A/N: Dad called for an engineer again. Let's hope he actually shows up this time.

rudy4532: Pregnant? Nah... But thanks!

sabina21: Hmm... maybe... And you'll find out soon about the doctors.

TheTombedSpirit: Relax... relax...

M . gotze: OMG, Arsenal's second on the league table! I'm totally beating both of my brothers' favourite teams!
Hmm, other pairings... Merrick/Princess Shayla I guess. I can't think of anyone else.
P.S. Are you a girl? I'm only asking cos my dad is soooo sexist. Like my uncle asked me what my favourite team was and I said Arsenal. And my dad immediately laughed and said 'oh yeah, she has one too' in a mocking tone. Well the real meaning (lost in translation) is: basically cos I'm a girl there's no way I can genuinely support a football team. I mean, really? :/

hewhoreaps: Everyone's alright except the triangle.

Apollo Holmes: It's fine. I've been trying to catch up with college this week. TalkTalk is an internet service provider in the UK. There was a cyberattack on the 21st October. Unfortunately, that's my ISP.

brankel1: Thanks.

Guest: Thanks and yeah, you will find out.


"Life for the kings and queens of Ancient Egypt was awash with riches and treasure beyond the imagination," a tour guide told the class as they walked through the museum. "Some of these artefacts are over four-thousand years old," she told the class, who looked around in surprise.

"Wow, look at this stuff!" Kira said, amazed by the collection. "Can you imagine what it must have been like to live back then?"

"Yeah, I can," Cassidy spoke up, walking next to the petite blonde. "The Egyptians totally knew the importance of style and class so I would have fit right in!" Kira rolled her eyes and so did Ethan and Trent, who were walking behind her.

"And this is the sarcophagus of the ancient Pharaoh, Tutenhawken," the tour guide stated, gesturing towards the thing behind her. "He was a feared leader who was believed to have mystical powers," she told them.

"Whoa, check out these hieroglyphics!" Ethan exclaimed, spotting the Egyptian writing on the side of the sarcophagus and coming to a stop near Kira.

"Weird...what does it say?" Conner asked, coming up to stand behind Kira.

"The legend is that Tutenhawken was able to put hexes upon his enemies. The exact translation is unclear but these writings are believed to be some sort of curse," the tour guide told them.

"That is beyond cool man," Ethan laughed, grabbing a notebook from his bag. "I gotta write this stuff down," he told Trent as he began to copy the hieroglyphics.

"Why?" Trent questioned with a frown.

"So I can decipher it!" Ethan exclaimed, as if it was obvious. "It'll be like cracking an ancient laptop code!" He went back to writing it as the others rolled their eyes.

"In other words, it speaks to his inner cyber geek," Conner teased, smirking.

"Well I sure wouldn't wanna be on the receiving end of one of his curses," Kira told her friends.

"Oh come on! You guys don't actually believe in all that stuff, do you?" he asked, looking at his three friends with thinly veiled scepticism.


After school, Ethan sat in Hayley's Cyberspace, working on deciphering the hieroglyphics.

"So close, only a few more symbols to translate," Ethan sang, beaming with excitement.

"Are you getting extra credit for this or something?" Conner asked, raising an eyebrow at the blue ranger as he and Tommy watched. Kim and Kira were both behind the counter, the former having volunteered because it was a tad bit busy. Kim placed their drinks down in front of them before she went back to make more.

"No, this is a personal challenge," Ethan replied. "Tutenhawken may have been the King of Egypt but I'm the King of Codes."

"No way, Ethan," Tommy argued, Ethan's grin fading in an instant. "Billy can crack codes way faster than you. And I'm pretty sure the green samurai ranger can too."

"Whatever," Ethan muttered, rolling his eyes. Kira came to join the guys.

"Isn't it busy today?" Conner enquired, looking at the cluster of people crowded around the other end of the counter.

"Trent's handling it," Kira muttered, playing with her apron. Conner gave her a suspicious look.

"Mrs Porter said there might be a curse," the purple ranger spoke hesitantly, feeling her boyfriend's eyes on her. "Maybe you shouldn't." Ethan scoffed.

