Chapter Nine: On a Starry Night

The time went by quickly, and soon MacGyver was showing the kids how to bake potatoes and corn on the cob in the coals, and roast chunks of meat and vegetables on sticks. He had considered adding some edible mushrooms he saw growing nearby, but decided he didn't want to risk them thinking they knew which ones were safe to eat as their father once had.

The kids ate hungrily, declaring it the best meal they had ever tasted. MacGyver chuckled, knowing there was something about eating outdoors and cooking your own food that did make things taste extra special.

When they had all eaten their fill, MacGyver pulled out the bag of marshmallows with slight grimace. "Pure sugar; I shouldn't be givin' you this junk. But it wouldn't be a campin' trip without 'em, an' I guess once won't hurt ya. Go find some straight sticks, and I'll sharpen 'em up for ya."

"There's fireflies in the woods," Cindy remarked as she came back with her stick and watched MacGyver put a point on it with his knife.

"That means it's getting dark!" Cassie said, looking fearfully into the woods.

"Sure, but the dark won't hurt ya. Want a marshmallow?"

"Okay," Cassie agreed, taking it from him and pushing it carefully onto her stick.

"I wish we could catch some fireflies," Cindy remarked.

"Go ahead; we'll save some marshmallows for you."

"I don't have anything to put them in," Cindy pointed out.

"Let's see," MacGyver mused, glancing around the campsite. His eyes stopped on the bag of marshmallows, the light of an idea glinting in their depths.

"Find me some straight sticks, about so long and as thick as your little finger," MacGyver told her, holding his hands apart in measurement.

Cindy's brow wrinkled in puzzlement, but she did as he asked. "Here."

"Thanks." Pulling the flattened roll of duct tape from his back pocket, MacGyver tore off several thin strips and fastened the sticks together into a framework. "Now dump those marshmallows in something else, and hand me the bag," MacGyver directed.

More confused than ever, Cindy complied.

"Can ya hold it open for me?"

"Sure…"

As Cindy held the bag open, MacGyver eased his framework inside. It was a perfect fit, the plastic now forming sides of a box with clear patches between the printing where fireflies' light would be able to shine through. With a little more duct tape, MacGyver fashioned a cover that could be taped shut, then handed the contraption to Cindy with a smile. "There ya go."

"Wow," she breathed in wonder. "How'd you do that?"

MacGyver chuckled. "You just saw how I did it. Go catch lightning bugs if ya want, but stay where I can see ya. I know you wouldn't get lost in these woods in the daytime, but it's different in the dark an' I don't want to have to come out after ya."

"Okay," Cindy agreed. For the next half hour, she and Dylan chased the glowing bugs. At ten, Derrick thought he was too old for fireflies, and in the growing dusk, Cassie had no wish to venture that far from MacGyver.

"Here, Cassie, it's a nightlight for you," Cindy offered, running up and setting the blinking firefly house beside her sister. "Can I have a marshmallow now, Mr Mac?"

"Help yourself. Here, Dylan; catch!" He tossed the boy a marshmallow, then handed another to Cassie, who had lost more in the flames than she had actually eaten. She poked it onto her stick with studied care, then held it cautiously toward the fire, jerking back as soon as she thought it might catch on fire as her last one had done.

"What's that!" she cried suddenly, nearly dropping stick and all into the flames at the unknown noise.

"An owl," MacGyver replied almost lazily, looking up to see if he could catch a glimpse of it.

"Will it get me?" Cassie asked almost tearfully.

"Don't be silly, Cass," Cindy scoffed, turning her marshmallow to brown evenly. "Owls only like mice, right, Mr Mac?"

"And other small animals, but nothing as big as you, Cassie. C'mere." He held out an arm in invitation, and she left her marshmallow on the ground to press herself against his side.

"I don't like owls, Mr Mac!" she declared, looking up anxiously as it hooted again.

"Won't hurt ya," MacGyver assured her. "Derrick, are your hands sticky?"

Derrick looked at his hands, then licked them clean. "Nope."

MacGyver grimaced slightly, shaking his head, but didn't comment. "Can ya get me the black case next to my backpack?"

"Sure," Derrick agreed, jumping up.

MacGyver shifted away from Cassie slightly as Derrick returned with the case and set it beside him. "Thanks." Leaning over, he snapped open the catches and took out his guitar. Settling it on his lap, he strummed an experimental chord and adjusted the tuning of a few strings. "You kids know this one?" he asked, picking out a melody.

"Nuh-uh."

MacGyver raised an eyebrow. "Really? Your father and I sang it together on a couple camping trips; can't believe he never taught ya."

Cindy shrugged, pretending great interest in her marshmallow. "Guess he just never had time."

"Well, you listen the first time, then, and see how easy you can pick it up."

He began playing in earnest then, singing along to his own accompaniment.

