The following morning, Kevin woke up, finding Mia lying, looking at him with a little smile on her face.

"This has to be the first time I can remember you sleeping in." She whispered gently, looking over him. Kevin could do nothing but smile dreamily at her. Although she still carried the marks from what he had done to her, what had happened the previous night had washed a lot of it from his mind. It had taken a lot of things from his mind. He just looked to her as he reached up, stroking her hair softly.

"I guess I was tired." He replied.

"Well, you were pretty energetic." She commented. "So, about last night..."

He pulled her in, kissing her warmly, before looking her straight in the eyes.

"It was the most amazing night of my life." He told her. "I just hope..."

"Don't worry about it. It was wonderful for me too." She told him, pulling the covers around them more tightly as she held him to her.

"Mia, it was..." He started to say, before trying to think of something to say. "Um...it was my...uh..."

"Your first?" She asked him. He just nodded in response. He obviously had wanted to let her know that part, but part way through; he must have gotten a thought about it. He knew about Mia's history. He knew about her and Aaron. He had obviously thought twice about it.

"I'm so glad it was you." He told her. She just pulled his arms around him, settling into his arms comfortably.

"I love you." She told him. Kevin just held her tightly.

"I love you too." He replied.

Out in the main room though, Jayden arrived to find the others getting ready to head back out to work, while Dr. K was looking over Scott again, re-binding his wounds. He saw them all getting ready.

"Well guys, the word from the justice department is that they're processing all the prisoners." He assured them. "A lot of people will be spending a lot of time in prison."

"Where are Kevin and Mia?" Antonio asked.

"Uh...I think they might be having a day off." Jayden commented. Emily and Mike just looked to each other with wicked smirks on their faces. "Guys, Mia did take a pretty hard beating last night. I think they just want to rest up."

"Yeah, because that's what they're calling it now." Mike drawled casually. Jayden just rolled his eyes.

"Just...try not to be...well...you!" He warned him. "I think after everything we can cut them a little slack don't you?"

"Anyway, isn't it about time you were heading off?" Antonio asked. "I know the agricultural corp tends to prefer early starts."

"He has a point you know." Mike commented. "Alright, we'll be back later."

As Emily and Mike left, Jayden looked to Antonio.

"So, what are your plans for today?" He asked.

"Well, I'm helping Gem, Gemma and Dr. K with the readouts from your battle." He told him with a little smile. Jayden could tell that he was eager to get his hands on the superior systems available at the Garage. "We got a butt load of data and recordings from Scott's suit!"

"Uh...do we really need to analyse that?" Jayden asked. "I mean, it's all over with now. The gangsters are all dead or in jail, the other Mia's in custody, and I now rank as probably the only person who can honestly say he has killed himself and lived to tell the tale."

Antonio just sucked his teeth hearing this. Jayden was trying to make light of the situation, but when all was said and done, Jayden had killed a man. It was justifiable homicide, and so he wasn't going to face any charges, but it was the first time Jayden had ever personally ended a human life. He knew Jayden better than anyone, and he knew that it had to be playing on his mind that he had killed someone. That it was himself, or at least, his other self, just made the whole situation more bizarre.

"Well, the thing is, we really want to know more about what happened." He told him. "I mean, our mystery friend did show up again."

"Well, obviously she didn't want to hang around for tea and biscuits." Jayden reminded him. "She ran off without a word!"

"According to what you said, she showed an incredible amount of power." Antonio reminded him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe this will give us some indication as to what gave her that power."

As he left, heading into the lab, Scott watched him go, waiting until the soundproof door closed, before turning back to Jayden, who was just sitting staring into space.

"Alright, so spill it." Scott told him. Jayden just looked to him, looking confused.

"Sorry?"

"You know more about this girl than you're telling us." Scott put down bluntly.

"Scott..."

"Don't even try to lie to me Jayden, I've interviewed more crooks than I can count, and I know when someone's lying." He interrupted him harshly, pulling on his t-shirt. "I'll give it to you, you're good, you've clearly had practice lying, but it's been painfully clear since last night you know exactly who this is."

Jayden was dumbstruck by what Scott had said, and he couldn't imagine how to extract himself from this situation.

"Well thank you for confirming it." Scott told him. "Now, are you going to tell me, or do I bring them in right now?"

"No, you can't!" Jayden rushed out. Scott stopped short. "Look, you can't tell anyone..."

"That might fly with you, but I love my wife." Scott told him sharply. "We don't keep secrets from each other."

"Fine, but just...wait until we're gone." Jayden replied. "Please?"

"Alright then." Scott told him, settling into his chair. "This better be good."

Jayden just took a deep breath as he prepared to tell him the secret, he hadn't even told the man he loved.

