu responds shortly as he turns to the officer. He notices that she has a Delta Sector designation on the badge on her shoulder. “Officer, the man yer lookin’ fer is Hakon Gadrool. He’s cheated me before. Now my medic here is a grounder, recently off-planet. She didn’t know what she was gettin’ into. If ya help me find Hakon and it played out the way my medic here says, then ya arrest him. If she’s lyin’, then ya can have her.”

You yelp. “What?”

He turns to you, takes a step closer so he’s staring right down into your eyes. It’s painful, but not unexpected when you take a step back in response. “Are ya lyin’, Doc?” he asks.

“No, of course not!”

“Then ya got nothin’ to worry 'bout,” Yondu replies, and turns away from you again. “Is this agreeable, officer…?”

“Castelian,” she answers. “And this is my partner, Fletch. I was in the battle of Xandar and your Ravagers saved my family. And Mr. Quill here and his friends stopped Ronan. So I’m going to give you a chance to find this Hakon. But the accused stays with me," she says, glancing at you with narrowed eyes.

Yondu seethes inside. He wants to take the gun in the officer’s hand and smack her across the face with it for the way she’s looking at you – like you’re no better than gutter trash. He swallows down his anger. "Fine by me,” he manages to say, flashing her a strained smile like the one Quill had given him. “I'll come with ya. Kraglin, ya go with Officer Fletch, ya know what Hakon looks like. Quill, ya remember Hakon Gadrool?”

“That sleazeball? Yeah, I remember him.”

“Good. Ya go with Krags.”

Peter opens his mouth in protest to the order, when Yondu clenches a hand around his arm, pulling him close. “Work with me, boy," he hisses under his breath. "We’ll talk after this is done.”

“I’m holding you to that, old man,” Peter murmurs back with glaring eyes.

"Fletch, you cover that side," Castelian orders, "We'll go this way."

With a nod, Fletch, Kraglin and Quill depart.

Yondu takes hold of your upper arm and draws you to his side, keeping right behind Castelian. 

"Yondu-" you begin timidly.

"It's Cap'n," he snaps back, eyes darting around the crowd. "I told ya expressly to stay with one of the crew. Ya disobeyed my orders."

"Luggh was right there, I only let him out of my sight for a few minutes, honest."

"A few minutes is all it takes for ya to get arrested, kidnapped, drugged, shot or killed," Yondu growls, glancing back at you.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to look away. I’m sorry.” Your voice is quiet and strained.

He's not really angry with you, but you've got to understand the precarious situation you've put yourself in. He clenches his free hand into a fist, wishing he could just hold you, but you wouldn't learn if he did that every time you got yourself in trouble. "Just help me look fer this sucker."

You nod in response. Your eyes scan the crowd, picking out faces and focusing on anyone with yellow skin. Suddenly you spot him, scurrying between two booths one row over. "Oh, there he is!" you cry, pointing.

Castelian begins to charge after him, but Yondu says, "I got this, officer." He whistles, and the arrow bursts from its holster and speeds away, keeping low to the ground, twirling and zipping between people's legs and around stalls and wares. 

There's a loud yelp, and Yondu grins murderously. "Gotcha." He strides through the crowd leisurely, closely followed by you and the Nova Corps officer. Hakon is pinned by his shirt against a wall. He whimpers as Yondu draws near, shrinking down. "Hello, Hakon," Yondu snarls.

Hakon offers a nervous smile. "C-C-Captain Udonta. What a pl-pleasant surprise. I had the pleasure of meeting your lovely crew member," he says, nodding at you, then freezes when he sees Castelian. "Oohh, hello officer."

"I did not give you authority to use the arrow, Captain," Castelian snaps.

Yondu ignores her. "So ya admit ya've seen this woman before," Yondu says, pulling you closer. "Is that your blaster, there?" he nods at Castelian, who holds up the weapon.

"Wh-what? Oh, no, I've never seen that bef-aah AH! Stop!" The arrow has shifted and is starting to drill into his skin.

"Y’all better be straight with me, boy," Yondu snarls, "This particular crew member is a favorite of mine. If ya do her wrong, I got no second thoughts 'bout drivin this arrow through yer damn skull." He utters a short whistle, and the Yaka arrow zips from Hakon's shoulder to hover in front of his eyeball.

"Noo! NO! Please, I'll tell the truth, I'm sorry! I told her if she hit five of the targets she could get a free blaster. It wasn’t supposed to work because I modified the targeting system, but she shut the system off and aimed manually. She hit the targets, and I gave her a new blaster! That's what happened, I swear!"

"You gave her this blaster?" Castelian asks, holding it up.

"Yes, that one!" he whimpers.

Castelian lowers the weapon, and exchanges looks with Yondu. "All right, Captain Udonta. You and your crewman are free to go. But I'm keeping the blaster and taking Hakon."

"Fine with me. See ya 'round, Hakon. Or mebbe not." Yondu doesn't wait and pulls you along. You glance back briefly and see that Fletch has joined Castelian; Kraglin and Peter fall into step behind you.

"Kraglin," Yondu says, releasing you and pushing you towards the First Mate, "Take her back to the M-ship. Doc, ya're gonna stay there until I'm done, ya got it?"

You hang your head and nod. "Yes, sir."

Kraglin shoots Yondu a look of pity on your behalf, and the Captain looks away. "Go, then Krags - meet me at the Vertara over here."

"Aye, Cap." He places a hand on your shoulder gently and steers you away. "C'mon, Doc."

Without a word to Peter, Yondu strides towards Vertara, one of his favorite bars on the station. He needs a drink, and he supposes he can buy one for Quill for rescuing you. Might be a good peace offering, too. "Quill, whatcha want?" he asks, glancing at the list of spirits scrawled on the wall. “I’m buyin-” He turns and is winded by a punch to the gut.

He gags slightly, but isn't surprised enough not to retaliate, and catches Peter in the chin with his fist. “Dammit, Quill!” he snarls, regaining his breath, “What the hell wassat fer?!” He bares his teeth and clenches his fists, holding them up.

Peter holds up a hand, massaging his jaw. “No, I’m done, old man. One punch was enough to satisfy me.”

Yondu straightens up, relieved the fight is over already. The boy has a face like a rock.

“To answer your question,” Peter snaps, “That was for disappearing for a month, and not calling me when you got back!”

“I was gonna call ya,” Yondu growls back.

“Yeah? When? A month from now? Two?”

Yondu rolls his shoulders agitatedly, “Dunno, sometime soon,” he answers lamely.

Peter makes a disgusted noise in his throat. “Do you know how upset Groot was when he found out? He cried and had nightmares for days!”

Yondu’s heart twinges. “Why did ya tell the Twig I was missin'?"

Peter averts his eyes. “I didn’t,” he admits with difficulty, rubbing the back of his neck, “He overheard.”

“Bet the rat was pissed when he found out.”

“Yeah, he was. We all were. But we were more worried than pissed,” he adds a quiet voice.

Yondu sighs and slumps onto the nearest bar stool. “Hell, I know, boy. Ain’t like I meant fer it to happen. I crashed.” Peter sits beside him, and Yondu pauses for a long moment, hesitant to continue, but this is the best way to bring it up, without the rest of the Guardians present. Rocket would have a field day with this material. “That woman ya saved? She’s Terran. Saved m’life - a couple times. Kraglin's too.”

“She did? What happened?”

“She found me, fixed me up. She’s the lead medic on my ship now, and-” he glances away, “and she’s more than that,” he murmurs.

“What? I didn’t catch that last part,” Peter says, leaning closer. 

“I said she’s more than that,” Yondu growls, rounding on him. “She’s my woman, so ya better treat her nice, boy!”

Peter’s eyes grow big and his mouth drops in surprise. “Your - your what? Really?”

“Yeah,” Yondu says, bristling. “There a problem with that?”

Peter grins, holding up his hands. “No! No, not at all. Just - wow. I wasn't expecting that. I’m - I’m happy for you, man," Peter says with a clap on his shoulder. "Really."

It’s not the response he was expecting. He rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah. Well, thanks. She’s...anyway. Let's get a drink." They do so, drinking a round in a silence that’s more comfortable and less awkward than he expected. Yondu slaps a couple units on the bar as Kraglin enters. “Well, I gotta go, son. Got some things to look into and deals to make before we get outta here.”

“Oh,” Peter replies, and Yondu would have to be deaf to not hear the disappointment in his voice. 

He hesitates, lingering by Kraglin’s side. “How long ya in this sector fer?”

“Couple more days, while Rocket replenishes the armory. Picking up some food and stuff, too.”

“Well, maybe we can have y’all over to the Eclector fer a drink or somethin’,” he says with a shrug. “Guess it wouldn’t hurt to dock here fer a few days before our mission, right Krags?"

"Naw, that'd be great. Do some catchin' up," the First Mate replies, exchanging smiles with Peter.

"Sounds good. I know Rocket and Groot would love to see you. Groot's been asking about you every day since Kraglin called to say he'd found you." 

"Yeah, I'd like to see the Twig and rat too," Yondu says softly. "But don't ya dare tell them I said that," he snaps, pointing in Peter's face.

The man laughs. "No promises. Do you want me to tell them about your uh - your squeeze or should I?" he asks, waggling his eyebrows.

"She ain't my squeeze, she's my - my woman. Y'all better tell 'em ahead of time so the rat can come up with his jokes," he says with a roll of his eyes. "I'll see ya later, son."

"See you around, Dad," Peter says with an affectionate squeeze to his shoulder. "See you later, Krags," he says, drawing the First Mate into a one-armed hug. 

"Behave yerself, Pete," Kraglin says, reaching up to ruffle his hair.

Peter laughs and pushes him away. "Where’s the fun in that?"

You sit alone in the M-ship for hours. You understand why Yondu is angry with you, and you're angry at yourself too. I'm such an idiot, you berate yourself again. I almost got arrested because of a cornball salesman. Yondu's never going to let me off the ship again. After a couple hours of this internal battle, you find that you're grouchy and very tired, and you eventually drift off to sleep in your seat.

You're startled awake by voices - Yondu and Kraglin are piling into the M-ship. You try to catch Yondu’s expression, to see if he’s still angry. You get your answer when he doesn’t look at you. He doesn’t say anything to you, either.

Kraglin hits the speaker button. "M-ship Warbird, requesting permission to disengage."

The robotic-sounding voice returns. "Do you plan on returning to Taurus V?"

"Possibly," Yondu replies. "Ain't decided yet."

"Your ship has been marked with a three-day-cycle pass. Preparing to disengage."

There is a loud noise and a shiver goes through the ship as you're released from the locking mechanism. "You are clear for takeoff. Safe travels, Captain Udonta."

"Obliged. Kraglin, take us home."

"What about Rhian?" you ask.

"She's catchin' a ride back with Ryx," Kraglin answers, steering the ship back towards the Eclector. Yondu leans back in his seat as Kraglin pilots. No one says anything until they reach the ship. The ride back seems long.

Once they've docked inside the Eclector, Yondu says, "Kraglin, gimme a minute with the Doc."

"Sure, Cap," Kraglin says, gathering parcels and bags in his arms and departing.

Once he's sure Kraglin has gone, Yondu unbuckles from his seat and comes to sit beside you. You don't meet his eyes - until he combs a couple fingers through your hair. You look into his face, and don't see any anger. "Ya okay?" he asks.

You nod.

"Were ya scared?"

"Yes," you reply, pressing your lips together. For some reason, you feel like crying.

"Tha's good," he says, a little sternly. "Means ya learned somethin'. Right?"

You nod. "I promise I'll stick right by someone next time. If...if there is a next time?"

He sighs a little and pulls at you, steering you into his lap. "C'mere. 'Course there's gonna be a next time. I ain't gonna force ya to stay on the ship. It ain't a prison."

"Thank you, Yondu. I'm sorry."

"I know, doll. I know." He kisses your lips softly, and you feel tears prick at your eyes in relief, and at the soft warmness of his touch. 

As you pull back, you remember the trinket in your bag. "Oh, here, I got you something."

He raises an eyebrow. "Me?"

"Yeah, here." 

He holds out his hand, and you deposit the octopus figure into his palm. He chuckles gleefully as he holds it up to his eyes. "Thanks, darlin'."

"I thought you might like it."

"Gonna put it next to that other lil' bugger ya gave me," he says, tucking it tenderly in his pocket. He stands and extends a hand to you. "Now c'mon, I got a surprise fer you."

"A surprise? What is it?"

He snorts as he steps with you into the tractor beam, and you go down together. "If I told ya that, it wouldn't be a surprise." He leads you to a large ship where several Ravagers, including Kraglin and Luggh, are unloading crates. "Them officers - Castelian and Fletch? I was wonderin' what they was doin' on Taurus V, since their designation was from the Delta Sector. They weren't supposed to be there. I got a lil' curious. Turns out, they were just stoppin’ by to fuel up, supervisin' a load of medical supplies to the academy on Sarran. So we took one of each."

"One of each of what?"

He grins at you and digs around in his pockets. He produces an item, sort of shaped like a Bluetooth headset, and hands it to you. "The bottom button does the audio bit, and the top button activates the visor. Stick that behind yer ear."

Audio? Visor? You rest the device behind your ear and press the audio button. You hear a very faint hum, but nothing else yet. You hit the top button, and a yellow, holographic visor extends over your eyes. You step back with a slight gasp; looking around the ship, the different signs and notices posted on the walls - and even the names of the ships around you - are translating live in front of your eyes, from what Yondu has told you is Standard to your native language. "Wow, Yon - Captain, I mean. Thank you, this is amazing."

"That ain't even the surprise," he says with a chuckle. "C'mere. Krags, open one a' these fer me. We took one of each a' these."

Kraglin picks the locking mechanism on one of the boxes he's unloading, and the lid pops open. Yondu reaches into the padded interior, and hands you a holopad. As you raise it, the screen flickers to life. Shi'ar, Lesson 6: The Circulatory System, a female voice says in your ear, and the visor translates the words on the screen in time. Your mouth drops open. "This - this is-"

"Everythin' ya need to learn 'bout the crew," Yondu says.

You let out a squeal so loud that several Ravagers turn to look at you. "Haha - sorry," you say, ducking your head. "Oh my gosh, thank you so much, Captain. I don't know what to say, this is so amazing!”

"There should be lessons on every major race in here. Plus, a bunch of medical supplies - and we got ya the things ya requested fer the med bay." Yondu smiles at you.

You can't stop yourself from wrapping your arms around him. "Thank you, thank you!" He laughs a little nervously, and you hurriedly let go. "Sorry. I just - thank you, so much. I can't even explain how excited I am."

"Damn, it's like I got ya a crate full of jewels or somethin'."

"Oh, this is better than all the diamonds in the galaxy," you reply, pulling out a few more holopads. "I can't wait to get started."

Chapter Text

You wake up fatigued. Even though you got a full night's sleep and didn't do anything more strenuous than walking around the space station the previous day, you are completely physically and mentally exhausted. You groan, because you know what that means. Sure enough, as soon as you get up, the cramps hit, and your back begins to ache. You whimper and head to the bathroom, digging around in your duffel bag. You have enough things to get you through a couple days, but you're going to have to get some more products for the rest of the week and future periods. You decide not to think about it now; you're too tired and in too much pain. After you've gotten yourself cleaned up and situated, you lie back down in bed.

In the mess, Yondu is double-checking inventory with Kraglin, to make sure they’ve gotten everything. After he’s finished his breakfast, he realizes that you haven’t said good morning to him yet, and with a momentary pang of guilt, wonders if you’re still afraid of punishment for what transpired yesterday. He looks up, scanning the mess – but you’re nowhere to be seen. “Krags, ya seen [y/n] this mornin’?”

“No, Cap.”

Yondu brow furrows, and he hits the button on his com to call you.

It chirps once, twice, then you answer with what sounds like a groan. “Hello?”

“Hey Doc,” Yondu says quietly. “Where ya at? I ain’t seen ya today.”

“My cabin. I-I’ll talk to you later, okay?” Your voice sounds tired, a little croaky.

Yondu frowns even more deeply, tilting his head slightly. “What’s the matter? Ya don’t sound too good.”

“I’m not feeling well, I just need some rest. I’ll talk to you later.” With a click, the com goes dead.

Yondu is left sitting there, perplexed and concerned. He gets up. “Krags, cancel anything I got goin' on the first half a' the day, push it to later."

"Yessir."

You're curled up in the fetal position on your bed, hugging a pillow to your stomach to help your cramps and have a pile of clothes and pillows piled firmly against your back to try and alleviate some of the pain there. You don't know what's different besides your environment, but this is one of the worst periods you can remember having, ever. Vaguely, you hear your door open, and you lift your head, peeking over the pillows. The light flips on, illuminating the form of Yondu.

He closes the door. "Sweetheart, what's goin' on?" As he comes closer, an iron tang reaches his nostrils. "What the-! You're injured? And ya didn't tell me?” he shouts. “What the hell happened?" He reaches for you, trying to tear the pillow away to see where you might be bleeding.

"Yondu!" you yell, shoving him away and hugging your pillow closer as a fresh wave of painful cramps passes over you, "I'm not injured!” you snap. “I'm just - it's - it's that time of month, you know?"

He stops and cocks his head at you. "Time of month?"

"Yes, you know - that time of month?" You raise your eyebrows in exasperation. “When Aunt Flo comes?"

He stares at you blankly.

You groan and bury your face in the pillow. "Augggh," he hears you groan into the fabric, before lifting your reddening face to his. "Yondu, I'm having my menstrual cycle right now."

His eyes widen. "Ohh. Oh honey, no wonder y'ain't feelin' good." He sinks onto the edge of the bed and strokes your hair.

"You're not grossed out?" you ask, raising an eyebrow.

"What? Naw. Why should I be?"

“A lot of Terran men get grossed out.”

He snorts. “Bunch a’ pussies. It’s completely natural - what’s there to get grossed out fer?” He leans down and kisses your temple. “What can I do? What hurts?"

"I have really bad cramps in my abdomen and my lower back hurts. This is like the worst period I've ever had. And I’m so tired." Tears prick at your eyes as you press your forehead into his knee.

"Aw, darlin'. Come here." He climbs into bed behind you, leaning against your headboard. He pulls you between his spread legs, so you're seated firmly back against his chest. Instantly, his warmth envelops you, relieving some of the ache in your backside. "Lean back, sweetheart," he says, and you lean your head back to rest on his shoulder. His hands slip over your shirt and under your waistband slightly. You sigh as his hot hands begin to rub your abdomen with soft, massaging strokes. "How’s that? Feel good?”

You nod with a sigh. "Yeah. Thank you for understanding, Yondu.”

“A’ course, doll,” he says, kissing your head.

You close your eyes and just concentrate on the warmth of him, and your head begins to droop slightly. Then you realize that if Yondu is here, he isn’t elsewhere, and you breathe in sharply and straighten up. “Don’t you have work to do? I’m sorry.”

“Sorry fer what? ‘Course I have work, but it was my decision to push it off, not yours. I gotta take care a’ my woman.”

“Thank you,” you repeat in a whisper, laying a hand on his arm.

“So how often does this happen?”

“Every month – that’s why I said it’s that time of month. I finished my previous one right before you broke into my house."

"Every month!" he exclaims. "Damn." He's quiet for a moment, then asks, "Can ya have sex while it's goin' on?"

Your snort of laughter turns into a groan, and you smack his leg. "Yondu."

"What? It’s a legitimate question."

You laugh. "I am not in that kind of mood right now."

"Well no, not right now. Jus’ asking fer future purposes." He smiles against your hair and gives you a kiss on the temple. "Is there anythin' else ya need, sweetheart? Anything I can getcha?"

"Well, I didn't pack enough products to deal with this, I'm going to need more. And some pain reliever - I’m almost out."

He’s silent for a while as he continues to massage your lower tummy, and at last you start to feel some relief, both from his warm hands and the calming motions of his chest as he breathes. Just as you start to drift off to sleep again, he asks, “Would it help if I went out and got ya some more supplies?”

 You turn your head to look at him in surprise. “You’d do that for me?”

“I’d do anything fer ya, baby,” he says, and feels his heart patter, a little nervously, when he realizes that his words are true.

You turn in his lap, and wind your arms around his stomach, nuzzling your head into the little hollow above his pectorals. “That would be amazing, Yondu. Thank you.”

“Okay. Don’t ya worry none, I’ll getcha what ya need. Ya jus’ get some rest.” With a peck on your cheek, Yondu turns out the light and leaves.

Yondu goes straight to the holoscreens in his quarters. He calls the Quadrant.

A furry face answers. "Hey, ya blue idiot."

Yondu snorts. "Hey, rat. I need to talk to-"

"Quill. Yeah, yeah, he's right here."

"No, I need-" Yondu sighs as Rocket disappears, replaced by Peter's face.

"Hey, Dad. What’s up? We still on for-"

"We’ll talk ‘bout that later, Quill. Where's Gamora?"

"Gamora?" Peter echoes. He narrows his eyes suspiciously. "Why?"

"Dammit Quill, I jus' need to ask her 'bout somethin'. Somethin' important. About - about...women things."

"Women things?" he echoes, his face scrunching in confusion.

"Just get her! Dammit all to hell, boy." He pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Fine! Geez, cranky. I’ll patch you to her.”

The line goes to a blank screen where I Want You Back is playing, and Yondu smiles in spite of himself. Part of him misses Quill playing that stupid music day in and day out. He hums along to himself, until the line is answered abruptly.

"Yondu." Gamora asks, crossing her arms. "What do you want?"

“Hey girl,” Yondu greets her. He has a nickname for everyone except her. He tried calling her "Greenie," but she didn't take that too kindly, and he values his life. “Girl” is the most he can get away with.

“Do not “hey girl” me,” she snaps, scowling. “I am still angry with you for disappearing and upsetting Peter and Groot.”

“Yeah, I know,” Yondu replies, bracing his hands against his desk. “Look, ya can berate me all ya want when ya come to visit tomorrow, a’ight?”

She slowly unfolds her arms, eyes lowered in thought, and nods. “That is acceptable. Why have you called for me?”

“Did Quill tell ya ‘bout my – uh. ‘Bout my new – I mean-”

“About your girlfriend?”

“My woman, yeah.” He doesn’t want to put a label on it yet, though he can’t come up with a good reason why, other than the fact that you’ve only been romantically involved for about a week. He brushes the thought pattern away for the time being. “Anyway, she – it’s – uh.” How’d she put it? “It’s that time a’ month fer her,” he says confidently. Gamora’s a woman, she’ll know what that means.

But she looks back at him, obviously confused. “That time of month? What are you talking about?”

Yondu lets out a sigh and covers his eyes with one hand. “Dammit.” Okay, man-up. This is fer [y/n]. He takes his hand away and looks Gamora square in the eyes. "She's goin' through her menstrual cycle and needs...things. Do ya know if there’s a shop down on the station that sells that type a’ stuff?” His words come out in a rush, and he can feel his face has become very hot.

Gamora blinks, and her entire body seems to relax a fraction. "Why didn’t you say that in the first place? Yes, there are several retailers on Taurus V that sell products of that kind.”

Yondu breathes an inward sigh of relief. “Great. Any chance ya could tell me what they’re called?”

“There’s a retailer that I prefer to use called Duenna. They have several locations throughout the galaxy, and there is one on the station. Level 4, in the Lithril Sector. I’ll send you the coordinates.” As she types, her eyes flick up to his, and the hint of a smile turns up corner of her mouth. “I hear you have several females on your crew. Why did you not ask one of them?”

"I'm their Cap’n,” he growls, blushing indignantly. “It's not - it wouldn't be professional. ‘Sides – they don’t know that we’re together – and I’d like to keep it that way,” he adds more loudly, leaning closer to the screen and pointing at her. “Make sure Quill knows that. I don’t need none of ‘em pickin’ up on it while y’all are here. For her safety, ya know.”

Gamora raises an eyebrow slightly, but nods. “I will inform them.” She makes a final tap on her holopad. “There.”

His shoulders sag in relief as the coordinates chirp in a message on-screen. He transfers them to his wrist com.

“Is that all you needed?”

“Yeah. Tell Quill I’ll expect y’all tomorrow evenin’.”

“I will.” She leans forward to disconnect the call, but Yondu interrupts.

“Hey,” he says hesitantly, and she stops. “Uh. Thanks, girl.” He says, rubbing his neck. “This woman – she means a lot t’me.”

Gamora pauses, studying him with inscrutable eyes. “You’re welcome,” she replies after a few moments. “We will see you tomorrow.” With that, she disconnects the call.

It's fer [y/n]. It's fer [y/n]. The thought becomes a mantra as he walks towards the store labeled Duenna in orange neon. He takes a deep breath before pushing his way in. Thankfully there aren't many patrons in, but one of the attendants squeaks in fright at his sudden appearance, leaving her display of boxes in the window unfinished. She scampers to the back of the store, hurriedly whispering in her fellow employee’s ear that stands at the counter. This second woman is plump and friendly-looking, but swallows as she makes her way across the store to him.

"Hello sir," she says pleasantly (if anxiously), folding her long-fingered hands in front of her. "Do you need help finding something?"

"Yeah," he says. "My - uh. My woman is goin' through her cycle and needs some supplies. Ya got anythin' fer Terran females?"

"Oh," she says with a surprised look, and seems to relax a bit. "Please follow me, and I'll look in my system to see what would be suitable."

He huffs slightly as he follows her back to the counter. What did she think, that I was gonna rob this place? Business ain't that bad.

"Let's see," she says, her long nails clacking on the keys. "Terrans..." She studies the page on the holoscreen in front of her, then nods. She leaves the counter, and goes around the store, picking boxes and packages off the shelves. She comes back with her arms full. "Do you know what she wants?"

He surveys the different packages, lifting up this one and then that one. There's so many different brands and types. He didn't ask you exactly what you used. He shrugs. It's probably not like Terran stuff anyway, so he might as well get it all and you can figure out what you like for next time. "I'll take the lot. I ain't sure what she needs."

"Very well. That will be….” She is silent as she computes the total, moving her fingers as if counting. “One hundred and forty-three units."

"What!"

She jumps at the outburst. "One- one hundred and forty-three units," she repeats meekly.

"Ya sure ya didn't add it up twice?"

"Y-yes sir."

"Dammit," he grumbles, digging around in his pocket. It's fer [y/n], he repeats in his mind, slapping a unit card on the counter.

She's about to run it, when she asks, "Would you like to purchase some pain reliever for her as well?"

"How much is it?" he asks in a deep growl. In truth, it doesn’t matter; he needs some anyway, and this will save him a trip to a pharmacy. But if he can scare her a little, maybe she’ll give him a deal.

Her eyes grow a little wide and frightened. "Uh - it's -" she begins, then seems to check herself. "It's actually complimentary for your first purchase with us," she amends with a nervous smile.

"Then yes." He holds back a satisfied smirk.

She studies what medications are safe for Terrans in her system, then runs his card. She sticks the painkiller into the large, pink bag with everything else. "Here you are, sir. Thank you for shopping with us."

"Yeah, yeah," he says, yanking it out of her hands. He holds the bag on the inside of his duster all the way back to the ship, wearing his most terrifying face so no one gets in his way.

You feel fingers stroking your hair and wake with a start. You blink in the dim light. “Yondu?”

“Hi baby,” he greets you softly. “I got ya some stuff.” He holds up a large pink bag, crammed with all sorts of boxes and parcels. “How’re ya feelin’?”

“A little better I guess,” you reply, shifting on the bed, then wince. “Ugh, maybe not.” You shouldn’t have moved.

He digs around in the bag and produces a bottle that rattles slightly. “Here, I got ya somethin’ fer the pain.”

You groan and sit up; Yondu grabs some of the pillows and shoves them behind your back as you take the bottle out of his hands. You reach to your bedside table, where the visor sits that Yondu gave you yesterday, and you slip it bend your ear to look at the label. “Swallow two tablets every 4-6 hours with a glass of water. Preferably at meal times,” you read.

“Ya ate anythin’ today, sweetheart?”

You shake your head. “I was too tired to get up, and I haven’t even showered yet.”

“Okay, well why don’tcha head to my cabin, and git yerself a nice hot bath while I rustle up some food fer ya.”

“That sounds amazing, but it’s okay, I’ll just shower here,” you reply, patting his arm. “I don’t want the crew seeing me go into your cabin.”

He opens his mouth to protest, but he knows you’re right. Especially if you’re carrying clothes and other belongings, rumors might go around that you’re moving in with him or something. Dammit, I’m gonna have to tell the crew soon, I hate all this sneakin’ around bullshit. Jus’ a lil’ while longer, ‘til she’s adjusted and I know them a lil’ better. He nods. “Yeah, guess yer right. Go git that shower then, and I’ll be back with some food.”

“Hot food, if possible?” you ask, getting up from the bed, your arms wrapped around your middle.

“Don’t worry none. I got ya, baby.”

After you get a hot shower and some warm food in your stomach, you take the pain reliever, and start to feel better. You sit in your bed and start going through the holopads – you helped the crew bring the crates into the med bay yesterday; they’re taking up most of your office now. Kraglin offered to have one of the engineers build you some shelving units to store them on.

You flip through a few of them to see if they’re all similar in lesson layout, and you discover that they are. So far, you see lessons for Xandarians, Shi’ar, Arcturans, Krylorians, Ergons, Aakons, Baluurians, A-Chilitarians - and that’s just the short list. The doctors that lead the lessons are pre-programmed with hundreds of different interactive questions. In addition to this, there are other interactive components such as a life-sized hologram of the lifeform that can be projected from the side of the holopad for study purposes. According to the lesson plan, there are 4 holopads for each race, each with a dozen lessons on them, and there are comprehensive exams, study guides, and quick reference guides in each one. You honestly couldn’t have asked for anything better.

You search for the set of holopads on Centaurians, but you can’t seem to find them right now, so decide to begin with Xandarians instead, as that’s what Kraglin and Jesper are, and you’ve seen several other crewmates on board which might be Xandarian as well. You make a mental note to ask Yondu or Kraglin for a roster of the crew. You study for a while, taking notes in a separate holopad with a stylus. You get halfway through the first lesson before you start to get tired and decide to take a nap.

You’re woken what seems like minutes later by an urgent shake of your shoulder. “Darlin’, darlin’ wake up.”

You’re awake instantly. “Yondu? What’s going on? What’s wrong?”

“Ain’t nothin’ wrong, honey. Jus’ come with me. Ya gotta see somethin’.” He tugs on your hand.

You comb your fingers through your hair and pull it into a ponytail as Yondu rushes you out the door. “Yon- er, Captain, seriously. What’s going on?”

He turns back a grinning face to you. “Jus wait an’ see.” He leads you up, up – further up into the ship than you’ve ever been. He leads you to a ladder, climb it swiftly. “Hurry!”

With a laugh and shake of your head, you follow. The ladder opens to a circular observation deck, with viewing ports on all sides in a dome above you. As you reach the top of the ladder, you look up – and gasp.

Above the ship, flying within hundreds of feet of the hull, are streams of strange creatures. Their hides seem reflective like mirrors, but at the same time luminescent, giving off a whitish glow. They seem to fly or swim through the vastness of space, their bodies flat and seemingly winged. Their general shape reminds you of a manta ray, but as one flies close over the viewing port, you see that their dark upper bodies seem thick and shell-like, while their underbellies seem soft and hold the glowing portions. Long tendrils drift from their wings behind them like thick strands of hair.

They’re ethereal, alien and beautiful. There are thousands of them, possibly hundreds of thousands, lighting up the dark vastness of space. As you climb into the room and look from one end of the dome to the other, you see that the creatures stay in formation in a wide band, flowing like a river for miles upon miles in either direction. Ships hang in their midst, but none of them are moving. Everything is still. Breaking your gaze away for just a second, you notice several of the crew around you, necks craned upwards. You spot Kraglin and Jesper nearby with Ryx and Nillgrac; Rhian has her arms around the shoulders of younger twin women who look like her. They stand with Mosegi and Luggh at the other end. All eyes are turned upward; no one speaks.

“What are they?” you whisper, coming nearer to Yondu.

“They must be the Ansaheri,” he replies quietly. “I’ve only heard of ‘em - they’ve been migrating across the galaxy for eons. Never saw ‘em before, but Stakar said he did, when he was a child. Closest things to angels I bet I’ll ever see.” This statement seems to make Yondu think of something, for he pulls a holopad out of his duster, and makes quick motions on it. It chimes once.

“Dad?” Peter’s awed voice answers. “Are you seeing this?”

“Yeah, jus’ callin’ to make sure you was watchin’,” Yondu grins down at the screen. “Ya got the Twig with ya? He needs to lookit this.”

“Yeah, Drax’s got him right here. We’re all here. This is amazing.” Peter’s voice is silent for a long time, before quietly adding, “I’m gonna hang up.”

“Yeah,” Yondu replies absently, eyes on the sky. The holopad disconnects with a soft click, and he sticks it back in his duster.

The migration of the Ansaheri continues for another hour, but you could have watched it for days. You see with disappointment that end of the river of creatures is approaching, when suddenly they all begin to leap and tumble in space, swooping and diving as if jumping in waves of water. They shimmer, changing from white to bright gold, to vivid pinks and blues and colors you can’t even describe.

Tears fill your eyes as you smile up at the amazing spectacle. You feel Yondu’s hand clutch around your hip, drawing you against him, and smile up at him briefly. Never tearing his eyes away, he gropes for Kraglin’s arm, pulling the stumbling First Mate against his other side and looping an arm his shoulders. He gives you both a tight, momentary squeeze before releasing you.

You can’t decide what is more beautiful – the creatures above you, or the shine of joy and awe in Yondu’s eyes.

Chapter Text

As instructed, you knock on Yondu's cabin door a few hours before the Third Watch begins. He flings the door open, looking harried.

"You okay?" you ask warily.

"Yeah, jus' - yeah, I'm fine. Come in,” he says absently, drawing back into the room.

You enter and close the door behind you. You look around Yondu's cabin. Though you spent the night here once, you both hurried out in the morning to breakfast, and you didn't get a good look around. Right when you walk in, there's a seated area with cushions, a couple sofas, and leather seats arranged a wide, low table. Separated from this area, a little further to the right, there's another couple leather chairs and a wide ottoman with a smaller table. Directly behind this, set into the wall, is a well-stocked bar with glass shelves. To the left of the entrance is where you stand now, a wide, curved desk surrounded by dozens of holoscreens. Ahead of you are more holoscreens with readings on them, as well as security feeds for certain parts of the ship. The staircase leading up to Yondu’s bed is to the left of this, his bedroom hidden by a long draping curtain hung from the ceiling.

"Cap'n's nervous 'bout the Guardians meetin' ya," Kraglin chuckles from the bar.

"I ain't nervous!" Yondu snaps back, stalking to his desk. "Dammit."

"Jus' be prepared fer teasin', Doc,” Kraglin says with a smile.

"Oh, it wouldn't be a family gathering without that," you laugh, walking up to Yondu where he's got his hands clenched around the chair by his desk. You rub a hand along his shoulders. "It'll be fine, spaceman. I'm excited to meet them."

Yondu looks down into your eyes, and his heart slows its rapid pace a little. He's not nervous about you meeting them, or them meeting you - he's afraid that they might say something that will turn you away from him. Although, he's shared his worst secret with you, and you didn't leave him over that.

You look over his desk. It’s littered with holoscreens and empty snack cans. One of the only clean spaces is right in the middle, below the holoscreens, where the turquoise tentacled figurine and bulldog bobblehead sits next to a Troll doll with orange hair. Tacked to the wall are photographs, along with several drawings that look like they were made by a child. You peer closer, smiling. "These are cute. Did Peter make them when he was younger?"

"Naw, Quill was never one fer drawin'. Not after we picked him up, anyway. The Twig made those, while I was recoverin'." Yondu smiles at the memory; Groot had sat at his feet with a pad of paper and a beat-up box of crayons that he remembered being in the bottom of Quill's small backpack. He'd drawn for hours until he fell asleep. He glances up at one of the pages - it's a lineup of all of them; Quill, Rocket, Gamora, Drax, Mantis, Yondu, Kraglin - even Nebula. Groot himself is in the middle, with a big smile drawn on his face. 

"Aww. I can't wait to meet him."

He chuckles to himself, and feels his chest relax, his breathing evening out. Don't know why I'm worried. She's stuck with me through the worst so far, ain't no way Quill and the rest a’ the Guardians'll scare her off. "I'm sure he'll love ya, honey."

"I hope so. Oh!" you say, hearing a buzz at the door. "That's probably the food."

"The food?" Yondu asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I asked Utumba to make snacks for us to munch on."

"And he agreed?"

"Yeah, he seemed excited to do something different. He's really nice, actually," you say with a smile over your shoulder as you go to answer the door.

Yondu catches Kraglin's eye across the room, and the First Mate smiles and shakes his head. Yondu grins at you. Girl, you are somethin' else. The cook isn't known for being the friendliest sort.

Sure enough, upon opening the door, you see the cook's many tentacled arms are laden with platters and trays.

"Thank you so much, this is perfect," you say, taking a few trays from him and setting them on the wide low table. Kraglin comes forward to help you, and it's all set up in a flash. 

"Uh, darlin'," Yondu says, coming close to you after the cook has departed, "What did ya tell Utumba was goin' on here?"

"Don't worry, I just told him you were having company and I was helping coordinate, and asked if he wouldn't mind making some light snacks for us. I didn't give away who was visiting, or that I was dating you or anything-" You snap your mouth shut. You're not really sure if you are officially dating. You flush and fall silent, busying yourself with rearranging the trays. You look up as Kraglin leaves to make himself busy at the bar again, and feel Yondu's hands slip around your waist, drawing you back against his body. 

"Yer so damn fine, ya know that, girl?"

You blush darker and squirm a little, but don't really try to get away. "Yondu...."

"Yeah?" He leans in with a grin and places a big wet kiss on your cheek, and you giggle. Just then, his wrist com vibrates. "Dammit," he mutters. "Yeah, this is the Cap'n, what is it?"

"Jesper here, sir. The Milano is asking permission to dock."

"Permission granted. Bring ‘em up to my cabin."

"Aye, Cap'n."

"Jesper's seems like a good kid," you comment, straightening up.

Yondu snorts. "Kid is right. I didn't want to bring him on at first because he was so young."

"Yer glad ya did," Kraglin says, flopping down onto one of the couches, a drink in his hand.

"Yeah, boy's smart as they come. Reminds me a' you at that age," Yondu says with a grin at the First Mate, and Kraglin chuckles embarrassedly.

“So Yondu,” you ask, following him as he walks over to the bar, “How should I act around you tonight?”

He glances at you as he pours himself a drink. “Whatcha mean?”

“You know what I mean. I’ve been hiding our relationship from the crew – do I do the same for Peter and his friends?”

He shakes his head. “No. They know we’re together, so ya don’t gotta pretend in front of ‘em.”

You can’t help but smile widely, and nearly squeal as Yondu suddenly grips the back of your head and pulls you against him for a kiss. “Mm, ya taste so good.” His licks his lips and gives you a wink. He mixes up two drinks – one for you and one for him, and shortly after he’s done, there’s another buzz at the door.

Kraglin opens the door, and Jesper gives him a salute before withdrawing. In his place is an eclectic group of individuals, Peter at their head.

You hang back nervously as Yondu and Kraglin greet them. The man you assume is Drax is intimidating; he seems huge even next to Peter, who's neither short nor skinny, and has a loud, booming voice. Kraglin greets him with a smile and a tentative punch of the shoulder. Drax grins down at him and laughs raucously as he punches him back. The First Mate stumbles back a few steps, laughing - and rubs his shoulder.

"Hey, ya blue idiot,” a slightly-harsh, cynical voice says within the knot of people. “I should blast ya in the face fer disappearin' like that."

"Yeah, yeah, y'all wanna shoot me and kick me in the teeth, I get it,” Yondu says, rolling his eyes. “Ain’t like I meant to crash. I was thrown off course.”

Peter spies you over Yondu's shoulder. "[y/n]!" he says, pushing past.

"Hi Peter," you say, and laugh as he draws you into a brief hug.

"Nice to meet you, formally," he says.

"Likewise. Glad the police aren't here this time."

He laughs. "Right? Glad you got out of that okay. Gamora, this is [y/n],” he says, smiling at a formidable but beautiful, green-skinned woman that comes forward.

“Hello,” she says.

“Hi. I love your hair,” you reply awkwardly, nodding at the magenta ends of her dark hair.

“It grows like that,” Peter says in an hushed voice to you. “Isn’t that crazy?” He beams at her, earning himself an eyeroll and an amused smile.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Gamora says pleasantly, extending her hand.

You shake it; she has a very strong grip. “Likewise.”

“So, you’re Yondu’s girl, huh?”

You turn and just manage to hold back a gasp. Luckily Yondu had warned you about Rocket and his resemblance to raccoons, but it’s still unsettling seeing what looks a bipedal mammal from your home planet here talking to you. You swallow and force yourself to smile. It’s just another alien face, you tell yourself. “That’s me.” You extend a hand.

Rocket stares at it, then slowly crosses his arms. “I hear you’re a doctor,” he says, and there’s a slight growling edge to his voice.

“Yes I am,” you say warily, drawing your hand back just slightly. “Is there something wrong?”

“You tell me,” he replies, his brown eyes steely and fixed on yours.

You glance at Peter, and at Yondu, who are wearing similar, cautious expressions - although Quill looks more concerned and Yondu looks more pissed off. 

“She saved my life, boy,” Yondu says warningly, coming to your side and hooking an arm about your waist. “Three times if I’m countin’ right.”

“Mine too,” Kraglin pipes up next to Drax. “Took out two Kree.”

Drax looks surprised at this. “You are a very small woman, but you must be very powerful,” he says, nodding at you. “I see why Yondu chose you.”

“She’s a good kind of doctor, Rocket,” Peter interjects before you can respond to Drax. “Right?” He looks at you - and so does everyone else.

You sense that there’s more going on here than you know, and slowly kneel down, releasing yourself from Yondu’s grasp so you can look Rocket straight in the eye. “Rocket,” you say, “I’m not sure what happened between you and whatever doctors you’ve met, and I know there are horrible, cruel doctors out there that have no right in giving themselves that title. But I give you my word, I promise I would never ever hurt you –” you look around are the group - “any of you.” You extend your hand. “And if I betray your trust, you have my permission to blow my head off with one of those fancy weapons Yondu tells me you make.”

Rocket’s eyes you for a second, then to your surprise he throws his head back and lets out a barking laugh. “I see why ya like her, Blue,” he says with a smirk at the Ravager Captain. He scoffs, then sticks a paw towards you. “Yeah, okay, [y/n]. Doctor or not, I guess I’ll give ya a chance.”

You smile and shake his paw. “Thanks. I promise you won’t have to blow me up.”

Yondu grunts, then looks around. “Where’s the Twig?”

Another woman with antennae and dressed in green, comes into the room a few steps from where she was lingering in the hallway. “He fell asleep on our way,” she says softly, and you can see there’s a small figure curled against her shoulder, held carefully in place by one of her hands. “He was very excited to see you and was awake all night.”

“Aww,” you smile. “That’s adorable.” You flash a smile at Yondu.

The Captain can’t hold back a grin, and crosses over to the woman. “Hey, ladybug,” he greets her, and she smiles at him with bright white teeth. “Darlin’,” he says, turning back to you for a moment, “This here is Mantis.”

You wave at her with a smile, and she does the same back at you.

Yondu brushes a finger gently along the side of Groot’s face, and his small form stirs. His head looks around, large orange eyes blinking blearily, and then focus on Yondu. “I am Groot!” he cries happily, stretching little branch-like arms towards the Captain.

Yondu laughs. “Hi, Twig,” he says, lifting him in one hand to his shoulder. Groot holds onto his earlobe and hugs the side of his face.

Then the entire group is smiling, and Kraglin is ushering them to the sitting area and to the bar. Once you’ve all been snacking and drinking for awhile, you start to become the center of attention.

“So how’s Terra?” Peter asks, leaning towards you, a glass in his hands. Gamora sits on one side of him, Kraglin on the other. You sit next to Yondu, adjacent to them, and Drax, Mantis and Rocket sit on the sofa across from Peter. Groot sits on the table in the center, munching on some brightly colored candies.

“Um, fine I guess?” you laugh a little nervously, and shrug your shoulders. “When was the last time you were there?”

“Yondu picked me up in ’88.”

“Wow, okay. Um. Well technology has really taken off, that’s one of the biggest things – internet, you know…oh. Aliens – Chitauri - attacked in New York in 2012, that’s the biggest news from the last century probably. There was also some commotion last year in Greenwich – some other kind of huge ship landed there. We got through it all, but New York is still recovering. Shook the whole world, knowing we weren’t alone.”

“The Chitauri are weak. How did they shake your entire planet with their coming?” Drax asks, his blue eyes piercing. Then he seems to catch himself and looks at you sidelong. “Or is this another of your Terran figures of speech?”

“Figure of speech,” you say, smiling. “Although I’m sure parts of New York definitely shook when they landed.”

“So it’s all in one piece, though? Terra – uh – Earth?” Peter asks. “Nothing happened to – like, Missouri or anything did it?”

“Well actually, now that you mention it – somewhere in Missouri there was this huge blue blob of goo that almost took over a town. That was like, six, seven months ago? Thankfully, I don’t think anyone was hurt, although the Dairy Queen was totally engulfed. It probably took months to get rid of that stuff. What?” You ask, because the Guardians, Kraglin and Yondu’s are looking at one another.

“That was Ego,” Yondu says, and holds up a hand before anyone else can speak. “But let’s not bring that jackass up.” He pats a hand on your knee, and slides it from there all the way up your thigh. You can’t help but feel aroused from the warmth and rough touch of his fingertips through the fabric of your pants, and redden.

“Yondu,” Drax says suddenly, and the Captain tilts his head in acknowledgement, “Are you and [y/n] physically intimate?”

You blush darker and turn your head slightly into Yondu’s shoulder.

“Of course,” he answers without hesitation, and you smack his arm lightly. He stares at you, grinning. “What?”

“That’s private,” you scold softly, looking into his eyes.

“In that case, [y/n],” Drax continues, “I am curious.”

You lift your glass to take a sip, hoping to hide your embarrassment behind the glass. “Yeah?”

“How big is Yondu’s penis?”

Your drink spews out of your mouth, simultaneously as everyone around you laughs, groans and snaps at Drax.

“Dude!” Peter yells. “You can’t ask that!”

“What?” Drax says, frowning at him. “Surely she must know if they are physically involved.”

“Yeah but I really don’t need to know what Yondu’s dick is like, man! That’s just - ugh! Gross!” Peter claps a hand over his eyes.

“Hey! I’ll have you know I got a damn fine one!” Yondu snaps at him.

“Don’t encourage this!” You smack his arm again, but you can’t help but laugh a little (Rocket guffawing next to you is not helping).

“That is inappropriate,” Gamora chides, raising her voice and glaring at Drax and Yondu. “Especially in front of Groot,” she says, waving in the Flora Colossus’ direction. He just giggles as he puts another candy in his mouth, watching the conversation with much amusement.

“It is a simple question of physical size,” Drax protests.

“Yeah, what’s the matter?” Rocket sniggers. “Afraid ya don’t measure up, Blue?”

Yondu snorts. “Hell no! I’m sure I got all y’all beat in that department-”

“I doubt that,” Drax interrupts. “I-”

“Oh my god,” you laugh. You hide your burning face in your hands.

“Groot? What is wrong?”

You instantly raise your head, and everyone clams up at Mantis’ question, all eyes on Groot. He’s standing on the table, pacing frantically. His small hands are clutched at his throat, his eyes bulging.

You jump to your feet, shoving your drink into Yondu’s hands, and scoop Groot off the table. Holding him securely in one hand, you lay on his belly against your thigh, with his head facing towards the floor, and with the heel of your palm, smack his back, just between the shoulder blades. You do it once, twice, and with a clack, a candy spews out of Groot's mouth and onto the table. You hurriedly lift Groot back up into a sitting position in your hands. "Groot, are you okay? Answer me, sweetie."

He looks up at you with watery eyes, then at Rocket, who has scrambled up beside you on the arm of the sofa. "I am Groot!" he wails, and bursts into tears, reaching for Rocket. You place him into the Guardian's arms. The rest of the group is in varying stages of getting to their feet, all their eyes wide with concern.

"Wh-what just happened?" Rocket asks shakily, looking at you. He strokes Groot's back with a paw.

"He was choking," you say, pointing at the saliva-covered candy on the table.

"Oh geez. H-how did you know to do that?" he waves a paw between you and Groot.

"I'm a doctor," you say with a smile. "It's what I do." You bend over Rocket's shoulder. "Groot, are you feeling okay now?"

With a sniffle, Groot raises his head and nods at you.

"I told ya, ya gotta make sure to chew those things, buddy," Rocket says with a soft smile, placing Groot back on the table. There's a hiccupping giggle from the child, and the entire atmosphere of the room relaxes. Drax removes the candy bowl, and Gamora pulls out a pad of paper and a box of crayons from a satchel at her side, which she places in front of the small Flora Colossus. In no time at all, Groot is happily drawing as if nothing had happened.

You manage to finally relax next to Yondu, but you still feel a little shaky from the adrenaline rush of the emergency. The Captain hands you back your drink, and you take it, downing the rest of the glass. Yondu goes to take a sip of his drink, but it’s already empty. You place a hand on his shoulder as he starts to rise. "I'll get you another drink," you offer. “I have to refill mine anyway.”

He smiles at you and hands you his glass. "Thanks, doll. The green bottle, just a couple pieces a' ice."

You kiss his cheek and cross over to the bar.

Rocket has been talking to Kraglin about some machinery or another, but at your kiss, stops in mid-sentence, and changes course. "Hey [y/n]! [y/n]! So -" he says boisterously, obviously right on track to getting drunk, “So did Blue here tell you he murdered his last crew and blew up his ship?" he cackles, slapping his knee.

The room falls quiet. "Dude!” Peter hisses, horrified.

"It's okay, Peter," you say, pouring the drinks. Once you’re finished, you bring them back and sit close to Yondu. “Yes, Rocket, he did tell me that."

He scoffs and stares at you. “And you're still dating this maniac?"

You laugh. "Against my better judgement," you say, and turn to smile at Yondu.

The Captain's face relaxes slightly, and he grins at you.

"Ugh!" Rocket continues, not missing a beat. "How can ya stand kissin’ him when he has those disgusting-ass teeth?"

"Hey," you say, subconsciously leaning against Yondu. "I like his teeth."

This earns laughs from the entire group, including Yondu. "Ya don't hafta lie, doll."

You look him in the eye. "I'm not. I like your teeth. They might not be pretty, but I still like them. They fit you."

He chuckles.

"What about all them ugly scars n' stuff, Blue? She can't go fer all that." Rocket adds, pointing at Yondu. He turns to you again. "And ain’t he a little old for you?"

"Rocket, that's enough," Gamora says sternly, glaring at him.

"Back off, Gams,” he growls, taking another drink. “I'm makin' conversation here."

You notice Yondu went stiff at that last comment and place your drink down. You lean over and place a kiss on his cheek. "His scars give him character. They’re proof of what a badass he is," you say with a smile, looking straight at Rocket, "And I've dated plenty of younger guys and they were all jerks. His age doesn't bother me, it's a nice change of pace. Besides, he’s-” you almost say, still good in bed, but that seems like a bad idea given the current company. You don’t want to go down that rabbit hole again. Instead, you go with “He’s good to me.”

To your surprise, Rocket just snickers and waves a paw at you. "Yeah, right. Yer lyin'. Ya can't really mean all that."

“Yes, I do,” you say indignantly, placing one hand on your hip.

“Yeah? Well let’s prove it!” he cackles, pointing a claw at you. “Mantis! Do yer thing, c’mon. Do yer thing.”

"What thing?" you ask, staring at the woman as she slowly rises to her feet. She looks concernedly at Peter.

"It's okay, Mantis," he says encouragingly.

"What thing?" you repeat.

"I am an empath," Mantis says in her quiet, unsure voice. "I can feel the emotions of those I touch, and sometimes I can influence them as well."

"So she can tell if you really feel about this idiot the way you say you do!" Rocket interjects loudly. "Unless yer scared to-"

"Be my guest," you say, more loudly than necessary. You hold out your hand towards Mantis as she approaches.

She gives you a shy smile and sits on the edge of the seat next to you. She reaches for your hand, and you draw back slightly. "It doesn't hurt, does it?"

"Oh no," she says sincerely, her eyes wide.

"Okay." You offer your hand again, and Mantis lays her cool hand on yours. Instantly, a tingling, whispery feeling spreads through your body like static electricity, and gooseflesh spreads over your skin. 

Mantis' antennae glow brightly as she closes her eyes. “You feel...defensive. Protective, of him,” she says. “Admiration, and happiness.”

You feel Yondu’s large hand squeeze yours and turn to smile at him. 

“Ohhh," Mantis says, smiling wide. "You feel great love for him! She is most certainly not lying, Rocket,” she says, turning to him and letting go of your hand.

"Damn,” Rocket says, shaking his head and taking another drink. "Ya got some screws loose there, lady."

You just smile and shrug. "Maybe, but it worked out fine for me so far.” You smile at Yondu, and the loving look in his eyes just makes you want to melt. He raises a hand and brushes a few fingers along the side of your face, his cheeks slightly purple.

"Ugh, enough mushy stuff! Yondu's turn, Bug Lady!"

Yondu shifts slightly away from Mantis as she nears him. "Whoa now, no thanks. I don't need my feelings put on display," he says, a little gruffly, and Mantis draws back again. "’Sides, [y/n] knows how I feel 'bout her," he adds softly, turning to look into your face. Your heart flutters as he cups your cheek, and leans in to kiss you deeply.

Rocket makes a disgusted noise, and Peter’s eyes widen. “Wow, you're really serious about this, huh?" he asks.

"Yeah," Yondu replies, breaking away from you. “Why?”

"Why?" Peter lets out a snorting laugh. "Let’s just say you were never wanting for company when we made pit stops. I mean, you've only had about a hundred other-ouch!" He stares at Kraglin, who's just slammed an elbow hard into his side.

"Shut up," the First Mate hisses through his teeth.

You clear your throat and put your glass down as a small spark goes through Yondu's implant. His eyes are narrowed at Peter, mouth set in a deep frown.

Though Peter’s statement hurts you a little, it’s nothing you haven’t heard from Yondu’s own lips. ‘I shack up with a woman in ev’ry port we land in.’ But you trust that Yondu has changed for you, and you want this reunion with his family to be a fond memory, not a bad one. "Yondu, didn't you have some things for Peter from Terra?"

Yondu turns to you incredulously, as if giving Peter a gift is the last thing he wants to do right now, and you're out of your mind for even suggesting it. But you squeeze his arm and smile, silently urging him to keep peace. He takes a deep breath and exhales through his nose. "Yeah, I did." He gets to his feet and goes to his desk, rummaging in the drawers there.

"Things from Terra?" Peter echoes, rising to follow Yondu.

“Yeah.” First, Yondu hands him some movies that you had picked up. 

"Star Wars!" Peter shouts, pumping a fist in the air. "Wait, there's more than the three?"

"They made the prequels in the late 90s and early 2000s," you pipe up, and he turns to you. "They're not as good as the originals, but I thought you might like to see them anyway."

He grins. "Indiana Jones and Back to the Future! Nice!" he peers closer. The next movie makes his eyes widen, and his face turns red. “Ohh, uh. Mary Poppins,” he says, looking warily at Yondu.

“Yeah, Mary Poppins,” Yondu says with a shark grin. “You told me he was cool. Imagine my surprise when [y/n] tells me he’s a she.”

“Mary Poppins is still cool, though,” you interject, and Peter nods vigorously.

“Yeah – super cool. Awesome even.”

Yondu just shakes his head with a chuckle. “Shut up, boy.”

With a loud clearing of his throat, Peter goes to the last movie in the collection, and grins wide. “Footloose! Yes!”

“That is the one with the warrior Kevin Bacon?” Gamora asks.

“Yep!”

You laugh.

"I got one more thing for ya, son," Yondu says in a softer voice.

“What is it?” he asks, tucking the videos under one arm.

"While I was on Terra," Yondu says, rubbing the back of his neck, "I had [y/n] see if she could find anything on yer Momma. We didn't find much, but, well. Here." He hands the frame over, and Peter gasps softly. The smile disappears from his face, and his lips press together in a tight line. He runs his fingers slowly over the glass, and after a few minutes of staring, he pulls Yondu into a hug, burying his face in his shoulder.

“Aw shit, Quill,” Yondu mutters, but you can tell he’s touched by the gesture.

Peter sniffles and turns back the group; his eyes are glassy.

Gamora rises and walks swiftly over to him. "Peter?"

"It's - it's my mom," he says, handing her the frame. Inside it is a photo of a smiling, golden-haired woman with hugging a young boy with the same sparkling blue-green eyes as hers. 

Peter takes the frame back, and sinks on the couch next to Kraglin. "This is my mom," he says, handing it to him.

Kraglin takes it gently in one hand, while his other arm instinctively loops around Peter's shoulders. Their heads rest against each other, and for a moment you get a glimpse into what must be a long and close relationship between the two. "She's beautiful, Pete," Kraglin says softly. He glances at his adoptive brother, studying his face briefly. "Ya got her eyes."

Peter smiles through tears. "Yeah."

The hours tick by with no more serious insults or arguments, and little teasing. You and Yondu relay how you met – “I found him bleeding on my kitchen floor” – and you hear about the Guardians’ latest adventures, and stories from when Peter and Kraglin were young.

“Remember the time when Kraglin thought someone had punched yer teeth out?”

Peter lets out a short, barking laugh, but quickly sobers. “Yeah, I remember,” he says, dropping his eyes to the floor.

“I want to hear this,” you say, smiling.

Peter grimaces, looking back up at Yondu. “Dad-” Peter begins.

“No, shut up. So I come into the mess this one day, and here’s Taserface- ” Rocket lets out a drunken laugh at the name. “-Limpin’ through the food line. And Kraglin, with a black eye and a bruised jaw.”

“What happened?”

“I walked into the bathroom the day before, and Peter showed me one of his teeth was missing,” Kraglin says with an irked look at Peter. “He was jus’ a lil’ un then, I weren’t even First Mate yet. I freaked out, ‘cause I thought someone had punched him in the face. So I ask him who it was, and he says Taserface did!”

“I was playing a joke. I was like, nine,” Peter grumbles. His face is getting very pink. “How did I know you were gonna go beat him up?”

“So when I see ‘em walkin’ round like that, naturally I ask Krags what happened, and he tells me that story. Meanwhile, the idjit over here-” he jabs a thumb at Peter – “Is laughing his fool head off. I did some researchin’ on Terrans, and I knows that they got two sets a’ teeth.”

“Xandarians only got the one,” Kraglin explains.

“So what did you do?” you ask.

Peter covers his face with his hands and groans.

“I slung Peter over my knee and gave him a whuppin’. Didn’t try to pull that again, didja boy?”

Rocket howls with laughter, as does Drax who points at Peter. Mantis can’t help but join in, laughing so hard that she collapses against Drax’s side. Gamora tries to keep her face straight, but lets a smile slip, and looks apologetically at Peter who glares at her.

You can’t help but giggle. “Poor Peter.”

Kraglin snorts loudly. “Poor Peter nothin’! I couldn’t eat solid food for a week ‘cause of Taserface’s punches.”

“Yeah well good thing you like soup so much!” Peter retorts, his face nearly crimson.

Groot giggles sleepily, and yawns.

"Aww. That was a big yawn for such a little guy,” you say, leaning towards him.

“I am Groot,” he replies sleepily, rubbing a fist in his eye.

Rocket snickers. “Yeah right, you ain’t tired.”

"It is past his bedtime," Drax says, scooping the flora colossus up in one hand and placing him against his shoulder.

"We should head back, Peter," Gamora says, touching his shoulder. "But you can stay longer if you wish."

"Thanks, I’ll be back in a bit.”

"I'll drop him back off so ya don't hafta come back," Kraglin offers, and Gamora nods, getting to her feet.

"Goodbye, Yondu," she says, offering her hand. 

He squeezes it briefly. "See ya 'round, girl."

Mantis embraces him, quickly and lightly. "I hope we meet each other again soon,” she says. “I enjoy seeing you.”

“Take care, ladybug. Don’t let them fellas push ya around, and keep practicin’ them dancin’ steps I taught ya.”

She smiles wide and nods. “I will! Peter has music on all the time.”

Yondu rolls his eyes and chuckles. “Don’t I know it.”

Gamora clasps your hand and leans towards you. “I believe you are very good for Yondu. I am glad you met each other.”

“Thanks,” you say. “Me too.”

After all the goodbyes are said, it’s just you, Yondu, Kraglin and Peter left, talking quietly.

“Last round,” Yondu announces after a while. “Ya want one, darlin'?"

You shrug. “Sure.”

"Boys?" he asks, walking over to his bar.

"Why not?" Peter answers. "I'm not flying," he says, with a grin at Kraglin.

Kraglin laughs. "I am, but I'll have one anyway."

"Why don'tcha gimme a hand here, doll."

"Okay," you reply, and join him, getting out fresh glasses from the cabinet.

Peter eyes the two of you, watches how you smooth your hand up and down Yondu's back as he pours the drinks. The Captain pauses for a moment to look down at you, and you smile up at him. He grins and leans forward to press a soft kiss to your lips. You giggle in response, leaning your head into his shoulder as he finishes with the glasses.

"I've never seen him like this, have you?" Peter whispers to Kraglin, gesturing in your direction.

The First Mate shakes his head. "Nope."

"It's crazy. When he said they were together, I didn't really give it much credit; he's never held onto anyone before. But he's really serious about this, isn't he?”

"Sure seems that way."

Peter settles back in his seat, crossing his arms thoughtfully. "Wow. You think she'll stick around?"

Kraglin pauses for a moment, studying you. The loving look you have fixed on Yondu causes a slow, gentle smile to cross his face. "Yeah, I think she will, Pete."

Chapter Text

You leave Taurus V late the next day. The Elector II is en route to K’ai, where the next mission is supposed to take place. It takes several days to get there, and since Yondu is tied up with the particulars of the mission, you spend most of that time studying. You manage to get all the way through the Xandarian lessons. It didn’t take you as long as you expected, but it turns out that Xandarians are extremely similar to Humans. The insertion of their muscles and a few things about the circulatory system were the major differences. After you’ve taken and passed the practice exam, you take a day-long break from anatomy and physiology to familiarize yourself with the machines in the med bay that Yondu picked up for you.

There are several bone-knitters (of both the small and large variety), a magnifying machine with several sets of tiny mechanical arms for delicate surgeries, a 3D printer, and a portable full-body diagnostic machine to name a few. Additionally, your holoscreens and holopads have been loaded with a diagnostic search engine app, as well as one for genetic comparisons, and a program pre-loaded with thousands of medical case studies from the Nova Corps’ data banks.

After you’ve at least flipped through the manuals for  all of the machines, you pick up the next anatomy and physiology lesson. You plan on going through all the lessons at least twice to really make sure you have a good grip on the concepts, but you want to go through them all once first before doing your second round.

It turns out to be a good thing that you start on Kivax next.

The day the Eclector starts orbiting around one of K’ai’s largest moons – about the size of Terra, Jesper mentions to you – a small team, consisting of Kraglin, Ryx, Nillgrac and a couple other Ravagers, takes an M-ship to the planet to scout the site of the mission that Yondu has lined up.

You’re in the med bay, organizing tools and supplies to give your brain a break from studying for a couple hours when Kraglin’s voice tears through the intercom. “Doc! Report to Docking Bay level 3 -NOW!” His voice is strained and dangerous.

Adrenaline spiking, you hurriedly grab your medical bag and the forcefield stretcher that you hung just inside the main med bay doors. You run to the Docking Bay as quick as your feet can carry you, but Ravagers are constantly getting in your path. “Out of my way!” you yell. I’m going to have to speak to Yondu about this. This is not safe – I have to come up with some kind of siren or something. Thankfully from your latest excursion to the trading station, you have a pretty good idea how to get to the Docking Bay, and at last you reach level 3. There’s a small knot of Ravagers gathered at the far end, and you see Kraglin crouching over someone on the ground.

“Out of the way!” you shout as a couple Ravagers cut you off, and the First Mate looks up.

“Doc! Doc, hurry!”

You approach and see that it’s Ryx. She’s pale, and the lower of her two right arms is splattered with drying magenta blood, but the skin is slowly turning dark. You just finished reviewing a basic Kivax overview. You know that their heart rate is much faster than a Human’s because their tissues and organs require more oxygen at a higher refresh rate. The darker pigment means the skin is just beginning to necrotize – it’s not getting the oxygen it needs.

You instantly kneel down, pulling on a pair of gloves, and take out a pair of fabric shears. You cut off the rest of her sleeve – it looks like someone had torn at it with a knife to get a bandage on the wound. At least that much was done to help stem any further bleeding out. “What happened?”

“She pushed me outta the way, got shot in the arm,” Kraglin says angrily, but you can tell he’s worried. “Idjit. She shouldn’a-”

“Kraglin, we don’t have time for the blame game right now.” You smack the heel of your hand against the stretcher release button, and a transparent forcefield begins to form between the bars that comprise it, pushing them apart. When it gets to be about a foot longer than Ryx’s height, you slap the button again and it stops extending. You lay it on the floor, and move to Ryx’s head, supporting her neck. “Kraglin, support her lower back and legs while I get her head and shoulders. Keep her body as level and steady as possible. We’re going to move her on three. Ready? One, two, three.” With a smooth, quick action you both move her onto the stretcher.

Ryx’s eyes, which had been closed up to this point, now flutter open. “K-Kraglin?”

Kraglin grips one of her hands on her uninjured side, holding onto it as you activate the anti-grav mechanics on the stretcher. “It’s gonna be okay,” he says as the stretcher rises. “Doc’s gonna fix ya right up.”

“Kraglin, help me get her back to the Med Bay.” You look down at Ryx and give her a reassuring smile. “You’re going to be fine. Are you in pain?”

She nods weakly.

“Just relax, take some steady breaths. I’m going to take care of you.”

Her eyes close again, and as you and Kraglin make your way towards Med Bay, you check her pulse and check for other injuries. “Kraglin, tell me as much about the gun, the wound and the situation as you can.”

“We was scoutin’ out the place fer the mission – a military compound – but we was all under the impression that it was a pretty lax group down there, nothin’ real serious.”

“You were wrong?”

“Very,” he scowls. “There was three times as many soldiers as we thought, and they use ballistic weapons, like ya Terrans do. We were high-tailin’ it outta there when we got cut off by a small group. Ryx pushed me outta the way, took a bullet for me.” He looks down at her, and his mouth firms into a tight line. “Did what I could, but I think the bullet might still be in there somewhere.”

The Med Bay doors open automatically for you. Thankfully, coming the way back was much faster with a stretcher and the First Mate to clear your path of any idle Ravagers. You steer Ryx over to one of the clean cots in the surgery ward, and Kraglin helps you transfer her from the stretcher to the bed. You cut off the rest of her jacket and go to the sink to wash your hands and put on fresh gloves.

You wheel the full-body diagnostic machine over to Ryx. It has several adjustable C-shaped rings of varying sizes on it, meant to pass over someone’s entire body or body part. Activating your holographic visor, you quickly re-read through the directions, choose the ring of the appropriate size for Ryx, and activate the machine.

The ring encompasses the entire cot and moves quickly over her body from foot to head. The only evidence that anything is happening is a hair-thin band of blue light that travels over her. The machine makes a soft chime as it reaches her feet again, and you press a button.

Instantly, a holographic overlay of Ryx is hovering an inch or so above Ryx’s skin. You swipe your hand across it, and it moves to the side so you can see it in its entirety. Clicking a few keys on the machine, you peel back the epidermal layer of the hologram, then the musculature, and reach the circulatory system, laid over her skeleton and organs. It’s different than Terran anatomy, but not so different that you’re completely lost. A red square flashes on the hologram, over the wounded arm. Moving closer to the hologram, you pinch and spread your fingers outward to zoom into the area. The words ‘FOREIGN MATTER’ flash across the red square. “You were right,” you murmur to Kraglin, zooming in further. “There’s a piece of the bullet wedged in the main artery.” You were always taught not to remove a bullet or other foreign objects, but the risks of leaving it are too high. “It’s preventing adequate blood flow to the rest of the arm. If I don’t get in there soon, I’m going to have to amputate.”

Kraglin’s eyes grow wide. “Ya can’t do that.”

You look back at him as you retrieve some anesthetic from the cupboard. “I’m going to do everything to prevent that possibility.” You check the dosage for a Kivax of Ryx’s size, prep a syringe, and inject the serum into her injured arm. It should numb the limb, in addition to keeping her under during the surgery. “But I’m going to need your help.”

The First Mate stares down at Ryx and brushes a lock of hair off her forehead. “Jus’ tell me what to do.”

With Kraglin’s assistance you use the machine with the mechanical arms to remove the bullet. Fear grips you as you lower the utensils towards Ryx's arm. You're a doctor, not a surgeon. You've never done anything like this before. Sure, you know it all in theory, but you've never done anything to this extent. And this might be what life is like as a Ravager doctor. You swallow and feel cold sweat forming on the back of your neck. One false move, and Ryx could lose her arm.

You pause and take a deep breath.

“Ya okay?”

You look up into Kraglin’s eyes. “Yeah, just – just a little nervous.”

“I’m sure Ryx is in the best hands aboard, Doc,” he replies, and the confidence in his voice calms you a little.

Kraglin is right. I have years of medical school and experience behind me. I healed him, and I healed Yondu. I can do this.

It’s a slow, painstaking process, and you almost aren’t able to get the bullet out. But the tiny arms of the machine finally get a good grip, and you gingerly remove it, looking through the magnifier to make sure you don’t damage any more tissue than absolutely necessary. Using the 3D printer, you make a replacement section of the artery, which the machine inserts for you with little intervention.

Once that’s done, you allow yourself to breathe a little more easily. You look up at Kraglin and smile reassuringly. “I think we did it, Kraglin. I just have to sew up the wound but look – the color is getting better already.” Sure enough, Ryx’s purple color is returning.

Kraglin breathes a shaking sigh of relief and drops into the nearest chair. “Shit. How do you do this kinda stuff? There’s so many lil’ details. I’ll take a dogfight any day.”

You snort and push Ryx’s cot into the main room, anchoring it into one of the bed alcoves. You hook her up to a pain drip and a nutrient IV and cover her with a blanket.

You hear voices on Kraglin’s wrist com, and a moment later the First Mate comes walking into the room. "Cap'n's callin' me away," Kraglin says, looking regretfully down at Ryx. "Would ya mind - I mean, when she's-"

"I'll call you as soon as she's awake, Kraglin."

His cheeks flush blue. "Thanks," he says quickly, and runs out the door.

You make sure everything looks okay on Ryx's monitors before going to your office to create a record for her with your notes. After an hour or so passes, you hear the soft sound of crying. You bolt out of your chair and run to her bedside. "Ryx?"

Her eyes are open, and they turn to you, her head moving slightly towards you. She opens her mouth to say something, but more tears just spill out of her eyes.

"What are you feeling? Are you in pain?"

"Why don't you just kill me?" she sobs.

"Is it that painful?" you ask, concerned. You glance at your wrist com - she should be okay, you gave her a large dose of pain killer right after the surgery, and it should be effective for at least two more hours. Maybe the dosage was off?

"It's - it's gone," she cries, shutting her eyes.

You look up into her face, confused. "What? What's gone?"

"My arm!" she howls, and sobs harder.

"No, no it's not," you say quickly. "Look, it's right here, all in one piece." You pull back the blanket, and her sobs come to a sniffling halt at the sight of her arm. She stares down, wide-eyed, then up at you, eyes filling with tears. "Oh Ryx, the anesthetic probably hasn't worn off yet, it's still numb."

She nods, still staring at it. "You saved me," she murmurs.

"I'm not going to lie, it was a pretty close call, but you got here just in time. You should heal up just fine." You smile at her.

"I owe you a great debt," she says, sniffling. 

You smile gently at her. "Aw, you don't owe me a thing."

"Yes I do," she says forcefully, eyes flashing. "It is a great dishonor to lose an arm among my people. It is preferable to die than to suffer such a disgrace. So I owe you a very great debt to you. What can I do?"

You stare at her in astonishment, then smile softly. "Well, how about we just be friends and I'll call it even, okay?"

She blinks at you in confusion. "Friends?"

"Yeah, friends." You give her knee a soft, playful nudge. "We girls gotta stick together, right?"

For the first time, Ryx smiles at you. She blinks away the rest of her tears. "Yes. Okay, we are friends now."

"Great. Now you get some rest. Unless you're up for visitors - Kraglin wanted to know when you woke up."

"K-Kraglin?" Blood rushes to her face, turning it a bright purple.

"Yeah, he was really worried. I told him I'd let him know as soon as you were awake."

She bites her lip. "He was worried? About me?"

"Well yeah, it’s obviously cares about you a lot. I’ll give him a call," you say, walking back to your office. "Honestly, you guys are the cutest."

"I - I am not cute!" her flustered voice hollers after you.

Ryx has several visitors, including Luggh and Rhian, but none stop in so often as Kraglin. You try to make yourself scarce when he visits, busying yourself in your office or excusing yourself to the mess for a snack to give the two of them some privacy.

During one of his visits, you return to the Med Bay after giving them some time, and lean in to check on Ryx. She's fallen asleep, and Kraglin is standing out of his chair. He doesn't seem to notice you, for he bends and brushes his lips against Ryx's hair before turning to leave. He sees you and stiffens.

"How's she doing?" you ask with a smile.

"Uh - good. Yeah, good. I - uh - I gotta-" He makes vague motion towards the door, skirts around you, and quickly retreats from the room. 

You laugh softly as you check on Ryx's monitors and make some notes in your holopad. 

"Did he kiss me?"

You look down into Ryx's wide and shining eyes. You laugh again. "Yes he did."

She bites her lip but can't keep a huge smile from forming on her face.

You release Ryx after three days with some physical therapy instructions to regain strength to her arm. The med bay is quiet again, and lonely. You find yourself missing Ryx's company – and Yondu.

You haven’t seen the Captain since the morning of the mission. Kraglin said he stopped in once to check on Ryx, but you weren’t in the med bay at the time. The day after you release Ryx, you spot him in the mess and try to talk to him, but he brushes you off with a ‘maybe later, honey,’ and hurries away with Kraglin. 

You try not to read into it, telling yourself there's probably something else going on, and settle yourself in the med bay to do some more studying. A couple more days pass, and you still haven't been able to spend any time with Yondu. He barely makes eye contact with you, he's always rushing somewhere, and it's always a ‘maybe later,’ but there isn't any later. To your knowledge, he hasn’t tried to seek you out, either, and it’s beginning to weigh heavily on your mind and heart.

Near the end of Second Watch the next day, you decide you’ve had enough. You put on your sexiest pair of underwear and bra under your scrubs, let your hair down loose and head to his cabin, hoping to have a little time with Yondu. You press the buzzer and hear some muffled voices inside. The door is pulled open, and the First Mate stands there. 

"Oh," you say, trying not to sound too disappointed, "Hi Kraglin."

"Hi Doc," he says.

You both jump slightly as there's a loud grunting snarl and what sounds like breaking glass inside. Kraglin looks warily back over his shoulder. "Uh. Now ain't the best time," he says in a low voice, stepping a little closer to you. "Cap'n ain't in a great mood."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I don't think so, but thanks. I-"

"Kraglin," Yondu snarls, "Git yer ass in here!"

"Shit, I gotta go."

"Okay, just tell him I stopped by, that I was hoping to see him tonight."

"I will," he says shortly, and draws the door closed again.

To your disappointment, you don't hear from Yondu at all that evening, even though you wait for his call. This is how things started with Ritchie and Devon, you think idly. Not seeing each other as often. You shake your head at yourself. No, stop. Don’t think like that. Yondu is different. He promised me that if he was tired of me, he’d let me know. Even so, you sigh heavily and trudge towards the mess to see if there's anything worth having, planning to spend the night studying again.

Ryx is coming up the stairs as you're going down. "Hello [y/n]," she greets you.

"Hey Ryx. How are you feeling?"

"Very well,” she says proudly, showing off her arm and flexing its muscles. “I am doing those exercises you suggested, and they-" she stops in mid-sentence and cocks her head at you. "You do not seem well. What is wrong?"

"Oh, nothing,” you say reflexively. “I'm fine."

In response, she places a set of hands on her hips, and crosses the other two arms, surveying you for a few minutes. Then she unfolds one of her arms and grabs yours. "Come on."

 “Where are we going?”

“To the mess, and then somewhere to talk.”

“Talk?”

“Yes,” she says, stopping on the stair, “That is what friends do, isn’t it? And we are friends, correct?”

You can’t help but smile. “Yes, we’re friends.”

“Good.”

A short time later, you’re both sitting in alcove with some snacks and a bottle of wine. “Now,” Ryx begins. “Tell me what is wrong.”

You laugh and run your fingers through your hair. "I'm just - having a tough day, that's all."

"No. Friends do not lie to one another,” she says, poking your shoulder.

You sigh. “You’re right. I’m sorry, it’s just…it’s complicated.”

She scoots a little closer to you, lowering her voice. "Is it the Captain?"

You look at her a little too quickly, too sharply, and you know you’ve given yourself away.

But she just smirks at you. "You forget I picked you up on Terra. I saw you together. I have not said anything to anyone because the Captain has not announced it and you haven’t either. But it was very obvious that you were –” she raises the wine bottle thoughtfully, “– involved.”

“It doesn’t seem like that still?”

“You tell me. That is why you’re upset, correct?”

You take the bottle from her and gulp some wine down. “Yes, that’s why. We haven’t spent much time together lately. He’s always busy these days, and I don’t know why.”

“He is busy with the mission.”

“What mission? I thought it was over with since you got attacked.”

“No. I hear that the Captain has been trying to come up with another plan.”

“Well that would explain it. I wish he’d come and talk to me, though. It feels like he’s been avoiding me.”

“Why would he avoid you?”

“I don’t know.” You try to play it off with a shrug, but tears start welling in your eyes. “Maybe he’s not interested anymore?”

Ryx snorts. “I doubt that is the reason.”

You wipe a tear away. “Why?”

“Because that would be foolish, and the Captain is not a fool. You are kind, and skilled, and even though you have not been here long, I think you are very good for this crew. I imagine you are very good for the Captain as well. I saw the way he looked at you. I am sure he regrets not spending time with you, just as much as you do. This hiatus in your relationship will not last."

She's right, you think as you nod in reply. Yondu is just really busy right now. Things will calm down, and it'll get better. I just have to be patient and give it some time. I don't want to be clingy or anything either. “Thanks, Ryx. You’re right.”

Chapter Text

As the days go on, you try not to be a bother to Yondu, and just make sure you give him a smile when he passes you in the mess or in the hall. He looks tired and seems preoccupied. Some days, you wonder if he even notices you at all.

You respond to this growing distance between you by diving deep into your studies. When the quietness of the med bay is too much, you move yourself and your holopads to the mess for a change of scenery. You sit at different tables, trying to switch it up and see what area works best for you to be accessible, but not distracted.

Today, you’re sitting at a corner table that you haven’t sat at before. You’ve been studying there for maybe an hour when a shadow falls over you, and you look up. There's a huge, hairy Ravager looming over you, holding his food tray. You pop out the earpiece, pausing the lesson. "Hello," you say pleasantly. "Do you-"

"You're in my seat," he interrupts, baring yellow tusks at you.

You look around you, and slowly begin to gather your things up. "Oh." You flash him a wary smile. " I didn't know there was reserved seating," you tease with a laugh, hoping to relieve some of the tension. Unfortunately, it has the opposite effect.

The Ravager's eyes narrow, and he scowls at you deeply before pushing his tray into the hands of another Ravager at his side. His companion staggers back at the impact, eyes nervously flicking between the two of you. "You think that's funny, girlie?"

You swallow, piling the holopads up into a neat stack. You pull them towards you. "I'm sorry, I was just making a joke. I didn't mean to-" You yelp as he pins your wrist down hard against the table. 

"You don't know who I am, so I'm going to tell you," he says, bringing his face close to yours. "My name is Revant, and I'm in charge around here. You might play it tough, doctor, but I know you’re not. You'll stay out of my way if you know what's good for you."

You're not really sure what comes over you, but instead of growing more afraid, you begin to lose your temper. On top of not being able to see Yondu, little, stupid things have been irritating you all week, and it’s now all coming to a head. "That's funny, I thought Yondu and Kraglin were in charge," you snap. As soon as the words leave your mouth, you know it was the wrong thing to say. Revant's eyes narrow, his nostrils flaring with anger. With one easy tug on your arm, he swings you out of your seat and is holding you over his head, two feet off the floor. His grip is tight and painful. 

"Maybe I need to teach you how things work around here."

Revant's grip tightens, and you cry out, trying to loosen his fingers with your free hand. Might as well try to pry apart stone with your bare hands. He grabs hold of one of your legs too, lifting your entire body sideways. With your free foot, you kick out into his face, as hard as you can. He roars as you catch him in the eye with your boot heel, and drops you to the floor.

You shield your head as you fall, but you still land hard on your back, and yelp. But there's no time to dwell on your pain - you need to get away from him. You roll over onto your feet and are about to take off running when you feel him clench your ankle, sending you crashing to the floor again. You reach out and grab the leg of a nearby table, but he jerks you backwards, forcing you to let go.

He flips you over and jabs a large hand out to seize your throat. 

His hand never reaches you.

There's an ear-splitting whistle, a flash of red, and orange blood pours from the Ravager's severed forearm before you can even figure out what happened. Then you see the Yaka arrow, darting around the Ravager at lightning speed, nicking his ears, shredding his sleeves, and leaving slices across his arms, face and legs. 

You roll over at the fast approach of heavy boots, and scramble backwards, out of the way. Yondu is stalking towards you. His eyes are narrowed, his fin flaming red, his shoulders stiff and hunched. The entire mess falls silent at the sight of him. "The hell do ya think yer doin', boy?" he roars. "Maybe I didn't make myself clear!"

Even though he's half the size of his opponent, Yondu grabs one of Revant's tusks and throws him to the ground in a single swift movement. He slams a fist into the Ravager's face, and you hear the distinct crunch of bone as his nose gives way. "I said the Doc was not to be touched!"

You watch as Yondu violently beats your attacker, and your relief soon turns to horror as it becomes apparent that he has no intention of stopping. He's going to kill a member of his own crew.

"Yondu!” you cry, seizing his arm and pulling at him. “Yondu - stop! You’re killing him! Please, stop! I can't let you do this!”

Yondu spins around so fast that you’re forced to let go of him. He faces you, eyes burning with rage. Gathering your shirt in a fist, he forcibly walks you back several feet. "That is Cap'n to you, Doctor," he hisses. "And don't ya dare tell me how to run my flarkin’ ship! Yer confined to yer cabin until I say otherwise. Tha's an order!" With the last word, he pushes you away from him, and you stumble back.

You gasp, tears welling in your eyes, but you're not going to argue with his flashing eyes and bared teeth. "Y-yes sir," you stammer in a whisper. Without a glance back, you turn and run from the mess.

“Cap’n?”

“What?” Yondu snarls, whirling. He draws back a step as he sees he’s face to face with Kraglin. The First Mate’s concerned eyes are all it takes to snap Yondu out of it. With a slight intake of breath, he looks at the bleeding, whimpering Revant, and back over his shoulder where you’ve fled. He takes a few deep breaths. “What?” he repeats, in a quieter, even tone.

“Orders, Cap’n?”

He takes another breath, ignoring all of the eyes he knows are on him. “Git a belt around this jackass’ arm and git him down to the brig. And git someone to clean this up.”

“Aye, sir.” Kraglin steps a little closer and bends slightly. He speaks in a soft tone. “I’ll handle the rest of the mission preparations, Cap. Go see the Doc.”

Yondu grits his teeth at him, about to growl some reply, but the First Mate moves his hand so it just brushes against his arm. The action immediately, inexplicably expels any further agitation, and some of the tension releases from his shoulders. “Fine,” he manages. “I’ll sync up with ya later.”

“Yessir. The Doc’s holopads are on that table over there, she’ll probably be missin’ ‘em.”

Yondu nods and gathers the materials up under one arm. Just before he reaches the stairs to exit the mess, he turns. “I am the Cap’n of this damn ship,” he says loudly, looking from one end of the hall to the other. “When I say that no one touches the Doc, I mean it! Else ya end up like this jackass!” he gestures to Revant, who is half-passed out, held up by Luggh. “If y’all don’t like my orders or the way I do things, then y’can depart on our next landing.” With a whistle, the arrow nestles itself back into its holster, and he departs.

You sit on your bed, clutching a pillow to your chest, the blankets pulled up around you. You can’t get Yondu’s dangerous expression out of your thoughts. You lean your forehead against your pillow, trying to clear your thoughts. It’s going to be okay. He didn’t mean to scare me. He saved my life. That Ravager would have killed me. And he was right. I shouldn’t have done that, not in front of the crew.

There’s a buzz at your door, and you jump. Still hugging the pillow close, you slip out from under the covers and click on the viewing screen.

It’s Yondu.

You take a deep, swallowing breath, trying to figure out if you should let him in. It buzzes again, and this time you hear his voice through the intercom.

“Doc, open up.” You watch him shift on the screen, looking up and down the hallway. He leans closer to your door, and sighs. “C’mon honey, I need to talk to ya. Open up.”

His voice is quiet and gentle, and that prompts you to open your door a crack. You peer through the narrow opening at him, and his ruby eyes catch yours. “Hi darlin,” he says, a little timidly. He raises your holopads in his arms. "I got yer stuff here. Can I come in?"

You nod and open the door wider. He steps inside and places the holopads on your desk as you close the door behind him. He rubs the back of his neck, as if trying to figure out what to say, and looks at you. "Ya okay? Did he hurt ya?" he asks at last.

You tentatively show him your wrist, where a bruise is darkening. "A little. I'm okay."

He comes forward and takes your hand gently in his, smoothing his thumb over the thin skin of your wrist. A flash goes through his implant, and you stiffen. He notices, looking sharply into your face, and lets go of you, taking a step back. "Did -" he swallows, and you see his eyes are full of fear. "Did I hurt ya?" he asks in hushed voice.

You shake your head.

He breathes a deep sigh of relief. “Thank gods,” he murmurs, before pulling you gently towards him. "C'mere, doll." He holds you against his chest, and you rest your cheek against his shoulder. "I didn’t want ya to see that," he says over your head. "But m’crew has to know what happens when they disobey direct orders.”

You nod, showing him you understand. Before he can speak again, you add, “I’m sorry I tried to stop you.”

“It wasn’t that ya tried to stop me, it was how ya did it,” he sighs. “Until the crew knows yer mine, I can’t have ya callin’ me familiar in front of ‘em. And regardless of yer status with me, I can’t have ya questionin’ my orders, not in public like that. Ya were jus' tryin' to do the right thing, I get that. But callin' me out like that in front of a room full a' Ravagers – if they saw I went easy on ya, they’d-”

“See you as soft, I know.”

“That ain’t all. They wouldn’t jus’ see me as soft, they’d see me as easily taken down. All it takes are few incidents like that for people to start talkin’, and before I know it, I got another mutiny on my hands. That’s what happened last time. I didn’t dish out punishment like I said I would, didn’t stay true t’my words, and I didn’t treat the crew like they was supposed to be treated.”

