This was a personal favourite to write so far, and I hope you like it!


Chapter 15: Ranger Reveal

It was still early in the morning, but the crowd that was gathered outside of the News Station was bustling. Almost everyone looked excited as they waited behind the red ropes that had been set up in preparation.

"Do I really have to be here?" Ryne complained, her eyes half closed as she leaned against Steel, exhausted.

"One day you'll learn not to stay up half the night," Ravi told her, and Ryne gave him a tired glare in response as Steel patted her head.

"But why do we have to be here?" she asked, yawning widely again and choosing to move past her terrible sleeping habits. She looked around at the crowd of people, all of whom looked far more excited to be there than she felt. Even Ben and Betty were waiting eagerly, with Betty bouncing on the spot.

"You'd think you'd be more excited to see your own mum," Nate laughed.

"I am, but not…fangirl levels of excited," Ryne replied with a shrug. "She's just…my mum, you know?" she said, still looking at the crowds who'd gathered, having gotten word that Teddie was going to be interviewed at the station that morning.

"You're brushing past the fact that she's kind of a huge deal," Devon said, looking excited to meet her. Ryne just shook her head. She was well used to people reacting in such ways when her mum was around, having grown up surrounded by that chaos. "I can't believe you didn't tell us!" he complained.

"I told you who my mum was," Ryne argued.

"You told us about her…other activities," Zoey said, glancing around. There were too many people around, all holding phones or cameras, to say what she meant. "Not that she was a famous singer and actress," she said, and the others nodded.

"I can't believe we're about to meet her in person," even Ravi couldn't help how excited he was. "Her movies are fantastic!" he exclaimed.

"I grew up listening to her music," Zoey gushed back as Ryne just left them to be excited. "I was obsessed with her collab with Levi Weston," she admitted. "This is awesome! My mum's really excited to interview Teddie," she said as they walked over to where Zoey's mum was waiting. She smiled warmly as she saw her daughter approach.

"Go get some shots of the crowd, okay?" she asked, directing the man beside her with a camera away. He nodded, walking off as he switched on his camera, and Muriel Reeves turned to her daughter. "Zoey, you're here!" she greeted, glad to see her daughter.

"I wouldn't miss your big day! Are you nervous?" Zoey asked her. While she was excited to meet Teddie, she was really there to support her mother.

"Yeah, a little," Muriel admitted. "This interview will take my career to the next level," she said, and despite how nervous she was, she was also excited.

"You'll be great, as always," Zoey smiled confidently.

"Aw, thanks honey," Muriel hugged her tightly, always grateful for Zoey's unwavering support. "Are you and your friends excited?" she asked, looking at the others there. Her focus moved to Ryne, who was still yawning, looking exhausted, and she paused. "I thought it the last time I saw you, but you're Teddie's daughter, aren't you?" she asked, and Ryne looked up at her.

"Uh…yeah," she managed a shy smile, edging closer to Steel to hide behind him. His much taller stature left him towering over Ryne, and she often used him as a shield to hide from attention.

"And you're Mayor Daniel's son?" Ryne was visibly relieved as Muriel's focus moved to Devon, who nodded, looking embarrassed now. "You have some interesting friends," she told Zoey, who went red and laughed awkwardly. "Oh, excuse me," Muriel angled away as her phone rang. "Hello? Oh, Teddie, hi! Are you close by?" she asked, but her smile quickly faded. "Oh…" the disappointment in her voice made them all stop smiling. "I see…okay. Sure, I understand. I'm sorry too. Goodbye," she ended the call quickly.

"What's wrong?" Zoey asked, worried.

"It's bad news," Muriel sighed, walking past and over to the crowd. "Excuse me, everyone. I have an announcement. I'm afraid that Teddie has just cancelled her interview," her announcement made them all groan as Ryne frowned, wondering what was going on. "So she won't be visiting the studio today. I'm so sorry, but thank you for coming," she told the crowd.

"Mum, I'm sorry. I know you were really looking forward to it," Zoey said, and her mother managed a smile.

"It's okay, honey. I better go tell my boss. I'll talk to you later," Muriel patted her shoulder, and after a smile to the others, she walked back inside.

"I wonder what happened," Steel spoke up, curious.

"Dad did say that she's had to be in the Magical Realm recently to help with some problems," Ryne told them, thinking about it. The others exchanged looks, knowing that Teddie still held a Ranger status in a way, and so frequently helped out when she could. "She might have been held up there. I'll call her, maybe she can reschedule?" Ryne suggested, and Zoey smiled thankfully, worried about her own mother, who'd been excited for the interview from the moment she'd landed it.

