"Under the Mistletoe"
Author: Robert Brown
Disclaimer: This story uses characters created and copyrighted by Disney
(except where noted, in which case they were created and
copyrighted by me or by another and I have permission to use
them). The author hereby gives permission for this story to be
downloaded and/or printed at 1 copy per user as long as (1) no
changes to the story are made without my express written(not
e-mailed) permission and (2) no attempt is made to profit from
this story. If either or both rules are violated, it will be
considered a violation of copyright law.
Author's Note: Ahh! What am I doing?! I said it was going to be a one-shot.
A one-shot!! But here I am, writing a sequel. True, if it wasn't for Ulisa's
contest it would've remained a one-shot. Guess I can't write something that's
just a one-shot, huh? Man, Francis is gonna kill me....anybody have someplace
I can hide?
Really quickly though, this fic starts about ten years or so
after the first one. If, and this is a big IF, I write more, it'll be to fill
in the events of the ten years that have passed. Uh oh, I don't think Francis
liked the fact that it's even an if.... Umm...side note: any character with
three asterisks by the name is my own. Onto the story now. Happy Reading
everyone! *runs away*
Cast of Characters(in order of appearance)
Gruffi Gumbaric
Ursa Gumbaric
Sunni Gummi
Tummi Gummi
Cubbi Gummi
Buddi Barbic
Gritty Barbic
Grubbi Barbic
Sir Thornberry
Grammi Gummi
Zummi Gummi
Gusto Gummi
Princess Calla
Cavin
Jenni Gumbaric***
#2
In the foothills of a mountain range just within the borders of the
kingdom of Dunwyn, a bear sat alone inside a deep cave. Outside, he could
hear a winter storm raging, and he huddled closer to the fireplace to shake
off the chill from his fingers so that he could continue his work.
He lifted his eyes and glanced around his home. It had all the
comforts one could expect from other dwellings, most of which he'd built
with his own two hands. From the sturdy furniture, to the walls that
separated the cave into rooms, to even the fireplace he sat before, they were
all his handiwork. The only things he could see that he didn't build were
the weapons racks that hung on the walls and the red and green quilt that lay
half-finished on the table. "Who'd've thought she'd be good at quilting," he
thought with a chuckle, and not for the first time.
He looked back at the piece of wood he held in his hands. It didn't
look like much now, but he knew in less than an hour it would become the final
piece to the perfect present, and then he could relax. It was hard keeping
all the presents he'd made from certain prying eyes, but it would be worth it
in only a few hours.
He started when he felt a pair of arms hug him from behind, but relaxed
as he felt a familiar form press up against his back. "Thinking again?" a
rough, but decidedly feminine voice murmured in his ear.
He felt his ear twitch from the warm air being softly blown on it.
"When am I not?" he asked back, leaning back into the embrace. "Is
everything ready?"
"Just waiting for you to finish whatever you're doing," she said,
looking over his shoulder at the piece of wood in his hand. "Is that going to
be for me?" she asked with a hint of mischievousness in her voice.
"No," he said, hiding the wood underneath him, "and I wouldn't tell you
if it was. Now come on, let me be for now. I don't have much time to get
this done."
"You will, you've never let me down before," she said, giving him a kiss
on his ear.
He smiled when he felt that kiss. "I can't believe it's been almost ten
years," he mused, looking into the fire.
"Oh believe it. I've even got the wrinkles to prove it."
He turned his head and cupped her cheek in his hand, brushing away a few
strands of honey-golden hair that had fallen in front of her face. "You're as
beautiful as the first day I ever saw you," he said, looking into her eyes
intently.
She couldn't help the slight blush that ran across her muzzle at his
words. "You're certainly more of a charmer than when we met," she said, a
sparkle in her eyes. "If you'd told me back then that we'd end up like this,
I'd probably have taken your head off."
"Aren't you glad you didn't though?" he asked with just a hint of
cockiness.
"More than you know Gruffi," she said, cupping the back of his neck with
her hand and drawing him closer to her. "More than you could ever know."
"I know exactly how you feel Ursa." Gruffi smiled and tilted his head
as he leaned in for a soft kiss from his wife. As his eyes closed, he noticed
something dangling above their heads, something that brought back a flood of
memories, memories of something he wasn't even aware of until it was all said
and done....
* * *
"Come on Gruffi!" Sunni pleaded, trying to pull a box of decorations by
herself that was nearly as tall as she was. "You promised you'd help me with
this!"
"I've got work to do Sunni," Gruffi said, making sure his toolbox was
secure. "Why don't you get Cubbi to help you or something?"
"Because he's out doing his Crimson Avenger stuff," she pouted. "Please
Gruffi! You're the only one who can help me!"
Gruffi looked at the yellow bear for a moment before shaking his head.
"Sorry kid, you're getting to be too grown up for those looks to work
anymore."
"Aww nuts," Sunni grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest in
frustration. She had changed quite a bit in the nearly one year that passed
since what turned out to be Lady Bane's final defeat, a fact that she both
loved and hated. While she was getting more respect from the adults and was
allowed to get some new clothes, though she did still tend to wear the same
green outfit she usually did, she was also expected to be more mature and
handle things on her own. Now that she had truly started to grow up, she
found herself wishing she hadn't.
After King Gregor had heard Cavin and Calla's story, where they made it
sound like Calla had been captured and Cavin had rescued her, he took his
knights and rode against Lady Bane. With only a fraction of the magic she was
supposed to have since the loss of her Gummi medallion, it was no trouble for
the king and his knights to subdue Lady Bane and bring her back to the castle.
After careful deliberation, King Gregor had her locked away in the dungeon,
never to be released. Though she tried again and again, often with the help
of what troggles remained loyal to her, she hadn't yet managed to break out.
For his daring rescue of the princess, Cavin was promoted to the rank of
squire and entered the service of the king directly. Cavin had tried to turn
it down seeing as he didn't really earn it, but after some coaxing by Calla he
just smiled and accepted it. Of course, the fact that his daughter had taken
such an interest in Cavin did not go unnoticed by Gregor, and Sunni was sure
that he kept a close eye on them, when he could.
A sigh escaped Sunni's lips. Even with her father watching, at least
Cavin and Calla lived in the same place so that they could find time together
almost every day. She wished with all her heart that she could spend that
much time with Buddi, but since he lived in Ursalia and she lived in Gummi
Glen, it wasn't feasible. She knew the same could be said for Gruffi and
Ursa, but they seemed to be handling it all right.
"Need some help with that?" a voice asked, pulling Sunni from her
thoughts.
Sunni looked over at the large purple bear and smiled gratefully.
"Thanks a lot Tummi," she said. "I'll show you where they need to go."
