(Fair warning Dear Readers, this chapter is long. I worked on this sucker for about three days straight! I really hope you like it and that it's been worth your wait.)

[Song Suggestions for Chapter 6]

~ 'Unchained Melody' by The Righteous Brothers

~ 'She Drives Me Crazy' by Fine Young Cannibals (listen when Lydia is taken to the washroom)

~ 'Hot Child in the City' by Nick Gilder (listen when Yondu sees Lydia's new style)

~ 'Magic' by Pilot (listen when Peter is having his scuffle)

~ 'She's A Beauty' by The Tubes (listen when Yondu thinks back to Knowhere and meeting Lydia.)

~ 'How to be a Heartbreaker' by Marina and the Diamonds (listen whenever you want.)

~ 'Bringin' On the Heartbreak' by Def Leppard (listen when Yondu and the team have returned from the job.)

Chapter Six

She's A Beauty

A Week Later

"So she's showing signs of progress?" I asked the doctor on the holo-screen.

"Like I said, they're very small things but I still thought it was worth mentioning to you."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Can I speak to her?"

"I don't see why not. Wait a moment."

As the doctor stepped away, Kraglin nudged my elbow to get my attention. "If ya hold that thing any tighter, yer gonna break it," he said.

I winced guiltily and I relaxed my grip on the info disk Kraglin had lent me. I could have asked the captain's permission to use a computer in Communications but things between us had been tense since that night in his quarters. I still cringed every time I thought about how stupid it was of me to mess with him like that and my gut would twist when I recalled the look of fury on his face. I still had to see him every night to work on Peter's stun gun but there was no denying that the captain kept himself at a distance from me. So when the day arrived for me to be updated about my mom's health and I was in need of a holo-screen, I had left my room with the intention of seeking out Yondu but chickened out and asked Kraglin instead. Hey, he was First Mate so that counted for something, right?

"Lydia?" my mom's voice called from just off-screen.

"She's on the holo-screen, Ms. Brosh," the doctor informed her.

A moment later my mother appeared and a giant grin broke out on her face. "Lydia!"

"Mom." There was a definite catch in my voice. I knew it had only been a week but it felt like eons since I'd seen her. Even back home on Threxia I'd never been away from my family for more than three days.

"You…safe?" she asked.

I blinked back tears in surprise. There was clarity in her gaze that I hadn't seen in a long time. "Yeah, mom." I sniffed back a sob and heard Kraglin clear his throat and shift around behind me, uncertain of what he should do.

"Mom, how are you? Are you okay?"

She hummed a happy noise and her focus slide past me even though she was looking right at me. Soon she was humming a familiar tune.

"Um, I've been meaning to ask you, Miss Brosh," the doctor said, stepping into view behind my mother. "Do you know this music? She hums this tune a lot but none of the staff recognizes it. I feel like it we knew the song and could play it it might help her."

I sniffed again, wiping my nose with the back of my hand. "Yeah. I know it. It's called 'Unchained Melody' by The Righteous Brothers. It's a Terran song."

"Is there a significance about this song concerning your mother?"

"My father was Terran. They used to dance to this song."

"I see. Thank you, Miss Brosh."

"Lydia, sing?" Mom asked suddenly.

Kraglin looked back at me curiously and my cheeks colored in a way that looks absolutely unflattering on a girl cursed with red hair and freckles all over her body. "Mooom," I groaned under my breath. "Not now."

Her mower lip protruded in a pout. "Sing."

I sighed. "Fine." I glanced over at Kraglin who was doing an unimpressive job pretending to be focused on something else. No one else was around. I took a deep breath and began to sing very softly. "Oh my love, my darling/ I've hungered for your touch/ A long, lonely time..."


Yondu stomped his way to the bridge because he was in a stomping mood. Stomping was like punching the floor and he'd woken up wanting to slam his fists into something. He hadn't gotten much sleep and it was all because of dreams. The first one had been the nightmare he occasionally still had as would anyone else who'd been through what he had. He'd woken with a jolt and tossed and turned as he waited for sleep to claim him again. While waiting, he happened to glance at his work table and see the almost finished stun gun he and Lydia were working on a few hours ago. She was on his mind when his eyelids finally fluttered closed and it was possibly why his dreams took a turn in the direction they did. When he woke up at the proper time, he was frustrated and irritated at himself for having such a dream.

That night he'd told Lydia to meet him in his quarter's remained fresh in his memories. The instant reaction he'd had when she'd placed her hand on his thigh and whispered in his ear like that. When he jumped up from his chair and turned toward her, he'd clearly seen the regret on her face as she stared up at him. She'd only meant to mess with him; she hadn't known how dangerous a move like that was. He knew he'd startled her – hell, he'd scared her, he knew it – and judging by the way she carried herself into his room every night since, she probably thought he was still angry at her. But it wasn't her he was angry at. It was himself; because when he jumped up from his chair, he'd very nearly scooped that girl up and carried her to his bed.

He shouldn't want her anymore now that he knew she'd only been conning him but that didn't stop the fact that Lydia was a damn good lookin' girl with a fine backside and a nice set of tits. His dreams certainly hadn't stopped noticing. He took a cold shower and Yondu hated cold showers, so the day started off with him in a bad mood.

"Time goes by so slowly/ And time can do so much/ Are you still mine?"

Yondu's pace slowed to a halt. "What the hell?" he muttered.

"I need your love/ I need your love/ God speed your love to me."

Moving quietly to the upcoming hall, he peered around and saw Lydia softly singing to her momma via holo-screen. Kraglin stood off a bit to the side to give the girl some privacy but he was obviously listening. The dang-blasted kid was even swaying in time to the song! Yondu gave a muffled grunt and kept hidden.

"Okay, Mom. I have to go now. I'll talk to you again next week."

Her momma hummed in response and the doctor took over, telling the girl some medical mumbo-jumbo that made her squint as she tried to process it all. She thanked him and the holo-screen winked out.

"Thanks for letting me use your info disk, Kraglin," she said, handing it to him.

