(Greetings, Dear Readers; Merry Christmas! Think of this chapter as my gift to you. I hope you like it. This chapter will mostly be from Yondu's point of view, hope that's okay with all of you. It just seemed to flow better this way.)

[Songs used, mentioned, and suggested for Chapter Eleven]

~ "Do Ya" by Electric Light Orchestra (listen when Lydia goes to Contraxia)

~ "Oh, Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbinson (listen when Lydia steps out from the changing stall)

~ "Here Comes the Sun" by The Beatles (can be listened to at any time)

~ "When the Stars Go Blue" by Tim McGraw (listen towards the end when Lydia's alone in her room)

Chapter Eleven

Pretty Woman, Don't Make Me Cry…

The Next Day

Terran Date: May 13th, 1989

I was dying. That's the only explanation for the pain I felt upon waking up. I was dying a horrible, agonizing, excruciating death. My head must have been split wide open by some fall I had no memory of – and why should I – considering my head was cracked open! My vision had gone black. Why? What Powers-That-Be had allowed me to cling to life long enough to wake up and realize I was dying? What kind of a sick joke was this!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Oh druux, the pain! It throbbed in time to the metallic pounding coming from somewhere close by.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

End my life now! Please! Anything to stop the pain!

"Lydiaaa?"

Suddenly, my sight returned, albeit slightly blurry. It dawned on me that I'd had my eyes closed. My fingers rubbed away the grit from my eyes and I groaned at the discomfort that mere motion alone caused.

"Lydiaaa!"

Who was causing that awful racket?

"It's me; Peter!"

Well, mystery solved.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Are you dead?" Peter shouted.

My answer came out in a drawn-out groan that turned just a hint aggressive at the end. "YeeeEEEESSSSS!"

Stunned silence. Then, "…Wow…He said you'd say that!"

My eyelids felt heavy. They drifted shut, only to snap back open when the banging resumed. "Peter!" I barked. A knife of pain sliced into my skull at the volume. "Quite that banging!"

"I can't! Yondu told me to keep at it until you come to the door!"

That. Borga!

With Peter's small fist relentlessly prompting me to move, I begrudgingly shifted my weight over the edge of the bed, fell off with a yelp of surprise and pain, and crawled my way to the door. I slapped my palm onto the panel and the doors whooshed open. I blearily looked up at Peter's face and scowled. "What do you want?" I hissed.

"Why are you so crabby?"

"Didn't you hear? I'm dying."

"Oh." He was holding a mug of water in one hand and something tiny was cupped in the palm of the other.

"What is that?" I asked, having trouble focusing my gaze.

"Something Yondu told me to give you if you haven't murdered me at this point."

"Again; what is it?"

"Medicine to make the headache go away. 'So's she can do her job of watchin' you like she's supposed to,'" Peter said in a rather uncanny impression of Yondu.

I held up my hand. "Gimme."

Peter graciously handed over the cup and pills and waited until I guzzled the last drop. "Breakfast?" he asked.

My stomach roiled at the idea. "No thanks."

"Not for you, for me," Peter clarified. "Most of the crew are still planet-side, including the cooks, so we have to fend for ourselves and I can't figure out how the stove works."

"Planet-side? Where are we?"

"Contraxia."

It didn't ring any bells with me; which I was grateful for considering any noise above a whisper at the moment made me want to curl up into a ball and cry.

"Food," Peter reminded me.

"Okay," I grunted, easing myself upright and holding out a hand to the wall to steady myself. I motioned for Peter to step back and when he did, I closed the doors.

"Hey!" He beat on the door. "No fair!"

"Chill, kid! I'm just getting dressed!"

"…Oh."

Peter was right. The ship seemed deserted as we made our way to the kitchen, which looked pretty messy. Fuzzy memories of last night's celebration tried to form in my head. I remembered wanting to prove Yondu wrong about me being a lightweight and then…. Did I really spend the whole night drunkenly complaining about a sucky life on Knowhere and thanking the Ravagers for forcibly taking me away? Note to self; never drink yirshma again.

"Is Yondu planet-side too?" I asked, gathering a few ingredients to make Peter breakfast.

"Yeah," he answered. "He's been there since last night. I asked Kraglin how long he'd be gone. He said Yondu and the crew that went with him had twenty-four hours planet-side and that they'd be back in about six hours to switch out with him and the others."

