Kira and Kaitlin arrived in the bathroom, at which Kaitlin closed the door for privacy. Kira was thankful for this, but because of the muzzle she couldn't really express the fact properly. She now appreciated that she and Kaitlin had more than a little in common.

Kaitlin was the only girl on her team. Kira cared deeply about the guys, and they were her closest friends, but there were still things they didn't really understand. Sometimes she thought it would be nice if there had been another girl on the team. Although the guys never excluded her, the fact was that they were guys. Conner had, in some of his denser moments, mistakenly called her 'dude'. The fact was that at times, they just didn't get that there were differences.

As Kaitlin laid a few towels on the floor, Kira looked on her, feeling a bizarre mixture of awe, pity and fear. She was a strong, confident, and generally happy woman. Kira had ascertained that much from the time they talked while she was interviewing her. She had a good life here for the most part. She had good, close friends, a good job that she loved, and she appeared to have few worries outside of Grimlord and her duties as a VR Trooper.

She also had to pity her. As a Ranger, she understood that pressure, and the sacrifices that came with it. Although she practiced as long and as hard as she could, she couldn't deny that she was now spending less time on her music than she had been. Between her training, her battles, school, times she needed to relax, making up stories to tell her parents for where she was going and where she had been all the time, and covering and treating injuries she had received in the line of duty, it didn't leave much time for her to write up the lyrics she had been working on, or to practice.

The rest of her band was a lot older than her, and a couple of the guys had been reluctant to bring her into the band in the first place. Two of them were in college, the other two had full time jobs, and one of them even had a kid. She was an outsider even in the band, having little in common with them and little to talk about other than the band. She had only been invited to join because one of them had heard her singing and asked her to help out, but their patience and understanding only went so far. She had already heard that some of the others had voiced concerns that she was constantly bailing on them and questioning her commitment to the band.

The guys were great, but again, outside of Ranger duties, there wasn't really that much they had in common. Conner was always chasing girls or on the soccer pitch and Ethan was always droning on and on about some new programme he was writing, or a new game he was playing. Usually that was just white noise to her after a few minutes of listening to it. She had identified with Trent's dedication to his art, but even that was wearing after a while. He pretty much always had his nose rammed in a sketch pad. It wasn't like any of them would understand some of the stuff she was going through, or some of the challenges that came from just being a young woman. She knew that Kaitlin had gone through similar experiences and would understand.

She also felt a hint of fear looking on her. As much as he was always up front and honest with them about the dangers they put themselves in, and the difficulties of their duties, he was always more than a little distant when the question came around to how long it would last. The fact none of them wanted to acknowledge was there really was no answer. No one knew how long it would take, if indeed they were even capable of defeating Mesagog. There were no guarantees in any of their battles. She now remembered hearing about the VR Troopers as a kid, round about the time she had heard about the first team of Power Rangers. Kaitlin, Ryan and JB had been in locked in this war against Grimlord for around a decade. It was that thought that terrified her. As selfish as it felt to think or feel that way, in some ways Kaitlin embodied her fears for the future. That there would never be an end to it all, and that she would be doomed to fight the same fight day after day for the rest of her days.

Kaitlin finished and put a hand on Kira's shoulder and guided her down onto her knees, next to the toilet. She pulled out a knife, flipping it open.

"Alright Kira, this isn't going to be pleasant." She warned her. "Once I cut the straps, I need to pull the muzzle out. Do you understand?"

Kira nodded. The tube down her throat, stopping her from using her ptera scream was lodged deeply. While it didn't stop her breathing, she felt it, especially when she swallowed. She knew exactly why Kaitlin had her kneeling by the toilet. Kaitlin slid the knife between her cheek and the first strap. Kira felt the cold metal against her face as Kaitlin began cutting.

"Maybe it would be best if you thought about something pleasant." She suggested. "Conner's pretty cute."

Kira kept still so Kaitlin wouldn't cut her, but held up a hand, wagging a finger to indicate no. Conner was cute, but she didn't think about him that way. He saw himself as a protective older brother to the group, but he was more like an annoying little brother. She knew he didn't mean to be thoughtless, but at times he just said and did things that grated on them. She had noticed he was kind of attractive physically, but he had turned her off more than a couple of times. Now he was firmly in the friend zone. He was one of her closest friends, but he would never be anything more.

"Really?" Kaitlin asked as the first strap came free. She started on the next. "Well, I guess you have your pick of the guys. Trent..."

