A/N:

Thank you so much for all the favs/reviews and alerts! You guys are so awesome! :)

Sorry this update took longer than expected; been bombarded with work. But, thankfully, I found some free time to write some more RocketxPeter awesomeness!

Sorry for bad spelling and grammar.

Enjoy! :)

Ain't Nothing In The Universe Like Me
Written by mpkio2

Chapter 5
A Skipped Beat

"You…want the Nova Corps…to help change you back into your original…form?" Nova Prime asked, confused, confirming, unsure of what she was even asking, her brain still trying to process the situation that was standing in front of her in the form of the fury companion of the Guardians Of The Galaxy, Rocket, but was actually the leader of the rag-tag team of misfits, Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord. As if to confirm her question and the settle her frazzled and unsettling thoughts, the furry form in front of her nodded its head. "And…how pre tel, did you expect us to…help you? Why would you even think we would in the first place, after infiltrating the Nova base-"

"Ah!" Peter interjected, a claw extended in the air. "Plan A failed, see? So we had to settle for Plan B…"

"…Causing havoc and injuring my guards….." Nova Prime continued, her voice raising in volume and irritation., taking a step forward.

"…Hey!" Peter interrupted once more, paws crossing over in front of his chest, his body moving slightly away from Nova Prime, as if hurt but such an accusation. "We didn't "injure," any 'em…"

"I disagree," Drax intersected. "I may have broken a man's arm," And as if to confirm the injury, Drax pointed over to his right, outside the circle of guards and over to a guard, laying on the floor, holding on to his arm which was disjointed in an disturbing position, a couple of his friends surrounded him trying to help. "It was an accident…"

"Accident my foot, you big maroon!" The guard in question answered, releasing a painful screaming in the process.

"Don't you mean "Accident my…arm" ?" Peter asked, his paws in the air as if waiting for an erupted and jubilant applause from the circle of guards, an imaginary audience that only he could see. But alas, no applause came his way. "Oh come on people! That was an optune time for a joke and none of you got it?"

"I am sorry, Quill," Drax answered, turning to face his Captain with a plain expression. "I did not comprehend your lame excuse for a joke,"

"This is not the time, you two!" Gamara said, stretching her hands to the sides between both Drax and Peter. "We're in a serious situation here….!"

"And I'm just trying to lighten the mood, making it less serious!" Peter replied, his arms outstretched, still waiting for an applause that would not come. "Oh come on guys! You need to show your entertainer a little support,"

"Enough!" Nova Prime had reached her limit, had heard quite enough gibberish; Peter Quill and his team, non-surprisingly, had surpassed her tolerance of how much she could bear to be around them. "You have wasted my time, caused mayhem among my base and yet you have the tenacity to ask for my help?"

"Err…yeah," Peter replied, with a bold and brave smirk plastered on his muzzle.

"Why? Why would I help you now when you have done…" Nova Prime extended her arms, around at the scene, the carnage that bear waste before them. "….this?!"

"Because we're the guardians of the frickin' galaxy. You need us and I can't do my job, not when I'm…well…" Peter gestured down to his current form.

"But why the Nova Corps, Peter Quill?" Nova Prime asked, taking, yet, another step forward, her arms folded, a stern and unimpressed expression on her pursed lips. "Why do you think you'll find your solution here?"

"Ronan's ship," Peter asked with a shrug. "That's when this all started," Another gesture to his fury body and Peter continued. "After the crash landing, after we saved the whole galaxy, after I thought I found it all…I got these….headaches and I thought I could just ignore it and pretend like they weren't even there, like it wasn't happening at all. But that did nuthin', and yeah it was kinda stupid of me to do that, trust me I know; Gamora has already told me like a hundred times…"

"And I'll keep telling you until it gets into that thick head of yours, Quill," Gamora said with a striking glare.

"Love ya too, Gams," Peter replied with a wink, to which Gamora grimaced. "Anyway," Peter carried on, turning back to Prime. "Because of my ignorance, this is what happened. I've paid a hefty fine, and I know you guys are the only ones who can save me now,"

A deafening silence echoed along the long corridor, bouncing off the walls and vibrating back. Perhaps he had fallen asleep, or somehow accidentally frozen time in place. Whatever the reason, Peter looked up to Prime and saw the answer, a battle taking place upon her face, weaving in out between understanding sympathy and lingering rage.

