Right...well i really have no idea where this came from to be honest. I was just watching Ninja Storm and just thought 'What if Dustin was made a ranger again' and then i started writing and i created this. This is set a month and ahlf after the finale of Ninja Storm.

Okay a bit of a warning since i need to: this is a Slash story: it will have Hunter/Dustin, Trent/Conner and Cam/Shane also a bit of one sided Tommy/Adam but not till way later. There will be mentions of past rangers littered throughout the fic so keep your eyes peeled.

Disclaimer: I don't own Power rangers: if i did then Slash would be a comon canon occurance.

Chapter 1

Normally when a person becomes a master at any type of martial arts the next step for that person is normally to become a sensei so that they can teach the next generation what they learnt. When a person is a Power ranger and has to let go of that power they try to find a replacement in their lives for that rush that excitement and being the head Earth Sensei with his best friends and ex-teammates always by his sides teaching the mastery of their own element is the perfect way to do this...or so Dustin thought.

A month and a half...that is how long it had taken Dustin to become bored and lost in his position as Sensei Dustin. It wasn't a bad job he just didn't like it. He didn't feel like it was for him, he wasn't Shane who could embody Sensei like a flick of a switch and teach his air students with the strength of the past red rangers. He wasn't like Tori who taught her classes with the calmness and patience of the most experienced masters. He wasn't like Hunter who could teach his classes in a way that commanded his students to listen by just speaking...he just wasn't like that.

He was Dustin, the earth ninja who loved Motorcross, he was the one all the students came too when they needed someone to speak to. He gave advice to the students who found their classes hard and thought they were going to fail, he didn't actually enjoy teaching and it reflected in his students and lately he had been passing them off to the other earth masters who actually were eager to take them on.

He didn't want to seem ungrateful because he loved this chance at furthering himself as a ninja it was just that he had no lust to be a sensei which was why he was going to talk to his sensei and try to figure out what he was doing, that was if he could get away from Cam who seemed adamant to talk to him.

"Dustin stop!" the ex-green ranger said as he followed him through the wind academy grounds.

Groaning as the samurai continued to follow him Dustin used his connection to the earth to create a earth wall between the two of them, he didn't want to speak to his fellow ranger, he just wanted to talk to Sensei and then leave, it was the only day he didn't have classes or work and he wanted to make the most of it and talking to Cam was not something he wanted to do.

It wasn't that he didn't like the tech genius it was more the fact that Cam seemed to think that because he had been openly gay since he was twelve and had known Shane his whole life that he would have the best advice about how he should approach the air master to initiate a relationship together-not something he was comfortable with not when he had his own relationship problems to deal with-or lack of.

"Good morning Sensei Dustin" a group of Water ninja's greeted him as he passed him and he nodded politely back and grinned at the young blonde in the front making the young fifteen year old blush bright red.

That was something that had startled him slightly when he'd become a sensei and turned nineteen, it was like someone had flicked a switch and he was suddenly someone worth dating and a lot of the students he dealt with had developed crushes on him. They didn't act on it-thank god-but it was still strange to find that the young ninja's he was in charge of found him attractive enough to want to get a relationship with.

Sure he'd dated before hell he wasn't a virgin and he was pretty free in his sexuality but ever since becoming a ranger he had changed, he felt more responsible to set a good example and he tried not to do things like date kids four years younger than him. Laughing to himself Dustin continued to walk through the ninja school and then froze when he saw a ticked off Cam waiting for him as he rounded the corner.

Dammit Cam lived at the academy didn't he? "Ah...hi Cam what's up?" he asked trying to plead ignorance, maybe he could bluff his way through this confrontation, I mean he was the airhead

"Dustin I didn't particularly like scaling your dirt wall" Cam said calmly and then crossed his arms giving him a hard stare as he arched an eyebrow "Explain" he ordered.

The earth ninja sighed and motioned for them to go into the empty class room beside them-gotta love those sliding doors-"Come on we'll talk in here" he said softly and ran a hand through his hair. Cam entered and when they were seated happily Dustin sighed "Okay dude this is like really strange for me but what do you need to know?"

The Samurai gave him a small pitying glance before he pushed his glasses back up his nose "Does talking about this really make you uncomfortable Dustin?" Cam asked quietly.

The truth was, thanks to growing up on the wind academy grounds he hadn't gotten many friends and when he had met the ex-rangers he hadn't really thought he would be friends but then they'd had to stop Lothor together and they'd bonded-he actually bonded with Dustin the most. They as a team had become extremely close and he had began to think of them as family that is until he began to get more than family acceptable feelings for one red ranger and now he was totally confused.

