Maya Smith yawned loudly as she tried to brew herself a fresh cup of hot coffee, trying not to fall asleep in the mug. Ray was sat at the dining table, making himself some cereal for breakfast. They were still in their pajamas as they didn't have to start work until later in the noon. Nya had gotten up earlier than anyone in the Smith household. She had left just as Ray and Maya were getting up. She had hastily made herself some burnt toast and left a note to say that she had gone to meet up with her robotics club for a project they were working on.

Kai was the last member of the household to wake up and his parents had sent him down to collect their mail.

With their enhanced hearing Ray and Maya could hear Kai walking down the hall outside returning home. They could hear that he was flipping through the post. Just then, the pair heard Kai's footsteps suddenly stop just outside the apartment door.

"Oh my God!" They heard Kai suddenly cry out.

"Wonder what that's about." Maya sighed, waiting for Kai to burst in and tell them what drama there was now.

"I don't," Ray grunted, still half asleep, as he finished pouring his cereal. Their son suddenly ran into the apartment with a large, excited grin on his face as he waved a letter in the air.

"I just got a letter from Preston University!" He squealed in much enthusiasm.

"You mean your backup school to your backup school if your real backup school rejects you?" Maya asked as she took the letter from Kai's iron grip and read it over.

"So come on, are we in or not?" Ray asked, slowly getting excited as well.

"No, they haven't decided yet but the admissions committee is coming to Ninjago City and they want to interview me," Kai explained with a happy grin.

"That's great, son! That means they didn't say no... yet anyway." Ray replied, wincing slightly at the disappointed look on Kai's face and the angry one that Maya shot at him. But Ray didn't feel that he was in the wrong to say that. No one could say that Kai wasn't a good kid. He was confident, good-looking, crafty, and he had a big heart. The brunette had many talents, but he wasn't the most academic student. Ray felt he had every right to worry about his children's futures.

"I have to prepare for my interview," Kai said and headed off to his room. The pair waited until they heard his bedroom door shut before either of them spoke.

"I gotta say I'm not crazy about him going to Preston University," Maya admitted as she sat beside her husband at the dinner table.

"Why? It's a good school; in fact, it's so good I'm surprised he's even still in the running." Ray confessed as he finished the last of his breakfast and began washing his bowl. "They probably haven't met their quota for good-looking gay guys yet; you know they need them for the brochure cover." He laughed, but Maya still looked worried.

"I know it's a good school but it's also in California; doesn't it bother you that he'd be so far away?" She asked, but Ray just rolled his eyes at her.

"Oh come on Maya, how long have we been talking about getting those two out of this apartment and on their own?"

"Since they were born." She sighed heavily as she stared into her coffee. "But now that it's here it's just... I'm not... I guess I'm just not loving the idea of how quiet it's gonna be around here."

"Quiet? I'm not going anywhere." Ray whined in exasperation. Maya just chuckled at her husband's antics and playfully hit his shoulder before leaving to get ready for the day. Ray smiled as he put his bowl away and also got up to get ready for the day. As he headed to his and Maya's room, he heard Kai shuffling about in his room. Ray was suddenly hit with a strange, new feeling he couldn't describe and he gently knocked on Kai's door. After the teen called back to say come in, Ray poked his head into the room and saw Kai watching him expectedly.

Two shirts were in the teen's hands as he was deciding what to wear for his interview.

"Look, about this college interview thing, I think I should help you get prepared." He smiled as he sat at the foot of the bed.

"Don't worry about it, I'll just go in there and be myself." Kai shrugged, only for Ray to burst out laughing.

"Oh my boy, maybe if I could afford to build the school a new library you could be yourself, but unfortunately you're gonna be competing against people who are much, much, much better than you." He smiled and Kai was lost for words. "So let's just do a dry run, let's have you go out and then come back in like you're coming in for the interview." He instructed, making it clear that it wasn't a request. Kai didn't know what to say so he did as he was told and walked out of the room.

After a few seconds, he walked back in with a big smile on his face and approached his father with his hand extended to shake.

"Hi, I'm Kai Sm-"

"Stop! You already blew it!" Ray snapped, suddenly growing impatient.

"But I haven't even said anything!" Kai growled, also growing annoyed but for different reasons to Ray.

"Yeah you have, body language son; the stooped shoulders, the darting eyes, they all say that you barely got through high school and you may or may not have cheated on the SATs."

"My body doesn't say that, you're just saying that because you know me." Kai pouted with a glare. Ray rolled his eyes but they moved on and sat on the bed to continue with this practice college interview.