"I'm sorry," you repeat.

"Shit, girl, I know y'are." He takes your face in his hands and bends to look at you. "Ya don't gotta apologize no more. I jus' wanted ya to know that I ain't mad at ya, and why I acted that way." He releases you and paces about the room. "I didn't mean to act so harsh t’ya anyway. It's jus this - this damn mission's got me all riled up, the crew's all countin' on me to fill their pockets and their bellies. Was supposed to be an easy in and out, but a’ course it didn’t turn out that way." He sighs and turns for the door, shaking his head. “And I gotta git back to it.”

"Wait,” you say, following him. “Are you free in a while? To talk or hang out? I’ve been missing you."

"What?" he asks, startled. "Naw, I gotta pack and get m'stuff ready, we're leaving early."

"Leaving? What do you mean? Where are you going?"

He closes the door again and stands to face you. "On the mission. It’s an uncover job, I’m leadin’ the team. Gonna be gone for about two weeks." He tilts his head at you. "Ya didn't know?"

"Well no," you say, a little exasperated. "I haven’t seen you. You didn't tell me.”

"Well...well ya know now," he says in a mildly irritated tone.

You sigh, sinking onto your bed. Tears prick at your eyes. "Yondu?"

"Yeah?"

"Are we in a relationship or not?"

"What?"

"This - thing we have going on," you say, gesturing between the two of you. "Is it a relationship? Am I your girlfriend, or your lover, or just one of the crew you fool around with, or what?”

"Of course we have a relationship," he says, frowning. "Why? Don't it feel like it?"

"Not lately," you reply softly, hugging yourself.

"Hey!" he snaps, his voice rising, and you flinch. He points a finger at you. "I told ya I been busy gettin' ready for this damn mission! It's a complicated job, it takes up a lot of m'time to make sure it goes right!” He throws up his hands. “Ain't like yer around if I want ya anyway - got yer nose in them damn lessons all the time!"

"Don't you dare!” you say, jumping to your feet. “You're the one who's been avoiding me! I've been trying to make time for you, but every time I go to see you, or even try to talk to you for a minute, you're too busy! I'm just trying my best to take care of the crew! It was your idea for me to come up here and be their doctor in the first place!"

"Yeah, well ya didn't have to come!" As soon as the words are out, Yondu snaps his mouth shut with a soft gasp. Your eyes well with tears, and he hurriedly grabs for you, pulling you into his arms. "Oh, gods. Honey, no - I didn't - I didn't mean that. Gods, I'm jus – I’m under a lotta pressure right now. Shit, I didn't mean it." He rocks you gently, stroking your hair. "I didn't mean it, I swear on all the stars I didn't. I'm glad yer here, I wouldn't trade it for nothin'. Yer what gits me outta bed in the mornin', baby." He sighs inwardly as you loop your arms around his neck, pressing your forehead into his shoulder. He cradles the back of your head and kisses your hair. "I didn't mean to yell at ya."

"I know. We're both under a lot of stress," you say sadly, breaking apart from him. You cross over to your desk and idly rearrange the stack of holopads.

"I miss bein' on Terra with ya."

You turn at the statement, and watch as he lowers himself onto your bed, his shoulders drooping. "No ship, no crew. Jus' the two of us," he murmurs, eyes on the floor.

"Oh, Yondu." He looks up as you cup his cheek, smoothing your thumb along the silver of his beard. "It's okay," you say softly. You loop your arms around his neck and sit yourself on his knee; his arms circle around your waist and draw you close against him. "Everything's going to work out. We’re just going through a little rough patch. Every relationship has them.”

He nods, pulling your band out and combing his fingers through your hair. After a few moments, he lets his hands drop, and looks away. "Honey, ya gotta know somethin’. I uh. I ain't never been in a relationship before."

“Never?”

He shakes his head, then looks back at you and takes your shoulders in his hands. "No. But I'm tryin'. I am. I want to do good by ya, because I care 'bout ya."

"I know you do," you say with a growing smile. "So, I'm your first girlfriend?"

He chuckles and leans his forehead against yours. "Tha’s right, baby."

"Lucky me," you reply with a smile and kiss him.

He groans as your lips touch his, and you feel his large hands clutch at your hip and clench in your hair. His mouth moves against yours hungrily, kissing you long and hard until you both have to break away, gasping for breath. His eyes burn with passion, and he just stares at you for a long time, stroking your hair and tracing your face with his fingertips. At last, he sets you down and gets to his feet. “I gotta get back to it, sweetheart.”

You nod. "Do you need any help packing or getting ready or anything?"

He smiles down at you and kisses your forehead. "Sure. Thanks, darlin'."

An hour later, you're nearly done packing his things into a knapsack. Most of the time was just spent rummaging around for clean clothes. "You need to do your laundry more often," you chide him, shaking the wrinkles out of a high-necked shirt. You fold it carefully and place it in the bag. He hands you small stack of other things - socks and underwear, and you lift a pair of white briefs from the pile, raising an eyebrow at him.

He blushes, grumbles something as he snags it out of your hand and stuffs it into the bag. You laugh and kiss his cheek, and he lets out a small chuckle.

You pack a few more things, making sure everything is as neat and organized in the bag as you can make it. You zip the bag up and place it next to his dresser with some holopads and another small bag he is bringing. Then you look up, realizing he's been looking at you in silence. "What?" you ask with a light laugh.

"C'mere," he says, pulling you against him and cradling your head against his shoulder. "Thanks fer yer help, doll. This was a lot less frustratin' with ya here."

"You’re welcome, spaceman," you reply, giving him a squeeze. You nuzzle your head against him, breathing in the scent of him deeply. "I'm going to miss you," you say quietly.

"Yer gonna be fine," he says, and you can hear the smile in his voice.

"We haven't been apart since we've met, you know."

"Damn, yer right. Well, maybe a little time away from this old Ravager will be good fer ya, huh?" he laughs, pulling away to look at you. For some reason, the joke falls flat and you hang your head. "Oh, darlin'," he says softly. "I'll be back before ya know it." You raise your head to give him a small smile, but look away again quickly. He bends and leans his face into your neck. “Ya know, girl, I don’t deserve ya,” he whispers, and rests his lips against the skin under your ear.

Your entire body tingles and grows hot with desire. His daily company isn’t the only thing you’ve been missing this last week or so. You feel him bury his nose in your hair, and his hot breath against your skin as he takes a deep breath of your scent and exhales. “[y/n],” he murmurs in your ear, and his tongue caresses the outer lobe. His fingers trail down your spine to hold firm against the small of your back, but his other hand slips down under the waistband of your scrubs.

You reach down to his belt, but he catches your hand quickly, shouting, “No!” You pull away, surprised at this outburst, but he just leans in to murmur against your lips, intertwining his fingers with yours. “No,” he repeats, more softly. “Jus’ – jus’ let me pleasure ya tonight. Let me take care of ya.”

When you wake, he's dressing. You glance at your wrist com, and see it's very early, not even First Watch yet. You watch him buckle his pants, then reach behind him for his shirt, which lies thrown across one side of the bed with his other clothes. You slip out of bed and retrieve his jacket, helping him into it after he ties off his neckerchief. Neither of you say anything as you guide his arm into the sleeve of his duster. He turns to you after he's fully dressed. "Thanks, girl." He runs a hand through your hair, letting your locks run through his fingers. “Uh, I was wonderin’…”

“Yes?”

“Could – could I get a piece a’ yer hair?”

You laugh. “What?”

“To remind me of ya, while I’m gone.”

“Oh.” It’s an old-fashioned notion, one that you see in those period dramas, but it makes you blush. You lean forward and wrap your arms around his middle. “That’s actually kind of sweet.”

His voice comes in your ear. “Unless ya want to give me a pair of yer panties instead.”

“Yondu!” You smack him soundly on the shoulder, and he dances away, grinning that shark grin. You place your hands on your hips with a laugh, shaking your head. “You can have a lock of my hair.” You shake your hair and comb it out with your fingers, draping it over your shoulder for him.

He slips the knife out of the strap at his wrist, and gently takes a lock in his hand. You watch as he slices a lock as long as his thumb, the delicate strands falling neatly into his palm. “Even if I wanted to give you panties, I cant,” you say with a smile. “I don’t have any underwear to spare. I only brought like a week’s worth to the cabin, and I’ve been rewashing them.”

He chuckles as he goes to his dresser and opens what looks like a junk drawer, rummaging around until he finds a piece of ribbon. “We’ll have to fix that,” he says as he ties the ribbon around the lock of hair. “Go to Bira sometime – big shopping area. Git ya some new panties and lingerie.”

“I’d like that.”

Once the hair is neatly and securely tied, he tucks it safely in his inside breast pocket, the one closest to his heart. He sighs and reaches out to stroke your cheek. “I gotta be off now.”

You smile, but your lip quivers a little, and tears sting the corners of your eyes. "Just promise me you’ll be careful, okay spaceman?"

He smiles warmly down at you and leans forward to kiss your head. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I’ll be fine.”

"You’d better," you say softly, rocking forward on your toes to kiss his lips.

"[y/n]," he says, once you’ve parted again, "When I come back I'm makin' us official, okay?"

"Official?"

"I mean, I'm gonna tell the crew. No more a' this sneakin' 'round stuff. If this mission goes well, we're gonna stop off on Contraxia, and then I'm gonna tell 'em." You throw your arms around him, pressing your head into his chest, and he lifts you into his arms, pulling your legs around his waist. "I gotta go now," comes his voice in your ear. "But ya keep them lips waitin’ fer me. Gonna need lots a’ kisses when I git back.”

Chapter Text

While Yondu is away, you try your best to keep yourself occupied. You make rounds to all the secondary med bays to make sure they’re well equipped and place basic med kits in the main rooms like the Control Room, the Mess and the Docking Bay. You also start putting together kits for each D-ship (the small, two-person ships, like Yondu came to Terra in), M-ship, and Construction vessel.

You run out of bandages and antiseptic spray in the main med bay, and decide to head to the storage bay area, where Yondu told you he kept the extra supplies. The problem is, you don’t know where the storage bays are. The Eclector II is a huge ship, and you’re still finding your way around. You were lucky when you managed to reach the Docking Bay the other day.

As you wander the halls, you realize that you made another wrong turn, and you’re now hopelessly lost. You make a little half-whimper, half-laugh at yourself, and click your wrist com to call Kraglin, who stayed aboard as acting Captain while Yondu is away.

“Kraglin here,” the First Mate answers.

“Hi Kraglin,” you say sheepishly. “I think I’m lost.”

A chuckle. “Hi Doc. Whereabouts?”

“Uhh….” You turn on your visor to read a sign high up on the wall. “Engineering, Deck 4.”

“And where are ya tryin’ to go?”

“The Storage Bay?”

Another chuckle. “Yer plumb on the other side of the ship.”

You groan.

“Lucky fer ya, I am on Engineerin’ Deck 6. Stay where ya’re, I’m comin’ to ya.”

A short time later, the grinning First Mate comes walking down a set of stairs to you. “Storage Bays, huh?”

“You need a map for this ship. It’s ridiculous.”

He shrugs. “Ya git used to it. This way, follow me.” As you fall into step beside him, he glances over at you. “So how’s yer arm?”

You glance down at the bruise on your wrist from where Revant had grabbed you. “It’s okay. It looks ugly, but it’s getting better. Do you know what Yondu did – with Revant, I mean?”

“We threw him in the brig at first, then one of the mission M-ships took him and dumped him somewhere on one of the moons.”

You breathe a sigh of relief. “You mean Yondu didn’t kill him?”

Kraglin shakes his head as you both ascend a stairwell. “Naw. Though Cap was pretty close to it. Glad ya stopped him.” Here, the First Mate tilts his head, grimacing slightly. “Although, the way ya went about it-”

“Yeah, I know,” you reply quickly, turning your face away from his, “Yondu and I had a talk about that.”

“In here,” Kraglin says, stepping into a caged, lift-type contraption and shutting the door after you. “So, what did ya do that pissed Revant off so bad?” You relay the situation, and he rolls his eyes. “Damn idiot. Hope it was worth his flarkin’ arm. Well,” he says as the lift comes to stop, “If somethin’ like that happens again, the best course a’ action is probably jus’ to say nothin’ and move away. Ravagers is dangerous, and it pays to be cautious.”

“That sounds pretty passive for a Ravager,” you reply.

“Yeah, but y’ain’t been out here fer long. Ya don’t got a reputation as a Ravager, ya have one as a grounder and a medic. Here’s the Storage Bay,” he says suddenly, pulling open a gigantic sliding door. “Medical supplies are in Bay 8. Things like blankets n’ such, those are in Bay 5, and any extra medical equipment – like machines n’ things like that, those would be in Bay 12, though I don’t think we have any extra machines at the moment. Maybe extra parts.”

“Look at you, all organized.”

He lets out a laugh and rolls his eyes. “Well, since we was gettin’ a new ship, I wanted to make it so I could find stuff. Ya should’a seen the old Eclector. What a flarkin’ mess.”

“Well thank you, Kraglin. I really appreciate your help and advice.”

He nods at you, leading you towards Bay 8. As you fill a box with bandages, antiseptic, gloves and some other supplies, you notice that he’s watching you. “What?”

“Do ya know how to fight?” he quickly holds up a hand, clarifying, “I know ya know how t’shoot, I seen that myself. But ya know any hand-to-hand combat?”

“I took a self-defense class in college, but that was a while ago, and I’ve never been in a fight, no.”

He crosses his arms and looks at you hard. “Ya wanna learn?”

“Are you offering to teach me?”

“Yep.”

“Oh.” You adjust your grip on the box and stare at him. “Really?”

“Yeah, really.” He leads you out of the Storage Bay again and points you in the direction of the Med Bay.  “Figure it might be a good idea, jus’ in case ya need to defend yerself.”

“Agreed. Okay, yeah. I’m happy to learn whatever you have to teach me,” you answer with a smile up at him.

“Good,” he says, nodding, and turns away. “Meet me on Deck 2, the gymnasium near the Hangar tomorrow mornin’, 0730,” he calls over his shoulder.

“I don’t know where that is.”

He laughs. “I’ll git ya a map.”

You glance down at the tiny map that Kraglin loaded onto your wristcom interface. He and Jesper had put it together using blueprints of the ship, deciding it was probably a good idea for any new recruits, too. According to this, the gymnasium should be just down these stairs. You’re dressed in a t-shirt and stretchy pants, as well as the tennis shoes that you’d worn from Terra.

The ship is still quiet at this time of First Watch, and your footfalls sound loud on the stairs as you descend. As you reach the bottom, you see a faded sign that might say “Training Room” at the end of the hallway, and you hear some faint, irregular when you hear some faint, irregular fwump noises. You walk in the direction of the sound. The closer you get, the more it sounds like punches being thrown. The noises are coming from the training room, and you peer around the doorway. Sure enough, it's a little gymnasium, with a padded floor and several punching bags hanging from the support beams. There are weights strewn across the floor, and different sized training dummies lined along one wall.

Kraglin is there. His jumpsuit his peeled halfway down, with the arms tied about his waist. A grey tank lies discarded on the floor. You raise your eyebrows. The First Mate hides a lot of muscle behind that jumpsuit – and a lot of scars. Whitish, faintly blue marks of wounds line his chest and arms, and you can see a lot of laceration scars on the high end of his back and over his shoulders. A string of tattoos cascades down the right side of his neck and onto his right pectoral muscle.

His steps are light and exact as he punches the bag. He avoids the resultant swing-back neatly with slight movements of his head and torso. Not one punch misses, and not one step falters. He takes a few steps back and gets a little running start, then rears back and socks the punching back so hard that it nearly swings completely over the beam it’s hanging from.

“Wow!”

The First Mate turns at your exclamation. “Oh. Hey, Doc. Yer early.”

"Hey Kraglin," you say, ducking behind the doorway. "I’m sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

He whisks a towel off the shoulder of a training dummy standing in the corner and runs it over his face and head so his hair sticks up at odd angles, then reaches for his shirt. "S'okay," he says, pulling it over his head. “So ya ready fer this?”

You let out a small, nervous laugh and unbuckle your wristcom. “I guess so. I’m not really sure what to expect.”

He smiles at you. “Don’t worry, I’ll try not to push ya too hard.” He gestures to the punching bag. “Show me what ya can do.”

You tighten your ponytail, and march towards the bag. You drop into a sort of boxing stance, and glance at Kraglin for approval, but he doesn’t give you any indication of his opinion. You swing hard with your right fist, making solid contact with the bag, and then again with your left as it swings away. You’re pretty happy with how far it swings away, but that left hook unbalanced you a little. You try to correct your footing, looking down at the mat – and suddenly the bag is back, swinging right into your face.

“Oof!” you lose your footing completely, trip over your own feet, and topple over onto your back.

There’s a muffled snort, and you glare up at Kraglin, who is grinning at you. “Sorry,” he says, but his eyes are still twinkling. He extends a hand to help you up.

You laugh as you take his hand. “Well that was super embarrassing.”

“That actually weren’t too bad fer yer first try.”

“Oh please. Don’t be nice, Kraglin. It’s not going to help me get better.”

He laughs. “Okay, okay. It weren’t too good. But honest, it weren’t too bad. Yer stance is pretty good, but it’s a little loose, it ain’t solid enough. Ya gotta set yer center a’ gravity lower. Spread yer feet a little more.”

You do so and hold up yer fists. “Like this?”

“Yeah. Put one foot in front a' the other. A lil' more. There ya go. Now square yer shoulders. Always remember to use yer whole body in the punch, don't jus' use yer arm. Uh, here. Like this, watch." He drops into a stance in front of one of the dummies, knees slightly bent, fists up to protect his face. "Quick jabs, try not to reach out too far. Ya gotta be fast, or else they can grab yer arm and pull ya in, and then yer done fer. When yer lookin' fer weak spots, they're the same with most races." He lashes out. "The eyes-" He hits the dummy square in the eyeball- "The throat," he hits the dummy in the neck, "The groin, and the knees." Keeping his arms up to protect his face, he kicks the inside of the dummy's knee and its crotch. "Ya got an advantage, bein' a medic," he says, "Knowin' where the genitals and weak spots of different races are." He drops out of the stance, and taking you around the shoulders, puts you in front of the dummy. "You try."

You replicate his stance, and hit the dummy in the chest, throat and eye.

“Good, tha’s a lot better. Now, ya gotta remember – confidence is a big part of winnin’ a fight. Ya go in lookin’ scared or weak, they’re gonna eat ya alive. But ya go in lookin’ like ya got it made, sometimes that’s enough to end the fight before it starts.”

The lesson turns into a regular, every-other-day thing. You figure it certainly doesn’t hurt to get some practical training from a professional fighter, and it gives you energy to start your day. Besides, it’s nice to have something to do besides your studies.

The lessons are going well. You feel confident in your knowledge of Xandarians and Aakons, which you picked up right after Kivax. Turns out, Ryx is the only Kivax aboard. Aakons have two very strong hearts, thick skin, and heavy bones due to the greater gravity of their home planet. With these major races under your belt, you decide to start scheduling one-on-one exams with the crew to determine baselines and address any health concerns.

Kraglin announces this to the crew, and all the Xandarians and Aakons on board begin to line up appointments.

Jesper is one of your first patients. He knocks on the door of your office timidly. “Uh – is it time for my appointment?” he asks.

“Right on time,” you say with a smile. He smiles nervously back. You grab a holopad and a stylus, and pat one of the cots. “Hop up here.” You go to the sink and wash your hands. “No need to be nervous, Jesper. The most I’m going to do is just take a blood sample today.”

“Why?”

“I’m just going to run an analysis on it, make sure everything is looking healthy.”

“Oh.”

“So. Before we begin, I want to tell you that everything you say to me, and all of your records are completely confidential. I will not share them with anyone unless it’s required for your safety, or the safety of the ship and crew. Okay?”

He nods.

“Take off your jacket please, I’m going to take your blood pressure and your pulse.” You use a machine for his blood pressure, but you prefer taking his pulse the old-fashioned Terran way. “How’s things up in the control room?”

“Good. Kinda boring, since we’re just maintaining orbit right now. Not much to do.”

“I know the feeling.” You check your notes on Xandarians and see that his blood pressure and heartrate fall in the normal range. “Looking good here. Can I have your full name and your age for my records, please?”

“Uh, sure. Jesper Rul, 17 years old.”

“Thanks. So, anything bothering you, health-wise?”

He shrugs. “Nothing I can think of.”

“Sleep schedule, digestion and stuff like that all seems normal?”

He nods, then smiles. “Gotta say, it’s been real nice having regular meals.”

“Oh?” you ask as you prep the device to take blood from Jesper’s finger.

“I grew up mostly on the streets of Xandar. Me and Momma-” he stops short, dropping his eyes to his knees. “We didn’t have a lot,” he finishes.

“Your mother,” you say softly. “Is she…?”

“She died in the plague that hit Xandar a few years back,” he replies, eyes still downcast.

“I’m sorry, Jesper. I understand how hard that is.”

“Ya do?” he asks, looking up at you.

You nod. “I lost my Dad to cancer.”

“Is that why ya became a doctor?”

“I became a doctor before my Dad got sick, but yes. I became a doctor so I can help people and their families.” You take the device away and hold a cotton ball to Jesper’s finger. “So, what made you want to be a Ravager?”

His eyes fix on the farthest corner from your face, as if self-conscious. “We kids on Xandar, especially us street kids – we wanted to get off the planet, and the Nova Corps is the best way to see the galaxy. But we knew there was no way we’d ever be part of the Corps – we don’t got the status. But bein’ a Ravager – that was possible. And we all looked up to Kraglin. He was – well, still is – my hero.” He says the words with a quiet smile.

You grin at him, and bite your tongue against an aww, as not to embarrass him.

“See,” Jesper continues, face growning bluer by the second, “There’s bunches of Xandarian pilots, engineers, mechanics, things like that – but Kraglin’s the first and only Xandarian Ravager First Mate there ever was. Made us believe it was possible to really make somethin’ of ourselves.”

“And here you are. Must be pretty cool, huh?”

“Damn near passed out when he said I could be part of the team,” Jesper laughs.

“Have you ever told him any of this?”

“Oh, stars no!”

You laugh. “Why not?”

Jesper shrugs. “Dunno. Thought it might come off as bein’…I dunno, sentimental.”

You shake your head, and with another laugh, pat his knee. “Okay, you’re all set. If you need anything, or if anything is bothering you – physically, mentally, emotionally, whatever – you come and see me, okay?”

“Okay. Thanks Doc! And uh, you – you won’t tell Kraglin any of that, will you?” he asks, pulling his jacket back on.

“Nope. Like I said, it’s all confidential. Mum’s the word.”

With a confused smile at this earth mannerism, he leaves you, and you prepare for your next appointment with one of Rhian’s sisters, Attria Voldaraan.

“Hello Attria, I don’t think we’ve met personally yet. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” she says in a quiet, kind of shy voice.

Much different than Rhian, you think. You wonder if her twin, Adhara, is the same soft spoken individual. You inform her of your confidentiality policy, and ask her age, and if she has any complaints, at which she shakes her head. “Great. Can you please take off your jacket so I can take your blood pressure?”

She pauses. “My jacket?”

“Yes please,” you say, looking up from your holopad. “Otherwise I can’t get an accurate reading.” She swallows nervously. “Don’t worry, I promise I won’t hurt you.”

“It’s not that,” she murmurs, and reluctantly zips her jacket down, shrugging carefully out of it.

You’ve just made note of her age in her record when you look up – and gasp. “Oh! Attria, what happened?” Her arms are bruised dark purple and green, from wrist to shoulder. You can see from the scoop on her tank that she’s bruised on her torso, too. You step closer to her. “What happened?” you repeat, and she bursts into tears.

“P-please, he – he said he’d hurt my sisters if I t-told anyone!”

“Who did?”

“No, I can’t!”

“Attria,” you say sternly, “You have to tell me, otherwise this is never going to stop.”

Her lip trembles, and she blinks tears out of her yellow eyes. “B-Bariox. He’s Lead Tech, and he pushes all the girls on the team around, threatens us unless we give him our units, and let him have the best assignments.”

You gape at her, growing angrier by the second. “No one’s tried to stop him from doing this to you?”

She shakes her head. “No one can hold their own against him. Besides, we just…just figured that’s the way it was going to be on a Ravager ship.”

Your hands have clenched into trembling fists at your sides. “Not if I have anything to say about it. Put your jacket back on and follow me.”

“Wh-where are we going?” she asks, wide-eyed.

You grab her hand and lead her out of the med bay. “To find Kraglin.”

You find the First Mate in the Control Room and pull him aside to relay the situation. Attria is nearly in tears again by the time the conversation is finished, and Kraglin's neck is flushed blue, his lips drawn in a tight line. 

“How long has this been goin’ on?” he demands.

“Almost a month,” Attria replies, and Kraglin’s nostrils flare in anger.

“Okay. I will take care a' this," he says firmly. "Ya should'a come to me sooner."

That evening, just as the shifts are changing, Kraglin's voice blares through the ship-wide intercom. "Attention crew, Kraglin speaking. I want all hands report to the Mess in 10 for a protocol meetin'."

In the Mess, you stand with Attria, Rhian and Adhara. Soon the hall is crowded with Ravagers. A few minutes later, Kraglin shows up on the stairs. He’s standing straighter than normal, his chest thrown out, shoulders stiff, but it’s his eyes that catch your attention. Narrowed and framed by his drawn-down brows, the icy burn of his gaze causes a chill to go down your spine, and you get a glimpse into the resolve that must have earned him the position of First Mate.

"Listen up!" Kraglin snaps, and the hall falls silent. There's none of the usual lightness in his tone, and you can feel an uneasy tremor roll through the crowd. "Most of us are Ravagers born n' bred, been in the ranks a long time,” he begins. “It ain't no secret that most Ravagers is men, and that most Ravagers don't got a lot a' respect, time or space fer other genders, especially women on our ships."

This earns a few grins from some Ravagers, and he leans out over the railing. "Git them damn smiles off yer faces!" Immediately, they turn sober. "The Cap'n and I ain't supportin' of that type a' behavior. Women Ravagers have jus' as much a' place on this ship as us men.” He begins to walk slowly down the steps, but never takes his eyes from the crowd. “Y'all know that if ya got a problem with a fellow crewmate, ya settle it planetside, and ya bring it up with yer superior if ya need to. This is part of the Code. But I been hearin' of abuse and assault goin' on in the ranks, 'specially towards the womenfolk - and it ain't gonna happen no more. The women – and any other gender or genderless Ravagers aboard this ship for that matter – whether they’re crew or guests, are to be treated as equals among ya! Teasin', sparrin’, havin' fun and talkin' shit with each other is one thing. But if I hear ya abusin' each other, verbally, physically - whatever, know that I am fully serious when I say I will flarkin’ put ya down.”

He stands in front of the crew, slowly roving his dangerous gaze over them as if daring someone to challenge his authority.

 “That goes fer all y’all,” Kraglin continues after several moments of silence. “Not jus’ the men, not jus’ the women, everyone. Y’all treat each other civil. Y’all are Ravagers, not animals and y’all are better than this! We are a team and we work together. Is that clear?”

There's a resounding, compliant chorus of "yessir" and "aye."

"Good. If any a y'all got a problem with this - or if yer havin' a problem with someone - then ya come talk to me, hear? I am here to address shit like this." He is silent for another long moment, looking over the crowd. "Tech crew, stay behind. The rest a' y’all are dismissed." As the crowd disperses, he nods at Rhian. "Ya and yer sisters stay behind fer a second too. Doc, ya might want to stand by."

Kraglin orders the tech crew to line up in a row, facing him. He paces back and forth in front of them, peering into each face. The expression he holds on his own face makes you want to run and hide. You’re glad you’re not on the receiving end of that. Then – your heart nearly leaps into your throat – Kraglin reaches behind his shoulder and draws the angled knife sheathed there. He turns the blade in his hand, and it glints of the lights overhead. You can see that it’s nicked and scratched with use, but Kraglin must take very good care of it – it’s not rusty and looks deadly sharp.

He takes it and points it at each of the tech crew. It’s subtle, but you notice that he lowers it a little when he passes by the female crew members. He nears Bariox, and stops.

“Bariox. I’m up in the Control Room today, and ya know what happens?” Kraglin doesn’t wait for an answer, twirling the knife in his hand. “Attria Voldaraan comes t’me and tells me that you been hittin’ and threatenin’ her and the other girls on the team.”

Faster than your eyes can catch it, Kraglin has hauled Bariox, who is two feet taller than himself, to his knees and has pressed the knife to his throat. “Tech Team!” the First Mate bellows, “Is that true?”

“Yes sir,” the women cry out, echoed faintly by the others.

“And why weren’t this reported or stopped?” he snaps. “It’s been goin’ on fer a month! Did the Cap’n and I hire a bunch a cowards, issat it?”

The Tech Team lowers their eyes and fidget in silence.

“This ain’t gonna happen anymore,” Kraglin snaps in Bariox’s face. “Ya’re relieved of yer position as Lead Tech as of now.”

Bariox’s lips pull over his teeth in a sharp-toothed snarl. “You can’t do that!”

Kraglin’s eyes narrow further, and he presses his knife further into the folds of skin at Bariox's throat. "Like hell I can’t!" he snarls. "I am the damn First Mate of this ship, don't ya flarkin’ dare tell me what I can or can’t do!" He turns to the rest of the team, who are surveying the scene with wide eyes. "Who's the best Tech among ya?"

They look at one another, silent for several moments, until a Xandarian girl with brown eyes and dark hair in braided pigtails steps forward, just enough to stand out of the line.

“Nasrin?”

“Y-yes sir, Attria is the best on the team, sir.”

Kraglin glances at Attria, then back at the rest of the Techs. “That true? Do y’all think that?”

They look at one another, then quietly nod in agreement.

“Then Attria - yer the new Lead Tech. Any a’ y’all got a problem with that?” The Tech team shakes their heads. “Good. Hang around and we'll talk promotion after this is over n' done with."

"O-oh, yes sir. Thank you, sir."

"Y'can go stand with yer sisters if ya want."

She races over to Rhian and Adhara, who both draw her into a hug. Rhian towers over the both of them, glaring daggers at Bariox.

"Now," Kraglin growls, turning back to Bariox. "I don’t have time or patience fer scum like you aboard this ship. It ain’t my final decision to make, so I’m throwin’ ya into the brig until the Cap’n returns. But before I drag yer ass down there….” he grabs Bariox’s hands and drags them behind his back, and places his boot against the Ravager’s back, so he’s more or less immobile. “Which of ya techs have been abused by Bariox, besides Attria?”

Nasrin steps forward again and pulls on the sleeve of a skinny Shi’ar woman next to her. One by one, nearly every female tech steps forward. “I’m sorry y’all had to go through this,” Kraglin says through gritted teeth. “Me and the Cap’n can’t be everywhere at once, ya gotta be our eyes and ears fer what’s happenin’ in yer team and let us know how we can help ya. But I hope this makes ya feel a lil’ better.” He grips the thick tuft of hair on Bariox’s head and pulls back so the Ravager raises his head. “Attria, c’mere and slug this jackass in the face.”

Attria’s eyes open wide. “Wh-what?”

“Give him a taste of his own medicine, huh?”

Rhian gives her sister a push towards them, and she stumbles a bit, looking back at her.

“Go on, Atty,” Adhara shouts, clenching a fist. “Kick him in the balls.”

You raise your eyebrows. Nope, Adhara and Attria are very different.

Attria timidly approaches Bariox, who jerks forward slightly towards her. “You little bit-” He’s cut off by Attria’s fist making very solid contact with his jaw. Bariox is pushed back against Kraglin with the force of it, and he growls. “Nasrin, you next.”

And so it continues. Each abused member of the team is allowed to get a hit into Bariox, and by the time they’re done, he’s a bleeding, blubbering mess. “Don’t feel so good t’be on the receivin’ end, does it?” Kraglin hisses.

The women stand with you and the Voldaraans, leaving the rest of the Tech Team standing in their line. Kraglin turns to them. “I should throw all y’all in the brig for failing to report or stop this. But I’ll let the new Lead Tech make that decision. What d’ya think, Attria?”

She takes a step forward, looking far less timid and more confident than you’ve seen her look yet. She looks over the team. “I think that we have work to do, sir, and I need all the hands I can get.”

Kraglin nods. “Then y’all are free to go.”

Later that evening, you’re just finishing up cleaning the med bay when you hear a noise at your door. You look up to see Kraglin.

“Hi,” you greet him. “Do you need something?”

“Hey,” he says, and shakes his head. “Naw, jus’ wanted to say thanks. Fer bringin’ Attria t’me today. I didn’t know that was goin’ on.”

“Well, thanks for being strong and having the courage to do something about it.”

He hops up onto a cot as you wipe down the counters. “I always respected the women in m’ life,” Kraglin says quietly. “I’d like to think they’d want me to step in to protect other women, and people that can’t defend themselves as easy, ya know? What’s the point of bein’ First Mate if I can’t protect m’crew, even from themselves?”

You leave the counter and cross over to Kraglin to take his hands in yours. You squeeze them reassuringly. “I’m sure those women – whoever they are - are very proud of you, Kraglin. I am very proud to know you.”

Chapter Text

Besides the harassment and abuse policy, Kraglin makes some other changes aboard the ship while Yondu is away - things that he informs you they'd been discussing together, but hadn't put into place yet, including scheduling cleaning of the lavatories and showers on a rotation of teams, job shadowing and ability to switch from one team to another based on personal interest or talent, and last but not least - bringing Team Leads to sit up at the front of the Mess with him and the Captain.

The Leads don’t all work the same shifts, but as the week goes on, you see almost all of them. Most, you are familiar with: Attria and Adhara, Lead Tech and Lead Gunner; Rhian, Lead Engineer; Jesper, Lead Nav, and Nillgrac, Lead Pilot. Luggh is the lead Tactician and Battle Strategist, but he is off on the mission with Yondu. There are a couple more faces that you've not seen, and they turn out to be an Asgardian woman named Vela Eksdottir who is the Lead Security Officer, and a rough-looking Xandarian man known simply as Clipper, who's the Lead Mechanic.

On the tenth day after Yondu has been gone, you lie awake in bed. You can’t sleep. You’ve been thinking about him all day, and anxiety has been growing in your chest. What if he’s not safe? What if something went wrong? What if he got captured? What if he crashed his ship again? What if he gets injured - what if he needs a medic, and I’m not there? These and a million other what ifs flow through your mind, until your stomach grows queasy and your heart is pattering rapidly.

You roll over on your side and grope in the dark for your wrist com, which is on your nightstand. You dial Kraglin.

“Kraglin here.”

“Hi Kraglin, did I wake you?”

“Nope, still workin’. Everythin’ okay?”

“I was just wondering if you’ve heard from Yondu or his team.” You bite your lip, waiting for his answer.

“He didn’t tell ya? He makes contact with the Eclector daily. Ain’t much, jus’ a short text message, to check in. Got the message an hour ago, everything’s still on target.”

“And he’s safe?”

“If he weren’t, the message wouldn’t git sent and I’d send down a rescue team.”

You sigh in relief. “Okay. Thanks, Kraglin. Should that happen – if you need to send down a team – can I have permission to go?”

There’s silence for a moment, then, “Permission granted.” There’s a moment of silence, then, “[y/n]?”

You pause. He rarely calls you by name. “Yes?”

“Don’t ya worry none, he’s gonna be fine. It ain’t really a dangerous mission, jus’ a complicated one. ‘Sides, The Cap’n’s a force to be reckoned with.”

You can almost see the reassuring smile on Kraglin’s face. “Thanks, Kraglin. That makes me feel better.”

“Good. I’m glad he has ya, [y/n],” he says, in a quieter voice. “Ya make him real happy, and – and ya know, it gives me comfort, knowin’ that he’s got someone who cares ‘bout him the way ya do.”

“Aw, Kraglin.” Your heart blossoms and a wide smile forms on your lips. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t gotta say nothin’, Doc. Ya jus’ take care a yerself and get a good night’s sleep.”

“Thanks, Kraglin. You too.”

The line clicks off, and you replace the wrist com on your nightstand, and settle back in bed.

As your thoughts return to Yondu, your mind wanders back to that last night he was aboard. He was very willing to pleasure you but seemed like he didn't want to have sex with you for some reason. He’d stopped you so suddenly when you’d reached for his belt, almost like he was afraid or something. It's probably nothing. He had to get up early, and didn't want to be worn out. Although it'd probably take a lot more than one round of sex to wear him down. I wonder how many rounds he can go.... You blush and laugh at yourself, then pull up the covers and take a deep breath, pressing your nose into them. The blankets had originally smelled like Yondu, but you’ve washed them since and they don’t smell like him anymore.

You close your eyes and try to recall his scent to memory. Instead, you begin to think of his warm body against yours, the feeling of his calloused thumb brushing against your cheek. You sigh. Those hands of his. So rough and warm and big. You love how his hands circle your waist, or how he tangles his long, thick fingers in your hair. His bulging arm muscles, broad shoulders, thick thighs. You love looking up into his ruby eyes as he towers over you, love feeling up his chest as his big, powerful body leans over yours.

With a slight gasp, you open your eyes – and start to laugh again. I have a kink. I totally have size kink for Yondu. You can’t stop giggling, and throw your hands over your mouth, worried that somehow, someone is going to hear you through your cabin door. The more you think about it, the more you realize it’s true. You love being smaller than he is. You love it when he holds you, picks you up, even when he calls you little, or refers to your ‘cool lil’ body.’ Your giggles finally subside into sighs, and you wrap the blanket tighter around yourself, amused at this new discovery, and content to know that your sexy spaceman is safe out there somewhere.

You’ve nearly drifted off to sleep when there’s a chime, a little bing bing bing noise in the direction of your desk. You sit up, and see a slight glow coming from one of your holopads. Slipping out of bed, you pick it up and squint at the bright screen. It’s the icon that means you’re receiving a video call. You slide your finger across it, and the hologram registers into Yondu’s face.

“Yondu!” you nearly squeal.

“Shh shh,” he holds a finger to his lips, and you clap a hand over your mouth.

“Sorry,” you say, wincing.

“S’okay, darlin’. Jus’ need to be a lil’ quiet, tha’s all.” He’s in some sort of dark, cramped space. You can’t tell anything about his whereabouts from his surroundings. He could be in a ship, an alley, or a vent for all you know.

You get back in bed and sit with your back against your pillows. “Hi,” you say, smiling so wide you’re barely able to say anything else.

He grins back at you. “Hi, baby. How’s my girl?”

“Doing fine,” you reply, blinking back sudden tears. “Are you okay? Are you safe? How’s the mission going?”

He nods. “Goin’ real well. I’m fine.” He stares at you for a few moments, and lets out a short, quiet chuckle. “Ya know, I ain’t supposed t’be doin’ this. It’s a breach of protocol, contactin’ anyone while on a mission, but I jus’ couldn’t go another day without seein’ that pretty face a yers, even if it’s jus’ fer a few minutes.”

You blush and smile at him. “I miss you,” you say, your lip trembling slightly.

“I know, baby. Wish I had ya here to hold in my arms right now. Ya savin’ up them kisses fer me?”

You laugh quietly and nod. “Yep, I’m saving them in a jar right here.”

He grins at this. “Hope it’s a big jar.” He’s quiet for a few minutes, continuing to look at you, and the expression in his eyes almost leaves you breathless. It’s so full of devotion and admiration that you blush again. He breaks this warm gaze for a moment to look away, and when he turns back to you, his eyes have changed. They seem almost afraid. "[y/n]?" he asks, his voice quiet, timid.

"Yes?"

"I - uh. Been havin' a lot a' time to think, been thinkin' a lot about ya - about us, and uh. There's somethin' I been wantin' to say to ya..."

You swallow. "Go on?"

"I been wantin' to tell ya that - that I - uh." He rubs the back of his neck, chewing his lip. "Well, I - "

Is he going to say what you think he's going to say? Your heart feels like it's going to burst. "Yes?"

"I-" Suddenly a shadow passes over his face, and he goes silent, eyes locked on something out of your sight. He follows it with his eyes until it seems to be gone, but still sits quietly for a few moments before turning his gaze back to you. He sighs. "I gotta go, honey."

"Wait, what were you going to say?"

"Jus' - uh." He blushes deeply and looks away for a moment. "Jus' that I really miss ya, and I can't wait to see ya in person."

Your heart deflates a little. You're sure that's not what he was going to say, but you give him a smile anyway. "Me either, Yondu."

He smiles back, and it returns some of the gleam to his eyes. "Not sure if I'll be able to call ya again, but I'll see you soon."

"I understand. Take care of yourself and know that I'm thinking about you every day."

"[y/n]," he replies, reaching a hand towards the screen as if to stroke your cheek, "Ya really are an amazin' woman."

You smile wide, blushing. "Well, you're an amazing man, Yondu." You kiss two of your fingers and press them against the hologram of his mouth.

He licks his teeth briefly in response. "Gods, I can't wait to kiss them lips a yers. Sweet dreams, sweetheart."

"Good night, spaceman."

It’s been almost two full weeks now since Yondu left, and the crew was informed yesterday morning that extracting the uncover operatives is taking a little longer than expected, so they’ll be delayed a few more days. This isn’t the kind of news you wanted to hear, especially when your brain is so fried it feels like a burnt-out toaster.

You’re done with crew exams for the week, and you can’t bear to study anymore, so you wander about the Eclector, seeing if there's anything else you can do with your time. You spot Kraglin heading towards the hangar and follow him. "Hey, Kraglin!"

He turns, still walking backwards. He's got what looks like a toolbelt swung about his hips. "Hey, Doc. What's goin' on?"

"Nothing, that's the problem. I can't study any more, my brain is just gonna-" you mime your head exploding. "Is there anything I can help you with? Even if it's stupid or something you don't want to do?"

"Sure," he says with a laugh. "Follow me, ya can give me a hand with the Cawl."

It turns out that before Kraglin was First Mate, he was Lead Mechanic, so he puts you to you to work helping him mend the Cawl’s wings. You don’t do anything but hand him tools or twist a screw or two, but it’s nice to be doing something different.

“Doesn’t Clipper or his team handle things like this?’ you ask as he climbs down a ladder off the right wing.

He takes a bunch of nuts and bolts out of a large tool box nearby and dumps them in your hands, then gets to work on replacing the ones on the underside of the left wing. “Yeah, but sometimes I miss it. I like takin’ care a’ my own ship, gettin’ my hands dirty, and I like bein’ ‘round the crew in here.”

You look around at the dozens of Ravagers in the hangar, working on ships, collecting inventory, talking, laughing and joking around with one another. You smile at him. “You’re a good First Mate, Kraglin.”

He pauses with the wrench for a second, his brow furrowed, then continues the movement. “M’ tryin’ t’be,” he says softly. He holds out his hand, and you place another nut and bolt into his palm.

“You are,” you say with a pat to his elbow, and he gives you a little smile.

"Hey Kraglin!"

You both look up at Nillgrac, who's on the level above you, leaning over the railing there with a couple other Ravagers. "I hear we're stoppin' off on Contraxia! That right?"

The hangar goes quiet, awaiting the First Mate's response. "Tha's what the Cap'n tells me, yeah."

Nillgrac whoops, and several Ravagers cheer.

Kraglin chuckles, and holds out his hand for another bolt. "Well y'all deserve it," he says loudly. "Y'all been workin' real hard."

"Can't wait to hit up the Iron Lotus," a Ravager nearby shouts up at Nillgrac. "Ain't never been there before."

"Hell yeah!" Nillgrac replies, nodding. "You're in for a treat."

"What's the Iron Lotus?" you ask Kraglin.

He smirks down at you. “It's a brothel. Bots only, a' course."

You make a face. "Sex robots? That sounds disgusting."

"Hey, don't knock it until ya try it.”

"I'll pass, thanks."

"Hey hey! Speakin' of the Iron Lotus," Nillgrac begins in a sly, teasing tone, and Kraglin turns a wary eye up at him. "I hear they jus' got a Kivax model in, Kraglin."

Kraglin flushes blue all the way up to his ears, and the hangar is filled with whoops and whistles. Apparently, word of the First Mate's crush on Ryx has spread quickly. "Yeah well," Kraglin shouts back with a laugh in his voice, "With any luck I'll be doin' the real thing!" This earns him laughter, more whistles and even some applause.

You roll your eyes. Men.

Kraglin glances at you and chuckles apologetically. "We get a lil' crude down here."

"I would expect no less from a room full of Ravagers, Kraglin."

He laughs, then wipes his brow. With a number of enginges going and several people in the same space, it’s quite a bit warmer than most other places on the ship. He zips down his jumpsuit, tying the arms about his waist. Something falls out of his pocket, and he snatches it before it hits the floor. It's the music player you got him from Earth. He wiggles it in his hand at you. "How 'bout some music, huh?"

"Yeah!"

He jogs over to a unit on the wall, and after connecting the player up to it, looks back you. "This was the first thing Peter made sure we had on board. ‘I ain't visitin' if ya don't got any ship-wide music capability, he says to me." He grins and waves you over. "C'mon, pick out somethin' fun to start us off."

"Oh geez." You wipe your hands on your pant leg and take the player in your hand, scrolling through the songs and playlists. You click on a playlist you created of some of your favorite songs from the 60s, 70s and 80s. "Oh, here. This one." You hand the player back.

Kraglin hooks it up and presses play. Jumpin' Jack Flash by the Rolling Stones blares over the speakers, causing several Ravagers to look around in wonder. Kraglin nods his head to the music. "Nice! I really like this one." He takes a few steps in time with the music, twirling on his heel as he dances back to the M-ship. 

You laugh, swaying your hips in time to the music as you follow.

"Whoa," Nillgrac says from above. "Kraglin, ya got some moves, man. Where did you learn to dance like that?"

The First Mate laughs, combing greasy fingers through his hair. "Cap'n taught me."

Nillgrac’s mouth hangs open. "Yer shittin' me. The Cap'n dances?"

"Yeah, he's real good at it," Kraglin replies, nodding. "Jus' seems t'come natural to him. Now go on, ain’t payin’ ya to chatter." Nillgrac leaves to go about his business.

Kraglin continues to tap his foot and bob his head as he finishes the bolts on the underside of the M-ship's wing. "Cap'n ever dance with ya, Doc?" he asks quietly.

"Yes," you say with a blush. The crisp night air, the stars, sounds of crickets come back to you swiftly, the feel of his hands on you as he led you around the dock. "I hope I get a chance to dance with him again soon."

"Oh, the Cap'n's up fer it any time. All ya gotta do is ask, I reckon."

You smile. “I’ll remember that.”

It’s the morning of the eighteenth day since Yondu left, and it’s been over a week since you’ve seen his face. It takes you a little longer to get out of bed this morning. Your heart is heavy, and you don’t feel like doing anything, but you know that will only make you feel worse, so you get to your feet and get going on your day.

You grab a protein bar from the Mess, because you don’t have much appetite for anything else. You take it back to your office, where you watch a few lessons, half-heartedly taking notes while you eat. After that, you mope into the back room of the Med Bay to organize the extra inventory that you put there yesterday. As you place the items into their appropriate cupboards and cabinets, you feel a tremor beneath your feet. The ship is moving. You stand still for a moment, wondering at it, and look fearfully at your wrist com. Kraglin said he would notify you immediately if anything went wrong with Yondu’s mission. After several moments of staring at it in silence, you sigh uneasily and stack the empty crates. You’ve just gathered them in your arms, planning to take them to med bay, when you turn – and gasp.

Yondu is standing in front of you, a slow grin forming across his lips.

You let out a half-whimper, half-squeal, and drop the crates to the floor. Jumping over them, you throw your arms around him, knocking him back a step with the force of your embrace. “You’re back!” you cry into his chest. You breathe him in, and tears roll down your cheeks – you can’t believe how much you missed his scent. Sure, he smells sweatier than normal and needs a shower, but you don’t care. You feel his thick arms encircle you, lifting you off the floor, and you raise your head to look into his face.

“Aw, darlin’,” he says softly, brushing away a tear. “What’s the matter, ya miss me or somethin’?”

You let out a wet little laugh, nodding. He chuckles, then moves his hand from your face to the back of your head, slipping out your hair band. “C’mere, I need them lips on mine.”

You circle your arms around his neck, and don’t wait for him to move forward, pressing your mouth to his needily. His chuckle at your eagerness dissolves into a groan as you feel him clench his fingers in your hair. His teeth scrape against your lips, his tongue delving into your mouth as if he’s trying to remember a taste he’d forgotten. You break away breathless and smiling at one another. He strokes the side of your face. “Gods, I missed you,” he whispers.

You wipe away the last of your tears and run your fingers along his beard. “You’re okay? How did the mission go?”

His eyes sparkle. “Couldn’a gone better. We got a huge inventory that I’m gonna sell off, we got a buyer already lined up on Contraxia.”

“That’s great,” you hug him around the neck. “When are we leaving?”

“Jesper’s already got us on our way. Jus’ gotta go through a couple Jumps, we’ll be there in no time.” He holds you tighter against his body, and looks you up and down. “Mm, I missed yer cool lil’ body in my hands.”

You laugh, and bury your face in his shoulder.

He laughs also. “What? What’s funny?”

“N-nothing, I just – I realized something while you were gone,” you say, trying to avoid his eyes.

“Oh? What’s that?”

“I think I have a – a size kink for you.”

He smiles at you, holding you out. “A what now?”

You blush deeper, giggling. “You’re just so big, and so tall, and your hands are huge and your voice is so deep, and I love when you hold me, and when I hear you walking up with those big boots – I just – I get all hot and bothered.”

His eyebrows shoot up and he just stares. For moments on end, just stares, then a grin creeps into his face, growing wider and wider until he bursts out laughing. “That right?” he asks.

You hide your face behind one hand and nod. “Yes.”

“So…so when I do somethin’ like this…” He backs you up until you’re trapped against the wall, and he winds your legs around hips, his duster falling around you. “It turns ya on?”

Your face is positively flaming, and you can only nod. “Yes.”

“Mm, well I like this size kink thing. Gonna have to try some things out on yer sweet lil’ body with my big hands and my big fingers and some other notable body part that ain’t small.”

You snort and rest your head against his chest.

He just laughs at this, and kisses the top of your head. “Lookin’ forward to jus’ relaxin’, havin’ a drink with my woman. And tonight - well, I’m gonna show ya jus’ how much I missed ya, doll.”

Chapter Text

Yondu is leaving with Luggh and Rhian to sell the inventory they picked up on K’ai, and asks you to stay with Kraglin while he’s gone. “I’ll meetcha at that bar there when I’m done.” He points down the street, and you activate your visor to read Bic Jakkry’s. “Shouldn’t take more than a few hours,” he says as he leaves.

You’re tempted to ask if you can go with him, but after the situation on Taurus V, you don’t object. “Don’t be too long,” you say with a teasing smile. “I need some spaceman in my life.”

“Oh, I’ll give ya all the spaceman ya need, doll,” he murmurs to you, and subtly reaches behind you roughly squeeze your butt.

Kraglin chooses that exact moment to approach, and stops in the snow, looking away to pretend he didn’t see. You blush deeply and smack Yondu’s hand away. He lets out a barking laugh, winks, and crunches through the snow, across the street to join Rhian and Luggh.

You and Kraglin meet each other’s eyes and laugh embarrassedly. “So Cap'n asked me to watch ya," Kraglin says,. "Hope ya don't mind, but I'm goin' to the tattoo parlor."

"Oh, no I don't mind at all.” You smile brightly. “Maybe I'll get another while I'm there too.”

It takes him aback. "Ya got tattoos?"

"Just one, on my shoulder blade. It's an arrow. I’m surprised you haven’t seen it while we’re training."

"An arrow?" he echoes with a stare back over his shoulder.

"Yeah," you say with a laugh. "Crazy, right?"

He shakes his head as he pushes through the door of a small, nondescript building. It has only a single neon sign in the window. "Hey Jian," he says loudly.

"Kraglin! How are ya, man? Been a long time.  A skinny man with long fingers comes out from behind the counter, and grasps hands with Kraglin. "Where's Tullk?" he asks, peering around him.

"Uh," Kraglin clears his throat softly. "Tullk...he ain’t here. He’s...he's gone."

Jian's shoulders droop, and his face lengthens. "Oh. Oh no." He stares down at his feet for a few moments, and when he raises his head again, his large eyes are glassy. "I'm sorry," he whispers.

"Yeah, me too," Kraglin says in a strained voice. He clears his throat louder, and turns back to you. "This here is our new medic, [y/n]. We call her Doc. [y/n], this is Jian. He's given me all my tattoos, he's the best in the galaxy."

Jian laughs wetly and comes forward to shake your hand. "He's just sayin' that because he hasn't been anywhere else." 

Kraglin snorts. "Don't mean it ain't true," he says, sidling over to several screens displaying tattoo options. 

Jian chuckles, wiping at an eye furtively. "So, [y/n],” he says, clearing his throat, “You and Kraglin are…?”

“Nope!” Kraglin interjects hurriedly, overhearing him. “She’s with the Cap’n.”

Jian’s eyes widen. “Ohh, oh I see. Kraglin’s your bodyguard for today, eh?”

You laugh. “He’s just keeping me out of trouble.”

Jian smiles. “Understood. And are you here to get a tattoo as well?"

"I was thinking about it, yeah."

"Any ideas?"

"Actually, do you have any idea what Yondu’s Yaka arrow looks like?"

"I do."

You zip down your jacket and strip off your long-sleeved shirt until you're just in a tank, and turn around to show him the arrow on your shoulder blade. "Can you do the Yaka arrow, crossing this one at an angle? Like," you make an X with your pointer fingers.

"I could do that. Let me sketch something up."

He claps Kraglin's shoulder as he crosses behind him to retrieve a holopad and a stylus. Kraglin stares at the screens, flipping through designs, and selects one with his finger, dragging it onto a holopad in his hand. Then he comes over to you. "Doc," he says. "You're from Terra. My friend Tullk, he was from Terra too - from..." He scrunches up his brows in thought. "Glasgow?"

"Oh, yeah. Glasgow, Scotland?"

"Yeah, that's it. Anyway. Do you know what the first letter of his name would look like in his language? Can ya draw it?" He hands you a stylus he picks up off the counter and gives you his holopad.

"Well, it was probably English, and a T in English looks like this." You draw it on the holopad, and hand it back.

He looks at it for a few moments, then back at the screens at the back of the room, and nods. "Yeah, I like that. Thanks, Doc."

Jian comes towards the two of you and turns his holopad to face you. On it is a drawing of the Yaka arrow, simplistic but very accurate.

"Hey, that's the Cap'n's arrow," Kraglin says. "Ya gettin' that tattooed on ya, Doc?"

"Yeah," you say with a slight blush.

"Well lemme go first, mine are small and will be done quick."

"Sounds good."

"I'm gettin' two, Jian," Kraglin says, handing the holopad to him. He unzips the top half of his jumpsuit and ties the arms about his waist. He takes off his tank, too, and seats himself backwards on a chair before Jian. He taps an empty space on his neck. "I'd like 'em here, close together." He points to the T you drew on the holopad. "This one's for Tullk," he says softly.

Jian pauses, looking up from the holopad, and his eyes rove over Kraglin's tattoos. "Is that what these all are?"

Kraglin clenches the back of the chair slightly, and nods. "Yeah." He swallows hard, and nods at the holopad again. "Feel free to dress it up a bit."

Jian nods, sketching up something on the holopad. “I’ll make it look a little like the one that Tullk had on his face.” He smiles sadly. “Do you remember when he got that? I think it was your first time here. You were just a lil’ un then.”

“Yeah, ‘bout fifteen or so, I think.”

“What’s the other tattoo for?” you ask.

“My friend Oblo, he-” Kraglin’s voice catches, and he presses his lips together, turning his eyes away. “He died at the same time as Tullk.”

“I remember him,” Jian comments. “Seemed like a nice fella.” There’s a buzzing sound as Jian nears the needle to Kraglin’s neck.

"Aren't you going to use local anesthesia?" you ask, rising from your chair. Though it isn’t normal practice back home, your visor indicated that it was offered here. If it was an option, you’d definitely recommend it for a sensitive location like the neck.

Both Jian and Kraglin shake their heads. "I don't want it," the First Mate says. "Fer me, they're supposed to hurt."

Tullk and Oblo – I wonder if they died in the mutiny. You scoot your chair closer to Kraglin’s, and take his left hand in yours. “You don’t have to go through this pain alone, you know,” you murmur so only he can hear.

Kraglin glances at you, and squeezes your hand lightly. “Thanks.”

You step out of the tattoo parlor; the wind is picking up, and it's starting to snow. You hear Kraglin crunch in the street behind you. The tattoo stings against your shirt, but Jian put some salve on it before you left, and gave you a little jar that you’ll put on for the next couple days. "I can't wait to show Yondu," you say. “Where are you headed now?”

“To Jakkry’s,” Kraglin says, and you notice his cheeks are flushed a little blue. “I – uh. I asked Ryx to meet me there. Gonna buy her a drink.”

“She told me! She was so excited.”

Kraglin flushes deeper and glances at you. “Yeah?” he asks with a hopeful smile.

You nudge him with your elbow. “Kraglin, she’s crazy about you. I’m glad you guys are finally getting together.”

Kraglin can’t stop a foolish grin from spreading over his face. He walks a little faster. “Go on and git yerself somethin’,” he says as you near the bar, “Jus’ keep me in yer sights, okay? I’ll probably be sittin out here.” He nods to some seats just outside the bar. There are heaters floating in the air over the tables.

“Oh, there’s Ryx,” you say, seeing her in the doorway.

Kraglin stumbles a little, and you see him swallow nervously.

“Go get her, tiger,” you say with a laugh and give him a gentle shove.

He runs his fingers through his hair, straightens up, throws out his chest, and marches towards her.

You’re about to follow him inside when you glimpse Yondu out of the corner of your eye, far down the street. Thankfully his blue skin and red implant make him easy to spot. “Oh, Kraglin – I see the Captain, I’m going to meet him.”

“Okay,” he calls over his shoulder.

You jog towards Yondu and call his name, but the wind catches your voice and he doesn't hear you. You watch as he enters a building across the way, and you pick up your pace to follow him. Rhian and Luggh aren’t with him, but maybe he’s got some other deals to take care of? As you approach the building, you see there are neon signs all over it, some of them in the same of vaguely female forms. You dig around in your pocket and slip the translation visor over your ear. It activates in front of your eyes so you can read them the name of the establishment. The Iron Lotus.

Your heart sinks straight down to your feet, leaving a cold and empty feeling in its wake. Tears spring to your eyes, but it's not because of the increasing wind blowing in your face. No, it has to be some kind of mistake. You stand there for several minutes, waiting for Yondu to come back out, the lump in your throat growing more and more painful with each passing second. He doesn't.

Kraglin is feeling warm with alcohol and excitement. Ryx is sitting so close to him that she’s nearly sitting on his lap, and he couldn’t be happier. He takes a finger and glides it along one of her pointed ears, tracing the tip. She blushes deeply and grins at him, leaning her head into his hand. But suddenly her grin falls away, and she shifts, standing halfway from her seat. “[y/n]?” she calls.

Kraglin follows Ryx’s gaze. You glance back slightly over your shoulder, but don’t stop. If anything, you walk faster. You’re heading for one of the transport stations that take you back to the ship.

Oh no, Kraglin thinks with a painful twist in his chest. What happened? “Hold on a second Ryx, I’ll be right back.” He lets his glass clatter on the table top and races after you. “[y/n]! Wait!” He overtakes you easily enough, and grabs your hand, forcing you to stop. “Doc, what’s –” he stops in mid-sentence at the sight of your flushed face and teary eyes. "Oh, Doc," he says, laying a hand on your shoulder. "Ya okay?"

You break down into a fresh round of tears, hiding your face in your hands. 

"Oh, Doc," he repeats, drawing you against him. He rubs a hand up and down your back. "What's goin' on?"

"Y-Yondu," you gasp out. "He went to - to the Iron Lotus."

He stops his hand, growing still. Naw. That has to be some kind a mistake. He holds you out. “Yer sure it was him?”

“Yes.”

Kraglin swallows, patting your shoulder hesitantly. “Well – he’s – he’s probably jus’ buyin’ a bot fer one a’ the guys. He does that sometimes.”

You shake your head, stepping away from him. "He’s been in there for a long time,” you say, wiping a palm across your cheek, and Kraglin doesn’t have a reply to this.

"Do ya want me to escort ya back to the ship?" he asks softly.

"No, I'll be fine on my own," you say with a sniffle. 

He nods. “Com me when ya git there so I know ya made it safe. And if ya need anythin’, let me know.” Kraglin makes sure you get to the transport okay, and watches as the ship rises to take you back to the Eclector. He stands there in the snow until you contact him, then turns and marches back to the bar. “Ryx,” he says, placing his hands on the table, “I’m real sorry but I gotta take care a somethin’. Now – ya  ya jus’ stay right there, ‘cause when I get back, I’m – I’m gonna kiss ya, okay?”

Her yellow eyes grow wide and round. She nods vigorously. “Yes sir.”

He can feel heat searing across his face and neck. “Okay. Jus’ stay right there, don’tcha move. I’ll be back.” Turning on his heel, he stalks towards the Iron Lotus. The blush from his cheeks fades, and with each growing step, sympathy and anger on your behalf grows in his chest.

He throws open the doors and pushes through the crowded foyer to the front desk, where the head madam, a Sneeper, is sending a guest on his way with another sexbot.

“Oh, Mr. Obfonteri. Welcome back. Would you like to try out that new Kiv-”

“Where’s Yondu Udonta?” he interrupts, slamming his hands down on the counter.

“I don’t give away customer information,” she snaps. “That is private. If you’re not going to buy one of our services today, then I’m going to have to ask you to-”

He draws his blaster and aims it at her head. “Ya know my reputation,” he says icily. “I don’t ask twice. Where. Is. Yondu.”

The foyer grows still and silent. A bead of sweat rolls down the Sneeper’s face, and she points a gnarled finger up the stairs. “307.”

He holsters the weapon and charges up the stairs. He passes 301, 303, 305, and turns the corner – just in time to hear the familiar tread of his Captain’s boots.

Yondu finishes re-tying his neckerchief and looks up in surprise to see his First Mate. “Krags. Thought you was goin’ fer Ryx!” He cackles and slaps the First Mate’s shoulder as he heads for the stairs. Kraglin doesn’t smile, laugh, or blush like he expects – and he stands in Yondu’s path. The Captain takes a step back. “What’s eatin’ ya, boy?”

“I need to talk to ya, ‘bout the Doc,” he scowls.

Yondu looks up at him sharply. “The Doc?” His eyes widen, choosing to ignore Kraglin’s brazen tone for the moment. "What happened? Is she okay? She get hurt?"

"Ya happened,” Kraglin snaps at him angrily, “And no, she ain’t okay!”

"Watch yer tone, boy!" Yondu snarls, taking a step towards the First Mate and pointing a finger in his face. "I am yer Cap'n!"

To his surprise, Kraglin doesn't submit to the threat. Instead, he grits his teeth and swats Yondu's finger away. Then he clenches Yondu's arm in one hand, dragging him back around the corner. He forces him back into room 307. The sexbots within turn to face them.

“Out!” Kraglin bellows. “Git the hell out!”

Sensing danger, the bots hurriedly withdraw. Yondu struggles a little against Kraglin’s grasp. The First Mate isn't as strong as he is, but he always forgets just how strong Xandarians can be. With a harsh shove, Kraglin releases him. Yondu stumbles backwards with the force of it, and snarls at him. “What the fu-"

"Shut up!" Kraglin interrupts. "If I was speakin' as yer First Mate right now I might leave it alone, but I ain't! I am speakin' as yer son!"

Yondu's mouth snaps shut, and he steps back.

“[y/n] saw ya come in here!” Kraglin cries. “I’ve seen the way ya look at her, the way ya are around her. She’s good fer ya, she makes ya happy – and ya make her happy too. I can tell that she really loves ya, and then ya go and do somethin’ like this? She was cryin’ something fierce when she told me.” He spreads his hands. “Why’d ya do it?”

Yondu’s mind blanks. “Wh-what? Cryin – but – why?”

Kraglin narrows his eyes, and Yondu almost takes a step back at the fire in them. "Really, Cap'n?" he growls. "Ya went to a damn brothel, and yer askin' me how it's related to yer woman cryin'?"

"They ain't real - they -" Yondu stammers. "Wait – does she think I cheated on her?" he asks in horrified whisper.

"Well, didn't ya?" the First Mate asks, crossing his arms.

"I-no-" he begins. "It’s robots. Ain’t like I – I mean, I didn't think that- oh gods,” he says, dashing for the door. “I gotta go to her."

"She went back to the ship. Closest transports are behind Nach Jembosu’s across the street," he says, pointing out the window, but Yondu has already torn out the door.

Chapter Text

You’re sitting on the floor of your cabin, your face buried in the pillow you’re crushing in your arms. You don’t know how long you’ve been sitting there, but you can’t stop crying. I thought he was different, he explicitly promised me he wouldn’t do this to me. Why was ever stupid enough to believe a Ravager? Why was I dumb enough to believe that he actually cared about me, that he might have loved me? He’s just like all the rest of them, he used me and threw me away. Only it’s worse – I’m stuck out here in space without a home to escape to  – and - You sob into the pillow. And I love him – how could he do this to me? The startling realization that you do, in fact, love Yondu makes the situation even more unbearable, and you sob harder. Your chest and throat ache.

Out in the hallway, you hear the fast, heavy thud of boots, and suddenly someone is smashing their fist on your door. The intercom crackles. “Honey, it’s me! Open the door, please open the door.”

You raise your head and glare at the door. Yondu. You wipe away some tears, your sadness quickly giving way to resentment and anger.

"Sweetheart, please," his voice comes again, “Open the door, I gotta talk to ya."

You jump up and mash the intercom button. "Leave me alone!" you scream into it.

"Honey, please - let me explain-"

"Don't you 'honey' me, you bastard!” you snap. “You cheated on me! After - after everything we’ve-" your voice breaks into a sob, and you turn away, falling to your knees and pressing your face into the wet fabric of the pillow again.

There’s silence on the other side of the door for several moments. "Please, jus’ give me a chance," his strained voice comes at last. "I'll override the door if I hafta."

You raise your eyes to the ceiling with an angry snort and run your sleeve across one eye. Of course he’d barge in here. Stubborn, cheating ass! Yondu pounds on the door again and pauses, then there’s the telltale sound of clacking keys and a soft whirring noise as he overrides the lock.

You contemplate throwing something at him as he enters, but you don’t see anything wieldy enough, and besides, you can’t even look at his face right now.

As Yondu cautiously enters, he sees you retreat hastily into the bathroom, slamming the door behind you. He dashes towards it, but before he can yank it open, there’s the heavy draw of the bolt inside. There’s no way to get in – unlike the main door, there’s not a code to override.

“Sweetheart, let me explain,” he begins, resting his forehead against the door.

“There’s nothing to explain!” you shout back.

He sighs, running his hands over his face. How do I make her understand? I guess I jus’ gotta tell her the truth, there’s nothin’ else to do. “Honey, look. Remember when we had that lil’ fight, before I went on the mission? And you said I’d been avoidin’ ya? Well…well it’s true, I have been.” There’s a muffled sob from the other side of the door. “But not fer the reasons ya think-” he adds quickly, but is interrupted.

“Just go ahead and say it!" you yell. "You're tired of me, and I can't satisfy you, so you went to - to - robots! You cheating lying bastard!"

"No!" he yells back. "I ain't gonna say that, 'cause it ain't true! Ya satisfy me plenty! Better than anyone I’ve ever had! I just didn't wanna hurt ya!"

You snort loudly. "Oh! Yeah, that makes sense!"

"Physically, dammit! I didn't wanna hurt ya physically! Or - or mentally or - anything! I just didn't think! It wasn't my intention to hurt ya at all, honey!"

His nose almost gets flattened as you throw open the door. "Oh yeah? Then what the hell was your intention?" you scream.

"To git my frustration out!" he yells back. "Last time we had sex, I was rough and I hurt ya! I like it real rough sometimes, I git in these moods-"

"What?" you hold up your hands. "Shut up! Just shut up for a second!" you scream at the top of your lungs.

Yondu forces his mouth shut and stands there, trembling and breathing hard.

You don't say anything for a minute either, your hands knotted into fists so tight that your fingers ache.  Hurt me? Rough? What the HELL is he talking about? You clench your teeth hard in the effort to keep silent, taking deep breaths through your nose to try and keep further tears at bay.

After your breathing has calmed a little bit, you yank the chair out from behind your desk and push it towards Yondu, just shy of throwing it at him. You stomp over to your bed and sit on the edge of the mattress, arms crossed tightly against your chest. "Sit down," you snap, barely getting the words out. "We're going to talk about this." You take another deep breath as Yondu sits, leaned forward with his arms on his knees. You're so angry and tears are still threatening to stream down your face that it's hard to get words out without screaming them. "You want to explain? Then explain,” you say in a shaking voice.

"Before I do," he says, scooting his chair a fraction closer to you, "I want ya to know that I'm – I’m sorry, [y/n]. Truly, darlin'," he says firmly, looking you straight in the eyes.

You hold his gaze. You’re still furious, still heartbroken – but this is the very first time Yondu has apologized to you, and it doesn’t seem like I’m sorry are words he speaks often. His voice is tight, and his eyes are filled with regret. But is it genuine? You look away. You hurt me, Yondu. I don’t know if I can trust you. How do I know you’re not lying to me right now?

 "I really didn't want to hurt ya,” Yondu continues, shifting slightly in his chair to try and catch your eyes again. “And I'm so sorry I did, sweetheart. I swear it’s the last thing I ever wanted to do." He waits for you to respond, but you just press your lips together in a tight, thin line as two tears roll down your cheeks. The sight wrenches his heart in his chest, and he wants to hold you so badly that he nearly gets out of his chair. But you’re angry with him – you have every right to be – and being in his arms right now is that last thing you probably want.

He swallows. "I git in these moods sometimes where I like havin' rough sex. I mean real rough. And the last time we had sex - that mornin' after ya got drunk - I left bruises, I scratched ya - I hurt ya, [y/n], and I was jus' bein' a lil' rough, weren’t nothin’ in comparison. I didn't wanna hurt ya again. I been battlin' these pent up sexual frustrations fer weeks, tryin' not to take 'em out on ya. Tha's why I avoided ya, tha’s why I went berserk on Revant, and tha's why I went to the Iron Lotus today. If I didn’t, I was afraid what would happen. Them bein’ robots, they ain’t real - they don’t feel nothin’ – can’t feel pain – so I went there to relieve myself in a way that wouldn't hurt ya. Except I did anyway," he adds quietly., "And – ” He squeezes his eyes shut, curling his hands into fists. “And gods, I'm so sorry baby. I know I can’t say it enough times, and I know them words can’t make up for what I did, but I am sorry.” He takes a deep and shaking breath and lowers himself to his knees in front of you. “Please, forgive me honey. I’m an idiot and I don’t deserve ya – but I can’t lose ya, I care about ya too much, please.” He reaches a hand out to touch your knee, but you jerk it away.

 He withdraws his hand swiftly, clenching his fists. He lowers his eyes to the ground and bows his head, waiting for you to say something, but you stay silent. He sits there for minutes on end, and feels your eyes on him, but still you say nothing.

When at last you do speak, your words are not ones he expects. "Why didn't you come to me?"

He lifts his head. "Huh?"

"You said it before – we’re in a relationship, right?"

"Yeah...?" he says slowly, tilting his head, trying to figure out where you're going with this.

"A relationship is not one-sided, Yondu. You should have come to talk to me about this first. I liked it when you were rough," you say, and his eyes widen, "But you didn't even give me a chance to tell you. You just decided for yourself what was best for the both of us. From now on, you can't do that. You have to come and talk to me when you have concerns or if something's bothering you. If we don't have open, honest communication, this relationship is going to fall apart."

"F-from now on?" he echoes. "Ya mean...y'ain't gonna make me take ya back to Terra?"

Another tear rolls down your cheek, but you shake your head stiffly. "No, I’m not."

Hope shines in his eyes. "Darlin'-"

"Do you know why?" you interrupt.

He doesn’t dare move other than shaking his head.

"Because you apologized to me. Ritchie, Devon - neither of them said they were sorry. Not once. And I think you might mean it."

"I do," he says quickly. "Forgive me, please, [y/n]. I promise I won't do nothin' like this ever again, I swear on my life and the stars, I'll never cheat on ya with nobody again - sexbot or otherwise." He tentatively offers you his hand, and you brush your skin against his.

"I forgive you, Yondu," you say, and his face lights up in a smile, as his fingers close around yours. You yank your hand out of his grasp. "But I am still angry with you. I can’t forget what happened just like that.” You snap your fingers. “We are not going to have makeup sex, or kiss, or anything right now. I don’t want any affection from you until I am ready and say so.”

The smile on Yondu’s face vanishes completely, but he just looks subdued, not angry. He nods. "I understand," he replies somberly. He gets to his feet and offers you his hand. "Can I at least buy ya a drink, down on the planet?"

You allow him to help you to your feet, and you nod with a sigh. "One drink."

For the rest of the entire evening, you’re exhausted, and in a mood so low that even the sight of Kraglin kissing Ryx in a corner booth at Jakkry’s isn’t enough to lift your spirits. Deep down, you’re glad that you and Yondu were able to talk it out, and also content with your end decision, but right now you can’t even look at him for more than a few seconds at a time. You hope you don’t regret taking him back. It concerns you that if Yondu was keeping this from you, that he might be keeping other things as well. You don't want to bring that subject up today, though. Soon, but not today. You had enough heartache for today.

You're not in the drinking mood, and Yondu doesn't really seem to be either - according to Kraglin, he can knock back a dozen drinks easy, but he's only on his third, and he's been nursing it for about an hour. "I can just go back to the ship," you offer, "So you can relax with the crew."

"No," Yondu replies, fear flashing in his eyes. "I want to be here with you."

You stay with Yondu on Contraxia long into the evening, but at last you request that he take you back to the ship. It’s a long, silent walk back to your cabin and you don’t look at him as you open your door. “Good night Yondu,” you say softly.

"Darlin', wait," he says, catching your hand, and you turn with a sigh. He swallows visibly, and shifts nervously from foot to foot. "Honey, ya remember that day I called ya on the holopad? Ya know, when I was out on the mission?”

You cross your arms and lean slightly against your door frame. You’re starting to get a pounding headache behind your eyes from all the crying you did earlier. “Yes.”

“Ya remember, I was – I was gonna tell ya somethin’? And then we got interrupted, and then-”

“And then you said you just missed me, yes.”

“Yeah, well, that weren’t what I was gonna say. I-”

“Why bring this up now?” you ask, your voice coming out with an irritated edge. You just want to go to bed and forget today ever happened.

“Because I been meanin’ to tell ya fer a while now, and –”

“Why can’t this wait until tomorrow?”

Some strange mix of deep hurt and anger flashes in Yondu’s eyes. “I’m tryin’ to tell ya somethin’. Why ya bein’ like this?”

“Why am I-” You let out a wry laugh. “Well geez, I don’t know. Maybe because you cheated on me today and I’m still angry with you?”

He opens his mouth to reply, then thinks better of it and turns his head to the side, looking away from you.

You think you see the shine of tears in his eyes, and your heart twinges for him. You unfold your arms and sigh. “Fine, what is it?”

“Forget it,” he growls, turning away from you.

You sigh again. “No, come on.” You will your voice to be soft, but it doesn’t entirely come out that way, and you still sound irritated.

“No, forget it,” Yondu says. “Ya don’t wanna hear it.”

“Yes I do.” This time, your voice sounds somewhat earnest to him. “Come on, what were you going to say?”

Yondu shakes his head and begins to walk away, heading for his quarters and the strongest drink he has.

“Yondu, what were you going to say?” you shout after him.

All of the regret, sadness, anger and frustration that has been piling up inside him all day comes to a head. He whirls on you and roars, “I was gonna tell you that I love you, dammit!”

You gasp, and he stumbles backward. He didn’t mean to blurt it out. It was supposed to be carefully spoken, led up to cautiously, and maybe not even said in those exact words. He's never said that to anyone before, and he wanted to do it right. This was not the right way to do it. He swallows, watching you. He wants you to say something, wants you to move, react - do something. But you just continue to stand there, staring at him. He backs up a step, then another – and runs from you.

He doesn’t get far.

“Yondu!” he hears your voice call behind him, and your fast footsteps. You catch him at the stairs, and grab his sleeve. “Yondu, wait!”

He turns to you, and you let go. “Do you mean it?” you ask, but he can’t tell what you’re feeling. Your eyes are just wide, and your voice soft. “You love me?” The words come in a whisper.

"Yes," he whispers back, and the words just come tumbling out in a hoarse and desperate confession. "I ain't never loved anyone before, [y/n]. Not like this, I ain't never felt about anyone the way I feel 'bout ya. I - I want ya to be mine and - and I know today I almost lost ya. When I realized I hurt ya I jus’ wanted to die, ‘cause it’s the last thing I ever wanted to do and I'm so sorry fer what I did - but I love ya, I do, I love ya more than my own life. I’ve loved ya since that first mornin’ I saw ya on Terra, lookin’ out into the sunrise, though I couldn’t put it into words then. I love ya so damn much.” His voice breaks and he falls silent, dropping his gaze to his feet while he waits for you to speak.

But you don’t. After a couple moments of silence, he looks back up at you sharply. You’re still just staring at him. “[y/n]? P-please, darlin’, say somethin’. Anythin’.”

Your lip quivers and a tear spills over onto your cheek. You approach him and place trembling hands on either side of his face. “I love you too.”

He swears he feels his heart stop. Did he hear you right? “Ya – ya do?”

You nod. “Yes I do, I love you.”

His eyes fill with tears, and unable to say another word for the moment, he seizes your face in his hands and presses his lips to yours. 

You clutch at his shoulders. All the anger you held upon coming onto the ship has evaporated. He loves me. That's worth fighting for, and worth forgiving. 

The kiss is long, slow and deep, and takes your breath away. When Yondu pulls back, he keeps your face cradled in his large hands. “I’m sorry I hurt ya, [y/n]. I swear on my life I’ll never do nothin’ like that again.”

“Let’s just not talk about it anymore,” you reply. “It’s over and done, let’s reconcile and move forward, okay?”

Yondu nods, pressing his forehead into your shoulder. “Gods, I love you so much.”

“I love you, Yondu.”

There’s a choking, sobbing sort of noise from him at your words, and he clutches painfully at your body. “N-no one’s ever told me that before,” comes his barely-audible murmur a second later.

“Oh Yondu,” you say with a sniffle, placing a kiss on his head, “I’m just going to have to tell you every day then, so you don’t forget.”

He laughs wetly, snuggling his face further into your shoulder. Then, without a word, he slips his arm under your legs and lifts you into his arms, ascending the stairs to his cabin. You expect him to throw you down on his bed and start undressing you, but instead he just sits against the pillows and holds you firmly in his arms. He rocks back and forth slightly, stroking your hair and kissing you gently.

You hold onto him tightly, closing your eyes and listening to his triple heartbeat.

"No more lies," he says after a long time. "No more secrets. I'll be honest with ya here on out, and I'll take better care of ya. I'm gonna be a better man fer ya, [y/n], I promise.”

You turn your face up to his slightly to kiss him again. "Thank you, Yondu. I want you to be honest with me, but I don't want you to change who you are too much," you say with the first smile you’ve worn since that morning. "I want you to stay the devilish rogue I fell in love with."

He presses his head into your neck, and you feel his tongue trace your throat. "No worries of that changin', sugar. I aim to ravage ya every damn chance I get. But fer right now," he says in a softer voice, placing a light, sweet kiss on your cheek, "I jus' wanna hold my baby." His arms tighten around you, and he leans his head back against the pillows. 

You sleep in each other's embrace until morning.

Chapter Text

Even though you told Yondu to just forget about what happened, you know you can’t - and Yondu knows too.

“I messed up real bad, [y/n]," he says the next morning. “And I don’t deserve fer things to just go back to the way they are like I didn’t do nothin’.” 

At your surprised expression he adds, “Not that I don’t want it to, but it ain’t right. It ain’t fair to ya. So I want ya to take all the time ya need to sort out yer feelings or whatever ya need to do before we git close to each other again. I won’t make a move on ya until ya say yer ready fer me, but I'll be ready and waitin’.” His entire speech is grave and solemn, his ruby eyes dark with regret. “I love ya, and I wanna make this right.”

“Thank you for the offer, Yondu,” you say. “I think that’s a good idea.” You almost lean forward to kiss his cheek in gratitude, but decide this would be too lenient, in spite of the kisses you shared yesterday. Instead you squeeze his hand and leave his room.

An entire week goes by.

There's no sex, no sleeping together in the same bed, no kisses, and not even any hugs. There are, however, good-night wishes and I love yous. You told Yondu that you would say you loved him every day, and you hold to that. He's also true to his word - he doesn't make a move on you. You can tell it's killing him not holding or kissing you; you can see the anguish in his eyes every night, and it tears a little at your soul. But you both decided this was for the best, and you were right.

The separation gives you time to reflect on your past together and the future before you, to sort out your emotions and how you truly feel about him. You're still a little upset with Yondu for what he did, but you understand now that he honestly didn't intend to hurt you. If he wanted to cheat on you, he could have done it with a real woman, not a robot, and unlike Ritchie or Devon, Yondu genuinely regrets his actions. You haven’t given either Devon or Ritchie much thought since those relationships ended, but you sort through your thoughts on them, comparing them to Yondu.

Those relationships hadn’t been nearly as meaningful or emotionally intimate as the one with your Ravager Captain. Devon, you now realize, was constantly distant, and Ritchie had been insulting and borderline verbally abusive to you. In comparison, Yondu has never raised a finger or used hurtful words against you and has tried to be as available to you as possible between the demands of his ship. Unlike Devon who had a hard time holding down a job, and Ritchie, who was rude and condescending to most women, Yondu has been the Captain of a ship for over thirty years and obviously cares for his family, especially his adopted sons, very deeply. As far as you’ve seen, Yondu has treated other women on and off the ship with respect and courtesy, and he always smiles when he mentions Aleta, who for all intents and purposes, is the only mother figure he's ever had. You figure that all these reasons add up: Yondu is nothing like your previous boyfriends. He learned his lesson and is worth forgiving and keeping.

Six days after the Eclector disembarked from Contraxia, you've just seated yourself at the head table and are about to start eating your dinner when you notice Yondu isn't there. "Where's the Captain?" you ask Kraglin.

The First Mate shrugs. "Dunno."

"He's in the Control Room," Jesper says, and he gets a furrow between his brows.

You cock your head. "What's wrong?"

"He kicked us Navs out, said he wanted to be alone."

Kraglin stops eating and studies Jesper's face. "Is there somethin' else?"

Jesper looks up at him, slightly startled. "Oh, well. I – it was just strange. He seemed…kinda sad, I guess."

Your throat tightens, and you glance at Kraglin, who you apprised of what's been going on - Yondu had confided in him as well. The First Mate locks eyes with you, and nods.

"I better go see if he's feeling okay.” You make a beeline for the Control Room. You've never been in it, but Yondu told you where it was. You climb the short, enclosed stairwell up to it, turning at the top. Half of the room is made up of a giant windshield, looking out on the vast star-strewn void of space. In front of the windows, dozens of holoscreens with maps, communique, and meters regulating the ships' various functions are projected. The holoscreens rest above a series of stations, divided into two main areas. In the middle of these two areas is a large chair, in front of which you assume are the main controls for the Eclector. It is in this seat that Yondu sits, slumped and staring blankly out the windshield.

You make your way towards him, making sure your footfalls are a little louder than normal, so he hears you coming. Despite this, you’re still not sure if he knows you’re there; he doesn’t speak or glance in your direction. For the first time, he looks old to you; his eyes are hollow and distant, with dark bags under them, and his face is long and drawn. You crouch by his side, sliding your hand over his. He flinches slightly, and his eyes flick to yours. 

"Hi spaceman," you say softly. "What's wrong? You don't look so well."

"Darlin'?" the word comes out in a sort of strangled whisper. He grips your hand, pulling you to your feet, and yanks you into his arms, cradling your body against his.

"Whoa, whoa," you say, circling your arms around his neck. "It's okay." You squirm in his arms, and he hurriedly releases you.

"M' sorry," he says quickly. "I shouldn't be-"

"Ssh, shh. It's fine, I'm just getting comfortable," you say quietly. You seat yourself on his lap and cup his cheek in your hand. "Now. Tell me what's going on, Yondu. What's the matter? Are you feeling okay?"

His gaze drops to the arm of his chair, and he scratches at some flaking metal on it. "M' fine."

"No," you say sternly, and his eyes flick back up to you. "Yondu, remember what we talked about? No secrets. Open, honest communication."

He sighs, and he just seems to sink further into the chair. Defeatedly, he rests a hand over his eyes. "I had - I had a nightmare last night, a real bad one."

"Ego again?" you whisper.

"Started out that way. But then I thought I woke up, it was like a dream in a dream. I was walkin’ round the ship, lookin’ fer ya, but I couldn’t -" he chokes a little, and takes a few heaving breaths. "I couldn’t find ya anywhere,” he gasps out. "Ya were jus’ gone. I looked n’ looked, had the whole crew lookin’ fer ya, but they didn’t know who ya were. Kept askin’ me who they were lookin’ fer. Nothin’ I did helped, it was like ya’d never come on board, almost like ya’d never existed." He hides his entire face in his hands, bending over one side of the chair. "Gods, it felt so damn real. I thought I was awake, was startin’ to think ya’d been somethin’ I dreamed up, I was so -"

"Oh, Yondu," you say, wrenching his hands from his face. There are tears in his eyes. "It's all right. I'm right here. Okay? I'm right here, and I’m not going anywhere." You pull his head forward to rest against your chest, and his arms wrap around you tightly, his fingers clenching hard in your scrubs. 

"I love ya, darlin'," he gasps out, breathing hard. "I love ya."

"I love you too, Yondu," you say, stroking the back of his head. "It's okay. I'm here, I’m here."

You hold him for several minutes, until his hold loosens on you and he backs a little gruffly out of your embrace. His lip is curled slightly and he opens his mouth, but you press your fingers to his lips. "No," you say warningly, "You are not a wuss, and I don't think you're weak for being sad or scared because you thought you lost me. So just stop right there."

His mouth closes, and he lets out a little amused snort. "Ya know me too well already, doll." It's then that he seems to realize that he's still holding you and draws back. "I didn't mean to put my hands on ya. I -"

"It's okay, Yondu." You take his hands in yours and squeeze them. “Come on. We're going to stop by my cabin so I can get some pajamas and my toiletries and a change of scrubs, then we're going to go back to your cabin and take a shower before we go to bed, okay? That'll warm you up and relax you a bit."

"We?" he asks, looking wonderingly into your eyes.

You nod. "Yes, we."

"Ya mean, we're back together again?"

You lean forward and rest your forehead against his. "Yes. Despite what you did, you are still a much better boyfriend than either Devon or Ritchie was to me, and honestly, I can't stand being away from you anymore." You kiss his forehead and slide off his lap, heading towards the stairs.

