By FoxFaceStories

When an entire college literature class is transported to a fairy tale world while studying folklore, they soon find themselves living out actual famous fairy tales! But these various friends, groups, and even professors must now contend with the world starting to change them. After all, Puss in Boots wants a wife, the Big Bad Wolf is looking for a mate, and the Goldilocks bears have laid a transformative trap for the next unwelcome visitor to their home . . .

Prologue Here

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Fable 3, Part 2: And the Three Bears

The next two weeks were quite the learning challenge for Joel. The new bear girl was taller, stronger, fitter, curvier, and was now thick and voluptuous rather than fat, though given what kind of animal anthro she was, the fat was still very much present. It was just in more . . . appropriate places for a very mate-worthy female.

“I just can’t believe it,” she muttered to Abigail as she sat outside under the cool of a tree. “I didn’t even want to eat the porridge, and now look at me! We never should have gone in.”

“I know,” Abigail said, brushing the fur on her friend’s arm. “I’m sorry. But hey, at least they’re being nice to us now? I know it’s not a big comfort, but-”

“No, it is. I really don’t want three big bears angry with me, or you, Abby. You know I’d protect you, right?”

Abby smiled. “Hey, we’ve already protected each other. You’re still my best friend Joel. Would you like me to fetch you some more honey porridge?”

Joel considered saying no, but her excellent bear nose could literally smell its wondrous smell wafting out of the open window of the cottage.

“That would be rather nice, actually. Thanks. And Abby?” “Yeah?”

“Can you get me a hairbrush? I think I’ve got some tangles in my, er, fur.”

The beautiful blonde winked. “Of course, Joel. Don’t worry about it.”

Perhaps they should have been more afraid. After all, Joel had literally been turned not only into a woman, but a big thick-figured bear woman, and apparently would permanently remain like this. But that last fact had yet to sink fully in, especially for Joel herself, and the actual bear family were being so accommodating to the pair of them that it was almost easy to forget that Baby Bear’s magical trap had been the cause of this entire transformative problem in the first place! Clearly, while they did not spare any ideas of mercy towards the real Goldilocks, the trio were deeply guilty about transforming an innocent man, one who had actually advocated for the pair of them not to take anything. And Abigail had come to the same decision. 

“I can smell a good sense of respect and kindness on anyone,” Mother Bear claimed as she prepared more honey pies and fish for the family several days after the incident. “I should have known straight away that my Baby Bear had caught the wrong pair! Oh, but if I had just spoken up.”

“Nonsense, dear,” Father Bear said. “I should have advised against this trap. We were never one for magic or wishes. It was a damn fool thing in the first place, but I was just so keen on catching that thief that I let my old senses run away from me.”

“It was my fault,” Baby Bear said emphatically, looking to both his parents as he took a piece of pie and some fish and placed it on a plate for Joel. “I promise you, Joel, if I can find a way to turn you back, if I find that witch again . . . grrrr, that Goldilocks will pay for this!”

“Hey!” Abigail exclaimed, standing up and pointing across the table at the youngest of the bear family. “How dare you! In one sentence you rightly accuse yourself of causing this situation, and then in the next you blame it all on Goldilocks! As if that excuses turning my best friend into, what, your bound mate!? You should be ashamed of yourself! You should be-”

“Enough, Abby,” Joel said, her voice oddly gentle in its new feminine tone, even as low in register as it was. “He said sorry. That’s enough.”

Abigail looked at her friend with shock. “Joel, you’re a bear. A bear girl. You should be angry at Baby for doing this. And you shouldn’t accept just an apology for that!”

But Joel just shook her large head before sighing, her large breasts rising and falling. She was wearing a big red kitchen cloth tied around her body, a form of clothing to hide new bountiful curves and soft middle that nevertheless just left her feeling more self-aware and embarrassed.

“I don’t want to blame anybody,” she said, looking over herself and feeling that embarrassment again. “I just want to figure this out. How to change back, and if I can’t, what I can even do with my life. I don’t see the point in blaming anyone. They’ve already said sorry, Abby.”