"So, Mr. Smith, how will you help make Preston University a better environment for the other students? Why should you of all people be allowed into our hallowed halls?" He asked with an incredibly fake, over snobby voice.

"Well, I look forward to taking advantage of the many scholastic opportunities that Preston University presents as well as participating in the numerous extracurricular activities that you offer," Kai replied with a very proud smile, but his happy mood didn't last long.

"I ain't thrilled with that answer, nor should you be," Ray said and Kai wanted to scream in frustration. False confidence was one of the few things he felt he had going for himself and Ray was stressing him out. Ray wasn't too worried about who Kai was feeling about the older man's interference. In his mind, he was hoping that this would make Kai finally start to realize how important this was. "Now let's go out and do it again." He ordered and Kai growled as he did as he was told and left the bedroom.

Ray waited for Kai to come back for a few minutes until he suddenly heard the front door opening and closing.

Ray sniffed the air and realized that Kai had left the apartment.

"HEY!"...

That night Maya was super excited for the family to get home. She was making some popcorn balls for the family movie night she planned. She said this a lot, but she thought it was worth repeating. It was important to get involved in your kids' media lives and they will love it too, within reason of course. But helping them become critical media consumers could be easier said than done. Hosting a family movie night was a sure-fire way to stay involved with a kid's media picks and created an opportunity to discuss them.

The Smith family used to have a family movie night every week when Kai and Nya were younger.

But as they grew older and Ray and Maya became more invested in their work it seemed that family movie night was lost to time. Maya wasn't happy with that anymore and she was bringing it back. She considered making it a theme night. This could be simple or elaborate. They could eat flavored popsicles with March of the Penguins or make food art with Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. They could all dress in costumes for A Princess Bride, or learn a few magic tricks before Harry Potter.

She decided against this, however.

This was last minute and she didn't know what movie they were watching yet. Maybe next time could have a themed family movie night. She couldn't wait to see what movie they picked so they could talk about it. That's what they did when Kai and Nya were little. Either when the credits rolled or the next day, she would make sure they made time to chat about what they had watched. That was always her favorite part. Talking about how movie characters handled fictional situations can be a subtle way to reinforce family values or get kids to open up about their lives.

She had scheduled it with Kai and Nya but didn't tell Ray yet.

The teens had asked if they could invite Cole and Jay over and although Maya was hesitant at first she ultimately agreed. As they left to meet with their respective boyfriends, she made it clear before they left that when the movie started they would all have to turn off all cell phones and she would ban multitasking during the show. She told her children that they could choose the movie for this week. They agreed and said they would let her know what they would be watching when they got back.

Now Maya was waiting for Ray to return so she could tell him the good news.

She didn't have to wait too long as Ray soon returned home. Kai and Nya were back yet so Maya had a little time to convince him to participate in this renewed family movie night plan. Ray had kicked his shoes off and hung up his coat until he noticed Maya in the kitchen with the freshly made popcorn balls.

"You're making popcorn balls?" He asked as he kissed his wife and stared at the sweet treats, practically drooling at the smell.

"Yep, I made them healthier this time by using half the sugar, but then they turned out kinda bland so I'm dipping them in chocolate." She giggled as she held up one of the balls soaking in the pot of melting chocolate.

"Wow, I can't remember the last time you made these."

"I do; it was four years ago for the last time we had a family movie night, which I'm excited to say that I am reinstating starting tonight." She beamed as she finished making the popcorn balls and placing them in a dish on the coffee table in front of the TV.

"What? Why are you doing this?!" Ray cried out in frustration. "I already hate Monday to Friday, why do you want to ruin Sunday too?!"

"Come on, we gotta continue making create loving families memories!" She exclaimed. "With Kai and Nya going off to college how many days are left before they're out of the house?" She asked and Ray didn't want to admit that he had been counting down the days his children would leave for college since the day they were born. By his calculations, there were roughly around two hundred and fourteen days until they were out of here.

"I don't know, I don't keep track of that stuff." He lied, refusing to look at his wife. Maya sighed as she lightly wrapped her husband and gave him her best puppy dog eyes which she knew he couldn't resist.

"Please honey, this is going to be fun; and if it isn't I made a few special popcorn balls soaked in rum." She grinned and even though he tried, Ray couldn't resist the look she was giving him and he relented with a defeated sigh. Maya beamed at her victory and began gathering up extra blankets, pillows, and bean bags and positioned them by the couch to watch the TV. She had finished setting everything on and gathering the food and drinks just as the teens came back home.

Cole and Jay greeted and thank the adults before everyone took their seats.

Ray and Maya had jumped onto the couch, putting their feet up and relaxing. Jay and Nya squeezed into a loveseat on the left of the couch. Kai and Cole curled up on the mass of bean bags and pillows gathered on the floor to the right of the couch.

