Vacation: Part 2

{Chapter 3}

by Doverstar

Chapter 3

The sun broke over the top of the small-town hotel near the beach, an hour from Lady and Tramp's own home. Scamp slept soundly beside Angel and his sisters on the rug in between the two beds in their room. Jim Dear's snoring had lulled him to sleep; now it was driving him crazy. Junior mumbled in his sleep, too, and that wasn't helping either. Twitching, Scamp wrinkled his nose and rolled onto his belly, tucking his nose under a paw, eyes squeezed shut.

A bark sounded outside the sliding-glass door that led to the outside world. The Darling family had chosen the first-floor rooms, so that they didn't have to take elevators to get outside.

Scamp opened one eye.

Ignore them. They'll go away.

Another bark outside.

Ignore them.

A growl. A howl. Another yap.

Ignore.

"Yo, Chew Toy! Snap to it, c'mon!"

Scamp groaned. He sat up, one flopped ear crooked. He turned around and blinked, trying to adjust to the early-morning light.

Fang and his group were on the other side of the sliding glass door.

Scamp pushed his nose between the blinders and squinted angrily at the Golden Retriever. "I dunno what planet you live on, but here we like to get eight hours of sleep. Not five."

"Sorry," Fang smirked in a retort, "but I haven't adapted to your planet's language yet. All I know is y'gotta wake up, yer missin' the scenery. Wake Ang' too."

Scamp arched a brow slyly. "I'll just wake up the girls too."

Fang's eyes crossed like they always did at the mention of his adoring Cocker Spaniel triplet fans. He really cared for them, like a wily older brother would, but they were a bit clingy sometimes, and besides, he'd never admit he liked them. They were the prissiest type of House Pets.

"Ah, no," Fang's tail wagged. "S'okay, just wake Angel. Get it?"

"Yeah, got it. Sure."

"Good." Fang turned to Afghanna, who was still blinking sleep out of her mismatched eyes. "Aaaaaffy?"

Afghanna scoffed and glared at him, apparently as tired as Scamp was. "Ugh." Still keeping her angry eyes on Fang, she prowled over to the handle of the sliding glass door and balanced precariously on her hind paws, pushing with both front paws and her head on the handle, sliding the door open. The air conditioning inside the hotel made Fang's fur bristle refreshingly.

Scamp's brown eyes widened. Then his eyebrows lowered. "Uh, you guys know you're not allowed in here. Right?" he whispered.

As they filed past him and into the hotel room, oblivious, Skip shouldered his way through. "You don't know Fang too well, do you?" Skip grunted.

Scamp could have bitten him.

"A'right a'right a'right," Fang whispered loudly, nudging the sleeping pomeranian with his caramel-brown nose, eyelids lowered. "Arise an' sing, Ang', daylight's wastin'."

"I thought I was waking her up." Scamp growled softly.

"Missed yer chance." Fang shot back, prodding Angel's side gently with a paw.

"What chance?" Rose muttered, grinning sweetly at Scamp, who chuckled. She may be sickeningly devoted to Fang, but she had a sense of humor.

Angel's eyelids fluttered. "Poke me again and you're drawing back a nub, Fang."

Fang grinned sheepishly, backing away two steps and accidentally stepping on Tramp's tail.

Tramp's head shot up, eyes dazed. He blinked once, recovering and yawning, eyes resting on Fang. "Little early for a visit, eh, champ?" he whispered craftily.

Fang coughed. "Yeah, well, room service costs too much. Just act like y'didn't see us, huh?"

"Good luck," Angel commented, getting to her paws. "What are you doing here?"

"Our fearless leader thought we needed to teach Blizzard another lesson." Afghanna answered with a teasing look at Fang.

"I think we were the ones schooled, not them." Angel pointed out.

Tramp sat up, looking baffled. "Who's Blizzard?"

The pups all looked uneasy.

"Well?" Tramp prodded.

"Jerks," Scamp muttered.

Fang shot him a dirty look for giving it away.

"There's more than one?" Tramp asked, suddenly looking concerned. His eyes went straight to the Golden Retriever. "Fa-ang?"

"We had a disagreement with a buncha lackeys in the woods," Fang informed him, looking away. "No biggie."

