Title: New In Town
Author: Dingo
Summary: Lothor decides to split up the team. As a result, three Rangers are sent back in time – to 1995 – and hundreds of miles away – to Angel Grove.
Timeline: Just after The Wild Wipeout, just after Stop the Hate Master.
Disclaimer: If you recognise it, I don't own it. I would like to own everything though, but then Power Rangers wouldn't be rated G/PG.
Warning: there is slash in here. If you don't know what that is, it is a homosexual relationship. To be precise, two. Possibly three, I haven't thought ahead quite that far.
Pairings as determined by me: Adam/Rocky, Hunter/Dustin, Cam/?
Hunter landed a few feet into the mass of trees, and quickly demorphed. The dark red of his suit stood out more than a plain crimson shirt and black pants did. "Dustin!" he called softly. "You here?"
"Up here, dude," a slightly hushed voice said. Hunter glanced up, and the Yellow Ranger smiled down at him through the tree's leaves. "Hi."
Hunter had no time to respond as he heard voices coming towards the mini-forest. He waved frantically at Dustin, and he took the hint, slinking gracefully - despite what was probably a concussion - to a tree branch that hid him better from the people below.
Hunter had enough time to school his face into an indifferent look as he pushed his way through the foliage so he would be just visible to outside.
"Hey! You!" he heard. He turned slightly, etching a confused expression on his face. The two men came over, both breathing only a touch heavy. Evidently they had sprinted the distance between them and here, and obviously they were both in good shape. "You seen a guy, about so tall-" one demonstrated, holding a hand an inch or two above his own head, "-brown, kinda messy hair, wearing like, biking stuff?"
Hunter purposefully knitting his eyebrows and made his expression look even more confused. _Thank you Sensei Omino for giving me Spanish lessons. And thank you Shane for extending on those lessons._ He jabbered on in quick Spanish, saying nothing really of importance – mainly things like 'I don't understand you, sorry'.
The two guys exchanged glances before the second one started to speak. It took Hunter a moment to realise he was speaking Spanish, and was pretty much translating what had just been said. Evidently this guy was not going to leave well enough alone until he got a definite yes or no answer.
The Crimson Ranger waited until the second guy had pretty much repeated himself several times, before shaking his head. "No."
"Gracias por su ayuda," Rocky said sarcastically, nerves stretching tight with the rapid appearance and disappearance of the strangely-dressed man.
Hunter scowled at his back as they both left. He had been here for all of ten minutes and he already wanted to go home. Quickly.
"Dustin!" he called again, making sure to keep his voice low enough so Spanish-speaking-dude and his friend didn't hear. "Clear."
The Yellow Ranger dropped to the ground unceremoniously, hitting feet first before falling to land on his butt. "Ow."
Hunter walked over and kneeled beside him. "You okay?"
Dustin smiled at him weakly, absently noting that the speckled light filtered through the trees made Hunter looked like he had a halo. "You look like an angel, love," he murmured, raising one hand to run a knuckle against Hunter's cheek.
Hunter blinked. That was a very unlike-Dustin thing to say.
"I think I have a concussion."
Hunter nodded. "That would explain it."
Dustin sent him a puzzled look. "Explain what?"
"I look like an angel?" Hunter smiled.
Dustin rolled his eyes. "I can be romantic, you know."
Hunter simply raised an eyebrow.
"My life were better ended by their hate, than death prorogued, wanting of thy love," Dustin offered. "Romeo and Juliet."
Hunter blinked in a rather long pause afterwards. "You memorised Shakespeare?"
"How did you get here, anyway?" Dustin asked, slightly embarrassed.
Hunter shrugged, assisting Dustin to his feet. "That skunk got me too."
The two began to exit the tree line, pushing their way through thorns and branches with periodical winces. "So…what do we do now?" Dustin asked.
The Crimson Ranger only blinked, before pointing in front of them. "Ask Cam."