"Let's just get this over with." Nya sighed as she slumped into the chair as Jay wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Come on sweetie, this is gonna be great." Maya smiled as she offered everyone food and drinks.

"Yeah, this is very important to your mother so let's all be supportive and watch this stupid movie," Ray told the teens and they all mumbled out an ok. "So what're we watching gang?" He asked as Maya passed him a beer.

"Oh it's a great movie, you're gonna love it." Cole smiled as he snuggled with Kai in a blanket.

"What, Rocky? Rocky 2? Rocky 3?" He asked, now excited for this movie night.

"Dad, you know there are other great movies right?" Nya chuckled.

"Rambo?!" He gasped, but they all shook their heads. "Is it Rambo 2? Rambo 3?"

"No Dad, we're watching An Inconvenient Truth," Kai responded with a bored groan. He wanted to watch a Fast and Furious movie, but Nya and Jay had ganged up on him and picked this movie. Cole, not wanting a fight, just said he was happy with anything, even though he secretly wanted to watch Happy Feet. With it being two against one, this meant that Nya and Jay got to pick the movie. An Inconvenient Truth was a 2006 American concert documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim about former the United States Vice President Al Gore's campaign to educate people about global warming.

The film featured a slide show that, by Gore's estimate, he had presented over one thousand times to audiences worldwide.

"An Inconvenient Truth? Who the hell's in that?" Ray frowned, getting a stern look from Maya for his foul language.

"Al Gore," Jay said with a hint of pride that he knew that, but this just confused Ray even more.

"Al Gore? Which kind of action hero is he?"

"It's not an action movie, it's a documentary," Cole replied as he munched on one of the chocolate popcorn balls.

"Great, first I have to drag three trash bags down to the street each week and now this environmental crap is seeping its way into our mindless entertainment?" Ray growled as Maya tried to figure out how to get the movie started. "You know what, this is where I draw the line, I don't wanna do this." He snapped as he stood up to leave. This seemed to flick a switch in the teens and they too all got ready to leave.

"Can we just forget about this whole thing?" Kai asked, looking ready to bolt from the room.

"Jay and I have some projects that need finishing," Nya said, to which Jay nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah, I guess my Dad won't care if I come home late." Cole sighed as he pulled out his phone to text Lou. They all were starting to leave the living room, only for Maya suddenly shot up from her seat and looked ready to kill.

"Hey! Hey! We are gonna watch this movie together and enjoy it and remember it as a lovely family time, now start the movie and everyone sit down and shut the fuck up!" She roared and within a few seconds, everyone was back in their original seats. Maya smiled in satisfaction as she began eating one of the popcorn balls and hit the play button...

After a little over an hour and a half, the movie was finished and silence descended over the apartment as they all digested what they had just watched. One of the main reasons Jay and Nya had picked this movie was the reviews. The film received a good reaction from film critics and audiences. It got a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on one hundred and sixty-six reviews, and an average rating of 7.74 out of 10. The website's critical unity stated that this candid, powerful, and informative documentary illuminated some of the myths surrounding its two subjects.

Those are global warming and Al Gore.

At Metacritic, the film had received an average score of seventy-five out of one hundred, based on thirty-two reviews, indicating generally favorable reviews. Film critics Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper gave the film two thumbs up. Ebert said that in thirty-nine years, he had never written that people owed it to themselves to see this film in a movie review. If someone didn't and they had grandchildren they should explain to them why their grandparents decided not to.

He called the film horrifying, enthralling and having the potential to change public policy and begin a process that could save the Earth.

The New York Magazine critic David Edelstein called the film one of the most realistic documentaries he and ever seen. He added that dry as it was, it was one of the most devastating in its implications. The New Yorker's David Remnick added that while it was not the most entertaining film of the year it might be the most important. He also said that it was a brilliantly lucid, often riveting attempt to warn Americans off their hellbent path to global suicide.

A small number of reviews criticized the film on scientific and political grounds.

The journalist Ronald Bailey argued in the libertarian magazine Reason that although Gore got the science more right than wrong he exaggerated the risks. The MIT atmospheric physicist Richard S. Lindzen was vocally critical of the film. He wrote in The Wall Street Journal that Gore was using a biased presentation to exploit the fears of the public for his political gain. A few other reviewers were also skeptical of Gore's intent, wondering whether he was setting himself for another Presidential run.

The Boston Globe writer Peter Canellos criticized the gauzy biographical material that seemed to have been culled from old Gore campaign commercials.

