Rhea slowly came around, every ounce of her being in pain, before she shot up in realization. She had landed next to Peter who was just coming around as well, the saw, scattered around her, bits of broken twigs littering the ground and Rocket not too far away holding some in his paws.

"I called him an idiot." Rocket said in quilt and sadness. Rhea made to go over to him, but Ronan stepped forward his hammer with the blazing purple stone held aloft in his hand. "You killed Groot!"

Rocket rushed at him only to be flung back with a small burst of the stones power.

"Rocket!" Rhea screamed as she tried to stand, but Peter held her back shaking his head.

"Behold, your guardians of the galaxy." Ronan taunted. "What fruit they have wrought? Only that my father and his father shall finally know vengeance." Everyone pointedly looked away from Rocket who worked furiously on a device as Ronan monologued. "People of Xandar, the time has come to rejoice and renounce your poultry gods." He raised his hammer. "Your salvation is at hand."

"Oh child things are going to get easier." Peter started to sing and dance a bit causing Ronan to pause. "Listen to these words." He continued to sing as everyone looked on. "Now bring it down hard."

"What are you doing?" Ronan asked in confusion.

"Dance off, bro. Me and you." Peter replied as he danced, throwing out some Michael Jackson moves. "Gamora." He looked to the Gamora who shook her head. "Subtle, take it back." He looked to Rhea. "What about you Rhea?"

"Oh what the heck." Rhea replied grabbing his hand allowing him to pull her up and joined his dance.

"Nice." Quill complimented as he spun her around watching the way her hips swayed throwing out some tango steps combined with a dash of waltz. How she was making it work was beyond him, but for a moment he forgot about what was going on around him as he pulled her into a close dip then snapped her back up.

"What are you doing?" Ronan reiterated a little more forcefully as he glared at the couple who smirked back.

"We're distracting you, you big turd blossom." Peter replied spinning Rhea back behind him as a gun cocked behind Ronan who turned to face Drax, Rocket, and the really big gun.

They fired shattering the hammer and the stone went flying. Peter dove for it barely gabbing it away from Ronan. The power of the stone instantly started to consume him as he screamed and a cloud of power swirled violently around him. Rhea raised her hands in front of her face to protect herself, trying to spot Quill in the mass of raw power. She struggled to move forward until she finally came close enough to see him, to reach out to him.

"Peter! Take my hand!" Rhea called out as she forced her way through the power to him her hand stretched before her. He turned to her not really seeming to see her, the way his eyes seemed to glaze told her that much. "Take my hand!"

Peter struggled to reach out grasping Rhea's hand and the power surged into her hitting her like nothing she had ever felt before, the same injuries that covered Peter now covering her. Gamora struggled up to them taking Rhea's hand in hers sharing the burden as did Drax grasping Peters shoulder and Rocket holding onto Drax with the twigs of Groot clutched in his free paw, the power of the stone coming under their control once they stood together.

"You're mortal, how?" Ronan demanded in shock.

"You said it yourself." Rhea answered with a dark glare, her tattoo pulsing with the power of the stone.

"We're the guardians of the galaxy." Peter finished before using the stone to destroy Ronan before Gamora slammed an orb over it stopping its power.

They all let out a breath of relief, Rhea cheering as she threw her arms around Quill in a hug and he spun her around. When he set her back down he starred into her eyes and it seemed like he was about to say something, but was cut off.

"Well, well, well." Yondu said as he walked up to them. "Quite the light show, ain't this sweet, but you got some business to attend to before all the nookie-nookie starts."

"Peter, you can't…Peter…" Rhea shook her head.

"You got to re-consider this Yondu." Peter tried. "I don't know who you're selling this to, but the only way this universe can survive is if you give it to the Nove Corps."

"I may be as pretty as an angel, but I sure as hell ain't one." Yondu pulled his jacket aside so his arrow was ready to go then held out his hand. "Hand it over son."

Reluctantly Peter did so and Yondu laughed as he held it before giving the signal for his men to move out.

"Yondu, do not open that orb. You know that right?" Peter asked nervously. "You've seen what it does to people." Yondu gave him one last smirk before he walked away with his men back to their ships and taking off. "He is going to be so pissed when he realizes I switched out the orb on him." Peter said taking out the real orb.

"You think he would have expected it." Rhea commented with a grin as she looked to Peter.

"He's going to kill you Peter." Gamora said with a dry laugh.

"Oh I know." Peter nodded. "But he's about all the family I had."

"No." Rhea said taking his hand giving it a squeeze. "He wasn't."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Gamora said softly to Rhea before looking to Rocket.

Rhea sadly followed Gamora's gaze over to where Rocket was crying while Drax soothing stroked his head. Rhea walked over to him kneeling down in front of him and took piece of debris transfiguring it into a small plant pot then manipulated some dirt into it.

