Okay, so this is just the one-shot as promised. Takes place on the last night of the Loch Ness Monster story.

Don't forget to R&R!

I sit on the balcony of the Tortuga, watching the sun set on Loch Ness. Today was an amazing day. The Loch Ness Monster Act got passed and Nessie and Surgeon's species are now protected. Soon the sun sinks below the sky and the stars and moon begin to rise. A cool breeze blows, and I shiver. Probably not the best idea to be wearing a T-shirt and shorts. Luckily, I did wear shoes, or else the metal plating of the Tortuga would just be way too cold.

Then I think about how I nearly lost Chris, Martin and Candice earlier. We still don't know who sabotaged the amphisub and robot arm, but my guess is Maria Jones. She's the type of person who would do this. I don't know what I'd do without them. I'd still have Aviva, but how'd we all survive and stuff? Aviva's pregnant and I can't get a job for three more years. What would we do? Who would do the creature adventuring?

Life wouldn't be the same either. In the wild, I learned to survive. I could on my own. I can on my own. But I don't want to. I wonder if it's smart to break away completely. Then I wouldn't be as affected by a loss. And I might be tougher. But then I think about when I "died." They love me. They don't want to lose me. Wouldn't it be worse? Just get the silent treatment from your daughter? They wouldn't know what they did. In a way, that'd be worse. I hug my knees and rest my chin on them. I can't do that to them.

"Leilani?"

I spin around, jumping up, expecting the worst. But it's just Chris. I relax a little, and he walks over. "What are you doing up here?"

"Just watching the loch," I answer, looking at it. Nessie's probably swimming happily or resting in it. Surgeon might be hunting for fish or whatever. Or they could be playing in another part of the loch.

"You okay?" Chris asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lie, not breaking my gaze with the loch and shivering a little. "Just a little cold."

"Leilani, I know you better then this. Is it about today?" Chris turns me until I'm looking at him. I slowly nod, and he hugs me.

"Oh, you. Always worrying. I'm fine." We sit, and he wraps his jacket around me. "That better?"

I nod. "I know. But why? Why is it always us that something happens to? It seems wherever we go, something happens."

"What else has happened besides this?" he asks.

"Well, first Aviva and I were models for Donita. Second, we get captured by Zach and BAM, Alessandra aka Mother Nature appears and I go all Queen of the Wild. Third, I 'die.' And now this."

"I guess it's in the job description." Chris laughs lightly. "I'm not going to leave you on purpose. I can promise you that. Because Leilani, I love you."

"I know." I smile and lean my head on his shoulder. "It just scared me. I didn't know if Nessie was real, or even if she was, if she'd help me. And if she wasn't then you would've..."

I don't finish the sentence.

"But she was." Chris whispers. "You're a strong, smart girl. And you'll be able to do anything you want to. Just like the characters in your books."

"This is like the tenth time you've almost died!" I protest, standing up. "Why you? Why now?" And in a whisper, I add, "Why is it always me?"

But he hears it, and also stands up. "I guess it runs in our blood. The Kratts make trouble. You, I guess you have bad luck. But whatever happens, I'll always be there. Maybe not physically there, but always there."

"I know," I reply. "It's just hard to let go."

"Have you ever stopped running?"

The question surprises me, but I know what he means. Have you ever stopped running away? I mentioned to him once that if I run fast enough, I can escape the pain of Alessandra/Ian/Marcy's "death". But I don't know if I ever can. Because I feel it's my fault. I ran away. I ran into the woods, not town. I didn't strangle Zach when I had the chance. And I forgot to say sorry.

"No."

"Well, you should." He lifts my head up. "It's time to stop running. Running from your fears isn't going to solve them. Nor is constantly worrying about them. You need to face your fears and deal with them when the problem comes."

I sigh and sit down, and he does too. "Can I tell you a story?"

"Sure."

"Well, once, when we were teens, Martin was in an accident. His friends got kind of reckless. He stayed in the hospital for a few weeks. I was scared he was going to die. And when he got out, I was scared it'd happen again, but something worse would happen. So I started walking everywhere and avoiding him. Dodging questions by saying I had homework, hanging out with my friends more instead of him- little things like that. He didn't really get it, and we kind of separated a little bit. But then one day, a few months later, he was sick of it and asked me what was going on."

