"You're what?!"
"Hush." Din looked around but Aria was still in the house, chatting with Kuiil. Cara followed his gaze and lowered her voice.
"You're going to leave her here, alone?"
"It's safe here, unlike when she's with me."
Cara looked incredulous and pointed to Aria who passed by the doorway,
"She is safe whenever she's in your line of sight?" The shock trooper exclaimed, "Don't think I haven't noticed, Mandalorian."
"There's nothing to notice." Din replied suddenly but his friend snorted, shaking her head.
"You have a lot to learn about women, Mando."
"That may be but my decision stands. Will you help me or not?"
Cara thought for a moment, her eyes still on Aria who was laughing now, the infant in her arms.
"I don't like it." She said firmly. "But if this is what you want… I'm in."
A feeling of relief washed over Din as well as the sinking feeling that he was going to regret this. But he knew that what matters was keeping Aria safe.
"Thank you." He said sincerely.
"It's going to break her heart." Cara stared, giving him a sidelong glance.
"Maybe," He acknowledged, "But hearts heal. Mine did."
Cara sighed but didn't press any further, walking into the house with Din following her slowly. When Aria looked up at him from where she was setting the table, he almost changed his mind on the spot. He shook his head, almost imperceptibly and shifted to another room in the house.
"Din?" Aria spoke behind him and he looked to see she'd followed him, a plate of food in her hand. "I thought you could eat in here. That way you'd still be able to hear the conversation and chime in but you could eat with us."
Damn it, she was aware she was making it harder and harder to leave her by the second?
"Thank you." He couldn't help but touch her, drawing her close to him and trying to memorize the feeling of her in his arms. She relaxed into his embrace, snuggling right into the crook of his neck.
"You've been pretty touchy lately." Aria notes with a smile in her voice. "I like it."
He liked it too but he didn't respond.
"Aria, I was wondering-" Cara broke off when she saw them stepping away from each other. A small smirk tilted her lips but she kept her composure. "The kid is crying for you."
Aria nodded and slipped away but Cara remained in the doorway so Din couldn't move past her.
"You didn't tell me about that." His friend jerked her head towards the kitchen. "How long has that been going on?"
"A couple of weeks." "Is anything I say going to change your mind?" Cara pressures and The Mandalorian shook his head. "Mando… I've never seen you act the way you just acted with her."
"What do you mean?" Din asked warily, dreading and awaiting her explanation. Cara gestured with her hands,
"The long talks! The fighting! The touching! It has all the makings of a good thing and you're willing to throw it all away under the pretense of keeping her safe?"
"I'm not discussing this anymore." Din straightened, making the shock trooper stop talking, "You said you were on my side."
Cara sighed and looked back into the hall, her mind still on Aria and what they were going to have to do but she replied in a low voice.
"I am on your side." Cara braced herself. "What's your plan?"
Aria
Kuiil had mentioned an old speeder that needed some touch up work and I offered to help him, knowing that he much preferred working on living creatures like Blurrgs. He showed me into an old barn-like building filled with scraps and parts,
"The speeder is from the old republic." Kuiil noted, brushing some rust off of the side. "Very good engine but I think the compressor is out of order."
"Don't worry," I assure the Ugnaught with a smile, "This'll give me something to do while Mando and Cara figure out their plans."
Kuiil didn't look at me when he responded, and I thought I detected a hint of sadness in his tone,
"You're a good friend, Aria." He patted my elbow gently and began waddling back towards the house.
I set to work, checking the engine and double checking the fuel tank before attacking the compressor. I heard the barn door bump and I looked over my shoulder as Din made his way towards me.
"Kuiil said you were in here." He rumbled as I felt around the floor for the wrench.
"It's old republic," I gestured toward the speeder, "It's gorgeous, isn't it?"
In my peripheral, I saw The Mandalorian giving me a long, side glance before he responded.
"Yes. Gorgeous."
His words made my stomach flutter but I focused on my work.
"Aria," Din pulled me to my feet, bringing me close to him as I still held onto the wrench. "I got offered a job. And more importantly, a chance to keep the kid safe forever."
"That's…great?" Was it just me, or did Din feel like he was being watched too?
"Cara and I think that things could cool off enough for the kid to have a decent chance in life." The Mandalorian continued, his hands rubbing circles into my skin but the familiar gesture was urgent, almost desperate.
"Where is Cara?" I wondered, looking around but he held me in my place, almost frightening me. "Din?"
The Mandalorian took a deep breath through his helmet and muttered,
"Now."
The sound of chains rattling made me look up and let out a started scream and Din let go of me, stepping out of the way as a long fence dropped down between me and the door. Cara was sitting in the rafters, holding onto the chain that lowered the barrier and I grabbed the bars,
"What are you doing?!" I screamed at the bounty hunter whose body was as taut as a bow string. "Din Djarin, I swear to-"
"Don't call me that." Din's voice was so harsh that it actually made me shut up and listen to him. "Now for once in your life, stay here and do nothing until Kuiil returns for you."
"Kuiil was in on this too?" I yelled, but I already knew the answer. I had seen the warning signs but I was too stupid and blind to see it. The Mandalorian was leaving me behind.
He stepped to the fence, reaching through the bars but I snapped at him like a wild animal.
"You have to stay." He said, almost to himself. "IG-11 is programmed to bring you food and water or whatever else you need until Kuiil comes back to get you."
"Is IG-11 programmed right being me a blaster so I can knock some sense into you?" I answered furiously.
"I told you she wouldn't like this." Cara dropped down to the floor, her eyes sympathetic but her body language firm.
"Please don't do this." I could feel something breaking and I swear, Din flinched. "I can help."
"No."
"Damn it!" I slammed my hands on the barrier, shaking the bars as hard as I could. "Was this the endgame the entire time?" I was faintly aware of Kuiil's silhouette entering the barn but right now, it was just me and Din. "Butter me up last night and the night before just to drop me in the dirt?"
"Don't say that." The Mandalorian fired back, "Don't you dare say that."
"I trusted you!" I shouted in his face, hating the flat, expressionless mask that hide the eyes and expression of the man I loved. "And you don't care!"
Din wheeled around and slammed his hand against the bars, making me jump as he swears under his breath before saying darkly.
"You don't know anything about the matter."
Din couldn't look at her. For the first time since she'd entered the barn, she was completely and utterly silent. Cara swore at his side but he ignored her, spinning on his heel and storming out of the barn, brushing past Kuiil who was holding the sobbing child.
Cara walked at his side silently, stomping up the Razor Crest as he began preparing the ship. Kuill boarded with the child, saying gruffly,
"IG-11 is with her. Trying to comfort her."
The words made a tear in The Mandalorian's heart but he only nodded, his fingers moving deftly to rev the engines.
"I've done a lot of bad things in my life." Cara said darkly in the corner, "But never something as hard as that."
"She'll be safe."
"Oh sure, she'll be safe and warm there with food and water and a servant," Cara replied sarcastically, "She'll just have a shattered heart and no will to live!"
"That's enough!" Din shouted, standing so fast that his head spun. Cara stared defiantly at him and Kuiil shook his head but they both backed off, taking their seats as Din guided the Razor Crest off the planet. He couldn't help but feel that he had left a piece of him in that barn below.