Things Never Left Unsaid

Chapter Fifteen

So that's it, that's why I haven't spoken to your parents for so long. Because I betrayed them".

Aleta finally finished and came back to her senses, and looked down at the young boy, who had been rapt by all of this. Of how she had betrayed his parent, digested every bit of information and processed it as only a child could.

The rest of the crew just sat there in awe and silence in all of this, of Aleta Osgood finally confessing her soul about the deaths of Regellen and Hoag, and how she had abandoned them.

Silently Peter slid off Aleta's lap, whilst she was still holding their wedding picture, and stepped back slowly, clutching Fang tightly in his arms, like a shield against her.

what she had done, was so horrific to him, as Staker made a motion for the boy to come forward, but Peter stepped back some more.

"My daddies got hurt and it was all your fault, you left them. My daddies wouldn't leave them" which was a true statement to make.

Staker tried to explain, and Aleta was mentally exhausted from trying too. whilst it was overwhelming for Peter, and he made his way to the door, to get out of there.

"Peter, look I know you have a right to be upset". Staker remembering Peter's abilities, realised they may have act two in their hands. Whilst Peter almost at the bridge stairs, turned and looked at them, and for a moment it looked like Kraglin's face appeared over Peters, and he said" Regellen and Hoag's deaths are your fault".

In the older Xandarian voice before Peter took off across the ship, for the one place where everything made sense on his own, before Aleta, still looking at the image of Regellen and Hoag's clandestine wedding day gravely said "I fucked up big time didn't I".

There was an uncomfortable silence before Mainframe, said bluntly "Yes", and Aleta placed the picture down on the side and silently got up and left the bridge. Not taking after Peter, that wasn't fair, instead, she had to go and find a place on the Galleon where she could collect her thoughts, but she was followed a few minutes later by her husband

Staker didn't give the reason why, just telling Mainframe that they were in charge, as much as something that Peter dismissed as a toy could be. But the tension lifted, after they had left, whilst Martinex was the first to speak to try to break the tension.

"You know I've waited a long time to hear that, so before you give me shit about them, I have no regrets". To which Mainframe answered in the affirmative, having remembered everything which went on back then, and pleased to see the plan they had hatched between themselves come to fruition.

But they never intended Aleta to confess like this. But now all they could do was wait and see what happened next.

For little Peter, he walked across the deck, since the layout of the Star Hawk was like the Elector until he found the mess hall. Since to Peter, that was where you went when you were upset, and he was upset and trying to process everything as much as a four-year-old could.

There he saw Actveia who was putting dinner together and knew from the look on the boy's face, and thanks to Iztel's precise instructions that if he was upset then he needed a distraction.

Actveia told the boy that he could help, since a message was sent over by Mainframe that Peter was heading down, and a brief description of what had just happened.

Peter was grateful to do anything as a stool was brought over and he stood there with Actveia and mixed in herbs and spices since Actveia was making a simple strew. Something was easy for Peter to help with since he cooked with Iztel and now Proctom all the time.

For a while, Peter was silent and with a big spoon stirring the vegetables, whilst Actveia just waited until Peter said "Aleta, hurt my daddies",

Actveia paused for a moment since Peter was upset, and just replied softly "Yes I know". Peter not knowing what he knew just said in return.

"Well, they were not my daddies then, I came later…but they were hurt". Then Peter paused and sighed "I want to see my daddies".

Actveia was fully aware that Peter had abilities, that couldn't be explained. Everyone who had been sworn to silence following the mental dismantling of the deck days earlier quickly fought for a distraction.

"Well, I know he'll be there soon, all your family, and I bet they are missing you". This was a true statement to make to a child whilst Peter grew an inquisitive look on his face. "What is your family?".

Actveia was stunned for a moment since this was something he never really shared, he was a cook, first and foremost and not a Ravager, but he began to tell the four-year-old about his life.

How his family were mixed with Xandarian and Darbian, but he was orphaned ed his late teens and he was taught to cook by his aunt who was the latter. Being in his late teens, at the time, he wanted to see the universe and left for an adventure, and hadn't told anyone about it, he had just left.

Actveia hadn't been home in years, explaining that they were good and well-liked and he wasn't. "I do miss them though", he told Peter, "And maybe I'll go home soon, settle down and become respectable", he finished with a laugh.

Then Peter just looked at him for a second, as if frozen, before he stopped what he was doing, and ran off to get his paper, pencils and crayons. However, Actveia knew children got distracted quickly and left little Peter to it for a while

Peter just drew, being distracted from hearing how his daddies had been hurt, which was playing on his mind, and he wanted his parents to be with him as soon as possible.