"And I told him the truth. That I was scared of him dying. And he said to me, 'Chris, even if that does happen, I'll still love you, and I'll always be there for you. Face your fears.' And so I did. We started hanging out more, and became best friends again. Because I realized we're the Kratt brothers and always will be. He'll be there for me just like I'll be there for you. And the night after Martin met Candice, I asked them that if anything happened to me or Aviva, they'd take care of you. They had already been planning it."

"So, what I'm trying to say- you're not alone. Just stop running. I bet you're tired of it." Chris scoots over and puts his arm around me. "I would be, too. You don't have to run anymore."

"I guess." I sigh and look out at the loch once more. I guess it's where I look for answers. "I don't really feel like a good daughter, though."

"And why is that?"

"When the fire happened, I ran away like a chicken. And in the wrong direction. And when Alessandra appeared as a ghost, I didn't give Zach what he deserved and strangled him. And I didn't say sorry when I was dead." I answer.

"Come on. Let's go for a walk. I want to show you something."

And so we do after I grab my jacket. We easily slip out- everyone's asleep. But we also have to be quiet: we can't wake anyone up, can we? Chris leads me to a calm spot where the moon shines through the trees. The moonlight is like hope: a new hope, even when the sun isn't shining. It's saying, Don't give up. Day will be here soon.

"So, why'd you bring me here?" I ask as an animal jumps into my lap. I'm sitting on a rock, and I laugh.

"Oh, hey, a pine marten." Chris smiles. "Martin loves those."

"I'm sure he does." I pet the little pine marten, and he curls up into a ball in my lap.

"And to answer your question- isn't it just peaceful out here?" He sits down next to me. "I love the outdoors."

"I do, too." I look around at all the trees and wonder how many animals are sleeping. "I guess you're right. I mean, I can't help what other people do."

"Right." He seems to get me. And I'm really glad. "So, Miss Leilani Corcovado-Kratt, Queen of the Wild, now it's my turn to ask a question: Where would you like to go tomorrow?"

I look up at the sky, then think about it. We could go anywhere. Madagascar has lemurs. The African savanna has cheetahs, lions, hyenas and so much more. Asia has panda bears! Australia has koalas, kookaburras, kangaroos... The rain forest is just full of life... and Antarctica has penguins. I don't know where I want to go. There's just so many beautiful places in the world.

"I don't know." I answer honestly. "There are so many amazing places to go."

"Well, you can think about it."

Before I know it, I've leaned my head on him, and my eyes are half closed. There are little night sounds- animals skittering around, sometimes a small breeze, and faint splashes from Loch Ness. I realize that Chris is more then just my adoptive dad. He's an amazing person who actually gets teenage girls (or, well, ME) and is a good person to trust. And he's as close to perfect as someone can get.

And then there's Aviva. Kind, sweet Aviva... smart Aviva... She's a great mom. And I hear her stress out sometimes about the new baby. Hopefully, the worries are just in her head, and hopefully, she knows this. There's no way she won't be a great mom. She's my adoptive mom, and I can honestly say she's an amazing person and the best mom a person can ask for.

My eyes become heavy as I think about the crew. They truly care about me. And I truly care about them. And I fall asleep.

Chris' POV

Leilani falls asleep next to me, peaceful and quiet. I shift her onto my lap and then slowly slide off the rock, walking back to the Tortuga. I knew she'd fall asleep out here. No one missed us, I hope.

I carry her bridal style back to the Tortuga. She really could be a model. She's really light, a little lighter then Aviva even. And then I wonder why she's always running. She has us now. Maybe she's too scared to accept it. She's a great girl. I don't think she sees her potential, though. I wish she'd worry less. But I also don't want to be too pushy.

I'll always have time for her, even with the new baby on the way. I don't want her left out. Aviva is an amazing mother to her, and she's an amazing daughter. I just hope to be an amazing father.

"Chris!"

I look off to the side, and see Aviva jogging over to me. I smile. "Hey, 'Viva."

"Where were you?" she whisper-scolds, then seems to notice Leilani. "Oh. What happened?"

"She's worried about losing us," I answer. "What are you doing out?"

"Oh, I noticed you were gone, so I left a note that I'd be looking for you," she explains.

"Ah. Okay, now let's get back."

The Tortuga isn't that far, and I slowly creep into Leilani's room with her. I set her on the bed and smile at her peaceful sleep. She is a really beautiful young girl. I smile, and Aviva leans on me.

"Any chance I can get carried to bed, too?"

I laugh and suddenly pick her up, and she squeals. I smile back. "Fine."

We take one more look at Leilani, both smiling.

"Sleep tight, Leilani."