After the three former rangers took some time to recover from Ethan's message, they gathered once again in the basement. Trent, Kira and Conner all stood at one of the tables in the lab, the six files opened in front of them as they gazed down at the six pictures.

"Before we start," Conner began, "we need one more thing," without another word, Conner walked over to the large computer console and got down to his knees. He tapped at a panel on the console a few times before the seemingly stationary metal popped out, falling in his hands. Once the secret panel opened, he reached in, reaching across the wires that were visible. Trent and Kira watched as he pulled out a large black lockbox. Once the box was out and set on the ground, he replaced the covering, returning the hiding place to its previous inconspicuous appearance. He stood back up and returned to the table, placing the box by the pictures.

"Is that what I think it is?" Kira asked softly. Instead of answering, Conner opened up the box to reveal six differently colored gems, much like the gems they had once worn as Power Rangers.

"I'm guessing that'd be a yes," Trent muttered as he and Kira were awed by seeing the gems. Each gem shone as the light hitting it, revealing the beautiful colors: blue, white, pink, red, black and yellow.

"Wow," Kira breathed. Conner looked down at the gems before looking up at them.

"Before we start talking about these kids," Conner began, even he knew calling them kids was an exaggeration since even the youngest was just six years younger than them, but the three of them were aged beyond their years, especially Conner. Bearing the responsibility of being rangers had matured them so much as teens and with Conner's clandestine work, he personally felt more like someone in his forties instead of the late 20s he was actually in. "We need to talk about where we're going to stand," he continued. "I have no intention of warming the bench while these six face the bad guys," Conner said, determination clear in his tone. "And I need to know where you guys stand."

"I'm in," Trent and Kira said simultaneously, without a hint of hesitation in their voices. Conner smiled.

"Good," he said. "I guess we need to figure out who's going to be who," he said. He began pulling the gems out and setting them on the table. He placed the pink, white and yellow gems out first before going to pull out the black gem. The gem lingered in his hand a bit, as his mind went to the one who used to wear black, before setting it down next to the other gems. The same occurred when he pulled out the blue gem. He picked up the red gem and stopped short as the small jewel glowed in his hand the second he picked it up. He gave a small amused puff of air. "Well, I guess that answers what color I'm going to be, huh?" He joked. Kira smiled.

"You always did look good in red," she said, giving him a wink. Conner chuckled.

"All right," Trent said, "I guess it's our turn," he said to Kira. He placed his hands over the line of gems, slowly running it down the line and hovering over each gem. The second he neared the white gem, the jewel began to glow faintly. He picked it up and watched in wonder as it glowed even brighter in his palm. "Well would you look at that," he mused. Kira smiled at her friend before looking down at the gem. Seeing as both Trent and Conner now held their original colors, she figured the same possibly applied to her, therefore she didn't bother running her hands over all the gems like Trent and simply went straight to the yellow gem. She grinned when she saw that her assumption had been correct as the gem glowed in her hand.

"So glad I won't need a wardrobe overhaul," she joked. She looked at her boyfriend. "Something tells me this isn't just a coincidence," she said.

"I guess Ethan somehow found a way to tap into the mechanics of our old gems when we were making these," Conner mused.

"Thank god for that." Trent replied as he let the gem sit in his hand, glowing. Kira nodded.

"I don't look that great in pink." She commented.

"All right, now that that's settled," Conner began as he looked down at the six pictures before them, "we should probably recruit the newbies," he said. Kira nodded as Trent looked closely at the pictures. His eyes fell on the picture of Ryder Taima, the man he had seen in the aftermath of the attack not too long ago. The phrase uttered by the old man played in his head. Your paths are not to converge yet. His mind lingered on the 'yet' part of the sentence. That, coupled with the younger man being one of Ethan's choices for new ranger, just told Trent coming across Ryder and Mr. Hawk was no coincidence and those words could not be dismissed. He himself was never one to put too much stock in signs but when one was flashing in his face with a big flashing neon arrow pointing to the man's picture, Trent wasn't going to ignore it.

"Something tells me he," Trent began, picking up Ryder's picture "is meant to be one of us," he said, setting the picture aside from the rest. Conner looked down at one of the other folders and thought about it for a moment before moving it to the same pile that Ryder's folder had been put into.

"I have a feeling that Jiao-jie is also meant to be one of us." He replied as he dropped it into the pile.

"What makes you say that?" Kira asked.

"Well, you guys heard what Ethan said…we're going to need her. Besides, something tells me if she was important enough to garner a face to face with Ethan, we shouldn't dismiss her."

"Face to face?" Trent asked. "You mean you knew about her?"

"Not in this context," Conner said. "A few weeks ago, Ethan had a book signing for his biography at the bookstore in town…the same one that she," Conner said, pointing to Jiao-jie's photo, "works at."

"Coincidence?" Kira asked.

"I would think that to, except Ethan talked to her for a good long while," Conner said. He shook his head. "I only saw her for two seconds that day, since she was in the back room working on the store's website when I first got there. That's why her face didn't register when we first saw her picture," Conner explained.

"Do you think he talked to her about this?" Kira asked. Conner shook his head.

"I left to pick up Ryan from day care since Ethan was busy with fans and Emily was stuck at work. I came back to pick up Ethan about two hours later after the signing ended and caught the end of the conversation. They were talking about computer stuff, especially the new gaming department of his company."

"Could it be possible that that conversation was just that?" Kira asked.

"Oh yeah, sure," Conner said. "He has a long conversation with a girl who just happens to be one of his picks for new rangers? I don't think so. My bet is he was feeling her out, and not just for a job at his company."

