"Sweetie, are you sure you're going to be safe?"

Emma clasped her dessert spoon a little bit tighter and looked up from her bowl of tiramisu, which her mother specially had made for her tonight, acting like she was leaving on a world tour and not just on a little one day camping trip which was not even over an hour away.

"I'll be fine, mum."

"Let her be, Ulrike. It's not like she never was camping before." Her father said, giving Emma a smile. "I think it's nice that they want to do this. It's not like the youth has any interest in the nature nowadays, right Miri?" He reached out to tousle Emma's 16year-old sister's hair who was occupied with texting someone instead of joining any dinner conversation.

"Dad!" Miriam exclaimed annoyed and slapped at his hand before righting her long light brown hair, not once looking up from her cells screen.

"But you said it's this adventure camp thing you were with the school before," Emma's mother went on. "It was in the middle of the woods and you told us Ms. Vogel sprained her ankle, you had no reception and what if something happens. There will be no teachers around this time."

"Mum, we'll directly go to the camp and we'll not be doing any wandering around in the woods. I promise." Emma looked down into her bowl, cursing herself when she felt the rush of warmth rise up her neck, when she thought about what they'd actually be doing. Emma cleared her throat. "Can we change the topic now?"

"Darling, they'll be fine," Emma's father said and took the hand of his wife, who released a unsatisfied breath.

"So, it'll be only Jenny and you, hm?" Tom, Emma's two years older brother, put his oar in and grinned.

Emma threw him the death glare, wanting to kick him in the shins. "Yes."

"Interesting," he kept grinning, the reason why staying oblivious to their parents and their sister, who apparently had more important matters at hand than her sisters weekend plans. "So we only went camping to get massively drunk," he went on and shrugged innocently.

"Yes, and you are boys," Emma's mother said and shook her head. "You never were up to any good. Well, you still aren't."

"Hey, I'm doing good," Tom defended himself, his voice rising in offense. "Ask uncle Otto. Right dad? He says, I'll be an excellent mechanic. Tell her, dad."

Emma looked in-between her parents and brother, seeing the next fight about her brother's future rise on the horizon. She quickly pushed her chair back, not having any interest to listen to this again. "Um, I still need to pack. So, can I go upstairs?"

"Yes, Ems, go ahead," her dad said, motioning for her to leave. Emma could tell he already was annoyed by the constant fight between his wife and son and felt sorry for him to have to sit through it. But today, this could not bring her down and so she thanked him with a smile and hurried up the stairs, having a certain excited bounce in her step.

When she entered her room she looked at the big black-red hiking backpack which was at least as big as she was tall and lay at the foot of her bed after her dad had given it to her this afternoon.

It was still empty and she had no idea with what to fill it. What would she really need? What does one need if you go on a one-day get away trip to be alone with your girlfriend – to have your first time with your girlfriend...

Emma bit her lip and let herself sink back against her closed door, the anticipation which was swelling up in her chest with every hour since they decided to go overtaking her more and more.

She took a deep calming breath before pushing herself away from the door. On her way to her bed she went with her fingers through her short blonde hair, tousling it a bit in hope to get a clear mind or an idea what to pack while she slowly walked to the backpack, picking it up from her bed to look inside of its emptiness.

Still not getting a clue where to start with the packing she let it drop back on the bed again and turned, letting herself fall onto her bed, looking up to the ceiling, her thoughts drifting to tomorrow night.

Would it be everything she hoped it would be? Jenny and her alone under the starry sky, cuddling up in front of a beautiful warm camp fire under some blankets...Emma sighed and closed her eyes.

Yes, it would be perfect. She already could feel Jenny's arms around her while they'd be doing some bread on sticks. She would sit in between Jenny's legs and lean back against her, holding their stick, while Jenny's hands would lay on her stomach, never still, but always smoothing, always stroking, her fingers always caressing. She could feel the heat of the fire on her face and the heat that would rise within her when Jenny would tilt her head and stop resting her chin on her shoulder, but instead start to run her nose along her neck to smell her, to breath her up before pressing soft loving kisses to her skin causing shudders to run through her body.

