Author: BashfulC

Story: La Familia

Disclaimer: Don't own anyone except Olivia, Sean and Alison Grayson.

Time Frame: Still in between Good Will Hunter and All About Beevil. Also, pretend Shane's Karma happened before that.

Pairings: This chapter pretty much tells you the basic couples.

Summary: What if Kelly, owner of Storm Chargers, was Kim's cousin who was kidnapped by Rita all those years ago?

Author Notes: Please see my end-note. Enjoy!

Training Room

"So, um…." Shane trailed off as all the red rangers turned to look at him. He shot Hunter a look as he snickered.

"Don't start brood-boy." He muttered. That got a laugh out of Jason, TJ, and Wes. Everyone looked at them in confusion.

"What's so funny?" Cole asked curiously. The other reds nodded, Tommy and Andros looking slightly suspicious. Chuckling, Jason jerked a thumb at the white falcon.

"Sorry, it's just I've said the exact same thing to Tommy on many occasions. So has Kim." He laughed. Tommy rolled his eyes. Wes and TJ were nodding.

"Ditto on Andros. Brood-Boy was Cassie's favorite nickname for our illustrious leader." He snickered. Wes smirked in Eric's direction.

"Katie muttered it once and it stuck. Even Trip started calling Eric the Broodmeister." He laughed. Cole's eyes lit up.

"Merrick." He said simply. Jason, TJ, Wes, Cole, and Shane all began laughing while the others just shared slightly exasperated glances. Shrugging, Tommy gave a small smile.

"I guess every team has to have one." He commented which caused Eric to snort. Looking around, Tommy relaxed. Everyone had been so tight with tension that it was good that they could sit down and relax, if just for a moment. Suddenly, Tommy felt more than saw Aisha in the doorway. He looked over and smiled at the yellow ninjette. The others noticed her too and quieted down. She smiled brightly before glancing at Hunter.

"We were wondering if you wouldn't mind giving up your room for married couples to use while we're here?" she asked lightly. The crimson ranger shrugged.

"No problem." He told her. She nodded her thanks before leaving. The red rangers all settled back in place and began to deliberate on a plan of attack and safety precautions.

Tori's Bedroom

"He said no problem." Aisha reported when she came back in. Tori and Zack nodded in understanding. Kat, Alyssa, and Ashley had gone to scrounge up some blankets and pillows from the Academy supply room that had miraculously survived Lothor's attack. The three rangers sat down, Tori holding a pad of paper.

"Okay, Cam agreed, before he left, to give up his room. So did Hunter and Blake which means we have a total of four bedrooms for married couples. How many do we have?" she asked the two older rangers. Zack and Aisha shared glances.

"Well, there's me and Rocky; TJ and Cassie; Andros and Ashley; Zhane and Karone; Wes and Jen, and isn't Joel and Carter both married?" Aisha asked Zack. He nodded.

"Carter is married to Dana, and Joel got married to Angela. So there are seven married couples." He counted. Aisha bit her lip.

"Technically, Jason's married too but Emily's at home. She's pregnant and I'm not sure if she even knows Jason use to be a ranger." She pointed out. Zack nodded.

"She does. We also might have to count Leo and Kendrix too. And possibly Mike and Hailey, if Hailey outstubborns him into bringing her." Zack commented. Aisha snickered. Tori looked at them in surprise.

"Is it common for rangers to marry other rangers or allies?" she asked curiously. Aisha and Zack shared an amused look.

"Adam explained it once as it being easier to date if the person understands your ranger eccentricities…" he told her. Aisha smiled.

"He also swears up and down that Rocky and I would have married, rangering or not." She said flippantly. Zack just gave her a knowing look and she smiled sheepishly before turning back to Tori.

"There's also a lot ranger couples who haven't gotten married yet. I mean, Zack and Kat are engaged. And last I heard, Damon may be popping the question to Maya soon." Aisha told her the water ninja. Zack nodded.

"Yeah, and don't forget everyone who's still in the dating category. There's Ryan and Kelsey, Eric and Taylor, and Cole and Alyssa. You also have Lucas dating Nadira, Danny dating Kendall, Kai's engaged to Holly, and Adam's in the beginning of a relationship with Hayley." Zack pointed out. The two older rangers smiled at the overwhelmed look on Tori's face.

"Look at it this way; at least you'll never have to keep secrets between you and your lover." Aisha told her. Tori nodded. Zack studied her and noticed an odd tick of her lips. She seemed to be trying not to laugh.

