Despite the jet lag that everyone was going through, Cassandra and Joseph reluctantly got up at around eight in the morning the next day to start getting ready to go to the zoo. Since it was early summer, they wanted to make sure they got there before it became hot, which would make the animals not be active as much. Regardless, getting up early with jet lag made Cassandra very cranky, and Joseph didn't dare try to talk to her much until she had a cup of coffee. After that, she felt much better.

Due to the situation however, Chris wouldn't let them go by themselves and insisted that they needed at least a few other people to go with them, including himself. So Mandy, Daniela, and Miranda volunteered to join the group with Chris as the supervisor along with a few of his squad mates. Jill and the rest of the squad would watch over the rest of the family as they went to do their own things in the city. As everyone got ready, they decided to all throw on their weird club shirts, something that got a good laugh out of Chris when they went down to the lobby to meet him.

Chris had really thought of everything when it came to protecting Joseph and his family as the car itself had a secret compartment where there was a bag of small firearms stored just in case they needed them, in addition to Joseph and Cassandra's katanas. These precautions definitely made the group feel a lot safer.

The drive to the zoo was thankfully not that long. And when they arrived, the entrance looked pretty cool with a small building serving as the entrance that had some trees surrounding it and the footpath, giving it that pristine, nature feeling. Despite arriving early, the group was already feeling the heat of the sun coming on. So they made sure to apply plenty of sunscreen to their bodies before they entered. The last thing they wanted on this trip was to get a sunburn.

Chris' squadmates volunteered to stay in the parking lot and keep a close eye on who came into the park, which Chris and the others thanked them for. When they entered, Cassandra wanted to go see the Komodo Dragons as she learned that the zoo did indeed have one of the large reptiles, and she was eager to see them. Luckily for her, the rest of the group was okay with that when she asked and they started making their way down the path. One of Chris' rules was that everyone needed to stay together as a group, but nobody minded that. They preferred to see everything together anyway.

They made it to the enclosure after a few minutes, and they immediately spotted the animal they were looking for resting on a large rock, taking in the rising warmth of the morning. It had its head raised in the air and was watching the visitors with curiosity as they came by to see it. It didn't look as big and bulky as the ones everyone saw on national geographic, but they were excited to see one of these enormous reptiles regardless.

"Wow. It's one thing to see them on TV, but it looks even more beautiful to see it in person." Daniela said.

"I agree." Miranda said. "Such an impressive species. You don't see ones like this too often."

"And to think they live on only a handful of islands that would take days to reach. It's crazy to think." Joseph said.

"I wonder why that is." Cassandra said. "I figured a top predator like them would be more widespread than just a couple islands."

"I think you just answered your own question." Mandy said.

Everyone turned to the raven hair girl, curious as to what she meant. Seeing this, she continued.

"Well, the islands are pretty isolated from the rest of the world, which would mean they have a unique ecosystem. They probably are the only places that animals like Komodo Dragons can live and thrive in. Maybe they just can't adapt to live in other areas of the world."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"That makes sense." Chris said. "I'm no zoologist, but I know that adaptation is an important part of a species survival. That was something Umbrella was keen on. If an animal can't adapt, its potential is limited."

"Very true." Joseph said. "Adaptation has always been an important factor in nature. It's why some animals have survived to this day and others haven't."

Miranda nodded.

"Absolutely. Survival of the fittest is what they call it. Adaptation can also be a good strategy for just living your life."

She then turned to her goddaughter,

"Take you for example, Mandy. You wanted to compete in sports, but since you couldn't use your legs, you found a different avenue to thrive in in the form of swimming, and you most certainly thrived in it."

Mandy's face lit up.

"Yeah! I turned a weakness into a strength. And because of that, I was able to do something I love! That's a great-ACK!"

Mandy jumped as she turned around and saw that the Komodo Dragon had gotten off of its perch and had walked over to her. It was now only a couple feet away from the raven haired girl, and was giving her the same curious look as before through the glass.

Daniela giggled.

"Ooooo. Looks like someone is interested in you, babe. Go on, say hi!"

"Yeah, Mandy." Cassandra added. "Don't leave the poor thing hanging."

Mandy rolled her eyes, but decided to play along and turned back to the reptile.

"I'm sorry, pal. You're absolutely beautiful, but I'm more of a bug girl."

Surprisingly, the Dragon turned its head to look at Daniela, which caused her to raise an amused eyebrow.

"I know, crazy right?" The redhead said. "Don't worry, you'll find someone one day. I'm sure of it."

The reptile's response was to flick its forked tongue out at her, most likely an attempt to smell her, but in the moment it looked like it was licking the glass. The redhead giggled again.

"Oh, naughty boy! I'm sure you'll get all the girls with that display!"

The Dragon stared at her for another moment before it finally turned and walked away.

"Yes! I got a good picture of that!" Joseph said as he looked at his digital camera.

"Let me see!" Mandy said. Her brother handed her the camera and she laughed out loud at the images that displayed the Komodo Dragon intently staring at her and licking the glass at her girlfriend.

