Camp Cretaceous: Survival Chapter 14: Iceberg, a jurassic park fanfic

CHAPTER 14: Iceberg.

A/N:

Hey everyone, bet you were surprised to get this notification. I can't believe I finally finished this chapter…as you know, it's been over a year now. There really in no excuse for leaving ya'll hanging for so long, so I won't even try. I'll just say life, writers block, kids, and the fact that I don't want to just write to get it done, if I'm gonna write, I wanna be able to focus on the emotions and get it right.

I'm still not convinced I was actually successful in that aspect, but I'll let you be the judge. This is an emotion heavy chapter and sooooo many important things happen. In fact, part of why it took so long was because at over 26k words it's the longest chapter I've ever written…..honestly, I probably should have broke it into 2 chapters instead of this one behemoth. Anyway, I still don't plan on stopping this story until completion, so if you've stuck with me this long, I hope you'll stick with me till the end.

Enjoy.

"Okay Brooke, this is probably gonna hurt. It's been in there long enough that it's kinda stuck, I'm gonna have to twist it loose." Sammy explained as she put gentle pressure on to the tube protruding from Brooklynn's chest.

Her blue/green eyes flashed up to meet Darius's, who squeezed her hand reassuringly and nodded

"I'm ready Sammy, do it."

The Texan nodded as the pinkett squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip. In one smooth motion, Sammy twisted and pulled the plastic body of the pen, tearing it away from the flesh, leaving small bits stuck to it's surface.

Brooklynn sucked in a breath and tensed, but otherwise made no reaction.

"Okay, it's out." Sammy announced, dropping the bloodied tube on the table next to her. "There's a bit of tearing, but actually, that should help the wound close faster. But I'm still gonna disinfect it and throw a couple stitches in to be sure."

The girl's eyes shot open at the mention of disinfection….she knew what that meant.

"Don't we ever run out of that stuff?" She thought as Sammy soaked a cotton ball in iodine.

"Don't worry superstar, you've got this." Yasmina encouraged from the side of the bed opposite to Darius.

Subconsciously, the athlete rubbed the thick red scar encircling her wrist, she knew the burn of iodine all too well.

A month had now passed since the fall of Jurassic World, at least that was the consensus among the group. In reality, after the first couple of weeks, the days had started to run together, time was becoming more of a concept than anything else and quite frankly, it didn't really matter. Survival took precedence over all else.

In that time, the campers lives had stabilized into a sort of a routine.

Much to Brooklynn's, as well as Yaz and Kenji's relief, Darius and Sammy no longer ventured into the jungle, opting instead to burn the hotel's furniture for firewood. After a group discussion, they had decided that the risk of toxic fumes was less than the continued risk of going into the jungle. Especially since Sammy only cooked outside, and even then, mostly only used the coals.

Yasmina's wrist had finally closed enough for Sammy to remove her stitches, and though it was looking a lot better, it still wasn't completely healed and couldn't take much abuse. Her dizzy spells and headaches had finally passed though, and even her ankle was mostly healed…mostly.

Kenji too, was on the mend. Finally, Sammy had allowed his bandages to come off. To his surprise, the scaring on his face was minimal.

His shins were another story.

Kenji's lower legs would forever bear witness to the selflessness he displayed in helping his friends that night.

"Alright, here it comes." Sammy warned as she pressed the iodine soaked cotton ball to the freshly bleeding wound, immediately following it up with a couple of fishing line stitches.

Another sucked in breath and a rather hard squeeze to Darius's hand and it was all over.

Yaz nodded in approval at the younger girl's lack of reaction to the pain, while Darius quietly reassured her the worst was over.

In all honesty, Brooklynn appreciated both forms of support. She'd made a conscious effort to regain some of the independence that she'd felt she lost, but at the same time, it was nice know she didn't always have to be tough or strong, Darius would always be there if and when she needed him.

Wincing slightly, she sat up and let out a deep breath. With one arm holding the towel Sammy had given her tightly to her chest, she reached for her bra with the other.

Kenji had annoyingly placed the tube almost exactly where the bottom of her bra rode so Sammy had suggested that she cover herself with a towel rather than having to contend with it.

In fact, the irritation it caused had resulted in her seldom even wearing it during the past three weeks, choosing instead, a baggy hooded sweat shirt from the suitcase Sammy had brought her.

Everyone turned their backs to give Brooklynn some privacy, which she quickly used to tape some gauze over the fresh stitches and pull on her bra and hoodie. As the others turned back towards her, she briefly considered how not long ago, she would have been extremely uncomfortable being half undressed in their presence….anyone's presence, for that matter, even if their backs were turned.

"Well, that's out of the way. What's next?" She asked, standing up and shifting around uncomfortably as her bra rubbed against the gauze.

"Same thing as every other day." Kenji sighed. "Scavenge rooms, bust up furniture, come up with new and exciting ways to annoy Yaz……I'M SOOOOOO BORED!"

"You could always go take a walk in the park." Yaz smirked, nodding towards main street.

"Psht, you first." He retorted, stepping out on the balcony to watch a large dinosaur as it moved along the edge of the lagoon.

"Hey Darius, is that one of the glow stick dinos that attacked our canoes?" He asked over his shoulder.

The rest of the group joined him on the balcony.

"One of Wu's bioluminescent Parasaurolophus!" Darius exclaimed.

The animal lazily made it's way to the waters edge and leaned down to drink.

"It's beautiful." Brooklynn admired, leaning against the rail, her shoulder lightly brushing against Darius's.

Without warning, the surface of the lagoon exploded as the Mosasaur burst forward, clamping its jaws around the neck and head of the unfortunate herbivore and pulling it into the water. A second later, the glowing colors disappeared into the depths, leaving all five campers in shocked silence , as the surface of the lagoon settled back into its prior calm.

"Was" Yaz corrected in her signature deadpan. "It was beautiful."

"What's the matter Ice queen, bring back memories?" Kenji taunted with a quick elbow to her side, making a clear reference to the athlete's near miss with the Mosasaur.

Yasmina glared, her fingers slipping into the pocket of her shorts and closing around a lighter she'd scavenged.

"Maybe…….but how about THIS!" She shouted, shoving the lighter in his face and flicking it to life.

Kenji's eyes went wide as he recoiled from the tiny flame, giving Yasmina exactly the reaction she was hoping for.

"Aww I thought it was Frankenstein that was afraid of fire, not the Mummy." She taunted, making reference to his previously bandaged face.

Kenji's eyes narrowed, dipping down to his luke warm coffee before locking with her own.

She caught his train of thought immediately.

"Don't you even think abo…"

"FIRE BAD!" He yelled in his best Frankenstein imitation as he doused the lighter, and Yasmina, with the cup.

The campers went silent.

The athlete's hands slowly rose to her dripping face, wiping coffee and wet hair from her eyes. Her jaw was clenched, her expression something between amusement and fury.

"You have….until the count of…."

Kenji dropped his cup and scrambled backwards over the couch, diving for the suite door before she could even finish, the sound of his running footfalls disappearing into the distance.

Yaz tilted her head to the side, popping her neck.

"That's long enough." She muttered before vaulting over the couch with the grace and power of a leopard and disappearing through the door in pursuit.

"YOU'RE DEAD KON….KEEP RUNNING, YOU'RE JUST GONNA DIE TIRED!" She shouted down the hall.

Darius, Sammy, and Brooklynn stared silently at the door.

"I got a pack of Starbursts that says he comes back with at least one broken bone." Darius said simply, glancing over his shoulder to Brooklynn.

"You're on." She grinned. "I'm thinking more dislocation, if anything."

Sammy sighed and dropped her head.

"At least I already have the first aid kit out."

"Definitely not his smartest move." The pinkett added.

Sammy again shook her head.

"Every time I start to think he's learned not to poke the bear, he goes and pokes the bear." She sighed with a not so hidden smile. "He just can't help himself when it comes to her. Its like he has this incessant need to irritate her, even though he knows its gonna end up painful for him. I'm really beginning to wonder if those two were separated at birth."

"Yeah the definitely have the whole sibling rivalry thing going on." Brooklynn agreed. "But at the same time, honestly, I think that's just how they show each other they care. I mean, neither of them are great about expressing their feelings."

"No, no they're not." Sammy agreed. "But hey, it seems to work for them so if they need to torment each other to show they care then who are we to stand in the way."

There was a sudden large thump and muffled yelling…or maybe screaming….from the floor beneath them.

"On the other hand" Sammy sighed, "I am starting to get low on medical supplies."

The comment drew a laugh from Brooklynn.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Between Yaz and I, I'm surprised you have anything left." She chuckled.

"Wasn't your fault Brooke, you got nothing to be sorry for." Darius reminded her.

"It wasn't yours either." She countered quickly, immediately recognizing where his mind was going. "Besides, I was just making a joke."

"I know, I just…ugh!...sorry." He sighed.

"Darius" Brooklynn chided, grabbing his shoulders and turning him so she could look him in the eyes. "We've been over this….more than once….besides, I'm fine now, I promise, just…let it go, it's over, everyone is fine."

"I know, I know, it's just…I know it's stupid….just, when I think about it….."

"Then stop thinking about it dino nerd!" She interrupted. "It's in the past, dwelling on the past won't help us now, so focus on the future."

"I'll try." He sighed.

As the pair embraced, Sammy couldn't help but grin.

As far as she was aware, the two hadn't discussed their feelings with each other as of yet, but she knew Brooklynn intended to…..eventually.

Two days prior, the pinkett had sought Sammy out, only to find her busy preparing dinner. It may not exactly have been the best time, but the look she wore told the cowgirl it was something important. After some initial back pedaling from Brooklynn, and some gentle encouragement from Sammy, the girl had finally confided in her, revealing just how much of her mental energy was going into obsessing over where Darius's heart actually was.

That day her fixation had taken a dangerous turn.

Brooklynn had developed a habit of going to the roof for some alone time. Of course Darius was totally unaware of this, as he would have been horrified to know she was going alone.

That particular day, she realized just how well founded his concerns actually were.

While learning against the railing on the edge of the roof, staring out over the jungle, she was so engrossed in her own thoughts that she failed to notice a stray Pterosaur diving on her until it was almost to late.

The sound of wind against leathery wings broke her concentration and drew her eyes upward, all she saw were claws.

On instinct, she dropped and rolled to the side, a move her still healing ribs certainly didn't appreciate, but one that saved her life none the less. Milliseconds later, those claws hit the roof exactly were she'd been standing.

Brooklynn had hoped that after the missed grab, the Pterosaur would simply fly off, or maybe circle around for another pass, giving her time to escape.

No such luck.

She hadn't even had time to get to her feet before the flying reptile spun around to face her, lunging forward with its beak in an attempt to spear her.

Again She dove to the side, but this time she came up running.

Pterosaurs aren't the most agile when they're on the ground, a fact that Brooklynn had taken full advantage of. Without looking back, she made a mad dash for the rooftop door, slamming it behind her. A heavy thud and angry trill from the other side was her reward.

She recounted to Sammy how she'd leaned back against that door and had her own personal breakdown. Sobbing not because she'd almost been eaten….again…but because her carelessness had almost gotten her killed before she had the chance to tell Darius how she felt. On top of that, she knew full well what her death would do to him.

She couldn't help but envision Darius searching for her, slowly becoming more and more panicked, only to find whatever remains were left of her on the roof….she dared not dwell on what he might do next.

That thought thoroughly scared her. It was at that point she decided she had to tell him how she felt, even if he didn't feel the same, it was still better than leaving things unsaid……just in case.

Sammy was elated and after a moment of excited squealing, did her best to ensure her that Darius felt the same.

It clearly didn't help. The more they talked about it, the more Brooklynn looked like she was going to vomit.

Sammy knew the feeling.

It was the same feeling she had when she thought about having the same talk with Kenji. Except that Kenji seemed more open to the idea than Darius, but there was no need to tell Brooklynn that. Surely if she confessed to Darius how she felt, he'd be compelled to reveal his feelings for her as well….not even Darius could mess this up…..right?

Just then, the door swung open and Kenji stumbled through, Yasmina right behind him , wearing a smug, victorious expression.

"Hey guys, Kenji here has an announcement he'd like to make…..don't you Kenji." She gloated.

Kenji turned around slowly and crossed his arms, his expression completely unamused.

"Do it." Yasmina commanded.

Kenji deflated and rolled his eyes.

"All hail…."

"Nuh uh" Yaz interrupted, shaking her head and pointing to the ground.

He shot her a glare but forced a grin through gritted teeth.

"Of course, your highness." He seethed, lowering himself to kneel in front of the athlete. "All hail Yaz, Queen of Isla Nublar, long live the queen……there, are we done?"

"Ah hem" Yaz replied, sticking her foot out in front of the VIP.

"No way, not happening."

"Do I need to show you how the arm bar works again?"

His eyes narrowed, but he bent down and kissed her feet.

Brooklynn nudged Darius's shoulder and placed her hand out expectantly. With a disappointed sigh, he retrieved the pack of Starbursts from his pocket and dropped it in her hand.

"Thank you" she giggled.

"Should have guessed she'd opt for humiliation." Darius mumbled.

"Hey, I didn't know you knew wrestling moves, ok?" Kenji complained, standing up. "Feels like you broke my neck."

Darius's eyes widened and he spun around to grin at Brooklynn.

"Nope, doesn't count." She teased, popping a strawberry Starburst in her mouth.

"I'm pretty sure your neck is fine Kenji." Sammy said while inspecting his range of motion. "Its only your dignity that's broken."

Again Darius turned to face Brooklynn.

"Dignity isn't a bone, dino nerd. But don't worry, I'm willing to share." She smiled, bumping his shoulder playfully with her own as she dropped a Starburst into his hand.

He smiled back at her as he looked down at the candy.

"Wait….You gave me a yellow one……nobody likes the yellow ones." He complained.

"Really? Here, have a different one." She snickered, dropping another candy into his palm.

"Hey! This is another yellow one!" He protested.

"Hmm, weird." She answered with a failed attempt at keeping a straight face as she popped a pink Starburst into her mouth.

Darius gave her his best deadpan stare as her resolve crumbled into guilty snickering.

Meanwhile, in a secluded cove on Isla Nublar's east coast, a man looked out over the jungle from the conning tower of a cold war era submarine.

A second man appeared in the hatchway and joined the first, leaning against the railing next to him.

"It appears your suspicions have been confirmed, Captain." Donovan said quietly.

"How many?" He answered quietly, without taking his eyes off the jungle.

"Dimitri has picked up approximately five heat signatures stationed at the hotel on multiple occasions. It must be a rival team. Fortunately, they don't appear to have left the hotel, they could still be establishing a stable basecamp." Donovan explained.

The Captain lowered his binoculars.

"Then we hit them while they're still vulnerable, send a message to whoever is funding them. Perhaps they will cut their losses and abandon this endeavor." He reasoned. "Ready the Kalibrs, we wait till they sleep, then strike, like burning a hornet's nest in the night, they'll never see it coming."

Ben scanned the canopy, watching for any sign of movement, Bumpy shifting nervously beneath him.

"I know girl, give him a minute, I don't know about you, but I'd rather know the coast is clear than walk into another ambush." He whispered.

Bumpy moaned quietly.

After a few agonizing minutes, Archie appeared in the foliage, gliding down from the treetops to land atop the Ankylosaur's head.

Bumpy let out a low rumble of annoyance at having her head constantly used as a perch, while the little dino bird tilted his head at Ben expectantly.

"Good boy Archie." He said, tossing him a piece of jerky, which Archie caught in mid air, quickly fluttering to Bumpy's shell to enjoy the meal.

"Okay girl, coast is clear." Ben said, patting Bumpy's asymmetrical horns reassuringly while simultaneously urging her forward.

Ben, Archie, and Bumpy, were becoming an excellent team as time progressed, so excellent in fact, that they hadn't had to deal with a carnivore in over a week. The combination of Bumpy's instincts, Ben's ability to read the jungle, and Archie's aerial recon, was proving to be a highly effective early warning system.

But today, they were especially on guard.

Today's patrol had brought them closer to the new Baryonyx territory than they really wanted to be. However, with the banana grove destroyed, locating new food sources had become a top priority.

Today, Ben had tuned in to the calls of primates in the distance. He didn't like the direction, but the possibility that their chattering and squabbling meant food, maybe even another banana grove, was too tempting to resist.

So here they were, cautiously moving through the jungle towards the sounds of bickering monkeys, constantly on the lookout for signs of the Baryonyx trio, anything that might indicate they had crossed into their territory.

So far, so good.

