─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───

"yo, guys." kyler announced. tabitha glanced up at him from the ground, stretching her legs. "my boy rory, he got some free tickets to the drive-in tonight. i they're going old school with this, something called bloodsport?"

"i know that movie." robby spoke up. "my dad left an old vhs at our place."

"it's a classic." tabitha commented.

"for a while it was the only evidence i had that he existed." robby said, making tabitha give him a look of disdain. "way to kill the mood." she said, making him roll his eyes.

"well i heard it's dope. so, if you guys are in, let's do this." kyler offered.

"depends on how late i have to work tonight." tory told them. "my new boss put me on the schedule for today. guy's a total creep."

"you want me to come with you?" tabby offered. "come with me to work?" tory asked her, "no, i think it'll be okay. you've got therapy anyways, right?"

"oh yeah, you're right."

"you got a new job? where you working?" robby asked.

"it's none of your business." the blonde seethed, making tabitha snicker. "he's so nosy." the girl said.

tory nodded in agreement, "right?" the two's friendship was mending at a good pace. the week away from each other helped soften the awkwardness between them.

"okay." robby scoffed. his attention was stolen by kenny, who was sulking as he entered the dojo. "look who made it. what's up?" robby asked the boy.

kenny sighed. "i was at the high school yesterday and these older kids started messing with me. one guy told me i should quit cobra kai."

"who was he?" robby asked.

"i don't know." kenny shook his head. "he had this spiky red hair."

"hawk." tabitha spoke, getting to her feet. tory scoffed at the mention of his name. "we still owe that judas some payback." she reminded everyone.

"hell yeah." kyler chuckled, pushing his knuckle into his palm to crack it.

"everyone fall in." kreese ordered, stepping into the room. they all followed his instructions, moving into formation. "as you know, our enemies are working together. they are combining their styles
to beat us. but they are destined to fail. because there is only one way. and what is that way?"

"the way of the fist, sir!" they all exclaimed. all but tabby, she remained silent and sensei kreese didn't seem to notice as she was situated in the back row.

"exactly." kreese nodded. "however, that doesn't mean that we can't double down. class meet sensei terry silver." he said. at the mention of the familiar name, tabitha's posture unconsciously straightened and she almost resembled a soldier. "co-founder of cobra kai and one of the most ferocious fighters in the history of the sport. together, we built cobra kai from the ground up, and now he is here to help you prepare for the all valley."

"thank you, sensei kreese. it's an honor to be here." terry silver said. his eyes landed on his granddaughter. "i must admit, at first i was reluctant to return. but when i heard the news of a particular student training here, i knew i had to come and see. come up here, my dear."

the room fell silent, and tabitha's eyes widened in shock. she hadn't seen her grandfather in years. for a moment, she stood frozen, then broke into a wide smile. she pushed through a few students, running towards him and he opened his arms just as she reached him.

everyone was extremely confused at the interaction, but kreese just grinned, knowing his plan was working. he could feel tabitha's loyalty to cobra kai wavering and once he discovered the connection between the two, kreese increased his efforts in convincing terry silver to come back.

just the mention of tabitha brooks was the final push silver needed to return to cobra kai. kreese managed to kill two birds with one stone. "looks like this is a family reunion." kreese said with a satisfied smirk.

"so, she's like a nepotism baby?" kyler whispered to tory. but the blonde girl wasn't paying any attention, this was the famous grandfather that tabitha constantly mentioned.

"you have no idea how much i've missed you." tabitha said.

"i've missed you too, tabitha. we have a lot of catching up to do." silver nodded as he pulled out from the hug and faced the rest of the students.

"now, miss silver here is a prime example of what cobra kai can achieve." kreese told his students. her head shot over to him, taken aback by the use of her legal name. "with two senseis, you will receive twice the instruction." kreese said. "that means twice the work. and if you are not prepared to put in 200%, then you can leave right now."

"but if you dig in and follow our lead, we're gonna take you to the next level." silver concluded, gently shaking the girl's shoulder. "isn't that right, tabitha?"

"yes, sensei!"

∙ ~εïз~ ∙

silver was perched in sensei kreese's seat behind his desk while tabitha had pulled up a chair. she was sat like a doll, her back up straight and her arms in her lap. the lesson had ended, and the dojo was quiet.

"so, dear, how have you been?" silver asked the girl. "it's been too long."

"it really has." she smiled. words would fail to describe how happy she was to see the man. "a lot has happened since you left. i've really missed our training sessions."

"i've missed them too. you were always one of my best students." he told her. "but i've heard you've had a rough time recently."

"yeah, i got into some trouble again." tabitha frowned. "next thing i knew i had violated my parole and was shipped to juvie for a week."

"i see." silver nodded. "kreese mentioned something about it. he said you showed real skill, but you need to learn to control your anger."

"i know that now." she agreed. "it's just... really hard sometimes? everything just boils over, and i can't really stop myself."

"that's why i'm here, sweetheart." he reassured her. his words sparked a feeling of hope in her. while her medication and therapy was helping, nothing could replace the euphoric feeling she got from training with her grandfather. "i want to help you harness that anger, to use it as a weapon instead of letting it control you."

