"It had nothing to do with her. She is fine, as far as I can tell."
Which would have been a good assumption! It reminds him that he needs to... ask her, if she's heard of this. Her parents had barely mentioned her, and he likes to imagine they're on good enough terms that she would have warned him they were coming, if she knew.
Cassian steals a glance out the window, jaw setting in a tight line.
"They told me they want her." As if on cue, Sofia's laugh filters in. "They came all this way just to tell me they plan to seek custody."
Of course they want her. She is amazing and incredible and wonderful and irritating and stubborn and demanding and too damn smart and perfect. Except they don't even know that because they've never been around, ever.
"They can't have her. Marisol gave her to you. You're her father. They can't have a case, there is no way." But they have money and Jyn knows it and there is a way, money is the way.
Jyn's instant reaction is just what he imagined it might be, which is a comfort. Not everything about today is going off the rails. It's reassuring. It's a reminder that yes, Marisol relinquished her rights, and Cassian has more right than grandparents. Maybe he's not as wealthy, but he has Jyn's salary with his own. They make it work.
"I asked. It took them six years, what made them suddenly change their mind?" He feels so angry all over again. "They did not answer me. They only said it was nothing against me, they are just thinking of Sofia. Which would be a first, since I doubt they think of her more than once a year."
He pinches the bridge of his nose. "I don't know what would make them decide now, after all this time. They didn't want her when she was born, why now? Is it because she is school age?"
It's a different kind of responsibility, between infant and kindergartner.
Jyn shakes her head, making a noise of frustration before she drags out the pans to fry the tortillas. Everything is put down a little too hard, a little too unhappily.
"They can't have her. They can't take her away from the only support system she has ever known and the only parent that has ever parented her. I will not--" She points a wooden spoon at him suddenly, looking furious. "--let them take her away from us. They offer her nothing that you can't give her. She knows her heritage, she speaks Spanish fluently, she is immersed in her culture. They have nothing that you don't already give her every single day."
Jyn will fight a senior citizen, she doesn't care.
They will definitely need to cool down before Sofia comes back inside, but right now he's just glad to feel so justified in his own anger witnessing hers. Cassian's always been a lot more controlled when he's mad, right now he just wants to be like Jyn.
He's still angry, but he finds himself more at ease too. Jyn was always a little bit ruthless, and it's always a relief when it's on his side. Whatever happens, she's there and she would fight a senior citizen. "I told them no. I told them I would never agree to it, would never stop fighting it. She is happy here, provided for, and we may not be as wealthy as they are, but that cannot be the only factor."
He runs a hand through his hair, messing it up. He likes being a team with Jyn, yes, but he's still simmering. "All they said was they would be in touch again. Nothing makes sense - Sofia would not recognize them! Does Marisol even know?"
It's a rhetorical question, but it reminds him he definitely needs to call her. "They cannot win, right? Whatever they try, she is always going to be with us."
They have money though, which is the problem, and Jyn deflates a little at Cassian's question because they might win.
"It's me." She turns back to the pan, determinedly setting to work to fry the tortillas and feeling her frustrations rise because that is what changed. Jyn. Her father was acquitted of all of his charges, which is why he was allowed to die peacefully of his illness in the town of his children's childhood, but that doesn't mean he was absolved of the public scrutiny for his part in designing (and destroying) better post-nuclear weapons.
People hate Edward Snowden too and he did the right thing.
Now Cassian is engaged to Galen Erso's daughter and suddenly his daughter's mother's parents want to take her away? It's not a huge leap to make. She bristles.
"We're engaged, that is what changed. But we have money now, too. They can go fuck themselves. Leia's parents can find us a lawyer. We'll get letters from her teachers and the girls in that little baby sitter's club that have been taking turns with her on Fridays. Luisa, your old landlord, she can speak to how you provided for her." She shakes her head again as she splashes oil into the pan to heat up. "Marisol can't have known, she would have said something. But you should call her. I don't want her to have to fight against her parents but she gave Sofia to you, she has a say in this as well."
Jyn is not the only one circling back to the money issue. He knows Marisol's family is wealthy, he's known that from the start. But they haven't given a single fuck about Sofia, he doesn't care how much money they have. Jyn's list of rational steps helps settle him, even if he frowns when she brings up her father. He can follow the train of thought, even from a logical standpoint, but he doesn't abide by it. Maybe it's just out of pure stubborn refusal.