"Don't listen to her too much Tummi," Cubbi said, poking his head in
through a doorway. "She'll be daydreaming of Buddi so much that she's likely
to lead you right to Ursalia."
"Cubbi Gummi you take that back!" Sunni demanded, but resisted the
impulse to stamp her foot.
"Make me," Cubbi said, walking past Sunni toward his room, the Gummi
medallion he took from Lady Bane hanging around his neck.
Sunni glowered at Cubbi, but let him pass without incident. The year
had changed him the most, with him shooting up in height to be only a few
inches shorter than Sunni, and she'd even grown some herself! In another
year, he'd likely be even taller than her. He looked like he had the
potential to be as tall as that bear with the airship, Chummi. "I can't win
no matter what I do," she muttered.
"Anything I can help with?" someone asked by her ear.
"Eep!" Sunni said, jumping away and swinging her arm wildly.
"Ow!" Buddi yelped, rubbing his nose where Sunni's hand had connected.
"Oh Buddi!" Sunni said, covering her mouth with her hands. "Are you
OK?"
"Yeah, I think so," Buddi said with a rueful grin. The past year had
changed him much as it had Sunni. They were still about the same height, but
his muscles had begun to fill out with all the training Ursa put him through,
reluctant though he was about it. "I didn't mean to startle you."
"Well, let me kiss it and make it all better," Sunni said with a coy
grin, matching actions to words.
Buddi blushed slightly, then took Sunni's hand in his. "Umm, Sunni," he
began quietly, "can we talk about something? In private though."
"Umm, sure Buddi," Sunni said, suddenly a bit nervous. "I'll be back to
help you in a little bit Tummi," she called over her shoulder as she led Buddi
away. She led him through the hallways of the Glen until she found the door
she was looking for and pulled him through it, slamming it closed behind her.
"So, umm, what did you want to talk about?"
Buddi started to say something, but that was only until he got a good
look at where they were. From the bed with pink sheets to the vanity with
blue painted flowers to the open closet that held mostly green dresses, there
was only one place they could be. "You brought me to your room?" he hissed
in a low voice.
"Well, yeah," Sunni said, sitting down on the bed. "You wanted to talk
somewhere private, right? Nobody ever bothers me while I'm in here."
"B-but don't you think it's...well...not right for me to be in here?"
Sunni stared at Buddi a moment before she realized what he was getting
at. "Buddi!" she screeched, most of her face blushing orange. "How could
you.... I mean we wouldn't...."
"I know we wouldn't," Buddi agreed, blushing as well. "But I mean think
about it. You drag me into your room and slam the door behind us. What's the
first thing someone's going to think if they noticed that?"
Sunni didn't think she could be more embarassed than she already was.
She jumped off the bed and ran to the door, pulling it open halfway. "There,"
she said, "now no one will get the wrong idea."
"Doesn't allow much for privacy though, does it?"
"Do you have a better idea?" Sunni asked loudly, clenching her fists.
"Whoa, easy there Sunni," Buddi said, backing off a couple steps. "I'm
not trying to make you upset or anything."
"I know," Sunni said, her anger deflating suddenly. "I'm just trying
really hard to make this a holiday worth remembering. It's our first Winter
Solstice as a couple, so I just want it to be special. I only have a week to
get everything together."
Buddi walked up to her and gave her a hug. "Don't worry about it," he
whispered. "Just the fact that we're together makes it special."
Sunni smiled and kissed his cheek softly. "You always know the right
thing to say to make me feel better."
Buddi held her for a moment longer before stepping back. "Actually,
this kinda ties into what I wanted to talk to you about," he admitted.
"OK, so what's going on?" Sunni asked, sitting back on the bed and
motioning for Buddi to sit beside her.
"It's Ursa," Buddi said, sitting down beside his girlfriend. "She's
been really depressed lately."
"Ursa? Depressed? Is that even possible?"
"I didn't think so either, but then I've seen a few things this past
year from her I never thought I would. Sunni," he continued seriously, "do
you have any idea what it's like to see the one adult you've looked up to
your whole life reduced to tears? I'd never seen her cry in my life before
that moment."
"Wow," Sunni said quietly, putting her hands behind her so that she
could lean back. "Does she know you saw her?"
"I doubt it. She always puts up a brave front when anyone's around.
But I think Gritty can see through it."
"So what do you think the problem is?"
"I'll tell you what the problem is," a gravelly voice said just outside
the doorway. Sunni and Buddi both jumped up and apart, each one with a guilty
look on their face even though they'd done nothing wrong. "Cubs today,"
Gritty said with a hearty laugh, "always so jumpy."
"Umm Gritty," Buddi said, clearing his throat. "Umm, we weren't...."
"Don't worry, I know exactly what you were and weren't doing," Gritty
said, glowering down at them. When they blushed and stammered off denials,
he threw back his head and laughed again. "Relax you two," he said when his
mirth faded. "I was listening in for a few minutes so I know you weren't up
to anything that would make everyone want to tan your hides."
Buddi and Sunni both let out sighs of relief. "So, you know what's
wrong with Ursa?" Buddi asked, hope replacing his earlier embarassment.
"Isn't it obvious? It's Gruffi."
"Gruffi?" Sunni asked, scratching her head. "Did they have a fight or
something?"
"No, nothing that simple," Gritty said, sinking down into a chair. "You
see, they're both stubborn and strong-willed. Now normally it's not much of a
problem because they can work together on something. But now it seems they've
gotten it into their heads that their clans are more important then their
relationship."
"What are you saying?" Buddi asked, more than a bit lost.
Gritty sighed and closed his eye. "Every time those two have made plans
to spend time together, something's always come up. Whether it's an emergency
meeting or something needing repair, they haven't really spent any time
together over this past year. And instead of trying to find a way to fix the
problem, they're just throwing themselves more and more into their duties and
chores so they don't have to think about it. But in doing that, all they're
really doing is growing apart."
"It can't be as bad as that," Sunni asked, grabbing onto Buddi's hand
for comfort. "Can it?"
"I'm afraid so," Gritty said, looking down and sighing. "As far as I
know, they haven't even tried to make time for each other in over a month. I
don't even know if they're still together or not."
"This is terrible," Buddi said, looking down at his and Sunni's joined
hands. "There has to be something we can do about this."
"Maybe there is," Sunni said, a devious grin appearing on her face.
"But we're going to need a lot of help to pull it off."
"Why do I always get worried when I see that look on your face?" Buddi
asked rhetorically before shrugging. "Oh well. Count me in; I'll do whatever
I can to help Ursa out."
The bearess in question was in the middle of sword practice, hacking
furiously at a training dummy. She was supposed to go with Buddi and Gritty
to Gummi Glen earlier that day, but a disagreement between two of her bears
had made her miss it. "Why are we being cursed like this?" she growled,
lopping the head of that dummy off before moving on to the next one. "Is this
someone's sick idea of a joke?"