Phil Hall of Film Threat gave the film a negative review. He said that An Inconvenient Truth was something you rarely see in movies today; a blatant intellectual fraud. Others felt Gore didn't go far enough in depicting the threat Indigenous peoples faced with the dire consequences of climate change. The environmental historian Finis Dunaway argued that An Inconvenient Truth completely ignored the plight of Arctic indigenous peoples whose cultures and landscapes were facing profound changes produced by melting polar ice.

Despite these mostly good reviews, however, it was safe to say that movie was kind of a downer for the group.

After the movie ended, Jay thought that it was no wonder Gore lost the election. He was not a compelling screen presence. Kai and Cole were slumped on the floor and Nya was sneakily looking through her phone. Maya had finished most of the popcorn balls, including the rum-soaked ones, and looked very bored. Ray looked very pale and horrified as if he had just watched the goriest slasher movie ever made. When he saw all the bored looks on the faces of the others he was more horrified.

"What's wrong with you people? Did you just watch the same movie as me?" He exclaimed in shock and horror.

"Uh, no, because I was asleep." Kai yawned loudly as he slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his amber eyes.

"I thought it was kinda interesting," Cole commented, but he didn't look very interested in the movie.

"Interesting? Try eye-opening, devastating, or profound; I had no idea what a mess we'd made of this planet." Ray stated in complete awe, much to the confusion of the others.

"So what do you guys want to watch next week?" Maya suddenly asked the teens with a tired smile on her face.

"Next week? Maya, there is no next week! It's all going away! We are facing an environmental apocalypse!" Ray shouted as he suddenly got out of his seat and started pacing around the room. "It's going to be like that movie Mad Max and I'm not just gonna sit here and let my children's children have to battle to the death in a Thunderdome where the only person who decides their fate is some whacked-out angry midget!" He cried before he suddenly stormed out of the apartment.

Everyone shared a confused, and slightly confused, look but brushed it off and began talking about what to watch next week...

The matriarch of the Smith family hummed a little tune to herself as she vacuumed the living room the day after their movie night. Kai and Nya were home and in their rooms. Neither had offered to help, but Maya understood. Kai was trying to prepare for his interview and she could hear Nya doing her homework. Maya had done a deep clean throughout the room and she was still finding pieces of popcorn scattered around. Ray hadn't come home until after midnight.

He had woken Maya up as he was sneaking into bed, but she was too tired to say anything and choose to talk to him in the morning.

When she woke up, however, Ray was already gone and so was his car. Maya tried to call him but he had declined the call and sent her a quick text saying that he was too busy to talk. Maya was getting more and more worried and told herself that as soon as Ray got home she would get him to talk. After about ten more minutes, Ray got home and his eyes widened when he saw the vacuum. Maya turned it off and made to speak, but Ray beat her to it.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" He cried as he looked at the vacuum as if it was a man-eating monster.

"Uh, it's called vacuuming, I can see where you'd be confused since you've never done it." Maya hissed as she started the vacuum again, knowing that she wasn't getting anything out of him when he was in the mood, only for him to suddenly turn it off again.

"Do you have any idea how much electricity those things waste?" He demanded as he walked over to the wall and unplugged the vacuum so she couldn't turn it back on. "You should get one of those push jobs like my grandmother used to have." He suggested and Maya almost laughed.

"She also had a six-carat rock on her finger; you give me one of those I'll suck the dirt out of the carpet with my mouth!"

"Don't you get it, Maya? This global warming thing is real and if we don't do something it's all going to go away." He insisted and Maya almost wanted to laugh with him, until she realized that Ray wasn't laughing.

"Wait, are you serious? The guy who wrote to the deodorant company asking them to please bring back the aerosol because the roll-on was making you feel like a girl?" She smirked and he just shrugged in response. This might shock some people, mostly Ray, but sometimes he could be wrong. Although, he did miss the aerosol's manly tingle. Before Ray could say anything and try and change the subject, Kai suddenly walked in from his room and he was holding a black and red sweater.

"Hey Mom, can you take this sweater to the dry cleaners? It's for my interview." He asked and she smiled and took the sweater.

"Are you nuts?! Dry cleaning is super toxic!" Ray cried as he snatched the sweater out of his wife's hand. "They use chemicals with such long names that when you say it sounds like you're speaking Chinese; which might explain why so many dry cleaners are owned by the Chinese." He hummed in thought before he stormed off, leaving Kai and Maya standing in the living room in shock. Ray stormed towards his daughter's room and all but knocked the door down.

It swung open with a loud bang, scaring Nya, who was doing homework on her laptop.

"Nya, get off the computer! You're gonna melt the polar ice caps!" He shouted as he shut the laptop and unplugged that as well.

