Chapter Eleven

Oh My god, I can't believe that we're at the end. Thank you all so much for following along with this story and for putting up with my, frankly erratic updating schedule. I have started the sequel to this that covers the events of GOTG and how stuff has changed now that I shook the timeline upside own to hunt for loose change. Thank you all again and I hope to have the first chapter of 'so shall I have mine' in the next few days.

"Well." Yondu said, shaking off the remnants of a prison of rock that had crumbled as soon as Ego's body had disappeared. "That's, er, tha's really somethin'. Did you jus' kill a planet, boy?"

Peter prodded the dirt where Ego's body had once been. The duplicates had all vanished and, it did not seem that Ego would be making any more. The cavern was silent, even the fighting from the surface had gone quiet. Peter frowned and concentrated on the part of his mind where the light burned. Through it he could hear a faint, rhythmic hum, like someone breathing gently.

"I think he's unconscious." Peter frowned. Before cocking his head to the side. "If I killed a planet, does that mean I can skip this month's cleanin' rota?"

Yondu cuffed him lightly round the back of the head. "It mean's I ain't gonna give you an extra shift for asking."

There was a slight pause where they both eyed the empty rock and the thick gouge that Peter's light-sword had made in the rock. Yondu's hand was still on Peter's head and he patted it awkwardy, ruffling up short blonde hair and ignoring Peter's attempt to wriggle away.

"You did good, kid. "Yondu said. "Real good. Gotta say though, if you ever tell anyone what I said about how I control my arrow I am gonna space ya'."

Peter snickered. "I am absolutely gonna tell everyone I know."

"Mmmh." Yondu seethed. "I'm in a good mood so I'm gonna let the cheek slide. But just this one time."

"Hah, that's' –"

"Okay, this is real sweet an' all but this probably aint the time for it."

Both of them startled at Wiz's voice, spinning round to see him standing behind them, jetpack on and unimpressed look on his face.

"We got our ten minutes." Wiz explained, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder at the rock outcropping he and the others had been working on. "Bombs away, an' all that. Meris' already gave the order to fall back while you two were fighting this asshole."

"Better get going then." Yondu said, hoisting Peter up under one arm like a sack of luggage and ignoring the sharp burn in his side at the movement.

"Hey!" Peter protested, wriggling like a Cach-ti tossed in water.

Yondu ignored him, slapping the on switch on his own jetpack and leaping up to the next outcropping. Peter yelped and instantly stopped squirming, grabbing Yondu's leg in a cast-iron grip and not letting go 'til they reached the top of the cavern and Yondu dropped him unceremoniously on the floor.

Wiz collapsed next to him, laughing so hard that he couldn't stand.

"Shuddup." Peter said, aiming a half-hearted kick at his brother's shins.

The planet in front of them was barren. All the tricks and affections that Ego had scattered across the surface had blown away like dust leaving nothing but an empty rock, scattered with dozens of the children that he had so scorned.

In front of them, the one shadow that blocked the horizon, sat Yondu's ship. Battered and broken but, somehow, still working. The engines hummed and not even the slight splutter to their familiar whine could dampen Yondu's relief at seeing it.

A sharp whistle drew his attention and Yondu scowled at the irritatingly squishy feeling of pride that rose in him at the sight of Maris standing in front of the gangway, every one of her siblings called to attention by the single noise.

"Role call. Meds and kids are accounted for." Maris yelled. "Number One."

There was brief silence. Doc was number two and would already be on the ship with the other medics, prepping for any injured.

"Three."

"Four."

"Five."

Maris was nodding her siblings onto the ship as their number was called, obviously in a hurry but no less conscientious for it. She would make sure that no one was left behind.

"105." Wiz called, ducking passed Yondu and speeding up the gangway.

"Hurry UP." Maris snapped. The ground was starting to rumble ominously, as though Ego was beginning to stir. At her words the ship lifted off the ground, hovering just above the surface in case a speedy exit was required. Maris boosted Wiz up onto it and then immediately lifted Kalan, number 106, by the scruff of his neck and tossed him up.

"107." Peter said and Yondu grabbed him by the collar before the boy could move forwards, activating his jetpack again and shooting them both onto the ship. He instantly dropped the boy again and turned to give Maris a hand with pulling the other kids up onto the hovering ship.

Two of the brood were also there, claws digging into the metal of the floor as they tugged on clothing and weapons, mindful of their razor-sharp beaks as they corralled the youngsters into some kind of order.

"Number 122." Lana said, her gravely voice unusually quiet as a bundle of acid-green and royal-blue feathers were bundled into Yondu's arms. "And- number 123."

Yondu blinked. Staring down at the bundle in his arms. It took a long time. Too long. For him to be able to see through the dread pounding in his head to make out what he was holding. To see the fluffy wings and scaled tail and wide-open eyes of one of the youngest members of his crew.

Next to him Maris had finally finished the call, boosting the last sibling onto the ship and scrambling up herself, slapping the button to close the doors and giving the order for them to take off – following the Ravager army into the sky.

Yondu barely noticed. His fingers had found their way to Chii's neck and had turned to ice at the silence they found there. He had known what he would find before he did. No one had eyes like that and still drew breath.

Lana was still standing next to him. She hadn't let go of Chii's hand, even when she had passed him over and Yondu could feel her shaking. Wordlessly he held open one arm, letting her throw herself against his chest. Chii was cold in his other arm. It was almost bizarre. Being able to hold the two of them so close without them attempting to scratch each other's eyes out. Yondu couldn't say he enjoyed the feeling.

In the end, for all that he had spent years and years of his life dedicating himself to ruining Ego's plans. For all that he definitely considered Ego his greatest enemy, Yondu did not actually watch him die. Instead he sat, his children in his arms, and mourned. For all that Ego had longed for an everlasting legacy his passing went almost unnoticed.

