They had lost. He had gone to find the last stone, and with now five Stones, there was no doubt he would get the sixth. They failed. And Elara had a hole in her. A big one. She felt hands slapping her face; nice cool hands. 

"Neb..." She groans.

"Come on." She says, pulling her up. "Shake it off." Elara chuckles weakly.

"Jesus, Lara." Peter exclaims.

"How bad is it?"

"I can see through you." Drax bluntly answers.

"Mmm, I'll shake if off."

She looks around, Mantis supporting Peter, Parker helping Tony.

"Something's happening." Mantis says. Elara practically sobs at the sight of Mantis disintegrating. 

She turns her head at the sound of Drax panting. His is a lot slower. "Quill? Lara?"

"Steady, Quill."

"Oh, man." Gone. They were gone, like Gamora. Elara collapses further into Nebula's arms.

"Tony." He turns to Strange. "There was no other way." Gone.

"Mr. Stark? I don't think so good." All Elara and Nebula could do was watch as Parker falls into Tony's arms. "I don't know - I don't know what's happening. I don't want to go." He clings to the older man. "I don't want to go, sir. Please. Please. I don't want to go. I don't want to go." They fall to the ground. "I'm sorry."

Nebula cradles Elara's practically limp body in her arms, just like she did 4 years ago. "He did it." She slowly sits down, Elara's head in her lap and she can't help but look at the wound. Drax was right, a full hole that you could see through. This was definitely the biggest injury she'd have to heal from, and Nebula only hoped she would be able to. She couldn't lose both sisters.  

🌌🌌

She'd honestly lost track of how long they been up here. It was hard to keep track when she was constantly in and out of consciousness. The good news was that Elara was in fact healing, but the bad news was that she's lost so much blood, she keeps dying meaning her body is working twice as hard to revive her making it an extremely slow process. One that worked in a loop. The hole would get the tiniest bit smaller, she would officially die from blood loss and exhaustion and then she would come back to life. It was like that over and over again, on repeat like a broken record. 

During the earlier days, Elara would watch Tony and Nebula play a flicky game. She didn't really understand the concept of the game, but Nebula seemed to be enjoying it, which was all that mattered. With one last flick, Tony declares that she's won. Elara smiles at the fact. Tony congratulates the winner and shakes hands. "You have fun?"

"It was fun."

The days started becoming less fun though. Which is the inevitable when you're stranded in space on a broken ship. Oxygen supply was beginning to become scarce and food was practically non-existent. An ill looking Tony Stark powers up his battered helmet.

"This thing on? Hey, Miss Potts. Pep. If you find this recording, don't post it on social media. It's gonna be a real tearjerker. I don't know if you're ever going to see these. I don't even know if you're still... Oh, God, I hope so. Today's day 21. No, uh, 22. You know, if it wasn't for the existential terror of staring into the literal void of space, I'd say I'm feeling a little better today...

Nebula helps patch up Tony's wound with a tool that replicates sutures. 

...Infection's run its course, thanks to the Blue Meanie back there. Oh, you'd love her. Very practical. Only a tiny bit sadistic. And the kid, don't tell her I called her that. You know, I've gotten used to her continuously dying on us. We tried patching her up, but I guess she prefers to do it naturally. You'd love her, too. I like to think she's a mini me, sarcasm and all. (He chuckles to himself.) Don't tell her I said that either. She'll give me one of her deadly glares again...

Tony and Nebula are trying their best to fix the ship while Elara is slumped in a chair behind them.

...So, the fuel cells were cracked during the battle and we figured out a way to reverse the ion charge and bought ourselves about 48 hours of flight time. Uh, but its now dead in the water. Thousand light years from the nearest 7-Eleven...

After giving Elara some food, Tony offers some to Nebula whose on his other side. But she declines, pushing the bag back towards him.

...Oxygen will run out tomorrow and that will be it. Pep, I know I said no more surprises but I gotta say I was really hoping to pull off one last one. But it looks like. Well, you know what it looks like. Don't feel bad about this. I mean, actually, if you grovel for a couple of weeks and then move on with enormous guilt. I should probably lie down for a minute. Go rest my eyes. Please know, when I drift off, it'll be like every night lately. I'm fine. Totally fine. I dream about you. Because its always you."

He finally powers the helmet off, placing a jacket over his shoulder and lays down slowly nodding off. Nebula walks over and turns his face towards her, to check he was still breathing. She carries him over to a chair so he can be comfier. Walking back to Elara's small room, Nebula also checks on her too. Feeling for her pulse and temperature, she begins to walk back out, but a hand stops her. "Stay," a voice croaks, "please." Elara readies her best pouty face but doesn't need it as Nebula is already laying on the bed next to her. The younger sister chuckles at the eagerness. "Shut up, or I'll change my mind."

This brings out another chuckle. "I don't think you will." She teases, causing Nebula to grumble, but not argue back. There's a moment of silence as the sisters bask in the comfort from each other's presence. "I'm tired." The older of the two gulps at the comment. She turns and really looks at Elara. The very visible bags under her eyes, the layer of sweat covering her face which was causing her greasy and mattered hair stick to her skin. 

"I know. Go to sleep." She replies in the softest voice she could possibly magic up. Elara tucks her head into Nebula's neck, causing her to grimace slightly at the feeling of grease and sweat. But she pushes it aside and allows Elara to cling to her. Suddenly there's a thud and Elara jumps at the noise. Her wound and Nebula's hip collide causing her to bite her lip to prevent a cry of pain escaping. "Stay. I'm going to see what that was." Elara lets her go and Nebula rushes to where Tony was, thinking that maybe the noise was from him falling out of the chair. But her movements halt when she looks out into the void of space and she realises that they were moving. She glances to Tony who had a small ghost of a smile on his face.

