A/N: As promised, continuing with my Christmas story for the Samurai crew, continuing from where we left them. Hope you all enjoy it.

Legal: I do not own Power Rangers or the associated names, places, events etc. Anything not covered by these rights should be considered purely the creation of the author.

Rating: T – may be some mild adult themes in places.

The Majestic Grouse Hotel, a little way outside Panorama City was preparing for their arrivals. Normally, so close to Christmas, they didn't do much business. Businesses were closing for Christmas, so the corporate clients tended to stop coming, and most people went home for the holidays. Many years, they had actually closed for the holidays, having no guests at all, other times they would have only a handful. This year, they had quite a few. It was still nowhere near capacity, but a lot more than they generally expected.

The whole hotel had been booked for a single private party, namely the Rangers and their families. It was a thank you for their efforts, but the real driving force behind the decision had been Lauren's observations of the difficulties they faced deciding where to spend their holidays. They all wanted to go home, to see their families naturally, most of them hadn't seen their families in two years, but the situation was complicated by the relationships that had formed. Arguments about exactly WHICH family they went to for which holiday, together with the fact that after so long together they also wanted to be together had erupted a few times. In the end, it made sense to Lauren to just have everyone come to one place.

They were thankful, at least, that Lauren had stopped coming by on a daily basis. Such was her desperation to have a perfect Christmas for everyone, that she came by all the time with fresh ideas and changed all the plans seemingly at random. Now, they at least seemed to be able to have the hotel set up, without needing to worry about her completely changing everything yet again.

The first arrival came, rolling up to the front door in a cab. Getting out, a small, Asian man got out of the back, as a bell hop came over to unload the luggage onto a cart. He was quite an unassuming looking man, around his fifties, with dark hair, which was greying slightly, and glasses. He was wearing a bright red sweater, depicting a snowman, clearly a seasonal item he had been given by some well-meaning relative. He opened the trunk, and pulled out a wheelchair, unfolding it as the bell hop got to him.

"Can I take the name?" He asked.

"Grant and Sadie Watanabe." He answered, slipping the young man a twenty dollar bill. He loaded up the cases, and took them to reception to begin the checking in procedure as Grant went to the other side of the car with the wheelchair to help his wife.

Sadie Watanabe, Mia and Terry's mother, and the previous Pink Samurai, was quite an attractive woman. She had long, shiny black hair that extended some way down her back. She was wearing a black jacket, trimmed in white, fake fur, light blue denims and black, leather boots. Her legs were quite thin, compared to the rest of her body, having atrophied as a result of her disability. Everyone who had answered the call to battle had been left with permanent reminders, in her case; it was two shattered vertebrae, which had left her paraplegic. Bracing herself, she lifted herself onto the wheelchair, as she had done many times, positioning her feet on the footrests, before turning and making her way to the access ramp.

Just like her daughter, she was a strong-willed and stubborn woman. Even after she had heard the news that she would never walk again, she had refused to be a victim. Over the years, she had plenty of practice, but she had insisted on learning to be able to fend for herself. She was never going to be a burden to her family, no matter how much her husband had assured her he would help her.

Making their way into the lobby, Sadie located the desk, and made her way over, finding a young woman wearing a Santa hat and a blazer waiting for her. The Bell Hop had the cart, loaded with their luggage by the desk, and was waiting.

"Mrs Watanabe, welcome to the Majestic Grouse Hotel, would you mind signing here please?"

Sadie took the registration card from the desk, and a pen, and quickly signed it. She looked up to the receptionist.

"Has the rest of the party arrived?" She asked.

"Not yet, you're the first arrival." The receptionist answered. "We've got you an accessible room, close to the elevator on the first floor. The Bell Hop will just..."

"Sadie!" She heard a voice calling out. Sadie's face lit up, and she turned her chair around, seeing a blonde woman, wearing a long, tan winter coat running towards her, dropping her case, almost crippling the man she was with as it landed on his foot.

