What Was Lost: The Return Home

by superdory57

When life happens people change and time can pull apart even the closest friends. That doesn't stop the rangers from coming together when the world needs them. Will the original rangers be able to come together to save each other from themselves? Will the rest of the rangers be able to keep them safe from a threat unknown? And what does Jason's wife have to do with it?

11. Chapter 11 More Meddling

Wednesday May 2nd, 2018

Angel Grove, CA

"So, how is California? You look so tan!"

Christine sighed, lounging back in the chair as she glanced over at the computer. She was lying in a lounge chair in the backyard as she video chatted with her friends in New York. The computer was sitting on the table next to her with her drink, so it wasn't blocking the sun.

"It's miserable…" she sighed dramatically. "This dumb, Podunk little town. I mean, we aren't even in LA or anywhere where interesting things exist. The only claim to fame this place has is some attachment to Power Rangers. It's pathetic."

The three women on the video call exchanged looks and giggles.

"Ooo…" Meredith cooed. "Power Rangers. Does that mean there are a bunch of cute, strong guys in tight costumes running around?"

Christine scoffed.

"As if," she said. "First of all… Eww. Gross. Only if you like nerds. Second… there is no way anyone in this place would be good enough, let alone important enough, to actually be a Power Ranger. They're all like aliens or something so much more interesting. Even you should know that."

Smirks were exchanged but Christine ignored them.

"There has to be something fun," Jessica pressed. "Otherwise, why would anyone bother to live there?"

"Because they grew up here and it's 'quaint'," Christine scoffed, making air quotes as she said quaint. "You know all those stereotypes about dumb country folk? I can verify they're all true."

"You poor thing," Meredith sighed.

"What even is the name of that town again?" Bianca asked.

"Angel Grove," Christine answered. "It even sounds awful."

Meredith and Jessica murmured in sympathy, but Bianca tilted her head and frowned.

"Angel Grove?" she repeated. "That sounds familiar. I think I've heard the name before."

Christine scoffed.

"I seriously doubt it," she said. "This place is barely the size of a New York City block."

"No, I'm sure of it," Bianca said shortly, staring at her phone. "Just hold on."

Christine rolled her eyes, taking a sip of her drink as they waited.

"Yes!" Bianca exclaimed a moment later. "It is Angel Grove. That's the town with the exclusive resort."

"Resort?" Christine repeated.

"It's super exclusive," Bianca nodded. "It hosts all of the top celebrities, politicians, billionaires—everyone who is anyone. I remembered the name because of that charity auction last year. It was the place Caroline was insisting she was going to be staying at when they took their trip to California but then she couldn't even get a reservation. It was hilarious."

All four of them laughed at the reminder.

"She was so pathetic," Meredith sneered. "To think her little millionaire husband would be able to get her into a place like that. You need real standing and status in society to even be considered. It's not somewhere you can just buy your way into with money. They need to know you."

They all laughed again, Christine included.

"Well, maybe this town might have something worthwhile after all," Christine mused a few minutes later. "Maybe I'll take a weekend there next month."

The other three women exchanged a look and then burst out laughing again.

"As if," Jessica snickered. "There's no way you're getting in."

"Of course I can," Christine snapped back. "With my family name? Please, they'll be begging me to stay there."

"Maybe when your daddy was still alive," Bianca scoffed. "But, let's face it, Christine. Your family hasn't exactly held on to their dignity over the years."

"How dare you!" Christine scowled, sitting up to glare at the computer. "You know where my family comes from—"

"I know your family was important," Bianca interrupted. "But honey, you said it yourself. You aren't living a high society life anymore. Now you live in a hick little town in a what—three-bedroom house? How white picket fence."

Christine's face turned red as she glared at the other three women, all of whom were snickering again.

"I could get in faster than any of you," she hissed.

That just made them laugh harder.

"Please," Meredith laughed. "My third husband Jonathan? You know all I have to do is drop his name. He is on the Forbes Fortune 500 list, after all."

"Oh, please," Bianca said, rolling her eyes. "All of us have husbands on the list. That's such a pathetic measurement. It might get you noticed. Or laughed at. But all I have to do is mention that Carl is one of the top VPs in the Eastern division of the Rosenberg firm and—"

"Oh, yes," Christine scoffed. "You're so important. That's why I met Kimberly Rosenberg before you even though your husband works for hers."

Bianca frowned.

"You did not," she retorted.

"Yes, I did," Christine smirked. "I told you all about the event we attended together. She even introduced me to her husband. She's friends with my husband, remember?"

"Oh, yes," Meredith sighed. "Jason. What is he doing now? Rent-a-cop—wasn't it?"

Christine rolled her eyes.

"Who cares?" she shrugged. "It's not like I love him anyways. But he's due to inherit a lot more than this house once everything is settled and, with him wrapped around my finger, I'm not about to let that slip out of my grasp."

"Whatever you say, darling," Jessica said. "Anyways, we have to go. You'll have to tell us all about the resort—if you get in."

"I will get in," Christine snapped. "And then all of you can come stay under my reservations. It will just prove to all of you that I will always be above you all."

"Well, perfect," Bianca smirked as the other two giggled. "We'll call you back on Saturday and you can tell us all the details of the trip. We'd be more than happy to fly out for that kind of luxury."

Saying goodbye, Christine hung up the call and picked up the computer. She immediately started researching the resort. Going through the website and reading reviews, Christine realized it was everything her friends had said and more.

"I have to get in," she muttered. "I'll show them."

Going back to the website, Christine pulled up the reservation page and then scowled. The first thing it asked for was a member number. Which she didn't have. And there was nowhere on the website to apply for a new membership. Irritated, she finally snatched up her phone. There was a number to call for membership inquiries.

"Reservations and membership services. This is Katie. How may I help you?"

"I want to make a reservation," Christine said.

"Oh, wonderful! Are you already a member or would this be a new booking?"

"It's a new booking," Christine said immediately.

"Of course! In that case, I will just need some information from you to create a file and start the application process. When were you looking to make your reservation so I can hold the slot for you while we go through the application?"

"Two weeks from now," Christine answered.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry. Unfortunately, we don't have any reservations open for the next six months. And, while I can place a temporary hold on a date while we fill out your application, I cannot guarantee any dates until we complete all security and background checks for your membership."

Christine frowned.

"None of that will be necessary," she said, shaking her head. "That seems entirely excessive. I'm not dealing with security checks for a hotel room."

"I understand completely. Our security standards are not for everyone. However, due to the expectations of privacy of our current members, it is and will continue to be a requirement. So, if there is nothing else I can assist you with, have a wonderful day!"

"No, that's not—"

Christine stared at the phone in surprise. She had hung up. Scowling, Christine redialed. Katie answered again.

"I want to start a membership," Christine said shortly.

"And I would be happy to assist you with that today. I will need to collect information from you for a membership application as well as the background and security check—"

"It's a resort, not a secret government facility!" Christine snapped. "I don't need a background check to rent a room—"

"I'm afraid I can't help you today, then. Have a wonderful day!"

Still keeping her tone bright, Katie hung up again. Now Christine was angry. She called back again and, once again, got Katie.

"I want to sign up for a membership," Christine said stiffly.

"Of course. I will need some information—"

"What do you need?" Christine snapped.

"If I could start with your name, address, and phone number. I will also need an ID number such as your driver's license number as well as your social security number. Let me know when you are ready with the information so I can begin filling out the form."

Christine scowled but started answering the questions. She snapped the answers as quickly as possible, irritated by the process.

"And I will need a card number for the $150 fee before we continue with a booking. As I stated before, I cannot guarantee dates until the results of your background and security checks come back, however, I can expedite the process by having everything else set ahead of time."

"$150?" Christine repeated with a scoff. "And I thought you were supposed to be expensive."

"I apologize for the misunderstanding, but the $150 is merely for the membership application. We take that in order to run appropriate background checks and verify credentials before we finalize membership."

"Oh," Christine said, providing the payment information.

"Our standards rooms start at $3000 a night—not taking into account any upgrades. Specialized security rooms range between $5000 and $7000 as a starting point and our suites and specialty rooms are upwards of $10,000 a night. We know this isn't for everyone, but our prices ensure our members' every need is taken care of from comfort and amenities to privacy and security."

Christine sputtered silently for a moment in shock.

"Well, as a member," she said, recovering. "What about spa treatments and such?"

"Basic spa packages are included in most reservations depending on the stay and the suite. Further services do cost extra. You may also use the spa without having a room reservation, but membership is still required to make a spa reservation. Packages range from $500 for just a basic massage to $1000 or more for some of our deluxe packages."

Christine grimaced. She was going to have to figure out how to sell this to Jason. Or hide it from him.

"How long will I need to wait for you to finalize my membership?" Christine asked.

"I do have everything filled out at this time. However, it can take up to a week to run all of our checks. I am going to submit the initial application now. If you could hold for just a moment while I do so and ensure no pertinent information is missing, I will be right back with you."

Christine sighed but didn't argue, leaning back in her chair to wait.

"This place had better be worth this hassle," she muttered.

