Hi folks!

Thanks for your patience. Here's the last chapter, and as Din will say at some point in it: Better late than never.

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Din laid in bed and listened to Bo moving around the cabin. He heard her first check on the fire, then head into the fresher, and finally open the door to Grogu's room. He assumed she'd closed it and the fresher to force all the heat from the fireplace to his room, which had been a resourceful solution to the cold.

As she moved about, Din pondered what he'd discovered when he woke up. He'd carefully kept his breathing slow, lying perfectly still to simulate sleep. It was something he'd done a few times before, mostly to fool someone stupid enough to try and sneak up on a sleeping Mandalorian. The helmet helped, but not when the person was nestled against your body. He'd had to use all the discipline at his disposal not to move and wake her, unwilling to let her know he was aware of her presence.

His first thought had been surprise at how warm and comfortable he felt, remembering how utterly cold he'd been the night before. His debilitated body had struggled to keep his temperature up when the air became frigid outside the walls of the cabin. In the haze of cold and weariness he had felt a small ball of pleasant heat snuggle into his neck. He smiled now, pulling his son closer, appreciating Grogu's help.

Then Din had become aware of a larger heat source behind him, though he'd been too out of it at the time to register what it was. When he woke and realized Bo was lying behind him sound asleep, Din had been completely frozen for a few moments in shock. He'd barely dared to breathe or even blink, lying almost as still as if the cold had in fact taken him the night before.

In addition to the heat she had provided, Din also had a vague memory of Bo speaking to him for a long while in the darkness. He didn't remember her words, only the feelings they invoked in him. He'd been just under the edge of consciousness, not aware of much but cognizant enough to know that he'd been afraid, fearing the bitter cold was going to make him sick again. That after all their hard work, he would ultimately lose the battle with the nano-droids. But Bo's warmth, and the sound of her voice, had brought him out of those depths.

It amazed him to realize that Bo had used her own body to keep him alive, giving him a bit of her strength to help him survive the night. Din knew they were friends, that she had helped him when he'd been hurt before. But what she had done the previous night was another level of friendship and trust. It was one that he wasn't sure he had earned.

Din also told himself that he shouldn't put too much significance on it, though. She was their leader, a princess, and she would do whatever it took to help her people. Getting the Darksaber and their planet back had never been about power for Bo - despite his thoughts to that effect when he'd first met her - it had been about helping her people.

So that was all that it was, Din told himself. She had simply assisted a fellow Mandalorian in need and he should be grateful for that, and only that. There was no reason to assume her actions had anything to do with their friendship… or anything else.

In the kitchen, Bo put the kettle on to heat up water for some tea. She also brought out the items needed to make caf as well for Din. She would drink caf sometimes, but she preferred tea and had been grateful when she saw that Din had stocked her favorite kind in his kitchen. She had been pleasantly surprised that he'd remembered, as she had only mentioned it in passing around a campfire at some point. But then again, he was a bounty hunter, observant by trade, and he had a knack for paying attention to details.

That was all that it was, Bo told herself. Just a good friend being kind to another friend. Just as her actions the night before had been. If their positions had been reversed, if she had been the one in need of help, he wouldn't have hesitated to do the same for her. There was no reason to assume this had anything to do with their friendship… or anything else.

Din continued to lay tucked under the blankets. He'd originally stayed put for Bo's benefit, not wanting her to feel strange about her position in his bed all night. At the time he'd felt it would be better to let her have the decorum of leaving without a word, without mentioning that he knew what she had done. Now the Mandalorian stayed where he was for his son. He might not admit it to many, but he enjoyed cuddling with his boy. A few days ago, Din thought he wouldn't make it another day and he was determined to relish the quiet moments now. He listened to Grogu's little breaths, punctuated by small snores that made his father's lips turn up under the beskar.

Din heard Bo go back in the kitchen and then the sounds of water being heated. Soon he smelled hot caf and tea, followed not long after by the scent of warm bread toasting, then the sound and smell of sizzling meat on the stove.

On cue, Grogu stirred. Din looked down to find big brown eyes blinking back at him and a little nose wrinkling as it sniffed the delicious aromas wafting from the kitchen. Din smiled to himself.

"Ah, I see someone has woken up finally," Din chuckled at his son, the bottomless pit. "Why does it not shock me that it was food that finally penetrated that deep sleep you had going? Are you hungry, buddy?"

Grogu rubbed his eyes and sat up on the pillow, nodding and signing.

Yes. Hungry!

Din chuckled. "When are you ever not hungry, huh? You little womp rat." Din scratched under Grogu's chin, and the boy giggled, pushing his hand away without much effort, liking the tickle.

"Well, he is a Mandalorian. We have to eat a lot to keep up our strength, especially the younglings."

Din had been facing away from the door and rolled to his back to see Bo walk into the room with a grin.

"I just came to see if he might be hungry," she said. "I should've known the smell of food would wake him up. Works every time for children. I'm assuming it worked for you as well?"

"I was awake but yes, that is something that will wake me up."

"Noted," she said. Bo felt odd suddenly, discussing what might wake Din up in the morning. It shouldn't, they'd been around each other at enough campsites while on missions together. There was nothing odd or even new about being in each other's presence for the first meal of the day. But this time, after the previous night, Bo had a strange feeling. Like she was being given a glimpse of Din's life she'd never had before, one that not many people knew. Why she felt that way she wasn't sure, but somehow everything felt different that morning.

Din cleared his throat, sensing the awkwardness in the room. What was worse was the fact that he needed to add to it. His body was letting him know that it was no longer willing to forego the fresher. And while he was feeling better, he was afraid he might not make it across the hall without her help.

He started to get up and Bo was at his side instantly, knowing what he needed and not creating any embarrassment by mentioning it. Without a word she helped Din across the hall to the fresher, then took Grogu to the kitchen and gave him some breakfast. When she heard Din was done, she came back to help him walk to his bedroom. But of course, Mr. Stubborn wanted to go to the kitchen instead.

"Are you sure you should be walking around so much?" Bo said, helping Din walk to the front of the cabin. "Why don't you stay in bed, and I'll bring something to you? You can't eat in the kitchen, anyway. Unless you want me and Grogu to go to another room. Which we can do, but that just seems silly."

"I'm tired of being in bed. Now that I'm up, I feel much better. I'll be fine. I'm not hungry now, anyway," Din argued, even though he was leaning on her rather heavily as they walked down the short hallway. He had one arm around her shoulders and was balancing with his other hand on the wall.

