Life was a piece of work. That was for sure. Every girl had gone through a tremendous ordeal. And each girl dealt with the aftermath in a different way. K/G/N relied heavily on Kai and was at therapy two, even three, times a week. She talked about everything, but when she wasn't in therapy she was hiding in her apartment with the blinds shut and her eyes closed. She was certainly in a state of depression, choosing to shut everything out and revealing only what she needed to in therapy. Kai was constantly checking on her, even spending nights with her just to make sure she was eating and drawing. College was approaching and he was determined to get her there. He even had to help her study for exams when he had no clue what he was doing.

Now J/G/N. She buried herself in her work. Every day she was at the shop doing any and all projects Mr. Davis assigned her. She was determined to work through her crisis. She didn't have the answers she wanted about her powers and her parents still didn't know about what she had gone through, but it was easier that way. She enjoyed the distraction that work provided her, but she knew it was only a matter of time before she needed to know the answers that kept popping up in her head. Jay didn't have to give her his undivided attention, but he would have liked for her to need him more.

C/G/N. A nightmare... truly. She was still stuck on the fact that her perpetrator went to school with her friends. He was well known. He was a student with a future. He wanted to go to the same school she did and he wasn't fortunate, just like her. He had gone through a lot as a kid, just like she had. She understood him. She felt bad for him. Cole had to constantly make sure she wasn't sneaking off to visit him or talk to him because it would only set back her progress. He needed to help her move on but she wanted to stay put. It didn't help that dancing was her mechanism to cope with stress and she couldn't dance. She was either studying for exams, coaching girls at dance, or hanging out with Cole. But she still had the time to worry about things that she shouldn't have been.

Z/G/N. She was doing fine. Considering the circumstances, she was surpisingly okay. She was ready to put everything behind her but knew she couldn't given that her best friend needed constant attention and help. She was willing to give her friend that help, but she couldn't escape the over protective grasp of her mother who didn't let her out of her sight unless it was to hang out with Zane or to go to school.

And lastly: L/G/N. She was... a mess. Her progress was outstanding, though. She wasn't shaking in fear, she had only a few nightmares a week, and she was eating again. She was finally letting her friends help her and had talked to her brother and boyfriend about what happened. She wans't alone anymore. But she still wasn't the same. She wasn't smiling. She wasn't laughing. She wasn't playing practical jokes on the ninja. And she wasn't hanging out with them. As Kai put it, she was "living just to live." She needed more.

The girls were getting better, but the ninja knew that they weren't themselves. How could they be? They went through hell, and not one of them was willing to pour out their souls to their boyfriends. They all had their trust issues from before, and now they were worse. K/G/N's parents had both died trying to help her and she had to take care of herself and her grandmother for years. J/G/N's parents didn't pay attention to her in the slighest and cancelled on every event of hers hours before happening. C/G/N's mother had died as a kid and her dad had just left, leaving her to live on her own until her best friend took her in. Z/G/N grew up with only her mother who was overprotective and feared her daughter leaving the house. L/G/N's mother had died and she was taken from her dad and brother as a young girl and lived with her Aunt, thinking her family left her. All the girls had their dark past, and then something even darker happened and they had to learn how to deal with it all.

The ninja had gathered together and decided enough was enough. They were going to have fun. They were going to invite all their girlfriends over for dinner and karaoke and have a great night. They needed to show their girlfriends that they cared.

So, on a Friday night, all the girls slowly arrived one by one at the monastery. Since L/G/N was already there and decided not to go to her father's till the next morning so she could attend the "event" her brother had planned, she simply watched all her friends enter the building in an awkward stance. L/G/N sighed as she watched her friends pour into the building. They didn't really know what happened to each other, only the girls knowing bits and pieces of their friends' ordeals. They knew L/G/N was struggling, but no one but the ninja, Nya, and Sensei truly understood. She wasn't totally comfortable in a large group yet and seeing all the girls in a large group just made her skin tingle.

Lloyd came up behind her, kissing her cheek lightly to which she tensed. She glanced over at the blonde haired boy and he grinned, "So, what song are you singing?" he joked, to which she pursed her lips, "I don't know if I'm there yet. I just want to watch," she honestly replied. He nodded, "As long as I get to sing my song with Kai and Cole than that's fine."