Reefside, CA

Tommy glanced up when his phone rang. School had ended a couple of hours ago, but he was still in his classroom working on end-of-year lesson plans and exam outlines. Seeing the resort's reservation desk number on the caller ID, he answered.

"This is Dr. Oliver," he said absently, shifting his papers.

"Sorry to bother you, Dr. Oliver," she immediately apologized. "It's Katie. But I needed to speak with you about a pending membership application."

"No worries, Katie," Tommy said. "What's the problem?"

"When I tried to submit the application for processing, I got an alert," she explained. "It said to contact you directly before proceeding."

Tommy frowned, his full attention on Katie now. There weren't a lot of names that would require his direct attention over Jordan's.

"What's the name?" he asked.

"Christine Scott."

Tommy grimaced. He'd been wondering how long it would take. However, he wanted to ensure that it was the Christine he was thinking just in case there happened to be another Christine Scott attempting to apply for membership.

"Alright," he said. "Address?"

Katie repeated the address to him. It was definitely the same address. Tommy quickly asked a few other questions to verify it was indeed her. Sighing, he shook his head.

"Yeah, it's definitely her," he muttered.

"What do you want me to do, sir?" Katie asked hesitantly. "Should I continue or…?"

"Nope," Tommy said firmly. "Application denied. Don't worry about submitting the background check or anything. She is to be blocked from membership."

"Of course, Dr. Oliver," Katie said quickly. "If that's what you want. I know that's what the alert said, but I wanted to ensure it wasn't a mistake before I said anything to a potential member."

"It wasn't a mistake," Tommy said. "But thank you, Katie, for doing your job and checking on it."

"Of course," she said brightly. "I hope you have a wonderful day. I'll inform Ms. Scott that we are unable to process her application."

"Get Jordan involved if she throws fit," Tommy instructed. "And have a great day yourself."

Hanging up, he shook his head and went back to his papers.

"Glad Katie is the one on duty today," he muttered. "She should be able to handle it without a problem."

Angel Grove, CA

"What is taking so long?" Christine muttered.

She was still on hold, waiting for Katie to pick the line back up. But she didn't have to wait much longer. There was a click and then she was back.

"I apologize for the wait. I do have news for you on your application—"

"Oh, wonderful!" Christine exclaimed. "Does that mean I can make—"

"I'm sorry. However, I will not be able to further process your application for membership. You are not eligible at this time."

"Wait, what?" Christine sputtered. "Why not? What does that even mean?"

"Unfortunately, I do not have details, Ms. Scott. All I can tell you is that your information has been flagged and the application cannot be processed."

"That is ridiculous!" Christine snapped. "There is no way you got back any kind of background or security whatever so quickly. And, even if you did, there is nothing in my past that should be a red flag!"

"Again, I apologize that I am unable to provide you with any details. But your application for membership has been declined and I cannot proceed any further. I hope you have a wonderful day!"

Without waiting, Katie hung up the phone. Christine stared at her phone in surprise. Now she was extremely angry. She immediately called back.

"This is Christine Scott," she snapped the minute it connected. "I demand—"

Click.

It disconnected again. Christine continued to try, calling nearly a dozen time with the same result. Finally, someone answered again.

"I want to speak to a manager—" she started to demand.

"You are," a man answered.

"Good!" Christine snarled. "Now—"

"And, due to continued harassment of my staff," he interrupted. "Your number is being blocked and your name flagged in our system as hostile. Have a nice day."

He hung up, too. Letting out an angry screech, Christine tried calling back again to find she had indeed been blocked. Determined and angry, she continued calling and checking the website for other ways to get through. She wasn't giving this up. She had to prove her friends wrong.

Friday May 4th, 2018

Angel Grove, CA

"Alright, be free!" Rocky exclaimed, holding the door open.

Karly, Liam, and Damien all went tumbling through the door and into the house. Rocky followed, shaking his head.

"Don't break anything!" he called after them.

Once they were all inside, Rocky let the door shut. The kids all stampeded toward the playroom where the twins usually stayed when Tanya had clients. Rocky, who had been planning on just dropping them off and leaving for the dojo to meet Adam, had seen Tommy's truck in the driveway and decided to come inside. He found Tommy sitting on the couch in the living room, looking between some papers spread out on the coffee table and the tablet in his lap.

The first thing Rocky noticed was how antsy Tommy looked—his leg was bouncing and he kept fidgeting and shifting around on the couch. Rocky stood there for a moment before he was noticed, and Tommy didn't actually touch anything in front of him. After a few minutes, Tommy finally noticed Rocky standing in the doorway.

"Oh, Rocky," he said, frowning. "Umm… how long have you been standing there?"

"Couple of minutes," Rocky shrugged. "You alright?"

"I'm fine," Tommy said quickly, turning back to the tablet.

"Uh huh," Rocky said doubtfully, eying him. "Maybe you should cut back on the coffee for a while—you're practically vibrating."

"Haven't had any," Tommy muttered.

Rocky looked at him in surprise.

"Seriously?" he said. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Rocky, I'm fine," Tommy said shortly, shaking his head as he glanced up.

Rocky raised an eyebrow. Tommy paused, taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm fine. Just—just a little antsy right now."

"I can see that," Rocky said, shaking his head. "Why don't you come to the dojo and work off some of that energy with Adam and I?"

Tommy hesitated for a moment at the suggestion and then shook his head.

"No, I can't," he sighed. "JJ and Tanya will be done soon and then I have to get him dinner. He hasn't eaten yet."

"I don't think Tanya will mind feeding him dinner," Rocky pointed out.

"No, it's fine," Tommy said. "My mom is expecting us anyways."

Rocky glanced at his watch.

"You really want to get stuck at your mom's house this early on a Friday?" he asked in amusement.

Tommy sighed, leaning back on the couch as he rubbed a hand across his face.

"Not really," he admitted. "She's been hovering…"

"So, gym?" Rocky grinned.

Tommy started to nod and then hesitated, glancing over his shoulder toward Tanya's door.

"You don't have to disappear," Rocky said. "Just knock on the door and let them know I'm taking you with me. Tanya will feed the kid and we'll be back in a few hours. She's feeding mine."

"Yeah, that sounds good," Tommy sighed.

He quickly packed his papers and the tablet into his backpack. Walking over to Tanya's office, he hesitated again. Rocky, following, took over. He wasn't sure what was going on with Tommy, but he knew sitting on the couch wasn't going to do him any good. So Rocky knocked on the door.

"Tanya, I dropped off the kids," he said without waiting for a response. "I'm taking Tommy to the gym with me. My monsters are probably destroying your playroom."

"Ok, thanks!" Tanya called from inside.

Rocky jerked his head toward the front door and started to turn.

"JJ, do you need me to stay?" Tommy asked, still by the door.

"No," was JJ's short reply.

"Are you sure?" Tommy frowned.

"Go away, dad," JJ said irritably.

"We'll be fine," Tanya said quickly. "I'll feed him dinner. Have fun at the dojo."

When Tommy hesitated again, Rocky grabbed him by the shoulders and turned him around, pushing him toward the front door.

"Let's go," he said. "The kid will be fine. I'm assuming your gear is in the truck?"

"Yeah, it is," Tommy grumbled.

Tommy grabbed his duffle bag out of his truck and tossed that and his backpack in the backseat of Rocky's van. Rocky pulled out and headed for the dojo before Tommy could change his mind again. Not long after they pulled out of the driveway, Tommy reached back and pulled a water bottle out of his backpack. He had downed the whole thing before they pulled up to the dojo a few blocks away.

"Thirsty?" Rocky asked, raising an eyebrow.

"My mouth is just a little dry," Tommy muttered, putting the bottle away.

Rocky nodded but didn't question it. Pulling up to the dojo, Rocky parked and turned off the car.

"Listen, Rocky," Tommy said as they both climbed out and grabbed their things. "I'm not really in the mood to work with any of the students tonight."

Rocky glanced up, swinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Well, that's good," he said. "Because that was not the plan."

Tommy shook his head.

"No," he said. "I mean I'm not putting on a show tonight, either."

Rocky chuckled.

"Look at the time, man," he said. "It's after six thirty—classes are done for the day. Adam and I are just doing a late workout tonight since one of the other guys took over my shift so I'd work part of his Sunday. That's why I left my kids with Tanya. Aisha had a meeting for work tonight and I didn't want to bring them with me. Tanya volunteered."

Tommy nodded as they headed inside. Rocky studied him for a moment as they walked toward the door.

"So, how have things been going at your dojo?" Rocky asked.

Tommy sighed.

"I'm still working only with the other teachers and the advanced students right now," he admitted. "Though I do mostly have it under control at this point."

"So, if I spar with you tonight, I'm not going home as one giant bruise?" Rocky grinned, bumping into Tommy.

"I guess that depends on how much you annoy me," Tommy retorted.

Rocky laughed and opened the door. Adam, who was standing at the front desk with a binder in his hands, looked up as they walked in. He was already dressed for a workout.

"Hey," he said, looking at Tommy in surprise. "Tommy, I wasn't expecting you tonight."

"I can leave," Tommy said quickly, stopping in the hall.

