Episode: 3

Number of chapters: 1

Title: "Not Too Little, Never Too Late"

Genre: Angst, Fluff, Family, Holiday, Father/son, BoDin slow burn romance

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Hi folks!

Here's a little post-Life Day story that came to me a few days after the New Year. I realized that Din never gave Med and Bo anything for the holiday, so I wanted to write about that. Actually, it was more like I wanted Din to give Med something very specific. I needed an excuse to do that and, well, my Life Day story was sitting right there, so I used that.

Stay tuned to the end note for more details on why Med's gift was specifically chosen.

Enjoy!

Moki

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Din Djarin had something on his mind.

Ever since the nano-droid poisoning had ruined his original plans for Life Day, the Mandalorian kept having a nagging feeling. A tickle in the back of his thoughts, telling him that he was missing something, or there was something he'd neglected to do, or maybe a thing he'd forgotten to get.

It began after Med and Bo had come to Din's home and he'd surprised his good friend, and the man who was like his brother, with a home-cooked holiday meal. Complete with a dessert that was a recipe Din's mother had made for him on his home planet.

The evening had ended with the magic of another record-breaking weather phenomenon on Nevarro when a freak snowfall had occurred. They'd gone outside and though Din had stood back at first, even he couldn't help jumping into the snowball fight that had ensued. All in all, it had been a perfect – if a little late – Life Day dinner.

Not long after that, an odd feeling came over him. It was like a sneeze that wouldn't happen, making your eyes water but never providing any relief. Din could feel this thing, whatever it was, always tugging at him but it simply refused to float to the surface so he could look at it.

After trying to come up with what it was, even going so far as to double-check his armor and munitions, as well as give his ship a once-over with R5's help, Din let the matter go and turned his attention to another mission. The bounty hunter went off to capture a couple more Imperial remnants for the New Republic, finishing the job with the speed and accuracy that Teva had come to expect from him.

He and his son returned home for a break and Din settled into life at the cabin for a few days. Din took Grogu to school on the speeder bike then fiddled with various things around his house, on his ship, and on his armor.

But still this…thing continued to nag at him, and it was beginning to drive him kriffing nuts.

On their second day back at the cabin after the latest mission, Din sighed heavily that evening while he and his son hung out after their separate dinners. Grogu looked up with a pensive frown from the new toy his father had given him as a late Life Day present. The child had gotten gifts from his uncle and from the Mand'alor on the holiday, but as Din had been still recovering from a poisonous invasion of mini droids bent on murdering him at the time, he'd been unable to get his boy anything until later.

Grogu cooed an inquiry at his dad, then raised his hands to communicate in the sign language Din had taught him – made up of signs from the sign language of the Tusken raiders, as well as some created by Grogu, and a few by Din.

Dad okay? Grogu asked, frowning as his ears went down.

"I'm okay, buddy. I just keep feeling like I've forgotten something. Don't worry, I'll figure it out. Go back to playing with your new toy."

Grogu tipped his head and studied his dad. Seeing no outward signs of great stress, he did as his father asked and went back to his toy. He loved everything he got for Life Day, but this one was his favorite. It was a mini spaceship, a Razor Crest class assault vessel to be exact. Din had gotten Grogu a whole set of toy ships and the father watched with an indulgent smile while his son flew the little Razor Crest around, "shooting" at the other ships and dropping them as they were shot down again and again.

"Dank farrik!" Din sat up, slapping a hand on his knee, making Grogu jump and drop his Razor Crest with a squeak.

"Sorry, kid. I didn't mean to scare you."

Grogu looked up with a grumpy frown.

Bad word, he signed.

Din sighed. "You're right, I said a very bad word and that was wrong. But I finally know why I've been thinking I forgot something."

Grogu turned his head sideways in question.

"Because I did forget something. I completely forgot to get Bo and your uncle Life Day gifts."

Din sighed as he realized he had a bigger problem at hand.

Now I have to figure out what to get them.

The next morning, Din was making Grogu's breakfast before taking the kid into town for school, when an idea hit him. He snapped his fingers and turned to his son with a grin the boy could hear when his father spoke.

"I've got it, kid. I know exactly what I'm getting Bo. I still have no idea what I'm going to get Med, but at least it's a start."

