Disclaimer: I don't own any recognizable characters mentioned in this non-profit Non-copyright infringement..-ing fic. If I did...Hunter and Dustin would be in my closet.
Author's Note: My first update of the year! I hope you guys had a good one and yeah...I have nothing to write....weird?. enjoi

"What's going on between you and Hunter?" Tori asked, coming to sit down next to him on her blue pillow.

"Nothing..."

"Dustin...I know something's wrong" It was obvious to anyone of them but since Tori was the only one at Ops with him the most it was apparent to her. Something happened between Hunter and Dustin that day the four of them didn't come back to Ops right away after blasting that goon.

"I just...Hunter told me something and I just..." Dustin laced his fingers together on the tabletop and looked at his finger nail.

"It's not your fault" She tried as he placed a hand over his, she knew something was up, it had been almost two weeks and Dustin stayed at Ops without a problem, he hadn't asked Hunter, Shane or Cam to take him anywhere .

"Yeah right...That's why he hasn't been here"

"Maybe he just-"

"No, he told me he liked me and I freaked, that's it dude, that's what happened" He explained, freaking out wouldn't have been his reaction but that was unexpected, maybe if he had gotten a warning, maybe a red flag or something.

"Really?" The water ninja smiled slightly, she was glad Hunter finally told him but the fact that Dustin freaked was a bit of a downer, by the way he was acting she thought for sure he liked the oldest thunder brother a little bit, even if he was confused when it came to his feelings.

"Yeah...look, I need to think..." Dustin got up and walked to the hall, he hadn't gotten the chance to think because he was always with Tori or Sensei and he never actually had a moment to himself despite the length of time since the incident, that and he never really though to think about it.....right. Leaning against the stone wall, the earth ninja closed his eyes and smiled at the warmth the sun brought that was leaking through the 'front door' of Ops. He could smell the faint warm earth and he sank down and sat on one of the steps. Maybe he was over thinking this whole thing? Maybe Hunter was just hallucinating or something. He could have been just talking because he had missed him. The earth ninja didn't remember what happened, one second he was being held back by the crimson ranger and the next he was being pulled to help the goon but then he felt weak and everything faded, he felt like that lasted for at least three days and then he woke up holding Hunter's hands.

He opened his eyes and stood up then left Ops, he'd only be gone for like a second, no harm no foul. Twigs and autumn leaves crunched under his shoes as he walked into the woods. The earth seemed that much better since he had been cut off for a while, it was Hunter's fault. Right? If the thunder ninja hadn't told him anything then things wouldn't have gotten weird. Things wouldn't have ended up with them avoiding each other. He could still be having fun with his friend; they could be at the track, at a movie or something! He was really stupid sometimes. Dustin ran a hand through his tousled hair and he sighed. Really stupid. This was his fault. His eyes were trained on the ground, so when a blur knocked him down he was totally caught off guard, kelzacks. He flipped to his feet and got ready, there were only about eight of them so this should be easy.

He blocked a kick then back flipped to dodge a blade; "Whoa!" he dodge rolled just in time to miss a slash attack then counter attacked. He side stepped a kick then he went to punch one of them but a hand on his wrist held him back, he turned then kneed the kelzack in the gut then sent it into a nearby tree. Dustin ducked then swept his leg across the floor; three kelzacks fell to the ground and disappeared. Three down five to go.

He ducked and a leg flew by over his head then he did a jump kick, hitting one of the pawns in the head. Four down four to go. A red blur came to his side and knocked two kelzacks down and they disappeared. He was in trouble. Shane did a spin kick to another kelzack while Dustin did a butterfly kick, the last two kelzacks disappeared.

"What are you doing out here?" Shane asked in a stern tone that told Dustin he was so in for it.

"Just thinking-"

"Really? Because I told you and Tori not to leave Ops"

"I know man but it was just a second" He tried as he held up one finger, to show Shane what a small amount of time he planned on being outside in his element.

"This time...in a second there were a few kelzacks, If I hadn't shown up who knows what could have happened" He didn't think Dustin couldn't handle himself but seeing the lengths Lothor was willing to go to just to get either the yellow or blue ranger, he didn't want to risk anything.

"Dude, I had it all under control" Dustin could feel his eyes stinging and he looked left, right, north, south, any direction away from Shane's intense eyes.

"The team can't risk losing you or Tori...do you even get that Dustin?"

"I..."

"What happened Shane?" Blake, Hunter and Cam walked up to them from the same direction the red ninja had come from.

"Dustin...was just getting back to Ops" The air ninja explained, stressing each word as his eyes bore into his best friend. The earth ninja blinked back tears and bit his lip before walking back to Ops.

***

"Don't you think he would be more useful out there with you guys?" Tori asked with blonde knitted brows.

"Yes" Shane nodded, he knew Hunter would be strong in battle but he would rather him stay here and watch the two wind ninjas, sure he could always have Cam install a high tech security thing that would keep the ninjas in and everything else out.

"So why are you making him stay with us?"

"Someone needs to watch you guys," Tori gave him a look and a small smile spread across his lips, "To watch Dustin" he corrected.