Disclaimer: Don't own. That simple. Well, I guess I own Jessica, but that's all.

The Key Comes to Blue Bay Harbor

By Ravyn Jayne

Chapter 4

Three days later, Cam and Tori sat in the middle of a field, Cam teaching Tori meditation techniques so she could better harness her telekinesis. Different items sat between them.

"Alright." Cam began once he felt Tori was centered. "Concentrate on the ball. Lift it up, but do it slowly and exercise your control."

Tori took even breaths and the ball lifted into the air in slightly jerky increments.

"Good. Try to smooth it out a little… good." Cam encouraged. Suddenly the ball dropped and Tori's gaze fixed over Cam's shoulder, her posture stiffening. Cam looked behind him and saw a dozen of Lothor's Kelzacks quickly advancing on them. Both stood up and took defensive positions.

Back in Ninja Ops, Sensei Wantanabe sat in front of the computer watching as Tori and his son took on the Kelzacks. He was about to call the others (the only thing he knew how to do when it came to the technology of Ninja Ops) when a flash of green caught his eye. Tori was quickly defeating her half of the Kelzacks, which was no surprise. What was, was the fact that Cam was also battling the Kelzacks with ease. Sensei had of course trained Cam to fight, but had always encouraged his love of computers more. But their was his son, fighting Kelzacks with the same ease he hacked into mainframes with. Watching the fight, Sensei Wantanabe could no longer deny it was time for a new Samurai.

Their meditation session completely interrupted, Tori and Cam made their way back to Ninja Ops. Cam's father was waiting for them.

"Cameron, I need to talk with you." Sensei Wantanabe said in lieu of greeting.

"Sure Dad." Cam said, slightly surprised at how serious his father looked. Tori started backing out of the room.

"Tori you may stay. This will affect you too." Sensei stopped her. Tori nodded, and moved back to Cam's side. Sensei held up a silver necklace with a green pendant hanging on it. Sensei looked at his son. "It was your mother's. Now it's yours."

Cam stepped forward and took the necklace from his father. Tori remained silent, understanding the importance of this moment.

"Cameron, you know your mother was the first female student in any of the Academies. What you have never been told was she possessed the power of the Samurai. Her father gave it to her, his father gave it to him and so on. Now it's time for you to use the power." Sensei explained. "You must use the power to help defeat Lothor."

"You mean I'm-" Cam couldn't complete the thought.

"Cam's a Power Ranger, too?" Tori asked excited.

"Wait, I'm not even a real Ninja." Cam pointed out.

"Correct. You are a Samurai." Sensei said. "It's in your blood, and as you told Tori 'what you need to know will be downloaded into your brain'. But there is more you need to know. Lothor is your Uncle, Cam."

"What?!" Cam and Tori exclaimed at the same time.

"Uncle?" Tori asked.

"Mom was an only child and so are you." Cam said.

"I had a twin brother, Kia." Sensei raised a hand for silence when Cam and Tori started asking questions. "Years ago when I was a student in the Academy, my brother was also a student. When your mother arrived at the Academy he tried to steal the Samurai amulet from her, confirming my suspicions that he was practicing the Dark Arts. He was banished into space as punishment. I believed him dead until Lothor showed up."

"Are you sure Lothor is Kia?" Tori asked.

"I am sure." Sensei nodded. "Before he was banished, Kia announced he would return for his revenge and his name was now Lothor."

"That's why he seemed so familiar." Cam realized. Sensei nodded.

"Go find your teammates." Sensei ordered. "Inform them of the new Ranger and our relation to Lothor. Tomorrow you will all meet here after school for training sessions."

The next few weeks passed by quickly. The other Rangers were ecstatic at Cam becoming a Ranger. Between six Rangers there was no way Lothor would defeat them or get the Key. Cam spent his days fixing zords, morphers, and bikes, while also monitoring the city for any attacks. Hunter usually helped Cam but more often than not ended up teasing Cam when Cam groused about how much equipment the others destroyed. The other four Rangers spent their mornings in school, praying Lothor wouldn't attack so they all wouldn't have to go to the bathroom for twenty minutes. Then they joined Hunter and Cam in Ninja Ops for two hours of training under the watchful eye of Sensei Wantanabe. Tori spent the next hour practicing her telekinesis with Giles while the boy Rangers sat nearby watching in fascination.

The Rangers spent the rest of their day hanging out in the control room occasionally going into town to visit Storm Chargers. Slowly the battles came more and more frequently, and the Rangers grew closer than ever. One Friday night they all sat around the Bradley's living room, watching movies, Shane and Dustin sat on the floor, making fun of the movie. Cam sat in an overstuffed chair, Hunter sitting at his feet an arm slung over one of Cam's legs, sharing a bowl of popcorn on Cam's lap. Tori and Blake shared the couch and Blake had an arm around Tori.

