Ally looks back at the girls through her rear view mirror, keeping an eye on the way Camila and Piper are interacting.
"How long until we get there?" Lauren whined from her seat. She shifted uncomfortably. She was tired but couldn't sleep and the seat wasn't comfortable. She was missing Lillie too, they'd decided to drop Lillie at one of the best kennels in the city, but Lauren was worried about her.
"A few hours." Ally says softly.
"Hours?" Lauren sighed heavily.
Ally nods her head and turns to the left.
Lauren slumped down in the seat, leaning her head against the window.
A soft cry from Emily's carseat fills the car, signalling that the tiny baby was awake.
"Mila, make her be quiet." Dinah said, turning in her seat to look at Camila.
Sighing, Camila pulls awake from Piper and puts a pacifier in Emily's mouth.
The little girl sucks on the pacifier for a few seconds before beginning to cry once again.
Piper groaned and shifted in her seat.
"Shut her up," Normani snaps out, she was grumpy.
Emily began shifting in her carrier and released an even louder cry, she was hungry.
Lauren sat forward in her seat and looked over Camila's shoulder. "She's hungry, Cami."
Sighing, Camila leans forward and gently unstraps Emily before taking her out of the carrier.
Lauren leaned back in her seat and stared blankly out of the window. She didn't like being stuck in the car. It made her anxious.
"Out!" Oliver yells from his carseat.
"No, Oliver. You have to stay in your car seat." Camila said.
Shaking his head, Oliver begins trying to get out.
Camila couldn't do anything as she held Emily who was roughly sucking on her nipple while nursing.
"Oliver. Stop now." Camila said. "You're a big boy now. Big boys don't throw tantrums."
The little boy burst into sobs. "Nana!" he yelled, waking Octavia who's bottom lip pouted out, signaling she was about to cry.
"Oliver if you don't stop now, Nana will turn this car around and we will all go home." Camila said. "Look, now you've woken your sister."
Oliver immediately stops, crossing his arms and continuing to softly cry.
Octavia was fussing and doing the pincer motion toward Camila, she was still extremely clingy, especially when woke up.
Camila reaches over and brushed her fingers through Octavia's soft hair. "Shh, go back to sleep."
Relaxing slightly, the little girl's eyes flutter close and she goes back to sucking on her pacifier.
Camila looked down at Emily in her arms.
The tiny baby shifts in her arms and releases a soft cry.
"Shh." Camila cooed softly. She reached into her bag and pulled out her pacifier. She slipped it into the little girl's mouth.
Slowly, Emily relaxes and her eyes flutter closed.
Camila put the little girl back in her car seat.
Now Oliver was the only one awake and he wasn't happy.
Camila sighed and rested her forehead on Piper's shoulders. The blonde girl had drifted off to sleep and drool was running down her cheek. .
"We'll be there soon girls." Ally tells them all softly.
"I can't wait." Normani declared.
Camila was struggling to keep her eyes open.
"This is going to be the best vacation ever, even if dad isn't involved." Dinah said with a nod.
"Why isn't dad coming?" Lauren asked.
Ally sighs softly. "Laur, your father and I figured it would be best if he didn't come on this one."
Lauren frowned. "He's family. It's not a family vacation without him." She responded. "Lillie is family too and we left her behind."
"Lauser, stop." Dinah says softly.
"Why should I?" Lauren looked at Dinah. "Dad is family. Mom acts like he doesn't exist anymore."
"Because he abused her!" Dinah snaps out angrily. "He broke your arm, for god sake! Don't you remember?!"
Lauren flinched she turned her head towards the window and squeezed her eyes closed as if she thought Dinah might hit her.
"Dinah!" Ally snapped. "That's enough. Lauren didn't need to know that."
"Yes she did, she keeps sticking up for that coward!" Dinah snaps out, waking Emily and Octavia who both begin crying loudly.
"Dinah!" Camila snapped. "Stop yelling. Mom, can we pull into a motel. I think we all need some rest and time apart."
"Dinah! I said stop." Ally said, gripping the steering wheel tightly. "I didn't want Lauren to know. You shouldn't even know."
Camila shifts in her seat. "Mom," she calls out again.
Ally took a long breath. "I think you are right Camila. We all need a break. We'll pull off into the next rest stop."
Octavia was shifting in her carseat, crying softly while Emily was releasing loud cries.
The loud crying was upsetting Lauren.
****
"Get some sleep." Camila says softly, kissing Piper on the forehead.
Piper nodded. "You need to sleep too." she said.
"I will once I get them down." The older girl says softly.
"Okay." Piper yawned.
Pulling away, Camila puts Octavia and Oliver in their playpen before picking Emily up from her's, the little girl was starting to fuss. The little girl kicked her feet and whined.
