Disclaimer: All rights are reserved to their rightful owner of the books, and the characters in the television series.

Author's Note: Thank you for choosing to read my fanfiction, I sincerely hope you enjoy reading it! This story will be based solely off of the television series starting right at Season Nine, Episode One, and so on. The main characters will be Jeb Carter (son of John and Sarah Carter) and Jenny Wilder (niece of Almanzo and Laura Wilder) and their close friendship throughout their childhood and into adulthood. Ages, dates, and point of views will change for every chapter, and I may add a few OC's later on in the story. Please feel free to comment - I'd love to know what you think! Enjoy :)

"You're only twelve years old boy, you don't know what love is."

Spring, 1887

He shivered as he stood up on the tallest branch of the tree, the sparkling yet intimidating pond lie underneath him. All the boys and girls he went to school with in Walnut Grove were staring up at him intently. The boys were smirking as the girls tried to hide their giggles. He figured that he probably looked ridiculous; climbing atop the tree just to show his new classmates that he could swim. Little Miss Not-So-Goodie-Two-Shoes Nancy Oleson was convinced that couldn't swim, as were the others who were immediately influenced by her annoying persona. Though he'd been hesitant, he was always the kind of boy who needed to prove himself. And unfortunately, without fail, he would always find a way to get hurt. This time however, he could care less. He was Jebidiah Elliot Carter, and if he had another middle name, it would be 'Brave.'

When he could no longer bare the piercing stares, Jeb took a deep breath and jumped as far as he possibly could.

He couldn't particularly tell where he was, all he could hear was the faint laughter of his classmates as they watched him descend from the tree.

And descend from the tree he did, the ground beneath him slowly caving in as he dropped.

Lower.

And lower.

"STOP!" An angelic voice screamed, instantly shushing the roaring crowd of students. It was a girl, that was all Jeb could surmise before everything went black.

"Jeb?" He could feel hands pressed roughly against his chest. The scenery around him eventually turned colorless and all he could feel was repeated shaking from whoever addressed him.

"Wake up, Jeb!" A nearby voice protested. Suddenly, Jeb's surroundings came into view once more as he shot up out of bed. The morning sun filtered in through the windows of the little house as Jeb turned to face his brother in front of him.

"Jason, what are you doing?" Jeb asked incredulously, feeling hot for being caught in the middle of such a humiliating nightmare.

"Me?" Jason asked in shock, "Better question, what are you doing? You wouldn't stop shaking and moving around. I feel bad for whoever is going to marry you, they'd be kicked out of bed in no time."

Jeb was about to push his brother off his bed when his Pa climbed up the latter to their bedroom and peaked in. "No arguing, boys. Your Ma is making breakfast. I'm going to be heading to the shop earlier today so I'll give you a ride in my rig to school."

"Thanks Pa!" The boys exclaimed in unison.

Jeb smiled to himself, knowing that he'd be spending less time with Jason than if they walked.

"Hold on. Jeb? Are you alright?" Pa asked, eyeing him worriedly. He nodded quickly as he wiped the cold sweat off his forehead.

"Jeb was - "

Jeb flashed Jason a murderous look before he could complete his sentence. Ever the smart boy Jason was, he kept silent.

...

The sun shone brightly as the horses marched into the town of Walnut Grove, rigs in tow. As much as Jeb thought about and missed his previous home in Long Island, Jeb was beginning to enjoy Minnesota as much as his Ma was. Sarah Carter, having grown up in New York City, wasn't accustomed to prairie living but immediately accepted the peaceful atmosphere as her home. John and Sarah Carter had enrolled Jeb and Jason in school as soon as they settled. Luckily for them, the new term was starting and the boys could not be more anxious. As the school at the very end of town rolled into view, Jeb instantly thought of his dream. Of course, it was only his second day at school and everyone had been nice for the most part, so what did he have to worry about?

"Here we are," John Carter pulled up in front of the blacksmith's shop, interrupting Jeb's thoughts, "I'm going to let you boys off here, have a good day."

"You too, Pa!" Jason said enthusiastically, "Hey look! There's Thomas!"

Jeb immediately recognized Thomas Ryland, Jason's new best friend. He watched as his brother took off in a sprint towards the red-head boy, who was waving and gripping onto a baseball bat.

Smirking, John pulled Jeb aside, "Jeb, do you remember meeting Charles Ingalls' daughter Laura?"

Jeb nodded, though not sure where his father was going with this, he listened intently.

"Well, her brother-in-law and niece are staying with her and her husband for quite some time, they might even move here if they get used to it..." John took a minute to survey the scenery around him. Jeb looked on with him.

"Anyways," John sighed, a smile forming at his lips, "Laura's niece is starting school today. I believe she's only ten years old. I can see how far you and Jason have come from not knowing anyone to making friends in such a short amount of time. I think it would be nice if you talked to her and made her feel welcome."