Kira tapped the bowl repeatedly, indicating she wanted Kaitlin to stop. She then held up a finger and waved it again.

"OK, I guess Trent's not in the picture then." She commented, continuing to cut. The second strap came loose, and she started cutting the third. "By any chance are you and Ethan..?"

Kira just looked her in the eyes, giving her a hard glare. Kaitlin just took the hint.

"Alright, I get the message." She replied, cutting the third strap. As the harness securing the muzzle in place came away, she grabbed the mask. "Alright Kira, are you ready?"

Kira just nodded, preparing herself for the worst. Kaitlin grabbed the mask, and pulled, yanking it and the tube out of her mouth. Kira felt every inch of it coming out, followed quickly by vomit. She leaned into the bowl, explosively vomiting into it, retching hard. Kaitlin just rubbed her back gently as she finished up, while she got a glass and filled it with water, offering it to Kira.

"You know, that does leave another option." She commented, with a little smile. "The way you threw yourself between Ryan and Tommy..."

"What about the way you ran over to JB?" Kira spluttered as she rinsed out her mouth, while she stroked her throat with her fingers. Kaitlin just paused, a little stunned by what Kira had said.

"I don't know what you mean." She muttered, beginning to gather up towels and wrapping the muzzle device in them. "He was hurt..."

"You de-morphed in front of complete strangers when you saw him." Kira replied. "I saw the look in your eyes when you were checking on him."

Kaitlin just sat back on the floor, crossing her legs as she did so.

"Is it that obvious?" She groaned. Kira nodded in response.

"Kinda." She remarked. I'm guessing you haven't said anything to him."

"No." Kaitlin whispered.

"Why not?" Kira asked her.

"We've been best friends since Grade School." Kaitlin sighed. "I don't want to lose that. We've always been friends, it'd kill me if I said anything and he freaked."

"You never know, he might not mind." Kira suggested with a shrug. "I mean, you are pretty amazing."

"Thanks." Kaitlin whispered, moving a little closer. "I just couldn't face it. What if he doesn't feel the same way? What if he laughs at me?"

"Then he laughs and it's his loss." Kira replied, placing a hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture. "But if he's really that much of a friend, he won't laugh."

"I wish I had your confidence." Kaitlin laughed as she put an arm around her. She just then thought of something. "I've gotten this
wrong haven't I? I get it now."

"Get what?" Kira asked.

"You aren't looking at any of the other guys that way." Kaitlin said with a little smirk. Kira just waved her hands frantically.

"No, it's nothing like that!" Kira shrieked. "I mean, not that I'm against that kind of thing, it's their business, but...I'm straight..."

"I didn't doubt that." Kaitlin interrupted her. "I'm just remembering how you threw yourself between Ryan and Tommy."

Kira's eyes were wide in shock as she heard someone else voice what she only dared to consider in her wildest dreams. Kaitlin just nodded.

"I can see it." She commented. "I mean, he is pretty good looking."

"It's more than that." Kira told her. "He understands. He knows all about this stuff."

"Well, he is older..."

"No, I mean...the whole super hero, secret identity, secret war thing." Kira told her. "Apparently he's been a Ranger on and off since he was our age."

"Wow." Kaitlin commented.

"There was one time I was helping him clear up his basement." Kira told her. " He showed me some photos and he started telling me some of his old stories. Apparently his first two girlfriends were both Rangers."

"And you were kind of hoping to be number three?" Kaitlin asked. Kira glared at her.

"When you say it like that..."

"OK, that's not what I meant." Kaitlin corrected herself. "I just meant...there isn't really that big an age difference between you."

"I know, but he's still my teacher." Kira reminded her. "Even if he didn't get hassle from the cops, he'd be fired for sure."

"Have you ever talked to him?" Kaitlin asked.

"Have you ever talked to JB?" Kira asked in response. Kaitlin just shrugged in response.

"Touché." She commented. "Maybe we can convince each other."

"How?" Kira asked. Kaitlin pulled out a hundred dollar bill."

"A hundred bucks says you won't say anything to Tommy before you
go home." Kira smiled.

"A hundred says you won't say anything to JB either." Kira replied.

"It's a bet." Kaitlin stated, shaking her hand. Just then, there was a knock on the door and Ryan came in.

"Guys, there's trouble." He told them. "Grimlord's making a move, and it looks like he's seriously pissed!"