Chapter Text
Bedelia DuMaurier sighed as she looked over the register for this year’s camp participants. She hadn’t expected on having as many girls sign up but given Freddie’s penchant for promotion and advertising, she shouldn’t have been surprised. The camp was just the right size for nine girls. The previous year, six had signed up and Bedelia had hoped that they’d have at least six this year. She hadn’t expected on having full capacity in only their second year of operation. Perhaps in the future, Sapphire would have cause and demand for growth, but until then, Bedelia only had so many resources to spread around.
"Do you realize we have nine girls signed up? All our cabins are filled and there’s a waiting list," she commented to Beverly Katz, her Co-Director and Firearms and Archery instructor.
Bev raised her eyebrows in response and leaned over Bedelia’s shoulder to peek at the list. "Looks like we have a couple of girls who are coming back from last year. That’s great!"
"It is. When is the rest of the staff going to get here?" asked Bedelia.
Bev hummed in response and toyed with the pencil in her straight, black hair as she thought. "Let’s see. Freddie will be here tomorrow. Everyone else is coming in the next couple of days after that. I think Price and Zeller are coming tomorrow, too. They want to take a look at the stove. It gave them trouble last year, if you remember," reminded Bev.
"Mmmhmm," murmured Bedelia, acknowledging and silently noting what Beverly was reporting.
"I believe Jack Crawford will be here the next week to inspect the kitchen, so that will be a joy," commented Bev.
"What does Phyllis say to that?" asked Bedelia, wryly. She set the list of campers down on her desk, smoothing it out with elegant fingers.
"She says that Jack better not start any mischief if he knows what’s good for him," replied Bev, laughing.
"That’s the Phyllis we know and love," grinned Bedelia, still demure. "Here, do you want to make copies of the girls' information? We’ll have to all take a look at them when we work up the cabin assignments and counselors." Now joined with the rest of this year's information, Bedelia lifted the small packet of papers from her desk, the camper list on top.
"Sure, can do. Should we have a staff meeting the day after everyone arrives?" asked Bev, taking the sheaf of papers from Bedelia’s hand.
Bedelia nodded. "We could all use a day of settling in, I’m sure. Then it’s back to work."
Bev agreed. She walked out of Bedelia’s office into the main reception area where the copy machine sat. A moment later, the sound of copies being made could be faintly heard.
Bedelia checked that off her to do list and smiled when she saw the next item. Talk to Will about reemployment.
***
Freddie glanced around the table where her fellow staff members were sitting and smiled to herself. It was always fun to watch and observe everyone’s faces when Bedelia started what Freddie privately called the ‘Queen speaks to her staff’ speech.
Next to her, Alana was smiling, watching Bedelia through dark lashes. She’d arrived at camp this morning and had given Bev an enthusiastic hug, clasped Will’s shoulder with a grin, and smiled at Margot. She'd settled into Cabin One quickly, opening up the windows to air out the cabin and unpacking to the sounds of dance music.
Will sat next to Alana, two of his dogs near his side. He held a smaller dog in his arms. Freddie couldn’t help but coo over Jazz, the small Pomeranian mix. His two dogs were larger and couldn’t fit into his lap although Freddie would bet they’d try if they could. One of the dogs was named Winston, a Golden Retriever mix, and the other was Buster, a soulful looking Basset Hound mix. They sat at Will’s feet and leaned against his legs. If last year, and now this meeting, were any indication, the likelihood that anyone would see Will without a dog or two in tow was just about nil.
Beverly Katz sat next to Will, her hand petting Winston every now and then. She had pinned up her long black hair into a neat chignon and the scent of her spicy perfume gently filled the room without being overpowering.
Zeller and Price sat next to Beverly, holding hands and trading glances with each other from time to time. Freddie liked them a lot. They were the cooks at the camp and they also were trained in First Aid. They’d been together ever since Freddie met them, oh, four years back at another camp.
Freddie was interrupted from her thoughts by the paper being passed to her. She squinted at it. "What’s this?"
"Our punishment," murmured Margot, who was seated on Freddie's other side, her mouth quirking up in amusement. She shook out her dark brown hair and scowled slightly. "I should have taken a hint from Beverly and put my hair up. This is a mess."
