Phew, ten chapters in already! It's a miracle!

Full disclosure, for a long time I didn't think this fan fiction was going to make it to publication. I struggled so hard with the plot and pacing, and I'm still not totally happy with it in parts, but I've put so much work into it now that it would be a shame to scrap it.

Besides, I think I managed to bring it back alright. What about you?

Chapter 10: Raining Light

The days after Eda's passing were the hardest Oak Tree had to deal with in a very long time.

Everyone was utterly devastated, but especially Fritz. For a time, he refused to leave his farm, leading to a colossal blowout between him and Raeger that resulted in the copper-haired chef quite literally dragging the distressed farmer from his home and into the restaurant for some real food.

The rest of the town fared better, but Eda's loss was felt strongly throughout the following week. Shops closed early, plans were cancelled, the Trade Depot was less lively than usual, the whole town's atmosphere seemed grey with depression. Even the Fireworks Festival was pushed back, allowing everyone time to grieve.

But now it had been a week, and things were starting to come back to life.

After Fritz was 'rescued' by Raeger, he began to recover. Once the bubbly young farmer started showing signs of normalcy, the rest of the town followed suit. Veronica announced that the Fireworks Festival would go ahead the upcoming Saturday, and that simple decision shocked some much-needed energy back into the masses. The fireworks would be held in Eda's honour, and the town was determined to make her proud.

Raeger and Maya watched everything happen from a safe distance, with the exception of Fritz's intervention, recovering at their own pace from the comfort of Maya's farmhouse.

When he wasn't at the restaurant, Raeger practically lived at Maya's farm. He couldn't bring himself to leave her alone, even though she insisted that she was feeling much better. Her words didn't matter to him- not when he could still catch glimpses of sadness lurking behind her eyes when she thought he wasn't looking.

Raeger hated how powerless he felt. After his mistake the night of his birthday party, one that he still wasn't sure Maya forgave him for, and his failure the following morning, Raeger was more determined than ever to prove to Maya that he was worthy of being in her life.

On the day of the fireworks festival, everyone was alive with excitement and energy. Maya made a generous donation, one that allowed Veronica to supply a fully-stacked show for the townspeople. Corona and Gunther organized a cleaning crew that worked through the day to make the Trade Depot sparkle, Mistel and Lilie composed a set list of songs that could be played during the festival, and Raeger volunteered to supply the food.

He hadn't seen Maya all day due to that promise. Raeger was holed up in his kitchen, popping and bagging mass amounts of kettle corn that he could hand out later. He did this every now and again, and it always made him smile to see how happy the villagers were with the small gift. Still, this year was difficult. He wanted to be available to Maya as much as he could, knowing that a day like today would probably be hard on her. She promised him she was fine, but he knew better than to believe her.

"Are you done in here yet?"

Raeger jumped, dropping a bag of popcorn on the floor and groaning in frustration. Good thing he'd made extra.

"Just about!" He called, looking up as Marian made his way through the stacks of food. "What are you doing here? I thought everyone was heading to the Depot already."

Marian nodded, sneaking a piece of popcorn from a nearby bag.

"Maya was worried you wouldn't be able to carry all of this by yourself," he explained, waving at the piles with an exaggerated flourish. "But Veronica needed her to help set up. So, I volunteered my valuable time."

"You volunteered to help?" Raeger laughed skeptically, eying Marian with an amused smirk. "To lift things?"

Marian rolled his eyes, hoisting a load with his manicured fingers.

"You've seen through me, I'm afraid." His voice was listless, exhausted from the toll the previous week had taken on everyone. It was strange, seeing Marian with less than a fireball of enthusiasm. Now, it was barely a spark. "I have ulterior motives for being here."

"And they are?" Raeger prompted, gathering the remainder of the popcorn into a manageable pile.

"You know I hate meddling, Raeger," Marian started, earning a hearty laugh from the chef. The doctor shot him a warning glare. "But I feel I must intervene, for the sake of everyone involved."

Raeger felt a pit begin to form in his stomach. "Involved in what?"

Marian paused, chewing his lip in thought.

"I… well, I don't know everything going on between you and Maya at the moment, but I feel I know enough." He took a deep breath, steadying his confidence. "Frankly, it's none of my business. But after all of… this, as a medical professional I find myself concerned for Maya's mental health."

Raeger's eyebrows knitted, a small frown marring his lips.

"Whatever your intentions with that girl," Marian trudged forward, "I implore you to think before you act. You've been spending a lot of time with her lately, no doubt providing irreplaceable support through this ordeal. I just want to be sure that you're prepared for the importance of such a role in a grieving person's life. Maya is not one of your conquests, Raeger. Boyfriend or otherwise, it would be cruel to abandon her now simply because you're bored."

The young chef bristled at that, the apprehension in his gut melting to anger.

"I would never abandon her," he spat vehemently, resisting the urge to yell. "Maya means more to me than you could ever- I can't believe you would say- how dare you-!"