"And what, pray tell, makes you think that the Nova Corps can help you?" Nova Prime enquired in a firm tone, finally breaking the silence that almost deafened the people within the corridor.

"Well….you're the freakin' Nova Corps, that's why!" Peter replied in an exasperated voice, his arms, momentarily, flailing up in the air in exaggeration. "You've got all that fancy tech and what-not! You can easily fix me up with a pill that can change me back, right?"

Silence greeted Peter in answer.

Nova Prime looked down at him, her mouth slightly agape.

"Right?" The human-turned-raccoon looked around at the guards that surrounded he and his team, desperate for a confirmation, an answer that would surely ease and soothe his tightening stomach. "C-come on!"

"Quill," What he next heard, shook him to his very core; Gamora's voice came to him, calming and soothingly. He looked over to her and saw that she had sheathed her weapon, Drax too by his side, his two knifes down in a relaxed state. "Let's go home already…"

No, that's not right, Peter thought, feeling his heart beat slightly abnormally behind his ribcage, processing what he saw before him, what he heard from Gamora's voice. Leave? Now? No, not when the answer to this small little hiccup was right here before him. Flark it all, his plan! They should be following his plan, and now here they were, staring at him with…what?...worry?

Slowly, with everything finally coming together, Peter felt a small smile creep up on his lip, which grew and transformed into an uncontrollable laugh, which echoed and bounced off the walls. "Wha-hahaha….are you talkin' about?"

"Captain Quill-" Drax started slowly, taking a hand placing it on Peter's right shoulder. Feeling the contact of skin upon his fur, Peter could feel himself bristle with discomfort, shrugged his shoulder in response, looked up and slightly snarled up to the ex-murderer.

"No, Drax," Peter growled, turning his attention on Nova Prime once more. "We ain't going nowhere, not until she turns me back,"

"I can't gauarntte that," Nova Prime sated, her arm up, holding back her guards who were ready at any moment to attack. "Even if I did agree to help you, theres a chance that-"

"Fine!" Peter exclaimed, fur still on end, throwing down his weapon onto the marble tileing beneath him, a "CLANG" sound echoing around him. "I get it, alright? So, now can you fix…." A gesture to his own raccoon body. "…this?!"

But before Nova Prime could give her confirmation, someone had already started shouting and raving, somewhere down the corridor…

"Get your hands off me you damn-humie, before I make sure you never use them again!"

Rocket?

Momentarily, not believing any of his five senses, Peter turned in the direction of where the voice had come from. And, sure enough, within a few moments, a couple of guards moved a little, allowing for a new guard, who had Rocket by the scruff within a quenched fist and threw the enginetically-engineered-raccoon within the circle and landed by Peter's hind-paws.

"Rocket!" Peter exclaimed. "You came!"

"Shut up, Star-dork!" Slowly, standing to brush himself off, tailing swishing in agitation, ignoring Peter and the other Guardian's entirely, Rocket turned to glare at the guards. "Throw me down like garbage, will ya?!"

Rocket, bearded with no weapon, was readying for himself to attack, to pounce and make the guards pay for treating him like nothing but a worthless crea-

But before he could get the chance to make his first move, the guards held their weapons ready, their guns humming in anticipation and excitement. The raccoon, having seen said weapons, hesitated, looked around, and retracted his intention to rebuttal. Instead, he growled, lowly, and glared at them all.

"You're just lucky you have all your buddies around here," Rocket addressed the nearest guard to him, a retracted claw pointing right at him.

"Speakin' of buddies," Peter began, in a sing-song voice. "Thanks for comin', buddy," Unknowingly to Rocket, Peter had stealthily snuck up on the unsuspecting raccoon and had embraced him within a tight, strong hug. "Glad you finally made the right choice,"

"Let-go-Quill!" Rocket heaved out, finding it difficult to breathe within Peter's revers-bear hug. Rocket, infuriated by Quill's over-excitement, used his claws to dig at the transformed-humie as reply and show of his discomfort. Finally getting the message, Peter let Rocket go.