"So he just randomly pick someone off the street?" Trent asked. Kira shrugged.

"That's how we were picked." She replied.

"We weren't random," Conner said. "We came across our gems for a reason. You honestly think it was just coincidence that you, me and Ethan all got detention on the same day, and we ended up in the woods by Dr. Oliver's basement lair? We were meant to come across those gems…and I think Trent's right about Ryder, he was meant to come across him the other day. Now, if Ethan agreed to do the signing at that bookstore because he knew this girl worked there, or that was just the first of many twists of fate remains to be seen, but none of these people are random," Conner said. Kira looked down at the four remaining pictures, her eyes falling on Hayden Underwood.

"Well, if that's the case," she said as she picked up the picture. "I guess he's our third," she said, placing the picture with Ryder and Jiao-jie. Conner and Trent looked at her with questioning looks on their faces.

"What do you mean?" Trent asked.

"Of all the injured people we saw that day…what was it that drew you to Ryder?"

"Well, I saw him trying to perform CPR and thought I'd help," Trent said.

"Yeah, but there were probably other people just like him, what made him stand out?" Kira asked. Trent paused to think before shrugging.

"I don't know," he replied honestly.

"Right. There were dozens of people who were as hurt, if not more, than that girl I saw, but for some reason, she stood out. I was drawn to her, and she just so happened to be Hayden's sister. If Conner's point about this not being coincidence is true, that we were meant to come across these people."

"But that logic fades with her," Trent said, pointing to Jiao's picture. Conner pursed his lips.

"There were four of us back then," Conner said. "Maybe that logic still holds true." Trent and Kira looked at him.

"You think Dr. Oliver came across her?" Kira asked. Conner shrugged.

"Maybe," he said. "You and Trent came across these two," he said, pointing to Hayden and Ryder. "I didn't come across any of them, maybe he did."

"Okay, going with that thought…what if it was any of these people?" Trent asked, his arm sweeping to the remaining pictures. Conner smirked a bit.

"I really don't think the fates out there would really want a guy to be in pink. That'd be too cruel."

"So…..this is part fate and part color/gender coordination, then?" Trent asked, rolling his eyes. Kira snorted.

"Sounds like it." She replied. Conner's smirk widened.

"Hey, you're the one who used to complain about being the only girl on the team back then, so why are you complaining now?"

"I'm not," Kira said. "I'm just saying, basing choosing the team just because a guy in pink would be cruel isn't very…….I don't know……mentor-y?" She said.

"Is that even a word?" Conner asked. Kira rolled her yes.

"You know what I mean," she said. Trent shook his head.

"Are we actually going to be….mentors….to these guys? It's just too….too surreal," he muttered. Kira and Conner looked at him, both nodding in agreement.

"More like creepy." Kira replied. "Can we actually do this? I mean, if…….if Dr. Oliver was here……that'd be one thing……he's done this so many times before, not to mention worn the mentor hat…..and he just…." Her voice trailed off, but the others knew what she was getting at. They all, even Conner, felt at ease at the thought of Tommy providing his guidance. Without it, they felt like lost lambs without a shepherd.

"I know," Conner said. "But we have to do this," he continued. "For Dr. O, for Ethan, for everyone……for the planet as a whole….when we became rangers, we took up the oath to be Earth's line of defense against the psychos. And now's the time to do that again, not to mention lead three others to do the same," as he spoke, Kira and Trent stared at him. "and….what?" He stopped, noticing their stares. Kira smiled.

"That was a very mentor-y little speech," she said. "Maybe we can do this," he said. Trent nodded, agreeing with her.

"I agree." Trent replied. Conner blushed a bit, not realizing he'd gone into "mentor-y" like speak.

"Uh, okay," he said lamely. He sighed. "All right," he said, getting back to business. He looked down at the three photos they had set aside. "Take a look at our new teammates, guys" he spoke.

---

The next day, Trent found himself driving Ethan's car out to the reservation on the outskirts of town. After discussing it with the others, he thought it best he meet with Ryder himself. Something told him, from what happened when he met the younger man, he was almost expected. As he reached the reservation, he pulled out the paper from Ryder's file that listed his address. Once he took another look at it, he continued driving, pulling up to a row of houses. He shut off the car and got out, leaning against the door as he looked around him as he tried to find the house he was looking for.

"The chameleon has finally arrived," said a voice. Trent turned to see Mr. Hawk walking toward him and the car. Trent blinked, finding the man and the things he said incredibly eerie. "How are you, young man?" He asked.

"Uh, I'm all right," Trent said. He stood up from the car and approached the older man. "I'm glad to see you're okay," he said. Mr. Hawk gave him a small smile and nod.

"Yes, Mounted Warrior was good enough to accompany me to the hospital after you saw to us. It turned out the shock of the days events had just given me a mild attack." Trent fixed him with an odd stare.

"And yet you're walking around, not resting?" Trent asked. Mr. Hawk chuckled.

"At my age, you get as much walking around as you can before it is too late," he replied. "Now, onto your business. I don't think I need to ask why you're here," he said, giving him a knowing look.

