The evening was spent packing up to go to Africa. And where it would be a long day of packing.

"You guys ever been to Africa?" Atticus asked his parents after he told them what was going to be happening.

"Actually, yes, yes, we have." Patrick said.

Atticus looked back in surprise. "Yeah?"

"Friends of ours were going there," Emily explained. "We decided to go with them. They adopted a cheetah cub as their own pet and they named her Duma."

"Cool." Atticus smiled.

"The poor thing was orphaned..." Emily sighed. "It was quite an adventure we all had. Our friend Morgo also taught us 'Hakuna Matata'."

"Harpoon a tomato?" Atticus asked, confused.

"Hakuna Matata," Patrick corrected and enunciated so his son would understand. "It means 'no worries'."

"I never heard that expression before." Atticus said.

"We thought it'd be good advice for you." Emily smiled.

"Yeah, because it might get intense." Patrick said.

"What could happen?" Atticus shrugged innocently.

"Have a good time." Emily soothed.

"I sure will, Mom." Atticus said.

Patrick and Emily hugged him then.

"Now, be sure to keep a close eye on your little sister and cousin now." Patrick warned, he knew Atticus would remember, but he added that in just to make sure.

"I'll remember, Dad." Atticus said.

"I know you will." Patrick smiled proudly.

"I just can't wait to see a real lion up close." Atticus smiled.

"Oh, my..." Emily sounded worried about that, but she left the room with her husband.

"This is going to be so exciting." Atticus smiled.

Dot came to her parents and had asked them about going to Africa with her big cousin and his friends. And where they agreed into letting her go as long as she stayed close to Atticus.

"Do you promise?" Gretchen asked.

"Yes, Mom, of course, Daddy." Dot promised her parents.

'Good thing this trip won't be life-threatening.' Lucky thought to himself.

"We're going, boy!" Dot hugged her dog.

"Wahoo!" Lucky cheered.

"Well, run along now," Gretchen giggled to her daughter's excitement. "I'll be up with you in a moment."

"Okay, Mom." Dot said.

"Thatta girl." Gretchen smiled.

Dot and Lucky then go up to her room to get ready.

Darla was in her room and packing some things, she still couldn't believe this was really happening. She then got a call on her new phone and answered it. "Hello?"

'I hear you've got other plans around this week...' an elderly female voice drawled.

"Oh, yeah, sorry, Nana Charlotte," Darla replied. "Have to cancel our girl day out this week, I promise that I'll make it up to you."

'You better.' The elderly woman smirked.

Darla giggled, knowing that was a joke. "I'll see what I can do..."

'Don't keep me waiting~...' Charlotte told her biological granddaughter.

"I'll try~..." Darla said in the same singsong tone of voice.

'Okay, okay, so where are you going?' Charlotte asked.

"Africa," Darla explained. "Somebody gave Atticus tickets to go with some friends."

'Oh, that'll be fun!' Charlotte beamed at that. 'Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh, my!'

"I don't think bears live in Africa." Darla pouted.

'Oh, I'm only teasing, just be careful when you see animals up close, deary.' Charlotte giggled before warning.

"I will, Nana." Darla smiled.

'Well, I'll miss you this week, but thank you for letting me know, have a wonderful time.' Charlotte told her granddaughter.

"I'm sure I will." Darla said.

'Tell me all about it, deary.' Charlotte beamed.

"Will do." Darla smiled back.

'Talk to you when you get back, dear.' Charlotte smiled.

"Talk to you later, Nana." Darla smiled and hung up gently, getting back to packing.

"Why do I have the feeling they're going to be in for another adventure?" Charlotte asked herself.

Darla opened up a chest that was originally in her mansion locked away in the basement for no one to see, but she opened it to find anything she might want to take with her in there. She saw her old trophies and awards she was given, there was even her very own Oscar award and she was so far the youngest actress to achieve it.

