Peter stops. He creeps closer to the cage. Something rustles around. Peter has to stop himself from firing his blaster. As he inches closer, he notices that the noise is from a small girl sitting in the back corner. She has dirty blond hair that is a little matted. Her skin is dirty and there are cuts on her. But it was her eyes that caught his attention. They were the brightest ice blues he has ever seen. And they look at him pleading. He has no idea what's going on or why she's there. But he isn't about to leave her. Peter pulls his blaster, shooting the lock off the door. He yanks the door open a little forcefully, causing it to bang against its stops. The girl shrieks in surprise, backing away. Peter's face softens. She's so young. She can't be no more than three years old. Peter holsters his weapon, crouching down so she can see his face a little better. He offers her a soft smile, stretching out his hand.
The young girl looks at it suspiciously. Almost as if it's gonna bit her. She looks back up at him. She has no idea who this guy is or why he feels the need to save her. But going with him has to be better than staying here in this cage. She scans his face, hesitating on what she wants to do. What if the mean person comes back and takes her away? Or what if this person is just as mean? She looks in his eyes for any sign of deception. She finds nothing but kindness, and a childlike mischief. She crawls towards the opening determining that he has to be the better choice.
Peter leans back on his heels as she moves towards him. She stops at the door, biting her lower lip. She looks around as if something is gonna hurt her. Peter's temper rises a little. Who would hurt such an innocent thing. Those ice blue eyes lock with his. He smiles, holding out both his hands in a plead to be allowed to pick her up. She hesitates, looking at him suspiciously again. She must of been through a lot to constantly be distrusting of someone. After staring at each other for a few seconds, she raises her arms, giving Peter an invitation.
Peter wastes no time in bringing the small girl into his arms. She's tense, but she hides her face in his chest. Small whimpers leave her body as she breathes. Peter's heart sinks more. This poor girls. He wraps his muscular arms around the small shivering form. Peter feels this overwhelming need to protect her. She's so innocent and young, and been through things no child should.
"Peter lets go!" someone yells outside the door.
Peter snaps himself back to reality, taking off out of the room and to the ship. They were here on a job. It was just happenstance that he came across the young girl when someone hit the door open. The big engines roar to life as Peter steps through the hatch with the girl curled to his chest. He settles himself in a back room on the M-ship. The girl grips his shirt as if it's a life line. She gazes around her. But she never lifts her head or push away from Peter. No doubt too terrified with the new surroundings. Or maybe she thinks she'll get into trouble. Or she'll find out this isn't even real. Peter sighs heavily as he slouches further down the seat. Yondu is so gonna kill him when he brings her back. But he can't bring himself to leave her. And the small amounts of pain and terror behind those big blue eyes helps seal himself for what's to come.
The M-ship lands in the cargo bay of the Eclector. Peter doesn't move as it settles on the deck. He knows that Yondu is right outside the door waiting to see if they got their prize. And he's not fully prepared to face the older centaurian. He watches as everyone else makes their way off the ship, laughing and clapping each other on the back. He can hear the gruff, southern accent that belongs to the captain. Peter swallows hard, tightening his grip on the young girl. It's now or never. Peter lifts himself up off the bench, setting the young girl on her feet, much to her dismay. But maybe he can hide her a little better till he explains everything. He walks to the edge of the door. Yondu is standing there with his hands on his hips. Kraglin right next to him.
Yondu turns at the sound of footsteps. He smiles at his youngest son. Peter gives him a nervous smile back. Yondu narrows his eyes. Peter only acts that way when the boy has done something stupid. So, yondu can only conclude that he has done something really stupid to be keeping such a distance between the two.
"Wat ya do now boy?" Yondu asks gruffly.
"Well. Umm ya see. . ." Peter stammers.
Yondu scowls as he crosses his arms across his chest. Yondu is not known for his patience. Peter sighs. He was never good with words anyways. Peter is just gonna have to take the direct approach. He can feel the young girl's tight grip on the back of his pants. Peter just steps out of the way, revealing the girl with ice blue eyes. She looks at the two men innocently and with wonderment. Kraglin's face drops, shock written on it as his hands drop from his hips. Yondu's mouth falls open his arms uncrossing. Peter gives a nervous, pleading smile to his older brother and father figure.
