A/N: I don't own anything I'm just having fun. I'm sorry for all the mistakes this is non – beta version I will correct it ASAP, but I just can't wait to post this.

So I'm sorry for all the mistakes. The second to last chapter is here!

Chapter summary: Maybe he should looked at her, maybe when she would saw all the fear in his eyes she would understand, there were a lot of 'maybes' in his thoughts and now it was just too late. Draven only nodded his head and wrote something in the schedule. At the end of the briefing Jyn was listed to the scout mission to Takonda dealing with the supplies routes and Cassian was signed to go at the very mission he banned Jyn from - Snedarl Electronics.

#9 The last to know

"How could you, Cassian?" A very angry looking Jyn Erso bursts from the intelligence briefing room looking darkly at Cassian who is following her trying to look apologetic and reassuring at the same time and falling at both. He just looks nervous and somehow surprised.

"Jyn wait." He almost yells after her because Jyn starts walking away from him without waiting for his answer. Cassian wants to give her some answers as soon as he would find them himself in his rebellious brain. He actually has no idea what made him say all the words in the now completed briefing.

"No I'm tired of listening to you; you can't say anything that I just haven't heard there." Jyn screams at him turning around and locking her angry eyes with him, Cassian can see the hurt and betrayal in her green eyes and it's even more distressing for him.

"You don't understand." He speaks the truth, partly he doesn't understand his action but he needs to explain this to her.

"What Cassian? What I don't understand?" Jyn spats at him. "That you just actively oppose to my first solo mission, that you for all the people said that I'm not ready."

"It wasn't my words." He starts but she cuts him off.

"Doesn't matter what you said exactly, that was the idea." Jyn says her tone angry and hurtful, she can't still believe in half of the things that just happened in the briefing room. She can't understand why Cassian did that to her and to be honest she's not ready to hear his answers.

"Let me explain." Cassian speaks quietly his tone apologetic but it doesn't work on Jyn right now. Now she wants to hurt him, preferably hard.

"No, I don't need your explanation Cassian." She informs him, and suddenly her eyes sadden and she continues. "What I needed was your support and I didn't get that."

"Jyn, please." Cassian pleas her for understanding, for the chance to explain, for some time to find and voice reasons for his action.

"I think I better go." Jyn says a little quieter not looking into his eyes. "I have a scout mission to prepare to and for once I'm so happy that I'm not going with you."

These last words hurt him almost physically but he knows he earned this, so he doesn't even flinch. He just starts at her back when she's leaving trying very hard not to run after her and beg for forgiveness. Yes, he is that desperate right now, he thinks darkly.

She storms in the opposite direction and disappears around a corner, Cassian only gaps at her open – mouthed, he wants nothing more than to kick himself hard.

It wasn't that he didn't want Jyn to go solo, he did, but he got somehow scared when he read the pre- operating plan and suddenly he imagined her all alone deep inside a well-guarded imperial facility and he just spoke the truth. Well maybe not exactly truth, but he spoke his fears and now he has to pay the consequences. The look that Jyn gave him when he was asked about opinion by Draven and he spoke that "as long as he is concerned Jyn is not prepared enough for such an extended mission" was pure disbelieve and betrayaland he was too afraid to look again at her.

Maybe he should looked at her, maybe when she would saw all the fear in his eyes she would understand, there were a lot of 'maybes' in his thoughts and now it was just too late. Draven only nodded his head and wrote something in the schedule. At the end of the briefing Jyn was listed to the scout mission to Takonda dealing with the supplies routes and Cassian was signed to go at the very mission he banned Jyn from - Snedarl Electronics.

Cassian's anger isn't tempered the whole day. The busy preparation to the upcoming mission is a small distraction and Cassian can't focus at all. The details that K are feeding him about the parts of the plan are getting nowhere when Cassian's mind is elsewhere. He finally has enough of this dark and dull feeling inside him and grabs the datapad.

From: cap. Cassian Andor (AIO)

To: Lieut. Jyn Erso (AIO)

Jyn, please we need to talk, I'm leaving at 2000, please…

The datapad flashes an incoming message almost immediately.

From: Lieut. Jyn Erso (AIO)

To: cap. Cassian Andor (AIO)

I think I've heard enough, too busy dealing with lots of pilots now,

Good luck.

