Welcome back! I'm sorry that everything took so long, but this unexpected break was needed. Anyway, here's the next chapter and I hope you all like it.

I also hope that everyone had a happy and safe Halloween along with a good Dia de Los Muertos! May we always take time to lovingly remember those we have lost and keep them alive in our hearts.

This chapter was a bit daunting for me because I had to dredge up a few sad memories to draw from for part of this chapter, you'll understand when you read this. Having to relive some of my darker moments set me back and I was in a mood for a few days before I was able to stow the sad memories in the back of my mind. It was worth it for this chapter.

This chapter comes with a couple warnings that you guys should be aware of. There's a warning for foul language and mention of violence towards a woman. There's also a citrus warning at the very end.

Delinquents Bar and Grill

It was Midday when they arrived at the restaurant. This restaurant had been in business a few years and it boasted the best steaks in town. It was a family friendly restaurant, but it didn't have the bright happy colors that most family restaurants did, but the space was clean, and the heavenly smells made all who enter salivate.

As they entered the riveted metal doors, they walked into the most bad ass looking interior ever. The walls were light grey, and the floors was reclaimed wood that looked like it had been there forever. The place was illuminated by simple track lighting and all the tables were gleaming black. On the walls were movie posters of the most awesome anti-hero movies to ever hit the big screen. This included the first Hell Boy movie along with The Crow, and even the most recent addition, Ghost Rider. Chains hung from the walls like garland and a few Halloween decorations were added to add to the atmosphere.

Thank goodness, they were nowhere near as scary as the ones at the Halloween shop.

"Welcome to Delinquents." Said a young man in a black t-shirt. "How many are in your party?" He looked to be about 22 and had long black hair with orange and red highlights that was held back in a man bun. His face was welcoming, but he looked like he could also be a troublemaker too…like a delinquent…

"Hey there, Warren." Diesel said with a grin. "It's been a while. There are ten adults, and three kids."

Warren gave him an answering grin. "Not a problem. We've got our big table open in the back." He eyed Kailen. "Will you need a highchair or booster seat for the little dude?"

Eric smiled at his son that he carried on his hip. "A booster seat will work. He's not going to be leaving my side today."

"Gotcha." He smiled and looked down at Kayla. "Oh my god, I haven't seen you since you were a baby. How long has it been?"

"I'm seven now. We just moved back to Angel Grove."

Warren nodded. "Wow, you're a big kid now! Do you still want to use a booster seat?"

Kayla shook her head. "I think I'm good without."

Warren nodded. "Ok, but if you change your mind, just ask."

Conner grinned, loving the easy feeling of this place. A few seconds later, they were being led to the back of the restaurant where a huge round table sat waiting for them. The ebony paint gleamed in the glow of the overhead lights.

The restaurant wasn't too packed. A few people were at the bar and a biker couple were at a table close by having a quick lunch, but all in all, things were quiet. Warren waited patiently as they all sat down and then handed over the sanitized booster seat so that Kailen could sit next to his father.

When everyone was seated, Warren handed over the laminated menus and pulled a notebook out of his apron pocket.

"So, what are we drinking today?"

Diesel looked over the menu and then looked up questioningly at their waiter. "What happened to the kiddie menus? I thought they were such a big hit?"

Warren sighed. "We thought so too, but one night we got a customer complaint by this high society…woman. She raised enough fuss that we finally had to get rid of them."

"Gee, that sounds familiar." Conner said with a look at his wife. "We had the same kind of woman shut down the mock battle of the bands at the high school. The parents and students were all for it and we really thought it would happen. I wouldn't be surprised if it was the same lady."

"I was hoping after the…bad guys were taken out, that this town would get better. There's still such bad vibes hanging over us."

"It's because there's still bad guys around here." Kayla said matter of factly. "That's why Mommy and Daddy had to leave the city."

Warren looked at her and then at Diesel. "Damn, really? Why do I get the feeling that we only saw the tip of the iceberg?"

Diesel sighed heavily and looked at Annabeth. "It's because you didn't see the rest of the iceberg, but this isn't the place to discuss such things like that. Not out in public anyway."

"Diesel True-Heart, it's been a while." Said a new voice as another man stepped up to the table. "How ya been?"

The former warrior looked up to see 'Hades' his former opponent in the ring. He was a tall and powerful looking man with slicked back hair and deep blue eyes. He wore an apron over his black polo shirt and it only took one look at his thick biceps to know that he never slacked off in the gym.

"Johnny, how's business?"

"It's good, but I could see those massive storm clouds hanging over your head from across the restaurant."

Diesel sighed softly. "I refuse to speak of such storm clouds with my grandkids in earshot."

