beneath the beskar | the mandalorian

sïxtëën

CHAPTER EIGHT: THE ADOPTION

Her eyes widened in bewilderment. It was as if her brain had deceived her in the cruelest way, bringing an illusion of something she had all but begged to have returned to her.

The truth was, she hated being alone. She always had, and she had fooled herself into thinking she could ever live that way. Her childish dreams led her away from safety, into a world of discontent of cruelty. It hadn't peaked through the facade of happiness, it had completely decimated her from the inside out.

Now, staring into the visor of the only man who could shield her from it, the tears were all but puddling into her greasy, disheveled hair. He bent down, and Jane could hear the strained breath that was fogging up his visor with its warmth.

"Jane," he said again, desperate for a response.

She realized she had been staring at him, but not responding to his calls. She also realized that he had just witnessed her be almost choked to death, and was definitely worried that she was injured.

His glove hovered cautiously over her throat, deathly afraid to touch the most fragile part of her body. He twitched with the need to analyze her wounds, but forcibly restrained himself.

"Are- Are you okay?" he asked, this time earning a small nod. Her throat was still aching, and parts of her leg still stung from the sudden fall, but her shock was the only thing keeping her silent at that moment.

He sighed in relief; the kind that freed his lungs from the restrictive hold they had been under for days. Every day, feeling closer to finding her, but just as helpless. Now he could see her in front of him, sprawled on the floor of a backstreet and covered in leaves and dirt.

"Kid, I-" he started, pausing his frazzled words when she began to sit up. Instantly, he moved his closest arm to hover behind her back, not daring to touch her but staying near in case she needed it.

Jane successfully brought herself to a sitting position, only bringing her head to Mando's chest height-wise. The dim lights illuminated her glossy eyes, distracting him from speaking once more.

Just then, the bag at his side rustled, and the child rolled out onto the pavement. Mando turned, looking to assist him, but he picked himself up and waddled quickly into Jane's side. Frantic coos and giggles were falling from his mouth, almost bringing a smile to both of their faces, but they stopped themselves.

"We need to go...somewhere safer" Mando mumbled, offering Jane a gloved hand for assistance. She excepted without a second thought, placing the child on her hip as she stood. Her legs wobbled at first, and she feared her leg would be too injured to walk on by the numbness that had spread throughout it.

Mando held her wrapped hand firmly as she took a few practice steps. The child had already snuggled deep into her side, bringing her to near sobbing at his unwavering affection. She looked around the dark street, horrified to see the damage she had done. Men she had attacked were still spread unceremoniously around the street, one of them with a blaster shot straight in the head. Her mouth started to widen in silent sobbing when Mando used his free hand to turn her cheek.

"Don't look" he instructed, fixing her gaze on his visor once more. He held the gaze until she had stopped panting, nodding once in encouragement before walking them down the street and onto a larger one.

She followed his instructions until the scene was out of sight, finally lifting her eyes from her boots to the signs lining the street. It only took her moments to recognize the inn she had seen earlier, and she wasn't surprised when that was exactly where they entered.