For Actveia, just mentioning his family, leaving out that he was a wild shit who got into much trouble, in a decent family, who tried to take care of him.

Orphaned, and lonely, Actveia never felt good enough in a family of high achievers in comparison to his cousin, who was the same age as him. For the first time in his life, Actveia began to reflect on that and of home and wondered if they missed him, or even cared.

On the same Galleon, but mentally separated by light years, Stakar came across his wife, on the end of the deck, in a quiet area, not normally visited by crew. The same place when he had talked with Yondu only a few days earlier, which now felt like years.

His wife was staring out to the stars and with her fingertips clenched was nibbling on one of her fingernails, one of the usual sights that she as if stressed, as with her back to her husband, suddenly said in a harsh whisper.

"Why didn't you stop me?"

It was a hell of an opener, and Staker was slightly pissed that his wife after all these years was putting the onus on him, but it was an opening at least. The pair began to talk, of Stakar's mistake of not intervening, not wanting his wife to appear weak, and her feelings on the issue, of why he hadn't gone back. And it was heart-breaking, selfish and cruel.

Finally, the pair came to an understanding, of where they had both messed up, whilst Aleta her soul was raw, just muttered. "I need to apologise to Kraglin, even if he wasn't first mate, I owe him that. God Staker. We've fucked this up so badly, no wonder they think I'm a monster".

That was the truth, and that was something, and now they had to try and make Peter understand. Which was difficult because he was a demigod, not their son and four years old.

Venturing back to the Mess Hall, Peter has finished his drawings and was now engaged in making the dinner, getting all animated when he was adding the vegetables. Since this was an important job on the Elector, and according to Peter Actveia was nice and the food was better. When Aleta in Staker came in, the mood changed instantly.

"I don't want to talk to you", Peter said with a pout, before turning his back to the couple, even though they were in charge. They felt their power slipping away, which they had to reclaim, and it was Staker who was the first to speak.

"Peter, I know we hurt you daddies, but we are going to apologise to them, and try to make it all better". Trying to logically explain things to a child, was drama in itself whilst Peter just gave a "Humnp" in return.

However, Actveia who had developed a fondness for the child, since he was a smart bull of fiery cuteness instructed Peter to keep stirring to make the strew nice the thick for the crew. And with his eyes got the attention of the ones in charge of the ship and they both stepped away to the shadows.

Actveia since he had no authority, but decided to use what he had anyway, suddenly spoke up. "Look I know you're in charge, but since I'm not a Ravager anyway, I don't think Peter should be bunking with you tonight, he is really upset".

The Ogord's were incredulous for a moment, but he continued, "Look you can do whatever the hell you want to me, but Iztel left ME in charge of this boy's education, and making sure he was ok. And right now, Peter isn't. I have that room next to mine for food, nothing in it at the moment but I can put up a small bed for him, and make sure he's ok"

If the last part was meant to be a dig at the Ogord's, for what happened to Peter a few days earlier, it succeeded, and stunned them both, before Peter who should not have heard any of this but did anyway piped up.

"But you can read me a bedtime story if you want", which seemed to put that to rest, and Actveia didn't know where that came from, but he knew the boy had been upset.

For a moment Actveia was concerned about what Iztel would think if word got back that Peter was unhappy with him, or maybe his parents, as Actveia went back to Peter who was happily chattering away.

Whilst Aleta and Stakar went back to the main deck, they did send a message for a makeshift bed to be placed in Actveia quarters with blankets, but internally felt wretched, and pushed out of all of this.

"He hates us", Aleta wondered out loud, which Staker had no answers for because he was following in the footsteps of his very justified parents if he did, however for Peter, he just kept himself busy with Actveia who was warming up more to the four-year-old.

A little while later after a nice dinner of strew which he had helped with, and an exhausting day, Peter was tired as he went to his new makeshift room. It was better than the first room since Actveia had managed to make a lot of effort with a night light, his toys, and a view of the stars from a small port window.

Peter had let Actveia help with the washing and dressing and was all curled up in bed with Fang and Smelly Meg as Aleta and Staker entered the room, with Peter's pad, whilst Actveia was saying goodnight to him gently.

Peter gave Actveia a small kiss goodnight, then Peter suddenly said "This bed is nice, you have to keep it", which was a confusing and cryptic comment from the boy, as Aleta gently and for the final time, told the boy a bedtime story.

Until Peter was asleep and settled, feeling a pull in her chest since she still needed to talk to this child's parents, and she was already missing him, sleeping against her.

With the room secure, Staker and Aleta left, since Actveia wasn't the type of man to hurt Peter, and had stepped up when the boy needed him to.

To be continued…eventually

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