Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Samurai. This is fan-made.

Author's Note: This follows my Samurai Series, and it would be good to have read that before reading this (I'd strongly recommend it if you want the characters to make sense) but you don't have to. Enjoy!

Lauren sat on a park bench that Sunday morning, looking out at the kids who were playing together with their mothers and having a good time. Breathing out a sigh, Lauren wished she could join them.

Though she had spent many years of her life ignoring holidays, there were two that cut her like a knife: Mother's Day and Father's Day. This year was no different.

Everyone had a mother to celebrate with this year. Ally was spending the day with hers, and the Samurai were with their families to celebrate the big day. Antonio, long ago, had started a tradition where he and his father would get together on Mother's Day and do something special, and Jayden had tagged along. Lauren couldn't even spend the day with her brother. She couldn't blame Jayden for leaving, though. He barely remembered their mother, and though he did miss her, it didn't hurt as much.

Lauren had memories of her mother. They had shared a close bond. She loved her mother with all her heart, and she knew those feelings were returned tenfold. Every day she missed her mother, and the love and guidance she could have received if her mother was still around. Mother's Day hurt, because it was a day that reminded Lauren of the sacrifices she had been forced to give. Due to the nature of her birth, and the responsibility that came with it, she had to give up nearly everything and everyone she loved.

Her mother was dead, so others could celebrate this occasion with theirs for centuries to come. She admired her mother for being so selfless, but it didn't feel fair.

"I thought I'd find you here," Kate said as she took a seat beside Lauren on the bench. She had taken a motherly role in Lauren's life, but never once tried to take her mother's place. She had been surprised that morning to receive a card from the red Ranger. She hadn't expected anything. She knew she wasn't Lauren's mother.

Lauren pulled her knees to her chest, "I just needed some time to myself."

"Is it hard?"

"At least, last year, and the years before that, I was somewhat distracted by my duties. Now, I'm alone again, and there's nothing to keep me busy."

"Ji told me a bit about your mother," Kate said. "I know she gave her life to protect you."

"Damn Moogers," Lauren muttered. "She wasn't even a Samurai."

"No, she wasn't. But she was a mother," Kate smiled. She wrapped an arm around Lauren, "It's okay to be sad, but you don't need to be."

"This day just reminds me of how hard it is and how different I am. Everyone's celebrating their mothers, or being a mother, and I'm neither."

"Your mother might not be around anymore," Kate shook her head, "but that doesn't mean you can't still celebrate all she's done for you."

"How?"

Kate took out her car keys, "Let's go for a drive."

Lauren followed Kate to the car and got inside. She didn't know where she was being taken, and didn't ask. Eventually, the car pulled up to a cemetery. Lauren shook her head.

"Kate, I…"

"I'll be right there," Kate promised. She got out of the car and Lauren followed hesitantly. They walked until they found a stone with Lauren's mother's name on it. Kate turned to Lauren.

"How long has it been since you've visited?"

"Her funeral," Lauren whispered, feeling somewhat ashamed by her answer. She knew it was out of her control. She had been training for most of her life and couldn't drop her duties for a day to stand over a piece of stone for five minutes.

Kate nodded, "You've got a beautiful daughter, Mrs. Shiba. I'm so blessed she's a part of my life."

"Kate…"

"What? Mothers like to hear these things. She spent nine months making you. She might as well know she got it right," Kate turned back to the stone, "I'm serious, Mrs. Shiba, Lauren and Jayden are both amazing people. They're strong, smart, very loving, and very caring. I don't have children of my own, but if I did, and my kids were half as great as yours, I'd consider myself lucky. It's a shame you weren't around for very long, but whatever you did in the time you had, you did it well."

Kate looked to Lauren, "Do you have anything to say?"

Lauren swallowed the lump in her throat, "I did it, mom. My whole team did it. We stopped Master Xandred. He's gone for good, and it's thanks to you and dad, and everything you did for us. I'm just… I'm sorry no one knows who the real hero is."

Kate took Lauren's hand when she saw the Red Ranger was starting to cry. She gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"You know, and that's enough for her," Kate promised. Lauren nodded her head, and then managed to smile.

"Happy Mother's Day, mom. I miss you."

"Me too."

Lauren heard a voice from behind and turned around to see Ji, Mr. Garcia, Antonio, and Jayden. She gave her brother a smile.

"You came?"

"Every year," Jayden nodded his head. He pulled out two roses from behind his back and gave on to Lauren, "It's tradition. Ji said dad would buy mom roses from us for Mother's Day."

Jayden put his rose on his mother's stone; he touched it gently with his hand before stepping back. Lauren did the same. Then Jayden looked to her and smiled.

"Everyone's coming to the house for dinner. Mom's not with us anymore, and it's not like either of us can celebrate being mothers, but this is a holiday for families," Jayden gestured to his mother's grave, "She'd want us to celebrate with the others. She gave up everything so that one day we could celebrate with our new family."

"And it would be a shame to waste perfectly good cake," Antonio piped in. He wrapped his arms around Jayden's and Lauren's shoulders, "If we play the dead mother card, we can get extra slices. It works every year."

"You trade your mother in for extra cake?" Lauren smirked. Antonio frowned, hearing it put that way made it sound bad. Then he shook his head as he came up with a counter.

"No, I trade feeling sorry for myself for extra cake. Mom would want me to be happy, and if cake does it, don't we all win?"

"Alright, let's go," Lauren nodded her head as she walked off with her brothers, Ji, and Kate. She glanced over her shoulder for a moment, back to her mother, and smiled.