Chapters:

1. Try Me

"Hello?"

The sensei's son didn't bother to look up. "One, you shouldn't be in here, and two, what do you want," he said, gaze still focused on the computer screen in front of him. He spoke as though Hunter's presence was an inconvenience not worth his time.

Hunter grimaced at the back of his head, the words bitter on his tongue. He forced himself to say it whether the geek made it easy for him or not. "I came to apologize."

The figure in front of the computer snorted. "Sure," he told the screen, fingers dancing over the keyboard. "I'm happy to be just another stepping stone on your path to redemption."

Hunter gaped at him in disbelief. How had he known? Had he been expecting one of the Thunders to come crawling in to ask forgiveness? Maybe he was holding out for both of them? Where did the righteous creep get off, throwing the effort back in his face!

"If there's nothing else I can do for you... actually, even if there is," the other added, his back still turned. "The door can help you more than I will."

"What's your problem?" Hunter demanded, finally finding his voice. "I'm trying to apologize here, and you're throwing me out?"

The figure at the computer froze, lifting his head as if to stare straight through the screen. "What's my problem?" he repeated, as though he didn't think he'd heard correctly. "My problem is the manipulative, egocentric, ruthless exploitation of the Rangers and myself! What, is that not enough for you?"

"Hey, in case you haven't heard," Hunter snapped. "We're all on the same side now! Yeah, Blake and I made some mistakes. But we were used too, and we can't make up for what we did unless you give us a chance!"

What was he saying! Since when did he need anything from this self-centered little twit? His own brother had forgiven him a murderous rampage, and the Winds were actively trying to recruit them. A little hostage-taking in the name of misguided revenge didn't seem like such a big thing, relatively speaking.

The chair turned, slowly, and its occupant deigned to regard him for the first time. Hunter's spine stiffened, forcing him to straighten under that dark gaze. Critical or contemptuous, he couldn't tell and ultimately it didn't matter. He obviously wasn't welcome here.

Unfortunately, to turn away would be to admit defeat. He wasn't about to back down from a stare like that. One of them had to blink first, and it wasn't going to be him. He glared back at a non-Ranger, not even a ninja student as far as he could tell, and found himself as angry and defensive as he had been before Lothor himself.

"Look, today was the day from hell," Hunter blurted out. "I was betrayed, brainwashed, brainwashed again and beaten into the ground by everyone on both sides. Like it could get any worse, right? But it has, and I really don't need your attitude on top of it all!"

A single eyebrow rose. "My life hasn't exactly been a vacation lately, either," the other informed him. "The difference for me is that most of what's gone wrong has been directly attributable to you or your brother. So you'll forgive me if I don't jump up to welcome you with open arms."

"Did I mention the brainwashing?" Hunter demanded. "Oh--yeah! I'm pretty sure I did! I spent the whole day covered with green slime and trying to kill my brother! You'll have to forgive me if your problems don't sound so bad!"

He'd obviously hit a nerve. Those dark eyes narrowed and the sensei's son hissed, "You don't know anything about my problems. You'd better go looking for sympathy somewhere else, because you won't find it here."

"I don't want your sympathy," Hunter snarled. What was it about this jerk? He couldn't, he wouldn't give up, even when every rational thought he had was telling him to walk away. "I just want you to know, I'm sorry for what I did!"

"I bet you are." The expression twisted, and he found himself on the receiving end of a cynical glare. "I'd be sorry too, if I were you."

What was that supposed to mean? He stared at the dark-haired computer op, wondering what to make of the words. The antagonism spoke for itself. But it didn't sound like the wry voice that had mocked the Winds from afar earlier today, and it certainly wasn't the calm, self-possessed hostage that had almost overpowered the collective strength of the Thunder Rangers not once, but twice.

A small frown was the first sign of doubt he'd seen, maybe prompted by his own hesitation. Whatever caused it, Hunter seized it instinctively and pressed for any advantage it might give him. "Then you do understand," he insisted, searching those dark eyes for any hint of agreement. "We did what we thought we had to. It wasn't personal."

The other folded his arms, frown deepening. "It was to me," he informed Hunter levelly. "You can't use my friends, subdue me, kidnap my father, and then try to destroy all of us--repeatedly--and expect me not to take it personally."

"You're gonna hold a grudge for all of them?" Hunter demanded. "Even if they've let it go?"

"My grudges are my own," the other snapped. "Just like your forgiveness should be. You can't find it in someone else."

Taken aback, Hunter reverted to sarcasm automatically. "What are you, a sensei in training?"

The sensei's son just looked at him, and Hunter cleared his throat. "Yeah, well," he muttered. After a moment he added, "That's deep and all, but not really what I was looking for."

To his further surprise, the other responded to his quiet tone with a sigh. "Will it make you feel better if I accept your apology?" he wanted to know. His fingers were white where he was clenching his arms, Hunter realized with a start.

Lifting his gaze to search an expression that could have been carved in stone when he first arrived, he found a human-ness that hadn't been there before. "Maybe," he said slowly. Then, with an irrepressible smirk he suggested, "Try me."

That didn't seem to amuse his conversation partner, who ground out, "Fine. I accept your apology," with obvious reluctance. "Are you leaving now?" he added.

Hunter considered that. He should leave. He should have left a long time ago. But there was something about the petulant demand that triggered exactly the opposite response in him. It wasn't the instinct to confront and conquer, it was... something different. Something provoked by the person in front of him, but elusive enough that he couldn't pin it down more than that.

"No," he replied, watching the reaction carefully. Irritation flickered across the face, and this time the sigh was more exaggerated. "I was thinking--maybe we could start over."

He was? Since when? He hadn't wanted to come here in the first place, and now he was trying to start a conversation? What kind of game was his subconscious playing, anyway?

"It figures," the other muttered, gaze skittering away across the floor. "No matter what you give them, it's never enough. You Rangers are all alike. I can't wait to see how much equipment five people can trash in an afternoon."

Hunter frowned, trying to comprehend the careless tone. He and Blake hadn't actually agreed to work with the Winds yet, but that wasn't really the point, was it? The point was that--

This was the voice from Shane's morpher. Just like that, understanding dawned, and he fought to keep a smirk from twisting his lips. He was being treated like a Wind Ranger. Why did that suddenly seem like such a good thing? He was being mocked, and he was happy about it? He was going to need therapy after today.

"Not as much as you can fix, I bet." The words were out before he knew what he was going to say, and he wondered if they'd really sounded as complimentary as he thought they did. Yeah... therapy. Definitely therapy.

"That's the hope, isn't it." It took him a moment to realize that the remark was in response to his words, not his thoughts. The other leaned back in his chair a little, neutrality firmly in place as he continued, "The one thing that keeps this place running is the belief that I can create faster than three super-powered ninjas can destroy."

"That sounds almost like a challenge." Hunter watched his reaction carefully, trying to read something into that deadpan expression and inscrutable gaze. "I can destroy an awful lot."

"I don't doubt it," came the dry response. "Believe me, that's just what I need: someone who's proud of their demolition ability and eager to show it off at the first possible opportunity."

"Come on," Hunter argued, still watching for... something. He'd know it when he saw it, whatever it was. "No destruction, no challenge, right?"

"I have plenty of challenges." Dark eyes snapped at him, reminding him of just how volatile the voice from the morphers could be. "I don't need Rangers smashing sophisticated technology at their leisure just to keep me occupied."

His stomach lurched alarmingly as he realized what they were doing--what he was doing, without even thinking about it. He was flirting. Shit. This was not good. Just like that, oblivious as could be, here he was flirting with the guy who ran the Wind Rangers' tech support.

And unless he was badly mistaken, the tech support guy was flirting back.

No. That was ridiculous. He was just... making an effort? Trying to extend a friendly welcome to the guy he'd been chewing out not two minutes before? Hunter didn't know whether that was more or less likely than the alternative.

"Let's try this again," he said bluntly, holding out his hand on impulse. "I'm Hunter, Crimson Thunder Ranger. Nice to meet you."

Eyes narrowed, the other considered his extended hand before glancing up at him warily. It seemed like forever, but he finally unfolded himself from his chair and took a single step in Hunter's direction. Clasping Hunter's hand, he offered dryly, "I'm Cam. I make things work."

2. Coffee

Only one of the practice rooms was occupied, and it wasn't hard to tell which one it was. Cam paused outside the door, listening to the sound of a punching bag serving its intended purpose. There were no kiyais to accompany the blows. Of course, considering who it was, it was probably more an aggressive outlet than a focused training session.

He almost turned and walked away. He really didn't want to do this. But he had been given the chance to do things the easy way yesterday, and he had turned it down. He hadn't recognized it at the time; that was the problem. Now he owed not only an effort of his own but also, maybe, an apology. At least an explanation.

Cam stepped into the doorway before he could talk himself out it. The Crimson Ranger was attacking the punching bag with savage determination and almost incidental technique. As he'd expected, then: Hunter was blowing off steam, not practicing. He didn't bother to stop when Cam made his presence known, though his gaze did flicker toward the door in mute acknowledgement.

"Hey," Cam said warily. He was never sure how Hunter would react to things, but the Crimson Ranger seemed to thrive on confrontation. He had to remind himself that his own reaction yesterday had been somewhat lacking, and Hunter could be forgiven a cool welcome.

Hunter put one hand on the punching bag as if to steady it. The bag in this room was anchored at the top and bottom, but it was easy habit to get into when one practiced elsewhere on a regular basis. "Hey," he replied evenly.

Cam tried to swallow against a suddenly dry mouth. "I thought I'd get some coffee," he remarked, with forced casualness. "Do you... uh, you want to come?"

Hunter was staring at the punching bag now. "I don't know," he said, taking a step back and lifting his fists in a standard guard position. He spun, slamming his heel into the bag viciously. "That's not really my thing," he added with a sneer.

Okay. Hunter took everything personally. He should have known he'd have those words tossed back at him in the near future. "I thought you were asking everyone," Cam muttered.

Hunter caught his eye again, a suspicious look on his face. "What are you talking about?"

"I thought everyone was going to the film festival," Cam explained. "And I was thinking about Dustin talking the whole time and Shane bragging that he was better than those stunt doubles... I didn't realize--I didn't know they weren't going."

"They weren't invited," Hunter said bluntly. "Blake asked Tori, and I asked you. That was it."

It had only taken him an entire day to figure that out. Only when he'd connected the skate demo and the start of the film festival had the possibility occurred to him. "Yeah," he muttered. "Well, I didn't know that."

Hunter was studying him, his face unreadable. "Would you have come if you'd known?"

"Yeah," he said, returning the look without flinching. "Yeah, I would have."

Hunter braced an arm against the punching bag again, not taking his eyes off of Cam. "Next time I'll spell it out for you," he remarked. "I'll make sure the word 'date' is in capital letters. Highlighted, even."

"A simple, 'do you want to go out with Blake and Tori' would have been enough," Cam retorted.

"I wanted to know if you'd go out with me," Hunter countered. "Not them."

"A point which you didn't exactly make clear," Cam informed him, ignoring the attempt at humor. "I didn't really expect subtlety from you."

"I can be subtle," Hunter shot back. "I just figured you'd pick up on stuff like that."

"Do I look like a social butterfly?" Cam demanded.

Hunter snorted, but his lips quirked as he looked away. His eyes focused on the floor, and he shook his head--still smirking, Cam thought. Then, without lifting his head, he looked up. "So, coffee, huh?"

Cam folded his arms, uncomfortable under that knowing gaze.

"Give me ten minutes," Hunter said abruptly, pushing away from the punching bag. "I'll meet you upstairs."

He lifted his chin in acknowledgement. Taking a step back, Cam turned and headed down the hall. He found himself trying to suppress a smile of his own, knowing it was ridiculous and probably looked it, but at least there was no one here to see it.

He slowed down as he approached the control room. He was trying to make himself look a little more serious, but the sound of voices from inside made him stop altogether. He had forgotten that Tori was doing her "community service" at Ninja Ops this afternoon. It sounded like she had company.

Blake. Blake was trying to convince her to drop the mop and go out with him. His aside to Sensei made Cam freeze, grudgingly admiring Blake's audacity and simultaneously wondering if he should take a different route to the surface. He didn't really want to tell his father where he was going, and somehow he knew the subject would come up.

Great. Now he was going to sneak around like a high schooler? The thought held little appeal. On the other hand, the alternative was to draw considerably more attention than he wanted right now.

"Won't Hunter go with you?" Tori was asking, her voice coming closer to the back of the room. "You guys didn't get to see much of the first movie."

"Nah." Blake dismissed the idea out of hand. "He's doing his brooding thing tonight. He won't be any fun until he gets it out of his system."

"I have some interest in movies which portray the martial arts," his father remarked.

Cam's eyes widened as he listened. He wasn't sure which surprised him more: that his father wanted to go to the movies, or that Blake was willing to go with him. Still, he wasn't above taking advantage of opportunity when it presented itself. Once they left, Tori would be the only one in the control room. And unlike his father, Tori didn't practice the art of idle interrogation: if he said he was going out for coffee, she would take it at face value.

As long as Hunter didn't say the same thing when he left.