"Sure," Peter replied, lightly, a goofy grin still plastered on his muzzle. "Whatever you say, buddy," After a moment of recovering his breathe, Rocket turned and lay waste to Quill's stupidity.

"You flarkin' idiotic!" Rocket exclaimed, tail swishing from side to side. "You know why I didn't join you on this mission? Know why I tried to stop ya?!"

Upon hearing the aggression in Rocket's voice, Peter's smile slowly died from his face. "You never tried to stop me!"

"I did so!"

"When? Whendya' tell me, huh?"

A slight pause. No-one moved. Nothing was said.

And then…

A sigh escaped Rocket's muzzle, one in which seemed to wheeze out slowly, that caused the raccoon to slump his shoulders, a tried expression covered his face.

"I told you, didn't I?" Rocket said in calmer voice, one which still tilted on the verge of anger. "Said you weren't gonna find anything here, didn't I? And this…." Rocket gestured to Nova Prime and her guards. "Is your flarkin' answer!"

Peter, despite how much Rocket had riled up him, couldn't deny that he was right. When Peter had tried so much into coaxing Rocket out of his room, encouraging him to join him on this very mission, the raccoon had told him, warned him, time and time again…

"You won't find anything. It's a waste of time…"

"So why are here you now, then?" Peter asked, taking a step forward. "Huh? If you knew my plan was idiotic, knew it would fail like it has, why in all of the galaxy, would you come?"

Slowly, and Peter was sure, he could see Rocket's features falter somewhat; his fur had laid down, no longer on end, ears were dropping, tail slowed and eyes laid downcast.

"If I weren't gonna come, who the flark' was gonna save all your sorry, asses, huh?"

Processing the sincerity, and depth of the words which came out of Rocket's muzzle, Peter stood dazed and touched by the genuine care he had heard.

"Rocket…"

"I'm a Guardian," Rocket replied, looking anywhere by at his team mates. "This is what we do…"

"Structure plans that ultimately fail," Drax stated, head slowly nodding as if in understanding. "Yes, that is what we do,"

"No, dumb-nuts!" Rocket shouted back, turning to face Drax, his usual tone of voice and stance, returned. "We save people!"

"I assure you, furry friend," Drax replied calmly, not addressing Rocket's angered tone of voice. "There is no one here by that name…"

"I'm talking to you, dummy!"

"My name is not "dummy,"; it is Drax The Destoryer,"

"That's it!" The enraged cyber-engineered-raccoon lunged towards Drax, claws retracted and ready to pile on a furry of hurt upon the big doofus. But before Rocket could indulge himself in relief, a hand grabbed him by the scruff, stopping him dead in mid-air…

"We don't have time for this, Rocket!" Gamora exclaimed in the not-to-pleased raccoon's face, his tail twitching slightly from side to side. "Can't you see we're in a bit of a situation here,"

"Which is why, Gams, I've come to help you jerks" Rocket replied in a controlled, leveled voice, mostly due to the fact that Gamora her blade unsheathed in her opposite hand, the raccoon unaware of how she intended to use it and whether it will be used upon himself. "Some gratitude would be appreciated!"

"Hey!" Peter piped up. "I'm happy your-!"

"Shut up, Quill!"

"Enough of this!" At the sound of Nova Prime's voice, once again, ringing out through the corridor walls, eyeone present fell silent at once, accompanied by weapons being sheathed and a stunned Gamorra slowly placing Rocket back on the floor. When Prime was satisfied that everyone was giving her their full and undivided attention, she cleared her throat and took a step forward.

"Guardians, I am most disappointed in you, especially when we have given you such high regarded privileges and responsibility to take care of what we all hold dear…"

"Jeez, feels like we're being scolded by a principal or summethin'…" Rocket muttered under his breathe, his eyes down to the ground, a paw rubbing the back of his head. However, at least two people had heard his mutterings; one being Peter, who standing next to him, giggled quietly, coughing his muzzle with his free paw, giving Rocket a nudge with his arm. And the other, Nova Prime, to which Rocket was sure he could feel her gaze blaring down right through skull.

