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"You mean we can't go home?" Emily's expression was like that of a kicked puppy.
"I'm afraid not, Emily," Ji replied gravely. "Xandred is growing bolder and more desperate, and the Nighlok attacks are coming more frequently. If you leave the city, the time it takes you to return in an emergency may be time we can't spare."
"Besides," Jayden added. "You know that Xandred monitors our every move. He'll know if we separate, and he's certain to go after you if you're alone and vulnerable. Or worse, go after your family."
Horror flitted across Emily's face, followed quickly by determination as she composed herself. "I won't put my sister in any danger, or my parents. Even if that means I can't see them until the Nighloks are defeated."
Jayden reached out and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Sorry, Em. I know how hard this is for you."
Emily smiled gratefully, but sadly. "It's okay. Just part of being a Ranger, right?"
The other Rangers nodded in assent.
Antonio looked around the room at his teammates. Everyone was disappointed, he could tell, even if they weren't all as vocal about it as Emily. And he was not about to stand idly by and let his friends be bummed out. No way, not when he could do something about it.
"Guys!" he interjected, immediately attracting everyone's attention. "Just because we can't go home doesn't mean we can't celebrate in style, right? I say we throw our own holiday party, right here at the house. Presents, decorations, the whole nine."
"Best idea I've heard all day," Mike replied.
“Mentor?" Kevin looked to Ji. He wasn't about to let Antonio and Mike run wild with their holiday hijinks without proper permission.
Ji shrugged. "I don't see why not." The idea of a Christmas party in their base of operations wasn't conventional by any means, but he knew how important it was for the Rangers to keep their spirits up, and if this was what it took, so be it.
"Fantastico!" Antonio said with his usual enthusiasm. "Looks like we've got a plan. Now, let's see...Jayden and Kevin can get the tree. Emily, you're on decorations. Mike, you're on entertainment. And I'm going to cook you guys the most awesome Christmas dinner you've ever had. Hmm, but I'll need an assistant. Mia, you in?"
The Pink Ranger's face lit up with excitement, oblivious to everyone else's dismay. "Of course!" she replied before anyone had a chance to object. "I have a couple of family recipes I've been dying to try out."
"Great! Now, here's what I was thinking..."
Antonio took Mia aside to continue plotting the dinner in secret, leaving their teammates to process what had just transpired.
"He asked Mia to help him cook? Oh man, we're doomed," Mike complained.
Kevin shook his head in disbelief. "I thought he knew better."
"We can't do anything about it now," Emily added. "You saw how excited she was...it would be way too mean to tell her she couldn't."
"So what do we do now?" Mike replied.
"Same thing we always do," Jayden answered. "Expect the best, but prepare for the worst."
***
By Christmas Eve, things were looking progressively more festive at the Shiba House. Kevin was meticulously trimming the tree while Emily was applying tinsel to every available surface. Even Ji had gotten into the act, a Santa hat perched on his head as he engaged in his usual prowling about the grounds. Mia and Antonio had been awake and cooking before even Kevin had gotten up, and the kitchen was ominously quiet. Jayden had retrieved the fire extinguisher and had it on standby, just in case.
"I'm home!" Mike announced his presence, kicking off his shoes at the door and holding up a stack of DVDs. "I got 'It's a Wonderful Life', 'A Christmas Story', 'A Christmas Carol', 'Home Alone', 'Miracle on 34th Street', and 'Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.'"
"'Santa Claus Conquers the Martians?'" Kevin repeated, pausing in his task of untangling a string of lights to make a face at the Green Ranger.
Mike responded in kind. "It's a classic," he said defensively.
“No accounting for taste, I guess. Which version of ‘Christmas Carol’ did you get?”
Mike grinned and brandished the DVD. “Muppets,” he proclaimed.
It was all he could do not to burst out laughing at the look of sheer disproportionate offense that appeared on Kevin’s face. Fortunately, all it took was a bright smile from Emily as she chimed in with how much she loved the Muppet movies to dissuade the Blue Ranger from launching into his well-practiced spiel about the obvious superiority of George C. Scott. Mike felt quietly triumphant. He knew he liked her for a reason.
"So, what's the status on dinner?" Mike asked hesitantly, almost afraid to know the answer.