"I'm looking for Ry…..uh……Mounted Warrior," Trent stated. Mr. Hawk nodded. He directed Trent to the furthest house down the line. Trent nodded and thanked the man before getting back in the car and drove down the line. As he got closer, he began a faint cackling sound. Once he reached the last house, the cackling sound become clearer. He got out of the car to see a house with a large garage connected to it. In the garage, instead of a car, there was a sculpture being worked on by a figure dressed in jeans and a black shirt. His long hair was pulled back in a pony tail and he wore an iron mask as he took a blow torch to the sculpture, emitting the cackling sound and small sparks as he worked. Trent slowly approached the garage, not wanting to startle him and cause some accident. He took a few steps before the blow torch was shut off and set on a workbench near the sculpture. He looked up at Trent and lifted the mask to reveal Ryder. He tilted the mask back and let it rest on the back of his head.

"You may be a chameleon in Mr. Hawk's eyes, but you do realize you're not invisible, right?" He asked with the beginnings of a smirk on his lips. Trent couldn't help but return the gesture with a small smile as he continued his approach to the garage.

"Wasn't sure you saw me. I figure it'd be unwise to startle someone with a blow torch," he replied. Ryder gave a small expelling of breath in slight amusement before nodding. "So, what brings you here?" He asked, getting to the point. Trent paused for a moment.

"I thought you already knew," he said. Ryder took the mask off and set it on the work table as he walked from behind the sculpture.

"Mr. Hawk's vision said you were coming….wasn't too clear on the why," Ryder responded. Trent nodded.

"I see," he said. He walked in the garage and took a looked around. Besides the work in progress sculpture, the room help many other pieces of work. The corner held an easel and canvas facing away from them, the other corner held a drum, that from the gray stains along the rim, Trent could tell it held clay. "Renaissance man of the art world, I see," Trent said. Ryder's file had expressed the younger man's interest in art but Trent figured that, like him and his drawing, it was concentrated in one medium.

"Art's art," Ryder replied. "Figured it's the true artist's responsibility to try to master as many forms as he can." Trent couldn't help bite the inside of his cheek at what that implied—that because he focused solely on drawing, he wasn't a true artist.

"Right," Trent replied. "So, uh, why don't you tell me a bit about this vision Mr. Hawk had?"

"Sure. But how about you at least let me know the name of whom I'm speaking to?" Ryder said. Trent blinked. In all of their conversing, he forgot they hadn't exchanged introductions. He understood why he forgot. I knew Ryder's name and some information about him, so it didn't cross his mind to do introductions.

"Oh, right," Trent said. "Trent, Trent Mercer," he said. Ryder came closer to him as the two shook hands.

"Ryder Taima," he replied. Trent nodded, figuring it best to keep the fact that he already knew his name to himself. He tilted his head, gesturing to two chairs against the wall. Trent went to the chairs as Ryder went to a mini fridge by the other wall and took out two bottles of soda. He joined Trent and handed him one. Trent thanked him, grateful for the refreshment in the Texan heat. The two settled in their seats and enjoyed their drinks as Ryder began to speak.

"There were two visions. One came not to long after the attack on the ice cream parlor in town, the other a few days after we met you." Trent blinked, surprised by this information. He wondered if when the visions occurred held any significance. "He told me of a man dressed in our people's warrior garb walking along a path in the woods. He had lost his horse somewhere along his travels and was now trying to find him," Ryder continued. Trent sat and listened intently. "As the warrior walked along the path, he came across a chameleon. The warrior followed the chameleon and it led it to a clearing in the woods where a cheetah, sparrow and falcon stood waiting for him. Behind them, there were two other figures but they couldn't be made out. That was the first vision Mr. Hawk had," Ryder said.

"And the second?" Trent asked. Ryder nodded, and took a sip from his bottle before continuing.

"The second was much like the first one, except this time the falcon was gone. The chameleon, cheetah and sparrow mourned for the falcon but still had the same sense of duty they had had in the first vision. Though, it seemed like this time the duty was even more………I guess…….important…..now that the falcon was gone. And, unlike the first vision, this time the other two animals were a bit clearer to see."

"What were the two other animals?" Trent asked.

"A fox and a chimp," he stated. "The chimp seemed to move around a lot but also seemed to stay by the sparrow, as if she was the one who guided him there, like the chameleon had guided the warrior. But the fox….she seemed independent, lost, and hesitant to come near any of them. Mr. Hawk said she'd wonder over to where the falcon had been perched before, but then walk away again." Trent raised an eyebrow a bit. He found it interesting that the animals all seemed to have a specific gender. It seemed that they represented people. He then wondered who the animals represented. By Mr. Hawk's greeting, Trent figured he was the chameleon and there was no question that Tommy was the falcon, nor that Kira was the sparrow or Conner the cheetah. But who were the other two? He thought about how the chimp's movements were described. Could it be that it was the sparrow's interaction with it that led it to the group? If that was the case, it further solidified Hayden's place amongst the new team. That then left the question of the fox. Trent found it eerie that, if these two new animals represented the new team, and the fox, a female, seemed to venture by where the falcon had been….it meant not only did Jiao have a destined spot on the team, but meant that Conner was right and she had interacted with Tommy on that fateful day. Ryder looked at Trent for a moment.

"Are you alright?" He questioned. Trent blinked as he was torn from his internal ponderings. He looked at Ryder.

"Yeah…just thinking…." He said. He cleared his throat and took a sip of his soda. "So, what do you think his visions mean?" Ryder smiled a bit, as if he could see right through Trent.

"Well, seeing as you're here, I think it means I'm supposed to follow you." Trent looked at him.

"You don't even question it? What if the chameleon's leading the warrior to certain doom?" Trent wasn't trying to dissuade the younger man, but found his blind faith to be a bit strange. Ryder's smiling expression turned pensive as he seemed to look off into the distance.