From her resting place against Blake's shoulder Tori looked around the room at her boys. Finally she had her own group of friends. Tori loved her sister, and Giles and Xander and Willow, but they were really Buffy's friends, who had adopted Tori as their little sister. She knew they all loved her, but for once it was nice to have her own friends, friends who chose her because of who she was and not because she was Buffy's little sister. Shane and Dustin with their bickering, Cam with his sarcastic comments, that always set Hunter off teasing him, and Blake…

Blake, who Tori loved.

It was weird for her to admit that. Tori had started believing she would never have a real relationship because of the life she led. She was surrounded by too much danger, too many secrets. But Blake made her feel safe. He understood her, her need to fight along side her sister, the battles she'd fought, the things she'd lived through, the odds she'd defied. But there was still one thing about her he didn't know. One thing nobody but the Scooby's knew. Not even Cam who had become her best friend. As a ranger she trusted the others with her life on a daily basis. She knew she could trust them with her most guarded secret.

"Hey," Blake said softly so only Tori could hear him. Tori lifted her head off his shoulder and gave him her attention. "You wanna do something tomorrow night? Just the two us?"

"Like a date?" Tori asked just as softly, a smile threatening to take over her face. Blake nodded.

"Like a date." He said smiling down at her.

"I'd love to." Tori said as she and Blake simply stared at each other for a while. Their gaze was broken when Shane and Dustin burst out laughing at the movie. Hunter and Cam were too involved in a hushed conversation to notice anyone else. Giving Blake one last smile Tori put her head back on his shoulder. She'd made her decision.

"I'm going to tell them." Tori announced to Buffy and Giles when she got home.

"Tell who, what?" Buffy asked confused.

"The guys, the Rangers. And the Senseis. I want to tell them the truth. That I'm the Key." Tori said. Buffy and Giles froze.

"No." Buffy said simply.

"Why not?" Tori asked.

"Because you're in enough danger with people thinking you wear the Key. This secret is hard enough to keep with five people knowing and now you want to tell seven more? Dawn, do you know what would happen if Lothor fond out?" Buffy asked back.

"They're my protectors. They have a right to know. I trust them. They wouldn't tell anybody, they know what's at stake." Tori argued. "As Rangers and my friends they trust me. I should return that trust. I owe it to them."

"This wouldn't have anything to do with your feelings toward Blake, would it?" Giles asked. Tori glared at him.

"For your information he asked me out tonight. And yes that is one reason I want to tell them, but it's not the only reason, not even the main one." Tori said calmly, still glaring at Giles. "You know me better than that. I wouldn't compromise your or my own safety because I like a boy."

"Okay, it's late." Buffy intervened before Tori could become really indignant. "Let's talk about this in the morning, when we'll all be more clear headed. Tori can tell us all her reasons then, okay?"

"Okay." Tori reluctantly nodded and headed for her room calling 'good nights' over her shoulder. Buffy and Giles returned the goodnights, then looked at each other.

"What do you think?" Giles asked Buffy.

"I think she has some points." Buffy said, then sighed. "I also think I can't risk her safety for any reason."

The next morning Tori lay in bed, reluctant to actually start the day. She knew Buffy and Giles wouldn't like her decision, but it was her decision. She was the Key, not Buffy, not Giles. It was her safety. Her life. Something about the other Rangers made her think they'd be in her life for very long time. They were her Xander and Willow. And Blake…, Tori got the feeling what she felt for Blake was more than just first love. She had a feeling she and Blake would last forever. That is if he forgave her for lying to him for all this time. If she truly wanted them to be part of her life, they'd have to find out eventually.

Suddenly Tori stiffened, as she always did when she got a vision, because she was never really expecting them. Coming out of her short trance, Tori's eyes darted around the room, before she leaped out of bed. Running to her desk, she threw open all the drawers. Then she went running to her back pack, still not finding what she was looking for. She spent fifteen minutes tearing apart her room, before Buffy and Giles came in demanding to know what all the noise was about.

"I don't think we have to worry about me telling the guys." Tori said a slightly wild look in her eyes.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"Why?" Giles inquired.

"My journal is missing." Tori explained. "It had everything in it. About the battles. Especially the fight with Glory. And about me."

"Okay, calm down. Maybe it's somewhere in the house." Buffy rationalized.

"It's not." Tori said, slightly hyperventilating. "I had a vision. Jessica stole it. She made copies. They're all over the Academies by now."

"Okay, okay." Buffy said starting to panic. "Maybe they haven't been circulated around the school yet. Maybe we can head this off."

"No it's too late." Tori said running her hands through her blond hair.

Before Giles could add his reassurances the doorbell rang. Buffy and Tori rushed downstairs, and threw open the door. There stood Cam, a stack of papers in his hand. He held the papers up.

"You're the Key?!" he nearly shouted. Buffy and Tori looked at each other.

"Told you it was too late." Tori said, her eyes as wide as Buffy's.

End Chapter 4