Colorado, Phillip's House

"Guys come on Fi's almost here." Molly shouted, hiding behind a chair in the front room.

Jack and Cary rushed into the room, fists full of confetti. Irene clicked her cell phone shut.

"Ok, I talked to Clu about ten minutes ago, he and Fi had just left the airport then so they should be here any minute. Oh and Molly, that was Dave on the phone"

Molly rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Yea I know," Irene waved, "we'll talk later."

The occupants of the Phillips Colorado home switched off the lights and contorted themselves into odd positions behind chairs and bookshelves. The roar of a car engine coming to a stop and then footsteps clomping up the wooden stairs out front triggered a few squeals, quickly hushed.

"Clu," Fiona said with a sarcastic lilt in her voice, "What could be going on?"

"Why I don't know Fi," Clu responded in the same mockingly sarcastic tone, "The house is all dark, and like, totally spooky."

He and Fi exchanged glances and swung the tan wood door open.

"Surprise!" the occupants who had previously been hiding jumped out, Cary and Jack tossing confetti in the air.

Fi looked at Clu, "Oh my, I'm so surprised."

"Yea, " Clu responded laughingly, "totally."

They froze, smiled, dug their hands into their pockets and an instant later turned on the confetti throwing and shouting group. Spraying silly string from four containers.

"Surprise!" Fi and Clu shouted.

Later…

An hour later hugs had been exchanged, suitcases had been brought to rooms and Cary, Jack, Fi and Clu were on their hands and knees cleaning up the "surprise" confetti and string.

"So Fi," Cary started, "How is it being home from a city like New York, less traffic, less noise; less freaks right?"

"Well definitely less noise and traffic, but as far as freaks go…" She trailed off, looking over at Jack.

"Oh that does it," he picked up a handful of left over confetti and tossed it onto her head.

"Ah Jack, all over my hair."

"Which is nice by the way." Cary said.

"Yeah I really like it," Annie said.

"Yea Fi, I'm diggin' the new look." Clu added.

"Well short is the new long." Fi said, running her hands repeatedly through her hair in an attempt to rid it of the confetti bits.

"It's a good look for you sis."

"It makes you look older." Cary winked.

"Thanks."Fi smiled

Fi's Room

Annie and Fi sat on Fi's big, for a twin sized, bed. Fi was slowly unpacked her suitcase and Annie was slowly packing hers.

"Glad to be back?" Annie asked, absentmindedly twisting the ring on her finger.

"Yea, you never really think about it that much when you're gone, how much you miss your family, your house, your own comfy bed." Fi threw herself back dramatically and Annie laughed.

The smile slipped from her face a moment later. And her left hand moved across her right.

"Hey Fi," She said, more seriously, "Remember when you gave me this?"

Annie held out her open-palmed hand. Fi's old silver ring lay in it.

"Yea sure," Fi didn't reach for it.

"Well I want to give it back." Annie looked away and then back at Fi's confused face, "It's not that I don't want it anymore, or that I'm ungrateful, it meant a lot to me." She paused, searching for the right words, "It's just, I think you should have it back."

Fi smiled, "I gave it to you to keep."

Annie shook her head, and placed the ring in Fi's reluctant hand, "And now I'm giving it as a gift to you. Plus I would feel just awful if I lost it in Peru"

A few moments of silence passed, and slowly Fi slipped the ring back onto her thumb. The engraving disappeared and Fi sighed quietly; Annie didn't notice.

"So, you leave for Peru soon huh?"

"Yea,' Annie laughed, "My parents are a wreck, but I think it'll be kinda cool doing senior year there. Correspondence, and my parents are going to get a job close by, maybe even with the tribe I'm staying with."

Fi nodded, trying to hide her distraction by the ring.

"My plane leaves in two days actually,"Annie continued, "I'm trying to learn the language, just so I don't get totally lost down there."

"Totally," Clu said as he waltzed into Fi's room, "My mom says dinner's ready."

"Ok." Annie said, getting up and moving to the door.

"I'll…be down in a minute." Fi said, keeping her eyes on her half unpacked suitcase.

Annie looked at Clu, who just nodded at her to go.

"Hey Fi," Clu approached cautiously, sitting beside her on the bed, "are you alright?"

Fi looked at her hand a moment, then up at Clu, "Yeah Clu, I think I'm alright."

Smiling, he gave her a hug, "Ok, then let's go eat, I'm famished!"

Fi laughed, and this only encouraged Clu's smile.

"I'll race yah." He shouted, pushing her aside.

"Hey Clu, get back here." Fi ran after him.

The Bell's House

"Hey Cary," Clu said, twirling a drumstick in his fingers.

"Yea?" Cary stopped and leaned against Clu's doorframe.

"Dinner was kinda weird huh?"

Cary laughed, "What are you talking about?" He moved to sit on the futon chair opposite Clu's bed.

"Well, I don't know, something just seemed off."

Cary smirked, "Well I don't know, maybe it has something to do with Molly going back on tour, with Jack not sure if he wants to go to school next year or with Fi having graduated a year early."

"Or that Fi got her ring back from Annie," Clu paused, "Wait, Fi graduated, and mom and dad are going on tour with Mrs. P again? Heavy."

"Yea, and Clu don't tell anyone any of this ok? Because I think I'm the only one who knows."

Clu nodded.

"Wow, I can't believe mom and dad didn't tell me."

"I think it was pretty sudden, the band only found out Monday."

"So bro," Clu said tossing a pillow at Cary's head, which he caught, "You going on the road again?"

Cary smiled, "I don't know," he tossed the pillow back and struck Clu smack in the face, "I was thinking about maybe starting my own band, but I haven't really found anyone who could be in it."

Cary shrugged.

"Well dude I will always be willing to be your drummer," Clu said laying back on his bed as Cary got up and moved towards the door.

"Right, an in between classes only drummer, just what I need." Cary said casually.

"What if I didn't have classes?" Clu asked, hesitantly.

Cary grabbed the doorframe with both hands and swung him self back into the room looking at Clu, "What do you mean?"