"What's wrong princess?" Camila asks softly, gently rocking the little girl.
Emily's bottom lip pouts out before a soft cry escapes her lips and she turns her head toward Camila's chest.
"She's hungry." Piper said from the bed.
Moving over to the bed, Camila sits down and leans against the headboard, pulling her shirt down slightly so the baby can latch on.
Emily immediately latches on and relaxes, her eyes fluttering closed.
Piper moved over to Camila and kissed Camila's cheek. "You're an amazing mother." She whispered.
"Am I?" Camila asks softly, she was insecure.
Piper nodded. "You are."
"Sometimes I don't think I am." The older girl whispers, looking down at Emily.
"Well, you are." Piper said.
Emily shifts in Camila's arms and releases a soft whine.
Camila looked down at the little girl in her arms. "I'm here, pumpkin."
The little girl's tired eyes stare up at her, Emily may be almost three months, but she was clingy just like Octavia.
"Sleepy time." Camila said softly, she yawned.
Slowly the little girl closes her eyes and falls asleep.
Once she was sure the little girl was asleep, Camila laid her in her portable bassinet.
"Come back?" Piper asks tiredly, she was half awake.
Camila moved over to the bed and flopped down on it beside Piper. She yawned.
The younger girl immediately curls into Camila's side.
Piper smiled. "Better." She rested her head on Camila's chest.
Smiling softly, Camila wraps her arms around Piper and slowly falls asleep.
Piper drifted off to sleep.
Three in the morning
Both girls wake up to the sound of Emily and Octavia crying.
Piper let out a tired groan and rolled over.
Camila sighs softly and sits up, rubbing her eyes.
Piper sat up slowly.
"Can can you get O while I get Emily?" Camila asks tiredly.
Piper yawned and rubbed her eyes. She nodded even though she had no idea what she was doing.
Getting up, Camila lifts Emily out of her bassinet and grabs a diaper and wipes.
Piper got up and slowly moved over to Octavia. She lifted the little girl up.
The little girl immediately curls into her and releases a soft cry, her skin was warm to the touch.
"Octavia is sick." Piper said quietly.
Camila frowns as she looks toward Piper, shifting a fussy Emily into her arms after changing her diaper.
"We are probably just going to go home, aren't we?" Piper asked. She'd been looking forward to going to Disney World.
"No, she just needs some fever medicine." the older girl says softly.
Piper nodded slowly. "Okay."
Emily continues to softly fuss in Camila's arms and beginning to kick her feet.
Camila rocked the little girl until she settled down. "The medicine is in the bag."
Nodding Piper moves to get the medicine and the syringe.
Octavia cried into Piper's chest.
Finally managing to put a now sleeping Emily in her bassinet, Camila moves to help Piper.
Piper yawned.
Getting the medicine ready for Octavia, Camila kisses Piper's cheek.
Piper bounced the little girl in her arms and rubbed her back softly.
"O, mommy needs you to take this medicine to feel better." Camila says softly.
Octavia turned her head to look at her mother. She coughed.
"Take the medicine baby," Camila says, placing the syringe against her lips.
Octavia took the medicine.
After a few minutes she relaxes against Piper and begins to fall asleep.
Piper looked down at the little girl. "How did she get sick?"
"I think she's just teething." Camila responds softly.
"Oh." Piper frowned in thought. "Shouldn't she have all her teeth, she's almost two, isn't she?"
"Sometimes they still teeth." Camila responds softly.
Piper seemed confused. She shrugged. It was too late at night for her to try to work that out.
"Let's try and get some sleep." Camila says softly, taking Octavia and laying her down.
Piper nodded, she yawned.
****
"Who's ready to visit the parks?" Ally asks excitedly.
"Me." Dinah and Normani said excitedly.
Octavia was curled up in Camila's arms, she still wasn't feeling well.
"Mama, I might have to stay back." the brown eyed teen says softly.
Ally sighed. "What's wrong?"
Shifting her daughter, Camila looks down. "O is sick and will be fussy all day."
"This is family time, Camila." Ally said. "You can't leave."
"I'd not rather embarrass everyone, so I think I'll stay at the hotel." Camila says in response.
"You aren't going anywhere." Ally said.
Rolling her eyes, Camila looks at Ally. "First off, O is sick and Emily is to young to ride on the rides, the parks are only a few miles away from the hotel and I can always take a tram."
"I'd rather you were here and safe... safer because the last time you were alone, you ended up raped and pregnant... twice." Ally responded. "I'd rather that didn't happen again."
Tensing, Camila looks at her mother with pain filled eyes. "Then I'd rather go home if I'm such a burden."
