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The word rivalry was an understatement.

Ava knew Poe and Carol would have a few things in common. Thinking they would get along, but she forgot both were very competitive.

"I've helped destroy a Death Star, sweetheart. You ever done that?" Poe asked, poking his head to the front.

So he just calls every girl sweetheart? Ava clenched her jaw, trying not to react and to focus on flying the ship. A small ache in her chest struck her randomly.

Carol scoffed over her shoulder with a snicker. "No, but I didn't crash into an asteroid field."

"Clam it!" Poe snapped while pointing a finger at the Avenger. Ava regretted telling Carol about Poe's casualty as it only make the fire burn brighter. "You're a Captain with powers, but I'm still a General-"

"Oh for Odin sake! Would you both shut up!" She screamed over the arguement, leaving the General and the Captain speechless. "Your both making Peter and Rocket's arguments sound better."

Poe slouched back into his seat while glaring at Carol who sneered back over her shoulder before returning her attention to the front window.

"Your both great leaders, okay? Get rid of those egos before I do it for you!"

Poe open his mouth.

"Espeically you Dameron!" Ava spat, jabbing a finger at him. Joise snickered at the scolding, grateful for Ava's service.

Ava then stared bitterly at the open space outside the front window. Hoping the two would drop the competition and would both try to live in peace for the rest of trip.

"There was this one time I-"

Rolling her eyes, Ava let out a yell of frustration as she stood up. Heading towards the back of the ship and found a bench to sit on. She crossed her arms and let out a long sigh.

Finally some inner peace.

She breathed in again as she closed her eyes to relax.

Until she heard footsteps.

"Poe, I'm not really in the mood-"

Opening her eyes, she found her old friend from Air Force Training. Raising an eyebrow.

"You okay there Major Q?" Carol planted her feet in front of Ava. "Sorry things got out of hand there."

Finding Carol approaching, Ava shrugged. "It's alright. Just should have known Poe would try to one up you. He's got a little prideful mouth."

Carol took a seat next to her friend with a laugh. "Yeah, but I shouldn't have encouraged it."

"I mean, getting a break from bantering with him is not too bad I guess." Ava said, forgetting how he used to chisel at her nerves back on Xandar. That seemed so long, but it was only a week ago.

"How did you meet him?" Carol asked.

"Well, wait-" I began. "Please tell me you didn't let Poe take the wheel did you?"

Carol shook her head. "Nope. Joise is."

Ava sighed in relief as she place a hand over her chest. She looked back down at her hands. The cuff of her denim jack had loose threads that were in tangled by her fingers.

Carol leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and clasping her palms together. "Is something else bothering you Major Q?"

Opening up usually came easy for Ava, especially with someone she knew and trusted like Carol. But her tongue was caught in a net, trying to keep her from saying what was on her mind.

"Is there more about this man that you're not telling me?" Carol asked.

Biting her lip and closing her eyes, Ava barely nodded. Blush rushing to her cheeks as she refused to let her secret out.

"Okay then what is it? Do you think he is a Skrull?" Carol pryed, trying to get a better understanding of the situation.

Ava shook her head. "No, it's different."

Carol remained silent, as to let her friend take time to tell. Ava knew she was using the pressure to make her speak out. A classic and stubborn Danvers move.

"It's a complicated situation." Ava said, still holding back what she implied.

Taking a second to put the pieces together, Carol processed and it finally clicked.

"You," She whispered with a grin. "You think you like him?"

Clenching her jaw and bitting her lip, she let out a breath through her nose. "Maybe."

"Oh Ava, that is complicated." Carol replied bluntly.

Ava frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Carol shrugged. "I was never much into that lovey-dovey stuff, but from what I've seen of it, it seems like on hell of a battle."

She wasn't wrong. Ava did feel a constant war inside her whenever she was around Poe. And although Ava could trust Captain Marvel for alot of things, advice for falling in love was not in her expertise.

"However," Carol continued. "I also know that those who fight through it can become a strong force. It's why we defeated Thanos."

Ava thought about the battle in the broken debris of the old Avengers compound. Remembering the story Peter Parker had told her. Of how Ironman sacrifice himself when he took the stone snapped the whole army out of existence. He did it because he loved his family. Both his internal and the Avengers.

She wished to be there fighting alongside the rest, but she didn't have the capabilities as the rest.