Dustin gave Cam a small smile and shook his head when he forgot his place and sighed "its okay dude. You need help and I'm happy to give you it" he said giving the ex-green ranger a warm smile.

When the two of them had worked on the Tsunami Cycles together the two for them had become very close to the point where Cam had become like a brother to Dustin and he began to spend more time in Ninja Ops. Cam was also the first one he told about his extra classes he'd been taking-something the genius was truly proud of.

Shooting the earth ninja a warm smile Cam nodded thankfully: he really did need his friend's help he didn't really have anyone else to talk to. "Thanks' Dustin" he said softly fiddling with his hands in a gesture only his father and Dustin knew meant that he was nervous.

"Come on Cam...Spill" Dustin said softly and crossed his legs underneath him as he waited for Cam to tell him what was wrong patiently.

"Well how do I you know...how do I know if he likes me back" Cam asked nervously "I mean I can't just go up and say 'Hi Shane I really like you, have for a while want to go out on a date' can I?" he said letting out a hysterical laugh.

Dustin arched and eyebrow and grinned at the nervous genius "Why not?"

The green ranger looked at Dustin in total shock and confusion, what did he mean 'why not. "Um I don't want to be embarrassed do I" he spluttered giving his friend a hard and long look "That was a very stupid question"

This time Dustin did laugh he couldn't help it; Cam was just too funny "Dude listen to me. Shane likes you, I can tell just ask him out" he said shrugging "And if he rejects you just do what I did the first time that happened to me"

"Oh and what did you do?" the Samurai asked curiously

The earth master grinned and gave his friend a wink "Went out got drunk and made out with the hottest guy I could find"

Cam gaped openly at the earth ninja, he would never do that number one because he'd only just found out he was gay and secondarily he just didn't have Dustin's confidence or his charming exotic looks. Despite the fact that he liked Shane and thought he was handsome Cam wasn't an idiot, he knew Dustin was gorgeous: any one with eyes could see that. He had a good mix of Brazilian from his father and Texas from his mother making him have the beautiful bronze skin he was famous for and his brown locks just looked too soft and his eyes sparked with a light that made him so approachable yes Dustin Brooks was one handsome ninja.

"Dustin!" he gasped "I can't do that!"

Dustin pointed at his friends and made an ah-ha noise making Cam blink owlishly "See that is our problem" Dustin said in a matter of fact voice.

"Okay" Cam said in confusion "And what is my problem again?" he really was confused weren't they talking about him kissing some random guy...when the heck did they get onto him having problems, sometimes he really didn't understand his motorcross obsessed friend at all-now was one of those time.

Shaking his head and giving Cam a bright grin Dustin clapped him on the shoulder "You got no confidence" He explain and then stood up making Cam stare up at him in shock "When it comes to relationships you are kinda shy"

"No I'm not!" Cam protested standing up to face his friend who just arched an eyebrow unbelieving "What I'm not"

"Really" Dustin drawled and then grinned when Cam nodded "So you've kissed a guy before, and not just a peak on the lips but a real kiss?" he asked crossing his arms across his chest as he oozed confidence.

Cam blushed bright red as he realised just what Dustin was getting at, "Well...no" he said slowly, sure he's thought about it but who would want to kiss him, he was Cam the Sensei's son he was 'off limits' to everyone and it wasn't like he got out very much.

Dustin took pity on his friend and then grinned as a idea popped into his head "Cam how much do you trust me?" he asked as he mentally prepared himself for what he was about to do.

"With my life why?" Cam asked once again confused at the change of topic what was Dustin going on about now.

"Good" Dustin whispered and stepped forward so that they were centimetres away from each other making cam flush bright red again "Because you gotta trust me now"

Cam nodded and Dustin gave him a soft smile before he snaked his hands up behind Cam's head to rest on his neck and pulled him into a hot fierce kiss full of teeth and tongue. The samurai groaned into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Dustin's waist so he didn't lose his balance, dear god why didn't he do this before? He felt Dustin grin into the kiss and was about to pull back and say something when the earth ninja did this strange thing with his tongue that had him becoming a shuddering puddle.

A moment later Dustin pulled back and gazed into Cam's lust hazy eyes "And that my dear friend is a real kiss" he said taking a step back.

"Wha?" Cam said shaking his head, never before did he think he would do that with Dustin, sure he didn't like Dustin that way-thought he was attractive sure-but never in a million years would he have thought to make out with Dustin like he just did.