My forehead crinkled. "What's he been doing over there for nineteen hours?"

Peter shrugged then suddenly sat up. "Oh! I almost forgot!"

I cringed. "Inside voice," I reminded him.

"Sorry," he apologized, fishing around in his jacket pocket. He withdrew a folded sheet of paper and held it out to me. "Yondu also told me to give this to you after you took the medicine."

I took it and opened it up. My eyes still refused to focus enough for me to read what was written. I must have been experiencing what was called a hangover because if I'd been properly thinking, I never would have handed it back to the kid and said, "Could you read it aloud for me, Peter?"

"Sure." He smoothed it out on the prep table and cleared his throat. "'Dear Sugar tits'…"

My face went flaming hot with embarrassment. It didn't end there.

"'The ship is space-docked at Contraxia for forty-eight hours. If you're co – cohe…,'" Peter's face twisted in concentration as he tried to sound out the word.

"Coherent?" I offered.

"Yeah. That's it. 'If you're coherent enough to watch the boy until I get back then maybe you ain't such a lightweight. Most of us will be at the bordellos, so don't even think about trying to contact me unless you want to hear what you're missing out on. Be back in twenty-four hours."

Peter looked up at me quizzically. "Lydia, what's a bordello?"

"Uuuuuuh – Oh, look at that! Breakfast is ready!"

I was going to murder Yondu.

Seven Hours Later

Terran Time: 3pm

He should have turned on his heel and walked away the moment he saw her standing in the hanger, waiting for him with those shapely hips jutted off to the side and arms folded beneath her breasts. She was ticked off and he had a feeling it had to do with what happened last night. He shouldn't have kissed her back, drunk or not. Despite her angry stance, Yondu felt that buzzing sensation beneath his skin that he was becoming too familiar with. He'd spent hours in that bordello; he should have gotten it out of his system. One glance at the way her folded arms pushed up her breasts and Yondu knew the bordello had done squat. Lydia's foot began to tap on the floor as she stared him down. Well, better get it over with.

He opened his mouth –

"Sugar tits?" Lydia hissed.

Yondu's brows drew together. "What?"

"Of all things to put in a letter, Yondu! I asked Peter to read it aloud for me because I couldn't see straight! That was mortifying!"

An amused grinned teased the corners of his mouth. "You –" He held back a chuckle. "You had Peter read it?"

A finger nearly poked his nose as she stabbed the air between them. "Don't you scarrin' laugh, Udonta. I've had to dodge Peter's questions about what bordellos are all day. Luckily, I sent him to do laundry a few minutes ago and don't have to worry about him going to you for answers for at least two or three hours." She stared at him in annoyed silence for a few seconds. "You're still smiling."

A full-on grin split his face. "Darlin', I ain't even tryin' to hide it!"

"At least have the decency to!"

"Decency?" He blinked and pointed at himself. "Have you met me?" Lydia rolled her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Ya know, I ain't heard a thank you yet 'bout that medicine."

Her features softened a bit. "Yeah, thanks for that."

Yondu's eyebrows lifted and he whipped his head around a few times. "Did anybody else hear that? The princess thanked me!"

"Sssshhhh!" Lydia hushed with a suppressed giggle, reaching out to swat his arm. Yondu let her. Hell, was he starving for her touch that badly? She seemed to hesitate as if debating on saying something.

"What is it, Brosh?"

"I was talking with Kraglin earlier today, and he said that you put him in charge of resupplying the ship while you were gone."

"Yeah. And?"

"Well, none of the nearby garages sell the parts we need to get the Tailor up and running, so he had to place an order from a shop on the other side of the planet."

"How long til it gets here?"

"About four to five days."

Yondu sucked air in through his teeth and stared at the ground with his hands on his hips. After a moment, he looked back up and gave a nod. "Alright. I'll get the word out to the crew that we'll be here a bit longer than planned. We got everything else though, right?"

"Yes," Lydia answered firmly.

"Good." He made to step around her, but she blocked his path. "Is there something else, Brosh?"

"Yeah," she said uneasily. "Look, I've been doing a lot of work that's taken a toll on my clothes and I kinda need some immediately."

"Can't you wait a few days for the parts?"

"It'll take about two more days to take out the old parts and install the new ones. We're looking at about a week or more of the Tailor being out of order. I really need some clothes."

