A week passed slowly.

Din and Grogu had spent four of those days off planet, tracking down a bounty on behalf of the New Republic.

But even that had done nothing to distract Din Djarin from his own thoughts. From his own painful recollection of what had happened on that stormy night.

Playing it over and over in his mind, desperately wishing he had done something differently.

Just said something…

Anything…

To stop Lysa leaving.

Din's heart hurt.

Right now there was nothing in the galaxy Din wanted more than her.

But he had missed his chance, been too cowardly to tell her how he felt.

He wasn't sure if it was fear of rejection, or humiliation that had driven Din to just stand there silently and watch as Lysa had fled his home, running out into the night alone.

But just the way she had been so defensive of Crix. The man that seemed, to Din, to take all the light out of her eyes every time she spoke about him.

And that hurt.

To think that she could love a man that treated her that badly.

Din had pondered this, and only this, for the past week.

And despite them being due a delivery from Lysa today, he knew it likely would not arrive…after how they had left it the last time he had seen her.

Despite how sweet and truly delectable the sweet treats that Lysa had dropped off last time were, Din had not been able to even stomach a bite of it, instead allowing Grogu to eat it all. Which his son had of course revelled in.

Grogu however, had not been completely oblivious to the tension felt between Lysa and Din. The child had bleated a little after she had left on that stormy night. And every landspeeder or similar they had passed on their travels ever since, Grogu had stared quickly at, as though hoping to see her.

Din would be foolish to think that Grogu hadn't noticed how happy Din seemed around her. It was rare that anything bar his son could get Din to laugh, but around Lysa laughter and happiness felt easy.

It was a bright evening, the still sun high and hot in the sky - a complete opposite to the weather a week ago.

Din was sat on a low bench just outside his cabin, fixing a stuck trigger on one of his blasters, as Grogu played beneath a tree a little way from him - his favourite spot.

The blaster wasn't even one of his favourites, but he was fixing it more as a distraction than anything. Just something to keep his mind from Lysa.

But that was a feat that Din Djarin was about to find impossible, as a flash of something shiny in the distance caught his eye.

He glanced up through his beskar helmet, seeing a vehicle speeding across the lava flats towards them, a vehicle that he recognised almost immediately.

Din's heart began to pound as if on cue, his entire body suddenly numb.

His stomach lurched with apprehension and excitement as he saw Lysa Kane's landspeeder zipping quickly down the long path towards his and Grogu's cabin.

Din had no clue what to say to her.

Would she be angry…upset? Would she drop the package and leave without a word?

Din let out a shallow breath and got to his feet, his cape billowing behind him in the breeze, watching as the vehicle drew nearer.

Grogu's ears pricked up, only just noticing the sound and turning, getting to his own little feet.

As was usual, the landspeeder wound its way down the makeshift path towards the cabin.

But today, instead of parking up near to Din's large N-1 Starfighter. Curiously, the battered old speeder came to a sudden stop a little way away, down the path.

Behind his mask Din gave a light frown.

Grogu, who let out an instantly happy chirp, obviously recognising Lysa, waddled away from the tree and over towards the little speeder.

From here Din could just about make out Lysa's face, just about visible behind her yellow tinted visor.

And rather than hop quickly out of the landspeeder like she usually did, Lysa remained there for a long few seconds.

Din's heart ached to think that now she didn't want to see him. Maybe she didn't want anything to do with him. Perhaps she was as embarrassed as he was.

But dank farrik he was a Mandalorian.

And so pulling himself together, Din decided to be the bigger man, walking slowly down the dusty path towards her.

But as though spotting him, Lysa lifted herself quickly from the speeder, looking a little stiff.

"Hi," she called over in a friendly tone.

But she didn't look at Din or Grogu, nor did she make any move to remove her helmet. Instead moving hurriedly around her vehicle and pulling their small wrapped parcel from the basket at the rear.

Today she was clothed in a grey jacket, covering a pale green shirt and breeches. But it was certainly odd for her not to even make a move to remove her helmet.

