Scout's Honor
Rating: GS (PG) Disclaimers: The characters from the show belong to Paramount and BeliPro. The rest of them belong to us. Author's Note (Ann): It's been 12 years or so, but my memories of being an adult leader at day camp are still vivid. Perhaps it's changed. ;-) Oh, Pixie said I should tell you all I stayed up till 4:15 this morning writing this, but I said people would think I was nuts. She replied, "They already do." I must thank my anonymous beta-reader who got this on Friday morning and had it back to me Friday afternoon. Pixie, it has been fun. I enjoyed it immensely. Author's Note (Pixie): Ever known one of those people who volunteers for things without thinking about what they're getting into? No? Well, you do now. <grin> This was most definitely written on the fly, under pressure, and with a decidedly large dose of insanity. Here's hoping it makes sense. Ann…it's been fun – crazy, but fun. Captain - Thanks again. I couldn't have done it without you (believe it or not).
Benjamin Rabb ricocheted off the walls from the garage into his father's study, fueled by excitement. His orange Tiger Cub shirt was smeared with chocolate, a fact which had Mac cringing as he bounced off the wallpaper. Some days, it really didn't pay to volunteer to go to Cub Scouts. She grinned at the thought of Harm's reaction to their son's news. "Daddy! Daddy! Guess what!" Ben bounded into the study and would have jumped straight into Harm's lap had it been possible, but his father was surrounded by multiple stacks of papers. "What, Ben?" Harm began piling the stacks into larger, more identifiable piles. "Did you and Mommy have fun at Scouts?" "Yep. We had lots of fun. We had a cookie decorating contest." He pulled out his shirt. "I used chocolate. Lots and lots of it." He gave a beatific smile. "You shoulda been there, Daddy. Mommy ate five cookies." His eyes widened as he recalled the looks on the other mothers' faces. "Mrs. Jenkins barely took one bite of Timmy's cookies." Harm laughed. "Well, maybe Mrs. Jenkins doesn't get as much exercise chasing Timmy around as your mom gets chasing you." He looked up to see his grinning wife posed near the doorway. "I'll have you know, Ben is the calmest one of the bunch." Mac smiled at her son. "Tell Daddy the big news, sweetie." "Right. I almost forgot." Ben bounced on the balls of his feet. "You know how in May we turn into real Cub Scouts, instead of stupid, baby Tigers?" Harm bit back a laugh. "Yes." "Well, in June, since we'll be real Cub Scouts, we get to go to day camp." Ben smiled at his father. "And you get to go too!" "I do?" Harm raised appalled eyes to Mac. "How did this happen?" "Mommy can tell you." Ben took another look at his shirt. "I better get a new shirt." "You better get a bath, Tiger. It's almost bedtime." His mother reached for his hand but missed as he darted out of the room. "I'll be right with you, okay?" "Okay." He ran off toward the stairs. Harm cleared a spot on the sofa and patted it in invitation. "Nice try, Marine, but you can give me five minutes." Mac lowered herself onto the seat. "Get the budget figured out?" "It's getting there. But I think you know that isn't what I want to talk about right now." "It's not? Because if it can wait..." "It can't. What is this about I get to go to day camp too?" Mac patted his arm. "Oh, don't worry about it. It's not that big of a deal. I just signed you up to be the second leader when Ben's group goes to day camp in June. I'd do it myself, but I have a conference I'm presenting at the first two days that week." "Really?" His tone was dry. "Really. I told you about it a month ago. The Commandant asked me to present a paper at some conference about women in the military. It's here in town, but I'll be busy from Sunday to Tuesday." "I don't see what that has to do with volunteering me to go to day camp with Ben. Aren't there other parents in his group?" "None that can go. Everyone else either can't get time off or has other, younger children to deal with. Besides, I'm going to go Wednesday through Friday. You just have to go Monday and Tuesday, although it would be better if you went Wednesday too, while I get acclimated." Harm shook his head. "What makes you think I can take leave then?" "Because you're the JAG. You can take leave when you want to." She smiled at him again. "Besides, it'll be fun." A burst of laughter exploded from Harm's mouth. "You can't really expect me to believe that, can you?" "Why not? It sounds like fun to me. I think the theme is space exploration this year." "I can hardly wait. As to why it won't be fun, well, all I can say is I've been to Cub Scout day camp. Trust me, it's not fun." "How can it not be fun? You get to spend a couple of days in the outdoors with your son..." "Smearing sunscreen and insect repellent on five other kids, none of whom want it because only sissies use sunscreen. Eating hot peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, crushed potato chips, drinking lukewarm generic fruit punch. Believe me, Mac, day camp is many things, but fun isn't one of them." He shook his head. "Are you sure we have to do this?" "Yes, Harm. Rich Donahue is going to be the den leader, but there have to be two adults there at all times. If you and I don't do it, the kids can't go." Harm sighed in resignation. "All right. I'll even go with you on Wednesday. But you owe me." She rose and wiggled her eyebrows. "You can collect right after I get Ben into bed." Harm laughed as she left the room. ******************* 0715 Local Harm looked frazzled as he stuffed sandwiches and apples into the thermal pack. "You will recall that I said day camp week is always the hottest one of the summer. Did you see today's forecast?" He glared at Mac as she sat sipping a cup of coffee, her summer class A's neatly pressed and her briefcase ready to go. "No, why?" She thumbed through the national news section of the Washington Post. "Is there something I should know?" "The forecast for today is a high of ninety-six with eighty-five percent humidity. These kids will have passed out from heat exhaustion by noon." He dumped another tray of ice into the gallon thermos, then filled it with water. Harm glanced at his son who was shoveling Cheerios into his mouth. "You about ready, buddy?" Ben nodded, then reached for his milk. "What's heat exhaustion, Daddy?" "It's when you get too hot and can't get cool." Harm screwed the top down on the thermos jug. "So when I tell you to drink water, you do it." "Aye, aye, sir." Ben chugged the rest of his milk, then pushed back from the table. He carried his dishes to the sink. "Do you want me to put these in the dishwasher?" "No, I'll get them. I don't have to be at the Hyatt till nine." Mac smiled at her son. He was so cute when he was trying to be helpful. "Ben, you be a good boy today, all right?" "I'm always good." His lower lip jutted out for a second, then he winked at his mother. "Just like you and Daddy were when you were kids." He darted out of the kitchen, calling to his father, "I'll be right back. Gotta get my hat." Harm hauled the food and drinks out to the car, then returned to the kitchen. "Ben! Come on!" "Coming, Dad!" Mac raised an eyebrow at the term. Seemed like their little boy was growing up - or at least hoping to. "Come give me a kiss, Ben." Ben wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed her cheek. "Bye, Mommy. We'll miss you today." "I'll miss you guys, too. You can tell me all
about it at dinner time." She stood and kissed Harm, then watched them leave the
house. She would miss them. Harm might not believe her, but she really would
have preferred going to camp to making a presentation. Sighing, she began to
load the dishwasher. ****************************** Commercial Break ****************************** Summer is just around the corner. Be sure to have lots of fun activities planned for your children. Sign them up for either day camp or overnight camp at Virginia's lovely new facility, Camp Runamuck. For a free brochure, call 1-800-555-CAMP or go to our website at www.runamuck.org. *******************************************************************************
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