PART 3/4 Yondu

Thank you all for your support of this and my novel! It's been so inspiring to hear how many of you are looking forward to it =)

Here is our Captain's side of this mess, coming up next is the conclusion and will be a mix of Peter, Kraglin and Yondu's perspectives

"Maybe you shouldn't've abducted me then!" Quill's raging eyes bore into Yondu's with no fear and the Captain was sure he'd been punched in the gut too, trying to keep the pain from his face as he watched his boy storm out of the command room.

"I'll talk to him when I'm done," he could hear frustration in Kraglin's voice, the constant peace keeper was clearly nearing the end of his rope.

"Don't. He'll cool off." Yondu ordered simply, knowing if it wasn't a command to leave the brat alone Kraglin would interject himself, he probably would anyway.

It wasn't a secret he treated Quill differently than the rest of his crew, but Yondu had made serious changes to his leniency since the kid he'd picked up on Terra had grown even bulkier than some of the Ravagers. He was proud of Peter's strength and size, of course, and his intelligence, the kid was smarter than him even, but he wasn't proud of his mouth. That boy would go head-to-head with Yondu over the smallest thing and Yondu had decided, especially after the incident on Darbia, that enough was enough. Whether he accepted it or not, Yondu was not going to let Quill off easy, not anymore.

"Alright, Capt'n," Kraglin dragged Yondu from his daze, pushing the cover towards the base of the console, "Should be good."

He secured the top with a snap, immediately turning on the navigation module and checking the maps sequencing and saved travel routes, nodding with satisfaction before sliding down on the holographic screen, making it disappear in the air.

"He, uh," Kraglin's quiet stammer began his usual defense of Peter, "he did almost have it right though, sir."

Yondu grunted, guilt twisting his gut, but if the damn kid had just kept his head on when Yondu had questioned him about what he was doing he wouldn't have to make an example of his behavior, but the Captain had promised himself he'd put a stop to the outbursts and growled, "Put him on the exhaust stacks, can't remember the last time they been cleaned."

"Sir?" Kraglin's eyes widened.

"He needs to remember I ain't takin' his crap no more," Yondu said firmly, "Tell 'em I want 'em sparklin', I don't care if I ain't ever gonna check or not."

"Yes, sir," Kraglin said, but the Captain was already disappearing into his quarters.

With the door shut firmly behind him, Yondu shrugged off his long, red jacket, tossing it over the back of his sofa as he strode to his desk and gripped the edges, letting his head droop with exhaustion. Every argument he and Peter had left him more tired and angry, wishing the stubborn kid would just stop with the defensive attitude and attacking him every time Yondu gave him an order. Maybe you shouldn't've abducted me then! His boy sure knew how to cut him down and the Captain sighed.

Things had gotten a little better, after their conversation following the worst licking he'd ever given Peter, but it hadn't taken long for the sulky teenager to fall back into his disrespectful attitude. Yondu wouldn't be talked to like that, he couldn't, there had already been moments throughout the years where other crew members had given him lip, the Ravagers he'd allowed a second chance never stepped out of line again. He knew there was disgruntlement within the ranks, but, when the story of Peter's tryst in his bedroom spread, Yondu at least saw satisfaction in their smirks every time the kid stiff-legged passed them in the halls. Quill might hate him for being a relentless hard-ass, but Yondu was balancing a narrow line trying to keep his crew content and Quill's feelings couldn't sway him from being a firm leader.

Was the kid really still upset about being taken off Terra, though? Yondu tried not to think about it. He definitely wasn't going to tell Quill why he was safer moving around the galaxies than stagnant on his home planet, but, far beneath his well-established disinterest, Yondu hoped Peter was trying to make him feel bad and didn't actually long for barbaric rock in the center of the Milky Way. It was fruitless for the Captain to try ridding himself of Peter's words, echoing in his head for hours. Until, suddenly, the boy's frantic yell crackled through Yondu's intercom.

"Quill, calm down," Yondu interjected into the staticky rambling, "What're y'sayin'?"

"Kraglin!" Peter's voice broke with obvious terror, "He's hurt, Yondu! He got hit in the head 'n he's passed out"

Yondu's chest contracted painfully, hating hearing Peter that terrified and sure Kraglin had to be badly injured to induce that fear, he managed a low growl, "Where?"

"Center stack unit!" Yondu heard the tears as Peter nearly screamed their location and was bolting down the corridor in the same moment.