Cassian is looking at the screen debating whether he wants to throw that stupid device against the wall. Or should he just bang his own head over said wall?

"K, I need to go." He informs the droid and throws the datapad on his bed when he gets up.

"Now? In the middle of the planning, Cassian what's wrong with you?" K voice is very surprised even for droid standard, damn I programmed him too humanly, Cassian thinks distracted.

"I need to do one thing." He speaks walking to the door.

"It's so not you." K observes and he is right, almost as always.

"You are right K; lately I have problems with telling what is really me." Cassian agrees his tone heavy, it's so true what he just said. Lately there are two Cassians walking around Echo Base - the Cassian before meeting Jyn, and the Cassian after Jyn the one who is more emotional and reckless but also so much better to be around.

And he is off through the door, he almost runs into the hangar, and when he sees Jyn he starts walking in her direction. But then suddenly Bodhi comes into his way.

"I wouldn't do it if I were you Cassian, she's absolutely furious." Bodhi says without as much as greeting, this is the first time that Bodhi actively stops Cassian to talk to Jyn. Normally whatever would happen between them Bodhi stood aside claiming that he had nothing to do with their quarrel but now he's standing in Cassian's way.

"What?" Cassian asks Bodhi his tone little unfriendly. "Did she say something?"

"She mostly barks at people since this morning." Bodhi answers crossing his arms over his chest and looking pointedly at Cassian. "And I, as well as better part of the pilots here, were at the briefing in the morning and … I kind of understand her."

"What?" Cassian growls at him, does everyone has an opinion about his morning decision. Cassian doesn't like this and he's fighting the urge to scream to back off from his business. "Even you Bodhi? I didn't want her to get hurt."

"That part I understand," Bodhi answers and looks at Cassian trying to sound light and not accusing because he can see the anger in Cassian's eyes. "The part when you said she is unprepared and not ready I kind of don't, if I'm to be honest."

Cassian just gives up; somehow he knows that Bodhi is right. He actually said all of this, and he did ban Jyn form the mission and it was his fault no matter what reason he had this morning. He is just mad that he hasn't had a chance to explain that to Jyn before they will go to separate mission. And he has some dark feeling inside him, nagging him to explain himself.

"Are you her pilot?" Cassian finally asks resigned.

"Yes, I specifically asked for that mission after you two left." Bodhi answers, his eyes honest. Cassian just nods at him. It's how Bodhi works, he doesn't get in the middle but he helps when and how he can. Now he can help both of their friends, he can be with Jyn when she will be fuming and swearing Cassian's decision (or Cassian) and he can help Cassian by reassuring him that he's got Jyn's back.

"Bodhi, take care of her, please." Cassian asks seriously and looks into the pilots eyes. "When I finish I will try to mend this, but trust me the mission she was supposed to take was dangerous."

"How?" Bodhi asks.

"Because I once was there and I still remember how difficult it is to infiltrate that imperial facility." Cassian says darkly.

"I though they are making some electronic parts there." Bodhi starts looking at Cassian for answers.

"Yes that's true, but they are the parts that go to the main computers of the imperial ships and that is highly guarded facility, she would not make it of her own, and this is definitely not a mission for more than one person."

"Tell it to Jyn." Bodhi says darkly to Cassian.

"I tried, if she only listened to me." Cassian signs in desperation and looks at Jyn who is busy checking the supplies crates that are being loaded to the Barloz Medium Freighter a little battered and rusty transport ship but still capable of taking few operatives to the Tashtor sector without any problems. Jyn's occupied making some last preparation and purposely not looking at Cassian, or maybe she doesn't notice him because she has her hands full. To be honest Cassian somehow knows she is perfectly aware of his present in the hangar but she is refusing to look at him, that fact hurts him even more. Then Bodhi interrupts his train of thoughts.

"Now, my friend, it's not possible. She would probably hit you…hard."

Cassian sights and smiles despite himself, that's probably true. Cassian will not risk his and Jyn's reputation by going to her and making anther scene because he is sure there will be some yelling and most probably he would be hit this time. He will spare himself and her humiliation, it was enough of this at the morning briefing. When he will be back, he'll deal with her no matter how hard she is going to hit him, he kind of deserves this.

