What Really Happened When Carter Came To Get Cole

Where Carter is a stalker and we all know the Ranger who would point it out. With special appearances from many old faces.

Hints of TaylorXEric plus others/SOAverse/During Forever Red.

DISCLAIMER: We lay no claim to the ownership of Power Rangers and it's many, many, many characters. Plotline's all ours though ;)

CHAPTER TWO

Temporary Alliances

A WAREHOUSE.

The two men stood central in the old warehouse that Tommy had called them to a few hours previously. The lighter haired of the two, Wesley Collins, leaned against the driver's side watching intently as his co-worker paced impatiently in front of the car.

"He isn't answering the intercom in the Rover." Wes stated, hearing a groan from Eric in response, "Surely he couldn't have gotten lost."

"The man prides himself in rules and regulations; I don't think he'd allow himself to have become lost," Eric couldn't help but throw in the sarcastic remark. "If anything, he probably has the route memorised down to every door number he passes on the way." He smirked as Wes scoffed whilst holding back a chuckle that was sure to escape.

"Wouldn't put it past him." Wes glanced down at his morpher, still trying to hold back the chuckle, "I'm looking forward to his reaction about Andros' hair, he might have a heart attack... It's been an hour, do you think we should go find him? Just in case Carter did miss time something; the horror." Eric couldn't hold back the smirk at his friends use of sarcasm.

"Well, be my guest."

"Wait, why do I have to go?" Wes asked in an almost whining voice.

"You suggested it," was Eric's simple reply.

"You're the one who's pacing,"

"That's a result of all your unchanneled impatience and curiosity transferring into me."

"I think you should go." Wes allowed a smirk to cross his face, "A certain Yellow Ranger might be there, I couldn't stand in the way of that." Eric glared at the Red Ranger which caused Wes to break into a chuckle.

"For that comment alone, you're going." Eric spoke through gritted teeth, eyes narrowing further at his friend, "Get driving."


"Unlike Carter, I don't plan everything to the finest detail; I'd probably get lost when passing through Angel Grove. You know the way to Turtle Cove, you go."

"Then turn on the GPS," Eric replied blandly. "You're going Wes."

There was finality in his voice and though Wes tried to argue back, the sputtering of words didn't support him very well, and so he did end up going. As he drove though, he couldn't help but mutter "Maybe I shouldn't have brought Taylor into it," with a pout.

THE AQUABASE LOADING BAY, MARINER BAY.

The four Lightspeed Rangers and the Titanium Ranger waited in the loading dock, the raven haired woman checking the monitor for any sign of their leader and the Rescue Rover at the tunnel entrance.

"I'm going to kill him." Dana muttered as she checked the time for the fifth time the past hour. He had been gone an hour longer than he had said he'd be, knowing the other rangers needed the Rover urgently he'd promised to be quick.

"Calm down Dana," Chad soothed. "I'm sure he just got held up doing...whatever he's doing," he ended vaguely.

"Chad's got a point, Day. As amusing as hearing you make threats is," she glared at her brother with a slight pout. "Knowing Carter, he most likely isn't doing this on purpose and is just running a little late." Ryan paused and looked away in thought before concluding, "Or he's doing this to fuck with us."

"This is Carter we're talking about; when has he ever been late for anything?" Dana sighed, "I think it's probably the second point."

"I'll try the intercom again." Kelsey began to tap away at the screen in front of her. After a few minutes, her brow furrowed and her lips pursed into a thin line; Joel joined Kelsey's side, a smug grin on his face as he turned to say something to the other three.

"He's not answering-"

"No Kels, you just can't work the machinery." Joel teased, earning a soft punch to the arm, "Isn't there a way we can see where he is?" Dana moved from her spot, joining both individuals by the screen and began to press a few buttons.

"Unless it was removed during checks, his morpher and the rover should have a chip in them," She softly said, her eyes transfixed on the screen before her.

"So we go and see where his signal is and go after him," Chad said loftily. Ryan's eyebrows furrowed as he thought aloud,

"You know, I think Carter said something about a warehouse..."he looked back up at them. "Hey I'm gonna check out this place where he could be and, uh, yeah" he nodded as if he was making sense of the sentence in his head and turned to retrieve a mode of transportation.

"Don't take the armoured bike, considering you shouldn't drive anyway and how protective Carter is over his cars, you'd be better off taking the other bike." Kelsey called over her shoulder to Ryan, "Least you don't have to sit in the side car." All the rangers grinned as they heard Ryan triumphantly say 'Finally!'.

"He's in Turtle Cove? What business would he have there?" Dana said as she began to type in the activation code for the five coloured cycles; it was embarrassing enough having to ride those bikes when tackling Vypra, but now collecting Carter in a different city would be ten times worse.

"Aren't there a new set of Rangers there?" Joel questioned, being met by a set of raised eyebrows from Kelsey, "I remember Angela saying somethin'."

"Possibly." Dana said under her breath, "No harm in checking it out right?"

A WAREHOUSE.

