The chapter a lot of you have been anticipating.

Anabel watched as Kira's face morphed into a sad smile. The extra noise that the Cybercafe was expelling today was not good for the singers concentration, much less her audiences. It was hard to focus on the song that Kira was performing when someone was playing foosball behind you, or the coffee machine was humming from behind the counter.

As Kira played her last note, she dropped her hand and turned to the rest of her band mates. They all nodded and started to pack up, as Kira, herself, jumped down from the stage and approached the table her friends occupied. She removed her guitar strap as she sat down, huffing.

"That was awesome. is that something new?" Conner asked.

Kira nodded. Her face brightening slightly. "Yeah, I'm still working on the hook, but I think there's something there," she said.

"I'm telling you, if this superhero gig doesn't work out, you definitely have a musical career to fall back on," said Ethan.

"It's kind of hard to have a musical career when you can't get anyone to listen to you play," said Kira, looking around the cafe. Her first gig there had gone off without a hitch, and everyone had been listening to her, but today just seemed like one of those days were people were more interested in having fun that being at a concert.

Anabel smiled as Trent set a second bottle of orange juice down on the table, followed by a bottle of apple juice for Kira. "Well, I was listening," he told Kira, "And I think you rock."

"What are you working on?" Kira asked, spying Trent's art book.

"Not until it's done," said Trent, quickly hiding his new sketch.

Anabel bit back a laugh as Kira shrugged and accepted his right for privacy.

"Nobody appreciates good music anymore," said Dr. Oliver. He was standing behind Anabel, resting his foot on the back of her chair while he leaned on his knee. "All you hear on the radio is that pop garbage.

"Yeah, like what's her name - Kylee Styles?" Hayley asked, joining them.

"Hey, Kylee Styles has some good music," Conner defended.

Anabel rolled her eyes. "Just because she looks good, Conner, doesn't mean she is good," she said.

"I was just about to translate that he thinks she's fine," said Ethan, fist-bumping Anabel.

"I dated him for three years," Anabel said. "You can imagine how many Kylee Styles concerts I had to endure in those three years."

"You two are way off base this time," said Conner.

Anabel and Ethan raised their eyebrows at him.

"Okay. Maybe you're not," Conner relented. "But that has nothing to do with it."

"You know, she used to be a really good songwriter," said Kira. "She was really sweet, too. Now she's all about image."

Anabel furrowed her brow and cocked her head at Kira.

"You say that like you two are friends," said Ethan.

"We used to be," said Kira, nodding.

Conner scoffed.

"What? It's true!" Kira defended. "We were in a band together. The she got discovered by this agent, and now she's this huge pop diva."

"Emphasis on the diva," said Anabel.

"You really don't like her, do you?" Trent asked, chuckling.

Anabel shrugged. "There are better pop idols out there," she said. "That aside," she added, turning back to Kira. "These guys may not believe you, but I do."

Kira smiled at her.

"Ah. Here's your chance to prove it," said Ethan, turning back to his computer. "According to her fan site, she's going to be in town to promote her new CD."

"Oh, we are so there!" Conner exclaimed. He turned to Anabel, stopped, and then turned in his seat to face Kira. "And since you are such good buddies, you can hook me up."

Anabel brightened. "Hey, I just found a plus side to not dating Conner McKnight," she teased. "No more Kylee Styles."

Conner rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he sulked.

Ethan chuckled.

"Hey," Trent called, waving at someone over at the door.

Anabel frowned and followed his line of sight, her eyes widening as her heart hammered against her ribcage. "No…" she breathed.

"What -?" Dr. Oliver asked, turning around. He, too, stopped, his foot dropping from Anabel's chair as he turned on the spot.

"Who's that guy?" Kira asked, watching Trent approach the older man that had just walked in.

Conner furrowed his brow as Dr. Oliver moved, aimlessly, but with purpose, towards Trent and the older man. "Is he okay?" he asked, looking around at his friends.

"Anabel, you, okay?" Ethan asked.

Taking a deep breath, Anabel spun back around and started to clear away her things, shoving them hastily back into her backpack.

"Hey, whoa, whoa, what's the matter?" Ethan asked, grabbing at her hands. He frowned as he found her shaking. "Anabel, stop, talk to us. What's the deal?"

"That's my dad!" Anabel said. She swallowed and glanced over her shoulder again, and then looked at Kira. "That guy is Anton Mercer," she said. "My father. I haven't seen him in eleven years, and he just turns up out of the blue now?"

"Maybe now is the chance to talk to him?" Kira suggested. "Find out why he left eleven years ago?"

Anabel shook her head. "I want answers more than anything, but I don't want them here. Not in public," she said. "You're the only people that know Anton Mercer is my dad. I got to go." She stood, swinging her backpack up onto her shoulder, and pulled her laptop from the table, tucking it under her arm. "I'll catch you guys later."

