It had turned into a scorching hot day. With the sun high in the sky, beating down upon the bare Nevarro desert.
Din Djarin could feel the perspiration beading beneath his tunic at the very back of his neck, as he stood in the direct line of the sun's rays, working on the N-1. Tinkering with one of the engine fans which he had heard whirring and clicking, just a little too loudly for his liking, on his way home just the previous evening.
But Lysa and Grogu, who were both far more sensible, had today taken refuge beneath a small tree nearby, enjoying the cool of the shade.
Lysa had laid out a large blanket and had even brought out an array of foodstuffs, like flatcakes, fruit, and chopped liumbers, that Grogu had been enjoying snacking on all afternoon.
Din had angled himself in a way that he could see them from where he worked, glancing up at them every now and again. Close enough that he could just about make out snippets of sweet conversation shared between the pair.
For the past twenty minutes Grogu had been entertaining Lysa by using his powers to lift frogs, who had been minding their own business in the nearby pond, into the air. Before spinning them fast and setting them back down again gently. The pair laughing as the frogs then hopped away drunkenly, most of them wholly dazed and confused.
It was obvious to anyone who saw them, just how much Grogu adored having Lysa around. Providing him with that comfort and that warmth that Din, try as he might, just could not replicate.
Din stepped back for a second from the Starfighter, wiping his greasy gloves on a rag as he glanced up at the pair who were now giggling together as they watched a small frog attempt to swim through the air, his long legs flailing against nothing.
Grogu was snuggled onto Lysa's lap, as she sat there in a cream belted tunic dress, hair down, looking relaxed and happy. As though there was nothing else she could want for in this world.
She glanced up at Din, and caught him staring her way. Her kind smile changing to a far more knowing one.
"Want to join us?" she called over, her voice sweet like birdsong.
But Din just gave a grin behind his helmet and opened his mouth to speak… but he was suddenly disturbed by a raucous noise far in the distance drawing his attention.
"What is it?" asked Lysa, noticing Din's shoulders tense suddenly, as his eyes locked onto a vehicle rumbling around the base of the mountain in the distance and turn sharply. Heading down the long track towards their cabin.
It was not a vehicle he recognised, and from here, even the pilots were not visible as the ship hurtled down the path towards them.
Din turned, his gloved hand sliding down towards the blaster at his belt, as he came to stand between Lysa, Grogu and the strange vehicle drawing nearer and nearer…
And it was only when, squinting against the sun,with his fingers tensed around the trigger of his blaster, ready to protect his family, did Din frown as he recognised just what the vehicle in question was and just who it belonged to.
From here Din could see that the ship was in fact a black modified old landspeeder, towing something underneath a tarp behind it.
And piloting this old and clunky-looking landspeeder…
"What are the Jawas doing here?" came Lysa's voice from near to the tree behind him.
Din frowned, and watched as they approached the cabin, the landspeeder coming to stop ten feet or so away.
What in the force were the Jawas doing so far out of their territory?
It was usual to see them sometimes within the city walls but that was it.
They certainly were not callers to Din's home all the way out here.
There were three of them in total now, all piled into the front seat of the modified speeder. All with beady eyes staring at Din suspiciously from within their hooded cloaks.
The one nearest to him, got quickly to its feet, and gestured violently towards Din with its hand.
"Uwanna Ly-sah!" it barked.
Din remained silent, merely staring dead ahead at the unwelcome visitors with distrust and distaste. After his run-in with the Jawas on Arvala-7 it was hard not to hold a grudge against them, despite this being a completely different tribe on a completely different planet.
"Uwanna Ly-sah! Uwanna!" the Jawa barked again.
"I don't know what you're saying," said Din in a loud, carrying voice full of irritation. "I don't speak Jawaese."
But Din was distracted suddenly by Lysa who appeared at his shoulder like a warm breeze. With Grogu cuddled to her breast, as the small child craned his neck to look at the Jawas nosily.
"Its ok," she said calmly, a smile dancing over her lips as she glanced up at Din. Her beautiful green gaze meeting with his behind his visor. "I think they're looking for me."
"Ly-sah! Ly-sah!" The Jawas all suddenly chimed excitedly at the sight of her.