Bo shook her head and sighed but didn't fight him on it. Once they made it to the kitchen, she expected him to sit at the table. But Din insisted on getting something out of the pantry for Grogu, even though Bo asked him to just tell her where it was so she could get it. She was beginning to think that Grogu's stubborn streak wasn't innate but a learned quality from his equally stubborn father.

"You know, just because the Anzellans injected you with mini murder-droids and Med gave you some clean blood, that doesn't mean you're completely well all of a sudden. You still have healing to do."

Din turned to regard her seriously, his helmed head tipped in question. "Med gave me blood?"

She nodded. "He did it while we waited for the Anzellans to create their little assassins."

"So, it really was… that bad?" Din didn't know how to feel about what she'd just told him. That he'd been correct to assume he'd been close to death.

Bo looked up at his tone, hearing wonder tinged with fear. "Yeah… it was." She cleared her throat. Not liking the somber mood in the room, she looked over at Grogu.

"Your dad is pretty stubborn, isn't he?" Bo mock-whispered to the child, who giggled and nodded.

"Bo?"

Something about Din's voice was off and she looked up immediately from where she was sitting at the table. He was standing by the counter, and she noticed his hands were gripped on the edge, his head hanging down.

"Din? What's wrong?"

"I think… yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm going to pass out."

"What?"

Din sounded so matter-of-fact that Bo thought he was joking, even though that wasn't like him. He'd been feeling better, walking around the kitchen, giving the kid something to eat. This had to be some sort of odd joke.

"Din, are you kidding?" she asked, starting to get up and go to him.

But he'd already collapsed. The brief warning and years of training meant Bo's reflexes were fast enough for her to dive out of her chair, get under his shoulders and guide him to the ground before he smashed his head on the way down. A helmet didn't make one entirely invincible, and landing at the wrong angle could mean a bad headache at the very least.

"Okay, then. Thanks for the warning," Bo quipped as she sat with Din's head and shoulders slumped in her lap.

Grogu cooed worriedly.

"Don't worry, kid. I think he's fine. He just needed a little more rest before he started moving around again."

Bo sighed. She couldn't move Din back to his bed on her own, so she placed his head gently on the floor, then went to his room and brought blankets and a pillow. She made him more comfortable where he was while she and Grogu waited for him to come round.

Din woke up a little while later and this time he didn't protest when Bo made him get back into bed. She brought him something to eat and closed the door so he could have his meal in private. She decided to forego giving him the tongue-lashing he deserved for pulling a stupid stunt like that. Not long after she had Din settled, she heard the roar of the Gauntlet landing outside the cabin, signaling that Med had returned.

"How are our people?" Bo asked when the medic had entered and put down his gear.

"Doing well. Two needed minor surgeries but are stable now. We had them transferred to the medical center on Plazir-15, which is better equipped to handle their recovery. Once they've recovered, we can get them back to Mandalore. The other field medics can take care of the others who were injured."

"You're a surgeon?" That was something Bo didn't know.

Med hesitated, shrugging. "Not officially, but I've learned what I've needed to keep the people in my care alive."

Bo was growing increasingly impressed by this medic. She made a mental note to discuss with the Armorer about setting up a more permanent medical center on Mandalore. They may not always be able to transport their people if they were too injured or ill. It would be better to have their own facilities and crew.

The Mandalorian leader had never seen a medic display the quick-thinking Med did. He used whatever he had available, even if just his wits or his own blood to ensure his patient was well. What she'd seen from Med since the day he had arrived at Din's cabin showed a level of care that was the mark of a true doctor. And if it was something Med wanted, she would do anything she could to help him get any formal licensing he needed to become an official physician.

They couldn't register their medical center if they didn't have a licensed doctor on staff and having a fully functioning hospital wasn't just a necessity for her people, it was good for the entire system they inhabited. Once they had that, they'd be able to register Mandalore as a safe haven for anyone needing emergency medical care passing through their area. Sadly, the system had been missing that for a while, since the Purge, and it was something else that Bo wanted to accomplish with the re-taking of their home planet.

And from everything she had seen, she had found the perfect man to run their hospital.

"How is he?" Med asked, walking down the hall to Din's room, pulling Bo out of her thoughts.

"He's fine. It got very.. um.. cold last night." Bo chose not to elaborate further.

"I noticed the temperature outside. On my flight in, I even saw that some of the shallower ponds were frozen. Very unusual."

"That doesn't surprise me. As I said it was quite cold, but we made it through the night."

"Good. Any new symptoms? Anything I need to know about?"

Med spoke quietly when they entered Din's room, as the other Mandalorian appeared to be asleep. Bo hesitated to answer Med's question. She didn't know if Din would want his brother to know about his passing out. But as a medic, he probably should.

"What is it, Bo?" Med said, noticing her long silence and pensive look.

"She's being nice, trying to save me from the awkwardness of you knowing I passed out on the kitchen floor this morning." They both turned to see Din shifting on the bed to look at them as he sat up, clearly not asleep as they had both assumed.

Med chuckled at Din's admission. "Don't worry, Bo. You can always tell me anything, I promise not to use it against him. At least not until he's recovered, and I can mess with him relentlessly for years to come."

Din sighed and Bo smiled. She was sure these two must have some great stories to tell.

"But thank you for the truth, brother," Med added. "I think that was probably just a blood sugar issue, more than anything else, and maybe low blood pressure from all the lost fluids. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about too much, as long as you continue to take it easy."

The medic turned to Bo. "As I mentioned before, Djar has always let me know what I need to about his condition. So, you're free to do the same. Always tell me, no matter how insignificant it may seem."

"Okay, I'll remember that," Bo agreed with a nod.

"He didn't hit his head when he went down, did he?" Med asked. "If you're not fast, he can rattle that skull of his pretty good. He's done it to me before, a few times."

Bo huffed a laugh at the mental picture of Med diving for Din as he lost consciousness, just as she had earlier.

"No, I caught him. He actually told me he was going to pass out right before he did, so that was helpful."

"Ah good. I see you've learned after that time a while back, huh, old man?"

Bo smiled to herself.

One of these days, I'm going to have to find out why he keeps calling Din "old man".

Med turned to Bo, shaking his head. "He once dropped so fast he broke his wrist, adding to the already extensive list of injuries I was treating at the time. After that, I told him to give me a heads up if he can when he feels it coming."

"Yep, that's exactly what he did," Bo agreed, nodding.

"Good job, brother."

