[Song Suggestions for this Chapter: I'll try to only use music that was released during the time period that this story takes place, but sometimes there are songs that fit too well with a chapter and 'Sail Away' by Ben Hazlewood is one of those songs despite it being released in 2017. Give it a listen when Lydia is saying good-bye to her mom. I also suggest listening to 'Come Sail Away' by Styx towards the end of the chapter.]

Chapter Three

Sail Away with Me

BANG!

The metallic explosion that shook our ship jolted me awake. I was disoriented, my vision blurry, and I couldn't quite identify all the noises I heard. There were raised voices and boots stomping about, and then the door to our room was blasted away. Mom let out a terrified shriek in the bunk below me. That seemed to snap me out of my confusion. I attempted to clamber down the ladder to get to her, but hands latched onto my arms and legs and started pulling me out of the room. I struggled to get free. I caught a glimpse of Mom being dragged from bed and roughly shoved along behind me. "Lydia!" she cried out. My gut twisted.

My brain hadn't registered the red apparel of the men who had invaded our home but by the time it did, I was being shoved to the floor in the kitchen where a familiar figure lazily lounged at the table, his booted feet propped up on the small table-top. His right arm lay on the back of the booth-like seat as his left hand held up an object he was inspecting. My spear!

"Well, well, well. Looks like I managed to find Cinderella after all," Yondu drawled. His crimson eyes slid away from the spear and fixed on me, a smug grin revealing those crooked, sharp teeth.

"Hello, Prince Charming," I greeted without enthusiasm.

"Aw, now is that any way to greet visitors?"

"No, but I believe it's the appropriate response to those who scarrin' blow up my door and drag me out of bed!"

Yondu's smirk turned up one corner of his mouth as if he found my response adorable. "I take it you ain't a mornin' person?" He began to fiddle with my gadget and I couldn't help but ask.

"How did you get that?"

"You left it behind when ya dove out the portal of my ship. I used it to track you down, princess."

"How?"

He glowered at me. "I'll be askin' the questions, darlin'." His eyes shifted to my right, momentarily focusing on Mom. He pointed the spear at her. "Who's this?"

"Let her be," I snapped. I got a knee in my back as a result.

"Watch your mouth, girl!" a scaly-skinned Ravager hissed at me.

"Lox," Yondu growled. Lox glanced up at his captain and didn't say another word to me.

"If you're here for the parts I took from you, you won't find them. I already got rid of them."

"Oh you mean these parts?" Yondu hauled a large bag up from the seat next to him and dropped it on the table. He grinned as he watched the shocked expression on my face morph into dread.

"What did you do to Zeg?" I asked, my voice quivering.

"The green-skinned fella? See, when you ditched me with nothin' but this here gadget, I went back to that Terran wares seller and asked him 'bout you. Said he didn't know much concernin' you just that ya came to his stall often." Yondu held up my spear, jiggling it back and forth a bit between his fingers. "But this little piece had a few parts he recognized came from a Mr. Malek's business."

I briefly closed my eyes as I imagined what happened next. Malek probably didn't waste any time telling Yondu everything about me.

"That Mr. Malek was a tough-nut. Me an' the boys held up his whole place and all he did was acknowledge that ya worked for 'im."

My mouth fell partially open. Malek didn't sell me out? The guy who dropped employees if he so much as heard a whisper of them being involved in dirty dealings? That Malek? "Are you sure you were threatening the right Malek?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Dang sure. He wouldn't talk, even when I told my boys to ready their weapons to shoot everyone in the place."

My heart leapt into my throat.

"That Zeg fella piped up before I could even finish givin' the order. He was mighty cooperative, wasn't he, Kraglin?"

A skinny humanoid, the one I'd seen with Yondu the night before, leaned against the wall to my left and smirked at the question directed at him. "Sure was." I tossed him an annoyed glare and felt a bit surprised when I noticed just how young he looked. Probably a couple of years older than me.

"He nearly tripped over himself when he gave us back our stolen parts," Yondu went on, grinning at Kraglin as if they were recounting a hilarious story.

I clenched my fists. "Are they dead?" I asked, sharply. Yondu's attention went back to me, a blank expression on his face. "Are they dead?" I repeated more forcefully.

"No, they ain't dead. Zeg told me yer name, where ta find ya and I left it at that."

I let out a sigh of relief, despite knowing that Zeg, the only being I had considered a friend on Knowhere, had given me up.

"What's she lookin' at?" Kraglin suddenly asked from his corner. Yondu and I glanced at him and followed his gaze to my mom who was staring slightly to her right, eyes unfocused.

"No…" Not now. Not now! "No, no, no, no – Mom!" I tried to stand and Lox's hands firmly pushed on my shoulders to keep me in place. "Mom! Stay with me, allright?"

Yondu's brow furrowed. "That's yer momma? She don't look old enough to be yer momma – sister maybe, but –,"

I sent a snarl in his direction. "Now's not the time to be charming, Charming!"