"No. No. If your father is their concern, any argument will be thrown out the window. There is no basis." Galen and Jyn had minimal contact in the years before he died. Honestly the more concerning parent should probably be Saw, but he's not about to bring that up.
He and Jyn are stable. They have a house together! Even if Galen is the reason, a good lawyer will see it as poor evidence when he died before Sofia was even one.
"You are Sofia's mother, you have raised her with me, and I know Marisol will agree. I will call her, but just - not now. I do not think I can speak to her right now. I do not even know how you can keep cooking right now."
"I burned my fingertips already, it is keeping me from leaving and committing a double murder."
That is how she can keep cooking, the stinging of her fingers as she flips the tortilla and pats it down into the pan again is keeping her from acting on her rage. Now that she has admitted to her burns however, she lifts her hand so Cassian can look at her fingers before he asks. She knows him very well.
They're not that bad anyway, barely pink. Just enough to sting.
"They can't take her," Jyn reiterates, firm despite the fear shimmering in her eyes.
As soon as she says she burnt her fingertips, she is correct, his attention is looped down to them, and he immediately reaches for her hand when she offers it out. They're more red than pink especially for her skin, but no blisters - it doesn't stop him from gently guiding her to the sink and sticking her fingers under cool (not cold) water. "I will take the tortilla briefly, rinse."
He moves back over to make sure nothing goes wrong with the food, idly glad to have something to focus on. "They can't," he reiterates too. He'd wanted to hear it from Jyn, and despite the fear in her eyes, he believes it. He has to. It doesn't silence his own fear, but they're coming at this as a team - a whole team of people who love Sofia, not just he and Jyn.
"We will eat dinner. I will tell Abuelita after, then she can watch Sofia and we just... start calling people, figure out the next best step. They will not take her. I will not stop fighting them as long as they try."
Jyn looks out the window over the sink, watches Sofia in the garden with her hands on her hips, still being a tiny dictator if the slight arch of Kay's eyebrow is any indication. Jyn wonders what completely ridiculous child logic Kay is biting his tongue to not refute. Yesterday she told Jyn if they watered the garden with purple water, all the flowers would be violets. Not violet, but violets. Despite knowing full well that they just planted daisies.
They can't lose this little girl, she is Cassian's daughter, she belongs with him.
Jyn can't help but feel guilt still, but she pushes it down, tearing her eyes away from Sofia to look back at her fingers.
"They might be rich, but I'm angry and motivated and if your very charming speeches to the choir about unionization has taught me anything, it's that anger and motivation win." And Jyn is very, very angry.
Jyn's anger is weirdly... reassuring. She has weaponized her anger on too many occasions to count, and Cassian would never want to be on the receiving end of it. It's a comfort.
He reaches out and winds their fingers together again (with one hand, he is still multitasking with the food). "We are a very deadly combination," he says, feeling far better suited to take this on with Jyn back at his side. "And they did not factor in the Organas. They are not the only ones with resources just because they come from old money."
He brings her hand up, kissing her burnt fingertips. "I love you. This is not your fault. There is no one I would rather have at my side for this." For all of this - for Sofia, for this battle, for life in general.
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ohnofeelstho2017-11-27 11:07 pm
no subject
Which would have been a good assumption! It reminds him that he needs to... ask her, if she's heard of this. Her parents had barely mentioned her, and he likes to imagine they're on good enough terms that she would have warned him they were coming, if she knew.
Cassian steals a glance out the window, jaw setting in a tight line.
"They told me they want her." As if on cue, Sofia's laugh filters in. "They came all this way just to tell me they plan to seek custody."
no subject
Of course they want her. She is amazing and incredible and wonderful and irritating and stubborn and demanding and too damn smart and perfect. Except they don't even know that because they've never been around, ever.
"They can't have her. Marisol gave her to you. You're her father. They can't have a case, there is no way." But they have money and Jyn knows it and there is a way, money is the way.
"Why? Why do they want her?"
no subject
"I asked. It took them six years, what made them suddenly change their mind?" He feels so angry all over again. "They did not answer me. They only said it was nothing against me, they are just thinking of Sofia. Which would be a first, since I doubt they think of her more than once a year."
He pinches the bridge of his nose. "I don't know what would make them decide now, after all this time. They didn't want her when she was born, why now? Is it because she is school age?"