"I did question it at first," he spoke. "But with all the things that have been happening in town lately…I just get the feeling that the warrior….Me…….I'm supposed to follow the chameleon because of it. To stop it." Trent blinked, taken aback by this insight. Ryder looked at him. "Am I right?"

"You're right." Trent replied, still obviously somewhat thunderstruck. Ryder nodded, understanding. Trent was finding all this to be too surreal and thought it best to deal with all this with Kira and Conner. "You're going to have to follow me…..to the…..uh, sparrow and the cheetah," he said. He peered at Ryder, wondering if common sense would take over blind faith and tell him that following some complete stranger wasn't the wisest of things. Ryder simply stood up.

"My car's parked in the back, lead the way," he simply replied, which only further dumfounded Trent. Trent downed the rest of his soda in one big gulp before standing up.

"You're kind of weird, you know that, right?" He stated honestly. Ryder just laughed.

"If following some old man's visions and seeing them as prophecy is weird than….all right, I'm a weirdo," he said, comically relenting to the fact. Trent couldn't help chuckle a bit, shaking his head as Ryder picked up his car keys from a nearby table.

"Hey," Trent spoke, making Ryder look at him. "In the visions, did anything happen after the warrior came across all the animals?"

"Mr. Hawk didn't say," Ryder replied. He furrowed his brow for a minute. "All he did say was that I should pay close attention to the fox," he shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure what that meant." Trent thought about it for a moment.

"No idea... We'll just have to wait and see." He replied. Ryder nodded as the two left the garage. Trent got in Ethan's car and waited as Ryder pulled his car from around the back. As he waited, he sent a text message to Kira's cell phone---

Found R, bringing him to house.

Trent closed his phone and put it in his pocket just as Ryder's car appeared from behind the garage. Trent nodded to Ryder from his rearview mirror and fired up the engine, driving back to the house with Ryder in tow.

---

A little after Trent had left to speak with Ryder Kira figured she, like Trent was doing with Ryder, should be the one to seek out Hayden, given that she had already met him. She grabbed Hayden's file and made her way to the Texas State campus in town. Once she got there, she parked in the guest parking lot and got out to search for the young man. As she walked along the campus, she hoped she hadn't arrived while he was in class. She'd have no way of finding him.

As Kira kept walking, she found herself being drawn towards the campus soccer field. As she got closer to the field, she paused as she saw a lone figure practicing. He was dressed in a pair of blue and white gym shorts and a blue t-shirt. He kicked the black and white ball up with the tip of his sneaker clad foot and bounced it on his knee. Kira paused by the nearby row of bleachers and watched him as he gave a high knee kick and leaned forward, letting the ball glide across his shoulders. Once the ball hit the ground, he kicked it up again and went back to bouncing it with his knees. Kira couldn't help feel a wave of nostalgia wash over her as she watched him, remembering how animated Conner was back when he had a soccer ball on hand. He'd laugh, jump around, and just generally be happy. Sure, in there time together he seemed to be regaining his old self, but the glow about him still seemed diminished. She understood it had to do with the stress of all the years of running and the losses they've been forced to endure. She just hoped that there'd be a way to find the Conner she knew and loved all those years ago.

"Can I help you?" Kira was torn from her thoughts by the figure on the field letting his ball drop and addressing her. Kira blinked and stepped away from the bleachers and saw she had been watching Hayden this whole time. His eyes widened a bit as he recognized her. "Oh, wow, it's you," he said. Kira smiled a little.

"Yeah. I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Kira." She replied, sticking her hand out. Hayden smirked.

"Uh duh," he replied, laughing a bit. "Everyone knows Kira Ford. In all the craziness of that day, Cass and I didn't realize that….you know….it was you. I mean, we realized it was you just……you know what I mean, the whole 'holy crap, celebrity' thing didn't kick in," he said. Kira nodded, making an O with her mouth, realizing her fame had followed her to Dallas. She saw that he wasn't shaking her hand so let it fall to her side.

"I don't know if I'd call myself a celebrity," she muttered humbly. "Is she okay?" Kira asked, wondering how the girl had fared after she left them with the paramedics. Hayden nodded.

"The squirt just needed some stitches and was a little shaken for a while, but all in all she was okay," he informed.

"That's good," Kira said with a nod. Hayden aimlessly tossed the soccer ball between his hands.

"So, what brings you here?" He asked, tossing the ball back and forth. Kira bit her lip, trying to think of the best way to tell him why she was there.

"This might sound a little strange, but I need your help." She replied. Hayden stopped the ball and held it with both hands.

"Uh…sure. I mean, you did help my little sister, I guess it's the least I could do," he said, though seemed confused as to how he could help her. "What can I do?" Kira blinked.

"Uh…well…" She began. She shut her mouth. She went to open her mouth when she felt her cell phone vibrate against her hip. "Oh, one second," she said, She pulled her phone out and saw the text message from Trent, telling her he was returning to the house with Ryder. She looked at Hayden. "Are you doing anything right now?" She asked. Hayden's eyes widened a bit.

"Oh….uh…..wow…..Miss Ford, I'm really flattered but I-" he began. Kira quickly got what he thought she meant, her eyes going wide as her cheeks blushed furiously.

"No, no!" She quickly exclaimed. "I wasn't asking you out…" she sputtered, shocked that he'd assume that. Hayden let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank god." He replied, laughing a little. Kira blinked. Though she was appalled by this….well, kid…assuming she was asking him out, she was a little offended that he seemed so relieved that she wasn't asking him out.