Your hand is grabbed, and you're spun around to rest flush against Yondu's chest. He bends like he's going to kiss you, but he just hugs you firmly, nestling his head into your shoulder. He just holds you there for a few minutes before letting go, not saying anything, and you know his embrace is out of gratitude.

A short while later, you’re lying in Yondu’s bed, you clothed in pajamas, and Yondu in nothing but underwear.

You’re leaned in the crook of his shoulder, his arm around you, and you’re tracing the scars on his chest. “What’s this one from?” you ask, tracing the long, Frankenstein-esque scar that spans his lower belly.

“Taenurian cave wyrm in a gladiator arena. I killed it, but not before it nearly gutted me. Surprised the Kree went through all that damn trouble to patch me up.”

You frown and point to a roundish scar on the right side of his abdomen. “And this one?”

“Took a blastershot fer Martinex one time.” He looks over his body, and sighs. “If I could erase all these scars from m’body, I would,” he says. “Except this one,” he says softly, touching a couple fingers to the scar that brought him to you. “I never wanna forget how I met ya.”

You place a long kiss on his lips and smile. You trace another couple scars with your index finger, then notice a very thin, almost perfectly straight line about an inch or so beneath his pectorals, traversing his entire chest. “Is this a scar?” you ask.

He looks to where your indicating, then his face flushes and he drops his head back against the pillows. “Uh, no. No, that ain’t a scar.”

“What is it, then?”

“Nothin’.”

“Yondu,” you say warningly.

He sighs and rubs a hand across his eyes tiredly. “Yeah, yeah. No more secrets. It’s – dammit – it’s my pouch,” he mumbles.

You lift yourself up, leaning on one elbow. “Pouch?”

“Yeah, ya know. My pouch. Fer – fer cubs. Uh, babies.”

You sit up straight. “Whoa, whoa - you can get pregnant?”

He stares at you for a second, then roars with laughter. “HAhaha - gods, no!” He takes a few deep breaths between laughs, then says, “It’s fer carryin’ em after they been born.”

You laugh too, and curl back under his arm. “Oh, like a kangaroo.”

“A what?”

“You know – a kangaroo. You saw them on that show about Australia on the TV? That animal that has big ears and hops around, carries a baby in its pouch?” You can tell by the look he’s giving you that he doesn’t remember and laugh again. “Never mind,” you say, patting his stomach. “That’s cute, though. I didn’t know you had a pouch.”

“Well, it ain’t open. I don’t think it’s supposed to, until there’s lil’ uns.”

You are both quiet with your own thoughts for a few minutes, then you say, “Kind of related to that…I don’t know if I can get pregnant by you, but it’s something I’d rather not worry about right now, you know? Is there something we can use when we’re having sex?”

“Yeah, I got some protex ‘round here somewhere.”

“Is that a medication?”

“Naw. It goes over my-”

“So it’s like a condom,” you interrupt with a slight blush. “Got it, okay. We should probably start using those.”

“Yeah, guess so,” he grumbles, trailing his fingers through your hair. “Don’t feel quite as satisfyin’, but yer right, it’s important.” He suddenly grins that shark grin at you. “Especially with the amount of sex we’re gonna be havin’.”

You snort and hide your face in his chest.

“Oh ho, ya think I’m kiddin’?” He growls playfully and lifts you onto his body, so you’re straddling him. “Like I said, I aim to ravage ya every chance I get.”

The next morning, the mess is crowded. You go to take your usual seat opposite Kraglin and Yondu, but the Captain stops you. “No, yer sittin’ here by me now. Uh – if ya want, that is.”

You smile brightly at him and move around the table, placing your tray next to his.

“Don’t sit down yet,” he says, getting to his feet. “I’d like to tell the crew, ‘bout us. Issat okay?”

You smile up at him and nod.

He smiles back, then swallows, and turns to face the room. “Listen up, y’all!” he roars, and the mess falls quiet. “Me and the Doc here,” he begins, sliding an arm about your waist, “We’re together. As in, she’s my girlfriend.”

With all of the eyes on you, you blush and direct your eyes at the tabletop.

“Meanin’ she’s taken. So y’all better be even more careful when talkin’ to her and whatnot, or else! And when we’re out n’ about, ya keep an eye open fer her, make sure she’s safe. And-”

You laugh softly and pat his arm. “That’s probably enough, Yondu,” you say quietly.

He looks down at you, then nods. “Right. Tell yer teammates that ain’t here, that the Doc is mine.”

“And he’s mine,” you add loudly.

There’s laughter at this and a round of applause as you both sit down.

“Thank gods,” Nillgrac blurts out, slapping his tray down across from you. “I thought I was gonna lose my mind, you guys always makin’ eyes at each other.”

“You noticed?” you ask.

“Shit, yeah. But I was startin’ to think I was crazy, cuz last week I barely saw ya around each-”

“Tha’s enough,” Kraglin interrupts sternly, and Nillgrac’s mouth snaps shut.

“Yessir,” he says quickly, and dives into his breakfast.

“So, Yondu?” you ask after taking a bite of a piece of fruit. “Us being official, does that mean I can hold your hand now?”

He looks at you, a curious smile playing on his lips. "Sure."

You smile widely and slip your hand into his where it rests on the tabletop. Your fingers are curled around his thumb, his hand totally engulfing yours. A flutter goes through his chest. It might be a small gesture, but there's something significant about it. He raises your locked hands and brushes his lips against your skin.

“Cap,” Kraglin says suddenly, “Yer getting’ a transmission in the Control Room.”

Yondu growls. “It can wait.”

“Uh, due respect sir, but no it can’t. It’s Nova Prime.”

Chapter Text

Yondu bursts into the Control Room, straightening his duster. He’s wracking his brain, trying to figure out what he did to get a call from the head of the Nova Empire, and how in hell she got his frequency.

“All you Navs quiet down. Put her on screen,” Yondu orders, seating himself in the command chair.

An elegant, older woman appears on the holoscreen, her platinum-blonde hair twisted in a bun. “Captain Udonta. It’s good to see you alive and well.”

“Ma’am,” he answers politely.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m calling, so I’ll get straight to the point.” She raises a hand. “You are not under arrest nor are you under investigation. I merely wanted to extend a personal invitation to you, to attend the Battle of Xandar Remembrance Gala next week.”

He blinks at her, floored. “The what?”

“Next month will mark a year since the Battle of Xandar, and for the services you and your crew rendered on Xandar, defending our planet and our people from Ronan’s forces, I hoped you would attend as my guest.”

Yondu turns and looks helplessly at Kraglin for an answer, but the First Mate just raises surprised eyebrows at him. “Uh, yeah, okay,” he finds himself replying. “Sure. Next week, ya say?”

“Yes. It will be held at the Vetti Institute on Sarran. You are allowed one guest. I’ll forward the formal details to you over this frequency. If you could please reply with how you would like to be listed in our programs, as well as the name of your guest, I would be much obliged.”

“Sure, sure.”

“We are grateful for what you did, Captain. I look forward to seeing you.”

“Yeah. Oh – before ya go, ya mind tellin’ me how ya got my frequency? I’m curious. What with the new ship and all, ya know.”

“Oh, of course,” she says with a smile. “Mr. Quill was kind enough to share it with me.”

Yondu gives her a clenched smile. “Right.”

Nova Prime disconnects the call, and Yondu slams a fist on his armrest. “Dammit, Quill!”

“Oh come on. A party? It sounds like fun,” you say, nudging Yondu.

Yondu rolls his eyes and snorts. “Oh, yeah. Fun. I wanna go like I want my implant ripped out.”

“Cheer up, Cap’n,” Kraglin says, looking over the official invitation that Nova Prime had sent. “It’s at the Vetti Institute. If nothin’ else, there’s a bunch of a valuables there.”

You look sharply up at Kraglin. He’s usually so sweet and kind that sometimes you forget that he steals and lies for a living.

Yondu perks up at the First Mate’s comment, however. “Hey, hey, yer right! They got that – uh – that whassit.” He snaps his fingers. “That Rigellian crystal dagger! It’s valued at 300k, but I bet I can get at least 500 fer it.”

You just shake your head and go back to your breakfast.

“Is it worth gettin’ fancy, though, is the question.” Yondu strokes his beard, glances at the invitation, then at you. His eyes light up. “Hold on a minute – I get a guest!” He turns quickly to Kraglin. “You don’t wanna go to this thing, do you?” he murmurs.

Kraglin just gives him a blank stare back. “Yer kiddin’, right?”

Yondu chuckles and loops an arm around your waist. “Honey! Ya wanna be my date?”

“I don’t want to go if you’re not going to enjoy yourself.”

“I weren’t thinkin’ ‘bout seein’ you all dolled up! Naw, this is turnin’ out to be a good thing. I’m even gettin’ a lil’ excited! Whatcha say?”

You pretend to think about it for a moment while Yondu chews on his lip, then laugh and nod. “I’d love to! I’m going to need a dress, though.”

“No worries there.” Yondu clicks his wrist com. “Jesper, come in.”

“Jesper here, sir.”

“Set a course for Bira. We got some shoppin’ to do.”

Bira is a large moon circling the larger planet of Jarrus, which is the next planet in line down from Sarran, where the gala will be taking place. Bira, Yondu tells you, is famous for its shopping district, vacation resorts, beaches and upscale restaurants.

Yondu sits next to Kraglin in the Cawl. He’s discarded his usual Ravager garb for something a little more lowkey and less heavy; Bira has a warm tropical climate. He looks back over his shoulder at you, and see you’re leaned forward in your seat, marveling at the elegant white and blue buildings they pass. The ocean sparkles to their left in the sunlight, the pink sand beaches framed by colorful flora. You catch his eyes, and flash him a beautiful smile that makes his heart patter.

“Just landed, sir,” comes Luggh’s voice over the speaker. “About to disembark.”

“Copy,” Kraglin responds. “I’m headin’ in now.”

Luggh flew Mosegi, Ryx and Nillgrac in on the other ship; several other M-ships carrying Ravagers who want to do some shopping or see the sights have already landed. Kraglin follows the same path and gently sets the Cawl down on one of many landing pads.

You all disembark the ship and head for the city. Just as you enter the shopping district, Yondu spots Ryx and Mosegi, who were waiting for you. Mosegi is taking you dress shopping, and you and Ryx have plans to spend a few hours together.

“Before ya get goin’, honey,” Yondu says, “I jus’ wanna talk to ya ‘bout-”

“Don’t worry,” you interrupt. “I promise I’ll stay right by someone this time.”

He chuckles. “I know, baby. That ain’t what I was gonna say. Here.” He pulls out a stack of units and hands them to you discreetly. “Don’t know what all yer gonna get up to today, but there’s a couple thousand there. That should be enough.”

You gape at the stack and try to push them back into his hands. “Yondu, I can’t take all of that!”

“Yes, ya can. If it makes ya feel better, just think of ‘em as yer wages – ya done real good takin’ care a’ the crew.” He can see you still feel a little uneasy about it, but at his urging, you tuck the units safely in your bag.

“Thanks, Captain,” you say, standing on your toes to kiss him on the cheek. “I’ll see you later.”

Yondu catches your hand. "Wait, one more thing." Yondu shifts a little on his feet, and you see a blush creeping into his cheeks. "I uh..." he clears his throat and takes your hands in his. "I wanted to take ya to dinner tonight. Someplace nice. Would ya like somethin’ like that?"

Smiling wide, you slide your hands up his chest, and wind your arms about his neck. "Yondu Udonta, are you asking me out on a date?"

"Yeah," he answers softly, looking into your eyes. "I am."

"Well in that case," you start, and kiss him full on the mouth, "I would love to."

As Yondu returns the kiss, he knows that some of the crew – Kraglin, Ryx and Mosegi at least – are watching. It’s something he has to get used to, but he likes it. He likes showing you off and flaunting the fact that you’re his. He deepens the kiss a little at that thought before releasing you, and reaches around to squeeze your ass.

You giggle as you slip back out of his arms. "I'll pick up something to wear for tonight, then.”

"Meetcha at 1900 at that watchtower," he calls back, pointing.

You turn and see a tall building towering ahead of you. You smile and wave at him, blowing him a kiss.

A couple hours later finds you perusing your third dress shop, and you're starting to lose hope. The first shop doesn't really count. The owner, who was a Vlywoe like Mosegi, wouldn't let him in - because of his skin condition. You learned that the dark orange patches on Segi’s skin are viewed as an imperfection by his race, and that he cast out as a child by his own people because of it. You called bullshit, grabbed Mosegi’s hand, and walked right out. You were already pissy because of this at the second store, and you liked none of the dresses Segi suggested. Although they were all very pretty, none of them fit right, and you found something wrong with all of them.

 You’re feeling pretty down and unenthused about the whole thing, and you’re ready to just give it a rest for a while, but Mosegi and Ryx are determined to help you find a dress you like.

"How about this one?" Ryx asks, lifting the skirt of a pink gown. 

You look at it, tilting your head. It's actually a shade of pink you don't mind, but you don't like the style, and shake your head.

"This one?" Mosegi asks, gesturing to a gold gown.

You shake your head. Too many sequins. You sigh and are about to suggest you break for lunch when you see it. 

It's strapless and a few shades darker than Yondu's skin. The fabric is gathered elegantly on one side, and there are streams of little jewels on it, tiny and silver and white and gold, sparkling like stars. The bodice of it is made of the same blue fabric, a little stiffer so it holds its shape, but somehow the fabric around the breast area and down the plunging V neck line is transparent at the edges and strewn with the same little jewels, so it looks like the sparkly bits are stuck against the skin of the bot modeling it. You approach the bot. "Can you turn around please, so I can see the back?"

It nods at you and turns, the gown swishing around its ankles and the pedestal it's standing on. The gown appears backless, but the empty space is strewn with that same transparent fabric and jewels.

You hear the tap of Segi’s several legs and turning to him, grasping his arm. “This one!”

His smile is so wide his mandibles pop out of his mouth, and his lower half skitters back and forth. "Oh, I love it! I'll go give them your size and find some shoes and things to match, and I'll meet you back there."

"Thanks!" You turn to Ryx and squeal. “Isn’t it gorgeous?”

Ryx helps you change into the dress, and Mosegi brings you a pair of strappy black heels, a clutch and a shawl that matches the dress. You feel like a princess as you walk out onto the mirrored podium, but you’re grinning like an idiot. "It's a little long, but what do you think?" you ask, nearly jumping up and down. You’ve never been so excited about a dress before. You expected the transparent fabric to be itchy, especially with all the little jewels on it, but it's surprisingly very soft and comfortable. 

Ryx and Segi just smile back at you. "We are done looking!" the tailor announces, raising his hands. "And don’t worry, I'll hem the bottom for you, that is not difficult."

You let out a little happy squeal and go back into the dressing room to change back into your normal clothes.

Mosegi departs back to the ship with your things, both to keep them out of Yondu’s sight, and to get started on the hem. For the rest of the day, you’re happy to enjoy some much-needed girl time with Ryx. You have some lunch together at a little wine shop and café, then stop by a salon to make an appointment for later in the afternoon to get your nails and hair done. After you’ve exited the salon, Ryx giggles and points at a large store on the counter outlined in purple lights. You activate your visor and read Innana. “What’s that?”

Ryx giggles again. “Lingerie store. What do you think, should we pick out something to show our boys?”

You both grin at each other, laugh, and beeline for the store. 

Once inside, you see the store is divided, like most of the clothing shops you’ve visited, by the number of limbs you have. Ryx heads for the bipedal-quadbrachial section, and you make your way into the bipedal-bibrachial area and start browsing. You pick up a few sets of everyday panties and select a few bras to try on. There are some strapless ones that feel like they might be very comfortable. You find some cute lacy panties and some thongs too. The further you investigate, the more risqué the clothing becomes, and you feel your face flushing with heat. You've never really bought lingerie before. You spy a matching lacy blue teddy, bra and thong set, with transparent fabric patterns strewn throughout. Feeling it between your thumb and forefinger, you discover that the lace is very well made and not itchy, but very soft. Looking it over, you think it's pretty close to the blue of the dress you picked up, and blush thinking of Yondu seeing you in it. 

You scan the shelves for your size, and turn the corner, assuming your size is on the other side of the display. You walk right into someone and look up in surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry - I - Yondu?"

"Huh- honey!" he stammers, eyes wide, and hurriedly whisks his hands behind his back. "Wh-whatcha doin' here?" 

You grin up at him, hiding your shopping basket behind your back as well. "I'm shopping." You run a finger up his chest and poke him. "What are you doing here?"

The blush that started creeping into his cheeks upon your appearance keeps growing steadily darker. "I - uh - same."

"Oh, for you?" you glance at the display. "I bet you'd look really good in a thong,” you tease.

His face is purple. His mouth opens and closes for a second, until he's able to say, "I gotta go." Quickly, he skirts around you and flees the scene. You collapse against the display, giggling with your face in your hands.

When you exit the store, you find Ryx finishing up a conversation on her wrist com. Her face is very pink.

"Was that Kraglin?" you tease.

"Yes," Ryx says. "He is getting a hotel room for us tonight at the Ravshan!"

"Oh, I saw a display for that earlier! It looks fancy."

"It is one of the most expensive hotels in town, known for its romance packages.” 

You giggle and elbow her in the side. “Oooh, someone’s getting lucky tonight!”

"Stop!" she laughs, pushing you, but she blushes even darker.

You laugh and glance at your wrist com. "Oh, come on - I think we have time to hit that bubble drink shop before our salon appointment."

Yondu punches Kraglin in the shoulder as the First Mate clicks off his wristcom. "The Ravshan, huh boy? Damn, ya really like this girl, don'tcha. That place ain't cheap."

Kraglin shrugs and gives Yondu a smile. "Don't usually spend a lot, figured I'd treat myself."

"Gods know ya deserve a lil' fun, boy. Ryx seems like a good girl."

Kraglin smirks and tips back his beer. "Ain't too good, if ya know what I mean."

Yondu laughs raucously, and slaps Kraglin's back so hard that he nearly causes the First Mate to drop his drink. 

"So where ya takin' [y/n] tonight?" he asks, mopping some beer off his shirt.

"Ya remember Jonto?"

"Yeah, been awhile since I heard ya mention him."

"I think he's got a restaurant 'round here somewheres." Yondu pulls a small holopad out of his jacket and pulls up a guide he'd downloaded. "Bronxi's, Della's, Fhloston’s...ah! Yeah, Syrenne, tha's it." He replaces the holopad and straightens in his seat. "So. Ya probably been on more dates than me, Krags. Any advice?"

Kraglin laughs and runs his fingers through his hair. "Ah, shit. I dunno, Cap. [y/n] likes ya jus' the way y'are, don't know that ya gotta do somethin’ special."

"But I screwed up. I gotta make it up to her."

"I thought ya made up."

"Yeah, we did. But - but I wanna show her how much she means t'me. ‘Sides, this is our first real date, it’s gotta be a good one."

Kraglin crosses his arms and leans back in his chair in thought. "Dinner's a good start. What does she like to do?"

"Do?" Yondu taps his fingers on the table, trying to remember what you used to like to do on Terra. He remembers that you like to cook, and dance - and stargaze. He snaps his fingers. "Tha's it. Weather's supposed to be clear tonight, right?"

Kraglin pulls up some diagnostics on his wrist com and after a second, nods. "Yep, scattered clouds, but no rain or nothin'."

"Perfect." Yondu downs the rest of his beer and gets to his feet, throwing some units on the table. Kraglin does the same, and they walk out of the cafe and down the street. 

Yondu casually glances through the window as they pass a jewelry store. He double-takes and turns around, peering through the window at a necklace and earring set displayed by a mannequin. As soon as he sees it, he knows exactly where that belongs. Hurriedly, he hits his wristcom.

"Yondu?" comes your voice.

"Hi baby. Ya didn't buy any jewelry to go with yer dress yet, did ya?"

"That was my next stop. Why?"

"Don't bother, I'm gettin' ya somethin' to wear."

A soft laugh, then, "Okay. Thank you, spaceman."

"My pleasure, darlin'. Ya go on and enjoy yerself now. I'll see ya soon." He clicks off and strides into the store and right up to the cashier. "How much fer that set in the window?"

It's 1900 hours, and you've almost reached the watchtower. Your hair is freshly cut and styled, and your nails are all done up. You've got a new dress on, something not super fancy but good enough for a dinner date. You've got the watchtower in your sights when you see Yondu, along with Kraglin and Nillgrac. The Captain is dressed in a pair of black trousers and shoes, as well a maroon button-down shirt rolled up slightly at the sleeves. He's got a dark grey jacket slung over his shoulder. 

You blush. You haven’t seen Yondu in anything besides a t-shirt and jeans, and his Ravager uniform. He cleans up nice. “Well, hello handsome.”

Yondu turns, and his mouth drops open slightly before giving way to a huge grin. He takes your hands in his and pulls you closer, eyes roving over your body. He captures your gaze with his, and pulls you in even closer, sliding a hand about your waist. “Darlin, ya look beautiful.” He bends and gives you a soft kiss on the cheek. “Ya ready for our date?”

“So ready,” you reply.

“Good. I got a car waitin’.”

Yondu hands his bags and yours to Nillgrac to take back to the ship, then opens the door of a sleek hovering vehicle for you. “What a gentleman,” you say with a smile as he helps you inside.

His eyes glitter and he gives you that shark smile before hurrying around to his side of the car. He slides in next to you. “We’re goin’ to Syrenne,” he tells the driver, “And why don’tcha take the route by the coast, huh?”

“That will be a longer ride,” the driver warns, looking back at him through the partition.

Yondu slides a unit card through the little window. “Fine by me.”

The man smiles and takes the card. “Yes, sir.”

The car makes its way through the city, and sooner than you expect, the road spills into a wide-open lane, bordered on one side by fields of purple and blue grasses, and the ocean on the other. The sun is beginning to go down, and the sky is streaked with pinks, golds and purples.

You feel Yondu’s hand slide across your shoulders, pulling you against him, and out of the corner of his eye, you see him press a button on the car door that masks the window partition with a dark tint so the driver can’t see the two of you.

“Having naughty thoughts, Captain?” you ask with a smirk.

“About you? Always, darlin’,” he replies, one of his teeth sticking out like a bulldog fang. He slides a hand up your calf, over your knee, and under your dress. Pulling you close, he bends his head towards yours, and what starts off as a sweet and gentle kiss turns into a passionate and heated make out session that lasts the rest of the ride.

As the car begins to slow, you break away from each other, and you hurriedly pull out a small compact mirror, trying your best to fix your hair and dress before you get out of the vehicle.

Yondu opens the door for you, and you slide your hand into his as he leads you down a flower-lined stone pathway towards one of the most beautiful buildings you’ve ever laid eyes on.

It’s built of glass and white stone, staring out narrow at its base and then opening like a flower at the top, with petal-like balconies where you see people dining. It has a timeless, modern look to it, with clean lines and a simple, yet elegant appearance. Two tall water features pour down on either side, spilling into a pond straight ahead. As you cross an ornate white bridge that spans this pond, you look through its glass bottom to see the water is strewn with pink lily-like plants. At the other end of this bridge is a little enclosure, where a fashionably-dressed man stands behind a pedestal, checking over a holopad, making notes and scratching things out.

"Name?" he asks as you approach, not bothering to meet your eyes.

"I don't have a reservation,” Yondu replies. “I'd Like to speak to Jonto."

The man still hasn’t looked up and continues in a sighing sort of voice, "Unless you have an appointment, I'm afraid Mr. Jonto is unavailable."

A flash goes through Yondu’s eyes as he glances at you. You squeeze his arm, urging him not to make a scene. To your relief, he remains calm as he leans towards the man.

"Jus' tell him that Yondu Udonta is callin'. I'm sure he'll find the time."

At Udonta, the man's head snaps up so fast you're afraid he might have hurt his neck. His eyes grow large, and his mouth hangs open slightly. "Uh - oh - oh, sir. I -"

"Why don'tcha give him a call, huh?"

"Y-yes, right away sir." The man nervously steps aside and takes a flat device from his pocket. "Mr. Jonto," you hear him say. "Yes, I'm sorry for bothering you sir, but Captain Yondu Udonta is standing - yes." He's silent for a moment, glancing at the two of you, "No, there is a woman with him. Yes sir. Understood sir. Right away, sir." He replaces the device, and approaches you again, giving you both a slight bow. "Captain, sir. If you'd please follow me this way."

Just behind the pedestal, a pair of glass double doors slide open, and you find you’re in some sort of glass lift. He presses a button, and the lift rises, traveling between the two waterfalls until it comes to a rest on the first floor above. Before you can have any time to look closer at the marble pillars and floating chandeliers, the man leads you to a small circular room just inside the entrance, rimmed with plush sofas built into the walls.

"Please, have seat here,” the man says, “Mr. Jonto will be with you in just a moment. May I get you something to drink while you wait? Mr. Jonto informs me that it's on the house."

"Honey?" Yondu nods at you.

"I'll have a Fiddkav, please."

"Excellent choice," he says, nervously wringing his hands. "And you, sir?"

"Rhonne, top shelf. On the rocks."

"Yes sir, right away." The man practically runs from the room.

"Geez," you say after he's gone, "What did you do to this Jonto guy?"

"Hey now," Yondu says reproachfully. "Not every connection I got is 'cause I threaten 'em – jus’ most of ‘em.” He winks. "Nah, Jonto and I did a string a' business deals a while back. Parted on friendly terms, and we kept in contact fer a coupl'a years. Last I heard, he opened this." Yondu gestures around him. Just then, the man returns with their drinks.

"Please tell me if they are satisfactory. If not, I can have the bartender remake them."

You both take sips of your drinks.

"Ooh, that's the good stuff,” Yondu says with a sigh, settling back in his seat. “So we jus' wait here, then?"

"Yes sir. Will you be dining with us tonight? Perhaps you'd like to look at a menu."

"No need, Syv. Thank you for your assistance," a voice says. You look to your right to see that a portion of the wall has slid into itself, revealing a hidden staircase. A man comes out of the doorway, tall and narrow-shouldered. His hair is silver, done in rows of braids on his head that go down to the base of his neck, his beard neatly trimmed. His skin is a light purple, and there are downy dusky blue wings folded neatly down his back that go nearly to his ankles. His eyes light up when he sees Yondu and he holds out his arms. "Yondu, you blue-assed scum!"

"Hey, ya wrinkly old idjit!" 

They laugh at each other, and pull one another into an embrace, slapping one another's backs.

Releasing Yondu, Jonto turns to you and bows slightly. "And who is this beautiful lady?"

"[y/n], this is Jonto Sireeli. Jonto, this is Dr. [y/n], my girlfriend and lead medic on my ship. Takin’ her on a date tonight."

“A pleasure, doctor,” Jonto says, shaking your hand. “A date, you say? Well, you’ve come to the best restaurant in town, if I do say so myself. Please, follow me. Syv, please call ahead, have the staff make sure a private balcony is prepared.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Not that you’ll object, Yondu, but I insist on picking up the tab for tonight. If it weren’t for the business we did together, I wouldn’t have all this, and it’s been more of a success than I could ever imagine.” Jonto leads you back to the elevator, and you ride it up three more floors. The room at the top is small, branching off into four curtained-off rooms. On either side of the elevator, you see that this is where the waterfalls start, in large basins nearly as tall as you are. They plunge far below you, the spray creating rainbows in the setting sunlight.

Jonto leads you through one of the curtains, and you’re on a good-sized balcony, bordered on the left and right with beautiful tropical plants and hovering lamps, which give a soft glow to the area. Straight ahead lies the sea. You can’t help it, and let go of Yondu’s hand, walking straight to the balcony to look out at the waves. The cooler sea breeze drifts over to you, bringing with it the taste of salt and exotic floral scents.

Yondu gazes at you, smiling.

“I’m glad to see you, old friend,” Jonto says quietly. “There were rumors you had died, and I was afraid they were true.”

Yondu slaps Jonto warmly on the shoulder. “Weren’t jus’ rumors, but I survived. Don’t wanna go into that right now. I jus’ wanna show my girl a good time.”

“I’ll make sure that happens,” Jonto replies with a smile. “She’s a keeper, eh?”

“Definitely,” Yondu replies, turning his eyes back to you.

You and Yondu enjoy a seven-course meal of delicacies from all over the galaxy, paired with some of the best wines and cocktails Jonto has to offer. There are so many tastes, textures and flavors that you don’t recognize, and you couldn’t even begin to describe them, but you love them all.

You’ve just finished your dessert and you can’t eat one more bite when you hear footsteps behind you. You turn – just as the music starts. Four musicians, holding varying stringed instruments you don't recognize play a soft melody. Your face lights up with a smile, which only grows wider when you feel a tap on your shoulder and look up into Yondu's face.

"Dance with me," he says, holding out a hand.

You blush as you slip your hand into his. He guides you across the balcony, holding you firm against him. He twirls you under his arm away from him once or twice but spins you right back into his arms. The last time he does this, he holds you so close and looks at you with such a warm look in his eyes that you can't help but lean up and kiss him. He stops moving, lifting you against his chest, and returns your kiss. For a moment there's nothing in the galaxy except the two of you.

Jonto sends you on your way with hugs, as well as a bottle of wine, two glasses, and a blanket. You wonder at this strange parting gift until Yondu leads you down behind the restaurant and onto the beach. You walk until the lights of the city are dim, then spread the blanket out on the now-cool sand.

Yondu lays his jacket over your shoulders, and you snuggle up against him as you both lie back on the blanket, looking up at the dark, star-strewn sky.

Thank you, Yondu," you say softly, tearing your eyes from a shooting star to look into his face. "This was the best date I've ever been on. I love you."

He smiles over at you and strokes your cheek with the backs of his fingers. "I love you, doll." He turns to kiss you gently, and your entire body feels like it's filled with butterflies. He moves closer to you, kissing your exposed skin and running his hot hands over your body. You end up making love on the beach under the stars, and it's truly a night to remember.

Chapter Text

It’s the night of the Gala. Ryx and Mosegi help you get dressed, and Rhian surprises you by putting your hair up into an beautiful braided updo. All ready, you make your way to Yondu’s quarters. You buzz his door, but he doesn't answer. You try again, also knocking on the thick steel door. Still no answer. With an exasperated sigh, you dig your wrist com out of your new purse and dial him.

"Yeah, what!" he sounds disgruntled.

"Hey," you chide. "Be nice."

"Oh, sorry darlin'. This blasted necktie - shit, no! that's too tight, Krags! Can't breathe, dammit." 

"Where are you?"

"Kraglin's quarters," he replies. "It's closer to the hangar, why dontcha meet me here, honey? See ya in a minute." With a click, he disconnects the call.

You groan inwardly. This is exactly what I didn't want to do. Go traipsing around the ship in my nice dress. You pull your flats out of your purse and slip them on, then hold your heels and the corner of your dress in one hand as you walk towards Kraglin's cabin, eyes peeled for anything that might snag your gown. You groan audibly now, as you realize that Kraglin's quarters is on the other side of the mess.

The quickest way there is to go straight through the room, but that means you'll be giving the Ravagers a show. "Ugh!" you cry out loud at the realization, but march down the stairs anyway, trying to avoid eye contact with any crew members.

Of course Nillgrac is the first to see you. “Hot damn!” he calls out. “Lookin’ good, Doc!” Soon the whole mess is whistling, whooping, and throwing borderline insulting comments at you.

You stop and smile at them. "You all better hush before Yondu hears you!" you yell, and they laugh - but the comments stop almost immediately. With a smirk, you continue on your way until you reach the hallway where Kraglin’s quarters are located. You see that his door is wide open, and you can hear Yondu grumbling from here.

"Cap'n, all due respect, I'm gonna knock ya out if ya don't stop wigglin’ 'round!” you hear Kraglin say in a raised voice.

“Fine! Will ya jus’ hurry up.”

“I’m tryin’,” the First Mate replies, exasperated. “But ya keep movin’!”

There’s a few seconds of silence as you come closer, then you hear Yondu snap, “This ain’t workin’, dammit!”

“Well I dunno what ya wanna do!” comes Kraglin’s irritated response.

"I'll have [y/n] take a look, see what she thinks. Where's my girl? Thought she was on her way."

You peer into the doorway, and blush. You don't think anyone can pull off leather like Yondu. He's dressed in an asymmetrical black leather vest with gold buttons. Underneath, he has a deep wine-red satin button-down shirt, with a faint elegant pattern on it that shimmers when it hits the light. Matching the vest is a pair of black leather pants, and black leather boots that go up nearly to his knees. The boots have gold toes, and at the top, the boots are strapped with golden greaves that are molded into shapes that vaguely resemble the Ravager emblem. He and Kraglin are fiddling with a gold satin cravat, but they can't seem to get it tied right.

"Why don't you leave the necktie off? I think you look handsome without it," you say.

Yondu and Kraglin both turn to the door. The Captain’s jaw drops, eyes growing wide. His mouth works for a few seconds, as if he wants to say something, but nothing comes out. He seems rooted to the spot, his face slowly flushing dark.

Your face is searing with heat, and you look down at your shoes. “Is it too much?” you ask softly.

“No – no, not at all,” Yondu answers, his voice a little hoarse. He finally manages to get his feet working again, and comes towards you, taking your hands in his. “Honey, ya look –” he chuckles nervously, looking you up and down. “Shit, they don’t even make the words fer how beautiful ya look, darlin’.”

“Aww, Yondu.” You lean in to kiss his cheek, but he moves his head to catch your lips instead. It’s a deep, slow kiss that goes on just long enough without making Kraglin feel awkward.

Yondu hums as you break apart and gives you one of his shark smiles. “Can ya turn ‘round fer me?”

You laugh and give him a slow twirl. When you face him again, his face is flushed even darker. “Like the back?” you ask teasingly.

“Hell yes.”

Something bings on Kraglin’s bedside table, and the First Mate glances at it. “We gotta get goin’, Cap,” he says.

“Yeah, I know.” Yondu tugs at the ends of the cravat and looks at you. “Ya said I looked handsome without the tie, honey?”

"Devilishly handsome," you reply with a small smirk, sliding the neckerchief off. "Unless you wanted to cover up your scars?"

He looks at it in your hands, then back into your eyes. "What d'ya think?"

"I think you're the most handsome man in the galaxy, and I like seeing more of your skin." You draw a step closer to him, cupping his cheek in your hand. "But I also want you to be comfortable, so if you're more comfortable with the tie, then keep it on, spaceman."

He glances in the mirror Kraglin rigged up on his desk, and turns slightly, lifting his chin and exposing the scars circling his throat. Then he looks back at you and gives you a confident smile, throwing the cravat aside. "Ya want more skin?" he unbuttons the top three buttons of his shirt and folds it open a bit, showing off his pectorals just a little.

You give him a little whistle, and he and Kraglin both laugh. 

“Here Cap,” the First Mate says, “Don’t forget these. And if yer gonna have yer shirt open, might as well wear the necklace, too.” Kraglin drops a pair of gold multi-hoop earrings and a gold chain into Yondu’s palm.

He slips them on and raises his eyebrows at you. “Whatcha think, doll?”

“Rawr,” you say, waggling your eyebrows, and he chuckles darkly, licking his teeth. You lean into kiss his cheek. “Speaking of jewelry – you said you had something for me?”

He turns to Kraglin, who hands him a slim black velvet box tied with a silver ribbon. Yondu holds it out to you, a little shyly. “Here, sweetheart. I hope you like it.”

You undo the ribbon and open the lid of the box. Inside is a beautiful set of crystal earrings and a matching necklace. They have an ambiguous color to them, and it looks like each crystal was individually cut to shape; they’re delicate, but not fragile and just substantial enough to make a statement. “Oh Yondu, I can’t accept this,” you say, looking up into his face.

“Why not?” he asks with a frown.

“It must have cost a fortune!”

He smiles and shrugs one shoulder. “Do ya like it?” he asks, taking the box from you and lifting out the necklace.

You nod. “I love it, it’s gorgeous.”

“Then it belongs on yer skin,” he purrs in your ear, and you feel the cool weight of the crystals rest across your throat. You put the earrings on and he steers you in front of the mirror. You gasp again. The crystals have adopted a color that accents your dress perfectly. They shimmer and twinkle in the light, throwing small rainbows across your skin.

“Ice diamonds from Jotunheim,” Yondu says. “Not really ice, mind, but they’re known fer their clarity and their ability to change color to complement what’s around ‘em.”

“That’s how you knew they would match my dress.” You smile at yourself in the mirror and trace a couple fingers over the necklace. “It’s so beautiful.”

You feel his hands slide around your waist, and he bends his head over your shoulder to place a kiss against your neck. “Ya make ‘em beautiful, honey.”

You turn and kiss him. "Thank you."

"Yer welcome, sweetheart," he says, softly trailing his fingers along the side of your face. A mischievous grin spreads across his mouth, and his blush deepens.

"Oh no,” you say with a teasing smile, “What are you thinking?"

He chuckles. "Oh, I was jus' thinkin' sometime I'd really like to see you in this jewelry - and nothin' else."

Your face grows hot as you avert your gaze, giggling.

There’s another, more frantic bing bing from Kraglin’s bedside table.

“Yeah, yeah, okay,” Yondu says. “We gotta go.”

Kraglin lifts a long black leather duster with gold buttons on the sleeves from the bed, and you help Yondu into it, smoothing down the lapels. After strapping on a black leather holster holding his arrow, he offers you his arm with a slight bow. You giggle and give him a small curtsy before hooking your arm in his.

You follow the First Mate as he leads the two of you through the mess towards the hangar. There’s a bunch of whooping, whistling and hollering in your direction, and Yondu grins back at the crew. “Bet y’all are jealous now!” he calls, and they erupt into laughter and clapping.

Kraglin and Ryx pilot you to the gala in the Warbird, which has been meticulously cleaned inside and out on Yondu's orders, as to not muss your dress. Once you arrive on Sarran, Kraglin presents the invitation to the Nova Corps officer on the landing pad before the two of you are allowed to disembark.

"We'll be standin’ by fer the call, Cap'n," you hear Kraglin murmur to Yondu before you leave, taking Yondu’s holster and arrow. "Hail me if ya need a quick pickup. Won’t be far."

"Thanks, son," Yondu answers quietly with a clap on Kraglin’s shoulder. "Ready darlin'?" he asks, louder, and offers his arm to you again.

"Yes," you say a little warily, slipping your arm into his.

“Have a good time!” Kraglin calls after you. “Show up all them Novas!”

Yondu laughs over his shoulder. “Won’t be hard with this one on my arm!”

As you climb into the shuttle vehicle to take you to the Institute, you lean over and ask quietly, “What call? And a quick pickup? What does that mean?”

"Oh, nothin'," he replies, but at your pointed look, amends, "Nothin' we need to talk 'bout right now. I'll tell ya later.”

You settle back in your seat and nod. You’ll just have to trust him this time. "Okay."

You are shuttled from the landing pad to the Vetti Institute, and you can't help but gape as you pull up in front of the building. It looks more like a palace than a museum, with tall towers and a grand staircase leading to the front entrance, flanked by rows of pillars. Flowing down from the roof are giant swaths of gold and blue cloth, adorned with the six-pointed star of the Nova Corps.

A beautiful fountain with statues of different galactic beings holding a sun-like sphere, is the main attraction before the stairs, and there are people – photographers and news crews, you assume – gathered around it that are flashing cameras and chattering away as patrons enter the Institute.

“Udonta! It’s Yondu Udonta!” someone cries, and suddenly you’re surrounded by the paparazzi.

“Yondu Udonta, rumor has it that you died – can you confirm or deny these rumors?”

“Captain Udonta, what brings you here tonight?”

 “Mister Udonta, the word is that your crew was murdered – what do you have to say about this?”

“Captain, what is your relationship with the Guardians of the Galaxy?”

“Yondu, who is this woman with you tonight?”

“Miss, what is your name?”

“Who are you, miss? How do you know Yondu Udonta?”

Lights flash in your eyes, and you lift a hand to shield your face. You draw closer to Yondu, hugging his arm. You didn’t even think about this kind of thing. You don’t want this kind of smothering attention from people you don’t even know, and you don’t want your face or name all over the holonet.

“It’s okay, doll, I got you.” you hear him say in your ear and feel him draw you close against him. “No comment! Piss off! Git those damn lights outta my face,” he growls, and hurries you both up the stairs.

After you’re sure you’ve left the crowds behind, you cross a deep blue carpet, towards the main doors. Several Nova Corps officers are checking bags and pointing people through what looks like a metal detector.

You look at Yondu. “You didn’t bring anything that would set those off, did you?”

He looks at you sidelong, and you see the corner of his mouth quirk in a sly smile, just for a second. “Nope.”

You narrow your eyes at him a little. There’s something going on here, but you don’t know what it is.

“Just keep it calm, darlin’. It looks like they’re lettin’ people pass through easy enough.”

A couple of the Corpsmen see you coming, and they mutter to one another. You hear the word Ravagers. They don’t seem very friendly.

“Evenin’,” Yondu greets them, handing over his invitation.

One of the officers, a man, takes it from Yondu and studies it. He hands it over to another officer. “Give this to Castelian, make sure it’s not forged.”

Yondu snorts. “Why the hell would I forge an invite?”

“To get at the artifacts inside the institute,” he answers. “Why else would a Ravager come to something like this?”

“Only an idiot would try to rob a museum full of officers,” you interject a little defensively. “Besides, he was invited personally by Nova Prime.”

“Yeah, right. And I’m the Princess of Taa.” The officer frowns at you and nods to his fellow. “Frisk her, make sure she’s not armed.”

“I can just as easily walk through the detector,” you protest, then yelp as another Nova Corps officer places his hands on your waist. “Whoa, whoa! Excuse you!”

"Don't fight it," he replies with a slight smirk.

"Git yer damn hands off my girl," you hear Yondu snarl, and it sends a shiver down your spine. Your head snaps to him; you've never heard him use that tone of voice before. His eyes are glowing like coals, the circuitry on his implant sparking.

The Nova Corps officer looks up at him, fear flashing across his eyes. "Sir, you're going to have to stand aside."

"And yer gonna have to git yer damn hands off her before I do any such thang!"

"I'm sure there's no need to frisk Captain Udonta's guest, Officer Odon," a woman's voice says behind you, and you both turn. An elegant woman with platinum-blond hair piled on her head in a fancy bun surveys the two of you. At her side is Officer Castelian, who you met on Taurus V. "He is here as my guest and doesn’t intend to cause any trouble. Do you, Captain?”

Yondu's shoulders relax just slightly, and the flame in his implant fades away. He gives a little bow of his head. "No, ma'am. Jus' tryin' to enjoy a night out with my girlfriend,” he says, putting a hand on your hip.

"I don't believe we've met," she says, extending her hand to you. "Irani Rael, Nova Prime."

You give her an awkward little curtsy and shake her hand. "Dr. [y/n], ma'am."

"Oh, a doctor. A Ravager doctor?"

"Yes ma'am, I'm lead medic aboard Yondu's ship."

"How interesting. Well, I will see you both inside. I’m glad you could attend."

Officer Castelian steps forward. “Captain Udonta, here is your invitation. Enjoy your evening.”

After they’ve both departed, Yondu breathes a sigh of relief, and flips the bird at the guards as you both walk through the metal detectors and into the museum. "The current Nova Prime ain't a bad gal,” he says, leaning towards you. “She's been pretty lenient with Ravager activity on Xandar, as long as we don't cause no trouble." You both stop short just inside the door, your eyes widening. “Damn, Rael don’t spare any expense.”

You stand at the top of a grand staircase, flanked on both sides by tall marble statues. Water flows out of the urns in the statues’ arms, splashing down into twin waterways that flow into a main water feature that cuts through the middle of the circular room below. An expansive bridge extends across it in the very center, sloped just enough to clear the water. Musicians are situated on this bridge, playing light background music while patrons mill around them. A wide circle of dark tile surrounds them and the bridge, and you assume that might be used as the dance floor.

High above, a crystal and glass domed ceiling is hung with deep blue tapestries and lit by floating crystal chandeliers. Small baubles of light, like miniature moons, float lazily throughout the air, giving a candle-esque glow to entire museum.

There are at least four floors, and you see patrons on the first three, leaning over the railings and peeking around the large stone columns. Scattered throughout the second and third floors are sculptures, podiums bearing vases, and shelves of pottery and artifacts; every wall is hung with paintings. Fountains patter cheerfully in each corner, their sound nearly lost among the chatting of guests.

There are so many people. You thought the Eclector and Taurus V had a wide range of faces, but this gala has both beat. You can name a couple dozen races, but there are at least a few dozen more that you don’t recognize yet.

As you stare around at the sea of guests, you notice that all the ladies are very extravagantly dressed - and very beautiful, with not a hair out of place. Subconsciously, you compare yourself to them, and you begin to feel inadequate in your own gown. Glancing at Yondu, you see him surveying the guests as well. He’s a famous Ravager and a Captain - handsome, successful, and with a legendary reputation. There are going to be hundreds of eyes on him tonight, and from the looks of it, those eyes belong to wealthy and accomplished men and women. 

You, on the other hand, don’t have anything to your name, you feel you aren’t that pretty - and in the back of your mind, you start to wonder why Yondu even spends his time on you. You drop your gaze to the floor, tears pricking your eyes.

No sooner do you do this than you feel Yondu’s hand slip from yours to curl firmly around your waist. You feel another of his fingers slip under your chin, raising your face to his.

“Don’t know exactly what yer thinkin’, darlin,” he says, his ruby eyes warm and sincere, “but I know there a lot of fancy, pretty rich folk here, and it can be a little intimidatin’. But believe me when I say that there ain’t a one in this entire hall that outshines you. Ya hear? Yer the most beautiful woman in the entire galaxy, and lookit. Yer right here on my arm.” He leans in and places a gentle kiss on your cheek. “I’m a damn lucky man.”

Your eyes glisten with tears. How did he know that’s what I needed to hear? “I love you, Yondu. You know that?”

“And I love you,” he whispers in your ear, his beard brushing against your skin. “Can’t wait to show ya how much, tonight when I take that dress off yer body.”

You blush and giggle, hiding your face in Yondu’s arm as he offers it to you. He leads you to the edge of the staircase, and a well-dressed man holds out his hand for your invitation. He looks at it, then at another holopad in his hand. He smiles, and bending his mouth to a microphone on his lapel, he says, “Captain Yondu Udonta, and Doctor [y/n].” His voice is amplified throughout the museum, so everyone can hear the announcement.

You hold your dress in one hand as Yondu leads you down the staircase. At his name, you noticed several heads turn in your direction. Yondu ignores all the stares, however, and guides you towards the bar. “Gonna need a drink, dealin’ with all these Novas,” he mutters, and you laugh.

Behind you, you hear the man at the top of the stairs announce guest after guest. As you’re waiting for Yondu and your drinks, you hear a familiar voice say, “Hello, [y/n].”

You turn, and smile widely at the familiar face. “Gamora!” You lean forward and give her a hug, which seems to surprise her initially, but she returns the gesture. She’s dressed in a sweeping black gown with a plunging v-neck, her green skin on display through the slit up her thigh. Her hair is done up in an elegant twist. “Hello, Yondu.”

“Hey, girl,” Yondu replies, handing you your drink.

“It’s good to see you’re still together. I am glad.”

You blush a little. “Thanks, me too. How are things going?”

“My sister is staying with us for a few days,” she says, with a touch of impatience in her voice.

“Oh, I didn’t know you had a sister.”

“Yes,” she says, and she shifts – a little uncomfortably, you think. “We have not been close for most of our lives, and are attempting to remedy that. She can be…difficult,” she says delicately. “I was grateful for the night away, I’m sure she was too.”

“Sometimes siblings can best in small doses,” you say with a smile.

She laughs lightly. “Yes, that is-”

“Dad!” Peter comes rushing up, holding drinks in his hands. His face is flushed, like he’s had a couple drinks already. Gamora takes the glasses from his hands before they spill, and he flings an arm around Yondu’s shoulder. “I can’t believe you came!” Yondu shoves him off, but he doesn’t seem to mind, and hugs you instead.

“Hi Peter,” you laugh.

Yondu slings an arm around Peter's neck and pulls him close, fixing him with a murderous smile. "If I weren't afraid a’ bein' kicked outta here, I'd punch ya in the gut, Quill."

Peter seems to sober up quick, and grins back nervously, trying to loosen up Yondu's arm. "What did I do?"

"Think. Think real hard, boy."

Small beads of sweat start to show on the man's forehead. "I don't - oh. Ohhhh...Nova Prime. Yeeaaah, as soon as she disconnected I thought, oh shit, I’m in trouble." He tries to laugh it off, but Yondu’s arm tightens.

"Oh shit is right!” Yondu grumbles. “I've had to change all my frequencies - and give 'em out again! Ya got any idea how many contacts I got? Ya know what a pain in the ass that is? I-" he stops in mid-sentence as he feels you wrap you arms around one of his, leaning your head against his shoulder. "No harm done, Yondu," you say. “It’s over and done with.”

“Yeah, well…” Yondu trails off with a grunt.

Peter smiles sheepishly. “Sorry, Dad. Considering what she was calling for, I didn’t think it was a big deal, but yeah, I should have just transferred her.”

“No harm done,” you repeat before Yondu can reply.

Gamora smiles gratefully at you. “We have table up the stairs, if you want to join us.”

Once you’ve been seated, Peter takes a sip of his drink and then points at Yondu. “I see you're rockin' the earrings again! Been awhile."

"Yeah, well a ten-year-old rippin' em out in a tantrum discourages ya from wearin' em," Yondu says dryly, with a pointed look.

Peter blushes and coughs a little. "Yeah. Well. Uh, looks good.”

Yondu snorts, then does a double-take over Peter's shoulder. "Oh shit." He turns quickly, and tries to hide his face with one hand, but his fin protrudes high above it, negating the effort.

"What?" you ask.

"No, don't look. It's-"

"Well, well. If it isn't Yondu Udonta."

"Shit." Yondu looks up, putting on the most fake-looking smile you've ever seen, as a tall man with purple skin approaches. "Rawlin. Long time no see."

"Not long enough. Heard you died. Looks like it didn't take. Too bad."

"Watch it, pal," Peter interjects in a growl.

"And you're Peter Quill, aren't you?" the man looks Peter up and down with a disapproving sneer. "I imagined you'd be more impressive." His eyes flick to Gamora, and then to you. "Although I must say, your dates far surpass you both in the looks department. How much did this blue bastard pay for you, darling?” he asks you. “I bet I can double it, if you’d like to come with me.”

You gape at him. "Pay? Excuse me?"

"Ya leave her alone," Yondu growls.

The man ignores him and looks you up and down. "Come now. Where did he get you?"

"He didn't get me anywhere!" you snap angrily. "I'm his girlfriend!"

He throws back his head and laughs at this. "Girlfriend! Please. Yondu Udonta only deals in sluts and whores."

Yondu's implant flashes, but before he can even open his mouth, you've stepped forward and smacked the man across the face as hard as you can.

He staggers back with a gasp, then turns burning eyes to yours. He takes a large, threatening step forward. "You little bitch!"

Yondu pulls you behind him and lunges forward, fist drawn back. Peter barely gets between them in time, throwing all his weight against Yondu to keep him from moving forward. "Ya don' talk to mah woman like that, ya flarkin' asshole!" Yondu snarls over Peter's shoulder, straining to reach him.

"Dad! Dad, calm down," Peter pleads, pushing him backwards.

You latch onto Yondu's arm and pull him towards you. "Yondu, it's okay. He's just jealous. Please, calm down before an officer sees."

Quivering with anger, he shrugs his shoulders and straightens his vest. 

"You better get out of here," Peter says, placing hands on the man's jacket and pushing him away.

"Don't touch me!" he snaps. "This isn't over, Udonta. I’ll see you thrown out of here, one way or another."

Yondu lets out a barking, mirthless laugh, and sneers at him. "Like to see ya try.”

Huffing, the man leaves and disappears into the crowds. 

"Prick," Yondu snarls after him, not quietly.

You look around and breathe a sigh of relief. Thankfully, no one seems to have noticed the little scuffle. You reach up and stroke the stubble on his face. "Are you okay?"

He looks down at you, his jaw tight. "I weren’t gonna stand by and hear ya called that."

"I know, and I appreciate you protecting me." You rise up on your toes to kiss his cheek. "Who was that, anyway?"

"Rawlin Vaknus. Some high-up politician on Sarran. Did a job fer him some years back, I think ya were confined to the ship at the time, Quill. Didn't pay me what he owed, so I didn't deliver. He's hired lawyers and what not, even an amateur assassin once to try and take me out in retaliation." Yondu smiles meanly and snorts. "Don't know who he was messin' with. But if there's any race that holds a grudge 'sides the Kree and Skrulls, it's Robiens."

"Well, hopefully he won't be needing this," Peter says mischievously and with a flick of his wrist, holds up what looks like a wallet.

"Ha!" Yondu laughs, slapping him on the shoulder. "That's my boy!"

Peter pauses at the comment and gives Yondu a wide, blushing smile before rifling through the wallet and pulling out units. 

"Peter," you chide him, and look at Gamora for support, but she just turns her head, pretending not to see the entire thing.

"That man was deplorable," is her only comment, and after staring at her for a second, you have to agree, and don't really feel bad about the wallet after all.

In fact, you have an idea. "Give me that," you say, holding out your hand.

Peter puts it in your palm after pocketing the units.

You glance over the nearest railing, and let the wallet slip from your fingers. A second later, there's a wet plop from below. "Oops," you say innocently, holding a hand to your mouth. "I dropped it in the fountain."

Yondu chuckles and circles his hands around your waist. "Atta girl. I'll make a Ravager outta ya yet," he says, and kisses your cheek.

“Guests,” a voice rises throughout the room, and you all turn towards the center, where the man who had announced you is standing on the bridge with the musicians. “We would like to welcome you all to the Battle of Xandar Remembrance Gala. All proceeds from tonight are being given to the families who suffered loss, of loved ones or of property, during the battle. We thank you for your patronage, and hope you are enjoying the evening so far.” He pauses for applause, then raises his hands. “We’d like to get the night started with a little dancing before Nova Prime presents her speech, so –” Someone tugs on his sleeve to whisper in his ear, and he nods. “Oh, I - I’ve just been informed that Captain Yondu Udonta has volunteered to start us off. Let’s give him a hand.”

Yondu nearly spits out his drink, and glares at Peter as the room breaks into hesitant, scattered applause.

“Don’t look at me!” Peter cries, holding up his hands. “I wouldn’t do that!”

Yondu scans the room as he gets to his feet, and spies Rawlin loitering near the bridge, fixing him with a sneering smile. The politician raises his glass in mock-toast. "Oh, ya think yer gonna embarrass me, huh? Well." Yondu seizes your hand and drags you towards the main staircase. "I'll show you, ya damn puffed-shirt slimy-haired...." His curses trail off into a murmur as he reaches the bottom of the stairs. "How 'bout somethin' a little lively, huh?" he calls to the musicians, and strides to the center of the floor. 

Yondu takes your hands in his, and he finds that they're trembling. He looks sharply into your face. "Ya okay, honey?"

"Everybody's watching us."

His voice softens, and his hand firms on your hip. "Don't pay no attention to them, sweetheart. Jus' focus on followin' me. I got ya, darlin'." 

A beat starts up, and you take a deep breath. "Okay."

He takes your hand in his, and you place your free hand on his shoulder. "Ready, doll?"

"Ready, Captain."

He laughs, and with a cascading rhythm of the drum, you're off. The rhythm is fast and catchy, almost like a cross between a swing-dance and Latin music from your home planet. Yondu twirls you away from him and then back again, catching you in his arms and leading you across the dance floor. Throughout his movements, he covers most of the floor, and spins you so that your dress kicks up around your knees. You can't help but laugh and smile through the entire song. It's like there's no one else but you, Yondu and the band, and you're having a great time.

Peter makes his way over to Rawlin, who is gaping at Yondu and [y/n] on the dance floor.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Peter says mockingly. "Were you trying to embarrass Yondu? Looks like it kinda backfired on you, didn't it.”

The song comes to a dramatic close, and Yondu spins you in his arms, then dips you nearly to the floor, your arms draped above your head and your leg hooked around his thigh. The room explodes into cheers and deafening applause. Peter puts his fingers in his mouth and whistles. "Yeah!"

Yondu lifts you from the dip, chuckling and panting a little, and cradles the back of your head, bringing you in for a kiss. You wrap your arms around him, returning the gesture, and pop your foot out behind you. It might seem a little overdone, but you want to show everyone in the room that you're happy to be with him.

After a few more dances on a now-crowded dance floor, you stroll around to the food stations and get something to eat, and another drink. From time to time, Yondu rolls up his sleeve and glances at his wrist com.

You’ve rejoined Gamora and Peter at the table and have been chatting for awhile when the lights dim and a huge hologram of Nova Prime appears in the middle of the room. The actual Nova Prime, you see, is standing on the third floor.

"Esteemed guests. Thank you all for coming,” she begins, and the hall falls silent. “The Battle of Xandar was a day that will forever go down in history as both a great triumph, and a great tragedy. My heart, and those of all the Nova Empire lie with those who lost loved ones, be they friends, family, co-workers or teammates, in the battle against Ronan the Accuser and his forces. Our most sincere gratitude is extended to the Nova Corps officers who fought against the invaders, especially with those who gave their lives in sacrifice to keep our planet and our people safe."

She pauses for a thunderous applause, and then holds up her gloved hands until the room quiets again. "Besides our noble officers, there are two men here without whom the battle would not have been won. Captain Yondu Udonta, and Peter Quill - Star Lord, will you both please stand with any of your teammates that were present at the battle."

You beam at Yondu as he gets to his feet, his cheeks flushed faintly purple. Peter and Gamora rise beside him.

"Without the aid of these brave men and their friends and crew, our planet would not have survived, and Xandarians all across the galaxy would have been in danger. I know you both sacrificed much that day, and we thank you for it." She claps, and you follow right after, getting to your feet. Around you, patrons follow suit, until the entire room is standing in ovation.

Peter and Yondu look at one another. Yondu raises a fist slightly to his chest, and Peter smiles and nods. At the same time, they pound their fists in the Ravager salute.

“We would like to present you both with these commemorative medals, as a sign of our appreciation.”

You all turn to see two Nova Corps officers, who present Peter and Yondu with blue velvet boxes emblazoned with the Nova Corps star. They open them simultaneously, and there are golden stars hung with blue ribbons inside the boxes.

Another round of applause, and Yondu, Peter and Gamora resume their seats.

“Now, if we could please have a few minutes of silence as we project the names of those who were lost in the battle. Let your thoughts and prayers be with the families of the deceased at this time.”

The hologram of Nova Prime disappears, replaced by a list of names in Standard. A solemn but heroic song played by the band fills the room.

You take your visor from your purse and read the names. There are hundreds. Each name has a symbol next to it - either the star of the Nova Corps, or a seven-tongued flame of the Ravagers – and once, a combination of the two, next to –

“Groot?” you ask, a little panicked.

“Yeah,” Peter says sadly, looking at the medal in his hand. “Our Groot is like…Groot 2.0. I’ll explain it to you later.” His eyes are moist as he scans the lines of names. He glances at Yondu suddenly. “I didn't know Horuz died during the battle. I'm sorry."

Yondu rests a hand briefly on Peter’s shoulder but says nothing.

When the names have all scrolled through and the music ceases, Nova Prime returns. “Once again I would like to thank you for your attendance and your generosity. As said, all proceeds from this event will be given directly to the families in need of assistance or reparations due to the battle. If you are inclined to make a donation, please find one of the Novas in the gold uniforms near the entrance to do so. For the remainder of the evening, let us be thankful for what we have and enjoy the company of those friends and family with us tonight. Thank you.”

As the crowds begin to mill again, the dance floor crowds and the hall is loud with music and chatter. Yondu glances at his wrist com again and nods. He whispers to Peter for a few minutes, then tugs at your hand. “C’mon, honey. I need your help.”

“My help? With what?”

“Just follow me.” He leads you up to the third floor, followed by Peter. Yondu lingers near a high-top table with you near a roped-off flight of stairs. The rope, you see, shimmers slightly with some sort of holographic overlay.

“Don’t cheat me out of a cut, Dad,” Peter murmurs to him.

“Yeah, yeah. Jus’ go,” Yondu hisses back, taking a sip of his drink.

“A cut of what?” you ask. “Yondu, what is going on right now.”

“Yer jus’ gonna have to trust me, baby,” he says, his eyes trained on Peter. “When I tell ya to, follow me up them stairs.”

“What?” you ask, eyeing the roped-off stairwell. “We’re not allowed up there.”

His ruby eyes dart to you for a second. “[y/n], I’m gonna need ya to trust me here.”

You bite your lip, but nod. “I do trust you.”

“Then get ready to move,” he says, straightening up a little. He raises his wrist com casually to his mouth, leaning his chin on his hand. “Kraglin come in.”

You barely hear the First Mate respond. “I read ya.”

“Git ready.”

“Standing by.”

He looks around, and raises one finger from the tabletop, moving his eyes back to Peter. He lets the finger drop, and Peter nods.

Yondu takes your hand and pulls you near him, his arm about your waist. “Wait,” he says into his wrist com.

Peter walks forward quickly, tripping right in front of a couple of Nova Corps officers that were watching the stairs. His drink goes flying and smashes on the floor.

“Wait.” Yondu repeats.

“Shit!” Peter cries out, slurring his words. “Geez, I’m really sorry you guys,” he says as they both rush forward to help him. He slides in the liquid and stumbles, acting like he’s very drunk.

“Now,” Yondu says.

For a second so brief you hardly notice it, the lights flicker, and Yondu undoes the rope at the stairs and pulls you through. He races up the stairs with you, looking behind him all the time to make sure you’re not caught. At the top, he pulls you behind a column and stays there. He reaches into his jacket, and pulls out a small, plastic case. There’s something inside. He undoes the combination on the case, and it clicks open; it’s a small round device.

Chancing a look back down the stairs, he slaps one of the devices into a groove of the column you’re hiding behind. “How’s that?” he asks into the wrist com.

“Good, I can see the stairs.”

“Copy.” Yondu takes your hand again and pulls you along the corridor, staying to the shadows along the wall until you’re in a portion of the hallway that is not open to view from the rest of the museum; it does not have columns but closed walls.

“Ya took out the cameras, right?” he asks, looking up.

“Replaced the feed. Should be the second to last case in this hall.”

“Copy,” Yondu repeats.

The Captain pulls you along, but you’ve had enough. You plant your feet. “I’m not going another step until you tell me what is going on.”

“Honey, I’m on a timetable here,” he says with a little growl, pulling at you. “I gotta git this dagger before the Corps figure out something’s up.”

Yondu’s words from a few days past come sharply back to your mind, and you close your eyes in frustration. “That crystal dagger. You’re stealing it.”

“I’m a thief, darlin’, it’s what I do,” he says, and you follow him to the second-to-last case.

A beautiful dagger about the size of your hand is inside it. It’s made of purplish-black crystal and laid into a silver and gemstone-covered hilt, gleaming and shimmering as light hits it. It seems to be floating in mid-air above a square-topped pillar, but you know there must be some anti-grav mechanics and a forcefield around it.

“I said only an idiot would try to steal something with all these officers around!”

“Well then I’m an idiot,” he says with an impatient grin at you. “Now c’mere, I’m gonna need yer purse.”

“My purse? What for?” you ask, handing it to him.

He hands you your flats, visor, makeup bag, wrist com – “How much stuff ya got in here?” he demands, and then you hear a distinct ripping noise, like Velcro coming apart.

“Hey! What are you doing to my purse?!” nearly dropping your things.

He pulls out a case – a little larger than your hand, made of the same plastic-like material as the other case, and dials another combination to open it. It opens up, and inside you see a flawless replica of the dagger.

You gape at it.

"The techs and engineers made it, along with the case so it wouldn’t be picked up by the detectors,” Yondu explains with a proud smile. “I had Segs sew it into the lining when he was fixin' yer dress.”

"What?" you hiss. You’re too upset to be impressed. "Why didn't you tell me that was in there?!"

"Didn't want ya actin' all nervous or nothin'," he says distractedly as he unbuttons his left coat cuff. He unfolds the cuff completely, and draws a long piece of flexible metallic material out of the lining. He folds it into a square but doesn’t touch the ends together and lays it on the floor for the time being.

"Oh my god," you say, hugging your things to your chest. "I can't believe you're doing this." You look over your shoulder nervously, expecting a Nova Corps officer to come up the stairs at any moment. You feel Yondu's rough, warm fingers on your chin, turning your head to face his.

"Darlin', this is what I do fer a livin'. I know it ain't easy fer ya to come to terms with; yer a good, uptown kinda girl. But this is how I take care a' the crew, and I need ya to calm down fer me and stay quiet. If it makes ya feel better, go stand down the hall a bit there and keep a lookout."

"Right. Okay. I'm sorry." 

He hooks an arm about your waist and pulls you in for a kiss. "Don't gotta be sorry, doll. Like I said, I know this ain't easy fer ya." He releases you with a soft smack on the bottom, and you playfully swipe at his hand.

He winks, but then he looks back at the case and his face is all business. He takes the dagger out of the case, and holds it in one hand, and picks up the metal square in the other. “On my mark, Krags.”

“Ready.”

“On three. One. Two. Three.”  As soon as he says three, a few things happen simultaneously. He bites the replica dagger between his teeth to hold it; the lights flicker again; you see a square case around the real dagger fade, and the dagger drops. Yondu snatches it before it falls. He quickly connects the ends of the square metal piece together, and it flashes a soft blue before camouflaging itself, so it looks like Yondu is holding nothing. He lies it delicately where the forcefield case was and takes the replica dagger from between his teeth, replacing it with the real one. He places the replica in the center of the square, and it hangs there in mid-air. He breathes a sigh of relief as he takes the real dagger from his mouth and carefully puts it in the plastic case.

“Cap’n, Cap’n – a Nova’s comin’ up the stairs,” Kragin’s urgent voice comes crackling over Yondu’s com.

“Shit.” He pulls you near and replaces the case in the bottom of your purse, situating the fabric inside until you can’t tell there’s a compartment in the bottom at all. You hurriedly put your things inside it, and he pulls you down the hallway, towards another set of stairs.

There’s the shadow of someone coming up that stairwell, and a couple voices.

“I know he’s up to no good,” comes Rawlin’s voice.

“Dammit!” Yondu looks back and forth, but there’s nowhere to go, just some little cutouts where paintings are hung. “Shit, shit!”

An idea strikes you, and you sling your purse over your shoulder and grab his lapels, guiding him towards one of the cut outs. “Come here! Quick!”

“What’re ya doin’?” Yondu hisses. “We can’t hide here!”

You press yourself against the wall and throw your arms around his neck. “Kiss me!”

“Honey, this ain’t the time-”

“Just kiss me, you idiot!” you snap, and press your lips forcefully against his. A jolt goes through him with realization, and he sneaks a hand under your dress to hold your thigh.

“Hey, you two!” a voice calls out a moment later. “You’re not supposed to be up here.”

You break from Yondu with a gasp, hoping your face is flushed enough. You smack his shoulder. “I told you we’d get caught!”

Yondu grins down at you, then at the officer, and Rawlin, who is gaping at the two of you, face growing purplier by the second. He straightens his coat and smooths down his vest while you situate your dress. “Can’t blame me fer tryin’,” he says with a wink and shrug at the officer.

You smack Yondu’s shoulder again. “Stop it! I’m sorry, officer. We’ll go back downstairs.”

He nods, and there’s a slight blue blush on his cheeks. "Just save it for your hotel room. Move along."

You grab Yondu’s hand and drag him away. “I can’t believe this,” you say loudly. “I’m so embarrassed! I told you it was a bad idea!”

He laughs and kisses your cheek. As you make your way down the stairs, you can hear Rawlin arguing with the officer, but Nova just laughs him off.

When you reach the floor below, Yondu hugs you tightly. “Baby, yer amazing. C’mon, let’s get us a drink to celebrate.”

“A drink? Don’t we want to get out of here?” you ask nervously.

“Not yet. Wanna throw Rawlin off. If we hurried out, it might look suspicious.” He lifts his wrist com on pretense of taking a drink. “I got it. Good work, Krags.”

“Copy. Kraglin out.”

After some more food, a couple more drinks and one last dance, Yondu agrees that it’s time to go. He spies Peter starting to head out too and slaps him on the back. “See ya later, son,” he says. “Say hi to the Twig.”

“I will. Oh, I made a donation of Rawlin’s units to the families of Xandar. Rocket’ll get a laugh out of that,” he winks. He pokes Yondu’s shoulder. “Speaking of units, don’t forget you owe me.”

“Yeah, yeah. I won’t forget ya, boy. Ravagers don’t rip each other off.”

You think you see Peter wince a little, and then he laughs, running a hand through his hair. “Bye, Dad. Bye, [y/n].”

“Bye, Peter. See you guys around soon, I hope.”

You begin to walk in opposite directions towards different shuttles, then you hear Peter call, “Oh! [y/n]! I forgot to tell you – Merry Christmas!”

"Ya okay, honey?" Yondu asks. You've been quiet ever since Peter said goodbye. 

You turn and smile at him, placing your hand over his. "Yeah, sorry. I just can’t believe it’s been a couple months since I met you, and it’s already Christmas.” You drop your eyes to your lap. “It just makes me a little homesick, Christmas with my family was something I’ve always looked forward to."

Yondu is quiet for a moment as he strokes his fingers through your hair, then he leans over and kisses your cheek. "Maybe we can spend next krissmuss on Terra."

"Christmas," you correct him with a giggle. "And that would be really nice, Yondu. I'd like that a lot."

"If ya and me was on Terra fer Christmas, what would we be doin’?" he asks as you disembark back on the Eclector.

"Oh, lots of things. We'd decorate a Christmas tree, there'd probably be snow outside, and there'd be presents, and Christmas cookies, and hot chocolate, and Christmas caroling, and kisses under the mistletoe...."

"Don't know 'bout no missile-toes, but I got plenty a kisses to give, darlin'," Yondu says, earning a snorting laugh from you. He squeezes your hands. "I can tell it means a lot to ya, I'm sorry y'ain't home fer it, honey.”

"I am home," you protest, pulling him in for a quick kiss. "Home is where you are." He smiles fondly down at you.

Reaching into your purse, you hand him the encased dagger. “Here’s your spoils, Captain. I’m going to change out of this gown.”

You stride past him, but he snags your wrist gently and pulls you in. “Hold on there, girl,” he murmurs, licking his teeth. “Tha’s a show I don’t want to miss.” He pushes the case with the dagger into Kraglin’s hands, and makes a show of picking you up and throwing you over his shoulder as he strides to his cabin, with you giggling all the way.

Chapter Text

The next several months are very busy for you. Besides Yondu's almost-daily amorous advances, an increase of regularly scheduled missions keeps you busy taking care of wounded and ill crew members. You have a pretty good grasp on individual faces and names and treat everyone with respect and a firm but caring hand. In return, you find yourself widely liked by the crew, and they often keep an eye out for you when off the ship. It's an exciting, rewarding life, and you feel like you've really settled in; the ship really feels like home. Yondu has been attentive and doting, and your friendship with Kraglin has evolved into more like a brother-sister relationship. When the med bay isn't demanding your attention, you like to assist the First Mate with little things like inventory, minor mechanics, or making sure all the crew is on board after a mission or a planetside excursion – that’s where you find yourself today.

It's been almost four months since you became a Ravager. The crew has just finished a week-long break on one of the moons circling the planet Poosh, after a long string of dangerous but successful missions and heists. Yondu is elsewhere, going through inventory with Rhian.

You usually enjoy these times spent with Kraglin. Waiting for crew to return involves a lot of…well, waiting, and he usually passes the time by telling you stories about places he’s been, or memories from growing up with Peter. Today, however, the First Mate is silent, and the air is filled with a strange tension. As you stand just inside the Eclector at the top of the gangplank with Kraglin, you eye him warily. He’s has been acting weird the last few days – edgy, jumpy, and short-tempered, which is very unlike him. When you tried to ask him what was going on, he just brushed you off. Not harshly, but he made it clear he didn’t want to talk about it.

"How many left moonside?" Kraglin asks impatiently.

You look down at your holopad. "Fifteen."

"Dammit," Kraglin says, lips drawing into a thin, straight line. "Lemme see that." 

You hand the list to him. "I'm surprised Jesper isn't back yet," you comment. "He's usually one of the first aboard."

"I know, I tried contactin' him earlier. He didn't answer. Ain't like him." Kraglin says, and his jaw tightens a little.

"Here comes a group," you say, pointing.

Nillgrac and a bunch of crew from the engineering and mechanical teams jog across the narrow tundra towards the ship, laughing and talking loudly.

"Y'all were supposed to be here a half hour ago," Kraglin snaps at them, and they instantly fall quiet as they approach the gangplank. He looks them over, eyes lingering on each face. "Git to yer stations," he says shortly, clicking their names off the manifest. "That takes care of ten," he mutters after they've gone onto the ship. He hands the holopad back to you and raises his wrist com to his mouth. "Jesper, come in. Answer me." He receives no answer and adjusts a few things on the wrist com. "Hailing any remaining crew of the Ravager ship Eclector. Vela, Clipper, Jesper, Nasrin, Lon - y'all are holding us up. Report back to the ship immediately. Kraglin out."

The minutes wear on, and Kraglin starts pacing.

"I'm sure they're fine, they're probably just somewhere loud and lost track of the time."

"I jus' want 'em safe on board," he says. "I have-" He suddenly breaks off his sentence, head snapping around to stare hard out over the narrow tundra where the ship is docked at the outskirts of town. His face has gone slightly pale, his eyes wide. A vein pulses in his neck.

"Kraglin?" you ask, nervously scanning the buildings over his shoulder for anything amiss. The sun is setting, and the structures cast eerie shadows across the tundra. "What is it?"

"I thought-" he begins, and you both jump as his wrist com crackles with an incoming transmission. He glances down at it, then jerks his head back up to look in the direction he'd been staring. His shoulders are tense, but they slowly begin relax. He shakily brings his wrist up to his mouth. "Y-yeah, Kraglin here."

"What's the hold up?" Yondu's voice asks.

"I - I got five crew I'm waitin' on," the First Mate replies, scanning the buildings. "Gonna have to send out a party to-"

"Kraglin, here comes a few," you say, seeing a few maroon-clad figures 

"I'll get back to ya, Cap," Kraglin replies, disconnecting the call. He stalks halfway down the gangplank, to where Jesper, Nasrin and Lon, another Nav, are running up. "Where the hell ya been?" he demands. "Git inside, now." He grabs Jesper's arm as he passes, and waits until the others have left to snap, “Why didn't ya answer m'call?"

Jesper swallows, flinching slightly at Kraglin’s harsh tone. “I’m sorry, sir – my com, it-”

“What the hell happened to yer face?” the First Mate interrupts.

You shift so you can see the Lead Nav’s face better and notice a bruise darkening on his cheekbone. He hangs his head. “Got into a fight, sir.” He lifts his wrist, and you can see the glass face of his com is cracked in several places. “It got busted, that’s why I didn’t get your call.”

“Ya got into a fight with a local?”

“No sir.”

“Then who?”

“With – with one of the crew, sir.”

Kraglin closes his eyes in frustration, then folds his arms. “Gimme a name.”

“But sir-”

“Name.”

“Clipper, sir,” Jesper answers sullenly.

Kraglin gapes at him. “Ya started a fight with Clipper? Why in hell would ya do that?”

Jesper fidgets. “I didn’t start it,” he mumbles. “Clipper threw the first punch.”

“Dammit, boy,” Kraglin sighs, then points towards the interior of the ship. “Git yer ass up to the control room. Cap’n’s waitin’. Ya and I’ll have words later.”

“Yes, sir,” Jesper nods sulkily and trudges away.

After you’re sure the Lead Nav is gone, you step closer to Kraglin. “You were a little hard on him,” you say tentatively.

“Ain’t yer place to say, Doc,” Kraglin says gruffly, jabbing a finger on the holopad’s screen.

You swallow back a frustrated retort and say instead, “He just looks up to you so much, Kraglin.”

Kraglin pauses, and glances down at you for a split second, a look of guilt in his eye. His stance loosens a fraction. “Yeah,” he replies softly. “But I’m the one what brought him on board, and I jus’ wanna…well it’s about damn time!” he barks suddenly, shoving the holopad into your hands. You look down the gangplank to see two figures approaching. They pick up their pace. It’s Clipper and Vela, the last two to come on board.

“Apologies, sir,” they say in chorus as they board the ship.

“Clipper,” Kraglin says sharply, "Whatcha beatin' up on Jesper fer?"

The Xandarian sucks his teeth. "Should'a known the kid would rat me out."

"He didn't rat ya out; I asked," Kraglin snaps. "But tha's beside the point. Answer my question."

"To be honest, sir? He's too young to be Lead Nav. Too big fer his britches, if ya ask me."

"That so?" Kraglin says, subconsciously drawing himself up a little. "Well, ya think ya can do better?"

Clipper looks away, laughing wryly. "I'm a mechanic, sir. Not a Nav."

"Then is there another Nav that could do better than Jesper has? C'mon, I'm all ears."

The Xandarian drops his gaze to his boots and shakes his head. He expels air sharply from his nose. "No sir."

Kraglin jabs a finger in the mechanic’s chest. "I don't need you talkin' shit like that, Clipper, unless ya got something useful to back it up. Ya hear?"

"Aye sir."

"Yer lucky he just had a bruise. If I seen more, I'd beat ya myself. Now git outta here." Kraglin crosses over to the wall and yanks down on the lever to close the gangplank.

You click off Clipper's and Vela's names on the manifest. "Do you want me to call Yondu? Let him know everyone’s on board?" you ask. When Kraglin doesn't answer, you look up. He's standing with his hand still on the lever, and his face has gone rather pale again. But his eyes aren't fixed outside the ship this time. A shudder goes through his frame, as he stares in the direction that Vela and Clipper had gone.

You place a light hand on his arm. "Kraglin? What’s wrong?”

He draws in a deep and trembling breath as he shakes his head. “Nothin’. Jus’…jus’ tired is all. Been workin’ too hard I guess.”

“You go get some rest then. Doctor’s orders.”

A couple days later, you're tending some wounded crew members from the latest mission and they need a little more attention than you expected. You dial Yondu. "Hey spaceman."

"Hi, doll. Ya comin' to see me?"

"I think it's going to be a late night for me, sorry."

A sigh, then, "Well guess I gotta come all the way down and see you, then."

You laugh with a roll of your eyes. "I know, it's such a looong way. I'll go get some snacks from the mess. Want a can of beasties?"

"Yeah. I'll bring a bottle t’ drink."

"Ok, see you soon." You click off, and smile. You're glad Yondu is flexible and understanding of your schedule. Truth be told, you like these little impromptu late-night picnics in your office. You do a last check on your patients before you stroll down to the mess. It's Third Watch, and the mess is empty - except for Jesper, who is sitting at a table in the corner, picking at a bowl of some sort of cereal. You bypass the snack bar and stroll over to him. "Hey."

He raises his head quickly, as if startled. "Oh, hey Doc."

"What're you doing up so late?"

He stirs his spoon in his bowl. "Couldn't sleep."

It's a pretty standard line, but you've heard the excuse enough times, from yourself or from past patients, friends and family to know there's something else going on. You seat yourself across from him. “You okay?”

“M’ fine.”

“Something going on?"

He shakes his head. "No.”

"C'mon, you can tell me," you press.

"I'm said m’ fine," he says, a little curtly. "I just can't sleep."

You hold up your hands and decide to drop the subject. "Okay. But Jesper," you add gently, "I'm your doctor. If you ever need to talk about anything – physical, mental, emotional – whatever - I'm here, okay?" With a tap of your hand on the tabletop, you return to the snack bar and grab a few things.

As you're turning to leave, you hear Jesper make a slight exasperated noise, then, "Doc?"

You face him. "Yeah?"

He's half-standing from the table, gnawing his lower lip. “Actually, do you have a second?”

Yondu strides through his ship. He's got a bottle of liquor in one hand, on his way to see you, but he wants to check in with Kraglin first. His First Mate's been acting a little strange lately. He's not in his cabin, not in the Control Room, and not in the Mess - looking over the railing, he sees it's just you and Jesper down there, which is a little strange too, since the Lead Nav is usually asleep by this time. He lifts his wrist com to his mouth. "Kraglin, come in."

There's a buzz, then, "Kraglin here."

"Where are ya?"

"Security Room."

Yondu slows his steps, and after a second, turns to his right. "Whatcha doin' there?"

"Jus' watchin' the feeds."

"Why?" Yondu asks warily as he climbs a flight of stairs.

"Can't sleep."

"Whatsa matter, ya outta yer sleep meds?"

"No sir."

"Ya thought watchin' the feeds might make ya sleepy, issat it?"

"No sir."

"I'm comin' yer way."

"I'm fine, Cap."

"I'm callin' bullshit on that, Krags." He reaches the Security Room and punches in his code. He climbs the spiraling ramp, surrounded on all sides by holoscreens and monitors. Kraglin is sitting slumped in one of the chairs, all lights off except for the screens themselves, which cast eerie bluish light on his skin.

Yondu leans down to look him in the eye, but Kraglin purposely averts his gaze. "Lookit me, son." Kraglin hesitantly does so, and Yondu sees his eyes are bloodshot, with darker circles than normal under them. "What's goin' on with ya? Ya been actin' real weird these past few days." When the First Mate doesn't answer right away, Yondu pulls up a chair alongside him and straddles it. "Krags? I need an answer."

"I got one a' them feelings."

"Feelings?" Yondu squints. "Whatcha talkin' 'bout?"

"Somethin's wrong, somethin's gonna happen."

Yondu chuckles and slaps Kraglin's shoulder. "C'mon, boy. Ain't nothin' gonna happen, it's prob'ly jus' a stomach ache or someth-"

"No, Cap," Kraglin interrupts, and Yondu falls quiet. The First Mate’s voice is stern, his eyes steely. "I've had these feelings before. When we first met Ego. The day ya got exiled.  The day ya - ya died. It ain't somethin' I should be ignorin'. Not anymore, it's happened too many times. I can't-"

"Okay, okay," Yondu says, holding out his hands. "Calm down, boy. So whatcha feelin'? There somebody in danger? What do ya want me to do?"

Kraglin runs his fingers through his hair. "That's the trouble of it," he says with a sigh, "It ain't specific. I jus' know somethin's gonna happen. Don't know who's involved, or what’s gonna happen, or when it’s gonna go down. Usually this feelin’ comes on the day of an event, but nothin’s gone wrong yet fer days. Tha’s why I’m worried." He's quiet for a few moments, then opens his mouth as if he wants to say something, but closes it again.

Yondu glances at the screens around him and jabs a thumb at the ones in front of Kraglin. “Ya seen anythin’ outta place?”

Kraglin hesitates, then say with an irritated sigh, “No.” He sinks his head in his hands. “Gods, I feel like I’m goin’ crazy. I yelled at Jesper the other day. I ain’t never done that before; it weren’t even his fault. He’s been avoidin’ me since.”

Yondu clicks his tongue. “Don’t worry ‘bout Jesper. He’ll git over it.”

“I know,” the First Mate replies softly. “I jus’…I don’t know what’s gonna happen, and I’m –” He bites his lip. “I’m afraid,” he concludes in a voice so soft that Yondu barely hears it.

The Captain scrapes his chair closer to Kraglin’s and cups the back of the First Mate’s head in one hand, angling it so he can look straight into his eyes. “Ya lissen t’me now. Everythin’ is gonna be fine. Whatever it is, we’ll git through it together, a’ight?”

Kraglin stares back into his face, and a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth before giving way to a loud snort of laughter. “Ya sounded like Quill jus’ then.”

Yondu scoffs loudly, but grins anyway. “As soon as it left my mouth, I thought the same damn thing.”

“Sentimental shit,” Kraglin comments with a smirk.

Yondu laughs and stands, slapping the First Mate’s shoulder. “Tha’s right.” He starts to descend the ramp, but turns to look at his First Mate through the railing. “I’ll have Vela up the security. Go git some rest, now. I'll make it an order if I hafta." As Yondu departs, he can't help but feel that Kraglin is holding something back, and he doesn't like it. There aren't many things that can spook his First Mate; Yondu can probably list them off on one hand. Before reaching Med Bay, Yondu slips a holopad from his coat and ducks into a room, empty except for a bunch of beer bottles and a lone table. He dials and waits.

After a minute, Mantis' face appears on screen. She flashes him a smile of white teeth. "Yondu!"

"Hi, ladybug. Quill around?"

"Yes, he is here with me. Peter, it is for you!"

Peter comes into view, chewing, his cheeks bulging. He raises a hand in greeting.

"Quill, everythin' all right over there?"

The man's brow furrows, and he nods, swallowing is food down in one hard gulp. "Why? What's goin' on?"

"Nothin' - yet. Jus' keep a careful eye out, be a lil' more cautious than normal. Ya hear?"

"Yeah, sure. What made you call all of a sudden?"

"Jus' a feelin'. Ya'd call me if ya needed help, wouldn't ya?"

"Just like I have before," he replies, his expression softening a bit.

Yondu nods. "A'ight. I'm signin' off. Keep me posted if ya hear anythin' outta the ordinary."

"You do the same, old man."

Yondu sets the alcohol down with a thunk on the desk before sitting heavily in the chair opposite you. Looking over at you, he sees that you seem a little distressed yourself. "Somethin' wrong, baby?"

You shake your head. "I don't know. I was just talking to Jesper. He couldn't sleep, because he has a weird feeling that something bad is going to happen."

Yondu straightens in his chair. "Kraglin jus' told me he has the same kind a' feelin'." He lifts his wrist com to his mouth. "Vela, come in."

The wrist com crackles back with what sounds like a yawn. "Vela here," comes the Security officer's sleepy voice.

"I wanna make some security changes."

The week ends with nothing more eventful than Nillgrac nearly losing a finger in a game of mumbley-peg. Jesper and Kraglin both seem to still be uneasy, however, so Yondu has Vela keep the security levels heightened.

You’ve been searching for anything to do with premonitions or clairvoyance in Xandarians in your Nova Corps data banks, but haven’t found much. There are a few isolated cases, but nothing to warrant it being a pattern among their race. You’re trying to dig a little deeper, searching the most obscure and tracing the thinnest threads you can, when you feel the brush of lips and the scratch of beard on your cheek.

“Darlin'.”

“Hey spaceman,” you greet him with a smile. “What's up?"

"I just got a lead on an arms deal down on the planet, a connection a' mine from way back. I’m gonna check it out, gonna take Kraglin with me. Jus' wanted to let ya know I'd be missin' dinner with ya."

"Okay. Be careful."

He shrugs. "Nothin' to it. See ya in a bit, doll." He leans in to kiss your cheek again and departs.

You have some patient notes and med bay inventory to catch up on anyway, so Yondu not being there for dinner works out for the best. You grab something quick from the mess and return to your office. You finish up your notes in less time than you expected, so you jump right into inventory, hoping to be all finished when Yondu gets back so you can spend some time together, maybe play some Mages and Swords with Kraglin and Ryx. You check off all the items on your list, and head to the storage bay to pick up some extra bandages and antiseptic spray.

You've just left the storage bay, a small crate of supplies in your arms, and are turning the corner when a sight ahead stops you in your tracks.

