A mistake

Chapter 3

"Was that Emily?"

Master J.I heard a voice from behind him ask.

"Yes, it was indeed". He confirmed. The face that greeted him now after he turned to look at it had a slight blush creeping to its young features.

"I heard her say she was driving here? I guess she hadn't been watching the news. A nasty storm is coming up. Weather forecast says it might be really destructive and could immobilize many of the roads. They say these horrible conditions could last up to three weeks". Judging by the way his mentor was reacting to what Mike just said; the teenager guessed the old man hadn't known either.

"I should inform Emily and the rest of the other rangers to remain where they are for the next few weeks. Good thing we are not under attack at the moment".

"Well if it's not Nighlocks its mother nature". Mike laughed at his own joke, which his mentor did not find the slightest bit funny. Mike wiped the smile off his face and left the room, feeling absolutely embarrassed.

"Jayden, master J.I called me back and said we shouldn't go anywhere for the next three weeks. Apparently the weather is acting crazy". Emily informed her team mate, clearly disappointed.

"It's ok Emily. It's probably for the best. And don't worry, that reunion you want so much is going to happen. I'm sure of it". Jayden tried cheering her up.

Emily sighed and took Jayden's arm, dragging him upstairs with her.

"Come on, let's go unpack"

"Oh ah oooh! This is the best time to strike and get our hands on that green morpher". Octaroo concluded.

"With what army dimwit? In case you haven't noticed, we are currently short of one". Dayu interrupted.

"Which is exactly why we need to plan a move! The rangers will not suspect anything from us at the moment. Any attack we launch will not be linked to us. Humans are stupid, you just throw a few green papers in their faces and they will do anything for you".

Dayu still didn't understand where this stupid octopus was going with his rambling. She figured she'll witness it sooner or later, so there was no need to bother herself with anything he says.

"For once, we will let a human do our dirty work" Octaroo whispered to himself.

"This way Jayden! I want to introduce you to someone very special to me". After Jayden and Emily finished unpacking earlier in the day, the yellow ranger decided to make use of the sunny weather as much as she could before the gloomy atmosphere takes over. She took him to the stables where Serena sat in a wheelchair with an I.V pole next to her.

"Emily? Are you ok? Serena and I already met before". Jayden questioned, utterly confused.

"Oh it's not Serena. She's just here because this person is special to both of us. He always makes us feel so happy". Emily mused.

"Hello Serena". Jayden greeted the ex-yellow ranger.

"Hello". Serena smiled at him, admiring his politeness. Jayden didn't make her feel like she was sick, he just casually said hi to her as he would with any other person he runs into and she appreciated that.

Emily disappeared inside the stables and suddenly emerged with the most beautiful horse Jayden has ever laid his eyes on.

"Jayden, Serena and I would like to officially introduce you to Zeus".

The mane was well built and stood proudly next to its owners. It had a golden brown shiny coat, and its tail was brushed and braided. The horse just effortlessly glowed under the sun.

"Hey hey. Missed me?". Emily cooed and Zeus gently nudged her, causing her to giggle.

The sight of both of them together stirred something inside Jayden, which he couldn't explain. All he knew is that the moment playing in front of him was captivating.

"Jayden"….

His name echoed in his head. Was someone calling him?

"JAYDEN!"…

Jeez! Why so loud? Ok then someone was definitely calling him. He blinked, breaking out of his daze.

"What were you zoning at?" Emily interrogated him.

"Uh, I was just admiring how majestic Zeus looks". Jayden blurted his attempt at saving himself from embarrassment.

"He is amazing isn't he? Wanna take a ride?" The blonde offered.

"I'd love to" Jayden smiled. Just as he came to stand next to Emily and Zeus, the horse started pushing Jayden away with its head. That initiated a fit of laughter from Serena, who witnessed the whole thing.

"I think someone is jealous of you Jayden". She commented.

Jayden ended up just petting Zeus gently. He too was amused by the horse's display.

