Ross You're What?!

Trust

Max Pov

I looked up at the stars the cub and Mattie curled up together next to me, Newt and Pandora were sleeping in my arms as I sat on the porch watching alligator stroll by. Still waiting for Ross to comeback from his bear wrestling experience, why did I let him run off and do that?! I'm a horrible person.

"Max" I looked up my uncle was still in his orange hunting vest, his ginger hair was scraggly under his baseball cap he sat down next to me, quietly moving his toothpick to the other side of his mouth. I felt him reach his arm out and wrap his arm around my shoulders squeezing gently.

"Why did I let him walk away?" I asked him miserably I felt like I let everyone down, we have guns! So there was no reason Ross had to go and wrestle a bear, who's cub was sleeping with my child right next to me. I felt Uncle Gary squeeze my shoulder again, he sighed and crunched down on his toothpick snapping it in half.

"Kid, I know how you feel, like you let the entire world down for one stupid ass decision" He said flicking the broken toothpick into the woods, he looked at me with his dull blue eyes "But one thing you did- are doing right is you still care, you're not completely wasted you knew that he still loves you" He said I could feel him entering what our family liked to call the 'Parental Mode', the instinct he never was able to use.

"Yeah, but there's so much I wanted to tell him, so much we never got to do. The nerd wanted to swim with narwhals" I said feeling my voice cracking, I barley registered Gary half hugging me it was an odd feeling to have your uncle hug you.

"I know kiddo, I know, it hurts not knowing what happened to him. Not knowing if he's dead or dying, I know kid. I don't know how it feels to have kids so I can't say I know what you're going through. But I've seen the way you two interacted, I saw it, the love I rarely see in anyone anymore. It's always a blessing to me, knowing that my nephew found true love that loves him the same, makes me wonder if Susann helped make him for you." He said smiling recalling memories of his wife and my aunt, I stood up careful not to jostle Newt and Pandora.

"Can you get Matthew? I should probably get them inside before they catch a cold" I asked pushing open the front door, I flicked the light switch on with my elbow we brought compactable cribs so we wouldn't have to scrounge something together for the kids. I gently laid Pandora down, and then Newt. I saw my uncle putting the bear cub and Matthew down together in a crib together, I can't blame the man Mattie and the cub have been inseparable.

"Going back out to wait?" He asked taking off his cap to brush his hair out of his face, I smiled at him.

"What else am I supposed to do?" I asked starting back outside when I saw it, illuminated by the porch light two yellow orbs shone through the bushes. A bears head formed around the yellow orbs, his muzzled coated in blood I felt my heart skip a beat when I saw what he held in his mouth a dark grey sweater, Ross' sweater.

"Jesus Christ" My uncle lightly swore putting his cap back on his head, I could feel hundreds of situations run through my head. This couldn't be the mama bear it was a he, and as far as I know Ross is the only male that gave birth. So did Ross mistake him for a mama bear? No Ross isn't stupid, but what if the bear ran into him?

"Fuck me" I said opening the porch door ignoring my uncles calls to get back in the bloody house, I going to figure out what this bear fucking did to Ross. I walked towards him and he dropped the sweater and laid down behind it, waiting for me to get it.

"Easy buddy I'm just going to take this sweater, don't bite my arm off" I mumbled talking to the bear, although it sounds like im talking to myself that I purely coincidentale Im not scared. Okay that's complete bullshit, I am fucking terrified. Scared shitless whatever you want to call it im not very happy about this but what else am I supposed to do?

I froze the Grizzly Bear stood up picking up the sweater with care and stepping a few feet towards me, dropping the sweater at my feet he backtracked a few feet, I noted how he tried to walk on his back leg only to just keep it next to his body. He looked at the sweater then the woods,  then at me his eyes shining.

"You know where Ross is?" I asked feeling like a mix between a crazy person and a bear whisperer, maybe a little bit of both as the bear repeated the movements I picked up the sweater and looked at my uncle who looked just as shocked as me he nodded at me. I took a deep breath feeling the damp fabric of the sweater.

"Okay buddy show me where you found this" The bear stood up and walked beside me laying down next to me, oh you have got to be shitting me, he wants me to ride a bear in the middle of the night, into the woods, on a bear. I'm starting to sound a lot like my friends now, all randomness and rainbows.

"Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, Sorry, Fuck" I mumbled as my foot slipped and hit his bad leg, he grunted and stood up obviously not ready for my weight as he tilted to one side dangerously before steadying himself. He started at a slow hobble as he walked into the woods then picking up the pace to a steady jog then a full on run, I could barely tell he was only walking on three legs and he plowed through the underbrush. Being completely unprepared for this bears running abilities I was holding onto his fur for dear life, he almost seemed pleased that I was holding on so tight.

"Fuck me" I said as the bear made a sharp turn then stopped, he was breathing heavily and his eyes were scanning the trees I heard high pitched noise and a clunk, I turned to see an arrow embedded in the tree behind me.

"No thanks hun, MoonWolf would kill me if I did" A female voice said dropping out of a tree, her short copper red hair was tied back in a ponytail, she was wearing a camoflauge jacket and holding a deep red long bow with matching arrows, her deep coffee colored skin was tinted red from the breeze.

"What? Who's MoonWolf? Why did you shoot and arrow at me? Why is this bear not killing me? Why are you not killing me?" I asked shooting off questions the girl smiled and laughed a bit, walking past me she pulled the arrow out of the tree as another object was pulled out as well, it landed in her hand with a wet smack.

"Hun, this is called a poisonous snake it could have killed you if I didn't, and this bear here is Fluffy a trained rescue bear. I'm sort of a rescuer if you will, and MoonWolf is just my commanding officer, we're the Silver Woods we like to rescue mostly animals but sometimes humans. And one man we picked up really wants to see you." She said tossing the dead snake over her shoulder, she whistled and two horses trotted into my field of vision, one orange with a black star and the other a mix of dark red crimson and gold.

"Wait you know where Ross is?" I asked looking warily at the orange horse that trotted to my side, you know it's not every day you meet a society of rescuers with a rescue bear. They might not even be rescuers, the girl smiled and laughed softly.

"Yeah hun, he's been on edge a long while. And my names Bridgette, what's yours hun?" she asked offering me a boost so I could get on the horse, I have no better shot at finding Ross unless I go with Bridgette so I get on the horse.

"Max, so Bridgette why didn't you just send Ross back?" I asked watching the orange horse followed right beside her, a shadow crossed her face as she looked at me.

"Well Max he was and still is in no condition to ride back on his own, he was attacked by Beatrice. A very territorial bear with a thirst for human blood, and because he managed to free Fluffy over there from a bear trap he lived. Only because Fluffy managed to kill Beatrice before it could kill Ross, he did tear a muscle in his calf though. It should heal on its own but it will take a week or two to do so, the same for the puncture marks on his arm, she grazed an vein so we had to stabilize him before we could get him talking." She said weaving her horse through the underbrush and trees while I was having a mini panic attack. Ross. Was. Attacked. By. A. Fucking. Bear. I felt my heart starting to be faster and my vision start to swim.

"Hun you okay- no Max Max he's okay- Max! Shit!" Bridgette's voice was the last thing I heard before I blacked out, not aware of my body sliding off the now galloping horse