They're been here for five years now. Been married for five years, had two children, one of which was the happiest accident, one of whom was less accidental. Five years of fighting, five years of making up, five years of teamwork and partnership even when they were at each other's throats, five years of tears and breakdowns and happiness and love.
Five years is a long time and Jyn honestly doesn't catch the code phrase for what it real is.
Instead, trying to keep the comm free from Javi's uncharacteristically grabby hands, she mutters: "Your son threw up on me."
When the children annoy Jyn they are Cassian's son and daughter, no contribution from Jyn in the slightest. Javi is usually such an easy baby! He is in tune with his parents moods the same way as his sister is, but he inherited far less of Rey's willful curiosity. He is usually simply content to be held or simply in the company of his family but today it was like he was angling for the part of Rey aged 18 months.
"Javi, stop grabbing!" She puffs out a tired breath, trying to turn her attention back to her husband on the line. "Now, what am I never going to believe?"
There is no translation for your son threw up on me, that's just a fact. Cassian forgets sometimes that even though they have five years of this together, she hasn't had a lifetime of codes and secrecy, but it doesn't stop a trill of concern from rolling over him.
Rey's tiny little voice echoes through the comm once she realizes who is on the call. "Papa, can I talk to mama?"
"No, not now, starshine." He hopes the denial of Rey's very easy request raises the flag that his greeting did not; very rarely does Cassian disallow a conversation with Jyn when he's on Rey duty. Fortunately, she doesn't argue with him or throw a mini fit about being told no either.
With a wistful sort of sigh, "I forgot my lunch." He can't go home.
Cassian always brings food or goes out to get it. He hopes his complete ignoring of Javi's behavior is a telling sign too, he's always happy to talk about their usually happy son and whatever ridiculousness he gets up to. He needs her to pick up on it.
That is what flips the switch in Jyn. Cassian never forgets his lunch, he packs her lunch for Force sake, he reminds her to grab it on the way out the door.
Shit.
She ducks her head down, kissing Javi's hair and closing her eyes for a long moment, breathing in the scent of slightly sour baby, before she straightens up and breathes out a laugh.
"My helpless man. What would you do without me? Shall I bring it to you or were you thinking a spontaneous lunch date?" She understands now. But where are they meeting? Should she go home first and take care of things first?
Relief fills him when she finally realizes, even if that's only the first step to safety. Jyn running home at all hours is not unusual; she does forget her own food often, they won't think anything of it. Combined with his own occasional lunchtime strolls, especially when he has a child with him, nothing about this conversation should be strange.
"I left it at home." Go home first, get our comms, get our documents, get what we need. "Can you bring something for Rey too?" That's a new part, one they added after she was born. Get what they need for Rey, for Javi, anything else they want to keep, because they might not be able to go back again after. It might be a lot to pack up alone, but they specifically charted out back entrances to their building, and he knows Jyn is very good at compartmentalizing their bags. They've talked about what they would bring if they had to leave in a flash.
It's such a strange thought, one he's trying not to let overtake him yet - the fact that the tiny little home he and Jyn had built for themselves the last five years is to be abandoned. He really isn't going to step foot inside it again. He always knew the day would come, but he always imagined he'd get to say goodbye. He never felt the need to before.
"I was thinking the park, right near here? Rey likes the swings." There's a safehouse and it's near a park, but a very particular park a long ways away from both of their jobs. He's had a tiny one room apartment set up for years, even before this mission began. It has enough supplies to last them through getting off planet, through contacting Bodhi. The coordinates are in her comm, set to delete one minute after she opens up the file.
He sighs, looking down briefly as Rey nestles further against his chest. "I would fall apart without you, clearly."
Jyn immediately starts thinking, thanking the Force that Rey is potty-trained during the day and she'll only need to pack nappies for her for nighttime. Flat tooka, lest Rey dissolve in grief, Javi's diapers, clothes for travel, back up clothes, little woolen jackets. She's gotten packing the diaper bag down to a science, it shouldn't be hard to pack a bit of food in there as well.
