Chapter 43: Peter
It took four days to get the Benatar repaired after the battle. It would have taken longer, but Stark had given the Guardians the use of his considerable resources, and Earth's higher ups had been ever so happy he had. Apparently they wanted all aliens off-world ASAP.
Peter couldn't really blame them.
Now the repaired ship sat on the tarmac of JFK International – soon to be Intergalactic – Airport. A small group stood beside it under the hot sun as Peter stepped out. "She's ready to go," he told them.
"Then we'd better be going," Fury replied. He had announced his intentions to come with the Guardians two days prior, claiming that with so much interplanetary things going on, it was time Earth got an idea of what their neighbors were like.
Peter watched as Pepper Potts stepped forward and gave Fury a brief hug. "Don't go too far," she told him.
"We won't," Danvers replied. She was the last addition to the team, though for how long, no one was sure. Peter didn't mind as long as he got to fly the ship.
"We'll be back for the wedding," Fury added to Pepper. He turned to the silent form of Stark, holding out the modified pager Peter had been told about. "And you'll have this."
Stark accepted the device. "Thanks, Fury." They shook hands. "See you soon."
Fury nodded. "Take care of yourself, Tony."
Next, Fury turned to Maria Hill. "Keep an eye on them for me," he instructed, jerking his head toward Tony and Pepper.
Hill smiled. "Will do, Boss."
Then everyone was exchanging goodbyes, and Peter found himself facing Stark. The Avenger held out a CD case. "It's not 80's," he said, "but you'll get to know it. I took the liberty of installing a player in the ship."
Peter accepted the case, glancing at the unfamiliar band name. He smiled. "Thanks man."
Stark nodded, and there was more than a simple goodbye in the look. It was a thank you, and an apology. Together they'd won the war, but in many ways, they'd lost it too.
Stark nodded again and turned to Gamora, jerking his head at Peter. "Keep him out of trouble."
She smiled, shaking her head, and Peter knew the effort it took for her to put on the cheerful expression. "Somebody's got to save the galaxy," she said. Then she ushered the rest of the team into the Benatar and with a last look back at the friends he was leaving, Peter followed her.
The door shut with a low clunk behind them and Peter sat down at the ship's controls in silence while the others buckled up. He stared at the controls, and an ache filled his chest as he thought of how Rocket should have been there to argue that it was his turn to fly.
A hand rested softly on his arm and he looked up into Gamora's eyes. He saw the pain they all felt there, but strength was there also, the courage and determination that he had fallen in love with.
They would get through this, her gaze said. Maybe not in a year or ten years, but they would. They'd do it together.
Peter drew a deep breath and took the controls. "Set course for Xandar," he called to Drax. Then he started the ship up and they rose into the sky, leaving Earth millions of miles behind.