Surrender

Chapter 7: I've Known Her All These Years

Groot looks up from his tablet and studies the situation. Rocket and Gamora are still screaming at each other. Big surprise. Meanwhile, Star-Lord has fallen asleep and lies on the medical bed between them.

"I am Groot," the teenager grumbles to himself and tries to concentrate on the game "Space Invaders," but there's too much noise.

"At least I didn't almost get him killed!" Gamora cries.

Rocket's ears go back. "How many times do I have to tell you that it was an accident? I didn't mean for him to get blown up!"

"And I'm supposed to believe this from the creature who collects mechanical body parts?!"

The raccoon raises his paws in the air. "It's a hobby!"

Groot looks up from his game to chastise the pair, who are obviously not acting like adults in this situation, and notices the sleeping Terran stir and open his eyes. Even though their captain is awake, the raccoon and assassin aren't paying attention to him. Groot smiles craftily and waits for the situation to play itself out.

"Trash panda!" Gamora screams.

"Overreacting—mean—lady!" Rocket shouts back.

"I am Groot," the teenager comments blandly.

Rocket is about to have a full-on tail-shaking tantrum. "I'm not great at insults! I'm trying!"

Peter looks back and forth at them, slack-jawed with wonderment before speaking: "Mom and dad—please don't fight…"

"Peter!" Gamora exclaims. She bends over him and places a green hand on his forehead to check his temperature the old fashioned way.

Peter suppresses a grin at her touch. "No one is accusing Rocket of being 'rash sandals.' And Rocket, don't call Gamora a 'slowly reacting green baby.' That's just rude…"

The others stop and stare at each other with complete bewilderment.

Peter blinks sleepily, a lopsided smile on his face. "How 'm I doin' at lip reading?"

"I think his fever has broken."

"NOT FEELIN' SO FEVERISH ANYMORE," says Quill, about five notches too loud for the small room they're in. "THANKS FOR THE MEDICINE!"

Drax enters the med bay with the decorum of an inattentive elephant to find Gamora face-palming and Rocket with his paws stuck in his ears. Groot sighs wistfully and shuts down his game.

"The Terran is alive," Drax states.

"HI, DRAX!" Peter says cheerfully, causing the furry navigator to wince again.

"Hello, Peter Quill," returns Drax, his face emotionless. "I am overjoyed that you have not expired."

"DID YOU SAY YOU'VE RETIRED?!"

Rocket yells, "Shut up!" at the same time Gamora places her hand over Peter's mouth. The Terran says something else, but his words are muffled.

Drax looks puzzled. "Why are you trying to suffocate the Terran?"

Gamora rolls her eyes. "I'm not hurting him, Drax. Peter's speaking way too loudly because he can't hear himself."

Drax's expression doesn't change. "What are you talking about? That's the first time I've been able to actually understand him."

The Flora colossus rolls his eyes and decides it's time for him to take on a leadership role while their original fearless leader is trying to talk through Gamora's hand. He turns on the "speech to text" feature of his tablet and hands it over to Star-Lord.

"I am Groot," he says calmly.

Gamora's surprise causes her hand to fly from Peter's mouth to her own. Rocket's mouth also gapes open, along with Drax's. Even Quill seems impressed by the gesture.

"Is this," Quill says in a softer tone, "for me?"

Groot bobs his head up and down. "I am Groot." He points at the tablet with a stalky hand as his words are copied on the screen before Peter's eyes.

"Woah," says the Terran, impressed. "Thank you."

A minute smile flickers across the leafy creature's features.

Rocket says behind his paw to Drax, "I've been trying to get him to give up that stupid tablet for months."

"I am Groot!" the teenager snaps at Rocket and stomps back to his seat.

"This is awesome!" Star-Lord exclaims. "Drax—say something!"

Drax looks confused, glancing back and forth between Rocket and Gamora, shrugging.

The raccoon rubs his snout. "It doesn't matter what you say, Drax. It's gonna be translated onto his tablet thingy."

"So cool!" Peter approves as he reads Rocket's response in text, rubbing his eyes.

"I know," Drax says. "I was thinking of something profound."

Gamora rubs her temples. "Drax, why don't you tell us what the message was about?"

The destroyer blinks and nods. "Nova Corps thanks us for the stolen data pad and will pick it up at our convenience."

"I think there's an outpost nearby—maybe only eight hours away," Gamora says. "What do you think, Peter?"

But when they all look down at the Terran, he has drifted off again, Groot's gamer still clutched in his hands and on top of his chest, rising and falling with his breaths. Gamora regards her sleeping friend and gently takes the tablet from him. It's not a spoken order, but everyone realizes it's Star-Lord's cue for all of them to get some shut eye. So they do.

Gamora wakes up to a crash.

