McKenna POV.
I sighed as the heat and humidity of Brisbane Airport surrounded me, along with however many humans. I hated airports. However, I forced myself to smile happily at the passport-lady-person.
“Welcome to Brisbane, may I take your passport?” She beamed happily. I handed her my passport and returned the smile. “Coming back after a holiday, Ms Jenson?” I shook my head.
“No, I moved out to California permanently. I’ve just come back to visit family with my fiancée.” I replied, wrapping and arm around Syn’s waist as he stepped up next to me, grinning. If possible, the passport woman’s smile grew.
“How sweet! How long have you been engaged?”
“Just a couple of weeks. Part of this holiday is to break the news to my family in person.”
“So definitely here for pleasure then?” I nodded.
“Absolutely.” She grinned again and stamped my passport before handing it back. I stood to one side, waiting for Syn and the others to make their way through the customs desk. We’d decided – well, when I say we, I mean, I – to come through Brisbane and travel north up to Cairns as Blake had contacts in Cairns airport that would alert him as soon as they realised that I was back in the country. This way we’d manage to stay fairly anonymous. Well, as anonymous as a fucking rock band could be. It took longer than we expected to get through customs, as Jimmy decided that he was going to chat up the customs official. He began to protest as Matt and Zacky herded him away, but soon shut up when I reminded him about Leana – his girlfriend as of three weeks ago yesterday. While Matt went to get the rental SUV, I got elected for the Starbucks trip. I felt sorry for the poor trainee that got stuck serving me. She stared at me in disbelief after I’d reeled off my order.
“C…could you repeat that please?” She stuttered clearly daunted by the list of coffee. I smiled.
“Would it be easier if I wrote it down for you?” She sighed, clearly relieved and handed me a pen and a pad of paper. I quickly scrawled down the huge list of coffee and food that the guys wanted and handed it back to her, so she could ring it up.
“That’ll be…uh…$47.65.” I snorted as she stared at the price in disbelief.
“I suppose that’s the cost of travelling with five coffee deprived men.” She laughed as I handed her the money. “Keep the change sweetie, you deserve it after an order like that!” She smiled gratefully as I moved over to the collection area and waited. One by one, the coffees and food were called up. I stared at the cardboard cups and paper bags, trying to figure out how the hell I was going to carry it all.
“Err, do you have a carrier?” I asked, looking desperately at the guy. He grinned and handed me two carriers. Carefully I loaded them up with coffee and shoved the food, none too ceremoniously into my bag. They could like it or lump it. I was not juggling over six cups of coffee and their food. I smiled appreciatively at the guy who held the door open for me and set about navigating my way across the airport to where I’d left the guys.

~*~

Syn POV.
“ARGH! SPIDER!”
“Squish it!”
“ARGH! IT’S GETTING CLOSER!”
“It’s just a fucking spider Jimmy, squish the goddamn thing!”
“Have you seen the fucking size of it?! I’m not going near it!”
“Holy, motherfucking hell, that’s huge.”
“Squish the damn thing already!”
“But what if it’s poisonous? Or pregnant? Or a mutant spider? Have you not seen horror films?! Never squish the scary insect thing! It always comes back to kill you!” I closed my eyes and sighed. When all this was over, I was never, ever bringing Jimmy back to Australia. For the past hour and a half, he had been freaking out over the native wildlife and it was driving me insane. Mac had taken the second rental vehicle; a beat up pick-up truck, and disappeared off, leaving us here, on the edge of the outback to set up camp. A stupid idea really, considering Jimmy’s arachnophobia. And our general lack of camping skills. I growled and ignored him as I continued to put one of the tents up.
“ARGH!” Thankfully, this time it was Johnny who was screaming. “SCORPION!” OK. Johnny was never coming back to Australia either.
“WARRRRGGGGGGHHHH!!!! ANOTHER ONE!” Yelled Jimmy, leaping up off the rock where he’d been putting together tent poles.
“Sweet Jesus, that fucker is huge!” Exclaimed Zacky, poking it with a stick.
“DON’T FREAKING POKE IT!” I rubbed my forehead as Jimmy’s yelling got steadily louder and more hysterical. I am going to die if I end up in the same tent as him.
“SHIT! THE SCORPION IS FUCKING FOLLOWING ME!” Or Johnny for that matter.
“For fuck’s sake, you’re all a bunch of fucking pussies.” Grumbled Mac as she jumped out of the pick-up. Everyone jumped and looked at her. Evidently none of us had heard her pull up over the noise of Jimmy and Johnny. She was stood with a duffel bag slung over one shoulder, the other hand on her hip. Shit, she looked fucking hot. I smiled as I took in her outback clothing; khaki shorts, brown singlet, an open khaki shirt and the thick, sturdy walking boots that she had made us all wear. She looked like she was Steve Irwin. A very hot, feminine Steve Irwin. She dumped the duffel at her feet, it clunked loudly as it hit the ground. Interesting. She stepped round the bag and walked over to Jimmy and Zacky. After stopping to look at the spider briefly she picked it up and gave Jimmy a withering look as he squealed.
“How the fuck can you just do that?”
“Are you seriously trying to tell me that you’re scared of a freaking wolf spider?” I snorted at how incredulous she looked.
“But…but…”
“They’re not even fucking poisonous! The worst damage this little guy could do to you is make you jump when he crawls up on the rock next to you.” She sighed and shook her head, setting the spider back down on the rock. “They crawl up on the rocks to get warm in the sun. They’ll run away from you, given the chance. Fucking wimp.” She muttered, heading over to where Johnny had been running away from the scorpion. “And you,” She gave him a look. “are no better! The reason this guy is following you is that you stuck the freaking tent pole down his burrow and are currently stood on what is probably the other entrance to it.” Johnny yelped and jumped a foot upwards and backwards simultaneously. Everyone around him laughed. He glared at them and watched the scorpion disappear down the small hole that he’d been stood on. “Next time, don’t stick the tent poles down existing holes, you’re more than likely to upset the natives.” Sighed Mac, walking back over to the pick-up. Matt was stood, nudging the bag with his foot, making it clunk with every movement. He looked up curiously at Mac as she approached.
“What’s in the duffel?” She smirked and grabbed it.
“You’ll find out tomorrow.” She replied, swinging it back over her shoulder and turning to face me. Her face dropped. “Please tell me that that is not my tent.” I swung round to find that the tent I’d been assembling had collapsed on one side.
“Bugger!” I cursed, frowning at it. Next to me, Mac sighed.
“This is going to be one long holiday.”