#teaching his husband all about his favorite fish (pike)

[fexjam]

🐠a trip to the aquarium

[rachelclarington]

Camping Claringtons || Berrington

Date: November 4th, 2017

Location: Fahnestock State Park, New York. (Pictured here and here.)

Starring: Rachel, Hunter, and Elizabeth Clarington

Notes:  The Clarington family is out on their first camping trip since having their daughter and all is going well until something unknown attacks Hunter in the woods in the middle of the night.

Warning: Entirely too cute. Mentions of blood, animal attack, also anxiety/panic attack.

 Hunter Clarington:

With the autumn leaves making themselves known with the changing weather, Hunter expressed to his wife on taking the family out on a little weekend camping trip before it got too cold to do so. Elizabeth had just turned two a few months ago and that was the age when Hunter’s father first took him and his brother camping, so he wanted to do the same for his daughter. He bought all the equipment and knew their go-to camping spot in New York would be appropriate and comfortable for the three of them, and they set off on Saturday morning for Fahnestock State Park. There were little brooks and lakes where they could go fishing and they would be far enough from the city to really enjoy nature and all it had to offer.

They drove down together and hiked just a little ways down the gravel path before setting up camp in a little clearing, surrounded by a thicket of trees. Even with the sun high in the sky, Hunter knew then that when night came, it would be beautiful to look up at the stars. Hunter took it upon himself to set up the tent and the fireplace while Rachel looked after their daughter. When Elizabeth showed genuine interest in helping out, however, Hunter gladly showed her how to set up where they would be sleeping tonight. “We’re gonna get our sleeping bags and blankets in here and Mommy and Daddy will sleep together with you, all bundled up to keep you safe and warm,” Hunter explained to his daughter, which was apparently well-received by the excited giggles and clapping.

“After we set up camp, we should head down to the lake to see if we can fish up some dinner.” He suggested, grinning up to Rachel. “Are you gonna scream when the fish splashes water on you?” He teased, remembering the first time he and Rachel had gone out camping and she wasn’t having any of it.

 Rachel Clarington:

Rachel had never been the type to be outdoorsy until Hunter came into her life-- even then, the first time he suggested they go camping she laughed at him. Once she realized he was serious, she reluctantly agreed, considering that they would have fun regardless of what they did because they were together. While their first camping experience had been a comical display of Rachel’s inability to be outdoorsy-- she did her best to enjoy herself and she actually ended up having a really good time. Any time after that, whenever Hunter asked her to join him on a camping trip, she went and she got better at it each time. By the time they were in their twenties and taking Elizabeth on her first trip, Rachel was a pro

Anyone who knew her in her teens would’ve never guessed.

Rachel pulled her own weight when it came to camping, nowadays- carrying her share of the equipment and necessities they needed for their getaway. Once she got the hang of it all, she was almost as good as Hunter at camping-- she didn’t mind getting dirty and she didn’t even mind fishing. Unfortunately when Rachel was pregnant, all of her teenage years spent as a vegetarian went right out the window with her cravings. As Hunter set up their fire pit for the evening, Rachel took Elizabeth to gather up some wood to help him out a bit, the two year old picking up all of the tiny twigs and leaves she could. “Look Mama!” She would shout, holding up a twig that would most likely burn out within minutes, but Rachel couldn’t help but chuckle and smile proudly.

“That’s perfect, princess.” She encouraged as she gathered up the wood they would be needing to keep the fire going, taking a few pictures here and there before their hands got too full to do so before showing Liza where to place it once they returned to Hunter.

“Look, Daddy!” The child announced proudly as she dropped all of her twigs and leaves in a mess of a pile next to Rachel’s wood before her attention was turned to the pile of tent lying there that Hunter would set up next. “Tent!” She clapped, toddling over towards it.

Rachel giggled, watching lovingly as the two loves of her life put up the tent together, watching as Hunter patiently explained to her that this pole went here and that stake goes there. Rachel took that moment to take a few more photos, wanting as many as possible from this moment. She fell harder for both of them when she watched them like this. When Hunter spoke up about going fishing, Rachel rolled her eyes. “Har har.” She chuckled, taking a seat on one of the folding chairs they had brought out with them. “I haven’t screamed at a fish since I was pregnant with Lizzie.” She defended herself with an adoring smile as she raised her eyes. “I seem to remember that I out-fished you the last time we were out here. And I bet with the help of Miss ‘Lizabeth, we’ll beat you again. Isn’t that right, pumpkin?”

“That’s right!” Elizabeth giggled, clapping her hands again. “Gonna get lots fish, Daddy.” She explained to her father as she attempted to follow his lead and push one of the stakes into the dirt, even though all she was doing was beating the ground with it.

Hunter Clarington:

Hunter nodded and laughed when his wife pointed out the last time they’d gone fishing, he was unable to pull up even half the amount of fish Rachel had caught. But the two of them hadn’t gone camping together in a long time and this time he had his daughter there to help him. “Okay so we’re both counting on Elizabeth to help us get the most fish for tonight’s feast,” Hunter declared, helping her out with getting the stakes into the ground. The little girl seemed especially pleased with helping and ran into the set-up tent, jumping up and down inside of it.

“At this rate she’ll be out before sundown,” Hunter murmured to his wife before the two of them followed Elizabeth into the tent. “See? This tent is the perfect size for the three of us,” he laid down on the inside, smiling radiantly at his excited little girl.

“Fish now, Daddy?” she asked, eyes wide and full of hope. Her father nodded back in response and they quickly exited the tent to grab the fishing equipment.

“Wait, let’s take a picture first,” Hunter insisted, pulling out his phone. First he took a picture of their completed campsite before handing his phone off to his wife and picking Elizabeth up in his arms for a family selfie. It took a few tries to get Elizabeth to remain still, but every picture was precious and would not be deleted regardless of blurriness. This was his daughter’s first camping trip and he wanted as many pictures to commemorate the life event as possible. “Okay, now it’s fish time!”

Grabbing the fishing equipment, he led the way to a lake not too far away. He made sure the walking distance wasn’t too much for little Elizabeth; if worse came to worst, he could always carry her back. He’d known the spot was a great place to catch bass and southern pike, and with his and Rachel’s fishing experience they were sure to catch at least enough for dinner. If luck and skill hadn’t found them a bountiful catch, they had hot dogs and smores to cook over an open fire to fill them up. After hiking through the trail and breathing in the strong scent of pine and fresh air, they finally came to a clearing that led them directly to the lake. The water was clear and the sun glistened with its reflection.

