ORDINARY WORLD - PART SIX: HANGIN' OUT

SEQUEL TO: THE REASON

SUMMARY: Days later, the teens are back in Reefside to talk about plans for the rest of winter break. And they make a discover that could cost them their future.

DISCLAIMER: Power Rangers is not mine. I just like to use the characters to create my own adventures. I never realized it could be so fun, too. I hope y'all like it so far.

A/N: This may seem a little off, but first off, I must apologize for the long wait in posting. My computer was being stupid again and I had to re-type all of my work. I really need to take that to the shop. It would be so much easier to be a computer genius like Hayley or Ethan, but I'm not. Oh well. Either way, I hope you like it. Read and reply.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"So, as we look back at the year's activities and more, what can we expect in the upcoming future? We got to be prepared for anything. As much as our service may no longer be needed as rangers, it never ends."-Eclyptyk Neo

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Two days later.

Everyone had returned to his or her normal lives, but it was clear that the teens were gonna stay in touch more with the number of friends and 'ranger family' they had made.

The teens stayed in Angel Grove for another day to hang with the rangers that had resided there-the first six generations of rangers on Earth. All had spoken of their many adventures in the city. It was a nice outing, in hopes they could have another reunion soon enough.

But they, too, had lives to get back to. They had to make sure things in Reefside wouldn't get too far out of hand. The teens were at the cyber cafe, conversing. Conner and Ethan sat at one side of the table while Kira and Trent sat on the other. And if Kira and Trent had made it official about them dating, it didn't appear like it.

"That was some wedding," Ethan said with a smile.

"No doubt," Conner nodded. "I don't think anything can really top that."

"Well, it's on my Top 10 list for "Most Memorable Moments." Shit, it was nice. I didn't think we could pull it off without any interruptions."

"Speaking of most memorable moments, can you guys believe that it is the end of the year, again?" Trent said.

"I think 2004 just went by too fast," Conner sighed.

"I think it was those monster attacks that contributed to it," Kira said.

The teens looked at the metal bracelet that held their powers as rangers on their wrists. It was apart of them they just could not get rid of. It was a scar, but like an essential part to living. They each exchanged a look, feeling the emptiness inside. They hadn't been in suit for nearly a month now, but they knew they still had the powers. They felt it inside, just the connection with their zords were gone. And that's where they felt weak.

"So, I guess we can't seem to take these things off," Trent sighed.

"I just can't believe that it's really over," Conner shook his head. "I mean, it feels like we're nothing now."

"Dr. O said that no matter what, it'll never be over for a ranger. We still gotta be prepared for anything," Kira reassured her friends, "even if it feels like it's stripped us of what we've been used to for the past year."

"At least we don't have to worry about that dino-faced freak anymore," Ethan said, but saw the uneasiness in Trent. "I mean, no offense to your dad, Trent."

"I know," Trent nodded. "I just wish I could have told you guys sooner, or at least find a cure earlier. It's really taken a lot out of him as much as he tries to hide it."

"Yeah, well, I think I'd be feeling a little dazed and sick myself if some dino-faced freak took over my mind for that long," Conner said.

"What's past has passed. I mean, I don't think we want to go through anything like that last battle again," Kira said.

"I just can't believe that our zords are gone," Ethan sighed sadly.

"Yeah, well, I still can't believe that your dad is dating our principal," Conner shook his head in disbelief looking over at Trent. "I mean, if you think about it, that's saying it's Mesogog dating Elsa."

"Conner, no," Kira shook her head, disgusted. "That's just wrong. It's not that way anymore."

"No doubt. I mean, it's weird that we can call our principal Elsa," Ethan shuddered. "I mean, everyone knows her as Principal Michelle Santos, but us. I don't know, I guess I still can't get used to it. It's like saying she has a multiple personality."

"Well, she kinda did," Conner said.

"But not anymore," Kira said. "She isn't some evil witch anymore. She's kinda cool to hang around, as sad as that may sound."

"Yeah well, at least you guys aren't completely stuck in the middle," Trent looked a little sick at the thought. "Sometimes, I come home from work to see them hanging out. I don't think any of you would like to walk in to catch your parents-or in my case, dad and his girlfriend-making out on the couch. Sometimes, I feel like I'm the parent."

"You've caught them doing that!" Conner was the first to say something.

