Disclaimer: Power Rangers Ninja Storm, the characters and their world do not belong to me and I make no profit from the stories I write in this world.

The Day He Called

It had been a week since Cam and Hunter had found her at the beach, exhausted from fighting the waves and her emotions. She had apologized to the guys and had thrown herself into working at the wind academy. When she wasn't there, she was often at the thunder academy helping Hunter and Omino Sensei rebuild the school there.

Leanne Omino had returned from Nepal and she along with Marah and Kapri were suddenly the girlfriends that Tori never had. "You wouldn't believe how they are driving us crazy," Hunter said absently into his cell phone as he walked across the workout field from where Omino Sensei was supervising the rebuilding some of the weapon buildings and training courses.

Cam laughed on the other end. "You did say you needed her help."

"Tori, yeah, and with Leanne home, but Marah and Kapri, too? Every day? Do you know that they had chosen seven different colors as the potential color for the dining hall? Then they got samples and plastered all these colors up on the walls. Then they decided that they liked four of them. Then they decided that each wall should be a different color," Hunter complained.

"What color did they chose for your office?" Cam asked amused.

"Don't even go there," Hunter growled in reply.

"So how has she been?" Cam asked suddenly serious.

"Working too hard," Hunter replied, "I can't get her to stop."

"Same here," Cam said.

"At least she's moved to the academy so she's not driving down into town every night and up in the mornings," Hunter said, "I try and make sure she eats and that she crashes here with Lee if I don't think she can make it back."

"That's why I don't complain too much about Marah and Kapri," Cam said, "They're pretty good at keeping an eye on her. They are worried, too."

Hunter grunted as he entered the main building and headed towards his office. The academy was set to open next week. A number of teachers were moving into to teacher's wing this week and there were so many last minute details. He smiled as he saw Marah and Kapri setting up the business office. Leann was setting up her own office and Tori was on the computer entering student info. The program was one that Cam designed for the wind school and was an absolute administrative miracle as far as Hunter was concerned.

"Anyway, I've got to run. I'll see you later this week?" Hunter asked.

"Yeah, we want to come up and see the place before you open."

"See ya," Hunter hung up and looked around the main office with a smile. "Good job, ladies," he said admiring the paint job and the arrangement of flowers in the small alcove that Kapri was fussing with.

"We're going to hang this scroll," Marah said showing Hunter a piece of calligraphy that Omino Sensei had done with the Japanese symbols for honor, strength and perseverance.

The phone rang and Tori absently picked up the receiver, "Thunder academy, Tori speaking."

"Tori, hey," a familiar voice came over the line, "It's Blake."

"Hi," Tori stopped typing and she turned slightly towards a corner of the room. The odd sound in her voice caused Hunter and the girls to look over. "Hey," she tried again, "How are you? Do you want to speak to Hunter? He's right here?"

Hunter exchanged a curious look with Marah and Kapri at Tori's overly bright voice and with a tilt of his head, Marah and Kapri quietly left the room. Hunter went about hanging the scroll trying to be inconspicuous.

"Nah, I talked to him the other day, I was just letting him know where we are staying for the week so if he can't get me on his cell, he can leave a message at the hotel we are in," Blake said, "What are you doing at the thunder school?"

"Helping get set up. Marah and Kapri are here almost every day, too. Are you sure you don't want to talk to Hunter?"

"Are you o.k., Tor?"

"Fine, just, busy, helping and all."

"I miss you," Blake said softly.

"Oh? Yeah, miss you too," Tori said brightly and she looked to Hunter, "It's Blake," she said with a smile.

"Tor, I didn't want to leave like we did," Blake continued, "I don't know why I didn't tell you before. I, we could have worked something out."

"I don't know what you mean," she said and Hunter watched Tori carefully. Her eyes were locked with his.

"There are a bunch of guys that have their girlfriends traveling with us, you know. Some of the guys who have been racing for awhile, they make arrangements to be together every three weeks or so. I wish I had known, I would have asked you to come with me," Blake said.

"Oh, really? You would have asked me to go with you? And what do they do?" Tori asked confused.

"Do?" Blake asked.

"Yeah, do? Like do they work for Factory Blue? I mean they can't work traveling around like you guys do."

"Uh," Blake said, "Well, they are pretty much at the track, you know, watching the practices and stuff."

"Oh, well," Hunter watched Tori's face go through a number of emotions, confusion, sadness, anger, resignation, "Well, you know, we were never really . . . I don't know what I would . . . I, um . . ."

The phone was plucked from Tori's hand and Hunter said, "Blake? Is that you?"

Tori gave Hunter a stricken look and quickly stood and left the office. Hunter swore under his breath. "Hunter?" Blake's voice echoed in his ear, "Where's Tori?"

"What did you say to her?" Hunter said annoyed.

"I was just telling her how some of the guys have their girlfriends around with us and you know it would have been cool if Tori was here," Blake said.

"Are you listening to yourself?" Hunter asked amazed. What the hell was going on here?

"What do you mean?" Blake asked.

"You left. You left her. You left us. I love you, Blake, and I am thrilled that you made the choice to ride with the Blue, but Tori's been pretty much a wreck since you left. I didn't ask what happened the night before you left. You got in late and thought you guys had resolved something, but what is going on?" Hunter said.

"I told her I loved her. She said she loved me. I think she was upset that I was leaving, but you know, she can come out here if she wants. I can arrange for her to travel with us. A bunch of the guys have their girlfriends out here," Blake said.

"There are a couple of issues with that Blake," Hunter said flatly, "You are not nor have you ever been her boyfriend. Of course she loves you, she loves all of us. And from your conversation what would she do?"

"You were listening to our conversation?" Blake asked, a thread of annoyance in his voice.

"Not the point, Blake," Hunter replied. "What is going on, bro? This is so not totally like you."

There was a pause on the other end of the line, "God, I'm sorry Hunter, I must have sounded like a selfish bastard. Chock it up to insanity," Blake said, "She's going to end up hating me."

"Blake, what is going on?"

"I don't know. I'm just so unsettled. I guess I always thought I was just some normal guy, the ninja stuff was just on the side. I guess I've been feeling out of my element."

"What do you mean?" Hunter asked. Blake was always the social one, the one that fit in and smoothed the way for the more taciturn Hunter.

"I guess I miss the school. I miss you. I miss working out as if my life depended on it. The racing is tough. The training, the strategy sessions, the publicity is something I don't think I was ready for and it's only been a week. Racing season hasn't even started, yet. And I was thinking, if Tor was here, you know, it would be easier."

Hunter sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "That's not the way it works, Bro."

"I know. Is she there? Can I talk to her again?"

"No, she's gone."

"Damn. Look, I've got to try talk to her, to explain."

"I don't think she wants to listen right now."

"Hunter?" Blake said sounding lost.

Hunter's heart clenched, this was still Blake. This was still his little bro. "If I see her, I'll apologize and try to explain and I'll let her know you want to talk to her."

"I'm an idiot, bro."

"No, just alone and in a totally new situation and looking for something familiar. I don't know how I should feel that you totally wanted Tori instead of me."

Blake laughed, "She's better looking."

"That she is," Hunter agreed, "I'll talk to her, bro." Hunter absently took Blake's information and said goodbye to Blake shaking his head. He headed out to try and find Tori only to see a streak of blue light head off towards Blue Bay. Without even thinking, he hit a number on his cell phone. The phone rang and a second later, Hunter said, "Cam?"