Disclaimer: All rights go to Mrs. Laura Ingalls Wilder and the producers of the television series.
A/N: Thank you for the sweet messages ~ This chapter is based off the episode "Marvin's Gardens." Now, let's move forward with the next chapter!
"You really jumped in and got it for me?"
"Of course I did. What's important to you is important to me. And... I would do it again," he said, brushing her hair away as he fastened the chain with the locket back around her neck.
Late Summer, 1889
Whether or not they wanted to admit it, Jeb and Jenny couldn't deny that there was something special between them. They spent nearly every week together throughout the rest of spring and into summer. Sometimes they would be with a group of their peers, but most of the time it was just the two of them and Jason. They would often go to the pond where Jason would mindlessly fish while Jeb and Jenny lie close together underneath the large oak tree that Jeb had fallen from years ago. Oh, how things have changed since then... Needless to say, Jason brought home a ton of fish that summer.
The more time Jeb and Jenny spent together, the less they thought about the incident that occurred a few years prior. Jeb didn't think that it was a coincidence at all that he knew exactly where to find Jenny when she left her goodbye note for her aunt and uncle. Although it was a more sad, traumatic memory in their blooming friendship, it had definitely brought them closer in many ways.
Jeb never thought that he would save Jenny from the pond again, even under much different circumstances.
It was Friday, and the students just finished their first week back at school with Ms. Plum. As always, Willie suggested that they go to the pond to cool off. "The winters here are long and freezing, so we should make the most of it," he had said.
The students agreed and fled from the classroom and out into the airy summer.
After playing and splashing each other in the pond for what felt like hours, the kids got out to dry off and put their shoes on before heading back to their folks. Jeb, Jenny, Jason, and Willie were still in the middle of a competitive game of shoulders wars, with Jenny on Willie's shoulders and Jason on Jeb's. Jenny appeared to be the winner, which only frustrated Jason and left Jeb with a sore neck.
"I can't believe we lost to a girl!" Jason reached out and tugged at one of Jenny's braids. Jenny quickly reached to grab her braid from Jason's hand in protest. She was about to talk back when she noticed that her chain was missing. This particular chain was one of Jenny's most prized possessions because it held a locket that had a picture of her father inside. She would wear this necklace close to her heart every day, to make her feel close to to him. The very thought of being without it absolutely devastated Jenny.
"My chain," she began, "Why didn't I take it off! I need to go and find it."
Jeb saw how determined she was, but he had a sinking feeling that she wouldn't be successful. "Jenny, the water is all murky, you're not going to find it."
By then, Jenny had already jumped into the water in a haste, looking in every possible direction.
After several more moments of Jeb telling her to come back out and Jenny protesting even more, Jeb's arguing was replaced with the need to help her. Perhaps, seeing her alone in the water made him feel uneasy.
"I have to help her," he said, kicking off his shoes.
"But she's never going to find it!" Jason exclaimed.
"I know, but I have to help her anyway," Jeb said before diving back into the water.
Once he was fully submerged, he cautiously opened his eyes which began stinging from the dirt. The pond was so murky that it was nearly impossible to see anything. Before his eyes could fully adjust, he came back up to the surface for air.
"Jeb, Jenny has been down there a long time," Jason said worriedly. Beside him, Willie, Nancy, and Abigail surveyed the pond with concern.
Jeb didn't waste more time as he submerged himself in the water again. All thoughts of helping Jenny find her locket were gone, he needed to rescue her. His heart pounded with each passing second. Jeb felt like he was reliving his worst nightmare of losing her, his best friend. He couldn't, no, he wouldn't let that happen.
Finally, he saw a figure of a young girl caught underneath some branches that had fallen into the pond years prior. He quickly realized that it was Jenny. With all the strength in him, he lifted the branches out of the way and caught Jenny by the waist before safely bringing her up to the surface.
"Jenny!" Jason chattered, as the two resurfaced.
"Is she okay?" Willie asked, making a move to help them.
"I don't know," Jeb said, "But we need to get her to Dr. Baker as soon as possible."
Everything that happened after that was a whirlwind for Jeb. He was insanely sore, and tried his best to keep his brother calm. Jason was crying and whimpering, which gave Jeb even more initiative to stay strong until they finally made their way home. It was well after suppertime, and was nearly dark.
