*all ages

First let me say that any similarities between this story and the fabulous work of other people in this group, is truly unintentional. I guess it must mean that we all love these characters TOO much and have plotted out their futures in occasionally similar ways. I wrote the first draft of this back in November 1999. I tried to figure out where they'd all go to school by using one of those Graduate guides the library stocks. I've enrolled Brian in a school that combines pre-med and the medical course 'cause I thought he'd want to get into his study from day one. I've also sent some of the characters on vacation to Canada 'cause that's where my husband and I went on our honeymoon and I have fond memories of the Banff area. I'm assuming a few things about the campgrounds in that area based on my memories of the region however. I hope you enjoy this and thank you to everyone in this group for making my move from Australia to the US for 2 years an easy one. You've helped me through homesickness on many occasions! My thanks especially go to Sandra and Limarie for reviewing this.

All I Want Is You

by Kellie

‘Thank goodness that exam is over’, thought the 19-year-old blonde. ‘That was one of my least favorite subjects’, she thought as she piled discarded notes she’d been making for days into the waste paper basket and removed paper clips from other bunches of papers. ‘What a bore!’

Normally Trixie loved her studies. After finishing high school in Sleepyside, a small town in New York State, she and her best friend Honey Wheeler had been attending State University of New York majoring in criminal and justice studies. Where Trixie’s high school grades had been less than outstanding at times, Trixie found university to suit her to a tee.

‘Don’t have to do math anymore, don’t have to wear a skirt, don’t have to turn up to class, if I’d rather sleep in,’ she had explained to anyone who wanted to know why her grades had turned around.

Trixie’s grades had improved dramatically, perhaps less because of the freedom she now had in contrast to high school, than that she could now study just what she pleased. Her family and friends had never had to shrug blankly when people asked what Trixie wanted to do after school finished. Trixie and Honey had been sleuthing together since they were 13, and hoped on completion of university to pursue detective work seriously. A degree in criminology and justice studies was the stepping stone to a career in either the FBI or another law enforcement agency. They still talked about opening their own agency further down the track as well.

Honey had shown a considerable skill in business studies and business law at college. Her father joked that the family money had rubbed off on her, but Honey was a good student. She was a fair way toward proving she had the brains to run her father’s business if she chose to pursue it. However, Honey like Trixie was more interested in their criminal studies to ever settle for the business world solely.

Trixie stretched and thought excitedly of the prospect of almost three lovely months of vacation. She and Honey were going home to Sleepyside for a short time to visit their respective families before catching up with another group of friends who were heading up to Canada. Neither Trixie nor Honey had ever been to the Rockies and despite the absence of snow runs they were hoping to enjoy a week ‘roughing it’ in a small resort town near a lake and hiking trails. They’d spent their spring break at the beach and had decided very quickly that they’d rather have the mountains over the beach any day, when hundreds of other like-minded students had descended on the same beach. The sun and sand had been nice, but it had been just a bit too crowded.

Eventually the girls hoped to earn some money over the summer break, but they wanted a vacation first. ‘It’s a pity the Sleepyside police doesn’t take on interns’, thought Trixie with a giggle. ‘I think Sgt Molinson would pay for the privilege of bawling me out’. She and Honey had given Sgt Molinson of the Sleepyside Police Force many opportunities for lecturing them in the past during their ‘schoolgirl shamus’ years.

‘At least I’ll be able to catch up with all the other Bob-Whites this summer,' thought Trixie. What Trixie really meant was Jim, but there was no way she was going to admit even to herself that he was the chief reason she was looking forward to going home.

Trixie’s eldest brother, Brian had just finished his fourth year of medicine and was coming home for vacation as well. He was studying at Pennsylvania State University, having won a scholarship there after high school. Trixie’s middle brother, Mart, had gone to Texas A&M also on scholarship. He had just finished his junior year and was looking forward to a career in agricultural management. Brian had remarked that management seemed to suit Mart’s style more considering he’d always preferred watching his brothers and sister hoeing, picking and weeding the Belden farm to doing it himself. Mart hadn’t been home in a while, and though Trixie rarely admitted it out loud, she missed him very much. Mart teased her endlessly and drove her crazy with his extraordinary vocabulary, but he was her strongest supporter when it came to pursuing her detective work and her career goals. Where Brian worried what might happen to Honey or herself in the course of a case, Mart worried about the criminals she was going to pursue, he’d say with a grin. He thought they had more to worry about than Trixie. He was flying home tomorrow.

