{Now}
"You what?!" I paced the floors of Cobra Kai with my fists clenched perfectly from the mere sound of Daniel and what he had done this time to ruin our chances of making this dojo actually work.

"Look, you know as well as I do that Lawrence doesn't need to be running Cobra Kai. It's a mistake. And he ruined my billboard! He messed with my business." I sat down in the office while watching Johnny with the kids on our class today, seeing just how strong Aisha really is. At least that's a glimmer of hope in this moment of darkness.

"You got our rent raised Danny! How could you do that? Did you think I wouldn't come up with a plan?!" For days I've done everything I can to make sure this works out for Johnny and I, knowing this is exactly what we both need in our lives. To feel something again with one another. And Daniel is only trying to mess it up more and more.

"He's going to corrupt those kids like Kreese did to him! And he's dragging you along with him. Again." I slammed my fist on the desk with all my might, tightly closing my eyes from the mere rage threatening to consume me at this point. He's not like that anymore! Kreese is gone. And Johnny is nothing like that anymore. Sure, he has his usual flaws. But he's trying to change that.

"Listen, Johnny didn't do anything to your billboard. We haven't had time to do anything like that Daniel! And if you think this is going to get Cobra Kai shut down, you're dead wrong." I hung up before I could say something I would eventually regret, slamming my phone onto the desk with our open laptop on our new dojo website, courtesy of Miguel and I. Another way to attract more students.

"What's wrong Nance?" I looked up at a concerned Johnny with tears brimming in my eyes from the continuing madness enveloping our lives. I wanted this to work more than anything. But so many obstacles threatened to bring us down.

"Daniel...... he's the one that got our rent raised. He thinks you messed with his billboard. And you didn't! I just...... this is too much. All these years later and it's still happening." I wiped my eyes of the tears rolling down my face, wanting nothing more than to toughen up and move on, figure things out like we always have together. But being at odds with the people I love just never made anything easier. It made it so much worse.
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{The Next Day}
School fights and endless nights, the day was going further and further from what I was expecting. But being so proud of Miguel for standing up for what's right, did a mood change in me that I wasn't expecting either.

"See kid? You took everything I taught you, and whooped their asses with it. You did exactly what you were supposed to do." Johnny clapped his back with such a beat behind it, proud of the fact that Miguel is flourishing in the arts. He was standing up for Sam to those idiot kids who always seemed to tease him left and right. But no more. He's got the upper hand. And he's only going to get stronger.

"You used it for defense. That's what matters." I hugged him to me with such a smile, so happy that this kid I care so much about is actually going places he wants to go. He's a warrior. He just doesn't know it yet.

"I have something I want to give you that I wore for my first karate championship. You deserve it." I followed them outside and simply watched from the sidelines as Johnny handed over the mantle to Miguel, a big move I never thought Johnny would do. Miguel means so much to him. But there's also another kid he needs to be that way with.

"Robby?" With his skateboard in hand, he rounded the corner and out of sight once he took one good look at the shared moment between his dad and Miguel, hurting my heart so much for the kid who just longs to have a good relationship with his dad.

"Wait! Robby." I stopped midway down the sidewalk, turning towards me with such an expression on his face. One of hurt feelings. But also, one of a toughness that's exactly like his dads.

"I'm glad you're here! Is everything okay?" He sighed in defeat, clearly rethinking fleeing away from the scene, breaking down his walls more and more. All I wanted to do, was help him.

"Yeah. I was just riding over here and thought I'd stop. But dad seems busy." He leaned against the wall with our bodies out of sight from Johnny and Miguel, hearing the ping of the door from the dojo as they entered the building.

"No! It's just a normal class. You should come by. When you're ready. Also, here's this. If you ever need to talk. Okay?" I wrote my number on a piece of paper just folded in my pocket, handing it to Robby to hopefully help him somehow to not feel so alone. He seemed surprised. But hopeful.

"Thanks Nancy." And with that, he left to venture on to whatever he felt like doing, leaving me to my own thoughts. And knowing exactly where I needed to go to clear my head.
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"I'm sorry it's been a few days since I came by. Things have been so hectic. But...... I knew you were the right person to come to." I brushed some stray leaves from the top of Mr. Miyagi's headstone, the gentle breeze of the day ruffling my hair. The bonsai tree Daniel and I had picked out just for his grave was in need of cutting, immediately pulling out my trimmers to get to work while just enjoying the peacefulness of knowing he was here still. Always around us.

"Your advice still lingers in my mind. You gave the best advice I've ever heard. I wish you were here......." A single tear escaped my eye from the words leaving my lips, wishing more than anything that he was here to help get me through the hard times i keep finding myself in. He always had all the answers.

"It seems we still think alike huh?" I wiped the tears from my face upon the sight of Daniel coming up the hill to join me, seeing that some things really never do change.

"Yeah, that's for sure. Like brother like sister." I smiled a little once I rose from the ground, having trimmed some of the tree, a coping mechanism I've had since the day Mr. Miyagi taught me the proper way of doing it. My phone buzzed in my pocket the minute I rose, alerting me to a missed call and voicemail from Johnny.

"Hey Nance. I hope you're okay. I know things are rough. But, we got this. I..... uh, I love you." The voicemail took me by surprise, always getting a flutter in my heart from hearing those words out of him since day one. I looked up to Daniel with a tiny smile with Johnny's voicemail lingering in my mind, my puffy eyes stinging in the air of the outdoors. He suddenly hugged me with a tightness, clinging to one another with so much love that could never diminish.

"Mr. Miyagi always told me to go after what I love. Follow my heart. Even if things crumble, I have to build it back up. And with Johnny, I am Danny. I finally found a place that I can call home because of him. And I can't let that go." We pulled apart with the sudden rush of wind around us, seeing a single strand of the bonsai tree that I had cut landing perfectly on my shoulder like a message. A message of hope.