Blake stood stiff against the wall. The naked image of Tori was still
fresh in his mind. Her perfect skin glistening with water... He snapped back
to reality and shook his head.
'I have to get out of here,' he said to himself. Without a second thought he ran downstairs and grabbed his bag.
Dustin and Hunter were sitting around the kitchen table when they saw Blake race down the stairs. "Dude, what's going on?" Dustin asked.
"I, uh, I think I'm going to go home and get changed...ya know...work and stuff. Kelly doesn't like a messy staff," Blake stuttered. He ran out the door just as Shane emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel.
"Dude, Kelly said we had the day off today," Dustin said. Hunter was about to respond when Shane cut in.
"Hey guys," he said.
"Hey, bro. Just came from the track," Hunter said. "We're totally wiped out."
"I hear that. Tor and I just went for a run."
"Where is she anyway?" Dustin asked.
"Upstairs taking a shower. She should be out in a minute, I thought I heard the shower turn off a little while ago," Shane said as he retreated to his room.
Dustin and Hunter sat there with stunned looks on their faces. It slowly began to come to them...Tori was upstairs taking a shower...Blake went up to get washed up...Blake ran out nervously...
'Oh my God,' Tori said as she stood in the shower with her towel wrapped protectively around her. She came to grips with what had just happened. It had only last for a moment, but Blake had in fact seen her...all of her.
Nervously, she stepped out of the tub and walked over to the door. Making sure it was locked, she began to get dressed in her spare clothes. How could she face him?
"Damn it," Tori muttered under her breath. "Why don't I ever think to lock the door?" She brushed her hair straight and knew that she had to get out before the others found out. 'What the hell was he doing here anyway?' she thought as she gathered her things and headed downstairs.
Shane by now was out and on the phone with Cam, while Hunter and Dustin waited for Tori to emerge from upstairs.
She stopped short when she saw the looks she was getting from Dustin and Hunter. Shane hung up. "Hey, Cam's going to need a lot of help...Ops is completely trashed."
The look Dustin and Hunter were giving Tori sobered to sadness when they recalled the state of their base. Tori let out a deep breath. "Well then I think we should get over there and help." Without another word she made her quick exit and waited for the others to join her.
She had to get her mind off this...and find a way to talk to him without blushing...
Shane, Dustin, and Hunter all followed after her. "What's up with her?" Shane asked.
Dustin and Hunter just shrugged and they all walked out after her.
At Ops, Cam was trying to pick up the small pieces of debris that he could find. It was Saturday, and the academy was virtually deserted. "Do you need any help Cameron?" Sensei asked as he came in from the secret entrance.
Cam threw a piece of the wall over into a pile. "Thanks dad, but the others should be getting here shortly." As if on cue, Shane, Dustin, Tori, and Hunter came down the stairs equipped with trash bags and a few plastic tubs.
Everyone's faces paled when they stumbled over the rubble that covered the once flawless floor.
"Thanks for coming guys," Cam said. Tori walked over to him and put an arm around his shoulder.
"We're a family Cam...this is our home," she said smiling. Her mind was on one thing- restoring the place where she embraced her destiny and learned several lessons in life.
"Yeah, man. We're all here to help," Hunter added. Sensei smiled. He knew he should leave this to them...but he noticed that someone was missing.
"Were is Blake? He should be here as well, don't you think?" Sensei asked.
Tori backed away from Cam and began to shove things into her garbage bag. Dustin and Hunter gave each other a leery glance.
Hunter cleared his throat. "I dunno. He said he had to go home and change. He got pretty roughed up at the track." At that Tori grew concerned.
"Is he alright?" she asked.
"I'm fine."
They all turned to see Blake, dirt free, come down the stairs. "I, uh, decided to get changed and then headed back over to Dustin's. You guys weren't there so I figured you'd be here," he said. The entire time he spoke, he tried to avert his eyes from Tori.
Tori watched as he fidgeted nervously while he spoke. When he was finished, she threw him a bag and continued her work silently. Blake caught it and didn't say anything as he picked up the small pieces of wires and tiles.
Sensei excused himself as he sensed tension in the air. The others too noticed the vibes coming from their teammates. "Alright, hold on," Shane said. Both Tori and Blake stopped and faced him and the others. "What's going on here?"
Tori shot a look over to Blake who looked back down to the ground.
"Dude, what the hell is going on with you two?" Shane asked again.
There was a long pause as both blue rangers hung their heads. Neither one of them wanted to talk about it...
"I, sort of, walked in on her...in the shower," Blake got out.
Dustin and Hunter's eyes all went wide, while Shane tried to suppress a laugh. Cam just stood there dumbfounded before he took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes.
Finally Shane couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. That set Hunter and Dustin off, which then caused Cam to laugh. Tori threw her bag down and ran out, hitting all four guys in the process.
"I find nothing funny about this," Blake said. "I have to talk to her," he said as he ran out after her.
Tori reached the lake behind the academy and ran out onto it. Closing her eyes in deep concentration, she just stood there, absorbed in her own thoughts.
She was more embarrassed than anything. The thought of Blake seeing her was shocking, but maybe it wasn't all that bad. The thought had crossed her mind a few times about the two of them seeing each other...but she quickly placed those thoughts out of her head.