‘I think I’ll ring Honey before I start packing,’ thought Trixie. ‘Hopefully she and Di will have finished packing and we can head out for home’. Honey and Trixie had chosen not to room together at college. It meant big phone bills, but the girls enjoyed their separate spaces, in addition to hanging out in each other's rooms at night and on the weekends. Trixie roomed with another girl while Honey lived in a room with Di, their old school friend and club member.

Di had pursued art history after high school and was enjoying her studies as much as Trixie and Honey. Di was very popular with the guys on campus and did some modeling work to pay some of her bills. Like Honey, she wanted to be independent of her father’s wealth to some degree, even if he was contributing to her college tuition.

Di was looking forward to catching up with Mart too. There were lots of good looking, funny and sexy guys at university, but they didn’t make her heart pound like Mart did. Mart and Di had been the first of the Bob-Whites to start dating. Mart had mustered up the courage to ask Diana out in his final year of high school and while their relationship was pretty easy-going, Trixie made a point of not mentioning Diana’s dates in her emails and calls to Mart. She knew that they were playing it cool until they figured out how they really felt about one another.

Even Honey and Brian had started dating in Honey’s final year of high school. While Brian was pretty much consumed by his studies to the exclusion of all else, Trixie suspected that Honey still carried a torch for Brian and vice versa. They didn’t get to see one another much. Honey went out with a few of her classmates, but chiefly hung out with Trixie and Di and their group of friends.

Of all the Bob-Whites, that left Trixie, Jim and Dan unaccounted for romantically. Dan was also studying justice studies and he planned on becoming a detective with the New York Police Department after his senior year of college. Dan and his uncle Bill Regan still lived in Sleepyside, although Regan had married a year ago. Regan still chipped in to pay Dan’s bills, although they fought constantly about this arrangement. Dan was as proud as ever about paying his own way, but Regan had ‘stubborn’ all sewn up. He wanted Dan to have some fun at college. He didn’t want his nephew to make college one long work/study fest in order to pay the bills. So Dan had spare time for girls, and Trixie suspected that he still talked to her cousin Hallie in Idaho. Dan and Hallie had had a crush on one another as kids and while everyone else had given up thinking about them as a possible couple, Trixie still thought they might surprise the rest of them.

‘Jim will be home tomorrow,' thought Trixie. Jim Frayne was Honey’s adopted brother and Brian’s best friend. Trixie wouldn’t admit it even under pain of much teasing from Honey that she was still hopelessly in love with Jim. But with him off studying at Stanford University, there was little opportunity of seeing him, let alone dating him. Jim planned to begin his Masters degree in Education later that year. He was coming home for the break, but hadn’t been home since Christmas. Trixie had considered dieting to fit into her most attractive swimsuit to impress him, but had given that up as a pointless activity during the pressures of exam and the chocolate eating festival that had been her life during May. She and Jim had shared 3 official dates together and they lived in her memory. However he had not offered her more than a quick kiss on the cheek and a hug last time she had seen him, and her dreams had had to make up for the absence of something more passionate and more tangible.

Trixie sometimes dreaded hearing Honey read out his emails to her for they frequently mentioned other girls’ names, and she assumed that Jim was dating a lot of girls. After all he was almost 21. ‘He’s gorgeous, he’s rich, he’s charming. Of course he’d be more interested in older girls and not you Trix!’, she thought to herself. But still she loved him. She sometimes thought that if they’d not met as kids he would have taken her more seriously now. ‘Of course that doesn’t make sense, since if you hadn’t met him when you were 13, you wouldn’t know him now, and he would never have been adopted by the Wheelers,' Trixie reminded herself. ‘Only Honey would understand the logic of that comment,’ she laughed to herself. However, Trixie suspected Jim felt friendship for her alone and not the thing she wanted. Trixie of course did not have the benefit of knowing that Jim carried her photo in his wallet. Nor did she know that he spent a lot of time drafting letters to her in his head that were never written or posted. In truth, Jim hoped to catch Trixie alone this vacation, without the gang around, but that was all he’d admit to himself in the clear light of day.

