Give Them Back To Me

Conflicting

The guardians gathered back on the ship, ready to get off the Terran planet before any of the Avengers tried taking Meredith. Rocket had informed Peter and Gamora about the Avenger's attempts to take the child to raise her to be a weapon. With that information, Peter gripped the child tighter and took off for the ship.

Once on the ship, Peter held Meredith as if she was his lifeline. Gamora hung close to Peter, not wanting to be a part from her child. The child breathed deeply against Peter's shoulder, having fallen asleep in her father's arms. Peter walked with her into his ex-room, Meredith's room currently, and set the young girl down in the bed. Gamora came up to the young girl too, kissing her on her forehead before both Gamora and Peter left Meredith alone to sleep.

Once the door shut behind her, Peter and Gamora rushed to the main room where the rest of the guardians were. Rocket had already brought down two bottles of whiskey, one off to the side for him, and the other being passed around the table.

Gamora took her seat next to Nebula, Peter taking his next to Rocket. Rocket chuckled, holding up the bottle of whiskey, turning it in his hands.

"Ya know, this was the bottle of whiskey that lady gave me the day I found Meredith," Rocket said as he finally cracked the seal on the bottle. "I had already hidden two bottles on me while that lady got me everything I needed for Meredith. I didn't even need to steal it cause after she brought me everything, she gave me this bottle of whiskey. Once I got back on the ship, I made a promise that I wouldn't open this till we either got you guys back, or the kid turned 18. You can see which one came first," Rocket flicked the cap off and took a large gulp of the liquid in the glass container. 

Peter shook his head, taking the bottle from Rocket after he set it down and pouring himself a glass. Peter tossed the liquid back then filled it again, sighing heavily. Gamora then poured herself a glass, taking a sip before turning her attention towards Rocket.

"What happened while we were in the Soul Stone Rocke?" Gamora asked, looking from Rocket to Nebula. 

"Well, after everyone turned to dust, I went out and searched for the only signal I could pick up. That was your signal on Vormir. That's where I found Meredith. I knew she was yours the moment I saw her, I just knew it. So, I knew that nobody else could get a hold of her. I was that girl's one chance of being raised with any sense of how you two would raise her. The Avengers wanted her, and did almost everything to get her. I went nose to nose with Thor a couple times over Meredith, but it took them 9 years to even find her. It took 12 years for them to see her," Rocket explained, taking another shot of the whiskey. 

"What do you mean by they wanted her?" Gamora asked.

"I mean that they wanted her. The Avengers wanted to raise her into a weapon against Thanos. They knew she was a product of the Soul Stone. But I wasn't gonna let them take a kid and ruin her life. The kid really grew on me too, I wasn't gonna let them take my niece away from me," Rocket answered.

"She grew on me as well. I was hesitant to help when Rocket called me, but I do have to say that I love that little girl," Nebula adding into the conversation.

Everything grew silent for a while. Peter and Gamora were still coming to terms that they missed twelve years of their daughter's life. They missed her first steps, first words, they never got to teach her the basics. They knew even though they were back, they missed that connection with her, and she would always be closer to Rocket and Nebula than her own mother and father. 

Heads turned towards the sound of the little girl entering the room, her hair messed up and she wore Quill's old shirt. Meredith rubbed her eyes sleepily, standing between Rocket and Peter. Rocket placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, rubbing small circles into it.

"Nightmare again?" He asked the girl, Meredith nodding in response. Rocket started to get up like usual to walk the girl back to bed and stay there only she was asleep again, but Peter coughed, staring at Rocket with heartbroken eyes. Rocket knew it was time to back off and let Peter and Gamora raise the girl, but he raised Meredith for the past twelve years. This transition wasn't going to be easy.

Peter took the young girl up in his arms, walking back to the room with her. Gamora stood up as well, waiting till Peter was out of earshot to shoot her questions towards Rocker and Nebula.

"How long has she had nightmares?" Gamora asked.

"Probably since she was three if I remember correctly."

"And what do you usually do when it happens?"

"Normally I laid Peter's jacket over her. I don't know why but that stupid thing always freaking worked when trying to calm her down. But when that didn't work I would sit next to her or sometimes lay next to her until she fell asleep then left a light on and left," Rocket explained. Gamora nodded, thanking Rocket before heading in the direction Peter went off with Meredith.

Gamora's heart fluttered when she walked into the room. On the bed was Peter and Meredith. Meredith was curled up next to Peter, her head on his chest while his arm wrapped around the little girl protectively, both asleep. Gamora smiled, sliding into bed on the other side and placing a hand on the little girl's arm. 

Soon, all three of them had fallen asleep, Meredith enclosed in her parent's embrace. Rocket stood at the doorway, his heart conflicting with his mind. Rocket loved the little girl more like a daughter than like a niece, having raised her for twelve years. That little girl changed everything he hated about himself for the better. But he knew that she deserved to have her parents. Rocket knew that was the young girl's only wish, and he loved her too much to take that away from her.

So he sighed, turning the light off and shutting the door behind him.