Riley had never liked fairy tales. He liked his stories to be logical, and fairy tales were anything but. An evil witch, a damsel in distress, and just when all hope was lost, a prince with a magic kiss to save the day. It was too convenient. Why read a story if its resolution was going to arrive from nowhere without even a bit of foreshadowing? Give him a good detective novel any day.

The problem was, he could always put down a book. This was real life. He and Koda were sitting in some kind of reception area, watching the head finish the paperwork for their release.

Riley thought airports were supposed to be welcoming, but this place was decidedly not. A bare and currently empty reception counter dominated the room. The only natural light came from the sliding glass doors. Beyond them he could see a car park bounded by forbidding concrete walls.

He could put down a book if it didn't make sense, but real life was anything but logical. Just thirty minutes ago, he had been trapped in an investigation for terrorism with seemingly no way out. Then the head had come in. She'd convinced the inspector to let them go, personally unlocked Riley's handcuffs, and escorted them out of the small room he'd languished in since arriving.

Why had she been so set on letting them go? She'd grilled the inspector over his lack of evidence, but to Riley it seemed she'd intended to release them from the start. And then there was her last remark. Did she know that they were Rangers? Riley didn't like the idea. Quite apart from Ms Morgan's reaction if she found out that someone knew their identities, Riley didn't want to be let off just because he was a Ranger. His parents paid taxes so that the country stayed safe. How could it be proper procedure to let someone go because of who they were? Anyway, hadn't the first Green Ranger been evil?

Or maybe she didn't know they were Rangers. Maybe she really was releasing them because there wasn't enough evidence. But people got arrested for making bomb jokes, and there were no witnesses or victims there either.

His mother would tell him to stop thinking so much. You're getting released, honey! It's a good thing. Just be grateful!

Riley finally put his finger on what was troubling him.

If he were in a book, the head would be a deus ex machina.

He hated deus ex machinas.

'Done.' The head finally looked up. 'I just need your signatures here, and here. Certify that your contact details are correct. I've put down that you were arrested over a misunderstanding, but we still have to take down your details.'

Riley took the pen she offered. Koda did know how to write, right?

To his relief Koda signed the papers too. The head collected the forms.

'That's all. You're free to go.'

She was actually letting them go. Leaving all his questions unanswered. An eternal detective novel without a reveal.

'You're really letting us off?'

Perhaps that wasn't something he should say when being released from a terrorist investigation.

The head seemed to agree. 'Are you innocent or not? If you'd prefer, we could go back and do the full investigation.'

'Yes. I mean, no!' What had he gotten himself into? 'I just, I thought we were in for it. The inspector thought we were terrorists. He had that video and was going to lock us up. Then you came in, and you hardly even watched it, and you made him let us go. Almost like - ' you were breaking every rule in the book - 'Like a fairy tale.'

The head was smiling slightly. Riley had the uncomfortable feeling that she knew what he'd almost said.

'Not going to stop until you get an answer, even if it means getting in trouble? I can see what you and Kendall have in common.'

She knew Ms Morgan?

The head must have seen the expression on his face, because she laughed. 'Kendall and I were high school friends. Imagine my surprise when she rang me out of the blue. Said some of her kids got in trouble at the airport. You'll never guess what she told me.' Her eyes twinkled. 'She said you were Power Rangers.'

And Riley had been worried about preserving their identities?

'And I said hon, if you needed my help, all you had to do was ask. Everyone knows the Rangers never reveal their secret identities.'

Koda was looking from Riley to the head. 'But we are -'

Under the table, Riley kicked him. Koda stopped and looked at him, more confused than hurt.

The head hadn't noticed. 'Besides, aren't the Power Rangers supposed to be teenagers? Kendall's never been good with kids, and she used to say the best thing about teenagers is that they grow up. Like she would be involved with the Power Rangers.'

The head chuckled to herself again, during which time Riley shook his head at Koda and put a finger to his lips.

He should stop talking too. Before he accidentally accepted her offer to do the full investigation.

'Anyway, if you'll consent to my releasing you, I just need one more thing for my records. We arrested two teenagers over a misunderstanding, but I can't say I arrested a couple of Power Rangers.' She said the last two words with a smirk.

'So who are you anyway? Kids playing a prank? Actors filming a poorly-thought-out script?'

Riley had never been a good liar.

'We're actors filming a poorly-thought-out script.'

'A poorly-thought-out-script.' There was a small smile on her face as she wrote it down. 'Well, take this as a public service announcement. You want to watch the way you handle guns, even if you're just filming a show. "If your friends aren't getting along, shoot them?" What kind of message is that to send to kids?'

It had been Ms Morgan's idea, and they weren't filming a kids' show, but Riley decided that the less he said, the better.

'Thank you, miss…'

'Ward. Justine Ward.' She held out her hand. 'I apologise, we never introduced ourselves, did we?'