Abigail sat back down, still scowling a little, but her shoulders sagged. “I just don’t want my best friend stuck in a body that isn’t his,” she said.

“We’ll do our best to make both of you comfortable guests while we try to solve this,” Mother Bear replied. “I’m sure there is a way, even if the witch apparently said it’s . . .”

“Permanent,” Baby Bear said, staring down at the table, pointedly avoiding Joel and Abby’s gaze.

That awkwardness permeated the atmosphere across those two weeks. Joel certainly felt it even when she was alone; her body was so strange and difficult to get used to! When she went outside, she felt an abundance of energy, something she hadn’t felt in a long time since she had started putting on a great deal of weight. Well, now she was even heavier, but it was a heavy strength, and her instincts compelled her to go to all fours when she ran, speeding through the forest in short bursts and growling with excitement. She even scratched at tree bark to keep her claws sharp, and found herself scratching her back against those same trees as well, just like a real bear. Of course, unlike a real bear, she was wearing clothes while she did this, only getting naked to inspect her body when no one was looking or she was far away from the cottage. She thought she heard a commotion a few times, perhaps other people in the forest, but decided against finding out who it might be. They could well be Goldilocks and her allies, and that would not be a good look, and if it were her classmates, what would they think? She’d just be the target of further bullying, or worse, she might be feared and hunted! 

Instead, she tried to adapt to her changed figure. Certainly, her hips swayed more when she walked in her bipedal mode, and her large ass was particularly noticeable, something she realised Baby Bear was also paying attention to, though he was obviously trying not to be seen doing so. It was oddly flattering, especially since Joel couldn’t remember the last time anyone had looked at her with interest. And she was still interested in men, though apparently her tastes had expanded to include bear-men now, because she took in his scent often, particularly when she was alone and he had just passed through a moment ago, and without even thinking she sometimes pawed at her breasts while doing so, feeling her lovely furry rack and making growling sounds, until Abby emerged from around the corner and caused the new bear girl to jump back in shock. 

“Joel? Is everything okay?”

“I’m - I’m fine! I was just getting used to my new body. I had to, er, use the outside toilet. I’m not used to . . . sitting down.”

Abby gave her a comforting smile. “I can imagine that might be hard for you. You won’t be a girl forever, or a bear. There must be a way to find out. Mother and Father Bear are continually roaming, sending letters to other fables, and trying to find out information. They’re hoping the Big Bad Wolf might know something, or the Woodsman, but they can’t let them both meet one another, obviously. God, this place is weird.”

Joel looked down at her voluptuous anthro-bear body, then placed her hands on her wide, womanly hips. “You’re telling me, Abby. You’re telling me.”

It was then that Abby cocked her head. “I just realised, I haven’t heard you stutter in a bit. Despite everything that’s happened, you seem less . . . nervous.”

“Do I?” Joel said, a little surprised by this. “I guess I do, don’t I? I guess being part-bear is making me a bit more confident. And I won’t lie, at least my fat is in some nice places, right? Or is that too weird a thing to say?”

“Not at all!” Abigail laughed. “Look Joel, I won’t lie, if I were going to turn into a bear woman, I’d want to look like you. You’ve got amazing curves, I’ll give you that! Just, uh, maybe don’t show them off to Baby Bear so much. I know he’s been looking at you.”

At this, Joel bit her lip a little and scratched at her belly. That instinct rose up again, the one that she’d been feeling more and more lately; a need to get to know Baby Bear, to spend some private time with him. It was partly the magic, she knew, and probably partly instinct, as well, and yet . . . yet she couldn’t deny that for all his moodiness and guilt, she found him attractive. He was tall, bigger than her, and strong. What’s more, the bear had not stopped, doing everything from making her meals to doing day-long searches for any sign on how to change her back. It was, in a way, almost romantic. She hadn’t ever felt romance before. Not once. She’d been far too deep into the closet. And now, the man her body was developing a crush on wasn’t even human.

The best tactic was simply to stay clear of them. The pair had nowhere to go, and though Joel implored Abigail to go on without her, her loyal friend refused.