Din made a sound of annoyance. "If you two are done talking about me like I'm a child, can I go into the living room? I'm going stir crazy being locked in this bedroom for days."

Med sighed. "I don't know, Djar. The fact that you already passed out once when you tried to leave that bed doesn't bode well for trying again."

"I'm not asking to run a marathon or spar; I just want to move from this room to another room. What difference does it make whether I lay down in here or in there?"

Din was getting testy, and Med held up his hands to placate his brother.

"Okay, okay, Djar. I'm well aware of your penchant for wanting to move as soon as you can after you've been bedridden for a few days. How are you feeling now? Dizzy at all?"

"No."

"Did you sleep all right?"

"Yes, I slept very well. I was quite comfortable and…" Din's helmeted gaze seemed to shift ever so slightly to Bo. "…warm."

"Great. That's good to hear," Med said, pulling out his gear and starting to examine Din.

Bo's eyes flew open. She was lucky Med was occupied fussing over his patient and didn't hear her quiet gasp as she looked at Din. He seemed to be staring at her, but it was hard to tell. The helmet, unreadable as always, told her nothing. But if she had to guess, she'd swear he'd just admitted he knew about them sharing a bed. Then again, it could just be a coincidence. Simply the fuzzy memories of a man who was still quite ill and had been mostly unconscious.

Her breath quickened at the idea that Din might know she'd been in his bed. No matter that it was under the most honest circumstances. No matter that his son was there, too. It was still an intimate thing, to sleep right next to someone. Bo felt a blush burn her chest, sliding up her neck until it settled on her cheeks. With her fair skin, it would be painfully obvious, and she was grateful Med was looking at his instruments, busy and distracted.

But there was no hiding her reaction from the man who appeared to be staring at her from the bed. If Din didn't know about the actions she'd had to take the previous night, then he might simply be wondering what was wrong with her. If that were true, she'd blame her red face on the fire in the living area, which was putting out a lot of heat now that the temperature outside was warming a bit.

However, if Din was aware of what occurred last night, then he'd know exactly what her blush was about. Of course, that thought only made her cheeks turn redder. Especially when she felt the smallest of smiles tip her mouth before she caught herself, biting on her lip to stop it and force her face back to a neutral expression.

Bo groaned inwardly. Why had she smiled? She shouldn't be smiling. In fact, she should be leaving. She'd promised herself that once Din was okay, she'd leave. She should take her ship and go, then send a team out to collect Med once he was ready. But something kept her right where she was, and she lifted her head to meet the helmeted gaze of the man whose bed she had shared.

Din watched Bo after he made his comment about being warm, unsure what possessed him to do it. When he saw her shocked reaction, he wanted to kick his own beskar-armored ass for causing her any consternation about what had happened. He hoped she didn't think he planned to tell anyone, to turn it into a story full of exaggeration about how he'd "slept with" the Princess of Mandalore.

No, she knew him better than that. Other people might share such a story for fun, to make others laugh, or to fabricate some sense of superiority over whatever lowlifes they were trying to impress in a rundown bar. Din had sat in enough cantinas in the galaxy to hear similar stories, knowing without a doubt that most of them were utter bantha crap.

But if Bo wasn't worried he'd tell tall tales about last night, then why the reaction? Was she embarrassed? Hopefully not, she had no reason to be in his opinion. She'd done a very nice thing for him. There was no telling what his condition would be like now if he'd had to battle the cold with a body that was still reeling from the nano-droid infestation. It might have triggered another fever, and he could be dealing with a secondary infection now. Sadly, he'd been through that before and knew how precarious recovery could be if factors allowed another illness to take hold.

Din hoped that Bo wasn't upset by his admission that he knew what she'd done. And why had he said it? Why not just let it go and pretend he didn't know? He wasn't sure, but something in him wanted her to know that he knew. Perhaps to simply be able to thank her properly, or maybe for other reasons he couldn't figure out right then.

Keeping his eyes trained on Bo, Din noticed a blush creeping up her neck until it burned hot on her cheeks. Again, he felt a moment of guilt for giving her any discomfort after all she had done for him the last few days, especially last night. Then he saw something that made his chest tighten for the millisecond that it was visible. The barest of smiles ghosted across her lips as she looked down at the floor. It disappeared as quickly as it appeared and if Din hadn't been studying her intently, he would've missed it. But he'd swear on his life it had been there. Then she bit her lip and schooled her expression, lifting her head and holding it high as she regarded him with an unflinching gaze.

In that moment Din was certain of one thing: Bo knew he was aware of the previous night. She looked at him steadily, as if asking what his next move would be. For the briefest of moments Din wished that the helmet didn't block his expressions from her. That he could assure her with a look, even a smile to let her know she had no reason to worry or feel embarrassed. That he appreciated what she had done for him. As they continued to stare, Din started to wonder if maybe they might be able communicate to each other without words. If there was a chance he could tell her what he wanted her to know.

Din decided to give it a try. He bowed his head, slowly and deliberately, hoping that his message would be conveyed through his beskar shell.

Thank you.

Seconds ticked by, making Din think she must not have understood. Then Bo's head dipped forward in a motion that mimicked his, and he felt her reply as she looked back at him with soft eyes.

You're welcome.

Unaware of the silent conversation happening over his head, Med finished taking Din's vitals and checking various readings on the monitor he'd set up. Before leaving the previous day, the medic had put a wrist monitor on Din, so he'd know where his patient was in his recovery when he got back. While Bo and Din had been locked in each other's gaze, the medic had also taken another small blood sample, but neither Din nor Bo had even noticed the procedure.

"I'm not seeing any signs that the little bastards are back in your system," Med said, pulling the other two Mandalorians out of their shared reverie. The medic sat up from where he'd been running a scanner over Din and checking the results of the wrist monitor. "Your vitals look fine. Well, at least for someone who's recently been attacked internally by nano-droids."

"Does that mean I can get up?" Din asked, making Bo shake her head.

So stubborn, she thought.

"Alright, I'll allow you to go to the front room and sit on that blasted couch. But that's it," Med agreed reluctantly.

Din nodded his acceptance, happy for that concession from the medic. Med helped Din stand, putting a strong arm around him, which made the recovering man grumble.

"I'm not an invalid, Med. I can walk."

Med sighed, keeping a hand on Din's elbow but otherwise letting Din move on his own. "You know, Djar, I was just telling Bo that you can speak multiple languages, and here you go proving me wrong. Because apparently you don't know the definition of the word 'invalid'. Should we look it up? I can also say it in Mando'a or Aq Vitan if that helps."