"Step into my office." Johnny said a moment later. "You know better than to stress eat; you'll enjoy the food better when you've taken that load off your shoulders."

"Go on, Dear." Annabeth said with a smile. "I'll hold down the fort here."

When Diesel turned back to his former rival, he saw a dark look on his face. "This part of that iceberg?"

Diesel shook his head. "I'm not saying anymore with my grandchildren in earshot. Kaila picks up on way more than you'd think."

When they were back in the business office, Hades closed the door and leaned against his desk. "So, what the fuck is going on…and why is Annabeth in a chair?"

"It's all a part of that iceberg."

He didn't go into a lot of detail, but by the time he was finished, Hades was frowning. "And Tommy and Kimberly are on protection detail?"

Diesel nodded. "A young man's safety is at stake and his foster dad felt it best to clear out of California."

"I can keep an eye out for this guy. Do you have a picture of him?"

Diesel nodded and pulled up the picture on his phone.

"Sonofabitch." Hades swore. "This pig was here yesterday!"

Diesel's eyes narrowed. "Are you serious?"

Hades nodded his head slowly and met the man's gaze. "I wouldn't joke about this. He went after Lydia yesterday…copped a feel on her. When she reacted, he raised a hand to her. Thankfully, Emily was there to stop him. He called her something absolutely disgusting and when I threw his ass out and he accused me of assaulting a police officer. I asked to see his badge and before he could pull it out, his phone went off.

He answered it and then called someone a 'bitch' and stormed off, talking about 'taking care of shit himself.' I wanted to call the cops, but I don't trust them either, especially not after what you just told me about Kyle."

Diesel took his tirade in stride. "I can't blame you, but there are a few cops that are after this guy. Officer Tesla is the new head of the police department. He's personally working this case."

Hades looked down at the picture and then took a snapshot of it on his own phone. "I'll start passing this picture around and I'll put in a call to this Tesla, I'm assuming you have his business card?"

Diesel nodded. "Be careful who you let in on this. Paladin's already been through the wringer and he's safe for the moment; the last thing we want is for this pig to get the drop on them. He drove this boy to attempt suicide, if he gets near him again. This pig might just do the job himself."

Hades nodded solemnly and put his phone in his back pocket.

"I've got your back, Diesel. Go and enjoy lunch with your family."

Back at the table, Conner had his arm around Kira and was grinning at Kayla as she talked with Raine who sat next to her. The Little Ninja hadn't stopped chattering since they sat down. He'd looked at her with his shaman eyes and saw how bright and sunny her soul was. Compared to earlier, she was positively shimmering!

A moment later, he frowned seeing his little sister's spirit that wasn't as happy and bright. Though Raine smiled at her cousin as she babbled on about what she should wear to the playdate, Connor could see that his little sister's spirit wasn't as happy and bright as it should be. He 'scanned' her with his shaman's gaze and saw that over her heart was the faintest fracture and the aura (for lack of a better word) was dimmer than he thought it should be.

Something was definitely up with the little girl and he felt the need to find out what it was. This was supposed to be a day of fun and whatever had dimmed her shine needed to be dealt with immediately.

In that same moment, Kira got up, whispering to him about needing to use the bathroom. Though he hated that his wife was in such discomfort, he was also grateful at the opportunity that this opened up to have a moment with his little sister.

"Hey Raine?"

The little girl looked up at him in question.

"I'm getting a little full trying to finish off these mozzarella sticks; wanna help me out?"

Raine grinned at him and nodded and he motioned for her to come over to his side of the table. She slid into Kira's seat and Connor picked up a few sticks and put them on the little plate in front of her.

As she munched on the tastey appetizer, he considered how to phrase the question. "So, what did you decide to get for your costume?"

"I got a forest fairy costume. Mom even let me get the little antlers and the head band for me to go with it!"

Her spirit brightened a bit and then dimmed again. Connor paused and decided to take a different approach. "Are you planning to wear it to the pumpkin patch this week?"

Her aura got even darker and she frowned a little bit. "I probably shouldn't; I don't want to get pumpkin guts on it."

"So, I'm guessing its flannel shirts and jeans this weekend?"

When Raine shrugged, Conner decided to get down to brass tacks.

"You know, Eric and I didn't get to have fun days like this growing up. We didn't get to spend time with our grandparents and go costume shopping and pumpkin carving."

When Raine gave him a confused look, he added. "I can see that you're not having the maximum amount of fun that you should be having." He paused and pointed to his head. "My shaman eyes pick up a lot and you've got one gnarly cloud hanging over you. I don't want you to miss out on all the fun because of something…or someone dragging you down."

