Season of Terror
by Tigger
Copyright 2002, All Rights Reserved

Chapter 12: Just the Bear Facts, Ma'am

A cool breeze rustled through the lacy curtains as beams of silvery moonlight cast soft shadows about the darkened boudoir. Lost in thought, Victoria Denato sat cross-legged upon her bed's satiny comforter, not realizing that her right arm was securely wrapped about Poohbear's thick, fuzzy torso.  The elbow of her other arm was planted in the crook of one knee, her chin resting upon that upraised hand.  It had been a very long day, an incredibly awful long day, and yet, she felt oddly at peace.  That was, she decided, a very strange way to feel, given her current circumstances and worse, the truly horrific events of that very morning, but she had also concluded that she knew the reason for how she felt.

Ms. Jane was proud of her.

And no one had ever said those words to her before.  Always before it had been, "Why are you always in trouble?" or "Why aren't you getting better grades?" or "Mrs. 'Thus-and-so's' boy did 'such-and-such' and why can't you?"  Or more recently the hated "Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"  That one he had been asking himself only too often of late.

Whatever those questions indicated, it wasn't pride, and Ms. Jane had said she was proud.  Maybe, for the first time, Victoria Denato had something really to be proud of. *Ooops, watch your grammar, young lady* she reminded herself in mental tones any former Seasons House student would easily recognize. *Ms. Jane would have your as. . .umm, rather, Ms. Jane would correct you instantly and emphatically for ending a sentence with a preposition.* And then she laughed at herself.

So, Ms. Jane's pride in her made her feel good - proud of herself, truth to tell.  Why was that so different?  Hadn't that been one of Victor's biggest problems?  Pride?

"What do you think, Pooh?" she asked, suddenly aware of the furry body cuddled up close to her silk-clad self, but even then didn't move to break the contact.  "Maybe it's because back then, I really didn't have anything about which I should have been proud?  How's that for finishing a sentence without a preposition, silly-old-bear?  I almost said 'proud of' again, but caught myself at the last second."

She thought about that for a while longer. *Yes, I think that is it.  I feel good because this time the pride means something - the thing I am proud of having done is worthwhile - unlike knocking over a some undersized kid and making him bleed.  'Course, both have blood involved.  So, what do I do next?*

She never answered that question because in the next moment, Jane's voice, raised to shrill, piercing scream, rattled Victoria's door.

"MARIEEEEE!!!  MaRIIIEEEE!!!  He's OKAY!!  I just TALKED TO HIM!  MARIIIEEEE!!!"

Victoria was off the bed and out her door before she quite realized how.  In the hallway, she found a nightgown-garbed Jane, a wildly smiling yet tear-streaked Jane all but skipping about at the foot of the stairs that went up to Marie's third-floor apartment.

"Ms. Jane?" Victoria asked, "What is it?"

"He's all right," Jane half laughed, half sobbed.  "I just got through.  He wasn't hurt at all."

"Your student?" Victoria asked.  "The one you were so worried about earlier today when I came to your study?"

"Yes, Victoria, that's precisely who I mean," Jane replied joyfully.  "Wilm. .. liam is well and truly all right."

Without thinking, Victoria reached out to Jane who more than met her latest student halfway.

~-----------~

Marie had paused only to grab and throw on a wrapper before hurrying down the stairs to answer Jane's summons.  Every breath was another prayer as she ran down the steps to burst into the hallway of the second floor.

And stopped in her tracks at what she saw . . .

There, in the middle of the hallway, locked in an embrace and dancing some unnamed primal dance was Jane Thompson, Victoria Denato, and Winnie the Pooh.
"He's okay, Ms. Marie!" Victoria crowed when she caught sight of the dark-haired woman just standing there and gawking. "Ms. Jane's student didn't get hurt today.  She just talked to him!  Isn't that GREAT??!?"

"Just great," Marie whispered and then, after a moment's thought, cut in to join the odd circle of merrymakers.

~-----------~

"She's asleep," Marie said as she entered the parlor in Jane's private parlor, a tea tray in her hands.  "I checked when I went down to brew the herbal tea."  Then the Frenchwoman's dark eyes crinkled into silent laughter.  "She's still cuddled up to that bear, too."

"She needs comfort," Jane said quietly, "and thank Providence she's now opened up sufficiently to accept it where she finds it.  A week ago, even perhaps a day ago, that bear would have slept on the floor as it has every night since Victor arrived."

"Until now.  So, giving blood was more important to him than hiding his true nature," Marie observed as she poured the tea.  "I wasn't sure he'd grown quite that much."

"Michael was the one who saw it first," Jane replied.  "Our family doctor grown a great deal, as well.  Lord, but I nearly fainted myself when Nora burst in there to tell us Victoria had fainted."

"Bet that was grist for your millstone on the way home," Marie grinned.

"Actually, I don't think I said a word to her the entire trip until we were back in the house.  Stunned, I guess," Jane said, shaking her head.  "I suppose, all my confident words to the contrary, I really did half-expect her to mark "F" on the form, and then throw a hissy-fit to keep from giving blood."

"But she didn't, and you rewarded her by not using her little lapse to torment her further?"

"Hardly be fair, would it, after what she put herself through today?  And I am fair, you know, by my own standards and rules, at least."

"Of course you are!" Marie agreed.  "So what else happened?"
"You know? I'm not really sure, but something did.  She broke down soon after we got home, and I think they were happy tears.  I said I was proud of her, but. . ."

"But what, Jane?"

"I don't know what, Marie.  I just have this niggling feeling that there's something more to it than just me giving a student an attagirl."

"We'll figure it out, Jane.  So, are you going to take on that new student you mentioned the other day?  Now that Victoria seems on track?"

"Maybe.  That one isn't time urgent so we don't have to rush into it.  I want to make sure that we are right about this one, first."

"What's on for tomorrow?"

"Victoria wants to do some volunteer work - to help the families and rescue workers.  I thought I'd call Edith and see what the good ladies of the Kingston social set are doing in that regard."

"Going to really test her resolve, are you?"

"I think she's ready for a truly demanding test now, don't you?  Besides, if she's not, it's better to find that out now and not later when there's another needy child here who needs my full attention."

Marie sighed and then stood.  Picking up the tray, she blew a kiss at her long-time friend.  "Well, I think I'll put this in the sink and go back to bed.  You should try to rest, too."

Jane smiled warmly. "Good night, Marie.  I'll go to bed as soon as I finish my cup."