Love, Meredith
Yondu knew that this journey was going to be a long one. He knew from the moment that Kraglin said the name Celeest that this wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. They were going to be travelling over 100 miles with a boy and a sick woman; the journey would be arduous and long, at least a week with few rations and a hard winter around the corner. Still, he agreed without hesitation. When did he get so damn soft?
They really didn’t even have time to send a warning letter to Celeest. There was no telling how long the tumor had been growing in Meredith’s head, and he knew that the sooner she was treated, the better her chances of survival would be. They didn't have time to wait for the Pony Express.
Then again, he reminded himself, there was a chance that Celeest wasn’t even in that town anymore. When was the last time that he or his boys had any connection with stranded Ravagers? Days ago? Weeks? Celeest could’ve moved on or been run out during that time.
She’ll be there, Yondu told himself as he rode down the street on Eclector. She has to be.
He tied the horse outside of a market, pulling his mask high and his hat low. He might be able to sneak in and out as long as no one looked too closely at his face. Things always got more complicated as soon as he was recognized.
Immediately, he gravitated towards the food. He wanted to get some stuff that would last them a while on the road. Sure, he could stop for hunts or send the boys scouting ahead for game, but there seemed to be nothing but large herd animals in the Terran desert. There was no point in killing a massive buffalo to feed five people, especially when it would be difficult for them to take the food with them. Not only would the sun spoil the meat, but robbers or wild animals would constantly be looking for anything ripe for the taking. Yondu didn’t want any delays in the trip, even if it’s just to kill a few coyotes or a bold bandit.
He settled on some dried meat and fruit, beans, and some hard biscuits that wouldn’t mold quickly. Most Ravagers learned the hard way what mold was, since they never had it out in space, and Yondu had his share of stomach aches to learn what was and what wasn’t edible on Terra. Even some things that Terrans ate and drank, like dairy, he couldn’t have. Lucky for him, that was the only thing that he couldn’t digest.
Once he was settled on food, he picked up a few extra blankets and bedrolls for Meredith and Peter. He assumed that they had never left the town and therefore had none of the usual survival supplies, but Meredith was always surprising him. He wouldn’t have been shocked if she had spent summers of her youth running around like a wild animal in the desert. Meredith had the spirit of someone who couldn’t stay in the same town for her entire life, and, even though he only spoke briefly to the boy, he was sure that Peter wasn't much different.
Yondu licked his teeth. Meredith would’ve made a damn good Ravager, and he hadn’t ever met anyone who was raised to be in the Fold. Sure, some joined young, but no one ever accepted someone into their crew that was Peter’s age. There were rules against it.
Still, Yondu couldn’t help but wonder how skilled Peter would be if he started learning at age 8 what most people didn’t start learning until they were at least 16. He would be fierce.
Then again, he would have to convince Meredith to let the boy come with him in the first place. She was a Mama Bear, that’s for sure. It was going to take more than the usual pitch to get her to join a crew of dangerous outlaws away from her home planet, especially if her baby was coming with. If Yondu ever loved someone as much as she loved that boy, he would simply implode.
He paid for the supplies carefully, making sure to not look anyone in the eyes as he slapped a few coins on the desk. The man hesitantly took them. He obviously suspected something but didn't want to say it aloud, so Yondu took his goods wordlessly and went out to his horse. He hoped that he would be able to just ride off without any incidents.
"There he is!"
Fuck. He just had to jinx himself, huh?
"That's the fucker that damn near killed me!" called a familiar voice. Yondu buttoned the bag on Eclector and turned, shifting his coat around his arrow. "Don't you move a muscle, Offworlder."
"Shoot 'im, Alfred. We don't want the likes of 'em in our town,'' called another voice. Yondu couldn't make out who it was in the crowd of men in front of him. He counted 10, maybe 15 total. "He killed Joe Sullivan last night."
Yondu's eyes narrowed. So that was the bastard's name. "Joe Sullivan deserved it," he spat. His voice sounded muffled through the bandana, but he didn't want them to know his face too well. He was going to be travelling with Meredith and Peter; they needed to stay out of trouble, which seemed to be a more difficult task than he expected. "I don't want no trouble with y'all. I'm leavin' town soon, preferably without any more blood."
"You waiyans always want blood!" called another voice. This one Yondu could place: he was a kid not much older than Kraglin.
The slur alone was almost enough to make Yondu whistle Dixie. He could burn any other town to the ground and not give an orloni's ass. Terrans treated his people like devils- like waiyans, as the Chinese not-so-affectionately called them. He had every right to want to set this stars-forsaken planet ablaze.
