Two days later, the team had dusted, swept, washed, set up, and mapped out every centimeter of camp. Even Garcia had work to do with setting up the computer monitors to make sure nothing got out of hand (which was a good idea, seeing as the last time they had tried something similar to this had ended up with a misunderstanding that involved pie, guns, and a lawsuit).
Ali finally stretched out onto her bunk one day, just glad to be done. It had been decided that each of them were in a different cabin, to "encourage team bonding and get out of your comfort zone!" (as Mandy, the "activities guide" had put it. The second she had turned her back, she was immediately dubbed Manic Mandy by Emily and Ali.) Ali had gotten the cabin of trainees. These were usually the youngest members on a team, and were fresh out of trainee school (hence the nickname trainees). JJ and Emily had gotten the two cabins of special agents or their equivelants, and Garcia was with the directors in the indoor dorms (meaning they didn't have to walk outside to get to the plumbing and the agents did.) Ali figured that the Supervisory Special Agents and higher were probably with Hotch and Rossi.
It was way too campy for Ali to be comfortable. She would have been a lot more comfortable with a one day workshop, and never seeing these people again in her life. But to live with them for a week!? At least she would be visiting the shrink every day, starting the next day. She might keep her from going crazy.
"Knock knock," Emily said, walking in, startling Ali out of her thoughts.
Ali smiled at her friend. "Hey. What's up?"
"Oh, not much. Morgan asked me to give this to you." Emily handed Ali and envelope.
Ali took it, and tested its weight in her hand. "Thanks, but I'm good. I don't need any love letters from him. Garcia might kill me if I do."
Emily smiled. "Cute, but it's not a love letter. I do believe that it is a taunt though. Look at your hands."
Ali looked down at where she had been holding the white letter. Her hands had turned a puke green from contact, and Ali knew immediately that it probably wouldn't come off easily. "Emily! I thought you were neutral!" Ali wailed over dramatically.
"I was. But I had to see that. Now let me know if you need help getting back at Morgan." Emily gave Ali a smile, before walking out, leaving Ali in her own mischievous thoughts.
"Hi! I'm Sarah Hillbridge, Secret Service." Ali shook hands with the cheerful girl, who she could never picture as being one of the serious people in dark suits she always saw when she went to the White House.
"I'm - " But Sarah cut her off excitedly.
"I know who you are! Of course I do. You're only on like the cover of every magazine like... ever. You're amazing, Alison! Although I did hear that you have a new name. What is it?" She was breathless at meeting the star, and Ali laughed nervously.
"Ummm... thanks. I go by Natalie now. Natalie Montgomery. I try not to think of the Alison side of me anymore."
She nodded, not getting anything Ali was saying. Ali chose that moment to simply walk away, not wanting to have to explain her life decisions to another person.
She had just walked away when another girl walked up to her in the narrow space outside of the cabin where everybody was meeting. She had long, dark hair and almond shaped brown eyes, and appeared to be one of the older girls there. Ali put her age at around 24 or 25, which was about the norm for the trainees. Her black jeans were obviously designer, and her jacket and wedge heels looked much more expensive than Ali's old American Eagle sweatshirt and scuffed boots.
"Hi." The voice was emotionless. Ali then knew that she was either CIA or ATF, as both of them were trained to not show any emotion unless needed. "I'm Blaire. Blaire Chan, CIA."
Ali nodded. "Hi. I'm Natalie Montgomery, FBI."
Blaire smiled at her quizzically, before speaking again. "Didn't Sarah just call you something else?"
"Ummm... Yeah. Alison. My name used to be Alison Campbell, but then... a lot of stuff happened, and I had to go into hiding for a while. Legally, my name got changed to Natalie Montgomery. Confuses the heck out of people, but whatever."
"Well, hi Natalie Montgomery. So when you say Alison Campbell, do you mean the star Alison Campbell? Or just a coincidence?"
Ali's cheeks flamed bright red. "One and the same. But that was then."
Blaire laughed. "Come on silly! You're an amazing actress, and like an A-list celeberity! How else do you think you could have gotten through the FBI training school? I mean, nobody in their right mind would hire a 20 year old ex-actress to be a FBI Agent!"
The change was so subtle, it took Ali a few second to realize what Blaire had said. "Hey! Excuse me, what right do you have to go and start trash talking me? Do you even know what I went through to become an Agent?" Ali decided that it would be best to leave out her real age. That would just add fuel to the fire.
Blaire kept on talking. "At least you were pretty at one point. But then you screwed up your coloring, and now no one will hire you! Is that why you became an FBI Agent? Because nobody would hire poor widdle Alison, and the FBI felt sorry for you?"
