It was morning now. Rocket said the injection should be wearing off soon. Everyone thought Rocket was a little off focus after coming out the room last night; He kept staring at random things now and then, and he couldn't stop remembering the kiss he laid on her head. Everyone was out in the kitchenette discussing where to hide until they heard a door sliding open.
It was Lianna, wearing a big, light blue shirt and long, baggy, blue pants, rubbing her eyes open.
"Lianna! You're awake!" Rocket jumped out of his seat and ran over to Lianna to hug her leg.
"Well good morning," she giggled. Everyone was surprised by Rocket's action and sudden mood change. Lianna rubbed Rocket's head and he smiled at her. He let go of her leg and followed her over to the table, where he sat right beside her.
"So what are we discussin' now?" Lianna said a little tiredly.
"On somewhere to hide," Peter pointed on the screen.
"Why?" she asked. She knew she missed a lot after passing out.
"They found us Lianna," Rocket said, looking like he clutched her shirt when he said that. Her faced filled with shock and slight horror, but soon settled into a determined look.
"Then there's only one place they will not look at for us," Lianna got up and zoomed through the selections of planets.
"And what's that?" Drax asked.
"Earth," Lianna tapped on the Earth icon and it zoomed in for a full view. "Earth is the only planet with living species that haven't invented the spaceship yet,"
"But they have," Peter said.
"Not one that can be bought, easily usable, and can travel far through space to visit other planets," she pointed out. "Anyone who didn't come from earth wouldn't last a day without having anything high-tech or voice command, also with the unknown species of animals that could be possibly dangerous to them," Rocket just loved it when she started talking about science or technical stuff.
"Sounds like a pretty good plan to me," Gamora agreed.
"I also agree," Drax said.
"I am Groot!(Me too!)," Groot said.
"Besides, we could have Rocket be a bodyguard," Lianna said ruffling the fur on Rocket's head.
"Uh, what?" Peter chuckled a little, not believing her idea of Rocket being a 'bodyguard'.
"I'll show you," Lianna grabbed a can of whip cream from the fridge and went over to Rocket. "Just pull down the top of suit," she said to him. He blushed from her command, but did it. He pulled down in the zipper and took off shoulder straps, pushing them down. Lianna then put a finger on her lips, telling him to open his mouth, making him blush even more. She lined whip cream around the front of his teeth and closed his mouth.
"Whala! Raccoon with rabies!" Lianna gestured her hands like she was presenting something, or someone. Peter snickered at Rocket at how ridiculous he looked. Rocket growled at him and jumped on to the table.
"AH! RABIES!" Peter screamed, jumping back. Everyone laughed and giggled at him sounding like a girl. "Ok that's NOT funny!" Peter said. Rocket chuckled and licked the whip cream off. Lianna couldn't help but to laugh too.
And that was it. Rocket made Lianna laugh. Not like all the other times he did, but made her laugh a genuine laugh. He laid his head in his hands and watched Lianna as her laughs faded into giggles.
"Ok, he can be it," Peter said, regretting it. "But you have a flaw in your plan,"
"A flaw?" Lianna questioned. Rocket's fur spiked up when he heard that. Since when did she ever have a flaw! She's flaw-less! Heh heh, you see what I did there. Flaw-less. Heh, she's both ways.
"You ok Rocket?" Peter asked. Rocket looked over and ran his hand over head, smoothing out his fur.
"Yeah I'm fine, just caught a chill," Rocket tried to hide the anger in his voice.
"Well you can pull your suit back now," Lianna patted Rocket's back, and his mind went racing with love. "And Peter, I already had a place in mind. Somewhere that I think is the most awesome view in Pennsylvania," Lianna typed in the coordinates and the screen began to zoom in on it.
"What's Pennsylvania?" Drax asked.
"Oh it's the state I live in," she said. "And the place isn't far away from the city, or my father," Lianna smiled to herself.
"Then what're we waitin' for!" Rocket said. "Steer us there Peter!" Lianna smiled and sat by Rocket, putting her arm around his shoulder to bring him closer. Ooooh yeaaah.
Peter carefully landed the Milano in the forest. The ramp came down and everyone gazed upon the scenery. Lianna couldn't but to smile when she saw Groot trying to socialize with a pine tree.
"The thing ain't got lips Groot," Rocket said, following behind Lianna like some loyal dog.
Then suddenly Rocket yelped in pain. Lianna whipped her head around and saw him hopping on one foot. She looked at the ground and saw thorn bush vines.
