A/N: Alternate Title: Niki Wonders Why the Farmer's Mom/Dad Stops Sending Letters After Year One and She Takes the Idea a Little Too Far.

VERY IMPORTANT: This chapter touches briefly on the subject of sexual morality. It's not really the point of the story, but it pops up once or twice, so just be aware of that as you proceed. This might not be a chapter for the younglings under 13. I considered publishing it separately and giving it a full T rating, but that felt a little extreme for what is probably just a small discrepancy. Still, I always appreciate it when authors are careful about labeling their content, so I wanted to give you guys the heads-up.

This was originally going to be way shorter, but like everything else in this collection, it got way out of hand, and went from being a simple hurt/comfort piece to a portrait of mother/son bonding, a treatise on the importance of self-sacrifice and sensitivity, and an exploration of Sebastian's psyche. For the time being, this is the last chapter on my backlog, so I cannot promise any more regular weekly updates. I've been working in this fandom for a few months now, and I feel ready to move into new territory (any Mandalorian fans in my audience?). But don't worry, it's unlikely that I'll be gone forever. The Valley is a place that I will inevitably return to, no matter how much time I spend away from it. Thank you all for supporting this story, and I hope you have a bountiful harvest this season!

Sebastian woke up feeling giddy.

At first, he couldn't remember why he felt that way. It had been many years since he had begun a day feeling that all was right with the world and his life couldn't possibly get any better. The feeling almost scared him at first. Then the night before flashed through his mind, and the feeling swelled in his chest, and he couldn't stop the stupid grin that spread across his face.

After months of dreaming about it, he'd finally kissed Laura.

He was aware that it was a stupid thing to be so excited about. People kissed all the time, and it rarely ever meant anything. But he couldn't stop his traitorous heart from leaping whenever he remembered the feeling of her in his arms, her lips pressed against his, and Yoba, her smile when they finally broke apart. And it wasn't just the kiss itself, but what it meant for the both of them. They weren't just testing the waters anymore. They were serious about each other now. For the first time in his life, Sebastian could see a future that he didn't have to spend alone. Sure, he wasn't ready to take her to the altar right this minute, but...now it wasn't completely outside of the realm of possibility. He could actually see himself marrying her someday. The thought was both terrifying and exhilarating. He shoved it out of his mind abruptly. Focus on today. He was going to see her again tonight. He was going to pick her up and buy her a drink and everything. Granted, they'd gone on "dates" before, but this was the first time they were doing it properly. His stomach turned over in nervous ecstasy.

He glanced over at his largely-unused alarm clock. 9:13 am. Earlier than usual, but he didn't feel tired enough to go back to sleep. He threw back his covers and rolled out of bed, padding barefoot across the dark room and squinting as he opened the basement door and a flood of daylight enveloped him. He ran a hand through his messy hair as he shuffled down the hallway to the kitchen. He froze in the doorway, his high spirits taking a sudden dip. Right. There was a reason he usually slept late. As he appeared in the room, three pairs of eyes fastened on him; his mother's, surprised but not unwelcoming, Maru's, nothing but startled, and Demetrius's, ever critical. Sebastian swallowed and looked at the floor as he moved across the room to the coffee pot.

"You're up early," Robin said cheerily.

"Especially considering what time you came home last night," Demetrius added, taking a sip of his beverage. Sebastian felt his hackles rise, but he stuffed it down with the memory of last night. For the first time in a long time, he was happy, and he wasn't going to let his step-father take that away from him.

"Did you have fun with Laura?" his mother asked, hoping to ease the tension. Sebastian froze and sent her an accusing glance.

"How did you know I was with Laura?"

"Oh, I might've happened to be by the window when you revved up your bike and I might've happened to look out and see a lovely young lady get on behind you, and I might've happened to put two and two together." Robin gave him a smile that was both apologetic and conspiratorial. Sebastian scoffed and went back to pouring his coffee. "So... Did you have a nice time?"

"...Yeah," he answered softly, feeling a smile tug on the corner of his mouth.

"What exactly were you two doing?" Demetrius inquired. His question was innocent-sounding, but Sebastian knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Nothing," he snarled, jamming the coffee pot back into the machine.

