- ☆ -

    "That's one hell of a cut." Nebula stated as she took off the white bandage from Ava's calf.

Ava let out a hiss a the exposure of air blew onto her wound, as if there was salt inside the molecules. "Yeah, well I asked the guy to not cut me so deep, but he declined my suggestion." She responded sarcastically.

Nebula returned an eyeroll. "Just hold still while I fix it up okay?"

Biting back her lip in regret, Ava let out an anticipating breathe as Nebula got situated.

"I'm just sad I missed all the action, Chica." Gamora said off to the side of the Medical bed, pulling up a chair, sitting in it backwards. Mantis stepped forward to be behind her to listen in as well.

"It was pretty great, I won't lie. Got to take on some nasty thugs before I got this bad boy." Ava replied as she gestured to her injury that Nebula was prepping to stitch it back together with advanced tools made with space gadgets.

Gamora leaned forward with her arms resting on the chair with a squint in her eyes. "Anything else I missed out on?"

Ava frowned as she didn't completely register the question. "What do you mean? We literally got BB-8 and Groot but then Tivian ratted us out and put a bounty on us. Then we fought our way through a sea of thugs and-"

The moment she made eye contact with her, Gamora wiggled her eyebrows, triggering Ava to put defense.

Oh.

"No! There was nothing else!" Ava spat as she jolted a little, making her move her leg. A small ounce of pain shot up her calf as she cried out.

"Hold still!" Nebula snapped.

"Then tell your sister to change the subject because there's nothing to say about it!" Ava whined as she crossed her arms in frustration.

Gamora chuckled after recieving scolding glare from her sister. "You sure chica? Because it seems like Easik and escaping New Knowhere weren't that bland."

She did have a point and Ava knew denying it was a lie. However, she refused to be teased about it all day.

"Poe and I became better friends okay?" Ava confessed, letting out another hiss from the pinching of the needle in her leg. "There happy?"

Gamora shook her head. "Not quite. Got anything to say about the fact you two were holding hands on the way to Tivians?"

Ava laughed off the ridiculous conspiracy and waving her hand. "That was just platonic touch. Natasha did with Clint and the other Avengers all the time." 

"Nothing more?"

"Nope."

"So you don't have a crush on Poe at all?"

Another breath through her teeth as Nebula continued to finish up the procedure.

"Correct. Zero. Zip. Nada. And I'm done talking about this." Ava said as she made crazy gestures with her hands before they folded again. Ava cocked an eyebrow, threating for Gamora to going further.

Gamora smirked before she turned towards Mantis. She grabbed the bug lady's arm and whispered something in her ear. Nebula put up a finger at her sister as she complete the final stitch, as if to hold back any other comment until she was done. Gamora shut her mouth with a deep breath through the nose.

"There. It should heal in a day or two. Until then, used this brace, it will help you walk."

Tony and Rocket taught each other plenty of ideas. Rocket noticed the braces on Rhodey's legs. He wanted to create something similar but totally functional in recovery. Nebula assisted a little as she also had experience with gadget material.

Watching Nebula place it on her leg, Ava failed to noticed Mantis' hand on her arm.

"You were right Gamora! She was lying!" Mantis giggled. "She does have feelings for Poe!"

"Shut up!" Ava snapped as she pulled her arm away. "Peter said not to use your powers like that!"

Gamora kept her smirk. "Peter isn't here to stop her."

Ava glared at her. "And I thought you were the mature one of the group. Nebulas starting to take your place."

Nebula grinned with a small bit of pride. Even with Thanos gone, it gave her confidence whenever she beat her sister. Something she grew to appreciate about Ava.

"That's fair." Her husky voice accepted the compliment.

"Well, Peter can't always tell me what to do." Mantis said with a proud smirk as she touched Ava's injured leg, knowing she couldn't move it away.

She gasped. "Her heart skips a beat now that we mentioned it!

Blush crept on Ava's cheeks as she shook her head. "I don't!"

Mantis flashed a devilish smile as she knew what she was doing was mischief, something she always found fun. "Ava feels so much love that she is..." She drifted off as she found a more depressing emotion. 

"...Afraid."

The light hearted teasing dropped from both Mantis and Gamora's faces. Nebula even whipped her head as she was cleaning up the supplies. She came over and sat on the edge of the bed. Mantis removed her hand as she also sat down too. 

Gamora shifted in her chair in a position so she could grab Ava's hand, squeezing it. Something she did to assure Ava. 

"Why?"