Sarah Carter rushed out of the house, "Where on earth have you two been? I was so - "
Jason ran into his mother's arms and continued to cry, "Jenny got hurt. I don't know what's going to happen to her. But Jeb saved her!" He pointed at his brother.
Sarah embraced her youngest son. A look of understanding came over her face. Still holding onto Jason, Sarah glanced at Jeb with great relief and concern. It was almost too much for Jeb to handle. He ran into the house and bumped right into John, who had just finished setting the fire for the evening.
"Woah son, what is the hurry?"
John took one look at Jeb and could immediately tell that something was wrong. Together, they walked further away from Sarah and Jason until they were in the kitchen. Once Jeb could only hear the muffled cries from Jason, he himself broke down and told his Pa everything.
"I was so scared, Pa," Jeb said, trying to keep himself together, but failing miserably. "It just brought me back to that day at the pond... I don't know, I can't think about what I would do without her. She's so special, determined, and she makes me want to be a better person. Jenny loved her Pa so much, and now she doesn't have that one picture and memory of him. I didn't know what to do other than to jump in and help her. She's at home with Mr. and Mrs. Wilder and Dr. Baker now... I don't know what is going to happen. I don't even know if she's safe, or awake!"
Jeb sobbed mercilessly, his hands covering his face. John tried to put an arm around his son in an act of comfort, but it did nothing for the scared and trembling boy.
"I know that you and Jenny have gotten close," John began, "And it was God's will that you were able to save her life for a second time."
Jeb was so racked with emotion that he thought his head would explode. He grabbed onto his father's arm to steady himself.
After a few minutes, John spoke, "Jeb, look at me."
Though he was feeling dizzy, nauseated, and sick with worry, he forced his tear-stained eyes to focus on his father. Even through the blurriness, Jeb could see the pain in John's expression as he spoke, "You have to have faith. Jenny is a very strong girl, she will get through this. You did right by going in the water to help her. I'm so proud of you."
John embraced his son as Sarah and Jason solemnly came into the house.
"I'll just warm up some soup for the boys," Sarah murmured as she shuffled her way into the kitchen.
An hour passed and Jason and Jeb excused themselves to go into the loft and get ready for bed. Jason seemed to be doing better since they arrived back home, but Jeb couldn't say the same for himself. He lie on his bed with a sad, empty look on his face. He sighed deeply, knowing that he wouldn't be getting any sleep that night.
"Are you going to be okay, Jeb?" Jason's voice pierced through the silence, interrupting Jeb's troubled thoughts.
Jeb nodded slowly, as if he were trying to convince himself.
"Jenny was still breathing when you pulled her out of the water. Dr. Baker is taking care of her now and she's very strong, just like Pa said!"
Jeb didn't respond. He instead gazed wordlessly at the ceiling. Fear and longing had entered his heart. All he could think about was her. Her well-being, her laughter, her voice, her beautiful and soft skin...
"I can't lose her," Jeb whispered, not even looking in Jason's direction. "It kills me that I can't be with her right now."
Usually, Jeb wouldn't have these types of conversations with his little brother, but he felt like he needed to confide in someone at the moment in order to stay sane.
"I know you love her," Jason said. "I overheard Ma and Pa talking about how possible it was that Jenny might be their daughter-in-law one day."
Jeb's heart sped up. He released a shaky breath before finally turning to his brother, who was smiling slightly at the idea of Jenny joining their family. As much as Jeb wanted to scold his brother for being so forward and out of turn, he didn't have the energy to say more. Instead, he rolled himself off of his bed and got on his knees. Tears began to slip from his eyes and he prayed for Jenny, softly muttering his words. Towards the end of his prayer, Jeb asked that if Jenny was able to pull though this nightmare and be okay, that he would promise to ask her to be his beau one day, and that he would adore her and take care of her every day after that.
Jeb climbed back into his bed, and hugged his pillow. Though the pain was still evident, Jeb felt a significant weight lifted off his shoulders. He had to have faith that everything would turn out the way it should.