Emma bit her lip anew after a soft sigh escaped her lips.

Perfect.

She'd turn around in Jenny's arms and Jenny would look at her in just that way she sometimes looks at her, that loving smoldering way that said that she wanted her but that it was all up to her. And Emma knew that then she'd be ready, like she had been for a while now. She knew that aching feeling to touch Jenny by now, knew that feeling of unfulfilled want when they were somewhere she couldn't kiss or touch her like she wanted. But tomorrow with them being all alone she would kiss her and turn in her arms and just give in to her feelings, just run with her desire to kiss Jenny, to feel her against her and to be just as close to her as possible while they'd be surrounded by the night. It would be only them, the stars and the fire.

Emma's eyes shot open, being startled from her thoughts by a disturbing ring which suddenly echoed through her room. The sound was coming from her old as dirt computer, which once had belonged to her brother. So she she sat up and moved over to her desk with a sigh, having it preferred to stay a bit longer in her fantasy which soon would hopefully become reality.

When she reached her computer, she moved her mouse in order for her screen to light up, leaning in a standing position over her desk, not intending to talk with whoever was calling her since she had more important matters to do, like packing that backpack for her trip to the shag- uh shack!

On her screen Skype blinked up, notifying her that indeed she had a call coming in, if the offending sound to her ears wouldn't have gotten that across yet. She maximized the window for Skype, curious as to who was calling her. Maybe her older sister, she did say she wanted to call after she'd be back home from Italy with her boyfriend.

Emma soon came to realize that it wasn't her older sister and a grin spread across her face when she read Hotte's name. A laugh escaped her mouth and without hesitating she clicked on 'accept', calling out "Hotte!" in the direction of her discarded headset which lay on the floor next to the tower of her computer.

"Emmalein!" Hotte's voice boosted out of her speakers and she was quick to tone them down before picking her headset up and letting herself fall into her desk chair. "Hotte, what are you doing?"

"Calling my best friend, of course," he said and Emma could hear his brilliant smile through the million miles that separated them. "Did you get the camera yet, which I sent you? Because I just installed mine and, here, wait a sec."

Another window popped up on Emma's screen asking her to accept a video chat.

Emma screwed up her mouth saying, "Yeah, I did." She looked over to the unpacked Amazon package that lay at the furthest away corner of her desk. "But you're not supposed to give me such expensive things."

"Ah, what?" Hotte said incredulous. "Take it as a birthday present, also there's something wrong about me not being able to see you, so it was a completely selfish act."

"Yeah?" Emma said unsure, still not feeling right about his gift, also because his magic academy and living in Las Vegas wasn't quiet cheap either.

"Yes. Now accept the video chat already," he said. When there was no immediate answer from his best friend he lowered his voice to a suggestive tone. "Emma, you don't want to be missing how good I am looking now. I mean, we're talking about moving pictures here."

Emma laughed and shook her head. "I'm missing you, you know that?"
"Come on, and let's install your webcam already!"

~ ~ ~ 45 minutes later ~ ~ ~

"Can you see me now?" Emma questioned, taking it into consideration to throw her computer out of the window if the camera still didn't work. She had better things to be doing than this, but then again Hotte and her were rarely able to speak with each other these days, so she had to give him a few more minutes.

"Emma, you're really technically challenged..." Hotte sighed before suddenly exclaiming, "YES! YES! YES!"

"Really?" Emma squeed.

"Yes, now if you would only move your face out of the camera, like put some distance..." Hotte trailed off as Emma moved back from the camera. "Aahhh, there we go. Look at you, you're looking good." A grin overtook his face and he added, "Well, no surprise there with having Jenny as your girlfriend."

Emma squinted her eyes. "You just waited to say this, didn't you?" She pointed her finger at him and tilted her head to the side while observing his amused face. "That's why I had to get this to work today."