"No. No. Hell no. Peter!" Yondu yells.
Izzy tenses, whimpering loudly. Peter crouches down to comfort the small girl. He opens his arms, allowing herl to squish herself into him. He wraps his arms around her back. She shakes. No doubt yelling was something that was done a lot. And it apparently brings about bad memories. That's gonna be a challenge living on a ravager filled ship.
Peter looks up at Yondu, "Yondu please. Hear me out."
Yondu growls but keeps his mouth shut. He rests his hands on his hips, waiting for his son. He better have a hell of a good explanation for bringing a baby onto his ship. From the looks of her he did. She's fifthly, malnurioused, and she has cuts and bruising. Whatever happened to the young girl she obviously was not being taken care of. But that gives his boy no right to take her from wherever he found her.
Peter sighs, thankful that Yondu is willing to hear him out. Peter tells him what had happened. How he found her in a cage. He doesn't know why she was there. But he just couldn't leave her in that state. Especially when he saw all the cuts and bruising. She just pleaded at him with those big eyes. He couldn't help but get her out. And he thought about leaving her there but she was too young to let loose and leave. He didn't have a choice.
"Please Yondu. I just couldn't leave her." He says dejectedly.
Yondu sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. What has his boy done? Peter is right they can't just send her off on her own she's too young. And to give her to just anybody could possibly put her in the same situation she was in. Yondu feels for the young girl. Being a battle slave for the Kree; he understands the physical and emotional abuse that goes on. And those big innocent eyes tells him that abuse did happen. But Yondu has already raised his two boys. He had no intention on raising another. And raising one so small. But lord knows Peter can't take care of her. He can't even take care of himself. He drops his hand looking back down at the young child. She raises her blue eyes to his. She has the same puppy eyed pleading look that Peter is giving him. He growls turning away from the two.
The young girl eyes the blue man. Even though he scared her, he seems nice enough. He's obviously in charge but he doesn't seem as scary as her handler. Almost as nice as the man named Peter who had saved her. She pushes off Peter's chest, wiggling out of his grasp. Peter watches curiously as she walks over to Yondu. She looks up at the older man. Yondu looks down at her. They stay in a staring contest for a few seconds before Yondu sighs. He crouches down to be eye level with the young girl. She leans back, drawing her hands up to her chest. They eye each other for another split second. She holds up her hands in a silent plea to be picked up. Yondu obliges, placing her on his hip. Kraglin leans forward to get a better look at the girl in his captains arms. She eyes him for a little bit before deciding that he's a safe person too. He's quiet and he has that same kindness in his face.
"Alrite Petey. But if we're gonna keep her yer gonna help." Yondu states to his youngest.
Peter jumps to his feet, "Yondu I can't take care of a child! I can hardly take care of myself. That's not fair. . . " Yondu raises an eyebrow at his boy. Peter blinks a few times, "You didn't say any of that did ya?"
Yondu laughs, "Course not boy. Like ya said, ya can't even take care of yerself let alone a baby. And you're still a kid yerself."
The baby huffs in his arms. She gives him a pout, crossing her arms. She takes offense being called a baby. She's three, not a baby. Yondu just chuckles at the little girl. That chuckle turns into a boisterous laugh when Yondu notices the 17 year old Peter pouting at him the same way. He shakes his head with loving fondness. Yondu doesn't know whether they can take care of a child so small and one that is a girl. But they will discuss it as a family. Right now they need to feed the child and get her cleaned up.
"Krags. Take her t'the mess hall f'r food." Yondu states.