Cameron Watanabe was having a very bad day.
He turned lightly on his heels, scouting the land quickly. Obviously that blaster had been designed to transport people over distance – perhaps over time. After having already gone back in time once, he wasn't going to rule it out.
He sighed, already resigned to the fact that he was pretty much alone here…wherever and whenever here was.
That was until he had turned one-eighty degrees, and noticed two figures jogging towards him.
"Demorph," Hunter hissed softly, glancing around as well to make sure no one was around.
Cam did so, his suit fading in a flash of green. "Where are we?"
Hunter shrugged, before Dustin piped up, "Angel Grove Park."
Hunter glanced at him quizzically. "How did you know that?"
"Adam and Rocky – those two guys – told me."
Cam looked upwards, to see that the sun was hovering close to the horizon. "It'd probably be what, maybe five, six o'clock?" he reasoned. "We should probably look out for some kind of place to stay."
Dustin yawned. "And dudes, I'm beat."
Hunter raised an eyebrow. "Dustin, you have a concussion. I don't think you should sleep."
Cam glanced back at Dustin, and quickly took in the rather glassy look in his friend's eyes. "We keep you awake tonight, and we'll get somewhere for you to sleep tomorrow."
Dustin groaned, but stayed quiet.
Hunter pointed off towards a bike path that curled over a rise that hid them from the rest of the park. "Follow that to civilisation?"
Cam nodded, starting forward before stopping. "Uh, guys? Any idea what year this is?"
Dustin and Hunter both looked blank.
The Green Ranger sighed. "We need to find a newspaper stand or something, find out when we are."
When both his friends still looked blank Cam started walking while pulling something out of his pocket. He opened his wallet and started glancing though the notes inside. "Half my money's from 2000," he explained, holding up a few dollar bills.
Both Hunter and Dustin's faces lit up with understanding. "It'd be kinda stupid to use 2000 money if it's only 1999," Hunter concluded.
"Bravo," Cam said sarcastically.
Dustin frowned. "It's got to be nineteen-nineties or later," he thought out loud. "One of those guys was wearing a 'No Fear' shirt, they only started making those in 1992."
Cam blinked at the new knowledge. "So you can't even look at your Tsunami Cycles on my computer without blowing it up, but you know when a brand of T-shirt was first made?"
The Yellow Ranger shrugged sheepishly. "If it helps, I heard a concussion can actually make you smarter?" he offered.
"Trust me Dustin, you can't get any worse."
Hunter was smacked in the back of the head for that comment.
"I bags the couch," Cam stated, immediately falling face-first onto said piece of furniture.
Hunter raised an eyebrow at Cam's position. "I'm fairly sure you could die there, bro. You might want to roll over," he suggested.
"Mmfph," Cam growled into the side of the couch, but he allowed himself to roll over and breathe again.
Hunter shook his head before ducking into the door adjacent to the kitchen. "Bathroom's through here," he called out.
Dustin plodded in before collapsing onto the queen size bed. "Can I go to sleep yet?" he complained, throwing an arm over his eyes.
Cam checked his watch. He had glanced at a clock which said that in local time it was just after ten pm. His watch on the other hand still ran on Blue Bay time – and it said that it was nearly midnight. "You've been awake for five hours," he reasoned. "If you haven't seen any wavy lines, then go to sleep. Hunter can wake you up every couple of hours," he yawned. The promise of sleep was starting to look pretty darn appealing. He yawned again before getting up and opening the closet just beside the small TV set. "You need any blankets?" he asked Dustin, holding up a thick blue one as he kept digging.
Cam only got a small snore in response.
The Samurai Ranger simply rolled his eyes before throwing the blanket on the couch and poking his head into the bathroom. Hunter was still in there, busily checking out what was under the sink. "Make sure to wake up Dustin every couple of hours," he reminded him.
"Why do I get the baby-sitting job?" Hunter frowned, glancing up to lock eyes with Cam in the mirror.
