Chapter Text
Negative just like it always was. It didn’t matter how good the technology was or what was done, it was always the same. It didn’t matter. All she wanted was a child. A child to take care of. A child to love. But it didn’t matter. Always negative.
“It’s okay,” Orie said like he always did when the tests were negative, which they always were. He had a couple children already. Perfect children.
Tia loved her stepchildren. But they were older and didn’t come here often. They were basically grown. She wanted a child. A little boy or girl to care for.
“There will be a child,” Orie said. “I just know it.”
Tia didn’t feel the same but a few weeks later when someone spoke to her about the war and said she could save a child or two… she just knew that it was the right thing to do. She didn’t know how how she’d feel for the child but she could help them.
**
Tia loved the first child. She was so spunky and spirited. She liked taking care of her. It kept her occupied, but then when the second child came…
At first, she wasn’t sure she should take another, but they said this little girl really needed to stay with someone. That people had already tried to kill her. That she was in danger. That she was just a tiny girl and she needed someone.
Tia decided to take her.
When she came, there was something about that little girl. She was tall, about the same height as little Lottie the other girl they were taking care of who was four years older, but there was something about the girl. Her eyes were wide and so young she innocent. And afraid.
Her red hair was so bright. She was hugging an owl stuffie.
The woman who brought her, put her hand on the little girl’s back and brought her over. The girl’s super green eyes were impossibly wide and she hugged her owl even together.
“You’re Tia?” The woman asked. “This is Bo-Katan. But she goes by Bo.”
“Bo?” Orie asked.
Tia knew who she was. Right away. She remembered the article. The story. The miracle baby. Satine Kryze’s baby sister. The spitting image of her father despite he was long gone. This was her.
Bo’s lip trembled.
Tia smiled and went over and knelt close to Bo. “Hello, Bo. I’m Tia.”
Bo hugged her toy more and looked at her. Her green eyes were so wide and she was so young. Tia remembered what she had been told. Bo was very young. A baby basically. Just three.
Bo whimpered.
“That’s a nice little owl,” Tia said to Bo. Bo had such big green eyes.
“He’s Rauru,” Bo said, hugging him tighter. She might have been three and tall for her age, but when she said that she looked even younger. Maybe about two. She was so young despite her height. “He’s a good friend.”
“He looks like a very good friend,” Tia said.
Bo hugged him tightly. Her eyes were very big. Bo nodded. “He’s my best friend.”
Tia smiled. “We have a lot of fun toys that you introduce Rauru to here too and there is—“
But Tia didn’t get to finish because that was when Lottie came in. Tia worried that the girls wouldn’t get along but they became thick as thieves almost right away.
It was wonderful. And at first, Tia thought the two girls wouldn’t have any trouble being here. Lottie certainly didn’t. She didn’t seem to have any trauma at all. Maybe it would be the same with Bo.
Soon she found out that it wouldn’t.
**
The first few nights were fine. Perfect even. Bo and Lottie got along well. Bo would follow Lottie around and ask her to teach her to fight. Lottie loved doing so and delighted in bossing Bo around. Bo seemed perfectly okay with it and long as she got to play with toy weapons.
Even though Lottie was clearly a future fighter, she also delighted in playing dress up and with dolls. Bo didn’t much care for this and would instead play with her plushies that she had brought from home, as well as some new ones they had here for her. She would play Duchess of Mandalore and also games where the plushies would defend people against the “bad” ones.
Both Lottie and Bo were very cute.
But the two would get into fights. Lottie would try and make Bo play dress up with her and sometimes Bo would allow it and other times she wouldn’t. Lottie would try and take away Bo’s toys and Bo would scream and try to hit and bite her.
Tia would end up talking to both of them and telling Bo that she needed to use her words.
“Her words are babyish,” Lottie said, playing with her long blond hair.
Bo glared at her. “I’m not a baby.”
Tia picked up Bo who was already a tall girl. Bo rested her head against Tia. “Bo is a big girl.”
Bo nodded proudly.
Lottie sighed but ran off to play on her own.
The nights were hard for Bo also. One night Tia hadn’t been able to sleep and decided she would make tea that would hopefully help her sleep. She had barely started making the tea when she heard a small sob. At first Tia thought maybe she had imagined it but then she heard it again.