"This is about technology, hard facts. Not about some crazy legend," he retorted, rolling his eyes. Kira exchanged a look with Tommy and Conner before sighing.

"Your funeral!" she chimed, before walking away to the other end of the counter. Trent had successfully handled everyone at the counter so Kira just waited. Kim also came back to the counter, after delivering some smoothies, and something occurred to Kira.

"What's up?" Kim asked, seeing the funny way the younger girl was looking at her.

"You didn't come to the trip today. You usually volunteer for these things," Kira explained. Kim nodded slowly.

"Hmm... I didn't feel up to it," she replied, looking away quickly. "Oh I think I hear someone calling, I'll just-"

Kira grabbed Kim's wrist, stopping her in her tracks.

"Something's wrong," Kira stated seriously. "And you went to the doctor's last week... What happened?"

"Yes! I got it!" Ethan's sudden declaration made them all look at him quickly. Kim silently thanked him for the distraction and ran over to the guys. Kira sighed and followed.

"Cool, what's it say?" Conner asked as he leaned in.

"'To the defilers of my tomb, I now bestow eternal doom. Woe to you who read this first, upon you is the Pharaoh's curse'..." Ethan trailed off, looking up nervously.

"Oh dude! You're cursed!" Conner exclaimed, laughing. "Get away from me before it rubs off!"

"Very funny..." Ethan muttered, not looking very amused.

"Seriously though, what's gonna happen? Are you gonna like, turn into a Cocker Spaniel or grow an extra head or something?" Conner was taking great delight in the growing fear in Ethan's eyes.

"Maybe even lose your gaming powers," Tommy teased, making everyone laugh as Ethan's face went pale.

"These warnings were put on the tomb to scare off grave robbers and thieves," Ethan told them but it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself. "That's all it is," he growled. "Back me up here Kira?" He looked to his best friend while Tommy and Conner smirked.

"Hey, I said you shouldn't read it," Kira said, raising her hands in defence. "Don't blame me if all your hair falls out!" She grinned and Ethan sighed when they all sniggered.

"You guys, nothing is gonna happen from reading that curse," he insisted and they all scoffed. His laptop began to beep and his eyes widened. "Five-thirty?! I told my mum I'd pick her up at work!" he yelled out as he grabbed his laptop and struggled to unplug it. He cried out as it slipped from his grasp and slammed onto the ground, exploding. "I don't believe it..." he stood up, staring at it.

"Ouch," Tommy said, wincing sympathetically. He could only imagine what would happen if that was Billy and his laptop. Wow.

"Your new laptop!" Kira cried out, staring at the destroyed device.

"My games...my files..." there were tears in Ethan's eyes as he whimpered. "My life." He picked it up, hugging it close to him.

"It's started...Tutenhawken's curse," Conner realised and they all leaned away from him.

"Would you quit it about the curse?" Ethan groaned. "There's no such thing..." he mumbled, walking away


Conner and Tommy sat at a table while they enjoyed some smoothies when Ethan walked in and went over to them.

"Guys, listen, I think you're right; Tutenhawken's curse is real," the blue ranger told them as he sat down, covered in dirty water and other... stuff.

Tommy regarded him with disgust. "I think I'm gonna go and check on Kim," he stated, sprinting over to the counter while Conner looked at Ethan in repulsion.

"Ew, want to tell me from over there?" Conner suggested, pointing at a far away table. "You smell like week old fishsticks."

"A lot of weird stuff has been happening to me," Ethan elaborated, ignoring his friend's complaints. "There's no other explanation."

Just then, the doors opened to reveal Devin who stumbled into the cafe wearing Egyptian servant clothes.

"You may step through my queen," he informed, waving a massive fan at Cassidy who walked through the door.

Kira, who was serving a few teens, had to do a double take when she saw Cassidy in a royal blue dress, jewels, and a Cleopatra wig.

"Don't you think it's a little early for Halloween, Cassidy?" Kira quipped.

"Or late...?" Trent added, shocked at Cassidy's creepy appearance in the middle of March.