Perhaps even better than the lack of Baryonyx sign, was the increase in bird activity, a sure indication there was a food source nearby.

Encouraged, the team slowly weaved their way trough the undergrowth, closing on the sounds they'd been tracking.

Still, as near a Ben could figure, they were less than a mile…maybe less than half a mile, from where they'd been ambushed. This was a heavy risk, and he just hoped it would be worth it.

As they proceeded, the jungle thinned a bit. Monkeys were now occasionally visible in the canopy, along with multiple species of birds. Ben could almost feel the change in nature's energy. It felt…..lighter? Happier maybe? Even Archie seemed to feel it as he bounced back and fourth on Bumpy's shell, chattering with excitement.

Ben studied the little creature for a moment.

"Alright Archie, go, find the food, show us where it's at." He commanded.

Archie wasted no time, he never did if food was involved, in taking to the air and disappearing into the jungle, squawking excitedly as he went.

"Maybe that was a bad idea." Ben said, rubbing Bumpy's head. "If there is food out there, he'll eat it all long before he comes back for us."

Almost as if to prove Ben wrong, Archie appeared in the canopy a few moments later, squawking at the pair and then flying back the way he'd come.

"Guess he found something girl, let's go." He said, leaning slightly to urge the dinosaur forward.

Only another seventy-five yards ahead, the reason for the gathering of animals and birds became apparent. Several trees, bearing clusters of green and yellow fruit stood scattered throughout the area. Five trees in all by Ben's count.

"Papaya!" He exclaimed, dismounting and hurrying to the nearest tree.

Without really any hesitation, he wrapped himself around the trunk and began his somewhat awkward shimmy upwards. The trees weren't excessively tall, so he managed the climb rather quickly. In fact, he was even a bit proud of himself as he locked his legs around the tree, freeing his hands to harvest some of the fruit.

In the past month, Ben's body had changed immensely. He was still skinny of course, but his high protein diet mixed with the rigors of everyday survival, was causing him to pack on dense, lean, muscle. Especially in his arms, chest, and back, where he was gaining a level of definition that he'd never expected to obtain.

Similarly, his stamina and strength had increased exponentially. He found he could run further, jump higher, and climb faster than ever before. Ben's body was adapting to this life in ways he'd never have believed were possible.

It was almost as if he were meant for this place.

Laden with fruit, he descended back to the jungle floor, immediately sharing the spoils of their adventure with his teammates.

With stomachs full of natural sugary goodness, their moods and energy levels were boosted significantly, almost to the point of lightheartedness. But despite their victory, and enjoyment there of, this was no time to get sloppy.

They were still in, or at least near, enemy territory.

Gradually, the excitement was replaced by caution, the memory of what could be nearby providing the necessary dose of reality. Quietly, Ben harvested and packed as much fruit as he could manage, hoping to slice and dry the extra in the sun as a means of preservation.

This grove was a gold mine, no doubt about that, but it was still a place he'd rather visit only when necessary.

Soon after, the group began their trek back to the visitors center. Though their spirits remained high from their victory, they moved quickly and quietly, avoiding unwanted attention.

Fortunately, the return trip was uneventful, maybe even a bit boring.

"Good job, girl." Ben said, giving Bumpy a pat as he dismounted in the relative safety of the rotunda. "We really scored big today."

The Ankylosaur let out a groan, rubbing her armored head against her human affectionately before moving off to munch on what greenery was left in the building.

"Not much left for her in here." Ben thought to himself as he scanned the results of her grazing.

Indeed, the only reason there was anything left at all was that she wouldn't stay too long in the rotunda, fearful of being trapped.

"I don't blame her." He though as he climbed towards the lookout. "Sometimes I feel trapped here too."

Upon reaching the catwalk, Ben opened a window and pulled a few papaya from his Jurassic Park branded backpack, a little something he'd helped himself to from the gift shop. Slicing the fruit into thin slices, he lay it out in the sun on the false thatch roof, taking a quick glance around to make sure Archie wasn't nearby.

"If Archie finds this I'll never get it dried." He thought, chuckling to himself about the tiny dinosaur's never ending appetite.

Moving to the back of the building, he stared out the window at where the Brachiosaurus herd used to graze. They'd left during the night a little over two weeks ago and quite frankly he missed them. It wasn't until they were gone that Ben realized how much watching their graceful movements and hearing their distant songs soothed him.

Their absence just made the place feel a little more…..lonely.

"It may be a bit lonely, but I really have no room to complain. I have Bumpy, I have Archie, I have food, water, and shelter, I'm healthy and content in my situation, I really could have it a lot worse. And I owe all of that to you Father." He thought, closing his eyes as he entered into a prayer of thanks.

"Thank you….thank you for everything that you've blessed me with. Thank you for Bumpy and Archie…this would be so much worse without them. Thank you for allowing me to thrive and for the peace you've given us recently. Also, as always, watch over Yaz, Darius, Kenji, Brooklynn, and Sammy. I prey that they made it home safely and are thriving as well. Also, if it's not too much, could you help them to stay in touch with each other? After what they went through…..what we went through….they're gonna need someone to talk to at times…and the people in that group are the only ones who are gonna understand. Especially help Yaz…I don't want this experience to just be another trauma she holds inside. Help her to open up, before she explodes. These things I pray in Jesus name…..amen.

"Hey guys, when you get a chance, I'm probably gonna need some more wood before long." Sammy said, glancing over to her ever dwindling supply of broken furniture.

"Ugh, can't you just like, burn slower or something? My neck still hurts." Kenji complained, glaring over at Yasmina, who in turn, shot the VIP a smug grin and a shoulder shrug .

"Sure, it can wait." Sammy confirmed. "Long as you don't mind goin without dinner tonight and coffee in the mornin."

"Ughhh!" Kenji groaned in defeat, allowing his head to flop back on the couch, immediately wincing because of it.

"Don't worry Sammy, I'll get it." Darius said brightly, hoping up from his seat next to the older boy. "It's okay Kenj, you can rest."

"Thank you Darius, at least somebody takes my injury seriously." He said, casting an accusatory glance over to Sammy, who simply rolled her eyes and shook her head, though a visible grin pulled at the corners of her mouth.

As Darius headed to the door, Brooklynn took hold of his forearm.

"Hey, be careful, okay?" She said with a seriousness that all but betrayed her innermost fears.

Darius flashed her that warm smile of his, the one that always made her tummy feel weird.

"Don't worry Brooke, I'll be fine, I'm not leaving the hotel." He said, reassuringly patting the hand that still gripped his arm.

"I know…it's just…."

"Your dreams, I know….but that's in the jungle, and I'm not going in the jungle sooooo."

The pink haired girl released her grip and sighed.

"Sorry…that one just keeps coming…night after night….I guess it's got me on edge." She admitted.

"Don't worry bout it. I know exactly what that's like." He said, bending down to give her a quick hug before disappearing out the door.

Brooklynn was fully aware that Darius had nightmares about her almost as often as she had nightmares about him, and though they tended not to discuss what they saw with each other, she had made an exception for one particularly stubborn reoccurring nightmare. The one with the three dinosaurs cornering him and….well, yeah. That one she just couldn't shake.

In reality, she knew it was just her mind playing out her fears of losing him, same as his repeated nightmares about the storm drain was him being afraid of losing her. Still, seeing the person she was closest to torn apart night after night was beginning to have its effects.

Kenji kept his eyes closed tight…doing his best to block out the uncomfortable silence that fell over the room the moment Darius left.

He could literally feel all three of the girl's eyes on him.

Predictably, it was Brooklynn who cleared her throat in obvious attempt at getting his attention.

"She's trying to guilt you…just ignore her and maybe she'll give it up."

Brooklynn again cleared her throat, much louder and more obvious this time.

"Of course not." He thought as he opened one eye, only to find the YouTuber, arms crossed, glaring directly into his soul.

"Yes?" he asked in annoyance.

"You're really gonna make him do it all by himself?" Sammy asked, a hint of sadness…or maybe disappointment in her voice.

Kenji immediately shifted his gaze to the cowgirl, who stared back at him with big, brown, pleading eyes.

"Don't look Kenji, she's totally playing you right now."

He glanced back to Brooklynn's death stare, then in desperation, to Yasmina's knowing smirk, clearly the athlete was enjoying his imminent defeat.

Once again his eyes landed on Sammy, her lower lip stuck slightly out this time.

"Checkmate."

"OK FINE! You win….I'm going." He relented, throwing his hands in the air and standing up. "But if I end up with permanent neck damage, it's on all three of you!"

"I'm fine with that." Yasmina snorted.

"Me too." Brooklynn agreed, narrowing her eyes slightly.

"Aww, do you need me to give you a neck rub?" Sammy asked sympathetically.

"Ha, this is your chance."

"Yes please, that's exactly what I need!" Kenji said, moving towards the Texan.

"Okay, I will…..right after you get back…..with the firewood." She smiled sweetly.

"BAH!"

The VIP's shoulders slumped. Defeated, he slipped out the door without another word.

Seconds after the door shut, all three girls burst into laughter.

"Like a fiddle" Sammy gloated, grinning ear to ear.

"I can still hear you, ya know!" Kenji's voice yelled from the hallway, sending the girls into another fit of uncontrollable laughter.

"Hey Sammy, do you have enough wood to heat some water?" Brooklynn asked once they collected themselves.

"Sure, you need some coffee?" She asked, heading to the kitchen to fill a pot.

"Yes, but I need a lot more water than that….I need to get a quick bath in before tonight….and maybe wash some pants." She said, a little shyly.

"Uh, we all need a bath, superstar." Yaz pointed out.

"I know, but tonight….I'm…I'm gonna…."

"OH MY GOD! You're finally gonna do it?" Sammy squealed, cutting her off.

"Wait…she's finally gonna do what?" Yaz asked in confusion.

"Finally gonna tell Darius how she feels, duh!" the cowgirl squealed out before Brooklynn could even answer.

"About freakin time!" Yasmina laughed. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"No."

"Eh, you'll be fine, what's the worst that could happen?" Sammy asked reassuringly.

The pinkett's eyes glossed over as an apparent scenario that only she could see played out in her mind.

Blinking, she shook herself out of her daze.

"Anyway, I really wanna be at least presentable when I do this. Which means a bath and clean clothes." She said.

"Of course, I'll make as much hot water as I can. What you gonna wear?" Sammy asked as she stoaked the fire.

"You know those jeans with the rhinestones?" She asked.

"The ones that make your butt look good?"

"Um obvi, those, but I need to wash them." She said.

"Okay, I'll help you wash them while the water heats, we can dry them off the balcony." Sammy offered.

"Okay, thanks."

"What about a shirt?" Sammy pressed.

"Uh, I've got a little form fitting pink tee I was gonna wear." Brooklynn explained.

"Simple but cute, I like it!" the Texan nodded. "What are you doin with your hair?"

"My hair?" the pinkett repeated, doing an excellent impression of a deer caught in the headlights.

"Yes, your hair. Are you tellin me you've got this whole outfit planned, but nothin for your hair? Just your everyday messy bun?" Sammy asked in disbelief.

"I….uh…"

"She's wearing it down." Yaz stated matter of factly.

"I am?"

"Yes you are." The athlete reaffirmed.

Sammy and Brooklynn both only blinked at her, clearly confused.

"Seriously? Was I the only one who noticed Darius's reaction on our first night here?" Yaz questioned.

The other girls only stared in response.

"Oh for the love of…." She growled in frustration, pinching the bridge of her nose. "When you came out of the bathroom, after your bath, his eyes nearly bugged out of his skull."

"Oooooo, that's right! That was after I brought you that suitcase….you came out brushing your hair with your makeup done." Sammy exclaimed, slapping the pink haired girl on the arm.

"No, you guys, that wasn't what that was about. He was just surprised that I was able to cover my black eye." Brooklynn corrected.

"Yeah, if by surprised, you mean completely lost the ability to form words and sentences." Yaz retorted sarcastically.

"Guys…I really don't think that was what you thought it was." She argued quietly, though a red tint had begun to creep up the YouTuber 's neck. "But if you both think it'll help, I'll wear it down."

"Definitely!" Yasmina nodded.

"Eeeeeeeeee! I can't believe you two are finally gonna be official!" Sammy gushed, unable to control her squeals.

"We don't know that yet…maybe, maybe not. He may not even feel the same way. Won't know till we talk about it." Brooklynn explained, doing her best to keep from getting her hopes up…though her blush was still spreading.

Sammy and Yasmina glanced to each other and exchanged a chuckle.

"Whatever you say superstar." Yaz sighed in exasperation.

"Don't worry Brooke, it's gonna go fine." Sammy encouraged, giving the pinkett's shoulder a gentle shake. "Now come on, grab those jeans of yours, we don't have much time."

CRACK!

The sound of splintering wood echoed through the building as Darius slammed a chair to the ground. He paused to retrieve a broken off leg and toss it to the pile he was creating.

CRACK!

Another leg to the pile.

CRACK!

"Hey junior, need some help? The girls thought I should just rest, but I was like 'Nah, I can't let him do all that work by himself'." Kenji explained, approaching Darius from behind.

"Really? Brooklynn thought you should rest?" Darius asked, turning and raising an eyebrow. "Yaz too?"

The VIP grinned and gave a nervous chuckle, causing Darius to laugh good naturedly and shake his head.

"Okay Kenj, grab a chair." He laughed, pointing to the line of chairs in the lobby.

"Uh, dude, you realize we gotta carry all this up to the sixth floor right? Why did ya come all the way down here?" Kenji asked, clearly not looking forward to the work ahead.

"Because we've already burned most of the furniture on the upper floors. I remembered all the chairs down here and figured it'd be a quick place to get a lot of wood." He explained.

"Well yeah, but there's a reason it's still here……no power means no elevator, remember?" Kenji argued.

"We can pile it in a blanket like Sammy and I did. We'll just go slow and take our time." Darius shrugged.

"Really not enthused with this plan D….sounds like a lot of work." Kenji groaned.

"Eh, you'll be fine, but I don't think we can make it another month on furniture. At some point, like it or not, we're gonna have to go back to the jungle." Darius warned.

"Ooohoohoo, have fun bringing that one up to your girlfriend." Kenji teased.

"First off, she's my friend…not my girlfriend. I've already explained why anything more won't work." The boy glared. "Second off…..ugh! I know. She's gonna hate this. She keeps having this nightmare about me getting attacked in the jungle and I just don't know how to put her mind at ease."

"Yeah, I don't think you can." The older boy said simply. "I mean, it's not like you're putting those things in her head, they're coming from her own mind. So if she's gonna have any peace, then that's gotta come from her too."

Darius set down the chair he was about to swing and stared at his friend.

"Ya know, for someone who thinks dino farts…."

"Prove me wrong bro."

"Uhhh, anyway, sometimes you come up with some of the really insightful observations." Darius stated.

"Uh, duh…there's more to me than a great bod and fantastic hair ya know."

"Good thing, cause you almost burned all that 'fantastic hair' clean off." Darius joked.

"Low blow dude……..low blow."

"Anyway, I haven't quite figured out how I'm gonna tell her yet." Darius admitted.

"Well, she's gonna be upset for sure, but she might feel better now that she'll be able to go with us and keep an eye on you." Kenji pointed out.

"She's not going." Darius frowned. "She's injured, she needs to rest."

"Um D?...Brooklynn's mostly healed up now…me and Yaz too. There's no reason to split the team anymore." Kenji reminded him

"Mostly healed? She just got that tube out…she's got fresh stitches….and her ribs aren't even healed all the way!" Darius snapped defensively.

"Sooo you're gonna make Brooklynn….stay behind while the rest of us go to the jungle?" He asked skeptically.

Darius simply stared at him.

"Oookay, you realize for that to happen you're gonna have to tie her to the bed?" He pointed out.

"If that's what it takes!" Darius responded defiantly.

"OK, first of all, good luck with that. I'm pretty sure she could kick your ass."

"Hey!"

"And second off,…..Dude, you seriously think you can keep her locked up in the hotel like some kind of pink haired Rapunzel? That's not who she is…..and you know that about her." The VIP scolded.

The younger boy's eyes fell.

"I ….I just want her to be safe." Darius admitted quietly.

"Listen, I get that, but Brooklynn isn't the type of girl that needs, or wants, you to protect her. She's brave, resourceful, a fighter to the end, and a survivor. I mean sure, she wants safety just like the rest of us, but when danger comes….she wants to face it head on, side by side, shoulder to shoulder, and if you take that away from her……she's going to resent you." Kenji warned.

"I know." Darius sighed. "It's just anything could happen out there…."