L/G/N giggled, "And what are you three singing?"

Lloyd smiled, "Kai really wanted to sing 'This Girl is on Fire' for some reason, but I think we decided to go with 'Ninja Fighting,'" he laughed. L/G/N rolled her eyes, "Wow, so original."

Lloyd laughed loud and tugged the girl to the game room where she sat down in the corner of the couch next to him and he held her hand comfortably while being very close to her. It was only them two in the room till the door burst open and L/G/N sat up straighter. Upon seeing it being J/G/N bursting in with a smile and with Jay behind her twirling her around, she relaxed. "Are you ready for karaoke, L/G/N?" J/G/N squealed before plopping on the beanbag in the corner of the room and tugging Jay next to her. "I think you have enough excitement for the both of us," L/G/N admitted to the blue ninja's girlfriend who smiled warmly in response. The next to file in the room was Zane and then Cole, and behind them followed Kai, K/G/N, C/G/N, and Z/G/N. Kai had to practically drag K/G/N in, but once she entered the room she smiled lightly and gave Jay a quick hug, then C/G/N giving a hug to Kai and Lloyd. "You are here!" Z/G/N cheered while seeing her best friend sitting next to Lloyd and giving her a big hug. "I thought you would be at your dad's!" she exclaimed once more.

L/G/N smiled and returned the hug from her very best friend, someone she hadn't seen in a little while. "And miss the guys singing teeny bop songs? Never," she grinned, Cole rolling her eyes at the girl. "They are not teeny bop songs," Jay whined, folding his arms across his chest. "Alright, alright. Talk to me when you are done singing 'Baby' by Justin Bieber," the girl smiled. Jay huffed.

"Shall we begin?" Zane wondered, looking at the group and finishing setting up the karaoke machine. Everyone nodded, "Who is going first?" the white ninja asked, looking around the room to find eager eyes. "I think the girls wanted to go," Kai spoke up, pushing his girlfriend's shoulder slightly. She climbed off his lap and sighed, taking the microphone from Zane. Everyone began cheering, the ninja all clapping their hands as the other girls got up and walked to the front of the room. "Well, we are going to let our resident singer start us off," K/G/N announced, handing the mic to C/G/N who smiled, "It will be my honor."

Cole glanced over at the couch where his sister sat uncomfortably in the corner beside Lloyd. "Are you gonna sing too?" he asked the girl who stared at him. She slowly shook her head, "I just want to listen," she muttered, curling closer to Lloyd who tightened his grip around her shoulder. "Alright, well," J/G/N grinned, "We are singing Stronger by Kelly Clarkson because she's a queen and the song is a bop so... take it C/G/N," she said while motioning to the girl in the black t-shirt and light wash jeans. 

Z/G/N knelt down and started the music to which C/G/N giggled, "You know the bed feels warmer sleeping here alone," she sang out, then glancing at K/G/N who took the next verse. "You know I dream in color and do the things I want," she smiled, pointing over at J/G/N who bopped her head, "You think you got the best of me. Think you had the last laugh," she sang, her body moving back and forth as she wrapped an arm around K/G/N who laughed loudly. Z/G/N pointed over at C/G/N while singing her verse next: "Bet you think that everything good is gone," she beamed, then singing her next part right after, "Think that I'd come running back!"

All the girls looked at each other and smiled, "Baby you don't know cause' you're dead wrong!" they all shouted together with wide smiles. L/G/N smiled softly, seeing her friends enjoying themselves. They made a point with the song they chose, choosing to rise instead of letting what happened to them all tear them down. They were strong. Stronger than she was, at least she thought.

They continued singing all together as a group.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller," they all held up their arms and flexed to which their boyfriends all laughed. "Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone," and they all pointed to the guys before them who smiled and shouted out whoops and hollers. "What doesn't kill you makes a fighter," and they jumped into fighting positions as they had seen their ninja boyfriends do multiple times. "Footsteps even lighter! Doesn't mean I'm over 'cause you're gone." 

The girls were having a blast. They were dancing around, moving their bodies, laughing, smiling, twirling. L/G/N was happy for them. Lloyd noticed her softly smiling at them and he kissed her on the forehead, showing his appreciation for the girl next to him. He wanted her to be able to have fun like the others were doing but she went through more than them. He understood her resilience to get up and dance because she wasn't in the mood. 