Trent dropped his head and nodded. "Only once. They've kept it down to a minimum since then. They're a little more conservative now, but I still see the fire of love in their eyes."

"Do I see more wedding bells in our future?" Ethan raised his eyebrows with a grin.

"Whoa! Slow down. I mean, could you imagine, it would be Mesogog and Elsa getting married," Conner smiled to himself.

"That's gross, Conner! Do you want something thrown at you?" Kira glared at their leader for the crude joke. Conner shook his head and said nothing more. "Then stop making those comments."

"But, could it be a thing we may need to look out for?" Ethan looked at his friend dressed in white.

Trent could only shrug. "It's still too early to tell. But I'll keep you guys posted if anything new comes up."

"Ya know, all this talk about love and everything, what's the story with everyone here?" Conner asked.

Kira and Trent had shifted uncomfortably as they pushed their chairs farther apart. Ethan looked a little ashamed himself.

"Nothing to say?" Conner looked over at the yellow and white dino thunder rangers.

"Well, what about you?" Kira said. "Don't act like you're not stuck in some love confusion either."

"Yeah, I thought you were hanging out with the tree girl, Krista," Ethan said. "What's with all those girls at the reception?"

Conner shrugged. "Well, I am. Those girls just came up to me. It would have been rude of me to not be a gentleman and just talk to them. And it doesn't matter what's on the outside, but on the inside, right?"

The three teens exchanged a look before looking at Conner with raised eyebrows of confusion.

"Did I just hear something considerate come out of Conner's mouth?" Ethan patted his friend on the shoulder. "Oh, our little Conner is growing up."

Conner shrugged again. "Me and Krista haven't made it official, but we've gotten to know each other on a more personal basis."

"Well, that's a good thing," Trent nodded. "See? A relationship isn't too bad."

"So, what about you two?" Ethan asked his friends seated on the other side of the table.

Trent and Conner looked at each other before they turned to look at Kira. It was clear the two still had competed over who could claim her as his girlfriend, but it appeared as if Trent had won that battle. Conner still appeared slightly hurt, but he was with Krista now.

Kira looked over at Trent, who could only shrug. "We've hung out more. I wouldn't call it dating, just hanging out."

"Besides, we got other things to balance outside of a relationship," Trent said simply. "School. Scholarships. Jobs."

Conner and Ethan looked at each other and shook their heads. The other two rangers looked at them with confusion.

"Denial," the said in unison.

"Denial? Us?" Trent chuckled, not believing it. "You're kidding, right?"

Ethan nodded. "No doubt, man. I can see what's happening."

"What?" Conner asked with confusion.

"And they don't have a clue," Ethan sighed as he recalled a little familiar song from the Lion King regarding the matter on love.

"Who?" Conner looked at his friend.

"They'll fall in love and here's the bottom line. This, here, guy trio is down to two," Ethan shook his head upset.

"Well, not exactly," Conner corrected.

Ethan held up a finger, saddened. "I take that back. This guy trio is now down to one. The sweet caress-"

"Okay, you made your point, Ethan. But you still got a chance, ya know. I mean, there's still hope for you. Remember with Cassidy," Kira shot back.

Ethan sunk in his chair. He hated for anyone to bring up his brief dating fiasco with Cassidy, even now when the school knew that Cassidy and Devin had finally hooked up. "I just don't do well when it comes to dating."

"Relax, man. I'm sure we'll find someone for you," Conner reassured his friend dressed in blue with a pat on the shoulder.

"If you're thinking about Operation: Hook-Up, forget it!" Ethan shook his head, pleading. "We have yet to complete it with Adam, and I'm not getting into the mix of it."

"That's not a bad idea actually," Trent nodded exchanging an agreeing shake with Conner. "Besides, it's your senior year, Ethan. You're gonna go your entire year without having a girlfriend?"

"I kinda like it that way," Ethan defended himself. "I mean, Adam warned me of love-struck rangers."

"We're not gonna be like that, if that's what you're thinking, Ethan," Kira said. "If the job needs to get done, it will."

"Speaking of missions, or jobs, what's everyone got planned for the rest of the break?" Conner asked. "Besides Christmas."

"Nothing really," Kira shook her head.

