Brice walked into their third pub of the evening and shook off the umbrella he was carrying. He didn't really like the rain, but he got to admit, London was pretty cool. Brice looked behind him to see Derek and Ginger were doing the same and trying to warm up. Since the three of them were the only ones of legal age—in London anyways—they were the only ones really allowed to go on a pub crawl. The parents were floating around different ones too, but Brice made it his mission to not run into them. This was about the only thing they had away from them.
"Cider again, Ginger?" Brice asked as he muscled his way towards the bar. Ginger nodded and Derek wrapped his arm around her shoulders lazily. Brice soon returned with two pints of beer and one of hard cider. They weren't really looking to get drunk or anything, but the pubs they had been to so far had fun atmospheres and drinking didn't feel like a chore here as it did at parties at home—at least that's how Derek felt.
"You talk to Nicole?" Ginger asked looking up at Brice.
"Yup, apparently she went to a club with Tyler, Liecy, and Conner. Told me she had a lot of fun and that the music was great. Of course, she didn't dance with any guys and pretty much just got wasted with Conner, but it was clear to see that she had a good time." Brice told Ginger smiling while she laughed.
"Hey large, tall, and handsome." A petite fox murmured running her hand along Brice's arm and he stared at her confused. Where the hell had she just come from?
"Uh hey, sorry, but I'm taken." Brice told her scooting away from her and letting her hand drop from his arm. She pouted before setting her sights for Derek, which Ginger immediately noticed.
"What about you? You're kind of hot." She smiled staring at Derek who frowned.
"My fiancée is actually with me tonight." He told her motioning to Ginger. The fox scrunched up her nose when she looked at Ginger and then looked back at Derek.
"Bollocks, good ones are always so daft to go with the dogs." She sniffed and Ginger clenched her hands into fists glaring at her.
"Sod off you twit!" Ginger exclaimed and Brice and Derek stared at her in a mixture of shock and confusion. Apparently a week here was enough for Ginger to pick up on British slang and insults. The fox snorted and crossed her arms, not one bit intimidated by Ginger.
"Oh bugger off, you Yank. Take that wanker with you too." She said motioning with her head towards Derek. It might have been the anger seeping inside Ginger, it might have been her slightly intoxicated state, but Ginger reeled her arm back and socked the girl in the face.
"Oh shit!" Brice exclaimed as the girl held her nose that was currently bleeding.
"Might want to clean that up, darling." Ginger said batting her eyelashes innocently. The fox huffed angrily before running off towards the bathroom. Ginger turned back towards the guys who both were just staring at her. "What?"
"You are so hot." Derek murmured pulling her close to him and Ginger giggled.
"Gag me. Y'all are worse when you're drunk." Brice muttered and the couple didn't look at all bothered by his comment. The trio went to one more pub—luckily with no more incidents—before calling a cab and heading back to the hotel thoroughly buzzed and happy. Brice yawned loudly as he inserted the keycard into the lock of his room and opened the door. He threw the card and his wallet on the small table beside the TV in his room and heard some rustling. Right. Amber was here again because of Onyx and Topaz.
He flipped on the light in the entryway of his room as to not disturb Amber too much, but what he saw instead was his brother and Topaz currently staring at him wide-eyed and the sheets up to their chins. Brice flicked on the main light and the three stayed staring at each other for a long pause. Brice sighed heavily and shook his head.
"I'm not drunk enough for this." He muttered grabbing his keycard and wallet again. "Be safe, kids." He said before leaving the room without much else to say. Brice walked over to Topaz and Amber's room and proceeded to crash onto the empty bed beside the one Amber was currently sleeping in. The next morning everyone woke up bright early seeing how this was their last full day in London and they have yet to see some of the major landmarks.
"There's no place like London!" James sang as their group exited the hotel.
"You're really singing a song from 'Sweeney Todd' right now?" Knuckles asked and James just shrugged his shoulders while his children shook their heads.
"Where to first?" Rouge asked as she looked at her phone. "The London Eye, Big Ben, or Hyde Park?" She pondered aloud looking around the group.
"Well the London Eye and Hyde Park are beside each other. Probably would be best to hit up Big Ben right now." Shawn said and everybody seemed to agree with his suggestion. Everybody walked towards Big Ben since it wasn't very far from their hotel and took a lot of pictures once they reached the bridge that was near it.
"I wonder how quick we could reach the top." Ruby commented as the group stood in front of the giant clock tower. Topaz shrugged her shoulders beside her and stared up at Big Ben.
"Well, I'm much faster so it probably wouldn't take me long. It's only about 300 feet." Topaz shrugged and Ruby quirked an eyebrow towards her.
"You really think you're faster than me?" She asked.
"Well I don't really need wings to fly. I just propel myself up with my powers at any speed." Topaz explained.
"Fair point." Ruby shrugged.
"You guys are not going to have some dramatic competition?" Shawn asked standing beside his girlfriend.
"No?" Ruby said looking over to him confused.
"Sorry, it's just…everyone has been telling me how they've been having ridiculous competitions on their trips." Shawn shrugged and Ruby laughed.
"I don't have to prove myself to anyone. I believe Topaz would win anyways. I've always been more fond of traveling on wheels than by wings." She grinned and Shawn just smiled down at her.
"Bullshit! We're doing this!" Knuckles exclaimed and Ruby, Topaz, and Shawn all looked back at him confused.
"Knuckles, please, your daughter is clearly smart enough to know better." Silver said putting a hand on Knuckles' shoulder.
"Dad, let's not cause a scene." Onyx sighed heavily.
"Ruby, don't just stand there and let them talk to you like that!" Knuckles said pointing to his daughter.
