Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author Note: This fic could also be read as Kendall/Koda/Ivan but can also be read as friendship.

THE BEST POLICY

Kendall was not having a good day. She couldn't work out how to transform the Zord's readings and monster's energy signature into a solution, the Rangers were arguing especially loudly behind her and she needed to find a way to stop Sledge's monster from causing any more havoc amongst Amber Beach's residents. Kendall pressed her lips together and concentrated, aware of Ivan standing nearby, giving her an encouraging glance. It helped.

Kendall nodded back, as Koda came to stand beside Ivan and Shelby piped up especially loudly, "I really don't want to talk about how often I watch Tyler when he's-."

She cut herself off with a squeak and Kendall turned sharply, just in time to see Shelby double-over in obvious pain. Kendall immediately flipped open her scanner, attuned to the energy that Sledge's latest monster had used on whole swathes of Amber Beach's population. The Rangers hadn't been hit but it seemed Shelby was affected somehow anyway because she was exhibiting the symptoms – voicing thoughts that she usually kept very hidden and experiencing pain when attempting to stay silent.

Kendall shook her head, "You've been affected, Shelby. But you weren't hit by any of the monster's energy blasts."

"She help though," remarked Koda, his eyes bright with an idea he was trying to voice in a way they'd all understand. Kendall always appreciated his efforts. "When people were hit, Shelby help them to safety."

Kendall's eyes widened in understanding, "You touched them?"

Shelby nodded her head, "They were injured, I couldn't just leave them there."

"It was the right thing to do, Shelby; I really like that about you."

There was a pause and everyone turned to stare at Tyler who was smiling, "What?"

Chase laughed, looking far too inappropriately gleeful, "Oh, this is amazing. Tell us more, mate, what else do you like about Shelby?"

"Oh, there's-."

"That's enough, we don't need to hear anymore," Kendall interrupted with a strong warning look towards Chase.

"We definitely do," Chase countered.

Kendall shook her head and was about to ask Shelby and Tyler if this was the first time they'd noticed a change in their own behavior when Riley slumped over in pain, a hand clenched over his mouth. Chase looked even more gleeful and was about to say something but Kendall raised a hand, cutting him off.

"You were all present when Shelby was affected; I think it's likely you've all been affected too."

"So what do we do?" asked Tyler.

Kendall frowned, the Rangers couldn't stop talking to one another, they couldn't be consumed by pain. It'd make working together as a team against Sledge almost impossible. She could see how much most of them were wincing now, apart from...apart from Koda and Ivan. That was interesting.

"I think you need to talk to whoever you feel compelled to. They might trigger what you need to say and stop you experiencing pain. You need to be able to fight and communicate when the monster turns up again."

"Miss Morgan, you can't make me talk about-," Shelby cut herself off again with a yelp of pain.

Kendall's expression twisted; she didn't want to hear any of the Rangers' secrets either. If it wasn't going to help in her work, she did not want to hear it. But this would enable them to continue their fight. They had to do this, no matter how uncomfortable it was.

"You can't let this affect you as a team," she told them firmly. "Just talk, you don't have to listen to what anyone else is saying. Someone hearing the truth doesn't appear to be the point – the literal saying of it does."

Tyler nodded and crossed the room to offer Shelby his hand, looking tentative but hopeful, "C'mon, Shelby. I want to do this with you."

Riley managed to slap a hand over Chases' mouth to stop the Black Ranger from saying anything, murmuring something very quietly through gritted teeth that made Chase's eyes widen and his body go surprisingly still. Shelby stared at Tyler but nodded slowly, linking her hand with his.

Once the two of them had left the room, Chase grabbed the hand that Riley had placed over his mouth and tugged the Green Ranger towards the door. He was disturbingly eager.

"Well, if you need us, we'll be occupying somewhere else too. Make sure you knock."

Riley looked vaguely horrified but didn't resist, muttering something with an evasive gaze that made Chase's expression light up as they too left the room. That was far too much information. Kendall turned her scanner to Koda and Ivan, who'd both been quiet without any signs of pain. They were both definitely affected though – the energy readings revealed that much.

She looked at them both, irritated at the aberration, "Why aren't either of you in pain? You've both been affected by the monster's energy blasts too."

Koda looked down at himself, as though trying to spot any evidence of the energy, before grinning. It was a very nice expression.

"Truth is easy," he said simply.

"And I would never keep secrets from my fellow Rangers," Ivan added.

They were both too truthful for the energy to actually affect them. Kendall smiled slightly in disbelief.

"That's remarkable," she told them. "So at least two Rangers will be able to fight when the monster next attacks."

"You will find cure, Kendall," Koda said simply.

"Of course you will, I don't doubt it," added Ivan.

They were right and it was gratifying to have that kind of genuine guileless encouragement, especially from the two of them. Kendall plugged the scanner into her computer system for further analysis.

"Thank you, I appreciate your candor and support," she said absently over her shoulder.

Then she paused and quickly turned the scanner on herself, a suspicion growing as...yes, there were some energy spots. She wasn't greatly affected but there was enough present to modify her behavior. She shook her head; how completely infuriating.

"Kendall? You all right?" Koda wanted to know, concern tightening his expression.

"I've been affected too," Kendall replied briskly, her hatred of the situation seeping through her and into her words. "Not as badly as the others but enough to affect me. I'm going to say things that I'm not comfortable with and I want you to confine anything I say to complete secrecy."

