A/N: So, I've had this idea for a while. It came to me when I was watching TV one day. It's a Fabina, of course. With some Jara and AlfiexAmber. Mick's out of the picture (I don't not like Mick - I think he's funny - but I couldn't picture him in this story, so I wrote him out. Hah, lazy writer award goes to me!). Erm. Yeah, I hope you like it! I dunno if I'm going to continue, so some feedback would be nice. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: If I owned HoA, Joy would only be a background character to get the party started, and would never come in contact with Fabian ever again. As that doesn't seem to be the case (read: watch the deleted scene from the Secrets Within game), I don't own it. Sorry to disappoint.

"Nina! What are you going to do for a WHOLE summer? I'm going to be so bored. Mummy's going to Paris with her work, and Daddy's always busy. It's going to be torture!"

Amber was gushing sentiments similar to these are she was rushing around their room, packing her expansive wardrobe.

Nina, meanwhile, had already packed completely, and was sitting on her bare bed, watching the blonde bustle about.

"Well, I'm going back to America. Not very exciting, though I can't wait to see my Gran." Nina smiled.

"Your Gran sounds so cute, just like Sarah was. Well, Sarah was also creepy. But your Gran doesn't sound creepy."

Nina laughed a bit. "No, trust me, my Gran is not creepy."

Amber shook her head, looking like she was trying to figure out something. "No, of course not. If your Gran was creepy, then you'd be creepy too. And you're not."

"Well, thanks. I think . . . " Nina looked at the door, wondering if Amber would let her get away to go spend some time with Fabian before they're separated by an ocean for the whole summer.

"Oh my gosh, Nina! I've got the best idea!" Amber exploded.

Startled, Nina removed her hand from the doorknob, where she was trying to make a sneaky escape. "What is it?" She asked, slightly apprehensive.

"We should all come and stay with you in America for the summer! I know everyone could—well, except for Mick. He's got some sports camp to go to. Which makes me sad. . . But spending the summer with you would cheer me up!" Amber had abandoned her attempt at packing, and came to latch on to Nina's arm in a gesture of begging.

Nina went wide-eyed. "Oh, I don't know, Amber. I mean, I leave for London tonight, and it's very short notice. . . ," Nina thought on it. Realistically, her Gran wouldn't have a problem with it. And the housemates probably had enough on their personal credit cards to pay for travelling expenses—

"Come on!" Amber grabbed Nina's arm, and forcibly pulled her from the room. The excited blonde led them down the stairs to the living room, where everyone else was already gathered.

"Guys, I have had the best idea!" Amber announced.

Fabian came from the couch to stand by Nina, and said, "Yeah? What is it?"

Patricia and Mara stopped talking; Jerome and Alfie took a break in plotting their annual end-of-term prank; and Mick kept eating, but was quiet about it.

"Okay." Amber finally let go of Nina, and moved to stand where everyone would be able to see her. "You know how we all were talking about having nothing to do this summer? Well, all of us besides Mick."

Everyone replied in the affirmative, and Mick left to the kitchen, deciding that he was exempt from the conversation.

"Well, I was packing and talking to Nina just now, and it hit me—we should all go to America with her for the summer!" Amber clapped her hands as she finished, and looked about. "What do you all think? Fun, right? I'm a genius."

"That's actually a pretty good idea, Amber," Fabian said. "As long as it's okay with Nina." He looked at her.

"Um, yeah, I'm cool with it. I need to call my Gran real quick to see what she thinks about it, but I'm sure she'd be okay with it as long as you can get your own funds for the train rides and flights."

Patricia nodded. "That sounds doable. And a summer away from here would be nice. What with all that's gone on."

"I've always wanted to go abroad. It seems so fun!" Mara added, smiling.

"Oh, yay! So what about you boys? I know Mick can't go, and we all know Fabian will go, but Jerome? Alfie? Will you come?" Amber turned to the House's resident troublemakers, hands on hips.

Jerome shrugged. "I'd just be stuck here with Trudy and Victor all summer if I didn't, so sure." Mara shot Jerome a concerned look as he said this, but it went unnoticed.