Adam frowned, shaking his head as he set down the binder.

"No, it's fine," he said. "You're always welcome here—you know that. Do you need anything?"

"No, I've got my stuff," Tommy answered, shifting the duffle on his shoulder.

"Alright," Adam said. "Then why don't you two get changed? I'm going to lock up so no one interrupts us and I'll meet you in the gym. Everyone else is gone for the night."

Rocky and Tommy both nodded and headed to the locker room to change.

"What is this?" Jason muttered.

He was sitting in the living room with his computer, going over finances for the week and paying some bills. Christine was lounging in another chair, watching something on TV he wasn't paying attention to. Marc was upstairs showering since his homework was done and Will had disappeared. Jason didn't particularly care to where.

"This has to be a mistake," he said, still mostly talking to himself. "$150? To…"

He shook his head.

"I'll call them tomorrow," he sighed. "This has to be some kind of mistake—"

"You're telling me," Christine scoffed, hearing him talking about the charge. "And they wouldn't even book me! Do they not understand who I am?"

Jason looked up at her in surprise.

"Wait—what?" he said. "Christine, are you telling me you spent that on purpose?"

"Well, of course," she sniffed. "I had to put in the membership application in order to utilize the spa facilities at the resort. They don't just let anyone in, you know."

Jason frowned, glancing at his computer and then back at his wife.

"Spa?" he said. "And resort? What are you talking about?"

Christine rolled her eyes.

"Jason, you know I want to invite my friends out here and I can't just have them share our guest room," she said shortly. "What I would like to know, however, is why you never told me about the resort yourself? If I had known about it beforehand, I would have already resolved this issue."

"What resort are you talking about?" Jason asked.

"That super exclusive one just outside of town?" Christine said, raising an eyebrow. "It's the only place in town acceptable for their visit."

Jason groaned, rubbing his forehead.

"Christine…" he sighed. "We can't afford something that fancy right now."

She rolled her eyes again.

"You always say that," she snapped. "If you'd just work harder, we'd have more money. Besides, Jessica, Bianca, and Meredith were all saying I have no standing anymore in society! I have to show them that's false."

She sighed as Jason grimaced.

"But the resort had some kind of error in their computer system," she continued. "So, now I have to wait for them to resolve it before I can even book a spa appointment!"

"Oh, so you're getting a refund then?" Jason said, a little relieved.

"No," Christine scoffed. "They can't fix the problem without the application fee. And they have to fix is so I can officially be a member and book the spa appointment before the girls come to see me."

"And how much is a spa appointment?" Jason asked, afraid of the answer.

Christine shrugged.

"It's not that bad considering," she said dismissively. "I mean, it's only like $500 for the basic package—"

"What?" Jason choked out. "Christine!"

Christine rolled her eyes once again, shaking her head at Jason.

"You just don't understand," she pouted. "You didn't have nice things growing up…"

"Christine, I—"

"No," she sniffed. "Jason, why can't you understand this is all hard for me? I don't have anyone here! All I want to be comfortable is to be cared for in the way I've always been accustomed. You're supposed to take care of me!"

She burst into tears. Jason quickly set aside his computer and got up to comfort her.

"Ok, ok," he said quickly, hugging her tightly. "You're right. I'm sorry. And I do understand. I just—Christine, I need you to talk to me first. Ok? I can't do anything for you if you don't give me time. Alright?"

"I guess…" she sniffed.

Jason sat down with her.

"So, tell me more about what you are wanting to do," he said. "So, I can try and figure out how to make it happen…"

A couple of hours later, all three men were back in the locker room to shower and change. Tommy was a lot more relaxed than he had been when they got there. He'd spent time sparring with Adam to burn off some energy but had actually spent most of the time working by himself, finishing their workout with a quick sparring session with Rocky. Standing in front of his locker, Tommy grimaced as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"You alright?" Adam asked, catching the grimace.

"I'm fine," Tommy said. "Just a bit of a headache."

He quickly got in the shower before Adam could ask another question. When he was done a few minutes later, he realized he'd left his towel in his bag on the bench. Muttering under his breath, Tommy poked his head out. Rocky was digging through Adam's locker and Adam had just gotten out of the shower.

"Hey, Rocky," Tommy said. "Toss me my towel? It's in my bag."

Rocky nodded. He walked over to Tommy's bag and pulled the towel out. It got caught and tipped the duffle.

"Whoops," Rocky said. "Sorry."

He started picking things up and paused when he picked up a pill bottle. Tommy saw him pick it up and tensed.

"Well, that would explain a few things," Rocky mused. "Like why you're so jittery."

"It's new," Tommy muttered quickly. "I just—well…"

He trailed off, but Rocky just shrugged as he dropped it back in Tommy's duffle bag.

"It's fine, Tommy," he said, tossing the towel in his direction.

Tommy frowned, looking at Rocky in surprise.

"But—"

"Tommy, relax," Rocky said, going back to digging in Adam's locker. "It's a prescribed medication to help you with something you're having a problem with. There's nothing wrong with it. Just like I need to use muscle cream and stretch for like an hour after I spar with the two of you—just so I can move in the morning."

He frowned, glaring at the locker.

"Adam—where is the muscle cream?" Rocky asked, looking over his shoulder. "I can't find it."

Adam didn't answer him right away, clapping a hand on Tommy's shoulder as Tommy stepped out of the shower. He was still looking at them with hesitation, clearly not having expected their reaction.

"Seriously, Tommy," Adam said reassuringly. "It's not a big deal and we won't say anything unless you want us to."

Tommy nodded as Adam walked over and reached into his own duffle bag. He grabbed a container out and threw it at Rocky.

"You used it all," he said accusingly. "You need to get your own."

Rocky just grinned sheepishly, catching the container Adam had whipped at him.

"Anyways," Rocky said, turning his attention back to Tommy. "Just make sure you watch the alcohol while you're taking that."

Adam and Tommy both stopped and stared at Rocky for a moment.

"What?" Rocky said.

"Rocky, you do realize who you are talking about, right?" Adam asked drily.

"Oh, right," Rocky said, rubbing the back of his head. "I was on autopilot—I can't tell you how many people I've had to lecture about mixing alcohol and medication at this point."

Adam just rolled his eyes. Tommy sighed.

"I really don't have a problem with either of you knowing," he admitted after a minute. "It's just—well, it's new and it's screwing with my head a little."

Rocky and Adam both nodded in understanding.

"It's gonna do that for a couple of weeks," Rocky said. "Once your system adjusts it will feel a lot better."

Tommy nodded, relaxing a little more. Quickly finishing in the locker room, the three men headed back to the Park house. When they walked in, they found Tanya in the living room with all six kids. It was relatively calm, and all of the kids were occupied. Karly, Liam, Jazz, and Lilla were playing a boardgame on the floor. Tanya was sitting in the recliner with Damien in her lap reading to him as he sucked on a popsicle. JJ was sprawled on his stomach across the couch playing on his phone.

"Really?" Rocky exclaimed, seeing Damien with the popsicle. "A popsicle right before I take him home for bed? Tanya—you're killing me."

Tanya rolled her eyes as all of the kids turned to see who was there—now thoroughly distracted from their activities.

"Relax, Rocky," she said, letting Damien down to run to him. "It's a homemade fruit popsicle. There's no added sugar so he should be just fine."

Rocky scooped Damien up, still eying the popsicle suspiciously.

JJ, when he heard them, had scrambled to his feet to run to Tommy. He was now standing in front of his father bouncing in place.

"Are we going to grandma's now?" JJ asked.

"Yep," Tommy confirmed.

JJ grinned, then frowned as he looked up at Tommy.

"Why is your head wet?" he asked.

"I showered at the dojo," Tommy answered, raising an eyebrow. "Unless you wanted to smell me all the way to grandma's? I can remember that for next time."

"Ew, no," JJ said, wrinkling his nose.

"Alright, then go get in the truck," Tommy smirked. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Tommy and JJ quickly disappeared out the door. Rocky was corralling his three kids and trying to get them in their shoes.

"Was everything alright with Tommy?" Tanya asked Adam quietly.

"Yeah, he's fine," Adam answered, watching Rocky trying to get Damien to sit still. "He was just a little stressed and need to release some energy. I let him take it out on Rocky."

Tanya laughed.

Saturday May 5th, 2018

Angel Grove, CA

Jason glanced up at the time. Marc's class would be out soon. But he was almost done filling out paperwork.

"All done?" Adam asked, walking up and glancing at the clipboard.

"Last signature," Jason nodded. "Here you go."

Adam took the papers and glanced through them. It was all the general forms for Marc's enrollment in classes. Jason hesitated as he watched Adam double check everything. He took a deep breath.

"And I can pay for the classes," Jason said quickly. "Just—not this week…"

Adam glanced up, raising an eyebrow.

"I thought I told you not to worry about it," he said.

"No, really, Adam," Jason said. "It's not a problem. I even had the money ready to pay for the month but… well, Christine spent it on an application fee at some resort spa or whatever so…"

He sighed, shrugging. Adam frowned.

"Application fee?" he repeated.

