Disclaimer: I don't own anything, all characters etc are owned by Saban and Disney.
Author Note: As well as Merrick/Shayla, I also adore Taylor/Eric and Cole/Alyssa so there will be shades of that in this story too! Wow the responses to this story have been totally overwhelming! Mega thanks to all the wonderful Merrick/Shayla fans who have blessed me with their kind words, there are individual messages for all who reviewed my first chapter at the end of this chapter. Enjoy!
CENTRE OF INTRIGUE
"You can tell by the way they look at each other," commented Taylor as she stacked the dirty breakfast dishes next to the sink.
"I think it's more obvious than that," giggled Alyssa. "She gets in these dreamy moods when you know she's thinking of him and he tries to ignore her when he's with us but he can't."
"Can you please stop talking about this?" pleaded Max.
"No!" both the female Rangers chimed in before collapsing into collective laughter.
"Everything sounds happy here," observed Cole as he climbed the temple steps.
"It is, how was Red Lion?" asked Alyssa.
"Good, he says the other Zords are ok too. Fully recovered from the last battle," reported Cole. "What's going on here?"
"The girls are going on about the Princess and Merrick again," complained Max. "Even Taylor's gone all…..girly!"
"I have not!" protested Taylor angrily
"Anyway it's getting really dull," continued Max as though Taylor hadn't spoken.
"You won't think that when you're in love Max," challenged Taylor still glowering at him.
"You two are still going on about that? I though you'd gone over everything already," laughed Cole, slipping his arms around Alyssa in a playful affectionate embrace.
"Who says we can't say stuff we've said already?" joked Alyssa.
"About what?" a new voice enquired.
The Rangers turned to find Princess Shayla smiling at them from the Temple entrance. She'd set off for a walk around the Animarium while the Rangers finished their breakfast and the scene that now greeted her was fairly typical of a morning on the Animarium. Taylor was washing the dishes - it was her turn according to the neat chore schedule she'd composed and stuck up. Danny and Max were sat side by side at the table; Danny was tending to a delicate potted plant while Max was slumped in overdramatic overexcited boredom. Cole stood at the head of the table, arms wrapped around a smiling Alyssa. There was a happy shine to the couple's faces which made the Princess smile. Each unique, they were her Rangers and she loved them all dearly like children and friends. Rangers who now had suspiciously guilty looks on their faces which they were attempting valiantly to hide.
"Rangers? What's wrong?" the Princess asked again, aware of the awkward silence that was developing as the Rangers looked uncertainly at each other.
"Nothing Princess," Alyssa jumped in quickly. "We were just getting ready to leave weren't we?"
"Yeah that's right, I'm off to work," Taylor added, wiping her hands dry. "Coming Max?"
"Sure am," Max managed, the effort to keep the prior conversation secret making his eyes bulge. "See you later guys."
"Max, where are you going?" the Princess asked puzzled.
Max turned from where he was walking towards the archway, looking guilty again.
"Just around. I promised Don a frame or two of bowling," the Blue Ranger answered. "Taylor's giving me a ride."
"I'm gonna go see Eric after work, you want me to invite him and Wes up here for the evening?" Taylor asked as she retrieved her purse and Wild Force vest from under the counter.
"Sure, I'll make some extra food," chirped Alyssa cheerfully. "It's their turn to come up here anyway."
"Ok will do."
With a wave, Taylor and Max disappeared through the stone archway that served as the portal to the world below. Alyssa hugged Cole tightly before releasing him.
"I've got classes soon, I should get down there too," she said. "Meet me in a couple of hours at the library and we can try to find out more about your parents on the computers. I'm going to that place I told you about first ok?"
"Sure, I want to head to the cemetery before to talk to them anyway," Cole replied enthusiastically.
Cole pressed a chaste kiss to Alyssa's temple, causing her to smile delightedly. She turned to the table, picking up her backpack.
"You coming Danny?" she asked.
"Yeah I want to give this to Kendall," he replied, holding up the plant. "Do you think she'll like it?"
"She'll love it," reassured Alyssa. "Right guys?"
Cole and Princess Shayla nodded. Danny cradled the plant close to him as he walked down the steps.
"See you later, Princess," called Alyssa as she followed Danny towards the archway. "Cole, there's eggs on the stove for your breakfast."