He glared right back at me. "I ain't flirtin' I just –,"

I ignored whatever else he was going to say. Mom wasn't acknowledging my cries at all. The situation had upset her greatly and she was leaving me, going inside herself. I was being left alone to deal with the danger. "Mom, please, stay with me!"

"What are you talkin' about, girl? She ain't movin'."

I shook my head, not looking at him as I answered. "She's sick, she – she goes away in her head." I reached out a hand to grasp Mom's arm and shake it. No one stopped me. I guess they were all curious about what was happening. Mom didn't seem to even feel my grip on her arm. I felt my chest constricting, my breaths becoming painful. Through it all I could feel Yondu's gaze on me, watching me, witnessing the panic etched on my features and listening to the pleading tone in my voice as I begged my mother to snap out of it and stay present. I hated being so vulnerable in front of the Ravagers but I was so scared because I was alone. I wanted my mom to hold me and tell me it would be allright.

Yondu's raspy voice cut through the pounding in my head. "You didn't steal those parts for yourself didja, girl?"

I refused to look up at him. Tears had gathered in my eyes and I didn't want him to see. Drops of water splashed on the metallic floor. So much for hiding it.

"Get out," Yondu growled. There was a moment of confused silence among his crew. "All of you, but Kraglin, get out. Wait outside." No one moved. "Did I stutter!" Yondu shouted angrily as he stood to his feet and moved the right side of his coat away to reveal something that made everyone go tense. "Get movin'!"

The crew hurried out of the ship and Kraglin moved to stand behind me and Mom. Yondu waited until the last Ravager was gone before he settled back into the seat. "Kraglin, take her momma back to their bedroom an' keep an eye on her." I clung to her arm, opening my mouth to protest but Yondu spoke before I could. "He ain't gonna hurt her unless ya do somethin' stupid, princess. I want to talk to ya alone."

Kraglin was surprisingly gentle as he helped Mom to her feet and led her away. I watched them until they disappeared behind the ruined portal door. Yondu cleared his throat. "Look at me, girl." Tears were still in my eyes and I kept my gaze turned away. "Hey!" His fist slammed on the table and I flinched. "I ain't gonna ask ya again. Next time I'll come over there and make ya look at me."

I looked at him, hating that he was seeing me cry. Something about his face seemed to soften a bit. I think it was the way he clenched his jaw, like he eased up on it as he took in my tears.

"I gave you a chance back on my ship – hell, I gave you plenty of chances to come clean to me –,"

"And I wanted to," I whispered.

"What's that?"

"I said I wanted to."

"Then why didn't ya?"

I gave him a half-hearted, sardonic smile. "Because when have Ravagers ever been known to be charitable?"

He didn't answer that. His jaw twitched again as he clenched and unclenched it. "Give it to me straight, girl. This is yer absolute last chance and if I get the feelin' you're bein' false with me," he pointed towards the hall leading to the bedroom, "ya ain't gonna like what happens. Got it?"

I swallowed and nodded. "Loud and clear."

He settled back in his seat. "What's yer story, Cinderella?"

So I told him. I gave him a brief summary of how I came to be on Knowhere and the struggles I faced since. I told him how Mom's illness had gotten to the point that I knew I needed to seek professional help fast. I told him about Zeg's tip-off about the Ravager vessel full of M-ships.

"I've never stolen before in my life. I didn't want stuff like that to come back and haunt me but when my mom started to go days without talking I knew I had to get the money quick." I tilted my head at the bag of parts on the table. "Those parts alone would have provided enough units to get two tickets out of Knowhere and at least get us a head start to pay for some sort of medical treatment for my mom."

Yondu stared at me, his face unreadable.

"I'm sorry," I said and meant it. "I didn't want to steal from anyone, but when I heard it was a Ravager ship it kinda made the guilt a little more bearable since you guys steal all the time." I chuckled a little to try to ease the tension. Yondu didn't so much as crack a smile. I cleared my throat and went on. "But then you and I got to talking and…" It was hard to look him in the eye, but I didn't dare avert my gaze now. "I ended up liking you. I enjoyed bantering with you and it made me sick to my stomach when I left you to sneak off to the hangar bay."

I was met with silence. It was so quite I could hear the ship creak as it settled. He hadn't moved from his slouched position and those crimson eyes never wavered from me. It made me nervous being the center of such unyielding attention. Finally, after a few more seconds had ticked by, Yondu tilted his head to the side as if to study me at a different angle. "Ya got any younger siblings?" he asked.

The question made me wrinkle my nose at how off topic it was. "Um…no."

"So it's just been you and yer momma? Ya ain't got anyone else to help ya take care of her?"

"This is Knowhere. The only person I trust on this glom space mine to take care of her is myself."


Girl's got some smarts,Yondu thought. He pursed his lips as he looked her over once more. She's also got a nice rack but let's not get too distracted now. See, Yondu had an idea he was considering. He was weighing the pros and cons of it.

Two months ago, he'd acquired a young Terran boy on his ship. The kid was too young to let run around the Eclector and he didn't trust half his crew enough to assign one to watch him. Hell, even if he did trust them he doubted any of them had a shred of parental or care-giving skills to do the job. During the first few weeks Yondu tried to talk to him. He wasn't exactly sure why, but he figured that since the boy was going to be a permanent addition to his crew, he might as well get some necessities out of the way. It didn't go too well. The kid clamed up and flinched every time someone went near him.