"Dad, what are you doing?!" Nya screamed in anger, confusion, and a little bit of fear.

"Get your coat, you're coming with me to pick through the neighbors' garbage and see if they threw out any recyclables." He ordered as he tossed her coat to her and almost dragged her out of the apartment. Maya watched this entire scene and all she could do was hope this little phase her husband was going through would be over soon...

Later that night, Kai was sat on his bed, preparing for his interview with his laptop on the bed in front of him. He had spoken to the guidance counselor about this and they gave him some advice. One of the things they said was that he had to bring specific questions. The interviewer will expect him to ask some questions about the school and talk about why he would want to go there. He had to put some energy into coming up with creative questions with answers that cannot be easily found on the college's website.

Kai also had to practice like a prizefighter.

Being interviewed was a skill, and it requires practice. For an hour, he had sat down with Cole and had his boyfriend ask the brunette his best college interview questions. Kai answered them honestly and seriously. Kai had prepared for common college interview questions. Interviewers tended to ask about the same topics. If Kai was prepared to answer the interview questions, he would be golden. They might want to ask why he would want to attend this college or what his favorite subject in high school was.

What he would want to study in college.

What he might enjoy doing when he wasn't in class. One of the things the guidance counselor made very clear was that Kai had to be himself. The key to getting admitted and being happy at college was finding his best-fit school. Kai would want to be himself so that the person interviewing him could discern what he would add to the campus community. Before his interview, he had to think about why the school appealed to him, what he wanted to study, and what he might do after graduation.

But the guidance counselor insisted that he had to be his best self.

Kai had many sides to his person, so he should showcase the side of himself that was professional, mature, and poised. He couldn't show up looking like he had just peeled off the couch. Kai just hoped that Maya had washed that sweater. He should wear what made him feel comfortable and confident. Smile, and remember the interviewer wanted the interview to go well too. As he was doing his research, he looked at the school website and was impressed.

Not only was this school based in sunny Califonia, but they also had some cool extracurricular activities.

Their extracurricular activities included student participation in clubs, student government groups, sports teams, and even through volunteer work at the school or in the local community. Just then he heard the front door opening and a quick sniff told him that his father and sister had returned. He heard Nya stomp down the hall and into the bathroom and a few minutes later the showering turned on. Kai listened to Ray's footsteps and groaned when he heard them stop at his bedroom door.

Ray lightly knocked on the door and didn't wait for Kai to answer before he walked in.

"Hey, Kai, do these lights need to be on?" He asked as he gestured to the light and the lamp, which were both on.

"Do you have to be in here?" Kai asked instead, sounding very annoyed and was stressed about his interview. There was a moment of silence and Kai thought that Ray might leave. Instead, he stepped further into the room and sat at the foot of Kai's bed.

"Look, don't you think you should be trying to prepare for your interview?" The noirette asked, but this just annoyed Kai even more.

"I go in there, I talk, it's over! What else is there?"

"For your information, there happens to be a lot of pressure in these situations and the body reacts in ways you might not have planned," Ray explained and Kai felt a knot growing in the pit of his stomach. "Suddenly everything you plan to say flies out of your head and nothing comes out of your mouth, your mouth gets dry, and of course, there's the trembling." He said and Kai had to remind himself to breathe.

"T-Trembling?"

"From head to toe, but they probably won't notice that because they'll be too busy focusing on your underarm sweat stains." Ray pointed out. "Then it's goodbye Preston University, hello a supermarket's cashier's training program, if they let you in, I hear it's pretty competitive." He smirked as he got up and left his son's room as the teen broke out in a cold sweat and his mind started racing in panic. As he closed the door behind him, Ray turned around and almost walked into Maya.

His wife was holding a large laundry basket under her arms and had been heading to Nya's room to collect any dirty laundry she had before the older woman washed them.

She had heard everything and to say she was displeased was an understatement.

"Ray, why are you putting so much pressure on him?" She hissed quietly so Kai wouldn't hear them.

"Because I want him to get into that school," Ray replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "If it were up to you he wouldn't go anywhere, what with you acting all upset that your little birdies are leaving the nest."

"Shut up, or I'm burning the nest down with you asleep in it," Maya warned as she headed into Nya's room to see if she had any dirty laundry. Ray just rolled his eyes and headed to their shared room to get ready for the evening...

When Maya returned home from some light grocery shopping she was surprised by what she saw. Both Kai and Nya were dressed as if they were getting ready to go and burgle Santa up at the North Pole. Kai had gone one step further and gotten his blankets and his bedding from his room and was curled up on the couch. He was wrapped up like a human burrito. Maya might have laughed if she didn't see who upset and miserable they both were.

