'Oh, she's not wearing that.' Carla declares, grimacing at her husband.

'Why?'

'Because it's hideous.' Carla sighs, 'we're going to the beach, that's ridiculous.' Her partner just rolls his eyes, placing the swimsuit back on the shelf. 'Now, this, is more like it.'

'Isn't it exactly the same thing?' She shakes her head, pulling the little girl into her. It's an empty, but she still doesn't want her out of her eyesight. She laughs as her daughter turns around, donning a pair of sunglasses.

'Pretty like mummy?' The pair start laughing at the four-year-old, Peter nodding.

'Pretty like mummy.'

'Like these.'

'Do you.'

'Want.'

'We don't say want, do we?' Carla reprimands her, 'Dee.'

'Please, can I have 'em?'

'Yes, you can.' She grins, 'are you excited?'

'Love, I'm not sure she understands the concept.'

'You know we're going on holiday, don't you Dee?'

'LA.'

'Exactly, to LA.'

'I'm still apprehensive.' Peter worries, 'it's nearly a fifteen-hour trip, and that's just on the plane. It's not even legal to slip that medication in her drink.'

'Peter!' She scolds him, shoving something else into the basket.

'Remember, I've been on a long-haul flight with Si, when Lucy died.'

'Completely different situations.' She tells him, 'anyway, we've got night flights. She'll be fine.'

'If she doesn't sleep, it's down to you.'

'She'll be fine, I've got ideas.'

'It's nearly 30 hours in total.' He reminds her, as they go to play.

'We're going to have fun. We're going on holiday.' She reminds him, 'why don't you take her for a drink, I want to buy stuff to keep her entertained.' He smirks, gaining a raised eyebrow from his partner.

'Get your head out the gutter, Mr Barlow. I've got shopping to-do for my, our, daughter.' He rolls his eyes, directing the child out the shop.

-CS-

'Child in bed, cases to pack.' Carla sighs, staring at her partner. 'Have you got the list?'

'On the table, love. Do you want anything to eat?' She shakes her head; already lost in the list she wrote.

'Me, you, Dee.' She mutters, lying the three cases on the floor. 'Lets go through this.'

'They do have shops in LA.' He reminds her, as she shakes her head, warning him not to say anything else.

'Right, first underwear.' She sighs, creating three piles. 'One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight nine.' She starts to count, going up to 28 three times. He doesn't dare question why all three of them need 28 pairs of pants, worst case scenario, Suzie did have a washing machine. 'Tick that off.'

'Have done.'

'Now, socks.' She breathes, as she places countless new packets of socks into each one of the cases, deciding that Primark socks would be okay, because they know they'll get ruined on the sand, or something, so she'll just bin them. Not that she'd let anyone know she went into Primark.

'Next is t-shirts.'

'Do you think we have enough?' She frets, 'for little'un?' He nods, looking at the things she's brought. He watches her as she neatly packs their stuff, smiling at the care and precision she puts into tucking it all in, and making it beautiful. Not that Delilah will care.

'How many swimming costumes did you buy her?'

'Eight.' She replies, looking down at the ground. 'But they weren't all swimming costumes, some of them are those wet suit things. We can dress her in that if we decide to go to a beach or something.' She tries, 'plus we're going to that waterpark.'

'Is that a good idea?'

'Suzie said it was, she's only little but apparently she'll love it.'

'Lets hope it's good weather' he muses, they both know it will be. 'Carla, you know that's your case, and that's her clothes.'

'Yes, but if the luggage gets delayed or something, she will have stuff to wear.'

'Don't we need that?'

'No, we're grown-ups, I don't want to go clothes shopping with her. She's little and she might run off, now will you help me, please?'

'What do I need to-do?'

'See those tags, you need to label them, one for each of us, and then I'll stick them on.' She tells him, shutting the case, 'I'll get started on the hand luggage.' He nods, as she watches him write out their address, one for each of them. 'Oh, and can you do the online check-in? All the details are on the table.'

-CS-

'Grandad.' The child whines, 'have you been to 'Merica.'

'Yes.' He confirms, 'but not LA.'

'No?'

'No, mummy and daddy are trusting you to be a big girl, going to LA is going to be fab.' He grins, as he watches his eldest daughter lock up the house. 'You're going to be a good girl, right? Can you promise me?'

'I promise.' She tells him sincerely, as he helps her into the car seat, watching as Peter and Carla gravitate towards them, 'you ready?'

'As I'll ever been, I've checked everything 100 times, travelling with a child is much harder.'

'I admire you taking her, she is very young.'

'Well, I need a holiday, regardless of those two' she teases, 'no, everything is more relaxed in LA, we're going to have a blast. We won't be able to-do this when she goes to school.' She promises him, watching as the child looks like she's about to fall asleep, she'd taken her midday nap later today, in a bid for her being able to sleep on the plane. At least, they hoped. It was googles advice, even if it did seem a bit backwards. 'Dee, you have to stay awake.'