Din growled but kept moving slowly out of the room. He would never admit it right then – because boy, would his brother gloat – but he actually did need Med's hand on his arm. Din continued to be surprised by how weak he was, though he figured he shouldn't be, considering he'd thought he was literally dying barely two days ago.

"Because you are the very definition of an invalid," Med continued. "There's nothing wrong with it, you're healing from a devastating, almost… deadly illness. So just stop griping and let me help you."

Din realized then how hard the last few days must have been on his brother. He decided to stop complaining and follow orders. That was always something which helped put Med's fears at ease after one of these scares.

Bo grinned from the living room, listening to the brothers bicker as they came down the hall. After thinking Din was going to die mere days before, their sibling squabble sounded like music to her ears.

Med walked Din to the couch. Bo had wanted to help but the small hallway was too narrow. So, she had carried blankets and now held them aside, ready to put them over Din. The fire was crackling, giving off steady heat. The worst of the cold had passed but it was still near freezing outside and they didn't want to take any chances with the recovering Mandalorian.

Once Din was seated, Bo took the blankets and started putting them over him.

"Just lay down, Djar," Med said, noting Din's hesitancy.

"I don't want to take up the whole couch."

Med sighed and Bo almost swore she could feel the man's eyes rolling under his helmet.

"Djar, the biggest reason I agreed to let you out of bed right now is that it's Life Day Eve and I want you to enjoy it with your son."

"It is?" Din had completely forgotten about the holiday, suddenly feeling guilty that he hadn't been able to do any of the things he planned with his son.

"Yes, it is," Med answered. "Plus, there's a fire out here and this couch that allows you to lay down. Well, almost lay down. You really need a bigger couch, but that's a discussion for another time. Otherwise, you'd be in your room. We'll be fine. It's not the first time any of us have sat on a floor."

Din looked at Bo as if asking for her help.

"Don't look at me," she held up her hands in surrender. "When it comes to this, Med is in charge. A medic outranks everyone, even me in medical issues, you know that. Besides, I'm not the Mand'alor right now, I'm just your friend. Whatever Med says, goes."

Din sighed and laid down, knowing he'd lost the argument. Bo had also brought a pillow from his room, allowing him to sit up a bit with his legs stretched out on the couch cushions. Grogu immediately hopped onto the end of the couch and carefully walked to his father's hip once Din was tucked in with multiple blankets. The father pulled his son in close, rubbing his back as the boy purred happily.

Dad, okay? Grogu signed up at his father.

"Yeah, buddy, I'm much better now. You know, I never told you what a great job you did. You followed your training and brought me help. You saved my life, kid. Thanks for that."

Grogu looked up at his father, then hugged his stomach, as if afraid he would lose him if he didn't hang on tight. Sensing his fears, Din rubbed his back. "It's okay, buddy, I'm all right now."

They relaxed a bit in front of the fire. Din was finally able to ask Med many of the same questions that Bo had, about where his brother had been and how he had survived the fight that night when Din had taken Grogu from the Imps.

While the two men caught up, Bo made some soup, knowing it was the easiest thing for Din to eat. She didn't have any great skills in the kitchen, so it was also the one thing she knew how to make well. She, Grogu and Med ate theirs with simple sandwiches she put together, finding meat and bread in the kitchen. Med took his food in Din's room. Grogu and Bo ate in Grogu's room.

Din ate on the couch. When he was done, he put his helmet back on and watched the fire. He'd only been able to sip a little bit of the soup, but it had tasted great. With the heat radiating off the fire, it didn't take long before he felt sleepy. He laid his head back on the pillow, drifting off before he'd even realized it.

Med finished his own meal and put on his helmet. He heard Bo talking to Grogu in the child's room and knew they were probably still eating. When you didn't socialize as part of your meal, like he and his fellow Children of the Watch, you tended to eat fast. But he assumed they might still take a little while before they were finished. Not wanting to catch his brother without his helmet, Med stepped out of Din's room and paused in the hallway. He noted how quiet it was and smiled to himself. It wouldn't surprise him at all if Din had dozed off.

"Djar?" Med said softly. He didn't get a reply and turned up the audio on his helmet, which detected steady breathing coming from a modulator. Positive that Din was asleep, and in his helmet, Med walked into the kitchen to take care of his plates.

He heard Bo's voice in the hallway a little while later. She spoke softly, as if also guessing that Din might be sleeping.

"Is it safe to come out?"

Med walked to the head of hallway and held a finger up to indicate quiet, then nodded. Grogu and Bo came down the hall. When the boy saw his father asleep, he climbed onto the couch and snuggled into Din's side, joining him for a nap.

Bo looked at the happy sight, but instead of joy she felt a stab of pain. Din was doing better; he had his son and his brother – who was also an excellent medic. She was no longer needed. It was time for her to leave, just as she promised herself she would.

Din had invited her to celebrate Life Day, but that was before his brother had returned. He had his family with him now. He had thanked her for helping him the previous night. There was no other reason for her to stay.

Making her decision, Bo turned to Med.

"So… um… I think I'm going to head back to Mandalore. You have everything in hand, here. I'm not needed any longer."

"My lady…?" Med slipped back into using the formal title, confused by her sudden desire to leave.

"Don't worry, as soon as you're ready to return I'll have a ship sent for you," she assured him.

"But are you sure you want to leave… before Life Day?"

"Yes, I… I don't want to intrude."

"Intrude?"

"I'm intruding on your family reunion. You and Din, and now Grogu, are all family. I'm just…"

"I think I can safely speak for Din and say that we would be honored to have you here. As for us being family… aren't all Mandalorians family? Those of us who are foundlings have made the clan our family. You are our leader; wouldn't that make you family as well?"

"I don't think…"

"Bo, you've helped more than you could know. Din trusted you enough to put you on the list of people Grogu should contact in an emergency. Grogu trusted you enough to reach out to you when he knew his father was in trouble. You brought me here and effectively reunited me with my brother."

Med put his hands on his hips, reminding her of Din. "Forgive me for speaking plainly, Your Highness, but I think you're stuck with us as family now, whether you want us or not."

Bo felt her heart being pulled. She wanted so much to have a family again. But the old fears of being hurt by loss, plus the guilt of possibly causing Din's current condition tugged at her as well.

"That's nice of you, Med, really. You have no idea. But I don't know if I…"

"Why not?"

