And If You Don't Love Me Now

Being on Contraxia again was like being in his old middle school on Terra, except of course there were sex bots and booze. Peter wasn’t sure which he’d rather face at the moment, his old school or this planet.

“You spoke with her?” Gamora asked, sheathing her sword. Peter nodded, affixing his mini-blaster to his boots.

“Her name is Lady Qula, her assistant told me the location of the headquarters, not far from here. Rocket,” the raccoonoid entered, gun slung onto his shoulder with Groot walking beside him. Peter grinned to himself, it was good to see the two of them side by side; the site of it was getting less frequent and further apart these past few months.

“We ready?” Rocket asked, sounding rather bored. Peter nodded, taking a deep breath to himself as he opened the doors of the Milano. Snow flew into their faces as they walked off the ramp into the crowded multi-colored streets. Beside him Mantis looked around bewildered,

“There are so many people,” she whispered, “so many emotions.” He looked at her wrought face, it suddenly struck him that the empath might be overwhelmed by so many different people pressed together in the streets.

“You gonna be okay?” Mantis glanced at him, looking unsure for a moment before nodding.

“I am Groot,” the adolescent tree appeared to be mesmerized, his game hanging limply in his hands while he stared at the neon lights all around. Peter recalled his first time on the planet, he had much the same look in his eyes.
“I think we got time to explore,” he teased, “if you want.” He spotted Gamora’s warning look but shrugged it off. “C’mon, it’ll be fun!”

“Every time you say that, it never ends up fun,” she observed. He shrugged, knowing she was right and ignoring Groot’s agreeable nod.

“Very well,” Gamora decided as she went off to find more sharpeners and cleaning supplies for her knives. Mantis and Drax decided to tag along with her, Drax promising to take Mantis to a less populated market.

“And then there were three,” Peter turned to Rocket and Groot. “We got time, what would you guys want to do?”

“I am Groot?” The flora colossus asked, pointing inquisitively?

“No!” Rocket snapped, “we are NOT seeing what is in there, let’s find a bar.” He grumbled, and Peter watched the teen role his eyes as they made their way down the streets.

“I am Groot,” he said softly, looking from one alien to another as their stares gloated at him.

“Just ignore them man,” Peter gave him a pat on the back, remembering how it felt to have everyone in the crowd train their eyes on you. Out here in the remote quadrants Terrans were rarely seen. Rocket eventually found a dive bar and they slid into the darkened room, finding a table removed from the others. Rocket ordered an Asguardian draft with a shot of fire rippor, Peter his usual Yagger Lager.

“I am Groot?” The trees question warmed the humies heart,

“Of course you can pick the music!” Peter slid him several units, excited to see what he would choose. Whenever Rocket got fed up with coaxing or Gamroa and Drax couldn’t calm him, Peter would lie with Groot when he was little and listen to music with him until he fell asleep. The effect was rubbing off, much to his delight. Taking a sip of his drink, he watched the raccooniod who watched the Flora colossus. The enchanting words of Fleetwood Mac lifted through the bar, “Listen to the wind blow, watch the sun rise, running in the shadows, damn your love, damn your lies and if, you don't love me now, you will never love me again. I can still hear you saying, you would never break the chain (Never break the chain)”

“Damn my own lies,” Rocket muttered starring into his drink.

“You’re doing good man. He’s gonna be fine.” The raccoonoid glared, Peter readied himself for a cutting remark, but it didn’t come. Rocket only shook his head, looking forlorn down at his drink. Peter swallowed. “You’re doing a heck of a lot better than…then Yondu did.” The raccoonoid’s bright red eyes looked up, ears pinned back.

“That’s not sayin’ much.” The humie had no choice but to agree.

“He’s just a kid, I was like that too when I was his age.”

“Yeah, remind you why Yondu didn’t let you get killed by that phsyco planet?” Peter shook his head, laughing as he took another swig of drink.

“Fair enough.” They sat together silently but it was not as uncomfortable as it once was. It had taken a while for Peter to realize that the only good thing to come of Yondu’s death was that it had made Rocket change, for the better. Instead of being a grumpy, emotionally unpredictable drunkard every day, the enhanced raccoon was now a grumpy, emotionally unpredictable drunkard most days. Whatever time Rocket had spent with Yondu, it had been formative.

“And if you don't love me now, you will never love me again. I can still hear you saying, you would never break the chain (Never break the chain), listen to the wind blow, down comes the night. Running in the shadows, damn your love, damn your lies, break the silence, damn the dark, damn the light.” The sultry voice of Stevie Nicks echoed through the juke box,

“Never break the chain!!” Peter pumped his fist at the tune, singing along. Rocket only shook his head, going up to the counter once more.

“I am Groot?” Groot slid into the booth next to Peter. The humie nodded to Rocket who now sat at the bar with said drink alone. Groot listened to the music he’d selected, working through the multiple versions of the question he was so frightened to ask. “And if you don't love me now, you will never love me again, I can still hear you saying. You would never break the chain (Never break the chain.)” The guitar ripped through the air as Fleetwood Mac sang. Rocket’s love is a chain, damn him and damn whatever lie he’s telling, Groot thought vehemently. And if his family did not love him now, when he wanted to badly, so angrily to know the truth, they would never love him again. It’s now or never, Groot decided as the last sounds of “Never break the chain,” evaporated. I will break this chain. He looked up at the human before him.

“I am Groot,” Peter nodded,

“Go for it.” He watched Groot look down at the table, then at where Rocket sat, then back to Peter, those large eyes full of urgency and wonder, and, Peter thought, taking another drink-some desperate need.

“I am Groot.” The question shocked him. He finished swallowing his drink and cleared his throat.

