"Oh man, it's so hot," Jay complained as he and the others waddled back to shore. It was high noon now, and the water had receded into low tide.

"Sorry, man, it's just me," Kai replied, ever so confident.

Nya shook her head at his poor attempt at humor. "What'll we do about lunch?"

"I recall Lyn saying that the kitchen is fully stocked," said Zane. "Perhaps we can see what we can cook with what's available." Everyone agreed to the idea and grabbed their towels from the beach chairs to dry themselves off. As they reached the porch, the kitchen door opened to reveal Cole.

"Right on time. I was just about to get you guys. Lunch is ready."

"Please tell me you didn't cook it," Kai groaned.

"Well, you'll be surprised at my work now," Cole said proudly. He then realized they were all wet.

"Hey Lyn?"

"Yeah?" Lyn appeared from behind the door. A white apron was draped around her and her hands wore mittens.

"Maybe we should move the food to the dining table outside."

After moving the plates, tableware, food and drinks to the outdoor dining table, everyone's stomachs were rumbling.

"Thank you for the food!" Everyone stated. There was baked chicken, sweet corn, steamed fish, rice, and fruit juice.

"This is so good!" Jay complemented. "Not like Zane's cooking, but it's definitely got it's own flare."

"Lyn, are you sure Cole helped you out?" Kai joked. "This level of cooking is too high for his skills."

"Hey! I heard that!"

Lyn chuckled. "Yes, Kai. Cole helped cook each of these dishes. Though I had to keep a close eye on him to make sure he followed my instructions to the letter. I kinda shouted at him once or twice."

"Thrice," the ghost corrected. Everyone then began laughing. Lyn's eyes then shifted to Lloyd, who seemed to have hardly touched his food. If anything, he was playing with it, moving them around his plate with his fork. The Green Ninja felt eyes on him and looked up just in time to see Lyn look away. Up to this point he was still guilt stricken. He wanted to apologize, but he wanted to do it in private.

"Hey, you're not eating, Lloyd," he heard Nya say.

"Oh sorry, just spaced out." He then began stuffing food in his mouth like nothing happened. The others then began feel the tension rise across the table as everyone ate silently after that. No one decided to bring up what happened earlier.

"That was some good food," Cole said after his fourth serving, followed by a huge burp.

"Okay, whose turn is it to wash the dishes?" Lyn asked rubbing her hands.

"I'll do it," Nya volunteered and began to pick up the tableware.

"Me too," Jay chimed in, looking eager to spend time with his girlfriend, even if it's just dishwashing.

"Then I'll guess I'll take a shower then," Kai said and headed inside. Cole said that he was going to watch TV and Zane decided to join him. Everyone began to disperse to their own thing, except Lloyd and Lyn. Neither of them moved a muscle. After a good one minute, Lloyd opened his mouth.

"Lyn?"

The brunette shifted her gaze from the door to her friend. "Hmm?"

"Can we talk?" The Green Ninja began fidgeting with his fingers. He was so sure she was mad at him.

"Sure." The girl coolly replied. She was trying to act as if nothing happened earlier, but she was just as nervous as he was.

"Look I-" Loud blaring music came screaming from the living room.

"Turn that down!" Nya yelled.

"I'm trying!"

"Hold that thought." Lyn lifted her finger and zipped inside to find Cole pressing random buttons from three different remotes.

"Why are there so many remotes?" The ninja of earth pressed another button only to change the to the next song. Lyn grabbed one remote from him and toned down the volume. She put her hands on her hips and gave him a glare. Cole pretended to shrink in fear.

"Not gonna yell at me again, are ya?" The brunette shook her head in amusement. She taught him which remote controls which, orienting him with the various buttons that came with each remote. After a while, the ghost for the hang of it.

"So this is for the TV, this one for the speakers," Cole clarified, pointing to the black remotes, one glossy and the other not so glossy. Lyn nodded. He then held up the silver one. "And this is the karaoke remote?"

"Did someone say 'karaoke'?" Jay wiped his hands with a towel and approached the living room with Nya behind him. Kai was also coming down from the stairs, his hair still in perfect, spiky condition.

"We're singing?" the Red Ninja asked casually.

"You guys sing?" Lyn asked with enthusiasm. She didn't expect these guys to be musically inclined.

"We tried. Kind of." Jay told her. "Some time ago we had to enter the Ninjago Talent Show to get this fang blade for a trophy. Cole's dad coached us, actually."