 

Two days later

The Wheeler’s Lake.

Mart and Brian were cooking hamburger meat, or rather Brian was, while Mart observed. Di and Honey were buttering rolls while Dan was pouring sodas. The CD player blasted, the sun shone, the meat sizzled. It was like old times.

"I’m going to go fetch that ice cream cake Moms bought for us in town. I think there’ll be room in the cooler after we eat all this stuff if I bring some more ice up too," announced Trixie.

"I’ll go with you, Trix, in case you get side tracked by Bobby on the way back," said Jim, as he jumped up from the bench.

Di and Honey looked at one another and grinned. Mart and Dan rolled their eyes and chuckled. Yeah, real transparent that one.

"Hey, Trix, wait up a second." They’d just passed their old clubhouse.

"Yes, Jim?"

"Honey told me last night that you thought I was dating Sonya. For the record, I’m not."

"Oh? Not that it’s any of my business or anything," offered Trixie. Not sounding cool Trixie.

"Trix, can I ask you something?" Why am I sweating?

"Yes, Jim?"

"Would you go to the movies with me tonight?"

"Yeah, sure. Honey wants to see that thriller that just came out too."

"No, not with Honey. Just us. Is that a problem?"

"No. Sorry. I guess I just assumed we’d all be going…"

"Would you rather they did?"

"No, truly," answered Trixie trying to keep her voice level.

"Trixie, I know you and Honey are going off to Canada in a few weeks, but do you think you could maybe include one more in those plans? Do you think I could go with you both?"

"Well sure. Canada’s big enough for us all," she said with a lame laugh.

"The truth of the matter is I’m feeling burned out. I need a break and the chance to recharge the batteries so to speak before I go back to college in the fall."

"That would be great, Jim. You’d be very welcome. You do look tired."

"Trixie, that’s not the only reason I want to go."

"Oh?"

"I want to be with you. Gulp! I want to be where you are. I mean, I want to hang out with you…"

Trixie looked at Jim curiously.

"This isn’t coming out right. Trixie, I'm in love with you." Jim took a deep breath. ‘I’ve spent six years wanting to say that." He paused. Trixie held her breath.

"Trix, I think you are the prettiest, most intelligent, most desirable girl I’ve ever known. I can’t take the chance you’ll go off and fall in love with someone else. There, I’ve said it. I’ve been too scared to tell you that before, but you look so gorgeous today, and Honey has been driving me crazy telling me how you’re so popular at college, that’s it been eating at me since I got home. To be honest, it’s been eating at me for years, but I’ve just been too scared to tell you. You must think I'm such a loser for not telling you this before..."

"Jim!"

"Yeah?"

"I can’t believe what you just said." Please tell me I’m not dreaming.

"I-"

"No, Jim. Please be quiet." Trixie took a step toward Jim. "I’ve waited to hear those words for so long. I was starting to think I’d never hear them…. Please don’t think I’m forward if I do this – " Trixie stood on tiptoes and kissed him.

Jim returned the kiss a second later.

Trixie's heart was beating furiously. 'He does love me,' she thought to herself ecstatically. 'This is really happening'.

They were about to lean in for another kiss when Jim broke away and looked earnestly into Trixie's face.

"Trix, does this mean you feel the same way?" appealed Jim looking more like the boy she'd met that first day in his uncle's mansion than the almost 21 year old man he was.

"Yes," replied Trixie, almost unable to meet his eyes. His look was so intense that she felt herself blushing beneath it. "I wanted to tell you last year when I graduated high school, and you don't know how much I wanted to go to your graduation at Stanford, just so that I could throw myself at you.' Trixie started to laugh. 'That makes me sound completely desperate doesn’t it? I really wanted to be there to tell you how much I cared, and how thrilled I was for you. But I guess it was easier to plead poverty than to admit that I really wanted to be there just to see you and hold you and…"

Jim kissed her again, too happy to hear anymore. 'She tastes so sweet,' he thought giving in to the moment.

"I have to come up for air," gasped Trixie as she broke away from his arms.

"Well you don’t have to go over there to do that," grinned Jim as he reached out to hold her waist in a lock. "You have the most incredible blue eyes."

"Really? Let’s try that kissing thing again."

 

Five minutes later.

