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The little house on Nevarro had settled into its familiar nighttime rhythm.
Dinner dishes had been washed and stacked to dry.
Tiny pajamas had been wrestled onto an energetic little green boy.
Teeth had been brushed—after lengthy negotiations involving exactly three more minutes of playing with the toothbrush.
A favorite stuffed tooka doll had been rescued from beneath the couch.
And now, at long last, Grogu was tucked beneath his blankets.
Din leaned against the little bedframe with a quiet sigh.
A few years ago, he’d never imagined his evenings would consist of baths, bedtime routines, and arguing with a toddler about why socks weren’t optional when it got cold.
If someone had told the bounty hunter he’d someday know the proper temperature for bath water and exactly how many bedtime snacks constituted “one last snack,” he’d have laughed them out of the cantina.
Now…
He thought he could probably do the whole routine in his sleep.
Which was impressive.
Especially for a man who had once been absolutely certain he’d never be caught dead doing any of this domestic stuff.
Grogu pulled the blankets up beneath his chin and looked at him with enormous hopeful eyes.
“Daddy?”
Din already knew that tone.
“Yeah, buddy?”
“Story.”
A small smile tugged at Din’s mouth.
“Of course.”
He settled onto the edge of the bed.
“What kind?”
Grogu thought very seriously.
His ears twitched.
Then his face lit up.
“The one about us!”
Din chuckled.
“There are a lot of stories about us.”
“The rescue one!”
Grogu bounced excitedly beneath the blankets.
“The one where you fought all the bounty hunters and rescued me from the bad man!”
Din’s smile softened.
That one.
It had become one of Grogu’s favorites over the years.
Probably because he remembered so little of those early days himself.
Those stories helped fill in the missing pieces.
Din reached over and tucked the blanket a little higher around Grogu’s shoulders.
Then he climbed carefully onto the bed beside him.
Immediately, Grogu scooted over, nestling beneath Din’s arm like it was the most natural place in the galaxy.
Din wrapped his arm around him automatically.
Grogu rested his little head against Din’s side with a happy sigh.
Comfortable.
Safe.
Ready.
Din cleared his throat dramatically.
“Once upon a time…”
Grogu giggled.
“…there lived a very wise little green kid named Grogu.”
Grogu beamed.
“He lived in a scary place full of big scary men.”
“Boo.”
“Very boo.”
“And creepy monsters.”
“Bigger boo.”
“The biggest boo.”
Grogu nodded solemnly.
“One day…”
Din lowered his voice.
“A shiny Mandalorian bounty hunter was hired to deliver little Grogu to…”
He paused dramatically.
“…the Bad Man.”
Grogu gasped exactly where he was supposed to.
“The Mandalorian didn’t know anything about Grogu yet. He thought it would just be another job.”
Grogu frowned.
“But then…”
Din smiled beneath his helmet.
“He met the kid.”
“And?”
“And he immediately thought…”
Din poked Grogu gently in the tummy.
“…‘This is probably the coolest little guy I’ve ever seen.’”
Grogu erupted into delighted giggles.
“He did?”
“He absolutely did.”
Din nodded with complete seriousness.
“The Mandalorian watched Grogu use the Force…”
Grogu proudly lifted one tiny hand.
“…saw him take naps…”
“Mhm.”
“…steal shiny things…”
Grogu looked suspiciously innocent.
“…eat frogs…”
“I like frogs.”
“I know.”
“…and before very long…”
Din’s voice became quieter.
“…the Mandalorian realized something.”
“What?”
“He didn’t want anything bad to happen to Grogu.”
Grogu leaned a little closer.
Din’s fingers absentmindedly stroked behind one green ear.
“But…”
Din continued.
“Our hero made a very big mistake.”
Grogu’s ears drooped.
“He let Grogu fall into the Bad Man’s hands.”
Silence.
Grogu looked down at the blankets.
Din felt the familiar ache in his chest.
Even softened into a bedtime story…
That part still hurt.
He rubbed Grogu’s back gently.
“But the Mandalorian realized he’d made the biggest mistake of his whole life.”
Grogu looked back up.
“He knew he couldn’t leave Grogu there.”
“He couldn’t?”
“No.”
Din’s answer came immediately.
“He cared too much.”
“So…”
“He went back.”
Grogu smiled.
“All by himself?”
“At first.”
Din’s voice became animated again.
“He snuck into the Bad Man’s secret hideout.”
“Was it scary?”
“Oh, very.”
“Were there monsters?”
“Not the slimy kind.”
Grogu giggled.
“But there were lots of stormtroopers.”
“Eww.”
“Eww indeed.”
