FINALLY, A FAMILY VACATION!

"Let's go for a family vacation one day!" It was just an innocent suggestion, so really, I'm not sure why everyone looked so surprised.

It's not like I said, "Let's migrate the whole pack to the Colored Mountain!"

Which was a terrible idea, by the way. One that I would be the first to veto.

"Oh, Sam!" Mum sighed, but she was smiling, "That certainly came from out of the blue."

"Where are you thinking of going?" Dad asked.

O.o wait, we can go? I was hopeful for a moment, and then I recognized the adults' bemused expressions around me. It was like how I would tell them I wanted to be Alpha when I grew up, or explore the Colored Mountains, or that the Packhouse Kitchen cat could talk... They were just going to indulge me. E.g. "Oh, what did the cat tell you?"

But I was older and sneakier - I mean wiser now, so I should take the opportunity to convince the adults. I mean, when I was a dumb pup, I'd just blurt out the first thing that came to mind, but this time around, I think the key to presenting this idea was to couch it so that it would sound attractive and very possible to an adult.

"Like maybe we could go to Night Forest." We had family at Night Forest, and we went almost every summer anyway.

"Oh good." Beta Lucas nodded and flashed a cheeky grin, "Since you're already going this week, you can squeeze in your vacation."

Eh. I blinked and vaguely remembered something about Uncle Louis' economic reforms, GAP analysis team, and having to take Bell to the healer there to fix his arm, "But that's for work!"

Oh man, I'd better get round to reading up on the reports so far. Its not that I felt I would be able to suggest anything helpful. I mean, what would a dumb pup like me know about economic reforms? But I had to study so that I would at least be able to follow the discussions - even a little. When was that again?

"Well, we're probably going in June this year too." Mum informed me, "I think your Grandma Luna would be back by then."

What about Grandpa Alpha? I nearly wanted to asked, but I remembered that he was dead… gone… passed on and never coming back. If Grandpa Alpha was around, we might be going fishing this year (he promised), or at least we would be doing the usual things in the garden or around the woods or by the lake… I guess going to visit my Grandparents was kind of like a family vacation. But no, I wasn't going to just accept this. I wanted a REAL vacation, the kind my friends went to!

"I don't want to just hang out around the Packhouse! We do that every year!" I complained, "I want to… I want to like go see a farm and explore the other interesting things in Night Forest too! Think tourist attractions!"

(Did they have those at Night Forest?)

"Hm…" Beta Lucas looked thoughtful, and then he turned to Dad, "The GAP team was talking about it too."

Dad frowned, but it was his thinking frown, "I don't have a problem with the idea, but establishing a tourism board in both our packlands simultaneously… Sam, unless Night Forest is able to run the project on their own, you might have to choose to tackle it one at a time."

Which threw me off completely because I wasn't talking about work.

Gamma Harry laughed loudly, "Good, good! Nowadays everybody wants to go travelling! Make them come and give us their money!"

Which sounded more like we were robbers setting a trap. Maybe that's why they call it a tourism trap? Hahahaha.

"Indeed, our Alpha Princess hit the nail on its head with this one." Beta Gerald nodded, "Its about time we develop our hospitality and entertainment sectors. Alpha, your daughter is so young, but still so astute in her foresight."

"That's because she takes after her Dad." Beta Lucas boasted.

"Sam. You have good ideas, and we're all a hundred percent behind you, but you need to pace yourself." Dad told me.

No, no, no… was no one understanding the words that were coming out of my mouth? I wanted to go on a VACATION!

I decided to try again, remembering to keep the bar low so that the adults wouldn't reject it outright, "The Langston would be fun if we could go together even if it's just for a night of two."

Emphasis on "together" because it was supposed to be a family vacation.

"Are you staying one or two nights, Sam?" Beta Lucas asked.

What? I didn't say I was! I just said…

Now Beta Lucas leaned back and called to my betas at the other table, "Oi, one of you! How many nights is Sam's entourage staying at Gate City? One or two?"