"Take care of her Bodhi." Cassian asks his friend again his eyes serious.

"I'll. And Cassian who is going to Snedarl Electronics?" Bodhi asks just when Cassian is about to leave the hangar.

"Me." Comes Cassian's answer and somehow hangs between the two men. Bodhi's eyes winded in surprise and fear and he looks at Cassian as he wants to say something but Cassian doesn't need his worried face so he leaves the hangar trying very hard to steal the last glance of Jyn.

Cassian is off the hangar after that uneasy conversation, some small part of him is relieved that Bodhi will be with Jyn on this mission, she will be save. And there are more than enough other pilots and operatives to secure the new routes for the supplies from Takonda and the sector or to find other routes if they needed. Now Cassian must focus on his mission which will not be pretty if he doesn't start planning and focusing his mind to it. Leaving the hangar he runs into Kyle.

"Kyle, are you too coming to Takonda?" He asks his friend half hoping he does, because he could specifically ask him to watch over Jyn.

"No I'm grounded here, we are waiting for some information from Sullust Van shipyards and I need to be here ready to go save my cover at Kuat." Kyle answers frustrated, he would very much like to go on this route supplies mission because it's so much difference from imposing an imperial officer for months. Kyle for once would like to be a rebel more than few days when he is at base.

"It would get complicated if you lost all the connection there, how long is it? Three years?" Cassian asks and he could see that Kyle has enough of this mission so he is trying to reason with Kyle's reckless mind not to act on boredom or emotions. Kyle is just undeniably great at being an imperial officer, always has been, ever since they ended up on Carida Academy together Cassian could tell that being an imperial was Kyle second nature. But Cassian also knows that his friend loathes the Empire even more than Cassian, being orphaned by the imperial purge on his home planet and having lost his loved ones form the imperial hands.

"Almost, and it's really nice to be Ithan Hayes, but sometimes…" Kyle says and doesn't end the sentence because Cassian actually knows what he wants to say. Sometimes I'm losing who I truly am and that is when its start to be difficult.

"I know." Cassian says and smiles at his friend, being an operative on Kuat has some great parts… meaning women and Kyle had never complained on that part of the mission.

"And you? Snedarl Electronics is far, are you sure you don't need any company? I think I know some green eyed girl who would benefit from this training exercise, but I also saw what you have done in the morning." Kyle informs Cassian and as much as he is trying to sound lightly there is a harsh undertone in his voice. Cassian's anger returns in a heartbeat.

"And you don't approve it, join the line." Cassian barks at him and suddenly without really wanting to do it he starts explaining himself to Kyle. "I've just had a similar conversation with Bodhi and I think one is more than enough."

"Why are you so stress my friend?" Kyle says with a smile. "I didn't say I don't approve anything, I'm not the one who should be approving anything; I just think that you need to state your reasons to said girl before she'll come to odd conclusions."

"I tried but … she won't speak to me and that is all what I can do." Cassian speaks darkly not really looking at his friend. This situation is hard enough without all other people meddling about this and speaking their minds.

"Cassian you know that I'm your friend, and you know that I kind of like Jyn but there is seriously something mixed up between you two and you need to work it out. And if you say that you don't know what I'm talking about I'll hit you." Kyle finally says and looks pointedly at Cassian. Cassian starts back at him and there is a long pause between these two friends.

"Fine, whatever, I need to go." Cassian finally gives up and starts to walk away.

"Sooner or later Cassian you would have to decide what you want." Kyle yells at him his words well weighted.

"Apparently not today," Cassian turns around his eyes dark and tired. Don't push my friend, I have enough for this day he wants to say but he only looks at Kyle and ads. "Stay safe Kyle."

"Same to you my friend." Kyle only nods his head.

Cassian decides that he has enough of good advices for the day and just stays in the U wing for preparation and going over the plans and maps of the Snedarl Electronics facility for the rest of the day. K2 volunteers to bring him something to eat so he doesn't need to go to the mess. An hour before the departure time Cassian is almost ready, focused and determined and all professional. The thoughts of Jyn pushed at the dark corners of his mind and sealed tightly so as not to get in the way. He is feeling almost as his old self, composed and focused and all master spy mode. But only then when he is sitting staring at the slowing rush in the hangar when all the crew members that don't have the evening duty are leaving and going for the well-earned rest Cassian has some dark thought of not seeing Jyn ever again. She left couple of hours ago in a large grope which would be scattered in Tashtor sector to scout new supplies routes. It is a simple mission Cassian is convincing himself juggling with his datapad from hand to hand. Suddenly he makes up his mind flashes the screen and starts typing a massage.

