Alaskan Bush People OneShots

Bear Brown

You watch nervously as your husband, Bear Brown, climbs up one of the taller trees in the area that surrounds the camp. Bear has probably climbed thousands of trees in his life, but this time, he had your three-year-old son, Daniel, strapped to his back. Noah created the contraption that held your son, so you ought to trust it a lot more than you do.

Your one-year-old daughter, Marley, stirred in your arms as he watched her Daddy and big brother climbing the tree. Together, you sat on the ground with Marley standing in between your crossed legs.

"Look at Daddy and Danny go!" you coo to your little girl.

When you look up again, Bear was halfway up the tree.

"That's high enough now Bear!" you call from your spot on the ground. Bear looked down, something that worried you greatly, and nodded.

"You're right," he agreed.

You had to admit, since Daniel had been born, Bear had taken his safety in the forest a lot more seriously. That surprised his family more than it surprised you. He was still the extreme guy you had always loved, but he had dialled it down a little.

"No! Higher!" Daniel yells.

"Not today, Danny," Bear tells his little boy.

"Daddy!" Marley says. It comes out as a mangled sort of word, but you know what she means and it is the first time she has said that.

"Was that Marley?" Bear called from the tree. His hearing had always been exceptional.

"Yeah!" you exclaim and hear him quickly scampering down the tree.

"Daddy!" Marley says again, clearer this time.

"Here he comes," you tell your daughter, pointing up into the tree. You can't keep the beaming smile off of your face. Daniel's first word was "momma" so you knew how much this meant to Bear.

"Marley spoke?" Daniel asked as Bear's feet hit the ground.

"Yeah, Danny," you tell him.

"Awesome!" Daniel exclaimed, sounding so much like his Dad. You and Bear both laugh as Bear unties the contraption that was keeping your son safe. Daniel breaks free and runs to you and Marley ahead of Bear. He sits down next to you and strokes his little sister's hair gently. You love how much Daniel loves Marley.

Bear crouches down in front of you and takes Marley out of your hands, sitting her on his knee.

"Did you say Daddy?" he coos to his little girl, "huh?"

"Daddy!" she laughs, grabbing a handful a Bear's hair in her little first.

Daniel scrambles into your lap to take up the space that his little sister left behind. You wrap your hands around your son and kiss his hair softly. From somewhere in the distance, you hear a familiar howl, signalling that you should return to camp but it was not an emergency, that warranted a gun shot. Daniel's ears pricked at the sound and he tips his head back and howls. It's not loud enough for anybody else to hear, but your eyes fill with tears. Your little boy is growing up so fast.

"Let's go home," Bear says. You nod and he pulls you to your feet. You pick Daniel up and balance him on your hip as you walk. Bear carries Marley on his shoulders and cradles her with one hand while he wraps the other around your shoulder.

When you see the camp, you point it out to Daniel. He tips his head back and howls. You know they will hear it this time. Matt is the closest and greets you as you break through the trees.

"Hey!" he exclaims, "was that you I heard from all the way away?"

"Yeah Uncle Matt!" Daniel replies, his smile is almost beaming. Daniel loves his Uncle Matt so much, partly because Matt is like a child trapped in a grown man's body.

"Let's go show Uncle Bam!" Matt says and holds his arms out to take your son from your arms. You oblige and Daniel jumps into Matt's arms.

"Shoulders!" Daniel insists. Matt, unable to resist the toddler, swings his nephew onto his shoulders as Bear takes Marley from around his shoulders to cradle her in his arms.

"Let's go!" Matt laughs and hurries away to the trapper shack. You and Bear follow, "let him know we're here!"

Daniel howls again. The door to the trapper shack opens and Bam steps out.

"I'm coming Gabey," Bam says, playing along, "Danny!"

"It was me Uncle Bam!" Daniel insists, crossing his arms, almost punching Matt in the face in the process.

"No way," Bam replies.

"Yes way!" Daniel says. He certainly got a stubborn streak from his Uncle Bam.

"Daddy!" Marley says again.

"Is that my little grandbaby speaking?" Ami asks, smiling as you and Bear approach the fire.

"Sure is," Bear grins, crouching on the ground and balancing your daughter on his knee.

"Po precious," Ami whispers, touching her granddaughter's cheek with her fingertip.

You smile as you watch Bear with his daughter and Matt and Bam with their nephew. You never imagined your life turning out this way, but you were so glad that it did.