"And you're wanting to go shopping? On Contraxia?"

"Is there any other option at the moment?"

Yondu's jaw twitched with annoyance. No, there wasn't; but he'd be damned if he was going to let her go planet-side – on Contraxia of all places – alone! But as he thought about it a little longer, something else occurred to him. Before the celebrations had gotten started the other night, he'd helped Lydia transfer a portion of her units to the hospital to cover her momma's bills. He'd caught a peak at her account before she logged out and Lydia hadn't been left with very much. Certainly not enough to buy her more than one shirt and pants with some units left over to last her and Peter for very long. And if her current outfit, with its scorched hem, tiny holes made from sparks, and torn knees, were an indicator of what the rest of her wardrobe looked like, then she needed more than one change of shirt and pants.

Yondu sighed. "I ain't lettin' you go to Contraxia –"

"But –"

" – alone. Contraxia ain't no place for a woman to be traipsing about by herself."

"What kind of planet is it?"

"Let's just say bordellos are a mighty popular venue here."

Her cheeks colored. "Ah. Okay, well, Kraglin can go with me, I guess."

Yondu's jaw muscle twitched at how quickly she suggested Kraglin. "You're gonna ask a young man, who's been cooped up on a ship for months, if he'd forgo easin' his pent-up urges and spend his time goin' clothes shoppin' with you?"

An uncomfortable expression came over Lydia's features. "Well, when you put it that way…" She scratched the back of her neck, embarrassed. "It would be the same situation with any of the men I ask, wouldn't it?" She sighed and glanced down at her clothes. "I guess I can try to wait it out a little longer."

Yondu bit the inside of his cheek to stop the words from coming, but they tumbled out anyway. "Ya ain't even gonna ask me?"

Lydia's forehead wrinkled with perplexity. "Ask you?"

"Yeah."

"Because I know you'll say 'no'. In fact, not only would you tell me 'no', but you'd say it in your colorful way, tossing in a few insults for free."

Yondu placed a hand on his chest and feigned insult. "You really think so little of me, Brosh? You don't think I can be a proper gentleman?"

"You scoff at the mention of decency."

"Bah!"

"You did it again!"

"Did not!"

"Did!"

"Didn't!"

"Did!"

Yondu threw his hands up in the air. "I ain't gettin' in an argument over this!" He began to walk away.

"Wait."

He did. And a voice in his head berated him for doing so.

Lydia walked in front of him again and chewed her bottom lip for a moment. Inhaling deeply through her nose, she asked, "Captain Udonta, will you accompany me planet-side for a supply run?"

Yondu lifted an eyebrow. "Supply run?"

"Figured it sounded better than 'a shopping spree' in case anyone was listening," she whispered.

Yondu gave an amused grunt, a glint of teeth peeking out. "Let me track down Horuz and Halvi. They've had their time and I trust 'em to not steal the ship while me and Kraglin are gone."

Her words came so softly that he almost didn't catch them. "Thank you."

His steps slowed and he turned back around, walking until he was inches away from her. "Hey, about last night –,"

Lydia heaved a big sigh. "I was really, really hoping you wouldn't bring that up."

Yondu scratched the stubble along his chin. "It ain't like we can avoid what happened, sugar."

Lydia's hands clasped themselves in front of her while extending both thumb and index fingers at him. "Okay, before you go any further – I want to apologize –"

"I should be the one –"

" – for disobeying your orders last night."

Yondu stared at her and blinked. "Say what?"

"You told me to lay off the booze; I didn't listen, and I ended up making a complete fool of myself. Next time I'll listen."

Yondu looked at her long and hard, trying to detect any hint that she was holding something back and found nothing. "You don't remember a thing about what happened last night?"

"I remember getting drunk and thanking the crew for kidnapping me."

Yondu nodded and gestured for her to continue. "Aaaand?"

"And what?"

"You really don't remember what happened between us?"

Lydia suddenly looked very wary. "What happened?"

Yondu made a split-second decision. "You got yerself drunk an' we made some sweet, sweet lovin'."

Lydia blanched. "What!"

Yondu threw back his head and howled with laughter. "I'm pullin' yer leg, darlin'!"

A sigh of relief escaped her as she put a hand over her heart. "Geez, Yondu!"