"You shall address me as Queen Cassapatra," Cassidy commanded haughtily, walking past Kira to go to an empty table. "I can't believe that I used to live like these lowly commoners." Cassidy cleared her throat. "My chair?" Devin wiped the chair and table down for Cassidy as Ethan walked over to her.

"Cassidy, what is with all this?" Ethan asked as Cassidy sat down.

"You stinketh to the high heavens," she informed him, her face scrunching up in scrutiny. "I find your odour most foul, peasant."

"Peasant?" Ethan repeated in confusion. "Are you losing it?"

"No, actually I've just found it," Cassidy fired back. "Someone who appreciates me, that is. Look at all this gold and jewels he gave me!"

"Man, people called you shallow but I always told them they were wrong," he said, shaking his head. "I guess I was the one who was wrong."

"Come on, move it pal," Devin told him after Cassidy signalled him. Ethan walked back over to Conner and sat down with him.

"Don't feel bad, Ethan," Kira soothed, sitting down as well. "Cassidy will never change."

"But she was changing," Ethan stated. "This whole Cleopatra thing has got to have something to do with that Pharaoh. I have got to find a way to break that curse."

"Kira!" Tommy called, running up to them, looking worried.

"What's wrong?" Kira asked, instantly standing up.

"Have you seen Kim?"

"Well n-"

"What the...?" Trent exclaimed loudly, making the other rangers look over at him where he was standing, near the entrance.

As if on cue, Kim glided in looking like Cassidy. She was wearing a long Egyptian style dress that was yellow/golden in colour along with several rings, bracelets and necklaces. She also had on a wig that framed her face perfectly.

"Kim?" Tommy breathed, not knowing whether he should be relieved that he found her or be horrified at her state.

"You shall address me as Queen Kimtera," she replied as she walked past, heading for Cassidy's table. Kimtera? Oh... Kim-ptera...

The rangers watched on as Cassidy screeched.

"Oh great, it's his new queen!" she muttered sarcastically.

"Yes, he got bored of you," Kim taunted, taking a seat at the table and admiring her rings. "Look what he got me." She then proceeded to show Cassidy even more of her possessions.

"Okay, that's really weird," the purple ranger commented, sitting down again and frowning at the others.

"Very," Conner agreed as Tommy left them to talk some sense into Kim. He looked at his own girlfriend. "Don't go anywhere."

"What? I can hardly stay here all day," Kira protested, glaring at the red ranger. "Plus, Kim was here and she still turned out like that."

"It's all because of me..." Ethan trailed off guiltily. "My girlfriend. Tommy's girlfriend. Everyone's girlfriends."

"Not mine," Conner growled.

"Well maybe there's something we missed at the museum?" Kira suggested and Ethan nodded.

"Yeah, like some sort of counter spell or something!" he added.

"Ethan, why don't you go back to the museum and see if you can find anything?" Conner suggested. "I should go to Dad and fill him in on the situation."

"What about me?" Kira asked in an annoyed tone.

"You stay here," Conner ordered. Kira stood up.

"No!" she countered. "Tommy's already keeping an eye on Kim."

"Just finish your shift, Kira," Conner demanded before walking off. Kira watched him leave in disbelief. How dare he? She was her own woman.

"What's happening?" Trent questioned, setting a tray down on the abandoned table. Kira sighed and turned to look at him.

"Conner and Ethan went to sort things out. And they, or rather Conner, left me here. Actually, he ordered me to stay here," she spat furiously.

"To avoid becoming like that?" Trent questioned, gesturing towards the queens. Kira nodded. "Since when do you do what you're told?" The purple ranger stared at Trent for a while, his words sinking in.

"But what about my shift? It doesn't finish until another thirty minutes."

"Don't worry. I'll cover this one for you if you cover for me whenever I need you to."

Kira's eyes lit up. "Really?" she implored. Trent nodded. "Thanks!" She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before running off. The white ranger smiled as he watched her go, lightly touching his cheek like a lovestruck fool.


"Umm... I know I haven't known Kim for long but has she always been this violent?" Trent asked Tommy as Kim threw things at Cassidy.