It's a different kind of responsibility, between infant and kindergartner.
no subject
"They can't have her. They can't take her away from the only support system she has ever known and the only parent that has ever parented her. I will not--" She points a wooden spoon at him suddenly, looking furious. "--let them take her away from us. They offer her nothing that you can't give her. She knows her heritage, she speaks Spanish fluently, she is immersed in her culture. They have nothing that you don't already give her every single day."
Jyn will fight a senior citizen, she doesn't care.
no subject
He's still angry, but he finds himself more at ease too. Jyn was always a little bit ruthless, and it's always a relief when it's on his side. Whatever happens, she's there and she would fight a senior citizen. "I told them no. I told them I would never agree to it, would never stop fighting it. She is happy here, provided for, and we may not be as wealthy as they are, but that cannot be the only factor."
He runs a hand through his hair, messing it up. He likes being a team with Jyn, yes, but he's still simmering. "All they said was they would be in touch again. Nothing makes sense - Sofia would not recognize them! Does Marisol even know?"
It's a rhetorical question, but it reminds him he definitely needs to call her. "They cannot win, right? Whatever they try, she is always going to be with us."
no subject
"It's me." She turns back to the pan, determinedly setting to work to fry the tortillas and feeling her frustrations rise because that is what changed. Jyn. Her father was acquitted of all of his charges, which is why he was allowed to die peacefully of his illness in the town of his children's childhood, but that doesn't mean he was absolved of the public scrutiny for his part in designing (and destroying) better post-nuclear weapons.
People hate Edward Snowden too and he did the right thing.
Now Cassian is engaged to Galen Erso's daughter and suddenly his daughter's mother's parents want to take her away? It's not a huge leap to make. She bristles.
"We're engaged, that is what changed. But we have money now, too. They can go fuck themselves. Leia's parents can find us a lawyer. We'll get letters from her teachers and the girls in that little baby sitter's club that have been taking turns with her on Fridays. Luisa, your old landlord, she can speak to how you provided for her." She shakes her head again as she splashes oil into the pan to heat up. "Marisol can't have known, she would have said something. But you should call her. I don't want her to have to fight against her parents but she gave Sofia to you, she has a say in this as well."
no subject
"No. No. If your father is their concern, any argument will be thrown out the window. There is no basis." Galen and Jyn had minimal contact in the years before he died. Honestly the more concerning parent should probably be Saw, but he's not about to bring that up.
He and Jyn are stable. They have a house together! Even if Galen is the reason, a good lawyer will see it as poor evidence when he died before Sofia was even one.
"You are Sofia's mother, you have raised her with me, and I know Marisol will agree. I will call her, but just - not now. I do not think I can speak to her right now. I do not even know how you can keep cooking right now."
no subject
That is how she can keep cooking, the stinging of her fingers as she flips the tortilla and pats it down into the pan again is keeping her from acting on her rage. Now that she has admitted to her burns however, she lifts her hand so Cassian can look at her fingers before he asks. She knows him very well.
They're not that bad anyway, barely pink. Just enough to sting.
"They can't take her," Jyn reiterates, firm despite the fear shimmering in her eyes.
no subject
He moves back over to make sure nothing goes wrong with the food, idly glad to have something to focus on. "They can't," he reiterates too. He'd wanted to hear it from Jyn, and despite the fear in her eyes, he believes it. He has to. It doesn't silence his own fear, but they're coming at this as a team - a whole team of people who love Sofia, not just he and Jyn.
"We will eat dinner. I will tell Abuelita after, then she can watch Sofia and we just... start calling people, figure out the next best step. They will not take her. I will not stop fighting them as long as they try."
no subject
They can't lose this little girl, she is Cassian's daughter, she belongs with him.
Jyn can't help but feel guilt still, but she pushes it down, tearing her eyes away from Sofia to look back at her fingers.
"They might be rich, but I'm angry and motivated and if your very charming speeches to the choir about unionization has taught me anything, it's that anger and motivation win." And Jyn is very, very angry.
no subject
He reaches out and winds their fingers together again (with one hand, he is still multitasking with the food). "We are a very deadly combination," he says, feeling far better suited to take this on with Jyn back at his side. "And they did not factor in the Organas. They are not the only ones with resources just because they come from old money."
He brings her hand up, kissing her burnt fingertips. "I love you. This is not your fault. There is no one I would rather have at my side for this." For all of this - for Sofia, for this battle, for life in general.