Please note that everything before this was written prior to the comics revealing the Rocket imposter's true identity. I knew my interpretation wouldn't be exactly like the comic due to backstory differences and the like, but they really threw a curveball at me. It would be awkward, but I do have a method of retconning it in if enough readers want me to. Though he may not even be addressed again in this fic.

Gamora sat across from Rocket and Groot in the Boot of Jericho bar on Knowhere. It had been three days since she had gotten Lylla to Xandar, still no sign of Peter or Drax. She had made several attempts to reach out to the raccoon about what transpired on Halfworld, worried largely because he was heard crying that night, but he refused to speak of it. At least she overheard most of what happened over the com, or she would be even more in the dark. To be fair, Gamora was in no position to ask. Never being upfront about her own feelings, how could she expect him to open up to her?

To her surprise, Rocket had not made plans to meet with Lylla, or to even converse with her, after everything that occurred. Perhaps he was trying to move forward, but the assassin was concerned that he was just trying to push his feelings away as she had often done herself. This also was a subject the raccoon avoided.

It was still early, most of the miners were at work, so the bar was fairly empty. Even so, the trio of Guardians were being given an unusually large amount of space. Several minutes had elapsed since they were seated, but no one had approached to take their drink orders.

The green woman impatiently tapped her fingernails against the table in a quick rhythm. "They should be here by now. The Chitauri retreated almost as soon as they got there. Where are they?"

"Don't look at me. They could be out drinkin' for all we know. Speaking of, what does it take for a guy to GET A FLARKING DRINK AROUND HERE?" Rocket shouted towards the tentacled bartender who pretended they did not exist.

A rough-looking waitress cautiously approached their table. "Sorry sir. What're you n' your friends having?" She bit her lip.

"Bluelight Special for me, water for him." The raccoon gestured to Groot, who frowned in response.

"Water." Gamora was not averse to alcohol, especially when enjoyed with friends, but this was not the time to celebrate. Two members of the team were missing. Yet she could not blame her furry compatriot from partaking, after what he had been through recently.

"Y-yes sir. Right away, sir." The waitress made a hasty retreat.

Rocket rested his hands behind his head and leaned back, relaxing into a toothy grin. "Ya hear that? She knows how to treat me with respect, unlike some assholes I know."

"I do not like it. Something isn't right." She voiced her worry calmly. It was almost like the people in the bar feared them. This was not an establishment where people were generally treated with respect. Not quite a 'wretched hive of scum and villainy' as Peter had called it, no doubt quoting some Terran legend, but a dingy working man's bar frequented by the downtrodden and disreputable.

"I am Groot!" The tree pouted at Rocket as he crossed his arms.

"I told ya, not until you're big again. Oh fine, you can have a few sips, but that's it."

Several minutes later, Rocket had finished his first drink. "Gammy, if you see a loser kid with a prosthetic left foot, I need it. I mean it this time." He was not stifling laughter like he usually did when making such remarks. Instead his voice rang dark and genuine.

She was surprised by the nickname, but it was a welcome change from what many still called her. Bitch, murderer, whore. It was pleasant.

"Not this again." Gamora rolled her eyes and situated her elbow on the table, putting the weight of her forehead in her hand.

His eyes narrowed. "Ain't joking this time." Rocket turned his gaze down toward the floor. "The wound opened up again when I was...you know...s'not healing anymore, if anything it's gettin' worse. Might be infected, could need ta be amputated."

She glared at him in disappointment. "You should have told me, and gone to a doctor. If it does come to that, make a new foot for yourself. It would fit your body better that way. There is no shame in asking for help." Gamora was quite aware that this was, as Peter would say, 'the pot calling the kettle black,' but she believed herself to be less stubborn than Rocket about such things.

"I hate it, being hurt and you guys taking care of me. Makes me feel weak, helpless. Reminds me of..." He stared off at nothing. She could see the self-loathing in his eyes and softened her own expression.

"I am Groot," the tree spoke sadly, reaching a tendril to Rocket's shoulder.

The tattooed oaf finally walked in. He seemed disoriented and his eyes were distant, as if he was somewhere else entirely.

"Drax, buddy! Over here!" Rocket, quickly broken out of his melancholy state, and Groot waved to get his attention. He lumbered to the table.

"Where have you been? And where is Peter? Deflowering some maiden?" Gamora demanded, glad to see him, but angry that his whereabouts had been unknown in the first place.

The man refused to make eye contact with them. "I...I am a failure. The Chitauri...they took friend Quill. He didn't have his rocket boots, his powers caused him to float, and they stole him. I have spent the past few days interrogating one of them. They work for Thanos." Drax's soft, shaken voice made it obvious that he was beating himself up about it. His determination to fix things was still heard.

Her heart sank. "No!" Peter being kidnapped by anyone would have bothered her, but him being kidnapped by Thanos was probably one of the worst worse-case-scenarios she could envision. Visions of Quill being killed, or worse, tortured by the Mad Titan like she was, flooded her mind.

"I am Groot!" He exclaimed in horror.

"It's all my fault." Rocket's voice was letting sadness and honest guilt through the facade, he was obviously devastated. He slouched, ears back. Seeing him like this bothered Gamora. This was about the thrusters from Peter's boots. If he had not stolen them, the Terran may not have been captured, but the raccoon would likely be dead. It was a most unpleasant scenario.