“Fishy, fishy, fishy!” Elizabeth chanted playfully, hopping right up to the water’s edge.

“Careful now, little girl,” Hunter warned with a gentle voice, “We don’t want to scare the fish away so we have to be especially quiet.” He brought his trigger finger up to his closed lips and then grinned when his daughter gasped and covered her mouth with both her hands.

 Rachel Clarington:

Rachel laughed lovingly as her daughter seemed so proud of having helped Hunter with the tent, clapping along with her and praising her for her good work. The elder brunette was happy that her husband was so keen on making sure Elizabeth helped so he could teach her how to do things-- it made her so happy that he was such a good father that he cared enough to help her grow up to be so smart and capable. She was a very proud wife and mother every time she watched the two together.

It also delighted her that he was so keen on taking as many photos as possible, she loved that whenever they came home from an outing or any activity that she had hundreds of photos of their cute faces to scroll through. Once they were finished taking their pictures and gathering up their fishing gear, they made their way down to the clearing where their favorite fishing spot was and she placed their things down on the rocks next to the water. Rachel still found it amusing that she so easily could bait a hook nowadays, considering how grossed out she was the first time they’d done this. Giggling softly as Hunter and their daughter had their exchange, she squatted down to make sure Elizabeth’s fishing pole had its hook in place, baiting it for her. She’d become a pro at casting and then Rachel would teach her how to bait the hook. “Alright, Liza, you ready catch your first fish?”

The youngest Clarington gasped and clapped her hands, toddling over to Rachel to take her bright pink fishing pole as her mother guided her to the edge where the water met the rocks. “Yes!”

“Okay, remember how Daddy showed you?” She squatted again to get on Eliza’s level as she guided their daughter’s hands to hold the pole properly. “Hold it right here, and then we pull the line to here and hold it with our--?” She asked, pulling the line for Elizabeth and guiding the right finger to hold against it.

“Index finger!” Eliza proclaimed proudly as she remembered what her father had taught her when he first brought home the pole. “Then we do this-” The youngest explained, pulling on the bail with her other hand.

Rachel smiled proudly with a chuckle, nodding her head. “That’s right, sweetheart.” She placed her hands on the child’s hips to help her line up. “Okay, now pull back, aim, and go!” Rachel helped the shorter cast her first line, reminding her how to close the bail once her line was out in the water.

“Daddy, look! I did it!” Elizabeth said, glancing up and over at Hunter.

“Perfect, baby.” She pressed a dozen kisses to the toddler’s chubby cheek before sitting behind her, spreading her legs so Liza was standing between them, ready to help the girl if a fish began to bite. “Now watch your little bobber out there and if it moves, reel ‘er in, baby girl.”

Hunter Clarington:

 Hunter watched with great pride as his brilliant daughter followed her mother’s instructions and remembered the way he had taught her how to cast at home. Now that they were at the lake and casting for real, Hunter was eager to see what his little girl could do. He was so proud of his wife for being the outdoors adventurer she was now, considering when they first met she wouldn’t have even been caught with a fishing pole in her hands. Even though he was the one to teach Elizabeth how to cast, Rachel could’ve easily done it just as well as he did, if not better. Rachel was a total pro at all things relating to camping and Hunter took it upon himself to accept all the credit.

He took photos throughout the whole set-up and made sure to get Elizabeth’s first cast on video. “Yes, you did it!” He cheered along with his daughter, an ecstatic smile spread across his face. “You’ll be pulling up fish by the bucket in no time, sweetheart.”

With Rachel supervising their daughter and being sure to watch for any biting fish, Hunter set up and baited his own fishing pole before casting out a bit further into the lake, looking for the big fish. It didn’t take very long at all before Elizabeth’s line started to pull, the float sinking into the water as her rod curled, whatever biting clearly pulling hard. “Liz, reel that fish in!” He yelled, quickly reeling in his own line so he could get the fishing net and his camera ready.

Rachel Clarington:

Rachel looked up at her sweet little girl proudly as she kept her hands on her hips gently to steady her incase something bit-- she didn’t want Elizabeth to be jerked into the water if something tugged on her fishing pole. Glancing over to watch her husband cast his own line, Rachel sighed with a smile on her face. Her insides were tingling with a happiness she felt every time she spent quality time with her little family-- she was so happy. Happier than she had ever been. She loved that she and Hunter had brought this little girl into their bubble and the three of them could be so wrapped up in each other that nothing else mattered-- nothing could go wrong.

When something tugged at the toddler’s fishing line, Rachel and Elizabeth gasped in unison. The little girl, unsure of what to do immediately, looked at Hunter as he exclaimed in excitement, giggling. “Mommy, Mommy! Fishy!” She tugged on her little fishing pole.

“That’s it, baby girl!” Rachel encouraged, tightening her grip on the child gently. “Remember how Daddy taught you to reel in, yeah?”

Elizabeth nodded her head as she used her little hand and all of her little might to reel in the fish that was caught on her hook. Thankfully, even though it took her a few moments, with the cheers of her parents in the background, Elizabeth finally pulled the fish up and out of the water, shrieking with delight as the small fish flopped around on the end of her line. “Daddy look! I did it!” She squeaked, holding the pole in her hands as she ran over to Hunter for him to take it. “I caught fishy!” Elizabeth looked up at Hunter with her sparkling brown eyes, hoping she had made him proud.

Hunter Clarington:

Hunter had managed to pull his phone out and watch the entire event unfold, feeling so excited and proud for his daughter as she practically caught her first fish all by herself. “Yes, yes, that’s the way to do it!” he cheered, stopping the video. He was definitely going to share that video on Facebook for all their family and friends to see what a brilliant little girl his daughter was becoming. “Daddy is so proud of you, Elizabeth!” Hunter grinned and he had her hold the fish up by the line so he could snap a photo to commemorate this moment. “Whoa, that fish is big,” he exaggerated, feigning surprise to boost his daughter’s confidence. He filled the bucket they had brought with some of the lake water before unhooking the fish and letting it loose inside. “He’ll make a great dinner for you tonight.” He told Elizabeth as the little girl looked into the bucket to watch the little pike swim in circles in the bucket. “We only need a few more so Mommy and Daddy can have some to eat tonight, too. Think you can handle it?”