As Ryne pulled her phone from her pocket, there was a load roar, and the crowd behind them started to scream in terror. They turned quickly as the crowd scattered, pushing and shoving at each other to get away, as the cameraman dropped his camera and made a run for it too. "Oh, great, it's him," Ryne groaned as they saw Vargoyle walking towards them. She still had bruises from the last beating she and Steel had taken from the monster.

"I know you Rangers are itching to take me on," Vargoyle challenged as he approached the Rangers.

"More like itching to take you out!" Devon retorted. "It's Morphin' Time!"

"ACTIVATE BEAST POWER!"

"Hah!" Vargoyle scoffed as they Morphed. "You all think you're so special, but I've got something better up my sleeve!" he held up his arm, and the device on his arm flashed red. There was a gust of wind, and suddenly Vargoyle was behind them.

"What?" Devon whirled around as he gasped, and Vargoyle kicked him in the chest. He cried out as he was thrown back several feet from the blow, and as he landed on the ground, the monster was running in with enhanced speed, lifting Devon by the throat.

"Gotcha!" he declared, punching Devon as he released him. Devon once again found himself flying through the air, hitting the ground and skidding along the concrete.

"He's got super-speed," the Red Ranger groaned, already worn down.

"We can still take him," Ravi hurried over to the stone bench nearby and grabbed it. He gave a low growl as his super-strength kicked in, and he lifted it up. "How about a taste of this?" he threw it at Vargoyle. To his horror, Vargoyle caught it easily.

"Please," he scoffed, throwing it back at them. The group barely managed to dodge it, and the stone bench shattered as it smashed through the wall behind them.

"No way! That's like my gorilla strength," Ravi frowned.

"Enough is enough," Ryne ran at Vargoyle as the monster laughed, throwing a punch. However, as she did, he dodged it, still laughing loudly. She then kicked out, while moving to strike him again, but Vargoyle practically danced around her moves. "What?" she gasped, stunned that he was evading each move so easily, almost like he was reading her mind.

"Now you!" Vargoyle started bombarding Ryne with attacks, and she was forced to use her enhanced reflexes to dodge each attack, slowly being forced backwards.

"My turn!" Zoey leapt into the air with a yell; her enhanced jumps allowing her to practically soar through the air. However, Vargoyle just knocked Ryne aside as her powers faded, and leapt up himself, kicking Zoey back down to the ground.

"Such child's play," Vargoyle laughed as Ravi, Nate and Steel ran to help her and Ryne back up.

"How did he jump as high as me?" Zoey wondered in disbelief.

"Same reason he was able to dodge each of my attacks like that, I'd say," Ryne groaned, a hand to her chest as it throbbed with pain.

"You and your Beast Powers aren't special anymore!" Vargoyle declared as he faced them. "Now, I'll destroy everyone one of you!" he cackled, grabbing his dagger as it appeared in a flash of red light. He rushed in towards the Rangers again, and Devon rejoined the fight as the six worked to try and overpower the strong monster.

"Beast Blast!" Devon shot at Vargoyle as he grabbed Nate, but the monster deflected the attack, which bounced off his dagger and hit the fallen camera nearby.

"Stop!" Ryne threw out an arc of blue energy that slammed into Vargoyle, allowing Nate to stagger away from him. The others backed away as well, before Vargoyle gave a yell, throwing off the attack and causing it to fade. "He's too strong," Ryne groaned as they regrouped, all breathing heavily.

"No!" to their surprise, Vargoyle gave a yell. "I'm running out of Morph-X already!" he groaned, slumping forwards.

"Hear that?" Devon glanced at his team, seeing an opening. "He's losing power. Let's light him up!"

"Transport!" the rest of them called on their blasters and grabbed them from the air, taking aim. "Beast Blast!" they shot at Vargoyle, only for him to vanish at the last second in a flash of white light.

"Oh man! We almost had him!" Zoey complained, frustrated as they realised he'd escaped.

"How did Vargoyle get beast powers like ours?" Devon asked, looking at Nate.

"It's baffling," the Gold Ranger admitted as he thought about it. "Somehow they must have copied your Cheetah, Gorilla, Squirrel and Jackrabbit abilities," he realised. "Let's get to the lab, and run some tests," Nate suggested.

"Come on," Devon led the team off, all of them unaware of the camera that was lying on the ground, flashing red.


Vargoyle was speaking loudly to Evox as the three Avatars approached, confident in their plan.

"Don't listen to this fool, Master Evox," Blaze spoke up, interrupting Vargoyle. "He tried to take on the Rangers, and had to run away, like a scared…little…mouse," he mocked. Vargoyle didn't turn around, holding something in his arms.