He tries to hand the girl over to Kraglin only for a complete meltdown to ensue. Panic takes over the girl. She grips onto Yondu's leather jacket and harness not knowing who she's being handed too. A high pitch shriek/cry leaves her mouth, causing all the men to flinch at the sound. Yondu looks over at the girl to see sheer panic. He can see how terrified she is. Yondu and Kraglin work flawlessly together. Kraglin let's go of the girl at the same time Yondu wraps his hands back around her. He brings the girl to his chest, massaging the back of her head much like he did when Peter was small and upset. She cries and shakes in his arms. Why did she choose to be attached to him? Yondu will never know that answer. She has grown attached to him for some reason. And only wants him. Maybe she feels protected with him since he is the one in charge. He'll never know since she has not spoken expect in whimpers and cries. So right now, keeping her with Yondu is the wisest choice.
"Well. I guess I'll take her t'the mess hall. Kraglin yer wit me. Petey go git cleaned up. Meet in my quarters in a few hours."
Yondu turns, making his way to the mess hall. Kraglin hot on his heels. Yondu doesn't know what he's gonna tell the crew. Not that it's any of their business who he brings on his ship. But he doesn't want a mutiny on his hands either. Some tried to mutiny when he decided to keep Peter. At least Peter was able to work his keep. But this small girl. Well she wouldn't be able to do that. And things may have to be done differently with the baby on board. He'll probably have a full blown mutiny on his hands. Yondu shakes his head. There's no reason to dwell on it till the time comes if they decide to keep her. Yondu strolls through the mess hall, head held high. There were few Ravagers in the mess at the moment being past dinner time. So that's a plus.
Yondu walks up to the cook. A green man with 4 arms and hands. The girl's eyes widen at the sight. She has never seen anyone like that. The creature man thing puts his hands on his hips. He's gruff and greasy looking. The apron he wears is stained and crinkle. He eyes the captain, first mate and the small girl.
"Ya got something the tyke can eat?" Yondu asks.
The cook looks at the girl. She's skinny, too skinny for his liking. He looks around with the food he has left over from the dinner rush. He sets a couple of food items up on the counter. The small girl eyes the items. One is a green dish with thing like tentacles. Another looks like something along the lines of chicken. And another was soup. She hasn't had solid food in a while. And the tentacles freak her out. She wants the soup but she's too scared to speak up. She buries her head in Yondu's chest, eyeing the items. The men most pick up on the feelings. Kraglin moves forward so he can see the small girls face. Maybe he can coast her out a little.
"Hey princess." Kraglin says to grab the girls attention.
He doesn't know her real name and she hasn't been forthcoming with it. So, the nickname seemed to be the better option instead of overwhelming her. She casts her eyes towards him. Ice blue lock onto his face. They're captivating. Like they're piercing into his soul. They're almost breathtaking.
"What would ya like t'eat?" He asks soothingly.
She says nothing, just stares at him. Kraglin sighs. Okay maybe they need a different approach. He points to the green tentacles dish. She scrunches up her nose, forcing her eye to squint. Clearly that is not something that she wants. He moves on to the chicken like creature. She doesn't crinkle her nose but she shakes her head no at that also. So what's left is the soup. He moves on to that. It is very subtle but he can see the eyes light up. Kraglin grins. A girl after his own heart. He grabs the soup and some water, following Yondu to his table. Yondu goes to set the girl on her own seat, but she is having none of that. She firmly plants her feet on the table and pushes off. She violently shakes her head no, keeping a death grip on Yondu's wrist. Yondu sighs, placing the small child in his lap. She settles in, looking up at Kraglin expectedly. Kraglin raises an eyebrow at the intense stare from the child. She obviously wants him to do something but he has no idea what. As if sensing the confusion. She pats the empty space right next to her. A soft smile graces Kraglin's features as he sets his lanky body in the seat next to the captain. He sets the soup and water in front of the girl. She digs in with a vengeance. The shock is evident on the two men as she tears into the meal with such force that Yondu is genuinely afraid she's gonna make herself sick.
"Slow down there girly." Yondu says, slowing the rate of consumption.