She'll change at home, layer another set of clothes under. She's suddenly thankful Javi spit up his berries all down her front, another excuse to go home. Bringing a change of clothes for Cassian won't be a hard sell, he works a dirty job, sometimes the coveralls don't cover all.
Hugging the baby close to her, she's up and moving, tossing her jacket over her arm to disguise the data pad she keeps in her hand, pressing it against Javi's backside, making it unnoticeable.
"Absolutely. Come on, Javi." She pushes out of the office, striding down the hall. "Let's go get your berry sick off Mama's blouse and bring silly Papa his lunch. Did you forget anything else this morning, while I'm at it?"
He loves her and they are going to make it to the safe house. His contact gave him plenty of warning, several hours worth - the only issue is if she gets caught along the way. He can hear her rustling and moving, already making her way out of the office.
Cassian mulls over if he or they need anything else. They each have their datapads with them, any information pertinent to their intelligence work is kept to those devices, secured behind locks and passcodes. No, the things he wants to save are sentimental. Necessities can be replaced, some of them are already stocked up in the safe house, and he already knows Jyn is going to bring all the necessary baby and child supplies.
He wants to comb through the house and pile things in a bag: Javi's favorite blanket, every single one of Rey's scribbled drawings, her little tool set, their little matching hats he and Jyn knit together, the matching scarves he and Jyn made for themselves to go with aforementioned hats in a completely kitschy bout of sappy feelings; they don't have code words for any of those things.
Rey pipes up. "Please tell mama if she could brings my crayons."
He look down at her and wonders how this four year old could possibly figure out the near perfect thing to say. "I seem to have forgotten everything our starshine needs to draw. Can you grab them too?"
Her art, please pack as much of her art as possible. He likes to think he and Jyn know each other well enough for her to pick that up.
"Of course, darling. Shall I call you when I am on my way, it may take some time to clean up Javi. I wouldn't want you and Rey waiting needlessly."
She's going to pack as fast as possible and try to snag the most precious of their memories from this horrid place. Their life inside it is the only thing worth saving as far as Jyn is concerned and she is going to try to save the most important relics of this life.
She can't say I love you to Rey, she can't say goodbye, they're speaking in code specifically so they won't arouse suspicion. But she can't not tell Rey that she loves her firstborn so much that sometimes it is impossible to bear.
"Tell Rey I'm proud of how polite she's become." Tell her Jyn loves her.
"Yes, please, I want to finish up some work first too - and I am a mess from so much polishing today." He wants to gather up what he needs, linger for a little while so it doesn't seem like he's in a rush, especially after meeting with a client. "I might be a little late."
She will definitely get to the safehouse first, don't worry if it takes some time for him to arrive. He's going to take a very long route, he might even pop back in quick after a half hour walk, just so his coworkers can argue he came back from lunch. At least the time before Jyn calls will let him formulate his best plan forward.
He wants to say all kinds of things to Javi and Jyn both, but it'll have to wait. And it can because Cassian keeps running on a mantra that they're going to be fine. He warned Jyn, that's the important part. She's the red flag and she is escaping first. It doesn't mean what she's asking him to say to Rey doesn't carry a lot of weight after decades of war.
"I will," he says, with a very quiet solemnity. There is no universe where Jyn doesn't get to tell Rey she loves her, but it doesn't mean he isn't going to remind their daughter anyway. "I love you. I am starving, you are a life saver."
He loves her. She is his life and he doesn't want another without her.
"I love you too. I'll be there quick as Javi and I can manage." She hangs up on him without saying goodbye because she can't. She can't say goodbye striding through the halls of her office building because the moment she says goodbye she will have an emotional breakdown and she can't afford that now. She can't afford any emotions right now.
But she still puts a little smile on, looking down at their son. "Papa forgot his lunch, sunshine, do you think we should bring him some once Mama has changed her shirt?"
Javi jumps up and down in her arms and decrees: "NO!" Jyn laughs, kissing her son's temple as she passes through security, waving her building pass against the access lock. She's left her purse in her office, more evidence that she will eventually return, and she offers a sheepish smile of one of the guards that has a fondness for her, gesturing at the pink splotches stained across her front.
"What I get for wearing white, isn't it?" The guard laughs, a knowing smile. He has grandchildren now, if Jyn remembers correctly.