"And that's exactly what she would be dwelling on the whole time we were gone. Darius we already did that to Yaz…and it almost broke her. We all came real close to biting the big one out there and leaving her alone on this island. It was a mistake then, and it's a mistake now." Kenji explained.

"You're right." Darius relented. "It's just hard..ya know?"

"I do." He admitted, his tone softer. "I know exactly how you feel….and it sucks. But I still have to accept it. Just like you do. I mean, you know what it's like to feel helpless…do you really wanna make Brooklynn feel that way? Even if you think its for her own good? Shouldn't she be the one who gets to decide that?"

"Yeah." Darius admitted without looking up. "I mean..I wasn't trying to control her..I just wanted to keep her safe."

"Then keep her safe, but do it from beside her rather than leaving her locked up in the hotel. Besides, the hotel isn't one hundred percent safe either…I mean what if we left her alone and a bunch of those little green rats got in there? We've already seen several throughout the building in the last couple weeks." He added.

"Didn't think about that when we left Yaz." Darius admitted quietly, a wave of guilt washing over him.

"None of us did." Kenji admitted. "But hey, that how we learn."

"Yeah I guess." Darius nodded solemnly. "Hey, Kenji?"

"Yeah junior?"

"Thanks."

"No problem bruh." The VIP smiled. "Yep, she's totally just a friend…"

"KENJI!...just…..shut up and break chairs."

"How those jeans comin?" Brooklynn asked as she placed another pot of water over the fire.

"Well they're clean…but they're gonna take a bit to dry. And from the looks of it, we might be in for some rain." The cowgirl answered, squinting out towards the dark clouds on the horizon.

"Can't we just dry them over the fire?" She asked, impatience beginning to creep into her voice.

"Sure…if you wanna smell like smoke and burnt wood glue on your date." She grinned.

"It's not a date!" the pinkett protested. "It's just a discussion."

"Right…a discussion that you feel the need to make yourself ' presentable' for…" She laughed.

"Shut up!" She said, rolling her eyes, though her blush was beginning to return. "It's just…I wanna….ugh! never mind!"

"Ya know…I get why your doin this." Sammy said, coming to place a sympathetic hand on Brooklynn's shoulder. "But I really don't think it's necessary. I mean…he likes you Brooke. I don't think he really cares that much about your hair or your clothes or how you smell…he just likes you. Hair down with butt lifting jeans, or pajamas, a hoodie, and a messy bun…I seriously doubt it makes much of a difference to him."

"Probably. Darius isn't superficial like that." She admitted. "But if I'm being honest, I'm probably doing this more for me than for him."

"How so?" She questioned, kneeling down to place more wood in the fire.

"Truthfully, I don't want to do this….like really don't wanna do this…honestly, I'd rather swim with the Mosasaur than tell Darius how I feel. I mean, of course I want more, but I'm content with where we're at. And if I tell him….and he doesn't feel the same, it changes things….and I can't lose what we've already got.. I just can't." Brooklynn sighed. "But at the same time, as terrifying as that thought is….the thought of something happening and him never knowing how I felt…somehow, that's worse."

"I get why you're scared." The cowgirl nodded. "But even if he didn't feel the same, I don't think he'd treat you any different."

"No, he wouldn't. I know that." She sighed. "But the point is I would know. I would know that all those things he said to me were just him trying to comfort me. That when we cuddle up at night…it's only me that's got butterflies….and…." Brooklynn paused, blinking back an unshed tear. "And I just don't know if I could ever face him again." She finished quietly.

"Yeah, that would be hard to swallow." Sammy admitted. "But that doesn't explain why your going to all this trouble for a big reveal…wouldn't that just make it worse if he was to reject you?"

"Like a thousand times worse, yeah." She agreed. "But maybe if I can look in the mirror….and for once, be happy with what I see….maybe I'll have just enough confidence to actually go through with it."

"I knew you were having a time with all this……but I guess I didn't realize it was this hard on you." Sammy said.

"Um, I thought it was pretty obvi when I almost got myself eaten by a flying leather shop." She quipped, the corners of her mouth rising into half hearted smirk.

"Yeah…probably should clear the air before you end up supper for a hungry dino." Sammy grinned.

"Is that an option?" Brooklynn asked, raising an eyebrow. "Cause right now, I think I'd rather do that than go through with this."

"You're psyching yourself out over nothing Brooke, it's gonna be fine." She said reassuringly.

"Psht, we'll see." She muttered in return.

"So." The cowgirl started, picking up the pot of heated water and carrying it to the half full bath tub. "What exactly is your plan anyway? You just gonna surprise him when he get back with the firewood or what?"

"No, I'm gonna talk to him about it later. Probably after dinner, before bed. I figured I'd hide my outfit and makeup in the bathroom and just go in and get ready real quick when the time is right." She explained.

"If…you don't chicken out that is." Sammy grinned.

"Ya know, we could make this a double conversation….I talk to Darius while you talk to Kenji…" the pinkett challenged.

"Uhhhh..that's okay, I…..I don't wanna steal your thunder, this is your moment." She back pedaled nervously.

Brooklynn stared at the girl for a moment, failing to suppress a grin from forming.

"Ugh, what's wrong with us!" She lamented. "Why is this so hard?"

"Oh Brooke, there is soooo much wrong with us." the cowgirl smiled. "But being nervous about stuff like this? I'm pretty sure that part is normal."

"Doesn't feel normal. I used to be so confident, when I first came to camp, but now? Not so much." She sighed.

"And ironically, my confidence has only grown. I've had to do things I never thought I'd be able to do…but here, there's no choices, you do what you can…or you die. Look at Yaz's wrist. I never thought in a million years I could treat a wound like that, but I did, and it worked. It's a good feeling to know I can actually help people." Sammy grinned. "Oh, and speaking of that, you and I are gonna have a long discussion about your self image when this is over. It's long past time you understood your value."

Brooklynn looked away, suddenly fascinated by light switch on the wall.

"Oh yeah, I'm going there." Sammy confirmed. "You're way too critical of yourself….and you don't even really hide it. Someone's gotta knock some sense into ya."

"Look…Sammy, I know you're trying to help….but can I just get through one awkward conversation at a time please?"

"Of course. It doesn't have to be today or tomorrow, or even this week…but it's coming. Besides, once you see how into you Darius is, well, that'll just make my argument more convincing, now won't it?" She smiled.

"You're a really good friend Sammy." Brooklynn stated with quiet sincerity, finally turning back towards her. "Now go on, get out of here before the water's completely cold."

"Ok, Ok, I'll go." Sammy laughed. "I Should go see how your jeans are drying anyway."

Sammy chuckled to herself and headed for the bathroom door.

"Hey..Sammy?" Brooklynn called after her.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." She said quietly, without making eye contact.

"Any time superstar." Sammy answered with a big Texas grin. "Any time."

"I hate you!...I just want you to know that." Kenji wheezed, collapsing over the blanket load of broken furniture, mid staircase. "I really…really hate you."

"Dude…it's only been two flights." Darius said, rolling his eyes. "How are you gonna make it all the way to the sixth floor?"

"Well you should have thought of that before you decided to get wood from the lobby." He panted.

"Maybe you should just go back to the room and send Sammy down. The load we brought from the jungle was way heavier than this." Darius said, raising an eyebrow.

"Dude….we were on the second floor then….not the sixth floor. Not even close to the same thing." The VIP pointed out.

"Maybe not, but I never heard her complain." Darius teased.

"Of course you didn't, she lives on a farm, she's like super strong."

"While you live in a mansion…with servants to do everything for you." He pressed.

"Psht, not everything." Kenji argued.

Darius narrowed his eyes at the teen.

"Okay fine, pretty much everything. It's not my fault I'm rich." Kenji muttered, crossing his arms.

"Exactly how much good has being rich done for you lately?" their leader questioned.

"Okay, you've made your point. Can we just get moving and get this over with?" He sighed.

"Sure, let's go." Darius laughed, hoisting his side of the blanket full of wood off the ground. "I do wanna point out though, you've come a long way from how you were at the beginning."

"Yeah, well constantly running for your life and almost getting eaten will do that." He snarked.

"Seriously though, you've matured a lot in the last month. And it's not just me, everyone has noticed, even if it took some longer than others." Darius commended.

"Great, the youngest is telling me how much I, the oldest, have matured….that's just great." Kenji answered sarcastically, though the humor was evident behind his eyes. "But…thanks."

"Don't mention it. Like it or not, we're all a family now, and if we're going to survive, we need to be able to rely on each other, and personally, I feel like I can rely on each and every one of you." Darius explained.

"Heh, I may consider you a brother, but I am NOT gonna look at Sammy as a sister…..that would just be weird." Kenji stated.

"Huh, I think that's the most open you've been about liking Sammy. You should tell her." Darius encouraged.

Kenji again dropped his side of the blanket and stared at the younger boy.

"What?" Darius asked, suddenly feeling a bit self conscious.

"You're seriously going there?" Kenji asked in disbelief. "Of all people, you are gonna tell me I should make a move on Sammy? While you keep pretending this giant, obvious thing between you and Brooke doesn't exist? Dude, seriously, that's like….the definition of hypocritical."

"That's not even close to the same thing." Darius tried.

"Dude, it's exactly the same thing." Kenji countered.

"How many times do I have to explain this?" Darius sighed in frustration. "I'm the lea……."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm the leader, blah, blah, blah, we're different classes, yada, yada, yada. Dude those are just weak excuses and you know it. Just admit it, you're terrified of her." He pushed.

"No I'm not, it just wouldn't work."

"Why?"

"It just wouldn't, okay…..Now can we please just change the subject." Darius answered in annoyance.

"Look, all I'm trying to say is that if you keep acting like there's nothing there, then one day you're gonna turn around……and there won't be." He warned.

"Psht, thanks Dr. Love." Darius huffed sarcastically.

"Whateves." The older boy shrugged. "Just don't wanna see you miss out on a good thing."

"Which is exactly why you should talk to Sammy." Darius countered, catching Kenji off guard and successfully shifting the subject. "She'd be good for you."

"Too good actually." The VIP sighed.

"Yeah, true." Darius agreed, chuckling as the older boy shot him a glare. "Just kidding."

"No, you're right." Kenji admitted, his shoulders slumping. "Dude, she's like, amazing ……and I'm just rich. But for some crazy reason, she believes in me….and knowing that makes me wanna do better, makes me wanna be better, ya know."

"It shows." Darius nodded. "So why not go for it then?"

"Honestly, I just…..I don't wanna mess it up. I mean, believe it or not, there have been times in my life, rare ones mind you, when I've made mistakes. I just don't want this to be one of them." He admitted.

"And you think if you make a mistake, you'll lose her?"

"Yeah, well…..she wouldn't be the first person in my life to walk away." He admitted quietly.

An awkward silence filled the stairwell for a moment, broken only by their grunts of effort in hauling the wood.

"I'm sorry."

"Psht, don't even worry about it….I had everything I could ever want or need in the mansion, one of the perks of being rich……you don't need anyone." He answered, trying to sound far more convincing than he actually was.

"Sure, of course, their loss anyway, am I right?" Darius responded sympathetically.

"Totally right."

Another moment of awkward silence passed.

"Hey Kenj?"

"Yeah?"

"You know none of us are gonna walk out on you……right?"

"We'll see, Junior……..We'll see."

"You seriously haven't seen it?" Sammy asked in disbelief.

"Uhhh, do I look like I'm into romance movies?" Yasmina answered back, raising an eyebrow.

"Titanic is way more than a romance movie." The cowgirl asserted, "There's action, there's adventure, there's…history. Even the song is…."

"I swear to God Sammy, if you start singing……." The athlete warned.

"heh heh, don't worry." Sammy chuckled, "I don't really sing, at least not when anybody can hear me. What about you, Brooklynn, do you sing?" She asked, as the pinkett stepped out of the bathroom, once again clothed in her pajama bottoms and hoodie.

"Sing? Sing what? What are we even talking about?" She asked in confusion.

"Sammy was about to sing some song from Titanic." Yaz explained.

"Was not!" Sammy put in quickly.

"My heart will go on?" Brooklynn asked.

"Yep, that's the one!" the Texan confirmed.

"I usually only sing if I'm really in my feelings….but seeing as Yaz is so against it……"

"Brooklynn, don't you dare!" Yaz growled.

The girl grinned and cleared her throat.

"I'm warning you!"

"Every night in my dreams, I see you, I feel you. That is how I know you go… OOF!"

A heavy couch cushion knocked Brooklynn clean off her feet before she even finished the first verse.

"Hey! What the heck!" she half yelled, glaring up at Yaz standing above her.

"I warned you." The runner shrugged.

A moment later all three girls burst into laughter, as Yaz extended a hand to help Brooklynn to her feet.

"Didn't mean to actually knock you down." She admitted sheepishly.

"It's alright, you really don't like singing do you?" Brooklynn chuckled.

"Eh, not so much the singing, just not into the whole romance thing." She explained.

"And I end up dragging you into the whole thing between me and Darius….sorry." The pinkett sighed.

"Eh, it's whatever. Just hope after today you guys can quit your little act and be real with each other for once." Yasmina said.

"Yeah, I guess whatever's been going on….it all changes tonight. I just wish I had as much confidence as you guys do." She said looking down.

"Don't worry Brooke, it's gonna go perfectly, you'll see!" Sammy reassured her.

Suddenly, Yasmina strengthened up, her head snapping toward the door.

"They're back." She warned.

"Quick, Brooklynn, go grab your britches off the balcony, they're probably mostly dry anyway, Yaz and I will stall Darius." Sammy ordered.

"Right! Thanks!" The girl croaked, before making a mad dash for the balcony.

"Uh, exactly why are we stalling?" Yaz asked in confusion.

"So Darius doesn't see her grab her jeans." Sammy stated, turning to look at Yaz as if she couldn't understand why she was confused.

"Right…..but…why exactly is that bad?" The athlete asked, no less confused.

"So he doesn't see them before tonight." She answered, frowning and tilting her head.

"Oh…okay." She replied.

Seemingly satisfied with her answer, the Texan turned and grabbed the door handle.

"It's just…..she's worn those pants before so……"

"Ya know what….how bout we let me do the talking out there." Sammy said with a deflating sigh, before giving Yaz an almost sympathetic grin and disappearing out the door.

"And this is exactly why I don't do romance." The athlete muttered to herself, slipping out the door behind her friend.

"You guys want some help?" Sammy offered, coming to grab the blanket next to Kenji without waiting for an answer.

"Sure, I'm fine, but Darius looks a little tired." Kenji answered, bringing a look of surprise and a head shake from the younger boy.

"Yep, he's totally the one dripping sweat." Yaz added with obvious sarcasm, as she took position next to Darius.

"Hey, this is a great haul you guys, this should last me a good while." Sammy said with a nod of approval.

"Good, make it last, we've got two, maybe three loads like this left before we're gonna have to go back to the jungle for wood." Darius warned.

"Well that's a bummer. Hey, maybe we'll all be rescued before then, then we won't even have to worry about it." She added cheerfully.

"Or….maybe we'll all be dead by then…..we won't have to worry about it then either." Yaz responded in her classic deadpan.

The other three just stared at the athlete, who simply shrugged and continued on with her task of helping carry the wood.

A moment later Brooklynn swung the suite door open.

"I got the door." She announced casually, her still damp hair hidden in the hood of her sweatshirt.

"Inside or outside" Darius asked as the group maneuvered their way through the room towards the balcony.

"Mmm, probably inside for now. I think we're in for another storm tonight." Sammy answered. "No sense in letting it all get wet."

"Good enough." Kenji panted, as they dropped the pile next to the sliding glass door. "Whew, I'm glad that's over. Now, I believe I was promised a neck rub."

Sammy rolled her eyes but couldn't stop the grin from spreading across her face.

"A deal's a deal. Get over here." She said, sitting down on the couch and patting the cushion in front of her.

"Didn't have any trouble?" Brooklynn questioned, her eyes giving Darius a quick once over for injuries .

"Nah, just went to the lobby. Didn't even see any compys this time." He answered.

"Good. Seems like they've been getting more common in here." She noted.

"I think they've made their way into the hotel's ventilation system, I think that's how they've been showing up in random places on multiple floors." Darius theorized.

"That would make sense." Brooklynn nodded. "We should probably barricade our vents."

"That's a good idea. If a few were to get in while we were sleeping…..things could go bad." He admitted.

"Well, I guess that's our goal for the day, secure our room against compy invasion." She chirped, trying to make the task sound more fun than it promised to actually be. "Let's get to it."

"We're going to strike them, aren't we?" Dimitri asked quietly, as he picked the drone up off the foredeck and proceeded to place it into its protective case.