Elizabeth nodded excitedly, bounding over back to her mother with the fishing pole in her hands, ready to catch herself another fish. Hunter rebaited and cast his line out, hoping he could also catch a few more fish for their dinner tonight. He tore his attention away from the floater for a moment to watch his wife and daughter working together, his heart filling with love for the both of them. He loved that somehow in the turn of events that was his life, he had been deemed lucky enough to have such a happy life with his family. He wouldn’t trade them for any damn thing in the world.

Rachel Clarington:

Once it seemed that little Elizabeth was absolutely more than capable of handling her little fishing pole on her own, Rachel baited up her hook before casting out into the water, keeping her eye on her bobber and her daughter to make sure she was safe. Sharing a glance with her husband, she mouthed an I love you to him as their little family fished.

It was probably no longer than an hour before they were through and they had caught enough fish for them to have to dinner that evening, Elizabeth ended up catching a couple more tiny fish, Rachel catching her fair share, and Hunter catching the rest. It was still kind of amazing to Rachel that she felt so at ease and at peace when they were out in the wilderness on one of their adventures. Rachel gathered up their poles and equipment while Elizabeth reached up to give her father grabby hands. “Up!”

“Someone wants a piggyback ride.” Rachel giggled softly as she picked up more than her fair share. “Just grab the fish and Liza, I got this.” She said before heading back to camp with her little family.

Hunter Clarington:

Hunter smiled brightly as Rachel mouthed her love to him, winking at her and mouthing back an I love you more. He was so proud of his little family and nothing made him quite so happy than to be with them, especially in a setting that reminded him of his own family from his own childhood. Rachel and Elizabeth both were the loves of his life.

Each fish caught meant another photo that Hunter actually worried his phone would run out of memory before their camping trip was over. With the bucket heavy with a generous bounty of fish, Hunter was almost disappointed they were done so soon. Maybe they would come back out later or tomorrow to fish again since it was so fun but it was probably best to quit while they were ahead and before Elizabeth grew bored. “Good thing Dad’s always ready to hand out piggyback rides!” Hunter exclaimed, lifting his daughter up easily and setting her on his shoulders. He carefully grabbed the bucket of fish by its handle while still balancing his little girl-- though she seemed to be fine with clutching onto his head by his hair. Elizabeth giggled with happiness as Hunter followed closely behind Rachel heading back to camp. He occasionally bounced up and down which brought Elizabeth another fit of laughs each time, highly amused by being so high up and riding on her father’s shoulders.

Once they were back to camp, Hunter set Elizabeth back down on the floor and took to restarting the fire until it was a strong blaze. “Thanks for helping bring everything back, sweetheart,” Hunter murmured to his wife, giving her a kiss as she joined them by the firepit.

“Me too, me too!” Elizabeth chanted, bounding over to her parents and making grabby hands at them both. Hunter laughed as he pulled his little girl into his arms, peppering loving little kisses over his cheeks and the top of her head.

“All the kisses for both of my favorite girls,” he said, sharing a tender smile and loving look with his wife. Hunter’s heart felt so full and he truly felt like he couldn’t be happier. After spending another few moments together with his family, Elizabeth now settled down in Rachel’s arms, Hunter proclaimed he was going to clean and prep the fish for dinner. They’d brought supplies for a delicious dinner and Hunter had been on enough fishing trips to know how to prep a fish for consumption. With all the fish gutted and seasoned to be prepared, he set the fire pit grate over the fire to heat.

“Are you excited to eat the fish we caught today, little girl?” Hunter asked as his daughter watched him with curious eyes. “Catching and eating your own food; you’re practically a woodsman by now! Mommy and I can teach you everything you’d ever learn in the Girl Scouts.”

Rachel Clarington:

Rachel almost felt like her body was buzzing with nothing but complete and utter happiness as she interacted with her husband and daughter, sharing kisses and sweet words before Hunter announced he would start getting dinner up and ready. She sat in her chair, the two year old in her lap as they watched Hunter tinkering with the fire pit and the fish. She was a bit concerned with Elizabeth watching Hunter gutting the fish, thinking it might be a bit much for a two year old to witness but Liza’s big curious brown eyes were fixed on him as he worked. Her little voice amazed as she said whoa and cool as she watched him, making Rachel laugh. “She's so your daughter.” She commented.

“E’cited, Daddy!” The youngest Clarington exclaimed at his question. She listened to every word he said and watched every move he made, completely enthralled with how much of a pro-camper her father was. Much like Rachel had been the first time he had taken her camping with him. It was comforting to know that she married a man that could take care of his family-- even if they were stranded in the woods. They'd survive because they had Hunter.

After the family finished dinner and the sun long since set, after a night full of fish, smores, stories, and songs sung around the campfire-- the two year old was seemingly exhausted and fell asleep on her mother’s lap. Rachel woke her up gently to get her ready and off to bed inside their tent, getting her all cozy in the blankets and singing her to sleep. Once Elizabeth was finally out, Rachel smiled to herself as she emerged from the tent, sighing happily as she looked over at her Warbler. He was already sitting on the picnic table that was just a little ways away from the tent so they could keep an eye on Elizabeth-- not too far but far enough to where their voices wouldn't wake her up. She grabbed a blanket from the tent before heading over to join her husband.

Flashbacks of their teenage years ran through her mind- their spot in Ohio on the picnic table where they'd go to be alone or clear their heads together. One of the spots she fell in love with Hunter. The night she left for New York and they made love on the picnic table in the middle of the night. It was a nice flashback that made her heart skip a beat. Not to mention all the memories they'd made on this specific picnic table since they'd started camping together in New York. This has been their new spot.

“Hey Warbler,” she said softly, moving to sit on the table with him, draping the blanket over their shoulders. Resting her head on his shoulder, she sighed happily. “Today was so nice. I'm so happy.” She offered, smiling as she looked up to the sky, the stars were stunning in the crystal clear sky.