Hotte laughed and nodded while pointing a finger right back at Emma. "Yes, and don't you blush." He reached up and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Though I'm sure Jenny is giving you plenty of reasons to blush. I mean,..." He grinned again, looking to the side while diving into memories. "When I think back to when we kissed..."

"Hotte!" Emma exclaimed. Her hand twitched in reflex to slap him, but then noticed that though she was able to see him now, she still could not slap him.

"Okay, okay..." Hotte raised his hands in defense. "You're such a fun sponge."

"Well, what would Alexa think hearing you talk about another girl like that?" Emma asked.

"My hot model girlfriend from Portugal?" Hotte said perking up.

"I think it is weird that you call her that every time," Emma said, furrowing her brow disturbed.

Hotte just grinned pleased. "Well, I think it can't be said enough. Did you tell Marcel and his gang about it already? I also thought about mailing it to Caro, but then I thought I don't want to hurt her feelings."

"Hurt her feelings," Emma repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," Hotte affirmed. "I mean, now the chance of us ever being together has just dropped to a negative number on the Carotte love probability scale."

"On the what?" Emma asked bewildered.

"CLPS, for short," Hotte informed before smiling proudly. "Carotte, that'd be our shipper name."

"Ah, sure..." Emma nodded only to disbelievingly shake her head afterwards.

"Yes, like yours is Jemma." Hotte said, as if he was stating obvious things here.

"Jemma." Emma repeated.

"Yes! Sounds good right?" he smiled.

"Ah, hmm, yeah." Emma agreed as to not to provoke him into giving an endless speech about this topic. But then she furrowed her brow and leaned her head on her hand, pondering, "And why would Jenny's name be first? It's not like she's, uh...um, so why?"

"Well, because Emmy would sound like an old wrinkly grandmother," Hotte explained. "And you two are anything but that, if you know what I mean." His eyebrows raised suggestively above the frame of his glasses.

"Aha," Emma said, ignoring his last comment and instead fired back. "And 'Carotte' is the obvious choice for you because it sounds like carot which you know is Caro's favorite vegetable or what?"

"Well," Hotte went on is his explanation, the mocking tone of Emma escaping him. "You know Hore would be unfavorable, because it lets you think of whore and Caro is anything but a whore."

"Oh really?" Emma tilted her head.

"Yes!" Hotte said, his brow furrowing slightly offended. "Also carots are good for you. Did you know that they can provide your skin with a good complexion? You should try it."

"Oh god, Hotte." Emma covered her eyes with one hand. "I'm sorry, but I really have better things to do than listening to your Hotte-Theories right now."

"Oh really?" Hotte laughed, doubting her statement.

Emma dropped her hand from her eyes to throw a glare to the camera. "Yes!"

"Oh," he made surprised and furrowed his brows. "Like what?"

"Um," Emma made and twiddled with the collar of her hoody. "Actually. Well, so I actually have to pack, because uh..."

"Yeeaah?" Hotte made expectant and smiled. "Don't tell me you want to surprise me and come for a visit."

"Oh, no," Emma responded, feeling bad now. "Sorry."

"Oh, well, but you have to," Hotte said.

"Yes, some other time." Emma nodded before looking down again. "No, I actually..." She cleared her throat. "Jenny and I plan to go camping."

"Oh, cool!" Hotte said enthusiastically. "But pay attention to wolfs okay? Because I read that..."

"Shut up," Emma cut in.

"Hey!" Hotte furrowed his brows confused and offended.

"I really don't need your stories now," Emma said her voice raising and getting a higher pitch. "We didn't eat any bird eggs when we were on that Team Training camp either. You had me in jitters just because of that, so stop talking about wolfs, that's the last thing I need – to be worried about stuff like that, too."

"Huh? What else would you be worried about?" Hotte questioned.

Emma felt her cheeks warm up and looked down, rubbing with her thumb over the surface of her desk, as if she just noticed a little stain or something she needed to clean.