Marian held up a hand, stopping Raeger just as his breathing quickened.

"It's just some food for thought, little chef," Marian smirked, though the amusement didn't reach his eyes. "You're not the only one worried about her."

Heavy silence hung between them, a million thoughts racing through Raeger's head. As much as he wanted to defend himself, as much as he wanted to throw Marian out of his restaurant for even suggesting such a thing, he understood. Oak Tree had just lost one of its people. Marian wanted to make sure they wouldn't lose another.

Taking a calming breath, Raeger brought himself to his full height and met Marian's curious gaze.

"Maya is more dear to me than anything in this world," he vowed, ignoring the embarrassment pinking his cheeks. "As long as she needs me, I'll be there for her."

Marian smiled, satisfied with his answer.

"Well then, in that case," he grinned, turning towards the door with a much lighter load than he could comfortably carry, "come on little chef. We have a show to do."

.

"There you are!"

Maya sighed, stealing half the stack of boxes Raeger was struggling with. He tried to protest, but she wasn't having it.

"Everyone's been waiting for you," she tutted, nodding to the group behind her. Corona and Gunther were smiling faintly, as if they weren't sure yet of the proper way to greet everyone. Iris and Klaus were standing just a touch away from everyone else, no doubt sensing the mild tension Maya still felt towards them. The rest of the villagers were spread out across the Trade Depot, huddling with cautious anticipation as Veronica finalized the preparations.

"Sorry," Raeger shrugged, offering a half-hearted grin. "Marian came to help and ended up just slowing me down."

"Why isn't that surprising?" Klaus muttered, interrupting Iris's story. A ripple of laughter moved through the group as the perfumer realised he'd been heard.

"I'm surprised at you," Marian pouted, furrowing his brow in a frown. "I'm always helpful."

"Not tonight you weren't," Raeger agreed, feeling a flutter of guilt. Marian's words bothered him, far more than he'd let on, but he swallowed his pride for the sake of the festival.

"Well it doesn't matter now." Maya placed the boxes of popcorn on the ground, looking to where Veronica had been just a moment ago. She was anxious to get things started now that everyone was accounted for. "Raeger? Do you want help handing these out?"

"No can do, baby doll." Raeger shook his head, hoisting a more manageable armload of boxes. "You stay here and get comfortable. I'll make my rounds and be back before you can miss me."

"Take all the time you need, Raeger," Corona sang out after him, "I don't think we could ever miss you that much!"

There was a muffled 'hey!' of indignance as Raeger disappeared into the crowd, just missing the outburst of chuckles from everyone.

"I miss him pretty much all the time," Maya admitted truthfully, smiling at Corona. "I'm not sure what I would've done without him over the last week."

"How're you doing anyway?" Klaus asked, he and Iris finally joining the main group. "I was getting worried when you weren't answering my messages."

"I haven't really been answering anyone's," Maya responded, stretching the truth a little. She'd been corresponding with Corona and Raeger, but that was about it. Everyone else had taken a back seat until she was feeling more like herself. "But I'm doing much better now."

"That's good," Iris exclaimed, a gentle expression gracing her features. "After Fritz, I think everyone was worried about you the most."

Maya didn't say anything to that. At a festival in Eda's honour, she expected people to talk about her. As a matter of fact, she'd been mentally preparing herself all day. Unfortunately, it didn't make it any easier on her.

Veronica's voice interrupted any further chatter, announcing that the show was just about ready to be underway. A soft round of applause flared, with a few people giving cheers.

"Looks like we should all find our spots," Corona decided, nodding to Gunther. He'd slung a blanket over his shoulders, in case they wanted to sit somewhere on the cobblestone. "Maya? You want to come with us? I think Raeger is just about finished."

"Too good to stick with the riffraff?" Marian teased, waggling his finger admonishingly. "I'm surprised at you three. I thought this was a family event."

"You're welcome to join us too, Marian," Maya assured him. "I just thought you prefer bothering Klaus."

Marian paused, his lips pursed in thought.

"You know what, you're right." He chuckled, turning instead to where Klaus and Iris were standing. "Where shall we go, my dears?"

"Not leaving without me, are you?"

Raeger appeared almost as suddenly as he'd left. When Maya questioned him, he explained that Veronica set up a table for his popcorn without his knowledge, so 'handing them out' had been a mercifully simple affair.

"I brought some with me though," he assured the group, hoisting a full box in his arms. "Don't worry your pretty little heads about that."

"Never forget your friends," Marian nodded sagely, plucking a bag, "if you eventually become a world renowned chef, I hope you know I still expect freebies."

"That reminds me!" Corona exclaimed suddenly, shoving her popcorn into Gunther's hands. He nearly dropped it, recovering at the last possible second. "My sister sent me tickets to this trade show in Mineral Town. It's a weekend convention, and on Sunday night they have a gala. Gunther can't go, but I'm dropping by to push our brand."

"A gala?" Iris snorted, "sounds like the exact opposite of something Raeger would be interested in."

