Ok, so the idea that I had, is still there. But this is very different from what I had planned. Fanfiction really does write itself sometimes doesn't it
Chapter 10
With the centre now behind them Yondu began to weave his way through the crowds, no easy feat with the Terran in one arm and a bag in the other, he was half tempted to go to the nearest bar and grab a drink and something to eat.
But as he peered down at the boy, Peter had already fallen asleep, and seemed oblivious to the hustle going on around him so continued on his path to his ship.
Opening the bay door, he unceremoniously threw the clothes bag down and was about to park the kid in one of the chairs, when he looked down at the boy. Somehow Peter's hands had wrestled around the rough leather and were clenched tightly.
Yondu already knew that his limbs needed therapy , and was slightly hesitant of yanking those hands clear, knowing his luck the kids hand would break and he would have to take him back to the Med Centre, something he was sure would make the Healer a very happy and rich woman.
Parking himself in the captain's seat, and adjusting the sleeping boy, so he would be able to maneuvere the ship with ease, Yondu sent a quick communique to Kraglin to meet him at the same point he had left the Eclector and took to the air, soon leaving the celestial body that made up Knowhere behind in deep space.
As the hours passed, there were a few murmurs from the boy, but he was breathing evenly with nothing to show he was going to be awake any time soon, which pleased Yondu no end until he had cleared the asteroid field, and opened a private hail to Kraglin.
Yondu waited as the first mate dropped into view, and his eyes darted to the sleeping boy. "Well someone made himself comfortable…new clothes?" The tone was slightly mocking, which Yondu ignored. "Oh, shut it…any word on the ship?"
"Naaa, the three of them have no idea, been acting like a couple of bastards, I remember them being in the mess and being the ones who were kicking him, but there were a few there, so the fourth one…could be anyone"
Typical, Yondu thought, but kept that to himself. He was going to get it out of them, he already knew that, and from the look on Kraglin's eyes so did he.
"Just keep listening for anything, and meet me when I get back to the ship."
"Will do, boss. Kraglin out"
As the screen flicked off and Yondu turned back his attention to the stars, as he was suddenly distracted by the boy moving gently against him.
Switching the ship to autopilot, and looking down, Peter was scrunching up his eyes, in the throes of sleep, as his still damaged eye settled onto Yondu and immediately began to inch away.
"Relax kid; I'm not going to hurt ya." Yondu informed the boy, slightly pissed at the kid's reaction to all of this as Peter gave Yondu his answer by looking away from his gaze, really looking at nothing more than shadows.
"Peter." The boy flinched at the slight raise in Yondu's tone, the universal indicator that this wasn't a request but an order, as the boy turned his head back and seemed to swallow nervously.
"When did you try to tell me you were being beaten?"
Peter seemed to be trying to look away, but Yondu didn't give a damn that the boy was pretty much blind and stared at him for a full minute. It was meant to make the little shit nervous, perhaps break him into a sweat, if that was what it took to get the information out of him, as he said in a shaky voice.
"I tried to, I tried to the first time…I had been in the bunk for about a week when they jumped me. I came to your door crying, and you told me to "Stop acting like a bitch, and take it like a Ravager"…so I did".
Yondu with his free hand rubbed it between his eyes, damn he remembered that moment. He had perhaps one of the most shittiest days of the week, then when the kid had knocked at his door. He had taken one look at the crying child, who had assumed was crying for his "mommy" and told him to piss off!
Peter wasn't finished, as after six months of holding it in, he continued his speech.
"And every time I wanted to, you looked at me like I was nothing, like I was dirt so they begin to tell me that they were acting on your orders, that you wanted me to be "tender"" He practically spat out the last word, no doubt reliving everything in his mind.
This was the moment Yondu was pleased that the boy couldn't see the look on his own face as he felt like shit...class A shit. He knew the boy was right, every time he had seen the boy he had taken out his frustrations on him, all the jobs they had lost, being pushed to the outer rims…which wasn't the kids fault. He didn't even know the real reason why it was happening, but Yondu still decided to take it out on him.