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Stronger!" they all shouted. K/G/N held C/G/N's hand and lightly twirled the girl around, making sure to be careful with her boot. She fell over at the end and Z/G/N had to catch her to which they  both collapsed into a fit of laughter. When Cole saw his girlfriend trip he tensed up and went to get up from his spot on the couch but seeing her laugh with Z/G/N was enough to calm his worries and he sat back down with a grin on his face. "Just me, myself and I! What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller," with this last line, J/G/N hopped up on the coffee table that was very low to the ground and posed and Jay laughed at his happy girlfriend. She stepped back down and huddled with the girls who all hugged while singing: "Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone!"

They released from the hug as the song continued on and C/G/N started them off again, "You heard that I was starting over with someone new," she sang out, glancing at K/G/N who took the next line. "But told you I was moving on over you."

"You didn't think that I'd come back," Z/G/N frowned, knowing the true meaning behind this verse. None of the ninja had known if their girlfriends would be okay when they all faced ordeals, but they did. "I'd come back swining!" J/G/N belted out, raising the energy in the room as she swung her arms like a baseball bat. All the girls together: "You try to break me but you see what doesn't kill you makes you stronger! Stand a little taller! Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone! What doesn't kill you makes a fighter, footsteps even lighter! Doesn't mean I'm over 'cause you're gone!"

J/G/N ran over to the couch where L/G/N was sitting and held out the microphone, her eyes pleading with the girl to sing at least one verse. L/G/N smiled lightly and sighed. She spoke the verse instead of singing it and it was soft, but the ninja knew it was progress. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."

Z/G/N and C/G/N both cheered loudly for the girl whose cheeks burned with embarrassment and J/G/N returned to the line where the song continued. "Stronger! Just me, myself, and I! What doesn't kill you makes you stronger! Stand a little taller! Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone!"

J/G/N and Z/G/N stood back to back while K/G/N and C/G/N stood back to back and they all yelled out the next lines. "Thanks to you I got a new thing started! Thanks to you I'm not the broken hearted! Thanks to you I'm finally thinking bout' me, you know in the end, the day to left was just my beginning!"

"In the end," L/G/N spoke out loud which earned laughs from the guys and the girls performing who then broke apart and started dancing around the room. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger! Stand a little taller! Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone! What doesn't kill you makes a fighter, footsteps even lighter! Doesn't mean I'm over cause' you're gone! What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stronger! Just me, myself, and I! What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, stand a little taller! Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone!"

The last stanza approached and Z/G/N wandered back to the couch where L/G/N's head laid on Lloyd's chest and she placed her mic on the table and held out her hand to the girl who really did not want to get up. She shook her head lightly at the girl who smiled wider and did not retract her hand. Lloyd squeezed her shoulder lightly and silently encouraged her to get up so she hesitantly grabbed her best friend's hand and was immediately twirled around. Kai and Jay cheered at the girl and Cole smiled softly, then glancing at Lloyd whose entire face showed love and admiration. Zane sat with a proud smile at his girlfriend supporting her friend and he knew he truly loved her.

L/G/N was twirled into the middle of the room where K/G/N slung an arm over her shoulder and pulled her into a side hug to which she smiled very lightly. L/G/N was uncomfortable. Her arms were folded across her chest and she stood out like a sore thumb. All the ninja could tell that she wasn't ready for this. The song was an anthem about how the girls were survivors but L/G/N's path would take much longer than theirs would. Cole wanted to get his sister out of there. 

The song came to an end and the ninja all cheered, clearly proud of their girls they loved and were happy that they were all filled with joy at least in this moment. As soon as the song ended, L/G/N let out a breath of relief and quickly scurried back to her boyfriend who welcomed her into his arms immediately. He saw the fear across her face. He saw her clearly uncomfortable. He wished he didn't push her to go up to the front with the girls. 

"That was fantastic!" Jay cheered while clapping. Kai laughed, "What a show, thank you so much for that performance!"

"That was very well done," Zane added with a nod and a smile. Cole grinned, "Nothing any of us do will compare to that show," he clapped.