"You stayed out awfully late doing 'nothing,'" his step-father muttered. Sebastian whirled around, nearly sloshing his coffee, in time to see Robin shooting her husband a reproachful look. He felt an insult rising to his tongue, but swallowed it when he thought of Laura. He couldn't let her be another point of contention between him and Demetrius. She didn't deserve that.

"I took her for a drive and we stopped just outside of town and talked for a while. Just talking. Then I took her back home. That's all." He forced his voice to remain level. "I'm not the jerk you think I am," he couldn't help adding. "I would never take advantage of her."

"I never said you would," Demetrius replied in an infuriatingly calm voice.

"You didn't have to." Sebastian stormed out of the kitchen before he could say something that would really get him in trouble. He heard a chair scrape behind him, but refused to look back until a gentle hand on his arm stopped him halfway down the hall.

"Sebby, he doesn't mean anything by it," Robin said softly. "He just doesn't want you to get hurt. He cares about you. That's why he's hard on you." She squeezed his arm. "...He doesn't want you to turn out like your father."

"Does it never occur to him that that's the last thing I want? That I don't want to be a... a slimeball any more than anyone else?"

"Of course it does. But he understands that sometimes bad decisions sneak up on people. We don't always realize what we're doing is wrong until it's too late. He wants to protect you from that."

"I don't need his protection. I need him to leave me alone and let me live my life."

"I'll try talking to him," Robin promised. "But it's important that you understand that he does care about you."

"Yeah, well, I think I could do with a little less caring," Sebastian grumbled. Robin laughed and squeezed his arm again.

"Not gonna happen, sweetheart. We love you too much for that." She stood on her tiptoes and pecked his cheek. "You're going to see her again today, aren't you?"

"H-how did you...?"

"You only ever get up early if you're excited about something. And when you walked into that kitchen, your face was practically glowing, so I knew something good was happening."

"We... We didn't just talk last night," he mumbled, his cheeks turning pink.

"Oh?"

"I... I may have kissed her. And I think... I think things might be starting to get serious."

"Oh, Sebby," Robin breathed, her eyes sparkling. "You mean you might actually love her?"

"Um..." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "...I think I might."

Robin tackled him in a rib-cracking hug, and he only just barely managed to save his coffee from splattering all over the floor.

The day crawled by at a snail's pace. Sebastian tried working on a few programming jobs, but his stomach was a bundle of writhing nerves, and he couldn't focus on anything. He was ready to leave a full forty-five minutes early, wearing a black leather jacket that Robin insisted made him look especially handsome. He sat on the edge of his bed, watching the minutes tick by, until finally, finally it was time to go. He spritzed some cologne onto his shirt, ran a comb through his hopelessly messy hair for the fourteenth time that day, grabbed his wallet and keys, and dodged another one of Robin's smothering hugs as he went out the door. It was the middle of Winter, and the air struck the inside of his lungs like a barrage of tiny icicles. He passed Maru on her way home from the clinic, and she gave him a thumbs-up. He gave her an awkward smile, jammed his hands into his pockets, and forced himself to walk, not run, down the road through the backwoods.

The farm was still when he arrived, blanketed in a fresh snow and sparkling beneath the full moon. His heart fluttered like a butterfly as he mounted the porch and rapped on the front door. He heard a dog barking from inside, but a minute later, Laura had still not appeared. He knocked again. More barking, but no Laura. He checked his watch. 7:03 pm. It wasn't too early. The curtains were drawn across the front windows, and there didn't seem to be any lights on inside. He knocked one more time, swallowing nervously. What if she had decided she wasn't ready for this? What if she hadn't wanted him to kiss her last night? What if-

The handle turned and the door creaked open a few inches. An aquamarine eye peered blearily at him from inside for a moment, before the door swung open the rest of the way. Sebastian sucked in a sharp breath. Something was wrong. Laura's hair, usually shiny and tucked into neat little pigtails, was hanging loose and disheveled across her shoulders. Her clothes were rumpled, as though she had spent the whole day in bed, and her eyes-Yoba her eyes-were so haunted and sad. The dog inside was going absolutely nuts, but couldn't push past Laura's legs.

"Laura..." Sebastian breathed. She sniffled and hastily rubbed one of her eyes.