Hunter Clarington:

Hunter loved that his little girl was a natural-born adventurer. She was the spitting image of her mother but he loved when she exhibited traits that she obviously inherited from her father. Elizabeth had his appetite too, helping herself to a few too many fish that her parents had to actually stop her from eating herself sick. He could already envision an adolescent Elizabeth eager to gut and clean her own fish. For the rest of the day Hunter couldn’t wipe his happy grin off of his face, having so much fun with his beautiful wife and his precious daughter. When Elizabeth eventually drifted off to sleep right there in Rachel’s arms, Hunter gave her his nightly kiss to her forehead and wished her a good sleep. He could hear his wife’s melodic voice singing her a lullaby as he cleaned up around the campsite before settling on the nearby picnic table to stargaze. As he waited for Rachel to join him, he was left to his own nostalgic thoughts as he connected the stars, very familiar with the constellations after years of looking up at them.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Hunter greeted her with a sweet kiss as she joined him on their picnic table. He scooted closer to her and his arm wrapped an arm around her waist as she leaned against him. “I’m so happy too,” he hummed in agreement. “Did you ever think almost ten years ago when we first met that this is where we would be? I mean, I knew I’d always be happy because I’d have you but I’m so happy.” He looked away from the night sky to look at his wife, the two of them sharing a fond look before he leaned in again for another kiss. He shifted slightly to face her a little better, his hand coming up to cup the side of her face and the blanket slipped off of his shoulders. He pulled back just a bit to look at his wife again, brows furrowing just slightly as he smiled. She looked stunning in the full moon’s light. “God, you’re so beautiful,” he murmured. “You just keep getting more and more beautiful every day.”

Rachel Clarington:

Rachel’s answer to Hunter’s question was simple and one that didn’t need much thought. She loved her dynamic with Hunter, she loved that they were settled so comfortably in their relationship. She loved that their love never wavered and she loved that they were never bored. Ever since she met Hunter she knew that he would be important to her for the rest of her life. She’d never doubted for one moment that a life with Hunter was much better than a life without-- that with him she would be happy no matter what. A life of happiness was promised with him and she wasn’t surprised in the least bit that they were so happy-- despite the undeserving feeling that crept in every now and then. “I always knew that spending my life with you would be endless happiness. I always knew that we would get married and have babies and live happily ever after. Now, I never thought I’d love camping so much, but I always knew that as long as I was with you I would be happy.” Her voice was quiet as she looked into his eyes, smiling at him. “You’re my person, Hunt. My happiness.”

Rachel’s eyes fluttered when Hunter cupped her face, looking at him with complete adoration and she blushed. Even after all these years he still made her blush and she still felt those same butterflies flitting around in her stomach as his grey eyes bore into her soul. She loved him as much as she always had-- more, even. A bashful grin spread across her face and rolled her eyes. “You’re still always charming me, aren’t you?” She whispered, biting her lip gently. “I’m getting old.” She teased, chuckling. “You think you’ll still love me when I’m older and wrinkled?”

Hunter Clarington:

Hunter also rolled his eyes, but for a reason different than Rachel. “You’re not getting old, Rach,” he chuckled, kissing her again. “You’re still as young, beautiful, and spritely as the day I met you.” Then he dropped the tone of his voice, whispering in her ear, “You’re definitely even sexier than ten years ago, though-- you just keep getting sexier every day.”

In that moment where he and Rachel were sitting on that picnic table, kissing each other and reminiscing about their lives together while their daughter slept in their little camping tent, Hunter felt like he truly couldn’t be any happier. They had made what felt like a lifetime of memories together and it made him even happier knowing they had the opportunity to make even more. He loved that their little spot on the picnic table where they shared many memories-- including some not-so-family-friendly ones-- had become a notable place where they could physically revisit whenever they wanted, weather permitting. “You’re my person, too. You always have been, y’know.” He smiled at her. It was his personal mission in life to make sure Rachel was as happy and successful as she could possibly be; he die to protect her and at every opportunity he would put her on a pedestal for everyone to adore her for the perfect human being he saw her as.

A chilly breeze moved through the air and it sent a shiver up Hunter’s spine, causing him to move in closer to her and wrap the blanket around them a bit tighter. As much as he was enjoying his alone time with Rachel now that Elizabeth was asleep, he really wanted to snuggle closer to his wife all bundled up in their blankets. The fire was already dying down and Hunter didn’t figure they would stay up for much later knowing they had an early start to their day tomorrow. With that in mind, Hunter coaxed Rachel to bed, joining their little one in their little tent. With Hunter on one side and Rachel on the other, the two parents looked down at their baby, not even stirring in her sleep. “Sometimes I still can’t believe we made her, y’know,” Hunter whispered to his wife, watching his little girl sleep. “You’ve made me the luckiest man ever.”

Rachel Clarington:

When Hunter lowered his voice to whisper to her, Rachel giggled softly, shaking her head with that big bashful grin of hers. “Stop it, you're sexy.” She pushed at him playfully before bringing him into a kiss. She loved her man so much more than she could begin to express.

When the air got chillier and Hunter suggested they head inside their warm tent, Rachel followed him without argument, more than happy to join him in cuddling up with their little girl. Once inside, Rachel pulled the blankets over all three of them so the could be nice and snug, cuddling close and tight to the toddler between them, reaching Hunter’s torso as well considering how tiny Elizabeth was. Rachel smiled lovingly down at the little girl before looking at Hunter, their faces not too far apart. “I never knew I could be so happy as a mom.” She whispered gently, looking down at Elizabeth again, her sweet little sleeping face was enough to make Rachel’s heart melt. “I never knew I could love another human being so much-- besides you, of course.” Her eyes raised to Hunter’s, smiling. “I'm really thankful for you, Hunt. You continuously keep proving why--- over and over again-- choosing you was the best choice I have and will ever make.” She leaned over to press a kiss to his lips.

When they pulled back, a yawn slipped from the brunette’s lips. “I love you so much, my Warbler.”

Hunter Clarington:

“I’m thankful for you and Liz too; I’ve always made good choices but you were by far the best.” With a quiet chuckle and a smile against his wife’s lips, Hunter agreed with her sentiments when it came to their daughter. He always thought having such strong feelings for Rachel was just a one-time thing because he'd never had a connection as strong as theirs in his lifetime. Elizabeth proved him wrong and showed him he still had plenty of love to give. “I love you too, Rachel,” he whispered. With her yawning, Hunter also let out a soft yawn and the two settled with their daughter, Hunter's arm draped across his family as if protecting them both from anything and everything. It wasn't very long at all until they were all fast asleep.