"What is it?" he asked curiously. Tori smiled at him, eyes twinkling.

"If rangers usually marry other rangers, then my team has a serious problem." She commented with a laugh. Zack and Aisha were startled for a moment before they remembered that Tori was the only girl on the team. They glanced at each other before bursting into laughter.

Entrance to Ninja Ops

"Okay, that should do it." Cam nodded to Lucas who took off to the kitchen. Max had already had his bio signature scanned and had left to help wherever he could. Cam had left Trip for last because he would be trickier. The green-haired Xybrian sensed it and smiled.

"You can't put me in the bio-frame, can you?" he asked quietly. Cam shot him a look.

"I can, it'll just take a few hours to twiddle with the computer. It's set to refuse entry to any non-human presence unless accompanied by one of us or someone else in the computer. Give me till tonight and I should be able to get you in." he told him confidently. Trip nodded. Cam studied him.

"Why do you wear the hat here? I mean, in public I can understand but everyone here is a ranger." He pointed out. "Besides, that's gotta be hot."

Trip smiled and slipped the hat off. Cam chuckled at the relieved expression on the Xybrian's face. He quickly shot down an impulse to mess with his hair like he knew Hunter did with Blake. Schooling his features, he motioned to the hallway to the supply room.

"Why don't you go help the others get blankets and pillows and stuff." He suggested. Trip gave him a shy smile and left. Cam sighed. The big brother instincts he usually kept reserved for the other rangers had kicked into overdrive when he saw Trip, Cole, Max, and Danny. All four just somehow screamed to be protected even though Cam knew they could hold their own. He banged his head on the wall.

"Why me?" he muttered. He turned around when he heard someone clear their throat. Kim was holding a sandwich out to him. He gingerly took it. She smiled slightly at him. It wasn't the smile from the beach, but it was a smile at the very least.

"It's annoying, isn't it?" she asked softly, sitting down on one of the steps. Cam suddenly noticed she too had a sandwich and two sodas. She offered him a seat which he cautiously took. He watched her take a bite. He narrowed his eyes.

"What's annoying?" he asked, taking the soda she offered. She swallowed.

"The protective feelings you get for people you know can protect themselves." She replied, taking a sip of her soda. Cam sighed and took a bite of his own sandwich. She laughed softly at his surprised expression.

"Rocky's a firefighter and he usually gets stuck cooking since he's the new guy. He's gotten pretty good. Better than his high school days, at least." She commented lightly. Cam shook his head.

"I've never really had any type of siblings, real or just friends. Even with the other students, I've never felt the need to protect them." He griped. Kim smiled.

"It comes with the times. Being a ninja was never as dangerous as it is now. Plus, you're a ranger. Worrying about your teammates and allies is a natural part of that." She told him. Cam sighed.

"Does it ever go away?" He asked. Kim shook her head.

"Actually, it gets worse. The better your get to know someone, the more overprotective you're gonna feel. And trust me when I say you're not the only one who wants to adopt Trip." She told him, placing a hand on his arm. Cam nodded reluctantly. Kim drew her hand away and the two rangers ate the rest of their lunch in silence.

Undisclosed Location

"Wow! Where are we?" Blake asked as the group landed in the dark chamber. Billy flicked a switch and the room came into focus. The younger rangers gaped in surprise, including Carlos and Zhane.

It looked like the old Power Chamber but it also had what appeared to be the old viewing globe. The consoles were up and running but the warp tube was noticeably empty. Carlos, Adam, and Billy avoided looking at it. The walls were lined with glass cases holding various ranger uniforms. Blake went over and studied one of the cases. It held the original pink ranger armor, her ninjette uniform, her weapons, her morpher with power coin, and her vehicles, including models of her three zords hanging in mid-air. Each object held a plaque proclaiming what it was. Blake focused on two pictures each with a brass plaque next to it.

Kimberly Hart

First Pink Ranger of Earth

Served August 28, 1993-November 8, 1995

Successor: Katherine Hillard

Katherine Hillard

Second Pink Ranger of Earth

Served November 8, 1995-September 11, 1997

Successor: Cassie Chan

"I know this place." Katie whispered. Blake turned around. She was standing in awe in the center of the room.

"What do you mean?" Adam asked. Katie turned to him.

"In my time, this place is a Ranger Museum. I came when I was ten. My dad brought me." She smiled softly. Billy and Adam shared startled glances. Danny suddenly yelped. He was standing in a corner and staring up at what looked to be a new case. Blake frowned. Merrick strode over to stare up at the group of cases in surprise.