From: cap. Cassian Andor (AIO)

To: Lieut. Jyn Erso (AIO)

Jyn,

I know you are at radio silence and I would be deep in the Phelleen sector when you will be reading this. I wish you could understand my reasons for taking that mission from you, but well I know you well enough to know that you would probably stop listening in the middle of me trying to reason with you. It's dangerous and difficult. And I know and believe that you are brave and very capable of doing great on your own I just couldn't say 'yes' to this. I was selfish for the first time in my life and I decided to save what I find important to me, and this is your life. The thought of not being able to help you and save you since there could be only one operative in Snedarl Electronics was the source of my panic. And I panicked and act on it and I'm sorry for that.

But I'm not sorry for the fact that you are far safer dealing with 'lots of pilots' right now.

Please be safe, and I'm not even asking you to understand me or forgive me, I simple needed YOU to know why I did what I did.

I'm sorry,

Cassian.

24 hours later,

Phellen sector

Snedarl Electronic

The sound of the alarm is so deafening that Cassian can't think about anything else than this sound to stop. But he definitely has more pressing matters to attend. He is actually pressing a hastily made patch to his deeply wounded and profoundly bleeding side hoping against hope that he would not lose his conscious before he could send a massage to K.

The mission started extremely easy, he infiltrated the facility imposing as high security officer and everything was going great until now. It was his final hours in Snedarl Electronic, he had checked the security room twice before he had all the schedules of guards and droids memorized and suddenly something changed. It was too late when he discovered that the facility was receiving inspections from the nearest Imperial governor office and the security standards were doubled. And just when he was making a copy of the files in the back of the security office he was seen and shut on the spot by two security officers who entered the room. Cassian somehow managed to kill them both but the sounds and commotion raised the alarm he was hearing right now and all he could do was lock himself in the room.

But there are at least two major problems in this situation. The first being an extended burn and bleeding at his left side starting just above a third rib and going down almost to the hip bone, blaster riffle would do that to you. And the second problem is: there is no escape way from this room except form that locked door and judging by the sounds outside there is at least a contingent of stormtroopers and probably other security officers outside fighting against the armored door.

Cassian looks around trying at the same time to assess how much time he had left before he would lose conscious and that will probably be his finish. He has problems with breathing, the blast probably hurt his lungs and there is a lot of blood coming from the wound, the hastily made patch (from his shirt) is soaked with blood and there is a fresh poodle of this red vital liquid on the floor. I need to get out of here, now he is thinking frantically. He secures the data disc in his jacket's inside pocket and takes the comlink.

"K2." Cassian starts his voice hoarse.

"Cassian, I thought we are on radio salience." K's answer is almost immediate.

"We were until now, how far are you." Cassian asks, he doesn't want to cause panic but he will have to tell K that he would probably doesn't make it to the ship.

"At the east landing bay, you don't have the tracking device on you, so I can't tell you exact how far from you"

"K, there is a small problem…" Cassian says and supers a cough and he can taste blood in his mouth, It's bad he thinks and looks at his soaking shirt being pressed to his side. IT'S VERY BAD.

"I can hear the alarms." K informs him, but Cassian cuts him and says.

"Yes that's too, but I have a …hole at my side and I don't know if I can manage to escape this room."

"Cassian!" If droid could panic that would be the sound.

"Now is not the time K, find the structural plans of the building mark my position from the comlink and please tell me there is another way from here, and do it fast." Cassian gasps to the communicator and prays that he doesn't lose consciousness soon.

"How fast Cassian?" K2 asks to be specific.

"I'm starting to have trouble with vision, and there is a contingent of soldiers outside the door." Cassian says matter of factly and breaths heavily since his lungs probably doesn't get enough blood to circulate oxygen.

"Fast it is, please don't die Cassian." K informs him in this specific K tone which means that he actually cares about something.