"Do you think we’d better go get that ice cream cake?"

"Yeah. I’m not sure we’ll be able to offer the Bobby excuse as a genuine reason for our absence otherwise," grinned Jim.

"Yeah, especially since he's probably gone to the Lynches'. You don’t think they’d notice our silly grins or my bruised lips I suppose?" she laughed.

"Nahh."

"Jim, not that I’m any more brave than you are or anything… I can go sleuthing after a criminal without a second thought… but how come it’s taken so long for you to tell me how you feel?" Trixie looked up at him with twinkling eyes.

Jim suppressed the urge to kiss her again and grudgingly admitted- "I guess I’m kind of single-minded about stuff. I kept telling myself - ‘She’s two years younger than you, you’ve got to get through school first and get your career rolling, you can’t fall in love at 15 and expect that you’ll still feel the same way six years later. I was really doing a number on myself."

"You really fell for me when I was thirteen?" asked Trixie shyly. "But I was so ugly back then, and such a tomboy. I knew you liked my company, but I could never be sure you didn't prefer other girls your same age."

"Trixie, you were never ugly. You were spunky! You still are! You don't know what kind of effect you have on me. I guess that’s what forced me into action. It’s easy to preoccupy yourself with study and work when I’m not around you, but up close, you’re a force to be reckoned with," Jim grinned at her cheekily.

"Oh yeah?" answered Trixie throwing her arms around him and pushing him off balance.

"Two can play that game Miss Belden," Jim said as he reached down to tickle her.

"Okay, okay. Look we’d better get that cake before they really get suspicious."

"I need a kiss first...no, not like that. A real one."

Trixie rolled her eyes and obliged. Eventually they pulled themselves away from one another and walked hand in hand down to Crabapple Farm. They separated at the door. However, Trixie’s mother had seen them walking down the path, and suppressing a smile she opened the door for them.

"Hi Jim, Trixie. How's the lunch going? Have you come for the cake, hon?"

"Yes, Moms. I thought Dad, Bobby and Mart were going to get eat it all earlier, Jim, but Moms and I managed to pry it out of their greedy hands."

"Mart’s probably finished the food up even as we speak."

"We’d better go Moms. Thanks for protecting this for us. We’ll see you later."

"Okay, Trixie. Bye Jim."

"Goodbye, Mrs Belden."

They let the screen slam shut as they left and Trixie offered a sheepish  "Sorry."

Mrs Belden smiled to herself. Something told her Trixie and Jim had had a little talk judging by the looks on their faces. She couldn’t wait to tell Peter followed by Maddy Wheeler. She wondered who had broken the deadlock first.

 

Back at the lake.

"I don’t think I can hold out much longer for ice cream, Di," grumbled Mart. "Where’s that errant sister of mine? I need further sustenance."

"But Mart, you’ve already had three burgers and salad. I don’t know where you’ve put it all," replied Di with a smile at the others.

Mart patted his stomach with relish in answer to that statement. Just as Brian was about to comment that Mart's stomach was pretty frightening, Trixie and Jim returned to the group.

"Trix, Jim, I’m not sure there’s much left. Mart has been trying to catch up with his food intake. It would seem that they don’t feed him enough down Texas way," winked Honey in their direction.

"Sorry, we’ve been so slow."

"Don't worry. There's still plenty left. Can I get either of you a burger?"

Both Trixie and Jim nodded.

"What do you think about inviting a few of the old Sleepyside crowd to the house tonight to catch up, Jim? Trixie? Do you think it's too late notice?"

"That sounds good Honey, but Jim and I have got plans tonight," countered Trixie trying to keep a smile off her face.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, Trixie and I are going to catch a film tonight. I’m sorry that we won’t catch up with some of the gang tonight, but there’ll be other times yet this summer," said Jim lightly, trying to avoid the quizzical look his sister was giving him.

"Oh and Honey, Jim has asked if he can go up to Canada with us," Trixie said innocently.

"Oh yes?" replied the others.

"And why not?" insisted Trixie. "Jim just wants to come hiking with us up in Canada before he goes back to school."

"Yeah right," muttered Mart as he started scooping ice cream into a bowl. Di kicked him in the shins but not before she'd let a big grin cover her pretty face. Honey took one look at Di, with her hand now covering her smile, and then of Mart rubbing his ankle, before laughing at the flush that had overtaken Jim's face.

