Chapter Text
You always enjoyed the picnic the camp held every year to kick off the new camp year and to welcome new workers. It was extra fun when you had Ranger with you, and now you also had Rory. Rory was excited because the camp asked him to make spaghetti bag platters for the food table. He had not stopped talking about it since he was asked, and you would listen to him with a smile. You loved seeing him happy, and you loved seeing him be passionate about the things he was involved in. You just loved Rory.
You were helping Rory set up his platters, trying to stay close to him, and making sure everything went smoothly. You felt... different that day. You did not have a problem with Rory talking to other people, but today you found yourself... possessive. If someone stood a certain way too close to Rory or spoke to him a certain way, you felt the need to stand... suffocatingly close to him. If you were not standing next to him, you were touching him. You would wrap your arm around his waist, hold his hand, or wrap your arm around his shoulder. The worst part was you did this all unconsciously . You would get a feeling or... vibe, then suddenly realize you were doing these things.
You were not the only one that noticed this, either. Dan stood with Malinda and Jeremy, sorting out raffle tickets and prizes. Dan watched you, unbeknownst to you, and Malinda popped her gum to get his attention.
"What are we going to do about Sam?" Malinda asked, sorting her tickets haphazardly, watching the two of you as she did. Dan shook his head, not even looking where he put which in what spot.
"I don't know. Sam clearly is attached to the kid, but I don't know what he'll do if something provokes him negatively." Dan sighed. "If my wife were here, she'd know what to do."
"Yeah, where is your wife?" Jeremy asked thoughtfully. Dan shook his head, finally looking down at his work.
"It's complicated," Dan mumbled in response. Malinda finished sorting her tickets and placed them to the side, putting her hand on her hip before looking over at you and Rory.
"I guess we'll just watch them and keep an eye on them," she suggested. Jeremy snorted at her words.
"Wow! It's like we don't do that already!" He exclaimed sarcastically. Malinda glared at him.
"I meant a closer eye on them, dumb ass," she spat back. Dan held his hands up to silence the two of them.
"Enough, you two! I have too much going on today, and the last thing I need for you two to do is to start arguing." Dan ordered.
"Yes, sir," they answered said in defeat.
Jeremy finished his prize sorting, and Malinda grabbed another ticket box to work on. While they worked, a new counselor, a spring in her step, walked up to the table where the three stood and smiled at them.
"Ranger Dan! Have you seen how many kids showed up for the new summer camp program? We almost didn't have enough cabins for them! I think Camp Little Squash is going to be a huge success!" She exclaimed.
Dan tried to smile at her the best he could without revealing how tired he was.
"That's great, Carissa. Do they all have a starter kit?" He asked. She shook her head.
"I'm about five short. Do we have any extras in the back of the station somewhere?" She asked. Dan nodded and pointed to the ranger station behind him over his shoulder.
"Yeah, ask Gerfy to show you the cabinets in the office; there should be some there," Dan said.
Carissa smiled and thanked him before bounding off to the office. At the same time, you noticed there weren't enough utensils at the tables, so you told Rory you would be gone for a moment. He smiled and nodded, continuing to work on the platters, and you walked into the ranger station and to the kitchen. You dug through the boxes of utensils as Gerfy and Carissa came out of the office.
To make the gravy thicker, Rory walked in a few seconds later into the station with an extra silver platter.
"Hey, Sam? Where should I put this platter at? It's an extra, but you never know when you might need-" Rory stopped in his tracks when he saw the sandy blonde-haired man talking with another new counselor. They both looked up at Rory, and Gerfy smiled deviously.
"Well, hey there, Rory. Didn't know you'd be here," Gerfy said, looking Rory up and down. Carissa looked from Rory to Gerfy and then pointed to the door.
"I'm going to go..." she whispered, sneaking past a still-frozen Rory.
You suddenly felt a very thick... tension in the air, and you dropped what you were doing. You hurried to the doorway and saw Gerfy standing just a little too close to Rory for your liking. He also had an expression that did not sit well with you, and the way he talked to Rory was unacceptable. To make the whole situation worse was the look of absolute fear Rory had. You were not even sure what they were talking about- you did not hear them- you heard only your thoughts. You felt panicked and did the one thing that came into your mind. You bared your teeth some and let out a deep growl that stopped the two talking to look at you.
Your hands were balled up into fists, and you stood as if you were ready to attack. This sound alerted Dan, Malinda, and Jeremy, who dropped what they were doing and came rushing into the doorway. The three tried to fit in the door simultaneously and eventually made it work.
"What is going on in here?" Dan demanded loudly. Gerfy scoffed and shrugged.
"I was only talking to my old flame here when this guy went crazy on us. What's his deal?" Gerfy asked.
Jeremy suddenly threw his arms up and shouted,
"He's from the mountain lands!"
Everyone looked at Jeremy, but you kept your eyes on Gerfy. Gerfy bought this explanation and nodded.
"That makes sense," he said.
Malinda marched her way over to Gerfy and Rory and pushed them apart.
"You're also too close to his man, and people from the mountain lands do not take kindly to that," she explained, popping her gum in Gerfy's face.
Gerfy flinched and blinked before wiping the spit from Malinda's gum off his face and nodded. Gerfy looked at Rory and smiled a very... disgusting smile. He gave Rory a look before looking at you and then back at Rory.
"This is the kind of guy you're seeing nowadays?" Gerfy asked, pointing to you with his thumb. Rory's face flushed red, and he looked at Gerfy with immense... rage.
