Chapter Text
When Jango had asked for an unaltered clone of himself he hadn't put much thought behind the request. Actually, he had put a lot of thought behind it. Just not the right kind. He knew his clan was dying out and he wanted to help where he could. Having his own child seemed like a reasonable solution. It wouldn't bring the clan's numbers up by much but it was one more than before, and he wouldn't be alone anymore. There was just one very important thing he forgot to plan for. Being a father.
He quickly realized he had no idea how to raise a child when the Kaminoans first placed his son into his arms. All he had ever known since he was a child was war and the struggle for survival. Even now his life consisted of training soldiers and hunting down bounties. What did a child need? He knew the basics. Proper nutrients, warm clothes, and shelter. But beyond that what was required? How did he cope with tantrums and sleepless nights? How was he supposed to raise him when he constantly left Kamino to hunt down bounties? He felt like he was drowning by the end of the first month of caring for his child, and the ever-growing doubts and fears of being a father were quickly beginning to crush him. He had severely underestimated how difficult this was going to be.
It hadn't been his intention to rope you into helping him raise Boba. It had been an accident you even discovered the existence of the child. You found out about Boba when Jango called you for help with tracking down a bounty. He normally despised working with others since they had their own fighting styles and tended to ignore his plan if an easier route presented itself. You were one of the few people he could tolerate and he would try to work with you if he ever needed the extra firepower. He trusted you above everyone else he knew since he'd grown up alongside your clan and you'd fought by his side in the wars. He knew if there was anyone he could call at the last minute for help it was you.
You were surprised when you received the comm from Jango. You hadn't heard from him in almost two years and assumed he'd simply been killed. Yet when you saw his request for help you didn't hesitate to make the jump to hyperspace. You weren't sure what he was doing on Kamino, but you weren't about to start poking around. You were here to help with a bounty, not ask questions. When you saw Jango you knew something was off. The usually tidy and neat Mandalorian was a haggard unkempt mess. What was even stranger was the fact his thoughts were muddled and he hardly seemed to be thinking straight. He'd forgotten what day it was, along with the fact you told him you'd be arriving that day. When you tried to ask if he was alright he was quick to shut you down, reassuring you everything was fine. He'd left you in his suite with strict instructions to stay by the doorway.
You did as he asked at first, standing idly by the door as you waited for him to dress in his armor. However, a flicker of lightning drew your gaze toward the expansive room down the hallway. That's when you spotted the small pram resting near the window. Was that what you thought it was? No, it couldn't be. You cast a quick look over your shoulder to ensure Jango was still in the refresher before stepping closer to the pram. The white and orange blankets inside were moving about and you realized there was, in fact, a baby within. It didn't look to be any older than a few months. Why didn't Jango mention he'd had a foundling? Or perhaps he was watching it for someone from his clan? The door to the refresher slid open and Jango emerged all the while grumbling to himself. He froze when he saw you crouching in front of the pram.
"I didn't take you for the buir type, Fett," You teased, wiggling your finger at the baby. He latched onto your finger without hesitation before gumming at your glove. He was a spitting image of Jango, with a mess of dark curls and an adorably round face. Was it his biological son perhaps? It was possible Jango had found a partner since you last saw him. He cleared his throat, tugging at the straps of his bracers as he approached you.
"Neither did I, but I wanted to do my part to help regrow our numbers," He said, watching you with apprehension. He hadn't wanted you to know about Boba. He didn't need you involved, he just needed a little help with this one job.
"What's the child's name?" You asked, smiling over at him. He hesitated before making his way over to you, peering into the pram at the smiling baby inside as he spoke.
"I've named him Boba."
"Is this why you needed my help with the bounty? Because your attention is split?" You questioned, bopping the baby's nose and making him giggle. Jango shrugged as he watched you interact with Boba. You were far better with children than he would have thought.
"Something like that," He muttered, picking his helmet up from the table beside the pram. Yet you made no move to leave. Instead, you seemed rather taken with the small child as you continued to coo at him. He cleared his throat to get your attention before motioning towards the front door. You pulled your hand free from Boba's grasp, giving him an apologetic look when he whined. It was obvious the child didn't like to be left alone. Had Jango been doing that this whole time? Just leaving the baby here in his suite while he went after bounties? While you wanted to scold him you couldn't exactly condemn him either. The Kaminoans weren't exactly the best babysitters.
"Why don't you stay here with him? I can track the bounty for you," You suggested. Jango scoffed, rolling his eyes as he tugged on his helmet.
"I'm not so weak I can't track my own bounty."
"No, you're not. But you do have a child who needs your attention, and it's obvious you need time to rest yourself," You retorted. You knew what it was like to care for such a young child and it wasn't easy. It took a toll on you physically, mentally, and emotionally. It was obvious Jango hadn't had anyone here to help him and he was struggling. He seemed torn between simply pushing through this or taking your advice to stay. You placed your hand on his shoulder as you added.
"I'll tell you what. I'll do this job for you and bring you back the full payment."
"Why would you do that?" He blurted out, startled.
"Do you really have to ask that, Fett?" You chuckled, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "You've saved my life so many times I'm practically indebted to you till the end of my lifetime. I think I can run this one job for you with no strings attached."
Before he could attempt to argue you were already halfway towards the door of his suite. You stopped long enough to point a finger at him with a stern look on your face.
"You had better have rested by the time I come back, or the next person I put down is you. Understood?" You said before disappearing out the door. A small smile tugged at Jango's lips as a wave of relief washed over him. Maybe he had needed your help more than he first realized. He pulled his helmet off before setting it aside and beginning to work on the rest of his armor. Boba began to fuss and Jango sighed.
"I know, she's irritatingly bossy isn't she?" He asked, scooping up the small child from the pram. He rubbed small circles against Boba's back as he lay down on the couch below the window. He hated the fact that you were right about how tired he was, but he didn't exactly have a choice when it came to leaving Boba behind. He was far too young to leave abroad a ship and at least here he knew he would be safe. His eyes began to drift closed as a low rumble of thunder sounded overhead. He'd just rest here until Boba settled and then he would place his armor back on its rack before going to his own bed. Except he never made it any further than making his plan to get up and tidy everything away before he fell asleep himself. Fatigue finally won over the stubbornness of the Mandalorian.
By the time you returned from the bounty, you found Jango out cold on the couch snoring. The lower half of his armor was still on and Boba was sound asleep on his chest. You smiled to yourself as you grabbed a blanket from his bedroom, draping it over him and his child. You set your helmet on the table beside Jango's before casting a glance at the sleeping man. You could stay here until he woke up. It wasn't like you had any better place to be. Then once you gave him the payment and you were sure he was alright, you'd leave. Yet even as you thought it you knew you'd stay as long as he needed you to. That was the trouble with Jango. Ever since you were children you were willing to do anything for him. No matter what it cost you.
You kicked off your boots before going to use his refresher, deciding if you were going to stay for the next rotation you might as well wash off the grime and blood.