Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.
Five-year-old Boba Fett looked up from his toys at the sound of the door opening. "Daddy!" He called out as he ran to Jango, brushing past the droid MU-12 that Jango kept around to take care of Boba when he wasn't there. Jango scooped up Boba and hugged him.
Standing a bit behind Jango, Zam Wesell couldn't help but smile. She was always amused when she thought about Jango and Boba. Jango Fett. Ruthless, merciless bounty hunter; best in the galaxy, the one in every criminal's nightmares. Being at home taking care of and playing with his son.
Jango set Boba down and took off his helmet. Boba saw Zam and said, "Hi, Zam."
"Hello, Boba." She replied, taking off her own helmet.
Jango set his helmet down and limped across the room to get something to eat, taking off his armor as he went. Zam raised an eyebrow, while taking off her own armor, "Going to take it all off?"
"Huh. Not right now." Jango half smiled promisingly at her.
Boba looked between the two adults then said, "Daddy, wanna play with me?" He ran to his starships and picked one up. "You can even be my favorite one."
"Not right now, Boba. I'm tired. This was a hard hunt." Jango told him.
With a grin, Zam said, "He just doesn't want to admit it. He was injured and is afraid if you know you won't think of him as the big, bad hunter anymore."
"It's not an injury. It's a scratch." Jango said airily.
"Right. If that's a scratch, I wonder what an injury is. Getting your head cut off?" Zam laughed.
Jango stiffened. "I'm off to bed."
"Can I come too?" Zam asked, still laughing.
Jango's only reply was to shut the door.
"Zam?" Boba looked up at her.
"Yes, Boba?"
"Why would you want to go with Daddy while he's sleeping? Are you tired too?" Boba innocently asked.
Zam stood silent, unsure what to say. Finally she said, "Listen, you're Daddy's sleeping. Why don't we go take a walk or something so we don't wake him up?"
Boba nodded, "Ok."
So, the two of them exited the apartment. They went outside, into the rain. Boba saw some puddles and ran at them, splashing in them happily. Zam smiled, trying to imagine Jango at that age.
"Come play with me, Zam!" Boba shouted.
"Ok." Zam grinned and ran with Boba, splashing in the puddles. Suddenly Zam slipped and fell. Boba, unaware of it, ran on. Zam noticed Boba had gotten close to the edge of the platform and yelled, "Boba! Come back; don't go so close to the edge."
Boba turned and ran back to Zam. But on the way, he slid on a slick spot and went sprawling on the platform. Zam stood and ran over to him, kneeling next to him. Boba looked up at her, his face showed pain, though he didn't cry, and he was holding his knee.
"Boba, what hurts? Your knee?" Boba nodded and Zam reached out and pulled him awkwardly into her arms. Zam was immediately surprised at how Boba seemed to fit perfectly. At how his little arms went around her as if she were his mother. She was also surprised at herself; for she held him and rocked him. "Shhh. Boba. C'mon. I'll carry back to the apartment and we'll get you all cleaned up, all right?"
Boba nodded, nestling his head against her neck. Zam stood and carried Boba inside, back to the apartment. Zam set Boba down on the couch and quickly found some med supplies. She patched up Boba's knee and put the medkit away.
"Zam?" Boba quietly asked. Zam walked over to him. "Could you give me a hug?" Boba said guiltily. As though he had never asked for such a thing before.
Zam sat down and pulled Boba onto her lap. She leaned back and held Boba. As she sat there, she began to wonder about Jango and Boba. About what they were alike when she wasn't around. She knew Jango loved Boba, but did he show it as often as he should? She'd have to ask him sometime.
Jango stumbled across his room, the pain from his injury awakening him. It wasn't really a big wound. A blaster bolt had gotten his left leg. But it did sting a lot. Jango opened his door and walked out. He was halfway across the room when he stopped in shock. Zam was lying on the couch, asleep, with Boba, who was also asleep, in her arms.
With a shake of his head, Jango rebandaged his leg. Then went back and watched Zam and Boba. They looked so. good there together. As though that was how they belonged.
As though she knew she was being watched, Zam awoke and looked sheepishly up at Jango. "He. uh. We were outside and he slipped and hurt his knee and." She trailed off at Jango's grin.
"You're always teasing me about having a soft spot. Maybe we should have a little chat about your own soft spot." Jango leaned down and softly kissed her forehead. "C'mon. My bed's bigger and more comfortable."
"Oh?" Zam's eyebrows rose. "Is this the clearest spoken invitation from you? Why, Jango, you're usually all action and no talk."