"Amber, you're going, right?" Alfie asked.

"Of course! It was my idea, after all." Amber rolled her eyes as if that was very obvious.

"Then I'm in!" Alfie punched the air in his joy.

"Great! Nina, go call your Gran. Everyone else, go call your parents to tell them of the change in plans," Amber instructed, whipping out her own pink phone.

"I guess she's taken over my travel plans!" Nina trilled to Fabian, who nodded and laughed.

Nina walked into the hall, looking at the time and calculating the difference. Figuring it was an acceptable time, she dialed her home number.

"Hello?"

"Gran!"

"Nina! Darling, how's packing going? There wasn't any trouble, was there?"

"No, no, no. No trouble at all. But,—well, I have a question."

"What is it, sweetheart?"

"My friends—British ones—they. . . well, Amber came up with the idea—but, can they come over to America with me for the summer?" Nina bit her lip.

The other line was quiet for a moment, then—

"I don't see why that'd be a problem, as long as they can pay their own way."

"Really?"

"Sure! They can help with the B&B." Nina's Gran laughed.

So did Nina. "I'd better not tell them that, or they won't want to come! Thanks again, Gran."

"No problem, dear. Be safe travelling."

"I always am. Love you, Gran."

"Love you too. Bye."

Nina heard the dial-tone, and closed her phone. She took a deep breath and shook her head. This is going to be hectic, she thought, a smile forming regardless.

She walked back into the living room and was immediately assaulted by Amber.

"So what'd your Gran say? She said yes, right? Oh, I am so excited!"

Amber ran off and Nina laughed exasperatedly. Amber was her best friend here, true, but she was also tiring to be around sometimes.

"Did your Grandmother really say yes? Or is Amber just assuming and exaggerating as always?" Fabian chuckled as Nina jumped at the sound of his voice. He hadn't meant to surprise her, but he thought she was cute when she was startled all the same.

"Oh, Fabian!" Nina laughed. "You snuck up on me. But no, Amber's not assuming anything. Gran really did say you guys could come on, as long as you pay for your own way." She shrugged, her smile ruining her attempt at nonchalance.

"That's great! Amber already made us contact all our parents. They all said yes apparently, except Alfie's and mine."

Nina's smile fell. Fabian can't come? "Did yours say no then?"

Fabian offered her a reassuring smile and rested his hand on her arm. "No, no, don't worry. They haven't got back to me yet. I left them a message, and my Da will probably call me back in a few minutes after he's put on break."

Nina brightened, and removed his hand from her arm to hold it. "Okay."

A slightly awkward silence passed, and Nina was reminded of her 'Is it hot in here or what?' comment. Instead of embarrassing herself like that again, she asked, "So what's the deal with Alfie's parents? Is he not going to be able to come?"

Fabian started to shake his head and shrug when the object of their conversation interrupted them.

"Hey, Nina!" Alfie called from across the room. He was standing with an anxious Amber, annoyed Patricia, and a smirking Jerome.

"Yeah?" Nina asked, walking over. Fabian followed.

"Can you help me convince my parents? Pleeaassee?" He drew the 'ee' sound in please way out, emphasizing his plea.

"Um, sure. Why not. You'd be fun to take to America. What do I have to do?"

Alfie handed her his cell. "Okay, first off—THANK YOU! Second, just tell them that I'm going for business experience or something like that. I need a reason—a good reason—or they'll make me sit through a summer of business seminars!" He wailed the last part as if he was staring torture in the face.

Nina smiled somewhat deviously. "Oh, I know exactly what to tell them."

Alfie nodded enthusiastically.

"Hello?" Nina said into the phone, which she though had some unidentifiable goop on it. She held the phone awkwardly so the goop wouldn't be on her face.

"Hello, I'm Alfonso's father. What is it exactly that he'll be doing on this extremely short-notice summer trip to the United States?"

Alfie's dad has a stuffy voice, Nina thought.

"Um, well, a variety of things. My Gran owns a bed and breakfast, you see, and he'd be gaining work experience in the office and out dealing with customers. It's a good place to practice people skills and office work."

"Oh really? That sounds like a good situation to start building those fundamentals, indeed. Put my son back on the phone please."

