A/N: Hi folks! Sorry for the delay. I hoped to have two chapters done by now, but this one took a bit longer to get put together. As always, thanks to everyone who has followed, reviewed, etc. You guys really help me keep this story going! We have a few more chapters to go as there's still a lot coming up in terms of Din's recovery. For now, enjoy the latest chapter!

-Moki

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Din Djarin was awake, and miraculously this time it wasn't a bad thing.

The first thing Din noticed when he came back to consciousness was that he didn't hurt nearly as much as last time. Then again, pain was all relative. He still couldn't move a whole lot and wasn't going to be ready to do battle anytime soon. But when many of your most recent memories included pain of such a level that even sleeping only offered minimal relief, the ability to just simply lie still and not be in agony was a vast improvement.

The second thing the Mandalorian noticed was that he was alone in his room, except for Grogu. The chrono on his bed's monitors told him it was very early in the cruiser's day schedule. After waking up from the fever, he had slept nearly all the previous day, waking only to drink water and eat the broth that was still the only food he was allowed. Well, that and take all the necessary trips to the fresher caused by the amount of liquid he'd been consuming.

Din continued to enjoy the moments of peace by himself. He looked down at Grogu, who was tucked into his side and sleeping soundly. As he watched the child, a thought occurred to him.

When was the last time he'd seen the kid awake? Din couldn't remember. It seemed like every time he'd been conscious during his fever, Grogu had been sleeping. That didn't seem right. As far as he knew, he'd been sick for at least a few days. Could Grogu really have been asleep that whole time? Din couldn't help the sudden worry that came over him.

"Grogu? Hey, buddy. It's morning, can you wake up for me?" Din asked softly, rubbing the little one's back lightly.

Grogu continued to sleep, even when Din increased his motions and spoke a little louder. No matter what he did, the child didn't stir.

Worried, Din called out for Med, who was sleeping in the room nearby. The medic had told him not to hesitate to call him for any reason and Grogu not waking up seemed like a very good reason.

"Med? Med!"

The medic was in his room in less than a minute.

"Djar, what's happening? Are you in pain?" Med stumbled to a stop next to his patient's bed, looking him over carefully.

"It's Grogu. He won't wake up."

"Okay, let me have a look. Give him to me," Med carefully took the unconscious child from the panicking father and walked to the exam table.

Din thought about following for a second and made a half-hearted attempt to rise. But before he could move, Med spoke without bothering to look back, "Don't you even think about getting out of that bed."

Din leaned back against the pillows, not wanting to admit that he wasn't sure he could have gotten up on his own anyway. He waited anxiously while Med continued his exam.

"I think he's fine," Med said finally, turning around with the child in his arms and handing him to Din.

"This is typical for him, right?" Med asked. "That's what the Armorer said. When he uses his powers, it knocks him out."

"What do you mean? That was.." Din paused as he realized he actually had no clue how long ago it was that he'd been rescued and Grogu had healed his eyes.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter," Din continued. "He was awake after he healed my eyes, so this can't be from that."

"Yeah, well you still needed help after that, Djar. We almost lost you that first night, then again during the fever. I got you back with a stim-shot the first time, but the kid was awake that second time and, well…"

Din sobered at that reality. He hadn't realized things had been that bad.

He looked down at the child in his arms. "So, he healed me again?"

"He saved your life, brother."

"What about after that, after the fever? Has he done it since then?"

Med's head dropped as Din asked the question he himself had been wondering, ever since he walked in to find the child healing Din during the fever. Med wasn't sure but he'd thought maybe it had happened after that. Din had so many injuries, it was possible the little one had worked his magic at least one other time when Med hadn't been there.

"I'm not sure, but I think so." Med finally said.

"Why didn't you stop him, Med?" Din asked, fear giving his voice a tinge of anger, though he still spoke quietly. "He's just a child."

"Me? You were the one who originally told me to back off. Then the Armorer told me to let him do what he needed. How was I supposed to know that he shouldn't?"

Din paused. Med had a point.

