the Blind Guardian

The Milano

We left Nova Corps the following day. Peter was walking with me, his arm on my waist and my arm on his shoulder for support. Rocket was holding Groot in a small pot while Gamora and Drax were talking.

Nova Prime was waiting for us by a large console, with a hologram of Peter and I.

"I'm glad to know you are alright, Desiree," Nova Prime said as she came forward to hold my hand. I smiled warmly as I nodded with respect.

"With all due respect, why is there a hologram of our bodies, Nova Prime?" I asked softly as Nova Prime gently let go of my hand.

"There is something different about you two, Peter Quill and Desiree Johnson." Nova Prime said as Peter and I exchanged glances.

"I know that, Nova Prime. I've seen what I am capable of." I said, gesturing with a small motion of my pinkie. Peter carefully placed his hand on my wrist, signaling that I shouldn't show my abilities.

"Why would you even know this?" Peter asked, carefully inspecting the holographic imagery.

"When we arrested you, we noticed an anomaly in your nervous systems, so we had it checked out." Nova Prime began, noting my skin, which was a typical skin tone, but with a small blue design on my hands.

"I thought I was Terran. Just a handicapped one. That's what they called me," I said, shifting my gaze to Nova Prime, who was looking at me softly.

"I'm not Terran?" Peter asked incredulously. Nova Prime smiled at him.

"You're half Terran," she said as she indicated both of us. I glanced at Peter, who was looking at Nova Prime confusedly.

"Are we related?" I dared to ask. Nova Prime lowered her gaze to the information on the hologram.

"You come from separate parents." Nova Prime stated as I released my hold on Peter's shoulder. He slowly unwrapped his arm from around my waist.

"But I had a dream we were siblings!" I exclaimed as I looked at him.

"Perhaps you wished." Nova Prime said, her voice a gentle, almost motherly sound.

"Your mothers were of earth. Your fathers, well, they're something very ancient we've never seen here before." Nova Prime continued, gesturing to the hologram.

"That could be why you were able to hold the stone for as long as you did." Gamora said, gently touching Peter's arm.

"On behalf of the Nova Corps, we'd like to express our profound gratitude for your help in saving Xandar. If you will follow Denarian Dey, he has something to show you." Nova Prime said. Peter walked off with Gamora, chatting to themselves. Drax approached me and offered me his shoulder to hold onto. I smiled and thanked him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

"Thank you so much, Nova Prime," I said before walking off with Drax. She nodded silently, waving goodbye.

"Your wife and child shall rest well knowing that you have avenged them." Gamora said as she slowed down to walk alongside Drax. He glanced down at her.

"Yes. Of course, Ronan was only a puppet. It's really Thanos I need to kill." Drax said as Gamora looked at him in shock.

We walked through the doors to the landing pad on the roof of the Nova Corps building. As I looked out, I saw Peter's ship, the Milano. It was fixed. I heard Peter gasp as he laid his eyes on it. Then I remembered that I had left my picture album onboard. I let my smile fade as I understood its fate.

"We tried to keep it as close to the original as possible. We salvaged as much as we could." Corpsman Dey said as we arrived. I looked down and saw Rocket standing next to me, holding Groot in his pot. I smiled as I saw Groot take in the new spacecraft for the first time.

I felt Drax let go of me to ask questions to Corpsman Dey about things he can or cannot do. I silently stood by myself for about two minutes, until Peter led the way aboard the Milano. I followed and saw Rocket by my feet.

"Want me to carry you, is that it?" I asked with a smirk. He immediately nodded. I stooped down and let him crawl into my arms. I lifted him up and set my arms so he could sit on them.

"Something wrong, Dess?" Rocket asked as he saw the saddened expression on my face. I faked a smile and shook my head, focusing my gaze ahead. From the corner of my eye, I saw him with a concerned look on his face, then turned to look in the Milano as well.

We made it to the cockpit, where I readjusted Rocket so he could sit on my shoulder.

"So, what should we do next? Something good? Something bad? A bit of both?" Peter asked, now situated in the pilots seat in the cockpit.

"We'll follow your lead, Star-Lord," Gamora said, making Peter smile.

"A bit of both." Peter said as he leaned over the console to his cassette player. I Want You Back from the Jackson Five began playing. I gently set Rocket down before going into my room. It was completely empty on my side. I opened the drawer where my book had been, but it wasn't present.

I sat down slowly on the bed, buried my head in my arms, and broke down. That book was the last thing I had of my childhood, my family, my home. All stowed in a small, five inch book. I began shuddering as tears silently slid down my cheeks, stinging my skin and dampening my clothes. I was crying for a total of two hours, not stopping.