Ray was nowhere to be seen and a quick sniff of the air told her that he wasn't in the apartment.

Maya didn't want to know where he was at the moment. She just hoped that he wasn't out looking through the neighbor's trash again. It was awkward whenever they stopped her in the hall, demanding answers. The last thing she wanted was to explain again that Ray had not gone insane, which she was starting to doubt, and that he was just concerned for the planet. That explanation didn't seem to please their neighbors, but Maya didn't care what they thought.

The only ones she care about were her family and her pack.

It was then that Maya realized how cold it was in the entire apartment and suddenly Kai and Nya's winter clothes made sense. But she couldn't understand why they just didn't turn up the thermostat.

"Hey, where are you two going?" She asked as she started putting the groceries away.

"Nowhere, we're just freezing," Nya growled as she shivered violently. "Captain Plant turned the thermostat down and put a lock on it."

"I can't take it anymore!" Kai suddenly shouted, his voice slightly muffled by the blankets he had wrapped himself up in. "I'm all for saving the planet but this is going too far!"

"Yeah well, at least you're not digging through the neighbors' garbage." Nya snapped at her shivering brother before her face suddenly froze with remembrance and she turned to the other two werewolves in the room. "Oh and by the way, I wouldn't talk to the Tong's or the Metzger's anymore, you don't wanna know what's in their trash." She shuddered again and this time it might not have been from the cold.

"I thought you two were all about saving the environment and now you're just abandoning it? This is just like that goldfish Nya won at the carnival." Maya huffed, but her children still looked miserable. "I know he's going a bit overboard but he's just trying to be a better person; yeah, sure, it's a pain in the ass right now, but these are fun, family memories that you'll laugh about with your kids one day." She insisted with a smile.

"I'm not gonna have any children if my dick falls off!" Kai snapped, his eyes flashing yellow for a split second. Maya was about to reprimand him for speaking to her like that and flashing his eyes at her when Ray suddenly walked into the apartment. Unlike the rest of his family, Ray didn't seem to be bothered by the cold. Instead, he had a very large, and possibly, creep grin and he was hiding something he hind his back.

"Hey honey, I got you a little present." He beamed at his wife and showed her what he was holding behind his back.

"A clothesline?" Maya asked in confusion but still kept smiling as to not upset the man she loved.

"Yeah, or as I like to call it, Nature's Solar-Powered Dryer." He replied before he kissed her on the cheek, said a quick, absent hello to the teens, and headed to their shared bedroom.

"Hey, it's the time Dad bought you a clothesline! It's one of those fun family memories we'll all laugh at in the future." Kai mocked light through chattering teeth and Nya laughed along with him.

"Shut up, or you're gonna become a family memory." Maya threatened before she chased after her husband. She entered the room and sighed when she saw that he had unplugged every device in the room and was now unscrewing all the lightbulbs from the bedside lamps. "Honey, I have to say that I think you're being a little hypocritical." She commented as peacefully as she could as she sat on the bed.

"How'd you figure?" He asked as he grabbed the chair from Maya's dressing table and stood on it so he could reach the ceiling lights to unscrew them as well.

"Well, you're hounding the kids about every dot of energy they use, you want me to use a clothesline, yet you're out there chugging away in that big, gas-guzzling SUV." She pointed out and Ray suddenly froze. He thought it over carefully and no matter how much he tried to deny it, she was right.

"You know something, I didn't think of it that way." He admitted and Maya sighed in relief, hoping that things would settle now...

That is until the next morning when she and her children all suddenly received a text from Ray, asking them all to come outside. Maya dreaded to think what he had done now so she texted him back, asking what it was. He messaged back saying it was a surprise and when she tried to call him it went to voicemail. With no choice and still in their pajamas, the three Smiths grabbed their coats put on their shoes and headed down to the street to see what he had done.

When they got downstairs, they all burst out laughing at what they saw.

Ray was sitting in the tiniest car any of them had ever seen. It was painted bright lime green and had a little air freshener that was printed as the planet. It only had two seats and it looked like Ray had to crouch just to sit in it.

"What the hell is that?" His wife asked in between bursts of laughter.

"You were right honey, my gas-guzzling SUV was polluting the planet so I went out and bought myself this Earth-friendly, smart car." He smiled with pride as he got out of the car.

"Any other clowns gonna pop out of the car or just you?" Nya asked with a smirk. Ray chose to ignore this in favor of his excitement over the new car.

"So who wants a ride? Come on Kai, I'll take you for a spin." He asked and made to pull his son into the car, but Kai stepped out of his reach.

