A/N: Writing Ego's POV made my skin crawl. R&R for my efforts?

He showed her the very place where his cautiously-constructed Seed had taken root, beneath bending trees to shade and conceal them from prying eyes, before the uncomfortable tingling began. Ego had had to tear himself away from her embrace as the insides of his material body began to struggle to maintain its seams.

"Oh no, please! No, no. Stay." Meredith held him by the lapels of his jacket and pulled him in for another kiss. Ego let himself indulge her, though the fluctuating beneath his chosen form would not stop.

The manifested God thought he'd get drunk off Miss Quill's kisses sooner or later, but he had to break away from her hold, which was admittedly as fragile as her existence.

"I've gotta go." He repeated, holding the young woman's hands up to keep her from pawing at him. He laughed as she tried to latch onto him with all her might. "I've got to! I've got to! You already knew I'd have to!"

Meredith pouted, she settled on leaning her frame into his and pressing up flush against him. She settled her head against his chest and let her body heat seep into his artificial skin and bones while looking up at him with doe-like green eyes.

She whined, kissing his neck. "But you ain't been 'round long enough. Feels like you just got here."

The God sighed, dropping her hands to wrap her up in an embrace. Kissing the top of Meredith Quill's head, he couldn't tell if the internal shifting he felt were shudders she'd inspired or if they were the indicative signs of his Light draining from the form he'd used to make her more comfortable.

He needed to get off this hunk of rock planet and return to his self-possessed paradise. He needed to move forward with his Divine purpose next, and not become distracted by this wily, dopey teen girl who made his manufactured heart flutter. He was certain, after all, that his seed had successfully transferred and was growing in the human woman's womb. Meredith had finally let him in, after making him waste another trip, with minimal time for side trips, to dazzle her again and let him make love to her near a buckling river.

While Ego had no idea what the gestation period of a Terran female was like or how long it took, he knew it couldn't have been any longer than the reptilian Axthree – those women took a year and a half to incubate their broods.

The god held his chosen Madonna carefully, imagination roaming the grand spectrum of what the little being in her womb would take the shape of and what they might be like in the future next to their sire.

"I know it's hard. But I won't be gone forever." He lied. "I'll be back as soon as I've 'recharged'."

They both laughed, though the girl tightened her hold on him like she was afraid he would disappear from her hold at any moment.

Hurtling through space in a ship of his own design, wherein he was free to do as he pleased with the comfort of no lower lifeform to entertain or subjugate, and all Ego could think to do was pace. He paid only a mite of his attention to the coarse he'd logged in after his first journey to Terra, to ensure that he wasn't crossing through asteroid fields or passing too close to a burning sun.

The god worried, for he had not given his latest find – one Miss Meredith Quill – a kiss of everlasting sleep as he should've before he'd left for the second time. Generally, the mothers once impregnated were given a terminal sentence after it became sure thing – when Ego felt his essence pour life into them that would last. He didn't harm them with his own two fictionalized hands, but like with the Seeds he'd planted into the terrains of their planets, he left a growth within them to take once they'd succeeded in giving birth.

He'd done this a million – if not a billion times in the past with little more than a passing veil of sad affection for the lovers-to-be-mothers that came and went. But he hadn't done it to Meredith, despite the perfect circumstances and the fact that she was just another woman of the primitive species on a backwater planet that he'd caught.

He stopped, feeling the seams of his manifested body weaken once more while the image of his River Lily invaded his mind. She smiled sunnily, eyes only for him, and Ego knew he'd have to rectify his misstep somehow, in a way that went beyond returning to Terra.

He couldn't do it, not again. It would surely be his undoing if he tried to return.

Ego shook Yondu Udonta's hand with a firm grip. He didn't pay any heed to the man's haunted look or his lack of mouthiness as they stood before the Ravager ship that belonged to the captain, planted firmly in the rose-soil terrain of Ego's planet.

Time was fleeting, but it hadn't been very long since Ego had left Terra to discover a fitting heir able to connect with his Light.

The celestial himself didn't go hunting for all the lovely children he'd rooted within countless willing women, and Udonta was just one of many that were willing to get their hands dirty and retrieve Ego's children for him. If ever he'd been fond of anyone, Ego felt a kindred spirit in the jaded Centaurian who asked few questions and often preferred to keep to himself. The man was a savvy business partner who, like any experienced pirate, had dedicated his life to seeking treasure in as many markets and whorehouses as he could.

While his was a far more noble directive, Ego thought he and Yondu were rather similar in that way and had immediately thought of the captain when he'd decided not to seek Meredith Quill of his own accord ever again.

