25 Days of PolarBear
Day 11 - Eggnog
Grandsanta was a fiend for eggnog. He made a special mixture of it every year and never told anyone what, specifically, went in it. All anyone knew was that it was strong, and he usually conked out as soon as he drank one cup.
This year, he'd gone further and downed several cups and a whole thermos of it, and went wandering off through the frozen tundra. He ran into a rather irritable polar bear, and had no idea what was going on when Steve and Merida followed the honing device in his pants.
In a state of shock at seeing such a large bear, Merida froze, unable to stun it with the arrow Steve had given her. It managed to scratch her arm before Steven was able to tranquilize the bear and get them all back to headquarters.
While Grandsanta went to the medical center to recuperate until he was sober, Arthur put his first-aid skills to use and cleaned Merida's wound. This was the first time he'd seen her cry in a long time.
"What happened out there? Steve said you didn't move when you were going to…"
She shook her head. "I couldn't. I couldn't shoot him, Arthur." She shivered. "I just…all I could see was my mum…and then when he came at my arm, I…I saw black fur, and…and the dead eye. And suddenly I was underneath him…and he was in my face, and…and…"
He let her take a few deep breaths, rubbing her back soothingly. "It's alright now. You're safe, and Steve's safe, and Grandsanta isn't going to drink any more eggnog. At least…not the kind he makes."
She smiled a little at that. "I was going to check up on him, actually." She stood shakily.
"He's sleeping, last time I talked to Steve. He said you should relax and try to calm down." He smiled a little. "I can make hot chocolate. We can sit by the fire. And…your mum can come over, if you want."
She nodded. "Please."
The rest of Merida's family came over, as well, and the group spent a quiet night in, singing carols and playing Christmas: The Board Game. Grandsanta joined them, once he felt up to it. Arthur kept glancing over at Merida, and each time, she had a huge grin on her face.
He even swore that she and her mother were holding hands at one point.
