Thank you Alex, for being a wonderful beta-reader!
One: Self-Reliance
Rebecca always cherished the late morning hours as the most enjoyable part of her workday.
With the cubs at school, Baloo out on deliveries, and Wildcat napping, she felt incredibly productive and relished the tranquility of her office.
Gentle rays of sunlight seeped through the open blinds, casting a warm and comforting glow in the room, while the distant sound of waves and seagulls created a soothing background noise.
However, the peaceful moment came to an abrupt end when her telephone rang, disrupting her concentration.
"Higher for Hire. This is Rebecca Cunningham speaking. How can I help you?" she answered cheerfully, only to have her business smile drop like a lead ball when she recognized the agitated voice on the other end. It was Mr. Centworth, the principal of the small private school up the road.
Gripping the phone tighter, she paced anxiously in a small circle behind her desk like a caged tiger.
"No, I'm not… A fight?!" she slumped into her chair as the blood drained from her face, leaving her feeling faint and shaky with worry. "What do you mean by… You can't be…!" Her cheeks burned hot with embarrassment as she listened to the principal recount the event in detail.
"Sir, this is a business… I'm not even his…! You can't expect me to close up and… Oh, that's exactly what you're expecting? Can't it wait a few…? It can't? Suspended?!" Grateful that she was already seated, Rebecca held the receiver at arm's length to protect her eardrums.
But it wasn't far enough.
Unfortunately, and despite her best efforts, the man remained adamant: Kit Cloudkicker had to be picked up; immediately.
One round trip later, she impatiently ushered her young employee into the main building of her business. As she stepped inside, the familiar scent of her office greeted her. However, instead of the comfort it usually provided to her nerves, it only reminded her of the peace and quiet she'd lost that morning.
At least she had thus far managed to keep out of the situation; an accomplishment that had cost her a considerate amount of willpower.
Kit wasn't her child, and as his employer, she really didn't have the right or responsibility to straighten him out outside of his working hours. Not that he had ever given her a reason to lecture him – oh no, that privilege was Baloo's alone.
Well, no one could claim she hadn't tried to stay out of this.
"I can't believe it!" she finally exclaimed, feeling frustrated beyond measure.
She wasn't even sure why she was so upset. Everyone at the school had agreed he hadn't started it, but sure had ended the conflict in the most primitive way imaginable.
'He is Molly's babysitter' she reasoned. 'That's why I can't tolerate this kind of behavior! That's absolutely the one and only reason why I care about this so much!'
Or, at least, that's what she told herself. Deep down, she knew all these 'reasons' were a big load of prop-wash. Because, against her better judgment as a business major, she had come to care for that bright boy, and she knew he was better than that !
Just as uncertain and on edge by the blurred lines of their relationship, the brown cub trailed in behind her. His fists clenched and unclenched as he struggled to keep his temper in check.
The atmosphere was thick with tension, puffing up his fur.
While he held the highest respect for her and admired her achievements, both as Molly's mother and as a business owner, he felt that she didn't have any right to reprimand him about this.
She hadn't even bothered to listen to his side of the story, just like every other adult at school.
"He kept coming after me. What was I supposed to do?"
The bearess let out an exasperated huff, her words laced with a mix of frustration and disappointment. "Go to a teacher and ask for help, of course!"
Kit rolled his eyes at the suggestion.
"Suuure, that would've helped…" he muttered under his breath.
She shot him a stern look.
"Don't get sassy with me, young man! Wait until Baloo hears about this."
The threat hung in the air, but it lacked the sense of impending doom she had hoped for.
The problem was, neither was certain of how the large pilot would react to the news. While the boy secretly wished for a lenient response, the woman dreaded the possibility.
Not that she desired a harsh punishment for Kit, but since it was she who paid the fee, she wanted to ensure her future pilot remained at the small school long enough to catch up with his studies to where a child his age ought to be.