The trio frowned after her.

Trent spotted Anabel and smiled. "Hey, Anabel, meet my dad," he said, placing his hand on Mercer's shoulder. "Dad, this is Anabel Brooke's. The one I was telling you about."

Anabel stopped short, staring at Trent. She could feel her dad's gaze on the side of her head and had to force down her feelings of betrayal as she met his gaze. He was staring at her, with a look of guilt and… happiness?

"Your dad?" Anabel asked, looking between them.

"Anabel," Mercer whispered.

Taking a deep breath, Anabel forced a smile. "I'll admit that I am a little disappointed that you never told your son that you had a daughter," she said, feeling both happy and guilty at the look of surprise on Trent's face.

"It's not what you think," said Mercer.

"It never is," said Anabel, shaking her head and leaving the cafe.

Once at her car, Anabel made sure she was locked safely inside the driver's seat before taking a deep shuddering breath and allowed the tears of her encounter with her dad, fall.

That could've gone hell of a lot better.

~X~

The next afternoon, Anabel descended the steps into the Dino Base and offered Dr. Oliver a small smile as she sat beside him at the computer. The one thing she felt guilty about the most after yesterday, was that Dr. O had to witness it.

"You, okay?" Dr. Oliver asked.

Anabel shrugged. She knew the question was about yesterday, and not a general question about how her day had been so far. If it had been, what could she have said? That she cancelled Cheer practice an hour earlier than usual because she couldn't focus on the routine without remembering her encounter yesterday at the cafe? Or how she had hidden in the Editor's office because she had seen Trent loitering around in the school car parking lot, probably hoping to talk to her,

She couldn't blame Trent, obviously. He had just found out that he had a sister, and not in the most subtle of ways. If anything, she could've been more sympathetic about the way she had blurted out she was Anabel Mercer, rather than been cold and degraded her father for not being honest with his children.

"Yesterday was… awkward," said Dr. Oliver.

"Sorry," Anabel apologized. "I didn't plan on it going that way, if I am honest. I was hoping to just leave without a confrontation. But I don't know, I guess I snapped when Trent said 'dad', and…" she trailed off.

Dr. Oliver smiled and squeezed her shoulder. "Believe it or not, I know how it feels."

Anabel furrowed her brow. "You know what it's like to find out that your dad, someone you looked up to all your childhood, left you for a second family?" she asked.

"I guess, not exactly," said Dr. Oliver. "But I do know what it's like to find out you have a brother that you didn't know about."

"You have a brother?"

Dr. Oliver nodded. "Not many people know this, but my last name isn't truly Oliver," he explained. "I was adopted as a baby by the Oliver family. Later on, during my teenage years, I met a man name David Trueheart, and it was revealed that he was my older brother. He'd been adopted by Sam Trueheart."

"Are you and David close?"

"In a way," said Dr. Oliver. "He lives on the reservation in Angel Grove. We see each other when we can, but it's not often."

"But you never met your real parents?"

Dr. Oliver shook his head.

"If you got the chance, how would you feel?" Anabel asked. She looked down at her hands. "Would you be able to forgive them for giving you up? Or would you feel angry that they didn't try and keep you and David?"

"I guess that depends on the circumstances at the time," said Dr. Oliver. "The same goes for your dad. I'm sure he didn't leave you intentionally. If Trent is his real son, he may not be, don't you think you owe it to the both of them to explain?"

Anabel sighed and slunk back in her seat. Great, now she felt even worse about yesterday.

"Great, you're both here!"

Anabel and Dr. Oliver looked around as Ethan and Conner rushed into the base. They were both breathless, like they had been running.

"What's going on?" Dr. Oliver asked.

"This," said Ethan, leaning between the pair and brought up a drone-view of what was happening in Reefside.

"A donkey that can extract the youth from people?" Anabel asked, "That is wrong on so many levels."

"Mesogog's probably found a way to harness youth into energy," said Dr. Oliver. "We have to figure out a way to fight it."

"Where's Kira?" Anabel asked Conner. They had been together all morning, so it was only safe to say he would know where she was.

"She's taken Kylee to the Cybercafe," Conner answered. "This Donkey got to her after the CD promotion. She's having a meltdown over seeing herself all old and shriveled up. I'll admit, it was kind of brutal."

Anabel rolled her eyes. "What's the matter, no longer your dream girl?" she teased.

Conner shook his head.

"We'll talk about respect for your elders later," said Dr. Oliver. "Let's do it."

The others nodded.

"Dino Thunder, Power Up!"