After about a month, Yondu decided to just ignore the kid and let him be which seemed to suit the little Terran just fine since he somehow found a way to scurry about the ship without being seen. It was around the beginning of month two that on the occasions Yondu did happen to catch a glimpse of him, he may have gotten a bit concerned with the kid's health. The boy was starting to have a wired look to him and dark shadows were developing under his eyes. He'd been skinny when Yondu picked him up but the Ravager was fairly sure he'd noticed the kid's clothes seemed a bit baggier on him. After asking around amongst the kitchen crew, no one could say for certain if the kid ever came to the mess hall for food. After that, Yondu knew something had to be done, he just didn't know what. That was until a certain little half Terran red-head appeared who just so happened to have been taking care of people since she was eleven. She'd shown some skills in conning people and she had almost been successful in getting away with the theft….


I was getting real nervous with the way Yondu was staring at me, not moving or saying anything, so when he suddenly got to his feet and loudly spoke up I just about squeaked in surprise.

"Tell ya what, girl." He leisurely strolled away from the kitchen table and went to circling me. Since I was still kneeling on the floor I didn't like this very much. At all actually. He picked up on my discomfort and smirked down at me. "Seeing as how I'm in a bit of a forgivin' mood, I've got a proposition for ya."

I eyed him suspiciously. He didn't strike me as the type to forgive so easily. "What is it?"

His attention was on my spear again. He tested the sharpness of the tip with the pad of his thumb before returning his gaze to me. "Remember that Terran I told ya about?" I nodded. "Well, he needs some looking after."

"Is he sick?"

Yondu hesitated. "He might be. Won't let us get too close to 'im to find out and none of us is real knowledgeable 'bout Terrans an' their health. Since you're half Terran and ain't so mean-lookin', he's liable to let you help him. Bottom line, sugar, I'm offering you a spot on my crew to be his care-taker until he no longer needs to be look after."

I snorted. "Riiight. And the moment my services are no longer needed you shoot me in the head and dump my body in the nearest black hole."

Yondu shook his head. "We'd go our separate ways; no harm done. Give ya my word."

It didn't sound too bad, but then again I'd be on a ship full of Ravagers until the Terran was well. And what if the Terran wasn't a pleasant guy to be around? I'd seen how being ill could affect the personality and turn people cranky and mean.

"And what if I refuse?" I asked, testing the waters.

Yondu let out a familiar, shrill whistle. A flash of red light momentarily blinded me and I blinked away the spots swimming in my vision. An arrow made of some unidentifiable metal and a glowing-red tail was hovering near my face. Yondu crouched down to my level, a smug smile curling his lips. The red fin on his head was pulsing with red lines within the metal-work. "I don't take to being made a fool of too well, princess," he answered in a low tone. His lips formed a small 'o' as a very short whistle made the arrow move an inch closer to me. He grinned. "So what'll it be?"

What's a girl to do, right?

"Okay, but on a couple of conditions."

Yondu chuckled. "You ain't in no position to be bargaining, darlin'."

"Yet you're the one forcing me to say 'yes' to your deal so just how badly do you need me to take care of your Terran friend?" It was a risk, I'll admit it, but when his smirk turned a bit sour I knew I was right. "I get paid for this job." He sneered a bit and I plowed on before he could interrupt. "Half of my pay will go to my mom to cover her treatments at the best hospital suitable for her condition; which you will take us to. Also, if anything happens to me while I'm with you and your crew, you'll make sure she's properly taken care of."

The whole time I spoke, Yondu was frowning. Oddly, I found myself missing his smile. You know the one that didn't look like he was plotting my demise.

"Fine," he finally ground out. Another short, shrill whistle sent the arrow back where it came. He extended his hand. I held out mine and we shook. He grumbled under his breath as he straightened to his full height. "Little connivin', schemein'…."


Less than an hour later, Yondu was escorting the two women onto the Eclector. He'd already sent word to the crew about the new addition to their numbers and to prepare for a quick stop at the planet Threxia. Back at her home, he and Lydia had spent five minutes entering Ms. Brosh's symptoms into Kraglin's info disk to find out which hospitals specialized in her condition. Among the top five hospitals listed two of them were located on Lydia's home planet.

After she chose which one to take her momma to, Yondu sat back and waited impatiently for the girl to pack for herself and her momma. At first he'd barked at her to hurry up but soon found himself observing how Lydia went about the task and conversed with an unresponsive momma.

"Should we take the blanket, Mom? … I guess not, they'll have blankets where you're going anyways. I know you'll want your blue dress with you so don't worry I'll get it for you. … You're not partial to any of the mugs are you? … Nah, I didn't think so. I was more of the coffee drinker between us…Where's your necklace – oh, you're wearing it. Good. …Momma, stay right here, I need you right here."

