Allison took more sweaters from her daughter's closet, placing them in the already bulging suitcase.
"Mom, I'm going on vacation. I'm not moving to China. And it's Southern California in the middle of summer, for crying out loud! It's already June; there's no way I'll need those when it's 90 degrees outside."
"There is absolutely nothing wrong with being prepared, Becky. I'm only trying to make sure you don't get caught in bad weather without anything to wear."
"But, Mom-"
"That's enough, young lady. No more arguments. Better to be safe than sorry. You'll thank me later."
"Fine," Becky finally sighed, leaning against her bedroom wall. "Whatever. But aren't we almost done? I mean, we've been at it for ages."
"I want you to have everything you'll need," Allison said, pulling her close for a hug.
Her mom had been doing that a lot lately, cuddling at every possible opportunity. Becky had no idea why, but there was no denying she enjoyed the closeness. Still, she was just as stubborn as her mother, and they would only argue more if she stayed in there.
Stubbornness ran in her mom's side of the family, anyway. Uncle Mac certainly had more than his fair share of that trait, surely an asset in the secret work he'd done for the government and now for his new job, at someplace called the Phoenix Foundation. And god knows she'd been told enough times lately how much she reminds her mom of him.
The thought made her smile. There was no one else in the world she loved more, and no one else she wanted to emulate, ever.
"I'm going downstairs," Becky said as soon as she was released.
She wandered into the living room, picked up a magazine then settled in her favorite chair and began to read. As she turned the pages, her eye caught a framed picture resting on a nearby table, taken during a wonderful week the family had all spent together on the coast a couple years ago: Mac's arms around her, their heads together.
Her grin widened to match the ones in the photo. He was due to arrive at the house soon after flying into Portland then driving down in a rental car to Salem, staying overnight on the way back from an assignment in Alaska. Then in the morning he'd be off again, this time taking her south with him to L.A. for a blissful summer.
"What'cha daydreaming about, squirt?" Chris loomed over her, hazel eyes twinkling in amusement. "Lost in one of your fantasies as usual, no doubt. So what else is new?" He ducked the thrown magazine, laughing.
"Shut up, freak. I was just thinking about how I get to spend the summer with my best friend in the whole world instead of being stuck next door at Mrs. Roberts' every day. I can't believe Mom and Dad agreed to let me stay with Uncle Mac in the first place."
"I can believe it." Chris dropped down onto the couch opposite her, stretching out his long legs. "You may be a dreamer and prefer fantasy and being by yourself to real life, Becky, but you've also got a 'good head on your shoulders,' as Mac would say. You're smart and responsible. Mom and Dad trust you more than they do me to look after things here when they get busy at work. And Mom says Mac's pretty independent too; you're a lot like him."
"You really think so?"
"Sure. It's why you guys get along so well. I'm jealous. You get to spend time with our cool uncle down in Southern California while I'm stuck up here working with Dad at summer camp looking after a bunch of noisy brats. And then in September I'm gonna be kicked out of the house straight to suffer through basic training all the way out in Illinois."
"Oh, get real. You like being a camp counselor, and you've wanted to join the Navy for years. You'll love it." Becky smiled at her brother. They'd gotten involved in some pretty spectacular fights lately, but it was nice to kick back and relax before going their separate ways. "I'll miss you, crazy freak."
"I'll miss you too, little squirt."
The doorbell rang, and Becky got up to answer. MacGyver grinned down at her as she opened the door; he had apparently been letting his brown hair grow out then cut into a somewhat spiky style, but the eyes were still the same beautiful dark color that seemed to reach right into her soul. "Hey, did someone here order a taxi all the way to L.A.?"
"Unc! Hey!" She wrapped her arms around him and he returned the affectionate embrace. "I'm really glad you're here."
"So am I, Beck. How're you doin'? All set for tomorrow?"
"I'm terrific. Thanks for the birthday present, by the way." It was a sturdy blue canvas-and-leather backpack with her initials embroidered on it in purple and lots of pockets. She smiled, remembering the beautiful card accompanying it.
"You're welcome. Just a little something I thought might come in handy for our day trips. Plus you could use it later for school. You really like it?"
"Of course I do. My favorite colors and everything. It's so thoughtful of you. Let's see if Mom's almost done packing my stuff. Last I saw she was attempting to fit my entire closet into one suitcase." They looked in her room and saw not one suitcase but three sitting by the dresser. The backpack was leaning against them, also crammed full of stuff. "Geez," she sighed. "Talk about being too prepared, Mom. It's only three months."
"As I told you before, Becky," Allison said from behind them, "it's better to be safe than sorry. I like to think ahead, whereas my brother," smiling affectionately at Mac, "prefers to think on his feet."