"Yondu!" Peter's voice called.

"Oh no," Lydia breathed. She gripped Yondu by the arms. "You have to hide! You have to hide right now!" She began to push him towards a hall.

"Hey, Yondu! Wait!"

Yondu, grinning like the devil, planted his feet on the ground and turned to face the boy. "Whadya want, Quill?"

"I wanted to ask you a question."

"Oh, good grief, here it comes," Lydia whimpered behind Yondu.

"What's a bordello?" Peter asked innocently.

As Yondu opened his mouth to answer, Lydia darted forward and blocked his view of Peter. "Hey!" she interrupted brightly. "Weren't you about to go look for Horuz and Halvi! Can't waste time, the day will be over before you know it and we've got errands to run!" She grabbed hold of his arm. "You know what? I'll help you look for them!" Without even looking at Peter, she pulled Yondu along with her as she walked past the boy.

"You're avoiding my question, aren't you?" Peter shouted at their backs.

"You bet your little Terran tookum, I am!"

…..

"Stop fidgetin'."

"Sorry."

Lydia stilled her feet and looked out the window at the snow flurries whipping past. Her fingers clasped the blue pendant around her neck. Yondu noticed it from the corner of his eye. "Why are you so nervous all of a sudden?"

Lydia slumped into the co-pilot chair. "I don't know. I mean, maybe because this is going to be my first time being on another planet."

"You've been on a different planet before."

"No – I mean, really being on another planet. Those other times don't count because I was stuck in one place. I didn't get to explore and interact with its inhabitants. Not like this."

"One place is about the same as the other."

"That can't be true."

"Locations may look different, there may be one or two moons in the sky, but when it comes down to it, people are the same no matter where you go. Greedy, self-serving, and dishonest. You can find that anywhere."

Lydia's stare turned a bit studious as she side-eyed him. A tiny smirk curled the corner of her mouth. "You're a joy to have at parties, aren't you?"

Yondu snorted and returned his focus to piloting the ship.

After landing the M-ship, Yondu turned to Lydia and pointed a finger at her. "I'm only gonna say this once, Brosh. The moment we step out that door, you stay next to me. No straying. We get what we came for and go."

Lydia sighed and rolled her eyes. "You didn't have to come, ya know? If it's too much of a bother –"

"If I didn't come, you'd be snatched up in a heartbeat."

A smile teasing smile appeared on Lydia's face. "And having a big, bad, scary Ravager Captain by my side will keep the nasty men away?"

Yondu scowled.

"Aaaaw; ya big softie! You do care!" she cooed, even going so far as to reach out and pinch his cheek.

He slapped her hand away. "Quit that!" He fixed her with a stern glare. "If someone grabs you because you didn't heed my warnin's – don't come cryin' to me."

"That would kinda be hard to do, ya know, considering I'd be in some evil man's clutches," Lydia deadpanned.

The muscle in Yondu's jaw twitched frantically. This girl was gonna be the death of him in some form or fashion, he just knew it. If her choice of clothes didn't give him a heart attack, or her sass didn't make him blow his top, then it would be saving her butt from some disaster. "Stay next to me and don't take too long," he growled. "Do ya hear me?"

Lydia seemed to realize she was pushing her luck. Her teasing smirk went down a notch and she chuckled. "Loud and clear, captain."

Yondu glared at her a few seconds more to show he meant business, then rose from the pilot's chair. Lydia followed him to the door and bounced on her toes as she waited for it to open. Just as it had fully opened and Yondu was about to step out, Lydia looped her arm through his and he stilled. Giving their linked arms a glance, he looked at her in confusion.

"Well, short of chaining me to your hip, I figured this was the next best option to keep me from straying, right?" she said with a grin. The sunlight from outside shone on her face, making her freckles stand out more than they did in the mostly dim lighting on the Eclector. Yondu swallowed carefully and tore his gaze away to glare at the world. If anyone so much as looked at her wrong, he'd make them regret it.

….

