An open suitcase lay on Katherine's bed. In it, were all the essentials -- Toothbrush, shirts, pants, paper & pencil for taking notes on experiments (Oh, come on. We're talking Katherine, not average American) and.. let's just say "other". At this point in time, had you of been looking too closely, you would have gotten your head stuck, because Katherine quickly shut the suitcase.

"Quit it, Blip! You can't go!" She argued.

"Why not?" Blip argued right back.

Katherine shook her head disapprovingly. "You really want to fool with Kayla? And Uncle Paul? He always sets the hounds on you!"

"No, but what on earth am I going to do here by myself?"

"You ... could..." Katherine could tell she was getting no where. "Charge your battery! Or I could leave you with Susan! No, never mind that, I don't think I'd trust Wolf to keep you dry. Just forget it, I can't let you go."

"Katherine.." Blip started, slowly, "You've never been able to handle Kayla alone, with or without Milo. Unless you plan to hide in the barn..."

"I could do that, couldn't I!?" Katherine realized, then shook herself.

The main argument in Blip's favor that neither of them wanted to mention was that one couldn't function without the other. Let's use an analogy here -- Can a television operate without electricity? Katherine and Blip are literally inseparable. Take one away, and the other functions with less quality. (Very much less quality in the case of the television and electricity.)

However, Blip knew when to quit. Pausing for a moment, then glided out of the room. He had just lost this battle.

"Stupid family reunion.." Katherine picked up her suitcase and left the room, too.

All of a sudden, there was a humming coming from the HoloDeck. Someone, in the heat of battle, forgot to turn it off. It lit up, then, one by one, everyone's favorite cast of trouble makers appeared -- Jenna, Karr, Kass, Lydia, Ben and Boggles.

Lydia took a quick look around. "Where's Katherine?"

Kass shrugged. "Beats me." She took a peek out the door, to find Katherine starting down the stairs. A quick motion with her hand was a signal for everyone else to quietly follow Katherine.

And follow they did, down the stairs, in the basement, out the back door to the yard. There, they watched quietly as Katherine loaded her suitcase into her parent's car.

"She's going to a family reunion." Blip explained, watching the norns watch Katherine.

"What's that?" Ben turned around and asked.

Blip paused for a moment. How do you explain to a creature who's literally a pack animal that humans don't live in packs, and every so often they feel the need to go off and see each other? Truth was, he didn't understand it totally himself. "Erm.." He began, "It's where humans go see the rest of their family."

"They don't all live together?" Lydia wondered aloud.

"No. And I don't know why." Blip quickly answered.

"Oh." Replied Jenna. "Well, then, what are we waiting for?" The band of creatures started to head out the door.

Blip flew in front of them. "Wait! Where are you going?" he demanded.

"To get in the car." Jenna truthfully answered. "We're as much of her family as.. uh.. anyone else in her family!"

"Look, I really don't think-"

Jenna cut Blip off. "If we just stay in this house like good little minions, there'll be no story. Whoopee, norns sit back and behave. We'll get less replies then we've BEEN getting! Besides, when was the last time we actually listened to Katherine? From Disney World to the Asylum to Albia itself -- we have a proud tradition of screwing up her life! Are you with me?!"

"No." Blip stated.

Karr took a hold of Blip's base, and put his hand over Blip's speaker. "Weasel. You're coming anyway." Blip made many muffled protests, but he was still dragged outside. They drug Blip all the way outside and, masterfully sneaking around Katherine's parents (which is hard for a group of seven), found the car's trunk open. One by one, they climbed in and closed it themselves. In the trunk you could hear a little bit of muffled conversation before Katherine's family drove off, norns, ettin, grendel, and Blip in tow.

-----

The sun was shining on the dirt road, shining with all its might. It did its very best to make the billows smooth and bright. Wait, wrong introduction. The sun WAS shining, and there WAS a little dirt road. This little dirt road lead up to a small farm, on a grassy hill. This was our hero's destination.

The car with everyone all stuffed in the trunk (Isn't that a felony or something?) drove up the road. It came to stop at the farm.

A car door opened, and Katherine's mom stepped out. "Katherine, I'm going to tell Aunt Tilly we're here."

Another car door opened, but this time, Katherine's dad got out. "Can you get your suitcase?"

Katherine got out of the family car, too. "Sure." She watched as her mom and dad walked toward the main barn house, and then walked to the trunk. She was stopped short by the sight of her cousin Kayla.

"Cousin Katherine!" Kayla cooed, stepping forward. She was obviously being sarcastic. "So nice to see you!"

"You? What a surprise." Katherine returned the sarcasm.

Kayla took a fake look around. "What? I don't see your *boyfriend* anywhere.."

"Hey!" Katherine squealed. "Cut that out! Blip didn't come, and he's jolly well not my boyfriend!"

"Uh huh. Suuuure." Kayla taunted.

By now, unless you're just a lot slower than I think, you've probobly figured out that Kayla and Katherine are best enemies. They've been like this ever since they both were little. They're total opposites - Kayla can spell, Katherine tinkers with science -, except they both look exactly the same. You would get them mixed up, but since they're poll opposites, they dress very differently too. (Example: Katherine actually wears sleeves.) There's also another little cousin I should tell you about, but I'll let him introduce himself.

"Kayla!" Milo snuck up behind Kayla. Milo was Kayla's little brother. He didn't look much like Katherine, but he did like scientific stuff. Katherine was a role model to him. "Don't bother Katherine like that. It's not nice."

Kayla glared at Milo. "Shut up, worm boy."

"Look," Katherine insisted. She walked past Kayla and to the trunk. "If you'll excuse me, I'll just be..." She opened it slightly to find seven eyes staring up at her. This startled her, and she shut the trunk quickly. "...Up at the main house. Meet me there, Kayla?"

"Sure." Kayla agreed, and started for the main barn house.

Milo walked to Katherine's side. "What's in there?"

Katherine opened the trunk again. Milo stared at the creatures, and they stared back at him. Finally, Blip broke the silence.

"They made me!" he whined.

"So what if we did?" Lydia snarled back.

Milo was visibly shocked. "Norns..." he whispered.

Katherine glared at the norns. Trying to sound non-aggervated, she stated: "Milo, meet Jenna, Karr, Kass, Lydia, Ben, and Boggles. Everyone, Milo."

"Hi, Milo!" The norns chirped.

Katherine turned to Blip. "I will have a VERY serious talk with you later. But until then.. I guess they're stuck here."