YO PEEPS! Okay, I've been updating Stutter Bird so fast that I seem to have forgotten to update this story. So, I'm updating it so I don't feel bad.

I own nothing. The Almighty Larson owns it all.

The bohemians and Benny (yes, Benjamin Coffin III) met at Angel and Collins' apartment three days after the letter from Virginia came. In a decision that was made at the Life Café, they rented a van to drive to the airport and another for when they arrived in Virginia. Everyone, save Collins, was happy about going to Virginia and Maureen wouldn't let anyone forget how anxious she was.

"I can't believe we're gonna meet Collins' family!" she exclaimed. "I can't wait! Aren't you excited, Pookie?"

"Yes, Maureen," Joanne replied, rolling her eyes.

"You don't seem excited. Marky are you excited? Are you excited, Mimi? What about you, Roger? Benny are-"

"Shut up, Maureen!" Roger shouted. Maureen stuck her tongue out at him as Angel came out of the apartment building dragging Collins by his arm.

"Get off me!" Collins demanded, trying to pry Angel's hand off of his arm. "I changed my mind! I don't wanna go!" He continued pulling on Angel's hand with no positive result.

"Collins, if you really didn't wanna go, you'd be able to get Angel's hand off you," Mark pointed out.

"She's stronger than she looks!" Collins managed to gain his freedom for about three seconds before Angel grabbed him again. "Let me go! I'm not goin'!"

"Yes you are!" Angel told him.

"No, I'm not and you can't make me!"

"Wanna bet?"

"Get off me, Angel! I don't wanna go!" Collins escaped Angel's grip again only to be tackled to the ground by her. She sat on him and pinned one of his arms behind his back. "I DON'T WANNA GO!"

"Collins, you're going! You're going even if I have to tie you up like a deer and make you ride in the part of the plane where the luggage goes! Do you understand me!?" Angel twisted Collins' arm.

"OW! Okay, okay! I give up!"

"Say you'll go!"

"I'll go! I'll go!"

"Now say 'uncle!'"

"Uncle!"

"Say it three times!"

"Uncle, uncle, uncle!" Angel let go of his arm and stood up.

"Now, was that so hard?" she asked calmly, smoothing out her skirt. She then helped Collins up, who glared at her. "Oh, don't give me that look." She turned to see her friends and Benny were staring at her with their mouths hanging open. "What?"


"Why did I know it was gonna be Maureen who got stopped at security?" Roger asked, earning himself a punch in the arm from Mimi.

"If she's there too long, we'll miss the plane," Joanne said, making Collins smile.

"You and I are going with or without Maureen," Angel told him. His smile turned into a frown.

"Alright, spread 'em," a security guard told Maureen. She did as she was told and the guard began waving the metal wand over her. It beeped at her head and the guard looked at her.

"Earrings," she told him, moving her hair so he could see them. He nodded and continued the wand waving until it beeped at her pocket. She took a set of keys out of her pocket.

"Are you gonna be much longer?" Mimi asked the guard.

"Almost done," the guard told her, continuing his procedure. The wand beeped right between Maureen's legs and his eyes widened.

"IT'S MY ZIPPER, YOU PERV!" Maureen yelled, slapping the guard across the face and running to Joanne. Moments later, the bohemians and Benny heard their flight called, got rid of their luggage, and boarded the plane. Angel sat next to Collins, Mimi sat next to Roger, Maureen sat next to Joanne, and Benny sat next to a nervous looking Mark.

"Collins, how much money did your mom send you?" Benny asked.

"Twenty grand," Collins replied. Benny's eyes widened.

"Then why the hell aren't we in first class?"

"We're saving money, Benny," Angel told him. "Besides, second class isn't that bad."

"Compared to first class, yes it is."

"Benny, you're lucky you were even invited," Roger said.

"Nobody asked you!" Benny retorted.

"Roger's right, Benny," Maureen said. "You have no idea how lucky you got." Benny rolled his eyes as a woman sat on the other side of Mark and noticed he was sweating.

"Excuse me?" she said to Benny. "Is he your friend?"

"For the time being," Benny replied. "Why?"

"He looks a little pale."

"He always looks like that."

"I saw him earlier from a distance and he didn't look this pale." Benny turned to Mark and then to Roger.

"Hey, Roger, does Mark always look extremely pale?" he asked.

"Yeah," Roger told him.

"He looks paler than usual though. You should come look." Roger sighed and got out of his seat.

"Holy shit!" he exclaimed. "Mark, what's wrong with you?" The rest of the bohemians crowded around Mark.