"H-hey, Seb," she croaked. There was a split second's silence before her eyes suddenly widened, and a look of horror flashed across her face. "Oh my Yoba, our date!" she moaned.

"Nevermind that," Sebastian said quickly. "What happened?" Laura stared up at him with wide, sorrowful eyes. Her lip quivered, but she made no sound. Sebastian tentatively moved his hand to reach out to her, but suddenly she dove into his arms with a sob and buried her face in his jacket, her shoulders heaving. Her dog came barreling out and began sniffing at Sebastian's legs suspiciously, but he was frozen in place, hands awkwardly hovering away from Laura's body as she trembled against him.

What was he supposed to do? She'd never cried in front of him before, and he had no idea what was wrong. Did she want a hug? Words of reassurance? A tissue? Probably not the last one, as his jacket seemed to be sufficing just fine. Words of reassurance weren't an option, as his brain was too scrambled to find anything useful to say. That left him with the hug. He gingerly placed his hands on her back, keeping his grip loose in case she wanted to escape. She only snuggled deeper into him and cried harder. The dog pushed against his legs and a chill wind sliced through the air. Well, they couldn't stay out here on the porch. She'd freeze to death without a coat.

"A-alright, hey," Sebastian stuttered, giving her back a half-hearted little pat. "Let's get you inside, yeah?" Laura didn't move. Wishing his mother was here to deal with this instead of him, Sebastian eased her back and gently steered her into the house. The dog followed them, apparently finished with his inspection of the newcomer, and curled up in front of the empty fireplace. Sebastian shut the door behind them and slipped out of his damp jacket, hanging it on the coat rack by the door. Laura was still quivering and gasping for air. He tucked her back under his chin with uncertainty, relieved to find that she sank against him easily. They stood in the dark entryway for a few minutes, waiting for Laura to collect herself.

"Okay, what's wrong?" he asked quietly, after it seemed like her breathing had started to calm down. She gulped and pulled away from him, silently taking his hand and pulling him into her kitchen, where an inconspicuous letter was lying on the table. She flicked on a light and gestured to the paper wordlessly. Sebastian picked it up warily, as though it was a wild animal that might bite him. He scanned the neatly typed contents for a minute, his eyes widening as he read. "Oh, Yoba..." he breathed. It was a note from the police. Laura's father had been rear-ended at a stoplight at 12:23 pm yesterday afternoon. The collision had snapped his neck. He was dead long before the ambulance could arrive. Sebastian lowered the note with a trembling hand, letting it fall back onto the table. There was a sick feeling in the back of his throat, like someone had just punched him in the stomach. He'd never met Laura's father, but she talked about him a lot. He had raised her alone after her mother died of cancer when Laura was eight. He was the only one who had encouraged her when she decided to quit her job at Joja and become a farmer. Laura's dad was to her what Robin was to Sebastian. And now he was just...gone, without any warning.

"S-so I think y-you can understand wh-why I forgot about our d-date," Laura hiccupped. Sebastian couldn't find it in himself to laugh. He took a deep, shuddering breath and turned to face her. His arms were around her again before he could stop himself."I w-was writing a l-letter to him when I g-got it. I w-wanted to tell h-him all about y-you and invite him t-to come see the f-farm and m-meet everyone, and n-now he's..."

"I know, I know," Sebastian murmured. "Yoba, Laura, I'm so sorry."

"He n-never knew," Laura whimpered. "He never knew a-about us. I didn't tell h-him we were dating b-because I didn't want to g-get his hopes up b-before anything got s-serious, but th-then last night happened, and I..."

"Hey, let's not think about that right now, okay?" Sebastian interrupted. Traitor, his heart grumbled. That's all you've wanted to think about all day. He pushed her back so he could look her in the eye. "Have you eaten today?"

"N-not since breakfast."

"Water?"

"...I guess it's been a while."

"Get a drink and go sit down. I'm going to get you some food. Will you be okay by yourself for a little while?"

"You don't have to..."

"I didn't ask if I had to," he said a little more sharply than he had meant to. "I asked if you'll be okay while I go to the saloon."

"Y-yeah. But I have food in the fridge."

