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*Italic indicates thought
Chapter Twenty-Five: Advice Is Needed
A/N: Hello my wonderful readers! I've finally finished this chapter! Hop you like it!
"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life. It goes on." -Robert Frost
Mia smiled when she saw Terry passed out on his bed. She went into his room and turned she light off for him. His phone buzzed and she glanced at it briefly. She looked back at it again and stared at the message. She picked the phone up and unlocked it, she'd known his passcode for a year, and looked at the message in full. Please don't tell Mia! I swear I'll do it myself, but I need a little more time. As a sign of good faith can you at least send me the photos?!
Photos, Mia thought to herself. What photos? She opened her brothers photos and scrolled through them. It didn't take long until she found the photos the text was referring too. Her breath caught in her throat and she shook her head. In the photo she could clearly see Seth hugging another girl. She put the phone back and left her brother's room silently. "Don't jump to conclusions," she told herself. "I'm sure there's a perfectly valid reason why Tarry has a picture of Seth hugging another girl on his phone, and why someone is asking him not to show me."
Someone knocked on the front door and she answered it. "Cam!" she smiled. She hugged her cousin with glee. "What're you doing here?"
"I was in the neighborhood and I just wanted to stop by and say hi."
"Cam," Mia said, stepping outside so they wouldn't wake up Terry. "Blue Bay Harbor is a good day's drive from here. I highly doubt you were 'in the neighborhood.' "
"Hey I am."
"For what?"
"That is none of your business. Anyways, is isn't come here to be insulted. I came here because I need some advice."
"Can't your friends help you?"
"Yeah," Cam leaned against the porch railing. "Trouble is, they all have different opinions on the subject."
"I see. So what's up?" Mia leaned against the railing next to him.
"Hunter wants me to live at Thunder Ninja Academy with him."
Mia had to think about that for a minute. "You guys got married and you don't even live together?"
"He's busy teaching ninja students and I'm busy helping the Power Ranger Council. Having time to orchestrate living together has always been difficult."
"So what's wrong with living at the Thunder Ninja Academy?"
Cam sighed. "The Wind Ninja Academy is my home. I've lived there my whole life. Kind of including the year I spent living in Ninja Ops."
Mia nodded. "I see. You're certainly not known for going beyond your comfort zone."
"Exactly. Tori thinks I should. That's what she and Blake did when they got married. Because she's a teacher, he lives with at the Wind Ninja Academy. Dustin thinks I shouldn't do it. Shane is neutral on the subject."
"Hm. Well, I think personally you should."
"Really?!"
"Really Cam. You love Hunter right?"
"Yes."
"And you would like it if you could spend really spend your life with him right?"
"Yeah. I guess."
"Then you should live with him. Honestly, I'm sure the other academy isn't that bad. You'll be fine."
Cam shook his head. "And yet I find myself wondering why I'm taking advice from my cousin who's like five years younger than I am."
Mia simply smiled. "It's good advice, I promise you. So what's this advice that brings you this way?"
"I have some business to attend to in Angel Grove, but I wanted to see if there's a certain former ranger who will come with me."
"Who? Me?"
"No."
Mia thought about who her cousin might know that could keep up with him, let alone help him. She smiled. "Antonio?"
"Yup."
"What's this business in Angel Grove?"
"Well, Angel Grove is more of a pit stop. I can't tell you what my real designation is. Top secret."
Mia rolled her eyes. "Why do rangers insist on keeping secrets, even from each other?"
"We're naturally secretive people."
Mia thought about Terry's mysterious text. "You got that right."
-Samurai Ranger Life-
Kevin wished Antonio would eat. Or shower. Or do something. His friend had been silent and unmovable for days and he didn't know what to do anymore. He sighed and grabbed his samuraizer.
"Kevin?"
"Hey Dad. I need your help."
"Why?"
"Lauren broke up with Antonio, and he's staying here, and Dad, he's really worked up. He hasn't moved or eaten or anything in days. I don't know what to do. Can you come over and...I don't know...talk to him or something?"
"He barely knows me. Isn't there anyone else who could do it? What about his father?"
"Antonio's dad is dead. He has been for years."
Louis didn't say anything for a minute. "I'll be right over."
-Samurai Ranger Life-
Kevin was trying to figure out how to tell his dad about Brooke when there was a knock on the door. He opened it and smiled. "Hey Dad."
"Hi Kevin," Louis said, hugging his son. He saw Antonio laying on the couch and shook his head. "So Lauren broke his heart?"
