"Joey, you don’t mean that serious." Justin said from the back of the van.

JC looked out of the window "Joey, this place looks….well very simple."

"Don’t worry guys this hotel, is a cool place. I spent some of the best summers in my youth here. You want some regular, normal holiday? Then that’s the place." Joey smiled and got out of the van. He took a deep breath "I’m back."

The guys and their families climbed off the vans. The Fatone family made their way directly to the entrance and went inside followed by the others. Joseph Sr. walked towards a small woman and greeted her in the typical warm hearted Italian way and exchanged a couple of words with her, while Phyllis made her way to a woman sitting at one of the tables in the garden "Ingrid?" 

"Phyllis?? Oh my god?" The two women hugged each other and started babbling. "I hoped you would be here."

Phyllis smiled "How is the rest of the infamous Lerker bunch? I hope they are here too."

Ingrid looked at Phyllis "My parents died during the last years."

"Oh, I am so sorry Ingrid, are you all alone here this time?" Phyllis said worried.

"No, Elizabeth is here with me." Ingrid smiled at Phyllis, who quickly waved her family over. "Look who’s there," Joseph Sr. hugged the woman tightly and so did the rest of the family. Ingrid smiled at Joey, Steve and Janine "Believe me I wouldn’t have recognized any of you."

Everyone got settled with their rooms and climbed up the stairs. "Not even a lift." Justin groaned carrying one of Britney’s bags.

"Believe me buddy, you’ll love it here" Joey smiled, he was happy to be back and even more happy when he had heard from Ingrid that Elizabeth was there, with whom he and Steve had hung out every summer. "Wait until you guy meet Libby" Joey said as they finally reached their rooms "She is cool, a fun girl to hang out with and she knows this town like no other." He went into the room which he had to share with Lance, Steve and JC.

The hotel was too small to provide everyone with double or even single rooms. "A bunk bed?" JC said in disbelief.

"Like in old times" Steve smiled and put his bag on the lower bed, while Joey settled on the upper one. Lance walked out on the balcony and looked around. It was not exactly a nice view and the bed was far too soft, but Joey might be right, this holiday could be fun. A nice normal holiday was just what everyone needed. He walked back inside and decided to take a nap to recover from jetlag and so did the others.

Britney rubbed his shoulders "I am sure it won’t be that bad, maybe she just likes the song"

"Yeah right," Justin sighed and got up as it knocked on the door.

"Dinner time" Joey grinned. "We have a maniac teenie bopper next door," Justin growled.

"Ah come on, Juju, it won’t be that bad. Let’s go, the food here is excellent." Joey smiled and walked downstairs to the dining room where everybody was gathering.

"I can’t wait to see Elizabeth’s face, when she sees us, " Joseph Sr. smiled "And especially when she sees Joey and Steve." He chuckled as he went upstairs to the dining room with Ingrid and Phyllis, some of the other parents following.

"Where are you two sitting?" Phyllis asked.

"Right there" Ingrid pointed over to a table. "And over there is Elizabeth."

Phyllis smiled "I wouldn’t have recognized her, she’s become a real woman, I still see her, Joey and Steve goofing around on the beach, when they were kids." Phyllis shook her head softly and now all three are adults in their 20's."

Joey walked into the dining room and spotted her directly. Sure she had grown and become a beautiful young woman, but there was this smile he would pick out of a thousands. He watched her juggling with the dishes at the salad buffet, putting some cut carrots on her plate. He smirked and looked over to Steve, who did the same. "Still just carrots." Steve chuckled "And I bet she still gets pasta bianchi without sauce." Joey laughed softly. "Yes, and a big glass of Arangiata for dinner."

Elizabeth put her plate on the table when she suddenly heard a voice behind her "Libby!"

She hesitated, the only ones who had ever called her Libby were the Fatone clan, that couldn’t be, they could afford a far better place now. She turned around and looked in Joey’s grinning face "JOEY!!!" she almost jumped him and hugged him tightly. "I can’t believe it, that I get to see you again." She unwrapped from his arms and hugged Steve "STEVE, what on earth are you doing here?" She looked at both of them "And where is the rest of the gang?"

