Lauren and the girls had come back from their day out. Mia, as was to be expected, had a huge haul of bags hanging from each arm. Emily and Serena had smaller hauls, each of them only having a few bags, while Lauren was definitely the odd one out, having only a single bag. What she did have though, was a tray full of take-away coffee cups.

"Hey, you're back." Mike commented, pausing his game. The packets of chips on the couch next to him betrayed the fact he hadn't gotten up for lunch. He had basically not moved from the couch since they had left. The shot on the screen had paused with a zombie's head exploding from a shotgun blast. He went to them. "Hey Kevin, your fiancée beat mine again."

"Really Mia?" Kevin chuckled as he came through from the kitchen, shaking his head. "Don't you realise that every time you have a major splurge like this it just puts the wedding back? Those things are expensive."

"I know, but I was just trying to show Lauren a good time." She told him, kissing him softly. He just raised an eyebrow, gesturing to Lauren's one bag.

"Yeah, it looks like shopping is really her thing." He teased her.

"Hey, coffee!" Mike called out, reaching for the tray in Lauren's hand. She pulled it back, looking a little annoyed.

"They're mine!" She told him. Mike and Kevin both looked at her.

"ALL OF THEM?" They chorused.

"Yeah, Lauren decided she really likes mocha." Emily giggled, nudging Lauren slightly.

"Yeah, but four?" Mike asked. "Between caffeine and sugar, she'll be bouncing off the walls until December!"

"I'm not so sure it's the coffee she liked though." Serena continued to tease Lauren. "I think it might have had more to do with the guy behind the counter."

"Oh yeah, what was his name again?" Mia asked as they noticed Lauren becoming more and more uncomfortable. "Jeffrey? Jamie?"

"Jeremy." Lauren muttered under her breath, shoving the tray into Mike's hands. "You want them so badly, here! I'm going to get changed for training!"

"Oh come on Lauren, we don't mean any harm." Serena assured her, grabbing her around the shoulders. "We tease each other all the time; it's one of the ways we show we care."

"Yeah, Mike rips on me all the time." Kevin assured her. "You only need to worry when we stop messing with each other. That only happens when one of us is REALLY upset with somebody."

Lauren saw Jayden coming into the room and made her way over to her brother, sulking a little.

"I see the shopping trip went well." He surmised. Lauren nodded her head slightly.

"Mia introduced me to mocha." She informed him. "And I even got a new denim jacket, look!"

"A new jacket!" Jayden said with a smile, inspecting it. "Exactly like the other three you have."

"You can't expect miracles overnight." Lauren replied with a shrug. It was only then that she noticed Jayden carrying a backpack. "Jayden, what's going on?"

"There's...something I need to talk to you all about." He announced. Ji came in with Antonio and Brenda.

"What is it Jay?" Antonio asked, taking a seat. "Ji said you had something really important to talk about."

"Yeah, I do." Jayden told him. "All of you sit down for a moment."

The team all looked around each other, not knowing what was happening. Sitting down, they prepared to listen. Jayden put down his bag, and started to pace, trying to collect his thoughts.

"Guys, you're more to me than just a team. You're more than even friends to me. You're family. I know I've not always been the easiest to live with, or to understand, but you accepted me, and you respected me. I've come to care for all of you a great deal over the time we've known each other, and I care about each and every one of you." He began.

"Um...OK?" Emily responded.

"It also means so much to me that you've all gone out of your way to accept Lauren into the team." He told them, gesturing to his sister. "I know it can't have been easy coming to terms with the secret. Even I can't believe that this has happened myself. I've always wanted my big sis back."

"OK, am I the only one here feeling like there's a 'but' coming?" Mike asked. Jayden just nodded.

"I'm afraid you're right about that Mike." Jayden carried on. "As you know, Lauren can do something I can never do. She can create the sealing symbol. She's the one that can end the war for good."

"Yeah, we know that." Mia stated, patting Lauren on the shoulder. "We can't wait until she joins the six of us..."

"Five." Jayden interrupted her. "Lauren's the true head of the Shiba Clan. Leading the team was always her birthright. It's always been her responsibility. I was only ever meant to lead while she was away."

"Wait, what?" Antonio asked. "You...you're leaving?"

"Yeah, what gives?" Mike demanded. "This isn't like Emily and Serena or Terry and Mia. You BOTH have morphers!"

"Mike's right, there's no reason you can't both be on the team!" Emily agreed. "You can't just go!"

"It's always been Lauren's place." Jayden told them. "Having me on the team will just lead to confusion."

"Jayden..."

"Lauren, you've studied the same tactical books I have. You know the importance of clarity in battle." Jayden interrupted his sister. "You know that it's vital that there's always one plan. That means there can only be one leader."

"But...I just got you back." Lauren replied, a tear starting to run down her face. Jayden hugged her tightly, before releasing her. He wiped away her tear with his thumb.

"I hate this too, but the safety of the team and the mission are vital." He told her. "You know that any confusion can lead to dangerous mistakes being made."

