Author's note: Thanks to all of those who are still reading this.  Special Thanks to Dana Grayson for the help with this chapter.  I was definitely thinking the story needs more life. Hope you like this.  Azure angel, thanks too, your suggestion was great. 

Chapter6 Illusions and Revenge? 

Mark and Dana drove to a small Italian place on the Westside of town.  Over dinner they talked about things ranging from movies and books to favorite places in town.  At first Dana had felt awkward but as the evening wore on both the mundane chatter and the boy across from her had the blonde relaxing.  She didn't exactly feel as she did whenever she saw Carter but there was something, as if she'd known him for a long time. 

After they finished their meals they decided to catch a movie.  To her surprise Mark let her choose.  Usually when she went with Chad Kelsey and Joel the guys usually picked.  Still it wasn't' too bad going to see a nice Comedy.  It was more because whenever carter went with them he voted for funny over bloodshed. She wasn't' into bloodshed much either, they saw enough of that from day to day.  Now though as they sat in the theater Dana found her mind not on either the movie or her date.  It was all the way back at the base on the one man who'd not left her thoughts for more than ten all night. She wondered what he was doing.  Was he out with his friend after all?  Had he called it an early evening or decided to work out some more?

Dana gave herself a mental shake; she was on a date, not with Carter or the gang.  She should be thinking about Mark.  Glancing over at the boy in question she saw his eyes were on the movie in front of him.    She wondered if she'd come off as an airhead with her occasional vacant stares but he didn't seem to notice or care so she shrugged that off. 

*** 

"Hey man mind telling me what's with you?" 

"I'm busy Grayson."  Ryan said not looking up from his task of scanning all of the files for anything on the guy his sister was out with. 

"So I see."  Carter said frowning at the other man.  He'd been looking for either Ryan or Dana but Dana wasn't in the base and he'd only now found the silver clad young man.  "But you're acting like a creep and I want to know why."

"You acted like that to Dana."  Ryan said not even looking at he other man as he spoke. 

"I…"  What could carter say about that?  He didn't even know what Ryan was talking about.  He'd just told the friend about how eh thought she looked. Maybe he shouldn't have been so abrupt but she'd always been ok with that.  "So your mad about what I said to her?" 

"Hell yeah," Ryan rounded on the red ranger.  "Man she's half in love with you but your so blind you can never see what's right in front of your face." 

"She's…" carter felt his heart skip a beat, she felt…  "I never even guessed." 

"Blind."  Ryan muttered and turned back to his work dismissing carter from his thoughts. 

"Where is she?"  Carter asked a moment later and

"She went out with some guy."  Ryan said off-handedly as he moved to a keyboard and typed something in. 

"She's on a date?"  Carter was confused, he'd thought Ryan said she was nuts about him so why would Dana be on a date with some other guy?" 

"Yeah."  Ryan muttered breaking into his friend's thoughts. 

"You don't sound too happy about it."  Carter frowned and Ryan sighed not looking at him as he ran a hand through his wavy blond hair. 

"There's just something I can't pin point about…"  Carter grabbed a chair; if Ryan was apprehensive then Carter was too.  The titanium ranger didn't get upset about just anything. 

*** 

"Hey how about a walk?"  Mark asked when the movie finally ended.  They were standing out in front of the theater, just beneath its marquee.

"I don't know it's getting late."  She murmured thinking that given how Ryan had been acting he'd probably be waiting up for her.  "My brother will probably be waiting up for me."  She explained. 

"So we'll make it a short one.  I could for one use the chance to walk off the popcorn and spaghetti."  Mark urged hopefully giving her a puppy dog look that had Dana thinking of Joel at his worst. 

"Ok but we have to keep it short."  She smiled. 

*** 

"Look."  Ryan said when an image of a blonde little girl appeared on screen with another, a taller boy with the same golden hair and smiling blue eyes. 

"That him?" 

"Yep, with red instead of blond."  Ryan said then he played with the mage until it was changed. 

"According to this the girl is his little sister Mandy."   Ryan said feeling ill as he read on. 

"Miranda Maxwell, seven was injured by the titanium ranger; doctors do not believe the little girl will ever be able to walk again."  Carter read aloud, his gut twisting with every word, an image taking shape in his mind. 

"Where are you going?" Captain Mitchell asked when he came across the two men coming out of ops. 

"I have to find Dana."  Ryan told his father grimly. 

"Ryan your not…" the oldest Mitchell began but his son cut him off. 

"I know what it was I sensed when I met her date."  Ryan called to him over his shoulder as they neared the lift. 

"What?"  Carter was the one to ask.  He knew something was up and he had a feeling but he didn't want to be right. 

"Revenge."  That harshly spoken word had fear shooting through the other two men.

"I'll call the others."     The Captain told them as the lift doors closed behind them. 

TBC

*** 

Hmm, wonder if Ryan and Carter are barking up the wrong tree?  Stranger things have happened. 

Please let me know what you think, what you think should happen.  It's always helpful.  *smiles*