---✧✧✧

𝐀𝐔𝐑𝐎𝐑𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃
as a shopkeeper turned away from his stand, nabbing a few packs of Vernolia chips. She didn't think he would miss it, so she shoved it into her pocket before continuing down the dirt street on Knowhere. And sure, that shopkeeper didn't miss it, but someone noticed her snatch it.

"Aurora," her father told her in a stern voice from the front of the group. "I saw that."

Aurora rolled her eyes before throwing some units in place of the chips before catching up to the others.

"Why do you care so much? They're chips," Aurora pointed out.

"Because we're not Ravagers. Not anymore, anyways. We have to learn to be honest people who do good just because that's who we are," Peter told her.

"And for the units," Rocket muttered under his breath, making Aurora smile.

"No. Not for the units. Besides, you need to get out of the habit of stealing everything instead of paying for it," he told Aurora before giving a pointed look to Rocket. "And you are not helping."

"Petty theft is for those who have no honor," Drax stated.

"Who said anything about petty theft?" Rocket asked. "Aurora stole a whole ship once, I don't call that petty. No wonder Yondu likes her better."

"Shut up, he did not," Peter waved off before catching his daughter's look.

"Quill, we all know Yondu likes her better. He blames you for turning her against him," Gamora reminded him.

"I did not. She was the one who told me to sell the orb for ourselves," Peter replied.

"While that might be true it is common knowledge that the parent influences the kid," Elena said.

"Oh, yeah, thanks, Elena. You're helping so much right now," Peter sassed.

But it was true. Aurora had reminded him of the broker on Xandar, but she wasn't expecting him to kick them out just because the orb belonged to Ronan.

"I just thought Yondu liked her better because she's a better Ravager than you," Rocket said.

"Yeah, except we're not Ravagers anymore we're Guardians of the Galaxy. Speaking of, I think we need a battle cry. Any suggestions?"

"I am Groot," Groot said from inside his pot that Rocket carried.

"Yeah, I walked right into that one," Peter mumbled under his breath. Aurora reached out for some candy from another shop, but Gamora was quick to catch her.

"Aurora, don't even think about it," she scolded.

"Damn it."

"And, we're going back to the Milano before Aurora steals another ship," Peter announced as they swiftly turned the corner.

"Where are we going after this?" Aurora asked.

"Well, there's this bounty due on Xandar for half a million units-"

"Half a million?" Rocket yelled as Groot gasped in a small voice.

"Rocket, shut up. If people hear you we might get robbed," Aurora muttered to him.

"If someone tries to rob us I'll shoot them. Then I'll purposefully miss and hit Quill." Aurora snickered at his comment.

"No one's shooting anybody, Rocket," Elena told him.

"Exactly. My people would cut the hands off those who robbed others," Drax stated.

"We're not cutting anybody's hands off either," Gamora said, giving the others a hard glare before she turned to the young blonde girl next to Rocket. "If you try to take something one more time..."

Aurora slowly put back the blaster to its original position at the booth as Gamora stared her down. "And yet you didn't notice Rocket steal those parts two minutes ago," she muttered.

"You little-"

"Rocket, don't cuss out my kid, please," Peter told him as they finally made it to the Milano.

"Why is she the victim in the situation? She's a little snitch."

"Look who's talking, stupid raccoon," Aurora sassed.

"You don't even know what a raccoon is!"

"You don't either!"

"Your argument is pointless, you both just look like idiots," Gamora said with a sigh. She walked onto the ship as Aurora kept glaring at Rocket.

"If you keep glaring like that I'm gonna scratch your face off," he spat.

"I will shave you," the girl seethed in reply.

"Okay, can you two calm down? First of all you," he gave a pointed look to Rocket, "fighting a ten-year-old kid is a little depressing."

"I'm almost eleven," Aurora reminded him.

"Do you want to be grounded?"

"No, sir."

"Then get on the ship." Aurora did as he said, but behind her father's back she waved around some blaster parts with a smirk, causing Drax to let out one of his obnoxious laughs and Elena to roller he eyes as Rocket couldn't help but try to stifle a laugh. "Drax."

"What? What did I do?"

"Just... just get on the ship, dude."

"Quill! There's an incoming transmission from Nova Corps!" Gamora yelled from the cockpit. When Peter went inside, he was quick to answer it to see Nova Prime on the screen. For a slight second, he worried about the orb.

"Nova Prime. Need the assistance of the mighty Guardians of the Galaxy?" Peter said with a chuckle. Aurora look at her father with a concerned look, because in her opinion that sounded like a really dumb thing to say.

