Not Expecting to Collide (COMPLETE) - ABP Fanfiction

Chapter 1 - October Hunt

It was a fresh morning in the sleepy town of Hoonah, Alaska. The water beneath the docks, still as glass, betrayed the bevy of activity that was taking place up the road at the Hoonah house lodge and tavern. The many residents of said lodge, temporary as they may be, were scurrying about loading equipment into service vehicles and shouting to each other.

Off to one side of the main building was an open air picnic space with a sloping roof over three large wooden tables. This was where craft services had set up a continental breakfast and coffee station for the production crew and cast of Alaskan Bush People, Discovery's most popular reality TV show. Myra Lincoln, the show's producer, poured herself another cup of coffee and surveyed the scene before her. The crew finished loading the two equipment vans and they left the parking lot en-route to the filming location deep in the Alaskan wilderness.

"Good morning Toby." Myra greeted the newest member of the crew. "How are you this morning?" The young woman nodded a greeting and snagged a bagel off one of the trays on the table.

"I am great!" She replied with a grin. "This place is so amazing. The fresh air makes me sleep like a baby."

Myra raised an eyebrow. "You mean you actually slept through all the noise last night?"

The younger woman unwrapped a tea bag and plopped it into a Styrofoam cup filled with boiling water. "What noise?"

"The Brown Boys and half of the crew shut down the tavern last night. I'm surprised anyone got sleep. Oh. Speak of the devil, here's one of them now."  Myra picked up her coffee and stepped out into the yard. "Good morning Matthew." She yelled and grinned as the oldest Brown boy winced at her volume. "Be ready to leave in five." Myra called over her shoulder as she walked across the yard, laughing heartily.

Matthew Brown stubbed out his cigarette before entering the shelter to fix himself a cup of coffee. He mumbled to himself as he contemplated the tray of food before him.

"Feeling a little queasy this morning?" Matt's eyes opened a little wider upon realizing he wasn't alone.

"Haha! No! Not me. I feel great!" Matt then winced at his own volume. He ran his hands through his mass of wild, salt and pepper curls, which didn't tame them a bit. The blonde woman laughed as his hair sprung back out in all directions. "Are you laughing at me Toby?"

She scowled. "Didn't I ask you not to call me that?"

"Aw don't be mad at me. I've had a rough morning." Matt whined. "Don't look to me for sympathy. That's all your own doing."  She replied.

"Haha! I just need a hug." He stuck out his bottom lip and held his arms out as he stepped towards her. "Come on baby, give Mattie some sugar." She turned away from him and fished the tea bag out of her cup.

"You put those hands anywhere near me and you'll lose them." She growled as she threw three sugar packets at Matt's head. Matt dropped his arms to his sides.

"Aww, kitty has claws. What's the matter? Didn't get your coffee yet?"

"I don't drink coffee."

"Maybe it's time to start."

She was able to stand Matt in small doses and he would be easier to take with a side of Novocain. Even with him being hung over, he was still an all-caps-bold kind of guy. And keeping in that vein, she was more of a lower-case-italics. She smiled and threw three more sugar packets at him.

"That's all the sugar you'll ever get from me, Matt. See you out there." She turned on her heel with tea in hand and left him alone with his headache. The order went out for people to load into the three passenger vans. Matt saw her wrestle her backpack into the first van and then watched as it backed out of its parking spot. He grinned as he bent to pick up the sugar. She was so not his type.