“Nonsense! I’m not leaving without you, and besides, the porridge and fish pies here really are good, Joel. I won’t be going until we get you free of fur and looking like a man again. It’ll be a weight off your back, or at least off of your rear!”

At that, even Joel had to laugh. She had been given her own guest room to stay at, with Abby occupying a storage area which the bear family had hurriedly emptied out for her and filled with a mattress to sleep upon. To their credit, the mattress had indeed been ‘just right’ for Abby, but Joel’s bed was even comfier. It seemed that the bear family had a real talent for knowing the constitution and likes and dislikes of a particular individual, just like in the tale. The cooking was always divided up just so, the bedding comfortable in just the right way, and even the chores assigned around the home in order to minimise dispute. Not that Joel was allowed to perform chores, no matter how much she wanted to help thanks to her own kind and helpful personality. She tried to insist, but was always turned down. Finally, she pushed the issue when she was out in the forest and lounging in some grass. Baby Bear happened to be strolling past, letters at the ready to send off in search of the witch who had given him the spell, but Joel rocketed to her feet with a bear-like roar.

“Why won’t you let me do anything?” she asked. “I want to help! I love fables and stories. Maybe I can do more for you?”

“Please, Joel,” Baby Bear said. “I won’t make you perform a single chore, and neither will my parents. Not after what I did to you.”

“But I want to help.”

“You shouldn’t have to. You should be condemning us! I thought myself a grown creature, but my plan was the stuff of children. Please, Joel, don’t humiliate me further by insisting on helping the very house that transformed you.”

Joel bared her teeth, but only for a moment. She moved closer to Baby Bear and sniffed him. “I can smell that you’re full of guilt. That’s . . . really strange.”

“Humans can’t do that?”

“Not at all.”

“Pah, foolish creatures. I could never smell regret on Goldilocks, that’s for sure. I was really hoping to make her my mate. Instead, I got you.”

“Am I that bad, Baby?”

“I’m not a baby!” he snapped. “I’m a full-grown adult! I’m not Baby Bear, I should be Adult Bear! Or Son Bear! Or - or -”

He seemed to realise that he had gone wildly off-track. 

“Sorry,” he said, rather sheepishly as he stroked the fur on his head. “I’m just a little tired of being known as the Baby Bear.”

“Well, you’re not a Baby Bear to me, then,” Joel said easily, smiling compassionately at the bear who had changed her. “And I was just asking if I was that bad.”

Baby Bear caught himself. “No, of course not, Joel. You look like a perfect mate. Exactly what I always wanted. It’s hard to even imagine you as a Joel.”

Joel looked around the forest. No one else was present. “Well, what if we gave each other new names?”

Baby cocked his head. “How do you mean?” 

“I mean I could give you a new name, and you give me one more suited a bear girl. Or . . . a bear wife. Just for fun, I m-mean. Like, I don’t see you as Baby Bear. I see you as . . . Grizzly Bear.”

“Grizzly Bear?”

“Why not? It’s the name of a real and respected bear, and no offence, but you can be pretty irritable and grizzly yourself, though I find it kind of endearing, if that’s okay for me to say!”

If ‘Grizzly Bear’ could blush, he would have. “That . . . is not a terrible name, I suppose. Not terrible at all.”

“And now my turn!” Joel announced playfully, daring to pat Grizzly Bear’s furry back and rub her snout against his shoulder almost affectionately. “Find a name for me. I’ve been here two weeks and Joel just doesn’t seem to fit.”

Grizzly Bear paused and thought. He seemed pensive, and though his face appeared glum, Joel was getting a good read on him now. The bear was simply very contemplative, and frustrated by the possibility of not getting it right. 

“Beauty Bear,” he said, before instantly growling. “No, that’s not right. It’s far too obvious, anyway.”

Joel shivered. She’d liked that one, and the compliment of it even more. It made her nipples tense, and her loins tingle. Her counterpart raised his head again, staring into her eyes.

“Bright Bear,” he finally said. “Because, despite what has happened to you, you light up the room with your presence. And the forest here, too. And you are . . . exceedingly clever. I sent some letters in the hopes of procuring you some books, as well.”

