The Country Bears: The Girl Behind the Bears

Cops and Carwashes

Mari POV

We weaved in and out of traffic, the cops following close behind us.

"Pull over." I heard one of them say over their speaker.I ran to the back of the bus to watch them. "Pull over. Pull over immediately or...we'll make you pull over."  I rolled my eyes.

"Seriously? What kind of threat is that?" I said as my dad swerved. I almost fell before Fred caught me and helped me stay steady. 

"Shake these fellas." Henry told my dad.

"Shake them!" Beary said. As I tried to make my way back to my seat next to the cub, my dad swerved again, making me fall on the couch.

"Woah!" I yelped. Everyone else did so too as dad revved the engine and tried to outrun the cops. He swerved again, this time throwing me off the couch and onto Tennessee's lap. I swore I was seeing stars as my vision spun. 

"Diiizzzyyyy" I groaned and rubbed my head. I felt Tennessee grab my waist with one arm while his other held on to his armrest, trying to keep us both in place.  

"I'm scared!" Fred said from his seat in the back. He was clinging to a pillow like it was his lifeline. 

"All right, time to lose these guys." Dad said.

"I need honey." Zeb whined. 

"How about a little thing I call "Hiding in the carwash." 

"Uh, how's that work?" Henry asked. 

"We hide in the carwash."

"So original, dad." I laughed as I tried to fight off my oncoming nausea. 

"Woah!" We all yelled as he suddenly turned into a carwash lot, somehow we didn't flip. We slowly pulled into the carwash, the bus about to get a long-overdue cleaning. I was still slightly dizzy from being thrown around, so I just laid my head on Tennessee's chest and closed my eyes. I felt his paw rub my back. I could feel my nausea fade and I began to relax. Well, I tried until I heard Beary panic.

"You guys. They're right behind us!"

"Hit it, Roadie." Henry said as he still had an adrenaline rush.

"Henry,"

"Yeah?"

"We're in a carwash." Dad stated, making Henry see the reality. 

"Oh." 

I heard Beary laugh as we neared the end of the carwash. I looked through the window he sat at and saw the two cops had gotten out of their car and got pulled into the wash. They were wet and covered in soap. I laughed as they got blasted by the hot wax and blown by the dryer fans. Once we were out and had lost the cops, we got back on the road. Zeb got up and went to the front.

"You still got it, Roadie!" He laughed. "You too, mr.chicken." We all laughed as we got out of town. I was kinda tired and decided to just stay on Tennessee's lap, seeing as I was pretty comfy and he didn't seem to mind. 

"Mind if stay here for a bit? Just to rest my eyes." I asked.

"That's fine." He laughed as he watched my eyes begin to droop. "I'll wake you when we get to our next stop." 

"Thanks, Ten." I yawned and let sleep take over. 

Third POV

Tennessee chuckled as she called him by the old nickname she had given him years ago. She had nicknames for all the guys and he had been surprised when he heard her still use them. When the bears had all met her, she was only a few months old. Roadie's wife had divorced him and they both took turns taking care of Mari. But, Roadie had other kids as well, so his wife usually let him take Mari for long periods of time. 

He and the guys still remembered how they were all there for her first steps and first words. From the first day that they had all met her, she had become a big part of their lives and loved her like family. He laughed when he remembered how each bear got their nicknames.

Fred got his mostly because he would call himself Freddie when ever he would talk to her, so it ended up just sticking for him.

Zeb became Honey Bear for obvious reasons, but she always said with endearment for him. 

Tennessee's name had been long and difficult for her to pronounce, so she had shortened it to 'Ten' and it stayed that way, not that he minded.

And Ted was Teddy Bear. The first time she called him that, the red of his blush could be seen through his fur. He hated when the guys called him that, but never minded when Mari said it to him. It showed just how much it meant to him coming from her. 

Tennessee was pulled from his memories and tore his gaze from Mari's sleeping face when he heard Zeb speak.

"Hey, check this out." He picked up a folded piece of paper from the ground.

"What is it?" Fred asked.

"I think that fell from her pocket." Zeb said as he unfolded the paper and slightly frowned. On it, was the name 'Dylan' and a phone number under it. "I think this is from that busboy from the diner." He was about to rip it up until Beary pulled it from his paws. "Hey, what are you doing,Kid?"

"Shh." Beary shushed him as he put the note in her backpack. He looked back at the bears. "I get you guys are her family, but I don't think she would be too happy if we messed that paper." The guys thought for a second, but didn't argue. None of them liked the thought of some strange boy hitting on Mari, but knew they couldn't really stop her. Zeb and Fred just sat in the back and pouted while Tennessee held her close to his chest while she slept. 

Beary smiled. He was also a little jealous. The bears loved Mari as if she was their little sister by blood and wanted to protect like any big brother would, even if they hadn't seen her in years. He wished that he and his brother could be that close. He decided to get air. He stuck his upper body out through the opening in the roof, letting the wind blow his fur and shouting in happiness.