A/N: Well, here's Joel's side. I really wasn't expecting it, but hey...bonus points for Angela meantioning (right? Right?)

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers, nor do I derive anything but warm fuzzies from this story. (And I only get those because people review!)


It took a few minutes for the sight of Cole, laid back Cole, pounding away at Joel to sink in, but as soon as it did, people leapt to action. Hunter and Danny grabbed Cole and pulled him back while Carter and Chad hauled Joel up and hustled him into the kitchen and out into the back yard. A glare from Carter sent Chad back inside while Carter braced himself to deal with Joel. "What in the name of the Power do you think you were doing?" He demanded, "We have to work with these people if we're going to rescue Ryan!"

Joel wiped his lip, which was split and bleeding, but he didn't say anything for a long moment, then, "Shit," he growled, "I blew it, didn't I? Don't say anything Carter." He turned away, "Of all the stupid shit…"

"What's going on, Joel?" Carter demanded, he kept a stern façade on his face, because Joel sounding like he had a bad cold was a bit amusing.

"Just…just a lot of stuff, and I don't trust that Zen Aku guy. He gives me bad vibes." Joel said. Carter leaned against the side of the house and watched Joel. Ryan had told him once that he thought Joel knew more than he was saying, especially about his ability to read people. Mitchell had agreed, so Carter listened to Joel. "I just, I get this feeling that there's more to Merric and Zen Aku than they're admitting. Beyond the obvious, I mean. Although I want to trust Merric, because he is a Ranger, I can't, because of Zen Aku. Something about that guy… I don't think they're on the up and up, Carter. They know something, or suspect something, that they don't want to tell us. Don't ask me what got into Cole, but, I guess you'd do that for Dana or Kelsey."

Carter heard it, and pounced, "If the situation warranted, Joel, you know I'd punch the hell out of anybody for you, Chad and the girls. Ryan would hit me if I tried, so I won't, but that's part of what I- we- do. We defend each other."

"Great," Joel said, "You got any Kleenex? My nose won't stop bleeding."

Carter pulled a bandanna from his back pocket, "Try this, and tilt your head back. Can you work with them? Just for now, I mean. I think we're going to wind up splitting up in the next few days, and then you won't be working with them."

Joel held the cloth to his nose, "Yeah, I'll try to keep my hostilities to a minimum, but that doesn't mean that someone like Cole won't still try to kill me."

"I'll handle Cole," Carter said, "and Cole can keep the others down. How's Angela, by the way?"

"Pregnant and hating me," Joel grinned. "It's going to be twins, so it's like, insta-family. I don't think I've seen Angie look so beautiful, she's all glowing and mad and you know I fell for her when she was yelling at me."

Carter grinned, "I never figured you for a family man."

Joel looked at him for a moment and put his hand down. The blood started again, "Come on," he growled, throwing his head back.

Carter opened the back door, "Hey, Dana! Can you come out here, please?" He called.

His girlfriend appeared moments later, "Yeah, Carter?" She asked.

"Can you take a look at Joel's nose? It's gushing beautifully." Carter asked.

Dana's eyes narrowed, "Carter," she said.

"Dana, please," Carter said, "there's a reason for this; you know this as well as I do."

"Let me get a first aid kit," Dana said. She disappeared back inside.

Carter turned back to Joel, "Dana'll have you fixed up in no time, but I do suggest you grovel, you know you lost whatever brownie points you had with her."

Joel sighed, "I imagine I'll have to do a lot of that. I've been doing so well, to. I don't know what made me say it."

"Stress," Carter replied, "you've always been good at putting up a front, but any time you get really stressed; you just say things without meaning to."

Dana came bustling out with a first aid kit, "Let's go into the kitchen, they took Cole out front." Carter and Joel went in with her and Carter sat at the table calmly while Dana went to work. "Honestly, Joel, there are worse things you could say, but I'm afraid I can't think of any of them right now. We're trying to be allies here. Don't talk. I know you're worried about Angela, but she's fine, she may be in her third trimester of her first pregnancy, but she's doing very well. She'll have no problem if she continues to plan for a traditional birth, and her doctor is one of the best at cesareans in Mariner Bay. The babies are fine, they're small, but that's normal in a twin pregnancy. Your mother is recovering very well from her hiatal hernia surgery; she's out of the ICU even. Your dad, your sister and your brother are all going to be with her until you can get back."

"Merric," Joel said.

"Ah," Dana said, "I told you not to talk, Joel. Now, you know Merric's story. Carter and Tommy told us that years ago. He's been through more than we can imagine, and he's far older. I know how you are about trusting your instincts, but Merric's a Ranger, for God's sake, he's not evil, and he's not going to randomly attack us or something. Please stop moving, Joel. We're going to need him and Zen Aku, so you'd best figure out what it is that bothers you about him and deal with it. Honestly, I would have thought that you were going to stop doing this." She stepped back, "There, now, don't say anything around the others and I think we can fix this."

Joel just put his head on the table, "I don't think we can, Dana."

A soft noise made Carter look up as Chad and Kelsey and slipped into the kitchen, "Are you ok, Joel?" Chad asked.

Joel looked up, "Yeah, just stressed," he muttered.

"Cole really got you good," Kelsey observed, "not that you didn't deserve it. You've made some fairly insensitive remarks before, but I think this takes the cake."

"Kelsey," Carter said in his Tone, the 'you're-not-helping' one.

Joel sighed, "I just, there's something they aren't sharing; more than just the fact that they are a pair, I mean. What ever it is they're hiding, I don't think it's a fuzzy bunny."

Carter rested his hand on Joel's arm, "Just keep your mouth shut, Joel, or snipe at us. We've all heard it before."

"Yeah," Chad said, "you can do this, Joel. For Ryan." He put his hand on top of Carter's as Joel slid his hand back.

Kelsey and Dana stuck their hands onto the pile, their eyes met and then they all said, "For Ryan."