"Horuz!" he barked, passing the Ravager who was just about to enter the mess hall for lunch, but Hourz didn't hesitate, or ask questions, and started hurrying after the Captain.

As Yondu skidded to a halt in front of the open access panel to the maintenance level, however, Horuz panted an inquiry, "What's, hap'nin'?"

"Kraglin's hurt," Yondu said simply, sliding down the ladder.

"What?!" Horuz exploded, taking a few rungs quickly before just jumping to the floor, groaning a bit as he pushed himself to stand upright, slowly.

Yondu didn't pay attention, already moving down the hall towards the air system closets, his mind trained on the middle one, visualizing the dark, dusty tunnel in his mind. Blood pounded in his ears with every heavy step, anger overcoming his thoughts, berating himself for giving Peter such a dangerous, and useless, job. Of course Kraglin would help him! He'd told Kraglin to tell Peter with the silent understanding that the First Mate wouldn't make the kid do it alone. Some captain he was.

"Capt'n, hold," Horuz heaved behind him, sprinting, or at least what sprinting was for Horuz, down the hall.

"C'mon, Horuz," Yondu slowed, but only a moment, continuing his rapid pace the moment Horuz caught up.

Quill was shaking over Kraglin in the vent when Yondu forced as much of himself through the access hatch as he could. Even with the mask on, he could see the fear his kid was staring at him with, begging Yondu to fix it.

Kraglin was alive, at least there was that, but his barely coherent and nonsensical ramblings all the way to his bedroom hadn't been reassuring. The Captain was in disbelief of his injury, of all the things he was worried about happening in the stacks, the potential for both of them to get sucked into space if someone accidently turned it on for instance, the vent cover hadn't even crossed his mind. Kraglin knew that, hell, Kraglin had been the one to realize the thing shot out like a cannon if the wrong side was tugged. Yondu hated himself, furious he'd sent them on such a pointless job, and, every moment he looked at Kraglin's bloodied face, the Captain's anger burned deeper.

He gave orders, answering Tullk's questions as calmly as possible while the rest of his thoughts remained in a self-deprecating cycle. But, when Horuz and Quill started in on each other, all of Yondu's anger at himself exploded towards them. The Captain rarely saw the kid look as scared as when he took one step at the beginning of Quill's refusal, and he certainly hadn't seen him scurry away like that in years.

Silently, he and Tullk tried to keep Kraglin's focus, though his confusion was still evident and hardly mumbled anything sensible. Yondu couldn't help a stifled chuckle when Kraglin muttered 'doesn't listen, brat never listened' and only needed one guess to know who the First Mate was grumbling about.

"Capt'n?" Kraglin's weak, but coherent, voice reached his ears and broke Yondu's heart.

"I'm here, son," he turned to the bed, internally berating himself for using the endearment when he had no right, but, Kraglin curled his fingers in a silent request to sit, and Yondu wouldn't begrudge him.

"Hey, boyo," Tullk hardly more than whispered, "How y'feelin'?"

"My head hurts," Kraglin said, squinting his eyes at Yondu, "Capt'n, I'm sorry-"

"Stop right there, Kraglin," Yondu said firmly, putting a gentle hand on the young man's uninjured shoulder, "Y'ain't got anything to be sorry about."

"But, I'm busted," Kraglin grimaced apologetically, wincing in pain as he did so and Yondu's heart stabbed him again.

"Y'r'gonna be fine," he promised, hoping it was true, "I'm getting' you t'Xandar-"

"No, Capt'n I'm fi-"

Yondu interjected with a hard laugh, "Far from it, boy. Y'r'goin' to the sanatorium, don't argue."

"Yes, sir," Kraglin tried to nod, stopping short as he cringed with pain.

"Lemme finish gettin' that blood off ya," Tullk tried to scoot around the bed, but the Captain's large frame on the edge of the mattress gave him almost no room.

"I got it, Tullk," Yondu took a blood stained washcloth from the shaggy-haired man and rang it out over the bowl on the First Mate's nightstand, "Make sure everybody's doin' what they should be, we're droppin' in on Xandar as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir. Do y'need me t'bring y'anythin', Cap?" Tullk asked, balling up the shredded, bloody shirt he'd carefully sliced from Kraglin's chest while backing towards the door.

"No," Yondu said simply, wiping the cloth as carefully as he could along Kraglin's hairline, "Just take all those bloody towels with ya."

"Aye, Cap," Tullk was already piling red stained towels and washcloths in his arms, but fumbled repeatedly for the door handle he couldn't see.

