A/N: Serrator along with the occupants of the Netherworld are still unaware that Jayden isn't the real, Red ranger. I just wanted to clarify that.

A/N 2: There will be a companion piece to this story. It delves into the life of Lauren Shiba. Think about it being an unofficial chapter to my other story, 'A Look Behind a Female Ranger'.

A/N 3: Thank you to all the readers and followers. Bear with me and stay tuned for more!

Episodes: 'Trust Me'' to 'Stroke of Fate'

Chapter 25- The Secret

Xxxxx

(Flashback)

Mia's Samuraizer vibrated like a heartbeat under her pillow. She rolled over miserably, begging for her phone to stop. It kept going and going like that 'Energizer Bunny'. She aggravatingly sat up, fished for her phone, careful to not make a sound, as Emily was sound asleep on her bed. She flipped the phone that doubled as a morpher. There were two missed calls and two texts—a long text message that exceeded the maximum of 160 characters.

"Dress warm. I've been planning something special for awhile now. Meet me outside the Shiba Gate. Be careful to not wake anyone up. I've taken care of everything. Don't ask questions. Just come and please trust me on this."

Any other time, she would go without hesitation. The middle of the night was a whole different story and quite uncharacteristic of her leader, who was also her boyfriend. However, 'something special' stood out. She did as told reluctantly. She tiptoed to the closet and picked out some clothing. A pink, long sleeved shirt, newly purchased, blue jeans, and boots. After changing, her eyes cascaded to her roommate's sleeping form. She took a deep breath and finally left. She browsed the barely lit hallways and left the house with no detection. She was just beyond the gate when she saw her fellow escapee. Her face lit up instantly.

"What are we doing," she asked him, after she was right beside him.

He smiled. "No questions, remember," he gently reminded her. Utilizing his Symbol Power for personal use, he performed the strokes for 'teleport'. Kevin wasn't the only one who knew how to get them some place else quickly.

After they arrived to their destination, Mia stepped forward. She did a 360 of the place. No wonder he told her to dress warm. They were in an arena, particularly one made of ice. The place was brightly illuminated, vacant, and she questioningly turned to Jayden. She was led to a bench. There were a pair of male and female ice skates already waiting for them. She followed his lead, not asking a single question.

After they were finished, Jayden opened the door that would lead to the ice. He beckoned.

Warily, the Pink ranger stepped onto the ice. She wobbled, dangerously teetering forward and back, afraid that she was going to fall on her face. She did her best, able to maintain her footing. She watched, while Jayden easily glided around. He effortlessly sped up, languidly slowed down, grinned at her, and he finally came to a stop. His hands were held out in front of her.

"Do you trust me," he wondered.

"Jayden," she whispered, thinking someone, like a worker or a security guard, could be here or patrolling. "Why are we here? And, why are you stealing lines from 'Aladdin'?"

He repeated his question, once more. "Do you trust me?" He waited, and she ended up placing her hands into his. He helped Mia get the feel of ice skating. He laughed, as she almost fell a couple of times. Each time, he prevented her from doing so. With his back turned, their faces intently locked, he gently pulled her. He was her guide around the frigid perimeter. As he went a little faster, he heard Mia's joyous giggles, wobbly 'whoas' and ' .gosh'. He held her, not once letting go.

They continued skating together, while Mia couldn't believe how good Jayden was.

The pulsation of their skates scraping against the ice, leaving some shavings wherever they went, bounced off the walls. Their laughter also filled the room. Both were enjoying this quality and private time together. They hardly got to do this. After an hour, the amateur skaters headed back to where they left their shoes.

"That was fun," Mia commented happily, as she untied her skates. "How did you learn to skate like that?"

"My dad. Before he passed, he would take me here. We'd skate, and it was like our male bonding time," Jayden answered, putting on his tennis shoes. He used another symbol, and two cups of hot chocolate appeared. "I haven't skated, since..." He looked down sorrowfully. He really hoped he was living up to his dad's expectations, and from heaven, his dad was smiling down on him.

"Jayden," she soothingly said his name. "I'm really sorry about your dad," she didn't officially give her condolences.

"Hey, it's been awhile..." he ended up changing the subject. "Happy Anniversary," he gave her a quick peck on the lips. She blinked in surprise. "It's been six months, and I remember, during Christmas, you said you always wanted to go ice skating. And, here we are." He began to drink his hot chocolate, while staring at the ice.

If she wasn't already in love with him, she surely fell right now. He was attentive, honest, strong, and that made her a happy girlfriend. Through his adversity, he's led her, even if the battles were tough, and gave her more confidence than she could've imagined, She really didn't want this moment to end. She gently blew the steam coming from her drink. She took a sip, and then she ogled his profile. "Thank you." She placed her free hand on his wrist.

Jayden faced her, grabbed for her hand and closed the gap between them. He began to kiss her on the lips. This time, he initiated the powerful kiss, taking the reigns and groping her lovingly. He feverishly made out with her, hungrily wanting all of her and wishing to be one with her. He didn't know how this came about, but he was sure of it. He had never been so sure in his life.

Mia put her hands up, gently pushing him off. "Jayden, Jayden, are you sure," she breathlessly asked, knowing that he was taking it farther than he has before. The last time they were in this compromising position, he ran off and left her hurt. Now, he was the one initiating this advance level of intimacy. She was afraid, if they went there, then he would regret it. She didn't want that. She would hate that, and there would be no recovery. She searched his blue eyes for confirmation, fright, anything.

"I love you," Jayden openly declared for the first time and with no hesitation.

"I love you too, but..."