"Yes, tonight, but that is of no concern to you. You've done your part, you've gathered the intelligence….and the Captain has given his order." Donovan explained.

"I suspected as much. I saw them readying the 3M14s." He added.

Donovan studied the younger man for a moment.

"You feel as though…you've condemned these men?" he asked finally.

"Haven't I, sir?" He responded quietly.

"No, you've done no such thing. You've followed your orders, nothing more. Their blood is on the hands of those who sent them." Donovan insisted. "They are undoubtedly here for the same reasons we are, they knew the risks. Do you think for a moment that, given the chance, they would not eliminate us just as quickly? Or for that matter, that if the U.S. or Costa Rican navy knew of their presence, that they wouldn't take similar measures? Make no mistake, if we were to be detected, we would be depth charged into oblivion without a second thought. Were you unaware of the risks when you signed on?"

"No sir, I was. I was fully aware of the risks involved." He answered.

"You're a good man Dimitri….perhaps the only man on this crew who's still redeemable. Which begs the question…..why exactly are you here?" The ranking officer asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"The money, like all of us….is that not enough?"

"It's enough for the rest of these mercenaries, yet I think a man like you is less motivated by greed." Donovan stated suspiciously.

The younger man's shoulders slumped and his eyes fell.

"It's my niece, sir." He explained quietly. "She has a condition, a serious one. Her treatment, it's very expensive."

"Now that, I can believe….and how is it that you came to know of this mission? The selection of the crew was quite…..exclusive." He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The invitation came to my brother. He and I have chosen very different paths in life, and his path has left him injured…too injured to continue in his dealings. He wanted to come, said he didn't need to walk to pilot a drone. I told him I would go, that I'm just as good of a pilot as him, that he should stay with his daughter, she needs him…..He warned that this was not the place for me. He would not even consider it. So I stole away in the night…..and, well, here I am." Dimitri explained.

"Your brother was right." Donovan said, his face hardening. "You should not have come, this is not a place for you……Yet, you are here, and it's too late to do much about that now.

"I apologize sir."

"Dimitri, you have followed your orders, carried out your duties as any other member of this crew. I cannot speak for the captain, but I think, so long as you continue to conduct yourself in this way, then you shall achieve your goal. You shall make more than enough to help your niece. However, should you betray us…..should you breath a word of any of this to anyone …..should you interfere in any way with things which do not concern you….you will condemn more than just your own life. Are we clear?"

"Yes sir." Dimitri replied solemnly.

"Do not test our Captain. I've know him a great many years now…there was a time, long ago, when he wasn't so different from you. He would take no joy in giving such an order…..but he would give it." Donovan warned.

"Understood sir."

"Very good then." The older man nodded. "Why don't you head to your quarters, I must speak with the captain."

"Yes sir." Dimitri agreed, lowering himself down the forward hatch and into the torpedo room.

Donovan followed closely behind, noticing the sad glance Dimitri gave to the Kalibr cruise missiles as he passed by them.

" I sincerely hope he does not become a thorn in our side." He thought to himself as he followed the man to the crew quarters and watched him disappear through the hatchway. Reluctantly, he turned and made his way back to the bridge.

"Captain Antonov, a word if you don't mind."

"Of course, what news do you have for me." The captain answered.

"I've just had a conversation with Dimitri, he is not as he seemed." Donovan explained quietly.

"How so?"

"It seems it was his brother who was contacted about this, not him. Dimitri came in his brother's place." The officer explained.

"He told you as much?" The captain queried.

"Yes sir, his own words, of his own will."

"Why?"

"He's said his niece is sick, needs the money for her treatment." He recounted.

The captain was silent for a long while, clearly weighing his options.

"Having him aboard is a risk to this mission, to this crew. Normally I would eliminate such risks, but…he has served with obedience and loyalty…..and his reasoning for being here is a noble one, it would be a pity for such a noble act to be rewarded with death. What say you on the matter Donovan, you've spoken with him more than I, do you believe that we can trust him?" The captain said finally.

"I think, with a man like him, deception would not come easy….I believe what he says." Donovan admitted.

"I assume you made clear to him the penalty of betrayal?"

"I did."

"Then the matter is settled for the time being. He will continue to be treated as any other member of my crew. That said, I will be watching." He decided.

"I expected no less, sir."

"Ah, and being as I have you here already, Nicholai has received word form his contact that we're on a wild goose chase. The Indominus is dead, dragged into the lagoon by the Mosasaur apparently, that's why Dimitri has been unable to locate it." He explained.

"And what then, of our mission, Sir?" The first mate asked.

"A fine question, my friend." Captain Antonov chuckled, clapping Donovan on the shoulder. "I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you yet."

"What is your plan, Sir?"

"We hit the other team tonight as planned. The strike will undoubtedly be detected and bring unwanted attention." He explained quietly. "As soon as Dimitri confirms there are no survivors, we set course for the bay on Isla Matanceros. There, while the activity dies down, will wait for new objectives from Mr. Orlov."

"Yes Sir, I will see to it that your orders are carried out." The man swore.

"I know you will, Donovan…I have no doubts."

"You not hungry or what?" Yasmina asked, snapping Brooklynn back to reality.

Self consciously, she glanced around at the others, hoping nobody else had noticed her staring blankly at the plate in front of her. Fortunately, most of her friends were to focused on their own helpings of nachos to notice. Well, except for Yaz, of course.

"Hey, he's gonna know something's up if you don't pull it together." The athlete warned just loud enough for Brooklynn to hear.

"Am I really that obvious?" She whispered back.

"Uh, yeah…you are. Stop stressing, it's gonna be fine." She tried.

The pinkett just blinked at her.

"Okay, at least tone it down a bit, you're stating to make me nervous."

"Sorry." Brooklynn mumbled, shoving a cheese covered tortilla chip into her mouth.

Yaz couldn't help but to chuckle at the existential crisis consuming her friend.

"I would NEVER let a guy get to me like that." She thought. " I'd rather be eaten….seems like much less trouble."

For the most part, the day was uneventful. Kenji and finally gotten his neck massage and promptly passed out afterwards, napping most of the day away. Yasmina and Sammy, on the other hand, had spent a good deal of time in the hotel kitchen, scavenging through odds and ends in an attempt to put together a decent meal.

Sammy really, really wanted to put together an authentic "Lady and the Tramp" style spaghetti meal for Brooklynn and Darius, but try as she might, they just didn't have the selection of ingredients they used to have. In the end, Yaz convinced Sammy it was probably for the best anyway and that they shouldn't interfere with whatever Brooklynn had planned.

Back at the suite, Darius and Brooklynn spent the day working to block and secure the ventilation system. The girl's anxiety was almost to the point of making her physically ill, and every time she made eye contact with the object of her affection, her stomach would clench and she could feel her mouth go dry.

For the most part, Darius hadn't seemed like he noticed, though there was a small part of her that wondered if he was purposefully ignoring it.

"It's just Darius. The same Darius I've been here with the whole time. Why am I so flustered now? Why is this happening? Why can't I pull myself together?" She chastised herself.

Fortunately, the initial awkwardness on Brooklynn's part quickly subsided and the pair slipped comfortably into their normal and natural banter, working together effectively as a team.

"There, that should keep em outta here." Brooklynn stated, as Darius secured the last of vents with a broken cupboard door.

"I hope so." He sighed, giving their handiwork a pat. "I mean, it's gonna get more stuffy in here now, but I'd rather deal with stuffy air than be attacked by a pack of compys in our sleep. They're venomous, it's not super toxic, but if enough of them bite you…."

"It's game over." Brooklynn finished. "Like killer bees, one sting is no big deal, but if you're stung by a few hundred...that's another story."

"Except I don't think it would take a few hundred compy bites, maybe ten? Twenty?" He added.

"Guess we've been pretty lucky so far." She admitted. "I mean, what if they found Yaz when she went to look for Ben? What if they got into the hotel when we went to the comms building? What if they'd found us….."

"Behind the waterfall." Darius finished solemnly.

"Yeah." She agreed quietly.

A moment of silence hung between them as she replayed the memories in her mind. She had no doubt he was doing the same, likely dwelling on how much differently things could have turned out.

It was a sobering thought. Coughing blood the way she was, she'd left a trail right to them. She hadn't thought about that in the moment…the fact that any scavengers, or predators for that matter, that may have crossed their scent would almost certainly have come for them. Brooklynn held no illusions that she had any sort of capacity to escape or fight off even one compy in the state she was in, much less an entire pack.

But what she found even more troubling, was that she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she wouldn't have suffered that fate alone. Darius was far to stubborn to have left her there and saved himself. No, he would have fought any number of venomous compys to protect her, even though they both knew she was already dying. He wouldn't have left her side…even as the venom would surly be taking its horrible effect.

"I'd rather die by your side than do this alone." That was what she'd told him in the control room, just before the Troodons broke the glass. Even though they were her words, it was Darius that demonstrated the spirit of the statement. And she both hated him for it, and loved him all the more.

"It didn't happen." He reminded her calmly, snapping her back to reality.

He was giving her that look that always made her wonder if he could genuinely read her thoughts.

"None of that happened." He said again.

"We were lucky." Brooklynn admitted, meeting his gaze.

"We were." He nodded. "And now we've actually done something about it before our luck could run out…..for once. He added with a grin.

"How bout we keep doing this, you know, fixing problems before they start? Seems like a nice change of pace." She chuckled, a happy light returning to her eyes.

"Gosh, that smile….he doesn't even know what that smile does to me….or maybe….maybe he does." She thought, again losing herself in her own mind as they drifted into small talk.

"Hell with my plan…I should just tell him now..get it over with..there's no way I could be reading all of these signals wrong, it's all so clear, he loves me, he must." She thought, taking a deep breath before her moment of courage failed her.

"Darius." She said in a voice that almost didn't sound like her own.

"Yeah?" He questioned innocently, tilting his head.

"I….."

"Dinner's done!" Sammy exclaimed, poking her head into the room. "Wait…am I interpreting something?" She asked, turning slightly red as she noticed the look on Brooklynn's face.

"No, not at all" Darius reassured her cheerfully. "Um, I mean, I don't think so?" He reiterated, looking back to Brooklynn. "What were you saying Brooke?"

"Uhhh, nothing. Just was gonna say….that I was getting hungry is all." She lied, as her courage collapsed around her.

"Oh, well perfect timing then." He smiled. "Come on, let's go get some grub."

Brooklynn watched as Darius turned and left the room, then turned her unblinking stare on the cowgirl, who was visibly mortified.

"Of all the times you coulda….." The pinkett whispered through clenched teeth.

"Sorry, I didn't know, how was I supposed to know you were gonna change the plan." Sammy whispered back.

"I know, I know, it's not your fault, it just felt right all of a sudden so I decided to go for it." She explained hurriedly.

"Ugh, then I gotta come in here and knock the milk bucket into the cow manure." The Texan grumbled sheepishly.

Brooklynn stared at her friend.

"Wh…what does that even mean?"

"Never mind that, I'm just sorry okay, now let's get in there before it looks suspicious." Sammy answered.

And now, here she was, sitting in the living room with the others, staring at plate of nachos that her body desperately needed, yet she had no appetite for.

Quickly forgetting Yasmina's warning, Brooklynn once again found herself lost in her own mind.

" Maybe today wasn't the day." She thought. " If it was supposed to happen today then Sammy wouldn't have interrupted me. Now, it's just getting too late. It's getting dark, Sammy's already got the battery lights on, there's no way I can get him alone without it being suspicious, we aren't far from going to bed anyway. Kind of a shame to waste the bath…but honestly I needed it anyway. It's not my fault the universe is just against me."

The distant roll of thunder drew everyone's attention to the sliding glass door.

"That storm will be on us pretty soon." Sammy mentioned apprehensive.

"And that's my cue for bed, not big on the whole lightning thing." Kenji admitted.

"What? Is he VIP afraid of a little thunderstorm?" Yaz teased.

"Not really a fan of anything that causes burns anymore." He explained, keeping a wary eye on the approaching flashes.

"Yeah, I suppose we might as well go to bed…..unless anyone has anything else they'd like to do." She agreed, staring directly at Brooklynn and raising an eyebrow.

"Didn't have a chance." The pink haired girl mouthed back at her inconspicuously.

"Actually, I think I'm gonna go out and watch the storm till the rain hits." Darius said, speaking up. "But yeah, we had a long day, you guys should turn in. I'll be in shortly."

Brooklynn knew he was speaking mostly to her, reassuring her that she needn't worry about him.

Mouth suddenly dry, she nodded and watched him get up and disappear onto the balcony. She could literally feel Yaz and Sammy's eyes boring holes into her body.

"This is it..." she thought. "This is my chance..a perfect chance really…if this isn't the universe telling me the time is right, I don't know what is."

Taking a deep, trembling breath, Brooklynn stood, locking her eyes on the bathroom door.

"It's now or never." She told herself, willing her feet to move despite the fuzzy feeling in her head. Step by step, she crossed the room to the bathroom where her outfit was stashed. She kept her eyes focused on the bathroom door, even ignoring Sammy's excited squeal as she passed her by, knowing if she allowed herself to break focus, even for a moment, she'd likely chicken out.

Closing the door behind her, she retrieved her clothing from the lower cupboard. She was moving on autopilot, too lost in thought, and anxiety, to fully realize what she was doing.

"This is it, I'm actually doing this….one way or another, after tonight, things change." She thought as stepped out of her pajama bottoms and shimmied into the jeans she had selected for the occasion. Next, her baggy sweater hit the floor at her feet, discarded in favor of a delicate pink tee shirt.

"Okay, clothes are done…pants are still a little damp in places, but they'll work. Now, hair and makeup." She thought, freeing her pink locks from their messy bun and allowing them fall around her shoulders.

Catching sight of the girl in the mirror, Brooklynn stopped. Instead of the beautiful, confident, and powerful girl she was desperately hoping to see, she saw jeans that didn't fit quite as well as they had before, she saw skin that was pale and somewhat sickly from being indoors so long, she saw a shirt that was baggy in places it used to be snug due to eating less than she normally would, she saw frizzy, faded, pink hair with brown roots showing. But that wasn't the worst of it.

Worst of all, she saw the face of a terrified, hopeless, beaten down, shell of her former self….but, then again, it was also the hardened face of a survivor.

There was a small part of her that was proud of what she'd overcome, and that part of her didn't really care that she looked like she'd been through hell. However, that certainly wasn't the look she was going for tonight.

"Oooookay….this is gonna be a challenge, but I can fix this." She thought as she dug into the makeup bag. "Don't have much time though, God knows how long he'll be out there…I've gotta hurry."

A few minutes later, in what was possibly a new record time, Brooklynn set the makeup bag down and ran the brush through her hair.

"This is it" she said quietly to herself. "This is as good as I'm gonna look."

As she stared at her reflection, every single miniscule flaw became so glaringly obvious that she just wanted to forget it all and hide.

The stress was too much. She could already feel herself starting to sweat, her shirt beginning to stick to her.

"Nooo, not now, why?...why do I have to have stress sweats?" She mumbled self consciously, lifting her arm and sniffing for any hint of body oder.

The bathroom door opened suddenly, causing Brooklynn to nearly jump out if her skin.

"YAZ! what the heck!...I thought you were…"

"Don't worry, he's still out storm watching or whatever." The athlete said, cutting her off.

"What are you doing in here?" Brooklynn asked, hand still clutched over her chest.

"I uh…well, I found this, the other day in one of the rooms..and I'm not sure if it's your brand or anything, but I thought it smelled familiar….."

"Is that body spray?" Brooklynn asked.

"Yeah, here, I meant to give it to ya sooner, just kinda forgot."

"Cotton candy." The pinkett read aloud, a grin spreading across her face. "Thank you Yaz!, perfect timing!"

"Eh, it's no big deal, just thought..ooff!...okay still not a hugger, get off me." The athlete complained, pulling herself free from the younger girl's grip.

"Right, right, sorry, just nervous." She explained apologetically.

Yasmina sighed and rolled her eyes, grabbing Brooklynn by the shoulders and spinning her around to face the mirror.

"Would you open your damn eyes and look at yourself, I mean really look at yourself. You're beautiful Brooklynn, inside and out." The older girl stated, giving Brooklynn's shoulders a gentle but firm shake. "I don't know why it's so hard for you to accept that Darius likes you, we all see it, heck the dinosaurs see it. None of this was even necessary, he's never cared what you look like, but if this is what you felt you needed to do then whatever. The point is, you're an amazing person Brooklynn. You're strong, you're smart, you're loyal, you're kind….and….you're beautiful. And if Darius can't see that then he's an idiot……I mean, most guys are idiots, heck, look at Kenji…..but that's not the point. The point is that you have absolutely NOTHING to be nervous about. Now get out there and knock his dino nerd socks off, superstar."