She slows down. The two men above her talk quietly. No doubt about her, but she doesn't really care about that right now. The small girl takes this time to look around the massive area. She has never been in such an open space before. That cramped cage has been her home for about a year now. She was only let out when they wanted to parade her around or when they wanted something to hit on. So to be in a space this size, with so many people, and people that were actually nice was a little overwhelming. But she felt safe with Peter and now this blue man named Yondu. And the lanky one named Kraglin. She feels like she can trust those three men and that they wouldn't allow anyone to hurt her. Even if the blue man scared her at first. She finishes her small meal, leaning back against Yondu as she sucks down the water.
Yondu raises an eyebrow at the girl in his lap. She has been through a lot so he is fairly shocked that she has warmed up to him so easily. He figured that Peter was going to have to do all this because he was the one that rescued her. But she walked up to him and decided that he was the one she was going to stick to. Maybe she could sense that he was some type of fatherly figure and in charge. But now she has grown attached to two of them, possibly three if her welcoming Kraglin to sit by her is any indication, instead of just Peter. And they're not even sure if she's staying. She is a cute little thing though. But he still has his concerns. How are they supposed to raise a baby in this environment. It was no place to raise Peter, he had very little choice once he found out what Ego really wanted Peter for. But he was a boy and he was eight when Yondu decided to keep him. She is a young girl. A baby practically. This was no place for a baby. But Yondu knows that they just can't shove her out and tell her to get either. She has been through a lot and the fact that she has warmed up to them is a tremendous feat. She is not going to do that to just anyone. Yondu sighs, rubbing his hand down his face. He needs to let it go till he gets her cleaned up and they have their family meeting, because her staying isn't only going to affect him. It's going to affect his boys as well.
After the small girl is done guzzling down her water, Yondu lifts her up sitting her on the table in front of him. She blinks at him in surprise. But he wanted to be eye level with the girl as he asks the next question. She needs a bath. She's fifthly and has a small order to her. But if the people who had her used any type of water as a punishment it could prove difficult. She may panic at the sheer mention of it. So, Yondu wants to see her facial expressions as he asks the question.
"We gotta git y'in a bath." Yondu just rightly states.
To his surprise, and blessing, her eyes light up with excitement. A bath is clearly something that she doesn't get very often. But they hadn't used it as a punishment, which is good. That will make this, and possible future ones, a lot easier to handle. Yondu lets out a sigh of relief. He leans back in his chair, staring at the young girl for a minute. She looks back at him with wide eyed innocence. He knows it's not a good idea, but the more he spends time with her, and the more she turns those ice blue eyes on him, the more he finds himself leaning towards keeping her. She would be a nice addition to this little family. Her sweet, innocent personality would be a welcome relief from the hardships they deal with on a regular basis. A little ray of sun shine if you will. She looks back and forth between the two men. She gives them a look expressing her desire to get going. She wants a bath so badly she practically can't sit still. Yondu turns his attention to his first mate, who is leaning on the table, watching the kid right next to him.
"Go git her som'thing t'wear. She can't stay in those clothes."
Kraglin nods his head, "Aye capt'n."
The older Xandarian stands up, leaving the two on their own. He has no idea where he's gonna find clothes that fits someone so small, but he's gonna do as ordered and look. Maybe they can just improvise till they find proper clothing. One place to check is Peter's room. He still has some clothes from when he was younger. He doubts they'd fit the girl but he could still check. He scouts Peter's room, kicking some clothes that the kid keeps lying around. His room is such a mess. He did find some old pants and shirts, but nothing that would fit the girl right now. He sighs, rubbing his temple. He would ask some of the female members of the crew, but Yondu wants to keep the girls presence here under wraps until they decide what they were going to do with her. Kraglin was pretty positive that was not going to happen. Ones had already seen her when they were in the mess hall earlier. And a ship full of men called for talkin. So the news of a baby being on the ship has probably already spread. But Kraglin was not going to add to that talk. He drops his hand, walking to his own room. He knows for a fact that he has nothing in there she can wear. But maybe for now she can just wear an old t-shirt. It would be big enough to cover her, but not so big that it would fall off of her. He pulls out an old shirt from his dresser before making his way to the captain's room.