Then Meredith's face appeared in his mind's eye, and the tune on his tongue faltered. These were her people. They may have been racist motherfuckers, but she still knew them like family. She probably grew up with Alfred.
Why did it matter?
He was brought back to attention when a startled cry erupted from the crowd. His eyes focused on the disruption, but he couldn't make anyone out for a moment. Everyone was moving too damn fast.
Kraglin was shoved to his knees in front of the crowd. His head was bleeding, like he had been clocked with the butt of a gun, but there was still fight in his eyes when he looked up at Yondu. He was angry.
A gun was raised to his first mate's temple. Alfred said something, but all Yondu heard was blood rushing in his ears. His vision tinted red and a shrill whistle left his lips before he blacked out.
When he came to, more than half of the townsmen lay dead, holes in their heads or chests. The rest were chased by shots from Kraglin's blaster as he held Peter behind him. Despite that brutal head wound, Kraglin was still one hell of a shot; men dropped like rain with each pop of the blaster.
Peter was crying as Yondu walked over, sticking his arrow in the holster.
"Boy!" he hollered. Kraglin's head snapped to him and he stood in the relaxed attention that he usually did when called. "Ya had one fuckin' job! Get the boy and get him back to Mery without gettin' caught!! Goddamn it, Kraglin, what the hell would ya have done if I wasn't there to save your pansy ass?? You're my first fuckin' mate for a reason, so figure your shit out before ya get someone killed."
"Aye, Cap'n." Kraglin's face was unreadable, but his eyes weren't. For a moment, Yondu wondered if he was too hard on the boy.
He didn't give himself time to answer that question. "Good answer. Get your ass back to the inn."
"What???"
Meredith sighed softly at the shrill response from her son. She couldn't blame him for being so surprised, but she was hoping that she hadn't frightened him with the explanation of her condition. By the tears welling in Peter's eyes, though, she could tell that she failed.
"I'm goin' to be okay, baby. We just gotta take a little trip to see a doctor," Meredith promised, taking her son's hands into her own. She had already promised it four times before.
Peter sniffled and nodded, reaching for a hug. Quickly, Meredith scooped him up, hugging him close to her chest to comfort him.
"Ya shouldn't strain yourself pickin' him up," Yondu called. He was carefully bandaging the wound on Kraglin's head, occasionally stopping to check his first mate's vision and ability to comprehend things.
Meredith narrowed her eyes. "I'll pick up my baby if I want to," she said, swaying Peter gently. Yondu rolled his eyes and muttered something that made Kraglin snicker.
Tullk, who had previously been pensively looking out the window while he thought, suddenly turned around. "I think we should leave tomorrow morning instead of at the end of the week. People are getting restless, Captain. They want revenge."
"Revenge for what?" Meredith asked, gently stroking Peter's hair. When Yondu didn't answer, she repeated herself. "Revenge for what?"
"Yondu had to use his arrow, Mom. Alfred was going to kill Kraglin," Peter said, pulling his head out of her neck to look at her. "It wasn't Yondu and Kraglin's fault. They were protectin' me."
Meredith glanced at Yondu. He was putting the medical supplies in his bag and pointedly not looking at her. She turned her attention back to Peter and kissed his head. "We'll talk about it later, okay baby? Let's let Tullk finish what he was saying."
Tullk nodded slightly at her. "I know it would be better to wait, to get a plan, but we shouldn't risk a bloodbath," he said. "My vote is we leave at dawn tomorrow. Hell, I would want to leave tonight if the sun wasn't setting."
"Tullk's right, Cap'n," Kraglin said, standing up carefully. "We need to leave sooner rather than later, especially if we're takin' the boy."
"What about your head?" Meredith piped in. "Shouldn't you be restin'? Makin' sure everythin's alright up there?"
The teenager shrugged. "I've travelled with worse. The only head we're worried about is your's, Ms. Quill. The sooner you're checked out, the better your chances."
"Oh, Kraglin, that's considerate of you, but-"
"If Kraglin says he can travel, then he can travel. We leave tomorrow at dawn," Yondu butt in. Meredith set Peter down and gently told him to gather his things to be ready for tomorrow. "Until then, I want Kraglin to rest. Tullk, you're taking over for him until I say so."
"Cap'n-"
"Don't argue with me."
Kraglin looked like he was about to do just that, but a look from Yondu shut him up. He huffed, acting much more his age than Meredith has ever seen. "Aye, Cap'n. Can I at least help plan a route?"
Yondu chewed on his tongue for a moment before nodding slightly, grabbing a map and spreading it over a small table. Kraglin barely held back a grin as he made his way over to help.
