Peter got the Walkman when he was 6 years old and on his way from the first day of school. It was a present from his Mom's boyfriend back when she was on a bad streak and dating left and right, trying to forget Peter's dad. Or so she told him a few years later at least. Sam was nice however and seemed to genuinely care for the kid, giving him the small machine as a present. Little Quill was ecstatic and his Mom broke up with Sam that very day, when the boy called him Daddy at dinner.

He got the mixtape when his Mom got sick. And he meant seriously sick. She was never too healthy, too pale and frail most of the time. But she got worse by the time Pete turner 7, and when he turned 8 she ceased to exist.

So the Walkman remained as a sacred relic from times well and truly gone, when Mom was well and Sam was Daddy, and Peter bragged to his friends about him being a cop.

The mixtape survived numerous fights, flights through open space, occasional dives, and even the enormous might of the Infinity Stone. Only to fall victim to an overcurious, boundary-ignoring Raccoon.

Now Peter laid in his old bunk on the Eclector, trying to ignore the crewmembers milling about. He was brought of his melancholy by a rough hand grabbing his ear as Yondu stomped his way into the cabin.

-Ow, ow, ow! Yondu! What the hell!? - Cried out Peter trying to pry the merciless fingers off his poor ear.

-We got a job, boy. If you're taking up space here, you might as well earn it, and not just lay around like a Kalissian slug. Even though, I gotta say, you produce about as much mucus as one.- Confidently stated the Centaurian as he carried on walking and ignoring the yowling man.

Coming into the hanger and throwing Peter in the direction of the closest mini-ship, the Captain of the Ravagers turned around extending his hand, only to have Kraglin plop a padd on it. Quickly glancing through the details on the device, Udonta shoved it towards the Terran and kicked him into the ship.

Peter stared in bewilderment at the pair leaving the spacious room and looked at the small rectangle in his hand. He sighed and made himself comfortable on the floor, bringing up the screen.

His eyes widened at the information and a laugh broke through the grim exterior. Figures that the Captain would let Kraglin choose a mission this time. No wonder he was being sent to Hemyclos 10, a recently colonized planet that already began its climb to fame for its healing waters and springs.

-Thanks Kraglin- Muttered Peter as he got of the floor and sat in the pilots seat. The plastic was warn and nowhere near as comfortable for him as the Milano's but he had had worse. Plus, after crashing the Milano at his first drive and then having to pose for an extremely embarrassing picture with Yondu and Kraglin, Peter was only allowed on those mini-ships for a year.

Inputting the course for his destination, the Terran lifted off and blasted into the quiet of space, leaving the two previously mentioned men to stand in the doors, following him with their eyes.

-Think he'll be better after this trip?- Asked Kraglin, leaning on the metal frame.

-Nah, but he'll forget his troubles for a while- Answered Yondu, as he slugged an arm across his Second's shoulders and pulled him into the main hall. - Now come on, I have a bottle of some pricy ale we got on the last station.-

-And you actually paid for it?- Asked the astounded Xandarian.

-Who do you take me for, a Nova?- Croaked Yondu with indignation. - Of course I stole it!-

Meanwhile the remaining members of the Guardians of the Galaxy were on their way to Terra, or, as Peter called it: Earth.

-I still think it's a dumb name- Grumbled Rocket as he cleaned the parts in his guns.

-And I still don't care- Calmly answered Gamora as she tried to read up on everything that was available on Terra. - Did you know they have 8.74 million different species on that planet- Asked the amazed woman. - And 950,000 of them are insects. Stars! I've never even heard of a planet with such an ecosystem. Imagine how happy Groot will be when we take him there.- Continued she, clicking away at the information.

-Yeah...- Smiled Rocket, - He should be pretty happy on that rock. -

As the two continued their conversation, Drax sat at the sofa, trying to recall every lyric he could from Peter' songs. It was going well, even though a lot of the words made absolutely no sense to him. He could not comprehend having only half a brain, and still functioning. And enjoying drinks, too.

Groot looked at xir friends from the pod and was a little sad. Xi was missing Peter, and really wanted the Terran to be back and sing to him again. Ever since Rocket had his fun with Peter's tape there wasn't any music and he couldn't dance.

-Groot!- Called out the Mini Flora Colossus, getting the other's attention.

-I am Groot...- Said xi and watched as Rocket's ears flattened against his skull.

-I now buddy, I know. I'm sorry there's no music for you to dance to.- Apologized the Raccoon. - We'll fix that soon though, don't worry.- He tried to reassure the sapling, watching sadly as xi just sighed and nodded.

-Damn it, I don't need this- Muttered the male to himself.

Peter was pretty sure he was in heaven. On his way from picking up the package he was suppose to get from the planet he saw a somewhat familiar sign. It advertised animals and at the same time medicine. Now that combination did confuse him a bit at first and he thought it was a sort of a Chinese Market where they sold stuff like powdered Rhino Horn and what-not, but he was so very very wrong.

-No! Stop! Please, no more! - Cried the man as he was slowly and enthusiastically buried under small warm bodies. That's right, Peter was surrounded by what he was pretty sure were the alien equivalent of Terran pugs. A whooping 7 of them.

When the man entered the shop he was met by a smiling orange-skinned female, and led to a consultation table with sensor panels. After placing his hands there for a minute he was then led towards a small room full of pillows in sturdy cases and a pile of blankets. Quill began to be suspicious.

-Hey, I'm sorry, just to clarify, I don't want any... relations or anything, alright? Even if they're medical! Especially if their animal!- Called out the man as he was gently but firmly pushed on the floor and leaned against the pillows.

The female only smiled and chirped something in local language that was for some reason not being translated by his implant. She then straightened up and pushed a button on the wall panel, revealing a small door in the bottom of the opposite wall.

Out came 7 loafs. Or potatoes. Peter wasn't sure. All he knew was that very soon he was being licked and cuddled from every possible angle, every dog trying to butt him in the chin, lick his face, or sit on it, depended on the pugs really. Never the less, the man was in ecstasy.

Quickly pulling out his comm, the Terra manages to free an arm enough to snap a picture and send it to Yondu's number.

-Let him be jealous, right my pretties?- Cooed the guy as he tried to hug all of the pugs at once. - Yeash, that's right! Let Yondu be jealous!- Truly, had someone walked in at the moment they would've died from sweetness overload.

Somewhere far away a Centaurian an cursed as his drunk lover stopped his ministrations and started aww-ing at the comm.