3. Unseen

There were advantages to being small. His acrobatic entrance seemed to have gone completely unnoticed by the sole human occupant of Ninja Ops. He hesitated next to the computer, taking a moment to study the newest Ranger with a critical eye.

Tired but focused, distracting himself with technology while his emotional stability wavered, precarious and deliberately ignored. Whether it was something he had seen today, some facet of his past or his performance in battle, or something deeper that he kept hidden, he was doing his best to bury it in work. Even now that he had gotten what he wanted, become one of "them," his relentless drive to be more was not appeased.

There were disadvantages to being small, too. He couldn't walk over and touch his son's shoulder, physically take that morpher away from him and insist that he get some sleep. He couldn't take off Cam's glasses, wrap a blanket around his shoulders, and steer him toward bed with the reassurance that whatever was bothering him would look better in the morning. A tired body only made obstacles more daunting.

He could say the words, of course. But he knew better than most that some intangible facet of parental authority was lost when the parent in question was turned into a guinea pig.

He sighed silently to himself, about to say something, to try anyway, when the sound of footsteps made Cam lift his head at last. Not the only human presence in Ninja Ops, after all. Strange... he had been sure all of the Rangers had left for the night, seeking rest at the end of an unnaturally extended day. As Cam should be.

Hunter Bradley trudged into the control room. He had been conspicuous lately, spending as much time as the Wind students on the grounds of an academy not his own. Perhaps he drew some comfort from the surroundings, familiar in a way that Blue Bay Harbor was not yet. Or perhaps he was only lonely... unlike his younger brother, he did not seem to make friends easily.

Cam didn't say a word, even when Hunter dropped to the floor and rested his elbows on the table across from him. They weren't on the best of terms, he knew. He was afraid that the circumstances of their initial meeting had colored every encounter between them since. While he couldn't blame his son for holding a grudge, he had hoped that the two oldest and most aloof of the Rangers would eventually find some common ground.

"Whatcha doing?" the Crimson Ranger asked at last, breaking the silence with what sounded like genuine curiosity. Chin in his hands, his tone belied his posture and weary expression.

Cam was still doing something with his morpher, either ignoring or unconcerned by the unsolicited company. "Trying to figure out how it works," he muttered, not looking up. The words were honest, if quiet, and a father heard echoes of the little boy who had taken apart everything in sight for just that reason.

He watched Hunter regard his son through half-closed eyes, as though the Crimson Ranger was conserving energy by only using half his vision. "What'd you see today?" Hunter asked, point blank.

The samurai morpher clattered to the table and Cam leaned back with an angry exclamation. He spread his hands as though trying to forcibly calm himself, then lifted them to his head and buried his fingers in his hair in a gesture of utter frustration. Only when he spoke did it become clear that his distress was directed at someone--or something--other than Hunter.

"My mother," he said softly, staring down at his morpher as though he would will it to give up its secrets. The words shook their unseen audience of one, heartwrenching if not entirely unexpected, for certainly he hadn't thought Cam would so quickly reconcile his knowledge of the past with the actual experience of it.

"I saw my mother," Cam was saying. "She gave me--this--" His nod at the morpher left no doubt about what he meant. "And she told me... She told me--"

When he couldn't finish, Hunter prompted, "What'd she tell you?" His tone wasn't overly solicitous, but then, Cam never had appreciated coddling.

"She told me my mother would be proud of me," Cam finished, voice almost a whisper. He didn't lift his gaze from the table in front of him.

"She didn't know who you were," Hunter guessed. He was still watching Cam through slitted eyes, no discernible expression on his face.

Cam shook his head wordlessly, dropping his hands to the table again.

"Then I'd say your dad was wrong." The words were jarring, and not only because of their source. "She obviously respects this kind of--" His shoulder twitched, as though he wanted to gesture but couldn't bring himself to waste the energy. "Life," he finished vaguely. "She gave you the amulet. You can't ask for any more encouragement than that."

"She didn't know she was giving it to her son," Cam said with a sigh, but he did look a little less troubled.

"She knew she was giving it to you," Hunter pointed out. "She saw you without that parent filter that your dad still has, the one that made him keep you at Ops today when you could have fought. She saw you, and she liked you without even knowing who you were. That's a pretty good vote of approval, right there."

The parent filter. Did he have that?

Of course he did; what parent didn't. Or perhaps he should say, what parent who knew their child didn't. But did it make him hold his son back from things he was willing and capable of participating in? He hoped not... though he had to acknowledge the possibility.

"Hunter the counselor," Cam remarked, sounding more like himself. He reached out to tap the morpher idly, but he didn't pick it up again. "This day can't get any weirder."

Hunter didn't so much as twitch at the change in subject. Gaze still fixed on Cam, he inquired, "Wanna make out?"

"Thank you for proving me wrong," Cam said dryly. "Next I suppose you'll offer to program a new power sphere."

What? Had Hunter just suggested that he and Cam "make out"? Or had the colloquialism evolved so much that it was now an acceptable thing to say to one's friends? Were they even friends? It occurred to him that Hunter had yet to offer any explanation for his presence, and Cam had not only accepted it but also shared something unusually personal.

"You must have gotten your sense of humor from your mother," Hunter was telling Cam.

"Among other things," Cam replied, an odd note in his voice. Then he seemed to shake it off, and he added, "You'd be surprised, though. Dad can do deadpan humor when you least expect it."

"Sure," Hunter agreed readily enough. "He's just quieter about it."

"He didn't use to be," Cam remarked, to his father's chagrin. "He used to be..." Here he hesitated, tapping his morpher again. "More like you, actually."

Hunter lifted his head, dropping his hands down on the table and sitting back on his heels. "Okay, enough with the family comparisons. Let's go."

"Where?" Cam asked, surprised but not immediately resistant.

"Somewhere I can kiss you, since you're obviously not going to let me do it here," Hunter shot back. "You've probably got cameras all over this place."

"Just the one," Cam muttered, putting his hand over his morpher. It pulsed brightly, and when he lifted it off the table it was a necklace-sized charm again. He placed it around his neck and pushed himself to his feet, clearly intending to follow Hunter. "I'll walk you out."

He held very still, watching the two of them make their way across the room. As they disappeared up the stairs, he thought he saw Hunter bump Cam's shoulder deliberately. Not a word of protest drifted back into the suddenly silent control room.

Well, at least he knew his grasp of current slang hadn't slipped that much.

When had his son started seeing boys? It hadn't been uncommon when he was a student, back when women were forbidden to train and all the academies were residential. But Cam had friends of the opposite gender, had even gone out with some of his female classmates from time to time. If he'd had any interest in such a relationship, he hadn't mentioned it to his father.

Not that he was mentioning it now. If he wanted advice, he would have asked for it already. His son was old enough to make his own decisions. That much had been clear even before Cam stepped out of the portal with the amulet around his neck. Cam had made decisions for all of them, then, and made them well. He could make this one for himself.

And yet... No matter what he told himself, he couldn't avoid a nagging sense of doubt.

Hunter?

4. CyberCam

In an eerie echo of the day's earlier events, Cam found himself yanked through a doorway he hadn't intended to use. In fact, he had paid no attention whatsoever to the door as he passed--until a hand shot out and grabbed his arm, hauling him into a small cramped space. He almost slammed his assailant into the wall before he realized who it was.

"Which one are you?" Hunter demanded, those blue eyes staring straight through him. It was one of Hunter's most annoying--though occasionally flattering--traits. He threw everything he had into whatever he did, and he didn't back down until he got what he wanted.

Cam narrowed his eyes deliberately, giving the other Ranger a cold look. "I'm the one that's going to break your wrist if you don't let go of my arm."

Hunter grimaced, releasing his arm as though he was indulging Cam by doing it. Make a big deal out of nothing, why don't you, his expression seemed to say. And Cam was getting very good at reading Hunter's expressions.

"I don't like this," Hunter informed him. He was still studying Cam warily, probably because the virtual replicant had been reprogrammed to treat the other Rangers almost exactly the way Cam did. No more group hugs or ridiculous nicknames... no more obvious tipoffs to who was who.

"And I'm not too happy about being stuffed in a closet twice in one day," Cam snapped, trying to deflect Hunter's intensity. "Get over it."

Hunter seemed to relax slightly at that, though maybe not for the intended reason. "You're the real Cam," he stated. He folded his arms, leaning back against the wall without taking his eyes off of Cam.

Cam gritted his teeth, more angry than he could explain that everyone seemed so confused. "Am I wearing a stupid hat?" he demanded. Am I calling you "bro"? What's so hard about it? "I can't believe you can't tell us apart!"

"I can't believe you made a double of yourself and didn't tell anyone!" Hunter shot back. He sounded just as upset as Cam felt, and that was somehow... comforting.

He couldn't explain his reaction, so he tried to bluff his way past it. "I was stuck in a closet!"

"You didn't just create him this morning!" Hunter shouted, letting his arms fall as he took a step forward. "A little warning would have been nice! 'Hey, guys, I'm gonna make someone that looks and sounds just like me but isn't!' Or how about, 'Hey, just so you know, there's going to be a second ME running around--'"

"He wasn't supposed to tie me up and take off!" Cam yelled back. "I would have warned you before I let him into the control room!"

"No, you wouldn't have," Hunter said angrily. "I know your sense of humor. You would have sent him in there and waited to see how long it took us to figure it out! And you know who would have figured it out first? Me, that's who!"

"If you're so smart then what do you care?" Cam demanded. Hunter hadn't figured it out, and maybe that stung more than it should.

"Shut up and let me finish," Hunter snarled. "You know why I would have figured it out first? Because I would have goosed you, or teased you, or smirked at you behind Shane's back once too often, and you would have called me on it. Probably right in front of the others."

"Like they would have noticed," Cam said with a snort. "Today proved that keen skills of observation are not a prerequisite for becoming a Ranger."

"I would have noticed!" Hunter hadn't stopped glaring at him. "What if I'd winked at you and your stupid double wanted to know why?"

Cam looked away, tracing the outline of the door with his eyes. "He knows why," he muttered. "Now."

"That's not the point!" Hunter exclaimed. Then he paused. "He does?"

Cam just shrugged. "Like you said," he told the door. "What if you get us confused? He'll... if you're alone, he'll tell you. If you're not, he'll just go along with it."

"Huh." Hunter seemed somewhat appeased by this information. "Fine. Good. He'd better," he grumbled unconvincingly.

"Did you really behave yourself all day?" Cam asked, a little surprised by this apparent restraint on Hunter's part. Hunter constantly amused himself by seeing how much he could get away with without the others noticing, and the idea that he had managed all morning and most of the afternoon in the presence of Cam's double was... frankly, unbelievable.

It was Hunter's turn to shrug, and he looked uncomfortable for the first time. "You were acting weird," he muttered. "I didn't want to... set you off."

"Set me off?" Cam repeated incredulously.

"Well, you know." Hunter gestured vaguely, refusing to elaborate. "You hugged Shane and Dustin. Who knew what you'd do if I... I dunno. I tried to stay out of your way."

He had known. Or at least, noticed. Cam smiled to himself, hastily transforming the expression when Hunter looked at him. "I'm trying to picture you staying out of anyone's way," he said with a smirk.

Hunter cleared his throat. "Maybe 'staying out of your way' is a little exaggeration," he admitted, a rebellious glint in his eye. "But I didn't get in your face unless you were really asking for it."

"Admirable of you," Cam said dryly. "Really."

"I thought it was," Hunter agreed. "I was very polite."

"The punchline being?" Cam inquired.

Hunter grabbed Cam's shirt and took a step closer, eyes glittering as he lowered his head. Instead of kissing him, his mouth drew even with Cam's ear and he whispered, "If you ever try to fool me like that again, I'll put a hickey where everyone can see it. Trust me--there's not gonna be any question of who's who."

5. Love Hangover

"Since when does homemade food come in a bucket?" Tori wanted to know. Blake noticed that her supposed indignation didn't stop her from taking advantage of the chicken, but it was only a detour on the way to confronting Shane and Hunter.

Dustin chuckled, catching on far too quickly for someone who had looked as innocent as he had on arriving. "Busted!" he crowed, dropping the boxes by the table and helping himself to the chicken.

"Okay, so maybe it's not homemade," Shane admitted, holding up his hands to ward Tori off. "The class kind of got interrupted, remember?"

"And we've had enough of that 'from the heart' stuff today," Hunter added with an unrepentant smirk. "But we paid, so you might as well dig in."

"Hey," Dustin interrupted, tipping one of the empty boxes toward him. "Don't they include ketchup in the order anymore? Cause you know, you can't really eat fried chicken without ketchup."

Hunter took one look at Tori's expression and didn't miss a beat. "I'll go look for some," he suggested. The offer was a little too convenient to be altruistic, and Blake caught his brother's wink as Hunter backed away.

"Great," Cam put in with a sigh. "Someone else to turn the refrigerator upside down while missing what's right in front of their face."

"Dude, the mayonnaise was all the way in the back under that creepy tofu stuff you eat," Dustin objected. He somehow managed to sound defensive even around a mouthful of chicken.

"Not you," Cam answered. "I was thinking of Shane's adventures in salad preparation."

"Hey," Shane exclaimed. "Anyone can make a salad!"

"So you said," Cam replied dryly. "Too bad 'anyone' can't clean up from making the salad afterward."