"We have a brilliant new plan," Roxy smirked. "Behold, the Memory Pulsator," she held up the blueprint in her hands, and Scrozzle gasped nearby.

"So, you copied Vargoyle?" Evox asked, wiping the smirks from their faces.

"We did what now?" Asher blinked up at him.

"Check out my masterpiece," Vargoyle turned around, revealing the same machine that was in their blueprint.

"Excuse me?" Asher's anger boiled over. "That's my design," she snarled at him.

"Oh boy," Scrozzle gulped nearby, turning away, and Asher's attention moved to him.

"You gutless spy!" Blaze shouted as he realised what had happened. Scrozzle then yelped when Asher was in front of him, her hand closing around the metal of his neck, starting to crush it.

"You stole my design and gave it to Vargoyle?" she guessed as Blaze and Roxy advanced on Scrozzle, both furious as well.

"I would never do that!" Scrozzle pleaded, grabbing at Asher's wrist.

"He didn't just tell me," Vargoyle grabbed Asher by the wrist, squeezing hard enough to force her to release Scrozzle as she cried out in pain. "He built it for me," he taunted the Avatar in his grasp. She glared up at him, despite the pain in her expression, and her form flickered rapidly. Vargoyle then glanced at Blaze, who had grabbed his arm with a face like thunder.

"Let her go," he warned, his voice slow and low, which only made Vargoyle laugh.

"Enough," they looked around as Evox grew bored. "If Vargoyle's smart enough to steal your plan, then he's smart enough to carry it out," he decided. Vargoyle shrugged Blaze off, releasing Asher, who backed away as she clutched her arm close to her chest.

"I couldn't agree more, Master Evox," he turned and approached the snake. "Which is why the Rangers and Grid Battleforce are doomed!" his laughter carried, as the three Avatars exchanged looks.


Nate's investigations into Vargoyle suddenly wielding all four Beast Powers was cut short as Zoey called them to Riptide Gym with bad news. When the cameraman had dropped his camera during Vargoyle's attack, it had been recording, meaning that it was likely that they'd been filmed Morphing.

"I tried to convince my mum not to air the video, but she thinks that the…Rangers will like being famous," Zoey explained, having been told by her mother about it.

"We're screwed," Ryne groaned, putting her hands to her head. "Revealing your identity as a Ranger to the public is a huge no-no. My family will kill me," she moaned.

"It's a huge problem," Nate sighed.

"Well, maybe she's right. A little fame might be fun," Devon tried to look on the bright side.

"Precisely! I'm built for fame!" Steel exclaimed.

"Yeah, but people have no chill when it comes to celebrities. We'll never get a moment's peace, and people might get themselves hurt trying to talk to us," Ryne warned, sighing. "Not to mention our families," she added.

"Must have been rough, growing up in that spotlight," Nate said, sympathetic. Ryne just shrugged in response.

"I'm sure the Commander wouldn't approve," Ravi pointed out, thinking of his own mother. "We need to let her know what happened," he decided, but Zoey grabbed his hand as he went to contact her.

"Wait!" she gasped. "Let me try to solve this," she pleaded with him.

"Zoey, you can't try and solve every issue by yourself," Ryne told her, irritated, and Zoey went red.

"Look, I don't want to get my mum in trouble," she pleaded with them, and the others exchanged looks.

"Worth a shot," Steel shrugged. Devon looked at Ryne, who ran a hand through her hair, exhausted.

"You're team leader. And I know I'd want to keep my mum from being in trouble with the Commander. She's scary," she said simply, which made them smile. Devon finally nodded.

"I guess there's no need to sound the alarm just yet," Nate said, managing a faint smile.

"So sweet," they jumped at the voice that came from behind Ryne, whose eyes widened. A woman stood by their table, most of her face hidden by a baseball cap. "I didn't know you cared so much, Ryne," she said, her New Zealand accent thick, and Ryne turned quickly in her chair.

"What are you-"

"Hey guys!" Ben's voice echoed through the gym as he and Betty walked in through the entrance.

"We just heard that - whoa!" Betty gasped as she tripped over Ryne's skateboard, which had been propped up beside them.

"Easy now," the woman caught her before she could fall, but her arms flailed, knocking the hat from the woman's head. Teddie's black hair fell down around her shoulders, and she couldn't help but laugh. "How many times do I have to tell you to watch where you leave that skateboard? I swear, Chase has a lot to answer for, giving it to you," she said to Ryne as the others stared at her.

"You're…oh my gosh!" Betty's gasp earned attention from the rest of the room, and everyone stopped what they were doing to look over, their eyes widening when they recognised the woman helping Betty back to her feet.