It’s Adhara Voldaraan. She’s laid out on the ground, as if she’s fallen. She’s not moving.

You almost drop the crate to run to her, when she suddenly moves – but not of her own accord. She’s being dragged, probably by her feet, by someone around the corner that you can’t see. You take a cautious step closer, clenching the crate handles so tight your knuckles whiten, then freeze as you hear a strange voice.

Part of its speech comes through your translator chip just fine, but part of it doesn't come through at all - it's just a harsh series of clicks and guttural noises, so it sounds like, "Klik klik her arms klik klik klik."

You hide behind the corner just in time, and peek around enough to see a creature shamble into the hallway. It has green skin and is wearing a skin-tight black and purple suit. Its eyes are bulbous and yellow, its pointed ears large. Its chin is lined with deep frills, and its teeth are sharp and needle-like. You've never seen anything like it. It takes hold of Adhara's arms in thick clawed hands and hoists her up, so her head lolls backwards, then speaks to what is presumably a companion at Adhara's feet. "Klik klik klik image?" it asks.

"Klik,” says its companion.

The creature stares down at Adhara's face, and so fast that you can't pinpoint exactly when the change takes place - takes her form. An exact copy of Adhara Voldaraan stands there, hunched in the same way that the creature was, staring down at the real Adhara in the same fashion. 

You slap a hand to your mouth to keep yourself from gasping, nearly dropping your crate in the process. Shapeshifters?! As quietly as you possibly can, turn around and walk back the way you’ve come. You have to take a different way back to med bay.

Panic starts to rise in your throat, and the contents of your dinner are threatening to make a second appearance. Despite this, you stride purposefully and do your best not to make eye contact with anyone on the way back to your office. If there’s more than just the two, I don't know who might be a shapeshifter, you think, your heart rate rising exponentially. It could be anyone on board.  You force yourself to pause in an empty hallway for a few seconds. Calm down, [y/n], you tell yourself, taking a few deep breaths. Just get to your office, lock it down, and call Yondu. He'll know how to handle this. 

With a plan to follow, you pick up your pace a little - but not too much as to attract attention - and beeline for the med bay.

Chapter Text

“Stop lookin’ so moody, Krags. Ya look like lil’ Quill when his Walk-thing quit workin’,” Yondu says as they walk away from the cloaked Warbird.

“Walkman,” Kraglin corrects automatically, with the faintest of smirks.

“Whatever,” Yondu replies with a grin. “Look. I didn’t want t’make it an order, son, but ya needed to git off that ship. Ya still feelin’ uneasy?”

“Yeah.”

Yondu shakes his head lightly. “Well. We’re doin’ what we can. Hopefully whatever it is happens soon, so we can put it behind us.”

“Don’t be too eager fer it, Cap’n. Ain’t gonna be good, I can tell ya that much.”

Yondu makes a non-committal noise and nods at the small building ahead. “Known Bandek a long time. Ya remember him, don’tcha?”

“Vaguely. Only did a deal or two with him. Nice fella, but always seemed kinda squirmy t’me.”

“Yeah, I got that impression too.”

As they approach, a Gramosian man comes out of the building, smiling wide. At the sight of them, however, his jovial attitude seems to subside, just for a moment.

“Bandek,” Yondu greets him with a raise of his left hand. He places his right on his hip, folding back his duster just slightly so the Yaka arrow can be plainly seen. “Been a long time.”

Bandek laughs, if a little nervously. “I didn’t think I’d be seeing both of you today,” he says. “Yondu, Kraglin.”

The First Mate nods curtly.

“Ya got some weapons ya need to git rid of?” Yondu asks.

“Right down to business, a man after my own heart,” Bandek says, turning. “This way.”

Yondu whistles low, drawing the Yaka arrow out of its holster, and Kraglin flicks the safety off his blaster as they enter – but there’s one else in sight.

“Keep yer eyes on him,” Yondu murmurs, and the First Mate nods.

“What’s that?” Bandek asks, seating himself behind a long table.

“Nothin’,” Yondu replies, throwing himself into one of the three chairs on the other side of the table. “Let’s see whatcha got.”

From underneath the table, Bandek pulls out an array of weapons, and Kraglin seats himself at Yondu’s side to inspect them.

As Yondu had hoped, the familiar routine of bargaining a deal seems to have a good effect on Kraglin. The First Mate’s posture seems to relax a little, and he inspects each new weapon with interest. Bandek’s got some good stock – laser knives, grav mines, and the latest in plasma tech. But while Kraglin’s demeanor becomes easier, Yondu’s anxiety grows. He doesn’t like the way Bandek keeps sneaking glances at the First Mate, and at the back of the building, and everywhere else. Oh, he’s not obvious about it; quite subtle in fact - but battle slave training dies hard, and it’s only second nature to Yondu to pick up on nervous habits and red flags like these. He keeps his duster well out of the way, just in case he needs to call his arrow back out in a hurry.

Yondu hands a piece of the merchandise over to Kraglin. "Whatcha think?" he asks, when his wrist com vibrates. He looks down at it in dismay, until he sees it's your code. He cocks his head slightly. You know not to bother him during a deal. Whatever it is, must be important. "I gotta take this, Krags," he says. "You keep workin' with him."

"Yessir."

"Is everything all right, Captain?" Bandek asks.

Yondu's step falters, and he looks back at the Gramosian. He's watching him a little too closely, hands braced a little too forcefully on the table. "Yeah," Yondu replies with an easy, disarming smile. "Just gotta take a call."

He steps just outside the door; far enough away not to be overheard, but close enough to keep an eye on Kraglin. "Darlin'?"

"Yondu!” you say hurriedly. “I'm sorry to interrupt but it's an emergency. Are you somewhere private?"

"Yeah, but speak soft," he says in a low voice. He doesn’t like the fear in your tone. "What's goin' on?"

"We haven't picked up any recruits lately, have we? Ones that can…shape-shift?"

"No," Yondu says, an uneasy feeling stirring in his gut. "Why do ya ask?"

"I just saw a green-skinned man - I think it was a man, but it was hard to tell - take out Adhara Voldaraan and take her form. He wasn’t alone – he was talking to someone, I couldn’t make out all their language."

"Green skin?" he whispers.

"Yeah - do you know what he is? What should I do?"

"Where are ya right now?"

"I locked myself in my office."

"Good girl. Just sit tight fer a minute, and play along."

"What?"

"A’ight, don't worry honey," he says, louder. "I'll take care of it when I get back."

"O-Okay?"

He clicks the wrist com off, and swaggers back to the table.

"I trust everything is well?" Bandek asks.

"Yeah, it's fine," Yondu answers with a smirk. "My girl - she was freakin' out. She don't like Orloni, ya know?" he chuckles, and turns to Kraglin. "She found Orloni in the grain stash," he says clearly, hoping Kraglin will remember the code phrase.

The First Mate’s posture stiffens just slightly, only enough for Yondu to notice. He remembers. Kraglin leans on the table and forces a slight smile. "Aw, shit. Which ones?"

"The verdan grains," Yondu replies. Those are the green ones they eat at breakfast.

Yondu sees Kraglin's pupils dilate, the vein pulsing fast in his neck. "Well that's a damn shame," he manages to say. "Guess we should finish up here, huh? See what the damage is?”

"Yeah, I think so."

Bandek smiles at them. "What pests," he says. He pushes another gun forward. "What do you think about this one? I can't promise it will be any good for Orloni, but-"

He's interrupted by Yondu's whistle - the Yaka arrow is spinning just shy of his nose, and Kraglin has his knife at the ready.

"Not another word unless I say," the Captain hisses, "Or I’ll drive my arrow clean through yer brain.”

The Gramosian’s fingers twitch, then his hands move quickly to its belt - but not quickly enough. Kraglin seizes one of his hands, and pins the other to the table with his knife. In the same instant, Yondu leaps over the table to clamp a hand over Bandek’s mouth before a scream can escape him.

Yondu reaches to Bandek’s belt with his free hand and pulls out a communicator. He clicks his tongue disapprovingly. "And here I was thinkin' a lettin' ya live. Maybe if ya answer me straight, I will.”

Beads of sweat roll down the man’s head. Tears shine in his eyes, and he’s breathing heavily. Bright purple blood pools around Kraglin’s knife blade and drips onto the table.

“Ya never had the scrote to do anythin’ like this on yer own, Bandek,” Yondu says, leaning close. “So they’re blackmailin’ ya, probably. I’m gonna let go, and yer gonna tell me everything.” His voice drops to a low and threatening hiss. “If ya don’t, or if I think yer lyin’, yer gonna beg for death. Ya hear?”

Bandek nods.

“Ya alone here?”

He nods again. Studying his eyes, his movements, the quickness of the response, Yondu believes he’s telling the truth, and removes his hand. “What’re the Skrulls up to?”

The Gramosian swallows and nods at the First Mate, trying not to look at his trapped hands and the blood. “Him!” he gasps out. “They want him! They wanted me to get you alone.”

“So I couldn’t protect him,” Yondu grates out through clenched teeth.

Bandek swallows and nods. “They wanted to take over the ship, get Kraglin, and kill you when you returned.”

“Same old shit,” Yondu snarls. “Wanna take him back as a slave, issat it?”

Bandek shakes his head. “They – they said something about bringing him to justice or something! They didn’t go into details, just that I should stall you and keep you from going back to the ship too soon. I’m sorry!” he adds quickly, squeezing his eyes shut as the Yaka arrow whines murderously near his ear.

“How many are there?”

“I – I don’t know, I only spoke with the leader. He’s contacted traders all over this sector – ones that you used to deal with. I was just the first to pick up your transmission.”

“His name,” Yondu presses.

“I don’t know, I’m sorry! He never mentioned it!”

Yondu grits his teeth. “Fine. What else can ya tell me?”

“Just that they probably have ships up there, surrounding yours. They’ve had someone on the inside for several days, getting them on board. They wanted to wait, but they told me to contact you today. Something about you upping security measures.”

“Anythin’ else?”

“No, nothing!” Bandek yelps as the Yaka arrow buzzes angrily against his ear. “Please don’t kill me! Take – take any of the weapons! They’re not sabotaged, they’re all clean too – untraceable! I swear! I’ll let you have them for nothing!”

“How charitable of ya,” Yondu snarls, glaring at him. “Krags, take a crate a’ the blasters and ammo and git back to the Warbird. I’ll deal with Bandek.”

“Yessir.”

“And watch yer back!” he snaps after the First Mate as he leaves. He turns back to Bandek, and gathers his collar in his hands, yanking him close. “Yer flarkin’ lucky that we caught ya now. If the Skrulls had got him – and I’d found out it was you – I would’a spilled yer guts from here to Sovereign territory.” He releases him roughly. “But that don’t mean I’m lettin’ ya off.”

The Gramosian looks up at him with tear-filled eyes. “Wh-what are you going to do?”

Kraglin has the Warbird’s engines heated and ready to go by the time Yondu climbs aboard, his duster splattered with blood.

“Dead?” the First Mate asks.

“He ain’t gonna walk again,” Yondu replies. “Take off. We gotta get back to the ship.”

“Aye, Cap’n.”

You’re hidden under your desk in your office, anxiously eyeing your wrist com. You thought Yondu would call you right back, but it’s been several minutes since you spoke to him. You have all the lights off, and the doors are locked. If anyone looked through the med bay doors, it would look like there was no one in the med bay at all. Thankfully you released the last of your patients yesterday and don’t have anyone to look after.

You bite your lip. The crew is out there with those shapeshifters. Ryx, Jesper, Rhian, Nillgrac, Mosegi – all of your friends are in danger. What if they’ve been kidnapped? What if they’ve been injured? Or – or worse? What if those things kil- You jerk violently and as your wrist com vibrates against your skin.

Thankfully, it’s Yondu’s code. “Y-Yondu? Where are you? Are you both safe?” you whisper fretfully.

“We’re fine for the moment, honey,” comes his reply. He sounds like he’s agitated, but his voice also sounds a little restrained, like he’s trying to stay calm for you. “We’re on our way back to the ship.”

“Do ya know if Ryx is okay?” Kraglin’s voice comes, a little higher-pitched than normal.

“I’m sorry,” you answer. “I don’t know. I came straight to the med bay after I saw it attack Adhara. What are those things?”

“Skrulls,” Yondu answers.

You gasp as you recall your visit to Taurus V. ‘Skrulls have been banned…for attempted kidnapping of minors and assault of Nova Corps officers.’ ‘They’re a bunch a’ cruel mean-hearted bastards…and slavers to top it all off.’ Suddenly the body scanning requirement makes sense.

“Are they here to kidnap us? En- enslave us?”

“No. They’re here for Kraglin.”

You stare at the wrist com in shock. “What?! Why?”

“Used to own me,” Kraglin replies bitterly. “Been tryin’ to get me back as a slave fer years – but now – I think it’s because I’ve evaded ‘em so long. Pissed ‘em off one too many times, I reckon.”

“How do we-” you’re cut off by loud klaxons.

“Darlin’? What is that?”

“I don’t know,” you say, looking around. You get up from under your desk to peek out your window through the med bay doors. In the hallway, red lights are flashing. “There’s sirens going off, and red lights in the hallway.”

“What! Hell’s teeth!” The exclamation is followed by a string of creative curses over your wrist com.

“What?” you cry. “What does it mean?”

 “Someone put the ship into lockdown.”

“Lockdown? What does that mean? What do I do?”

There’s a pause, as if Yondu is figuring out what to say to you. “Means no more Skrulls can get aboard,” he replies. “Now lissen t’me, [y/n]. There’s a false bottom in the last drawer of yer desk. In it, I put a blaster and some ammo in case of emergencies. I want ya to take that, load it like I been teachin’ ya. Then I want ya to stay put, until either me or Kraglin contacts ya, or comes to get ya. Ya don’t let anyone else in the med bay, and ya don’t go out. Ya understand?”

You nod, then remember he can’t see you and say, “Yes. Got it.”

“And even if it’s one of us that comes to git ya,” Kraglin interjects, “Ya gotta be sure. There’s a piece a’ portable scanner tech in your office that I saw on yer shelf – it’s a lil’ clunky lookin’ grey thing with a big screen on it. Ya can use that to make sure we’re who we say we are.”

“Good thinkin’, Krags,” you hear Yondu say.

You look up at the shelves above your desk and nod. “I see it. Okay. Will you be here soon?”

“One of us’ll be there jus’ as soon as we can, darlin’.”

“Okay. I’ll be here. Are you sure there’s nothing else I can do?”

“No. Ya jus’ stay there, stay quiet, and stay safe.”

“Okay,” you whisper. “Yondu, I love you.”

“I love you, baby. Don’t worry, everythin’s gonna be fine.”

“I know. Both of you please be careful.”

As Yondu disconnects the call, he glances at Kraglin. “Who could'a done that? Put the ship on lockdown?”

"Only Rhian and Jesper have the code 'sides the two of us, must have been one a' them. It was good thinkin’ to keep any more Skrulls from boardin’ – only problem is, it keeps us out too."

Yondu swears under his breath. “How the hell are we gonna get inside now? The overrides are on either side of the ship and we gotta do it at the same time!"

"I know, Cap-"

"We only got the one M-ship, Krags!"

"Ya got an extra spacesuit in here?"

"A' course I do!” Yondu replies impatiently. “I always do, now. Why?" Kraglin jumps out of the copilot seat and heads for the back of the ship. "Whoa! Whoa, no!" Yondu says, leaping up as he realizes what Kraglin's thinking. "Y'ain't goin' out there!"

"I gotta, Cap."

"No! No - we'll find another way. There's gotta be another way to do this!" His heartbeat is rising into fast and unsteady rhythm.

"No," Kraglin says, gripping his arm, "There ain't another way, it's gotta be done at the same time. Ya do yers from the Warbird, and I'll do mine from out there." He nods out the windshield.

Yondu shakes his head. "No. Y'ain't goin' out there!"

"Cap'n,” Kraglin snaps, “I'm goin', and tha's it! There ain't no alternative, and there ain't no way in hell I'm lettin' ya go out into the Deep again!"

Yondu swallows. Just the thought of the vacuum sends his skin prickling, sends a chill over his body. He knows Kraglin is right, and he’s not happy about the decision. “F-fine!” he says at last. “But I’m droppin’ ya off! Y’ain’t climbin’ all the way over there.”

As they clear the planet’s atmosphere, Yondu makes sure all his signals are thrice-jammed, and Kraglin starts scanning the deep for enemy transmissions.

“I can’t believe I’m lettin’ ya do this,” Yondu murmurs, but is silenced by a “shh!” from Kraglin.

“Lissen,” the First Mate says, and adjusts a dial.

The garbled, halting speech of the Skrulls come over the ship’s speakers. Kraglin does a few adjustments, and more transmissions come through. He tries frequency after frequency, and they’re all taken up by Skrull communications. “Shit, there’s gotta be two dozen ships up there!” he whispers, eyes wide.

Yondu licks his lips nervously. “A’ight, here’s the plan. We override the lockdown. Ya git inside, ya find [y/n], get her to a safe place. Then ya do what ya can to git to the hangar, and find Nillgrac and the other pilots, if they’re – if they’re not detained.” He was going to say if they’re alive, but Kraglin doesn’t need another ounce of stress on his narrow shoulders.

“What’re ya gonna do?” Kraglin asks, concern flashing deep in his blue-grey eyes.

“I’m gonna be out here, takin’ these bastards out as fast as I can.” Yondu pushes a few buttons on his armrest and a holoscreen overlays the windshield. As they draw closer to the Eclector, red diamond-shaped symbols begin to appear all over the blackness of space. “Might be more than two dozen,” he says quietly.

“How’d ya do that?” Kraglin asks, staring at the screen. “They gotta be all cloaked n’ jammed, jus’ like we are.”

“Mainframe. She outfitted the Warbird with a few lil’ gifts to welcome me back to the ranks,” Yondu says with a tight smile. He slows the ship to a drifting pace. “I want ya to call Quill.”

“I don’t want him anywhere near the Skrulls,” Kraglin protests, eyes flashing.

“It’s not a request, it’s an order!” Yondu snaps. “Call him.”

Lips pursed in a tight line, Kraglin’s fingers fly across the console. “We got about two minutes before it can be traced,” he says as the line blips.

It’s only a second or two before Peter’s face appears on screen. “Dad? Krags?”

“Quill, we don’t gotta lot a’ time. Ya gotta lissen close, now.”

Peter’s blue-green eyes darts nervously between him and Kraglin. “What’s going on?”

“Skrulls. After Kraglin. I’m sendin’ ya the coordinates to the Eclector’s current position. If ya don’t hear from us in 12 hours, ya contact Stakar and git yer asses over here. Got that?”

Peter’s eyes are wide, his brows drawn down anxiously. “We can come now.”

“No, ya stay there. Don’t need ya riskin’ yerselves too.”

Peter looks to the side, eyes burning, before he looks back. “Fine. Kraglin,” he says, pointing at his adopted brother, “Don’t you dare let those bastards get you.”

“I’ll be careful, Pete,” Kraglin replies softly. “I promise.”

“12 hours,” Yondu repeats, and ends the transmission. He takes a deep breath. “A’ight, we’re getting’ close. Git as many blasters as ya can carry, and git yer suit on.”

“Aye, Cap’n.”

A few minutes later, Yondu has the Warbird hovering close to the Eclector’s hull. He sets it to autopilot for the time being and joins Kraglin in the small airlock chamber. "Ya set?" he asks quietly.

Kraglin nods. "Got m'mask too, jus' in case somethin' happens to the suit."

"A'ight," Yondu says, adjusting a blaster strapped to his leg, and looking him over to make sure there aren't any loose straps or buckles that could snag on something. "Now ya make it quick, n' get inside. I don't want ya out in the black any longer than necessary, ya hear?"

Kraglin flashes him a nervous grin. "Damn, Cap'n. Yer gettin' all sentimental n' crap in yer old age."

Yondu cuffs him upside the head, then chuckles before yanking the First Mate into an embrace. "Don't give a shit," he whispers. "Yer my boy, and - dammit - ya better be careful in there. Them Skrulls won't stop until they getcha. I'll be in there jus' as soon as I can."

"I know," Kraglin says, pulling back and clapping his shoulder. "I'll be okay, Cap. I'm a tough sonuvabitch."

Yondu pats the side of his face. "Damn straight y'are." He steps back into the ship proper and triggers the vacuum sealed doors as Kraglin activates the space suit. The doors close and there's the whirring sound of the locking mechanism as they seal. Kraglin pulls down the lever at the door, and lifts slightly from the ground, weightless as the ship opens to the vacuum of space. Pulling himself forward by the handrails, he disappears out the hatch.

Yondu scrambles back to the cockpit, turning on the exterior cameras. Kraglin is drifting in open space, the hexagonal cells of his space suit shimmering slightly in the airless void. Yondu holds his breath, only letting it out again when the First Mate’s hands close around the rungs of the ladder on the side of the Eclector and begins his ascent to the lockdown emergency hatch.

"Can ya hear me, Krags?"

"Loud n' clear, sir," comes his quiet reply.

"I'm takin' the Warbird under the ship to the other side. Ain't as many enemy ships that way. Git to the hatch, enter yer code and stand by."

"Copy that."

As fast as he can without attracting attention, Yondu navigates his ship around those of the Skrulls, to the other lockdown point on the opposite side of the Eclector and aligns his ship as close to the hatch as he can. He flips a switch, and hears a resulting ratcheting, grinding noise underneath him. A moment later a mechanical arm extends below him, which plugs itself into a port just under the keypad on the ship, and Yondu flips another switch. A keypad appears up on his holoscreen, and he types in his code. He hovers his fingers over the enter button when a slight pulse goes through his ship, like his shield is malfunctioning. He looks around. That didn't look good. A sudden flashing light on his dash attracts his attention, and he glances at the warning, lit up in red letters.

CLOAKING ERROR X1723. WARNING: EXTERIOR EXPOSED. 

He doesn’t read much, but he knows enough to know what certain error codes mean. His face pales. "Dammit! Kraglin! Come in! We gotta do it now! M' cloak is gone!"

"M' Ready!"

"Now!" He punches the enter key, and after a second, the words ACCESS GRANTED. LOCKDOWN PROTOCOL LIFTED. flash across the screen in blue letters.

On the other side of the ship, Kraglin yanks open the hatch and pulls himself inside the Eclector, slamming the door shut behind him and locking the wheel tight. "I'm in, Cap'n!"

"Good boy! Shit, they spotted me! Gonna draw 'em away -- git the pilots out here as soon as ya can!"

Kraglin pulls himself into an adjacent room and feels the artificial gravity pulling him towards the floor. He locks off the previous room and deactivates the space suit. After he’s sure the oxygen levels have returned, Kraglin presses the space near his ear. A mask builds around his face until his eyes are covered by red discs, giving him thermal input of his surroundings. He unstraps two blasters from his thighs, and pushes into the ship proper, heading for the Med Bay.

You freeze as you hear the Med Bay doors open. You push yourself further into the corner, gripping your blaster tightly. A second later, you hear someone scrambling at your office doorknob, and it opens a couple minutes later. There's the sound of footsteps, then a hesitant voice asks, "Doc?"

Kraglin! You almost jump out of your hiding place, but you catch yourself just in time. You cock your weapon and get the scanner ready. "Don't move," you say, sliding out from under the desk. There's a tall man there, dressed in what looks like the First Mate's uniform, but he's wearing an angular metal mask with red circular eyes. "Who are you?" you ask, aiming your gun at him.

He steps back. "Doc, it's me." He presses a finger near his ear, and the mask recedes from the center of his face outwards, until Kraglin's face is visible. "Put the gun down."

"No," you snap, "You put your gun down." You adjust your grip and steady the blaster, aiming at his head. "I'm going to make sure it's you." 

Slowly, Kraglin puts his weapon down on your desk, and holds up his hands. "Okay."

You flick the scanner on and focus it on Kraglin. It pinpoints his arms, legs, head and torso, and scans up and down. You glance between it and Kraglin, praying with all your might that he is who he says he is. The scanner chimes cheerfully, reading XANDARIAN. You immediately drop your blaster to the tabletop and run forward to him. "Oh, it’s you!" you cry, hugging him. 

He pats your back reassuringly - as he wrenches the scanner from your hand. "Your turn."

You step back at his harsh tone, hands raised. His eyes don't leave you until the device chimes. "Terran," he reads with a sigh. "Thank gods. M' sorry, [y/n]," he says, drawing you back into a one-armed hug. "Ya okay?"

You nod. "Are you okay? Where's Yondu?"

"M' fine, fer now. Cap'n's takin' out the enemy ships. We gotta git the rest of the pilots out there as fast as we can." He looks you over. "Ya got more ammo fer that blaster?"

You nod, and dip under your desk to retrieve the rest of the ammunition that you'd stored under your desk. 

"Good. Look, [y/n], I don't wanna have to ask you this, 'specially cuz I know the Cap'n'll kill me if ya so much as git bruised, but I don't know who else I can trust and I need yer help."

You secure the blaster in the holster it came with, strapping it to your thigh. "You just tell me what to do, Kraglin. I want to help however I can." 

He nods, and stands for a moment, thinking. Then he straightens up, and pushes through your office door. You follow him to the very back room, which you use for patient overflow and medical supply storage. He bends in the corner, running his fingers over one of the large tiles. "Ya got a scalpel or somethin'? Somethin' thin?"

You reach into your medical bag, which you grabbed on your way out of the office and pull the protective cap off a thin surgical blade before handing it to him.

He slides it into the groove between the tiles, and the tile pops up neatly. "Good, tha's the right one." He hands the knife back, and lifts the tile up - it's on hinges, and isn't really a tile at all. Below, you can see some sort of passageway, almost like a vent. He swings his legs into it and lowers himself down - it's fairly deep and the floor comes up to his waist. "This leads to the Control Room, the Mess, and the Hangar. We gotta go to the Control Room first. I can put the ship back into lockdown, and hack into the Security Feeds there and see what's goin' on. C'mon."

You stare down into the dark hole. "Is - isn't there another way?"

He looks back up at you quizzically. "Huh? No, and we don't got time to find another way. What'sa matter?"

"I'm kinda...claustrophobic," you say, swallowing. Hiding under the desk was bad enough, but this?

"Clawstra-what? Wassat mean?"

"It means I'm afraid of small, tight, dark spaces. I feel like I'm going to get trapped, like I can't breathe."

Kraglin takes a deep breath, and hoists himself out of the hole again. "[y/n], lissen," he says with considerable patience, taking your hand. "If there was another way, we'd take it. But the Cap'ns countin' on us, and so is the rest of the crew. I ain't gonna leave ya down in them tunnels alone. I'll be right by ya the whole time, I promise. Can ya do this fer me? For the Cap'n?"

The thought of Yondu outside the ship, alone, fighting the Skrulls in his M-ship scares you more than the dark, narrow tunnel. You nod. "Okay."

Kraglin nods and jumps back down again. He draws his blaster and sets it down further in the vent, before helping you down alongside him. "Okay, git back in there a lil', while I close the hatch."

You feel your hands starting to tremble as you lower yourself down on your knees, and scoot back into the darkness of the passage. Above you, Kraglin reaches back and closes the hatch. Your eyes fixate on the light from the med bay, which narrows to a width the size of your hand, to a band of light an inch wide, to just a slit before it's gone and you're enclosed in total darkness. 

You feel the shadows pressing like weights on your body, and suddenly the air seems thick. You close your eyes and draw in a few deep breaths. It's okay. You're not trapped. The walls aren't closing in. It's just your imagination. You can do this. You have to do this. For Yondu, you can beat this.

"Ya okay, [y/n]?"

"Yeah," you squeak out. In the dark, you feel Kraglin's hand squeeze yours slightly - and as your eyes begin to adjust, you can see his outline, illuminated very slightly by the plasma readings on his blasters.

"Jus’ follow me, Doc,” he says. “Gonna git these bastards off our ship.”

Chapter Text

Kraglin unlocks the hatch above him marked Control Room. Bracing his hands flat against it, he pushes upward, and in the dim light you can see him curl his lip, as if he’s making more of an effort than he expected. He adjusts his kneeling position to a crouch and braces his back up against the hatch – there must be something heavy on top of it. It gives way after a moment, and dim light pours into the passageway.

He pauses, but there isn’t any movement or sound from the room above. Silently, he rises, motioning for you to stay put as you begin to follow. As he stands, his breath catches. “Oh, gods,” he whispers.

Amidst the flickering lights of holoscreens, he can see the floor is littered with the dead bodies of Skrulls and Navigators.

He swallows back rising nausea in the back of his throat and wills his heart to stop beating so fast. He steadies the blaster in his hand and sweeps the room, slowly turning in a wide circle, eyes focused on the shadows and nooks and crannies that an enemy could hide in. Cautiously, he lifts himself out of the hatch, staying in a crouched position. After there's no immediate movement, he calls out softly, "Anyone alive out there?"

There's a scrambling noise ahead to his left. "Kraglin? S-sir, is that you?"

Kraglin whips around, blaster raised. He reaches to his side and flips the light switch. What looks to be Jesper shrinks back behind one of the stations, blinking in the sudden light. "Git out from behind there," he orders. Jesper rises, but Kraglin sees he also has a blaster trained in his direction. "Put the gun down."

"N-no sir, I can't do that - not until I know it's you for sure."

Good boy, Kraglin thinks, If it's really him. "I'm gonna reach fer my knife. Gonna slide it over to ya, I want ya to nick yer finger with it and show me yer blood. Will ya do that fer me?"

Shakily, Jesper comes out from behind the station and nods. "Yes."

"Okay." Kraglin slides the knife from its sheath, and, with his eyes still trained on the boy, places it on the ground. He kicks it over, and Jesper stops it with the toe of his boot. 

Keeping his blaster and eyes on Kraglin, Jesper reaches down and draws a finger across the naked blade, wincing slightly. He holds up his finger - his blood is blue.

Kraglin's shoulders slump in relief. "Thank the gods fer that," he says, lowering his blaster.

Jesper kicks the knife back. "Your turn!"

The First Mate looks up in surprise to see the boy has not one, but two blasters aimed at him now. He holsters his own, and bends to pick up the knife. He slices his little finger across it and holds up his hand, the blood blue dripping down his palm.

Jesper instantly drops his raised arms, holstering his weapons, and runs to Kraglin. "Oh, sir, thank gods. I put the ship into lockdown, I didn't know what else to do-" His voice is strained, and he looks close to tears.

Kraglin places his hands on Jesper's shoulders and leans down to his height. "Hush, boy, hush. Ya did real good."

"Sir, Lon - Velara - X'isi – everyone - they're - they're all- I tried to save them, but-"

"I know," he says softly, his throat tightening. "Ya did what ya could. Y'ain't to blame. Doc? It's clear, c'mon up." He sees the anguish and horror plain in your eyes as you pull yourself out of the hatch.

"Oh no," you gasp, putting a hand to your mouth as you survey the scene. "What happened?"

"I was in the back with Lon,” Jesper says, running fingers anxiously through his hair. “He heard the shooting first and shielded me – two of my Navs were shooting on everybody else. They were Skrulls. Once I realized that one of them was trying to open the Docking Bay doors, I locked the ship down.”

Kraglin pats the boy’s shoulder and crosses over to the main holoscreen and starts clacking away on the keys and navigating across the screens.

Meanwhile, you have Jesper hop up on a nearby table so you can attend to the gash on his forehead and the nick on his finger. There’s a sudden scrambling noise on the floor, and both you and Jesper look in the First Mate’s direction in time to see one of the Navs, whom you thought was dead, jump him.

“Kraglin!” you scream.

He whirls – and ducks just in time to avoid a heavy blow from the Nav. Kraglin sweeps with his knife, and green blood sprays across the floor. But despite now being injured, the Nav-Skrull is fast. In a few motions, it’s disarmed Kraglin, sending the knife spinning across the floor.

You draw your blaster, but there’s no way to get a clean shot from here. “Get away from him!” you shout, advancing on them a step.

"Jesper, Doc, git back!" Kraglin cries, throwing the Skrull off of him. He drives a fist into his enemy’s side, and it staggers back. But as it reels, it scoops something up from the floor – a blaster. It aims at Kraglin.

“Klik klik, slave,” it hisses through sharp teeth.

There’s sudden fast footsteps to your left, then a whine and a flash of heat. Blood explodes from the Skrull's face. Its body goes limp, and Kraglin leaps aside as it falls. In two seconds, he’s in front of you and Jesper, scooping up his knife from the floor and boxing you both into the corner behind him. 

"Ya good, sir?"

"Clipper?"

The lead mechanic stands before the three of you, wiping a grungy hand across his brow and sandy hair. "Yessir. Are ya injur- shit!" Clipper jumps backwards as Kraglin levels his blaster at him. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"How do I know y'ain't a Skrull?"

"Are ya outta your flarkin’ mind? I killed that Skrull to save you!" he yells.

"They done worse than jus’ killin' each other!" Kraglin shouts back. He takes the knife from over his shoulder. "Hold out yer hand."

"Why?"

"Just do as he says," Jesper interjects, a little impatiently.

"Oh, for the love of- Kraglin, use the scanner! You don’t need to be injuring each other on top of everything else.” You duck under Kraglin’s arm, keeping enough space between you and Clipper so he can’t reach you easily.

“Fine,” Kraglin says shortly. “But I ain’t lowerin’ m’ weapon.”

Lifting the scanner, you analyze Clipper’s body. XANDARIAN, it reads after a few seconds. You nod. “He’s not a Skrull.”

“No shit!” Clipper snaps.

"I had to be sure!” Kraglin barks back, sheathing his knife with a sharp click. "Where’d ya come from, anyway?"

"I got some of the team holed up in the vents, once I figured out what was happenin’,” he says, jabbing a thumb behind him, “It was Vela, sir. She was gatherin’ ‘em up, getting’ ‘em aboard. Well, guess it wasn’t really Vela. Just looked like her."

"Vela?" Kraglin asks incredulously.

"That makes sense," you say. "She would have been the logical choice. She had access to the security systems. She could have adjusted them, made it easier for enemies to board, right? Someone in another position would have been too suspicious, accessing those types of things."

"Shit, shit. Yeah, yer right. Dammit, I should'a known. When ya and Vela came on board, I could feel somethin’ was off. Should’a done somethin’."

"So what do we do?" Jesper asks softly.

Clipper and Kraglin flinch slightly at his young voice, as if they’d forgotten he was there, standing amidst the carnage of the room. Kraglin turns and lays a hand on the Nav’s shoulder, patting it once. Then he stands in silence, eyes staring at nothing in particular as they flick back and forth in thought. "Okay. Clipper, how many ya got with ya?"

"Just seven, sir."

"Better than none. They armed?"

"No guns, just some tools that we swiped before gettin' into the vents."

Kraglin crouches next to one of the dead bodies and respectfully closes the young woman's eyes before reaching down to her belt and unholstering her weapon. "I don’t want these fallin’ into the wrong hands. Gather ‘em up. Clipper, go git yer team."

"Yessir."

"And Clipper."

"Sir?"

"Thanks."

Clipper pauses long enough to throw a Ravager salute at the First Mate. "Might not like ya much sir, but I wouldn't let a damn Skrull kill a fellow Ravager and Xandarian." With that, he patters down the steps to the exit.

You help Jesper and Kraglin gather up weapons, and start moving the bodies of the deceased Ravagers into a line, out of the way so the controls can be accessed. You pile the dead Skrulls in a corner of the room.

Meanwhile, Kraglin dials his override code into a keypad on the wall. The entire section of wall slides up, revealing rows of blasters and what look like some sort of grenades. He starts taking the blasters out and setting them on the table.

Clipper returns, and he's got more than seven with him. You quickly do a scan of the group; they're all the real thing. "Some of the techs met up with 'em in the vents," Clipper explains.

"Have you seen my sisters?" Attria asks, coming forward anxiously.

"We'll find 'em," Kraglin promises before you can say anything. "I'm glad yer here. Do ya think ya can access the Security feeds?"

Blinking back tears and jutting out her chin, Attria nods. "Nasrin, I need your help."

"This'll be our base of operations," Kraglin decides, gesturing around the room. "Jesper, you're Lead Nav and second ranking officer under me, Doc’s third," he adds, throwing Clipper a slight glare as the man opens his mouth to protest. "Tha's how the line of command goes. The Cap'n, me, Rhian, Jesper, Doc. Since Cap’n and Rhian ain’t here, Jesper’s next. Ain’t got no time for arguin’."

“We’re in, sir,” Attria announces from the console.

“Good.” Kraglin’s fingers fly across the keys, and he pauses on two feeds, pulling them up to the screens on either side of him. It’s the Mess and the Hangar.

In both locations, dozens of Ravagers are bound and kneeling before patrolling Skrulls.

“Gods above,” Clipper gasps out.

“We’re screwed!” one of the mechanics cries.

“We’re going to die,” a tech whimpers.

“Shut up!” Jesper bellows, rounding on them. “Some Ravagers you are! We’re going to be fine, because Kraglin’s got a plan. Don’t you, sir?”

Kraglin turns to see the crew’s expectant eyes on him. His gaze come to rest on you, and you give him a small, encouraging smile. He draws himself up a little. “Yeah, I do.” he says at last. “Here’s what—”

His voice is cut off by the ship-wide intercom.

“Kraglin Obfonteri,” a harsh voice hisses, echoing throughout the vessel. “There is no question that you have boarded the ship, and that you must be able to see the state of your crew. You know why we are here. If you do not give yourself up, we will begin executing them.”

Kraglin grips the back of the Captain’s chair until his knuckles whiten.

“Let me demonstrate.”

On the screen displaying the Mess Hall, a Skrull hauls one of the crew to their feet. Without ceremony or hesitation, it drags a curved knife across their throat and they drop to the floor.

Nasrin cries out, clinging onto Jesper and hiding her face in his shoulder. He holds her shakily, his face pale.

On the screen, several of the crew try to get to their feet, obviously yelling, but they are pushed back down by other Skrulls to their knees.

“Come to me now, or I will continue to execute one of your Ravagers every fifteen minutes.”

Kraglin mashes down on a button on the Captain’s armrest, and his voice is magnified throughout the ship. “This is Kraglin Obfonteri,” he says, his voice low and savage. “I am comin’ to ya, and I am going to kill ya. Ya hear me? Only other blood that’s gonna be spillin’ today is yers, when I slit yer own damn throat!” He pushes back from the chair, his eyes alight with some internal flame.

There’s no response from the Skrull.

He paces back and forth for a few minutes, fuming, then turns to face the crew.

“Here’s the plan. Jesper, Attria, Nasrin and the rest of the Tech Team is gonna stay here in the Control Room. Keep an eye on the feeds and see if ya can access the weapons to help the Cap’n. No one comes in or out of this room unless yer damn sure they ain’t Skrulls. Ya hear?” Jesper and the Techs nod. “Good. Jesper, yer in charge here.”

“Yessir,” he replies.

“Clipper, Doc, and the rest of y’all are gonna go to the Hangar, and free the crew there. Find whatever pilots ya can, and git ‘em out to the Cap’n as soon as possible. I’m goin’ to the Mess to kill that sonuvabitch.”

“Kraglin, you can’t do that alone! That’s what they want!” you cry out.

“Those are your orders, doctor!” he snaps at you. “Don’t make me repeat ‘em. It’s better this way.” He turns and heads for the hatch in the floor.

“Ya can’t know who’s a Skrull and who’s not!” Clipper protests, blocking his path.

Kraglin pauses. “Well I don’t got time to figure that out,” he says with a shake of his head. “Get outta the way.”

“What’re ya going to do then? Just go cuttin’ up every person you see, to see if their blood is green? Huh?”

“I don’t know, Clipper!” Kraglin says bitingly.

“What about the Doc’s scanner?” Attria asks, looking over one of her Tech’s shoulders. She gestures for it, and you hand it to her. Promptly, she takes apart its casing.

"Hey!" you cry in dismay.

"Relax, it's not broken. Nasrin, c'mere." 

Nasrin hurries over to Attria, and they huddle over the scanner together. "A lot of it looks pretty basic. Do you think we could map it to the coms? Interface it with the map Kraglin made?"

"I don't see why not. We'd just have to change some of the coding."

"Girls, I appreciate what yer doin',” Kraglin says impatiently, “But we don't really have time fer this."

"Sir," Attria says sharply, drawing herself up, "All due respect, but you're going to have to make time. This could save lives."

Kraglin's mouth firms into a tight, thin line for a few moments. "Fine," he says shortly. "How long is this gonna take?"

"Not long sir. Jesper, where’s the back door to the main holo controls?"

He points to the dash straight ahead of him, and Nasrin scrambles underneath the console. She draws out the ends of a couple wires and hands them to Attria. After connecting them to the scanner, lines of code appear on the main holoscreen. Attria nods approvingly, then starts murmuring under her breath as she copies the code to another screen and manipulates it. "Change the directory...isolate this..."

"You have to switch that around," Nasrin comments over her shoulder, pointing at a line.

"Thanks." She makes a few adjustments, then unhooks the scanner, and looks at the mechanics. "Anybody got a screwdriver?"

Clipper digs around in his pockets and tosses her one.

"Thanks." She pries off the cover of her wrist com and hooks it into the holo screen. After a few more minutes, she’s downloaded the program. "Okay, let's test this.” Attria activates her wrist com, which now overlaid with the scanner. She studies it, and smiles. “Great. Blue circles are non-Skrulls, and red diamonds-" She frowns, then looks up sharply, into the knot of pilots and techs. She has just opened her mouth, eyes wide, when there's a shriek from the group. Another presumably dead Navigator named Uxor has just stabbed a fellow crewman.

He pushes the dying Ravager into the rest of the techs, and races for the stairs. 

Kraglin jumps atop the console, moving from there to a chair to the table, and leaps in front of the stairs, blocking the tech's path. 

“Klik,” Uxor hisses, his skin fading to green.

"Screw you," Kraglin snarls, and lunges forward. After a few minutes of struggle, the Skrull falls with Kraglin’s knife buried deep in its throat.

"I thought I checked everyone!” you cry.

“Attria, recheck the entire room,” the First Mate orders.

She does so, and she lets out a relieved breath. “Just us, no Skrulls. And the rest are – aren’t alive.”

Kraglin nods. “We gotta go now. Attria, start transferrin' that program."

Holding her wrist com against Nasrin's, Attria wirelessly transfers the overlay, and the two of them transfer to everyone else. "Everyone set your coms to frequency 7," she announces. “It's scrambled enough that it shouldn't be traced or tapped into if we need to communicate."

“Sir,” Clipper says, taking Kraglin aside, “Let me come with you. I can back you up.”

“It’s better if I go alone,” Kraglin replies with a clap to Clipper’s shoulder. “I need ya to git those pilots free and help the Cap’n. He’s on his own out there.” He raises his voice a little louder. “Yer in charge, Clipper. Doc, technically ya’d be ranking officer, but considerin’ the situation, I think Clipper’s got a lil’ more Ravager experience under his belt.”

You nod.

“But don’t underestimate her, Clipper. She’s a good shot.” Kraglin pauses at the hatch and salutes them. “Good luck. Gods willin’, we’ll see each other at the end of this.”

Yondu barrel rolls to avoid a near-collision with half of a Skrull ship that he’d blasted apart just minutes before. He can’t keep this up forever. The Skrull ships are fast, and they’re everywhere. It seems like where he destroys one, two pop up in its place.

His hands are tired from clenching the controls, and his jaw aches from grating his teeth together. He can only do so much with his weapon systems while he’s trying to fly at the same time. The cost of flying sans co-pilot.

There are two cruisers on his tail, and he’s flirting with the edge of their targeting systems. They chase him around the stern of the Eclector, where he wheels and dives to avoid their blasters. The shots scorch past his hull and dissipate into the dark of space. As he comes out on the other side, he pulls up sharply – there’s nearly a dozen cruisers waiting for him. “Shit!”

The Warbird groans in protest as he strains on the controls with all his strength. He glances up at his screens and realizes that he’s surrounded. He can’t possibly take them all. If he could get his arrow out there, then maybe. But he’d have to get it into the airlock and release it out that way, otherwise he’d risk damaging his own ship. And to do that, he’d have to put the ship into autopilot – and that’s way too risky with this many Skrull ships around, at least without a few Ravagers backing him up.

A frantic beeping and flashing on his screen tells him that enemy weapons have locked onto him. He rolls, and something explodes directly underneath him, rocking his ship. Warnings begin to pop up all over his screens – the shields are weakening.

For the first time since he put on that spacesuit to save Quill, he’s afraid he’s going to die. You appear in his mind - smiling, laughing, beautiful – and tears spring unbidden to his eyes. This could be it. He might never see you again, might never hold you in his arms, or kiss your lips again.

He grinds his teeth violently and clenches the controls harder in his hands. Well I sure as hell ain’t goin’ out without takin’ most a’ these bastards with me! Gonna try my damndest to see my [y/n] again! He re-centers the ship and gets as many of the enemy in his sights as he can. Flipping switches, he pulls out all the stops and readies as many the weapons the Warbird can handle firing at once.

He’s about to release them all when a familiar blue and orange M-ship screams into view, broadsiding one of the Skrull cruisers with a barrage of blaster fire. His intercom buzzes, and he hears Rocket's maniacal laughter crackle through it, followed by, "Hey, Pops!"

"Quill?!" Yondu yells back in astonishment. "I told ya to give us 12 hours!"

"And let these assholes take Kraglin? No dice!"

Yondu can't hold back a grin. "Ya never did lissen t’me, did ya.”

“Lucky for you!”

He chuckles. “Well, since yer here, how about you and me take these flarkers down?"

A laugh, then, "You and me, like the old days?"

Yondu nods, sharp teeth glinting in a cruel smile. "Yeah. Like the old days. No one tries to hurt one a' my boys and gits away with it."

"Damn right," Quill snaps, and Yondu sees the Milano pinwheel to avoid a large chunk of debris from a destroyed Skrull cruiser. "You take the left, I'll take the right?"

"Copy that."

The Milano banks away, and Yondu steers the Warbird in the opposite direction. Hell. We might stand a chance.

Kraglin makes his way back to the Med Bay, and heads towards the Mess from there. It was too risky to head directly to the Mess itself. It might have surprised the bastards, but if he’d gotten killed, it would alert them to the secret tunnels, and the rest of the crew could be done for.

He keeps quiet, pressing himself into the shadows along the wall. He keeps a careful on his wrist com, eyeing the dozens of red diamonds that populate the mess below him. It’s not long before he comes across a Skrull on his floor. The diamond symbol signifies that it’s straight ahead, pacing along the hall. Kraglin raises his head slightly and sees it. It’s on patrol, looking over the railings into the Mess, an electric prod in one hand and a knife at its belt. Its back is to Kraglin.

Crouching low, the First Mate rushes up on the Skrull, and slips his hand over the its mouth, pulling back hard. He rams his knife into its back, thrusting upward and all the way to the hilt. The Skrull flails, scrambles for a moment before going limp with a last exhale of breath.

He drags the body down a corridor, dumps it in a dark corner, and resumes working his way towards the Mess. That kill was easy enough, but they’re not all going to be that way.

Sure enough, he reaches a junction between two hallways, and sees the diamond on his com just as the Skrull turns the corner. It sees him, and screeches at the top of its lungs, “Klik kliklik klik!”

Kraglin tears towards it, but it activates its electric charger and swipes at him with it before he can make the first move. He jumps to avoid it, but the weapon just catches his arm, and the shock is nasty enough to make him gasp. But he barrels through the pain and steadies his gun enough to shoot the Skrull point-blank in the face.

As the Skrull falls, a voice behind him calls out, "Easy there, Kraglin!"

Kraglin whirls, slipping slightly on the blood-slicked grating. His heart leaps into his throat. No. No, it's still too raw. Don't do this to me.

Tullk stands before him, just as he remembers, silver dreadlocks framing his face. His hands are raised. "I know yeh don't wannae do this. Don't shoot, wee man. It’s me.”

Kraglin's fingers go to his neck, where he knows the T is tattooed in remembrance of his fallen friend. "Y’ain’t him," he snarls, raises his weapon. Tullk moves fast; faster than the real Tullk ever could; and closes the distance between them. He grabs Kraglin's arm, smashing it - and his wrist com - violently into the wall. The gun falls from his hand, and he hears the distinct shatter of his wrist com's screen and the crunch of the tech within. "Shit!" Kraglin hisses and bashes the Skrull in the face with his opposite elbow before it can stab him with the knife its other fist. It reels back, temporarily stunned, mouth opening wide in pain to reveal rows of sharp pointed teeth.

Wasting no time, Kraglin follows up with a pair of punches to the gut and tackles it to the floor, scooping up his fallen blaster. As he shoots the Skrull three times in the chest, he hears the tread of several feet. There are a dozen Skrulls on him in the space of a thought.

He gives himself even less time to react and doesn't think. He allows the fighting instincts that the Skrulls themselves ingrained into him take over. His knife is out in one hand, his blaster in the other, blast after blast released until the cartridge is empty. He throws the blaster down and retrieves a second from his thigh, turning quickly. He slashes at a Skrulls' neck as he does so, and the heavy wide blade of his kukri mostly severs its head, spattering him with green blood.

Kraglin has taken two more down when he hears the telltale crack of a whip, and a moment later the fiery pain of the weapon cutting through his leathers to reach the skin beneath. His masters used to use traditional leather whips, but the Skrulls have since upgraded to a flexible metal alloy - it shreds through clothes like tissue paper and can go down to the bone against bare skin. His back arches, and he jumps away, placing his back at the wall to protect it while he gets his bearings. The Skrull with the whip is advancing on his left, and there are two advancing on his right.  He charges the Skrull with the whip, since it's no good at close range, and wraps the whip around its throat, pulling taut so it can't fight back while he presses a blaster to its head and fires.

In the midst of the blood and gore, the panting breaths through tightened lungs, the ache of tensed muscles, Kraglin doesn't spare a moment to think about how much it hates it. How much he hates the smell and taste of blood, the feeling of something going lifeless in his arms. The only thing that keeps him sane is that he knows, deep down, if he doesn't fight, if he doesn't kill, he's going to die. He's doing this to survive.

Lucky for him, he's good at it.

Skrull after Skrull goes down at his hands. He knows he’s bleeding, he can see the rivulets of blue blood running down his hands and feels it stinging his eyes, but the pain is pushed aside, so he can survive – so he can save the crew and his ship. When his blasters are out, he picks up the fallen weapons of the Skrulls – blasters, whips, knives – anything he can use. He’s not really aware of any of it – it’s just pure instinct at this point.

“Kraglin!”

The sudden scream cuts through the haze of his bloodlust and he staggers back. A Skrull punches him violently in the face, and he retaliates with one of its own knives. As it falls at his feet, Kraglin scrubs a hand across his eyes – and gasps.

Three Skrulls stand about twenty feet ahead of him, and they’re holding Ryx.

Chapter Text

You’re two people behind Clipper when you reach the Hangar. He unlocks the hatch and raises it less than an inch, then hastily lowers it again. You hear feet stop right on top of you.

Clipper holds up his hand, and everyone is still, hardly daring to breathe lest they be heard by the enemy. 

You close your eyes and concentrate on taking deep, quiet breaths in and out. The route from the Control Room to the Hangar was a long one, but while he maintained a quick pace, Kraglin had informed Clipper of your fears and the Lead Mechanic was considerate of you and checked on you at every major junction. You’re grateful you’re on such good terms with the crew, otherwise this could have been an unbearable task.

The crewman behind you rests a hand on your shoulder, and it’s only then that you realize you’re trembling. You need to get out of here soon.

After what seems like an eternity, there’s a loud noise on the outside of the ship, and the Eclector rocks slightly. The footsteps pound loud on the hatch door as they run elsewhere.

You look upwards. Yondu, you think, and bite your lip. You better be okay, spaceman.

Cautiously, Clipper opens the hatch a sliver and looks around, his pale eyes illuminated by the Hangar lights. Quickly, he lifts the hatch wider, and pulls himself out. “C’mon, quick. Quick!” The crewman in front of you, a mute female mechanic named Mora, scrambles out and then turns back around, hauling you out of the passage. 

You follow her underneath the cover of an M-ship, which hides you well but also gives you a good view of the captives kneeling some distance away. You spot Nillgrac and Luggh among other recognizable faces. You scan the group to see if you can find Ryx, but your attention is diverted when Mora suddenly pulls on your arm, further hiding you behind the landing gear.

“Udonta klik klik, klik klik more klik or we klik klik!” what seems to be the leader of this band of Skrulls snaps at a few others, pointing out the hangar doors. “I klik you to klik the Control klik.”

Two of them nod and morph into Ravagers in red leathers, then race off.

“We’re gonna kill you flarkers,” Nillgrac snarls, baring his teeth. “No one messes with-” He’s cut off by a violent backhanding of a blaster.

“Silence!” the Skrull screeches at him. “If Obfonteri does not give himself up, you will be the next to die!”

“We’ve got to do something,” Clipper says urgently. The whole team is out of the passage now, hiding behind the same M-ship and a nearby stack of crates. He flicks the safety of his blaster. “There’s only about a dozen. I say we go straight at ‘em.”

“There are a bunch more Skrulls among the crew, though,” you object, holding up your wrist com. There are several red diamonds interspersed with the blue circles. “We have to be smart about this, we don’t want them killing the crew because we rush right in there.”

“Well,” Clipper hisses impatiently, “If you’ve got a better idea, Doc, I’m all ears.”

You bite your lip. “We have to scare them somehow, get them in one place.” You look around the Hangar, and your eye falls on an M-ship between the captives and the Skrulls. “Clipper, you know how to operate an M-ship, right?”

“I ain’t no pilot, Doc.”

“That’s not what I’m asking. Listen.”

About five minutes later, the entire team is briefed on your plan, which Clipper admits is a good one. “The Cap’n would kill me if he knew I agreed to this. You better be careful, Doc,” he says, frowning as he checks his blaster. “Mora, you cover her.”

Mora squeezes his shoulder before grabbing your arm and guiding you behind her. Running under the cover of M-ship to M-ship, you come close to the captives. 

Across the Hangar, you see another small bunch of crewmates doing the same among the shadows. Mora takes a box cutter from her pocket and nods in Nillgrac’s direction. You nod in understanding and get ready to act on the signal.

It comes sooner than you expect. In the middle of the Hanger, one of the M-ship’s engines roar to life. Skrulls and Ravagers turn at the noise, and you stick your fingers in your mouth and emit the shrillest, loudest whistle you can.

The Skrulls duck and run for cover from what they think is Yondu’s dreaded whistle. As hoped, the Skrulls among the detainees pop up and run too. The Skrulls all convene into small groups, and that gives Clipper, in the M-ship, the opportunity to fire on them.

The enemy scatters in all directions as crates explode into flames around them.

As you continue to whistle, Mora’s team and the team on the opposite side of the hangar rush forward to free their captive friends.

It doesn’t take long for the Skrulls to figure out the Yaka arrow is not descending upon them, and that they’ve been duped. But it’s too late - half the Ravagers are free and trading blows and blastershot with the enemy.

“Nillgrac!” you cry, rushing towards him.

“Doc! Get down!” he tackles you to the ground, firing a shot off with a blaster he’d picked off a fallen enemy. A Skrull that was sneaking up on you falls backward, howling.

“Thanks,” you say, breathless. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

Nillgrac shakes his head. “M’ fine. Where’s the Cap’n and Kraglin?”

“Yondu’s out there alone,” you say, gesturing to the hangar doors. “Get as many pilots as you can – you need to help him, please!”

“Got it! PILOTS TO ME! Let’s go!” He waves his arm wide, and a group of pilots races behind Nillgrac, following him to the M-ships. You make sure they’re all really Ravagers before taking cover yourself. But there’s no need – according to your wrist com, it looks like there’s only two or three Skrulls left in the immediate area, and within seconds, those are gone too.

“[y/n]!” a voice shouts, and you turn. Before you can react, you’re enveloped in a crushing embrace by someone shorter and stronger than you.

“Ryx!” you laugh, hugging her. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re okay! Come on, come on - we have to go help Kraglin!”

“Give yourself up, Obfonteri,” the Skrull holding Ryx hisses in Standard, “Or we’ll kill her.”

Kraglin gapes for a moment, then snarls, raising his blaster and pointing it directly at Ryx. “How dare ya take her form-”

“Tsk tsk,” the Skrull holding Ryx says, clenching her chin in his clawed hand. All four of Ryx’s arms are bound, and there are bruises on her face. “We’ve seen you with her, are you really going to kill her?”

He lowers his gun a fraction. What - what if…? He grits his teeth. “Damn liars. That ain’t her.”

“Are you sure?” the Skrull asks, eyes narrowed. “Are you willing to take that risk?”

"Don't, Kraglin!" Ryx screams. "Fight them! Do not give yourself-" the Skrull covers her mouth and she tries to bite him - but he stops her with a press of a curved knife to her throat.

That makes Kraglin freeze. His mind flies back to visions of his sister, in the same predicament. His hands tremble, clenching his knife and blaster so tight that his knuckles are bone-white. What if it IS her? What if it's really Ryx? They're gonna kill the woman I love if I don't give myself up.

The thought comes jarringly. He loves Ryx. He's suspected the fact for a couple months now, but with her here, at death's edge, he realizes it's true for certain. His heart is pounding in his throat, his stomach dropped down to his toes. If I don't turn myself over, they're gonna kill her. They might kill her anyway. 

"Last chance," the Skrull snaps, pulling back violently on Ryx's hair and pressing the knife against her jugular.

"Stop!" The words leave his mouth in a strangled cry before he can process them. Then he's bending, lowering his weapons to the ground and kicking them over, hands trembling, mind in a daze. "Don't hurt her, it's me ya want," he says, raising his hands.

No sooner does he do so then he's hit in the back of the knees with something hard. He gasps and falls, and he's pounced upon by Skrulls he didn’t hear coming up behind him. His head is forced to the floor, his cheek crushed into the metal grating until it cuts him. His hands are bound behind him with wire tight enough to break the skin.

Sharp claws are buried in his hair then, and he's yanked up to his knees. His muscles are twitching, his body is exhausted.

With a smirk, the Skrull holding Ryx lowers his blade and shoves her towards him, cutting her bonds.

After a momentary dirty look at the Skrull, she races towards him, and takes his face in her hands. "Kraglin," she whispers. She smooths a thumb against his cheek and his eyes raise to meet hers. She smiles softly, and then the expression turns into a twisted grin. She draws her hand back, and he cries out as her claws leave deep gouges in his cheek. "You are so predictably weak." Her yellow eyes turn bulbous, her skin fading from purple to green as she grows in height.

Kraglin yells at the top of his lungs, screaming profanities in every single language he can remember. “What have ya done with Ryx?! Ya sick-”

His voice is cut off by the Skrull, who slams a meaty fist solidly into his jaw, so forcefully that it knocks him over onto his side before yanking him up again by his hair. "Look at me well, slave," the Skrull hisses. "Do you remember my face?"

As Kraglin studies the face before him, his insides turn cold with recognition. The thin lips, the distinctive markings around the eyes, the deep chin frills. "Ch'rexx," he whispers.

The Skrull's lip curls in a sneer. "Very good. You, slave, stand judgement for my brother Ch’reth’s murder.” He takes a step back and makes a flick with his wrist. “Klik.” He orders in his native language, and the group of Skrulls descends on Kraglin.

The First Mate is forced to the floor again and tries to curl into a fetal position to protect himself from the volley of violent kicks and heavy fists that rain down on his body, but he can only do so much. He feels the familiar sensation of a prod at the small of his back, just before the electricity courses through his body. A whip slashes across his back, once, twice, three times, shredding his leathers. He grits his teeth against the pain, trying not to cry out, tasting hot blood in the back of his throat.

“Klik,” Ch’rexx orders, and the Skrulls move away again. “Klik him to me.”

Though Kraglin struggles as he’s dragged over to Ch’rexx, he's weary from all the fighting he's done and the injuries he's sustained, and the restraints are making it difficult to find any semblance of hold against his captors. They bring him over to the railing overlooking the Mess, and force his head over, so he's staring down at his crew. They stare back up at him, eyes wide with fear and anger.

"This slave - your Lieutenant," Ch'rexx says in a mocking voice, "Stands judgment for murder of his master – my brother, loss of property and murder of his master's fellows. The penalty is death, to which you will all bear witness. Try to stop us," he adds, as several of the crew move and open their mouths, "And I will add your deaths to his."

"Don't," Kraglin gasps out, making eye contact with a few of the Ravagers.

"Oh, it's too late to beg," Ch'rexx says, taking hold of Kraglin's chin and forcing his head upwards.

"I ain't talkin' to ya," Kraglin snarls, and spits into his face.

With more restraint than the First Mate expects, Ch'rexx wipes the saliva away before backhanding him across the wounded part of his face. The rings on his hand catch in the claw gashes, opening them up even further. He holds out this same hand, and one of the Skrulls puts a leather whip, tied with a noose knot, in his grasp.

Kraglin struggles madly, breathing hard, trying to get away from Ch’rexx, but the other Skrulls have a vice grip on him, and he doesn’t have enough energy left to break their hold.

Ch’rexx comes close and slips the whip over Kraglin’s head. “Once you are dead, I will take your crew and they will be sold as slaves as further punishment for your crimes. I will kill your Captain and destroy your ship.” His thin lips quirk in an evil smile. “And perhaps I will take your Ryx for my own personal slave.”

Kraglin lunges forward with a savage yell, cracking his skull into Ch’rexx’s forehead. The Skrull cries out in pain, staggering back, but the whip is still in his hand, and it tightens around Kraglin’s throat as it’s pulled. Ch’rexx rights his footing, and holds a hand to his forehead, which is dripping green blood down his eyes and nose. “Kill him,” he orders in a growl, and Kraglin thrashes with the last of his energy as many hands lift his body off the ground.

Yondu watches as the Milano tears underneath him, taking out another cruiser. Their chances are better, but the Warbird is starting to run out of fuel and ammo. The Milano can’t be doing much better, and there are still several Skrull cruisers to deal with.

“Dad,” Quill’s anxiety-tinged voice comes over his com, “Not sure how much longer we keep up this pace.”

“Hate to say it, but I gotta agree with Quill,” Rocket snaps. “There’s just too many a’ these assholes!”

“I hear ya! Jus’ keep– oh shit!”

A Skrull cruiser blindsides him, and he takes damage to his starboard side. He swipes down on the holoscreens, choosing to ignore the dozens of warnings popping up over one another. The same Skrull ship rounds on him and he sees its barrels open to fire on him.

“DAD!” Quill’s voice screams through his coms.

A sudden volley of fire rains down upon the Skrull’s ship. Yondu puts all power to his anterior shields to fend off the resulting detonation. He cranes his neck upwards to see who fired, but before he sees the ship, his coms open with a new transmission.

"Boom boom, motherflarkers!" Nillgrac's voice screeches, and the Belko’s shimmery blue hull appears on his left.

Yondu can't help but let a raucous, relieved laugh in response. "'Bout damn time ya got yer ass out here!"

"Sorry, Cap! Dealin’ with a flarkin’ infestation over here!”

“Keep them ships at bay fer a minute, boy! I’m puttin’ my ship into autopilot.”

“Aye sir!”

Switching to auto, Yondu jumps up from his seat. Drawing his arrow from his holster, he tosses it into the airlock, and seals the doors shut. He presses the button to release the outer doors, and the arrow drifts into the void. He closes the doors again, and makes his way back to his seat, taking control of the ship again. He whistles.

The arrow streaks in front of his windshield and high above the Eclector, and Yondu can see the echoes of M-ships and Skrull cruisers all around. “This is the Cap’n,” he announces, hailing all M-ships. “I got my arrow out there, so watch yer asses. This’ll be over quick now!”

With trills, whistles and short bursts of high-pitched notes, he sends the arrow diving and tearing through the Skrull ships. The arrow is more nimble and quicker than any M-ship or blaster array and can’t be tracked on weapons radar.

Once the ships are exposed to the vacuum, they’re done for, but he takes out the pilots and any other on board too, for good measure. Don’t want them sending distress signals. In mere minutes, nearly all the enemy ships are torn apart and dozens of Skrull bodies drift lifeless in space. “Finish ‘em, then I want ya back inside the Eclector,” he announces to all ships.

“Luggh,” Nillgrac orders, “Cover the Cap’n - get him inside.”

“Yessir,” Luggh replies.

“Ya seen [y/n]?” Yondu asks him.

“Yeah, she’s the one who sent us out. She’s fine. But I think Kraglin is gonna need your help, sir,” Nillgrac adds.

Yondu’s jaw tightens. “Copy.” He banks right, and is followed by Luggh’s ship, the Viska, as he makes his way for the Docking Bay doors.

At Clipper's side, you peek around the corner. A huge team of Ravagers is behind you, and you’d all taken out the Skrulls on the way to the Mess.  Ryx is behind you, blaster at the ready. "Clear," Clipper says, and you all move forward. You're on the floor above the Mess and can just see over the railings from where you stand. Dozens of crew mates are bound, kneeling on the floor, surrounded on the perimeter by Skrulls. They're all watching something on your level, but in the opposite direction. You follow their gaze and watch as a team of Skrulls lift Kraglin over the railing. There's something around his throat - and the other end is attached to the rail, held in place by two Skrulls. Your eyes widen, and your mouth drops open. A noose?!

You sprint forward towards the railing as they throw Kraglin over, the thing around his neck uncoiling as he falls. You scream.

"KRAGLIN!" Ryx's shriek echoes across the Mess as Kraglin comes to an abrupt stop, the whip holding him snapping taut.

Stars burst before his eyes as the noose tightens around his neck. It occurs to Kraglin that, by some miracle, he's not dead yet. His neck is not broken. But it's only a matter of minutes before he suffocates to death. He kicks his legs, fighting against the darkness rushing in from the corners of his eyes. As he begins to lose feeling in his toes, bright balls of light dance across his vision, growing steadily brighter and warmer.

He distantly hears people screaming – his crew. He can pick out your voice, and Ryx’s – and there’s another, familiar sound growing clearer - a girl’s voice calling his name as everything grows brighter and warmer.

"Kraggles," she says, through mists of hazy light, "You can't come yet! It's not your turn!"

"It's not your time yet," another, equally sweet but older female voice follows. "Not yet, Kraglin."

“Yeh gotta go back, wee man.”

“Go back, hotshot.”

The sharp crack of blastershot near his head and the sensation of him falling pulls the warm light away. Fiery, shattering pain up one leg as he lands at the wrong angle on his feet makes the cold darkness vanish. He screams, the noise coming out hoarse and raw and interspersed with hacking, gasping coughs.

Kraglin blinks blearily, registering blastershot as it fires above his head, and two Skrulls tumble over the railing to land dead nearby. He hears the quick patter of feet, and flinches, scrambling get away as two more Skrulls converge on him.

"Don't touch him!” a young voice yells, and Kraglin blinks again, vision finally focusing – to see Jesper walking slowly towards him. “Leave him alone, or I'll blow us all to hell!" the Lead Nav screams, raising his other hand. A grenade, blinking blue and red in his palm, beeps softly in the sudden, shocked silence. He holds his thumb over the activation button. The Skrulls back away slowly.

“Jesper!” a voice cries, ringing out through the Mess, “Darling, be careful!”

Out of all the shocks and surprises Kraglin has encountered today, that voice has to be one of the most startling. It’s from so long ago that it should be like some half-remembered dream, but it rings as clear through his head as if he’d heard it just yesterday.

He’s able to shift his body just enough to crane his head up to view the stairs, and sees a woman descending them. Her dark curls are just tinged with silver, her clothes plain, but she looks no different otherwise. Her bright green eyes are heartbreakingly familiar.

"M-Momma?" Jesper asks, and Kraglin’s eyes dart at him sharply, then back at the woman.

"Hello sweetling," she says in a strained voice, tears in her eyes.

Jesper’s gun lowers slightly in hesitation. "But no - you're – you’re dead."

"No – the Skrulls saved me, they came just in time."

"N-no!" Jesper raises his blaster again, gripping it tightly, and holds the grenade higher. "That's not possible!"

The woman stops, holding up her hands. A tear streaks down her cheek. "Please, I don't want to lose you again, baby. Please put the grenade and the gun down." She gestures to the Skrulls. "They promised me they wouldn't hurt us. We can just go home and be together again."

Hesitantly, Jesper begins to lower the grenade. Kraglin blinks the blood out of his eyes, wonders why Jesper isn’t using the program the Techs wrote - and then he sees that the Nav’s wrist com is smashed. He must have run into Skrulls on his way here, and they destroyed it - just like they destroyed mine. So he couldn't call for help.

“Ya leave that boy alone!” he hisses at the woman. He swallows painfully. Every word tears excruciatingly at his throat, his vocal cords damaged by the whip still hanging around his neck. “I’m the one yer after, ya keep him outta yer damn games!” He leverages himself up slightly, leaning painfully on one elbow, and makes eye contact with the woman even though his head is swimming. “Jesper," he croaks, "Don't fall fer it, it's jus’ an act! Shoot!”

Jesper turns to look back at him, eyes wide with fear and doubt, and his mother takes that moment to walk closer. She fixes Kraglin with a burning glare, and though Kraglin knows she’s not who he remembers, that she’s not real, the look still stings his heart. He thought he’d never see that face again, and for her to look at him like that? Guess that jus’ reinforces the fact that it ain’t her. She wouldn’t look at me that way.

The woman fixes her gaze back on Jesper and walks slowly towards him. “Don’t lissen to him, Jesper. I’m your mother. I just want what is best for you, and I want to go home. I’ve been traveling for so long and I’ve missed you so much.”

“I – I’ve missed you too, Momma,” Jesper gasps out, tears shining in his eyes, “But ya can’t – ya can’t blame Kraglin for nothin’. He ain’t done anythin’ to you. You don’t know him.”

She moves quickly, and she’s inches from Jesper. “Give me the blaster. Now.”

Jesper takes a large step back, leveling the blaster at her. “Pl-please, don’t make me shoot you,” he says, his voice trembling.

“Give it to me!” she yells, and a knife flashes between them. Jesper ducks, but not fast enough – the knife slices through the top portion of his ear. As he cries out and reaches up to hold his wounded ear, the unarmed grenade falls to the floor and rolls harmlessly away. The woman seizes Jesper’s wrist, jerking upwards, and his gun fires up towards the ceiling as he squeezes the trigger. She kicks the grenade out of reach, eyes turning from green to a bright and sinister yellow.

With a strong, vicious swing, the Skrull whirls Jesper around, and with an unshakable clenching grip on the Nav’s wrist, forces the blaster in Jesper’s shaking hand until it’s aimed at Kraglin.

“No!” Jesper screams. “No, please don’t!”

No sooner do the words leave Jesper’s mouth than the air is split by an unmistakable and eerie whine.

The Skrull’s grasp loosens slightly, and Jesper bashes his head backwards into its throat just as Kraglin screams hoarsely, “Arrow! Get down!”

Jesper dives to the floor, covering his head; the Skrull stumbles backwards and hastily tries to take cover.

The Yaka arrow streaks into the room on the second level, pausing for the smallest fraction of a second, as if to get its bearings before driving itself through the nearest Skrull. The weapon is just a vapor trail of red light as it flies savagely around the room and down adjacent corridors, chasing down fleeing enemies. Kraglin peeks from his belly-down position. The Yaka Arrow dives at him, stopping abruptly.

“Cap’n! Cap’n, it’s me! It’s Kraglin!”

“No, he’s lyin’! He’s a Skrull!”

With a gasp, Kraglin tears his eyes away from the arrow and looks about ten feet to his left, where the Yaka arrow is now pointed. There’s an exact replica of himself lying on the floor. Same scars, same injuries, same eyes, same suit, same bound hands.

The arrow draws nearer to the two of them, flitting agitatedly in the space between.

There’s the heavy thud of boots sounds on the stairs behind Kraglin, and Yondu comes tearing down them to stand underneath his arrow. He looks from one Kraglin to the other. The Yaka arrow trembles above his head, spinning from left to right.

“Yondu!” you cry from the railing, and he looks at you, whistling the arrow even nearer to the two Kraglins in case they try something.

“Yondu, it’s the one on your right!” you cry, pointing. “He’s the Skrull!”

Someone in the Docking Bay had mentioned some sort of scanner that half the crew had in their wrist coms, but Yondu hadn’t the time to download it.

“No! No, Cap! She’s a Skrull too! Tryin’ to trick ya!” the Kraglin on his right screams. “Please!”

The objection is plausible, and he turns the arrow again. He looks into the eyes of the Kraglin on his left, studying their grey-blue depths. Are you my boy? He wonders, his heart beating mercilessly fast.

“If ya gotta kill us both to figure it out, then go ahead,” that Kraglin says, staring directly into his face through bloodshot eyes, “I trust your decision…Dad.”

Instantly, with a sharp and earsplitting whistle, Yondu fires his arrow through the chest of the Kraglin on the right, as he jumps to his feet. He screams, and for one terrible, horrifying moment, Yondu is afraid he made the wrong decision. But then the teeth grow sharp, and from the wound outward, the skin starts to turn a pale, sickly green. The Skrull collapses against the nearest pillar, clutching it for support.

Yondu studies the ornate black and purple suit, the deep chin frills – this has to be the leader. He kneels down by Kraglin’s side and slips out his dagger from his wrist com, slicing at the blood-slicked wire holding the First Mate’s wrists together behind his back. “Who is this bastard?”

“Ch’rexx,” Kraglin says raggedly. “Ch’reth’s brother. Tried to hang me.”

An extra bright pulse flashes through Yondu’s implant as he tears the noose over Kraglin’s head and hurls it away. “That so?” Yondu draws a blaster from his thigh holster, and hands it to Kraglin. “Yer shot, son.”

Aided partially by his Captain, Kraglin struggles to stand on his feet. His uniform is in bloody tatters, his face bruised, beaten and slashed. Balancing all his weight on his uninjured leg, Kraglin takes careful aim and shoots Ch’rexx’s left hand off. The Skrull’s mouth opens in a silent scream. “Tha’s fer the crew ya killed.” He shoots off his right hand. “Tha’s fer attackin’ my Cap’n.” He shoots off the left foot and the Skrull crashes to the floor, screeching. “Tha’s fer imitatin’ Ryx.” He shoots off the opposite foot. The floor is an ever-increasing pool of green blood. “Tha’s fer imitatin’ Jesper’s Momma.” He staggers forward and presses the blaster against Ch’rexx’s forehead. “And this – this is fer me.”

The last shot rings loud through the Mess as the Skrull leader collapses dead on the ground.

Yondu lunges forward to catch Kraglin, who can’t stand any longer. The blaster drops from his fingers.

“Here! Here’s a stretcher,” you shout, running down the stairs. You pull a stretcher from next to the Med Kit on the wall. It activates in your hands and you steer it over to him.

Yondu grabs your arm, a little roughly, and looks at the screen of your wrist com. There’s nothing but blue circles on it. As he guides Kraglin onto the stretcher, lying him on his stomach, he seizes the front of your shirt and presses a hard, fast kiss to your lips. “Ya okay?” he asks.

You nod, reaching up to run a thumb along his beard. “You?”

“Yeah, darlin’. Get him to Med Bay.”

“Don’t worry, he’ll be okay,” you assure him. Without further words, you race away with Kraglin, a couple other Ravagers tagging along behind you.

Chapter Text

As soon as all pilots were aboard, Yondu put the ship back into Lockdown. By First Watch the following day, any remaining Skrulls on board the Eclector have been terminated, save a select few Yondu is keeping for questioning in the brig.

The Med Bay is overflowing with injured crew, and everybody is working overtime to locate dead and missing Ravagers. You’re frantically rushing around, changing bandages, checking vitals and doing frequent checks on Kraglin, who is still unconscious. He suffered a broken nose, a couple broken ribs, a severely bruised larynx and a broken leg, in addition to the numerous bruises and cuts all over his body. The whip lacerations on his back are especially concerning because of how deep they went. You have the First Mate situated on his stomach, and you have a machine programmed to rebuild the tissue back up slowly every hour, bit by bit, interspersing the treatment with antibiotics and painkillers.

You run to the sink for the fiftieth time that day to rewash your hands when you bump into a small knot of Ravagers just inside the door. You look them up and down, but you don’t see anything obviously amiss. “Are you injured? What can I do for you?”

“Nothing, Doc,” one of them answers. “We were sent to give you a hand here in the Med Bay.”

Another nods. “So, what do ya need us to do?”

You look them over in surprise. They’re a varied group – you see a couple pilots, a few engineers, a mechanic, and two crewmates from the tech team. You point to the sink. “All of you wash your hands – with soap! – and put on some medical gloves. Then come see me.” There’s no shortage of work for them, and you’re beyond grateful for the help. You thought you were going to lose your mind, taking care of the entire crew all by yourself.

“What about us? Can we help?”

“Oh, Peter,” you say with a tired smile at the man. You lean forward to give him a quick hug and do the same to Rocket down by his side, who grumbles and pushes you away embarrassedly. “I’m so glad you guys are okay. Thanks for coming.”

“It’s family,” Peter replies simply.

“Well if you-” you look down at your holopad, which started flashing, and gasp. “Kraglin!” You turn and rush back to his cot, which is hidden from prying eyes by opaque forcefields. You swipe your hand to the left across one of them, and it shimmers out of existence. “Kraglin?”

The First Mate, lying on his stomach with his head towards you, is gripping the pillow with white-knuckled hands, eyes squeezed shut. “Doc,” he greets you weakly, his voice barely above a whisper.

You pull over a chair, so he doesn’t have to look up at you. “Did you try to get up?”

He gives a slight nod.

“Your back is in a very delicate healing phase right now, I need you to stay as still as you can. Those lacerations went almost down to the bone, and there was some nerve damage that’s being repaired. You’ll be okay, but you need to stay in this position for a while longer.” You look up at Peter, whose face is rather pale. “Peter’s here,” you say gently. You stand from the chair, and Peter seats himself.

“Hey Krags,” he says with a shaky laugh, “You look like crap.”

Kraglin’s bloodshot, dark-circled eyes open and a slight smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “Thanks a lot.”

“Peter, if you could just stay here with him, that would be helpful. Rocket, I could use your hands if you’re looking for something to do.”

As hours turn into days, you decide to look over everyone on the ship, even if they’re not injured. It was a very traumatic few days for the entire crew.

Presently, you’re in your office, going through the manifest of crew members, and your heart keeps sinking lower as you mark record after record as either Missing or Deceased. A tear trickles down your cheek as you mark Luggh Onntru as deceased. Nillgrac informed you that he’d saved the Captain by directing his ship between the Warbird and one of the last remaining Skrull cruisers as he was escorting Yondu back to the Eclector, and the enemy ship had ripped his hull apart.

You hear your door close softly, and a rough finger brushes the tear from your cheek. You look up to see Yondu standing there. You lay your holopad down with a clatter and press your head into the folds of his duster, winding your arms tightly around him. You haven’t had a moment together since that single kiss before transporting Kraglin to the med bay; you’ve both been too busy taking care of the ship and crew.  “I’m so glad you’re okay,” you whisper brokenly, biting back sobs. “I was so worried about you.”

The next thing you know, he’s lifting you into his arms, seating you on your desk. One hand buries in your hair, the other presses hard against the small of your back, and he’s kissing you. It’s slow, deep and deliberate, and you have to catch your breath when he pulls away. “No damn Skrulls are gonna keep me from my woman,” he whispers in your ear.

You pull his face towards you again and kiss him repeatedly. There’s no sexual desire in the moment for either you or Yondu; only a need for the warmth and protection of the love between you, an assurance that in this nightmare, you both managed to come out unscathed.

Trembling slightly, Yondu trails his fingers through your hair. “I’m sorry ya had to go through all this, honey,” he says quietly, stroking your cheek with a thumb. “I wanted to try and keep ya from the darker side a’ things.”

You nod, wiping a palm under your eye. “I know, but I’m glad I’m here to help.”

Yondu ducks his head down a little to look at you better and notices the dark circles under your eyes. “When did ya sleep last?”

You shrug. “I don’t know, there’s been too much to do. I took a stim an hour ago to help me through it. The crew has been great stepping in to help, but if something like this ever happens again, I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle the medical requirements with just me. I’m really stretching it as it is. I’m going to need some medical assistants before too long.”

He nods in agreement. “I was thinkin’ that too. It ain’t fair, you handlin’ this all by yerself. I’ll put out some feelers, see if any of the other Clans got any suggestions. We’re gonna need to do some recruitin’ after we get back on our feet again,” he sighs and rubs his eyes. “How’s Krags?”

It’s been four days since you first admitted Kraglin to the Med Bay. “I was finally able to move him onto his back this morning. He was sleeping, last I checked. He’s been on heavy meds, so he’s probably going to be pretty out of it. His vitals are steady though, and I think he’s out of the danger zone. Xandarians are fast healers, thank heaven.”

“Mind if I see him?”

“Sure, let’s both go pay him a visit, I’m due to check on him.”

When you reach Kraglin’s cot, sure enough, he is sleeping. You check the monitor for his blood pressure and heart rate, which you record on your holopad, then leave Yondu alone with him.

Yondu gazes sadly down at his First Mate and brushes a couple fingers over his hair. “They sure don’t pull no punches, do they boy?” he asks softly. He settles in the chair next to the First Mate’s cot. There are other obligations elsewhere on the ship, but he’s going to make time for this.

Yondu doesn’t know how long he sits there, gazing at the man he brought aboard his ship as a boy. As a child, Kraglin had laid in a bed, wounded from a fight with Skrulls, just like he is now. Yondu rubs a hand over his face. Ya’d better be okay, son.

“Whatsa matter, ya worried ’bout me or somethin’?” a scratchy hoarse voice asks, and Yondu’s head snaps up.

Kraglin’s tired blue eyes are fixed on him.

It takes all of his resolve not to leap to his feet or shake Kraglin’s shoulders in relief. “Me? Worried ‘bout you? Ya’d be so lucky.” Yondu grins.

Kraglin smiles, but it fades quickly. “We lose a lot of crew?”

Yondu hangs his head. He would ask that first. “Yeah. But don’t worry ‘bout that right now, boy. Jus’ worry ‘bout gettin’ better, ya hear?”

Kraglin opens his mouth to protest at first but thinks better of it and nods. “Yessir. And might I add that ya look like ya need a few hours of sleep yerself, Cap’n.”

“Damn straight,” Yond sighs. “I might go lie down in the Doc’s bed fer a couple hours.” He gets to his feet, and groans inwardly. Everything hurts – he shouldn’t have even sat down in the first place. “Ya need anythin’ before I go?”

He nods, reaching for a cup of water, and takes a drink. “I need to see Ryx and Jesper. Not at the same time, I mean. I ain’t seen my girl since all this happened, but Doc says she’s okay. And I ain’t seen Jesper since that Skrull took his Momma’s form.”

“Jus’ lay back, son, I’ll find ‘em and send ‘em yer way.”

You retrieve another bundle of bandages from the cabinet, turn, almost bumping into Ryx. "Oh!” you exclaim, hugging her. “There you are! Kraglin keeps asking for you! We’ve been trying to get you up here for hours. He's over here, follow me."

Silently, she follows you, and you nod at Kraglin's enclosed bed as you move to the next cot to change another Ravager's bandages.

Kraglin looks up as the field dissipates at the end of his bed. His eyes brighten. "Ryx!" He holds out a hand to her. "Darlin', there ya are, I was gettin' worried 'bout ya. What's wrong?" he asks softly as she hangs her head, tears trickling down her cheeks. 

"One of the crew said a Skrull took my shape, and that is how they lured you in,” she says in a rush. “I - I was afraid you would not want me anymore," she ends in a sob, hiding her face in a pair of hands.

Leaning forward and ignoring the resultant pain, Kraglin draws her hands away again and pulls her towards him. She looks at him with tear-filled eyes, her lower lip trembling. Without a word, he brings her in close and kisses her deeply. Her hands rest gently at his neck and shoulders, and he can feel her tears on his cheeks. "I love ya, Ryx," he whispers as he parts from her. "I love ya, baby girl, and nothin' - especially no damn Skrull - is gonna change how I feel. Got it?"

She doesn’t reply, but seizes his face in her hands and kisses him forcefully.

You finish up with Kraglin’s neighbor and peek into the First Mate’s enclosure, only to find Ryx practically in bed with him. They’re having a very intense makeout session.

“Oh geez,” you mutter under your breath, fighting reddening cheeks. You reactivate the field again to give them some privacy. Just as you’re about to leave, you call back loudly, “Take it easy Kraglin, you’re still healing!”

In response, there’s a squeak from Ryx and a chuckle from Kraglin. You walk away smiling.

It’s nearly Third Watch and you’re dimming the lights in the Med Bay for the night when Jesper shows up at the door. You guide him swiftly to an empty cot, because there’s just a clumsy makeshift bandage on his wounded ear, and his other bandages need to be replaced as well.

“We were worried about you, Jesper,” you say softly, putting a liquid bandage on the tip of his ear.

“M’ sorry, been busy,” he whispers back guiltily.

You pat his shoulder. “Just glad you’re okay. Kraglin’s down there, second from the last enclosure on the left side.”

“Oh, I - I don’t wanna bother him.”

“He’s been asking about you all day. Go see him.”

The Nav sighs and slips off the cot. “You sure he ain’t sleeping?” he asks hopefully, turning back to you.

You glance down at your holopad. “According to his readings, he’s awake. Go ahead.”

Biting his lip, Jesper cautiously approaches the First Mate’s enclosure.

Kraglin raises his head as the field at the end of his bed dissipates. “Jesper! There ya are.”

The young man flinches slightly. He meets Kraglin’s eyes for a moment, then drops his gaze to his feet. “H-hello sir.”

“C’mere, boy. Ya okay? Did the Doc take a look at ya?”

“Yessir, I’m fine. She said you wanted to see me, that you’d been askin’ about me.”

“Well yeah,” Kraglin says, shifting his pillow further up his back and wincing. “After what happened.”

Jesper bites his lip hard at this, and Kraglin just barely see the shine of tears in his eyes.

“C’mere, boy.” His lip trembling, Jesper moves a couple steps towards Kraglin’s cot. “C’mere,” Kraglin repeats, gesturing to himself. “What’s the matter?” He tries to catch Jesper’s eyes. “Lookit me, Jesper.”

The Nav raises his eyes to the First Mate’s, and tears roll down his cheeks. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry sir,” he gasps out in a rush. “I almost got you killed because I hesitated and I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry.” His voice fades into gasping breaths, and he hides his face in his hands.

Kraglin pushes the button to reactivate the field to give them some privacy. “Whoa whoa, hesitated? Whatcha mean? Whatcha talkin’ ‘bout?”

“My Momma’s dead,” the boy answers in a hoarse, tight voice from behind his hands. “I should have known that it wasn’t her, but I – I wanted – I mean – gods, I’m so sorry, sir.”

Kraglin reaches for the Nav’s hands and tugs him closer. With a sniffling, sharp breath Jesper collapses against the side of the First Mate’s cot and wipes at his eyes.

“Don’t be so harsh on yerself, okay? Both me and the Cap’n have been taken in by Skrulls plenty a’ times. Hell, I was today when one of ‘em imitated Ryx.”

“But Ryx is still alive. My Momma-”

"They took the form of my sister once," Kraglin interrupts gently, "And even though I knew she was dead, I fell fer it and I got captured. Tha's what they do, Jesper. They show ya what ya love, what ya want most, to trap ya."