"How did you get these?" Danny asked, turning around. Blake walked over and suddenly understood. Sitting in the case had to be Danny's old uniform, his weapons, his morpher, his animal crystals, and models of his zords. A picture of him was placed with a brass plaque like Kim and Kat's. Billy smiled.

"Everything is a replica. We asked Cole for the pictures. He doesn't know about this place though." He told him. Danny sagged in disappointment. Blake turned around when he heard a gasp. Katie and Jen had found the Time Force uniforms. Soon, Carlos and Zhane found theirs as well. Blake was slightly disappointed the Ninja's didn't have one. Adam saw his expression and motioned to a set of empty cases next to the wild force uniforms.

"Don't worry, you guys will go there." He told the blue thunder ninja. Billy, who was nearby, nodded.

"Of course, were gonna have to expand each case." He mentioned with a sigh. Adam looked at him in confusion.

"Why?" he asked. Billy pointed to Blake. Adam looked at him and suddenly understood.

"The Ninja uniforms." He realized. Blake looked down and saw his navy lined thunder uniform. He looked up and smiled. Billy called everyone over.

"Adam and I rebuilt this place with help from Trey of Triforia. We call it the Command Chamber. All the old zords are in various bays scattered around the place. The computers we want are in a bay next to the ninjette zords. Let's go." He led the way. Soon, all the computer equipment was safely transported back to Ninja Ops. Right before they left, Blake noticed Billy pocket something from one of the consoles. Billy saw him and smiled reassuringly.

"Plan B." he said. Blake studied him and when he realized he was serious, he nodded and let it go.

Woods Outside Ninja Ops

"Dustin." Dulcea called as the trio stopped. Sensei flipped onto a fallen log and watched the Ninjette Priestess. Dustin looked at her.

"Yeah?" he asked absently. He could feel a buzzing in the back of his head and he couldn't figure out what it was.

"You are standing on a ley line, young Terra. That is the buzzing you feel." She told him. Dusting blinked.

"A ley line?" he asked in surprise. He'd studied ley lines with Sensei but he'd never been near one before. Dulcea smiled at him.

"Yes. It's a very strong ley line which means there is a nexus nearby." She told him. Dustin nodded. A nexus, he knew, was a convergence of two or more ley lines.

"We must find the nexus. That is where the ritual will take place." She told him. He nodded, slightly confused. She smiled at him again.

"Open your mind to the ley line." She instructed. Dustin bit his lip and looked down. Sensei spoke for the first time.

"Dustin, go into your meditative state and concentrate on finding the line." He instructed. Dustin nodded and began the breathing technique Sensei had taught him the first day he joined the academy. It didn't take long for him to slip into a meditative state. Once their, he began searching for the line. He was suddenly on the ground. He'd lost his concentration. He gingerly sat up, rubbing his back. Dulcea sighed.

"You need a guide." She told him, plainly. He looked at her in confusion. She smiled and sat down in front of him.

"Concentrate on your center. Once you find it, go beyond it." She instructed. Dustin nodded and began concentrating again. He suddenly opened his eyes. He was on a ledge in the center of earth, his center. All around him was the darkness of a very deep drop. As always, he stayed away from the edge. He realized a small owl was with him. He looked at it puzzled.

"Well, that's never happened before." He muttered as the owl flew up. As he watched, he realized who it was.

"Lady Dulcea." He whispered in awe. If it were possible, the owl smiled at him before spiraling down into the darkness. Dustin gulped. Somehow, he knew she wanted him to follow her. He gingerly made his way to the edge and looked over. He went white and scuttled back to the center of the ledge. No way could he jump off that.

Yes you can. Just have faith. Olivia needs you.

It was a quiet but strong voice who spoke. Dustin looked around widely before finding the source. It was a small hawk and somehow the yellow ranger was reminded of Shane.

As much as it pains me to say this, the insect eater is right. You can do this.

Dustin looked down at gaped. A tiny beetle and insect were resting next to him. It was the insect who had spoken.

If you don't try, you'll never know.

This was a dolphin who seemed to be swimming through the air. A light above caught his attention and he looked up to see a pinprick directly above his head.

"A star…Cam." The earth ninja murmured in awe. The star twinkled down at him, lending his strength but remaining quiet as always. The beetle spoke up.

If you won't do this for yourself, do it for Olivia. And Kim.