"Gee, thanks," she muttered. She shook her head. "Anyway, so, are you?" Going back to the business at hand.

"Uh, no…I'm free," he said, still confused.

"Good," Kira said. "Would you mind coming with me?" She asked. Hayden's expression seemed to grow even more confused.

"Uh, this isn't some weird, creepy Hollywood cult recruitment, is it?" He asked. "Because, I should let you know, I don't exactly have a whole lot of worldly possessions to forsake in order to be in a cult…plus I'm not much of a poisoned kool-aid drinker," he said. Kira stared at him.

"It's not a cult," she said slowly, as her mind tried to grasp what in the world made Ethan think he was a likely candidate for the team.

"Oh, okay then!" Hayden replied. He walked past her and retrieved his backpack from the bleachers, stuffing his ball in it as he walked back to her. "So, lead the way, I guess," he said. Kira blinked.

"Has anyone ever told you you're a little queer?" She asked. Hayden seemed to smirk at that.

"Probably not that way you mean, but yeah," he said. Kira furrowed her brows but decided to leave it alone as she walked back to the parking lot, Hayden following close behind. She got into Emily's car and waited for Hayden to climb in the passenger seat as she turned on the engine and drove towards the house.

As this went on, Conner sat in the house, waiting for Kira and Trent to return with Ryder and Hayden. He had already set up the house for the arrivals and figured it was now time to reach out to the remaining member of the recruits. He opened up the file and scribbled out a note for Trent and Kira as he grabbed his car keys.

---

Across town, the shrill sound of an alarm clock awoke a dark haired figure. Her body spasmed awake under the covers as she reached her hand out and slammed it on the clock. She groaned, lifting her head to look at the clock. 8:30. She had an hour before she had to report to work.

"All right, Jay," she coached herself. "Time to wake up." She sighed and sat up in bed, pushing her long hair out of her face as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and got up. She stretched a bit, pulling her white cotton pajama bottoms up from where they had slid down to her waist and adjusting the strap of her pink tank top as she walked towards the mirror of her boudoir. She combed her fingers through her hair as she stopped in front of a framed picture that hung at the side of her mirror. The picture held an elderly woman baring a soft smile. Jiao-jie kissed her fingertips and placed them on the picture.

"Zao chen hao, Lao Lao," she said softly. Her eyes shifted to the surface of her boudoir and grabbed the small black framed glasses that sat there, putting them on as she made her way to her kitchen. She put pieces of bread into her toaster before ducking down to the cupboard beneath her counter and pulling out a bag of dry cat foot. "Tybalt," she called, shaking the bag a bit, letting the rattle of the food inside the bag ring out. "Pss, pss, pss. Come on, get your breakfast," she called. She sighed and went over to the food dish and poured some of the bag's content in it before returning the bag to the cupboard. She turned to see the cat was nowhere to be seen. "Oh prince of cats, get your furry butt in here," she said, rolling her eyes. She sighed and turned to the toaster as the bread popped out. She grabbed a slice and walked back to her bedroom, munching on the crispy bread. She set the half eaten bread on her boudoir as she grabbed a white hair-tie and pulled her hair up in a high pony tail before venturing to her closet. It was one of her favorite qualities in her humble abode. The closet was medium sized and without a door, something that her boss, when helping her find a place had seen as a deterrent only made Jiao want to rent the place even more.

Jiao pulled back the soft curtain she'd placed as a makeshift door on the closet and stepped in, looking to see what to wear for the day. As she looked at her selections, she felt something furry rub against her angle. She chuckled a bit as she looked down to see her small tuxedo kitten leisurely walking past her legs.

"So, here's where you've been hiding," she said picking up the small creature. The cat purred in her arms as she scratched its head. She set the animal down and patted its behind. "Your breakfast's ready, scoot." The animal got that the pat on it's behind was indication that it was to go somewhere and therefore obeyed. Jiao picked out her clothes and walked to her bed, setting her selection down on the bed as she finished off her piece of toast. After sweeping the crumbs into the wastebasket she kept in her room, she got dressed, her outfit consisting of a pair of black tights that ended at the middle of her calves, a jean skirt and a red and grey fitted rugby shirt. The shirt had originally belonged to her older brother Kai, but after years of color fade, the red now looked more like pink, and he, not wanting to walk around in a pink shirt gave it to her. She took it, running it through it through the hot water wash a few times to make it shrink to fit her, and decided not to complain his gift came only due to him not wanting it anymore.

Jiao freed her pony tail from the collar of her shirt and went back to the boudoir, slipping on the necklace she always wore—a soft pink lotus flower on black cord—before returning to her kitchen to grab her second piece of bread. She stepped over Tybalt happily crunching away at his breakfast and grabbed the 2nd piece of toast before going to her living room and picking up her keys, ipod and white messenger bag.

"Bye Tybalt," she called out before shutting the door and descending her porch steps. She climbed into her beat up white Chevy. She'd only owned the car for a few weeks but already mastered what series of pounds and beats got the doors to cooperate. "All right, Shirley," she said, using the name the car's previous owner had insisted it was called. "Behave for me today and you might just earn yourself a new paint job," she said as she turned the key in the ignition. The car sputtered to life. "Good girl," Jiao smiled as she pulled the car away and made her way to work. Twenty minutes later found her pulling up in the employee parking space behind her place of work---Ferguson's Lil Shop of Covers. She shut off the car and grabbed her bag as she got out, making her way to the side entrance. She went to pull the keys to the shop out, only to see that the door was already unlocked. She checked her watch, surprised seeing as she expected to be the first one in. Figuring her bosses decided to come to the store early, she shrugged it off and walked in. "Hello?" she called out.