"Just do that with Shane and he'll follow you around like a lost puppy" Dustin said giving his friend a wink that had him flushing once again.

"Thanks Dustin" Cam muttered as they walked from the class room together "That was...interesting"

Dustin smiled at his friend and put a hand on Cam's shoulder "Cam listen to me. Don't think about the kiss that hard okay" he said making the samurai look at him nervously "And anyway I made out with Shane when we were fifteen"

Cam laughed and shook his head why was he not surprised; of course Dustin would have made out with the air ninja it was only proper: they had been friends for a long time hadn't they? Suddenly everything with Shane didn't seem so scary and when he looked back up at Dustin he just gave the Earth ninja a bright smile.

"Thank you Dustin I think I'll take your advice" He said making Dustin grin and give him a wink.

"Good luck"

The samurai smiled and nodded before he walked off leaving Dustin alone in the hallway and able to go back to his original mission. Taking a calming breath he started down the opposite direction of the hallway until he was standing in front of his Sensei's office, and he began to think about everything he had to say, having the talk with Cam had set his own emotions straight he no longer need to talk about what he needed, he knew what he was going to do he just had to pluck up the courage and confidence and say what he needed to say.

"Dustin will you be entering or will you be standing outside my office all day?" Sensei's voice rang out startling the earth ninja from his inner musings. "Because if you're not coming in I'd rather you stand slightly to the left of my office so you don't block the door"

Chuckling to himself Dustin entered the warm office and gave his Sensei a smile, he always like his sensei he had a good sense of humour-once you found it that was. "Caught me" he said before sitting down opposite the elder ninja.

"That I did" Sensei said smiling at his newest earth master "Now what is on your mine young Earth child?"

Dustin swallowed, he loved that name, it made him feel just that little more connected to his element and it was almost like an affectionate term coming from the grand master. "I wish to speak to you about my Sensei position" he said nervously.

"Yes what is it?"

Looking down at his hands Dustin knew he had to get this over with quickly and took a deep breath hoping it would give him to courage to do what he needed to "I wish to leave my teaching position" he said seriously "I do not believe that I should be teaching. Have no love of teaching and I more often than not spend my time giving my students advice then actually teaching them anything"

"I understand" Sensei said sadly "You are not a Sensei; I should have seen this coming" he sighed and looked into Dustin's eyes "You are a great ninja Dustin and I thought that by teaching by Tori and Shane's sides you would learn to love teaching but I was wrong, watching you this last week has shown me that your destiny lies beyond this academy"

Dustin smiled at Sensei and made the wind academy sign of respect "Thank you Sensei" he said as his voice suddenly choked up "Not just for letting me leave but...for everything it's been an honour" he said standing up to bow to his sensei.

"Ah young Dustin it is I who have been honoured to have you as my student-despite your bumpy beginning" he said giving his earth ninja a wink.

Giving his sensei a big grin Dustin left the office and took a deep breath as the weight that he'd been carrying around since becoming a sensei himself lifted off him. Looking down at his watch his eyes widened when he saw the time, he had an assignment due in two days and he wasn't even close to finished. "Shit!" he whispered and disappeared in a bright yellow streak.

Appearing in his bedroom Dustin quickly changed from his sensei outfit and his comfortable black shirt and sleeveless yellow zip up hoodie and blue jeans before he pulled out his course book and notebook. The assignment wouldn't take him long especially because of the topic so he decided to do it out in the empty living room so that he could listen to some music while he worked.

When he entered the sitting room he felt a big grin find its way on his face when he saw the various text books and his sleeping Laptop scattered around the room, he didn't really need all of them but It was like when he first got involved in motorcross once he started reading up on it he just couldn't stop and so he had gone out and got all the different books he could. Putting his things on the couch he walked over to the stereo and selected his mix CD before he seated himself to begin work.

A few hours later after he had finished the hardest part of the assignment and was just putting the finishing touches on essay he heard an loud and insistent pounding on his door. Frowning in the direction of the front door Dustin put the laptop on the coffee table in front of him and walked over to the door, he had no idea who would be visiting him at one in the afternoon, Tori would have finished her final class of the day only moments ago and Shane was probably making out with Cam at that moment, Blake was away on tour and Hunter...well the Crimson ninja always seemed busy.

Taking a quick peek through the peep hole Dustin felt his heart stop when he saw Hunter standing outside his door looking livid. Unlocking the door he opened the door carefully and gave his friend and big smile "Hi there Hunter" he said happily.

