Mike didn't want to believe it at first but seeing all the happy faces around the room were proof that ice-cream was, in fact, magic.

Jayden and Antonio were nestled in each other's arms, happily watching their friends and conversing with them. They didn't seem to have a care in the world, though the opposite was true. With a bowl of ice-cream in each other their hands, they looked like they were having the time of their life. For them, everything was starting to go well again. Ji was back up on his feet, and though he was struggling with the wounds in his chest still, Jayden didn't need to worry about him anymore. A healthy Ji made for a happy Jayden, and a happy Jayden made for a happy couple with Antonio. Life was back on track for them.

Serena and James were happy as well. Though ice-cream wouldn't cure Serena's fear of facing Serrator again, for now she could forget about it. She forgot about her time with him, she forgot about his strange obsession with her family, and she could even forget she was the yellow Ranger, instead of the white. Though the Rangers did occasionally tried to break the habit, they always found themselves drawn to the colour of their spandex. Everything in their lives had to be touched by whatever their designated Ranger colour was. Serena had gravitated away from yellow and towards white when she had been the white Ranger, but as soon as she had been told she was taking Emily's place, her wardrobe suddenly changed, overnight it seemed, back to yellow. Now, as she sat with the group in the dojo, she had on a white shirt, and a big bright smile on her face.

Ji was laughing along with the Samurai, despite the love of his life still hanging on for hers. Mike had recently discovered just how much Ji had fallen for Kate, and just how bad that was for Ji. He had only just figured out his emotions after the attack, and hadn't yet gotten the chance to really tell Kate how he felt about her. Mike remembered the first time he heard Emily say she loved him, and he remembered the first time he told her. The timing hadn't been ideal either – they had been in the middle of a fight – but he remembered how his heart had fluttered and he remembered knowing she was the one.

Even Mia, who had nothing to smile for, was laughing like she had nothing to be sad about. She was curled up in Kevin's arms, taking strength from him, but her behaviour and her body language made it seem like the strong, the level-headed, Momma Pink was back. Mike felt a bit safer knowing the Mia he knew and loved was back, even just for a night, and was glad he and Emily found something to cheer her up after her father's death. The smile on Kevin's face was something Mike enjoyed as well, and Mike got a feeling the smile on Kevin's face meant things were getting better for him, and for Mia as well, which was a good thing.

Mako was even laughing along with the Samurai. She stuck close to Mia, and would occasionally glance her way with something of a worried look, but seeing Mia happy made her happy again, and it looked as though Mia's smile reassured her. Mike wasn't sure what Mako was worried about, but assumed everything was now under control.

Then Mike turned to Emily and an even brighter smile lit up his face when he saw what all the Samurai were laughing at now. Emily had a big bouncy ball in her hands and was playing with Terran. The little boy had seen balls before, and had seen them bounce when they were tossed on the floor, but he had never seen any bounce as much as the bouncy ball. His eyes lit up when his aunt tossed the ball on the floor and it bounced up and hit the ceiling. He would try to catch the ball as it came down, but he hadn't yet mastered hand-eye coordination and the ball would slip between his hands, hit the floor, and bounce all the way back up again. His squeals of excitement, his laughter, and occasional shouts of confusion made everyone laugh.

"Ba, ba, ba!" he cried as he spun around in a circle, trying to chase the ball that wouldn't stop bouncing around him.

"Ball," Emily nodded. She caught the ball in her hands and showed it to Terran. He instantly snatched it from her and threw it as far as he could. It just barely managed to hit the wall and bounced right back, flying by Terran. He screamed happily and jumped as he saw it bounce all around the room.

When the ball came back to Emily, she caught it and hide it behind her back. Terran looked at her, waiting for her to toss it again, but the ball never reappeared.

"Is Auntie Emy being mean, Terran?" Serena asked when she saw Terran start looking for the ball. "What did she do with it, huh Terran?"

"Ba, ba, ba, ba, ba!" Terran shouted at Emily and stomped his feet. Emily giggled. Ba was his favourite sound.

"Ba, ba, ba, ba, ball," she said and presented the ball to him once more. Terran's face lit up, like the ball was a special treasure. He bounced in excitement as Emily wound herself up for the throw, and then followed the direction of the ball when her hand shot out.

Only there was nothing bouncing around the room. Terran looked and looked, but he didn't see anything. He turned around so his aunt would know something was wrong, and the gasped when the ball was in her hand. The Samurai laughed as he squealed happily at the return of the ball that had never truly disappeared.