"Emma?" Hotte said when she didn't immediately respond. He examined her face, her averted eyes and the slight blush to her cheeks. "Why are you suddenly looking all coy?" He inquired wondering.

"Well, we, uh...it's..." Emma closed her eyes and cursed herself for not being able to just downright say it. "We're planning to have our first night together," she said peeking up to observe Hotte's reaction. "You know..." She looked left and right before saying unsure and slowly. "As in together."

"Oh?" Hotte's furrowed brow eased up slowly and his mouth opened in an enthused smile. "OH! I mean, Heya!"

"Hotte!" Emma let her head fall forward, supporting it with her hands on the side of her face while she closed her eyes feeling the heat run up her back and neck before shooting into her cheeks.

"Sorry, but that is so exciting," Hotte said giddy. "You have to tell me about it later!"

"Why?" Emma wondered, looking up. "You said you did it already with..."

"With my hot model girlfriend from Portugal," Hotte cut in. "Yes. But we're talking about Jenny here and..."

Emma sat up, pointing a finger at him through the camera. "Don't you finish that sentence or I might shoot you with Jenny's bullet earring."

"Fine," Hotte gave in. "But you know I totally would have told you all about it back when it happened, but you didn't want to hear it."

Emma pressed her lips together and nodded, her eyes shifting over the items of her desk, remembering that she had not wanted to hear him gloat about that.

"Hm," Hotte observed her thoughtful face. "Do you want to hear about it now?" he inquired before questioning, "Are you nervous?"

Emma spotted his open, caring look and decided to just open up. After all he was her best friend. "Well, yes obviously." She shifted in her chair and pulled the sleeves of her hoody further down her arms, so that they covered her hands and her fingers could fiddle with them. "I mean she is, she had...But um,..." She pulled her legs up on the chair, curling up on it and scratched at her temple. "I don't know it feels unexplainable right and actually I'm..." She took a deep breath before a smile started playing across her lips. "I'm pretty excited. I'm uh,..." She looked up at him again, the smile now permanent though still somehow coy, "I like her, you know?"

"Oh, I know." He nodded, pointing out, "I saw you kissing, remember?"

"Oh god," Emma buried her face in her hands. "It's hard to forget."

Hotte laughed wistfully. "Don't I know it." He sighed before pulling himself out of his thoughts. "But hey, don't be nervous. It will be alright. Actually it will be fantastic, blowing your mind good, really. And I mean camping with your girl? Cuddling up at a camp fire, beautiful clear sky with a lot of stars? That's a dream."

"Right?" Emma said, sitting up. "That's exactly what I said. I'm so excited. Well, I think Jenny is a bit hesitant about the location, but I'm sure she will love it once we're there. I mean, she definitely was happy as I told her about it."

"Sure, she will," Hotte reassured. Suddenly he snapped his fingers. "Hey, shall I teach you a bit about astronomy?" His sleezy grin creeped back up his face while saying, "You will impress the pants right off of her."

Emma laughed and shook her head. "Hotte..."

"What? I mean it."

"I know!" Emma laughed again. "But first I really have to pack now. Or we won't be going at all. Even though, I mean, I'm trying to pack since four hours now and I have literally nothing packed since then."

"Oh, alright." Hotte nodded. "So let's do that first."

"You will help me?" Emma asked hopefully.

"Yes, of course." Hotte sat up, pushing his chest out. "Hey, I'm a man. I know what you'll need in the wilderness."

"Haha, yes right," Emma said amused.

"Hey," he pouted. "I thought you needed help."

"Hm, yes, please," Emma nodded pathetically.

Hotte smiled. "Do you make a list?"

"Yes, pen and paper right here," Emma said readily and quickly picked a pen up and pulled a sheet of paper closer to herself. "Go."

"Okay, let's go for the obvious first. Toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, toilet paper, towels, brush, any other lady things you might need. Then cell, wallet and watch. First aid kit, swiss army knife,..."

~ ~ ~ 30 minutes later ~ ~ ~

"So fire, do you have the grill lighter?"