He finally was able to drift off to sleep, and he dreamt of him and Jenny in a land far off. A light breeze went through Jenny's long tresses as she gazed at him though her eyelashes, a slight blush and coy smile developing on her face. Jeb took both of her hands in his and kissed them softly. Everlasting words of love and bliss were spoken as the warmth of a forest fire filled their hearts. It was just the two of them, somehow older and wiser, yet deeply and eternally enamored by one another. Even more profoundly, there was an evident, mutual understanding between them that they belonged together. It was a vivid feeling of wholeness that Jeb never felt before.
He would remember this sweet dream for the rest of his life.
Days later, Sarah had gone to see Laura and offer her condolences. She also knew that Jeb was suffering from not knowing about what was happening to Jenny, so she made sure to come back with that information as well. Truthfully, she needed to know that Jenny was going to be okay. She and Sarah had become close, simply by seeing each other nearly every week since they moved to Minnesota, and getting to know each other better. Jenny had become a beacon of light in her life - as if she was the daughter Sarah never had.
Although the news of Jenny took Sarah by surprise, she was at least grateful that she survived.
"Jeb," Sarah sat her son down by the fire that evening. "I spoke to Laura today, and I found out that Jenny is going to be alright after all."
"Really?" Jeb lurched from his seat. "I need to go talk to her, or send her a note, or - "
"Listen," Sarah interrupted. "Jenny may have survived but she is in recovery. Laura told me that she's having trouble speaking, that she can't walk as well as she used to, and that simple, everyday tasks have proven to be difficult."
Jeb sat down slowly, he pursed his lips and looked into the fire. "Ma, what can I do?"
Sarah sighed, "Jenny needs space and some time to recover right now. I don't want to hear about you going to visit her. I think I overwhelmed Laura and Almanzo enough by stopping by today. That poor family," Sarah shook her head, "We must keep them in our prayers and pray that Jenny recovers a little more every day. She's a precious girl with such wisdom and talent, I would hate to see her not accomplish all that she wants to in life."
Jeb nodded, thinking back to the times Jenny thought about becoming a teacher or writing a book, like her Aunt Laura. Jeb smiled softly, knowing that she would excel at whatever she chose to do in life. He would watch her and support her always.
It was a rather loud day in the classroom as the students either shouted at each other across the room or compared notes. Jenny hadn't come to school in over a month, and his Ma was still hesitant to let them visit. Jeb over heard his parents talking about how Almanzo said to them that Laura had taken Jenny's accident very hard and cried nearly every day. She definitely felt responsible, for reasons unknown.
The walk to school during the week was also very strange without Jenny. Jeb prayed every night that she would recover soon. She was the smartest girl in the class and his best friend. Although she was probably the most popular, Nancy was more than happy to take her place. Nancy seemed to enjoy Jenny's absence - probably because it meant that she could be in the spotlight more often. Jeb cringed whenever she would smile at him and ask if he had seen Jenny lately. He took all he had to shake his head and just ignore her. It was obvious that he, let alone anyone else, didn't see her often. And it killed him.
The morning passed quickly. By afternoon, the classroom was bustling once again. Jeb was just about done going over his homework with Ben, one of his classmates, until he saw a small figure standing at the threshold of the classroom.
Jeb paused, as if he could hardly believe his eyes.
It was Jenny!
She looked tired, weary, yet somehow excited to be there. Of course, Jenny had always loved school and never missed a day since her Pa passed on.
"Jenny," Jeb said, not too loud but loud enough for everyone to turn around and look at her in awe.
He wasted no time as he walked towards her and grabbed her hands, a bright smile on his face. Many other students surrounded her and cheered, enveloping her in a huge embrace.
As Jeb held Jenny's hand in his, he could feel her shaking. He then realized that she hadn't murmured a word since she came in. She almost seemed hesitant to talk, Jeb noticed. It was completely out of character, and Jeb wanted more than anything to take her away from the school and just catch up with her alone. Before he could consider it further, Ms. Plum's voice rang through the excitement.
"Alright, class. I know you're all excited to have Jenny back but we must settle down and get back to our lessons!" Ms. Plum emphasized, holding up her teachers reader edition. The room got quiet as the students went to settle back in their seats.
To Jeb's dismay, the only seat open in the class was next to Nancy, which was where Jenny would have to sit.
"Jason," Jeb whispered, "Go sit next to Nancy."
"Are you crazy?" Jason raised his eyebrows.