In her rage, Ursa stabbed her sword into the dummy with all she had.
The sword pierced the dummy easily as well as the stone wall behind it. But
when Ursa tried to pull it free, the blade snapped just past the hilt. "Just
great," she snarled, tossing the hilt away with a muttered curse. "What else
is going to go wrong today?"
"Hey Ursa," Grubbi called from a nearby doorway, "lunch is ready."
"I'm not hungry," Ursa said, turning on her heel and stalking away,
leaving through a different door.
Grubbi watched her go and a worried expression settled in on the
chestnut bear's face. "That girl is just too stubborn for her own good," he
said under his breath.
"My thoughts exactly," a voice said behind Grubbi, making him jump.
"Sir Thornberry!" Grubbi exclaimed, putting a hand on the wall as he
tried to catch his breath. "You should know better than to sneak up on
someone our age."
"Who'd I sneak up on?" Thornberry asked, scratching his head. "Why,
an experienced warrior like yourself should've heard me coming a mile away."
"I should have," Grubbi admitted, taking a deep breath. "But I'm so
concerned about her that I haven't been paying attention to much else."
"Well, I know where she's coming from," Thornberry said, but then his
expression grew grim. "And I also know where she's headed. Believe me, it's
not a place anyone wants to be."
Grubbi stared at the elder knight for a moment. He'd never seen him
this serious and intense; it was almost like Grubbi had touched some nerve
deep within Thornberry's heart, and he wasn't afraid to say that he was
shaken up a bit. But just as quickly as it came, it passed on and Grubbi was
left wondering if he hadn't imagined the whole thing.
"Well, I reckon I oughta go talk with her," Thornberry said, a smile on
his muzzle once more. "You go and keep that food pipin' hot for us, we'll be
along soon."
"All right," Grubbi said, shaking his head. He walked back to the
kitchen where everything was as it should be and in its proper place. "I hate
to say it," he thought, "but this seems like the only place here that is how
it should be anymore."
Ursa paced in her room, heedlessly knocking into a chair and kicking it
aside. "I will not become some simpering crybaby," she swore to herself,
wiping away the tears that threatened to fall down her face. "I am stronger
than this."
"Stronger than what?" Thornberry asked, sticking his head through the
doorway only to pull it back after a wild swing by Ursa. "Easy there! You
just nearly took my head off. Just when I'm about figuring out how to use it
too."
"Oh, Sir Thornberry," Ursa said, ashamed at lashing out at the older
bear. "I--"
"Oh, it's quite all right," Thornberry said, walking inside and sitting
down on her bed. "Say, you fixed up this room right nice. I think it's the
first time I've been inside it since you moved in."
"Is there a point to your rambling?" Ursa asked, feeling what remained
of her temper beginning to wear thin.
"A point? Well let's see.... I know I had one when I came in here."
"Sir Thornberry...."
"Ahh, I got it!" Thornberry exclaimed, standing up. He pulled the
broken blade of Ursa's sword out of his scabbard and held it out to her. "You
are very strong willed and proud," he said quietly, looking Ursa in her eyes.
"Like this sword, it serves you well. But where a broken sword can be
reforged, a broken spirit cannot."
"I don't understand," Ursa whispered, taking the blade from him.
"Don't let your pride or your sense of duty destroy your heart," he said
softly. "You have more than enough bears here to take care of things if you
want to slip away for a few days. You trust them with your life, so why not
trust them with the city? I know I do."
"You just don't understand," Ursa said, gripping the blade so hard blood
ran from cuts in her hand. "It's not that simple."
"But I do," Thornberry said, his voice cracking. "Believe me, I do."
Ursa watched him a moment and was surprised at what she saw. Ever since
she met him, he'd been so full of life and energy that most of the time it
annoyed her. But the bear before her now was aged, emotionally as well as
physically, hunched over with an invisible weight that pulled on his shoulders
as surely as the heaviest iron chains would. "Thornberry?"
The elder knight looked back at her, his eyes bright with unshed tears.
"Her name was Jenni. This old mind might not be able to remember too much
clearly, but I'll never forget her. Her smile, her beauty, her love; they're
etched forever on my heart."
His voice turned wistful and though he faced Ursa, she knew he was
seeing visions of the past flicker before his eyes. "We were so young, but so
much in love. There wasn't a day that went by that we didn't spend time with
each other."
Thornberry's voice grew sad as he continued after a moment. "Then one
day, we were forced to evacuate the city, to leave with the Great Gummies.
But Ursalia couldn't be left undefended, so a tournament was held to decide
who would be the city's lone defender." A wry smile touched his lips here.
"I entered to impress her, not that it was necessary. Imagine our shock when
I emerged the victor.
"And here is where I made a terrible mistake. I was given the choice of
accepting this 'honored task' as they called it, or to hand it off to the bear
I'd beaten in the last round. I accepted the task without thinking, and so
sealed my fate.
"I'll never forget the day she left," Thornberry said in a voice so soft
that Ursa found herself leaning forward to hear him. "She begged me so hard
to come with her, to abandon my post. But if I'd done that, we'd have been
outcasts, exiled for my crimes. I begged her to stay with me, but her parents
refused to let her stay here with just me. I never saw her again."
"I...I never knew," Ursa said, looking down at the floor.
"No one ever does," Thornberry said with a soft chuckle. "So many have
gotten used to seeing my act, they never bother to see the actor underneath.
Just do me a favor. Don't make the same mistake I did."
"What do you mean--" Ursa began, but stopped herself when she saw that
Thornberry was already out of her room. She sat down on her bed and let her
head sink into her hands. "What do I do?" she asked the empty room. But all
that answered her was her own echo.
Far away, near the Glen, Gruffi was busy hammering away on a section of
Quickcar track. The cold weather had warped some of the wood, making it
buckle and warp dangerously. If he didn't get this fixed, a Quickcar hitting
this point could go off track and cause a major accident.
"Gruffi!" Grammi called from the nearby platform. "Time for lunch!"
"Not hungry Grammi," Gruffi said, not even bothering to look up from his
work.
Grammi put her fists on her hips and scowled at Gruffi. "Gruffi Gummi,
get in here right now and eat your lunch."
"I told you I'm not hungry!" Gruffi said irritably, just barely missing
his hand as he hammered in a wooden peg.
"Oh Gruffi," Grammi said with a sigh. "You need to eat. You've been
working so hard lately that I'm not sure when you ate last, much less slept."
"I grabbed some toast this morning. Burnt, as usual, but it's better
than nothing. And I've been sleeping."
"I suppose," Grammi said, ignoring the slight about her cooking. "I
guess it helps to keep busy when you're trying to keep your thoughts off your
problems with Ursa."