"You sing real pretty," his First Mate told her. No hint of being smitten, just stating the facts.

Lydia's skin turned bright red with embarrassment. "Shut up," she said and turned to go, only to see Yondu standing in the way. She yelped and jumped back.

"What'chu jumpy for?" Yondu asked, slightly grinning.

"There is no reason why a big man like you should be so light on his feet," she said placing a hand over her heart. It briefly drew his attention to her chest. She tried to pass him but he shifted so that he was once again blocking her path.

"Where you goin'?"

"Back to my room. I've got laundry that needs taking care of."

She quickly darted to the opposite side before Yondu could react and walked purposefully away.

"Do ya even happen ta know where to take yer dirty laundry, Brosh?" he called out smugly. Lydia's steps faltered. When she turned around to face him he chuckled at the sight of her thinly pressed lips.

"If I asked, would you tell me?"

Yondu examined his blue fingernails. "I might could be persuaded."

Lydia set her jaw and marched back to him. "What do I have to do?"

"My laundry."

Kraglin started to chuckle and turned it into a cough.

"I'm sorry, what?" Lydia asked.

"Is yer translator not workin'?"

"It's working fine," she hissed.

"Then ya know what I told ya. I'll tell ya where the washroom is if you'll do my laundry too."

Lydia studied his face. "I can't tell if you're joking or not."

"Oh he's being fully serious," Kraglin informed her.

Lydia's brow wrinkled with disgust. "You really expect me to do your laundry?"

"If ya want to wear clean clothes of yer own, then yeah."

"Of all the – Graaah! Fine!"

Yondu chuckled and rubbed his hands together. "Follow me, Cinderella."


The washroom was about medium sized and featured a row of five machines against the back wall that I assumed were the devices used to clean clothes. Along the wall to my left were small crate-sized metal containers with chutes that were attached to the wall and ceiling.

"The high-ranking crew members have a laundry chute in their quarters and it deposits their dirty clothes into these containers," Kraglin explained, wrapping his knuckles on a crate. "This one's the cap'n's."

Yondu smirked as he lifted the latch and let the door fall open.

"Oh sprek no!" I shouted.

The mound of smelly laundry before me was too awful. And it was mostly leathers too! I'd have to hand wash those!

The tip of Yonud's tongue poked out as his lips pulled back in a grin. "Ya already gave me your word, princess."

"Please tell me those machines are designed to clean leather?" I begged.

"They are," Kraglin answered. Yondu 'tsked' in disappointment as he threw a frown his way. Kraglin looked down at his feet as an apology.

Seeing that he couldn't fool me, Yondu sighed and crossed to the machines. "The settings explain themselves, but don't over-load 'em. I want my clothes smellin' fresh as a daisy and in my room in three hours, got it?"

"I'm surprised you even know what a daisy is."

Yondu's jaw twitched. "Three hours," he repeated. "Got it?"

"Loud and clear, Captain," I answered sarcastically. I heaved my sack of laundry off my shoulder and slid it to the nearest machine.

"Mine first, sugar."

"Nuh-uh, Yondu. I've been wearing this outfit for two days straight because I've been too busy to wash clothes –,"

"An' 'cause ya didn't know where the washroom was," Kraglin added.

"That too," I conceded. "But I need to wear so clean clothes."

"Tough luck, princess. I'm captain and I say my clothes get cleaned first."

I clenched my jaw and muttered, "Has anyone ever told you that you can be very petty?"

"Among other things," Yondu said, signaling to Kraglin that they were leaving. "I've even had someone call me 'Prince Charmin'." He gave me a crooked grin and turned away.

"I have it on good authority that that person takes back saying that!" I shouted at his retreating back. I heard his cackles fade away the further he got.

With a frustrated chuff, I turned on my heel and viciously yanked out every article of clothing inside Yondu's laundry unit. I managed to get most of it into a pile near my own sack of clothes and kicked the rest into the group. Separating the leathers from the rest of his wardrobe, I tossed them into the wash machine and followed the instructions to a 'T'. Just to be a bit spiteful, I added a little more smell good detergent than necessary. Don't look at me like that; he said he wanted his clothes to smell like a daisy, didn't he?

I muttered and grumbled under my breath as I shoved on my headphones and cranked up the music to drown out the sound of the machines then got to work separating the remaining clothes by colors. None of the other washers were being used so I figured I could use at least three at a time and leave the other two in case a crew member came in. Judging by the constant smell of the men I doubted I'd run into anyone.

With one arm full of clothes, I opened the third machine and promptly fell back with a surprised screech. Peter looked equally surprised with his green eyes wide and mouth open in a scream that was drowned out by my music. I tore off my headphones in time to catch the tail end of his cry putter out.

"What the sprek are you doing in there, Peter?"

Peter slid off his own headphones. "Nobody really ever comes in here so I like using it as a hideout."

"Inside a washer?" I asked incredulously.

"Have you smelled these guys? I doubt any of them even know how to open one of these."

I chuckled and sat up. "Geez, kid." I ran my fingers through my already messed up pony-tail and tugged it free. "Come on out of there, okay. I gotta get these clothes done."

Peter leaned back, hands behind his head, and smiled boyishly. "Nah. I like it in here."

"Oh you do, huh?"

"Yep."

"We'll see how much you like it when I wash you along with Yondu's underwear, won't we?" I held up a stained pair pinched between two fingers.

"Wait a minute!" he yelped. Peter scrambled out and flopped beside me. I noticed his clothes were even grimier than they were last week.

"Don't you have anything else to wear?" I asked.

"I didn't have a change of clothes with me when Yondu took me."

And why should he? He hadn't known he was going to be kidnapped by aliens and taken into space.

"Yondu said he'd take me to the Tailor, but I guess he forgot."

"They have a tailor on the ship?"

"That's what it sounds like to me."

I nodded. "After I get through with the laundry, we'll find this Tailor guy and see what can be done for you."

Peter's face screwed up with distaste. "He's just gonna put me in a uniform. I hate uniforms."

