Chapter Text
They stood in silence, watching as the little one they had risked their lives to save was carried away by someone they only knew by name, and reputation. Cara was already mentally preparing herself for Din to be distant for at least the next week if not longer. She knew Din had made the right choice for the little bean, but it was tearing him up inside to let him go.
She also had a fairly good idea that she was the only one in the room who even knew who this guy was. Commander Luke Skywalker had disappeared during the last part of the war, and a story made rounds that the very first time he tried a home brew made by a couple of guys in his squadron he proceeded to strip naked and propose to everyone else in the squad, be they male or female. Apparently, he’d decided to become a Jedi.
While it didn’t make parting with the kid any easier, it did give her peace of mind that he was in exceptionally good hands, and she was looking forward to sharing what she knew about him with Din. Just before Luke stepped onto the elevator he paused, shifting Grogu so that he was looking at him, and seemed to be having a silent conversation. After a couple of minutes of Grogu turning his head and twitching his ears Luke sighed, then nodded with a smile, and put the little one on his feet.
Grogu instantly came running back, and Din scooped him up, almost crushing him against his chestplate in a hug. The kid cuddled against him, cooing contently, and tucking his head beneath Din’s chin. "He's decided he doesn't want to go after all, he wants to stay with his clan. I know you want him to go, but you cannot force him to go with me. Doing so would make it impossible to train him. It's true, he won't be safe until he's fully trained. But he must be willing to discipline his mind and right now he thinks it’s too scary to be away from you. He needs stay with you until he tells you he's ready. Your shocktrooper friend knows who to contact when it's time." Luke said. "Also, he wants to make the two a three.”
"Thank you," Din said simply. His brain tried to point out that letting Skywalker take Grogu was in the kid’s best interest, and he should try to find some way to talk him into going, but his heart overrode logic, and he allowed himself to feel relieved that they didn’t have to say goodbye.
Luke turned and walked towards the elevator with the droid at his side, stepping into it and disappearing. Cara walked up behind Din and picked his helmet up from the floor. Keeping her eyes fastened on the baby’s face, she gently slipped it back over Din’s head. Grogu looked up at Din with a tired, but meaningful expression, as if waiting for him to say something. Din sniffled, which sounded distorted through his modulator. "This is Grogu," he said.
Cara smiled, knowing Din hadn’t wanted to name him until he could find out if he already had a name. She shelved her questions about it for later when they were alone. “That’s gonna have to grow on me,” she said affectionately, stroking an ear. “He’s still my little green bean regardless.”
Grogu cooed happily. There was a jarring, and they turned towards the monitors to find Fennec with a booted foot planted firmly in the middle of Gideon’s chest, tucking away a comm link. Fett had returned and docked with the ship. “I say we get him on ice, then loot this sucker for as much as these ladies will let us get away with and get the hell outta here,” she said.
“The mess hall and one of the onboard armories are on the same level as Fett’s ship,” Koska said, cycling through the security cameras.
Din turned to Cara. “You get food, I’ll get weapons,” he said. He could tell she was about to argue and decided to sweeten the deal. “I’ll bring you back a couple of new toys; I promise.”
Cara grinned “You better,” she said. ” I’ll look for medical supplies too.”
The elevator opened again, and Fett appeared. Out of the corner of her eye she saw his head turn in an all too familiar gesture as he scanned the room for Fennec, and she bit her cheek to keep the smile off her face. She wondered how much she and Fennec had in common when it came to the relationship they had with their respective Mandalorians. “Is there a freezer somewhere little one?” Fett asked.
Koska scanned the map. “Two levels down,” she said.
He turned to address Din. “I know you lost everything when your ship was destroyed. We’ll get him on ice and loaded onto the ship. You get a jumpstart on restoring your weapons collection, and any other provisions you find worthy of taking. We’ll depart for Nevarro in one hour,” he said, turning to face Bo Katan. “This is the Way.”
“This is the way,” she begrudgingly replied.
Several hours later Din and Cara sat side by side in silence as they headed back to Nevarro, they were both physically and mentally exhausted. They had sat on the floor with their backs against a wall and were leaning against each other, thighs touching, needing the subtle reminder that they had both come out of this alive and had the little one back. Grogu was curled up in a makeshift sling Cara had made, snoozing contently on Din’s lap.
After getting him back to the safety of Fett’s ship they had passed Grogu back and forth between them, neither wanting to let him out of their sight. The kid was equally as clingy, only consenting to be separated from one if it meant being taken by the other. “As far as I’m concerned you never took your bucket off,” Cara said quietly, knowing the decision to remove his helmet for Grogu to see his face had come at a heavy price.
Din smiled at her statement. He knew she’d say that. She never once questioned him over taking off his helmet, outside of a basic question or two that a lot of outsiders typically asked. She accepted that part of him without a second thought, and that had been a part of what drew him to her to begin with.
“I took this off because I wanted him to be able to look into my eyes and know my face. I wanted him to see me without it on. To remember what his father looked like, and that he wasn’t some expressionless mask. When I die it would’ve been removed in a ceremony, and returned to the forge, to be used to craft armor for the next foundling that swore the creed. I turned my back on the creed for my son, because he’s more important to me than it is,” he said. He drew a deep breath. “According to The Way I can no longer put it back on, but I don’t care. I’m not sorry that I took it off for him to see me.”
