Disclaimer: I do not own the Power rangers or anything to do with them.
Timeline: Set about two years or so after the defeat of Master Org and Princess Shayla's return to her slumber
Summary: Cole and Alyssa always knew that there may have been something between them; they were just too busy with ranger duties to find out. What will happen now that there are no ranger duties? Formally titled Wild for you.
A/N: This story was put out earlier, but I have since revised it slightly and put it out again. Enjoy!
Chapter one: Moving in and moving on.
Cole bowed his head in respect. He was, just like he had been at this time for the past few years, paying his respects to his parents. The mother and father he may have never known physically, but held deeply in his heart. He spoke to them, tears threatening to make his voice sound unintelligible. He choked back a sob and when he had composed himself, started to tell his parents all that had happened to him in the past year, since he had last spoken to them.
"Well, it has been a few years now since I gave up my ranger powers, and while giving them up meant that the orgs were defeated and the earth is safe, I still…."
He paused as he considered his next words.
"Sometimes I miss those times, the jolt of morphing, the thrill of going in to battle, and knowing that I was fighting for something that I really and truly believed in." He sighed and took a moment to reflect on the past. With a smile and tears now flowing freely down his face he stood up and wiped the dirt from his knees.
"I am sure that I am just being silly. Those times are in the past and I need to move on with my life. Speaking of which, you would be so proud of me, I just got accepted to Veterinarian school. Danny and Max are living here in the city and have offered me a room in their place while I go to school."
Cole paused for a moment, considering his next words.
"One day, I will make you proud of me."
Son, we already are proud. Go and live your life.
Cole was not sure, but he could have sworn his parents had just spoken to him. Yes, that was something that his father would say.
With a smile, he turned and started to walk to where Danny was waiting to give him a ride home. Yes, things were starting to look up.
Two days later, Cole was sitting at the kitchen table in the house he now shared with Danny and Max. He had moved in the day before and was currently dreading unpacking the multitude of boxes that faced him in his new room. He was just getting up to refill his coffee cup when Max entered the room.
"Hey Cole, you getting settled in alright?"
Cole smiled at his old friend and refilled his cup before answering.
"Yes and no. I have unpacked the essentials, cloths and such, but there are a few boxes up there that I am dreading opening much less unpacking."
Max sat down across from the former red ranger and laughed.
"Man I am surprised you have that much stuff seeing as though you spent the past two years basically wandering around the country."
Cole just shrugged "Things just come to me."
"Isn't that the truth."
Cole changed the subject. "How is the club construction coming along?"
Max sighed and gave a weary groan. He and Danny had put their money together and were in the process of constructing and eventually opening a small dance club on the other side of town.
"It is coming along slow but its coming. Danny is over there now meeting with the various building inspectors. If all goes well, we should be having opening night in about a month or so."
Cole gave his friend a sympathetic look and conveyed to him his well wishes. Max looked into his now empty cup with some regret, contemplated a second cup, and sighed again.
"In fact, I better be getting over there myself. Danny was expecting me to be there a half hour ago. You start classes today right?"
"Yeah, today starts the long journey into the world of vet medicine. With any luck, I will muddle through it without too much damage. Hell. I just hope I make it through the first week."
Max laughed and slapped him good naturedly on the back.
"Hey, after what we went through with the orcs and wild zords, there is no way in hell you will do anything less than spectacular. Besides, you really do care about animals, that alone make you stand out, so don't you dare ever doubt yourself."
Max said this with full confidence. Not only did he know for sure that his former leader was smarter than he let on, but he also knew that once he set his mind to something, he never gave up on it. With an internal sigh he just wished Cole would apply that to his personal life as well.
With that, the former commander of the shark left, leaving the lion master along with his thoughts.
Alyssa groaned in frustration as she tried to unlock the door of her apartment while trying to hold onto tow very full grocery bags in her left arm. She was in no mood for this. It had been a very long day and she wanted nothing more than to sink into a tub full of hot water and scented bubbles with soft jazz music in the air and a good glass of wine by her side. She finally accomplished the task of unlocking the door and quickly made her way into her small, but cozy living quarters. It had been a lot more crowded just a few weeks ago, but Taylor had decided to move out and move in with Eric. While she was sad to no longer be living with her best friend, she was happy that she had finally found someone to commit to, even if they fought almost constantly. She was also a bit envious; it had been some time since she had looked at a man the same way that Taylor looked at Eric. Not since….no, she was not going to allow herself to think of him. He was gone and that was all there was to it. Not for the first time she wondered how it may have been if he had been around when the incident happened. But the fact was that he wasn't and she had to move on alone. She sighed and pushed all thoughts of him and that nasty incident aside as she put away her groceries and prepared for her bath.
Thirty minutes later
Alyssa was neck deep in lavender scented bubbles; letting the stress of overseeing twenty five five year olds leave her body.
RIIIIING!
Her ringing phone startled her out of her daze; she knocked over the glass of red sitting on the edge of the tub. It spilled on the tile floor, the glass breaking.
"Shit!" She cursed as she stepped around the broken glass as she wrapped a towel around her petite form and reached for her cell.
"This better be important!" She barked
"Hey! Is that any way to greet an old friend?"
"Danny! It's so good to hear from you again. It has been ages! What have you been up to?"
"Oh, nothing to brag about. Besides the fact that Max and I bought a house," he said causally.
Alyssa decided to give up on the bath and put her long brown hair into a towel turban while wrapping a bright white robe around her.
"Really? That's awesome! You so have to tell me where so I can come over and bug you guys to no end."
Danny laughed, remembering how the girl who he considered a sister used to tease him and Max to the point where they both seriously considered disowning her. "You are more than welcome over here any time little sister. You would like it in fact; it is over in the Ashwood neighborhood."
"Ashwood? But that's a pretty swanky neighborhood. Most of the homes there have at least three bedrooms. Are you sure that you guys can afford that?"
Alyssa really did not mean to be nosy, but she was worried that her friends would get into more than they could handle.
"It's funny you should mention that. Max and I talked about it and we have decided to get a roommate to offset some of the costs. We looked long and hard to find someone, and were just about to give up, when someone we know pretty well came back to town needing a place to stay. In fact, you know this person pretty well too."
She was intrigued. "Really? Do tell."
Now Danny and Alyssa had spent plenty of nights talking during their ranger days and she had confided to him so pretty deep stuff, including her feelings for a certain someone.
"It's Cole Alyssa. He moved in with us yesterday."
Alyssa suddenly felt her blood run cold. That came out of nowhere. Of all the names that Danny could have said, that was the last one she expected. She suddenly found that she had no voice. Her whole body relaxed and her phone slid to the floor.
"Alyssa? Alyssa are you still there? Hello?"
It seemed as though Danny was talking to dead air.
What happens next? Will Alyssa recover enough to speak again? And just why did she react that way when she heard Cole's name? You will just have to wait until chapter two to find out!