"Besides," Med continued. "I have a feeling I couldn't have stopped him if I wanted. He was always watching me with those big eyes every time I took him away to treat you. I felt like if I did anything wrong, he'd toss me out an air lock, and don't tell me he can't."

Med was mostly joking, but not completely. The child was special and very loving, but the medic wasn't going to pretend that a being with those kinds of powers didn't make him a touch nervous.

Din sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry. I'm just worried about him. This can't be good for him, can it?"

"I don't know anything about his species." Med hedged carefully, even as he felt his own doubts creep back in about letting Grogu heal Din.

"Okay, take his species out of it. He's a child. You've treated children in the covert."

"Sure."

"If a child has an ability to do something, and even if using it only causes them to sleep, wouldn't it still be worrisome to have them do it daily? To do something that was obviously so taxing that they pass out every time they do it?"

"I guess."

"Come on, Med. Give me your medical opinion. If I was holding a human child who did this same thing, would you not wonder if it might affect their growth? Their development? I agree that the occasional time is probably not a problem, but I can't agree with it being a daily occurrence like it has been recently."

Din stared at his friend. He couldn't see Med's eyes, but he still felt like he was looking into them. Even when they both wore helmets, it was always something they'd been able to do easily. Perhaps because they'd spent so much time together as youngsters before they each took the Creed. Din remembered Med's eyes very well. They were just as dark as his were, and he was sure they were looking straight into his at the moment. He silently appealed to his friend to help ease his worry about Grogu.

"You're right, Din," Med agreed finally, nodding his head with a sigh. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. You're absolutely correct. If he were human, I'd probably be telling you to be careful. I let my worry for you overshadow my judgment as a medical professional. I was scared for you, brother, and I was happy for this little one's help. But that's still no excuse."

"It's okay, I understand. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry for all the worry that I've caused you, that I've caused everyone."

Med snorted. "There's really no need to keep apologizing, Din. Hell, I know for a fact I've put you through that sort of thing at least once myself, remember?"

Din did remember. For years he'd been used to being the one hurt, but there was a time when Med had given him a fright of his own. It had made Din realize that sometimes it was easier being the one hurt, rather than terrified for the life of one you cared about. Din nodded and the two best friends shared a moment remembering how close they each had come to losing the other.

Din cleared his throat, wanting to put the past behind them.

"Now, I will admit he's stubborn so you may not be able to stop him," Din said, looking back down at Grogu. "But I need you to promise that unless it's life-threatening and there's something wrong with me, you will wake me up. This stops now. He's too young to keep wearing himself out like this. I can do the rest on my own now, right?"

"Yeah," Med agreed with a nod. "You're out of physical danger. As long as you take it easy and follow my instructions, I think you'll be fine."

"Good. Then you'll wake me up?"

"Of course, you have my word. If I'm around and I see him trying his healing while you're asleep, I'll wake you up."

"Thanks." Din sighed in relief. He looked at the bundle nuzzled in the crook of his left arm. It was a spot that made both he and Grogu feel safe, one that had felt natural from the very first time he'd settled the child there.

"I can't help it, I worry about him," Din continued, feeling the need to explain. "We've been through so much. He's my… I'm his….he's my foundling and in my charge and I can't let anything happen to him."

Med chuckled and Din looked up questioningly.

"I never thought I'd see the day."

"What?"

"You, a father. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I never thought you'd be great at it. You were always helping with the little ones even when we were both foundlings. But I just never thought you'd let yourself have one of your own. But look at you, you have a son."

Din went back to studying the boy in his arms, but Med noticed that Din had pointedly avoided responding to what he had said. Med also hadn't missed the way Din stumbled over his attempt to effectively put into words the relationship he had with the child. Not one to push what must be a sensitive matter, Med changed the subject.

"Anyway, I think you need some rest. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him while you sleep."

"Thank you."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Later that day, as Din got more of the sleep his body needed, Med checked on his patient. The medic noted the readings on the monitors over the bed and was relieved to find them staying in normal ranges now. Din still had a lot of healing to do, but he wasn't critical any longer.