Dustin closed his eyes. He could see Kimberly laughing with Olivia in the water, playfully splashing Dustin. Then came a vision of Kim's face as Olivia was taken and the terror in Olivia's expression as she disappeared with Zurgane. He opened his eyes, a hard look on his face. He stood up and walked back to the edge. With the strength of his friends' spirits, he took a deep breath and walked off the edge.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" he yelled as he fell. It seemed like an hour before he landed when in reality it was only a minute.

"Oomph!" he grunted as fell on top of something large, warm, and breathing. He scrambled off and went into a fighting stance. When he saw what it was, he blinked.

Standing before him was a large lion, his mane full and silky. The lion looked at him through proud eyes. The owl sat on a small tree next to it. Both seemed to be smiling approvingly at him. With trembling hands, Dustin reached over and ran his hand in the lion's mane. He began purring.

"Dustin, you are the lion, courageous and noble." Dulcea's voice spoke in his mind. He slowly opened his eyes, not knowing why they were closed in the first place. He was back in the forest with Sensei and Dulcea. He smiled, realizing he had found his spirit animal. He stood up and finally noticed what he was wearing.

It looked just like Tommy, Jason, and Rocky's uniforms except it was yellow and a roaring lion sparkled from the emblem on his chest. He looked up in shock.

"Am I a ninjette now?" he asked, stunned. Dulcea shook her head.

"You are a Ninjette acolyte. Able only to transform into a ninjette in uniform and able to call

upon your animal guide. So no, you are not a true ninjette master like Kimberly, Billy, and Adam will be. However, given time and training, you could be." She told him with a smile. Dustin smiled, gently stroking the lion's image. He chuckled when he felt the lion start purring again. The new ninjette acolyte smiled up at the Ninjette Master Priestess.

"Lets find that nexus."

Lothor's Ship

"I'm bored!" Olivia whined from her perch on the floor. It had been several hours since the girl had been taken. After she had stopped crying, Olivia had begun kicking everything within her reach. She was now locked in a small area protected by shields. Zurgane glared at the little girl who had crushed his toe. Vexacus laughed and walked over. Olivia scuttled back.

"Don't like me little girl?" Vexacus asked. Olivia wrinkled her nose.

"Fish smell." She muttered, causing Lothor to laugh. Vexacus brought out his sword.

"Why you little…"

"VEXACUS!" Lothor bellowed. The fish head twirled around, sword still held in his hands.

"I want the girl in one piece. They'll never give up their powers for a dead girl." He glared at the bounty hunter. Neither noticed Marah and Kapri talking to Olivia about Vexacus, who was standing half in the girl's cell. Olivia's eyes widened and she threw herself at the fish, kicking his legs and pounding his stomach.

"You're a fairy killer! You're a fairy killer!" she screeched, over and over. Lothor, Marah, Zurgane, and Kapri all laughed as Vexacus tried getting Olivia off him without hurting the girl.

Still chuckling, Lothor turned back to his observations of Earth. He couldn't get an image of the rangers so it stood to reason they were in their little headquarters. He slowly smirked.

"Zurgane! Take a group of Kelzaks and attack the shopping district. Just for fun." He smiled. Zurgane saluted and disappeared.

End Note:
I want to thank everyone who has stuck by me and read and reviewed this fic. However, it is with a sad heart that I inform all of you that I will not be finishing this fic, nor will I be updating any of my fics for a while. My younger sister has Cystic Fibrosis and for the last year or so her health has gradually declined. Normally she would be admitted to the hospital once or twice a year; she's been in and out of Denver Children's Hospital five times in the past year.

This has caused a lot of changes in my life. I had to turn down offers to attend the US Air Force Academy, the University of Central Florida in Orlando, and Oxford in England. I'm attending a small college twenty minutes away from home instead.

Additionally, over Labor Day weekend, my suitemate and good friend was sexually assaulted. The fallout from that has been immense and my writing (not to mention schoolwork and sleep) has suffered because of it.

I'll be focusing now on my family, my schoolwork, and my friend.

But fear not! Once she has completed "Through her Eyes" (which I fully suggest you all read, by the way), my roommate and good friend Jadelyn Ja Lee will finish La Familia for me. Her writing style is very similar to mine (scarily so) and she knows how I was going to finish it. I've already handed over all my notes and she's discussed some minor changes that I've approved.

I truly am sorry but I feel that my family, schoolwork, and suitemate are more important right now.

This is BashfulC, signing off (for now).