“I…I don’t think I’m the best person to answer that dude…” but the adolescents face was full of longing, something Peter knew all to well. That need to know who you are, where you came from. Peter had once joked with Rocket, over an empty keg, about the inevitable identity crisis Groot would face. He never actually expected to be a part of it.

“I am Groot?!”

“What happened before Xandar….well there was this infinity stone,” Peter stalled, looking over had praying Rocket would come back any minute.

“I am Groot!” The teen snapped.

“Okay, so Rocket told you about that, and so yeah, that was pretty much it.” But one look at Groot’s face told Peter he’d better shut up and answer truthfully.

“Listen Groot…there’s a lot of stuff that happened, before, during and after Xandar. None of it pretty. And I love you man but…I’m not the one that’s got those answers.” Why couldn’t Groot have asked ANYONE but him? He ran his hand over his face.

“I am Groot,” Groot whispered vehemently. He rose to stand, refusing to look at Peter who’s heart sank. Did Yondu feel like this every day?

He forced himself to stand, swishing the last of his drink around at the bottom of the glass before drinking it.

“Call me a rodent one more time!” Oh no. Peter and Groot exchanged horrified glances as the large purple alien creature loomed over Rocket and his fifth shot of Asgardian whisky.

“You heard me,” the plump alien sneered, he spat at Rocket’s bar stool, “rodent.” Everything happened all at once, Rocket reached for his gun, Peter dove to intercept and Groot let loose his left arm, hitting the alien squarely in the jaw, knocking him down on to the bar table.

“Groot!” Peter called, but even as he shouted he knew it was too late.

“What in the name of Quendlin’s stars….” the alien man wiped his tender cheek with a single tentacle like arm, staring at Groot for a moment before standing and barreling into the flora colossus.

“Dammnit Groot!” Rocket shouted, watching as the tree slammed into a table, sending the patrons scattering. Peter slapped his hand to his face, checking the time. They were supposed to be meeting Lady Qula in a half hour. Gamora was right, as usual Peter thought, wishing she was here now.

“I am Groot!” Groot cried out, wrapping his vines around the large alien who pummeled him.

“Rocket,” Peter half warned, half begged, watching the raccoonoid cock his gun, that trigger-happy look on his face all too familiar. “Rocket, Rocket don’t…” Shhhcrraaakkk!! Peter growled to himself, running for where Groot now looked down at himself in shock. The alien man’s yellow teeth twisted into a grin, a knife in his hand.

“Freak!” He hissed, advancing on Groot. If it had been a less dire situation, Peter might have laughed at that same look he’d warn himself many times before. The flora colossus’s mouth hung open in shock and panic. Peter flung himself ontop of the squishy alien,

“Rocket, get Groot!” But Rocket was already at the tree’s side, ears pinned back, gun ready. “What are you doing don’t shoot!” He screamed, struggling to hold the thug down.

“I’m gonna shoot him in his kurtuckan head Quill, move!” The alien wiggled in the humie’s hold and Peter let out muffled “Ummph,” as a burly fist knocked him in the side.

“I am Groot!” Groot righted himself, sending his vines flying and constricting around the alien who screamed.

“No! Groot! Just let Quill and I handle this!” Peter managed to roll out of the way as one of Groot’s thorn ridden vines struck out, missing the purple goon by an inch.Said goon clutched his knife and slammed the butt of it into Groot’s eye. Scrambling to his feet Peter watched Rocket attempting to pull Groot away from his advisory but to no avail. It was easy to forget sometimes, how larger the flora colossus was compared to the raccoon like creature.

“A flarking animal and a flarking tree, I’m gonna tear you limb from limb and roast your friend over a fire!” The alien growled, spitting out bloody fangs. Peter reached for his gun as he lay on the floor on his belly. Quickly he switched the weapon from kill to stun and took aim,

“Groot move!” He shouted at the teen who had moved easily out of Rocket’s hold and now was suffering for it. The heafty thug clobbered at him, swinging his fist which Groot tried with increasing failure to block. The small cuts of thorns doing little to hinder him.

“Groot!” Peter shouted, struggling to aim, “move it!” Flarking listen to me for once, he begged. Groot looked up, his left eye closed over with cracked bark. He pivoted just in time for Peter to shoot, striking the alien in the shoulder. He stopped, eyes large, went to raise his arm for a final swing at Groot but only shook all over before collapsing. Without wasting time, Peter ran forward, grabbing Groot’s arm and Rocket’s tail, hurrying out of the bar.

“You fucking dumbass, let go of me!” Rocket’s sharp claws smacked at Peter’s hand. Groot stood, slouching, one arm holding his torso. The humie himself panted, examining his own wounds as the three of them panted in the ally way.

“Let me see,” Rocket instructed. Struggling to look up at Groot’s side.

“I am Groot!”

“Yeah I’m sure it’s fine, I just wanna look.” Peter watched him reluctantly move his arm away and his stomach dropped at what he saw. The outer layer of brown bark and leaves on Groot’s left side had been stripped bar, leaving exposed whiteish yellow wood in place, shorn and splintering from just under his armpit to his waist.

“Dammnit Groot you can’t pick fights with people who are stronger then you.”

“Rocket you do that all the time,” Peter put in, hoping to win Groot over. The raccoonoid only hissed,

“Shut up Quill.”

“Guys, we gotta meet our contact,” Peter mumbled, glancing at the time. Rocket cursed but started walking with a slight limp. “C’mon Groot,” the humie tried, patting Groot on the back. The flora colossus shoved him off,

“I am Groot,” he whispered nastily. Peter watched him go. Sure Groot had every right to be mad at him for not telling him anything about what happened before. But Peter knew that duty didn’t belong to him. Like so many other things, that was Rocket’s burden to bare.