Bo spun at the sound of Din's voice from the couch. Neither of them had noticed him sitting up, and he was now staring at her. The helmet observed her in its same unblinking gaze, but something about his voice made her pause. Was it… disappointment?

"I just think I don't belong here now," she argued weakly.

"You do."

Din's simple, blunt statements were leaving Bo flustered. He spoke as if he didn't understand why she was even suggesting such a thing. It shook her resolve more than if he'd begged her to stay with long-winded platitudes.

"But I'm not family. You two are…"

"Foundlings who named each other brothers. A man and child who found each other and declared themselves father and son," Din said, again stating simple truths and nothing else.

"Exactly. And what am I?" she asked quietly.

Din paused and Bo was torn between triumph at her point being proven when he couldn't come up with an appropriate term for her, and a touch of heartbreak for the same reason.

"You're… family. Do we need to label it further than that?" Din finally said.

Bo-Katan Kryze - the Mandalorian princess, who had spoken before people her whole life, who had rallied troops, who addressed large crowds on Mandalore – was struck dumb at the direct, yet sincere statement.

"But I…," she began to protest.

"What?" Din's voice was softer this time and her resolve faltered even more.

"What if it's my fault?" She kept her eyes on the T-visor, but her voice barely made it across the room to him.

"What's your fault?" Din and Med spoke together, giving her matching quizzical head tilts.

"What if I'm the reason you were hurt?"

"I don't understand. What do you mean?" Din asked, sounding truly confused.

"I told you to relax, to loosen up at home. Because of me you let your guard down and you… nearly died. Grogu could have been left fatherless… because of me."

She heard Din inhale, ready to speak, when Med held up his hand.

"If I may, brother?"

Din nodded.

"Bo, let me tell you something about him," he pointed at Din. "He was the best beroya in our covert. No, scratch that, he was the best in multiple parsecs."

"Med," Din began, obviously not liking the turn the conversation had taken.

"No, Djar, let me speak," Med said, and Din nodded again.

"Din was specifically requested by people because they knew that if he was put on the job, the quarry would be found. He may be using those bounty hunting talents for the New Republic now, but he's still the best."

"Yes, I know that," Bo whispered. "But…"

Med held up his hand again. "If I may continue, my lady?"

She nodded.

"Now let me also tell you what I know about the one who attempted to murder him. This was not a spontaneous decision acted upon in the heat of battle. Whoever did this planned it for a while. They orchestrated a scheme that probably took them months, if I had to guess. Those nano-droids aren't easy to come by according to our friends on Plazir-15, and they're not easy to inject into a trained warrior without his knowledge. And speaking of those mini killing machines, they were designed to take out a full-grown man quickly."

"But what does that have to do with…?"

"Din did not let his guard down. He was simply attacked by a very devious person, and if this same attack had been instigated against anyone else, I have no doubt that person would be dead."

"But…"

"Bo, it's not your fault," Din said, his voice soft again. The way he spoke reminded her of the night on the bow of the langskib when he had pledged to serve her.

"I can assure you; I did nothing different than usual on my last job. Now that Med has told me more about what happened, I remember the incident and trust me when I say they were good. I can't speak as to whether another would have survived…"

"They wouldn't have," Med reiterated.

"But I can tell you that I didn't change my typical methods of hunting," Din continued. "Despite my brother's praise, I'm not perfect and never claimed to be. I'm simply a man in armor. A well-trained one, but still as prone to failure as anyone else."

He paused again, but Bo didn't speak this time, wanting to know what he would say next.

"The only thing you did for me, Lady Kryze, was remind me of what it means to parent. That it's not all about war and training, but also about love and joy. You encouraged me to give my son something I don't think he's had in a while - a happy Life Day. For that I am eternally grateful. I'm also grateful that you dropped everything and came when he called, not just for my sake but for his. And that you brought my brother back to me, whether you realized you were doing it or not."

Din paused, and Bo still couldn't speak before he continued again. "Bo, you are the very reason this family reunion - as you called it - is happening. How then can you not be here to celebrate it with us?"

Bo's lips pursed together as she struggled to find an appropriate response. She didn't think she'd ever heard Din speak so many words at once, at least not to her. He had taken every argument she had for leaving, every fear about why she shouldn't get close, and blown them apart as easily as if he had used his Amban rifle. Finally, she nodded, realizing there was nothing else she could say. Nothing else that needed to be said. "Thank you. I would be honored to spend Life Day with you and your family."

Bo didn't think too much about the flood of relief she felt once she had made her decision. She would think about it later. For now, she would enjoy the company.

It was a simple Life Day Eve celebration, if it could be called as such. For Din, all that mattered was the fact that he was alive to spend it with his son, brother and… well, he said he wouldn't try and label Bo's relationship to him, so he didn't.

After a few hours, and another simple meal for dinner, Med spotted Din getting tired again and decided "visiting hours" were over.

"All right, Djar, time to get back into bed. You're not fully recovered yet, and you need sleep." Med was relieved that his brother didn't fight him, allowing the medic to guide him back to his room.

"I'll take care of the womp rat," Bo assured Din as Med helped him settle under the covers.

"Thanks," Din said appreciatively.

"Ready for a bath, buddy?" Bo asked the boy who had hopped up on the bed with his dad.

Yes! He made another sign Bo didn't know.

"Bubbles," Din said, noting Bo's puzzled look at the sign. "There's a bottle under the sink."

Bubbles? Bo tried the sign tentatively and Grogu nodded, making Din grin under his helmet.

Yes! Bubbles!

"All right then, let's go," she laughed, following behind the boy as he ran to the fresher.

With Din well enough to not need any watching, he was left alone in his room with the door closed so he could take off his helmet and get some real rest.

"Med, why don't you sleep in Grogu's room? Then you can take your helmet off, too. Grogu and I will be fine on the 'blasted couch'."

Med chuckled. "That sounds good to me. I'll happily take the floor over that couch. Thanks."

It was another cold night but nowhere near as bad as the previous one and all slept well. Bo and Grogu had the fire, so she made sure that Din and Med had most of the blankets. She and the child slept soundly, both of them fitting quite nicely on the "too small" couch.

The next morning, Din woke up just before sunrise, judging by the gentle glow he saw through the cracks in his curtains. He thought he heard rustling noises outside his room and the hushed voices of Bo and Med, and maybe another, but he figured that must be his imagination. Still exhausted from everything that had happened, he didn't attempt to investigate, and when he felt sleep pulling back at him, he closed his eyes again.