Hunter had woken up in the middle of the night, rubbing the sleep from his eyes to look lovingly at both his wife and daughter who were still asleep. His bladder was demanding to be relieved and he let out a tired sigh as he carefully and quietly exited the tent, barefoot. He walked a little ways away from the campsite into the thicket to relieve himself on a tree. This was just another aspect of the authentic camping experience. Just as he'd finished, a nearby rustling sound caught his attention. “Who's there?” he called out, hoping that if it were an animal, his voice had effectively scared it away. He stepped closer, narrowing his eyes to peer through the dark thicket.

Everything happened so fast-- too fast. A large blur came bounding at him and suddenly Hunter was hitting the ground, the sound of twigs and fallen leaves crunching under him as a searing pain burned in his arm. Hunter heard a snarling noise coming from his arm and he realized he was being attacked. He wrestled with it for a moment as the pain in his arm only worsened. In a panic, Hunter managed to kick away whatever attacked him and it ran off as quickly as it had appeared, growling. Panting deep breaths, Hunter assessed the situation and he could see in the full moon’s light that his arm was bleeding, heavily. Cursing to himself because he knew he needed immediate medical attention, Hunter carefully pulled himself back to his feet and trudged to camp.

“Rach… Rachel,” Hunter whispered loudly as he peeked his head into the tent, cradling his arm against his chest. His clothes were already getting soaked a dark red. “R-Rachel, wake up, baby girl… I need your help.” He tried to keep his voice as calm as possible, not wanting to wake up or alarm his daughter that something was wrong.

Rachel Clarington:

Rachel had fallen asleep with a smile on her face when she felt her husband’s arm over her and their daughter, feeling safe and cozy and excited for what the morning would bring.

Unfortunately it wasn't morning when she woke up, it was still pitch black outside with only the pale moonlight and one of their lanterns dimly illuminating the inside of the tent-- her husband’s voice pulled her from sleep and she could tell by the sound his voice that he was doing his best to keep calm but something was wrong. Her heart automatically started beating in her chest and she was careful but quick with the way she slipped out of the tent as to not wake the sleeping toddler.

“What-” She gasped quietly, her eyes widening as she saw the blood all over her husband and her stomach twisted. Rachel's panic level went up to eleven as her eyes glossed over and she shook her head. “Baby-- Hunter, what happened? Oh my god-- are you okay? Of course you're not okay. Oh my god, we need to get you to the hospital. Oh my god, okay--” She sniffled, her entire body trembling with panic as she feared the worst. Thoughts of her taking her husband to the hospital and not leaving with him flashed through her mind. She rummaged through her bag inside the tent and pulled out the car keys. “Cmon, baby.” Her hands shook as she helped him to the car, more thoughts of the worst running through her mind thinking this could be the last time they came here-- or the next time she would be here was to get their things without Hunter.

Hunter Clarington:

“An animal-- I’m, I’m fine--" Hunter frowned at his wife’s reaction, already witnessing the panic running through her as she did her best to keep it together. With Rachel’s help, Hunter staggered to the car and slumped into the passenger seat, still clutching his arm close to his body as his breathing came out in shallow breaths. “Get a blanket; I don’t want to get blood on the car,” he told Rachel, still alert enough to care about their car. He was scared because of how bad the wound seemed and he knew Rachel would most definitely have an anxiety attack once the initial adrenaline wore off. Although he tried to remain calm for the sake of his wife and sleeping daughter, he could feel himself begin to grow light-headed and his breathing quickened as he waited for Rachel to get Elizabeth into the car. Luckily for them, their toddler only stirred a little when Rachel carried her, quickly falling back asleep once situated in her car seat.

“Rach, babe, I swear I'm fine; I just need a few stitches and maybe a rabies shot just in case…” Hunter explained, voice uneven as he attempted to remain as calm as possible. He watched as Rachel’s hands trembled, fixing to get the key into the ignition and he reached over with his hand and placed it on her arm. “Rach,” Hunter no longer sounded scared or uneasy, back to his calm self as he took control. “I'm okay. I just need you to take me the hospital but everything's going to be okay. I’ll be okay.”

When Rachel finally got ahold of her nerve, even if just temporarily, Hunter let go of his wife and slumped back in his seat. He tried to get as comfortable as possible but every little bump and turn in the road caused a pain to shoot up his arm and he bit his lip hard to stifle any noises.

Somewhere along their way to the hospital, Hunter closed his eyes hoping that maybe if he wasn't looking at his bloodied arm, he couldn't feel the pain. He was wrong. He always thought he had a high tolerance for pain after all the fights he'd gotten through in his teenage years but oh, he was so wrong. “Please hurry,” Hunter whined as he screwed his eyes shut from the pain, unaware that Rachel was already driving past the speed limit.

Rachel Clarington:

Rachel rushed as fast as she could and as carefully as she could to get Elizabeth out of the tent and into her car seat before getting into the car. When she felt Hunter’s hand on her arm and his voice more stable-- she looked at him and nodded her head as he spoke. She pulled herself together for a brief moment to start the car and pull out of the campsite. One thing about Rachel was that despite her anxiety and her tendency to panic, she was very clear-headed in a crisis and she wasted no time getting on the highway, going well above the legal speed limit.

Glancing in the mirror at her daughter and then looking over at Hunter as he clutched his arm, the blood soaking through the blanket slightly. She felt her chest tighten in panic and she reached over to touch his leg. “I'm hurrying, baby.” She said, sniffling and giving his leg a squeeze. “I'm hurrying. I'll get you there, I promise.” She said, her voice shaking as hard as her hands and her eyes welled up with tears, the hot liquid flowing freely down her cheeks. “Hunter, I love you so much. Ev-everything's gonna be- be okay.” Rachel was saying it to herself as well.

“You have to be okay.” She warned, taking her hand from him to reach for her phone, swerving a tad as she dialed 9-1-1.  “H-hi-- my name is Rachel Clarington and I was camping out at Fahnestock State Park. My husband was attacked by a wild animal and he's bleeding really badly-- yeah, I'm on highway name and I'm heading to Hospital name. I don't have their number and I'm really afraid and I wanted to notify them that we were coming-- is-is it okay that I called?” She didn't have any idea what to do in this situation but the operator on the other end spoke calmly to her, assuring her that it was okay that she called and that they would notify the hospital of their impending arrival, also giving her a few instructions on how to help her husband while they were on the way. When she hung up she left her phone on the middle console and looked over at Hunter. “They-they're going to let them know we're coming and they-they said to keep pressure on it. Okay, baby?” She said, sniffling, the tears still steadily falling from her face.

