Vacation: Part 1

{Chapters 1 and 2}

by Doverstar

Chapter 1

"Sand buckets, plastic shovels, swim garb...yep, everything seems to be here. But I'm still forgetting something..." Jim Dear rubbed his chin and squinted at the clear, blue sky, thinking hard.

A bark at his side alerted him.

"Oh! There it is." Jim Dear reached down and took the overflowing bag full of sunscreen cans. "Thanks, boy." He scratched Tramp behind the ears, making the liscense on the mutt's collar jingle.

Tramp panted up at him.

"Darling," Jim Dear called, "I've got everything! It's all in the baggage area. The driver's ready to go, dear. Are you packed?"

"Coming," came a musically-sweet woman's voice. Darling entered the front yard, Junior in a little sailor's swimming suit as he toddled beside her. The blonde boy was just starting to walk on his own.  Darling was in a sundress, hair in a bun to keep off of her shoulders. "Did we get Junior's sunglasses?"

"W--no, I...I thought you  had them, actually." Jim Dear looked confused.

"Oh dear." Darling put a rose-petal-skinned hand to her cheek in worry.

A cold, wet nose nudged her ankle.

Darling turned and smiled a dazzlingly beautiful smile. "Why thank you, Lady!"

She took the small sunglasses from the gorgeous Cocker Spaniel's jaws. Lady recieved a tender pat on the head.

Danielle, Annette, and Collette glanced around in unison as they stood by the fence with their parents.

"Hey--" blabbered Danielle with her tongue out, "where'd Angel go?"

"She said something about doggie biscuits." Collette shrugged and primped at her flowing, silky brown ears.

"So where is she?" Daniella asked again.

Suddenly a sharp barrage of barking came from the open door. Angel came racing out, shaking grainy crumbs of doggie biscuits from her cream-gold pelt, yellow collar twisting all the way around on her neck before settling back to normal on her chest.

A gray ball of fur whizzed past her. "Whoohoo-hoo-hoo!" came the puppified howl with a half-pup-half-teen laugh.

"And there," said Tramp with a grunt, "is your answer."

"Oh my." Lady moaned.

Annette rolled her eyes.

Jim Dear put a hand through his brown hair. "What on earth?"

Angel skidded to a halt beside the triplets and their parents. "Scamp--I'll bite you for this!"

Another young cackle and a bark of triumph. "Got 'em!"

"It's always something, isn't it?" chuckled Darling.

"Here. Let me." Jim Dear scooped Scamp up and removed the doggie biscuit box from the gray pup's head. Then he set him down. "That's a bath for you when we get to the motel," he scolded while hiding a smile.

Scamp whimpered.

"Why does he get to go first?" scoffed Collette.

"Deserve it, tenderfoot," Angel winked as Scamp was set down.

"I was only having some fun before we go," Scamp protested mildly when he was on his paws again.

"Yes," Lady said worriedly, trying not to chuckle as Darling had, "but do remember not to try these shenanigans at the beach, dear," she reminded him.

"The stunts you're pulling, whirlwind, you'll get us kicked out before sundown," Tramp winked at his identical son.

"Yeah right, Pops," Scamp scoffed, eyelids lowered, grinning cockily.

"All right, everybody in!" Jim Dear clapped his hands. The dogs piled into the hired stagecoach.

The old-time motor sputtered, and they were off!

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

"Finally!" Anette sprang daintily out of the stagecoach. "How am I supposed to keep my fur smooth when you're kicking me all the way here, Ang'?" she growled.

Angel grinned at Scamp as they, side-by-side, hopped out and onto the sandy ground. "Relax. It only took us twenty minutes to get out of the motel."

"He-heh, yeah," Scamp snickered joyously. "And now that we're at the beach--first one to knock Junior into the sand's gotta eat seaweed!"

"It won't be me," Danielle replied as she staggered out, looking carsick--or stagecoach-sick--"I'm not that clumsy."

"Ugh!" prissed Collette as she followed Lady and Tramp down the shore with their owners. "You're lucky you made it hear without busting out of the window!"

"She's lucky she made it here alive," Angel sympathized, noticing Danielle's rather green look.

Scamp was already off down the shore and racing around Junior's heels as the toddler staggered toward the shallows with Darling and Jim Dear watching close by.