"Ha, ha." Jango dryly said. He picked up Boba and carried him to his bed.
"What, bringing Boba with you too? Jango! You know he's only five."
"Zam, I think you think more about sex than I do." Jango commented.
Zam stood and crossed her arms, "Considering your current record of one woman, I'm not surprised."
"I'm sure your record isn't that much more impressive." Jango lay down and Zam next to him, Boba in the middle.
Boba groggily woke and looked up at Jango. "Daddy. I got hurt. But it's only a scratch." Boba managed to say before falling back asleep.
Zam started to laugh. "Listen to him, Jango! He sounds just like you."
"Yes, he does." Jango said with amusement.
Zam's laughter subsided as Jango's look grew more deep and intense. They stared at each other, Zam contemplating their strange relationship. Her, Jango and Boba could pass for the average family. Yet to anyone who knew, they were anything but average. She and Jango weren't married, and Boba was a clone.
Jango also thought about his life. He knew he was old and getting older. Knew what had happened in his past made him practically dead. If he'd met Zam back in the glory days of the Mandalorians, things might have gone differently. But now it was too late. Now he had Boba, and Boba was his hope. Boba was his chance that perhaps he might have another chance at life through Boba. Boba would go on and do what Jango never did. What he never could. Boba would love and be loved. Boba would have a family, Boba would be happy. Boba would never have to go through betrayal and hurt like he had.
Zam held back a sigh. She always wondered, when his eyes grew far away and sad like that, what it was he was thinking about. She had never asked him. From his scars, she wasn't sure if she wanted to. But there was something she did want to ask him. "Jango, do you ever hug Boba?"
Jango blinked in surprise, "Yes."
"It didn't feel like it from the way he responded to me hugging him."
"I wonder what you were doing hugging him anyway." Jango said protectively, eyeing Zam as though she might betray him.
Ah, yes. That was why they weren't closer. Lack of trust. "He was hurt, Jango."
Jango was silent for a few minutes before he quietly said, "Thank you."
Zam studied his eyes for a moment before saying, "You're welcome." And she then knew what it was. Why Boba had responded so hungrily to her hug. Why Jango was thanking her. She had accidentally taken on a role she had never thought she'd be taking. She had become Boba's mom.
Five-year-old Boba Fett looked up from his toys at the sound of the door opening. "Daddy!" He called out as he ran to Jango, brushing past the droid MU-12 that Jango kept around to take care of Boba when he wasn't there. Jango scooped up Boba and hugged him.
Standing a bit behind Jango, Zam Wesell couldn't help but smile. She was always amused when she thought about Jango and Boba. Jango Fett. Ruthless, merciless bounty hunter; best in the galaxy, the one in every criminal's nightmares. Being at home taking care of and playing with his son.
Jango set Boba down and took off his helmet. Boba saw Zam and said, "Hi, Zam."
"Hello, Boba." She replied, taking off her own helmet.
Jango set his helmet down and limped across the room to get something to eat, taking off his armor as he went. Zam raised an eyebrow, while taking off her own armor, "Going to take it all off?"
"Huh. Not right now." Jango half smiled promisingly at her.
Boba looked between the two adults then said, "Daddy, wanna play with me?" He ran to his starships and picked one up. "You can even be my favorite one."
"Not right now, Boba. I'm tired. This was a hard hunt." Jango told him.
With a grin, Zam said, "He just doesn't want to admit it. He was injured and is afraid if you know you won't think of him as the big, bad hunter anymore."
"It's not an injury. It's a scratch." Jango said airily.
"Right. If that's a scratch, I wonder what an injury is. Getting your head cut off?" Zam laughed.
Jango stiffened. "I'm off to bed."
"Can I come too?" Zam asked, still laughing.
Jango's only reply was to shut the door.
"Zam?" Boba looked up at her.
"Yes, Boba?"
"Why would you want to go with Daddy while he's sleeping? Are you tired too?" Boba innocently asked.
Zam stood silent, unsure what to say. Finally she said, "Listen, you're Daddy's sleeping. Why don't we go take a walk or something so we don't wake him up?"
Boba nodded, "Ok."
So, the two of them exited the apartment. They went outside, into the rain. Boba saw some puddles and ran at them, splashing in them happily. Zam smiled, trying to imagine Jango at that age.
"Come play with me, Zam!" Boba shouted.
"Ok." Zam grinned and ran with Boba, splashing in the puddles. Suddenly Zam slipped and fell. Boba, unaware of it, ran on. Zam noticed Boba had gotten close to the edge of the platform and yelled, "Boba! Come back; don't go so close to the edge."