Wisely, Shane chose not to respond. "Dustin," he said quickly, heading for the table where the plate of chicken had come to rest. "Save some for the rest of us, all right?"

"I thought it was a peace offering," Tori reminded him. "Why should you get any of it?"

"We were there too," Shane declared, taking a piece of chicken for himself. "Just because some of us didn't get tied to a stage prop doesn't mean we didn't suffer."

"Yeah," Dustin agreed. "We almost got run down by this, like, swarm of girls."

"I'm going to go make sure Hunter doesn't rearrange the refrigerator," Cam remarked to no one in particular. "I'll get some aspirin while I'm back there. Blake, you want any?"

Blake roused himself, tearing his eyes away from Tori and nodding in Cam's general direction. "Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks, Cam."

Cam waved it off, heading out of the room without a backward glance. Blake watched him go while the argument at the table resumed. Tori could hold her own against the other two indefinitely, and although the entertainment would be worth watching even if there weren't food involved, the timing of Cam's disappearance was not lost on him.

Cam was going to supervise Hunter's search for ketchup? Yeah, that made sense. To a second grader. And with the number of times Hunter had disappeared recently, with no warning or explanation? Times when Cam just happened to turn up missing as well?

Maybe the Wind Rangers didn't see it, but Blake was beginning to get suspicious.

He sidled over to the table. He didn't really want to get involved in the "who had the worst day" argument, since it could very quickly turn into a "how much can we embarrass Blake before he kills us" competition. But if he left without explanation someone would come looking, and while one person might be able to sneak up on two ninjas, four people definitely couldn't.

"I'll just throw these away," he offered, as casually as he could. Collecting the buckets from the floor, he gave Tori a "you tell 'em" grin and turned away. Shane's recital of his own trauma in cooking class barely paused.

He made his way through the door as quietly as he could, deliberately shifting the boxes into as solid a position as he could manage. He slowed just out of sight of the control room, around the corner from the kitchen alcove where Cam was forever stopping for lunch. It was no wonder he was possessive of the refrigerator, Blake thought. He practically lived out of it these days.

At first, Shane's voice and Tori's indignant response were the only sounds in the hallway, drowning out the quieter or maybe nonexistent conversation in the kitchen. Maybe Hunter was the only one in there after all, and he would come around the corner any second, ketchup in hand and genuinely surprised to see his brother lurking in the hallway. Maybe Cam was just being sarcastic, and he had actually gone to get aspirin as he'd said.

Then there was the sound of bottles clinking against each other, and a muffled thump that had to be the refrigerator door being slammed. "Look," Cam's voice said irritably. "It was right there on the only shelf tall enough for ketchup, okay? You don't have to shove everything out of the way to find something in plain sight."

"The Gatorade was in plain sight," Hunter's voice answered. "The ketchup was behind five water bottles and a six-pack of juice. Whatever freaky organizational system you have, it only makes sense to you!"

Or maybe Cam was being literal and he actually had come back to supervise. The guy was weird, no doubt about it.

"That's because other people keep taking things and putting them back in the wrong place!" Cam sounded more annoyed than usual. Blake figured it was just like him to get upset over condiments when Lothor turning him into a bug had provoked little more than shrug and a roll of his eyes.

"Maybe if you'd leave other people alone they wouldn't mess up your stuff so much!" Hunter didn't sound too happy himself, and Blake winced. Telling Cam that the others rearranged the kitchen on purpose might not be the best idea.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cam demanded.

"You know what it means," Hunter retorted. "You and Tori?" Blake froze, wondering what his brother knew that he didn't. Why would Hunter keep something like that from him? Unless it was to keep him from getting hurt--

"You wanna explain that?" Hunter continued, oblivious to Blake's presence or his confusion. "Or should I just draw my own conclusions?"

"There's nothing to explain," Cam said testily. "I was under a spell. I fixated on the first person I saw. Just be glad it was Tori and not Blake!"

Cam sounded far too defensive for Blake's liking. He knew there was more to that spell than just random chance. Did Tori know how Cam felt? She would have told him, right? Unless she liked Cam, too, and didn't want anyone to know...

"Blake saw you before he saw Tori." Hunter sounded oddly sullen, and Blake frowned. What was he talking about?

"So Blake doesn't like guys," Cam snapped. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Okay, he was officially not following this conversation. Were they still talking about Tori? What was Hunter so upset about, if it wasn't that Cam was after his brother's girlfriend?

"Are you saying you don't have a thing for Tori?"

That was a typically blunt, Hunter-style question, and if he hadn't wanted to hear the answer just as much as Hunter apparently did, he would have rolled his eyes. Socializing his brother was a slow and arduous process. Sometimes he wasn't sure it was worth the effort, since Hunter seemed determined to regress at the worst possible times.

"Of course I don't--!" Cam broke off, and when he spoke again his voice was noticeably quieter. "Of course I don't have a thing for Tori. That's ridiculous."

"You didn't have to watch you chase her all day," Hunter informed him. "It didn't seem so ridiculous from where I was standing."

"Obviously, you were standing too far away," Cam said dryly. "You didn't hear us? We were like fifth graders fighting over the first pick on the kickball team."

Hunter couldn't let that one go. "Since when do you use sports analogies?"

"I don't have at thing for Tori," Cam repeated. "You really think I'd be going out with you if I had a crush on her?"

There was a pause, and Blake just stood there staring at the doorway. The hug in the control room. The extra ticket for the film festival. Hunter's sudden interest in zord technology. Cam's motocross lessons. He was right about them after all.

He was right? How could he be right? What did his brother see in Cam? The only one of the Winds more annoying than Dustin--what had Hunter called him that first day? An arrogant nobody with family connections and a lot of luck?

Just like Hunter, a little voice whispered in the back of his mind.

"How do I know what you'd do?" Hunter asked at last. "Maybe you're just messing with me; I don't know. I can't figure you out."

"The feeling's mutual," Cam told him. "But if you're going to flip over a stupid spell, maybe you're in the wrong line of work."

"Hey, if it was just the spell, I get it. That's cool." Hunter actually sounded uncomfortable, and Blake found himself trying not to smile. Big bad Hunter, intimidated by a computer geek? "I'm just saying, if it was more than that..."

There was no reply. Cam wasn't exactly leaping to reassure him, but Blake was convinced. Hunter and Cam explained a lot of little things over the past few days, and really, who was Tori seeing? Him. She was going out with him, and Cam clearly had other interests. Blake could picture Cam staring the Crimson Ranger down right now.

"Well, I'm just saying I'd want to know," Hunter finished awkwardly, when it became clear that Cam wasn't going to help him out. "But if you're not interested in Tori, then fine. I believe you."

"Good." Cam's tone was curt. "I'm going to go find some aspirin."

Damn. Blake deliberately shuffled the cardboard boxes as he stepped forward, trying to make as much noise as possible without being overly intrusive. He pushed open the trash in the corner and dropped the buckets in, making a show of squashing them down before he let the trash close again. At least they'd given him some warning.

"Hey, bro," he said, looking up as Cam slipped past him without a word. "You find that ketchup yet? You won't get any chicken at the rate Dustin's going through it."

"Yeah." Hunter sounded distracted, but he held up the ketchup as if to prove he'd fulfilled his mission. "Cam was giving me instructions on proper condiment placement."

His tone held just the right amount of sarcasm, and if Blake hadn't overheard their entire conversation he might have even bought it. But as it was, he just folded his arms and gave his brother a smirk. "Yeah, I bet he was."

Hunter narrowed his eyes, probably trying to figure that out.

"You were gone a long time for someone who was just getting ketchup," Blake told him.

Hunter looked uneasy now. "Cam has a lot of refrigerator rules," he said evasively.

"Right." Blake decided to make it easy for him. "What about dating rules? He have a lot of those, too?"

"How much did you hear?" Hunter demanded. He threw up his hands in disgust when Blake just grinned. "Great. That's great. I can't wait to hear Shane's opinion on this."

"Hey!" Blake feigned injury. "Who said I was going to tell Shane?"

"Tori will tell Shane," Hunter said with certainty.

That was true. He hadn't thought of that. "Well, maybe I won't tell Tori," he said, rolling his eyes. "Come on, bro. You can't keep it a secret forever."

"It's not a secret," Hunter grumbled. "I'm just not going to shove it in their faces, that's all."

"Blake." The rattle of a pill bottle warned him, and as he turned Cam tossed him the aspirin from the doorway. "Take two; it doesn't work very fast."

"He knows," Hunter said from behind Blake.

Cam didn't so much as blink. "You've been using my aspirin all this time?"

"No--" Hunter paused, then added, "Well, yeah, but that's not what I meant. He knows about us."

"I don't even know about us," Cam retorted automatically. Then his gaze flicked back to Blake. "I thought we weren't going to tell anyone."

"Didn't tell him. He was listening outside the door."

Cam snorted, but he didn't look particularly surprised. "It figures," the Green Ranger muttered. "And you thought the no-kissing-at-Ninja-Ops rule was stupid." He turned and left without waiting for a response.

Blake snickered, ignoring the glare Hunter turned on him. "Guess that answers my question about dating rules," he chortled.

"Shut up," Hunter growled. "Bet you don't even kiss Tori."

"I can't believe you kiss Cam!" Hunter gestured at him to lower his voice, and Blake chuckled again. "Come on, bro. Cam? I don't even have to tell the others--you're never gonna hear the end of this!"

"Trust me," Hunter said, a resigned look on his face. "I knew that from the beginning."

6. Old School

He replaced the clutch cable and snapped the side cover back into place, reaching for the towel over his shoulder out of habit. Shane's skateboard clattered in the background, and the sound of rolling wheels on asphalt meant he'd successfully landed whatever trick he was trying on the curb. With another skate demo coming up this afternoon, he was spending more time on his board than on his feet.

Dustin stood up, hooking the cable back up to its lever before glancing at the clock through the shop window. He didn't really have time to clean the filter before his dad arrived, so he'd better quit while he was ahead. He was just reaching down for the solvent pan when he heard a sharp snap that meant Shane had jumped off and caught his board in his hand.

"Hey Cam," Shane called, and Dustin pulled the towel off his shoulder again as he turned. Sure enough, there was Cam, strolling down the sidewalk toward Storm Chargers as though he came by every day.

"Hey man!" Dustin greeted him enthusiastically, but something in the back of his mind seemed off. "Don't see you here much! What's going on?"

"Hey, guys," Cam said with a smile. "Just out getting some fresh air."

"Think maybe the city is the wrong place for that?" Shane asked, dropping his skateboard back on the ground when Cam didn't mention an impending attack.

"Actually, Blue Bay's air quality is pretty good right now," Cam said mildly. "The ozone's down for the week, and the cold front has blown some of the smog away."

"Yeah," Dustin put in, "but, you know, not as good as some other places. Where there are trees, and lakes, and waterfalls and stuff?"

"I see trees and lakes and waterfalls every day," Cam reminded him. "I could use some variety every now and then."

Shane flipped his skateboard over the curb again, landing it smoothly and coasting to a stop a few steps away. "You should come to my skate demo this afternoon," he said, not as though he expected Cam to agree.

Cam hesitated, then surprised them both by replying, "I'll think about it."

Dustin exchanged glances with Shane, but by then Cam was continuing, "I think I'll just take a look inside. See you guys later."

"Sure," Dustin agreed automatically, and Shane echoed him. As he watched Cam wander into Storm Chargers, though, he frowned after him. "Dude, you notice anything weird about Cam today?"

"You mean the fact that he's here or the fact that he said he might come to my skate demo?" Shane said with a grin. "I guess Sensei hasn't quit ragging on him to get out more."

"Yeah," Dustin said slowly. Through the window, he saw Cam's slow pace come to a complete halt as he put his hands in his pockets and looked around. Thinking of neglected homework and missed dinners, he had to admit, "My dad probably wishes I wasn't out so much."

"I hear that," Shane agreed. His attention was back on his board, and Dustin threw his towel over his shoulder again and collected the solvent pan.

"I'm gonna take this inside," he offered, and Shane waved absently at him.

The door was propped open, which was lucky since he didn't really want to let go of the pan with either hand. Cam had found his way into the work area where Hunter was replacing the top end on his bike, and he seemed to be settling in for an actual conversation. As Dustin made his way toward the back room and the sink, he wondered what the two of them had to talk about. Maybe Hunter had broken something at Ops?

It wasn't until he was disposing of the cleaning chemicals that he realized what was different about Cam. He tipped the pan up against the edge of the sink and went back for another look. Standing in the doorway to the back room, he could just see Cam's back leaning against the edge of the counter. Wearing his multi-colored shirt.

Dustin frowned to himself, turning back to the sink and hanging his towel over the side as he washed his hands. Cam hadn't worn anything but green and white even before he'd been a Ranger, and it seemed strange to start now. Dustin wore yellow alternatives, even brown or black when he was going to be doing something messy or just needed a change. But he didn't wear anyone else's Ranger color.

Cam was wearing green and red, a combination that was questionable even aside from the whole Ranger thing. Colors meant something to the Rangers. They always had, if the comic books were anything to go by... and he was sure they were. So why would Cam suddenly be wearing Shane's color?