Yondu sighed, standing from the bed with a quick press to Kraglin's chest, promising he'd be right back, and pushed the door open for the Ravager.

"Make sure they're ready to go," Yondu said.

"Yes, sir, thank you," Tullk sidestepped through the door, hurrying down the hall.

Yondu was just closing it again, when the door across the hall ripped open.

"Yondu?" Quill sounded desperate and Yondu stopped, staring at the nervous teenager in his open doorway.

"Yeah, Quill?" Yondu stifled his exhausted sigh, seeing how much pain the kid was in and didn't want him to feel worse.

"How's Kraglin?" Peter's question was laced with fear.

"I'm not sure," he sighed, "He's in 'n out, only makin' sense for a few minutes. Got his face stitched up, boy's lucky he didn't lose an eye, but he'll have a few nasty scars."

Quill's expression crumpled, "Can I do anything?"

Yondu couldn't help the small smile that crept onto his face, "As long as y'r'not hollerin' I'm sure he wouldn't mind'ja bein' in here."

Quill slowly stepped out of his room, nervously approaching the Captain, his eyes glued to the floor in Kraglin's room. Yondu felt the dark cloud of dread surrounding Peter as he passed the threshold, shutting the door behind them and watching the kid's shoulders tense at the sight of the First Mate.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Peter seemed to be begging more than asking.

Yondu couldn't lie to him, Peter would know, and settled for the only truth he had, "We're takin' him to Xandar."

Peter nodded, the corners of his mouth flexing as if he wanted to say something, but stopped himself.

"Xandar," Kraglin stole their attention and Yondu felt a tiny bit of relief, every coherent word his First Mate spoke was reassuring.

"Yeah, son, gonna have the Healers take a look at'cha," Yondu said.

"I'm fine, Capt'n," Kraglin tried, grimacing again when he tried to turn his head to look at the Captain out of his good eye.

"Y'r'not," Yondu was getting dangerously close to losing his temper, hating himself more with every attempt Kraglin made to seem fine, knowing it was his constant pressure causing the First Mate's need to prove rigidity.

"Sir, really-" Kraglin started trying to push himself into a sitting position and Yondu snapped.

"Lay y'r'ass down!" he barked, pointing an angry finger at Kraglin that was intended for himself, shifting it quickly to Peter with the order, "Stay with him."

Yondu hardly waited for Peter to nod, leveling Kraglin with a threatening gaze as he shut the door, burying his face in his hands the moment he ensured the hallway was clear. With a heavy sigh, blinking his eyes several times until the moisture dissipated, Yondu stalked towards the command room.

The navigation module pulled up immediately and he cursed himself for the fight that started the entire mess, the damn kid had been doing it right! Settling into his chair, the Captain's fingers flew on the holographic screen, finding the fastest course to Xandar from where they were. Three jumps. Two is they went through Kree territory, but that was near suicide. Kraglin needed to get to the sanatorium as quickly as possible, though, and Yondu's finger hovered over the command choices to start the auto-pilot assist program.

"YONDU!"

Peter's broken scream forced his hand and, in his own terror, the Captain decided they needed to get to Xandar as fast as they possibly could, despite the potential consequences. The Captain leapt from his chair as he slammed his finger on the route and bolted down the hall, skidding to halt as he threw Kraglin's door open.

Peter stood near the bed with tears streaming down his face while Kraglin convulsed in his bed. Yondu's body shivered and his blood ran cold in his veins as terror he'd never known swept him.

"I don't know what to do," Peter kept his voice impressively steady while Yondu no less than threw him to the side.

He'd only seen it once before, a fellow Kree slave, but their masters' solution was to simply kill the ailing Interdite after his second fit. Apparently, it wasn't an uncommon occurrence in their species, at least according to the last Interdite in Yondu's regiment, who he'd watched try to protect the younger man from the Kree as well as himself while he'd flailed unconsciously on a barren, dungeon floor. Yondu held his hands over Kraglin like he'd seen the older Interdite do, before the Kree ripped him away, making sure, at the very least, that Kraglin didn't hurt himself.

His spasms slowed, thankfully, stopping almost abruptly and it felt, to the Captain, like an eternity before Kraglin's eyes worked their way open. Yondu thought for a moment he'd sunken into the floor as tension released every muscle.

"Are you okay?" Peter's question came with a tug on the Captain's jacket, feeling a pang of guilt, wishing he'd realized the kid was holding onto him, another twist of remorse churned his gut remembering how he'd thrown Peter roughly to the side, but, quickly, his focus returned to Kraglin.

