riverviewlogs | ( closed ) surprise! you're a dad!

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( closed ) surprise! you're a dad!

who: Gamora & Peter Quill
what: The portal chucks out baby Groot, and they discover they get to take care of the little menace again.
when: Mid-January
where: Community housing: floor 13, room 4
warnings: A tiny angry tree.

[ Things haven't been tense, per se, but since Peter's powers manifested, they've both been stressed.

Trying to dig up any trace of Ego doesn't yield any results, and for all intents and purposes, it seems that Peter's powers are just a fact now, a reality they're learning to tackle head-on. Gamora is insistent that he practice with the Light, so that his emotional responses don't lead to a wild outburst of energy that could be potentially dangerous. A controlled environment is safer, better, as much as Peter might not want to admit the Light exists in the first place – and Gamora won't budge on their training.

She believes in him – in his capacity to manage his abilities.

But that means they both tend to leave training a little frustrated, and she understands if he's tired, aggravated by how little progress it might seem he's made, but she keeps reminding him that it's a process. Control won't come easily, but it will be worth it – because she does not want to see him wearing one of those suppression collars out of fear.

Tonight, however, is an off night. No work, no training, and they've had a quiet day, much needed as it was. Returning from a walk in the gardens, she leads Peter from the elevator with a bag of food in one hand, his fingers curled in her other. She's ready to settle in for an episode of Pals or some movie, their takeout, then cuddling on the couch, before they both crawl into one of their beds to fall asleep curled up with each other.

(Gamora has suggested they may want to look into a queen bed, rather than the two twins they've had since arrival. She tried to be completely nonchalant about it, too, mentioned over coffee and a bowl of cereal, but it had still been a Big Thing.)

Once inside the apartment, she starts pulling out their food, poking through the boxes. ]

Pick what we're going to watch.

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[ ... Ignoring it is clearly the correct solution.

She hands Peter his box of food and a fork when he settles onto the couch, giving a short hum. ]

For now.

[ Maybe they have enough hands on deck to deal with whatever is causing such a commotion.

But tonight, since they haven't been called in, they have a movie about giant reptiles and dinner. She leans into Peter, opening her own food to dig in as the movie starts. ]

[ he takes it with a nod of thanks, sitting beside her on the couch – close enough that their hips and shoulders touch. He hits play on the film and settles in.

He really only picks at his food for a while, frowning in thought as the film plays; the call, apparently, still has him a little rattled, and his curiosity eats at him for a bit, distracts him, until finally, an urgent knock at the door.

Peter’s brow furrows as he exchanges a glance with Gamora, but a second, louder set of knocks rap against the door. Peter sets his food aside, and takes his time getting to the door, wondering if he really wants to answer. But answer he does, and a wheezing, agitated dude in a Perimeter Guard uniform stands in the hall. Peter only notices what looks like a cheap kennel in the guy’s hands once the dude thrusts it at Peter. ]

We believe this belongs to you. [ And the man sounds out of breath and pissed the hell off, and Peter glances down at the dude’s hands, sees what looks like small bite marks and cuts and abrasions. ]

Uh. What—

[ But that’s as far as Peter gets before the guy is thrusting a datapad and a pen at him. ]

I need you to sign this.

[ Dumbly, Peter shuffles the crate under one arm, taking the pen and glancing over the form. It’s— some sort of acknowledgment of receipt, at first, which Peter signs. Then, the dude swipes the form to one side, switching to another sort of acknowledgment – and Peter only briefly catches sight of something about sedation before he signs that, too.

Once he hands the pen back, the poor delivery guy heaves out a huge sigh of relief, casting a baleful look at the crate tucked under Peter’s arm. ]

Good luck with that, sir. [ And the guy darts away, like he’s fleeing a crime scene. ]

[ As soon as the knock comes, Gamora is setting aside her food, too. She doesn't follow directly behind Peter, but she gets to her feet, hanging back by the couch to watch as he answers the door.

... Whatever that Guard has been dealing with looks suitably exhausting, and that makes her even more curious. What could they be delivering, first of all? And secondly, what would cause that much chaos?

... And why did they bring it here if that thing in the crate is responsible for it?

Once the Guard flees at top speed, Gamora approaches Peter, eyeing the crate with a healthy measure of suspicion. ]

Should we open it?

[ She's not entirely sure if that's a good idea. ]

[ Peter kicks the door shut behind him, holding the kennel by its handle with all the wariness of someone handling a live bomb. He similarly studies it, wearing that same uncertain expression as earlier, before he gingerly sets it on the kitchen table. ]

I think they knocked it out, whatever this is.

[ Which means that whatever it is that Peter is now the proud owner of, now might be the best time to get an idea of what they’re in for before it wakes up.

The kennel seems to have a door to one side and another at the top, and Peter frowns as he examines the topmost door. It looks like a little latch holds the top door shut, and Peter’s hand hovers over it.