L/G/N sat down on the couch and curled back into Lloyd's side while being pressed against the corner. He kissed her cheek lightly in encouragement and wrapped an arm around her and she glanced up at him, then pecking him on the lips with a smile. Lloyd grinned. He had barely been able to kiss L/G/N on the forehead or cheek without her tensing up and her kissing him meant real progress. "What was that for?" he whispered with a smirk. She shrugged, "I don't know. The moment felt like it needed it. And I missed you," she replied while laying her head against his chest and watching as the girls returned to their seats. 

K/G/N returned to Kai's lap on the couch (as it only really fit three to four people), J/G/N returned to the bean bag where was sitting, Z/G/N sat on the floor in front of the couch next to Zane, and C/G/N plopped onto the loveseat with Cole. Zane and Jay then stood up and walked to the front of the room to prepare their song. Lloyd found himself staring at the girl with a smile and it wasn't until Zane cleared his throat that he looked up. 

As Jay was standing up at the front with his microphone, he noticed L/G/N staring at her hand with a large scar through the middle. The ninja had all found her staring at it on multiple occassions and each time they noticed they made it their duty to snap her out of it. She got the scar from the man who hurt her and they knew that in order for her to make progress she needed to move on from it. Lloyd noticed his friend looking at L/G/N and Jay nodded slightly to him and gestured with his eyes to L/G/N's gaze. Lloyd looked down and saw her staring at her hand and he immediately used his hand that wasn't wrapped around the girl to enclose her hand in his. She flinched and looked up at him and he raised his eyebrows at her, "Stop," he warned to which she sighed and relaxed into him once more. Jay smiled.

"As L/G/N revealed earlier," he spoke up, "Zane and I will be blessing your ears with Baby by Justin Beiber. Side note: this song is not a teeny bop," he corrected then playfully glaring at L/G/N who giggled quietly, "But it is a staple of our generation," he added. Zane rolled his eyes, "I am only singing this with Jay because he begged me to," he told the crowd who laughed. "That is a lie, Zane," Jay scolded, "You wanted to sing but didn't want to sing with the others and chose me," the blue ninja proudly huffed. "I only had one other option. If we are using this logic then I only chose you by default," Zane said with a slight smile. 

Jay's jaw dropped in offense, "Wow! I see how it is!"

Everyone in the room was laughing, save for L/G/N, and Kai spoke up: "Come on, come on, let's hear it!"

K/G/N nodded, "Come on, lightning boy and ice man! Show us your moves! Don't be shy!" she called out to which Kai grinned and pulled his girlfriend closer. "I don't know how I feel about having two Kai's in this room," Jay muttered under his breath. "Come on, babe. You've been practicing this!" J/G/N encouraged to which Jay beamed in pride. "I believe in you," Z/G/N said while looking at Zane with a smile.

"Play the Beibs!" Jay called out while pointing to the karoke machine that sat next to the coffee table. C/G/N reached over and pressed play and music flooded the room. "You guys should all get together again and go compete at the Ninjago Talent Show," C/G/N whispered to her boyfriend who laughed, "I think once was enough for me," he grinned and then pinched C/G/N's arm lightly to which she giggled and tried to sqirum away. He pulled her close to him, "Besides, you get lots of private shows. I think I'll keep it that way. All of Ninjago doesn't need to hear my singing skills," he smirked. "Or lack there of," she giggled back to which he tried to hold in a smile through his close lips but ultimately failed. He pulled her into him and pressed his lips against hers and she melted into his touch, returning his kiss and then pulling away to focus on Jay hitting a high note. The performance was truly entertaining, what with Zane being practically emotionless aside for when Jay bumped into him and they both nearly fell over.

Even L/G/N was laughing.

Progress is progress.

So I didn't write the scenes for the guys but if I get enough requests then maybe I will do bonus scenes of Kai, Cole, and Lloyd's performance of "Ninja Fighting" and Jay and Zane's performance of "Baby."

Also, this chapter really offered limited addition to the storylines of the girls as a whole but I thought it was adorable and wanted to include fun scenes to make up for the depressing shit I have been writing!

Another note, I am so obssessed with L/G/N's storyline that I kind of want to make it into an actual book but like... do I do it? IDK, just a random thought.

Please vote and comment! I would love to hear what y'all have to say! (Also, I'm writing this during finals week and it took my forever but I've had the idea for months so please appreciate this:) okay bye)