He didn't mean it- she knew that. And she also knew that he would never do anything to hurt her intentionally. She stayed on the water while she contemplated her next move.
Blake ran out and knew where to go. He ran to the back and he found her standing on the water, perfectly in tune with her element. Careful not to break her concentration, he concentrated his powers and created an aura of light around him.
Tori sensed someone behind her and turned to see Blake concentrating. She made her way back to him and stepped off the lake to face him. They were silent for a moment before Tori spoke.
"Thanks, for, um, not breaking my concentration...I already had one shower today," she said, instantly regretting it.
"Yeah, I know," he replied. At that Tori blushed three shades of red. "Look Tor, I never meant to-"
Tori stopped him by placing her hand on his arm. "I know. I shouldn't have left the door unlocked," she said.
Blake smiled and placed his other hand over hers. "Am I forgiven then?" he asked. Tori couldn't turn down his smile.
"Yeah. Just don't EVER do it again," she said. Blake agreed and squeezed her hand.
"We should probably get back," he said. Tori agreed, but she really didn't want to go. She wanted to spend more time with him. They began walking back to ops where they found the guys trying to lift one of the pillars back to its rightful position.
They jumped in immediately and soon the pillar was set back in place. Shane, Hunter, Cam, and Dustin couldn't help but notice how Blake and Tori were getting along again, and they all smiled.
The rest of the day was spent cleaning up as best they could. None of them spoke about what had happened, and soon all of the debris was gone. The wall panels, the table, and the super computer would take months to fix properly.
They were clearing out the last of it when Blake stumbled across the picture of Cam, Sensei, and Miko when Cam was a baby. The frame was broken, but the photo was intact. Cam came over and Blake handed him the picture.
"Thanks," he said wistfully. Blake knew all too well what Cam was going through.
"You miss her?" Blake asked gently.
"Yeah...what I remember of her anyway," Cam said smiling. Tori walked over and placed a hand on Cam's shoulder.
"It's okay Cam. At least you still have your dad," she said sadly. Cam nodded his head and walked back over to the bookshelf where he tried to salvage the remaining scrolls.
Blake heard the tone in her voice. "Tor? You alright?"
Tori turned to him with watery eyes. "Yeah...I just miss my dad sometimes."
Blake's face was in shock for a moment before he decided to continue. "What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"
The other guys had left by now with the garbage, and Cam followed them soon after. "He died a couple of years ago...heart attack." Blake placed his hand over hers.
"I'm so sorry," he said. Tori squeezed his hand.
"Me too." They walked out of Ops, not realizing their hands were still joined.
'I have to get out of here,' he said to himself. Without a second thought he ran downstairs and grabbed his bag.
Dustin and Hunter were sitting around the kitchen table when they saw Blake race down the stairs. "Dude, what's going on?" Dustin asked.
"I, uh, I think I'm going to go home and get changed...ya know...work and stuff. Kelly doesn't like a messy staff," Blake stuttered. He ran out the door just as Shane emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel.
"Dude, Kelly said we had the day off today," Dustin said. Hunter was about to respond when Shane cut in.
"Hey guys," he said.
"Hey, bro. Just came from the track," Hunter said. "We're totally wiped out."
"I hear that. Tor and I just went for a run."
"Where is she anyway?" Dustin asked.
"Upstairs taking a shower. She should be out in a minute, I thought I heard the shower turn off a little while ago," Shane said as he retreated to his room.
Dustin and Hunter sat there with stunned looks on their faces. It slowly began to come to them...Tori was upstairs taking a shower...Blake went up to get washed up...Blake ran out nervously...
'Oh my God,' Tori said as she stood in the shower with her towel wrapped protectively around her. She came to grips with what had just happened. It had only last for a moment, but Blake had in fact seen her...all of her.
Nervously, she stepped out of the tub and walked over to the door. Making sure it was locked, she began to get dressed in her spare clothes. How could she face him?
"Damn it," Tori muttered under her breath. "Why don't I ever think to lock the door?" She brushed her hair straight and knew that she had to get out before the others found out. 'What the hell was he doing here anyway?' she thought as she gathered her things and headed downstairs.
Shane by now was out and on the phone with Cam, while Hunter and Dustin waited for Tori to emerge from upstairs.
She stopped short when she saw the looks she was getting from Dustin and Hunter. Shane hung up. "Hey, Cam's going to need a lot of help...Ops is completely trashed."
The look Dustin and Hunter were giving Tori sobered to sadness when they recalled the state of their base. Tori let out a deep breath. "Well then I think we should get over there and help." Without another word she made her quick exit and waited for the others to join her.
She had to get her mind off this...and find a way to talk to him without blushing...
Shane, Dustin, and Hunter all followed after her. "What's up with her?" Shane asked.
Dustin and Hunter just shrugged and they all walked out after her.
At Ops, Cam was trying to pick up the small pieces of debris that he could find. It was Saturday, and the academy was virtually deserted. "Do you need any help Cameron?" Sensei asked as he came in from the secret entrance.