"i think that would be really good for me." she told the man. "i'm just glad you're back. i feel like i need you now more than ever."

"not a day went past that i didn't think of you and your brother." silver told her. "i apologise for leaving you guys so abruptly. but i want you to know that i'm here for you, always. we're family."

"i want to be the best, grandpa." she said, determination evident in her tone. "i want to make you proud."

"you already do, tabitha." silver reassured her. "but uh... do you mind not mentioning my return to your mother and theodore just yet? i'd much rather surprise them."

tabitha immediately nodded, not thinking much of his request. "yes, of course."

"good. now sensei kreese and i can take you to new heights." silver explained. "with the right training and discipline, you'll be unstoppable."

"i'm ready." tabby told him. "i'll do—" she was interrupted by the sound of a crash coming from the back room. the two shared a look before rushing up from the desk chairs. they walked over to see robby helping kenny up to his feet.

"over at miyagi-do, i was taught you can learn all the moves, but none of that matters unless you have balance." robby told the younger boy. "understood?"

"yeah." kenny nodded.

silver chuckled from the doorframe, making robby look back to see the two. "it's... it's a cobra kai lesson." he stuttered. "i was just using a miyagi-do—"

"it's okay." silver said, stepping into the room. "balance is crucial. a man can't stand?" silver started. tabitha glanced over to him, knowing exactly what came next. "he can't fight." she finished.

"precisely." silver nodded. he walked forward to kenny, "could you two give mr keene and me a moment alone."

"yes, sensei." the two said in unison as they bowed. tabitha pivoted on her heel and exited the room, kenny trailing behind. "is he really your grandfather?" kenny questioned, following behind the girl.

"yeah."

"that's what i thought." kenny nodded. "people said your dad, your uncle... someone even said your brother."

"that was big red, wasn't it?" she asked, pulling her bag and converse off the ground. "he's such an idiot. don't listen to anything that comes out of his mouth."

kenny chuckled. "i won't."

"want me to walk you home?" tabitha suggested. "you only live a block away from 'mine."

"really?" kenny questioned. "yeah—yeah. that would be cool. thanks."

─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───

dr shah sat across from tabby, his notepad resting on his knee. tabitha leaned back in her chair, the happiness room seeing terry silver still buzzing inside of her.

"welcom, tabitha." dr shah greeted. "it feels good seeing you in a different environment. how have you been?"

"i've been... okay." she said. "i have some news, actually."

"go ahead. i'm listening." dr shah nodded. the girl leaned forward on the table. "i'm back in cobra kai." she confessed.

"oh?" dr shah raised his eyebrow with surprise. "i thought you were considering quitting."

"i was, after everything that happened, i thought maybe it was time to move on." tabitha said. "but then... my grandfather came back."

"terry silver?"

"yeah." she grinned. "he's the new co-sensei at cobra kai. seeing him again made me realise how much i missed training with him. it's like everything just makes sense now."

"tabitha, i understand that your grandfather means a lot to you, but i have to ask... are you sure this is the right environment for you?" dr shah said slowly, choosing his words carefully.

"yes, cobra kai isn't the greatest." tabitha sad with acknowledgment. "but i found out today that grandpa actually co-founded cobra kai. now, i feel like that's where i belong."

"i understand that. but we've talked about how some of the teachings there can exacerbate your anger and aggression." dr shah reminded her. "aren't you worried about that?"

"not really." she spoke, honestly. "with grandpa there, it feels different. he believes in me, and he'll know how to help me channel my anger, use it to my advantage."

"but—"

"you don't get it." tabitha shook her head with frustration. "he's family. he believes in me. i need that right now."

"i understand the importance of family support." dr shah said, gently. "but remember, samantha offered to be civil, to help you find a different path. have you thought about that?"

"yeah, i have." tabitha said, looking down. "but it's not that simple. with grandpa back, i feel like i have a real chance to become stronger, better.

"being strong isn't just about physical power, tabitha. it's also about emotional resilience and making choices that are good for you." dr shah explained. "i'm not saying you can't train, but perhaps there's a way to do it that doesn't involve cobra kai's more violet tendencies."

"i don't think i'm ready to give up on cobra kai yet. not with grandpa there." tabitha admitted. "he's different from kreese. he won't lead me down a bad path."

"alright. just make sure you'll keep an open mind about other options, and remember that samantha's offer is still on the table." dr shah said. tabitha nodded with agreement. "i will."

"and is there anything else you'd like to mention this session?" dr shah asked her. the girl paused, thinking about rowan. "no, there's not." she said.

─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───

"you seem... happier." robby stated. he and tabitha were in the front seat of the car, while tory was perched in the backseat. tabitha glanced over to him with a smile. "i'm just glad to have my grandpa back. how was your one on one with him?"

"he's definitely intense." robby said. "he kicked my ass in seconds. but he helped me realise something."