"Interesting," the brunette replied and went closer to the TV console, opened a drawer and pulled out two wireless microphones. She fished out some batteries as well and inserted them in each mic. She handed them to Jay, who took them gleefully. She opened another drawer and pulled out a big black book and handed it to Cole. "Here's the song book. Knock yourselves out." Cole gave her a big nod and began flipping through the pages. The girl then went back outdoors. Lloyd has disappeared. She looked for him in the backyard. Not there. The beach. Empty. She checked the whole perimeter. Nothing. Empty-handed, she returned to the house where Cole was singing his heart out:

Someday out of the blue

In a crowded street, or a deserted square

I turn and I see you, as our love were new

Someday we can start again someday soon…

Nya, who was leaning on one of the consoles, caught sight of Lyn looking pretty down. The former samurai approached the girl. "Hey, you okay?"

Lyn sighed. "I can't seem to find Lloyd anywhere. He was about to talk to me but I had to help with the karaoke machine. And when I got back he disappeared."

"I think he went to the boys' room to take a shower. You still upset about earlier?" Lyn's cheeks were tinted red as confirmation.

"Hey," Nya put her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Lloyd's not mad at you. If anything, he's drowning in guilt for what he did. Just give him time. You'll both work it out."

"Whooo! See that score? 90!" Cole celebrated. "That's how its done!"

"Says the guy who dropped out of Marty Oppenheimer School of Performing Arts after like, two days." Jay mocked. Cole stared him down.

Kai cleared his throat as he gripped his microphone. "Step aside and let a real performer take the stage."

Lyn giggled once more at their antics. Perhaps hanging out with them will get her mind off other things. Her confrontation will have to wait. She plopped herself on the couch and listened to the merry tune that started to play.

You can dance

Every dance with the guy

Who gave you the eye

Let him hold you tight

You can smile

Every smile for the man

Who held your hand

'Neath the pale moonlight

But don't forget who's taking you home

And in whose arms you're gonna be

So darlin'

Save the last dance for me

Lyn swayed herself to the beat and melody of the tune. Kai was actually not bad, hitting each note with clarity. Jay too swayed his head in enjoyment. The Blue Ninja began to dance around, gracefully waving his hands to ultimately stop in front of Nya. He held out his hand, a sheepish grin on his face. Nya chuckled lightly and took his hand. Both goofily waltzed the floor while Kai serenaded with his voice.

"May I have this dance?" Lyn turned her head and saw the master of earth holding his hand out to her. She took it without hesitation and Cole twirled her around.

"Come on, Zane! Join us!" Lyn swayed toward the quiet nindroid and grabbed his titanium hand. Zane stood up and moved along with them. Every now and then, they would switch partners: Lyn would dance with Jay, Nya with Zane, and so on. Even Cole danced with Nya. Kai would also use his free hand to dance with his sister. When the song ended, every one eagerly waited for the score.

"95? Are you kidding me?!" Cole raised his arms in defeat. Lyn patted his otherwise translucent shoulder.

"Hey, guys. What I miss?" Lloyd descended from the stairs, his hair slightly messy with drops of water trickling at his face.

"Oh, just some karaoke and dancing," Jay replied.

"Okay. Whose turn is it?" Kai raised the mic to the group. He pointed it toward their host. Lyn took the hint and shook her hands.

"I think I'll pass."

"Come on," they coaxed. "You already didn't swim with us, at least sing with us." The girl pursed her lips. They're right about that though. She looked at Lloyd, who was avoiding eye contact. He was sitting farthest from her. She looked back at Kai and took the mic. Flipping through the song book, she chose her song and began to sing.

There it is, gotta hold tight

Can't stop thinking bout' the moment tonight

Think fast, it ain't gonna last

Gotta make it count and gotta do it right

Wanna, stand ground, make a better sound

Knock em' down, following the feeling I might

Just go strong cause the pressure's on

All eyes are on me I better carry the light

Wait just a minute

I fail this now I'll never live it down

Can it wait just a little

The clock keeps ticking and the time is now

Just wait for a minute

My heart quit beating and I'm not ready yet

I know I'm not gonna win it

A thought that I put in my head

I can't lie, I'm nervous

She then realized: did she choose this song because that's precisely what she was feeling? She caught a glimpse of the Green Ninja, who was also watching her in return. Her eyes grew wide and went back to the screen. Meanwhile, Lloyd's stomach was churning, and heart was still heavy. And this song wasn't helping. He decided to go to the kitchen for a drink. Kai followed him.

