Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers or any of the characters in the story.

A/N: So sorry for not updating sooner I've been super busy! This chapter is super long compared to all the others, one of the reasons it took so long to put up. Sleep deprived and ignoring everything else I have been able to finally type up Ch.10. Hope you all enjoy, please review :)

Ch.10 I Told You

Weeks went by and the former rangers made time to see each other, Dana and Carter however rarely got to see much of each other because of their busy schedules. Dana's matchmaking plans were stumped because Kelsey was busy with her extreme sports competition. Dana and Eric had begun dating each other, one night after a date Dana decided to bring him over to her apartment since Kelsey was gone for the weekend in a competition.

"So I guess this is goodnight." Eric said as they stood outside Dana's door.

"Yeah." Dana answered and Eric leaned in and began to kiss her, within seconds they began to kiss passionately. Dana managed to get her door opened somehow and the two walked in keeping their lips locked. They made out and began to remove their clothes as they headed to her room. Suddenly Dana bumped into someone and both she and Eric froze. They pulled away and Dana turned to face one of her best friends, both she and Eric were shirtless, and Dana's hair was already in a disarray.

"CHAD! What the hell are you doing here!" Dana shouted at a very scared looking Chad. He lowered his gaze and avoided looking at Dana in the eyes, and went completely beat red.

"I…I…Kelsey…the fish…She said you'd kill them! She asked me to feed the fish!" Chad stammered out nervously.

"Eric room!" Dana ordered and grabbed his shirt from the floor and threw it on. Eric did as he was told and headed to Dana's room.

"Chad out!" Dana turned to face Chad.

"Yeah ok." Chad said nervously in a rush forgetting the fish.

"Chad!" Dana called before he was out the door.

"The fish!" Chad came back and grabbed the fish bowl.

"Sorry Dana." Chad said leaving quickly. She shook her head and laughed to herself once she was done.

One Week Later

"I can't believe we have to go to this thing." Kelsey said as she and Dana got ready for an event that the former rangers were invited to.

"Well the Mariner Bay Ball is only for the city officials, inviting us was a show of graditude." Dana said applying make-up.

"Please there the ones that sent in General McKnight in with the cyborg rangers." Kelsey said taking the mascara from Dana.

"I'm sure it won't be that bad." Dana said trying to cheer her friend up.

"I'm just glad Joel's coming, he can keep things interesting.

"Yeah that is true." Dana said with a smile.

"Hey so why are you bring Eric?" Kelsey asked changing the subject.

"Because he insisted on coming and I couldn't say no." Dana said with a slight frown. She felt guilty that she was the only person that would be bringing a date. A few minutes later there was a knock at the front door.

"Speak of the devil." Kelsey said with an eye roll, and Dana went to get the door.

"Let's go." Eric said coming into the apartment.

"We have to wait for Kelsey." Dana told him.

"Fine, whatever." He said uninterested sitting on the couch. They left a few minutes later and arrived to the Mariner Bay city hall.

"Hey." Kelsey said to Joel when she, Dana, and Eric arrived.

"Hi," Joel said with a mock frown.

"Where are the others?" Dana asked him referring to Ryan, Carter, and Chad.

"They were dragged away about a minute ago, apparently we don't get to sit together were being 'seated throughout then room'" Joel said changing his voice when he said the last.

"Mr. Rawlings right this way." A stiff looking waiter came out, he sounded just like Joel's imitation and Dana and Kelsey tried to contain their giggles as Joel followed the man.

'Help me' Joel mouthed back to them as he left into the dining room. Dana and Kelsey were quickly seated after that and the six rangers made it through dinner graciously. Dana found Chad and Joel and recruited them to help her get Ryan and Kelsey together. Joel was up for it but Chad had been more reluctant since it involved dancing, but he finally gave in and decided to help. Dana found Chad and Kelsey dancing a while later and quickly located her brother.

"Having fun?" she asked once they were on the dance floor.

