Please note: This story is second in a series, so if you haven't read Drax the Guardian, it won't be as awesome. (So go read it if you want the whole ... eh … experience.)
DISCLAIMER: I own none of these beautiful characters, only what they're doing (and their actions are still pretty much theirs, since I'm tryin' ta keep 'em in character here).
I also own the random stuff on the side, but it's not really all that important, is it?
Groot was happy.
It had almost been a week since their disastrous mission for the Nova Corps, and the Guardians of the Galaxy were still healing. Yet they had survived, and this pleased the Flora Colossus to no end.
He wasn't happy all the time, however. To say that Groot had been mad when he had discovered the extent of his friend's injuries–how Peter had been whipped, or how Gamora had broken her leg–would be putting it lightly.
Groot was furious.
He was also very thankful to Drax for rescuing them against all odds, despite the fact that the Kylosian had barely survived himself. That left only Rocket and Groot uninjured out of everyone on the team, and so they were the ones fixing the ship.
Groot had his own problems in the form of an implant that, courtesy of the Collector, now resided in his right hand. Peter had one too, and Rocket had been beside himself when they had discovered the intricate connection between the device and its wearer's nervous system.
It would take a careful surgery to remove the offending piece of machinery.
The implant still hurt, too. If Groot got too excited, it would send a painful shock up his arm. It was reminiscent to how one felt after banging their wrist on something very hard, since the throbbing continued for minutes afterwards, and the entire area of the implant was sensitive and sore.
Groot felt bad for Quill–whose implant was embedded right at the nape of his neck–but he also lamented not being to better help Rocket repair the ship as he tried to avoid using his right hand.
It had become a sort of ritual for them to convene in the common room when it was time to re-bandage and treat recent wounds. Gamora's cybernetic implants had been helping her leg heal, and she would stretch it while Drax treated Peter's back and feet after a bath (much to the human's embarrassment).
The solid Kylosian would also take care of his own wounds, while Groot and Rocket found something to fix close by, to be supportive.
Rocket denied that it had anything to do with support (though he normally did, and Groot was certain that it was a lie), grumbling all the while about how useless his injured teammates were, and how whiny Quill was being.
Groot just took it as another sign of his love, since his small friend didn't bother justifying his actions if he didn't care what anyone thought of him. He said as much to the bounty hunter, and got a snort in reply, "Ya big sap."
The fear that Groot felt for his team and their current position, however, hadn't gone away since they'd finally escaped, and it was with disquiet that Groot admitted to himself that his team was still very vulnerable.
It was a problem that he had been ruminating on for the last few days, uncertain of how he could remedy it, yet knowing that he wouldn't be able to sleep until he had done something.
The last few days had been a nightmare in more ways than one, and Groot didn't feel comfortable leaving his team, even if it was just to rest. But it had been when he was working on the navigation console the night before that he had recognized a way to get around the problem.
He was going to implement his plan today, happy to know that he would be able to keep his family safe.
"Stop smilin' like that." Rocket broke him out of his thoughts with a disgusted tone of voice. "Yer makin' me uncomfortable."
"I'm just happy." He replied easily, and his small friend rolled his eyes before going back to his work.
It was in this moment that Groot saw his opportunity, and he quickly began making his gifts. One for Gamora and one for Drax. He grew one for Peter too, but the fragile Terran had fallen asleep on the table, not for the first time.
Plants were amazing things, Groot knew, and being a versatile species of plant himself, he was able to grow almost anything. From Terran tomatoes (Peter had cried when Groot had done that) to Ragalberries (Drax had cried?), the Flora Colossus had the ability to morph his cells to match those of any other plant life.
Of course, he had to have a little knowledge about the plant life, first, and that's what he had been doing almost all morning in preparation for this moment. Studying the hazenwhorl flower. Three wristbands were nestled in the palm of his large left hand, a soft white flower growing on top of them in a swirl pattern.
"Gamora!" He called to her before she could leave, and she turned her head in surprise, her eyebrows lifting as he held her gift out with a grin. The assassin took her small woven wristband with wide eyes, and then her lips curved into a fond smile. "You have to wear it all the time." Groot said, knowing that it wouldn't work if she didn't have it with her.
"The hell?" Rocket muttered while the Zehoberei woman slipped it over her wrist, adjusting it so that the flower was facing up.
"Thanks, Groot."
Groot smiled to know that she was comfortable showing her soft side to him, turning to give the Destroyer his.
"I will wear it proudly." Drax put his on as well, and Groot was relieved that he didn't think it something foolish. Sometimes it was easy to forget that the Kylosian had been a father.