Ryan arrived outside a warehouse on the bulky, red bike, only to be faced with the sight of a smirking Quantum Ranger whose arms were crossed as he stood leaning against the outside of said warehouse.

"Ryan."

"Hey Eric, has Carter come down here? Dana's all pissed 'cause he was supposed to be back with the Rover," he said with a light laugh in his voice.

"No, he was supposed to be here with Cole," he noticed the confusion that flashed in Ryan's eyes and elaborated. "The current Red Ranger in commission on the Wild Force team."

"Ah."

"I see you've upgraded from the Rover." Eric nodded toward the motorcycle, "It's not your colour."

"Technically isn't mine; I've tried arguing with Carter that Dana or Kelsey should go in the sidecar but he won't have it." Ryan climbed off the cycle whilst Eric kept an amused expression on his face, "I'm not sure what's more embarrassing, riding my sisters pink one or riding in the side of the Red Rangers one."

"Neither sound great." Eric stated, lips still curled in a smirk, "If you want to find Carter, Wes left an hour ago to find him."

"Where 'bouts is he?"

"Turtle Cove Central Park. Wes seems to have gotten distracted and isn't answering his morpher."

"Where the hell is Turtle Cove?"

"Just past Angel Grove," he shrugged slightly.

"So...are we going?" Ryan asked and Eric raised a brow. "I mean, you sent Wes out like an hour ago and since he's not answering, shouldn't we go and see what's got 'em held up?" He justified himself.

Eric continued his amused gaze before saying "I'll come if I'm driving."

"No way." Ryan shot a glare at the dark haired man, "Carter would kill me if he found out I let you drive it, in fact, I'm sure he'll kill me when he finds out I've been driving it." Ryan twirled the keys around his forefinger to taunt Eric in a discrete way, "Plus, I've been sitting in the sidecar for two years now, it's someone else's turn to look like the idiot."

"So, basically, you've got nothing to lose since you'll be undergoing the same results either way and, besides, it's your colour," he couldn't help but throw in the remark. Ryan scrunched his nose up in childish outrage. Before he could make a comeback however, Eric had already walked up to him and swiftly taken the keys out of his hand. Eric sat on the bike, placing the keys in the ignition before saying "I'm pretty sure that this, is an insult to motorbikes everywhere." He looked to Ryan. "You coming or what."

"Even when he isn't god-damn here I have to sit in that little silver sorry excuse for a transport thing." Ryan kicked at the sidecar, causing more injury to his foot than the vehicle itself. He hobbled back a step, "Just once I'd like to drive with someone else sitting there." Ryan climbed in, folding his arms across his chest and carried on sulking as Eric began to pull away from the warehouse, "And I didn't design it, blame Angela."

BACK TO THE PRESENT

Eric and Ryan looked at the now silent group, somewhat expectantly. They all looked at each other before Taylor and Dana began speaking rapidly at once, seemingly attempting to yell over each other. Eric and Ryan stared at the pair, not understanding any of the words that were being yelled their way.

Before they could do anything, all fell silent at a loud, high-pitched, whistle and they turned to look at the White Tiger Ranger, who had removed her fingers from her lips and was now looking at the others with a shy smile, "Neither of them have the slightest clue as to what either of you are saying."

"Thanks Alyssa." Eric nodded in her general direction, "Now, shall we do this the simple way? One at a time."

Taylor and Dana glared at each other before turning back to face Eric, a repeat of moments earlier occurring with insults being thrown between the pair of them. Alyssa, no longer feeling up to separating the pair, walked over to the Rover to speak to Cole, who was also at this point far more interested in getting out of Turtle Cove than the fighting.

"Gentlemen." The arms of Max Cooper wrapped around both Ryan and Eric's necks, "Allow me to shed a light on this very amusing situation." Max gave them a watered down, blow by blow rundown on the situation.

Ryan looked toward Eric, whose eyebrow was raised to match his own, and then looked to his sister, "So, the one time you manage to grow a backbone, you fuck it up." Dana's response was to scowl at her grinning brother, who was glad he was out of her slapping range. "Easy little sister, the wind might change direction and your face will be stuck like that-"

"Shut up Ryan!" Dana snipped, the four other Lightspeed Rangers hiding their faces as grins emerged.

"Oh." A calculating glint crossing Taylor's eye, "So this is 'your Pink Ranger'." Her gaze fixed on Carter who was slowly going the colour of Dana's pale pink blouse, "I wasn't sure at first, now it makes sense."

"She's on my team therefore is my Pink Ranger, just like he's my Titanium Ranger." Carter spluttered, his eyes shifting from Taylor to the ground before over to Dana who had a look of confusion dancing through her azure coloured eyes.

"That wasn't the way you said it earlier..." The smirk returned to her face whilst Carter's grew the same colour as his jumper.

Ryan scoffed as his sisters eyes widened, eyebrows furrowing as she looked at the Red Ranger. Ryan couldn't hold in the remark as he snickered, "Why Carter, I didn't realise you were so possessive of my little sister." Dana's face grew rosy at the implications of her brothers comment whilst Carter's face turned an ironic shade of fire truck red. As Carter spluttered out what might have been an explanation, a flash of light replaced their attention.