"So we agree then? To Terra and back in two standard weeks' time." Ego's eyebrows rose as he eyed the ravager with a persona full of candor.

Sooner or later, the Ravager captain shook himself free of whatever it was haunting him and looked at Ego dead-on.

"Agreed."

He conclusively discovered the correct ravager ship, after bombarding several others from the 100 factions in an embarrassing display that had required hassle and turning his inherent charm up to eleven – which had not worked leaders like Aleta Ogord, surprisingly. When the Eclector emerged on the other side of the galaxy, far east in Xandarian space (of all forsaken places for a ravager to circulate!), the scum he'd hired had the sheer audacity to keep his orbiting ship at a distance.

Ego's foot had tapped speedily while cannons from the oversized craft remained locked on him, and he had a hell of a time successfully calling in. Captain Udonta had changed the Eclector's logged-in number within the first year of shirking his duty to supply another child as promised.

And yet, while he'd been on and off, distracted with other calls and deliveries, and with disappointing child after disappointing child, Ego had endured the slight with a great deal of grace, until he couldn't any longer. Two and a half standard years was a hell of a long time to wait for a delivery.

When he did get through by way of a lucky guess, the one who lit up Ego's screen was not the captain, but a subordinate with silver hair and silver teeth, and dark eyes that were nowhere near friendly. Surprisingly, while he had no manners to speak of, the silver subordinate OK'd Ego for boarding the Ravager ship after a rather one-sided conversation with the god. And sure enough, Ego was led up to the bridge to hedge a complaint with Captain Udonta himself afterward.

The god, as powerful and incomprehensible to mortals of all sizes and species, could've done without the manhandling by more thuggish subordinates like the shaggy-haired silver one.

"Guys, guys!" Ego joked. "I'm sure this meeting will be completely civilized without loaded guns! Why don't you all just chill out? Huh?"

He wasn't afraid by any stretch of the imagination, but Ego did wonder if the majority of Udonta's crew were not only (probably) illiterate but also incapable of understanding verbal communication. The dirty, ratty criminals on either side of the god's esteemed self, stared with blank malevolence while they hustled alongside Ego. No one spoke a word, though they kept their guns, blasters, and assortment of weaponry close.

"I'm sure your captain can take care of himself…" Ego waved it away until the door to the bridge slid open and he was all but shoved inside. He intended to spot Yondu somewhere near the control panel of the ship, but Ego's jaw dropped within an instant of setting foot inside the ever-grimy room.

He remained stunned far beyond a reasonable measure of time as he drunk in the sight before him. Almost three standard years, and…

There was Meredith Quill, just as he remembered her. Sure, she was dressed in raggedy clothing overlaid by a newly tailored Ravager jacket, and her lovely golden curls had been chopped unevenly to her shoulders, but she looked just as beautiful as when Ego had seen her last. Standing in front of the battle-worn Captain Udonta, she looked ten times more beautiful, in fact. A genuine sight for sore eyes.

Even more beautiful than seeing her once more was the moment Ego laid eyes on the chubby little boy that his River Lily held in her arms. There was no mistaking that that boy was his pride and joy, his spawn, ogling the room with one tiny hand sticking out of his mouth and completely unaware of just how important he was to the state of the Universe.

"There he is." Ego couldn't help but feel a stab of pride at the sight of his son. He'd waited far longer than he should've to see the fruits of his labors, but it was as if the wait had been worth it and had sweetened the end-result.

Like a the crumbling of a dam, the god's words caused a flurry of activity in an otherwise quiet, tense atmosphere pervading the room. He met the gaze of Meredith's brilliant green eyes and watched as she froze, spooked by his sudden appearance.

The baby on her hip twisted about, seeking to look at the newcomer raptly, but he made no noises and little to no fuss while his mother fell into a short catatonia. Yondu, who didn't even look at Ego all the way, braced Meredith with one rough hand, yet was otherwise just as silent as the child.

"Hello River Lily." Ego greeted.

His girl broke out of her trance just to hand their precious offspring to another man with dark skin and what looked like tattooed dots of gold and blue on his stalwart face. The ravager, took Peter without a word, letting the boy – who seemed perfectly content and silent despite the horror show his mother had subjected him to – embrace him around the neck.

She walked forward, marching in Ego's direction steadily while Yondu eyed their surroundings.

"Clear out!" He ordered with a shout, and the crew milled out from the bridge with little more than the footfalls of heavy boots and the clinking of thick chains in their wake. The spotted ravager holding Peter deserted the three as well, all while Peter watched with rapt attention until he was out of sight.

It was funny, however, that despite not seeing the men after a time, he still felt like he was still being stared at by a dozen or so pairs of eyes.