Without realizing it, Ava was being knocked down every time she thought about her feelings that never went away. Being with Poe seemed beautiful yet terrifying at the same time. Leaving her wondering if fate just doesn't approve her idea of an unlikely possibility since she couldn't never tell him.

"Because every time I love someone, they always end up leaving me." Ava admitted. "My mother, Tony, Natasha, Steve. Even Carol and my brother, although they came back. I still lost them. I just don't want that to happen with Poe."

She let out a sigh and closed her eyes.

"Hey,"

Then they reopened to see Mantis staring right at her.

"You have us. And we haven't left you."

Like a strike of lighting, it hit her. Mantis was right. She carried special bonds with the Guardians. Connection she had been searching for her whole life. These past couple of months they have been with her all this time. Peter left, but he did come back. Reuniting at Tony's funeral, on Easik, and just today. He always came back for her. Bringing and showing her the love he found out in the galaxy. A family

"We would never leave you Ava." Mantis added so tenderly with her empathetic eyes.

Nebula nodded. "Even though I hate you Av, I couldn't imagine this family without you."

"We would drive each other insane if you didn't keep us in check from time to time." Gamora inputted as she placed her hand on her shoulder now.

"Sorry we teased you." Mantis apologized with a sad frown.

Gamora huffed a laugh. "We just got excited for you."

Ava shook her head with a smile. "I know."

"About this guy though," Gamora continued. "Don't be afraid. I was afraid of loving your brother. He tried to kiss me and I pull a knife on him."

A snort came out of Ava's nose, imagining Peter's attempt to get a former assassin to fall in love with him. Not to mention the assassin was the daughter of Thanos.

"But the more I was around him the less afraid I became. When we escaped Ego's planet, I told him I loved him. Then I made the first move." Gamora said with a wink as Ava gasped in shock. It made sense for her to be the one to be more bold. 

"What Gamora is trying to say," Nebula pitched in, slightly grimacing at her sisters romance, returning back on topic. "And I don't have time for this love thing, but when your afraid, the best way to overcome that fear is to try it."

"If you don't control your fear," Mantis said. "It will grow until it's impossible to defeat. But you control it, then it will shrink and eventually die."

Ava shook her head with a smile and looked at the three of them. "I don't know what I did to deserve you guys." She sighed.

Gamora and Mantis came next to her on both sides of the bed, forming a group hug.

"You didn't have to do anything, chica." Gamora said softly.

The healing embrace gave Ava a sense of security. Gratitude bursted out of her heart as she couldn't imagine her life without them.

"Nebula get your ass over here!" Mantis shouted.

The cyborg-women still keeping her distance. She rolled her eyes before she came over and joined.

-|-

Still nothing.

Ava stared at the holoscreen with Nova Prime, using her fingers to tap different parts of the galaxy.

"Not even a clue?" She asked, hoping for clarification.

A day after returning to Xandar and a day of recovering in the medical bay, Ava wanted any update for finding Ajan Kloss. Poe hadn't even complained about it once. The last time he did was before they left for Easik.

He was currently back at the house with Rocket, helping him with advancements for blasters and ship parts. Rocket didn't hesitate to suggest to put a blaster and some other gadgets inside BB-8 at one point. Which of course, Poe transformed into a child, not questioning the idea.

A smile peaked at the corner of her lips as she thought about that image. How normal it had become to see Poe with the group.

"Well," Irani said, pulling Ava out of her thoughts. "We have been trying to see if there are other ways to find Mr. Dameron's planet-"

"General Dameron." Ava corrected subconsciously as she popped a zargnut in her mouth. Multitasking of snacking and working being a better skill than any fighting technique. "And is there another way? Don't we need his coordinates to find it."

Irani nodded with a sigh. "We do, but we haven't been getting anything from just searching the map of the entirety of space. Might try to see if there was a portal or anything that sees off."

Ava stared up at the various of planets floating in clear blue projections, leaning fowards and putting her hands on the table. "What else can we do?"

"That's where we are stuck on." Rhomann Dey stated. "But we know you were one of the smartest Terrans on Earth about the galaxy. Is there something we are missing that your seeing?"

Pressure pressed on her shoulders like she was holding up a boulder on her back. Using all her strength to keep it from crashing her. The question wasn't intended to be so heavy on her body but Ava was lost for an explanation or answer.

She had labeled the aliens that attacked New York the Chitari for Tony, Skrulls, Kree, Sovereign, Easik and so many more races and planets out there in the galaxy.