"I should know better!" she calls behind her, sweeping out of the building. She doesn't relax once she's outside, hoping on the first monorail back to their apartment. She's going to do this in tiny, achievable steps, one at a time. If she thinks too far ahead, she's not going to be able to cope. One thing at a time.
There is no goodbye and it makes sense on several levels. There is no goodbye because it's not a goodbye, it's a temporary split, and they are going to meet up later. Cassian was alerted with plenty of time, they have hours before their home even begins to get staked out.
As soon as Jyn hangs up, he looks to his daughter with a wide smile even if his voice is very low. "Mama is going to bring everything you need, starshine. But it might be a few hours before we see her. Do you think you can be patient for your papa?"
Rey nods instantly, then ducks her head under his chin. If there is anything that reminds Cassian that he's doing the right thing, that he cannot fail, it's how utterly and completely this girl trusts him.
He kisses the top of her head. "First, let's take our walk."
And he does. He takes Rey out for lunch and buys them both a bigger than normal meal, just in case they don't get access to food again for a while. He lets her play in the park, but he plays with her rather than just watching: pushing her on the swing, chasing her up the slide. He knows it's important to keep up this normalcy when he's probably being watched, but he hates not knowing if Jyn is okay, not knowing how she's doing at the house. If she's made it to the safehouse.
Rey doesn't question it when they go back to his job without seeing Jyn first, which is fortunate because he picks up on a stormtrooper suddenly stationed at the corner of his block. He'll definitely have to sneak out the back, and he'll have to wait even longer to leave, in case his coworkers are questioned. He doesn't want any of them to lose their livelihoods or their lives because of him.
Cassian does, technically, leave early, but only by about twenty minutes because Rey gets fussy and his boss tells him to duck out. He does say goodbye to his coworkers, because even though it's a casual farewell, he knows he probably won't see them again.
Jyn packs as much as she possibly can. Artwork folded into diapers, a layer of food tucked at the bottom of the diaper bag that is then chocked full with nappies and all the many accouterments children may inexplicably need throughout the day: a change of clothes for each of them, their little woolen coats and knitted hats, flat tooka and Javi's little blue bantha. All of Rey's art supplies take up too much space and Jyn nearly bursts into tears when she takes them out and replaces them with the digital art pad.
All of Cassian's Alliance work and Jyn's Imperial data pad (now devoid of its tracking chip) is slid into the lining of the stroller, his change of clothes hidden beneath Javi's seat. Lunch bags are stowed for all four of them, despite Javi still having roughly a 1/3rd Mama based diet; at least that is part of the cover. She changes quickly, two layers, and adds a layer to Javi as well, settling him into the stroller with a blanket to cover up that his legs look a little fatter than usual.
Lissi calls her to tell her about a meeting and Jyn assures her that she'll be back after lunch, hopefully without having to change again. It's a laugh. She asks Lissi to find the necessary documents, pulling everything up for a meeting Jyn will never go to, but it's only so Jyn can offer her a thank you without it seeming out of place. She can hear the pride in her co-worker's voice and it was worth it.
Javi is quiet as they take the back stairwell out, sensing his mother's stress as Jyn unknowingly traces the same steps her own mother had taken when they fled Coruscant. The safehouse is practically on the other side of the city and every time she passes a storm trooper her stomach swoops in a fear that makes her feel like a little girl again. But she's not a little girl. She's a grown ass woman and a spy and all she has to do is protect this one little boy until they get to safety.
Which is surprisingly easy. She stops to grab a drink and a to-go meal from a vendor, proof that she came out for lunch, and then back tracks to go in the opposite direction, keeping a low profile. It's easier once she descends to the lower levels. Storm troopers don't bother down there, nor do the people. She zips through unnoticed until she reaches the safe house and ducks inside.
Now they wait, Javi still snug in the stroller and watching videos on the family datapad, and Jyn settled in a chair in front of him, facing the door, blaster ready.