"Oh my god! These are great! I'm totally getting these framed when we get home!"

Miranda sighed.

"Despite being your Godmother, I still have trouble figuring you out."

Joseph put his hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay, Miranda. I still have trouble figuring her out too."

Mandy stuck her tongue out at her brother.

Chris chuckled.

"Well on that note, shall we move on?"

….

The group made their way through the zoo as the day went on, admiring every animal they saw. There was a lot to see too. There were Tigers, Hippos, Giraffes, and so much more. Everyone was having a great time and didn't even mind that it was getting hotter. They were just happy that they were spending time with each other and looking at some of nature's most beautiful animals.

Joseph and Cassandra were in the front while chatting and holding hands. The former was kind of glad that it was a little hot today because if it wasn't, he would be sweating for a different reason. He was beyond nervous for what he had planned later that day, and he hoped he could do it right.

His thoughts were interrupted however when Cassandra stopped dead in her tracks, her grip on his tightening to the point where it was almost painful. Her eyes were wide with what looked like fear.

"Cassie, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Joseph asked concerned.

The brunette didn't respond. Instead, she pointed in front of her. And when Joseph looked in that direction, he quickly saw the cause for his girlfriend's behavior.

The enclosure in front of them had an animal the couple were all too familiar with. A big, muscular body, brown hair, a pointed nose, and long legs with sharp claws on the end. Even though her time hunting made her much better than before, this animal still made Cassandra's heart race. Mainly because she had not seen one in person during that time.

The enclosure called them the Grizzly Bear, but they knew them as the Brown Bear.

Joseph motioned for the group to stay back for a moment before he started gently rubbing the brunette's shoulders to calm her down.

"It's okay, babe. This isn't going to be like last time. They're not going to hurt you. I promise."

Logically, Cassandra knew this to be true, but her brain had other ideas. This was the same animal that almost killed her eight months ago, and seeing them in person again was causing that panicked feeling to rise up in her again, and she was trying her best not to hyperventilate.

Seeing this, Joseph leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"Remember, don't live in fear. The only way to overcome it is to face it head on."

These words were able to reach her. He was right. This was no different than the other times she had to confront her past. She was terrified to face it, but she knew deep down she had to do it. Otherwise, it would never go away.

The brunette sighed.

"Dammit. Why are you always right?"

Her boyfriend chuckled.

"I'm not, but I appreciate the compliment nonetheless."

He then took his girlfriend's hand again and slowly led her to the enclosure, while motioning for the group to stay at least ten feet back.

Cassandra's heart was racing, but she knew she couldn't just run away. She had to stay strong for her own sake. When they got to the railings, the brunette saw that there was a deep drop off that separated the bears from the public, and it was too smooth and steep for the large mammals to climb it. This made her feel a lot better as this guaranteed she would be safe while looking at them. So she took a deep breath and took the sight in.

There were two bears. One was splashing around in a small pool while the other was sitting down at the pool's edge watching its friend. As Cassandra observed them, she saw that the demeanor and attitude of these bears was a far cry from the ferocious predator that attacked her last year, and seeing them in a more calm state like this made the brunette's fear subside even more.

The bear that wasn't swimming suddenly turned to her and began to walk in her direction. This caused her heart to start racing again. For a moment, she was reliving the memory of when the bear from the forest burst out of the brush at her, but she forced herself to stay in place, no matter how much her brain screamed at her to run. As she watched the animal walk up to her, she soon realized this bear's approach wasn't aggressive at all. In fact, it seemed more curious than anything else. It stopped about ten feet from the drop off before lifting its nose and started to smell the air. After a moment, it faced Cassandra and tilted its head in what looked like confusion.

The brunette chuckled as she realized what the bear was doing.

"I don't smell like most people you've met, huh? Yeah, I've always been a weird one." She joked, causing Joseph to smile.

The bear continued to look at Cassandra, and at that moment she was able to see the look in the animal's eyes, even at that distance. She didn't see the eyes of a vicious beast. She saw a thinking animal, one that was wondering why this human smelled differently than the others. Not out of hunger, but just out of plain curiosity. It was clear it was just checking out the Brunette, and had no interest in attacking her. At that point, her fear almost fully subsided.

Eventually, the bear turned around and walked back to the pool, this time jumping in to join its friend. The brunette could help but smile as she watched the two animals frolic in the water. These were the same animals that almost killed her, and yet here they were, splashing in a pool like a couple of playing puppies, something she couldn't help but find a little cute.

Cassandra couldn't help but start smiling. A few months ago, she had a complete panic attack from just seeing one of these bears on a TV, but now she was watching them in person. And even though she was still a little nervous, this was a million times better than the way she was before.

She then felt a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?" Joseph asked.

The brunette smiled wider before turning to her boyfriend and giving him a kiss.

"I feel much better now. Thank you for helping me with that."

To her amusement, Joseph gave a small fist pump.

"The bear slayer saves the day again!"

