Apollo was seated at his desk doing some paperwork, his headphones set on medium volume. Just when he was about to start reading another paragraph there was a loud knock on the door of his study. "Come in." The door opened and his fourteen year old daughter Armie Buff walked into the room. Apollo took of his headphones and looked up from his papers. "Hey sweetie, did you need something?" His daughter looked at him with a stern look on her face. "You shouldn't turn your headphones up so loud papa, you left uncle Phoenix at the door for a solid minute before I let him in." Apollo dumped his papers into his desk drawer with a single swoop and stood up from his chair. "Mr Wright is here? Why didn't Athena open the door?"
"Mama went shopping for dinner earlier."
"Well I better go see what Mr Wright wants from me then, thanks for letting me know sweetie."
Armie gave her father a quick hug. "Ofcourse papa."
Apollo gave his daughter a quick peck on her forehead before walking out into the living room. Phoenix turned around as soon as he heard Apollo step into the living room. "I know you are not the one with the sensitive hearing but I expected you to be able to hear a doorbell at least."
Being scolded on my free day, what a life I live. "Wipe that shit eating grin of your face boss, I didn't expect visitors today that's all."
Phoenix just grinned at the other man. "Whatever you say Apollo, if it wasn't for your daughter I'd still be standing in front of your door."
At that moment Armie came in carrying two cups of coffee, she set one down on the coffee table for her father and handed the other to Phoenix.
"Thank you Armie."
"Thank you sweetie" Apollo made a frustrated hand gesture as he went to sit down on the chair opposite of Phoenix. "You realize I'm free today right boss? What is it you wanted from me?"
"Oh come on Apollo we're practically family by now, do I really need a reason to visit you? I'm just here to grab a free cup of coffee." He quickly took a sip out of the cup Armie had given him.
Apollo felt his bracelet tighten around his wrist. "Even though that sounds like something you would do I'm sure that's not all, as matter of demonstration he waved his bracelet around in front of Phoenix."
"Man I really am a bad liar aren't I? Having a nervous twitch about something like that." The shit eating grin on his face told Apollo more than enough.
"You did that on purpose didn't you?" He rolled his eyes.
Phoenix burst out in laughter. "Ofcourse I did, anyway I'll get to the point. I'm shutting down the agency."
Apollo almost spit out his coffee, he quickly swallowed it and started coughing. "W-what the hell, where did that come from?"
Phoenix couldn't help but laugh even harder at Apollo's genuinely concerned face. "Oh man you should have seen your face. I'm shutting down the agency because we're going on vacation."
"Wait why shut down the agency if you are going on vacation? Can't I just take over for a bit?"
"My god Apollo you really are dense, you're coming with us ofcourse. Just you, me, Maya, Athena, Armie and Trucy for a whole week. What do you say?"
"You really know how to surprise a man don't you boss?" And how to almost give someone a heart attack for that matter "It sounds great, when and where are we going?"
"We're leaving Tuesday morning. As for the location, we got a beautiful cottage on Hawaii."
"Tuesday morning?! It's Sunday today, you realize I'll get dragged along with Armie and Athena to go shopping tomorrow right? By the way, I don't want to be rude and I know the agency has been doing a lot better lately but isn't Hawaii pretty expensive?"
Phoenix laughed at Apollo's worried face when he spoke about having to go shopping with his wife and daughter. "Can't help you escape the shopping I'm afraid, Maya and Trucy will most likely drag me along as well. And yes Hawaii is expensive, let's just say a certain frilly loving prosecutor decided to pay me for helping him with his trials in Europe this way."
The two men chatted for a little while longer until Phoenix decided it was time to go. "So I'm guessing you want to keep it a surprise for Armie and Athena a little longer?"
"Yeah I'll tell them tonight at dinner." The two men fell silent for a second and Apollo heard the familiar sound of little rotors. "So far for keeping it a secret from Armie I guess." Apollo shrugged and burst out laughing. Phoenix soon followed suit and the two men kept laughing for a solid minute before Phoenix actually decided to leave.
As soon as Phoenix had left Apollo put on his best poker face and marched over to his daughter's bedroom. He found the girl seated at her desk with her back towards him. "Armie what did I tell you about spying on other people using Sarge?" He tried to sound as stern as he could but even he could hear he was failing.
His daughter turned around in her chair and flashed him a shit eating grin. "That I shouldn't do it."
Apollo walked over and picked his daughter up as he tickled her making her laugh uncontrollably.
"Stop it papa, put me down already." Armie tried to break free but Apollo being forced to work out everyday together with his wife actually paid off for once.
Apollo continued for a little longer and finally put the girl down on her bed. "So are you excited to go on vacation with the Wrights?"
Armie nodded excitedly. "I can't wait to see Trucy again, she's the best. This is going to be the best vacation ever."
"Vacation?"
Apollo turned around and came face to face with his wife, shopping bag still in hand. "Oh hey tiger, back from shopping already?"