"J'son." Ego's girl regained his attention. "What're you doin' here?"

Ego chortled. "Well, honey, I could ask you the same question."

The Terran woman didn't laugh with him.

"I came to get you! To save you, more like." Ego assured her, thinking quickly. He had no idea why Yondu Udonta had done this, having been on the receiving end of utter silence for so long from the captain of miscreants. But Ego had a honeyed tongue, as Meredith had once gushed, and he was confident that he'd be able to spin whatever lies Udonta had been feeding her.

"Save me." Meredith repeated.

Ego nodded vigorously. "That's exactly right! Yep! Save you and…"

Meredith huffed. "Peter."

"Peter." It was a fine name. Strong, simple and with a hint of the foreign wonders of Terran culture. Ego wouldn't mind teaching a son named Peter how to manipulate the Light to create a whole new universe.

Meredith didn't wait for him to get back on track thought-wise. "Well, I think you done wasted a trip out here for nothin', then. Peter an' I are doin' swell here with the Captain without no one comin' ta… save us."

"Meredith" Ego laughed. "You can't really entrust the care of our son to these… well, no offense, but these criminals!"

"Our son?" Meredith blanched like the father of her child had the nerve to say such a thing.

"Yes. Our son, our boy. You can't trust Captain Udonta to take care of Peter." Ego said, choosing that moment to walk over to Meredith with his arms spread open. "That's ridiculous, sweetheart."

He expected Meredith to run into his arms and let him sweep her off her feet as he'd done many times before on Terra. Inside, he considered what options he had as far as removing her from the picture and taking Peter home. He'd been ticked off at Captain Udonta and his crew for not delivering his son as had been stipulated by their verbal contract, but he could be a benevolent and forgiving god. Perhaps the units that he'd promised weren't extreme enough – it was honestly understandable that a diminutive ravager faction such as Udonta's would feel insignificant and afraid to negotiate with Ego, given his almighty status.

The celestial supposed he could make nice, and offer a steeper price if they disposed of Meredith Quill before they sailed off to a different corner of the galaxy and never contacted or heard from Ego again. Unless Ego needed them, of course.

His thoughts came to an end when Meredith only stared at him, instead of swooning like she should've. Her expression was confusing, as it looked full of animosity and disbelief and was nothing like the dewy-eyed schoolgirl look of old. The energy between them didn't crackle with the same lusty heat and soft, idealistic adoration that the celestial was used to either.

Finally, she traded in the discomforting silence for a scoff. "Are you really tellin' me that letting my son around a buncha crooks is a terrible idea, after you decided it was best fer 'em to steal Peter away from me just so you could have him?"

Ego slowly lowered his arms, face falling steadily. He glanced up as out of the corner of his eye, the god saw Yondu Udonta. The Centaurian's red eyes pierced through Ego, giving him a knowing, wicked look

For some reason, it was difficult for Ego to ignore the gleeful smirk evolving on Yondu's lips, even when he turned back to Meredith. "Now, sweetheart, I think you must be confused –"

"The way I see it," she glowered. "The last person in the worl – in the galaxy that I'd want around my son is you. You're the only criminal here I see who would go outta their way to murder a baby, if they didn't deliver like you expected."

The formerly fun, frivolous sweetness that had been Meredith Jane Quill vanished before Ego's eyes, as well as the former notion that his grand plan was well-hidden from all that would seek to oppose him. The blood that he'd filled himself with ran cold and felt like ice in his veins. Though they had been banished from the bridge of the Ravager ship, the god picked up the sounds of hisses and angry expletives from the shadowy corners around them – and even cheering from some, cheering for the girl in front of Ego who stood her ground and looked at him with fire in her gaze.

"You –" Ego laughed humorlessly. "You don't know what you're talking about. Meredith, whatever they've been telling you are lies. They've been lying to you!"

He pushed through the thick tension between them to rest a hand on the Terran's shoulder. "How could I ever hurt a child? I would never –"

She violently smacked his hand away, nearly screaming in his face as she did so. Ego stepped back, startled. "Save it for some other bitch who'd buy it!"

"Or better yet: Go to Hell!" She spat. "Leave the rest a' us who ain't despicable monsters outta yer sick fantasies and jus' go to hell!"

"Meredith!" Ego yelled incredulously, but by then he'd heard the cocking of guns nearby and felt another presence beside them. Yondu loomed, somehow reaching the squabbling pair without either noticing. He looked Yondu in the eye, gaze no longer reveling but deadly.

"Time's up." He said quietly.