The other guys watched the scene from the background. "So this is the infamous Libby" JC grinned. They watched the small blonde girl babbling with Joey and his family.

Lance smiled and took a closer look at the girl. Joey had his arm around her smiling proudly. She was pretty but the thing that really caught his eyes first was her smile, it had something mysterious and her couldn’t help but stare at her. Chris nudged him "If you haven’t noticed it by now, they are coming over so I’d stop drooling, if I were you." Lance shook his head softly to get out of the trance like stadium he was in and saw them really coming over.

Joey still had his arm around Libby and smiled proudly when he arrived at the table. "Guys, this is Libby, Libby this are Justin, Britney, JC, Chris, Dani and Lance."

Libby smiled at them "Hey, great to meet you guys." Her look wandered to each of the guys when Joey introduced them, stopping looking into Lance’s eyes.

"Well, I better let you go to your carrots and pasta bianchi." Joey chuckled "But you won’t get away, without spending the evening true Riccione style."

Libby laughed "Of course not, you have to keep traditions. Well see you after dinner then" she smiled and walked over to her table.

"So Libby, you know the place here best," Chris spoke up. "What is there to do on the first night here?"

Libby smiled and leaned a bit back against Joey. "Well, usually on the first evening you go to the main street and walk around, have an ice cream and play a round of table soccer or air hockey at one of the arcades."

"Yep, that’s the tradition" Joey grinned. Libby got of Joey lap, " then let’s go."

The group walked off to the main street looking around at the shops, Joey and Libby walking hand in hand. Lance glanced over to them and frowned. He couldn’t help it, but he had fallen for this girl within seconds. They hadn’t talked much, but when Joey introduced her to everyone and their eyes met, it had struck him. He just didn’t know for sure what was between them. Had they had a holiday flirt when he was here the last time or are they just extremely close friends. He sighed and looked at the two who were goofing around in a souvenir store.

Joey had his arms wrapped around Libby’s waist his chin resting on her shoulder, looking at the postcards in front of them "Come on Libby, you won’t write them before the last day, you always do this." Joey chuckled.

"No, not this time. I am going to write them tomorrow." Libby replied, picking some of the postcards. She started walking to the cashier, with Joey’s arms still around her waist. Libby giggled softly remembering the holidays of the past when they always did that. She paid and then turned around to Joey. "Ok, Fatone, ready to get your butt kicked at a round of air hockey." She grinned.

Everyone walked to one of the many arcades situation in Riccione. Libby and Joey holding hands, walked to the cashier getting some coins. "Come on, guys" Steve said "You wanna see Joey gets his butt kicked big time, then just follow me." He laughed and walked with the others to the air hockey table where Joey and Libby already had settled down. Libby put the disc on the table "Prepare to die, Fatone" she laughed and started to battle with Joey.

Lance watched the blonde girl closely. He was almost jinxed by her, the way she laughed, the way she moved, everything about her caught his eye. Apart from a few words they had exchanged on the way here they hadn’t talked at all, but he felt extremely attracted to her in a way which was completely new to him. A loud cheer woke him up from his dream.

The guys and girls cheered as Libby raised her hands in the air. "And another win for the queen of air hockey." Steve said holding one of her hands up. The guys applauded and Libby bowed laughing.

She walked over to Joey. "I told you, I still have it." She poked him in the stomach and walked over to one of the driving simulators, patting the one beside her "Steve, come on. I haven’t kicked your butt yet." She laughed.

Joey chuckled as he watched his brother walking over, starting a one on one race with her. "Just like in old times, she hasn’t changed a bit." The guys mingled in the crowd, settling down on some of the computer games, while Lance walked over to one of the pinball machines, keeping an eye on Libby.

