Serena paced back and forth in the hallway. She had calmed Mike down in time for second period and sent him back to class so Coach Hall wouldn't think he was completely incompetent on his first day, but now Serena was in full blown panic mode.

This school had presented her with a number of different challenges. Though some had been tough, none had been scarier than Frankie. Serena could give him a little bit of sympathy. As it turned out, he was a teenager who was seriously neglected by his father and his mother worked crazy shifts and barely had any time for him. To make matters work, Frankie had been one of the many students to be bullied, but more than that, even the other bullied kids bullied him via exclusion. He was the creepy kid, the one no one wanted to be friends with. He would summon up the courage and the strength to ask girls on dates or talk to someone else, and he would be rejected all the time.

One day, in spite of his many failures, Frankie had asked Serena if she could talk to Emily about going on a date with him. Serena declined not because she didn't like Frankie, but because Emily and Mike were already in love. Frankie wasn't one to take no for an answer – not this time – and pursued a relationship with Emily. He got in contact with her at the park, one incident led to another, and he wound up keeping Emily tied up in his closet for a few very terrifying days. Eventually, he did get caught, but not after leaving his mark on Emily, scaring the Samurai Rangers, and making a scene for the city. Last Serena had heard of him, he had been taken care of and wouldn't be a bother to her and Mike, and especially Emily again.

She had to wonder what had happened. It had only been about a year's time since he had been caught and taken away. She couldn't imagine why he would be free to return to society, especially unsupervised, or why this school would take him back, knowing the harm he had caused.

She saw Principal Stevens walking down the hallway with a newspaper tucked under his arm. She darted down the hall and cut him off before he could walk into the teacher's bathroom. She gave him an angry glare and he gave her sigh.

"I heard you were back. A week late, as usual, but you're back."

"Frankie."

"Excuse me?"

"You know who I'm talking about," Serena growled. "Frankie, the kid who kidnapped my sister and dated her against her will. Why is he here?"

"The city thought it would be best, and I have to agree. You've changed this school for the better. When it comes to acceptance, forgiveness, and tolerance, we're number one in the district."

"But my sister…"

"Does not attend this school," Stevens shook his head. "If she were, I would take precautions, but because she doesn't…"

"What about all the other girls here? Emily didn't do anything but be nice to Frankie. What if some other girl shows him that same kindness and he can't resist?"

"Frankie is back in this school after receiving a glowing report from counsellors and therapists. While in juvie he had exemplary behaviour… wouldn't you be the first to believe someone like that deserves a second chance? Now, if you don't mind," Stevens tapped the newspaper with his finger and looked to the bathroom door. Serena grumbled and reluctantly stepped aside to let him past.

"I hope the toilet overflows."

Down in the gym, Frankie's class had long ended, but Mike couldn't get the boy's face out of his mind. While the sophomore students were playing a game of basketball, he sat on the bench with his head in his hands. Jennifer came over to him and took a seat.

"This is my good class. We have some time to talk about what happened last period. What happened this morning cannot happen again. I treat my students with respect and compassion and I expect the same from you."

Mike muttered an inaudible response while shaking his head. Then he turned to Coach Hall, "Are you married?"

"Engaged. What does that…?"

"What if something were to happen to your fiancé?"

"I'd lose my mind," Coach Hall said.

"And what if someone kidnapped him?"

"If someone kidnapped her, I would find them and kick that person's ass myself."

"That's what do," Mike muttered to himself. He straightened out to rest his back against the wall behind him, "That happened with me last year. My now wife was kidnapped by that Frankie kid. I can't be in the same room as him without coming up with thousands of ways to murder him."

"I heard about that," Coach Hall said, "Emily, James' now sister in-law. Serena's little sister."

"My wife," Mike nodded his head. "Look, Coach, I want this job, and I want to do well. I'm not the easiest guy to work with, I'll tell you that right now, but I don't like disappointing people. But I don't think there's anything or anyone that can convince me to spent more than three seconds in a room with Frankie and not murder him. I don't care if he's changed, I don't care why he's back, I don't give a damn about him at all. I can't teach him."

"Then it's good we got this out of the way now," Coach Hall put her hand on Mike's shoulder, "What do you know about cheerleading?"

"I like the uniforms," Mike smirked. "That's about it."

"I've got a couple new guys on the squad who can use some extra help. They've got the strength to contribute to the team, but they don't have the style or grace just yet. They're also in that first period class."

"A couple of guys?"

"Is that also a problem?"

"No. The uniforms won't be as cute, though."

"Good thing you're married and that's not an issue for you, right?"

Mike chuckled and nodded his head, "Yeah. But I know nothing about cheerleading."

"Learn something. While I handle first period, you can take these guys aside. Focus on them. That will be a big help for me."

"I'll do my best," Mike promised with a nod of his head. "Thanks, Coach. It means a lot to me."