Din wasn't sure how long it was before he woke again. The light was brighter, indicating that it was later in the morning, but not very late. He remembered then that it was Life Day, struck by warring thoughts, happiness that he was alive to see it and sadness that he hadn't been able to give his son the Life Day he had hoped for.

But the Mandalorian was going to take the triumphs where he could. For now, he was grateful that he felt strong enough to get up on his own. Putting on his helmet, he got out of bed and headed to the fresher. He could hear Bo and Med talking quietly in the kitchen and smelled caf and other delicious scents, suddenly feeling hungrier than he had in days.

Din walked down the hall a few minutes later. When he got to the living area, he stopped and stared. Under his helmet, his jaw had dropped at the sight he found in front of him. A small tree sat next to the fireplace, covered in white lights like the ones he and Grogu had seen on the tree in the shop. A few packages were underneath, wrapped in simple white paper.

Grogu had been sitting in front of the tree, as entranced with it as he'd been with the one in the village after the last job. Din walked over to the couch and sat down. His son immediately jumped up to join him, signing excitedly.

Dad! Tree! Tree!

"I know, buddy. I see the tree," Din said, chuckling at his son's enthusiasm.

"What do you think?" Bo asked as she and Med walked into the room.

Din turned to look at them and Bo heard the sound of disbelief when he spoke. "How did you…?"

"Bo and I decided to arrange a little surprise and High Magistrate Karga was happy to help. We told him what we had planned, and he had everything delivered here at first light," Med said.

"Come on," Bo said, waving Din to sit down on the couch. "Your kid has been bouncing off the walls waiting for you to wake up so you two could open your presents."

She paused, looking at him. "Unless you're hungry? You can eat first and then…"

Grogu squeaked indignantly, clearly indicating he'd waited long enough to open the tantalizing parcels sitting under the tree.

Din gave a short laugh, shaking his head. "No, I'm good for now. I think we should let the kid open something before he loses it and starts throwing things around the room with his powers."

"Good idea," Med agreed when Grogu jumped up and down in front of the tree. The child pointed to the presents, then asked Din for the sign.

"Presents." Din signed and said out loud.

Presents! Presents! Grogu jumped again, making all the adults laugh.

"How do you know that sign, Djar? I can't imagine you spent Life Day with the Tuskens. Not that you couldn't, but I just didn't think you'd ever been on a hunt in their territory during that time."

"It had nothing to do with Life Day. I happened to be there for another celebration where gifts were given. It's basically the same sign for gift and present."

"Ah, that makes sense," Bo said.

Presents! Presents! Grogu was practically vibrating with excitement, tired of waiting for the adults to stop chatting.

"Okay, okay little one," Bo handed Grogu a present and he sat down and immediately started tearing off the paper, throwing strips up into the air in his delight. When he found a stuffed frog, he squealed and held it close, then immediately lifted his hand to send it floating toward the ceiling.

"Well, that's good. That will keep him busy when we can't be outside at the pond," Din said with a short laugh.

"Which is exactly why I got it for him," Bo said. She smiled down at Grogu as he continued to float the amphibian around the tree. The smile was still on her face when she looked up at Din and he smiled back, hoping she felt it even if she couldn't see it. When her grin widened, he thought maybe she had.

"Okay, kid, now it's my turn," Med said, picking up another gift and handing it to the child.

Grogu let the toy float to the floor, picking up his new gift eagerly. The package was large for his little hands, and it took him a minute to pull the paper off. Inside was a small leather bag that latched at the top. Grogu looked up at his uncle, seeming to ask what the gift was.

"Open it up, you'll see," Med instructed, motioning his hands for Grogu to unlatch the bag.

Grogu did as instructed, reaching his arm inside and pulling out various toys carved out of wood. Din looked closely at the items and turned to his brother.

"Is that a toy med kit?"

"Yep," Med nodded proudly. "I figured it would be good for the kid to learn as much as he can about field medicine. I speak from experience when I say he's going to need it, with you as his dad."

"Funny," Din deadpanned, but they all heard the amusement in his voice.

Bo chuckled, shaking her head at the banter. "Okay, your turn," she said to Din, reaching under the tree to hand him a large box. Din paused, not taking the gift from her hand.

"But I didn't get anything for either of you." Din was disappointed. He'd wanted to do something special for his first holiday with his son and in their own home, and all he'd end up doing was nearly dying.

"Djar, pardon me for being sentimental, but the fact that you're here and talking to us. Alive. That's all I need this Life Day."

"Agreed," Bo said with a firm nod, gesturing with the box until Din took it.

Grogu hopped onto the couch and walked gently toward his father. He cooed, hugging Din's stomach.

"I don't speak his sign language, but something tells me he feels the same," Med said, nodding at Grogu.

"Now, come on. I'm dying to see the look on your face when you open your gift," Bo said with a grin.

Din chuckled, shaking his head at her teasing tone. He tore the paper and opened the box, finding a large and comfortable robe in a dark gray that nearly matched the color of his beskar.

"I realize you may not always need that here, but it sure will come in handy the next few days," Bo said with a shrug.

"Thank you, Bo. This is great." He held it up, then stood up and shifted it over his shoulders. "I'll wear it now. I may also need it when I visit Mandalore," he said, thinking of his planet's penchant for dark and stormy weather many days of the year.

"Good idea. It will work well for when you stay on Mandalore," Bo agreed.

Once Din was seated on the couch again, Med handed his brother another wrapped box. The largest of all the gifts, Din was curious when he felt the heft and heard rattling inside.

"What is it?" he asked as he started pulling off the paper.

"You have to unwrap it to find out," Med said with a chuckle for his brother's impatience.

Din got the wrapping off, finding a large wooden box. He undid the clasp and flipped open the lid. Inside he found a beautiful set of wooden cooking bowls. Each piece was intricately carved with a simple pattern on the outside, which matched the design on the box. There were also wooden spoons of various sizes.

"Med, this is beautiful. Thank you. How did you know?" Din hadn't had a chance to talk to Med and tell him that he'd started learning how to cook. Wanting to give his son better meals than protein bars and camp rations.

"I may have mentioned that you you've been doing some cooking, and as one who has tried a few of your meals, I can attest that you're doing well," Bo said.

"So, I thought these might help. Do you like them?" Med asked.

"I do, thanks brother."

They relaxed for a while and Din enjoyed the morning with the people who had all become like family to him, despite there not being a shared drop of blood between them.

