Green-Eyed Monster

Cam knew he had no reason to feel this way…well more like he had no right to feel this way.

He hadn't made a move so Rose was free to do whatever she liked, but her friendship with Mack made him nervous. They seemed too close to truly be just friends, and the more Rose talked about him the more Tori's words replayed in his mind.

"He almost died today, Cam. Mack almost died," Rose told him tearfully as she paced in front of him in her room. The final battle had just went down, and of course Operation Overdrive had won. But Mack had almost been a casualty.

"But he didn't," Cam reassured her as she walked.

"But he could have. We all could have," she said as she stood still for the first time since he had arrived.

"But you didn't. You won, Rose. The battle is over," Cam told her as he stood to face her.

"Then why don't I feel victorious? I feel like at any moment someone is going to jump out at me like this is the calm before the storm or something…"

"It takes a while for the concept to settle in, Trust me. You just don't know what to do with yourself at the moment. For the last several months your life has been consumed with this, and now that you've completed your mission you have no idea what to do."

"Mack's probably having a harder time with this than I am," Rose said with a sigh, "Although I have to admit today was a pretty good day. You know after all of the fighting and exhaustion ended."

He smiled at her, and nodded in understanding.

"I mean the Corona is safe, Tyzonn found Vela, and Mack is human," she said with a radiant smile. "I felt his heart beating, Cam, for the first time…ever…in his life. It was a very 'Wizard of Oz' moment."

Cam counted backwards from five and nodded silently to keep from making a rude and sarcastic comment. He was trying to be supportive and trying to listen to her, but the more she talked about Mack the more he wanted to rip all of his hair out.

Rose sighed, "I'm going to miss-"

Cam groaned, "Okay that's it. I can't take it anymore."

"Take what anymore?" Rose asked nervously.

"Just go tell Mack you're in love with him and get it over with…"

"WHAT?" Rose nearly yelled in shock, "Who said that I'm in love with…"

"Oh, no one, but it's pretty obvious," Cam snapped.

"Cam, Mack is like a brother to me. I don't have any siblings, and Mack…well, he looks out for me. I've never had that before. I've never had real friends before," she told him seriously.

"But you talk about him SO much…"

"I'm sorry if that bothers you, but like I said I've never had a friend like him or like the others before…so I get a little carried away sometimes, and…he did almost die today. I may not be in love with him, but I certainly do love him in a brother-sister way. That's bound to get some emotions and nerves flowing…" Rose said as she looked away from Cam.

Did he really think she was in love Mack? If he did is that why he hadn't made a move? She mentally kicked herself. Of course, he thinks you're in love with Mack. First of all, you talk about him all the time. But it's not like she could help the fact that she felt closest to him than any of the others. Mack had truly become her best friend. Second of all, she was a pink and he was a red. Someone had said something about ranger romances connecting those colors, but that hadn't happened in this case.

Cam looked at her with doubt written across his face.

She sighed, "I promise you that I am not in love with Mack. I'm really not."

Cam was about to speak up when there was a knock at the door.

It was Mack.

"Hey Cam, sorry to interrupt but can I steal Rosie for a minute?" he asked politely.

Cam refused to meet Mack's eyes and nodded mutely. Mack glanced at him strangely before motioning for Rose to follow him out into the hall.

"Is Cam okay?" he asked when Rose stood in front of him.

She sighed, "I don't know…"

"Is something wrong?"

"He thinks I'm in love with you…"

Mack let out a short blast of laughter before regaining control, "The guy must be blind."

Rose's brow furrowed, "What does that mean?"

"It means that he can't see how crazy about him you truly are," Mack told her with a knowing grin.

"What should I do?" she asked him desperately.

"Make the first move," Mack told her as if it were obvious, "He's probably too nervous now to do that, and it would prove to him that you really aren't in love with me. It might also help get that green-eyed monster off his back."

Rose gulped, "I don't know if I can do that…what if he says no?"

"He won't," Mack assured her.

"But-"

"He won't, Rosie, he won't."

So, there ya go!

Enjoy!