Author's note: So this is the first of the 'Just for Fun' entries. This really has no relevance to the ongoing plot, so feel free to skip it if you want to.

Hey, Jenny, thanks for your reviews. No, Connor and Tara are not going out. Connor and Dawn…it's not specified, but they could be.

Curioser and curioser

1: Our eyes meet across a crowded…Mall forecourt

"Hey. Cam? Dude, you still with us?" Dustin snapped his fingers in front of Cam's face, getting an annoyed glare for his troubles. "What?"

"I know her." Cam jerked his chin towards a girl on the other side of the courtyard.

The Rangers were currently taking a well-earned break from everything, taking time between attacks and work to sit in the mall courtyard. Tori had tried to entice them inside, to the actual shops, but had been overruled and was now sitting quite happily with them.

"That one?" Dustin pointed, earning him pokes from both sides. "Ow! Guys, you have got to cut that out."

"We're trying to be discreet, Dustin." Tori told him.

"That's her." Cam was paying little or no attention to the conversation.

"Who is she?" Hunter asked, watching the girl…who looked a little younger than them…cross the courtyard and vanish from sight.

"She…" Cam shook his head. "Just someone I know."

"She's hot." Blake commented.

"Get your mind out of the gutter." Cam said absently. "She's too young for you."

"Why, how old is she?"

An odd look crossed Cam's face and was gone before they could identify it. "Younger."

"Do you want to go after her?" Tori asked.

"No. She'll find me if she's looking."

"If you wanna go, man…" Shane let the sentence trail off. Cam shook his head again.

"No. I'll catch her later." Making an obvious effort to change the subject, he asked Blake about the race that weekend, and the conversation drifted on.

"So why did she bother you?"

Cam froze at the computer. "Didn't hear you come in."

"Why'd she bother you?" Hunter wasn't going to let Cam side-track him.

"She doesn't bother me. I just hadn't seen her in a while."

"Who is she?"

"She…it's complicated, Hunter, and I'm busy."

A soft laugh from behind startled them both, and Hunter spun into stance, automatically protecting Cam. "That's an oldie but a goodie, Cam. How many times did you use that on me?"

"Did it ever work?" Cam returned.

"Good forward planning, though." The girl removed her hand from the sensor. "Adding my DNA. Which, how do you have my DNA?"

"Wasn't hard. You are one-of-a-kind, after all."

"There's that. Is your Ranger broken? He hasn't moved."

"Cam…" Hunter said warningly.

"It's OK, she's allowed in." To her, he added, "I wasn't ever actually expecting her to come back, but…" to Hunter, "She used to come to the Wind Ninja Academy."

"You're a Ninja?" Hunter asked her, relaxing.

"God no. Wouldn't get me into one of those places. Too much else to do." She wandered around the room, coming generally towards the computer but stopping to examine the various trappings on the walls.

"You're not a Ninja."

"Quick on the uptake, isn't he?" she remarked to Cam. Before Hunter could answer, she added, "I like the waterfall. Pretty."

"Who is this girl?" Hunter asked Cam, fed up with talking to her already.

"She…" Cam glanced across at her, and she obligingly supplied, "Taran."

"Taran. Look, it's a long story, Hunter. She's connected to the Wind Rangers."

"They didn't know her." Hunter pointed out.

"The powers, not the actual Rangers." Taran offered. Coming up beside him, she caught his wrist and turned it, examining his morpher interestedly. Hunter scowled and tried to pull away, but the girl was stronger than she looked, holding him in place without effort.

"Was this your idea, Cam?" she demanded, brandishing Hunter's wrist at him accusingly.

"No." Cam caught her wrist, and she released Hunter immediately. "It wasn't theirs either." he added, seeing her look at Hunter. "Sensei Omino did it."

"Might have known. I'm glad you didn't do it." She circled Cam, putting him between her and Hunter. "Those things give me the creeps."

"You're just jealous." Cam said, smiling faintly.

"Like I don't already have enough to worry about."

"Fun as this is," Hunter broke in, "Is there a reason you're here?"

"Wanted to see your guys."

Hunter frowned, but Cam seemed to know what she meant. "They're OK?"

"No problem. Just…I'd like to see them."

Cam nodded. "They'll be at Storm Chargers. I'll take you."

"Whoa. Cam…" Hunter shook his head. "What's going on?"

"She's on our side, Hunter."

"So you keep saying. Who is she?"

"I power the morphers." Taran said casually.

"You…" Hunter stopped dead. "She…Cam?"

"You just had to, didn't you." Cam said, shaking his head.

"I think I really broke him this time." Taran said, slowly circling Hunter. Coming around in front of him, she waved a hand in front of his face. Hunter jerked backwards in surprise, nearly bumping into Cam. "Relax, Thunder. I power the morphers. It's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" Hunter repeated helplessly, looking at Cam.

"Don't think about it." Cam advised him. "It helps. Taran, stop confusing the Rangers and let's go if we're going."

"I'm not confusing Rangers. You're not confused. Where's Sensei Guinea-pig? I should say hello."

"He's meditating." Cam said. Hunter waited for the inevitable 'don't call him Sensei Guinea-pig', but Cam didn't seem bothered.

"Cam." Hunter started again.

"I don't power yours." Taran told him. "Or his. Just the Wind Ninjas."

"Why those?"

"Earth, Air and Water." she said, almost absently. Looking back at him, she added, "It's a long, very complicated story. I just want to meet the Wind Rangers, and then I'll be gone and you won't see me again."

"Ever?" Cam asked in surprise.

"I hope not. If you do, it won't be good." She glanced briefly at Hunter. "Can we go?"

Hunter looked at Cam, totally lost. The Samurai Ranger nodded, not seeming fazed at all. "Yeah. Come on."

Smiling brightly, Taran followed Cam out of Ninja Ops. At the top of the stairs she paused, looking back. "Um…Hunter? Are you coming?"

Hunter rolled his eyes and followed after them.