Ruby laid in the bed in Tanni's arms, crying freely. Tanni patted her head and stroked her hair. "It's okay Ruby, it will all be okay," she said.

"How can you say that?" Ruby sobbed. "I promised to keep you safe, to always protect you, and now we are here, like this, because of me. I should have never trusted my sister."

Tanni smiled, "I am safe, here with you."

"No thanks to me," Ruby mumbled.

"Listen, I have an idea," Tanni told her.

Ruby sat up, wiping her eyes, "what do you mean?"

"The bounty hunter, Din Djarin, he's not like the others," she said.

"How do you figure? I'm not entirely convinced," Ruby replied.

"He's a bounty hunter, he has no real loyalty to these people. He's just in it for the money." She said.

Ruby nodded, "I see what you mean."

"If we offer him a better deal, he'll change sides," Tanni smirked.

"He does seem capable of getting us out of the situation. Did you see the way the other Mandalorian wouldn't challenge him?" Ruby considered the plan for a moment.

"You should have seen how effortlessly he snuck me on board the ship," Tanni mused.

Ruby smirked, "Okay, let's do it."

"Let's clean you up a bit first," Tanni said pulling out Ruby's traveling bag.

Ruby gasped, "where did you get that?"

"Din Djarin," Tanni replied.

"No kidding," Ruby mused.

"How many points did he just earn from you?" Tanni giggled.

"More then any Mandalorian deserves," Ruby replied.

Tanni wiped Ruby's face clean of her tears and make up, "there, I can see your pretty face again," she joked.

Ruby stood up, kicked off her shoes and wiggled out of her leggings. She never wanted to wear this outfit again. She wanted it off, now. She would rather burn it then see it again. Just then the door opened again and Din walked back in holding a plate of food. Ruby gasped in her state of undress. Din blushed under his helmet and quickly turned around.

"I- I'm so sorry," he said. "I didn't think you'd be changing." He held the plate to one side. "Here take this and I'll go."

Ruby looked at Tanni who nodded in agreement, Din wouldn't be going anywhere. Now is when they'd ask him to join them and help them escape. Ruby finished pulling off her leggings. Then she walked over to Din, bare foot, and took the plate. Din took a step to leave but Ruby grabbed his hand. "Wait!" She said. "Please stay. I'm covered, really. Please don't go." Ruby gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

Din exhaled and turned around, considering if he really should stay. Then he nodded, "okay." She was smiling sweetly up at him. She was right, she wasn't naked or anything. Though, Din may have looked at her exposed thighs longer then he should have. She was beautiful. Even more so without make up on. He'd certainly rather be in Ruby's company then out with Bo's men.

Ruby pulled him into the room and the two of them sat at either end of the small table. "Thank you for the food. And thank you for staying," Ruby began.

"You're welcome," he said.

"Can I ask you something Din?" Ruby said cocking her head.

Maybe it was because of how cute she looked with her head cocked curiously to the side… or maybe he liked the way his name sounded on her lips.. or maybe it was because he didn't want her to stop talking, he didn't know, but he said, "sure."

"What's in your pouch?" She said pointing to his side.

He knew this was coming, ever since she'd seen a peak of him in the hall earlier. He knew she'd be curious. "My kid," he said.

"Can I see?" She asked.

He paused for a moment. But figured Grogu would be safe here, would probably even enjoy the attention. He opened his pounce and pulled him out onto the table. He watched Ruby's eyes light up.

"Oh! He's adorable!" She cooed. "Can I hold him?" Din shrugged. Ruby guessed that meant yes. She opened her arms for him, but instead, Grogu sat in front of Ruby's plate and started eating.

"Hey!" Din chastised Grogu, "that's not yours, I'll get you your own food."

"No, it's okay, let him have it." She smiled, but this time, Din noticed it wasn't genuine. "I'm, not hungry right now," she sighed. "I'm not sure how I could possibly eat after today."

Din nodded and understood, "I'm sorry."

Ruby looked up at him, wishing she could see his eyes. Wishing she could tell if he was being genuine. He sounded genuine. But after today, she had very little faith in anyone. "You're welcome to eat too, if you wanted."

"I don't take off my helmet," he said.

Ruby and Tanni exchanged a questioning glance. "Never?" Tanni asked.

"Not in front of anyone." He replied.

"Why?" Ruby asked, she couldn't imagine never taking a helmet off.

"That's what I was taught," he said.

"Every Mandalorian I've ever known takes theirs off. Just because you're taught something, doesn't make it right." She said. "But, I respect your beliefs…" She said quickly, not wanting to insult the only person who gave her any hope, "What's your kid's name?" She asked changing the subject.

"Grogu," he replied. Ruby held out a piece of vegetable, and watched as Grogu rejected it. "He eats meat," Din told her.

"Oh," Ruby smirked, picking up a piece of meat and handing it to him. She delighted in the little happy sounds he made. She gently stroked his head and watched him eat. Watching him elevated her mood. He was such a sweet and tiny thing. "I like him," she smiled.

"I think he likes you too," Din replied, and she could have sworn she heard a smile on his tone.

Ruby's heart started beating faster, this was the only time to ask him. Why did it seem so difficult? Just ask, she thought, before he leaves again, before they reach their destination wherever it was. Even if she was rejected, she had to try. "Can I ask you something else?" Ruby said looking to Tanni who nodded in support.