Ava, Emily and Serena's mother, and the former Yellow Samurai, was a reasonably short woman, only around 5' 4", and had pale skin, much like her daughters. The years had been kind to her for the most part. While she, like the others, had her fair share of sleepless nights after their war, for the most part she had escaped with only a few minor scars that her clothing generally concealed. She had a bright smile on her face as she approached the woman that for their time at the Shiba House, had been her best friend.

"Ava! It's been too long!" Sadie answered as the two embraced. They were old friends, and it had been a long time since they had seen each other. As she parted, she looked to her friend with a huge grin on her face. "You look beautiful! You've hardly aged a day!"

"You lie divinely." She answered. "But you look amazing; you always knew how to put an outfit together."

"I see some things never change." She chuckled as the man came limping over to join them, carrying Ava's discarded case. Ava looked apologetic as her husband came, realising she must have done it. "Martin, it's a pleasure."

"Likewise." He answered, shaking her hand, and turning to Grant, greeting him too. "Well, I'll get us checked in and let you get reacquainted."

"Would you mind taking the luggage up?" Sadie asked the Bell Hop. The young man had already been tipped, so he just dutifully took the cart away. Sadie turned her chair, gesturing towards the bar. "Come on, you just have to tell me what you've been up to!"

As he checked in, Martin couldn't help smiling, even despite his throbbing foot. He was a tall, powerfully built man, the result of years of hard work on the farm. He had a handsome, chiselled face, which he allowed just a little light brown stubble to grow on, and he had short, soft, brown hair. He loved seeing the way his wife lit up at the thought of seeing all her old friends again.

"Godfrey." He told the receptionist as he handed a tip to another Bell Hop, intending him to take their luggage up to the room so he could join the others once they were signed in. "Martin and Ava Godfrey to check in."

On the road, a little way from the hotel, Jayden was driving the Samurai SUV. Lauren was in the passenger seat. Brenda had assured them she'd come along later, but she wanted more time with Ji before she came to the hotel.

Lauren was noticeably energetic, the excitement getting the better of her. Even the fact that her new 'sister' Terri had said hello to her by peeing on her only a couple of hours previously couldn't dampen her excitement.

"We're not far now." He assured her, pointing to the sat nav. "It shouldn't be long."

"I just...I really can't wait to see everyone." She responded. Being a couple of years older, she had more memories of the parents' time in the Shiba House, and was looking forward to seeing them. If anything, she had spent more time with them than her own team, and although it had been fifteen years, she was hopeful that they would remember her fondly.

"Lauren, if you get any more excited, you'll bounce right out the sunroof." He teased her. "Just try to relax a little. We'll..."

"Pull over!" Lauren called out to him. She pointed to the side of the road, where a wood-panelled station wagon was on the side of the road. The hood was up, and steam was coming from it, indicating something was seriously wrong. The owner was pacing back and forth, his cell phone at his ear, talking in an agitated and animated manner, clearly angry about his misfortune to break down. Jayden did as he was told, bringing the SUV to a halt a little way from the stricken vehicle, and putting on the warning lights. Lauren was quickly out of the vehicle, running over.

"I pay hundreds of dollars a month for this damned service, when can I expect...another hour?" He yelled as he continued to flail wildly. "Well, I'll tell you what, when the breakdown truck finally decides to grace me with his presence, maybe I'll tell him to take back your card, and stick it up your ass!"

He hung up the phone, before growling asshole. Lauren sniggered a little.

"Parry Barnes, as diplomatic and even-tempered as always." She remarked. The man just looked at her, about to say something when he realised that she knew his name, and realising who she was.

Parry Barnes, the former Green Samurai, Mike's dad, was quite a big man, considerably taller and broader than his son, and muscular with it. He had dark skin, and a thick, black moustache. He was wearing a dark green padded jacket and jeans. It took him a moment, but eventually he smiled as he realised who Lauren was.

"No...way!" He breathed. "Lauren? Jayden?"

"It's great to see you again." Lauren answered. He opened his arms as he approached her, but she held up her hands.

"I...wouldn't recommend that." She told him. "At least, not until we get to the hotel and I can change. My new sister peed on me earlier."