"This isn't good," Ryne groaned, putting a hand to her face. Almost immediately people were rushing over, all eagerly trying to get photos or an autograph from the woman, who laughed.

"I'll meet you guys outside," Teddie called, almost vanishing from the crowd around her.

"We should help her!" Zoey gasped, but Ryne stopped her.

"She'll be fine, come on," she pulled Zoey away from where Teddie was being swarmed, and the group hurried outside.

"Are you sure that she's going to be okay? Those people were crazy," Devon said, a little shaken by how suddenly the chill room had exploded into chaos.

"Wow, so much concern," they jumped again as Teddie walked past them, not looking flustered in the slightest as she led them away from the gym. In the distance, they heard people questioning where Teddie had vanished to.

"How did you-"

"I didn't lose my Ninja skills just cause I got older," the woman grinned at Ravi, who stared at her in shock. The woman was taller than Ryne, with a friendly smile and a confident air about her.

"What are you doing here mum?" Ryne asked as she walked over, and Teddie threw her arms around her. Ryne groaned at the tight hug.

"Visiting my favourite daughter! I was so sad I missed your birthday!" Teddie declared, and the others couldn't help but laugh as Ryne struggled in her grasp.

"I'm your only daughter," she reminded.

"Even more reason to be sad!" Teddie exclaimed, but her devious smile made it clear she was only doing it to mess with Ryne. "So, you guys are the new Rangers, huh? It's nice to meet you," she grinned at them, keeping her arms around the struggling Pink Ranger.

"You too," Zoey breathed, her eyes lit up in awe. "I'm a huge fan," she said without meaning to, which made Teddie giggle.

"Thanks," she finally released Ryne, who immediately darted to hide behind Steel. Teddie tilted her head, recognition in her gaze as she watched her daughter hiding behind the tall robot. "Sorry I couldn't get in earlier, I got held up when some people recognised me when I got into town," Teddie explained.

"That's why you couldn't do my mum's interview!" Zoey realised, and Teddie looked at her.

"You're Muriel Reeves' daughter?" she realised, and Zoey nodded. "I rescheduled with her, so your mum will still get her interview," Teddie said, and Zoey smiled, relieved. "But I hear that she has another story to cover?" she asked, and saw them all grow more nervous.

"There was an attack at the station this morning…and a camera caught us Morphing. They're fixing it to show tonight," Nate explained, and Teddie winced sympathetically.

"Thinking about the way that those fans hounded you in there…if people figure out that we're Rangers, we'd never be able to do our job," Devon considered, rethinking his comment about fame being fun.

"Exactly why most teams keep it a secret," Teddie said, arms folded. "Even after hanging up our Morphers, we'd never get a moment's peace. Ty's family can attest to that," she said.

"He's a Hartford," Ryne elaborated, and all but Steel nodded in understanding. It was well known that Mack and Rose Hartford had been Rangers, and their fame hadn't died down, especially when Mack had vanished for a decade. Devon's communicator suddenly beeped, and they looked around.

"Go ahead," he answered.

"A Robotron's been detected in Sector Foxtrot-Niner-Three. And there's a Gigadrone on the way too," Commander Shaw said, making them sigh.

"Roger that. You handle the Gigadrone," Devon told Nate and Steel, who nodded. "We'll take the Robotron," he looked to Ravi, Zoey and Ryne.

"I'll see you after. I need to meet up with your dad anyway, he's not too impressed with you taking over the family business," Teddie winked at Ryne, who couldn't help but smile. "Good luck," she told the team, who split into two groups and ran off. Teddie chuckled as she watched them. "Oof. Brings back memories," she mused, nostalgic.


The latest Robotron laughed with glee as he chased away the people around the park. They ran screaming, trying to get to cover away from the large monster.

"Looks like everybody's out to play today!" he giggled, dancing around in the grass. "Now, where can I get me some energy before the Rangers show up?" he wondered, looking around.

"Too late for that!" he heard the shout, looking around.

"Hey you, walking light-bulb!" Devon shouted as the Robotron turned to them.

"Who you calling light-bulb?!" the Robotron demanded, offended.

"ACTIVATE BEAST POWER!" the four Rangers Morphed, moving into fighting stances. "Let's light up this Robotron, Rangers!" they then ran at the Robotron, easily fighting him off with punches and kicks.

"Transport Beast Spinners!" Ryne shouted, grabbing her weapons as they appeared in front of her. They were a little lighter than before; something that she'd been working on to make them easier to control. She threw one out, and then the other, and they slashed across Shockatron's chest, making him yelp as she pulled them back to her.