Freddie laughed, low and quick, so as not to distract everyone else. "And this Orphan Annie ‘do of mine?" she returned, wrinkling her nose, slightly. She tugged at a hank of her dark red curls. "The humidity is killing my hair." Their mutual misery having been established, Freddie looked at the paper she had been passed and groaned, slightly. "Awesome. I’m going to be the Counselor of the Menses."
Margot snorted. "That’s an interesting way to put it."
"It’s true! I’ll have at least one girl who’s going to have her period during camp and then someone else is going to start for the first time. I’ll bet you," said Freddie, cynically.
Margot raised elegant eyebrows, plucked into perfect arches. "Deal. What do you wish to bet?"
Freddie shrugged. "How about a shopping trip? Perhaps you treat me to one of those blouses that would set me back five years into debt? And I can treat you to dinner at, uh, a fine chain restaurant establishment."
Margot chuckled. "I see where our unequal monetary status is forcing me into the butt end of the deal, but I agree. I have fourteen year olds. Ah, the angst of life has begun."
Freddie rolled her eyes but looked up as Bedelia wound up her talk. "Ah, I think we’re almost done," she murmured. It was safe to say Freddie had Bedelia's speech memorized from last year.
Freddie got up and stretched as soon as Bedelia stopped talking and she watched as Phyllis walked over to Bedelia and put an arm around her waist. Seeing the simple display of affection, Freddie suddenly missed Wendy very much and decided to give her a call when she got back to the cabin.
Margot tapped Freddie lightly on the arm. "I’ll see you tomorrow, then. Have a good night."
"Thanks, Margot. See you then."
***
Alana watched as Freddie walked out of the room, her long red curls bouncing with every step. She knew she shouldn’t feel wary of the redhead but she knew Freddie liked to know everything about everyone. After last year’s incident with Will, Alana didn’t have a whole lot of patience for Freddie’s nosiness, however it presented.
Will gently set Jazz on the floor to be welcomed by her 'brothers' and smiled at Alana. "That wasn’t too bad. Nine campers this year and two familiar faces out of them. We might have to build another cabin if this keeps up."
Alana shook her head, her dark brown hair gleaming under the lights. "No, I don’t think Bedelia wants to do that. She wants the girls to have the one on one attention. We have a wait list already and if money was the thing, we’d be talking about hiring more staff. But… I don’t think that’ll happen."
Will nodded. "I think you’re right. I like that we can give these girls all the individual attention they need. And the dogs love being surrounded with all those eager, petting hands."
"How are you doing?" asked Alana, quietly after nodding and punctuating Will's statement with a brush of her fingers across Winston's shoulders.
Will tried for a smile but ended up looking like a forlorn child. "Better. I know that a lot of people don’t understand how I tick and I don’t expect a lot, but sometimes…" he trailed off and sighed. "Anyway, I better get to my cabin. It was really nice of Bedelia to build that this past year. The dogs are thrilled to have their own space."
It was a leap of faith on Bedelia's part, Alana considered, to give Will and the dogs a more permanent lodging. A leap of faith that Alana was genuinely pleased about. "Why don’t you stop by later on. I’m almost done with unpacking and I could use your help with moving some of the furniture," suggested Alana.
"I can do that. I’ll see you later," said Will, snapping his fingers and smiling as Winston, Buster, and the little Pomeranian mix bumped into each other as they milled around Will.
He gave Alana a last smile and headed out, the dogs following him.
***
Bedelia sighed as Phyllis expertly massaged the kinks out of her shoulders.
"Do you think any of them were paying attention?" she asked, twisting slightly to gaze up at Phyllis, the two of them illuminated solely by Bedelia's desk lamp.
"Will was. Price and Zeller were half-heartedly listening. Alana was thinking and Freddie was too busy looking at everyone else. Margot was mostly listening. Beverly looked like she was taking notes on who wasn’t paying attention which meant, ironically, she wasn’t paying a lot of attention, herself," answered Phyllis, her dark brown eyes sparkling with humour.
"Is it me, Phyllis?" Bedelia asked, groaning. "Is it my voice? Am I droning?"
"Perhaps next year, you could just hand out the lists and ask if they have any questions. After all, this is your staff and you’ve had most of them for a year now. Trust your staff to ask for any new information," suggested Phyllis.