"You ok Rocket?" Lianna said, picking up Rocket.
"Ow, I-I stepped on somethin' sharp," he grunted. "You got knives in the ground here or somethin'?" Lianna just smiled and showed Rocket his foot.
"It's because you stepped on a thorn," she pointed to the object sticking out of his foot. "They're sharp because that's how it protects itself,"
"Well then curse those lousy-OW!" Lianna quickly pulled the thorn out of his foot, blood slowly seeping out. "What was that for! If their like knives you don't pull it out when your injected by it, it hurts more!"
"First of all, if it was like a knife, you would've already lost you foot," Lianna grabbed a band-aid from her jacket pocket and peeled the plastic off, "And second, you need to take the throne out before you get infected," she pressed the band-aid padding against the cut and the pressed the sticky part down.
Rocket wiggled his foot, amazed how the pain wasn't continuously surging through his foot. But when Rocket hopped out of Lianna's arms, the pain shot through his foot when he hit ground.
"It would be best if you stayed off it for a while bud," Lianna said, hoisting Rocket on to her shoulders. Rocket felt himself just melt away went she did that. He laid his head down to sniff her hair. Mmmmm, smells like vanilla~ Rocket couldn't help but to rub his face in her hair.
Lianna giggled at him, thinking he was being goofy. "Just follow me guys, the path leaves the forest and right to my house, nowhere else," Lianna said. Drax glared at the thorn bush. Peter had to get him to move along, trying to show him it isn't alive.
The path finally came to a clearing. Lianna smiled to the sight of her house, still standing and looking nice. She put Rocket back on the ground and ran over to the door.
"Hello, is anyone there?" Lianna knocked on the door. The others caught up with her and the door slowly opened.
"Who's there," the voice sounded a little old, but was still strong.
"I-It's me," she said. The door soon opened up. A man as tall as Peter stood in the doorway. He had dark brown hair with a stubble beard. He was wearing a red plaid shirt and dirty jeans with tan boots.
"Lianna?" the man said. They both stared at each other, examining every inch of their faces.
"Daddy?" Lianna said, feeling like she would tear up soon.
"Lianna!" her father quickly reached out and hugged her. "Oh I missed you so much honey,"
"I know dad, I did too," Lianna swore she shed a couple of tears.
"Oh, and who are they?" he stopped hugging her and looked at the others.
"Oh, these are my friends," she said. "This is Peter, Gamora, Drax, Groot, and Rocket," she pointed out.
"Well it's nice to meet you all," Lianna's father said, shaking hands with everyone.
"Aren't you scared of us?" Gamora asked.
"Why should I?" They all looked at each other confused. "Oh I see, just because I'm from Earth doesn't mean I don't know about the other people in space. I had some fun when I first met my wife, Lela," he chuckled.
"How you guys explore a little," Lianna said to them. "I just wanna talk to my dad for a little," They all nodded and went to look around the yard. But Peter felt a tug on his arm. "Keep an eye them, please?" she whispered to him.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure they don't destroy anything," Peter said confidently. A sudden thud came from behind, and it was Drax, who tripped from a butterfly coming close to him. Peter sighed and went over to help. Lianna and her father chuckled, but Lianna soon closed the door and sat down on the brown couch by the window.
"Is something wrong dear?" her father sat down by her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
"It's just... remember when I left on that ship," she asked.
"Yeah, I still kept the note you wrote me," he pulled out the neatly folded note from his shirt pocket.
"Well... half of it was a lie," her father looked at her confused. "I didn't sneak on a ship to find mom, I sneaked on to a ship because of him," Lianna looked out the window and watched Rocket as he investigated the deer feeder.
He father looked her way and said "You talking about the raccoon?"
"Yeah, Rocket," sadness seemed to cloud her blue eyes.
"Well what about Rocket?" her father got closer to her, comforting his only daughter at what was mysteriously haunting her mind.
"I snuck on to the ship because I saw them taking him, you know, before he turned cybernetic," her father nodded and she continued.
"Well after I snuck on, I found out he was tortured in so many painful ways. He was torn apart and rebuilt about five times and I saw it all. I didn't why, but I felt like I should've stayed home, but my mind told me no, and to help him. Do you think I did the right thing? To leave my home and father to care for a poor, hurt creature?" Lianna felt a couple of tears sliding down her cheek, but felt her father's rough knuckles wipe them away.