Brooklynn was speechless..managing only a short nod and a quiet "Okay" before misting herself with body spray and stepping toward the door.

"Yaz?" she said, stopping to look back.

"What now?"

"Growing up an only child, I always wondered what it would be like to have a sister…..now I know." She said quietly before stepping out of the room and letting the door close behind her.

"Pfff, romace…way more trouble than it's worth." Yaz said quietly to herself as she stood alone in the bathroom.

Still, Brooklynn's parting words had struck a nerve.

"Sister." Yaz repeatedly quietly.

Saying the word out loud felt strange. Brooklynn couldn't possibly have known it, but there was a time, long ago, when Yasmina herself longed for the companionship of a sister. Back before she understood all the reasons it would never happen. Once she'd realized her circumstances, she'd sought family in her friends.

What a fool she'd been to trust them….to trust anyone.

Yasmina had learned a hard lesson when Isis began it's rise to power. Suddenly it didn't matter that she and her mother both had been born in the United States…all that mattered was how she looked.

Terrorist……Isis bride…..camel jockey…..just a few of the hateful names that were hurled at her from people she once considered friends and acquaintances. Just when she thought she couldn't be hurt any deeper than she already was…..fate would deal her an even crueler hand.

After a particularly devastating betrayal, she'd vowed never to give anyone the power to hurt her so deeply again. She would build walls around herself…walls so thick and fortified nobody would ever be able to get to her again.

And it had worked for the most part, there were very few people on earth who could really get to her. Without any meaningful social interaction, she needed a new outlet. Running became that outlet, an outlet at which she quickly excelled.

However everything changed when she met this particular group of people.

No matter how badly she wanted to, she just couldn't keep them locked out….not even Kenji. All four of them had a piece of her heart…and she'd gladly give her life for any one of them without a moments hesitation.

And still, somehow this pink haired, phone obsessed, world famous internet diva had managed to awaken a feeling inside her she didn't even know existed. Something inexplicable had occurred between them during this last conversation…Brooklynn viewed her as a sister…a sister…..family. somehow she'd managed to awaken a hope within Yasmina that she'd believed was long dead. New feelings of compassion and protectiveness bloomed within her.

It was all so confusing…but maybe…just maybe, Yaz was beginning to look at Brooklynn as a sister as well. Maybe….it would be Brooklynn who'd slip past her innermost defenses, maybe….there was someone she could trust after all.

Brooklynn's head was spinning. She took a deep breath and locked her sights on the sliding glass door leading onto the balcony.

"It's not too late to turn back, I don't have to do this….everything can just keep going the way it's going." She told herself, even as she took her first step towards the door.

Casting a quick glance towards her friends on the couch, she saw Sammy spilling over with excitement, meanwhile, Kenji's jaw dropped in shock and confusion.

"I hope Darius looks at me like that." She thought as continued toward the balcony.

"What the heck is she all dressed up for?" Kenji asked, his expression changing from shock to something else…worry, maybe?

"She's telling Darius how she feels, finally." She giggled.

"Uh, is she sure that's the best idea?" He warned. "I mean, I talked to him earlier about her, and I don't know that he's ready for this. If she catches him off guard like this, he's liable to screw up and say something stupid, something he doesn't mean."

"Why, what did he say about her?" Sammy asked, suddenly concerned herself….there was still time to call it off if need be.

"Just the same things his been sayin." Kenji shrugged. "We both know it's bull…but he can be pretty stubborn at times."

Brooklynn looked back one last time, hand resting on the door. She saw Kenji and Sammy whispering to each other about something…judging by their faces, it must have been important.

"Whatever it is, it can wait…no more distractions. This ends now!" She resolved within herself, silently sliding the door open and stepping out into the cool night air.

Darius was standing with his back to her, watching the storm as it grew closer. It didn't appear as though he'd noticed her presence.

Brooklynn's mouth opened to announce herself but the words caught in her throat. She was completely petrified.

The boy sighed and took a step back from the railing as the wind picked up, apparently ready to come inside, when he suddenly stopped. His head tilted slightly to the side as he sniffed the air.

"Brooklynn?" She heard him question in quiet confusion, turning around.

Darius startled slightly at her unexpected presence, and for the quickest of moments, it didn't seem as though he even her recognized her.

"Brooklynn." He said again, louder this time, his voice a mixture surprise and relief. She could see his eyes widen as he took her in, jaw dropping ever so slightly. It was working. She felt herself blushing, possibly harder than she'd ever blushed before, but for once, Brooklynn didn't care.

"So what if he sees, it won't matter in a few minutes anyway….not after I tell him…the truth." She thought, swallowing hard.

"Hey." She said quietly, almost bashfully.

"H..hey." Darius stuttered in return.

"You…want some company?" She asked with borrowed confidence.

"Uh..sure" He answered, shaking his head, visibly trying to focus his thoughts.

Brooklynn, swallowed her nerves and forced a smile, stepping forward to lean against the railing next to him, looking out towards the storm that was nearly upon them. She could feel his eyes on her, feel his questions and his thoughts, he definitely knew something was up.

"Y..you look….." Darius stuttered nervously.

"Sometimes a girl just wants to look pretty." She shrugged, cutting him off, doing her best to seem nonchalant.

Silence hung between them as he turned and stared back into the storm.

"You always do." He said quietly, without looking at her.

Brooklynn's heart raced. A simple compliment, any other time, she wouldn't have thought much of it. Chocking it up to Darius being polite rather than something he actually meant.

But this time was different….Brooklynn knew he meant it, she could feel it in the air. This was her moment, the timing would never be better. Alone on the balcony, staring out over the park, she noticed her left hand on the railing…barely three inches from Darius's right hand.

Head spinning and belly full of butterflies, Brooklynn gently slid her hand over and lay her pinky finger atop his.

They'd held hands before….but it was different….every one of those times it was about comfort…about being there for each other….this, this…was something else completely. It was just a simple touch, yet it symbolized so much more. Waves of relief washed over her.

And then his hand moved away.

The butterflies in her stomach turned to daggers as her fragile confidence collapsed. Praying it was a simple mistake, Brooklynn glanced over. Darius wasn't meeting her eyes….intentionally….it was definitely no mistake.

"I…uh..sorry….I shouldn't have…" She back pedaled, still in a form of shock.

"No, don't be sorry, it's fine, don't even worry about it." Darius blurted out, trying to be reassuring. Still it was obvious he was completely thrown.

An uncomfortable silence filled the gap between them. Neither could find the courage to let their eyes meet. Brooklynn's head was again spinning…but no longer in a good way, her stomach clenching as she tried to process what went wrong.

"Why am I so hurt? This is exactly what I expected….I knew it….I knew it and I did it anyway….God, what was I thinking?" She thought.

"I just…I guess I….was just confused on exactly what we were to each other." She explained weakly, still looking away.

She could feel his eyes turn to her, but she still couldn't meet them.

"We're friends Brooke, best friends, that's not gonna change."

Her eyes were burning. She was determined not to cry, but she could feel them welling up. She wouldn't be able to keep her composure much longer.

"But….after everything we've been through….are we really just friends?"

"Come on Brooklynn, say it. Cat's outta the bag now, just say it."

"Because……because…..Darius, I don't wanna be just friends."

"I don't wanna be just friends."

Words that should have been music to Darius's ears, instead cut him like a knife.

His heart was breaking. He'd been fearing this moment, and had no idea how he'd navigate it when it came.

He'd been able to sense that Brooklynn had convinced herself she had feelings for him. Feelings that weren't real, feelings that were a result of the situation they were in, he couldn't take advantage of that….of her…no matter how he felt about her.

But seeing her like this was more than he'd bargained for.

She'd clearly been planning this…she looked totally normal when he'd come out here fifteen minutes ago, and now….now…he didn't have the words. She'd literally left him speechless.

"Stay strong Darius. She's confused right now. If you really care about her, you won't take advantage of that. Do what needs to be done." He thought.

Finally, she met his eyes.

Darius's stomach ached at the sight. Her eyes were clear and glossy, tears ready to fall, something she was no doubt fighting with everything she had.

There was a flicker of hope behind them, but what he saw in her eyes most clearly was the hurt…the pain of rejection he'd already inflicted. He knew it was about to get worse...that she was going to make him spell it for her. And even though he didn't believe her feelings were real, he knew they were real to her in this moment. And the pain would be too.

"Like I said Brooke, we are more than friends….we're best friends…..but that's it….that's all we can be."

Brooklynn looked as though her whole world had just collapsed. Her lower lip quivered uncontrollably and the first tear, the first of many, started its journey down her cheek, carving a trail through the carefully applied cosmetics.

Darius hated himself.

He knew her, possibly better than she knew herself, and she wasn't one to make herself vulnerable….not like this.

She clearly believed her feelings were real without a single doubt….what's more, she must have been able to sense his growing feelings for her as well. She wouldn't have put herself out there like this if she wasn't already sure.

This was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do. He'd have done anything to gain the favor of a girl like Brooklynn….anything except….take advantage of her heart.

Fate was so cruel.

Darius felt the first rain drop strike his face as Brooklynn struggled to find her voice.

"Why?" She asked quietly, squeezing her eyes closed, preparing for the worst.

"Why what?" Darius faltered.

"Why can't we be more? What's stopping us?...What's stopping you?" She asked, locking eyes with Darius for the first time, a touch of hardness in her voice.

"I…I…" He stuttered as he lost himself in Brooklynn's expression. He'd never seen her look this hurt, not even when he'd lied to her. Then, as now, she'd demanded an explanation….. deserved an explanation. And once again, his attempt would be insufficient.

"I'm……the leader." He said, breaking eye contact, no longer able to stand the pressures of her gaze.

"So? What difference does that make?" She pressed, a little more edge in her voice.

"I have to be impartial."

"Impartial? Darius, what does that even mean?"

"If.. if..we got together, I'd be tempted to put you above the others….put your needs above theirs. I can't play favorites." He tried again

The rain picked up as Brooklynn took a step back, dimly lit by the last rays of the sunset.

"That's the worst explanation I've ever heard. Darius, if you don't like me like that……just say it. Don't make up these lame excuses." She said, her voice taking a dangerous turn.

"It's not an excuse!" He insisted. "As the leader, I need to be focused on our survival, all of our survival. And you, you're just….just…"

"I'm just what Darius? Go on, say it!"

"A distraction." He finished weakly.

Her quiet gasp told him just how deep he'd cut her.

"Wait, Brooklynn…that didn't come out right…" He stammered as she backed away from him, the hurt and shock on her face illuminated by a flash of lightning and punctuated by a crash of thunder.

"A distraction?" She repeated, voice much smaller than normal. "That's all I am to you? A distraction?"

"No! Brooklynn, that's not what I meant, I didn't mean that…I swear!" he tried again, taking a step towards her and reaching out for her hand.

The girl took another step back, shaking her head. "Don't touch me."

Darius felt like he was going to throw up, how had this gone so wrong?

"Brooklynn!" He begged.

It was too late, she was already at the sliding door. In a cruel twist, another flash of lightning revealed her expression one last time, a mixture of hurt, anger, and worst of all…hollowness….a hollowness that made him fear this couldn't be undone, fear that maybe this was the end of the line for them….that this was goodbye.

Without another word she disappeared through the door, leaving him standing in the pouring rain.

Darius fell to his knees and let the tears flow. All he'd wanted was to do the right thing….to protect himself, but more so her, from future heartache. His intent was to sacrifice what he so deeply wanted for what was best for her…..and in doing so, he'd destroyed her….he'd destroyed them….how did it go so wrong?

"Look, all I'm trying to say is that if you keep acting like there's nothing there, then one day you're gonna turn around……and there won't be."

Kenji's words from earlier echoed in his mind.

"Was I wrong?" He thought. "Is it possible her feelings were genuine? I knew she would be hurt. I knew she would be upset. But….I didn't expect it to be that bad."

Suddenly, a degree of panic crept into his mind.

"What if everyone else was right and I was wrong? What if this was real?...what if they were right and I was just too scared accept it? What if…..what if I just destroyed the best thing that ever would have happened to me……?"

Darius sank further…sitting on the balcony in the middle of a storm, both physically and emotionally.

"No" He resolved. "No, I'm just letting them get in my head. I did what had to be done. For Brooklynn's sake.

"That's all I am to you? A distraction?"

Her words, the brokenness in her voice, came back to him.

"Of course you're more than that." He Said aloud. "I need to explain it better to her….then she'll understand. I've gotta fix this."

Taking a deep breath, he stood, and headed for the door.

Brooklynn felt as though she'd been kicked in the stomach. She was so upset that it physically hurt.

How could she have interpreted things so wrong? This couldn't be real.

But it was real, she was reminded of it the moment she stepped through the door, greeted by three excited faces.

"Well?" Sammy questioned excitedly, "Are you official?"

It took only milliseconds for them to read her face.

"Idiot!" Kenji sighed, shaking his head and crossing his arms. "Stupid, stubborn, son of a…."

"Nooooo, Brooke what happened?" Sammy groaned sympathetically.

Yaz said nothing, letting out a long slow breath in an obvious attempt to keep her temper in check.

It was too much, way too soon.

Fresh tears fell as Brooklynn bolted past them, disappearing out the door into the hallway.

"Welp I'm gonna go beat some sense into our fearless leader." Yasmina stated, sitting up straight. "Who's with me?"

"Cool it Yaz." Kenji interceded, placing a hand on the athlete's shoulder. "Do you really think he's in any better shape than she is right now? He obviously screwed this up royally, but he loves her….and he's terrified of that….we all know it. I'm sure he feels bad enough as it is."

"Psht" Yaz snorted, knocking Kenji's hand away and crossing her arms. "Since when are you the rational one?"

"I have layers." He answered.

"Pfff! Whatever." She shot back, rolling her eyes.

"I'm gonna go talk to her." Sammy said, getting up and following after Brooklynn.

A moment later, Darius, head hung, soaking wet, stepped through the door.

"H..hey guys" he acknowledged, giving a weak, and obviously fake smile.

"What the hell did you say to her?" Yasmina snapped protectively.

Kenji sighed in exasperation, elbowing the athlete.

Darius looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Clearly distraught, he was caught completely off guard by Yasmina's venom.

"I…I…." He stuttered.

"What mama bear here means is…" The VIP started, sending the girl a "behave yourself" glare, "What happened out there bruh?"

"I…I don't really know." The younger boy said, holding his hands to the sides of his head. "All I know is I have to talk to her. She in the other room?"

"Hallway. Sammy's with her." Kenji explained. "But maybe…..give her some time, yeah? She seemed pretty upset….and, don't take this the wrong way but, I kinda think you're the last person she wants to talk to right now."

Darius let out a defeated sigh and sat down.

"You're right." He admitted. "Maybe Sammy can get her to calm down and understand this is for the best."

"Don't count on it." He warned.

"Wait, why?" Darius asked.

"Because Sammy doesn't believe that…Darius, NONE of us believe that." Kenji stated, raising his voice a little.

"How many times do I have to explain this….." Darius started

"Doesn't matter, you're still wrong!" he snapped back. "You're not fooling anybody D….except for maybe yourself. Look, we get it, it's scary, you're afraid of getting hurt, who wouldn't be? But that's just part of life. A risk you gotta take. You gotta man up bro."

Darius looked to Yaz for backup. He could already feel the tears welling up again.

"Nope, as much as I hate it, I'm with Kenji on this. He's actually right for once." She said flatly.

Darius visibly deflated, unable to argue any longer, they had him.

"Look, Darius, it's fine to be scared…but right now, that fear is actively hurting Brooklynn. If you're not willing to take the risk and give things a shot, then Dude, ya gotta stop leading her on. This isn't fair to her."

"You're right…I never meant….I've gotta fix this." He muttered.

"Yes, you do." Kenji sighed, shaking his head. Dude, you're the smartest kid I know, but sometimes that skull of yours is thick as a Pachycephalosaurus."

Darius and Yasmina both stared at him.

"What? ..I know things." He said defensively, crossing his arms. "Uh….those are the ones that run around head butting stuff right?"

Darius nodded, visibly impressed.

"Okay good. Now…..get out there and fix this thing with Brooklynn so we can all go to bed, I'm tired." He finished.

"How? You been napping all day." Yaz snorted, resulting in a dismissive wave from the older teen.

Before Darius could get to his feet, Sammy came through the door.

"Hey Sammy…..soo, how upset is she? I gotta fix this, but if she won't talk to me….."