Hunter Clarington:

When Rachel reached over to touch his leg, Hunter opened his eyes tiredly and nodded only slightly. He tried to reassure his wife with a smile but it came across poorly as he winced in pain. “I-I love you, too,” he mumbled back to her between shallow breaths. His mouth felt dry and his face was noticeably sweaty. When he closed his eyes again, he was vaguely aware of Rachel speaking to the 9-1-1 operator but couldn’t make much sense of what was going on anymore. He was able to comprehend his wife’s instructions to put pressure on his wound but when he tried, he cried out in pain and shook his head. “No, h-hurts,” he whined, curling in on himself.

It didn’t take much longer for them to arrive at the hospital, tires screeching as they pulled up next to the emergency entrance. Having been alerted ahead of time, as soon as the car rolled up to the curb a medical team approached to help take Hunter inside. Hunter felt dizzy and confused and he staggered to his feet, prompting someone to have him lie on a stretcher.

The medical team didn’t wait for Rachel as they wheeled Hunter in and started assessing the injury while hooking him up to an EKG machine and pulling an oxygen mask onto his face as a precaution. “BP is slightly decreased but fortunately it doesn’t look like he’s lost too much blood,” Hunter heard one doctor say to another. He looked  up at the ceiling through half-lidded eyes.

“Rach,” he mumbled, scanning through all the faces crowding around him but not finding any that belonged to his wife.

Rachel Clarington:

Rachel quickly gathered up Elizabeth and rushed into the hospital, following the team of doctors and nurses that were huddled around her husband, speaking quickly in almost another language. She held her daughter close to her, rubbing her head soothingly-- praying that she would stay asleep. She watched with wide eyes as they placed Hunter’s gurney in its place in the emergency room, her heart pounding against her chest-- she had no idea how bad it was. It looked really bad considering how much blood was all over the blanket that now lay abandoned in the floorboard of the car, all over her husband, all over the sheets of the gurney. Glancing down, Rachel even noticed some on her shirt and arm from when she helped him to the car.

She couldn’t hear anything happening around them; all she could do was stare as they rushed around him, watching the way her husband seemed a little lightheaded-- her face was still covered in tears as they continued to fall down her cheeks. She needed to be there-- she needed to be there next to Hunter but she couldn’t take the chance of Eliza seeing him like this. Quickly looking around, Rachel spotted the nurse’s desk and a couple of the ladies behind it, one of them glanced at her as she came rushing to her.

“Excuse me-”

“No need to ask, my dear. Hand her here.” The woman offered to take Elizabeth from Rachel and Rachel graciously accepted the offer as the nurse promised to stay within view just for the young woman’s peace of mind.

Rachel thanked her over and over again before rushing over as close to Hunter as she could, careful not to get in the team’s way, sniffling as her hands continued to shake. “Hu-Hunt-- is he, is he going to be okay?” She did her best to assess the situation but she still couldn’t quite see how bad it was, gluing her eyes to Hunter’s face, catching his gaze to let him know that she was there.

Hunter Clarington:

Hunter was still woozy and he didn’t hear his wife approach the side of the bed. When she came into view, he managed to crack a smile in her direction, eyes half-lidded. “Rach,” he called out to her, sounding relieved. He tried to reach out to her with his good hand but everything felt so heavy and he couldn’t lift his limbs.

“He’ll be fine; he’s lost some blood but he won’t need a blood transfusion. Since he was attacked by an unidentified animal, we should administer a rabies vaccine.” The doctor introduced himself to Rachel, identifying himself as Hunter’s doctor while he was in the emergency room. “He’s in a lot of pain so we’ve given him something to help with that. After the rabies shot and once I get these stitches done and dress his wound, he should be free to go.” The doctor spoke with a confident tone, wanting to reassuring the woman.

“Why’re y’crying?” Hunter slurred, his brows furrowing when he saw the tear tracks down his wife’s cheeks. “I’m okay, right?” He turned his head to look at the doctor, who nodded in agreement. “See, e’erything’s okay…” Hunter mumbled to Rachel.

Rachel Clarington:

Rachel quickly took up a spot next to Hunter’s bed once it opened up, shaking her head as he tried to reach for her hand, meeting him so he didn’t have to move, taking his okay hand in her own and giving it a gentle squeeze, she smiled sadly at him when he smiled at her, saying her name. “H-hi baby.” She whispered before turning her attention to the doctor. She listened very carefully as he explained everything that was needed to know about Hunter’s condition-- hearing that he was going to be okay and that it wasn’t even bad enough that he had to stay overnight.

A wave of relief washed over her but was replaced with a bit more worry when the word rabies was used-- Rachel knew nothing about rabies but she knew that it wasn’t good. She rattled off a handful of questions at a speed that the doctor barely kept up with but luckily he had answers for every single one of her inquiries perfectly which soothed her anxiety briefly.

When Hunter spoke up again, Rachel glanced to the doctor and then looked back at Hunter, bringing his hand up to her lips to kiss it firmly. “I was just really worried about you, Warbler.”  She forced a smile through her tears, seemingly unable to keep them from still forming. She was relieved that he was going to be okay but the scared feeling and the thoughts of losing him were still relevant in her brain. “I just-” The brunette placed her hand on her husband’s cheek, brushing her thumb over his skin gently.  “I love you so much.” She whispered as she leaned down to press her lips against his forehead.

Hunter Clarington:

Hunter smiled when his wife leaned in to place a kiss on his forehead, wishing he wasn't quite so out of it so he could properly reciprocate his love for her with a kiss of his own. “I love you too,” he said proudly, through a foggy expression. “Don’ have to worry ‘bout me…” Hunter closed his eyes and leaned into his wife's touch, forgetting about everything going on around him except her.

The doctor didn't take much more time to dress Hunter's wound, it now completely cleaned and bandaged up. He administered the rabies vaccine as well as informing Rachel of follow-up instructions for Hunter to come back. Rachel was also given a print-out so she wouldn't have to commit everything to memory, and also for Hunter to read when he was a little more aware. After the formalities of being properly checked out of the emergency room, Hunter was helped into the car with a still sleeping Elizabeth in the back.