Rocket stayed silent until both of them had left, and for this Groot was grateful, though the small bounty hunter piped up as soon as they were gone, while Groot began putting Peter's on his wrist. "Mind tellin' me why ya suddenly decided to make us all jewelry?"
Groot didn't answer, merely picking Star-Lord up gently, then slowly lumbering towards the human's room.
"Groot." Rocket followed him, and his voice was knowing. "What do those flowers do?"
The Flora Colossus kept his silence until Peter was arranged comfortably–if still shirtless–on his stomach. Groot frowned when he realized that the human would not be able to sleep in his hammock again until his back had healed.
"Hey!" Something sharp jabbed him in the leg, and he looked down to see Rocket with his arms folded and one claw extended. "What do the flowers do?"
Groot sighed, knowing that there wasn't really a way around it, since his friend would know if he lied. That didn't mean that he had to tell the whole truth, though. If he did, Rocket would never wear the one Groot was going to make for him. "They'll tell me if the wearer is in trouble."
Rocket was stayed silent, studying the woven band on Peter's wrist for a long moment before looking up at the Flora Colossus. "You tagged 'em?"
"I did not tag them!" Groot furrowed his brow at the insinuation, his gift from the Collector sending a small shock up his arm.
"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say." The small mammal started to walk away with a shaking head, and Groot decided that he would give Rocket his bracelet later. "You gonna help me fix the ship up, or just stand there like an idiot?" Groot sighed, quietly following to help his friend continue their work.
Minutes later they were in the engine room, and the bounty hunter was muttering angrily to himself as he headed straight towards the worst of the damage. Groot knew that his friend had already been working almost 5 days straight to get the ship up and running, and it showed in the amount of machinery strewn about the room.
The Milano had taken quite a beating from the explosion, and Rocket said as much when he tore out their ruined propulsion unit.
"Are we going to have to go outside again to fix it?" Groot felt it prudent to ask, and his friend nodded with a growl.
"Frikkin' hunk a junk!" He kicked the gutted console, then scowled at the pain it caused him. "Always fallin' apart."
"It saved us from that explosion." Groot reminded the small mammal, knowing that most of the anger was on behalf of their injured teammates. Even though Rocket would hardly ever admit it, Groot knew that the small bounty hunter had a deep-seated love and respect for the Milano.
"Yeah, an' now it's even trashier than before."
It wasn't a new conversation for either of them, and so Groot didn't deign to answer as he volunteered. "I can fix some of the outside stuff this time. You can stay in here and keep working."
"That's delicate work out there, bud." Rocket sighed after considering it for a moment. "I'll head out to see if I can jury-rig somethin' for the scanners. You stay here an' see if you can boot up the comm system. Most-a those wires are toast."
"Okay, but don't stay out for too long." Groot warned him, debating with himself on giving the bracelet now, and finally giving in. "A- … and take this with you."
"You gonna tag me too?" The bounty hunter seemed skeptical, but finally acquiesced with a roll of his eyes. "Fine. But if it starts itching or somethin', I'm takin' it off."
"I'll accept that." Groot had expected nothing less, and Rocket quickly donned his gear before heading out, leaving the Flora Colossus alone.
Well … not quite alone. Groot smiled as he opened his palm, showing his own hazenwhorl flower near the bottom of his left wrist. He shook it gently, blowing on it a little before staying very still to watch as the little white spores came out.
They floated gently before him, and he knew that they were attempting to connect with their sister flowers. Groot could feel the other flowers spewing out their own spores, and waited patiently.
It took a moment before four scenes were projected from the glowing pink dots, and he easily recognized Drax's room, neat and mostly barren, Gamora's room, military and orderly, and then Quill's room, an absolute disaster.
More importantly, he could see his three friends, each sleeping soundly in their beds, none of them seeing the twinkling lights above them.
The last scene was of the outer hall, and he could see Rocket disappearing around the corner on his way out the airlock.
Groot liked the hazenwhorl flower, knowing that this wouldn't be the last time that he used it as the spores very slowly faded from before him. This time, if anything happened to his friends, he would know exactly how to find them, and exactly what was going on.
That made Groot happy.
So now Groot is a stalker. I apologize for nothing.
Lemme know what you think of being able to understand what Groot is saying. I find it interesting to delve into his character like I'm doing for this fic, and I'm curious to hear your thoughts.
Of course, I can't have you forgetting that for every review I get, the next chapter will come out that much more quickly. ;)
(I guess I'm really not above bribery or begging, huh?)
Anyway, I promise that though these first chapters will be a little slow, the next ones will hopefully knock your socks off with action and whumpage!