"Yeaaah," Annette rolled her eyes at Angel as she followed the pomeranian's gaze. "He's gonna lose the dare. I give him five seconds before he topples the poor little child over," she muttered as she headed off toward the rest of the family, her sisters at her heels.

Angel shook her head hopelessly and started to follow them. She tripped ungracefully on a root and stumbled into a sand dune, head popping out with a tiny mound of sand on the top of her forehead. Her ears drooping angrily, Angel coughed.

"That ain't a good look for ya, just sayin'."

Angel's heart skipped a beat. She knew that voice. Oh, come on! Not here. But it couldn't be. No way.

She slowly raised her eyes and gasped, cornflower-blue pupils widening. "Fang?!"
 

"Present." The Golden Retriever pup stood in front of his gang of puppy friends, Rose, Afghanna, and Skip, flanked by them but slightly in front. "How's pickin's, doll?"

* * * * * * * *

Although Angel was shocked, she was pleased to see her former friends. Fang had once tried, about two months ago, to win her heart by any means possible. But after brawling some with Scamp, breaking his leg in attempt to save her heroically, spending two weeks with the Darling family, and finally refusing the pedigree life to roam the streets free with his gang, Fang had given up and stuck to being a close friend of Angel and Scamp's, but he hadn't visited at all since he'd left the family. Secretly, Fang hadn't returned because he was afraid his longing for a true family would get the better of him and he'd want to stay there as a house pet. But he wouldn't admit to that.

Behind him, Afghanna grunted and elbowed Fang. "And she had nothing to do with the ride here?"

Fang shrugged. "Hey, can't a dog visit old pals?"

"So you admit they're your friends," Skip muttered darkly.

"You didn't say anything about her being here!" Rose added, a bit frustratedly. Fang didn't notice.

Angel pulled herself out of the sand dune and shook herself clean. "Fang--wh-what a surprise! I...you didn't...how'd you guys get here?"

"Hitchhiked." Fang lowered his eyelids and raised his head. He wasn't meeting her eyes, afraid it'd spark the same old feeling he'd had two months ago. He was over her. Wasn't he?

Angel arched a brow, tail twitching as she lowered her own eyelids and frowned at them.

"Don't act like you haven't done it before," Afghanna teased as she nudged past Angel with a sly, crooked smile. Rose followed, nose in the air she she went by the pomeranian.

"How'd you hitchhike?" Angel asked, watching Skip go by her to catch up with Afghanna.

"So long of a story, so little time, eh, doll?" Fang smirked as he escorted her down the beach toward the Darlings.

"You know how to make an entrance, I'll give you that," she replied smoothly, grinning as they walked.

"I try." Fang shrugged.

A beach ball was being used as a volleyball by a few locals. As the inflated toy sailed over the group of puppies' heads, Fang didn't stop walking but sprang into the air, balancing the ball on his nose expertly as he landed in the sand on all four paws.

"Yo, Skipper--think fast!" Fang nudged the ball back into the sky with his caramel-colored nose.

Skip, eyebrows still lowered in a scowl but with a tiny, crooked grin, bumped his head against the ball as it landed toward him. "Catch!"

Afghanna had her back to the ball as it sailed her way, but she looked over her shoulder, eyelids lowered, and kicked the beach ball with a hind paw as if it took no effort. "Look alive, kid!" she called.

Rose gave a gorgeous smile of excitement and bunched her muscles, the fake rose behind her orange ear teetering when she let the beach ball roll down her back and fling itself toward the nearest human local who had been using the ball in the first place.

With a dumbstruck, open-mouthed look, the local opened his hands and the ball landed perfectly in his arms.

The humans stared, frozen, as the gang continued down toward the shore. Angel glanced around at them as she walked. "Impressive," was all she commented.

Rose straightened her fake flower and followed Afghanna and Skip down to the shallows of the water.

"So," Fang wiggled his eyebrows teasingly. "Didja miss me, Ang'?"

"Maybe." Angel slipped behind him and then appeared on his other side, eyelids lowered with an equally teasing smile. "So did everyone."

"Yeah?"

Angel smirked and nodded. "Everyone including..."

"Is that Fang?"

"What! Where?"

"There!"

"Oooooh, there he is! That's him! Ohmigosh, look, Annette, it's Fang!"

"No way! Faaaaang!"

Fang's eyes crossed in fake-horror. "Uh-oh. Quick--" he ducked behind Angel. "--hide me!"