"Well it's better than what you're wearing now. Peter, I'm saying this out of love, but you stink, kid."

"I've been taking baths," he argued.

"But your clothes haven't. A bath isn't going to do squat if your clothes are ripe enough to make eyes water."

"Okay, okay," Peter grumbled.

"Good. You can help me with the laundry."

"Whaaat?" he whined.

"The faster it gets done the sooner we can get to the Tailor." I held out Yondu's underwear to him. "Here."

He stepped back, hands held up. "No way! I'm not touching that and neither should you!"

I rolled my eyes. "And why not?"

"Look at them."

I did.

"They look like toxic waste," he said.

I giggled. "That's enough. Help me."

Peter slouched over and started gathering a pile of Yondu's clothes.

Once all of the captain's clothes were cleaned and folded, we set to work on my sack of laundry. There wasn't very much to begin with and except for my leather jacket, nothing else needed a special wash setting. I was closing the machine door on a load of darks when I heard Peter call me from behind.

"Hey, Lydia, guess who I am."

I turned to face him and flushed scarlet. Peter had one of my bras on top of his head, the cups over his ears.

"I'm Princess Leia."

"Peter Jason Quill, you take those off right now!"


Yondu laughed himself silly as he watched the surveillance feed from the washroom. Lydia was chasing the Quill boy around in circles, trying to get her bra from off his head and proving to be a slippery little guy. That could come in handy.

"Cap'n?" Kraglin called.

Reluctantly, Yondu looked away and turned to face his first mate. "Yeah?"

"You're needed on the bridge. We're nearing Tuloc's port."

"Be there in a minute."

Kraglin beat his fist twice over his heart and left the surveillance room. Yondu looked back at the screen that showed the washroom and saw Lydia tackled Peter to the floor. Both were laughing. Something in his chest twinged at the sight and he grunted before turning to go.


"So what should we say to the guy?" Peter asked.

We were on our way to the Tailor – or at least I think we were. Peter swore he knew the way, but I wasn't so sure. He certainly looked like he knew where he was going.

"We just tell him we need a suit for you. Plain and simple."

"Oh."

I glanced down. His head was hanging low but I could still detect that something was bothering him. "Hey." I nudged him. "What's wrong?"

"It's just –," he stopped himself and shook his head. "Nothing."

"No, come on. What is it?"

"Do I have to throw away my old clothes?"

So that's why he had been reluctantly to visit the Tailor. I got it though. Those clothes were a link to his home world.

"No, Peter. You don't have to throw them away. You can still wear them, but they need to be washed once and a while. In your case, often."

Peter nodded. "Okay." He pointed ahead. "Here it is."

An open doorway sported a sign next to it that read 'the Tailor'. We walked through and found a room over-flowing with fabrics and leathers and a monstrous machine that took up the whole back wall, but no 'Tailor' could be seen.

"Hello?" I called. "Um… Tailor?"

No answer. We moved further inside and started to look around. I went one way, Peter went the other.

"Hey, Lydia, look at this."

"I swear, Peter, if you're wearing one of my bras –,"

"No! Look at this thing over here."

I went to him and saw he was pointing at a metal plaque welded to the wall beside a series of controls. "What is it?" I asked.

"I think it's the Tailor," he said, scrunching up his nose.

Bending down to take a closer look I quickly read what was on the plaque and discovered Peter was right. The monstrous machine was called 'the Tailor' and was an automatic clothes maker. All you had to do was load the fabrics, chose the design, press 'start' and step inside.

"Let's try it," Peter said excitedly.

I quirked an amused eyebrow at him, one hand at my hip. "Look whose eager now," I commented. Peter grinned back at me. I turned to the fabrics. "Okay, let's get some Ravager reds for ya."

Running the machine went surprisingly easy and Peter wasn't the least bit nervous when he stepped inside and thin laser beams scanned every inch of him to take his measurements. Within seconds of stepping out, a miniature Ravager uniform was rolling out from a side slot.

"Cooool," Peter said, holding up his leather jacket. His fingers traced the flame design before his green eyes turned to me, shining. "Lydia, ya gotta do you now!"

"What?" I sputtered.

"Well, you said yourself that most of your clothes have gotten ruined by grease and oil stains."

That was true. During my time on the ship, my already sparse amount of clothes had dwindled with alarming speed. Pants got snagged on sharp metal, scorch marks ate holes through my shirts, etc. The work I did on the Eclector wasn't playing nice with my clothes. Since I had no idea when the Ravagers would make port, or if the location would even have clothes for sale, I only threw out an item of clothing if it wasn't possible to wear anymore. I currently had four shirts, and three pants as well as my sleepwear. I needed sturdy fabric, but I wasn't crazy about wearing leather pants considering all of the movement I required doing my various jobs about the ship.

"Okay," I agreed. "But no leather."

"Not even a jacket?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Because I didn't feel like I should be wearing the Ravager red or flame crest. I was an outsider.

"Look, I just don't want one, okay?" I snapped.

"Okay, okay; yeesh."

Peter hurried over to the fabrics and began to bounce on his toes. "So what are you going to wear?"

I ran some ideas in my head, scraping the ones that would prove to be cumbersome and keeping in mind that I wanted clothes that would last, not make me sweat like a pig when working in the sweltering parts of the ship, and not hinder my movements.

"I think I got something in mind."


The girl was never around when he needed her. She wasn't answering her comm-link, so Yondu resorted to stalking the ship to look for her. He and his ground team were about to go planet-side to Tuloc's capital which just so happened to have a pharmacy that kept all medicine from all over the galaxy, including Terra. Him and his crew were going to snag and bag the pricier and rarer meds as well as re-stock what they needed for themselves but Yondu wasn't sure when an opportunity to acquire Terran medicine would present itself again and wanted to be prepared in case the boy fell ill. He figured Lydia would know by now where the similarities between Terran and Threxian health lie.

"Halvi!"

The giant tower of midnight and muscle jumped to attention. "Yes, sir?"

"Ya seen Brosh?"

"Erm, yeah."

"Recently?"

"Very."