"No, Mr. Quill. Actually, I have a message from a member of the Green Lantern Corps," she told him.

"It was the kid!" Rocket yelled.

"Dude! Shut up!" Aurora yelled back. Peter gave the two a glare before turning back to the screen with a strained smile.

"Which ones?"

"Hal Jordan and John Stewart of Earth. They requested that you and the others meet the Justice League at their headquarters in Earth's orbit."

"I'm sorry, the what in the what?" Peter questioned.

"The Watchtower, the headquarters of the Justice League of Earth. It's an orbiting satellite. I'll send the coordinates to your ship, but I suggest you don't keep them waiting too long."

"Thank you, Nova Prime for passing the message," Gamora piped up when Peter didn't say anything.

"You're welcome," the woman responded before ending the transmission. Peter watched as the coordinates showed up. He stared at them for a while, and the others looked at him when he continued to remain silent.

"Dad," Aurora said after a while. Peter looked to his daughter, almost as if he was snapped out of a trance. "Are we gonna go?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. Let's see what they want," he replied before starting up the ship and lifting off. "Aurora, how many jump points?"

"Sixteen. Nothing in the way, thank god," Aurora said as she looked at the screen in her own seat.

"Alright then. Let's go to Earth."

---✧✧✧

When they made it to general area of the coordinates, Aurora couldn't help but stare at the planet in interest. Her father had told her so much about it and yet she's still never been there before. She knew why. Her father just didn't think he had anything left for him there, so why bother?

Aurora walked up to her father's seat, everyone else below the cockpit most likely making plans of what they would do next. Well, Gamora probably was. Rocket was probably just making another random bomb while Drax made some food.

"It's beautiful," she muttered.

"It's a mud ball," Peter corrected. "Full of nothing but sadness and misery."

"That's just you, dad. What do you think I think about Xandar? That's the place where my mother died." Peter looked at her in surprise. Aurora noticed and replied with, "Sorry. That was low."

"I thought you didn't care much about that," Peter told her.

"I don't... most of the time. Sometimes, I guess I feel like I'm missing out on something sometimes when I see... I guess other kids with their moms. I don't know."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Peter asked. He felt terrible. Was that something he should have noticed? He was her father for gods sake.

"Because when I did think about it, I also thought about how lucky I am that I have you. Instead of ditching me on the street, you were kind of a mom and a dad. You go the extra mile, you know? You're definitely an idiot most times but that's not always a bad thing." Peter chuckled at her words.

"You're definitely worth the effort," he said, pulling her into a hug. "Even if you steal things. But I blame Yondu for that."

"I'll get the hang of this good guy thing," she told him.

---✧✧✧

"You're sending me to Earth?" Aurora yelled at her father in question.

"I just think it's what's best for you. It's not like I'm sending you to military school," Peter pointed out. Gamora was about to intervene, but Elena stopped her.

"It's not our business, Gamora. Just let them sort it out," she muttered.

"I don't know what that is!"

"Exactly. You can learn a lot from Earth. More than I can teach you."

"So you're sending me there because I don't know your Earth references?" Aurora asked.

"What? No! I'm not that idiotic! But I think it would also be good for you to hang out with kids your age," Peter tried to explain. He had his reasons for having her join the team, one if them being how he and the other Guardians had accepted the offer to join the League.

"So you're forcing me to join a social club?"

"No! I just think that this would be a great way for you to learn what it means to be a hero."

"Yeah, but I wanted to learn that with you. With you and the others," Aurora told him.

"You're not going to learn that from us. You can't. We're a bunch of misfits. You're young, you can still change. Just... you know, not too much," Peter replied.

"But why can't I learn that with you? We literally just had a conversation about how I think you're a great dad and now you're sending me away?"

"Because I think there's something here for you! I think you can live a life here. A really, really good goddamn life. Can you... can you please just give it a chance? For me?" Peter pleaded as he put his hands on his daughter's shoulder.

"You better call me."

"I will."

"Every night."

"I will."

"And visit too."

"I will."

"Once a month, unless you're fighting some crazy space monster thingy, I don't know."

"I will."

"Promise?"

"Of course. You're my kid, I'm going to visit you till you're sick of it," Peter told her before embracing her into a tight hug. "There's more to life than your old man, Aurora. You can have a family here too. Maybe even meet someone."

"Don't count on it. If I hate it you better let me come home," Aurora mumbled.

"Not too soon. But I'll let you come back if Earth doesn't treat you well."

---✧✧✧