Joel - no, Bright Bear - shivered. She rather liked the name. She realised that her hand was still on Grizzly Bear’s back, and that she was pressing against him, her snout close to his. 

“Grizzly,” she said.

“Bright . . .”

They came together, pressing their bodies upon one another. The newly christened Bright Bear couldn’t even say if it was because of instinct, or pent-up frustration, or simply attraction, or because deep down she truly wanted this. Regardless of what it was, Bright caressed the larger bear’s body just as he did the same to her. His grip was powerful, and she shuddered with arousal as he easily pushed her back against a tree and placed his muzzle against hers. The pair kissed, which was awkward for Bright at first because of how much more animalistic this process was for anthro-bears. Rather than locking lips, they instead lapped at one another’s snouts with their tongues, and said tongues slid upon one another, exchanging saliva and a powerful scent of lust.

“You smell so wonderful,” Grizzly said. “I’m sorry, I should stop-”

“Don’t,” Bright said, and she said it far quicker than even she expected. Instead, she took Grizzly’s paws and placed them on her large, pillowy breasts. “Feel,” she said. “I w-want you to f-feel me. It’s been so long. I haven’t had sex in so long, might as well be as a bear girl, right? I was into men before, so why not bear men too?”

Grizzly was taken aback by this. “You liked . . . males?”

She chuckled awkwardly, then moaned as he played with her large furry breasts.

“Mhmmm . . . y-yeah. Not m-many people knew. Abby did. She’s my b-best friend. But I haven’t had the chance to know a . . . a male. I know I’m a g-girl right now, but can we . . . fuck it, I’m just gonna come out and say it! Can we fuck? Is that too crude to say to a real life fairytale?”

At this, Grizzly looked away, a little nervously, perhaps.

“I’m sorry!” Bright declared. “I’m sorry, I shouldn't have-”

“No, it’s alright. It’s just . . . I’ve never been with a woman before,” Grizzly admitted. “I don’t want to take advantage of you. If you are in heat-”

But Bright’s confidence was rising. She lowered his paws down to her wide, womanly hips and smirked, pressing her furry face against him comfortingly. “I’ve got no idea what’s going on, but I definitely want this, okay? If - if that’s alright by you, of course! I’ve only - it’s only been a few times for me, and never as a girl. I guess this is my first time too, in a way, huh? We could take it slow? Get used to one another?”

At this, Grizzly perked up. She could smell his arousal in the air, but behind his bluster and grumpiness, he was definitely anxious about having sex for the first time. So was she, at least as a bear girl. Still, her body wanted him, and the feel of his touch, his power and strength, not to mention his cuddly furriness - well, it wasn’t inaccurate to say that Joel had liked big, hairy and protective men before, and Grizzly was just an evolution of that.

“That would be . . . acceptable,” he said. 

And so the dance slowed. The pair felt one another. He held her against the tree with some firmness, but they spent the time exploring each other’s bodies. When his long, honey-drinking tongue lapped at her large dark nipples, Bright growled in ecstasy. She cupped her breast and pushed it further into his face, allowing him to suckle upon her further. At the same time, he squeezed her plump rear, which was remarkably sensitive as well, and it left her new pussy positively dripping down her thighs and darkening her brown fur. 

“Argh! Grargh!” she growled lightly. “Don’t s-stop. Can I feel your - your butt? Um, is that weird to say?”

Grizzly gripped her arms and placed them on his own muscular rear. She squeezed it, only to have a sharp intake of breath. It was so muscular. So strong. All of him was, thick-bodied and barrel-like, soft and comforting in all the right places, but with an incredible strength. It left her a little weak at the knees, and soon she was reaching back and scratching at the bark on the tree with her claws as Grizzly continued to lick her nipples and then bite lightly upon her shoulder in a way that drove her wild. 

“Should I - should I go further?” he asked.

“Yes!” she exclaimed. “God, yes! How - how do we do it?”

He gently used his strength to turn her around, pressing her front against the thick tree. The feeling of being overpowered was delightful, just like she’d imagined it, in some ways, and even better was the sensation of his hardness between her wide furry cheeks. His cock had emerged from its sheath, and she could feel it positively throbbing against her massive ass. Instinctively, she shuffled back and then leaned against the tree, widening her stance a little to provide Grizzly further access to her changed genitalia. The scent of sex was in the air, and it was only getting stronger, her estrus mingling with his manly musk.

