AN: I am ever so sorry for the sudden disappearance. I had to go home and visit family. It was killer without my PC. But I'm back and hopefully I'll get this done soon. Sorry again!

Make Me or Break Me

"What do you mean you can't find him. You said you had him a minute ago." Blake said, looking over Cam's shoulder back at Ninja Ops. It had been almost two days since Hunter disappeared and now everyone was worried. Tori had been talking to Kelly and found out that Hunter had left her a note telling her he wouldn't be working for a while. Kelly hadn't been too pleased but when she found out that Hunter had just taken off without mentioning anything to Blake or Dustin, she too had become more concerned than angry.

"It's strange. Every now and then I get a lock on his position and then it just vanishes." Cam frowned. "I'll keep trying, there must be some way to get round it." Cam continued to type, not needing Blake to tell him to keep trying, Hunter was part of the team, and if he wasn't there the least they could do was know where he was.

"It's my fault." Dustin muttered, collapsing on the sofa. "I told him he should think about it. I practically told him to leave!" Dustin almost yelled. Tori sat down beside Dustin, wrapping an arm around his shoulder.

"It's not your fault. Hunter probably just needed some time to think. He'll be back, don't worry." Tori knew that to Dustin her words didn't sound as hopeful as she could be. The fact remained that it was very unlike Hunter to take off without someone knowing where he was.

"I got him!" Cam stated. "He's back at the Thunder Academy. That's why it was so hard to lock in on him. The mystical portals surrounding the area interfered with my systems." Dustin walked over to where Blake stood.

"Can other Ninja students get in there?" Blake shook his head.

"No," a small smile played over his lips, "but you're not a student." Dustin brightened slightly. "It must've slipped Hunter's mind. After all he is a blond." Tori cleared her throat, standing with her hands on her hips. Blake blanched. "Not that I mean anything to other blondes, or to you it's just that…Hunter has these moments when he just…" Dustin clapped a hand on Blake's shoulder.

"You should stop before you dig your own grave, dude." Dustin said, finally smiling again. "Okay, I'm going up to the Thunder Academy. And I'm not leaving till Hunter comes back with me so…I might be gone a little while." Tori smiled at Dustin.

"Don't worry about it, we'll handle things here without a problem," she turned to Blake, "I'm sure we'll find someone to take over your classes." There was a smug look on Tori's face that made Dustin glad that she was on his side right now. But he couldn't help feel a little bit of sympathy towards Blake. Dustin took a breath before walking towards the exit to Ninja Ops, stopping only when Shane came bounding down them.

"Dustin, can I talk to you?" Dustin looked at his watch.

"I'm kinda in a rush, can't it wait?" Shane looked at the other three present in the room before glancing back at Dustin.

"It's about what happened between Hunter and me." Dustin's face dropped but the brunet nodded his head, following Shane out to the secret entrance.

-

Shane picked up a stone and threw it towards the water, watching the ripples for a moment before turning to the expectant Dustin.

"He lied to you." Shane said quickly. "About what happened when you walked in on us."

"You mean it wasn't just one kiss?" Dustin asked, his voice almost breaking with his insecurity.

"No, it was just one kiss but it wasn't him." Shane sighed, not really sure about how he should put this. "Listen, you and I have been friends for years right?"

"Yeah, since the start of High School." Dustin agreed, sitting on a broken log watching Shane. He was beginning to worry about where this was all going. "Shane, what are you trying to tell me?"

"You remember just after Blake and Hunter joined the team, when that stupid boxing kangaroo thing showed up?" Shane asked, turning away from Dustin again. "Well, the reason that I started the whole leader issue with Hunter was because I was worried about feelings that I was having." Shane told Dustin. He felt the presence from behind him move, and Dustin came to stand beside him.

"You kissed Hunter?" Shane just nodded at Dustin's question. "Do you…?" Shane held up a hand to stop Dustin.

"Hunter and I both know that there was nothing there. It was nothing." Shane sighed, looking at the ground. "Ever since Hunter took off I've been thinking that it was my fault. That him covering up for me was what caused him to leave. I didn't want to be the reason you were mad at him." Shane had been feeling guilty for more than a few days. Since the weekend away Shane had been suffering from a nagging in his stomach. Dustin had seemed pretty distant during the small weekend away, and then when Hunter hadn't shown up at all there was the feeling that Shane had royally screwed up his friends' life.

"Hunter was insecure," Dustin said, "he was feeling a little weird about our relationship and…I said a few things that might have furthered that. Basically I almost just came out and told him to leave." Dustin admitted. "I guess it's true that you don't know what you've got till you lose it."

Shane smiled weakly, "Go, find him and drag him back." Dustin smiled at Shane, nodding a little.

"I'll call if I need help." The younger ranger said before leaving. Shane sighed; watching as Dustin ran through the woods before the streak appeared above the trees.

-

Hunter lay out on the grass. He had just spent the entire day doing one of the hardest training sessions he had ever done. All because he wanted to get Dustin out of his head. Even after the eight mile run, the three hour sparring and the four hours further ninja training, it hadn't worked. When he had been running he remembered Dustin, how the wind ranger had always been complaining about the run and then usually finished before anyone else, for the sole reason that he was hungry. When he had been sparring he kept thinking about Dustin, and how much better a sparring partner he was. Nothing seemed to work. Everything that Hunter did just kept reminding him about the person he had left in Blue Bay Harbour.

'I just hoped that he had left and didn't come back. I did that last night, thinking that it could be Hunter.'

Dustin's voice filled his head and Hunter had to force the heel of his hands into his eyes. The thought of Dustin was killing him, but he'd rather not see the brunet right then, not after what he heard.
"Hunter, are you intending on staying out here all night?" Sensei Omino called, standing a few feet away. Hunter sat up and looked at his surrogate father figure.

