Lauren woke up early the next morning. She got up, took a shower, got dressed in a sweat suit (it was still cold outside) and brushed her teeth. She dried her blonde hair with a blow dryer.

"Hey there beautiful!" Lauren thought to herself. "We're going on a jog today in the park. There will be kids and puppies and people with their boyfriend or girlfriend…no wait, I don't have one. Sad face." Lauren shrugged and pouted then she just laughed it off and began to brush her hair. "You don't need a man Lauren. You're Miss Independent. Yeah, I like that. Miss Independent. But what if I find a single guy while I'm there? Will I be Miss Independent searching for a man?"

Lauren struggled to get a knot out her hair. "Grr! Get out you stupid hair!" She began to yank on her hair but it refused to move. "Detangler! I need a detangler!" She got her bottle of Detangler and sprayed her hair with it. Once the knot cleared out, she continued her brushing. "It's quiet. Yawn. Oh! I know! Let's play some tunes on the radio!"

Lauren turned on her radio. She finished up with her hair and cleaned up. She got her phone and was going to head out of the door until she heard her favorite song. "Don't dance Lauren. You have to go jogging this morning. No excuses. I can't help it…" The fire samurai jumped on her bed and sang her heart out into her phone completely ignoring the knocking from her door.

"Lauren?" Antonio stared at Lauren with a tired grin. He was going to remember this moment.

"Yeah?" Lauren answered him. She stopped jumping on her bed and stood there embarrassed.

"Jay made breakfast. So if you'd like to join us?"

"Tell him I'll be there in a sec."

Antonio chuckled to himself and walked out the door. Lauren slid off her bed and groaned.

"Why do you jog so early anyways" Antonio asked Lauren in the kitchen.

"Because I need to keep this…" Lauren gestured to her butt. "In check."

"Put that away and don't ever do that again." Jayden told his sister in disgust. He was her little brother. He did not need to see that.

"At least it looks better than yours."

Antonio looked at Jayden for his response. He has no siblings so this was interesting for him but instead Jayden mocked his sister by using his hand to show Lauren's talking.

"Whatever, I'm leaving. Don't burn down the house while I'm gone or I'm moving in with Mia and Kevin. Got that?"

"Okay mom." Antonio replied.

"Ms. Shiba?"

Lauren took her earphones out of her ear and looked around. She heard someone call her last name. She didn't recognize the voice that much and the samurais didn't call her by her last name.

"Ms. Shiba." A tall man called her. He waved her over.

"Cody, right?" Lauren asked him. She instantly remembered him from her night at the restaurant with Jayden. He was the most handsome waiter she has ever laid eyes on.

"Yup, that's me Ms. Shiba." Cody gave her a warm smile. He looked a little worn out like he had been jogging too but he still had the same smile.

"Please call me Lauren."

"Lauren. That is such a beautiful name. My great-grandmother's name is Lauren." Lauren nodded. She could feel her stomach getting butterflies. Cody spoke to her so smoothly. "I hope I'm not being too forward but if you're not busy Friday night, I would love to take you out somewhere."

"Of course, here let me give you my number." Lauren and Cody exchanged phone numbers.

"I guess I will call you later tonight."

"I guess you will." Cody left Lauren. Lauren jumped and screamed blissfully. "Yes! Go Lauren, go Lauren! It's your birthday!" Little kids and elders started at her. She scratched her head awkwardly. "Wow, wonderful weather we're having."

"You should've seen him Emily!" Lauren told Emily. Emily decided to visit her for lunch in her room. She was serious when she said she wouldn't be gone for long. "His eyes…and his smile, ooh! He's so handsome!

"I bet he is." Emily said. "Where is he taking you out?"

"I don't know. He didn't say but I'm sure it will be fun."

"Well, we need to know soon. Do you know how important a first date is? We have to know what to wear and what make-up will look good in the lighting." Emily chastised her older sister. Lauren was just a beginner in the dating game. She couldn't date while she trained for the Sealing Symbol. And because of that, Emily had a lot to teach her about getting ready for the first date.

"I'm a big girl, remember? I can dress myself."

"But you don't know how to dress yourself for something this huge. When a man gives you time to get ready for something, you use all the time you get. You have to try on twenty different clothing, get your hair done, experiment with your cosmetics, and practice your booty shaking."

"Booty shaking? Whoa there girly, slow down. I'm sure it's not that big of a deal."

"That's what they all say." Emily gave Lauren a disapproving head shake.

"Hey." Lauren talked into her phone. She was speaking to Cody. "Oh, I'm not doing anything. You're probably just hearing my brother and his friend play their guitars." Lauren told him while glancing at Antonio and Jayden in the living room. Antonio was teaching Jayden the notes to the song he and Mia sang together at a charity concert for her brother, Terry. "You play the piano? That's so cool. I don't play any instruments."

"Hey, you said you would take me somewhere, right?" Lauren didn't really agree with Emily's First Date Rules but she too was a little curious as to where he would take her at such short notice. "Karaoke? I can't sing. You really think so? Of course, I will go but I can't…Okay, okay."

Lauren could hear Antonio and Jayden greeting Ji and his wife at the door. She didn't expect to see them but they were family so it didn't matter. "My…parents just walked in. I'll talk to you later, bye."

"Mom!" Lauren hugged Ji's wife, Catherine. She was the closest she had to a mom since her birth mother died. Since coming home three years ago, she had been hoping for a family to lean on apart from the other samurai. Catherine didn't mind her calling her mom. She actually felt very much honored that she can make Lauren happy as a parent she never had.

"Hi honey. How are you doing?" Catherine hugged Lauren and then Jayden.

"Hey, Catherine." Jayden waved at Ji. "What's up Ji?"

"Hello Jayden." Ji said as they walked back to the living room.

"Who is this young man?" Catherine asked Jayden. She has never met Antonio or the other samurai before. She shook hands with Antonio.

"Catherine, this is Antonio, the first gold samurai. Antonio, meet Catherine, the sweetest woman I have ever met."

"Hello, ma'am." Antonio said.

"Oh please, call me Catherine."

Ji looked at Lauren and Jayden suspiciously. Jayden never told his about getting the team back together. "What did you two do?"

"We made the family bigger." Ji smiled at Lauren's response.

Heeey people and…and…purple bunnies! Of FanFiction :P If you haven't noticed yet, I love Lauren's character. The first part of this chapter came from watching too much Jenna Marbles and iJustine videos on YouTube…..I hope you like this chapter! If you didn't, then tell me why and how I can improve in that lovely review box below :)