"It was the right thing to do, Lianna," he said. "You were getting a bit too old to be held home forever when you're meant to be out in the universe and meet people. When I first found out you left, I thought to myself that I lost my little girl, but then it hit; I didn't lose my little girl, she grew up and explored the universe like her beautiful mother,"
"Really?" Lianna sniffled.
"Yes, and just like your mother, you saw someone in need, and helped them," her father said. Lianna smiled at him and hugged him.
"Thanks dad," she said, and felt him stroking her hair. Lianna broke the hug and got up. "Well, I think I better go round-up the sheep and find somethin' for us to eat,"
"I could always give you some ramen noodles," he said moving to the kitchen.
"Ok, then let me see. Gamora, one. Peter, one. Rocket, one. Drax, two. Groot, three,
"Why don't you just take both boxes," he stood in the kitchen hallway holding two twenty-four pack boxes. Lianna smiled and took the boxes.
"Again, thanks dad," she kissed his cheek and went to open the door. "Oh, and just to tell you, we might be stayin' here for a while. That won't bother you, right?"
"No no, darling. You can stay as long as you need,"
Lianna smiled and said "Thanks," again. She left the house and went over to the picnic bench in the yard. She set down the boxes and looked around.
Peter looked like he was teaching Gamora, Drax, and Groot about what a butterfly was. Lianna giggled, but then it hit her. Where's Rocket? she thought. Wouldn't he be in on it? Oh wait, he probably already knows some things about Earth. And then he finally came into sight.
He was walking out of the forest scratching all over his arms. He caught a glance of Lianna and quickly went over to her.
"Um Lianna," Rocket said, "I touched some leaf and suddenly I'm all itchy,"
"Then that was probable poison ivy," Lianna said, pointing to the leaf stuck to his suit.
"What's poison ivy?" he asked, still scratching himself.
"It's another plant with a protection strategy. If you touch it, it causes a reaction to skin,"
"Well is there some way to stop it?"
"By applying and reapplying itch relief. Go inside and ask my dad for some; he'll gladly give you some," Rocket nodded and went into the house, and as for Lianna, she went to grab a couple of pots from the ship.
"Mr. Argo!" Rocket called. "Lianna said you had some 'itch relief' stuff that I could use,"
"Poison ivy?" Mr. Argo asked.
"Yeah, who knew a little leaf could make you so itchy," Rocket seated himself on the couch and tried resisting to itch. Mr. Argo came back in with a tube of itch cream.
"You'll have to lather it in your fur like shampoo," he said.
"Thanks," Rocket said, and squeezed a handful of cream on to his padded hands. He started lathering the cream into his fur when he heard a metal rattle from outside. He looked out the window and saw Lianna putting two pot over a wide fire.
"Watchin' my daughter, aren't ya," Rocket jumped to the sound of Mr. Argo's voice.
"W-What?! N-No, I was... um," Rocket blushed and tried to explain.
"You like her, don't 'cha?" Mr. Argo sat down beside Rocket, who was blushing more because that was the truth.
He sighed and decided to just tell him. "Ok, I do like Lianna, but is it wrong for a cybernetic creature like me to love a beautiful girl like her?"
"Boy, if there's one thing to know about my dear Lianna, is that she's not for some ordinary, earthly joe,"
"Really?"
"Sure thing. She's like her mother, wants to meet someone different from the rest,"
"So would I have a chance?"
"Boy, you would hit jackpot if you got for it. I'm pretty sure she likes you too," Rocket's face lit up with joy.
"Thanks Mr. Argo," he said, sliding off the couch and towards the door.
"Please, call me Henry," Henry said. Rocket smiled and opened the door.
"Wait a minute Rocket," Henry called. He tossed the itch cream to Rocket and said "Keep it,"
"Thanks, Henry," Rocket was about to closed the door when he forgot something.
"Hey Henry," he said.
"Yeah?"
"How'd you I like Lianna?"
Henry chuckled and said "The Argo family have been known to be sympathetic to others, probably the reason Lianna cares about you,"
Rocket smiled and closed the door, walking over to the picnic table to see Lianna.
"Boy will make a fine man for my girl," Henry said, watching Rocket help Lianna with the noodles.
Phew! Chapter four really brought out Rocket and Lianna's feelings.
I wanted to cram in a lovey scene between the both of them, but I guess Rocket helping Lianna with supper is still cute 'n' romantic.
Continue to read! -xXFangirlXx