Ali shook her head at the older girls words. She could insult Ali all she wanted, but not the BAU. It was time for a comeback. "So did you get hired because of daddy's money? Or because no other agency would take you?"
Blaire shot Ali a dirty look, before stomping off, undoubtedly ruining her fancy wedge heels. Ali smirked. Served her right for wearing them to a place that was more like summer camp than anything else. Actually, is was remarkably like summer camp, Ali realized. You had the popular kids, the dorky but lovable kids, and the followers. Only age the kids by about 20 years, and it was such a similar situation that Ali was almost freaked out. Almost.
She turned around to walk back to her cabin, but something stopped her. She was silent for a second, looking to her side, before suddenly pivoting and kicking out with her leg. The person who had been walking behind her quietly - too quietly - doubled over as her foot made contact with his stomach.
She turned around. He was cute. Really cute, but in a natural way, not like he was trying too hard. He started to wheeze, and Ali could see that he meant no harm. She leaned down next to him, and helped him stand back up, before starting to babble. "I'm so sorry, I just wasn't sure who you were, and then it was sudden, and I had to do something, and I didn't mean to hurt you!"
He laughed. "No worries. Natalie, right? I heard you talking to Blaire. I'm Liam." He held out his hand, and Ali nodded, causing him to put it back down.
"Sorry. I'm just... a bit weird like that."
He smiled. "No worries. But, anyways, don't listen to anything that Blaire says. She's a jerk, and, sadly, most of the others follow her lead."
Ali was curious. "How do they all know each other? I mean, this is the first time I've ever heard of something like this since like 2005."
"They've all worked together. CIA, ATF, State Police, Homeland Security, Department of Defense... You guys don't really work with them that often."
Ali nodded, realizing what he was saying. Then her next question hit her. "Wait... How do you know this?"
He smiled. "I have my ways."
And then, mysteriously, he faded back into the forest, leaving Ali wondering who he was and what he was doing there.
"Hello? Can you hear me?" Manic Mandy shouted into the mic. A ripple of laughter ran through the crowd.
Soft enough that only the people in her immediate vicinity could hear her, Ali said sarcastically, "No way. I think the mic is broken." Several people turned to give her broad smiles. Ali could be screaming and shouting, and they wouldn't care. Unless they worked for the Secret Service, this was the closest they would ever get to someone even remotely close to famous without zipping them into a body bag or arresting them.
"Eh-hem. Welcome, Agents! I would like to welcome you to our first annual cooperation get together! Look around you. These are the people that you will be working with for the rest of your careers."
Ali looked around the room, her eyes landing on Blaire and her rapidly shrinking group of followers from all agencies. Almost all of them had flocked to Ali's table in the massive dining hall. They were the future of the US Executive branch. Great.
"Senior agents; you are supposed to train and recruit young agents. You keep everyone trained and in their best form. You are the reason these were started, and you are keeping them going. Stand up, please."
All of the agents over the age of 50, including Rossi, stood up to a thundering applause. Even Manic Mandy couldn't ruin the moment.
"Special agents, please stand." About two thirds of the dining hall stood up, including Morgan, JJ, Emily, Hotch, and Reid. Ali whistled and clapped for her friends with the rest of the hall. Manic Mandy tried to speak, with increasing difficulty over the increasing noise level. "You are responsible for helping all Agents with their responsibilities. Without you, we wouldn't be able to have enough influence in the world, and - EXCUSE ME!" She got increasing frustrated until she cracked. People started to listen to her, and her face started to lose a little of the purple color, so it was more of a lilac than a bright violet. "Thank you. As I was saying, you are the manpower, and we need you to keep working as well as we do."
The agents sat down, and Manic Mandy resumed with her overly peppy MC duties. "Finally, we have the trainees. Or the probationary agents. Or the young' uns. Whatever you would like to call them."
A gruff voice called out, "Irresponsible and rash!" The room erupted in laughter once more. Ali wasn't sure, but she was very confident that it had come from Rossi's corner of the room.
"You are our future. The main reason we do these things is to ensure that communication and good feelings continue with the new agents. Make your leaders proud." Manic Mandy stepped down, beet red. "Thank you."
Ali not-so-discreetly mimicked her as she walked away. "Andyou'reallthebestsonevereverforgetthatandwow! Caffeine!"
The group of girls around her laughed, and a few of the girls from Blaire's table hesitantly picked up their things and moved in to see what everyone was laughing at. Ali could feel Blaire's glare, but she didn't care. Let haters be haters. She didn't care.
So what did you think? Sorry it took so long to get out, I've had swim practice twice a day for the last few weeks and been adjusting to the new schedule.