"I'm sorry, sir. I - I just don't want to let you down," he whispers.

The raw brokenness in his words shatter Kraglin’s heart. "Aw, Jesper,” he whispers. “Ya don't, boy. C'mere." With a forceful tug on Jesper's jacket, he pulls the boy down into his arms, embracing him firmly before holding him out again. "Ya handled yerself real good today. Puttin' the ship on lockdown, makin' sure I weren't a Skrull - that was top notch action. And at the end of the day, ya saved my life. I would’a been dead in couple more seconds if ya hadn’t shot that noose." Jesper sniffles again, and goes to wipe away a tear, but Kraglin brushes it away for him. "Don't go blamin' yerself. No one blames ya fer anythin', fer sure not me. I'm real proud a' ya. Okay?"

Jesper takes a deep, trembling breath and gives him a shaky smile. "Thank you, sir."

Kraglin reaches up and pats the side of his face. "Don't mention it. Now. Can ya do me two favors?"

"Yessir."

"Get me s'more water? And keep me company fer a bit?"

With a sniffle, Jesper gives him a smile, nods, and runs to refill his cup. When he returns, Kraglin nods to the chair by his side. He takes a sip through the straw. "Why don’tcha sit down and tell me 'bout yer Momma. What was her name?"

"Ruby."

A total of thirty-three Ravagers were killed in the Skrull invasion. Those whose bodies were recovered were placed in cold storage until all ship’s operations and crew could get back to some semblance of normalcy.

Almost two weeks after the attack, you stand with Yondu and the rest of the crew in the crematorium. The room is crowded. Stretcher upon stretcher lined up single file with the bodies of the deceased, the line of them going out the door and into the hallway. Ravagers silently flank them, having filled the caskets with personal affects and decorated the bodies with medals, ribbons, flowers, and candles. For those whose bodies were not recovered, like Vela’s, an empty casket is dedicated and filled with personal belongings.

Rhian and Attria weep openly over the body of Adhara; Ryx sheds silent tears at Luggh’s side. Every team lost at least one of their members, and Jesper is one of the only Navs left.

You squeeze your eyes shut and hide your face behind a hand as tears begin to fall. If I’d warned Yondu sooner, then maybe….

Once again, the Captain seems to know where your thoughts are trending, because you feel his strong hand around your shoulders, and a brief brush of his lips against your temple.

Yondu turns to his other side to say something to Kraglin but stops – the First Mate is still in the Med Bay, recovering. With a final squeeze to your shoulder, he moves towards the crematory and opens the hatch, revealing the swirling vortex of color inside.

Yondu clicks a few buttons on his wrist com so that he’s tied into the ship-wide intercom, so the entire crew standing in the hall can hear him. “Most of y’all have been on board for nearly a year, and we’ve had it pretty easy,” he begins. “This attack by the Skrulls was yer first real test of loyalty and bravery, and y’all done as good as any Ravager crew worth their salt. To be honest, I couldn’t ask fer a better team or be prouder of the action y’all displayed the day of the attack and in the days followin’. We-” Yondu breaks off in mid-sentence, and you follow his gaze to the doorway. 

Kraglin stands there, the last remaining bandages still covering small areas of his neck and forehead. Fading bruises mottle his cheekbones. He walks forward, limping slightly on the leg still in its healing brace, and salutes the Captain before coming to rest by his side.

Yondu leans in close so only Kraglin can hear his words. "Yer still recoverin', boy. Nobody expects ya to be here, ya don't gotta be."

"Due respect, Cap'n, the Skrulls was after me, and the crew died protectin' me and the ship. I gotta be here."

Yondu nods and rests a hand on his shoulder, then turns back to the crew. “We lost a lot a’ brave and heroic badasses during the attack, and I for one would not be standin’ here if it weren’t for them.” Yondu glances at Kraglin as the First Mate touches his elbow lightly. He wants to say a few words. The Captain steps back a couple paces and allows the First Mate to speak.

“The Skrulls was after me, but not once did any of y’all think of turnin’ me in or sellin’ yer crewmates out to the enemy to save yer own skin. I know there’s nothin’ I can do or say to thank ya proper – or to repay the lives of those lost durin’ the attack, but jus’ know ya have my gratitude and I am honored to be on this ship with y’all.” He opens his mouth to say more, but his eyes have turned glassy, and he steps back again so Yondu can move to the front.

“I know a lot of y’all are in mournin’, havin’ lost friends and family.” Yondu’s eyes rest on the two Voldaraan sisters. “And I’m mournin’ with ya. But I also thank the gods fer the bravery and courage these Ravagers showed to protect this ship and its crew. Nevertheless, let’s take a second of silence to remember ‘em.” He holds out his hand, and you place a holopad in it, with the names of all the deceased. “Adhara Voldaraan,” he reads. “Ajax Tawn. Calar Ovshot.” Each name has a moment of silence in between as he goes down the list. “…Lon D’ell. Luggh Onntru. Mishal Uuv…” He continues until he’s read all thirty-three names. “We commit yer spirits to the Deep. May y’all hear the Horns of the Freedom and be greeted by those have gone before ya. Kraglin, if ya’d ready the Colors.”

“Aye, Cap’n. Clipper, ya wanna give me a hand?"

"Yessir."

Together, Kraglin and Clipper load the cannons with fireworks. As casket after casket is pushed into the crematory and enveloped by the energy emissions within, you move with Yondu and the rest of the crew to an upper deck to watch the dust trail as it flows in the Eclector’s wake. The cannons are fired below, and bright maroon starbursts of varying shapes and patterns glow over the sparkling remains of your fellow Ravagers.

You cry openly and unashamedly, and Yondu holds you tightly against him as you remember the friends you’ve lost.

Chapter Text

You're startled awake by a noise. You sit upright in your bed, eyes quickly adjusting to the dark, but you don't see anything amiss. Then - another noise.

You jump, and stare at the Med Bay door. Someone is in your office. 

As quietly as you can, you reach into your bedside drawer and pull out the blaster Yondu insisted you keep close by. Even though the incident with the Skrulls happened weeks ago, you're still on edge that there might be one hiding out somewhere among the crew somehow. And if they're trying to find someone, or information about the crew, Med Bay is the place to access all of their records.

You slide out of bed, the cold of the floor seeping into your socks and sending a shiver through your body. You slip your wrist com over your opposite hand and clench the blaster tightly in your dominant hand. You consider calling Yondu, but it might alert this office intruder. No, I’ve got the element of surprise on my side. Better keep it that way.

Moving silently to your office door, you punch your code in swiftly - and yank open the door. "Freeze!" you cry.

"Shit!" A tall figure leaps backwards at your entrance, bowling over into your chair and desk.

You gape. "Kraglin?!”

The First Mate stares back at you, blue eyes wide and made bluer still by the light of the holoscreens above your desk.

“You scared the crap out of me!” You breathe out shakily and lower your weapon, placing it on the desk. You glance at the holoscreens. They’re displaying your password screen, with something half-typed in. You look from it to Kraglin, and back again. “Kraglin, what are you doing in here?” you ask suspiciously. “And at this time of night?”

Kraglin's eyes widen even further and he swallows nervously. "I- uh- I jus'-"

"Were you trying to get into my system?" you demand, placing a hand on your hip.

He doesn't answer, still staring at you.

"Well?"

Unexpectedly, his face hardens, and he stands straight. He takes one large step in your direction. "I don't gotta explain myself to ya," he snaps gruffly, towering over you. "I'm yer superior officer!"

In the eerie bluish light of the holoscreens, you get another glimpse of that terrifying Ravager Yondu chose as his First Mate, but scary or not, this is your Med Bay and you’re not going to be threatened in it. You raise your eyebrows at him and cross your arms. "Well excuse me sir, but I don’t care if you’re the – the Crown Prince of the Dagobah System! You are still breaking into my office and trying to access confidential files!”

“I’m the First Mate, I have a right to see them!”

“If the ship or crew is in danger! Are they?”

This seems to deflate him a little. He sputters, “Well – well no, but –”

“Then you can’t see them.” You unfold your arms and poise your finger over the call button on your wrist com. “Maybe I should just call Yondu.”

Kraglin lunges forward and grasps your hands in his. "[y/n], please! Don’t!” His voice is desperate, and there is very real fear in his eyes.

You stare into his face. “Kraglin,” you say gently but firmly, “You can’t go hacking into my confidential files. They’re confidential to protect the privacy of my patients. Either you tell me what is going on, or I have no choice but to contact the Captain. What are you looking for, anyway?”

Kraglin bites his lip. “I jus' need to use one a' yer programs. I won't leak nothin’ confidential, ya have m'word. Ya can jus’ go back to bed, I’ll be in and out. Ya can pretend like I weren’t even here.”

“Whoa, whoa. Absolutely not. Kraglin, you’re talking about lying and deception. This isn’t a mission. This is my Med Bay and my patients’ private files we’re talking about.” You sigh. “What program do you need to use so badly and secretly that you have to go sneaking around like this?”

Kraglin releases your hands and collapses into your desk chair. He looks like he ages ten years in the space of a few seconds. He clasps his hands together on his knees. “I need to use a genetics-testin’ type program. Ya got one of ‘em, don’t ya?”

You cock your head at him. “…yes. Why?”

He eyes you nervously for a second, biting his lip again. "[y/n], ya can't tell anyone. Not the Cap'n, no one. Promise me."

“I can’t promise that.”

“It’s not a threat to the ship or crew, I promise,” he says quickly, holding out his hands.

“I believe you, Kraglin, but I’m going to need more information before I let you do anything. I’m not budging on this,” you add as he opens his mouth to say something more.

Instead, he lets out a shaky breath and combs his fingers through his hair before folding his hands again. He stares at his knees, careful not to make eye contact with you as he speaks. "When the Skrulls attacked, Jesper got taken in by one of the Shifters. It - it took the form of his mother. I recognized her as a woman I used to know, almost twenty years ago.”

“Go on.”

"So that was kinda unsettlin', seein' her there, and knowin' Jesper's her son. So when I go check up on Jesper, he's tellin’ me 'bout his Momma, and how he never knew his father." His lips draw into a tight line and his eyes flick up to yours. "So, I got thinkin'. Jesper - he's the right age."

You look at him quizzically. “The right age? What do you-” You break off in mid-sentence, your eyes widening. "You think Jesper might be your son?"

He drops his gaze to the floor, and nods.

A few minutes pass in silence as you stare at him. Finally, you pull open a desk drawer to retrieve your visor. You slip it over your ear and type in your password, purposely blocking the view of the keypad from Kraglin, in case he’s watching.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see him raise his head. “Yer…yer gonna help me?”

“It’s just a genetic comparison, and since it’s your DNA you’re comparing, you have a right to it.” As you pull up the program, you turn to him again. “You could have come to me about this, you know. You didn't need to break into my office.”

"I didn't want anyone to know," he murmurs.

"I understand. But you have to let people that care about you help you out sometimes,” you say softly, taking his hand in yours and squeezing it. “You’re family to me, Kraglin. I want to help you wherever and however I can.”

He nods sheepishly, hanging his head.

Once the genetic testing application has loaded, you pull up Kraglin's blood sample from his patient profile, which you drag over into the app as Sample A. You do the same with Jesper's as Sample B, and Kraglin rises to his feet as the test begins. You watch the First Mate carefully and see that he's holding his breath. The screen blips, and blips - and then the icon turns blue. "MATCH," it reads. "Sample A paternal match for Sample B within 99.999987%."

There's a strangled gasp from Kraglin, and he falls back into the chair. "Oh gods, oh gods," he groans, burying his face in his hands.

"It's going to be okay," you tell him with a surprised, gentle laugh, crouching on the floor at his side. You place your hand on his knee. "I know it’s a little shocking, but it’s not bad news. Jesper’s a great kid.”

"I know he is!" Kraglin snaps at you, baring his teeth. He leaps to his feet, knocking the chair to the floor. "Tha's the problem! I really like him, and now I gotta tell him that I that walked out on him and his momma! Jus' like my own damn good-fer-nothin’ father," he snarls, flings open your office door - and is gone.

As the weeks progress, you barely see Kraglin. It seems like he’s avoiding you, because when you do see each other in the mess or passing in the halls, he doesn’t meet your eyes and only talks to you out of necessity. You decide to keep the information about him and Jesper to yourself. It’s not your business to share, even with Yondu.

The Captain’s time has been spent busily hunting down leads on new recruits and upgrading and repairing the security systems on the Eclector. He’s been busier than you’ve ever seen him; he’s awake when you get up in the early hours of First Watch and still up when you head to bed at Third Watch. You don’t know when he sleeps or how much rest he gets. One night, you’re both finally able to carve out some time to spend together. You buzz his door, and it opens to reveal a haggard and very exhausted looking Yondu.

“Hi spaceman,” you say, reaching up to stroke a thumb along his beard. “You okay?”

The Captain leans his head heavily into your hand, gripping the door frame like he might fall over at any second. “M’ tired,” he grumbles.

“Aww. Well c’mon, let’s get you to bed.”

“No, I don’t wanna go t’bed. I wanna be with you.”

You lean up and kiss him, and you can feel the fatigue seeping off him; his kiss is uncharacteristically weak. “I never said I wasn’t going to stay - that’s why I came to visit. But I can visit you in bed. Come on.”

He nods wearily. After trudging up the stairs to his bed, he all but falls onto the furs and blankets. He groans and reaches down to take off his boots, but you catch his hands.

“I got you," you say, and kneel down on the floor, unbuckling and unzipping his boots. You pull them off and put them next to the bed, and then help him out of his duster and jacket, taking off his clothes until he's just in his underwear. He sighs as you lay down next to him, rubbing one of his pectorals soothingly.

"Thanks, doll,” he sighs. He rests a hand over his eyes. “Gods, what a week.”

"Is everything okay?”

Yondu lets his arm drop down to the bed and shrugs. “Guess so. As good as they can be with a crew down by thirty.” He rubs at an eye sleepily. “Kraglin’s actin’ weird again, though. I mean, not like before - I don’t think he’s got a feelin’ like somethin’ bad is gonna happen, but there’ somethin’ goin’ on with him. I tried askin’, but he won’t say nothin’.”

“Well,” you begin carefully, “Maybe he’s just stressed. The whole crew could use a holiday, including you. A couple days away from all this busy work.”

Yondu nods. “S’ a good idea.” He sighs again, and shifts so he can see you better, surveying you with half-lidded eyes. “Ya know, it weren’t my plan to be tired tonight,” he grunts, twining one finger lightly in a lock of your hair.

You smile and trail your fingers along his jaw. “Oh? What was your plan?”

A toothy, if tired, grin stretches across his mouth. “Well I was gonna start by unbucklin’ yer pants and see where that got me.”

You laugh and lean down to kiss him. “Well, why don’t you rest tonight, so you have plenty of energy to unbuckle my pants tomorrow?”

He hums in satisfaction, eyes closing. “I like that plan,” he murmurs, and within seconds he’s fast asleep.

The next day, Yondu sets a course for the nearest Ravager-friendly moon. He decided to take your advice and gives the crew a three-day holiday. There’s plenty of bars, brothels and shops for the crew to frequent, and there’s even a beach nearby.

After you finished cleaning up the med bay, you head moonside with the remainder of the crew. Yondu is already there - he customarily goes down first with Kraglin, to scope out the place and make sure everything's safe and in order before passing word to the crew to follow. It’s a large moon, and there are many traders and pilots about, interspersed with the familiar maroon leathers of your Ravager crew. You seek Yondu out, and find he's reserved a booth at the bar and purchased a bottle of your favorite liquor.

You slide into the booth next to him. "Hello, Captain," you smile at him.

He grins and wraps an arm around your waist, pulling you along the bench and against his side. "Hello, doctor," he breathes against your neck, his beard tickling the skin. It instantly gives you goosebumps, and you love it. You feel his tongue tip tease your throat, before he places a kiss on the thin skin of your neck where it arouses you most. Well, it seems like he’s nice and rested now, you think as his hand slides seductively up your thigh. You push against him slightly, placing a light kiss on the tip of his nose as some of the crew walks by. "Save that for later, spaceman."

You feel him squeeze your hip. "What if I don’t wanna wait? What if I want ya now? What're ya gonna do ‘bout-"

His voice is cut off as there's a loud shout from the other end of the bar. Craning your necks, you both see Jesper being held from behind by an Aakon with a bloody nose. While Jesper is restrained, a huge Baluurian rears back his fist and slams the young man in the jaw. Blue blood spurts from his mouth, and as the Aakon punches the boy hard in the kidneys, he cries out.

Before you can even get to your feet to let Yondu out of the booth, a maroon blur shoots past you. It’s Kraglin – and he flings himself among the attackers like a demon from hell.

In seconds flat, he has hauled the Aakon away from Jesper and has dashed him headlong into a table. Now he's got the Baluurian in a half nelson, throwing punch after punch into the man's side. Jesper gapes from where he sits on the floor, holding his ribs. Kraglin shoves the Baluurian aside as the Aakon regains his footing, and swings one long leg up. With this single swift kick, he catches the Aakon under the chin and sends him flying. He lands on the floor, out cold. The Baluurian hasn't even had time to recover before Kraglin has leaped upon him again, smashing punch after punch into his face. 

You scramble out of the booth. "Yondu, do something! Kraglin's going to kill them!"

Yondu pushes past you and runs at the First Mate, pulling him back by his uniform. "Krags! Krags, stop!" To his surprise, Kraglin actually tries to throw him off, and nearly succeeds. He holds tighter, drawing him back fiercely. "Stop, son!" he hisses in the man's ear. "That's an order!"

Breathing heavily, Kraglin gets in one more savage kick to the Baluurian's face, then tears himself free of Yondu's arms. He glares at the fallen men, then skirts around Yondu to reach Jesper, who's struggling to his feet. He steers him over to a chair and sits him down. "Ya okay?" he asks, taking the boy's face in his hands.

Jesper nods, eyes wide. "Y-yes sir," he replies softly.

"I'll take a look at him, Kraglin," you say at his elbow, pulling out medical supplies from your bag.

"Ya do that," Yondu says, and clenches a hand firmly in Kraglin's collar. "And you come with me!" He steers him through the dispersing crowd, and they vanish out the back entrance.

Leading Jesper away from his now unmoving attackers, you seat him at an empty booth, then return to make sure the Aakon and Baluurian are still alive. Thankfully, they’re both still breathing.

You go back to Jesper and press an adhesive bandage onto a cut on his cheek. He winces. You pull out your portable scanner to check him over for broken bones. "What happened, anyway?" you ask as you swipe it over his legs. "It isn't like you to get into a fight."

Blue tinges Jesper's cheeks. "The Aakon was insulting the Eclector."

You pause with the scanner, straighten up, and put your hand on your hip. "Excuse me?" you ask dryly.

"He was calling the Eclector a rust bucket! That it should be hauled away as garbage!"

You close your eyes for a moment, seeking internal peace. "Jesper, that is not a good reason to get into a fight."

"But she's my ship! I - I mean our ship. I couldn't let them insult her! So I called him a brainless hack and punched him in the nose."

You bite your tongue to keep yourself from laughing at the indignant look on Jesper's face and shake your head. "Still not a good reason. You could have gotten yourself killed."

"I didn't know the Aakon had a friend with him," he says with a little pout. "If he was alone, I could have taken him."

"Regardless, it's a good thing Kraglin stepped in."

He blushes again. "Yeah. I was starting to think he was avoiding me."

You pause slightly with the scanner over his rib cage. "Oh?"

Jesper shrugs. "I dunno. I thought he was angry at me for some reason."

You shake your head. "He's just under a lot of stress, just like everyone else. I'm sure he wasn't avoiding you on purpose, and I can guarantee he is not angry with you for any reason." You finish your scan. "No broken bones, thank goodness. But it looks like your kidneys might be a little bruised, so take it easy the next week or so, and report to me with any pain or other side effects or new developments."

"Yes ma’am. Thanks."

"And go easy on the alcohol. Doctor's orders."

Yondu shuts the bar’s back door securely before rounding on the First Mate. "Mind tellin' me what the hell that was all about, huh?"

Kraglin clenches his jaw hard and looks away. 

Yondu puts his hands on his hips. "I know Jesper ain't big or nothin'," he says, "and I like ya steppin' in to help the crew, but ya damn near murdered them two idjits in there. Hey! Lookit me when I’m talkin’ to ya!" 

The First Mate crosses his arms and exhales heavily through his nose before turning his gaze to Yondu's.

"Ya been actin' real strange lately. What's goin' on?"

"Nothin',” Kraglin answers sullenly.

"Bullshit. Try again. I saw ya arguin’ with Ryx in the hall the other day, issat it? A lovers’ quarrel?”

Kraglin grits his teeth and points a finger in Yondu’s face. “That ain’t none a’ yer business!”

“Don’t ya give me any lip, boy,” Yondu snarls, batting his finger away. “It is my business if it’s impactin’ yer health, yer judgment, and yer job as First Mate! Now is that what’s goin’ on? A spat?”

Kraglin raises his eyes to the sky. “No.”

“Then what is it?”

The First Mate sighs loudly. "Do ya trust me, Cap'n?"

Yondu scoffs. "What the hell kinda question issat? Ya know I do. "

"Then ya gotta trust me to tell ya when I'm ready."

"And when's that gonna be, huh?” He snorts. “After I keep ya from killin' another dozen people?"

Kraglin's shoulders sag. "No, sir."

Yondu pokes a finger in his chest. "Damn right, no. Yer tellin' me today. Now go take a breather, have a drink, cool down, and get yer thoughts straight. But by the end of Third Watch tonight, yer gonna tell me what’s goin’ on. Ya hear?”

The First Mate bites his lip, but nods sullenly. "Yes, Cap'n."

Yondu draws nearer to the First Mate and lays his hand at the base of his neck, bringing Kraglin's forehead to rest against his own. "Ya know I care 'bout ya, son. I'm tryin' to be a good dad here," he says with a soft laugh. "Let me help ya."

Kraglin just gives him another nod and turns away.

After several more hours and many more drinks, Yondu has had enough of being around the crew. He takes your hand and leads you back to the ship, which is more or less empty. He pulls you inside, leading you up a set of stairs before trapping you against a wall.

“Mm, I got my baby all to myself now,” he growls, leaning in and kissing your neck.

You giggle and push up on him. “Yondu, what if someone sees?”

“This is my ship, I’ll take my woman wherever I want to,” he snarls back. You bite your lip as he slips his fingers under your shirt, dragging his nails across the tender skin near your navel. Then his hand is buried in your hair, yanking you close as he crashes his lips against yours.

You pause to catch your breath, and you feel his lips against your temple, your ear, and he’s whispering, “Where do ya want me to take ya, sugar? On yer desk in the med bay? Right here up against the wall? Or maybe in my Captain’s chair?” He chuckles darkly.

You tug on his neckerchief until he looks at you, and you press your mouth forcefully to his. As he’s regaining his breath, you take his hand and start to drag him in the direction of his quarters. “You know I’m most comfortable in your cabin.” You squeal as he lunges at you, gathering you up in his arms.

Once inside his quarters, he throws you on the sofa and climbs up after you, situating a leg on either side of you so he’s got you trapped underneath his body. He licks his teeth, and he raises a hand like he’s going to rip your shirt off, but then he pauses, just staring at you. Gently, he takes his fingers and traces your face, then lowers himself down on top of you and presses his lips to yours, softly. “I really do love ya, girl,” he whispers.

You smile against his lips. “And I really love you, Yondu.” You hook a leg around his waist, guiding your bodies closer. He doesn’t need any urging to rock his hips into yours.

“Gods, I been missin’ yer cool lil’ body under mine,” he hisses into your neck.

You push up on him a little, and he raises himself onto his elbows. “Wait. Aren’t you expecting Kraglin tonight?”

“Shit. I forgot. But I don’t know when the boy’s stoppin’ by. Provided he don’t swing by in the next twenty minutes, I got plenty a’ time to pleasure ya.” With that, he slides a hand down to the button of your pants.

He begins nipping at your neck, and you reach up to stroke his implant. He groans against your shoulder, and sits up hurriedly, fumbling at his belts and buckles. You lift your shirt over your head and are just reaching around to unhook your bra when there’s a buzz at Yondu’s door.

He stops mid-buckle and stares at you. “Ya gotta be flarkin’ kiddin’ me,” he growls. He taps his wrist com, which is connected to his door display. It’s Kraglin. “Dammit, boy!” He slides off the sofa, yanking his pants back up. “He’s got the worst timin’,” he grumbles.

“You’re the one who gave him the deadline,” you remind him, pulling your shirt back on.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Yondu snorts with a roll of his eyes. He flings open the door. He’s about to snap at Kraglin, tell him to come back later, but then he sees that the First Mate looks dreadfully pale and distraught. Any frustration Yondu had vanishes without a trace or second thought. “Krags? Ya look like shit. Get in here, boy.”

You get to your feet. You surmise this is probably a conversation that Kraglin wants to have alone with Yondu, even though you already know what the First Mate is going to say. “Let me know when you’re done, spaceman. I’ll be around.” You kiss Yondu’s cheek and squeeze Kraglin’s hand, then leave through the open door, closing it behind you.

Yondu leads Kraglin over to a chair, then heads straight to his bar to pour some Rhonne into two glasses. “Here. Mebbe this’ll help.” He hands his First Mate one of the drinks before flopping down onto the sofa. "Now what's goin' on?"

Kraglin clenches the glass in his hands and hangs his head, fixing his eyes on his knees. It's a full few minutes before he's able to speak. "Jesper's my son," he says softly.

Yondu barely catches himself from inhaling his drink, and splutters into his glass. "What?!" 

The First Mate shrinks into himself slightly, his head hunching a little further between his shoulders. 

"Are ya sure?" Yondu asks, dumbfounded. "How...?"

Kraglin raises glassy eyes to Yondu's. "It was that mission on Sarran, almost twenty years back, when I seduced that heiress, Ruby Rul. Ruby was Jesper's momma. I had the Doc run a genetic test, and I'm a perfect match fer his father."

"Damn." Yondu rubs a hand over his beard, staring at his First Mate, who has averted his eyes again. "Does he know?"

He nods. "Jus' came from tellin' him. He... he weren't too happy."

Yondu would normally make some sort of crack at the statement, but Kraglin's brokenhearted voice stops him. "Aw, he'll come around, boy," he says instead with a half-shrug. He reaches across the table and slaps the First Mate's knee. "Any kid would be lucky to have ya as his daddy."

Kraglin snorts loudly and stands, setting his glass down so violently it twirls on the table top and nearly crashes to the floor. "Yeah, lucky," he snarls, running fingers harshly through his hair. "Lucky I ran out on his momma and him, jus' like my own damn father gave me up. All these years I been tryin' to be anybody but my father and I turned out jus' like him."

Yondu leaps to his feet and yanks Kraglin violently towards him so they're nose-to-nose. He shakes him soundly. "Don't ya ever say those words again! Dammit, boy! How many times I gotta go over this! Y'ain't nothin' like yer father!" He bares his teeth. "Yer father sold ya to the Skrulls when ya was years younger than Jesper! He was a monster! You - you didn't even know this girl was pregnant, did ya?"

Kraglin looks away, his lips drawing into a thin, tight line.

"Lookit me, damn you!"

Unwillingly, Kraglin darts his eyes back to his Captain's.

"Did ya know she was pregnant? Did she ever try to contact ya?"

He shakes his head. "No sir," he says in a trembling voice.

"And ya didn't know Jesper even existed before we recruited him, did ya?"

"No," he whispers.

"Then it ain't yer fault, son," Yondu says, emphasizing the statement with another light shake of Kraglin's shoulders. "Ya gotta stop blamin' yerself! All ya can do now is be a daddy to Jesper, regardless of if he wants ya to or not. Ya jus' keep a lookout fer him, keep him outta trouble." Yondu guides him over to the sofa and pushes his drink into his hands again. Looping an arm around the First Mate's shoulders, he hugs him close. "The way I see it, ya done a pretty good job takin' care of him while he's been on board so far. And ya know he looks up to ya."

Kraglin nods and a tear slips down his cheek. "When I told him, I could see in his eyes that he blamed me for his Momma passin' away. If I'd been there, I could've...and she wouldn't...." He leans his head into one hand, covering his eyes. "Gods, poor Ruby."

Yondu doesn't say anything but keeps his arm around Kraglin's shoulders. The First Mate leans into him slightly. "What's done is done, boy," the Captain says gently after a minute. "That girl's death ain't yer fault. What matters is whatcha do with the time ya got. Gods know I-" He's interrupted by another buzz at his door, and he pats Kraglin's shoulder as he gets to his feet. "Drink that Rhonne before it gets watered down."

Obediently, Kraglin raises it to his lips as Yondu makes his way for the door. He slides it open, to reveal an anxious and teary-eyed Jesper. "Sir," he says in a trembling voice, "Do you know where Kraglin is? I need to talk to him."

Yondu opens the door wider and gestures inside. "C'mon in, boy."

"Thank you, sir," he says, taking a step inside, "But I've really got to find- oh." Kraglin has just turned on the sofa, and they meet each other's eyes. Jesper's gaze instantly goes to his feet. "Hello sir," he says quietly.

Kraglin stands, very slowly. "Hello Jesper," he replies, in an equally quiet tone.

Yondu places a hand at Jesper's back and pushes him further into the room. "Go on." He clears his throat and makes his way to the bar to fix the Nav a drink. He steals a look back at the two, and for the first time realizes just how much Jesper looks like Kraglin. Damn. Guess this means I'm a Grandpa. The thought comes with a simultaneous flinch and quirking smile. As subtly as he can, he keeps an eye on them.

"I'm sorry I ran off," Jesper says, sitting himself on the edge of the chair across from Kraglin.

The First Mate shakes his head as he resumes his seat. "Don't gotta apologize. I don't blame ya. It weren't fair a' me to spring it on ya all of a sudden."

"It's okay," Jesper whispers.

There's a space of silence between the two, and Yondu busies himself straightening the bottles of liquor on his bar.

“Can I ask ya a question?” the Nav finally asks.

“Ya can ask me a million questions,” Kraglin says with an eager nod. “Anythin’.”

"Did - did you love my momma?"

Yondu nearly drops one of the bottles. Damn, the kid doesn't pull any punches, does he?

"I only knew yer Momma fer about a week," Kraglin says after a long pause. "So I didn't really know her long enough to love her. But I did care 'bout her, a lot." Yondu turns, watches as Kraglin zips down his jumpsuit, reaching into an interior pocket. "This was hers, ya should have it."

"Is it the locket?" Jesper asks, his breath catching.

Kraglin freezes, eyes wide. "How did ya know that?"

"Momma didn't tell me much about my fa- about you," he amends quietly, "But she did say that if my father wanted to remember her, he would have kept the locket she gave him."

Jesper holds out his palm, and Kraglin lowers the locket, hung on a tarnished silver chain, gently into it. "I never forgot about Ruby. I didn't want to."

From underneath his shirt, Jesper pulls a second necklace. By the look of the chain, it's a matching set. He places the charm on his necklace into a groove in Kraglin's locket, and there's a faint little chime. A hologram recording appears above the locket, faint and flickering. It’s Ruby. "Hello Jesper, baby," she smiles sweetly, "Hello Kraglin," she says, more softly. 

Kraglin covers his mouth with a hand and leans on his knees, watching. 

"I'm so glad you found one another. I've programmed Jesper’s half of the locket with some of my favorite memories of him growing up, so you could see them, Kraglin. I love you both, remember that." She kisses her fingers and blows upon them, then her picture fizzles out, replaced by some recordings of Jesper as a baby. These are followed by his first laugh; his first steps; him dirty, muddy and grinning from playing with other children; holding a model M-ship; sleeping peacefully in a patch of grass.

Kraglin looks into Jesper's now tear-stained face and gets up from his seat to pull the boy into his arms. "I'm so sorry I weren't there to watch ya grow up," the First Mate gasps out. "I'm sorry I weren't there for you or yer Momma. Ya gotta understand - if I'd known, I would'a been."

Jesper sniffles and embraces Kraglin tightly, nodding. He presses his head into the First Mate’s shoulder. “Dad,” he whispers.

Kraglin makes a quiet sort of choking noise, and cradles the back of Jesper’s head, leaning his cheek against the boy’s hair.

Yondu watches the scene with a tightening throat, which he clears loudly as he approaches them, thunking a couple more glasses down on the table. "Y'all need a drink. Here."

The two part, wiping at their eyes. The First Mate reaches for his drink, but Jesper hesitates. "I thought I'm not allowed to have hard liquor yet."

Yondu snorts. "This is a special occasion," he says, handing the boy his glass. He holds it back for a second. "Jus' take it easy, small sips."

"What is it?"

"A Baluurian drink, called Rhonne," Kraglin says.

Yondu lifts his glass. "I think this calls fer a toast. To fathers n' sons."

Jesper and Kraglin smile at one another, then at Yondu, and clink their glasses with his.

After they’ve finished their drinks, Kraglin and Jesper get up to leave.

"I used to tell my friends back on Xandar that you were my dad, you know,” Jesper says as they head towards the door.

"Huh?"

"You were the coolest, and I looked just enough like you that I pretended that you were my dad. None of 'em believed me, though. They'd flip their shit if they knew it was true all along."

Kraglin chuckles.

"We all wanted to be Ravagers. They helped me stow away on a ship to get to that recruitment meeting, you know. I wonder if I'm the only one that made it into the Ranks."

"Did ya have a lot of friends?"

Jesper nods, then shrugs. "I mean, I had a couple really close friends, but there was a big group of us, about twenty or so. We all looked out for each other."

Kraglin pauses, glancing at Yondu and back. "Would ya know where to look fer 'em?"

"Yeah, we had a couple spots we rotated through. Why?"

"Well, we’re gonna need new recruits."

Jesper's eyes light up. "You - you'd do that?"

"A' course. They need to be vetted by me and the Cap'n, a' course, but if yer friends are sharp as ya, then we got a good bunch on our hands." He looks at Yondu.

“Plot a course, Krags,” the Captain replies, waving him away.

Jesper beams up at Kraglin, and the First Mate smiles down at his son before looping an arm around his shoulders and leading him away.

Yondu smiles after them, even after the door closes. He looks at his glass thoughtfully and downs the rest before pouring a fresh one and going to his desk. He sits in the chair and fiddles with his glass, twirling the ice around for a few moments before activating the main holoscreen. He navigates through the list of contacts, and presses his finger on one, shifting in his seat a little nervously as it dials.

After a few blips, a familiar face appears on screen. "Yondu. Been awhile."

Yondu greets the figure with a little bow of his head. "Yeah, it has. Ya got a minute?"

Stakar Ogord settles back in his seat and smiles gently. "Of course I have a minute."

"Good, good." Yondu rubs the back of his neck. "Uh. How ya been?"

"Fine," Stakar says with a small tilt of his head. "But you're not usually one for small talk."

Yondu chuckles and raises his hands as if caught. "Yeah. I uh. I was wonderin' if y'all were available sometime soon. Fer food n' drinks or somethin'. Ya know - meet up somewhere. The whole team."

"We could probably make that work. Feeling sentimental?" Stakar asks with a smirk.

"Nah, jus'...it's..." He pauses and swallows. "I jus' want y'all to meet my girlfriend."

Stakar's eyes go wide. In the background, Yondu hears the fast scrape of a chair and a moment later, Martinex T’Naga appears over his Captain's shoulder. "Your what?!"

"Shut up, Marty," Yondu growls. "Ya heard me."

"You mean you're serious?"

"Yes! Damn, why issat so hard fer everybody to believe!" Yondu snarls, crossing his arms. "I ain't that bad lookin'."

Stakar hides a laugh behind a glove while Martinex leans forward. "Excuse me for being skeptical, but was it not you that said you were - and I quote – ‘never going to be tied down, going to live the single life forever because it's great and romance is bullshit?'"

Yondu feels his cheeks warming. "That - that was thirty damn years ago! I've changed - 'sides, never expected t'meet someone like her."

"What's her name?" Stakar asks, regaining his composure. He shifts a little to one side so Martinex has more room to view the screen.

"[y/n]," Yondu answers softly, glancing at the bulldog bobblehead on his desk. He presses on its head, and it nods at him encouragingly. "She's the best thing that ever happened to me." He glances up, and his voice lowers. "And tha's sayin' a lot, 'specially considerin' who I'm talkin' to."

Stakar's eyes soften and he leans forward a little, urging Yondu to continue.

"I -" Yondu averts his eyes for a moment. "I love her, Stakar," he says firmly, looking back into his former Captain's face. 

Stakar seems speechless at the confession, and Martinex is likewise for several moments before saying, "Then we can't wait to meet her, Yondu." He nudges Stakar with his shoulder.

The Captain nods and smiles at Yondu. "I'll round up the team and get back to ya. We'll get together soon. Real soon."

Chapter Text

The whole of the planet Xandar, capital of the Nova Empire, looms in the Cawl's front window, glowing shades of blue and green. Jesper leans between Kraglin and Yondu expectantly, smiling. "Thanks again," he says, and Kraglin nods. "When was the last time you were here?" the Nav asks.

"The battle with Ronan," the First Mate answers, turning in his seat as he switches to autopilot.

"We were all looking out for the Cawl that day," Jesper says reverently. "Amitt - my best friend - saw it first. We all tried to follow it, to try to get a glimpse of you. It's still kind of surreal, sitting in it," he says looking around. He sighs a little and grins. "They're gonna flip their shit. I can't wait."

Kraglin laughs. “So where -" he begins, but there's the beep of an incoming transmission, and he turns to face his controls again. He peers at the code and gives a smirk. "It's Pete." He flicks a switch, and the whole of the front window is filled with Peter's face. 

"Hey!" he grins with a wave of his hand.

"Boy, m' gettin' sick of seein' yer face so much," Yondu chuckles, leaning back in his seat.

Peter shoots him a glare but ignores him otherwise. "So? How did it go? With the kid?" he asks Kraglin. He glances at Yondu again, warily. "And uh, does Papa Smurf know?"

Yondu adopts Peter's glare and directs it at Kraglin. "Ya told him before ya told me?"

The First Mate gives him a pained look. "I needed some advice - it was a special case, I figured Peter would…ya know what, I ain't havin' this conversation right now. Not in front a' Jesper." He turns around and looks at the Lead Nav, who is just surveying them all with raised eyebrows. "Jesper, this is Peter Quill. He's - well-"

"I'm your Uncle!" Peter exclaims. "God this is so cool, I have a nephew. Good to meet you, man."

Jesper leans forward and raises his hand in greeting. "Uh, hi."

"Oh hey! You're the one who showed us to Yondu's cabin when we visited."

Jesper grins and nods in response. He turns to Kraglin. “I didn’t know Star-Lord was your brother.”

“He’s adopted,” the First Mate replies with a shrug.

"So what system are you guys in right now?"

"Tranta,” Yondu says.

"Going to Xandar?"

"Yeah, got some recruits we're pickin' up."

"How long you gonna be around there?"

"Couple days, maybe. But we're movin' on to Kurk after that, meetin' up with the Ogords."

"Well we're near Mobius, maybe we'll swing your way and meet up. Hey – Jesper!” Peter says abruptly, turning to the Nav. “Do you like music?”

Kraglin chuckles, shaking his head. “Here we go.”

Jesper nods. “Uh…yeah? Yeah, I like music.”

“Krags, you had him listen to any of my stuff?”

“He’s probably heard some of it, jus’ playin’ over the ship’s speakers.”

“Good. I can’t wait to meet you, Jesper. I’m gonna have to pick out some of the best songs for you to listen to.”
“Thanks,” Jesper says, grinning.

“Sounds great, Pete,” Kraglin says. “I'll bring my girl too, don't think y’all’ve met her yet."

"Your girl?" Peter leans very close to the screen, eyes like saucers. "Whoa, whoa. Hold the phone - what girl? When the hell did this happen?"

He shoots his adopted brother a squinty-eyed, confused look. "Months ago! I didn't tell ya?"

"Uh, no! Are you serious? A girlfriend?!"

Kraglin leans back in his chair with a huff. "Yer makin' a bigger deal outta this than me havin' a full-grown son! Issit that hard fer ya to believe?"

"Well...yeah! I mean, you’re… you’re you."

There's a muffled noise from Yondu, and Kraglin looks over at him to see his face is nearly purple and he's shaking with silent laughter. He looks back at Jesper, and sees the boy has his hand clapped over his mouth, but his eyes are twinkling. "Y'ain't helpin. Neither a' ya," he says dryly.

"But he's got a point, boy," Yondu manages, grinning from ear to ear. It's funny when it's happening to someone other than him. "Yer always mister all-work, no-play."

"Don't encourage him, Dad," Kraglin says, clenching his jaw.

"Dad?" Jesper echoes, his laughter dissolving into a hiccup. His eyes dart from Kraglin to Yondu, shocked.

Yondu's laughter also fizzles out quickly, and he unbuckles his seat belt, moving to Jesper's row as Kraglin and Peter continue to bicker behind him. "Look, boy," he says quietly, "It's a coupl'a stories too long fer today, and it was a long time comin', but I consider both these idjits my sons," he says, jabbing a thumb in their direction. "So, guess that means I'm...well, I'm kinda yer granddaddy. Not that ya can call me that!" he amends sharply, pointing a finger right in front of Jesper's nose. "But if ya ever need anythin'..." He spreads his hands. "Well, I'm here if ya need me."

The warm smile that Jesper gives him reminds Yondu so much of a young Kraglin that an unexpected lump forms and tightens in his throat. "Thank you, sir," he says softly. "That means a lot."

Yondu nods, and begins to get up, but seems to think better of it and seats himself again. "Family...didn't mean a whole lot t'me fer a long time. Over the years I lost sense of priorities and what was important. But I'm tryin' to fix all that. So. Like I said, I'm here." A purple blush covers his cheeks and he pats Jesper awkwardly on the knee before resuming his seat at Kraglin's side.

"G'BYE Quill!" Kraglin says forcefully, and mashes the end-call button, terminating the communication on a wheezing Peter. The First Mate is flushed blue down his neck and all the way to the tips of his ears. Yondu opens his mouth, grinning, and Kraglin holds up a hand in his face. "Not a word. Sir."

Yondu cackles.

"This is it?" Yondu asks doubtfully, eyeing the run-down building. He glances at Kraglin, but the First Mate's face is imperceptible. 

Jesper nods. He points to a yellow strip of cloth hanging out of a broken window. "They're here. I'll go in and get everybody together." He moves aside a wide slat of wood, creating an opening big enough to enter, but Kraglin catches his arm.

"Maybe I should go in first, to make sure it's safe," he says, a hand on his blaster.

"It's safe," Jesper replies, looking up into his face. "Trust me."

With an exhalation of air through his nose, Kraglin hesitantly lets him go, and Jesper disappears inside. The building is still and quiet inside. "Hello?" he calls. "Anybody home?"

He hears a noise and turns. A head pops up above a crate on an upper level. "Jesper?"

"Amitt!"

"Gods! Jesper!" Amitt cries. He stands up and calls out, "It's okay! It's Jesper, he's back!" With that, he swings down a nearby pole, shimmying down to the ground. He runs up to Jesper, and stops short, wide-eyed, looking him up and down. He's thin, his ragged clothes hanging off his frame. His face is smudged with dirt, but his grey eyes are bright beneath his dark hair. "By all the gods!" he exclaims with a laugh, grabbing him by the shoulders. "Ya - ya did it! You're a Ravager!"

The air is suddenly thick and loud with voices, and soon Jesper is surrounded by over twenty kids, ranging in age from twelve to nineteen. 

"You did it, Jesper! I can't believe it."

"I can't believe you came back. What are you doing here?"

"What's it like being a Ravager?"

Jesper holds up his hands, laughing. "Stars. Hold up, you guys. Yeah, I'm a Ravager. And I'm back. But I'm not alone." He bites his lip against a smile, rushing back to where he entered. He sticks his head out. "C'mon in, everybody's here." He moves back, and there's a collective gasp of awe as Kraglin enters.

The room falls dead silent at the sight of him, until there's another gasp as Yondu enters. The entire group knots together, eyes huge and mouths gaping open.

Jesper grins so wide he threatens to split his head in half. "I don't think my superior officers need any introduction," he says proudly.

Amitt is the first to speak, in a shocked voice. "Am I dreamin'?"

Jesper laughs. "Not unless we're both dreamin'." 

Yondu smirks and swaggers forward. "Y'all are probably wonderin' what the hell we're doin' here."

A sea of dirty faces nods dumbly back at him.

"We'll get to that in a bit. Y'all hungry?"

Another round of nods.

The Captain snaps his fingers and points at two taller, stronger-looking boys in the back. "You two. C'mon and help us with these crates."

They look at each other, mystified, but it doesn't take another word from Yondu before they're standing by his side. 

Between them, Yondu, Kraglin, and Jesper, they bring five crates full of food inside the building. The kids tuck in hungrily.

"Don't eat too fast," Yondu barks. "Don't need a bunch of pukin' kids on my hands!"

Jesper stands by Kraglin's side, surveying the group. "Gods, I didn't realize how skinny everybody was," he says guiltily. "I should have told you about them sooner."

Kraglin resists the temptation to loop an arm around his son's shoulders and crosses his arms instead. "We'll get 'em taken care of."

"You wanna go sit with 'em?" Jesper asks, nodding towards Amitt. The boy is sitting in a circle with about five others. Everyone else has broken off into similar groups, murmuring quietly amongst themselves. 

"Sure." He grabs a thermos from his pack and follows Jesper. 

Yondu is milling around them, eyes studying the faces and builds of all the children. Kraglin pauses at his side. "I think yer makin' 'em uneasy, walkin' round like that, Cap."

"Good."

Kraglin smirks. "Whatcha think?"

"Dunno yet. There's some young'un's here. Real young. I don't think we can take 'em all."

The First Mate looks around at the faces. All of them look real young to him. "Your decision, Cap. Come sit with us?"

A nod, and Yondu follows Kraglin, each of them pulling up a crate beside Jesper to sit on. The hushed voices instantly come to a stop as they do so.

The Captain looks around at them and laughs. "We ain't gonna bite," he says with a grin, and a few of the younger ones stare at his jagged teeth doubtfully.

Kraglin notices that the other groups have gone quiet too, looking in their direction expectantly.

Jesper nudges Amitt with his elbow.

"S-so what brings you here?" he asks.

"We're down a lotta crew," Yondu says, straightening up on the crate. "And we need new recruits."

Blank faces are his response, then one by one, his words start to dawn on them. "You - you mean - you mean us?" Amitt exclaims, pointing at himself.

"Tha's what we're here to find out. Fer now, jus' eat up. We'll do the more formal stuff a lil' later."

The hushed silence is gone, replaced by excited and nervous murmuring.

"So what are all y'all's names?" Kraglin asks, taking a slurp of soup out of his thermos.

"Oh," Jesper says sheepishly. "Sorry. This is Amitt, he's the leader."

Amitt flushes and scratches the back of his head. "Shuttup, Jes, no I'm not."

Jesper just grins. “Yes he is,” he says, and points to a younger girl, about fourteen or fifteen, with the same grey eyes and dark hair as Amitt. "This is Devi, his sister. This is Ethin," he says pointing to a small youth with brown hair falling into his dark eyes, "And Raenne and Tommas." The last two, a girl and boy, are obviously siblings and have sandy hair, very pale blue eyes and freckles.

"Mr. Obfonteri? Sir?" Ethin asks timidly, and Kraglin glances his way.

"Ya can jus' call me Kraglin."

"Wow. O-okay, Kraglin, sir. We've all been dyin' to know. How did ya get to be First Mate? There ain't never been a Xandarian First Mate in the Ravagers before you."

The room has fallen dead silent again, all heads turns toward him expectantly. He laughs and brushes a few fingers through his mohawk. "Damn, that's a long story."

Yondu shifts on the crate and makes a sweeping gesture with his hand. "We got time, Krags."

Kraglin adjusts his position on the crate, aware of Jesper's eager stare amidst the others. "A'ight. Well, the First Mate before me was a guy named Zeede...." 

"Ahhhh," you sigh, sinking down in the foamy, hot water. "I don't know why we didn't come to Xandar sooner."

"Agreed," Ryx says from the tub next to you. 

Yondu and Kraglin treated both of you to a day at one of the most luxurious spas on the planet. All expenses paid - facials, nail treatments, massage, scrubs, pool time, drinks and food - the complete package, anything you want. You both have a rejuvenating facial mask on, your hair braided on top of your heads, and you're relaxing in a private room, low lit and scented with a delicate, unobtrusive perfume.

You both soak in silence for a few minutes, before you ask, "So... how are you and Kraglin doing? Better?"

"Yes," Ryx replies. She'd told you that Kraglin had been distant and short-tempered a few weeks ago, and that they'd had a huge fight about it. "You are aware that Jesper is Kraglin's son?" she asks, opening one eye to look at you.

You turn to her and nod. "How are you dealing with that?"

She turns away, closing her eyes again. She breathes in deeply before letting it out. "I was…surprised, but not upset. I told him that he cannot keep secrets from me anymore, no matter what they are. Especially big ones such as that."

"Good," you say, nodding. You rest your head back against the waterproof pillow. "You should be the first to know things like that, not the last."

"That is what I told him!"

"And what did he say?"

"He apologized and agreed."

You smile widely. "And now you have a spa day."

She laughs. "Yes. It was much needed." There's a soft sipping noise and a clink as she sets her wine glass back down. "And you? You and the Captain are doing well?"

"Yes," you say, with a note of exasperation. 

Ryx's snap open to look at you. "What is wrong?"

You sit up, drifting towards your side of the tub, so you're closer to her, and she does the same so she's nearer to you, gripping the tile at the edge of her tub. "Yondu is taking me to meet the Ogords the day after tomorrow!" you say in a hushed voice. "He just told me this morning!"

"Stakar and Aleta Ogord?" she whispers back, eyes wide.

You nod. You almost run your hands over your face in exasperation, then remember you have that mask on.

"That is a great honor," Ryx says solemnly.

You groan and sink into the water again, up to your neck. "I am so nervous, Ryx. When he told me, I thought I was going to throw up!"

"Why?"

You scoff. "Why? I'm - I'm meeting the people who - for all intents and purposes - are Yondu's parents! And not only them, but his extended family!"

"Why does that make you so nervous?"

You throw your hands up in the air, scattering water droplets. "I've never met any of my boyfriends' families before, Ryx! Ever! Not even a cousin or something! I mean, what if they hate me?"

Ryx's eyes soften, and she leans towards you on one pair of folded arms. "[y/n]," she says firmly, reaching a third hand towards you, and you grasp it, "They will love you. You are a kind and wonderful friend to me, and you are perfect for the Captain. I cannot imagine a single person in this galaxy hating you, especially his family."

You give her a small, grateful smile and squeeze her hand. "Thank you. That's very sweet of you to say."

"I do not say it because it is sweet," she grunts, releasing you. She drifts back to her pillow and her glass of wine. "I say it because it is true. Now no more talk of nervousness. This day is meant for us to enjoy and relax. So relax."

You laugh and settle back in the hot water with your eyes closed. "Oh, I fully intend to get Yondu's money's worth out of this spa day."

Night has fallen on the city. Kraglin and Yondu spent the afternoon and evening interviewing each of the kids and decided to bunk with them until the morning. Yondu walks along an upper floor; a fresh cool breeze drifts in through the broken windows, a brief reprieve from the grime of dust and dirt. He passes by Jesper, who is sleeping curled up with the others; a tangled doggy pile of shabby arms and legs. The Captain comes to stand at Kraglin's side. The First Mate stands in a beam of moonlight, arms crossed, staring out over the city. His eyes are distant, hard-edged.

"What's on yer mind, boy?" Yondu asks gently.

"Jesper should'na had to live like this."

"Ain't yer fault," Yondu reminds him with a slight squeeze of fingers around his upper arm.

"I know it ain't," Kraglin says with a curt nod. "Jesper told me that Ruby's uncle – Revul Rul - he kept Ruby on until she gave birth, then he turned her out and cut her off from her inheritance. That bastard threw my baby and his momma out in the streets with nothin'." The blue-grey eyes turn to icy steel as he glances at Yondu. "I have intel that Revul's on Xandar right now."

Yondu looks away, over the bright lights of the city - the fancy restaurants, the nightclubs - then back down at Jesper and the ragamuffin kids on the dirty floor, huddled together for warmth. "Ya jus' tell me what ya need, son. Time? Money? Crew? Ya got it."

"Let's get these kids sorted first, then I'll deal with Revul myself."

Your trip to the spa turned out great, but you find yourself wishing you had another day there after twenty new recruits – kids off the streets of Xandar – are escorted to your Med Bay by Yondu. He informs you that they’re referrals, friends of Jesper’s. When you ask where the Lead Nav is, Yondu informs you that he’s accompanying Kraglin on some personal business down on the planet.

You have to run medical exams on all of the new recruits, and by the looks of things, it’s not going to be an easy task. All of them are malnourished at the very least, and malnourishment means weakened immune systems, which means very possible illness and disease or infection. It’s a slow and painstaking process, making sure all the kids are vaccinated, cleaned, and given proper nutritional boosters and vitamin supplements.

You look at the youngest first, so they can be on their way to the tailor and be shown to their new bunks to get some rest. Then you look at the rest of them – which spills into the next day; the day you’re supposed to meet the Ogords.

While you’re looking at the last group, you hear some of the older boys and Jesper talking.

“I’m gonna have to visit Med Bay more often if she’s the doctor,” you hear one of them say, and bite your lip against a laugh.

“Shut up!” Jesper hisses, and you hear a grunt from one of his friends, as if Jesper had jabbed him with his elbow. You grin.

“You can’t say things like that!” Jesper continues.

“What, why? Are you sweet on her?”

“What?! No! You can’t say things like that because she’s-” Jesper is interrupted by your favorite voice.

“There’s my baby.”

You turn with a smile. “Hello Captain.”

“Mmm,” Yondu hums, grabbing your hips and steering you closer, “Hello doctor. How’s it goin’ in here?”

“Good. I’m just finishing up the last of them. It’s just taking longer than I expected.”

“How much longer ya gonna be?”

“I don’t know, another hour or two? What time are we meeting up?”

“Marty just called me, says we got reservations at Kodit’s in four hours. I’m gonna – ya okay?” he asks, because you’ve got that anxious line between your brows.

“Yeah,” you reply, but he’s not convinced.

He pulls you away from the new recruits to a more secluded corner. “Whatsa matter, honey?”

“I’m – I’m just nervous. About meeting your family.”

“Ain’t nothin’ to be nervous ‘bout, baby,” he says with rare gentility, stroking your cheek with a finger, “I’m gonna be there with ya the whole time. Ain’t like I’m gonna let ‘em upset ya, or drive ya away. Ya know why?”

You smile up at him, your nerves calming just a little. “Why?”

“Because yer mine and I love ya,” he says with a kiss against your forehead. “Trust me honey, they're gonna adore ya jus' as much as I do. And if they don't - if they have some problem with ya, well that's jus' too damn bad and they're gonna have to deal with ya 'cause I ain't never givin' ya up. Got that?"

“Got it.”

“Good. Now why don’tcha finish up here and meet me at the bar when yer done. Here’s the coordinates, it’s called Eltane’s.” He wirelessly delivers the information from his wrist com to yours.

“Thanks. I’ll be down just as soon as I can.”

Yondu doesn’t say a word but lifts you in one arm against his body and presses a hard, long kiss to your lips. “Mmm,” is the only noise he makes before letting you go and smacking your ass as he leaves.

“You can’t say things like that because she’s the Captain’s girlfriend,” Jesper finishes in a loud whisper after Yondu has left. “And he might kill you for just looking at her the wrong way!”

“Yes, he might,” you say with a smile, turning to them, and they fall quiet, “So don’t look at me the wrong way. Let’s just be friends, huh?”

Jesper’s friends stare at you, until Amitt speaks up. “Sorry for sounding rude, Doc, but – how in the seven hells did someone like Yondu Udonta end up with someone like you?”

You shrug and give them another smile. “Oh, I’m just lucky I guess.” You wink and pat the bench for the next patient to hop up.

Jesper smiles fondly at you. “The Doc’s the best. She takes good care of us, and she wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

You alternate jogging and walking as you head towards the bar. You finally finished with the new recruits’ exams and had time to freshen up and take a shower. And with all that done, you even have a little over an hour before you meet up with the Ogords. You’re hoping to get a couple drinks in you to calm your nerves. At the very least, you need a big hug and kiss from your man to reassure you everything is going to be okay.

Your high-heeled boots clak clak on the pavement as you near the bar. The planet Kurk, at least the country you’re in, is in an autumn-like season. The air is cool but not too cold, and the leaves are turning from blue to an orangish-gold. Most of the restaurants, which are more upscale than you expected for a Ravager-friendly area, have outdoor seating, and they’re all crowded with Ravagers. You’ve never met any other Ravager Clans, and by the looks of the colors, there are about five different clans here in addition to yours. Among your native maroon leathers, you see dark grey, navy blue, dusty yellow, dark green, and dark purple. You wonder which colors belong to the Ogords.

You spot the sign reading Eltane’s Bar just ahead – that’s where Yondu is, and you breathe a sigh of relief. You spot his fin above the heads of other customers and push in past the little gate that marks the entrance to the outdoor seating area. As you lock your eyes on Yondu’s fin, you see that he’s moving around – pretty fast, and with abrupt turns. Suddenly he comes to a stop. You push past a couple people and see with dismay that there’s a woman hanging all over him.

Dressed in dark green leathers, she has slightly-bird-like features and a crest of feathery hair. A Shi’ar, you suspect. She’s strong, tall and attractive with a slender build. She teases a finger up Yondu’s chest, smiling.

Your heart clenches at the sight – until you realize that Yondu is angry and is trying to push her away. There are slight flickers going through his implant. He doesn’t want her there. She’s bothering him.

You feel your hands clench into fists. Your patience is just about out after two long days of medical exams and hurrying through treatments, and the added stress of meeting Yondu's family has pushed you even further beyond your normal boundaries. And now this bimbo has the nerve to harass MY boyfriend! Your jaw hardens, and you march towards the table Yondu has parked himself at.

“I said to-” he’s snarling when you walk up.

“Excuse me,” you say hotly, and the Shi’ar woman turns to you in surprise. “I think you have the wrong table. You need to leave.”

Her laugh is light and scornful as she looks you up and down. “I think you have the wrong table, honey. Go bother someone else.” She turns back to Yondu and reaches out to trail a thin finger against his cheek. He lurches backward, at the same time you jab out your hand and smack hers away.

You’re in for it now, if her glaring eyes are any indication. You square your shoulders and draw up to your tallest height, which you now wish was more considerable, as she stands at least a head taller than you.

Yondu, meanwhile, is transfixed by you. The fact that you’re wearing your Ravager leathers, instead of your usual scrubs, is part of that problem, because they fit your form perfectly, accentuating all your curves. Your hair is done up in a fancy braid, and you’ve got those earrings on that he got you for your birthday. The ensemble is completed by a blaster at your thigh and a pair of high-heeled boots that you bought on Xandar. As if you didn’t look sexy enough, here you are, expressly defending him. Hot damn.

“I’m going to give you one more chance to leave,” you say firmly. “Yondu is my boyfriend and I want you to leave him alone.”

The glare in the Shi’ar woman’s eyes disappears and they fill with surprise. She glances at Yondu, then back at you – and laughs. She throws her head back and laughs and laughs, bending over double, holding her sides.

Your chest expands as you take in an angry breath. “Are you done?” you shout.

With a few last chuckles, she wipes a tear from her eye and smiles down at you. “You’re adorable. That was a very funny joke. Now move along, honey.” She pushes you aside.

“That wasn’t a joke!” you yell, pushing her back and moving quickly between her and Yondu. You put your hands on your hips. “I’m not going to ask you again! Get lost, bitch!”

“Uh – sweetheart,” Yondu begins in a hushed voice behind you, “That might not be the best-” But the warning comes too late.

Before you can blink, the woman’s fist is between your eyes, and your thrown backwards, knocking over the chair next to Yondu’s. You feel the back of your head crack against the wood of the table.

“Xandra!” Yondu yells. “What the hell!”

The stars you saw on impact clear your eyes, and you kick out your legs as the woman – Xandra – reaches for you again. You hit her square in the stomach, and she goes reeling back into a neighboring table, upsetting the bottles and glasses there.

Xandra gets up quicker than you expect, and her face is white with anger, mouth drawn in a deep scowl. “I have been chasing Yondu for his entire captaincy,” she snarls, “And some weak, ugly-ass slut like you isn’t gonna get in my way now!” She lunges forward, fist swinging, but you manage to dodge the blow.

“That’s too damn bad, lady!” you yell back. “Yondu is mine, and he’s staying that way!”

Two bars down, Kraglin clinks glasses with Ryx, and settles his arm about her shoulders, drawing her in close against his side. It’s a quiet little place, and they’ve got an outside corner booth to themselves. He leans in to kiss her forehead, when suddenly there’s the distinct but distant noise of breaking glass. They both look up, and see several Ravagers running towards Eltane’s.

Nillgrac comes dashing in the opposite direction, and leans over the little fence, towards a group of the Eclector’s pilots seated nearby. “Come on!” he yells breathlessly, pointing in the direction of Eltane’s. “Doc’s in a fight!”

The group hurriedly gets to their feet and follows Nillgrac.

Kraglin and Ryx look at one another and scramble out of the booth.

When they reach Eltane’s there’s a huge crowd of Ravagers from every faction on the planet crowded around the perimeter of the outside seating area. He and Ryx push their way to the front, to where Nillgrac, Jesper, Rhian and several others are watching the scene unfold. Only a low wall separates them from the outdoor seating.

“Aw, shit!” Kraglin cries, hands flying up to clench in his hair.

You’ve got a bloody lip and nose, the promise of a black eye, and your hair has been pulled out of its braid. But your opponent – which he is shocked to see is Xandra, a strong and wild Shi’ar from Aleta’s crew, doesn’t look much better.

He looks around for Yondu, and spots his Captain also watching the fight. “Cap!” he calls, and Yondu runs over to him. “What happened?”

To his surprise, the Captain flushes and grins. “They’re – they’re fightin’ over me.”

“They’re what?”

“Xandra was flirtin’ with me big time and [y/n] stepped in, told her to piss off. Xandra threw the first punch, and….” He gestures to the two of you fleetingly.

“Ya know that Xandra could kill her, dontcha?”

Yondu throws him a dirty look. “I ain’t gonna let it get that far, boy! But I tried to stop her once already and she told me it was her fight.”

In spite of himself, Kraglin smiles proudly, then leaps neatly over the wall to land at Yondu’s side. “Well, if she’s gonna win it, she’s gonna need a little coachin’.” He cups his hands around his mouth. “Doc! Doc, keep yer body low! Like I taught ya!”

You hear Kraglin’s voice clear and distinct above the boisterous crowd, and instantly lower your stance, shifting your center of gravity so you’re more firmly planted on your feet.

“Good! Now keep an eye on her!”

That’s Kraglin’s way of saying watch what she favors – watch how she moves. You already started taking notice that Xandra favors kicks, especially with her right leg. You might be able to use that.

Just as this thought crosses your mind, Xandra swings her right leg towards you. You duck under it, and lunge forward, grabbing her belt loops. You swiftly drive your right knee into her stomach, and she gags, doubling over. You draw your hands together, preparing to strike her back with your elbows, but she expects this and jabs out and punches you hard in the side.

You let out a short scream and stumble.

“Doc! Guard!” Kraglin yells.

Instinctively, you protect your face and make yourself small as you dart away. You avoid another blow, and Xandra screams in frustration. She lunges for you again, and this time she seizes your hair as you duck. She yanks, hard enough that you see stars and let out a yelp of pain. Instead of trying to pull away, you duck down and turn to face her, grabbing at her belt loops, and fling her over your head. Lucky for you, Shi’ar have hollow bones and Xandra is light enough for you to lift.

Somewhere behind Kraglin, Nillgrac starts a rhythmic chant of, “Doc! Doc! Doc!” And soon everyone is echoing it – not just your Ravagers.

You throw all your weight on Xandra as she hits the ground behind you, then leap on top of her, punching wildly. Soon your knuckles are dotted with blood, despite her impressive efforts to buck you off.

All around you, the cry of “DOC! DOC! DOC!” reaches a roar.

Xandra does land a solid punch right in your side, where it still hurts, and you roll off her. You kick her in the face as you go – not too forcibly, but definitely enough to hurt – and grab an empty wine bottle off a nearby table. You smash it against the floor so the end breaks, and swing down towards her with it. You intend to stop before you cut her, but she doesn’t know that.

She shrieks and holds her hands over her face. "Stop, stop! I - I relent!"

The chant dies away, and the area falls quiet.

You toss the bottle away and gather her collar in your hands. "You leave Yondu alone from now on. You hear me? He's mine! You hear me?" you ask with a violent shake.

“Y-yeah! Yeah! I hear you!”

Panting, you get to your feet. Your legs feel like jelly, and you're shaking, but you're trying your best to control it. There are loud whoops and cheers from the Eclector crew, and you feel someone grab your arm from behind - it's Kraglin. "Doc, you were great," he says, grinning.

“[y/n], I am very proud of you!” Ryx cries at his side. She pulls you down and butts her forehead against yours - just hard enough to hurt.

You laugh shakily, then groan, putting a hand to your face. "Oh god." When you pull it back, it's covered in blood. You sniff slightly and feel the unmistakable sensation of blood in your nose. 

"Darlin'!"

You turn. Yondu sweeps you into his arms and swings you around once. You have to physically push his face away to keep him from kissing you. "Y-Yondu, don’t! I'm bleeding!”

He laughs. " C'mon, let's get ya cleaned up, baby." He carries you over to a table and deposits you on its top, so your feet are on one of the chairs. He dips his neckerchief in a glass of water and starts dabbing at your face. He snaps his fingers at a passing server. “Hey, I need some more water over here. In a bowl, if ya got one. And uh – here.” He throws a couple units on the server’s tray. “Fer the broken bottles n’ whatnot.”

<May I be of assistance, Yondu?>

The voice nearly makes you scream. Not because it’s sudden or threatening – quite the opposite in fact; it’s very soothing – but because you hear it in your mind. You whip around, nearly crying out at a pain in the back of your neck, to see a tall figure. He’s covered leathery skin whose red color is only broken by a series of dark grey belts, bandoliers and bracers. His eyes are large, dark, and seemingly kind, but you see no sign of a visible nose or mouth. He lowers himself down, his snake-like lower half coiling around itself, and stretches a four-fingered hand towards you. His large frilled ears expand and contract curiously. <[y/n] I assume?> his voice echoes around your head gently.

You can only stare back at him in wonder.

“Krugarr!” Yondu cries happily, and you feel a twinge of a warm, bright color at the edge of your mind as he reaches forward to clap hands with the strange man.

<Hello, Yondu. You look well. Staying in trouble?>

Yondu lets out a barking laugh and nods before jabbing a thumb at you. “My girl got in a fight.”

Another bright sparkle of what feels like amusement flickers through your mind. <I see that. Any injuries you would like me to heal?>

“Ya mind?”

<If I minded, I would not have offered.> Krugarr leans back slightly and makes quick, specific movements with his hands, tapping fingers together, and suddenly bright circles of fiery light spring from his palms.

You cry out and nearly fall of the table.

“Whoa, whoa! It’s okay, honey,” Yondu says, looping an arm comfortingly around your back, “He’s a sorcerer, that’s supposed to happen.”

“A what?” you exclaim. Aliens you can deal with. Magic? You’re not so sure about that.

“Jus’ trust me, baby.”

You make a doubtful little noise in your throat but otherwise stay still and close your eyes as Krugarr gets closer. There’s nothing but a very light musical hum and a pleasant warmness, like a tropical breeze, just for a moment. Then the feeling is gone, and you realize the sting of the gash on your forehead, and the feeling of blood in your nose is gone. “What…?”

<I am afraid I could not rid you of the old blood, but your injuries are healed and closed.> Comes Krugarr’s thought to you.

You look at your hands, front and back, and reach up to touch your face. He’s right. All your cuts and bruises are gone. “Thank you so much,” you whisper.

A bright smiling sensation fills your mind before he answers, <It is my privilege. I am sure you will want to clean yourself up before we meet for dinner, so I shall leave you until then. I will see you both shortly.> With a slight bow of his head and a fond touch to Yondu’s shoulder, Krugarr glides away.

“C’mon honey, the Warbird is right over here, I’ll getcha cleaned up.” Yondu tugs at you, and you follow him numbly, still a little disoriented from your fight and dumbfounded at meeting a sorcerer.

It isn’t until Yondu is lowering you onto the cot on the Warbird that you start to focus again. You look around. “You could have cleaned me up there, I have my medical bag.”

“Yeah, I know. But I couldn’t do this.” He pulls you in close, and plants a deep, caressing kiss upon your lips, one so fierce and at the same time so tender than it makes you weak at the knees. You can tell from the way Yondu’s hands are wandering that he wants more than just a makeout session, but when you lean back, he lets you go.

“I am a mess, Yondu,” you say with a wry smile.

“You look beautiful to me, darlin’.”

You snort, looking at yourself in the small mirror, at your mussed hair and ruined makeup. “Yeah, right.”

“What, ya think every time I call ya beautiful, I’m jus’ talkin’ bout yer pretty face?” he asks, hooking a finger under your chin to turn your gaze to his. “Naw, honey. I love this,” he says, gesturing to your body, “But I fell in love with this.” He taps the side of your head gently with his finger, “And this.” He lays a hand softly over your heart.

Tears brimming at the corners of your eyes, you draw him into a tight embrace. “I love you.”

“I love you, sugar.” As he leans in to kiss you, his hands begin to wander again, in very specific directions.

“Yondu,” you say with a laugh, pushing him away, “We don’t have time for that! We’re meeting the Ogords, remember?”

“I can’t help it, dammit! Ya know how turned on ya got me back there, fightin' over me? Ya got any idea?”

You giggle and grasp both his hands in yours. “Save those grabby hands for later, then. I promise you won’t be sorry.”

He grins that shark grin at you. “Oh, I know I won’t.”

You peck his cheek, then groan as you look in the mirror again, grabbing your makeup out of your medical bag. “What a mess. And that braid looked so good before, too.” You undo the braid the rest of the way and untangle it with fast strokes of the hairbrush you brought. “I don’t have time to re-braid it. This’ll have to do.”

Yondu grins at you. “Ya know I love yer hair down.”

You shake your head but smile up at him. “I know you do, spaceman.” You lean up and kiss his nose, then take a deep breath. “Okay, I’m ready. Let’s do this.”

Chapter Text

<That's her,> Krugarr's voice wisps through Stakar's mind.

He gets up from the sofa at the end of the private room, leaving his glass on the side table. The sorcerer must have alerted the others too, for they all crowd the railing where Krugarr is coiled, and look down towards the entrance of the restaurant.

Yondu has just entered, and you stand at his side, a woman dressed in maroon leathers with loose hair. You catch his arm as you enter, and gesture to yourself with a concerned look on your face. He laughs - Stakar can hear the raucous sound from here - and takes you by the shoulders, bending to look into your face. He says something, to which you reply, and he reaches up to smooth a thumb against your cheek. Then - he can feel the violet tinge of Krugarr's surprise at the edge of his mind - Yondu leans in and kisses you tenderly. When he parts from you, he smiles, and you smile back. It's a genuine and loving look. Then Yondu takes your hand in his and heads towards the stairs leading to their private room.

"Roast 'em, tease 'em, interrogate 'em, I don't care," Aleta says, and her nonchalant voice suddenly drops to its softest and deadliest tone, "But mark my words, if any of ya screw up what Yondu has goin' on here with this girl, if ya drive her away, I will kill you."

They all nod. It's not an idle threat, and they know this.

You hold Yondu’s hand tight as you ascend the stairs. You look up, and see his family gathered around the railing; they must have seen you enter. You feel Yondu squeeze your hand reassuringly, and turn you gaze to his. He shoots you a grin and winks.

As you reach the landing to the floor above, the huge, sepia-skinned man in yellow leathers comes forward first. He’s the tallest person you’ve ever seen, standing at least seven feet tall, and his hands are easily larger than your head.

“Well,” Yondu says, grinning up at him and gesturing widely to you, “Here she is. Honey, this is Charlie-27.”

The man chuckles, the sound low and pleasant. “Good to meet ya, [y/n],” he says in a booming voice. “You can just call me Charlie.” He stoops to draw you into a hug, then. He smells like warm spices and leather, and his hug is gentle but firm. “Figure ya deserve a hug fer puttin’ up with this one.” Releasing you, he gives Yondu a playful shove that sends him staggering. Yondu just laughs and swats his arm away.

Charlie steps aside to reveal an imposing, broad-shouldered man about Yondu’s height. He has dark brown eyes and gunmetal grey hair. Golden arcs of light top his shoulders. You swallow and give an awkward little half-curtsy, half-bow, taking his hand as he extends it. “[y/n],” he says, his voice commanding.

“Captain,” you reply nervously.

He smiles, crows feet wrinkling around his eyes, and waves his hand in dismissal. “Stakar is fine.” Yondu also gives a little bow of his head as Stakar turns to him, but the Ravager Captain interrupts the motion with a firm embrace, slapping Yondu's back.

Stakar stands next to Charlie, and Yondu laughs as a crystal-skinned man walks briskly up. “Hey, Sparkles,” he says, flipping his middle finger at him.

The man copies the action and they both laugh, then draw each other in to rest their foreheads together. “S’ good to see you, Yondu,” he says.

“This is Martinex T’Naga,” Yondu introduces him.

“[y/n],” the Pluvian says, “You’re even more beautiful than I expected. Yondu always could pick out the pretty ones."

You blush as he shakes your hand.

A robot is next, gliding forward on a sleek cyborg body; a hovering mechanism with no legs but thin strong arms and eight dexterous fingers per hand. It curls both hands around one of yours, the metal surprisingly warm. “[y/n]!” it says excitedly in a feminine voice, the name coming out with a buzzing resonance, “I’m Mainframe! I am so excited to meet you! Yondu’s first girlfriend!” Her expression goes blank for a second, and her eyes go from green to an embarrassed orange, the lines crossing forming sharp, agitated peaks. "Oh gods, I'm so sorry. You probably didn't know that. Me and my big mouth."

Yondu cackles. "S' fine, Bottie. She knows."

"Oh thank gods. Sometimes my speech parameters don't catch what might be socially unacceptable."

You laugh. "You’re fine."

Krugarr bows at you and you bow back as Mainframe hovers backwards to join him, and the woman that was watching you closely the entire time now comes forward. There’s only one person this could possibly be.

"You must be Captain Aleta Ogord," you say with a nervous smile. "Nice to meet you." Yondu's adoptive mother is shorter than you expected, but ten times more frightening. She's confident, bold, and dangerous - and she hasn't even opened her mouth yet. You swallow and extend your hand.

Aleta stops a few steps away from you, surveying you with the one dark eye that isn't hidden by locks of tangled, dark hair. She places a hand on her hip. "Heard ya messed up one of my girls."

Your smile falters and you draw your hand back. "One - one of your girls?"

"Xandra."

"Oh," you say, swallowing. You remember that Xandra was wearing the same green leathers as Aleta. "Yes. I-"

"Why?" The word is spoken harshly.

"'Leta-" Yondu begins, but she holds up a finger in his face.

"I ain’t talkin' to you, I’m talkin’ to her," she snaps, and he falls silent.

You swallow again and straighten up. You're just going to tell Aleta the truth. If she doesn't like it, she'll have to deal with it. "Xandra was flirting with Yondu. He didn't want her attention, and she wouldn't leave him alone, so I stepped in."

"Ya beat her up for flirtin’?"

"No," you say firmly. "First, I asked her to leave, but she wouldn't. I was standing between her and Yondu and she pushed me out of the way. At which point I pushed her back. Then she punched me, and I retaliated. I tried to settle it peacefully, but she didn't want to."

"And why would you - a - what are you? What planet ya from?"

"I'm Human. From Earth. Terra."

"So why would you - a lil' Terran - pick a fight with a Sh'iar? You crazy or somethin'?" You hear Yondu intake breath to interject, but Aleta holds up her hand in front of his face again. "Still not talkin' to you."

Subconsciously, you put your hands on your hips. "Because she was harassing him and I'm not going to have some - some Shi'ar hussy do that to my boyfriend! Especially not when I'm having a crappy day and I'm pissed off already!"

Aleta raises a hand and brushes her hair out of her other eye and over her shoulder. She takes a step closer to you, both dark eyes studying your face. Slowly, a smile - you're not sure if it's a friendly smile, but it's still a smile - stretches over her mouth, twisting a small scar you notice over her lip. Suddenly she moves (you can't help but flinch), throwing an arm companionably around your shoulders. "Ya hungry?" she asks, still smiling.

You stare at her, not quite sure what to say. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, I'm starving."

"Well c'mon then, sit down. You!" she calls, snapping her fingers at their server, "Bring us a bottle of top shelf Rhonne and three bottles of your best wine." She steers you over to the table, throws herself into one of the chairs, then kicks out another across from her. "Have a seat, honey."

"Oh - okay." You look back at Yondu, whose shoulders sag as he breathes out. Stakar has a similar relieved expression on his face. “Thanks.”

Yondu sits on your right, Charlie at the head of the table. Krugarr is on your left, and Martinex and Stakar sit on either side of Aleta.

After you’ve all got drinks, Aleta leans on the table with one arm and twirls the ice in her glass with her other hand. "So," she says, raising an eyebrow, "How'd ya get tangled up with this one?" She jabs a thumb at Yondu. "Were you drunk, or did he drug ya, or what?"

"H-hey!" Yondu protests, his cheeks turning purple. He almost seems a little angry. “I’ve never-”

“She’s teasing, son,” Stakar assures him.

You burst out laughing and hug Yondu’s arm. "No, no. Nothing like that. It was…his devilish good looks and charming personality that drew me in." You grin up at him as the entire table laughs and he smiles back down at you.

"It wasn't the teeth, I guarantee that!" Martinex chuckles.

Yondu points in the Pluvian’s face. "Fer yer information, Sparkles, she likes my teeth!"

"Yeah, right!"

"I do," you say, and it's your turn to blush. The whole table laughs again.

“How’d ya meet each other?” Charlie asks.

“He broke into my house,” you say.

Martinex throws back his head and laughs. “Sounds like him!”

Together with Yondu, you relay the entire story and answer all their questions. Thankfully they have a little more tact than the Guardians and don’t ask about your sex life, or anything that might be considered too personal. You talk through dinner, then when those plates have been cleared away, you order another round of drinks and all sit back in your chairs to chat some more.

“So how is being a medic on a Ravager ship?” Charlie asks.

“She’s doin’ great,” Yondu says proudly. “I bet she’s the best doctor in all the clans.”

You nudge him with your elbow embarrassedly. “Oh, I don’t know about that. I really enjoy it. It can be tough handling it alone, though.”

<Ah, it slipped from my mind,> Krugarr says. <I received your message about additional medical recruits, and I have two candidates that I believe may be a good fit for your crew, Yondu.>

“Really?” you say hopefully.

He nods, and with a few flicks of his fingers, two figures appear on the table, made of orange and red light. One is very tall and the second hardly comes up to the first’s shoulders. They have enormous ears on top of their heads, two sets of eyes, and look like they’re wearing long cloaks.

“Are those Niktils?” Martinex asks leaning forward.

<Yes,> Krugarr answers. <The doctors Villii, a husband and wife.>

“Great,” Yondu says. “Send ‘em our way.”

The magic manifestations glitter away and Krugarr bows his head slightly. <I shall.>

Martinex refills your wine glass. “So has Yondu told you any stories about when he was on our crew?”

“A few,” you say. “He told me about how you rescued him,” you say with a nod at Stakar. “And a couple others.”

<Nothing compromising, I expect?> Krugarr asks with a flicker of amused color in your head.

You smile and shake your head. You glance at Yondu, who has a wary, pained look on his face.

Stakar smirks. “Oh, we got stories. Question is, what do we tell her?”

Yondu groans and covers half his face with a hand. “Stakar…”

"What about when he was drunk?" Mainframe suggests with a distorted chuckle.

"OHHHH!" Martinex cries, grinning and slapping his hands on the table in mirth. "So many good ones! Which one do we tell?"

"How about when he got all those tattoos?" Aleta grins. "The swirly ones on his chest?"

 You turn to Yondu. "You don't have any tattoos."

"I know," he replies dryly.

Charlie roars with laughter. "Or how about that time we found him stuck naked in a vent?"

Krugarr makes some specialized movements with his hands, and a tiny figure made of light - but still recognizable as Yondu - dances across the table, and abruptly falls into what looks like a manhole.

Stakar bursts out laughing, pointing at the manifestation. "I forgot about that!"

Meanwhile, Yondu hunches lower and lower in his seat, his face vividly purple.

You laugh loudly and hug him around the neck, kissing his cheek. "Oh Yondu. Everybody has embarrassing drunk stories. What else?"

Martinex snaps his fingers at Yondu. "You weren't drunk - but do you remember when you were first learning to control your arrow? And you shot me in the chest?"

Stakar, who had the unfortunate timing of taking a drink at that moment, spews it all over Charlie. “What?”

If Martinex could be paler, you're sure he would be right now. "Oh. Right. I forgot, we never told you about that.” He spreads his hands and chuckles. “Uh. Surprise?"

"What happened?" you ask.

"Well," Yondu begins with a little nervous cough, "We was in one of the gyms and I'm jus’ figurin’ out how to use my arrow. It’s goin’ real good, so Marty here tells me to pick a target.”

“So I find an empty bottle,” Martinex continues, “And put it on this crate next to me, a good distance away. But you know Yondu, he’s struttin’ his stuff and makin’ all sorts of loop-de-doos and shit with his arrow. Cocky bastard.”

Yondu reaches across the table and shoves Martinex's face as he speaks. "You were probably distractin' me with yer sparkly hide, ya idiot! Anyway, I don't remember exactly what happened next but suddenly-"

"Suddenly I'm looking down at my chest, and Yondu's arrow is in it, like an inch deep."

"Oh no!" you cry, slapping your hands to your mouth. "Were you okay?"

Martinex shrugs. "Yeah. It didn't really hurt; it didn't penetrate enough to do any lasting damage. But I was afraid of fracturing, and I couldn't get it out on my own, so we had to go to the Med Bay." He laughs. "So here I am, sitting on a bench in the Med Bay, and Yondu's sitting next to me, pale a Kalskan bull-wyrm and-" he pauses, holding up his hands for emphasis, "-in walks Aleta."

Aleta, who had been digging around in a pouch at her side, proudly slaps a small holopad on the table, and you all crowd around it. Projected a couple inches above its frame, a holographic image of a younger Martinex and Yondu appears. Yondu has a different fin, smooth and closer to his head. In spite of yourself, you burst out laughing. In the picture, Martinex looks pretty relaxed, besides the fact that the Yaka Arrow is jutting out from his right pectoral. Yondu, however, looks like a deer in headlights, his eyes wide and face drained of all color. 

You wipe a tear of mirth from your eye and look at Aleta. "What did you do?"

"She laughed," Yondu says flatly. "And jus’ kept laughin'."

"Then I offered to take it out," Aleta says with a wild grin. "But the offer was declined."

Martinex laughs and falls back in his seat. "Her exact words were, 'I can fix this easy, I'll just rip it out!'"

Aleta cackles. "I've rarely heard so many people scream NO at me at the same time."

"And you seriously didn't know about that?" Charlie asks Stakar.

"You did?"

<We all did,> Krugarr's bemused voice filters into your mind.

"I bet you got into a lot of trouble with that arrow, didn't you." You say, shaking your head at Yondu next to you.

Stakar rolls his eyes and grins into his whiskey glass. “Tried to put it through the handle of my coffee cup once. I have never seen him run away so fast after I caught it.”

“Well, can ya blame-” Yondu begins, and there’s a beeping on his wrist com. He squints at the code on it. “Quill? Huh. Be right back, y’all.” He steps aside from the table for a moment, walking near the stairs to take Peter’s call.

As soon as his back is turned, Charlie leans across the table towards you. “Never seen our boy so infatuated,” he says with a smile. “He’s got it bad for you.”

You blush and fiddle with your wine glass.

“[y/n], I’ve got to ask. Do you love him?” Stakar asks quietly. His voice is devoid of jest and his eyes are completely serious as he stares you down.

“Yes, sir,” you say sincerely, meeting his gaze. “I love him with all my heart.” You look down into your wine glass for a second. “I don’t have a good history of relationships. I dated guys that ended up being sleazy cheaters. I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to meet anyone that was meant for me. But he is,” you say with a smiling glance at Yondu. “I can’t imagine my life without him. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” you finish, looking back at Stakar.

A gentle smile crosses his face and he slowly leans back in his seat, eyes still on yours. “Ya know, he said the same thing about you.”

This makes your heart feel like it’s going to burst with joy, and you look over at Yondu again, who’s still in conversation. He’s facing you now, and winks at you as you catch his gaze.

“Yeah, a’ight, I’ll let ‘em know,” he finishes saying as he comes back towards the table. He drops into his chair again, looping an arm around your shoulders. “That was Quill, he invited us back to the Quadrant if y’all want to come.”

“I can’t wait to show you!” Peter says excitedly as you and Yondu follow him through the halls of the Quadrant. “You haven’t been on board since you got your new ship.”

“Quill, if ya replaced the life support backup generator with some music thing, I swear to the gods-” Yondu begins, but Peter throws a glare back at him.

“I’m not stupid.” At Yondu’s raised eyebrow, he adds, “Hey! I might have done some…questionable things in my life but I’m not that stupid!”

“Is Kraglin still here?” you ask him, trying to diffuse a potential argument.

“Oh, nah. He left a little bit ago. I got to meet Jesper and Ryx though! Jesper seems like a really nice kid. Looks just like Kraglin, except for the eyes. And the nose is a little different I guess. And Ryx! He sure has a type, huh?” He laughs, nudging Yondu.

Yondu chuckles. “Sure does.”

“A type?” you echo.

“Short and curvy,” Yondu says. “Tha’s what he likes. Always-” He stops in mid-sentence as Peter stops at a doorway. “This was my quarters,” he says slowly. “What did ya do?”

Peter bites his lip in excitement and pulls open the door. “Ta daa!”

You burst out laughing.

Inside the room is a 70s-era light up dance floor and there’s even a disco ball hanging from the ceiling. The back wall is taken up by what looks like music equipment, and to the right you see a couple microphones and what looks suspiciously like a karaoke machine.

Taking up the rest of the space are a bunch of couches and lounge chairs and tables.

 “What the hell did you do my quarters?!” Yondu demands, mouth dropping.

“They’re not your quarters anymore,” Peter reminds him with a poke in the shoulder. “This is my ship now, remember? You gave it to me. What do you think, [y/n]?”

You catch your breath from laughing in order to respond. “It’s amazing, Peter. I love it.”

“You do not need to be nice,” Gamora’s smirking voice comes behind you.

You both laugh as you give each other a hug.

Peter pouts. “But you said you liked it.”

Gamora laughs and gives him a peck on the cheek. “I do, Peter. I am only teasing you.”

“What in the seven hells…?” Stakar’s voice comes behind you. Aleta and Martinex are on either side of him; Charlie, Mainframe, and Krugarr had other matters to attend and parted ways at the restaurant.

