Mary made her way into the small suite behind her bar, and rubbed the back of her neck. He'd called her fila - beloved. Part of her heart was singing, but most of her was just sad that he didn't mean it. All she'd wanted to do all night was give him a hug and tell him that everything would be all right. But she couldn't even take care of herself. She was on a pleasure planet tending bar and trying not to get killed by the clientele. Well - not after tonight. Rolling her eyes at her problems with the small bounty on her head, she was surprised to see the Zen-Whoberian woman, Gamora sitting on her open window ledge, watching the night sky.

The rolling, dark yellow clouds took over the black, still sky, and thunder could be heard in the distance.

"Looks like we're in for a storm tonight," Garmora said lightly, not turning to look at the bartender.

"Can't sleep?" Mary asked softly, not wanting to wake Mantis, who was sleeping soundly on some pillows on the floor. She stepped around the woman to sit opposite Gamora and stifled a yawn. "Sorry, it's been a long day. My last long day in this place." A thought occurred to her, "Um, I guess you'll find out tomorrow, but -"

"You're travelling with us," Gamora said, giving the other woman a small smirk. "The walls in this place are rather thin. Is the bounty on your head impressive?"

"Um, no. I mean, I don't know what would be considered impressive."

Gamora laughed lightly at the slightly uneasy look on the Terran's face. "Sorry, it's been a long day for us as well." She looked up again at the sky, as if looking for someone, and Mary got the impression she shouldn't ask questions. So she did.

"Did you lose something up there?" At Gamora's harsh look, Mary shrugged. "Being a bartender for ten years makes you aware of people's body language. But you don't have to tell me anything. I'm going to shower and get into bed. I have no idea what time Guardians wake up, but I don't want to be the one who gets you guys off schedule." She went to get up, and almost didn't hear the other woman's answer.

"My sister." Mary turned to look at her and nodded slowly. Long ago, in another world, Mary had had a sister.

"She must have had a good reason to not be here with you."

"She thinks she does. She's going to get herself hurt, and there's nothing I can do to help her." Gamora seemed resigned.

"Did you want to talk about it? I'm not technically a bartender anymore, but I'm still a good listener. And it'll get my mind off of things."

"Like Kraglin." Gamora smiled, in spite of her fears over Nebula's fate.

"What? Mary was stunned. What about Kraglin?

"Is he in some sort of trouble for asking me to tag along? I don't have to -" she stopped as Gamora shook her head.

"Nothing like that. I don't know him well enough to know what his motivations are, but you two seem to care about each other a lot." She stood up and stretched, making her way over to the spot on the floor she'd claimed as her own. Gracefully sliding to the floor, she sighed and leaned up against the wall, not fully relaxed, but less stressed than she'd been earlier in the evening.

Mary shrugged, "I had a sister once, and she never wanted me to get close to her. So, I guess if you ever need someone to talk to about that sort of thing, I'm available." She grew a bit self conscious and turned to go into the bathroom.

Gamora started at the bartender closely, and shook her head, as she made a decision.

"Mary, wait. I'll make you a deal - you go take your shower and when you come back, I'll tell you about my sister and you can tell me about Kraglin. I want the opinion of someone who knows him well."

"Well - sure. I'll only be a few minutes."

"Take your time, who knows the next time you'll have the luxury of a private shower without a bunch of idiotic men racing us through hyperspace."

Mary smiled. "Good point."


The men had originally decided to bunk on the ship, but after Mary had confessed there was an irate space pirate out to kill her, they'd decided to stay at the bar, just in case.

"I am Groot," the sapling said darkly. Rocket nodded knowingly.

"Yeah, I know, that space pirate's not gonna let Kraglin's girl just leave the planet without a fuss."

Kraglin choked on his drink, "She ain't my girl."

"Yeah, fila - you just keep telling yourself that. You look at her the way Petey over there looks at Gamora."

"Yeah," Peter said, half drunk. "Wait, what? How do I look at her?"

"You know," the raccoon said breezily, rolling his eyes, "all mooshy."

"I am Groot," the tiny tree said again.

"I am not whipped," Peter said, his voice a little too high. Groot laughed and shared a look with Rocket.

"Peter, you were whipped?" Drax said, concerned. "Was it Gamora, after you looked at her all mooshy?"

"I do not- you know what, I'm not listening to anymore of this," Peter said, acting above it all. "Let's talk about Kraglin and how he has the hots for the bartender."

"What? I don't - I mean, what?" Kraglin's eyes wouldn't meet Peter's and Drax laughed.

"He wants to cook the girl. Many warriors grieve their fallen comrades by sacrificing a maiden." Drax pounded his chest. "I salute you."

"Shut up, meathead," Rocket sighed, "No one is cooking anyone. Kraggy here has a crush on our new ship bartender. Which brings me to my original point of Sandor. He's not gonna make it easy to leave with her if she insulted him."

"He's not gonna have a choice," Kraglin said in a voice the others hadn't heard before. It was protective and savage, and if everyone was being honest, it made the Ravager pilot seem a bit more intimidating. Not that they'd be honest.

"Just tell her you love her," Rocket advised. "After she laughs in your face, we can have her make up some real drinks, and not that slop Peter threw together tonight."

"You drank five of those glasses of 'slop', if I must remind you," Peter said, glaring. Rocket was going to answer, when his ears twitched. He held up a paw.

"Someone's out there," he said in a low voice.

Kraglin stood, pulling out his blaster. "Sandor."

"Now, now," Peter said quickly. "We don't know that, and even if it is, we don't want to start a gun battle without knowing how many are out there. Rocket, go get the girls. Groot, stay hidden until we know what's going on."

"And me?" Drax asked. Peter grinned.

"You and I are going to go out the upstairs windows and get a little looksie of who's prowling around out there."

The plan would have been a good one, except for the canister of gas thrown through an open window, and the loud bang of explosive that filled the air,