The medic felt someone watching him and looked down to find a pair of eyes following his movements. They weren't the dark brown ones was expecting to find, and Med marveled at how similar those eyes were to the ones of his old friend. They weren't even the same species and yet, Med could almost swear that they nearly had the same eyes. Or at least the feeling he got from those eyes was very similar to Din.

"Hey, Grogu," Med said softly, not wanting to wake Din if he didn't need to yet.

"You've been asleep awhile. Your dad will be happy to know that you woke up. How about we get some food into you? I'm betting you're probably pretty hungry, huh? I know I would be if I slept as long as you have."

Med brought over a cup of the broth he'd made Din drink before the other man had fallen asleep. The soup was still warm and Grogu sniffed at it curiously before taking the cup and drinking from it.

Once he saw that the child was eating, Med went back to his work, checking on monitors, putting away supplies, folding clean linens to put back into storage. As was his habit, Med continued to chat away to Grogu. The little one's ears moved this way and that as he listened to the medic, much like they did when Din narrated things as he worked or flew, also talking to Grogu the whole time.

Grogu had been frightened of Med at first when Din had been in so much pain, as he hadn't been sure if the other man was going to help his father or not. But now he liked the other Mandalorian. He felt comfortable around him and appreciated the medic's calming voice which had an energy very similar to his father's. Grogu had now seen that Din trusted this man and knew that he could too.

"I've known your father since we were foundlings," Med was saying, putting away supplies he had used to clean some of Din's wounds earlier. "I've been gone awhile, so he probably hasn't told you about me. Things got rough after we helped you two get away from the bounty hunters on Nevarro. I barely got out with my life that night."

Grogu turned his head sideways and cooed sadly.

"But that's a story for another time. We're like brothers, your father and I. Hm… I guess that kind of makes me your uncle."

Grogu's ears perked up at the new word. He hadn't heard that word before that he could remember, at least not recently. But he liked it. It reminded him of when he'd first heard the special word people used for Din around him. The word the Armorer had used when she first called them a clan. Before Grogu remembered what the word "father" meant, he remembered the feeling it invoked in him. It meant love, protection, caring.

He had a feeling "uncle" meant almost the same thing and trilled a happy cooing reply.

"You like that?" Med said, smiling at the boy. "I do, too. If your dad is okay with it, then maybe I'll be your Uncle Med."

Med went back to busying himself near the exam table, when he turned back, Grogu had his hands on Din's chest with his eyes closed.

"Oh no you don't, little one. Hang on a second, there. Let's wake up your dad."

"Din, hey, the kid's awake," Med put a hand on Din's shoulder.

Din's eyes popped open.

"Grogu?" He heard an answering warble and looked down to find the child staring up at him.

"Hey kid."

Din tried to sit up and hissed, forgetting again that he was nowhere near healed yet. Apparently, lying still with no pain didn't translate to moving around with no pain.

Hearing his father's painful hiss, Grogu immediately reached out his hand again and closed his eyes. Din and Med shared a quick look before Din put his hand over Grogu's.

"Hey, buddy. It's okay, you don't need to do that."

Grogu gave a protesting growl, shaking his head.

"I just need to rest now. Nothing is life-threatening so I don't want you wearing yourself out again."

Grogu raised his hand, but Din covered it in his own again.

"I said no. Please, Grogu."

Grogu grumbled, and Din's face turned serious. Med watched as they became locked in a battle of wills. Though a tenth of his size, Grogu still stared down his father defiantly.

"Grogu, I mean it. This discussion is over."

When Grogu still stared, Din raised his eyebrows and stared right back. It was war, and the Mandalorian was well matched by his son.

Din had given in to the boy before. Whether it was a toy, a tasty treat Grogu had wanted in the bazaar, or a request for aerial acrobatics in the N-1 that would make the youngster giggle, Din usually gave in, like any father would do.

But when it came to something Din felt would jeopardize Grogu's safety unnecessarily, the Mandalorian put his foot down. No amount of cute cooing or sad, droopy ears would make him back off. This was different.