The mallet in Gruffi's hand stopped its motion for just a moment before
continuing its downward swing. "I don't know what you're talking about," he
said, his voice sounding thicker than normal. "Ursa and I are doing just
fine. And I am not just trying to keep myself busy."
"Sure you're not. And I suppose you have a good reason why you fixed
the same chair three times yesterday?"
Gruffi blushed in embarassment then yelped in pain as he hammered his
hand. "Yeouch!"
"Are you all right?"
"No I'm not all right," Gruffi grumbled, shaking his hand to try and
ease the pain. "I'll be all right when you just leave me alone!" He picked
up his mallet in the other hand and got back to work, completely ignoring
Grammi.
Grammi sighed again and backed up into the doorway. "You're right
Sunni," she said quietly. "That fool bear doesn't know what he's throwing
away."
Sunni nodded, taking hold of Buddi's hand and interlacing their fingers.
"So you'll help us?" she asked in a half-whisper.
"Of course. That bear might know a thing or two about being stubborn,
but he's got nothing on me."
"And I might have sound fomething...err, found something we can use,"
Zummi said, taking off his hat and pulling a piece of paper from inside.
"This particular tradition fell out of use with only the six of us here, but I
think we have every reason to revive it now."
Grammi, Sunni, and Buddi looked over the notes Zummi had taken and they
all smiled. "Zummi, I could kiss you," Grammi said, giving him a tight hug.
"Sounds like a good idea to me," Zummi said, taking the initiative and
kissing Grammi's lips softly. Grammi smiled and slipped her arm around
Zummi's waist, giving him a gentle squeeze
"Now we just gotta bring it all together," Sunni said, smiling as Buddi
kissed her hand. "Come on Buddi, we've got some more help to get."
"Who else is there?" Buddi asked as Sunni dragged him off, glancing
back at the others helplessly.
The next few days flew by for everyone. For Ursa and Gruffi, they threw
themselves into their duties even more, not even thinking about the upcoming
party where they were sure to be disappointed. For everyone else, it was a
flurry of activity and preparation, always conscious of the ever approaching
Solstice.
The decision had been made to move the celebration to Ursalia. Gritty
had convinced all the Barbics to help out. Some helped decorate one of the
Great Halls in Ursalia while the rest worked overtime to keep Ursa in the dark
about it all. She had the feeling that something was up, she was just too
good not to. But after seeing the lift in spirits of all her Barbics, she
figured that whatever going on was a good thing and let it be. The Great
Gummies knew she needed it just as much, her talk with Thornberry still
weighing heavily on her mind.
The only thing that bothered her was the feeling that she was being
watched. No, watched wasn't the right word. Studied was more what she was
looking for. Yes, someone was studying her, as if trying to learn her
weaknesses.
Ursa started to growl when a thought hit her. Whoever was studying her
didn't study her much when she was training or sparring. No, it was in the
all too few quiet moments of the day that she felt the eyes of her unseen
stalker the most. Well, she had had enough. It was time to find out just who
this was and what he wanted.
She turned abruptly and walked around a corner, the fine coating of snow
on the ground crunching under her sandals as she walked. She heard a second
set of footprints following her and smirked. She turned another corner and
then sprinted into an alleyway between two buildings. "Come out, come out,
whoever you are," she said to herself, her muscles tensing in anticipation of
a fight.
Ursa watched as a light blue furred foot came around the corner, stopped
short, and then disappeared as the owner of that foot turned tail and ran.
"You're not getting away that easy!" Ursa yelled, taking off after her prey
at top speed.
She followed the crunching of snow as she closed in on her pursuer-
turned-pursued. But as she was about to bridge the final distance between
them, the sounds stopped. Ursa skidded to a stop beside a partially open
Quicktunnel hatch, one she never used because it was too narrow for her.
"I'll get you next time," she yelled into the opening before slamming it shut.
"That was too close," Gusto thought, trying to catch his breath while
steering the Quickcar with one hand and holding onto a sheaf of papers with
the other. "I can't risk going back there now. I just hope I've got enough
to do what Sunni needs me to do."
As Gusto sped away from an enraged Ursa, Gruffi sat alone in his room,
his door barred and locked. It didn't take him long to figure out the others
had been hiding something from him, and even less time to find out that the
Solstice celebration had been moved to Ursalia.
Gruffi sighed and rubbed his eyes. The long nights were starting to
wear on him. Every free moment he'd had had been spent on the wood carving in
front of him. It was nearly done, but it wasn't quite there yet. Still, it
couldn't hurt to close his eyes for just a few moments....
Gruffi's head snapped off the table as the repeated pounding on his door
finally woke him up. "Wonder how long I've been out," he wondered, yawning
wide. He got up to open the door when it nearly flew at him, blasted off its
hinges by a blast of magic. Gruffi was barely able to dodge it before it came
down on his head.
"Gruffi, are you all right?" Zummi asked, peering into the room.
"No thanks to you," Gruffi said, biting back the curse that rose to his
lips. "What's the big idea doing that to my door?"
"Sorry," Zummi said sheepishly, "I guess I don't know my own strength
anymore. Besides, I was knocking for five minutes."
Gruffi just closed his eyes and sat down on his bed. It was true that
Zummi's magical strength had increased exponentially in the past year. His
rational mind found no possible reason for this, but he had a gut feeling
that it was due to him no longer having a conflicted heart. "I must've been
more tired than I thought," Gruffi said, trying to keep in another yawn.
"Gruffi, this isn't healthy," Zummi said, sitting down next to the
younger bear. "You've got everyone worried about you. You don't sleep much,
you eat less. You can't keep going on like this."
"Grammi sent you in here, didn't she?" Gruffi accused, but it lacked
force because even his voice was tired.
Zummi took his hat off and fiddled with it nervously. "She's just
trying to help you Gruffi. We all want to help you."
"Yeah well you can 'help' by just staying out of my life," Gruffi said,
getting to his feet and glaring at Zummi.
"Gruffi...." Zummi began helplessly.
"No Zummi, this is none of your business. Now please leave me alone."
"But--"
"Please leave!" Gruffi yelled, turning around and leaning heavily on
the table.
"All right Gruffi, I'm going. But if you need someone to talk to, I'm
here."
"Yeah yeah," Gruffi grumbled, sitting down heavily. He picked up his
carving knife with a trembling hand, took a few breaths to steady himself, and
then continued his work.
Zummi walked slowly to the main room where the others were waiting for
him. He was saddened that Gruffi wouldn't open up to him, not that Gruffi
ever really opened up to anyone. But still, there wasn't much time left to
them. If this plan didn't work...well, Zummi didn't want to think about the
alternative.
"Still nothing?" Grammi asked worriedly, looking up from her knitting
as Zummi sat down next to her.
