Pride & Prejudice

Hi there, this is my first fanfic and my first attempt at writing romance. And what better to start, than with inspiration from a classic. Especially one, that, in a way, fits two of my favourite characters from the PR universe. While it's probably been rewritten to death, here's my take on Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, starring the voluminous cast of Power Rangers. From MMPR to Beast Morphers - rangers, allies and villains alike will find their way into this tale. One that will definitely take some twists and unexpected turns but will still, hopefully, capture the essence and heart of the well-loved classic.

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers or Pride & Prejudice.

Chapter 1: Tickets & Theatrics

The silver sedan cruised through the nearly empty streets of Turtle Cove, the young woman at the wheel adjusted her sunglasses and checked her watch. She was cutting it close but her trusty shortcuts had yet to fail her. She rounded a curb and let the car pick up speed with a mischievous smile playing on her lips. Suddenly, a black SUV shot out of the cross lane startling her into hitting the breaks. She jerked forward against her seat belt and took a second to take a deep breath as she settled back with a an exasperated look on her face. When the SUV pulled to a stop not far off, she got out of the car, slammed the door and stalked towards it, her boots urgently clicking against the asphalt.

"Hey!" she called out to the driver as she rounded on his window. "What's the big idea? Didn't anyone teach you how to use a horn?!"

The dark haired driver turned towards her revealing chiselled features mostly hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. Someone slipped into the passenger seat but she ignored them glaring at the driver from behind her own glasses.

"Didn't anyone teach you not to park in the middle of the street?" he countered, a smirk adorning his face as he nodded towards her car before rolling up the window and driving off.

Her eyes widened and she whipped around to see a policeman parked beside her car writing her a ticket. She hadn't realised she'd stopped not just in the middle of the street but over a crossing as well. She turned around with heaving shoulders and an angry scowl as she watched the SUV disappear around the next turn before turning back with a resigned sigh and walked back to the car.

"Where is that girl?"

Rita Earhardt narrowed her dark eyes as her watch as she impatiently tapped her heels against the kitchen floor. The chime of the doorbell echoed through house caught her attention, immediately, she straightened up and frantically soothed down her copper-hued dress before pulling her white blazer a little tighter over her plump frame. Her hands shot to her head patting down her dark locks making sure not a strand was out of place. Finally, she rearranged her scowl into a welcoming smile and turned on her heel,marching back into the foyer, just in time to shove her husband out of the way and open the door.

"Adelle," she screeched with joy as a dark skinned woman stepped through the doorway and hugged her.

"If I didn't know better, I would have never believed you two last saw each other yesterday," chuckled the dark skinned man standing behind her friend.

"Don't be silly Mason, we saw each other this morning," she countered, before turning to greet the young man and woman standing behind them.

The two men shared a look but said nothing as they shook hands before standing aside to let the others pass into the living room. Rita hung back in the doorway watching with hawk-like eyes as each of her daughters rose to greet their guests, nodding to herself at their impeccable manners before joining in.

Adelle's daughter Katie, a tall, dark-skinned beauty who had inherited her mother's curls immediately sought out her eldest, Jen, who she was pleased to note looked resplendent in a casual pink dress. But Jen always did, she had always been the prettiest, most popular girl at school, no, the city. And as her mother,Rita was extremely proud.

Her youngests immediately flanked Katie's brother which didn't surprise her, they knew how to appreciate a good looking man. Tall, dark and handsome with curly locks, that's exactly what Scott Truman was. A smart and admirable young man, he had followed his father and elder brother into the Air Force and was definitely a catch for any young woman.

Now if only her girls could exercise a little restraint. There was nothing wrong with giving a man a little attention but it was just as important to make him work for your attention. Marah, who like Jen, had inherited her beautiful dark hair from her was the slightly quieter of the two but her little darling Kapri could always be counted on to bring out her sister's competitive side and keep her in the know of all the latest trends. In Rita's opinion, it was healthy for a young girl to fit in and be one of the popular girls. That's why she raised no objection to her daughter dying her already beautiful blonde locks pink.

Adelle gently asked Rose how she was doing but received no reply. Rita scowled as Jen gently elbowed her sister bringing her out of her day dream to politely ask their guest to repeat her question. Her eyes narrowed at her middle child before catching herself and rearranging her features. Rose was the complete opposite of her younger sisters. She preferred the company of books to people - definitely her father's daughter in that regard - and didn't fret over her appearance further than what she had determined was functional and necessary. The girl was intelligent beyond compare, finishing school the same time as her eldest sister, despite the four year age difference. But what good did that do? All she did was talk about science and robots and things that other people didn't understand. She had been teaching in a prestigious college in London until she unexpectedly came home.

"Taylor?"

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard Scott address her second eldest as she entered the room. Of all her daughters she had to things her own way and was the only one who dared to be…

"I'm not late," the blonde pointed out as she met her eyes.

"Just exactly on time, as always," her husband pointed out as he rose from his seat and joined his daughter putting his arm around her and leading her inside.

Rita rolled her eyes at father and daughter. In Zedd's eyes Taylor could do no wrong. Tall with long blonde hair and blue eyes that she shared with her father, she was the one that was most like him. Stubborn, headstrong and resolute. And of course there was the militant approach to everything, though that had a lot to do with her being in the Air Force. Not the most ideal occupation for a young woman but Taylor was determined and her father, being a former army man himself, gave her his full support. She had tried her best to deter the idea but found herself outnumbered.

Her scowl deepened as she watched her daughter greet their guests. While there was by no means anything scruffy about her appearance, she wished she had chosen something other than a crisp yellow shirt and jeans. It was so unbecoming of a lady. Luckily their guests knew enough not to take it as a personal offence.

"When did you get home?" asked Mason. "I'm surprised Zedd didn't mention it earlier."

"Just yesterday. It was an unplanned visit, so he had no idea."

"That's wonderful, will you be home all summer?" asked Adelle cheerfully.

She nodded just as Mason demanded to know whether the Air Force was now sanctioning unplanned leaves without emergencies.

"It was their idea Colonel. My apologies but I can't say anymore than that," she replied without missing a beat before turning to Scott and asking how long he was in town for.

"I leave just after the Summer Ball."

"Which is great because we need all the help we can get," Katie piped up. "And now that you're here, you can help too."

Rita caught the two pilots sharing a look before Taylor quickly turned away to speak to the Colonel but Scott seemed quite content to keep his eyes focused on her, bringing a small smile to the elder woman's face.

"You're so lucky to have her stationed so close by, poor Scott is all the way in Corinth. My dear Marcus couldn't even get leave to come home. My only consolation is that my boys are together."

She turned to her friend, gracefully placing her hand over her heart. "Oh Elle, I know exactly how you feel. Reefside maybe nearby but we haven't seen Taylor for months. This visit took us all by surprise, but that just means she'll be off doing something important when she leaves us again. It's not an ideal situation but our children are doing what they love, and even though it scares us, we must support them."

She could feel her husband's and daughters' eyes on her but kept her's focused on her friend, offering her a comforting smile and she reached out to squeeze her hand. She may not approve of her daughter being a fighter pilot but there was no way she would let her friend get one over her.

"Rightly said Rita. You shouldn't worry about Marcus Elle, he has a duty to uphold. He'll be home when he can," Mason added, receiving a frown from his wife.

Rita didn't miss the eye roll from Scott as well and excused herself to go check on dinner. She enjoyed someone else's family drama just as much as the next person, but there was no need for it to unravel in her living room. And a delicious home cooked meal was sure to put everyone in good spirits.

That's it for now. I do hope you enjoyed. Please do let me know what you think. Criticism, suggestions and queries are welcome.

Till next time…