The customers were long gone, having rushed out through the doors around half an hour ago. Trent's, or rather Kira's, shift was finished so he could've gone home but he made the decision to stay behind and clear up instead. Hayley was going to kill him when she got back.

"Nope, I've never seen anything like this," Tommy responded, watching as Devin took all the hits for Cassidy who was shamelessly hiding behind him. "Oh the things people do for love..."

"Peasant! Where's my smoothie?!" Kim shouted at Tommy. The green ranger sighed and got off his chair, his table being the only place Kim had left unscathed.

"You're going to do what she says?" Trent queried in shock.

"She is my girlfriend you know... Sometimes it's just best to listen to women rather than argue with them," Tommy told the younger boy, going behind the counter to make a smoothie. "And besides, at least this is keeping her here."

Trent nodded. Their morphers started to beep and the two rangers looked at each other before looking down at their wrists.

"What's up?" Trent spoke.

"That Pharaoh, Tutenhawken, came to life after Ethan activated that curse," Michael reported. "Kira got attacked at the museum. I've just sent the boys to help her but they need backup."

"I'll go," Trent informed, nodding at Tommy. "Tommy's gonna stay with Kim."

"Okay." Michael ended the communication and Trent left to find the others.


After Trent swooped in to save the others, Tutenhawken fled, leaving the others to think about why they couldn't defeat him. Kira gave Ethan a piece of paper that had on it the hieroglyphics from the sarcophagus.

"Well? Get cracking, King of Codes," he told the blue ranger, clapping him on the shoulder as he nodded. The piece of paper was then blown out of his hand and Ethan groaned, walking after it. Not hearing the sound of a tree cracking, he crouched down to pick up the sheet.

"Look out!" Trent warned, spotting the falling tree and pushing Ethan out of the way.

"You okay?" Conner asked as he and Kira ran over. Trent and Ethan sat up.

"Don't worry Ethan, you can break the curse," Kira told him, looking worried.

"I just hope I live long enough to," Ethan groaned.

"Well that's not going to happen," they looked around quickly to see Kira standing at the base of the broken tree.

"Kira?" Conner stepped forward, confused as to how she got there in such a little time frame.

"How dare you steal from my beloved!" she snapped, gritting her teeth at the three terrified boys.

"I don't get it," Conner said.

"Did Tutenhawken do something to her when we weren't looking?" Ethan asked. Trent shrugged.

"I think we would have seen him if it was just now," he pointed out. "Maybe she was already attacked before?"

"Great, first the mind control skeleton," Conner groaned. "And now this..."

"Fossilador," Ethan said, remembering him quite well. Trent shot him a questioning look.

"You were busy blowing everything up back then," Conner told him before pausing. "Uh, no offence."

"None taken," Trent responded although he wasn't sure the apology was very sincere. "Anyways guys, I'll stop her. You wor-"

"Don't you think I should do that?" Conner interjected rudely. "I am her boyfriend!"

"What's that got to do with it?" Trent enquired. "You should help Ethan."

"Well, since she's my girlfriend, she'll listen to me," Conner explained.

"She'll listen to you? Seriously? Do you even know her at all?" Trent asked irritably. Conner's eyes widened in shock; Trent had never spoken to him like that before, his evil days notwithstanding.

"Yes I do, I've known her longer than you anyway," Conner retorted.

"Yeah, you only met her a month before I did," Trent shot back. "I've always been closer to her than you have."

"No you haven't... we were rangers together for months before you joined us," Conner pointed out. "And at least I wasn't evil. I didn't try to kill her!"

Ethan rolled his eyes. He felt like putting a curse of his own on the both of them right now, especially Conner.

"SHUT UP!" he roared angrily. He looked at them with huge, bloodshot eyes. "I don't care what you say Conner but the best person to appease Kira is Trent. End of. Now come with me."

Usually, Conner would've just scoffed and ignored him. But the murderous look in Ethan's eyes made him not want to risk it.

"Thanks," Trent told Ethan, turning around to see Kira still standing there, watching the whole exchange with amusement.

"Fine," Conner relented, shooting Trent a dark look.