"No idea, I can't find her anywhere!" Sammy announced, cutting Darius off.

The other three campers were on their feet in an instant.

"Whaddya mean you can't find her?" Yasmina snapped. "You were right behind her!"

"I know!" Sammy agreeed. "I thought she'd just be in the hallway, but she wasn't. I even went down the hall, opening each door and calling for her….nothing."

"She wouldn't leave right? Like leave the hotel?" Kenji asked.

"She's heartbroken, not stupid." Yasmina snapped in response.

"Still, we've gotta find her, not everywhere in the hotel is as secure as it used to be." Darius added. "If anything happens to her it'll be completely my fault…..again." He thought sadly.

"Okay, Sammy, you said you called for her in the other rooms, but didn't actually go in?" Kenji asked.

"That's right." The cowgirl confirmed.

"Okay, I'll start actually checking the rooms." He stated.

"I'll check the other floors." Sammy offered.

"I've got the lobby and kitchen." Yaz announced.

"I'll check our room on the second floor…maybe she went back there." Darius guessed.

"Don't worry D, we'll find her." Kenji said, clamping a reassuring hand on the younger boy's shoulder before entering the neighboring room.

"Yeah" He mumbled, more to himself than anyone else. "But what do I say to her when we do."

"A distraction…" The memory of Darius's words sent a new wave of hurt churning through Brooklynn's stomach.

"How could he say something so cruel? How could he say that? How could he look me in the eyes and tell me I meant so little to him?" How can this actually be happening?"

The girl was numb, her mind stuck in a feedback loop of disbelief and hurt.

The logical side of her knew Darius wasn't the best with words when he was under pressure, that it had all likely come out very different than he intended. But the logical side of her wasn't in control at the moment.

"It was all a lie." She thought in defeat, her forehead pressed against the door, uncontrolled tears eating away at what was left of the makeup she worked so hard on.

"He…he never thought about me like that. I've been in the friend zone the whole time. He's too good for me….and he knows it."

Turning, she slid down the door and pulled her knees to her chest.

"I messed everything up." She whispered to herself. "I always mess everything up."

"Nothings ever gonna be the same, not after this, it can't be….we can't go back….it's over…..I'm alone." She thought as her mind spiraled.

"He'll be looking for me soon." She realized. "He'll come to make peace…more lies to make me feel better….I can't. I can't do this, I can't face him, any of them, I've gotta get away."

"Gotta get away."

Shaking, the wounded girl took a breath and stood, turning to face the door.

"I can't do this." She whispered again.

A moment later, Brooklynn opened the door and stepped into the driving rain.

Back in the hotel, Darius too, was fighting a numbed state of disbelief. Caught in a whirlwind of emotion, the boy drifted between being sure he'd done the right thing, and second guessing everything he'd come to believe.

He'd be lying if he said the thought that maybe Brooklynn's feelings were genuine didn't make his heart beat faster…didn't spark a warmth in his chest that he didn't quite understand, but at the same time, the possibility filled him with fear.

Even if it were true….if it was real, it would only be temporary. While he might be enough for her on the island, where her options were limited to say the least, he'd never be good enough to keep her once they got home. She could have anyone she wanted…..there was no way he could measure up.

"Doesn't matter now anyway" He thought sadly, "Not after this, I'll be lucky if she ever even speaks to me again."

Darius shook his head, forcing himself to focus on the stairs he was descending. Yasmina was still half a flight in front of him. He knew she was mad, he could feel it. But unlike Brooklynn, he was fairly certain she'd get over it before long. However, the athlete's anger had caught him by surprise. He hadn't realized that she and Brooklynn were so close, It made him wonder if there was something he'd missed.

"Maybe I've been missing a lot of things lately." He thought dismally.

A couple of flights later, Darius arrived on the second floor landing, Yaz, continuing on to the lobby, shot him a quick nod of acknowledgement.

Staring at the door to the room they once occupied, memories flooded his mind.

The first time he'd seen this particular door, he'd been carrying Brooklynn, barley clinging to life, who's future was nowhere near certain. He remembered laying her down and stepping back so that Sammy could work on her. He remembered the blood, her blood. He remembered the look on her face, begging him to stay with her, as he left to get the first aid kit.

Darius half expected that same grisly scene to greet him as he slowly opened the door. But instead, only emptiness, lit by his ever dimming LED light, stared back at him.

Sighing heavily, he stepped inside, letting the door close behind him.

"Oh Brooklynn…..where are you?" he asked quietly, more to himself than anyone who might be inside.

A sudden thump from another room snapped him to attention.

Cautiously, he followed the sound until he was standing in front of the room he and Brooklynn used to share.

"Of course she came back here." He thought.

"Brooklynn?" He called, knocking lightly on the door. "Can we talk?"

There was only silence.

"Look, you have every right to be mad." He started again. "I…I know how it sounded back there….but I really didn't mean it like that. It's just..well, sometimes, when I talk to you, I get nervous…..and then I start putting my foot in my mouth. Like when I told you your face was why I was having trouble looking at you, for example."

Still, there was no response.

"It came out wrong, and it hurt you. But just like tonight, it wasn't even close to what I meant." He continued, reaching down and gently turning the door handle.

Slowly swinging the door open, he saw….no one.

"Brooklynn?" He asked quietly, stepping into the room.

From a dresser next to him, a Compsognathis shrieked in response, lunging out and narrowly missing his ear, sending Darius scrambling backwards with a very unmasculine yelp of surprise.

Immediately, the little carnivore hopped to the ground and disappeared down the hall, leaving Darius to collect himself.

"Touching." Yasmina commented from the shadows, nearly giving him his second heart attack in the last ten seconds. "I'm sure that compy really appreciated your apology."

"YAZ!" He yelled in surprise, "How the heck do you always just appear out of nowhere like that? I thought you were a runner, not a ninja

Smirking in amusement, she stepped forward. "I can move silently when I need to. Any sign of her?"

"No, nothing, you?" He asked.

"No, no sign of Brooklynn but…..there's something you need to see." She said, turning and motioning for him to follow.

Darius swallowed hard. There wasn't a single situation that he could think of where that statement would lead to anything good. Fortunately, he wouldn't have to wait long to find out.

Yasmina led him down the stairs to the door to the lobby, pushing it open and stepping aside so he could see what she was referring to.

The sound of wind and rain filled the room, far louder than it should have been. Darius's heart skipped.

"She left…she actually left…..the doors are wide open." He thought as his eyes again filled.

"I assume it wasn't like this when you were here earlier?" Yasmina asked.

"No" he said quietly, as he moved forward to investigate.

He was in shock. He couldn't believe she was hurt enough to actually leave. And even more unbelievable was the fact that she'd leave the doors open, risking letting predators into the building….clearly she wasn't thinking straight.

Something crunched beneath his feet.

"Glass." Darius said, crouching down to inspect the shards littering the ground. "The doors weren't left open……they're shattered. Brooklynn didn't do this….this glass is on the inside….whatever broke it came from…." He didn't need to finish.

"Something got in." Yaz whispered solemnly. "What would come through the glass? Raptor?"

"Maybe….or maybe something worse." He answered cryptically. "We need to find Brooklynn…. Now!"

"Okay, split up? Check each room?" she asked, snapping into mission mode.

"No!, no splitting up. We search every room, but we do it together." He ordered. "I don't see how they could've gotten any further than the lobby, but I'm not taking any chances."

"Uhh, what exactly do you mean by 'they'?" Yaz asked nervously as they began their room to room search.

"Troodons." He answered quietly. "The dinosaurs that hunted us in the tunnels. They trapped me and Brooklynn in a control room…came through the glass…they're the reason we ended up in the water."

"And…they're worse than raptors?" she asked skeptically.

"They're smaller, but they're pack hunters like raptors. Just as intelligent…maybe even more so. But unlike raptors, they're venomous. Take a bite from one of them and it's over. It starts with hallucinations, but not just any hallucinations, think rabies…violent, aggressive. If one of us was bit…we could hurt or even kill each other during the hallucination stage." He warned.

"What's after the hallucination stage?" Yaz asked after a moment of silence.

"Pain…unyielding pain. Followed by convulsions, spasms, utter disorientation. Then paralysis…and eventually brain death." He finished.

"Yeah, uh, let's try to avoid those things." She suggested, sounding a little unnerved.

"If you're lucky, they'll simply kill and eat you once the venom incapacitates you…..but if you're unlucky…..Troodons have been known to tear open the torso of their paralyzed, but still living, victims and lay a clutch of eggs in their abdomen….using you as a living incubator, at least till the venom runs its full course." He added.

"You're making that last part up!" Yaz accused. "Who in their right mind would revive something like that?"

"Dr. Laura Sorkin." He answered. "Though I wouldn't exactly say she was 'In her right mind'."

"Never heard of her." Yaz said, shaking her head as checked one of the last rooms on the first floor.

"Not surprised." He nodded. "She was going to be the head geneticist at Jurassic Park, but I guess she was kind of a loose cannon. Anyway, Wu ended up with the job and Sorkin got tucked away in her own lab on the other side of the island. Kind of an 'outta sight, outta mind' deal. And that's where she made the Troodons."

"Never heard of those either." Yaz admitted.

"Again, I'm not surprised." He explained. "See, when Sorkin showed them to Hammond, he was less than impressed. They didn't really fit his idea of an attraction. That, along with the fact that they were rather difficult to keep contained, like compys, and how dangerous they were when they did escape, convinced him they weren't worth the liability. He ordered Sorkin to euthanize every last one of them."

"So then why are they here?" She asked.

"Dr. Sorkin lied." He said. "She told Hammond that she carried out his orders, but in reality, she locked them away in the quarantine pens and continued to study and breed them. Nobody knows how many there were by the time Nedry sabotaged the place and allowed them to escape."

"So they've just been living wild since the first park? That doesn't make sense, Masrani wouldn't let them just roam free, not if they were so dangerous." Yaz argued.

"No, he wouldn't. Supposedly InGen exterminated them before the Masrani take over." He explained. "So either the pack that attacked us has been hiding here the whole time or….."

"Someone picked up where Sorkin left off." Yaz finished.

"Exactly!" He agreed.

"Wait….remember what Eddie said? Wu was creating 'monsters'….I thought he was talking about the Indominus….but maybe it was…something else." Yaz remembered.

Darius stopped and stared at the athlete.

"I forgot all about that." He said. "I guess I wouldn't be surprised."

"Don't really care where they came from….just as long as they stay away from us. I suppose there's no treatment for their venom either, is there?" She asked.

"Heavy duty tranquilizers are supposed to counteract it. I read that Gary Harding, Jurassic Park's veterinarian, once used a dart from a tranquilizer rifle successfully…..but without knowing how to dose it….I mean, too much kills you, not enough and the venom kills you. Just not a situation I wanna be in, Plus I have no idea if that story was even true." Darius explained.

"Yeah, I'd rather not find out." Yaz answered, shooting him a worried look.

Darius knew exactly what that look meant. They had already searched the entire first floor, and were nearly done with the second floor, and still, no sign of Brooklynn.

"Um..I really didn't want to bring this up, but…what if Brooklynn was in the lobby when…" She said hesitantly.

Darius tensed, eyes closed.

"I didn't see any blood." He said after a deep breath. "And I'm trying my best to keep that thought out of my mind. She's here, somewhere……she has to be."

"Okay." She nodded. "Let's hit the third floor."

Yaz knew exactly how Darius felt. She'd been fighting those same thoughts since she first stepped foot in the lobby.

Darius was right of course, there was no blood, no sign Brooklynn had actually been there, but that didn't really mean anything. After all, wasn't it possible that she'd been grabbed and pulled out of the building before she even had a chance to really bleed? And what If she'd just been hooked by her clothing, like when Yasmina had lost her jacket to the Spinosaurus? Both of those situations would explain the lack of blood.

The logic was flimsy at best and they knew it. Still, Darius and Yaz accepted it happily, rather than dwell on the alternative. Even though, every empty room, every empty floor, brought them closer to that terrible possibility.

"I'm sure you're right and she's fine. The others probably already found her. The only reason for her to be in the lobby would be if she was leaving and even though she was upset, she wouldn't do something so dumb." Yaz said, trying to convince herself more than anything.

"You did." He said flatly.

A shot of pain fueled anger rose in the athlete.

"I had to find….." She snapped before stopping herself. "Yes….I did. And Brooklynn saw exactly how that turned out. She wouldn't make the same mistake…….no matter how bad you hurt her."

Darius froze, caught off guard by the Yasmina's comment.

Guilt immediately washed over her. She was still angry about how Darius had handled the situation earlier, felt that he was being monumentally selfish, and if she was being honest, if something had happened to Brooklynn, she held him at least partially responsible.

But at the same time, she knew this was the last thing in the world he wanted. She didn't understand his logic, but she knew somehow he thought he was doing the right thing, and it wasn't really fair to blame him for that.

But moreover, she knew Darius was already blaming himself a thousand fold more than she ever could……and throwing it in his face, no matter how angry or worried she was, was just plain wrong.

"Sorry." She muttered. "That wasn't fair. I know you didn't want this. I'm just…..worried."

"Me too." He said, lifting his head to make eye contact. "But, you're not wrong, I should have handled that differently, and now, whatever happens, that's on me."

Yaz opened her mouth to argue but Darius quickly raised a hand to silence her, his head snapping to stare down the third floor hall.

"Shhhhh, I hear something."

Yaz held her breath, listening through her now permanently damaged hearing, for whatever it was Darius was focusing in on.

"Please be Brooklynn, please be Brooklynn." She prayed to whatever God might be listening.

"It's the others." Darius said quietly, moving to meet them, clearly anxious to see if they'd found anything.

Yasmina's heart sank. If they were still looking, then they obviously hadn't found her. The entire hotel….no Brooklynn. Terrible images began to force their way into her mind, her imagination giving life to her worst fears. She suddenly wished she'd never heard the name "Troodon" nor learned what they were capable of.

On autopilot, she approached the group of campers, the worry on their faces confirming what she already knew. She was lightheaded, her feet were heavy, and her stomach was in a fresh knot.

"They didn't find her….she's gone….just gone…..just like Ben."

The thought brought bile up in her throat, as her thoughts turned inward. A million memories flashing through her mind at once. Memories of the spoiled brat she'd fist met, far too focused on fame and her phone to even really notice anyone but herself. Memories of that same girl bravely standing up in a speeding zodiac to fire a flare into the lunging mouth and a giant swimming dinosaur. Memories of seeing her broken and bloodied after a near miss with not only another dinosaur, but also a poisonous snake. Memories of talks, of jokes, of laughter, of her smile just before she went to meet Darius on the balcony, of……family. And for a second, a small smile almost formed.

But then the memories turned. She saw the hurt in Brooklynn's eyes as she'd tried to push her away, the fountain of blood as Sammy worked on her after the tunnels, the screams of pain from the iodine. She saw imagined images of the girl who viewed her as a sister, crying in the lobby as the front doors shattered, saw her being dragged screaming from the lobby to the jungle to be torn apart by a pack of bloodthirsty reptiles. She saw herself and the others searching in vain.

And then she saw Ben. Eyes wide with terror and wet with tears as he fell from the monorail and disappeared into the night….it was the last image she had of him.

Her last image of Brooklynn hadn't been much better, running past her To the door, sobbing from a broken heart, oh, why hadn't she followed her.

"If I'd have got off my ass and followed her, she'd still be…."

"Yaz! You still with us?" Kenji asked giving her shoulder a shake, pulling her out of her thoughts.

The girl opened her mouth to speak but was unable to find her voice, so she simply nodded.

"Can you think of any place she might hide? Any place she might try to go?" he asked, desperation brimming in his words.

"N..no, I thought she'd just be in the hallway, just needed some space." She answered, hating how weak and pathetic her voice sounded.

"So did I." Sammy said, moving to put a hand on Yasmina's shoulder.

Yaz lifted her eyes to make contact with Sammy's but the empathy she expected was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a spark, a glimmer of hope, as if the cowgirl had just remembered something important.

"Guys, I think I might know where she

is."

Mere minutes later they arrived, out of breath, at the top of the stairs, at the door leading to the roof.

"She's been here!" Sammy exclaimed. "The floor's wet, this door's been opened since it started raining, it has to be her!"

Darius placed a trembling hand on the door knob before turning to face the others.

"Uh, guys?...I kinda think I should….I need to……" He didn't even need to finish his sentence before everyone seemed to nod in understanding and take a step back.

"Go ahead junior, go fix this." Kenji nodded.

Darius nodded in return and turned back to the door.