He looked to the rest of his friends, holding a hand out to Ji.

"I can't take the chance that you'll look to me in battle." He concluded. "Lauren is your leader now. There can be only one Red Ranger."

Ji handed him the box containing the Black Box and the Power Disks. Jayden then looked to Lauren and handed her the box.

"We'll be together again once this is over." He assured her. "Until then, these will serve you well. Believe in your team. They're the best team anyone could hope for."

Jayden then picked up his bag, and prepared to leave, stopping before his friends one last time.

"Take care of each other. You have to follow Lauren now."

He went down the line, shaking hands with each of them in turn. Only Kevin didn't shake his hand, standing with his arms crossed defiantly. Jayden just sighed.

"Serve Lauren as you've served me." He instructed them. "I'll be back one day."

With that, he walked out the door, leaving the Shiba House.

The Rangers stood, dumbfounded, unable to speak. Lauren stood, holding the wooden box, staring at it in disbelief. She understood what Jayden meant, but that didn't make it any easier to accept. She had only just gotten her little brother back after all this time, and yet only a couple of days later, he was walking out of her life again, leaving her with the responsibility he had carried for two years. A couple of tears hit the surface of the box, and she took a deep breath before wiping her eyes, turning to the other Rangers.

They were all staring at her. She didn't have the same connection to the team that Jayden had. They had all tried to make her feel welcome, but it was only her second day in the house. It was one thing welcoming her into the house, and another to accept her onto the team. Following her would be another thing altogether. Looking at the looks on her team's faces, she felt more alone than ever.

"Um...go and get changed." She told them. "Training begins in ten minutes."

"What, that's it?" Mike asked incredulously.

"You heard her." Kevin replied coldly, getting up. "Training in ten minutes."

"What is wrong with you?" Mike demanded, rounding on Kevin. "Did you miss what just happened? Jayden, our leader...our FRIEND just walked out the door!"

"Lauren's the shogun." Kevin stated bluntly. "And she gave us an order."

"Look, guys, maybe we need time to..."

"We don't need time Emily, its simple. The shogun gave us an order, that's it!" Kevin snapped.

"Hey, don't talk to her like that!" Mike responded angrily, getting into Kevin's face.

"Fall in Mike." Kevin told him.

"What if I don't? What are you going to do, make me?" Mike demanded. Kevin shoved him aggressively, at which Mia, Emily, Serena and Terry all grabbed them, pulling them apart and trying to reason with them. Ji stood between them.

"That is ENOUGH!" Ji roared. "None of us are happy about this, but this was always Lauren and Jayden's call to make. The last thing we need is to start fighting among ourselves!"

He looked to Lauren, who was trembling, watching the scene unfolding. Just as she feared, the team might have been nice to her for her brother's sake, but accepting her leading them was another matter. She understood Jayden's thoughts on the matter, but his leaving created another fear in her that seemed to be realised. They blamed her for him leaving. She had never asked for this, but she had it whether she wanted it or not.

"May I suggest something?" Ji asked Lauren. "Perhaps it would be best if we take some time to..."

"Yes, of course." Lauren whispered quietly as she nodded her head sadly, struggling to keep her tears in check. "We'll train tomorrow. For now, do what you will. Ji, can you arrange something for dinner?"

"We will eat in an hour." He told the others, looking to Mike and Kevin in particular. "May I suggest we all use that time to relax and calm down?"

With that, Emily guided Mike away to his room. Mia was about to do the same with Kevin, but he just looked to Lauren, who nodded. He went with Mia to their room.

"Lauren." Antonio stated, coming over. He looked to her. "I...um..."

"I understand." She told him. "I would prefer he wasn't alone anyway, and I'm sure he could do with having you around."

She just looked up to him.

"You told me you share a room, but I noticed there was only one bed." She told him. "I'm sheltered, but I'm not stupid."

"I'll still answer my Samuraizer." He assured her. "I'll leave the Octozord and Clawzord here."

"Thank you." She answered. Terry just left the room quietly. Serena though waited for a moment. She came across to Lauren, looking her up and down.

"If you want to talk, you know where I am." She assured her, heading to her room. Lauren appreciated the offer. Serena was the closest to being in the same situation as her. Lauren just looked to Ji and gestured to her room.

"I'll just...um..." With that, she slinked away. Brenda wrapped her arms around Ji.

"Well...that went about as well as we could have expected." She remarked. "So, what do we do now?"

"We do all we can." Ji answered in a deep sigh. "We try to find a way to move on."

Elsewhere, Dayu appeared from a Gap, following her Furry Wort pet. She bent down, picking it up.

"So, what is it Dekker?" She asked the little creature. "Where...?"

She looked up, to see something that she never would have thought she would. It was the ruins of what was once Dekker's home. His father's home anyway, it had never been a home to Dekker. It was where he was beaten, abused and belittled his whole life as he desperately sought the approval of a family that would never accept him.