Hell, just listening to her prattle on as if it was normal made his chest twinge a bit. An unexpected pang joined the tightness in his chest when he realized that this was normal for her. She'd had to do everything since she was eleven. From making breakfast in the morning even to making conversation between her and her momma.

The girl was efficient with her packing, didn't spend much time over choosing what to take either. Not like they had much in the first place. He'd gotten a look around the ship they'd made into their home and saw how bare it was. Yondu got the feeling Lydia had glossed over just how badly she needed units to survive. Of course she was scrapping by; it was all on her shoulders to earn the units, wasn't it. You had to be the momma, didn't ya, girl? Yondu stomped down on the little pest called sympathy and kicked it to the curb.

Two travel cases held everything Ms. Brosh needed and the girl carried only one, granted it was a bit larger than her momma's cases. She also had the bag he'd seen her with at the market slung on her shoulder. As Yondu led the women to the ship's bridge Yondu thought that Ms. Brosh would have the same reaction as her daughter did upon seeing the enormity of it, but was slightly miffed when not even that broke her unresponsive spell.

The crew who were stationed to work on the bridge all saluted their captain when he arrived. The sounds of fists pounding twice over their hearts were heard. A few cast curious looks at the Brosh women trailing behind him. He jabbed a finger at a spot near his chair. "Stand there," he growled.

Lydia set her case down where he'd indicated and pointed at the floor. "Right here?" She shifted one step to her right. "Or did you mean here?"

Yondu bared his teeth as he sneered and pointed the gadget at her. "Don't push it, girly."

"Any chance I can have my spear back soon?" she asked him.

That earned a short burst of sardonic laughter from him. "Not likely."

"It's not like you even know how it works," she mumbled.

His temper flared and he turned towards her, eyes sparking. "What's that?"

She pulled an innocent face. "Nothing."

"Ship's ready, sir," Reagan, one of the Eclector's pilots, announced from his co-pilot chair.

"Get us out of here," Yondu ordered and turned away from Lydia to observe the ship's departure. Five minutes in and so far so good.

"Mom, no, he said to stay here!"

Hadn't even said it aloud and already he'd jinxed it! He jerked his head around to see Lydia hurrying after her mother who was running towards the bridge's windows. For a brief moment he thought the crazy woman was going to fling herself against the glass in an attempt to escape. Not that he would have had to worry about her breaking the glass since the material it was made with could withstand a hell of a lot more force than what the scrawny Threxian woman could inflict. But she didn't keep running, she halted just a few steps from it and gazed out at the sights.

When she'd caught up to her mother, Lydia seemed to hesitate a moment but then steeled herself and placed her hands on Ms. Brosh's shoulders. "C'mon, Mom."

Ms. Brosh shrugged off her daughter's hands and made noises of protest, her eyes refusing to look away. Yondu ground his teeth in annoyance. He didn't have the time nor the patience for this. His boots thunked against the metal floor as he stomped over. "What's she doin'?" he asked harshly.

Lydia turned to look at him and shrugged helplessly. There was confusion in her green eyes and he didn't like seeing it there. He also didn't like the fact that he didn't like seeing her look so uncertain and scared. "I don't know, she's –,"

Ms. Brosh suddenly lifted a hand and pressed her fingertip to the glass, pointing at the retreating space mine called Knowhere. "Leaving," she said, cracking a smile.

A tiny sound escaped Lydia prompting Yondu to glance at her. She gave a tight smile, ignoring his narrowed eyes, and stepped next to Ms. Brosh. "Yeah, Mom…just like I promised we would."

Yondu rolled his eyes. Sentiment. "Ya'll get back to yer spots an' sit down."

Lydia frowned. "On the floor?"

"Yeah on the floor, you see any seats there?"

"You can't offer us a place to sit?"

"Just did. The floor."

Lydia scoffed and shifted her weight so that her left hip jutted to the side as she folded her arms and glared at him. His attention briefly flicked from her hips to the way her breasts were pushed up by her arms. He told himself he was distracted by all the freckles the girl had. When they'd met at the market she'd been wearing a jacket. Now she was bare-armed and Yondu discovered she had freckles all over, not just her face and neck. He'd never seen skin like hers before. If the previous night had progressed like he'd wanted it to, he probably would have said that to her. A brief image of what could have been flashed in his mind.

Their clothes scattered about the floor, the two of them lying in his bed afterwards, her red hair splayed out on the pillows, his fingers tracing her bare back as he marveled at all the speckles – Aw hell

"Reagan, how many space jumps to Threxia," Yondu suddenly barked. He turned on his heel and marched to the captain's chair.

Reagan saw the look on his captain's face and was already typing the code to transfer navigation control to Yondu's consol. "About twelve, sir," he answered promptly.

"Let's get started then, boys." Yondu grunted as he plopped in his seat and placed his hands on the well-worn controls. "Ladies," he called out in a sickly-sweet fashion. "Would you be so good as to sit yer asses down like I done told ya to!"

Lydia flinched and quickly took hold of her mother's elbow, pulling her away from the windows. "C'mon, Mom. We can't stay right here. C'mon."