Ivan and Koda both nodded. Kendall immediately felt that she had to add, "Thank you; I value your friendship and company. It would be really helpful if you could stay here while I work."

"You don't wish to seek out those you feel compelled to speak to?" Ivan asked.

Kendall's eyebrows twitched hard and she spoke hurriedly as pain began growing in the pit of her stomach, "I'm already talking to them."

Koda looked surprised and Ivan looked somewhat pleased. Kendall hadn't felt compelled before, perhaps because she had been concentrating on her work but now faced with the two of them and less distractions, well...it was a clever idea of Sledge's; ensure that the Rangers were distracted by attacks of wracking pain while trying to stop themselves from revealing what they really thought and felt about everything. It would make an attack and his hunt for the Energems much more likely to succeed. And Amber Beach was going to be changed forever after this.

Koda smiled broadly, an expression that Kendall always enjoyed, "Koda always happy to talk to Kendall. Kendall always help Koda."

"And I'm honored," Ivan remarked, with a slight bow and a very warm look in his eyes.

Yes, well. Despite her discomfort, Kendall found herself smiling a little more in response, saying truthfully before the pain could begin again, "Thank you, I appreciate it."

In a very full storeroom, Tyler and Shelby sat on the floor together, their knees bent and their hands still interlinked. Occasionally one of them winced but they were both quick to talk, their voices quiet in case anyone else outside overhead them, in case Chase was listening at the door.

Shelby hammered a fist against the door a couple of times, after something particularly private was discussed. "Go away, Chase!"

Tyler laughed and squeezed her hand. He loved her smile and her amazing determination, how she'd fought to be taken seriously by Miss Morgan, how when she had an idea she wouldn't let anyone or anything stand in her way, how she'd danced at that N-Zed Boys concert, her love for palaeontology and the way she could cut Chase down when he got on her nerves.

Shelby smiled tentatively and squeezed Tyler's hand back. She loved Tyler's enthusiasm and how open he was – about his dad, about everything. She loved how dashing he'd looked as the prince of Zandor and how he was always checking that everyone was all right, the special smile he seemed to have sometimes for her or maybe she was imagining it. He was a great leader and a great friend.

"Guess nobody's got any secrets anymore," she murmured, half-smiling but hit with a pang because really, who wanted all of their most private thoughts known, even to close friends, even to...

Yeah. Tyler nodded and scooted a little closer.

In one of the smaller labs, the door firmly locked, Chase and Riley were intertwined, kissing and talking.

"This is not what I imagined."

"So you've imagined this?"

"You have too."

"Absolutely."

Chase was grinning, though his expression softened a bit and Riley kissed him again, sure that his own expression was something close to identical. Chase was still exasperating and obnoxious but he cared, Riley was sure of that, and he was learning how to be more considerate of other people's feelings. Chase was Chase, which was why Riley felt compelled to do this as well as spend way too much time thinking about the Black Ranger, no matter how many sword drills he did. Riley was going to be so furious if Chase started needling him about all of this later. Yes, this all needed to be said because otherwise they wouldn't be able to function properly as Rangers, but it wasn't something to joke about, not ever.

Chase kissed Riley happily, thinking about how awesome it was to be wrapped around Riley, to be close enough to count his eyelashes, to taste his soft clever mouth. Riley had always had Chase's attention, he'd always been so easy to rile up (heh) and Chase did love seeing how hot Riley looked when he was exasperated or impassioned. Riley was also incredibly talented and ruthlessly hard-working, he was way too hard on himself and sometimes Chase just wanted to tell him to calm down and take a breath, a moment, preferably with Chase. Chase knew what he liked; now Riley knew too. Chase was more than okay with that.

"This is great," he announced, against Riley's lips.

Riley's mouth twitched beautifully, his hands pressed in at Chase's waist. Chase enjoyed his unexpected strength, "I really hope so."

There was the sound of clacking keys and the clink of glass – Kendall was working. Ivan was stood as though on guard, his sword on his belt. The more modern clothes suited him, Kendall noted, especially the coat. She couldn't imagine him in an outfit that didn't contain at least a hint of where he'd come from. Shelby had chosen well for him.

She let out a noise as pain coursed through her at her silence. Ivan took a worried step forward; Koda was immediately at her elbow.

She waved them back, "I...I was just thinking that your new clothes suit you, Ivan."

Ivan looked pleased, "Thank you, Kendall."

Koda nodded, "I like coat, the way it moves."

"I miss my cape but this is most welcome too."

Kendall quickly concentrated again on her work, shaking her head at the ridiculous situation. Honestly, she was lucky – Koda and Ivan were very unlikely to tease her, to use her own words against her. They were both very honest and honorable and they wouldn't break the promise she had extracted from them. It was still an unpleasant situation for Kendall; forced to speak thoughts that had always been private and irrelevant because they weren't work-related so why would she voice them at work? They were unimportant anyway. But Sledge had turned that fact on its head.

Kendall sighed and placed another test tube onto the nearly-full rack. She could feel Koda approach and before she could tell him she was fine, just frustrated, the Blue Ranger placed his hands on her back and began to firmly rub at spots that ached after so long bent over her work. Oh. Kendall let out an altogether different sigh.

"That's very helpful," she told Koda, not discouraging him because a lack of pain was what she was seeking after all.

Ivan clapped a hand to Koda's shoulder, Kendall's mouth moved briefly quietly upward. None of them felt any pain.

-the end