It’s... seriously stupid, he thinks, that the two of them are this nervous over something small enough to fit in a tiny kennel such as this. Then again, Peter’s been attacked by a swarm of orloni before when he was younger, so he’s learned to accept that some seriously dangerous things come in small packages. ]

Ready?

[ But what did they have to knock out? That's the pressing and concerning question of the moment.

She watches warily from a few feet away, eyes flickering from the little kennel's door to Peter. ]

Ready.

[ As long as it stays unconscious long enough for them to inspect Peter's new... pet? Gift? Thing? they should be fine; they can either dispose of it or keep it corralled so they can figure out what they're going to do with it.

... First, they have to avoid letting it loose. ]

[ Peter really wishes Gamora would stop looking so cautious, because it’s kind of making him a little nervous. But, well, maybe he’s just projecting? Maybe he’s just making a whole big deal out of nothing. Maybe the brusque attitude of the Guard had just been a personality thing. Maybe that guy was just an asshole, who had been attacked earlier in the day by some unrelated entity.

Whatever’s in the crate is silent, though Peter thinks he hears a rustle of movement before it goes still again.

Taking a deep breath, he gives Gamora a quick nod to signal her to prepare herself for... whatever the hell might happen. Carefully, painstakingly slowly, he eases the top door open, and—

... Nothing flies out, which is a good sign. Just as carefully, just as slowly, Peter winces peeks into the box, muscles coiled in case he needs to reel back, and—

He blinks.

Then, he barks out a laugh – equal parts surprised and pleased. ]

What the shit.

[ And he quickly waves Gamora over. An old, worn towel cushions the bottom of the crate, and atop the towel is a familiar little twig, curled up and dozing away. ]

[ Gamora is completely ready to grab or block whatever thing comes bouncing out of the crate—

But nothing moves.

And then Peter is laughing.

She doesn't need any ushering, and instead, steps closer to get a good look at the newly-delivered crate. Her brows lift, her eyes widening just slightly, and something that's nearly a bemused hint of a smile curls at her lips. ]

... Are you kidding me?

[ Their tiny twiggy terror is snoring softly inside of the kennel, looking no different from the last time she'd seen him before tumbling through the portal. He looks fine, and like himself, and she supposes that this at least explains why he was delivered to their apartment. ]

Should we wake him?

[ It all starts to make sense, if he’s honest. Why the Perimeter Guard sounded like it was under attack, why the poor employees sounded so pissed and distressed. Groot could be a handful if you weren’t already on his good side, and if the little dude found himself surrounded by strangers, away from his family and friends —

... Yeah. Okay. Peter quietly resolves to send a pack of booze or something as apology for Groot’s... all of him.

At Gamora’s question, Peter glances up, still not quite able to suppress his grin. ]

I dunno. He looks kinda peaceful.

[ And given how rarely that happens, Peter’s almost loathe to interrupt it.

He does, at least, start to quietly undo the latches holding the top and bottom halves of the kennel together – easily done, given how simple and cheap the thing seems to be. If Groot wakes up on his own, he’d hate for the guy to feel like he’s trapped or something. Peter sets the lid and the little metal grate acting as the door beside the bottom half on the table. Groot only slightly stirs with the sound, letting out a small, discontent sound. ]

[ The little menace probably should rest – at least as much as he's willing to. It won't be long before he's up and about, asking questions, running rampant and trying to understand what's going on. He's going to be a handful, that much is guaranteed.

She reaches out to run her finger lightly over the sleeping sapling's cheek, and he mumbles faintly, turning towards her hand and curling up more in his makeshift bed. ]

Of all the things the portal could have produced.

[ She shakes her head, bemused as she pulls her hand back. ]

[ In case you're checking in: yeah, Peter's still grinning.

It's— nice, seeing one of their teammates from home. Like, obviously it sucks that any of them are stuck here, but at least they can all head back together, when the time comes.

(He thinks briefly of Mantis, and that smile falters for a second; he wonders why she left and why he and Gamora hadn't.)

He hums out his agreement, huffing out a quick, almost disbelieving laugh. It's not as though the Portal had any apparent rhyme or reason to who or what it pulled through, aside from the whole— displacement thing? But Peter thinks Groot is probably too young to feel that, so maybe he just— jumped through something he shouldn't have? Touched something he shouldn't have?

Who knows?

And then Peter's smile fades entirely as he lifts his gaze. ]

What if Groot's not the only one that showed up?

[ And the trepidation in his voice means that, for once, Peter isn't thinking about the other members of the team. ]

[ — Ah.

Gamora's fond expression dips, something serious taking its place. She nods towards his laptop, though she doesn't leave Groot just yet. ]

Check the recent arrivals.

[ That's probably their best bet, without actively scouring the Quarantine. Or they can ask around the Guard, see if something else strange hopped through the portal, someone... concerning. ]

[ Peter hesitates, torn between want to know and wanting to put off knowing for as long as possible.

But he forces himself away, moving across the room to his laptop. It takes forever for it to boot up, but when it does, he quickly logs in and pulls up the appropriate files.

