Give Them Back To Me

Growing Up

It was not long after finding Quill and Gamora's offspring, he did his best to track down the Milano. Thankfully, the ship was not too damaged and repairs did not take long. Rocket transferred the remaining fuel from the stolen ship and got the Milano up and running long enough to make it to the next fueling station. 

Rocket fueled up quickly, anxiety for that child in the ship coursing through his veins. Rocket knew he couldn't leave the child in there the way he found her, or give her up. It was the last thing in this galaxy that had to do with his family. Rocket bolted inside the Milano, picking up the blanket swaddled child and rushing into the nearest store.

Rocket didn't hesitate to ask one of the survivors for help. It was an older lady, pure white hair and purple tinted skin. She stood at the checkout counter in shock.

"Excuse me, ma'am, I need your help," Rocket said, removing part of the blanket to expose the sleeping child. The woman gasped, running out from the other side of the counter to check on the child.

"Where did you find this little one? She looks like a hybrid."

Rocket nodded slowly, "Terran and Zen-Whoberis, I didn't even know..." Rocket trailed off, a lump forming in his throat. The old woman placed a hand on Rocket's shoulder, smiling gently.

"Let's get her what she needs."

The woman threw everything Rocket needed into a bag: baby clothes, diapers, formula, pacifiers, blankets. She also threw in a bottle of whiskey for Rocket.

"Thank you so much, ma'am, I really appreciate it," for once Rocket was not his sarcastic self, he was completely serious and genuine.

"It was my pleasure sir, and don't worry about paying. It's on the house," she said was a smile. "Just make sure you take care of baby... what was it you were going to name her again?"

"I think I know what it's going to be..."

Rocket woke up startled. The ship had jolted, stirring him from his sleep. He panicked once he realized he was no longer in the pilot seat, but in his room. He bolted up, running towards the front of the ship to see a little girl in the pilot seat. He sighed in relief, walking up to take a seat in this seat next to her.

"What are you doing Mere? I thought you were in bed?" Rocket asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The little girl, roughly 6 years old, just shrugged her shoulders.

"I woke up to find you and saw you were sleeping. So I put you to bed like you do to me when I'm sleepy," Meredith spoke, pulling the red jacket back up the front of her torso. Rocket snickered at the action.

"It's funny ya know, that jacket used to be the only thing that would get you to go to sleep as a baby. That and Quill's stupid music playlists always worked," Rocket laughed, looking over at Meredith smiling. The little girl was missing two of her teeth.

"I like daddy's music Uncle Rocket," Meredith said. She looked forward again, placing her hands on the controls. Rocket smiled, reaching over to show the little girl how to work the controls and pilot the ship. It was almost a nightly ritual. Nights where the little girl couldn't sleep, Rocket would show her different things around the Milano until she grew tired again. Tonight was no different.

Meredith's eyes started to close, head slowly rolling to the side. Rocket gently stood the child up and guided her back to her room, Peter's old room, to put her back to bed. The child immediately curled up in bed as soon as she hit the mattress. Rocket pulled the blankets over her and went to exit the room. But, small whimpers stopped him in his tracks.

Meredith was having a nightmare, her face contoured in fear as tears slipped out of her shut tight eyes. Rocket quickly went back out to the cockpit, grabbing Quill's old leather jacket, and brought it back to Meredith's room. He moved the blankets down and draped the jacket over her small body, her cries soon stopped. Rocket let out a sigh of relief, pulling the blankets back over her body and leaving the room once again. Rocket stood in the doorway, his hand on the light switch.

"Goodnight Mere, sweet dreams." With that, Rocket switched the lights off and shut the door behind him.

Rocket went back to the cockpit, relaxing into the pilot's seat. He looked at the two pictures he had hung up. One was his family before the snap... The other was of him and Meredith. She had just fix one of Rocket's old blasters by herself. Rocket was so proud, he had to document it. Though, Rocket's eyes focused on the first picture. 

'Peter's stupid jacket, who knew that thing would have saved my ass so many times,' 

Meredith was just 2 weeks old. Rocket did his best to try and coo the screeching child to sleep. Nothing was working, he did everything that seemed logical for a baby. 

"God I wish Gamora or Quill were here to help take care of their fucking child!" Rocket yelled, frustrated and exhausted from the lack of sleep. In result, Meredith only screamed louder. Rocket groaned in frustration, reaching for to swaddle the child in. Soon, she stopped screaming. Rocket looked down at the child to see what finally worked; she was wrapped in Quill's jacket.

Rocket just sighed, not surprised that it worked, and laid her in the bed. He made a little makeshift crib out of pillows on one side of the bed. He slept in the other half so if she woke up crying in the middle of the night he wouldn't have to go far. Rocket sighed, looking over at the picture of his family on the desk.

"Come back to me guys..."