"Uh-uh, bigshot, take them on yourself. Leave me out of it." Angel smiled and slipped off to join Scamp, who was oblivious to the new arrivals as he raced around Junior near the shallows of the water.

"Ah, snap," Fang groaned to himself.

The three Cocker Spaniel triplets bowled him over and licked him, pinning him to the sand and giggling hysterically. Danielle was practically bouncing on her paws.

"Hey, hey, gals, yer kinda crampin' my style here. Off--you don't wanna ruin my image, do ya?" Fang coughed as a paw pushed against his belly fur. "Oof--uh, Annette, doll, couldja maybe--"

They were oblivious.

"Um, okay, look--ack, yowch, gals!--hey, yeah, but how 'bout--uh, SHARK! Yeah, over there, that's right. Nah, no, don't--" Fang wheezed as they continued to smother him as if they hadn't seen him in years. "'Kay, new plan. Everybody off, I ain't gonna be able t'breathe! Like, now!" He let out a bark.

They clambered off of him.

"Is that who I think it is?" Jim Dear put a hand on Darling's shoulder. "Dear, look!"

"Oh my stars--that can't be little Fang, can it?" said Darling with a hand over her smile. "Junior, look over there. Who is that?"

The blonde toddler took one look at the Golden Retriever puppy and squealed, racing toward him. "Fa-a-ang!"

Tramp and Lady exchanged glances and took off after the child.

Scamp's attention was dragged away from the sand he was rolling in next to Angel as he spied the Golden Retriever, Afghanna, Skip, and Rose crowding Fang almost protectively.

"Ang'?" Scamp cleared his throat and stood up next to his best friend.

"Did I mention Fang dropped by?" Angel giggled nervously.

"You forgot that little detail, yeah," Scamp muttered. He trotted toward where his family was stroking and petting Fang and his gang.

"Scamp, wait, don't--" Angel said. It did no good, he was already on his way. "Great." Angel groaned and followed him.

"...Ah, yeah, it was a sinch," Fang was saying proudly to the dogs of the Darling family as Junior wrapped his arms around the Golden Retriever's neck. "Sat on yer back platform on th'stagecoach. No big deal. Y'didn't even scent us, didja?"

"Nope!" Danielle shook her head enthusiastically. Annette smiled wistfully at Fang while Collette batted her eyelashes at him.

Scamp entered the group with Angel on his heels. He locked eyes with Fang.

"How's it goin', Chew Toy, remember me?" Fang smirked at him, but it wasn't unfriendly.

Skip grunted.

"As if you'd let me forget," Scamp suddenly smiled a large, happy-to-see-you smile. He even panted in a doggie grin. "I knew you'd be back."

"Anyway," Angel interrupted, glancing at Fang's gang. "Say hey to Fang's friends, too," she reminded the rest of the dogs almost sternly. "Afghanna, Skip, and Rose. You remember 'em, don't you?"

"Yeah, sure," Annette nodded, but her eyes were still on Fang like her sisters' were.

"How's picking's, champ?" Tramp added.

"Back 'ome? Slim. Here? Ain't hadda chance t'figure it out yet." Fang shrugged one shoulder and kept his cool look, half-smiling in pride. "But I'm pretty sure when I'm done, I'll own this place."

"Fang, you tripped over something," Angel suddenly pointed out.

Rose looked confused and worried for the Retriever. "He did? What?"

"His ego," Angel replied teasingly.

"An' I perfected it," Fang shot back.

"You dropped something too, looks like."

"Lay it on me."

"Your dignity."

"Need some ice for that burn?" Afghanna nudged Fang and grinned slyly.

Fang seethed inwardly. Out trash-talked by his former love life. Perfect reuinion, yeah right.

"Good to see you, Skip," Angel added. "Still a pup of few words, right?"

Skip growled in reply.

"Well, yeah," Scamp mumbled to Angel, "A pup of few optimistic words, anyway."

Skip gave them a brief, sneering grin before returning to the comfortable frown settling on his muzzle.

"Nice seeing you again," cooed Darling as she stroked Fang's ears. "Good boy."

Junior giggled and kept clinging to Fang's neck, nearly choking the golden pup. "C'mon, Fangie," he gurgled. "Let's play!"

He let go of the Golden Retriever puppy and took off down the beach, looking behind his shoulder to make sure Fang would follow.

"Yeah, Fangie," Skip grinned, showing his teeth and shouldering Fang. "Let's play."