"We're going home."

🌌🌌

The remaining Avengers watch as Tony is helped down the stairs by a blue woman who was also carrying a smaller body with one arm. No one questioned how she was holding up the weight of two people as they make their way to Tony. As he joins his team, Nebula stands by the ship, now holding Elara in a better position, watching the reunion with envy. She sits on the step, with Elara still nestled in her arms as Rocket makes his way towards the two. He doesn't question how Nebula was clutching Elara tightly like she was going to vanish. He simply sat down and placed his hand in Nebula's as they sit in silence. Heavy breathing draws their attention away from their new surroundings. "Hey, Rocket. Long time, no see."

"I thought I told you not to die on me, hmm?"

"Well, clearly you've gone blind during our separation, because I've never been more alive." She practically wheezes out her response. 

Footsteps cause the surviving Guardians to look up seeing a blonde walking towards them. "I don't think sitting out here is going to help her much. We have a bed that's prepped and ready." Nebula glances to Rocket, knowing he's spent time with these people. A few weeks is more than nothing. He nods as confirmation that they could trust them so she stands and follows the Avenger inside. 

🌌🌌

Elara wakes with a start as a continuous rhythm floods her ears. The rhythm quickens annoyingly as Elara sees all the wires connected to her. With heavy, shaky hands she quickly pulls them all out. The beeping thankfully stops. Swinging her legs to the side of the bed, she looks around at the unfamiliar room. The first thing she noticed was that there was a lot of massive windows. She could see into the other rooms, one containing Tony. She remembers that Nebula said that they were going to Earth, which made her gleeful. Even though its under extremely bad circumstances, she can finally cross the planet off her mental bucket list. Slowly she stands, and her knees buckle but she manages to hold herself up. With careful steps, she walks out the room and wanders the hall. Her stomach grumbles loudly as a whiff of food reaches her nose. Following without a second thought, she finds herself in a kitchen with a woman who was humming to herself. She turns in Elara's direction and jumps in surprise at seeing her leaning slightly against the door frame. "You're awake." Elara detects relief in her voice, which confuses her as they don't even know each other. "The others have gone. They found Thanos, they're hoping that they can use the stones to bring everyone back."

"Found him? At the Garden?" It made sense that that was were he would retreat to after getting rid of half of all living things. The woman nods, and glances towards Tony's room again. She hasn't gone with the others, so not an Avenger? Keeps checking on Tony? "You're Pepper, right?" She only just realises how dry her throat is as she hears the raspiness of her voice. The woman, Pepper, nods with a bright smile as she motions for Elara to sit. Hesitantly, she does. A plate with a sandwich is placed in front of hears Elara stares at - no, examines -  it. Pepper chuckles lightly, before cutting a small piece of Elara's sandwich before eating it herself. 

"See, its fine. No poison?" She jokes. Elara swallows, before slowly eating the sandwich. Realising that it is just food, and how good it tastes, she basically inhales the rest of it, drawing another laugh from Pepper. She then looks to the glass of water that was also given to her before gulping it down. She sighed at the coolness. Pepper once again looks at Tony.

"Is he okay?" Elara asks.

"Yes, he will be." Pepper confirms. "And I would like to make sure that you're okay too. Can I?" Elara knows she's talking about the wound. So she agrees. From everything that Tony said about Pepper, she trusts her. Well, more than she trusts general people. Pepper knelt down so they were the same height and lifted the t-shirt that Elara only just realised she was wearing. The clothes definitely weren't hers, but she couldn't deny how comfy they were. She sees that only a bandage had been placed on her wound, letting her naturally heal. Both looked at the now much smaller wound. "Wow, fluids did you good. It looks much better now, and you seem to be healing a lot quicker than what you were." Elara just offers her a small smile, which is returned. "Why don't you go back and rest some more," before Elara can groan in protest at the thought of sleeping, Pepper continues, "and I'm sure when you wake up your sister will be back." 

Elara finally agrees as she thanks Pepper for her sandwich and makes her way back to the room she woke up in. 

🌌🌌

True to her word, the next time she wakes up the first thing Elara sees is a blue hand passing her a cup of water. She yet again gulps it down in one and Nebula doesn't even let her finish swallowing when she says, "he's dead." Elara choaks on her water at the words. Once she finishes coughing and spluttering, she looks at Nebula. "You couldn't wait for me to swallow the water?" She pauses, properly processing the news. "He's dead? Really, like you made sure that he was completely, utterly dead? Like no-coming-back-from-the-dead, dead?"

"I think his head rolling across the floor was enough of an indication." Elara's mouth gapes at the bluntness. "And, he destroyed the stones. They're gone." Her throat suddenly becomes very dry.

"We can't bring them back?" She despises how whiny her voice sounds. Nebula shakes her head. 

"Rocket and I are planning on going to check on other planets, see the damage. Tony said you can stay here until you're 100% and then you can join us. If you want."

"I- yeah. That sounds fine." There is a slight awkward silence that engulfed the room. "When are you leaving?"

"First thing tomorrow." A new voice enters. Rocket makes his way to the bed and climbs up. "We wanna make sure that idiots don't start running wild now that half of all living things have gone, makin' more of a mess than there already is. You gonna be okay on your own?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Especially if I get more of Pepper's food." This earned her two 'really?' looks. "What, it tastes nice."

"We're going to okay, right?" She asks them, not just meaning the three Guardians, but everyone.

"We'll have to be."