"Where she at?"

Halvi shifted his weight nervously. "I think she was heading to the boiler room. Some of the crew was complaining of a loss of heat in the mess hall."

Yondu fixed his crimson eyes on the fidgeting man. "Why do you look like that?"

Halvi's movements ceased. "Like what?"

"Like you're hopin' I don't go lookin' for her."

"No reason."

"Oh there's a reason," Yondu insisted, stepping closer to the man. Halvi towered over him but he didn't feel the least bit intimidated. "What's she done?"

"…She went to the Tailor."

It occurred to him that leather would enhance Lydia's curves to perfection. Keeping his annoyed expression, Yondu shrugged his shoulders impatiently. "So?"

"She didn't go with the basic uniform design."

A crease appeared on Yondu's forehead. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"She… um…"

"Aw, hell," Yondu growled irritably and pushed past Halvi. He was getting nowhere with him. He stormed down the corridor, his boots clanging against the metal floors until he came to the steam-filled doorway of the boiler room. He went inside, already prepared for the noise and the heat, and called out to the first blurry-shaped crewman he could see.

"Is Lydia in here?"

Yondu thought he saw the man smirk and point towards the back. Yondu nodded and headed that way. A loud hiss of steam billowed into his path, blocking his vision as he rounded a corner of pipes. "Lydia!"

"Here, Captain!" her voice answered.

"Girl, why ain't you answerin' yer comm?" Squinting through the slowly thinning steam, he could just make out her form moving about.

"What are you talking about? I haven't heard you try to contact me at all?"

He was almost through the steam. "Is it turned on?"

"Of course it's turned – oh…" An embarrassed pause followed and he saw her make an adjustment. "Now it is." She bent over to resume her task. "What were you hailing me for?"

"I need ya to –," the words died on his lips as his heart nearly gave out on him. He'd cleared the mist and could now clearly see just what Halvi's nervousness and the crewman's smirk had been about.

She was in the process of tightening a bolt and bent over in a way that displayed how well her new, curve-hugging, short pants showed off her thighs. A utility belt encircled her hips, the spear gadget hanging within easy reach. Her yellow tank-top was damp with sweat and stuck to her skin like – oh sweet mercy …

Forget what I needed ya for before – I need ya now, girl.

"Ground Control to Captain Yondu," Lydia called, waving a hand in his face.

Yondu snapped out of it and glared. He let it happen again! "What the hell are you wearin', woman?"

"Clothes, duh."

She turned to walk towards a tool box on the floor a few feet away and Yondu's mouth began to water. How was it possible he hadn't noticed just how much sway those hips of hers had?

"Those ain't clothes. Those are – are –," he swallowed and tore his gaze from her butt and determinedly focused on her pony-tail, "a distraction."

Lydia let out a laugh as she crouched and returned some tools into the box. It took everything in Yondu to keep his attention on the back of her head. He didn't think his heart could take another hit. And I thought I knew what cruelty was.

"Just who is being distracted by my clothes, hm?" she asked, thankfully rising, and turned to him.

He was about to snap at her but stopped as he closely studied her face. She didn't have a clue. She wasn't messing with him; she honestly wanted to know who was being distracted by her choice of clothes. She must think I hate her so much I've become immune or somethin'.

"From the looks of it you're the only one my clothes seem to be distracting," Lydia said with a playful smirk. It wasn't meant to be flirty but Yondu's reaction was the same as if it had been.

In order to divert her attention from his own problem, Yondu gritted his teeth into a snarl and roughly pushed past her. He snatched up the tool box. "Just who gave you permission to be usin' these tools?"

Lydia's brow wrinkled in confusion at his sudden change of subject. "Um, I didn't exactly ask, I just –,"

"Took it," Yondu finished sharply.

Her features took on a mixture of hurt and frustration. "Don't start that again."

"Start what – the fact that you've stolen from me before?"

"I've said I'm sorry."

"Is that supposed to mean somethin'?"

Her green eyes became closed-off. "No. I guess it wouldn't to someone like you." She wiped her hands on a dirty rag and tossed it aside. When she spoke again there was a tremor in her voice. "I'm done in here, so you can take those tools where they belong without worrying I'll filch them." She gave him a wide-berth as she marched past for the door.

"Cap'n!" Kraglin's voice shouted through his comm-link.

"What is it, Kraglin?" Yondu answered.

"It's about Quill, sir!"

Lydia stopped in her tracks and fumbled with her communicator, still new to its workings. "What's happened? Is he hurt?" she asked, fearfully. Even Yondu was a bit uneasy about what Kraglin's answer would be.

"He's – uuuh – he's – um –,"

"Spit it out, Kraglin!" Yondu barked.

"Quill's currently trying to strangle Brahl in the cargo hold."

Both Yondu and Lydia exchanged looks of surprised bewilderment before taking off out the door.


When we finally arrived in the cargo hold, I nearly ran smack into Halvi's back. He and numerous others were gathered around where I assumed Peter and Brahl's confrontation was taking place.

"Ah, Lydia the Guardian, you made it," Halvi said cheerfully over the mass of shouting. Yondu was already pushing his way through the ring.

"What happened?" I asked loudly, partly to be heard over everyone else and also because my voice had to carry farther up to reach Halvi's ears.

"I happened to see it get started. Peter was sitting in that corner," he pointed towards a collection of crates that I could just picture Peter favoring as a hide-out, "and he was holding a little package wrapped in some colorful paper. He was just staring at it, making no move to open it. Brahl must have seen him too cause he headed straight for the boy and swiped it out of his hands. Quill demanded Brahl give it back and when he laughed in the boy's face Quill jumped him."

I blinked. "Peter jumped him?"

"Yes."

"Actually jumped him."

"That's what I said."

"I know what you said, but I still can't picture it."

Halvi parted the bodies in front of us and gestured. "See for yourself."

