SUMMARY:My shot at the Ars Amatoria Challenge: A look at the intense, sizzling, and sometimes puzzling relationship between Xander and Vida from PRMF.

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters from PRMF, or any of the Power Ranger incarnations for that fact, because if I did I would do some of my long-held dreams. For instance, I'd bring back some of my favorite characters for Ranger reunions or do short looks at what happened to past teams and couples or… okay, I'll stop and let you read on and enjoy… NOTE: This disclaimer is for the entire fic.!! If you need a reminder come back and look at this chapter and you'll see that in no way do I own Power Rangers!! Remember: I Don't Own Power Rangers!!!

"…": characters talking to each other

'…': characters talking to themselves

(…): extra facts about something in the story

Puzzling Romance

(Starts after the episode "Petrified Xander")

Theme 1:Friends

Rock Porium, October 25, 2006, 12:25 PM – Briarwood, CA, USA

Xander Bly threw himself into his "supervising chair" and picked up a skateboard magazine, thumbing through for a good article, but after a few minutes threw it onto the small table beside his chair. He chose instead to rest his chin in his hands and reflect on what just happened.

'Vida and I connected on a level that was completely unknown to both of us; a level that transpires mere friendship…' Xander's thoughts slowly drifted from the present into the mists of time where he found himself looking at a memory; the memory of his first meeting with Vida Rocca…

FLASHBACK

Briarwood Elementary School, September 25, 1996, 8:00 AM – Briarwood, CA, USA

Eight-year old Xander, clothed in light blue jean shorts, a dark green tee-shirt, and white sneakers, a backpack complete with a picture of the green Zeo Ranger on his back, stared up at the large school in front of him, his dark chocolate eyes wide in disbelief.

"Blimey… this school is a lot bigger than my old one…" he breathed in amazement, his accent more noticeable, taking in every detail from the black and white bricks to the light stone steps and light brown doors. Xander and his family had recently moved to Briarwood, CA from a small town on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia because his dad had gotten a new job as assistant engineer in the town. At first, Xander had been scared stiff in his new home, considering he had left behind everything that was familiar and come to a town where he knew absolutely no one. However, he had lightened up considerably when he had become best friends with his next-door neighbor Chip Thorn almost off the bat.

"I wonder where Chip is…" Xander mused as he started to walk towards the steps of the school, a bit scared to start second grade at a brand new school. Xander had almost reached the doors – leaving a crumbled and dust-like path of dry leaves behind him – when he felt something tackle him around the waist. Xander let out an "oomph" as he fell, his left knee scraping the ground.

"Gotcha Chip!" came a girl's voice, the source currently sitting on top of Xander. Xander tried to get up but didn't want to risk hurting the girl. So, rather than doing anything he just lay there for a few minutes. The girl, surprised that her prey hadn't responded to her tackle, asked, "Chip, are you okay?"

This time Xander sensed the girl wasn't ready for any response from him and suddenly moved, reversing the situation so that he was on top and the girl was on the ground. On doing so, he found himself staring into the cool gray eyes of a girl who seemed to be the same age as him with black hair in a messy ponytail. She had on torn blue jeans, a light blue tee shirt, and white sneakers, no backpack to speak of with her.

"You're… you're not Chip," the girl whispered fearfully, finding herself staring at a boy who had dark brown eyes and light brown hair; definitely not the same colors as Chip's eyes or hair. She realized with a shock that a complete stranger was on top of her; someone she had no clue about at all.

"Of course I'm not Chip," Xander began, frowning, and when he realized the position he was in quickly got up. He offered a hand in apology to the girl, but was surprised when she angrily swatted the proffered hand away and got up herself, brushing the dead leaves off her shirt.

"I'm Xander, Xander Bly," Xander continued, hesitatingly offering his hand once more to the girl, now as a gesture of friendship while ignoring the pain emanating from his knee. The girl appeared as if she was going to swat the offer away once more, but two shouts sounded from behind her and Xander.

Xander looked behind him and grinned when he saw his new best friend running toward him, his hazel-green eyes sparkling underneath messy dark red hair, dressed in dark blue jeans, a dark orange tee-shirt with a lightning bolt on it, and white sneakers, his book bag on his back. Next to him ran a girl who looked exactly the same as the girl to Xander's right except for the fact that her black hair was down to her shoulders and not in a ponytail, and she wore light blue jeans, a pale pink tee shirt, and gray sneakers, her book bag on her back and another book bag – Xander presumed it to be his attacker's – clutched in her hand.

"Xander, there you are dude!" Chip exclaimed in excitement as he saw his new friend. He and Xander gave each other high-fives and watched as the girl with her hair down began to brush the leaves and dirt that had been missed by the other girl off.

"Madison stop treating me like… like a girl!" the girl in question whined, wrenching her arm away from the other girl's hands, grabbing her book bag from where the other girl had dropped it in the process.

The girl who had just been yelled at rolled her eyes and, turning to Xander, stuck out her hand and introduced herself. "I'm Madison Rocca and my sister is…"

Her sister interrupted Madison by yelling, "Don't tell him my name! I can tell him myself!" On getting a stern look from Madison, she loudly sighed and turned to face Xander, who had just finished shaking Madison's hand.

She stuck her hand out towards the boy, her gray eyes showing a mix of anger and embarrassment at the current situation. "I'm Vida Rocca; Madison and I are twins. Sorry I jumped you."

Xander, grinning, took Vida's hand and both felt a small shock of some kind run through them, almost as if they had had contact with electricity. They stared at each other, each wondering what had just happened.

Chip looked back and forth between his two friends, and moved to break them out of their self-induced trance but Madison pulled him aside.

"Let me go!" Chip whispered, anger lacing his words.

Madison merely rolled her eyes again and said, "Leave them alone; they seem to be connecting. You know that Vida isn't friends with just anyone."

Chip looked from Madison to Xander and Vida, who were still staring at each other, unreadable expressions on their face, and back to Madison. "You're right," he breathed, his eyes meeting with Madison's.

Xander and Vida broke contact and with Madison and Chip watching Xander said, "I think that this is the start of a very cool friendship."

Vida nodded in agreement and, grinning, threw her arm around Xander's shoulder, cheerfully told him, "Right-O, Xander. You and I are now friends; I know that we'll be good friends. I can just feel it."

Madison and Chip joined the two new friends, Chip throwing his arm over Xander's other shoulder and Madison doing the same with Vida and together the group of four walked towards the school's front doors as the late bell rang, signaling they had ten minutes to get to class.

FLASHBACK ENDS

'Little did Vida and I know how well our prophecies would turn out…' Xander mused as he absentmindedly rubbed the exact spot on his left knee where Vida's tackle had caused his knee to scrape the ground. In his mind the scrape was a minor wound from an event that resulted in their becoming friends… in fact, the best of friends.