Prologue: Master Xandred has been defeated and the rangers resume their normal lives. And just as she envisions a perfect life, she is shattered by unforeseen forces. As she struggles to survive in the turbulent sea, will Jayden save the woman he loves and offer her his safe harbour?

Safe Harbour

Chapter One

She glanced at the wall clock in her living room. It was almost ten. Yet there was no sign of him. Sighing to herself she entered the attached kitchen making herself coffee. This would be her fifth glass. Normally she avoided beverages. Off late, surprisingly she's begun drinking. A lot perhaps. But she figured, she didn't bother. She rather felt better. Moments later, she emerged from the kitchen and proceeded to the sofa and settled herself there. This has become a regular habit of his. A habit she yet has to accustom herself to. Vaguely she wondered how she damned herself to this. It was never this bad before. What had gone wrong?

Her hazel eyes found themselves staring intently at the photo frames standing on the wooden table before her. There stood a handsome brunette man around 25, clad in a red T-shirt and a pair of denim jeans with his arms wrapped around a petite blonde female dressed in a lemon yellow spring dress. Both of them were grinning crazily at the camera. She bit her lower lip, as if desperately seeking the missing link to their past.

He was the bold leader, a noble warrior who led their team of samurai. It was he who taught her to always stand up for the good, to never run away from the battle. Somehow fighting next to him, made her feel safe and strong. She had come up a long way since her first entry to the Shiba house. He would tell. After battles, it wasn't rare to find the red ranger holding on to his yellow counterpart, to congratulate her on her improvement, or merely being her support if the battle went too harsh on her. She, on the other hand took hits for him when the nighlock damaged him too ,when Mia would be too tired, she prepared him dinner in the hope he would feel encouraged him to fight- to never give up his dreams. They balanced each other beautifully. He was the yang to her yin.

Initially, she felt as though he was being polite, as he was just as caring with any other member of the team. Jayden had the heart of a lion...Mentor Ji would tell them. But then, in the later years things started changing, when both of them realized they were perhaps a bit more than just friends. Unconsciously her fingers traced the contours of his face through the glass, as if really touching him for real. His soft skin that appeared rough due to the stubble, his dreamy azure eyes that told a lot more than his words ever will- that had let their guards down for her. And his lips. She wanted to feel him so badly. To know he's safe and okay. But she knew herself better than this. She was painfully shy. Specially near him. During the first couple of years in the Shiba house she rarely trained with him for the fear of being left .From the moment she entered the dojo she had sensed a kindred spirit in him, she had seen how his trained eyes observed every move of his teammates. She feared that. She feared being observed. But then slowly, they started warming up to one another. Perhaps they both were substitutes for their elder sisters, perhaps both of them felt out of the world...or perhaps both of them were a bit broken. Perhaps they needed something to cling onto...to forget momentarily the guilt and sorrow that plagued their lives now...and maybe just maybe some broken fragments can fit into one another and start something new.

Taking a deep breath, she placed the frame back and stood up. She noted the time. It was past ten thirty. She could feel the anger boil inside her. All those moments of his neglect and indifference hurled at her, were finally slowly venting out. She won't wait any longer. She wouldn't wait another minute for that man. He didn't want her in his life. Then why should she? She was Emily Khemetko...She was never the one to bow to pressure. Never has and never will. Quietly she walked over to the dinner table beautifully decorated with delicacies, which she spent hours at cooking. Working on her best to please him. With one bold move, she dumped everything in the over what she had done, she felt herself losing to her emotions once she reminded herself time and again that she would not cry, no matter what happened, yet she let the weaker side of herself could feel her cheeks grow warm and her hazel eyes filled with unshed tears..

Why? Jayden ?...

It was eleven now. And he's nowhere to be seen. And he didn't even bother to ring her up-to assure her he's okay. Ever since Jayden was chosen as the sheriff of the town, Emily found herself constantly worried about his safety. There was a time, when Jayden was so badly wounded in a gun fight that watching him battle for his life made her go berserk. She had spent three long days along with him, lending him, her own energy slowly through her element. He recovered soon enough. But the scars were deeper. Both physical and emotional. She had thought that she lost him for a moment. She remembered shouting his name, as he was being taken to the OT and Mia holding her tightly to prevent her from running away. She had lost a lot of her energy in those three days. She was a breathing robot. She ate, she drank, she watched him. But never talked. Perhaps she gained her sanity only when he held her in his warm tight grasp, assuring her he's still alive...

The tears have dried up. Only their trail is left now. For a moment she felt she could hear a faint knock on the door. She ignored it for a while. She would deal with him later on. She was damaged. She wouldn't let him know.

"Emily...Emily...". The voice became clear now.

Sighing she opened it.

"Jayden."

A/N!

EnigmaOFTheNight: "This is my first fic about this fandom. Please bear with my plotholes. This occurs abo/ut six or seven years after Master Xandred has been defeated. Major pairing Jemily .other pairings finalized in forthcoming chapters. No flames please. Any questions regarding the chapter I'll be happy to answer them if said politely! Thank you and please review. They make my day!"

DreamStar14: "Once again, this is not my story. It is EnigmaOfTheNight's. She wrote the entire thing and asked me if I could post it up, since she was having problems. All credit goes to her!"