A/N: This was an interesting chapter to write. I wasn't sure where it was going to go, except that I knew Gia's scene at the end would happen.


Scott liked Troy, for the most part. They'd had some rocky moments due to lacrosse, but once Troy learned about werewolves, he'd become a staunch friend and supporter to the Pack. Losing him had been upsetting, because Scott didn't have many friends and Troy was loyal above anything. That's why he hadn't been too surprised with Troy arrived with new friends in tow. What little Scott had seen of the quartet meant he liked them. Noah was a less polished Justin, highly intelligent, but more relaxed, possibly due to the influence of Jake, his best friend. They had a bit of an odd couple routine going, but it wasn't any weirder than Scott's friendship with Stiles.

Gia and Emma weren't a surprise either. Troy liked strong women, not romantically, but as friends. He'd been a good friend to Lydia, and even closer to Allison. It would be interesting to see how Troy reacted to Kira and Malia.

Still, the teens were keeping something secret. Scott hadn't caught Troy in a lie, exactly, but they had been evasive about the details of their friendship from the beginning. Justin had been smugly amused since meeting them, and Scott would bet that he knew what was going on with Troy. That did make him feel a bit better about everything, because Justin might be the most forgiving man Scott knew in certain circumstances, he wouldn't stand by and let bad things happen or bad people go unnoticed.

"Hey Scott," Troy said when he and his friends got to the loft, "Can we talk?"

"Sure," Scott said, heading for the balcony. "What's up?"

Troy closed the loft door behind him carefully, his shoulders tense. "Look Scott," Troy said as he turned around. "There's something you need to know. I think at some point everyone will know, but I think you need to know now."

"All right," Scott said.

"Well, Justin figured this out," Troy said, "and I'm not really supposed to tell but you should know, especially since this happened."

"Troy," Scott said, "deep breaths, buddy. I'm not going to rip your head off here."

Troy gave him a small smile. "Okay, it goes like this," he said. "You know how there are Power Rangers in Harwood County?"

"Yeah," Scott said.

"We're them," Troy said, staring at Scott. "Gia, Emma, Noah, Jake and I are the Megaforce Power Rangers."

There was no hint of a lie.

Scott blinked a few times, "Okay," he said finally. "I can see why you wanted me to know."

Troy nodded earnestly, "Also, I'm the Red Ranger, so I'm kind of their Alpha, except that Derek was and now you are my Alpha. Unless you don't, I mean, I know I'm not."

"Troy," Scott snapped, wondering what had gotten into Troy. He normally wasn't a babbler. However, normally Troy hadn't been kidnapped and emotionally traumatized by Alpha werewolves and then dragged off to become a freaking Power Ranger.

"Sorry," Troy said, "I'm kind of really on edge right now. Jake's missing, and I'm not leaving until we find him and I just don't know how my parents will react to that."

Of course, it was Troy's parents, Scott thought. Those two were more than enough to strip away all of Troy's layers and defenses with a single word. "They'll have to deal," Scott said, "the same as my mom, the Sheriff, and Mister Argent learned to deal."

"Well," Troy hesitated, "I'm thinking about asking Justin about how to get emancipated minor status if they put up too much of a fuss."

"Or there's that," Scott agreed. "How are you holding up with everything, anyways?"

Troy shrugged, "I'm mostly all right during the day. Seeing the twins was a huge shock, although I can understand why you sent them now. I still get nightmares."

"I get nightmares," Scott said, "and I haven't been through half of what you went through."

Troy nodded, "Hey, I'm going to go see if there's somewhere I can change, all right? I need out of this monkey suit."

"Go ahead," Scott said, "I'm about to go grab my spare change of clothes too." He watched as Troy turned and reached for the door, "And Troy," he called. When Troy was looking at him, Scott smiled, "You're still Pack, okay? There's always going to be a place for you here."

Troy smiled back at him and vanished inside.

Scott leaned against the balcony railing and stared out at the city below him, wondering what it must be like, to be chosen to be a Power Ranger.

"That was a nice thing to say."

Scott looked up and smiled as Justin walked over, "Yeah?" He asked.

"I only heard that last bit," Justin said as he leaned against the railing. "Troy needs to hear that sometimes."

"He's a Power Ranger though," Scott said.

"Doesn't mean he can't be scared or insecure," Justin replied. "He's just better than most at hiding it. He's probably terrified for Jake and the others, blaming himself for not saying something before they got here, and freaking out that this is a sign that he's not cut out to be a Red Ranger. He'll never realize that those three things, in that order, are why he's a Red Ranger."

"You know a lot about the Rangers," Scott said.

"I'm old friends with the Astros," Justin replied, "I learned a few things in my time."

Scott nodded. "Do you think we'll find Jake?"

"Yes," Justin replied. "Even if we have to do some mystic mumbo jumbo while dancing naked, we'll find Jake."

Scott smiled, "Thanks Justin. You're a good man to talk to."

"I try," Justin said. He straightened up, "You need to go get changed, Scott. You'll be a lot more comfortable out of that suit."