He shrugged. "It works for me, anyway. Hi, sis," reaching over for a hug and kiss. "You got anything to eat? Haven't had a bite since the airport in Fairbanks."
"I think I can scrounge something up, even if it's just banana pancakes and scrambled eggs."
"You sure you want to handle that by yourself, Allie? Maybe I oughta be making the pancakes instead, now I think about it. Seeing as how you're not the world's greatest cook and all..."
"Oh, hush." She smacked him on the arm and he chuckled. "Follow me into the kitchen, you two. And then bedtime after he's done eating, young lady. It's almost ten o'clock."
That was way too early to go to bed. "But, Mom-"
Mac put his arm around Becky as they entered the kitchen, forestalling any potential arguments. "Hey, look at it this way. The sooner you go to bed, the sooner we can get outta here in the morning. C'mon, what do you say?"
She sighed. It was hard to argue with his logic, really, even though she was used to staying up much later then her parents knew. Not to mention she was anxious to get her perfect vacation off on the right start. "Oh, all right."
"That's my girl." He squeezed her shoulders lightly. "Sit by me and I'll tell you how I almost got attacked by polar bears up in Alaska."
"Becky. Wake up, sweetheart. It's seven-thirty. Time to go," MacGyver whispered to his niece as he shook her small shoulder gently. It'll snow in July before she'd ever get up early on her own, he thought to himself with a smile. Obviously not a morning person like he was. He softly whispered her name again and saw her eyelids slowly open.
She yawned, blinked a few times then broke into a broad grin. "Unc! Is it time? Are you ready to go?"
"You bet. Your stuff is already in the car. All we need to do is let you get dressed and have breakfast."
"Sure. I'll be ready in a few minutes."
Allison, Michael and Chris were waiting by the front door after breakfast. As they all exchanged farewells, kisses, and hugs, MacGyver silently counted himself lucky to be part of such a warm, loving family.
If I didn't have these guys and Harry, I think I'd be really lonely and not even know it.
"Sweetheart," Allison said. "Would you mind waiting in the car? I need to tell Mac something in private before you go."
Once Becky was gone he turned to his sister, startled to find tears forming in her eyes. "Hey Allie, relax. I'll see you late August when I bring Becky back up. Don't worry about a thing. We'll be fine."
She kissed his cheek, flinging her arms around him. "I know, Mac. But I've had this feeling lately I'll never see either of you again. I've had these dreams... Well. We drew up a will a while back with a lawyer friend of ours; he'll be in contact if anything happens."
She looked like she was about to say more, but instead shook her head. "Never mind." Her arms tightened around him. "I love you so much, little brother. Have a safe trip. Take good care of my daughter."
"You know I will," he replied, somewhat taken back at her fierceness. "Love you too, big sister. I'll call when we arrive in L.A."
Allison finally released him and stepped back, letting Mac go with a sad smile. "Don't keep your niece waiting any longer. Looks like she's chomping at the bit to get going."
Finally they were out of Salem, on their way south on Interstate 5. Over the next day and a half uncle and niece caught up on each other's lives and discussed all the things they could do during her vacation. By the time they reached Los Angeles they had Disneyland and other theme parks, several area museums, a tour of Hollywood and the major studios, a day at the beach, hikes and stargazing nights up in the surrounding hills, and an all-night movie marathon worked into their plans, along with other activities.
"Sounds like an ambitious summer for us, doesn't it?" Mac remarked. "We might not get to do everything we want to, you know. No telling when my new job could get me hauled halfway around the world at a moment's notice, or how long I'll be gone."
"Guess that means I'll have to come visit you next year to finish our list, then," Becky laughed. "But seriously Unc, I know what you mean. I'm just grateful we've got this much free time to spend together as it is."
"Me too, Beck," he replied, reaching over to squeeze her hand. "Me too." He turned the car off Interstate 5 and onto Highway 110, grinning as he heard Becky gasp upon seeing the tall buildings of downtown come into view at the top of the ridge. Yeah, he thought, this is gonna be the best vacation we've both had in a long time.
After a stop at the airport to exchange the rental car for Mac's jeep, they continued on to the Larchmont neighborhood where he lived, in an open loft above some shops with a huge skylight.
"Nice place, Unc."
"Thanks. Make yourself at home." He hoped she'd be comfortable enough; too bad it was only for a few months.
The summer suddenly seemed very short.
"What do you want to do first?" MacGyver asked her as they finished unpacking her things in the guest room.
"Why don't we have lunch? Then we can go to the Foundation so I can see this new place you work at. And I can't wait to meet all the interesting friends you have there, too."