Ego noticed that the Ravager was getting between him and Meredith, literally. His arm hovered just around Meredith's collar as he practically shielded the enraged woman from Ego's scrutiny, keeping enough distance between himself and the woman just to let his arrow sing from where it was strapped against Yondu's thigh.

Ego grunted as he was struck from behind, landed with a harsh blow before electricity shocked his artificial nervous system. He opened his mouth in a silent scream, unable to handle the torrents of agony that were being generated by the pain receptors he'd once felt such pride in creating. Raucous laughter from Yondu and his ravagers beat his mind to a bloody pulp until his physical body collapsed, twitching on the scuffed panel floor.

Ego's eyes grew heavier and heavier, until the last visage he had was of Meredith staring down at him while he writhed in agony at her feet, pure hatred in her eyes.

In hindsight, it was the first time in several standard months that he'd gotten to be unconscious for any length of time.

Ego awoke and couldn't move from where he'd been dumped on the floor. His limbs were numb, and the heart in his heavy chest was palpitating even when he knew nothing of how long he'd been unconscious. It took what felt like eons before he was aware that his eyes were open, and even longer before his vision slowly returned from a black void of nothingness. When he'd sufficiently regained at least 70% of his eyesight, the celestial frantically looked from the ceiling to the edges of his vision and found nothing recognizable.

He remembered that he was on board the ravager ship led by the Centaurian captain, Yondu Udonta. But this was not the bridge that he'd seen through both holocoms and the inexplicable house-call he'd had to make when the captain didn't deliver the child of Meredith –

"Should'a done brought the jackass to the brig 'fore we brought 'im onto the bridge, eh Mere?" The rasp of the Ravager captain was unmistakable, even in the grim, dank room that Ego was trapped in.

"Should'a – would'a – could'a." Peter's mother replied sardonically, though there was an edge of playfulness to her response that made Ego wince where he lay. "It don't change a thing, Captain."

Ego couldn't move his mouth to form words, just as he couldn't move his arms or his legs to get up, but his gaze flicked around until he saw the pair, with Peter included, looking at him from an upside down angle.

"Oh, you're awake." Meredith rested her hands against her thighs as she leaned down to get a better look at him, as though Ego were some unusual squalor in a mud puddle, lying there to be observed in its naturally pitiful state. "Good. I almost forgot to give ya somethin' earlier that I wanted ya to be awake for."

"Lady said 'er piece, but she ain't finished wich you yet!" Yondu crooned happily. "My mistake for gettin' too caught up in the moment. But we all make mistakes, don't we jackass?"

The woman took a dramatic pause, then spit directly on the fallen god's face.

Her blue companion belly-laughed and it made her grin. "Good shot, woman!"

The Ravager Captain chuckled until little Peter, who'd been wiggling around in his arms, climbed out of them to sit on Yondu's shoulder. He waved a hand against his cybernetic fin and drew his and Meredith's attention away from the fallen celestial. The faint red glow of the embedded cybernetic glinted in Peter's curious round eyes, and he began to reach forward to slap the top of Yondu's head to try and grab hold of it, completely fascinated.

The Centaurian squinted his eyes shut and ducked under Peter's curious smacks, but was otherwise patient and unfazed by the contact. It must've happened often enough to warrant little to no reaction. He only jostled the toddler when he wobbled from his perch, with Meredith lifting a hand behind Peter's back like a preemptive safety belt.

"Careful, boy-o." Yondu steadied the child before he fell. He bounced the child once Peter was returned to the safety of his arms, and the boy looked at Yondu's red, red eyes with the same quiet fascination as when he'd batted at the fin.

"Here, ya wanna fly inna spaceship agin?" The captain didn't wait for Peter to reply before he lifted the child into the air and tossed him up just to catch him again. From an outsider perspective, it looked just as safe as when Peter had crawled onto the ravager's shoulder. But the boy, so often quiet and reserved, screamed with delight as he 'flew' and Yondu indulged him with obnoxious noises that were just similar enough to an M-ship during takeoff.

"Agin?" Yondu repeated, ruby eyes sparkling with laughter.

"Agin!" The child squealed, mouth open as he beamed. "Agin! Agin! Daddie, agin!"

Meredith gasped, smiling a smile so wide it looked like it made her mouth ache. Despite himself, the man at her side – without the prying gaze of anyone who both mattered and would've given him hell for it – reacted just the same.

"Oh, my god! Peter!" Meredith cheered, getting on her toes to plant a kiss on the toddler Peter's nose and watch him laugh in unbridled joy. "Way ta go baby!"

"That's my boy!" Yondu grinned, eyes shining with pride before he focused on a petrified, horrified Ego and his grin turned feral. "Smart as a whip, ain't he?"