"Nothing," Zummi sighed, staring into the heart of the fire. "If
anything, I made him close up tighter than ever. And I think he knows we're
up to something."
"He can't," Sunni protested. "We've been so careful!"
"Well, he's not the only one," Gusto said as he burst in. "Ursa almost
caught me today; there's no way I'm going back there."
"Great," Buddi said, letting his head fall on the table in front of him.
"How are we going to pull this off now? They'll be suspicious of anything we
do."
"Which is why you need my help," Cubbi said, walking into the room with
a grin on his face.
"Cubbi Gummi!" Grammi said, pressing one hand to her heart. "Are you
trying to give me a heart attack?"
"Sorry Grammi," Cubbi said, but he didn't look too sorry at all. "I
just heard that you're having some problems and I think I know how to help."
"What could you possibly come up with that we haven't already tried?"
Sunni asked.
"Oh, I don't know," Cubbi said, pretending to think. "Maybe...bringing
them in on it?"
Gritty started to ask, "Them who?" when he got his answer in the form
of two humans walking in the same door Cubbi had used. "Well well," he said,
"this is a surprise."
"It came as a surprise to us too," Calla said, glancing over at Sunni.
"You'd think you'd get your best friend to help you on something like this."
Sunni blushed and looked down, ashamed. "Well, I just thought you'd be
so busy with your own celebrations that I didn't want to bother you."
Calla smiled a soft smile. The past year had been as kind to her as it
had been to Sunni, but also as unkind. Her father, noticing the changes in
his daughter, had begun to step up her teachings so that she'd be ready to
take over as ruler should something happen to him. He'd also begun to host
balls now and again to introduce her to boys of noble birth in the hopes she
might take a suitor. But of course, her eyes were only for Cavin, and she did
get the feeling that these dances were only for show. Maybe, just maybe, her
father was warming up to the idea of Cavin as a son-in-law.
"Sunni, you know we're never too busy to help you out," Cavin said,
stepping up next to Calla and taking her hand in his. Since his promotion to
a squire, Cavin had been forced to wear a leather jerkin over his normal
tunic. Not only was it for his protection, but it was to show his status as
the king's squire. He didn't like wearing it, but he suffered through it as
Calla said it made him look handsome. He would need a new one soon though; a
recent growth spurt had made him half a head taller than Calla and made the
jerkin somewhat tight on him. "Besides," he continued, "with everything going
on at the castle, we were looking for a reason to get away."
"Which is exactly why I brought them here," Cubbi said with a grin.
"If Gruffi and Ursa are suspicious of us, maybe they won't be of them."
The other bears just looked at each other and laughed. "Sometimes you
do amaze me Cubbi," Sunni admitted. "Do you have a plan?"
"Of course I do. Now then, here's what we're going to do...."
The rest of the week was a blur to Ursa, her senses constantly on alert
for the return of her stalker. She knew she'd seen him somewhere before, but
couldn't place him with only a few quick glimpses to go on. But so much of
her spare time was taken up in looking for him that she didn't even realize
that the Solstice was coming until it was already the day of.
Ursa sighed and rested her chin on her hands as she stared at the rising
sun from one of the roofs. No matter how bad things had gotten, she'd always
made sure to hold a Solstice celebration for Buddi. It was a tradition among
the Barbics, but more importantly a tradition for Ursa and Buddi specifically.
Very rarely did they make it a large party like she'd heard they do at Dunwyn
castle or even the Glen. No, their celebrations were always small, usually
only among family and close friends. "Maybe I should tell him to go to the
Glen for it this year," she mused.
"Tell who to go to the Glen this year?" Buddi said, jumping up on the
roof next to her.
If Ursa was startled, she didn't show it. "You're up early today," she
remarked, looking away from the sun as it got too bright.
"Oh Ursa, you know I don't sleep in today of all days," Buddi said with
a smile. Ursa sighed again and the smile slid from Buddi's face. "We're not
celebrating this year, are we?"
"I'm sorry Buddi," Ursa said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's
just that things have been so hectic this year that I haven't had time--"
Buddi held up his hand wearily, cutting Ursa off. "It's all right, I
guess I should've expected it. You haven't had much time for anything lately
except your duties."
"Now Buddi--"
"No no," Buddi said, cutting her off again and starting to raise her
ire, "it's OK. I know there are things you have to do, it just seems like
there's a lot more of them lately. I think I'll head back to bed for a while.
Oh, Calla said she might stop by today around midafternoon or so. Something
about sparring with you."
Ursa nodded dumbly as Buddi jumped back down to the street below. She
knew he was disappointed, but let him keep his pride by not mentioning it.
"So when did my baby grow up?" she wondered, jumping down on the other side
and starting her morning patrols.
At the same time, Gruffi was tossing tools into his toolbox in readiness
for a long day of work. He knew that if he wasn't busy all day the others
would find a way to drag him to Ursalia. As much as he wanted to go, he knew
that the best thing was to not go. Things would be very awkward for him,
especially if Ursa didn't show up. "It's for the best," he whispered, looking
at the wrapped present that lay or his worktable.
He walked to the door and opened it, ready to disappear for the day.
"Hey Gruffi," Cavin said, stepping back just enough to not collide with the
bear as he left his room.
"Cavin?" Gruffi asked, taken a bit off guard by the human's sudden
appearance. "What are you doing here so early?"
"I need your help with something," Cavin said. "See, I was working on a
gift for Calla but it's not quite ready yet. Could you help me finish it?"
"Sure thing," Gruffi said. "I have some things to take care of this
morning, but I should be able to help you in the afternoon."
"That's great! Do you mind if I just wait here for you to get back?"
"Knock yourself out, just don't break anything."
"You can trust me Gruffi," Cavin said with a smile. No sooner had
Gruffi turned down a hallway then Cavin signaled to the bears waiting just out
of sight. "OK, we have more than enough time to set this up," he whispered.
"Let's make sure he doesn't get away."
Later that day, while the sun was still halfway up in the sky, Ursa was
finishing up her patrol and walking back to her bedroom. She yawned lightly
as she opened her door, but stopped in mid-yawn as she saw who was already in
there. "What are you doing here?" she growled in surprise.
"Oh, nothing...." Sunni said, an innocent smile on her face.
"Just coming over to help you out dear," Grammi said, her hands clasped
in front of her.
"I don't have time for this," Ursa snarled. "I don't know what you're
game is, but I'm not interested."
"Even if it means getting Gruffi back?"
Ursa stood perfectly still for a moment, then clenched her fist in
anger. "Who do you think you are? This is none of your concern!"
"Oh yes it is," Calla said, coming up behind Ursa and shoving her into
the room. "Or have you forgotten what we went through together to make sure
we didn't suffer Broken Hearts? If you really think we're going to let you
throw it away after all that, you've got another thing coming."
Ursa glared as both Sunni and Grammi both adopted predatory looks and
advanced on her. She tried to get out the door, but Calla slammed it shut
and barred the way. "It seems like you're leaving me no choice," Ursa said
slowly, reaching for her sword.
But when she did, she found it wasn't at her waist. "Looking for
this?" Calla asked, tossing Ursa's sword to the side. "And before you bring
up your 'duties', we've already arranged with the other Barbics to take on
your responsibilities for the day. Every excuse you might have has been taken
care of before you can even bring it up."
Ursa stared at the human in amazement, not even aware that the two bears
had grabbed her arms and were dragging her to the bed. "I guess I should just
accept my fate, huh?" she grumbled.
"That would be wise," Grammi said, pulling a large bag from underneath
Ursa's bed.
A couple hours later, Gruffi slowly came back to consciousness. "What
happened?" he wondered, licking his dry lips. The last thing he remembered
was meeting Cavin back in his room to help the kid on that present. Sure,
he'd been a couple hours late, but that didn't justify Cavin conking him on
the skull and knocking him out.
No, wait, that couldn't be right. Cavin had been in front of him and
the blow had come from behind. It was about this time that Gruffi noticed
the wind whipping past his face at a speed that could only mean one thing.
He opened his eyes and, sure enough, found himself in a Quickcar along the
track that led to Ursalia. "What is going on here?" he demanded, yelling to
make himself heard.
"Ahh, look who finally woke up," Gritty said from the seat next to him.
"I was beginning to think you didn't have as hard a head as we all thought."
"Very funny," Gruffi said drily, reaching up to rub the back of his
head. "I suggest you turn this Quickcar around and bring me back to the Glen.
Right now in fact."
"Sorry Gruffi," Cubbi said from the other side of him. "No can do.
Like you used to tell me so often, this is for your own good."
"But there's so much--"
"There is nothing that can't wait a day or so. We all know that."
"Well then, I didn't bring--"
"You mean this?" Cavin asked, holding up a wrapped package from the
front seat, though he had to grip it tightly as the Quickcar did a couple
loops to gain speed. "We figured it was important so I brought it with us."
"Seems I don't have a choice in the matter," Gruffi grumped, slouching
a bit in his seat.
"Gruffi, that's probably the smartest thing you've said in a long
while," Zummi remarked from where he was steering the Quickcar.
"Yeah, well at least Tummi's not in on this."
"Actually, he said he had somewhere special to go today. He was pretty
vague about it, now that you mention it."
"Hmmph, I bet he's having a lot more fun than I am right now."
While they were speeding toward Ursalia, Ursa, still in her room and
surrounded by three persistent females, was trying very hard not to lose her
temper. "Absolutely not!" she said in a voice only a little softer than a
yell. "This is horrid!"
"Ursa, you've said that about every dress you've tried so far," Grammi
said in a tired voice. "We've got plenty more, and we're not stopping until
we find one for you."
"Why can't I just go in what I always wear?" Ursa asked, looking at
her usual outfit which was laid out on the bed. The dress she was currently
wearing resembled the brown and yellow dress Sunni had worn when her youth was
being stolen by Lady Bane, but altered to fit her body. "Besides, Gruffi
likes me for who I am, not for what I look like."
"Which is all well and good, but there's nothing wrong with dressing up
every now and again, especially on a night like tonight."
"So why aren't any of you dressing up?"
"Who says we're not?" Calla asked, selecting another dress for Ursa to
try. "We already have ours picked out though."
"At least I won't be doing this alone," Ursa grumbled, going behind a
screen that had been set up and changing into the dress Calla had handed her.
Never before in her life had she worn a dress, finding them too frilly and
having way too much material to be comfortable in. She preferred the freedom
of motion her tunic gave her. "All right, let's take a look at...this one."
Calla, Grammi, and Sunni all smiled as they saw Ursa stare at herself in
the mirror. The dress was simple and rather plain, but it looked good on her.
It was a deep honey-gold color, the same as her hair. The bodice fit her as
if made for her with a modestly high neckline, but not high enough to bother
her. The sleeves went down to her elbows, leaving her forearms bare, and did
not have any of the puffy shoulders that she detested. The skirt fell to her
ankles and billowed out slightly, just enough that Ursa couldn't trip over it
unless she tried to. "I think she's found her dress," Calla said, pleased.
"It's...not bad," Ursa admitted grudgingly, but even she could tell she
wasn't being truthful. The dress complimented her figure perfectly without
being showy or flashy. It also accentuated her toned arms and shoulders, not
taking anything away from her fighting spirit. If she were more comfortable
wearing dresses, she could definitely see herself wearing dresses like this
more often.
"And now for the finishing touch," Calla said, pulling two fingerless
gloves out of the bag and putting them on Ursa. "There, just perfect."
Ursa tried to protest, tried to find something wrong with her look, no
matter how small. But for the first time she could remember, she felt more
like a woman than a warrior, and she didn't mind one bit. "I hope Gruffi
appreciates all this," she muttered, toying with the gloves slightly.
"Well, it's our turn now," Grammi said, taking out three smaller bags
and giving one each to Sunni and Calla.
"Wait a minute, you're staying?" Sunni asked, surprised.
"What, you don't want me too?" Calla asked archly, though a smile
tugged at the corner of her lips.
"No, of course not," Sunni said quickly. "I just thought for sure you
would want to spend it with your father."
"I do, but I want to spend it with Cavin more. Besides," she added with
a sly smirk, "no one here will mind if I steal a kiss or two from Cavin."
Sunni giggled a little. "I knew there had to be some reason involving
him."
"Oh, like you're not going to sneak kisses with Buddi?"
"Enough you two," Grammi said, stepping out from behind the screen. Her
dress was very much like what she usually wore, but with no apron or hat and
the color was a much deeper blue. "Get ready, we don't have much time."
Sunni disappeared behind the screen and started to change into her
dress. It didn't take her long to come back out, clad in a pale green dress
and a princess hat that she had worn once or twice before, though some
alterations had been made to accomodate the changes her body had made. "Your
turn Calla," she said, walking over and sitting down on the bed.
"Sunni, don't wrinkle your dress," Grammi admonished as Calla went to
change.
Calla soon came out in the dress she had worn to her first ball, altered
in much the same way Sunni's dress was. "Are we ready?" she asked, adjusting
her tiara slightly.
"As ready as we'll ever be," Ursa said, a hint of nervousness in her
voice.
Grammi opened the door and looked outside. "OK, the coast is clear. I
don't want the boys to see us before we get there. Let's let them be as
surprised as possible."