~X~

Donkeyvac laughed as he blocked blows from the Green and Blue Rangers. He hauled them into the air and tossed them back, before turning and dealing with the Red and Black Rangers that had tried to sneak up on him from behind.

"This isn't working!" said Anabel, rolling onto her knees. "We need Kira."

"I called her," said Conner. "She's not answering."

Straightening up, Anabel rushed at Donkeyvac, ducking under his swinging arm and aiming a kick at the bottom of his back. He turned rapidly and caught her foot, flipping her over backwards as Ethan and Dr. Oliver rushed, but were easily defeated once again.

Jumping over his teacher, Conner caught Donkeyvac by both shoulders. He struggled to hold on as the Donkey pulled back to break free and swung a punch at the Red Ranger.

"Cassidy Cornell, Reefside reporter. Exactly when did you know you were evil? Did you feel unloved as a little whatever it is you are?"

Anabel rolled her eyes as her friend put herself between Conner and Donkeyvac, holding out the microphone in her hand at the monster.

Kicking Conner in the stomach, Donkeyvac turned to interloper. "Why, Cassidy, being evil has always come very natural to me," he answered. He then paused, realized what he was doing and took a step back. "Give me your youth growth!" he said, sucking the youth out of both Cassidy and Devin.

The pair groaned as their bodies became hunched. Their skin turning from tight and smooth, to old and wrinkled, and their hair sported patches of grey and white.

"Oh. She does not age well," said Anabel.

"Not in the slightest," said Ethan.

As Cassidy and Devin walked away, Donkeyvac turned back to the Rangers. He looked up as Anabel and Ethan rushed at him, flipping over his head and landing on the grass to his rear. He turned, ready to fight, when the Red Ranger caught him from behind.

Donkeyvac struggled and tossed Conner over his shoulder.

"I got him!" said Anabel, rushing toward Donkeyvac. She grabbed his arm as he swung it into her stomach and lifted her off her feet, and into the air.

"Hold on, Anabel!" Dr. Oliver called. He stopped as Zeltrax appeared in his path, cutting off his attempt to help his student.

"Whoa!" Anabel squealed as Donkeyvac tossed her over his head.

"Catch me if you can!" Donkeyvac announced, running off.

Circling around their teammate, Conner and Ethan made sure Anabel was okay before leading her after the escaping Donkey.

They cornered him at an empty tennis court. But he made easy work of them, just like he had done for the half hour.

"I'll try Kira again," said Anabel, raising her morpher. "We need the Z-Rex Blaster."

Conner and Ethan nodded

"Kira, we need -" Anabel cut off as a sonic scream ripped through the court and Donkeyvac was knocked backwards.

Holding her hands over her ears, Anabel looked up and spotted Kira a few feet away. Stumbling, she, Ethan and Conner made their way over to their last remaining teammate.

"Ow, my ears," Ethan whined.

"Sorry, guys, I should've given you the heads up on the ptera scream," said Kira, apologetically.

"You think?" Anabel asked, shaking her head.

"Excellent! More youth for me!" Donkeyvac said, staring at Kira.

Kira shook her head. "I don't think so," she replied. "Dino Thunder, Power Up!"

Calling on their Thundermax sabres, the team of four jumped at Donkeyvac. He blocked their attacks, like he had done before, and shoved them into to the air, using his fist to punch each Ranger in turn and knock them backward through the air.

Anabel groaned as she landed between Conner and Ethan. Meanwhile, Kira had rolled a little further away, and straightened up, holding a tennis racket and two balls.

"How about a singles match?" Kira asked.

"You're no match for me," Donkeyvac taunted.

"We'll see about that," said Kira. She served the two balls by tossing them into the air, and then hitting them with the racket. They soared toward Donkeyvac and blocked his nostrils, preventing him from attacking them any longer.

Donkeyvac sneezed and snorted, trying his hardest to dislodge the tennis balls. But it was no use, they were stuck fast.

"Put 'em together, guys!" Kira called, racing back to her friends.

"Ready?"

"FIRE!"

The ball of energy collided with Donkeyvac, and he exploded.

"Wait for it," said Anabel, turning her gaze towards the skies. As if on cue, the black raincloud appeared and split open, unleashing a torrent of raindrops down onto the monster pieces; as the cloud cleared Donkeyvac loomed, bigger than ever, over the city.

"Dr. Oliver," said Kira, into her morpher. "I think now would be a good time for some heavy metal."

"You got it!"

The ground shook as the Brachiozord lumbered into view, it's back opened and deposited the other four biozords into the city streets.

"Let's go!" said Kira.

The others followed her lead and took a running leap into their cockpits.

"Biozords, combine!" said Anabel. Her compy zord vibrated around her, following her command, and then she was in the Megazord cockpit along with the others.

