Hi. This one-shot was a LOT of fun to write. Yet… no dates in my entire LIFE and I'm writing this kind of fluff. I have problems… high on the list is that I don't own Power Rangers!

Oh, I'm pretending there are the odd minions & occasional monster in various dimensions. I mean, the Mystics couldn't have gotten rid of all the dark magic in all the dimensions.

10: Friends (post Sigh of the Tiger)

Madison had left the house early that morning. Vida was still in a bad mood that there was no Pink Ranger on the Jungle Fury team. She and the other nine Pinks were worried about the beginning of another Pink 'drought'. The Black Rangers (all six of them, including the two demi-Greens and the multi-colored Dr. O.) were amused.

So she teleported in a cloud of blue sparks to Nick's cabin. Gently she knocked on the door. Clad in just dark jeans and a white undershirt he answered.

"Yeah…oh, Maddie," he flushed. "Hang on a sec…"

Barely able to nod, Madison waited as Nick darted off muttering 'shirt' repeatedly under his breath. When he reappeared he was hurriedly buttoning up a red long-sleeved shirt.

"Sorry," he apologized as he opened the door. Madison just smiled sheepishly, awkward over how much delight she had gotten from seeing Nick almost without a shirt. "So, how's V holding up? No tornadoes yet… that's a good sign."

Madison giggled. "Whenever she starts to get too cranky Chip points out how there are only two male Yellows. Next thing I know they're either debating or 'sucking face'."

Nick made a rueful face. "Maybe I should hide out up here for another few weeks."

"Hey! If I have to put up with it, you have to put up with it," Madison laughed as they entered the kitchen. Kim and Billy had given Nick the cabin as a Christmas gift last year for him to live in until he got a true home of his own. Madison had a feeling that wouldn't be for a while.

Nick shot her that bright smile that always melted her knees.

"You could hide out with me."

"Um…" Madison attempted to reply but her brain was in the same state as her knees. In other words, totally and completely melted.

"It'd be fun," Nick encouraged her, hopping up onto the counter. "We'd watch movies, hide under the bed if any Pinks came, have cook-outs every night-"

"Eat cookie dough?" Madison asked hopefully. Nick grinned even wider.

"Sure. Why not?"

Just then Madison's stomach let out a small growl. She blushed. But Nick just raised his eyebrows, commenting, "Hungry?"

"Vida was already in a temper when I woke up so I didn't stick around for breakfast," Madison admitted. Nick gently teased, "So you came here to sponge off me?"

"NO!"

"I'm joking, Maddie," he hurried to appease her. "How about some of that cookie dough you were talking about? Chocolate chip?"

Now both Rangers' stomachs growled. Nick smiled wryly.

"As you might tell, I haven't eaten yet either."

Now Madison caught the last bits of water in Nick's wiry black hair.

"Did I get you of the shower?" It took all of Madison's willpower not to lick her lips at that thought.

"No," Nick shook his head. "I was upstairs thinking about how to spend my day in hiding."

"Mm," Madison had to agree. Both had Pinks for sisters and knew just how temperamental said Pinks could be. Lucky Ryan had a Kat-like Pink in Dana; Madison had a Kim-like Pink in Vida while Nick had Kim herself as a sister.

Updating each other on the events in Briarwood and the forest the two Mystics mixed up a batch of egg-less chocolate chip cookie dough without using magic. Thanks to Imperious they and their teammates had truly learned their lesson two years ago. With a giggle Madison scooped up a bit on her pointer finger and dabbed it onto the end of Nick's nose.

"Hey!" he protested. Going cross-eyed to look at it, he demanded, "Get that off!"

Then Madison must have channeled her inner Vida or something because she then did something very un-Madison-like. She ate the dab of cookie dough right off Nick's nose. The cookie dough tasted slightly Nick-flavored.

For a minute Nick looked as shocked as Madison felt. Then those green-grey eyes of his darkened and Nick scooped up a dab of chocolate chip cookie dough of his own and placed it on the end of Madison's nose.

Her heart pounding, Madison waited for what she knew was coming. And it came. Nick ate the cookie dough right off her nose and took his time about it. Afterwards he gave her a wicked smile and added in a slightly rough voice, "Now what are you going to do about that?"

Madison's eyes, if possible, grew even wider. "Um…"

Using her first two fingers Madison scooped up some more cookie dough and taking Nick's hand placed it on his palm.

What in the Underworld am I doing? exclaimed some still-sane part of her.

Shut up! the rest of Madison yelled at it.

Somewhat shyly she gently ate the cookie dough off Nick's hand.

"Maddie," he exhaled. She looked up at him, wide-eyed.

Getting some cookie dough Nick gave her a pensive look.

"Maybe…"

"Maybe what?"

"Maybe what this," and Nick placed the cookie dough on Madison's neck. It felt oddly cool against her suddenly warm skin. Slowly, carefully he ate it.

Madison curled up next to him, certain that if she didn't lean against him she would fall down shortly because her limbs were acting limp indeed. Nick wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. She could feel his heart pounding, she could feel his chest rise and fall like a tide with his breathing.

"Hidiacs… I hurt you, didn't I?"

Madison shook her head, burrowing her face into Nick's shirt. A muffled 'no' managed to escape her lips.

Nick looked down at the top of her head.

"I scared you then?"

Another muffled 'no'.

With a sigh, Nick used a finger to raise up her head so he could look into her milk chocolate eyes.

"What then?"

"I, uh, um, I," Madison stammered.

Whatever Madison would have said was fated to stay within her for now because Xander's strident Aussie-accented voice penetrated all the way into the kitchen from the front porch.

"Some rogue Styxoids are near Dragonfly Dell! Nick, we'd better hurry before Vida blows them all away!"

Jumping apart, the two hurriedly transformed into their Mystic uniforms.

"All right, Xander! We'll meet you there!"

Out on the front porch Xander looked confounded.

"We?" he echoed. Realizing, he slapped his forehead and groaned. "Crikey. Once me and Ronny hook up Mack and Rose we really need to do something about those two."