"No! I have had it, Dad! You have gone environmentally ill and the new detergent you're making Mom use on our clothes is giving me a rash and my interview is tomorrow!" He shouted but Ray wasn't too fazed by this outburst.

"That's not the detergent, that's nerves; you're freaking out over this interview as you should be." He grinned and Kai looked ready to either scream in his face again or just hit him. Instead, the brunette stormed off back into the apartment before he did something stupid that he would regret. Ignoring this, Ray turned to his other child. "What about you Nya?"

"I'll pass." She replied and made to follow her brother's lead.

"B-But I thought you cared about this stuff as much as me?" He asked, shocked by his daughter's response.

"Well congratulations Dad, you turned me off from wanting to save the planet." She snapped and tried once again to leave.

"If we don't do something I'm telling you it's all gonna go away!" Ray shouted as he grabbed her arm to make her stay. "W-What about the Thunderdome? Do you want your fate in the hands of some angry midget?!"

"Well, maybe the midget wouldn't be so angry if you hadn't stolen his car!" She shouted before shoving the older werewolf away so he would let go and run back up to their apartment. Maya looked ready to kill Ray for the way he acted before she settled for giving him a dirty look as she chased after her children to make sure they were alright.

"Am I the only one who cares?!" He shouted after his family, but no one responded. All alone, Ray's shoulder's slumped as he sulked back into his new smart car and tried to figure out why he suddenly felt like crying...

After the incident with the smart car and his family, Ray refused to leave his and Maya's bedroom. He stayed quiet as a mouse and under the covers for a couple of days. Maya, Nya, and Kai had tried and failed multiple times to apologize and get him to come out, but the patriarch of the Smith household refused to budge. After the second day passed with no change, Maya had had enough and dragged her husband to the only person she thought could help.

Before Ray knew what was happening, he was dressed and saw in the study of Dr. Julien's house.

He wasn't a psychologist, but Maya felt he might be the only person to help Ray out of this depressed state he found himself in. It was either that or she called his mother. Under that threat, Ray agreed to talk to Dr. Julien, but he didn't like it. It was just Ray and Maya sitting with the werewolf doctor. Kai had his interview and Maya told Nya that the fewer people there the better. With that in mind, their daughter had gone out with Pixal to try and take her mind off all this drama for a little while.

"Well Ray, it sounds to me like you're a little depressed?" The old doctor said after he had heard all the facts from both of them.

"Of course I'm depressed; I mean, what am I gonna do? It's too late and there's nothing anyone can do, it's all going away." He growled again and Maya suddenly frowned as she realized something.

"You know Ray, you keep saying that it's all going away, maybe that means something?" She asked, but Ray was impatient as ever.

"Would you just let the doctor talk?" He snapped and turned to Dr. Julien expectedly.

"No, no, go on Maya." He said and they both looked at the female werewolf.

"Well, I mean he just keeps saying the planet is all going away and it just occurred to me that Kai and Nya are going away to college soon, and I think maybe there's some connection like maybe the planet represents the kids." She explained, but this just made her husband laugh loudly.

"Are you outta your mind?" He scoffed, but the other two adults weren't convinced by his response.

"Ray, it is possible that the anxiety you're feeling about your children leaving manifests itself in manic behavior."

"I've been doing everything I can to get Kai into that school!" He snapped angrily at the accusation that he would try and intentionally hurt his children and turned to Maya. "What're you breaking my chops for? I mean, you're the one who doesn't want him to go to California!" He accused and Maya held her hands up in defeat.

"Yes, I know how I feel, but the question is how do you feel?" She asked but when Ray refused to say anything she turned back to the doctor. "You know Robert, I read somewhere that parents will emotionally cripple their kids because they don't want them to leave and that's kinda like what you've been doing with Kai and his college interview." She said and tried to look Ray in the eyes, but he avoided her gaze.

"Can you please just zip it and let the doctor talk?" He snarled, but Maya didn't look angry at this. She looked sadder and more sympathetic towards the man she loved.

"Maya might be spot on there." Dr. Julien agreed and Ray finally looked up in shock. "Ray, maybe you have some feelings about Kai and Nya leaving?"

"Yeah, happy feelings! I can't wait for those two to get outta the house, I've been counting down the days until they're gone!"

"Yes, but you're frustrated about not being able to make the planet any better, and maybe it's because both of your children are going out into the world, maybe that is why you're sabotaging your son's interviews?" Dr. Julien suggested. "You know Ray, sometimes the things that we think we want the most we don't don't want at all." He added, thinking about Zane. He knew that Zane was a bright boy with a good sense of character and had a bright future.