Princess Shayla waved as they disappeared, a tiny frown puckering her face. Something was wrong. It showed in the Rangers' rapid collective exit. Only Cole, trying to successfully sandwich the remaining scrambled egg between some bread, was left. The Princess was confused. The Rangers rarely hid things from her - they were an honest loving family and it hurt that they would close her out in such a way.
"Cole, what were you all talking about when I entered the temple?" she asked the Red Ranger.
"Um….what we were gonna do today," managed Cole through a mouthful of scrambled egg.
"Please don't lie to me Cole," begged Shayla quietly.
Cole swallowed and set the sandwich down on the table. He could feel Shayla's hurt and confusion. It made him feel bad. He and the other Rangers had decided as soon as they saw the effect Merrick had on the Princess to not talk to her about him since it seemed to make her so sad. Now by hiding it from her, they were hurting her anyway.
"I'm sorry Princess, we were talking about things I guess we shouldn't have been," he admitted. "We were talking about you and Merrick."
To his surprise, Princess Shayla smiled. Her relief seemed enormous.
"How strange, he's been in my thoughts too," she said softly. "I was thinking about him as I walked."
"What were you thinking?"
The Princess looked at Cole for a second, unsure of how much to share. It was true that out of the Rangers, she was closest to Taylor as the Yellow Ranger was her first recruit but Cole's life prior to being a Ranger, so different to the others, gave him a different understanding of the world. The way he could feel people's hearts and could talk so easily to the Zords made her think achingly of Animaria. He was so instinctive and trusting. There was something inherently comfortable about Cole and his enthusiastic sincere manner. Reassured, the Princess continued.
"I was thinking about the relationship we have now and the one we had in Animaria,"
"Relationship? You mean you two were actually together all that time ago?"
"Yes we were. We were in love. Things are harder now which is strange since society is so liberated," Princess Shayla mused. "Merrick won't allow us to have a relationship as we once did."
"Why not?"
"He says we have different destinies - I am the Wild Zords' Keeper and he is my Protector," she answered, her flat tone indicating that she'd heard the argument before many times. "On Animaria royalty was not allowed to mix in such an intimate way with servants, no matter that he was a brave strong warrior. The vow he took as my Protector forbade him from being anything more. There were strict codes of conduct he vowed to adhere to."
"But it's not that way anymore. I mean you're still the Princess but Animaria's gone."
"It's that fact I think that prevents Merrick from visiting here as often as he could," sighed Shayla wistfully. "Animaria is no longer here but he is and he is determined not to break his vow again. Not with another chance at redemption."
"But you love him Princess; can't you tell him the way he's behaving isn't right?"
"I am not his Keeper Cole; he has to make his own decision about it."
But the wistful tone in Princess Shayla's voice and faraway look her eyes took on told Cole that the Princess wished more than anything she could change her Protector's stubborn mind.
To be continued……….
AUTHOR SHOUT-OUTS
Jenny: Thanks for your kind words! Merrick/Shayla is my favorite pairing of all PR couplings as it was (as you pointed out) a fairytale romance which I just adore! I'm glad you can visualize what I write and I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!
Jean: Thanks for your short (but muchly appreciated) review. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!
Antarctic Wolf: Wow thanks for the mega compliments! I adore Merrick/Shayla as a pairing and wanted to provide for all the other fans of the pairing out there which I really hope I do!
Aria Fox: I totally agree with you! I really wanted the Princess and Merrick to get together at the end too but I guess the writers didn't, grrrrrr! Thanks for reading and reviewing, I hope you enjoyed this chapter too.
White Time Ranger: Hey there girl! Thanks for your confidence boosting comments; it's always great to get a review from you! 'The Quantum Keeper' will be updated sporadically soon; Eric is a very difficult muse! Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Sebi: blushes wow thanks; I guess this story really struck something with people. I'm so thrilled you enjoyed my writing, it was very hard to get right since Merrick and Shayla are both such old-fashioned characters. Hope you enjoyed this chapter too!
Selene: Thanks for the wonderful compliments and I hope that you continue to enjoy what I write in this story. It will only be about five or so chapters long though!
Akg: I agree, the lack of Merrick fiction is just terrible! Actually the lack of Wild Force fiction is terrible too but I am here to set it right with my own small contribution. Thanks for reading and reviewing and I hope that you continue to enjoy my work!