"Darius?" Yaz heard herself say, causing her friend to turn back to her. "Just…..be honest with her…you owe her that. And maybe for once, be honest with yourself."

The younger boy flashed her a small grin, though it didn't quite reach his eyes and stepped out the door into the rain. As the door closed behind him, a feeling of dread filled his very soul. There in a flash of lightning was the railing…..and the sheer nothingness beyond.

A terrible thought formed.

Forcing himself forward, his whole body began to tremble.

"She wouldn't…..not over this….she wouldn't….she couldn't……she couldn't have been that upset." He thought, desperately trying to convince himself that he was only working himself up.

However, it was pretty much certain she'd gone to the roof…..and she was nowhere to be seen…..sooooo.

Holding his breath, he reached the railing and looked over, terrified of what he might see. But he saw nothing but empty blackness, it wasn't until another flash of lightning that he could breath a sigh of relief. She wasn't there….she hadn't jumped.

His relief lasted only a moment.

She wasn't there, on the ground, on the roof, or in the hotel, she was just gone. Darius had no choice now but to consider what might have happened in the lobby. If she'd been there when the doors shattered, she was almost certainly dead. And as much as he wanted to fight that possibility, she simply wasn't anywhere else.

He was in shock, numb. After everything they'd been through, It couldn't end like this. He collapsed, burying his face in hands and sobbed in regret.

Darius was so lost in his emotions, he almost missed the clang of metal flexing behind him. Slowly he turned, the dark outline of the air conditioning unit filling his view, however, the unit was large enough for someone to…….

"Brooklynn?" he called, the slightest amount of hope creeping into his voice.

There was no answer, but as the storm lulled momentarily, he thought he could almost hear another sound, a definite human sound, the sound of quiet crying.

Darius's heart hammered in his chest as he scrambled to his feet.

"Please, please, please, please."

Slowly, he made his way along the edge of the unit and there, hidden behind it, barley visible in his dying LED light, a dark shape sat huddled against the cold, wet, sheet metal.

"BROOKLYNN!" He cried out, dropping to his knees to hug her.

"Don't!" She snapped, scooting away from him and pulling her knees tightly to her chest. "Just leave me alone!"

Darius paused, taken aback. It was too dark to see anything but her dim silhouette, but he could see her body jerk with silent sobs. Still, the hurt and guilt that should have consumed him in that moment was nothing compared to the relief that washed over him.

The boy flopped down onto his back at Brooklynn's feet, taking deep breaths and grinning up at the sky.

"Thank God……Thank God you're alive….Thank God I found you…." He sighed out.

Brooklynn stopped and lifted her head slightly, a realization suddenly dawning on her.

"I…I didn't mean for you to think….."

"It's fine" He said, taking another deep breath. "What's important is that you're safe."

"Sorry….I would never make you guys think that on purpose." She sighed.

"We know, it's okay, it's me who needs to apologize, not you."

"Don't bother, I'm fine." She snapped, voice harsh from crying.

"Oh Brooklynn." He sighed. "I really screwed that up back there huh?"

"I really don't wanna talk about this with you Darius, just please, leave me alone. I know where you stand……and I'll get over it….just maybe not right away. Now go back to the others, I'm fine, I'll be in later." She pleaded.

"That's the thing Brooke, you don't know where I stand…..and that's my fault, I've done nothing but send you mixed signals, I see that now." He tried explaining.

"I think you were pretty damn clear, I feel one way about you and you feel another about me." She snapped.

"Do you seriously think I don't wanna be more than friends with you Brooklynn?" He said, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're beautiful, smart, funny, brave, Brooklynn you're the most prefect girl I've ever met, how on earth could you believe I don't want to be more than friends?"

"STOP IT!" She yelled, jumping to her feet and looking as if she would run away at any moment. "STOP LYING, YOU'RE ONLY MAKING IT WORSE!"

"ITS TRUE" He yelled back, jumping up to face her and grabbing the sides of his head in frustration. "Everything I've ever said to you has been true."

"Yeah, I call BS on that!" She snapped.

"When have I not been truthful? Other than the first time Sammy and I got firewood, name one time I've ever lied to you?" He challenged.

"Under the waterfall." She croaked, her anger fading into hurt. "I…I made it pretty clear how I felt about you….and you made me believe you felt the same….made me believe you liked me like I liked you."

Darius paused, looking to the ground before answering. "You're right Brooke, Under the waterfall, I wasn't completely honest about how I felt about you."

Her face broke again as she bit her lip, trying to contain her emotions.

"Under the waterfall, I realized……realized……that I love you." He finished quietly.

A small gasp escaped Brooklynn's lips as her eyes widened.

"It's true." Darius confirmed. "I love you Brooklynn….. I have the whole time….it just took almost losing you for me to see it."

For a moment she stood in shock, just staring at him, but before he could even process what was going on, everything changed.

"LIAR!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. "YOU'RE JUST TELLING ME WHAT I WANT TO HEAR! That's all you've been doing the whole time. Now take it back!"

"That's…..That's not true! Brooklynn! How can you believe that? I'm telling the truth!" He pleaded, barley comprehending what was happening.

"YOU'RE LYING!" She screamed. "TAKE! IT! BACK!"

In a burst of blind emotion, Brooklynn shoved the boy….hard….with both hands, catching him completely off guard and sending him tripping over his own feet. Darius landed hard on his back, a flash of light shooting across his vision as his head bounced off the roof.

Brooklynn gasped, covering her mouth with a shaking hand. Darius lay unmoving before her.

"D…Darius?" She cried almost inaudible over the storm, her other hand reaching hesitantly toward his fallen form.

She wanted to run. Both to him and from him at the same time. Guilt and shame sending fresh rounds of sobs through her soaking wet body.

"Please….I didn't mean….D..Darius?" She cried again.

Darius groaned and sat up, rubbing the lump on the back of his head. Brooklynn's heart literally crumbled in her chest when their eyes met. He showed no anger, no blame, only sadness.

She couldn't take it anymore. It wasn't safe for him to be around her. She had to get away.

"Brooklynn" He called gently, reaching up for her.

The girl shook her head and took a step back.

"You…you should have stayed away form me……you should have just left me alone….." She whimpered.

"It's okay Brooklynn, I know you didn't mean it." He reassured her, recognizing she was about to break down completely.

"Stop being so nice to me." She snapped, her eyes wild and pained. "Can't you see this isn't working?"

"What isn't working Brooklynn? Help me understand."

"THIS!" She shouted, motioning between the two of them. "I don't think I can do this Darius….I don't think….I don't think we can be……friends."

Darius had seen Brooklynn emotional before, but nothing like this, no, this was a whole new level and suddenly he realized why. He'd been dead wrong. Her feelings were real…..how could he have dismissed them so quickly.

"You don't mean that." He said quietly. "You can't."

Brooklynn took a deep breath and tried to pull herself together.

"I think it will be better for both of us if we…….if we……just stay….God I can't do this." she cried, breaking down again.

"l have to be alone." She blurted out, spinning on her heel and walking away.

"I WAS SCARED, OKAY!" Darius yelled after her. "That's why I pushed you away……because I was scared."

Brooklynn stopped in her tracks, tilting her head to listen but refusing to turn around.

"I let my fear cloud my judgment." He began explaining. "I meant what I said, about you being the perfect girl, and I thought….What would someone like you see in someone like me. I just….I just assumed that eventually, you'd realize you could be with anyone you want and I'd……I'd….."

"You'd what?" She asked, her voice a bit softer, though she still wouldn't face him.

"That I wouldn't be enough for you anymore." He admitted.

He watched as her shoulders fell. She was listening, that was a good sign. Slowly, he got to his feet.

"I only wanted to protect both of our hearts." He continued, moving slowly towards her. "I thought you were confused. Thought the only reason you would like me was because of the circumstances. I didn't believe your feelings for me were real. I thought if I gave in and returned them, that I'd be taking advantage of you."

He was right behind her now. Both of them soaked to the core by the torrential rain. Slowly she turned to face him.

"Look." She started out. "I know you care about me. A lot. I never had any doubt about that. And I know you want me to be happy. The problem is, I know that you'd do…….or say…….anything to make it happen. Wanting me to be happy and loving me aren't the same thing Darius. You want to make me happy because that's who you are……not because you love me."

"You're…..you're wrong…..I swear." He argued, sensing the walls going up around her heart. Darius knew he was on the verge of losing her and if he didn't convince her now, he'd never be able to.

"I…I wish I could believe you." She said sadly.

In the same moment a flash of lightning illuminated her features in vivid detail.

The sight shattered Darius even further. Brooklynn was a wreck, miles away from the girl that greeted him on the balcony. Her form fitting clothing, now soaked, clung to her body like saran wrap. Her makeup mostly washed away, save for traces of mascara and their dark stains beneath her eyes. Her freshly brushed hair now plastered to her neck and face.

But most distressing of all was her eyes.

Those perfect blue/green eyes that were always so full of life, shown empty, hollow……..broken. It was her eyes that scared him the most.

"But I don't." She finished, regret heavy in her voice.

Her meaning was clear, this was goodbye, at least in terms of the closeness they'd shared. She'd put herself out there and been burned. Now her defenses were up, and she was pulling away.

The exact scenario that Kenji had warned him about was coming to pass and there was nothing he could do to prove his feelings were true.

It was ironic really.

Brooklynn looked into Darius's eyes one last time, a thousand unspoken regrets passing between them…….and turned away.

"Brooklynn, wait!" He panicked, grabbing her hand and spinning her back to face him.

It was now or never.

Brooklynn's entire world stopped spinning the moment his lips landed on hers.

Butterflies erupted in her stomach and spread throughout her entire body, chasing away the hurt that filled her soul only moments before.

Darius kissed her……was kissing her…..like, really kissing her. She was in shock. Was she even kissing him back or was she just standing there like an idiot? She couldn't even tell.

She was completely overwhelmed. She felt her walls collapse and crumble around her, every fear, every insecurity evaporating like dew in the morning sun.

And then, just as suddenly, he pulled back, even as her lips chased after his. In a daze, her eyes fluttered open to find Darius staring at her, his eyes wide with shock and…..fear?

"Brooklynn….I'm..I'm so sorry. I should have asked, I….I didn't mean to….."

It was such a classic Darius reaction that she couldn't help but smile.

"Shut up dino nerd." She breathed, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and pulling his lips to hers.

Almost immediately she felt him relax, his arms wrapping her waist and pulling her in closer. In that moment, nothing beyond the two of them mattered. Not the storm raging around them, not the wind, not the rain, not even Sammy's excited squeals or Kenji's cheers, because of course it was too much to ask for this moment between them to be private.

Instead, they focused solely on each other.

Brooklynn no longer harbored a single doubt about the sincerity of Darius's words. Not just because she believed them, but because she could now feel them.

When they kissed, something inside her changed. Like tumblers inside a lock being moved into place for the first time, like a piece of her that she never knew was broken, was suddenly made whole. For the first time ever, she felt complete .

Brooklynn knew immediately that she'd found the one she'd spend the rest of her life with. However long that might be.

The kiss broke with both of them breathing heavily, staring into each other's eyes. To Darius's relief, those eyes once again shown brighter than the midday sun. Brooklynn moved her hand up to the back of his neck and pulled his forehead against hers.

"I love you too." She whispered.

"I know." He whispered back.

"But so help me, if you EVER assume you know my feelings better than me again…….I'll feed you to Rexy myself. Is that clear?" She warned.

"Perfectly." He answered simply.

"Good" She said, closing her eyes and leaning in for another sensual but short kiss.

"Uh…As much as I'd love to just stand out here in the rain all night and watch you two suck face……I'm going to bed. I suggest you two peel yourselves apart and come change into some dry clothes before you both die of hypothermia." Yaz interrupted in her classic deadpan.

"Yeah, not much chance of that." Brooklynn laughed, looking to Darius and fanning herself with her hand.

"Oh for crying out…..whatever, suit yourself, I'm goin to bed." The older girl answered, rolling her eyes good naturedly.

"She's got a point." Darius spoke up. "Your lung is still healing and this cold damp air can't be good for it."

"You worry too much." She smiled.

"I've never had so much to lose." He answered simply.

Brooklynn grinned, feeling the blush once again creeping up her neck.

"Fine." She agreed. "Honestly, I'm looking forward to cuddling you tonight anyway."

"No different than any other night." He pointed out.

"Yes it is."

"How so?"

"Because now I can hold you and know you're all mine." She smiled, leaning in for another quick kiss.

Now it was Darius's turn to blush.

"And I always will be." He assured her.

"Promise?"

"I promise"

Ben awoke in a cold sweat.

He knew he must have had a nightmare, yet he couldn't remember anything about it. Only the feeling of dread it left him with.

The feeling was similar to the time he was sure something was wrong with Yasmina, but not quite the same. This time, there was no specific person he was worried about, no accompanying nightmare to provide him with clues.

Well, at least not one he could remember.

In fact, he wasn't even sure anything was wrong at all, just that something felt……off.

Confused, Ben sent up a quick prayer of protection over those he held dear and tried to go back to sleep.

It was no use.

Try as he might, all he could do was stare at the ceiling and listen to the storm, though it seemed the worst of it was already over. The constant wind and driving rain had been replaced with occasional high speed gusts and short heavy showers, typically following moments of quiet.

"Well at least the storm is dying down." He thought in a moment of silence.

Somewhere in the distance he heard an odd booming sound. Odd enough to make him sit up, but not enough to panic.

" That didn't sound like thunder." He thought, trying decide if he should investigate.

It really wasn't a tough decision, since laying in bed and staring at the ceiling wasn't doing him much good. Slowly, he climbed out of bed and slung his shotgun over his shoulder. He wasn't the biggest fan of moving across the rotunda in the wee hours of the morning, but the only way he'd have a chance at seeing anything at all would be from the lookout.

Silently, he moved across the rotunda floor and up the stairs to the ladder. His stealth had gotten much better in the past month and tonight, he was putting those skills to work.

A moment later he clambered onto the catwalk.

At first he saw nothing. But then as he tried to focus, he could make out an orange glow and a column of smoke in the distance.

In the same place he once saw the glow from the lights of Jurassic World.

"The park is burning." He said to himself. "What the heck happened?"

There was a small part of him that imagined the Costa Rican military coming to put out the fires, but really, this entire island would be listed as a threat, why would they care if it burned.

"Bet there's a lot of supplies burning away right now that I could be using……I should have made a trip to scavenge the park before now." He thought in disappointment.

Suddenly, he caught movement out of his peripheral vision. A point of light, seemingly rising up into the sky from the sea itself.

"What the……" Ben muttered, as the light changed course and traveled through the sky toward the distant glow.

"Is that a……no way, it can't be…." He fell silent as the object dove directly into the glow. A moment later a fireball rolled into the sky, followed a few seconds later by the sound of the explosion.

"The military's hitting the park!" He said out loud. "But….why? They're destroying evidence!"

Suddenly something clicked in his mind.

"If the military, Costa Rican or United States, wanted to destroy the island…..this is definitely not how they'd do it." He reasoned. "They're not destroying the island…..they're destroying something ON the island. They're destroying evidence…..and I have a feeling THEY are not military."

"Wu!" He guessed out loud. "Trying to cover your tracks I see."

"Tomorrow." He thought. "Tomorrow, I'm gonna find out what you were trying to hide. Tomorrow, I'm going to Jurassic World.

"DARIUS! WHATS HAPPENING?" Brooklynn shrieked from the floor as the entire building violently shook and leaned to the side.

His arms were around her and helping her to her feet in an instant.

"Earthquake, bad one. EVERYBODY, DOORWAY, NOW!" He yelled as he kicked the bathroom door open and hauled Brooklynn beneath the frame.

Yasmina was already in action, dragging Kenji and Sammy to the hallway door. The second she opened it, orange light spilled into the room.

"FIRE IN THE HALLWAY!" She yelled, leaving the safety of the door frame to grab a fire extinguisher and attack the flames.

Brooklynn glanced out the sliding door and caught orange from there as well.

"THE WHOLE BUILDINGS ON FIRE!" She cried, as the hotel shook again, causing their balcony to crumble and fall away.

Suddenly she understood…..this was it, this was how they were going to die.

The pinkett buried her face in Darius's chest and waited for the end to come.

And then….the shaking stopped.

"Is everyone okay?" Darius called out, as the building groaned.

Brooklynn nodded and hugged Darius tighter.

"Yeah, I think so." Sammy answered.

"Fire…..why'd it have to be fire" Kenji said with a shudder.

"I cleared a path to the stair well, there's no flame in there, but I've got no idea how much of the hotel is on fire." Yaz reported after suddenly reappearing in the doorway.