"Don't play dumb with me Apollo, I heard vacation. What's that about?"
Apollo sighed. "Well so far for keeping it a secret from any of you. Let's sit down and I'll tell you everything you want to know."
"Come on papa hurry up!" Armie dragged her father along towards yet another store.
"I'm coming sweetie hold on." Apollo had trouble keeping up with his daughter due to him having to carry literally everything his daughter and wife bought. "Do you know where your mother went by the way?"
"I think she went over to that shop." Armie pointed towards the most expensive jewellery store in the whole mall.
Apollo went pale. "You go on ahead sweetie I'm going to go get your mother." Hopefully before she spends half my savings in that store He managed to drag Athena out of the store before he went bankrupt, under loud protests of the latter.
"I swear I wasn't going to buy that much Apollo! Just that really nice looking pearl necklace."
"Yeah right tiger, come on we're going to find our daughter."
As Apollo and Athena entered the big clothes store they spotted their daughter talking to someone. Without thinking Apollo called out to her. "Armie what did I tell you about talking to strangers?" His remark earned him a sharp elbow planted in his side by his wife and a chuckle from over where Armie stood.
"Who are you calling a stranger Polly?" Nineteen year old Trucy Wright stepped into sight with a grin on her face.
From the other side of the store heard another familiar voice call out. "Trucy, you're not talking to boys again, are you? Which was followed by a yelp of pain. "Oh come on Maya, it was just a joke."
Trucy didn't hesitate to shout back at her father. "In fact, I was talking to a guy. He's already married though."
Phoenix and Maya also stepped into view now, Phoenix carrying about the same amount of bags as Apollo was. The two men shared a look of sympathy. Maya walked over to Armie and gave the girl a hug. "Hey Armie, how's it going? Your dad not too strict on you?"
Armie just smiled. "Hey aunt Maya! Papa spoils me a lot, he always gives me ice cream even if mama says I can't have anymore."
"You do what Apollo?!"
"Tiger wait… Ow." Apollo got yet another elbow planted in his side.
Phoenix couldn't help but laugh at his two understudies earning him a glare from Maya. "Hey honey why don't you, Athena and the girls continue shopping while Apollo and I go drink some coffee or something?"
Maya looked over to Athena who nodded. "Fine, consider yourselves lucky."
We sure are Both men had the exact same thought as they hurried out of the store. As the two of them sat down at a table in a nearby café Apollo flashed his boss a thumbs up. "Nice save Mr Wright. I don't know if I would have survived much longer."
"Believe me, I feel the same way." Phoenix grinned at the other man and quickly ordered two cups of coffee. "So tell me, how did keeping it a surprise from Athena go?"
Apollo made a frustrated hand gesture. "Let's see. I think I managed to keep it a secret for about 5 to 10 minutes."
Phoenix couldn't help but chuckle. "Sounds like a new record for you."
Apollo flashed him a grin. "Yeah I guess it is. One day I might even hit half an hour."
The two men chatted for a little while longer before their wives and kids came in. Well they assumed the people that stepped in were their wives, they couldn't tell for sure because of the stack of goods both of them were carrying blocking their faces. Apollo gulped. "Tiger who is going to carry all that stuff back to the car?"
"Same question here honey."
Athena and Maya put all of their stuff down and flashed their husbands a grin. "You!"
"Athena are you ready to leave yet? We have to be at the airport in exactly 45 minutes and it's at least a 40 minute drive." Apollo tried to remain calm but the stress was clearly noticeable in his voice.
"Stop stressing Apollo, we'll be fine. Is Armie ready yet?"
"Ofcourse she is! I helped her pack, she's been ready for at least 30 minutes now!"
"Alright alright chill Apollo. Just trying to get my suitcase closed."
"Just leave some things out if it won't close!" Apollo took another glance at the clock which only stressed him out further.
"Alright I'm done let's go."
Apollo was about to open the door when he felt someone tap him on the back. He turned around and practically shouted. "What is it now Athena?!"
"U-uhm do we have time to go to the toilet papa?" Armie managed to ask what she wanted to ask but not without a lot of stammering.
Apollo screamed internally but managed to completely hide it on the outside. "Ofcourse we do sweetie, just make it quick okay?"
Armie nodded and quickly went over to the bathroom. Apollo just took a deep breath to calm himself when he heard someone whisper in his ear. "Hypocrite." He was about to bite back when he saw Athena had a smile plastered on her face. "I guess I am."
When they made it to the airport the Wright family was already waiting there. "You're late Apollo, that's not like you." Phoenix raised an eyebrow at the other man.
"You're on time boss, that's not like you." Apollo managed to keep a straight face all the way through causing everyone to burst out laughing. Well everyone except for Phoenix.
"Yeah yeah very funny Apollo. Enough of that though, is everyone ready for the best vacation ever?"
"Yeah!" Everyone managed to shout in almost perfect unison.
"Let's go then."