Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers or any of the characters in this story.
Summary: One of the rangers tells a little lie and gets caught. Will everything turn out ok in the end?
Title: Late Valentine
A/N: Ok so I have a poll going on for Valentine's Day. It's a little late but I will write two Valentine's Day stories for two different couples of your choosing. There are ten couples to choose from, you're allowed two picks. The top two couples will each get a one shot this Friday, so go to my profile and vote for your fave. Carter and Dana are on there too! If they are in the top two then I'll write another Valentine 's Day story for them. The poll closes this Thursday so don't forget to put in your vote. :)
Great Valentine's Day again! Dana thought to herself as she walked through the halls of the hospital she worked at. She was yet again alone on this holiday and it wouldn't have bugged her so much if she hadn't found out that the one guy she wanted to spend it with had gotten a date for this lonely holiday. Yes everyone on the team had a date except for her again! She finished up her work and headed back to the rebuilt Aquabase. After it had been rebuilt the six former rangers had moved back in to help get the whole place ready for surveying the city once more.
"Hey." Joel said seeing Dana in the hall of the Aquabase.
"Hi." Dana said with a smile.
"What are you up to?" Joel asked looking at the stack of papers in Dana's hands.
"Just have to get these files organized and ready to be sent to the Angle Grove base." Dana said.
"On Valentine's Day?" Joel asked outraged and took half the stack from Dana.
"Actually it's a Tuesday and there are lots of things to be done, so why aren't you working you have to send those papers over to the court house?" Dana teased as she and Joel walked into the filing room.
"Because my dear, I have to get ready for my date with Angela." Joel said with a big smile and hopped onto to one of the chairs.
"What do you have planned for her?" Dana asked with a smile.
"I'm taking her to this museum she's wanted to go to in LA and then dinner." Joel said with a grin.
"Wow Joel fancy, didn't think that sky cowboy did museums." Dana teased him.
"What can I say I really like her." Joel said looking down with a smile.
"You still have to send over those papers." Dana said with an eyebrow raise.
"Actually that is why I was looking for you." Joel said tentively. "Could you please please help me out with those files I won't have time to send them and drive all the way to LA, and I'd go later but our dinner reservations can't be changed it took the ranger card to get them in the first place." Joel pleaded.
"Joel! You know you're not supposed to go around saying you're a ranger!" Dana said with a frown.
"Please Day! I'm begging you I will do whatever you want for a week, and I'll make sure that you get one of those big gummy bears you like!" Joel said pleadingly.
"Fine Go!" Dana said with an eye roll.
"Thank you!" Joel said planting a kiss on her cheek and running out.
"You're welcome." Dana said quietly with a sigh, and got back to work. Later that day she found Kelsey in the Galley.
"Hello." Dana said taking a seat next to her friend.
"Oh hey." Kelsey said with a smile.
"Hey guys." Carter said joining the two girls.
"Hi." They said at the same time.
"What are you two up to?" Carter asked.
"Nothing much." Dana answered.
"I have to finish this up before I go out with Ryan tonight, but I think I might have to cancel there so much paperwork I need to finish." Kelsey said with a sigh.
"Paperwork? Wasn't that supposed to be turned in yesterday?" Carter asked eating a baby carrot.
"No, you just turned it in early like always, but I really need to finish this !" Kelsey said stressed.
"Actually Kels, it was." Dana said sympathetically.
"Oh No! I'm never going to finish!" Kelsey said stressed out.
"Ok Kels don't worry about it I'll take care of it, give me this, you just go get ready." Dana said taking the papers in front of Kelsey.
"What about your date?" Kelsey asked worried.
"Don't worry it's not until later I have time." Dana said with a smile.
"Thank you Dana! You're the best!" Kelsey said throwing her arms around Dana and hugging her tight.
"You're welcome." Dana said with a smile.
"I'll see you guys later!" Kelsey said jumping up and rushing out of the Galley.
"Have fun." Carter called with a smile.
"So shouldn't you be getting ready for your date?" Dana asked Carter taking one of his carrots.
"Dana you forget I'm a guy and it doesn't take us three hours to get ready." Carter said with a smile.
"Right forgot you were a guy for minute there." Dana said giggling.
"Dana! I need your help." Chad said racing in.
"What's up?" Dana asked looking at her breathless friend.
"I need to fax this over to Angel Grove but the person I have to send them to won't be there for another three hours and I have to leave in an hour. Will you by any chance still be here?" Chad asked hopeful.
"Yes I will and I will fax this for you." Dana said with a smile earning a curious look from Carter.
