Just a Little Longer

Note: Hello, Captain Stapler here. I just wanted to say a big warm thank you to you (yes you personally) for taking the time to read this fanfic. The positive responses and excitement I received about this story really motivated me to finish this story, and keep it lively. (I've never actually finished a story before) As a writer it's so rewording to know that someone read something you wrote, much less enjoyed it. So thank you again. I've added a little more Loveliness just as an extra bonus. Hope you'll enjoy. And just know, you're awesome.

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Cassian walked through the front door of their dwelling place that was located atop a grassy hill on the planet Stewjon. He scuffed his hair to brush off the dirt that had collected from his hard days work.

"Jyn." Cassian shouted, "I think we need to replace the east side ventilators." As Cassian began to take off his boots, Jyn appeared before him.

Jyn handed her husband a glass of water, she could tell he had had a long day. "I knew we'd have to fix something before the harvest."

"And how's my little kid doing?" Cassian leaned forward and kissed Jyn's belly, which was visibly harboring a pre-born creature, due to its abnormality.

"He's doing fine. He enjoyed town actually. Was jumping all about. I think we're expecting trouble here soon."

Cassian walked into their kitchen, past the medals and drawings on the wall of Jyn's parents and Cassian and Jyn's wedding. There was also a holo picture of a young Jedi padawan smiling and standing beside a duchess. This hologram was Cassian's most pride possession. They had searched half the galaxy for that image which captured a moment so long ago, of the two people Cassian had discovered to be his biological parents. Jyn had taken to sketching after they had found the place. She started to draw all the people she wanted her children to know of. There was even a picture of a little girl on the wall, no older than five years old, that was their daughter.

    Just as Cassian placed his glass down, the front door slid open, and the very same girl in the picture wobbled though. She had a book bag over her shoulder, and a smile on her face. The same smile her father had made fun of her mother for having. A cute smile nonetheless.

"My Stardust!" Jyn's face lit up, and she kneeled to the ground with open arms to embrace her daughter. The little girl ran into her mother's arms and buried her head into her shoulder. "How was your day sweetheart?"

    "Mum, I missed you." The girl whispered.

    "I know, it was only for a couple of days. I'm back now. You see. Now go wash up Stardust, get ready for dinner."

    "For what it's worth I missed you too." Cassian squeezed his wife's hand, and gave her a weary smile.

    "Of course you did." She rolled her eyes playfully. "Cassian. You'll never believe who I ran into in town."

    "Was it my clone?"

    "You're never getting over that are you?"

    Cassian laughed. "You said it. Not me. And we did share similar hair styles."

    "Anyways. Blaze, he was there with a boy."

    "Blaze. The boy who had the misfortune of attending our pre-marriage adventure?"

    "Yes. And here's the crazy thing. His real name isn't even Blaze. He hasn't gone by that name in years."

    "His name is Bob isn't it?"

    "Kes, actually. And the boy was his. That kid we knew way back when has a kid of his own."

    "Crazy how people do that. Have children. In a galaxy like this one! What are they thinking?"

    "I know right? Something's going around. A brain parasite maybe." She tapped her fingers on her belly. "But it got me thinking. Would you let me name him Jensen?"

    Cassian's eyebrows lifted. "You got to name our daughter. I get our son. That was the agreement." He stated mater of factly. "And you named her a name you don't even use."

    "Yes. I know. But that name means a lot to me. And you don't use it either."

    He sighed. "You're right. But that's why I'm going to name our son after someone who means a great deal to me. A name that I'll actually call him by. I'm thinking Obi, or Wan, or Kenobi. Maybe even Ben."

    "Those could work. Just not Ben. That's never a good name. No offense. Never met a Ben I liked."

    Just as Cassian was about to interject, their daughter came to join them on the table, and they proceeded to enjoy supper.

    "I helped Papa in the field yesterday." She said triumphantly.

    "Did you now?" Jyn inquired. "How was school yesterday than?"

    "I didn't go. Papa said he needed my help more."

    Cassian leaned and whispered to his daughter. "Hey, that was suppose to be our secret, my little Rey of sunshine."

    "Sorry, Papa, Sir."

    "No it's alright. Nothing to be sorry for." He sat back up and brought his voice to a normal level. "I did need her help more. She's good help, a hard worker. I got twice as much done with her out there. She does have perfect attendance besides yesterday. She's learned so much. I even quizzed her. She knew when the Clone Wars began and when the Galactic Civil War ended. Past with flying colors." He nodded his head approvingly at his daughter, and she nodded back.

    Jyn just smiled and shook her head. Always covering each other's backs. "Just know it's not happening again anytime soon. Not while I have something to say about it."

    "When she goes to town again though..." He whispered under his breath, then winked to his daughter.

Due to her short trip away, Jyn had been bestowed the honor of tucking her daughter into bed. Or more frankly she was begged to do the honors.

"Now, did you take care of your father for me like I asked?"

"Yes Mum."

    "Did you miss me as much as I missed you?"

    "Yes mum."

"Good." She kissed her forehead. May you dream with the force, Stardust. I love you, alright."

"Understood. I love you Mum."

Jyn sat down beside her husband, and he placed his hand in hers.

"We did something right, with that kid." Cassian said.

"We did. She's not messed up yet." Jyn smiled, then let it vanish. "I was thinking, when I went into town... we've made a lot of enemies over the years. Glances and glares I would get reminded me of what's out there. I know we already have an exit plan for us if anything was to happen. But I can't shake the feeling that we need a plan B. Just for her if it has to come to it. A plan set, with somewhere safe we can send her, temporarily even, if the time calls for it."

"I agree. Someplace no one would care to even consider..."

"Jakku." Jyn nodded her head. "No one would even guess that anyone would leave anything on that piece of junk. But we've raised a tough girl."

Cassian blinked in disbelief. "Jakku. It's crazy. But it's plausible. She'd be safe. They'd be safe." He placed a hand on Jyn's womb and smiled solemnly. "But let's not talk about this right now. We'll get into the details tomorrow. I'll reach out to my contacts on Jakku, and talk to Cush. Maybe I'll even reach out to Luke..."

Jyn brushed her hand through Cassian's hair, and through the white that was beginning to show. They had gotten older, and that was evident on both of them. They weren't the fighters or rebel heroes they once were. But the galaxy be damned if it thought they'd let anything happen to their kids. "Thanks. We should be alright though." She frowned. "It's just a precaution."

"I know. Safety precautions are good things. Remember."

"Yeah. They are. But they're traumatizing when put into use. When things get that bad..." Jyn's childhood flashed before her eyes.

"Things won't get that bad Jyn. I won't let them. And if they do, we'll be prepared." He shook his head, sure as stars were gaseous and burning, that he'd be in control enough to keep things from ever touching his family.

"Alright." Jyn gave in and leaned back. "I trust you." She said truthfully, though she knew she'd never trust the galaxy and their enemies to leave them be.

"I trust you too." He kissed her cheek. "I also trust you enough to run some more names by you..."

    Jyn shook her head lovingly. He was so darn excited to name his son. Almost too excited...

    Yet all it did was bring a smile to her face. Their worries didn't matter, really. For all they were was grateful to be alive and together, and safe. They both knew, had it not been for a mere chance, be it by luck coincidence or the force, they'd have died years ago. On a beach, at sunset, in a wave of destruction, in each other's arms.

The End