"Put it on the shopping list," Emma said tapping the back pocket of her jeans which contained a small notepad.

"Good. Matches?"

Emma picked up the matches from the 'fire' pile of the stuff she had to pack and put it in the side pocket of her big hiking backpack. "Check."

"Lighter?" Hotte read out next.

She picked up the lighter, putting it in the same pocket as the matches. "Check."

"Mirror and newspaper?"

"Check." The mirror followed the lighter and matches. Then she turned around pointing on a box behind herself which contained fruits and vegetables of her fathers shop, the box being lined with newspaper. "And check."

"Bellows to foster the fire?"

"Yep, check." Emma picked the bellows up and stuffed it in the backpack.

"Alright. Wood?"

Emma bend down ready to pick up the next thing but stopped midway and looked over to her computer and the webcamera that connected them. "Hotte, we're in a forest."

"Yeah, but what if it rains?" He gave her to think. "Then it's wet."

"They have dry wood stocked in the camp," Emma said straightening up and pushing her hands into her hips.

"Oh, well, good." Hotte shrugged and looked back down on the list they had made, pushing up his glasses. "So did you print out the 'How To Build a Campfire Guide' I sent you?"

"Yes, wait." Emma skipped over the piles of different things that covered her floor now to her printer and picked it up. "Have it right here." She waved the papers around while jumping back over the piles before slipping it in the same side pocket the other smaller 'fire' items went.

"Good. But what will be even more romantic..." Hotte made a pause for suspense, drawing Emma's eyes back to him. "Torches! You know torches are to the wilderness what candles are to the bedroom. I mean, that way you have sweet lightning and also you can mark the way to the hut."

"Oh that's genius!" Emma said in glee.

"I know, you're talking to your personal seduction expert Hotte here," Hotte posed in front of the camera, a cocky smile covering his face.

"Hotte..." Emma rolled her eyes.

"Okay, sorry, we go on." Hotte turned back to the list, his eyes scanning it for the next item. "Wait, do you really not have firestones?" he asked, looking up.

"For the third time. No."

"But it's the only unfailing way to make a fire," Hotte reasoned. "I mean matches can get wet, a lighter can run out of gas, but fire stones are unbeatable. They already used them in the stone age to make fire and survive, it's like the primal tool which gave humanity the chance of life and development. Firestones gave them the ultimate element and using them would be like really going back to nature and nature is what this all is about, right, if you get me," he wiggled his eyebrows for a moment. "And after all we decided early on that the fire is the key here, and that making one will make you damn hot and irresistible."

"Hotte," Emma drew a breath to aid her patience. "I don't have any, I don't know where to get them and I don't even want to get them. And when the next thing you'll tell me will be that I have to dress like a Stone Age woman to go back to nature, I will hang up."

~ ~ ~ Another 10 minutes later ~ ~ ~

"Oh my god, but what IF it rains!" Emma asked hysterical, her fingers diving in her blonde hair in desperation. "I mean I read the forecast and...10% is not a high chance for rain, is it Hotte?"

"Well, ten percent," Hotte shrugged, pondering how to get this rather bad message across in a light safe way as to not let Emma freak out completely. "That's like saying every tenth person is gay and I think that'd be a great chance to meet sexually like-minded people for you...hot, sexy girls-liking people like Jennifer Hartmann to which you of course had to introduce me then."

Emma furrowed her brow, confused as to what he really wanted to tell her with that. "You're such a perve sometimes," she said voicing the only thing she did pick up in what he said.

"Hey, I'm a boy," he said flicking up the collar of his shirt. "I'm allowed to think like that."

"Well, great, but I have a real problem at hand here," Emma cried out. "Rain!"

Hotte bit his lip, seeing the seriousness of the situation. He scratches his head before tipping it to the side, suggesting, "Well, maybe we could do a Anti-Rain Dance?"

Emma perked up. "Does something like that exist?"

"You pack some rainjackets," Hotte said all-business. "While I'll do some research."