“I’ll be gentle,” he said. “I haven’t done this before.”

“I trust you,” she said, and she realised she meant it. Grizzly was not a bad bear at all, quite the opposite. He cared, and he was kind, and despite being a total grump he truly was passionate, but he just wanted to prove that he was now a man. She turned her head back and smiled at him.

“Show me that you’re the grown bear I know you are,” she said warmly, not as a dare or challenge, but as a statement of confidence.

Well, that seemed to dim away any nervousness in the bear, because just a moment later Bright Bear was subjected to the most strange, foreign, alien, and wondrous sensation she had ever felt. A large thing parted her wet folds, and then it slid deeper and deeper and deeper into her body. Her slick vagina gripped Grizzly’s member for all it was worth, and every nerve ending in her new equipment lit up like a Christmas Tree, responding sensuously to his increasing penetration. Bright couldn’t help it; she scratched viciously at the tree, tearing chunks of bark away and growling in joy.

“I’m hurting you!”

“No!” she declared. “That was a little p-pain, but it’s over now! Keep going! God, you’re s-so fucking big! Mhmmm!”

He reached his apex, and it occurred to Bright Bear that she finally, after too long, had a big, powerful, throbbing dick inside of her. Of course, not in a place she ever expected to have, but so much more pleasurable. She’d never imagined herself to be trans. She’d always been a gay man. But now that she was moaning and panting in relief as a bear girl, she was starting to revise that opinion.

“I guess this m-makes me a furry as well!” she quipped.

“A what?”

“Nevermind! Ahhh, you can start thrusting now.”

“Oh, right! Of course.” He gripped her hips, holding her in place. “I won’t be rough.”

“No, be rough. I want you to be my Grizzly Bear. Don’t l-let it be an act, man. I - ahhh - I find it such a turn on! Be rough with me!”

He gripped her harder. “Like this.”

“Mhmm! Yeah! Use your claws. Do what comes naturally! D-don’t hold back, please!”

He lowered his voice and growled in her ear as he leaned forward. “Then I won’t.”

The words were enough to get her to sigh joyously, and then he began thrusting into her, back and forth, back and forth. Sure enough, he was rough with her just as she’d liked. Not enough to hurt her, she knew he’d never do that, but enough to make her feel like his mate, like he was dominant, and she was submissive; a dynamic she’d always preferred. Soon the pleasure was rising. She gripped her breasts and stroked them, but he ripped her hands away so he could access them instead, and he squeezed them in all the right ways, making her his all over again.

“You’re my mate!” he declared. “I wanted a mate. You’ll be my mate, yes?”

“I’m - ahhh - strongly considering it! Ahhh! Especially if you k-keep going like this - mhmm! I’m so close!”

“Me too! I think! This is my f-first time!”

“Just don’t s-stop! Go harder! Go - rarghh!”

He thrust again, going even deeper. Her ass shook with each thrust, reminding her of how thick and soft her body was now. Perfect for breeding. She moaned and growled, and finally it was all too much. Even words were beyond her at a certain point. Grizzly penetrated her with a powerful thrust and it caused her body to seize up.

“I’m cumming! Grizzly, I’m c-cumming as a girl! I’m cumming so hard! RARRGGHH!”

She roared, as did Grizzly, who ejaculated moments later, roaring with her loud enough to scare the birds away from the nearby trees. Suddenly, a liquid rush filled her, a hot stream of anthro-bear cum that shot deep into her passage, flooding towards her womb. There was so much of it that she could not believe it, and it left her orgasming two more times, until finally she collapsed against the tree and Grizzly with her.

“That,” she grunted in a low contralto, “was better than any porridge.”

And, despite his seriousness, Grizzly actually laughed.

