Guardian Angel (Guardians Of The Galaxy Fanfiction)

Consoling

Ashen sat in the back of the Malano, grooming her pelt. She wanted to make sure that she was completely clean before she placed her garments back on. She had had an exhilarating day and frankly was in need of a thorough grooming. However the ship's conditions was making it extremely difficult to feel as it she actually getting any cleaner.

Ashen swiveled her head around and saw Peter padding up behind her. She wasn't exactly sure what to say so she repositioned herself and took in a breath. "I'm sorry," she apologized.

Peter seemed a bit surprised that she had spoken to him and actually said that. "What for," he asked as he stopped what he was doing and looked at her.

Ashen felt as if all of the blood in her veins had run cold. "For what I said earlier," she replied hollowly. "I saw how it effected you and I didn't mean it. It was just a joke."

Peter smiled and strode over. This was probably the first time she had seen him actually serious. "It's not your fault," he assured as he sat down on a chair, playing with the tape in his gloved hands.

Ashen padded a bit forward and touched her nose to it. "I take it it's special to you if you've kept it for this long," she barked as she looked up at him.

Peter nodded slowly. "It's very important to me. My mother gave it to me when I was very young."

A pang of envy traveled through Ashen's heart. She had never been able to meet her mother. "I take it that she died?"

Peter bit his lip and forced a nod. "Yeah, cancer I believe. She died when I was eight and this is the only thing I actually have from her." Peter chuckled a bit. "They have all of her favorite songs that in turn grew to be my favorite songs."

Ashen noticed a tear showing in his eye and she rested her head on his leg and licked his shaking hand. "I'm so sorry," she sympathized.

"How about you," he asked as he wiped the tears from his eyes with his other hand and left the tape laying on his lap.

Ashen felt her stomach twist. "Well my mother died about three weeks after I was born," she replied. "She died from death-cough." She gave a laugh that made a sob want to explode from her throat. "They told her it was just a cough and two weeks later she was dead."

"Who took care of you after that," pressed Peter.

The fur on Ashen's fur bristled. "My father. He took care of my brother, Somber, and I after my mother died. He named us and slept with us and did everything a she-wolf would do for her pups but it wasn't easy for him. He got a lot of slack from the pack since a father is never that involved with his pups. That's usually the mother's job and the father is just there at night and for fun trips, never sleeps with them or watches over them or teaches them how to walk."

"That must have been hard for you father," pointed out Peter as he gazed at Ashen with a new light in his eyes and Ashen wondered if it was respect.

"It was," sighed Ashen as her mouth felt dry. "He did his best but when I was six moons old a group of Terrans came and killed all of my pack and took Somber and I away from our home. They took us to a lab and well...."

She turned and showed Peter the implants, injections, wires, screws, rods, and everything else that was in her shoulder, back, and haunches. Her legs and chest were a mess too. There wasn't one part of her that hadn't been touched by a Terran.

"Can I touch it," asked Peter a bit hesitantly.

Ashen nodded slowly. "Go ahead but be gentle please."

Peter nodded but he looked like he had spaced out. His fingers slipped easily over her back fur. Peter felt the scars under her thick fur and the cybernetic implants seemed to stick out more and more to him. "That must have hurt," he murmured half to himself.