Maybe it was an authority thing? Red was usually the color of the leader, and Cam did have as much experience as all of them put together. He coordinated most of their plans, their battles, even sometimes their training. If he and Shane ever disagreed--well, Dustin wasn't totally sure who he'd follow.

That was what Sensei was for, he supposed.

He finished with the pan and set it by the back door to dry, threw his towel in the rag pile, and washed his hands again. His dad could be here any minute now. He'd better get his bike put away before he ran out of time.

Blake was coming in to the shop just as Dustin was going out, and he greeted the Navy Ranger absently. The sidewalk in front of Storm Chargers was still empty except for Shane... he heard Blake greet both Cam and Hunter, and he turned to catch another glimpse of them before he backed through the door. The three of them had clustered around Hunter's bike, looking at something Dustin couldn't see, and he smiled to himself.

Funny how the brothers had "adopted" Cam. Like he wasn't part of the Winds, so he might as well be one of them. He wouldn't have expected Cam to get along any better with the Thunder Rangers than he did with students at his own Academy, but somehow he seemed to.

They looked strangely happy together, Blake leaning around Cam to point at something and Hunter with his arms crossed, hovering protectively over his bike. Cam's street clothes looked a little out of place in the middle of their "Shockproof" racing gear, but his shirt almost matched Hunter's jersey. It was Blake's dark blue that was the only--

Wait. Rangers did sometimes wear each other's colors, didn't they. After all, Tori wore navy almost as often as turquoise these days. Just because he didn't do it himself... that was how you'd always known who was together in the comic books. Rangers who were dating wore each other's colors.

Just then, Hunter motioned for Cam to come around the other side of his bike. Cam circled obediently, and Dustin wouldn't have even noticed if he hadn't been watching so carefully. As Cam stopped beside Hunter, in the lightest, most casual of gestures, Hunter's hand brushed against the small of his back.

It could even have been an accident, but it wasn't. Just like that, Dustin knew: Cam wasn't wearing red at all. He was wearing crimson.

"Hey, Dustin!" Shane yelled to him from the street, and he turned around to see his dad waving as he made his way up the sidewalk toward the shop.

He waved back, joining them outside as Shane explained the details of the afternoon's skate demo. His dad promised to try and make the next one, then asked if they could check out Storm Chargers' glove selection before they headed for the airport. After all, they were here... Shane stayed behind on the curb, and they went inside to take advantage of Dustin's employee discount.

Of course, then his dad had to be introduced to everyone inside, which was fun for all sorts of different reasons. His father enthusiastically claimed to know everything about his friends, which earned Dustin an annoyed look from Cam, a shrug from Blake, and an expression of unwarranted horror from Hunter. He could only imagine what Hunter thought he might be telling his dad.

"Not everything," he said hastily, as his dad turned away. "I promise."

Hunter's expression of relief was comical. They all made appropriate noises of understanding, but as Dustin turned to follow his dad he heard Blake mutter, "I could tell him 'everything'."

This was followed immediately by "Ow!" and Dustin wondered whether it had been Hunter or Cam that hit him.

7. The Bike

"What about the bike?"

Cam paused, giving him a blank look. "The bike?" he repeated. His voice was dangerously calm, and Hunter winced. Oops.

"Well, you know," he muttered, rolling his head against the back of the chair to look away. "When you have a minute."

"We came within two minutes of retrieving your body," Cam remarked conversationally. "One hundred and twenty seconds. You would have been dead. And you want to know about the bike?"

Hunter considered this, weighing the odds of him coming up with anything that would avert Cam's wrath against the satisfaction of making the Green Ranger scream. He figured the former was so unlikely that he might as well enjoy the latter.

"I knew you'd be here," he said at last, staring up at the ceiling. "Nerds of a feather, and all that."

Cam paid no attention. "Haven't you ever heard of waiting for backup?" His voice was suddenly muffled, as though he had ducked underneath something. "What good does it do to call me if you're not going to wait for anyone to show up?"

"It makes you feel better?" He wished he could see what Cam was doing, but he didn't have the energy to lift his head. "And it keeps Sensei off our backs."

There was the sound of something being slammed against metal, and suddenly cold fire flooded through his brain and poured into his body. His bones ached from the ice while his skin felt like it was burning off, and every muscle in his body protested the violent intrusion of energy. He groaned, twisting against the restraint, fighting the feeling itself as it began, with agonizing slowness, to release him.

The first thing he was aware of, beyond the blazing numbness in his veins, was Cam's concerned face hovering above him. He thought he mustered a smile, but his whole body was slumped against the chair like it was the only thing giving him form. That was a great feeling. Wasn't the machine supposed to fix that?

"Sorry," Cam was saying. "I should have warned you. I'm sorry; I didn't know it would hurt like that."

Hunter tried to answer, then cleared his throat and tried again. "If I didn't know better," he rasped, bracing his arms against the sides of the chair, "I'd think you were worried about me."

"Don't be ridiculous," Cam scoffed, but that look was still there in his eyes. "Can you get up?"

He forced himself to sit up straight, and was a little surprised when his spine cooperated. Still, no reason to pass up an opportunity. "Help?" he muttered, reaching for Cam.

The worry on Cam's face was obvious now, but he clasped the outstretched arm without a word. Hunter hated asking for help, but he knew Cam wouldn't offer without prompting. And they were alone, here...

He didn't have to feign the stagger that brought him to Cam's side, and the Green Ranger wrapped an arm around him automatically. Hunter smirked, strength returning with every second. He turned his face toward Cam's, and Cam's eyes widened at his expression.

Cam disentangled himself with enviable ease, shoving Hunter away before he could do more than leer. He stumbled, coordination not quite what it should be, but he caught himself with a chuckle. "Spoilsport."

Cam looked torn between indignation and disgust. "If you did that just to get me--"

"Hey, relax," Hunter interrupted, holding up his hands in self-defense. "No, it wasn't an act. Yes, I'm fine now, thanks for asking!"

Cam's expression softened a little, and his gaze flickered up and down Hunter's frame--just once, and what he wouldn't give for that look to be a little more appreciative. But the small smile on Cam's face made up for a lot.

"Good," the Green Ranger said at last. "I'll take a look at that bike, then."

"Now he looks at the bike," Hunter grumbled, a little disappointed that he didn't rate any more sympathy than that. How often did they get to pick each other up after a battle and personally check for injuries? He didn't think Blake had left them alone because he was worried about the others.

Cam raised an eyebrow at him, but he hadn't turned away either. "Do you want me to check out the bike or not? It was your idea."

"I'd rather you checked me out," Hunter groused, throwing a good-natured punch at Cam's shoulder.

Cam caught the punch with his left hand and didn't let go. "You seem fine to me," he remarked. His tone was even, but the smile was back on his face.

"Yeah?" Hunter took a step toward him, and then, when Cam didn't move, another one. "Don't you want to make sure?"

"Fine," Cam said with a sigh. There was no reluctance in his tone, though, and his fingers clasped Hunter's loosely as his fist relaxed. "Convince me."

Hunter grinned. "Thought you'd never ask." His free hand caught Cam's shoulder and he pressed his mouth to Cam's before the Green Ranger could change his mind.

Yeah, that was better... Cam wasn't exactly an unwilling participant, and Hunter dared to slide his hand around behind Cam's neck. He didn't push, letting Cam kiss him this time, and he shuffled a little closer--

Cam drew back just as they came close enough to touch. Something flickered in his eyes, uncertainty maybe, and he looked away. "I'm convinced," he said abruptly, turning toward the bike.

Damn. Cam wasn't a big hugger. Hunter had managed it once, when he had taken the other by surprise during a group moment. But despite the fact that Cam had let himself be kissed several times since then, he apparently didn't like to be held. Hunter couldn't figure it out, since he personally didn't mind wrapping himself around people he cared about and squeezing the breath out of them.

"I do something wrong?" Hunter asked, folding his arms and giving the bike a critical stare. Cam was often moody, and he was as likely to roll his eyes as kiss back when Hunter tried to put the moves on him. But it couldn't hurt to ask.

"Look, the others might need us," Cam snapped. "Did you ever think of that?"

"Actually, I was kind of out of it while you were explaining the plan," Hunter said dryly. "Want to run it by me again?"

"Shane and the others distract Motodrone," Cam said curtly. "Blake and I get you."

"So far so good," Hunter remarked. "But if you get me, what do I get?"

Cam ignored him. Hunter crouched down beside him, studying the bike more carefully. "Hey, this has my symbol on it!"

"There's a reason he followed you when you and Blake split up," Cam muttered. "He wanted you specifically."

Hunter grunted, not impressed. "Too bad for him."

"Lucky for you," Cam corrected, "Blake knew where to look for you."

Hunter snorted. "Like you couldn't have tracked me."

"Not once your Power had been drained," Cam shot back. "You were off the radar. Totally gone. Two more minutes and--"

"Yeah, yeah, you said," Hunter interrupted. "So can I ride this thing or what?"

Cam stared at him, just long enough for Hunter to wonder what he'd said. With Cam, it was always an open question. But then the Green Ranger pushed himself to his feet, going around the other side of the bike before nodding to himself and stepping back. "Yeah," he said reluctantly. "It looks fully powered and--mostly safe."

Hunter couldn't repress a smirk. "Mostly, huh?" Cam's definition of "safe" was thorough and uncompromising when it came to anyone other than himself. "So you're saying my grandma could ride it with her eyes closed."

Cam grimaced at him. "Try not to hit anything."

"Try not to make that face so often," Hunter retorted, swinging one leg over the bike and getting a feel for its balance. "Be a shame if it froze that way."

"Hunter." Cam caught the nearest handlebar just as he reached for it. He paused uneasily, not quite meeting Hunter's questioning gaze. "Just... be careful, all right? He almost got you once."

He couldn't resist. He lifted his hand to Cam's face, knuckles brushing against his skin. Cam jerked away, more startled than anything, he thought, and Hunter smiled a little. "You got it," he said quietly.

He fired up the engine, dropped it into gear, and headed for the busted door before Cam could answer.

8. The Bike, Again

"Hunter!"

Overloading and out of control, the Glider Bike couldn't maintain any kind of altitude. The crash site exploded into flame and debris. The chopper couldn't get there any faster than it was already going, and the burst of energy had temporarily overwhelmed Hunter's Power signature. He couldn't find the Crimson Ranger anywhere.

"Are you all right?" Cam demanded of the comm. He hoped his Power signature had only been overwhelmed. "Can you hear me?"

For one long, heart-stopping moment, there was no reply. Finally, though, the scanners recovered from their blindness and zeroed in on a single, steady reading in the middle of the madness. It wasn't moving.

"I'm fine," Hunter's voice answered at last. The words were strained, but there was real disappointment in his voice when he added, "I think my bike's going to need a little body work."

Cam regretted ever touching that bike.

"Can you get a fix on Motodrone?" Hunter wanted to know. "He disappeared."

No, you disappeared, Cam wanted to tell him. Instead he just shook his head, resetting the scanners as he answered, "I'm working on it." The scanning scope headed for Motodrone's previous location and came up empty, zooming out and settling into an automatic search pattern. "Nothing yet."

He heard Hunter grunt in response, and he reached for the newest set of controls. The mobile teleportation system was still a prototype, but the default setting would kick in if it were unable to lock. It found its target faster than the scanners, flashing an "acquired" message almost as soon as he asked.

A moment later, Hunter was standing behind him. "Whoa!" The Crimson Ranger grabbed the back of his chair to steady himself, then braced one arm against the top of the cockpit as he leaned forward. "A little warning next time!"

"You're welcome," Cam replied. "But if you think I'm fixing that bike again, forget it."

"You could show some compassion for the guy who just got blasted out of the sky," Hunter told him. His voice was still rough, and Cam didn't have to look back to know that he wasn't just leaning against the wall for balance.

"I'll show some compassion when you stop trashing my equipment every other week," Cam said, forcing himself to keep his attention on the scanners. The Wolfblades were closing in on the other Rangers.

A hint of Hunter's usual mocking tone broke through the tired rasp of his voice. "The bike was Perry's, dude."

"And he designed it to kill you," Cam retorted. "I think I can take credit for a few modifications!"

The scope flashed and a realtime image of Motodrone appeared on the screen. "Shane," Cam said, triggering the comm immediately. "I've got Motodrone at the beach. And the Wolfblades are right around the corner from you."

There was a brief pause, and then Shane's voice came back. "I'm on my way, Cam."

"I'm ready," Hunter added behind him.

"You're not going," Cam said without looking up.

"Very funny." Hunter didn't sound amused. "Send me to the beach."

"Forget it," Cam replied. "You can barely stand up."

"I can fight!" Hunter exclaimed angrily.

"So can Shane. Skyla's with him. He can handle Motodrone."

"Skyla's dead," Hunter said harshly. "I can fight my own battles!"

"This isn't about you," Cam shot back. "This is about the best person for the job. Shane let you go after Motodrone because there was no reason to think you couldn't handle him. Now there's reason. He's stronger than we thought--"

"Don't try to keep me out of this!" Hunter sounded furious, the implied insult no doubt making a bad situation worse. "That's my nightmare down there!"

Cam gritted his teeth. He was right about this, and he wasn't backing down. "Shane will handle it," he said, as calmly as he could. "This isn't a one-man team, Hunter, no matter how much you try to make it one."

