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~*~
For just a moment, Jaster wondered how, exactly, he’d gotten here. The look of fierce determination on young Jango’s face both amused and unsettled him as the boy buttoned the final spot on his heavy jacket. Jango shouldn’t be here. He was too young and just a few months out from losing his parents and sister to Death Watch. The boy should be safe somewhere with another family that would look after him and train him as he grew. He shouldn’t be, on a cold, snowy world trailing along as Jaster tracked down a bounty. He should have more than just Jaster, a man trying very hard to be something people wanted but unsure he’d ever manage it. Fortunately, Jango still called him by his name. He already thought of the boy as his own, but he wasn’t sure he was brave enough yet to actually face the word buir. Perhaps that was why he’d taken Jango in but not yet said the gai bal manda. He'd told himself it was because it would be disrespectful to Jango’s parents. Most days he let himself believe the lie.
Days like today, he knew it was because he doubted his ability to be the father Jango needed him to be. He should have been able to leave Jango somewhere safe while he tracked this bounty. Granted, the man he was hunting wasn’t particularly dangerous but still. If Jango was a few years older and training for his verd’goten that would be one thing. But he wasn’t even ten yet. Far too young for all of this. Yet here Jango was.
Jaster consoled himself with the knowledge he’d brought Jango along only because the boy was in a rough patch. He’d barely slept the last five nights because of nightmares. It made Jango clingy and Jaster was too…something to leave him behind when Jango looked up at him with wide, teary eyes and swore he would be no trouble at all if Jaster let him come along. It was a weakness Jaster would have to work on. Later. Once this was done. He needed to know he could leave Jango behind somewhere safe if there was need, that he wouldn’t always give in to heartfelt pleas and sad eyes. At least he’d gotten the boy proper cold weather gear so he knew Jango wasn’t cold.
He checked his tracker again. They were close. And fortunately, there was a Guild office on this world. They’d just have to drag the target to the Guild, then they could find a room for the night and get a decent meal. The small ship they were using for this didn’t have much in the way of cooking facilities and growing children needed more than instant noodles and ration bars. And given the way Jango kept looking at the snow…maybe they could find a park for a little while. If they wrapped this up early enough. Jango deserved to be a kid when time allowed.
~*~
The bounty proved to be one of those people with more money than sense, so they were caught and safely delivered to the Bounty Hunter’s Guild representative by late afternoon. A quick word with the man’s assistant while Jango used the fresher garnered Jaster the name of a nearby public park perfect for a child Jango’s age, and a few recommendations for places to stay that would be safe for a child. Jaster’s requirements for just himself were a lot lower than with Jango along with him.
He arranged for a room at one of the recommended hotels. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was clean and just down the street from a public park and a square lined with shops and restaurants. They could check out the shops in the morning. Jango was a growing child and could use a few new things if they could find anything suitable. But for tonight, the room would serve their purposes and the location was convenient.
Jaster stowed the extra gear they wouldn’t need for the evening, then herded Jango back out the door. In a few minutes, they reached the park and Jango’s eyes immediately lit on the children making snowbeings. The shape choices on a few were…interesting, as if the children were attempting to adapt them to other species. The results were mixed at best, but Jaster mentally gave them points for creativity.
“Have you ever built a snowman?” Jango asked suddenly drawing his attention.
Frowning, Jaster considered that. He must have done it as a child, at least once or twice. The region of Concord Dawn he’d grown up in didn’t get snow often, but he’d had some cousins that lived in a region that did, and they visited a handful of times when he was young.
“If I did, it was a long time ago,” Jaster admitted after a long moment.
Jango brightened at that. “I can show you how! Buir taught me how to make them look like Protectors. So, we can make one that looks like it’s wearing your armor!”
It was the most innocent and childlike he’d seen Jango since the day he met the boy. It made Jaster’s heart ache anew for the family Jango had lost. It should be them making snowmandos with Jango, not him. But they were gone. Jaster was all Jango had now.
Well, it was time to learn to make a snowmando.
For Jango.
“Maybe we better start simpler,” Jaster said tentatively. “Just to be sure I’ll get it right.”
Jango snickered. “We can make a small army.”
Jaster chuckled. “I suppose we can,” he allowed.
They had nowhere else to be that night. They didn’t have to rendezvous with his True Mandalorians for a few days yet. For tonight, he could indulge and let Jango be a child as he deserved to be.
“Then we’d better get started!” Jango said, dropping to his knees in the snow and starting to pack the first snowball.
Jaster smiled softly to himself and followed Jango’s lead.
~*~