"He's more of a man than you'll ever be," Rory stated firmly, gripping the extra platter so tight his knuckles turned white.
Dan threw his hands up and pointed to the door.
"Everyone, out! Go your ways and get some work done. You-" he pointed at you, "come with me, and put arms down, Jeremy."
Jeremy had kept his arms up as he walked out the door, whacking his fists off the door and letting out a soft ow. Gerfy and Rory had stayed in an eye lock until Malinda took Rory by the arm and took him outside gently. Gerfy followed and went the opposite way the others went, and you instinctively tried to go after him. Dan stopped you by grabbing you by your arm. You looked down at him, nostrils flaring as you huffed, anger on your face. Dan placed a hand on your chest and patted it gently.
"Easy, Sam. Malinda isn't letting Rory go anywhere- you trust Malinda, right?" Dan asked, trying to calm you down.
He asked. You looked out the screen door and saw Rory sitting in a lawn chair and Malinda rubbing his back. You huffed again and tried to go over to him, but Dan stopped you again. You looked down at him and pointed out the door.
"Sam go now!" You demanded. Dan shook his head.
"In a minute, Sam. I want you to calm down first, okay? I want you to listen to me," he said.
You huffed and stood up straight. Your chest was puffed a little, but you did manage to calm yourself down a little, and Dan nodded.
"Good job, Sam. Thank you. I want you and Rory to finish up with the platters and then take a break, okay? I'll try to keep Gerfy away from you two, but I can't promise anything, understand?" Dan asked.
You nodded. You did not want a whole lesson- you wanted to be by Rory's side. Dan looked... hard at you and locked eyes with you.
"Do you understand, Sam?" He asked again. You nodded your head obediently.
"Sam understands," you replied.
Dan patted your arm and motioned for you to leave the building as he turned to pull out his cell phone. You did not wait to see who he was calling as you bolted out of the station and made your way over to Malinda and Rory. You started off determined, but the closer you got, the less vigor you had in your walk and the worse you felt. You slowly approached them and dropped your shoulders as you stood next to them. Malinda popped her gum before patting Rory's shoulder reassuringly.
"I'll leave you two to it," she said, leaving you and Rory alone. Rory stood and looked up at you with sad eyes and tried to profusely apologize.
"I am so sorry, Sam. Did you know he worked here?" Rory asked. You nodded somberly.
"Jerry," you said softly.
You had told Rory months prior that Gerfy had been hired but guessed you had the name wrong. Names were hard. Rory sighed understandingly and nodded.
" Gerfy and I used to know each other many years ago, but he wasn't very nice to me... I promise I want nothing to do with him now," Rory explained.
You nodded and looked down at your feet as you reached over gently, looping your pinky finger with his, making a sad sound as you did.
"Sam sorry..." you said quietly, "for action."
Rory gave you a small smile and shook his head. He intertwined his fingers with yours.
"That back there? The mountain thing? Sam, if I'm being honest, that was a little hot," Rory admitted, his cheeks turning pink as he reached up and played with his earring.
You looked at him with your eyebrow raised.
"That good?" You asked. Rory nodded and gave your hand a gentle squeeze.
"It's good. I've never had someone be that protective of me before," Rory said with a sheepish smile.
A smile slowly made its way on your face, and you felt a tingly sensation up your sides.
"Rory not mad at Sam?" You asked. Rory chuckled and shook his head.
"Rory is very happy with you," Rory replied.
You smiled bigger and brought his hand up so you could kiss his palm before placing it against your cheek. Rory chuckled and gently rubbed his thumb over your cheek before looking down at the platter in his hand.
"I still don't know what to do with this," Rory said, holding up the platter and turning it over. Another park ranger came by, and the platter caught his attention. He took it from Rory and looked it over.
"Oh, boy! A frisbee!" The man exclaimed. The man gave the platter a good fling, and it ended up colliding with a camp truck's windshield, shattering the window. The man that flung the platter winced and froze in place.
"What the fuck , Richard?" Somebody in the crowd yelled.
"Sorry..." the man said, going over to help clean up his mess.
Rory blinked at the situation before shaking his head and looking at you with a smile.
"I guess that fixes that, then," he said with a shrug.
You nodded in agreement, and the two of you began to finish platter-making. As Dan promised, he tried his best to keep Gray away from you and Rory. Because of that, the barbecue was a success. You ended your day with Ranger laying next to you by the ranger after-party bonfire as Rory sat between your legs and leaned back against you. The two of you ate s'mores with the others, and you just made sure to keep Rory close. It wasn't until after the barbecue that you did not have that feeling of protectiveness. You did, but it was not that strong.
The rest of the week went smoothly, and you actually worked at your photography job at the local newspaper to stay closer to Rory. Even if your boss had a very... strange obsession with Sasquatch. That is when an idea popped into your head, and you decided to do a whole article about Rory and his business. Calling him a spaghetti superstar, as you wrote about how great his food was. You waited eagerly for the first copy to print, and when it did, you snatched it right off the printer and hurried to Rory's shop.
You rushed into his shop and caught him bagging noodles for an order. He smiled at you when you came in and put his things down.
"Hey! Nice surprise to see you twice today," he said joyously.
You walked over to him and presented him with the cover page of the newspaper dedicated entirely to him. Rory looked down and read it, his jaw-dropping, taking it from you to look at it closer.
