It was almost funny, in a cruel, sadistic sort of way, that Peter had held each of his parents as they'd died. First his mother, back on Terra, as she'd died of brain cancer. Then Ego, his biological father, when Rocket had detonated the bomb inside the planet's core. And finally his dad, Yondu, after giving Peter the only spacesuit while flying out of the atmosphere of Ego's dying planet, leaving himself open to the cold vacuum of space. But Yondu wasn't dead. He couldn't be.

"Yondu, Yondu cut the shit, man, wake up!" He screamed, clutching onto the older Ravager. He could see his vision growing blurry from the tears welling up in them, but he refused to let them fall. "Yondu, you can't say something like that and die. You can't!" He gave the older man a shake, as if it would help. "Yondu!"

He received no response.

"Yondu!"

Maybe that time his voice broke. Maybe that time he had started crying. But what did it matter?

He was so caught up in his grief, he hadn't noticed the ship approaching. Without warning, he and Yandu were suddenly being pulled into an airlock of the craft and dropped roughly to the steel floor. The doors slid shut behind them and then the spacesuit surrounding him shut off, leaving him laying on the cold floor as well.

He didn't have a moment to process what had just happened before he heard shouting.

"Peter!" He heard someone yell.

He looked up to see Gamora running towards him. Before he could even sit up from the floor, he felt strong arms pulling him into a hug.

"Oh my God," she breathed into his ear. "I thought I'd lost you."

"Yondu," he choked out, trying to pull her attention away from him and towards the one who actually needed it. He heard the sound of approaching footsteps, telling him the others were coming. "Yondu, he didn't have a spacesuit. You guys have to help him."

Gamora pulled away at his words, looking over to where Yondu's ice encrusted form lay, as if just now noticing him. Her face went through a myriad of expressions before finally settling on grief. "Oh no," she breathed.

"Oh no? What do you mean 'oh no'?" Peter cried, sitting up. "We have to help him, we can't just leave him like this!"

The others, who had just rushed into the room, viewed the scene before the, and all came to the same conclusion as Gamora had.

"Yondu!" Rocket cried, rushing towards the Ravager. His brown eyes were wide with fear as he crawled over the man, checking desperately for any sign of life. Then he turned to Peter, expression full of dread. "How long were you out there?" He demanded. "Why wasn't he wearing the suit?"

"I don't know, he gave it to me. But we have to help him, we have to do something," Peter said, voice full of emotion.

"I'm trying!" Rocket barked back. "But he ain't got no pulse, and he ain't breathin'."

"Don't say that!" Peter shouted. "He can't be dead!" He just found his father, he couldn't lose him so soon, God damn it!

"Peter," Gamora tried, trying to pull his attention back to her. Her voice was soft and cracking with emotion as she spoke. "Yondu is gone. I'm sorry. Peter, I am so sorry."

Peter wanted to shake his head, wanted to fight the facts, but he felt a lump growing in his throat, and the burning in his eyes was getting stronger. He turned again to look at the only man who had ever been a father figure to him in his whole life, and the truth of the situation sunk in like a heavy stone in his gut. Yondu was gone. He had sacrificed himself for Peter, and he had died. His vision blurred with tears, and just like that, all the fight left him, and he slumped against Gamora.

The woman seemed surprised at the sudden change, but quickly grabbed onto him as though he would actually fall if she let go. For all Peter knew, he just might. They stayed like that for some time, while the rest of their small crew helped move Yondu's body somewhere else. It also allowed the a semblance of privacy, although they didn't really need it. But for some reason, Peter was glad for it all the same.

"I'm so sorry," Gamora said, pulling away. "I know you were close to him."

Peter looked up and met her brown eyes, seeing the emotion he felt reflected in them. "He was my father," he stated plainly. "My real father. Anyone who plans to destroy the galaxy isn't a true father," he said bitterly, referring to Ego.

"He raised you," she agreed.

"He did more than that," he said softly. "He protected me from that bastard. I was just cargo, but he chose not to hand me over." He glanced down, staring vacantly at the floor. "He saved me."

He felt a hand brush against his cheek, and he looked up. Gamora met his gaze with an expression he hadn't seen on her before. Tenderness, something motherly. It reminded him of his mom, and for a second, he was back on Terra, having just gotten into another fight with the boys at school, and his mother was giving him one of her soft scoldings. They had never worked, but she had always worn that expression when she'd given them.

But he wasn't back on Earth. He was in space, having saved the galaxy for a second time, this time from his psychotic father who had only wanted him for his power. A power he might not have even had to begin with. It was sickening really.

"Peter," Gamora said, pulling him out of his thoughts. "For what it's worth, I'm glad he did it. And I'm glad he did it again. I couldn't lose you."

Peter leaned into her touch, closing his eyes to shut out the world. If he tried, he could imagine it was just him and Gamora, alone together. Like they were back on that god forsaken planet, dancing on that balcony. Just the two of them. It was hard to believe that had only been a few hours ago.

"We should go," Gamora said, breaking the silence that had grown between them. Peter opened his eyes and looked up, nodding his head weakly in silent agreement. The adrenaline from the battle was leaving his system, and after everything that had just happened, the realizations, the deaths, being used as a battery by his father, it was fair to say he was exhausted.

"Come on," she said, offering him a hand as she stood up. He accepted, following her lead and started to make for the exit when the world suddenly tilted on its side. His head felt like it was floating and black spots danced across his eyes. That wasn't good.

The next thing he knew the floor was rushing up to meet him as someone shouted his name.