"Maybe we'll do this some other time buddy"

Later in the evening, the weather forecast's prediction turned out to be on point when heavy rain started to pour ruthlessly. Mike looked outside the window of his room, glad that he's not out there at the streets yet his heart went out for every person who couldn't find shelter. After all, he was homeless for a while before he managed to get on his feet. The place he slept at every night prior to moving to the Shiba house was a hell hole, but it was better than nothing.

"Penny for your thoughts" Master J.I came to stand next to his student, wondering why Mike seemed so troubled lately.

"Oh… It's nothing Master J.I. I'm just bummed that we're gonna be locked inside for a while" Mike lied.

"I'm sure nearby places are fine. Its main roads and long distances that we need to avoid, so you don't get stranded and help could be difficult to acquire"

"I guess so" Mike pretended to agree.

"This rain is just a breeze for now. Things will get worse the next few days. I suggest we get everything we need now while we still can" the wise man suggested.

"I'm willing to go. Do you have a list of the things we need?" Mike volunteered. He suddenly felt like going for a walk to clear his mind a bit.

"Let me check our pantry then I shall get back to you".

The green ranger nodded and went to find a rain coat and an umbrella while his mentor prepared the list.

"it started raining already?" Emily frowned. This was not how she imagined their time off ranger duties would be like. Her mother was trying to block window sills with pieces of fabric in an attempt to keep the water from seeping into the house, with the help of her beloved husband. Feeling exhausted after securing all doors and windows, the couple went to the sanctuary of their bedroom for a much needed sleep.

Serena stayed next to Emily staring out the window as well, feeling as gloomy as her sister did. They both cherished the sun and its warmth. Rain was far too cold for them. Jayden was already in Emily's room. He's used to sleeping early; it was part of his disciplined lifestyle.

Moments later Serena started yawning, therefore Emily offered to wheel her big sister back to her room. After making sure Serena was sound asleep, Emily went back to staring out the window of their living room, wishing she can go outside.

"Hey"

Emily's trance was interrupted by Jayden's voice, greeting her as he descended the stairs.

"Oh! Hey" She greeted him back, wondering why he was still up.

"Aren't you going to sleep?" The red ranger innocently asked.

"I don't feel like sleeping just yet. I'm trying to think of ways to get through this depressing weather" Emily pouted.

Jayden smiled. He didn't know what it was about this house that made him let his guard down. He doesn't remember the last time he smiled so much.

"Or is it because of Emily?"

His mind wandered towards some daring territory.

"NO!"

Soon as the thought presented itself, he squished it.

"Emily is just really comfortable to be around. She's just my team mate and I care about her as a friend"

He argued with himself.

"Would you like some hot chocolate and smores?" The petite girl asked, looking directly at him.

"Umm, I don't think I should. I haven't been paying much attention to what I'm eating lately and it could affect my training and…"

"Come on Jayden! Live a little. One mug won't kill you. Pleaaaaase!" She interrupted his declination with her pleading.

"This girl really is something"

Jayden thought. Emily was a completely different person outside the Shiba house and Samurai duties. Maybe without all that pressure she finds it easier to be herself, and so far, Jayden was intrigued.

"Ok Miss Emily. Your house, your rules"

The yellow ranger giggled. When did Jayden become so charming? He sure was full of surprises.

After grabbing the grocery list from Master J.I, Mike took off to the super market. On his way, a lady standing on the sidewalk caught his attention. She was drenched to her bones and shivering, breathing into her hands to create a feeling of warmth for her soaked body.

"Shit…" He muttered a curse.

He knew if his mother was around she'd whoop his ass for leaving a lady to suffer like that. Decision made, he headed towards her and offered her help.

"Ma'am, how about I help you find a cab while you get warmed up?"