"I'm sorry Peter." Yondu realised that it was the most he had used the boys name since he had arrived. Prior to that, it was either "Quill" or the dehumanising "Boy", and the first time he had apologised to anyone for a very long time.
Peter looked to be choking back a sob, "I'm sorry too". A sentence that drew surprise from Yondu "I'm sorry I got sick, I'm sorry I'm a weak pathetic Terran, and not a real Ravager….and I'm sorry I cant remember who else was beating me….I keep trying, but it's all shadows. I'm sorry Yondu". With that the tears began to gush from Peter's eyes, tears he had contained within himself for so long.
Yondu adjusted his body, and letting his fingers fall through the boy's hair, the boy sobbed quietly until Yondu felt his body go slack with sleep, totally exhausted from the conversation that had just taken place.
Switching the autopilot off, as the sight of his ship came into view and the hanger bay door dropped, as the ship went through decompression and it was safe to step onto the deck, Yondu gently woke the boy in his arms. "Peter…Peter. We're back on the Eclector".
Peter looked up, and squinted, groggily, as Yondu opened the ships door and the pair was joined by Kraglin, the sounds of his boots falling heavy on the metal as he joined them in the cockpit.
"Well isn't this a sight to see." Kraglin keeping the humour in his voice, to try to break the tension, as Yondu gestured for him to lift the boy up. Peter hissed at the sudden movement and his legs buckled beneath him as Kraglin tried to put him to the ground. As Yondu got to his feet, he immediately took the boy back and pointed to the various bags that Kraglin would have to carry.
Perching the boy on the Captains seat, he immediately began to massage the boy's tense legs.
"Peter, you have to walk from this ship, or there going to think you're weak…do you understand?"
Peter just nodded, and it was clear was trying not to cry with pain, as Yondu tried not to be too rough as he was breathing life into the boy's limbs.
After a few minutes, the moment Peter said he felt confident enough to walk which Yondu already knew was bullshit, but he gave the boy some dues for his tenacity. He rose tenderly to his feet as with Kraglin with expert ease of someone who was used to carrying heavy objects, had picked up everything from Yondu's shopping trips.
Exiting the M-Ship, as expected Yondu looked up to see several of his crew with their faces pressed against the glass, as he half led, half dragged the boy from the hanger. As expected it took a while, all three of them walking slowly to compensate the boy, as Yondu could feel the trembling in his body veering on collapse. He wasn't going to advertise the fact that the boy was currently blind. He knew he was a target, like hell he was going to make it easier for them. Little by little the net had been cast of the bastards who had caused all of this, but they didn't know it.
Getting nearer to the bunker, Yondu could practically feel the terror in the boy's head; he knew all the steps of the ship from scrubbing the decks, as he pushed the boy further along the deck to the main cell.
From the corner of his eye, he could see Gunnsen and Proctom, standing in the bunker door, false sincerity on their faces. He was tempted to kill them there and then; instead he just gave them a casual nod and kept moving. No matter what he was going to do, he wasn't going to do it in the boy's presence.
About a minute later, they came to the main cell, passing through the door Peter seemed to know he was in sanctuary and practically collapsed as Yondu moved him over to the bed and looked around. Kraglin had done a pretty good job; it was similar to both his and Kraglin's room, basic with a cupboard, shelves and of course the bed. As Yondu settled him down, and remembered to take the boys new boots off, which clanged to the floor.
Without an order Kraglin begun taking the clothes from the bags, and arranging them on the cupboard, as Yondu took the Walkman out of his pocket and left it near his head, he knew the moment Peter was more alert he would want it.
"Where am I"? Peter mumbled aloud, exhaustion claiming him again.
"You're in the main cell." Replied Kraglin, as he was closing the cupboard.
"The main…"there was panic in the boy's voice, no doubt tapping into the first memory of the day he had arrived.
"You're here, so no one can get to you." Yondu said him in a harsh tone throwing Kraglin a look to shut it.