"Transport Beast-X Blaster!" Devon aimed his blaster and fired, but the Robotron dodged his attacks with a laugh.

"Transport!" Zoey and Ravi grabbed theirs as well as Shockatron tried to run away. Ryne threw her Spinners hard, and one clipped the back of his head, stunning the Robotron.

"Beast-X Blast!" the other three fired their attacks. However, Shockatron started to laugh.

"Watch out Rangers! Your energy's coming back at you!" to their surprise, he used the prongs in his hands to catch the energy shot at him. He spun them, and threw the attacks at the four as they were caught off guard. "How's that for a comeback?" Shockatron laughed.

"Sabres only guys. Transport!" Devon told them as he pushed himself back up. They ran back in to attack, with Ryne standing at a distance throwing her Beast Spinners, avoiding her three teammates.

"Come in, Devon!" Nate's voice came from Devon's Morpher. "This Gigadrone is absorbing our blasts and throwing them back. We could really use a hand here," he pleaded.

"Guess they went for the same trick for both," Ryne considered as she caught her Spinners. "Devon, go!" she shouted to him, throwing the weapons out again to knock Shockatron away from the Red Ranger.

"Yeah, we can handle this guy!" Ravi said confidently.

"Just as long as it doesn't end up like Vargoyle," Devon commented, and Ryne glared at him.

"Not funny," she told him, but Devon was laughing as he ran off to meet Cruise.

"You'll regret letting your Red Ranger leave!" Shockatron shouted as he ran at Ryne, who jumped backwards, leading him right over to Ravi, who punched him with enhanced strength. The Robotron hurtled through the air, crashing into a tree.

"Nice hit," Ryne complimented the Blue Ranger.

"Let's take this guy out," he nodded to her as Zoey caught Shockatron with her sabre, before kicking him hard. The Robotron rolled along the ground, but used the momentum to push himself up, swinging his fist at Zoey with all his strength. However, she dropped down under his attack, and he stumbled.

"Now, Ravi!" she shouted, and Ravi ran by.

"Beast Slash!" he yelled, swinging his sword. He cut through Shockatron, who yelled in pain.

"No!" he shrieked, falling over and exploding.

"Nice moves!"

"Great work!" the three cheered, but their victory was short-lived. Ravi's Morpher beeped loudly from the alarm that he'd set. "It's almost time for the 6 o'clock news," he realised, and the other two groaned.

"Oh no, we gotta go talk to my mum," Zoey gulped.

"I think we've got this drone under control," Devon told them, hearing their conversation.

"Great, then meet us at the TV studio," Zoey told them. "Let's go," she said to Ryne and Ravi, who nodded. They ran off, headed for the studio, as Zoey hoped they weren't too late.


"You cannot just blame me," when the three arrived at the studio, they found Teddie waiting for her interview with Muriel. "You could be just as bad," she was arguing light-heartedly with Heckyl as they approached, and Ryne groaned.

"How did I know this was going to happen?" she asked as Zoey excused herself to find her mum.

"You're right, I don't just blame you," Heckyl nodded seriously. He then smirked. "I blame Ari," he said, and Teddie rolled her eyes.

"That's a whole can of worms that nobody needs opened," she warned him, arching an eyebrow. "Besides, I am not the only one here who was a Ranger," Teddie smirked, and Heckyl's own amusement faded, a blush filling his usually pale features.

"You were a Ranger?" Ravi asked, surprised. They'd been learning all about their Ranger history, but he hadn't heard anything about Heckyl being a Ranger.

"It was the worst hour of my life," he said, so seriously that it startled the Blue Ranger. He looked at Ryne, who was trying and failing to hide her smile.

"Grandma used the last of her legendary warrior powers to make dad a Ranger against an enemy they were fighting," she explained briefly, and Ravi nodded slowly as he tried to understand what was going on.

"And I've never forgiven her for it," Heckyl shrugged, still offended by the action even now. "By that logic, I suppose we can point out that your flawless acting as a villain comes from real experience," he fired back, and Ryne sighed.

"To think we managed to go years without you bringing up that stint. We all know I would have overthrown you if we'd been evil together," Teddie smiled, not upset that he would bring it up.

"Of that, I have no doubt," Heckyl agreed, both of them now smiling as Ryne rolled her eyes. "But I'll never forgive you for turning our only daughter into one of your crayons," he added, and Ryne made a noise of protest as he tugged her into his arms.

"Let me go," she struggled as Ravi tried to process just what he was listening to.

"One of our crayons," Teddie smiled sweetly, flicking his nose.