"Really?"
"Yes now go before I change my mind." Dana said taking the folder from Chad.
"Thank you!" Chad said kissed her forehead and left in a rush.
"Well aren't you being generous. Don't you have a date?" Carter asked curious.
"Yes, so? I have time." Dana said with a smile, and got up grabbing all the paperwork she had been left with.
"Have fun tonight." Dana said smiling at Carter.
"You too." Carter said with a chuckle, and watched Dana as she left. Dana went to one of the main work areas and got started. It was almost 8:30 when she was nearly finished. Everyone had left a while ago and she was pretty much the only person in the whole Aquabase besides the skeleton crew that her father had left on duty. At least she knew that her dad wasn't alone, he had asked out one of the girls who worked at the hospital with her. She was exhausted by the time she was done with all the work she had taken on. It was only nine so she decided to put the paper work in the filing room and ran out. She rushed through the halls she didn't want to be caught and have everyone find out she had lied about her date. She turned a corner and ran straight into a firm chest and fell back dropping everything she was holding.
"Great." She murmured grabbing the papers that were near her.
"Dana?" Carter's voice made her freeze. She squeezed her eyes shut and hoped it wasn't him, she slowly looked up and saw that it was indeed Carter himself.
"Hi." Dana said with a nervous.
"Hi." He said his brow furrowed in confusion. Dana continued picking up the papers that were all over the floor and then Carter joined her.
"What are you doing?" Carter asked helping her.
"Picking up these papers." Dana said innocently.
"Yeah I see that." Carter said with a half-smile and helped her up.
"Thank you." Dana said taking the papers he was holding and walking away.
"Hey wait up." Carter said turning around and following Dana.
"Where are you going?" Carter asked walking with her.
"Just going to drop off these papers in the filing room." Dana said not looking at him.
"Mind if I come?" Carter asked.
"Sure." Dana answered reluctantly. It was just her luck that the one person in the whole world she hadn't wanted to run into was the person that she had run into. They walked in silence and Dana put all the files away before turning out the lights and walking out followed by Carter.
"So." Dana said as she walked out.
"So…Have you been here the whole time?" Carter finally asked. Dana noticed what he was wearing for the first time. Carter had on a pair of dark blue jeans and dark red button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. He had spiked up his now short hair into a fohawk, making him look cuter than usual.
"I...uhm I…ok I lied...I didn't have a date tonight." Dana admitted.
"I figured since your still here." Carter said following her as she walked.
"Do you think I'm a loser?" Dana asked sitting on the some stairs.
"No, I would have done the same thing if I were you." Carter said with a reassuring smile. Dana didn't answer, she felt horrible about being caught and even worse about lying.
"You ok?" Carter asked when she didn't say anything.
"I'm sorry I lied to you guys…I just didn't want to hear all the 'it's ok' or 'there's always next year'." Dana said looking at the floor.
"It's ok…Sorry I was just messing around. " Carter said with a grin when Dana gave him a glare.
"I think I'm just going to bed." Dana said a little disappointed and got up.
"Dana wait…it's not a big deal…and I have a confession to make too." Carter told her taking her hand and making her sit back down.
"What?" Dana asked letting Carter sit close to her.
"My whole date was a bust; she was more interested in the fact that she was going to be able to tell her friends that she was on a date with a former power ranger. Than actually going out on date with me." Carter said trying to cheer her up.
"Really? I'm sorry Carter." Dana said sympathetically.
"It's ok she really wasn't the person I wanted to ask out tonight." Carter said with a smile.
"Oh?"
"Yeah I had had someone else in mind but then she got a date." Carter explained. "I even got something for her." Carter said pulling a small square box from his pocket, and handing it to Dana.
"Carter?" Dana asked surprised. "Thank you it's beautiful Carter." Dana said seeing the bracelet in the box.
"If I would've known you didn't have a date I would've asked you out." Carter said taking her hand in his.
"I guess that's what I get for lying." Dana said noticing for the first time how close her face was to his.
"Are you sorry?" Carter asked with a small smile.
"Yes." Dana said.
"Then I am too." Carter said.
"Why are you sorry?" Dana asked curious.
"For not asking you out sooner." Carter said leaning in.
"You're asking me out?" Dana said moving back a little with a smile.
"Yes." Carter said closing the space and kissing her gently. "It's a little late but Dana will you be my valentine?" Carter asked as the pulled apart.
"I'd love to." Dana said with a smile and kissed him again.
E/N: Don't forget to review and vote. Happy Valentine's day.:)