The Red ranger's lips crashed against hers. They passionately continued. He broke away momentarily and earnestly stared into her brown, dolly eyes. "I want to," he admitted. "But not here."

Mia nodded, and he transported them elsewhere.

That night, they consummated their relationship, and there was no turning back.

(End Flashback)

Xxxxx

'Trust Me'
Shiba House-Jayden's Bathroom
Panorama City, CA

Jayden was in the shower. He was remembering the first time he laid with Mia. He had to admit it was pretty awkward, at first. He wasn't sure if he was going to hurt her, or enter correctly, or even please her. The ending result of their first time left him blown though. It was like using Symbol Power, as it was a rush, but ten times more tiring. He didn't know how that was humanly possible. He smiled in satisfaction, turned off the water and departed the shower. He dressed quickly and met with the others in the kitchen. The Red ranger immediately walked up to Mia, and kissed her. They privately talked with one another, giggling loudly, and even feeding each other breakfast.

"Oh, I think I'm going to be sick," Mike stopped mid-bite and pretended to hurl.

Emily playfully shoved him to be quiet. "Mike, stop," she said, knowing they weren't exactly platonic either. She didn't know how or what, but Mentor pulled her and Mike aside recently. He gave them the 'okay' to start dating, which they have been for the last month. They just weren't as affectionate as their Red and Pink counterparts.

"Is it just me, or are they more in love than ever," Kevin analytically pondered, rising his head from a book he was reading at the table.

"Amigo, I believe they are," Antonio patted Kevin's back a couple times with a lovesick grin on his face. "Ah, that's what love will do."

"Rangers," Mentor called from the living room.

The rangers knowingly looked at one another.

Duty called.

Xxxxx

Three Hours Later
Abandoned House
Monalua Island

"Jayden, in here," Mia signaled an abandoned home. She sat him down on a random crate and did a once over. His arm didn't look too good.

Mentor informed the rangers there was a Nighlock disturbance on Monalua Island. He told them to take the ferry, find out what was causing the interference and work as a team.

The rangers arrived two hours ago, and were already beaten. Unlike the inhabitants, who were covered with ash and acting crazily paranoid, the supernatural forces that had taken over were putting up an uncompromising fight. They were broken off into three different teams—Mike and Antonio, Mia and Jayden, and Kevin and Emily. The Blue and Yellow ranger came in contact with Dayu, who ended up gaining the upper hand and caused them to tumble down the riverbank. As far as the Green and Gold ranger were concerned, they encountered Serrator, who did a fabulous job making a mockery of them. Finally, the Red and Pink ranger engaged in a heated battle with Deker.

Deker made snide comments, intending to successfully hurt the pride of the Red ranger. A he continued clanking his sword against Jayden's, he was met with Mia's intervention. He loathed interruptions, especially from someone donning Pink, and administered a powerful blow. The Pink ranger flopped to the ground. Seeing the Red ranger freeze over this, he viewed him as weak. More nasty nsults were flung, further depressing Jayden. He easily plowed through the two rangers, inflicting serious injury to the Red and leaving the Pink painfully laying on the ground. Realizing Jayden was no longer worthy of being an opponent for the 'Ultimate Duel', he retreated.

Now, Mia was making a makeshift sling by using the scarf that was wrapped around her neck. As she was tending to his wound, she carefully watched him. He wasn't his usual self. Instead, he was angered, barely making eye contact with her, and was off on a different planet. Her heart broke to see him like this. She attempted to phone the Shiba House, once she tended to him.

The Red ranger excruciatingly replayed Deker's words over and over again. He was verbally berating himself, after hearing the harrowing taunts that exited his enemy's mouth.

"You rely on teammates to handle your battles now? Have you become that weak, Red ranger?!"

"The lone warrior is the strongest. You've lost your edge."

"Trade your existence. I've never felt this invincible."

"PATHETIC!"

He was undeniably crushed by Deker, who's he's beaten before. If this was primary, middle or even high school, he would deem the half human-half Nighlock to be a bully. This wasn't school, nor was it a battle for the world. He, now, labeled this a battle between him and that evil being.

Unknowingly, it was Red versus Red, in a ranger's perspective.

It was bothering him immensely. He should be on top of the world, since he's been victorious countless times, but he lowered himself, even thinking he was gum stuck to someone's beaten shoes. That's how irrelevant he felt. He cracked his knuckles menacingly, built up anger fully raging. He didn't sign up for this. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. When he took on the reigns of being the Red ranger for his sister, he didn't expect to find out more about himself than necessary. The dichotomy of being a cold leader versus a team player was overwhelming. He remembered the time he asked if it was necessary to summon her team. Then, he warmed up to them and formed what he knew were long lasting friendships. In addition, there was Mia his girlfriend. But, battling an enemy, who wasn't the ruler of the Netherworld and was also out for his blood, and meeting a young woman, whose parents were legendary rangers and claimed to be his parents, he didn't anticipate for that.

Red ranger; it's not what it was cracked up to be.

The Pink ranger was unsuccessful in phoning Mentor. She thought the ash coming from the island's mountain were obstructing the signal. She called her boyfriend's name, but he was unresponsive. She approached him and placed a hand softly on his shoulder. "What's wrong," she queried. An aggressive look was tossed her way. She appeared unfazed."Don't worry. It's just a minor setback."

"No," Jayden callously denied. "He's right. He can see my weakness. I need to find him."

He's stubborn, Mia thought. "You're wounded. You need to rest," she wished, since she didn't want him to further damage his arm.

"Don't you see," the leader of the team exclaimed, as he stood up, practically shoving her hand off of him. "He didn't even have his true sword, Urumasa, today. When he gets it back, he'll be twice as deadly." He really was determined to make Deker eat his words and settle their personal battle once and for all.