"I hate when they drag me into this. It's so gross," Ryne grumbled, managing to pull free and hide behind Ravi. He couldn't help but laugh, finding them so different to his own upbringing. Teddie was wildly different to Commander Shaw, and he was starting to understand why Ryne was the way she was. "I'm gonna go see if Zoey's having any luck," Ryne muttered, and Ravi quickly followed her.

"It's remarkably easy to fluster her," Heckyl considered as they watched her rushing away.

"I know. It's so fun," Teddie admitted with a devious grin that made him smile.

"Are you going to interfere with this big reveal of the Rangers?" Heckyl then asked quietly, and Teddie shook her head.

"They've got this," she said confidently. "They're Rangers, they can do whatever they put their minds to," Teddie told him, and he drew closer to her.

"Explains so much," he murmured, and Teddie grinned, reaching up to kiss him lightly.

"Mum!" Zoey finally spotted her mother as she emerged from the back room, looking excited. "Mum, I need to talk to you about something," she pleaded as Ravi and Ryne followed her over.

"Can it wait, honey? I'm super busy," Muriel asked her, rushing around with a tablet in her hands.

"But-"

"You all ready for that big interview?" Muriel sighed when her boss walked over. "Oh, looks like we have some fans here, too," he smiled as he saw the three teenagers with her.

"Look, I'd love to interview Teddie right now, but I can't," Muriel told him, shaking her head. "This Ranger story is too important," she told him firmly, and he frowned.

"Muriel, you were the one who secured this interview in the first place. We don't have any other reporters in this afternoon, we sent them home after the attacks," he argued. "It's three minutes to air! Who else is gonna do it?" the man demanded. Zoey's eyes lit up as an idea came to mind.

"Hey, how about me?" Zoey offered, earning several looks of disbelief. "The audience will get a fan's perspective. They'll love it!" she suggested, trying to smile and not look too panicked over the whole idea. Ryne and Ravi exchanged dubious looks as Muriel turned back to her boss.

"My daughter has been watching me for years. She is pretty good," she whispered to him, seeing two opportunities in one. Zoey kept her hopeful smile up as Ryne and Ravi prayed that it wasn't too crazy an idea.

"So you're Muriel's daughter?" the man turned to Zoey, having heard about her from his top reporter. "And you're a fan?" he asked, and she nodded. "Okay. Get Teddie's approval, and you're on," he agreed, turning and striding off.

"Great! Thanks!" Zoey called after him, and they left Muriel to go back to Teddie.

"What are you doing?" Ravi hissed.

"How is this convincing your mum not to show that tape?" Ryne whispered from Zoey's other side. Nerves were starting to churn in her stomach.

"I just thought-"

"Well? Did you stop her?" Devon asked as he, Nate and Steel hurried over to the pair.

"Not yet, but I have an idea," Zoey tried to soothe them. "Mum won't listen to me, but she might listen to Teddie," she suggested.

"Okay, clear the floor," the other Rangers were directed away as Zoey was guided off to meet Teddie.

"Guess we can all move to the Mystic Realm? I hear an old Pai Zhuq Master had a lovely setup in the middle of the Cimmerian Forest," Ryne considered.

"Come on guys, let's try and have a little faith in her," Devon patted Ryne's shoulder as they moved to a quiet place off-set.


Teddie arched an eyebrow as Zoey explained to her that she was going to interview her. Zoey's gaze kept darting to the people rushing around getting the set ready for the show to go live.

"Well, I've been told repeatedly that I'm not exactly the most conventional person out there. Or normal, really," Teddie considered. "So why not? Besides, you're friends with Ryne, I don't mind," she winked, making Zoey smile.

"Great," she was relieved that Teddie was willing to work with her. The two sat down, and a camera was wheeled over as a man began to count down. The other Rangers exchanged nervous looks, hoping that Zoey's plan would work.

"Good evening, I'm Zoey Reeves," the Yellow Ranger started, her voice shaking a little from nerves as she smiled at the camera, remembering how her mother was when she was on air. "Here to talk with film star and singer Teddie," she smiled at Teddie, who looked much more relaxed than she did.

"Great to be here," she said.

"What's Zoey gonna do?" Nate whispered to Ravi. The pressure was mounting.

"We're about to find out," Ravi muttered back.

"So, tell me, what's it actually like, being a huge superstar?" Zoey asked, and Teddie looked thoughtful, never been asked such a question before.

"Well, the immediate answer is, I love it," she said, twisting the rings around her finger. "My fans are amazing, and it's such an incredible feeling being able to go up on stage or get in front of a camera and perform. But…it's not exactly the glamorous life that everyone thinks," Teddie admitted, looking pensive. Behind the camera, Muriel was watching, holding the camera's memory card in her hand.