Grogu made them laugh more than once with his antics. First, he flew the frog over their heads, making it dip and dive for their entertainment. Then he brought out his toy med kit, pretending to tend to each of the adults in turn. When Grogu got to Med, Din watched with a contented smile as his brother taught his son how to properly use some of the toy instruments.

Bo watched Din watching his son and smiled to herself. She was happier than she had been in a long time. Maybe it was the holiday, which she'd had no reason to celebrate in much too long. Maybe it was simply some sort of euphoria from thinking that someone close to her was going to die and seeing him now alive and well, relaxing with his son and brother.

"Din?" she asked suddenly.

He turned to her with a questioning head tilt.

"Are you hungry? I just realized we all ate breakfast before you woke up, but you haven't."

Unwilling to leave the beautiful tableau, Din shook his head. "No, I'm fine. I…."

Everyone turned when the Mandalorian's stomach growled loudly, making a complete liar out of him.

"You're fine. Yep, I can hear that," she chuckled. "I'll bring a plate to your room. Go on, get in there before I turn that into an order and make Med carry you." She pointed down the hall towards his room, her other hand on her hip.

Din turned to Med, but the medic held up his hands.

"Nope, I'm not rescuing you, Djar. She's right, you need to eat. Now go, you can come back when you're done."

Din sighed and headed to his room. He only had to wait a few minutes as Bo had a plate warming for him in the oven and brought it to him with a hot cup of caf.

"Eat up and we'll see you when you're done."

As Din ate his meal, he noticed how much better he felt. It wasn't just the physical ailments dissipating, leaving his body, and giving him his strength back. It was that he had a family again. He had nearly died but if it meant getting back his brother, he'd do it a thousand times over. Not that his illness had actually brought Med back, but still. And he felt like he'd gotten yet another new family member now that Bo had decided to stay.

They spent the day talking and relaxing by the fire. Bo laughed as Med and Din shared stories from their time as foundlings. Grogu played with his toys, then napped next to Din on the couch. After the sun went down, Med brought out the long candles they had requested in the package delivered by Karga's people that morning.

"Candles?" Din said as Med started lighting them.

"Yeah, I know we both had celebrations with candles in our respective cities as children. I loved going to the festival with my parents when I was a boy," Med said.

"I did, too," Din said quietly, letting the memories flood over him as he watched the flickering flames.

"Did you celebrate with candles, Bo?" Med asked her.

"We did," she answered. "My…family and I lit candles in the palace. I always thought they were beautiful." She had almost mentioned her sister but didn't want to bring up the memory just then. She would tell them about her, she was sure of that now, but it wasn't the time quite yet.

A little while later, Bo went to the kitchen to make tea. As the water boiled, she looked at the group in the living room. Med was leaning against the couch, his booted feet towards the fire. Grogu sat in Din's lap, playing with his toy med kit again, treating his little frog for an imaginary ailment. Din was idly rubbing the boy's back while he played, but his helmeted gaze was on her, and she could almost picture a shy smile on his face as he watched her.

She walked back into the living area with her tea a little while later, carefully lowering to sit on the floor. Her back was to the fire, and she enjoyed the cozy heat as she raised her cup of tea in salute.

"Okay, my turn to be sentimental," she announced as the two men and child looked over at her. "I think this is the best Life Day I've had in a very long time," she sighed, and they all felt her sincerity.

"Me too," Med agreed quietly.

Grogu nodded, tucking himself into Din's shirt.

"Me too," Din conceded.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Epilogue.

After another day, Med declared Din well enough to not require constant care and said he could recuperate on his own. But only as long as he promised to rest and not take on any new missions for at least another week. Din agreed easily, wanting to spend some more time with his son after the scare. Med also wanted to get back to his patients on Mandalore and check on the ones he had sent to Plazir-15. So, he and Bo left the second morning after Life Day, with promises to visit again soon.

While he rested and recuperated over the next few days, Din thought more about what had happened. He went over the details of the last mission, as well as the incident in the little village in front of the tree display in the window. He was sure the man who had bumped him had given him the poison. What he didn't know was why.

Using his old contacts from his bounty hunting days, even calling on Greef to get in touch with some of the High Magistrate's contacts, Din started an investigation. He also told Teva about what happened and got all the information he could from the New Repbulic's records about that last mission. Something told him there was a connection, he just needed to find it.

He did some poking around, going so far as to contact Captain Bombadier and the Duchess on Plazir-15 to get in touch with the people who had helped with the nano-droid investigation there. Med had mentioned that the microscopic droids were hard to come by and he was right. The captain and Duchess and been only too happy to help, relieved to hear he was doing better and eager to do anything they could to assist with the capture of the culprit.

Using all the contacts at his disposal, Din kept following down every lead. It didn't take much longer to find out who had purchased the batch of nano-droids used on him. Med had gotten images from the scan and Din found the serial numbers. Not surprisingly, it led him back to the planet where he'd cleaned up the small group of Imperial remnants that day. Din suspected that the one who tried to kill him had also been the one who called in the anonymous tip about the Imps.

Once Din had all the information, he was fully recovered and ready to apprehend the person who had tried to kill him. Teva agreed to send a prison transport and put the man in custody. Even though Din wasn't officially working for them, he was still a citizen of the New Republic. All he needed was the proof (which he had) and the culprit (which he would have soon) and Teva's people would make the arrest.

Med and Bo insisted that they come along when Din made the capture. Din protested, saying Teva would be there with a prisoner escort. But his brother and the leader of Mandalore wouldn't take no for an answer.

When they found the perpetrator and Din got a closer look, he saw that it was indeed the old man who had bumped into him that night when he and Grogu had been admiring the Life Day tree. The man hadn't even bothered to leave the city, so sure that his plan would work and that the Mandalorian would have died without anyone being able to figure out what had happened.

It turned out that Din had captured the man as a previous quarry many years ago, which put the man in prison for some time and he'd wanted revenge, plain and simple. Prison had ruined the man's life, destroyed his business, and left him destitute. He never acknowledged the fact that it was his own criminality that put a bounty on his head, choosing instead to put all the blame on Din.

The man had heard rumors of a Mandalorian helping the New Republic, gotten hold of some holovids of Din and known it was the same Mandalorian who had sent him to prison. The body armor was different, but Din's helmet was the same. He knew of some Imperial remnants and made the call, knowing that Din would be sent to clean them up. The man had worked in robotics and used his connections to get hold of the nano-droids, certain that they would make short work of the Mandalorian he claimed had ruined his life.