Raine sighed and leaned against her big brother.

"My best friend doesn't want to be friends with me anymore." She said softly.

Conner nodded and put an arm around her shoulders. Leaning down he asked. "Which friend is this? Is she a friend from your school?"

"She was." Raine said softly. "Angela told me during recess that Heidi wouldn't let her join her club because she's friends with me. Angela told me to stay away from her forever and she even pushed me off the swing set last Friday. And now Kayla's got a new friend and I don't want to be left all alone!"

"Wow, that sucks." Conner said as he hugged her close.

Raine nodded and then started to tear up. Before Conner knew it, she was crying softly into his t-shirt and he was holding her closer to him and rubbing her back soothingly.

When the moment was over, he handed her a napkin and she dried her eyes with it. When she looked up at him, he grinned down at her. "I'm sorry that you had to deal with jerks like Angela. But if she was so willing to end your friendship, then she wasn't a good friend to begin with. Now that you're not friends with Angela anymore, there's room to make better friends."

"You think so?" Raine asked looking up at him again.

Conner grinned at her. "You betcha. I met my best friends in detention. Now I'm married to one of them and my other best friend made me the godfather to Thalia. When Trent came along, we had another friend to add to our group and together, we kicked evil's butt."

Riane giggled at him. "You did?"

We sure did." Kira said as she got back to the table and sat down next to Kayla. "We worked together and won and sent evil's butt back to the stone-age."

Raine giggled and leaned into Conner as she ate another mozzarella stick.

"And speaking of working together," Conner added. "We're going to need help carving those pumpkins. Kira and I haven't carved one before and I heard about that monster Jack-O-Lantern you carved last year. You can hang out with us at the pumpkin patch this weekend and teach us all about pumpkin guts."

"You gotta wear an apron or the guts get everywhere!"

As Raine talked on, Connor looked up at Kira and basked in the beaming smile she was giving him. He mouthed an 'I love you' at her and she returned it.

It didn't take long for the mood at the table to lighten up a bit. Kira soon found herself talking with Kayla about her need to suddenly go shopping for her 'date.'

"You don't want to just check your closet for something appropriate to wear? Things are going to get pretty messy this weekend. "

A moment later, she was on the receiving end of Kayla's patented puppy eyes and trembling bottom lip. "Please Kira? This is a special occasion."

Kira looked across the table to see Conner trying too hard to hide his smirk behind the menu he was holding up. When she looked back at Kayla, she knew there was no other way out of this. She sighed heavily. "Okay, but first, we need to call your mom and make sure she's okay with this."

Kayla nodded and then frowned. "We better not tell Daddy about this. He'll get mad that I'm going on a date with a boy."

Kira gave her a long look. "This thing we're going on this weekend. It's not a real date. It's just a play date." When Kayla gave her a look of confusion, she elaborated. "A real date is just two people taking off to be alone for a while…like when Conner and I left a couple of months ago. He knew I needed some time alone with him, so we had a very long extended date. This thing at the pumpkin patch is a play date…or rather a time set up to be with Jude and his family so we can get to know them better. We're going to carve some pumpkins, go on a hayride and drink apple cider and stuff. No matter what though, we're going to have fun!"

Kayla nodded and then added in a pleading voice: "But I still want to look nice for Jude, I really want to go shopping for a play date outfit! Please Kira?"

Kira nodded and then looked over at Connor who was still smirking. "I meant what I said before, Little Ninja. I don't think your mom will object, but I should still call her just to let her know what's going on. But if she's okay with it, I'll take you to the mall and we'll get our nails done and get you a play outfit that's going to be perfect for you."

From across the table, David was frowning at the conversation. He'd seen all these years how close Tommy was with his baby girl; they were like two peas in a pod and now she was afraid to tell her dad about her liking a boy. He really hoped this soul fusion thing wouldn't cause a fissure in their bond. As soon as he had a moment, he needed to call his brother and have a talk with him.

The Cottage

Conner and Kira sat on couch in their living room and opened up their laptop. They'd texted back and forth after their luncheon and now that Kayla was asleep with the other kids, they had a chance to have a talk with Tommy and Kim.

When they got the text from Kimberly that they were able to talk, Kira clicked on the Skype icon and sent the call through.

Moments later, Kim and Tommy showed up on their computer screen.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Kimberly asked. "We heard that our baby girl had a busy day."

Kira nodded. "Yep, she did. We were at the costume store and she was attacked by an evil clown. Then just like a knight from a story book, Jude charged into the fray and saved Kayla. We didn't even know the Skullovitches were there till he showed up to defend her from evil."