Cam threw a piece of the wall over into a pile. "Thanks dad, but the others should be getting here shortly." As if on cue, Shane, Dustin, Tori, and Hunter came down the stairs equipped with trash bags and a few plastic tubs.
Everyone's faces paled when they stumbled over the rubble that covered the once flawless floor.
"Thanks for coming guys," Cam said. Tori walked over to him and put an arm around his shoulder.
"We're a family Cam...this is our home," she said smiling. Her mind was on one thing- restoring the place where she embraced her destiny and learned several lessons in life.
"Yeah, man. We're all here to help," Hunter added. Sensei smiled. He knew he should leave this to them...but he noticed that someone was missing.
"Were is Blake? He should be here as well, don't you think?" Sensei asked.
Tori backed away from Cam and began to shove things into her garbage bag. Dustin and Hunter gave each other a leery glance.
Hunter cleared his throat. "I dunno. He said he had to go home and change. He got pretty roughed up at the track." At that Tori grew concerned.
"Is he alright?" she asked.
"I'm fine."
They all turned to see Blake, dirt free, come down the stairs. "I, uh, decided to get changed and then headed back over to Dustin's. You guys weren't there so I figured you'd be here," he said. The entire time he spoke, he tried to avert his eyes from Tori.
Tori watched as he fidgeted nervously while he spoke. When he was finished, she threw him a bag and continued her work silently. Blake caught it and didn't say anything as he picked up the small pieces of wires and tiles.
Sensei excused himself as he sensed tension in the air. The others too noticed the vibes coming from their teammates. "Alright, hold on," Shane said. Both Tori and Blake stopped and faced him and the others. "What's going on here?"
Tori shot a look over to Blake who looked back down to the ground.
"Dude, what the hell is going on with you two?" Shane asked again.
There was a long pause as both blue rangers hung their heads. Neither one of them wanted to talk about it...
"I, sort of, walked in on her...in the shower," Blake got out.
Dustin and Hunter's eyes all went wide, while Shane tried to suppress a laugh. Cam just stood there dumbfounded before he took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes.
Finally Shane couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. That set Hunter and Dustin off, which then caused Cam to laugh. Tori threw her bag down and ran out, hitting all four guys in the process.
"I find nothing funny about this," Blake said. "I have to talk to her," he said as he ran out after her.
Tori reached the lake behind the academy and ran out onto it. Closing her eyes in deep concentration, she just stood there, absorbed in her own thoughts.
She was more embarrassed than anything. The thought of Blake seeing her was shocking, but maybe it wasn't all that bad. The thought had crossed her mind a few times about the two of them seeing each other...but she quickly placed those thoughts out of her head.
He didn't mean it- she knew that. And she also knew that he would never do anything to hurt her intentionally. She stayed on the water while she contemplated her next move.
Blake ran out and knew where to go. He ran to the back and he found her standing on the water, perfectly in tune with her element. Careful not to break her concentration, he concentrated his powers and created an aura of light around him.
Tori sensed someone behind her and turned to see Blake concentrating. She made her way back to him and stepped off the lake to face him. They were silent for a moment before Tori spoke.
"Thanks, for, um, not breaking my concentration...I already had one shower today," she said, instantly regretting it.
"Yeah, I know," he replied. At that Tori blushed three shades of red. "Look Tor, I never meant to-"
Tori stopped him by placing her hand on his arm. "I know. I shouldn't have left the door unlocked," she said.
Blake smiled and placed his other hand over hers. "Am I forgiven then?" he asked. Tori couldn't turn down his smile.
"Yeah. Just don't EVER do it again," she said. Blake agreed and squeezed her hand.
"We should probably get back," he said. Tori agreed, but she really didn't want to go. She wanted to spend more time with him. They began walking back to ops where they found the guys trying to lift one of the pillars back to its rightful position.
They jumped in immediately and soon the pillar was set back in place. Shane, Hunter, Cam, and Dustin couldn't help but notice how Blake and Tori were getting along again, and they all smiled.
The rest of the day was spent cleaning up as best they could. None of them spoke about what had happened, and soon all of the debris was gone. The wall panels, the table, and the super computer would take months to fix properly.
They were clearing out the last of it when Blake stumbled across the picture of Cam, Sensei, and Miko when Cam was a baby. The frame was broken, but the photo was intact. Cam came over and Blake handed him the picture.
"Thanks," he said wistfully. Blake knew all too well what Cam was going through.
"You miss her?" Blake asked gently.
"Yeah...what I remember of her anyway," Cam said smiling. Tori walked over and placed a hand on Cam's shoulder.
"It's okay Cam. At least you still have your dad," she said sadly. Cam nodded his head and walked back over to the bookshelf where he tried to salvage the remaining scrolls.
Blake heard the tone in her voice. "Tor? You alright?"
Tori turned to him with watery eyes. "Yeah...I just miss my dad sometimes."
Blake's face was in shock for a moment before he decided to continue. "What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"
The other guys had left by now with the garbage, and Cam followed them soon after. "He died a couple of years ago...heart attack." Blake placed his hand over hers.
"I'm so sorry," he said. Tori squeezed his hand.
"Me too." They walked out of Ops, not realizing their hands were still joined.