"But she's a girl!" Jeb protested, "I mean, what if she's boring?"

John chuckled, "Well son, I guess I can't make you. But I told your Ma that I would try my best."

Jeb nodded as the realization dawned on him. His Ma set him up. Amid the rustling rigs, Jeb could hear Ms. Plum, the teacher, pull down on the bell.

"See ya, Pa!" Jeb scurried away before John could say anything more.

The boys who were playing baseball gathered up their equipment and waved to him. Amoung them with Willie Oleson, who wasn't nearly as self-centered as his sister. "Hey Carter!" Willie slapped him on the back, "Jason really wanted to pitch, but honestly, he stinks."

Jeb flashed him a grin before slapping him back, "Don't worry. I know."

Although Willie was almost five years older than Jeb, the two got along splendidly, finding that they had alot in common; especially when it came to baseball.

Jeb was halfway up the stairs to greet Ms. Plum when he was abruptly stopped by a fair skinned girl with blond locks.

"Hi Jeb," Nancy Oleson blushed profusely, twirling her blue hair ribbon around her finger.

"Uh, hi?" His answer coming off more as a question. However, Nancy didn't seem to notice as she continued to ascend the wooden stairs to the classroom with him. "Beautiful day, isn't it?" she giggled.

"Yeah, it is," Jeb said nonchalantly, wondering what he was getting himself into. Nancy perked up, her next question catching him completely off guard, "Hey you're from New York City, right?"

"Kind of," the two made their way inside, "I mean, my Ma grew up in the city. That's where she met my Pa."

"Golly," Nancy sighed dreamily, "You must be rich!"

Jeb forced himself not to smirk at her outrageous statement. It was true, that the Carters had plenty of opportunities to live extravagantly, due to his grandfather's supposed fame in the newspaper business. But there really was alot Nancy didn't know about him, and he preferred to keep it that way.

Before she could ask if he wanted to sit with her, Jeb swiftly took a seat next to his brother. He pulled out his reader and sighed in relief as Nancy haughtily took a seat behind him.

At the corner of his eye, he observed a young brunette woman clasping the hand of an even younger girl as they followed closely behind Ms. Plum. Turning around completely, he soon identified her as Laura Wilder. The other girl, had her back turned to him, and looked slightly shaky. She was wearing a long, calico printed red dress with black boots. Her long dark brown hair, was neatly plaited on both sides of her head and cascaded down her shoulders. When the three finally reached the very front of the classroom, the unknown girl revealed her face. All breath that Jeb had only seconds ago left his body as he gazed up at the scared girl. The whole class had gone quiet as well as they took their seats and eyed the girl curiously.

She was pretty; there was no doubt about that. Her bright blue eyes were what Jeb thought of as striking as she looked at her classmates in turn. Her hair might have been a simple, dark brown to the common eye, but Jeb thought otherwise. It had shine to it, not a fake shine like Nancy's, but more natural and beautiful...

He noticed the girl visibly gulp and look down while her hands stayed firmly by her side. This had to be Mrs. Wilder's niece, Jeb thought.

"Class," Ms. Plum announced, "I'd like you to meet a new student, Jenny Wilder."

"Hello Jenny," the class said in unison, all except for Nancy, who seemed to be in deep thought as well. As Jeb regained himself, he grinned at the new girl as she walked directly to the seat that Ms. Plum pointed out, right across from Jeb.

Laura murmured a word of thanks to Ms. Plum before touching Jenny's shoulder reassuringly and walking out. Though Jeb should have been embarrassed to be caught in such a daze over a girl he never even talked to, he could help but stare at her. Everyone was pulling out their readers and focusing on Ms. Plum, except for him. Hesitantly, she met his gaze and kept it for what seemed like a lifetime to Jeb. He marveled over the gentle grin she gave him as they continued to gaze in each other's direction.

During the blissful seconds that they held eye contact, they didn't notice the sly grin coming from Jason, the envious and angry heat protruding from Nancy's face, or Ms. Plum's voice.

"Jeb? Jeb Carter!"

The sparks died slowly as Jeb snapped his head towards his teacher. "Huh?"

"'Yes Ms. Plum,' not 'huh.'" She sighed, though her eyes were twinkling.

Jeb should have been beat red for being caught in the act of staring at a girl, but for once, he let it go. Jenny seemed to not be bothered one bit as she continued to glance his way, grinning even bigger.

"Oh, yes Mrs. Plum. What?"

Ms. Plum sighed again, "Your reader. Page 5."

"Yes ma'am," feeling more confident than ever, he stood up and began to read. If he had looked more closely, he would have been able to see the unmistakable blush that formed on Jenny's cheeks for the first time that day.