Jim tried to affect a serious look of extreme interest in hiking, but even Brian was now looking at him doubtfully. He decided to end this torture by pulling Trixie into a hug to her surprise and embarrassment. The others now showed open amusement and interest. 'Oh God, why were they all so nosy?' he thought burying his red face in her curls. 'Was dating Trixie going to affect everyone like this?'

"No fair staring, guys. We didn’t laugh at you when you all paired off, you included Dan. So stop teasing us," bristled Trixie as she pulled away from Jim. "You’d better get your fill of laughs now, because this is your one and only chance. Okay? Or else I'm going to start recalling events and dewy looks that I've seen between the rest of you, and let me tell you I've got a very long list and a very good memory."

"Yes, Trixie," agreed Honey and Di not wanting to tempt fate any longer by teasing her. Brian still looked like he'd only just realized that someone had now expressed open interest in his sister. Mart looked at Di and hoped she hadn't been talking about him with Trixie, or else he was definitely in a weak position now. He wasn't even going to comment on Trixie's remark about possessing an excellent memory for fear of it being only too true. Dan just grinned at Trixie, and chuckled at the confused look on Jim's face of a man both stunned and pleased by Trixie's moxie for taking the lead. You had to hand it to her. She could bluff her way out of any situation.

 

Some time later

Mart and Di had gone for a walk in the preserve, but Honey, Brian, Dan, Trixie and Jim still sat at the tables by the lake.

"So tell us about the Canada plans, Trix?" asked Dan. "Where are you heading to?"

"We’re heading up to the area around Banff," replied Honey. "My cousin Ben went there last year and raved about it to me a few months back. He was up there with a cycling club and they were doing some kind of endurance training, and he just raved about the scenery. After the debacle at the beach this year, Trixie and I just decided we wanted a holiday with less people, rather than more."

"And we both thought back to our most favorite holidays with the Bob-Whites and they were places like the Ozarks and to Idaho," added Trixie. "I know there’s plenty of woods around New York, but I’ve always had a hankering to see some of Canada and Ben certainly made it sound very appealing to Honey. There’s a bunch of us from college going to meet up there and if they haven’t managed to get us a place with cabins, we’ll be camping. I think it will be fun."

"How are you getting up there?" asked Dan.

"Trixie and I booked tickets on the cheapest flights we could get," answered Honey. ‘We’ll have to get a flight for you too, Jim."

"What are the rest of you doing over the summer?" asked Jim.

"Brian?" Honey turned her eyes toward Brian, hoping the Canada trip sounded good to him too. She wouldn’t mind at all if he wanted to come along.

"I’m not sure. I think I’ve got some work lined up at the hospital. I’ve got to give them a call later today and find out if it’s confirmed. I really need the money and the experience."

"Dan?" asked Honey, trying not to sound disappointed.

"Well, I was just going to hang around here for a while," replied Dan adding, "Hallie is flying in next week for some sort of convention in New York and I promised her I would show her all the sights."

"Hallie is flying in?"

"When?"

"She never mentioned that in her last email?"

"So you’ve still got something going with Hallie, Dan?" asked Trixie with a smile. ‘Sorry. I know I’ve got no right to pry…especially in light of my recent comments.’

Jim looked at her and tried not to grin. This was going to be so cool. He should have told her how he felt years ago. He just loved watching her blush.

"Well we still keep in contact obviously," said Dan trying to help Trixie out. "I saw her last year and she still seemed interested then… Heck I can't talk about this kind of stuff with you guys! This is way too serious conversation for me. I’m going to head up to Mr Maypenny’s. I think he wanted me to get some stuff for him in town. Mr Lytell's range of goods has suddenly become limited or something. Give me a ring later Honey if you do confirm tonight with the old gang?" Dan waved goodbye. Trixie and Honey smiled at one another and laughed. They just loved watching their old friend squirm. Usually he was the one listening to their tales of dating woe. It was a nice change for the shoe to be on the other foot.

"We’d better get this stuff back to the kitchen. Brian, will you give me a hand?"

Honey and Brian started collecting the last group of plates and glasses together and walked up the hill with them. Trixie smiled at them as they left. She knew Honey wanted to leave her and Jim alone. Honey was the best.