"Stop!" Kira called, pursuing Ethan before Trent blocked her.

"I'll spare you from my wrath if you move now, peasant," Kira insisted, falling into a fighting stance.

"That's not gonna happen!" Trent told her. "White ranger, dino power!"

"I am Queen Kiraterana!" Kira shrieked upon seeing the morphed white ranger. "Dino Thunder, power up! Hah! Dino power!"

After morphing, Trent and Kira began to fight. Kira kicked him and punched him but he was too strong for her. The whole fight was like the ones they used to have back when Trent was evil. He finally managed to push her against a tree, holding her in place.

"You believed in me when no one else did," he told her quietly. "Seeing you get hurt made me regain my humanity." Kira let out a furious shriek and struggled against his hold. "I'll get you back. I promise!"

And with that, he demorphed. All the built up energy in Kira caused her to push him so hard that he flew through the air and hit a tree.

"Hahaha! I will destroy-" Kira stopped when she saw Trent lying on the ground in front of the tree, appearing to be lifeless. She suddenly felt really sick and a cold feeling washed over her. "Trent?" Her eyes flashed gold, causing her to stumble a little. She regained her senses and ran over to the white ranger, her eyes burning with tears. "Trent?!" She started to shake him, slap him, anything that would wake him up. It wasn't working. She then put his head on her lap and closed her eyes, praying for him to wake up.

"Looks like my plan worked..." Trent croaked hoarsely, after a minute or two. Kira opened her eyes and looked down at him to see a lazy smile on his face.

"Why are you smiling you idiot?!" she cried, pushing him off her lap and crossing her arms. "I thought you were dead."

"Come on, my queen," Trent started, as they stood up together. He held his hand out and despite her anger at him, she took it. He quickly brought it up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "Let's see how Ethan's doing."

Kira blushed and nodded before they began to run back to the dino lab, hand in hand.


Kira and Trent were back at the dino lab, and were now, along with the McKnights, watching Ethan crack the hieroglyphics.

"Come on! Sweet!" Ethan exclaimed as he finished deciphering the second set of symbols. "You're mine!"

"Careful," Conner warned, putting a hand on Ethan's shoulder. "It might be an even worse curse... " He grinned. "Hey that rhymes!"

Trent and Kira looked at him in amusement.

"Tutenhawken's power cannot be beaten on the earth but only in the sky can you break the Pharaoh's curse," Ethan read before frowning.

"Great," Kira said with a smile. "I'll just use the pteranozord to fight him."

"I don't know Kira," Mike spoke, looking at her. "The curse is on Ethan. I think he's the one who has to break it."

"The last time I checked Tricerazord didn't have wings," Ethan said with a sigh.

"Ethan," Hayley chimed, running down the stairs. "You are about to owe me so big time." She turned around. "Come look."

The red-head showed them a new blue bike.

"Whoa check it out."

"Nice work."

"Wow."

"Tight," Ethan chirped. "That's for me?"

"Yup," Hayley answered. "The latest technology. Faster than anything I have ever built."

"That is so amazing," Ethan chanted before a thought dawned on him. "It wouldn't happen to fly, would it?"

"Fly?" Hayley asked, her smile fading in an instant. "No." She looked pissed.

"Hayley," Mike started, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We need it to fly."

"I see," Hayley responded, moving forward and muttering: "And you couldn't have told me that before."

She got on her knees to get back to work and Ethan looked at the others.

"I'm going to stay and help her."


Cassidy and Devin had left twenty minutes ago, finally having accepted defeat. Kim was starting to get bored, having nothing to do but order more smoothies and milkshakes from Tommy who had dozed off a few minutes ago.

"That's it! I want to leave," she announced. Tommy suddenly woke up, lifting his head from the counter. Rubbing his eyes, he made out the image of Kim standing over him. She looked furious.

"Hurry up peasant!" she ordered as Tommy attempted to get up, only to fall to the ground. She rolled her eyes and walked off. This made Tommy jump to feet, successfully this time, and run after her.