"I was hoping you would come, actually." Corona continued, ignoring Iris's jab. "There'll be a lot of other chefs there, I thought it would be a good opportunity to network."

"That would be amazing, Corona," Raeger grinned, already planning around the restaurant's hours. "I'll be there."

"And you're more than welcome to bring a date," she winked at Maya, who was pulling a water bottle out of her bag. The young farmer laughed.

"Raeger's done more than enough for me," Maya insisted, shrugging. She wasn't cut out for fancy events, and besides, she wouldn't want to distract him. "I'm sure he's sick of my face by now."

Corona laughed, but Raeger was entirely focused on the absolute lie that had just left Maya's lips.

"Well actually I-"

A loud hiss interrupted him, followed by a burst of light from somewhere over the trees. Everyone turned in awe, staring as the tendrils of colour whirled their way through the night.

"Wow!" Maya exclaimed, grabbing Raeger's sleeve in excitement. He smiled to himself, placing his hand gently over her fingers.

"I've never seen them this big before," Gunther mused, his arm slung loosely over Corona's shoulders. "They really went all out this year."

"Well Eda deserves it," Corona agreed, nodding decisively. Maya shot her a grateful look, pulling her attention back to the sky as more pops and bangs sounded through the air.

"Eda would've loved this," Maya smiled wistfully, staring at the colourful splashes lighting the sky. Raeger smiled too, thinking of the old woman and how delighted she would've been to be here.

"I'm sure she's watching from somewhere," Corona placed her palm reassuringly on Maya's shoulder. "She wouldn't miss something like this."

"Not to mention the popcorn," Maya laughed, plucking a bag from the tray in Raeger's hands. "It always was one of her favourites."

"Of course it was," Raeger snorted, lifting the tray higher in his hands. "Everything I make is delicious."

Maya rolled her eyes, happy to be feeling this way again. A sense of normalcy had crept into the back of her mind and, to her relief, it was clinging tight.

After what seemed like too short a time Veronica cleared her throat, catching everyone's attention to inform them that the last few fireworks were about to be set off, and then the night would be over. There was a collective murmuring of sadness, followed by the unmistakable sound of yawning coming from every direction. As much as they hated to admit it, Veronica was right to end the show now.

Maya blinked, her own eyelids starting to feel weighted. She stared at the sky longingly, waiting for the final burst of light, and then she would get to go home to what she hoped would be her first good sleep in a long time.

.

Raeger was exhausted.

The last of the fireworks had fizzled, just like Veronica promised, but he was still here. Someone had to clean up the garbage left around, and since it mostly consisted of the popcorn boxes he provided…

His back was aching from all of the bending he was doing. Maya offered to help, but he told her to just wait for him by Jonas's booth. He'd be there to walk her home as soon as he was done.

Despite the sombre tone of the evening, Raeger felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off of the town. While the start of the ceremony had been quiet and respectful, by the time everyone filed out of the Trade Depot, he could hear laughter and cheery chatter from everywhere.

It eased some of the discomfort in his own heart.

"Hey Love Bug," Raeger chirped, slinging the bag of empty popcorn boxes over his shoulder. As full as it was, there was barely any weight to it. "I'm just about done here, then I'll walk you home."

"Okay," Maya nodded, head tilted back. The gentle tone of her voice made Raeger pause, turning back to get a look at her face.

"Everything okay?" He asked, furrowing his brow. Maya nodded again, her eyes transfixed on the stars above. Raeger hesitated, chewing his lip as he watched her.

Maya had her arms wrapped around her knees, hugging them as close to her body as she could. Her skin was pink with cold, but she'd refused his offers to lend her his jacket. Her hair was wild from the wind, floating above her skin with each passing breeze.

And yet…

Raeger could barely trace her features from where he was standing, but if he squinted hard enough, he found that Maya looked almost happy. The closest to any positive emotion he'd seen on her in a long time. Veronica had been right to push the festival after all, as much as he hated to admit it; she was incredibly cocky, when she had the opportunity.

The last of the popcorn boxes having been discarded, Raeger extended his hand to Maya. She blinked up at him, her mossy eyes finally bright with something other than tears.

"Let's head out," he grinned, revelling in the feeling of her delicate fingers in his grasp. "You'll need to get some sleep for tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Maya cocked her head to the side as she struggled up from the ground, her legs numb with cold. "What's happening tomorrow?"

With a devilish wink, Raeger slung his arm about her shoulders.

"I'm taking you out," he informed her, setting off at a slow pace. As much as he wanted Maya to get her rest, this would be the first night in a long time that he wasn't spending with her. He wanted to drag their time together out just a little longer. "Just you and me. A real date."

"A real date?" Maya repeated dubiously, smirking. "With you?"

"'Real' is a loose term," Raeger conceded, though instant regret flooded through him, "but I mean it. I'm taking you to town with me and we're going to have some fun. I think we deserve it."

Maya smiled, a bubble of anticipation building in her chest.

"I think you're right."

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