"So, Trix?"

"So, Jim?"

He picked up her hand and played with it lovingly.

"Jim, if you keep on doing that, I’m going to have to kiss you."

"That’s good to know for future reference."

Trixie pulled herself up from the bench and dragged Jim over to the side of the dock.

"Well, if you’re going to be like that, I think this is only fair." Trixie pushed Jim into the lake. Unfortunately he pulled her with him.

They came up spluttering and commenced a water fight. Jim made a lunge for Trixie and kissed her. It was hard to tell whether the labored breathing was a consequence of the water fight or the length of the kiss when they finally broke away.

They swam back to the dock and pulled themselves out of the water. Jim reached for their towels and wrapped one around Trixie, pulling her close.

"Trix. You are happy that I told you what I said before?"

"About what?"

He rolled his eyes at her. "That I loved you," he replied.

"Yes, Jim. Very happy. You’re going to make it really hard for me to concentrate on my studies when I go back to school in the fall…that’s assuming you still want me then..." Trixie’s face clouded over thinking about that possibility.

"Trix, this isn’t just a fleeting thing I feel for you…maybe it’s not fair to ask you to be my girlfriend now." Jim looked as if he was going to change his mind.

"No way Jim Frayne. You’re not going to get out of this now by thinking about how young I am or something equally ridiculous. I am perfectly capable of juggling you and my studies, even if you continue to live in another state. There is such a thing as email." She giggled. Jim looked into her big blue eyes and kicked himself internally for even thinking he could leave her now. She’d had him hooked from day one. He’d just been trying to be the sensible one for so long.

"Yes, Miss Belden. I believe you can. I’m the one who needed help in resisting you, not the other way around." He grinned as he pulled her into another long kiss.

"This is better than solving mysteries any day," Trixie sighed.

"Can I get that on tape?" asked Mart as he emerged from the path with Di.

 

Canada - Two weeks later

"It’s so quiet and peaceful, isn’t it, Honey? I don’t think I ever want to go home," sighed Trixie as she pulled her hiking boots on. They’d arrived in Calgary 5 days ago and had caught up with their friends just outside Banff. They’d had to pitch tents after all, but there were washing and cooking facilities in the camp, so it hadn’t been exactly primitive. There was even a corner store for groceries. Brian had come up with them after all, when his hospital job agreed for him to start a few weeks later than planned. He was going back in a few days time, but Honey was very grateful he had decided to come at all. Mart and Di had stayed in Sleepyside for the summer. Di had a job at a museum and Mart had found something local too. It was obvious he’d wanted to hang around her for the summer.

"Okay, Trix, Honey, the others are going to meet us at the trailhead near the store."

"Are you ready yet?" asked Jim, poking his head into their tent.

"Give us a minute, we had to do the dishes this morning, so of course we’re not as ready as you guys," she replied with a smile.

They’d had good weather so far, only one afternoon with heavy rain. Trixie’s roommate from college had come along and the other campers in the group were friends from Honey’s and Trixie’s classes, along with a few other tagalongs. In all, there was about 14 of them. Unfortunately the 8 girls outnumbered the 6 boys, and both Honey and Trixie often found Jim and Brian caught up helping their female friends. Brian was always looking after someone’s cuts and allergies, while Jim was often called to demonstrate his outdoor skills with tents and cooking. Trixie had felt a few jealous twinges at times especially when her roommate Kate took up all of Jim’s attention, but she tried to swallow it. This was going to happen a lot she figured, and she felt she’d better learn to handle it rather than imagine the worst.

"You ready Honey?"

"Yes, let’s go."

Brian and Jim with rucksacks on were poring over a map planning the day’s hiking. There were quite a few lakes in the area and lots of wildlife. Jim was in his element. Trixie had had many opportunities for smiling to herself about how ‘right’ he looked in this environment. Jim had caught her silly grin on several occasions and wondered what she was thinking. "Had she been laughing at him?"

"Okay, I think we should head west to the lake and head up the trail for a few hours. What do you think?"

"Sounds good."