Before Ms. Plum could scold them for talking, Nancy raised her hand. "Ms. Plum, do you think Jenny could tell us what it was like to almost drown?"
Jeb rolled his eyes, of course she would ask. Some students bounced in their seats with excitement while others, like Jeb, simply wished that they could start on a new topic. Jeb shot Jason a glare as he noticed his brother looking eagerly at Jenny, wanting to know every detail as well.
Jenny visibly gulped. She stood up and began talking. Her voice still sounded the same, but there seemed to be a stutter after another stutter. Jeb recalled how his Ma told him that she would have trouble speaking.
He glared at the students across the room who were laughing at her attempts to speak. Nancy was awful, he thought. She only wanted to embarrass Jenny.
Finally, Jenny sat back down miserably. She finished telling her story the best she could. Jeb was so proud of her for coming to class, despite not being fully recovered.
When the students came back into class after lunch, Jeb noticed that Jenny was missing. He meant to keep a close eye on her while he played baseball, but he must have become too preoccupied.
A few more hours passed until it was finally time to head home. Jeb grabbed his books and lunch pail before stalking over to Nancy, who had a bemused look on her face.
"Oh, hi Jeb!" Nancy said innocently.
"Hi," Jeb began, "I haven't seen Jenny since lunch. Do you know where she is?"
Nancy smirked.
"Tell me, Nancy." Jeb commanded, his face hard.
Nancy at least had the right mind to look a little weary of him. "I don't know. I spoke to her during lunch and then she probably just ran away. Not my fault."
"What did you say to her?"
"Nothing important."
"Nancy," Jeb felt himself losing it, "What did you say to her?"
She lowered her eyes as Jeb frowned at her, visibly furious.
"I told her that I didn't think I could live with myself if something like that happened to me," Nancy fluffed her dress. "I mean, can you imagine? How humiliating for her to be the laughing stock of the school."
Jeb paused. He took a moment to gain his composure. Him and Nancy were the only two left in the classroom. He could slap the smug look off of Nancy's face and no one would know, but he knew better than to hit a girl - even if it was Nancy.
"You stay away from her," Jeb said, his voice low.
Nancy rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Tell me, Jeb. What is the real reason you came here to talk to me?" She batted her eyelashes and moved closer to him.
They stood so close that he could almost hear her breathing.
Finally, Jeb unclenched his fists and focused his gaze on her. Nancy's smile slowly began to fade as she realized the intensity of the situation. If there was one time where she could take her words back, now was the time.
"You're a godless girl, Nancy Oleson." Jeb said, before abruptly walking away.
They wouldn't speak to each other again for a while.
Nearly a month after Jenny had come to school, Jeb had gotten ahead in his studies for the first time since moving to Minnesota. He was determined to make Jenny proud and even score better than her on tests when she returned.
Besides school, he spent most of his time fishing, playing baseball, or learning new skill sets from his Pa on the farm. Life was calm and interesting, but not nearly as exciting. Jeb thought about Jenny daily and how much he wished he could see her. He wanted to tell her that she wasn't alone in her suffering and that he would always be there for her.
One afternoon, Jeb was racking hay in the barn when he heard a pigeon cooing from behind him.
Wordlessly, he turned and noticed that the pigeon was carrying a small note tucked inside a cylinder. His cylinder!
He quickly unraveled the note and read:
J -
Meet me at the hilltop by Hanson's barn. I'll explain everything.
- J
Jeb's heart began to race. He would recognize her intricate handwriting anywhere. He put his rake down and ran to the vegetable garden where his Ma and Pa were conversing.
"Ma! Pa, I think Jenny wrote to me. She wants to see me," Jeb breathed, "Ma, please let me see her."
Sarah looked hesitant, but eventually she nodded and gave him a soft smile, "Please tell her hello for me."
Jeb smiled and look at his Pa, who was already beaming. "Go ahead, son."
Jeb stuffed the note in his pocket and grabbed a few things from the house before taking off to the location where Jenny said she would be.
It was a beautiful mid-afternoon, almost evening time. The sun was slowly descending and left traces of pink colored clouds and a cool breeze. Autumn was evident in Walnut Grove. Jeb ran past dozens of trees that shredded orange, red, and gold leaves onto the ground. It felt as if he was in a different realm, about to see Jenny again for the first time in weeks.