When the light faded, they could see the form of a young, tan, green haired asian man dressed in a strange white leather outfit and a jewel on his forehead sporting a blue robotic owl on his head. He seemed confused for a moment as he looked around before his expression turned sheepish, "Uh, hey there! What year is it?"

Wes answered him "2003" and the man looked relieved as he exclaimed "So you guys do know me! Hi Wes, Eric! Hey guys!" He waved to the Wild Force Rangers and then the Lightspeed Rangers.

"Hello Trip." Wes nodded over at him, Eric following with a similar gesture. Wes and Eric's attention turned back to the still red faced man, his eyes now focused on the bright green haired man before him. The corner of Wes' lips turned into a smirk, the other rangers now looking at Carter too.

"Yes Carter, he has green hair and it isn't regulation-"

"We've met him before Wesley." Dana sharply stated whilst Trip shuffled awkwardly from foot to foot, "Or did that slip your mind?"

"Are all of you coming back?" Wes had a hopeful look crossing his face that dropped the second Trip shook his head gloomily.

"I have Circuit with me though!" Trip remained ignorant to the Time Force Red Ranger's now depressed state, "We were testing out equipment when it backfired by the looks of it!" As the others began talking, cougharguingcough, Trip made his way over to Cole, who seemed to be messing with some wires, and Alyssa, who was watching his actions over his shoulder. Circuit flew off his head and landed on one of the many buttons, when a sudden spark came off one of the exposed wires and they began to smoke. The trio's eyes widened as they hurriedly tried to fix the problem and almost all were oblivious to the issue.

Almost.

Taylor's eyes had widened slightly as she focused in on the hushed chaos. Dana's expression softened into a puzzled look as she saw the Yellow Wild Force Rangers eyes widen, following her gaze whilst the others continued to be oblivious. Her sights fell on the three rangers panicking over the rover, Kelsey and Joel shuffling across slightly to shield the smoke from Carter, who, if he saw, would surely kill Cole. Dana turned back around, meeting Taylor's gaze; a thought crossed her mind on how to stop Carter from noticing long enough without being too obvious. She winked at Taylor before proceeding to mouth the words quickly, yet clearly, 'Say it again'. Taylor seemingly understood the vague phrase as her lips twitched upward lightly in a smirk and she winked discreetly.

"Oh, so it wasn't your daddy that got you your morpher; it was the red," Taylor saw the ghost of a smirk on Dana's lips directly before she lunged at her. They engaged in a very convincing tussle that kept Carter's attention focused on them. Dana seemed to be winning, not that the girls noticed, they just needed to keep Carter attention away from the rover.

Their fight was brought to an abrupt end as two men appeared in a gust of wind.

One had dark hair with silver streaked bangs, pale blue-grey eyes and wore a metallic blue-grey jacket with a wolf. The second had messy and slightly long chestnut hair, light jade green eyes and wore a long sleeved, ivory and mauve striped t-shirt and worn in, light wash jeans. The jade eyed man saw the conflict that was mistakenly headed for him and reacted instantly, going through complex manoeuvres with ease and flipping the female Rangers so they both lay on the ground, slightly dazed. The audience to this scene watched the man with amazement colouring their features to different extents.

"I think you may have overdone it RJ," the man with the silver streaks said passively.

RJ looked calm but somewhat sheepish, "What can I say? I didn't expect to encounter a fight as soon as I got here. I don't even call it violence when it's in self defense; I call it intelligence."


SAM: Hello mortals, we're baaaack~ Just like we said!

GREG: Another week, another update! Just like we promised!

SAM: In this chapter you had the flashbacks, you had more arguing, you had Carter-Dana-nyess, you had Trip and Circuit, you had the Rover mishap and *drumroll* Merrick and RJ's entrance! Bet you weren't expecting the pizza chef to show up!

GREG: *squeals* Dana and Carter moments! And the 'Fight' was amazing, right? Gotta love Taylor and Dana!

SAM: Mmhmm! Also, I should mention that RJ's line at the end-"I don't even call it violence when it's in self defense; I call it intelligence." That is RJ quoting Malcolm X- don't ask me about it, I found it online and thought it worked well! Gotta love Google c:

GREG: So, thanks to everyone whose read so far and for the reviews; we'd really love some feedback so please keep reviewing, it'd help us to improve it :3

SAM: You know, tell us how we're doing with this-we'd love to hear from you all :) Any questions as well, go right ahead and ask!

GREG: And if you have suggestions, we'd appreciate them! We also have a second part of the SOAverse we're preparing to post (its set waaay before this but y'know, it can be read anywhere and still make sense) so if you like Carter and Dana as a couple (like me! Ultimate ship!) then stay tuned!

SAM: Yash that'll be out soon for you! Is that all or have we missed something?

GREG: Naa, I think we're done :3 So, until next Friday for this story but soon-ish for the other!

SAM: Peace out. O3O