"Did you write this?" Rory asked in awe. You nodded with a big smile on your face. You watched him as his smile... trembled. His eyes started to drip water, and he hugged the paper to his chest, looking at you with a quivering smile. "I'm going to frame it."
He sat the paper down on a clean surface and gave you the tightest hug. You hugged him back just as tightly and smiled. He pulled away just enough to kiss you, a long kiss, before pulling away. He grabbed the paper, put it in a drawer so it would not get ruined, and turned back to you.
"I'll stop and get a picture frame tonight after work, so I might be a little late coming home," he said.
You nodded and smiled, giving the top of his head a little pat. He chuckled and took your hand in his and just held it. It was nice to hold his hand.
"Okay," you replied with a smile. Rory chuckled and leaned up to give you a small peck on the lips before pulling his hand away.
"I have to get back to this order, but I'll see you when I get home, okay?" Rory asked.
You nodded, waving to him as you went to work a shift or two at the docks. You beat Rory home, but he brought home a cute picture frame. He asked you to help decorate it, and you were delighted to help. He got some macaroni noodles and glitter foam stars, and you helped him glue them on the picture frame. You both did a fantastic job on it, you thought. He did, in fact, hang the paper in the frame the next day in the shop, and it looked great hanging on his wall.
It was days like that you enjoyed and cherished as few came with the coming weeks as there seemed to be problem after problem at the camp. You worked more ranger hours because things seemed to go from bad to worse. If it was not a missing or misplaced item, it was holes in canoes that were clearly sabotaged. If it was not something not working, it was a broken zip line cable. There was a day in particular when things were not going anyone's way, and you were tired by the time you got home. Rory was in the kitchen cooking dinner when you came trudging through the door. He turned to greet you but fell short when he saw how exhausted you looked.
"Goodness! You look like you're ready for bed!" Rory exclaimed. You nodded as you took your hat off and placed it on the table.
"Very tired," you said with a yawn. Rory came over to you and gave you a kiss on the cheek, and took your backpack off for you.
"Do you want to eat dinner first, or do you want to save it for later?" He asked. You shook your head as your stomach growled.
"Eat first," you said. Rory chuckled and placed your backpack on the back of the kitchen chair.
"Well, you're in luck; it just got done," he said, going over to the stove and starting to plate the food for you both.
You dragged yourself to the fridge, grabbed some water from inside, and took a drink. You took your plate from Rory while you were there, thanking him and sitting at the table with him. You and Rory ate in silence mostly, and you found yourself playing with your food more than eating it. It was not bad food, but you began to feel even more tired the more you chewed. Rory watched you, a worried look starting to come across his face as he took another bite of food.
"It's odd seeing you this tired. It's a new look for you," Rory said gently. You nodded as you pushed yourself to eat.
"Sorry," you apologized. Rory reached over, held your hand in his, and gave your hand a gentle squeeze.
"Don't be sorry for being tired, Sam. It happens to us all," he comforted. You nodded and gently squeezed his hand back.
"Okay," you replied. Rory nodded and slipped his hand away from yours.
"Tell you what, I'll do the dishes in the morning before I leave for work, but after we're done eating, let's go to bed, okay?" Rory asked, and you nodded in reply.
You liked how that sounded, and so that is what the two of you did. You quickly changed into pajamas as Rory cleaned up before he came in to get ready for bed himself. Rory shut the lights off before climbing in bed, and you instantly snuggled up to him. He chuckled and held you close, gently stroking your hair, and kissed the top of your head.
"I hope tomorrow is easier for you," Rory comforted.
You hummed in response and nodded, snuggling Rory more and hugging him tighter. Rory chuckled and kissed the top of your head again.
"Goodnight, Sam," Rory said, getting comfortable as he held you close. You slurred out the best reply before practically falling asleep yourself.
The next day was not easy, and in fact, it was worse. It was just one thing after the other, and you were ready to throw in the towel by noon. You did find a break when Dan asked if you wanted to go to town with him to grab more supplies, and you agreed. You thought maybe you would take a short nap in the truck to get a boost of energy. As you left, Jeremy had been tasked with putting the canoes away. He was making good progress until he noticed one of the racks had its holders removed, and how convenient was it that they were lying next to the racks?
Jeremy groaned in frustration. This had happened one too many times at the park, and it was getting old. Jeremy knew that putting the racks back together was a two-person job, and he rubbed his face with a groan. He knew this was a two-person job because he had done this about seven times prior in the last few weeks. Jeremy looked around and did not see anyone who could help him, having to venture to the councilor cabins and try to look for help. When he entered through the door, again, no one was in sight. Jeremy looked through all the open doors, and no one was in their rooms. He noticed that Gray's door was shut and thought maybe he was taking a nap or something. Either way, he hoped to find someone to help.
Jeremy walked over to the door and gave it a few loud bangs before trying the door. He found the door was unlocked, so he opened it to stick his head in.
"Hey, sorry to bother you, but I need an extra pair of hands to help me with-" Jeremy stopped mid-sentence and stared inside the room.
There were diagrams all over the wall and various plans of sabotage with red string connecting one paper to the other. A bulletin board had multiple pictures of you and notes under them. Gerfy had your day-to-day life all figured out and had plans to capture you in different situations. Jeremy advanced inside slowly and made his way over to his desk. He picked up a piece of paper that looked like a checklist and read it over.
