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*Italic indicates thought
Chapter Forty-Five: A Time to Forgive and Forget
A/N: Hey guys! I'm going to try really hard to finish this story, because I've never abandoned a story and I don't plan to do so now. Lots happening in the upcoming chapters, so stay tuned!
"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life. It goes on." -Robert Frost
Lauren knew something was up when Tiara seemed very lively at breakfast. "Are you feeling ok?" she asked her younger sister, watching as she hummed and made her breakfast.
"I'm feeling perfectly fine," Tiara replied. She sat down next to her sister and started eating.
"You sure? You're really...energetic this morning."
"I'm not anymore energetic than I normally am."
"Whatever you say."
"What're you doing today?"
"Just normal stuff. You?"
"Akito and I are going on a walk later today."
"That's nice." Lauren was so glad for Akito's help in keeping Tiara sane over the last couple of months. Maybe I should have him over for dinner. If I could get Jayden to come again then we'd have a great meal. "Make sure he behaves himself."
"Akito is a perfect gentleman. He's a lot like Antonio. A complete sweetheart who would never do anything to hurt me."
Lauren winced. "What was that?"
"What? I'm just making a comparison."
"A comparison that just happened to use the name of someone I lo-" she stopped suddenly, causing Tiara to look at her.
"Someone you just happen to love?" Lauren didn't say anything as she got up and put her dishes in the sink. "Cna I ask you something?"
"That depends if will it dig too deeply into my personal affairs?"
"Do you really not love Antonio?"
Lauren sighed. "Tiara-"
"Answer the question."
"Tiara my love life is none of your business!"
"You ask about mine all the time!"
"I'm your older sister and the head of the Shiba Clan, it's my right."
"Lauren-"
"Enough! Stop asking me about Antonio and worry about yourself!" Lauren left and Tiara rolled her eyes.
"Stop asking sure," she muttered as she ate. "But let this go...oh no. You wait and see older sister."
- Samurai Ranger Life -
Later that day, Lauren was sitting outside in the yard. She sat on a bench, reading a book, trying not to think about her conversation with Tiara earlier. She didn't mean to snap at the younger woman, but it was harder for her to control her emotions when Antonio was involved. Which she knew screamed volumes about his effect on her, since she and Jayden were famous for their ability to hide their emotions. The gates opened as Mia and Emily walked in.
"Hi Lauren!" Emily beamed.
"Em! Mia!" Lauren set her book aside so she could hug them. "What're you guys doing here? Should you be standing Emily?"
"Not you too," Emily replied rolling her eyes. "First Justin, then Mia. I am allowed to walk around you know."
Lauren laughed. "I feel like it's been so long."
"Because it has," Mia said as the three of them sat down on the bench. "Guess life just gets...busy."
"Guess it does. How's Seth?"
Mia grinned. "He's doing so much better. His doctors said that's he's looking really good right now."
"That's awesome!" Has she ever come to terms with the fact that she won't be allowed to marry him? She shook her head. Now was the time to just relax and hang out with her friends, something she'd always had difficulty with since joining the team. "So, what're you guys doing here?"
Emily and Mia, who were sitting on either side of Lauren, smiled at each other. "We're doing what we should've done months ago."
Lauren frowned in confusion. "Oh?"
"Solving our problems as a team," Emily said as she and Mia put their hands on Lauren's.
"Our problems?"
"The various love problems. Kevin keeping his baby."
As if he'd heard his name mentioned, Kevin and Mike walked into the yard, making Lauren even more confused. "What's going on?"
"It's come to our attention that we haven't been acting like a team lately," Mike replied with an easy smile. Ji and Tiara came to the door upon hearing the voices in the yard; the latter smiling. Lauren got the distinct feeling she'd already known about this. "I'll admit that I wanted space and time to put my ranger days behind me."
"But just because we stopped being rangers, doesn't mean we stopped being a team," Kevin said.
Jayden walked into the yard, followed closely by Antonio. He stopped next to Kevin and Mike in front of the girls. "It definitely doesn't mean we stopped being samurai."
Lauren stared at Antonio, who was really interested in his shoelaces. No one said anything for a minute. Finally, Antonio broke the silence by quietly saying, "Hi."
"Hi," Lauren replied.
There was silence again. Mike looked between the two of them and sighed dramatically. "Alright, I'm pointing out the obvious. Lauren, Antonio, we all know you two still love each other. And before you try to argue Lauren, we all know why you broke up with Antonio, and it has nothing to do with not loving him."
Lauren swallowed. "You do?"
Jayden nodded. "I honestly can't believe I didn't see it before. I was probably a little wrapped up in my own problems.." He shifted on his feet uncomfortably. "You broke up with Antonio because you know the Kīpa would never approve of you marrying him." Antonio flinched like he'd been slapped and it broke Lauren's heart.
"Is that true Lauren?" Kevin asked her.