Ki came over with his screen, "As of now, goddess will be checking in on Friday morning. Just before the High Council Emergency Meeting. Most of her entourage and the security team will still be checking in on Thursday though."

"And are you lot checking out with Alpha's group on Saturday morning?" Beta Lucas decided to make sure.

"Yes, beta." Ki smiled.

Beta Lucas nodded, "Good. That's less of a headache. Gerald, did you get that?"

"Ah yes," Beta Gerald nodded immediately, "The FAO had already informed the hotel staff last night of the changes in the check in schedule."

Oh right, because I wanted to go to Tim and Angela's "real teenager party", now I'd get one less night at the Langston. It's okay! I'm sure it would be worth it! (Yes, I'm consoling myself. One less night at the Langston, one less complimentary breakfast...)

And then suddenly my holiday plans shifted to the adults discussing babysitting plans for Sabre. Mum was planning to take Savy and Sabre along, since Savy was coming with us to go dress shopping with the Lunas. Originally, Esther was coming to help with Sabre, but something came up in the Pack House Kitchen and she might have to do extra shifts. Mrs Willow and Laura felt that between the two them, it shouldn't be a problem watching Sabre while helping Mum deal with all her official Luna duties as one of the local luna hostesses.

"It's a good thing Luna Edith is taking care of everything else." Mum said. She had split the job with the Lorents' Luna (aka Bell's Mum) so that Mum will be the shopping guide around Gate City - which was the main event during this Council Meeting for the Lunas. Bell's mum and Lady Amber would take care of all the other hospitality needs of their guests.

"I'm just glad there's an experienced Luna in our Green Packlands to help host." Mum sighed, "I wouldn't have any idea how to organize everything right!"

"If they come to Rome, they do as Rome." Beta Lucas waved it off, "Our way is the right way here."

I'm not sure if the Lorents would agree, but okay. Mum did sound a little stressed out by this, so I nodded along.

"Don't worry, Luna." Mrs Willow said, "The shopping trip and sightseeing itinerary look amazing. I'm sure all the other Lunas will enjoy themselves at Gate City!"

"That's all thanks to Ki." Mum confessed, "He made all the arrangements."

"It was my pleasure, Luna." Ki beamed.

"Oh!" Mum remembered, "Lady Amber had said it would be a good opportunity for Sam to gain some experience in hosting formal events."

To me she said, "Don't forget to greet your teacher properly when you arrive at the conference. To have Lady Amber's guidance in hosting etiquette is a goddess sent blessing!"

"Why? You never needed it." I shrugged.

"Well, you're meant to be a better Luna than I'll ever be, Sam." Mum said.

"I'm going to be the Alpha, you know." I reminded Mum. I thought that much was clear by now. I was the Alpha!

"Lady Amber can teach Bell." I grinned at the thought.

"Oh Sam!" Mum sighed, "Alright then, but go greet Lady Amber anyway. She is still your teacher."

Mum smiled knowingly at me, "You're still young. Who knows what the future holds?"

I decided to not try to explain about time-traveling talking cats.

"What about Gold City?" This was going to be my last attempt to talk my family into taking a vacation.

"What about Gold City?" Dad asked, but he waved it off before I could say anything, "Don't worry about it. The Lorents will take care of the press."

"Better stay away for now though." Beta Lucas advised, "Gold City is crawling with pests right now - rouges, hunters, paparazzi… you name it, they're all there."

"Gold City is often rampant with paparazzi." Beta Gerald said.

I knew about that too. I mean, most of the photographs of celebrities walking down the street were taken in Gate City. It was like all the famous people lived there and all the juiciest gossip happened there. Bell and I met paparazzi during our Vday date there too. I was surprised by their appearance, but Bell seemed to have expected them.

"Yah man," Beta Lucas shook his head, "Just lie low for now, Sam. Last we need is another round of Lorent PR crisis management meetings."

