A/N: Hello everyone! Not much to say about this chapter. We are nearing the end of this tale though, so yea! Or, uh, booo, depending on how you view that information. I had actually planned on being done by the time I reached this chapter, but I was obviously wrong. Aren't you guys lucky? Anywho-loo-loo, I want to say thank you to all my new favers and followers! And a special thank you to those who reviewed! You guys/gals are spectacular! I love you all! I appreciate each and every single one of you for taking the time to read this thing. It makes the effort all the better!

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Guardians of the Galaxy'.

"So, you're Terran. How long have you been exploring the galaxy?"

They had long since disembarked from Xandar and were currently speeding through open fields of space, with Carlin at the helm, Rocket in the passenger seat and Groot hovering behind them, observing silently and thoughtfully. Carlin had him put Zera away in one of the two holding cells that sat at the stern of The Oreo the moment she had boarded, and when the Kree began to holler vicious threats the Terran woman stunned him with her gun. So far she'd had a decent trip, apart from Rocket making offhand comments about her ship being outdated and drilling her with nonstop questions of all sorts, which was both aggravating, because she hated being questioned, and encouraging, because it showed that he was at last taking an interest in her as someone more than just a pair of ovaries walking about. That she was a person with a life of her own. An individual.

"Oh, I'd say about... Eight years now? Yeah, that sounds about right," Carlin chuckled softly to herself. "Sorry, between traveling at light speed through the stars and chasing fugitives around almost constantly, you lose track of time, ya know?"

Rocket gave a nod, his eyes taking in the vast blankness that engulfed their vision beyond the glass shield of the ship, his black, button-nose twitching.

"Yeah, I know. Me and Groot do a lot of traveling too, don't we, Buddy?"

"I am Groot." Groot promptly concurred.

Carlin grinned. "Spill the beans, Groot: are you guys bounty hunters?"

"I am Groot." Groot answered with a positive tone, nodding for reinforcement.

"Ha! I knew it!" Carlin exclaimed victoriously, slapping the arm of her chair. "Takes one to know one!

"Can't imagine it was that hard to figure out anyway." Rocket remarked snidely.

"A scruffy, talking raccoon with a machine gun and a big tree guy? No, it sure wasn't. I mean, what other jobs are available to people like you two?"

Rocket sighed, sliding down in his seat a little, resting his paws on his stomach.

"Not a whole lot, I can tell you."

Carlin stole a sideways glance at the small-statured oddity that sat next to her, suddenly becoming aware of just how unusual he and Groot really were. The galaxy, she had come to realize in her adventures, was chock-full of weirdos and outlandish beings, but what set these two apart from all the others is that they were everyday common creatures found on Earth. In all of her travels, Carlin had never seen, nor expected to, a talking raccoon and a walking tree. It was like those Narnia books come true or something. They were certainly special. She wanted to know them. She wanted to know their story. Life as Rocket and Groot could not have been easy or boring.

However, she reminded herself it was senseless to get too buddy-buddy with people that you most likely will never see again. Carlin knew that once Rocket received his compensation he would disappear and Groot would tag right along with him, because he was hopelessly devoted to the little shithead. She wanted to believe that maybe, just maybe, they would decide to stick around. Carlin hated to admit it, but she had grown to like Rocket and Groot quite a bit. Of course, it was not difficult to like Groot, in her opinion. Rocket on the other hand... Well, he's an asshole, ain't no doubt, but Carlin knew that on the inside he was a good guy. She had seen hints of this already. He was, like herself, just a tough nut to crack.

"Have you guys ever hunted big game like this before?" Carlin inquired after a couple of moments of silence between the three of them.

"Nah, just minor stuff, like rare minerals, drugs, booze and weaponry."

Carlin lifted an eyebrow. "Not all of that is minor."

"Well, we ain't ever got to search for a criminal like your guy back there." Rocket gestured with his thumb over his shoulder.

"I've bagged other small-time law-breakers and terrorists, but Zera has been my biggest case yet," Carlin told them as she checked the map on the glowing control panel. "And all I want to do is get him back to Darnek's prison so we can get that reward."