Kevin shook his head. "We don't know. I haven't seen or heard from either of them since you left. Jayden went to check on them, though."
"At least nothing smells like it's burning," Emily offered hopefully.
Their leader returned at that moment from his reconnaissance mission to the kitchen, looking perturbed.
"Well?" Kevin prompted.
Jayden sighed, the note of aggravation in it unnervingly at odds with his usual calm demeanor. "Antonio," he announced. "Has sealed me out of the kitchen."
"Sealed?" Mike parroted, incredulously. "You mean, sealed, as in-" He waved his hand, pantomiming the drawing of a power symbol.
"Exactly."
Kevin slapped a palm to his forehead as Mike dug his cell phone out of his pocket.
"Lucky for you guys, I have three different Chinese takeout places on my speed dial."
The team attempted to distract themselves after that, declaring an early start to the Christmas movie marathon while Christmas lights were hung and halls were decked. The only sign of activity was Mia hurrying out to quickly set the table. Ji attempted to enter the dining room after that, only to return a few seconds later, grumbling about needing to have a talk with Antonio about using power symbols responsibly. But shortly after that, the stubbornly sealed door was flung open and Antonio announced himself with his usual flair for the dramatic, using a wooden spoon on a mixing bowl as a makeshift gong. He was proudly sporting a chef's hat made out of the type of shiny gold fabric usually favored by Las Vegas showgirls, either unaware of or ignoring the fact that he looked ridiculous. No one commented. At Jayden’s urging, they had long since given up on questioning where or why Antonio came by the articles of clothing that he did.
"Ladies and gentlemen, dinner is served!" Antonio proclaimed.
He and Mia wasted no time in herding everyone to their seats, evidently too excited to notice if their teammates were perhaps dragging their feet a little more than usual. And yet, everything on the table looked surprisingly good. Nothing charred beyond recognition, no obvious signs of mismatched or disgusting ingredient combinations. Not even anything that looked like it had been cut with a Spin Sword rather than a proper kitchen knife. Really the only thing that seemed out of place was an unusually high concentration of seafood. The Rangers exchanged glances of surprise and uncertainty.
Mike was the first to comment, raising an eyebrow. "Fish for Christmas dinner?"
"Why not?" Antonio replied, finally shedding the silly chef's hat as he took his seat. "If they can do it in Italy, we can do it here. And besides, Mia and I are seafood experts."
Mia high-fived her partner in culinary crime before sitting down between Antonio and Kevin.
Jayden smiled fondly. Of course. With Antonio, everything came down to fish. "I should have expected as much."
"You're right, you should have. All right, everyone. Dig in!"
There was some initial hesitance to comply with that order. But once the various dishes started making their way around the table, it became apparent that this was no ordinary Shiba House dinner. Antonio's cooking was generally tasty but predictable, and Mia's was almost universally awful. But their combined efforts were...good. Really good, in fact. Which came as quite a relief to everyone involved. Both beaming with pride, Mia and Antonio eagerly answered questions about the origins of this dish or the seasonings used in that one. Eventually the table was cleared and dessert served, a gingerbread-flavored cheesecake that drew rave reviews from everyone who tasted it.
"Antonio, this is amazing," Mike said with his mouth full, completely uncaring that it would likely earn him a lecture on table manners from Kevin.
"Ah, I can't take any credit for this one," Antonio replied. "Mia made it by herself, from scratch. She wouldn't even tell me half of what's in there."
Mia smiled and shrugged. "Family secret. I had to practically beg my mom for the recipe so I could make it for you guys."
For a moment, all eyes were on the Pink Ranger, all trying hard to avoid looking as shocked by the revelation as they felt. Mike was the first to snap out of it, turning his attention back to his plate.
"I am officially declaring this a Christmas miracle," he said.
They stayed in the dining room for quite some time after that, movie night for the moment forgotten in favor of simply enjoying one another’s company. Everyone laughed for a solid five minutes at Jayden's unexpected but dead-on impersonation of a particularly bumbling Nighlok. Ji told a few stories about what their parents had been like, back in their Rangering days. Another debate broke out over whether or not ray guns had any place in Christmas movies and which actor made the best Ebenezer Scrooge. And Emily stayed quiet for the most part, content to drink in the noise and chaos and obvious love that surrounded her.
It felt just like home.