"You’re right. I get so excited and want to share that excitement for the year; to impress upon them how important we are to these girls, but I end up saying the same thing, don’t I?" asked Bedelia.
Phyllis ran her fingers through Bedelia’s thick, honey blonde hair, curling the heavy strands around her dark brown fingers.
"There is a lot to be excited for, isn't there? Our reputation is spreading. Between Freddie's enthusiasm and the reviews we've gotten from parents, I'd be surprised if there is anyone within a 300-mile radius who doesn't know that Camp Sapphire is here and lauded." Phyllis continued combing through Bedelia's hair, keeping an eye on Bedelia's face -- relaxed and happy. "It's obvious that this is a passion project."
Bedelia gazed at Phyllis’ face, taking in her dark eyes, her ‘locs that brushed the top of her shoulders, the compassion and support on her face.
"It is. But so is what you have to say and what you don’t say, you minx,"’ teased Bedelia. She drew Phyllis in for a kiss.
After, Phyllis said, "Should we go to bed? A long day tomorrow awaits."
"As always, your counsel is wise. Yes, that sounds good," answered Bedelia, smiling. She took Phyllis’s hand and led her to the bedroom.
***
Jimmy Price put the light comforter on the bed and stood back to admire the effect. He had purchased it as a surprise and hoped Brian liked it. Right on queue, Brian walked into the room and stopped in surprise. "Hey!" he exclaimed, a grin on his face. "That’s rad!"
"You like it?" asked Jimmy.
Zeller laughed. "It’s pretty awesome. It looks great. So woodsy!"
The comforter had been an impulse buy, displayed in the hunting section of their local outdoor shop. Between the roaring bears and majestic moose, Jimmy thought it evoked the feeling of camp. He was even willing to ignore the inaccurate inclusion of a snowy owl in what was otherwise a deeply Northeast, autumn setting. "I thought the dark green and red would be nice accents for our little home away from home," explained Price, touching the comforter.
"Yeah. Very camp themed. Thanks, hon," said Zeller, leaning over to kiss Price.
"Did you get a look at the stove today?" asked Jimmy, after a moment.
"Yeah. I think I know what went wrong. I talked to Bedelia. She’s going to order the part and we can install it when it comes in," said Zeller. "An easy fix, thank god. That ought to make Jack happy."
"Oh, god. Jack Crawford. How often do you think his moody ass is going to be around camp this year?" asked Price.
"As often as Phyllis allows it?" answered Zeller with a grin. "She is super woman. How she manages to have a functional relationship with him and Bedelia both is beyond me. She’s the queen of poly romance. All hail!"
"I agree. And I am now the King of Comforters," announced Price with a happy smile. "Shall we turn in? We got to get the kitchen scrubbed from top to bottom tomorrow."
"Oh, ugh. Yeah. And I want to double check our first aid supplies as well. Let’s call it a night," agreed Zeller.
***
The week flew by as the staff of Camp Sapphire got everything ready. The cabins were aired out, the beds made up, and all the equipment checked and repaired or replaced. The recalcitrant stove was fixed, much to Price and Zeller’s relief. Jack had indeed come out but not to inspect the kitchen. He called on Phyllis and spent most of the day out of sight.
Alana and Will were waiting as the bus pulled into the lot, Price at the wheel. The bus stopped and the door opened and the girls walked down the steps, bags or cell phones or iPods in tow, stopping next to Alana who had a clipboard in her hands.
As they appeared, Alana sucked in a breath and launched into her rehearsed greeting. "Hi, there. I’m Alana and I want to welcome you to Camp Sapphire. I’m so excited to have you with us for the week," said Alana with a welcoming smile.
"I’m Will and I’m going to be one of the teachers here at the camp," said Will, smiling at the girls.
"I remember you from last year,’ said a teen aged girl, her long dark blonde hair pulled back into a no-nonsense ponytail that didn't do much to disguise how her ears stuck out a little.
"Hopefully it’s good memories," said Will, shifting his feet and smiling self-deprecatingly.
"Yeah. I liked playing with the dogs," she said, smiling at him.
"All right… can we have your names, then, so we can check you in?" asked Alana, addressing the entire motley group, but looking mostly at the girl who had just spoken.
"I’m Miriam Lass," said the teenager who’d been talking to Will. "I was here last year."
