The Sweetest Taste

Chapter 17 - Like a beaten dog

Trigger warning: violence and abuse.

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More than anything in this world, Lysa Kane had wanted to go with Din.

It was him who she dreamed of, the Mandalorian, on quiet nights where she couldn't sleep, her body aching with bruises. Din Djarin, rescuing her from this cruel life...taking her away somewhere to see the stars...to set her free from all this.

But sometimes life was cruel and hard, and dreams like that just didn't happen for people like her.

She knew her choices were stupid. Blindly choosing Crix again, conditioned to believe that he was the only thing she deserved.

Somehow owing him her unconditional loyalty.

Lysa trembled as she followed Crix into their small living space.

The front door sliding shut behind them, had shut out Din.

Shut out the world.

And now Lysa knew what was coming for her. What her fate was to be now she had made her choice to stay with Crix.

Resigning herself to a life getting beaten for every thing she did. No matter how hard she tried to do the right thing. To do what Crix wanted. It would never be good enough.

For a moment out there on the dusty street, Lysa had felt hope...for the first time in a long time. When Din had asked her to go with him. When he had told her that she could leave Crix, and that he would keep her safe.

But then Crix had said the words that had changed everything. Reminding her that if she had left him, then a worse fate would befall Grogu.

And Lysa knew that if anything happened to Crix, then his buddies would ensure that the child and his father would reach a sorry end. It had happened before, to people that had wronged him. Crix had a knack of gaining loyalty and status with the bad crowd. Surrounding himself with men who would be as faithful to him as Lysa was.

There was no way Lysa was going to let that happen to Grogu. That fate.

So she would bare the beatings, the insults, the abuse...if it meant that Grogu would be safe and well, and able to live his life.

Crix had a hold on her now. A dark and cruel hold.

But who was she kidding, he had always had a hold on her. For years now he had latched onto her, refusing to let go, twisting and pinching her, until the roles were reversed and here she was, nothing but an accessory now attached to him. Not even her own person anymore.

Somehow Crix had managed to take everything from Lysa. And yet at the end of the day here she was, still with him, loyal to the end.

Like a beaten dog, running to her owner with her tail still wagging, despite the years of pain he had put her through.

But Din had been that light in her darkness. For the first time in years Lysa had felt something different. Hope, and perhaps something else.

He had been kind and sweet, he made her laugh, and at the end of it all, he had made her feel real again. Like the true Lysa, and not just Crix's little woman.

But now, the daydream that Din would save her was lost to the ether. She had made her choice.

She knew she must look a fool now to Din Djarin- choosing Crix. The man that caused her so much pain.

But she hadn't asked Din to come here. Hadn't asked him to interfere in her life.

And so that had to be it now. That had to be the last time she saw Din.