"Nalani! Watch were you put your feet! That was my tail!"

"Watch were you put that tail then."

Nalani dogded her brothers atempt to tackle her. Jason insted rammed into Kian. Nalani laughed at the suprised looks on their faces.

"All right you five, settle down."

The pups looked up at their mother. With sunlight  highlighting her golden coat, Nalani thought her mother was the most beautiful dog in the world. Even though Nalani was the only one to inherite her golden coat, she didn't think she'd ever be as beautiful as her mother. Unlike her mother, she had brown paws like her father.

Jason gave a good natured smile. "Yes mom."

Their attention was averted as a young gir.l came up to the box. "You can get one dear." the gir.ls mother said. The gir.l looked over the pups. Carol jumped up and planted a lick on her cheek. The gir.l giggled and picked her up. "I want this one!"

Carol waved as the gir.l carried her away. Nalani looked over her shoulder and saw her father nuzzle her mother. A sudden weight slammed into her side. Jason had tackled her.

"Never let your guard down." he said playfully. Nalani smiled, then kicked him off. "Take your own advice." she teased.

                                                             ~^~^~^~^~

Nalani watched as Kian was carried off by a little gir.l. Jason tackled Monica, who threw him off. Nalani watched them for a bit, before her attention was adverted to a gir.l walking down the street with a woman, who she assumed was her mother. The gir.l was bundled in a blue coat and had her shoulders hunched up right below the tan headband she was wearing ended. Nalani watched her curiously.

The gir.l didn't look happy. She looked downright misrable. As she and her mother came closer, she was able to hear what they where saying.

"But mom, it's so cold here. I miss the islands. I miss the ranch. I miss being warm!"

"Now Kani, you know we won't be here that long. A year at the most."

"Yeah, by then I'll be a popsicle." the gir.l mutterd.

Her mother smiled. "Then you'll de-thaw when we get home."

A faint smile flickerd across Kani's face for a minute, then disapeered.

"It's still boring around here."

Nalani barked. Kani stopped in her tracks. She left her mothers side and came over. Nalani propped herself up on the side of the box.  Slowly, Kani reached out her hand and stroked Nalani behind the ear.

Nalani's tail wagged. A smile grew on the Kani's face as she picked Nalani up. Kani's mother stood behind her.

"Mom? Can we-" Kani looked up at her mother with pleading eyes.

Her mother seemed to ponder for awhile. "You know how exspensive it would be to get her home?"

Kani nodded. "I could dip into my savings." She held Nalani up to her mothers face. "Please?"

Nalanis tail wagged as the mother patted her on the head. "All right, all right. I heard your grandmother mention they were considering getting another dog anyway."

Kani made a sound that sounded like a squeal and a laugh. Hugging Nalani close, she and her mother walked away. Nalani looked over her shoulder and waved goodbye to her siblings.

                                                         ~^~^~^~^~

Nalani watched her brother Jason leap from rooftop to rooftop, while his small band of friends ran below.

"How come I'm the dull one?" she sighed.

It was true, Nalani didn't see anything speacial about her. Sure she was the only one of her siblings to inherite her mother golden coat, but she didn't see anything so speacial about that. Not when your siblings were so talented.

"Nalani?"

Nalani wheeled around to see her mother standing behind her. "Hey mom." she mutterd.

"Nalani, are you okay? You seem to be down latley." Sonya asked, concern showing in her eyes.

"It's nothing." she lied.

Just then Jason came bounding over the rooftops again. Nalani must have looked envious, or her mother could read minds. She was pretty sure she looked envious.

"Are you jelous of Jason?" Sonya asked, a hint of concern shown in her voice.

Nalani sighd. "It's not just him, it's everyone."

"What do you mean?'

Nalani's words tumbled out in a rush.  "Their all so special. Carol sings like a angel, Jason's not afraid of anything, Kian can make anyone feel good, and Monica can make friends with anyone! Whats so special about me?"