“Oh, hey Gramps,” Peter says cheekily, and Stakar stiffens slightly as he slaps him on the shoulder. “Hi Nonna,” he says to Aleta, a little more reverently.

“Hello Peter,” she says with a smirk, walking inside the room. “Ya got anythin’ to drink around here?”

“Yeah, sure! C’mon in.”

You all settle yourselves on the couches while Peter and Yondu make up some drinks and bring them back over.

“Oh!” Peter says, snapping his fingers. “Dad, I found something of yours when we were cleaning up in here.” He vanishes out the door, and returns a few minutes later with a holopad in his hand. It’s thicker than most you’ve seen; an older model possibly but very durable.

“What’s this?” Yondu asks.

“Dunno.”

Yondu raises a suspicious eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. “Ya didn’t activate it?”

“Hey,” Peter says, insulted, and seats himself next to Gamora. “It’s yours, man. I’m no snoop.”

Yondu smiles that shark smile at him. “Whatcha mean is that ya couldn’t break the passcode.”

Peter blushes and tries to hide his face behind his glass as he takes a drink.

Yondu cackles. “I raised ya, boy. I know you.”

Stakar leans over to him. “What’s on it?”

“Well, let’s see here…” Yondu turns the holopad over in his hands, studying the back, and thinks for a moment before swiping a finger across the screen. He types in a code that must be thirty characters long. 

"Damn, no wonder I couldn't crack it!" Peter exclaims. "How do you even memorize something that long?"

"Ya do when ya want to keep yer secrets safe." 

"And you're not keeping them secret anymore?"

Yondu chuckles softly. "Nah, no need." He makes a few movements on the unlocked holopad, and a series of images float above it. 

"Oh my gosh,” you gasp, “Is that...?"

"Yep, tha's Kraglin."

On the image, a young Kraglin - probably no older than fifteen or sixteen, is leaning against an older man with dark dreadlocks and has his arm around a young Krylorian man. He has no scars over his eye, and his hair is hanging messily over his forehead. 

"Oh, and there's me!" Peter laughs, pointing. 

You almost missed him - a small boy with reddish brown hair is peeking around Kraglin's leg, playfully sticking out his tongue at the camera.

"Oh my gosh, Peter, look at you! You're like a baby with that little face!" you exclaim. "Who are those other two?"

"That's Tullk," Stakar says, and you look up to see him now standing over you behind the couch. He points to the man with the dreadlocks.

Yondu nods, and you take his empty hand in yours as his expression turns regretful. 

"That's Oblo," Peter says softly, pointing to the Krylorian. "Those were Kraglin's best friends, and mine too, I guess, growing up."

"Kraglin's mentioned them," you say with a squeeze to Yondu's hand. "What else is on there, spaceman?"

Yondu swipes his thumb across the surface, and it goes to another picture. Kraglin is a couple years older here, and the scars over his eye look fresh; upon closer inspection, there's still stitches near his temple. He's playing cards with Peter, whose hair has been cut down almost to a buzz. 

"Ugh, is that when I got the vods?"

“Yep,” Yondu says, shaking his head. “Told ya not to go swimmin’ in that pond.”

“Yuck,” you say sympathetically.

“Kraglin buzzed my head for me,” Peter says with some fondness. “He started teaching me how to cut my own hair after it grew back.”

Yondu swipes to the next screen, and there’s a picture of Yondu with his arms around Kraglin and Peter. All three are smiling; they’re someplace bright and sunny and there are colorful buildings in the background.

“Oh, that’s Lalluna! It’s a theme park,” Peter explains, grinning. “That was so fun. I still can’t believe you took me there.”

The next picture is a much older one. There’s no Kraglin, and no Peter, but a young Yondu stands with his arm around what looks like a much younger Tullk – just a teenager, by the looks of it. In the picture, Stakar has his hand on Yondu’s shoulder, and his other arm around Aleta’s waist. Charlie and Martinex stand behind them, and Krugarr supports Mainframe’s disconnected head unit on their other side.

“You kept that,” Stakar whispers, “All these years?”

Yondu looks up over his shoulder into his former Captain’s eyes. “A’ course I did,” he whispers back. “Ya were the only family I ever had.”

Stakar swallow hard, and he rests a hand on Yondu’s shoulder, squeezing lightly.

“Yer a couple of sad sacks,” Aleta says with a chuckle, and everyone laughs. Stakar returns to sit by Martinex, and they finish going through the dozens of photos on the holopad.

After this, Peter boots up the karaoke machine, and Yondu is surprised to hear that you have a beautiful singing voice. He sits with Martinex, Stakar and Aleta as they listen to you sing.

“You really do love her, don’tcha, boy.” Stakar says quietly.

Yondu nods. He’s drunk at this point and words just come tumbling out of his mouth, slurring together. “I never thought I’d meet anyone like her,” he says, throwing his arms wide. “She didn’t see me like a monster, she didn’t think twice that I’m a Ravager. She makes me…she makes me feel wanted, ya know? No conditions, no strings, no hidden agenda. She’s the sweetest damn thing. I love her. I’d do anything fer her.”

“When did you realize you loved her?” Gamora asks, tilting her head. “Was it very obvious, as if you woke up one day and knew it was true?”

Yondu shakes his head. “No, no, no. It kinda built up over time. Weren’t love at first sight, that’s fer sure – she punched me in the mouth when I put the translator chip in!”

Martinex sniggers. “Probably served you right.”

“Yeah, probably,” Yondu agrees with a drunken chuckle. “But lil’ things. Things she said, things she did, just kept pilin’ up until…until I realized I couldn’t live without her.”

You and Peter wrap up a song, and come back to the sofa where Yondu struggles to his feet and gives you a big, hard kiss. “I love you, honey.”

You blush deeply. “I love you too, spaceman. I think it’s time for you to be cut off, though.” You add, wrinkling your nose at his boozy breath.

Yondu ignores the comment and drags Peter up to the karaoke machine, just as he starts to sit down by Gamora. The Captain has had a dozen or so drinks by this time of the evening, and you’re a little wary. “I didn’t know Yondu can sing,” you comment to Martinex.

The Pluvian grimaces. “He can’t. He really can’t.”

A Terran song comes on, and Yondu and Peter fumble through the first verse. When they get to the chorus, Yondu belts out, very off-key: “DOCTOR, DOCTOR, GIMME THE NEWS – I GOT A BAD CASE OF LOVIN’ YOU~!”

You wince. Martinex was right. For all his graceful dance moves, Yondu is totally tone deaf. And the drinks are not helping.

Peter nearly falls over, wheezing with laughter.

Yondu gets his foot caught up in the microphone cable and nearly falls over; Martinex jumps up to disentangle him and leads him back to the couch, where he pushes him down onto the seat next you.

“That song was fer you, baby,” Yondu slurs, and gives you a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

“Thanks,” you say with a giggle. “Why don’t you give the drinks a rest for a bit?”

He dismisses the comment with a wave of his hand and hugs you close with one arm. “M’ fine! Stakar! Hey, Stakar, why ain’t ya got back with ‘Leta yet?”

“I’m right here you idiot,” Aleta says with a not-so-soft punch into Yondu’s shoulder.

“Hey,” Yondu protests, swatting at her and missing. “Well, why ain’tchu together?”

Stakar blushes, clasping his hands in front of him. He studies them as if his fingers are new growths he’s never seen before. “Yondu,” he begins hesitantly, “We-”

“We’re workin’ on it,” Aleta interrupts, and Stakar’s head snaps up, eyes widening slightly at her. “Let’s just leave it at that.” She slaps Yondu’s hand as he reaches for the bottle of Rhonne on the table. “And that’s enough liquor for you.” She downs the rest of her own drink and gets to her feet. “We should get goin’.”

“I’m so glad we got together,” you say, shaking hands with Martinex and Stakar in the hangar of the Quadrant. “I hope we can see each other again soon.”

"Take care of this idiot," Aleta says with a squeeze to Yondu’s shoulder, and you laugh. "You're a good girl, y/n." With that, she draws you into her arms and gives you a firm embrace. "If ya ever need anything, honey, just give me a call."

You hug her back, leaning your head against hers. "Thanks, Aleta,” you reply softly, touched.

After the Ogords and Martinex depart, Yondu looks you over, circling you.

"What are you doing?"

"Jus' makin' sure she didn't put a bug or a tracker on ya or somethin'."

That night, after Yondu has sobered up a little, he walks you to your cabin. As you unlock the door, he slips his hand into yours. “So…” he begins.

“So?” You raise an eyebrow as you close the door behind you.

“So they didn’t chase ya off.”

You laugh. “No, they did not. I really like your family, Yondu. Martinex and Charlie are so easy to get along with, especially.”

“Yeah,” he says fondly. “They’re a pretty good bunch. I…I missed ‘em, all these years.”

You lead him over to the bed and sit, winding your arms around him. “I know. I’m glad things worked out for the best.”

Yondu nods, running fingers through your hair. “All the bad things that happened in my life…really horrible things…sometimes I think ‘bout where I’d be if they hadn’t. If the Kree hadn’t taken me, if Stakar hadn’t found me, if Ego hadn’t hired me…I’d never known my family, never known my boys, never saved ‘em. I’d never have met you.” He cups your face in his hands. “I think my life has had more downs than ups, but I think it worked out pretty damn fine, all things considered.”

“I’m glad you think so,” you say with a smile, and kiss him.

Chapter Text

You smooth your scrubs down and agitatedly pull your hair into its usual ponytail. Yondu leans over to give you kiss on the cheek and you jab him with your elbow. "I am going to be late!" you say impatiently. 

He chuckles. "Yer a doctor, they know yer busy."

"Not busy with the Captain!" you retort, and he flashes you a shark grin as he buckles his pants.

"A storage closet of all places," you say, sliding warily out the door and into the hallway. "You're incorrigible."

"And yer beautiful," he says slyly in your ear, nibbling on the lobe.

You slap his arm. "Stop it!" But you can't help a little smile from turning the corner of your mouth. You zip up your boot and start walking down the hallway, closely followed by Yondu who shrugs into his duster.

You're halfway to your destination when he leans over and whispers, "Oh, darlin'?"

"Yes?"

"Ya forgot yer underwears. I got 'em here in my pocket."

Kraglin glances from you to Yondu as you approach, an eyebrow raised at your flushed face and his Captain's smug smile.

"Are they here?" you ask, before the First Mate can ask any questions.

"Yeah," he says. "Jus' arrived."

"Remind me their names again?"

"Dr. Leibii Soldalis Villii and Dr. Eega Romanna Villii."

You repeat them to yourself as you reach up to fix your hair again. "Do I look okay?"

"I already told ya, ya look beautiful," Yondu says with a smirk. "Several times, in fact."

You glance at him in exasperation and throw a pained look at the First Mate.

"Ya look great, Doc," Kraglin laughs with a pat to your shoulder. "Go ahead." He opens the door to the meeting room, and you enter.

"Ya really know how to push her buttons," you hear Kraglin comment to Yondu as you walk through the door.

"Ya got no idea, boy," Yondu answers with a sly chuckle, and you blush as the door closes behind you. You stop a few paces into the room. You thought there were supposed to be two people, but you only see one.

You think it's the male, Leibii, that you see standing looking out the port window on the wall. He's tall and covered in dark purple fur, his face elongated and narrow, with a muzzle or snout rather than a humanoid nose. He has two pairs of eyes - a larger, red pair on the bottom, and a smaller secondary pair with purple irises on top. His enormous ears swivel in your direction as you walk in, and he turns gracefully, the large slits that are his nostrils flaring curiously. What you mistook for a cloak wrapped around his body turn out to be two pairs of wings, which he ruffles, lifting from his shoulders as he turns. You spy a pair of small, thin arms tucked against his torso, and a gold necklace peeking out from under his fur. "Dr. [y/n]?" he asks in a melodic, deep baritone voice.

"That's right. And you're Dr. Leibii Villii?"

"I prefer my second name, Soldalis," he says warmly, extending a clawed-tipped wing to you. The seven long fingers unfold from their curled position to shake your hand.

"Was your wife not able to make it?”

"Oh, I'm sorry," comes a bright, high-pitched voice near the vicinity of Soldalis' elbow. "Sometimes I accidentally camouflage when I'm excited!"

A small female Niktil seems to fade into existence before you; she’s a little shorter than you and a has a primary set of light pink eyes and a secondary pair of pale purple ones. The tips of each strand of her silvery-blonde fur still seem to blend in with Soldalis' dark coloring until they fully take on their normal hue. Like Soldalis, she wears a gold necklace around her throat.

"Oh, I had no idea you were there!" you say with a soft laugh. "I apologize, I'm not very familiar with Niktils."

"Not many people are," Soldalis says. "We've been marked as an endangered race."

"Oh, gosh. I'm so sorry."

To your surprise, Soldalis shrugs. "It is our own fault. Poor decisions by our predecessors."

"But we are very happy to be here," Eega pipes up. "Aren't we, Leeb?"

You watch as all four of Soldalis' eyes momentarily close. "Soldalis in front of our host if you please, chicha." 

Your translator doesn't pick up this last word, but you assume it's some sort of term of endearment, because Eega wrinkles her nose in a smile and fondly pats one of his wings. 

You gesture to table in the middle of the room. "Would you like to sit?"

"Thank you," Soldalis says, draping a well-brushed tufted tail over his arm that you hadn't noticed before.

Eega hops up into the chair by her husband's side, making sure her tail is clear of the chair's legs and the ground. "You aren't at all what I expected to meet on a Ravager ship.”

You laugh and sit across from them. "I am probably not your typical Ravager. I haven't even been on board for an entire year yet. I'm from Terra."

"Yes!" Eega says excitedly, "Captain Krugarr informed us that you were from Terra. I've never met a Terran before."

"I'm not very exciting," you laugh. "And Terrans are physically pretty similar to Xandarians, all things considered. So how do know Krugarr?"

Soldalis and Eega exchange glances. It's hard to tell, because their facial anatomy is so different from yours, but you think it's a wary look. "Excuse us for one moment," Soldalis says, and leans down to his wife. They exchange hushed words in a fluid, fast language that doesn't translate through your chip, glancing at you once or twice, then straighten up again. "Dr. [y/n]," he begins delicately, "We place a great emphasis on honesty, and my wife, who is extremely gifted in reading people, finds you trustworthy.”

“Oh, well thank you. I’m glad you think so.”

Soldalis nods and shuffles his wings a little. “You see, the truth of the matter is…we are fugitives."

"Oh?"

"As we are an endangered race," Eega continues, "Our people have imposed strict laws on our home planet concerning dealings with outsiders, restricting our movement on and off our home world, and therefore our relations with other planets. It has stifled our entire culture’s expansion of knowledge. It was..."

"Torture," Soldalis supplies.

"Yes!" Eega says with an excitable pat at his wing, "Torture. That's the perfect word. Soldalis and I - and many of our kind - we thirst for knowledge of the new. We love to learn and to use our abilities where we are helpful. We understand of course why our planet's leaders have imposed such regulations, but Leeb - Soldalis - and I, we simply couldn't go on that way and had to escape. We managed to stow away in a ship off the planet but didn't know where to go from there. We were pursued by some of our fellow Niktils, but at the same time that we were intercepted by them, we were also intercepted by the Shangri, Krugarr’s ship We knew our chances would be better with Ravagers, and once we explained our situation, the Captain agreed to take us board. The Niktils in pursuit did not want to make enemies of Ravagers, so we believe they may have returned to our home planet. We've been working as medical assistants on Krugarr’s ship since."

"The Captain already has a medical team that is equipped to handle the size of his crew," Soldalis explains. "He mentioned that you needed help, however, and-" Soldalis spreads his wing-claws, "Here we are."

"Thank you for telling me your circumstances," you say with a smile at them. "I also appreciate honesty, especially concerning medical practice." You clear your throat. "However, you do realize what Ravagers do for their occupation?"

"Oh yes," Eega says, nodding vigorously. "But the nice thing about Ravagers is, they don't lie about what they are."

Soldalis nods in agreement. "They may be thieves, but they are honest thieves. They do not to pretend to be something that they are not, unless it is required of their mission or job."

"Good, as long as you understand that," you say with a little laugh. You bring up the holopad you'd brought with you. "Now, down to medical matters. I've looked over your resumes and I am very impressed with your records. Soldalis, you excel in surgeries, and Eega your strengths lie in prosthetics, enhancements and implants?"

"That is correct. May I ask your specialties?" Eega asks.

You laugh again. "Well, I've sort of been a jack of all trades since I came up here, but general practice is my strength. Maintenance, general care and patient interaction."

"I can tell you must have a very good bedside manner," Soldalis comments.

"Oh, thanks. I try." You stand from your seat. "Would you like to come and see the Med Bay, and tour the ship a little?"

They get up from their chairs. 

"Doctor [y/n]," Eega begins, "May I ask you a question?"

"Yes, of course."

"Why did you leave your home world?"

You blush and smile softly and are about to open your mouth to reply when you're interrupted by an "Ah," from the pair. "What?" you ask, surprised.

"Love," Eega says simply, and Soldalis nods in agreement, smiling.

You take the doctors Villii on the tour of the med bay; they are impressed with the cleanliness and organization of the rooms and seem to be familiar with all of the tools and mechanisms therein. From there, you take them around the ship, until you end up in the Mess, where you're supposed to introduce them to Yondu if you feel they'll be a good fit.

You tell the doctors to help themselves to any food and beverage if they'd like some, and go to Yondu, who is sitting at his usual place at the head table. He's got a bunch of boxes laid out over the table and is going through them with Kraglin.

"Hey spaceman," you say. "What's all this?"

"Earpieces that work in tandem with the wristcoms," he says, holding one up. "Stakar had 'em shipped t'me. I never liked the in-ear models, they always broke up and screeched in yer ears. But he says the new models have been workin' real good." He waves his hand in dismissal at the boxes. "Forget 'bout that though. Whatcha think about ‘em, honey?"

"I really like them," you say with a relieved sigh. "I think we'd work really well together and-"

You’re interrupted by a sudden alarm, and blue lights flashing along the walls. “Medical attention needed in the Docking Bay, Level 6!” a voice yells over the intercoms.

With a quick, “Excuse me!” shouted to the doctors Villii, you race from the Mess. The alarm system, dubbed Code Blue, was something you’d had installed after the attack with the Skrulls. When the alarm sounds and lights flash, all crew know to clear the hallways because you’re running through them, and seconds delayed might mean someone’s death. You’d run some drills, but this is the first actual test of the system. You hear a group trailing fast behind you, but don’t pay them any attention.

You reach Docking Bay 6 in record time. Rhian is already waiting there with your medical bag. You pull on gloves as she leads you towards a small knot of Ravagers. “What happened?”

“Scouting team, took some fire,” she explains. “Nillgrac’s okay – just got his arm, but there’s something wrong with Vasanta. We don’t know what, we don’t see any obvious wounds.”

Your stomach drops a little. Vasanta is one of the new recruits from Xandar, an aspiring young gunner. She has several cybernetic enhancements, and if there’s something wrong with them, you’re not sure what you’re going to do. The teenager lies on the ground with her head in Ryx’s lap, struggling for air. You look her over, but see no blood, and as far as you can tell, the implant around half her jaw and down her throat looks undamaged.

“[y/n], she can’t breathe properly,” Ryx says, yellow eyes wide. “I didn’t know what to do.”

“You did fine, Ryx. Vasanta, it’s going to be okay; you’re going to be okay. I’m going to check you over for wounds. If you can, tell me if you feel any pain at my touch.” You check her limbs, her collarbone, and carefully feel around the back of her neck and head, but everything seems intact. You need to get her to Med Bay, but you’re afraid to move her when she’s having trouble breathing. You zip down her uniform in case it’s too tight, remembering the cybernetic enhancement extends down into her chest.

You turn, reaching for your bag, and you come face to face with Eega.

“Dr. [y/n]?” she says, “This girl has a model 4X90 ventilator. I think I know what’s wrong.”

You instantly get up and gesture for her to take your place.

“Yes, that must be it,” she murmurs, peering closer. “Leeb, I need your hands.”

Soldalis’ large dark form comes swooping down by her side, and Vasanta’s eyes grow wide with fear, her mouth gasping for air.

You motion for Ryx to stand by, and switch positions with her so Vasanta’s head is resting on your knees. “Vasanta, you’re safe. You’re going to be okay,” you say gently, stroking her hair. “These are medical professionals, they’re here to help.”

Soldalis lifts his wings back so he can use the small arms underneath. They have very long, delicately thin fingers with thick claws. Eega zips down Vasanta’s uniform, and you see the cybernetic enhancement on her throat extends down into her chest. Eega taps on a little round mechanism, and it clicks slightly. “Rotor’s stuck, that’s what I thought. Leeb? I need you to turn the cover to the right and lift it off.”

Gripping the round mechanism tightly in his narrow fingers, he twists to the right, unscrewing it until it lifts off. There are what look like tiny fan blades within. “Do you have a thin metal instrument of some sort?” Eega asks you. You reach into your bag and pull out a narrow pair of forceps and hand them to her. “Perfect.”

She reaches in with the forceps very carefully and taps against the fan blades. They shiver, and she taps again. They shift and begin to spin freely.

Instantly, Vasanta takes in a deep lungful of air, letting it out shakily. She does his a few times, and a tear escapes her eye as she looks up at you, then the doctors Villii.

You smile down at her. “Great job, Vasanta. Doctors, thank you.”

Eega holds up her hands and shakes her head. “The 4X90 is an old model, the rotors often get stuck, especially if the patient is in a high-adrenaline situation. I recommend it be replaced as soon as possible.”

“Thank you, I’ll get the Tech team on it.” You get Vasanta on a stretcher, and Rhian, Ryx and Nillgrac follow you to the Med Bay.

“Well,” Yondu drawls, coming up to Soldalis and Eega, “Ya handled that pretty damn well, and it sounds like ya know yer shit. The Doc says she likes ya and think she’ll work well with ya, so…” He sticks his hand out to them in turn. “I’m Captain Yondu Udonta. Welcome to the Eclector.”

Eega and Soldalis are worth more than their weight in gold. As you predicted, you mesh together perfectly as a team with your different strengths and areas of expertise. Accidents on the ship have gone down to a minimum, and with the enforcement of post-mission checkups, the crew is healthier than ever.

Despite their energetic and enthusiastic nature, you learn that Eega and Soldalis are both well over 70 years old, and you learn a lot from them; about the medical profession, about life, and about love. As the months go on, watching Eega and Soldalis interact with one another teaches you to be a little more patient and understanding with Yondu and the demands of being Captain, and also how to express your love further through kind acts and with your words. Bringing Yondu lunch in the control room, or rubbing his shoulders after a hard day, or telling him how proud you are of him after a mission takes your relationship to new levels you've never experienced. Yondu has also picked up on some of these notions and sends in extra crew to help you when you need it, or simply leaves gifts of flowers or chocolates when he knows you're having a rough week. Little gestures mean a lot to you.

One night, a few months after Eega and Soldalis came on board, you lie in your bed awake, thinking about Yondu. We’ve never been closer than we are now. But maybe…maybe we could make it something more? You’ve never mentioned it; neither has Yondu, and you’ve barely thought about it. You wonder if Yondu has. Marriage.

Seeing how happily married Eega and Soldalis are makes you long for that commitment and security, and the idea of marrying the Captain gives you excited, nervous butterflies all over again. Yondu, my husband. You run your fingers along the edge of your blanket nervously. How would Yondu react to that? Would he want to marry me? How do I even bring it up?

You think long and hard but can’t think of a good way to bring it up. Hopefully, it will come up naturally.

It’s early October back on Earth. You have been Lead Medic on the Eclector for almost a year. Jesper's friends have settled into the routine of Ravager life, and so have Soldalis and Eega, having been on board for almost six months. The Eclector has just docked at a busy port for fuel up and a supply run. The crew are already hard at work, the promise of a couple days of holiday and free drinks enticing them to hurry about their tasks. 

Yondu is not down on the planet; he is currently making his way towards your cabin. He's been thinking about moving your relationship to the next step, and he'd like to talk to you about it. You spend the night with him in his cabin frequently anyway, so why not? He buzzes your door, but there’s no answer. He buzzes again and hears a muffled call from inside.

A few moments later, the door opens. He opens his mouth to say good morning, but your face stops him. You look very tired and anxious. "Ya okay, honey?"

Your eyes focus on him and you nod vigorously, giving him a weak smile. "Yeah, just – really tired, didn’t sleep great."

"That time a' month?" he asks.

You swallow. "Uh, no. I'm- I'm late, actually." You clear your throat and wave your hand, as if to brush the comment aside. "What's up, spaceman?"

"[y/n]," he says with a blush, "I - uh. I been thinkin'… maybe ya should move in with me. Into my cabin, I mean."

To his surprise, you fidget and look down at your feet. "Oh," is all you say.

"Is somethin' wrong?" he asks, frowning. "It ain't like yer goin' far, we're already on the same ship."

"No, no. It's - it's just...I always - I wanted more.... more commitment before I move in with someone."

"More commitment?" he echoes, heart sinking. "Like...like what?"

You swallow and fidget again. "Well, I've been meaning to bring that up for a while. Like - " You're cut off by a buzz from your wristcom. "Sorry," you say, glancing up at him.

"Go ahead," he says, nodding.

You tap your earpiece. "Yes, this is [y/n]."

"[y/n], I'm ready for you," comes Soldalis' voice.

"Right. O-okay, I'll be right up." You disconnect the call with another tap and reach forward to take his hands. "Sorry, I have an appointment with Soldalis. We'll talk about this later, okay? I love you." You lean up and kiss his cheek.

"Love ya too," he calls softly after you. He doesn't doubt your words, but more commitment weighs heavily on his heart. What's she mean by that? More commitment? We're datin', been steady for a long time. Doesn't movin' in with me count as 'more commitment'? Straightening up, he strides to his quarters. He fixes himself a drink and paces about the room for a few minutes, before settling himself down in front of his holoscreens and dialing a frequency.

Aleta Ogord's First Mate, a wild-looking woman with ratty blond hair and scaly features answers. Her bright green eyes soften slightly as she sees him. "Hello, Captain Udonta."

"Hi, uh - Boudica, right?"

She nods and smiles, flashing a mouthful of jagged teeth at him. "You wanna speak with the Captain?"

"Yeah."

"I'll get her."

Boudica rises and walks off-screen, and a minute later Aleta Ogord seats herself in the vacated seat. "Yondu."

"Hey, 'Leta."

She smiles at him briefly, and resumes picking her fingernails with a long-bladed knife. "What's goin' on?"

"I, uh. I need some advice."

She pauses with the knife, her eyes flicking up to his face and then back again. "That's new," she says with a small smirk. She twirls the knife point a little, as if to say continue.

Yondu pauses for a second, not sure if any of her Ravagers are listening in on the call. Well, they're all women. If they're listenin', and Aleta don't know what to say, maybe one of 'em will chime in. "I asked [y/n] to move in with me," he says.

Aleta glances up, eyes narrowed at the unintended pain in his voice. "And she said no?" Her grip tightens on the knife a little.

"No - she jus' said she wanted more - more commitment before she did." He throws up his hands. "And I don't know what she means by that! I was hopin' ya could tell me."

She stares at him blankly for a second, then her mouth twists into a smile and she throws her head back, laughing.

"Ain't funny," Yondu grumbles.

"I swear," she chuckles, "Yer just like Stakar. Totally clueless."

Yondu sets his jaw. "Tha's why I'm callin' ya fer advice," he grates out. He takes an angry sip of his drink, averting his eyes.

"Oh, stop sulking,” Aleta says, pointing at him with the knife. “She wants you to marry her, you idiot."

Yondu inhales his whiskey. The next three minutes are spent hacking and coughing, tears stinging in his eyes against the burn of alcohol in his windpipe. "M-marry her?" he cries after he can speak again

"Think about it," she says, raising an eyebrow. "What else could she mean?"

"I- I dunno. Shit." He rubs a hand over his face, and falls back in his chair, eyes staring but focusing on nothing in particular.

Aleta sits patiently for about a minute or so, before tapping the screen. "Hey, if that's it, I do have work to get back to."

"Y-yeah, tha's it. Thanks," he adds quickly before she hangs up.

She gives him one of her rare, gentle smiles before the screen goes dead. "Any time."

Yondu doesn't move from his seat for a long time. Marriage is something that has never crossed his mind. Not for decades, anyhow. When he was young, not even a teenager yet, he thought about it briefly. When he was free of the Kree's bondage, he figured he’d find a mate, settle down, have cubs, get a house and farm the land somewhere, like he thought he was supposed to do.

Once it seemed clear that he wouldn't be freed from slavery however, that dream had died, and it hadn't reentered his mind until now. Marry [y/n]. The thought had shocked, frightened him, when Aleta had first brought it up. But after thinking about it a little, it seems like a fairly natural next step. Marry [y/n]. Sure, why wouldn't I? Ain't no reason not to. I ain't never gonna wanna be with no one else. She's the one fer me. Yeah. Okay. I mean, it ain't like I'm gonna ask her today. I'd better think it over too, fer a couple weeks at least. He nods. Ya probably don't rush into somethin' like this. I should probably talk to Kraglin and Peter, see what they think. Aleta's right, what else could she mean? She-

He's interrupted by a chime at his door. He sets his glass down and crosses to the door. "Krags."

"Cap,” the First Mate says, his face drawn, “I got one a’ them bad feelings."

You sit on the cot in the med bay with your head in your hands. The tears have finally stopped, but you still feel in shock. You suspected this might be the case from the way you've been feeling lately, but Soldalis' confirmation has made it real. You lift your head as Eega approaches, softly stroking your shoulder with a soft, fur-covered claw of her wing. "We're all here to help you through this," she says with a gentle smile.

You swallow and nod. "Th-thanks. I just don't know how Yondu is going to take it."

"He loves you," Soldalis says encouragingly, laying a claw on your shoulder as well. "I suggest you tell him as soon as possible, so he can prepare himself for what lies ahead."

You swallow again, blinking back another round of tears. "Yeah." You take a few deep breaths and slide of the cot and onto your feet. "Do - do you mind if I call him from here? So in case I can't get through it, you can tell him?"

Eega and Soldalis nod.

You let out a shaky breath, take a couple steps away from the doctors, and dial Yondu.

"Stay there, Krags. Hey sweetheart. Sorry ‘bout that, I got Kraglin in here."

"Hi spaceman," you say with a trembling smile, his voice soothing you a little. "Um, I was wondering if you wanted to meet me down on the planet? I - I wanted to talk to you about something."

His voice sounds a little wary. "Talk? 'bout what?"

"I - I'd rather talk to you about it in person." You subconsciously hold your breath.

There's a long pause, then, "Honey, we're...we're okay, right? The two of us?"

“Oh, Yondu! Yes! Yes, we’re okay.”

You hear him sigh in relief. “Okay, honey. I'll meet ya at Yisa's. Can ya gimme about a half hour?"

You breathe out. "Y-yeah, sure. No problem. I’ll see you there. And Yondu?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

You can hear the smile returning to his voice. "I love ya too, baby."

Yondu clicks off his earpiece and glances at his wristcom to mark the time. "Whatcha mean ya got a bad feelin'? Skrulls again?"

"I dunno. Jus'...somethin' don't feel right."

Yondu takes a deep breath and nods. "A'ight. Git Kakio on it, tell her to up security measures, have her team focus on all the exterior cameras, and the Docking Bay and Hangar. Come with me planetside, let's take a look around. Ya see anythin' amiss, and we'll pull the whole crew back out. Deal?"

"Yeah. Deal."

You head with Ryx down to the planet and branch off from one another once you reach Yisa’s. Despite its size, the small planet is a busy place, with traders and ships of all kinds. You seat yourself at the outdoor portion of the bar, in a place easy for Yondu to spot you.

“Whatcha have?” the bartender grunts, wiping down the counter.

“A glass of water. Uh – and a bottle of Rhonne, please.” You figure Yondu’s going to need a drink.

“Sure.”

As you count out some units and put them on a counter, you hear a voice behind you.

"Eh - excuse me, miss?"

You turn to your right, to see Xandarian man standing there. He seems a little nervous. "Yes?"

"Are - are you a doctor?"

You raise an eyebrow at him, then remember your scrubs have the medical symbol on the back. "Oh. Yes, I am. Do you need hel-" Your sentence ends in a yelp as you feel something sharp in the left side of your neck. You slap your hand there and turn swiftly. A man, with dark purple eyes and blue skin smiles down at you. You gasp. Kree! It's a Kree! Your head begins to swim, and you stumble off your stool, reeling into the Xandarian. 

"I'm sorry," he whispers in your ear as he catches you under the arms. "I'm so sorry."

Injected. Need to scream. Need help. Need Yondu. "Help," you try to scream, but it only comes out as a hoarse whimper. With the last of your strength, you push away from the Xandarian, reaching to your belt for your blaster. As darkness rushes in and your limbs begin to go numb, you know that you have no chance of hitting the grinning Kree in front of you, but if you can just fire a shot, it'll attract some attention. 

The Kree's eyes widen and he lunges for you, but you're just able to squeeze the trigger before you black out.

Kraglin whirls as a blaster shot shatters the window across the street, sending bar-goers and pedestrians yelling and scurrying out of the way. He runs forward a few paces, tracing the trajectory back, and sees a weaselly Xandarian man with nervous motions skirting the edge of the bar. He looks up and meets Kraglin's eyes, and they widen with fear. He looks back over his shoulder, and Kraglin follows his gaze.

A Kree has you slung over his shoulder.

"[y/n]!" he yells.

He hears the crash of glass somewhere behind him, and a moment later Yondu is at his side, implant flaming, and they're tearing together in your direction.

The Kree pulls on some sort of visor and throws down a metal object in his hand.

"Flash grenade!" Yondu yells, flinging his arms over his eyes, but his warning comes too late for Kraglin. 

It's as if the sun has crashed to the planet, blinding him with burning light. "Shit! Shit! Cap, I can't see!"

"Stay there!" he snaps back and whistles his arrow out of his coat. It speeds away, following you and the Kree. 

As he turns the corner in pursuit, there’s a clatter of another grenade, and he doesn’t have time to shield himself. "[y/n]!" he screams as bright light bursts in front of his eyes. The light drowns out all of the signals to his implant; he can’t focus on where his arrow is heading. "[Y/N]!" By the time his vision clears, you’re gone.

He hails Kakio, the security officer, on the Eclector. “[y/n] was just taken by a Kree! Track all ships leavin’ the port, scan for Kree tech! Git everyone on it now! Navs, everybody!”

“Yessir!”

When Yondu reaches the bar where you were taken, he sees Kraglin has a Xandarian by the collar. "How could ya team up with the Kree?! Tell me what ya know!" he's yelling at him.

Yondu wrenches Kraglin aside and lifts the Xandarian man up by his throat, a foot off the ground. He whistles, and the Yaka arrow buzzes at his head, drilling into the side of his temple. Blue blood drips down the side of his face. "Yer gonna tell me everythin'," Yondu snarls. "Gods help yer sorry carcass if ya keep' anythang from me." With that, he throws him to the ground, and places his boot on his chest. "TALK!"

"Th-they p-p-paid me to di-distract her, that's all I know! I d-didn't know she was yours! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please don't kill me!"

"Ya fuckin' sonuvabitch, I'm gonna do more than kill ya!" Yondu snarls, and rears back his fist, slipping out the dagger on his wrist. Just as he's about to stab down, something catches his eye, pinned to the wall. It's a piece of digital paper, with the numbers: 1-2-80. 

He slides the knife back and punches the Xandarian solidly in the face, knocking him out, then walks towards the paper and takes it from the wall. As soon as he touches it, a message begins to play, and he nearly drops it.

"Yondu Udonta, battle slave 1-2-80," a recorded Kree says, smiling. "By now you have realized your doctor [y/n] has been taken from you. If you wish to have her back alive, you will open your personal channel to frequency 149-Delta-3798. We will contact you with the price of her life and release."

With that, the screen goes blank, replaced with a copy of the frequency.

All sound seems to deaden except the pounding of his heart in his ears. If you wish to have her back alive... price of her life.... 

Kraglin gets the Xandarian up and pushes him into Ryx's waiting arms. She binds him and gets him down on his knees. Nearly the entire crew is here now, surrounding the Captain. Eega moves forward, a wing extended as if to touch Yondu, but Kraglin holds up a hand, blocking her. "Everybody back up. Slow and quiet."

Kraglin's tone is hardly above a whisper, it's deadly, and the crew all do what he asks without question. Swallowing, Kraglin moves forward slowly, until he's a step away from the Captain. "Sir?"

Yondu doesn't move, the digital paper clenched in his trembling, white-knuckled hands.

Kraglin takes off his glove and places a hand over one of them, while laying his opposite hand on Yondu's shoulder. "Cap?" he whispers.

Yondu draws in a gasping breath, his burning, blood-red eyes darting to Kraglin's. For a split-second, one of his hands leaves the paper and clenches into a fist, ready to slam it into the First Mate’s jaw.

Kraglin flinches, just slightly, but he knows the fist will stop, and it does. "We're gonna git her back, Cap'n," Kraglin says with a squeeze to his shoulder. "Let's git back to the ship.” He waves at the crew. “Everybody back on board. Now!” He turns away, clicking his earpiece. “This is Kraglin Obfonteri. All Ravagers of the ship Eclector return to the ship immediately, we have an emergency status…”

Yondu’s gaze is drawn back down to the digital paper. 149-Delta-3798.

You wake up groggily in a small room. A little too small for your comfort, with a low transparent ceiling. Three of the four walls are transparent. You slowly get to your feet, stumbling. You shake your head a little, trying to clear it, but it doesn’t help. Your entire body is sore. Looking down at your arms, you see a small bandage in the crook of your elbow and rip it off. Underneath is what looks like a needle puncture, but that’s not what disturbs you. You didn’t hear anything when you ripped the bandage off. You can’t even hear your own breathing. Looking down at the floor, you stamp your foot. You still hear nothing.

You run to one of the transparent walls, and beat upon it with your fists. You try to scream, but you’re not sure if you’re able to - no sound reaches you. I’m deaf, what did they do to me? Where am I? Oh Yondu, where are you? Are you safe? You feel tears spill down your cheeks. Sinking into a back corner of the room, you cradle your arms around your stomach and pull your knees up. 

“Lord Tycho.”

On an upper level, the Kree turns from where he watches you through the transparent ceiling of your cell. He gestures for his second in command to rise. “Yes, Zoroah. Are we well out of range?”

“Yes sir. Decoy ships were immediately deployed on our ascent.”

“Excellent. What else do you have for me?”

“The Terran’s tests have been completed as you ordered.”

Tycho raises an eyebrow. “And?”

"They found something."

"Oh?" Zoroah slips a holopad into his waiting hand. He scans over the results of their medical findings, and his eyes focus on one overlying diagnosis. His lips curve into a smile. "Well, well, well. What an interesting development."

Chapter Text

The crew of the Eclector did everything they possibly could to track the Kree ship that took their Lead Medic, but the trade port was a perfect place for a kidnapping. Dozens of ships are coming and going at any given moment, and none of it is regulated by any official law. It’s not like they're in Nova Corps territory. Twice they thought they had located a Kree ship, but both times it had been a decoy, an unmanned drone.

The Captain had Kraglin, the Navs and the Techs try to backwards-engineer the frequency the Kree gave him, but it was fruitless.

Now Yondu sits silent in his Captain's chair, one hand clenched on the armrest and the other crunching the digital paper, staring out the main window. Quill has been contacted; the Guardians have a knack for hearing about odd little goings-on throughout the galaxy.

“Should we call the Ogords?” Kraglin had asked.

To his surprise, Yondu had shaken his head. “No. Not yet,” he’d said. “I don’t know who took her. I’m wanted in at least twelve Kree provinces, it could be any number a’ bastards. Ya contact the Ogords, and they’re gonna have all One Hundred Clans scannin’ the galaxy fer Kree transmissions. Ya throw in a paranoid leader like Os-Lat, or war mongers like Ker-Gun or Otarra, then next thing ya know we got a flarkin’ Kree-Ravager war on our hands, and she’d be lost fer good.”

It’s been nearly an hour since that conversation, and there's only been silence on the bridge except for the normal clicks, hums and buzzes of the navigation equipment. The Navs themselves steal nervous glances at Jesper, who in turn looks to Kraglin for advice.

Kraglin currently stands, arms crossed, at his Captain’s side. He’s barely taken his eyes off him except to repeat or give orders.

Yondu shifts in his seat slightly, and glances up at Kraglin before barking, “Open all channels to 149-Delta-3798.”

Kraglin nods at Jesper.

“Aye, sir,” the Lead Nav replies, clicking away at his station. “Is there anything else you want us to do, sir? Anything you need?”

A flash goes through Yondu’s implant, and he turns burning eyes at Jesper, lip curling in a snarl. But Kraglin steps forward, into his line of vision. “They’re doin’ everythin’ they can, Cap,” he says firmly in a soft voice. “Let’s give it another hour, then contact the Ogords, huh?”

Yondu’s lips close in a tight, thin line, his jaw clenching, but he nods.

“Wake up, doctor.”

You jolt awake, pushing yourself back into the corner. A Kree stands before you, but not the one who had taken you. This one is taller, thinner but with broad shoulders and close-cropped dark hair. He has white markings on half his face and black accents around his calculating purple eyes.

“Who are you? Where am I?” You shout at him, then gasp, reaching up a couple fingers to one ear. You can hear again. “What do you wa-” The Kree makes a vague gesture with his hand, and there’s a sudden sharp pain in your ear. You cry out – but you don’t hear it. You’re deaf again.

The Kree studies you for a moment, then moves his hand again. “I will do the talking and ask the questions,” the Kree replies as sound returns, “And as I am the one that allows you to hear - or not - mind what you say.”

You swallow and get shakily to your feet. You decide to stay silent for the time being.

“Very good. You’re an intelligent woman.” He paces slowly in front of you. "Although, you defied our empire despite warnings not to." He snaps his fingers, and the walls of your cell are replaced with a video feed – you let out a small gasp as you find yourself staring at your own face, and at the familiar backdrop of your cabin back on Earth. The point of view is that of a helmet cam; it's a above your height so it's looking slightly downward. You see yourself, holding your father's shot gun, just for a split second before there's a loud bang and the camera feed is splattered with dark blue liquid and then statics out. The view switches to another perspective - you see the deck, and watch as the fleeting form of Yondu whisks an injured and bleeding Kraglin away into the cabin, followed by a short view of your face before retreating around the corner of the deck again.

"Relinquish your weapon, Terran. Hand over the Centaurian and no harm will come to you."

You hear your own voice's faint reply, "You can go to hell! I'm not giving him up!"

A strange sense of déjà vu washes over you as you watch the video feed. The Kree follows you around the back of the cabin and comes up behind you on the stairs. He bashes you in the back of the head with his weapon, and you wince, remembering the pain. You go down, still clutching your gun.

He reaches for you, and there's a slight scraping noise.

"Don't ya flarkin' touch her!"

The Kree looks up into Yondu's furious, burning eyes where he stands in the deck door. Your heart aches at the sight of him, but then the video feed moves quickly back - just in time to stare down the barrel of your shotgun. There's a horrendously loud noise and the screen goes static.

The video feed fades out, replaced by glass once more.

"You assisted a fugitive of the Kree empire, deprived us of a bounty, and killed two of my soldiers," the Kree says, folding his hands behind his back. "The penalty for that should be death...but I'm willing to negotiate with your Captain. So why don't we give him a call." He extends a hand to you, but you stay where you are.

“You leave him alone,” you say, clenching your fists. Your voice raises to a hoarse scream. “Why can’t you just leave him alo- AH!” You lurch violently at the sudden pain in your ear, squeezing your eyes shut. The pain dissipates, and when you open your eyes, the Kree standing less than a foot away.

He takes your chin in his hand, squeezing your cheeks just enough to hurt. “I could just as easily kill you now, Terran. Is that what you want? Do you really want me to show him your dead body?”

Tears prick at your eyes, and you clench your teeth together. Slowly, you shake your head.

He releases your chin, not gently. “Smart girl. Now, you can come with me willingly or I can have you bound, gagged, and dragged. It's your choice." He holds out his hand again.

You cross your arms but take a couple steps towards him.

"Very good."

“Incoming transmission sir!” Jesper cries, jumping from his seat.

“Transfer to my screen!” Yondu roars. “Out! Everyone out!” All the Navs get up from their stations and file quickly out of the control room without question; Kraglin doesn’t move. “I said everyone,” Yondu growls.

“Ya don’t want me to stay?”

“No. Wait outside.”

Kraglin doesn’t look happy about the decision but he salutes Yondu and departs. The Captain stands in front of the main screen. A Kree fades into view on screen, and Yondu feels his heart go cold and recoil. "Tycho.”

The Kree smiles, and Yondu's skin erupts into gooseflesh. "You recognize me."

"Jus' by reputation," he replies, scowling to hide his growing unease. "Where is she?"

Tycho reaches off screen and pulls you into view. “Right here.”

Your scrubs are wrinkled and dirty, and there's a collar around your neck. Upon seeing him, you lurch forward. "Yondu!" 

The collar makes his gut roil, but he forces the feeling back for the moment. "[y/n]! Darlin’, are ya all right?"

A tear runs down your cheek, and you touch one hand to your ear. "I can't- I can't hear-"

"That's enough," Tycho says, pulling you backwards against him.

"Ya put a Deafener on her, ya bastard!” he snarls. “Let her hear me!"

Tycho clicks his tongue. "Ah, ah. You're in no position to be making demands when I have your lady, especially when she is with child."

It feels like everything slows to a stop. His heart refuses to beat, his breath is caught in his lungs. Everything is dead silent. "Wh-what did you say?" he gasps out, before he can check himself. His voice seems to echo in the stillness of the control room.

The Kree cocks his head slightly, and a slow, devilish grin spreads over his face. He waves a hand over your ear. "Oh, you didn't know? Your doctor is pregnant. I assume it's yours." 

Yondu tears his gaze from Tycho to look in your eyes. "Darlin'?" he whispers.

You squeeze your eyes shut as two tears trace twin paths down your cheeks, and nod. "I'm so sorry," you say hoarsely, opening them again. "Soldalis confirmed it before we landed, that's what I was going to talk to you about-"

"That's enough out of you, my dear," the Kree says lightly, and you whimper and hold a hand to your ear - he's activated the Deafener again.

On the screen, Yondu looks away from you, and you watch as they smolder, burning away the tears within as he turns a gaze of pure loathing and hatred upon Tycho. "If ya hurt either a' them, I swear ta all tha gods in th' seven hells that there'll be nothin' ta stop me from rippin' out yer damn spine!"

Tycho doesn't seem fazed. "You are in no position to make threats, 1-2-80." There's a metallic scrape, and you cry out as Tycho buries a hand in your hair, yanking violently backwards. Then you feel the sharp edge of a knife press against your throat.

"NO!" Yondu screams.

"Listen to me closely, 1-2-80,” Tycho says, his calm voice contradictory to the blade at your skin, “Your doctor is now wanted by the Kree Empire for the murders on her planet Terra, but your crimes against us are far more grievous. So unless you want her to die, you do as exactly as I say. You will meet me on the planet we took you from, alone, in exchange for her. You will arrive there, on the north continent, one standard day-cycle from this moment, 0900 standard Hala time. If you do not come alone, I will kill her. If you tell anyone your plans, I will kill her. If you share your location with a single soul, I will kill her. Do we understand each other?"

The frame of Yondu's screen is cracked at the edges from him gripping it so tightly. "Yes," he growls.

"Good. And just to make sure you know I am serious..." The knife flashes, and you scream. There's a strange ripping noise, and Tycho's hard grip on your hair is suddenly gone; you fall to your knees. Your hands fly up to check for injuries, but you're unharmed. Your head just feels strangely light. You move your fingers swiftly up the back of your neck, and you discover that your hair just goes past your ears. You whirl on the floor to look up at Tycho, who is holding your severed locks in his fist. He lets the strands float to the floor. "Next time it will be her throat."

Kraglin leaps to his feet from where he was seated on the floor, a shiver going through his body at the vicious scream of rage that comes from the Control Room. 

The Navs' eyes go wide and they also stand, moving closer together. "Y'all stay here," Kraglin whispers, and they nod gratefully. His hand is reaching for the Control Room door when it bursts open, and Yondu storms out, his fin ablaze and eyes blood-red.

Kraglin waves the Navs back. Yondu’s murderous gaze roams over them for a second, then he walks furiously away. The First Mate gives him a few paces head start before he starts following. “Cap?” he asks tentatively. “Cap, what happened? Is the Doc okay?”

“Fer now,” he snaps over his shoulder. “Now leave me the hell alone! I gotta think!”

Kraglin stops abruptly in the hall, watching as his Captain disappears around the corner. He walks forward a few paces to follow, but he’s been given an order. “Shit.” He turns and makes his way down the stairs through the Mess to his cabin, where he pulls up Quill’s frequency.

“Hey. Ya got anythin’?”

Peter looks back at him, face grim. He shakes his head. “No. You?”

“Cap just got a transmission from the Kree.”

“What?! What did he say? Who is it?”

“Dunno. Cap kicked me outta the room.”

They both sit in tense silence for a few moments, then Peter asks, “What do you want me to do, Krags?”

Kraglin looks into his adopted brother’s eyes. “I want ya here, Pete. I got a real bad feelin’ ‘bout all this.”

It’s the late shift on board the Eclector. Yondu hasn’t eaten or interacted with anyone for hours, keeping himself to the darkest and most remote parts of the ship. He’s just wandering now, aimlessly, but all at once he looks up to find himself at your cabin door.

After a moment of hesitation, he enters his override code, and the door slides open. The room is dark and cold, only made more so by your absence. As the door closes behind him, he walks numbly to your bed, and sinks down onto the mattress. He pulls one of your blankets towards him, and raises it to his face, burying his nose in the fabric and breathing in your scent. The tears come then, an unstoppable flood, and he clenches his fingers in the blanket until his hands shake and knuckles are white. His sobs are silent but more painful than any he can remember. You're so far from his arms, held captive alone on an enemy ship. You must be so scared, especially with the baby you're carrying. He sucks in breath that only gives way to more tears at the thought of what he has to do. There's no getting around it. It's the last thing he wants, but it's an increasing possibility that this child will grow up fatherless.

After what feels like hours, Yondu’s tears have dried and an eerie tranquility has overcome him. He knows what he has to do. There are just a few preparations to make.

He makes his way to his cabin and wipes the data off a holopad. He opens a video application, sets it up on the desk in front of him, and presses record.

“Kraglin. Qui- Peter. This is fer you boys. I know I ain’t done much right by either a’ you, and gods know I didn’t want to say goodbye this way.” His throat closes up, and he has to look away for a moment before continuing with a gruff, mirthless laugh. “Ya both know I ain’t good at this sentimental shit, so bear with me….”

Kraglin sits in the Security Room, having relieved Kakio for the time being. Quill is only a couple hours out; Kraglin has his location tracking on one holopad in his right hand; on the one in his left is the Eclector’s transmission logs and ship’s functions. He scans the screens again, looking for the Captain. Unfortunately, as the ship’s Captain, Yondu has memorized the locations of all the ship’s cameras and their blind spots. If he doesn’t want to be found, he’s not going to be.

Kraglin sighs and tosses one holopad down at his feet to rub his eyes. He’s tired, and he has a feeling that worst hasn’t even started yet. He lifts his hand from his face just in time to see Yondu’s fin skirt the corner of the camera leading to the Docking Bay. He glances at the feeds within the Docking Bay– and by after watching carefully for a few moments, he realizes that the images are on a loop. “Dammit!” He jumps up and tears out of the Security Room, running full tilt after his Captain.

He crashes through the doors, and Yondu turns from where he’s approaching the Warbird.

They look at one another for a moment, then Yondu whistles. The Yaka arrow springs from his duster and stops about a foot away from Kraglin. “Close them doors,” the Captain growls.

Without turning, Kraglin backpedals a few steps and reaches out an arm to his left, smacking the button on the wall there. He hears the doors shudder shut behind him. “Cap,” he says softly. “Are ya goin’ after the Doc?”

Yondu stares him down, but doesn’t call the arrow back, and doesn’t speak for several moments. “I’m tradin’ myself fer her.”

Kraglin’s heart begins beating furiously, and he advances towards his Captain. “No. I can’t let ya do that,” he says, holding up his hands. “Ya can’t-”

“Don’tcha tell me what I can’t do, boy! You will not stop me, that is an order!”

Kraglin’s breath catches. “F-fine! But – ya don’t hafta go alone! Let me come with ya!”

“If I don’t go alone, they’ll kill her.”

“But – but there has to be away.” His mind whirls, trying to come up with a plan, but there’s none to be found. “Cap’n, please. Let me help ya.”

“Ya gotta stay here, Krags.”

“No! I ain’t gonna let ya go alone!”

“I gotta!” Yondu snaps back, stalking towards him, and the Yaka arrow buzzes wildly closer in echo of his anger. “It’s the only way!”

"Cap'n, please.” Kraglin swallows, mind and heart racing desperately. He raises his hands in defense. “Please, let me help you. I can't lose ya again. Please...please, Dad."

Yondu stops in his tracks. He stares into Kraglin’s fearful eyes and hesitantly hangs his head with a sigh. A soft whistle, and the Yaka arrow returns to its holster. “Fine, okay. I'll drop ya off at some other point nearby then I'll go to the meeting point. But ya gotta do exactly as I say!"

Kraglin's shoulders sag in relief. "Yessir."

"You pilot on the way there," Yondu says, jabbing a thumb at the ship. He rubs the back of his neck. "I gotta think."

"Yessir!"

As Kraglin runs forward to board the ship, Yondu picks up a broken slat of wood from the docking bay floor. With a fast, harsh blow, he strikes Kraglin across the back of the head. He goes down without a sound.

Yondu bends down. Kraglin is bleeding, but it doesn’t look like he hit him too hard. He slings him over his shoulders and props him against the nearest wall. "I'm sorry, son," he says, laying a hand against Kraglin's cheek, "But I can't take the chance of losin' her - or losin' you. I hope ya can forgive me someday."

Aboard the Starhawk, Martinex T’Naga swivels his seat to face Stakar Ogord. "Incoming transmission for you."

Stakar raises his eyes from his holopad, then lowers them again. "Who is it."

"Not sure, it's scrambled."

Stakar sighs and gets to his feet. "I'll take it from the main screen." He seats himself in his Captain's chair just as Yondu's face appears. It appears that he’s calling from an M-ship. "Yondu?" he asks, cocking his head. "Why the scramb-"

"Shut up, Stakar, ya jus' gotta lissen. I don't know how much time I got before they intercept."

Martinex bolts out of his chair and runs to Stakar's side. "What? Who?"

"The Kree kidnapped [y/n]," he says, a flash going through his implant. "They only took her to get to me. I'm on my way - alone - to meet 'em, to exchange myself fer her."

"No," Stakar begins, leaning forward. "You can't-"

"Don't ya flarkin' dare!" Yondu snarls back. "I can, and I am! It's the only way. They're probably gonna leave her on the planet after they take me. She's gonna be all alone, ya gotta save her."

"Just tell me where, son."

Yondu shakes his head. "Too risky, they said they’d kill her if I told anyone where. They could be listenin’ in on this transmission fer all I know.”

“No. I won't let them take you away," Stakar says, standing. His words barely form. This isn't happening. They just reconciled. He just got Yondu back. He's not going to let those Kree bastards take his boy away.

Yondu presses his lips together. “Look, I know I didn’t do ya proud, I know I was stupid and selfish. But I wanted ya to know that… that I’m damn grateful fer you, and fer everythin’ ya did fer me.”

“Yondu—”

“Dammit, Stakar,” Yondu replies, looking away, “This is hard enough. Don’t make it worse.” He glances back, and does a small, almost imperceptible double-take at Martinex. He draws in a sharp breath. “Marty…Marty, I uh. I never thanked ya, all those years ago, fer showin’ me them fireflowers. I never forgot about that, all these years. Meant a lot.”

Stakar glances up at Martinex, whose eyes are narrowed in confusion. Then – it’s only because Stakar has known and worked so closely with the Pluvian for so long – he sees the crystals around his eyes fluctuate in surprise, and he nods. “You’re welcome, Yondu,” he whispers.

"When ya find [y/n], jus' take care a' her fer me. Please." He looks off screen, and a fear that Stakar has not often see in the Yondu’s eyes takes hold. His heart feels like someone's put it in a vice as a single tear spills over the Centaurian's cheek. "I - I don't wanna go back to ‘em, Stakar." His voice is uncharacteristically tremulous. He’s afraid.

Stakar feels the burn of tears in his own eyes and grips the edges of the holoscreen. "I'm going to save you, Yondu. We're going to find you, and [y/n]. Just hold on. Stall as long as you can."

“Thank you,” Yondu repeats, and with that, the call is disconnected. 

"No," Stakar whispers. "No." He clenches his fists, his eyes blazing a dazzling white. "Get Aleta on screen! NOW!"

Kraglin wakes as he feels a cool cloth pressed against the back of his head. He gasps and lurches to his feet, only for dark spots to float in his eyes; he feels his legs collapse under him as his head swims.

"Whoa, whoa! Easy, bro. Easy."

"Pete?" The name comes as a sharp intake of breath, and he blinks a few times to clear his vision. 

"Careful," comes Jesper's soft voice, and Kraglin sees him at his elbow. "You're bleeding."

"Can you tell us what happened?" Soldalis asks, coming from behind him. He adjusts the cloth in his wingclaw and presses it back against Kraglin's head. 

"The Cap'n hit-" Kraglin begins, then stands fully upright with a gasp, swaying a little. "The Cap'n! Where is he?!" 

Jesper bites his lip. "I'm sorry, he's...he's gone."

"Gone!" Kraglin shouts. "Ya didn't try to stop him?"

Jesper looks hurt. "We tried, but he overrode us, and disabled tracking and communications with his ship." He hangs his head. "I'm sorry."

Kraglin takes a breath and gestures for Jesper to come closer. He does so, and he lays a hand on his son's shoulder. "It's okay, I should'a known ya tried. C'mon, let's get up to the control room. We gotta contact the Ogords."

Soldalis holds out a wing, blocking his path. "I'm going to have to insist that you come to the Med Bay, Kraglin. You may have a concussion."

Kraglin's eyes narrow at the doctor, and he points a finger at him. "I'm actin' cap'n while Yondu is gone, doctor. I can't be in the Med Bay. Whatever ya gotta do, ya can do in the Control Room. Clear?"

Soldalis shuffles his wings irritatedly, but nods. "Yes sir."

"Good."

"K-Krags? Why is his arrow still here?"

Kraglin whirls, heart sinking to his boots. 

Peter is lifting a holopad from the ground; atop it is the Yaka arrow. He lifts it up. "Why didn't he take it with him?"

Kraglin takes the arrow in trembling fingers, meeting Peter's eyes as he does so. He hasn't seen that look on his brother’s face since Yondu lay, frozen and dying in the med bay of the Quadrant. Swallowing, he numbly nods at the holopad. “Wassat?”

A recording has already begun to play on the holopad. It’s Yondu, sitting at the desk in his quarters. Peter turns wide eyes to him. “It’s for us.”

“….Ya both know I ain’t good at this sentimental shit, so bear with me….I jus’ want ya to know I’m…well, I’m damn proud of the men you’ve become.

Kraglin, you’ve been the finest First Mate I could’a ever hoped for. Ya burned so fast and so bright but ya never burnt out. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve the loyalty ya’ve shown me all these years. I wasn’t a good Captain fer most of ‘em. But yer gonna have to be one now, be a better Captain than I was. Take care of the crew, be fair and protect ‘em but don’t take no shit. Take care of Ryx, she’s a damn good Ravager and she’s a good match for ya, I know she loves ya the way ya deserve to be. Same with Jesper. I see sparks of you in him, he’s as smart as you and has that gentle way ‘bout him like you do.

Peter, I’m sorry I never got to meet yer Momma, but she must have been a damn fine woman to have left such a lasting impression on ya, I figure she’s the one what really made ya into the man ya are. Raisin’ ya on board a Ravager ship was probably the damn hardest thing I ever did, but if I had to, I’d do it all over again. Never lose that light inside ya, son. It’s somethin’ special. Ya take care of them friends a’ yers. Might be a bunch of idiotic assholes, but they seem to treat ya all right, ‘specially that Gamora. Ya keep that one close. And don’t ya ever stop playin’ that stupid Terran music. I want ya to share it with – with my –” Yondu’s eyes well up with tears, and he pauses to rub them away. “Gods,” he murmurs, taking a shaking breath. “[y/n] is pregnant,” he whispers brokenly.

Kraglin and Peter gape at one another. Jesper gasps.

“I need ya to both look out fer her, and the baby.” Yondu continues. “I know I ain’t been the father ya deserved – either a’ ya – but I hope that I was able to teach ya what’s important in life. Don’t ya ever turn on each other, ya keep close, hear?” His voice is breaking, and he slams down on the table top. “Dammit, ya got me all snotty and shit. Look. I’m goin’ to Centauri IV, my home planet. That’s where the bastards wanted to meet.”

Kraglin snaps his fingers at Jesper. “Centauri IV,” he snaps. “Set a course.”

He nods and runs off.

“…a Kree named Tycho. Don’t underestimate him. Only good thing I heard about him is that he’s a man of his word. I agreed to exchange myself fer [y/n], and he’ll follow through. Jus’ don’t do nothin’ stupid to compromise that. Just save [y/n], and get her and the baby someplace safe.” He takes a deep breath, and reaches for the holopad. “Good fortune and long life, boys.” With that, the message ends.

You gasp as you’re pulled roughly from your sitting position. Tycho has the Deafener activated, and you’re also blindfolded – so you are completely reliant on whoever has a hold of your bound hands as you walk forward. You stumble, and whoever it is cuffs you on the back of the head, so hard that you fall into what feels like a metal wall.

“I can’t see or hear!” you scream – at least, that’s what you hope comes out of your mouth – “You want to carry me or what?!”

“No need to yell,” Tycho’s voice comes as the Deafener deactivates with a twinge of pain. “We’ve arrived.” The blindfold is taken from your face, and you see that you’re standing at the edge of an open gangplank. You look around; you’re standing inside a smaller ship – you’re not even sure when you were moved. A Kree with a bloody lip stands nearby, crouching low at Tycho’s elbow.

“He should know not to touch what is mine,” Tycho murmurs, brushing a hand over the back of your head. You lurch away, but his lieutenant, Zoroah, yanks you back in place by the chain binding you.

You bite your lip against the pain as the shackles dig into your wrists; the skin is already red and raw from being pulled around all day.

“Gently,” Tycho reminds in his cool voice, and Zoroah bows deeply. Tycho takes the chain in one hand and tugs at it as he begins to descend the gangplank.

“Why are you doing this?” you ask, planting your feet. “What did Yondu ever do to you, to deserve this?”

“He is a fugitive that belongs to the Kree empire. Returning him is a question of honor. The Supremor chose me to bring him to justice.”

You scoff. “Honor! Justice! You own slaves! They’re people, not property! A monster is all you are! A beast! A savage!”

Before you realize what has happened, you’re flat on your back with the wind knocked out of you, and Tycho has a knife against your throat. His eyes narrow dangerously as he presses the blade against the thin skin. “I can exchange you whole, or in pieces,” he hisses. He trails the knife down your chest and rests its point against your belly, pressing down until you breathe in sharply. “That goes for your unborn as well. Now get on your feet, doctor. And not another word from you.”

The Deafener activates again with a painful ringing in your ears, and Zoroah lifts you into a standing position. The motion makes you nauseous, and you cup hands against your stomach. Tycho pulls on the chain, leading you off the ship.

A cool breeze washes over you, but it’s not refreshing. It makes you shiver and doesn’t smell exactly fresh. There’s something stale about it. Looking around, you see you’re standing on a wide-open grassy area, but the grass looks unhealthy and brittle. A forest of dark greens, purples and blues, dark and shadowy, borders the plain. As you continue to walk, you see outlines of what might have been dwellings scattered here and there. Tycho tugs at your chain, and you stumble over something buried in the ground. Looking down, you gasp in horror as you see it’s a skeleton. The teeth are on the sharp side, and protruding from its head is a thin bone; there are several smaller such protrusions along the top of its skull and down its neck. Some sort of crest.

Your heart and stomach both drop to the bottoms of your boots. You recall words that Yondu once spoke to you. ‘Centaurians – that’s what I am - have fins.’ And what was it Tycho had said while talking to Yondu? ‘You will meet me on the planet we took you from.’ Tears well in your eyes. This must be Yondu’s homeworld.

A tremble goes through Yondu as he sets foot on the ground outside. He hasn't touched down on Centauri IV  for over thirty years. It had been desolate then, and not much has changed. The forests had long since reclaimed what once was inhabited. Husks of small domed huts stand like phantasms of the former villages; corroded points of tools and weapons point from the earth as if seeking sunlight; bleached bones of the Centaurians that once thrived here are all that remain. Martinex once told him that he’d read Centaurians’ memories were long, and Yondu agreed. He could still remember little bits and snatches of his life before the Kree, and he’d barely been a cub when he’d been sold. He never wanted to come back here. It wasn’t his home, just a place full of bad memories and rank with fear.

He makes his way through the forest, feet quiet on carpets of dead leaves and pine needles. If he remembers right, his village was the one right on the other side. A flock of some winged reptiles fly through the trees, emitting dismayed squeaks and chirps. Nearly at the same moment, a soft beep from his wrist com, seemingly loud in the otherwise stillness of the forest, alerts him to a ship landing nearby, and he stops in his tracks.

A breeze washes over him; he can smell starship exhaust. A soft, orange glow to his left catches his eye, and he sees some flowers growing around a tree stump. They’re tall, with long, flame-like petals. The glow emanates from these petals, activated by the wind. He’d sat on the bank of a stream once here, with Martinex, where they’d grown in stretches as far as he could see until it looked like the banks were ablaze.

Jus’ hope ya remembered it too, Marty. I need ya to save my girl.

He unstraps his wrist com and drops it to the forest floor. With another deep breath, he picks up his pace. It’s nearly 0900 standard Hala time.

It’s not long before he breaks the tree line. He emerges, hands raised, as a dozen Kree soldiers turn blasters in his direction.

Tycho stands at their head, and beside him is you, collared and chained. You pitch forward as soon as you see him, but Tycho pulls you back.

“Here I am,” Yondu growls loudly. “Now ya let her go, that’s the deal.”

“That is the deal,” Tycho echoes, nodding. “I will release her once you are bound.”

“Fine.” Yondu backs up a step. “But let her hear me. Lemme at least say goodbye to her.”

Tycho tilts his head, considering, then shrugs a shoulder. “I suppose there’s no harm in it. Allow my men to search you first, and then I’ll deactivate it.”

Four Kree approach him, and he raises his arms high. He’d left his duster behind, so this process would be easier. The leader of the four, a strong, broad-chested Kree with hair ending in a long tail, roves his dark golden eyes over him. “Check his boots.”

His fellow Kree do so, but shake their heads.

The lead Kree turns back to Tycho. “He’s unarmed.”

“The arrow?”

“Not here.”

“Really. 1-2-80, I’m almost insulted.”

“I ain’t here to play yer damn games,” Yondu snarls. “Ya gonna make the exchange or we jus’ gonna talk all day?”

Tycho smiles and makes a gesture with his hand. You wince, trying to put a chained hand to your ear.

“Darlin’? They hurt ya? Ya okay?”

“Yondu!” you cry out. “Yondu, please. Run, go back. Don’t do this.”

“Don’t wor-” He hisses as one of the Kree kick him in the back of the knees and he falls. His arms are pinned and bound behind him, and he feels the sickeningly familiar clasp of a collar fitted around his neck. His entire body tenses; his heart rate climbs; his breathing quickens.

“No! Stop, please!” You push away from Tycho, and he lets your chain go with a smile. You run to Yondu and throw yourself to your knees in front of him, cradling his face.

Zoroah swoops down to pull you apart, but you hear Tycho say, “No, leave her,” in an amused sort of voice. You’re tempted to glare at him over your shoulder, but it doesn’t seem like you have much time and you want to concentrate on Yondu as much as you can.

“Yondu,” you say, lip trembling, “Yondu, I love you. You know that, right? I love you. And I’m not going to let this happen. I’m not going to let them-“

“Hush, sweetheart,” he says, his voice a little hoarse against the collar, “It’s gonna be a’ight. They’re gonna let ya go.”

“But – but you can’t-”

“It’s okay, honey. Ya jus’ take care of yerself, and that baby of ours.”

“I can’t do it alone,” you say, your throat closing with the threat of tears.

“Ya won’t hafta. Kraglin, Peter, the doctors – they’ll help ya.”

“What do you want me to call it? When it’s born?” you can barely get the words out.

Yondu’s eyes glisten, and he swallows hard before answering. “If it's a boy, name him after his daddy. If it's a girl, name her after my love – [y/n]."

You begin to cry then; hard, aching sobs that shake your entire body. There's no Ravager ship in sight, and Yondu is going to be taken away from you forever. You grip his shoulders as the Kree soldiers begin to pull you apart. "No, no please! Please! Please, don't take him away! Leave him alone! Please!" You scream and swear, kicking your legs and thrashing wildly.

"[y/n]!" Yondu yells as a Kree holds his arms from behind, " But there are tears streaming down his face now.

With one mighty effort, you break free from the Kree holding you and run towards Yondu as they drag him towards the ship. He screams and throws the Kree off him. You hold onto him with all your strength, kissing his lips, his tears mingling with yours. “I love you, Yondu! I love you!”

“I love ya, [y/n], I always will!”

Then you're torn away from him, and there's a heavy impact on the back of your head. Amidst the blackness that rushes in, you hear Yondu screaming your name.

Chapter Text

“[y/n], if you can hear me, I’m going to check you for breaks. Try not to move.”

The layers of darkness seem miles deep as you follow the voice upwards. It sounds familiar. "Yondu?" you ask reflexively. Your voice is faint and croaking. You feel someone touching your shoulders, the back of your neck and sweeping gently along your collarbones just as you would have done, you think vaguely, to check for fractures or protrusions. Then suddenly the dark void fades out, replaced by a hazy night sky as you fully open your eyes. Martinex come into focus, bending over you. For some reason, you seem to think his crystalline skin looks somehow dull and dim, lacking in its usual luster.

You open your mouth to speak, but he shakes his head. “It’s okay, [y/n]. Don’t talk, we’re going to get you on board. Just stay still.”

You stare at him blankly, confused at your surroundings. Where am I? What happened? Then it all comes rushing back to you like some sort of horrible waking nightmare, and you sit bolt upright, ignoring the throbbing pain the back of your head and the lesser, achier one in your abdomen. “Yondu! Where is he?”

“He’s gone,” Martinex says gently.

You shake your head. “No. No, he can’t-” You scramble to your feet, whirling around in all directions, scanning the area. You sway unsteadily and hold out your arms for balance. You feel Martinex’s light hand at your elbow, reading to support you if need be. You see no one in the vicinity except a couple of Ravagers standing by a lone M-ship, and out in the distance, standing alone in the middle of the plain, what looks like the still silhouette of Stakar.

Tears streak down your face as you drop to your knees in the place where you and Yondu had embraced what must have been hours ago. You clench the dirt and grass in your hands, hoping somehow it can tell you where Tycho took him. You look up to the stars, but they seem icy and lifeless, almost mocking in their beauty. Your eyes fill with tears, swirling their cold light into indistinguishable blurs. You collapse to the ground, weeping. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry….”

You feel Martinex’s arms around you, pulling you to your feet.

"I'm sorry Martinex,” you say through tears, “I'm so sorry."

“It’s not your fault, [y/n],” he says. “And this isn’t over yet.”

“Sir,” one of the Starhawk’s Ravagers says, jogging up. “The Virago, Eclector II, and Rora just arrived in orbit.”

“Good. Hail Kraglin on the Eclector, tell him I’ve got [y/n].”

“Yes sir. What about the Captain?”

You follow Martinex’s gaze over to Stakar, who still hasn’t moved. “Update him, tell him he’s welcome to come with us or I’ll come back for him if he needs more time.”

“Aye sir.”

You are taken aboard an M-ship.

A few minutes later, Stakar boards. He doesn't speak or look at you. However, as you turn to stare out the view port, you feel a heavy leather coat laid over your shoulders, and turn to see Stakar walking away, jacketless. He slides into the pilot seat, silently adjusting controls and preparing the ship for takeoff.

Martinex stays by your side, keeping careful watch over you. He keeps an ice pack against the back of your head, which lessens the throbbing somewhat.

Out the window, you see a few ships hanging void, and try to distract yourself from shedding more tears by studying them. The largest bears dark blue markings - that must be the Starhawk. A ship that’s almost as large but much sleeker bears dark green streaks reminiscent of war paint; perhaps this is Aleta's ship. You see the Eclector, with what looks like an extra ship attached to its side - you recognize it as Peter’s ship, the Quadrant. The smallest of the ships is the oddest looking; though sleek and almost manta-like in its form, its surface is covered with hundreds of antennas, dishes, solar plates and other technical paraphernalia you can't begin to describe. Several of the devices are moving, as if scanning back and forth. "Who's ship is that?" you sniffle, pointing out the window.

"That’s the Rora - Mainframe's ship. Looks like she's got everything running to pick up Yondu's trail."

Tears blur your vision again as you nod, and you look away, pulling the leather jacket tighter around you.

Once docked in the Eclector, Martinex helps you to the transport beam and you go down together. You swallow. You're nauseous; the pain in your head isn't helping, and the cramping ache in your abdomen is getting worse.

Kraglin is waiting for you as you touch down. As soon as you see his face, you bury your face in your hands and start to cry again. "I'm sorry Kraglin, I'm so sorry, I couldn't stop them."

You feel his arms around you, holding you close, cradling your head against his shoulder. "Oh Doc," he says softly, "It ain't yer fault. I wouldn'a been able to stop 'em either."

"But you would have fought them!" you cry, limply pounding his chest with a clenched fist.

"Yeah, and lost. Doc, we're gonna git him back. Everyone's on it. We'll find him. Okay?"

You nod, and he holds you out and looks you over. "Let's git ya to-" He glances down, and his eyes widen. "[y/n]?"

Just as he says your name, you feel a warm sort of wetness between your legs. You look down to see the pelvic area of your scrubs is spotted with blood. You gasp, the noise coming out in a half-sob. You cradle your stomach. "No! No, please no!"

Quick as a flash, Kraglin dashes over to the nearest column and slams a button there. The Code Blue alarms and lights activate, and he pulls a stretcher from the same column, switching it on and steering it over to you. Martinex is supporting you; you can barely stand because of how hard you’re shaking and crying. They both help you onto the hovering stretcher, and together they rush you through the ship.

Soldalis and Eega meet you halfway there and take over, reading your vitals and assessing the situation as they continue into the Med Bay.

"It would be best if you stay out here, sirs," Soldalis says firmly to the First Mates, and they are left staring at the closed Med Bay doors.

Peter runs up, and a few minutes later, Stakar and Aleta join, led by Nillgrac.

"What's happening?" Stakar demands, looking between Kraglin and Martinex.

Kraglin doesn’t answer him, withdrawing to stand next to his adopted brother.

"The Kree - they must have injured her somehow," Martinex replies.

Peter leans in close to Kraglin. "Is she okay?" he asks quietly.

He swallows. "I dunno, Pete."

"Shit." He runs his fingers through his curly hair and starts pacing in tight circles. "And - and Dad? Any sign of him?"

Kraglin opens his mouth, but he chokes and no words come out. He just shakes his head.

"I'll go check the status with Mainframe," Martinex offers quietly, and departs at Stakar's nod.

Kraglin has already given the orders to the Navs and Tech Team to help Mainframe with whatever she needs. There’s nothing else to do at the moment. Side by side, he and Peter sink down to the floor, waiting for news from Soldalis. Stakar departs down the hall to make some calls, but Aleta remains, standing against the opposite wall. 

Yondu bites back a groan as he comes to.

He vaguely remembers you being struck down by the Kree on Centauri IV, and as he struggled against his captors, he was soon rendered the same. He woke up a few times since to sharp and dull pains in his head and jaw but doesn’t remember any particulars.

Without opening his eyes, he feels his arms are restrained, held out to each side, and he can also feel shackles around his feet. His skin is slightly chilled; it’s possible they took his clothes. His throat is raw and scratchy from screaming; his eyelids feel heavy, and his head just feels…wrong.

“Awake yet, 1-2-80?” Tycho’s bright voice comes like a steel rod through his aching head.

Yondu’s lip curls. “My name is Yondu Udonta,” he snarls. “I ain’t a damn number.”

Tycho speaks again, his voice harder, commanding. “Open your eyes, 1-2-80.”

His eyes reflexively open, and he hisses through his teeth as the light hits them. He tries to close them, but there’s a small, electric shot of pain every time he tries to do more than blink.

“Good.” Tycho stands before him, hands behind his back, smiling. There’s no warmness, no mirth in the expression; just cold malice. “Very good.”

Glancing around at himself, Yondu sees that he’s only dressed in a simple loin cloth and is otherwise naked. Just as he used to be clothed as a battle slave. Why would they do that? He stamps the thought - and the accompanying uneasy feeling in his gut – down for the moment to study his surroundings. The cell is different than ones he remembers being confined to; it’s glass on all sides, but the ceiling is darkly tinted and he can’t see out of it. He catches his reflection in one of the walls, and his heart rate begins to rise. His fin is gone, replaced by another, dark colored and close to his head like the old model. He turns from the reflection and bares his teeth at Tycho. “What the hell is this?”

“Oh, you mean the implant?” Tycho can’t help but smirk. “Ingenious design. The Supremor oversaw its creation. You should be flattered that you caught the attention of someone so high up.”

Yondu’s eyes narrow. “Screw the S.I. and screw you. Let’s just git this over with. Ya wanna kill me? Then kill me."

Tycho cocks his head. “Kill you?” He lets out a short laugh. “Oh no. You've evaded us far too long and are far too valuable to simply kill. No, 1-2-80, it has been decided by the Supreme Intelligence – since you were raised a battle slave, as a battle slave you will die - in the arena or on the battlefield."

Yondu smiles meanly. "Well I ain't gonna fight fer ya no more, so ya might as well just end it now."

The toothy smile Tycho gives him in return sends a cold chill of fear racing down his back; rarely has he a seen more genuinely evil expression. "Oh, you say you won't, but you will."

Despite his growing apprehension, Yondu growls in response, "Y'ain't gonna convince me. I don't care what ya do."

"Everyone has their breaking point,” Tycho says, leaning in. His eyes flick over Yondu’s face for a moment, then he leans away again. “And it’s not a matter of convincing, per se. More like…reprogramming." As Tycho withdraws from the room, he lifts a finger, signaling to someone Yondu can't see beyond the confines of the cell. The door closes behind him. Yondu tenses, bracing himself for electric current, mechanized weapons, or some Kree to come in and start beating him, but none of those things happen.

Instead, the walls, floor and ceiling are filled with recordings. Of him. He recoils at the sight of his younger self; a thin, muscular battle slave with dead crimson eyes, devoid of feeling or hope. He watches as he fights, brutal and unforgiving. He breaks necks, shatters bones, bites, claws, kills, all the while covered in dirt, filth and blood. Like an animal, he thinks with shame.

Just as the thought crosses his mind, a voice pulses in his head and he cries out. It sounds like a blend of all of his former masters’ voices and Tycho's, with an underlay of something more mechanical and sinister. You're a battle slave, the compilation of voices says. Nothing more. You're not good enough for anything else. You're worthless. You are nothing. Nothing but what we make you. No one cares for you. You belong to us.  You are alive because we allow you to live. You will fight for us. You will fight, you will win, and you will fight again, every day until you die. You are a battle slave. Nothing more.

The words repeat over and over again.

Yondu tries to close his eyes to at least escape the images, but he receives another painful shock as he tries to do so. The implant, he realizes. It's wired into his brain functions, and it will only allow him to do what they want.

[y/n], he thinks desperately, trying to combat the Kree voices in his head. [y/n]. Kraglin. Quill. [y/n]. Rocket. Twig. [y/n]. My baby. Jesper. Mantis. Stakar. Aleta. Marty. Charlie. Krugarr. Mainframe. [y/n]. Peter. Kraglin. [y/n]. He tries to keep his thoughts in a mantra, focusing on those he loves, you in particular, but it seems the harder he tries to think about them, the louder the Kree words become.

You are nothing. Nothing but what we make you. No one cares for you. You belong to us. You are alive because we allow you to live.

You are nothing.

A wordless scream of terror, pain and anger tears from his lips. He screams and yells, trying to drown out the voices in his head, but it’s no use. His last cry is loud and long, full of anguish and panic. “[Y/N]!”

Kraglin jumps up as he sees Soldalis approaching through the Med Bay windows.

"Stakar!" Aleta calls sharply. At the end of the hall, the Ravager Captain concludes a communication and walks briskly towards them.

"Is [y/n] okay?" Peter cries as the doors open.

After a moment of hesitation, the doctor nods, folding his wings around himself snugly. "[y/n] will be fine."

"And - and the baby?" Kraglin whispers.

Stakar and Aleta round on him, eyes wide. "Baby!" Stakar cries.

“What baby?” Aleta whispers.

Kraglin bites his lip and avoids her eyes. "Cap'n left us a message," he said, nodding at Peter. "Told us the Doc was pregnant." He looks warily back at Soldalis, fearing the answer.

The doctor's ears and shoulders have drooped; the tail that is normally carefully draped over his arm is low to the ground. Slowly, he shakes his head. "I'm sorry. I'm afraid it was a miscarriage."

Silence falls like a shroud over the hallway.

Kraglin claps a hand over his eyes, hanging his head as he falls back against the wall.

"You're sure?" Peter asks, voice hushed.

"Yes," Soldalis replies solemnly, folding his wing claws around his chest. “I must tell you, it was not necessarily caused by the Kree or the stress of the situation. It's possible the pregnancy was nonviable from the beginning. [y/n] also informed us, and we have discovered the same in our research of the Terran race, that miscarriages are not uncommon this early on in their 9-month term. Not that any reason makes it any easier to bear," he adds softly.

"I want to see her," Aleta says, stepping forward.

"Captain, I'm not sure if-"

"I've lost children," Aleta interrupts, her voice severe and harsh, and everyone freezes. "And I want to see her," she repeats, forcing her tone to soften.

Soldalis bows his head slightly and moves aside. "Captain."

"The rest of you stay," Aleta orders as she makes her way inside.

You look up at the sound of Aleta's voice. Eega, who was holding your hands in her wingclaws, squeezes reassuringly as she lets go. In vain, you wipe away tears that just keep flowing as Aleta seats herself on the edge of the cot. To your surprise, she loops an arm around your shoulders and pulls you against her side, looping her other arm around you in an embrace. A loud, heartsick sob breaks from your lungs and you hug her tight, sobbing against her shoulder.

Rare tears prick at Aleta’s eyes. "Just let it out, honey," she says softly.

"I'm so sorry," you cry out between sobs, "I'm so sorry, it's all my fault. I lost Yondu, and then I lost our baby."

"No," Aleta says firmly. "None of this is your fault. Not the kidnapping, not Yondu, and definitely not the baby. There's nothing you did or didn't do that caused any of this, ya hear?" She smooths a hand up and down your back, gathering you closer against her. "No one blames you, honey. These -" Her voice catches unexpectedly in her throat, and she swallows to clear it. "These things just happen sometimes. But don't you worry. Mainframe's gettin' close to trackin' that Kree ship, we're gonna find Yondu and bring him back to you. Okay?" she finishes in a whisper, rocking you back and forth.

You nod against her. You start to say thank you, but your voice only comes out as a whimpering, wet hiccup.

"Shh. Hush, honey. Hush. Ya don’t have to say anything. Ya just cry as long as ya want. I’m right here.”

Kraglin glances through the Med Bay window. He never thought he’d be glad to see the terrifying Aleta Ogord on board his ship, but he’s grateful she’s here to comfort you. He wouldn’t have known what to say or do. He takes a deep breath, and looks down the hall, in the direction of the Mess. Most of the crew is still in the dark about what has transpired since the Captain left, and they’re probably wondering what the other Ravager ships are doing here.

Pushing past Stakar, he crosses to the adjacent wall and enters a code in the keypad there, activating the ship wide intercom with a soft screech. “This is Kraglin. All hands not involved in necessary ship’s functions, report to the Mess immediately.”

A short time later, the entire crew of the Eclector is gathered together, murmuring quietly among themselves. Kraglin sees the Guardians, minus Quill, to one side, by the stairs. Rocket and Groot sit atop Drax’s shoulders, and Mantis stands at his left. At his right, Gamora stands, and next to her - Nebula. He was so caught up in getting to Centauri IV that he didn’t realize she was accompanying them. He nods to her in greeting, and she inclines her head slightly in response. He spots Jesper in front with most of his Navs; next to him stand Ryx, Nillgrac, and Rhian. Ryx gives him a reassuring smile, and the Mess falls silent as he comes down the stairs to the landing, placing his hands on the railing there.

“Lissen up, I know y’all must be confused ‘bout what’s goin’ on.” He swallows, and draws himself up. “Fact is, the Cap’n…the Cap’n traded himself to the Kree to git [y/n] back. She’s safe on board, and she’s gonna be okay. But the Cap’n’s been taken, and our first priority is trackin’ down the Kree what took him - someone named Tycho. If anyone has any information on him, bring it to me. I want to know his position, his rank, who his second in command is. I want to know what the name of his ship is, what model, how many crew, where he’s based, everything.”

“Sir, how – how do we know the Captain is still alive?” a meek voice calls out from the crowd.

Grave silence falls over the Mess, and Kraglin grips the railing tighter to steady himself. He had been trying not to think about that possibility. “We jus’ gotta-”

“Kraglin?”

He turns swiftly to see you standing at the top of the stairs with Aleta. You’re wearing fresh scrubs and your hair, though messily cut at an angle, has been combed. He holds up a hand, motioning to the crew stay in place, then runs up the stairs. “[y/n],” he says, gently putting a hand on your shoulder, “I’m – I’m so sorry ‘bout the-”

You shake your head. Your eyes are bloodshot, red-rimmed and puffy; your face is blotchy. “No, please don’t. It’s - I’m trying not to-” You raise your eyes to the ceiling, taking a few deep breaths, and Kraglin can see the shine of fresh tears. You regain your composure after a few moments and meet his eyes. “I don’t think they’re going to - to kill Yondu. At least not right away.”

“What makes ya say that?” he asks, hopeful.

“Tycho said something about returning Yondu and bringing him to justice. He mentioned someone called the Supremor?”  

Kraglin’s face pales.

You swallow. “What? What is it?”

“They’re taking him to flarkin’ Hala,” Aleta snaps.

“Hala?” you echo.

“The Kree home world,” Aleta replies, pacing. “If we don’t intercept them before they get there, there’s no way in hell we’re gonna git him out. It’d be suicide.”

“We have to notify all the Clans,” Stakar says. “If-” he breaks off in mid-sentence, holding a couple fingers to his ear. He takes a few steps away. “Marty? Wha-” He breaks off again, and pauses, eyes widening. “Yes!” he says after a moment. “No, no just go! You have authorization, we’ll follow. Stakar out.” He turns back to the group. “Mainframe singled out the fuel signature of Tycho’s ship and tracked it, she’s a fair distance behind, but she’s in pursuit. I gave Martinex the go ahead to follow her.”

