Not Expecting to Collide (COMPLETE) - ABP Fanfiction

Chapter 120 - Onward (Epilogue)

"Da Dee!" Isabella exclaimed as she threw her chubby little hands in the air. October laughed and finished brushing out her hair.
"Yes, we are going to see Daddy. Do you want me to brush your hair too?"
"Peety!" Isabella gurgled.
"Yes, my baby girl. You are very pretty."
October ran the brush through Isabella's blonde ringlets before setting it on the dresser and helping her with her shoes and jacket. She opened the door to the trapper shack and stepped out into the crisp spring morning. October smiled at how Isabella's little legs toddled along as fast they could toward the clearing in the trees where all the construction noise was coming from.
"Da dee!" she chirped as soon as Bam came into her view. Bam stood up and shielded his eyes from the late morning sun. He said something to Matt, then walked over to the edge of the platform and jumped to the ground. He scooped her up into his arms and swung her around in a circle. Isabella squealed with glee. Bam, then hugged her tightly and set her back down on the ground. He walked over to October and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Good morning, Lover." October grinned as he pulled her close to his body.
"Good morning, wife." He said huskily and bent his head to brush his lips across hers.

Matthew sauntered over to greet them. "Bella, let's go inside!" Matt shouted with his typical jubilance.

"Has-her pay?" She peered up at him excitedly.

"Haha! Yes!" Matt replied. "We can go play with Asher." Isabella giggled as her uncle Matt threw her over his shoulder and started running for the main cabin. Although her little cousin was a year younger than she was, Asher was Isabella's best friend and constant playmate.

Bam watched as they disappeared through the trees and then turned back to October. She raised her hand to brush her fingertip across the light scar beneath his left eye. A pang of guilt coursed through her as she remembered the night she gave him the scar. Bam caught her hand in his and kissed each fingertip tenderly.

The year since Matt and Amber's wedding had been good to them. Browntown had been improved upon several times over. Once they had ownership to the land, Bam and October were able to make several changes for the better, including indoor plumbing to the main cabin and any new structure that had been started since. After spending another shipping season in the trapper shack, Bam, with the help of his brothers, was in the middle of building their new home - a modest, two-storey, A-frame with bedrooms enough for Bam and October, Isabella, Rainy and room for more in the future.

The shipping business was proving to be a runaway success. Bam and Matt had made deposits on a new boat that would double their load capacity. Within the month, Matt and Gabe would be running the Integrity alone.  Bam would be at the helm of the new boat, the Endeavour, with Bear acting as bosun. Bam couldn't have been more proud of the success they had made of their family business.

The entire family had changed and evolved in the past months. Bear was busy making plans for a treehouse to move Rosanna into for the summer. Rosanna was still in Seattle with two more years of college to complete. They had found a way to make their long distance relationship work. October suspected it was in no small part to the new cell service available in Browntown and a never-ending supply of batteries.

Gabe happily worked alongside his older brothers on the shipping business. No, he hadn't found a wife yet but he never stopped looking. Isabella has become his favourite chick-magnet accessory. He had been on lots of first dates but hardly any second date, however, the latest girl was showing a little promise by making it to date number three. Bam expected him to bring her to Browntown to meet the family by date five and then they would be official.

Last fall, Noah had enrolled in online university. He was taking several science and humanities classes. In between on-line courses, he worked part time at the Hoonah library, where he had developed the young scientist club. One of his brightest students had earned a spot at the national science fair next month.

Birdie remained in the Alberta back-country working full-time on the Grizzly project. October suspected that it was not only the grizzlies she had grown so fond of, but the project leader as well. Bam didn't know it yet but the project lead would accompany Birdie home again next time she was due for a visit.

Rainy continued to live with Bam and October as they split their time between Calgary and Browntown. She was quite successful at school. Lately she been showing a keen interest in one boy in particular. October thought it was sweet. Bam thought it was annoying. This summer she had secured a job at the local gift shop that pandered to the cruise tourists.

Auggie and Robert had become engaged and were due to spend a week with them in Browntown in the summer for their honeymoon. October was quite excited to have all of her family once again in the same place, even if it was for only a week.

Billy and Ami tried to keep viewers interested in their show by finding a small piece of land in Oregon but when Billy wasn't able to show plausible evidence that he knew how to homestead anything, the show's viewership fizzled. They were back in the lower forty-eight, bouncing around Washington, Texas and Oregon doing god knows what. October only gleaned that piece of information from the return addresses on the odd package that showed up for Isabella.

 October's life afforded her many photographic opportunities and she had published several photos in calenders and stock photography of the beautiful Alaskan landscapes with which she was surrounded.

"You were supposed to wake me up so I could help lift the interior walls." October reminded her husband.

Bam's eyes crinkled at the corners. "I thought you could use the extra hours of sleep."

She turned away from him to hide the smile that spread across her face lest she give away her secret. She had been waiting to tell him until she was further along than the last time. She wanted to be sure. However, the gleam is his eye made her suspect that he already knew about the tiny, precious life growing inside of her.

Bam held her tighter and bit his lip to suppress his grin. He had been waiting patiently for days for her to tell him about the tiny babe so they could celebrate together.

He didn't know what the future held. It could bring heartbreak, it could bring joy. He had learned to embrace the unexpected. After all, love had crashed into him even when, especially when, he was not expecting to collide.

~*fin*~