Cam sighed. "Because you're the one next to him. If I do it I'll end up waking both of you, and then all three of us will be bitchy tomorrow."
"But you're always bitchy," he heard Hunter mutter as he headed back to his makeshift bed.
Hunter smiled as he took in Dustin lying on the…well, _their_ bed. He'd figured that the first time he and Dustin would share a bed it'd be a little more personal than this; he'd always pictured an empty couch, he frowned, taking in the black hair that was just visible over the blankets.
His gaze turned back to Dustin and his expression softened again. He looked so much like a little boy, spread out carelessly and still in shoes and all. He carefully removed both Dustin's shoes and socks before removing his own, plus his shirt. He climbed into the bed, making sure he didn't wake up Dustin.
As sleep eluded him for a few more moments, he propped himself up to watch the Yellow Ranger sleep, and to think.
It had taken quite a while to find a hotel that they could both afford and that didn't look like a dump. The one they'd decided on was small, but had everything they'd need. It was a simple two-room arrangement; couch and bed on one side, kitchenette on the other, and a bathroom attached.
They'd found out it was 1995 from a newspaper in a hotel lobby, and luckily enough both Hunter and Dustin had a decent amount of cash from before then. Cam could only chip in a few dollars, so it was obvious one of them would need to get money flowing somehow.
They'd all decided sleep was best before they started anything, and they'd had enough money to pay for the room. Cam had then tried a few of his post-1995 bills in a vending machine, and luckily enough they'd worked. So as long as they had vending machines, they also had a steady supply of food. But Hunter could tell they couldn't survive for long off chocolate bars and Doritos – they needed some real, decent food.
Hunter sighed as he dropped his head and stared aimlessly at Dustin's face outlined by light coming in from the window. He'd worry tomorrow. A whole new day to get spoiled by dark clouds over their heads.
He had to smile though as Dustin muttered slightly in his sleep before rolling towards him. He pressed a quick kiss to Dustin's forehead before pulling him in closer.
If Cam woke up he could always explain it as sleep-induced.
Dustin started slightly as he was shaken awake. Hunter smiled down at him. "Hey, babe."
Dustin yawned, turning his head slightly to see the alarm clock on his bedside table. He groaned as he stared at blank wall, remembering he wasn't in his own bed at home, but in some strange place with Cam and Hunter. "What time is it?"
"Three a.m."
The Yellow Ranger sighed as he snuggled deeper into the blankets. "You don't have to do this, Hunter, I'm fine," he protested.
Hunter sucked in a breath as Dustin's hands scuttled over his sides. "You have a concussion," he argued. "You're not _fine_."
He received a naughty smile in return. "Does that mean you don't think I'm fine?" Dustin asked innocently.
Hunter shook his head in despair. "I'm not going to win with you, am I?"
"Nope," Dustin said simply.
Hunter mock-growled at him before burying his face into a warm shoulder.
Dustin drew in a sharp breath. "Your nose is cold, dude," he complained.
The Thunder Ranger shrugged, still nuzzled into Dustin's neck. "I kinda figured the first time we'd share a bed it'd be a little more private than this," he muttered.
Dustin sighed. "I hear that."
Hunter raised his head to glance over at Cam, the young Asian sleeping on the sofa with the blankets pulled up to his chest. "Argh," he sighed. "I need a drink."
He crawled out of bed, regretting the action as soon as his feet found the floor. It was freezing. More than that, it was a wonder Cam wasn't frozen solid.
A light snore followed Hunter into the kitchen, and he turned to see Dustin had already dropped back off to dreamland. He shook his head and shivered once before grabbing a glass. He turned on the tap, and his mind flowed like the water. Again. For a night where he should be sleeping he sure was doing a lot of thinking.