"Yeah," Jason said, rubbing the back of his head. "Apparently the place is super exclusive or something."

Adam nodded, grinning slightly in amusement. Jason didn't notice.

"Yeah, the one just outside of town," Adam said. "I know the place."

"Right," Jason said. "Anyways. Christine applied for a membership and there was some kind of error with the application process. She's really upset about it and—never mind. The point is, I can pay you for the month but I have to wait until we figure this out and get the refund from the resort."

Adam shook his head.

"Seriously, Jason," he said. "I don't need the money. Means I can use Marc as a guinea pig with the little kids. Or you can just call us even for any of the times in high school when you covered food or drinks for me."

"Adam, no," Jason protested. "This is your business, and you shouldn't be making an exception for me just because—"

"I'm going to go file these," Adam interrupted, waving the papers as he walked away. "See you later, Jason."

"Adam!" Jason exclaimed.

But Adam kept walking. Rocky clapped a hand on Jason's shoulder, chuckling. Jason, who hadn't heard him coming, shot a scowl at him.

"It's not going to work, man," he said.

"You can talk to him—"

"Nope," Rocky said. "I'm not messing with Adam's finances. If he says no, he says no. you're on your own."

Still chuckling, Rocky strode away. Jason scowled after him. Marc was now heading in his direction, however, so he didn't chase after either of his friends. Instead, he headed out to the car with Marc talking a mile a minute about his lesson for the day.

Jason looked up from making dinner as Marc bounced into the kitchen. He'd been wound up all afternoon since Jason picked him up from the dojo after class.

"Homework and chores are done," Marc announced. "Did you want help?"

Jason looked at Marc in surprise for a moment. This was a drastic change from the teenager who had been sulking since they got to California.

"I'm almost done," Jason said. "You could set the table."

Marc nodded and immediately started pulling out plates and silverware, talking a mile a minute about everything he had done and seen at the dojo that day. Jason had already heard most of it once already, but he wasn't about to interrupt when Marc was so excited.

"There aren't a lot of kids my age in the beginner classes," Marc was saying. "But Sensei Park says if I practice hard, I can catch up and move classes. I just have to work at it. Dad—can I practice at home?"

"Yes, but probably not in the house," Jason chuckled. "We have a backyard now, though, so you can practice outside."

Marc grinned.

"You should come with me next time," Marc continued. "Sensei Park can do the coolest things. We got to watch him and some other teachers with some of the advanced students today cause they had a guest teacher. It was awesome!"

Jason nodded as Marc continued, starting to move food to the table.

"Dad—I get to go back, right?" Marc asked hesitantly, pausing to look at Jason.

"If that's what you want to do, then yes," Jason said. "You can go back to the dojo. But go wash up right now."

"Yes!" Marc exclaimed, excited again as he turned to go wash his hands. "I'm gonna be a ninja!"

"Adam isn't a—never mind…" Jason shook his head in amusement, Marc was already out of the room.

A little while later, Jason and Marc were eating when Christine finally came down to join them. Will wasn't home, and Jason hadn't asked where he was. He'd come home eventually. Marc was in the middle of explaining the different belts to Jason when Christine interrupted.

"Is my dinner ready?" she asked, looking at Jason expectantly when she sat down. "And what are you two talking about?"

Jason immediately grabbed the plate he had put together for her as Marc launched into an excited—if sporadic—explanation of where he had spent the afternoon. Christine frowned.

"Jason, what is the meaning of this?" she demanded, interrupting Marc again. "Did you really let him go there?"

"Yes, Adam invited him, and Marc wanted to try it," Jason said with a shrug. "He had fun."

"No," Christine said with a scowl. "Absolutely not."

Marc, who had been smiling since he got out of class, started to sink in his seat as his smile disappeared. Jason frowned when he saw it.

"You need to pull him immediately," Christine continued, turning to her dinner. "And I don't want to hear any more about it."

Jason looked between his son and his wife. The look on Marc's face was one of defeat—it was obvious what he thought as he picked at his dinner.

"Christine, he had a good time," Jason said. "It'll be good for him."

"Excuse you?" Christine replied, raising an eyebrow. "Jason, it isn't healthy for him to be in such a violent and uncivilized environment—he'll turn into a delinquent."

Jason took a deep breath before he continued.

"There is nothing wrong with practicing martial arts," he said. "When used correctly it is actually a very dignified sport. Plus, Marc actually met some kids he could be friends with who won't get him in trouble."

Christine scoffed, rolling her eyes. Glancing over at Marc, Jason sighed.

"Marc, go finish your dinner in your room, please, so your mom and I can talk," Jason said quietly.

"Yeah, whatever," Marc mumbled.

Grabbing his plate, Marc stalked out of the room. All of the energy and excitement from a short time before was gone. Once Marc was up the stairs, Jason turned back to Christine.

"Why, Christine?" he asked. "You saw how happy he was—why did you have to ruin it?"

"I'm serious, Jason," Christine said, ignoring his question. "I want him out of those classes and away from those people. They're nothing but Neanderthals and Marc will gain nothing by being around them."

Jason frowned, shaking his head.

"No," he said firmly. "You just don't understand because you haven't been around it, Christine."

"Excuse you?" she sputtered.

"Martial arts are one of the most dignified sports," Jason continued. "It's not about violence—it's about mental awareness and control of yourself. How can a sport that emphasizes precision, control, balance, and a whole list of other positive traits be a bad thing? Plus, you saw how happy just one day made him."

Christine scowled, rolling her eyes.

"You're just going to have to pull him when we move to LA anyways," she said, changing directions. "Why get his hopes up on something he can't do long anyways?"

"Why can't we let him be happy with it while we're still here?" Jason countered. "It's not like we're moving again next week. It isn't going to hurt anything."

"It's not good for him," Christine snapped back. "I don't want him learning bad habits."

"I taught classes at his age, Christine," Jason said shortly. "He'll be fine."

Christine sputtered, looking for another argument. Jason just waited. He was determined to let Marc have this. He'd never seen him as excited about something as he had been about one day at the dojo.

"Fine," she snapped after a minute. "But if he starts getting in fights and in trouble, it's all on you. I was just concerned about the welfare of our child, but clearly you don't care that much."

Standing, she stalked out of the room. Jason heard their bedroom door slam upstairs and sighed. In the now quiet kitchen, he started cleaning up. A little while later, Jason was sitting at the table with a drink and his phone when Marc finally came back downstairs with his plate.

"Hey, I need to talk to you real quick," Jason said as Marc dropped his plate in the sink and turned to leave.

"Yeah, ok," Marc muttered, dropping into a chair and staring at the table.

Jason studied him for a moment with a frown.

"So, what time do you want to go to the dojo tomorrow?" Jason asked. "Since I forgot to grab a schedule from Adam, I don't know what time anything is."

"Well, there's an open gym in the morn—" Marc started to mumble in response.

Then he actually processed what Jason said and his head shot up.

"Wait—I get to go back?" he exclaimed.

"Well, yes," Jason said, a little amused now. "I already said that."

"But mom said—I mean…" Marc stammered hesitantly. "I can really go back?"

"Yes," Jason repeated firmly. "And tomorrow I'll come in again and talk with Adam about an actual schedule so I have it and we can plan for it."

"Really?" Marc exclaimed. "Thank you, dad!"

To Jason's surprise, Marc jumped out of his seat and threw his arms around Jason, hugging him tightly. Jason hugged him back.

"I'll be ready at eight," Marc grinned. "I'm gonna go get my stuff ready."

Then he was out of the kitchen and up the stairs before Jason could say anything else. Jason watched him go, glad to see the smile on his face again. It wasn't until a few minutes later, however, that Jason realized he didn't actually know what time the dojo opened on Sundays. Grabbing his phone, he sent a text to Adam and Rocky. One of them would answer.

What time does the dojo open tomorrow?

There was a bit of a pause before he got a response, and then both of them texted at almost the same time.

Rocky: 10a

Adam: 10. Why?

Jason: I told Marc I'd bring him for open gym but didn't know what time it started. Marc is actually so excited about coming back tomorrow he's getting his stuff ready now. He's planning to be ready at 8a.

I'll have to go tell him he can sleep in a little longer than that.

Adam: Don't bother. I'll make sure the doors are unlocked.

Jason frowned at Adam's response. He didn't want him going out of his way.

Jason: Adam, it's fine. He's just overexcited.

Adam: It's not a problem. Seriously. But…

Jason: But what?

Adam: In return I want you to reconsider working out with me and Rocky.

Rocky: Sorry Damien escaped. What Adam said. It'll be fun.

Jason sighed, hesitating before he answered.

Jason: I don't know guys. I'm still getting the hang of things at this new job.

Adam: I'm not trying to talk you into spending hours. You get a lunch break, right?

Jason: Yes

Adam: So come to the dojo. Do a quick workout and eat lunch with us and go back to work.

Jason: I don't know. Maybe?

Rocky: Seriously man. It'll be good for you to not be at home nd work all the time.

Adam: I'll make sure someone is there with Marc at 8 tomorrow anyways. But seriously Jason. I wish you would at least think about it.