On instinct, she reaches for the blaster at her hip, then relaxes when she realizes where she is: back in the med bay, propped against a less-than-comfortable chair. She remembers that everyone except for Drax, who was in charge of steering the ship, fell asleep in the med bay after Quill fell asleep. It just seemed easier and logical at the time to be there for him when he woke up again.

There is a crick in her neck, and she pops it with satisfaction, listening to the sound of her crew mates' sleep-noises in the darkness. The assassin realizes she must have really been tired to sleep through Rocket's snores because they are loud enough to burst anyone's eardrums.

Gamora is about to fall back asleep in her cramped position when she hears a different noise—a whimper. And then:

"Son of a bitch!"

"Peter?!"

She's on her feet faster than Rocket can set a charge, pressing a button on a nearby console that floods the med bay in dim light.

Star-Lord is on his hands and knees in front of his bed. When he looks up at her, his hair is mussed, and his eyes are rolling slightly. He holds onto the bed to hoist himself up, but his legs are trembling too badly, and he grunts, sinking back down again.

"Here—let me help you," Gamora says, swiftly taking his shoulders. The look of gratitude Peter gives her when he finally notices the assassin causes a flush of heat that radiates between her shoulder blades, like invisible wings expanding outwards.

"What's the rumpus?" comes at a growl at her shins. It's Rocket, rubbing the furry rings around his eyes grumpily.

She knows Quill can't hear them, but he explains anyway, just a hint of a slur in his voice, "Wa s'gonna head back to my room, but my balance is still off. Stupid balance."

"You could always crawl to your room," Rocket says before Gamora smacks him.

Star-Lord, oblivious to Rocket's comments, merely bows his head, his cheek brushing Gamora's neck, shoulders slumped, helpless and defeated.

"C'mon!" the assassin whispers to Rocket.

Whining and complaining under his breath the entire way, the raccoon hastily takes Peter's other arm, and the two of them slowly guide their Terran commander out of the med bay and towards his quarters. Before they leave, Gamora notes Groot sleeping on a chair by the door, one branch-like arm tucked under his head, snoring softly. It's yet another moment that makes the assassin surprised at how all of them have come together to help their injured captain.

Quill weaves down the hallway, stepping on Rocket's paw multiple times. Gamora has to bite her tongue when Rocket curses Peter only to have the Terran bump into the little thief, oblivious to his swear words. Finally, they reach Star-Lord's quarters, and they all slip inside. Both Gamora and Rocket delicately deposit Peter onto his bed, a variety of sheets and pillows piled messily on top.

The Terran steadies his breathing and closes his eyes, as if he just ran a marathon. When he opens them, Gamora abruptly sees flashes of uncertainty and fear.

"Thanks, guys. I…" Quill looks like he's about to say something, but the words dissolve into a mumble.

Rocket says a few impolite phrases under his breath and waves goodbye. Gamora is about to follow suit when—

"Wait."

The raccoon and assassin turn around simultaneously. Gamora knows what's coming, and she almost runs to put her hand over Peter's mouth—to stop him from speaking until the morning—but it's too late.

"Until this is over, Gamora's in command," Quill says steadily, no hint of slur in his tone. "And if I don't get back to normal—"

"Don't say that—"

"—then indefinitely," Star-Lord finishes without noticing that Gamora spoke. "Rocket, you're lead pilot. You were always better than me anyway."

"Well, I dunno about that," says Rocket and shoots an over-the-top wink at Gamora.

Peter remains un-phased. "I clearly saw you wink."

Rocket's eyes widen, then he shrugs. "Get better, you idiot," he mutters sincerely before leaving Quill's quarters.

Gamora follows Rocket, heart hammering in her chest, but Star-Lord's voice stops her.

"Stay with me?"

The assassin turns around so quickly, she feels dizzy with the movement.

"Of course," she says and kneels at his side. "Just go to sleep."

Peter settles back among the nest of scattered sheets and pillows. When he closes his eyes, Gamora breathes a sigh of relief, but then they flash open again, wide and searching in the dim light of his quarters.

"Gamora, 'm afraid," he whispers.

Gamora's initial reaction is to freeze. She isn't entirely sure how to comfort him. What does their relationship amount to, anyway? A few dances and regular verbal sparring? When Gamora used to think of her future, it rarely included anyone from her current crew.

And yet, in the half-light, looking down at the Terran she respects as a leader, and the man she considers a friend, Gamora realizes that none of that matters. She takes Peter's hand.

"Just go to sleep," she says calmly, soothingly.

Peter hums a bit, eyes fluttering closed, then opening. "Am I delirious, or did you kiss me a little earlier?"

"You're delirous," she says, deadpan.

Gamora tries not to think about the way Peter's subsequent smile causes her face to flush. In a few minutes, Quill closes his eyes and sleeps. Gamora keeps holding his hand until the artificial night is over.

TBC

A/N: It's a Christmas miracle! I actually found some time to write! Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing.