Gabriel Brown: Collection of Short Alaskan Bush People Fan Fics

No

The beach was quiet and you thought you were alone. You hadn't meant to sneak away from Gabe, but you did want some time to think.

Life in Brown Town was always so busy that you barely had time to take care of Gabe and yourself and your cabin. And now that the first baby was on the way, you were starting to think maybe bush life wasn't the life for you after all. The outhouse was smelly, the bears were everywhere and you hadn't had a really decent bath in weeks. Gabe never complained about anything and it seemed like he didn't even notice the slight funky smell that hung over every piece of clothing you owned.

When the last of the lunch dishes had been washed and put away, Gabe kissed you on the forehead, grabbed his rifle and a roll of toilet paper, and went off into the woods to do what he needed to do. You made a quick stop at the outhouse, holding your breath the entire time, and then quickly made your way to the beach to breathe deeply and to think.

Sitting down on a fallen log, you closed your eyes and tilted your head back to the sky. There wasn't a cloud in the bright blue sky and the air smelled clean and fresh. But a change in the direction of the wind suddenly blew a stink your way that caused you to hold your breath and pinch two fingers to your nose.

"It's me, babe." Gabe announced as he threw his arms around you and dragged you backward off of the fallen log, pulling you with him onto the ground.

"Oh, Gabey. You really smell. Did you fall in something?" Gabe could be a little clumsy sometimes and it wouldn't be the first time he came back from the woods carrying an extra special 'scent gift' for you.
"Yes." He admitted sheepishly, his head down and an embarrassed grin on his face. "But I thought I had wiped it all off. Sorry."

He scooped up a handful of the damp sand and rubbed his hands together briskly. Satisfied with his bush cleaning method, he brushed the loose sand off his hands and grinning widely, he immediately pressed both of his hands to your face, covering your nose and mouth. "Is that better?" He shouted as you screamed and pulled his damp hands away from your face.

"That is so sick!" You laughed and smacked his shoulder and then pulled your hand back to sniff it. Gabe laughed along with you but he could tell by your behavior that something was wrong. He held his hands out to you and you let him pull you into his lap.

"What's been going on lately?" He wrapped his arms around you, trapping you in his embrace. "Is it the baby?" Gabe was so excited about the baby that he hadn't been able to talk about anything else for days. Whenever the family came around to visit the first thing he launched into was a detailed description of your morning sickness and the size of your swelling belly. But you had been so quiet and withdrawn and he had been watching you so closely.

"No, it's not the baby." You laid your head back on his chest and enjoyed the feel of his warmth against your back. Gabe pressed his cheek to yours and with his arms still around you, began to rock you back and forth.
"I feel like I'm rocking the baby, too when I do this." Gabe softly rubbed his wooly sideburns against your face. You could feel his cheeks rising in a smile. "I love rocking my two girls like this."

Your heart clutched a little as he mentioned your baby girl. Life in the bush was so hard and you weren't sure how you felt about your daughter growing up in such rough conditions. Gabe had done everything he could to make like comfortable for you. And he always reminded you that his mom and sisters have lived in the bush all their lives and they survived just fine. That was true, but things were very different on this island from the places where Gabe grew up. Now, the family couldn't even leave for a minute without having to worry about the bears getting into the camp. Your heart ached with worry for your new baby and for your family.

Gabe sat quietly as you gathered your thoughts. He was like a very gentle bull in a china shop. He didn't push his way in and knock your heart over. He very slowly and gently eased his way into your heart and teased out what he wanted, little by little. "If you don't want to tell me everything right now, just tell me a little." He began dotting kisses along your temple and your brow.

"I'm not sure I want to live in the bush anymore." You blurted the words out and Gabe immediately stopped rocking you and turned your shoulders so you were looking into his face.
"I'm sorry. What did you say?" He was genuinely stunned and surprised and you hated yourself for saying it so bluntly.
"I'm sorry Gabe. It's just so different than I thought it would be."
"But you've lived here for over a year. I thought you loved being here with me and the family." Gabe was clutching your shoulder and frowning, trying to understand.
"Gabe, I don't think I fully understood what it meant to live in the bush and now that we're having our baby, I'm just really worried about living so remotely and all the bears that keep trying to come into our camp" The words were finally rushing out of you .

The thoughts and fears that you had never told anyone, not even your husband, finally tumbled from your lips. Gabe let you finish and then looked closely at you.
"Have I ever let a bear eat you or eat anyone else in the family?" You thought he was joking but he was dead serious.
"No." You answered quietly, stroking his shoulder with a hand that you hadn't realized was trembling.

You saw Gabe look away from you, clearly confused and concerned. And he had every reason to be. You had just told him that you wanted to leave everything and everyone he was close to. He had told you once that he would hate to fall in love with a girl who didn't love the bush. You had convinced him that you loved him and you loved the bush, but now...

"I've always told you that you can do whatever you want and I just want you to be happy." Gabe spoke and his blue eyes were focused intently on yours. "And I meant that. But this? Leaving Brown Town?" Gabe tucked his finger under your chin and pulled your face to his. "The answer is no."

Now it was your turn to be stunned. Your husband had never said no to you and the look in his eye told you that this no was final. You waited for him to say something more. He didn't. He waited for you to say something more. You didn't. There was no question that you loved Gabe and wanted to be with him and raise your children together. And maybe it was just a new maternal instinct kicking in that made you want to protect your child from dangers that you have never had to deal with before. You wanted your family to be safe. But more than anything, you wanted your family to be together.

"If you let a bear eat me or our daughter..." You grabbed Gabe's flannel shirt in your fists.
"I will do whatever I have to do to keep my family safe." Gabe's deep voice sent a tingle through you.
You buried your face in the softness of his shirt and let him hold you tightly in his arms.

"I can't believe you told me no, Gabey." You whispered softly.
"I can't believe it either." He laughed. "It felt weird." He made a silly frowny face. "I don't want to do that again."
"It's ok Gabey." You planted a soft kiss on his lips. "I want you to do whatever you need to do to keep your family safe."

You hugged him close. Gabe hugged you back and then lifted his head, keeping one eye out for bears.