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Chapter 11 old and new
"Hey how do you feel?" Dana called over the sound of the stereo.
"Ok, you?" Ryan asked casting his sister a sidelong glance. She'd not said all that must since leaving mariner bay a while ago. Not that he'd really felt like talking but he was a little concerned she'd been grimmer since he'd joined her that morning.
"I'm fine. I'm not the one who had to train this morning." She pointed out and there it was again, that odd cast to her voice.
"Look, we still have about twenty minutes before we reach Angel Grove. Then we have to find the Dragon star dojo. Why don't you just sit back and relax." He suggested and she sighed. Why was he doing this? He was the one in more trouble than she. True she could also die but he was the one with the tattoo almost up to his neck.
"Fine." She said adjusting in her seat.
***
"Hey any word?" Kelsey asked as she came into the common room to find Carter sitting on the couch reading a magazine. Or rather pretending she guessed. His brow was puckered slightly in worry.
"None." He said turning the page. He wasn't exactly in a talking mood. He was way too worried about his girlfriend and Ryan. He knew Kelsey was too but right now…
"Any word on what?" Joel asked coming into the command room his jacket slung over one shoulder.
"Oh, um miss F was just fixing some bugs on Pyro rescue." Kelsey said quickly, she didn't want them to ask too many questions she wasn't the best liar.
"Cool, anyway we were going to head into town for a movie since it's pretty quiet. Do you two want to come?" Chad asked and Carter shook his head still not looking up at his friends. He just wanted them to go so he could wait without worrying that they'd be there when the others called in.
"No, we have plans." Kelsey put in."
"Ok, well have you seen Dana or Ryan?" Joel asked.
"No, why?" Carter did look up then and hoped his face didn't show his concern. It was just becoming an automatic response whenever he heard her name. Heavens how had he so completely fallen for her? They'd just made the shift form friends to more and already he was acting like a teen. Well, he was so why not? After all he was only nineteen.
"I just want to see if they want to tag." The green ranger told them pulling Carter from his thoughts.
"You know, we are supposed to be doubling." Kelsey said and Carter nodded in agreement glancing at his watch as if Dana was running late.
"Oh, well then have fun." Chad smiled at then."
"Oh we will." Carter put in and Joel smirked before leaving.
"You guys have fun at that movie." Kelsey called after them.
"Right." The guys called over their shoulders.
"Nice save." Carter told Kelsey who grinned.
"Yeah, well, we'll have to be more careful." The brunette said grimly.
"Yeah." Carter said and went back t his attempt to read.
***
"Well, here we are." Ryan said as they pulled up IN FRONT of the ex-ranger owned karate school. "Are you ready?"
"Yeah right, the rest of our lives are hanging in the balance, like I'd ever be ready." She said with a slightly shaky laugh and he reached over and touched her hand.
"I know the feeling." There eyes met, blue and silver and understanding passed between them for the first time. "Come on lets do this."
"Right." Then they were getting out of the car.
The interior was nice, large, with white walls and matching mats on the floor. There were mirrors on the walls, Dana knew for the students to watch their moves. The place where she'd trained, the same place where they'd all trained.
"Alright again!" A young man called, his eyes canning his class. When he spotted the pair standing near the door he began to weave his way though the students.
"Kea!" They called again going through the move.
"Danny you want to bring your right leg up little higher so you hit the belly not the knee." The young instructor told one of the teens. "Kenny take it a minute." He then called to a near by student as he reached the fringes of the class.
"May I help you?" The young man with dark brown hair asked.
"Um, we're looking for a Jason Scott?" Dana asked recognizing him fron the files they'd stolen that he was Rocky Desantos, the second red ranger.
"Hold on. Hey Jase you got people here to see you!" The instructor called and then went back to his class.
"You wanted to see me?" A tall muscular young man asked striding out from a hall off towards their right.
"Yes, is there somewhere a little more private we can talk?" Dana asked flashing her lightspeed identification.
***
"Sure, I was just going over some paperwork in the office." Jason said slowly. What was going on?
"Looks like a ranger." Jason heard that and had to smile at the brother's response.
"I'll tell Carter you said that."
***
"Bite your tongue." Dana said and actually punched her brother on the arm. Neither even seemed to notice that something was really flowing between them now and not anger.
"Ok, so what did you need?" The young man in a red gee asked as he motioned them into two seats before a large desk?
"Listen I don't know if you still keep apprised of the ranger activity in…" Ryan began slowly.
"Mariner Bay. Yes I know about your plight."
"Well there is something I doubt you know." Dana said slowly and touched her brother's hand in a show of unity. She didn't want to give Jason the wrong idea. "Ryan was once evil."
"Many of us were." A voice said and the pair turned to find a tall young man with long dark hair standing in the doorway. He was just leaning against the doorjamb watching the scene.
"Tommy Oliver meet Dana Mitchell and…' Jason began then realized he didn't even know the solemn young man's name.
"Ryan Mitchell." Ryan said quietly.
"The sixth." Tommy nodded.
"Yes, anyway when he changed to the good side the demons gave him a going away present." Dana said, her voice shaking slightly at the words and this time it was Ryan's hand on hers.
"Well, I doubt it's a candle at least." Tommy said understanding the problems that could be caused by a "gift" from the dark ones.
"No, actually much worse. Ryan?" Dana said a went to lift the back of his shirt.
"Dana, I don't think we should…" He began, what if they thought this was a joke? What if there was nothing they could do?
"Man we're all on the same side here." Jason said seeing the boy's reluctance.
"Fine." Ryan then brushed Dana's hand away and lifter the shirt up so they could see his pet.
"Ouch." Tommy muttered a shudder going through his big body at the pain it must cause the ranger.
"I thought the candle was nasty." Jason muttered.
"That's not even the end of it." The titanium ranger said.
"Ryan I'm not…" Dana began even as he lifted the shirt so they could see the scorpion.
"Double whammy." A new voice said and the girls head snapped around to see the other instructor from the class room coming in.
"Rocky Desantos meet Dana and Ryan Mitchell, the pink and Titanium rangers from…'
"Mariner bay." Although he'd had to give up the power he still kept u8p to the date on the newest ranger issues. "I know the deal. So want to tell us why the demons chose to give a pretty lady like you a nasty picture like that?"
"Easy man, can't you see she's in love?" Jason laughed and Rocky frowned.
"Huh?"
"The sparkle in her blue eyes." Tommy laughed at his friend's dull wittedness.
"Tommy man you think everyone's in love." Rocky muttered.
"Children we are trying to find out the deal, not hit on a pretty woman." Jason put in.
"Right, so what can we do for you?" Rocky asked forcing his mind to the present.
***
Near the door Joel and Chad spotted the demon foot soldiers flooding the room. Looking at each other they did a quick morph and rushed the thing careful not to make any mistakes. They couldn't afford any with only two of them there. Still as they fought the Batlings they found ones quickly replacing them.
***
"So can you believe that your in love?" Kelsey asked. Carter shrugged at her. He'd given up on his magazine and so they'd started to reluctantly talk. "Come on, Carter you've been in love with Dana forever."
"So? Your in love with Ryan." He shot back good naturedly.
"Oh you jerk." She tossed a pillow at him.
Then they froze as the siren went off.
TBC
***
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