It had the current date, and various things were checked off, including dismantling the canoe racks. The last few things to be checked off were to have one of the summer camp kids go missing and then have them be found. The catch was he was going to pin the whole thing on you. Jeremy read these over, seeing how and where it would take place. Then, as he was about to turn and leave, a sharp blow hit him on the back of the head, and Jeremy instantly fell to the floor unconscious. Gerfy stood behind him with a large rock as he looked down at him.
"You weren't my intended target, but you'll do for not," Gerfy said aloud.
XXX
You and Dan came back from your errands to a massive search party. There were rangers and counselors scattered all over the camp calling out to Jeremy. You both felt sick as Dan pulled up to one of the searching rangers, Dan rolling his window down to talk to them.
"What's going on here?" Dan asked. They looked at Dan with... concern.
"Jeremy is missing, and we can't find him," they explained. Dan groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"If he's sleeping on the job somewhere, he's fired," Dan said.
He drove to a parking spot by the ranger station, and the two of you got out. Gerfy came out of the station to meet you both, looking just as concerned as the person from earlier.
"I looked in the station, and he's not there," Gerfy said, "I was just about to go down to the lake and search there. Sam, do you want to come with me?"
Gerfy asked as he turned to you with hopeful eyes. You still did not like Gerfy, but your friend was in danger, and you agreed. Dan nodded.
"Alright, you two go down to the lake, and I'll check out the RV park," Dan instructed.
The three of you split up, and you and Gerfy hiked down to the lake. You both called out to Jeremy, and neither one of you got a reply. You both arrived at the water's edge, and Gerfy looked to either side.
"I'll ask the fisherman who loves down the way if he's seen any sight of Jeremy. Why don't you check down that way in case he's down there?" Gerfy asked.
You nodded. You still did not like Gerfy, but the concerned look on his face from the fact that Jeremy was missing made you think he could be a… genuine guy. You nodded and turned to walk down the beach of the lake, calling out to Jeremy.
You turned to look over at the tree line, and your eyes fell on one of the hidden paths near the lake. You remembered that you had found a few children that had snuck back there to the clearing once to play a trading card game when they should have been playing dodgeball. You hurried up to the path and rushed to the clearing. You looked around, calling for Jeremy, and tried to listen for him to respond, looking around for him. As you turned to look and listen, you spotted a disturbed area in the forest and quickly rushed over to it. There was a good chance it was just your bear friend who hung around by the lake, but maybe something terrible happened to Jeremy, and he was back there. You took a few steps through the area and started to call out to Jeremy.
However, you did not get to finish calling out as something quickly snagged around your ankles, pulling your legs up from under you and lifting you high into the tree. You had gotten stuck in a foot trap. You looked at your feet and tried to reach up and free yourself but stopped when you heard laughter from below you. You looked down and immediately felt that feeling you had at the barbecue but with more rage mixed in. Gerfy stood below you and shook his head.
"You made this too easy, Sam!" Gerfy shouted up at you, walking over and standing underneath you. You growled at him and tried to get at him to no avail.
"Why?" You demanded, causing Gerfy to laugh again.
"Don't you remember me? You mustn't, and that made my job all the easier. My boss, Mr. Pemberton, had me help with the waste dumping in your lakes. He said you had foiled his plans to take over the park twice, and he wanted to see you behind bars for good." Gerfy explained.
You squinted at him as you hung above him and tried to remember if you had seen him. Faces, like names, were hard to remember. You thought back, and then you remembered, your eyes going wide when you did.
You remembered that at least two men got away in the waste dumping incident a few years back, but the ones you caught were arrested. Mr. Pemberton had hired them to dump toxic waste into the water and lakes at the park so they would have to force it to shut down, letting Mr. Pemberton buy the land and build malls. Had it not been for you and your woodland friends, Mr. Pemberton would have gotten away with it. If it had not been for you finding the buried treasure to save the park those years ago when Mr. Pemberton was still the CEO of R Corp, he would have bought the parkland then, trying to do the same thing. You glared down at him and growled louder than you remember ever doing and again tried to get at him. Gerfy just laughed and shook his head.
"Don't you see, Sam? I've captured you, and now all there's left to do is call my team so we can transport you somewhere far away," Gerfy said. He pulled out his cell phone and started dialing numbers.
"I can't believe you made it this easy! Mr. Pemberton will give me such a big bonus-" a loud twang rang out through the area, and Gerfy stopped pushing buttons. You watched him slowly fall forward and face plant right into the shrubs below you, and you looked to see what caused this. Jeremy had snuck up behind Gerfy and hit him over the back of the head with a shovel. You felt a heaviness lift from you and were so happy to see Jeremy.
"Jeremy!" You called down to him eagerly. You were relieved to see he was found.
Jeremy dropped the shovel and held the back of his head as he looked up at you. He waved, but he looked like he was in... pain.
"Hey, Sam. How's it hanging?" Jeremy asked, a little strained, still trying to lighten the mood.
"Get down," you replied, trying to reach for him. Jeremy nodded, wincing as he did, and looked up at you again as he held the back of his head.
"Throw me your walkie-talkie, and I'll radio for help," he instructed.
You reached down and unclipped your walkie-talkie from your belt and dropped it down to him. He removed his hand from his head to catch your walkie-talkie better, and you saw red liquid covering his hand. You felt... sick. You made sure he got the walkie-talkie before reaching back up and trying to free yourself.
"Sam, don't. You're too high, and if you fall, you'll get hurt bad," Jeremy said.
You looked down at him and stopped. You now just watched Jeremy make sure he did not hurt any more than he was. He placed his hand back on his head and pressed the button to radio for help.