"It's going to be ok Rocket, I promise." Rhea gently took the twig in Rockets paws and planted it in the dirt. Placing her hands on either side she closed her eyes in concentration as the other watched her blue green colored magic seep into the dirt as she chanted her spell softly. "Please work…"

Before their eyes a small vine pushed its way through the dirt until three leaves unfurled, bright and green.

-0-

They were now considered heroes by the Xandarian's and Nova Corps. which was a big step up from lowly thieves and the scum of society that they were seen as before. Rhea couldn't help but to wonder how long it would last, she was never one to stay straight laced for too long and she felt that her new friends were about the same way as her. Lord knows she knew that Rocket was on the same wave length as her.

"Why would you even know this?" Peter asked as they were all gathered in the Nova Corps. control room staring at a x-ray hologram of Peter.

"When we arrested you we noticed an anomaly in your nervous system, so we had it checked out." Dey said.

"I'm not Terran?" Peter questioned.

"You're half Terran." Prime replied. "Your mother was of Earth, your father, well, he's something very ancient we've never seen here before."

"That could be why you were able to hold the stone for as long as you did." Gamora commented.

"Welcome to the half-breed club Quill." Rhea clapped him on the shoulder making him smile a little. "We should make shirts." Quill snorted out his laughter. "Half-Breed and Completely Awesome!"

"Needs a little work." Peter commented.

"Yeah, I know." Rhea said with a wince at her crappy slogan.

"Your friends have arrived." Prime said as Drax and Rocket who was carrying a pot walked in. "On behalf of the Nova Corps, we would like to profess our profound gratitude for your help in saving Xandar. If you will follow Denarian Dey, he has something to show you."

They followed Dey out of the room Gamora falling into step next to Drax.

"Your wife and child shall rest well knowing that you have avenged them." Gamora said.

"Yes." Drax replied. "Of course Ronan was only a puppet. It's really Thanos I need to kill."

"Mind if I help?" Rhea asked with a dark smirk, both of them taking no notice of Gamora's startled look.

"I would be honored to have you help me rip his limbs from his body." Drax nodded as they stepped out on a large balcony.

"We tried to keep it as close to the original as possible." Dey said motioning to the new Malino. "We salvaged as much as we could."

"Wow." Peter said. "Thank you."

"I have a family, they're alive because of you." Dey replied gratefully. "Your Criminal records have also been expunged."

"Great, now I have to start all over again." Rhea said rolling her eyes with a playful look.

"However I have to warn you against breaking any laws in the future." Dey gave Rhea a pointed look.

"Spoil sport." Rhea muttered.

"Question, what if I see something that I want to take and it belongs to someone else?" Rocket asked.

"You will be arrested." Dey replied obviously.

"But what if I want it more than the person who has it?" Rocket went on.

"It's still illegal." Dey answered.

"That doesn't follow." Rocket shook his head. "No, I want it more sir, do you understand?" Rocket noticed Gamora. "What are you laughing at?" Gamora lead him away from the group to the ship. "Why? I can't have a discussion with this gentleman?"

"What if someone does something irksome and I decide to remove his spine?" Drax asked.

"That's…that's actually murder. It's one of the worst crimes of all." Dey replied no completely sure if Drax was serious or not. "So also illegal."

"Hmm." Drax nodded before also going to the ship.

"They'll be fine Dey, I'm gonna keep an eye on them." Peter assured them.

"You?" Dey questioned.

"Yeah." Peter nodded. "Me."

"And I will keep an eye on Peter." Rhea looping her arm with his. "Now let's get to the ship before Rocket decides he wants it more than you."

"Bye Dey." Peter said as he quickly started for the ship with Rhea in tow. Dey waved them off with a smile before returning home to his wife and child, happy beyond words that he still had them.

-0-

Rhea stood back watching as Peter read a letter from his mother before opening his last gift from her. He pulled out a cassette tape tears in his eyes as he placed it into his player turning it up, the first song playing 'Ain't no Mountain High Enough.' Rhea walked forward with a smile as Peter looked up to her swaying to the song a bit getting Peter to smile back.

She held out her hand with a grin and he reached up taking it allowing her to pull him up into her dance. She casually allowed her arms to rest on his shoulders while he lightly gripped her waist as they moved grinning at each other.

She twirled out, his hand in hers as she lead him to the cockpit still dancing until he took his place in the pilot's seat, Rhea standing behind him resting against the seat smiling over to Rocket who was in the co-pilots seat holding baby Groot in his lap then Rhea looked back to Gamora stood next to Drax who had taken the center seat as they started to take off.

"So what should we do now? Something good? Something bad? A bit of both?" Peter questioned.

"We'll follow your lead, Star Lord." Gamora replied.

"Bit of both." Peter said revving up the engines.

"You are a man after my own heart." Rhea grinned clapping him on the shoulder as they took off into space.