This made her and the rest of the group behind her laugh out loud.

….

Everyone was proud of Cassandra for being brave and facing her fear of bears, especially Joseph. When they walked by an ice cream stand, he ran over to get his girlfriend a big cup of chocolate, her favorite. It was small moments like this that reminded The Brunette just how grateful she was to have Joseph in her life.

By the time everyone left the zoo, it was one in the afternoon, and a breeze started making the weather a little cooler, so they decided it was the perfect time to head down to the beach like they had planned. Chris knew the perfect spot for them to go. It was called Baker Beach and it was by the Golden Gate Bridge. According to him it was a beautiful place to go to, and everyone agreed with that when they arrived and saw it for themselves. The ocean looked beautiful and inviting, doubly so with the sunlight glistening off of it. On the right side, they could see the Golden Gate Bridge in addition to what looked like a couple small mountains, and on the right was a smaller, but still big sandy hill.

This place looked like something out of a postcard. In fact, it probably was on some of them.

As Miranda began laying down the towels and unpacking everyone's lunches, Chris' squadmates again volunteered to stay in the parking lot and keep a close eye out. The BSAA General insisted at least some of them could enjoy the beach, but they politely refused. They were more concerned about the group's safety. Chris thanked them again and promised to give them a proper vacation when this was all over.

Mandy and Daniela asked Joseph and Cassandra if they wanted to look for seashells with them, which they happily agreed to. Chris was okay with it as the layout of the beach meant he would be able to keep an eye on them. They two couples decided to go in opposite directions. Not just to cover more ground, but because Joseph wanted to be alone with Cassandra for what he had planned.

The brunette was having a good time finding shells and even a couple of shark teeth, which really got her excited. Joseph found a couple of nice shells and teeth himself, but his mind was on something else. Something much more important. His heart was racing as the moment he had planned approached, and it didn't take long for Cassandra to notice.

"Are you okay? You look really nervous."

Joseph looked at her and gave a small chuckle.

"It's that obvious huh?" He said. He knew better than to deny it, unless he wanted to get scolded.

The brunette walked over to him with a look of concern on her face.

"Is it about the triathlon? I know it's only a couple days away."

Joseph looked around. Thankfully there weren't that many people around so he felt comfortable enough to do what he planned to do. He turned back to Cassandra and shook his head.

"No. It's something more important."

"Your parents?"

"No. More important than that too."

Cassandra scrunched her eyebrows. Now she was confused.

"What do you mean?"

Joseph took a long deep breath before responding.

"Cassie, to say that I love you would be the understatement of the millennia. I was miserable for most of my life growing up. But ever since we met in that forest, my life has been filled with nothing but happiness. I have a great home and a loving family now. But most importantly, I have you. You not only accepted me for who I was, but you were always there to support me no matter what. My god, you're the reason I got to reunite with Mandy, something I feared would never get to do. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, Cassie."

Joseph's words were making The Brunette incredibly happy as she smiled and started to shed some tears, but she didn't realize how much happier she was going to become.

Joseph took another deep breath before continuing.

"I can't live without you. And even though I've doubted myself in the past, I've never been more sure about a decision in my life than this one."

He then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box before getting down on one knee. Cassandra gasped and put her hands on her mouth. When Joseph opened the box, she almost fainted.

Inside was a beautiful diamond ring with a golden band. The diamond itself was in the shape of a flower, similar to the one on her family crest. The sunlight reflecting off it made it shine as bright as a star on a moonlit night.

His eyes never leaving hers, Joseph asked the million dollar question.

"Cassandra Dimitrescu, will you marry me?"

Even though The Brunette's hands were covering her mouth, Joseph could see she had the biggest smile he had ever seen her have, and her tears were flowing like a waterfall down her face. She nodded furiously before finally finding her words.

"YES! YES! OF COURSE I WILL!"

Now it was Joseph's turn to give the biggest smile of his life. She said yes, and he was on cloud nine. Without missing a beat, he got up and slipped the ring on Cassandra's finger before they both embraced in the most passionate kiss they had ever shared with each other. The people who were on the beach at that moment started to clap and cheer for the newly engaged couple.

When they parted, Cassandra looked at the new ring on her finger, still shedding tears of joy.

"It's beautiful, Joseph." She choked.

"I wanted it to be perfect for you. Luckily, your uncle is just as good of a jeweler as he is a blacksmith."

The Brunette's eyes widened in surprise.

"You…You made this yourself?!"

"I would have nothing less for the most special person in my life."

Cassandra's flood of tears returned and she threw herself onto her new fiance in a tight hug, which he happily returned. They stayed that way for a while, never wanting to let go. There was nothing they loved and cared for in the world more than each other, and that love was now stronger than ever.

They were going to need it. Because unknown to them, one of the people closeby was talking quietly on a radio.

"Boss, we found them. They're at Baker Beach."

"Do they suspect anything?" A voice replied.

"No. I don't think so."

"Good. Keep it that way until we arrive."

"Copy that."