"No," Hunter sighed, "I'll be in shortly." Sensei visibly sighed, shaking his head before walking back towards the Academy building. Hunter stood again, looking around the area. He could probably fit in another quick run. Hunter headed towards the forest area, intending to run for another hour; maybe he could clear his head later. Right now he just needed the adrenaline rush.

-

Dustin walked slowly to the Academy entrance, Blake had warned him that there would be questions, but informed him best on how to handle said questions without having to answer anything. Sure enough when his foot crossed over to the Thunder Academy soil there were ninjas all around him.

"HALT!" Dustin didn't move another inch, a tall man in a long robe similar to the one Sensei Watanabe wore approached him.

"What do you want here, Wind Ninja?" He asked, in a slightly more than harsh voice.

"I need to speak with Hunter Bradley." Dustin said, remembering to meet the male's eyes.

"You are the Yellow Wind Ninja?" Dustin nodded.

"I fought with Hunter against Lothor. I need to speak with him, Blake said he would come here." At the mention of the other Bradley brother the male Dustin gathered to be Sensei Omino of the Thunder Academy inclined his head, waving his hand to tell the other ninjas to step back.

"I saw you at the graduation of Hunter and Blake Bradley, why do you seek Hunter?" Dustin was about to answer when a voice interrupted him.

"Dustin?" Everyone cast their eyes to the left, where a slightly tired looking Hunter wandered slowly towards them. A small smile was on his lips and Dustin returned it sheepishly. "Sensei?" Hunter looked at his Sensei when he stopped behind a few of the Thunder ninjas.

The elder ninja rolled his eyes, muttering something about teens and their privacy before turning and walking away. Slowly the gathered ninjas stood down. That was when Dustin noticed how many there were, and that none of them had colours. It confused him, but he didn't want to ask about it yet. He needed to discuss more important things with Hunter.

"Why'd you go?" He spurted out, not waiting for the awkward hellos.

"Wasn't that what you wanted?" Hunter asked, turning away from Dustin and walking back the way he had come. Dustin followed him, knowing that he had to get what he came to say out.

"No. It was never what I wanted." Dustin looked at the ground. "I know I've been weird, and I haven't really given you any space. I just kinda expected you to be able to handle it. I never really thought it would be weird for you." Dustin said.

"It wasn't weird." Hunter whispered. "It was more…I felt like that was it. That it was right and that I…" Once again Hunter trailed off, not finishing what he was saying and just biting his bottom lip.

"Shane told me the truth. That you were just covering up for him and that there was nothing behind the kiss. Why did you tell me it was you?" Hunter shrugged at Dustin's question.

"It was half the truth. I found out that Shane…liked me, and I guess I kinda started questioning things but…I don't know. I never really got the answer I wanted. Or any answer." The blond sat on the grass, watching the sky as the almost pink clouds moved over head.

"Hunter, I know that things will never be the same between us, and I'm sorry I caused that but…"

"You never caused it." Hunter interjected. "It was more me than you. Commitment isn't a strong suit of mine. And when I started to…when I started to feel like you were…that I could really be happy to just be with you, I freaked. I don't know why but…" Hunter sighed trailing off before looking over to meet Dustin's gaze for the first time. He had missed getting lost in those chocolate eyes, letting the warmth of Dustin's eyes wash over him. "When I heard you talking with Blake the night before you all left, I guess the mad part of my mind figured it for a way out."

"I didn't mean it. I was mad that you weren't coming with us. I wasn't even thinking straight. I'm sorry." Dustin said, managing a weak smile at the Thunder ninja. Hunter smiled back, not really smiling but more that just a smirk. "The guys are really worried about you, Blake nearly went off his head." Hunter laughed, envisioning his little brother in a frenzy. "Would you come back? I mean, you know, with me." Dustin looked at the grass, picking at a few strands; Hunter noticed a faint blush over his cheeks.

It wasn't that Hunter didn't want to go back to Blue Bay Harbour, that was the only place besides the Thunder Academy where he felt he belonged. It wasn't that he didn't want to be with Dustin, he had missed the goofy male in the past two or three days, being with Dustin was fun, hanging out and goofing around, that was what they did. But it was the part of him that was scared of going back with Dustin, or settling down in a relationship and getting things to become far too normal and routine. When Lothor was around their lives were anything but ordinary. Even now, his life was still what people would call strange. If not for his childhood then because of his relationship choices.

Hunter looked over at Dustin; he was still playing the grass, digging until he found some mud. There was apparently a reason why he had become the Earth ranger. He looked like a small child doing that, he looked younger than he was, and he looked far too innocent for his own good. It reminded Hunter of why he had been drawn to the trusting brunet. Sighing, Hunter smiled slightly, recalling the night that Dustin had finally made the first move. Hunter would never admit it, but when it came to telling Dustin he was attracted to him, or telling Dustin he had feelings for him, he got too nervous.

"Yeah." Hunter answered finally. "I'll come back with you." He said, trying not to make it sound like a hardship. He didn't want Dustin to think he was only doing it because he was being made to.
"You don't need to. You know, if you don't want to." Dustin sounded dejected, as if his word was falling to pieces because of Hunter. The blond couldn't take it. He placed a hand on Dustin's shoulder, the first time he had initiated contact for four days.

"I want to come back." He got Dustin to raise his head, their eyes meeting. "I want to come back with you." A small smile played over Dustin's lips and Hunter laughed, realising how much he had missed the younger male.

-

AN: Okay, next up we will have a very serious discussion about…falling in love. AWE!

By the way, they aren't mine.