Brody woke up in the morning, hearing some banging going on out in the yard. It took him a moment to realise where he was, he had been waking up in the Ranger Base now for a couple of months. While it was considerably better than his quarters in the Warrior Dome, his "quarters" did largely amount to a hammock strung up in the painting booth of the high school when it came to bed time. It took him a moment to remember that last night he had come back to the Romero Farm, but when he did, he smiled as he remembered why, and more importantly it occurred to him what the banging outside likely was.

He pulled on a pair of trainers and set off outside in his pyjamas, finding Aiden outside, already hard at work. He looked to have sourced some wood that his dad had stored for some repairs, and was working on some shelving units.

"You're out early!" Brody called out. Aiden looked around, and smiled as he saw his brother.

"Early? The day's half gone sleepy head!" Aiden teased him. Brody felt his heart swell to hear this. Their dad often said the same thing. With the possible exception of Christmas, when the Romero Boys were so excited that they barely slept at all, Dane Romero somehow was always up before them. Between his years as a senior student at the Wind Ninja Academy and his time on a farm, he was generally always an early riser. He would often have tasks completed before the boys even woke up that had to have taken him at least a couple of hours. Brody hadn't had any real interest in coming back by himself once they realised the Ninja Steel and anything of value was gone, but now that Aiden was back, and he had expressed an interest in fixing the farm back up, returning it to the home they once knew, being back seemed a lot more appealing. "I was wondering if I'd have to wake you."

He returned to the fence he was fixing, beginning to tap on a nail as Brody came over.

"Have you eaten yet?" Brody asked.

"No, I was waiting on my baby brother finally dragging himself out his pit." Aiden answered, having tapped the nail far enough into the wood that it would stand up by itself. He then let go of it, and focusing, he drove it in completely in one stroke.

"Hey, that was dad's old trick!" Brody recalled.

"Everything can be an exercise in focus, technique and power." Aiden said to him, setting up another nail. "With a little creativity, anything can be an exercise in the essential skills of ninjitsu."

He drove the nail in, at which Brody smiled. He looked to him.

"Well as much as creativity is a good thing, there's only so much you can do with a few old nails." Brody told him. "How about we head into the city and hit up the hardware store for some supplies. We can get breakfast while we're there."

"That sounds like a plan baby brother." Aiden answered, putting the hammer back in his father's old, rusted toolbox and closing it over. "You go and get dressed, I'll clean up here."

Over at Summer Cove hospital, it was breakfast time and Al was finishing up his cereal. He wolfed it down as quickly as possible, not just because he hadn't eaten since he had been brought in the previous day, but because the doctors had assured him he'd get some time extra visitation with his wife and his daughter.

"I thought you always told me not to gulp." Sarah chuckled as her dad poured the remains of his bowl into his mouth. He put the bowl down and glared at her as he forced down his last mouthful.

"Do as I do, not as I say." He told her.

"That's not really fair..."

"Getting away with hypocrisy is one of the benefits of being a parent." Al said to her as he wiped off his mouth. "When you have your own kids, I guarantee you'll understand."

"So how are you feeling?" Ellie asked him.

"I feel like I'm lucky to be alive." Al told her honestly. "They say your life flashes before your eyes, and they weren't kidding. I re-lived a lot of stuff while I was under."

"The doctors said that it was pretty touch and go there." Ellie told him. "You really scared us there."

"I really scared myself too." Al told them.

"Thank God your job had medical insurance." Ellie commented. "The doctors are talking about you being here for quite a while..."

"Uh...yeah...there might be a slight issue there." Al told them. "I might have...sort of...quit that afternoon."

"You did what?" Ellie asked him.

"Ellie, let me explain..."

"AL!" She screamed at him. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Now, let me explain, believe me, I had a very good reason..."

"I believe it was." They heard a voice from the door. They turned to see Mr Tien standing in the doorway, carrying a large hamper.

"I really think you should..."

"Please, Mrs Thompson, I only wanted to see that your husband was alright." Mr Tien told her. "And to assure you that you have nothing to worry about, your husband's medical insurance is still valid...and as a gesture I will cover any outstanding excesses."

"Why would you do that?" Mr Thompson asked him. "I told you I qu..."

"You know, a lot happened yesterday Mr Thompson, and in all honesty I can't remember half of it." Mr Tien told him with a smile as he put his hamper down on a nearby table. "But what I do remember is that I owe you for teaching me a valuable lesson. You just worry about getting back on your feet."

"Thank you Mr Tien." Al answered.

"It is a sobering thing to realise you are not a good man." Mr Tien told him. "In the last 24 hours I have had three people quit on me over my treatment of my son, and on the insistence that they do not wish to end up like me. I can't help but think about that and think that they have a point. I just want to apologise for how I have treated you and thank you for opening my eyes to the kind of man I have become."

"So...what happens now?" Ellie asked him.