It was Bo. She recognized her little voice.
What if something was wrong? Or maybe the little girl was just upset. That would make sense since even if Tia didn’t know exactly what happened to little Bo. But both Lottie and Bo had been sent here for awhile. To keep them safe.
Tia hurried to the room but before she could go into the girls’ room, Bo came out dragging some sheets. Her green eyes widened and she took a step back.
“Bo, ad’ika, what’s wrong,” Tia said, kneeling down. She made the lights turn on and then she realized. Bo’s pajamas were wet as were some of the blankets.
“I had accident,” Bo said. “I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to be a bad girl.”
“Bo—“ Tia tried to say.
“I want to be a good girl. Didn’t mean to be bad,” Bo said. Her lip quivered and her eyes filled with tears. “Didn’t mean to.”
Tia’s heart dropped when Bo said this. “Sweetie, I can help you.” She reached out to take the blankets from Bo and Bo cringed and stepped away as if she thought she would get hit.
“Didn’t mean to be bad girl,” Bo said.
“You’re not a bad girl,” Tia said as she came over and then hugged Bo before taking the blankets. “I’ll watch these.”
“Didn’t mean to be bad,” Bo said.
“You’re not. You’re a very good little girl. We’ll get the blankets watched up and you as well.”
Bo’s lip trembled but she nodded.
Tia cleaned up Bo and the blankets but Bo was still whimpering and upset.
“It really is okay,” Tia said. Bo was going through a lot and she was still basically a baby. Barely over three. Bo was hugging her little owl tightly and her eyes were wide.
“Can’t sleep,” Bo said. “Bad dreams.”
Tia smiled and then picked her up. She smelled all like little girl. Like clay and the candied fruit the girls had been eating earlier and also child shampoo. “It’s okay. If you want we can have tea or—“
“Hot chocolate?” Bo asked. “Hot chocolate and stories?”
Tia smiled and nodded. “Yes, we have hot chocolate and stories.”
Tia had bought all sorts of stories for the girls. All sorts that she thought children might like. She had bought them even before the girls came, but now they could be used. Tia was sure one story would resonate with Bo, but she kept looking at them.
Tia held up a cute story about Wookiees. “This is a nice one. We could read that one.”
Bo sniffled and rubbed her eyes. “Is it about sisters?”
“Sisters?“ Tia asked. She had just wanted one baby so she didn’t have any stories about sisters.
Bo wiped at her eyes and cuddled closer to Tia even though she was still on her lap. “I miss my sister. I miss her so much.”
“Sister?” Tia asked.
Bo’s eyes filled with tears. “I miss my sister. I love her so much.”
Tia hugged her closely. “I know a story about sisters for you.” Tia would have to tell it herself and partially make it up.
“With fighting?” Bo asked. Her eyes widened.
“Yes,” Tia said.
Bo’s eyes livened and she took a sip of her hot chocolate. “Tell it please.”
Tia smiled and did her best to weave a story for Bo. She made sure the story featured two sisters. Bo loved everything to do with Mandalore so Tia told a story about an older sister and a little one who friended the legendary mythosaur. At first, they thought they had to fight it but then they realized that it was afraid too and just wanted to make friends.
Before Tia could finished it, she realized Bo’s breathing had changed. The girl was now sleeping and smiling slightly. She clutched her stuffed animal tightly.
Despite that Bo had played with Lottie and seemed to be doing okay, Tia didn’t think she had ever looked this happy until after the story. Tia knew that she should take Bo right back to her bed, but soon she felt her eyes drooping too and she couldn’t help but fall asleep.
**
Taking care of Bo and Lottie was wonderful. She loved both the girls more than she thought she would. But Bo needed more attention. She was so much younger and even though she was a feisty and independent child she still was barely older than a toddler.
Because she was so much younger, she wouldn’t have to have the same schooling as Lottie, and Lottie would often work independently while Tia would teach Bo her letters and numbers. As time went by eventually she was teaching her to read instead. Bo was smart. She had a short attention span and would rather be running around and playing but she was smart.
Bo also needed more attention because she kept having nightmares and sometimes accidents but they got less and less. Still Tia would tell her and also Lottie stories. Lottie didn’t like them as much though and would read her stories on her data pad, but Bo adored them.