"More like she completely tore it out of his chest, but yes. Essentially."
"Do you know what happened?"
"No, I've tired talking to Jayden, but he doesn't know anything ether. At least, that's what he's saying."
Louis nodded. He approached the lump on the couch and sat down on the edge of the coffee table. "Antonio, I know you can hear me. Obviously, its Kevin's dad, Louis. Look, I know how you feel." He put his hands together and pressed them against his lips briefly. "I've had the woman I love leave me too. And I understand that right now the world is falling apart. But it's not the end of the world. I promise. You don't have to stop loving her. Not right away. You're young. You have your whole life ahead of you.
"And I know that it feels like a life without her, doesn't seem worth living. But you have to find something that makes it worth living. She's one girl. I promise, there's an entire world of girls out there."
Antonio sat up slowly. "I just...I can't imagine my life without her."
"Buddy," Kevin said sitting next to his friend. "My dad is right. You have an entire world of girls out there. All you need is something to take your mind off her." There was another known on the door and the three former samurai looked at it suspiciously.
"Kev, are you expecting anymore visitors?" Louis asked.
"No," Kevin said getting up. His hand fell onto his samuraizer in his pocket. "Who is it?"
"Mia's cousin Cam," the person on the other side said. "I'm here to see Antonio." Kevin opened the door cautiously and an Asian man strode in. "Thank you."
"Who are you?" Louis asked.
"Name's Cameron Watanabe. Green ranger. I'm Mia's cousin."
"You're Sopnia's nephew?"
"Yes." Cam saw Antonio and frowned. "What happened to you?"
"His heart was stomped on," Kevin explained, shutting the door and walking over.
"Ah. Well don't worry. I broke up with my husband at least three tomes before we got married. Anyways, I have a request."
"What?" Antonio asked.
"I can't say here. But, I can say that if you do come with me, it'll get your mind off of your girl."
"How?"
"It's involves making something that shoots lasers, and since you're a little down, it can also involve alcohol."
"But I'm not twenty-one."
"It's ok." Cam walked over and grabbed his wrist. "Where we're going you're the legal limit. Now go shower and pack your bags."
"Ok." Antonio decided maybe going with Cam wouldn't be that bad.
"I'm going to wait outside for him," Cam said. "If he's not downstairs in an hour, I'm coming back for him."
"How did you even get in here?" Kevin asked.
"Please. That silly electronic lock on the front doors was pathetically inadequate for my brain."
Kevin watched Cam leave with some apprehensiveness. "I don't know how I feel about him."
"Sophia always used to say her older sister was a little on the brash side," Louis remarked. "Maybe it's a genetic trait."
"Thank god Mia isn't like that."
"Or Sophia. At least...not that much."
Kevin chuckled. "Dad, I have something to tell you."
"What is it?"
Kevin sat down across from his father and rubbed his hands on his face. "I've done a very, very stupid thing."
"It couldn't have been that bad."
"I had sex with this girl named Brooke. And now she's pregnant. With my child."
Louis looked at his son. "What?!" Kevin nodded. "Kevin how could you be so stupid?!"
"I don't know."
"Why?! Why would you do something like this?!"
"I didn't mean for it to happen. It all just...kind of did."
Louis sighed. "Kevin... I just... I don't know what to say."
"I'm sorry Dad. But I have a problem here. She's pregnant! I'm going to be a father!"
"And what do you plan do do about that?"
"Brooke wants to put it up for adoption."
"And what do you think about that?"
"I don't know! I mean...I don't think I'm ready to be a father. Not yet. And I have my Olympics dream to think about. I just... Dad I don't know what to do. Help me please."
"Kevin, I'm sorry. You're my son and I love you, but I can't tell you what to do. Not this time."
"Why not?"
"Because you're an adult now. This is the real world and it has consequences. You have to do whatever you think is best."
Kevin sighed. "So you won't help me?"
"Not this time Son."
Kevin looked at his fingers. "Great. I don't know what to do."
"You'll figure it out."
"I hope so." Kevin looked at his dad. "I'm getting that feeling I used to get when I was a ranger that things have just begun to get complicated."
"Oh I know that feeling. But it's probably nothing."
"God I hope so. With my one-night stand and Antonio's heartbreak I don't think we can handle anything else right now."
"Fate doesn't always smile well on rangers. Especially retired ones."
"God help us for whatever can make this worse."
"If that's the case then God help us all."