Scenic Route •A Bear Grylls Fanfiction•

Chapter One: Let's Go On An Adventure

(fyi both Bear and Waelynn are 20 in this story)

I roughly pulled a twig from my hair as I tossed it into the bushes next to me. We were hiking up the mountain through the woods, and hadn't taken a break in hours. "Bearrr.." I moaned to him up ahead. "Bear, can we pleeease take a break?" I whined, wiping sweat from the back of my neck with the sleeve of my pink thermal shirt I was wearing. He smiled back at me over his shoulders as he tossed his backpack against a fallen log in the shade near a thicket of ferns.

Wordless, I stepped over some damp moss as I took a seat on the once-living tree. Bear pulled two protein bars out of his backpack as he tossed me one, taking a seat farther down the log from me, not saying a word. I pulled out my water bottle as I poured the icy liquid into my mouth, closing my eyes in the sunlight as the water slid down my parched throat. A mosquito landed on my arm as I reached over to swat it away. Bear let out a chuckle as I rolled my eyes.

Why did I agree to this again?

Bear had proposed a backpacking/hiking trip through the Oregon wilderness to me several weeks ago, which came as a shock on my end, considering the fact that I've never been too friendly towards him, we hardly knew eachother, and I almost always avoided nature when I could (and I was pretty sure he was well aware of it).

It perplexed me as to why such a genuine guy would ask an introvert like me to go on a trip with him. Perhaps it was that he wanted to make me more adventurous, or possibly want to get to know me better.. As to why he asked I have no clue, but I was even more shocked when I myself agreed to it. Maybe it was my inner free-spirit pushing me to go try something new for a change.

We planned our trip to be the week after I arrived in Boston to visit my family for a couple days. Straight from Boston I flew to Oregon and we met up, planning to only go backpacking for five days, and then heading back to England together to head back to school since the fall break would be over.

I shook my head, remembering where I was as I looked up at the clear blue sky through the tree leaves above my head. A peaceful breeze blew through my hair as I sighed, taking a bite from my granola bar. Maybe this wouldn't be too terrible after all. We set out just that morning at dawn, and it was already getting quite muggy outside, even though it was only October.

I looked over at Bear, only to find that he was intently staring at me, and once we made eye contact, he seemed to be frozen in place. I felt my cheeks blush as I clapped in his face to snap him out of it. He shook his head as I let out a chuckle, he scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed, as I tried to strike up a conversation.

"So.. Tell me more about yourself." Awkward. Bear smiled as he spoke, "Well, I was raised in Ireland, and the moved to England when I was four. My father raised me fishing and climbing, so I guess you could say I've always been sort of a outdoorsman at heart. I then enrolled in the Military as a teenager, climbed Everest, began college, and I guess the rest is history."

I felt my heart flutter at the word "military".

I nodded, swallowing my bite of protein bar. "Wow, that's amazing!" Bear shrugged his shoulders in a nonchalant manner as he asked, "Now what's your story?"

I sighed, where to begin..

"Well, I was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and when I was six my father was killed in the falling of the twin towers, and my mother had left us only months before, and when my father was killed, she wanted nothing to do with me. There was no other family that would have been able to provide for me at the time, so I was adopted into a new family where I now have twin step brothers, Mitch and Ryan. When my father was killed, I found it hard to express my feelings to other people and then tell them how I was feeling about everything that was going on in my life, with the new changes and all, and not even counselors or therapists could crack me. I then began ballet when I was placed with my newfound family, and it seemed like the only way I could feel comfortable expressing my feelings. Dance is like an escape for me, and I couldn't even believe it when I got my scholarship for college overseas in England.. I'm sure you know the rest.."

I looked down at my muddy boots, unsure of the silence between us. Had I said too much? I think I heard a branch snap as Bear stood and walked over next to me, sitting on the soggy log close enough that our hips were touching. I felt him rest a heavy hand on my thigh as I looked up, only to see his eyes glistening with sadness. "Waelynn.. Oh god.. Now I understand why you're so shy all the time.. I always wondered what caused you to be so.. Quiet. I can't imagine living a life without a wild adventure every once in awhile, and that's why I brought you here. I want to help you become more outgoing."

I was quiet for several minutes. "Is that why you don't like me? Because I'm extroverted and adventurous? Are you maybe jealous that people lean towards me more often than they do you?" I shrugged while looking off in the distance through the trees ahead of us. "I never meant to leave you out. I guess girls like the accent, and guys wish they could be a badass survivalist, eh?" He laughed while nudging my foot with his toe.

After several minutes, I punched his arm playfully, attempting to lighten the mood a little. "Hey don't give me that pity about my family.. I like the way things are going for me right now. And thanks for trying to help me leave my comfort zone, but I don't think this trip is going to be able to change me too much. And I'm not jealous of you being outgoing, I just wish that I could bond with people as fast as you can." Bear tilted my chin up so I want looking at him, and spoke, "Oh darling, we'll see about that. You've never been on a adventure the Bear way." He winked as he wrapped a firm arm around my shoulder, patting my arm before he stood up, grabbing his pack, and tossing his water bottle inside.

We headed off deeper into the woods, silent, as I listened to the crunching of pine needles and leaves under my shoes. Birds chirped as I took in a deep breath of the fresh, mountain air. Mt. Hood National Forest was beautiful, and I honestly felt blessed to be here, and no matter how much I told myself I couldn't ever get along with the man himself, Bear Grylls, I was more than willing to try.

Guys I think the first chapter was GREAT haha and don't worry, I know I said in the description that Waelynn "hates" Bear, so fear not, those traits will eventually come thru when they start getting into arguments.. ;)

Also, I just wanted to say that I honestly felt so honored when I wrote this chapter.. I wrote this one on September 11, the day we remember the attack on the world trade center fourteen years ago, and I am so proud to be a free american in an amazing country ♡

Note- This is going to sound kind of stupid and lame, but pleeasse try your best to read the parts where Bear is talking in a really sexy British accent. Yeah, that did sound stupid, but still, I think y'all get what I'm saying. It totally adds to his rugged aura, and makes him like a million percent better haha trust me.