She resisted a little a first but after a second attempt, she reluctantly backed away and followed her daughter. Yondu waited until Ms. Brosh was seated. He may have put more force than necessary on the thrusters before Lydia had a chance to sit down. She stumbled and fell to her side. An icy green glare was fired his way and he met it with a cheeky, crooked grin.

Yeah, baby, I'm gonna make yer life hell and I'm gonna love every minute of it.


To say I was having second thoughts about accepting the job would be pointless because to have second thoughts would imply that one was at ease with the decision at some point. May I remind you I was forced into this? By arrow point!

I sat by Mom, rubbing my sore elbow after a rude introduction to the metal floor. Just my luck to have ticked off a Ravager captain with a petty streak. We'd been traveling for about two hours and Yondu was either very focused on flying the ship or he was pointedly ignoring our presence. Others were having a hard time doing so. I kept catching quick glances being tossed in our direction; saw some exchanging whispers with each other. I suppose they were wondering which of us was going to be their newest crewmate; the crazy woman or the younger, freckled chick who had stolen from them.

All too soon we exited the final space jump and Threxia loomed into view. Seeing it again after so many years made my heart clench. We'd finally made it home and I wouldn't even get to spend one night there.

"Kraglin and Halvi, you'll be joinin' us."

"Aye, captain," Halvi's voice answered.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when a shadow broke off from a far corner to my left. My mouth fell open. Apparently I had been too busy trying to escape the ship last night to have noticed the appearance of the one who had caught me. This guy was huge, I mean scarrin' huge! He had to have been nearly seven feet tall! He was all muscle but not in the bulky sense, he was built like a warrior. His skin was black, blacker than ink, blacker than an abyss and his eyes were colored to matched. When he spoke, his teeth shone like pearls.

"Nice to see home again," he said, gazing at the planet fondly.

My jaw ached from letting it hang open but that didn't stop it from attempting to widen at his words. "You're from Threxia?" I finally managed to ask.

He turned his head to face me. "I am. I once was a member of the Niktanyas tribe in the southernmost part of the planet."

The southernmost part of the planet? That was where most of Threxia's caverns were located and the people who lived in them were mysterious and rarely seen. They didn't socialize with outsiders very often but those who were come across were hospitable. Most Threxians referred to them as whole as darkness dwellers. I'd been fascinated with stories of darkness dwellers as a child. I couldn't contain my excitement. "Dude! I'm from here!"

Halvi quirked an amused eyebrow at me. "Really?"

"Stop chattin' an' get movin'!" Yondu shouted, already halfway out of the bridge. I hurriedly stood to my feet and was relieved when Mom got up without my prompting her. I grabbed her cases only to have them taken from me by Halvi. He held them as if they weighed nothing.

"It'll be faster if I carry them, squig girl," he said.

"Squig? I'm not squig," I protested, a bit insulted.

"Don't make me come back there and get you!" Yondu threatened.

I couldn't help it. "Promises, promises!" I shot back. The rapidly approaching thud of his boots got me moving forward. I met his angry scowl with a pleasant smile as I walked past him. "I thought we were in a hurry, captain?" Yondu spat a few curses at my back as he changed directions and swiftly stalked by me to be in front again. I glanced back to check on my mom. Kraglin was leading her by the arm behind us. There was something about the way he held her elbow that struck me as a bit sweet. Maybe Kraglin wasn't as rough as the rest of the crew?


Sitting in Yondu's M-ship was awkward. It was a thirty minute flight from the Eclector to Threxia's surface and no one had said a word. Well, I had jokingly suggested for some tunes to be played but all I got was a sneer from Moody Blue so I didn't attempt to make conversation after that. We'd already contacted the hospital and were informed a small medical team would be there to meet us. Yondu had only brought me along because I needed to be present to sign for my mother's care.

When we landed, Kraglin and Halvi were the first to their feet and were quickly moving towards the exit. I sat up and stretched, arching my back as I did so. Yondu moved to exit his chair, his torso twisting to his right and his hand gripping the side of his chair's backrest to pull himself up, when he suddenly paused. Those crimson eyes of his were fixed on me. Or more specifically, they were focused on how my breasts where thrust out while I arched my back. I stayed like that for a few seconds longer than necessary, waiting for him to realize I'd caught him staring. When he did, the scowl returned and he grumbled as he pulled himself out of his chair.

The ramp was lowering when Mom and I made it to the back. Halvi and Kraglin held their guns at the ready and Yondu moved the right side of his coat to reveal a holster. The metal arrow from before rested snuggly inside.

"Are you expecting trouble?" I asked, already positioning myself to shield my mom.

Yondu glanced back at me, his taking in my defensive stance, and then returned his attention to the ramp. "We're Ravagers, princess. We always expect trouble." He then proceeded to confidently swagger out of the ship. "Hey, there, ladies," he called out. Kraglin gestured for us to follow him and Halvi covered our backs. I grasped Mom's hand and threaded our fingers together as we descended the ramp.

The sunlight nearly blinded me. I shielded my eyes until my sight returned. Looking around I saw to my left a vast metropolis with towering buildings that reflected the sun's beams. The hospital appeared to be located at the very outskirts of the city. Yondu had landed us on the hospital's roof and looking to my right I saw a large garden with patients sitting on benches or walking its paths.