What were they going to do? It wasn't likely that this city – more like a town – would have some kind of extreme sports shop like Storm Chargers back home for Dustin and himself to work in. Or some kind of place where Cam could use his computer skills. They had covered nearly the entire town in their search for a hotel, and if there had been a store like that they would have found it.
Hunter sighed and finished off the water as he mentally shrugged. They were all in good shape. They could probably apply for a labouring job if there was nothing else available.
He dumped the empty glass in the sink and wiped his eyes. He really hoped Cam would allow them both to sleep in for a while, considering the fact that they'd be awake on-and-off during the night. Speaking of Cam…
Hunter sighed as he took in the Samurai Ranger's position on the couch. He was curled up into himself, the blankets barely covering his chest. "Silly prick," he muttered, lightly brushing a few short hairs off Cam's forehead. "Don't want you freezing to death. Imagine what Sensei would say." He lightly pulled the blankets up higher on Cam's body before straightening. Cam looked so tired; even beyond the fact that it was late and they were stuck in some warped-up time.
_You've been working too hard, my friend,_ Hunter thought with an exasperated shake of the head. Cam, not satisfied with only being the Samurai Ranger, was still working for hours at a time in Ninja Ops., convinced that the Zords would blow up if he wasn't there to monitor them. Quite honestly, he couldn't figure out why Cam didn't attempt to teach some of them a few of the basic things about his damn computer.
_Can you imagine Dustin designing a new mode for the Megazord? Or heck, even Shane?_
_I'd volunteer. Blake knows a lot of computer basics. Or hey, Tori seems good enough with that kind of stuff._
_Think later, Hunter. Sleep now._
As if to prove the point, his body took that moment to let out a yawn. Hunter rolled his eyes. _I can take a hint._
He clambered back into bed, making sure that the blankets were firmly up around Dustin's chin before kissing him on the forehead. "Love ya, Dust," Hunter murmured into his hair.
"Mmm…tomorrow, dude," Dustin's sleepy voice came back.
Hunter muttered back an assent before enclosing Dustin's body with his arms.
The Yellow Ranger gave an unseen, soft smile before snuggling back into Hunter's nice, warm body heat.
Cam never dreamed at night. If he fell asleep at his computer during daylight hours he would have the weirdest dreams, a reoccurring one having all the other Rangers suddenly transformed into guinea pigs like his father. But if he actually climbed into bed, pulled up the covers, took off his glasses and fell asleep, there was nothing.
Which is why, at nearly five in the morning, when he woke up, he didn't even bother asking himself if he was dreaming.
Dustin and Hunter were cuddled up like a married couple.
Cam just shook his head and decided that it was just a hallucination.
He couldn't bear the thought of going back to bed so he clambered out and headed for the bathroom. He could always grab a shower before anyone else was awake.
As he searched the mini-room for a razor his mind wandered. They knew they were in Angel Grove, – wherever that was – in 1995. Judging by the room temperature it was also probably winter or autumn, or they were in Canada. Cam sighed. It was going to be a bugger figuring out how to get home if they were thousands of miles away from Blue Bay Harbour. Just like in scientific experiments – change only one variable.
He blinked. A scientific experiment that could send them back to 2003 and Blue Bay, even further into the past or possibly blow up space-time continuum as they knew it.
And to top it all off, they didn't even have razors in hotel rooms here.
Cam sighed. "Fan-bloody-tastic," he muttered.
And to think it was only five-ten in the morning. This day was not starting off well.
The tiny refrigerator started whirring at the same time a door down the hall slammed. Dustin was blinking awake then, the room still faintly blurry before he wiped sleep from his eyes.
"I was wondering whether either of you would wake up at all today," an unamused voice said from the foot of their bed.
Dustin simply groaned and dropped his head to his pillow…which was moving. He might not have had the brains of Cam, but he knew that pillows didn't usually move. He slowly raised his head and turned suspiciously, before dropping again when he took in Hunter's gently rising chest. "What time is it?" he mumbled into the fabric of Hunter's shirt.
