To find a home (A Modern Setting Rogue One Story)

The Foster Center

'Cassian!'

The familiar voice of his adopted mom "Maria" filled Cassian's ears as he was standing by the front door, ready to leave.

'Yeah?' he called back, and turned to see her walking down the stairs.

'You heading to the foster center?' She asked with a smile.

Cassian chuckled slightly. 'Just like every other Saturday afternoon.'

Maria smiled. 'Of course. Do you mind picking up some eggs on your way back? I have to take Carmen to her dance recital, and don't have time to do it myself.'

Cassian nodded. 'Yeah, sure. But I gotta go now.'

'Of course. Que te diviertas.'

Cassian smiled as he opened the front door. 'Hasta Luego.' He said as he walked outside and pulled the door shut behind him. He got into his car and backed it out the driveway.

When Cassian was 6 years old his parents were killed by a guy robbing the house. He was put in the foster system because all of his family lived in Mexico, and the government felt it was better to keep a child in their country all alone, than to let him go to his family back in Mexico. He had been mad about it back then, silently cursing in his mind at every official he ever met. The foster system was far from fun. Nobody wanted to be friends with him because he was different, and every time he was put with a foster family, he'd be brought back within a month or so. By the time he was 12 he was still not adopted and had pretty much given up hope. That was until a couple walked into the foster center one day. Just like him, their skin color was different from the rest of the people, and it didn't take long for Cassian to figure out they were likely from Mexico too. They were actually looking for a toddler, but when they ran into Cassian, the woman's heart leaped in her chest, and within a month he was living with them. First they were only his foster parents. Adoptions take a lot of time, but the fact that actually wanted to adopt him was already enough for Cassian. By now it had been 4 years since he had been adopted, and Maria and Alejandro, and later on his baby sister Carmen, had become his family.

Last year he had decided to volunteer at the Foster center, knowing quite well how understaffed they always were, and hoping that he could make life a little better for kids who were where he had once been.

When he walked into the center he was hit by a wall of sound. Young kids running around, playing tag and other games, the teenagers watching tv, and the few adults walking around trying to keep order in the room.

'Cassian! Great, you're here.' Baze said as he put his hand on Cassian's shoulder.

Baze was an ex-police officer who had started working at the center after only narrowly escaping death during one of his missions.

'Hey Baze.' He answered and looked around the room. 'Looks like the usual Saturday afternoon chaos, to me.' Even after these years he still hadn't lost his accent. He had come close, after 6 years of the foster system, but being adopted into a Mexican family, had only brought bit back again.

'More messy, I think.' The man chuckled.

'So what do you need me to do?' Cassian asked.

Baze walked over to a cupboard and picked up a can of paint and a brush. 'The fence outside needs painting. Josh promised he'd do it Thursday, but he has called in sick, and we have the annual adoption day on Monday.' Cassian remembered that annual event quite well. It made all the children jittery and nervous. It was the day when a lot of families came in, and your chances of getting out were easily doubled, but after 3 years Cassian had given up, and stopped caring. But he knew that every little thing had to be perfect for that day, so he took the paint and brush. 'Alright, he said.' and walked outside, getting to work.

When he finished, about 3 hours later, the biggest buzz had died down. Many of the kids had quieted down, or gone back to their dormitories. He walked inside, and his eyes feel on a girl, about his age sitting in the corner of the room, back resting against the wall, and her knees pulled up to her chest. He walked over to Baze and put the can and brush down. 'Hey Baze.' The man turned to face Cassian. 'Who's that?' He motioned over to the girl. 'I don't think I've seen her here before.'

'She's new. Her name's Jyn. Past 6 years she lived with her foster father, an old friend of her dad's. Then a few days ago when she came back from school he was gone. He bailed on her, and she was put back in the system.' Cassian looked over at the girl, and felt his heart ache for her. 'She's 16 by now, probably won't get ever adopted anymore.' Baze's attention was called to the other side of the room, where a young girl had fallen of a table.

Cassian looked at Jyn. 16, and being thrown back into the system like that, by someone she probably thought she could trust. He sighed and walked towards her.

'Hey.' He said as he sat down next to her. 'I'm Cassian.' He extended his hand as she looked at him unsure as to why he had come to say hi.

'Jyn.' She muttered softly as she took his hand.

Cassian looked at her, she had brown hair, and light grey eyes. The red rimmed to them showed that she likely had been crying when no one was paying attention.

'Are you okay?' He offered.

Jyn Scoffed slightly. 'I'm assuming you already know what happened to me, as everybody seems to know, so why are you even asking?!' She seemed angry, probably trying to chase him away, but he stayed anyway and just looked at her.

'Because even though you probably don't want to admit it, you want to talk to someone about it.' She looked up at him, as is she couldn't believe what he was saying. 'I'm not asking because I want to hear you say that you are okay. I actually want to know.'

Her look softened. 'I'm mostly just angry.' Cassian nodded. 'I mean, I lived with saw for 6 years! He took me in, pretty much immediately after my parents were killed. But he never officially adopted me.' She sighed. 'I guess that should have already told me he was planning to bail on me. But I can't believe he just left like that. Left me to rot in hell, because no way am I getting adopted by anyone now, I mean, I'm 16, nobody wants to adopt a teenager!' She was tearing up.

'My family did.' Cassian calmly stated, and she looked at him in surprise. 'Although I have to admit, I was only twelve. But my family, they adopted me when I was already much older than the average age of kids getting out of this place. Even though they had come in to adopt a toddler...' Cassian smiled slightly.

'Did they ever tell you why they chose you instead of a toddler?' She asked.

Cassian leaned his head back against the wall. 'Simply put, I was the only Mexican kid in that place.' He chuckled. 'They were coming to look for a toddler, but ran into me by accident. Maria always says that she instantly feel in love with, which makes no sense at all, but whatever. I still don't understand why they chose me, when there were all these, less damaged, younger kids, but they did.' He looked at her again. 'And that is what matters in the end.'

Jyn smiled slightly. 'I guess. But that doesn't mean there is a lot of hope for me ever getting out of here.'

He nodded. 'I know. But at least you have gained a friend.'

'True, I guess today could be worse.'

Cassian looks at his watch. 'I have to go.' He stood up and looked at Jyn. 'Do you go to Bayside high school?' He asked.

Jyn nodded. 'Yup.'

'Well, then I guess I'll see you around on Monday. Bye, Jyn.'

'Bye Cassian.' She mumbled, and he walked out of the room.