Winning it back then meant to much to her, but now she didn't see she had a use for it. She then passed a very old photograph of her in the hospital when she was a newborn being held by her biological mother and tears came into her eyes as she hugged the photograph. She truly missed her parents and hoped that they were watching over her in Heaven.

"Darla?"

Darla jumped once her name was called, then slowly turned to see her new brother. "Oh... Hi, Atticus..."

"You almost ready for our trip to Africa?" Atticus asked.

"Just about... I was looking for something to bring along the way..." Darla said as she put the picture back, now looking for a toy, she was a child after all and needed a toy for security on an overnight trip away from home.

"Take your time." Atticus smiled.

Darla wiped one eye and kept her search.

"Need any help with packing?" Atticus asked.

"Uh, yeah, could you get that hat on the top shelf of my closet?" Darla requested. "I tried and tried, but I just can't reach it!"

"Sure." Atticus smiled before getting his little sister's hat for her.

"Thanks." Darla smiled back.

"No problem, little sis." Atticus smiled before giving her her hat.

Darla took the hat and put it on and looked in the mirror. "I'm going on a safari!"

"Yep and we'll see lots of animals." Atticus said.

Darla smiled as she continued to pack up her things and took out an old teddy bear to take along with her.

"You're parents are watching over you, little sis." Atticus smiled.

Darla sniffled to that, feeling touched, she then gave Atticus a hug. "I miss them."

"I know, I know." Atticus soothed her.

Darla took a deep shallow breath and tried to soothe herself so she wouldn't work herself up into tears. After a little while, she went back to her packing.

"You gonna be okay?" Atticus asked.

"Yeah..." Darla said softly. "Thank you... For everything."

"You're welcome." Atticus said.

Darla nodded and went back to packing.

Atticus did the same while Patch and Lucky went to the Pound Puppies so they could tell them. They made their way through their secret way for Shelter 17. It was quiet in the shelter so far and nothing really seemed to be going on, at least, not yet. Patch and Lucky came to meet the others.

"Hello, everybody!" Patch greeted the dogs he knew very well.

"Hey, Patch." Niblet smiled.

"What's up, honey?" Cookie smiled to the puppy.

"Hey, kiddo!" Squirt added.

"We just wanted to let you all know we'll be going away for a little while." Lucky informed.

"Yeah, because me and Lucky will be in Africa." Patch smiled.

"Africa?" the others asked.

Patch and Lucky bean to tell them why they were going to Africa. The other Pound Puppies listened, they were happy and excited for the two, plus they could spend more time together this way.

"Be careful..." Strudel cautioned Lucky, more worried about him.

"I sure will." Lucky smiled.

Cookie smiled and nuzzled against Lucky's face which was a dog's way of kissing sometimes. Lucky did the same to Cookie and where they both saw Patch smirked playfully at them. Lucky and Cookie looked to the puppy then.

"Uh, take care of yourself, Lucky... Don't forget about little Patch." Cookie quickly said.

"I sure won't forget him." Lucky quickly said back.

"Have fun!" Strudel called.

"We sure will." Patch smiled.

Lucky nodded to the others and then left with Patch.

"So, you and Cookie...?" Patch spoke up.

"Just friends, kiddo, just friends." Lucky sheepishly replied.

"Uh-huh, sure, but you wanna be more than friends with her." Patch smirked.

"Yes! I'm right I am so right!" Patch cheered.

"Aw, go on..." Lucky chuckled.

"This is going to be so awesome in Africa." Patch smiled.

"You said it, buddy," Lucky smiled back. "You've really made a difference in my life... I finally get adopted after being in the shelter for so many dog years, then I meet one of the 101 Dalmatians, and now I'm going all the way to Africa!"

"I know. A lot is going to happen to you since you're a part of this family." Patch smiled.

"Oh, boy, I wonder what's after this." Lucky laughed a little.

"Hmm..." Cherry hummed as she scrolled through her Facebook.

"What're you doing, Cherry Bear?" Michelle asked.

"Just checking messages..." Cherry said lazily. "I got my suitcase under my bed and tomorrow, I'm gonna have my backpack ready when it's time to go so I can pack my laptop."