"Okay, but still, why would a high-ranking General like him, fall in love with an ordinary girl from Earth. I'm not as cool as you, having cosmic powers that can take down anyone or anything. There's probably a sexy alien girl back on his home base that he can't wait to reunite with." Ava said with a depressing glance.

Picturing Poe running up to a faceless women. Hugging her and spinning her around before he gave her a long awaited kiss. Full of passion that Ava would never experience. She's just an ally to help him get home. Nothing more.

"Ravaaka was right. I'm just a pathetic, average Terran." She got up, pacing away from Carol, not wanting to throw a pity party.

A tug on the arm of her jacket kept her from leaving. Pulling her to look back at her friend, wearing a worried concern in her eyes.

"You're going to believe that? Ava Quill going to believe that?" Carol defended with a small crack in her voice, hurt presenting her worry for her friend. "That's not the Ava Quill I remember in training. The one I knew, gave her all and fought with fierceness. She may not have shot the Tesseract and obsorbed it's power. But the Ava Quill I know, is confident. No matter what anyone thinks. She just faced a gang of pirates head on and didn't give up. Even if the odds seemed impossible. The Ava Quill I know, is strong. Stronger than she thinks."

Tears brimmed her eyes as Carol finished, with a small stretch of a smile appearing on Ava's face.

"And I know I don't have much advice about romance," Carol added another thought that shifted back to Ava's main concern. "I do know this. With any battle you find yourself in. It's better to do something about it rather than do nothing. To take a chance."

Accepting the advice, Ava nodded as her brain processed it. Knowing Carol was right. Carol patted Ava's shoulder once.

"You'll figure it out Major Q." She said before she went down the hall, back towards the cockpit. Ava slowly trailed behind, sneaking a tiny glance at Poe who was oblivious but not entirely clueless to the tension.

His eyes flickered up and down at Ava. "Is everything okay?"

Ava simply nodded as her and Carol returned to their seats. Avoiding to explain her crisis that was caused because of him.

"So how did a high ranking pilot like you crash into an Asteroid field, again?" Carol broke up the silence with her snarky comment.

Poe groaned. "I didn't do it on purpose!"

A smile grew onto Ava, making her forget any stress she had, as she chuckled. "Sure you didn't."

"I didn't!" Poe repeated in more desperation. "I just know one minute I'm in space, then I randomly wake up from falling asleep when I felt something bang onto my ship, which just happened to be an asteroid."

It scared Ava how his explanation felt far too similar to her experience. It wasn't until she found Happy Hogan sitting across from her at Avengers tower, receiving the news that she had disappeared for 5 years. Even if she wanted to tell Poe, she had no clue of how to break the news.

"Then maybe, General, you should be more conscious when you fly." Carol retored as she shook her head.

Joise chuckled. "To be fair Carol, you did crash your plane before you were taken to the Kree Empire."

Carol shot her Skrull friend a glare.

"Ha!" Poe huffed while hitting Ava's arm. "See, I'm not the only pilot who has crashed blondie!"

Ava rolled her eyes.

"Well,because of that crash, I got cosmic energy flowing in my body." Carol said, putting her hand in a fist, showing off the glow of photons around her knuckles with a smirk before she looked back at him. "What did you get General?"

Poe crossed his arms, irritated. "You know what, you started out cool Captain Marvel, but now your just as worse as Ava. It's like you two were plotting against me in the hallway back there or something-"

"Wouldn't dream of it Dameron. And do you always have to be dramatic." Ava interrupted his theory with a smirk, looking back at him once more.

Earning a scolding finger from Poe. "Only when you're around, sweetheart. And to be fair, you're just as dramatic." He said, throwing a subtle wink.

Ava rolled her eyes again and turned away while biting her lip. Never had she been happy to hear that nickname and knew.

She would find a way.

To take a chance.

-|-

The ship landed carefully with a hum and a hiss as it kissed the ground of Easik.

Eager, Ava waited impatiently for the ramp to come down so she could see be reunited with her family. It barley finished opening, and Ava didn't waste any second.

"Peter!"

Before he could pull any trigger at what he thought was a Skrull, Peter was immediately trapped inside the arms of his little sister. She squeezed out the life of him with tears of relief falling on his neck.

"Glad to have you back, sis." Peter said as he embraced her and never wanted to let her go. Both in fear of loosing the other if they did.

Ava pulled back and punched his shoulder with a clenched jaw.

"Ow!"