“If Bo Katan and Koska can take theirs off, and still call themselves Mandalorians, why can’t you?” Cara asked.
“It goes against the teachings I’ve followed for almost my entire life,” Din answered. “Those who follow them like I do will no longer respect me and will no longer consider me a Mandalorian.”
“You’re the patriarch of a clan aren’t you? In your clan, it is perfectly acceptable to take your helmet off in front of your family members,” she said.
Din gave thought to the idea, and found he liked it. He remembered being told when he was a boy that just because something was acceptable in one clan, didn’t mean it was okay in another. That one day when he was the patriarch of his own clan, he would understand. That day had finally arrived, and her suggestion was a compromise he found he could easily live with. The only two beings who fit her description were the kid and hopefully soon, Cara herself. “This is the Way,” he said, sealing it into acceptance.
His head dropped back against the wall with a dull thud, and for a long moment they sat in silence. Grogu woke from his nap, and Din and Cara smiled as large brown eyes sleepily opened, the little guy looking more like himself now that he’d gotten some rest. He sat up with a soft coo, and Din helped him wriggle out of his pouch. “I could use a drink,” Din said. “A strong one.”
Cara rummaged in one of the packs she’d loaded full of food and drinks. She produced a flask of alcohol from the pack, unscrewing the lid and taking a hearty swig before handing it to him. Din took it, pushing his helmet up just enough to expose his mouth and tipped it back, taking a swallow before handing it back. A tiny green hand reached for the flask, and Cara took hold of it, gently pulling it away. "Not for you kiddo," she said quietly. "How about some tea instead?"
She had made sure to pack plenty of snacks for the adorable bottomless pit, Din revealing his appetite seemed to have doubled in the last month or so. She reached into the pack and produced a small bowl and a second flask. She poured some tea into the bowl and then handed it to him. Grogu took the bowl and eagerly slurped up the liquid, cooing happily. "Good stuff huh?" She said.
He chirped at her in response. "That means yes," Din said. With the threat over he seemed to be content with enjoying a drink with the two of them, seemingly unfazed by what had just happened to him.
"Any thoughts on what you'll do once we get back to Nevarro?" Cara asked as they continued to pass the flask back and forth.
"Hopefully, the boss can clear my chain code, and then I thought I'd stick around a while, see if the marshal needed any help," Din said.
Cara smiled. "I'll send a message later, we should be free and clear by the time we touch ground," she said. "You're welcome to stay with me unless you want your own place."
"Staying with you is the better option right now, until we can get settled and past what happened," Din said. He was glad she'd offered outright; he wasn't sure of how to ask her without making it awkward. He knew there would be nightmares in the days ahead, both for him and Grogu, and probably for Cara herself. Waking up and being able to take a quick peek and physically see that the other person was alive and well was the best option for all of them right now. Not to mention, they were pretty much a family, according to Mandalorian standards at least. With all three under one roof full time, maybe Cara would start to see that, and he could possibly make their relationship official.
Cara was glad he'd accepted her offer so easily. With them all under one roof she wouldn't have to worry about being up and down from nightmares. She could silently reassure herself that they were okay, and then go back to bed. Not to mention, they basically acted like a family at this point anyway, so it made sense to her that they lived together. Hopefully by the two of them staying with her Din would realize that, and maybe make it permanent. She wouldn’t stop him if he decided he wanted his own place, but she seriously hoped it never crossed his mind. "With the market booming the way it is, be nice to have an extra set of hands," she said. "We can get this one enrolled in littles school too."
"Little school?" Din asked.
"Littles," Cara repeated, putting more emphasis on the S. "They'll start teaching him how to speak Basic, and he'll get to play and nap and all kinds of fun. It's kind of a pre-school, school."
"Ohhh, okay. Mandalorians have something like that," Din said. "I think he might like that better than the one with bigger kids."
Grogu gave an agreeable trill. He liked the idea of getting to play all day, and maybe make friends. He completely understood the topic that was being studied when they had dropped him off in the class the last time, but he got bored and didn’t like that all the other kids were staring at him. But better than a new school, he loved the thought of getting to stay with Cara more. He'd missed her. It had made him so sad when she didn't come with them when they left Nevarro the first time, and then again when they'd come back to fix dadda's ship. Now they were all three together again, and they were staying that way he hoped. The only thing that would make this any better would be if dadda would just tell her how he felt about her, and Cara would do the same to dadda. He could feel how much they loved each other; it was so obvious. So why couldn't they tell each other? He wondered what they were afraid of, and if all humans acted that way.
When he finished his tea, he held the bowl out to Cara. "More?" He responded with a grunt. "I take it that's a no."
Cara took the bowl and set it aside, having a fairly good idea that he would want more shortly, once he got something to munch on.
"That's a no," Din said. Grogu looked at him pointedly. "What?"
He babbled a short series of sounds and pointed at Cara. "Oh! Go ahead," Din said, seemingly translating the babble.