He recognizes Groot's name among the listings, but otherwise, nothing seems familiar. None of the names stick out, none of the bioscans seem out of the ordinary.

Peter's not sure if that's reassuring, or if that just means Ego's gotten really good at going incognito.

He lets out a breath, catching Gamora's gaze across the room. A quick shake of his head.

Still nothing.

It should probably be a relief, but it doesn't feel like one. ]

[ Gamora stays by the sleeping sapling, though she watches Peter go through the motions, log into the computer, flip through files. She's patient and quiet, but tense, concern still seeping into her the longer he searches for any trace of his father.

He shakes his head, and she sighs, stepping away from Groot to approach Peter, winding her arms around him. ]

We'll keep our eyes open.

[ But if there's no sign of Ego, she's willing to consider that they may still be safe in the Quarantine. ]

Yeah...

[ And his voice is barely there, though he wraps his arms around her shoulders, resting his cheek against her head. He takes a deep, steadying breath before pulling back a little – enough to catch her gaze. He glances back at Groot, still dozing on the kitchen table. ]

I didn’t see any of the others, either. Looks like it was just Groot, this time.

[ She nods, following his gaze back to Groot. ]

At least we know that much.

[ Not that it's a bad thing, honestly. She would be glad to see the others, but the less of them that are displaced, the better, she's sure.

And Groot is enough of a handful on his own that she's not entirely sure having more Guardians around to juggle is the best idea. ]

We should still be on the lookout for them, too. Maybe this means the others will begin to show up.

[ He lets out a noncommittal sort of hum; he’s not entirely sure if having the rest of the team here would be better or worse, honestly, considering that’d mean they’d be stuck here, too. And, like, this place isn’t awful by any means, but the freedom of being able to wander from planet to planet, station to station, is something that Peter still sorely misses.

He’s quiet for a second. Then, because Peter sometimes lacks a brain to mouth filter, ]

... This is gonna put a serious crimp on our alone time.

[ And things have just started getting good, too... ]

[ Gamora doesn't laugh, but she huffs out a short, amused breath, shaking her head at him. ]

Maybe someone can babysit.

[ But this does sort of remove their otherwise uninterrupted time together. As much as she misses the team, she does like the peace and quiet that comes without having them all practically climbing on top of each other. ]

[ Peter frowns uncertainly. ]

... I guess we could find someone. As long as, you know. We lie about a lot of things.

[ Like about Groot’s anger management problems. And his uncanny ability to get into anything. And his capacity for cruelty to small animals. ]

[ Gamora looks like she's thinking that over for a moment. ]

Aren't most children difficult?

[ And people babysit willingly in those cases, so... ]

Most kids can’t stretch out their arms, like, fifteen feet and use them as whips or grappling hooks.

[ A pause for emphasis. Then, ]

Or at least, I couldn’t.

[ ... Maybe he has a little bit of a point. ]

I am certain someone here could handle him.

That or we have to ensure he's asleep before we have any time to ourselves.

[ And they both know how finicky Groot can be about getting to sleep. ]

[ He hums out an agreement, even if there’s an edge of uncertainty, there – not for having to wait for Groot to fall asleep, which did eventually happen, but for the idea that anyone aside from the Guardians could handle Groot.

... Hell, the Guardians could barely handle Groot, and there were four of them. ]

We should probably wake him up, huh? Just so he doesn’t lose his shit if he wakes up in the middle of the night.

Mm, it would probably alarm him if he woke up on his own in the dark.

[ And then he might break things and disturb their neighbors, and... it wouldn’t go well.

She pulls away from him finally, wandering back to where Groot lies sleeping on their table. She crouches down to eye level, reaching out to rest her hand on Groot’s little body. ]

Groot?

[ A gentle little shake.

The sapling whines and tries to roll over on the towel, rubbing his face against the fabric. ]

[ He follows after her, watches as he tries to wake the little guy, and—

Yeah. He kind of saw that coming. Peter frowned down at the kid, trying to think of other ways to wake him. If the picked him up, he’d probably just try to snuggle against one of them. If they tried to rouse him physically, if they kept trying to persuade him awake, they’d probably be met with a similar result.

Peter straightened, leaning over the table. ]

Groot?

[ A disgruntled noise, like the kid is trying to tell him to be quiet. ]

Groot, I have candy for you.

[ And the sapling visibly stills from where he was trying to curl into the towel. Even with his eyes shut, Peter can practically see the way Groot is mentally calculating his options. Then, slowly, reluctantly, Groot yawns, shoving himself up to sit and rubbing at his eyes.

A little smugly, ]

Bribery. Works every time.

[ Gamora sighs at them both, shaking her head. ]

Don't give him too much.

[ They don't need him bouncing off the walls, after all.

But she smiles softly at Groot, rubbing her thumb over the top of his head. ]

Hi there.

[ Groot mumbles under his breath (surely a sleepy "I am Groot") and reaches up to curl his little fingers around Gamora's. ]

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