make me know you really care.

[horrible opening i am sorry ]

He wasn’t sure what to make of Earth. Not that Peter was going to admit that to anyone. Christ, he didn’t want them thinking he was an idiot. It was obvious Earth was going to have changed, he’d been gone for twenty six years after all. But that iPod thing his pretty little handler Lily had shown him? He hadn’t thought about little things like that changing. Why did people want so much music? Why did they want to store it digitally? What was wrong with cassettes?

Of course none of that really mattered, and that wasn’t the reason Peter was here, back at home so to speak. Though he wasn’t home, not really, and he hadn’t come here to visit family – that was if he still had family down here – the only reason Peter was here was because Nova Prime had asked him so nicely.

Slowly, not really paying attention to where he was going, Peter wandered down the block away from the SHIELD building. He wanted something to eat. Then he wanted to get this business sorted so he could give Rocket a call and get his damn ship back.

Amanda was coming back from lunch at Taco Bell, half drunk Baja Blast in hand. She raised an eyebrow as she caught a somewhat familiar face. Lily had stopped by her office a few hours before, saying something about a Quill or something that she was in charge of. She'd described him, and the figure before her fit his description.

"Hey, you!" Amanda waved her hands to get his attention. "Quill, whatever your name is, I don't know. I'm pretty sure you're heading in the wrong direction. And Lily's probably pretty pissed off. So we should get you back."

She slipped her purse onto her shoulder and put a hand in the crook of his elbow. "Let's go, man."

Peter glanced down at the hand on his elbow and started at it. He looked a little dumbfounded, bless him. He jerked the hand off his arm with a quick shrugging motion and side stepped the woman who’d interrupted his fish-out-of-water-what-the-fuck-is-going-on episode.

“Lily told me I could step out and grab lunch,” he said, the lie slipping easily off his tongue.

Amanda rolled her eyes. "Somehow, I doubt Lily would let someone returning to earth for the first time in awhile roam out alone," she said sarcastically. "But I'll humor you." She scanned around for a restaurant, her eyes landing on Taco Bell again. "Let's get you some tacos. I'm buyin', you in the mood for Mexican?"

She didn't wait for Peter's answer before leading him to the restaurant.

"I go to new planets all the time," Peter countered. "I'm adaptable..." His voice trailed off as she dragged him into the restaurant. The lunch thing had been a complete lie seeing as he'd just eaten back at the SHIELD building.

Amanda nodded her head. "Whatever you say Quill." She said as they entered Taco Bell. "Pick out whatever you want. I already ate." She spoke, pulling out her phone to text Lily. Don't worry about Quill, man. I got him.

Peter waited until she had her phone out and appeared to be distracted and started backing towards the door. He opened it and ducked back out into the street.

Amanda had just dropped her phone into her purse and turned to talk to Peter when she noticed he was missing. "Oh god dammit!" She hissed, heading out of the restaurant.

Peter was moving as quickly as he could down the street away from the restaurant. He was trying to look inconspicuous. It wasn't really working out for him though.

Amanda weaved through the crowd of New Yorkers, eventually catching up with Peter. "Quill!" She half shouted, grabbing him by his wrist. "There's a snowball's chance in hell that I'm letting you get away. Lily would be all over me. I hate to embarrass you, but we're going." She began dragging him back to the SHIELD offices. We might need to put this ass on a leash, Amanda thought bitterly.

"Lady let go of me," Peter said, warning her. His other hand slid beneath his jacket and curved around his gun.

Amanda bit her lip. "If you won't go with me willingly, I can't. If you bolt, my ass would be on the line. And I can't have that happen again." She spoke, shaking her head. She decided not to mention the tracking device implemented at check in, because if Peter knew he'd probably rip it out.

Peter wasn't proud of what he did next. He pulled the gun out and jammed the butt of it against the base of her spine. It wouldn't do any lasting damage, killing SHIELD agents wasn't really Peter's aim here. "I don't care, sweetheart, now I'm going to ask you again nicely one more time - let go of me."

Amanda decided to let it go--they would catch him. "Fine, fine." She put her hands up in an 'I surrender' gesture, backing away from Peter.

Peter smiled at her. "Thank you," he said, and with that he spun on his heel and sprinted down a nearby side street.

Amanda waited until Peter was out of sight before she began jogging back to the SHIELD building, punching in the number to Lily's office. "Pull up the tracking information on Quill! He got away." She rolled her eyes as Lily yelled at her. "Well what was I supposed to do! HE HAD A GUN TO MY SPINE!"

Peter just ran. He had no idea where he was going, but judging from the fact he could hear sirens and the like coming after him, he figured he was wasting his time. Either somebody had called Lily, or some bystander had seen his gun and called the cops.

Amanda had just made it back to the SHIELD offices as Lily and a few other SHEILD personnel made their way out after Peter. She did kind of feel bad, but Amanda wasn't about to get herself fired over some spade dude. Not again, anyway.

"Police! Stop!" Somebody yelled from behind. Peter swore to himself and cut down another side street but it was hopeless, a cop car was blocking his way.