"Jayden, we have complete faith in you," the Pink ranger compellingly announced."I have faith in you."

"There are things about me you don't know," he cryptically stated, as he ran out. He undid the sling, tossing it to the ground carelessly and ran to seek Deker.

Mia chased after him, calling his name continuously. She pondered his last sentence. She didn't understand what he meant. She ignored that and followed him like she always would.

Xxxxx

Two Hours Later
Monalua Docks
Monalua Island

"Yeah, not bad for an old guy," Mike quipped, while walking down the docks. He was just within an ear's shot of his Mentor.

The Yellow ranger gasped, after seeing Mentor resting comfortably on his motorcycle. "Mike," Emily admonished, as her hands flew to her boyfriend's mouth. She worriedly checked to see if Mentor heard that.

Mentor did and turned around. "Old," he echoed his Green ranger's term. "Old?"

"Uh, ah, no," the Green ranger stuttered over his words, wondering how he was going to get out of this one. "Oh, man."

The Samurai rangers amicably saved the citizens of this island. Thanks to the Mentor, who came to the island and delivered their new weapon, the Bullzooka, a gift from Cody's family. They were able to destroy the item that was expelling the ash, Maldan and the Master Blasters—Moogers that were trained by Maldan and used heavy artillery.

Jayden overcame the sudden urge to want to destroy Deker. The powerful words that exited his girlfriend's mouth helped him to maintain the path he was on. If he engaged in a lethal fight with the half human-half Nighlock, then their battle be considered petty. What was more important was to help the people return to normal. However, he wasn't saying he forgot the words that were maliciously hurled at him.

Presently, it was time for the rangers to head home. Mike's unnecessary quip about Mentor battling Moogers did have a compliment in there. Kevin and Antonio snickered at Mike, while Emily plainly shook her head. Mia observed Jayden, from a distance. He was slightly straying from the group. She believed the words from earlier were causing him to do this. She would ignore it, for now.

The rangers and Mentor were waiting for the next ferry. They were talking, figuring out what was on the menu for tonight's dinner and watched as men began to carry nets filled with tilapia, shrimp, clams and mussels.

"Seafood," the rangers minus one chorused.

Suddenly, Mia wasn't feeling too well. The urge to vomit crossed her mind, and she went to the dock's edge and forcefully threw up this morning's meal. As she continued hacking, her friends and boyfriend looked at her with concern.

"Mia," Emily ran over to her. She panicked at her friend, who must've been sick. She was worried and asked Mike to get a bottle of water for her.

Mike did what he was told. Mentor grabbed a handkerchief from a hidden pocket of his outfit, grazed the soft piece in the water, and he used that to place over Mia's neck for a cooling sensation. Antonio and Kevin used their hands to fan her, while Jayden was jarred out of his private thoughts by Mia's unexpected move. He maintained standing next to her.

"Thanks guys," she wiped her mouth with her right hand. She weakly smiled at them.

"Are you okay," Mentor asked, concern evident in his voice. He speculated the climate on the island, the intense battle, and not eating since breakfast had something to do with her vomiting. He checked her out.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Mia promised, after she received a bottle of water from Mike. She guzzled the healthy liquid. She still appeared flushed, sweaty, and really didn't look to good. "I just want to go home," she softly murmured.

"The ferry should be coming soon. Don't you worry," Antonio updated with a smile. He continued to stare at her. In his opinion, something was amiss.

"I don't think the fish are going to like that food," Mike looked disgusted, as he peered over. There were several, colorful chunks of eaten food resting on top of the water. "Ew, Mia. What did you eat?!"

Kevin rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "Mike, shut up," he sneered. This was no time for joking, since Mia appeared to be under the weather.

"When we get home, just go straight to bed. I'll bring you some soup," Emily played doctor to her best friend.

"Tha-," Mia covered her mouth and ran away to find another place to vomit, once again.

Jayden furrowed his brows. He asked a random fisherman for a bucket. After he received it, he handed it off to Emily. "It's going to be a long ride home," he murmured to the rest of them. They agreed it was. Finally, the boat arrived, so he headed to get Mia. He swept her off her feet and carried her protectively against him. Whatever was wrong with her, he wasn't going to leave her side.

Xxxxx

One Week Later
'The Master Returns'
Oliver Family's Rental Home
Panorama City, CA

When Tommy and Kim told Sophia the decision about moving to Panorama City, she jumped with joy. They were stunned, since they predicted she would throw a fit about possibly changing schools. Apparently, that wasn't the case. For a thirteen year old, and for the most part, she really had great sense. She already knew their reason had to be for Jayden. They also let her in about the secret that Cole was under a spell and fighting on the side of evil. That hit Sophia pretty hard because she liked the 'Rookie'. She hoped for him to snap out of it and return to her Aunt Alyssa. Her parents also gave her the choice—either keep attending school in Reefside or transfer to a school in the new city.

Not too surprisingly, she chose to attend a new school.

The husband and wife searched for a rental house that had all the amenities they were looking for. They chose a two story house with five bedrooms, four bathrooms and a basement, for an obvious reason. The move wasn't too bad. They decided to rent furniture rather than hauling the couches, beds, chairs, etc. from house to house. Friends came by and helped them settle in their new house and surroundings. Kim found her commute to her work less taxing, Sophia actually liked her new school, Tommy made a friend, the next door neighbor, who actually shared a similar interest with Tommy, and even, Tristan befriended the neighbor's daughter, who was his age. All in all, it was a pretty smooth transition.