"Are you ready, Terran?" Emily asked him and this time threw the ball. Terran ran after it, following it all around the room so he wouldn't lose it again. As he did that, Emily leaned into Mike's arms. She loved her nephew, and she loved playing with him, but enough was enough.

"I love that smile," Mike whispered in her ear as he cuddled her. Emily beamed and nestled into him. Suddenly, something crashed into her legs, and then smacked them.

"Ba, ba, ba, ba, BA!" the last one was timed perfectly with the bouncy ball hitting her in the face. She was done playing, but Terran wasn't.

"No more. Go play with mommy," Emily turned Terran around to Serena. He turned back to her. She turned him around. He turned back.

"Parenting 101:" Serena chuckled as Emily lifted Terran on her lap, hoping they could cuddle instead of throwing the ball around, "what you want doesn't matter anymore."

Emily learned that the hard way. She had to cuddle with Terran now that he was on her lap, but she also wanted to cuddle with Mike. When she tried to lean back into him, Terran wouldn't have it. He held out his hand and pushed Mike away, shouting his bas for him to back off.

"He does that with me too, sometimes," James chuckled, reassuring Mike as his wife was taken from him by the little boy. "He's a real lady's man."

"I can see that," Mike nodded and went to work on compromising with a boy whose only argument was the sound ba.

Kevin, meanwhile, nestled into Mia and kissed her neck softly, "How are you feeling?"

"I still miss him," Mia whispered, "but Jayden's words are really hitting me now. I've still got all this to live for. Dad wouldn't want me throwing that away."

Kevin shook his head, "I know you had a few bumps with your dad recently, but he really was special, wasn't he?"

"He was my father," Mia nodded. "I wish I had introduced you to him sooner. I wish he knew."

"Me too," Kevin said and then sighed loudly, "Mia… what you did… what you almost did…"

"It'll never happen again," Mia shifted in his arms and looked up at him, "I promise, Kevin, it was one moment of weakness. I was just thinking how grateful I am for Terran. If he hadn't of baaed like a little lamb… who knows what could have happened to me?"

"Hey, little lamb," Kevin smirked as he looked to Terran. Naturally, unaware he was being called, Terran ignored Kevin completely and continued his babbling rant to Mike on why Emily belonged to only him. Kevin chuckled and reached over, tapping Terran on the back. He turned around that time and saw Kevin. The blue Ranger gently pulled Terran over and sat him down on Mia's lap, "You can steal my fiancée if you want."

Terran plopped down on Mia's lap, and sat, looking out at the older Samurai like he was in charge of all of them. He grinned happily, until Kevin tried to wrap his arm around Mia's shoulders. He shouted and held out his hand, demanding Kevin not touch his new throne. Kevin obeyed his request. He didn't mind at all. Without Terran, it was very possible he wouldn't have a fiancée to fight for.

"You win this time, little lamb."

"BA!"

With Terran no longer on her case, Emily finished what was left of her tub of ice-cream and then got up to put it away. Serena got up with her.

"Emy, wait up," she caught up to her little sister and wrapped her arms around her, "Ice-cream was a good idea."

"I keep telling people it's the best food ever. Now do you believe me?"

"I always did," Serena kissed the top of Emily's head and then turned her around so they were face to face. She smiled at her, "Can you help me with something?"

"With what?"

"Facing my fears. Serrator still freaks me out. I'm no good in yellow, or even in white, if I can't fight when Serrator's around."

Emily smiled brightly and nodded her head, "I'll come up with something to help you. I'll do something like what Dr. Fletcher did with me, only I promise I won't burn the house down with you in it."

"He's a crazy man," Serena sighed, "but his ideas work. So you'll help me out?"

"Of course. It's my new job now, remember?" Emily rubbed her stomach and looked up at her sister. Serena had a mixed look on her face, which Emily deciphered as both joy and disgust. She knew the look, because she had worn it before. Still, to this day, the thought of Terran's origin could give Emily both those feelings at once. Emily nudged Serena, "I hear you want a girl too."

Serena nodded, "I love Terran, but it would be pretty fun having a little girl around the house."

Emily nodded her head and went to the sink to wash out the tub. As the teeny, tiny bits of ice-cream washed away, Emily couldn't help but smile. Her ice-cream plan had worked. Their problems weren't gone, but the Rangers spirits had been lifted. Everyone was feeling readier to face the challenges that lay ahead. As she finished with the tub and placed it in the recycling, she turned around and saw Serena standing by the fridge, just staring into it.

"What? Ice-cream magic has worn off on you, hasn't it?"

