I do not own Power Rangers: Jungle Fury

Dom and Fran are adorbs.

Places in Books

Where Should We Go First?


"Soooo . . ."

Dominic Marcus Hargan is rubbing his broad hands together, eager face full of anticipation.

". . . where should we go first?"

And Frannie finds herself instantly lost and bewildered.

Nobody ever asks me that.

"Oh . . ."

She tries to find her aplomb, something she has never had . . .

". . . um, well . . ."

. . . once in her young life.

". . . where is there?"

And Dominic's grin widens.

Overdramatically strokes his now serious chin with a contemplative hand.

"Let's see."

Pivots slowly.

"That way is Amsterdam . . . That way is Germany . . . That way is Switzerland . . . Annnd that way is Paris."

"Paris? As in France?"

He nods, turning back to her.

"And of course there's still Brussels itself. I mean, this is a great city, Fran."

Smile fond.

"So, you pick."

Hands out. World wide open.

"What do you want?"

And he really seems to want to . . .

He's looking right at me.

Like, at me at me.

. . . find out.

And she really hates to say it.

It seems so . . . uninspired.

But that doesn't make it any less true.

And so she confesses.

"Food. I'm hungry."

Quiet chuckle from her traveling companion.

-companion. Hee.

"Okay. I know just the thing. Come on."

And he grabs her hand . . .

Oh, he's touching me.

. . . and guides her in the direction he wants her to go.


It's gooey with syrup.

Somehow crispy at the same time.

And buttery.

Like, on the inside.

Powered sugar too, she thinks.

And it smells absolutively posilutely like heaven.

So sweet, so crispy, so flavorful . . .

"Oh my gosh, Dominic!"

. . . she thinks she might die.

But at that moment, it would be totally worth it.

Oh my gosh-

Thankfully she lives and after devouring every last delicious, delectable, delightful morsel . . .

"That was soooooo good!"

. . . she just manages to wipe her mouth and her hands.

Pretty sure her eyes are glazed over with joy and the best sugar rush ever.

"I . . . I cannot believe waffles can taste like that! All I ever have is Eggo!"

Dominic grins, wiping his own mouth with a paper napkin.

Nodding along with her.

"You can get them all day around here," he informs her. "Well, that and frites."

And she stares at him.

"All day! You can get them all day?!"

He nods again, clearly amused with her obvious bewilderment.

"Just about."

And she cannot think straight.

"But they're so good!"

And then she's struck by another thought.

"Wait, what are 'frites'?"

Dominic's grin widens.

"Belgian fries. Always fresh. Fried in this special oil. So many different dipping sauces."

And Fran feels her eyes widen 'til they're in danger of falling right out of her head.

"Oh, my gosh, I'm going to get so fat on this trip!"

Easy laugh from the one who brought her to this culinary paradise.

"Well, one, that'd be fine."

As he rises from their wall perch.

"And, two, not with all the walking we're going to be doing."

Adjusts his pack on his shoulders.

"Come on."

And grabs her hand . . .

Oh my gosh-

. . . again.

"I want to show you something."


They've seen the Mannekin Pis.

"How many statues of peeing kids are there in Europe?"

"Well, one was a dog."

"Well, yeah. But still . . ."

Three of them actually.

And they've seen The Grand Place. The Royal Palace.

The House of European History.

The Cathedral of St. Michael.

"It's so peaceful in here, Dom."

"Yeah. I could literally just sit for hours just looking at everything and listening to the quiet."

They have strolled alleys of street graffiti art.

Seen some residents roasting . . .

"What is that?"

"I don't know. Maybe cat."

"Cat?!"

. . . some creature on a spit.

The Mont des Arts Gardens.

The big atom thing.

They've wandered all over the city, hours and hours and hours.

"Where are we going now?"

And Frances Faye Fugleman has just followed in the steps of the one who always seems to know exactly where he's going and where he is . . .

"I'm not sure."

. . . all the time.

"I think we're kinda lost."

Or maybe not.

"But don't worry."

Either way . . .

"Sometimes the best things happen to you when you think you're lost."

. . . since he was Dom . . .

"And sometimes you sleep in the park."

. . . she was sticking with him.

"Oh hey, look at that."

Since she had no idea what she was doing.

"Come on. Let's go."

And she really rather liked it all anyway.

They had stayed out all night.

Well, maybe not all night.

But definitely later than Fran ever stayed out.

Even when closing the pizza shop.

They had walked past disco clubs and restaurants and cafes and coffee shops full of light and food.

Outdoor dining and indoor dining and one such place . . .

"How do you do that?"

. . . where the hungry patrons actually . . .

"I don't know. Maybe they all have fish powers."

. . . dined underwater.

They had eaten themselves.

Well, not themselves.

They had eaten.

Belgian fries with . . .

"What's that?"

"Nah, I'm not going to tell you until you've tried it first. Just trust me."

"Oh. My. Gosh, Dominic! This is delicious!"

"Ha! Told you!"

. . . Andalouse sauce.

And free samples of . . .

"Oh my gosh, Dom! You've got to try this!"

"Okay. Here. You try mine too."

. . . the richest, most decadent chocolate she's ever tasted in her life.

"Oh wow-"

"Right?!"

"That's really good!"

And now just as she was sure they were going to have to sleep in the park under the stars side by side next to one another-

Oh my goodness-

-something truly extraordinary happened.

"Bonjour, les amis . . ."

Dominic met two complete and absolute strangers.

"Savez-vous où nous pourrions trouver un endroit pour dormir ce soir?"

Who within minutes invited them into their apartment . . .

"Dominic? How did you do that?"

. . . and offered them a room for the night.

"I just said 'hi'."

"You said more than that."

And . . .

"Besides, how do you know it's safe?"

"I can just tell with people. It's a gift."

. . . a shower.

"What about that time when Camille tricked you into thinking she was a human being attacked by the Renshi?"

"Except that."


I do not suggest using this procedure to find a place to sleep at night. Nowhere is Paradise, Dragon Tattoo can tell you that.

But this is not reality. It's fiction. ;)

Thanks to Seth A. Mincberg and DinahRay for reviewing the first chapter. I appreciate that very much. :)