After dropping Grogu off at class, Din walked around the bazaar looking for the thing he hoped to get Bo. It felt strange trying to buy a simple present for the leader of their planet. Though she was more than that to Din and his son. She was a trusted friend and he hoped that she would appreciate the gesture, since he couldn't hope to compete with the gifts she'd undoubtedly grown up receiving as a princess in a palace.

As Din meandered through the various stalls and shops, he was disappointed not to find what he wanted. Correction. He didn't find exactly what he wanted. He found variations, but none were what he had in mind.

"Okay then, time for Plan B," Din muttered to himself after walking out of yet another shop and coming up empty-handed. That place had been his last hope. It sold items that indicated he would find the precise thing he wanted, but alas, he'd still walked away with nothing.

He circled back to another shop, picking up a few items. Then he headed back home to put his backup plan into place before he had to get Grogu from school. The more Din worked on his secondary option, the more he realized that it might work out better than his initial idea.

A few days later, Din and Grogu landed on Mandalore for a visit. Din had started dropping by their ancestral home sometimes in between missions to let Grogu train with the foundlings and other apprentices. While they were there, Din would also take advantage of having his people around to do some sparring himself.

Though he and his son were nearly constantly out in the field, it was always a good idea to keep up with training to stay in top condition. Din had trained every day of his life as a boy and young man, before he went off with his own teacher and eventually ended up hunting alone. Din wanted to give his son the closest he could to that early experience he'd had in his younger days. He also wanted to keep his own skills honed, and nothing did that better than training and sparring with other Mandalorians.

When Din landed, he sent a message to the Mand'alor, requesting a quick meeting. Bo had accepted, telling him to come to the conference area near the Great Forge. She and the Armorer had set up the space so Bo could host trade talks and other meetings as she worked to establish Mandalore to its former status in the galaxy.

Din walked to the room and paused at the door, noting that she was speaking with a group of advisors. They were talking amongst themselves quietly and Din stayed outside so as not to disturb their discussion. Bo spotted him and smiled, holding up a hand to ask him to wait. She dismissed the others and then motioned him inside.

"Hello, sorry I couldn't meet elsewhere. I have a long list of meetings today," she said, standing to grasp his forearm in greeting.

"It's no problem. I'm just happy you were able to meet me," Din replied, returning the gesture.

"Where is Grogu? On the training grounds?"

"Yep, he was learning a new training weapon the last I saw him. He's good for a little while."

"Ah, so he's done with darts?"

Din chuckled. "Well, he did master them pretty fast."

"That he did," she indicated Din should sit at the table, as she sat across from him.

"What can I do for you?"

"Nothing. I actually had something I wanted to give you."

"Oh?" Bo seemed puzzled, and her eyebrows went up when Din pulled a small package from the satchel at his side. He set it on the table in front of her.

"I never got the chance to give you or Med anything for Life Day, so I wanted to give you this."

"Din, you didn't have to do that. I know I can speak for Med when I say we were happy to have you well again. That was our gift, believe me."

"I know and I appreciate it, but I still wanted to do something for each of you. It's nothing big, just a token of my gratitude for all of your help."

The package was a cloth bag tied closed with a string. She untied it, finding a small box inside, about a hand's width across on all sides. Bo opened it and saw something shiny peeking from behind a bit of white velvet. She pulled out the object and her eyes opened wide.

"Is this… beskar?"

Din nodded. "I commissioned the Armorer to make it from a design I created."

Bo looked at the piece in wonder. It was a beautifully crafted mug with a Nite Owl symbol etched on one side and a Mythosaur on the other.

"Like my armor," she said softly, running her fingers over the carvings in the metal.

"I thought you might like it."

"Like it? I love it."

Din cleared his throat, looking down. "That's um… not all."

"No?" Bo looked in the box again and fished out a small flat object, shaped almost like a saucer.

Seeing her confusion, Din held out his hand. "Here, let me show you."

He took the piece and put it on the table, motioning Bo to put the mug on top of it. As soon as the mug touched the base, a small light glowed.

"What's it for?" she asked.

"It's a heater. It will keep your tea hot, even if you forget about it for a while."

Bo kept her eyes on the gift, smiling down at it, color growing on her cheeks.

