AN: Friendly reminded; in this story, Spencer's wife, Ella, is Sam's cousin. Enjoy!

..

Sack

"I don't even know when the last time we used this this was," Freddie grunted as he struggled to pull the pullout bed out from within the couch.

"I think when my mom stayed with us when her place was getting fumigated," Sam replied, coming into the living room with a sleeping Tyler in her arms and Carly at her heels. "So three years ago."

"Why do you need the pullout bed anyway?" Carly asked.

"For Spencer and Ella," Freddie replied. "We're leaving for California at four in the morning tomorrow, so we all decided it'd be easiest if we all slept in the same place tonight."

"Wait, what?" Carly exclaimed. "You guys are all going to California? Without me?"

"Carls, chill, Ella and I are going to visit our Uncle Carmine," Sam said. "He just made parole and he invited the family over to his place to celebrate."

"Oh," Carly said. "Well that seems fun. So you're taking all the kids and everything?"

"Yeah, Jason and the twins love Uncle Carmine, and none of my family has met Tyler yet, other than my mom and Melanie, so we figured this would be the perfect opportunity," Sam said.

Just then the Bensons' front door opened and Spencer and Ella, as well as their two children, Dina and Bryan, walked in.

"Hey!" Freddie greeted them. "We're almost done setting up for you guys."

"Dina, you're going to sleep in the twins' room tonight," Sam told the eleven-year old. "And Bryan you'll bunk with Jason."

"Sweet!" Bryan cheered. The two boys, only being a year apart in age, were close friends.

"Aunt Sam?" Dina asked. "Can I hold Tyler, please?"

"Oh, sure," Sam said. "Just be careful not to wake him…"

"She's been real into childcare stuff lately," Ella said as she put the family's suitcases by the front door next to the Bensons' already packed bags.

"Well hey, anytime you want to come over here and take care of these kids, be my guest, Dina," Sam smiled as she gently placed the six-month old in Dina's arms.

"Seriously, you'd be a lifesaver," Freddie nodded as he finally succeeded in setting up the pullout bed.

"Yup, she's really becoming a responsible young adult," Spencer said proudly.

"Against all odds," Carly chuckled.

"Hey!" Spencer exclaimed.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Carly said quickly. "Well…sort of. Anyway, I need to go pick up Clarissa from her violin lesson. Have fun in California, you guys."

"Thanks," Freddie said. "We'll see you in a few days."

Just as Carly headed out the door, Tyler gave a loud cry as he woke up in Dina's arms.

"I'm sorry!" Dina said at once. "I didn't mean to wake him! I-"

"It's okay, kid, you didn't do anything," Sam said, picking up her son and gently bouncing him in her arms. "Sometimes he just likes to fuss…Oh, and it looks like he needs to be changed too…"

"Can I help you?" Dina asked excitedly.

"Um…alright," Sam said. "Come on, the diapers and stuff are upstairs."

"That's cute," Freddie chuckled as Sam and Dina took Tyler upstairs. "How long has she been into taking care of kids?"

"Since career day at her school last week," Ella shrugged. "One of the pediatric nurses from the hospital came in and talked to her class. Now she wants to work with children when she's older."

"Well she'll have plenty of opportunity this weekend when she's crammed in a van with five other kids," Spencer said. "For a whopping twelve hours."

"Fourteen," Freddie corrected him. "It took twelve to get to the prison where Carmine was. It's an extra two hours to get to his house."

"Dang it!" Spencer moaned. "I hate long car rides! It was a whole lot more convenient when Carmine lived in Seattle and got to sent to local prisons."
"Leave him alone, he wanted to be closer to the ocean," Ella said.

"Yeah, it will be an easy way for him to dispose of evidence," Freddie mumbled under his breath.

"You said it," Spencer nodded.

"What? You two aren't excited to see Uncle Carmine?" Ella frowned.

"Well…it-it's not that we're not excited," Spencer said. "It's just…Carmine's mean to us!"

"Oh come on," Ella scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"It's true!" Spencer said. "He always threatens us and calls us names and-and last time I saw him he told me my head looked like a watermelon!"

"Well to be fair that was right after you got that horrible haircut," Ella pointed out. "But Spence, you shouldn't be complaining. I know for a fact that he's nowhere near as hard on you as he is on Freddie."

"Yeah, that's right!" Freddie nodded. "Carmine telling me my head looks like a watermelon would be a compliment! You want to do know what he did to me at Jason's sixth birthday party? He shoved cake into my pants because he said he didn't like how I was walking!"

"Fine, you have a point," Spencer conceded. "You have it worse. Wonder why, though."

"It's obvious," Ella shrugged. "Freddie's married to Sam, and Sam's always been his favorite in the family."

"Seriously?" Freddie said. "I knew they were close and all, but she's really his favorite?"

"One hundred percent," Ella nodded. "Its been that way since we were kids."

"Does that bother you?" Spencer frowned.

"No, not really," Ella replied. "I mean he's always looked after Sam a little more because, well, it's not like she had a dad around to do that. I think he's always tried to fill that role for her."

"Yeah, Sam does consider him like a father," Freddie smiled.

"Exactly," Ella said, patting Freddie's shoulder. "Which of course means he'll always target you a little extra."

"That's okay," Freddie nodded. "I don't mind."

"He really shoved cake down your pants?" Spencer asked.

"Oh yeah," Freddie nodded. "Chocolate and vanilla. I had frosting in places where frosting should never be."

"I don't even know how I'm awake," Sam yawned early the next morning as she rubbed her eyes.

"Why'd we have to leave at four in the dang morning again?" Ella mumbled.

"Because my sack of a husband's insane," Sam said, rolling her eyes.

"We have to leave this early if you want to get to California at a decent hour," Freddie said, handing the cousins cups of coffee. "Where's Spencer?"

"Taking a shower," Ella replied, sipping the coffee. "Though maybe I should make sure he hasn't fallen asleep in there. Wouldn't be the first time that happened."

"And I guess I should wake up the kids," Sam sighed. "Which is going to be impossible and-"

"Morning!" Dina said brightly, coming downstairs, fully dressed, with Emma and Ashton behind her, both dressed and ready to go as well.

"M-Morning," Sam said, surprised to see her daughters awake. "Wow, Em, Ash, I didn't think you'd be ready so easily…"

"Dina woke us up and helped us pick our clothes out!" Ashton said happily, smiling up at the older girl admirably.

"We're all ready!" Emma nodded.

"I got Tyler's diaper bag ready too!" Dina said proudly. "And I made sure Jason and Bryan were awake also. They should be down soon; they're just getting dressed. I also got a bag of car games ready to keep everybody entertained."

"Holy chiz, Dina!" Sam beamed. "You did all that?"

"It was fun," Dina said. "Do you need anything else, Aunt Sam?"

"Yeah, adoption papers for you," Sam said. She turned to her cousin. "Seriously Ella, can she move in with us?"

"No way," Ella said. "She's also been really into cleaning around the house lately. And I'm not ready to give that up."