"What's taking you so long?" Kai whispered as Lloyd searched the fridge. "You guys should've made up by now."

"I'm trying, Kai," Lloyd told him. "But every time I try to talk to her, she's doing something else. It's not like I can just drag her away from the others."

"Leave the others to me. And if you want to make a proper apology, you better have lots of time so that she doesn't get distracted."

"When would that be?"

"My guess, after dinner. Everyone will be tired or too busy preparing for bed, you can 'sweep her away' then." Lloyd looked at his brother, a mixture of annoyance and worry. "Besides, we're on vacation! Lighten up. What happened between you two isn't the end of the world." Lloyd nodded and pulled a can of soda from the fridge. Not exactly that comforting for advice, but advice is advice anyway.

The afternoon went on with more songs, and everyone eventually got a turn to sing. Lloyd wasn't so fortunate, for his voice became hoarse from drinking cold soda. In the end, he couldn't speak as much, making his plan a little more complicated than it already was. By 5 o'clock, Zane began cooking dinner and Kai helped set the table. As usual , his culinary prowess never failed to disappoint. After the meal, everyone decided to hit the hay and wearily went upstairs. All except Lloyd and Lyn. Lyn pretended to fix the couches when she heard Lloyd call her name.

"Lyn?" The blonde started once more. His voice was cracked and raspy, but he didn't care. He wanted this off his chest now. "Can we-"

"Yeah," she replied immediately. "Though, can we talk outside? I don't think I want the others hearing. No offense to them." He nodded and followed her to the backyard. Lyn opened the gate to let the open air breeze through, and both of them sat down on the empty beach chairs. The night was beautiful and serene. The sky was clear, and the moonlight shone against the sand. But for the two, silence enveloped them, the sounds of rustling leaves and beating waves louder than anything else. Finally, someone opened his mouth.

"I'm sorry," Lloyd choked.

"It's okay," Lyn replied. "I'm sorry too. I should've told you sooner I didn't want to swim. "

"But, you can swim?"

"In a pool, yes. At the beach, heck no."

"I see," A long silence commenced before Lloyd spoke again. "What happened?"

The girl but her lip. "It's a stupid reason, really."

"I kinda doubt that," Lloyd replied, looking at the stars above before looking at her. "I don't think it beats the fear of ginger bread men."

"What?"

"Don't ask."

Lyn took a deep breathe. She trusted this guy before, so there's no need to turn back now. "I'm afraid of what's under the water. Every time I feel something brush against me, I flip out and come running back to shore. It just, scares me somehow."

"Huh."

"I told you. Stupid, right?" The blonde shook his head.

"No not at all. You know, Kai hates the water too. Or being near any body of water really."

"Really? But he was clearly fine earlier."

"He overcame it eventually. Probably when he had to save me from drowning. But that's a story for another time. My point is, everyone has their fears. I was also told that Cole used to be scared of dragons before having one as a pet."

"No way."

"Yeah. So it's fine Lyn. You don't have to hide it. And if you want to face it, I've got your back. Always will."

Lyn blushed at the last part. She was thankful the dim porch lights weren't enough to completely illuminate her face. "Thanks Lloyd." The tension between them had finally disappeared. Both began to relax themselves more and listened to the soothing music of the sea. Neither obviously wanted to go back inside, so Lyn struck a conversation. "So, what are you afraid of?"

The Green Ninja paused. "Losing those closest to me. I lost my dad so many times, and each time, it really hurt."

The girl held her mouth. She obviously hit a vein. "I'm so sorry Lloyd. I didn't mean to." But he just kept going.

"I lost him to the darkness, then I thought him dead when Pythor threw him off a cliff. I even had to send him to the cursed realm myself, only to see him again one last time before we had to destroy the cursed realm for good."

"But?" She could sense an element of hope in this story.

"But, I am at peace. I got to say goodbye, and he has given me so much right after he became cleansed of evil. If anything, it taught me to cherish each and every moment with your loved ones, because you never know what tomorrow may bring." Then there was silence, followed by a muffled sob. Lloyd peered closer and noticed Lyn wiping her eyes.

"Hey, you ok?"

"I'm really am jealous of you Lloyd Garmadon."