She kept her back to the pair of them as they came to stand just a couple of feet away. Waiting for her to turn…

But Lysa didn't. Instead, passing Din the parcel with a quick swivel of her hips, keeping her face turned away.

Grogu at Din's feet gave an expectant croak. But there came no response from Lysa as Din took the parcel from her grasp. He tried to catch a glimpse of her expression, but from where he was standing could not see one.

"I can't stop," she said quickly, her voice sounding a slightly higher-pitch than normal. "I'm running behind on some deliveries today."

Her tone was matter-of-fact and friendly.

But there was something behind it that made Din feel uneasy.

Was she feeling uncomfortable about what happened last time they saw one another?

No, thought Din, eyeing her as she fiddled with a buckle on the basket. This was something else…

Again from the floor. Grogu gave a croak as though asking her to turn around, to give him the attention he wanted.

But still she remained turned away, helmet on.

Din bristled.

Something was wrong.

"I'll see you next week," she muttered, turning back to the driver's seat and making to hop up and swing her leg over the side, when Din suddenly spoke.

"I still need to pay you," he said, his voice sounding stark, as Lysa froze, fingers tensed around the rim of the speeder. "I actually owe you for two deliveries."

Din eyed her as best he could through her visor.

Why was she in such a hurry to get away?

Lysa's foot dropped back down to the ground, causing black dust to puff up into the air between them.

She was quiet for a second or two before she finally spoke, turning his way for maybe the first time.

"Of course," she said lightly, flashing Din a half smile through her visor. Though he noticed that her eyes still couldn't quite meet his.

The frown at Din's brow deepened beneath his beskar, as he reached into his belt pouch extracting six credit chips, before handing them to her.

But as Lysa reached out to take them, her shirt collar shifted slightly and a flash of something dark against the paleness of her skin caught Din's eye immediately.

Din stopped still, staring, his heart suddenly thudding hard…for another reason entirely.

But Lysa caught his look, hurriedly shifting back and making to turn away once more.

But there was no way Din was going to let this slide. Not this time.

"Lysa," he said in a sudden low voice through his modulator.

She froze again and Din could see her breathing become suddenly very shallow and very fast, her eyes widening through the yellow plastic of her visor.

"I-I'm late..I've got to go," she said hurriedly, a sudden panic in her voice.

But Din reached out before she could move…his gloved hand catching around the top of Lysa's arm.

He instantly felt her flinch beneath his grasp, as she turned towards him, suddenly looking terrified.

"Show me," uttered Din in a sudden serious voice. A voice he reserved usually for bounties alone.

But to him, now, this was a job. A job where someone would be punished for what they had done.

Din could feel Lysa trembling beneath his grasp now, as she stared up at him.

He could see the fear and reluctance in her now tearful eyes…

She knew exactly what he was talking about.

Din took another considered step closer to her, letting go of her arm, and carefully reaching up with his gloved hand… gently pulling her shirt collar down by an inch or so….

…revealing a large blossoming bruise covering the expanse of her collarbone and neck. And how far it went beyond that point was anyone's guess.

In an instant, Din clenched his jaw hard, sheer fury filling every crevice of his body.

And before Lysa could do a thing to stop him, Din had turned and made for his N-1.

"Din-" she said, her breath hitching, sounding fearful. "Please don't-"

Right now she knew full well, that Din knew exactly what had happened. What was still happening.

That bruise was fresh. And must have been excruciatingly painful.

And for someone to do that to Lysa…

Right now Din felt more angry than he had done in a long, long time.

Seeing red. Hopping up into his ship as Lysa approached.

"Din-" she tried again. He could see tears falling from her cheeks now, behind her visor, as she shook her head, almost pleading with him not to do this.

But Din was too far gone to listen to her. Furious.

"Stay here," said Din commandingly. "Both of you."

He looked to his son who was staring up at him from the ground in confusion. He would explain everything to Grogu later.

But right now Din Djarin had only one thing on his mind.

One priority above anything else.

To find Crix Val'shif.

Thanks to HipCheckChick, MsRosePetal, J-James, chipiam and ReRe00 for reviewing the last chapter.

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