Unfortunately they still needed to go back to the campsite and gather all of their belongings before they went home. “Lemme help,” Hunter insisted, barely able to open the car door and stumble out once they were parked back at the campgrounds. “It's too much for just one person to do.” He was speaking a bit more coherently now but he was still visibly unbalanced, not to mention his right arm was essentially useless.

Rachel Clarington:

Rachel smiled sadly as Hunter leaned into her touch, taking a shaky breath. As they checked Hunter out, Rachel took her daughter from the nurse, the toddler stirring slightly when transferred between arms. Rachel shushed her comfortingly to soothe her back to sleep, assuring her that everything was okay, her curious brown eyes fluttering as she eyed Hunter.

Once they were in the car, Elizabeth was out again almost instantly when she settled in her car seat. Rachel was silent for most of the drive back to the campsite, knowing none of them would want to drive back the next day to get their things- also knowing that they couldn't just leave their things there. Elizabeth’s favorite stuffed animal was still snuggled in their warm tent. Though Rachel was quiet and not really crying anymore, she could feel the fear and anxiety buzzing through her entire body as she glanced between the road and her husband. She reached over to place her hand on his thigh again-- just needing to feel him there.

When they reached the campsite, she didn't let Hunter get too far out of the car. “Babe, no, you sit. Keep an eye on Eliza.” She was insistent on not letting him help at all. It took her about half an hour to get the tent broken down and everything packed in the car. Rachel's hand stayed glued in Hunter’s good hand, not moving once the entire two hour drive home. Once they were back in the city and parked in their spot, Rachel took it upon herself to get Eliza inside first, letting her rest on the couch while she hovered over Hunter to help him inside. “You okay, honey?” She asked him as they finally made it into their home.

Hunter Clarington:

Hunter didn't make much of an effort to persist helping Rachel, knowing doing so would only worsen her anxiety than make it better. He sat back in the car and watched Rachel get everything packed back in the car. He occasionally looked back at his little girl snoozing away in her car seat, grateful that she hadn't been awake to see him hurt or in pain. Elizabeth was a sharp girl and seeing her parents leaving a camping trip prematurely was sure to raise many questions.

While they drove home, Hunter gave his wife’s hand a gentle squeeze, trying to silently reassure her that now everything was truly okay. Everyone was safe and luckily whatever it was that had attacked Hunter hadn't gone after his family and that his injury wasn't too horrible.

When they arrived back at their little brownstone in New York City, Hunter stayed put in the car until Rachel came and got him. Pushing himself and potentially hurting himself further would be a bad time for everything and he knew Rachel was beyond worried for his well-being. He made sure to grab the blood-stained blanket from the car. “Go put Elizabeth to bed; I'll go get ready for bed…” he told his wife. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of his daughter's forehead and she stirred enough when Rachel picked her up, rubbing her eyes with her little hands.

“Daddy..? Mommy..?” She called out to her parents sleepily, clinging to her mother. “Where camp?”

Hunter frowned because he knew because of him, they had to cut their family getaway short. “Daddy wasn't feeling very well tonight so we came home; I promise we'll go camping again soon, okay, sweetheart?”

Elizabeth only nodded, resting her head on Rachel's shoulder. She was too tired to notice anything was amiss. “An’ fishies,” she tried to insist, sleep overcoming her once more.

“And fishies,” Hunter promised, voice soft and quiet as he let Rachel take their daughter to bed.

Hunter made his way up to his and Rachel’s bedroom, moving at a much slower pace as his wife. When he got into the room, he looked down at his outfit, noticing his shirt  and pajama bottoms alike were also blood-stained just like the blanket. He carefully maneuvered out of his clothes, being mindful of the still-tender wound on his arm. Looking down at himself, he noticed the blood had even managed to soak through and left behind a thin film of red against his skin. Before Rachel could get back into the room, he retreated to the bathroom to clean as much of the dried blood off of himself as possible.

Rachel Clarington:

Rachel smiled lovingly at her sweet little girl, seemingly too tired to be completely disappointed about leaving camp. Pressing a kiss to her head, she carried Elizabeth upstairs and tucked her into her bed, turning her little night light on before leaving the room to make her way into her and Hunter’s bedroom. Her eyes searched for her husband and then she heard the water running in the bathroom, feeling a little relieved that he was okay enough not to have collapsed when he got upstairs.

Taking a deep breath, exhaling shakily as she kicked off her shoes, looking down at her clothes and sighing. She reached down to push off her pajama pants and then pulling her shirt off, standing there in nothing but her underwear and camisole. Looking down at the shirt in her hands, she focused on the blood staining her favorite pajama shirt. Her husband’s blood. She replayed the night over in her head as she fiddled with the shirt, her eyes wandering over to the pile of bloodied clothes on the floor. Rachel could hear her heart beating rapidly against her chest just as it had been since Hunter woke her up-- it hadn’t calmed down for one moment. She thought of the things she’d felt, how scared she’d been, thinking she might lose Hunter. The image of him lying there in the hospital, her feeling helpless- wondering if their time on the picnic table together earlier in the night would be the last memory of him that she would have. Thinking her daughter would never want to go camping again if her father died on her first trip. All of those thoughts wrapped up in the feeling of relief that it actually wasn’t that bad at all and that he was okay overwhelmed her emotions and she could feel a panic attack coming on. Her eyes welled up with tears and she began to cry again, clutching the shirt with a death grip that made her knuckles white.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, she slid down to sit on the floor-- leaning back against the bed as she brought her knees up to her chest and her body shook with quiet sobs, her breath becoming quicker and harder to catch-- replaying the scenes over and over again, feeling everything as much as she tried to resist it- as much as she wanted to think about something else. It was too late.

Hunter Clarington:

Hunter had managed to get most of the blood off of him and when he emerged from the bathroom to return to the bedroom, the first thing his eyes were drawn to was his sobbing wife. “Rachel,” he quickly made his way over to her after shutting the door and nearly tripped as he knelt down in front of her. With a wrinkled brow and a deep frown, Hunter tried to pull the cloth away from her but there was no taking it away from her. He’d known from the moment he had gotten attacked that a panic attack from Rachel was inevitable. “Babe-- Baby,” he tried to get her attention again, his hand clasping around her tight fist. “It’s okay-- I’m okay,” he assured her, repeating those words over and over again like a mantra so she could hear him. “We’re all okay.”