"Pomegranates away!" Donkeyvac called. Blowing large balls from his nose and unleashing them on the Megazord. They struggled to remain upright, but despite the barrage of balls, they didn't fall over. "Super suction!" he added, hitting them with two electrical pulses which pulled them to him, like a giant magnet.

"Let's sink our teeth into this fight!" Conner said, punching his controls. The T-Rex jaws opened and bit down on the nose of Donkeyvac.

"Ptera rang!" Kira called, sliding her zord piece from the chest of the Megazord and throwing it at Donkeyvac. It sliced through him and returned to the Megazord's hand.

"Dino Drill!" Anabel and Ethan called, punching the right side of their controls. "Engage!"

The drill arm started to spin wildly. The four Rangers punched their right arms out and directed the T-Rex tail into the stomach of Donkeyvac.

He wailed and then exploded.

~X~

Anabel averted her gaze as Trent looked over.

"I take it you haven't spoken to him yet?" said Dr. Oliver, appearing at her side.

Anabel shook her head. "I don't know what to say," she admitted. "What kind of journalist doesn't have the right words?"

"Maybe your first words could be 'I'm sorry'?" Dr. Oliver suggested. "I mean, you didn't mean for him to find out about you in the way that he did, so apologizing will help in the long run. And, hey, you never know, having a brother could be a good thing for you."

Anabel shot him a teasing smile. "Why? Because I'm a narcissistic only child?" she asked. "I'll just add that to the list of things that I am according to you lot. However, Ethan's, spoilt little rich kid is still my favourite."

Dr. Oliver rolled his eyes. "1. I never called you narcissistic," he defended, dropping his voice so only she could hear. "But I guess you are a spoilt little rich kid."

Anabel laughed. "Sue me for having expensive taste," she said, referring to their little shopping outing the previous week. While Dr. Oliver was used to shopping at places like Target and Walmart, she, herself had never stepped foot in either branch, or had mostly hidden her face from passers-by when they had been there last week.

"Expensive taste is one way of putting it," Dr. Oliver muttered.

Anabel opened her mouth to respond as Kira took to the stage. The singer smiled out at her audience, and leaned towards her mic, preventing Anabel from retorting to Dr. Oliver and instead focusing her attention on the singer.

"I wrote this next song with a friend of mine a long time ago," said Kira. "I hope you like it."

The music started at a slow, moving pace, and Anabel found that she couldn't help but smile at the tune. It was relaxing and showed an emotion and depth that most songs didn't have these days.

"Best friends they come and go depending on your highs and your lows

My best friend decided not to be there when I needed her the most.

I thought you'd be there for me, then why did you lie to me, using me to get what you want.

Then, I couldn't believe it happened.

No, I couldn't understand."

As Kira sang the opening verse, Anabel couldn't help but let her mind wander to Conner. It was like Kira was referring to everything that had happened between them at the end of last term - her best friend, Sophie Grace, had committed the ultimate act of betrayal by sleeping with Conner, behind Anabel's back after a misinterpretation on the couple's part.

But as Kira reached the chorus, the whole Cybercafe exploded into cheers as Kylee Styles took to the stage, singing alongside Kira. Their voices matching in perfect harmony.

"True love walked out the door couldn't take it no more.

True love, it broke my heart. You make my whole life sore.

He said it'd be my baby; then why did you betray me.

Temptation got to his head.

Then I left him, yeah, and this is what I said."

Casting a glance over her shoulder, Anabel met Trent's gaze and offered him a small smile. She knew that eventually they would need to talk, but there was no reason why they should interrupt Kira's gig to do it now, especially since both of them had promised the singer that they would encourage her whenever and wherever she needed it.

Turning away from Trent, Anabel glanced left and met Dr. Oliver's gaze next. He nudged her shoulder and she smiled before laughing lightly and turning her attention back to Kira. The song may have reminded her of the relationship she and Conner had lost, but at least she had new friends to fall back on to cheer her up, and speaking of Conner, he was pulling through on their deal about not forcing her to speak about what had happened last term.

It was still on Anabel's list of things she needed to sort out, but she was more focused on sorting things out with Trent than she was opening a can of worms she had spent almost two months trying to close. It was strange that a can of worms from eleven years ago seemed less likely to hurt as much as something that had been recent.

"It feels like it's going to be okay.

(It's going to be okay)

It feels right, it just feels that way.

(It just feels that way)

It feels like it'll be a better day, 'cause I believe that in the end good things are coming my way."

"Oh, yeah! Yeah! Awesome, baby!" Devin called, cheering from the centre of the crowd.

Turning to one another, Kira and Kylee smiled and embraced. Before the latter pulled away and cheered for her old friend, along with the rest of the crowd.

"Whoo! Go, Kira!" Anabel called.