Jason: That really isn't necessary. He can wait a couple of hours.

Rocky: Too late. I already told Adam I'd do it. I don't have to be in an ambulance til the afternoon anyways.

Jason: Ambulance?

Rocky: Or the firehouse. It's a better day if I'm only at the firehouse.

That never happens though

Jason: Right. Paramedic.

Rocky: Duh. I don't preplan injuries.

I've gotta go catch Damien again. He won't stay in bed and Aisha's working.

But seriously Jason. Come hang out with us.

Jason sighed, staring at his phone for a moment. He couldn't argue with them that it would be nice to not be at home or work all the time. And it had been a long time since he actually got to do more than a basic workout on his own with his home equipment.

Jason: Alright. I'm in. I'll stop in tomorrow and we can work out details.

Adam: Perfect. I won't be there in the morning since Tanya and I take the girls to my parents' house Sunday mornings, but I'll see you when you pick Marc up. We can talk then.

After getting things settle with Jason about the next morning, Adam stayed where he was at the kitchen table. Tanya was upstairs with the girls, and he knew he'd need to go say goodnight in a moment, but something from earlier was still bothering him. Picking up his phone again, he dialed a number. It only rang twice before the call was answered.

"Yes, Adam," Tommy said drily. "I made it home."

"Well, that's good," Adam retorted. "But not why I'm calling."

"Yeah, sure," Tommy said. "Then what's up?"

"Is there any reason I should know about that the resort would deny Jason access?" Adam asked hesitantly.

There was a pause.

"No, there isn't," Tommy answered. "I didn't even know Jason was wanting to stay there. Do I need to call them?"

"No, it's not that," Adam said quickly. "He just mentioned something earlier about his wife and the spa—"

"Oh," Tommy said, interrupting. "So, are you actually talking about Jason or are you talking about his wife?"

"His wife, Christine."

Tommy scoffed and Adam frowned.

"Oh, then yes," he said shortly. "I told them no. She's not approved for membership."

"Tommy!" Adam exclaimed.

"Hey, I have my reasons," Tommy said vaguely. "But, on top of that, she was harassing my staff for trying to follow policy. She brought it mostly on herself. But what did Jason say about it?"

Adam sighed, shifting in his seat.

"Not much," he admitted. "He just mentioned it in passing when he was explaining why he couldn't pay me for Marc's lessons this week—not that I plan on taking his money anyways. Said he was waiting on a refund and I thought it was weird that you would have charged him and not the rest of us. I mean, you didn't even make us apply for a membership."

"Oh, right," Tommy muttered. "The application fee. I forgot about that. They would have had Christine pay it before they submitted anything since—anyways. I'll have them refund it."

"So, you don't need it for her?" Adam frowned.

"Nope."

"Then they aren't straightening something out?"

"Nope," Tommy said. "I don't know what she told Jason, but there is nothing to fix. She was rude and belligerent. Plus a few other things. Her application is not going to be accepted. And the only reason I'm even going to process a refund is for Jason's sake."

Adam frowned.

"Then what about Jason?" he asked. "Are you saying he's not welcome?"

"What?" Tommy said. "Oh! No. Jason is fine. He's been on my list since the beginning. It's her that's not allowed."

Adam didn't know what was going on, but there was something Tommy wasn't telling him.

"This isn't like you, Tommy," he said slowly. "Care to explain—"

"Sorry, going through a tunnel—what?"

Adam rolled his eyes.

"Tommy, you aren't even driving anywhere right now," he said drily. "Plus, Rocky tries that excuse all the time."

"Yeah, yeah," Tommy grumbled. "Fine. My other phone is going off. You can't argue with that!"

Not giving Adam a chance to call him out on it, Tommy hung up. Adam shook his head.

"That's not a fair excuse," Adam grumbled, shoving his phone in his pocket.

He sighed as he stood to go say goodnight to the twins.

"But he's right," he muttered. "I can't argue with it…"

Wednesday May 9th, 2018

Angel Grove, CA

Jason glanced at the time when he heard the knock on his office door. He really hoped it wasn't something that needed his immediate attention. He was supposed to be going on lunch in a few minutes and heading to the dojo to meet Adam.

"Come in," Jason sighed, spinning in his chair.

"Hey, sorry to bother you," one of the guards said, poking their head inside. "But you have a visitor."

Jason frowned.

"Really?" he said. "Who?"

"It's—"

"Hi, Jason!" Aisha exclaimed, poking her head around the security guard.

"Aisha?" Jason said, looking at her in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

He nodded to his coworker as an ok and they opened the door the rest of the way to let Aisha in before leaving.

"Well, I was supposed to have lunch with Rocky at the firehouse," she explained. "My parents have the kids for the day since Rocky and I both had work. But I took a break to eat with him—and then he got a call pretty much right after I walked in…"

She sighed and then shrugged.

"Anyways," she continued. "It happens. But since I was already out and the mall is only a few blocks away, I came to see you instead."

She smiled, holding up a bag.

"And I brought lunch!"

"Oh, alright," Jason said. "But I already have my own lunch. I mean, I appreciate the—"

"Too late, I'm already here," Aisha said. "You can eat yours if you want, but I'm still going to eat with you."

Jason started to protest and decided it wasn't worth it.

"You know, in some ways you're worse than Kim used to be," he said, shaking his head.

"Used to be?" Aisha said, raising an eyebrow. "Is Kim losing her touch? Does she need to practice some more? Convincing someone to do something without arguing was always one of her skills."

"No, I don't think she has," Jason snorted. "She certainly talked her way right into coming with us to the event in New York before I knew what was happening."

"Really?" Aisha laughed. "I haven't heard that story yet."

"Hold on," Jason said. "I need to finish this real quick and we can go sit down in the break area. I also need to tell Adam I'm not coming so he isn't waiting for me."

"Oh, I'll text him," Aisha grinned, pulling out her phone. "I'll just tell him I stole his lunch date."

Jason rolled his eyes and turned back to the report he was filing. A few minutes later they were walking into the break area to find a spot to sit and eat while they talked.

"So, New York?" Aisha asked once they were settled.

"Well, Kim showed up at my apartment out of nowhere the day of the banquet for the charity my grandfather supported," Jason said. "And decided she was coming with us whether I liked it or not. She also didn't bother telling us she was married to this really rich guy, either, so—"

"Oh, Jake!" Aisha exclaimed. "He's a good guy."

Jason frowned.

"Wait, you know him?" he asked.

Aisha raised an eyebrow.

"Jason, Kim is my best friend," Aisha snorted. "I was her maid of honor—of course I know Jake. I've only met him in person a couple of times, but he's good for her."

"Oh," Jason said sheepishly. "Right."

He paused.

"I never got an invite," he mused. "Didn't really think about it until now. But of any of our friends, I would have thought at least Kim would invite me to her wedding."

"Umm… you were definitely invited, Jason," Aisha said, shaking her head. "I sent the invitations out."

"Well, I never saw it," Jason said.

Aisha frowned.

"You were invited to all three of our weddings," she said slowly. "Mine, Kim's, and Tanya's. I was involved in all three—obviously—and I know your name was on an invitation for each. Not Tommy's though. None of us went to his."

She shook her head in amusement, leaving Jason a little confused. He just shrugged it off.

"That one doesn't surprise me," he said. "We aren't exactly close anymore."

"Did something happen?" Aisha asked in concern.

"No, it's nothing," Jason said quickly.

Aisha eyed him suspiciously for a moment.

"If you're sure…" she said slowly.

"It's nothing," Jason repeated. "We just—we don't talk anymore really. What I don't understand though is why I never got the invitations you say were sent to me."

"Could your mom have had the wrong address?" Aisha asked. "We got it from her. And we made sure it was up to date each time."

Jason shook his head.

"My mom is the one person I always made sure had the correct information," he said.

Aisha sighed and shrugged.

"Well, I don't know then," she said. "But they went in the mail."

She paused for a moment, taking a bite of her lunch.

"Now," Aisha said. "What happened in New York with Kim? I need details."

"Aisha, I'm not one of the girls," Jason said. "I don't do details."

She snorted.

"But you are a source of information," she countered.

Jason sighed. He quickly went through Kim's impromptu appearance in New York for the banquet and then showing up to help him pack the next day. Aisha listened quietly for the most part.

"I said details, Jason," she sighed when he was done. "That was an outline at best."

"How much more detailed do you want?" Jason grumbled. "Can't we talk about something else now?"

"Ok, fine," Aisha said with a smirk. "What happened the last time you saw Tommy?"

Jason grimaced.

"Ok, so when Kim showed up at my house, she was wearing sweatpants…"

"Perfect," Rocky snorted, glancing through his messages.

Henry looked up from where he was restocking and cleaning the ambulance—which Rocky was supposed to be helping him with.

"What's perfect?" he asked.

"Apparently my wife shanghaied a friend's lunch hour since her lunch date with me got interrupted," he chuckled. "He texted me after she left to let me know she's manipulative."

Henry laughed.

"But she does make a good lunch," he pointed out.

"You aren't wrong," Rocky grinned.

