Within LJ's dream world, his alter-ego, Leo Quad, kick-butt martial arts superstar, was keeping a constant vigil over his hometown of Kenkichi City, until he spotted someone racing through the streets. It was a girl who looked just like Kimberly, except she had her hair done up in a long ponytail with a pink bow on her head resembling a pair of cat ears, and four purple lines on her face that resembled whiskers. She also wore a pair of glasses, a white and lavender dress with pink tights, light purple sneakers, a cat bell on her neck, and cat paw-like gloves.
Leo tugged at his shirt collar. "Whoa...what's this crazy feeling in my stomach...?" he wondered.
"Hi, there," The girl smirked to him slightly. "You must be new around here."
"M-More or less," Leo remarked, trying to keep his cool, even though his face was red as a ripe tomato. "N-Name's Leo Quad...I'm a resident helper-out-er around these parts..."
"So I see..." The girl replied.
"And you are...?" Leo asked.
"Nyancy Chan... Charmed to meet ya, stranger." The girl seemed to smirk a bit like a sneaky kitty.
Leo blushed even more at this. "I could say the same to you..." he replied, sweating even more.
Nyancy giggled as she looked at him.
Leo grinned sheepishly at that. "Wow...you have a pretty laugh..." he remarked.
"Why, thank you," Nyancy smirked before she soon began to run again. "Try and keep up. I dare ya to chase me!~"
Leo beamed. "You're on!" he replied as he took off after her.
The two seemed to race together with a laugh. Due to being a dream, it seemed as though they passed Prince Manik and Princess Sonia who waved to them down the path. The duo looked at each other, then shrugged as they continued running. Nyancy giggled as she kept running with Leo running after her like they were playing some sort of game. And Leo was actually enjoying each minute of it. Nyancy chuckled before she soon stopped by a body of water which seemed to be like a beach.
"Whoa..." Leo gasped in awe.
"Mm... That was fun..." Nyancy smiled. "I could almost go for a dip in the cool refreshing water."
Leo gaped in surprise. "Sounds like fun." he replied.
"Why don't you join me?" Nyancy smirked to Leo. "You look like you could use a little cooling off."
Leo nodded eagerly at this. Nyancy smirked to him and put her feet in the water to see how cool it was.
Leo did the same thing. "Hoo! That is some cold water!" he yelped.
"We should probably wait it out," Nyancy chuckled to him. "I never would've taken you for the camping type."
"Hm...likewise..." Leo replied.
Nyancy smirked to him before she seemed to go under the water. Leo soon stood over the water to help her out, but she soon took his hands and pulled him under the water.
LJ let out a yelp before looking around as he woke up and found himself in his bedroom. What a crazy dream, but boy, was it a good one! With a yawn, he got up and started getting dressed.
"A school camping trip..." Cherry commented as she made some snacks for the kids to take on their trip to go camping with the school. "Kinda makes me think of that time in Everfree."
"Oh, I remember reading about that," Lionel replied. "Talk about an ordeal..."
"Well, I suppose it'll be fun," Cherry said while cooking. "I mean... I hope they have fun anyway. Maybe they'll see Geno and Gurri."
"Sorry, refresh my memory on those two?" Lionel asked. "Been awhile..."
"Bambi and Faline's fawns," Cherry smiled softly. "Such a peaceful little forest."
"Ohhhh..." Lionel replied.
"There we go," Cherry smiled. "Snacks for the road trip."
"So, when are you taking the kids?" Cherry and Lionel asked in unison. "Me?! I thought you were gonna do it!"
"Actually, it says that BOTH of you gotta do it." David replied as he entered the kitchen.
"You're not busy, are you?" Cherry asked Lionel as she sealed up the container.
"Not really," Lionel replied. "You?"
"No, I just thought you were gonna do it," Cherry said. "Ah, well, no big deal. I guess I could pack up a suitcase real quick. I'm not a big camper, but I suppose it would be nice to bond with the kids like this."
"Yeah, that could be fun!" Lionel gleamed.
Cherry soon got a text from Atticus even though they were both adults now.
"How is he?" Lionel asked.