But a man, who was not from Earth, was from another galaxy with no coordinates? 

"I-I don't know." Ava replied, feeling horrible for not having the solution. "I'm sorry."

A hand rested on her shoulder, looking up to see Rhomann with tender, fatherly eyes. "It's almost dark. You should go back home, get some dinner and go be with your family."

Ava shook her head. "I have to know where-"

"You've been working hard all day Ava, you deserve to be with the others. We will contact the moment we find something. You'll be the first to know okay?" He offered.

She let out a sigh, filled with stubbornness, but desire to rest her mind from all the intellectual information crowding her brain.

"Fine."

Taking the suggestion, Ava left the room and found herself walking home in the streets of Xandar again.

A group of little kids of various alien races were outside. Kicking a ball to each other, but then picking it up like a football, but passing it like volleyball. Ava has seen the game before but never put a name to it.

At one point, the ball went out of bounds and into the street. Following were shouts of parents in the porch screaming in Xanadarian at kids attempting to chase the ball.

Fortunately, the ball landing next to Ava. She picked it up, walking over to the front yard of the house. She saw one little girl off to the side, trying to keep her distance from the others. Looking no older than 3 or 4. Her skin was orange with brown hair tied up in a cute updo that resembled the sweet girl from the Grinch.

Ava went over and knelt down in front of her, finding two huge sapphire eyes that were bluer than any ocean on Earth.

"What's your name?" Ava asked, quietly so she could only hear.

The little girl took one small step backwards.

"It's okay." Ava assured, keeping her voice in a gentle tone. "I like your hair."

The girls shyness transformed and a bashful smile appeared from the compliment. "My mommy did it for me."

Striking a chords inside, Ava couldn't help but think of her Mother. How she would not only experiment hairstyles but the way her and Ava played dress up. Princesses, Popstars, Pirates, Aliens and any other possible costume they could come up with.

"My mommy used to do my hair too." Ava said with her smile growing.

"Why doesn't she do it anymore?" The little girl asked.

Ava bit her tongue, not sure how to explain to a younger child a part of reality that put her through so much pain. "Because, she had to go help other people somewhere else."

"Oh that makes sense." The girl said innocently. "My name is Oni!"

Ava grinned as she found an older woman smiling at the exchange. "Well, I'm Ava Quill, Oni, never forget what you learn from your mother."

"Can you do that?" She added as she returned her gaze on Oni.

Oni nodded as she held out her small finger. "Hooky Swear!"

Ava giggled with a nod and linked her pinky with hers.

"Now you want to have shot?" She said, holding out the ball to Oni who stared at it like it was huge responsibility. "Don't be afraid Oni. You'll only loose by holding back."

As if the child wasn't smiling big enough already, her lips stretched even more as she grabbed the ball, running off with the other kids.

Ava finished her stroll home, with her mind replaying the sweet interaction with Oni. She reminded Ava of a scared little girl who was teased for liking animals and dreaming of space. That same little girl who didn't know what to do without a mother or her brother.

Her mother.

A big advocate of love can conquer fear. Where ever she went, she demonstrated love to everyone she encountered. With her smile or a hug, people that were plagued with sadness, were cured.

Ava remembered a time when her and Peter fought over a spaceship toy, resulting in a contentious argument. She may or not have called her brother a 'stupid head.'

Their poor mother intervened and told Ava to apologize to Peter. Then he would return a 'sorry' back. Then, just like previous rival moments, their mother forced them to say 'I love you' with a hug.

"You never lose by loving. You lose by holding back."

A saying her mother made, causing Ava roll her eyes as a 3 year old, but was now a cherished lesson.

One she couldn't forget.

Never.

________________________________________

Very simple chapter, but there is much more awaiting in the next couple of chapters, I promise!! Buckle up it's going to be fun!!

I also found a source saying Xandar was destroyed by Thanos. I thought he only killed half of the population (because that's his 'mercy') and then took the power stone. Which that makes this a little awkward because Xandar still exists here. But then I looked up the Nova Corps and Irani and Rhomann Dey are still alive according to MCU wiki. So honestly you can interpret this setting how you want. The planet itself wasn't destoryed, but the civilization was and now they are rebuilding. OR they found a new planet to call Xandar. It's up to you I guess.

I might tie in the old nowhere, but considering the Collector put a bounty on them probably not. Well figure out how to incorporate GOTG 3 a little.

But like I said, get ready for some sweetness coming!

-marie xoxo