With all that had happened, Din needed to know that Grogu would listen to him. He wanted to take the child nearly everywhere with him, but part of that depended upon trust. Din always said that wherever he went, Grogu went. But he had to know that he could trust the child would listen to him. Force-sensitive, somewhat Jedi trained or not, Grogu was still his ward. Din was going to have to give orders the child didn't like sometimes, and he had to know they would be followed.

"Grogu, that's enough." Din allowed a touch of anger into his voice, it wasn't a lot, but more than the usually even-tempered man had ever shown to the child.

After their previous conversation, Med knew that Din's anger (what little he had shown) came from fear. Din was terrified to lose his son again. During Din's capture, the Armorer had told Med about Din giving up Grogu to a Jedi. Afterward, Din had tried to go back to some semblance of his old life without the child. Med didn't know how Din had survived. He was sure his friend must have felt like a piece of his soul had been missing all that time.

Now that Grogu had chosen to leave the Jedi training and return to Din, the child was going to be exposed to more danger. Din's life wasn't an easy one, but he was determined to train the child as a Mandalorian. It was the only way of life Din knew. He couldn't stop being who he was. The only thing he could do was train the boy in everything he could to keep him safe.

That included not letting Grogu choose to put himself in harm's way, because he may not understand the ramifications of what that would mean. Grogu needed to learn when it was right to use his powers to the point of exhaustion, and when it could wait. Grogu's very life might depend on it someday. Med understood that Din's life might also depend on it someday too, though Din probably wouldn't think of it in those terms.

Finally, Grogu backed down, pulling his hand away slowly and nodding.

"Good, thanks buddy. Now come here and let me look at you. We've both been asleep so much I feel like I've hardly seen you since I got back." Din's voice was kind, letting Grogu know that he wasn't angry, and the boy happily climbed into his lap to be held.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Around the same time Din and Grogu were locked in their battle, Bo found herself locked in a test of wills of her own.

"Lady Kryze, we need to go back to Mandalore. We need to take back our planet," grumbled the Mandalorian who had often voiced the most complaints about the delays. Bo had put together a group of advisors from the different clans, so that all could be involved in the retaking of Mandalore.

"I agree," Bo said. "But we have no plan for how to do that. The last time we went there to scout, we were taken by surprise, lost many good people and one of our top warriors was captured. I do not want to see a repeat of that."

"A lot of time was spent getting intel to get back our captured warrior. Why are we not using that to return?" The man pushed.

"That intel was used for a specific purpose," Axe spoke up from the other end of the table. "I was there to get information on Din Djarin's whereabouts and that was it. A captured Mandalorian will always take precedence over anything else."

"Of course, but you can't tell us that you didn't learn other useful information while you were there."

"All the information I got was given to Lady Krzye, and all has been discussed previously in these meetings. You all know what we know."

"Exactly," Bo said before the other man could interrupt again. "And none of it has led to a plan that I feel confident implementing. I'm not going in unless I am certain that loss of life will be the bare minimum."

"Lady Kryze, I think that you're delaying our return."

"I'm not delaying," Bo protested.

The discussion turned a bit heated after that. Bo was only able to keep the peace with the Armorer's help. They managed to end the meeting on somewhat peaceful terms, but it had been a stressful time for all involved.

As everyone cleared the room, Bo was left with the Armorer.

"Lady Kryze, if I may be so bold as to say it, I think you are delaying. Whether you realize it or not," Bo opened her mouth to protest but the Armorer held up a hand to stop her.

"I also think that you should delay."

Bo looked at her questioningly.

"We all want Din Djarin back within the fighting ranks. Even those who seem to do nothing but complain about delays. You may be the one who walked and lived among both clans, but they all know that Din is the one who brought you to us. If he hadn't been seeking redemption and fate hadn't put his life in danger while doing so, we would not be on the cusp of getting our planet back."

Bo didn't know how to respond to that, but she didn't have to as the Armorer continued.

"Din Djarin is too mighty a warrior, too well-trained to be taken down easily, even by the likes of the creatures still lurking in the depths of Mandalore. I truly believe the only reason Din fell victim to the cyborg you told of, the only reason he plummeted in the Living Waters, the only reason the steps were destroyed to the point where he would fall and nearly drown, was to bring you to Mandalore and to his side."

