Theo wanted to celebrate his win but the doctors had told him not to strain himself and sit out of training for at least a week while icing his leg, so after dropping Brandon back off at Tory's apartment, she drove the both of them back to Theo's.

The car ride was shared in comfortable silence, but Theo was battling with his thoughts. He'd seen his mother for the first time in eleven years. His supposedly dead mother. He looked for her once the tournament was over, but he couldn't find her.

"You okay?" Tory asked him gently. Theo had already filled her in on the matter.

"Just aching," he smiled, grabbing her hand which was on the gearstick. "Thank you," he muttered, gently lifting her hand and kissing her knuckles.

"For what?" Tory asked, smiling as she pulled into Theo's apartment complex.

"Everything."

Tory blushed, feeling a warmth spread through her as Theo's words reached her heart. She parked the car and turned off the engine, but they lingered inside for a moment, not quite ready to face whatever awaited them outside.

They shared a lingering gaze, a silent understanding passing between them. The excitement of the tournament and the intensity of their connection had left them yearning for a moment of solace.

Without a word, Theo leaned in closer, capturing Tory's lips in a tender kiss. Time seemed to stand still as they lost themselves in the embrace, their worries and fears momentarily forgotten.

Eventually, they pulled away, their foreheads resting against each other's. Their breaths mingled in the confined space of the car, their hearts beating in sync. With a gentle smile, Theo whispered, "I needed that."

Tory nodded, her eyes sparkling with affection. "Me too."

As they stepped out of the car, hand in hand, they were met with a surprising sight. A figure, leaning against Theo's front door, smoking a cigarette, came into view. The dim glow of the streetlights revealed the face of a woman - Elise Kreese.

Theo froze, his heart pounding in his chest. It was her, really her. Conflicting emotions surged within him, a mix of anger, curiosity, and a glimmer of hope.

Tory stood by his side, her grip on his hand tightening in silent support. She could sense the whirlwind of emotions Theo was experiencing and knew that this moment was pivotal for him.

Elise took a final drag from her cigarette and flicked it onto the pavement, her gaze fixated on Theo. The years had etched lines on her face, but there was a familiar intensity in her eyes. She pushed herself off the door, taking a step forward.

"Theo," she said, her voice carrying a mixture of sorrow and regret. "My baby boy. Can we talk?"

Theo's mind raced, torn between the desire to confront his mother and the fear of reopening old wounds. He looked at Tory, searching for guidance, and found unwavering support in her eyes.

Taking a deep breath, he nodded, his voice filled with determination. "Alright, let's talk."

"Cami, Kai and Freddie are on a trip," said Theo as he unlocked his front door. "Come in," Theo entered, quickly followed by Tory.

Elise sighed anxiously, entering the apartment to see Theo putting his first place trophy and his bag on the dining table. Scanning around, Elise could see that the apartment her son and his friends owned was quite tidy, which surprised her considering they were a bunch of teenagers. There were still three pizza boxes on the kitchen counter along with a few empty cans of Heineken that had missed the bin, and a few stains lined the walls and ceilings she assumed were from dampness seeping in.

"I'm Elise, by the way," the older woman said to Tory, smiling at their linked hands. "I'm Theo's mom."

"I'm Tory, his girlfriend," Tory smiled back slightly as she went to freezer to grab an ice pack for Theo's head and a small bruise he had on his eye.

"I'm proud of you, I hope you know that," Elise said to Theo, noting his silence. "All Valley champion, musician, you're doing great."

"Why did you leave me?" Theo asked bluntly, his voice cracking slightly as Tory passed him the ice pack.

"Remember the bad men I told you about that I worked with in college?" Elise asked, sitting on the armchair opposite Theo. When Theo nodded, she continued, "well I continued working with them once you were born, I needed the money, but after a while I wanted to go straight. I went to the cops."

"They found out and put a hit on my head, the cops put me in witness protection," Elise finished, teary eyed as she watched her son. "You were my boy, Theo, my whole world, I never wanted to leave you."

"I buried you! I mourned your death!" Theo's sudden outburst shocked her, but she understood.