Suddenly, Meredith remembered her father. Her and Peter were all he had left after they lost her mom all those years ago. What would he do if she simply didn't come home? "I have to tell my daddy about this," she called.
"Goin' in town ain't an option, Meredith," Yondu replied, looking up from the map.
"I can't just leave him. If you think a mob is bad, you don't want to know what my daddy'll do if he thinks y'all are takin' me and Peter from him," she argued. Yondu chewed his tongue again. "I gotta tell him somehow, Yondu. We're all he's got."
"Write him a letter, and I'll wake up early to drop it off 'fore we leave. He won't know until we're far enough away," Yondu offered. He obviously didn't like it, but Meredith wasn't asking him to. She was just asking him to do it.
"Thank you," she said, getting some paper and a pen. Yondu grunted and turned back to the younger Ravagers without another word.
Once she got the paper and pen, Meredith sat down at a small desk to write. She thought it would be easy; just give a quick explanation about where she was going and promise that she'd be okay. It should've been easy for her. She was a mother. Explaining things had become her life's purpose when Peter got old enough to start asking questions.
But she still just sat there, at a loss for words. How did she even begin?
"Mom."
Peter's soft voice interrupted her thoughts and she turned to him. "What's up, baby?"
"Are you sure this is safe?" he asked softly. "I mean, Billy told me that his uncle was killed by bandits on the Oregon Trail! And there's no stores for food or inns to stay in."
"Well, good thing we're not goin' on the Oregon Trail then," Meredith replied. Peter didn't look convinced. "Listen, baby, I have to do this. I know it's scary, so if you want to stay here-"
Peter looked almost offended by her words. "I'm not staying here. I have to protect you."
Meredith smiled at her boy. So young, but he was the bravest person she knew. "I know you will. God, you are so brave, baby," she cooed, gently petting his hair out of his face.
"Thanks, Mom," he smiled, leaning into her.
Meredith turned to the note she hadn't started yet and an idea popped in her mind. "Hey, Peter. How about you write Grandpa a note? He's going to need some guidance on what to do without you there bossin' him around."
Peter's eyes lit up with excitement. He had just recently learned how to write, and showing off his new skill was one of his favorite pastimes. "Yeah! Can I draw him a picture too?" he asked, looking at the abundance of paper Meredith had beside her.
"Yeah, baby, he'd like that," she smiled before she handed him a few pieces of paper and a pencil. The boy thanked her and took his spot on the floor, carefully writing out a list of things for his grandpa to do while he was away.
Meredith turned back to her own letter and sighed. Maybe if she just started writing, the words would come to her easier than if she was searching for them.
Daddy,
I know you're going to be wondering why I wrote a letter instead of just coming to see you, and I want you to know that it's got nothing to do with you. This is my decision.
Meredith sighed. This was sounding more like a break-up note than anything else. Still, she forced herself to continue.
I'm not running away, and I haven't been kidnapped. Don't listen to the rumors you're going to hear about me. I'm coming back, no matter what. I just have to take a little trip to the doctor.
Don't freak out about that either. I'm not going to die… I don't plan to, at least. A friend of mine told me that he thinks I have something called a brain tumor. I know that sounds ridiculous, but Yondu wouldn't lie to me about that. He has enough to worry about right now. He doesn't have a reason to go through the trouble of lying to me and then taking me on a tough journey to see a doctor. If he wanted to kill me, he's had plenty of chances to. Offworlders aren't that bad, Daddy.
That boy who came to pick Peter up was an Offworlder, too. His name was Kraglin. He's probably the sweetest teenage boy I've ever met. He takes care of Peter without being asked, and he has a heart of gold. And then there's another Offworlder here named Tullk. He's younger than Kraglin, but I trust him to protect us. I trust all of them, even Yondu. They'll do whatever they can to bring me home.
And you didn't raise a damsel in distress, Daddy. I'll watch out for Peter and myself, just like you taught me.
Now, I know you're wondering why I'm taking Peter along. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't for my own comfort, just a little bit. Peter is my pride and joy. I need him here to help me keep going. I also know that if I left him with you, he'd find a way to sneak out to find me. He's too much like me for me to be confident he'd be safe in town. I know you'd watch him, but no one can control Peter. He's got a daddy from the stars.
I don't want you to worry about us. We're going to be okay. I should be back before the end of the month. Until then, read this letter and the one Peter's writing. Don't let the rumors in town get to you. We didn't run away.
It's going to be okay. We'll be okay.
Love,
Meredith