'Why?'

'Because you're going to sleep on the plane.' She tells her, knowing they have a long journey ahead of them. 'You don't want to sleep now, why don't we play I spy?' She loathes the game, but if it keeps the girl awake, needs must. They'd gone on holiday before, a few days here and there, but this was the furthest they had been, and for the longest period of time. She'd been overdue a visit, having last been when she was five months pregnant.

'Mummy, I'm hungry.' The child, eventually, whines, edging closer to the woman, well as much as she can in a car seat.

'We're going to eat in the airport.'

'I'm hungry now.'

'No, Delilah.' She snaps, instantly feeling bad as she looks at the child's face. 'I'm sorry, we'll get something in the airport, we won't be long.'

'How long?'

'See, we're here now.' She smiles as the airport sign comes into view, having finally arrived at terminal 2 of Manchester airport. 'We've got to check, then we'll get you something to eat.' The child seems to be satisfied with the answer as Johnny pulls up to the airport. 'Right, now you have to stay with me.'

'What about daddy?'

'Daddy will be here too but stick with mummy.' She warns, watching as Peter gets out of the car, to get a trolley.

'I'll miss you grandad.' She tells him sincerely, as he kisses her head.

'I'll miss you too, princess. But you'll have a great time, you can tell me about it when you get back.' He promises, before reaching into his wallet, 'spending money.' He places into her hand, giving the suggestion she understands the concept, which she doesn't.

'Johnny.' Carla warns, 'she's four.'

'I can treat her.'

'Give it to me, I'll look after it. What do you say to grandad?'

'Tank you.' She whispers, lacing her hands into his.

'I have to go now, princess, but I'll see you when you get back. Have a safe flight, and a great trip. Let me know when you're there.'

'Will do, bye dad. Love you.'

'Love you too.' He whispers, as they all say a fond farewell, before Carla grabs the child's hand.

'Right, we're going through security.' Carla tells her, crouching down to her level. 'You're going to have to be a really good girl.'

'Why?'

'Because this is really important.'

'Why?'

'It just is. So, you'll need to-do what I tell you.' She stresses, knowing it would be fine, as they turn around the corner to join the security line.

'Princess, they're going to make you take your bag, shoes and coat off.'

'Why?'

'They need to check it. They did it last time.' He promises, 'it happens every time, but why don't you take your shoes off now, and give them to mummy' Carla throws him a look, 'and I'm going to carry you.' She obliges, aided by her mum and dad.

'Don't want to take my sunglasses off.' The child pouts, crossing her arms. 'No.'

'Baby, you have to. You can wear them the other side, look I've put mine down.' Carla tries, as the guard catches her attention.

'How old is she?'

'Uh, just turned four.'

'It's fine, then, she can wear them.' He promises, gaining a smile from the child. 'Now, come through.'

'Now, we're going to get you ready for bed.' Carla tells the child, 'so you can sleep on the plane.'

'Do I have to?'

'Well mummy and daddy are.' She tells her, as they vacate their seats in Frankie and Benny's. 'Give daddy your bag and we'll get you changed.' The child seems to comply, both of them knowing that she will fall asleep soon, hoping that she'll last until they board.

'What if I can't sleep?'

'You will be able too.' She tells the child, she's aware she will be awake for part of it, but hopefully it won't be too much of an issue, helping her into the pyjama top, already in the bottoms, for the sake of security and putting a hoodie over her, before joining Peter.

She looks around the departure lounge, having successfully made it there. Much to her dismay, there isn't any other small children, not that she expected it to be, the terms hadn't finished, and it was May. She just hopes her daughter can behave herself.

They don't wait long, the cabin crew telling her that they'll let them, and two old couples, on first. Something she's grateful for, as they meander their way through the rows to go and find their seats, the ones by the window. Watching their child excitedly sit in the chair by the window, as Carla gets the necessary things she'll need for take-off.

'Dee.' She gets her attention, leaning over Peter who had taken the middle seat, she was going to swap with him once she'd seen the plane take-off. 'When we take off, your ears are going to pop, so don't be scared.' Carla starts, checking the list of things she's supposed to tell her before the plane takes off. Peter had taken her to watch the planes overhead, one afternoon, trying to explain to her what happens. But, she's barely four, they don't know how much she understood. 'And you must stay in your seat.' She warns, as they settle down.

'Is she asleep?' Carla dares to ask, looking at the curled-up child, as Peter nods. 'Wow.'

'She's out for the count.'

'I told you she'd be fine.' She grins cheekily, pulling down her face mask. 'Now let me sleep.'

A/N Thought's? I think I'm going to-do a part two, so any suggestions of what there is in LA/what you want to see would be great….