"No, you have raw ingredients. You're in no condition to cook, and you can't just eat vegetables for dinner." Sebastian started rummaging through her cupboards until he found a glass. He filled it with water from the tap and handed it to Laura. "I'll be back in half-an-hour. When you finish that, get another one." She opened her mouth to argue further, but snapped it shut when he swooped in and kissed her forehead unexpectedly. "You need to take care of yourself, no matter how much you're hurting," he murmured. He was out the door before she could form a response.

He paused on the front porch, breathing deeply. He could do this. He didn't need his mother, he could take care of Laura himself. After all, that was going to be his job from now on, wasn't it? If he was serious about being with her, then comforting her when she was broken was part of the package. The kiss was probably too much, he thought with a wince. He'd gotten a little too eager, a little too excited, and he'd let his feelings take over. He couldn't let that happen again. His words from earlier echoed in his mind. I would never take advantage of her. Laura was fragile right now, and in no condition to think about their developing relationship. Even though it had been practically consuming him all day, this wasn't the time for it. But when will there be time? His heart whined petulantly. Later. Maybe never. It doesn't matter. Laura's what's important right now.

She's always been what's important.

It was 2:25 am. There was a dying fire flickering in the fireplace and an empty take-out box on the table. The house was silent. Even the wind had died down.

Sebastian didn't wake up all at once when the phone began to ring. Rather, he felt himself wading sluggishly through the darkness of his mind, part of him reaching out to the new sound, the other part wanting nothing more than to ignore it. The phone continued to shriek. He blearily opened one eye to find himself staring up at the ceiling of Laura's farmhouse, his neck bent backwards at an awkward angle where it rested against the back of the sofa. There was something warm in his lap, and as he shifted, he felt his fingers card through silky locks of hair. The phone screeched all the louder.

Finally, he managed to collect his thoughts from the muddy bog that was his brain. He was in Laura's farmhouse, sitting on her couch, with her head in his lap, and her phone hollering in the kitchen. He glanced down at her, but she was still deeply asleep, curled underneath an afghan he had thrown over her earlier. He groaned silently and forced himself to sit up, carefully lifting her head in his hands and sliding out from underneath her. He slipped a cushion beneath her head, then trudged into the kitchen, cursing the machine that had disturbed him. He grabbed the receiver and brought it up to his ear.

"What?" he grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Sebby!" Robin's voice sounded from the other end. "Oh, thank Yoba, I've been so worried about you! Where have you been? I thought maybe Laura would know... Is she with you?"

"I'm fine, I've been at Laura's house, yes, she's with me." There was a long pause.

"...What are you doing at Laura's house?" Robin asked in a low voice. Sebastian's sleep-muddled brain snapped to attention immediately.

"What do you think I'm doing?" he demanded.

"Sebby..."

"Not that it's any of your business, but I was sitting on her couch while she cried herself to sleep after finding out her dad died. No, we're not having sex-"

"Sebastian!"

"-I already told you I would never do that to her. I'm not like Dad!" He had to grit his teeth to keep from shouting, and his clenched fist trembled at his side.

"...I know you're not, honey," his mother replied softly. "I was just worried about you."

"...Sorry," Sebastian muttered. "Been a long day."

"Is Laura okay? Does she need anything?"

"She's...managing. I think we've got everything covered. Thanks, though."

"Are you going to stay the rest of the night?"

"I think so," he sighed. "She's going back to the city tomorrow morning to deal with everything there. I'll come home after I've seen her off."

"Okay." There was a pause. "I'm proud of you, Sebby."

"For what?"

"For sticking with her. I know you were excited for your date. But you put your feelings aside and took care of her when she needed you. That takes sacrifice. And sacrifice isn't always easy." It's easier when you love someone, he thought, forgetting to say anything in return. "...Sebastian?"

"Yeah, sorry, I was just thinking. Thanks, Mom," he said quickly.

"I love you, baby. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Love you too... G'night." He hung up the receiver with a sigh, and stretched his arms above his head, listening to his back pop. He was probably going to regret sleeping on a couch tomorrow morning. Well, love took sacrifice after all. He went back to the living room to find Laura where he had left her. She shifted slightly and opened one eye.