"Knock it off, shorty, or I'm--"

"We could play pretend," Afghanna teased as well on Fang's other side. She had the same expression as Skip. "You be the House Dog. Where's that red collar of yours?"

"Oh, that's it," Fang growled. "I'm gonna--"

"You guys, cut it out," Rose sympathized with her hero. "He's a Street Dog."

Afghanna stared at her for what seemed like a long time and then said bluntly, with no emotion, only blinking once, "You don't understand sarcasm--do you?"

Rose looked confused.

"Fa-ang!" Junior called, waving his hand to beckon the Golden Retriever.

"Duty calls. When y'got it, y'got it." Fang winked slyly at his gang before barking and rushing after Junior.

"So now it's his duty?" Skip grumbled.

"Oh, hush," Rose smiled dreamily at Fang as the leader of the gang tugged at the hem of Junior's shirt playfully.

Chapter 2

The next few days, the gang slept in the alley behind the hotel the Darlings were staying in, always managing to show up when the family of dog-loving humans packed their towels and headed for the beachfront. Some days Fang teased Scamp, trying to make parts of the mutt-pup's vacation miserable. But Scamp was tough; he seemed to take it in stride more often than he was beaten down by the Golden Retriever's jibes. Angel was looking more comfortable around Fang and his gang all the time, and the Cocker Spaniel triplets--though they looked on Afghanna's grooming habits (or lack of) and Skip's sour moods with disapproval--couldn't help but romp in the sand with Fang and the gang. And Junior couldn't get enough of Rose and Fang. He made friends with a toddler on the beach one day named Daisy, a redheaded little girl with blue eyes and soft hands, stroking Rose and Fang as if they were precious newborn puppies. Whenever Fang tried to slink away, Daisy would giggle and nudge Junior, who would smile and teeter after Fang, dragging him back to wherever the human toddlers were playing on the beach at the time and making him play whatever imaginitive pretend game they could come up with. Rose usually joined in without effort, and enjoyed sunbathing with little Daisy, snoozing in the redhead's lap sometimes. Whenever Daisy's mother was done chatting with Jim Dear and Darling, she would gently take Daisy's soft hand and lead her back to their car. They always came the next day to have Daisy play with Junior and the dogs.

Other times Scamp suggested they explore the tropical forests on the hills of the beach. Skip refused every time, saying the woods were big and the weather was hot, too hot to get lost in the forests. Fang blew him off and was all too ready to explore the palm-tree foliage, but not without the rest of the gang.

Finally Angel trotted up to them when they were all taking a break in the shade under the Darling family's umbrellas.

"Who's up for some forest-hiking?" she panted.

Scamp sprang to his paws. "Yes!"

"Uh, think again," Skip raised his head and resituated it, resting it on his paws. "I'd rather sit here and bake."

"What should we set the oven for?" Fang pushed himself to his paws and glared at the Yellow Lab pup. "'Dull' or 'boring'?"

"Oh, shut up," Skip growled.

"Chill." Afghanna stood up and shook herself off, glancing at Angel. "I'm in."

"All right!" Scamp grinned. "You coming, Rose?"

Rose glanced at Fang. "If he goes, I'll go."

"Fa-ang?" Angel smiled at him. "You know you wanna come."

Fang lowered his eyelids. "How ya gonna find yer way back without me? I'll come. Y'need me."

Scamp scoffed. "Yeah, all you had to say was 'I'm coming'."

"I like to make an impression, Chew Toy, ease up," Fang teased.

"So is Skip coming too, or what?" Rose asked, coming up beside Fang.

"I dunno, 'pends on what time shorty's finished 'baking'," Fang answered sneeringly. He leaned down toward Skip, who hand his back to the group, flopped down. Fang pretended to check his temperature by placing a forepaw on his back. He lowered his eyelids mockingly and glanced back at the others. "Nah, he ain't done yet. It'll take 'bout twenty more minutes. Then there's the whole cool-off phase, an' then y'gotta make sure he ain't burned, and by then he'll cut like butter."

"Very smooth." Angel lowered her own eyelids and smirked.

Scamp snickered. Rose giggled. Afghanna smiled but rolled her eyes.

"Whatever." Skip sat up and shook himself up. "I'll come." He lowered his eyebrows at Fang contemptuously. "Since you're begging."
 