"Does that mean you're going to help now?" Henry countered.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" Rocky grumbled. "I'm coming."

Jason hurried into the dojo. He was running a bit behind to pick up Marc. Walking into the big gym, he paused and looked around for his son. He caught sight of Marc just as the teenager hit the mat. Marc laughed as the other teen offered a hand to help him back up. Jason smiled as he watched—it reminded him of when he and his friends were that age.

"Kind of like us in high school, right?" Adam said right behind him.

Jason jumped a little as he turned. He hadn't heard Adam walk up.

"A little bit," Jason said, turning back to look at Marc.

"It's hard to believe that's your kid," Adam said, shaking his head. "He's almost the same age we were when we met. It doesn't feel like it's been that long."

"Well, it certainly wasn't yesterday," Jason snorted. "Not even close."

"You aren't wrong," Adam laughed, elbowing him. "But it's good to see you smiling."

"Shut up," Jason grumbled.

"It's not a bad thing, Jase," Adam said with a smile.

Marc had finally noticed Jason. Saying goodbye to his friends, he raced over to meet him.

"Dad!" he exclaimed, sliding to a stop in front of Jason. "What's for dinner? I'm starving. Can we get burgers on the way home?"

"Not tonight," Jason said in amusement. "I already stopped at home to put dinner in the oven."

Marc sighed.

"Alright…" he grumbled.

"Go change," Jason said, pointing him toward the locker room. "Hurry up."

With a grin, Marc spun and darted toward the locker room. Jason watched him go, shaking his head. Then he turned back to talk to Adam.

"Thanks for this, Adam," Jason said quietly. "It really has been good for him. He's already so different than he was when we got here."

"Of course," Adam said. "He's welcome here as long as he wants."

Jason nodded gratefully.

"Now…" Adam said with a grin. "How was lunch with Aisha?"

Jason groaned as Adam laughed.

Saturday May 12th, 2018

Angel Grove, CA

"We talked about this already, Christine," Jason snapped. "We can't afford it yet. You're going to have to wait."

"That's not fair, Jason," she snapped back. "You have been spending time with your friends, why can't I spend time with mine?"

Jason sighed, rubbing a hand across his face. They had been arguing about this since they sat down for lunch—and it wasn't the first argument they had like this since leaving New York. It seemed like it had been one thing after another the past few weeks. Marc, sitting next to Jason, looked at the clock.

"Dad, can you take me to the dojo now?" he asked. "I'm going to be late for class."

"Yeah, just let me finish eating," Jason said. "Get your stuff together."

Marc hopped up, taking care of his dishes and disappearing from the room.

"It's not that you can't spend time with them," Jason said to Christine, trying to stay patient as he explained yet again. "But we can't afford for you to take an entire weekend in LA shopping. You know that. I just started this job and we have no savings."

Christine huffed, glowering at him.

"Come on, man," Will said, shaking his head. "She's practically been chained to the house for the last few weeks with nothing to do but unpack and organize. Let her do what she wants—she deserves to have some fun once in a while."

"If you want to spend time with your friends, invite them here," Jason said to Christine, ignoring Will. "We have space, and you can do some shopping around here. Maybe in a few months when you have found a job, too, we can spare some money for an LA weekend. Alright? It's only been three weeks, Christine… Please give this a chance."

Scowling, Christine stood abruptly and stalked out of the room. Jason sighed.

"I'm telling you, Jason," Will said, shaking his head as he stood to leave. "Sometimes you just have to let it happen. You know how she is. She is used to a higher standard of living."

"You're supposed to be finding a job, too, Will," Jason said shortly, grabbing his and Christine's plates. "It isn't going to get any better if I'm the only one working."

Without waiting for an answer, Jason stalked out of the room. Taking care of the dishes, he grabbed his wallet and keys and put on his shoes. Marc was already waiting by the door, anxiously bouncing in place.

When they arrived at the dojo, Marc practically flew out of the car. Jason followed, seeing Adam waiting at the door.

"Hurry up, Marc," Adam said, jerking his head toward the locker room. "Drop your stuff in your locker and get out on the floor. Got something special for you guys today."

"Awesome!" Marc grinned, bolting past Adam.

"Cutting it close, aren't you?" Adam smirked. "Starting to tell time like Tommy in high school?"

"Sorry," Jason sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Had an argu—lost track of time… Anyways. I'll be back to get him in a couple of hours. Going to run some errands while I'm already out. You should get to your class."

Adam shook his head.

"No worries," he said. "Hey, why don't you stick around for class today? I think you'll enjoy it."

"Why?" Jason asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do I get to watch you beat up Rocky again? I've seen that a few times since I started working out with you, Adam."

Adam laughed but shook his head.

"Not today," he said. "We have a demonstration—I really think you'd enjoy the show. It'll be a good way for you to relax for a change."

"I don't know, Adam," Jason said, shaking his head. "I really should—"

"You really should relax once in a while," Adam interrupted. "Come on. You can always run your errands after with Marc."

"Alright, alright," Jason said, giving in. "I'll come. Lead the way."

Jason followed Adam into the dojo. They walked into the big gym where Rocky was busy corralling several classes into some semblance of organization along with some of the other teachers. Jason started to go sit on one of the benches off to the side, but Adam motioned for him to follow. He headed for the front of the room, calling for everyone's attention. The students still milling about scrambled to find their seats with their classes as Adam watched patiently. He didn't speak until everyone had stopped moving.

"Welcome, everyone," he said. "Class this afternoon is going to be a little different. Today is a demonstration day and we have some special guests. Cam, Blake, and Tori are here from Blue Bay Harbor to do weapons and sparring demonstrations."

Two men and woman waved from the corner where they were standing. Jason stared for a moment in surprise—he hadn't even noticed them until Adam gestured in their direction.

"We will also be having a repeat visit from Sensei Oliver," Adam continued with Jason only half listening. "Who I believe is running late. And a new demonstrator—Jason Scott."

Jason froze, his attention snapping back to Adam when he heard his name. Rocky came jogging over.

"Uh, Adam," Jason hissed. "I am not prepared to do any kind of—"

"Don't worry," Adam said, turning to Jason as the kids talked excitedly. "You won't need to do anything fancy. Just go with it and it will all come back—it's not like you are out of shape. You've proven that working with Rocky and I—you'll be fine."

"Adam, I don't even have anything to wear," Jason protested.

"That's where I come in," Rocky grinned, throwing an arm around Jason's shoulders. "Come on. We've got stuff for you in the locker room."

With Jason still protesting, Rocky dragged him out of the room as Adam turned to get everything started.

"Rocky this really isn't a good idea," Jason tried to argue.

"Just get dressed, Jason," Rocky said. "Adam has the whole thing planned out. You have nothing to worry about. Clothes are on the bench. Hurry up or you'll miss the Ninjas' demonstration."

Shoving Jason inside, he shut the door.

"Ninjas?" Jason muttered, looking around the room. "What ninjas?"

After Jason left, Will found Christine sitting in the living room. She was on her phone, texting furiously. He dropped into another chair, waiting for her to say something. He knew she was angry.

"I can't believe him," she finally spat out. "He never lets me do anything I want anymore. Every time I want to do something, we don't have enough money. But if he or Marc want something we have all the money in the world. I hate California."

Will sighed.

"Well, he's the one making the money right now," he shrugged. "But it is a joint account. If you really want to do something, just do it."

"I tried that already," she pouted. "But after my last trip to the mall he changed the account his paycheck deposits in. And what he does put into the joint wouldn't even cover a hotel for the weekend."

"Then why don't you get a job?" Will asked. "You can keep anything you make for yourself. Then he can't tell you what you can and can't do with it."

Christine scowled at her brother.

"There are no good jobs in Angel Grove," she snapped. "And LA is too far to commute from here. I don't want to spend hours in the car every day. It would be better if I could talk him into moving to LA, but he's already shot that down. Jason won't even listen to me anymore if I bring it up. Says this house is paid for, so we are staying here until we save up some money."

"I don't know what you want me to do, Christine," Will said, shrugging. "Mom and dad aren't here to support our lifestyles anymore and our inheritance is gone. Unless you get a job, he's got all the money. It's either that or continue to convince him to give you the money. And, let's face it, Jason has been a lot less receptive to your choices the last few weeks. Since that woman came to see him in New York."

She sighed, slumping back in the chair.

"You're right—and I don't think he even knows what he has," she muttered. "He's not spending any of it after all. He hasn't even mentioned it once."

"What do you mean?" Will frowned.

"The inheritance," Christine said irritably. "The one he got from his grandfather. There are millions of dollars just sitting in those bank accounts and he has no idea because he still hasn't looked at all the paperwork. I only looked because I was hoping the house was worth enough money that I could talk him into selling it. It isn't, by the way—so I really don't have an argument on that front."

Will looked at her in surprise.

"If he has that much, then why don't you just take a little," he said. "It would take him ages to notice as long as you are careful. Just pretend you got a job and tell him its coming from there."

Christine shook her head.