Back in their home dimension, Spike was just rounding the corner, arriving outside the front door of the High School for his first day. He took a moment to look up at the building, taking it in for the first time in the daylight. He got a goofy little smile on his face as he considered it. It was the first time he had gone to school since he had been pulled out by his parents a couple of years previously. He had been glad at first, but he had also known that there was something he was missing by not being around kids his own age.

His uncle Bulk had wanted to drop him off, but Spike had insisted that he wanted to walk by himself. The last thing he wanted going back to school was to look like one of those kids that needed to hold someone's hand going to and from school. He was trying to make an impression on the other kids, and create as few waves as possible. He was grateful that his uncle had accepted his point of view, and had allowed him to go on his own.

He was shoved rather unceremoniously as a couple of bigger kids made their way inside, but he just shrugged it off. He knew that a downside of coming back to school was that he was bound to get hassle. If nothing else, he was 'the new kid', and 'the new kid' always got victimised and hazed by the bullies. He was a lot more thick skinned, and he knew he had to take it if he wanted to actually be around other kids. He had insisted that given Serena's guidance, he was a lot stronger, and ready to take it, and now he had to back that up.

He made his way inside, looking around the halls, and finding himself immediately lost. The school was a lot bigger than he had anticipated. He eventually found some familiar faces. Vicky saw him and smiled, bouncing excitedly and waving him over frantically.

"Spike!" She called out as he came over. "I was hoping I'd see you!"

"Yeah, I was hoping to see you too." He replied, fishing a letter out of his pocket. "I'm meant to go to the office to get my schedule, but..."

"Everyone gets lost in this place for the first couple of weeks." She interrupted him, grabbing his jacket. "Come on. I'll show you the way!"

As she took him, Spike saw all the stuff he expected to. Groups of girls crowded around, chatting and casting judgemental gazes at anyone not in their cliques, guys standing around, pretending not to care about anything, some kids playing catch, others listening to music.

He stopped as he almost bumped into Vicky.

"Uh...maybe you should find another way around." She suggested. He looked up ahead to see a group of big kids, guys who looked like they could shift cars without breaking a sweat, standing surrounding a couple of other kids. Spike recognised them; he had met them on the hill when he went sledging with them weeks earlier. One of them was Jimmy, Vicky's little brother. He was a small, scrawny kid, with a thick, red sweater, and glasses so thick that they looked like they could see through time. He had red hair like his sister, and was heavily freckled.

The other was Mal, a kid the same age as them, who was almost as tall as the bullies, but built like a well-chewed chicken leg. He had a thick, green anorak, and blonde hair, with a gaunt, pale face. One of the kids was holding him against a wall as the others played keep-away with one of Jimmy's books.

"You know what you have to do to get it back Jimmy." One of the kids teased him. "Give us your lunch money!"

"But I don't have any!" He whined again, jumping frantically as the book sailed back and forth over his head. "I told you, I don't get lunch money. Mom sent me with sandwiches!"

"Well, I guess you don't want this then." One of the big kids responded, catching the book, before launching it into a nearby trash can. Jimmy was about to run to get it out, but another of the senior kids tripped him as he went, sending him face-first to the floor. The trash can wasn't far, so Spike went over to it, picking the book out.

"Put it back kid." One of the seniors warned him. Spike just ignored him, helping Jimmy up, and handing him the book.

"Here." He told him. The seniors released Mal, and started to round on Spike.

"Looks like it's time to take out the trash guys." One of them commented, cracking his knuckles. Spike gulped and started to back away, looking around for escape routes. Even with his training, he remembered the first thing that Serena taught him about Martial Arts. If you don't have to fight, then don't. It didn't matter if he was the best Martial Artist that ever lived, four guys twice his size was a tall order to expect anyone to handle. She had always said that it didn't matter how fast, strong or good a person was, there were no certainties in a fight other than they would be hurt, and as such, it was always better to find a way not to fight.

"Dr. Phelps!" Vicky called out, seeing a man walking behind them. The seniors all immediately backed into the walls, and started to act casually. She presented Spike to him. "This is the new student, Spike Skullovitch. I was just showing him to your office!"

Dr. Phelps was a well-dressed man, wearing a classic, dark blue, pin-striped, three-piece suit, with the chain from a gold railway watch hanging between the jacket's front pockets. He had a dark red tie, carrying the crest from some university, but Spike didn't get a good enough look to tell which. He was, himself, a white-haired man with horn-rimmed glasses. He had a few wrinkles on his friendly looking face, but nothing too serious, and he had a warm smile. He looked to Spike, and came forward.

"Ah, Mr. Skullovitch." He replied. "I was hoping to see you..."