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

"Next time," Scamp groaned, hooking a front paw onto his head and rubbing with one eye squinted up at the palm tree behind him, "watch where you're rolling those things."

"C'mon, Chew Toy," Fang sniggered as he hopped down from a rock. "How we gonna play 'keep away' when there ain't a ball t'play it with?"

"And your big idea was..." Afghanna panted as she joined them, "...a coconut? Genius, Fang."

"You got somethin' better, Affy?" Fang asked.

"Anything's better than this," Angel added, gasping for air as she came up beside Afghanna. "That coconut's way too heavy."

"Yeah," Rose agreed with a huff as she sat down beside Scamp, who was scratching at his ear with a hind paw.

"Any idea where we are?" Skip added as he joined their little group.

"Sure." Fang nodded.

"Oh, yeah? Where?" Skip challenged angrily.

"We're..." Fang shrugged carefreely. "Y'know, here."

Afghanna exchanged a dry look with Angel. "How can you feel anything but pity for a dog like this?"

"I hear you." Angel grunted.

"You mean we're lost?" Rose asked frantically, springing to a stand and stepping around with a nervous look on her face as she glanced over her shoulders.

"Nah," Fang swept a forepaw as if tapping at something to the left. "Yer with me, princess, we ain't lost." He hopped down from the rock he was currently on now. "And we ain't in any danger."

"Oh, I wouldn't say any danger," came a growl from the bushes.

The pups clustered together, Fang and Scamp in front. Scamp swallowed hard. Fang's eyes widened. Whatever that was, it sounded nasty-mean. Fang screwed his face up in what he hoped looked intimidating.

"C'mon out, hotshot, y'know yer dyin' to." Fang growled.

The palmetto bushes rustled and a black-and-white-spotted, shaggy-eared pup slunk out. He had flashing orange eyes and sharp teeth--perhaps not quite as sharp as Fang's, but they looked deadly.

A few other pups came up behind him. They were all mutts of various colors. Including the first black and white pup, there were five of them in all. One was all white, with a pink-black nose, a male. Two others were twin brown-and-black males. One girl pup, black with short, messy gray-black fur, long, flowing ears, with silver-white underbelly fur and paws, a pointed, refined nose and glittering aqua-colored eyes.

They all wore multicolored collars with no liscenses on them. The look on their muzzles made Scamp and Angel think they were worse than most Street Dogs back home.

"How's pickin's, House Pets?" Fang suddenly greeted the newcomers.

All eyes of the mutt-group widened and then the eyebrows lowered, a unanimous growl erupting like thunder from their throats.

The first black-and-white dog with droopy ears, almost like Scamp's, but a bit smaller, sprang down from the boulder they were all standing on.

He prowled up to meet Fang, shoving his nose against the Golden Retriever's and squinting, still growling low. "We," he said slowly, "are not House Pets. We live here."

"What, in the woods?" Afghanna muttered. "Fat chance."

"Yeah," snarled one of the twin pups. "We do. Y'gotta pro'lem with it?"

"She didn't say that," Angel said quickly. She looked angry at the new pups' rudeness, but she didn't want a fight.

"I'll handle this," Fang informed them. He strolled in a circle around the black-and-white pup. "What's yer handle, newbie?"

"They call me Blizzard. Blitz to the crew," he informed them sneeringly. He didn't move as Fang circled him, only sinking his head low beneath his shoulders and curling his lip in a mocking smirk, eyes flicking to the left as Fang moved.

"Crew, 'uh?" Fang snorted. "I guess that means those thug wannabes, eh?" he jerked his head toward the group on the rocks.

"Wannabes?" snapped the white, pink-black-nosed male pup.

"Zip it, Harley," Blitz barked without looking at the white dog. He faced Fang. "So who're you?" he asked with a grunt. "Or don't you got a name?"

"Name's Fang," Fang lifted his chin and gave a carefree smile with lowered eyelids. "And this is the gang." He jerked his head toward Rose, Afghanna, and Skip. "Minus the House Dogs."

"And they are...?" Blizzard sneered, faking politeness.

Fang went down the line. "Angel an' Chew Toy--er, Scamp--the House Pets. This 'ere's Affy--"

"Afghanna," she corrected between clenched teeth.

"Yeah-yeah, right. An' Rose. Skip's the short one with the ugly mug."

"Hey!" Skip snapped.

"Hard truth, Skipper, but y'gotta move on," Fang teased. He glanced back to Blitz. "An' again--I'm Fang."

