The year was winding down, and there was only half an hour until midnight Mia had gone to wake Riley while the house gathered in the common room and collected all the alarms on the way. Lauren had done her best to have them set off ten minutes before midnight, but her excitement must have gotten the better of her while she was working as they had all gone off minutes to hours early, startling the Samurai as they walked by and triggering some very funny reactions when Samurai confused the alarms for the Gap Sensor and believed there was a Nighlok on the loose.

James collected the alarms from around his and Serena's room so they wouldn't wake Terran and walked into the common room. He hadn't seen or heard from Serena in hours, and she hadn't shown up for dinner or the snacks and games. Kate mentioned she had gone on a walk and to check up on Storm, but James was worried she wouldn't be back in time.

And he couldn't help but worry something had happened to her.

"Have fun without me," there was no way he was getting all the way to his place and back with Serena in under half an hour, so he knew he would miss the countdown, but he didn't want the Samurai to miss out on the fun. He insisted they not worry about him or Serena and promised they were going to have their own night wherever they ended up.

The Samurai were a little disappointed neither James nor Serena planned on being at the house at midnight, but that quickly changed as Riley walked into the room. The little girl had a look around and the huffed and stomped her foot.

"Where is the magic and the fairies?"

"What?" Jayden asked her. "Magic and fairies?"

"Peter said that all the fairies came out after bedtime and everyone played and had fun without the little kids. Are they hiding?"

"Uh… okay," Jayden shrugged his shoulders and looked around, unsure what Riley was talking about. Mia took the little girl in her arms and set her down on a stool.

"No fairies tonight, sweetie, but what about some midnight ice-cream."

"Ice-cream?" Emily asked and raised her hand, "There's the magic word. Me, please!"

"Anyone else, while I'm getting it?" Mia chuckled.

"Be quick! It's almost midnight!" Lauren was bouncing on her stool, clearly very excited for the New Year and everyone understood why. She had a big grin on her face and kept checking the clocks and her watch every few seconds.

"There's still twenty-five minutes," Mia shook her head, "Emily will have her ice-cream and finish it before we're even half-way there."

"Challenge accepted," Emily grinned and looked to Riley, "Bet I can eat my ice-cream faster than you."

"Nahuh!"

"Yahuh!"

"Aw," Kate smirked teasingly as she watched Emily and Riley playfully bicker, "Emily's finally made her first friend in kindergarten."

"Shut up," Emily crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. She looked to Riley, "Never, ever break the pink crayon. It will end you."

"You broke a pink crayon?" Riley gasped and turned her back to Emily, "We can't talk no more."

"What? Seriously? It's happening again?"

"Riley loves pink," Lauren whispered to Emily before looking to her watch again, "Mia, hurry…"

"Still twenty-five minutes, Lauren!" Mia called back.

-Samurai-

James turned on the news on the drive home. He couldn't keep up with it in the house, not wanting to ruin the holiday for the others. If they knew the city was onto Emily, even if they weren't targeting her just yet, the New Year wouldn't be the same. Lauren already knew, but the closer it got to the New Year, the more excited she got and the more the bad news slipped her mind.

Which was a good thing for now. James wanted her to have a good time tonight. He wanted everyone to have a good time.

The news reporter went around with all the different events in the city – from celebrations and parties for the New Year, to the growing population of Panorama City, to the people living in shelters finding peace, homes, and their families for 2013, to the bank shooting and their leads. When the news finally came around to the bank, James listened for the updates.

To his dismay, the police had questioned the robbers and they had come up with a description for Emily that matched her quite well. Fortunately, Riley had been covered up by her costume and couldn't be identified as easily, but the reporter, as well as the police believed that once they found Emily, they would find Riley.

James was shocked to hear now that Emily was also wanted for kidnapping, considering it did appear as though she had taken Riley, who couldn't have possibly been willingly involved in the crime, and ran. James gulped. The only solace he had was that, aside from the gunshot wound and the ability to summon rocks out of thin air, the description could still fit a large group of people. At this point, the police were looking for a short, white, blonde woman between the age of sixteen and twenty-two.

From what James had seen growing up in Panorama City, a lot of girls Emily's age were blonde.

"Thank you bottled blondes," James muttered and turned off the radio. He looked to the time as he parked in his and Serena's driveway. It was fifteen minutes to midnight. Unless Serena was home taking care of Storm, James was going to miss midnight.

And the lights in the house were turned except for the living room light, which had been left on for Storm. Still, James wouldn't give up. He walked up to the door, opened it, and stepped inside.

"Serena?" he called, but instead of his wife, he was greeted by Storm at the door. His fear of dogs did play up a little bit, and sometimes he did find himself wondering how he ended up living with one, but he knew Storm was gentle. He gave her a gentle pat on the head and expected her to leave him alone after that.

She didn't. She cried and stuck close to him, rubbing his leg like a cat would and begging for some attention and some love. She had been left alone for too long which meant Serena hadn't come home.

"Dammit," he muttered. He took Storm in his arms, careful to keep her mouth away from his face, and carried her out to the car. When he was inside, and Storm was no longer squirming around on his lap, he grabbed his cell phone and tried her number.

All he got was voicemail.

He smacked the steering wheel with his fist. He startled himself a little when the horn went off. Storm hadn't been expecting the outburst at all. Her being left alone for so long, James' outburst, and being startled by the horn made her pee.

"Dammit!" James groaned, feeling his pants were wet. He opened the door, put Storm on the ground and then got out.

Now he had to shower. No matter how bad the New Year would start, it would be worst if he had to start it with dog pee on his pants.

-Samurai-

The countdown began, and Lauren felt her heart flutter in excitement. The TV was on so the Samurai could watch the ball drop, and everyone was partnered up for the New Year kiss. Lauren didn't have someone to kiss, but was happy enough to be surrounded by her friends and family.