Tommy walked silently by Kim's side as she led him all the way to the museum and when they reached the Egyptian exhibit, Tommy grabbed Kim's arm and pulled her behind the wall.

"Stop!" he hissed as she gave him a petulant glare. They could hear two voices speaking.

There, on the throne, were Tutenhawken and Queen Cassapatra.

"My queen, you deserve all the riches you desire," Tutenhawken told his first queen.

"So true!" Cassidy agreed, pushing some hair out of her face.

"Once I destroy the defenders of this city, everything will be ours for the taking!" he declared.

"Hang on a minute, the power rangers defend Reefside, you didn't say anything about destroying anyone," Cassidy pointed out. "I'm not sure I'm on-board with that."

Tommy's eyes widened and Kim quickly wrenched her arm away, walking away from him. He sighed and stayed behind the wall, wondering how he was going to get himself and Kim out of this.

"The power rangers are the Pharoah's enemies," Kim spoke up, revealing herself to Tutenhawken and Queen Cassapatra.

"Exactly, Queen Kimtera," the Pharoah said. "I must crush all my enemies!" Cassidy shot Kim a dark look.

"You must make me the chief queen, my love," Kim advised just as Devin started cleaning Tutenhawken's shoes. "I will give you so many beautiful children."

Tommy winced. Kim had been devastated after their last visit to the doctors; she was told that her womb was so damaged that there was a very low chance of carrying a child to full term. They could never have children together. Ever.

"Now hang on a min-" Cassidy started but was cut off.

"Not so hard fool!" Tutenhawken complained to Devin. "That's twenty-four carat gold!" He kicked Devin to the ground.

"Hey! You can't push him around like that!" Cassidy yelled as Devin got back to his feet and started cleaning again.

"He is a servant," Tutenhawken replied. "Lower than dirt!"

"He may be low but he wouldn't hurt anyone," Cassidy said, getting off the throne and going towards Devin. "Come on Devin, let's go."

Cassidy linked arms with Devin and began to walk away when the Pharoah spoke, "My queen!"

"Don't 'my queen' me!" Cassidy threatened, taking her wig off. "I quit!" She chucked the wig at him.

"Yeah!" Devin agreed, smirking as he and Cassidy walked off together.

"The Pharoah will not be mocked! I will tear this city apart!" Tutenhawken bellowed wildly.

"You still have me," Kim spoke calmly in an effort to appease him.

"Right, that's enough!" Tommy hollered, stepping out of his hiding place. "You'll have to go through me first!"

"How dare you speak to royalty that way? Insolent peasant!" Tutenhawken growled. "Who are you?!"

"He's my servant," Kim answered quickly, glaring at Tommy.

"Actually, I'm her lover!" Tommy cut in, making Tutenhawken go into a rage. Kim gasped.

"Lies! He's lying! I am loyal to you!"

"These are private chambers, get out before I destroy you!"

"As if! Dino Thunder, power up! Hah!" Tommy morphed into the green dino ranger and began to fight with Tutenhawken. This went on for a while, throwing Kim into an inner conflict until Tommy was thrown against a wall.

"Tommy!" Kimberly's voice echoed throughout the exhibit. Her eyes flashed gold before she ran at Tutenhawken and hit him with a kick to the chest. As he fell to the ground, Kim turned to Tommy. "Are you okay?" She helped him up and he smiled under his helmet.

"You're back."

"My queen! Why did you leave me for a peasant?!" he demanded.

"I am not your queen!" Kim retorted. "And how dare you hurt my boyfriend?! Dino Thunder, power up! Hah!"

"M-my queen w-was a r-ranger!?" Tutenhawken stammered in shock.

"Super dino mode!" Kim called, going into her aardon super dino mode for the first time. Her ranger suit changed to include a gold shield on her chest with a couple of coloured jewels surrounding it. The rest of the suit was the same as the others'.

Kim slashed Tutenhawken across his chest and began to lure him outside.

"Mike!" Tommy called into his morpher as he followed Kim outside. "Kim and I found Tutenhawken and he's not too happy!"

"Just hold him off for now," Michael ordered. "You need to wait."

"For what?" Tommy questioned as he dived out of the Pharaoh's way.