Yondu runs the water in the tub that is connected to his room. One of the perks of being the captain is having your own bathroom while the rest of the crew shared the showers. The young girl stays by his side. She takes in her surroundings while keeping a firm grip on Yondu's long jacket. He watches the water fill the small area. He's not exactly sure how he's going to accomplish this. He has never bathed a small child before. He had bathed Peter once when he was very sick, but Peter was eight and could still do some things on his own. But the kid next to him couldn't. He sighs. Well he's just going to have to do it the same way he did when Petey was too sick, and improvise the rest. He walks into his sitting area, taking off the jacket and harness. He sees the young girl eye the harness with the arrow in it curiously. He's thankful that she doesn't reach out for it. He doesn't want her hurt and he's afraid that fussing at her for trying to touch it may scar her even more. Yondu is not the most tactful man. Nor the most patient. So he knows that it would not end well if they had to have that discussion. Yondu takes off his leather shirt, leaving him in a white tank-top. He knows from experience that he's probably gonna get soaked. So no reason to get water on multiple pieces of clothing. The girl stares at him curiously, even cocking her head to the side cutely. Yondu huffs a chuckle at her. He holds out his hands in a silent invitation for her to be picked up. She grins broadly, jumping up and down as she moves towards him. He easily lifts her in his arms, moving back towards the bathroom.
The bath goes easily. She let's Yondu wash her hair and her body without much of fuss. In fact she just sits there quietly, happily moving her hands through the water. She apparently loves the water and rarely got the privilege to be in it. While washing her, Yondu can clearly see the cuts and bruising. They line down her body in different stages of healing. Yondu has to resist his temper. What was done to the child is inhumane. He can be a cruel man himself, but he would never mistreat a child. Especially not one so small. She seems to be of good spirits though. She hardly pays any attention to them. That, though, makes Yondu's temper flare even more. Because her nonchalant manner on them says that it is something that she is used to. Something that happens way too frequently. The knock on the door drags Yondu out of his rant. He stands, leaving the young girl in the tub. He opens the door to reveal Kraglin and Peter right behind him. Yondu moves out of the way, allowing his two boys to come in.
"Sit." Yondu says, pointing to the couch in his sitting area.
The boys move over to the area without much of a fuss. Kraglin hands the shirt to his captain. Yondu looks down at it with a raised eyebrow. He can clearly see that it's Kraglin's old shirt. Kraglin just shrugs, going over and sitting down on the couch next to Peter. The two starting to bicker back and forth. Yondu rolls his eyes at the two. He steps back into the bathroom. The young girl smiles broadly at him, showing off her white teeth. Her eyes crinkle at the corners as she moves to face the centaurian, arms raised for him to pick her up. Yondu allows a small smile to grace his lips. It has been a long time since someone was genuinely happy to see him walk through the door. Been a while since anyone wanted or needed him. Even though the back of his mind told him that it was a bad idea to keep the girl. Yondu listens to his instincts. As he lifts the young girl out of the bath, wrapping a towel around her, he makes up his mind that he's gonna keep her. She would be good for this family; good for him.
He quickly dries her off, putting Kraglin's shirt on her. She is swimming in it, but she grins even more broadly when she buries her nose in the collar and smells it. Yondu laughs, shaking his head at her antics. Apparently she likes the way the Xandarian smells. Yondu throws the towel down the chute. He turns with a light tug on his pant leg. The girl stands behind him her arms raised towards the older man. This time she was the one asking to be picked up. Yondu does so happily, walking out to where the rest of his family sits. Yondu flops his bulk into his arm chair across from the couch. The boys stop bickering, turning their gaze towards their captain and father.
"What do you boys think about keeping her?" Yondu asks bluntly.
"I'm in favor!" Peter says quickly.