"What do you think? You guys all have experience, I hardly was let out of the Skull Cavern and when I was I was at the Aquabase, I have no social skills." Ryan told her as they danced.

"I'm sure you were fine." Dana said with a reassuring smile. Joel waited a few more minutes and then went up to Dana and Ryan.

"I think it's time for a much more handsome man to step in." Joel said taking Dana's hand. "Mitchell how about you go help Chad out he's looking a little lost." Joel added jokingly and nodded to where Chad was. Chad was staring at his feet attempting to dance with Kelsey when Ryan came up to them.

"Joel thought you could use a break." Ryan told Chad with a smile, making Kelsey giggle. Chad was all too relived to give Kelsey's hand to Ryan.

"He hates dancing." Kelsey said with a smile once she and Ryan were alone. They then looked over at where Dana and Joel were. The former green ranger was saying something that was making Dana laugh.

"Are you having fun?" Ryan asked using Dana's opening question. Being around Kelsey made him slightly nervous and awkward.

"Now I am." She replied happily.

Carter had been placed on the opposite side of where Dana was and he hadn't seen her until now. He thought she looked beautiful in her pink and white dress, she was laughing as she danced, no doubt Joel was keeping her entertained. He missed hanging out with his best friend sure the other former rangers were also his best friends, but he saw Dana the least. Before he could stop himself he got up and headed to the dance floor.

"May I cut in?" he asked surprising Dana who had had her back towards him.

"Dana don't be disappointed, we'll dance again later." Joel said with a wink.

"Sure Joel." Dana said with a small laugh. Carter took her hand and then placed the other on her back, while she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"You look beautiful." The words spilled out his mouth before he could stop them.

"Thank you, you look pretty good yourself." Dana said smiling a blush appearing on her fair skin. She couldn't control the rush of blood that went to her face as she danced with Carter. He noticed her cheeks get pink and thought she looked even prettier.

"Kelsey and Ryan are dancing together, could you shorty have anything to do with that?" Carter asked as they danced.

"These four inch heels have to help." Dana said with a frown.

"Not at all, I still can see over your head." Carter said with a smirk

"Whatever Grayson I can still kick your ass and you know it." Dana said with a smile.

"We'll see about that, but tell me how you got those Ryan to dance? He hates it more than Chad does." Carter asked curious, as he twirled Dana.

"I had some help." Dana said with a mischievous smile.

"Dana can we talk?" Eric said irritation in his voice, he grabbed Dana's arm as he spoke.

"Now?" Dana asked with a frown.

"Now." Eric said anger now in his tone.

"Sorry." Dana told Carter.

"It's fine." Carter told her looking at Eric with a frown. She let Eric lead her away and then looked back at Carter and gave him and apologetic look. Carter sat back at his table and anger bubbled inside him, he got up and then headed in the direction Dana and Eric had gone. He wasn't going to let his best friend be treated like that especially by some loser. He went out to the lobby and saw no one around, he heard voices and got near a staircase that was to his left. He could hear Dana and Eric, but couldn't see them since the staircase was curved.

"They're like brothers!" Dana shouted in a whisper. She didn't want anyone to hear her fighting with Eric.

"Oh really including the firefighter cause I've never seen any brother look at his sister the way he was looking at you!" Eric was speaking louder than she was.

"I'm not a piece of meat Eric!" Dana said.

"No but you my girl!" Eric told her possessively

"I'm not your property either! I'm done. This right here is over!" Dana told him angrily.

"You're done when I say you're done." Eric said grabbing her arm, and making her turn around to face him.

"Let go…Let go of me Eric! Let go or I'll make you let go." She warned but his grip only tightened around her arm. Dana tried to yank her arm out of his hand and he suddenly let her go she felt the ground disappear under her she tried to reach for something to hold onto but found nothing. She braced herself for the pain that would follow but instead she felt a pair of strong arms hold her up and then steady her.

