I'll Do The Same { Din Djarin x OC}

Chapter Thirty One: Delay

author's note: wowie!!! i'm so glad ya'll enjoyed the last chapter, here goes the next one!! :)

. . . . 

"Thell?"

Thell, age five, as early in her life as she could remember. It had been a long day; she had spent most of it in the room while her mother had been out working in Darand's house. When her mother finally had returned, they spent their time together quietly, little Thell realizing even then that her mother was exhausted from the day. She left her to play on the floor quietly, playing with figures of Republic ships that her mother had made a few years back. The grounds past their window were quiet, starlight washing inside and casting silver glows on the crooked hardwood floor.

"Come here, my star," Seba said softly, extending a hand to Thell. She gently slid up from her spot playing on the floor of the small room her mother and her slept in. Seba motioned her forward, holding her on her lap as Thell pushed herself into the bed.

"I want to give you something," Seba said softly, her brown eyes twinkling in the dim light and making Thell beam. She drew her shoulders in, clasping her hands tightly in her lap as her mother fished something from the pack on their bed.

"This was your father's," Seba explained, slipping the gleaming piece of metal into Thell's small hands. She admired it with wide eyes, holding it close to her face as she ran her chubby fingers over the symbol of Clan Eldar.

"Daddy...?"

"Yes, dear," Seba affirmed. "And it's yours to keep."

"Where is he, momma?" Thell asked, tilting her head back in her mother's direction. "Is he coming home soon?"

For once, and it happened very rarely, Thell noticed tears in her mother's eyes. She stilled for a long moment, blinking down at her daughter before clearing her throat and saying, "No. But we mustn't worry... We are safe here, aren't we?" Thell nodded, grasping the necklace tight. "Then that's all we need."

. . . .

Her hands were shaking uncontrollably now, her back heaving with gasping breaths as she hovered over Din, unable to see anything but him fighting that droid every time she closed her eyes. It shook her to the core, making goosebumps break out across her body as she dry heaved, begging for him to come back. She had already tried their commlinks to reach Greef and Cara, but they were down or either crushed from the wreckage. She went between sobbing against his chest plates, tears streaking down the Beskar, until moving her hands up to cup his face, his head lolling in her hands when she tried to move him.

"Din, please," she sobbed, running her thumbs over his cheekbones.

But he was still, unmoving under her hands, blood streaked across his face and his skin like ice on her fingers. It didn't help that the temperature was falling in the train car, and she could hear the soft pitter patter of rain and the crack of thunder outside.

Grogu had yet to move, wrapped warmly in Thell's blankets, but she realized he was breathing.

And it was as if she had triggered it herself, because she heard a soft morning beside her leg, and peeked to see Grogu's dark eyes flickering. Releasing Din's hand, Thell gently cradled Grogu in her arms, laying him across her legs and holding him close to her. He was waking slowly, his little hands clutching tightly, like he was looking for something to hold on to. Thell leaned down, brushing her nose along his head before kissing him gently.

"You okay, buddy?" She whispered, knowing if she spoke any louder it would become a sob. He whined softly, moving slowly as he blinked up at her. Tilting his head slowly, Thell watched as he looked over at Din, realizing he had never seen him without his helmet, or not that she knew of. Grogu made a soft, worried sound that brought on a new wave of fresh tears in Thell's eyes.