Tommy snorted and shook his head. "And now you have a playdate set up. My father already told us about the pumpkin patch thing this weekend."

Connor nodded. "I saw the whole thing go down with Bozo but your daughter and Jude were facing him together. She called the clown a 'Misogynist prick'."

Kimberly snorted and covered her mouth to hide it. Tommy's eyebrows raised dramatically. "She did? Where did she hear that insult?"

"Not from us." Connor said. "But before you get mad, there's more to the story. Jude also said his first cusswords today. They've both crossed that line now…I spoke to Ariel and she told me that he most likely heard his dad talking to an 'ass hole' on the phone and that's where he learned those words, so maybe one of you guys slipped up and called someone a prick."

At that Tommy turned to Kimberly and raised an eyebrow at her. "We're going to have a talk about that later. I think I know where our daughter picked up that word."

"Before you do that, there's more to the story." Conner added. When he had the parents' attention, he continued. "As I said before, I had a talk with Ariel and she told me that her son's demeanor had started to change…not in a bad way, but in a different way. Ever since that day at school where Kayla was attacked by that bully, he's been putting more care into his looks. Like when he knows they're going out in to public…he puts on his better clothes, 'just in case, they run into Kayla again.' This morning, he asked to borrow some of his daddy's cologne."

Kimberly chuckled softly. "Awe! He's so adorable!"

Kira nodded. "And Kayla seems to feel the same way. When we were at lunch today, she asked me to take her shopping so she can get a cute outfit to wear at the pumpkin patch…because Jude's going to be there."

Tommy groaned at this and Kimberly rubbed his hand soothingly.

"Kayla was so worried that you'd be mad about her going on a date with a boy, Doctor O." Kira added. "I explained to her the difference between a play date and a real date…but she still wants to go shopping."

Tommy deflated hearing that and Kimberly nodded understandingly. "I hate that I'm missing all this, but I trust you guys. Go ahead and take her shopping. When we meet up in San Diego, we'll have a little outing, as a family…just Kayla and us and we'll make sure she understands that we're okay with all this. If this is a soul fusion thing, then we'll have to tread carefully."

Tommy sighed softly and then looked at Conner. "I'm sure you used your gift to scan Kayla. Is everything okay with her?"

Connor nodded. "I hate using the word, 'Aura' but she's bright and off the scales happy."

"You have scales now?" Kimberly asked.

Connor nodded. "Ever since I found out about my shaman sight, I've been scanning everyone. You and Dr. O are fully fused Ninjetti so your…spirits are happy and bright with an extra gimmer to it. On the other end of the scale is Ethan and Melanie. They're bright and happy but there's no extra gleam to it. This morning, Kayla was bright and happy and she has the faintest glimmer to it, but it's not fully blown like you guys. Rocky and Aisha are the same as you. Today after she encountered Jude, Kayla's spirit was brighter. Not on the level that you and Kim are…but it's definitely brighter than before." Connor paused. "Does that make any sense to you guys?"

Tommy was still frowning a little bit but Kim was nodding. "As long as she stays bright and happy, then I'm okay with all of this." She paused and gazed at her husband. "We should go for now; I think My Love needs time to process all of this." She smiled at them and then finished with a promise to send Kira some of her online discount emails that could be used to get Kayla want she wanted from the girls' clothing store.

By that time, Kira noticed that her mentor's eyes were glowing a brilliant green. "Yeah, we'll just let you guys get on with it. We'll keep in touch. Night guys."

She ended the call and then sat back as Conner closed the laptop looked at her. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm ready to get some sleep."

Kira gave him a long look and then pressed a kiss to his lips. When she got up and walked slowly to the door, she lifted up her top and tossed it to the side. When she slipped her bra off and turned to him, she gave him a 'come hither' look and he happily followed her into the bedroom.

"So, you're not sleepy?" He asked trying to guage her mood.

Kira smiled at him and pushed her jeans down to her ankles.

Conner smirked at her and pulled her close to him. "I see." Hooking his thumbs into the side of her panties, he slowly pulled them down and kissed her shoulder. The kiss continued as he trailed his fingers down to the apex of her thighs. When he looked her in the eyes again, he asked her in a soft voice. "How do you want this to go?"

She licked her lips and then pulled his shirt over his head. When she went for his jeans, he chuckled seductively. "Get on the bed, Rockstar. I'm taking care of you tonight."

Kira whispered something in his ear, and he kissed her heatedly.

"There's no need to rev me up, I'm already there."

So, how did you guys like this chapter? Please leave a review to let me know what you think of all this!

I'm hoping to start work on the next chapter for My Kimberly/My Tommy. Keep your eyes peeled!