"I'm assuming you're asking the time," Cam's voice said again. "It's past eight."
Hunter awoke with a snort, blinking as he took in a greying ceiling. He winked hard a few times attempting to regain the senses dulled by sleep. "Hiya," he blinked at Cam.
"Good morning. Would you like lunch in bed?" Cam asked, ever present sarcasm dripping as he surveyed the rumpled duo in the bed. Having had nearly three hours to take in the rather novel sight of Hunter and Dustin snuggled up like puppies, he didn't comment on exactly how…together, for lack of a better word, they looked.
Hunter rolled over, throwing an arm over Dustin's chest. "Mebbe layder," he muttered sleepily.
Dustin nodded absently, smoothing the light hair just above his shoulder.
Cam rolled his eyes at the lazy pair. 'Pssh.'
Then again, they had been awake for what probably equated to about an hour. That was if Hunter had done what he was supposed to do last night – wake up Dustin every couple of hours. Cam shrugged. If he had they could have a sleep in. If they didn't…Hunter would need all the rest he could to face up to the lecture he was going to get.
As he started folding his own blankets from the night before he faintly realised Hunter had gone back to sleep easily, but Dustin was still awake and watching him.
"What?"
Dustin attempted to shrug before he realised that he would probably wake up Hunter. He settled for a slight movement of one shoulder that Cam took as a normal shrug.
"Just kinda figured you'd say something."
Cam raised an eyebrow. "About…"
"Me and Hunter." Dustin wriggled slightly, but Cam couldn't tell whether or not it was to move into or away from the Crimson Ranger.
"As in how you look so cute together?" he asked sarcastically.
Dustin looked puzzled.
Cam sighed. "What exactly is 'you and Hunter'? Are you together or do you just look like it?"
"The first one."
"I didn't know so I didn't say anything."
"And now you know?" Dustin pressed.
Cam rolled his eyes. "Does Blake know about you two?"
"I dunno."
"Shane? Tori?"
"Not from me, dude."
"As long as I'm not the last to know." Cam opened the door to the mini-closet and stashed his now-folded blanket before turning to see Dustin watching him. "What?"
"You're not, like, mad?"
"Why would I be mad?"
Dustin bit his lip, and buried his face back into Hunter's shoulder. Cam took that as the end to the conversation, and returned to folding sheets.
"You met my dad," he heard Dustin say quietly. Cam still continued folding the sheets but did it robotically, hearing a note in Dustin's voice that he had never heard before. "He and my mom divorced when I was eight. Mom got a girlfriend about a year ago and Dad's been ape ever since." Cam stopped folding when he heard a muted sob from the bed. He bit his own lip and debated the best way to react when he heard Dustin's voice again. "I told him a week ago that I liked another guy, and he pretty much disowned me."
Cam was uncharacteristically silent as he tried to figure out how to respond. All the computers in the world couldn't give him a good reply to any of that. He sighed and threw himself onto the couch and stared at the roof. In the dreary grey tile he suddenly found an answer.
"I never suspected that you and Hunter were together. Going back I can see a lot of little things – like how he stayed behind with that whole Marah thing. But even then I could tell you both were unbreakable, that neither of you would give up your friendship for anything." Cam turned a little so he was looking at the bed, and he could just see a pair of brown eyes looking back at him. "I envied that so much. And it wasn't even so much that you guys were such good friends, it was just that I wanted something constant like that for me. Someone that would always be there." Cam gave a soft smile, which seemed a little strange on a face that usually was home to a smirk or exasperation. "And I can tell that no matter what happened with your dad, Hunter'll always be there for you. Not even needing to mention the other Rangers."
"And you?"
Dustin sounded a little unsure of himself, like he was wondering why he was asking, while still managing to have that little note of childlike trust. Cam nodded. "And me."
He heard Dustin sigh, and wriggle around a little.
"Thanks, Cam."
"No problem, Dustin."