He sat down on the floor next to her and pulled her into a tight embrace with his good arm. As Rachel continued to cry, he held her close and continued saying the same reassuring words. “Breathe, sweetheart,” he coaxed her, rubbing her back. He knew there were probably a million things running through her head as there usually was whenever she had a panic attack and sometimes when words failed, his presence was good enough. “Everything is okay, Rach. I promise.”

Rachel Clarington:

Rachel didn't look up when she heard Hunter, only leaning into him when she felt his arm around her small frame. Burying her face against his neck, she cried. All of the tears that she'd held in for the last few hours overflowing freely, shaking her body. She couldn't seem to catch her breath and it was coming out in quick pants and she could feel herself getting light headed.

“I-I-” The woman tried to speak but her words got caught in her throat and all she could do was sob. Rachel let Hunter comfort her, his touch only breaking through slightly and she did her best to focus on his words. He was okay. They were okay. Everything was fine. He was okay, he was there.

“I w-was so s-scared..” She managed to say as she attempted to take a deep breath. “I-I th-thought you...I didn't know...I thought...I couldn't come home without you.” She began to cry a little harder with her last statement, letting him know that she had been terrified for his life.

Hunter Clarington:

Even if Hunter had only injured his arm, he knew that even just a second more and his injuries could’ve been much more dire. He completely understood where Rachel was coming from, knowing that if the roles had been reversed, Hunter would’ve made himself nauseous being so worried. “I know, sweetheart,” he crooned, placing a soft kiss on the top of her head and Rachel continued to sob against him. “But I’m here; I’m not going anywhere,” he promised her, rubbing her back. “I just got a little scratch but every time I get knocked down I make it back to my feet, right?” The two had their share of run-ins when it came to trouble-- especially Hunter who led a somewhat rough adolescence dealing with people that tried to keep him down under their thumbs. He and Rachel both rose up from whatever tried to get in the middle of them or break them up and their relationship grew stronger for it each time.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he repeated again, knowing if he kept saying words that eventually she would hear him and believe him. “I’m okay, Rach. I promise you that we’ll always come home together.” Rachel was his rock and he was hers; the two had each other and they managed their way through life and adulthood having each other’s backs. They’d brought another life into the world together and Hunter would be with her until his dying breath. If he could help it, he would stick around longer than her so she would never have to feel the pain of losing him.

Rachel Clarington:

Rachel did her very best to let the words Hunter was saying seep into her brain and soothe her racing heart and mind. His promises breaking through ever so slightly, calming her enough to where she could attempt to take a deep breath even if it was still shaky.

The woman was so proud and thankful that Hunter was her husband, over the years he'd become a pro at handling her anxiety and her attacks rarely ever lasted as long as they used to because he was extremely good at calming her down.

After a few minutes of him rubbing her back, coaxing her to breathe with him and whispering his promises over and over again, Rachel began to calm slightly. Her breathing wasn't back to being completely normal- but she had for the most part caught her breath. Her tears were still flowing but she wasn't actively sobbing any longer despite her trembling hands. “I love you so much.” She mumbled against his skin as she buried her face further against his neck to breathe him in.

Hunter Clarington:

It broke Hunter’s heart each time to see his wife break down and even if one might think that over the years he would've gotten used go it, they'd be wrong. Even if he'd gotten the hang of calming his wife down and helping her to feel better, he hated every second of every anxiety attack she suffered and wished that it was within his power to get rid of them completely.

“I love you too, Rach. I love you so much.” When Rachel buried her neck into his neck, he gladly let her and held onto her with his good arm to the best of his ability. He didn't stop with his murmurs of affirmation that everything truly was okay, adding in the fact that he loved her with all of his heart. “I promise nothing is going to happen to me,” he said, pressing a kiss to her cheek. He relaxed slightly against the side of the bed as he held onto Rachel, she clinging to him as they both sat there until she finished crying. Hunter made no movements to rush her nor did he say anything besides his loving sentiments, already knowing that patience was key for these situations.

Rachel Clarington:

It took a few more good, long minutes before Rachel was finally not shaking as hard and had pulled herself together enough to lift her head up from his neck, looking at Hunter with her red eyes, shaking her head. “I can’t live without you, Hunter. I would just die.” She whispered, in true Rachel Berry dramatics. She finally loosened her death grip on the shirt and placed her hands on his face, looking at him- at his face, into his eyes, as if he were the most precious thing she’d ever laid eyes on. “You’re my world, Warbler.” Her voice was still watery and soft and then she leaned in to kiss him slowly.

After a moment or two more of kissing him and pulling herself together, Rachel sniffled and got up from the floor, helping Hunter up as well as to not hurt his arm. “C’mon handsome, I just want to get in bed with you and sleep.” Rachel took a moment to go in and wash her hands, leaving the shirt in the other pile of clothes to be thrown away. She didn’t care to even waste time trying to get the blood out. She wanted it gone. When she back into the room, she helped Hunter get into bed before getting in herself, laying her head on his chest in the spot she felt safest in- the spot she’d thought she would never be in again. The brunette took a deep breath to relax herself a little and to breathe Hunter in before sighing, sniffling once more. She had no idea how they’d explain how Hunter got hurt to Elizabeth but she was too exhausted to care in that moment. The night had drained her of all energy. “I love you, Hunter.” She said through a yawn, before repeating the words I love you over and over and over again-- the lesson of the night had not been lost on Rachel. Every moment with Hunter was precious and she wanted to cherish them all.

Hunter Clarington:

Hunter gratefully kissed his wife back, making each last longer than the one before it. He knew that Rachel was being dramatic but still took his words to heart. Originally destined for the military, Hunter chose a safer career to keep both their worries away and no one ever had to think about Rachel would do if he were killed in action. Hunter knew he would be living a very long, healthy, and happy life with his family. “You’re my everything,” he declared, pulling away from their kisses to smile brightly at her. He thumbed away at her tears, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She meant so much to him and even if it meant he had to give up camping to quell Rachel’s anxiety, he would because she was the most important person in his life.

With her help, Hunter settled into bed. They were both careful of his injured arm but he assured she could still snuggle up in her spot against his chest. “I love you, Rachel,” he murmured to her, smiling tiredly now that they were both settled in bed. It was true that the night had been exhausting and knowing that Elizabeth had slept through most of it, they would only get a few hours reprieve before she was up and had to explain what had happened. Hunter wanted to make the most of his time with Rachel. After tonight, he would have a different outlook on his life and would appreciate his family for everything they were worth.