The woman nodded her head; her shivering was making it difficult for her to speak. Mike emptied his coat's pockets on the sidewalk and offered it to her, while holding to his umbrella. As he leaned to collect his belongings he was jumped from behind while someone else stole his stuff, including his morpher. Mike managed to flip his attacker easily, but he wasn't quick enough to stop the thief who bolted with his possessions.

"HEY! GET BACK HERE!" Mike shouted after him, abandoning his umbrella and running in pursuit of the criminal who robbed him. What the culprit didn't know, was that his pursuer was a highly trained martial artist who's capable of catching up to anyone who wasn't as fit as he was. The minute Mike became close to the thief, shoulder to shoulder, he pushed him on the side causing both of them to fall and roll over to the street. Mike was on top of the struggling hoodlum now, currently squirming and trying to break away from underneath the green ranger.

"I'll take that. Thank you very much". The teen snatched his morpher from the man still lying under his weight. As soon as Mike stood up, he was blinded by flashlights that seemingly came out of nowhere and we were strangely approaching in his direction. Before he had time to figure out what was happening he was sure he heard something crack. Then his world went out of focus and faded to black.

"So? What do you think?"

Jayden looked up from his mug to see Emily staring at him, waiting for his reaction.

"It's not as sweet as I thought it would be, but it's still good". He gave his honest feedback.

"That's because I didn't use sugar. I used honey. I also used pure cocoa powder. It's usually bitter" Emily gave out her secret.

Jayden smiled and continued sipping his soothing drink. The house, even with the windows and doors closed was still chilly. Both teenagers wrapped their hands around their mugs to take away the edge of the cold. It felt good, and Emily wanted to make the rest of the night even better. Soon enough she started roaming in the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" Jayden's relaxed state was starting to dissolve when the little bombshell began hovering around. She pulled out some wooden grilling sticks from one the drawers and then pulled a small wool bag from a pantry. She placed them next to each other on the counter. Seconds later Emily was down in the kitchen's sub-basement carrying piles of wood in her petite arms. Jayden put away his mug and rushed to help her.

"Here, I'll get that"

"Thanks. Just put them next to the fire place in the living room while I go get some fuel"

Jayden nodded and proceeded to carry the wood pile outside the kitchen. Emily grabbed all the rest of the things she pulled out and followed Jayden to the living room. They both stood in front of the beautiful fireplace. It was built up with neatly stacked grey stones and had a thick wood log at the top, serving as a shelf. The shelf was decorated with family pictures as to be expected, and a few ornaments.

Emily started the fire and stepped back as both herself and Jayden sat cross legged, staring into the dancing flames. The yellow ranger extended her hands to soak in the warmth that was produced by the fire. Jayden on the other hand wanted to know what was hidden in the wool bag Emily had next to her. He didn't have to wait too long though. His companion for the night opened the bag and took out some chest nuts. She then placed them on sticks and left them to roast in front of the flames.

"Chest nuts huh?" Jayden playfully asked.

Emily smiled and nudged him with her elbow.

"Don't' make me eat them all by myself. You'll be missing out big time".

The red ranger didn't doubt her words, especially after the smell of the delicious nuts started wafting. Soon the both heard a crackle and the chest nuts' outer shell started to break. Emily grabbed the sticks and shared them with Jayden. They both peeled the rest of the remaining outer shells and enjoyed the sweet earthy flavor exploding in their mouths. It was so relaxing, and both pupils occupying the room fell into a comfortable silence, interrupted only by the sound of rain drops gently tapping the windows. Emily, without noticing herself was slowly drawn into Jayden's body heat. She slowly leaned closer to him till her head rested on his shoulder and to his surprise, he found that he didn't mind her closeness at all…

(A/N): well, that was chapter 3. My ideas are still very scattered and the direction I'm heading in for this story is still kind of blurry, but I'm doing my best. Gotta admit I finished writing this chapter on paper like a month ago, but I was too lazy to type it and update it, so I apologize for that :p. can't promise you I won't do it again though, as I said I'm lazy. Please review and once again, any help would be deeply appreciated.