"I believe fate tipped the hand toward that creature as it knew that was the only way you would go back. I believe fate did it again when it pulled Din under the Living Waters so that you would have to go in after him."

"Both of those incidents nearly cost Din his life, but they also created an important chain reaction. You were brought back to Mandalore, you too were redeemed so you could join our clan and learn our ways. Also, the Darksaber was put back into your hands without forcing you to battle a brother-in-arms."

The Armorer continued, not giving Bo a chance to respond to these revelations.

"I'm not sure why, but I believe fate also had a hand in what happened to Din recently, causing him to be captured and kept prisoner for so long. There is a reason he nearly died yet again, a reason that fate chose to put him through the kind of test that I don't think many of us, even the strongest of our warriors, would have survived. I don't know yet what that reason is, but I know that we can't ignore his part in our fight to retake our planet."

"How can any of us think for one moment that we can retake Mandalore without Din? He will be forever changed by this latest test. Right now, it's thankfully evident that he will survive, though none of us can know if he will ever be the same man that he was. But I strongly feel like he will come back from this challenge more formidable than ever. That what he has endured will become a key to getting back our planet."

Bo sighed. The Armorer had managed to put into words the complicated emotions she'd been feeling about everything. Getting Din back, retaking Mandalore, wanting to make sure he was with them when they went back, all of it.

"You're right, I do want him with us. But does that give me the right to hold off? To keep our people from getting back their home? Keeping us on the run in hyperspace like fugitives?" Bo asked the leader of Din's clan.

"You cannot ignore what it will do for our people to have him with us," The Armorer replied. "While he was gone, when both clans were waiting to see if the single captured Mandalorian would be returned to us, Din became a symbol. We need Din Djarin fighting by our sides. I believe that he, yourself, and maybe even his child, will be more important in this upcoming battle than any of us realize."

Bo's brows furrowed as she studied the Armorer. Had the other woman had a vision about the upcoming battle? She didn't get the chance to ask as the Armorer continued.

"Rather than denying that you are delaying the final battle, I think you should let them know that's exactly what you are doing. Lean into the fact that we are helping one of our most experienced and well-trained warriors come back from what Moff Gideon did to him. So that he can be with us and help rectify what an Imperial has dared to do to our planet. It would be a dishonor to go back without Din, after all that he went through on our homeworld."

"If any have a problem with that, ask them would they not want to be part of that battle if they were in his boots? Would they want to be left behind or be allowed the chance to recover and to fight again? I doubt any would dare to protest the need for more time when given that point of view."

"Thank you, Armorer," Bo said gratefully. "I will tell them in our meeting tomorrow. Hopefully that will put an end to the grumblings while we continue to gather more information and make our plans."

"Which will also give Din time to rest, recover and build his strength back," The Armorer pointed out.

"Exactly."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

As had become her habit since his fever broke a few days before, Bo was heading toward the Mandalorian's room on her way to the bridge before starting her day. She was relieved he was doing better, but still felt the need to check on him daily.

Din had now been moved to a regular room. Med had thought it would help Din's recovery to not be in a location that was a constant reminder of the condition he'd been in when he had arrived. The medic continued to monitor him closely but decided there was no need for Din to sleep in a room that was meant for critical patients.

The door to Din's new room was in the same passageway, just a bit farther down. For the moment, Med continued to sleep in a room nearby. He had begun to see some patients now that sparring had begun in earnest in anticipation of their return to Mandalore. Some of the warriors were getting a bit enthusiastic and required the occasional stiches or bones to be reset. Med saw them on a different floor, ensuring Din had privacy while he healed without his armor.

Din's new door was programmed as the last had been, not allowing anyone else but him to enter, except for herself, Med and the Armorer.

Bo signaled the door but did not open it. Now that Din was doing better, she didn't want to just walk in without invitation, and always rang first.

"Come in," Din's voice came through the speaker by the door. He didn't ask who it was, and Bo smiled. He'd gotten used to her morning visits as much as she had.