With Rey securely in his arms, he sweeps out the backdoor and hovers under the cover of the awning, taking a quick scan for the cameras before doing his best to zigzag around them, pretending it's a silly dance to entertain his child, and no one pays him much mind as he waltzes his way down the street into the nearby alleyway. "Rey, my little star," he starts, tucking her briefly in such a way that he can look her directly at her, a co-conspirator. "We are going to find Mama and Javi, okay? But I need you to do something for me. We are going to go on this adventure as quietly as we can. Think of it like a surprise, so they will not know when we come."
Her eyes light up and she nods eagerly, happy to be included in a game. "Okay papa!"
"No matter what happens, who or what you might see." He wishes he had hats, or different clothes to change into, but overall it's still not the worst starting point for a potential extraction. Rey nods her assent, and Cassian leans in to kiss her forehead. "And no complaints that papa is carrying you the whole time."
It's something Cassian has done many, many times. Point A to Point B, primary location to safehouse, but he has never done it with a child in tow, much less his own. It brings another level of paranoia to his brain, as though that were even possible. But he and Jyn, over and over since she was born, have remarked on how perceptive their daughter is, and that surprise carries now as he moves dangerously into the streets of Coruscant. She doesn't ask why they took a different door, and for the first twenty minutes after they start moving, Rey is silent, curling her head against her father's chest.
There is a very easy way to reach the safehouse, but Cassian does not take it. He checks for all the usual signs of a tail and finds nothing overt, though he knows there are cameras across the city. He carries only his work bag, trusting that Jyn packed up as much of their life as she could; the only thing he dared to shove inside besides his personal datapad was some of Rey's art hanging at his desk, and even then, he'd left up a handful of pieces to cast off suspicion. Any Stormtrooper sighting is met with a casual turn down another street, and this haphazard path undoubtedly adds at least an hour to his descent, but it stops them from being noticed, from being followed. Coruscant is a maze, one he is taking advantage of.
Rey is fascinated by the lower levels, picking up her head when they descend. She tries her absolute best to stay quiet, going so far as to slap a hand over her mouth like she's caught herself. "Almost there," he whispers in her ear, sensing her tiny body's impatience. She is probably hungry and thirsty and ready to use the bathroom, but Cassian marvels at how well she's handling the trip.
He finally reaches the safehouse, but for a moment he just stands there. He refused to think about the possibility of Jyn and Javi not being inside, but now that he is here it creeps up on him. He doesn't think he could bear it to find an empty room. Sensing his hesitance, Rey reaches up and pats his cheek. "Surprise now?"
"Yes," he says, swallowing nervously but offering her a smile. He sets her on the ground, guiding her to stand beside the door, hiding her from the inside. Just in case. "Your part is the most important. After I say your name, and only then, I want you to pop out and run inside, okay?"
She nods, a soldier on a mission, and he once again drops a kiss to her head before he moves to the lock and carefully, slowly puts in the code to open the door. The number is known only to him, the first code only to Jyn. It beeps with success and slides open, leaving him staring face to face with his wife in the doorway, blaster aimed at his face, but the utter relief that fills his own face, that sinks his shoulders - it's like there's no gun at all.
The anxiety feels like it is trying to claw its way out of her chest, a feral beast of all her worst fears trying to rip her heart in two, until the door opens and there is Cassian. The relief on his expression must match her own, blaster falling to her side almost immediately, thumb flipping the safety without even thinking about it.
"Where is she?"
Where is Rey?
Intellectually she knows Cassian's expression wouldn't be painted with exhausted relief if Rey weren't with him — it would abject panic and determination. But that doesn't do anything to combat the anxious creature nesting beneath her ribs.
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ohnofeelstho2017-05-14 03:23 pm
no subject
Five years is a long time and Jyn honestly doesn't catch the code phrase for what it real is.
Instead, trying to keep the comm free from Javi's uncharacteristically grabby hands, she mutters: "Your son threw up on me."
When the children annoy Jyn they are Cassian's son and daughter, no contribution from Jyn in the slightest. Javi is usually such an easy baby! He is in tune with his parents moods the same way as his sister is, but he inherited far less of Rey's willful curiosity. He is usually simply content to be held or simply in the company of his family but today it was like he was angling for the part of Rey aged 18 months.
