After getting the message that the Shiba House was almost ready for the Samurai to move back in, Mike locked himself away in his room, skipping dinner. Though he wanted to go back home and be protected by the Gap Sensor, the shield, and live in… well, his home, he loved being up on the farm. This was the house Emily grew up in. She loved this place, more than anyone really knew, and as an extension of that, Mike loved it. He would gladly move out here to be with her. He would gladly learn how to take care of this farm, or even start his own, so she could have the quiet country life she always dreamed of having.
But most importantly, this was the location for their wedding. It hadn't even been an issue. The moment they agreed to get married and spend the rest of their lives together, Mike wanted her to have everything she wanted. Weddings weren't a big deal to him. He was the complete opposite of Mia. Hell, until he met Emily, he had never even thought of marriage.
Though he was young, and the others all advised him to have a long engagement, he knew what he wanted. When he had died, his sole regret was that he hadn't made Emily his wife. It seemed like such a tiny detail, especially considering he had died in her arms, with all her love flooding his heart, but it was a small detail that meant so much to Mike, and he was sure it meant a lot to Emily too. He didn't know when he would see this farm again. In fact, he was supposed to be dead now. His life was a gift. This second chance was a gift, and Scruffy had made it clear, he needed to make the most of it before it was taken from him again. That could be decades from now, just like it could be seconds. He didn't know what was waiting for him.
While Emily and Serena were out finding who they suspected was Ji's new girlfriend, the others expected Mike to be at dinner. Knowing even Jayden had gone down to eat, Mike knew someone would come up to see what was wrong.
"Knock, knock," he heard and looked to the door to see Mia, carrying his plate, "Everything okay?"
Mike looked down at his Samuraizer and nodded his head, "Yeah, just thinking."
"Jayden told us the news," Mia sat down beside him, "We'll be going home soon."
"Yeah, I was there when he got the message."
"You like this place, don't you?"
"It's great, but I am excited to get home. It's just…"
"Uh-oh," Mia pulled away from Mike so she could have a good look at him, "I think I have a pretty good idea what you're thinking."
"What? Really?"
"I can smell wedding bells from miles away," Mia nodded her head, "I figured, once you came back, it was only a matter of time before you tried to play that card."
"This isn't a game for me, Mia. I'm not playing any cards. I'm completely serious. Emily wants to get married here on the farm. Once we leave, who knows how long it'll be until we come back."
"As long as it takes to defeat Xandred," Mia assured him and took his hand, "I know it's hard, Mike. Trust me. Some days I just want to run away and elope with Kevin. But we have a duty…"
"Who knows if we'll come back," Mike looked right at Mia as he said this, "I'm on my second life now. I should be dead. If that happens, I don't want to have any regrets again."
"You had regrets?"
"Please, Mia," he looked like a kicked puppy as he pleaded with her, "It doesn't have to be legal. Just as long as it's real for Emily and me…"
"Okay, okay," Mia smiled and kissed Mike's forehead, "If it means that much to you, I'll get it done."
"You… you will?"
Mia nodded, "You just focus on getting the tux, and figure out whether this is a surprise for Emy or not… though I warn you, finding the perfect dress for a regular, planned wedding is hard enough."
"Once we get the plans ready, I'll tell her," Mike bounced off the bed in excitement, spilling his dinner, "Mia, I love you!"
"Whoa, save the love yous for the wedding," Mia laughed, picking the spilled peas from the bed, "Preferably, say the name of your soon to be wife."
"I will," Mike grinned excitedly as he rushed off. He had no idea where he was going exactly, or what he was supposed to do, but he was so full of energy he needed to run it out somehow.
-Samurai-
Emily walked up the steps to Kate's house with Serena right behind her. It was nerve-wracking meeting up with an old family friend after a couple of years of being M.I.A, but Emily distracted herself by thinking of the last time she and Serena walked these steps.