"Nalani, everyone has something special about them. You just havn't discoverd yours yet." Sonya assured her.

"Why'd you name me 'Nalani' anyway?" she asked.

At that, her mother chuckled. "Actully, your father and I didn't name you, Shyla did."

Nalani starred. Shyla was her big sister, she'd never known she'd named her. "So, whats it mean?" she asked slowly.

"Shyla had heard it meant 'Calmness Of The Spirit" Sonya told her.

Before Nalani could anserw, a sharp whistle floated through the air. "I gotta go." she turned and started walking away.

                                                                ~^~^~^~^~

As soon as Nalani walked in the house, a loud piercing squeel rang through the house. It was comming from the kitchen, so Nalani went in. Kani and her parents were at the table. Well, her parents were, Kani was jumping around like a rabbit.

"Kani, settle down." Mrs. Loni, her mother, told her, but the smile on her face said she didn't blame her.

Kani stopped jumping for a minute. "We'er really going home? No last minute stuff that'll keep us here?"

Mr. Loni smiled and shook his head. "Nope. They cleared me and said I was free to go."

Nalani barked. "Nalani!" Kani tackled her with a hug. 'We'er going home gir.l!"

Nalani starred at her in confusion. Home? They were home, what was she talking about?

"Now the question is, how are we going to get her home?' Mr. Loni jerked his thumb at Nalani.

Nalani starred at him in confusion. What were they talking about? She was home!

Kani jumped up. "She could come with us on the boat!"

"I'll look into it." Mrs. Loni rose from the table and went into the next room. Mr. Loni followd.

When they left, Kani wrapped Nalani in a hug. Leaning close to her ear, she whisperd. "Mahi-Mahi Island gir.l! We'er going home to Hawaii!"

                                                           ~^~^~^~^~

Nalanis head spun. Hawaii? Where was that? Somewhere in Alaska? She'd never heard of it. Mabey Connie would know. Connie was a trainee to become a police dog, and she was a total brainac. Mabey she'd know where Hawaii was.

Nalani went over to the police station, hoping Connie was there and not out on training bussiness. She was there.

"Hey Nalani! Whats up?" Connie greeted her with sparkling eyes and a bright smile.

"Hey Connie. I need some help. Have you ever heard of a place called Hawaii?"

Connie nodded and motioned her over to a shelf near the main desk. She pulled a rolled up sheet of paper out of one of the drawers and rolled it out.

She placed a paw on a tiny spot of green. "Theres Hawaii. One of the newer states. It's made up of a large island surrounded by smaller ones. People ussualy go there for vacations."

Nalani starred at the spot of green and swalloed. "So, uh, wheres us?" she asked. Connie moved her paw to a larger spot of green. "We are right here."

Nalani felt her breathe catch in her throat. Hawaii was a looong way from Alaska. How in the world had Kani and her family gotten from there to hear? And how would they get back there?

Connie must have noticed her look. "Nalani? Something wrong?"

Nalani looked up from the map. "Uh, no."

Connie gave her a supicious look. "Why'd you want to know where Hawaii was anyway?"

"Uhh, I heard Kani and her parents talking about going home and they metioned it." As soon as the words were out Nalani wished she could them back.

Connie starred at her wide eyed, then slowly nodded. "You know, Kani never has struck me as, well, Alaskan."

"Well, thanks Connie." Nalani stood and started to leave, her head spinning again.

                                                       ~^~^~^~^~

The next few weeks were hectic for Nalani. Kani and her parents started putting everything they owned in suitcases. Mrs. Loni never seem to be around anymore, she said she was investingating on how to transport a dog. Kani was always singing some song Nalani had never heard of, and Mr. Loni was always at the table with piles of paper. Nalani wasn't even able to sneak out of the house, Mrs. Loni kept her inside all the time.

Then, one night at dinner, Mrs. Loni declared everything was settled, and they were leaving tomorow morning. Kani jumped up and and started dancing around.

"We'er