Just then, the distant sound of roaring engines filled the air, growing louder and closer with each passing moment, announcing the Sea Duck's return. The rumbling noise resonated through the room, rattling the windows and causing the air to quiver with anticipation.
Not even five minutes later, the gray bear walked in, arms laden with a mouthwatering array of food.
"Oh hallooooo… Hey, what happened?!" he exclaimed, his voice cutting through the stiff atmosphere. "The air is thicker than one of Louie's mango shakes!" He dropped several burgers and a mass of fries on Rebecca's desk, completely oblivious to her frantic dive to rescue her documents from the greasy landslide.
Instead, he turned his attention to his young partner, giving him a long, curious look, trying to figure out what he'd missed.
Kit crossed his arms, and remained silent.
With no information forthcoming, Rebecca took it upon herself to get the stone rolling. "I had to pick Kit up from school today, for fighting!"
Baloo's brow furrowed at Rebecca's outburst, before it raised questioningly as he turned back to the boy.
The tension in the air was palpable, a tangled mix of outrage and defiance that seemed to stew the room's occupants in its intensity.
Then, finally, it dawned on him. "That Robert fella?"
"Yeah..." Kit responded, having the decency to at least look somewhat abashed. He'd done what needed to be done, well aware it wouldn't be considered 'acceptable behavior' by his new social circle. He hadn't planned it, but he wasn't sorry either.
Baloo moved to settle into the plush easy-chair with a contented sigh, motioning for the cub to step closer.
"You hurt?"
Kit shook his head.
"Got an earful from the principal?"
"Yes. And a lecture from Miss Cunningham," the boy answered with slightly more than just a hint of exasperation.
The man turned to his boss, arching an inquisitive eyebrow.
She, too, managed to look a bit embarrassed, despite the air of righteousness that still enveloped her.
Baloo nodded, playfully tousling the kid's tuft of hair under his ball cap, earning him a grin. "That's quite enough," he said, sympathy shining in his eyes. "Why don't 'cha play outside for a bit?"
The sound of Kit's relieved chuckle filled the room as he righted his cap, the worn fabric brushing reassuringly against his fingertips.
"Ok, Papa Bear!" He hugged the great bruin tightly, before tipping his hat at his employer.
With a spring in his step, the boy walked out the door, the sound of it closing echoing down the hallway.
Rebecca, completely flabbergasted, watched him leave with wide eyes. She turned to her pilot, searching for answers.
A foghorn blasted in the distance, signaling the arrival of ships in the harbor.
Her heart pounded in her chest as time seemed to stand still while she tried to process what had just happened. Disbelief and confusion swirled within her.
"What the..." Rebecca's voice faltered as she struggled to find the right words. "You're just letting him off that easily? Baloo, it wasn't just a fight; he bit another student!"
She had purposely withheld that information earlier, wanting to give Kit the chance to confess on his own.
Her shock only intensified, however, when this revelation spurred nothing more than a half-hearted shrug out of the older bear. In her desperation to help him understand the severity of the situation, she mimicked the action by biting the air twice.
His answering laughter was most uncalled for, the sound grating on her nerves like nails on a chalkboard.
"Ah, Becky, that kid has been picking on him for weeks," Baloo said dismissively, his tone only fueling Rebecca's frustration.
"That is no excuse. There is always another way!" she insisted.
Baloo tiredly shook his head and fished a fry out of his shirt pocket, deliberately ignoring the tension in the air as he took his time to chew.
Once done, he looked back up at her. "Have you seen that other kid?"
Reluctantly, she shook her head, so he continued, his voice carrying a mix of frustration and concern.
"He's one of those burly rhino types; all brawn and no brains, easily twice as tall, and five times Kit's weight. What was he supposed to do?"
Getting mighty tired of answering that particular question, the bearess angrily shoved the heap of
food from her desk into the paper bin, then tossed the thing at Baloo.
"What was he…?! TELL A TEACHER! It's not hard, even Molly can do it!"
The bin flew through the air, and he caught it effortlessly without even looking as he locked eyes with her. His quiet response caught her off guard.