Instantly, Aleta steps aside to contact her ship.

Stakar makes his way quickly down the steps, where the crew of the Eclector is gathered. “Who’s lead Nav here?” he calls out, his voice sharp.

Jesper steps forward. “I am, sir.”

“Gather all of your Navs and take me to the control room. We have a course to set.”

Jesper hesitates, looks up at Kraglin for confirmation, who is slowly coming down the steps.

Stakar reaches out, roughly turning Jesper’s face back to his. “Did you hear me?”

“Yes sir, I just -” Jesper yelps as Stakar grabs his collar and lifts him off the floor.

“I don’t got time for your lip, boy!” he yells, giving him a rough shake. “I am giving you an ord-” he’s interrupted by a pulsing whine and feels the warming barrel of a blaster pressed against his temple. He freezes.

A few people gasp, but then the room falls completely silent. Stakar feels the gun rotate slowly as whoever is holding it moves in front of him. It’s Kraglin, and Stakar feels something within him recoil at the murderous glare in the First Mate’s pale eyes.

“Put. Him. Down.” Kraglin growls through bared, clenched teeth. When Stakar doesn’t move immediately, he cocks the gun. “NOW!”

Jesper falls from Stakar’s grasp, stumbling on his feet. “Ya okay?” Kraglin asks him, not looking away from Stakar.

“Y-yes.”

“Good. Have yer Navs contact the Starhawk, ask fer Martinex. He’ll be able to direct ya from there. Now git out,” he says, louder, addressing the crew. “All y’all out. Return to yer posts and await my orders. I need to talk to Cap’n Ogord alone.”

“Whoa, Krags!” Peter says, coming down the steps, holding out his hands. “You need to calm-”

“Keep outta this, Pete!” Kraglin snaps. “Take yer friends and see where ya can help.”

He stops on the landing, his voice hushed. “Geez, man, you know what you’re getting into here?”

Kraglin still doesn’t look away from Stakar’s face, but nods.

“Ookay,” Peter replies uncertainly, running a hand through his hair. “Uh, Rocket…since we’re goin’ up against the Kree, I think we’re gonna need weapons.”

Rocket jumps down off Drax’s shoulder. “Yeah. Right. C’mon, Groot.”

At your side, Aleta stares calmly down over the railing at Kraglin, who still has Stakar at gunpoint.

“Shouldn’t we do something?” you ask her, eyes wide.

“No,” she says, turning away. “Stakar’s a big boy, he can take care of himself.” She rests an arm around your shoulders and steers you back towards the Med Bay. “I have to get back to my ship, and you have to sleep. Yondu might need a doctor when he gets back, and I reckon you’re the one he’s gonna want to see.” She pushes you gently towards Soldalis and Eega. “Make sure she gets some rest.”

When the immediate vicinity is clear of the sound of footfalls and voices, Kraglin withdraws the blaster from Stakar’s face but keeps it raised and pointed at him. “Y'ain’t the only one hurtin’ right now," the First Mate says viciously. "Y’ain’t the only one who’s afraid, and ya sure as hell ain’t the only one who wants to save Yondu. For flark’s sake, ya weren’t even around! I was the one what stuck by him all these years, after ya threw him out without a backward glance!”

Sudden bright white specks of light shine behind Stakar’s eyes, and he stiffens. “Watch it, son-”

“I ain’t yer son!” Kraglin snarls, furious tears in his eyes, “I’m his! And this ain’t yer crew to be givin' orders to, it’s his! It’s my crew! I won’t have ya come swoopin’ in all high and mighty, assumin’ charge a’ my crew, not when ya left us all on our own to the cold stars! Ya didn’t even hear him out when ya exiled him! Ya didn’t even lissen to him, did ya!” He takes in a shivering breath, shaking his head. His next few sentences come out savagely. “Ya know, I looked up to ya fer a long time. But after ya exiled the Cap’n, after ya gave him up, I hated ya. I hated ya for what ya did to him.” Kraglin backs up a few steps. “But even after everythin’ ya did, all those twenty-six years he was in exile, the Cap’n never let anyone speak ill a’ ya. Not once. He still loved ya, after everythin.” He lets his blaster drop to his side. “And it’s fer him, that I’m gonna work with ya to get him back. But I don’t like ya, and I don’t give a damn if you’re the admiral of the 100 Clans. Don’t ya flarkin’ dare presume to give my crew orders on my ship. That understood?”

Stakar is silent for several moments, the fire gone out of his eyes. “Understood,” he says with a nod. “You’re in charge here.”

“Damn right,” Kraglin says, aggressively holstering his blaster. “Follow me.”

The Eclector and attached Quadrant is on its way, flanked by the Virago. They’re not too far behind the Rora and the Starhawk. Rocket, Groot, Drax and Mantis are working with the gunners, engineers, and tech team to take stock of the Eclector and Quadrant’s weaponry and weapons systems and are developing some new toys; the Navs are ensuring they stay carefully on course and are scanning for any Kree or Ravager ships; the pilots and mechanics are prepping and all M-ships, D-ships, and Construction vessels in case they’re needed for escape or battle.

Kraglin stands with the Ogords in the ship’s largest meeting room. The ship’s leads are there as well, and so are Peter, Gamora, and Nebula. On screen are Mainframe, Charlie-27, Krugarr, and Martinex.

“The Larkspur is a model U87 cruiser,” Charlie is saying. “From what Mainframe was telling me, there are at least 300 Kree on board. And that’s if Tycho doesn’t join up with any other ships on the way.”

“Have you had any luck contacting the other clans?” Stakar asks.

“I got a hold of Vance, Nikki, and Phyla-Vell. And Krugarr says Talon is standing by.”

“What about-” Stakar stops. On screen, Mainframe has been distant and quiet the entire meeting, her eyes bright blue as she interacts with her ship’s systems and crew of AIs, androids and robots. But her eyes have suddenly gone green. “Mainframe?” he asks, and all heads turn towards her screen.

“The Larkspur is in range.”

“Are you cloaked?”

She makes a noise like a scoff, like she’s going to retort with something snarky, but opts not to. “Yes. I’m going to back off a little and send in a probe.”

“Do that. Aleta, can I have word?” Stakar asks.

She raises an eyebrow but follows him out into the hall.

With nothing else to do but leave Mainframe to her work for the moment, Kraglin crosses the room to where Nebula stands, a little apart from Peter and Gamora, who are talking to each other. He extends a hand to her. “Good to see ya, Nebs.”

“I detest that nickname,” she says flatly, but shakes his hand.

“Thanks for bein’ here. Ya didn’t have to be.”

She looks away, up at the screens displaying the Ravagers. “You never treated me differently.”

Kraglin cocks his head at her. “Differently?”

Her eyes narrow at him and she holds up a hand, flexing the metallic fingers.

Kraglin crosses his arms and shrugs. “Should I? Jus’ ‘cause ya got some pieces of ya swapped out fer mechanics and tech don’t mean yer any less a person than anyone else. Leastways I don’t think so, and neither does the Cap’n.”

She turns her gaze away again and doesn’t say anything for several moments. Then, softly, “I know. That’s why I’m here.”

“Hey bro,” Peter’s voice comes, and Kraglin turns. “You okay?”

Kraglin gives him a look just short of a glare. “Cap’n’s gone. What do ya think?”

“No, not that. Obviously not that. I mean, you-” he drops his voice, looking around furtively. “You put a gun to Stakar Ogord’s head, man.”

Kraglin’s jaw tightens. “He had Jesper by the collar,” he hisses. “And just because you might’a forgot about what he did to Yondu, that don’t mean that I did!”

Peter’s eyes go wide and bright with anger. “Hey!” he snaps, shoving him roughly in the shoulder. “I did not forget! I just don’t go shoving blasters-”

“Boys,” Gamora says sharply, yanking Peter back towards her. “This is neither the time nor the place.”

Peter and Kraglin exhale angrily, crossing their arms.

“She’s right,” Peter grumbles at last. “Sorry, I guess.”

Kraglin huffs. “Yeah, me too. M’ jus’ on edge. Who knows what that Kree bastard is doin’ to him.”

Peter swallows. “Hey, Dad’s a tough sonuvabitch, as he’s always reminding us. He’ll be fine. Right?”

Kraglin sees the fear lurking plainly in Peter’s eyes and sighs inwardly. Sometimes I wish I weren’t the older brother. “He’ll give ‘em all he’s got, I reckon. Don’t worry,” he says softer. “We’re gonna git him back. They ain’t gonna reach Hala, and they ain’t gonna- holy shit.” Kraglin turns on his heel, and the room falls quiet at a sudden outburst in the hall.

"Screw you!" Aleta is screaming.

Kraglin and Peter simultaneously bend forward so they can see out the doorway.

Aleta is yanking Stakar close by the front of his jacket, pointing a finger in his face. "I am not staying behind while our boy is out there!"

"I'm not asking ya to!" Stakar yells back. "We might not be able to handle the Kree by ourselves! You can round up everyone quicker than I can! Your ship is faster, and they'll listen to you!"

"What the hell makes ya think that?"

"Because you're less emotional than me. They'll listen to you. Ya got them there last time, when Yondu was-!"

"That’s because I threatened 'em!"

"Then do it again! Whatever it takes. Please, girl."

Aleta releases him with a snarl, turning away. After a moment, she speaks again. “Fine, but I got three conditions.”

“What’s that?”

“One – ya bring him back alive. Two – ya don’t die. And three –” she turns, and her eyes are shining with some internal bright light, “-- ya save some of them sonsabitches for me.”

Stakar nods. “You got it.”

With a glare, Aleta turns and starts to walk away. “Boudica! Nakano! Lozen!” she snaps, pressing a couple fingers to her earpiece, “I need a transport, now – and start opening transmissions to Chlo, Kimra, Oneel, Medow, Pikaa’rd and Malren. Pull up the list of remaining Clans’ Captains and start contactin’ ‘em.”

Stakar re-enters the room and everyone attempts to look busy or engaged in conversation. He clears his throat. “Mainframe? Any luck?”

“The probe is almost done scanning,” she replies, eyes running with lines of code. “Downloading transmission now.” She’s silent for a few minutes, then utters what sounds like a mix of a dozen curse words in multiple languages, interspersed with static and strange clicks.

“What is it?” Charlie asks. “What’s wrong?”

“Kree aren’t the only ones on board,” she replies, her eyes clearing. “I’m detecting dozens of other life signatures.”

“Shit,” Stakar says, running fingers through his greying hair, “It’s slave ship.”

“The object of the mission is still the same,” Gamora says. “We have to rescue Yondu. There are just others we must save now as well.”

“I’m gathering the other Clans in preparation for war, but I don’t want to play that card if I don’t have to,” Stakar says. “This has to be a stealth mission first, and a battle second. If some of us could sneak aboard…take out their communications…” he shakes his head. “But we’d need a distraction.”

Peter snaps his fingers and points at the Ravager Captain with a grin. “I can help with that.”

After touching base with Aleta, who has already directed 32 of the 99 clans en route to Tycho’s Larkspur, and confirming the plan with her and the other Ravager captains, Stakar, Kraglin, Peter and the Guardians prepare to leave the Eclector.

In the Docking Bay, Peter stands Drax, Rocket, Gamora and Nebula.

“I am GROOT!”

“Look, buddy,” Rocket says. “We know ya can help, but we need ya to be here and take care a’ Mantis, ya know? Defend the ship.”

“I am Groot,” the Flora Colossus says sullenly.

“Yeah, I know it’s bull- hey, what did I say about language? C’mon.”

Gamora kneels down – not as far as she once had to – to look Groot in the eye. “We’ll be back before you know it. If it turns into battle, maybe one of the gunners will let you help.”

His eyes brighten at this prospect. “I am Groot, I am Groot.”

“He says be careful,” Rocket translates, “And he’ll be ready to shoot him some – hey. Seriously, pal. We need to have another long talk about that mouth a’ yours.”

Mantis and Groot stand apart as the rest of the Guardians board the Sita, Stakar’s M-ship. Unlike the Milano, the Sita is built for stealth, with a darkly-colored, reflective hull. Stakar ushers them inside and stands at the top of the gangplank waiting for Kraglin.

He stands, armed to the teeth, not far from the ship. Standing opposite him are some of the ship’s leads and a group of pilots.

“Stand by,” Kraglin orders, “We’ll be in contact.”

“Yessir,” they answer, and depart to their designated stations.

Ryx silently approaches him, and pats him down, making sure his belts and buckles holding his weapons are all tight and secure. All she has to do is look up at him with her big yellow eyes for him to bend and lift her into his arms. He kisses her deeply. "Don't worry, baby girl," he whispers in her ear, cradling her head against his, "I'm comin' back to ya safe n' whole."

She mumbles something like "You'd better," and kisses him again, hard, before he sets her down. She holds his arms tight in all four of her hands, pulling him down to look him in the eye. "I love you," she says softly.

"I love you too, Ryx," he whispers back. He throws her a smile to prevent the lump in his throat from growing. "Don'tcha worry, now. I'm gonna go kick me some Kree ass and I’ll be back before ya know it." He straightens up, and Ryx turns as you enter the Docking Bay, trailed at a fair distance by Eega.

"Doc," he says as you approach, "I thought ya were restin'."

"I've rested enough," you reply, even though your eyes are rimmed with dark circles and your face is drawn. "I wish I could come with you, but I know I'd just be in the way on a rescue mission like this." You take his hands. "I'll be waiting right here when you get back."

"I promise we'll save him," Kraglin says, squeezing your hands lightly. 

"I know you will."

"And when we get back and the Cap'n's all settled, I'll help ya fix yer hair," he says with a chuckle, pointing at your head.

Your hand reflexively goes to your crooked cropped hair, and you try to smile. "Deal," you say in a trembling voice. You stare at one another for a second, and then you rush into him, winding your arms around him tight. "Please be careful, Kraglin," you say into his chest, your voice breaking. "All of you be careful, I can't -"

"Hey, hey," he interrupts gently. "We're all comin' back - with the Cap'n," he says, hugging you close. "Ya just be ready with everythin' ya need to take care of him, okay?"

You back up, wiping at your eyes, and nod. "I will."

He pats your shoulder and turns to walk up the gangplank as you and Ryx stand next to each other, your arms linked.

"Wait! Wait! Dad!"

Kraglin turns at the top of the gangplank to see Jesper racing towards him. He just gets to the bottom as the boy comes to a panting halt. His cheeks flush slightly blue as he feels several pairs of eyes on him. "I - I just wanted to wish you luck," he says, holding out a hand.

Kraglin grasps his son's hand. "Ya do me real proud, ya know that, right?" he asks softly.

Jesper nods, biting his lip. "I can help," he adds quickly, "If you let me come, I know I can help."

The First Mate lays a hand on his shoulder. "No, I need ya standin' by. Yer second in command after Rhian, and yer the best Nav on board. This goes sideways, I need ya to get the Eclector the hell outta there, okay? 'Sides, I need ya to look after Ryx and the Doc if somethin' happens."

"But nothin's gonna happen," Jesper says firmly, clenching his jaw.

"Tha's right. I'll see ya soon, boy."

Jesper nods again, and lunges forward to hug Kraglin forcefully around the middle, pressing his face into his shoulder. “Just be careful.”

Kraglin leans his cheek against his son’s head. “I will.” Releasing him, Kraglin ascends the gangplank, and hits the button to fold it up. He doesn't look out the view port, and focuses all his thoughts on the mission, and getting Yondu back. The Sita hums underneath him, and in no time at all, they're out in open space.

Chapter Text

Tycho’s Larkspur looms before them.

It's a huge ship, one of the biggest Kree cruisers Stakar has ever seen. Thankfully, they’re cloaked, along with the Starhawk and the Rora. The Eclector remains behind, a safe haven to bring its Captain back to.

Stakar, piloting, slows the Sita down, and Nillgrac, who volunteered to co-pilot and stay aboard while they were going after Yondu, sits back in his seat for the time being.

The nearest jump point is a growing pinprick of shimmering light amidst the black – they have to catch the Larkspur and board her before she has the chance to get through it.

"Showtime, a-holes," Peter says, but the line is said out of routine and is devoid of its usual jest.

Kraglin unbuckles, and for the seventeenth time checks his four blasters and dozen knives he has on him; Rocket bares his teeth in a gruesome smile, clutching some jumbled-together horror-show of a weapon; Nillgrac shifts in his seat, preparing to take control of the ship.

“Whoa, whoa, wait,” Stakar says sharply, and everyone freezes. “Is it slowing down?”

Peter and Kraglin look through the windshield. Sure enough, it seems that the Larkspur is reducing its speed.

“Why would they do that?” Gamora asks. “They would want to reach the jump point as soon as possible.”

Mainframe’s voice suddenly blares over their intercom. “Stakar, Stakar come in!”

Stakar punches a button. “I’m here! What’s wrong?”

“I’m getting readings of four additional Kree ships incoming!”

“What?!” Stakar yells. “Why would it need an escort, unless –” His voice drops off as four enormous Kree Accuser-class warships come slinging out of the jump point. “Shit.”

There’s a curse from Mainframe in some half-static language, then, “They spotted us! They must be integrated with the Supremor, that’s one A.I. not to mess with, it must be able to detect us through the cloaks! One of them is locked onto the Starhawk, Marty, you better get on the defensive over there! Quill, I think we need to pull our distraction early!”

“You got it!” Peter cries, and pulls his Zune out of his pocket, plugging it into a specially-made device that interfaces with the M-ship motherboard. “It’s in! Mainframe, you ready?”

"Nearly there!" Mainframe's frantic, distorted voice screeches back. "Okay, ready! Hit it!"

Peter punches the play button on the Zune. 

Nothing seems to happen, but a few moments later, the staticky chortles of Mainframe crackles over the speakers. "Their incoming and outgoing transmissions are overridden, and from the looks of things, your music is blasting over their internal speakers! Take that, S.I., you bitch!” Mainframe laughs maniacally before composing herself long enough to say, “Okay, Sita crew, you get on board, we’ll monitor things out here and give ‘em hell if we need to! Good fortune!”

With some special tools courtesy of Rocket and Mainframe, the crew of the Sita, minus Nillgrac, board the Larkspur. Drax, Gamora, and Nebula are tasked with taking out the pilots and deactivating the slave cells – something Mainframe was unable to do remotely.

Once they’ve said their goodbyes and good luck wishes, that leaves Stakar, Rocket, Kraglin, and Peter.

Rocket takes one look at the brothers and scurries up Stakar’s back to perch on his shoulder. “Guess it’s you and me, Gramps. Hey Bots!” he says, putting a claw to his earpiece, “Can ya turn the music up?”

A staticky chuckle, and Joan Jett’s Bad Reputation blasts over the speakers.

“That’s more like it.” Rocket grins a gruesome, sharp-toothed smile and pulls some grenade-like monstrosities from a pouch at his waist. He tosses one up and down in a paw. “Let’s go cause a lil’ mayhem.”

“Good luck, boys,” Stakar says with a salute over his heart, and takes off jogging down the corridor.

Peter and Kraglin look at one another, activate matching red-eyed masks, unholster their blasters, and head in the opposite direction.

Yondu’s brain and body are exhausted. His voice is hoarse from yelling, his eyes unbearably dry from being forced open for hours. His wrists are caked with dried blood from straining at his bonds. He breathes raggedly, his chest muscles restricted, his arms screaming with pain at being held out to his sides for such a long period of time.

You’re a battle slave. Nothing more. You’re not good enough for anything else.

1-2-80.

His head jerks upward a little as the repeating voices change in his head.

1-2-80, you belong to us. There are people boarding our ship trying to steal you. They want to hurt you. They will pretend to care for you, but they do not. Look at their faces.

Unbidden, his eyes raise to the walls of his cell. Faces - familiar, unfamiliar faces - stare back at him, replacing the feeds of his past battles. A man with reddish curly hair, moustache and beard; another skinnier man with a mohawk and scars over his left eye; and lastly, an imposing older man with serious brown eyes and gunmetal grey hair.

They and their companions are coming here to take you away from us. You belong to us. No one else cares for you. We allow you to live. You are a battle slave, and you must do battle. They are coming for you. They want to hurt you. They may even try to kill you.

He grits his teeth. No, he tries to think, Yer the ones who want to…aren’t you? These men…they’re my…they…I know them. Somehow, I know them.

“1-2-80.”

Tycho stands in the doorway with a sympathetic expression on his face. In one hand, he holds a large canteen. He holds the other hand up, and all of the images fade away to be replaced by the glass cell walls. The voices in Yondu’s head go away, and his eyes fall closed seemingly of their own accord, heavy as stones. He lets out a sigh of breath at the resultant darkness. He’s so tired.

He jerks backwards, tiredly baring his teeth, as he feels Tycho’s hand on the back of his neck.

“It’s all right,” Tycho says in a lilting, soothing voice. “I brought you some water.”

“Don’t want it,” Yondu whispers, though his parched throat groans in protest.

“Come now. I brought this just for you. Don’t fight me, drink.” Seizing the back of Yondu’s head in one hand, Tycho forces the canteen to his lips, and fresh, cold clear water pours into his mouth.

There’s a slight metallic aftertaste to it, but Yondu can’t help but drink greedily, licking his lips as the Kree takes the canteen away.

“There, much better.” Tycho takes a clean, white cloth out of his pocket and pours some of the water onto it before setting the canteen on the ground. “Now. I’ll give you another drink before I depart, but we must talk first.” He moves to Yondu’s arm, and dabs gently at his injured wrist. The water stings a little, but it feels so blessedly cool on his skin. “Those people boarding the ship. They’re here to hurt you. They might say different, but in the end, they’ll only forsake you.”

“No,” Yondu croaks uncertainly, shutting his eyes.

“Yes,” Tycho insists. “They’ve all betrayed you before. Left you, went behind your back, cast you out. Don’t you remember?”

Yondu recalls the faces. There is deep pain associated with them, and fear. Fear of being double-crossed. Stabbed in the back. Abandoned. These were people he was supposed to trust, but they did him wrong. They want to hurt you, the voices in his head tell him. Don’t let them. Fight them. Do battle.

“I will make a deal with you, 1-2-80,” Tycho says, moving to his other wrist, “If you stop these intruders, these people that want to hurt you – I will unchain you. I will give you a good, hot meal, and more water, and I’ll let you sleep as long as you want.”

Sleep. Doesn’t that sound good? But you must fight for us first.

“They hurt you in the past and they’ll do it again. But we are your masters, 1-2-80. We take care of you, we feed you, allow you to live. We will never lie to you or abandon you.” Tycho lifts the canteen again, and Yondu drinks willingly this time, until it’s empty.

“Very good,” Tycho says softly. He departs the room, and the images of the intruders come up on the walls, ceiling and floor of the cell again.

They are coming here to take you away from us. You belong to us. No one else cares for you. We allow you to live. You are a battle slave, and you must do battle. Protect yourself. Do what it takes to survive. They are coming for you. They want to hurt you. They may even try to kill you.

You must kill them first.

The Med Bay is fully prepped and ready for Yondu's return, despite Soldalis’ and Eega’s repeated requests that you slow down and get some rest. Preparing for the worst-case scenario, you've got a special private station blocked off just for him, the diagnostic machine standing by, as well as any surgical tools and scanners you can think of that might need to be used. The rest of the Med Bay is full of beds, all with clean sheets, pillows and basic med kits, in case anyone else gets injured. 

With everything now done and waiting, you know you should really heed your fellow doctors’ advice and get some sleep, but you just can't. It’s not that you’re not tired – you honestly can’t remember being more tired in your entire life. And you’re not just tired, you're weary. Being kidnapped and threatened, barely sleeping in that strange cell, being struck down and rendered unconscious, and losing Yondu and then the baby on top of it all...it's more emotional, mental and physical stress than you've ever had to deal with before. But your thoughts just keep racing, and you know you’re just going to have to stay awake until you completely run down.

Unable to stay put, you wander the ship, and every so often, a crewmate stops you, asking if you need them to escort you back to Med Bay, or if there's anything they can do or get for you. You decline all offers and start sticking to the less occupied parts of the ship. You're eternally grateful to be surrounded by such good people that care about you, but you need some time alone with your thoughts. You end up on the top deck of the second quadrant and find yourself at the end of a wide corridor, with a ladder leading upwards. You vaguely remember the location, and as you climb the ladder, you remember why. It's the circular observation deck, where you watched the Ansaheri with Yondu and some of the crew, nearly a year ago.

The stars above you no longer seem cold and harsh as they did on Centauri IV, but they don't seem warm and welcoming either. They just seem to be uncertainly waiting, like you. You look around and see a stack of blankets piled against the wall. You slowly pick up a few, holding them against your body before spreading one out and bundling another behind your head as you lie down. You flinch violently as you drop your head back and lower it the rest of the way very slowly.

When you’d been assessed by Soldalis and Eega in the Med Bay, a strange substance had been located, marked as “Foreign Matter,” within your ear. Removing it had been a painful process, but the doctors had gotten it out with no complications other than a little vertigo and a slight earache. It was a silvery, viscous substance, one that Eega identified as a Kree Deafener. She’d sent it to the incinerator.

You rub your ear, then nestle your head into the folded blanket, looking up at the stars. You hug the third blanket, still folded, against you. It feels wrong, lying here, doing nothing while your love is out there in the hands of your enemies. You try to reason with yourself that there's nothing that you can do other than wait. Like you said earlier, you'd just be in the way out there, and you know nothing about starship combat, or deep space transmissions and communications. You just have to be patient and wait for everyone to return with Yondu. It’s not a comforting resolution of thought, nor does it prevent you from feeling guilty.

Unprompted, your eyes travel down to your belly. You hurriedly dart them back up to the dome above, letting out a shuddering breath and blinking to keep your tears at bay. Everything happened so fast. When Soldalis had confirmed you were pregnant, you'd been scared. Horrified, really. You didn't know how to be a mother. But after you'd been let alone for a few minutes to compose yourself and get your thoughts somewhat straight, the initial fear had subsided into vague sense of shock, and after a few days of knowing, you'd started to get used to the feeling of something alive, something growing inside you.

Alone in the Kree cell for hours at a time, it'd taken up a lot of your thoughts. You'd started thinking about your future with a baby; practical things like the vitamins and supplements you needed to take when you were rescued and got back to the ship, and if Eega or Soldalis would help you give birth; then more distant things where the baby would sleep when they were born, how they'd be raised - on the ship, or would you settle down somewhere with Yondu? - what you wanted them to learn as they grew - and a hundred other things. It'd kept you strong in the Kree cell, knowing you had your unborn child to protect. But now? Now that it's gone, you only feel a fragile sort of emptiness. 

‘If it's a boy, name him after his daddy. If it's a girl, name her after my love - [y/n].'

You squeeze your eyes shut, but a few tears find their way out, sliding down the sides of your face and towards your ears. How am I going to tell Yondu? You wipe them away with your palms, wincing at the touch, your skin raw from so many tears shed. You take a few deep, gulping breaths and put your hands over your eyes. The resultant deep darkness and the pressure of your hands helps to calm you somewhat. It's going to be okay. Losing the baby was not my fault, it might have been a nonviable pregnancy besides. Yondu will understand. I suppose it's better that it happened so early than later on down the line. Soldalis said it doesn't mean I can't get pregnant again, if we want to. You take another few deep breaths. They're less shaky this time around. It's going to be okay. Yondu is fine. He's going to be fine. He's coming home to me, and we're going to be fine. We're going to figure this out together. 

You lift your hands from your face, staring back up at the stars, and hug the spare blanket tighter against your chest. I'm right here, Yondu. I'm waiting for you, and I will wait as long as it takes to get you back.

Kraglin and Quill have taken out a number of Kree, but their numbers still seem suspiciously low. Kraglin is just wondering what their plan might be when they turn a corner, and he’s given something else to think about.

The corridor is lined with cells, each one filled with tough brawlers, scarred men and women; quick and speedy Sh’iar, huge Baluurians and Ergons. All adults, all with brokenness and death in their eyes. Slaves.

Peter taps his earpiece. “’Mora, how’s it going up there? Find the switches to the slave cells yet?”

The sounds of yelling, blasters, and metal on metal meet his ears. “A little – busy!” she yells back. “Taking out the nav crew!”

“Okay! We’ll take care of it. You be careful,” he adds, quieter.

“You as well!”

“My girl is such a badass,” Peter murmurs. He looks around at the cells and gestures to them with the blaster. “Krags, can’t we do anything?”

“Dad’s the mission, Pete,” Kraglin says, avoiding eye contact with the slaves, “We gotta get him outta here before we worry ‘bout anybody else, I’m sor-” His voice chokes in his throat as they come to the end of the hall, and come face to face with a large cell.

It’s full of children.

There must be a dozen different races, but they’re all small, not even teenage years yet. They all look so afraid, with big, lost and sorrowful eyes that burrow straight into Kraglin’s heart. “Oh, gods.”

“Krags…” Peter deactivates his mask and looks at them. “We can’t…?”

“Shit, shit.” He turns to Peter and points back down the hall, pulling his second-best blaster from his hip. “There’s a cell of women back there – a couple Xandarians, a Baluurian and a Shi’ar. The blaster might work on the lock, try that first, unless ya think ya can hack it quick. Free them first, then tell ‘em to free the others and help me with these kids. And contact Martinex.”

“Got it.” Peter takes the blaster from him and jogs back down the hall.

Kraglin motions for the children to get back from the door. The older ones herd the younger ones back into the corner and shield them. He fires his best blaster into the locking mechanism once, twice, and on the third fire it gives way. He looks up, expecting alarms, but The Clash’s Should I Stay or Should I Go continues to play.

Once the smoke clears, he gestures to the kids. “It’s okay,” he says over the music. “We’re getting’ ya outta here and back home. C’mon.” He counts them as they pass through the door, laying a hand on each of their heads or shoulders, gathering them into a hallway. The seventeenth child, a pudgy little Ergon boy, comes out leading the eighteenth – and Kraglin lurches backwards.

It’s a Skrull.

She flinches at his sudden movement, clutching the Ergon’s arm, and regards him with wide, innocent purple eyes. Kraglin’s fingers curl tighter around the grip of his blaster. She’ll grow up to be a shifter, or a slaver, or something worse. He finds himself raising his weapon - and nearly drops it at the realization. Oh gods! What am I doin’?! She – she’s jus’ a kid! Skrull or not, she’s jus’ a kid, taken away from her home and family, jus’ like me. A slave, jus’ like I was. Trembling, he holsters his blaster. She’s jus’ a kid, she ain’t done nothin’ wrong. Maybe…maybe she’ll be different. Swallowing back fear and anger at his own actions, he lays a hand gently on the child’s bald, green head and guides her and the Ergon towards the rest of the group.

Peter appears a few moments later, flanked by half a dozen freed slaves. The collars that had been on their necks are now gone. Kraglin glances over the children – looks like the Kree didn’t get around to putting collars on them yet.

“I got a hold of Martinex,” Peter says, panting slightly. “He and Mainframe are busy fending off some Kree attack ships – doesn’t sound good out there, but he patched me through to Charlie. He’s almost here and he’s going to bring a team of M-ships to pick them up. I told Toola here how to get back where we came in.” He nods at a Baluurian woman next to him.

“Good. Kids, y’all follow Toola, she’s gonna take care a’ ya and get ya outta here.” He waves the kids along, and some of the adults lift the smaller children on their backs.

“Are you not coming with us?” Toola asks.

“No, we’re lookin’ fer somebody. Maybe ya seen him. A Centaurian – blue skin, red eyes, scars on the side of his face? Has a cerebral implant?”

The freed slaves look at one another, and one by one shake their heads. “I’m sorry, we’ve haven’t seen anyone like that.”

“Wait!” the Ergon boy steps forward, dragging the Skrull girl by the hand. “Go on, Chrysa.” He gives her a small nudge with his elbow.

Kraglin crouches down. “Did ya see him? The Centaurian?”

She nods. “Yes,” she replies in a quiet, frail voice, heavily accented by her native Skrullish language. She points down the hallway to the right. “They take him there.”

Kraglin mimics her, pointing in the same direction. “That way?”

She nods. “And up.”

Kraglin stands and peers down the hall, and sure enough, there’s some sort of lift there. “Thanks kid. Pete? We gotta go. Good luck, y’all.”

“Wait,” a Sh’iar man asks, “Who are you?”

Peter slaps Kraglin in the shoulder, pointing to his flame badge. “We’re Ravagers.” With that, they jog off towards the lift. They enter it and discover that this particular lift only services three floors. “Well, this is one,” Kraglin says. “It’s gotta be one a’ the next two.”

Suddenly there’s a series of loud, thunderous noises from all over the ship, and a moment later the lift rocks violently. “What was that?” Kraglin exclaims, bracing himself against the wall.

“My guess,” Peter says with a rueful smirk, “would be Rocket.”

Kraglin shakes his head. “That crazy lil’ bastard better not blow us all to hell before we get the Cap’n out.” The lift slows, and as it does so, Gamora’s voice comes over their coms.

“All the slaves’ cells have been unlocked on the main level,” she says. “I am looking at sensors in cell block B. There are only three cells there, and only one is occupied. It is marked with maximum security; perhaps that is where they are keeping Yondu. Are you close to that location? Once you confirm it is him, I will unlock it.”

The doors to the lift open, and Kraglin and Peter sweep the immediate area with their blasters. “Clear,” Kraglin says. He glances up at the placard on the corner. His Kree is limited, but he reads B on it. “I think we’re in the right place,” he says.

“Why aren’t there any Kree on this level?” Peter whispers, looking around. The hallway is dim and deserted.

“Could be a trap,” Kraglin replies quietly. “Look sharp.”

“Should we keep going? What if it is a trap?” Peter asks.

“That gonna stop ya from rescuin’ our Dad?”

He scoffs. “Hell no.”

“Then cover me. I’ll check it out.”

Peter stays near the lift, and Kraglin activates different light spectrums on his mask as he moves forward; there are no visible lasers, trip wires, or anything of the sort down the hallway. The first two cells are dark and empty; the third –

“It’s him!” Kraglin presses a finger to his earpiece. “Gamora, unlock that max security cell. It’s him. Stakar, Rocket, come in. We located the Cap’n, he’s in Cell Block B, we’re gonna get him out, meet us here as soon as ya can. Don’t know what kinda company we’re gonna run into.”

Peter appears at Kraglin’s elbow, staring into the cell. “Oh my god, what did they do to him?”

Kraglin just shakes his head. His Captain is chained to the walls, his feet shackled, and he’s wearing nothing except a loin cloth. There’s a collar around his neck, and his implant has been replaced with a different model, a purplish black thing that contrasts sickly with his Captain’s skin tone.

There’s a low, thick hum emanating from the door, but it begins to whine down until it’s gone, and then there’s a series of loud sounds like heavy bolts being undone. Together, they slide the door open, and Peter moves like he’s going to bolt inside, but Kraglin catches his sleeve. Once he’s confirmed there are no traps within the cell, however, he releases him.

“Dad!” Peter cries. “You okay?”

Yondu doesn’t respond, his head resting limply against his chest.

Peter listens at his mouth and places a couple fingers to his neck. “He’s breathing, heart’s steady.”

“Good.” Kraglin takes aim, and fires at the shackles between Yondu’s feet, pulling the chain out from the ring in the floor. “Hold him, and I’ll get this arm.”

“Right.” Peter loops his arms around Yondu’s chest in an embrace, and Kraglin takes careful, practiced aim at the chain connected to the wall. He fires, and Yondu collapses against Peter. “Hey, I think he’s waking up,” Peter says excitedly. “Dad? Dad, can you hear me?”

Yondu’s fingers bury in Peter’s duster, and his eyes begin to open as he steadies on his feet.

Kraglin breathes out a sigh and starts to smile. “Cap-” He freezes, his expression turning into one of horror as Yondu strains at his still-bound chain – and breaks it clean off its bracket. Kraglin has always known his Captain is strong, stronger than him, but it’s still a nasty shock when he seizes Quill by the arms, lifts him completely off the floor and hurls him against the nearest wall.

Chapter Text

The sheer terror in Peter's eyes as he collides with the wall sends Kraglin's defensive instincts into overdrive. Before Yondu can move a step further, he latches onto his Captain from behind, locking him in a full nelson. 

Yondu snarls, a guttural, animal noise, and hunches over, so Kraglin is lifted off his feet, before rushing backwards. Kraglin doesn't have time to let go before he feels his back and head bashed against the wall behind him. Stars pop in his eyes, but he maintains his hold. That is, until Yondu changes tactics and somersaults forward. Kraglin’s head hits the floor first, followed by his back; his Captain lands on him, his back on Kraglin's chest. Yondu is shorter but stockier and more solid than Kraglin, and his weight knocks the wind out of him. Breathless and dizzy, Kraglin tries to scramble away, but Yondu rolls off him and rears back a fist.

"Dad, stop!" Peter screams, running towards him.

Yondu whirls, and his fist connects solidly with Peter's jaw; the younger man goes down, blood spurting from his mouth. Yondu leaps on top of him, but Kraglin catches him halfway and heaves him back with all his might, wrenching him away from Peter.

He hears Drax's voice shout, "Quill!"

Quill yells back. "Drax! 'Mora! Help! He’s gone crazy!"

Kraglin sees Gamora enter the room, assessing the situation - just as Yondu takes his arm - and pulls. There's a distinct pop.

The scream is so raw and shrieking that Kraglin doesn't realize at first that it's his own voice. But the pain in his shoulder is excruciating; he falls to his knees, staring down at his limp and in-turned arm. He can see a bulge under the leathers, close to his pectoral - and realizes it's his shoulder bone. Yondu pulled it out of its socket. He stares up in a daze to see his Captain, eyes flashing, lunging towards him.

With a roar, Drax tackles Yondu and pins him down, wrapping his arms around him and lifting him free of the ground.

"Peter!" Gamora is there too, helping Quill to his feet.

"Your shoulder is dislocated," Nebula's voice comes next to Kraglin's head.

She's kneeling by his side, and he turns to her, swallowing back nausea. "Y-yeah, I know. I-" He breaks off to yell, screaming profanities as Nebula yanks on his injured arm as hard as she can. He lashes out at her, but she dodges. Then he realizes his arm doesn't hurt quite as much. He looks down, and sees his arm isn't hanging limp anymore. Experimentally, he moves it, and realizes that it's back in the socket. He stares at her.

She rolls her eyes. "You're welcome.” She gets to her feet and holds out a hand to him. He grabs it with his good arm, and she hauls up. 

Peter is standing too and looks shaken, but more or less unhurt apart from a swollen and split lip.

Drax still has Yondu locked in his arms, though the Captain is putting up one hell of a fight.

"Yondu?"

Kraglin turns to see Stakar standing in the doorway. Rocket is on his shoulder, and he leaps off, coming a few paces into the room. His ears droop. "What did they do to him?" he asks softly.

"It's gotta be that implant," Kraglin says, pointing. "It’s like he don’t know who we are."

"Everybody stand back,” Stakar orders. “Drax, keep hold of him for a minute until I say."

Kraglin would argue, that he should be the one to talk to his Captain because he knows Yondu better - but he realizes that he doesn't. At least, not when he's like this. He's wild, his battle instincts overriding everything else - just like he must have been like when Stakar first met him.

Everyone gathers along the back wall; Gamora, Nebula and Rocket go into the hallway to keep watch; they probably don't have much time. Kraglin puts a hand on Peter's shoulder as they watch Stakar approach Yondu. He continues to struggle in Drax's arms. 

"Yondu, boy? Look at me, son."

"Ain't - yer - son!" Yondu snarls, snapping his teeth.

"Yes, you are," Stakar replies softly. "You’re not a Kree slave. You’re not a number. You are Yondu Udonta. You're a Ravager, a Captain, and you're my boy. Don't you remember?” He reaches out and places his gloved hands gently on either side of Yondu's face.

Peter and Kraglin exchange glances; Yondu has mimicked that exact action with each of them a number of times, to make them focus or calm them down in a stressful situation, or once or twice, to comfort them.

There’s a moment where it looks like Yondu is going to try and bite Stakar’s hands, but then he goes still. His eyes widen, pupils contracting a little, searching Stakar's face. "Sta...Stakar?" he asks, his voice hoarse.

"That’s right. It’s me. It's okay, boy. You're safe."

Yondu begins to breathe rapidly, looking around the cell. "Where – where am I? Who's got me?” He cranes his neck back to try and see Drax. “Let go a' me!"

"Let him go," Stakar says, and Drax gently sets Yondu on his feet, moving to the door. Yondu jumps away from him, glaring, holding onto Stakar's wrists; the Ravager Captain’s hands are still resting on Yondu's face. "What happened? Where am I?" He peers over his shoulder at Kraglin and Peter. "Who… who're they?"

Kraglin's insides go ice cold, and Peter gasps.

Stakar lets go of his face, opting to just leave a hand on his shoulder, as the First Mate slowly comes near.

"Cap'n?" Kraglin asks, swallowing a lump in his throat. "Don't…don’tcha recognize me?"

Yondu's narrow in thought, looking him up and down, then brighten with recognition. “Krags. You’re Kraglin. My First Mate.”

Kraglin lets out a breath of relief. "Yessir."

Above them, The Runaways’ Cherry Bomb starts playing, and Yondu's head jerks up towards it. "Quill?” he whispers and scrunches his eyes in confusion. “Who...who is...no.” He shakes his head and looks past Kraglin, studying Peter for several seconds before finally saying, “Quill? That you?"

Peter lets out a nervous, almost hysterical laugh, nodding. “Yeah, it’s me, old man.”

"We gotta go!" Rocket yells, dashing into the room. "How's Blue?"

He and Yondu meet each other's eyes. Yondu pauses for a moment, then turns to Peter. “Who’s the rat?”

“You’ll remember,” Peter says quickly before Rocket can question anything, “Let’s just get you outta here first.” He shrugs out of his duster and helps Yondu into it with Kraglin’s help. As they do so, Kraglin catches his breath slightly. He didn't realize just how many scars his Captain had accumulated over the years. They stand out bright blue and cruel against his skin; there's barely an inch of him that doesn't have some sort of blemish or old wound.

Stakar squeezes Yondu’s shoulder. “Let’s get ya home, son.” He leads him out the door, but Yondu slows and plants his feet just before the door.

He breathes heavily, eyeing the invisible diving line between his cell and the hallway.

“Yondu?” Stakar asks.

“They – they’ll punish me,” Yondu says, half to himself, eyes still glued to the floor.

Kraglin exchanges concerned glances with Stakar, and comes forward to touch his elbow. “We ain’t gonna let no one hurt ya, Cap,” he says softly. “We’re takin’ ya back to yer ship. Ya want to go home, don’tcha?”

Yondu raises his eyes to his First Mate’s, and Kraglin sees a flash of the Captain he knows – resilient, stubborn, strong.

“Yeah.” Yondu says, clenching his jaw. He takes a deep breath. “I ain’t no slave,” he mutters. “I ain’t no slave, I’m a Ravager.” He steps out of the cell, tenses, as if expecting something to happen, then lets out a breath when nothing does. “A’ight, let’s git the hell outta here.”

“[y/n], you should rest,” Soldalis repeats with notable frustration as he watches you pace back and forth in the Med Bay. He’s made the request at least three dozen times in the last couple of hours.

You glance at him, and then at Eega, sitting at Soldalis’ side. She’s resigned herself to the fact that you’re not going to lie down until Yondu is safely on board, and doesn’t say a word. Without a word to either of them, you leave the room.

Soldalis’ “Where are you going?” is cut off by the swinging of the door.

You have a feeling that Yondu – and maybe several others – will need to be admitted to the Med Bay as soon as possible, and your ship hasn’t moved any closer to Tycho’s. You head straight for the Control Room.

The Navs straighten up at your appearance, and Jesper jumps out of the co-pilot chair. Rhian, sitting in the Captain’s seat, turns.

“Doc?” she says, sweeping her long blue hair out of her face. “What are you doing here?”

“We need to move the ship closer to the Larkspur.”

“But our orders were to stay in this position,” Jesper protests half-heartedly.

“I know what your orders were, but I think we should change them and move closer.”

“It’s not your place, Doc,” Rhian says, standing. “I’m sorry.”

You put your hands on your hips, raising your chin, and look her in the eye. “Actually, it is. As Lead Medic, I have the right and authority to overrule standing orders if there is a medical emergency.” Jesper opens his mouth to ask a question, but you hold up a hand, knowing what he’s going to say. “Granted, I don’t know if there is an emergency yet, but if they’re in battle, if the Captain or anyone from our crew has been hurt, they’re going to need attention quickly, and I don’t want to be all the way the hell out here if they need us.” You drop your voice and take a step closer to her. “As Lead Medic of this ship, I am asking you to change course.”

Rhian searches your face, and takes in a deep breath. She turns to Jesper. “Take us closer.”

Jesper barely holds back a triumphant smile. “Yes sir!” He points to one of the Navs. “Take us to thrust level 5. You,” he says, pointing at another. “Patch me into the coms.”

“Yes sir!”

“Attention crew, this is Jesper,” the Lead Nav says seating himself in the Captain’s chair and speaking into the ship-wide com. “We are approaching the Larkspur. All hands to battle stations, be at the ready.” He turns to the Navs again. “Take us to level 8.”

Before long, the Larkspur’s signature comes into range. “Slow us to level 4,” Jesper orders. As they grow closer, a radar on one of the holoscreens starts to show all sorts of vessels within the vicinity.

Your eyes grow wide. “Are – are those all Kree ships?” you ask with a gasp.

“Slow us to level 1, activate reverse thrusters and slow us to a stop,” Jesper says, then peers over the radar. At first he looks concerned, but then a slow grin spreads over his face.

Gamora, Nebula and Drax broke off from the rest of the group to distract any pursuers and round up any stray escaped slaves; they’ve been in contact with Charlie-27 and will rendezvous back on the Eclector.

Kraglin, Peter, Stakar and Rocket, along with Yondu, have passed the hall where the majority of the slave cells were, and now they’re not too far from where they boarded. They just have to go through the doorway at the end of the hall and turn the corner.

“Guess most of the Kree must be out there, huh?” Peter asks, activating his mask again as some outside force rocks the ship.

“If we’re lucky,” Kraglin replies. “Hope Nillgrac is still in-”

"1-2-80."

Yondu halts in his tracks, breath catching sharply as he turns. He shoves Peter and Kraglin behind him, and Kraglin gets the impression that it’s an instinctual motion rather than something conscious.

At the end of the hallway, from whence they’d come, stands a tall, thin Kree with broad shoulders and white markings on half his face. Next to him stands a stronger, broader Kree, his hair ending in a long tail.

Tycho, and tha’s probably Zoroah, Kraglin assumes, and scowls.

"1-2-80,” Tycho says, narrowing his eyes, “Why are they still alive, and what are you doing out of your cell?"

Yondu shrinks into himself, and his legs begin to sink into a kneeling position.

"No!" Stakar snaps at him. He pushes past Kraglin and Peter to catch Yondu’s elbow, pulling him back up. "You are not a slave, Yondu. Remember? You're a Ravager. A Ravager Captain. You kneel to no one!"

"Do not listen to him, 1-2-80,” Tycho says coolly, slowly walking their way. “He exiled you once, why wouldn't he do it again? And those others - they will only leave you behind, run out on you to find their own crew and family. They will only betray you in your moment of need, out of their own selfish wants."

Yondu glances at Stakar, Peter, Kraglin, as if unsure, and swallows.

Stakar stands between Yondu and Tycho, white flecks of light appearing behind his eyes. "Who stole you from your home, Yondu? Who put you under the whip, in chains, and treated you like an animal? Who put you on the front line of their wars as fodder, made you fight in arenas for their own amusement? Who brainwashed you? Made you forget us?" He points at Tycho. “He is the traitor, the betrayer. You are nothing to him.” He puts his hands on either side of Yondu’s face, and Yondu grips his wrists like a lifeline. “You are everything to us.”

“Stakar,” Yondu whispers. He grits his teeth. “I wanna go home.”

“Then let’s go,” Stakar says with a smile.

“You’ve chosen poorly, 1-2-80,” Tycho says, frowning.

“My name is Yondu Udonta!” he snarls back, eyes flashing. “I ain’t a damn number, and I don’t belong to the flarkin’ Kree! I don’t belong to nobody!”

“Yes, you do,” Tycho says coldly, and crosses the hall and places his hand there. A hidden panel slides up, and he slams a button within. Lights flash along the floor, and a heavy metal door lowers swiftly from the ceiling behind him, smashing to the floor.

Ahead of them, another heavy door hurtles downward, blocking their escape route. Stakar and Kraglin lunge for it but are too late to stop it or get through.

“Zoroah,” Tycho says, and his companion steps forward, “Kill them, and bring 1-2-80 back to me.”

 “Yes, sir.” Zoroah draws two wide curved swords from his sides and starts to race towards them.

Peter starts forward, but Kraglin hauls him back. “No, you git that door open! I’ll handle this sonuvabitch.” Kraglin whips his kukri knife from over his shoulder, and a blaster from his thigh. Shifting the gun to the hand of his injured arm, he fires, but the Kree avoids and deflects his shots.

He’s fast and is almost upon Kraglin before he’s ready. Almost.

Kraglin swiftly side steps, lashes out with his knife, and dark blue blood flies across the blade and spatters against the floor. Zoroah hisses in pain, ducks, lashes out with one of his swords at Kraglin’s calves. The First Mate jumps, rolls out of the way.

Zoroah, bleeding from a slice on his cheek, glares at Kraglin and twirls one of the swords in his fingers. He really pulls out all the stops, then, and Kraglin finds himself fighting for his life. The Kree is acrobatic in his movements, using the walls as springboards and doing fancy twirls and spins to evade Kraglin’s attacks. His swords also have long tassels on the handles, which partially obscure his hands and the blades so the First Mate has a hard time figuring out his next move.

Stakar wants to intervene, help Kraglin, but he knows that he might be more of a distraction than a help in one-on-one combat. Instead, he steers Yondu back towards Peter, and heads for Tycho.

Tycho sees him coming and backs away. “1-2-80!” He shouts in a commanding tone at Yondu, “1-2-80, protect your master! You must kil-” The Kree’s voice is cut off as Stakar punches him savagely in the mouth. Tycho goes down, but retaliates quickly, coming up with a short knife, and Stakar likewise finds himself busy.

Meanwhile, Peter has pried the control panel from the wall, is scrambling to get their door open.

“Try the blue wire!” Rocket interjects from his shoulder, pointing a claw. “No, the blue one!”

“That’s green!” Peter glares at him.

“Whatever! Try that one!”

“Shut up! I know what I’m doing!” Peter glances back at Yondu, who is watching the fights, and frankly looks a little sick. “Dad!” Peter says, trying to distract him. “Dad? Dad – oh for the love of - Yondu!”

He turns.

Peter nods to the control panel. “Do you know how to get these damn doors open?”

Yondu makes a face as if to say I gotta do everything for you, kid? and peers into the mess of wiring and circuitry. “That orange one there should be the lock, that is, if they ain’t changed nothin’.”

“Told you,” Rocket says, smacking Peter upside the head.

“You said the green one!” Peter snaps back.

“Whatever! I was pointing at the orange one.”

“No you weren’t!”

“This important right now?” Yondu interrupts with a snarl. “I was under the impression that we was in a hurry!”

Peter blushes slightly and disconnects the orange wire.

“Now trace that green one,” Yondu continues, “I think it should lift the door.”

Kraglin is used to Skrull tactics. Skrulls are sneaky, quick, and prefer to prey on the emotional vulnerabilities of their opponents. Kree, on the other hand, are bred warriors, and Zoroah is no different. Kraglin is breathing heavy, bleeding from a dozen different wounds; his blasters have all been stripped off of him or disarmed from his hands. All he has now is his Kukri knife against Zoroah’s double swords.

Over the Kree’s shoulder, Kraglin sees Stakar pin Tycho to the floor, with his arms behind his back, and he smirks in spite of himself. “Looks like yer boss ain’t doin’ so hot.”

Zoroah doesn’t take the bait, however, and keeps his eyes on Kraglin. “You will die,” he spits, and makes a sudden movement like he’s going to charge.

At that very moment, Quill’s music from the Zune, which has been continuously blaring through the speakers, suddenly falls silent. Kraglin’s eyes dart up to the ceiling fearfully.

A voice blares over the intercom.

"This is Captain Aleta Ogord. You are surrounded by sixty of the One Hundred Ravager Clans, and the rest are on their way. We are fully armed and ready to fire upon you unless you meet my demands. You have slaves and Ravagers aboard your ships. You will surrender them unharmed and unchained, or we will board you and take them by force."

Stakar grins at the ceiling, and pinning Tycho down with one heavy boot, taps his ear com. “I ever tell ya that I love ya, girl?”

“Shut up, Stakar,” comes her reply in his ear.

Kraglin nearly laughs out loud in relief but doesn’t have time. Zoroah rushes forward. Kraglin spins to get out of the way, and senses Zoroah change directions behind him. Kraglin slides, drops to his knees just in time, arching backwards so he’s almost lying down with his back against the floor.

The Kree’s swords slice just shy of his nose, scissoring with intent to remove his head.

Zoroah stands before him, his front exposed, and Kraglin realizes this might be the only opportunity to end the fight. He turns the Kukri in his hand and drives it deep into the Kree’s gut. Zoroah gasps, eyes wide and bulging. Blood dribbles from his lips.

Kraglin withdraws his knife swiftly, rolling out of the way as the Kree makes one last attempt to fight back, but it’s too late. The swords clatter from Zoroah’s hands and he falls to his knees. Without hesitation or ceremony, Kraglin reaches for one of his discarded blasters and takes aim at the Kree’s head. He goes down without so much as whimper.

There’s a rumbling, and a cheer from Peter – Kraglin looks his way to see the last of the door retreat into its original place in the ceiling.

“I got it, let’s go, Krags! Gramps!”

Stakar takes Tycho’s hair in a fist and smashes his head against the ground. “I’d kill you, but for this kind of failure, I’m sure the S.I. will have something much more painful in store for you.” He releases the Kree with a harsh shove into the floor, then makes his way towards Yondu.

Kraglin gathers up his blasters – he’s missing one. It must be back in the cell where they found Yondu. He presses a finger to his ear. “Nillgrac. Come in.”

“Flarkin’ hell,” Nillgrac’s voice answers. “There ya are. I was gettin’ sick, jus’ sittin’ in this ship. It’s a war zone out here and I’m itchin’ to fly!”

“We’re on our way to the pickup spot with the Captain right now. Stand by.”

“Copy that.”

“Nillgrac’s waitin’, let’s go!” he shouts.

Stakar herds the others forward; Yondu does the same until they’re the last two to go through the door. Stakar pushes him ahead.

“Ogord!”

Stakar turns, to see Tycho, bloody and beaten, clutching the wall in support. In his hand, he holds a blaster, and it’s aimed straight at him. "If the Supremor can't have him," he says savagely, "Neither can you." He shifts his blaster slightly to the left, and fires.

The white-hot jet of light streaks past him; he whirls on his heel in time to see it rip through Yondu's implant. The Centaurian goes down without a sound.

"No!" Peter screams, diving to catch him.

"Bastard!" Stakar screams, racing for Tycho.

Tycho starts to laugh, blood staining his teeth, and reaches for the panel. Just before Stakar reaches him, the door slides down again, barring his path. He rears a fist into it, pounding the metal until it shakes. 

“Stakar!” Kraglin screams as he helps lift Yondu onto Peter’s shoulders. “We gotta go now! Come on!”

"Just get him to the ship!" Stakar bellows.

“I ain’t leavin’ ya behind!” Kraglin yells, but recoils as Stakar turns.

The man's eyes are blanked out white, glowing from within. Light pours from them, gleaming in the veins of his face and neck and glowing in the back of his throat like unholy white flame. “I said go!”

Kraglin runs.

The light flows down Stakar’s body and into his arms, to settle around his fists. He rears back an arm and batters against the door. It groans. Another hit, and it creaks horribly. Another, and it’s dented inward.

"Stakar! Stakar come in, damn you." It's Aleta. "What's goin' on down there? Why ain’t ya out yet?"

"Kraglin’s getting Yondu on the Sita. Tycho shot him, right through the implant!"

"What?!"

"He's in bad shape, they’re takin’ him back to the Eclector. I need more time – I need to get Tycho - I have to make him pay!"

"Ya lissen to me, ya idiot! Get off the ship! Get off that flarkin' ship!"

"No! I'm not letting him get away with this!" Stakar roars at her.

"Don't worry," comes her reply, and a chill runs down his spine at her soft, dangerous tone, "He won't."

On the Sita, Nillgrac confirms that Gamora, Drax, and Nebula are already on board Freedom’s Lady, Charlie’s ship.

Kraglin takes over as co-pilot. “Let’s go,” he says grimly.

“Where’s Ogord?” Nillgrac asks, looking around.

“He told us to go. So let’s go. That’s an order.”

“Flarkin’ hell,” Nillgrac mutters, but begins to shift the Sita away from the Larkspur.

“Wait!” Rocket cries. “He’s comin’! Open the door!”

Nillgrac realigns the ship and open the airlocks. Stakar stumbles in. “Go! Go now!”

Without any further hesitation, Nillgrac puts all power to the thrusters and glides out from underneath the Larkspur’s belly.

“Holy shit!” the pilot exclaims.

Kraglin would be more impressed with the sixty plus Ravager ships if his Captain weren’t severely wounded, bleeding and unconscious in the back seat.

“Mainframe,” Aleta’s voice comes in Stakar’s ear. “Put me through to the Kree ships.”

He glances at Yondu, his head resting in Peter’s lap. Tears sit on the man’s cheeks and more keep falling as he cradles the Ravager close, wrapped in his duster. He reaches out and rests a hand on Yondu’s knee, swallowing back tears of his own. “Hold on, boy. Just hold on.”

“You’re in,” comes Mainframe’s voice.

“This is Ravager Captain Aleta Ogord, and I have a message for your Supremor, so listen up and patch me through.” She pauses, presumably to give the Kree a moment to do so. “This message is for the Supreme Intelligence of the Kree homeworld. If you ever come near the Udonta clan again, if you attempt to abduct Yondu Udonta, or any other Ravager of any clan for that matter, I will personally bring the wrath of the One Hundred Clans and our allies – which you know to be powerful and numerous – down upon your empire, and I will destroy you – the Supremor – myself. This is not a declaration of war, but a promise. You have threatened and hurt my family too many times and I won’t see it done again. Since you might not believe these threats, focus your exterior cameras on my ship. I have a parting demonstration for you.”

No sooner does the transmission end, than they pass Aleta’s ship, the Virago, at the forefront of the Ravager armada.

“We’re in safe territory,” Nillgrac says. “I’m getting a transmission from the Eclec–  what – what the hell is that?”

There’s a bright shine of light near the Virago’s bow that attracts all their attention. The light is quickly growing in intensity. Stakar presses his hands and nose to the glass.

“Is that some kind of Ravager weapon?” Peter asks, voice hushed. He holds Yondu’s still form closer.

“No,” Stakar breathes, “It’s Aleta.” He can barely make out her figure from here, hardly can distinguish her long hair floating as if underwater, dark black and blending with the void of space. It’s always given him chills, how she can survive in the vacuum without suit or oxygen. As her entire body glows brighter and brighter, Stakar feels a tingle in his arms, and looks down. On the visible patch of skin between his gloves and jacket sleeves, he sees his veins are glowing slightly, an echo of their shared power.

She floats out farther from her ship, a tiny figure before the Larkspur’s massive hull. Light shines from her fingertips, flows from her eyes and open mouth like she's absorbed a moon.

Stakar opens all coms to his Ravager ships, and bellows so that those can hear him up the in cockpit, "Shields to maximum! Brace for impact!" He watches as his wife as glows brighter still. He knows no one apart from him will be able to stand the sight. 

"What’s happening?” Peter cries, and Stakar faintly hears an influx of communications shouting similar questions on his ear com. 

"It’s Aleta," he repeats. "She's gonna -"

Aleta's form glows a dazzling bright white, bright as a star, so horrible and beautiful that Stakar has to force himself to watch instead of giving into his instincts to look away. The light concentrates in her now-outstretched hands and bursts from her in an a jagged, lightning-like pattern.

It shreds through the Larkspur's hull as if it were tissue paper, before arcing to the other ships and doing the same.

The ships explode in a dazzling display of multi-colored sparks and fireballs. The glow around Aleta dies away, as she’s reeled back to her ship on a lifeline – just as the first debris of the destroyed Kree cruisers begin to hit the Virago’s anterior shields.

Chapter Text

Once aboard, Yondu goes immediately into surgery. You find you’re too tired, anxious, and shaky to perform it yourself, so you leave the procedure in Soldalis' and Eega's capable hands. The pieces of the shattered implant are successfully removed from Yondu's head and brain, and an old model that Stakar had kept on board his ship from Yondu’s early days is put in its place, while Mainframe, Rocket and Kraglin develop a replacement with Eega.

Hundreds of deactivated nanobots were also found in Yondu’s bloodstream, most of them concentrated near his brainstem; Eega identified them as Kree models and surmised that they might have worked in tandem with the strange implant. She surmised that they were probably ingested rather than injected, since she found no injection site or trace of needle punctures, and told you that while it would take a few days to completely flush them out of his system, they posed no further threat.

While your recovering boyfriend remains unconscious, Stakar, Aleta, Charlie, Mainframe and Krugarr, as well as several other Ravager ships escort the Eclector nearer to Nova Corps territory, keeping an eye on things and all sensors open for any Kree activity. Things are all quiet on that front, however; it seems that Aleta's threat made its way back to Hala and the Kree aren't eager to retaliate.

You've barely slept since Yondu came back on board, staying by his side after you’ve treated Kraglin’s wounds and seen anyone else that needed lesser medical attention. It's only when you can't possibly keep your eyes open anymore that you rest. Your appetite is lacking, but thankfully Eega, as well as Aleta, have been monitoring you closely and make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids and having at least enough protein to keep your strength up.

Kraglin likewise hasn’t rested or eaten much since returning, and he wanders into the Med Bay often to look in on his Captain. Nearly two days after their arrival, you look up to find the First Mate leaning despondently inside your doorway.

“Hey,” you say with a half-hearted smile. “How’s your shoulder?”

He nods. “Fine.”

“You look like you need some sleep.”

“So do ya,” he replies.

“I can’t,” you say. “I know I should, but I can’t. I just need to be doing...something.”

“Same,” Kraglin sighs. He looks around your office briefly before resting his eyes on you again. He nods at your head. “Ya want me to fix yer hair?”

A short time later finds you seated in your cabin, with a sheet wrapped around you like a smock, and a mirror leaned up against the holoscreens over your desk. “Almost done,” Kraglin says. “Weren’t too bad. Just needs some evenin’ out.”

“Thanks, Kraglin.” You sit in silence, with only the sound of the scissors filling the quiet room. “Where did you learn to cut hair?” You ask after a few moments.

He retrieves a comb from a small bag he brought from his cabin, and focuses on the back of your head. “My Momma always did it fer me, but when she got sick she so I could cut my own hair, and my sister’s. Taught Pete, too.”

You catch his eye in the mirror. “I didn’t know you had a sister.”

He averts his gaze from yours, concentrating on evening the locks. “She died,” he says softly.

“Oh, Kraglin. I’m so sorry.”

He pats your shoulder briefly. “S’okay, Doc. It was a long time ago, I was only ‘bout thirteen or fourteen.”

“Was she older or younger than you?”

“She was younger. She was ‘bout nine when....” He breaks off and doesn’t finish the sentence. “Her name was Vara,” he says instead. He taps the ladder-esque tattoo under his left ear, the only tattoo on that side of his body. “I got this fer her, to remember her. And my Momma. Their names started with the same letter, my Momma’s name was Valren.”

“Vara and Valren. Those are beautiful names.”

He smiles at you. “I always liked ‘em too.” He pulls out a clipper and cleans up the hair around your ears, then wipes the back of your neck with a damp towel. “Okay, Doc. I think yer all set. Take a look.” He holds the mirror out to you.

Your hair is short, like a bob style haircut that’s almost a pixie cut. “Thank you, Kraglin,” you say, turning your head one way and then the other. “You did a good job.”

He smiles, the packs the clippers and scissors back in the bag. 

“Thanks for bringing Yondu back,” you say quietly as he heads towards the door.

He pauses, then turns, wearily sitting himself on the bed. “I was scared a couple times that we weren’t gonna make it. Still scared, a lil bit.” He adds quietly.

“He’s going to be okay,” you tell him, sitting by his side. “Because of you and Peter and Stakar.”

Kraglin nods but doesn’t look very convinced. 

After a moment, you get up and retrieve an object from the shelf above your desk. You pause, holding it in your hands thoughtfully, then come back to sit next to Kraglin. “I had a brother,” you say quietly. “He was a soldier and died protecting his team.” You hand Kraglin the object in your hands, and the First Mate takes it reverently. “He was awarded that medal for bravery. I want you to have it, Kraglin.”

He looks at you, eyes wide. “What? No, [y/n], I can’t take this. This is yers.”

“You remind me a lot of my brother, and you’ve been so kind, helpful and friendly to me since we’ve met that honestly, you...you’re like another brother to me, Kraglin. I know that’s a little awkward sounding with me dating your dad,” you add and you both laugh, “But it’s true. So please. I would really like you to have it. Please take it.”

He drops his gaze, tracing his fingers over the glass that encases the ribboned medallion. After a few minutes of sitting in silence, he loops an arm around your shoulders and pulls you against his side. “Thanks, y/n,” he whispers. “I’m real glad the Cap’n has ya, and that me and the rest a’ the crew does too. We’re a lucky bunch.”

You hug him back, just as there’s a rapping on your door. 

You open it to find Eega. “He’s waking up,” she says urgently.

You both jump to your feet, and Kraglin tucks the medal in its case into his jacket pocket.

 “I’ve already contacted Peter and the Ogords,” Eega continues as you and Kraglin move through your office and into the Med Bay.

Soldalis is standing over Yondu’s cot, and as you reach it, Aleta, Stakar, Martinex, Peter, Gamora, and Rocket enter.

“Don’t crowd him,” Aleta orders. “Let [y/n] see him first.”

You approach your boyfriend. He’s covered up to his waist in a sheet and is dressed in a soft t-shirt and sweatpants. He has a couple wires connected to his hand, temple and neck to monitor his heartrate, blood pressure and temperature. You can see from the holoscreen next to his cot that his heartrate is rising.

You notice Yondu’s eyes are moving under their lids, and they to flutter a little. “Yondu?” you ask softly, leaning in towards him. “Yondu, can you hear me?”

Slowly, his eyes open. “Wha – what happened?” he groans, blinking.

“Oh, Yondu,” you cry, flinging your arms around his neck. “Thank god, I was so scared!”

“The hell? Git off me!”

You back up with a gasp as he pushes you away. “Yondu,” you say, shocked. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong?” he snarls at you, narrowing his eyes. “I wake up in a weird place, got some strange woman hangin’ all over me and she’s got the scrote to ask me what’s wrong.” He looks wildly around, leaning far back against his pillows. His lip curls a little, one hand clutching the side rail of his cot, until his eyes fall on Kraglin. “Krags! Who is this?”

You begin to breathe hard, your heart racing. Who is this…Weird place…strange woman…he doesn’t recognize me. Kraglin warned me his memories might not all be back but…he…I can’t…I can’t handle this. He doesn’t - I can’t- You realize that your breathing is very fast and very heavy, but you can’t stop it. You back away from Yondu’s cot, hand groping behind you, searching for something to hold on to, to steady yourself.

Kraglin looks from Yondu to you, ignoring whatever his Captain is trying to say to him. “Doc? Doc, it’s gonna be okay.”

Tears stream from your eyes. He doesn’t remember me. He doesn’t know who I am. He might never remember.

“Doc?” Kraglin repeats, his voice rising.

You begin to feel dizzy, and your chest hurts a little. On a clinical level, you realize you’re hyperventilating, but you’re too far detached to do anything to stop it. The crying isn’t helping matters. Darkness starts to rush in from the corners of your eyes, and you feel your knees give way.

“Doc!” Someone strong catches you and slings your arm over their shoulders. “It’s okay, honey. I’ve gotcha.” You realize it’s Aleta. “Clear the way. Where’s her quarters?”

“This way, Captain,” Eega answers.

“Breathe, honey, breathe,” Aleta says sharply, squeezing your arm firmly so it barely hurts. It helps you focus.

“He – he – doesn’t-” You can’t get the words out between your sobs.

Eega leads Aleta to your cabin and shuts the door after the two of you. Aleta seats you on the bed and sits by your side, curling a leg underneath her. “Breathe, [y/n]! In, out. Deep, calm breaths. Like me. Watch me.” She takes your chin in a hand, tilting your head up so you are looking her in the face, and takes a few deep breaths. “In, out. C’mon. Breathe with me. In yer nose, out yer mouth. Breathe.”

You breathe shakily through your nose, sniffling against tears, and breathe out through your mouth. After a couple of breaths, you’re not as dizzy and things aren’t so hazy and dim.

“Thatta girl. A few more times, now.”

You follow her directions, and when your breathing seems to be under control, Aleta pulls you into her arms. “C’mere, honey.”

Your breathing is better, but you’re still sobbing. “I – I should have told him no!” you cry into her shoulder.

“What?” Aleta asks. “Told who no?”

“Yondu, when we were on Earth! I shouldn’t have changed my mind! If I hadn’t come with him, he would never have gotten captured, he wouldn’t have gotten shot, he’d still have his memories, he’d –"

“He’d be flarkin’ miserable,” Aleta interjects sternly, holding you out. She brushes the hair from your face and behind your ears, before doing the same with her own hair so you can look each other full in the eyes. “[y/n], that night we first met ya, Stakar and I were talkin’ on our way back to the ship. We have never – never – seen Yondu look so happy as when he’s with you. We’ve never seen him look so young. Even twenty-five years ago he didn’t look that young. Ya bring life back into him, give him hope, love him in a way that none of us has ever been able to.”

You sob harder and find yourself gathered in Aleta’s arms again. She loops strong arms around you, rocking back and forth. “Just let it out, honey. I’ve got ya. Don’tcha worry, he’s gonna come back to us, I know it. He loves you too much, and he’s too damn stubborn to let a little memory loss stop him.”

Yondu feels a pang of guilt wash over him as tears run down your face and you break down sobbing. He follows you with his eyes as Aleta leads you into an adjoining room, assisted by what looks like a female Niktil. Who is that? And why is she cryin’ so hard?

Kraglin stares after you, then suddenly waves his arms towards the door. “Everybody out!” he orders. “Except you, Soldalis – keep an eye on him fer a minute. Everybody else out. Now.”

Yondu watches as his First Mate ushers everyone out of – whatever room he’s in – and begins talking to Quill and – Stakar? What the hell is Stakar doing here? And Aleta fer that matter! And who’s this Doc? He suddenly lurches away and bares his teeth at the tall, dark-furred male Niktil at his elbow as he comes near. “Back off,” he snarls.

The Niktil – what did Kraglin call him? Sold-something? – Raises a wing claw and taps on a holoscreen next to Yondu’s cot. “I am merely checking your vitals, Captain.”

“I don’t need ya to check my vitals,” he growls back. “I need ya to let me alone.” He turns his head towards the door, where Kraglin is still conversing. He needs someone he can trust. “Kraglin!” he barks, and the First Mate spins on his heel. “Git the hell over here!”

Slower, and with less nervousness than he recalls seeing in Kraglin in the past, the Xandarian approaches him. “Cap’n,” he begins.

“Don’t Cap’n me! Where the hell am I? What happened? I want answers!”

Kraglin looks back towards the door, then with a deep breath, pulls up a chair and straddles it. “Cap,” he says patiently, “Ya got kidnapped by the Kree. They…they did somethin’ to yer implant. Replaced it, and it messed with yer brain.”

“What?”

Kraglin flinches slightly at the yell but holds up a hand. “They made ya forget things. And when we was rescuin’ ya, they shot ya through the implant-”

“Forget things? What kinda things? Whatcha talkin’ ‘bout?”

“Ya lost some memories, Cap’n. Well, the doctors say they’re probably not lost, jus’ buried, like.”

“What’re ya talkin’ ‘bout?” Yondu repeats with a snarl.

Kraglin lets out a noise of exasperation. “Cap’n, where do ya think ya are right now?”

“What kinda stupid question is-?”

“Where do ya think ya are?” Kraglin repeats the inquiry, with a firm, stern tone that Yondu rarely hears – and never directed at him.

Yondu wants to retort, but there’s an anxiety in Kraglin’s eyes that stops him. Instead, he snorts and looks around. He shrugs, and winces – his shoulders and arms are sore for some reason. “Dunno. Some Ravager med bay.”

“It is a Ravager ship. Do you know which one?”

“No!” Yondu snaps. “Does it matter?”

“It’s your ship, Cap’n.”

Yondu squints at his First Mate. “This ain’t my Med Bay. Don’t have the same layout, and it’s too clean!”

“It is your Med Bay, sir. Med Bay of the Eclector II.”

“Two?” Yondu repeats incredulously. “What – what the hell happened to my first ship?”

Kraglin shifts in his chair – a little uncomfortably, it seems. “It, uh. It blew up,” he says.

“What? Who dest-” Yondu breaks off mid-word as flashes of memories and voices shoot through his mind. ‘I’m the one what sticks up for you.’ ‘You’re the one what kilt those men by leading ‘em down the wrong path.’ ‘Prepare the third quadrant for release.’ He holds his head in a hand, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Dad? You okay?” Quill asks.

“The ship…the crew.” Yondu raises his head, blinking a few times. He turns to Kraglin with narrowed eyes. “There was a mutiny.”

Kraglin’s eyes drop to the floor and he grows very still, clasping his hands together.

“It was Taserface.” Kraglin looks up again and meets his eyes with slight surprise. “It was Taserface,” Yondu repeats firmly, with a meaningful tilt of his head. “I remember that much. And – and the – the Twig. And the Rat. They was there…weren’t they? Gods, my head.” He grits his teeth, growling. “Dammit all! What the hell did they do to me? Why can’t I remember?!”

“It’s okay, Cap,” Kraglin says, rising from his chair. “It’ll come back.”

“Dad, calm down, it’s –shit!” Peter yelps as Yondu seizes the front of his shirt and pulls him downward.

“And what’s all this Dad stuff?” he snarls in his face. “The first time, I thought it was a joke or a slip a’ the tongue! But yer doin’ it on purpose! Huh? Whatcha doin’ here, anyhow? Ya hate me!” He shakes him.

Hurt flashes across Peter’s eyes. “I don’t hate you,” he says, and much more calmly than the First Mate expects, places a hand over Yondu’s wrist, and slowly sinks into the chair by his bedside. “Do you remember Ego?” he asks softly.

“What? Of course I –” Yondu bites off the remainder of his sentence, inhaling sharply. He looks at Peter, his eyes wide and haunted. “H-how do you know about Ego?” he whispers.

“Because he found me,” Peter replies.

Kraglin can see his Captain’s mind racing in horror behind the ruby eyes, but Yondu only stares back at Quill without saying anything.

“And you were there with me, when he tried to kill me, use me as a battery. Remember? We fought him. All of us. And you – you told me, remember? - that you don’t fly your arrow with your head? You fly it with your-”

“Heart,” Yondu finishes, swallowing. He shakily releases Peter’s shirt, opting to clench the bedsheets instead. “Yeah.”

“And – and the planet was blowing up. Ego was blowing up, do you remember that?”

Yondu looks sharply up at Peter’s tight voice and sees there are tears in the corners of his eyes.

“I thought I was done for, but you came and found me. You carried me out of there. But you only had one space suit, and you slapped it on me, remember?” Peter pauses to hastily rub a stray tear from his cheek, taking a deep breath. “And do you remember what you said? You said that Ego might have been my father, but – but he wasn’t my daddy.”

Yondu takes in a trembling breath, and is silent for several moments before saying, softly, “I’m damn lucky yer my boy.”

Peter’s face breaks into a big grin, just as two tears spill down his cheeks, and he nods vigorously. “Yes. Yes, you sure are damn lucky, old man,” he laughs.

Kraglin and Peter continue to speak with Yondu for the better part of two hours, trying to jog memories, but most things only come in bits and snatches, flashes and half-remembered conversations. It turns out he doesn’t actually remember much, at least in complete segments, after he got shot through the implant by Nebula. It was like being shot by Tycho reset him back to that point.

After discovering this, they step outside the Med Bay, where Stakar has been waiting, and the three of them decide that it is best to let Yondu remember most things on his own, with minimal guidance from them or the crew, at least for the time being. Once this is agreed upon and relayed to Soldalis and Eega, Kraglin returns to Yondu’s side. He nods at the doctors Villii, who have been quietly standing by in the Lead Medic’s office. “Cap, we’re gonna let ya git some rest. Soldalis and Eega are a couple of our doctors, they’re gonna look after ya fer awhile. They’ll be here, in case ya need anythin’.”

Yondu nods, then gestures for him to come nearer. He does so, leaning in close over the side of the cot. “Before ya go, ya gotta answer me a few things.”

“Yessir.”

“First. Ya trust those fuzzballs?” He jabs a thumb at the doctors.

Kraglin nods. “I trust ‘em enough to look after ya, which is a helluva lot, sir.”

Yondu gives him a tired little smirk. “Right. Second…” He leans to the side to look over Kraglin’s shoulder, nodding towards the Med Bay entrance. “What the hell is he doing here?”

Kraglin looks back and sees Stakar standing with Peter just inside the doors. He pauses for a moment. They’d decided to let Yondu discover most things on his own, but this seems like a pretty important memory to keep from his Captain. “Ya almost died, savin’ Peter,” he says quietly. “We thought ya weren’t gonna make it, and Rocket contacted the Clans, to give ya last rites. They came. All of ‘em. By then, ya’d woke up, and when ya’d recovered a bit, Cap’n Ogord…well, he gave ya a clean record. Took us back into the ranks. We’re the 100^th Clan again.”

Yondu sinks back against his pillows, mouth slightly agape, eyes staring across the room at nothing in particular. At last he turns to Kraglin again. “Ya…ya mean I ain’t exiled no more?”

Kraglin smiles. “Yessir, y’ain’t exiled no more.”

Yondu rubs a hand over his face, breathing out. “Damn.”

“Anything else, Cap?”

“Yeah,” he says after a long pause. Throughout the two hours he was talking to Kraglin and Peter, one thing kept itching at his mind and wouldn’t go away. He shifts in his cot slightly. “That girl. The one ya called Doc. Who is she?”

Kraglin’s face falls and he straightens up. “I’m sorry. Besides her bein’ the Lead Medic, I can’t tell ya anymore.”

“What? Why not?”

“Please, Cap’n. Jus’ git some rest, it’ll come back to ya.”

Yondu wants to argue the point, but there’s something tired and pleading in Kraglin’s eyes, and he decides to drop it. He grunts. “Fine.”

“Anything else?”

“Yeah.” Yondu points in his face. “Git some rest yerself. Ya look like shit.”

Kraglin makes a tired little snort and nods. “Aye, Cap’n. Ya need anythin’, before I-”

“No,” he interrupts sharply. “Jus’ go, Krags.” Yondu watches his First Mate as he walks out through the Med Bay doors. He looks back once before disappearing around the corner, and that fleeting glance makes Yondu's heart constrict in his chest.

There's a pain, a deep pain in Kraglin's eyes that he desperately wants to take away. It's not just that Yondu can't remember things, it's that he can't remember something - maybe a couple things - in particular. His loyal First Mate, his friend, his boy is hurting. His boy. The thought comes without much surprise, and that surprises him. As if he's thought it before. 

~ You were my boy first. ~

He cocks his head. Was that a memory? "Shit." He rubs his eyes. There's still a heavy, aching headache behind them. It's not sharp, not horribly painful, but it throbs, waning and waxing in intensity. It's annoying and makes it so he can't quite think straight. He grabs the cup of water that was left for him, takes an irritable slurp through the straw, and waits a few minutes, but the water doesn't seem to help. He glares at the lights above him. "Hey!" he bellows.

One of the Niktil's - the female - pops out from the office at the end of the room, and she scurries his way. "Yes, Captain?"

"Can ya turn the damn lights out? My head's killin' me."

"Yes, of course." She crosses briskly to the wall and dims the lights to twenty percent. "Can I get you anything?"

He knows she means kindly, but her demeanor is almost frustratingly patient. "My missin' memories would be nice," he says with a scowl.

She blinks her four eyes at him sympathetically, her wing claws folding and unfolding. "We will help you in any way we can, Captain."

"Yeah, yeah. Can ya put up them curtain walls or whatever? I'm wanna git some sleep."

"The controls should be there on your right, you can adjust the transparency as you like. Is there anything else, sir?"

She keeps comin’ into my head. Why? "...The other doctor. The Lead Medic. What's her name?"

The Niktil turns her head away. "I'm sorry. I'm under orders not to tell you. It's something you must remember on your own."

Yondu sits upright on the cot, pointing at her. "I am the damn Cap'n of this ship! If yer part a' my crew, ya answer to me! Yer under my orders!"

"All due respect, sir," she says, pausing as she begins to walk away, "But you are currently incapacitated. Kraglin is acting Captain, and he is who I will continue to take my orders from until you are fully recovered. Now please try and get some rest." With that she departs.

Yondu's hands clench in the sheets. A deep and sudden rage boils in his belly like fire, causing him to bare his teeth. Betrayed. He betrayed me. Traitor! Just like with the mutiny-! The thought makes him audibly gasp. His hands go slack, his heart beating fast. No! No, it weren't Kraglin's fault! He reaches for his water again, trying to swallow back that sudden, inexplicable anger. The mutiny was my fault. Kraglin is loyal. Who else has stuck with me all these years?

"Gods," he groans, pressing his palms hard into his eyes. The damn Kree...brainwashin' me...what the hell did they do?

You raise your head from the numerous holopads and study materials you have scattered about your bed as there’s a buzz at your door. You’ve been reading everything you can possibly find about cerebral implants, amnesia, gunshot wounds, shrapnel wounds, and Centaurians and cross referencing them all with each other in the Nova Corps data banks and other medical libraries across the holonet, but your findings have been despairingly sparse.

You stick your stylus behind your ear and clamber out of bed, still clutching your most recent holopad of notes. You’ve nearly reached the door when the intercom crackles. “Doc? It’s Martinex. Are you awake?”

You open the door and see the Starhawk’s First Mate standing there. “Hi Marty,” you say softly. “Come on in.”

“Hi,” he says gently, taking a few steps inside the door. “Guess that answers my question. Have you been able to rest?”

You let out an exhausted half-laugh. “If someone tells me to rest one more time, I’m gonna punch their lights out.”

Martinex chuckles, holding up a hand in defense. “Sorry. Can’t say I blame you, though. I wouldn’t be able to sleep either, that’s why I figured you might be up. I brought you these.” He offers you two well-loved books, their spines cracked and creased, their pages dogeared and marked. “There’s not a lot of information out there on Centaurians, but like Stakar will tell you, I’m a bit of a bibliophile and when Yondu came on board, I went hunting for information. Those helped us out some over the years, thought you might like to have them. Not sure if they’re going to be of any use in this case, but-oh!” He exclaims gently as you hug him around the middle, squeezing tight.

“Thank you,” you say, your voice muffled in the leather of his chest.

He embraces you, then holds you out, placing his hands on your shoulders. He bends to look you in the face. “We’re all here for you and Yondu. It’ll all work out fine, you’ll see.” He releases you and turns to the door, then snaps his gloved fingers. “Oh, and I’m having Mainframe send over any historical medical data we have from when Yondu was on the Starhawk. She’s looking in the Quadrant’s data banks for anything from the original Eclector, so you have that too. She and Yondu were horrible about deleting old data. Lucky for us I guess.” He smiles. “She’ll be sending it within the hour.”

The holopad in your hand chimes, and you look down, activating your visor to read the message. “Data received,” your read. You look up and smile at Martinex, if a little tiredly. “That was fast.”

Martinex nods. “I can’t promise there’s anything in there that will fix this, but it’s good to have anyway. And considering the risk of being beat up, do try and get a little sleep, huh?”

You nod, and jokingly, lightly punch him in the shoulder. He grins and departs from your room.

You open the files from Mainframe, but there are dozens, and they’re too difficult to look at on this little screen. You’d rather look at them in your office. As quietly as you can, you begin to open your door. To your surprise, it opens the rest of the way, pulled by someone else on the other side. You look up into the face of Soldalis.

“[y/n],” he says softly. “You should be-”

You step open the door leading to your office

You stick a hand in his face, just shy of his snout. “Don’t say it.”

He closes his mouth, shuffling his wings a little.

“Martinex gave me some historic medical data on Yondu that I want to look at,” you tell him and Eega, who stands up from where she was seated behind your desk. “You two have been up for at least two shifts and several more than me the last few days. Go sleep for the rest of this Watch, and I’ll get you up at the beginning of Second Watch.”

You go through Yondu's historical medical data for the better part of two hours, organizing the files into your current ones, and then decide to give them a break. You still have several hours of the shift left, however, so you retrieve one of the books that Martinex gave you - and go check on Yondu. Soldalis and Eega informed you that he'd been sleeping before they retired to their cabin, and as you quietly deactivate the privacy field around his cot, you see he still is.

You clench the book in your hands, blinking back sudden tears and trying to resist the urge to trail the back of your hand along the scruff of his cheek. He looks so tired even while asleep, and so different with this strange implant, low against his skull. But he's still the same Yondu, you think, wiping away a stray tear. Well, you think with a further tightening of your throat, He will be. You run fingertips over his shoulder, lightly as not to wake him. “I’m right here, spaceman,” you whisper. “It’s going to be okay.” You say the last sentence half to yourself, as you reactivate the privacy field.

You sniffle softly, glancing around the room, and your eyes fall on the cot next to Yondu’s. There’s a blanket folded at the foot of the bed. Whisking it about your shoulders, you climb into the cot, lean against the pillows, and begin to read your book.

Yondu is awakened by the pressing call of nature. He huffs and rolls his eyes, deactivating the privacy field around his bed. He's about to swing his legs over the cot when he stops. Lying curled up asleep in the cot next to his, is you. The Lead Medic. Doc. What’s she doin’ here? He studies your face. It's very obvious that you've been crying, a lot. Your eyes are puffy and your face flushed and blotched pink and red. Terran, then. Like Quill. Tha's...odd. What's another Terran doin' all the way out here? 

He sees you have your thumb stuck in a book like you were saving your place when you closed your eyes. He peers closer, and realizes the book seems familiar. With a slight shock, he recognizes it as one he'd seen Martinex carrying around in his early years aboard the Starhawk. He can't read, but he remembers Martinex reading passages out of it to him - it's about Centaurians. If you have a book from Martinex, you must be in pretty good standing with the Pluvian. Which means you’ve been off Terra for a while. He glances at your face again. Despite the tear streaks and blotchiness, he finds you attractive. He likes the color of your hair, and your body is just his type.

His bladder reminds him of his original mission, and he grunts. Looking himself over, he finds that there are a few wires attached to his skin. He rips one off the back of his hand, and the machine next to his bed starts beeping loudly. 

The noise wakes you instantly. You bolt upright, frantically looking around. Your eyes come to rest on Yondu, who is holding a wire in one hand, having removed it from his other. "Yondu! Are - are you okay? What's wrong?"