He prayed that she would be happy to see him, and that their close relationship could continue the way that it had before, the way that it always had been.
From a distance, he could finally see Jenny in her beautiful red dress. She wore her hair down and had one big wildflower tucked behind her ear. Beside her, there was a much older man with a cane. The two seemed to be happy to be in each other's company.
Jenny was about to kneel down to pick more wildflowers until her and Jeb finally made eye contact. Jenny smiled and waved excitedly for him to come over. When they were nearly a few feet from one another, Jenny spoke, "I missed you, Jeb."
"Jenny," Jeb said breathlessly. She looked and sounded amazing, as if the accident never happened.
Jenny laughed and rushed over to him. He caught her in his arms and swung her around in circles, both laughing in utter contentment.
Jeb put Jenny back down and embraced her again. "I'm so glad you're alright. You're so brave and strong," he whispered to her.
Jenny pulled back and smiled, "I have my friend Marvin to thank for that."
She gestured towards the elderly man who appeared to be blind. "He's one of the greatest doctors I know. He helped me regain a lot of my strength back, and I was finally able to find my voice again."
Marvin chuckled, "She's quite the young lady. Jenny is and was my last patient."
Jeb stepped forward and grasped his hand, "It's so good to meet you, sir."
"Likewise," Marvin chuckled, taking his hand. "You saved her too, you know."
"He's right," Jenny smiled, "I'll always be grateful to you, Jeb."
Jeb blushed. As Marvin wandered off a little ways, Jenny took the time to embrace Jeb again. He didn't object as he held her tightly.
"You have to forgive me for not reaching out to you sooner," Jenny began. "I was so angry and humiliated at what had happened. It was hard to even face my own folks at times."
"Although," she continued, "Having that alone time and getting to know Marvin was one of the greatest blessings. I learned to accept my flaws and love those around me even more," Jenny reached for Jeb's hand. "I never want to take all that you've done for me for granted."
Jeb took both of her hands in his, "Well, I know you won't. And you have helped me in more ways than one. I'll always look out for you, Jenny."
The two gazed at each other wordlessly as Jeb raised his hand to caress her soft cheek. It was in that moment that he remembered something very important.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a shiny chain with a silver locket.
Jenny's reaction was priceless. "No... is that - "
"Your locket with the photo of your Pa? Yeah." Jeb said. "The photo did get ruined, though. But I wanted you to keep the locket anyway. I know how important it is to you."
For a moment, Jeb panicked as he noticed Jenny's face now streaming with tears.
"Jenny," he said, "I'm sorry if - "
"You really jumped in and got it for me?"
"Of course I did. What's important to you is important to me. And... I would do it again," he said, brushing her hair away as he fastened the chain with the locket back around her neck.
"This is one, if not the most special thing anyone has ever done for me," Jenny gushed. "I never thought I would see it again."
She turned around and planted a light kiss on his cheek. From a little ways away, they could hear Marvin humming an old tune as the sun continued to descend.
"It's getting late," Jenny sighed.
"I hate that you're right," Jeb replied, his mind still whirling from the unexpected kiss. "Shall we take Marvin home?"
"I think that would be great." Jenny smiled.
Jenny and Jeb held hands the entire way leading Marvin home. They continued to hold hands up until they saw Almanzo feeding the horses outside of Jenny's place. He eyed them curiously as he watch the pair unclasp their hands from one another.
"Hi Jeb," Almanzo nodded before looking at Jenny, "I thought you were out with Marvin."
"I was," Jenny said, "But I invited another friend along the way," she beamed at Jeb who smiled back.
Almanzo continued to eye them curiously as they said their goodbyes.
"You need a ride home, Jeb?" Almanzo asked.
"Oh, no thank you sir. I can manage," Jeb replied. "It's good to see you again."
As Almanzo watched Jeb take off, he couldn't help but feel a ping of sadness. Jenny was growing up, and he knew that he wouldn't always be the only man in her life. He noticed that they looked at each other the way that he and Laura used to, and it was in the beginning stages of their love.
Almanzo shook his head. He would lose one of his girls some day, and he wouldn't have a choice. He promised his brother Royal that he would look after Jenny, and he was very uncertain that there would ever been another man good enough to take his place.
A/N: Thank you! Please read and review - it means so much to me!