'I'm Riley. And this is Koda.' He gestured at Koda, who was no longer paying attention but seemed to be off in his own world.

'Yes, I know. I read the inspector's preliminary report when he brought you in. I picked up on several problems with the evidence, but I think I also remembered your names.'

She looked at Koda and smiled. 'So this is the famous Koda? Your friend tried to hug the inspector after he was arrested. I have to save a copy of his report on that incident. Most entertaining thing I've read in a long time.'

Koda had tried to hug the inspector? A lot of things about the inspector's behaviour suddenly made sense.

'Well, you'd better tell him it's time to go. Unless he has questions for me too.'

Riley looked at Koda. He was staring intently at the wall. There was absolutely nothing about it that could hold such interest. It was the exact same dull, smudged, not particularly attractive drywall as the wall in the interrogation room. And goodness knew they'd spent more than enough time staring at that.

Yet Koda was contemplating it with an intensity Riley had never seen him wear before. Riley wondered what he was thinking.

The wall was blue. His tribe had the red of earth and the black of fire ash, but they had never found a way to capture in paint the colour of the soaring sky. Yet here it was. Covering not just the wall before him, but also the walls of the room he had just left. Enough colour for a thousand caves.

What would his tribe find harder to believe, he wondered? That man would some day master blue? Or that the little rock he had found in their cave had, by a process still mysterious to him, somehow bound him to that colour forever?

Perhaps he would never know they thought. Because the funny man had not sent him home.

Had Koda misunderstood him somehow? Perhaps 'going home' had more than one meaning. He had come to learn that about English - that words could have many meanings. There were even people who spent their lives taking advantage of that. Kendall said they were called 'lawyers'.

Or had she called them 'liars'? The two words sounded so similar. That was another strange thing about English.

Anyway, Koda did not think the funny man was a lawyer.

The funny man had not sent him home. But was that a bad thing? He remembered when he was sitting before the chanting lady. Towards the end her chants had grown louder, more insistent. Almost as if she were waiting for him to respond. And so he knew the ritual was reaching its climax. That was when a new question occurred to him. What would he do when he got home?

He had so much to tell his family. What stories he would tell! Cars, and buildings, and computers, and glass. He could see Taku's eyes widening, his father listening but pretending not to be impressed. The others gathering round to listen. He would become the best storyteller in the tribe.

Though perhaps he would not tell them about skateboards. As far as Koda could tell, they served no useful purpose. His grandfather would not be happy to hear that the wheel he was so proud of inventing was being used this way.

And then… what? Would he go to sleep every night dreaming of Shelby, and Ivan, and Kendall? Would his heart ache for them the same way it ached for his family now?

'Koda.' Riley was standing in front of him. 'It's time to leave.'

Riley and the nice lady had finished talking. Koda would have joined their conversation, but Riley had signed that he should be quiet. Was he allowed to speak now?

Now the nice lady was talking to him.

'Hello, Koda. You'll be pleased to know you can go. I don't suppose you have any questions for me?'

He did. What was family? He had asked Chase once, after Chase had said his parents were 'divorced'. It seemed 'family' was also a word with many meanings. There was family, extended family and the people you had to send cards to at Christmas.

Such a complicated world. To him, family was family. The people you loved through thick and thin. The people you were willing to die for.

But Riley was shaking his head. Koda should not ask the nice lady anything.

'No. It okay.' He tried to remember his manners. What had Kendall said? 'It nice to meet you.'

He held out his hand, but she pulled him into a hug. 'Nice to meet you too, Koda. Take care of Kendall for me.'

The nice lady was Kendall's friend. But she was not like Kendall. Kendall had told him not to hug. He felt a twinge of sadness that they were leaving. With enough time, perhaps the nice lady could be his family too.

Riley was leading him to the doors. Koda could tell that they were made of glass. Light was coming through, but no wind to carry scents. He made extra sure not to walk through them until he could feel the air currents again.

The doors opened onto a large grey field where cars lived. There were gates at the end of the field. And behind the gates…

'There they are.'

He looked. There were four figures in the distance. They looked familiar. The one in black seemed to have dozed off while leaning against the gate. As Koda watched, the one in red looked their way and saw them. He nudged the one in gold. Both started waving frantically.

Now pink was shaking the one in black. His head accidentally thumped against the gate. It made a hollow clang that echoed all the way across the field. Black now seemed to be fully awake. Koda could hear the sounds of an argument beginning.

Yes. He knew these people.

Beside him, Riley exhaled. 'Come on, Koda. Let's go home.'

What was 'going home'? A word with many meanings. But did that matter? To him, home was where family was.

And most people had only one family, but he was lucky enough to have two.

He and Riley stepped out into the sunlight.

Yes, it was time to go home.

My first story complete! Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing it. I will post author's notes if there is enough interest (if I get more than 15 reviews). Please review, and follow me for updates on my next story!