"Nonsense, it is mine. I did not protect him." Drax obviously put all of the blame on himself. "Why would Thanos be after him? Is it the incident with Ronan and the infinity stone?"

"If it were that, he'd've gone after Quill sooner," the raccoon pointed out.

Gamora pursed her lips and leaned over the table to whisper the painful truth to them. "Peter is Thanos' nephew."

"W-what." Rocket let his jaw hang open in shock.

"I am Groot?"

"And you did not feel the need to inform us of this crucial information?" Drax looked at her coldly.

Gamora did not intend to display it, but she looked downward out of guilt. "We didn't tell anyone. If the rest of you knew, it could get out and Thanos would know. But obviously he found out anyway." If they had told the others, maybe Drax would have been more careful and protected Peter.

A familiar blue man strode towards the table with purpose and pulled up a chair.

"Oh no." The raccoon pulled at the fur around his face, either distressed or annoyed by the Centaurian's presence.

"Who do I gotta blame for the boy working for Thanos?" Yondu glared at the group, the threat of violence in his eyes.

"Us. 'Cept Groot." Rocket admitted shamefully. "Wait, workin' for? I thought Thanos kidnapped him."

The blue man lifted an eyebrow in surprise. "You numskulls haven't heard? He's been killing mass quantities. I found him conquering some backwater planet in the ugly one's name. There's somethin' wrong with him. It's like he remembers things different."

Gamora's suspicions were correct. They were being treated differently now because everyone was afraid of them. "You mean to tell me he has been brainwashed?"

"I dunno, what would you call it if he thinks he's been livin' with Thanos since just after I picked him up?"

"Fake memories." It was unclear if Drax said this in realization of the situation, or as a literal answer to Yondu's sarcastic question.

The blue man suddenly hid behind a nearby column and he shushed them. Starfox had walked into the bar and headed directly for their table.

"If anyone starts acting strange, distract him so he cannot use his powers," she whispered to her companions.

The man gave her and the rest of the group an evaluating look. "Gamora, you've grown up into a fine woman."

Before anyone could blink, she had a knife against his throat. "Do not even try."

"Woah, I wasn't-it was just a compliment." She backed off, but continued to glare, keeping the knife palmed. "But onto the matter at hand, how could you let my son fall into Thanos' hands?"

The Centaurian emerged from his hiding place, deadly serious and his hands balled into fists. "I don't blame them, jackass." The implication that he instead blamed Starfox for some reason was abundantly clear to Gamora.

Starfox suddenly shifted his attention and approached, grabbing the man by the edges of his jacket and pinning him against the column. "Yondu. I hired you to deliver him to me. You told me my son was dead!"

"Maybe I did it to protect him. From you. It's no co-inky-dink that this happens right after he meets you."

"I would never-"

Yondu interrupted him. "That ain't what I'm sayin'. Him knowin' you is dangerous."

Starfox shook him against the column. "You had no right to keep him from me!"

"Don't dare pretend that you care about him." The Centaurian's eyes were more intense than Gamora had seen them in their prior encounters. "You're just pissy that your brother stole one'a yer toys."

Drax turned to them. "Both of you disgust me."

"You really do care about Quill, don't ya Yondu?" Rocket interjected.

The captain of the Ravagers frowned. "It ain't like that. Jus' he was one'a my men, an' I take care of my own."

"Give me one good reason why I-"

Gamora angrily interrupted Starfox, fed up with being the only rational person around. "Enough! You imbeciles bickering like children will not help save Peter. If you don't plan on helping us, leave." She was fully aware that Starfox would not, could not defy Thanos directly. Even if he was not a spineless philanderer, his lack of practice and training meant that his powers were weaker than even an ordinary Eternal, and Thanos was an anomaly.

"I must go. Deneb-7 needs me." He let go of Yondu and backed away slightly.

"Yes, I have no idea how that planet can possibly survive without your presence." Her voice seething with sarcasm, she crossed her arms.

"You have no idea, they should name it after me. Yondu, this is not over." With that, Starfox left the bar in a disgruntled hurry.

"You remain." Drax addressed Yondu flatly.

The Ravager sat back down. "If I leave this ta you nutcases, you'll fuck up and the boy'll end up destroying the universe. So what are we doin'?"

They all looked to Rocket. "Well we aren't attacking Thanos. Sorry Drax, Gammy, but look at us. There's no way. We'd all die. But we can try to get Quill back. There's only one thing that can possibly snap him out of it."

He was correct. Even with all of the Guardians at perfect health, challenging Thanos would be a fool's errand.

"True Love's Kiss?" Gamora offered. They had saved the galaxy with dancing and the power of friendship, so this was relatively plausible. Not that she knew who would need to deliver such a kiss to Peter.

"What? No!" The raccoon looked at her as if she was insane. "Has he been filling your head with more stupid Terran children's stories? Besides, none of us are in love with him."

The two of them eyed each other in suspicion. If she knew anything about Rocket, his being an asshole was sometimes his weird way of displaying affection. He acted this way the most toward Peter. The idea which Rocket was insinuating, that she loved the Terran, was completely ridiculous. Though she could not deny being more fond of him than she would like to admit.

"I am Groot."

"Not that kinda love, buddy. Anyway this is Quill we're talking about, the only thing that could bring him back to normal is the mixtape. Does he have it?"

"No, it is aboard the Milano, which is here with us," Drax informed them.

Rocket nodded. "Good. I have a plan. It ain't great, but it's just crazy enough to work."