"Javi, stop grabbing!" She puffs out a tired breath, trying to turn her attention back to her husband on the line. "Now, what am I never going to believe?"
no subject
There is no translation for your son threw up on me, that's just a fact. Cassian forgets sometimes that even though they have five years of this together, she hasn't had a lifetime of codes and secrecy, but it doesn't stop a trill of concern from rolling over him.
Rey's tiny little voice echoes through the comm once she realizes who is on the call. "Papa, can I talk to mama?"
"No, not now, starshine." He hopes the denial of Rey's very easy request raises the flag that his greeting did not; very rarely does Cassian disallow a conversation with Jyn when he's on Rey duty. Fortunately, she doesn't argue with him or throw a mini fit about being told no either.
With a wistful sort of sigh, "I forgot my lunch." He can't go home.
Cassian always brings food or goes out to get it. He hopes his complete ignoring of Javi's behavior is a telling sign too, he's always happy to talk about their usually happy son and whatever ridiculousness he gets up to. He needs her to pick up on it.
no subject
That is what flips the switch in Jyn. Cassian never forgets his lunch, he packs her lunch for Force sake, he reminds her to grab it on the way out the door.
Shit.
She ducks her head down, kissing Javi's hair and closing her eyes for a long moment, breathing in the scent of slightly sour baby, before she straightens up and breathes out a laugh.
"My helpless man. What would you do without me? Shall I bring it to you or were you thinking a spontaneous lunch date?" She understands now. But where are they meeting? Should she go home first and take care of things first?
no subject
"I left it at home." Go home first, get our comms, get our documents, get what we need. "Can you bring something for Rey too?" That's a new part, one they added after she was born. Get what they need for Rey, for Javi, anything else they want to keep, because they might not be able to go back again after. It might be a lot to pack up alone, but they specifically charted out back entrances to their building, and he knows Jyn is very good at compartmentalizing their bags. They've talked about what they would bring if they had to leave in a flash.
It's such a strange thought, one he's trying not to let overtake him yet - the fact that the tiny little home he and Jyn had built for themselves the last five years is to be abandoned. He really isn't going to step foot inside it again. He always knew the day would come, but he always imagined he'd get to say goodbye. He never felt the need to before.
"I was thinking the park, right near here? Rey likes the swings." There's a safehouse and it's near a park, but a very particular park a long ways away from both of their jobs. He's had a tiny one room apartment set up for years, even before this mission began. It has enough supplies to last them through getting off planet, through contacting Bodhi. The coordinates are in her comm, set to delete one minute after she opens up the file.
He sighs, looking down briefly as Rey nestles further against his chest. "I would fall apart without you, clearly."
He cannot be with her until the safe house.
no subject
She'll change at home, layer another set of clothes under. She's suddenly thankful Javi spit up his berries all down her front, another excuse to go home. Bringing a change of clothes for Cassian won't be a hard sell, he works a dirty job, sometimes the coveralls don't cover all.
Hugging the baby close to her, she's up and moving, tossing her jacket over her arm to disguise the data pad she keeps in her hand, pressing it against Javi's backside, making it unnoticeable.
"Absolutely. Come on, Javi." She pushes out of the office, striding down the hall. "Let's go get your berry sick off Mama's blouse and bring silly Papa his lunch. Did you forget anything else this morning, while I'm at it?"
no subject
Cassian mulls over if he or they need anything else. They each have their datapads with them, any information pertinent to their intelligence work is kept to those devices, secured behind locks and passcodes. No, the things he wants to save are sentimental. Necessities can be replaced, some of them are already stocked up in the safe house, and he already knows Jyn is going to bring all the necessary baby and child supplies.
He wants to comb through the house and pile things in a bag: Javi's favorite blanket, every single one of Rey's scribbled drawings, her little tool set, their little matching hats he and Jyn knit together, the matching scarves he and Jyn made for themselves to go with aforementioned hats in a completely kitschy bout of sappy feelings; they don't have code words for any of those things.
Rey pipes up. "Please tell mama if she could brings my crayons."
He look down at her and wonders how this four year old could possibly figure out the near perfect thing to say. "I seem to have forgotten everything our starshine needs to draw. Can you grab them too?"