All eyes turned to Darius.

"The hotel's structure is compromised, we have to leave….now……before we can't." He said solemnly.

Nobody argued, though the fear and uncertainty of where to go next hung in the air like a thick fog. Moving quickly, the campers silently filed out into the hallway, heading for the stairs.

Darius was just about to open the stairwell door when the entire building again violently shook with another deafening explosion, knocking them to the ground.

In an instant, every outside widow glowed bright orange and Darius heard an ominous whistling noise from the stairwell.

He knew exactly what it was.

"STAY DOWN!" he shouted, throwing himself over Brooklynn and covering his own head with his arms, as the stairwell door exploded off its hinges in a massive fireball and splintered against the wall on the other side of the hall.

"So much for the stairs." Yasmina said, pulling herself to her feet.

Everything was in chaos.

Fires burned up and down the hall, filling the air with thick, black, and likely toxic smoke. The entire building would spasming violently, punctuated by the sounds of falling debris, telling Darius that parts of the hotel were already collapsing.

He could only pray the hallway wouldn't be next.

And then they were in free fall, only to be slammed to the floor again a second later, the building shook and the walls tilted dangerously to the left.

"THE LOWER FLOORS ARE COLLAPSING, WE'VE GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" Their leader yelled.

Without thinking, Kenji jumped up and slapped the down button for the elevator repeatedly, earning a slap to the back of the head from Yasmina.

"Seriously Dingus?" She scolded.

"No stairs, no elevator…..don't you get it Yaz? We're trapped." He cried, panic edging into his voice.

"Don't you think I know that?" She snapped back indignantly. "But panicking isn't gonna get us out of here."

"Darius…..what do we do?" Sammy asked, turning a pleading yet hopeful expression towards their leader.

The campers fell silent as all eyes focused on their youngest member.

"I…..I…..we…"

"We're not getting out of here…….are we?" Brooklynn asked solemnly.

Darius squeezed his eyes shut and hung his head in defeat. This was it, he had nothing. His team had followed him to the bitter end, and now…….it was game over.

In silence, he felt Brooklynn's arm loop around his shoulder, followed by another arm from his other side. Looking up, Sammy smiled and nodded. Taking the hint, Yaz too, stepped forward, throwing her arm around her newly adopted younger sister. Nodding to Sammy, she and the cowgirl each extend their free arms, looking to Kenji.

The VIP stepped into their embrace, closing the circle of friends who'd become closer than family.

"I'm sorry everyone." Darius lamented. "This is all my fault."

"Ya know what, you're right Darius, it is your fault." Yaz interjected.

"Hey!" Brooklynn interrupted.

"If it wasn't for Darius, NONE of us would be in this situation." Yaz continued. "Because none of us would be alive to be here. Darius, without you, every one of us would have been dead weeks ago. I mean, it was bound to happen sooner or later and the only reason we made it as far as we did was you……thank you. Because you kept us going….kept us alive….I found family." She explained, looking at each member of the circle, especially Brooklynn.

"And I found friends." Kenji added. "For the first time in my life….real, true, friends."

"I found both of those things plus something more….." Brooklynn added, casting a smiling glance to Darius.

"Awwww you guys" Sammy gushed, "This would be the sweetest thing ever…….if we weren't all about to die."

"Thanks you guys." Darius started. "it's been a honor and a privilege to……."

"FIRE ESCAPE!" Sammy yelled, interrupting their leader and pointing to the window at the end of the hall.

The window with an "EMERGENCY EXIT" sign mounted above it.

The campers looked at each other in disbelief for only a split second before simultaneously breaking into a run.

At almost the same moment the hotel shifted further. Sammy felt the floor crumbling beneath her but there wasn't time to get out of the way. In a split second she was falling, she barely had time to yell Kenji's name.

A thousand memories played in her mind as she fell. She barely even noticed how bright and hot everything around her became. And then just as suddenly as it began, her fall was stopped.

Sammy hung forty feet above a literal pit of flame, the whole of the lower floors destroyed and ablaze.

Glancing up, she saw a pair of hands clamped around her wrist, followed by Kenji's terrified face at the edge of what used to be the hallway floor.

"Sammy! I've got you!" He yelled down at her.

"Don't let go." She cried on instinct.

"Never!" He reassured her.

She could feel her skin tightening in the heat from the flames beneath her, feel it starting to burn. Suddenly she realized how much worse it must be for Kenji. A quick glance in his eyes confirmed it.

He was terrified….and not just because Sammy's life literally hung in the balance.

The heat, the flame, the smell of burning hair, Kenji was being forced to face his fears, face the memories of the night that nearly killed him. Aside from that, the intense heat on his newly healed face was likely painful.

For a second she wondered why he wasn't pulling her up. And then she watched him slide an inch or so further over the edge. The realization hit her like a mule kick to the guts.

He couldn't pull her up…..On the contrary, she was dragging him in.

It wasn't that he wasn't strong enough. The combination of the angle of the floor and the fact that most of his upper torso was already over the edge robbed him of the leverage he needed. Pulling her up would be impossible under these circumstances, and they both knew it.

Panic filled Kenji's eyes as he yelled for help over his shoulder.

Still, nobody came.

Kenji slid another inch toward the edge. They were out of time. Sammy knew what she had to do.

"NO!" Kenji shouted. "Don't you even think about it!"

Kenji could read Sammy's eyes like a book by this point and knew exactly what she was thinking.

"YAZ HELP!" He yelled over his shoulder, to the athlete standing twenty feet away.

But it was no use. Kenji could see just enough of Yaz to see the look in her eyes. She was frozen. Just like they'd all been on the monorail. She was, no doubt, reliving those memories right now. The look on her face the same as Darius's when he froze up after his fight with Brooklynn a few weeks before. She couldn't help, her mind simply wasn't there.

Beyond Yaz, he caught a glimpse of Darius and Brooklynn, still running for the fire escape, clearly unaware of the life or death struggle playing out behind them. He knew Darius would come the second he realized what was happening…..but by then, it'd be too late.

Yasmina's breath came in short pants as she stared with unfocused eyes at Kenji's form sliding ever closer to the edge. Trapped in her own mind, she fought desperately to make her limbs move, but they remained frozen.

Visions of Ben's face as he fell into the night, Pterosaurs diving after him, alternated with the present, that condemning voice rising up inside of her once again, paralyzing her in fear.

"You will fail her…….just like you failed him." It hissed. "She's right there, you could save her. But you won't, you're too weak. You killed Ben, now you kill Sammy, who's going to be next?"

Yasmina's eyes burned as tears spilled down her cheeks. Once again, the life of someone she loved was hanging in the balance, and once again she was powerless.

Frozen in fear, Yaz could only watch as her friends struggled for their lives.

"They're going to die….because of me." She thought, hating herself more with every passing second. "They're going to die….because I'm too weak."

Darius reached the window first and slammed the glass upwards.

"Come on, get to the ground and get away from the hotel as fast as you can, don't slow down for anything!." He instructed as he basically shoved Brooklynn through the window and onto the metal stairwell.

Only when he spun around to help the others did he realize they were alone.

In near panic, he saw the rest of his team. Kenji hanging over the edge of a massive hole where part of the building had collapsed, and Yasmina standing a few yards away, almost as if in a trance.

It took only milliseconds to understand what had happened.

"We have to help them!" Brooklynn cried, looking back through the window.

"I'll get them, get to the ground, now! We'll be right behind you." He ordered.

"WHAT? NO!" She shouted. "If you're going, I'm going."

"NO!" He shouted back. "Get to the ground. I'm gonna help them but I need to know you're safe!

"DARIUS!"

"JUST GO!" He shouted again.

"FINE! We don't have time to argue, just be careful." The pinkett relented.

"You too!" Darius said, leaning in to plant a quick kiss on her forehead before turning back to run to his friends aide.

"You have to let me go." Sammy said in a voice that was way to calm for the circumstances she faced.

"Not gonna happen!" Kenji argued.

"Kenji, I'm too heavy, I'm dragging you in with me……you have to let me go."

"No! If you fall, I fall. I'm not losing you." He pleaded.

"Go….live, promise me you'll make it home, consider it a last request." She said.

"No! I'm not letting you go!" He reaffirmed as he slid another inch closer to death.

"Then I will." She said sadly.

Her eyes locked with his for a moment, and then she let go.

Kenji clamped his hands down with all his might but without her grip reinforcing his, she started to slip.

"I can't hold you without your help, you have to hang on." He cried out in desperation.

"It's okay Kenji, I know where I'm going….I'm ready. But I won't drag you with me."

"Don't talk like that, I can still get you out of this!" He pleaded.

"You're an amazing person Kenji…so much more than you give yourself credit for. Please don't ever believe anything different. I'm so lucky I got to meet you. From the bottom of my heart, I love you.

Only her fingers remained within his grip.

"I'm losing you." He cried, unchecked tears rolling off his cheeks and mixing with her own as they fell to the flames below.

"For now." She agreed. "But we'll see each other again someday, I have faith in that.

"Sammy….you can't go…I need you." He sobbed.

Sammy smiled up at him, the edges of her jet black hair curling up in the heat.

"Even knowing how this would all turn out, I'd do it all over again……Goodbye Kenji."

The boy cried out in anguish as the love of his life literally slipped through his fingers. But something strange happened.

She didn't fall.

Only then did he notice the second set of hands, that weren't there a second ago, clamped around her other wrist.

"Not…..this…..time." Yasmina growled through gritted teeth.

Hope surged in the cowgirl's eyes as Kenji regained his grip on her other wrist and together, he and Yaz started to pull her up.

Suddenly a third set of hands appeared.

"We got you Sammy." Darius called down to her, grabbing her under the arm.

"No one gets left behind." Brooklynn added, grabbing Sammy under the other arm.

"You're supposed to be on the ground! " Darius yelled.

"And you seriously thought I was gonna listen?" Brooklynn shot back.

Darius knew arguing was pointless. Brooklynn was going to do whatever Brooklynn was going to do….and he wouldn't have her any other way.

Together, the family of campers pulled Sammy back up into the hallway, where she immediately wrapped Kenji in a bear hug. The pair crying together in relief.

However the moment was cut short as the hotel, their home for the last month, began its final collapse.

The campers, as a group this time, made for the fire escape as fast as humanly possible, throwing themselves through the window in a very ungraceful manner.

"Go, go, go, go" Darius commanded, as he followed the group through the window.

Glancing back down the hall, he saw the collapse coming, the spot where Sammy had fallen disappeared completely as the building started to crumble away.

"GOOOOOOOOO, ITS COMING DOWN!" He yelled to the others as they desperately tried to close the distance between them and the ground.

They were only two thirds of the way down when the fire escape separated from the building. For a moment Darius was flying, and then everything went black.

"HE'S OVER HERE!" Darius heard Yasmina yell as his eyes fluttered open. She was crouching above him looking to someone behind him, he assumed Kenji, as he could hear the older boy yelling for Sammy.

"Hey there." She said when she noticed his eyes open. "Are you okay? Is anything hurt?"

"I…don't think so?" He answered after wiggling all his fingers and toes. "I think I'm okay…..Where's…."

A pink haired projectile slammed into his chest before he could even finish the question.

"Thank God you're okay." She breathed, hugging him tight and planting a soft kiss on his lips.

God, he could never get tired of feeling her lips on his.

"We haven't found Sammy" Yaz worried, bringing his mind back into focus.

Yaz and Brooklynn helped their leader to his feet and together they searched the wreckage of the fire escape.

Moments later, they heard a pained groan coming from a pile of concrete and steel.

"SAMMY!" Kenji shouted, diving on the pile and ripping the debris off of her.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes." She smiled weakly.

"Oh my God, Sammy, are you okay?" He asked.

"I…I think so." She answered.

Suddenly Brooklynn gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

"Sammy…..your leg."

The campers stared in shock.

Reluctantly, Sammy followed their eyes.

There, about mid calf, a bloody piece of rebar was impaled through her leg, just behind her shin bone. Six inches of iron stuck up from her flesh

"Oh…" She said, eyes widening. "That's not good."

"W…what do we do Sammy? Kenji asked. "How do we help you?"

The cowgirl bit her lip and tried to lift her leg off of the metal, which resulted only in a cry of agony.

"It's…….no use." She panted. "I can't do it. You're gonna have to pull my leg off that rebar for me. Don't worry, I'll walk you through it."

"What do you need us to do?" Darius asked

"Yaz, I need you to tear my pants leg off. Start at the hole from the rebar and tear it down to the cuff and up to the knee. Then tear it all the way off.

Then I need you to tear a strip about an inch wide lengthwise. Then tear what's left in half.

The rebar is helping to keep the bleeding in check. So when Darius and Kenji pull my leg off of it, I need you to put the two pieces on either side of the wound and tie them in place with the strip. Understand?"

"Whenever you're ready." The athlete nodded.

"Go ahead." She nodded back.

Sammy winced at Yaz jostling her injured leg, but otherwise remained still as Yaz completed her task.

"Ready." She announced, stepping back with her makeshift bandages.

"Okay, Darius, Kenji, this is where you come in." She began. "You and Kenji are each gonna be on one side of the bar and pull straight up and off. Do it smooth, and fast. You're gonna have to use a lot of force, the ribs on that rebar aren't gonna wanna let go."

"But….isn't this gonna hurt, like….a lot?" Kenji asked, clearly hesitant to put her in pain.

Sammy nodded.

"That's why Brooklynn is gonna help me stay still for you, and make sure I don't hit my head if I pass out."

"On it" the pinkett confirmed, moving in to take the cowgirl's head and shoulders in her lap.

"Thank you." Sammy said, smiling up to Brooklynn. "Kenji….Darius….go ahead. Yaz, be ready."

Gently, Darius wrapped his hands around Sammy's lower shin, while Kenji did the same just below her knee.

"Ready?" He asked quietly.

She nodded, holding her breath and squeezing her eyes shut as Brooklynn hugged her tightly in preparation.

"One…..two…..THREE!"

The pain was indescribable. Even with her eyes squeezed shut, colored orbs danced through Sammy's vision as she felt the iron being pulled from her body, the ribs of the rebar grinding against bone.

And then, just as quickly as it began, it was over.

Sammy felt her leg come free, felt the rush of blood, felt Yaz immediately apply pressure. She was just tying off the bandage as she opened her eyes.

"I didn't scream." The Texan stated. "You guys did great!"

"I'm not surprised" Kenji shrugged. "You're tougher than you let on."

"Still, the way you all just came together to help me……I love you guys…soo much!"

Faces hardened with concern melted into grins as the danger seemed to pass.

"Can we move you?" Yasmina asked. "Didn't really have time to think about it before, but we are standing next to an inferno and I'd rather not be cooked alive".

Kenji and Yaz helped Sammy to her feet, with one person on each side of her and together they moved a safe distance from the burning rubble.

As a group, the campers stood and watched everything they'd known for the past month burning away, the realness of their situation finally dawning on them.

"There goes our shelter." Darius said sadly.

"And our food and water." Yasmina added.

"Our medical supplies." Sammy noted.

"Our clothes" Brooklynn mentioned quietly.

They had escaped the hotel wearing only what they were sleeping in, which in Brooklynn's case, was pajama pants and a light t shirt. She didn't even have shoes or a bra, as the pouring rain had made embarrassingly obvious.

It had never dawned on her that the other campers wore their normal clothing to bed partially because they didn't have a handy suitcase full of clothes in their sizes, and partially so they'd be ready if something happened during the night.

Now, her soaked light clothing was letting a unsettling chill into her bones and she realized that tonight, with rain and wind, and lack of shelter, hypothermia would be a very real threat.

Still she refused to mention it. They all had more pressing things on their minds than her being cold.

"This must be how the Titanic survivors felt." Sammy mentioned quietly.

"Are you really still going on about that movie?" Yaz asked in disbelief.

"No, not really." She answered. "I was just thinking. They watched everything, their food, their water, their shelter, everything…..sink into the Atlantic. They were left exposed in the open ocean….waiting for a rescue they weren't sure was coming. I just….can't help but notice the similarly."

Nobody said a word, but everyone understood exactly what she meant. The campers stood in silence, watching the hotel, their own Titanic, burn…..along with everything that had made survival possible over the last month. Now…they were exposed.

A familiar trill broke the silence.

"Pterosaurs." Darius warned, looking up. "The fire's attracting them."

"I hate those things!" Yasmina growled.

"We've got to get to cover." He pressed.

"But….where do we go?" Kenji asked nervously.

"There's only one place to go." Sammy said solemnly.

Without any choice, Darius led his team into the jungle.