Din looked between the two girls then he sighed, "I'm bringing you to Clan Saxon," Din said, "I gave Bo Katan my word."

"Oh," Ruby said, her heart breaking, "I see." She tried not to let Din see how disappointed she was but she couldn't help it. She didn't have any other plans. He was her last hope. "Is there anything I could say or do to change your mind?"

"No," He said. "I gave my word. I'm taking you." The look of defeat on Ruby's face physically hurt Din. "But I never said I'd leave you there."

Ruby's eyes filled with tears, "what do you mean?"

"I gave my word that I'd take you there, but I never promised I'd make you stay," he explained. "If I take you, and you hate it there, you hate him-your husband. Then I'll get you out."

Tears streamed freely down Ruby's face, "Do you promise me?"

Din smirked, "I give you my word."

"What do you want in exchange?" She asked, after all, everything was done for something. That's the way the galaxy worked.

"I don't want anything," he said.

Ruby jumped up from the table and threw her arms tightly around Din's neck, nearly knocking him out of the chair. "Thank you!" She cried.

Din gently and awkwardly wrapped his arms around her too. "You're welcome," he said.

Ruby pulled away blushing, if he wasn't wearing a helmet she swore she would have kissed him too. "Do you have a plan?" She asked, picking up Grogu and sitting on the bed with him in her arms. "If anyone were ever deserving to be on the other end of your rifle, it would be this group." Ruby mumbled.

Din smiled, "good plan, but mine's different."

"Go on then," Tanni said stroking Grogu's ear.

"I'm taking you to Clan Saxon, you might actually like it there," he said.

"That's your plan?" Ruby exclaimed, "that's a horrible plan!"

"No," he said, "if you think about it, it's the plan that makes the most sense."

"Well I'm not going to like Clan Saxon, I'm marrying no one, and your plan stinks. I love my real home, I plan on going back to it as soon as you allow it. Now, come up with a new plan. There's no way I'm spending the rest of my life with a Mandalorian," she said, "no offense…"

"Some offense taken," he chuckled. "What do you know about Mandalorians?" He asked.

"They kill living things for fun, just because they can," she said remembering her childhood.

"They have an honor code. Right now, you're not considered one of them. Marry into Clan Saxon and you'll have their respect. Clans will fight and die for you. You told your sister she should have protected you. In a roundabout way, she's doing that now," he said.

"I hate your plan, which was clearly to try and talk me into marrying a man I've never met," Ruby sneered, "nice try."

"No, that's not-" Din started but Tanni interrupted.

"The marriage isn't happening Mando," Tanni said standing now with her hands in her hips, "time for a new plan."

Din sighed, "if you don't want to be there I'll get you out."

"That's not a plan," Tanni said.

"It kind of is," Din argued.

"How do we know you're not just tricking us into being compliant," Tanni scoffed.

"I guess you won't know," he sighed.

"What could you possibly do or say to earn our trust?" Tanni said pointing a finger at him.

"Besides what I've already done?" He said leaning back in his chair against the wall. Din was starting to think talking them into being compliant and leaving them forever was the better plan. Then he looked past Tanni to Ruby who was now asleep on the bed with Grogu nuzzled under her chin. It warmed him.

Tanni turned around, following Din's line of sight, and shrugged. Sighing she said, "I guess Ruby trusts you." Tanni slid into the bed next to her, moving Ruby's sleepy head into her lap. "But I don't," Tanni said with some spite, "And if you hurt Ruby, I'll kill you."

Din watched Tanni stroke Ruby's hair, "does she know?" He asked.

Tanni gave Din a confused look, "know what?"

"How you really feel about her," he asked.

Tanni blushed and shifted uncomfortably, "I don't know what you mean."

"How long have you loved her?" He asked.

Tanni wetted her lips and returned her gaze to Ruby's sleeping face. She smiled softly, "from the moment I met her."

"How did you meet?" He asked. He liked knowing about his bounties. It had always been 'don't ask questions' in the guild, which always made the work easier. But there was no reason to keep his questions to himself anymore.

Tanni looked surprised that he cared enough to ask about them, but maybe that was part of his plan too. "At a slavers auction. That's where we met. She had always been so beautiful. She convinced the man who bought her to take me too. We've been through a lot together."

"And after that?" He asked.

"Why do you care?" Her eyes narrowed, then she sighed, "the Juvex sector were Ruby was married to a Nobel."

"When did she kill him?" He asked.

"You don't understand what she had to go through, what I had to watch her go through," Tanni bit her lip.

"You killed him," he said.

Tanni nodded. "I had to," she said, not looking at Din. "Ruby was just going to put up with it. Suffer through it. I made a promise to her that I'd never let anything like that happen again."

"Does she know," Din asked, "that you love her?"

Tanni shook her head, "no, I'm not her type." She smirked then looked up at Din. "You, however, might have a chance."

"No," he said firmly.

"No? She loves a good mystery, a man with honor, you are a man under all that, aren't you?" Tanni chuckled. Din didn't answer. "I just want her to be happy. She's been through too much."

"You're a good friend," he said.

"Are you?" She asked. He didn't answer.