"As I was saying…" Nova Prime continued, "I am displeased. But,…"

"But?" Rocket heard Peter muttered in a hopeful, turning his head to his right, seeing Quill staring up at Nova Prime, his eyes almost glistening with hope. Seeing the sight before him, Rocket had to force down a snigger; boy, if only the once-humie could now see how pathetic he looks!

A sigh escaped through Nova Prime's pursed lips.

"I am willing to consider your request, Captain Quill,"

"Yes!" Peter exclaimed, jovially, the transformed-human, punching his clenched paw in the air, looking as his home team had just one the Superbowl. "You're so awesome, Prime!"

And there he is now, standing with an outstretched arm, giving Nova Prime a thumbs up, one eye closed and smiling all the while like a stupid, doting fool. If only Rocket could capture this moment forever; flark, he would have such blackmailing power on Quill; could possibly get away with anything….

"That is," Nova Prime started again. "If you agree to our terms, knowing full well that there is no guarantee to fix you…"

Fix him?

"I don't care, Prime!" Peter replied with that big goofy smile still plastered on his muzzle. "I'll take anything, no matter how little the chance. I just…want to go back…."

Go back?

Already?

Huh, I thought Star-dork would last a lot longer than this…

Guess my expectations were too high for him.

Rocket scoughs.

Of course he wants to go back….wants to be fixed…

I wanted that too once…

"Well then, if you are in full agreement, I think it would be wise if we all went inside and discussed this further. My men will also need to start rebuilding most of the destruction you have caused to our facility…" Upon the group of guards, a few audible groans could be heard.

"Err…yeah, sorry about that…" Peter replied almost sheepishly, a paw rubbing the back of his head.

Flark it! Look at him now, rubbing his head lookin' all shy and…vulnerable…and…wait, why did my heart just-?

It felt as if Rocket's heart had momentarily….stopped. Sweating and almost shaking, Rocket gripped his heart, willing it to work at its normal function. His heart seemed to heed to his word, and began to bump at a normal rate…well, as far the raccoon could tell.

Wha….what was that?

It felt…strange, weird…something Rocket had never…experienced.

So foreign.

Unknown.

And yet…

Rocket was shaking, feeling his cheeks heat up with heat, his paws all clammy and sweaty and-

"Hello, Rocky!" A paw waving in front of him brought Rocket out of his mini panic attack and back to reality, finding Peter in the form of a smiling, furry raccoon standing in front of him. "Are you OK, dude?"

"Wha-? Oh yeh, sure Star-Dork," Rocket replied with an air of indifference, as if he wasn't just staring out to space, he, like Quill, looking like a complete idiot. "Are we gonna go in a talk this out or what?"

"Err…everyone's already gone, Rocket," And sure enough, as Rocket's eyes darted around, he realized that he and Quill were the only two standing within the narrow corridor. "You've just been standing here all quiet like and I was…"

"Save it, Quill," Rocket interjected, a paw reaching up in a "Stop" gesture. "Let's just go…"

"Oh," Peter replied in a mumble as Rocket walked passed him, his eyes half closed and downcast. "Ok, then,"

Bump!

There it was again….a missed beat.

And Rocket could feel his fur absorbing the sweat that released through his body. A paw grabbed on to his heart as he felt something grab his free one.

Something…someone, was holding his free paw…

And that someone made it skip again.

Eyes glistening with hope, a doofus smile plastered on his muzzle…

A raccoon, just like him…

Peter flarkin' Quill…

-TO BE CONTINUED-

A/N:

Finally, it's done! Yay!

This was such an enjoyable chapter to write (Even though I got stuck a couple of times).

This chapter, for me anyway, is what I like to call a "transitional" chapter; in other words, its purpose is supposed to lay the foundations of getting into the real juicy parts of the story where we will see more character development and fluffy Pocket!

The hints of how Rocket is feelin' is already there, slowly starting to build, and with this new feeling comes confusion, anger, conflict, the works really, so prepare for it all to come!

Oh, and I think Peter is adorable as a raccoon!

Anyway, please leave a review telling me what you thought of this chapter. It will mean the world to me! Thank you! :)

Until next time!