"This is counselor Jeremy with Ranger Sam by the lake. We have a counselor down, a counselor wounded, and a ranger suspended. Requesting backup; do you copy?" Jeremy asked into the walkie-talkie. He let go of the button and waited for a response. The walkie-talkie crackled, and Dan's voice came through the line.
"What the hell's going on?" Dan demanded. Jeremy pressed the button again to speak into it.
"Meet me by the lake, and I'll explain everything," Jeremy said. There was a pause before the walkie-talkie crackled again, and Dan came back on.
"Copy," Dan replied, and that was that. Jeremy winced and looked up at you.
"I have to go get Dan, Sam. Stay there, and I'll be right back," he said, waving before stumbling away.
You watched him, making sure he did not fall, and then you did as he told you; you stayed there. You dangled for what felt like forever before help came to your rescue. When they got you down, the cops were escorting Gerfy away, and Jeremy was getting hauled in the back of an ambulance. An EMT came to check you over before tending to your ankle and giving you clearance to leave. However, it was not that easy for you as the police chief came over and sighed with his hands on his hips.
"We need you at the station, Sam," he said. You nodded and stood, limping a little, and he put his hand on your chest to stop you.
"We need to question you, Sam, and probably keep you overnight just to make sure no one tries to hurt you again," the chief explained.
You groaned but nodded. You hated holding, mainly because your feet dangled over the edge of the bed. The police chief led you away to a car and helped you into the back of it. As you looked out the window, you saw Dan talking with Rory and Malinda, making you sit up. You had not thought about calling Rory amid everything, and now you wanted to go over to him. You tried to get out, but you knew the doors were locked from the inside, and before you knew it, the car was pulling away. You turned to the police chief and tried to... plead with him.
"Sam get out," you said hurriedly. The chief behind the wheel sighed solemnly.
"Sorry, Sam. Not until we get to the station. You know the rules." He said, driving through the crowds of people and cars.
The drive felt longer than it did, and the questions they asked you did not know the answers much. Some you did know, but others seemed out of the blue. They gave you an orange jumpsuit, your expected cell, across from Mr. Pemberton, and you sat on the bed with your foot propped up. You leaned against the wall and closed your eyes, trying to relax, when a voice gently broke the silence.
"You should try and keep your ankle elevated to keep the swelling down," the voice said.
You opened your eyes and looked over at Rory standing outside your cell. You were surprised to see him and hopped off your bed. You limped over to him and reached out, placing your hand gently on his cheek and rubbing it with your thumb. Rory smiled faintly and leaned into your touch as he hummed softly, resting his hand over yours. He pulled away gently and grabbed a pair of crutches from beside him.
"You walked off without your crutches," Rory said, handing them to you through the bars. You took them and placed them against the wall next to you before turning back to Rory.
"Thank you," you said, reaching through the bars and gently patting Rory's head.
Rory smiled softly before looking at his feet and shifting in his spot. Even though he smiled, he seemed... off. There was a word for it, but you could not remember. You reached through the bars and reached for his hand, and he gently held yours. He looked up at you with... curiosity. His eyebrows were furrowed, and this look did not really sit well with you.
"Sam, Dan told me everything," Rory admitted, and your stomach felt like it was being twisted in a knot.
You held a finger up to your lips and hushed him before pointing to the cell behind him. Rory looked behind him at the sleeping Mr. Pemberton before looking at you again and nodded. He spoke to you in a low voice just above a whisper.
"Is it true?" Rory asked.
You felt your blood drain from your face, and your hand slipped away from his. You started to play with your fingers as you looked down at your feet and nodded. You heard Rory take a deep breath before he reached in and gently cradled your cheek. You nuzzled into it and looked at him as if you were asking... forgiveness. He looked back at you with a similar look and rubbed your cheek.
"We'll talk tomorrow, okay?" Rory asked, and you nodded.
"Okay..." you replied softly.
You watched him wince lightly, and it must have been from the tone in your voice. He waved to you before leaving, and you waved back somberly. You watched him exit out of sight before you looked down at your hands. Your... chest ached. It hurt . You rubbed at it to try and make it go away, but it did not. Your eyes suddenly felt like they were... stinging. You rubbed at them and were more alarmed at how your eyes leaked water. The more you rubbed your eyes, the more they watered. You sniffled, turned, limped back to your bed, and lay down.
That was the first time you wanted to be small. You did not want to be big anymore. You curled up in a ball and hugged yourself. It did not feel like how Rory hugged you, making your eyes sting more as more water leaked. You rubbed at them and sniffled again as you tried to fall asleep.
XXX
You did not sleep well that night and woke almost instantly to the police chief calling for you to wake up. You changed and walked out of the cell and police station with your crutches to your chopper that Raccoon must have left for you last night and got in. You placed your crutches in the passenger seat and sighed. You looked at your crutches, but you did not see them. You envisioned Rory and Ranger there, happy and smiling, and the stinging sensation in your eyes came back. You rubbed at them and turned to start your car, driving out of town, driving slower than usual. You saw your driveway come up, but you passed it and turned down the entrance to the campground instead, pulling up to the ranger station.
It was quiet, and you did not see anyone around. You assumed everyone had the day off from the events yesterday and parked in front of the station. As you got out, crutches in tow, you heard Dan call to you. You slowly looked up as you shut the car door, and Dan placed his to-go cup on the station porch. He jogged over to you, standing in front of you, and checked over you.
"Are you okay, Sam?" He asked.