"He looks sick," Angel said.

"You think he's gonna throw up?" Maureen asked.

"Without a doubt," Mimi replied.

"Wait a minute," Collins said. He thought for a moment. "He's not sick. He's scared."

"How do you know?" Benny asked.

"He's never been on a plane before. At least not that I can remember."

"It'll be okay," the woman told Mark, grabbing his hand. "I was the same way when I got on a plane for the first time." Mark turned his head to her slowly and smiled slightly. "My name's Sylvia." A flight attendant then came toward the bohemians.

"I'm going to have to ask you all to sit down," she said. "We're about to-" She looked at Collins and lost her train of thought. Collins turned to her and waved his hand in front of her face.

"Are you okay?" he asked. She blinked a few times.

"Um . . . yeah," she said, smiling. "Uh, what's your name?"

"Why can't you tell me your name first?" The flight attendant's smile got wider.

"Tina," she said, holding out her hand.

"Collins . . . Tom Collins," Collins replied, shaking Tina's hand. She seemed a bit dazed. "So, what were you about to say before you asked me my name?"

"Oh! The plane's about to take off so you should get back to your seats and put your seatbelts on."

"Okay. Thanks for the heads up." Tina smiled again as someone called her name.

"I should get back to work," she said. "If you need anything at all, don't be afraid to call my name." With that said, she went to the front of the plane.

"I saw that," Angel said after everyone was sitting down with their seatbelts on.

"Saw what?" Collins asked.

"That girl."

"What about her?"

"She was trying to flirt with you."

"No she wasn't."

"You didn't see her the way I saw her, Collins. She was ogling you."

"Can I help it if I have a sexy body?" Angel folded her arms and looked away from Collins. "Ang, that girl means nothing to me. She just told me her name."

"She wants you, Collins. She really wants you."

"There's a small problem with that." Collins turned Angel's face toward him and kissed her lightly. "I belong to you. I didn't put that ring on your finger for nothin', you know." Angel sighed and looked at the engagement ring on her finger. "I love you."

"I love you too, honey." They shared another small kiss.


"Mark, come on!" Maureen said. "The faster we get outta here, the faster we meet Collins' family!" Mark said a very sad goodbye to Sylvia, who'd kept him calm for the entire plane ride, and caught up with his friends.

"There are plenty of girls here, Mark," Roger told him. "I'm sure you'll find one you like." Mark said nothing.

"So Collins, can you tell us about your family?" Maureen asked.

"Well, I've got four brothers and a sister," Collins said.

"Wow! Who's the oldest?"

"My sister. And I'm the youngest."

"You're the baby, honey?" Angel asked. Collins nodded. "Aw! That's so cute!"

"Not when you have brothers that like to torture you all the damn time," Collins said.

"What are your siblings like?" Joanne asked.

"Start with your sister!" Maureen added.

"Well, Jasmine, my sister, is really the only one of my siblings I can actually stand," Collins said. "She's the only one who was nice to me when we were growin' up. She and I were the closest brother and sister in the world."

"Aw!" Mimi said. "What about your brothers?"

"Hmm . . . I'll start with my oldest brother. His name is Lamont, but my family calls him Stack."

"Why?" Roger asked.

"Cause he's the tallest," Collins explained. "Last time I checked he was 7'2."

"He must be a giant," Maureen said.

"He is a giant. A giant asshole."

"I take it you two don't see eye to eye . . . literally," Benny assumed.

"Nope. I try my best to stay away from him."

"What about your other brothers?" Mark asked.

"Martin and Reed are twins," Collins said.

"Identical?" Joanne asked.

"Yeah. They like to play with people's heads by saying they're each other. It gets annoying. Then, there's Jesse." Collins sighed. "I think it's best if Angel stays away from him. As a matter of fact, all the girls should stay away from him."

"Why?" Angel asked.

"Well . . . he's . . . good looking."

"What do you mean he's 'good looking?'" Mimi asked.

"He's unbelievingly good looking. He's gorgeous actually. But if you can't help that you happen to be near him at any time, don't look into his eyes."

"I don't think I'll be phased by him," Joanne said.

"I'm pretty sure you will be." Collins shook his head.

"Well, now I'm even more excited!" Maureen exclaimed. "Come on! Let's go!" The bohemians followed Maureen to the van, loaded their luggage into the back of it, and then got in it themselves.

No turnin' back now, Collins thought as he put the keys of the van in the ignition.

YAY FOR THE UPDATE! You will meet Collins' sister, his niece, and (briefly) his parents in the next chapter.

Review please.