Jim took the lead with Brian heading to the trailhead where they would meet their friends. Honey and Trixie weren’t far behind them. When they met up with the rest of the group who were going hiking, Jim and Brian walked ahead with some of the other guys while Trixie and Honey talked to their girl friends. There were two official couples in the group and a lot of talk was about their romances. Trixie and Honey rolled their eyes at one another and hoped they weren’t so obsessed as these girls were with their boyfriends. They took it all so seriously. Everything their partners said was talked about and mulled over. There was absolutely nothing private. At least there hadn’t been too much talk about sex up to now. That was going to get just a bit too revealing in such a small group.

"I don’t think I want to hear about John’s smelly socks one more time," muttered Trixie under her breath to Honey.

"But I’m sure John’s smelly socks are very important to Julie," smiled Honey. "This could be the defining moment of their relationship – if John can pick his smelly socks up just one time without prompting."

They giggled to one another.

"Yeah, and if Brian asks Beth about her blisters one more time, I’m going to scream," chuckled Trixie. "He’s always so interested in that stuff. Doesn’t he get enough of that in his studies? He’s going to be sick of hearing about everyone’s aches and pains by the time he finishes his medical degree at this rate, and if he’s not, I will be."

"I personally think Beth creates blisters just so that Brian can look at her legs," replied Honey looking angelic.

"You are getting so sarcastic Honey Wheeler," chuckled Trixie. "And I love that side of you. Brian is just a little too caught up in everyone else. I think he’s been suffering for lack of female company up at Penn State."

"Just my luck," sighed Honey turning serious. "Just when I get him alone, I have all these other girls competing for his attention. Trix, you know, and I wouldn’t say this to anyone but you, I don’t think Brian is as interested in me as he used to be. I thought it might be that he’s just been so busy with his studies that he wasn’t able to email and ring me more. But I think he’s moved on from us. That’s really scary to say, but I think it’s true. We’ve outgrown one another or at least he has."

"Oh Honey, I hope that’s not true." She stopped to squeeze Honey's hand reassuringly. "I know he still cares about you. Maybe you need to get more blisters to get his attention, that’s all," offered Trixie with a lame laugh.

"No. I don’t think that would even help. I should feel worse about this if it is true, but somehow I don’t. Maybe it was good that he was able to come up here and we could work this through. The forest seems to make me feel calmer about all this." Honey didn't sound very convincing.

"I think you need to talk to Brian, Honey."

"I don’t think I want to," she replied looking sad and scared. "I’d hate for him to think I had been lovesick over him if he has really stopped thinking about me that way. I’d feel too embarrassed for him to know what I’d been thinking."

Trixie shook her head slowly in silent agreement. She understood what Honey felt. If Jim hadn’t revealed that he loved her recently, she might have been in the same position. She put her arm around Honey and hugged her quickly. She hoped that Honey was just imagining Brian's loss of interest. Trixie wished she knew Brian’s mind better, but with him away at college they hadn’t had as much time to talk as they’d once had. She had no idea if he still was interested in Honey or not. She hadn’t seen them kiss in ages, whereas Jim was always trying to sneak kisses from Trixie now. She’d have to do some more sleuthing to find out.

 

Later that day

It was 9.30pm and most of the campers were settling in for the night. You could hear radios playing in a few tents, but otherwise it was pretty quiet. Trixie was preparing to go brush her teeth. Honey had already headed for bed ten minutes ago. Just as Trixie was heading toward the washroom facilities, someone caught up with her from behind and pulled her off the path. Jim gave her a deep kiss and then held her tightly for what seemed like hours.

"Do I know you?" asked Trixie innocently.

"Well I reckon you do?" answered Jim in his worst John Wayne voice.

"Do you do this for all the girls, Mr Frayne, or is there something special about me?"

"All the girls…okay, okay, you don’t have to hit me..just you."

"That’s better."

"Trix, is there something up? I’ve been watching you this afternoon and this funny look keeps creeping over your face. Either you’re in pain, or something’s bothering you. What gives?"

"I obviously need to work on my poker face more. No, there’s nothing wrong, Jim," replied Trixie not being entirely honest.

"Well, then why the face?"

"It’s my face. I can wear whatever expression I want."

"Trix, you’re being evasive. I’m getting this strong feeling from you that you’re holding something back. Have I done something wrong? Are you annoyed with me about something?" asked Jim quickly.

"No, Jim. You haven’t done anything wrong…Let’s just say that I’ve been working on something in my head today…nothing to do with you."