"Carter." Dana said breathless as she turned to face the person who had kept her from falling. Dana could see the anger in his face.

"Dana…Dana are you ok?" Eric stammered. Dana walked up the two steps that separated her form Eric.

She slammed her fist into his nose and then kneed him in the stomach.

"If you ever come near me again I'll do more than break your nose!" Dana told him anger in her voice, she was about to turn to leave, but decided to take her hell off and hit him in the back of his head with it. Then she turned to leave and Carter helped her down the stairs.

"Are you ok?" Carter asked once they were in the lobby.

"I am now." Dana answered with a weak smile. She looked at her throbbing ankle it was begging to swell.

"Thanks Carter, I'm sorry you had to see that. You should get back in there." Dana told him.

"What about you?" Carter asked.

"I think I'm going to go for a walk." Dana said with another unconvincing smile.

"I'll go with you." Carter said.

"Carter I'm ok really, you don't need to babysit" She said seriousness in her voice.

"I'm not babysitting, I need to get away from there, there's an older lady that keeps harassing me. A walk sounds like a better idea. Help a guy out Mitchell" Carter told her with a charming smile. She shook her head and rolled her eyes at him. Carter smiled and followed her. They walked around, the whole area had been designed to look like a mini city with shops and a mini park around the main building. There were lights illuminating everything making a beautiful scene. Dana loved walking around, she loved the fresh air and she especially loved being away from all the crown and noise from the ball.

Carter walked next to Dana in silence he knew she would talk when she was ready, all he could do was be there for her. He noticed that she was limping even more and was beginning to slow down.

"How about we sit down for a while." Carter said taking her hand and leading her to a nearby bench. He let go of her hand when they sat down, they were silent. Dana noticed her ankle was very swollen and she could feel it throbbing. Begin a doctor she knew she had sprained it 'Oh well nothing I can't handle' she thought to herself.

"Say it." Dana said looking at the small pond in front of them.

"Say what?" Carter asked confused.

"Say 'I told you he was a loser.'" Dana said trying to imitate carter and failing. He chuckled and continued looking at her while she kept her gaze on the pond.

"No." he said softly.

"Please." Dana said finally looking at him and realizing how close he was. "I feel bad you had to see that, it would make me feel a little better." She told him.

"The only one who should feel bad is that asshole." Carter told her with a frown.

"Say it anyways?" she asked linking her arm with his. He couldn't resist those beautiful blue eyes of hers.

"I told you he was a loser." He said making Dana smile genuinely this time.

"Thank you." She told him, he shook his head smiling at her. He then picked up one of her heels and held it up with one of his finger.

"Was it really necessary to smack him with this?" Carter asked her with a smirk on his face.

"Well since it was completely useless at making me taller I wanted to see if it'd make a better weapon." She said with a smile.

"Congratulations I will now think twice about messing with any woman in heels." Carter said putting the heels down.

"Don't make fun." She said.

"I'm serious!" Carter told her with a smile. Dana smiled back at him and they were silent again. She shivered Carter felt it since they were sitting so close to one another. He took off his coat and without asking put it around her shoulders.

"Aren't you cold?" she asked him.

"No." he answered with a smile. There gazes were locked and Carter leaned in close to her, and Dana made no attempt to stop him.

"There you are!" Ryan said from behind them. Dana and Carter jerked back immediately and Carter got up to face Ryan.

"Hey." Carter said as Ryan approached them.

"We're going to get some real food you two want to come?" Ryan asked cheerfully.

"Sure." Carter said.

"Yeah." Dana said and got up. The three got up and headed to find the others.

"What's wrong with your foot?" Ryan asked noticing Dana limping.

"I stepped on a rock with my stupid heel." Dana lied, Carter looked at her and she took his hand and gave it a squeeze before letting it go.

"I told you those things were huge." Ryan said with a smile.

"Yeah." Dana smiled back at him.

E/N: Interrupted again! Please let me know what you think it's super important and helpful to read your comments:)