Elise reached out, her hand trembling, wanting to comfort her son in his pain. "I know, Theo. I can't even begin to imagine the pain and confusion you must have felt all these years. I wish I could have spared you from that."

Tory remained by Theo's side, her presence a steady anchor amidst the storm of emotions. She squeezed his hand gently, silently reminding him that he was not alone.

"I understand if you can't forgive me," Elise continued, her voice filled with remorse. "I don't deserve your forgiveness after everything I put you through. But I want you to know that I have regretted my choices every day since. I've carried the weight of my mistakes, and it's haunted me."

Theo's anger began to subside, replaced by a mix of sadness and longing. He looked into his mother's eyes, searching for any signs of deception or insincerity. But all he saw was genuine remorse and love.

"I don't know if I can forgive you right away," Theo admitted, his voice tinged with vulnerability. "But I want to understand. I want to know everything. Why did you choose to come back now?"

Elise took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. "After all these years living in fear and isolation, I realised that running away didn't solve anything. I couldn't escape the guilt and the longing for my son. I wanted to be there for you, to make things right if I could."

Tory gently placed the ice pack on Theo's bruise, her touch soothing his pain. Theo nodded, his heart heavy with conflicting emotions.

"I need time," he finally said, his voice steady. "But I'm willing to listen, to hear your side of the story."

Elise nodded, tears streaming down her face. "Thank you, Theo. That's all I can ask for."

—————

"So I get my license next week," Hawk was telling Theo and Miguel as they walked up to the dojo after having a day off. Theo's leg was already mostly healed so he thought he'd try it out. "My mom's going to give me her Sentra. I'm thinking about putting a blue racing stripe down the middle, hood to tail."

"Subtle, I like it," Theo and Miguel said at the same time. They still hadn't talked since the incident at the canyon.

"Looks like we got some new students," Miguel mentioned, seeing a group lined up outside.

"Fresh fish," Hawk smirked, slapping both boys on the chest. "Hey, mouth-breathers, move it!" Hawk called out.

"Sorry about that," the one boy said.

"I'll get the door," the other boy said.

"So you guys wanna be Cobra Kais, huh?" Hawk asked them, faking a punch which made them both flinch. "You got a long road ahead of you."

"What the hell happened here?" Miguel asked, looking at where a mirror used to be and the scorch marks up the walls.

"Looks like Sensei threw a party," said Aisha when she met them.

"Must've been pretty sick if fire got involved," Hawk smirked. Theo knew the real reason behind the mess. His grandfather.

"Quiet!" Johnny yelled, walking out of his office. "The dojo's closed to new students today."

"We just wanted to sign up after we saw the tournament," the one boy said.

"Do I need to say it again?" Johnny asked irritably. "Get out."

"Yes, sir... Sensei," he said, rushing out with his friend.

"Let's go, move it. Come back tomorrow... and bring your checkbooks!" Johnny called after them. "Everyone, fall in."

"Must've been a rager, Sensei," said Hawk, falling in between Theo and Miguel.

"Yeah, were you celebrating all weekend?" Miguel asked.

"Celebrating what?" Johnny spat at them. "My students are a bunch of pussies?" Johnny asked rhetorically. "LaRusso, Hawk, up front. Hawk, did you attack your opponent when his back was turned?"

"Yes, Sensei."

"LaRusso, did you purposely attack your opponent's injury?" Johnny stared him down. "You think it's badass how you deliberately used your opponents injury to your advantage?"

"In my defence, he used my injury first," Theo shrugged calmly. "Besides, a man can't throw a punch, he can't fight."

"You think that makes you badass?" Johnny repeated the question.

"I think I didn't win three championships because I backed out of a final because my opponent couldn't handle an injury," Theo spat back, irritated.

"Ms. Robinson," said Johnny, his jaw clenching as he turned towards Aisha. "Two cobras in the jungle. One kills the strongest lion. The other kills a crippled monkey. Which cobra do you wanna be?"

"The one that kills the lion, Sensei," said Aisha, looking apologetically at Theo stared at the ground.

"And why is that?"

"Because it killed a stronger animal," Aisha shrugged.