Cassian sits down on the floor because his legs are giving up on him and this sends another wave of pain through his side to the rest of his body, if it wasn't for the adrenaline he would probably pass out just form the pain. There are long couple of minutes when Cassian focus on his breathing and on the raging of his heart which has not enough blood to pump and then his comlink springs to life.

"There is an air vent leading strait to the next room and further down the corridor if you crawl far enough you will get to the last room on the east side and there is a window there. I will be waiting in the ship to take you." K speaks and Cassian can hear, or he only imagines this, how tense his droid friend is.

"I will try." Cassian says his voice tired.

Cassian stands up and all his body screams at him not to do it, hot white strikes of pain almost paralyses him and forbids him to move but he just bites his teeth and pulls a desk form the wall and uses it as a support to unlock the air vent hatch. The air vent tunnel isn't big, but if Cassian will be crawling and keep his head low he manages. At least if he would have enough strength in his body to do it. He jumps in and groans with pain when he had to squeeze himself to the tiny square opening. When he is inside he starts to crawl and with every pull he can feel that something important is ripped apart inside him, if he survives this mission he will stay in the bacta tank for day. And if he survived that mission he would be grateful and he would not complain any minutes of the treatment, he promises to himself. The first couple of meters are not a problem but the further he is the more ragged and heavy his breathing is and the more his eyesight becomes to blur.

"K, I don't think I will make it." He gasps into the communicator, white and black dots playing before his eyes, his lungs are on fire and his heart trying to escape his ribs (and since there is a massive hole at his life side, his heart has an actual chance to escape.)

"Cassian you have like five meters top till the room." If K was human he would be pleading him now.

"Tell that to my body, my friend." Cassian is lying on his back and he is staring at the air vent celling (if that tunnel has celling) wondering absent- mindly how this situation is a stupid way to die. He wasn't annihilated on the beach at Scarif but he would bleed to death in some metal tube in the middle of imperial facility. Life is unfair sometimes Cassian thinks. At the last angry thought he rolls at his knees and elbows and start to crawl a little further but he can feel how weak he is. His muscles are trembling and he can't feel his legs entirely. Then again he collapses but this time he doesn't have the strength to roll on his back. He coughs and he can taste blood on his tongue. That's it, I'm done, there will be no miracle escaping this time, Cassian's thoughts are floating haphazardly in his mind the last coherent though is the fact that he is so happy that Jyn didn't go on this mission. The thought of her lying in this vent all bleeding and alone are invading his mind and the memory of her green eyes makes him moves a little further. Suddenly something breaks under him and he is falling down. He is preparing for an impact with the ground but a pair of strong metallic arms catches him before he hits the ground. Cassian subconsciously registers K2 standing in a very demolished room holding him in his outstretched arms, shockingly there is no east wall of the room, apparently K just shoot his way into the building. It is one way to invade the imperial facility I need to remember that for future, if I have any, Cassian considers and it almost makes him smile. Then he focuses his rapidly narrowing vision on K2SO.

"K, please tell Jyn..." Cassian quiet voice is barely comprehensible.

"I will not tell her anything," K starts almost offended. "You will tell her yourself, I happen to have problems with communicating with lieutenant Erso."

"Now is not the time…" And that is enough for his strained and battered body, Cassian passes out when K is dragging his unconscious body to the U-wing which the droid somehow parked next to the missing wall.

Two days later

Echo Base, Hoth

When the scout group lands in the west hangar of Echo Base, K2SO is waiting for the Barloz Freighter to touch ground and the ramp to the cargo hold is opened. He is feeling uneasy and absolutely out of place but he can't stop replaying the last conversation with Cassian in his circuits. And as much as he doesn't want to talk with Jyn because this always leads to some kind of quarrel or other dispute when lots of invective words are used K2 feels he needs to be here.

Since Kyle was absent, because K2 specifically check if captain Sarettii was on base the minute he escorted unconscious Cassian to the medbay. K2 was hoping that Kyle would be the one standing here right now. The crew of the ship leaves the cargo hold and there is also Jyn Erso walking among them. She has a cut on her lower lip but nothing more and K is somehow relieved that she is unharmed. She is talking to some pilot form Rouge Squadron, K remembers him as Wes Jonson and only after some time she acknowledges K2 presence. Her eyes narrows at the sight of him and then widens with fear. She excuses herself from Wes and almost runs to K now.