"So I'm a prisoner…or am I cargo".
"Neither, you're a damn member of this crew." Yondu unintentionally raised his voice, which caused the boy to shrink against the bed in total panic as a look of terror crossed his face.
As the silence fell, Yondu took advantage of the situation to slide the air vent of the room open, before stepping back.
Peter looked to be trying to say something, but it was clear he was still too exhausted for his body to function. As he sank against the bed and closed his eyes.
Yondu knew it was uncharacteristic of him as he begun to arrange blankets around the boy, as Kraglin could only stare at this sight, of the fierce captain, literally putting a child to bed.
"Yondu looked around the inspected the scene, as his eyes fell on a small table next to the bed. Kraglin had placed a small box of an assortment of blaster pieces as he turned and raised his eyes towards the first mate.
"A good Ravager, can put one together in the dark…thought the boy could use a challenge" Kraglin stated. A thread of logic Yondu couldn't deny as he checked for a firing charger and found none. "I'm not stupid enough to give him the tools to make a loaded one, boss." Yondu grunted his approval as he turned back to the boy, still fast asleep on the bed.
"Kraglin is going to come in, in a few hours with some food for you. And this door is going to be locked…understand".
Peter mumbled something in his sleep which Yondu took for a "yes", as the two males left the room, locking it securely behind them, Kraglin now holding the food parcels as the pair of them came to the mess hall. The room that Peter had almost died in, less than three days earlier.
As usual there was an assortment of crew milling around the mess, who had the good grace to look up, as they finally encountered their Captain.
"Don't you bastards have anything to do, get out of here now….that an Order!"
Immediately the crew filed out, some of them giving Yondu funny looks as if trying to figure out what was going on, as Yondu took the bag off Kraglin and begun to sort through it. "Find a spot in the stores, and I want this stuff locked away, this shit's expensive and I don't want to go back for more supplies."
As he took out a tin of soup…or the Terran equivalent to it, and begun to pour it in a saucepan, as he turned just in time to see his first mate, pulling two beers from the fridge, ripping open the cap and passing him one, before he begun to carry out Yondu's orders.
In the few minutes, as Yondu continued to stir the soup, totally pissed that as Captain he was reduced to this, whilst remembering to check the correct temperature, as Kraglin came back and carried on drinking his beer waiting for his Captain to say something.
"There's enough for tomorrow after that you'll be taking over. As soon as the boy's healthy he'll have to learn to cook. No one is going to baby him on this ship." Stated Yondu, which caused a small chuckle to rise out of the pale first mate
"Whatever you say, boss."
The tone of the voice annoyed Yondu as he turned his head back round.
"Are you trying to say something to me Kraglin?"
Kraglin leaned forward, with one so used to Yondu and his ways, he was perhaps the only person in the universe who could see right through him.
"Yondu…why the hell did you go to all this trouble?"
Why, for the love of God, Kraglin was going to get as bad as the boy with the constant question.
"Because he's a member of my damn crew…why is this still a question?" Anger dripped in sentence, as Kraglin took another swig of the bottle. "Fine whatever." In a tone, that Kraglin knew wasn't over yet.
In silence, he watched his Captain cook the soup adding it to a few containers, knowing Peter's stomach was too small to handle anything heavy, as without being ordered his men began to file back into the room. All slightly perturbed at the sight of the Captain stirring the soup in the pan.
As if a switch was being flicked Yondu addressed them "It turns out, that our little Mister Quill has a soft touch for a stomach. The weak little Terran that he is…is going to get the basics until the little shit is all better". Kraglin could only raise an eye and take a drink, as the rest of the men joined in on the bravado as he tried to spot anything that stood out in the crew, apart from the three he knew had beaten the kid.
to be continued...
Ok Peter and Yondu are still going to have that "little chat", but once again it begun to write itself like this…and I've read so many great fanfics that have Yondu and Kraglin close and I felt the story needed more Kraglin…I do totally ship them.
Please review