I gaped. Peter was straddled on Brahl's back, his little legs wrapped around the Achemonian's waist and his arms looped 'round the neck. Brahl's scared and leathery face was quickly turning from its normal pinkish-tan color to bright red as he struggled to sling Peter off his back while clawing at the kid's arms. Yondu was inside the circle of men and instead of trying to break up the fight like I expected, he was observing them.

"Do something, you borga!" I yelled at him.

Yondu gave me a 'just what am I supposed to do about it?' look when he knew good and well what he could be doing! I glared daggers at him until he rolled those red eyes and started hollering at Brahl and Peter as he stepped forward and pried Peter off the Achemonian. Peter swung his fists, kicking his legs, and squirming with all his might to try to get back to fighting Brahl.

"What's got yer blood boilin', boy?" Yondu shouted, keeping a firm grip on him.

"He took it from me!"

The crew began to simmer down in order to hear.

"Took what, son?"

But it was obvious that Peter was so focused on getting back what was his that Yondu's question fell on deaf ears.

"A small package, sir," Halvi answered. "I saw Brahl swipe it from him."

"Snitch," Rixh mumbled loud enough for those near him to hear. Halvi lifted one unamused brow at him and the blue alien redirected his gaze to the floor as he gave a light cough.

"Yarov," Yondu called, and spun Peter into the arms of a human-looking man with messy black hair and wearing what looked like eye-liner. Yarov held Peter back as Yondu approached the still gasping Brahl lying on the floor. His boot pushed Brahl onto his back and then he crouched down to peer down at him. "Did you steal somethin' from the boy?" he asked.

Brahl shook his head fervently.

"Liar!" Peter shouted and his squirming intensified. Yarov adjusted his grip so that one arm was crossed over Peter's chest.

"I got's two people sayin' that you did," Yondu went on calmly. "Ya wanna rethink what ya said?"

Again Brahl shook his head and reached up to massage his neck. The movement dislodged a festively wrapped parcel from his jacket pocket.

Yondu poked at it and pretended to be curious. "What's this?" He pulled it out and gasped. "Well lookie here." His face clouded over with silent anger and he narrowed his eyes at Brahl. "Ya sure ya don't wanna change yer answer?"

"Oh, uh – I was gonna give it back, captain, I – ack!"

Yondu grabbed him by the throat and lifted him from the floor in one fluid movement. Brahl's feet dangled off the floor. Was it wrong of me to suddenly find myself thinking, Woof; Yondu's got some muscles. Not the time or place? Okay, moving on…

Yondu's mouth was drawn into a stiff scowl as he sneered at Brahl. "Ravagers don't steal from each other. That's part of the code, Brahl. You know that."

"But – but," Brahl choked.

"But what?"

"He ain't a Ravager."

"Is he wearing Ravager garb, boy?"

Brahl's beady eyes flitted over to Peter then back to Yondu. "Well now he is, but –,"

"But nothin'!" Yondu hissed, flexing his hand and causing Brahl to garble. "That boy's a part of this crew now an' that means the code applies to him." Without taking his eyes off of Brahl, Yondu's free hand extended out, holding the parcel. "Boy."

Yarov released Peter and gave him a light push towards the captain when he displayed some hesitation. I couldn't blame the kid, I was nervous too after seeing Yondu haul a full-grown man up with one hand and dangle him off the floor for an extended amount of time. His arm wasn't even trembling! I should have been wary but … like I said, woof.

Peter seemed to think that Yondu was going to yank the package away once he reached out for it from the way he was looking back and forth at it and the captain. "Well, ya want it back or what, boy?" Yondu snapped, prompting Peter into action. He snatched his parcel back and hugged it to his chest.

"Peter, come here," I said, motioning towards me. He hurried over and I placed both hands on his shoulders as he turned to watch.

"Alright, show's over!" Yondu barked. "Back to work!"

"Ya heard the captain! Back to work!" Kraglin echoed.

Yondu set Brahl on the ground and jerked him close. "You ever think about stealin' from anybody else on this crew, I'm gonna show ya what it's like to have one eye stolen in the dead of night. Are we clear?"

Brahl nodded quickly.

"Alright, git!" Yondu roughly shoved him away. Brahl stumbled, righted himself and scampered off.

"Kraglin, gather the ground team so we can go planet-side. I want them ready in fifteen minutes."

"Yessir!"

"Thanks," Peter's voice softly said once the noise level had died down.

"What's that?" Yondu asked, turning to him.

"I said, 'thanks'."

"Oh." He stood there awkwardly, unsure how to respond. "Don't let it happen again."

"I won't," the kid assured him.

"You're going planet-side?" I asked.

"That's what I said." He adjusted his coat and started walking only to halt and look back at me. "The place we're goin' to hit, it's got a well-stocked pharmacy includin' some Terran medicine. I was looking for ya earlier to ask if you know of any types I should grab for the boy and yerself?"

My eyebrows knitted together in surprised confusion. He was concerned about me and the kid's health? At my expression Yondu rolled his eyes. "I ain't got no use for a sick or dead crew, Brosh. Ain't that hard to figure."

Of course.

"Got an info-disk on you?" I asked. He patted his pockets a moment then produced one. I reached out and he snatched it back. I frowned. "Oh please, Yondu, where exactly am I going to run off if I tried to steal it from you?"

He grudgingly handed it over and I brought up an article I'd been researching over the past week about Terran health. Since I didn't have my own info-disk, I'd had to often borrow Halvi's. I guess being from the same planet kind of endeared me to him because he was proving to be an ally of sorts to me and Peter. I showed the article to Yondu and tapped the screen to highlight the list of medications at the bottom. "I've cross-referenced these to make sure this article wasn't bogus and it's reliable. And over here," I swiped my finger to the right of the list to reveal another. "This shows an equivalent to the brand if a Terran made one can't be found." I swiped further down the article. "And this shows similarities between Terran and Threxian remedies."

Yondu's brows rose and he looked at me appraisingly. "You've done your work, Brosh."

"Do my ears deceive me or do you actually sound impressed?" I teased. He grunted and tucked away the info-disk. "Will you be back late?"

The look he gave me was comical. "What are you, my wife?"