"How so?" Zoey asked, pressing on the question as Teddie went exactly where she wanted her to.

"I get recognised wherever I go. It's amazing a lot of the time, but other times…it can be pretty tough. If I wanted to meet up with friends, or spend time with my family," Teddie admitted, still twisting the rings on her finger. "This morning, I was supposed to be here for an interview, but when I got into town, I got held up by fans and couldn't make it. And when I went to meet my daughter, the same happened again," Teddie shrugged. "I love my fans, I really do. And I love what I do, but being famous…well, it really can make things a lot harder than they need to be, y'know?" Teddie shrugged, before laughing. "Sorry, I went on a bit of a tangent," she laughed.

"No, that was perfect," Zoey smiled, and Teddie grinned at her, making Zoey's smile widen. "Thanks for your time, Teddie," she told the woman.

"This has been fun. Thank you," Teddie told her softly.

"And we're out, folks!" the cameraman shouted over and Zoey relaxed.

"Very clever. I like it," she looked up at Teddie. "Let's hope it works," she said, walking away and over to Heckyl, who looked amused.

"You're up," Muriel jumped, having been deep in thought as she mulled over the interview. "Time for your big Ranger reveal," her boss guided her onto the set. "Hey, you were great, kid," he called to Zoey as she was pulled away.

"Wai-" she couldn't even get the full word out before she was pulled away, and Muriel glanced over her shoulder.

"Do you think it worked?" Devon asked hopefully.

"I don't know," Zoey admitted, flustered, but as she tried to approach her mum, her path was blocked and they were forced back.

"Clear the set, please!" the Rangers stared helplessly as they were stuck waiting to see what would happen.

"Dammit," Ryne muttered, anxiety making her stomach churn as her heart beat painfully hard against her chest. She backed away, feeling her powers starting to flow to her hands, and she bumped into Steel.

"Hey, you're okay," Ravi whispered to her, hearing her breathing growing sharp. He tried to give her a reassuring smile even as his own worry ate and him, and Steel put a cold metal hand on her shoulder.

"We're here," Devon whispered, and Ryne took a deep breath, closing her eyes, focusing on the cold on her shoulder, and on their words. While her anxiety didn't fade, her powers did, and she was able to relax a little.

"Hello, Coral Harbor. This is Muriel Reeves," they looked over at Muriel as she started her report. "I've got something extraordinary for you today: exclusive footage of the Power Rangers Morphing," Devon started forwards, trying to interrupt, but Zoey stopped him.

"Wait," she pleaded, determined to believe in her mother.

"The Rangers' civilian identities are right here on this memory card," Muriel Reeves continued, unaware of the stress.

"Please don't do this, mum," Zoey pleaded under her breath, shaking and feeling as if she was going to be sick. Devon turned away, unable to watch.

"But…like me, you probably saw my daughter's interview with Teddie," Devon turned back in surprise at Muriel's words. "It made me realise something. If the Rangers were hounded like celebrities, they wouldn't be able to do their jobs, and that could put us all in danger," she pointed out. "Revealing the Rangers' identities might be the biggest story of my career," she couldn't help but laugh. "But it's not the right thing to do," she decided, and the Rangers all breathed a sigh of relief as she snapped the memory card in half. "Their identities must be protected," she said firmly.

"That was close," Ravi gave a breathy laugh.

"Oh, I think I'm gonna be sick," Ryne moaned quietly as the others grinned.

"And now, Percy Jones takes us to the county fair, where they have a taco you have taste to believe!" Muriel smiled, ending her section of the show.

"And we're out. Nice work people!"

"Ryne!" the Pink Ranger gave a cry as Teddie threw her arms around her, almost knocking her off her feet. "I wasn't worried at all, I knew you guys would be great," she declared quietly, keeping her arms around Ryne, who looked exhausted.

"Is that why you were as tense as a bow string just a moment ago?" Heckyl asked innocently, and Teddie shot him a glare.

"Says the one who was ready to use his powers to short out the cameras," she bit back, and he shrugged.

"I know why you asked Teddie those questions," Muriel said as she approached, and Zoey turned to her. "I should have listened to you earlier, honey. I almost made a huge mistake," she said, apologetic.

"True, but you're the one who made the right decision in the end," Zoey told her, proud of her, and Muriel hugged her tightly.

"That wasn't exactly the news you promised to deliver," Muriel's smile faded when her boss approached, looking stern. She immediately began to stammer, and he smiled suddenly. "It was much better," he told her, taking her by surprise.

"Excuse me?" she said, unable to believe what he'd said.

