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

Kay & Bodhi

Cassian heard a knock on his bedroom door and looked up from the home work he was doing. He leaned back against the headboard of his bed. 'Come in'

Maria slowly opened the door. 'Am I interrupting?' she asked carefully.

Cassian smiled. 'Nothing important.'

She sat down at the end of his bed and looked at him.

'Are you alright, sweetheart?' She looked at him with concern in her eyes. 'You looked troubled during dinner.'

Cassian put the book down beside him and sat up with a sigh. 'There was a girl at the center. Her Foster father who had been caring for her, for 6 years suddenly disappeared and threw her back into the system. No one wants to adopt a 16 year old... it's just...'

'It's unfair, I know.' She smiled sadly. 'I remember the day that we met you, when we told the woman in the office we wanted to adopt you. She first looked surprised, almost confused. She asked us if we were sure, if we hadn't gotten names mixed up. We told her there wasn't a mistake and she smiled. A warm, but still surprised smile. It told us enough. She hadn't expected you to ever get out of there.'

'Neither did I.' Cassian stated. 'Sometimes I still can't believe it.' He chuckled.

Maria took his hand. 'We might not be your real parents, Cassian, but our love for you is real, and that is all that matter.'

'I love you too.'

She smiled. 'I know you can't change that girl's fate. You can't make someone adopt her, but you can be her friend, that always makes it a bit better.' She slowly got up from the bed. 'I'll let you get back to your homework now.'

On Monday morning Cassian sat down in homeroom, next to his friend, Bodhi.

'Morning, Cass.' He said. 'You heard from Kay?'

Cassian chuckled. 'What did he do this time?' He asked as he leaned back in his chair.

'Oh, not much, just hacked one of Nasa's systems'

Cassian looked at body, a look of disbelief on his face. Bodhi just nodded. 'Dios.' Cassian muttered.

Bodhi laughed. 'Yup, and somehow, he even avoided getting arrested.' He looked up to see his pale, tall, black haired friend walk inside. 'Speak of the devil.'

Kay sat down in front of Cassian with a sigh. 'Not a word!' he stated, making Cassian and Bodhi laugh even louder.

'Whatever you say, Kay.'

It was finally lunch time, and the 3 boys walked from the counter in the Cafeteria towards their usual table, talking and laughed, when Cassian's eyes caught sight of something. He froze as he saw Jyn sitting in the corner of a table occupied by people, but she was sitting alone.

'Cass, what's up?' Kay asked, noticing his friend's sudden freezing.

Cassian shook his head. 'Uhm, nothing. I'll catch up with you in a minute okay.'

Bodhi and Kay shrugged and sat down as Cassian turned and walked towards Jyn. 'Hey.'

'Hi.' She dryly stated without looking up.

Cassian noticed odd colors in her hair, and quickly realized it was paint. 'How did you get paint in your hair?'

'The guy sitting behind me in art class thought he was funny.' She sighed, still not looking at him.

Cassian shook his head. 'Would you like to join me and my friends for lunch, Jyn?'

It seemed he finally had her full attention as her head snapped up to look at him. 'Really?!' She asked. 'They won't mind?'

Cassian shrugged. I doubt Bodhi would, Kay, not so sure, but he will live.' He smiled. 'Come on. The foster center is not the most homely and fun place around, no need to feel horrible at school, too, right?'

At that she smiled and stood up, picking up her tray. 'Lead the way.'

Together they walked over to Bodhi and Kay, who both looked up a little surprised as Jyn and Cassian sat down. 'Guys, this is Jyn.' He announced. 'Jyn, these are Bodhi and Kay.'

'Hey.' Bodhi said with a smile.

'Who is she and how do you know her?' Kay blurted out, and Cassian and Bodhi sighed.

'Kay!' Bodhi and Cassian both chimed.

'Ignore him.' Cassian said. 'He is not a people's person.'

Jyn looked from Cassian to Kay, figuring it wouldn't make much of a difference if Kay knew about their connection. 'I'm the current most hopeless case of the local foster center, if you must know.' She snapped, and somewhat enjoyed Kay's taken aback look.

'Oh.... Sorry.' He mumbled.

'You met Cassian at the Foster center?' Bodhi asked, sounding genuinely interested in her.

Jyn nodded. 'Yeah, I sat in the corner of the room for most of the day, and he was the only one who ever bothered to talk to me. Well, other from the big old Asian guy who seems to be in charge.'

'That's my dad.' Bodhi softly offered. 'Well, one of my adoptive fathers'

'You were a foster kid too?'

Bodhi just nodded.

'Kay is the only one here who actually knows his parents.' Cassian stated.
'Sometimes wish I didn't.' Kay uttered, not looking away from his physics book, before looking up and realizing what he had said. 'I'm sorry, that was...'

'Tactless and inconsiderate of others' feelings? Yes, yes it was.'

'Cass, we both know I don't do well with feelings.' Kay said, a slight joking tone in his voice.

'Oh really, I hadn't noticed.' Bodhi chuckled, making the other guys smile.

'You guys are odd.' Jyn concluded. 'I like it.'

From that day on, Jyn was no longer alone at school, she had friends. But that didn't make everything okay. Every night when she lay in bed she was still confronted again with the reality, that she would likely spent the next 2 years in the foster center, before being kicked out because she was too old. Bodhi and Kay didn't notice. Kay rarely ever noticed emotions unless they were blatantly obvious. Bodhi on the other hand, just hadn't been in the foster system long enough to lose hope like Cassian once had, and Jyn was now. Cassian, however, always knew.