"You think I didn't try that already?" she scoffed. "Thanks to his grandfather, the only one allowed to access those accounts is Jason. The only way I'm getting any of it is if Jason gives it to me. But I'm not about to bring it up until I'm sure he'll see things my way again."

She sighed, staring at her phone again.

"I could have talked him into it before we left New York," she said after a moment. "And if I had seen the accounts before we got here, I would have. Then we wouldn't be stuck here. But now… any time I try anything he just tells me no. I can't go shopping, can't go visit my friends, can't go to the spa… nothing."

"But you aren't in New York anymore," Will pointed out. "And he is bound to act differently here."

Christine frowned, looking up at her brother.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, think about it," Will said. "This is his grandparents' house. His parents are close. His friends he grew up with. He's going to be a different person around them. In New York he was away from them, he only had you and me around. Now…" Will shrugged and Christine scowled.

"If you aren't going to be helpful, then go away," she snapped. "I'm not in the mood."

"Sorry," Will said, standing up. "But changing Jason's mind isn't going to be easy. Unless you can make him forget about his friends and family and make him live to please you again."

"He was like that in New York," she muttered.

"Because he didn't have close friends or family," Will repeated, rolling his eyes. "And at this point you'd pretty much have to drug him and drag him out of Angel Grove to get him to change his mind. It's only going to get worse."

Christine just scowled at him again and Will strode out of the room.

In the locker room, Jason quickly found the Gi and belt Adam had left for him. He still wasn't sure about doing this, but Adam had already announced his participation in front of the kids, including Marc. Jason did not want to disappoint him. So, he quickly got changed and walked back out in the hall. Rocky was waiting for him.

They walked back out to the gym together. One of the men Adam introduced was out on the floor doing a sword demonstration.

"That's Cam," Rocky said quietly as they stopped just inside the gym. "He's a samurai—and crazy good with that sword."

"A samurai?" Jason said, raising an eyebrow.

But Rocky didn't say anything else, focused on the demonstration. When Cam was done, Adam stepped forward to let the students ask questions. Jason listened as he glanced around the room. Leaning against the wall on the far side of the room with the other two demonstrators was a face Jason recognized.

"What is Tommy doing here?" Jason asked Rocky in surprise.

Rocky glanced in the direction Jason was looking.

"Oh, good," Rocky said. "He's here. I wonder when he snuck in. Least we won't have to stall. I know he had an appointment earlier and was afraid he'd be late."

"That didn't answer my question," Jason muttered.

"Shhh… listen," Rocky said.

Adam was introducing Tori and Blake. They took positions on the mat a moment later. Jason watched the pair on the mat fight, impressed by their skill. It wasn't a style he was familiar with, but he could tell they knew what they were doing.

"They are good," he said to Rocky.

"They should be," Rocky snorted. "They're ninjas after all—and each a sensei in their own right."

"Ninjas?" Jason repeated doubtfully, shaking his head.

"Yep," Rocky said. "Now you're up next. So good luck."

"Wait, but what am I actually supposed to do?" Jason hissed. "You said Adam had a plan."

"Oh, he does," Rocky grinned as Blake and Tori stepped off the floor.

"Our final demonstration of the day will be a match between Sensei Oliver and Jason Scott," Adam announced, waving Tommy and Jason forward.

Tommy immediately straightened up, shooting a surprised look at Adam and then glancing around the room to find Jason. Rocky pushed Jason forward when he didn't immediately move.

"This is not a good idea," Jason protested. "I haven't fought with Tommy since high school."

"You'll be fine," Rocky assured him. "Just let your muscle memory work. Oh. But watch out for the Muay Thai kicks. They're new—and they hurt."

Without giving Jason any more time to protest, Rocky shoved him up to stand next to Tommy and Adam.

"Well, this is a surprise," Tommy said shortly, giving Adam a look.

"Sorry," Adam grinned. "I didn't warn you because I wasn't sure I'd be able to get Jason here. And I didn't tell Jason because I knew he'd find an excuse not to show up if I told him I wanted him to do a demonstration for the kids. Try not to hurt each other please."

Still grinning, Adam stepped off the mat and out of the way. Jason eyed Tommy warily, he'd seen the expression on his face after Adam announced they were sparring. Tommy watched him silently for a moment as they both hesitated.

"The kids are watching," Tommy hissed after a brief pause. "We can't disappoint them. Just follow my lead and we'll get this over with."

Jason opened his mouth to reply but Tommy was already bowing to start the match. Which forced Jason to bow back very stiffly. As they were straightening up, Jason heard Rocky whisper to Adam behind them.

"Oh, great, they're going to kill each other," Rocky muttered. "Did you see the looks they gave each other?"

The whisper distracted Jason enough that he was not prepared for Tommy to move. A moment later he hit the mat with a grunt. Tommy followed with a punch that he stopped just before he actually hit Jason. Shifting, Tommy straightened and backed away to give Jason a chance to get to his feet. But now Jason was annoyed because Tommy had pulled the punch like he couldn't take the hit. Quickly back on his feet, Jason launched himself at Tommy—with no intention of holding back himself. His quick response took Tommy a little by surprise and he stumbled backward as he avoided Jason's hit, stepping out of bounds.

Adam and Rocky watched the match in growing concern as it spiraled. The kids hadn't noticed, but it was clear to all of the adults in the room that something was going on between the two men on the mat. They watched closely for a break so they could step in and end it before someone got hurt.

The opportunity finally came a few minutes later. Tommy tried to hit Jason with a helicopter kick which Jason avoided—and then promptly knocked Tommy off his feet when he landed.

"You keep forgetting I know all your moves," Jason muttered to Tommy.

Tommy didn't say anything immediately. Instead, in a quick series of moves Jason wasn't prepared for, Tommy attacked from the floor as he launched himself back to his feet. Now Jason hit the mat—hard.

"I've learned some new ones," Tommy snapped back as he stood watching Jason on the ground.

With Jason not immediately getting up, Adam and Rocky quickly intervened. Rocky moved between the two fighters while Adam went to address the students watching.

"Alright," Adam said. "And that ends our demonstrations for the day. Time for everyone to get cleaned up or back to your class."

The rest of the teachers took the hint from Adam and quickly began ushering kids out of the gym into the locker room or other classrooms. Taking a deep breath, Adam turned back to where Rocky was still standing with Tommy and Jason.

Tommy had walked a few feet away and was standing with his eyes closed as he took a moment to breath. Jason, however, still hadn't gotten up. Rocky was holding out a hand to him.

"You gonna live, Jason?" Rocky asked as Adam hurried up, finally pulling him to his feet. "He didn't hit you that hard."

"I just wasn't ready," Jason muttered, glancing over at Tommy.

"Dad!" a voice shouted.

Jason looked up, but he knew it wasn't Marc. Tommy opened his eyes as JJ slid to a stop in front of him.

"That was awesome!" JJ exclaimed. "I haven't seen you fight like that since that guy Jared at the dojo who thought he was ready for his blackbelt. He wasn't."

He added the last part for the benefit of the other three, shooting a grin around Tommy.

"Wait—what?" Rocky frowned. "I hadn't heard that one."

"Yeah, the guy hit dad from behind and tried to put him in a chokehold," JJ said with a shrug.

Adam, Rocky, and even Jason winced at that. They all knew that was not a good move.

"So, dad flipped him and pinned him to the mat and told him to tap out now or he'd be passing out and leaving anyways," JJ continued. "He tapped out and then pretty much ran. Never came back. But dad said he was banned anyways so—"

"JJ, where's our stuff?" Tommy asked, interrupting before JJ could continue. "I thought you had my backpack."

"Oh, I left it with the Ninjas," JJ said. "They were sitting with me during your fight."

"The Ninjas?" Tommy repeated, raising an eyebrow as he glanced around the room.

The three were already heading in his direction.

"Ok, Cam," JJ clarified.

"That's fine," Tommy sighed as Cam, Tori, and Blake joined them.

Cam immediately handed over the backpack to Tommy.

"Well, you did say he was the responsible one," JJ said with a grin.

"That's because he is," Tommy said shortly. "Go get your stuff."

JJ nodded and turned, racing away again across the gym toward the locker room.

"Hey!" Tori frowned, putting her hands on her hips. "I take a little offense to that, Dr. O."

"So does that mean you are finally making it to class on time consistently?" Tommy asked.

"Alone or when the other two are involved?" she shot back. "Because I'm fine when it's just me. Dustin and Shane are the problem."

Rocky snorted and Tommy shot a look at him.

"It's funny that you, of all people, are measuring responsibility based on the ability to make it somewhere on time," he snickered.

Tommy just glared at Rocky in response.

"I think I'll show Jason back to the locker rooms…" Rocky said, taking a step back.

Leaving Tommy with the three Ninjas, Rocky went back to Adam and Jason.

"Come on, Jason," he said, grabbing him by the arm. "Showers."

"Wait, who was the kid?" Jason asked, looking between them. "He looks just like Tommy—was that Tommy's son?"

Adam and Rocky exchanged an amused look.

"You really are behind the times, Jason," Adam said, shaking his head. "That's JJ—he's Tommy's clone."