You can always spot a tourist. Doesn't matter how much they study the maps in their travel guides so they won't have to carry it in the open, doesn't matter how fluent they are in the language, or how well they dress to blend in. They're out of sync with the flow of the place they're visiting. It's in the set of their shoulders, the uncertainty of their steps, that sets them apart from the ones who call the place home. Anyone with eyes could tell I was a tourist, but when it came to Yondu… Sometimes I'd catch myself watching him as we walked. The confidence and surety he exuded was… I don't know – attractive? Is that a thing? Can that be seen as attractive? Total newb when it comes to these things, people! Of course, along with his Ravager garb, he was also wearing this, "I dare you to mess with me," look on his face that made people give us a wide berth and I could feel the muscles of his arm through the leather sleeve, so I was just a tiny bit distracted when I tripped and fell face first in the snow.

Yondu let out a boisterous laugh as he doubled over and clapped his hands. Meanwhile the snow had seeped into my pants and now I was wet and freezing. I stamped my legs on the ground in an attempt to generate some warmth, but it didn't help much. At all.

"Aw, sugar, you're startin' to look a little chilled," Yondu teased, linking our arms again.

"You know, in some cultures, when the man links arms with a female, it's usually their job to make sure the woman doesn't trip," I said through chattering teeth.

"Hey, took me by surprise too, darlin'."

"Phft! Sure it did."

His arm slipped away from mine and I was about to remark on it when I felt his hand press against the small of my back and alter our course. "Let's head this way first. You can get yerself something warm to drink."

"Okay," I said, aware that the warmth I was feeling now had nothing to do with the promise of a hot drink and more to do with his hand's placement. He couldn't have placed it higher on my back, could he? Nooo, he had to put it right there! So tantalizingly close to the curve of my tookum. Either this man knew exactly what he was doing, or I was just the butt end of some cosmic joke. Suuure, let's take this very sexually active male and throw in this clueless chick and see what happens!

"How much longer you gonna be in there?" Yondu hollered.

Lydia's head poked out from the changing stall's curtain. "Long enough for you to ask me that two more times."

"Hmph," Yondu grunted, and plopped onto the stool. They'd been to four different clothing stands. So far, they'd found her a pair of boots. Oh sure, they'd found clothes that fit her at the other stands, but none that would have withstood her work conditions for very long. Which had been a real shame, cause Yondu had taken a fancy to some tight-fitting pants she'd tried on, but the material wasn't durable enough. Now she was trying on something the seller had called skinny jeans, some type of cloth material from Terra.

"Captain Udonta, perhaps your wife would care to try this on next?"

Yondu's teeth clenched. "She ain't my wife!" he snapped. This had been an issue too. Every peddler, every wares dealer – they'd all assumed that Lydia was either his wife, girlfriend or mate. The first time it happened, Yondu had felt a jolt of pleasure at the sound of it and what it entailed. That people thought it was possible for someone like him to end up with a woman as pretty as Lydia. But he squashed it down as quickly as it came and replaced it with annoyance. He'd glanced at Lydia to gauge her reaction. Her face was flushed bright red, but whether she was horrified or embarrassed was up for interpretation.

"I'm sorry, sir. You're – uh – girlfriend?"

"Just give it here," he snarled and snatched the garment from the seller.

"Okay, I'm coming out now," Lydia announced. "A simple 'yes' or 'no' will do, I don't need your exact opinion."

"Get on with it already!"

"Okay, okay."

She stepped out from the curtains and Yondu felt the familiar buzz, only this time it was centered around a certain part of his anatomy. He'd buy every pair of jeans the seller had if they all looked that good on her.

"It's a bit tight," Lydia said, self-consciously.

I got the same problem, baby. Yondu cleared his throat and hunched over to hide the evidence, masking his discomfort with aggravation. "Well, can ya move around in them?"

"Don't know yet; hang on."

She walked to a full-length mirror and studied her appearance while Yondu admired his view from the back. What followed next was pure agony as Lydia tested the jeans movement by stretching, crouching, and bending over. Yondu's head snapped around to the seller. "We'll take seven of those."

She walked out of the stand wearing the new jeans and carrying a bag that had the other six along with the damp pants. Lydia was too distracted looking at her info-disk to notice Yondu bare his teeth at a purple-skinned male whose gaze lingered a bit too long on Lydia. Not even when he placed a possessive blue hand on her shoulder and tugged her closer to his chest all without looking away from the purple male. The male took the hint and scampered away.

"I just don't remember having this many units left in my account," Lydia commented, brows furrowing at the numbers displayed on the holo-screen.

"Our last heist was pretty decent," Yondu said, glaring at yet another lingering stare.