"Don't you ever leave me like that again!" She screamed. Her mix of emotions letting her frustration take the forefront.

"Hey!" Peter protested. "It wasn't on purpose. There was a problem on Contraxia, there was a giant meteor shower crashing down."

Ava ignored his defense and punched him once more before she hugged him again. Forgetting her anger and letting her relief take over again. "I'm still mad, but I'm just happy you're alive Peter."

He put his hands on her shoulder as they pulled away once more. "Same goes for you little bear."

Ava reflected his smile. Grateful she didn't loose him for too long this time. Only for a couple of days.

"So," Peter whispered as he looked over her shoulder. "I see you and the pilot didn't kill each other while we were gone."

Following his eyes to find Poe standing by Carol as they spoke to Gamora and Mantis. Poe stood there with his arms crossed and she could only guess he was bragging about how they fought Skrulls. At one point he pushed back a few loose curls and laughed.

"Yeah, somehow, we didn't." Ava replied, hesitating but ripping her gaze off of Poe and returned to look at her brother.

"That's neat!" Peter said, not noticing his sister's daydream. "Glad you two are getting along. Maybe it was a good thing I was gone so you two could get some bonding time. Worked for me and Kraglin when we were growing up."

Ava glared up at him with no response. He was still the annoying older brother sometimes, taking every opportunity to tease her.

"Anyways, how did you end up in this Skrull Pirate ship?" He asked.

Ava shrugged. "Well one of you're buddies, Raavaka, decided to stop by."

Peter's mouth shaped into a straight line. His eyes widened in regret and embarrassment.

"She said you stole something of hers and that she wanted to kidnap us because she wanted to kill you." She said as she crossed her arms while Peter closed his eyes with a groan.

"Of course she does." He mumbled under his breath, like a parent disappointed at their child who broke the rules. Peter look back to his younger sister with compassion. "Sorry you got mixed in with all of that."

Ava scrunched her face with a tilt of the head. "Eh, a little warning or heads up would have been nice. But thank goodness Carol got my message or things could have gotten ugly fast."

"Worse than ugly if Ravaaka was involved." Peter said through a cough and Ava frowned with an open mouth. "But hey! I'm glad you're okay!" With a pat on her shoulder, he went over to greet Poe and Carol. Leaving Ava there to wonder how Peter was the older sibling.

She found herself coming up to Gamora and Nebula. The two sisters wrapping her in a mini group hug. "How were the fiercest women in the galaxy with out me?"

Gamora huffed as they all came out of the embrace. "Utter chaos."

"As always." Nebula added. "It's a miracle we where able to return with the Benatar in one piece."

Ava chuckled, only to imagine on the messy and unorganized plan play out in her head. "Sad I missed all the fun."

"What about you? How did you manage with Mr. General?" Gamora asked.

Sudden heat filled her chest and goosebumps began to taunt her. She shrugged. "Beats me. But we were able to become good friends through it."

A grin began to grow on Gamora's face with a raised eyebrow. "That's good."

"You fought off Ravaaka's gang too!?" Nebula intervene with excitement in her eyes for once. "Tell me how that went."

"Let's out just say you taught me well." Ava nodded with a smile.

Nebula pumped her fist in victory, whispering a yes under her breath.

"But I didn't do it alone. I had some help from Poe." She said looking over at him again now speaking to Peter and Rocket.

"A-and Carol too." She blinked and refocused on the conversation.

Gamora's expression remained unchanged. Ava didn't understand why the daughter of Thanos was acting weird. Whatever the reason, Ava didn't trust it to be good.

A clap caught their attention as Peter gathered them to come together. "Alright Guardians! Carol, Poe. Let's come up with a plan.

Carol stood with hands on her hips and cleared her throat. "Actually Starlord, I need to take these Skrulls back to Talos." She said with her thumb jabbing towards the pirate ship that contained the unconscious Skrull gang.

Peter nodded and gestured a hand at her. "Fair enough. Thanks for saving Poe and my little sister, Carol."

"No problem Pete!" Carol piped with a two finger salute and headed toward the ship. "Good luck guys, see you around."

With that, Captain Marvel zoomed out in the abyss of space.

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Ahhh yess!! I have been waiting for the Poe and Carol banter. I all here for it. They're both similar in the fact that they are stubborn and sarcastic space pilots.

And I also love Carol's dynamic with Ava too!

Thanks for reading! Comment and vote!