"Dekker?" She asked, seeing him standing in the ruins. She approached him, setting down his Furry Wort counterpart.

"This place, I never thought I'd be back here." Dekker began.

"I never thought I would either." Dayu answered as she approached him. "Why would you come here?"

"This is the source of my rage." Dekker explained. "This is where it all began. I used to believe it was only Urumasa's influence. My mind kept replaying what happened here, all the pain, all the suffering, driving my anger. Since Serrator's demise however, I've been feeling, remembering...more."

He turned slowly towards Dayu, looking to her.

"There was good here." He told her. She felt her heart beating faster as he approached her, looking to her with warmth in his eyes. "This isn't the same face, but when I look at you, when I'm in your presence, I know...I know what we once had."

Dayu felt warm tears starting to run down his face, hearing Dekker saying this. Her heart raced as he came close enough to touch her. She had hoped, prayed for so long to hear him say something almost exactly like this. Looking into his eyes, she could see that he was telling the truth. He really did remember.

"There was good here." She agreed. "It was the only thing that made life here bearable."

"It really was." Dekker told her. "It seemed right that we met here. This was where everything began. It was only natural that we lay things to rest here. This is where I begin the end."

"The end?" Dayu asked him. This was the part she was dreading. He cradled her face softly with his hand.

"Serrator is gone, but his curse lingers because of Urumasa." He reminded her. "There is only one way this can end."

"Dekker..."

"We have both suffered long enough." He told her. "The Red Ranger...the fake one..."

"Wait, what?" Dayu asked. "What do you mean?"

"Urumasa tells me all my opponents' secrets." Dekker told her. "The true head of the Shiba Clan has returned."

"The true...?" Dayu's words tailed off as she got a thought, a memory of an incident she had almost forgotten. "You mean the girl...?"

"With the responsibility of the world no longer on his shoulders, he can now finally focus on taking the threat of Urumasa from the world." Dekker told her. "This world has not been kind to us. Perhaps the next will be kinder."

With that, he drew her in, kissing her deeply. As the parted, she watched him walk away, knowing that he intended to march to his doom. Now was the time for her to enact the final part of her own plan. Things would end, but they would end on her terms.

Back in the States, Jayden was at the cabin Ji's friends had lent them. It had taken longer for him to set up the security symbols than it had to unpack his belongings. He had only taken a few clothes, knowing that the cabin would be set up with the essentials. Now though, he was dealing with another essential issue. Looking through the cupboards, he found a lot of tinned food. It was a natural choice since tinned food never spoiled. Opening a tin of beans, he emptied it into a pot, before lighting up the hob on the gas stove.

He heard a knock on the door, and summoned a Spin Sword to his hand. He approached the door slowly, unlocking it, but keeping the safety chain on. He knew it couldn't be a Nighlock, because he had set up security symbols, but that was no reason to take chances. No one should have known he was out here. Who would be calling?

He opened the door ajar, and looked outside, seeing Antonio standing outside.

"Welcome wagon!" He declared cheerfully. Jayden just sighed and opened the door, letting him see the Spin Sword. "What? Were you expecting a bear or something?"

"What are you doing here Antonio?" Jayden asked him. Antonio just shoved his way inside.

"I just thought I'd bring dinner roomie." He announced, coming in and dumping a backpack on the floor. He then put a bag from a Chinese take-away on the table.

"Roomie?" Jayden asked him. "Antonio, the team needs you."

"And they can call me." Antonio assured him, showing him his Samuraizer.

"Antonio..."

"It was your sister's idea actually." He said semi-truthfully. While Lauren had approved of the suggestion, it was Antonio's idea. "No offence, but I'm not that happy about my boyfriend wandering off on his own. I figure it'll help if I know you're safe."

"Antonio..."

"Your sister said she'd appreciate knowing you're not on your own too." Antonio interrupted him. "Look, I promise I'll still serve on the team, it just means that instead of the chipmunks and rabbits, you'll have me for company."

Jayden just laughed as Antonio started to unpack the dinner. He was so infuriating when he made up his mind. He knew that Antonio was staying whether he wanted him to or not. Of course, the fact was that he really, really did want him to. Some company did sound pretty good.

"Eat up while it's still warm." Antonio told him, setting up some wine glasses and pouring them each a glass. He set up a pair of candles, before rummaging around. "Um...sorry amigo, I forgot the matches. Would you mind...?"

Jayden pulled out his Samuraizer and lit the candles, before moving his pot off the hob, and turning off the gas.

"I guess I can have beans any time." He answered, sitting down. He picked up a wine glass. "I guess if I can't get rid of you, I may as well enjoy having you around. The cabin's nice and all. I guess we can think of this as...kind of a holiday."

"That's the spirit." Antonio replied, pulling his chair closer, lifting his wine glass, touching it to Jayden's. "No more running off, alright?"

"I promise." Jayden assured him, leaning in and kissing him. "I love you."

"I love you too." Antonio replied, opening the first tub of Won Ton soup. "So, where are the bowls?"