Billy, Hayley and Karone helped to build the teleportation platforms for Tommy's Command Center and the house they were renting in Panorama City. Tommy was the one using it a majority of the times, as he kept his teaching job in Reefside. It was pretty routine. He would wake, get ready, eat a breakfast, travel to the basement, step on the module, and with a press of a button, and in a flash of light, he was back at his Reefside home. He would hop into his old, trusty jeep that he kept stashed there and drive to work. Sometimes, he would take Brennan with him, so he could continue attending his daycare.

Sophia, along with her friends', punishment was lifted last week. She was currently engaged in a four way Skype session.

"How do you like your new school," Lani asked, while she was filing her fingernails.

"What are the people like," Naddy questioned, as she ate around a bite of pizza.

"Are you going to continue gymnastics out there," Adrian tossed in there, while he concentrated on a science experiment he was working on.

"Is their food good," Rock wondered, and he received a smack from his sister. "Ow, what the heck was that for?!"

"All you care about is food," his sister shot back angrily. He pointed at her eating. "At least, I'm not asking about it!"

"She is cute when she eats," Adrian admitted, barely rising his head just a bit to see Naddy. He hastily ducked, after making eye contact with her, just missing her cheeks turning a rosy shade.

"Oohhh," Lani immaturely taunted at her brother. "Adrian and Nadia sitting in a tree..."

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G," sang Rock with a smirk.

Brennan irritably rolled his eyes. "Is anyone hitting on you?! I'll beat the snot out of anyone who is," he protectively vowed.

Sophia just laughed and answered questions in order. "Teachers are great; some students are annoying. No, there would be no point, since we're only staying for a year. Rock, it's school lunch, think about it. And, no. I'd kick their ass if they would. Your picture is on my folder. It's clear I'm taken," she smiled at them.

Jason and Trini's son happily nodded. "Damn straight. I miss you, by the way," he added.

"Do we really need to hear all of that," Adam and Tanya's daughter grumbled.

Surprisingly, Naddy and Adrian agreed.

"Yeah, should we all get off, so you guys can make yucky love faces towards each other," Rocky and Aisha's son imitated the two of them making out. He almost barfed in his mouth. "'Brennan, you're the one for me'. 'No, Sophia, you're the one for me'," he dramatically stated.

"Are you kidding me," Tommy and Kim's daughter sneered, as her eyes flashed green in an intimidating fashion. "You're mine, DeSantos! Next time, we are so doing the rodeo dance, if you know what I mean."

Rock gulped in fear, while the others laughed.

Despite Rock often sticking his foot in his mouth, Adrian and Naddy meekly flirting between the other, Lani's gossipy, yet tough attitude, and Brennan's blatant cuteness that made their friends sick, she missed them all. She sighed, overhearing the abundance of jokes from her best friends, as she looked outside her window, which had a great view of the city. The sky was as blue as the sea, cumulus nimbus clouds were gently floating, and she thought about heading to the community pool today. Just then, for about thirty seconds, the sky altered to pitch black. She shuddered over the terrible feeling that surfaced. Seeing that the sky was blue once more, she shook it off. "Did... that... just..."

"Babe, what's wrong," Brennan asked his petrified girlfriend.

Without warning, Sophia began to breathe heavily. There was a powerful screech of a certain bird resounding in her ear. She literally fell out of her desk chair over the overwhelming sound. She clenched her chest tightly, wishing for the ebbing pain to stop. It wasn't letting up. She tried to say something, anything, but the pain intensified each time she attempted to make her mouth part. The urgent cries of her name being called was heard, but she couldn't do anything about it. It hurt so bad. It was like her insides were ripping apart and caught on fire simultaneously.

On their ends, her friends called their parents. They were extremely worried about her. She was fine just a little ago. In the pit of their stomach, they all suspected this had to do with her family, one member in particular.

Their suspicion was right. In the rock quarry, the Samurai rangers encountered the dangerous and infuriated Master Xandred. He appeared on Earth, potentially risking death. Octoroo informed Master Xandred of Serrator's treachery, as Serrator wanted to be the supreme ruler of both the Netherworld and Earth. The blasphemy of this new information sent Master Xandred over the edge, adding a new being to his list of death. He interrupted and partook in the ensuing battle, delivering lethal blows to the Samurai rangers and attempting to decimate Serrator. His plan was foiled due to Jayden, so he fought the Red ranger. This was their first time combating face to face, and Master Xandred was hellbent on making a lasting impression. In one, powerfully swift move, Master Xandred caused Jayden to demorph, sustain massive injuries and slip into unconsciousness.

Rocky and Aisha ran into their son's room. They looked into the webcam, trying to see what was going on. In Brennan's room, Trini and Jason were dialing their best friends. Adam and Tanya were also shocked and spewed out a round of questions to their children. Everyone stopped and watched, as a chair eerily swiveled. All overheard the husky gasps of air. Cries barely made it's presence. Their attention glued to their respective computer screens.

"He's hurt," claimed Sophia, as she tried her hardest to pull herself up. It took her two times, but once she was successful, she exhaustively rested against her chair's back. There were eleven pairs of eyes directly concentrating on her, while her eyes welled with tears. She wiped them off. "Something happened."

Meanwhile, Tommy, Kim, and Tristan suffered the same episode. The trio knew there something erroneously went awry. Tommy scrunched his eyes, as the piercing pain began to subside. He was barely down the hall, before he collapsed. He entered a state of paralysis. When his phone was ringing, he couldn't answer. Kim was thankful she was at least sitting on a comfy recliner. She continued breathing in gulps of air. This was more powerful than when Sophia got hurt. Her eyes roamed to pick out Tristan. He was wailing uncontrollably, once again.