"Ooh, that gives me a perfect idea." Ethan's eyes brightened with excitement. "Why don't we all head up to some ski lodge or resort or something? I mean, we've been in Reefside forever. I think we need a break. with no snow. It's a perfect way to end the year."

"Do you even know how to ski, Ethan?" Kira looked at him confused.

"I know a little snowboarding. But I'm serious. We should all go-the four of us, Kim, Dr. O and Hayley-or whoever. Ya know, kinda like a celebration for our grand victory over Mesogog."

Conner nodded. "Yeah, with all that's been going on with school, we just never really got a chance to celebrate. I think it's well-deserved. Besides, I wouldn't mind seeing a little snow myself."

"Actually, I could probably get us a few ski lift passes," Trent said with a nod. "I gotta friend that works at one of the resorts, over at Lake Tahoe. And the lifts are nice there."

"I don't even know how to ski or snowboard," Conner just realized as he sunk in his seat.

"It's not that bad, except the wipeouts. Those can be pretty nasty," Trent shrugged.

"You know how to snowboard?" Ethan asked.

Trent nodded. "I never told you guys this, but before me and my dad moved here to Reefside, we were living in Alaska for a few months. The research brought us up there and I learned how to snowboard with the teens there."

"Alaska? Was it freezing cold there?" Kira asked.

"Actually it wasn't too bad during the day. But at night, the temperature could drop into the negative range quick."

"So, I know it's wrong for me to be asking, but what do you think Dr. O and Kim are up to?" Ethan asked.

"Ethan, it's their honeymoon," Kira said. "I don't think that's really any of our business. Besides, we're supposed to be keeping our eyes open on the homefront."

"Nothing's happened for nearly a month now, since Mesogog was destroyed. I don't think we have too much to worry about," Conner said with his confident leadership tone.

"You never know. Something might just come in by surprise and force us back into suit," Trent said.

"Well, I'm ready if we ever need to go back into battle," Ethan nodded firmly. "I'm just a little worried about the three of you. Like I said before, love-struck rangers don't do well in battle."

"It hasn't been proven," Kira protested shaking her head.

"No, but I know how people are when they are in love. All caught up in their own world, they never realize what goes on around them," Ethan said.

The trio looked at each other before looking away, realizing the blue dino thunder ranger had a point. They had heard of some of the stories where the legendary ranger would become the shining knight for Kim, and make some pretty crazy sacrifices, if not for the entire team. He had done it when he had destroyed the DT zords. And other sacrifices would have him sent to the hospital, which gave the teens more respect for their teacher/mentor/teammate.

"But we'll play our cards right, Ethan. I mean, if the job needs to get done, than it will," Conner said.

"We already know what it's like to sacrifice our personal lives just to save the world," Kira said.

Ethan sighed and shook his head. He looked at each of his friends, and it was clear they were thinking about other things. There was a line of love dancing around in each of their eyes. He could only hope that it wouldn't get any worse.

"Hey, guys," a voice said cheerily.

The team turned to see Cassidy and Devin standing beside them, hand-in-hand. They exchanged a look since most of the time, Cassidy would never be caught talking to them even for a second. But she did in fact, change. She wasn't a stubborn, high maintenace kinda girl anymore. But it was clear that Cassidy and Devin were also caught up in the world of love.

"Um, what's up, guys," Ethan was the first to greet them. "I would have thought you'd be out of town for winter break, Cassidy. Isn't that what you did last year?"

She could only shrug. "Actually, I'm staying in the city for the break. I mean, after all those monster attacks died down, Reefside's been a little more peaceful and calm. I guess my parents didn't want to go through all the trouble to go somewhere else for Christmas."

"So, what's up?" Trent asked growing curious at their gesture.

Devin took a step back and looked away, saying nothing. Cassidy looked at each of the teens sitting down, making them squirm uneasily.

"Can we talk to you guys? In private?" she said in a low voice as she leaned closer to them.

The quad of teens looked at each other before their eyes settled on the star soccer player, their leader.

Conner looked at Cassidy, a smile came to his lips. "Um... I guess, but I don't see why we can't talk about it here?"

"Let's say it has something to do with a certain multi-colored group of warriors," Cassidy said simply.

The team exchanged a look of shock and confusion. But they had to play their cool, and they knew that. No matter what, a ranger was never supposed to reveal their identity to anyone. There were expections but they weren't sure if this was one.