"Where is he, K?" Jyn almost yells at the poor droids coming in halt before him, the height difference is hilarious to any bystanders but Jyn's fear makes her more intimidating than the 2.16 meters tall droid.

"How? Doesn't matter, he is in the medbay." K2 informs her and even he is surprised how fast this little woman can be. Jyn is sprinting over the white corridors of Echo Base trying to calm her frantically beating heart. What is she going to see in the medbay? What happened? Does she have a chance to tell him that she understands and forgave him his decision? Does she have a time to tell him not to leave her, that she will not survive this? All that thoughts are pounding in her head when she comes to stop in the medbay. She grabs the first medic that comes her way.

"Cassian Andor." She pants trying to catch her breath, at the same time she is fighting with traitorous tears that come to her eyes.

"Second door on the left." There is no one stopping her or even asking her what is she doing here and to be honest she simply doesn't care, she can only think about one thing, and it's Cassian.

Cassian can hear the commotion in the corridor and has only enough time to opens his eyes when a very white faced Jyn Erso bursts into his room. Then she stops in the doorway and just for the longest minute she just stares at him and Cassian is staring back. Million thoughts come to his mind and none of these thought can be voiced in this moment. And then Jyn springs back to life and rushes toward him and without thinking she throws herself in his arms mumbling something that sounds like I'm sorry and I'm so glad you are alive. But her words are muffed by his shoulder and the fact that she is squeezing him rather hard and the freshly healed left side of his body is screaming in protest but he just bites his teeth. If this is the price to hold her in his arms he will deal with the pain unless he will lose consciousness from it.

"Ouch, that hurts" Cassian finally can't stand the crushing feeling of her body as much as he hates that she is pulling away he is thankful that he can breathe again.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" Jyn is scrambling to her feet from his bed trying to look apologetic and hides the creeping flush that is rising at her cheeks. She touches the bandages at his bare torso without thinking caressing softly the white material. Cassian is looking at her hand completely at loss, the pain totally gone the thought of her hand on his body the only thing that is in his mind right now.

"No, it's just fresh. Come on you can sit down." He answers finally patting the spot next to him on the bed, "Just no more unexpected body contact." He is joking but the look on her face tells him that it's too soon; he can see that her eyes are wet and frightened and this is undeniably the most amazing sight in the galaxy. If he needed to almost bleed out in some metal tube at the far end of the galaxy to see her like that, all flushed and trembling and in his arms, he would do it again. There is something seriously wrong with him.

Jyn sits down and looks at him sheepishly. Then she takes deep breath and starts talking.

"I read your massage, and well I'm still mad at you about the way you protected me, but… thank you. Never in my life I had someone who wanted to protect me just because he cared and I think I need to get used to it." She speaks honestly not looking at him but playing with the hem of his cover blanket. She doesn't have the courage to look at him, what if he sees her through? What if he sees all the hidden emotion: the relief, the fear, the happiness and mostly the love she is feeling right now.

"You and me both, Jyn." Cassian answers slowly and forces her to look at him by taking her hand in his. Jyn finally looks at him. There is time for talking and time for action and Cassian decides that this is the second situation. He pulls her closer and he can feel no resistance from her, his heart is hammering against his ribcage and in normal circumstances it would hurt but he can't feel absolutely nothing expect Jyn's hand in his and can see only her green eyes coming closer.

And just when something inevitable has a chance to happen, when there are like mere inches apart them, the door to Cassian's room slides open and a very smug looking K2 walks in.

"I found her Cassian," only then K looks on the two human beings very close in their personal space. "Oh I can see that she found you too."

Jyn can swear that there is something murderous in Cassian's eyes when he looks at his droid but she only pulls away from him and withdraws to the save distance on his bed. She is sure that one more minute alone and they would be kissing senseless on that very small bed but now with K ruining the moment there is a small chance for that.

But there is something between them, and it's mutual, and Jyn just can't stop grinning about that. She isn't the only one who has acted on feelings now and something inside her almost burst form happiness at the thought of that.

A/N: Tell me what you think, and again sorry for all the mistakes, I will correct them ASAP but I just needed to post this, because I'm kind of proud of this chapter. Thanks for reading and still being with me on this crazy journey.