"There will be a job waiting for Al if he wishes it when he gets back on his feet." Mr Tien assured them. "In AUDITING. If, however you wish to pursue other opportunities, I will be happy to honour your severance package...and believe me it will be very generous."

"Thank you." Al answered.

"Wait, so your idea of a thank you is letting my dad go back to the job he already had or sacking him?" Sarah asked. "Did I miss something?"

"A fresh start can be a good thing for all involved." Al replied sagely. "With all due respect Mr Tien, I think I'll take the severance package. Perhaps allowing some water to go under the bridge would be for the best."

"Then consider this your notice of termination." Mr Tien told him, heading for the door. He stopped by the hamper. "I ensured the champagne is non-alcoholic. I hope you enjoy it."

With that, he left the room. Sarah just looked at the door, completely confused.

"So...you still got fired?" She asked.

"Yup." Al said with a smile. "I hope you don't mind me hanging around for a while."

"I can't wait until I grow up." Sarah muttered, shaking her head. "I don't think I'll ever understand adults."

In another part of the city, Levi came into the workshop, finding Mick pacing around on the phone. Redbot was just melting down some Ninja Steel on the forge.

"Say Mick, I was just working on some lesson plans and I heard a crash from the shop class." Levi told him as he came in. "It looks like one of your shelving units collapsed..."

He tailed off as Mick held up a hand, indicating to him to be quiet. He had his brows furrowed as he listened to the other end.

"So...the last time anyone saw any of them was 2000?" Mick asked. "You're certain?"

"Who's he on the phone to?" Levi asked. Redbot just shrugged.

"I don't know, he's been on the phone for most of the morning." Redbot told him. "That's the third call he's made."

"Yes...yes, I understand." Mick answered as he heard the reply from the other end. "Yes, thank you very much for your time. Yes, I'll let you know if I hear anything else. Thank you very much for your time."

He hung up and turned round, jumping as he noticed Levi standing there.

"Whoa, I know you guys are ninjas but you really need to stop sneaking up on people!" He commented.

"Mick...I used the front door, I didn't exactly sneak anywhere." Levi commented. "Who were you on the phone to?"

"Cam Watanabe." He told him. Levi just shrugged his shoulders.

"Let's just assume that name means nothing to me." Levi answered. Mick just nodded in understanding. None of the Rangers had heard much about the Wind Ninja Academy. From what he understood, Aiden had left when he was a toddler and Dane had left with his wife before Brody was born. None of the others had ever been to the Academy; much less had any reason to know anything about the people there.

"Right...of course...um..." Mick stammered. "It's about Aiden..."

"You're following up on him." Levi surmised. "Mick, we all said we'd keep an eye on him..."

"I know, but I really wanted to see if I could find out what happened to him in those missing years." Mick told him. "I called Sarah's friend Kendall, she managed to put me onto one of the Corsairs, Gia, who managed to get me contact details for Cam Watanabe, the current head Sensei of the Wind Ninja Academy."

"OK?" Levi asked. "So what did he have to say?"

"He needed to check his dad's records. His dad retired in 2004 and left him in charge." Mick told him. "He was the Head Sensei when Dane Romero was there."

"Brody's dad." Levi answered. "So what did he say?"

"Dane's wife Angela fell pregnant with their second child in 1999, and Dane decided to leave the academy to raise his family." Mick told him. "He left the Academy in 2000 and no one has seen any of them since."

"OK, so it's a dead end." Levi replied.

"Maybe, but maybe not." Mick replied, looking through his notes. "We know that Galvanax attacked the Romero Farm in 2008 when he kidnapped Brody. Aiden's been missing between then and now."

"Yeah, we know all that." Levi answered.

"What we don't know is what he was doing in all that time." Mick continued. "He was 12 years old and he just completely disappeared off the grid for ten years."

"He was trained in ninjitsu." Levi reminded him. "If he didn't want to be found, he wouldn't have been."

"But he still needed to eat! How many 12 year olds do you know can fend for themselves for more than a few days before they need someone else to take care of them?"

"I seemed to be alright." Levi answered. "I was found by The General when I was 13."

"But you don't know how long you were on the streets. You might only have been out there a couple of weeks." Mick reminded him. "Aiden said he got on a train, which makes sense, but where did he go? More importantly, when he had somewhere to go, why didn't he go there?"

"Somewhere to go?" Aiden asked. "You mean the Academy?"

"He knew it existed, his dad told him about it." Mick continued. "They would probably have taken him in if he needed somewhere to stay, but when I called they said no one had seen the Romeros since they left in 2000. The Academy is the closest thing he'd have to family. Why wouldn't he go there?"

"Do you have any idea where the Wind Ninja Academy is?" Levi asked him.

"It's in Blue Bay Harbour." Mick answered.

"Where?" Levi asked him. Mick was going to answer, but hit on the very real problem he didn't actually know. "It's a hidden ninja school. That's kind of the point. Maybe Aiden went there but couldn't find it. You said it yourself he was only about four when he left. Do you know what street you lived on when you were four?"