"Wha-" he was obviously incoherent and Yondu felt every ounce of tense fear returned as his First Mate's eyes closed again.

"No y'don't, boy," terror overtook the Captain's actions, shaking his boy by the shoulders and at least reserving his strength in the slaps he landed on his uninjured cheek, "C'mon, Kraglin, c'mon, son."

"Quill," Yondu knew his voice was breaking with the tightness in his throat, but his concern was on his First Mate, not his pride, "I got it on autopilot, but we should be close to the jump for Xandar, put us down as close to the sanatorium as y'can."

"Yes, sir," Peter sniffled hard, but his tone hardened in his response and he dashed from the room.

"C'mon, boy," he returned to shaking Kraglin gently before the door latched, "You answer me, Kraglin. Kraglin Obfonteri, you open your damn eyes right now!"

Kraglin's eyes fluttered open, obviously trying with all his strength to focus on the Captain, there just wasn't much there to utilize and they fell closed again as he slumped against the pillow. Yondu knew tears had leaked down his cheeks, but he didn't care enough to wipe them away, keeping his hands gently on his First Mate, trying desperately to get a reaction.

"Son, please," dipping his head over Kraglin's chest, Yondu cried.

Terror, guilt and self-hatred blended into a hot mix of nausea at the back of his throat, but Yondu swallowed hard against the discomfort, refusing to leave his boy. He was so helpless and battered, reminding the Captain of their first meeting when Kraglin had been blacking out from Matbua strangling him.

Horuz's yell had alerted the Captain to the kitchen, finding his tentacled chef choking a boy as he'd beaten Horuz away with his other extremities, but, at Yondu's bark to halt, Matbua grumbled and released his victims while backing into the corner of the pantry. Yondu hadn't paid any attention to his grumblings, Matbua had a kitchen pass since nobody but the Captain understood him, and Yondu preferred to keep his food free of whatever kind of saliva Matbua produced. But, approaching on Horuz, he'd found the man cradling the boy tenderly, slapping his face to revive him. It had taken a moment, but Kraglin's eyes had opened, tearing immediately at the Captain. He'd had to give the boy credit, however, for not outright sobbing in his presence, but Yondu could tell, even in that moment of vulnerability, Kraglin was as tough as they came. He'd told the scrawny teenager he'd drop him off on their next stop, but Horuz had believed the threat and outright begged him to let Kraglin stay. Obviously, Yondu had had to beat the man, considering his public groveling, but had agreed to keep Kraglin until the kid inevitably screwed up, which Yondu had hoped wouldn't happen.

It hadn't. And he stared at his First Mate, years older, but still the boy he'd tried to hardened his heart to. Yondu's chest burst and he couldn't stop the sob that burst passed his lips, thankful he was alone, but willing to let his whole crew watch him weep if it would open Kraglin's eyes.

"Cap," his voice was so small, Yondu thought he was imagining it until he looked up at Kraglin, his eyes hardly slits.

Yondu sighed, "By gods boy, y'had me scared to death."

"I'm tired, Cap," Kraglin's words were still barely audible, but Yondu nodded.

"I know, son," he said, "but I need'ja to stay with me."

"Y'got, Pete," he whispered and Yondu furrowed his brow.

"What?" he tried to maintain a civil tone, but the pain in chest lurched.

"Nothin'," Kraglin muttered.

"No, what'd you say, Kraglin?" Yondu almost snapped, instantly hated himself more.

But Kraglin's eyes widened and almost focused on the Captain's, "I'm sorry, sir," he grimaced, "I don't remember."

Yondu expelled a breath, "Y'r'scarin' me good, Krag."

"I'm sorry, sir," he repeated.

"Shut up with the I'm sorrys," Yondu insisted more brutally than he intended, softening his tone as he admitted, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't've put ya in that position with Pete, but I know you know about that goddamn hatch, I can't believe you didn't, I'm not, mad at'cha, just surprised, I guess. I'm mad at myself if-"

"Capt'n?" Kraglin tried to interject.

"No, really," Yondu shook his head and continued, "I knew you'd help Quill with that job, that's partly why I told you to tell him to do it," he shook his head at himself, "I shouldn't've even been fightin' with him to begin with, you were right, 'bout that module, 'n I don't, jeezus, son, how you forgot to mention that damn vent is beyond, just," he sighed, "I just want ya to be okay, son."

