Lauren couldn't help feeling like it was probably a waste of time, but eventually Emily had convinced her to give the dating website at least one last chance. It wasn't like she had a whole lot to lose.

Once again, she had agreed to the coffee shop as the venue for her date, thinking that at least it was somewhere she was familiar with. Coming into the coffee shop, she saw Jeremy standing at the counter, with a book in his hand as always. He smiled as he saw her.

"You're back." He commented. "I hope you're not planning on assaulting any more of my regulars."

"It depends if any of them behave like idiots." She answered with a nervous little laugh. "I'm meant to be meeting someone here, but he doesn't seem to be here yet."

"Well, feel free to have a coffee while you wait." He replied. "I'll get your order."

Time went by, and minutes melted away as Lauren waited for the guy she was in the cafe to meet. She didn't have a photo to work with, no idea who this guy was, so it was up to him to find her. She looked up to the clock, and sighed, realising she had been there for nearly two hours with no sign of her date.

"Perfect." She grumbled. A waitress came in, looking to Jeremy apologetically.

"Sorry I'm late; the queue at the post office was insane!" She told him.

"Well, I guess I was late yesterday." He conceded as he took off his apron. "You're here now Jacqui, that's the important thing."

He rounded the counter, at which Lauren noticed that he was carrying a rose. That was the signal; the guy who e-mailed her had said that he would be carrying a rose. As Jeremy came over and sat down, she felt incredibly warm, and was sure her face had to be the same shade as her uniform.

"Sorry I'm late." Jeremy apologised. "My shift was meant to finish ages ago."

"You're the one that messaged me?" Lauren asked him. He just nodded.

"You told me the name of the site you're using." He reminded her. So...would you like to go for dinner?"

"That sounds pretty much perfect." Lauren answered. She always felt good around Jeremy. It was like she was queasy, but it felt good at the same time. She remembered her discussion with Emily about what she was looking for in a guy. Jeremy seemed to tick a lot of the right boxes. He was kind, smart, thoughtful...and he was pretty good looking too.

"I know a good Italian place." He informed her. "I think I spend enough time in this place."

Lauren went with him, more than a little pleased by this turn of events. She had been ready to give up on the whole dating scene, and she made a mental note to thank Emily for convincing her to try again.

Back at the hotel, everyone was starting to pack up their things. They were due to check out and go their separate ways on New Years' day. Although they'd all had a great time, they were all excited for their new lives. Emily and Mike had their new farm, Mia and Kevin were heading to the airport in the morning to go on honeymoon, Even Jayden and Antonio had a lot to think about, with Antonio's new restaurant still in the planning stages.

Emily fastened the padlock on her case, with a little smile on her face. She still had a wedding to plan, and the following day, she was going to be in her new home with Mike. He looked to her and smiled.

"When this all started two years ago, did you ever think we'd end up here?" Mike asked her. Emily just shook her head.

"I was just hoping not to screw up too badly." She admitted. "I wouldn't change a single thing, not even any of the bad stuff."

"Me either." He assured her. "I love you so much."

"I love you too Mike." She answered him, hugging him tightly. "Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year." He answered.

After dinner, Jeremy and Lauren talked until the waiters politely asked them to leave at close to 10 PM. Jeremy knew that Lauren wanted to be back at the hotel in time for midnight, and walked with her, trying to flag down a cab. It turned out that New Years' Eve was not the easiest night to try and hail a cab.

"Looking for a cab?" Someone said. Jeremy looked around, seeing a large group of guys approaching them. Lauren grabbed his arm tightly.

"Um...yeah." Jeremy answered.

"Well, I guess that means you have money then." He answered, pulling out a flick knife. "Alright, wallets and jewellery."

"Sorry about this, I was hoping this would be a good night." He told Lauren. He held out his hand, at which she handed over her wallet. These guys were nothing, nobodies. She had faced off against some of the strongest and most vicious monsters the Netherworld had to offer. With Jeremy there though, she didn't want to take any chances. She just handed him her wallet, and watched as he took out his own, and took off his watch, handing them over.

"We don't want any trouble." He stated. "Here."

Lauren didn't know how to feel. She was a little put out by the fact that she had just been mugged, and she couldn't even risk fighting back. She felt a hand on her forearm.

"Well, now we have the cash, time for a little fun." He stated. Before Lauren could move however, the guy hit the ground unconscious. She found to her surprise that Jeremy was ploughing through the attackers, putting them down with incredible ferocity. Before long, they all took to heel and ran away, leaving the wallets in their wake. Jeremy picked them up, handing Lauren's back to her.

"That...that was..."

"Panorama University Middleweight Boxing Champion 2008-2010." He informed her, shaking out his hands. "Got to admits, it kind of hurts without gloves though. Are you OK?"

"N...n...no one's ever stood up for me like that before." Lauren stammered. Jeremy just smiled.

"Well, it's not like I make a habit of solving my problems with my fists." He admitted. "Are you sure you're OK?"

"I'm fine." Lauren assured him.

"Well, it looks like we're out of luck with taxis." He sighed. "If we start walking now, we'll be back at the hotel in time for the Bells."

"But...that means you'll miss out." She commented. Jeremy just shrugged.

"I didn't have any plans anyway." He informed her. Lauren just smiled.

"Well, you could join us." She suggested. "I'm sure the others wouldn't mind."

"Well, that sure beats the heck out of anything I had planned." He answered, offering her an arm. Lauren took it as they started to make their way back to the hotel. Although the mugging wasn't the best way to end the date, it did show her one thing. Jeremy didn't know about her past as a Ranger. He had no reason to stand up for her, and he had risked his own neck to stand up for her when he had no reason to do so. She pulled in more closely as they walked. Maybe, just maybe, he was the guy she was looking for.

A/N: A short chapter, just to carry us through Hogmanay. Happy New Year, and don't worry, there will be more from the Samurai soon enough.