"'I think I'm getting old... Estelle and Lee might make me a grandfather... #JustSawAGrayHairAfterTakingOffMyWorkHat'." Cherry read aloud.
"Oh, cripes, he's using hashtags," Lionel rolled his eyes. "Dude needs to chill out."
"Never thought Atticus of all people would use hashtags..." Cherry muttered. "Come on, Atticus, you let this Lee kid hang around Estelle more after that time we went to the Jinnouchi family reunion as honorary guests... GET A GRIP!" she then snapped a bit.
"We oughta go over and snap some sense into him." Lionel suggested.
Zofia soon came downstairs, playing on her own phone and seemed to be stuck on it like she couldn't focus on anything else.
"Man, she's really hooked on that thing." Cherry commented.
LJ slid down the stair railing and came to a halt. "Fear not, parents, for David and I have conceived a remedy!" he explained, before smacking the phone onto the carpet with his hand.
Zofia's eyes widened and her left eye twitched with her hands shaking violently.
"Nice." Cherry playfully rolled her eyes.
"Just a sonic second, young lady," Lionel stated. "As...crude as their method was, your brothers make a decent point: you are spending WAY too much time on your phone."
"I am not!" Zofia complained. "I can stop any time I want!"
"How about now?" David smirked.
"...I said when I want." Zofia replied.
"My point exactly," Lionel replied. "I don't like camping any more than you (or your brothers) do, but it's what you need to get your mind off your phone."
"Nor I..." Cherry added. "Why don't you use your imagination? I've always had a big imagination, even when technology took over. If anything, it advanced my career as a writer."
"Yeah! My imagination got me into as much problems as it got me OUT of!" Lionel added. "Sometimes, even more!"
"Hmm... All right, but at least let me do one more thing on my phone?" Zofia replied.
"...Fine... But one thing..." Cherry said, handing her daughter her phone for one last time. "Don't make me turn into the mom from Diary of a Wimpy Kid."
"You mean Susan Heffley?" Lionel asked. "Those were pretty funny..."
Cherry gave him an icy glance.
"I don't think Mom's in the mood for that right now." David smiled sheepishly.
Cherry let Zofia use her phone one last time, but would soon take it back.
Lionel shivered, icicles growing on his body. "It w-w-wasn't even aimed-d-d at-t-t y-y-you..." he managed to say.
Zofia soon used her phone one last time. Cherry soon checked on the snacks and soon went to pack herself a bag for the camping trip.
Lionel shook the icicles off and got to packing his own bag for the trip. "Too hot to handle, too cold to hold!" he remarked.
"Parents..." Zofia sighed as she used her phone.
"Time's almost up," Lionel called out. "Soon as we hit the road, you hand your phone back to your mother!"
"Yes, sir!" Zofia called back.
"Mm... Mom's snacks..." David smiled, taking a container. "I wonder what she made us this time?"
"Probably something REALLY awesome!" LJ added as he began to salivate.
"Camp Everwood... I wonder what it'll be like?" Zofia wondered. "Maybe I'll get lost in the jungle, and the brave and handsome explorer will come rescue me?"
"It's a forest, sis, not the Amazon rainforest," LJ replied. "And lemme guess: you're imagining being rescued by Craig Ferguson?"
Zofia looked bashful while David smirked to his sister. "...Shut up."
"...Your silence tells everything." David shrugged. "What's really left to say?"
"Pfft!" Zofia blew a raspberry. "#AnnoyingBrothers."
"Ugh... Hashtags..." David groaned. "Never did like those things."
"Same, bro," LJ agreed. "It's literally the pound sign from a wall phone, except used in annoying contexts."
"Hmm... I wonder if we'll make any new friends during this trip?" Zofia soon smiled hopefully.
"Most likely," LJ replied. "Maybe if we do, you might start acting like your old adventurer self again."
"Hmm... I guess I've been acting a little different since I got my phone..." Zofia said. "Maybe Mater and Frater are right."
"Yeah, you're acting like one of those teen stereotypes one would see on TV," David added. "It's like you got replaced by a pod-person or something...*shudders audibly*"
"I guess I have changed a bit... I'm sorry, you guys." Zofia smiled bashfully to her brothers.