“So the Mandalorian snuck and climbed…”
Din made exaggerated sneaking motions with his fingers across the blanket.
“…and finally found little Grogu.”
Grogu’s eyes sparkled.
“What was Grogu doing?”
“He was waiting.”
“For Daddy?”
Din’s heart squeezed.
“For the Mandalorian.”
Grogu accepted that answer with a satisfied nod.
“And when Grogu saw him…”
Din smiled.
“…he was very brave.”
“Very brave?”
“The bravest.”
Grogu puffed out his chest proudly.
“The Mandalorian picked Grogu up…”
Din squeezed him gently under his arm.
“…and together they escaped.”
“They did!”
“They did.”
“But…”
Din continued.
“…outside…”
He lowered his voice again.
“…were bounty hunters.”
“So many bounty hunters.”
Grogu’s eyes widened.
“They surrounded the Mandalorian.”
“Uh-oh.”
“They said…”
Din deepened his voice dramatically.
“‘Hand over the kid.’”
Grogu immediately buried himself a little closer against Din.
Din stroked the back of his head.
“The Mandalorian fought.”
He mimed punches with one hand.
“He fought really hard.”
“Pow!”
“Exactly.”
“He beat lots of hunters.”
“Lots?”
“Lots.”
“But eventually…”
Din sighed softly.
“…he and Grogu ended up trapped inside a broken speeder.”
Grogu looked worried.
“Were they scared?”
“The Mandalorian was.”
“He was?”
“Oh yes.”
Din looked down at the little boy tucked against him.
“He knew he had a choice.”
“What choice?”
“He could hand Grogu over.”
Grogu’s ears fell.
“And then the Mandalorian could go home.”
Grogu frowned.
“But…”
Din’s voice softened.
“…when he looked down at little Grogu…”
He hugged him just a little tighter.
“…he realized something.”
“What?”
“He loved him.”
Grogu looked up at him.
Din continued quietly.
“And he knew…”
“…that Grogu was supposed to stay with him.”
“Always?”
Din nodded once.
“Always.”
“So…”
“The Mandalorian decided…”
Din smiled.
“…that if anyone wanted Grogu…”
“…they’d have to go through him first.”
Grogu grinned.
“That’s my daddy.”
Din laughed softly.
“It is.”
“But just when it looked like all hope was gone…”
Din spread his hands dramatically.
“…the Mandalorian’s friends arrived!”
Grogu clapped.
“They helped!”
“They sure did.”
“They scared away the bounty hunters…”
“They did.”
“…rescued our heroes…”
“They did.”
“…and together…”
Din gently brushed one sleepy ear back.
“…the Mandalorian and Grogu started having adventures together.”
“So many adventures.”
“So many.”
“They became a family.”
Grogu smiled.
“And eventually…”
Din looked down at the child curled safely against him.
“…they lived happily ever after.”
Grogu clapped enthusiastically.
“I really like that story, Daddy.”
“I’m glad.”
Grogu yawned.
“I’m glad the Mandalorian chose to save Grogu instead of letting the Bad Man keep him.”
The words landed with surprising force.
Din’s throat tightened.
He looked at the little boy beside him.
The child who had become his son.
The child he’d crossed galaxies for.
The child he’d fought armies for.
The child he’d nearly given up…
…and then couldn’t.
His eyes burned.
He swallowed hard.
“Yeah, kid.”
His voice was rough now.
“I’m really glad he did too.”
Grogu smiled sleepily.
He reached one tiny hand over and rested it against Din’s forearm.
“I love that Mandalorian.”
Din closed his eyes for just a second.
“The Mandalorian loves Grogu.”
Within minutes, Grogu’s breathing slowed.
His little hand relaxed.
His head slipped fully against Din’s side.
Fast asleep.
Din stayed exactly where he was.
Listening to the quiet rhythm of his son’s breathing.
Thinking back to that day on Arvala-7.
Standing over a floating pram.
Being handed an impossible choice.
A paycheck…
…or a child.
He’d broken the Guild.
Broken every rule he’d lived by.
Made enemies across the galaxy.
Lost his ship.
Lost his home.
Risked his life more times than he could count.
And somehow…
It had all led here.
To a little house on Nevarro.
To bedtime stories.
To tiny pajamas.
To sleepy cuddles.
To a little boy who called him Daddy.
Din leaned down and pressed the gentlest kiss to the top of Grogu’s head.
Then he whispered into the quiet room—
“I’d make the same choice every single time.”
He pulled the blanket a little higher around his sleeping son.
Turned off the light.
And slipped silently from the room.
Certain of one thing.
Rescuing Grogu had not only saved the child.
It had saved the Mandalorian, too.