The kids were as quick as he had thought they would be. Though they knew none of the songs he considered childhood classics, on the second time through they could sing along with the chorus, and even tried out some wordless vocals on the verses. MacGyver grinned as he sang, his foot tapping, enjoying their childish voices too much to even care that they were slightly off key. And with his flying fingers dancing over the frets and the children's voices joining his in song, if any owls remained their hooting could no longer be heard. *

oOo

"Time for bed, kids," MacGyver announced at last, improvising a final flourish and letting the last chord fade into silence. He set the guitar in its case but didn't bother to close it. "Everyone down to the stream to wash up." He held out a hand to Cassie, and she grabbed it tightly, sticking close at his side as they walked the short distance to the creek.

"Look at the fireflies now!" Cindy exclaimed, catching sight of a dark patch of woods that seemed to sparkle with a hundred tiny lights.

"Ooo," Cassie breathed, clapping her hands in wonder. "Mr Mac, they look like fairy lights!"

MacGyver chuckled. "Sure do," he agreed.

Dylan glanced back toward the camp. "I bet ours wish they were out there."

"Let's let them go!" Cindy cried spontaneously. "You don't mind, do you, Cass?"

"Uh-uh."

"I'll get them," Dylan cried, running back toward the campfire. Coming back with the cage, he pulled off the tape holding it shut. Reaching in a hand, he took out a firefly and let it crawl to the top of his hand before flying away.

"I want to let one go!" Cassie declared.

"All right," Dylan agreed. "Hold out your hands." He deposited two in her palm, and Cassie giggled as they crawled across her skin. "They tickle!"

Several others had found the opening on their own now, crawling out without help and taking off into the air.

"Goodbye, fireflies!" Cassie called, watching as they flew up to join the twinkling, sparkling dance. She twirled around in the cool night air. "I'm a firefly, Mr Mac!" *

"I'll catch you!" he teased.

Cassie squealed with laughter as he grabbed her and scooped her up, the fun breaking the magical spell of the evening. "Everybody wash up," MacGyver said again. "Dylan, make sure you bring the firefly house back; we don't want to leave trash lying around." Squatting beside the stream, he set Cassie on his knee and helped her wash her hands and face.

"Everyone into the fort," MacGyver directed when they had returned to camp, hands and faces clean and still a little damp.

"What about you?" Cindy asked. "We only put our sleeping bags in the fort."

MacGyver smiled. "I'm sleeping under the stars tonight. Unless it rains," he added as an afterthought, "an' then I'll come crawlin' in to see how well our roof works."

"But I want you in with us!" Cassie wailed, grabbing his hand in both hers.

MacGyver squatted in front of her. "There isn't room, baby. I'll be right outside the door; anythin' that wants to get in has to go through me."

"O-kay," Cassie said reluctantly. "Will you come tuck me in?"

"Sure," MacGyver agreed. "You others get in an' get settled first."

"Don't take my sleeping bag!" Cassie warned anxiously.

"Aw, we won't," Derrick scoffed. "Here, Dyl', that one's yours."

There was rustling and wiggling for several minutes as they got themselves settled, and then MacGyver crawled partway through the doorway after Cassie. When she had lain down, he zipped up her sleeping bag and pulled it up around her chin. "You all warm enough?"

"Toasty," Cindy said cheerfully.

"Cassie?"

"Y-es."

"Think about the lightning bugs," MacGyver told her softly. "Imagine them dancing and blinking all around the fort…an' I'll be right outside if you need anything."

Cassie managed a small smile. "All right. Good night, Mr Mac."

"Good night, baby."

"Good night." "Good night." "Good night."

MacGyver backed out of the fort, crossing to where he had left his guitar and taking it once more from the case.

Sitting down, he began strumming softly, not the rousing folk songs of earlier, but gentler tunes to go to sleep on. He played for some time, until he was sure that all the kids would be asleep. A peek into the fort showed him even Cassie sleeping peacefully, and he smiled to himself as he fastened the latches of the guitar case.

He left it beside the fallen log he had been sitting on, then banked the fire before spreading his bedroll in front of the fort's doorway. Then he lay gazing up at the myriad stars above him until in a short time his eyes drifted shut and he was sleeping as soundly as the kids.

Next chapter coming next week!

* Illustration for this scene can be found at

www . deviantart . com [slash] femalechauvinist [slash] art [slash] Campfire-Songs-881418332

www . deviantart . com [slash] femalechauvinist [slash] art [slash] Midnight-Magic-881418434

I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know!

Please note that I have only minimal internet access, and may not have time to respond to all reviews/messages. (But they are much appreciated, even if you're reading this story long after I originally post it!) If you have questions regarding my MacGyver alternate history, check my profile first to see if they're answered there. Thanks for your understanding! Barbie