Boba turned and ran back to Zam. But on the way, he slid on a slick spot and went sprawling on the platform. Zam stood and ran over to him, kneeling next to him. Boba looked up at her, his face showed pain, though he didn't cry, and he was holding his knee.
"Boba, what hurts? Your knee?" Boba nodded and Zam reached out and pulled him awkwardly into her arms. Zam was immediately surprised at how Boba seemed to fit perfectly. At how his little arms went around her as if she were his mother. She was also surprised at herself; for she held him and rocked him. "Shhh. Boba. C'mon. I'll carry back to the apartment and we'll get you all cleaned up, all right?"
Boba nodded, nestling his head against her neck. Zam stood and carried Boba inside, back to the apartment. Zam set Boba down on the couch and quickly found some med supplies. She patched up Boba's knee and put the medkit away.
"Zam?" Boba quietly asked. Zam walked over to him. "Could you give me a hug?" Boba said guiltily. As though he had never asked for such a thing before.
Zam sat down and pulled Boba onto her lap. She leaned back and held Boba. As she sat there, she began to wonder about Jango and Boba. About what they were alike when she wasn't around. She knew Jango loved Boba, but did he show it as often as he should? She'd have to ask him sometime.
Jango stumbled across his room, the pain from his injury awakening him. It wasn't really a big wound. A blaster bolt had gotten his left leg. But it did sting a lot. Jango opened his door and walked out. He was halfway across the room when he stopped in shock. Zam was lying on the couch, asleep, with Boba, who was also asleep, in her arms.
With a shake of his head, Jango rebandaged his leg. Then went back and watched Zam and Boba. They looked so. good there together. As though that was how they belonged.
As though she knew she was being watched, Zam awoke and looked sheepishly up at Jango. "He. uh. We were outside and he slipped and hurt his knee and." She trailed off at Jango's grin.
"You're always teasing me about having a soft spot. Maybe we should have a little chat about your own soft spot." Jango leaned down and softly kissed her forehead. "C'mon. My bed's bigger and more comfortable."
"Oh?" Zam's eyebrows rose. "Is this the clearest spoken invitation from you? Why, Jango, you're usually all action and no talk."
"Ha, ha." Jango dryly said. He picked up Boba and carried him to his bed.
"What, bringing Boba with you too? Jango! You know he's only five."
"Zam, I think you think more about sex than I do." Jango commented.
Zam stood and crossed her arms, "Considering your current record of one woman, I'm not surprised."
"I'm sure your record isn't that much more impressive." Jango lay down and Zam next to him, Boba in the middle.
Boba groggily woke and looked up at Jango. "Daddy. I got hurt. But it's only a scratch." Boba managed to say before falling back asleep.
Zam started to laugh. "Listen to him, Jango! He sounds just like you."
"Yes, he does." Jango said with amusement.
Zam's laughter subsided as Jango's look grew more deep and intense. They stared at each other, Zam contemplating their strange relationship. Her, Jango and Boba could pass for the average family. Yet to anyone who knew, they were anything but average. She and Jango weren't married, and Boba was a clone.
Jango also thought about his life. He knew he was old and getting older. Knew what had happened in his past made him practically dead. If he'd met Zam back in the glory days of the Mandalorians, things might have gone differently. But now it was too late. Now he had Boba, and Boba was his hope. Boba was his chance that perhaps he might have another chance at life through Boba. Boba would go on and do what Jango never did. What he never could. Boba would love and be loved. Boba would have a family, Boba would be happy. Boba would never have to go through betrayal and hurt like he had.
Zam held back a sigh. She always wondered, when his eyes grew far away and sad like that, what it was he was thinking about. She had never asked him. From his scars, she wasn't sure if she wanted to. But there was something she did want to ask him. "Jango, do you ever hug Boba?"
Jango blinked in surprise, "Yes."
"It didn't feel like it from the way he responded to me hugging him."
"I wonder what you were doing hugging him anyway." Jango said protectively, eyeing Zam as though she might betray him.
Ah, yes. That was why they weren't closer. Lack of trust. "He was hurt, Jango."
Jango was silent for a few minutes before he quietly said, "Thank you."
Zam studied his eyes for a moment before saying, "You're welcome." And she then knew what it was. Why Boba had responded so hungrily to her hug. Why Jango was thanking her. She had accidentally taken on a role she had never thought she'd be taking. She had become Boba's mom.