"Three! Two! One! HAPPY NEW YEAR!" the Samurai all cried out and cheered in excitement before pulling their loved ones in for the kiss.

To Lauren, midnight felt like magic. She could almost literally feel everything from her old life wash away. All the training, the cold sensei, the loneliness, the lack of family, and the weight of the world all disappeared in an instant and she felt brand new. The screen from the TV gave off bright, flashing lights, but it was Lauren's smile that light up the room.

Suddenly, she felt someone kiss her cheek and turned, seeing it was Jayden. She wrapped her arms around her brother with a smile.

"That's it?" Riley asked and looked around, seemingly disappointed. "What about the candy rain and the princesses, and flying?"

"Big brothers are the worst," Kevin muttered to Mia. Mike overheard him though and teasingly groaned.

"I know, right?"

"That's it, Riley," Mia nodded her head and took the little girl in her arms, "We count down from ten, give someone a kiss, and happy New Year."

"I got up for this? Next year, I just want to sleep."

"Wish granted. C'mon, pink Ranger, bedtime part two."

Lauren couldn't explain her excitement, but she wanted to jump around the house and hug everyone. 2013 was officially the best year in her books, and it was only a couple minutes in.

"Now what? Now what?" she asked excitedly and looked to all her friends.

"We clean up," Antonio chuckled and grabbed the candy wrappers and ice-cream bowls, "And then we go to bed, I guess."

"That's… it? Really?"

"Happy New Year," Kevin told her as he walked off with Riley and Mia while the rest of the house, save for Emily, cleaned up the common room. Lauren went to sit beside the earth Samurai who looked ready to pass out.

"That's kind of how holidays work," Emily explained, "So much hype, and then they're over in a flash. Next holiday: Valentine's Day."

"What's that?"

Emily giggled, "This is going to be a fun year."

-Samurai-

With the city still recovering after Xandred's attack and the Netherworld's appearance, a lot of services had to make do with what was left, and the police station was no different. The main station had been destroyed, but a few jails had been left standing. Serena found herself locked up in a jail, with two police officers watching over her from a desk.

She had turned herself in only partially willingly. Knowing her sister was being searched for; Serena had taken her identity so she would be mistaken for the woman who escaped the scene of the crime. Serena purposely found a few cops who were on patrol to keep the city safe and it seemed they also were on the lookout for her. The cops recognized her and when Serena didn't deny being the woman they were looking for, they arrested her and brought her to the jail cell.

She wasn't sure what would happen next, but she knew Emily wasn't being hunted anymore so she could rest a little easier. All she had to focus on was clearing her name and convincing the police and the city that she was nothing more than a victim in the robbery, trying to protect her niece who had stumbled into danger.

And she had to do it all before the thirteenth. She had missed New Year's with Terran, and though he would have slept through it regardless, Serena wanted to be home with him. So she was determined not to miss his birthday as well. She did not want to be the mother who was behind bars for her son's first birthday.

"Will you listen to my side of the story now?" Serena grumbled to the officers. "Don't you want to know how I got shot in the leg? What I was doing there? Where the kid is?"

"Where is the kid?"

"With her parents. I'm telling you, she's my niece. Her parents are in the process of adopting her, there was a little miscommunication, she ran away, and I found her in the bank. One of those assholes shot me before I knew what was going on."

"So, why did you run?"

"I'm innocent?"

The officer scoffed while his partner rolled his eyes. Innocent until proven guilty did not seem to cross either of their minds and it frustrated Serena. Though it hurt her leg, she got to her feet and grabbed the bars.

"Fine, I want a lawyer."

"That won't help you, sweetheart," the second officer chuckled. "The whole city's got a wish to see you pay."

"I'm innocent!"

"Hundreds of people are dead. Thousands more are injured. There's not a person in this city who hasn't been hurt by you in some way."

"What are you talking about? It was a robbery. I was the one who got shot!"

"It's game over, Ranger. You should have fled town like all your other friends. So, Earthling, are you white or yellow?"

Serena backed away from the bars and slumped back to the bed, unsure of what she was going to do now. Emily was innocent for the incident at the bank. If anything, for saving a young girl she should have been a hero. Serena was definitely innocent, having been nowhere near or having no knowledge of the event until after it had happened.

But she was definitely a Samurai.

"I get a phone call, right?"

"Whatever," the officer rolled his eyes and tossed her the phone. Serena caught it and gulped. Neither officer made any move to leave the room so Serena was certain she wouldn't get any privacy.

"I have to pee."

"Toilet's there."

"I have a shy bladder."

"Not our problem."

Serena sighed. She didn't want to do this, but it looked like she had no choice. She sat on the bed and started to dial James' number while putting one hand behind her back. Like Emily, Mia, and Kevin, Serena knew how to use Symbol Power without the Samuraizer, but it was draining. Still, it was worth the risk if it meant getting out and getting help. Ji definitely had a friend who could get her and all the other Samurai out of this mess.

She finished her Symbol and the ground began to shake. The officers grabbed on to the desk and ducked underneath it, fearing they were being hit by an earthquake. Serena had full control of what was happening, and while the officers hid, Serena used her new and smaller size to her advantage. She made a hole in the outside wall of her cell, just big enough to fit through and then she treated her leg to get rid of the wound, happy it was only a Symbol induced injury. Again, it hurt, but at least she could run.

Before she did, she returned herself to her normal height. Then she took off running, and when she was far enough, the earthquake at the jail ceased.

The officers climbed out from under the desk and looked around. No real damage had been done except to the wall.

"Damn Rangers," the first one muttered while the other grabbed his radio.