Inside the Great Hall, the other Barbics and Glens, and Cavin, were
milling around, enjoying the food and drink provided by Grubbi. The Hall had
been decorated with both traditional Barbic and Glen trimmings, somehow
fitting well together despite common sense saying that they shouldn't. "See
Gruffi, aren't you glad you came?" Cubbi asked, nudging him in the ribs
slightly.
"Well, I'll admit I don't eat this well at home," Gruffi said with a
smirk. "But still, I knew she wouldn't be here."
"Don't see bo sure...err, be so sure of that Gruffi," Zummi said,
hiding his smile behind the mug of cider he held. "I have the feeling they'll
show up here any minute now."
"They?" Gruffi asked, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"
Zummi was about to answer him, but the opening of the doors told him he no
longer had to.
The hall went perfectly quiet as the four ladies made their entrance,
every eye fixed on them as they walked up to their loves. "So how do we
look?" Grammi asked, slipping her hand into the crook of Zummi's elbow.
"Absolutely beautiful," Zummi said, kissing Grammi's cheek softly.
"And she's not the only one," Buddi said, taking Sunni's hands in his
and placing light kisses on each of her cheeks.
"I guess I'm not the only one who always knows what to say," Sunni
whispered, nuzzling her nose against Buddi's gently.
Cavin bowed before Calla with a slight smile. "Might this unworthy
squire have the honor of escorting the most beautiful princess here tonight?"
he asked while somehow managing to keep a perfectly straight face.
Calla playfully swatted his arm as he stood up. "I'm the only princess
here," she reminded him.
"Purely a coincidence," Cavin assured her, placing her hand on his arm.
All this was happening around Gruffi but he took absolutely no note of
it. His attention was fixed solely on Ursa, and his brain seemed to have gone
off somewhere on vacation. He knew his jaw had dropped, but he couldn't find
it in himself to snap out of it.
"Is something wrong Gruffi?" Ursa asked, suddenly very self-conscious.
When he didn't answer her, she turned away from him and lowered her head.
"I'm sorry, this was a bad idea. I need to...." Her voice trailed off as she
felt Gruffi take her hand in his. "Gruffi?" she asked in a soft hope full of
equal parts hope and fear.
"Ursa," Gruffi said, finally getting his voice and brain to work, "I've
always known you were beautiful. But tonight, you've just completely blown me
away. I've never thought anyone could look as good as you do tonight."
Ursa looked down, blushing slightly. "You're just saying that," she
mumbled.
"Have you ever known me to just say anything?" Gruffi asked, arching an
eyebrow. When Ursa shook her head, he just laughed quietly. "Then why would
you think I'd do that now?"
Ursa had no answer to come up with, so she tried to change the subject.
"Umm, are you enjoying yourself?" she asked.
Gruffi smiled at her discomfort, especially because it helped to ease
his own. "I am, but I think I'll be enjoying myself even more in a few
minutes."
Ursa looked up at him, wondering what he meant. Then the first strains
of music touched her ears. She glanced around in surprise, finding the music
coming from Zummi. Or rather, from the magical instruments he'd just conjured
up. In the moment it took her to realize all this, Gruffi had asked her
something but she didn't catch it. "I'm sorry, what was that?" she asked,
looking back down at him.
"I asked you if you'd care to dance," Gruffi said. "That is, if you
know how."
"If I know how?" Ursa asked, her nervousness melting away in the face
of the challenge Gruffi had just laid down. "Come on, I'll show you just how
much I know."
Gruffi let himself be pulled into a cleared area where the other
couples were already dancing. As they started dancing, he realized he was
glad Ursa was back to her normal self. He preferred the brash and bold Ursa
to the nervous and unsure one, but he loved the whole of her. And now, in
each other's arms again, he was reminded of just how much.
It was then that he noticed that Ursa was actually a very good dancer,
leading him through the moves of this rather complex dance with ease.
"Surprised?" she asked, noticing his expression. "You shouldn't be. Grubbi
taught me how to dance a long time ago. He said it would improve my poise and
balance in battle. I just never thought I'd actually find a reason to dance
just for dancing."
"Remind me to thank him," Gruffi said, moving closer into her embrace as
the song slowed down to something more intimate. They danced together as if
they were the only two bears in the world, everything and everyone else
disappearing around them. "How could I ever have thought about giving this
up?" he wondered aloud. "How could I ever have thought about giving you up?"
"I thought the same thing," Ursa admitted. "I'm a fool for putting my
duties ahead of my heart."
"You're not the only one," Gruffi whispered. "I'm just so used to
having to do everything at the Glen...."
"Just as I'm used to doing that here. Maybe...maybe we should try to
trust the others. Let them handle some things so we can find time together."
"That's going to be hard. I don't think I've ever trusted anyone to
handle my chores." Gruffi looked down for a moment before looking up into
Ursa's face. "But I'm willing to give it a try if you are."
"It's going to be just as hard for me. But it's about time, don't you
think? We have to eventually."
"We can talk about that more tomorrow. Right now, there's something
else we have to do." Gruffi cupped his hand behind Ursa's neck, bringing her
head to his.
"Hey you two," Gusto said, popping up beside them suddenly and making
them jump back and slightly away from each other in surprise. "The music
stopped a couple minutes ago and everyone's waiting for you so they can change
presents."
Ursa flushed and looked down in a mixture of embarassment and shame. "I
don't have anything for you," she said as they followed Gusto over to the
others.
"You've already given me the greatest present you could have," Gruffi
said, intertwining their fingers together. Ursa smiled down at him, but then
raised an eyebrow as Cavin handed him a wrapped package. "But that doesn't
mean I don't have something for you."
"Gruffi...." she said, taking it in a hand that trembled slightly. She
untied the cloth wrapping and let it fall away, revealing a woodcut of her.
It was as she looked in battle, her sword drawn and held at the ready and even
through the roughness of the cut, she could see the spark in her eyes that she
only felt in battle. "I don't know what to say," she said softly.
"Do you like it?" Gruffi asked, feeling as nervous as a teenage cub
asking his sweetheart on their first date.
"I love it!" Ursa said, dropping to a knee to hug him tightly. "And
I love you."
"Hey, I didn't know you were such an artiste Gruffers," Gusto teased
lightly. "Should I worry about you taking my job?"
"Hardly," Gruffi said with a smirk as he hugged Ursa back. In her ear,
he whispered, "I love you too."
"That's a relief," Gusto said as he retrieved a cloth covered object
from somewhere. "Otherwise I'd never be able to make something like this
again." Gruffi and Ursa watched as Gusto pulled the cloth away with a
flourish, not sure what to expect. "Voila!" Gusto said, holding it up for
them to see. "So, what do you think?"
Gruffi and Ursa just stared silently. It was a painting of them, but
one they couldn't have possibly posed for. They were seated on a meadow,
watching as the sun dropped below the horizon. Ursa was reclining on her
elbows, her head pillowed on Gruffi's chest. Gruffi had his arms draped
loosely around her neck and his chin resting on her hair. But what amazed
them both was the look of utter contentment on their faces. "Gusto," Gruffi
said slowly, "I take back every bad thing I ever said about you."
