- ☆ -
A little girl sat next to her brother on a bench.
Waiting.
Her head rested on his shoulder as she pondered all the possible ways things could be alright.
"Do you think mommy is going to be okay?" She asked.
The young boy sighed. "I hope so."
"C'mon kiddos. Your mother wants to see you."
Their Grandpa invited them to see their mother. The two carefully approached the hospital room, anticipating what they would find. The little girl grabbed onto her brother's arm like a koala and squeezed it tight. Depending on her brother to be the only person to comfort her in the moments ahead.
She fought the tears but failed. What laid in front of her was a women. But she was not the mother she knew. She was not mother who would dance around kitchen with them. Or the mother who would sing them lullabies at night. Not the mother who would tell stories about their father. Or the mother who would stargaze with them. She was not the mother who would jam out to ABBA with her daught at midnight. Or the mother who whispered I love you with a tender kiss on the forehead.
It wasn't her.
"Have you been fighting with the other boys again?" She asked the boy, who put his head down.
"Peter?"
"They killed a frog Ava was playing with. They smashed it with a stick. Then they pushed Ava and told her she was a stupid baby." He mumbled before he looked at his sister.
Their mother sighed. "You're just like you're Dad. He was an angel." She then started to sing something that was hard to understand.
"Merideth, you got presents for Ava and Pete don't ya?" Their Granpa refocused as there wasn't a lot of time for the women.
The women could barely move but her cold, lifeless fingers twitched next to the two wrapped gifts. Their Grandpa helped her out, putting them both in Peter's backpack.
"You both open it when I'm gone okay?" She whispered. As the two children nodded. But Ava didn't want to accept reality.
She wasn't ready for her mother to be gone.
"You're Grandparents are going to take good care of you both. Just until you're Daddy comes back to get you." She reassured as she proceeded to lift her hand toward Ava and Peter.
"Take my hand."
Ava stepped forward and grabbed it.
"You're going to be okay mommy." Ava's voice cracked as she realized what was going to happen, even at her age. Tears fell out of her small blue eyes and her nose started to run. Little sobs came out of her mouth as this was her last moment with her mother.
Peter knew as well, but wasn't ready to say goodbye. He closed his eyes as if it was all a bad dream.
"Peter," Their mother called out his name. "Take my hand." She cried.
Peter refused and turned away.
The monitor beeped indicating she was gone.
Peter turned back. "Mom?" He stepped closer and started to shake her as if it would wake her up. "No, No. No!" He repeated the two letter word with more devastation and get louder each time.
Their grandpa grabbed him and took him out into the hall as he screamed while Ava followed. She wanted to stay by her mother but knew her brother needed his little sister.
"Noooooooo!!"
"Two of you, just stay here okay!?" Grandpa said firmly as he went back into the room.
Ava reached for her brother's arm again, but he dashed away before she could.
"Peter!" She screamed as she chased him with her face still wet with tears streaming down her face.
The boy found himself outside of the hospital. He collapsed in the middle of the field of grass. Ava stood at the bottom of the stairs and watched her brother sob.
She was just about to run to him when a blue beam of light, shined down on him, causing her to halt in her steps.
"Peter!" Ava cried as she watch him disappear and realized there was some sort of space ship in the sky.
She ran to the spot he was taken and screamed his name over and over again.
-|-
"Peter!"
Ava screamed her brothers name once again with a few grunts escaping her mouth. She fought against the rocks that had blocked the exit. Keeping her and Poe separated from the Guardians of the Galaxy.
"Peter!" She cried agajn, only louder this time, hoping her brother would respond. "I'm here! I'm here!"
Guilt snuck in as he was the one who begged her to not follow her instincts and save Poe.
She dug at the rocks and continued to shout in frustration. She ignored the brusies and small cuts making her body feel weak. In result of her determination, it left her falling to the ground. Her progress undone as more rocks tumbled down, causing her to start over.
"Blondie."
She wasn't going to let anything stop her. Not until she saw any sliver of light.
She was going to get out and be with her brother. Doing whatever is takes to escape.
"Blondie!"
Still going.
Ava continued to ignore him as she fell again. A hand grabbed her arm and yanked her back, keeping her from repeating her routine. The grip firm and refusing to let her go.
"No Poe, let me go!" She wriggled in his hold. "I need to get back!"
"Listen!"
"No!"
"Please!"
"Poe I-"
"Ava!" He projected his voice that bounced off the walls in the cave.
A real yell that made her jump, especially as it was her name that he barked. It was too dark to see him, but she already knew he was glaring at her. Geniune anger fed into the tension, no jokes or pranks from either.
"You need to get a grip!" He protested. "Attacking that wall of rocks for hours isn't going to get us out of here and neither will freaking out! Okay!?"
There was a mix between annoyed and concern in his tone. As if she was one of his rebels he commanded on his base and she had just done something to raise a worry.
He relaxed once he sensed her silence and let out a sigh. Poe let her go, putting one hand on his hip and another to his mouth, rubbing his fingers over his lips before looking down at his feet.
The only source of light being the dim light from the rocks that looked like some type of crystals that glowed in the dark.
Ava knew he was right, but she couldn't ignore the strong emotions in her veins as she started to panic and overthink. Him being condescending didn't help her overcome that.
"Get a grip!?" She snapped. "I just risked my life to save you and now I'm stuck inside a cave, not knowing if my brother is okay or not! He's the only family by blood I have left and I don't dare to be sepreated from him again! So sorry General for freaking out!"