The year went by fast and the war ended. Tia was grateful it wasn’t going on anymore. It was better for both the girls and everyone. But she knew that meant it would be time for them to leave soon and even though she might still see them sometimes, it wouldn’t be nearly as much.
Lottie left first. She was so happy to see her family. Even though the war was over, Tia and Orie had Bo stay in their room when they came to pick her up. Lottie was a Vizsla and not all the Vizslas were fond of the Kryzes. The war was over and Bo was just a tiny girl and hardly a threat to Clan Vizsla but she decided it was better safe than sorry.
But Bo had whimpered and pouted when Lottie left. A few tears even fell before Tia managed to cheer her up with more stories about the mythosaur. Bo was obsessed with the mythosaur character they had created.
It was nothing like the mythosaurs had actually been Tia was sure, but Bo loved the mythosaur and her sister stories. And she just wanted to make Bo happy.
But even that couldn’t cheer her up.
“I miss Lottie,” Bo said as tears streamed from her beautiful green eyes.
“I know, ad’ika, but she went back to her family,” Tia said as she took Bo’s hand. The two of them were on the couch. Bo came over and crawled into her lap. Bo used to never do that. But now she was a cuddly child in her own way.
Bo sniffled.
The next part was what made Tia the saddest but she knew that it was for the best.
“Soon you’ll get to go back to your mama and sister.” Bo used to always call her mom “mama” back when she had spoken about her. She talked about her less and less now.
“But I love you,” Bo said. “Love you.”
“I love you too, sweetie,” Tia said and she did. Bo… Tia had imagined having a baby of her own for so long. She had imagined having a little dark-haired boy. He would be quiet but adorable. Not demanding at all. He would be the perfect child who never fussed when he wasn’t supposed to. Even then Tia knew this wasn’t realistic but she still had them.
The perfect baby.
Even though she still wanted a biological baby and would always be sad about it not happening, those fantasies had started to fade when Bo showed up. Bo now felt like her baby in so many ways even though she was the exact opposite besides the adorable part. Bo wasn’t quiet and she had moments when she needed help. She wasn’t demanding but things happened. At first, she almost seemed afraid when accidents happened or she made too much mess. Like she was worried she would get hurt.
And she had been scared of the “bad” Mandalorians. Once she had told Tia that they tried to kill her and her sister. Bo had been more upset about them trying to kill her sister who Bo said was the most special person in the Galaxy.
And that her mama had hit her after since she had been a bad girl.
Tia felt a red-hot fury when she heard Bo’s mother had hit her but she had pushed it down. She had to. She wasn’t supposed to judge. She wasn’t. She wasn’t. She wasn’t.
But when she saw Bo… how could she not? How could anyone hurt that little girl? Tia couldn’t imagine it.
Now that the war was over, Tia took Bo to town more. They’d buy groceries and Bo would ride in the flying cart. She would also climb all over it a lot and would try to balance on it which caused Tia to have to lecture her. Bo was very Mandalorian.
Tia used to worry people would recognize Bo but usually when people came up to her, they just commented on her red hair. They didn’t seem to know who she was connected to.
When a month had gone by, Tia had wondered why Bo’s mother hadn’t sent for her yet. Sometimes she wanted to imagine that she never would and Bo would stay with her. But she knew it wouldn’t happened and that it shouldn’t happen. Bo belonged with her mother and sister. She was her sister’s heir even.
They would make her go back.
And it eventually happened. For weeks after Bo left, Tia felt empty. She knew that she had done the right thing and would see Bo again but she missed her. Missed her so much it hurt.
But she would see her again.
**
Tia didn’t get to see Bo or Lottie near as much as she wanted to for the next few years but whenever she did, she was delighted. Both girls were growing so much. Once when Bo was about twelve, both of them came to spend the summer on Krownest. Both their families were okay with it.
And Tia was ecstatic to have the girls back.
Everything was going well at first too. The summer was great. At least that was how it started. But then Bo got called to go back home. And that when everything changed.
And Bo lost her mother.
Murdered.
Tia couldn’t believe it, and she knew that this would change Bo’s life forever.
But she didn’t know exactly what would happen.