"I believe it's a big deal myself," Lady's eyes were open and she sat up next to her mate, shaking her ears out as they bounced. "A very big deal. Scamp? What happened?"

"They...uh...jumped us." Scamp began resentfully.

Fang put in quickly, "But we had it covered!"

"Mmm hmm." Tramp didn't sound convinced. "No more forest-roaming for you pups. Hear me, whirlwind? Don't go near the woods."

"Sure, Pop," Scamp muttered reproachfully, looking away with drooping, angry ears. 

"Fang?" Lady said sternly.

"Whatever," Fang replied instantly, red eyes darting away from her brown ones.

Angel elbowed him.

"Fang..." Tramp warned.
 
Fang lifted a forepaw and stood up, looking like a statue in mid-walk, eyelids lowered, a crooked smile on his muzzle. He shrugged one shoulder, the same one above the outstretched forepaw, closing his eyes briefly with his next words: "Yeah, sure, we'll stay in line." With that, he put the outstretched paw down and walked outside, the gang and Scamp and Angel following. "Check you later, House Pets."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 

Fang edged closer and closer to the line of bushes and palm trees, paws shuffing the sand.

"Where do you think you're going?" Afghanna was suddenly in front of him, head sunk low beneath her shoulders, paws stationed firmly, blocking his way into the woods. "You heard what your hero said. No forest."

"He ain't my hero anymore," Fang dismissed the thought, pushing carelessly past her. "B'sides, that Blitz needs t'know who's lead dog 'round here."

"Lead dog's going to get his muzzle boxed in if he doesn't quit acting stupid," Afghanna spat firmly. "I can't stop you--but I can try to talk you out of it."

 Fang's eyebrows lowered angrily. "Tried an' failed. See ya, Affy." He shoved past and into the forest.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Fang, after at least thirty minutes of walking, had made it to the palm-treed spot with the large rock clearing in the woods they had been in yesterday. He had lied to Affy, something he didn't like to make a habit out of. He didn't want to see Blizzard. He wanted to see Lilac. Fang usually didn't go crazy over female pups--only Angel, and he was over that now. But Lilac was a bit different. She was spunky and tough--like Angel, but she was a mutt. Not a House Pet, although she wore a collar. She was in some sort of gang, like he was. He related to her. He wanted to meet her.

For what seemed like hours he sat, waiting, sniffing the air. No Lilac. He had to go find her. What were the chances he'd just bump into her? The Fangster'll find 'er, whether she likes it or not.

And so 'the Fangster' set out to do just that.

When he finally found her, she was alone. Perfect! She was flopped down under a palm tree, cooling off in a strip of grass, front paws barely touching the hot, sandy forest floor.

Fang cleared his throat and stepped out from the bushes. "How's pickings?"

Instantly Lilac was on her paws, growling like crazy. "Tresspasser!"

"If I see one, I'll warn ya." Fang winked.

Lilac faltered for a moment, then bristled. "I know you. You're that long-eared hothead from yesterday's brawl. What are you doing here? I thought Blitz frightened you off."

Fang gritted his very-sharp teeth. He decided to play it cool. "Nah, I think you an' me got a different definition o'the word 'frightened'. I only left 'cuz I was tired o'the scenery."

"I see," Lilac looked amused, no longer angry. He didn't seem to pose as a threat just now. She relaxed. "So you came back to check it out again?"

"Y'might say that. Name's Fang."

"I know. I remember." Lilac stretched and circled him, eyelids lowered. "And I suppose you remember me?"

"Lilac. The flower. Pleased t'meet ya. So--how's pickings?"

Lilac looked confused. "What?"

"Little saying where I come from. It's a greeting." Fang sat down.

"Whatever. You know, you shouldn't be here. If Blizzard catches us being civil, he'll rip you apart."

"Hey, don't blame me if I wanted to get aqquainted," Fang shrugged. "So, whaddaya do fer fun around this joint?"

"We could play hide-and-seek."

"Yeah?" Fang became interested.

"Pretty good places to hide, even in this clearing." Lilac shrugged. "Your choice."

"I'm in." Fang edged toward her, looking away with a goofy