A/N: Hey guys! I took a little longer to update this time, and TBH it's probably only going to get worse :/ School is starting soon, and I'm going to be craaaazy busy this year. I will continue to write, though!

I was told by a couple of people some of the mistakes I've made in previous chapters: I spelled Scarlet with two t's and I called Kai a king instead of an emperor. I am so sorry! I don't know if I'll go back to those chapters and fix them any time soon, but I'll be more careful in future chapters

This particular one is an AU about the gang going on a summer road trip. I hope you enjoy!

Thanks again for reading and reviewing! I love you all :3

I do not own the Lunar Chronicles.

The road trip was Cinder's idea.

Every summer, one of the seven (Cinder, Kai, Iko, Scarlet, Wolf, Cress, or Thorne) would come up with a fun plan. It was an idea that they unanimously agreed on years ago, but lately Cinder felt like scratching the ritual altogether.

It wasn't so bad at first. Scarlet managed to get hold of seven decently-priced plane tickets to Paris, where they all stayed for a week. Cinder specifically remembered it as the week that her close friend and secret crush, Kai, confessed his feelings for her.

Yeah, it was a good week.

Cress planned a slightly-less extravagant (but still amazing) visit to New York, where they saw Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. Cinder had never been a big fan of musicals, but even she couldn't deny how breathtaking the performance was. It was after that when things began to slide downhill.

Kai honestly did have good intentions. Going to Washington D.C. was the perfect trip for the local politician, and he even managed to get Thorne excited when he talked about the extravagant hotel he booked. The situation grew complicated when the hotel lost their reservation, worsening still when Kai realized his wallet had been stolen (being the planner of the trip, he was also the main financial provider). They ended up pooling their money and cramming in a dingy one bed suite with a bathroom door that didn't lock. In only two days of staying there Thorne had managed to walk in to all four girls changing on separate occasions ("I swear it was an accident!" he spluttered when Wolf and Kai furiously approached him). They still got to tour the buildings and see the museums, though, so it wasn't a total loss.

Wolf's trip had the most potential to be disastrous; tickets to an MMA match. Cinder surprisingly found herself enjoying the event, and she would have preferred to see the result of the fight. Unfortunately, one of the fans just had to leer at Scarlet- making a comment about her appearance that was even dirtier than the D.C. hotel room in the process- and Wolf exploded. In fact, a small crowd of people abandoned the fight just to watch Wolf and the Hulk Hogan doppelganger duke it out. Needless to say they ended up in the emergency room.

And last year was Thorne's trip. He still claims that he had no idea that it was a nude beach.

So, after convincing Iko to let her take this year's position as the trip decider, Cinder had taken it upon herself to redeem their summer vacation routine once and for all. Her road trip plan was genius; she had planned out a handful of stops along the way, so it would be like several vacations rolled into one. Therefore, she logically reasoned, they couldn't all be bad... right?

~o0o~

"...So your big summer plan is for us to just drive in circles?" Thorne had been whining the moment Cinder forced him to begin packing, which he did with the attitude of a five-year-old. Cinder rolled her eyes and began folding the shirts he lazily threw on top of his bed.

"It's not about the destination, Thorne, it's about the journey."

"Oh, please. You totally stole that from a cheesy poster."

Thorne and Cinder met seven years ago when Cinder moved into their apartment building. She banged on his door when he played his music too loud, he shamelessly flirted with her, she whacked him with a screwdriver, and the rest was history.

Iko came a week later. She was Cinder's best and only friend from her hometown, and she claimed to understand when Cinder insisted upon leaving the minute she turned 18. That didn't last long. After a mere seven days of separation she was banging on her apartment door, begging to move in with her. Cinder, of course, accepted, relieved that she didn't have to continue life without her closest companion.

Not long after that she met Kai, a polished state senator who needed help with a messed-up laptop. It started with a single visit to the technology repair shop she worked at, but they soon fell into a weekly routine. Kai would drop by every Friday with some sort of question, and eventually Cinder invited him to hang out with the group (partially because she wanted to get to know him, and partially because Iko begged her to the moment she saw his face). He later admitted that he made up questions about the device just so he could come and talk to her. "I thought it seemed fishy when you asked me how to send an email," she teased later, nudging him in the ribs.

Scarlet and Wolf, with her bright hair and his hulking muscles, were a couple that stuck out like a sore thumb. Everyone recognized them wherever they went, and within a week of arriving to the town they were pretty well-known. They were introduced to the group when Thorne dared to walk up to Wolf and ask what steroids he was using.

Cinder had to hit him with her closest piece of equipment.

Cress was the newest addition to the group, and despite her shy personality, she got along with them as if she was there from the very beginning. Years ago she had timidly approached Cinder and asked her about any open apartments, and she gladly guided her to her own building. There were several people interested in the recently-abandoned flat situated in the corner of their complex, but Thorne took one look at Cress and made absolute certain that she got the space.