"What?" Serena shook her head and turned to Emily, snapping herself from her thoughts. Seeing Emily was no longer on her ice-cream high, Serena realized what she had done, "Sorry, Em."

"This Serrator thing is getting ridiculous, Serena," Emily groaned. "He hurt you, hurt him back!"

Serena shook her head and walked to the table to sit down. Emily sat down with her, "Talk to me."

"You remember being bullied?"

"Obviously."

"Do you remember never standing up to them?"

"Yeah."

"Do you remember why?"

"I was scared," Emily nodded and looked to her sister, "but Serena, that's different…"

"Those were just a couple of punks, Emily," Serena said, "Serrator's a monster. He's a real monster! He's kicked my ass before. He's kicked all our asses before. If I stand up to him, I'm going to lose."

"No you're not."

"We've always lost against him."

"No we haven't!"

"Then why isn't he dead?"

"Why aren't we dead?" Emily flipped the question around and shook her head, "Serena, you beat him!"

"I didn't! You saved me from him. You all saved me! He handed me my ass. I was nothing! I knelt at his feet like a freaking slave! I did everything he asked me to do without second thought. I carved you like a freaking pumpkin!"

"Stop this!" Emily cried and smashed her fists into the table. Tears started to run down her cheeks, "We were all just happy!"

"Emily, it was a lie. You're still pregnant, Mia's dad's still dead, Kate's probably dead too…"

"No, she's not! She won't die! She can't die!"

"There's been nothing from her for days, Emily. Serrator's getting everything he wanted and more!"

"Because you're giving it to him!"

"He's taking it!"

"You're letting him."

Serena scoffed and shook her head, "You're living in a lie right now, Emily. You're happy now, but we're all going to hell in a hand-basket. It was stupid to think we could do this."

Serena got up and stormed off, shoving her way past the crowd of Samurai who had formed around the kitchen entrance. As she stormed out of the house and into the yard, Emily followed her.

"Where are you going?"

"Leave me alone, Emily!"

Emily shook her head and raced after Serena. She jumped up on her sister's back and hugged her tight.

"I'm not letting you give up," she said with a shake of her head, "We can do this, Serena, I promise. You just have to believe things can get better."

"Get off me," Serena tried to pull her sister's arms apart, but Emily knew how to hold on tightly.

"Please, Serena. You're making progress…"

"It's not enough."

"It was enough to save Mia! You helped save her from Serrator! I know you're scared, but please…"

"Let me go, Emily."

"No," Emily hugged her sister's neck and wrapped her legs around Serena's waist. Without her sister's help, Emily was up for another piggy back ride. Serena groaned. There would be no getting her off now, but she tried.

"Seriously, Emily, this job isn't for me," Serena tried to pry her sister's legs and arms apart, but to no avail. "You're being ridiculous, Emily."

"This job has to be for you. I can't fight! I'm sorry, Serena, but I need you to take my place. I'd fight for you and Terran. I've done it before. Now I need you…"

"I'm not the Samurai for the job. Get off of me," she backed into the gate, pressing her sister against the wall and her body, hoping it would be enough to convince Emily to let her go.

"I've always believe in you, Serena. You've always been strong enough to fight the Nighlok. You kick butt all the time! Serrator's going to be no different. I'll help you! You'll be ready for him."

"I don't want to fight him."

"You give up too easily."

"We can do this. I'll help you. We're all going to help you!"

"And what if I can't do it?"

"Please," Emily buried her face in her sister's shoulder. "Please, please, please, Serena. Please try."

At that very moment, the Gap Sensor sounded. The Samurai, who had been watching from the porch, had a look at their Samuraizers and then the boys rushed out. Mia hesitated for a moment, and then took her Samuraizer back from her grandmother and followed them. Her father's death still weighed heavily on her, but his death wouldn't be the end of her world, or the world itself.

Emily reached down into Serena's pocket and pulled out the yellow Samuraizer, "A long, long time ago, you trusted me with this. Now, I'm trusting you. Serrator could be right on the other side of the gates, but I know you have it in you to fight. I never wanted to let you down."

"You never did."

"Please don't let me down," Emily whispered. She gave her sister another hug, "I trust you. Fight as hard as you can. Protect my friends. Protect my husband. Just do your best. Please."

"I'm going to let you down…"

"No you won't! If you just try…"

"Emy, I'm serious, I need to let you down," Serena said and moved away from the gate, "I can't fight with you on my back."

"Right," Emily nodded and put her feet back on the ground. She looked at Serena, "I'll be watching. If you and the others need help, I'll come. Don't make me come."

"I won't," Serena shook her head and kissed her sister's cheek.