"No way he didn’t do that," Libby laughed, her head lying on Joey’s stomach. "Way." Joey chuckled and popped some gummy bears in his mouth. "I told ya." Libby grinned "I would have died of laughter". "But you weren’t serious about the story with Hendrik." Joey laughed. "I swear, he ran after me crying the whole vacation and Carlotta had to help me out," Libby said. "That was one of the holidays where I missed my big brothers." She popped some candy in her mouth. They had the TV on MTV and "I drive myself crazy" came up. "Believe me, I peed my pants when I saw that video." Libby laughed. Joey chuckled "I can imagine".

The next morning Lance woke up looking at Joey’s bed, which was empty and didn’t look like anyone had slept in it and he was right, shortly after Joey walked inside. Lance heard Steve growling from his bed "Don’t tell me you were talking all night bro". Joey shook his head "Nah, we fell asleep, in the middle of our talk." JC rolled out of the bed and walked to the bathroom "Yeah right Joey, you two talked, uh huh." He closed the door behind him.

The guys had all settled around the small tables in the garden having breakfast. "Buon giorno" the guys turned their heads and saw Libby coming up, greeting some of the other guests. "Morning guys" she smiled and went over to Steve and Joey kissing both heads. "Come on, sit down, your mom is already sitting together with the oldies" JC laughed. Libby plopped in the chair between Joey and Lance pouring herself some coffee. "Our parents arranged something that your sun tent is right beside ours" Steve said "just like in old times." Libby smiled "I still can’t believe that I really to get to spent my holiday again with you guys." Joey wrapped his arms around her and cuddled her. "Believe babe, because this holiday will be just like old times." He gave her a huge kiss on the cheek, which caused Libby to giggle. "You still slobber when you kiss"

The whole bunch went to the beach together. Lance walked in the back together with JC and watched Libby and Joey walking together arm in arm, occasionally glancing up at each other smiling. Lance sighed softly. "You like her don’t you?" JC’s voice dragged him out of his thoughts "huh?" – "Libby, you like her, it crushed didn’t it?" JC nudged him. Lance sighed again "yeah, I think it did, but look at this. No chance, Joey and she were an item and they will be again. They just share too much."- "Don’t say that man, from what I have heard they have something like a bro/sis thing going on." JC tried to cheer him up. "Bro/sis who kiss, huh?" Lance raised an eyebrow.

Around noon the bunch made their way back to the hotel. "I am starving" Joey growled. "As usual." Libby grinned. "That is not true." Joey complained "Oh yes it is" Libby giggled patting his stomach. "I remember you were really skinny when I last saw you and now…." She blew up her cheeks and made a face. The others couldn’t help but crack up which caused in Joey chasing Libby around. She tried to hide behind Lance, whining playfully "Please protect me." Lance chuckled and joined the fun, which ended in him and Joey wrestling on the street. A car honking to tell them to clear the street separated them. Both guys got up, brushing the dust from their clothes and waited for the car to past. Libby and Lance stood beside each other. She smiled up at him. Lance grinned and winked at her. Joey and Steve watched the scene from the other side of the road and looked at each other, both saying "Now it clicked."

During lunch everyone munched their pasta, Lance and Libby occasionally exchanging glances and smiles. Lance sipped his water, they had made a start, he thought smiling, looking over at Libby again. Now that he knew that they were really just good friends he had to find a way to talk with her alone, maybe go on a date, something like this, but how? Well it’s just the second day, there will be a chance somehow.

After lunch the group made their way back to the beach, spending a lazy afternoon there. Occasionally they went for a swim in the sea but most of the time they were just laying there telling funny stories and jokes. Libby sat between Joey’s legs her back resting against his chest, his arms wrapped around her waist. Lance looked at them starting to think again that it might be hopeless to try anything. They two looked so close. He took a closer look at them and saw them laughing together her hands resting on his and occasionally Joey kissing her cheek. Lance sighed softly, he had to try, he had to, he would regret it if that holiday passed by and he hadn’t even tried it.