Her art, please pack as much of her art as possible. He likes to think he and Jyn know each other well enough for her to pick that up.
no subject
She's going to pack as fast as possible and try to snag the most precious of their memories from this horrid place. Their life inside it is the only thing worth saving as far as Jyn is concerned and she is going to try to save the most important relics of this life.
She can't say I love you to Rey, she can't say goodbye, they're speaking in code specifically so they won't arouse suspicion. But she can't not tell Rey that she loves her firstborn so much that sometimes it is impossible to bear.
"Tell Rey I'm proud of how polite she's become." Tell her Jyn loves her.
no subject
She will definitely get to the safehouse first, don't worry if it takes some time for him to arrive. He's going to take a very long route, he might even pop back in quick after a half hour walk, just so his coworkers can argue he came back from lunch. At least the time before Jyn calls will let him formulate his best plan forward.
He wants to say all kinds of things to Javi and Jyn both, but it'll have to wait. And it can because Cassian keeps running on a mantra that they're going to be fine. He warned Jyn, that's the important part. She's the red flag and she is escaping first. It doesn't mean what she's asking him to say to Rey doesn't carry a lot of weight after decades of war.
"I will," he says, with a very quiet solemnity. There is no universe where Jyn doesn't get to tell Rey she loves her, but it doesn't mean he isn't going to remind their daughter anyway. "I love you. I am starving, you are a life saver."
He loves her. She is his life and he doesn't want another without her.
no subject
But she still puts a little smile on, looking down at their son. "Papa forgot his lunch, sunshine, do you think we should bring him some once Mama has changed her shirt?"
Javi jumps up and down in her arms and decrees: "NO!" Jyn laughs, kissing her son's temple as she passes through security, waving her building pass against the access lock. She's left her purse in her office, more evidence that she will eventually return, and she offers a sheepish smile of one of the guards that has a fondness for her, gesturing at the pink splotches stained across her front.
"What I get for wearing white, isn't it?" The guard laughs, a knowing smile. He has grandchildren now, if Jyn remembers correctly.
"I should know better!" she calls behind her, sweeping out of the building. She doesn't relax once she's outside, hoping on the first monorail back to their apartment. She's going to do this in tiny, achievable steps, one at a time. If she thinks too far ahead, she's not going to be able to cope. One thing at a time.
no subject
As soon as Jyn hangs up, he looks to his daughter with a wide smile even if his voice is very low. "Mama is going to bring everything you need, starshine. But it might be a few hours before we see her. Do you think you can be patient for your papa?"
Rey nods instantly, then ducks her head under his chin. If there is anything that reminds Cassian that he's doing the right thing, that he cannot fail, it's how utterly and completely this girl trusts him.
He kisses the top of her head. "First, let's take our walk."
And he does. He takes Rey out for lunch and buys them both a bigger than normal meal, just in case they don't get access to food again for a while. He lets her play in the park, but he plays with her rather than just watching: pushing her on the swing, chasing her up the slide. He knows it's important to keep up this normalcy when he's probably being watched, but he hates not knowing if Jyn is okay, not knowing how she's doing at the house. If she's made it to the safehouse.
Rey doesn't question it when they go back to his job without seeing Jyn first, which is fortunate because he picks up on a stormtrooper suddenly stationed at the corner of his block. He'll definitely have to sneak out the back, and he'll have to wait even longer to leave, in case his coworkers are questioned. He doesn't want any of them to lose their livelihoods or their lives because of him.
Cassian does, technically, leave early, but only by about twenty minutes because Rey gets fussy and his boss tells him to duck out. He does say goodbye to his coworkers, because even though it's a casual farewell, he knows he probably won't see them again.
But Jyn and Javi are waiting.
no subject
All of Cassian's Alliance work and Jyn's Imperial data pad (now devoid of its tracking chip) is slid into the lining of the stroller, his change of clothes hidden beneath Javi's seat. Lunch bags are stowed for all four of them, despite Javi still having roughly a 1/3rd Mama based diet; at least that is part of the cover. She changes quickly, two layers, and adds a layer to Javi as well, settling him into the stroller with a blanket to cover up that his legs look a little fatter than usual.