"Why would you be jealous of me?"

"You're strong. You don't back down from everything that life throws at you. I can't even handle my own life. I wish I had your courage."

"Lyn…"

"And you have such wonderful friends. You're so close you're family. My closest relatives moved away a long time ago, and up until now I never had any real friends. And when I have problems, I just whine like a baby." At this point Lloyd got up from his seat and moved closer to Lyn. He kneeled in front of her and put his hand on her shoulder. Lyn froze when she saw him so close. Inside, she was telling her heart to slow down.

"But it doesn't have to be like that anymore." Lloyd said. The his golden hair lightly danced to the air, and his green eyes glowed with sincerity. The brunette smiled.

"Not anymore. Thanks to you." Suddenly, a twinkle in the night sky caught their attention: a shooting star.

"Quick! Make a wish!" Lyn shook Lloyd's shoulder and closed her eyes. Lloyd chuckled and did the same. When they opened their eyes, Lyn asked, " So what did you wish for?"

Lloyd eyed the sky and grinned. "More great memories with my family and friends. You can never have too many. How about you?"

Instead, Lyn stood up and strode back to the house. "It's a secret."

"Hey that's not fair! I told you my wish!"

"You could've said no." She reached for the door knob and noticed Lloyd still on his spot in the sand. "Aren't you coming?"

"You go on ahead. I think I'll stay out here a little longer." Lloyd then sat on his beach chair and leaned back to stargaze.

"Ok, then. Good night."

A few seconds after Lyn had gone, Lloyd sat up , his eyes still locked to the ethereal view above. 'What did you wish for?' Lyn's question rang in his mind. He sighed, feeling a bit guilty he lied.

'To always be by your side.'

When that shooting star passed by, that was the first thing that popped in his mind. And he actually meant it. Lyn was kind, cheerful, generous, down-to-earth, and full of surprises. She was one of a kind, and he knew there was no other person who would come close to who she was. Lloyd calmed his beating heart as he thought of her. Was this it? Is this what it meant to like someone?

'She's just a friend.' Lloyd thought to himself. 'A very special friend.' Suddenly, Lyn's face flashed on his mind. Her smile, her laugh, her eyes, her hair. His stomach knotted as he shook his head to rid himself of the mental image. He had never felt like this before, let alone towards a girl. Truly he was happy to have met her, and seeing her hurt or sad made him feel responsible for her welfare. Sure, as a ninja, he was always happy to serve the people; but for Lyn, he realized he was willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to keep her safe and happy.

He then put his hands on his head. 'Oh who am I kidding? She's not just a friend anymore. Not a girlfriend, but not just a friend. What?' His thoughts swirled around in his brain. Questions like, 'What now?' and 'What if,' haunted him. He pondered on this until tiredness overtook him. He shuffled towards his room. Most of his brothers had gone to sleep, but not Kai. He was still up on his bunk, the light from his phone illuminating his face.

"So?" Kai whispered while Lloyd climbed on his bed.

"So what?" Lloyd replied, pulling the sheets over his shoulder.

"Did you make up yet?"

"Yup."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Anything else happened?"

"Nothing you need to know about."

"Oh come on!"

"Shhhhhh!" Jay's voice croaked. "Sleep now, talk tomorrow."

Lloyd turned to the other side and dozed off. Kai put away his phone and rested his head on his pillow. He actually saw the two conversing at the beach, and judging by their body language, something must have happened between the two. He really wanted Lloyd to recognize his feelings toward this girl. He closed his eyes and drifted off. What he didn't know was, his little brother was already ahead of him.

This is it pancit! After 13 chapters, Lloyd's finally being honest with himself! Geez Lloyd why you so slow? Btw here are the names of the songs that were sung:

Cole - Someday Out of the Blue by Elton John, though I thought of Jonathan Young's cover when he sang

Kai - Save the Last Dance for Me by Michael Buble. Okay, Vincent Tong can sing and he sings good!

Lyn - Nervous by Michelle Creber and BlackGryph0n

Thank you to ninjachief547, Guest EnergyBlast, Jaguarcoco, Guest MMM, and The Mayor of Ninjago City for your reviews!

Now into the bad news: My classes are starting this June 13 so I will have to enter into hiatus... Again... I don't know how long but it may last all year due to me undertaking my thesis. I may pop up to update or post one shots but no promises. So bear with me guys. Till next chapter ~ SnowflakeShard