"Thanks." He replied, as much to Vicky as to the head. "And it's Spike by the way."

"Oh. I thought that was a nickname." He stated. Spike could see the seniors suppressing a laugh.

"No, it's my birth name." Spike assured him. Jimmy, Vicky and Mal all fell in behind as Dr. Phelps led him towards the office, taking this opportunity when the headmaster was around and the seniors couldn't harm them to leave.

"Well, forgive my confusion." He answered. "I'll just get you your schedule from the office. I believe that Vicky here is in your classes. I'm sure she won't mind showing you around."

"No sir Dr. Phelps." She replied, grabbing Spike's arm. Spike felt his face flushing a little.

"Well, I hope you find your time here at Central High School." He told him. "With no false modesty, I dare say the best High School in the city."

"Thanks." Spike replied, looking around his friends. "I'm looking forward to class."

Just then, the bell rang. He looked to Jimmy and Mal.

"Well, run along!" Be beckoned them, shooing them away with his hand. They both took to heel, running off for their first class. "I'll sort both of you out with a tardy slip to ensure you don't get into any trouble. I think you'll find that the staff here are very fair that way."

As he led them to the office, Spike took a deep breath, trying to slow his pounding heart back to a normal rate. It was a stark reminder of why he was taken out of school, but he was determined not to run at the first sign of trouble.

At the Shiba House, Stephen was in the main room, looking in a full-length mirror, dressing in a suit for a job interview. It had taken a while for him to find anything, but now some of his applications for work were beginning to bear fruit, and he was finally getting interviews. The downside of his decision to leave the Tengen Gate and assume his new identity was that he knew that he now needed to find a job. While he had a home at the Shiba House, and they would not see him go hungry, the fact was that he couldn't expect them to support him forever.

He felt a pair of arms wrapping around his waist, and saw Serena's face over his shoulder. She was smiling broadly, and was wearing a full-length dressing gown. She kissed his neck gently.

"Serena..."

"Do you have to go?" She asked him with a mischievous little pout. "It's so much nicer back in our room."

"Don't you have a lesson or something?" He asked her. She just shook her head.

"Spike's starting school today." She reminded him. "I'm going round after he gets home. So, we have a lot of time for a long lie."

"Serena, it's my first interview." He reminded her.

"There'll be others." She responded, turning him around to face her. She pulled him in, kissing him deeply. As he came in, Mentor Ji just cleared his throat, causing them both to jump.

"Don't mind me; I was just looking for some coffee." He told them. Serena and Stephen just looked to each other, at which Stephen gave her a quick peck, before finishing tying his tie.

"I'll tell you how it goes." He told her. "Wish me luck."

"You know it." She replied, biting her nails a little as he left. As the door closed, she made her way to the kitchen counter, where Ji was pouring two cups of coffee.

"Since when did you start drinking coffee?" She asked him. "I thought you were a tea kind of guy."

"I find I need the energy since the others are away." He told her, sliding a cup to her. She held her dressing gown closed as she took a sip. "Serena, about Stephen..."

"We really appreciate everything." She told him. "I know it's not ideal..."

"Indeed, I would say it is anything but." He replied. She just looked to him a little confused. "Serena, I know that you and Stephen have faced a difficult time, and being young and in love is a powerful thing..."

"What are you trying to say?" She asked him.

"This is not just your home." He reminded her, gesturing to her attire. "I would appreciate it if you did not treat it as such and showed a little more subtlety."

"Mentor..."

"You are both happy, and for that, I am also happy." He interrupted her. "However, perhaps you could appreciate that not all of us want to see the floor show and be a little more discrete."

"Mentor, I really don't think..."

"Mia and Kevin are engaged." He put down flatly. "Mike and Emily are together, and Jayden and Antonio...well, I am hopeful for them. The thing is, all of them show restraint."

"But..."

"I do not mean to demean or insult you, and I am not asking you not to spend time together." He clarified, looking into her eyes. "However, the others will be back eventually, and you know that what you and Stephen take for granted is something that the others are putting on hold. Perhaps being so obvious would just be...rubbing their faces in it?"

Serena was about to answer, but she stopped short as she realised he had a point. Kevin and Mia were engaged. As much as she blocked the mental image from her mind, her little sister had been with Mike for a long time, and at her age, it was only natural that would have crossed her mind. The Rangers had all put their own desires on hold for the greater good. It did seem like it would be a little bit of a crappy thing to do to flaunt her relationship in their faces while they were making do with romantic movies and cuddles.

"I'm sorry." She replied. "I'll just...I'll go and change."

"That would be an idea." He agreed. As she went, he took a gulp of coffee, recoiling at the bitter taste.

"God I hope they get back soon." He remarked. "I don't think I could live on this stuff."