Bo and Med were basically witnesses, standing by and unnecessary when Din found the criminal and apprehended him easily. There may have been a time when Din would have killed the man outright, but not this day. Seeing as he had survived and been reunited with his brother, Din decided to show more mercy than had been shown to him. He turned the criminal over to the authorities and walked away, forgetting the incident as soon as the prison ship took off.

Once it was over, Din turned to his companions. He shook his head at them, hands on his hips.

"I told you that I didn't need any help."

Med laughed. "Okay, Djar, you were right."

"But you know we had to come anyway," Bo added.

"I know. Now come back to Nevarro. I have a surprise for you both."

Med and Bo shared a look. She shrugged at the medic. "I'm free the rest of the day."

"As am I," Med said. He turned back to Din. "Honestly, brother, I thought this was going to take a lot longer, so I turned over all my patients."

"Good. Let's go. I'll see you at the cabin."

When they arrived, Din told them to make themselves at home and he went into the kitchen. Knowing both Med and Bo as well as he did, he had assumed they would insist on going with him to capture the one who had poisoned him. He also knew it would be an easy job and that they'd be free to return home with him. So, he'd done some preparation ahead of time, putting together the meal he had hoped to serve on Life Day.

Well, better late than never, he thought as he started cooking.

He roasted a large bird and stuffed it with bread soaked in herbs. It was one of the recipes from the book he had that he wanted to try. It was easier than he thought it would be and soon the kitchen was full of delicious scents. He also baked tuber vegetables and seared some rich coniferous vegetables, serving both with heavy amounts of local butter made from milk produced by a tough breed of bovine that survived well on Nevarro.

"Brother, that smells amazing," Med said from the living area. He was sitting on the floor, playing with Grogu, who had brought out his toy med kit again.

"Yeah, we're dying out here," Bo added. "Aren't we, Grogu?" The little one nodded at her.

"Okay just a few more minutes," Din said. He smiled to himself at their enthusiasm, hoping everything turned out how he wanted.

When it came time to serve, Bo and Grogu ate at the small kitchen table, while Din took a plate to his room and Med went to eat in Grogu's room.

After the meal, they all relaxed in the living room. Din sat on the floor with his son, while Bo and Med took the couch. They caught up, talking about all the new things happening on Mandalore. Then Din wandered back into the kitchen and soon another mouthwatering aroma came wafting from the stove.

Med lifted his head, sniffing appreciatively. He looked over and got up as Din pulled a pan from the oven. The smell propelled Bo and Grogu to follow as well, all of them drawn to the amazing aroma.

Din put the pan on the stovetop. Inside appeared to be a dark dense cake of some sort and Med looked at Din, his head popping up in surprise.

"Djar, is this your mother's spiced cake? I haven't had that in… well, decades."

"You've made this before?" Bo asked, looking closely at the beautiful yet simple cake. It appeared to have nuts in it and the smell was making her mouth water. Rich spices with a touch of sweetness.

"Not exactly," Din admitted. "I was homesick one year on Life Day and asked one of the cooks in the covert to make it. I told them what I remembered seeing my mother do and it came out pretty good."

Din had thought having the cooks make the spiced cake would make him feel less homesick. Unfortunately, it had done the exact opposite. Though it hadn't tasted exactly like his mother's, it still made his head spin when memories of his parents had overwhelmed him the moment he'd taken a bite. He'd been happy to be eating alone, having been new to the creed at the time, and ran outside to vomit, never wanting to see the cake again.

But when he began to plan Life Day celebrations with Grogu, Din had suddenly wanted his son to have that cake. He couldn't give his child much from his grandparents, but he knew he could give Grogu that.

They all split off again to enjoy the warm dessert. Once everyone had finished their cake, they went back to relaxing by the fire. The sun was beginning to set, and it was getting cold outside again. Nevarro continued to experience colder than typical temperatures and that night was going to be another frigid one.

Grogu climbed on the couch, looking out the window. Suddenly he began jumping up and down, squeaking excitedly.

"What is it, buddy?" Din asked.

Grogu kept jumping, signing something over and over again.

"What is he saying?" Med asked.

"Ice?" Din asked the boy.

Grogu just nodded and squealed louder. The adults went to the window and stared in shock. Not because they had never seen the phenomenon before, but rather because it was happening on Nevarro – a desert planet with active volcanoes.

Snow.

"Hey, buddy?" Din said, and Grogu looked up, as did the others.

"That's snow," he signed the word for his son, glad that he'd had a chance to learn that one from the Tuskens after regaling them with a story about a hunt on a snowy planet.

"Well, what're we still doing inside?" Med asked, backing away from the window and heading for the door. "Who wants to challenge me to a snowball fight? I may be a medic, but I've got wicked aim."

Din snorted a laugh and Bo looked at Grogu. "Hey kid, what do you say? Shall we take on your uncle?"

Yes! Yes! Snow!

Din followed them as they went out into the cold evening. He settled on the porch, which was sheltered from the snow that still fell lightly, to watch as Bo and Grogu took on Med in a massive snowball war. Din chuckled as he watched them run around and laugh, pelting each other with snowballs. Med only threw little bits of the white fluff at Grogu, who giggled whenever he got hit. The little one had managed to put together a few impressive balls, throwing them at his uncle using his Force powers, which made Din laugh softly to himself.

"Hey! No fair!" Bo laughed when a snowball smacked her while she and Grogu were busy making more ammunition. "You have to wait until we're armed," she told the medic, even as he prepped more snow to pelt at them.

"All's fair in love and snowball fights," Med replied, hitting her with another huge snowball. He laughed, bending over to pack some more of the fluffy white stuff into another weapon.

THWACK!

"What the…?" Med looked up after a very heavy snowball hit him square in the back of the helmet. Hard.

Din stood just off the porch; another snowball poised in his hand. Seeing his brother loaded and ready for battle, Med laughed again.

"Oh, so the beroya has decided to join in? Bring it on, brother."

After that, the air was white with snowballs flying back and forth, the sound of laughter drifting into the night as Nevarro experienced its first snow fall in over a hundred years.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Mando'a translation: Beroya = bounty hunter

And there you have it, my first Life Day story. I hope you all enjoyed it. Thanks again for all the kudos and comments. You guys are the best! Happy New Year!

Now that we know Med's full name, I thought you might like to know how I created it. I mentioned at the end of the last chapter that Oscar Isaac was my inspiration from Med, and that includes his name. I used his first name to create Med's last name (Rosca). Med's first name (Balmed) is from Pedro's father's middle name, Balmaceda, which is also a part of Pedro's name.