His joy at seeing Hunter wasn't even faked, he liked being around the brooding ninja, he liked the fact that out of all the others-minus Blake because he so did not count-it was him who was able to get the elder Bradley brother out of his shell and was the first real friend of the crimson ninja. He hadn't told anyone and kept it hidden behind his actions with the various other guys he flirted with and made out with but to him Hunter was the perfect guy, and he was pretty much in love with him even if the object of his affections didn't know.

But despite his happy greeting the crimson ninja just continued to glare at him which made him slightly nervous, he had only seen Hunter this mad when he had faced Lothor and butted heads with Shane, he'd never been on the receiving end of such an angry look and to make matters worse he had no idea what he'd done to anger the other so much that is until Hunter finally spoke.

"You quit being a Sensei?"

Groaning in disbelief Dustin moved away from the door giving Hunter the silent invitation to enter, "Really Dustin what the hell!" Hunter continued as he followed the earth ninja into the house closing the door behind him-he may be angry but he still has some manners.

"It was my choice" Dustin said in an annoyed voice and turned to face Hunter who he realised for the first time was still garbed in his own ninja gear-probably had streaked right over here once he'd found about him quitting.

Hunter glared at him and crossed his arms making him look just that little bit more intimidating to the eye "Yeah I get that" he said sarcastically "What I want to know is why?"

"Huh?" Dustin said as his air headedness made itself shown for the first time in awhile.

The crimson ninja groaned frustrated and ran his hands through his hair in frustration "I mean seriously Dust. You and I are best friends and this totally came out of left field" he said "You never said anything to anyone you didn't say anything to me" he said adding the last part in a soft whisper.

Dustin sighed and leant against the wall behind him as he realised what was going on, Hunter probably had the right to be mad. Since he had met Hunter at the race track the previous year the two of them had been pretty inseparable and had told each other almost everything, when his parents had died earlier that year Hunter had been the one he'd run to for comfort and the fact Dustin had gone through this and quit without telling the crimson ninja anything...it must have hurt.

"It's complicated" he said after a moment moving past Hunter and towards the sitting room, he did have an essay to finish after all.

But before he could go too far Hunter's hand shot out and caught him by the wrist halting his movement "Then explain it to me Dustin...please I need to understand"

Dustin grit his teeth and then spun around to look deep into Hunter's blue eyes with his own amber ones "I can't talk to you all the time Hunter" he said softly "We aren't rangers anymore I need to grow up even if it's just a little" he pulled away and ran into the sitting room so that Hunter couldn't see the tears coming to his eyes.

"Dustin!" Hunter shouted after him and his footsteps followed him to the hall, "What does that even mean"

The earth ninja took a deep breath and turned to face his friend who was standing in the door way staring around him in shock "I never wanted to be a sensei" he admitted and picked up one of his shorter text books "and I've had a lot to deal with"

Hunter walked in and took the book from Dustin's hands and swallowed when he saw the title splashed across the front "Palaeontology: Raptor Species guide to behaviour and evolution theories" he read and then looked up at Dustin with confusion evident in his features "Dustin what is all of this?" he asked motioning all around him.

"I've been going to collage since before the ranger situation" Dustin said softly taking the book from Hunter's hands "I'm studying Palaeontology"

Hunter sat down and put his head in his hands and Dustin hugged himself as the guilt of his secrets hit him "Hunter I'm not you or Tori or Shane: I'm not a Sensei I was never supposed to be a sensei" he said softly and looked down when he finally said those words to another person besides his own Sensei the words he'd kept inside for so long.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Hunter asked his voice cracking as he fought to kept his tears down "I would have accepted all of this" he said motioning around him "I would have helped you adjust helped you deal"

Dustin bent down in front of Hunter and took his hands in his own giving him a sad smile "That's why I didn't tell you Hunter" he said making the Crimson ninja stare at him in shock "I didn't want to adjust, I didn't want to deal I just didn't want to be a sensei" he admitted "I just want to be me, I want to be Dustin"

When Dustin looked up at Hunter and saw the sad acceptance in his eyes "I just wish you would have told me" Hunter whispered sadly "I didn't really want to find out you'd quit from turning up at the academy and being told by Sensei"

Giving Hunter a warm smile Dustin nodded and then took a big breath "How about I make it up to you?" he asked making Hunter give him a hopeful smile "How about I tell you everything...over coffee"

The crimson ninja smiled for the first time since coming over and nodded "Yeah I'd like that" he whispered and Dustin didn't know if it was his hopeful imagination but he swore he felt Hunter squeeze his hands just a little tighter.