And what do you know; she did.

All of them came from difficult backgrounds. They were runaways and misfits, searching to find a place where they belonged. They finally found that place in each other.

And goshdarnit, Cinder was going to make this the best trip ever, because if anyone deserved a break it was them.

"You better keep a smile on your face when you're in the van, Thorne, or else I'll tell Cress that you listen to her when she sings in the shower."

The perfectly confident and flirtatious Thorne reddened at that comment scratching the back of his head. "You know about that, huh?" Thorne had been officially dating Cress for seven months now, and it was his longest relationship by a landslide. For years he had claimed that he'd never tie himself to a single woman, but things changed ever since Cress arrived. It took a lot of soul searching and some nudging from Cinder, Scarlet, and Iko for him to realize that the reason he wasn't flirting well with girls any more was because he was only interested in one girl: Cress. It took waaay too long for Thorne to realize that, but Cress was patient. Cinder never saw her smiling harder than the night he finally manned up and kissed her.

"Yep. I caught you a couple of weeks ago," Cinder admitted, smirking.

"Well, if you don't let me drive then I'll tell Kai that you pray he'll propose to you every night."

Cinder flushed. "Hey, that's not true!"

"No, but I can be pretty convincing." He chuckled at her expression, swinging his fully-packed suitcase over his shoulder.

Cinder and Kai were a different story. Both fell head-over-heels in love with each other the moment he stepped into her shop, and the awkward stuttering and love struck stares only ended once they really got to know each other and became friends. Several months of sexual tension later, Kai admitted his feelings to her on their Paris summer trip. They had now been going strong for years, and Cinder would be lying if she said she didn't expect a proposal soon.

"Fine, you can drive," Cinder grumbled, tossing him the keys to the van she rented. Thorne pumped his fist in a silent victory.

There was a excited pounding on the door, and Iko didn't bother waiting for wither of them to open the door before she barged in. She and Cinder had packed early, so they went to Thorne and Cress's apartments separately to help them out. "I AM SOOO EXCITED!" she squealed, pulling Cinder into an enthusiastic hug. "I've packed all of my best dresses and some pants and shirts and a bathing suit and some magazines and my makeup and my curling iron and my fuzzy slippers and-"

"Yeah, we get it," Thorne remarked, eyeing her three practically bursting suitcases. "Where's Cress?"

"She decided to go ahead and take her stuff down to the van. Wolf and Scarlet are almost here, by the way, and Kai will come later." She giggled, hoisting her luggage as if it weighed nothing and skipped out of the room. Thorne and Cinder shrugged before exiting as well.

~o0o~

Outside, Cress was hoisting a suitcase that appeared to be just as big as her body to the beat-up van. Thorne chuckled at the sight, sneaking up behind her. With one arm he grabbed her bag and with the other he pulled her in for a swift kiss, leaving her flustered but smiling.

"PDA," Wolf announced, strolling up to the group with his arm around Scarlet. Cress blushed deeply, but Thorne just laughed in response.

Wolf and Scarlet were already dating when they joined the group. Together they were so natural; it sounds cheesy, but they were like two halves that made a whole. About a year ago Scarlet mentioned something about finally getting married, and a few hours later they officially became husband and wife in city hall. Iko was depressed that she wasn't able to be a bridesmade or go wedding dress shopping, but Scarlet allowed her to throw a huge wedding shower as consolation.

"Yeah, like you're one to talk." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, and Scarlet rolled her eyes.

"Let's just get our stuff in here. You two can continue your beauty pageant later." Scarlet gave them a pointed glance before swinging her own bags over her shoulder and marching towards the van.

Kai arrived shortly after that, and it only took a few minutes for them to load up the vehicle. By then Thorne had fallen completely in love with the van.

It really wasn't anything special. It had four rows of seats with tacky leather that was ripped up in most places, ketchup (at least they hoped it was ketchup) stains on the ceiling and, a slightly faded and partially scrubbed off image on the back that suspiciously resembled a naked woman.

"I'm calling it The Rampion!" Thorne proudly declared. It was as if it was his first born child rather than a cheap rental.

They all piled in, with Thorne at the wheel, Cress next to him, Cinder, Kai, and Iko crammed in the middle, and Scarlet and Wolf in the back.

"No making out back there, you two," Thorne warned, pulling out of the apartment complex's driveway. "First stop on Cinder's list: Levana's Famous Italian Bistro!"

"That's restaurant is supposed to be the best," Kai commented.

"They have meatballs the size of soccer balls!" Iko added.

"Italian food has lots of tomatoes," Wolf mumbled, nodding in approval.

They continued to chatter, merrily making their way down the road. Things couldn't have been better…

~To be continued