She screamed as she turned to return to her procedure.
Poe scoffed. "At least you have family by blood!
Ava looked over her shoulder. She squinted her eyes with a small amount of remorse and guilt spreading like a disease in her heart.
"And did you forget who's millions of galaxies away from their home right now? I have no clue when I'll get back. You don't get to sit here and complain if your family is right outside this cave." He added.
Caught in the heat of the arguement, Ava stepped closer to him and crossed her arms. "Oh for the love of Odin-"
"Shut your little pretty mouth!" He yelled back as it echoed through the cave walls.
A deadly silence struck the two as they stared at each other in the faint light. She couldn't see much of him, but the longer she stared in his direction, her eyes adjusted in the dark. His face giving her an icy glare to match his tone.
Pretty mouth?
Of course in a situation like this her mind was over analyzing. Surely he didn't mean anything but to insult her right.
Poe smirked as he looked her up and down. "Yeah, that's what I thought, Blondie."
Ava ignored the way her heart skipped a beat. She promised herself that wasn't going to waste her energy on someone like Poe.
That was a promise she was planning to keep. No attractive gesture was going to change that plan.
"I will. If you shut your pretty mouth and let me try to get us out of here." She said.
Poe shrugged. "Fine, I'm going to sit over there and try to start a fire while you waste your time blondie."
"Fine."
"Fine."
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
Poe released the final blow and bolted away in the other direction of darkness.
Ava didn't know how building a fire was nesscary. Although it could be nice to take a breather, especially since she fought a giant beast that left her winded.
Her eyes watched his shadowy figure walk away and thought about following Poe. Maybe help him start the fire and take a moment to relax.
No, no. I'm not giving him satisfaction.
She refused to let him win their debate, turning on her heel and dug at the decaying rocks.
Letting out a sigh and shaking her head, Ava pushed her remorse and guilt away.
-|-
A few minutes had passed and Ava had to stop. She dropped her sweaty hands on her knew caps. Her whole body pleading for her to never do that again.
But she didn't want to give up.
Something caught her attention as she saw different variety of oranges and yellows dancing with each other on a pile of wood. Behind the flames were a pair of brown spheres staring into the fire. The colors illuminated to reveal the face of a lost soul wanting to get on a X-wing and return home. The countenance reading loneliness and uncertainty as those eyes searched for any answers, staring off into space.
Seeing this caused the remorse and guilt to threaten her again. Both always being her downfall and knew that her ability to care about someone was greater than her hatred.
Before she could join his company and ask for forgiveness, a buzz in her pocket and a loud beeping made her heart skip a beat.
Ava didn't hesitate to answer once she pulled it out of her pocket. "Peter!" She cried.
"Ava, you guys okay?" Her brother's voice responded and demolished her worries.
She almost answered but made sure to check with Poe. Ava covered the microphone and sent a whisper to her acquaintance.
"You're okay right, Poe!?"
Poe looked up from the fire, realizing that they could be getting out soon. He huffed without a word before returning his gaze back to the fire.
"I'm going to take that as a yes," Ava said outloud and out her hand down to talk to Peter. "Yep, we are good! You guys okay?"
"Yes, but we just got another distress signal and need to go asap." Peter added.
They were just going to leave her?
Peter was going to leave her again?
He wouldn't. Not her brother.
Peter must have sensed her worry as his voice became smooth and assuring. "Hey, we will come back for you two I promise. Hoku is going to get you out of there in no time."
Ava rolled her eyes as a sarcastic laugh came out to hide her tears and hurt. "They better hurry before I murder Poe." She looked over at her victim who scoffed.
"What about," Poe said as his voice dripped in anxiety. "My droid and the walking tree? Is BB-8 okay?"
Even in the dark, Ava could imagine his expression. She could see those soft eyes that resembled a puppy waiting for its owner to return home. She could see a pair of dark eyebrows knitted together.
That hypocrite.
He told her earlier there was no worth going into a panic. Yet Poe was the most anxious he had been since the battle on Exegol.
Ava then realized something about Poe and BB-8.
She sighed when it hit her and gave her request. "Is BB-8 and Groot with you too?"
A deathly and eerie silence caused Ava to know the answer. And it wasn't good news. Her heart doing its best to remain steady yet it skipped a beat when a hand grabbed her wrist.
With a tug she found Poe beside her and holding the communicator close to his face. His hand lingering.
"Answer the question Starboy." Poe's voice was cold and chilling while still carrying fear in his words.
Peter sighed. "They're gone."
"What!?"
Ava ripped Poe's hand off after he squeezed her arm out of frustration. He shook his head as he stepped away and ran his fingers traveling through his hair. He paced around the cave in a deep denial.
"I promise we will get everyone back together. I'm not letting anything or anyone take me away from you ever again. You hear me Little Bear?" Peter swore as Ava believed every single part of his vow. They may have been sepreated physically, but not even that could break their bond.
A smile stretched on her face and her heart being full of love for her older brother. "Copy that, Big Bear."
"I'm proud of you." He added a verbal and embracing words of affirmation.
She trusted his words and knew that everything was going to okay. This was her brother who always did his best to make things right. He saved the universe with a dance off and Gamora from dying in open space. He battled the big bad Titan Thanos to avenge those who had been killed in his clutches. He was a ravenger who became the galaxy's greatest hero.
A hero she always knew him to be since they were kids.
Her hero.
"Proud of you too."
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