"Fang."  Harley snorted from the rock. "Stupid name. Don't fit you at all. You're a runt, look at ya! Why d'they call y'that?"

"Allow me t'demonstrate." Fang, without further warning, sprang at Harley and pinned him violently to the rock, giving a savage bite to the white pup's ear.

Harley yelped in pain and kicked him off, flipping onto his belly and squeezing his eyes shut as his pointy ear pulsed with pain. "Y-y-you coulda ripped it, y'jerk!"

Fang landed on all four paws, taking his sitting position beside Scamp again. He shrugged casually. "You asked."

With a snarl, Blitz flung himself at Fang and the two rolled over and over.

"Fang--stop!" Angel cried. "Get off him!"

"I ain't on 'im, doll!" Fang snapped back as Blitz kicked at him when they rolled again.

The other new dogs, Harley, the twin brown-and-black pups, and the female, all spilled down the rocks and faced off with the gang.

"Hey," Scamp  yelped. "Back off!"

One of the twins circled him and the two went round and round. Fang and Blitz were kicking up sand already. The other twin bowled Afghanna over.

Rose skidded to a halt when Harley approached her. She looked scared, but she summoned her courage and squared off with him.

When Harley growled and bunched his muscles, leaping at poor Rose, he was hit in the side with two cream-yellow paws.

As the yellow blur of a dog bit down hard on Harely's scruff, he sprang off and stepped in front of Rose, panting and curling his lip to snarl at Harley.

"Thanks, Skip!" Rose gasped.

Skip panted some more, glancing once back at her and then turning his attention to where Harley was picking himself up off the sand. "Whatever," he grumbled.

"You're gonna pay fer that!" promised Harley, advancing on Skip.

"Didn't your mommy ever teach you not to bite a girl?" Skip sneered back. "Attacking the youngest--you're a great fighter."

"Wha--" Harley began, confused. Then he lowered his eyebrows and spat, "Puh!", flinging himself onto Skip. Rose sprang onto Harley's back and nipped at his tail and ears, the sensitive spots, while the white pup pinned Skip.

Afghanna was still rolling with one of the brown twin pups, Scamp doing the same a few feet away with the other twin.

Fang kicked with his hind paws and sent Blitz flying across the sand. The black-and-white pup coughed and sprang to his paws again, attacking Fang once more.

"Step off," Angel growled. She was still facing off with the female blackish-silver pup with the aqua eyes.

"Make me," replied the spunky female.

"You asked for it!"

"Hang on a minute, hold everything, stop!" Fang snarled. Everyone froze. Everyone, that is, except Angel and the female.

The black-silver female was still pinning Angel to the sand, growling in her face as Angel tried to free herself.

"Hey, hey, don'tcha get the meanin' of heel?" Fang snapped, rushing over and grabbing the female by her liscenseless violet-pink collar, yanking her off of Angel.

The female barked loudly and faced off with Fang, glaring into his eyes.

Fang was about to snarl a reply to the bark, preparing himself, when his eyes raised to glare right back at her. He found himself staring into beautiful aqua-green eyes. His scowl fell, eyebrows raising from their angry look. His red eyes widened. His paws became weak. Her eyes glittered with confusion and still anger.

There was a long moment of silence as everyone began picking themselves up and staring at the looks Fang and this female were giving each other.

Blitz pushed between them. "Hey," he panted. "Look, dude, there's only one top dog in these woods. Me. You bring your little playmates back here again, me and the crew will kick your tails up between your ears. Got it?"

Fang was about to growl a protest when Angel nudged him. "Let's go," she whispered in his ear, casting worried glances toward Blitz.

Fang snorted, dragging his gaze away from the female's eyes and to Blitz. "Fine."

He turned to go.

Blizzard rounded on the female. "And you," he snapped furiously. "Next time you miss a chance to pummel that Golden Bozo, you're outta the crew for good. Capiche?"

Fang glanced back to see what her answer would be, heart pounding strangely.

The girl looked away.

"Lilac." Blitz snapped her name. "You got it?"

"Whatever." Lilac muttered. "Yeah."

Fang wouldn't admit it as they walked away, but his thoughts swam with thoughts of the female pup. Lilac. So that was her name. He let a crooked smile appear as they made their way out of the woods and back to Jim Dear and Darling's spot on the beach. Here we go again.

To be continued in Vacation: Part 2...