You looked away from him and shook your head slowly. You gradually brought a loose fist up to your chest and slowly rubbed it.
"Hurt," you answered, water drops falling from your eyes. You scrunched up your face as the water blinded your vision, and you spoke weirdly.
"Sam not careful. Sam not listen to you," you sobbed, your voice rising with each word as you spoke.
Dan hurriedly tried to soothe you and brought you down for a hug. You dropped your crutches and hugged him tightly as your body shook and... painful sounds escaped you. Dan stroked your hair and rubbed your back as he tried to calm you down.
"Sam, you were careful! You did listen to me, Sam. You did so great, Sam. I was the one that didn't listen." Dan said. You gently pulled away from him and looked down at him.
"How?" you asked him.
Dan sighed and wiped the tears away from your eyes with his thumbs.
"I had to tell him, Sam. If people wanted to try and hurt you, they would have gone after Rory, too, Sam. I know you asked me not to tell him, but I had to so you would both be safe. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you, Sam." Dan apologized.
You wanted to be mad, yet you understood why Dan did what he did. This calmed you down, and you nodded, sniffling and wiping your eyes. Dan leaned down, picked up your crutches, and helped you back on them. He wiped your eyes one more time before sighing.
"I have to run into town, Sam, but I'll be back soon if you want to stay at the station until I get back. Unless you want to check on Ranger. I bet he missed you last night." Dan suggested.
You nodded; you missed Ranger, too. Dan nodded and patted your shoulder.
"I'll be right back, Sam," he said. He walked back over to grab his coffee and got into a camp truck. He waved to you, and you waved back as he left.
You looked around and decided that Ranger came first. You took your time getting back to your cabin. You looked at the scenery and counted how many tents were in the three main campgrounds that led to your house. The sun had just begun rising over the trees and was washed everything in a golden hue. You sighed as you stepped onto the cobblestone path and felt a little better to be home. You looked to your cabin before looking to your pond, and that's when you saw Rory sitting in one of the lawn chairs at the water's edge. He was feeding the ducks as they swam up to him and would occasionally stare straight ahead at the trees. He looked... thoughtful.
Ranger lay next to Rory, napping. He sprang up suddenly when he heard you coming, and he barked at your arrival, alerting Rory to look over at you in the process. Ranger bound over to you, all smiles and tongue out, and you dropped your crutches to kneel down to catch him. You hugged and rubbed his chest and ears as he licked your face. You both were glad to see each other. Rory came over to the two of you and stood before you, pulling his cardigan tighter around himself as he looked... worried? That did not seem right. You let Ranger down, standing with a slight limp, and looked at Rory with sad eyes. Neither of you said anything before Rory cleared his throat and played with his earring.
"It wasn't the same without you in bed last night," he said. You nodded.
"Missed you," you said softly, and the look Rory gave you made your chest feel tight. He softly smiled up at you and nodded.
"I missed you, too. Why don't we go inside and get some ice on your ankle? Get something for that pain too." Rory started to walk back to the cabin, but you did not follow him. He turned to look back at you and stopped himself. He frowned a little when he saw you looking at your feet, not moving, and walked back over to you with a... puzzled expression.
"Sam? What's wrong?" He asked, trying to look at your face to see if he could read it. You looked away from him and played with your fingers before looking down again.
"Rory... no love Sam anymore...?" you asked him timidly, your voice... cracking.
There was silence before Rory reached up and placed his hands on either side of your face. He made you look at him, and a look of confusion was on his face.
"When did I say I stopped loving you?" He asked, looking your face over. You thought for a moment before shaking your head.
"Not ever," you answered. Rory nodded and tried to give his best smile.
"I don't want to ever stop loving you, Same. Where did you ever get that idea?" He asked.
You shrugged for your answer. You had just... assumed Rory did not anymore. Rory pressed his forehead to yours and shook his head.
"It doesn't matter who or what you are, Sam. I love you so much and want to always be in love with you. So much happened last night that I needed to let it all sink in; I almost lost you last night! I don't know how I would have moved on without you, Sam, and that's not something I want to think about right now or ever. I love you for you and will always love you for that. You are the kindest, warm-hearted, sweetest being I have ever known, and I am so lucky to be in love with you. Please don't ever think I don't love you, Sam, because I always will."
His words made your chest feel the same way it had the first time you met Rory, and a smile came across your face. Rory reached up and kissed your nose before your forehead, your cheeks, before kissing you on your lips. You both smiled as you kissed each other and laughed in relief. You picked Rory up, despite the pain in your ankle, and spun him around before kissing him again and holding him close. You put him back down, and the two of you pressed your foreheads together as you both just laughed and smiled, and water leaked from yours and his eyes.
"I love you," you said to Rory when you could speak without your voice cracking. Rory chuckled and nodded.
"I love you, too," he said, kissing you again.
Suddenly, a truck horn alerted you to its entrance, and you both looked over to see a ranger truck come down your driveway. It parked just before your garage, and Dan got out, walking over to the two of you, hands in his shorts pockets.
"You two get everything settled?" He asked. You both nodded with a smile and rubbed your chest with your fist.
"Feel good," you declared, smiling as you held Rory close. Dan smiled, actually smiled, and did not look tired about it, and nodded.
"Good, I'm glad, Sam," Dan looked back at the truck and motioned for someone to get out and come over to the group. He turned back to the two of you and nodded as the person got out of the truck.
"I have someone I want you to see, Sam," he said, looking back at the truck again.