"that's good then. he's—he's good like that." tabitha nodded. "he was actually the one to show me this movie." she said, turning to face the big screen.

"yeah?" robby questioned, his eyes on her rather than the movie. the last time he saw her like this, they were at his house high on marijuana.

"mhm." tabitha said. she then noticed that tory hadn't spoken much since they drove up to the car park. "you okay? not enjoying the movie?" tabitha questioned, turning around to look at her.

tory shook her head, sitting up straighter. "no, it's fine. i just had a shitty day." she explained.

"i'd ask but... it's none of my business." robby spoke, looking at the girl through the rear view window. "just want to show you guys that i'm not as nosy as you think."

"yeah, i'll believe it when i see it." tabitha grinned. "tory, you wanna talk about it?" she offered.

"no, not right now." she shook her head.

"give me two buckets of popcorn with butter, four large cokes, two hotdogs with mustard, no ketchup, and a pretzel." they heard kyler announce from the vehicle beside them.

"but i can't carry—" kenny started.

"oh and some nachos with extra cheese and jalapeño poppers, all right?" kyler finished. "hurry up, man."

tabitha scoffed, putting her head through the open window. "you feeding a family in there, kyler?" she asked as robby stepped out of the car to speak to kenny.

"i mean, the pretzel was for you." kyler told her. "but i can take it back if—"

"no, no." tabitha cut him off. "that's fine with me." she nodded, sitting back down in the car. "i don't know why he's putting kenny through hell, he's already earned his spot on the team."

"i don't know why he does anything." tory said in agreement as robby stepped back into the driver's seat. "you know, he made me stand in line with him the other day for another pair of nikes."

"another! doesn't he have like thirty?" tabby chuckled. "i swear, every practice he comes in with a new pair."

the girl shrugged, "beats me."

"what are you guys talking about?" robby questioned. the two stifled a laugh. "so much for not being nosy anymore." tabby chuckled.

robby sighed, glancing past her shoulder to see how kenny was getting on with all the food he had to retrieve. "i don't even know why i bother." he sighed.

"neither do i." tabby smiled.

"that piece of shit." the boy seethed. tabby's face fell at his venomous words. "what the hell did you just call me?"

"not you." robby told her, pushing the car door open. the two girls shared a glance as he stepped out before watching to see where he went. tabitha saw that he had approached hawk, and two other members of his team. the pair of girls exited the vehicle and tory didn't hesitate to alert their teammates.

once they had all gathered around, they followed her to the confrontation. "you betrayed miyagi-do." they heard nate exclaim, "traitor!"

"oh, there's a traitor here for sure." tory announced, walking over. "he's gonna get what he deserves." hawk looked up but not at tory, his eyes were fixated on his old friend. but tabitha was staring at the ground, she didn't really feel like doing this whole conversation.

"i don't think so." sam jogged over. theo and their other friends by her side. miguel and theo shared a look of bewilderment, they didn't expect tabitha to be with the cobra kais. "not if i have anything to say about it, princess." sam seethed.

"hey, guys." demetri called out. "can you believe that they have mr pibb and dr pepper?" he realised the tense position everyone was in. "oh shit. not another rumble."

"careful, larusso. your mommy isn't here to play peacemaker." tory warned.

"what's that supposed to mean?"

"guys stop. okay? we can't do this." miguel shook his head. "we'll beat them on the mat."

"oh really?" robby challenged. "you remember what happened the last time we fought, right?" tabby glanced over to him, complete shocked by his words.

"okay. meet us at the baseball diamond in 30 minutes." miguel informed them. he glanced over to tory, "and no weapons."

"yeah, we won't need them."

"yeah."

"let's go." robby ordered. as everyone turned around to walk away, they hadn't noticed that miguel and tabitha had stayed put. the two stood opposite one another, no words exchanged between them. after a few moments, miguel spoke up. "so, you're back in cobra kai."

tabitha sighed. "it's not what you think. i was going to take a break... but then something happened."

"what happened?" he asked. tabitha was about to tell him everything, but she remembered that her grandfather wanted it to be a secret. "i can't tell you." she whispered.

"tabby, you know you can talk to me." miguel told her. "it doesn't matter how bad it is."

"but it's not bad." tabitha said. "it's good, it's really good." she said. miguel nodded, taking her word for it as he could see how elated she was. "well, then i'm happy for you."

"thank you." she said. "uh, well. i think i'm gonna go home now."

"you're not going to the baseball diamond?" he asked her. tabitha shook her head. "no, i'm too tired. and um, you shouldn't go either." she suggested.

"i won't be." miguel reassured her. she gave him a curt nod and turned around, ready to walk away. "tabby!" miguel called out, making her pause. "i've really missed talking to you."

she hesitated before slowly looking back at him. "me too." tabby said before she continued to walk away.

⎯ ❃ jania speaks! UNEDITED
SILVER IS FINALLY HERE GUYS!! actwr 34 good long chapters
her questioning her loyalty to cobra kai and acknowledging its violence is the first step to the removal of her deep rooted brainwashing!!!!
tabiguel tease at the end 😝😝