But that still didn't stop his father from wanting to wrap him up in cotton wool, especially with everything that had happened lately.

Ray suddenly felt like he had been run over with his new smart car. He felt like he was floating, yet being buried at the same time. He has two children about to enter their college years and he honestly couldn't wait till they moved out. He had been counting down every day since Kai and Nya took their first few breaths. Ray did and always will love them. He liked being around them, most of the time. But he was thrilled at the thought of them finally moving out after high school. He had even told them himself of this expectation.

It wasn't to be mean.

Ray just wanted them to be prepared. He wanted them to learn the ins and outs of independence. They should be planning to save up money, how to manage finances, and how to shop and cook food. It wasn't about him. It was about them. Because he wanted them to experience the thrill of independence. The feeling that they controlled their own lives. So why didn't he want them to move out now? Maybe he didn't want them to experience independence.

Maybe he wanted them to be dependent on him and Maya like when they were little?

Or maybe he wanted them to be independent, but he doubted their ability to, and he didn't want them to fail? Ray honestly didn't know the reason and he didn't understand why he felt like this now. With a heavy sigh, he realized that he would have to change his countdown from days until they're outta here to days he had left to enjoy his kids.

"I don't want Kai to go." He finally admitted, surprising Maya a little bit as he never liked to admit his flaws. "I don't want him going all the way to California; I can't believe I'm saying this but don't want him or Nya going anywhere." He added as he buried his face in his hands, his eyes growing wet, yet no tears fell. "What the hell is wrong with me?" He asked no one in particular after he was sure he wouldn't start crying.

"Nothing is wrong with you, dear." Maya smiled warmly as she hugged him and kissed him and the cheek and forehead. The couple stayed like that for a minute or two before something silent passed between them and they part to turn back to their old friend.

"We have a little time left, is there anything else you wish to talk about?" Dr. Julien asked with a smile on his face, happy he had helped with Ray's problem. The male Smith paused for a moment as he thought about any other problems he might want to discuss. There was the fact his mother always favored his older, more successful, cousin, her twin sister's son. Or how his dad never told Ray he loved him. Or how Ray got no satisfaction for his career and sometimes he felt like there was an empty hole inside him that nothing can fill.

"No, I'm good, let's get the hell outta here." He said instead and he and Maya said their goodbyes and gave their thanks to the doctor before leaving the Julien household...

Kai was going to kill Ray when he saw the older werewolf. The teen had arrived at the interview and as soon as he stepped inside, all he could hear was his father's criticisms. Then everything Ray had said would happen had started happening. Kai couldn't remember what to say, his throat had become bone dry, and he could swear he was sweating like a pig. In the end, Kai had walked out halfway through the interview, as the lady was still asking him a question.

He had gotten so stressed and anxious that Kai was scared that he would wolf out in front of her.

So he left to avoid having to explain why a wolf was suddenly in the place of the teenager she was interviewing for a college. As he walked home, Kai concluded that this was Ray's fault and he was going to make sure he knew that. When Kai finally got home Nya and Maya were nowhere to be seen and at that moment he didn't care where they were. He was more focused on the man sitting in the kitchen, digging into a bacon and egg sandwich.

With an angry snarl, Kai slammed the door shut and threw his coat and bag at his father.

"Well, I just got back from my interview, and thanks to you-"

"Okay, okay, before you say another word I just want you to know that I changed my mind, I don't want you going to California." Ray suddenly said, catching Kai completely off-guard. The brunette was about to say something, but his father cut him off again. "I know that's not for me to decide but just hear me out; I don't think you're gonna like California, you know, out there you'd be considered morbidly obese."

"What are you talking about?" Kai asked, now extremely more confused than he was a second ago.

"I want you to focus on getting into that East Shores College you were looking at before, that's within driving distance." He explained with a smile. Yes, East Shores College was still over a four hours drive away, but at least it wasn't the other side of the country. "If you promise to get this Preston idea outta your head I'll take you and Cole to California this summer for Gay Pride." He offered as the prize and Kai thought about it. There were two ways for this to go.

He could tell Ray that he didn't horrible in the interview and he didn't have a shot in Hell's chance of getting into that school.

Or he could let Ray think it was all his idea to change Kai's school plan. If he did that it might help rebuild his father's confidence and allow them to get back to normal. That and if Ray was telling the truth there was a free trip to San Fransisco in it for him and Cole.

"Fine, I promise." He smiled and he and Ray shared a loving embrace, both of them thankful that this was all over...

NEXT CHAPTER: Skylor is about to go against tradition, but she can't help but worry that she will pay for it in the end...