Not Expecting to Collide (COMPLETE) - ABP Fanfiction

Chapter 80 - Responsibilties

Although Bam could have stayed in bed for the rest of the evening, (and so too could have October) she promptly reminded him that she was chief cook and bottle washer for the main cabin that night. With much grumbling, Bam arose from the bed and began to gather his clothes. They lovingly washed each other off, sloshing soapy water on the wood floor of the shack and making a damn mess in the process. Eventually, after much giggling and kissing, Bam and October were presentable enough to face the rest of the family.
Bam tied his boots as October swept the hairbrush through her hair for one last time. "Do I look all right?" She asked turning to the side to look at her figure in the mirror.
"Well, I do prefer you all tousled and naked and freshly fu-" she pressed a finger to his lips before he could finish. He grinned and kissed her finger before grasping her wrist in his hand and pulling her into an embrace. "You're beautiful. Don't ever doubt -".
A timid knock interrupted him and caused them both to look towards the door. "Come in." Bam called as he pulled himself away from October.
The door opened only a fraction and Rainy slipped through. She closed the door quietly and stood just inside, unmoving. Her hands were clasped together in front of her fidgeting nervously. Her hair fell down over her shoulders hiding most of her face.
"Rainy?" Bam questioned after a long moment of silence. Rainy lifted her head. Her eyes were red and her face was streaked. It was obvious she had been crying. A lot.
"Rainy!" October whispered in surprise. "What's the matter?"
Rainy took a deep, shaky breath and spoke softly. "I won't talk to boys anymore. I won't even go to town if you don't want me to." Bam's eyes widened as he turned to October in confusion. Rainy's voice hitched as she kept talking. "I'll catch up on all my school and I'll work ahead. I'll work through the summer and not take a break from it." Neither Bam nor October said a word. Bam's mind scrambled to the worst possible conclusion. Rainy brought both her hands up to cover her face. "Just please don't - don't send me b- back to Seattle!" She stuttered then burst into tears. Bam's eyebrows both shot up in shock. He crossed the room and put his arms around Rainy's shoulders, letting her cry.
After her tears subsided a bit, Bam led her over to sit on the bench at the foot of his bed. "What makes you think I would do that?" He asked as October handed Rainy a handkerchief.
Rainy wiped her eyes and turned to face him. "I heard you and Bear talking this morning when I was coming back from the outhouse."
Bam wracked his brain to recall the exact content of his conversation with Bear before breakfast. October quietly slipped out the door to give the two siblings some privacy.
Bam sighed heavily and spoke. "Rainy, I would never send you back to Seattle unless you wanted to go back."
Rainy shook her head. "I don't want to go back. I hate it there." She said vehemently.
"What makes you think I don't want you to stay here, with all of us?" He asked. Rainy shrugged. "I heard you got a job today." Bam smiled. "Yeah, I did."
"So you're leaving me." Rainy's voice cracked again. Bam's eyes widened. He was so proud of the progress all of them had made together since his parents had been gone. He guessed he hadn't thought of the impact all the changes would have on the youngest member of the family. Sometimes he had to remind himself that Rainy was only a kid and still had a lot of growing up left to do. Bam scrubbed his face with one hand and sighed. "It's not for good. I'm coming back in the spring."
"That's months away!" Rainy squeaked and wiped away more tears with the handkerchief.
"But you still have Matt." Bam reminded.
"Who only has time for Amber." Rainy replied.
"But Amber has been so good for him." Bam countered. "And I thought you liked Amber."
"I love Amber!" Rainy said quickly. "But Matt was a wreck when she was sick and now he treats her like she's going to break."
"What about Bear?"
"Bear only has eyes for Rosanna when she is here and when she is gone, he just mopes around."
Bam could see where this was going. "Gabe?"
Rainy rolled her eyes. "Gabey doesn't really want a little sister around to cramp his style."
"Did he tell you that?" Bam asked.
Rainy shook her head. "I'm not stupid. He's tried to ditch me the last three times we've gone into town together."
Bam was quickly running out of options. "Noah?" He asked quietly.
Rainy's head snapped up and she glared at him without saying anything. "Oh come on! He can't be that bad!"
Rainy rolled her eyes. "Since you put him in charge of my home-schooling he acts more like an old school marm than my brother." Rainy thought for a moment. "He's always acted more like an old school marm than my brother."
Bam couldn't help but chuckle. A tiny smile curved up on the corner of Rainy's mouth. "I'm serious! He even started to ring those damn bells in the morning to signal that school was in session."
"I've never heard the bells ring in the morning." Bam mused.
"That's because after the second day, Gabe threatened to twist his neck till it twanged like a banjo string if he did it again." Rainy grinned and wiped her cheeks again. Bam laughed loud and long.
"What about Bird?" He asked once his laughter ceased.
The smile that Bam had been relieved to see on Rainy's face disappeared as quickly as it came. Her eyes welled up again and she furiously wiped at them with the cloth.
"What?" He asked, confused again.
"I can't tell you." She replied quietly without looking at him. "I'm sworn to secrecy."
Again, Bam's mind scrambled to the worst possible conclusion. "There seems to be a lot of that happening around here lately." He murmured. Rainy nodded. "You're not completely innocent of it either." She reminded.
"Me?" He huffed.
"Yeah, you! A new wife and a baby on the way. You kept it all to yourself for quite some time."
"Yeah." Bam replied, not bothering to argue. Rainy didn't need to know that the baby wasn't planned or that he didn't even know about it until a month ago. None of that mattered now. He may have started his own family with October but that didn't mean he could shirk his responsibilities to the rest of them.