"Yeah, but there seems to be three times more in my account than what I remember." Her head suddenly lifted as she twisted around to give him a worried look. Yondu snapped his attention back to her just in time. "We didn't forget to pay the hospital, did we?"

Yondu snorted and gave her a small push, prompting her to walk. "We didn't forget. You're just rememberin' wrong." Lydia chewed her bottom lip and glanced at the info-disk once more. Yondu reached around and shut the device. "What's next on the list? Shirts, right?"

….

About two hours later, they were on their way back to the M-ship. Lydia wouldn't be in need of a new wardrobe for some time if the materials proved to be as durable as the ware sellers claimed. Yondu refused to carry shopping bags so they condensed the number of bags so that Lydia only had to tote three.

He caught a hint of a smile on her face. "What?" he grunted.

She shook her head. "Nothing really. It's just… Today's my birthday and it was probably the best one I've had in a long while, is all."

Yondu's chest seized at her words.

"So…when's your birthday?" she asked.

"Don't know."

Lydia scoffed. "Won't tell, more like."

"No. I don't know when it is."

"…Oh. Um…Sorry." An awkward silence followed. He chanced a glance at her. She obviously was curious as to how someone didn't know when their own birthday was, but Yondu always found it to be a conversation stopper when telling people that his own parents hadn't bothered to give him that information before selling their baby to the Kree to become a battle slave. Besides, he despised the looks of pity that usually came with it.

He turned to say something to get the conversation going again. Only to find she wasn't at his elbow anymore. He twisted around. Not behind him either. The blood began to pound in his head as the seconds ticked by without any sign of her.

"Yondu!"

He whirled around in the direction of her voice. Had she sounded scared? It was so quick.

"Yondu! Over here!"

He spun in place until he finally spotted her jumping up and down to get his attention next to a floral ware stand. His relief was quickly replaced with anger as he marched through the crowd towards her. He'd told her to stick close!

"I swear I paused for like one second," she blurted before he could chew her out. "It was barely even a second – couldn't even be counted as a pause! I looked at the flowers, my steps slowed – I did not stop – and then this rude guy stepped in between you and me and the crowd rushed by, so I figured I'd better stay here."

Yondu bit down on the harsh words threatening to explode out of him. She stood rooted to the spot, warily watching him, waiting for him to speak. Unable to take the tense silence for much longer, she pointed at the cluster of flowers next to her and said, "Look, pretty flowers!"

Against his will, a huff of a chuckle escaped him, and the scowl eased off his face. He shook his head. "C'mon, darlin'," he coaxed, reaching for her shoulder.

"Could we – um…"

He halted.

She gestured towards the flowers. "Could we take a minute to look?"

Yondu's brows scrunched together. "You want to look at flowers?"

A sheepish expression appeared on her face. "I haven't seen real flowers since I left Threxia when I was eleven."

Yondu was about to tell her, "That's nice, now let's get movin'," when she added, "I made a birthday wish for flowers every year after we left."

That ain't what you told me last night. Course, last night she hadn't really told him what she was wishing for, but she sure showed him.

"…Did ya ever get any?" he asked.

She gave him a tight smile. "Nah. Couldn't afford to waste units on something that wouldn't last long."

The flower merchant must have been eavesdropping because she interrupted them by saying, "Specially grown my flowers are. Last for a year or even longer if taken proper care of."

The yearning in Lydia's eyes was so strong, Yondu could have sensed it without even looking it her. He heaved a sigh. "If I buy you one can we leave now?"

Lydia's mouth fell partially open. "I – you don't have to –"

"Woman, I know good and well that if you don't get a flower, I'm gonna hear about it for weeks. I'd rather not. So pick one!"

Green eyes quickly scanned the selection, as if afraid he'd suddenly change his mind. "There's so many…"

"It ain't that hard," he snapped.

"Maybe not for you. You're a man –"

"Thanks for noticin'."

"Stuff like this doesn't matter to you."

"A flower is a flower."

"Okay, if it's so easy. Then you pick one for me."

Yondu's sarcasm pulled up short. "Do what now?"

"Pick a flower you think fits me."

"You want me to pick you a flower?" he asked, incredulous. Of all the things in the galaxy!

"Too big and manly to do it?" she taunted.