He remembered?

Bo had nearly forgotten about the conversation she and Din had had months ago, before the nano-droid poisoning. Not long after he'd gotten his cabin and had started working with the New Republic. They had begun having conversations when he would fly home from his latest job if it coincided with a time of day, usually in the evening, when she was available.

"Frak," Bo whispered, mindful of the child on Din's lap, asleep after another mission.

"What is it?" Din asked with light amusement.

"My tea is cold again."

Din chuckled. "Again? Let me guess, you made it then set it down and got distracted by some communication and by the time you remembered, it was cold."

She sighed. "Yes. Every single day. You'd think I would have learned my lesson by now, but no, I keep on doing it."

Bo looked up at her friend, smiling almost shyly.

"Thank you, this is perfect. I never knew the Armorer made such things," she said, studying the base.

"Actually um… I made the base."

"You did?" Bo looked up with surprise. She knew Din tinkered with his armor, but she hadn't realized he had the skill to create something like the mug warmer.

Din shrugged. "It's simple circuitry. Nothing more complicated than my armor, or my ship, and I've been making repairs and adjustments to both for years. I just put in a sensor and programmed it to respond to the beskar in the mug. When the mug touches it, the base will activate a small heating coil. It's self-charging with a battery life that should last a long time, probably several years. But if it ever goes out, let me know and I'll replace it, or make a new one."

"Din this is… it's too much. Thank you, again. With all the thought you put into this, I feel bad I only got you a robe. That gift is too little compared to this," she shook her head.

"No, it's not," Din protested. "I like the robe a lot and it's been very useful. That week I had to stay at home to recover, I was in it nearly the whole time. It's very comfortable and Grogu likes it, too. He kept coming to sit on me when I was wearing it so he could nap."

Bo chuckled at the thought of Grogu climbing onto his father and demanding snuggles in the warm robe she'd gotten Din for Life Day.

"I'm glad to hear that. And it sounds like you're wearing something other than armor when you're at home," she joked, referring to a conversation they'd had right before Life Day, when she'd encouraged Din to try and relax more. She'd suggested he maybe not walk around fully armored, wearing his arsenal of weapons while hanging out with his son at home.

"Well…" Din paused, unsure if he should tell her the whole truth.

"What?"

"I wore it over my typical gear. Without the beskar, but it was my usual flight suit and leathers. Does that still count?"

Bo laughed. "Yes, that counts. At least it's a start."

"True," Din agreed.

Bo looked at the chrono and sighed. "Sorry, I'm going to have to cut this short. I have another group coming in for a meeting about rebuilding the main city. We're working on the plans for the new medical center as well."

"That's good to hear. And no problem, I have to head out, too. Grogu and I have another job, so we have to leave soon anyway."

"Tell him hi for me. Next time we'll have to visit longer."

"Yes, I'll let him know. I'm glad you like the gift. I was worried it was too little for the Princess of Mandalore."

"Anything you would give me would not be too little, Din. Thank you again, I'm going to get a lot of use out of this," she held up the mug and he nodded a farewell, heading out to pick up his son.

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On the return home from Mandalore, Din pondered the other gift he still needed to get.

Med's gift was turning out to be a lot harder to figure out than he'd anticipated. Before the nano-droid poisoning had miraculously brought his brother back into his life, Din had thought Med died in the battle on Nevarro when the Covert had helped him escape with Grogu from the Imps. When Med appeared during the nearly deadly sickness, Din had even thought for a few minutes that the fever was making him hallucinate. Not only had Med's appearance not been an illusion, but his brother had also been instrumental in saving his life from the nano-droid poisoning.

After that life-changing reunion, Din wanted the gift to be unique, something his brother wouldn't think to get for himself.

Din felt like it would come to him, he just had to open his mind to all possibilities. So, he went about his business and waited for inspiration to strike. He and Grogu had another mission a few days later and when it was over, Din took the opportunity to walk through the small town near where they had captured their latest quarry.

Unlike when he had shopped for Bo, this time Din had no clue what he wanted to get for Med as he perused the shops. He hoped that looking in the windows at the various products would help inspire him. As they walked, Grogu hummed in interest at a few items, pointing and asking for the signs of things he didn't know.