"If you insist, Becky. Let's go."
Pete looked disgustedly at a stack of papers and thought about how satisfying it would be to see them on fire rather then sort through them. At a knock on his door, he looked up and saw MacGyver enter the office with a teenage girl in tow. "Hey, Pete."
"Hi, Mac. I didn't know you were coming in today. How was Alaska?"
"It went okay. Nothing I couldn't handle, tell you about it later. This," setting an arm around her shoulders, "is Becky Grahme, my niece. I told you she's going to be staying with me for the summer, remember? She wanted to look around the Foundation. You know, get an idea of where I'm working these days."
"Hi, Becky. I'm Pete Thornton, your uncle's tyrannical boss," he said with good-humored sarcasm. Mac chuckled. "Welcome to the Phoenix Foundation, and to L.A." He shook her hand and showed her to the couch.
"Thank you," she replied shyly. As she sat down, he was reminded of a picture he'd once seen at the loft. Becky had her mother's blue eyes, auburn hair and petite form, yet she and Mac could easily be mistaken for father and daughter, instead of uncle and niece. He wondered if there were any other traits they had in common.
As they chatted Pete noticed MacGyver's fond smile and gentle touches, putting her more at ease; obviously they had a pretty close relationship. He was glad his friend- a loner in the Great Game for as long as they'd known each other- had someone to care for after all.
"Do you two have plans for the summer?"
"When you don't have any assignments for me, we're going to Disneyland and the beach, maybe take a tour of Hollywood, that sort of thing. But we really hope just to spend some time together. This is the only chance both of us have had since Christmas, and we don't want to waste it if we can help it."
Pete nodded. "I can certainly understand that. Then don't worry, Mac. I'll call you only if it's absolutely urgent, something that only you can deal with."
"That would be great. Thanks." He rose from the couch and helped his niece up, adding, "I thought we might start with your office, then a tour of the labs."
"Sure, sounds like a good idea. Nice meeting you, Becky, and I hope to see you again soon," he added before they closed the door behind them.
After a thorough tour of the Foundation's extensive facilities- including some that, Mac indicated with a wink, were top secret and could only be accessed through his key card and voice print- they headed back to the loft, stopping for dinner and groceries on the way.
As Becky watched TV and MacGyver sorted through the accumulated newspapers and mail she began to yawn. "Hey, you look tired. Ready for bed yet?"
"Why? It's not even 10 o'clock. My vacation's just begun; I don't want to miss a minute of it. You know I'm a night-owl. I'm not ready to go to bed." She yawned again. "Really Unc, I'm not."
He looked up from the magazine, raising an eyebrow at his niece. Suddenly he realized the full extent of the responsibility he had just taken on for the summer. She was there as a guest, but as she was still a minor it meant he would also have to act as a surrogate parent.
With a kid as smart and perceptive as Becky, he decided, it would take something of a light touch. "Well, why don't you go shower and change into your pajamas anyway? Then whenever you're ready all you have to do is climb into bed."
"You think I should?"
"Couldn't hurt, right? There's a set of blue towels especially for you in the bathroom. Mine are the brown ones. They're clean, but I didn't have time to do any folding before I left. I'll be right out here if you need anything."
She grumbled a bit but made her way to the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later he heard the sound of a hair dryer then the door opened, releasing a cloud of steam and Becky in her pajamas, looking exhausted. "Okay, you win," she sighed. "I guess it's time for bed after all."
He smiled. "C'mon, I'll tuck you in." He followed her into the guest room, sitting on the edge of the bed as she climbed in. "I'm really glad you're here, Becky. You know that? We're gonna have so much fun together." He smoothed the sheet and blanket over her, then tenderly kissed her on the cheek. "Good night, sweetheart. I love you. Sleep well."
"I love you too, Uncle Mac. See you in the morning." She smiled and closed her eyes.
Once he was sure she was sound asleep he picked up the phone, dialing a number as he sat outside on the balcony. "Hey, Allie? It's me. Yeah, we made it here safe." He chuckled. "No, there were no adventures on the way down. ...Aw c'mon, it's not like that stuff happens to me all the time! ...Becky's fine. She's even already in bed. Think I'll head that way myself soon. ...Yeah, I'll make sure she calls you in a few days. I'm sure she'll already have a lot to tell you. ...You guys have a good summer too. See you late August. Love you, sis. Take care."
After hanging up the phone MacGyver stayed outside for a while longer, contemplating the early summer evening and his family.
It felt right to have Becky here, he decided. Like it was meant to be.
Too bad it was only for the summer, though.