Ethan let out a dry cough as he reached for his drink. Trent sunk in his seat. Conner shook his head. And Kira just felt sick to her stomach.

"We have evidence, you know," Cassidy said firmly as she pulled out a small tape used in a video camera.

The team's eyes widen with fear as they slowly got to their feet and directed the two into the back room without saying anything. Trent had directed them beyond the kitchen into a hall, dimmed where not much could be seen. The team had encased the two, making sure they wouldn't be going anywhere, and a new line of fear fell over the news reporter and camera man.

It fell silent as the rangers turned to their hunters for an explanation.

"So, you know now? How'd you find out?" Conner asked as he crossed his arms. He tried to play it cool, but it was clear he appeared slightly upset and angry.

Devin forced out a breath, pointing to the tape in Cassidy's hand. "On that. It's of your epic battle."

"Our final one?" Ethan furrowed his eyebrows.

"From the moment you guys fought Zeltrax to the destruction of those massive zords and that dino-faced freak," Cassidy said cautiously.

"How'd you find out?" Conner wanted more answers to their discovery.

"We were at the TV station when we heard screaming and followed it. We found Zeltrax with a civilian. He hid her and went out to wait for the rangers, and that's when you guys showed up. We saw you fight him, and we also saw you guys morph. That shouldn't be evident enough," Cassidy said.

"And since I had my camera with me, I videotaped everything," Devin nodded.

"So, how'd you capture our battle with the zords?" Ethan asked with much curiosity.

"We followed you guys into the woods. And we found you guys doing battle with that dino-faced freak," Cassidy confirmed.

The team exchanged a look, unsure what to make of what they were hearing. It sounded truthful enough, but could they really trust the two with their secret. They didn't know what to do, and Hayley had taken a few days to visit family. She had entrusted the watch over the cafe to Anton and Trent, now being on good grounds.

"You do realize what this will do if that tape does get out, right?" Kira asked.

Cassidy nodded slowly. And it was clear in the way she stood, that she had no heart to destroy the secret identity of the rangers. "I do. And, since that day, I've had a guilty conscience about keeping this tape."

"We both have," Devin nodded. "I mean, it's almost hard to imagine that you guys were really the power rangers."

Cassidy nodded. "I don't think it would be fair for us to take all this credit after all that you've done for us and the city."

Cassidy walked over to Conner and handed the tape over to him. Conner looked at it with some confusion. "So, you're handing over the biggest scoop of the century?"

Cassidy nodded. "I just don't think it would feel right for me to do that. Your secret is safe with me."

"And me," Devin nodded. "Besides, I don't think Dr. Oliver would be too thrilled to have cameras bombard him while he was teaching a class. Or you guys in any case."

"Wow, Cassidy has a heart," Ethan smiled. "This doesn't have anything to do with the holiday spirit, does it?"

Cassidy shook her head. "No. I'm a changed person. Devin made me realize that sometimes, being mean just never gets your way. And you guys are my friends, as much as it may surprise you. I just want to thank you for showing me the better light."

"Well, you'd better be right about this," Conner said still unsure if the news reporter was telling the truth.

Cassidy crossed her heart and nodded, holding out a hand. "It's a promise."

Conner shook it as a smile passed his lips. "Maybe you have changed Cassidy."

Devin held out his hand, following the same lead as Cassidy. It seemed the two were true to their word, and the team all joined in the promise as handshakes were made.

"So, who's gonna break it to Dr. O?" Trent asked.

"I'll do it. I mean, it's only fair since I confronted you guys about it," Cassidy said. "But I just gotta know one thing."

"What's that?" Kira asked.

"How was the wedding since I wasn't invited?" Cassidy said with a bright smile.

The team looked at each other and chuckled. They directed the two back out to the front, telling the story of the passed few days.

to be continued...

A/N: I figured I had to do something about that, since it was pulled into the last episode of the series. But of course, this all right here is brought to you by the wonderful world of AU-ever since the beginning of my series began. So, Cassidy and Devin know the truth of the Power Rangers, and had handed over all evidence to their identity. But does it mean that they really are telling the truth? We'll just have to see how that all goes down in the future. Later dayz. See you next chapter and May the Powers Always Protect You. Anything is possible in the world of imagination.