"I'm only asking because…" I glanced down at Peter who tilted his head up at me and smiled. I smiled back and proceeded to cover his ears. "Because of a certain little project."

Recollection sparked in Yondu's eyes. "Ah." He glanced down at the kid. "Ain't you got somewhere to scurry off to?"

Peter shrugged. "Not really."

I screwed up my mouth to hold back a giggle. Yondu's brows furrowed and he lightly shoved Peter aside. "Go find somethin' useful to do. Yer wearin' Ravager red now, you should start pullin' yer weight round here."

"Like what?"

"Why don't you go and find out?" Yondu said unhelpfully.

Peter looked at me as if to say, "I'm supposed to do what?" I gestured for him to go. "Okaaay," he said, uncertainly.

"Go on, git!"

Peter took off. I had no doubt he'd find some place to crawl in and hide instead of seeking work.

"We shouldn't be gone long. Eight hours tops."

I nodded. "Right. Well, if it's alright with you I could just get the gun from your room and find somewhere to work on it."

Yondu quirked an eyebrow. "Did you just suggest going into my quarters without me there to supervise you?"

I sighed. "Forget it. I'll wait for you."

"That's more like it." His eyes scanned me up and down. "Wear somethin' less 'showy' when ya show up." He turned on his heel to go.

"Be safe," I blurted.

He twisted his head around, baffled. "What's that?"

"I said 'be safe'."

"That's what I thought you said, but why'd you say it?"

Because I still like you a teeny-tiny bit even though you're being an absolute borga and for some confounded reason I don't want to see you get hurt.

"A dead captain isn't in the best of interests for me or Peter is it?" I said, shrugging off-handedly.

"…Right…"

I rocked back and forth on my heels a bit. "Okay, so – um, right. I'll see you later then." I quickly turned and began to walk away.


That girl's got too fine an ass for her own good, Yondu thought as he watched her go. If she showed up in his quarters still dressed like that –

He took a steadying breath and closed his eyes as he exhaled. Focus on the job. Kinda hard to do at the moment but he'd find a way to block her out. As Yondu made his way to the hangar, his thoughts drifted back to Knowhere and the night their paths crossed.

Being a Ravager, people automatically feared you. Looking the way Yondu did, his intense red eyes, the scars on his face, the muscled build, and the sharp, jagged teeth; people were instantly wary and thought twice about going up against him even before they realized he was a Ravager. The moment Yondu entered a room people took notice and they put distance between them and him. You don't want to mess with me practically exuded off of him; which was why he'd been a bit caught off guard when Lydia walked right next to him and started chatting him up. She'd shown no fear of him, the only time she acted nervous was when she'd seen his Ravager crest but it had been brief and they'd gone back to flirting. Sure she'd only been conning him and had known all along he was a Ravager but… She still hadn't been scared of him, his appearance.

She sure looked scared a week ago.

She thought I was angry – furious at her.

It had happened so fast, the instant – what? Connection? Yondu shuddered at such a sentiment but it was the closest phrasing he could think of to describe what happened that night at the Terran wares cart. Conversation flowed easily between them and she wasn't throwing herself at him like some common prostitute would do, but he was so used to those being the only kind of women to blatantly show him any attention that he'd thoughtlessly made the comment about looking for her pimp. Because he was so intimidating, Yondu usually had to make the first move and after he showed them what he could do for them, the ladies loved him. So for a pretty little thing like Lydia to have strolled up and smiled at him without a hint of fear, that had got his attention and he'd upped the charm in return.

His past taught him not to get attached to anyone and yet he'd allowed himself to make a very big mistake that night. He'd fallen fast in such a short amount of time and it infuriated him to such an extent that Yondu wanted to kick in the faces of a hundred Kree soldiers. She'd felt so damn good against him and those kisses were so right. He should have known better. He should have known better! Had his past taught him nothing? Getting attached to someone only ended up in pain and it had proven to be right. When it turned out she was playing him, the pain had been completely unexpected. Watching her run off with the M-ship parts had hurt. She was a perfect stranger to him; how the hell did she manage to burrow herself into him so fast?

"Cap'n?"

Yondu looked up from his M-ship's control console. Kraglin was hailing him from his own ship as they neared Tuloc's atmosphere.

"Everythin' alright?" Kraglin asked.

Yondu blinked in surprise. He'd barely registered the transition from the Eclector to flying for Tuloc. He flicked on the comms to answer Kraglin. "Everything's fine here. Why do you ask?"

"Well, we've been waitin' for ya to give the 'okay' to move forward."

"Guess my comms are actin' up," Yondu lied. He made adjustments to his instruments and forced himself to focus on the task at hand. He switched his comms to link with the whole team of M-ships. "On my lead, boys…"


"You gonna tell me what's so special about that box?" I asked when I caught up with Peter. As I'd predicted, he'd found someplace to hide instead of doing work. This time it wasn't an empty washer machine I found him in, it was a ground ventilation shaft that he'd managed to unscrew the cover of and crawl inside. I lowered myself onto the floor, legs criss-crossed and peered through the vent's slating at him. He sat at the entrance, the box in his hands, headphones around his neck but the music loud enough for me to hear.

But then I fooled around and fell in love…

At first I thought he wasn't going to answer me. He was quiet for almost a minute. "Mom knew she wasn't gonna be around for my ninth birthday so she had it with her at the hospital when I came to see her…" His bottom lip trembled. "When I came to see her for the last time." A sniff echoed in the shaft and he wiped his nose with the back of his sleeve. "She told me to open it when she was gone."

"Why haven't you?"

"…I can't. If I open it…"

I hesitated and chose my words very carefully. "Peter… not opening that box isn't going to change the fact that she is gone."

Peter lifted his eyes to me. Judging from the expression on his face I'd hit the nail on the head about his thought process.

"I don't want to say goodbye. Not yet."

I looked at the tiny box and at his damp cheeks. "I get it. But one day you'll have to face it. I'll let you decide when the time is right."

"What if it's a long time from now?"