Kraglin smiled with the side of his face that wasn't scraped in bloody stripes, "I will, sir, I'm-"

Kraglin expelled a pained gasp and Yondu braced himself against the bed and nightstand when the ship jerked.

"Uh, Yondu?" Peter crackled over his intercom.

"Quill?" Yondu barked, just remembering the navigation route he'd set, "Where are we?"

"We're inside Big Maggie, sir," Peter somehow sounded more determined than afraid, "Hold onto Krags. I got this."

Yondu's pained chest had a momentary swelling of pride, at Peter's words, but gripped his First Mate firmly to the bed as the Eclector shook violently.

The Large Magellanic Cloud was Kree territory and, while they wouldn't recognize the ship, Yondu still felt an old sense of terror looming. He hadn't had contact with the Kree since Stakar liberated his regiment and offer the now Captain a spot in his ranks, but twenty years of torture would never leave his memories, no matter how far he ran from them.

The Eclector lurched again, but a loud, confident laugh echoed outside the door, "You wanna play asshole? I'll play!"

Sometimes Peter's confidence scared him, but Yondu had never felt more sure of the cocky young man as he heard his radio crackle.

"Horuz! Retch! Tazerface! Get on the guns!" Peter ordered.

"I don't take orders from you, boy," Tazerface sneered through the intercom and the Captain's ears burned with anger.

"YOU GIT ON THOSE GUNS RIGHT NOW!" Yondu barked, "AND WHATEVER ELSE QUILL TELLS YA TO DO! Y'HEAR ME?!"

"Ye-yes, sir," Tazerface stammered, but the Captain heard his feet pounding over the radio, "On-on it."

"Get us outta here, Quill," Yondu said simply.

"Yes, sir."

"Hold on, Krag," Yondu whispered after his First Mate whimpered in pain from another, aggressive shudder of the ship.

Kraglin didn't respond, but bit his lips against another cry of pain and Yondu felt his heart crack again, wishing he could take all the pain from his boy on himself.

"Haha YEAH!" Peter's shout blared over the radio and echoed down the hall, "Don't mess with the Ravager's! Git 'em again Retch!"

Yondu didn't put faith in gods, the one he'd had experience with was certainly not the type to answer anyone's prayers but his own. Therefore, praying seemed a stretch, and the Captain didn't have a specific deity in mind as his thoughts begged for an escape. The ship quaked again, followed warning alarms erupting throughout the Eclector and Peter came back on the radio.

"Yondu, we're almost out!" he yelled over the horns, "But they hit the coolant tank, we're sprayin'!"

"Pete?" the Captain cleared his throat to keep his voice from cracking, but Peter interjected with reassurance.

"I'll bring us in, it's gonna be a little rough!" Peter promised, "Just worry about Kraglin, I got this."

"Good boy," Yondu said to himself, putting more gentle pressure on Kraglin to keep him from rocking too much in his bed.

A sharp pull was a welcomed jolt, knowing Peter had made the jump out of Big Maggie and they were nearly to Xandar, safely away from the Kree's war zone. But the Eclector still shivered while alarms blared in every room and coolant poured into the frozen abyss. Yondu found himself praying again to any god that would listen, hoping the back up pressurizer held on at least until they entered Xandar's atmosphere or the entire ship would blow.

"C'mon, Quill, get us there," he muttered.

"Yondu!" Peter's excited yell broke on the radio, "Xandar straight ahead!"

A few stray tears of relief leaked from the Captain's eyes and he hid his face carefully in the blanket covering Kraglin.

"Y'r'gonna be alright, son," he promised.

"Aye, Cap," Kraglin's voice was weak, but he wrapped his fingers around Yondu's with a slight squeeze and Yondu held firmly onto his First Mate.

"I'm not goin' anywhere, boy," Yondu's vow earned a barely noticeable head nod and Kraglin's eyes fell closed again, causing a frantic call into his radio, "Quill! Where we at?!"

"Seven clicks to the atmosphere!" Peter answered immediately, "How's Kraglin?"

"Alive," Yondu grumbled, holding tightly to the First Mate's hand.

"Hold on," Peter's order was followed by a powerful lurch in the ship and a loud, explosion like boom.

Yondu didn't have the opportunity to bark an inquiry over the sound before Peter returned to the radio.

"Uh, Yondu," his confidence had faltered, "I think we lost quadrant two's coolant tank."

"Get us planet-side, Quill," was all the Captain could say, uncaring about the cost of a new tank if his crew, and especially First Mate, just made it safely to Xandar's surface.

Thank you for reading and I look forward to hearing your thoughts!