Grogu pushed himself to his feet, wobbling as he stepped over to stand in Cara's lap. She took hold of his arm to help steady him. His head bowed and his ears drooped until they nearly touched, and he looked so forlorn Cara found herself silently vowing to destroy who or what had upset him so. Grogu looked up at her and began to babble softly, pointing at her neck. "He's apologizing for choking you. He didn't know it was a friendly game and got angry when he thought I was losing," Din explained. "Until then he'd only ever seen me attack anyone that grabbed me, and thought that since I didn’t with you, I was in trouble."
Grogu nodded, folding his hands, and returning his gaze to her lap. This was grossly unfair. She didn't do the baby thing, yet somehow this little one had managed to slip past her defenses and charm his way into her heart. Will you stop? The only person you're fooling with that banthashit is you. If Din hadn't made it you'd be taking him back to Nevarro with you, and not just to do right by Din. At this point he's as much your kid as he is his and you know it. Grogu sniffled, and she saw a tiny tear drop onto his robe.
It was game over for Cara. "Hey," she said softly. Grogu looked up and she made a beckoning gesture with her hands. He wobbled closer, and she folded him into a hug. He returned the gesture as best he could, and she kissed the top of his head. "Apology accepted."
When she released him, he backed up and shifted so that he could sit where their thighs were touching, so that he was in both of their laps. He pointed at the bowl and made a light sound. After a brief second, he added a short coo, making them both smile. "That was a 'please'," Cara said, reaching out and pouring more tea in the bowl.
"He does have manners," Din said. "He's just picky about using them."
"Typical kid," Cara said, handing Grogu the bowl. She reached into the pack a second time, and produced a pouch of dried meat strips, which he eagerly tore into. "How do you know what he said?"
"Togruta I met by the name of Ahsoka Tano. She's connected to the Jedi, and apparently, they could feel each other's thoughts. He begged her to tell me so I could tell you the next time I saw you. I just decided to wait until we got him back so he could be a part of me telling you," Din replied.
"Was she able to tell you anything else about him?" Cara asked.
"He was raised at the temple on Coruscant, when the Empire rose, he was hidden and then taken from the temple, his memory is dark after that, til we met. He can't remember anything from before the temple either," Din answered. "She also said he's hidden his powers over the years to stay alive, and most Jedi will be reluctant to train him because he's attached to me, and it ties into his anger. I’m surprised that Skywalker didn’t notice that."
“Maybe he did and chose to ignore it,” Cara said.
"Baa!" Grogu said, putting the bowl in his lap and giving Din a look, before looking at Cara and then back at Din.
"Sorry, attached to us," Din amended.
Grogu cooed and went back to his tea.
Cara chuckled. "So, Grogu huh?" She questioned, smiling when his ears perked at hearing his name. “Your dad didn’t name you that did he?”
"Ahsoka said that's what he told her his name was," Din said. “Watching him light up everytime I say it is what made me decide to keep it.”
"Makes sense," Cara said. "I’m not crazy about it yet, but I'm glad that you didn't change it when you found out what it was. It may turn out to be the only link he'll ever have to his past."
"Hadn't thought about that, but now that you mention it, that's a good point," Din said.
Grogu finished his second bowl of tea and put the bowl in his lap before gently patting Cara's leg. Since they were talking about names, he felt comfortable sharing something with them.
"Yes Bean?" Cara asked.
The kid pointed at Din. "Dadda," he chirped.
"Dadda," Cara agreed.
He pointed at her next. "Awa," he warbled.
"Cara," Din agreed. "That came out too easy. I've got a feeling you've been able to do this for a while huh?"
Grogu nodded, holding out his bowl.
"Maybe he just hasn't wanted to say it before now," Cara suggested, pouring in a small amount of tea.
Grogu nodded again, and he sat quietly drinking his tea and wishing he had enough words to explain himself, or that they could feel his thoughts like Ahsoka could. Then he could make them understand why he waited for this moment until they were all three together again. He didn't want everyone to know he could sorta say a few words in Basic. He didn't want to be teased for the way he said them. He was taken when he was too young to remember anything about where he came from, and they discouraged any sort of bonding at the temple, which he hated. He wanted to be close to someone, to bond. He had done that with dadda, but it still felt like something was missing.
He found out what it was when they had landed on Sorgan and met Cara. He knew for sure he wanted her to be a part of their family when she put his dadda's pendant on him. Whenever she held him, he felt safe, and loved, and protected. Just like he did with his dadda. That's how he knew she was the right one. He just didn't have a big enough vocabulary to say so.
Actions would have to do for now he supposed. He held out his empty bowl, and Cara took it, returning it to the floor next to her pack. Grogu reached a hand towards Din, taking hold of one of his fingers when Din held out his hand. With his free hand he reached for Cara with grasping fingers, and she also gave him a finger to hold. "Ho," he said softly.
"Ho?" Din questioned.
Grogu nodded. "Ho," he repeated.
"That's a new one, not sure what he means," Din said.
Cara smiled because she knew. She had the exact same feeling when all three of them were together. "Home," she said simply.
"Home?" Din asked, making sure his tone implied that he was asking if that's what the kid meant.
Grogu nodded. "Ho"