Lissi calls her to tell her about a meeting and Jyn assures her that she'll be back after lunch, hopefully without having to change again. It's a laugh. She asks Lissi to find the necessary documents, pulling everything up for a meeting Jyn will never go to, but it's only so Jyn can offer her a thank you without it seeming out of place. She can hear the pride in her co-worker's voice and it was worth it.
Javi is quiet as they take the back stairwell out, sensing his mother's stress as Jyn unknowingly traces the same steps her own mother had taken when they fled Coruscant. The safehouse is practically on the other side of the city and every time she passes a storm trooper her stomach swoops in a fear that makes her feel like a little girl again. But she's not a little girl. She's a grown ass woman and a spy and all she has to do is protect this one little boy until they get to safety.
Which is surprisingly easy. She stops to grab a drink and a to-go meal from a vendor, proof that she came out for lunch, and then back tracks to go in the opposite direction, keeping a low profile. It's easier once she descends to the lower levels. Storm troopers don't bother down there, nor do the people. She zips through unnoticed until she reaches the safe house and ducks inside.
Now they wait, Javi still snug in the stroller and watching videos on the family datapad, and Jyn settled in a chair in front of him, facing the door, blaster ready.
no subject
Her eyes light up and she nods eagerly, happy to be included in a game. "Okay papa!"
"No matter what happens, who or what you might see." He wishes he had hats, or different clothes to change into, but overall it's still not the worst starting point for a potential extraction. Rey nods her assent, and Cassian leans in to kiss her forehead. "And no complaints that papa is carrying you the whole time."
It's something Cassian has done many, many times. Point A to Point B, primary location to safehouse, but he has never done it with a child in tow, much less his own. It brings another level of paranoia to his brain, as though that were even possible. But he and Jyn, over and over since she was born, have remarked on how perceptive their daughter is, and that surprise carries now as he moves dangerously into the streets of Coruscant. She doesn't ask why they took a different door, and for the first twenty minutes after they start moving, Rey is silent, curling her head against her father's chest.
There is a very easy way to reach the safehouse, but Cassian does not take it. He checks for all the usual signs of a tail and finds nothing overt, though he knows there are cameras across the city. He carries only his work bag, trusting that Jyn packed up as much of their life as she could; the only thing he dared to shove inside besides his personal datapad was some of Rey's art hanging at his desk, and even then, he'd left up a handful of pieces to cast off suspicion. Any Stormtrooper sighting is met with a casual turn down another street, and this haphazard path undoubtedly adds at least an hour to his descent, but it stops them from being noticed, from being followed. Coruscant is a maze, one he is taking advantage of.
Rey is fascinated by the lower levels, picking up her head when they descend. She tries her absolute best to stay quiet, going so far as to slap a hand over her mouth like she's caught herself. "Almost there," he whispers in her ear, sensing her tiny body's impatience. She is probably hungry and thirsty and ready to use the bathroom, but Cassian marvels at how well she's handling the trip.
He finally reaches the safehouse, but for a moment he just stands there. He refused to think about the possibility of Jyn and Javi not being inside, but now that he is here it creeps up on him. He doesn't think he could bear it to find an empty room. Sensing his hesitance, Rey reaches up and pats his cheek. "Surprise now?"
"Yes," he says, swallowing nervously but offering her a smile. He sets her on the ground, guiding her to stand beside the door, hiding her from the inside. Just in case. "Your part is the most important. After I say your name, and only then, I want you to pop out and run inside, okay?"
She nods, a soldier on a mission, and he once again drops a kiss to her head before he moves to the lock and carefully, slowly puts in the code to open the door. The number is known only to him, the first code only to Jyn. It beeps with success and slides open, leaving him staring face to face with his wife in the doorway, blaster aimed at his face, but the utter relief that fills his own face, that sinks his shoulders - it's like there's no gun at all.
"Jyn."
no subject
"Where is she?"
Where is Rey?
Intellectually she knows Cassian's expression wouldn't be painted with exhausted relief if Rey weren't with him — it would abject panic and determination. But that doesn't do anything to combat the anxious creature nesting beneath her ribs.