"Yes, yes you were," said Alana with a smile. She checked off Miriam’s name, pleased to have a refresher on the familiar face. "Are you going to be at the firing range a lot again this year?" If Alana remembered correctly (she would check her notes, or ask Freddie later), Miriam had a prosthetic arm from a somewhat recent accident, not that anyone could tell from her shooting.
"I might be," grinned Miriam. "I want to improve my scores from last year."
"I don’t know how much more they’d need to be improved, but you're welcome to talk to Bev about that," said Alana. "Next?"
"I’m Catherine Martin. I was here last year, too," said another girl, pulling at her plaited blonde hair.
"Yes, I remember, Catherine. It’s really great to have you back."
Catherine gave her a lightning quick grin and quit tugging at her hair, shifting her steps so that she stood next to Miriam, creating a small gap between those who had been checked in and those who hadn't.
Next up; "I’m Abigail Hobbs," said another girl, gazing at Alana with a slight smile. Her bright blue eyes and fair skin were shaded from the sun by a fishing hat.
A friend for Will, Alana considered. "Nice to meet you, Abigail."
"I’m Ardelia Mapp," said another, her dark brown eyes gazing at first Alana and then Will, she squared her shoulders, then slouched again under the weight of her back pack.
"Georgia Madchen," said the girl behind her, her voice soft as a whisper. She smiled nervously at Will, arms tucked neatly across her midsection.
"I’m Kade Purnell," said a young teen, drawing herself up with a practiced air. She ran a hand through her short, blonde, blunt hair and grinned at Alana.
"I’m Melissa Schur," volunteered one of the younger girls, smiling at Alana, despite the attention she appeared to be giving to a fresh mosquito bite on her neck.
"Clarice Starling," announced another from the younger set. She glanced over at Ardelia and grinned at her, stealthily (but not so stealthy that Alana missed it) poking the other girl in the side.
"Okay, that makes almost everyone," noted Alana, checking off Clarice's name.
"Um, Mischa Lecter," the last one said, her voice a hair louder than Georgia's but not by much. Alana had to listen just as close to catch her full name.
"Pleased to meet you, Mischa," said Alana, keeping her voice pitched soft as well. She was rewarded by Mischa’s sudden smile.
"You might be wondering why Will and I are the ones to meet you first," added Alana, seeing the girls look around, starting to get ansty for the fun of camp to begin.
"It’s because we’re the friendliest and the best," put in Will with a grin. The girls all laughed and Will’s grin broadened. Alana looked at him with some wistfulness; she didn’t get to see that often on his face. It was good. Very good to see. "It’s also because we really were excited to meet you first and... we won the short straws," admitted Will, laughing.
"This is true. Freddie was so disappointed. She wanted to be one of the ones to greet you, first. But we promised she could take the first photos so she'll live," said Alana. "Everyone here is super excited to meet you so let’s get going and walk to the big cabin."
The girls picked up their gear and suitcases and followed Alana and Will, Price walking behind all of them, having observed the exchange with mild amusement. For the most part, the girls had been quiet on the ride up, each locked in her own world. Probably imagining what the time ahead would have in store.
Alana and Will brought them to the biggest cabin in the camp -- the dining hall-slash-kitchen-slash First Aid office. Herded into the dining room area, the girls sat down on benches, waiting for the rest of the staff to appear.
"Welcome to Camp Sapphire," said Bedelia. "My name is Bedelia and I’m the camp director. You are welcome to come to my office if you have any questions or concerns at any time. Your counselors will always be available to you as well. The instructors here care about you and want you to excel in whatever you choose to pursue while you’re here. Let’s have everyone introduce themselves." Bedelia stepped back and gave a nodding gesture to the staff member who happened to be closest at hand.
Freddie stepped forward, excited and smiling. Her hair seemed to have recovered, bouncing in time overflowing Freddie energy. "I’m Freddie Lounds and I’m not only the cabin counselor for Cabin Two, I’m also teaching photography and journaling at camp. I’m so happy to finally meet you!"
Margot stepped forward, next to Freddie. "I’m Margot Verger and I’m the camp counselor for Cabin Three. I specialize in crafts and am the lifeguard at the camp. For those of you who are interested, there will be advanced swimming lessons available as well."
