Sorry for the wait, writer's block and homework and both b*tches.

Guest: Thank you, that's great to hear, as I haven't really been thinking that myself lately. Thanks for the clearup as well :)

The Titan's Shadow: Yeah, that was one of my weaker chapters in my opinion. But I'll try to pick up the pace in future chapters

By the way, I know Mystake is most likely dead, but I mentioned the ninja going to see her in the first chapter, before that episode came out. So this story's going down the road that she's alive and well.

"So, on the road again!" Cole declared as the pair walked down the path underneath the bold skyline. Kai nodded. He didn't really want to talk tonight. He had just left his family behind to seek help from someone who could be dead for all they knew. She WAS pretty old. But the whole situation was shocking and terrible and Kai needed time to brood.

Cole seemed to take the hint and shut up for a bit. Until,

"Do you think we should warn people?"

"Huh? About what?"

"The curse, fire brain. Give them time to, erm, prepare."

"For what? We're trying to stop it, but otherwise, there's nothing to prepare for! We're just going to lose everything we ever worked for because we couldn't lay off one snake!"

Cole stopped walking and Kai did too.

"Kai, are you... OK?"

"No!" Kai snapped, sitting down, leaning on a tree trunk. "I am going to lose EVERYTHING, Cole! I worked so hard to get Skylor back after I cheated, I got a family going, so did the rest of you! And my sister, and parents, and my FRIENDS! The first time we met, I hated you for catching me when I was half asleep, now I never want to let you out of my sight for the next nine months!" He threw his head into his hands and started sobbing.

Cole was shocked. He knew Kai had emotions, of course, but even he wasn't on the verge of a mental breakdown right about now. So he sat next to the fire ninja and just slipped an arm around his back, letting Kai cry out his problems into the palms of his hands. Left him time to think. Personally, Cole wasn't as upset. He had always been quite laid back about things, but all he could think about was his daughter. She would be all alone, again. He didn't want that to happen to her. But what could he do?

He could get off his butt and go find that crazy oni woman.

"Come on." He said to Kai. "We won't have to worry any more if we get up and keep moving forward."

...

Every child's worst nightmare. Parent teacher conference. Teachers found out that your dad actually did your homework for you. Detention. Parents found out that you skipped school and cheated in tests. Grounded.

Except at Airspin High. Mainly because a good percentage of the kids didn't have parents who could come, so they were satisfied with a message from their teacher by phone. Some didn't have parents at all. But some, did have parents who could come into school and check on their kid's progress.

"OK, I will see you there tonight Gwen. No exceptions, no running off. Got it?"

"Yes dad!" Gwen sighed. "I will be by the gate. Now I'm gonna be late!" Gwen grabbed her schoolbag and ran out of the door. Alex smiled as he watched her go. At first, he'd been worried about her mental state after the fire, but she was improving lots. She just needed time to socialise with her friends and that.

Alex was about to wheel himself to his desk, when his phone beeped. It was the hospital. He gasped. Since he didn't have one, and his wife was... unavailable, Alex had put himself down as Jeffry Pheonix's emergency contact. He quickly answered the hospital.

"Hello, this is Alexander Kennedy, is there news of Jeffry Pheonix?"

His face cracked into a smile. "That's wonderful news, I will be there tonight. With his children. Yes, the twins, they'll be pleased to see him, I can deduce."

The rest of the day, Kai pottered around a little, doing some work, but really unable to work properly. When lunch came round, as usual, he made his way to his van. Ever since Jean Red had given him those sandwiches, he had returned there for his lunch every day, hoping to see her working the drive through again. But no, it had always been a nervous looking guy with glasses. The man who had made the sandwiches, but he didn't care about sandwiches. He cared about the woman he had met there. He wanted to see her again. Alex would have gone into the restaurant for a table and hope that Jean was serving, but that would mean she saw him out of the car. Saw his legs and that they didn't work. He had always had a bit of an ego and he didn't want her to be put off because she thought of him as a cripple. All sympathetic. No way!

But by some brilliant luck, it wasn't Colin working the drive through. It was Jean Red, in all her glory. She smiled when she saw him.

"Why hello stranger." She said with a grin. "You enjoy your sandwiches?"

"Much better than the crap I would have ordered. Thank you for that." He returned the smile.

"Really? Because I hear you've taken quite a liking to this place." She gave him and wink as he squirmed a little.

"So, what'll it be? My apologies sir, I don't have any sandwiches today."

"Please, call me Alex."

"OK. But you're going to have to order at some point."

"Mozzarella dippers." Alex said. "Please."

"Sure thing." He handed her a fiver and she handed him a little bag. Alex wanted to say something else, perhaps ask her to dinner, but before he could get the words out, he heard a voice call out from the kitchen.

"Jean, it's your shift at the counter! Get your butt over here!"

Jean sighed. "See you."

"No, Jean, wait-" She stopped and turned to him.

"Yes?"

Alex couldn't believe he was about to ask this, but-

"How would you like to join me for dinner at the weekend? Are you free?"

Jean seemed to consider. Then nodded.

"I have time off on Sunday. But not here?"

"No. Somewhere..." Alex tried to find the right words without insulting her workplace.

"Nice?" Jean offered and they laughed.

"JEAN!"

"Gotta go!" Jean stood up from her stool. She grabbed a wrapper off a ready made burger and scribbled down some digits. She tossed it over to him.

"My number. Call me."

She winked and disappeared.

...

As dawn broke overhead, the two ninja were exhausted.

"Why didn't we steal an effing car when we were back at civilisation!" Kai sighed, sitting down. "We could be on our way BACK by now!"

"Get up!" Cole commanded. "Sleep is for the weak."

