Everyone stared at the girl in silence, and then Tia spoke "I knew it! I knew there was something more to your lame excuses! You've been off with another girl!" Rocket took a step back "No I haven't, I swear!"

"Oh really? Then why did she just say she was your daughter!?!"

"I don't have a clue! I'm being honest here!"

"Yeah, sure" Tia answered sarcastically before turning to the young girl "Tell me" She asked kindly, glaring over her shoulder at Rocket "Who is your mother?" The girl cleared her throat before answering "you"

Tia froze "W-What?"

"I said: you are my mother" Tia stood still for a few minutes before passing out on the floor; the girl looked around "what? What did I say?"

"Do you think she's alright?"

"I don't know, she's been out for quite a while"

"Hey! Look! She's coming round!"

Tia's eyes fluttered open and she looked about blearily "W-what's going on, what happened?" The team looked at one another nervously, finally Mei spoke "well....you asked the girl who her mother was, she said you were...then you passed out."

"Wait....so it wasn't just a dream?" Mei shook her head "nope, she's standing over there, look" She indicated to where the girl was standing, busy tapping away on a holographic keyboard "I think you should go and talk to her, it might help you understand things a little better" Tia thought about this for a bit before getting up and slowly making her way over to her. The girl looked up as Tia approached, and smiled "Hi!" she said "are you OK now? That was quite a nasty fall you had there!" Tia nodded "I'm fine, but what I really want to know- hang on what's your name?" The girl rolled her eyes and tutted to herself "Oh how rude of me! I forgot!" She held out a hand "the name's Lauren!" Tia shook the outstretched hand "pleased to meet you...Lauren" Lauren grinned "you know, it's a bit weird, shaking my mum's hand"

Tia hesitated "you see, that's what I came to talk to you about, are you really my daughter?" Lauren looked at her "of course I am, I just said-"

"No, seriously, are you?"

"Yes, I am"

"Really? Do you have proof?"

"As a matter of fact" Lauren replied, reaching into the back pocket of her jeans "I do" She pulled out a small sheet of folded paper and handed it to Tia, who opened it. It was a photo of Lauren, Rocket and herself, linking arms and laughing away merrily "that was taken only a few days ago" Lauren said "on my fourteenth birthday" But Tia wasn't listening, she was just staring at the picture in shocked silence "how is this even possible" she mumbled "it doesn't make sense, how-" Lauren cleared her throat loudly, making Tia jump "I know what you're thinking and the answer is simple" she looked Tia in the eye before continuing "I've travelled through time, from the future to be precise"

"What? How?"

"Well, I used this" she handed her a small metal box, Tia gazed at it "really? This little thing can transport you through time? How does it work?" She was about to press one of the many coloured buttons that covered the cube's surface, when Lauren yanked it out of her grasp "Hey be careful with that! I'll need it to get back to my own time remember?"

"Sorry. But why-"

"Am I here? Well-" She lowered her voice "you and Rocket have just broken up right?" Tia nodded "has the team been having any sorts of disagreements?" Tia nodded again "OK then, let's cut a long story short: those arguments become more and more frequent, getting worse and worse until-"

"Until what?"

"Until the whole team breaks apart" Tia's eyes widened "you mean..."

"Yes, if you break up, so does the team."

Tia stood there for a second, before spinning round "Rocket? Could you come here a sec?" He nodded and walked over, then Tia spoke "Rocket, this is Lauren, our daughter; she's travelled through time to....."

After Tia had finished explaining, Rocket looked at her and replied "I don't believe you"

"What!?!"

"I said, I don't believe you, this is just some stupid plan to try and get me back, but it's not going to work"

"Rocket I-"

"It's not going to work"

Lauren shook her head sadly "I didn't want it to come to this but-"

A few minutes later

"Let us out!!" yelled Rocket, banging against the door with his fists "do you hear me? Let us out!!!" Lauren smiled and replied "Nope! I'm not letting you out of that room until you've apologized to mum-I mean, Tia" Rocket growled "I'll never apologise!"

"Then I'll never let you out!" And with that, Lauren sauntered off down the hall, whistling merrily.

Back in the training room

"Right team, I want you all in the holo-trainer" shouted Aarch as he strode in, then he looked about him "where are Rocket and Tia?" he asked "locked in a room together until I say otherwise" Replied Lauren, walking in behind Aarch, he growled in irritation "how am I supposed to train you when you keep going missing!!" Mark rose a hand "I could go in as a replacement coach" Aarch looked at him "yes I know, but who else..." He turned to Lauren "hey kid...What's your name again?"

"Lauren"

"OK Lauren, how are you with a football?" She shrugged "I don't mean to brag but-"

"Great! You're in!"

"Really?"

"Yes, now go join the others in the holo-trainer"

A few minutes later, the snow kids walked onto the pitch; Lauren walked down and took her position next to Mark who smiled at her, she smiled back, he blushed slightly. "Let the match begin!" called Aarch as the holo-players for the Shadows appeared on the field.

The ball was released, D'Jok leaped high in the air and kicked it to Micro-Ice, who began to dribble down the pitch at breakneck speed; then he kicked the ball high in the air, Mark caught it and was about to score when he saw Lauren waving at him out of the corner of his eye, he flicked the ball towards her, despite Aarch's protests.

Lauren saw the ball coming towards her and ran forward, the breath surrounding her; she performed several back-flips before leaping in the air and smashing the ball into the goal.

When she landed the entire pitch was silent, then Micro-Ice spoke "That...was...WICKED!!" Lauren smiled at him "thanks" then Mei ran over "Lauren that was spectacular! Where did you learn a move like that?" She shrugged "I learnt it myself"

"No way!!" But before anyone could speak again, the pitch began to dematerialise.

"Alright team, take a short break" Aarch called as they walked out of the holo-trainer "Lauren, could I talk to you for a moment please?" She nodded "sure, what is it sir?" he looked around before asking "is it true?" She gave him a look "What's true?"

"Are you really Rocket and Tia's daughter?" she nodded, then spun around "speaking of them, I need to go and see how they're doing..." She ran off before Aarch could utter another word.

Rocket was leaning against the wall when he heard a knock at the door "who is it?" he shouted angrily "Hey! It's me, Lauren!"

"Lauren? Have you come to let us out?"

"Have you apologised to Tia yet?"

"No"

"Then I guess not"

"Aw come on! You can't keep us in here forever you know!"

"Oh really? Just watch me!!"

"No! Wait! Come back!"

Lauren sighed, this was going to take a very long while indeed.