"That's great, honey, but you do realize that in the Savanna they don't have a way for you to get a signal." Michelle warned her.

"WHAT!?" Cherry flailed.

"Oh, Cherry, surely you can live without your laptop for a few days..." Michelle soothed.

"I dunno, Mom..." Cherry sounded grave and deadpan serious. "You are speaking of a world in which I do not wish to live in."

"It won't be that bad." Michelle said.

"Well... Okay..." Cherry felt odd about this so far.

"Don't worry, it'll be right here for you when you get back." Michelle promised.

"Thanks, Mom." Cherry smiled.

Michelle patted her daughter on the head. "Anything new in your Facebook?"

"Penn and Teller are going to India next month," Cherry said once that came in her newsfeed.

"Oh, you went there with your friend Bianca, didn't you?" Michelle asked.

"Yeah, Mom." Cherry nodded.

"You think you might wanna go with them?" Michelle prompted.

Cherry shrugged. "I don't know if they would let me. I don't think I can just call them and be like 'Hey, can I go to India with you guys?'..."

"By permission from your parents." Michelle smiled.

"Yeah, right..." Cherry chuckled, she then took out her phone and texted if she could go to India too as a joke and added that she had her parents permission.

*Meanewhile in Las Vegas...*

Penn was throwing knives at a Teller in their empty for right now theater, then took out his phone once he held another knife, then threw it without looking. "Ooh, someone texted me."

Teller gritted his teeth nervously as the knife was just an inch above his head, his face had paled and he sweated anxiously. "I better answer it." he then said.

Penn handed him the phone.

Teller took a deep breath, taking the phone. "You threw that one without looking!"

"You're still alive, aren't you?" Penn shrugged.

Teller gave a glare before looking back at the phone.

"So who texted?" Penn asked.

"You'll never guess..." Teller showed the number.

Penn adjusted his glasses and took out a magnifying glass. "Ah, Cherry... How's she?"

"Apparently she wants to come to India with us." Teller said as he messaged back.

"Is she joking?" Penn asked.

Teller shrugged and sent his response. "Either way, she's going now..."

"Yep." Penn nodded.

"She just jinxed herself." Teller sent the message and put his hands behind his back.

"Come on, buddy, time for you to get locked in a trunk underwater." Penn grabbed Teller by his tie and pulled him to their next stunt to practice.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Teller said.

Cherry was at her laptop still, and made a post about going away for a while and would be without her computer.

"Don't you remember when you met Belle?" Michelle sat on Cherry's bed. "You did just fine without technology there."

"Yeah, that was a nice adventure when my life wasn't being THREATENED!" Cherry remembered.

"Yeah, it had it's ups and downs." Michelle said.

"Ya think?" Cherry muttered, especially about the Christmas part of that stay. "I had nightmares for a week!"

"Okay, okay, more downs than ups." Michelle replied.

"And I always get hurt..." Cherry fluttered her lips.

"Cherry, you do not always get hurt..." Michelle said then.

Cherry glanced at her mother.

"Okay, you do get hurt from time to time." Michelle shrugged.

"Mm..." Cherry hummed, looking back to her screen.

"But I'm sure that things won't be that bad in Africa." Michelle assured her.

"What's gonna happen?" Cherry chuckled. "We turn into animals?"

"Who knows? Anything can happen with you and Atticus." Michelle said.

"Ooh, boy..." Cherry shrugged, she then heard her phone go off and she got a text back. "What do you mean 'See you there'!?"

"Sounds like you just invited yourself to their trip." Michelle said.

Cherry texted back, over dramatically. "I WAS JOKING!"

"Well, it looks like they took it seriously." Michelle said.

"Of course they did..." Cherry face-palmed.

"So what now?" Michelle asked.

"I think I might wanna have a book on Africa..." Cherry shrugged, then went to her room library.

Michelle nodded, then decided to make dinner. Unknown to anyone, something interesting would indeed happen.