Nina grinned as she handed the phone to a dumbstruck Alfie. "Your dad wants to talk to you."

Alfie took the phone weakly as Jerome started laughing.

Nina turned back to Fabian, who was outright beaming at her. "You are a devious, devious girl."

Nina smiled back. "It comes naturally."

Amber, who had been talking with Patricia and Mara about plans or something, suddenly turned around and addressed Nina. "Wait! We aren't going to have to work on this trip, are we?"

"No," Nina laughed. "My Gran does own a bed and breakfast—we live there, actually—but we won't have to work. Sometimes I'll help when a waitress calls in sick or something, but it's not mandatory."

"Okay, good," Amber said, moving to sit down. Then—

"Aww! A bed and breakfast! I bet that's so cute!"

Nina just smiled at her friend. She went to tell Fabian something. . .

. . . when she saw that he'd disappeared.

"Fabian?"

She wandered into the hallway, and found him sitting on the chair by the phone, his cell in hand.

"Yes, Da. I'll be going to America with Nina instead. . . . No, it won't just be the two of us!"—here, his face flushed a bright red—". . . Just because she's my girlfriend—. . . Oh, okay. I can do that. . . Yeah, they have currency conversion stations at the airports, Nina told me. . . Okay. Thanks so much, Da! Give Mum my love. Alright, bye." He pressed a button on his phone and made to stand up when he saw Nina there. He blushed again.

"What was that all about?" She asked, walking fully into the hall.

"Oh, just talking to my Da. He said it was fine that I go to America with you." He smiled.

"That's great! . . . But why do you keep calling him 'Da'? Are you just not pronouncing the last 'd' or something?" Nina was pretty good at interpreting British sayings by now, but she'd never head 'dad' said that way before.

Fabian laughed. "No, no. That's just a British—well, not even that. It's more of a dialect thing. It's like the difference between 'Mum' and 'Mom'." He pulled a face at the odd word in his mouth. 'Mom' just didn't fit right with his accent.

"Oh!" Nina said, an expression of comprehension crossing her features. Then she grinned. "But you can come! I'm so happy about that." She hugged him around the neck, relishing the way his arms automatically wrapped around her waist.

He chuckled into her hair, and muttered something that sounded vaguely like "Same."

"Oh, you two are so cute!" Amber's voice drifted in from the living room. "I take it Fabian's coming?"

Nina and Fabian broke apart, both blushing, to find Amber, Mara, and Patricia staring at them from the doorway.

"Well of course Fabian's going! We all know he follows Nina around like a puppy," Patricia griped, rolling her eyes. All the same, she had a small smile upon her lips that betrayed her.

"I'm not puppy-like!" Fabian argued, staring at her in astonishment.

"Well I think it's sweet!" Mara said, looking around. "You two really do make a cute couple."

Nina blushed again and was about to stammer out her embarrassed thanks when Alfie and Jerome's appearance stopped her.

"Yes, yes, yes. It's all very sweet and such. Point is, we're going to America!" Alfie said, bouncing in place.

"When do we leave?" Jerome asked, clasping his hands in front of him and leaning forwards.

"Uh, well, you'll all need a ride to the train station in town, and our train to London leaves tonight at 8," Nina said with half a smile.

"Oh, yay!" Amber squealed. "I love trains!"

Everyone started bustling about, finishing making their change of plans.

"Yep," Nina said to Fabian. "They're all coming to America with me. Is it wrong to be a bit nervous?"

He laughed and grabbed her hand. "Not at all. Come on!" he pulled her into the living room, where the preparations for their next adventure were taking place.

A/N: This is unbeta'd, as my usual beta/friend is strictly Harry Potter. So any mistakes are mine. (If you wanna offer to be my beta, I would appreciate it!) Like I said before, I would love some feedback on this. I dunno if I should continue, if I'm OOC, etc. And I wanna know if you like my story. :] Oh, and it wasn't supposed to be this long - it was 12 pages front and back when I wrote it out, and 7 typed! I was surprised. Anywho, reviews make me happy (and a better writer). :]

-Zenelia*Sky