And here we are, the epilogue. Thank you so much to each one of you who read, who commented and kudos and favorited and followed and all that good stuff.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or its characters. I just like to mend my wounds with fic…

…

A young girl weaved her way through the crowded marketplace.

She liked to insist that her 10 years was considered not as young as everyone else says. It granted her some sort of independence, though her father insisted that she keep a com-link and a little knife with her every time she left the house without her parents.

Going to the marketplace was not one of those privileges. Her mother was nearby, haggling with the keeper of the fruit stand.

"Stay close, Liia," her mother exclaimed over her shoulder.

Liia let herself wander just enough that her mother could see her and that she was able to look at the wares of her favorite stand.

Her parents gave her everything she needed, but never let her become spoiled.

She helped her mother with the garden and her father with cleaning the speeder and making sure Kay's joints didn't rust. Usually her work earned her an extra 30 minutes before bed to watch her favorite drama holo, but sometimes she would get a credit to put in the little pouch she kept under her bed.

8 credits burned a hole in her pocket as she looked at the beads and stones that shone under the morning sun.

10 years meant she was tall enough to look at the jewelry without one of her parents hoisting her up.

Every color imaginable covered the table, but one thing caught Liia's eye.

A white crystal, a little longer than her longest finger, shaped like a root from the garden. It lacked all other ornaments that the other pieces of jewelry had, one end simply wrapped around with a piece of twine, making it look plain and boring.

She loved it.

"See something, kid?" the shopkeeper, an old Twi'lek, gruffed.

Liia started a bit and pointed at the rock in the box.

"I want that one."

The man sniffed. The thing had fallen into his possession years ago but nobody bothered buying it. He had considered even scrapping it a few times, but merchandise was merchandise.

And, finally, he was going to make a profit from this little girl who wanted this of all things.

"10 credits," he said.

She pulled out her money from her pocket and looked down at her fist.

"I only have 8."

The shopkeeper looked at the piece in the box and back at the little girl, who looked utterly bereft at the idea of leaving without the rock. But, this was the first person to show interest in it.

Did he really want to lug it back home once the market closed?

Also, the kid looked like she was about to burst into tears and stars help him if a little girl started sobbing right in front of his stall. He dealt with enough of that at home.

"Alright, I'll take 8, kid."

Immediately, she brightened.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, all but throwing the money at him before taking the box, tucking it into her pocket, and running off to rejoin her mother.

The storekeeper caught a glimpse of the mother's face and shook his head.

Figures she would be the kid's mother.

…

Later that night, Liia sat in bed, cradling her new necklace in her hands.

"Liia, what are you looking at?"

Her mother had peeked into her doorway to see Liia hunched over something she couldn't see. Liia looked up with a grin.

"I got something at the marketplace, with the money you and Papa give me sometimes," Liia said.

"Oh? Let's see it, then."

Her mother walked over to her bedside and Liia lifted up the necklace in her hands.

"Look! It was 8 credits and now it's my favorite thing!"

Her mother's eyes suddenly became very bright and shiny and she couldn't help but panic a little. Mama hardly ever cried.

"Is it…bad?" Liia asked, dropping the necklace into her lap like it had burned her hands. "I can give it back to the man tomorrow, I promise!"

The older woman shook her head before sitting on her daughter's bed.

Liia looked up at her face.

Her mother smiled, less tears now, and lifted the necklace into her own hands.

"Little one, I have a story for you. It's about how your father and I met."

…

Nice happy ending to wrap things up. Cassian and Jyn might be dead in the Star Wars canon, but they are alive in our hearts.

Thank you all so much for following this story!

Cheers and God bless,

~Tiara of Sapphires