"Oh, good morning, Joy," she heard Mrs. Ferguson, one of her bosses respond. Jiao cringed a bit. Leave it to her to have such an involved boss who'd actually look up the Americanized version of her name and use it as a nickname. Jiao sighed and followed the sound of the older woman's voice. She found her crouched by a box of books, setting up a display.

"'Morning Mrs. Ferguson," she said. The woman looked at her.

"Joy," she admonished. "How many times have I told you, call me Sue," she said. Jiao smirked.

"I'll stop calling you Mrs. Ferguson if you stop calling me Joy," she said. Sue sighed, rolling her eyes at the precociousness of her young employee.

"How could I, when you're such a joy to work with?" She said, giving the girl a smile. Jiao rolled her eyes and went around the bookcase she was standing by to see the display Sue was setting up. She was a little surprised to see it was a display in dedication to the late Ethan James. The case was filled with copies of his biography and computer guides he had penned in the earlier years of his career. The display also had pictures from when he had come to the store.

"Oh," Jiao said softly. "I didn't know you guys were doing….uh…this," she said awkwardly. Sue looked up from the box of books.

"Well, it seems right. I only wish we could've set it up sooner. We just got the shipment of his earlier books yesterday though," she explained. Jiao gave an absent nod as her eyes focused on a picture of her and the deceased man that Sue had taken. She found her mind wondering back to that day.

Jiao emerged from the store's backroom, finally finished with fixing the problems with the store's website. She saw that the crowd from the signing was starting to clear out. She sighed, grateful she hadn't been forced to pander and assist to the large multitude of customers. She approached Sue by the register.

"Website has been repaired," she informed. Sue smiled.

"Thank you, Joy," she said. Jiao sighed and stepped around her, manning the second cash register. After some time the remaining crowd cleared and now only avid fans of Ethan James remained to pick his brain and get pictures with him. Jiao looked up to see Mr. James making his way over to the registers.

"Mrs. Ferguson," he said, addressing Sue, "thank you so much for hosting the event here in your store," he said, smiling her. Sue smiled and patted his arm.

"Oh Mr. James, the pleasure is all ours," she said. "Oh," she said, casting a look over at Jiao, who was dividing her attention between observing their interaction and bagging a customer's purchase. "This is the young woman I was telling you about," she said. Jiao was caught off guard by Sue gently taking her by the elbow and pulling her over, presenting her to Mr. James. Jiao stared wide eyed between the two, unsure what was going on. "Joy, dear, why don't you let me take care of your customers and you and Mr. James have a nice chat," she said, stepping to the abandoned register before Jiao could respond. Jiao looked at Mr. James and gave a small, nervous chuckle.

"Uh hi….I mean…hello," she said, sticking her hand out. "Jiao-jie Huang, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. James," she said as he shook her head.

"Please, call me Ethan," he said. "Sorry for the ambush," he said. "Your boss was singing your praises earlier," he explained.

"Oh?" Jiao asked, slightly surprised. Ethan nodded.

"She told me I just had to meet her computer whiz of an employee," he informed. Jiao blushed a bit.

"Computer whiz? I don't really know about that," she muttered humbly. The two eased into a conversation, moving from the registers to the small coffee shop area in the store. They sat at one of the tables as the two avidly discussed different computer programs, Jiao's excitement over conversing with one of her idols making her less than social tendencies take a rest for the moment. Their conversation ceased as Sue approached them and Jiao was a surprised when she held up the camera she'd been using the whole day.

"Smile!" She said. Jiao looked down, not one who usually lavished attention from the camera. Ethan smiled a bit and placed a friendly hand on Jiao's shoulder, giving a bright smile to the camera while Jiao's own half hearted smile looked more like a grimace. She blinked a bit as the flash nearly blinded her. Sue smiled and let them get back to their conversation as she walked away to resume her post at the registers.

"So," Ethan said. "My company's starting to develop a gaming department," he said. Jiao took a sip from the latte she had ordered herself.

"Oh?" She said. "That sounds interesting," she said. Ethan nodded.

"Well, I was wondering if you'd be interested in a spot in the department," he said. Jiao's eyes widened.


"What? Me? Really?" She sputtered. "Why?" Ethan smiled.

"Well, you've got the computer knowledge down pat, and according to your boss, you're a bit of a writer. You'd be perfect in the story developing section, and you're computer knowledge would be helpful. You don't want to know how many writers we get who don't seem to understand the allowances and limitations within gaming. They think the sky's the limit, like it's just like cgi or something, but sometimes that's not the case." Jiao sat back, taking this all in.

"Wow, I'm…flattered.." she gushed. Ethan smiled and reached into his soft leather briefcase and pulled out a card and pen, handing it to her.

"Great, well, let me give you a call once the department gets closer to being up and running," he said. Jiao couldn't scribble out her number and hand it all back to him fast enough.

"Joy?" She heard someone say. Jiao blinked as she felt Sue place a hand on her shoulder, drawing her mind back to the here and now. "Are you all right, dear?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, sorry, just….thinking," she said.

"Well don't think too hard, you've got someone at the counter asking for you," Sue replied, pointing over to the registers where Mr. Ferguson was speaking with a tall man with dark wavy hair. Jiao's brows furrowed.

"Me?" She asked.

"Well, that's what Henry said," Sue spoke. Jiao sighed, she'd been so lost in her thoughts she hadn't even notice Mr. Ferguson had come over just a few minutes before, trying to address her.