"I honestly hope not, but I'm not gonna push it. It's not for me to say. But from now on, how about we leave that in your room where no one can find it, alright?"

Peter sniffed, wiped his nose again, then nodded. "Alright."


The job went off without a hitch. They'd gotten away with nearly a quarter million units worth of pharmaceuticals; so why was the captain being all broody and not celebrating with the rest of them? He'd been like that all day-cycle and it was becoming a bit worrisome. All around Kraglin was the cheering and slapping of backs from his fellow crewmen and yet the captain didn't even crack a smile. If Yondu's constant glancing at Lydia and Peter across the room was anything to go by then Kraglin figured he had an inkling what his captain's current mood was all about. The captain had been a bit out of sorts ever since the girl joined the crew.

"You should talk to him."

Halvi's deep voice nearly made Kraglin jump out of his seat. Lydia was right. There was no reason why big men should be so light on their feet. Covering up his startled reaction with a stretch, Kraglin shifted in his seat so that the table was to his back and he could lean his elbows on it and face Halvi.

"Talk to who?" he asked.

Halvi tilted his head at Yondu. "The captain. I sense it too. There's something weighting on his mind."

"Yeah. But why should I be the one to talk to him?"

Halvi grinned, his pearly teeth glinting in the light. "You're first mate. You've got the delivering and carrying out orders part down but now it's time you started working on the other half of that position."

"What other half?"

"The captain trusts you to carry out his orders and handle things when he's not present, but being first mate also means that he trusts your judgment and advice. And sometimes he needs a second person's perspective whether he asks for it or not."

Kraglin mulled over that for a bit. "What if he don't want my advice?"

"Then that's on him. A wise captain takes heed of the one he made his right hand man."

I'm still a bit shocked he chose me in the first place, he thought.

Of all the men of Yondu's crew, Kraglin could have named at least five others whom he'd been certain the captain would make his first mate when the last one turned against him. Horuz, Tullk, Garim, Halvi, and Qip. Those men had been with the captain far longer than Kraglin and were older and experienced too. Until Peter came along, he was the youngest member on the Eclector so it never crossed his mind that he'd be considered for such an important job. He was so floored when Yondu called his name and promoted him that he couldn't move or speak for several minutes. The captain assured him it wasn't a mistake that he'd been picked and since then Kraglin pushed himself to prove it to everyone else too. But he was young and still learning and sometimes needed some pointers.

Kraglin took a big gulp of his drink and nodded. "Right."

Halvi slapped him on the back hard enough to make him slip from his seat. "Don't worry; if he bits your head off me and Tullk will make sure you have a decent funeral."

Kraglin swallowed nervously. "You really know how to erase all the confidence built up from a pep talk, don't ya?"

Halvi displayed his pearly teeth and tipped his beverage at him in a toast.

Turning away and directing his feet towards the captain, Kraglin took a deep breath and started walking. He tried out opening phrases in his head and quickly scrapped them. He was almost at Yondu's table; he had to come up with something quick! Yondu looked up from his bottle and squinted at him.

Here it goes…

"Hi."

Well, it's a start. Can't go wrong with that, can ya?

"Kraglin, sit down."

"Yessir." He quickly did so, banging his knees in the process. He held back a curse and ignored the stinging pain.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-one, Cap'n."

"You got a girl back on Xandar?"

Kraglin guffawed. "Nah." He'd only been sixteen when he joined the Ravagers.

Yondu nodded distractedly and shifted his bottle around a bit. "It's better that ya don't. I tell that to any new recruits that if they got a girl they either gotta drop 'er or not join my crew. It could be months or years between visits."

Kraglin remained silent, glancing at the four empty bottles at Yondu's elbow and the half full one currently in his hand. He'd seen the captain guzzle down three yirshmas before feeling any side effects. A bottle of yirshma could make most men as drunk as if they'd downed half a keg. The liquor they had on the ship wasn't near as strong as yirshma but still had some kick. Yondu had a much higher alcohol tolerance, probably something to do with his species.

The was the slightest hint of slur to his words as he spoke again. "Don't get attached to any girl, Kraglin. It's only gonna get ya in trouble."

"Um, okay."

"Don't argue with me about it, I know what I'm talkin' about."

"Sure thing, Cap'n."

"You're just bein' stubborn now."

Kraglin recounted the bottles. Apparently he'd missed the two that rolled onto the floor. Okay, so maybe the captain was a little drunk.

"Sir, has this got anything to do with Lydia?" Kraglin asked cautiously.

Yondu gave him a side-long glare. "Why ya bringin' her up?"

"Well, um…" He scratched the back of his neck, trying to figure out where to go from here. "Ya been a bit, well, off since she was brought on board."

"Off?"

"Just a bit. Kinda distracted, ya know? A little more…irritable."

Yondu's head slowly turned to face him. "Is that right?" he asked in a flat tone.

Kraglin felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "Just a bit," he repeated in a wobbly voice.

After several long seconds of staring at him, Yondu finally sighed and looked down at his bottle. "You might be right."

Kraglin released a sigh of relief. "How come she got you so distracted, sir?"

Yondu's eyes flitted about, checking that no one was close enough to listen in. He fixed his red gaze on Kraglin and lowered his voice to a threatening rasp. "If you tell anybody what I'm about to say then I won't hesitate to put this here arrow through your eye." He patted his holster, eyes never straying from him. "Ya hear me?"

Kraglin gulped. "Loud an' clear, Cap'n."

Yondu studied him a moment to be sure, then took a long swig from his liquor. "I did a fool thing when I met Lydia on Knowhere. I let my guard down. Didn't think she was anything but a regular girl lookin' for some excitement on that low-down space mine. All we did was talk but…" He gazed at his hands, studying the scars and callouses. "I ain't had no woman talk to me like that in –," His brow furrowed in thought. "Hell, I don't think anyone's just talked with me before without wantin' somethin' in return."

Kraglin winced.