He grinned as he explained, but Rocky immediately shook his head. Jason even flinched a little at the mention of Tommy having a clone.

"Nope, we aren't using that word," Rocky scowled at Adam. "Not now—or how about never again? Especially about Tommy."

Adam grimaced.

"You're right, I'm sorry," he quickly apologized. "Jason, that was JJ. Yes. He's Tommy's son—he's ten."

Jason nodded and Rocky clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, showers," Rocky said again. "I'll get you some muscle cream, too. Cause you're probably gonna want that."

Rocky pushed Jason toward the locker room as Adam shot him a look.

"Stay out of my locker!" Adam called after him. "You were supposed to get your own."

Rocky just waved in response and the two men disappeared through the door. Adam rolled his eyes and turned back to the rest of the group. Tommy was glaring at him now as he rejoined them.

"Adam, what were you thinking?" he snapped.

Adam looked at Tommy in surprise for a moment.

"Tommy, I'm sorry—"

"That was completely irresponsible," Tommy interrupted, clearly angry. "You sprang that fight on both of us without any kind of warning. Someone could have gotten hurt! The whole thing was completely inappropriate. I haven't fought with Jason in years—how was I supposed to judge what was or wasn't safe with him? I—"

"Dad?" JJ said quietly behind Tommy.

Tommy immediately stopped and took a deep breath before turning away from Adam.

"I have my stuff," JJ said. "And I got your duffle bag, too."

"Good, we're leaving," Tommy said shortly. "Let's go."

"Are you gonna shower?" JJ frowned.

"Not here," Tommy replied, taking his duffle bag. "To the car. I'll shower at grandma's."

Without another word to the rest of them, Tommy took JJ and headed toward the parking lot. Rocky came walking back in moments after Tommy left. He paused to look around and then joined Adam and the Ninjas.

"So, is it safe now?" he asked. "Where did Tommy go?"

"Well, there might be some shrapnel around after that explosion, but the bomb has left the building," Blake said, shaking his head.

Adam frowned, looking at Blake.

"Don't you three have somewhere else to be?" he asked.

"Not really," Blake said with a shrug.

Tori groaned.

"Read the room, Blake," she muttered. "Let's go home."

Grabbing Blake's arm, Tori dragged him toward the doors. Cam didn't immediately follow.

"I don't know what's going on," he said quietly. "But may I suggest you ask more questions about whatever the underlying issue is before you do anything else? Because there is clearly something else going on between Jason and Dr. O. I don't think you'll be able to resolve the issue without knowing those answers."

Without waiting for a response, Cam turned and followed the other two.

"Why does he remind me so much of Billy sometimes?" Rocky grumbled. "Why do they always have to have a logical point?"

"But he's right," Adam sighed. "I thought something was weird with them, but now I know something is actually wrong."

Rocky nodded. Other people were starting to filter back into the gym.

"We'll talk later," Adam said.

Jason parked his car in the driveway. Marc was still talking about the demonstrations at the dojo. He hadn't stopped talking since he found Jason in the locker room. Jason had been a little annoyed at first, but he had cooled off on the ride home. Especially as Marc talked more about Tommy. Jason hadn't paid much attention at the time, but Marc had pointed out that Tommy was an eighth degree blackbelt and had been extremely excited to see Jason actually fight with him. Jason was a little proud of himself for actually being able to keep up with Tommy on the fly like he had.

Getting out of the car, Jason led the way inside. Marc was still talking excitedly. Christine came walking out to meet them. She frowned when she saw Jason's empty hands.

"Where have you been?" she asked. "I thought you were running errands. Where are the groceries?"

"Oh, right," Jason said, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry, I got a little distracted. I'll go tomorrow. We still have food for dinner tonight."

"What could you possibly have gotten distracted by?" Christine scoffed, crossing her arms. "It's been hours—you've already picked up Marc."

"Dad was at the dojo with me," Marc supplied with a grin.

"What? Why?" Christine snapped.

"I'm sorry," Jason said again. "It wasn't my original plan. They asked me to come inside because there was a special presentation—"

"There were ninjas!" Marc interrupted. "Actual ninjas!"

Christine frowned, looking between them.

"That sounds dangerous," she said. "This is exactly why I said he shouldn't be allowed there."

"Christine, it's fine," Jason said. "We talked about it. It's nothing I didn't do or see when I was his age. It was just a guest demonstration to see what other options are out there."

"So, you were monitoring, then?" Christine asked, arms crossed now.

"No, dad helped!" Marc said, looking excitedly at Jason again. "He fought in the demonstration!"

"You what?" Christine exclaimed, looking at Jason in shock.

Jason grimaced. He hadn't been planning on telling her like that.

"It wasn't a big deal—" he started to say.

"I thought you were just working out with those—people," Christine hissed. "Are you telling me that you've been fighting with them instead?"

"No, that's not what we've been doing," Jason said quickly, shaking his head. "They just kind of threw me into it today."

Marc looked between his parents with wide eyes. Not wanting to be in the middle of a potential fight, he quickly slipped past them and up the stairs. Will was sitting at the top, watching like it was his own personal entertainment.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Christine demanded. "Did someone sucker punch you? Do we need to sue someone?"

"What?" Jason sputtered. "Christine, no. They just needed someone to spar with Tommy. Rocky gave me a Gi and told me to get on the mat. That's all. It was fine."

"Tommy, who's Tommy?" Christine frowned. "I thought it was your friends—um, Allen and Roger who were at that place."

"Adam and Rocky," Jason corrected.

Christine rolled her eyes.

"Adam and Rocket—whatever," she said.

"Rocky…"

Christine started to snap back but stopped when she saw the look on Jason's face. He was getting frustrated. She took a deep breath.

"So, they made you fight?" she asked.

Jason frowned at her sudden change in tone.

"Well, yes," he said slowly. "But—"

"Oh, honey," Christine said, putting a hand on his arm. "I'm so sorry."

"Wait—what?" Jason said, looking at her in surprise.

"They made you fight," she said soothingly.

"It's not—it wasn't like that," Jason tried to protest.

"Jason, you just told me they made you go into the locker room, change, and then they practically threw you into a fight," Christine said, shaking her head. "You could have gotten hurt!"

Jason shook his head.

"I was fine," he said. "Adam and Rocky had it planned, and they know what they are doing."

"But what if there had been an accident?" Christine exclaimed. "You can't tell me there are never accidents during this kind of thing."

"Well, no…" Jason admitted.

"And you haven't been fighting," Christine pressed. "Right? You haven't fought in years. And you've always told me this kind of thing takes training and practice."

"Yes, that's right…"

"And as teachers your friends would know that, wouldn't they?" she added. "And they put you in that situation anyways."

"Well, kind of—what are you doing?" Jason asked.

Christine was examining him now, checking over his arms and pulling up his shirt to look underneath. She gasped when she found some bruises starting to form.

"You're hurt!" she exclaimed. "Sit down. I'll get you ice."

"Christine—" Jason tried to protest as she started ushering him toward a chair in the kitchen. "I'm fine."

"No, you aren't," she said, pushing him gently into a chair. "They could have killed you."

Jason sighed.

"No, they couldn't," he said, shaking his head. "That's a little extreme."

"Really?" she asked, going to the freezer for an ice pack. "Well, who were you fighting again?"

Jason sighed.

"Tommy…" he muttered.

Christine frowned, pausing with the ice pack in her hand.

"Tommy?" she repeated, then froze as the name finally registered. "Wait—Tommy?"

"Yes…" Jason said.

"Isn't he that maniac who tried to kill you when we were in college?" she demanded, handing him the ice pack, gesturing for him to put it on one of the bruises.

Jason frowned.

"No," he said. "He never tried to—"

"Jason, campus security had to get involved," she said, crossing her arms. "He had you on the floor and could have easily snapped your neck. That man has anger issues."

"He didn't—"

"He was always so jealous of you," she continued. "Especially that you had me and he was alone."

"But he wasn't alo—"

"I'm sorry," Christine sniffed, throwing her arms around Jason suddenly. "I just couldn't stand it if anything happened to you."

Jason froze for a moment in surprise at the sudden hug, then he hugged her back.

"It's fine," he said. "And I'm fine. I swear. I was never in any actual danger."

Christine pulled back, frowning.

"Are you saying Tommy isn't dangerous?" she said doubtfully.

"Well, no…" Jason said slowly.

"And that he's given up karate?" she pushed.

"No, he hasn't," Jason admitted. "He's an eighth-degree black belt now."

"Well that certainly sounds dangerous," Christine scowled, crossing her arms.

"I mean, he could be if he wanted to, but—"

"That man is clearly obsessed with violence," she said adamantly. "Only people in military occupations should ever have a reason to take it that far."

Jason sighed. He couldn't really explain to Christine just why Tommy had so much experience fighting—and it had nothing to do with the military.

"Christine, I'm fine," he said. "Just a couple of bruises. They'll be gone in days like nothing happened. This was a one-time thing."

She sighed but relented.

"I just don't want you to get hurt," she murmured. "I don't know what I'd do without you around."

Jason smiled, standing up to hug her again.

"I plan to be around for a long time," he assured her.