STARGIRL

thirty-nine.

The Guardians chased after the animals, leading them to the boarder between the ship and Knowhere. Eleanor held a small tiger cub in her arms as she ran. The explosions were getting closer to them.

"Come on!" Gamora yelled, "Go!"

The Guardians helped to pass the animals over. Eleanor caught a small mouse before it jumped down the small gap and passed it over to an adult standing nearby. The massive Abilisks jumped down from a higher floor of the ship. Mantis smiled, "Go, babies. Go, babies. Go!"

The ship started to slip away from the planet, and Eleanor made sure every animal was on the right side before she jumped over, landing a bit away from the gap. Her heart was beating loudly as she heard someone call out for her dad, and she turned around to see him running back into the ship. Cosmo collapsed onto the floor.

"Quill!" Drax yelled, "Hurry!"

Peter fell to a lower floor, and Eleanor screamed out and her hands clenched up, "Dad!". Peter jumped out of the exploding ship and used some gas to power him towards the planet. Eleanor stared hopeful out at him, but then he hit into some floating debris and started to move backwards.

"Dad!" Eleanor screamed, as she saw him getting further away, "No! No! Dad, I can't loose you!"

His skin started to get frosty and his face started to expand. Groot cried out and grew his branches out to grab him but as soon as they got far enough out to space, they started to freeze and crack.

Mantis put an arm around Eleanor's shoulders and started to lead her away, remembering how she mentioned that she didn't want to be in the same room as her dad's dead body.

"Mantis, no! I take it back!" Eleanor yelled, trying to fight to get out of her aunt's arms, "I need to be there!"

"Eleanor! Mantis!" Nebula cried out, and Eleanor managed to break out of Mantis' grip.

She saw her dad lying on the ground with the rest of the Guardians around him, "Did that look cool?" he said strained.

Nebula helped him up, and Eleanor ran towards him and dove into his arms. He wrapped his arms back around her and gave her a firm squeeze. The other Guardians, apart from Gamora, and the adults of Knowhere leaned in to hug Peter also. The little furry creature dove into the hug also, and Cosmo licked Peter's enlarged face. The golden boy awkwardly joined in too, by placing a hand on two adults and he pressed the side of his face onto a back.

Gamora smiled and started to walk away.

Eleanor sniffed, "Hey, Dad, you look really funny right now. If only I had a phone to take a picture of you... or you know what, I'll draw you." she smiled.

Peter sighed, "Funny. I lost that drawing by the way."

"Fine by me, it was rubbish."

After twenty minutes, Peter's face had gone back to normal and the people of Knowhere had adjusted to having even more children and some animals on their planet. After Gamora had left on her ship with the Ravagers, Peter called a meeting.

"So, you're gonna leave?" Rocket asked sadly.

Peter looked downcast also, "My mother died in front of me when I was eight years old, and I have been running ever since. I'm gonna need to take some time..." he looked at Mantis, "and learn how to swim."

"I as well," Mantis added, and the others looked at her, "I love you all. I do," Groot nodded, "But my whole life I did whatever Ego wanted, and then, I did whatever the Guardians wanted. I need to go out and discover what I want."

"I'll come with you." Drax turned to Mantis.

She glowered at him, "No, Drax! That's the whole point."

"But you need someone to protect you."

"I don't."

"Not in a bad way. Just because of your incredible weakness."

"Oh, my gosh, you're so frustrating!"

"Drax," Nebula smiled, "I need you here. We're building a new society. I need all the support I can get for those children out there. Today, I saw who you are. You weren't born to be a destroyer. You were born to be a dad."

Drax smiled sadly at the floor, and then he nodded looking back at Nebula.

"So, you'll lead the Guardians then?" asked Rocket.

"No," Nebula replied, "I'm gonna lead the city, make it the type of home I never had."

"Eleanor?" Rocket asked, and the girl looked sadly at the floor.

"I'm gonna go with Dad," she replied, "I'm not ready to leave him, yet lead a bunch of people."

Peter gently squeezed her hand as Rocket looked crestfallen.

"So, that's it?" the raccoon sobbed, "The group's over?"

"No," replied Peter, "Well, the Galaxy still needs its Guardians. And you will make a better leader than I ever was, Cap'n."

He banged his right fist twice onto his chest, staring down at Rocket. Eleanor smiled at the raccoon and copied her dad. Mantis thumped her chest, and Drax turned to Rocket and copied the other three. Nebula turned to him also and thumped her chest. Groot looked extremely proud at Rocket as he copied everyone else. He turned and looked around at everyone, "I love you, guys."

Just before Peter and Eleanor headed to Earth, Eleanor decided that she wanted to say goodbye to everyone, after all, the majority of them had been her family since she was thirteen. She gave Nebula a hug, and the woman whispered good luck in her ear.

Eleanor fist bumped Groot, and Rocket allowed her one hug. "Tell me all about your adventures, Captain." she told him, and he nodded sadly.

Eleanor gave Mantis a quick hug, "Stay safe." she told her aunt. Mantis smiled back at her, "Enjoy Earth." The two hugged again.

At last it was Drax. Eleanor found the man telling stories to some of the hamster children and she stood watching with a smile on her face as the children laughed. Drax noticed her and excused himself from the children.

"You're going, then?" he asked, and Eleanor nodded.

"I - I just wanted to say goodbye," she said, and Drax gave her a hug, "And thank you. Thank you for looking after me, and thank you for being a second dad. I know you'll be great with these kids."