Mom spotted the garden and started to walk towards it. I held her hand tightly and tugged her back. "You'll get to see it soon, Mom," I promised her. She shuffled back to me but still kept her gaze on the trees and flowers. It killed me seeing the longing in her eyes.

The ladies Yondu had greeted were the two nurses of the medical team. A few other personnel stood off to the side, watching us warily. Yondu had cozyed himself up to the side of a female nurse as he and the male doctor were engaged in discussion. He had an arm slung around the petite nurse's shoulders. "You the one who's gonna be lookin' after Ms. Brosh?" he asked, giving her a sly grin.

"M-me or Nurse Drissella over there," she stammered. The poor woman looked like she couldn't decide if she wanted to run away or giggle. I couldn't blame her. Yondu looked scary and intimidating but once he flashed that smile he was down right charming.

Yondu thrust an arm out towards us. "Well there she is, yer newest resident!" he announced. He disengaged from the nurse and strutted towards us. I could tell he couldn't wait to get back on the ship. "Get the girl to sign those documents and we'll be gone."

It felt like a knife was nicking away at my heart as he said it so carefree. I was about to leave my mother all alone to be looked after by strangers. I had no idea how long it would be before I saw her again. Another thought, more painful than the last, shoved its way maliciously to the front of my mind. What if she doesn't even notice you're gone?

I barely registered the doctor standing in front of me, holding a holo-pad to me. "Just press your thumb on the scanner at the bottom and we'll take it from here."

Surely there was more to do than that? Had we really gone over everything before we got here? I'd been so insistent about going over every detail with Yondu, he'd been surprisingly accommodating about that, now I know why. It was so he would be able to make a quick drop off and whisk me away. But there was no happily ever after waiting for me on the Eclector.

My hand trembled as I pressed me thumb to the scanner and it gave a chime once my print was accepted. The doctor offered me a comforting smile. "Your mother will be well looked after and you'll be given progress updates weekly."

"Only weekly?"

"Well, if you're traveling constantly it may be a bit difficult to always be in reach of a signal, yes?"

"I … guess."

"Ya got what ya need, doc?" Yondu broke in. I wanted nothing more than to slug him again.

"Yes, Captain Udonta. Will you be leaving now?"

"Just as soon as this li'l thing get's a move on."

I whirled around and glared at him. "Could you have a moment of decency and let me have a chance to say good-bye?" I hissed. He held up his hands in mock surrender and backed away a few steps. I turned to my mom and felt my heart grow heavy. "Momma?" She was still looking at the garden. I gently took hold of her chin and made her look at me. "Momma, I need you to try to understand, okay?" She kept eye contact with me so that was a good sign.

"Momma, I have to go away for a little while but you're going to be safe here. The people here are going to take good care of you and help you in ways I couldn't." My throat constricted painfully and I swallowed. "I'm going to try to keep in touch. Don't…" It was silly to say it because I knew; deep down I knew that she wouldn't. "…Don't worry about me, Momma." I kissed her cheek and hugged her tightly. "I love you." I almost thought I was imagining it when I felt her arms encircling me back.

"My girl…be safe."

I nearly broke down right there. By some miracle I didn't. I felt her pull away and I hastily wiped away my tears. When I looked up I was shocked to see my mother wasn't standing in front of me. She was approaching Yondu.


The Ravager stood with his hands on his hips and caught the petite nurse's eye. He gave her a wink and grinned when she quickly looked away, her cheeks turning bright pink. When he turned his attention back to Lydia and her momma, he got a slight surprise. Ms. Brosh was walking straight towards him with a peculiar expression on her face. He quirked an eyebrow at her when she stopped less than a foot in front of him.

"Can I help you, missy?" he asked sarcastically.

"You," Ms. Brosh said, her accent making the vowels sound heavy. It suddenly occurred to him that Lydia didn't sound at all like her momma. "You," she repeated, poking him hard in the chest, "keep her safe." Yondu noticed her eyes didn't look as dazed as before, they actually looked a bit determined. She jabbed her finger into his chest again, not at all bothered that he towered over her and looked like he could snap her in half. "Promise."

Looking over the woman's head, he saw Lydia watching with a mixture of apprehension and wonder. She held herself as if she weren't sure whether or not she needed to come over and guide her momma back to the doctors or see how it played out. He received another sharp jab when he took too long staring at Lydia. "Promise." Ms. Brosh repeated, a bit more urgently this time.

A wave of annoyance came over him as he redirected his gaze to the little woman before him. How dare she demand he protect her thief of a daughter who had conned him? The woman really was crazy! He owed these women nothing; they were the ones who owed him! And yet…

He couldn't help himself. He snuck a peak at Lydia. It had been her eyes that suckered him in the first time and even at a distance, when she wasn't even looking at him, he felt that little pest called sympathy rear it's squashed head and he wasn't quick enough to kick it down in time to stop him what he did next.

He met Ms. Brosh's stare and nodded. "I give ya my word."