"Like what?" he persisted.

"You are so nosy."

"Learnt it from you."

"Well you could say that I’m trying to develop a psychological profile - of someone," she offered hoping he would leave it at that.

"That sounds a bit complex for this group. Is that the kind of stuff you and Honey learn at college, in criminology?" Jim asked curiously.

"Well sort of. It's probably more psychology than anything. I took some psych classes this year."

"They're pretty interesting aren't they?" Jim asked, acknowledging his own interest in the topic. "So who’s the profile of? Anyone I know?"

"I can’t talk to you about this without betraying someone’s confidence. No, don’t look at me like that. This is not dangerous or anything like that. There’s no bad guys involved if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m just trying to figure out some stuff about someone."

"You want to break up with me for this someone?" asked Jim nervously.

"No, Jim. This is not about us."

"You’re absolutely sure?"

"Very sure," she replied and to convince him kissed him long and hard. "Oh, Jim, I wish I could talk to you about this, but it’s really not that serious. I’m just trying to figure out something about someone who I thought I knew pretty well. I’m trying to figure out something about them, in case it might help someone else feel better."

"Oh. Okay. I think that makes sense. I get the feeling that you’re not sharing this profiling thing with Honey then? What gives, are you fighting with Honey?"

"No. It’s nothing like that. You are so persistent," she laughed and tried to think of a way to get out of this conversation. "It’s sort of about Honey, but that’s all I’m saying."

"Is it about Honey and Brian, or Honey and someone else? 'Cause if it’s about Honey and Brian well I think something has gone wrong there," Jim replied thoughtfully.

"What makes you think that?" asked Trixie.

"They haven’t talked much this trip. I never see them sit close anymore. I know it’s kind of hard to be demonstrative around here what with all your girl friends watching everything. Yes, I’ve seen their act." He laughed. "I’ve got female friends at college and I know their modus operandi, my schoolgirl shamus. They’ll be teasing you the minute you look at a girl with interest, and they'll want to find out everything if you give them the slightest opening in the conversation."

"Are these female friends or girlfriends, Mr Frayne?" asked Trixie teasingly, hoping he meant the former. "You're most disparaging to the female of the species whatever the answer."

"You know what I mean," he said as he kissed her again.

"So you think something's wrong with Brian and Honey then?" asked Trixie lightly, trying to get the conversation back on line.

"I don’t know. Are they dating other people now? Brian doesn’t talk about anything other than college and cars so I don’t know what’s up with him. It’s not like guys talk about this stuff as a rule you know. And Honey's been keeping to herself a lot." He paused to watch her face. "Do you need my help with your sleuthing then?"

"No. I’m gonna keep working on it. I’ll let you know if there’s anything you need to know."

"That’d be a first then. I seem to remember a number of occasions during high school when I’d have to bring in the police, but only after you and Honey had got into some kind of hot water," he teased.

Trixie bristled.

"Okay, Okay, I’m not lecturing you anymore. I know you hate it. You know I worry about you. I always have. You’re the one girl I know who can get herself in and out of trouble faster than blinking an eye. I know you’ve changed a lot and that you haven’t risked either yourself or Honey’s well being in ages. You seem to have committed the police’s number to memory now, so that’s a big relief to me," Jim admitted giving her another hug. "Should I be worried about Honey then? Is she okay?"

Trixie nodded.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence in my sleuthing," she added. "I've worked hard to get Moms and Dad's trust that my choice of a career path is a sensible one."

"So, Miss Belden, do you need an escort back to your tent? Can I tuck you in?" he asked whispering in her ear and sending shivers down her spine.

Trixie looked up at Jim who was trying not to blush, and hoped her own blush wasn’t showing.

"I think I’ll be alright, Jim," she whispered looking into his eyes. The lights went out over at the washroom and she couldn’t see his green eyes at all now. "Ask me again another time and you might get another answer," she whispered and ran back to her tent before he could grab her again for another kiss.

"Did you brush every tooth for five minutes or something, Trix? I’ve been waiting for you for ages," complained a tired Honey. "Can you put the light out now?"

Story title comes from the U2 song, 'All I want is you'.

The GWP I wrote recently (GWP6 - Mart and the Yowie) continues Mart's story in several years time.

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