"I don't deserve all the credit here. It was Sunni's idea. She was the
mastermind behind this whole thing."
"Then I owe you a great debt," Ursa said to Sunni, who blushed as Buddi
gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Then something seemed to click in her mind
and she turned back to Gusto, getting to her feet. "You! You were the one
stalking me!"
"Now Ursa," Gusto said, backing away with his hands held up protectively
in front of him. "I needed to get some sketches of you so I could do the
painting. No harm done, right?"
"I should--" she began, but then stopped when she saw something hanging
from the ceiling. Someone had hung mistletoe at various points in the room,
and she and Gusto were directly under one of the sprigs. "You're lucky," she
said, pointing up at it. "One of our oldest traditions states then if two
enemies meet under the mistletoe, we must lay down our arms and call a truce
for the day. I would never break that."
"Truce accepted," Gusto said as backed away into a far corner of the
Hall.
"You know, we Glens have a tradition of our own about the mistletoe,"
Zummi said. "When a couple meet under it, they are supposed to kiss each
other."
"Sounds like a good tradition to me," Gruffi said, walking in front of
Ursa.
"Me too," Ursa said, lifting Gruffi up in her arms and kissing him
deeply, which Gruffi readily returned. But it was no ordinary kiss that they
shared. No, it was a kiss of promise and hope; promise to try and make things
work no matter what, and hope that they will find their way together.
From across the room, unseen by everyone, Sir Thornberry watched on with
a sad smile. "Are you watching Jenni?" he whispered as the other couples
moved under other sprigs of mistletoe and shared kisses as well. "I hope you
are watching somewhere. Maybe if you are, you can forgive this old fool for
making the mistake I helped these two avoid." A whisper-like breeze ruffled
the fur of his muzzle and he smiled. "I love you too," he whispered, lifting
his mug in silent toast to the couples before him.
* * *
Ursa pulled back from the intense kiss after a long while, breathing
heavily from the lack of air. "Wow," she breathed. "You haven't kissed me
like that since...."
"Since our first Solstice together," Gruffi finished for her. "I was
reminiscing about that just now."
Ursa smiled, remembering the promise they'd made to each other that
night. And stay together they did. They had made sure to spend time together
at least once a week, trusting the others to keep things running smoothly.
A few things did pop up every now and then, but it usually wasn't serious
enough to need either of their direct attention.
At the very next Solstice, Gruffi had proposed to her, which Ursa had
immediately accepted. Of course, the discussion immediately turned to where
they would live, but Calla had solved that problem before it became one. As
an early wedding present, she had given them the range of foothills located
directly between Gummi Glen and Ursalia, officially naming it the Gumbaric
Hills. Gruffi and Ursa worked long and hard to make it a home, and one year
later, again on the Solstice, they were married in the very cave they now
called home.
Calla soon became queen and made Cavin her king. Buddi took over
leading the Barbics with Sunni at his side while Cubbi now led the Glens.
Fortunately, all their friends and family were still with them, though it was
clear Thornberry did not have much time left. Still, he was as spry as ever,
refusing to stay in bed or even slow down a bit.
"Well, I'll let you finish your present," Ursa said, standing up and
walking away. "Just don't be up too late."
Gruffi smiled and turned back to his carving. He worked carefully to
finish it and then walked to where he'd hidden everything. "A perfect fit,"
he whispered, fitting the piece into place. He stepped back and admired his
work. "I hope she likes it," he thought, yawning and wandering off to bed.
When morning dawned, Gruffi was sound asleep, even snoring a little bit.
But his slumber was not meant to last long as a weight suddenly landed on his
chest. "Time to get up!" a rather cheery voice said.
Gruffi opened his eyes and groaned. "I wish you wouldn't wake me up
like that," he said, closing his eyes and letting his head fall back on his
pillow.
"Oh come on! It's the morning of the Solstice, and I know you have
presents for me."
"Jenni!" Ursa called from the doorway, her arms folded across her chest
and a playful grin on her face. "What have a told you about waking your
father up like that?"
"That I should do it as much as possible," the young bearess answered
with a grin to match her mother's. She was only about five years old, but
tall for her age so she looked more like eight or nine. She had her father's
darker fur coloring, but her long honey-colored hair was definitely from her
mother. She was clad in a red nightgown that she was already beginning to
outgrow, and her eyes sparkled mischievously.
"That's my girl," Ursa chuckled with a nod. Her daughter's aggressive
personality came from her Barbic blood, but her interest in building things
was her father's influence. As a result, she tended to get in more trouble
than even Cubbi did at her age, and that's saying a lot. "Now go get dressed
or no presents till dinner.
"OK!" Jenni said, jumping on her dad's stomach once before hopping off
and running to her room.
"I wish you wouldn't encourage her," Gruffi said, holding his stomach in
exaggerated agony.
"Oh please Gruffi," Ursa said, rolling her eyes. "If it hurts you that
much, I'll kiss it and make it all better later. Now let's get out there
before she starts tearing the place apart."
Gruffi rolled out of bed and stretched. He followed Ursa out and
counted down from ten in his head. As soon as he hit zero, he turned around
and caught Jenni before she could get past him. "Not so fast kiddo," he said,
sweeping her up into his arms.
"Aww, Dad!" Jenni pouted, sticking out her bottom lip for maximum
effect.
Gruffi couldn't help but give in when his daughter looked at him like
that. "Oh, all right."
"Yes!" Jenni gave Gruffi a quick kiss on the cheek and then ran off in
search of her present.
"And you say I encourage her," Ursa said, putting her hand on Gruffi's
shoulder.
"Like I can say no to either of my girls? Now if we'd had a son,
things might be different."
"Well," Ursa said, blushing a bit, "you might just get your chance."
Gruffi stiffened in shock as the import of Ursa's words sunk in. "You
mean you're...." His voice gave out as Ursa nodded. Gruffi let out a whoop
of joy and hugged Ursa tight. "I love you," he said. "Both of you."
Ursa smiled and hugged him back just as Jenni came back into the
hallway clutching her new toolbox and toolset in her hands. "Thank you
Daddy!" she cried, getting ready to jump on her parents when she noticed how
they were holding each other. "Umm, what's going on here?"
"Well Jenni, how would you like a baby brother or sister?" Ursa asked,
picking her daughter up in her arms.
"Wow! Thanks Mom!" she said, hugging her mother around her neck. "But
wait a minute, just where do babies come from?"
Ursa and Gruffi both went a little pale at Jenni's question. At the
exact same time, they pointed to the other and said, "He'll/She'll tell you!" (
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