{Now}
"Don't be so hard on yourself Johnny boy. It'll be okay. Robby just needs time." Smitty's dinner became our time of peace after a day of hectic happenings that never seemed to end, threatening to break Johnny all together. Things with Robby were messing with him, and his ex wife didn't make matters any easier. She was just after the next best thing she could find to get her by.

"I should be doing that Nance. I should have taken him out for ice cream, taught him how to play sports and how to actually feel loved. I just...... gave up. Mom died, then I left." I softly took his hand in mine from the mere mention of his mom, and the way his lingering eyes gazed a father and son sitting across the way from us in the dinner, smiling and enjoying life together. I pictured what our own son would be like, seeing Johnny teaching him karate the older he got, being the father I know he can be. Even if he doesn't believe it himself.

"Life has never been easy for you. You made mistakes. But now is the time to make them right. It can happen. Don't give up on yourself. Because I'm not giving up on you. No way Lawrence." I finished the last bite of my apple pie with a little smile of humor to get a rise of out him, knowing I would never leave at this point. He needed me. And I needed him. I always needed him. Being apart for all those years, was the hardest thing I ever did. But maybe it just made the heart grow fonder.

"I don't get why you're still here Nance. But I'm glad you are." I softly smiled at him while our gaze landed on the father and son once more, but this time, we smiled for the little boy we would have had. And knowing what we needed to do.
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I softly knocked on the door of Miguel's apartment with baited breath, not prepared for the ranting of Carmen. But knowing Johnny and I needed this. Especially Johnny. He cares so much for Miguel, like I. Sure, he's tough on the outside. But on the inside, Johnny has a heart of gold. He was just corrupted and confused at such a young age, that it stuck with him. He was scared to admit anything other than the tough attitude.

"Before you say anything, please let me explain. Miguel is a good kid. And he's one of the only people who hasn't given up on me." Carmen looked to me in question, seeing the agreement in my eyes on this. Carmen and I had grown an understanding with one another over Miguel. I would do anything to keep that kid safe. Just as she would.

"Just please give us another chance Carmen. We let him down. We know. We messed up bad. But, if you just give us another chance, we won't let him down again. We want to help him. Just think about it. Okay?" She softly sighed with a slight nod of her head once we went to walk away, the sound of their door closing the only thing that could be heard around us.

"She'll come around Johnny. She will. Miguel wants this. We want to help him. Bullying has gotten bad and he needs proper training. We know what we're doing." I was so proud of Johnny for doing this, knowing he was hurting over what happened to Miguel at the Halloween dance. It should have never happened. But that's the thing, we can't be there all the time. That's why we want to train him to know exactly what to do in situations just as that. So he'll be safe. And I'll do anything to make sure that happens.
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{Later That Day}
My trophies from the past seemed to gleam in my hands like a beacon, telling me not to put them away like I had for years and years, completely forgotten as if it never happened. Closing the dojo wasn't what we wanted to do. But if no one is thrilled to be apart of something we loved ourselves as teenagers, we couldn't do much about it. Who would have thought being an adult with your own dojo was hard work?

"Sensei?" I whirled around from the trance I found myself in, thinking about to the All Valley Tournament of 84. And how much damage I managed to cause to the Cobra's. But at the same time, to the ones that mattered most. It felt odd to be back in the Cobra Kai dojo, on the team I once despised. But once was apart of. I wanted to be stronger, better. And Kreese said all the right words to convince me his way, was the only way to that goal.

"Miguel? Honey are you okay?" He smiled in excitement like he had the golden ticket of life to hang to, putting a hopeful feeling in my once sad heart. I stopped putting our trophies away, seeing Johnny through the window of the office with a beer in hand, but just as curious as I was over Miguel.

"I'm fine! I'm better than fine actually. My mom said I could come back and train with you guys!" I hugged him to me with yells of excitement filling the dojo, happy that things are turning around. Just like I said they would. See? Johnny should listen to me more huh?

"Well if we're doing this, I need to know you're serious about it. You got your ass kicked because you don't know the right way to fight. To strike." Johnny immediately sprung into action with that blaze in his eyes. His element. And he was far from giving up.

"Yes sensei. I can do this. I want to do this. To prove I'm not weak." Johnny smiled a little through the tough facade he always has, stopping mere inches from Miguel and analyzing the beat up boy with such determination through it all. He's already stronger than he thinks.

"You aren't weak Miguel. Trust me. You're fighting through the pain. You're on the right track to being on the path you need to be. Just focus. And the moves with flow right through you." Johnny and I both did a Cobra Strike at the same time to demonstrate the proper technique, grinning at one another in perfect sync. Oh we still got it.