...

It was half past two when the students filtered out of the classroom. Some went home to help their families with their daily chores, while others made a quick run to the pond, which was an inevitably popular place this time of year. Jeb had previously promised his Pa that he would catch him his dinner, though he knew it was silly to turn up at the pond with a fishing pole but not go swimming as well.

Sighing, Jeb walked down the steps, Jason in tow. He looked at Mrs. Wilder's niece, who had made her way to the side of the steps. She looked on at the crowd of students rushing to the pond excitedly. It took Jeb a moment to realize that she was waiting for him.

"You go on," Jeb motioned to Jason timidly.

"Are you sure?" His little brother tried to mask his disappointment.

"Yeah, I'm sure." He concluded.

"Okay, see ya," Jason scampered off, leaving only Jeb and the mysterious girl standing a mere few feet away from him.

Without hesitation, Jeb walked over to the girl. Their eyes never left each other's face, and were both breathless at the idea that this time, no one would be there to interrupt their private moment together.

Finally, she broke the silence, "Are you going swimming?"

Jeb felt an odd sort of pounding in his chest at the sound of her voice. It was unlike anything he ever felt before. Her voice was unique, calming, even angelic. It almost reminded him of his Ma, whom he loved dearly. But she was different, he felt a different kind of longing and admiration...

"N-No, I have to go take care of my pigeons," Jeb told her softly. He mentally scolded himself for making up such an excuse.

Her eyes lit up immediately, "Pigeons?!" She stepped a bit closer.

Jeb chuckled, "Yeah, all my pigeons, I've got tons of them."

"I'd like to see them sometime!" She answered. To say that her smile seemed to make the day brighter would be an understatement.

"Sure anytime!" Jeb replied just as enthusiastically, a little too quickly. He bit his lip as his eyes shifted away from hers, already feeling like a fool. If it weren't for the hat shading his face, he wouldn't be surprised if the girl noticed the reddening of his cheeks.

She was just about to speak before a loud voice cut across the school yard, "Hey Jenny, are you coming?" Willie Oleson hollered, thinking nothing of how close the two were standing to each other.

Giving him a quick nod, she turned back to Jeb, "Are you sure you don't want to come?" Her voice was gentle, almost hopeful. It took all of Jeb's willpower to turn her down again before watching her leave.

He felt awful. Sooner or later, he would need to learn how to swim. For a brief moment, he considered his brother's advice to ask Pa about getting swimming lessons, but that would be too humiliating. Jeb kicked a rock as he pondered that very idea. Sure, it would benefit him. If he could take care of his own animals, drive a rig, and catch fish for his Pa, then how hard could swimming be?

Jeb looked ahead of him and noticed that Jenny had stopped running. She turned around and waved to him, that sweet smile plastered on her face once more. Wordlessly, Jeb waved back, that same longing emotion filling his senses.

"I know that look," a hoarse voice chuckled. Jeb whipped around and saw a raggedy-looking man standing to the left of him. He seemed to have popped out of nowhere as he continued to eye Jeb with a smug smile.

"Isaiah Edwards, good friend of almost all town folk," the man greeted, he held out his hand for Jeb to shake. He'd been told a countless of times to not acknowledge strangers, but something about the charisma of this man made Jeb feel assured.

"Jeb Carter," he took the man's hand, already feeling like a grown up.

"Carter...Carter...OH! You're John's son?! Yes, I've met your folks before," the man's eyes twinkled as he made the connection.

Jeb was utterly surprised, "R-Really?"

"Indeed! So, I see you're making friends rather quickly," Mr. Edwards gestured towards the pathway where Jenny was present only seconds ago.

"Yeah, I suppose," Jeb agreed.

"I fell in love when I was twelve," Mr. Edwards reminisced. Jeb shifted awkwardly, not expecting the sudden change of topic.

"Of course it wasn't 'real love,' but I had that same expression that you just showed on your face about a minute ago! It reminded me of myself when I was a strapping lad, Good times they were, good times."

Jeb blinked at the man confusedly, still oblivious to the meaning behind his story. Love? At twelve years old?

A loud cackle burst from the man who was now walking ahead of him, "They told me: 'You're only twelve years old boy, you don't know what love is.' Well boy to them, I sure proved them wrong!"

Strangely enough, Jeb found himself proud of Mr. Edwards, a man he only met moments ago. Although he would consider himself a general rebel, he found that proving oneself to others was alot more easier said than done. Mr. Edwards had beat the words of the adults, and nothing made Jeb respect him more. He smiled to himself as he thought of the girl with the long, gleaming hair and sparkling eyes. He would get to know her, and maybe, just maybe, she would want to know him too.

And just like that, school was his new favorite place.

A/N: Thank you for reading, reviews are more than appreciated :D