Xxx

For all that Contraxia was an absolute dive, there was one good thing about it; you could always find a bar.

Yondu swirled the glass in his hand, staring into the drink contemplatively.

Kraglin had woken up that morning, just in time to see Chii off. They had lost kids before, failed to get to somewhere before Ego's goons, had to abandon one to keep the rest safe. But somehow, in twelve years, Yondu had never managed to loose one of his own.

The breeze from a hole in the back-wall of the bar sent chills running down Yondu's spine and made his still-healing wounds ache. He downed the shot, nudging the glass towards the bartender for a refill. He was tempted to ask the guy to just leave the bottle. Maris could watch the kids for a day. The issue was that some of the little shits had figured out how to hack the locks so its not like he could guarantee being left alone to sleep off the hangover. Yondu downed another drink, thinking longingly of the time when he'd been considered scary.

Wood squeaked as someone settled in the chair next to him but Yondu refused to look up, gesturing for another drink instead.

"Yondu." Stakar said. He said nothing else.

Yondu twitched, the skinny, centurian kid in him perking up at his captain's attention and Yondu forced himself to roll the tension out of his shoulders.

"What." He grunted. Another drink.

"I'm sorry."

Yondu slammed the glass down onto the table with too much force, shattering it into splinters as he squinted at Stakar in shock. The older Captain had a droopy expression on his face like someone had kicked his puppy or some'in. Yondu grabbed for the bottle and took a swig. There weren't no-way, no-how that he wanted to be sober for whatever this was.

"What ch'you sorry for?" He asked, taking a swig.

"Twelve years ago. I shouldn't have just banished you. You were my responsibility. I should have listened."

Yondu snorted, taking a longer swig. Screw that hangover, that was a problem for future Yondu. "Her name was Skkoyya. Her sister was Dawna. Ego killed them both. Yeah, maybe I didn't know he was gonna kill them. But I still took 'em there. You banished me for dealin' in kids? Well bang on. I did exactly what you said I did."

Stakar shook his head and Yondu shoved down the urge to punch him in his stupid, pitying face. "It wasn't that simple."

"Seems pretty simple to me." Yonde snapped. Skkoyya's marble had gotten lost in all the damage that the ship had taken these passed few days. The only proof that she'd ever existed at all was in Yondu's own memories. He'd seen the cave of bones on his way to rescue his kids. He'd done that. He'd brought her there.

Stakar sighed and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small black box.

"Oh Stakar, you shouldn't have." Yondu quipped, hugging his drink closer to his chest and offering the bartender a gimlet stare when it looked like the other man might attempt to reclaim it.

Stakar ignored him, flipping the lid of the box open.

Yondu's breath froze in his chest. The dim light of the bar flickered against the gold and red of Ravager flames. Yondu swallowed, staring at the pin and hand twitching with the urge to touch an identical patch on his coat. He'd never taken them off, had made sure that all his kids were wearing them, even with the banishment.

Being able to wear them again. Officially. Wearing the damn official captain's pin.

"I was wrong, we want you back, Yondu." Stakar said, rising to his feet. "Think about it."

Yondu didn't move as Stakar swept out of the bar. He didn't move for a very long time.

Xxx

Morning was just beginning to break over the horizon when Yondu left the bar. His coat swept dramatically behind him as he stepped into the very centre of the courtyard that his kids had crashed into. His ship was parked nearby. The thing would never be pretty but at least it wasn't likely to explode on take off anymore.

He looked around, then let off a sharp whistle. The sound was perfectly controlled, loud enough to be heard all across the city and just long enough that no one could claim they hadn't heard it.

At the signal kids began to filter into the courtyard, popping up out of buildings, clambering over roofs and haring round corners. The Brood chattered ominously to themselves as the five of them appeared out of the shadows and Yondu caught sight of Illn's furry form scurrying, lizard-like across the stonework. Maris was one of the first to arrive, parking Kraglin's wheelchair at his right side before stepping into parade-rest on his right.

He nodded at her and she steeped forwards, snapping out a brisk "Role Call!"

Movement behind the kids caught his eye and Yondu glanced over as Stakar and Nanami stepped out of a squat building on the courtyard's edge. He saw the exact moment that Stakar caught sight of the golden flames, proudly pinned to his chest. The older man tilted his head in acknowledgement and Yondu nodded back, turning his attention back to his kids just as Nayadina called "157" on Glim's behalf.

In the sudden silence Yondu stepped forwards. "Alright, you brats. One of my buddies down south got word that there's some important ceremony happening down on Ploosh. Lotsa rich folk, lotsa crowds. I hear they're even gonna be showcasing their crow jewels. They got diamonds as big a goose egg on 'em and I reckon that's the kinda wealth that ought to be shared around."

There was a burst of noise from the crowd as the kids burst into laughter and cheers. Yondu smirked, a sharp slash of teeth.

"Oh, oh, oh, Captain!" Peter shouted from the crowd. He had climbed onto Haracks' shoulders and was waving wildly at Yonu, ignoring hi older brother's attempts to dislodge him. "Can I drive?"

Next to him Maris' perfectly controlled face blanched slightly and Yondu let out a bark of laughter.

"No way in hell." He dropped his hand onto the sheath on his hip, the newly repaired arrow humming slightly at his touch. "Now what do you say we go relive some rich folks of their riches?"

Maris fell into step beside him as Yondu made his way onto the ship, pressing something small into his hand in a motion to quick for anyone to catch. Yondu glanced down opening his hand to see what she had given him and almost barked out another laugh.

It was a marble.