"I gotta take a piss," he says dryly. "I ain't draggin' this damn thing in there with me." He nods at the machine.

"Oh," you say, relaxing. You stand and nearly trip over your book, which had fallen when you sat up. You sweep it from the floor then lean over to key in the code to turn off the beeping. "Here, let me help you with those." Delicately, you peel the tape and wires from his head and neck. You feel his eyes on you the entire time, but don't meet his gaze. "There you go."

He grunts and begins to get to his feet but fleetingly peeks under the blanket before doing so. "Ya didn't put me in one of them damn Nova Corp gowns."

"No, I know you hate them."

He flashes you a brief grin, but instead of laughing or grinning in return, you drop your eyes to the floor, pressing your lips tightly together. He jabs a thumb to the left. "That way?"

You look up, follow his gesture, and nod.

He leaves without a word, and while he's gone, you take the opportunity to quickly change the bed sheets, retrieving freshly cleaned ones from the laundry basket. You're in the process of putting the top sheet on when he returns.

"Ya didn't hafta do that."

You shrug, turning away to retrieve a pillowcase. "Thought it'd be nice to sleep on fresh sheets." You replace the pillowcase, fluff the pillow and lay it at the head of the cot, then fold the blanket and put it at the foot, smoothing out the wrinkles. Yondu sits on the cot, hands on his knees, looking at you. You don’t meet his eyes, bundling the dirty linens in your arms and turning away. You feel him grab your arm, and stop, swallowing.

"Why won’tcha look me in the face?" he asks.

Tears, which you were hoping would have been all used up by now, threaten your eyes again, and you press your lips together hard to keep them back.

He tugs at your arm a little roughly, causing you to come closer to him. "Huh?" he prompts. He takes your other arm, turning you around to face him, but you turn your head to your right, fixing your gaze on the cabinets instead. "Lookit me, girl," he growls.

A tear runs down your cheek, and you shake your head.

He tears the linens out of your arms and hurls them to the ground, seizing your wrists in his hands. He pulls you towards him until you stumble into his arms, and he's got you caught. He holds your hips firmly in his hands. "Why won'tcha lookit me?" he snarls loudly. "Who are you?" 

A sob breaks from your lungs and you hurriedly cover your face with your hands so he doesn't have to see you cry.

At the noise, he instantly releases you, leaning back to give you space. "Shit," he breathes. "Girl, I- I didn't mean to...I jus'-"

"It's okay," you gasp out, wiping tears from your cheeks. You bend to gather the dirty linens again, and quickly withdraw.

Once you’ve disappeared into your office and closed the door, Yondu activates the field again around his bed. He just sits there for some time. Dammit, I didn’t mean to make her cry. She was jus’ tryin’ to help me out, and here I go makin’ a mess a’ things…I just wanted her to look at me. Why won’t she look me in the eyes? Who is she? He sighs deeply and pulls the clean sheet up to his chest. The headache is building behind his eyes again, and his body is tired and aching. But it’s not his bodily aches and pains that are bothering him most. There’s an ache deep in his chest, but it’s not due to any physical injury. Why did it hurt? he wonders, placing a hand over his eyes. Gods, why did it hurt so bad to see her cry? Who the hell is she? And what was she doin’ sleepin’ in the cot next to mine? He closes his eyes and lets his head drop against the pillows. Who are you to me, girl?

Kraglin is tired. Bone-tired. Completely emotionally, physically, and mentally drained. But he can't sleep. His mind won't stop, consumed with thoughts of his Captain and what, if anything, he can do to help him. 

He has a bottle in his hand, but it's unopened; he’s hoping it might make him feel tired, but he doesn't feel like drinking alone. It’s late, First Watch, and he walks through the quiet ship until he finds himself aimlessly circling the Mess. He glances down over the railing at the rows of empty tables of the eating hall and sees that one is occupied.

Stakar Ogord sits at a table along the back wall, all alone.

Kraglin pauses, looks at the bottle in hand for a minute, then slowly descends the steps. He approaches the Ravager Captain and stops about ten feet from the table. "That seat taken?" he asks, pointing.

Stakar looks up at him, slightly startled as if he'd been lost in deep thoughts. He glances at the seat across from him and back at Kraglin, then shakes his head.

"Ya mind?" 

Stakar shakes his head again, and gestures for Kraglin to sit. He does so. "How is he?" the Captain asks, his voice coming out a little hoarse.

"The same, last I heard," Kraglin replies with a little sigh.

Stakar nods.

Kraglin turns the bottle over and over in his lap. "Thanks fer savin' him.”

"He's my boy," Stakar replies softly. There's a long silence then, Kraglin fiddling with the bottle and Stakar running a finger along a chipped edge of the table. "Speaking of which," Stakar continues, clearing his throat, "I'm sorry."

Kraglin's head snaps up fast. Did Stakar Ogord just apologize? "Fer...fer what?"

"The Lead Nav. I didn't know he was your kid." He takes a deep breath, pausing for a moment before continuing. "Regardless, I shouldn't have assumed control like that. It ain't my ship."

Kraglin runs fingers through his hair. "Well, I probably should’na stuck a gun in yer face."

"It's okay," Stakar says with a wry smile. "Sometimes I need a swift kick in the ass. Just ask Aleta."

Kraglin can't stop a laugh, rubbing tiredly at his eyes.

Stakar laughs too.

Kraglin lifts the bottle to the tabletop and fetches two clean glasses from the cart near the kitchen. Wordlessly, he pours them each a shot and pushes one over to Stakar.

The Captain chuckles and lifts the glass in a mock toast. Kraglin clinks his glass with Stakar's and they both throw it back.

Stakar coughs. "Shit. What is that?" He turns the bottle around to see the label, and coughs again. "Red-banded Baluurian whiskey. Damn, boy. Ya know this stuff was outlawed for a reason, right?"

Kraglin shrugs. "Never stopped the Cap'n from havin' some aboard."

Stakar nods and pours himself another glass.

“Hey, you idiots.”

“Hey yerself,” Kraglin mutters at Rocket as the Guardian jumps up on the seat next to Stakar. “Where’s Groot?”

“Finally got him to go to sleep. Fill me up.” Rocket pushes forward a glass with both paws, and Kraglin fills it without a word of reply. Rocket draws it back towards himself. “How’s Blue?”

“’Bout the same.”

“He remember anything else?” Kraglin looks at up at the voice to see Peter and extends an arm to him.

Peter falls into the seat beside his adopted brother and leans dejectedly against his side.

“Naw, nothin’ else yet, I don’t think,” he says with a comforting squeeze to Peter’s shoulder. He pours him a glass too, and they all drink.

“Ya know, if we’re lookin’ to get smashed, then we’re gonna need more than this,” Rocket says, throwing back another shot and shuddering.

“I’ll go git another bottle.”

Yondu stands in the middle of the Mess. He's wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants, and he's barefoot. The floor is cold on his feet. The room is empty, and the ship is quiet. Entirely too quiet. 

"Hello?" he calls, and his voice echoes off the steel beams and tile. There's no response. "Krags? Anybody?"

Again, there's no answer. Moving slowly at first and with increasing speed, he heads for the stairs and runs up them. He scours the ship, moving from deck to deck, but there's no answers to his calls and he doesn't see any sign of a single living soul. He slumps against the wall, brain racing to try and figure out where everyone could have gone, and why they left him. He's about to make his way for the control room again, to try and get a communication out or see if there's a data log that someone left for him to find, when he hears footsteps echoing in the hallway. He whirls, sees a figure just turn around the corner beyond his sight. "Hey! Hey, wait!" He races after them.

When he turns the corner, there's no one in sight, though the corridor is long and there are no exits.

The footsteps sound again, this time behind him. He rushes to the railing overlooking the Mess. Across the way, a level up, a figure walks just out of view. “Wait!” he yells.

He flies after them, crossing over to the other side of the deck and up the stairs. By the time he reaches it, they're long gone. "Shit!" he pants, looking around wildly. Then he sees them. They're walking just a level above. He dashes up the stairs in pursuit.

When he gets to the top of the flight, they're nearly at the other end of the hall, and small to his eyes. But he can tell it's a woman. She's not dressed in Ravager garb, but in some sort of light blue, short-sleeved shirt and matching pants and flat, rubber-soled shoes. Her long hair is pulled back into a ponytail, but her back is to him and he can't see her face.

For some reason, the sight of her makes him freeze. He doesn't recognize her, he doesn't know who she is, but an urge to go to her, to reach her, to see her and touch her, fills his entire being and strikes his heart so painfully that he gasps out. "Wait," he tries to cry, but his voice comes out a whisper. "Wait," he says louder. “Wait!” he finally manages to scream. “Please!” Gathering all his strength, he rushes after her, feet pounding.

All around him, the walls of the Eclector start to crack and crumble. The floor sways and bucks, nearly throwing him off his feet. The lights flicker before half of them go out completely. There's the noise of rushing, sucking wind, and he slows, turns. The cold star-strewn blackness of the Deep yawns back at him, consuming his ship, pulling everything out into the void.

"No!" he shouts. "No, please!” He turns again, trying to outrun the inevitable, and sees the figure standing at the end of the hall. The woman is facing him now, but with the stinging cold and the flying debris, he can't see her face. His instincts tell him to stretch out a hand, call out to her for help, but something stronger, a deep ache that envelops him tells him that he has to save her. "Run!” he bellows at her. “Run! Save yerself!” He feels his feet slip out from under him, and he's suddenly ice-cold. He can feel the deadly frost creeping over his skin, lightning fast.

"NO!" His voice tears from his throat in a hoarse and desperate scream.

He sits upright in his cot, the blankets clenched in white-knuckled and shaking hands. He feels sweat covering his body, and an involuntary tear trickles down his cheek. He looks around, but only the dimmed lights of the Med Bay shine soft and comfortingly around him. No cold darkness is anywhere to be seen. There's the sound of fast footsteps, and the privacy field dissipates around him, revealing you.

"Yondu!" you cry, touching his arm. "Are you okay? I heard you yell and your heart rate was off the charts!”

Turning his head away from you, he scrubs the tear away with a fist. "M' -" He wants to say fine, but he's not. He's far from fine. "Nightmare," he opts for instead. "A - a bad one."

"Oh," you say softly.

He glances back at you. This is the first time he’s gotten a good look at your eyes. He loves the color of them, and he’s surprised to find no ridicule, no pity in them, just compassion tinged with sadness. Your short hair is frizzy and mussed, and your eyes are a red-rimmed and a little bleary, as if you'd been napping. His furiously-beating heart begins to calm a little, and he feels a little guilty that he might have woken you up.

"Do you want to talk about it?" you ask, breaking him from his thoughts.

He shakes his head vigorously.

You nod, and look at his holoscreen, making a note in the holopad in your hand. After a few more moments of silence, you ask, "Do you want me to stay?"

He looks up into your face. He'd normally say no. No to Kraglin, no to Stakar, no to Quill, no to - hell - anybody. He's not a child; he doesn't need a nursemaid and doesn't need company. But without really knowing why, he nods. "I know I ain’t good company, but…yeah, if ya don't mind.”

"Of course not." You pull up the chair and seat yourself.

"So...how long I been lyin’ here?”

You rub at your eyes. “It’s been almost three days since you were rescued.”

He shakes his head and sighs. “And how much longer I gotta be in this damn bed? I’m gonna go crazy.”

You take another look at the data on your holopad, and shrug. "I guess you could get up and walk around, if you wanted to.”

"Yeah?" he asks hopefully.

You nod. "It might not be a bad idea, get the blood flowing. It might jog some memories too. Would you like to walk around the ship a bit?"

"If ya'd come with me," he says, and bites his tongue. What the hell is wrong with me? I don't know who this woman is.  No, he argues with himself, But I want to. I need to. She might be the one from my dream.

You pause at this, face a little pale, eyes a little glassy.

"Ya seem important," he adds softly, taking a deep breath. "Mebbe walkin' 'round with ya....mebbe it'll help me remember."

Your lips tighten into a thin line, and he can see the shine of the tears you're desperately trying to hold back. 

"Ya don't have to, though," he says quickly, "If - if it's too hard fer ya, or if it's-"

"No," you say quickly in a quiet voice. "No, I'd love to walk with you."

He flings the blankets off and swings his legs over. "Let's go, then." He wobbles on his feet a little, still shaky from his nightmare, and it doesn't escape his notice the way you lean towards him, ready to support him if need be. "M' fine," he says gently.

You retrieve some boots that you had brought from his cabin, then return to your office to put your holopad away while he puts them on. You meet him at the Med Bay doors. A dim and empty hallway greets you.

"What time issit?" he asks.

You shake back your sleeve to look at your wrist com. "Middle of Third Watch. 0200."

"Did I wake ya?"

"It's okay, I haven't been sleeping much anyway."

He averts his gaze. "'Cuz a me."

"It's okay," you repeat, more gently, laying a brief hand on his arm.

He nods doubtfully and steps out into the hall. He looks left, then right. "A'ight, girl, where to?"

"Why don't you just start walking, and see where you end up?" 

He shrugs, and without thinking, holds a hand out to you. 

You stare down at it, clenching one hand into the hem of your shirt. 

Startled at this seemingly automatic action, Yondu draws it back a little, but keeps his eyes locked on your face. 

Your hand moves a little towards his.

Hell with it, he thinks in frustration, and grabs your hand in his, making sure the motion isn’t too fast or rough. Your fingers instantly, naturally curl around his, and your eyes dart up to meet his. 

Some sort of electricity passed through his body when you touched him, and behind that momentary spark was something deep and meaningful. His heart begins to ache. There’s something important, very important about you, and he needs to figure out what it is.

He clears his throat and nods to the left. “Let’s go this way.”

Yondu’s path takes you all over the ship. The first stop is the Control Room, where you have a brief interaction with Jesper, who is alone on the bridge. It seems that the walk is already helping, because Yondu remembers the Lead Nav’s name, and that he was one of the first to be recruited. He also makes a comment about him looking like Kraglin but doesn’t seem to consciously remember that Jesper is the First Mate’s son.

From the Control Room, you head towards the Engines, the Hangar, and the Docking Bay. He pauses there for some time, in front of the D-ships.

“Do you remember something?” you press gently.

Yondu sighs and rubs his neck. “I dunno. I…I have a feeling I flew one a’ these somewhere, but I don’t know where or when. I take the Warbird – tha’s my M-ship - everywhere, most times. Not one a these lil’ ones.” He continues to stare at them for a few minutes more, and you stand by his side.

The first time you saw one of these ships, it was mangled and broken in the woods, past the field behind your house on Earth.

He sighs again, shaking his head. “I dunno. Let’s git outta here.”

From there, you make your way to the Observation Deck at the top of the ship and work your way down. You pass Mosegi’s tailor’s cabin, the tech labs, crew quarters, and dozens of other rooms. Yondu can’t keep his eyes off you. Every tilt of your head, swing of your hips, the sound of each footstep all seems like a word on the tip of his tongue that he just can’t place. He knows you, but he can’t remember who you are to him. He’s dying to ask you, but he doesn’t want to upset you like he did earlier.

You end up on one of the levels overlooking the Mess, and though they can’t see you from this angle, you spy Stakar, Rocket, Kraglin, and Peter seated at a table. They all look like they’re trying their hardest to get as drunk as possible.

“Looks like they got that red-banded Baluurian whiskey down there,” Yondu says, squinting. “Stuff’ll burn yer nosehairs off.” He grins at you, and you give a half-smile, averting your eyes from his. “Still havin’ a hard time lookin’ at me, huh?” he asks with a grunt.

You bite your lip. “I’m sorry,” you whisper.

“Naw, it’s…it’s fine.” He pushes off from the railing and begins to go up a nearby flight of stairs. You follow.

You’ve just reached the upper level when you suddenly sway, your knees buckling under you. “Darlin’!” Yondu cries, and lunges for you. He hefts you into his arms, hooking an arm under your knees and holding you close against his chest. “Ya okay?”

You curl your arms around his neck, blinking. “Yeah, the stairs just took a little out of me, I guess.”

He narrows his eyes, frowning. “You eat today? When’d ya eat last?”

You stare at him, eyes widening a little.

“What?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.

“N-nothing. You just reminded me of when – never mind. I guess it’s been a while since I’ve eaten. Sorry, I’m fine. You can put me down.”

“This ain’t fine,” he huffs, but puts you down, keeping a hand at your back in case you lose your footing again. “Let’s git me back to Med Bay, and then ya need to git somethin’ in yer belly and git some sleep.”

“We’re closer to your cabin,” you say. “I can discharge you from Med Bay tonight. Maybe sleeping in your own bed would do you some good too.”

Content that you’re steady on your feet again, he pushes his fists into his lower back, and his spine crackles. “That’d be welcome,” he says with a little smirk. “Them med bay cots are murder on m’back.” He begins walking down the hall towards his cabin and turns in the correct direction without any guidance.

“I think you’re starting to remember the layout of the ship,” you say. “That’s good.”

He rolls his eyes. “Yeah, big memories there.”

“Hey, every little step gets you where you want to be.”

“Just gotta keep movin’ forward, I guess,” he mutters.

“What?” you ask, startled. That’s the reason for my tattoo. To keep moving forward. I’ve told him that a couple times. Does he remember?

“Said ya just gotta keep movin’ forward.” He shrugs. “Why?”

“Nothing.” You reach his cabin after a couple minutes of silence, and he stands before the door, frowning.

“Well, shit.”

“What’s the matter?”

He laughs ruefully and glances at you, putting his hands on his hips. “I don’t remember my damn code.”

“I got you,” you reply and he stands aside.

As you withdraw from entering the information on the keypad, he glances at you wonderingly. She’s got my code, and her veins is programmed into my door lock. She must come by pretty often. Maybe…maybe we’re lovers then. Or are we more than that? The way I felt when she held my hand….

“I hope you sleep better in here,” you say softly, interrupting his thoughts. “I’ll let Eega and Soldalis know that you’ve been discharged temporarily from the Med Bay. You give one of us or Kraglin a call if you need anything, or need any medical attention, okay?”

He nods.

“Okay. Well I’ll leave you to get some rest then.” You turn away, but he catches your hand, and you face him again.

Yondu doesn’t apologize often – maybe once every twenty years or so, but this seems like one of those occasions. “I’m sorry girl,” he says quietly. “I’m hurtin’ ya pretty bad, ain’t I.”

Tears shine in your eyes, and you shake your head, even as one falls. It takes all of his restraint not to reach out and wipe it away. “It’s not your fault,” you whisper. You wipe a palm across your cheek. “You asked me – in the Med Bay – why I wouldn’t look you in the face. It’s because when I look into your eyes, I can tell you don’t remember who I am, and it’s – it’s just–”

As your voice breaks, Yondu reaches for you and pulls you against him; and to his surprise you don’t fight it. You fall into his embrace, winding your arms around him and burying your head into his shoulder. He holds you for a few minutes as you cry, stroking your hair. “I’m sorry, darlin’. I’m sorry I’m hurtin’ ya.”

With shivering breaths, you back out of his arms, shaking your head. “You didn’t choose for this to happen. This was the Kree, not you.” You sniffle, wiping a sleeve across your face, before taking his hands in yours. You take a deep breath. “Now you just take it easy, maybe take a hot shower, and get some sleep. And go easy on the alcohol, okay? Who knows,” you say with a trembling smile, “Maybe all your memories will be back when you wake up tomorrow.”

He nods, trying to look convinced even though he feels the opposite. “A’ight. You remember now, git some food n’ some sleep too.”

“I will.”

He pulls open his cabin door and steps a foot inside. “Well,” he calls softly as you turn away again, “Sweet dreams, sweetheart.”

You freeze in your tracks, and then give him a smile. Even though your lips tremble a little, it’s a real, genuine smile and the beauty of it nearly takes his breath away. “Good night, spaceman.”

Good night, spaceman. The words reverb in his mind as you walk away and disappear around the corner. He pauses for a long while with his hand on the door handle. Spaceman. Why does that sound so familiar? After a few more moments of fruitless thinking, he slides his door open, wincing at the slight strain on his arm. Flarkin’ Kree, hurtin’ me, brainwashin’ me, makin’ me forget her.

He goes into his room, looks around for a moment. Some things seem familiar, but not all. He spies the bar, and heads directly for it, pouring himself a strong drink. He’s tempted to just take the liquor bottle to bed, but your words ring in his ears. Go easy on the alcohol. He wouldn’t listen to a doctor normally, but he wants to listen to you for some reason. And if drinking less is going to get him closer to remembering exactly who you are, then hell. Maybe he won’t drink at all. He sets the glass down without drinking a drop and meanders around his quarters.

His path takes him up to his bedroom, and he runs a hot shower. He finds a bottle of shampoo, conditioner and a floral-smelling body wash on the triangular shelf inside, beside his own bar of soap. He pops the lid of each and sniffs their contents. Smells like her. He grits his teeth, and quickly washes himself down.

When he’s done, he retrieves some comfortable clothes from his dresser and lies down in his bed, dimming the lights. It’s much more comfortable than the Med Bay cots, and sleep should come easily. But it doesn’t. Every time he closes his eyes, he sees your face. Your beautiful eyes haunt him in a way that no one’s has before. He’s never felt such a strong and unmistakable attraction to anyone.

With a growl, he rolls out of bed and stalks down to where his holoscreens are. Maybe he can find some answers there. 

He’s about to flip the screens on, when he notices a little framed picture under them. He lifts it up and sees its a picture of himself - with you. You’re hugging him tightly, resting your head against his shoulder, and he’s got his arms around you, staring down at you lovingly.

He hangs his head before slamming the frame down, just shy of breaking the glass. Letting out a yell of rage, he sweeps his arm across his desk, sending holopads, papers, snack cans and knick knacks flying. He stands there, fists clenched, breathing heavily, and immediately regrets the act. Sighing at himself, he starts to gather the items up.

As he lifts a holopad from the floor, he finds one of his little trinkets underneath, the kind he likes to put on his control console. It’s made of a type of plastic, a critter of some sort, with four legs and a wrinkly face. He presses down on its head, and it waggles up and down, nodding at him.

A memory descends on him as sudden and powerful as a thunderclap. A memory of him, sitting on a sofa in a small house, with you by his side, and this trinket before him. Your voice, as clear as if you were speaking in his ear, comes back to him.

You can have it. My gift to you. To remember me by when you’re gone.

To remember me by.

Remember me.

After you left Yondu at his quarters, you joined Kraglin and the guys at the table, and the First Mate immediately went drunkenly stumbling to fetch you some fresh, hot soup from the kitchen. Utumba and a few Ravagers inclined to the cooking profession had been taking shifts to make sure the crew, especially those in the Med Bay, had fresh food at the ready around the clock.

After relaying Yondu’s progress to them as your soup cools, you eat in silence. You’re grateful for the fresh food; it’s the first meal that has tasted good to you in days, and it warms you from the inside.

“Ya gonna git some sleep, Doc?” Kraglin slurs, patting a gently-meant but heavy hand against your back.

You nod. “It’s almost Second Watch, I’m going to wake the doctors and then go to –”

“[Y/N]!”

You jump from your seat at the desperate yell. You whirl around, your spoon clattering to the ground behind you. Looking up, you see Yondu racing in the direction of the Med Bay. “Yondu?!” you yell.

He stumbles to a halt and leans down over the railing, looking wildly in your direction. “[Y/N!]” Forgoing the minimal distance to reach the first set of stairs, he instead leaps down over the rail and onto the landing, rushing down the rest of the stairwell. He skips the last four steps just to reach you faster, tearing across the Mess towards you. “[y/n], darlin! I remember!”

Your voice comes out in a half-gasp, half-sob. “Yondu!” You rush towards him and he crashes into you, sweeping you off your feet and into his embrace. You wind your legs around his waist, wrapping your arms tightly about his neck. He circles his arms around you so tightly that you can hardly breathe, but you don’t care.

He cradles your head against his, fingers tangled in your hair. “I remember ya, baby. I remember everythin’ now. I saw that lil’ bugger ya gave me back on Terra, and it jogged somethin’. It all came rushin’ back. I’m back, honey. I’m back. Gods, I’m so sorry. I love ya. I love ya so much, sweetheart.”

You’re crying so hard that you can barely form words, but you manage, “I love you too,” before he seizes your face in his hands and kisses you hard.

Looking on, Kraglin nearly collapses from relief, but he’s drawn into a laughing Peter’s arms and lifted off the floor before he can do so. Then comes a bear hug from Stakar, his arms wound about them both while Rocket pretends he has something in his eye.

Yondu kisses you a few more times, then puts you down on your feet. “Let me look atcha, honey. Ya okay?” He glances down and places a palm against your stomach. “How’s our lil’ un?”

Your face falls. Your tears of joy quickly turn into ones of sorrow and regret, and you let out a choking sob, hiding your face in your hands.

Yondu freezes, realizing what your reaction must mean, but only hesitates for a second before pulling you into his arms again. “Oh, oh gods. Oh, honey.” His voice is strained from holding back his own tears, but as he squeezes his eyes shut, holding you close, he gives into them. You both cry for several minutes, Yondu rocking you back and forth gently.

When your tears have finally stopped, you kiss one another again, and he takes your face in his hands. “Everything’s gonna be okay, sweetheart,” he assures you.

You nod, leaning your head to one side to kiss the palm of his hand. “I know.”

“Whatcha say we get some sleep, huh darlin’?”

Fatigue, born of an exhausting several days and now the tremendous relief of Yondu coming back to you, finally weighs on your frame, and you nod. “Sleep sounds amazing.”

“Ya jus’ stand right there for a second, then,” he says, placing a kiss on top of your head. “And don’t move.” He moves away from you, but glances back a few times, as if to assure himself that you’re going to stay and aren’t a figment of his imagination.

Yondu makes his way towards Kraglin and Peter and opens his arms to them. “Git over here, ya idjits.” They hug him in turn, and Yondu cradles the back of Kraglin’s head against his. “Ya okay, son?” he whispers.

“Am now,” he replies with a smile.

“Good. Gimme yer wrist com fer a minute.”

Obediently, Kraglin unbuckles it and hands it over. Yondu scrolls through a couple contacts, and presses the call button, putting it on speaker.

“Kraglin?” comes Ryx’s voice.

“No, ain’t Kraglin.”

“Captain!” she cries in surprise. “How – how are you feeling?”

“All back to normal. I need ya to do me a favor.”

“Yes sir, whatever you need.”

“I need ya to take care of Kraglin tonight, if ya know what I mean.” Yondu smirks as Kraglin flushes blue all the way down his neck and to the tips of his ears, trying to hide his face behind one hand. “Boy’s been through a lot.”

“Y-yes sir,” comes her giggling reply.

Yondu clicks off the wrist com, and hands it back to Kraglin. “Go to bed. Both of you,” he says with a gentle pat to the side of Peter’s face.

“Nice to have ya back, ya big blue idiot,” Rocket says with a smack against Yondu’s knee as he follows Quill back to the Quadrant.

“Good to be back, Rat.”

Now it’s only you, him, and Stakar in the Mess.

“Stakar-” Yondu begins, but the Ravager Captain holds up a hand.

“Ya don’t need to say anything, boy. We would never let the Kree take you back. Right, girl?”

“Damn straight.”

Yondu turns, and sees Aleta walking across the Mess towards him. She pulls him into tight embrace and kisses his cheek. She does the same to you. “Now you both go to bed. Gods know you both need a few days of rest.”

With only a nod, Yondu takes your hand in his, kisses it, and leads you up to his cabin.

As you settle in his bed, your arm hugging his middle, you kiss his cheek and murmur, “I love you, Yondu.”

“I love you, [y/n],” he replies, kissing your forehead. He secures his arms tighter around you, and you snuggle your head deep into the crook of his shoulder. Nestled deep in the furs with Yondu’s strong, warm arms around you, you can sleep peacefully at last.

Chapter Text

You wake, your body refreshingly well-rested for the first time in what feels like months. As you yawn, you open your eyes to see Yondu. He’s leaned up on one elbow, staring down at you. “Hi,” you whisper.

“Hi,” he whispers back.

“How long have you been watching me?” you ask with a smile, stretching.

“A while,” he answers with a look of fondness. “Ya looked so peaceful I didn’t want to wake ya.”

You reach up to caress a thumb against his scruff. “Did you sleep okay, after…?”

He drops his gaze to the furs but leans into your hand. “Yeah. M’ sorry I scared ya.”

You lean up and kiss his forehead. “It’s okay.”

Yondu had woken up once during the night from a horrible nightmare. He’d actually jumped out of bed, yelling, and you’d woken up, frightened. You could still picture it; the room had been lit red with flashes from his implant, his teeth were bared, his eyes wide and panicked. You’d called out his name, and you’d been terrified, because when he looked at you, for a split second it seemed as though he didn’t recognize you. But he’d snapped out of the remnants of his nightmare pretty quickly, and you’d managed to coax him back into bed. He’d been trembling, but you’d wrapped your arms around him, smoothing your hand over his chest until he calmed down. He’d curled his arm around your stomach then, spooning you so he could hold you close, and after a little while you’d both managed to fall back asleep.

He raises his eyes to yours again and gives you a tender smile. “Glad you was here.”

You kiss his lips softly. “I will always be here for you, Yondu.”

“Likewise, darlin’. I ain’t leavin’ ya again.” He kisses the top of your head, then sits up and stretches. He winces, rubbing one of his shoulders. “Damn, still sore from bein’ strung up.”

You kiss his cheek. “I’ll give you a massage.”

Before Yondu can protest, you roll out of bed and retrieve some muscle-soothing salve from the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. As you walk back, he can’t help but admire the way his shirt slips over one of your shoulders and hangs just shy of your knees.

You stop and giggle. “What are you smiling about?”

“Oh, jus’ admirin’ that sweet lil’ body a’ yers. Ya should wear my clothes more often.”

You laugh again and shake your head as you climb into bed behind him, rubbing salve between your hands.

“You don’t gotta do this, doll,” he says, looking over his shoulder at you.

“Oh, hush. I’m happy to. Just try and relax, spaceman.”

Working from his lower back upwards, you smooth and knead and press the knots out. Yondu groans, slouching forward and letting his arms fall limp at his sides.

“Feel good?” you ask as you work at his shoulders at the base of his neck.

A grunt of “Mmhmmnn…” is all the response you get.

After you’re done on his back, you crawl around to his front, get more of the salve, and begin work on his pectorals. He closes his eyes, sighing as you work, and you can’t help but lean in to give him a light peck on the cheek.

As you pull back again, he opens his eyes, following your every movement. As you reach to get more of the salve, he catches your hand gently in his. Leaning forward, he places a light kiss against your lips, barely touching them. He does it again, cupping your cheek in his hand, and then again, each time pressing a little harder into you. You take the jar of salve and put it on the nightstand, and after you’ve done so, he draws you into his arms, and cradling you, kisses you deeply.

It’s a long lingering kiss, the gentlest you remember him giving you in a long time. When he pulls back, he doesn’t say anything but combs his fingers through your hair, staring lovingly into your eyes. Slowly, he lowers you down against the pillows and furs, placing light, almost teasing kisses against your lips, forehead and cheeks.

“I know we’ve had sex,” he says to you softly, “but I want to make love to ya now, [y/n].”

You reach up to wind your arms about his neck, and he lifts you off the furs slightly, holding you tight. “I love you, Yondu,” you reply, and press your lips to his. 

“I love you, darlin’.” He lowers you again to the mattress and dials down the lights.

After a hot shower and a surprise delivery of breakfast to Yondu’s quarters by Utumba himself, you both relax in Yondu’s bed, drinking coffee and just enjoying the quiet comfort of each other’s company. You finish off your cup and lean up to give him a kiss on the cheek.

He smiles down at you and loops an arm about your shoulders to draw you closer to his side.

You run a finger along his implant. “When are they going to have the new one ready for you?”

“I think it’s ‘bout finished,” he replies. “Jus’ gotta design the shape.”

“Are you going to go with the low fin or the tall fin?”

“I ain’t decided,” he says, settling his back against the pillows. He yawns and runs a hand along his head. “This one sure ain’t as heavy, lower profile, more difficult target.” He pauses, and glances at you with that shark’s grin. “But ya can’t hold onto this one when I’m doin’ ya.”

You blush, pressing your face into his shoulder as you giggle.

He laughs and kisses the top of your head. “The tall one reminds me that I got a second chance, though,” he says in a quiet, thoughtful voice. “I saved Quill with that implant, got my exile lifted, met you.” You lean out of his shoulder and smile at him. “Which do you prefer, honey?”

“I’m kinda partial to the tall one, but whatever is more comfortable for you, Yondu. You’re still the same man, whatever design you go with. If you went with the tall one, maybe it could be not quite as tall, and maybe there’s a way to make it less heavy.”

“Tha’s a thought,” he says, nodding, and finishes his coffee with a noisy slurp. He places it on the bedside table and turning to you, caresses a hand up and down your arm before giving you a soft kiss on the lips. Then he sighs and wriggles down a bit into the pillows. “So,” he begins, tucking an arm behind his head and laying back on it, "It's gonna be Krissmuss soon, ain't it?"

"Christmas," you correct with a smile at him, "Yes, in a little over a month. I’m surprised you remembered. Why do you ask?”

"I was wonderin’," he drawls, twining a finger in a lock of your hair, "Whatcha’d think 'bout takin’ a lil' holiday and goin' to Terra fer Christmas?"

"Really?" you ask, sitting up.

"Yeah," he grins. "We could go back to yer cabin, stay there for a few weeks or so."

To his surprise your smile falls away and you suddenly go quiet, idly stroking the fur of one of the coverlets.

"Whatsa matter, baby?" he asks, hooking a finger under your chin to draw your eyes to his.

"You're...you're not planning to take me to Terra just to leave me there, are you?" you whisper.

"What?" he asks, eyes going wide. "No, why would ya think somethin' like that?"

"I don't know, to - to try and protect me or something?"

"Darlin'," he says softly, cupping your cheek. "If there's anythin' I learned from this past year with ya on board, it's that I can't damn well live without ya. But if ya need a solid answer, then it's no. I ain't gonna just dump ya on Terra and run off. I said I ain’t leavin’ ya again, and I mean it."

You wipe a tear away and throw your arms about him, kissing his lips. His chuckles turn into a growl as he rolls over so he's on top of you. He runs his hands down your sides and brings your leg up to hook about his waist. "Ya know, I think I jus' got m' second wind."

You and Yondu walk into the Mess the next morning to the sound of cheering Ravagers. Everyone stands from their seats and the majority pound their fists against their chests in salute.

Yondu makes his way to the head table, where the Team Leads and the Guardians are seated, along with Kraglin. Once there, the Captain turns and holds up his hands. The cheering subsides, and everyone resumes their seats.

Yondu remains standing and shifts his weight slightly from foot to foot. “I ain’t great at makin’ speeches or nothin’,” he begins, “But I jus’ want y’all to know that while I’ve seen a lot a’ Ravagers in my time and manned a lot a’ crew in my career, you-” He points a finger and sweeps it across the room, “-you are the best damn crew I’ve ever had the honor of Captainin’. Ya’ve never given me reason to question yer loyalty or motives, ya’ve never run from a fight, and ya’ve risen to the challenge time and again. Ya have my thanks.” With that, he gives the Ravager salute, and bows his head slightly to the crew.

During the course of the meal, several Ravagers approach him and you to shake your hands and tell you how glad they are that everything turned out all right. You look around the Mess, shaking your head slightly and smiling.

“What?” Yondu asks, leaning over to you.

“Oh, sometimes it’s just hard to believe that everyone here-” you gesture to the Ravagers around you, “Are a bunch of criminals.” You place a hand over his. “But I’m glad I’m a part of this. Thank you for bringing me here.”

Yondu’s heart swells and he can’t stop a grin. “I’m jus’ glad ya changed yer mind, honey. I don’t know what I would’ve done without ya.”

There’s the sound of crashing glass and a loud yelp in the vicinity of the kitchen.

“DOC!” someone cries a moment later.

“Don’t know what this bunch a’ idjits would’a done without ya either,” Yondu comments dryly, and you giggle as you jump up from your seat, retrieving the med kit from the nearest pillar.

Later that day, you and Yondu make your way up to the Med Bay, where Eega and Mainframe are waiting to install the Captain’s new implant. He decided on a design similar to the tall fin, but just a little shorter, and Rocket and Kraglin figured out a mixture of materials that made the entire thing less cumbersome and top-heavy.

The swap of implants goes by without any complications, and Yondu is out of the Med Bay within two hours. You receive word that the other Ravager Clans are departing, and that the Guardians are going their separate ways – at least until December, when they’ve agreed to meet you at your cabin on Earth for the holiday.

“Think about what you might like for Christmas and send us a list,” you say, hugging Mantis and planting a small kiss on Groot’s cheek. You can’t believe it, but he’s almost up to your knees already. He waves to Yondu.

“Bye, Twig. Don’t give the Rat too hard a’ time, now.” Yondu says, pointing a lazy at him.

After you've said goodbye to the rest of the Guardians, Yondu gives you a kiss on the forehead. "Gimme a minute with my boy, huh?"

"Sure. I'll be in the Med Bay catching up on some notes, I'll catch you later. Bye guys, we'll see you soon!" You wave and depart.

"We'll be on board, Peter," Gamora says, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Be right there." Peter sticks his hands in his pockets and strolls nearer to Yondu. “So guess this is it. We’re going to Terra.”

“Can ya handle it?”

Peter lowers his gaze, until his head is bowed, and he scuffs at an invisible spot on the floor with the toe of his boot. “You told me once that I didn’t give a damn about my Terra.”

Yondu rubs the back of his neck. “Boy…”

Peter’s head snaps up, and he’s got that determined light in his eyes. “No. You were right. I needed to hear that. I didn’t give a damn. But you know? My Gramps might still be down there. And Meemaw. They’ve probably thought I was…was dead or something. All this time. I gotta do right by them.” He pauses for a second, staring off into space over Yondu’s shoulder, then meets his eyes again and nods. “Yeah. I’m glad I’m going.” He smiles, and reaches out to smack Yondu’s shoulder. “And I’m glad you’re okay, Papa Smurf.” He steps back again, and looks towards his ship. “Welp, better get going. Gotta make some cash if we’re gonna have spending money for Christmas presents.” He starts to walk away, when Yondu catches his arm.

“Wait a second, Quill.”

Peter turns to him, raising his eyebrows. "What's up, old man?"

Yondu looks around as if assuring they're alone. "Before ya go, I uh…I need some advice."

Peter stares, then grins wide and bursts out laughing. "Wait, wait," he says between guffaws, pushing his wrist com towards Yondu's face. "Say it again, I want to record this.”

Yondu's lip curls, and he cuffs him upside the head. "Stop foolin' 'round, boy! This is serious!"

Peter makes a show of rolling his eyes, and puts the wrist com away. "Okay, okay. Geez." He crosses his arms. "Go ahead."

Yondu shifts and fidgets uncharacteristically, looking about him again, and steps closer to Peter to whisper, "If I were a Terran, how would I ask a woman to marry me?"

Peter:

Chapter Text

The next month and a half is spent preparing for Christmas on Terra.

You pay Mosegi to make two sets of gifts you’ve had in mind, and you stop at a small trading post on a moon called Byrmal, where Yondu and Peter have gotten Terran items before. You’re able to find some books, some ornaments, lights, some instant hot cocoa, and even a small Christmas tree there.

The crew is enthralled and delighted with the idea of Christmas, and pretty soon the entire ship is streaming with different colored lights, ribbons and paper snowflakes. The tree you found is a little worn and weathered, but you fluff up the branches as best you can, decorate it with ribbon, lights and ornaments, and put it in the center of the Mess where it can be appreciated.

You often look down over the railings to see crew there on their down time, lounging at the tables surrounding the tree, reading The Night Before Christmas or The Nutcracker and eating sugar cookies that Utumba is delighted to keep in steady supply.

December approaches, and the last stop before Terra is Bira. You plan to finish as much of your gift hunting here as you can. After you touch down, you and Yondu go your separate ways to do your own shopping. Yondu watches you depart with Kraglin, who he’s assigned to stay by your side, to make sure you're kept busy and out of his way. Once he’s sure you’re gone, he beckons to Rhian, Eega, and Ryx, who have been hiding in the shadow of an adjacent building. He breathes a sigh of relief. "Thanks fer meetin' me."

"Of course, Captain," Rhian says, standing to attention. “What did you need?"

"I think the appropriate question is - with all due respect, sir - what are you hiding from [y/n]?" Ryx asks, and the other two women join her in staring him down.

He holds up his hands in defense. “Don’t lookit me like that! It ain’t nothin’ bad.” At their raised eyebrows, he hangs his head and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Okay, okay. Lissen. I need yer help. I’m gonna -” he pauses, takes a few steps back into the street looks around as if making sure you didn’t pop out of thin air, then comes close to all three of them and whispers, “I’m gonna ask her to marry me.”

Rhian lets out an uncharacteristic squeal of excitement, clapping her hands together. “Today?!” She exclaims.

“Shh! No, no. When we go to Terra. Quill says Terrans give their prospective mate - fiancée – betrothed - whatever - a ring when they ask ‘em fer their hand. Tha’s what I need yer help with, he didn’t gimme any specifics. But it’s gotta be somethin’ special, she means the galaxy to me.”

“Say no more, Captain,” Eega says with a smiling wrinkle of her snout. “We would be honored to help.” 

The others nod in agreement, grinning.

He sighs, smiling. “Much obliged. I figured Ryx knows her best,” he says, nodding at her, “And Eega ya might know the size of her fingers... and Rhian ya got good taste in fashion.” He winks.

You’re accompanied by Kraglin during your shopping trip on Bira, and you help him pick out a few things for Ryx, Peter, and Jesper. It takes most of the day, but that evening Yondu treats you to another dinner date at Syrenne, and to your surprise, charters a private boat to take you sailing under the stars that night.

Out on the deck of the boat, you and Yondu lounge on large, oversized cushions. The remains of dessert and fortified wine lay nearby. He tucks a light blanket more snugly around your shoulders and leans in to press his lips to your forehead.

You smile up at him then turn your face to the stars. “I can’t believe we’re going back to Terra,” you say softly, leaning back against his chest. You let out a small laugh. “Earth, I mean. It’s…it’s going to be really strange, being back there. Back among people who have no idea this all exists.” You sweep an arm before you, and let it drop back to your side. “It’s so different.”

“Ya still want to go, right?” he asks.

“Definitely,” you say, nodding. “I can’t wait to share Christmas with you. And Peter is so excited. Although sometimes I get the feeling he’s a little nervous.”

Yondu nods. “Quill ain’t been back there since the night I picked him up. He could’a gone a hundred times, if he wanted to. But he didn’t. The boy’s a lil’ scared, I think. To finally face that reality. But he’s not scared enough not to go. He wants to, now.” He takes his eyes away from you to stare over the gentle waves of the sea. “Jus’ glad I’ll be there fer him, if he needs me.” He turns back to you and smirks. “Don’t tell him I said that.”

You laugh and pat his knee. “Not a word.” You hold his hand in yours. “So did you get all your shopping done?”

“Yeah,” he says, a little quietly, and he blushes. “Can’t wait to give ya yer gifts.”

“I can’t wait to give you yours either.”

Finally the day arrives. Jesper directs the Eclector into your solar system, and he leaves Amitt in charge of the Navs while he joins the rest of the family down on the planet.

Before you all depart from the Eclector, however, Yondu sends teams – made entirely of Xandarians, who look the most like Terrans – to your house and the cabin first, to make sure everything checks out, and also to do a quick cleaning of the place. There’s garbage to dispose of and refrigerators to empty, and the windows are all left slightly open to air the buildings out.

After everything is in order, you head down towards the planet, coordinates set for your house. Your breath catches and a lump of tears forms in your throat as you look upon your homeworld in the first time in over a year. It’s still just as beautiful as you left it. You look over at Yondu to find him smiling gently at you and hold his hand until he needs to resume piloting.

As you draw near to your home, you see that a fresh snow has already fallen on the area. The sky is a little overcast, but everything is sparkling white.

Pulling your coat closer as you disembark from the Warbird, you crunch through the snow and enter the code to get into your garage. Your car is not there, and you remember that you’d left it in a field in the middle of the woods, where all of the Ravager M-ships had greeted you when you’d first left the planet.

It all seems so long ago.

Walking into your house after over a year of being away is surreal.

Standing in the garage doorway, you gaze around. The house has a slightly musty, dusty smell to it, and indeed there is fine layer of dust over almost everything. You place your purse and medical bag by the door, and hang your coat on the peg like you’ve done a hundred times, then step into the house proper.

Your eyes rove over the living room where you'd crawled and toddled as a child under your father's watchful gaze, that same living room where you'd played video games and made blanket forts with your brother, and the same room where you had sat on the couch with Yondu, eating meals and tending to his shrapnel wound.

There's the sliding door, with its relatively new lock, where you'd first seen Yondu's blood smeared and pooled onto the carpet.

Wordlessly, you move into the dining room, where you’d once laid Yondu to operate on his wound, and from there into the kitchen. Besides some dust, it looks exactly as you left it. Reaching into the cupboard, you pull out a few favorite mugs and a teacup of your grandmother's that you'd missed and put them on the counter.

You hear a loud creak in the living room, and peek around the wall to see Yondu with a slight smile on his features. You can almost see the memories playing behind his ruby eyes. They raise to meet yours. "Ya okay, baby?"

"Yeah. Just a little nostalgic, you know?"

He nods and crosses over to you to place a kiss against your forehead. “Ya need help, getting’ yer stuff?”

“Yes please.”

After you’ve retrieved some clothes, photo albums, a few boxes of books and some items belonging to your family and packed them into the Warbird with Yondu and Kraglin’s help, you sit quietly next to the Ravager Captain.

“Ready, Cap?”

Yondu holds up a hand, and Kraglin falls silent. He leans towards you. “[y/n]? Ya all right, darlin’?”

Your hand seeks out Yondu’s. “Before we go to the cabin,” you whisper, “Can we make a stop first?”

Kraglin and Jesper check the perimeter and do a sweep of the interior, but it’s early on a weekday, and the cemetery is empty. 

The snow has stopped falling and lies like pristine fleece blankets atop the branches of trees and grave markers. The snow muffles the sound of your arrival except for the soft crunch of your boots, and the only other noise is the soft drip of icicles in the breaking sunlight and the soft twitter of birds.

You hold two bouquets of red roses, pine and holly in the crook of one arm, and Yondu holds your other hand as you walk the well-known but invisible path towards where your father and brother lie.

You seem somber, lost in thought, and Yondu squeezes your hand reassuringly, pointing at a couple of bright red birds in a nearby tree. "Them's pretty," he says softly.

"Cardinals,” you explain. You smile briefly. “You know, some people think that cardinals are your loved ones visiting you. I always thought that was nice."  You fall silent again, and after a few more moments, you lean into him, hugging his arm. "Thanks for coming with me."

He bends to kiss your cheek. "A' course, sweetheart."

You pass a small grove of pine trees and stop. "Here they are," you say. You bend and brush the snow off the markers with your glove. Yondu helps, and once they're cleared, you place the flowers down, one bouquet before each, and take a step back. You open your mouth to say some words, but your voice gets stuck. Your lip trembles, and before you can even take another breath to prepare yourself, you're crying. 

You haven't given your father and brother much thought in this past year. You've gone through so much. From your busy, exhausting job at the hospital, to your strained relationship with Devon, and then Yondu’s arrival; Devon's mistreatment of you and the subsequent breakup; then the trip up north, and your first kiss and first time with this wild space man you grew to love. Then there was the attack by the Kree on your cabin, leaving Earth, becoming a Ravager medic, and meeting all sorts different people of all different races and worlds. The Nova Corps Gala was a highlight of the past year, overshadowed by the loss of friends at the hands of the Skrulls, then your kidnapping and Yondu's imprisonment by the Kree. Losing a baby, and nearly losing the man you’ve grown to love so dearly - the roller coaster of emotions that your heart has gone through has been almost too much to bear. And to top it all off, the people you loved most - the people who knew you best in the world - they weren't there to share in or help you through any of it. "I miss them so much," you sob at last, and Yondu crushes you in his arms, rocking back and forth on his heels.

You squeeze your arms around him, and cry into his chest. “I wish they could have met you,” you say between tears.

"I wish I could'a met them too, darlin',” his voice comes over your head. “Even jus' to thank 'em fer ya, fer raisin' ya and givin’ me such an incredible woman." He lifts you off your feet, hooking his arms under your thighs, and you wrap your legs around his waist. You lay your head against his shoulder, winding your arms about his neck, and he just holds you for minutes on end, saying nothing.

After you've finished crying, Yondu places you back on your feet and wipes your remaining tears away with his neckerchief.

"Thanks, spaceman," you whisper.

He smiles gently down at you, tracing your cheek with the back of one finger. "I'm always here for ya, darlin'." 

You sniffle and catch his hand in yours, holding on tightly. You turn to the graves. "Hi daddy, hi bro.” You let out a sniffly chuckle. “Sorry for all the waterworks. I want you to meet Yondu Udonta."

You introduce Yondu to them and give them a summary of your adventures in space. "It's been a pretty crazy ride," you say with a laugh. "But I wouldn't have traded it for anything." You look up at Yondu with a smile. "I didn't think I'd ever find anyone so perfect for me." You take another deep breath, and crouch down to lay a hand on each of the bouquets. "I'm not sure when I'll be by again, it's a long-distance kind of situation right now. But you know I love you wherever I am and wherever I go. Merry Christmas," you finish in a whisper.

As you step aside to pull up your hood, Yondu removes his gloves. He stands straight and tall in front of both graves and solemnly gives each a Ravager salute. It warms your heart and touches your soul, and when he turns back to you, you can't help but pull him into a deep kiss. "You're the best decision I've ever made, you know that?"

Yondu takes your face in both hands and kisses you back. "Likewise, darlin'."

You sniffle and take in another deep breath. “I guess we’d better get going before someone else arrives."

He nods. Arm in arm, you crunch back through the snow towards the ship. 

"Damn," Yondu says when you’re nearly there, patting down his pockets. "I dropped my glove somewheres."

"Oh,” you say, looking about you, “Want me to help you look?"

"Nah," he says with a kiss on your cheek, "I'll go retrace m'steps. Ya go back to the ship and git warm, honey."

"Okay. Let me know if you need help." 

Yondu watches you walk back to the ship, and turns, briskly making his way back towards the grave markers. "Hi," he says to your fathers headstone, "I'm back. I told yer daughter I lost a glove but I jus’ wanted to talk to ya for a minute. I gotta be quick, she'll probably be callin' me any second."

He takes a breath, trying to calm his nerves and slow his voice. "I jus' wanted to tell ya how amazin' yer daughter is. But ya probably already know that," he adds with a nervous chuckle. "I, uh. I also wanted ya to know how much I love her." He pauses for a second, gnawing his lip. "I been through a lot a’ hell in my life, and I’ve done a lot a' bad things, but I've been tryin' to make amends, and yer daughter...she found me at jus' the right time. She makes me a better man. A better one than I ever thought I'd be. And I'm..." He swallows and looks about him. "I'm gonna ask her to marry me. Ya have my word as a Ravager, as a father, as a man, that I'll take care a' her fer as long as I'm around. I'll never hurt her, I'll always be faithful to her, and...and if we end up havin' kids of our own," he adds with a slight flush, "I promise to be a good daddy to 'em." He nods and takes in a shaky breath. "Now I know y'ain't really here to give me yer blessin' in person, but if there's anythin' ya can do...a sign ya can give me that it's okay, I'd feel better, and I'd be much obliged."

He folds his hands in front of him and waits, staring down at the headstone for a few silent moments. He clears his throat softly, looks around, then back at the grave. "If yer gonna gimme a sign, ya gotta do it kinda quick, yer daughter's waitin’ fer-"

At that moment, a cardinal alights atop your father's gravestone, and Yondu sucks in breath. The bird looks at him, cocking its head as if studying him, then gives one bright chirp, and flies away. Yondu follows it with awed, wondering eyes, until it disappears into the bright, snow-reflected sky.

A few days later, you’ve got a huge pot of chicken noodle soup simmering on the stove when you hear a knock on the front door of your family’s cabin.

Kraglin jumps up from the couch to answer it.

“Merry Christmas, ho ho ho!” Peter’s voice booms, and you grin as you hear both his and Kraglin’s laughter ringing down the hallway.

You come out of the kitchen to greet the Guardians and find them all smiling, arms laden with suitcases and bags and gifts.

“I am Groot!”

“He says he likes the lights,” Rocket translates, chuckling.

Yondu, Kraglin and Jesper had helped you string lights on the trees and on the roof, with the help of the Yaka arrow and some jet boots that Jesper got from the engineering team. You also put electric candles in all of the windows, a tradition your father always carried out.

“Come on in, guys. There’s plenty of rooms upstairs, I’ll leave you to figure out the sleeping arragements.”

“This is a very spacious dwelling,” Drax comments, looking around. “How did you acquire it?”

“My grandfather built it, with his father,” you say, pointing to a picture of them on the wall. “Before my grandpa got married. It was a wedding present. They put a bunch of rooms in because my grandpa and grandma wanted like eight or nine kids.”

“Good gods, why?” Yondu snorts from the other room.

You ignore him and continue, “But he and my grandma only ended up having my dad. That’s them.” You point to a black and white framed picture of a smiling teen between his mother and father, with the lake in the background.

“We spent summers here with my grandparents, and we had every Christmas here with them too, until they passed. My father and brother and I continued the tradition, until they passed away too. It’s been a couple years since I’ve had a Christmas up here. I missed it.”

“Is this you?” Gamora asks, pointing to another photo.

You laugh at the small girl in the photo. She’s got pigtails and two missing teeth and is holding up a telescope in front of a Christmas tree. “Yep, that’s me. Well come on in,” you repeat. “Pick out your rooms, and then we can go find a tree!”

After everyone is settled, you take Peter, Yondu, Kraglin, and Groot into the forest surrounding the lake and find a tree, which you cut down and drag back to the cabin. 

It takes a bit of finagling to get it upright in its stand, and by the time you've gotten the lights on, your arms look like you got into a fight with a cat, but it turned out very pretty. 

You stand back looking at it, pleased. Yondu slings an arm around your waist. "Is that all?" he asks, cocking his head. "I thought ya hung lil' balls n' shit on it."

You smack a hand into his chest. "Keep the swearing to a minimum, it's Christmas! Peter wanted his grandfather to be here when we decorated it with ornaments.”

“Oh yeah. When ya goin’ to see him, boy?” he asks.

Peter, seated on the sofa, scratches the back of his head. “I was gonna go tomorrow morning. Um.” He falls silent, dropping his eyes to the floor for a few minutes before getting to his feet. “Um, would…would you come with me, Dad?” he asks, a little timidly. “I asked Kraglin, and he said he’d come too, but I’d feel-”

“Shut up, boy. I got no problem comin’ with ya. But don’tcha think I’ll freak out yer granddad?”

Peter gives a half-shrug. “I thought it’d be good for him to hear the story from you, too. I dunno.”

Yondu walks towards the kitchen patting the back of Peter’s head fondly as he goes. “Jus’ let me know what time, son.”

Peter, Gamora, Yondu, and Kraglin depart early the next morning for Missouri. In an M-ship, the trip doesn’t take very long, and they are hoping to be back by evening.

In the meantime, you spend the day with Jesper, Ryx, Mantis, Drax, Rocket and Groot, baking all sorts of Christmas cookies. Sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies, peppermint bark, shortbread – they want to try it all. Drax is surprisingly good at it.

It’s around one in the afternoon and you’ve just put the sixth batch of cookies in the oven when you hear a heavy knock on the door. You glance at Jesper and exchange looks with Rocket. “Who’s that? Yondu said he’d call when they were leaving.” You dust flour from your hands on your apron, and motion for your friends to keep back as you go to the door. You part the small curtain on the front window to see who is standing on the porch. “Oh!” you exclaim, and rush to pull open the door. “Nebula!”

“Hello, [y/n],” she says a little awkwardly. She has a duffel bag swung over her shoulder and a case of what looks like wine or some other alcohol in her hand. “My sister mentioned you would be on Terra for a holiday. I was passing this way…and, well, I didn’t have anything better–”

She stops talking as you give her a gentle hug. “I’m so glad you came. Come in!” You usher her in the door, and Mantis peeks her large eyes around the kitchen doorway.

Once she sees who it is, she grins wide. “Nebula!” she cries, rushing towards her and grabbing her hands. “We are making cookies! Come and help!”

“I have never made cookies,” Nebula objects weakly.

“I have not either! But it is fun! You decorate them with sparkly sugar and sweet frosting!”

The rest of the afternoon is filled with cookies and laughter and hot chocolate. You receive a communication from Yondu around five o’clock that they’re making their way back, that things went well and Mr. Quill, Peter’s grandfather, is accompanying them. They expect to be back by seven.

You have a couple casseroles in the oven, a huge bowl of salad and a tray of cheese and crackers ready for dinner when there’s a knock at the door.

“Okay, that’s them,” you say, shooing Ryx, Rocket, Groot and Drax into the other room. “Just one at a time, I don’t want Peter’s grandpa to get overwhelmed.”

“Aw, c’mon Doc,” Rocket grins, “Where’s yer sense of fun?”

“My sense of fun is suspended when there’s an elderly man coming into my house that might have a heart attack when he sees someone that looks like a talking racoon. If you don’t do it for Peter, do it for me. Do it for sake of Christmas.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Rocket replies, picking a tooth with one of his claws. “C’mon, Groot. Let’s wait over here.”

“I am Groot!”

“Thank you,” you call, and make your way to the door. You pull it open.

It’s not Peter.

You gasp. “Devon?”

Chapter Text

Your ex-boyfriend’s eyes go wide – and to your shock – fill with tears.

“Oh my god, it’s you! [y/n]! You’re alive! Thank god, you’re alive!” He lunges forward, pulling you into a tight hug. “Thank god, thank god you’re all right!”

“D-Devon! Get off!” You push him away, taking a large step back into the cabin. “Of course I’m alive! What did-” You bite your tongue as it strikes you that you’ve been gone for over a year. Yes, you’ve been thinking about it for almost a week now, how strange it is, being back on Earth after more than a year has passed, but you didn’t once think about the people you’d left behind – your friends, coworkers – and how you’d just left them hanging without any notice or idea of where you’d gone. You’d disappeared without a trace. People must have thought you’d been kidnapped, or killed, or who knows what else. “I’m fine,” you say firmly, willing your voice to be more gentle. “What are you doing here?”

He shrugs, wiping a sleeve across his eyes. “You always loved Christmas, and I dunno. I was thinking about you, and I decided to take a drive up here, since you told me this is always where you spent the holidays. And then I saw smoke coming out of the chimney, and the lights, and I thought, on the off chance, maybe….” He shrugs again, biting his lip against more tears brimming in his eyes. “What happened to you?” he whispers hoarsely. “The cops were by my place, I kept getting calls from everybody, everyone was wondering what happened to you. They found your car, but no one knew anything, no one saw anything…we had search parties and wanted posters, your friend at Stark Industries was blowing up social media, but nothing. It was like you dropped off the planet.” His breath hitches. “I can’t wait to tell them –”

“Stop, Devon,” you say sharply, holding out a hand. “You can’t tell anyone anything.”

He stares at you. “What? But why n–” At that very moment, there’s a huge gust of wind and bright lights overhead. Devon throws his arms over his head. “Wh- what the hell is that?” he yells.

Oh no, you think as you stare up at the Milano, coming to touch down in your driveway.

Yondu sits in the Milano’s second row next to Quill’s granddad, Jason Quill. Peter calls him Pops.

It’d been one hell of a day.

It started out with Pops pointing a shotgun out the front door at Quill. Yondu had been a split second from whistling out his arrow, but Peter had slowly walked forward, hands raised, citing old memories that only his grandfather would have known about, ones that only his real grandson would have remembered. To Yondu’s immense relief, he’d put the gun away.

Surprisingly, it was more difficult for Peter to convince his grandfather he was who he said he was, than to convince him he’d been in space for the last twenty-some years. Turns out, Pops had chased after Peter that night Meredith had died and had seen his grandson taken up into Yondu’s M-ship and spirited away. He’d been searching the skies every day since. Peter’s Meemaw hadn’t understood, but she’d stood by Pops until she passed away herself four years ago.

The next several hours were spent telling stories and answering questions, as well as introducing Gamora, Kraglin, and Yondu, and trying not to overwhelm the man.

In the end, Pops seemed to thoroughly accept their stories, and at Peter’s gentle insistence, packed a few bags and decided to join them for the holiday.

“Here we are,” Kraglin says, breaking Yondu from his thoughts. “Prepare for landing.”

“This place belongs to your girlfriend, is that right?” Pops asks him, craning his neck to look out the window.

“Tha’s right,” Yondu nods. “She’s a Terran, like you. A doctor.”

“So she’ll be able to help if I have a heart attack. That’s good to know,” Pops says, prompting a concerned look from Peter. He laughs and pats his grandson’s shoulder. “Just kidding, Pete. The old ticker’s still going strong.”

"Who's that?" Kraglin says suddenly, pointing.

"Who?" Yondu asks, unbuckling and coming to peer through the main window. There's a small, skinny man next to you at the cabin door. He clutches the back of Kraglin's seat so hard that the metal and plastic creak dangerously.

Kraglin shrinks down in his seat, and the ship goes very quiet at the guttural snarl that comes from Yondu next. “Devon.”

“Who’s Devon?” Peter asks as Yondu dashes past him, muttering, ‘flarkin’ kiddin’ me!’ “Who’s Devon?” he repeats, a little louder, as Yondu reaches the departure beam and slams the button. “Hold up, we haven’t landed yet!” he snaps, flipping the override. “Yikes,” he adds as Yondu gives him one of his patented death glares. “Yeah, yeah,” he says with a roll of his eyes, turning back to the dash, “If we don’t land right now you’re gonna eat me.”

“What?” Pops asks, startled.

Next to him, Gamora sighs deeply, pinching the bridge of her nose against what might be an incoming headache.

Within seconds, the Milano has landed, and Yondu is off the ship before anyone can even blink.

“Whoa whoa whoa, Yondu – calm down,” you say, coming forward with hands outstretched, even as Devon backs away, gaping at the ship. “As much as I would love to let you pummel him, let’s not. Not yet, anyway. Devon, get inside the cabin.”

“It’s a – it’s a –” He stammers, pointing a shaking finger at the Milano.

“Peter!” you yell as the man disembarks, “Cloak your ship please!” You turn to Devon. “Calm down, it’s just a spaceship. We’ve known those existed for a few years now.”

“But it’s –”

“In my front yard, I know.”

“And that means they – they’re – they’re – ”

“Aliens, yes. For heaven’s sake, Devon. Calm down. It’s not the end of the world.”

“Might be fer you,” Yondu interjects menacingly, stepping forward again.

He crouches a little further down behind you, eyes locked on the Ravager Captain, who, in Devon’s defense, does have a positively terrifying look on his face. “W-why does he look like he wants to kill me?”

“Because he probably does. Now get inside.”

“What?” he cries behind you. “Why?”

“I’ll explain inside-”

“Damn you, boy! I gotta beat your ass again?” Yondu shouts, trying to reach around you to get at him.

“Yondu!” you shout, swatting his hands away. “Please! You are not helping things!”

“What language is that?” Devon squeaks behind you. “How can you understand him?”

Then Yondu is yelling, and Devon is close to screaming, and Peter is shouting – and you’ve had it. “ENOUGH!” you roar, stamping a foot, and everyone falls silent.

Yondu takes a step back. You round on your ex. “Devon!” you snap, pointing at the front door, “Get your ass inside before I let him kick it to the moon!”

With a small whimper of “Shit!” Devon scrambles through the doorway.

“Yondu!” you say, pointing a finger in front of his nose, “You can go inside, but you are not allowed to touch him! Let me handle this.”

He grumbles something but nods.

“Ah, ah!” you say sharply, placing a hand on his chest as he puts one foot in the doorway, “No one else touches him either!”

“Dammit,” you hear him mutter, followed by something along the lines of, “Was gonna let Rocket blow his head off.”

“Ya need me to beat him up fer ya?” Kraglin asks, walking up.

“Which one,” you smile, “Devon or Yondu?”

He laughs and follows his Captain inside.

Peter and his grandfather approach followed closely by Gamora, and you extend a hand to the elderly man. “Hello, Mr. Quill,” you say as composedly as you can, “I’m [y/n]. It’s such a pleasure to meet you, I’m glad you decided to join us. I’m sorry for all the commotion,” you say with a glare back at the door, “My ex-boyfriend decided to make an unexpected appearance. But please come in, I have dinner in the oven, and some snacks ready. I can make you a cup of coffee or tea – or we have something stronger if you’d rather. I know this must be a lot to take in.”

“Something stronger sounds great,” he smiles at you. “Sounds like you might need a drink too.”

You laugh heartily and nod. “I think I might need more than one. Peter, you know where the liquor cabinet is.”

Once you’re sure the M-ships are cloaked and there’s only Devon’s car visible in the driveway, you head inside yourself.

Devon is pressed up against the wall, and both Yondu and Kraglin are standing nearby – just a little too close.

You sigh. “Kraglin, hand me my medical bag please, I think I have a chip injector in there.” You point to the kitchen. “Devon, kitchen table. Go.”

Edging along the wall, your ex slides into the kitchen and sits in the farthest chair from the doorway. Kraglin follows, and you hand him the injector as Yondu catches your arm. “Would you mind?”

Kraglin smirks. “My pleasure.”

“What is it?” you ask the Ravager Captain as he pulls you back into the hall.

“What is he doin’ here?” Yondu snarls, eyes dark with anger. “You invite him?” As soon as the words are out, he knows he’s said the wrong thing. The sudden light in your eyes is fiery and your face is livid.

“I am not even going to answer that ridiculous question,” you snap, and turn back into the kitchen.

“Shit. Baby – baby,” Yondu says, catching your hand, “I didn’t mean – I’m jus’ angry-” he stammers after you, and pulls up short as you whirl on him, pointing a finger in his face.

“I know you’re angry! How do you think I feel? But he hasn’t given me an excuse to slap him yet, I think he was just worried about me.” You sigh, lowering your finger. “Yondu, I need you to get a grip, please! It’s Christmas, we have guests, and I am trying to get rid of Devon as fast as possible.”

“Ya know, I could –”

“Without killing him,” you interrupt through clenched teeth. “Now please. Let me handle this.”

A sharp yelp from Devon makes you turn again; he’s slapped a hand to the space behind his right ear and has stood swiftly, glaring at Kraglin. “What the hell was that, man?!” he shouts, trying to draw himself up, but he only comes up to Kraglin’s shoulders.

“Whatcha gonna do, shorty?” Kraglin asks, amusedly staring him down.

Devon’s mouth falls open. “I- I can understand you.”

“It’s a standard galactic translator chip,” you say, pouring some coffee from the pot on the counter. You place a cup in front of Devon and sit down across from him. Yondu pulls out a chair next to you and sits. Kraglin remains leaned against the kitchen counter, arms crossed.

Devon’s eyes are trained warily on Yondu, and you snap your fingers loudly to draw his attention back to you. “It’s a translator chip,” you repeat. “I have one too. We all do. So we can understand one another. Now Devon, you have to listen to me very carefully.”

“Were you abducted by aliens?” he asks, leaning a little across the table.

“No. Now I want you to shut up and listen. I’m going to explain everything right-”

“Hey Doc!”

Devon shrieks at the sight of something behind you and jumps so violently that his chair tips over backwards and he spills onto the floor.

You sigh loudly, massaging your fingers into your temples. “Yes, Rocket? I’m in the middle of something here.”

Rocket eyes Devon, who is hiding behind the table legs, and grins wickedly at him with sharp teeth before looking back at you. “Groot wants s’more a’ those peanut butter cookies.”

You point to a red-lidded plastic tub on the counter.

“Thanks.”

“Sure. Now Rocket, please stay out of the kitchen – and tell everyone else to, too – until I say it’s okay.”

He looks like he wants to say something snarky or make a joke, but at the warning look in your eyes, he thinks better of it. “Yeah, yeah. Sure thing, Doc.”

After Rocket has gone, Devon rights his chair and trembling, seats himself. “That was a talking raccoon,” he whispers to you, gesturing out the door, as if you were seeing it for the first time yourself.

“He’s not a raccoon, he just looks an awful lot like one. Now Devon.” You slap the tabletop. “Focus.”

He’s gripping the arms of his chair hard but to your relief doesn’t say anything.

You lay a hand over Yondu’s fist, which is clenched and resting on the table. “This is Yondu Udonta. He’s a starship Captain who crashed in the woods behind my house last year. He’s my boyfriend.”

Devon looks at you like you’ve got lobsters crawling out of your ears. “Your –?”

“Boyfriend,” Yondu growls.

“Yes,” you say, scooting a little closer to Yondu and hugging his arm slightly. “And this is his son and First Mate, Kraglin.”

Devon’s gaze shifts to the tall Xandarian, who smiles thinly at him, then back to you.

“Yondu was injured in the crash and I helped him recover. We got to know one another, and he asked me if I wanted to go back to space with him. I wasn’t happy here, so I did. Now, I don’t want to tell you much more, because the less you know the better, but Devon,” you say firmly, and his gaze sharpens to focus entirely on you words, “If you ever cared for me, even just the tiniest bit, you have to promise me not to tell anyone about this. You can’t tell anybody that you’ve seen me, or where I’ve gone, or where I’ve been, and especially nothing about them.” You gesture to Yondu and Kraglin. “Please. I love him,” you say, leaning your head towards Yondu. “If the police or anyone knew he was here, they could take him away from me forever, and I don’t think I could survive that again.”

“Again?” he echoes quietly.

“Yes. He – never mind. Just promise me. Please.”

Devon swallows, studying your face, then slowly nods. “I promise, [y/n]. But - can I ask you something?”

You pull your hands away from Yondu and cross your arms. “Sure.”

“You said you left because you weren’t happy here. Are you happy now?”

The question is wholly unexpected, and it takes a moment for your ex’s words to register. Your arms eventually come unfolded, and you smile. “Yes. I am.”

To your surprise, Devon also smiles (if a little shakily), and nods. “G-good. You deserve to be happy.”

You look at him long and hard. “Thanks, Devon,” you say at last. “That’s nice of you to say.”

His gaze drops to the table, and he flicks a stray Christmas cookie sprinkle with his finger. “I wasn’t good to you,” he says heavily. “But he is?” His eyes flick to Yondu.

“Yes, he is.”

“Good. I’d – I’d hate to beat him up,” he laughs nervously.

“You couldn’t take him,” you say with a smirk and a shake of your head, and you see Yondu grin out of the corner of your eye. “I mean, he already punched you once. Winded you.”

Devon’s head whips back to you so fast you swear you hear something snap. “What?” he whispers.

“He’s the one who punched you in the stomach in my garage, when you came to apologize.” You use air-quotes on the last word.

“Oh my god.” His arms circle around his stomach as if in subconscious memory of the pain, and he swallows, eyes huge and fixed on Yondu. “Shit, I almost forgot about that.”

“I flarkin’ hated ya fer what ya did to her. Still do,” Yondu hisses, curling an arm around your shoulders and pulling you against his side.

Devon just nods dumbly. He looks at the two of you, then at Kraglin, and then at the door. “Well – I, um. I – I better go.”

“Good idea,” Yondu says, his hold on you tightening slightly before getting to his feet. You follow suit.

Devon also stands, and unexpectedly sticks a trembling hand out across the table – to Yondu.

Yondu just stares down at it. “Wassat?” he snarls.

“F-f-for taking care of her, for being a better man than me.”

Your eyebrows raise, and so do Yondu’s, but the Ravager shakes Devon’s hand, making sure to squeeze hard enough to make Devon flinch, just before he lets go.

Yondu and Kraglin both stand aside as you usher Devon out the door.

“I need to ask that you never come here again, Devon. And don’t stop by my house. Don’t go looking for me anywhere.”

Devon nods. “Okay.” He takes a deep breath as he fumbles in his coat pocket for his car keys. “I’m just – I’m really glad you’re okay, [y/n],” he says, and his voice sounds a little strained.

“Thanks.” You pause, then continue, “I’m sorry you thought I might have died or something. Although it seems to have helped you grow, somehow.”

Devon gives a short, shaky laugh. “Yeah. Made things real.” He kicks some loose gravel on the driveway. “I’m sorry for the way I treated you, [y/n]. I really am. I was a real asshole, and you deserved better.”

“Yes I did. And now I have it,” you add as you feel the warmth of Yondu’s arm circle around your waist.

“Ya better git now, boy.”

Devon’s eyes bulge a little and he retreats a dozen steps towards his car. “Right. Take care of yourself, [y/n]. And don’t worry, I won’t say anything to anybody about – about him or any of it. I promise.”

“Thank you.”

He gets into his car, and just before he closes the door, calls, “Uh - Merry Christmas!”

You lean back into Yondu, hugging his arms around you. “Merry Christmas,” you call back, and together you watch as Devon’s car rolls down the driveway and out of sight.

“Good gods I need a drink,” you say, going back in the house, and Yondu chuckles after you.

Inside, Karen Carpenter’s There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays plays over the radio, and peeking into the living room, you smile.

Ryx, Gamora, Nebula, and Mantis are seated at a card table in the corner doing a jigsaw puzzle; Drax and Rocket are drinking eggnog on the couch, and Peter, Jesper, and Kraglin are decorating the tree. Groot is balanced in Pops’ cupped hands, and he’s lifting the small Flora Colossus so he can place a star in the top branches.

“You guys made quick work of that,” you say, surveying the decorated tree. “Very pretty.” Behind you in the kitchen, you hear the timer beeping. “Perfect timing. Who’s ready for dinner?”

The next day, Devon is all but forgotten. You and Peter sit down at the kitchen table, looking through cookbooks and recipe cards, trying to decide what to make for Christmas dinner. You’re also making a list of things to shop for, to stock up on and bring back with you to space.

“Microwave popcorn? And did you get the Dr. Pepper?”

“I think you have that on the list three times already, Peter.”

“What about M&Ms?”

“Got it.”

“Potato chips? And Fruit Roll Ups? Oh! Twinkies!”

“Anything that isn’t junk food?” you ask, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Does frozen pizza count? If it has veggies on it?”

You laugh, but add it to the list, along with chocolate bars, instant coffee, honey, and tea. Sure, there’s tea in space, but there’s nothing like a good cup of tea from Earth.

Suddenly there’s the sound of uproarious laughter from the other room. You both get up in a hurry and run into the living room; Mantis and Drax are laughing so hard they can barely breathe. Jesper is laughing into his drawn-up knees. Kraglin has his face hidden in Ryx’s shaking shoulder, but by the flushed blue of his face, you can tell the First Mate is laughing too. 

Even Nebula has cracked a smile, and Gamora is grinning.

“What’s so funny?” you ask, surveying the room. Nothing looks amiss, except for the fact that they have the 1966 “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” on the television, paused at a scene of the Grinch smiling grotesquely. 

Between hiccups and giggles, Groot says, “I am Groot!” Points at the TV, then at Yondu, and laughs again. 

Yondu is the only one not laughing, but he’s smiling, if a bit ruefully.

“What did he say?” you ask.

Rocket, wiping tears of mirth from his eyes, says between gasps of air, “The Grinch looks just like Blue!” 

You look back at Yondu, the TV, and clap a hand over your mouth as you snigger. The red eyes and the crooked teeth...it’s not too far off. Behind you, Peter has nearly collapsed to the floor he’s laughing so hard.

You laugh louder, then walk over to Yondu to give him a kiss on the cheek.

He chuckles, looping his arms about your waist. “Whatcha think, darlin? Should I steal yer Christmas?” he growls, dragging you down into his lap.

You laugh and kiss his nose. “I don’t know, spaceman. You already stole my heart away.”

The rest of the week passes by comfortably without any more unwelcome visitors, arguments, or mishaps unless you count the snowball fight all the boys get into which results in losing Groot in the deep snow for a solid twenty minutes. After he’s found, they all come in for hot chocolate, warm blankets and Christmas movies.

At last it’s Christmas Eve. When it’s late in the evening and the lights are turned down low and everyone is happily full of dinner and drowsy from alcohol, you pull down a well-loved and worn old book from the shelf. “The Night Before Christmas?” you ask, holding it up, and Peter nods enthusiastically. “Maybe Pops would like to read it.”

“I’d be honored,” he says, and settles himself in the middle of the couch. Peter and Gamora curl up on one side, Rocket and Jesper on the other, and with Groot perched on Pops’ knee, everyone listens to the story. “’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring; not even a mouse….”

Yondu awakes to the sound of you showering, but drifts back to sleep, only to wake again to see you getting dressed in a red sweater and leggings. He rubs at one eye sleepily, smiling at you. “Mornin’, baby,” he says, propping himself up on one elbow.

You grin at him and crawl over the bed to give him a big, deep kiss. “Good morning, spaceman. Merry Christmas!”

“Mmm,” he grins back, licking his lips. “I like Christmas.”

You giggle and playfully slap his hand away as he reaches to pull you back down into bed. “Time for that later, I have things to do.” You wink at him, and disappear out the bedroom door, closing it behind you.

Yondu looks up and looks out the window above his head. It’s not even dawn yet; just the faintest promise of sunrise is illuminating the trees. Things to do, huh? He showers quickly and puts on clothes, then – peeking out the door to make sure you’re not anywhere around – goes through his bag and pulls out the ring he’d bought on Bira, which he stows safely in his deepest trouser pocket. Gathering his box full of wrapped presents, he quietly goes down the stairs.

He’s greeted by the smell of brewing coffee, and he’s thinking about which Christmas cookies would go best with a cup when he stops on the landing. He grins. The whole downstairs is strung and lit with lights, the tree is on, and there, over the fireplace, are hung what look like thirteen oversized socks. Stockings, he thinks. Like in that story from last night. ‘The stockings are hung from the chimney with care.’ Coming closer, he realizes that each stocking has a name on it. There’s one for each of them. The blue and red one with the snowflakes – that’s his. Right next to yours; green, red and white with a reindeer on it.

“I had Segi make them,” you explain softly behind him. “Now shoo,” you order, and he jumps out of the way. “Go put your presents under the tree.”

He does so, sometimes sneaking glances at you to see what you’re putting in each of the stockings. Looks like little knickknacks, sweets, and small wrapped gifts.

“No peeking!” you hiss, smiling, wagging a finger.

It’s not long before Peter is awake, and as a result, everyone else is too. You wish you had a camera trained on him the second he got down the stairs. The glow and sparkle in his eyes and pure childish joy in his smile almost makes you want to cry.

“Thanks, [y/n]!” he says softly, obviously holding back some tears himself as he lifts you in a bear hug.

“Aww, you’re welcome Peter. Merry Christmas.”

And then everyone is sitting on the couch or the floor, and the gifting begins.

Among the myriad of gifts, Rocket gets some gun and barrel polish and cleaner. Groot gets a Bob Ross Chia Pet. Jesper gets a set of ancient navigator tools once used by seafarers. Kraglin gets a variety pack of instant soup and assorted ramen. Gamora and Nebula each get a whetstone set in personalized wooden cases. Ryx gets a set of jeweled bracers and a set of six matching earrings. There’s something for everyone, including Pops and Nebula, who looks pleased but a little confused.

“Here, Yondu,” you say shyly, and hand him a small box and a larger bag. “Open the bag first.”

“Thanks, doll. Here, I got ya these.” He pushes over several bags and a couple packages.

“Yondu, you got me too much.”

“Ain’t no such thing when it comes to you, girl,” he chuckles, lifting out the tissue paper from his bag. He reaches down into it and lifts out a box. His face lights up at the image printed on the outside. “Hey! Quill had one a’ things when he was a kid. Look, Quill!” He lifts up the box to show him.

“A polaroid camera! You were always borrowing mine, glad you finally got one of your own.”

“It’s a newer model, we’ll figure out how it works later. Maybe we can get some family picture around the tree,” you smile. You open a few of the bags and blushing furiously, stuff the contents back down among the tissue paper.

“Ya like ‘em?” Yondu murmurs, nodding down into the bags, where an assortment of lacy panties, thongs, bras and teddies are nestled.

You nod. “I’ll have to try them on and give you a show later,” you whisper in his ear, and kiss his cheek.

“Mmm, now we’re talkin’.”

You giggle and reach for another package, which turns out to be a matching set of pink pearl earrings and a bracelet. “Oh, these are beautiful.”

Yondu unwraps the small box you had given him and lifts out a dark slate-colored chain. On the end of the chain is a locket. “Thanks, baby. Don’t wear jewelry much, but this is nice.”

“You have to open the locket,” you say, pointing at it.

“Oh,” he says, and flicks it open. Small holograms, one after another, cycle through – there’s one of your face, smiling and blowing him a kiss; one of Kraglin, saluting his captain; one of Peter, jamming to music on his headphones; and then there’s Stakar, Aleta, Martinex, Jesper, Charlie-27, Drax, Rocket, Krugarr, Mainframe, Groot and a few others, all greeting Yondu in some way.

“Now you’ll always be able to carry a little bit of all of us around, wherever you are.”

Yondu closes the locket carefully and reaches over to pull you into his arms. “Thank you, sweetheart,” he whispers, and you can tell he was very touched by the gift. “This is something special.” You kiss each other tenderly, then you point to a series of packages wrapped in blue paper with stars on it. “Peter, there’s one of those for you – one for Kraglin, one for Jesper, one for Groot, and one for Yondu. Can you hand those out please? And don’t open them until I say.”

Once they all have their packages, you nod at them to go ahead. Once they’re unwrapped, they all start laughing. Yondu is holding up a blue knit sweater that says “Dad” on it; underneath is the likeness of an arrow. Kraglin’s says “Big Brother;” Peter’s says “Little Brother;” and Jesper’s says “Grandson.”

“Groot, I had Mosegi make you a scarf, because Rocket says you don’t like shirts.”

“I am Groot!” he says, happily holding up the blue scarf that is patterned with arrows.

Among the other gifts you got from Yondu and the others are a new translator visor, a new com interface that attaches to your shoulder so your hands can be freer in the Med Bay, and some books for pleasure reading.

Yondu got a new holster for his arrow, some manly-smelling hand-balm for cold, dry climates, and an assortment of new little critter figurines for his control console.

You think it's all done with and are about to get up from the couch to put cinnamon rolls in the oven, when Yondu stops you. "Hold on, darlin'," he says, "I got one more present fer ya."

You laugh. "Yondu, you already got me so much."

"Well, ya know I like spoilin' ya."

You laugh again and sit back down.

"Ya gotta close yer eyes, I forgot to wrap this one."

You raise an eyebrow at the tremble in his voice but close your eyes. You feel his weight lift off the couch, and one by one, everybody stops talking, hushing one another. You laugh, a little nervously. "What are you up to?"

"Just one, Dad," you hear Peter whisper, but Kraglin shushes him loudly.

You hear Yondu take in a deep and shaking breath. "O-okay honey, ya can open yer eyes."

When you do so, Yondu is before you. Kneeling.

On one knee. 

He has one hand over his heart, and in his other hand, between his thumb and index finger, he holds a ring of rose-gold and diamonds, set in the middle with a round moonstone streaked with faint blue and red veins.

You clap yours over your mouth, tears filling your eyes.

"[y/n]," Yondu begins, calling you by your full name, but his voice chokes up, and it causes your tears to fall. You double over, hiding your face in your knees. You feel his large warm hand caress your hair, and you raise up again.

He has tears in his eyes too. "Fer so long I wanted all the rewards of lovin’ without the risk. I wanted everything right away, and I didn’t wanna work fer it. I kept everybody at arm’s length, because I didn’t wanna get close. I didn’t want to – to commit to anythin’. But then I met ya.” He lets out a wet-sounding laugh, and you see tears shining in the corners of his eyes. “I met ya, and ya changed my life. Yer everythin’ I didn’t know I needed. [y/n], darlin', it was here in this cabin that I told ya I didn't think I could live without ya, and it's true. I want ya at my side always. I want t’wake up next to ya every mornin’ and go to sleep with ya in my arms every night. I want ya to be mine forever.” He reaches up to cup your cheek in a hand. “[y/n]?” he whispers, using your full name again. “Will ya marry me, sweetheart? Will ya be this old Centaurian's wife?"

You can only nod vigorously for a few moments, before managing to gasp out a "Yes!" The tears run freely down your face.

"Yeah?" he says, eyes shining. 

"Yes! Of course I will marry you!" you cry, throwing yourself into his arms. He lifts you and twirls around, kissing you repeatedly. Everyone is hollering and clapping, and you hear a dull roar near where Kraglin is standing. You look in his direction, and see he's holding up a large holopad whose screen his completely taken up by the crew, cheering from where they watched the proposal from the Eclector.

You laugh and kiss Yondu deeply, and the cheers turn into whistles and whoops. At last Yondu sets you down on your feet and takes your hands in his, holding up the ring. He looks from one hand to the other. "Shit," he laughs.

“What’s wrong?”

"I don't know what finger it goes on."

A laugh bubbles up from your throat and you throw your head back, unable to contain it. Yondu joins in, and you both laugh until your sides ache. After you've caught your breath, you wiggle the finger on your left hand, next to your pinky. "This one."

He takes your hand gently in his and slides the ring on. It's a perfect fit. New tears in your eyes, you watch as he lifts your hand to his lips to place a tender kiss against your knuckles. "I love ya, [y/n]."

Hours later, after the wrapping paper has been collected and cinnamon rolls eaten, after carols have been sung and stories told, after photos have been taken and games have been played, after a dinner of turkey and cranberries and stuffing and mashed potatoes has been eaten and bowls of popcorn have been enjoyed during a viewing of It’s a Wonderful Life, and after everyone else has gone to bed, only you and Yondu remain awake.

It’s late, and outside the snow is softly falling in big cotton candy tufts; the beams of the full moon fall on the drifts and on the frozen lake, lighting everything with a candle-like glow. You sit on the sofa together, remnants of hot chocolate and Christmas cookies on the coffee table before you. The lights are all off; just the Christmas tree lights and those of the garland up the banister twinkle in the darkness. Neither of you have said anything for some time, but the quiet is comfortable, contented and warm. 

The quiet clock in the hall strikes midnight, and you turn, pushing yourself further into Yondu's embrace to kiss him on the scruff of his cheek. "Thank you for making this the best Christmas of my life, Yondu. I love you, and I can't wait to marry you."

He smiles down at you, trailing a few fingers tenderly along your cheek. He takes your hand and runs his thumb along your engagement ring. "Me neither. I love ya more than anythang, darlin'. He suddenly grins. “Yer gonna be my wife."

“Yes, yes I am.” You smile up at him, and he kisses you long and slow before turning off the lights.

Chapter Text

I posted this on Tumblr earlier today but didn’t want my AO3 readers to be left out, so here you go!

Vital Part 3 will be coming later this year, likely in spring 2020 sometime. Here are some high-level things that I’m planning on including:

• Wedding
• Baby(ies)
• Infinity War / Endgame tie-ins

What else do YOU want to see in Part 3? What ideas do you have for the topics above?

Bachelor/bachelorette parties? Ravager wedding traditions? NSFW scenes? Conflict ideas? Infinity War/Endgame team-ups / alternative endings or ideas to the movies?

And if you have ideas for characters other than Yondu and [y/n] I am all ears too!

comment below!!