Alana waved at the girls before handing the clipboard to Bedelia. "I hope you remember me, but in case you don't," Alana teased, "I’m Alana Bloom and I’m the counselor for Cabin One. I also will be doing team building exercises with you and nature walks."
Will glanced at Alana and also waved at the girls. "I’m Will Graham and I am going to be an instructor here. I will show you what it’s like to work with a therapy dog and also, if you’re interested, in fishing. I fly fish and I also make my own flies. I’d be happy to show you how to do that, too."
Beverly stood up from where she’d been sitting off to the side. "I’m Beverly Katz but feel free to call me Bev. I’m going to be your instructor in fire arms safety, shooting, and the care and maintenance of fire arms. I also am your archery instructor." She shot a grin in Bedelia's direction. "I'm also the co-director here, so if you find Bedelia too intimidating, feel free to visit me at the office instead."
Phyllis stood next to Bedelia. "I’m Phyllis Dawes and I’m the head counselor. If your counselor is not available, I will always be able to talk to you. And, there may be times when you need an intermediary. I will be the one to help clear matters up, if needed. Welcome to Camp Sapphire."
Jimmy walked from the back of the room to stand next to Bev, dropping an oven-mitted hand onto her shoulder. "I’m Jimmy Price and I’m one of the cooks at the camp. I also am going to be the one to bandage you up if needed as the first aid guy. If you have any special dietary needs, don’t hesitate to let Brian or I know. We can definitely work with that."
Brian had followed Jimmy and talked next, standing at Jimmy’s side. "I’m Brian Zeller and I’m the other cook at this place. I also know first aid so if you don’t want to take your chances with this other guy, you can come to me, instead. Like Jimmy said, let either of us know if you have any food allergies or special dietary needs. It’s not a big deal and we like a challenge."
"Well, then. That’s all of us. I see you’re all here," murmured Bedelia, scanning the check-in list, quickly. "So here is the cabin you will be staying in for the week. Your counselor’s name is on the sheet as well. If you have any questions, feel free to ask any one of us. I know a couple of you are veterans, here, so if you can help the new campers out, that would be great."
At Bedelia's indication, Phyllis handed out the sheets to each of the girls. "Your counselors are now going to call you by name and bring you to your cabin. There will be time to unpack and rest a little before the late afternoon session and then dinner. We’ll be having a bonfire tonight and roasting marshmallows and making S’mores," she told them.
Alana cleared her throat, eager to really get started. "All right! Miriam, Catherine, and Mischa, you’re with me. Let’s head to Cabin One and get set up."
The three older teens picked up their things and followed Alana out the door, Catherine quietly wondering to Miriam if they'd been in One last year as well..
"Georgia, Abigail, and Ardelia, come with me. We’ll go to Cabin Three and get settled in," announced Margot. She smiled at the teens as they joined her and they left together.
"That leaves Melissa, Clarice, and Kade with me. Awesome! Let’s head to Cabin Two and make it comfy," invited Freddie. The youngest group picked up their things and followed Freddie, chatting to each other as they left the room.
Silence filled the air in the large room and Bedelia took a deep breath. "So it begins," she said, smiling at Phyllis and turning to smile at everyone else. "Thank you very much. Jimmy, thanks for picking them up. I’ll see you later on."
"I got to let the dogs out for a walk," murmured Will. He nodded at everyone else and headed out, quickly.
Jimmy and Brian exchanged glances. "Let’s check our marshmallow and S’more making stuff," suggested Zeller.
"Sounds like a solid plan to me," agreed Price. They went into the kitchen, talking about what they had in the storage rooms.
Phyllis and Bev exchanged looks. "Ready?" asked Phyllis.
Bev rolled her eyes. "As much as I’m going to be. If last year's pattern holds true, Miriam is going to be at the range almost non stop, I think. I’m glad she’s back, though. Bright kid."
"Me, too. And Catherine, too. I think I’ll take a breather before we meet up again. I’ll see you later," said Phyllis, nodding at Beverly and then Bedelia.
Bev nodded at her and they parted, Phyllis to the cabin she shared with Bedelia and Bev to the firing range. Bev wanted to double check the supply of ammunition she had; with Miriam at camp, she knew she’d need extra.
The only sounds to be heard were the birds singing in the trees, the dogs barking, and the low buzz of the new campers talking amongst themselves.