"Wh'time isit?" she slurred.

"Late," Sebastian answered. "Go back to sleep." He slid the cushion out from beneath her head and sat down beside her, laying her head back down on his lap.

"You can go home if you want," she mumbled, though she couldn't disguise her contented little sigh as she snuggled into him.

"Nah." Sebastian's hand came to rest on her hair again, fingers gently stroking the dark chestnut locks. "I'm fine here."

Sebastian awoke feeling very warm and achy. He hissed as he eased his sore neck up off the back of the couch. He looked down to find Laura's afghan draped over him. Laura herself was moving about the kitchen. He blinked owlishly against the grey winter sunlight streaming through the windows behind him and dug up a hand from beneath the blanket to rub his watering eyes. Laura emerged from the kitchen a minute later, carrying two mugs of steaming coffee. She offered him a weak smile and handed him one.

"You take it black, without sugar, right?"

"Yeah. Thanks." He took an eager sip, nearly burning his mouth, feeling as desperate for caffeine as a drowning man for air. Laura sat down next to him, cupping her mug in her hands. Her coffee seemed to be half-milk. He nearly shuddered in disgust, and took another grateful swallow from his own blessedly dark beverage. They sat in silence for a few minutes, waiting for one of them to collect their thoughts.

"...Thank you for staying last night," Laura murmured after a while. "I didn't realize how much I didn't want to be alone until you showed up." Sebastian merely nodded.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked. It seemed like a stupid question. Could you ever be okay after losing someone like that? Laura shrugged and sipped her coffee.

"I guess so. Eventually." She sighed. "It's just... Sometimes I forget why I feel so sad, and then I remember what happened, and it's like finding out for the first time all over again. But I think it hurts a little bit less each time, so maybe it'll get better after a while." Sebastian didn't know what to say. He'd never lost someone the way she had. He couldn't say if her theory was correct or not. He shifted a little nervously, but Laura didn't seem to notice, because she scootched closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder wearily. "I'm really glad you're here," she mumbled, as if to herself.

"...Yeah. Me too," he replied softly, allowing himself the indulgence of gently resting his cheek against her soft hair.

Fat snowflakes were drifting lazily through the air as the two stood at the bus stop, their breath fogging in little clouds around them. Laura had taken Sebastian's hand when they left the farmhouse, and she had yet to let it go. He certainly wasn't going to remind her.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come?" he asked. It was a little late to be posing this question, but he was finding himself reluctant to leave her side just yet.

"Yeah. There wouldn't be anything for you to do. I'll mostly just be sorting through his old paperwork and packing up a few things. My aunt's going to handle the funeral, but she's the kind of woman who wouldn't want you sitting with us in the family pew unless we were wearing wedding rings, so..." She trailed off, a blush highlighting her cheeks. Sebastian cleared his throat uncomfortably. "...I'll be fine," she finished, giving his hand a little squeeze.

"...If you need something, anything," he said quietly. "...just call me."

"I know," she replied softly. "Thank you, Sebastian." His heart flipped over in his chest as she turned to face him, snowflakes caught in her eyelashes as she gazed up at him. Her blue eyes were still haunted, but the sad look had softened, and there was a flicker of hope burning in them again. Her eyes closed, she tilted her head up, and Sebastian moved before he could think twice. Their lips met, and warmth exploded in his chest and raced down into his fingertips. He gripped her hand tightly, and his other came up to cup the back of her neck. He wasn't really sure how to do it, but he tried his best to pour every ounce of compassion and reassurance he had into that kiss, which probably wasn't much, knowing him, but darn it, it was everything he had. He didn't just want her to know that he wanted her. She needed to know that he was there, that he loved her, that he was in this with her.

Whether he got the message across or not, it was over before he even realized it. Suddenly, the bus was screeching to a halt by the curb, and Laura had picked up her suitcase and was climbing on board. She paid the driver and looked back over her shoulder at Sebastian, a melancholy smile playing on the corner of her mouth. Then the doors closed. The bus hissed, revved, and moved away, disappearing into the tunnel. Sebastian was left standing beneath the bus stop sign alone, snowflakes settling in his hair and on his shoulders.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he just knew that he was going to kiss her again when she came home.