"That...is an excellent point." Mick conceded as Levi took a toolbox and headed out into the shop class. Mick followed him, and stopped as he saw the shelving unit. "Whoa, what happened here?"

"The shelving unit collapsed, that's what I came to tell you." Levi answered, inspecting the damage. "I should be able to reinforce this in a few minutes."

"I know you think I'm being paranoid..."

"Mick, if you were paranoid you wouldn't have let Brody go with Aiden." Levi told him.

"Brody can look after himself." Mick sighed. "Even if I hate admitting it, he hasn't needed me in years."

"Needed you?" Levi asked. "Mick, you've been the closest thing he had to a family in years."

"I know." Mick replied. "I want this to be true, I really do, and I keep telling myself that it's just me being cautious..."

"Listen, we all want this to be true." Levi answered. "But we all know that the bad guys aren't always going to play fair."

"Do you...do you really think this could just be down to me being scared Brody's going to choose Aiden over me?" Mick asked him.

"I'd be lying if I said that thought hadn't crossed my mind." Levi said, putting two pieces of wood together and tapping a nail until it could stand by itself. "But when it comes to family, you will NEVER be too cautious."

With that, he hit the nail once, driving it all the way in. Mick just nodded.

"Thanks Levi." He answered. "Nice trick by the way."

"Thanks." Levi answered, setting up another nail. "Don't worry Mick, we're all going to look out for Brody, and if Levi is on the level, instead of him replacing us, maybe we'll be able to make room for him."

He brought the hammer down, driving it into place in one stroke.

Sarah and Ellie went back to the house after visiting hours. Although they wanted to stay, they knew that there were other things that needed to be done. Although Sarah had said she would like to stay with her dad, Ellie had insisted she go back to school the following day.

"I'll fix us some dinner." Ellie told her. "I'll call you when its' done."

"Thanks mom." She answered. "Are you sure everything's going to be alright?"

"You let us worry about that." She answered. "We've been through bad times before."

"I know, I just...I want to help if I can." Sarah answered.

"You can help by getting your homework done." Ellie assured her. "Just because it'll be a while before your dad's back on his feet doesn't mean life's going to be kind enough to give us a pass too. Unfortunately life..."

"...doesn't stop still." Sarah sighed, remembering what her mom had told her when she was injured in the attack in Amber Beach. "I know mom."

"We'll be fine." Ellie told her, hugging her daughter. "Why don't you contact your friends? I'm sure they're dying to hear from you. It must be a whole 12 hours since you last spoke to any of them."

Sarah just went upstairs, leaving Ellie to get on with things downstairs. She got to her room, and opened up her computer, setting up a Skype connection, hoping to get one of her friends.

"Sarah!" She heard Preston's voice answering. "Sarah, you're home!"

"Yeah, the hospital wouldn't let us stay another night." Sarah told him. "They said that dad's stable, but he's going to be in there for a while."

"Yeah, I know my dad went to see him, but it's good to hear it from you." Preston answered. "How are you holding up?"

"Me?" She asked.

"You've been in hospital all night just to find out if your dad's alright." Preston reminded her. "That can't have been great."

"I...I guess I'll be alright." She responded. "I'd be a lot happier if dad could come home, but if they say he needs to stay in hospital then I guess that's the best place for him to be."

"Well, you know where we are if you need anything." Preston answered.

"Thanks Presto." She answered. "So, how's everyone else?"

"Oh...yeah...that's something I was hoping I'd get a chance to talk to you about." Preston told her.

"What? What's happened?" Sarah asked, sounding a little panicked. "Did something happen after I left?"

"You...you could say that." Preston told her. "We found Trapsaw's last trap."

"Oh my God, is everyone alright?" Sarah rushed out. "Is anyone hurt? Is...?"

"Whoa! Hold on there!" Preston told her. "Um...maybe I should start again; I think I kind of did this badly. Um...everyone's alright, that is to say no one is hurt or anything, but Trapsaw's trap isn't the only thing we found."

"Oh? What did you find?" Sarah asked him.

"You might want to sit down for this." Preston told her.

"Preston, after today I don't think anything could surprise me." Sarah said, sounding exhausted.

"We found someone in the trap." He told her. "It's Aiden."

"Aiden?" She asked. It took a moment, but eventually it hit her who Aiden was and she fell backwards, sitting on her bed. "Aiden? AIDEN?"

"Yeah, it was kind of a surprise to us too." Preston told her. "I...should probably go over a few things with you before we meet up at the school tomorrow."

"Wow...I go off the grid for a few hours..." She muttered. "...what happened?"

FIN

A/N: Well, there it is folks, Levi's introduction arc, which has led nicely into the next drama for the Rangers. Aiden's impact on the team deserves a story of its own, so rest assured, that's going to be starting soon. Hope you all liked the story and I promise the new one will start soon.