"Sorry," she said, apologizing for her spacey behavior before walking over to the counter. As she got closer, she idly recognized him, though unable to remember from where. Henry looked up, seeing her approach and gave the girl a smile.

"So nice to see you've returned to the world of the living, dear," he gently joked. Jiao gave the older man a small forced smile.

"Good morning to you too, Mr. Ferguson," she said. Henry smiled and patted her on the shoulder before going over to assist his wife with finishing up the display. Jiao turned to the man, taking her messenger bag off and placing it behind the counter. Before she could address him, the front door of the store banged open as Jiao's two co-workers, Leanne and Rick walked into the door.

"Never fear everyone, Rick is here," Rick announced as he stretched his arms out and laughed. Leanne shook her head and pushed past him, walking past him as she entered the store. She gave a small greeting to Jiao as she walked to the back of the store to clock in. Rick looked over, catching sight of Jiao. He grinned and walked over to where she stood. "Good morning, beautiful Jay," he said, putting his arm around her shoulder. Jiao rolled her eyes and jerked her elbow back, catching him in the gut. "Oomph!" He said, slightly recoiling from the strike.

"Take it off before I break it off, Blondie," she hissed as she glared at him. Rick quickly pulled his arm away from her.

"So cranky," he muttered as he followed Leanne to the back of the store. Jiao rolled her eyes and turned to face the man, who had been looking on with an amused expression on his face. "Can I help you?" She snapped slightly. He jumped a bit, not expecting her ferocious tone. Jiao sighed and leaned her hip against the counter and tapped her foot a bit. "My boss said you were looking for me…so…..who are you?" She asked, getting to the point.

"Conner McKnight," he said, sticking his hand out to her. Jiao simply nodded.

"All right, Mr. McKnight, what can I help you with?" She asked. Conner blinked and brought his hand down to his side.

"Uh, I'm an……associate of Ethan James, and-" Jiao's eyes widened as she quickly stood up straight.

"Oh!" Jiao exclaimed, slapping her forehead. "Right, you were here with him that day…..I'm such an idiot." Conner, unprepared for this sudden change in demeanor was again caught off guard. "Uh, sorry for the uh……less than cordial attitude," she said, her tone going from pissed off to a now more polite and respectful manner. "Uh, I'm assuming you're here about the gaming department at the company?" She asked.

"Uh no, I-"

"I mean, truth be told, after………well……..what happened……I kind of figured that maybe things would be put on indefinite hold, if not be scrapped completely, out of respect. But it's nice to hear that the CEOs are keeping his memory alive and seeing out his plans and wishes. Of course, it could be seen as just a ploy to get money, which isn't as……respectful…….but I guess it all comes down to perspective, right?" She went on, ignoring Conner's attempts to get a word in edgewise.

"Uh, I guess, but this-"

"Anyway, ever since Mr. James and I spoke, I actually started coming up with ideas,"

"Ideas?" Conner asked, confused.

"Yeah, possible game ideas. How about a game about a valkeryie? You know, something with a female who isn't some gun totting big chested Lara Croft clone to get young girls into gaming, you know, give them a realistic female hero….and it's all about the main character discovering new lands, basically going along with historical accounts……Part fun, part educational," she went on, expressing the same excitement she had had when she spoke with Ethan all those weeks ago.

"Uh……yeah…….that sounds……interesting……..but listen, I-" Conner began. Jiao made a face.

"You hate it?" She asked. Conner sighed, rubbing his forehead out of frustration.

"No, I don't hate it... It's just... That's not why I'm here." He replied. Jiao tilted her head quizzically.

"Then why are you here?" She demanded. Conner's jaw fell open at the sudden change in demeanor again. Great, he thought to himself, Ethan saddled us with some girl with multiple personalities……all of which are psychotic!

"I……" He cast a look around, debating whether or not it was wide to discuss this in such open surroundings. Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson were not to far away setting up the memorial display and the two other employees were milling around the store, preparing for the opening. Pretty soon more customers would arrive. He sighed. "It's complicated."

"Is the department not happening?" She asked. "Because, if you're just here to tell me 'sorry ma'm, no job at a computer company for you', you could've just called. No need to take time out of your busy day to deliver the news personally."

"I have no idea what's going on at Ethan's company," he blurted out, getting truly frustrated by their miscommunication. "I'm not a business associate." Jiao looked at him.

"So what are you doing here then?" She questioned. Conner sighed, how was he going to get her to come back to the house with him.

"Look, like I said it's complicated, and I need you to trust me... I need your help and to do that, you need to come with me." Jiao gave a sharp chuckle.

"Uh yeah, don't think so. I'm not stupid here; I know what happens to girls who just go off with strange men. I'm not some naïve country bumpkin, sorry," she said. Conner rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, no offense, but not even a just released prison inmate would look to you for that. Your personality alone would make him beg for the serenity of the county jail," he snapped back. Jiao stepped back, raising an eyebrow at him. Conner sighed. Yeah, insulting the girl, not the best way to gain her trust, he thought to himself.

"Impressive," she said, amused. Conner blinked.

"What?"

"Well it's clear that trying to be nice and sensible wasn't working too well for you, so you decided to try and reach me on my sarcastic level." She replied. Conner blinked again as he desperately tried to grasp her logic.

"So….you like the fact that I just insulted you?" He asked, confused. Jiao chuckled.