Din's fingers untensed around the blaster trigger, as she approached the Jawas she so obviously recognised, and who recognised her in return.
"M'um m'aloo, eyetas," he heard her say suddenly in a friendly tone. And a moment later the Jawas all jabbered back to her, obviously understanding every word.
Din blinked his eyes for a moment staring at her curiously.
Yet again he had underestimated her, never having had her down as someone who could speak many languages. And yet here she was, surprising him with something new about her every single day.
He watched as she spoke to them for a few moments, before she said something, jiggling Grogu in her arms. Obviously introducing him to the Jawas who chattered back. With one even jumping up and down on the back of the landspeeder to get a better look at the child eagerly.
He saw her then turn and mutter something, nodding with her head towards Din. Which was followed swiftly by the three Jawas bursting into laughter.
Din clenched his jaw, his eyes glinting playfully as he tutted and stared her way.
"Something funny?" he uttered testily.
But Lysa merely smirked. "Nope," she replied smoothly, wrinkling her nose his way.
And at this Din couldn't help but grin widely from behind his beskar helmet, eyeing her.
"I didn't know you spoke Jawaese," he said in a low voice through his modulator.
But the beautiful blonde woman merely offered him a warm grin in return. "You never asked," she chimed, before turning back to the Jawas.
The one in the driver's seat, who seemed like the leader of the small group, hopped down from the speeder, beckoning Lysa towards the rear of their vehicle and toward the covered item they had been towing.
She followed with Grogu, as the Jawa leader chatted away quickly. "Ee'sa muht'ho?" it said loudly, causing Lysa to look over curiously.
"Ibana…" Din watched her mutter in interest, as the Jawas suddenly gave the dirty brown tarp that was covering the hidden item, a sudden tug, causing it to slide swiftly off to reveal…
Din gave a frown stepping forward, lips parting.
"Y-You salvaged it?" said Lysa, her eyes widening and her mouth dropping open, as she hastily translated. "Kurruzza speeda?"
There, to both Lysa and Din's amazement, hovering a foot off the ground, was Lysa's speeder, or half of it at least.
The last time Din had seen it, it had been just a wreck. Its parts strewn across the cavern floor, deep in Jawa territory.
But here it was now. With the base fully intact, looking mightily battered, but still looked like it might be able to run with some new parts.
"Ibana! Ibana speeda! Ibana speeda!" The Jawas all chanted excitedly.
And for a few long moments, as Din approached, running a hand over and admiring the half-fixed landspeeder, the Jawas chattered away with Lysa. Who spoke back to them in their tongue, her tone sounding grateful and sweet.
"How did they fix all this?" Din muttered with a shake of head, drawing Lysa's attention to him for a moment.
"They said that they've been working on it since they found the wreckage," she explained, her lips twitching up into a smirk as she translated. "Said they thought that if they fixed it, I'd be able to get back to delivering their sweetbreads-"
Lysa's words turned to Jawaese quickly, her voice scolding for a moment. But her playful smile told Din that all was well.
"-they also said they 'had no doubt the angry, shiny man would bring me home'."
Lysa gave a grin at this, but her warm eyes seemed to linger on Din for a long moment.
The Jawa leader spoke, clapping his tiny gloved hand on the speeder, causing one of the metal panels to fall off with a clatter.
"They say it's not fully rebuilt yet, but they will get more parts for it," Lysa repeated for Din's sake in Basic Standard.
At her words, Din gave a frown, standing back from the landspeeder and eyeing the Jawas suspiciously. "Where from?"
Lysa hurriedly asked them, and got an instant reply, which she seemed to pale at a little. Holding off for a few seconds before turning back to Din and wincing a little as she spoke.
"Best not to ask…" she said, giving a hasty gulp, but not elaborating further.
Ten minutes later, Din and Lysa stood shoulder to shoulder, watching the Jawas on their speeder disappear off into the far distance.
"They're so sweet," muttered Lysa with a sigh as she watched them go, Grogu still snuggled comfortably in her arms.
Din grimaced. "That's one word for them…" he murmured, causing Lysa to shoot him a look.
"You're just jealous because they like me and not you…" she said teasingly "…angry, shiny man."