"Aw, it's fine," LJ replied. "Besides, better you hear it from your own bros than from some random weirdo on the street."
"Yeah..." Zofia said. "I prefer the weirdos I live with." she then added with a playful smirk.
"Apology accepted, sis." LJ and David replied.
The siblings soon all shared a hug with each other as Cherry and Lionel came back downstairs.
"Okay, kids, time to get going!" Lionel announced. "Each of you grab your bags and get out here!"
"Yes, sir!" The kids saluted as they went to get their things for their next big adventure.
And shortly after, they got back outside with their travel bags and sleeping bags.
"We're not taking an RV again, are we?" Zofia asked.
"Nah," Cherry smirked. "We're just gonna take the family car while everyone else takes the bus."
"Yup!" Lionel replied. "Speaking of which, that ought to be your friends showing up right about now!"
The kids soon packed up their things until their friends would come to travel with them to Camp Everwood.
"Um... Is Drell coming?" LJ asked.
"Yes, dear..." Cherry replied. "He's mostly there to keep an eye on Ambrose though."
David rolled his eyes. "Of course...because we'll OBVIOUSLY need his complete and utter lack of empathy for anyone other than himself."
"Just ignore him, and he'll go away." Cherry advised.
"You two know as well as I do that's never actually worked once." LJ replied.
"I know, that's just what MY mother told me about bullies." Cherry said.
"Fair enough." Lionel replied.
"I'm sure you'll be fine though, if not, I'll just give him a scare since the tables have turned on us lately." Cherry soon showed a dark grin on her face which highlighted her fangs.
LJ smirked. "Good to know, Mom." he remarked.
"Your friends should be here very soon," Cherry smiled. "It's so nice to see you guys hanging out together. Makes me think of the old days with Atticus, Mo, Patch, and you father."
"Sure does," Lionel replied with a smile. "Those were some of the best days of my life."
"Okay, I think that's everything, now we gotta wait for some friends to show up." Cherry said.
Of course, Kimberly soon came by first, and she brought Gordon, Waffle, and Mr. Blik with her. Surprisingly, they didn't look too different from when LJ and Zofia were kids.
"Hey, guys, long time no see." Zofia said to the cat brothers.
"It sure has been a while, huh?" Waffle smiled. "We thought camping would be fun with Kimberly!"
"Well, I figured I needed a chance to prove that my wilderness survival skills aren't getting rusty," Mr. Blik smirked. "After all, I didn't want to upstage Katilda."
Gordon and Waffle soon smirked as Mr. Blik mentioned Katilda.
"What?!" Mr. Blik glared.
"Nuthin'~" Gordon and Waffle replied innocently.
"Don't gimme that 'nuthin' shtick!" Mr. Blik remarked. "I KNOW you two are up to something!"
Gordon and Waffle just chuckled to their brother.
"Always good to see you, dear," Cherry said as she gave a small hug to Kimberly. "Ah, such a lovely girl. I wish I could've grown up with more girls just like you."
"Thanks, Mrs. Schwartz," Kimberly beamed in response. "But at least you managed to make something great of yourself. And someday, I hope I can be as confident as you are."
"Aw, you're sweet." Cherry gave a small smile.
Kimberly beamed. "Thanks, I try!" she replied as she went to join the others.
Dib and Gaz soon came over next.
"Hey, guys," Zofia smiled to the Membrane siblings. "What brings you here besides our company?"
"Dib insists on meeting Bigfoot." Gaz replied.
"Hey, if we're gonna be in the woods, I may as well make the most of it." Dib shrugged before he spotted GIFfany waving at him from inside his cell phone. He seemed to bashfully smile to that.
"I thought I could use a little fresh air," Gaz said. "Dad's idea though."
"He just wants us out of the house so he can spend even MORE time working on his precious scientific pursuits without having to worry about us." Dib replied bitterly.
"Well, it's good to see you guys out," Cherry said. "Are those Billy and Mandy kids gonna come too then? I feel like I haven't seen them since you kids visited my haunted house when you went trick-or-treating before running into that Jack O'Lantern character."