"Tom-Tom, Tommy," the Crane tried to articulate his name, while looking around to see if he was near. She slid down, moving centimeter by centimeter.

"Yeah," he futilely responded. "We need to calm him down," he referred to their son. He found the will to head towards them.

Sophia had ended the call with her friends. She stood but felt dizzy. She fought through, even having to crawl down the staircase, so she could be the rest of her family. She met with her dad first. "Dad," the Dove asked tearfully. "What happened to him?"

"Soph, I don't know," the Falcon exhaled, after he replied. "But it's not good."

"Mom," she yelped frantically. "Mom! Tristan!"

"We're fine," Kim rasped, as she the pain finally tapered off.

The Oliver family, after several minutes, congregated in the living room. They deeply hugged one another.

"We should've told him," Tommy regrettably updated. He balled his fists, as he paced. He was angry with himself. He hated that he just couldn't admit to his own flesh and blood their damn relation. "Let's go!"

"Go? Go where," Kim asked, as she picked Tristan up and firmly planted him on her hip. Her son's head rested in the crook of her neck, and he began to suck on his thumb for comfort. She heard their phones ringing off the hook. She answered hers, while Tommy picked up his. "Tri, we're fine. Something must've happened to Jayden."

"Yeah, Bro, it has to be," answered Tommy to Adam's query. He heard his phone beep, which served as notice that another phone call was coming in. He saw 'Ape Man' pop up, meaning it was Rocky. "Hold on, let me three way this call." He did the necessary sequence, and they all began to talk.

Sophia nervously chewed her lip. She thought about what her dad meant by 'let's go'. "Is he really thinking about going to see Jayden," she whispered under her breath. After her parents were done with their phone conversations, she earnestly stared at them. "Dad, are you saying you want to see him?"

"Yes, we need to tell him," the Falcon replied in a leader voice. "I'll be damned if I continue living like this. Unsure of what's going to happen to him, and him not knowing who we are."

"Damn right, daddy," Tristan cutely responded. This was the only time he could get away with such a statement.

Kim breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, where do we go," she anxiously questioned her husband. It was finally happening. They were going to bring him back to them. Her phone began to ring once again, and she looked down to see it was her mom. She rose her head. "It's my mom," she updated. She let call go to her voicemail. There was another issue that was far more pressing. "Now..." her phone went off once more. "Bonjour, maman, (Hello, Mom)," she ultimately answered.

"Mon Chérie, c'est Pierre! (Honey, it's Pierre)," was the first thing her Sophia and Tristan's maternal grandma blurted.

"Maman, tu pleures (Mom, are you crying)?" The Crane mouthed the issue at hand to her husband and daughter. Her mom continued, not even making sense. "J'ai besoin que vous calmer. Maintenant , ce qui est arrivé à Pierre? (I need you to calm down. Now, what happened to Pierre?)"

"Quelque chose de terrible . Une crise cardiaque. (Something terrible. A heart attack)," she answered with distraught tinging her voice.

"Je suis tellement désolé . Est-ce qu'il va bien se passer? (I'm so sorry. Is he going to be okay?)

"Il est stable (He's stable)," Kim's mom then went into full detail about what happened. "Etes-vous et Tommy , et les enfants capables de venir à Paris ce soir? (Are you and Tommy, and the kids able to come to Paris tonight?)"

"Que? (What?)," Tommy's wife almost dropped her cell phone over the query. This was divine intervention, in her opinion. Cruel intervention was the more correct term. "Maman (Mom)..."

The Oliver Family had quite the dilemma on their hands now.

Xxxxx

Three Days Later
'A Crack in the World'
Downtown
Panorama City, CA

Today's Nighlock, Pestilox, was ejecting swarms of insects towards innocent people, so they could suffer intense stomach pains. Their miserable cries would surely be of use to Serrator. Due to Master Xandred's severe dehydration because of Earth's goodness, the ruler of the Netherworld submerged himself in the deep trenches of the Sanzu River. With Master Xandred recuperating for an unspecified amount of time, Serrator was ruling the Netherworld with no objection, furthering his painstakingly orchestrated plan—splitting the world into two halves, so the the torrential waters of the Sanzu River could flood the Earth.

Before the battle, Kevin was able to figure out the conniving King of Nighlocks was up to something. Something terrible. There had to be a reason why Master Xandred and Dayu were fighting him. He synchronized the locations of their most recent attacks on the Shiba's water map. Serrator's next attack would add to a linear line that was forming. The rangers needed to stop what was brewing.

Currently, the Samurai rangers were split—Mike, Kevin, and Antonio in the heart of downtown, fighting Serrator and Emily, Mia, and Jayden finishing off the Nighlock.

Though Jayden was badly hurt when he fought Master Xandred, his rejuvenation time was mysteriously cut in half. He was up and moving around easily. His friends told him to take it easy though, but he was the Red ranger. His duty was to lead them and not show weakness; that's what he's been doing.

After his time on Monalua Island, he questioned whether he was still worthy of holding this position. During practice, if it could be called that, he strongly yet ruthlessly fended off his team, even, Mia, his girlfriend, who was still fighting a stomach bug that wasn't going away. He was trying to prove that he hasn't lost his 'warrior's edge'. After having a serious pep talk with Mentor, he realized he literally took Deker's words to heart. Maybe, he was just over analyzing everything. He's been stressed lately. He ended up apologizing to them and was glad they didn't hold any grudges.

As Serrator was on land and battling three of the male rangers, Deker arrived on the scene. He furiously looked at the one, who guaranteed he was going to get back Urumasa. When he saw an opening, his used his stand in sword and pointed it directly to Serrator's back. He was impatient, at his wit's end, and he wanted the games to stop.

