Gabriel Brown: Collection of Short Alaskan Bush People Fan Fics

A Promise is a Promise

The pain in your chest was unbearable. When you fell out of the tree and landed on your back, you thought you just had the wind knocked out of you. But when you tried to move, the sharp stabbing pain in your back made you gasp and fall back onto the hard ground. Gabe would be so angry at you. When you left that morning the last thing he said was to be careful and don't climb any trees. And you had promised him you wouldn't. His brother Bear had been showing you how to climb to the highest branches of the tallest trees. You wanted to learn how to climb so that you could have the best vantage point for taking pictures of the animals in the woods.

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"Make love to me." Gabe's face had risen into view when you both woke up that morning.
"No, Gabey. I need to leave early if I'm going to get the shots I want with the morning sunlight."

His normally smiling face had dissolved into fake tears and you laughed and stroked his cheek and kissed his soft lips. "I promise. Tonight, as soon as I get back? I'm all yours and you are all mine."

It was clear to him that you were serious about leaving to take some pictures and he didn't push any further. Gabe never pushed you. You had been married for almost a year and he had never raised his voice to you or been anything but kind. He could be firm, but normally he got his way by coercing you with his sweet smile and a hand on your butt. A light squeeze made you smile. A more insistent squeeze left you breathless. Both hands on your butt meant you would do whatever he wanted.

"Fine." He pouted. "Go. Leave me here alone with only a scratchy wool blanket to keep me warm."
"Gabey, this blanket is neither scratchy nor wool. If you're going to try and manipulate me," You smiled. "At least get your facts straight."
"So that didn't work, huh?" He said with a sweet grin.
"Nope."
"Well, maybe this will work." He grabbed you around the waist and slid both hands down towards your bottom. Just as he reached the softest part, you pulled away with a groan.
"No. Stop. I really need to get these last shots for the webpage." You had laughed at his even louder groan.

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Keeping your arms close to your body, you tried to roll over onto your side. But as your left side touched the ground, the screaming pain returned full force. You quickly fell onto your back, panting. The throbbing took a while to subside and you lay as still as you could, staring up into the tall cedar tree.

"Its' all your fault." You whispered to the tree. "You should have caught me when I fell instead of letting me slip through your skinny little arms."

By the time the pain in your side had receded enough for you to consider moving again, a sudden thought occurred to you.

"Where's my camera?" You whispered again. "Why am I whispering?" You spoke out loud to the empty forest.

Moving your head to the right, you felt a tug on the side of your neck. It was the strap to the camera, pulled tightly across your neck. You followed the strap with your eyes as it lay across your chest and angled up to the left and then over and under your left shoulder. You winced, realizing that the pain in your left side was caused not by your fall, but by landing on top of your Nikon camera.

"Oh, Nikki..." You used your pet name for your camera. "I never meant to hurt you and I know you never meant to hurt me. But...OW!"
You wailed and rolled onto your right side away from the pain. Even lying on the ground, the pain was making you feel a little dizzy, so you closed your eyes for just a minute.

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"You know?" Gabe had wrapped his arms around your shoulders from behind as you were brushing your teeth at the small sink. "I could come with you." His deep voice caused soft vibrations on your neck.
"Are you kidding? You make too much noise, Gabey." *spit*
"I promise this time I will be as quiet as a mouse."
"You said that last time and the only animals you didn't scare away with your big boots and your loud singing were two field mice and a frog." *spit*
"And those are hardly the wild animals I'm being paid to photograph."