"Just because you wouldn't take him on doesn't mean I can't!"

Cam was on his feet before he knew it, facing off against someone whose ability to make him laugh was matched only by his recurring tendency to infuriate him. "Are you listening to me?" he demanded. "Motodrone is stronger than you are! He's almost killed you twice now!"

Hunter was utterly impossible to intimidate. "Stop trying to protect me," he hissed, glaring down at the Green Ranger.

"I'm not trying to protect you!" Cam shouted. "I'm trying to protect Shane! You wouldn't have his back out there and he doesn't need you taking him down with you! Especially not over some stupid desire for revenge!"

The comm interrupted them, and Hunter fumed silently for the few seconds it took the other Rangers to report. Cam spun back to the console, berating himself for letting a childish confrontation distract him from the fighting. Hunter couldn't stay.

"I'll see you back at Ops," he muttered, hand hovering over the teleport controls. There was no answer, and he wasn't surprised.

He had challenged the other Ranger's authority, insulted his ability, and taken a battlefield decision away from him. It could be days before Hunter spoke to him again. And yet there was nothing else he could have done. Sometimes the team was more important.

The Crimson Ranger sulked for the rest of the morning. Unfortunately, he refused to sulk in private, and it was a bit disconcerting to have him standing that close and know he wouldn't return a look even if it was offered. Hunter had gotten in the habit of leaning on Cam's chair while the others were talking, and today was no exception. The difference now was that no matter how often Cam looked up, Hunter's gaze didn't leave the computer monitor.

He tried not to think about it. He tried to ignore it, the way Hunter was ignoring him. But the close quarters made that impossible. He was almost relieved to learn that their emergency Power source would require an extended search, and that given the circumstances the search was going to have to be a solitary endeavor. He would take that mission gladly.

He walked right into the Wolfblades' trap. He should have seen it coming, should have known that Marah and Kapri weren't completely incompetent. But it wasn't until the chopper was on fire, veering out of control as he tried and failed to halt its sudden freefall, that he recognized the situation for what it was.

He was going down. Just as Hunter had, in flame and debris, trailing a plume of black smoke behind him as he plummeted out of the sky. And there was no one to bail him out. No one to say, that's it, come back, it's too dangerous. Let someone else try.

There was no one else, and they needed this mission to be a success too desperately to abort it now. He would have to go on, climb out of the crash site and continue on foot, no matter the personal cost or the probability of failure. He realized that he was perfectly prepared to do that, and it occurred to him with no small amount of dismay that this was just what Rangers did. They went on. Whatever the obstacle, whatever the price, they did what they had to do.

They did what he had stopped Hunter from doing that morning. They finished what they started, and they made sure the enemy knew it. The strength of a Ranger was the team... but it was also their willingness to sacrifice for the team. Their willingness to let the greater good be more important than personal safety. That was what made them stronger than the self-centered forces of evil.

That was what he had forgotten when he pulled Hunter out. He had let his own desire to keep the Crimson Ranger safe become more important than the even distribution of fighting forces. He had let it become more important even than Hunter's own judgement, which was as good if not better than his own when it came to his own abilities.

He caught Hunter watching him when they regrouped at Ninja Ops afterwards, one more battle behind them, another piece of technology in their arsenal. Shane and Dustin snuck off as soon as they thought they could get away with it, but Blake kept Tori busy with teasing over some indiscretion for longer than anyone but a smitten teenage girl would have allowed. Cam didn't bother to rescue her, hoping instead to get Hunter alone before Blake dragged him off to rehearse for "Totally Talented".

He sidled around the table, folding his arms as he studied the far wall with as much interest as he could muster. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" he said under his breath, deliberately facing away from the still-arguing Tori and Blake.

"This isn't really a good time," Hunter muttered. He was watching the two with undisguised curiosity, and maybe some small amount of amusement. He didn't even glance in Cam's direction.

"I want to apologize," Cam told the wall.

That got Hunter's attention. "Your place or mine?"

Cam rolled his eyes, and he saw Hunter smirk in his direction when the other thought he wasn't looking. "Let's just..." He gestured vaguely toward the stairs. "You know."

Hunter followed him more closely than was strictly necessary, and Cam sighed silently to himself. Hunter wasn't going to let him forget this, he could tell. The only question was, would that end up being a bad thing or a good one?

"Hey, could you program CyberCam to be a little nicer?" Hunter wanted to know, interrupting him before he could even start. They came to a halt in the stone entrance just outside the control room, at the base of the stairs leading to the outside world. "He wasn't too upset when the chopper went down. Blake and I practically had to kick him to get him to send the zords to back you up."

Cam just stared at him, trying to figure out where this was coming from. "That's just what he's like," he said with a frown. "You know that. You're the one who wanted to be able to tell us apart."

"I'm just saying he's annoying," Hunter informed him. "I didn't say you were different."

Cam sighed again, aware that he had set himself up for that one but not sure exactly how. "Look, I shouldn't have pulled you out of the fight with Motodrone. It wasn't my call, and I'm sorry."

Hunter glowered at him. "I wish you didn't make that look so easy," he muttered, his tone vaguely resentful.

Cam's frown deepened. "What do you mean?"

"I'm... well--" Hunter broke off. "It wasn't your fault, okay? You were right about Shane. He could take Motodrone and I couldn't. End of story."

"You could have helped," Cam insisted. "You said you could fight, and I should have listened. I was just--I was worried about you. I didn't want to send you back out there, and I should have, I know. But I didn't."

"Yeah, well." Hunter glared down at the ground. "Maybe I have a little more sympathy after seeing the chopper crash. Can't believe you walked away from that."

"Neither can I," Cam said dryly. Then he caught Hunter's look and added hastily, "But think how I felt when the glider went up in flames. At least I had something to crash."

"Yeah, and who's destroying equipment now?" Hunter wanted to know.

Cam's lips twitched, and he saw an answering smile on Hunter's face. Before he could reply, though, Blake sauntered out into the foyer and raked a smug gaze over the both of them. "Ready to go, bro?"

"Yeah," Hunter said reluctantly, catching Cam's eye briefly. "Catch you later."

Cam lifted his chin in acknowledgement, watching as Hunter fell into step with his younger brother. "What are you grinning about?" he heard Hunter ask as they made their way up the stairs. "You get to see Tori's act for 'Totally Talented'?"

"Nah, better, bro." Blake's tone would have warned anyone with ears, but he didn't wait for Hunter to interrupt him. "I got to see you and Cam making up! Isn't that cute..." The Navy Ranger went so far as to make kiss-y noises, and Cam closed his eyes.

"Shut up!" Hunter's exclamation could be heard even as they pushed their way through the door. "We weren't fighting, all right? Lay off!"

"Were so!" Blake's voice taunted.

"Were not!"

The door slammed shut behind them, cutting off their voices and leaving Cam in relative peace. He opened his eyes, shaking his head as he turned back to the control room--and came up short. There was Tori, standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips.

"What was that all about?" she wanted to know, staring up the stairs after the Thunder Rangers.

"Oh, you know," he said with forced casualness. "With them, it's always something."

She gave him an odd look, then shook her head. "Well, whatever," she remarked. It was hard to tell whether she was agreeing with him or not. "I'd better go practice. See you later, Cam!"

"See you," he echoed, watching her dart up the steps toward the surface. If Blake had overheard them... how easily could it have been Tori? Were they deliberately tempting fate, having these conversations where anyone could come along? Were they trying to get caught?

He had asked himself the same question many times before. He still hadn't come up with an answer.

9. Bear Hug

"I can't believe these guys still wanted to go camping after all this," Tori said with a sigh. As exasperated as she sounded, there was a note of affection in her voice that couldn't be disguised. "I just want to go to sleep."

"Me too," Cam confessed, sticking his hands in his pockets as they wandered toward the campsite. "I just didn't want them thinking I was... well, lame."

She was probably the only person on the planet he would admit it to, but she just laughed and agreed. "Me too!"

He stopped at the same time that she lifted her head to look around, and they exchanged glances. Their teammates were sprawled across chaise and folding chairs, every eye closed as they were apparently dead to the world. Had they even had time to eat anything, or had they crashed as soon as they got here?

Cam just shook his head. "I bet Zurgane's in worse shape than them," he remarked, wondering how much noise they could make before those supposedly keen ninja senses kicked in. He was guessing quite a lot.

"No doubt," Tori agreed, her gaze following his. "Think we should make them dinner?"

He gave her an incredulous look. "You've got to be kidding."

"No," she protested, laughing. "I'm hungry! And you know they'll wake up the second they smell food. Come on--you get some water, and I'll see what else they brought with them."

"At least we know it won't be anything that requires more than two steps," Cam observed, trailing her reluctantly across the clearing. "'Open,' and 'serve.'"

"Water," Tori said sternly, handing him a pot. "Filter," she added, digging something out of the pile by the grill. "Wow, I thought they were disorganized before. It looks like they were visited by bears or something."

"Well, you've seen Hunter when he's angry," Cam tossed over his shoulder. "His rider probably lost the super deluxe hundredth anniversary motocross event or something."

"Supercross," Tori corrected absently. She was already sorting through the stuff in the cooler--a backup for the fridge, no doubt--but there was a ring of amusement in her voice.

"Whatever," he called back as he headed for the river. He actually did know what it was called, and at least two of the riders that were supposed to be in it. But he wasn't about to let on that he'd been listening while the others were discussing it.

While Hunter was discussing it. With Blake and Shane, which had made for a loud and lively conversation that he hadn't been able to avoid overhearing. Especially when he was standing right outside Storm Chargers' lounge area while they were talking about it. It wasn't so much eavesdropping, he thought, as it was... well, it was eavesdropping. But it hadn't been intentional. At first.

He wedged the pan between a couple of rocks near the side of the river and arranged himself and the filtration system comfortably. He had barely managed to sit down when sudden awareness of someone behind him made him stiffen. He looked back sharply, relaxing a little when he realized who it was.

Hunter leaned against a nearby tree, regarding him speculatively and with a glint of amusement that made Cam nervous. They were out of sight of the others, but just barely, and Hunter was nothing if not... daring. He definitely had a tendency to push the boundaries of whatever he did. And if he was looking at Cam like that? He'd better hope no one came looking for either of them.

"I thought you were asleep," Cam said, as casually as he could. He turned back to the water filter half-heartedly, wondering if it would do him any good to try and anticipate Hunter's actions.

"Nah." Hunter paused, then added, "We were going to try and scare you, but then Tori mentioned dinner and we chickened out. Don't mess with people who say they're going to make you food, right?"

"Some people you shouldn't mess with at all," Cam retorted, adjusting the filter as it slipped.

"Yeah," Hunter agreed seriously. "Tori's pretty tough."

Cam rolled his eyes, but Hunter knew him well enough by now that he didn't bother answering. Very funny, ha ha. He actually was more amused than offended, but there was no reason to feed Hunter's ego by saying so.

Instead he found himself telling the river, "Nice shirt."

Hunter's tone was perfectly innocent when he replied, "You like it? No one else has said anything about it."

"No one else is looking for it," Cam muttered.

There was a quiet moment. Finally Hunter offered, "You know, you could just boil that."

Cam just shook his head. "You know how long it would take to boil this much water?"

"No," Hunter replied immediately, "but I'm guessing I'm going to find out how long it takes to filter it."

"Good guess." He frowned as the filter stopped cooperating, and that was all it took. The idle banter had lulled him into a false sense of security. He was caught completely by surprise when Hunter's hands settled on his shoulders.

"Did you compare me to a bear?" Hunter wanted to know. "Should I be upset about that?"

He had frozen at the touch, deliberately made himself relax. When would he learn that Hunter took every opportunity? He tried not to let it bother him, tried to remind himself that they'd been seeing each other for months. Of course he was allowed... expected, to be physical. He just--it was still a surprise, sometimes.

"No," he managed at last. With a smirk he made sure Hunter could hear, he added, "There's nothing wrong with bears."

He heard Hunter chuckle, but the feel of arms wrapping around him erased the sound from his mind. He held his breath, trying not to shift uncomfortably. He wasn't good at hugging, and it made him nervous when other people tried to involve him in it. Especially from behind. When his hands were full.

"All right," Hunter murmured in his ear. "Inquiring minds want to know. What have you got against hugging?"

"Whose inquiring minds?" Cam returned, holding as still as he could.

"Just mine." Hunter sounded amused at his wariness. "What, that isn't enough?"

"No. I mean--" He realized how that had sounded, failed to correct it in any plausible way. Cam sighed and decided to just answer the question. "Nothing." He really didn't think well when other people were touching him. "Other people" consisting exclusively of Hunter. "I don't have a problem with hugging."

"You're crawling out of your skin," Hunter observed. Unfairly, Cam thought. He was really quite calm for someone who had been ambushed on the edge of a large body of water by an unpredictable boyfriend, whom the people fifty feet away weren't supposed to know anything about. There were multiple reasons to be nervous.

"Come on," Hunter coaxed. "You don't mind kissing, so I don't think it's me. Is it 'cause of the others? Or are you just not a hugger?"

"No," Cam agreed, knowing it wouldn't be that easy. "I'm just not a hugger." He had to say something, and he was distracted every time Hunter moved.