She narrowed her eyes searchingly at him and after a few seconds she 'hmmed' and gave a single nod of approval over whatever it was she saw there. Without another word she turned and walked unhurriedly back to her daughter. Yondu twisted around to look at Halvi and Kraglin. He gestured at the woman as if to ask, "What was that?" The two men could only shrug in response.


I was a bit too confused to ask what had happened when Mom returned to me. She smiled at me, her head titling to the side as if inspecting my appearance. Her hands went to the back of her neck and unclasped the blue-stoned pendant she was wearing. She transferred it onto me then stepped back and gave a giggle and bounced on her toes as she clapped happily at the sight. The necklace held no importance. I honestly can't even recall when we came by it but in that moment it was the most precious thing in the galaxy. I quickly embraced her and kissed her cheek. "I gotta go, Mom," I murmured. I let go and started walking as quickly as possible towards Yondu's M-ship. I didn't look back. I couldn't risk the possibility of seeing confusion on my mother's face as I left her behind. It would break me.

Yondu opened his mouth as I neared him. "Not one word," I spoke harshly, not even bothering to slow down. Yondu's jaw clamped shut and a scowl appeared as he fell into step with me.

"Halvi! Kraglin! Load up!" he ordered.

I climbed the ramp into the ship and crumbled into the nearest seat, my head dropping into my hands as I fought to hold back sobs that threatened to overwhelm me. Not in front of these men. Crying was a sign of weakness to men like these and they already saw me as such. I had to start changing the way they thought of me or else I wouldn't last. I may have left Knowhere, but the games I had to play in order to survive were still going to be in my life.

It didn't seem to take as long to get back to the Eclector, but then again I did have my head down the whole way there. I didn't even realize we'd docked in the hangar bay until Yondu's raspy voice jolted me out of my stupor. "Quit yer nappin' and get a move on, girl!" My head jerked upright and I saw the three men had already risen from their seats.

I quickly stood and followed them out.

"Kraglin, get to the bridge and give orders for us to put some distance between us and this planet. Halvi, tell those idjits in ventilation to get their thumbs out their butts and get to fixin' the AC! It's hotter than hell in here!" The men hurried off to carry out their duties, leaving me and Yondu alone. "And you!" He whirled round and stabbed a finger at me. Rude. "You have got quite the responsibility on yer shoulders, girl."

"So you tell me," I sighed.

"Don't take this lightly, girl –,"

"Uh, I have a name. Remember, I told you what it was the other night and I recall you stating that you liked the sound of it."

"Shut up."

"Just reminding you," I said, shrugging.

His jaw twitched as he kept his eyes fixed on me. "If I don't see any improvement with Quill within -,"

"Quill?"

"The Terran's name. If I don't see any improvements within a week, you're getting shipped back to Threxia. Let's see how long those folks at the hospital will keep yer momma in her treatments when ya ain't got the money to pay 'em."

"What did she say to you?"

"…What?"

"My mom, what did she say to you?"

"Some crazy crap, I couldn't understand it."

"…Oh. Sorry about that."

"The only thing you need to be feelin' sorry about is if you slack off in this job. I might decide not to send ya back to Threxia if you end up being more trouble than you're worth." There was a mischievous glint in his eyes as he said this and I inexplicably felt the corner of my mouth twitch upward.

"Oh yeah. And just what would you do to me instead?"

He leaned in. "I'd let the crew eat ya."

I blinked. "What?"

A sly, devilish smirk spread his lips and revealed those sharp teeth, reminding me of what he'd said when he had me pressed against a wall the other night. "Well, darlin' ya ain't gotta look so scared. I ain't gonna eat ya. … Not just yet anyways." Sprek had he actually been serious about that!

I wasn't aware I'd been backing away until my lower back met the platform's guard rail. He had me trapped between it and himself and his grin widened maliciously as he leaned into my personal space. "My boys ain't never had Terran before or a Threxian. You bein' combination of the two, well," he clicked his mouth, "You look miiighty temptin' to them, darlin'."

It's moments like this where my brain stops working so my mouth figures it has to step in until the brain decides to resume control. "You should know all about that, right, Prince Charming?" I asked in as sultry a tone I could manage. Nice, Brosh. Real nice. Let's antagonize the Ravager captain who may also be a cannibal.

I felt the bar dig painfully into my spine as Yondu pressed in on me, making me lean as far as I could without toppling over the railing. I needn't have worried, his hands clamped down onto my wrists, effectively pinning my hands to the rails. Something hungry sparked in his eyes and before I could figure out if it was desire or appetite, he paused and the hunger in his eyes dissipated. Anger flared within his crimson eyes and it was like seeing two tiny flames residing in his gaze. He gritted his teeth and pushed off the rail, storming away.

I straightened up and shouted at his retreating back. "Hey! Where's the guy I'm supposed to be looking after?"

He partially turned round and gave a vague wave of his hand. "He's somewhere's."

Apparently my mouth was still calling the shots. "Oh, very helpful! If that's how it's going to be then you may as well tell the crew that Terran a la Threx is on the menu! I hope you all choke on my bones!"