"Sister?" He asked, looking between Jayden and Lauren. He remembered from his time at the house, their mother had already passed before he got there, and he was there on the night their father died. Unless he had missed something, he was curious as to how exactly they had a younger sister.

"It's Ji's baby." Jayden explained, seeing Parry's expression. "He's looked after me so long, I kind of think of him as a dad."

"Of course." Parry answered, smacking himself in the forehead.

"So, would you like a ride to the hotel?" Lauren asked him. "It doesn't look like your car's going anywhere...well...maybe ever."

"The damn thing's almost as old as I am." He agreed, kicking it in frustration. "I just never got round to replacing it. It's my own fault I suppose."

"Well, we'll get you to the hotel." Jayden assured him, gesturing to the SUV. Parry just shrugged, making his hand into a gun-shape, and pretended to shoot the car.

"It's a piece of crap anyway. They'll probably just take it to the scrap yard." He answered as he headed for the SUV. "So tell me, how is Ji adapting to fatherhood?"

Back at the hotel, Sadie, Grant, Martin and Ava were sitting in the bar. Sadie and Ava laughed as they recalled their days in the Shiba House and caught up on what they had been doing since then.

"Wow, I think I just had a flashback." They heard someone announce. They turned to see a dark-skinned man and his wife enter the bar. "I could hear you all the way out in reception."

"Oh give us a break, how often do we get together like this?" Ava chastised him, waving their former Blue Ranger over. "Why don't you just loosen up and join us? It is supposed to be a party."

Baron Chambers, Kevin's father, was a tall man, with a build that was born from years of training. Like his son, he had been involved in competitive swimming, as well as his Samurai training. He was wearing a dark blue shirt, and black suit pants, with shoes shined to a mirror finish. In his right hand, he had a shiny black cane, with the handle made of silver, fashioned into a dragon. As he approached, he had a noticeable limp, his own little souvenir of his battles. As he approached, he leaned down, kissing Ava's cheek, and then Sadie's, before easing himself into a chair.

"Well, if I couldn't get you two to keep it quiet fifteen years ago, I doubt I'll be able to now." He answered with a little laugh. "I guess this must be Grant and Martin."

"Since my husband seems to have forgotten, I guess I'll introduce myself." His wife stated, taking a seat and extending a hand. "I'm Michelle."

Michelle was a slender, well-dressed woman, wearing a classic black suit with a white blouse. She had her hair styled into a bob style. The others all shook her hand, greeting her.

"So, that's almost all of us." Baron commented. "No doubt Parry's gotten himself into trouble somewhere along the way."

"Well, we are waiting on the kids." Ava reminded him.

"Well, I'm certainly looking forward to that." Baron answered, looking over to Sadie. "After all, we're going to be family soon enough."

"Don't remind me." Sadie laughed in response. "I still couldn't believe it when Mia called to tell me about the engagement. Still, if Kevin's anything like you, I'm sure he's a perfect gentleman."

"Well, while we wait for our kids to get here, I say we have a toast." Ava chipped in, as a waiter arrived with glasses of champagne for them. Baron stood up, taking a glass, and raised it as the others followed suit. Just like the old days, when their Red Ranger, Jayden and Lauren's father wasn't there, he assumed the mantle of leadership.

"Wait, hold on a minute!" Sadie interrupted as she saw some new arrivals. They all smiled as Jayden, Lauren and Parry arrived. The former Green Ranger just shook his head.

"Jeez, a guy has a little car trouble, and you go ahead and start without him." He admonished Baron, picking up the old dynamic they had in their day. Baron just sighed.

"Well, if we waited for you, we'd never have gotten anything done." He said sarcastically. Jayden, Lauren and Parry were all given glasses of champagne. "Well Lauren..."

"No, you do the honours." She told him. Baron raised his glass again.

"To old friends." He announced, looking to Lauren and Jayden. "The ones who made it, and the ones who are no longer among us."

"To old friends." Jayden responded, appreciative of the gesture.

"To old friends." They all chorused, clinking their glasses together. It may have been fifteen years since they had all been in one place at the same time, but with some bonds, time was meaningless.