A woman around the same age as Dan got out of the truck and looked around. She had honey-golden hair and thick glasses as she turned to you all and smiled. The woman shut the truck door and... cheerily made her way to the small gathering. Dan held his arm out to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders as she stood next to him. She just kept smiling and looked so happy to be there.
"Do you remember my wife, Sam?" Dan asked.
You took a limping step forward and tried to remember, but nothing rang a bell. She took a step towards you and reached out gently to place her hand on your cheek. She smiled up at you with such kindness and... warmth.
"You've gotten so big, Sammy! You've turned into such a handsome Samsquatch!" The woman praised you.
Something had set a bell off in your memories when she said that. You remembered hearing that name, but you could not remember where. You reached out, touching her face as she touched yours, trying to figure out who she was, trying to remember. Dan pulled out his wallet and flipped it open, flipping a flap open and showing you a picture.
It was a younger and less tired-looking Dan that did not have a constant beard. Beside him was a woman with the same honey-golden hair as the woman that stood before you, but the woman in the picture's hand hair down to her hips. She wore a shirt with the museum's logo on the breast pocket and similar glasses to the lady before you. The two stood smiling forward as they held a small Sasquatch in their arms that looked confused at the contraption before him. You looked at it and tried to put the pieces together. You pointed to the Sasquatch in the picture and looked at Dan.
"Me?" You asked. Dan nodded and pointed to the man in the picture.
"That's me, and that's her," Dan said, pointing to the woman in the photo. He then pointed at the woman next to him. You looked at the picture and then back at her, and slowly you started to remember.
You remembered being really young and in the back of a car at night, and you felt... scared. The next thing you could remember was it was just you and Dan, and Dan was sad. You did recognize the lady, but you did not remember her well, but you remember you loved playing with her long hair. You remember you used to draw crayon pictures at the station to make Dan happy again and remembered constantly asking where mama went. You remember drawing pictures for her too. Hoping they would make her come back, hoping to see her again. You remembered that at one point, life got busy, and you forgot to draw more and more each day. You had to carry on with your life.
You remembered that after that was when you had gotten your hut and own area at the park and when most of your recent memories occurred. You looked at her, blinking, remembering.
"Mama," you said, and her eyes filled with tears, a smile so bright on her lips it outshined the sun.
"Yes, Sammy! You remembered!" She reached up and hugged you, and you hugged her back.
It felt different than when you and Rory hugged. This hug felt... motherly. It felt like something you were missing. She pulled away from you and kissed your cheek sweetly as Dan cleared his throat.
"Brenda and I found Sam when he was a baby. We searched for days for his family, but we never did find them. We took him in and taught him the ways of a young human baby, and he surprisingly took very well to it. Brenda is an archaeologist, and she was working with the museum on a plot of land that the curator rightfully owned. However, Mr. Pemberton weaseled his way into saying it was his land and they were digging on private property."
Dan took a shaky breath before continuing.
"Mr. Pemberton had my wife arrested as being the lead archeologist and for being the one to put the dig site together. Sam was in the back of the car when the cops came and confiscated everything and took Brenda away. It's just been Sam and I ever since. I have been trying to get her an early release, and thanks to Mr. Pemberton's actions last night, Brenda was finally able to come home."
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and leaned down to kiss her, and she kissed back with a smile they both shared, and she looked back at you. She took your hands in hers and gave them a gentle squeeze.
"I'm sorry I had to leave without saying goodbye, Sammy. But I hope you know I thought of you always and never stopped loving you." Brenda said, hopefulness in her eyes. You nodded and were slowly understanding what different types of love meant. You loved Rory, but you loved Brenda differently.
"It's okay, Sam forgives you," you said, pressing your forehead to Brenda's. You remembered learning that from her, and you would do that to things you liked. You remembered doing it to both her and Dan before bed when you were younger and when you felt like you just wanted a… snuggle. You pulled away, took Rory by the hand, walked Rory over to her, and pointed to him.
"This Rory. Rory makes this feel good," you said, rubbing your chest like you did when you told Dan the first time. You looked at Rory and pointed to Brenda. "This is my momma."
Rory smiled and offered his hand to her. Brenda took it, and they shook hands.
"I'm Rory, Sam's partner," Rory introduced.
You watched as his cheeks turned pink at his own words. Brenda smiled and sighed happily.
"It is so nice to finally meet you. Dan has told me so much about you," Brenda said, and this caused his cheeks to turn a darker pink. You suddenly pointed down to Ranger and picked him up to show her.
"This Ranger!" You exclaimed, and he barked happily. He wagged his tail so fast and hard that his lower body shook too. She smiled and chuckled as she gave his tummy a good scratch.
"It's nice to finally meet you too, Ranger," Brenda said, kissing Ranger's forehead before ruffling the fur on his head.
"How about we all head back to the station and catch up there? Sam Shouldn't be on his ankle for too long." Dan suggested, causing Brenda to perk up.
"That sounds like a perfect idea! I'll make breakfast, and we can all catch up!" She said, turning back to the truck.
Brenda kept talking about all the things they could do and talk about, and Ranger followed after her. He was intrigued at the new person around, and you gathered your crutches up as you, Dan, and Rory followed after her.