"But Kit isn't Molly, Beckers."
The unexpectedly stern rebuke, so unlike Baloo, sent a wave of flustered confusion through her whole body. "Of course not, but…" she began, her voice trailing off, the words hanging in the air between them.
He let out a sigh and placed the bin down with a resounding thud , then waved her over.
"See this?" he asked wearily, suddenly sounding much older as he extended his right hand, turning it over for her inspection.
Squinting her eyes, she saw six small white dots arranged in a crescent line at the base of his thumb. There was a small gap on either side, each followed by one last, larger dot. Intrigued, she carefully turned his paw around, feeling the rough texture of his fur beneath her fingertips as she rummaged through it, searching for a matching set of dots.
Her heart skipped a beat when she found it.
"He bit you?!" she whispered, horrified.
Despite the undeniable evidence between her paws, she could hardly believe it. This behavior was completely out of character for Kit. In fact, if anyone else had told her this story, she would have kicked them out of her office at once for slander. Her navigator was usually such a pleasant, hard-working boy, and there was no doubt about his adoration for Baloo, even if he got frustrated with him sometimes.
So why…?
The large bear leaned back, rummaging through the paper bin until his fingers closed around a burger. He pulled it out but didn't unwrap it, just held it for a moment, lost in thought.
"Don't hold it against him. It was during the early days and entirely my fault."
While she usually wasn't one to contradict the pilot on the rare occasion when he took responsibility – fault, even, for anything - this time, she couldn't imagine how he could have provoked such a reaction.
Leaning in closer, she lay a paw on his shoulder. "Your fault, how?" she whispered, genuine concern etched on her face.
Baloo's expression softened, a fond smile playing on his lips, but a profound sadness shone in his eyes. "We were out late on a delivery and he fell asleep in his seat – for the first time, you know? I didn't have the heart to wake him, so I picked him up."
A warm smile tugged at Rebecca's lips as she imagined the scene.
Baloo shifted in his seat, rubbing his scarred hand in remembrance.
"Well, it went about as well as holding on to a raccoon. He panicked; wasn't even aware of nothing. I couldn't put him down fast enough without risking him getting hurt. And… he bit me."
The principal's words of 'primitive and savage behavior' echoed in her mind.
"He shouldn't have!" she exclaimed, outraged.
Suddenly, she had his full attention.
Baloo's expression mirrored the protective look she herself must have worn a hundred times before, defending her cub.
"No, Rebecca! That reaction, that's from bad experiences; that was survival instinct."
She shrunk back, mostly from the use of her full name, as the room seemed to close in on her. The bruin hadn't even raised his voice much, but there was an edge to his tone she'd never heard before.
"B-But…!"
A smile softened his features back into the man she knew.
"Yer a great mother, Beckers. Molly always knows you're looking out for her. Kit never had that. Kit never had the luxury of feeling safe by relying on others. If he hadn't become self-reliant like that… we would've never met him."
Rebecca tried to stand her ground. But just imagining an even younger version of the cub – hungry, cold, scared, and all on his own in an alleyway, or surrounded by a horde of cutthroat pirates, was too much. The heartbreaking image sent shivers down her spine, and she instinctively rubbed her arms for warmth. All she wanted was to go home and give Molly a tight, long hug. Kit, too, but she knew it wasn't her place to do so.
She had to blink hard at the thought of what-ifs before meeting the big bear's eyes, then nodded her acquiescence. As she turned to leave, her voice was serious, yet with a concerned warmth that hadn't been there before. "But he can't keep doing this. He'll get in trouble..."
The sound of her words hung in the air, a heavy realization settling upon them both.
Baloo sighed, the sound echoing in the room, and nodded in agreement.
Once he was alone, he bit into the cold burger without tasting it. Memories of Louie's words from not too long ago echoed in his mind, reminding him of the harsh reality they faced.
'You can take a kid off the streets, but you can't take the streets out of the kid.'