"She fooled me and then she goes and tells me she didn't wanted to do it 'cause she ended up liking me. Part of me still wants to believe her but the galaxy didn't exactly deal me a good hand so it's more likely she was tellin' me a load of crap just to get out of being killed. But then," he snorted bitterly, "then the girl tells me to be safe just before we left for the job." His eyes were distant as they focused on the table top. It was like Kraglin wasn't there anymore.

"She got under my skin and didn't even have the decency to let me get her outta my system. Now every time I see 'er…there's this itch – a constant buzz in my skull whenever she's around me."

Kraglin waited to see if Yondu would go on but apparently he'd said his piece. He processed the captain's words, putting it all together, and came to one conclusion. "So ya wanna have sex with her really bad?"

Yondu lifted the bottle to his lips. "Oh hell yes."


When the smell of alcohol started to fill the air of the mess hall, I decided it was time for Peter to head on to bed and scooted him out the door. It was getting late anyway for an eight year old. At least that's what that article about healthy sleeping routines said for boys his age. I cast a backward glance towards the captain. He was deep in conversation with Kraglin and looked to have had quite a few drinks but I hoped he wouldn't forget or be too drunk to keep our final meeting later in the night. I bid Peter goodnight and changed into some dingy cargo pants that I dared Yondu to complain about and a leather vest I'd gotten from the Tailor. No flame crest on its surface.

I lay I bed listening to music for about an hour and a half, waiting for the majority of the crew to disperse from the mess hall and go to sleep. When I felt I waited long enough, I slipped on a leather hip holster pack I'd also had the Tailor make for my music box. It also had strip of leather with a snap on the end so I could hang my headphones at my side instead of around my neck. To provide extra security, there was a strap that encircled my left thigh so the pack wouldn't bounce around.

Before leaving my room, I checked my reflection. Honestly if Yondu had issues with this outfit then that was his own problem. I still couldn't understand what his deal was with the shorts I was wearing earlier. I'd had those pants made with working in places like the boiler room specifically in mind because of the heat. Sure I had still sweated like a pig but not as badly as I would have in long pants that would soak up my sweat and cling to my skin unbearably for hours. Yes, exposing my legs was risky, like say if I brushed up against a hot pipe but I'd been trained to be very cautious around machinery and trusted the skills that Malek taught me.

I realized with a sudden pang that I missed that red-skinned, eight armed, always in a bad mood troll. He'd risked his life for me and I never even got to thank him for it. I only had Yondu's word that Malek and the others in his garage had been spared. And Zeg… I couldn't really bring myself to hate him for what he'd done. If I'd been in his position I would probably have done the same. It still hurt though.

When I came to Yondu's quarters I went through the routine of shaking away any tension and told myself that after tonight it would be over. I wouldn't have to go through the awkwardness of being alone in semi-close quarters with him again. And this was all for Peter.

I lifted my hand to knock and the door slide open before I even got the chance. "Finally showed up, huh?" Yondu's gruff voice slurred.

Greeeeat. Ornery and drunk. Lovely combination.

I stepped inside and found him already at the work bench, the tools laid out and waiting for me. "I wasn't sure how long Ravagers like to celebrate their victories," I told him.

"It died down about an hour after you left," he mumbled. He was handling the stun gun but I noticed he had to squint a lot and bring his face close to it.

I picked up my pace and casually took the gun from him as if I wanted to inspect what work was left to be done. He didn't complain. He sagged into his chair and let out a tired sigh. "Would you rather I didn't play any music tonight?" I asked him, observing him. Over the week I'd gotten Yondu to reluctantly allow me to play music while I worked because I told him it helped me focus which was partially true. Music helped direct my attention on a task but I could work without it. I mostly played the music to fill the silence that developed between us.

Yondu grunted and limply waved a hand. "Go ahead. You said it helps ya focus, didn't ya?"

"Yeah, but if you need some quiet –,"

"Then stop yappin'."

I smirked and removed my music box from its pack. "Sir, yes, sir." I plugged it in and was glad the tape I'd brought wasn't one that featured the loud, drum pounding, guitar riffing music I favored. This tape comprised of some fairly mellow songs that I'm sure Yondu's drunk self would appreciate.

As I worked on the weapon, tweaking and making final adjustments, I was aware of Yondu's eyes on me. Trust me, men like Yondu have such intense stares that you can feel it the instant it's turned on you. I ignored it the best I could until I became so engrossed with what I was doing that I barely registered Yondu's presence.

"Yer pretty good at this stuff. Tinkerin' and all that."


Lydia gave an unintelligible grunt as she eyed the site line of the gun and set it down to make a note.

"You don't half-ass a job yer given either."

"Hmm."

"Woman, I'm tryin' ta tell you somethin'!"

Lydia jumped in surprise, snapping out of her focus. "Wha?"

"Have I got yer attention?" he slurred a bit. She nodded. "Kraglin tells me we've got an issue with things getting broken and nobody ever gets around to fixin' 'em. Stuff like weapons that glitch or need alterations, crap like that. It just gets set aside and no one gets around to repairing it so we got a room full of junk. If I were to clear out a room as a workplace and assign you as the ship's tinker gal of sorts, would you be opposed to it?"

Lydia's cocked her head to the side. "You're asking me?"

"Thought I used the right amount of inflection in my tone, but yeah. I'm askin'."

"Would I still be given random assignments?"

"Your time'll be taken up with repairs and watchin' the kid. I'll probably dump those jobs on him."

She peered at him, her green eyes narrowing. Yondu found himself studying the freckles on her nose and cheeks. "You don't look too drunk to not know what you're saying," she mused aloud.

Yondu grinned. "Honey, if I were drunk you'd certainly know it."

She sat back in her seat and pursed her lips in thought. "Okay."

"You'll take the job?"

Her mouth curled into a pretty smile. "Yeah. I'd like that."

A pleasant warmth seeped into his chest at the sight. He told himself it was just the alcohol messing with him.

(Whoo! Alright, that chapter is done! Dang, that was twenty-seven pages long! I hope it wasn't too slow in some places. Please let me know your thoughts or some polite criticism on what I could improve on. I love hearing from ya'll! Until next time, Dear Readers!)