"Shaddup." He turned to the flowers and looked them over. He only knew the names of a small handful of them, but none of those said 'Lydia' to him. But up in the very top right corner of the cart, there was a cluster of the same kind of flowers in various colors. One of them struck a chord with him. He pointed. "That one."

The flower merchant grinned as if she knew a secret. "Ah. The blue rose."

Yondu forked over the money and the merchant handed the flower to him. A thorn poked his thumb but didn't break the skin. With it in his hands, the petals seemed a darker blue than him. He passed the rose to Lydia. "Here," he grunted.

Lydia blinked at the rose. "It's very blue," she commented.

"Ya got a problem with the color?"

A slow smile worked its way onto her lips as she looked at his face. "No. Not at all." She lifted the flower to her nose and inhaled its aroma. "Just curious as to why you thought this fit me, is all."

"If ya don't like it –"

"I love it," she quickly assured him.

It took him a bit by surprise, but he masked it with a firm nod. "Well, alright then. Let's get goin'."

"A moment, sir," the flower merchant interjected. "I must have a quick word with your wife concerning the rose's upkeep."

"SHE AIN'T MY –!" Throwing his hands up in the air, he shouted, "Ya know what? Forget it! Talk her ear off for all I care!" He stomped off for few steps away, but still keeping her in sight.

…..

"Sorry about that," I apologized to the flower merchant. "We've been mistaken for that all day and I guess it's gotten on his last nerve."

The older woman gave a knowing 'hmmm', but it sounded more like she knew that wasn't the case. "I knew you weren't married."

"You did? Then why –"

"Because I had to see how he felt about you, especially after I saw which flower he chose for you."

I glanced down at the rose in my hand. "What about it?"

"Each flower has a meaning. And sometimes, a man will choose a flower, seemingly at random, but Fate may have a hand in his choosing."

"I'm not sure I follow."

"You told him to choose a flower that he felt fit you, yes?"

"Yes."

"Then do yourself a favor and look up the meaning of blue roses. And take this card which has the instructions to care for the flower."

"Can't you just tell me what it means?"

The flower merchant tapped the side of her nose with a playful smile. "Much more fun if you find out a little bit later."

"Woman, let's get goin'!" Yondu bellowed. I gave him an impatient wave and thanked the woman. Hurrying towards Yondu, I nearly slid on some ice, but righted myself in time. "No more stops. Let's go." He grabbed hold of my arm and guided me through the thick of the crowd.

As more bodies pressed in on us, I became aware of Yondu's arm around my waist, pulling me closer to his side. I craned my neck to look up at him. His crimson eyes darted about, watchful and alert to any potential danger. Even when the crowd had thinned out enough to give us plenty of elbow room, Yondu still didn't let me go. And I found myself not bothering to point it out to him.

….

After Yondu docked the M-ship in the Eclector's hangar, I gave him a grateful smile. "I guess you can still be a bit of a Prince Charming." I moved to gather my bags, carefully tucking the rose into one of them.

"Hold up, Brosh," Yondu said, arm extending to block my path. "Not a word of this to the crew. Ya hear me, princess?"

I set down the bags and gave him a Ravager salute. "Loud and clear as always, captain."

I immediately went to my room. I was exhausted and didn't want to accidentally run into any of the crew while carrying my bags. There was another reason for wanting to get to my room quickly. I was burning with curiosity to know the meaning behind blue roses. And when I finally settled down that night with my info-disk, I got my answer. Or did I? It didn't exactly make much sense to me.

'Blue roses symbolize the impossible, or the unattainable. Since blue roses are a rarity in nature, it stands for something that is hardly within one's grasp, an object that seems too difficult to be achieved. Thus, the blue rose is admired and revered as an unrealizable dream."

I stared at the words for several seconds. "So does the same thing go for blue men?"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Tell me what a bordello is, Lydia!"

"Go to scarrin' bed, Peter!"

(I know this was much shorter than the last chapter, but I wanted to make sure I got this out for you Readers before Christmas. I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. I've got a convention coming up in January where I'll hopefully get to meet Sean Gunn (Kraglin) again. I keep praying that Michael Rooker will be added to the roster, but it will be what it will be. I'd just really like to have the chance to team up with him again to prank my friend, ya know? I mean, last time was freakin' epic! Anyway, enjoy your Christmas! Please leave me a little present in the form of a review, follow or favorite.)