She walked into the room and found it empty but could hear water running in the sink of the fresher. The room was meant to be shared with up to three patients, though only two of the beds were currently made up. Grogu wasn't letting Din out of his sight and still preferred sleeping next to the recovering man, but the child had a bed of his own if he wanted it.

"Be with you in a minute," Din's voice called from the fresher.

"No problem. Do you need help?" she asked, knowing that he was having some trouble walking. He was getting stronger, but his broken leg was still bothering him.

The fresher door opened, and Din emerged with Grogu in one arm. The IG-12 unit had been brought up to Din's room and he put the child into it, keeping one hand firmly on the doorframe of the fresher to help his balance.

"Thanks, but we've got this down to a science, don't we buddy?" Din answered, as Grogu got settled and hit one of the communication buttons.

"Yes."

Bo smiled at Grogu's reply.

As they got situated, it gave Bo a chance to study Din without being noticed.

Med had located some surgical scrubs in the cruiser's medical stores, finding several sets that fit Din. Wearing the dark gray long-sleeve shirt and matching pants in place of the robe, made the Mandalorian look healthier already. Din had been relieved to put on something other than the robe. It wasn't quite like being back in his armor, but it still helped.

As she kept observing, Bo noted Din was moving a little better too, though at the moment he was depending on the IG-12 suit to help carry his weight and steady him as he walked from the fresher.

Bo admired the ingenuity of the pair, working together as a team. When they got close to the bed, Grogu parked the suit and Din sat down heavily.

"Alright, come here," Din said, holding up his arms and wiggling his fingers.

Grogu climbed out and gently clambered into Din's hands, to be put into his dad's lap. From there, the little one crawled off and shifted to the side as Din moved to lay down. The head of the bed was raised so that Din was mostly sitting up. He took a deep breath and relaxed slowly as he adjusted his sore leg onto a pillow.

Knowing how much worse he had been just a few days ago, Bo didn't worry that the simple task had taken a lot out of the Mandalorian. At least he was walking somewhat on his own, which was very good to see.

As Din and Grogu went through their routine, Bo got the chance to observe something else as well. She had felt like something was different about Din when she'd first seen him come out of the fresher, but it took her a long minute to put a finger on what it was.

Din's hair and beard had been trimmed. Unlike Med's quick work that had been done for medical reasons and out of necessity, this appeared to have been done more purposefully.

Din's beard had been trimmed closely, but with some stubble still along his chin and cheeks. The mustache had been left but was trimmed cleanly, making it more noticeable now that the rest of his face was mostly clean-shaven. She noted the tiny bit of gray in his beard and immediately decided she liked the look. It showed his age but not at all in a bad way.

Din's hair had been cut a bit more, though it was still curly and thick. She imagined that it must be a challenge to keep that mane, no matter how short he cut it, under control in a helmet.

Bo realized that this was Din. He had done all of this himself. She wasn't seeing the results of being a prisoner or having his hair and beard cut to facilitate medical treatment.

This must be what he usually looks like, she thought with a start.

Bo tried not to stare, but it was hard not to as she slowly realized this was as close as she had ever gotten to seeing the real Din. The matted beard and hair from his time in the cell, the medical trim done for his injuries, those hadn't been his choice. But now he had taken the time to neaten up his appearance and it made her happy to know he was feeling well enough to do it.

Bo was a bit surprised by the mustache and scruff of beard. She just hadn't pictured that under the helmet for some reason. But she liked it. It suited his facial structure well, she could tell that even in his still recovering, thin state and with the healing injuries on his face.

It also intrigued her to realize he'd done all of it himself, though she shouldn't have been surprised. Of course, he'd know how to cut his own hair and trim his beard and mustache. It wasn't as if a Child of the Watch could march into a barber to get a haircut and a shave.

Still, it wasn't something she'd ever thought about. Din Djarin was a man of many talents it seemed.

The whole look made his eyes stand out more than they already did. The bruises on his face were starting to turn a more natural color and the burns were healing as well, allowing his true features to be more easily seen. It may have been just because she'd never seen his eyes before, but she found it hard not to stare at them and had to stop herself before it became awkward.