***

Initially, the pair tried to keep their relationship a secret. Bright asked that Grizzly do this, because she wasn’t sure where she stood on things, or if she’d change back, or how to break the news to Abby in a way that wouldn’t leave the new bear girl humiliated. Instead, the pair continued their forest trysts, and what trysts they were! He mounted her from behind each time, though sometimes Bright found that she liked to go on all-fours and growl in ecstasy as she was fucked senseless. In fact, this continued another three weeks, by which time not only was Bright no longer unsure about her new body, but instead actively celebrating it. She took to wearing cute dresses for her larger, more voluptuous figure that Mother Bear had made for her, and she happily gathered around the table and listened eagerly to how the bear family talked, joining in when she could and asking all kinds of questions about when she could join a hunt, how to access beehives, and personal grooming habits. Abigail was astonished, and made it known.

“You’re adapting so well, Joel! Sorry, it’s Bright now, isn’t it? Is there a reason for that name?”

“It was just . . . one that Grizzly suggested for me.”

Abigail chuckled at this. “Grizzly, eh? And I wonder who suggested his name?”

Bright would have blushed if she didn’t have fur covering her face. Instead, she grinned, showing off her sharp bear teeth. “It suits him.”

“You know, I see the way he looks at you. I think he likes you.”

“Does he? I hadn’t noticed.”

“And I think you like him.”

A further not-blush followed. “I’m - he’s a good friend. He’s a total grump, but a loveable grump. He’s showing me how to fish again today.”

Abigail nodded. “I see. Well, I’m sorry we haven’t had any leads on you changing back. I guess I’m just glad you’re adapting. I feel so useless here.”

“You’re not, you’re my best friend.”

Which was a comforting notion, but made Bright feel quite guilty, because with each passing day she felt like she was deceiving the family. Grizzly wanted to tell his parents that they were together, but she held off.

“I’m just - I’m just a little embarrassed, that’s all!”

He frowned. “Of me?”

“No, just - of myself! I was a human man and now I’m a bear girlfriend. It’s a big change to admit!”

“Hmph! I hope it’s not too bad of a one.”

“Oh, you grouch! I like it. I . . . I think I love it. Even if I’m still not used to how hungry I am. Or how sleepy this body is. Quick, get me another fish! I am seriously hungry here. Please?”

Grizzly rolled his eyes, but he was clearly amused. He really was showing her how to fish, which was a good thing, because she was damn well eating everything he caught in his paws, much to his frustration. Though, at the same time, Bright could tell that he liked providing for her. The bear girl failed to catch a fish in the stream she was standing in and groaned.

“As you wish, my lady,” he said, and fetched her one. She snapped it up immediately, then moaned and rubbed her belly. “Ahhh, that’s the good stuff,” she said. “I guess we should tell your parents. And Abby. Abigail is my best friend. I’ve never kept a secret from her, not even that I was into men. I guess . . . I need to tell her that I’m into a bear-man now, too.”

Grizzly passed her another fish, and she took it greedily and ate it before realising what she’d just done. “Sorry. I’m being a bit selfish. I’m just so hungry, even though I slept just right last night.”

“More than just right, you slept in more than any bear I’ve ever known!”

But after saying this, Grizzly paused and sniffed the air for a moment. He blinked several times, and then his jaw dropped, as did the fish he’d just caught in his other paw. He looked at Bright Bear and stared, clearly astonished by something.

“Grizzly? Are you okay? Wait, am I okay?”

The handsome male bear managed to get his senses under control again. “We should tell everyone we’re together,” he said. “Because trust me, they’re about to find out anyway. Abigail too, but Ma and Pa will be able to smell it.”

Bright cocked her head. “Smell what?”

“Well . . .”

***

The pair returned. Bright was still nervous as hell. She couldn’t believe the news, even after all that had happened to her. And yet, it wasn’t like they’d been careful now, was it? Far from it. They’d been passionate and frequent, and the result that had followed was only natural. Hell, she’d even been thinking with pride about how breedable her hips were, how fertile she felt, how much Grizzly had become her mate. And yet now she was touching her stomach lightly with her paw, still trying to come to terms with it all.

“Are you ready?” Grizzly asked, as they were about to step back into the cottage where her parents had already prepared afternoon tea.