"Talk like what? Topaz hasn't said anything." Ruby said and Knuckles huffed.
"Please just satisfy your father's internal need for competition." Rough said rolling her eyes and Ruby sighed.
"You down?" Ruby asked looking over to Topaz who shrugged her shoulders. The two stood beside each other looking up at the tower while Onyx stood between them.
"Three, two, one—Go." Onyx counted and they both took off into the air earning some awes and strange stares from the fellow tourists around them. Ruby gained an early lead, but Topaz quickly soared passed her. Once Ruby was close enough, she grabbed Topaz's ankle and threw her back towards the ground with her strength.
"That's cheating!" Silver whined and Knuckles smirked.
"No, that's smart." He said and Silver glared at him. Topaz finally managed to stop herself from spiraling towards the ground and glared up at Ruby. Her yellow aura completely surrounded her body and she shot up the tower quickly. Ruby passed by the clock quickly and could see the top of the tower in her sights, but she suddenly felt herself slowing down. She noticed that she was suddenly descending and saw that she was surrounded by Topaz's power. Ruby watched as Topaz sailed passed her and perched herself at the top of the tower before she was released from Topaz's hold and plummeted towards the ground. Ruby spread her wings wide and drifted softly to a landing beside Shawn and Topaz was soon next to her smiling sweetly.
"Cheap move, but whatever." Ruby shrugged making Topaz laugh.
"In your face!" Silver yelled at Knuckles while Topaz and Ruby rolled their eyes. Knuckles just grumbled angrily before slinking back towards Rouge. Deciding to take a small break before heading to Hyde Park and The London Eye, the group returned to the hotel for a quick nap. Lauren, not really being able to sleep, decided to call Alana and see how her and Renegade were fairing in New York. Alana soon appeared smiling at Lauren from her end.
"Hey! How's New York been?" Lauren asked.
"Great! We actually saw 'The Phantom of the Opera' earlier today." Alana told her.
"Really? How was it?" Lauren asked.
"It was amazing!" A masculine voice said making Lauren look at Alana confused.
"Was that Renegade?" She asked narrowing her eyes.
"No, that was my brother." Alana muttered. Soon a dark blue hedgehog appeared on the screen beside Lauren. He was tall and muscular with short, buzzed quills and icy blue eyes and an infectious smile.
"Hey! You're Lauren, right? My sister has mentioned you." Alana's brother grinned.
"Lauren this is my brother, Elliott. Elliott this is my friend, Lauren." Alana said making quick introductions before the sound of the door slamming startled Lauren. Alana and Elliott both turned to see Renegade leaning forward with his hands on his knees and panting loudly.
"What happened to you?" Lauren asked and Renegade whipped his head up and glared at Elliott.
"Him." He panted out while Alana glared at her brother with dark red eyes.
"Hey man, don't blame me if you can't find your way through the city." Elliott said raising his hands up innocently.
"You left me in the middle of Queens!" Renegade exclaimed and Alana's eyes suddenly turned blue before Elliott fell to his knees sobbing.
"Renegade, please forgive me. I just don't like the idea of my sister dating and I shouldn't be so mean to you. Alana likes you so I should like you. Please baby sister, I love you so much. I don't mean to be rude to your boyfriend." Elliott cried profusely and Lauren chuckled.
"Nice to see you learned something from me." Lauren smirked and Alana's eyes reverted back to normal and she smiled back at Lauren.
"Unfair little sister." Elliott muttered and Alana raised her eyebrow towards her brother.
"Like the way you're treating Renegade?" She asked and he just mumbled before walking away.
"So…besides the fun brother-bonding time, you guys have any other plans?" Lauren asked.
"Renegade is going to check out Julliard while Elliott and I go out for lunch tomorrow. Then we'll meet up again and go to the Smithsonian." Alana told her and Lauren smiled. "What about you guys? Today's your last full day, right?" She asked.
"We just got back form seeing Big Ben and are planning to go to Hyde Park and The London Eye later. We just wanted to take a little break back at the hotel." Lauren explained and Alana nodded. "I actually think we're about to leave soon." She said as her eyes drifted towards the clock at the corner of her screen.
"Okay, I'll let you go. Have fun with the rest of your time in London! I'm sure we'll be seeing you soon!" Alana smiled. They both said their goodbyes before Lauren freshened up in her bathroom she shared with Ruby. The group eventually met up again in the lobby and took several cabs to Hyde Park to have a picnic.
"Anyone down for some footie?" Reese asked as he held a soccer ball in his hands.
"Footie?" Luna asked looking up at her husband confused.
"I don't know. That's what I hear some of the locals call it." Reese shrugged and Luna just laughed. Topaz, Silver, Reese, Shawn, Rouge, and Knuckles decided to play and what meant to be a simple game of passing the ball around quickly morphed into a full on game.
"No way you're getting passed me!" Silver argued as he tried to steal the ball from Reese. Reese kicked the ball to the side and steered it around Silver before kicking it towards the makeshift goal. Topaz dove and caught the ball into her hands and Reese cursed. Topaz tossed the ball towards Silver and Silver kicked it towards Shawn. Shawn weaved passed Knuckles and kicked the ball underneath Rouge's leg scoring a point.
"Woo!" Luna cheered for her son, but earned a glare from her husband. "Love you too." She smiled and he shook his head. The game continued while the rest of the group explored the park and took pictures. By the time the game ended (Silver's team winning), they walked over to The London Eye to ride the giant ferris wheel-like structure. They were split across two pods and ooed and awed at the sights of London at twilight. Of course a lot of pictures were taken, but everybody took a moment to appreciate the things around them. They had to since the next day they were going to be on a plane for twelve hours. Joy.