One more within the JF canon season after this. Nope, Power Rangers, Enchanted Forest, and Young Wizards do not belong to me.

39

Triumph: the party after Dai Shi's defeat

"PARTY!" yelled Casey before blowing a red noise-maker. His fellow Rangers and friends all cheered before blowing their own noise-makers. It was the evening after Dai Shi being destroyed once and for all. So everyone was in the loft blowing noise-makers and topping the pizzas with whatever they wanted. Which for RJ meant a lot of chocolate-covered anchovies and for Fran a lot of different cheeses sprinkled on top of the standard cheese. The two of them were eating at the base of RJ's chair.

Everyone else was scattered around the loft. Everyone else meant: Lily, Theo, Casey, Dom. Jarred, Camille, Flit, Master Phant, Master Swoop, and Master Finn. Pop music was playing, and everyone was laughing and talking. The world was safe once again due to the Power Rangers.

Fran got up to get more pizza. For a minute RJ just watched her walk away, appreciating her. She looked, smelled, tasted, felt, and sounded so wonderful especially when close to him like before. His dreamy smile fell away when Dom intercepted her, and for a minute they discussed one of the books they both had read. One of the problems of concealing his feelings towards Fran was that now Fran and Dom didn't realize how deep his feelings ran… meaning that Fran was free to fall for whomever she pleased. And that wasn't RJ.

Humming Fran was sprinkling candy corn over her new slice of pizza when a buzz in the back of her head and a skip in her heart made her realize that RJ had walked up behind her.

"Hey. That pizza slice looks as yummy as you."

"You think I'm yummy looking?" Fran asked, bemused. RJ, checking to see that no one was looking, leaned in to nuzzle at her neck.

"Among other things."

Fran closed her eyes to hone in on the sensations RJ was causing in her. "Mm?"

Gently RJ turned her around. "Fran, look at me."

Humbly she did so, overwhelmed by her dammed-up love for the Violet Ranger.

Never breaking contact with her eyes RJ kissed her for the tenth time. As her eyes fluttered shut Fran thought this kiss seemed different. More quiet, less pressure. As forever didn't exist. As if it was goodbye. The instant the thought crossed her mind Fran gripped RJ's shirt with her hands, drawing him in. No. She wouldn't lose him, because that would mean losing her heart.

But RJ ended the kiss, pulling away. There. He had gotten in a last kiss before Fran realized her feelings towards Dom, before she would have stopped him from kissing her. His voice hoarse he commented, "We ought to rejoin the party."

"Are you okay, RJ? I mean, you're acting like something's wrong but there shouldn't be anything wrong now that Dai Shi has been defeated and Ocean Bluff is safe and no one is dead not even Jarred and Camille even-"

"Breathe, Fran," RJ interjected, taking her hand in his. He brought up the hand to his lips, brushing them across her knuckles in a way that made Fran's heart skip a beat. "If you're fine, I'll have to be fine."

"Uh…" Fran supposed that was another Zen comment although it was like no other Zen comment she had ever heard RJ say before. "Okay."

"Come on," RJ did his best to grin despite the growing cracks in his heart. "Let's go be with the others. This is our party of triumph after all."

"You five deserve it."

"I know."

Fran managed to snap her candy corn pizza slice before RJ half-dragged her back into the party. Her heart was his, but more than ever she was wondering if his heart was hers.

Casey had seen the two of them in the corner, although everyone else had been (thankfully) preoccupied. He sighed and scratched the back of his head. So close and yet so far. Never before had that concept made more sense to the Red Ranger. Luckily with the world safe he would have plenty of time to help Kazul and Ponch with their schemes to hook up their human spirits- when he wasn't running the Pai Zhua Academy as its new headmaster, anyway.