"You are staying here." Ally said.
Lauren sighed and began to walk away. She didn't like the fighting and there was loads of people around. She was beginning to get anxious. No one noticed she'd left.
"No." Camila snaps out, growing frustrated.
"Don't yell at me young lady." Ally said.
Ignoring her, Camila turns to leave.
Ally sighed heavily, she ran her fingers through her hair.
The seventeen year old makes her way back into the hotel with Octavia and Emily.
Ally shook her head.
"S-should I stay with her?" Piper asks softly, looking down.
Ally looked up at Piper. "I'll go. Dinah, Normani. You're in charge."
Dinah groans and looks toward Normani. "You're in charge."
"We are both in charge, idiot." Normani said.
"I'm not an idiot, I just want to have fun." Dinah responds, rolling her eyes.
"Well, we can have fun, watching our siblings. It can't be that hard." Normani responded. "As long as Lauren doesn't freak out."
Piper shifts nervously. "I-I can stay with Mila."
"No. It's fine. I'll go." Ally said. "Stay together." And with that, their mother walked off in the same direction as Camila.
****
Camila was already curled up in bed with a sleeping Octavia while Emily was in her bassinet. Oliver was still with Dinah and Normani.
"Camila." Ally knocked on her daughter's door.
"Come in." Camila mumbles, not looking toward the door.
Ally opened the door. "Camila, I'm sorry for what I said. I'm just frustrated. I worked so hard to get us all here and you act like you don't even care."
"I do care mama, but I have to worry more about my kids." Camila says softly, pulling Octavia closer. "O woke up sick last night and is still burning up."
"You shouldn't have to worry about those things. You're still a kid." Ally said, sitting on the edge of the bed.
Emily begins to softly cry in her bassinet.
Ally got up to get the little girl.
"I know I'm still a kid, but I have to take care of them." Camila says softly.
"You don't have to. That's what I'm here for. You should be enjoying school and life and being young." Ally said. "Which is why you should be out there with your sisters."
Shaking her head, Camila pulls Octavia closer. "It's hard."
"Hard?" Ally asked.
"Being around them, sometimes Dinah makes jokes that aren't meant to hurt but do and Mani judges me." Camila whispers softly.
"Tell them, they are your family. They will understand." Ally said softly.
Shaking her head, Camila fights back tears. "I can't."
"Why can't you?" Ally asked, confused.
"They hate me." Camila mumbles.
"They don't hate you." Ally said. "They love you."
Swallowing thickly, Camila finally let's her tears fall. "They hate me."
"They don't hate you. What makes you say that?" Ally said.
"Because they never talk to me unless Mani is mad at me." the seventeen year old responds softly.
"That's not true." Ally said softly. "They love you."
Camila doesn't respond as tears roll down her cheeks.
"Camila, listen to me. They love you." Ally said. "Tomorrow, I'll take the kids and you go to the parks with your sisters and Piper." Her phone began ringing. .
Nodding her head, Camila takes a deep breath. "Okay."
"Good." Ally's phone continued to ring.
"You should answer that." Camila says softly.
Ally pulled her phone from her bag. "Normani?" She said in confusion. She answered the call. "Hello?"
"Lauren is missing!" Normani said in a rush. "We can't find her anywhere, we've looked all over."
"What do you mean Lauren's missing?" Ally asks worriedly.
"I turned around to ask her what ride she'd like to go on next and she was gone." Normani said, she sounded really panicked.
Ally swallows thickly and looks up at Camila.
"Tell them to check the stitch ride, she's been talking about it forever." Camila says softly.
"Okay. Okay." Normani said before talking to Dinah and Piper. "We're going to check, I'll call back with any information."
"They do at least still have Oli right?" Camila asks, suddenly worried.
"Oliver is still with you?" Ally asked into the phone.
"Yeah. He's asleep in his stroller." Normani said.
Camila releases a breath of relief and relaxes against the bed.
"Okay. Go find Lauren." Ally instructed.
"On it." Normani says before hanging up.
Ally sighed and put her phone down.
Octavia shifts beside Camila and begins to softly whine, she really wasn't feeling well.
Camila ran her fingers through Octavia's hair.
The little girl shifts tiredly and releases a soft yawn.
"Sleep, pumpkin." Camila said softly.
Octavia curls into Camila tiredly and slowly relaxes.
Camila rubbed Octavia's back softly.
It didn't take long before the two year old was sound asleep.
Camila relaxed against the headboard of the bed and released a heavy sigh.
"Why don't you get some sleep, I'll wake you up when they find Lauren." Ally says softly.
Camila nodded. She curled up around her daughter and drifted off to sleep.