Bo didn't mention the change. She didn't want Din to be any more self-conscious about not having the helmet than he probably already was.

"I see you guys have a nice little routine going," Bo said as she sat on the bed across from Din's. Grogu immediately stood up next to his father and reached out his arms for Bo. She obliged, pulling him into her lap.

"Good morning, little one. Are you doing a good job helping your dad?"

Grogu nodded, cooing happily. She was as pleased to see the child doing better as she was seeing his father doing well.

"He's been great," Din agreed. "He helped me with the IG-12 to stay upright for longer today. Brushing my teeth is such a simple thing, but when you haven't done it in a while, it feels amazing. I was even able to get in a better shave and trim my hair. It gets … out of control when it gets long."

Well, since he brought it up, I guess I can talk about it now.

"I like it. This look suits you," Bo said, looking at his hair and admiring it with a shake of her head. "I think your hair is thicker than mine."

Din chuckled.

"Runs in my family. Both my parents had thick hair." As soon as he said the words, his brows knitted together with a troubled frown.

The words were out before Din realized he'd said them. He hadn't meant to bring up the subject of his parents, but they'd been on his mind more in recent times. His time in the cell had brought their memories closer than they'd been in years.

"Ah, that makes sense," Bo said quickly, covering up his awkward pause.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Din's door beeped again a bit later that morning. Since Bo had already visited and Med had left not too long ago after conducting his usual morning check-up, Din wondered if maybe one of them needed something else.

"Come in," he called out.

The door opened and Din was shocked to see the Armorer enter his room. He knew that she'd been there when he had arrived, but to see her walk into his room, he suddenly felt like he was again the apostate who had broken his Creed.

Automatically, Din tried to get up, stammering, looking for a way to explain his missing helmet.

"Armorer, I…."

"Stay where you are."

The Armorer held up a hand and Din slowly returned to his previous position. He didn't want to admit it, but even that much movement had hurt his still healing body.

"Din Djarin," she began, and Din found himself sitting up straighter just as he always did when she called his name like that.

"Do you know how long you were held captive?" she asked with no other preamble.

"No." Din swallowed nervously. He was both curious and dreading her answer.

"87 days."

Din's mouth dropped. Three months? He'd been in that hell-hole for nearly three standard months?

The Armorer continued, either not noticing or not caring about his shocked reaction.

"I was there when you were returned. I saw the damage that had been done to you and I have been getting daily updates on your condition."

Din didn't know how to respond to that. He'd assumed that maybe she had been informed but knowing that she found him important enough to get daily updates surprised him.

"I am working on getting my strength back, Armorer. I'll be able to join the fighting ranks as soon as…." Din attempted to explain himself again.

She held up a hand and once again Din's mouth snapped shut, almost of its own accord.

"Din Djarin, you are not to rejoin the fighting ranks until you are fully healed, is that clear?"

"Yes," Din replied.

"And you are not to don your helmet permanently again until you are ready to return in full battle armor. You may wear armor only for training, but you may only do that when you are ready and have been approved for such drilling by Med."

Her voice softened as she came closer to the bed.

"We will have you fighting by our sides when we retake Mandalore. But until then, you are to stay here with your… with the child. Both of you need to heal from the trauma."

She turned her helmeted gaze to Grogu, who had stayed tucked into Din's side during the conversation, watching the whole thing with big eyes.

"Grogu, I am very glad Din Djarin has been returned to you. We look forward to having you back among the foundlings again as well."

Grogu nodded solemnly, making Din's heart swell with pride.

She turned on her heel to leave, remarking over her shoulder as she walked toward the door.

"Who you choose to show your face to during this time of healing is up to you. We will return your armor before the battle, then bathe you in the Living Waters again after we have retaken Mandalore. You will be redeemed again, once we are back on our homeworld."

"Thank you."

Din felt the need to ask something that had just returned to his foggy memory in the last day or two. A piece of information that Gideon had told him in the midst of the torture, an attempt to upset him so he would break. He hoped it wasn't true, but his gut told him it probably was.