Behind his beskar Din gave a chuckle, eyeing her fondly.
"I'll take a proper look at it tomorrow," he said, kicking the bottom panel of the vehicle with his boot. "See if I can do anything with it in the meantime."
But Lysa merely gave a light shrug.
"There's no rush," she sighed. "I was thinking I might take a little bit of time away from the deliveries. Just for a week maybe. I don't think I realised quite how nice it is to have some time off until now."
Din turned his head and stared down at her, noticing that her gaze seemed lost in the distance. But he didn't say a word, merely turning back to face the horizon once more.
The day slipped slowly into evening, and then into night. An inky blackness, punctuated by twinkling stars, soon blanketing the sky above the small cabin.
The trio had retreated back into their home after their day outside, spending quiet and much needed time altogether. And tonight Din had even taken it upon himself to put together dinner.
Never considering food as anything more than fuel for his body before now, it struck him how much this mindset had now begun to shift. Likely heavily influenced by Lysa's love of food and baking. And the fact that he now had others that he could sit down and share a meal with.
A real family of his own.
Of course, Din reluctantly did as he so often had to, and took his plate to eat out on the doorstep, still not completely comfortable with removing his helmet to eat in front of Lysa and Grogu in the stark light of the cabin.
But Lysa had merely given him a soft, kind smile as he had left the table with his dish, but had not uttered a word. Her expression of understanding, saying more than words ever could.
Grogu had been almost inseparable from Lysa today. Barely leaving her side for even a second.
And even now, as the hour grew late and the first hints of sleep began to sit heavy on Grogu's eyelids, he was cuddled into her lap. His little green hand clasped around her fingers as she sat on the floor beside the fireplace, long skirts flowing around her gracefully.
Din was settled facing her, his back leant up against the base of the window ledge behind him, arm resting easily on his hitched up knee, as he and Lysa talked about everything and nothing.
As though it was the most natural thing in the world.
As though this is where they had always meant to be.
Together.
Din and Lysa.
The Mandalorian and the baker.
Made for this existence, and one another.
"Hey, buddy," said Din's voice finally as Grogu gave a heavy blink of his large eyes, struggling to keep them open in the lateness of the hour. "I think it's time for you to go to bed."
But at Din's words, Grogu gave a grizzly whine and tucked himself closer to Lysa.
The blonde gave a sweet smile, and brushed a hand gently over Grogu's head, drawing his tired eyes up to hers.
"Come on, sweet boy," she said with a whisper. "You look very sleepy."
And she gave a small laugh as Grogu yawned audibly as though on cue.
"Mi-" he yawned again. "-tahhh."
Din gave a small frown watching as Lysa smiled down at his child's words.
That was not the first time that phrase had been uttered to Lysa from Grogu. And as the days and weeks passed it had begun to become clear, at least to Din, just what those words now meant.
And from the look of love and warmth visible in Lysa's eyes as she stared down at the child nestled in her arms, she knew what they meant too.
The Mandalorian watched as she got carefully to her feet and headed into Grogu's Sleeper, holding him close.
Giving a stretch and a huff of air, Din got to his own feet and followed.
Reaching the doorway, he watched, leaning against the doorframe with arms folded, as Lysa sat on the edge of the small bed and settled Grogu.
Making sure he was tucked safely under the covers, Lysa leaned in, pressing a kiss to Grogu's forehead.
"Sleep tight," Din heard her whisper, as Grogu gazed up at her, blinking his huge dark eyes.
"Mi-tah…" he chirped quietly in response, as Lysa smiled and stroked his small cheek, watching as sleep began to wash over him once more…his eyes closing slowly shut.
Lysa lingered there for a few moments in the starlight, watching Grogu's breathing grow rhythmic. Before she rose to her feet, picking up her skirts in both hands and turning and heading towards Din, still stood in the doorway.
She arrived at his spot before turning back to gaze over at Grogu, her eyes suddenly tinged with a sadness Din had not been expecting to see.
"Everything ok?" he asked, searching her face quickly.
But Lysa merely shook her head gently. "I just…" she said in a quiet voice, taking a breath, hovering over the words. "...I always wanted children, y'know-"
She looked distant for a moment before continuing.
