"Here," Ian said, realizing that everyone in the cafeteria was watching them. "Take my spot."

He pushed her into his chair, more to get her out of everyone's view than to give her a spot – although he definitely didn't mind giving up his seat. "I'll get another chair."

She sat down, smiling at the boys who were all watching her suspiciously, and Ian grabbed an unused chair from the table beside theirs, ignoring the curious looks of those around him.

"Who are your friends, Ian?" Cassie asked, still looking at the boys.

"Chance, Chad, Wilson, Brian, Grant, Bruce and Sammy." Ian told her, pointing at each boy as he introduced them.

"You didn't mention Jack and Shawn and River," Wilson said.

"That's because she already knows us," Shawn said, smiling. He was just as glad to see Cassie, although he would have really liked it if Gina had come with her. Which didn't appear to be the case.

"This is Cassandra," Ian said, flashing her a slight smile of his own. "My girlfriend."

"You can call me Cassie, though," she told the boys.

"You're really Ian's girlfriend?" Sammy asked, uncertainly.

"Yup."

"Are you in the Air Force?" Chance asked.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Cassandra's going to go to school and learn to be a doctor," Ian said. "Like her mom."

"Your mom's a doctor?" Wilson asked.

"Her mom's Doctor Fraiser," Jack said, pointing at the good doctor, who was sitting at the staff table with Sam, but watching her daughter with a slight smile on her face. Obviously she'd known Cassie was coming, because she didn't seem at all surprised to see her.

Now the kids all craned their necks to look at Janet as well, and she flushed just a little at the sudden attention. She wasn't usually the center of attention, after all. Especially with a bunch of little kids.

Ian couldn't help but grin at that.

"Is your mom making you be a doctor?" Chance asked, curiously, shoving a sausage into his mouth at the same time.

Cassie shook her head.

"I want to be one."

"Why?" Sammy asked.

Ian slid all the platters of food toward Cassie so she could make herself a plate of breakfast, and then stood up and headed to the kitchen to ask for another plate and silverware for himself, well aware as he did so that everyone was either watching him or watching Australia's table. The word was already out that the girl at the table with the boys of Australia was Ian's girlfriend and now everyone – especially the female counselors – were curious what kind of girl had managed to catch the eye of someone like Ian, who didn't seem to like anyone all that much.

"She's pretty, Ian," Jared said, looking over Ian's shoulder at Cassie, who was engaged in several conversations at once with the boys.

Ian looked over as well, and couldn't help but smile just a little bit. She was better than pretty as far as he was concerned. She was beautiful. He didn't say that, though. Instead he nodded.

"Yeah, she is."

Jared loaded him up with a few extras for their table – including the silverware and plate, as well extra toast, a couple of muffins he'd been saving for his kitchen staff, extra strawberries and whipped cream for their waffles, and another pitcher of milk.

"Your boys are adorable, Ian," Cassie told him when he came over and sat back down.

Ian scowled. Technically, they weren't his boys. The boys, however, all preened. They were adorable! Even if it was a girl that was saying it, she was a friend of Ian's – who they all loved – and if she liked them then he must like them, too, of course.

Well aware that he was expected to say something a little more positive than simply 'they're not mine', Ian shrugged.

"They're something, all right, aren't they?"

Jack laughed, setting off River, who was equally amused. That could be taken a number of ways, of course, and leave it to Ian to leave them all wondering which way he meant. Of course, the boys didn't catch on, which was a good thing really. With River and Jack laughing, the boys laughed, too, knowing that it had to be funny – even if they didn't get the joke.

Cassie turned the tables on the boys, then, as she started eating; asking them questions about what they'd done that week and listening with far more patience than Ian would have ever been able to show if he'd been the one questioning. Of course, he'd been part of the activities, so he didn't really need to listen to find out what had been going on, so it didn't matter how interested he was. Instead, he ate, listening with half an ear in case someone asked him something, but more focused on eating while the kids started telling Cassie about riding in the ski boat, and how River's horse and Ian's horse had gotten into a fight.

OOOOOO

She didn't hear too much of the week's events, however. Even as Sammy was excitedly telling her all about how he'd decided – completely on his own – that the water wasn't such a scary thing after all, Gary stood up from the staff table and made his way to the front of the room for announcements.

The room stilled almost immediately, and Sammy trailed off in the middle of the story when he realized what was happening.

"Good morning, Campers!"

The kids all responded with typical loudness – especially Australia, who were determined to show Cassie how to be noisy for announcements.

Gary grinned.

"Okay! So, as you all know, today's the last day of camp…"

Now the noises were regretful, and there were more than a few sorrowful expressions – even at Australia's table. Ian was the only one who didn't look at least a little saddened at that announcement.

"So, when you're done eating I want you to clear your dishes and other stuff, and wipe down your tables. Then one of your counselors can come up and get the memory books for your cabin, so you can start working on getting them signed before your parents begin to show up to come and get you."

There were some excited shouts at this announcement, but the boys at Ian's table were confused – as were Ian and River.

"They're books," Jack explained to all the kids. Of course they wouldn't know; this was their first time at camp. "They'll have pictures of you guys – and the other campers and counselors – doing different activities and it'll have addresses for all the kids at camp – and the counselors, too."

"And places for you to get others to sign your books," Shawn added, smiling at the look on Ian's face when he realized it was possible that the camp thing wasn't going to end when the parents came and got the kids. "Finish eating, and we'll see what they look like."

And now, of course, the boys couldn't eat fast enough. They shoveled the remaining food on their plates into their mouths so quickly that Ian was actually worried about them.

"Relax, guys," he told them, frowning. "There's plenty of time."

Just his luck, they'd all start choking and he'd never get rid of them.