"Right," Scott said. "Thanks again." He headed back inside, and right into the middle of an argument.

"Not everyone eats Chinese food," Gia was saying sharply.

"There's nothing wrong with it," Stiles replied. "And I'm hungry."

"And the only things you want are greasy and fattening," Gia said, "there are better things to eat."

"Hey," Scott said, catching both of their attention, "what's going on?"

"I'm hungry," Stiles said, "and Ms. Eat-healthy here is objecting to everything I suggested."

"I don't like take out," Gia replied, "commercially processed food is so unhealthy and most of it is fried anyways."

"Sounds like a little girl I've met," Justin commented from behind Scott. "Stiles, there's a can of Pringles on the fridge, munch on those. Gia, would you help me make something up for everybody?"

"Sure," Gia said with a smile.

Scott scanned the main room of Justin's loft. Noah and Emma were sitting on the couch, Noah with his head in his hands and Emma rubbing his back gently. Derek and Isaac were talking together quietly by one of Justin's worktables.

The twins were probably still down in their apartment, given the number of people who didn't particularly care about them, and Scott just hoped that Peter was in Derek's apartment instead of out getting into trouble. Lydia had gone with Jackson to see Danny, but then, Jackson had never really been comfortable around the Pack and Lydia had only told Scott that she didn't feel anything certain yet and would call him if it changed. Scott couldn't help be relieved that Jackson wasn't here to stir things up as much as he wished Lydia had been comfortable enough to join them.

Boyd had gone home to change, but would make his way back over soon. Mister Argent had left, citing a need to check on the movers packing up his condominium, and Scott really didn't want to drag him back into their problems again, not after the last time. The Sheriff had gone back to the station before Jake had vanished, so they could put off letting him know about Jake, and his mother, Melissa, was on her way to work at the hospital.

The only people Scott couldn't place were Kira and Malia. They weren't pack, yet, but Scott had taken responsibility for them in different ways and it bothered him that they were not here now, when there was an emergency.

Then there was the ding of the penthouse elevator and Kira and Malia slipped hesitantly into the room. Scott felt something in him relax and he turned away to keep anyone from seeing his expression. When he looked at Derek, the other man was smirking at him, implying that he wasn't as subtle as he wanted to be.

"Bathroom's free," Troy announced as he came out into the main room.

"Call it," Scott replied, loosening his tie. He stopped by the guest room to collect his clothes before ducking into the bathroom to change.

After hanging his suit back up, Scott headed back into the great room. Troy had joined Derek and Isaac at the worktable, and Emma and Noah had gravitated to the barstools at the kitchen island, where Justin and Gia were cooking something. Stiles was talking with Kira and Malia by the windows.

Scott headed over to join Derek, Troy, and Isaac, tuning into their conversation as he walked over. "It's not like we can search every deserted building in Beacon Hills," Troy said. "The recession hit the city hard, and there are too many to keep track."

"Troy's right," Scott said as he joined them. "We have to find some other way to do this."

"I've been checking Justin's sensors," Isaac offered, "and I can't pick up any of the energy that he identified as the Nogitsune."

Scott took an unsteady breath. "I didn't know he'd finished that," he said.

"Yeah," Isaac said, "just after…"

Troy cleared his throat, "What kind of energy can he detect? Do you know how sensitive this is?"

"What do you have in mind?" Scott asked.

Troy bit his lip, "I'm just curious. It's not anything big." He gave Scott a sideways look, "With the Rangers in Harwood, we get access to funding to improve the city. They've brought a lot of new technology in that the schools would never have had a chance at before. It's fascinating."

"I'll be happy to give you a demonstration later," Justin called, "but we really need to start brainstorming about what's going to happen now." He nodded at Gia, "And there will be food in about twenty minutes for those of us who aren't Stiles."

"Hey! I'm sharing," Stiles called back.

"He is," Malia added, "these are really good."

"First of all, we need to do a few introductions," Scott said. "Troy, this is Malia and Kira. Malia, Kira, this is Troy, an old friend, and his new friends, Noah, Gia, and Emma. Jake is their missing friend."

"Oh no!" Gia exclaimed.

"What?" Justin asked.

"We left Maya at the water park!" Gia said.

Troy made a strangled noise as Noah and Emma exchanged stunned looks.

"Who's Maya?" Stiles asked.

"My big sister," Gia said, "she helped provide the cover for Troy to come here today. We're supposed to be there to pick her up in a couple of hours."

Troy glanced at Scott, "We should call and let Maya know what's going on. She can decide on her own what she needs to do. I'm not going anywhere until we find Jake."

"None of us are," Noah said. It was the first time Scott had heard Noah say something that firmly. From the way Emma took his hand, Scott thought there was something behind that.

"I'll tell Maya what Troy told us," Gia said, "she goes to Briarwood all the time, her boyfriend lives there."

"You're all welcome to stay here until this is over," Justin said, "there's a second penthouse that nobody's using right now that I'll open up for you. Let your sister know that too."

"Thank you," Gia said as she pulled out her cell phone, "I'll just step outside and make that call."