That was it--it was just distracting. Amazingly so. He felt like he should be able to function while someone was hugging him, and he couldn't. Kissing was different: when they kissed, he knew that all he was expected to do was kiss. That was fine. Focused. He could handle that. He just couldn't multitask, not when it involved being close to someone else.

"So?" Hunter prompted, annoyingly determined. "Why not?"

"I don't know, okay?" Cam shifted, knowing it would clear his mind to put some distance between them but unable to make himself pull away. "I'm just... not used to it, I guess."

"Not used to it," Hunter repeated. Only afterward did Cam realize it was the wrong thing to say if he wanted Hunter to stop doing it every time he turned around. But he wasn't sure he did. He might not be comfortable with it, but he didn't... dislike it.

"Well, I can fix that," Hunter was saying. "Stand up."

He really should have seen that coming. A mile away. Too distracted... that was his only excuse. That he was totally distracted. And about to be moreso, if Hunter had his way. What were the others doing, that they didn't wonder why Cam needed help getting a single pan of water?

He didn't even realized he'd stood up until after he did it. What had he done with the filter? A glance over his shoulder revealed that it was doing about as much good as it had been doing ever since Hunter snuck up behind him and took him by surprise. Which was to say, not a whole lot. On the other hand, he hadn't dropped or broken it either, so--as Hunter would say--points for technique.

"Your basic 'hello' and 'goodbye' hug," Hunter was telling him. "Only to be used on family, or, if you're really into that kind of thing, cute guys who you're one hundred percent sure are gay. Getting that part wrong is dangerous."

Hunter hugged him before Cam could completely process that. Not his Blake hug, an all-encompassing, bone-crushing maneuver that made Cam glad to be an only child. And not his Cam hug, typically delivered gently and carefully while kissing so as not to startle him. No, this was a different hug, a fast, easy, friendly invasion of personal space that Cam nonetheless would not have tolerated from anyone he didn't trust with his car keys.

He was classifying hugs. Since when could he classify hugs? He definitely hadn't noticed when that started. Maybe he had gotten more used to this than he realized.

"Got that?" Hunter was asking. When Cam rolled his eyes, Hunter gave him a smirk. "Here's the 'I'm so glad you're alive' hug. Don't use this on anyone who wasn't recently in a life-threatening situation."

Cam barely had time to breathe before he found himself on the receiving end of a standard Blake hug. Yeah, Blake got "I'm so glad you're alive" hugs all the time. Cam made a mental note not to put himself in any life-threatening situations in the near future.

Hunter's grip had eased, but he hadn't backed off, and Cam found himself asking, "Is this still the 'Glad you're alive' hug? Because it usually doesn't seem to take this long."

He could feel Hunter's soft puff of amusement against his ear. "Oh, what are you, the hug expert now?" Had he really thought that being hugged from behind was distracting? Because this was ridiculous. At least the benefit of kissing was that no one could ask you to talk while you were doing it.

"I learn quickly," Cam muttered. He'd even managed to come up with a remotely appropriate reply.

"Yeah, you do." Hunter rested his head against Cam's with an almost inaudible sigh. "Because this is the 'you feel really good' hug. And I don't want to let go."

"Is that part of the name?" Cam wanted to know. Nervous babbling. Yeah, this lesson was going well. "Or just personal commentary?"

"Shh," Hunter told him, his embrace tightening despite his words. "You're cuter when you don't talk."

"I find that offensive," Cam remarked. It was hard to work up the appropriate indignation when he was wrapped up in someone's arms. "Plus I feel stupid, standing here like this."

"Then you're not doing it right," Hunter informed him. "Try harder."

"What if someone--"

"Hey," Hunter interrupted. "This isn't Ninja Ops, okay? I get to make the rules."

"You get to make the rules everywhere except Ninja Ops?" Cam repeated. He wasn't sure if automatically responding to everything someone said counted as carrying on a conversation, but he was trying. "Since when?"

"Since right now. And since we're together in Ninja Ops more than anywhere else, it's not exactly unfair."

He couldn't come up with anything to say to that. He wasn't completely sure that was a bad thing. For a moment he just let himself enjoy the hugging. Unlike him, and contrary to what one would assume about Hunter on first meeting him, Hunter was actually a very good and experienced hugger. He could make the rest of the world go away--which, Cam suspected, might be the whole point of a proper hug.

Hunter heard it first, and he had kissed Cam's temple and started to pull away before Cam realized there was someone coming. He stepped back quickly, but Hunter was already crouching by the stream and waving impatiently up at him. "I thought you said this thing was easy to use," he complained, managing to look innocent and genuinely befuddled at the same time.

"It is," Cam insisted. Dropping down at Hunter's side, he couldn't resist adding, "Maybe you just need more practice."

"Cute," Hunter muttered. The word was quiet enough that whoever was coming wouldn't hear it, and his grin as he shot Cam a sideways look was just between them.

It was surprising how much it meant, that Hunter would go to so much trouble just for him.

10. Doing Good

He started, confused for a moment by his surroundings. Lights... the table... Ninja Ops. Was it morning? He needed to get up. It wasn't morning. Were those the Dragonforce specs? He was supposed to be working on that...

He had fallen asleep again. He blinked, hard, then again for good measure. Why didn't his dad wake him up when he did that? It wasn't like it helped anyone to have him napping in the middle of the control room.

He shook his head, wondering what time it was. The day was starting to come back to him. Hunter... The Gem of Souls, and the energy field surrounding Lothor's ship. The ninjas he couldn't rescue, the uncle he couldn't defeat, and the Dragonforce vehicle he was still trying to salvage.

Hunter...

It had been a really long day. It had to be late. He couldn't even remember what time it had been when he started working. The control room was eerily deserted. Hadn't Hunter been here a minute ago? Or--a few minutes ago? How long had he been asleep, anyway?

He stiffened. That was the same voice that had woken him up. The same voice that used to wake him up when he was too young to remember, he was sure. The same voice that had forgiven him everything he was and couldn't be with a few innocent words... and the same voice that had told him goodbye thirty years ago.

He turned slowly, not sure he wanted to know just what was lurking behind him. He could still be asleep. That would explain the incredibly surreal nature of the moment, and the sense of dread that made him want to walk out of the room without seeing. Where was Hunter?

It almost didn't surprise him to see Miko standing there, looking just as she had decades before. Because after all, it had been that kind of day. The kind where dead relatives started appearing to you because they had nothing better to do, and you saw them because you were just too tired to bother with disbelief.

"Mom?" He heard himself say the word, heard it interrupt the silence like the voice that broke into a dream, but she didn't vanish and suddenly a more logical explanation occurred to him. "Hunter was right. The gem fragments are still connected to the cavern of lost ninjas somehow."

Miko smiled, and it was a warmer expression than any she had worn the last time he'd seen her. Or... the first time? He supposed that the last time he had seen her had been the first time she had seen him. The first time he had seen her he hadn't been old enough to remember, while the last time she had seen him--

Time travel gave him a headache. How was she here, now? Was she really here? He wanted Hunter to walk in, to prove to himself that he wasn't still sleeping. He wanted Hunter to know that he had been right, that hanging on to the gem fragments hadn't been just forlorn hope and loneliness.

Maybe, if he admitted it to himself... he wanted Hunter to know his mother.

Only when he reached for his necklace did he realize he wasn't wearing it. He pressed his hand to his chest, instinctively wanting to turn and look for it but afraid to take his eyes off of her. He hadn't removed it, barely took it off at all, except to study or use it--

My Cam. She was holding it, he realized suddenly. Still smiling. You bring honor to our family, Cameron.

He swallowed hard, not wanting to tell her that honor wasn't much comfort sometimes. He wouldn't mind a little more family and a little less honor. Would that disappoint her? What would she think of Hunter? What would she say if she knew there were days when being loved was more important to him than anything he could do as a Ranger?

It's you that brings us honor, she repeated. Not your actions, but you. The person that you are. The son who has always made me so proud. Never doubt that we love you, Cam.

"I have a boyfriend," he blurted out. All those things he had wanted to ask--he had made a list, once, right after he returned from the past. In case the opportunity ever presented itself again. But his priorities were different now, and there was nothing he wanted more than her approval.

So much like your father, she mused. At first he thought she meant him, until she added, He challenges everything because he wants to know why. Not because he disrespects it.

She looked at him for a long moment. But then, you already know that, don't you.

He felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. "It's a comparison I made once," he allowed. "Hunter wasn't amused. And to be honest, I try not to go there."

She regarded him, the intensity of her expression undiminished though amusement flickered in her eyes. Understand that that's part of what makes it so hard for your father to accept. He loves you. He respects Hunter. But sometimes he doubts himself.

And of course, she added fondly, he worries.

"He wouldn't be a parent if he didn't," Cam said with a sigh. "I know. But if I hear 'be careful' one more time today..."

She only smiled at that. And how many times have you said the same to Hunter?

"Do you have spies?" he demanded, torn between amusement and chagrin. "Or are the other ninja spirits so boring that you'd rather spend your spare time watching over us?"

All we do in our spare time is care for those who care about us, she told him. Her conspiratorial smile softened as she came toward him, holding the amulet in both hands. I will always watch over you, my son.

She held up the amulet and he ducked his head automatically. He felt the necklace settle against his skin, and he lifted his hand to touch it. It was solid and cool under his fingers, but when he raised his head, Miko was gone.

A hand on his shoulder made him tense, and he spun around.

"Hey," Hunter said, lifting his hand but not backing off. "Didn't mean to startle you. Your dad said you dozed off."

He touched his necklace again. It was still there, warm as though it had never been removed, and of course the space behind him was empty when he glanced over his shoulder. "Dad told you that?" he said at last.

"Yeah. Crazy, huh?" Hunter's mouth quirked, a faint echo of his typical smirk. "First words he's said to me all night.

"I got the snaps you wanted," he added. He held up the scanner that Cam had given him earlier, twisting it for emphasis. "Maybe you should wait till tomorrow to upload the rest of the stuff?"

Cam hesitated, but his train of thought was totally gone. Whatever he'd been working on before... he wasn't even sure he could recognize it right now, let alone pick up where he'd left off. "Yeah," he agreed reluctantly. "I guess."

Hunter smiled then, a small smile but a genuine one nonetheless. "Thanks for giving me something to do," he said quietly.

Brought back to the moment by the tone of his voice, Cam smiled back at him. There was nothing like feeling useless when no one really knew what was going on--in that, at least, they thought alike. "Thanks for helping."

"Anytime," Hunter promised. Then he added, with studied indifference, "Except, y'know. If it's something really boring."

He wouldn't have chuckled if he had been a little less tired, but he couldn't help it and somehow Hunter's inordinately pleased with himself look wasn't as annoying as usual. It was just Hunter, being happy about something again. And if it was at Cam's expense--

But it wasn't, was it. Not really. The joke had been for his benefit as much as Hunter's, meant to amuse him too... as most of Hunter's jokes had been lately. He looked back one last time as they made their way out of the control room, thinking about people who cared for those that cared about them.

11. Taking Sides

He ignored them as long as he could. It took about three and a half seconds for them to drive him completely insane. Slamming his hands down on either side of the keyboard, he spun around in his chair. "Someone tell me what's going on!"

They were all too eager to comply, talking over each other in their haste. It reminded Cam of the Winds. The Thunder Rangers almost never spoke over each other--they seemed able to read each other's minds, finish each other's sentences. They didn't need to interrupt.

Today was different, apparently. Today they were squaring off, everything in their postures saying they were one step away from physically laying into each other. He could barely distinguish their words as they both shouted at the same time.

"Blake high-sided me at the track!"

"I beat him and he's freaking out!"

"Stop it!" Cam demanded, caught up in the effort to be heard and shouting back at them. "This is ridiculous! What happened to being brothers before racers?"

Blake tucked his hands under his arms, frowning, and Hunter turned away. "Brothers race fair," he snapped, raking his eyes over Cam. "He shouldn't have forced me off the track!"

"I didn't--" Blake aborted his forward motion, but his expression was furious. "If you'd seen the race you'd know how ridiculous that is! I passed him! That's all!"

How had he ended up in the middle of this? What were they doing here at all? He had thought the day's events would keep all of the Rangers out of his hair for a while, but apparently he was getting the exact opposite of his wish. There didn't seem to be any alternative but to tell them what he thought.

"Blake," he said with a sigh. "It doesn't really matter what happened. You can't expect me to side against Hunter."

Blake's eyes widened, but Cam didn't give him a chance to reply. "Hunter," he continued smoothly and as calmly as he could, "You're being a jerk. Have you ever considered a course in interpersonal relations?"

Hunter glared at him. "I'd hate to see you when you're not on my side," he said sarcastically.

Cam countered glare for glare. "Do you hear yourself? You're accusing Blake of cheating! If I didn't know better I'd think you were both under some kind of spell!"

"He kept me from going to nationals," Hunter informed him coldly. "I think that's reason to be upset."

"If you can't beat Blake you don't belong at nationals," Cam retorted. "Would you expect any other rider to let you win? It's a race, Hunter; the fastest person wins!"

"I can beat Blake!" Hunter insisted.

Cam cut him off before he could get any further. "Then why didn't you?" he demanded. "Because he cheated? Is Blake a cheater? Has he ever cheated before? Have you?"