It took me a while before I realized they were talking about Bell's latest "scandal" when he carried my concussed self down the wide stairs of Abigail's fancy country club to the waiting cars parked out front.

"Look Sam, you've started a new trend." Lizzy showed me her phone.

Someone had decided to replicate the scene in the photo by wearing a white dress and getting her boyfriend to carry her down a wide flight of stairs. There were two key components for this trend. First, the white dress, and second, the hair that was supposed to drape down the guy's arm. It was supposed to be romantic, and girls were getting their boyfriends to do it. Some humans got married yesterday and attempted to recreate the scene as part of their wedding shot. Someone dropped a shoe while being carried down. Someone got dropped half way and rolled down the rest of it. #epicfail.

"Oh, so that's what they were doing." Jonah had seen some of the students at New Leaf taking videos along the front steps of the school when he went back yesterday evening for a practice game, Middle School VS High School Section.

Later on during half time, Nix took a video of Marlow carrying Ethan down the bleaches princess style and shared the video with everyone in both football teams. Ethan was screaming and hyena-laughing and failing his arms, "Eiiaayyyyyyeeeee…"

Marlow ran to the field and made a touch down - like he pretty much slammed Ethan into ground and then all the guys cheered and ran in circles like they won the match.

Laura tsked and shook her head, "So dangerous. What if the pretty girl falls down and breaks her head?"

(She was talking about the video on Lizzy's screen, not Jonah's.)

"Young people… what are they doing?" Laura did not approve, "I don't understand, why is that funny?"

"It's not supposed to be funny, Mum." Jonah tried to explain, "It's supposed to be romantic."

"He dropped the poor girl down the stairs!" Laura argued.

"I won't drop you. I can carry you and run up and down stairs anytime." Gamma Harry boasted, "I'm strong."

"That's why you are my hero." Laura patted Gamma Harry's arm.

Jonah tried to make himself look smaller and disappear and the rest of us politely pretended we didn't hear that.

"Perhaps it's the Alpha Princess effect." Beta Gerald, the president of my fan club said, "Many young girls desire to emulate her."

Ethan was not a young girl.

"It's sweet." Mum decided. She was watching the wedding on her phone. The wedding one was really nice. I had never been to a wedding before since it was a human thing, like a human version of our mating ceremony. The lady had a beautiful white gown, and the groom was wearing a dark blue suit. On one side were other ladies wearing matching blush-colored dresses and holding flower bouquets, on the other, men wearing suspenders and light blue shirts, and matching bow ties. When the groom carried his bride down the City Hall steps, she dropped back her head dramatically and with her long veil draped over his arm and spilling down the side, it did look somewhat like the original photo of Bell carrying me down the stairs. Everyone around them started hollering and clapping and cheering while two little girls in identical pink dresses followed behind them and threw confetti. It looked like they were having fun.

The bride wasn't a young girl either, but so far her short was probably the nicest one - even the camera angle was the same as the original photo. In the original photo, I had betas and warriors and paparazzi instead of a wedding party though.

Mum gave the video a "like."

Just like that, I got distracted and forgot I was trying to convince my family to take a family vacation. Ah well, I liked being at home best anyway.

It was Mum who brought it up again, "Although I know you were just trying to squeeze in more work about Night Forest, Sam, but maybe a real vacation might be nice too."

THAT WAS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY!

"Maybe we can extend our visit to Night Forest for a few days and try a farm stay this Summer." Mum suggested, "I heard from some of the ladies that it's a good experience for pups."

Not that I was a pup, but YES, MUM! A farm stay!

"That's a good idea, darling." Dad agreed, "Lucas can you arrange for that?"

Actually, it was my idea, Parents! But it's okay, I would graciously let Mum take the credit if it meant we could go.

"No problem, Alpha!" Beta Lucas promised, "I know a good one, the breakfast buffet is good and their roast lamb is delicious."

These were not things I would think of when considering a farm stay, but whatever. We were going on a family vacation! Finally! Yes, I know Summer was a whole season away, but good things were worth waiting for. I win!