Din stopped and stared into a shop selling used wares. In the window was something he thought his brother might like. Something he knew Med didn't have, at least not anymore. More importantly, Din was fairly certain it was something the medic probably wouldn't buy for himself.

In other words, it was perfect.

Din looked down at his son. "What do you say, kid? Want to surprise your uncle?"

Grogu looked up at his dad with a curious coo. He asked for the sign of the thing in the window and Din showed him.

For Uncle? Grogu questioned.

Din smiled to himself at Grogu's new sign for Med. Din had contacted Boba Fett a few times to brush up on his knowledge of the Tusken sign language, since the Daimyo spoke it fluently after living with them for so long. On their last call, Din had asked for the word "Uncle" as he'd started calling Med that and Grogu appeared to like it. The boy seemed to know that it was a special word, one that meant a familial bond.

"Yes. Trust me, buddy. Uncle Med is going to like this. It's been too long since he's had one."

Din walked out of the shop and back to the N-1. He saw many surprised looks as people caught sight of his armor and helmet, then at the item slung across his back. It wasn't a weapon, and he was certain they'd never seen a bounty hunter, let alone a Mandalorian bounty hunter walking through town with one. It made him smile behind the beskar to know that Med would also be surprising people on Mandalore once he had the gift. That is, if he chose to share his skills again.

When they got home to Nevarro, Din made a trip into town and purchased a new case to put the item in, not wanting to give away what he was carrying when he arrived on Mandalore. If Med chose to reveal it, that would be his business. For now, it was Med's to do with - or not - as he wanted.

Din arrived on Mandalore for another visit a few days later. Bo was offworld at yet another trade meeting so this trip would be all about his brother. He had already warned Med they were coming. He dropped Grogu off at the training grounds to work with the foundlings and other apprentices, then headed to the medic's new quarters.

Med opened the door when Din knocked, stopping to look at the item Din carried.

"What's this?"

"You'll see," Din said, walking inside and setting his gift down on the small dining table. "I know it's a bit late, but I wanted to get you something for Life Day."

"Brother, you didn't have to get me anything, you know that."

"I know, but I wanted to."

"Well then, can I open it? I'm dying to see what's inside this thing," Med said, rubbing his gloved hands together and making Din chuckle.

Din stepped back with a wave of his hand. "It's all yours."

The medic unclasped the large box and opened it. Inside was another case, one of a very specific shape that was unmistakable. Med stared at the case in surprise. Though it seemed impossible for it to be anything else, he still had to be sure. Perhaps the shape was deceiving. Med unclipped the sides, then opened it slowly, stopping to gaze at what was inside.

Med was silent for at least a minute. When he finally spoke, Din heard his voice shake as he reached inside and pulled out the gift.

"You got me a… guitar?"

Din nodded. "I knew you must have lost yours when you were injured in the battle on Nevarro and had to be transported offworld for treatment. That was my fault, so I figured I owed you one."

"You absolutely do not owe me. We all fought that night of our own free will, to save a foundling," Med said, meeting his brother's helmeted gaze with his own.

"Either way, I wanted to get it for you. It's up to you if you want to do anything with it. I just thought…." Din hesitated, unsure if he might be overstepping his bounds. Maybe there was a reason Med hadn't replaced his old instrument.

"You thought what?" Med pressed.

"That it's been too long," Din replied quietly.

Med didn't know what to say. Din was right, he hadn't played in years. When he had been taken off Nevarro, badly injured and barely alive, he'd had no thought of his old guitar. Then he'd been alone and without his people for years, a single Mandalorian living in a small village and acting as their doctor. He'd been happy to help but he'd been lonely, with no thoughts about singing or playing again.

Now he was on Mandalore, training to be a full-fledged physician to run their new hospital. He had his clan back; he had his brother back and he even had a new little nephew. All their lives were different now. They were no longer simply hiding in the Covert, surviving day to day. They had futures, all of them, and Med was beginning to think of life in a whole new way.

Din also felt the changes. Having a son, his own home, his clan back, and Mandalore belonging to the Mandalorians again. He too was looking at life differently. He was no longer just going from hunt to hunt, providing what he could for his clan and the foundlings before heading out on another job. He had someone to plan a life and future for, he had a family. Because of that, there was something he thought should be back in his brother's life again. Something Med hadn't had in much too long.