After spending the rest of the afternoon with Hunter just talking about where his love of dinosaurs had come from and how he'd gotten into his major Dustin found himself wandering down the beach to clear his mind thinking about everything that had changed in the last few hours. He was no longer a sensei at the academy, Hunter now knew about his collage life, and he only just realised how far he and the boy he was pretty sure he loved had drifted apart since they ended being rangers.

It was a little scary to know that his whole life was being so easily changed in a few hours; he had yet to tell everyone that by choosing his major he was required to go on digs every semester starting this year. He had told Hunter and he had one lined up that he was sure the crimson ninja would be accompanying him on but he couldn't bear to tell him about the fact he would need to move later on down the track to somewhere he could do a research project after all he had only just gotten the crimson ninja back.

Dustin was so caught up in his own thoughts and emotions that he almost didn't spot the limp drenched body lying face down in the sand until he'd almost passed it. Gasping in alarm he ran to the man's side and pushed him onto his back and leant over to see if he was breathing, when he felt the steady breath against his ear he let out a relieved breath and looked down into the face below him.

The man looked to be in his twenties, he was handsome with black spiky hair and a earring in one of his ears the man could pass for being younger than he was-that was is he was right about his age-but despite his looks there was something Dustin found about this man that made him give him is respect and he hadn't even met the man. Knowing he couldn't leave the man here on the beach unconscious without any idea how long it'd be before he woke up Dustin sighed irritated when he noticed he was alone and then looked back at the unconscious body below him.

"You should feel damn lucky I'm doing this" he said before he was pulling the body up onto his back so that he was giving the man a piggy back.

When he took his first step Dustin thanked the lords for his earth ninja strength because the man was a lot heavier than he looked-although it was probably muscle and bone-the guy almost made him falter. Almost being the word because Dustin was able to centre himself into the earth and let his muscles become filled with the strength being a ninja of the earth gave him. Beginning the trek towards his house Dustin couldn't stop the fear the clutched him as he felt just how cold the man was-he had to get him out of his wet clothes and quickly.

Reaching his front door he laid the man on the couch he had on the front porch and opened his door before retrieving the man and moving him inside and into the sitting room where he quickly moved his collage work to the table to he could lay the man down without hurting him and rushed to get him some hot tea knowing it would help. When the man was lying down it was like a switch was flicked as he groaned as if in pain and sluggishly opened his eyes.

"Where am I?" He groaned as his head lolled to the side as he saw he was in a house and not on the beach where he had passed out face first on the sand.

Dustin stepped into his line of sight and offered him the tea with a slight smile "Your in my home" he said helping the man into a sitting position so he could drink his tea with ease. "I found you on the beach and knew I couldn't leave you there so I bought you here" he said shrugging.

The man gave him a kind smile that Dustin felt himself mirroring-seriously who was this man "Thank you not many people would have the heart to do something like that. I'm happy it was you who found me" he said sitting the cup down and shivering slightly because his wet sandy clothes.

"Oh right wait here" Dustin said and rushed into the storage room and got a bunch of his father's clothes before rushing back into the living room where the man seemed to be reading his essay in interest "Here I got you some on my dad's old clothes" he said startling the man into looking away from his work.

Glancing at the clothes into his hands the man took them happily and Dustin gave him a relieved smile. Smiling back Dustin showed him where he could change before returning to his essay and finishing the final few sentences off with needed to re-read his work as he knew exactly what he was going to write-the best thing about loving his major it was easy to complete his assignments.

When the man returned and sat next to him to finish his tea he went into the bathroom and picked up the man's wet clothes and threw them in the wash so that they'd be clean for the morning. Walking back into the living room he once again found the stranger reading his finished assignments making noises of agreement and even surprise. It was shocking for someone he'd never met to take such an interest in his work.

"You like dinosaurs or something?" he asked coming to sit next to him "Because that's twice I've seen you reading my work"

The man looked at the laptop and then back at him and gave him a shocked smile "You wrote this?" he asked and then held his hands out to him when he nodded "Well to a fellow palaeontologist I'd like to introduce myself"

Dustin blushed and shook his head "I'm still in collage" he muttered softly and the stranger shock his head.

"Doesn't matter to me this is amazing and trust me I would know had to sit the same course when I was your age" he said motioning to his laptop. "So what's your name kid?"

Grinning happily as he met another dino obsessed person Dustin pulled himself straighter "I'm Dustin Brooks"

"Well Dustin Brooks my little saviour" The man said giving him a smile that had Dustin laughing "My name is Tommy Oliver"

Read and Review please