Lauren nodded. "Yes," she admitted. "It is."
"How did you know?" Antonio asked quietly.
"What?"
Antonio took a deep breath and looked at her. "How did you know I was going to ask you to marry me?"
Lauren stared at him while Emily and Mia gasped. Kevin and Mike looked at each other, then at Antonio. Tiara grinned and Ji raised his eyebrows. Lauren swallowed. "You...you were going to propose to me?"
Antonio nodded. "With my mother' engagement ring. It's one of the few family heirlooms I have."
"Awww," Emly and Mia cooed.
"I can't believe you were going to propose."
Antonio frowned. "Did-did you not know?" Lauren shook her head.
Mike and Kevin looked at Jayden. "You don't seem that surprised," Kevin said.
"I already knew," Jayden admitted with a shrug of his shoulders. "I found the ring in his room, so he had no choice but to tell me."
"If you didn't know then why did you..." Antonio sighed. "Lauren what happened?"
"Because I knew you would someday! Do you want to know the truth? Even though I didn't know you wanted to do it then, I knew you wanted to do it someday. All those times you talked about you and me together...talking about raising a family...It killed me we could never have that." She sighed. "I should've been more honest with you from the beginning. The Kīpa is very strict about who can marry into the red ranger family because of who we are. All the families have general rules that they're supposed to follow, but for us it's different. Anyone we marry, anyone who would parent the next generation of red rangers, has to be approved by the Kīpa."
"And you knew they'd never approve of Antonio," Mia finished.
"Yes."
Antonio shook his head and wiped his eyes. "Why didn't you just tell me this?! Why did you..."
Lauren swallowed. "I didn't tell you because there's no way to change it. As long as we were together we could never get married or have kids. You deserved to be in a relationship where you actually have a future."
"So you broke my heart?"
Lauren nodded. "I knew I had to say something drastic to make you leave. I knew you'd say anything to stay with me and I just couldn't. So I told you I didn't love you."
"Lauren." Emily and Mia moved so Antonio could sit next to her. "I still love you. I'm always going to love you."
"But we-"
"We will find a way. When have you ever not known me to find a way to do the impossible?"
Lauren laughed. "Why would you still want to be with me after I broke your heart and lied to you?"
Antonio smiled and held her hand. "When have you ever known me to hold a grudge?" He leaned over and kissed Lauren, who reciprocated with ease.
"Glad those two finally worked it out," Ji said, suddenly appearing next to Jayden.
Jayden smiled and nodded. "Yeah. It was so hard to see them fighting like that." The two of them stood there awkwardly for a moment. "Ji-"
"I'm sorry Jayden."
"You are?"
Ji nodded and looked at him. "I didn't mean what I said. I think that I...I didn't want to admit that you were grown up and didn't need my advice anymore."
"Ji, I don't think there'll be a point in any of our lives where we won't need your advice. Look at how terribly we've been doing these last few months." Ji smiled. "You aren't the only one who should apologize though."
"I think we both said things we didn't mean."
"Yeah."
"You would make your father proud. He was always sort of a rebel himself."
"He was?"
"Oh yes. The Kīpa was relieved the day he informed them of his intent to marry your mother. Evidently, they thought marriage would mellow him out." "Did it?"
"To a degree. No could argue, though, that no matter how unprecedented your father was, he was a loyal and dedicated head of the Shiba Clan. He'd be proud of you trying to find your own way in the world. As am I."
"Thank you, Ji."
"And Lorrie isn't that bad. In fact, she's very charming."
Jayden smiled bashfully. "She's so great. She makes me smile and when I'm with her I feel like I'm complete. I couldn't imagine life without her." He looked at Lauren and Antonio, who were still making out. I can't understand how Antonio did it for all these months.
"So will you come back?"
"Yes. As long as Lorrie can come with me."
Ji gave him a look. "Aren't you afraid she'll overhear something abut your family history she isn't supposed to know?"
Jayden grinned. "Don't worry about that. I'm taking care of it."
"Is anyone else wondering when they're coming up for air?" Tiara asked.
"Give them a break," Mike said. "They've got a lot of catching up to do."
"Alright that's enough," Kevin said, waving Antonio's head back and forth. "Anymore and you tow will need a room."
"Not cool hermano," Antonio muttered, intertwining his fingers with Lauren's. "Not cool."
Lauren laughed, then quickly sobered up. "What're we going to do about the Kīpa though?"
"Don't worry about that," Mia smiled. "Jayden has a plan."
Lauren gave her brother a look. "He does?"
Jayden nodded. "I do. We're going to solve this problem," he put his hand on Antonio's shoulder. "as well as several others once and for all. They'll have to say yes when we're done with them."
"Why is that? They're not an easy group to sway. You'd have to have a pretty good argument."
"I do. we have the ultimate trump card."
"Which is?"
"The three of us are going to leave the Shiba Clan."