“Nope!” Bright said with amusement. “But here we go, right?”

Grizzly opened the door and gestured for her to enter first, ever the gentleman despite his gruff exterior. She stepped in, her cute blue dress on once again now that she was out of the wild of the woods. Abigail was helping Mother Bear at the table, while Father Bear was reading a book in the lounge room. 

“Welcome back, my honeys!” Mother Bear declared happily. “We have good news, as well!”

“The best of news!” Abigail said, jumping to her feet. “We may have a lead on the witch!”

The blonde beauty was clad in the outfit of a peasant girl now, but she looked remarkably beautiful in it, her golden hair more curled than usual thanks to the Spring air. She grinned sweetly at Bright Bear.

“Bright - Joel - we might be able to turn you back! If - if you want to turn back, of course?”

A deep shudder of guilt coursed down Bright’s spine. She had taken advantage of her best friend without meaning to. Abigail had stayed here for two months now, all to support her friend and help Bright change back. Only now the bear girl not only didn’t want to change back, but she certainly couldn’t! For all they knew, Abigail could have escaped to the real world or found the others by now.

“Hey?” Abby said. “Are you okay?”

“Yes dear,” Mother Bear fussed, stepping around from the kitchen table. “Is everything alright? Don’t tell me that Baby Bear - sorry, my Grizzly Bear son has been his usual self and upset you.”

“No, not at all!” Bright exclaimed, tears forming in her eyes from the sheer emotion of it all, most of them happy. “It’s just, well, we have something to confess to you all.”

Abigail’s eyebrow rose, then a realisation dawned upon her face as Grizzly and Bright held hands before the group.

“Wait, no! Oh my God, you’re going out? He asked you out!?”

Bright grinned sheepishly. “Um, not exactly. We’ve, uh, been ‘going out’ for weeks now. In secret.”

“Ha!” Father Bear exclaimed. “Just like your mother and I did back in the day!”

But Mother Bear was already sniffing the air. Grizzly held up a hand so that the inquisitive older woman wouldn’t spoil the surprise.

“I’m so happy for you,” Abigail announced. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me, but I understand it was probably a lot to come to terms with.”

“You’re not angry with me?”

“Of course not!”

“But - you’ve done so much to try and turn me back, and now I can’t turn back.”

Abigail strode forward and brushed her friend’s fur. “Honey, I want my best friend to be happy. And I stayed here because I wanted to. You don’t think I was just sending letters about a witch, do you? I’m picking up leads to get back to our world . . . though I have a feeling you aren’t staying?”

At this, another sheepish grin expanded across Bright Bear’s face, particularly as Grizzly stepped behind her and cuddled her body with his larger arms in a protective fashion.

“Well, it would be a bit hard, being a fairy tale bear woman, right? Besides, I don’t think it’s a good place to raise the cub.”

Mother Bear squeaked, nearly dropping her tea. Father Bear’s jaw dropped. Abigail, meanwhile, widened her beautiful blue eyes.

“The . . . cub?”

Slowly, Bright Bear lowered a hand down, and Grizzly followed the motion with his own hand protectively.

“Early days yet,” he said. “But Ma and Pa, you finally get to be grandparents.”

“I’m pregnant, Abby,” Bright Bear said, even as she took Abby’s hand and placed it on her stomach. “I didn’t quite plan for it, but I’m excited. I’m really excited. I feel like - like this is meant to be. Like this is where I was always supposed to be. Even if it’s scary! I just hope that you can for-”

“BABIES!”

Abigail immediately gripped her friend in a warm hug, one that left the family laughing.

“You’re not - you’re not angry with me?”

“Are you kidding!?” Abigail said. “I get to be an honorary aunt to some cute cubs and my friend gets to find someone she loves! As far as I’m concerned, that makes this whole weird adventure worth it already!”

Bright sighed with relief and hugged her friend back, and Grizzly held her a little tighter too. Soon Mother and Father Bear were also embracing Bright, leaving the former man-turned-bear-girl in the centre of a loving embrace.

She had never felt so loved, or so right.

In fact, one might even say that she felt just right.

To Be Continued . . . in the next Fable.