"I didn't say that. But sarcasm and wit are art forms. I've got to give the artist the praise he's due," she replied. Conner sighed, grateful for all the barbs and jibs he exchanged with Kira and Ethan back in high school. They obviously prepared him for dealing with this oddity dressed as a 23 year old girl.

"You're one weird girl." He commented. Jiao simply shrugged in response.

"You're not the first to say that," she said dismissively.

"And I most likely won't be the last," he commented. Jiao gave him a wry smile.

"Funny," she replied.

"I try." Conner replied dryly. "So are you going to help me or not?" He questioned, getting back to the point. Jiao regarded him carefully, narrowing her eyes as if going over an ancient text.

"It might be a little easier to give you an answer if I knew what I'm helping you with," she replied. Conner sighed.

"I told you, it's-"

"Complicated, right," Jiao cut him off, rolling her eyes. "Could you be any less vague?"

"All I can tell you is," Conner began, pausing for a moment. "It's something Ethan would've wanted you to do," he said, lowering his voice as he saw Leanne walk past them to flip the sign on the door from 'closed' to 'open'. Jiao furrowed her brows as she peered at him over the rim of her glasses.

"You said it doesn't have anything to do with the company," she said, confused.

"It doesn't," he replied.

"I don't follow." She stated. Conner sighed.

"I get that I'm not exactly being the most forthcoming here-"

"Oh no, you're just a fountain of information," Jiao replied sarcastically.

"Would you just shut up and listen?" Conner hissed. "I'm sick of your psychotic bullshit babble trying to interrupt me. This is hard enough as it is without you adding to it." Jiao's eyes widened as she took a step back. Conner's words weren't the same as the insult he'd given before. The one before, though an insult, had the sarcastic and snarky bite that made it harmless. This, on the other hand, wasn't as carefree and playful.

"Yeah," she said slowly. "And on that note, I say thank you and don't come again," she hissed. She turned to walk away from him but was stopped by Conner grabbing her arm. Jiao turned back to him, giving him a steely glare. "I really wouldn't do that if I were you," she said lowly, her tone very close to threatening. Conner quickly let go of her arm.

"Look," he said, running a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped like that….or grabbed you but…….well, you are very infuriating," he said. Jiao simply crossed her arms, still giving him the cold stare from before.

"It's part of my charm," she replied. "Now, I suggest you leave before I decide to bring out my mean side," she said.

"Isn't that what I've been seeing so far?" Conner asked.

"You've been seeing my 'I'm trying to get you to leave me alone without being forceful' side." She replied. "So, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get to work," she said, turning away.

"I saw you and Ethan talking that day," he blurted out quickly, making Jiao stop. "Your face lit up like a Christmas tree the more he talked. You admired him, didn't you?" He asked. Jiao turned back towards him, her arms still crossed.

"Of course, the guy broke new ground in computer technology before his 25th birthday. He was brilliant, the idol to anyone who's even remotely computer literate," she said with a shrug.

"Ethan was my best friend." Conner replied softly. Jiao pursed her lips.

"I see," she said. She cast a look over to the memorial display which the Fergusons had now finished setting up. She looked back at Conner. "I'm sorry for your loss, really I am," she said. Conner nodded slowly.

"Thank you," he said. "I'm sorry for yours too," he said. "It must be hard to lose someone you admire so much," he said. Jiao sighed.

"Okay, so you've seen that being nice and being mean have both gotten you bumpkis, so now you're trying to relate to me?" She asked. Conner blinked.

"No, I-"

"Man, is there no last ditch effort you won't try?" She asked, giving him an incredulous look. Conner sighed. He swore the second he met Ethan in the afterlife, no matter how soon or later that day will come, he would kick his friend's ass for making him deal with such a difficult person. "Fine," she suddenly said. Conner looked at her.

"What?" He asked.

"I'll hear you out," she said. "I mean, if whatever this is, is important enough to try the Stockholm syndrome approach, it must be worth at least giving a listen to." Conner blinked, rubbing his forehead.

"I think I'm getting a headache," he muttered to himself. Jiao tilted her head.

"Yeah, I seem to have that effect on people."

"No kidding," Conner said.

"Leave the address of the place, and I'll get there after work," she said. Conner nodded and grabbed one of the store's business cards from the counter and scribbled the address on the back, he handed it to Jiao. She looked at it. "This is Mr. James' house," she said, recognizing the address. Conner quirked an eyebrow at her.

"So you're a stalker, I see," he commented. Jiao rolled his eyes.

"No, his address is in the store's database from times he or his wife preordered books from here and we shipped it to them," she stated. She regarded the card for a bit. Though she was hesitant, she had to admit she was intrigued by whatever it was this was all about. She looked at Conner. "I can try and see if I can go on an extended break in an hour or two," she said.

"I can wait," Conner offered. Jiao smirked.

"I don't get into cars with strangers," she said. Conner rolled his eyes.

"Right, see you later," he said, turning towards the store.

"Oh, Mr. McKnight," Jiao called. Conner turned to her.

"It's Conner, he corrected.

"Conner," she amended, "just so you know, the only reason my Ma and Ba let me move out here, far away from all family, was under one condition,"

"Uh…….okay?" Conner said, unsure what this had to do with anything. Jiao looked at him.

"That I agree to carry pepper spray at all times," she stated. "Just a friendly warning if you ever grab my arm like that again," she said, giving a grin which only made her come off as even more psychotic then before. Conner looked at her.

"Right then..." He replied, slowly backing away. This girl was defanlity a few fries short of being a happy meal. "Bye," he quickly said, leaving before he was forced to picture throttling Ethan even more.