Ninja/Dino Thunder Storm

A/N: Hey guys, I don't know about you but I am just loving these two-team stories, I hope I can work it in more but for now let's just enjoy this one. R&R PLZ!

After the Motocross tournament the girls left while the guys stayed behind to take some free runs on the track. Now they were making their way back to lab to join the ladies and relax before the Ninjas had to head home.

"Now THAT, was fun," Dustin commented. "No monsters or world-saving, just some easy time on the track."

"I'm surprised you're not upset that Dr. O showed you up big time," Trent laughed. Tommy held up his hands as if to hold back applause.

"Yeah Dr. O, you really know your way around a bike," Conner complimented his teacher.

"Seriously," Ethan joined in, "especially since you told me you raced cars in college."

"Power ranger," was all Tommy said but they understood.

"I cannot wait to kick back," Blake stretched.

"We better make the most of this before we have to go," Hunter noted.

"I bet this wasn't much fun for our resident techie," Shane slung an arm around Cam. "Motocross isn't really your thing is it?"

Cam just shrugged, "Anything to get away from the computers for a little while."

Not wanting to go all the way around to Valencia Road, they trekked through the woods to the lab's back entrance. They laughed and joked all the way to the second door but stopped when they heard giggling on the other side then what sounded like Tori's voice saying, "That is just hilarious!"

"You know I changed my mind, I think we can afford to stay out here for a while," Blake grinned.

"I'm with you bro," Hunter winked and the brothers bumped fists.

Dustin and Shane jerked their head and said unison, "Fine by me."

"I have to admit I am a bit curious," Trent made a semi-intrigued face.

"I'm down, you?" Ethan looked Conner.

"Of course," Conner said eagerly.

"I don't know if we should be doing this," Cameron hesitated.

"COME ON!" chanted the boys.

"I'm with Cam on this one," Tommy eyed the door apprehensively. "Let's just say I know for a fact that nothing good can come of this, ESPECIALLY if they catch us." It might've been their imagination but the younger rangers could have sworn they saw the veteran swallow at the thought.

"As long as we're quiet they can't possibly notice us. Please Cam… Dr. O…" Ethan begged. Cam and Tommy cut glances at each other. Cam nodded while Tommy heaved sigh and mumbled something about hair jokes. They dropped to the ground and listened in.

Kira – "Do you and Blake see each other often?"

Tori – "We try our best, but in between teaching, his motocross, my surfing, it all comes down to whenever we have the time. We somehow manage, nights are typically free."

Hayley – "Typically free for what?" Blake made that burning hiss sound and avoiding looking at the others.

Hunter tapped his shoulder, "Still think this was a good idea?" Rather than answer Blake silently held up a finger then pointed to the door.

Tori – "That is between Blake and me."

Marah – "Dustin and I have a standing date every other Friday, you should join us sometime. We can go doubles; watch a movie or something."

Tori – "We'll see. Like I said, our schedules are pretty all over the place."

Kira – "What about Shane and Hunter?"

Tori – "I worry about Shane. I hope one day he'll find someone. Sometimes it feels like he's holding on to Skyla."

Shane's head thudded against the wall dully, "I'm not holding on to her… but I'm not forgetting her either." The guys gave him expressions of sympathy.

Tori – "As for Hunter… you know I actually have no idea."

Kapri – really fast "He's not seeing anyone."

Marah – "How do you know?"

Marah – "Kap…are you trying to say -"

Kapri – "I'm not saying anything, just curious. It was a question."

Hayley – "It didn't sound like one."

Kira – "Kapri do you have something you want to share with the class?"

Hayley – "See THAT was a question."

Kapri – "Well I may possibly, perhaps, be interested in the crimson ranger…and I might have reason to believe it's not exactly one-sided."

"Really Kap?" Hunter snorted softly, not at all embarrassed. "How much reason do you need?"

Blake stared at him in shock, "DUDE! Are you with Kapri?"

Marah – gasps "Woman are you with Hunter?! DETAILS NOW! Inquiring minds must know!"

Blake nodded vigorously, "Yeah what she said!"

Kapri – "First of all, Marah take a breath. Second of all, I am NOT with Hunter. We had an encounter of sorts."

Tori – "You are so not getting away with just that, you at least need to give us the story."

Kapri – "That is between Hunter and me. All I'll say is that the time he and Blake came to teach some extra-curricular lessons, I signed up for Hunter's advanced combat class and some other things may have also…advanced."

Hunter tilted his head, "Fair enough. You heard that right?" he added while looking at Blake and jerking his thumb to the door. The navy ranger glowered at his brother for withholding this vital piece of information.

Hayley – "Is Cam seeing anyone?"

Tori – "Not that I know of, although there is this really nice girl back at the academy whose had her eye on him. I think her name is Jessica or something."

"It is Jessica," Cam answered the unspoken question. "No we are not dating but I plan on asking her to dinner sometime."

"Look at you," Dustin razzed. "Romancing the ladies and ditching the computers. I mean where is Cam?"

"I'm still a geek at heart," Cam mock-reassured him.

Marah – "Shane, Dustin, Blake, Hunter, and Cam – yep got them all."

Kira – "God I can barely put up with the four on our team and that's with Hayley around to stop me from punching them out."

Tori – "It's easier now with Marah and Kap but in the beginning I was all by myself. It was a nightmare!"

Kapri – "So spill, who's with who?"

Kira – "Honestly? At this point, no one is with anyone. Connor wants to be this girl Krista. Ethan probably wants to marry a video game. Trent has a lot going on so he most likely doesn't want to add a girl on top of the bargain, and Dr. O…is just Dr. O – mind you he's not that much older than us so he still has time."