"Nah," Dib replied. "Those two are nothing but trouble! Billy is a hopeless idiot, and Mandy never gets comeuppance for anything she does...not to mention she's an untrustworthy jerk."
"Looks like I'm above Mandy when it comes to moral behavior and character development!" Gaz added. "...At least around here."
"Basically, yeah." Dib replied, and everyone muttered in agreement.
Raul soon came over, looking a little embarrassed as his hair was combed down as he came with his cousins.
"Uh, you okay, Raul?" LJ asked.
"Mom did my hair funny..." Raul pouted. "How am I gonna impress any ladies with my hair looking stupid like this?"
"We'll be at a camp," Martin replied. "I don't think you'll get the chance to embarrass yourself."
"You'll be fine," Jenny added. "Come on, let's get to the Schwartz's."
Raul soon walked off with his cousins to see the Schwartz family. Eventually, they arrived to meet up with the others.
"Everybody here?" Cherry asked. "I think so..."
"Looks like it." Zofia guessed.
"Hmm...almost." David noted.
Suddenly, a car drove up, and Chrissy was placed outside, dressed in dark purple nature gear, as well as a hot-pink colored travel bag being put next to her. The car then closed its doors and drove off.
"Wow... That just happened... Hello there, Chrissy." Cherry blinked before looking to the blonde girl.
"I gotta be prepared for everything." Chrissy replied.
"Okay, NOW it's everyone," Lionel replied. "Everybody into the car!"
Everyone soon got into the car and they began to leave home to start a new adventure in the woods. They were joined shortly by a large yellow bus being driven by Phil and Lil's mom...rather erratically, might I add. "What is that nutbar doing?" Cherry muttered to herself.
Tommy was watching a horror movie that he filmed with his friends helping out by being the actors, but it was ruined thanks to Lil laughing instead being afraid. Dil was wearing a bunny mask as he came out of the doggy door which made Lil laugh.
"Lame, party of one, your table's ready," Tommy sulked as he closed his video camera. "This horror movie thing's a bust."
"Oh, I dunno," Theo shrugged. "Horror is so overrated. If that doesn't pan out, you can always market it as a spoof comedy!"
"Hmm... I dunno..." Tommy replied.
"I promise not to laugh next time, Tommy." Lil promised.
"There won't be a next time, I'm all out of summer." Tommy replied.
"Don't rush it, Pickles," Angelica replied. "Summer ain't over till the phat lady sings AND gets the lead in the camp musical. That's phat, with a P-H, by the way."
"I see your ego is fat with a capital F." Susie smirked.
Theo chuckled as that was a bit funny. They all passed a sign labelled "Camp Everwood: 7 Miles".
"I wonder if I could use my technomancer powers to construct a physical body for you..." Dib commented to GIFfany.
"I would love that... You would do that just for me?" GIFfany smiled angelically to him.
"Sure!" Dib replied. "I'd just need to find enough of the necessary materials to do so!"
"Oh, Dib, that's so sweet of you," GIFfany smiled to him. "That would make me the happiest girl in the world!"
"Aw, it's nothing, really." Dib blushed.
"It's Mrs. DeVille's Wild Ride!" Betty cheered and laughed.
Everyone was holding on to something as the bus was on a bumpy ride.
"I suddenly don't feel bad about my own driving skills." Cherry commented.
Lionel nodded in agreement.
"Betty, please keep the bouncing to a minimum, I just had kidney surgery." Charlotte warned as she wore a sun hat, sunglasses, and had bandages on her nose and face.
"I didn't know her kidneys were in her face." Stu smirked about his sister-in-law.
Theo snickered at that.
"Oh, Stu..." Didi sighed to her husband. "She just had some freshening up and she doesn't want the whole world to know."
"If her skin was any tighter, she'd have eyes on the sides of her face." Randy commented before laughing.
"Randy!" Lucy scolded before then laughing with her husband.
"Oh, you guys..." Colleen said to them as she came for the trip while her other sons would be at home with their grandfather.
So the bus kept on driving.