"The phones are ringing off the hook! Everyone loves you!" he laughed. "A reporter with integrity. Good work Muriel," he praised, and as he walked away, she threw her arms around Zoey with a squeal of delighted laughter.

"I'm not surprised. That was incredible," Teddie told her honestly, arms still around Ryne, and Muriel smiled.

"Thank you, but it's all thanks to my daughter," she put an arm around Zoey, proud of her. "You know…" Muriel looked up at Teddie again. "Our mothers went to the same high school," Teddie's smile faded a little in surprise, as Ryne and Zoey looked at each other in surprise.

"Briarwood or Reefside?" Teddie asked, trying to think who the woman's own mother could be.

"Reefside. I followed in her footsteps as a reporter," Muriel smiled, and realisation dawned on Teddie's face.

"Cassidy, right?" she guessed, and Muriel's smile grew wider as she nodded in confirmation.

"Hey Muriel!" she looked around as her boss called her over, and excused herself quickly.

"Now that's an interesting coincidence," Teddie considered, unable to stop her laughter as Ryne and Zoey looked even more surprised. "You know, mum told me that Cassidy got footage of the Dino Thunder Rangers in their final battle? And she handed it over to them knowing what it would do to their lives," she told them, and Zoey's eyes widened.

"Grandma did?" she breathed, stunned at the revelation. "She always told me that she met the Dino Thunder Rangers…" Zoey murmured.

"Seems your mum followed in her footsteps more than she realised," Nate considered, and Zoey smiled widely, even more proud of her family.


While the Rangers chatted excitedly, still at the news station, Teddie couldn't help but smile as she watched them.

"Miss it?" Heckyl guessed as he saw her, but Teddie shook her head.

"Not really," she admitted. "I thought I might when I saw them, but I don't miss being a Ranger on a team like that," she shrugged. "I was worried about Ryne becoming a Ranger, especially with what's happened to Ashe, but it looks like she's settled in well," Teddie considered, and he nodded beside her, looking over. Ryne was laughing at something that Steel had said, looking comfortable with her team.

"She's more like you than you think," Heckyl muttered, and Teddie couldn't help but laugh.

"All Rangers are reckless, not just me," she defended, and he snorted. That was putting it lightly.

"So, any more excursions to the Magical Realm planned?" Heckyl asked, changing the subject. Teddie shook her head.

"Nah, Nora's team have it handled. Especially with Morgan around," she said. She was glad for the half-Fae who she'd befriended. She was powerful, and Teddie was rarely called into action when she was around. "What about you? Right back to work at SPD?" she asked, looking up at him.

"As tempting as it is to continue tormenting Kayden," Heckyl started, which made Teddie giggle. "I think I'll take some time off. Nate has all the information he needs to monitor Devon's recovery, and I think Ryne is tired of having us around," he said, and Teddie's smile grew. She reached up, gripping his coat to pull him closer.

"Sounds great," she whispered, and he kissed her, pulling her into him. The two didn't often spend a lot of time apart, but they'd missed each other, even if they tormented one another almost constantly.

"Do you have to do that here?" Ryne asked, interrupting the pair as she approached, looking disgusted.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Teddie laughed, unapologetic. "We'll be out of your hair soon," she promised. Ryne tried not to look too relieved. She loved her parents, but they were chaos to be around. "And Ryne," she pulled Ryne a little closer. "Being a Ranger isn't something that I wanted for you, but it suits you," Teddie told her, and Ryne smiled bashfully at her.

"It wasn't something I planned on, but…thanks, mum," she said. "I think I understand your stories better now too," Ryne added, looking over at her team.

"Just know that if you date a Ranger, I'm grounding you forever," Heckyl warned her seriously, and Teddie started to laugh as Ryne managed to look both exasperated and disgusted.

"Definitely not. They're like older brothers. And a little brother…who's way taller than me," she said, looking over at her team.

"You can't always control it. Pretty much every team has at least one couple. Being a Ranger puts things in perspective," Teddie warned, looking up at Heckyl with a soft smile. He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah well, not me. Nate and Zoey already have whatever it is that's going on there, so I think I'm safe," Ryne replied firmly, very much unwilling to even consider the idea of dating one of her team. Especially when they'd called her the 'baby of the team'.

"Good," Heckyl nodded, satisfied. Teddie shook her head, not even surprised.

"You married a Ranger, don't be a hypocrite," she told him.

"I married you despite your past," he retorted haughtily, and Ryne sighed as things once again devolved into chaos. She looked over at her own team again, and couldn't help but smile, knowing that they could be just as bad.


I hope you like it!

I won't be updating until the new year, as I'm away to stay with family until just after Christmas. So happy holidays!