Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon.
Part 44
"Another family meeting?" Summer questioned as she flopped onto the sofa in the family room, "we just had one two days ago."
"That one was to name the choices where we all want to go on vacation, tonight we're deciding," Soleil said rolling her eyes at Summer, who in turn smacked her on the back of the head. "Momma," Soleil said as she teared up and ran towards Tara as she and Willow came into the room.
"What's wrong, Sweetie?" Tara asked picking her up.
"Summer hit me."
"I did not," Summer retorted.
"Yes, you did," Harris smirked, sticking up for her little sister as usual, "we all saw you."
"Summer," Willow said sternly, "After this meeting I want you to go to your room, we need to talk."
"Fine," Summer said folding her arms over her chest, and glaring over at Soleil for tattling on her.
"Can we pick the trip now?" Soleil asked drying her eyes and smiling at her mothers, satisfied that Summer would be punished.
"Yes," Tara said sitting her daughter down, and taking the box from Willow's hands.
"Rhiannon, Sweetie, it's your turn to pick out an envelope," Willow said smiling brightly at her youngest daughter as Tara held the box down low.
"Here Mommy," Rhiannon said proudly, handing Willow the envelope she chose.
"Where are we going?" Tara asked smiling brightly.
"We are going on a fun family vacation to...," Willow said excitedly, ripping open the envelope, "Lake Tahoe."
"Is this going to be like last summer's trip to the Grand Canyon, where we watched slides of it all day, and slept downstairs in tents?" Jesse asked smiling sarcastically.
"Nooo," Willow smirked. "We're really going this time."
"Okay, so it's November and we take trips in July, that gives us like seven and a half months to pack, I'm not sure that's gonna be enough time," Summer said rolling her eyes sarcastically, clearly annoyed with the whole meeting.
"We're going next month," Tara clarified.
"We are?" Willow asked turning to her wife.
"We are," Tara said looking at Willow.
"Why are we going next month?" Harris asked.
"I thought it would be nice to go in the winter so we'd have a chance to do all the fun things we don't get to do here, you know... like play in the snow," Tara smiled.
"There's gonna be snow?" Soleil asked excitedly.
"Real snow?" Rupert asked.
"Yes, real snow, and lots of it," Tara said smiling, glad that the kids were into the idea.
"Am I the only one who knows that real snow, means real cold?" Jesse asked, less than enthused about the idea.
"But real cold, means new clothes," Harris pointed out.
"Okay, complaint withdrawn," Jesse said smiling already mentally planning her shopping trip.
"Can we snowboard?" Summer asked.
"Sure," Willow said finally getting into the idea herself as she pictured sitting in front of a roaring fire with Tara.
"We can build a snowman," Mitchell said to Rupert.
"Yeah," Soleil said joining the boys.
"Not you, us," Rupert said pointing to himself and Mitchell.
"I'll help you build one," Summer said picking up her little sister, in an attempt to smooth over the trouble she caused earlier.
"A big one?" Soleil asked, not quite ready to forgive and forget.
"The biggest," Summer said grinning.
"Okay," Soleil said hugging her.
"So we're all in agreement, that Lake Tahoe next month is a good trip?" Willow asked.
"Yep," Jesse said standing up. "Meetings over right? I have to call Alex and tell him."
"Yes, meeting's over," Tara said smiling.
"Summer," Willow said as her daughter turned on the televison, "to your room."
"Don't punish her," Soleil said looking at Willow pleadingly. "We're going to watch some educational programming."
"The educational programming will have to wait," Willow said motioning for Summer to go to her room.
"I'll watch with you," Tara said to Soleil and Rhiannon as they sadly watched their big sister go out the door with their Mommy.
"It's not the same," Soleil sighed.
"I'm not fun?" Tara asked frowning.
"You're fun, Momma," Rhiannon said running over and snuggling into her.
"Yeah, lots and lots of fun," Soleil said, "Will you float something for us?"
"Momma," Jesse yelled running down the stairs.
"What?" Tara asked, a slight panic in her voice.
"We have trouble, Aunt Anya is on her way over, and she is mad," Jesse said in a worried tone.
"Why?" Tara asked.
"Our vacation," Jesse said, "you didn't invite them."
"We just barely found out two minutes ago..." Tara said, knowing that this would not be pleasant. "Quick girls hide all the bunnies," Tara instructed as she rushed around the family room. There was no need to aggrevate Anya anymore by having stuffed bunnies everywhere. As they were throwing the last of the bunnies into the over stuffed toy chest they heard the front door slam shut.
"TARA!!!!"
"In here, Anya," Tara called back in what she hoped was a calm voice. Jesse grabbed a hold of Soleil and Rhiannon and made a mad dash for the stairs.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Anya demanded as she stormed into the family room.
"Anya! We only just decided, I was going to invite you all tomorrow, I promise," Tara said apologetically.
"I have to find out second hand from my son, that my best friend is going on a nice little family vacation that we aren't invited on," Anya said, still mad.
"I was going to invite you," Tara stated again.
"We're going off and having loads of fun leaving you in Sunnydale to hide from the vampires and demons, hope you don't get killed while we're gone," Anya continued.
"Anya," Tara said placing her hands on her shoulders, "Do you want to come to Lake Tahoe with us next month?" Tara asked.
"It's about time you invited us," Anya smiled.
"So are you coming?" Tara asked relieved that Anya wasn't really mad at her.
"Of course we're coming," Anya said sitting down on the sofa. "The boys have never seen snow before."
"The kids are so excited," Tara said sitting next to her best friend.
"I'm so excited," Anya exclaimed. "Sex in front of a fireplace."
"Mmmmm," Tara said closing her eyes for a moment getting lost in the image of the fire light playing off Willow's red hair.
"You aren't going to have time for that, you'll be watching the kids so Xander and I can," Anya stated.
"Actually the lodge I checked out has baby sitting services, plus I think we can leave Jesse and Alex in charge for a little while," Tara winked.
"So what are our accommodations like?" Anya asked.
"We're going to be renting cabins," Tara said. "They have all different sizes and we're getting a three bedroom one, the kids are gonna be pretty cramped in, but we can't afford anything bigger."
"We'll need to get our own cabin then," Anya said.
"The master bedrooms have their own fireplaces in them," Tara said waggling her eyebrows.
"Goodie," Anya said clapping her hands enthusiastically.
"Hey, Tara," Willow said coming into the room, "since Xander and Anya are going, I called Buffy and Dawnie and invited them too, it looks like it's going to be a very Scooby vacation," Willow said laughing.
"Are we supposed to book everything for everyone or are they getting their own stuff?" Tara asked hoping for the latter.
"You're going to arrange it all," Anya said smiling.
"She's right, I kinda volunteered us," Willow said.
"I'm just glad you didn't kinda volunteer me," Tara said smiling to let Willow know it was okay.
"I'll go make the reseravations now," Willow said excitedly. This was going to be the best trip ever. The whole family would be there, with the exception of Giles and Joyce who had decided they were due to spend some quiet time together at home. She had been disappointed to hear of their decision when she called them after speaking with Buffy and Dawn, but it was probably best for somebody to stay home and look after things. She smiled to herself as she thought about the kids getting to experience snow for the first time, and hopefully she would get some alone time with Tara. Yep, this would be the best vacation ever.
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~Spencer~
"Love is like a roller coaster: When it's good you don't want to get off, and when it isn't, you can't wait to throw up."
At least, it helped a bit when I tested for my driver's license... 
I loved it...can't wait for more
,
joked about tradng 
. Oh and Soleil with all the questios driving Dawn nuts.