Med had been busy and probably wouldn't have thought of it, not for a long while. It wasn't unheard of, but music wasn't a common skill demonstrated among the Mandalorians, especially the Children of the Watch. But it was something ingrained in Med from his childhood on Aq Vetina. Not long after he was rescued by the Children of the Watch as a boy, Med had managed to talk someone into getting him a guitar so he could play again.

Med had received some musical training as a child, but he also had a natural talent for it. With no one to teach him within the Covert, Med taught himself to play beyond those basic lessons he'd received on his and Din's home planet. At first, Med sang the old songs from their home that he remembered. Eventually, he began to write some of his own. It became a creative outlet for one who lived in a world of people who fought and trained. A life where he became one of the ones who cared for others, fixing the broken ones like Din, whenever he returned from a hunt that had gone wrong.

Med sighed, breaking his long train of thought. "It has," he agreed. "Much too long."

The medic turned the guitar over, inspecting it. "This is a beautiful instrument." It was used, but still had many years of use left in it.

"I found it in a pawnshop on the planet we visited for our last job. The shop owner said that it belonged to a great musician who had many newer instruments and hadn't played this one in a while. The musician apparently said he hoped that by selling it to the shop, it would find its way into the hands of someone who would appreciate it and use it. I suppose that could just be a story he made up to sell it, though." Din shrugged.

"No, I don't think so," Med said, shaking his head and running his hands along the base, and over the strings. "This has been well taken care of, without a doubt."

"I also thought it might be nice for your nephew to hear you sing someday," Din said carefully, not wanting to put pressure on his brother.

"That would be nice," Med said thoughtfully, and Din heard uncertainty in his voice.

"It doesn't have to be now," Din reassured him. "Whenever you're ready, if you're ever ready."

"Well, that's good. It's been years. I'm bound to be rusty."

"I imagine it probably needs to be tuned," Din indicated the instrument.

"Yeah, probably."

Med continued to stare at the guitar, sliding his gloved fingers along the strings.

"Thank you, brother. I just hope it's not too late to try and do this again."

Din shook his head.

"It's never too late."

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Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this little bit of slow burn/angsty fluff.

When I started creating the character of Med and decided that my inspiration would be Oscar Issac, I found out to my happy surprise that he sings. And boy can he ever. I'm not lying when I say that I've been brought to tears more than a few times by some of his songs.

You will see Med singing in upcoming stories. I have a whole playlist of Oscar Isaac songs that I listen to often when I'm writing, which have given me a lot of inspiration. If you haven't listened to his songs, do yourself a favor and check them out.

There are songs of his that I have noted as inspiration for very specific stories and scenes, which will be revealed when we get to them. While the lyrics may not perfectly fit, the mood of the song will.

The song inspiration for Med's story in this episode is a song called "I Was Young When I Left Home". You can find it on YouTube by searching for a video called: Staircase Sessions #2 – I Was Young When I Left Home – Nightlab.

There was also another song I discovered once I had written about half of the story, and it too had the right mood I wanted for Med.

It's on YouTube as a video called: Re: Stacks - Bon Iver Cover (Oscar's name isn't in the title and the quality isn't great but it's him and it's beautiful, trust me)

Both songs have a lovely melancholy quality that hit me while I was writing this, making me think of poor Med living basically alone without his clan for a couple of years. Med and Din were both going through something similar around the same time. Med was alone after he was rescued from the firefight on Nevarro, and Din was also alone for part of that same time, after he gave up Grogu to Luke.

It made me write out some notes for a possible story, maybe just a drabble about Med's time on that planet before he found out that his brother was alive and Mandalorians had returned to Mandalore. We'll see if that one ends up ever being posted.

There are still a LOT of stories to come that will get this slow burn moving with Bo and Din. I have very specific things I wanted to happen that will bring them from where they were at the end of Season 3 to the point where I finally marry them off and begin writing their adventures from there as a family. I've been working on an outline while writing this little story and there are about 7 or 8 episodes to go before the wedding. So, stick with me folks! I promise we will get there and hopefully you all will enjoy the journey they take along the way.