~ ~ ~ WAY later ~ ~ ~

"So, I think we have everything now," Hotte said, scratching his chin while looking over the list with all it's ticked off items.

"Yes?" Emma asked, more than relieved, because she was getting tired. "That's great."

"Yes, you're prepared for any situation now. So no worries," Hotte smiled encouragingly.

"Yes, thank you," Emma said, walking to her desk chair and letting herself sink into it.

"No problem," Hotte nodded grinning. "Ah, I'm so happy. The day has come for my little Emma to pop the cherry with one infamously hot Jennifer Hartman, might I add. Am I awake? Can someone pinch me?"

"Oh, shut up, jerk," Emma said waving him tiredly off with her hand. "And would you be quiet, I have you on speakers and I'm sure my siblings would just loove to hear everything about this little information."

"Well, who wouldn't?" Hotte laughed. "Might I repeat, Jennifer Hartmann. You're such a lucky girl."

Emma chuckled and bit her lip. "I know."

"Oh, you're really exhausted, or smitten, or both, because you just didn't tell me to shut up."

"Well,.." Emma looked down before looking back at the video feed of her best friend who was million miles away while the best thing that ever happened to her was taking place in her life. "I love her."

Hotte's smile brightened, if possible. "That's so great Emma. I'm really happy for you."

"Thank you," Emma said with a gentle smile. "Hotte, don't be mad, but I think I have to go to bed now and catch some sleep."

"Yes, sure," Hotte nodded eagerly. "You can't be tired. You don't want to be missing a second. Let it be burned into your memory forever and ever and ever and..."

Emma shook her head. "Bye Hotte."

"Okay, bye Emma. Call me, okay?"

"Yes, I will," she nodded and rubbed at one of her eyes.

"Good," he said before adding earnestly, "Emma, I miss you."

Emma smiled, her eyes softening while she looked at him. "I miss you, too. Talk to you soon, okay?"

"Okay. Have fun tomorrow," Hotte grinned and winked.

Emma couldn't suppress the smirk that wanted to flit over her lips. "Bye."

"Bye," Hotte said and did a little salute.

Emma waved in the camera one last time before she shut it off, disconnected the call and shut down her computer. She sighed, missing Hotte already, and turned her chair around to her room.

On her bed lay now a fully packed backpack and another smaller bag to carry along. Thank god Ben lost his driving license, so that they could use his car or otherwise all the stuff she had stocked up next to her door couldn't make it with them. Among others, important things like an axe and a bag of briquettes, just in case they really hadn't enough wood. A cooler, sleeping bags, blankets and pillows. A radio, a pavilion if it rained or if the sun would be too hot. A volleyball for Jenny and a tank of water.

Emma bit her thumb, still not sure if she really got everything. But Hotte had reassured her they did and so she made herself ready for bed, only noticing how late it really was when she left her room and noticed that the house was quiet, meaning that everyone else already must have gone to bed.

When she brushed her teeth she went through the list of stuff in her head again.

Toiletries, then the surviving kit, containing the First Aid Kit, Swiss army knife, a map, a compass, a rope, walkie-talkies and a whistle. Then the box of fruits and vegetables of her father's shop, canned food like Ravioli and soups. Toast, butter, jelly, chocolate cream, coffee and orange juice (for Jenny) for the morning. Pots and a pan, cups and cutlery. The cooler for drinks and the dough for the bread on a stick. A camera, lots of batteries and two flashlights. The ground cloth and things to sleep. Needle and thread. A cap and a bandana. A mirror and breath mints. Insect repellent for Jenny and some games, like card games like Top Trumps.

Emma took a sip of water and spit out the toothpaste. No, she really should have everything now. She looked back at herself in the mirror, first pondering before she broke out in a smile. Tomorrow would be the best day ever. With a giddy feeling she left the bathroom and snuggled into her bed covers, not able to wait for tomorrow.

Tomorrow could come. Emma was prepared, she had everything.

But a change of clothes.