Hunter opened his mouth, but Cam ignored him. "Blaming your brother is the stupidest excuse I've ever heard! You weren't fast enough. You lost. Get over it."

"Excuse me," his father's voice cut in. "Is there a problem, here?"

"No," Cam said firmly, a little surprised to hear Hunter and Blake come up with the same reply at exactly the same moment. A chorus of "no"s. Great. That would be convincing.

"I see." His father paused just long enough to let them know that he did, indeed, see exactly what was going on. "It has been my observation that tempers have been more heated than usual lately. Perhaps you should all take a step back from whatever situation is causing your current conflict and attempt to look at it more objectively."

"Sure, Dad," Cam muttered. He knew he wasn't the problem here, but trying to explain that to his father would probably cause more trouble than it was worth.

Hunter and Blake both responded with "Yes, Sensei," and then glared at each other as though they had stepped on each other's toes.

A chime from behind him caught his attention before the automatic surveillance system could zero in on the latest threat. He was almost relieved by the distraction, turning back to the computer as the system brought up an image of the forest. Complete with unfamiliar zords.

Just what they needed right now.

12. Disturbance

The vibration of the van, the steady rumble of the engine, the scenery flashing past through the window that he wasn't staring out. It was enough to lull Shane to sleep, and he wouldn't make any bets about Dustin's consciousness up there in the front seat either. Blake and Tori were leaning against each other, their whispers perfectly audible in the quiet vehicle, muffled laughter occasionally interrupting the steady drone of their conversation.

Cam was trying to meditate. Or at least, that was what he told himself. What he was really trying to do was to ignore the fact that Hunter was sitting next to him and, if Cam's ninja senses were any good at all, had been staring at him for the last half hour. He didn't dare open his own eyes, because then he would have to meet that steady gaze and there were no guarantees about what would happen next.

Ninja senses. For once, he could have done without them. And it wasn't just because he could feel Hunter watching him, either. The elements were... stronger, lately. It was the only word he could think of to describe it. The only word any of them could come up with, really, since it had finally come out that they were all feeling it. His father had agreed with their perception when Tori nervously put the question to him--thus ending all doubt about it being a figment of imagination, or some strange byproduct of their Ranger powers.

If it only affected their training, that would have been one thing. Unfortunately, it seemed to be making itself more and more felt, and in every aspect of their lives. It had gotten to the point where Cam could make his own skin tingle just by looking at his hands, the sensation of power at his fingertips growing by the day. His father confirming that it was real didn't bring them any closer to knowing what caused it, and to tell the truth it was a little frightening. When would their increasing awareness stop? How far would it go before it did?

He didn't like not being in control of himself. And if the last few weeks were anything to go by, the others weren't too happy about it either. They were fighting among themselves over things they had resolved months ago, things that had never really mattered but had been part of establishing who they were as a team. Now the old rules were being challenged, tested, tempers flaring as former conflicts were rehashed and--worse--new ones began to surface. Everything was exacerbated by the constant sense that something was just plain wrong.

The Action Games were supposed to be a diversion. He suspected they had all hoped that getting away from Ninja Ops and Ranger responsibility for a while would give them a chance to cool down, a chance to just be themselves again. A chance to be apart from the world of the ninja and the honor and obligation that came with it. A chance at real freedom, some actual downtime for a change, and maybe a way to forget that they weren't as normal as they pretended.

The problem, as Cam was just now starting to realize, was that the chance to be themselves only helped if they still were who they thought they were. He didn't know about the others, but his self-image had been radically reconstructed since becoming a Ranger. One revelation had been piled on top of another. He had shoved them to the back of his mind as they came, plowing on with everyday life in the name of sanity and necessity. Now that he was getting away from the usual demands, the revelations were dusting themselves off and reminding him that not only had they not gone away, they also had no plans to do so in the foreseeable future.

He wasn't meditating. And this wasn't helping. He opened his eyes, tired of his own thoughts and impatient with the pretense. As he had expected, Hunter's dangerously pretty gaze stared back at him from not nearly far enough away.

Pretty. It annoyed him that there was no other word to describe Hunter. He wasn't remotely feminine, and yet there was something about him that drew the eye. The body, the expression, the attitude... all were dangerous and defiant and alarmingly desirable. It hadn't taken Cam long enough to admit that he noticed, and the fact that Hunter hadn't bothered to fight it only made the whole thing seem less strange than it should.

Cam let his breath out in a sigh, noting distantly that Tori and Blake's whispering didn't so much as pause. Hunter's mouth quirked, and his eyes stayed right where they were. This was, all things considered, a really terrible time for the ninja elements to be interfering with their self-control.

Hunter blinked first. He leaned forward deliberately and Cam looked away, watching out of the corner of his eye as Hunter drew something out of the backpack he'd stuffed under the seat. A notebook. For what, Cam had no idea. He supposed it wasn't impossible that Hunter might write something down from time to time. Just because he'd never seen it happen didn't mean it couldn't.

Hunter was writing something now, a hasty scrawl that he tilted in Cam's direction almost immediately. A single word on a blank sheet of paper, surprisingly legible and clearly a question he didn't want to ask aloud: Tired?

Cam just shook his head. He didn't know how Shane and Dustin could nap, no matter how long the drive was. He himself was barely sleeping at all, and he wasn't feeling the lack. Of course, part of that could be due to how he was spending the time he wasn't sleeping, but he was pretty sure that whatever was making them all hypersensitive to the environment and to each other was boosting their physical stamina along with their ninja abilities.

Hunter wasn't done. Did you fix the camera in Ninja Ops?

Cam grimaced, and he saw Hunter's eyebrows lift slightly as he tried not to smile. There was nothing wrong with that camera, and Hunter knew it. Funny how lately it seemed to stop functioning whenever Hunter entered Ninja Ops. Alone. At night.

You going to glare at me the whole ride? Hunter's expression was innocent as he held the notebook up again.

Cam gave up. Snatching the pen out of Hunter's hands, he took the notebook and laid it across his lap. Yes, he wrote back. Because it's less obvious than anything else I could be doing. He almost added something else, but Hunter tugged on the edge of the notebook before he could even begin the sentence.

"Could you be a little less patient?" Cam hissed.

Hunter smirked at him, but the remark had gotten Blake's attention. He craned his neck over the seat to give them a curious look. "What are you guys doing?" he asked, quietly enough that it didn't seem to disturb Shane.

"Tic tac toe," Hunter answered in kind.

Blake appeared to accept this at face value, or maybe he just didn't really want to know. He faced forward again even as Hunter scribbled something else on the piece of paper and passed it back to Cam. Want to have notebook sex?

I can't believe you just said that, Cam mused, for lack of any more clever comeback. You're going to have to shred this notebook.

Hunter took the notebook back, smirked, and wrote something large at the bottom of the page. The words, Then burn it, were visible when he held it up. He didn't hand it over, though, just turned the page and started writing something else. He looked up at Cam once, not bothering to lift his head, and the speculative gleam in his eyes was too much.

Cam unfastened his seatbelt and slid across the backseat, peering over Hunter's elbow. Tori turned this time. She gave them an amused look, and Cam informed her, "I'm winning."

Hunter scoffed, but he was just as careful to keep his voice down. "You wish."

Tori just rolled her eyes. Hunter was forced to hand the notebook over when her interest made him stop writing, and Cam read it while she turned around again. This seat's not big enough. Too bad we didn't take separate--

Okay, now he was just being obnoxious. So the kissing sometimes got a little out of control. They hadn't done anything else. And they weren't going to. Sneaking a sideways glance at Hunter, though, he admitted to himself that some of that kissing wouldn't be unwelcome right now.

He should tell Hunter to stop it. He should just hand the notebook back and refuse to play anymore. Instead, something made him tease. What, you didn't take enough abuse last night?

He heard Hunter's muffled snort of laughter as the other Ranger hung over his shoulder. There was heartbeat's pause while they waited to see if anyone would look back at them, then he felt Hunter shift. The movement drew his attention, and Hunter tugged the collar of his shirt down just a little. Sure enough, there was a round bruise visible on his skin.

He really, really wanted to kiss that spot again. He looked away quickly, concentrating on the notebook instead. Don't talk to me about hickeys. I can't even wear white today. There's a reason I have two layers on.

This time, Hunter barely moved the notebook when he took the pen. He just held it where it was--in Cam's lap--and wrote sideways. Thought it was just to hide how sexy you are. As usual.

Cam reached for the pen, but Hunter twitched it away from him. You failed, by the way. As usual.

"Give me that," Cam muttered, torn between embarrassment and amusement. Hunter surrendered the pen without further protest, and Cam wrote, The only thing I'm hiding is my paranoia that one of the others is going to turn around and steal this notebook.

News flash. You're not hiding it. Hunter still didn't take the notebook from him, and having his hand on Cam's thigh wasn't helping anything.

Hunter's hand let go of the notebook to slide up Cam's leg. All the way up. Cam managed to stifle a gasp of shock, but it was a near thing. He did it only by not breathing at all, which wasn't exactly a long-term solution.

Not really. Hunter's words were nonchalant, but the writing suffered a little from his audacious multi-tasking.

Cam turned his head, just enough to breathe "Move!" in Hunter's ear. It was hard to put much determination into a whisper, especially when it had to be soft enough to keep others from overhearing. He tried anyway.

Hunter only looked at him, eyes inches away from Cam's. He did indeed move his hand. He just didn't take it away from where it was first. Cam swallowed hard, uncomfortable heat making his lips part, and breathing was no longer an option. Suddenly Hunter's mouth looked so, so appealing.

He was closer, tongue a breath away from Hunter's skin when Blake's whisper stopped him cold. "Bro," the Navy Ranger muttered. He had turned in his seat enough to get their attention without actually looking at them. "Just so you know, we can see you in the mirror."

Hunter shifted awkwardly, twitching the notebook out of Cam's lap and clearing his throat. Cam was too busy being mortified, experiencing firsthand the transition from flushed to burning with embarrassment, to notice the smirk Tori gave him when she turned around. "Way to go Cam," she teased softly.

He didn't see how being groped by Hunter was anything he should be complimented for, but he wouldn't have been able to come up with a reply even if he had. What had possessed him to do that? They were in the back of a van full of people who didn't even know they were together--although that list appeared to be getting shorter every day--and he had almost kissed Hunter with no regard for the consequences.

The van was slowing now, and the shift in motion seemed to have roused Shane. At least, Cam hoped it was the change that had woken him up, because the alternative really didn't bear thinking about. Shane was lifting his head, looking just aware enough to be alarming. Shouldn't he be... sleepy, or something?

On the other hand, his sudden consciousness was enough to silence Blake and Tori, and for that if nothing else Cam was grateful. Then Kelly was waking Dustin up, Dustin was protesting that he hadn't been asleep--which Cam hoped was untrue--and traffic had slowed to a crawl. There were signs everywhere, roadside diversions, and the energy level in the van was climbing by the second.

In some ways, that was good: they were all distracted. In other ways, it was bad: they were all wired. If Cam hadn't been wound tight enough before, now he was both wound up and restless, and that was just a dangerous combination. Especially around Hunter, who seemed to be feeling exactly the same way. They seriously needed to get out of this van.

The minutes dragged. Hunter was roughhousing with Blake over the back of his seat. Shane was protesting vocally while Dustin laughed. Tori exchanged commiserating looks with Cam. Then Hunter jerked away, slamming into him and making no apology for where his hands landed when he went to steady himself. Cam found himself getting in Blake's face, just for the excuse to lean across Hunter. They jostled back and forth, more physical than they had ever been in front of the others, and it wasn't enough.

He was going to go crazy if he didn't get away from Hunter. He really was. This was ridiculous. He couldn't think about anything else and he knew he was overcompensating for the fear that they were broadcasting everything they thought or felt to the others. In short, he was acting weird, he was feeling weird, and the only comfort he had was that everyone else was just as keyed up and so probably wouldn't notice.

Kelly was sick of them, though. He didn't blame her for stopping by one of the gates and ordering them all out. They piled out of the van--not fast enough--and Hunter insisted on hanging on the van door while Cam climbed out. Cam hesitated, wanting the casual contact, afraid of how it would look... he finally pushed himself away. Hunter followed.

"Why don't you guys check in," Kelly called from the front of the van. "I'll make sure your gear's okay."

A not so subtle, get out of my way so I can park the van, Cam thought. He wondered what she made of their attitudes lately, if she noticed anything wrong or just chalked it up to anticipation. Hunter had actually answered her, but it took a moment for Cam's brain to catch up with what it had heard.

"We'll check this place out," Hunter had offered, but after that he seemed at something of a loss. It was clear that when he said "we" he was including Cam, but Cam wasn't sure the others had gotten the memo. "For, uh..."

"Let me guess," Tori interjected dryly. She shot them an arch look over her shoulder. "Chicks?"

Hunter was unfazed. "Well, now that you mention it," he teased. Cam just rolled his eyes.

"Come on," he said, knowing he shouldn't but unable to keep himself from going along with it. "I'll cruise with you."

Blake gave them the same look Tori had. "CyberCam?" he demanded, with clearly feigned surprise. Yeah, very funny.