"If you ever have a problem with a student, you need to talk to me, Michael," Coach Hall got up from her seat and gave Mike a look that told him she was serious, "We're models. We need to watch the way we behave towards and around the students. If there's another problem, you talk to me. And no more cheerleader skirt comments. Those could get you in some really hot water."

"Promise," Mike nodded his head and smiled.

-Samurai-

It was getting close to dinner time and Jayden decided to head out a little early. With his assumptions in mind, he was excited and nervous about Ji and Kate's news and couldn't stay locked up inside the house.

Suddenly, someone wrapped their arms around his shoulder. Jayden saw the tensor bandage and smiled, "Lauren."

"How did you know?"

"Hand still hurt from punching the window?"

"Riley's going to be the death of all of us," Lauren said as she took a seat at the table. "Still, I am happy the adoption went through."

"Yeah, you really hit it off with her," Jayden smiled while having a look around. Lauren was living with Ji and Kate, a decision she made so she could get the feel of having a traditional family, even if it was an untraditional manner. Ji technically wasn't her father, and hadn't seen her since she was a kid, and Lauren and Kate had only met a couple of months ago. Jayden saw neither of them were around, "So, Ji and Kate…"

"Ji got a little nervous about something. Kate told me to go ahead so I could keep the table," Lauren pointed to the reservation sign. "She said they wouldn't be too long. Have you heard from Serena and Emily?"

"Nope, but they usually aren't late," Jayden looked to his watch, "We have some time to ourselves."

"Great," Lauren said and then there was a pause of silence. She wasn't sure what to say to her brother. Jayden was a little lost as well, but cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck.

"So, you live with them, right?"

"They live with me, technically," Lauren nodded her head, "but yeah."

"Any idea what this big news could be about?"

Lauren didn't look like she wanted to answer the question, but she figured if she couldn't talk to her brother about these issues, there was no one she could talk to. She leaned over the table and gestured for Jayden to do the same. When he was close enough she whispered, "I think it's got something to do with them… them."

"You… you do?"

"Last night, I heard some things. Normally I don't go down their hallway but… I did and… I'm not that sheltered. I know what they were doing."

"Awkward," Jayden felt a shiver travel up and down his spine. The last thought he needed was of Ji and Kate in bed together. Even if his assumptions were right, that was a part of the engagement and relationship process Jayden would ignore forever.

"They've been cute and cuddly since we've been back," Lauren continued, "And not in the cute and cuddly way, you know. It's kind of awkward when we're watching a movie and…"

"You're the third wheel?"

"The what?"

"You feel like you shouldn't be there?"

"Yeah," Lauren nodded. "So, I think, the big news is some really, really big news."

"Engagement?" Jayden tried. Lauren shook her head.

"Bigger."

"Secret wedding?"

"Bigger."

"Baby?"

"Kate's been feeling a little up and down, lately. It could just be from being in jail but… I don't know," Lauren shrugged her shoulders. "And, look how many seats are at the table. It's just us. Antonio's got work, right?"

"He's at home eating a pizza pocket," Jayden shook his head. "Mike's got football practice, Kevin and Mia are…"

"Exactly," Lauren said. "I overheard Ji and Kate talking about tonight. They did consider inviting Antonio, James, and Mike, but that meant only Kevin and Mia wouldn't be invited. They decided, so Mia and Kevin wouldn't feel left out, they would just make this a family dinner."

"So?"

"They were going to talk to the others later. Mia has a kid now, but she still just learned she can't get pregnant. If Kate is pregnant…"

"Mia might not take the news too well."

"It might hurt her," Lauren nodded. "It makes sense, right? I'm not crazy, am I? I could be overthinking this. I don't know."

"You're not crazy," Jayden took her hand in his and smiled, "When Emily and I picked them up from jail, we saw something that made us a little suspicious."

"That Kate was pregnant?"

"That Ji and Kate were engaged," Jayden said, "but, if Kate was pregnant, she would tell Ji and they might consider getting married so…"

"So… our family is about to get a little bigger and a lot stranger?"

"If we're right," Jayden nodded his head. "But Ji did sound excited over the phone, so even if it is that, I think this might be a good thing?"

"I don't plan on moving out. I don't want to move out. I just got home. I love Riley, and Terran's adorable, but I know what babies do. I know how loud they get. I remember you were a terror."

"Hey!"

"I don't know if I'm ready for this?"

"Everything's going to be okay," Jayden promised. "You survived being a big sister once."

"Not for long."

"It's your second shot, and that's only if we're right. We could be way off the mark. For all we know, they could have just gotten matching tattoos that they want to share with us. It's going to be fine."

"And if it is a baby?"

"If it's not?"

Lauren gave Jayden a glare, then leaned back in her seat to pout, "Mom did that, you know. I never liked it. I still don't."

"Normally people compare me to dad," Jayden chuckled. "Glad to know I got something from mom."

"You got a lot from mom, it's just that no one talks about her," Lauren said and then sat up straight and put her hand in the air. Serena and Emily had arrived and were looking around for the table.