"Well, well, Deker. How unexpected," Serrator put on an act.

"Huh," Mike, from his position on the ground, asked. "What's going on?"

"What a pleasant surprise." If Serrator could smirk, he would've done so. His ducks were filing into a row alright, and he was about to raise even more hell for both the Samurai rangers and Deker, if that was truly his name. Yes, Serrator was about to drop a bomb on all of them.

"Spare me," Deker spat, as he twisted the point of his useless weapon. "You know why I'm here."

"You've come for your real sword, Urumasa," he swiftly replied. "Missing daddy, are you?" The Green, Gold, and Blue ranger's head cocked to the side, while Deker remained stoic. "Good timing. My plan is reaching its climax." He went into full detail about how he was going to become the ruler of two worlds.

After Pestilox's defeat, the Red, Pink and Yellow ranger exited the Megazord. They ran to meet up with the others. The ground trembled beneath them.

"This must be because of Serrator," Emily assumed, remembering Kevin's words. "Jayden, we have to stop him!"

"You're right, Emily," Jayden agreed. He looked at Mia. She was oddly lagging today. "Hey, are you okay?!"

"Huh, yeah. I'm fine, Jayden," Mia breathlessly relayed, and she tried her best to keep up with them. With only them commanding so many zords, she had to use double the Symbol Power. She was listless, but people's lives were at stake. She wasn't going to be selfish and admit she needed a break. "Come on. We need to stop him!" She zoomed off faster than before.

They finally reached their destination and caught Serrator presenting Urumasa to Deker. The trio were confused.

Deker denied the proposition that was given. He was ordered to use Urumasa to slice open the final piece of a puzzle and release the accumulating energy that was rumbling beneath them. Upon seeing the Red ranger arrive and making brief eye contact with him, he quickly replied. "No. All I want is my sword, Urumasa." He took a grab, but Serrator childishly, or tactfully, stepped back, not allowing him to do so.

"Of course you do. I've planned for this," Serrator hopped with glee and looked at the clueless Deker. "Though, you weren't supposed to be involved. How did that come to be," he purposefully taunted the sword. "Oh, Julian. What have you done," he madly giggled.

Dayu was spying, eavesdropping. The rangers, minus Mia, were confused, questioning who the hell Julian was. Deker fumed, drawing the sword he had in his hand.

Urumasa was back, and he was filled with much regret this time around. He wished it didn't have to come to this. When he took that hit for that person, he wasn't going to say Deker because Deker was his son, this person being an innocent man, he thought the 200 year spell was purged. But, no, Serrator had to come and meddle and screw things up. He was boiling mad, and if he was human, he would use his skilled Bushido ways and kill Serrator himself. The thought about cutting Serrator into tiny, little pieces crossed his mind since resuming this cursed form. He wanted him to pay. "Don't blame this on me! This was your doing," he angrily retorted. "If I had known..."

"Then, you wouldn't have made him break away from his own family," Serrator wondered. He made several clicking noises. "Oh, but you have. Your real son is somewhere, while this man, right here, is taking on a curse that's been in place for quite awhile. Who's the evil person now?!"

"What," Deker asked, utterly shocked by what he was hearing.

"What's Serrator talking about and to who," Antonio had a big question mark formed on his face, though it was covered by his helmet.

"Julian, Deker's daddy, is sealed to Urumasa, who was as callous as they can get. He's so heartless he even killed his own wife in cold blood," Serrator enlightened the clueless people. "Now, ladies and gents, who you see in front of you is an unsuspecting, former... Power Ranger," Serrator revealed about Deker. The shocking gasps commenced. He evilly cackled. This was too good to be true. Of course, he had to prolong officially divulging this juicy information. "I'm glad I found you in time. You were at a reunion, your true persona told me so, but I needed you. Since 'Deker' is the only half human-half Nighlock in existence, it was imperative you had to resume the curse on his behalf. The memory of your previous existence, gone. Your true wife, gone. Your children, gone. Your friends, gone. Now, all you care about is this sword..."

"Serrator, damn you," Urumasa glowed a terrifying shade of red. He summoned all of the power he could, but it was to no avail. There was no way he could defeat the being that made him this. "Release him!"

Serrator was calling the shots. Like he was really going to listen to a sword. "You really have a lovely wife, and no, I'm not talking about Dalia," he specified, not realizing Dayu was present. "Now, your curse can be lifted, and you can return home, but for a price. Use this sword and strike before the wedge explodes."

Deker, or he didn't know what to call himself, tried to remember who he was. Death, Urumasa, Death, Urumasa, that's all that came to mind. He looked around confused, in a panic, sweat formed, and he shook his head. "Just give me back Urumasa," he whined like a child. "I just want him back!"

"No crying. Big boys don't cry," Serrator ridiculed with malice. This man was obviously growing desperate. "With one, quick slash your curse will be lifted, and you will truly be free. You can go back to your wife and live happily ever after like a fairy tale."

"What kind of fairy tale is this," Emily shouted irately. She couldnt' believe what she was hearing. A former Power Ranger was somewhere in Deker. "We have to help him!"

"What's the name of the guy that suddenly went missing at the reunion," Mike quickly thought on his toes. He remembered someone disappeared under unusual circumstances.

Kevin was about to say the name, but a stream of power was shot from Serrator's fan. "No, no, no, Blue ranger. Don't ruin all my fun." The Blue ranger 'forgot' the name. "Now, Julian, the real Deker and Deker's wife, will still suffer the same consequences, but you... you no longer have to. Remember, a fairy tale is still possible," he sang maliciously.

