Pride charged, teeth bared and a growl at her lips. Preparing for her impact, Bepo stood in front of Summer's limp figure. Once she was close enough, Pride reared her head and made to bite the first mate. Dodging the attack, he picked up Pride from under her belly and used her own momentum to throw her several feet away. She landed hard, giving a growl of anger when she hit.
"How dare you!" She roared, regaining her feet and preparing to charge once more.
Bepo only shook his head. "I don't want to hurt you, but I won't let you touch Summer!"
"Fool! She is as good as dead!" She charged once more, and Bepo realized that nothing he said would change the bear's mind. He held up his hands, ready in a kung fu position, waiting for the bear to get close enough.
"Hiya!" He cried, punching the bear as hard as he could. Pride couldn't dodge the attack in time and went sailing to the right, plowing through the snow. Wanting to end the fight quickly, he ran after her, jumping high into the air before plummeting down with a kick in her side.
She yelped and slid another twenty feet. Bepo planted his feet on the ground, hands still at the ready to attack if necessary. She didn't move.
Realizing the fight was over, and very quickly at that, he dropped his defensive stance and stared at her a few more moments.
"I thought you'd be different. I thought you'd be perfect." He bowed his head in depression, turning back to take Summer back to the submarine. The small, unconscious woman cuddled closer into the bear's fur, instinctively seeking out his warmth. Bepo smiled a little.
*The Next Day*
"You're not to leave this room for at least three days." Law demanded, challenging Summer to the most intense battle of a staring contest Bepo had ever seen. Both nakama looked about ready to snap. Neither looked ready to give in.
"I feel fine! Look! All limbs are attached!" Summer shouted, crossing her arms. She sat on the infirmary bed with her legs dangling down the side. She was wrapped in several blankets and, along with her own coat, sported several layers of clothing. Even her socks were doubled up. Bepo could smell her discomfort.
"It doesn't matter if you feel fine or not, I need to make sure there wasn't any permanent damage from being in the cold that long." Law back was turned away from her, checking over the clipboard in front of her bed. Summer threw her hands up in exasperation.
"God, you can be so damn stubborn sometimes. It's irritating as hell!" He turned back towards her with narrowed eyes and a small smirk.
"How ironic, coming from you." The captain quipped, causing Summer to narrow her own eyes. She groaned aloud, pushing herself down from the sheets and blankets and onto the floor. She stood there with crossed arms and a pouty expression.
"I'm not staying in this damn room any longer!" She tried to walk away but Law's hand on her forearm stopped her movements.
"Get back in the bed or I'll forcefully put you there." Law growled deeply. He reached for the scalpel on the side table, making his threat obvious. Summer was not amused or frightened.
"Like hell you will." The two stared each other down again, leaving Bepo uncomfortable in the tense atmosphere of the infirmary. Deciding that neither of them would actually hurt the other-he hoped, at least-he retreated out the double doors and padded down the hall to the navigation deck. The shouts of the two nakama could be heard for several minutes down the hallway.
Jean Bart was inside, glancing only minutely at the bear before resuming his work. A quick glance around the room. confirmed that nothing had changed, despite the queasy feeling Bepo had inside. Leaning back in his chair with a sigh, he looked over the various pressure gauges and knobs for speed control. Home sweet home.
But, Bepo himself didn't feel complete. Like something had been taken from him, though what it was he couldn't quite pinpoint. So many things had happened the past few days.
The first mate was so happy that both Shachi and Summer were alright. They could have died in the snow, but he'd made it just in time to save Summer. Next time he saw her, he would tell her to be more careful. He knew she was a wild kind of person, prone to being reckless and stubborn, but she was who she was and he only hoped she wouldn't put herself in unnecessary danger...too often, at least.
"Hey." Jean Bart's voice snapped the bear out of his thoughts. With a surprised look, Bepo glanced at the ex-captain. One eyebrow was raised. "You seem troubled."
With a sigh, Bepo shook his head. "I don't know what it is. I just keep thinking something's wrong or...missing."
Jean Bart grunted. "Ah, I think I know what you are experiencing." The bear looked up in surprise. "You are heartbroken."
"Heartbroken?" He never really thought about that.
"You were very attached to Pride, weren't you?" Bepo gave a nod. "Because she turned out to be different from what you first thought of her, it broke your heart."
This was about as close to sentimental Bepo had ever seen the navigator. It was a stunning experience, and he was half speechless because of it.
"Well...what do I do?" He asked meekly. His companion shrugged.
"Just move on. Women do not stick around long, always changing their minds and doubting what they themselves thought they wanted."
"Really?"
"Yep."
"Huh." Bepo was beginning to see a whole new side to the world. Obviously, there was a lot he didn't know about women.
"Of course, there are always good women." Jean Bart narrowed his eyes in thought, pondering something Bepo couldn't quite decipher. "Summer is a good woman, I believe. She understands the darkness of the world but still sees the good in it."
"Summer is a good person." Bepo agreed.
"My advice is to keep looking." The navigator finished, ending the conversation there and leaving Bepo to come up with his own conclusion.
Bepo did some soul-searching, looking deep inside himself to really understand what it was he wanted. It took several minutes, as he examined every aspect of what he was feeling.
Yes, he'd been sad when Pride had attacked Summer and turned out to be different than what she'd seemed to be. Yes, he'd been sad when he'd had to hurt her. But, the pain of losing Summer out in the cold like that had been even greater. The thought of losing one of his nakama was unbearable.
"Hey." He said, getting the attention of his companion a while later.
"What?" Bepo smiled.
"Do you think the next island will have female bears?"
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