"You say the word 'we' in a disturbingly comfortable fashion, Humie..." Rocket observed with suspicion, narrowing his gaze on her.

Carlin swallowed, forcing a haughty snort from herself that ended up sounding much more like she'd gagged.

"Oh, please, don't flatter yourself, Rocky. I'm just playing nice girl right now. Once Zera is in my boss' hands and I got my share of the profit, you can say goodbye to Miss Carlin Hardy. I'm a lone wolf. I don't need a 'we' in my life, unlike you. I can get by just fine on my own. Been doing it for years now."

"You sound like you're trying hard to convince yourself of that. Care to share what's really on your mind, Carly?"

Carlin's cheeks started to grow hot, but before she could utter a proper response, there came a shrill beeping from the control panel, making all three of them look at it sharply.

"What the hell does that mean?" Rocket questioned.

Carlin eyed the panel and her heart dropped into her stomach when she discovered it to be coming from the security system monitor of The Oreo. Her mind at once became bogged with the overwhelming consternation that came with this unforeseen trouble. She punched a few buttons, then glanced at the radar map, letting out a very loud gasp that made Groot and Rocket jump.

"What the fuck's going on?!" the raccoon practically shrieked at her, his pearly-white canines bared.

"Someone's caught us. They're overriding my security system!" Carlin said this all very fast, her fingers flying over the control panel, punching this and turning that, nibbling at her lip, her brow furrowed with concentration.

"Are you fucking serious right now?! Who the hell would be out in the middle of dead space and coming after your ass?!"

"I don't know, but it better not be the Nova Corps." Carlin said, bouncing to her feet. "'Scuse me, Groot."

The sentient tree moved out of her way, watching and blinking at her with attentive brown eyes as she hustled over to the second control console that was built into the wall, which was also belting out a high-pitched series of beeps. Rocket huffed to himself and leapt over into the vacant pilot seat, going to work at the main control panel that the woman had just abandoned.

"Holy crap, this thing is ancient!" he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "You don't even have a damn tracer! How the hell do you get from point A to point B in this hunk of junk?!"

"Hey! Don't talk about my girl like that!" snapped Carlin from across the compartment, trying to get the system back in order with little to no luck. "She's got me from Sarlar to Vennik in one hyper launch plenty of-arrgghh!"

Carlin and Groot were both knocked clean off their feet when The Oreo gave a sudden violent lurch backwards.

"Whoa!" Rocket flopped forward onto the control panel.

It was then that the power on the ship faltered a few times, accompanied by the emergency alarms sounding throughout. Carlin groaned and swore hotly, sitting herself up on the floor. Groot did the same, looking around in a bewildered manner.

Rocket glanced back at them from the helm, his ears perked.

"Looks like they got us, Humie."

Carlin stood and marched over to him, scanning the power level monitor that spanned half the control panel. It was completely dark. Everything was. Everything except the emergency lighting and the stupid alarm. She let out a ragged sigh, collapsing in the passenger seat beside him. Anxiety gripped her harder as she thought about who could possibly be holding them captive. If it was indeed the Nova Corps, she was absolutely screwed. Then again, if it was anybody she'd met in the past she would be screwed. Carlin had made a decent number of adversaries while working, mostly in the form of scorned lovers. It would not have surprised her if one had her ship captured right at this very second, a scheme set to abolish her once and for all.

To answer the burning question on her mind, the communicator module suddenly came to life on the panel, a melodic male voice emanating from it.

"Carlin Hardy, still flying the classic Oreo I see."

That voice. Carlin's hairs on the back of her neck stood up, goosebumps erupting over her skin. She knew that voice. It was a voice that she had hoped to never hear again. That crooning, smooth, sexy purr that always drove her wild now made her grind her teeth. Of all the people in the universe, did it have to be him? The Nova Corps would have been more welcome. Rocket turned to gawk at Carlin, patently confused, his mouth gaping slightly. Groot was making a soft noise from behind them, like a stifled little growl deep in his throat.

Carlin inhaled deeply, closing her eyes, fighting back the urge to scream at the man across the channel. Exhaling slow and controlled, she made her cold reply to the opposing ship through the communicator link.

Why did she always have to be right?