"Correct," Johnny nodded. "Cobra Kai is about being badass. And the baddest badass is the one who beats his opponent when he's at his strongest. Not when his back is turned, not when he's injured. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Sensei!" The others said, all beside Theo.

"That means no more cheating. No more fighting dirty. From here on out, those are pussy moves, and you don't wanna be pussies, do you?"

"No, Sensei."

"Good," Johnny nodded, noting Theo's face. "We have a problem, LaRusso?"

"Yes, Sensei," Theo nodded, not backing down. "I was injured too, you saw how Daniel told him to sweep my leg, you defended me. Why the sudden change of heart?"

"No comment," Johnny gritted his teeth. "It's why I had you wear white belts, we're starting over. LaRusso, Hawk, 50 push-ups on your knuckles. Ms. Robinson,
warm them up."

"Yes, Sensei."

—————

"What the hell was that!?" Elise asked when she stormed into Cobra Kai after dark. "Theo just told me how you punished him for utilising Keene's injury after Keene nearly broke his fucking leg!"

"Hello to you too, Elise," Johnny rolled his eyes, continuing to flick through his paperwork. "You disappear for ten years and no "hello, Johnny, how's things been?" or-?"

"Hello Johnny, how's things been?" Elise asked sarcastically, slamming her hands on the desk. "You seen Daniel tell Keene to sweep Theo's injured leg, the fucking hypocrite! And now you punish Theo for retaliating?!"

Elise's anger radiated through the room as she confronted Johnny. The tension between them was palpable, fueled by years of unresolved issues and conflicting loyalties.

Johnny looked up from his paperwork, his face a mix of frustration and confusion. "Look, Elise, I get that you're upset, but things aren't always black and white. There's more to the story than you know."

Elise scoffed, her voice dripping with disbelief. "Oh, I'm sure there's some convoluted explanation for why you thought it was okay to punish my son for defending himself. Enlighten me, Johnny. I'm all ears."

Johnny took a deep breath, trying to maintain his composure. "First of all, this doesn't justify Theo's actions. We teach our students to show restraint, to rise above the urge for revenge."

"Oh? So what happened to No Mercy?" She asked, folding her arms. "Strike First, Strike Hard, No Mercy, three words my father instilled in all of us."

"This isn't John Kreese's Cobra Kai," Johnny sighed.

"No, this Johnny Lawrence's Cobra Kai," Elise scoffed. "Where it's okay to show No Mercy unless it's against his own son!"

"How did you-?"

"Shannon is my best friend, you think she wouldn't tell me when some deadbeat, drunk asshole who I used to spar with knocked her up?" Elise cut him off. She was about to say more when the door opened and Kreese walked in, carrying a bag.

"I just wanna say one thing, and then I'll leave," Kreese said, staring between Elise and Johnny, getting a sense of Deja vu.

"Yeah, what is it?" Johnny asked tiredly, having dealt with three Kreese's today.

"I'm sorry," Kreese began. "I realised that I was too hard on you. You were young, and I went overboard. You were my second best student. You had so much potential. I just couldn't stand seeing you lose," Kreese smiled sadly. I know I could be a tough son of a bitch, but if you'd seen some of the things that I've seen... Well, that doesn't change what I did," Kreese shrugged.

"For years, I've regretted that night. But when I heard that you brought back Cobra Kai, I thought maybe this could be a shot for me to redeem myself," Kreese looked around, his eyes stopping on the logo. "'Cause believe me, there ain't nothing Elise and I'd like more in this world than to have another chance. I understand if you never want to see us again. But just remember, I am the guy who always rooted for you," Kreese turned, shading one last look with his daughter before turning back around.

"Uh... I almost forgot," Kreese reached into his bag and pulled out Johnny's 1984 second place trophy. "I fixed it for you. It may say second place, but in my opinion, you were always the better fighter."

"I never got one because I didn't allow myself to lose," Elise joked, thinking back to when she broke her ankle before the 1984 All Valley.

"See you, kid," Kreese turned and left, which Johnny rushed out after him, leaving Elise in the dojo.