XXX
A week later, you found yourself celebrating the last day of summer camp for the kids of Camp Little Squatch. There were water slides, a barbecue, a few bounce houses, and other activities the kids did with their parents and new friends before saying their goodbyes for the season. It was finally time for the final speech and the last bonfire, and Brenda was the one to deliver it. All the staff of the camp and children stood in their respective groups. Applauding the rewards being handed out to the employees, along with prizes to all the children that attended. Throughout the season, the kids had various challenges they had to complete, which earned them rewards for which ones they finished. Out of all the people standing in the staff group, none had changed more than one person, standing with a bit more dignity.
Instead of their old sneakers, they wore new hiking boots. Instead of their dolphin shorts, they wore beige cargo shorts and a utility belt. Instead of their worn councilor tee, they now wore a ranger shirt and badge that sat proudly on their left breast. Their greasy curly mullet had been shaved the whole way around to their temples so the stitches they got on the back of their head could heal. Because of this, they carried their ranger hat under their arm; so as not to irritate the stitches. Jeremy had been promoted to a ranger position in the days following the incident at the camp. A title fit for his bravery and heroism in maintaining peace at the park.
People had said they felt like Jeremy's personality changed, but the kids still loved him and, when approached, was still the same Jeremy they all knew. Before Brenda made her speech, Malinda stood front-facing next to Jeremy, popping her gum loudly with folded arms. Jeremy looked over at her and smiled.
"I think you're unfortunately in the wrong group," he remarked teasingly. Malinda rolled her eyes and popped her gum again.
"I just wanted to come over and tell you that you look nice," she said, grumbling the last part.
Jeremy hissed through his teeth, and his smile grew wider with mischief.
"I bet that hurt you saying that," he snickered, nudging her with his elbow. Malinda rolled her eyes yet again and popped her gum again.
"If you're going to let this position get to your head-" she started, but Jeremy cut her off.
"Okay! Sorry, sorry. Thank you for the genuine compliment for once." Jeremy said, standing straight and looking forward again.
There was a moment where they did not say anything before Malinda offered him a stick of gum. She popped her gum again to get his attention, and he looked down at her.
"Do you want a piece?" She asked. Jeremy snorted but did take it from her. He'd be a fool to pass that offer up.
"Did Hell freeze over, or are you not Malinda? Because the Malinda I know would've never shared her gum," he said.
Malinda glared at him before shaking her head and looking forward again.
"Read the wrapper," she instructed, not looking at Jeremy.
Jeremy looked at her, confused, before looking down at the wrapper and turning it over a few times. He leaned in close to her, pointed to one side, trying to hold back a chuckle.
"Yes, I think this crinkle means I'm going to get an awesome paid vacation in the coming week," he said, no longer able to hold back a snort. Malinda inhaled deeply in irritation and looked away from him.
"Read the inside part of the wrapper, you dork," she demanded.
Jeremy stood up straight and looked at her just as perplexed as he did before. He opened the wrapper, removed the piece of gum, and saw there was, in fact, writing on the inside of the wrapper. It read:
You. Me. Picnic by the lake. Next Saturday. 2:00pm.
Jeremy read that in disbelief and let out an airy laugh as he smiled. He turned to Malinda, smirking so hard his ego felt it, and held his arms out to his side.
"I bet it's the goatee. Or was it the mullet? No. It's the uniform, right? If I knew it was that, I would have asked for a promotion years ago."
Malinda popped her gum and looked forward, still not looking at him.
"It is not the uniform. Even though you do look good in it. It's because... I... genuinely... like... you, and I might have been... requesting we get partnered together for the last eight years because-"
"Because somewhere deep down, you actually have feelings, and your heart isn't as cold as you want people to think it is. You truly know how to sweep a guy off his feet."
Jeremy said this without letting her finish. She huffed and chewed her gum a little faster, slowly looking up at Jeremy from a side-eye. He only smiled knowingly down at her, and Malinda slowly smiled back at him. She pointed to the wrapper before starting to leave.
"Don't be late!" Malinda warned, going over to stand with the other counselors, her long ponytail swaying as she walked away.
Jeremy chuckled, shaking his head after her as he put the gum in his mouth and started chewing it. He placed the wrapper in his breast pocket, looking forward again as he stood slightly straighter. A little taller.
You and Rory stood on stage next to Dan with Ranger by your side. You still bore your crutches, but your ankle was getting better. You watched as Brenda climbed the stage stairs and walked to the podium. All the attendants clapped and cheered for her, and they quieted down so they could hear her speak.
"I want to start my speech by saying how I am so honored to know all of you before you leave tonight. You are a group of great kids, and I hope to see you again next year for more sun and memory-making just like this year!"
The crowd clapped and quieted down again so she could continue.
"We had our ups and downs this year, but we managed to stay strong, and we kept marching forward! We want to make next year even better , but we need you for that to happen. This camp is a family, and a family sticks together through everything and comes out on top."
At this, you reached down and laced your fingers with Rory's, squeezing his hand gently, smiling down at him. Rory did the same, smiling up at you as well. You got lost in his eyes for a moment, you think, and missed the rest of the speech. You made out the last part, and it made you feel... good.
"So, to all of you who attended Camp Little Squatch, to the camp goers and our staff that let this all happen, thank you! Thank you for giving us an unforgettable season! Let's get to have many more!"
With that, the crowd went wild, and they cheered and clapped as if she had just given the secrets to the universe. Ranger barked happily and did a backflip as you smiled at Rory again. He smiled up at you, and you leaned down to kiss him, smiling still as you two kissed. You felt hopeful. You felt like anything was possible now that the camp was once again safe and you had your family with you. You felt like a new chapter was beginning and could not wait to see what the next day would bring.