"Then I'm weak." Kai curled up on the ground, using his jacket as a pillow. "Sheesh, it's cold!"

"It's mid winter!" Cole sat down opposite him. "Three hours Kai, then we're up again."

"Make it four." Kai yawned, and dozed off. Cole sighed, but he couldn't get to sleep. Too much on his mind.

He hadn't even sad goodbye.

Noticing Kai shivering, he built a small campfire and watched the embers dance in the shadow of the trees. For five hours, he sat and watched the flames dance, occasionally changing shape to match the fire ninja's dreams. It seemed he still had powers, even though his second child was on the way.

Eventually, Kai sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"What time is it?"

"Around lunch time. We should get going."

Kai sighed and noticed the fire. It was well fed and had a pile of sticks next to it.

"Cole, when was the last time you slept?"

"Not important."

"Cole!"

Cole sighed.

"Last Monday I caught four hours."

"That was three days ago!"

"Earth doesn't sleep." Cole stood. "And I am still an Elemental Master."

"Earth probably sleeps more than any other element. It's fire that's constantly awake until it dies."

"Enough with the metaphors!" Cole help up a hand. "We need to get going."

Kai sighed. "Fine, but we'll talk about this later." He shrugged on his jacket.

Cole gave a small smile. "You've changed."

"Huh?" The pair set off in the direction of Mystake's village.

"You used to be... annoying. Fire brain, hated tech, big headed. Loved the girls. But since you've married Skylor, you matured." Kai gave a little shrug.

"That's what happens when you become a husband. It's not too late for you Cole. I'm sure we can find you a woman."

Cole frowned at the floor. "Kai."

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to tell you something, but I want you to promise you won't tell the others."

"Um, OK." Kai gave a nod. "What is it?"

"I've already found someone."

"Really? Who? and why didn't you-"

Cole cut him off. The secret he had been keeping for so long burst out of him.

"I've been dating him for about five years now."

"Aww, that's nice, wait. He?"

"Yeah, he." Cole didn't look up from the ground. "I'm gay."

Kai stopped walking and Cole bit his lip nervously.

"That's a shock." Kai muttered. Then his face cracked into a smile. "Damn, I owe Nya a fiver now!"

"Wait, what? Nya bet on it?"

"Sure did!" Kai burst out laughing. "Good on you though, but damn, five years! And you didn't think to mention it?"

"Well, I wasn't sure how you'd react." Cole said. "You know I don't talk to my dad anymore?"

"Yeah? Oh, wait, did he-"

"I thought he'd understand." Cole muttered. "I was wrong. That's what put me off telling you guys. I mean, if my own father-"

"Cole." Kai put a hand on his shoulder. "Look at us. We're such a crazy family. Robots, junkyard boy, the son of Ninjago's worst villain. I don't care which gender you like, you'll always be my brother."

Cole sniffed, and hugged Kai.

"Thank you."

...

"Hey dad." Gwen waved as Alex parked and wheeled himself over to his daughter.

"Hey baby girl. Sorry I'm a bit late."

"The later the better." Gwen waved to a few kids who were heading into the dorm block. Alex caught sight of a tall red head waving back.

"Who's that?" He asked. Gwen seemed to catch her breath.

"Cissy. The new girl I told you about." Alex frowned. Something seemed familiar about this girl, something he couldn't quite place...

"Dad?" Gwen was looking at him strangely.

"Oh nothing." He shook his head a little. "Which way then?"

Alex followed Gwen down a corridor to a line of seats outside a classroom, in which a woman and two kids were sat. The girl was scribbling something in a notepad, and the boy was fiddling with the seat on his arm. Gwen sat down next to the boy, and Alex decided to park his chair over the corridor, as there was no room next to his daughter.

He made eye contact with the woman. Something inside of him stopped. He didn't know why. She wasn't all the pretty, nor kind looking, quite expensively dressed, but had the air of a usual tired mother about her.

He didn't know why seeing her shocked him so much.

Gwen struck up a conversation with the boy, and the woman seemed to notice.

"Hey." She said. "You're her father, I'm guessing?"

"Yep. Call me Alex."

"I'm Kelly." She smiled. "My kids are new to this neighbourhood, and my son does talk about his classmates a lot. Thanks for raising a kid who's willing to make them feel so welcome."

"Well, what can I say?" Alex smiled at her. "We have to train up the next generation to be as good as we were." The woman grinned and fist bumped him.

"Ah, hey there twins." A tall, broad shouldered man appeared in the classroom doorway, waving off some other kid and his mum. "And Mrs Thomas, I presume."

"Call me Kelly." She said, standing and dragging Jayden away from his conversation. Nicole stood after, tucking her notebook into her pocket.

"See you then." She waved at Alex, who waved back.

Gwen was confused.

"Was that flirting?"

Alex laughed.

"No, no, I don't think so. Just being nice."

"Like friends?"

Alex considered. It didn't really seem that way either. What was WRONG with him today?! Everyone seemed familiar!

Or was it just...?

Jean...

Alex cleared his throat. "Erm, Gwen. How would you react if I told you something you may not want to hear?"

"Depends." Gwen thought for a second. "Are you gay?"

"Wha- no!"

Gwen laughed.

"OK, had your fun baby girl-"

"DAD! Don't call me that in school!"

"Sorry. But I need to tell you, I asked a woman out on a date today."

Gwen gasped. "What did she say, how'd you meet, who is she, how serious is it, DETAILS!" Fangirl mode: on.

Alex laughed. "She said yes. I met her at the drive through at that crappy diner you like, she's called Jean Red, not that serious at all, and there you go."

Gwen gasped again, but not for reasons her father would understand. She knew Jean Red. She knew who she was.

THIS WAS PROGRESS!