Yondu scoffs at his son. Of course he's in favor. He had every intention of keeping her since the moment that he sprung her from her cage. But he wants to know what Kraglin thinks. He has grown attached to her but Kraglin is willing to do whatever anyone else decides. The girl in his lap glances over at the young man. They lock eyes for a second. She wiggles herself down from Yondu's lap. He lets her slide off making sure she doesn't topple over. She walks over to Kraglin cautiously. She places a hand on his leg, looking up at him. She bits her lower lip before raising an arm in a plea to be picked up. Kraglin obliges, settling the girl in his lap. They stare at each other, her hand on his chest, his hands wrapped around her back. They seem to be having a silent conversation. After several seconds each smiles at the other. The girl giggles quietly before burying her face in his chest. She easily relaxes against him, yawning and rubbing her eyes. Kraglin watches the girl, tightening his grip around her.
"Krags?" Yondu draws his eldest out.
Kraglin looks up at his captain, "It's not gonna be easy sir."
Yondu scoffs, "No. But when have we ever done anything easy." Yondu leans forward, placing his elbows on his knees. "Look boys. This is gonna be a big change. And it's gonna take some adjusting. But I feel it's the right thing to do."
Peter grins, "So you wanna keep her too old man? She's soften that old tough heart?"
Yondu scoffs at Peter. Not even bothering to reply. So what if this small girl has somehow wormed her way into his cold heart just within the past couple hours. He's not about to let Peter know that. But it's still a big decision. Yondu has never cared for a child so young. And Kraglin and Peter aren't used to having a child around so small either. He doesn't even know how the two would react to having a baby on board that may cry to get their attention. Yondu sighs, lowering his head before leveling his eyes on his two sons.
"I do Petey. We can't just hand her off to anyone. But I'm not sure how the crew would react."
"Screw the crew." Kraglin mumbles.
Yondu raises an eyebrow at him, "Excuse me Krags? I couldn't quite hear ya."
"Sorry sir. I said screw the crew. This little girl needs a family. She needs us. We can't abandon her because of what some insignificant idiots think."
Yondu laughs. No truer words have been spoken. But can they give her the life she deserves. Well the answer is no. Not on a ravager ship, and Yondu has no plans on settling down on some planet to raise a family.
"But are we the family that she needs?" Yondu asks quietly.
The men are all silent for a few minutes contemplating the answer before Peter speaks up, "Yes." He pauses letting it sink in, "We have to be better than what she had. And we can't leave her to be put in a worse situation then what she has here. We may not be the perfect family. We're a bit dysfunctional but we are better than what she had."
"I think so sir. She'd fit right in." Kraglin says looking down at the young girl.
Yondu's chest swells with pride. He may not have been a perfect father to these two boys but they turned out okay. Maybe he can do better with this one. Yondu's eyes land on the small girl in Kraglin's lap. She's half way asleep, but still trying to fight it off. It still amazes him how comfortable she is with the three of them after only a few hours of being on the ship. If they left her with someone else now. Well she'd be traumatized. And Yondu doesn't think he can take the heartache that would come with seeing that betrayal in those blue eyes.
He nodes his head. "Then it's settled."
He leans back relieved that it's done and over with. He rests his head in his hand. This is gonna be a massive undertaking. One he's not entirely sure he's ready for. But he'll figure it out along the way much as he did with Kraglin and Peter. At least he has some experience under his belt. Kraglin shifts, glancing down at the now sleeping form. Peter raises his eyes as if he has thought about something else.
Yondu sighs, "What is it now boy?"
"We don't know her name. We don't even know what to call her."
Yondu's eyes widen a little. Petey is right. They don't know her name. And they never bothered with asking because she seemed like she didn't really want to talk. And Yondu wasn't one to force a child to talk if they didn't want to. And it really seemed unimportant until they decided what they were gonna do. Yondu's ears pick up the sound of small giggles. He glances down to see the baby crack an eye open at him.
"Isabella." She whispers sleepily.
Yondu barely heard it, but he knew what she said. Her name. The cheeky tyke had been listening the whole damn time. He rests his head back in his hand, shaking it fondly. Kraglin and Peter exchange shocked looks. Did she just tell them her name? Kraglin bends his head down to get a better look at the girl. She breathes evenly, as if she had never stirred. He takes the chance that she'll answer him if he asks what she had said.
"What did y'say" He asks softly.
"Izzy." She breathes out deeply before falling completely asleep.