"Fairy tale," Deker repeated, as if it triggered his memory. He closed his eyes, thinking hard. But still there was nothing. He was growing frustrated. This had to be a trick. Serrator was known for being deceitful. Look how long it took him to even his sword once again. He couldn't be a ranger, no, he couldn't. Marriage?! What marriage? He only needed his sword. That's the most important thing to him was the sword.

The building pressure overflowed. The ground broke without any assistance. Violet colored streams of power spurted from the ground like geysers. One went off near them, another in a far distance, on the island, power plant, and rock quarry. Mike, Kevin and Antonio were weightlessly tossed back by the force. Deker was physically blown away. Dayu escaped in the nick of time. Jayden shielded Emily and Mia, causing them to fly back a few feet.

Serrator felt victorious, as he gracefully traveled in the air overseeing the beauty of the destruction. That was just the start of his reign. He could feel the rangers quivering in their pants, and he knew that, that Deker would do his bidding. After all, he was the key to his memories. He escaped back to the Netherworld and waited for him to come to his senses.

Xxxxx

'Stroke of Fate'
Five Minutes Later

As the rangers were slowly coming to, the destruction around them laid evident. The buildings were broken and in shambles. Rubble surrounded them. The world as they knew it was in imminent danger. They couldn't believe this was actually happening.

Antonio was the first to actually stand. He saw a weakened Deker, and his Barracuda Blade was not too far from him. He contemplated about using this rare opportunity to actually kill Deker because he was vital in accomplishing what Serrator wanted. Alas, he couldn't. Though he may be evil, somewhere there was a former ranger. He staggered away to find his friends. "Is everyone okay," he asked, struggling around what he thought was a sprained wrist.

"Emily," Mike called. He hoped his girlfriend was alright. He scanned and saw her laying on her back.

"Yeah," Emily softly replied, babying one of her ribs. "Kevin, are you alright?"

The Blue ranger groaned. "I'm... fine," he answered.

"Mia," Jayden waited for her to respond. There was nothing. "Mia!" He looked for her. She was a couple of feet away. He crawled and managed to turn her over, but was met by a horrifying site. Her jeans were completely drenched with blood. "Mia," he shook her, each time more harder than the last. "Mia. Oh God, no!" He quickly took off his button up shirt, exposing his red tee, and used it to wipe her clean. Though the blood was smearing, he was in a daze. He needed to save her! That's all he could think about.

"What's wrong," Kevin questioned, after hearing Jayden's terror filled shrieks. He moved his upper body forward. "Jayden?!"

Antonio looked over and roughly gulped. "Is... that blood," he incredulously queried.

"Blood," Mike and Emily yelled together and whipped their head to the left and right so many times, trying to find their friends. Finally, their eyes settled on Mia's sleeping form. She appeared so peaceful, yet the blood loss proved otherwise.

The rangers weren't sure if they were working on adrenaline, or anxiety, or affirmation that she needed help, but they all gathered, so they could get her help. They all ran, but the hospital was swept in the fury of what occurred moments ago. They didn't lose hope, nor did they panic. Their teammate needed them, so Jayden and Kevin both utilized their Symbol Powers and teleported everyone to a hospital in a nearby city.

Xxxxx

One Minute Later
B.B.H. Medical Center

Blue Bay Harbor, CA

The rangers, soiled with sweat, beaten, and emotional wrecks, ran to the emergency room. They didn't care about the standard procedures, or if they were being overzealous, bordering mad. They acted unusual on behalf of the Pink ranger.

Jayden carried her defensively, his heart breaking each time he took a step. "Excuse me," he simply began.

"Yes, what can I..." the nurse's voices tapered off to see five teens, who looked like they escaped from a severe beating, and a female, who looked just as bad but knocked out cold. She was able to see dried blood on the boy, who spoke to her. "Oh, goodness," she pressed the red button that was used for emergencies just like this.

Nurses with a stretcher and a doctor barged through. They demanded to have Mia put on the bed, and though a bit hesitant, he placed her on there. They began examining her, minding Jayden's watchful eye, as they rushed her back there. One nurse turned around, preventing Jayden from joining his girlfriend.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but you can't go back there," she apologized in the nicest voice she could muster.

"I'm her boyfriend! What do you mean I can't go back there," the Red ranger gravely posed his question in the darkest voice he could summon. Again, the eyes of anger surfaced.

The petrified nurse stumbled back and quickly jogged away. They understood he wished to go back there, but now that she receiving the necessary care, he had to be respectful of their wishes. He needed to remain in the waiting room.

"Jayden," his friends barked.

Mike pulled his leader aside. Hey, calm down. They're going to take care of her," he comforted. Once he saw the Red ranger relax, he went to sit back down with Emily and put his arm around her. "It's okay." He knew the tears were going to flow freely, and he was there for her.

The relaxation was short lived. "She needs me," he insisted to all of them. It wouldn't be right for him to be in the waiting room, while there was clearly something wrong with her. When he was in the hospital, she stayed by his side.

"You're not the only one she needs," Kevin reminded him. "We all care about Mia."

"Amigo, Kev's right. Let's just wait and see what the doctor says," Antonio ordered. He took this time to think about his decision to not stop Deker, or whoever he was.

For the most part, they were right. So, he ended up staying where he was.

Two hours later, a doctor came out, and he walked up to the Samurai rangers. "Hello. I just want to let you know she's fine and stable. She'll be able to go home in the next hour or so," she updated, causing the rangers to let out a big sigh of relief. She wanted some answers because her blood loss would've kept her at the hospital for a day or two, but she miraculously recovered. She looked at them quizzically. "Where were you guys prior to this? Where exactly are you from," she questioned. As she watched them, the rangers looked at one another, expecting someone to answer. She held up her hand. "Know what... that doesn't matter. She has requested that Jayden see her."