"I mean he has to be defeated in the air and Ethan has to be the one to do it," Michael explained as Tommy got up, watching Kim block Tutenhawken's next attack.

"Okay," Tommy replied, before ending the conversation. He back flipped to avoid a kick from Tutenhawken. "Kim! We've just got to hold him off for a while."


After Kim, Tommy, Conner, Kira and Trent all held Tutenhawken off, Ethan had shown up on his new hovercraft cycle. He defeated Tutenhawken's first form and then, along with Conner and Kira, he defeated Tutenhawken's skyscraper form on the mezodon rover.

And now here Ethan was the next day, playing foosball with Kim, Tommy and Conner, completely free of his curse. Kira and Trent were working again and even Michael was here, chatting with Hayley.

"Oh, that's another win for team Red," Conner told him and Kim smiled victoriously. Tommy and Ethan rolled their eyes. "Tell you what, next time we'll play tomb raider." Ethan looked at Conner with an 'are you serious' look. "Okay, bad idea."

"I'm just glad that stupid curse is broken," Ethan told them. "That was brutal."

"And here she is," Tommy said, referring to Cassidy who just walked in. The green ranger silently signalled Kim and they both walked over to the counter, leaving the teens alone.

"Can I talk to you a minute?" Cassidy asked Ethan, looking at Conner. "Alone?"

"Can we make this quick?" Ethan asked. "I'm busy."

Conner watched them go and sit down on a sofa, shaking his head. He heard something about apologising when Devin walked in.

"Hey Cass," he greeted, handing her some videos. "I've picked up that dry cleaning and also dropped off your videos. What next?" Cassidy gave him a sheepish smile, not wanting to sound shallow. "A decaf latte?" The blonde smiled, grateful that he suggested it first.

"Yeah, thanks," she said to him before he walked off.

"Looks like Cassidy has a spell on Devin and Ethan."

Conner laughed, turning around to see his girlfriend standing next to the foosball table. She suddenly looked so bright standing there, a lot more carefree than she had seemed for a long time.

"Kira?" he said, seeing her wring her hands nervously. That was strange. How could one look so happy but so nervous at the same time?

"I want to talk to you," she replied, as if she'd heard that internal question.

"About what?"

"Can we go somewhere first?" Kira asked. She didn't want him to associate the cybercafe, a place they'd all grown to love, with the memory of...

"Sure."


A few minutes later, Conner and Kira were sitting on a bench at the lakeside clearing where Kira and Trent shared their first kiss. Kira had no idea why she picked this place, of all places. Did she really want to make a memory associated with Conner in a place she linked Trent to?

"What did you wanna talk about?" Conner asked, taking Kira's hand in his. It seemed like she wanted to say something important.

"Conner, we're not right for each other," she told him. Conner's heart dropped and he gulped; the atmosphere was strangely reminiscent of something unpleasant. Well, unpleasant on the receiver's end. But he'd always been the dumper not the dumpee. He tore his hands away from hers. "This isn't gonna work."

"Are you dumping me?" he demanded, after finding his voice.

"I'm breaking up with you," Kira amended his statement.

Dump was such a harsh word. It implied leaving someone all of a sudden, for no reason, when they needed you the most. She wasn't doing that. She genuinely liked Conner as a person and she waited this long so that she could reach a point in their lives when everything was going fine, when he was calm. It was now or never.

"Same difference," Conner mumbled, standing up. "Why now? We were doing so well..."

"Really? Were we?" Kira asked, also standing up and looking into his eyes. It was hard to face the pain that was evident in his eyes but honest people made eye contact when they spoke; she was going to be as honest as she could. "What do we really have in common?"

"Umm..." Conner trailed off, looking at the lake their reflections in the lake. He couldn't think of anything.

"Aside from stubbornness, I don't think there is anything else," Kira said to him. "And no offence but I don't like it when guys try to protect me."

The red ranger turned to look at her. "We protect you all the time. And you protect us. That's what rangers do!"

"I don't mean like that. Like earlier today, when you told me to stay put... It wasn't because you wanted me to finish my shift. You couldn't care less! You just wanted me out of the way."

