Guardian Angel (Guardians Of The Galaxy Fanfiction)

Lasting Bonds

If you had asked Ashen a moon ago where she'd be, where she was now would not be the answer. She'd probably say someone with Grenade, scrapping for a living on the street. Now she was listening to a very intriguing but intricate plan. Her head was spinning as she struggled to keep up but she was trying her best. She could tell Grenade understood everything and he looked rather excited.

"You have one hour," announced Peter as he looked to Yondu's crew since they were aboard Yondu's ship at the moment. "Now is the time to prepare."

With that the groups dispersed. Ashen saw Rocket head for a secluded area to check for weapons. Ashen looked to Grenade and lowered down to whisper in his ears. "I'm going to talk to Rocket. I'll be right back."

Grenade's eyes darkened. "Be careful, alright?"

Ashen nodded in agreement before she padded forward. She snaked after him, trying to avoid all of Yondu's crew that were in her way. She passed by them before she passed into a room and saw him rummaging through she parts for weapons. He hummed to himself and Ashen coughed to clear her throat.

He twitched an ear before he looked over his shoulder. "Er hi Ashen. I didn't expect to see you here."

"Yeah honestly neither did I," confessed Ashen as she looked in the room around her.

"Well you must have come for something," grunted Rocket as he leaned over a box and rummaged through it loudly.

Ashen shuffled her paws. "Yeah I did." She licked her lips in discomfort. "I came to say thanks for you know getting me out of that jail."

Rocket sat back and crossed his arms. "You've thanked me for that before. Something tells me that that's not really what's on your mind."

Ashen feared he'd say that. She swayed a bit on her paws and looked back up at him. "Nothing much, really. Just nervous for the battle I suppose."

"You've been in battles before though, right," asked Rocket as he played with his claws a bit.

"Yeah but none like this," replied Ashen. "I've been in battles of claws and teeth, not ships and armies."

Rocket shrugged. "Been in both. Bout' the same."

Ashen took a step forward. "I don't think you really believe that," she pressed as her eyes glared a bit.

Rocket gave his fur a stern shake. "You wouldn't know what I believe." His tone was gruff and he turned back to the parts.

"What happened," Ashen darted to ask as she leaned forward ever so more. "I saw something in your eyes the night you attacked me and it wasn't you being drunk. Something had to have happened to make you look at me like that."

"How would you know," reported Rocket hotly.

Ashen felt a bit taken back. "I know because I've felt the same way. I have hate toward Terrans like that when they took me from my family and turned me into this freak and when they killed my brother. Unlike Grenade I don't hold a grudge against all Terrans but he does. I take it you hold a grudge against all wolves for something."

"You're smarter than you look Ashen," confessed Rocket in a deep tone as he turned to look at her. He sighed and sat down and she did the same. They weren't eye level but they were close. "And yes a wolf killed someone close to me when I was younger. I suppose I just...." He broke off a bit and ran his tongue over his bottom layer of teeth. "Just blamed all wolves for it, including you."

Ashen drew her ears back in understanding. "I'm sorry that happened to you," she murmured gently. "No one should have to go through that. However I understand. My brother was killed by a Terran like I already said. I don't blame all of them but Grenade does. He reminds me of you."

Rocket flicked his tail tip. "Well Grenade is a very good cat. I'd be honored to be like him."

Ashen smiled and wagged her tail. She then gelt a twinge of pain in her shoulder and she turned her head to lap at it. Rocket watched her keenly as her tongue rasped against her thick shoulder fur. She was painfully aware of his intense gaze on her but she just continued her process. After a while the pain subsided and she relaxed a bit.

Rocket sighed and padded forward. He sat close to her, so close that their fur nearly brushed. Ashen's heart beat rapidly inside of her chest as Rocket stretched out a paw timidly and touched her shoulder. She cringed at his touch and he drew back a bit, not wanting to hurt her. When Ashen relaxed he then rested his paw gently on her painful shoulder. She cringed but didn't jerk so he brushed his pads gingerly over her shoulder and took in a breath.

"I'm....sorry," he apologized with great effort as he continued to stroke her shoulder. "About hurting you." He continued running his pads down her shoulder ever so gently and then their eyes met. "How bad is it?"

Ashen hung her head. "I'm not sure," she confessed timidly, a bit nervous at his touch since his pads were journeying close to cybernetic implants. One was in the middle of her shoulder but Rocket hadn't touched that part. "I don't know how bad it is but I'm hoping it is just on the outside."

Rocket nodded in understanding before he touched the implant. "It's just like mine," he breathed to himself.

Ashen heard it and her tail lashed sideways and touched his tail. He looked down suddenly before he lowered his paw and sighed. "Sorry. I know how sensitive those can be."

"It's fine," assured Ashen as she smiled. "Do yours still hurt? Mine do sometimes and I know Grenade's do all the time."

Rocket turned his head away, not really wanting to answer. "Yeah sometimes but I can take the pain. It's not that bad."

Ashen knew that was about all she was going to get out of Rocket about his life before she met them. She decided to change the subject to something he was extremely interested in.

"Hey do you think you could make me a new weapon," she asked hopefully as she shuffled her paws. Rocket gave her a hard stare so she decided to elaborate. "I know that we're going to be fighting in ships but in case we're doing any hand to hand combat. Mine is well er a bit outdated and was made with scraps that Grenade found."

Rocket brightened a bit and beamed. "Well sure! Would you like to help me?"

"Sure," she yipped excitedly as her tail wagged. "Thanks Rocket!" She then leaned forward and touched her nose to his ear.

Rocket leaped back and looked at her as if she was crazy. "What are you doing," he snapped as he thrust his ears against his head.

Ashen realized that her gesture wasn't familiar with raccoons. They must greet different ways but she didn't know what those ways were.

She smiled in embarrassment. "Sorry. That's how wolves and cats show their appreciation." Rocket twitched her ear and narrowed his eyes at her. "They both touch noses to show affection as friends or mates or littermates but when you touch your nose to someone's ear it is for comfort or in appreciation."

Rocket nodded slowly. "Oh okay. I never had anyone do that to me."

Ashen chuckled in amusement and padded toward him. "May I try again? Now that you know what I'm doing and that I'm not trying to hurt you?"

Rocket smiled and his features softened. "Yes. Should I do anything?"

Ashen rumbled in amusement. "Nope. You just stand still." She leaned forward and touched her cold nose to his ear. It twitched a bit at her touch and she held back an amused chuckle. She then drew back and bounded toward the box of parts. "So what do we need?"

Rocket perked up and dashed to her side. He thrust his front paws into the box and pulled out numerous parts and the two began to build Ashen a new weapon. Ashen finally felt like she had gotten through to Rocket and this shouldn't be a friendship that would be broken any time soon.