Yondu didn't even turn this time when he lifted his hand and flipped me off. Unbelievable. I heaved an overly loud sigh and crossed the platform to solid floor and found a crate to sit on. My head fell into my hands.

"He told me the same thing when he brought me on the ship."

My head shot up. I looked around in confusion. Why was I hearing a little boy's voice on a Ravager ship?

"Up here."

I titled my face towards the metal piping that snaked all along the ceiling of the pathway surrounding the hangar. A small human face peered down at me.

"Hi," he greeted.

I slowly lifted a hand and waved at him. "…Hi."

"Is the blue guy gone?"

"Yondu? Yeah, he's gone."

"Cool." He shifted about and then dropped to the floor in front of me. He had curly reddish hair and looked so young; he couldn't be ten years old yet. The clothing he wore was odd and sported several grease stains. He wore some sort of a travel pack on his back and a contraption hung from his neck with a wire that dangled down and connected to a – no way! Was he carrying a music box!

I pointed at it. "I've got one like that," I said.

The kid's nose wrinkled in confusion then he followed where I was pointing. His hand went to where he'd clipped it on his belt. "You have a Walkman?"

Now it was my turn to scrunch up my nose. "A what?"

"That's what this thing is called."

"A Walkman?"

"Yeah. So you have one too?"

"Yeah, I got mine from a guy selling Terran merchandise. You?"

"I got mine from … my mom… back on Earth."

"Earth?... That's another name for Terra, isn't it?"

"I guess."

"So you're from Terra?"

"I was until that mean blue guy snatched me up."

It all started to click in my head. "What's your name?"

"Peter Quill."

Sprek! A kid! Yondu said nothing about the Terran being a kid, and a very young kid at that! Too young to be letting wander around a ship without supervi…. Oh heck no! Nah-uh! Nobody said anything about me being a scarrin' baby-sitter! This wasn't a simple job where I'd be taking care of an ill Terran and be delivered back to my mom in a matter of months; this was going to be years! I was going to be raising this kid!

I jumped to my feet and shouted out at the top of my lungs, "Yondu Udonta, you son of a marg!"

Peter blinked at me. "Are you okay?"

No I was not okay! I was the furthest thing from okay! "I'm fine."

"Oookay…. So what's your name?"

"Lydia Brosh." I stuck out my hand. "We're going to be hanging out a lot."


Peter had shadows under his eyes so when he told me I looked tired I nearly laughed. I didn't though. The fact that my first impulse was to laugh instead of voicing concern over his sleepless appearance was a sure sign that I really was exhausted, mentally and physically. I followed him down many hallways which I was too tired too even take notice of until we came to a stop in front of two doors. The door to my right opened at Peter's approach and he leaned against the frame. "This one's my room, or at least that's what the giant smurf told me it is when he shoved me in here after I kept kicking his crewmates' legs."

I smiled at the mental image of him bringing Ravager's low after a swift kick to the shins. "Anyway," he pointed at the door beside his, "that room's empty if you want it. Nobody uses it."

"Thanks." I stepped towards it and the portal door slid open.

"Hey, Lydia?"

I paused. "Yeah?"

"Could we be friends? You seem nice and I could really use one around here."

I really hit the jackpot on the number of heartbreaks I could receive in the span of twenty-four hours. "Yeah, Peter. We can be friends."

"Cool. Well, good night."

"Good night."

He ducked inside and the portal closed after him. I did the same. The room was surprisingly spacious. Or maybe it seemed that way to me after so many years of being in the sleeping quarters of a ship that was never meant to be lived in for as long as I and my mom did. The room had two oval windows, giving me a view of the stars. The bed had no sheets but there was a mattress with very minimal stains. I slowly lowered myself onto it and all the day's event came crashing down on me. There tears poured out of me and I wanted a pillow more than anything so I could drown out my sobs. No, not more than anything… I dug into my satchel and pulled out my music box. Hey, Peter could say they were called Walkmans all he wanted but I'll keep calling mine a music box, thanks very much.

I stuck in the ear buds and pressed play. The opening notes of a piano trickled out.

"I'm sailing away set an open course for the virgin sea
I've got to be free, free to face the life that's ahead of me
On board I'm the captain so climb aboard
We'll search for tomorrow on every shore
And I'll try oh Lord I'll try to carry on…"

My eyes drifted to the windows, at the stars glimmering outside. All those worlds and galaxies…

"I look to the sea reflections in the waves spark my memory
Some happy some sad
I think of childhood friends and the dreams we had
We live happily forever so the story goes
But somehow we missed out on that pot of gold
But we'll try best that we can to carry on…"

"Anywhere but Knowhere," I'd said…and here I was stuck on a Ravager ship.

"A gathering of angels appeared above my head
They sang to me this song of hope and this is what they said
They said come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me…"

(I am so happy there are those of you who are enjoying this story! I am having so much fun writing it! I've been outlining future chapters for this and I'm already at twenty chapters with more to come. I hope this didn't disappoint you and that you'll still want to read more. Let me know, please. I really appreciate your reviews! Until next time!)