"Remember…"
"Yes, Emily," Serena groaned. It seemed downtime in her hometown meant all the Rangers could focus on the little secrets of Serena's life before her illness. Secrets she had hoped no one outside the town would know about. It was the one great thing about the Shiba House: it gave her a chance for a fresh start. She had never been a troubled teenager, but she had been… well, a teenager.
"Mom was pretty much carrying you out because you were too…"
"I know, Emily," Serena knocked loudly on the door, "I hate little sisters."
"Not my fault you shared all your secrets with me," Emily was grinning from ear to ear, "You and Mia both do it."
"Any dirt on Mia?"
Emily opened her mouth to answer, but the door opened as well, cutting her off before she could say anything. Serena and Emily both looked to see Kate standing in her doorway, her jaw on the ground. The sisters gave each other a little smirk. Either this was going to be a pleasant reunion, or it was going to be a fun bust.
"Emily? Serena? What in the world…?" Kate pulled both girls into her arms and hugged them tight. She hadn't seen either girl in a long time; Serena since before her illness, and Emily, it had been two, almost three years.
"We're back in town," Serena smiled. Kate gave her a shocked expression.
"Back in town? Last I heard, Serena, you were on your death bed."
"Yeah, it shocked the entire town last night," Serena nodded her head, "Apparently everyone's talking about it today."
"No doubt," Kate nodded as she gestured for the girls to come in, "You're healed? Is it…?"
"A full recovery," Serena smiled, "Doctor's still can't explain it, but I won't question it," Serena wrapped her arms around Emily, "It gives me more time with my family."
"We wanted to say hi to you last night at the festival," Emily looked to Kate with a smile, "but it turns out, you didn't show up."
Kate nodded her head and started for the kitchen. Serena and Emily followed.
"I had other plans."
"Were they more important than the first night of the summer festival? Are you going to skip out on tonight, as well?"
"If you two are here, you obviously don't plan on attending tonight either," Kate smirked and pulled out a platter of cookies. Emily was quickly distracted. Serena wasn't.
"We have an excuse. We've been in Panorama city for a while and we brought friends back with us to show them the farm. We've got a night planned with them. What's your excuse?"
Kate rested her elbows on the counter and looked right at Serena. She had known the younger woman since Ellie had been pregnant with her. She had kept her eyes on her family for a long, long time. In some ways, Serena and Emily were like the daughters she never had – thought they had no idea she felt this way about them. But she had gotten them and their family out of so much trouble, especially with her brother, the sheriff.
"What are you implying, miss?"
Serena cocked an eyebrow, "Well, I brought my friends to the carnival, and at the end of the night we realized there was one of us missing."
"That's not good," Kate nodded.
"We went looking for him. Turns out, you and he were the only two people in the area who weren't at the festival."
"Like I said," Kate shook her head, "I had other plans."
"Is Uncle Ji a good kisser?" Emily asked through a mouthful of her cookie. Kate gave her the same look Ji had given that morning when Emily caught him. A smirk appeared on the yellow Ranger's face. She had just busted the second half of the crime.
"How did you girls know?"
"He's our uncle," Serena said. "We stay with him and his son. He's a good friend of mom's…"
"A lot like you," Emily looked accusingly to Kate, "How do you know him?"
"Better question," Serena added, "Why were you kissing him?"
Kate took a deep breath, "Ji and I go way back. Back long before either of you were born."
"You've known him for that long?"
Kate gestured to the living room, "C'mon, girls. I think it's time we talk."
"Over there?" Emily asked and looked down at the tray of cookies, "But we're not allowed to eat over there…"
"You're what, seventeen now?"
"Eighteen."
"I trust you not to make a mess," Kate waved them over.
Serena and Emily looked to each other, somewhat nervous. They had just come here so they could figure out if Kate with their mystery girl. Apparently, they were getting a lot more than they bargained for.
Emily offered a cookie to Serena, "You might need this."