"Armorer?"

She paused, waiting for him to finish.

"The Moff said something when I was in… that room. My memories are returning, but they are vague. I'm not sure if it's real or not."

"What did the Moff say?" She turned back but stayed near the door.

"That his Praetorian bodyguards killed a warrior. The biggest Mandalorian he had ever seen. It sounded like…" Din couldn't finish.

"Paz Vizsla is dead," She confirmed, her voice steady but kind. "He died a warrior's death, providing cover fire for the rest to fall back and regroup, including Grogu."

Din's face fell and he looked at his hands, not knowing what to say. He felt tears burning the corners of his eyes.

"I'm sorry." The Armorer said, sensing his distress. She knew the two warriors had had a complicated friendship over the years.

"As am I," Din said softly. "We didn't always get along, but he was a good man, a good Mandalorian."

"I agree. We will honor him, and the others who have fallen, when we are back on our homeworld."

"That is good."

She continued walking to the door and Din looked up again.

"His son?"

"Is well and with the foundlings."

"This is The Way."

"This is The Way."

After the Armorer left, Din held Grogu tighter until the little one squeaked in protest, looking at his father worriedly.

"Sorry, buddy."

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The Armorer walked away from Din's room, lost in thought after her conversation with the recovering Mandalorian.

She had almost said "your son" when speaking to him. She didn't know why she had corrected herself. Others said that word to him, but recently she felt that the man needed to say it himself.

She had been waiting for Din to formally request to adopt Grogu. She was fully prepared to put the child into the song, but Din had to come to that decision himself. The entire clan knew they were father and son. Why Din was waiting she couldn't be sure.

Perhaps Din was afraid the boy would return to the Jedi, feeling it was better to keep his distance to protect himself from that pain. Or maybe he was afraid to allow his heart to open to anyone after losing his parents so young, and then his Teacher as a young man. She hoped Din would figure out soon that it was better to love fully, even with the threat of loss, than to forego the opportunity he'd been given to be a parent.

One thing she did not doubt was the man's love for the boy. At first it may have just been duty, a reminder that Din, like Grogu had also been a young one in need of protection when found by a Mandalorian. But Din had a heart for little ones that went beyond simple protection and duty, she had seen it in him even when he was a youngster. Always guiding and helping the littles, rounding them up for meals, picking them up and consoling them when they got the knocks and scrapes that all little ones get, especially those who were training to be warriors.

In her heart, she always saw Din as a father. She never thought she'd see the day that he would have his own child and yet now she wondered if this was simply how it was meant to be. Had Din chosen any of the girls in the Covert who fawned over him when he was younger, or any of the women who still did, the child's fate would be very different. Din would have likely stopped being a bounty hunter. He would have his own children in the foundling training that he would be supervising. He would never have been given the assignment to hunt the very thing that his heart needed.

When Din had come to her in the caverns, stumbling and weak, she'd made them a Clan of Two. She had half-expected Din to request to adopt the child right then, but he hadn't. She wondered if he had been doubting his ability to raise a child on his own and not leave it orphaned, as he had been. Later, she had discovered how close Din had come to death before arriving to her that day.

So, it would've made sense that he may have been thinking of his own mortality and not wanting to burden a child with the heartache of his death. Or maybe he'd just been having a hard time thinking straight, as he'd been recovering from severe life-threatening brain damage.

The man was so hard to read, she hadn't known what he wanted at the time. He had always been a quiet one, even more so than other children rescued from tragedy. So, she had given him an out. She gave him the quest, but also bestowed him with the title of father to the little one. Had she been nudging him toward what she had a feeling his heart wanted and needed, well if she had, who could blame her?

She had already given Grogu a rondel with their Clan signet, which he wore over the beskar chain mail that Din had requested for him. What was the man waiting for to finally admit he wanted to adopt the child? Well, no matter, she had a feeling it would come soon. She had infinite patience. She could wait.

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A/N: Special thanks to She-Elf23 for continuing to be a sounding board for this story. She was the one who suggested "Uncle Med", which I was only too happy to use. I love giving Grogu (and Din) more family.