"-like it's something I always dreamed of. Having at least a couple…like a little girl or boy that I could just-"
But Lysa trailed off again, swallowing hard. "-but like I said, I travelled and that was no life for a kid anyway, and then-"
Din watched, a frown settling its way between his brows, hidden by the beskar, as Lysa's eyes fell to the floor momentarily, before flitting back up to the bed where Grogu lay sleeping. "-and then I met Crix and I-... well I knew it was best if there were no kids involved and so I was grateful that…that nothing ever happened. That I never-"
Lysa suddenly lifted a trembling hand to her mouth for the briefest of moments before lowering it again, shaking her head, her voice sounding suddenly distant.
"-I mean, I don't even know if I can-"
Suddenly she blinked, as though remembering just where she was. Slipping a smile onto her face, and turning to face the Mandalorian finally. Although Din could tell that behind her mask, she was still lost in thought.
"Anyway…my point is, I'm just grateful that I get to be here…with you and Grogu," she said, her eyes filled with honesty. "He's the sweetest boy I've ever known."
Din glanced Grogu's way, taking a moment before speaking.
"There's not much I know about his past. But I do know that the way he was raised, with the Jedi, didn't give him much chance to just be a kid. So I'm glad that he can have this place…" uttered Din, before turning back to face Lysa, taking her hand gently in his own gloved one. "...and you."
Lysa blinked, her smile suddenly becoming far warmer, her entire face brightening.
"And you," she commented, giving his hand a sudden squeeze in return. "I know that Grogu adores you. You make just the best father to him."
Din's eyes suddenly flitted between Lysa's green ones, wanting so much to say something to her in return. But after her musings a mere moment prior, he was unsure if any comment about her being a mother figure to the small child asleep across from them, would seem insensitive now. Hurtful even.
But grasping his hand tightly in her own, Lysa turned and made for the living quarters once more.
But she had led him just a few paces out of the room, when Din stopped still, as the Sleeper door slid shut behind them, and he tugged her back around to face him.
"What you said earlier," Din uttered now in a low voice, staring at her hard, his heart suddenly thudding inside his chest. "About not wanting to go back to your deliveries right away."
Lysa gazed up at him, giving a nod.
Dank farrik, she looked so beautiful, even in the dusky evening light. The flames from the fireplace behind him, dancing within the green of her eyes.
"I just wondered," he said, sucking in a short sharp breath. "How would you feel…about going travelling for a little while?"
For a moment Din watched as Lysa gave a blink.
"W-Where?" she asked quietly, giving a small shake of her head.
"Where do you want to go?" asked Din in reply.
And he watched now as a look of utter delight suddenly appeared over Lysa's pretty features.
She gazed back at him with eyes full of wondrous disbelief, biting down on her bottom lip.
"I mean…I'd love that, but I'm not sure all three of us, and R5 are going to be able to fit into your ship," she said with another shake of her head, sending her long golden hair dancing across her shoulders, like a waterfall of pure sunlight.
"Well I've actually arranged to borrow a ship, from Karga," replied Din in a low voice, trying to mask the grin that had slid it's way over his lips at seeing the look of happiness on Lysa's face. "If you'd like that?"
"I'd like that," nodded Lysa quickly, suddenly tangling her arms around Din's neck, her pink lips parted, her eyes shining bright, filled with pure joy.
"Come on," she said smoothly, those eyes of hers meeting with his behind his helmet, as one of her hands slid down to entwine her fingers with his again. Turning them both, and tugging Din over towards the second Sleeper just a few feet behind them.
"I'm gonna need that beskar off…" she continued in a vixen-like tone, wrinkling her nose and letting out a ragged and needy breath."...like now."
And Din Djarin couldn't help but chuckle as he lifted one hand to his helmet, tugging it off there and then, revealing his face to the blonde standing in front of him.
And in an instant, before he could even utter a word, Lysa's lips were on his, as she dragged him backwards.
The pair of them giggling and grinning into each other's mouths between kisses, as they disappeared through the door to the sleeper…
…neither having any intention of re-emerging, until the sun rose hot in the sky once more.
Thanks to Freya3Xana, chipiam, carlypso, Writermonkey0626 and hazkat for reviewing the last chapter.
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