Marah – "That's actually been bothering me, isn't he too young to be a doctor?"

Kira – "If you do the ranger math yeah. In '97 he graduated from high school and its 2004 now so how he got a doctorate in just seven years is anyone's guess. He certainly won't tell. Not that anyone at school is complaining, he's the top eye candy for every female in the building including our principal."

Tommy, who was very smug up until those last three words, grimaced, "Kira just had to mention Randall."

"I think it's kind of sweet," Ethan grinned.

"I'll bring her to yours and Detonation Man's wedding," Tommy snorted.

Hayley – "Pretty accurate, although I'm sure Ethan won't marry a video game."

"THANK YOU HAYLEY!"

Hayley – "At least I hope he won't."

"Good grief," Ethan groused while the others stifled their laughs.

Tori – "So neither of you are the least bit interested in your guys?"

Kira – "I was sort of interested in Trent but that didn't pan out."

Hayley – "What about Conner?"

Kira – "God no, Dr. O is – meep!" The guys' jaws were practically unhinged. Tommy appeared to have been petrified with shock.

Marah – "Dr. Oliver is what Kira?"

Tori – "Better? Smarter? Hotter?" Tommy's eye twitched, far from being smug he appeared ready to have a nervous breakdown.

Hayley – astonished "Kira…"

Tori – "Looks like someone got caught with their hand in the candy jar."

Kapri – "Your teacher? Tsk, tsk Kira."

Kira – "Look who's talking?"

Kapri – "Hunter's not actually my teacher and we're technically not dating."

Kira – "Well I'm not dating Dr. O and he won't be my teacher for long."

Hayley – "Sounds like you put some thought into this."

Marah – "Aw let the girl have her eye candy in peace. It sounds cute to me."

Kira – "Thank you Marah."

Tori – "Kira Oliver – hmm I rather like the sound of that." Tommy's eyes bugged out and he made a dry hacking sound as if he couldn't breathe.

Blake scrambled to his side, "Dr. O relax, she's kidding I swear." Tommy nodded stupidly.

"I can't believe I got knocked aside for you," Trent grumbled playfully.

That helped bring the black ranger out of it, "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Well what do you have that I don't?" Trent demanded.

"A PhD and successful career as a power ranger," Tommy shot back.

"I'm going to be successful artist and businessman and my power ranger career is eerily similar to yours so far so I might be like you someday!"

"Someday being the operative word," Tommy smirked. "I'm all of what I said right now and there is nothing like the original. Just remember I held YOUR colour first."

Trent snorted, "So what? You can say that about Cam too and whaddya know you were red twice so there's Shane AND Connor. Green, white, red, red, black; sounds like a ranger identity crisis to me."

"You were a green?" Cam asked.

"In the very beginning," Tommy confirmed.

"Don't worry you can still brag to Jessica about being the one and only samurai ranger," Shane laughed.

"Better hurry up though, you never know when there will be more," Ethan warned.

"At least you don't have to worry about that," Connor snickered. "You can pick up your dates on clearance at Reefside Games." That earned quite a few chuckles from everyone except Ethan.

"At least there's upside to that – no rejections," Blake deadpanned.

"And they won't leave you," Shane muttered bitterly.

"I'm sorry bro, you really miss her," Dustin frowned.

"It's insane. We were together for only a short while but she just…" Shane breathed, "I'll get over it somehow, maybe I should ask Kap out." The mood immediately lightened and Hunter shoved the red rangers. "What? She's available!"

"Not to you," Hunter growled mock-menacingly.

"Whoa big brother getting possessive," Blake cackled. "You two should go on that double date with Marah and Dustin."

"Why? I was under the impression you weren't doing much at night." Blake tackled Hunter and everyone laughed eventually getting pulled into a mock fight of sorts. It was probably the noise or maybe Hayley had a camera installed outside the lab but suddenly the door opened and all the women towered over the men on the floor. They scrambled to stand and dust themselves off while the girls remained silent with their arms crossed.

Kira pinned each one of her teammates with stare, "What were you doing?"

Conner smiled innocently, "Nothing, just messing around." They all nodded in agreement.

Hayley shook her head, "Tommy you are a grown man – you should know better."

Tommy smiled crookedly, "Hey I'm allowed to have fun too."

Hayley's expression dropped, "No I meant you should know we're not THAT stupid."

With that the wall slid shut on them and Tori shouted through it, "Have fun walking all the way around boys!"

Disgruntled by heavily relieved, they began to trudge back but Tommy kept looking around. Ethan asked, "What's wrong Dr. O?"

"We got off easy, way too easy." No sooner had those words left his mouth they heard the infamous pterodactyl scream that had them plugging their ears as it echoed off the stone walls followed by the sound of rushing water and turned to see a low but fast oncoming wave of water heading towards them.

"RUN!" Blake shouted. They began sprinting to exit but they couldn't outrun the wave which was bone-chillingly cold. The boys were washed out of the cave passage into the woods cold, wet, ears still ringing.

"They took it well," Cam remarked sarcastically trying to find something to dry his glasses on.

"It was worth it," Blake said stoutly although the dignity was somewhat dented by the squelch of his shoes.

"You called it Dr. O," Ethan wiped his face.

Hunter shook his arms of the excess water, "Yeah how did you know?"

Tommy disgustedly touched the wet gel mess that was once his spikes, "I'll tell you on the way back." He gestured for them to get going, "We're not the only ones. For me, it all started one day at the Juice Bar…"

Back in the lab, the girls watched them through the camera feed. Kapri chuckled while filing her nails, "Sounds like it's a tradition."

Kira shook her head, "Sounds like they never learn."