Jayden stood and followed the kind doctor to Mia's room. He stepped inside, gently closing the door behind him and watched her for a minute. He had never been so scared in his life. He thought that—he wouldn't dare finish that sentence. He was just glad that wasn't the case. He headed towards her bed, bent down, and whispered. "Mia. It's me." He anticipated she was going to happily look at him. Instead, she faced him, tears streaking her face. He grabbed a chair, sat, and scooted closely to her. He grabbed her hand. "What's wrong?"

"Jayden," she didn't know how to say this. She just kept sniffling and crying. Finally, she gathered the courage and revealed what was bothering her. "... I'm pregnant."

He stared at her for about five minutes, letting what she just said sink in. Then, the disbelieving stammers came out. "You're... there's... how... you... a baby... Mia," exclaimed Jayden, as he ran his fingers through his hair. He got up, almost kicking the chair away from him. He paced the hospital floor. "You're pregnant," he sputtered in surprise. "There's a baby in you?! I," he pointed to himself, "... put that baby in you?!"

"Yes," she shouted with aggravation. She knew he was going to question this, but this wasn't what she expected. The silence was unbearable enough. "Think about it!"

"We only did it one time!"

"It can only take one time!"

"You can't. We can't. It's not possible," Jayden denied that she actually was pregnant. The weight of that responsibility shadowed being a ranger. They couldn't be rangers anymore. If she chose to keep this baby, they had to give up their Samuraizers. Abortion wasn't happening. He never believed in it. Adoption. That was another route. No, what was he thinking. "How far are you," he ended up asking, while thinking of the possible scenarios.

"About seven weeks," she replied to her chest.

He mentally counted back. His eyes grew wide. "The weekend of the opening, when it was our sixth month anniversary, and I took you to..." He knew sex had consequences, but he didn't think it could to happen to him. "Mia..."

She pointed to the table. Jayden followed her finger, and he saw there was a black and white picture on there. He warily grasped the item. His mouth dropped open. It was an ultrasound picture of Mia's, no his, no, their baby. The fetus looked like a glob of ketchup, but a little more defined. How could he be thinking about ketchup, at a time like this. He laughed at himself stupidly. He already felt a strong attachment. He looked at Mia, then back at the picture. "I'm sorry," he quickly said. "I didn't mean to be so mad, but after seeing this..."

"It does make you see things differently, huh?" She smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, I don't believe in abortions..."

"Neither do I."

"There's always adoption," he supposed, since that would be the most logical choice in their situation.

"It would be right, but Jayden, this is our baby."

"We can't, Mia," he disagreed. "We're rangers. How are we going to explain this to Mentor and everyone else? Are you going to be able to continue fighting? Is this what caused the bleeding?" He jumped to conclusions. "Was there something wrong with the baby?"

"It's rare, but there is such thing as first trimester vaginal bleeding."

"So, is the baby alright?"

"Yes, he or she is," she replied truthfully. "I don't want to give up being a ranger, but I also don't want to give up our child."

"But, Mia, we can't be parents, not right now, especially when this thing with Serrator and Deker is going on. We gotta figure out what to do about Deker too," he really thought about consulting a certain past ranger on this matter.

Mia sighed. She understood what he was saying, but there was a fetus, a baby to be more exact, growing inside of her. She already had an emotional bond when she thought the bleeding foretold a dire fate. Now, that she knew there was nothing wrong, she wasn't willing to say 'goodbye' to her baby. "We can handle this," she confided. "We don't have to tell everyone, and I'm sure between me and you, we'll find a way to handle this."

"Are you saying keep this a secret from everyone?!"

"I've seen what you can do with Symbol Power," she reminisced about the time he was able to project a holographic image of Ryan's dad. "Conceal, protect, shield... we can do this." She hoped he would comply.

"Do you want to have a baby," he seriously asked her. There were plenty of symbols that would be of use, and he could perform them just for her. He could protect both of them. The weight of being a dad so young crossed his mind. However, he was going to be a parent and have a family with someone he cared about so deeply. She was strong, and just showing that she didn't want to forgo her duty as a ranger, while bearing a child showed she was too.

"With you or in general," she countered.

"Both."

"In general, yes, with you, of course, it's a yes. I love you, and you've given me the most precious gift I could've asked for. It might not have came at the best time, but it came."

It only Jayden one second to ponder. "Our secret," he vowed. He walked back up to her and kissed her on the lips. He looked at the picture once again. "I'm going to be a dad."

Xxxxx

As the doctor said, Mia was released. She was ordered to take it easy. Mia smiled that she was going to do so. The rangers returned back to the Shiba House, Mentor asked what happened, he was told, and Antonio revealed that he wanted to defeat Deker for what's going on. His friends were on his side and were glad that he didn't do that.

Before their next battle, Jayden pulled Mia into this room and performed the necessary symbol. She confidently nodded at him that everything was going to be okay.

The Samurai rangers headed to the weakest point Serrator had mentioned. They engaged in a heated battle with Serrator. When Deker appeared, the rangers helplessly watched as Urumasa was returned to him. The six believed the spell he was under was way too strong, and he was going to do Serrator's bidding. In a turn of events, the half human-half Nighlock chose to slash the grantor of his current state. Somewhere, in there, was the former Power ranger, they believed. When they formed the Samurai Gigazord and added the power of the Shark, they were finally able to defeat Serrator once and for all. With him gone, they were positive things were going to go smoothly.

However, they didn't think about a few people that were going to turn everything upside down.

A/N: The long awaited chapter is next! ;)