"I wanted you safe!" Conner corrected her. "Every guy wants his girlfriend to be safe!"

Kira could see that Conner was agitated but it was better to get everything out now. "I know. But I can't stand it when other people think they know what's best for me. You wouldn't see Tommy telling Kim to stay put. He knows that she wouldn't accept it."

"Fine, from now on, I'll let you run into the path of danger all the time!" Conner snarled. "I won't stop you. Is that it? You're going to break up with me over something so small? And as far as common interests go, how much do Tommy and Kim have in common? They are a racer and a singer/gymnast? Their relationship is just fine. They were together for a long time before we met them. And they got back together before we started going out and their relationship is still going strong."

"That's not the point! Tommy and Kim obviously have loads in common. We don't know what those things are but they're definitely there!" Kira countered, pacing around in front of the lake. "The point is that Tommy just knows... she doesn't have to tell him that she likes her independence; he just knows! It comes naturally. And I'm sure it's the same vice versa."

"They've known each other for years, of course they do. We've only known each other six months and we've only been going out for one month," Conner argued, sitting back down again.

"Three and a half weeks," Kira corrected him. "See, even the way we think is different. I'm not saying that everything has to be the same, my parents are leagues apart but they still get each other. We can't even have one conversation without arguing... I can't do this!"

"This is because of him, isn't it?" Conner interrogated in a low voice.

"No it isn't," Kira replied, seeing no point in pretending she didn't know exactly who he was referring to.

"I saw you looking at him during your concert. You went all doe-eyed when you looked at him, as if you couldn't wait to jump off the stage and fall straight into his arms," he spat, remembering the fateful day which was only two weeks ago. She stayed silent. It wasn't untrue. "I wouldn't be surprised if you two have been running around behind my back, stealing a few kisses here and there."

Kira's head whipped in her soon to be ex-boyfriend's direction. "In all the time I've been with you, the whole three and a half weeks, I've never once done anything that's considered as cheating. I haven't kissed him and nor have I tried to. Not on the lips anyway. And it's obviously never gone any further than that."

"Not on the lips? Elsewhere then?"

"On the cheeks, once or twice. But what can I do? He's my friend and he's so sweet," Kira told Conner. "He's kissed me on the hand too. But none of that counts as cheating."

"On the hand? Seriously? Who is this guy fooling?!" he cried out. "I bet you just can't wait to jump into his bed and spread your legs for him! You can't wait for him to be your first!" Kira's mouth fell open at the vulgar things he was saying.

"For your information, I'm still under the age of consent," she told him as a matter of fact, "and sex isn't the first thing on my mind!"

Conner knew he'd said some things he probably shouldn't have but he was too hot and bothered to care. Kira shook her head in disgust.

"Just go to him."

"I'm not going to go to him. I'm going to go home. This is exactly what I mean!" she shouted. "You assume that when a girl breaks up with you she immediately needs to go and find another guy to cry on his shoulder. That's not how it works. I'm not breaking up with you so that I can date him. I'm breaking up with you because I don't want to be with you."

The red ranger froze. He never thought he'd hear these words. Ever. A girl initiating a break up with him because she didn't like him.

"Anything else you want to say?"

"Yes," Kira responded shortly. "It doesn't make sense when you say I'm breaking up with you for Trent. I already had feelings for him before I even started dating you."

"You've successfully dumped me, Kira," Conner admitted, looking straight at her. "But I want you to answer one question for me before you go."

"Shoot."

"Did you ever have any feelings for me? Any feelings at all?"

Kira took in a deep breath before looking him straight in the eyes. "No."


A/N: Yeah, that last scene might be way too long, exaggerated and cold but I imagine a Kira/Conner break up like this. Call me dramatic if you must.
Plus, I really think it's funny how Kira says it's not Halloween but I uploaded this chapter on Halloween. ;)
So you'll probably notice that there's a fight scene missing but I really did not want to make the chapter any longer.
And I don't think any of my chapters for any of my stories have ever been 6,000 words or more. It's a record for me!
REVIEW!