"I'm not CyberCam," Cam retorted. He was very aware of Hunter, sticking far closer than he should at his shoulder. "Who says real Cam can't cruise?"

That earned him a cheer from Hunter, a snicker from Blake, and an odd look from Dustin. He didn't have any idea what to make of Dustin's expression, actually, but Hunter pulled him away before he could wonder too long. Literally hauled him off, and wouldn't that look inconspicuous in the middle of this crowd.

Especially since they didn't head for the gate. They were definitely going against the current. Cam didn't know what they were looking for, but it wasn't hard to guess. He was starting to understand why bathroom stalls were such hot make-out spots.

"Hunter." They were out of sight of the others. He didn't recognize any of the people around them. Maybe it was exhibitionism, but at this point he really didn't care. "Cover any more ground and I'm going to think you really are looking for chicks."

Hunter had stopped at the sound of his name, and now he was eyeing Cam like he really, desperately needed them to be on the same page but he wasn't sure they were. "You know what I'm checking out," he remarked. His voice was flippant but his gaze as it traveled across Cam was undeniably thorough.

"Another stunt like the one in the back of the van," Cam warned, but Hunter cut him off.

"Yeah?" he interrupted, looming closer. Cam didn't answer. "And you'll what?"

Knock you back against the seat and make you glad you're gay. Cam had no idea where the thought had come from. Half of him cheered while the other half was scandalized that the words had so much as been formed, even in the privacy of his own mind.

Hunter was watching him through half-lidded eyes. "I don't know what you're thinking," he said, with a small smirk that said he could guess. "But I bet it's not as fun as what I'm thinking."

There was only one real answer to that question, and it felt so, so good to finally get his hands on that body. It wasn't much of a relief, but it was the air that fed the fire, and however much worse it made things to have Hunter's tongue in his mouth he couldn't deny that he wanted it. They shouldn't be doing this here--they shouldn't, he knew it, and he couldn't stop. It would take more than a voice in the back of his mind to pull him away from Hunter now.

It would take the tingling warning from his amulet, the sense of an approaching friend or foe. He jerked away from Hunter with a gasp, scanning the passersby as quickly as he could. "Someone's coming."

Hunter swore, and for once Cam completely understood. "No Ninja Ops tonight," Hunter muttered, the words barely audible as he dragged his gaze away from Cam.

"Ninja Ops isn't the only place we can be alone." He turned, careful not to look at Hunter. It was as close as they'd come to talking about the nights at Ninja Ops during the day. But Hunter had broken the silence first, by asking about the camera--

"They're inside," Cam added, focusing suddenly. Whoever the amulet recognized was somewhere in the direction of the gate, and he started toward it without thinking.

He could feel Hunter's eyes on him again. He threw a warning look over his shoulder, and Hunter grimaced. Turning toward the girls at the gate, he poured on the charm and talked his way in while Cam waited. He noted with some amusement that the girls weren't fooled, but he was just as glad for the chance to regain his composure.

He couldn't keep his hands off of Hunter when they were in each other's company, and he couldn't think of anything else when they weren't. Shouldn't be together, wouldn't stay apart... Being with Hunter just got more interesting every day.

Still working. Hunter studied him from the doorway, small in the shadows of the cavernous bay, maybe smaller still after the secret he'd finally owned today. He'd had a way onto Lothor's ship all this time, and the reasons he hadn't shared it were nothing but selfish. He couldn't... it was a secret he couldn't keep anymore, not after hearing Cam complain about the way deception seemed to run in his family.

A private complaint, a personal anguish. A fear of the unknown: the facts he didn't have, about them, about himself. Not for his father's ears, not for anyone's but his, and the way Cam trusted him with his own secrets finally drove Hunter to confess. I lied to you, Cam. I lie to you every time I say it's, this, is okay. This thing we do, together, sneaking around, pretending everything's normal.

It's not okay. I don't want it, this, you and me, to be a secret. I want everyone to know you kiss me. Everyone on the team, everyone in town, everyone in the world. I want them to look at me and think, hey, there's the guy who's dating Cam Watanabe.

What he'd actually said was, "The Gem of Souls..." And he watched Cam's expression reflect his own, worried, intent, uncertain. "I was going to tell you, but the more time that passed, the harder it got. I'm sorry."

He hadn't been able to look either of them in the eye while he said it, because it was as true for Blake as it was for Cam. But Blake would answer. Blake would yell at him, and they would fight, and they would get over it. Because they knew where they stood with each other.

Cam just stood there, and the closest he got to anger was disbelief disguised as an accusation. He'd taken the gem fragments silently, impassively, and Hunter could only stand there and stare back at him while the Winds waited to see what would happen. No answer was forthcoming. Cam had taken the pieces over to the computer, done something while Tori and Dustin whispered to each other, and then said the words they all wanted to hear: "There's plenty of power here. I'll take them down to the zord bay and see what I can do."

No one else had seemed to find this strange, but Hunter had followed him as soon as he could get away. Because Cam was a programmer, not an engineer. It had taken Hunter a while to recognize the difference, since Cam did pretty much whatever they needed--but he did it through the mainframe whenever possible. Code, integration, execution, in that order. He started with the design. Not the mechanics.

So Hunter stood in the zord bay, watching Cam avoid him, and wondering if he'd totally blown it with a decision that hadn't even been consciously made. A decision from another time, another life, even. A life before Cam. He wondered if he'd become one more in a string of people Cam didn't dare trust, leaving him alone with his brilliance in the midst of mediocrity.

"Does it make you feel like you're helping?" Cam's voice inquired. He was leaning over the side of the giant green vehicle he'd been working on, staring down at Hunter with a wry politeness that was very... him. "Standing there watching me work?"

"Are you mad at me?" Hunter blurted out.

Cam rested his arms on the edge of the cockpit and considered that. "Because you're not handing me tools or getting me coffee? No, I think I'm used to being my own assistant by now. Why?"

Hunter rolled his eyes, letting his arms fall as he straightened up and took that as tacit permission to approach. Wandering across the floor, he had to crane his neck further the closer he got. "Because I didn't tell you about the gem shards."

Cam hadn't moved, still braced against the green metal, still watching. "This isn't grade school, Hunter. You're allowed to have secrets."

Yeah. Secrets. He was really tired of secrets. And on some level, he knew Cam was too. "I should have told you," he said aloud. There were a lot of things he should tell Cam, and only some of them were the things he thought they should tell other people. The rest of it was just too frightening to put into words.

"You did tell me." Cam's gaze was inscrutable. "You told all of us."

"Yeah," Hunter said with a sigh. Because he'd had to. Because Cam had practically asked him to with his admission that the things he didn't know were driving him up the wall. "A little late."

"Just in time," Cam corrected. And then the words that said it was okay, that no, Cam wasn't mad, he didn't care so much about the gem shards after all, and maybe Hunter was turning this into way more than it had to be. "Want to come up?"

He grabbed the railings on the ladder and swung himself up without any more encouragement. Cam didn't like people fooling around in the zord bays. And there were cameras down here--of course--so Hunter assumed he didn't goof off here himself. But if he didn't mind the company, then hey. Hunter was happy to take that as the most forgiveness he was likely to get.

Which was why he was caught completely off guard when Cam climbed out of the cockpit, slid over the edge of the giant robotic assault vehicle, and crowded into him on the platform at the top of the ladder. Hunter grinned at him, not getting it until Cam latched onto the front of his uniform and kissed him, right there in the middle of the zord bay. Doors gaping open, cameras running continuously, and he caught the edge of the ladder so he could lean into it because every secret had an expiration date.

Later, in the hills out behind the track, that was his idea. Even if it was Cam's fault for looking at him like he would have done anything in the world to make him stop looking at the sky, and Hunter could think of a few things that wouldn't require tremendous sacrifice... just a little public embarrassment if they were caught, and a little dirt in their clothes if they weren't. Cam played along, let him do it, and that was the strangest part of all.

There was something wrong. He couldn't think about it while he was kissing Cam, but he couldn't let it go, either, not when the same thought had crossed his mind several times over the course of the week. "Hey," he muttered, pushing Cam back into the grass and staring down at him as the sun-warmed breeze whispered all around them. "Does this seem weird to you?"

"The fact that you've stopped kissing long enough to form a complete sentence?" Cam's expression was open, amused... affectionate. "Yes, I'd qualify that as unusual."

"Ha ha," Hunter said, but he really couldn't resist. It was beautiful today, perfect place, perfect weather, perfect opportunity with a guy who had never, ever been willing to make out in a place this public before. He kissed Cam again, grass tickling his face and his black vest too hot in the sunlight and he didn't care because this was all he wanted.

The skin was warm under his mouth and he strayed, recklessly, tenderly, kissing the corner of Cam's mouth, venturing out across his face when he didn't hear any complaints. His heart was pounding in his ears, afraid of his own adventurousness, addicted to the adrenaline, and he couldn't stop. He had his tongue pressed up against a beautiful throat when he heard Cam whisper, "This is weird."

He froze, and Cam let out a breathless sound of dismay. "Don't stop," he pleaded, and Hunter kissed his neck reassuringly. "It's just," Cam murmured, and now his hands were on Hunter's shoulders, the back of his head, urging him to keep kissing while he talked. "You're right. I don't--I don't do this... not like this."

Yeah, Hunter thought, and that was it, this was strange, things were weird lately and they were getting weirder. He fought with Blake way too easily, he felt guilty for things he thought he'd buried, and he couldn't keep his hands off of Cam. He felt like he was crazy, like he was out of control... almost like he was drunk, like he could say anything and he wouldn't know what it was until it came out of his mouth. It didn't seem terribly important right now, but he couldn't help loving the way Cam tried to figure it out anyway. Because that was what he did.

If they'd been pushing it before, walking a fine line between expression and exhibition, that was just the beginning of a phenomenon that Sensei finally identified for them: energy enhancement. Lothor was up to something, as usual, concentrating forces that weren't usual at all, gathering them in one place until the energy of evil was at a level even Sensei had never seen before. And the Rangers, who were they? Lothor's opposite, evil's counter, defenders with a power that had always been sufficient to the task.

It still was. Just not at the level they'd known for almost a year now. So the power was increasing, taking them with it, boosting their energy and their emotions and all their skills along with it. It made training a lot more interesting, no doubt about that. But it made their daily lives almost unbearable. No one else knew why they were constantly wound up, they didn't have any excuses, and among the team it was even worse because they blew off the steam they couldn't with anyone else. They shouted at each other. They pushed each other around. And with the way Blake had looked last night, he and Cam weren't the only ones making out in every spare moment.

They'd almost been caught a dozen times. A couple of those times he was sure they had been caught, only to find out that the incredible distraction they were all feeling worked for them as much as it worked against them, sometimes. Every time they got away with it, though, they got a little less careful, and Hunter was sure the pretense couldn't last.

Which was just one of several really good reasons why he kept pushing it.

Cam had all but said where to meet him when he started working on the Dragonforce vehicle, and they started to take for granted that they were alone in the zord bay. But they didn't stay away from each other anywhere else, either. The control room, the kitchen, the training rooms, the treatment rooms... it didn't take Hunter long to realize that nowhere was off-limits anymore, and he took full advantage.

He also started taking Cam out to places people might not recognize them. Apparently that was all it took--well, that and some crazy power surge from an ancient evil abyss--for Cam to forget that he disapproved of public displays of affection. If their teammates had somehow managed to miss it, the rest of Blue Bay Harbor was rapidly becoming aware that Hunter Bradley and Cam Watanabe were A)gay, and B)shameless.

It wasn't enough. It was still a secret, somehow, because they didn't talk about, they didn't tell anyone, and that made it something... less. Something fragile, like it was contingent on their lack of acknowledgment, and Hunter wouldn't, couldn't bring himself to force the issue. All he could do was become more and more audacious and hope that someone noticed before Cam told him to knock it off.

He'd ambushed Cam at Storm Chargers. They'd been out back together for most of his break, and he'd heard the door--someone had walked in, but something called whoever it was back out onto the floor before they caught sight of him and Cam. He'd given Cam a lift to the library and groped him in the parking lot. He'd been feeding Cam in the kitchen when the rest of the team arrived for training. He'd almost gotten Cam to kiss him in the back of the van on the way to the Action Games.

Then it was over because the abyss was opening and the energy pouring into them had an outlet and they were going to win or be completely destroyed and either way, this was the end. So Cam got himself captured. So he and Blake went to rescue him and walked right into kelzaks and explosives and more of the Green Ranger's wacky family. None of it mattered as much as Cam, tied to the doomed ship, heartbreakingly relieved to see them... perfectly willing to return a kiss as Hunter pulled his hands free of the restraints.

With a crack about princes and noble steeds, Blake tossed Cam the Dragonforce remote. He was totally unfazed. Cam actually smiled. Then Marah called out to them, Choobo snuck up on them, and the ship began to self-destruct. The entire world was at stake and it was their turn to throw themselves into the fire.

Now he lingered inside the entrance to the Wind Academy, watching new students wander the paths in the shadows of dusk and wondering, yet again, just where he stood with Cam. With Lothor imprisoned and most of his minions destroyed, their Ranger powers were dormant and the energy that came with them had gone. Yesterday had been filled with graduation, new robes, new roles, and he hadn't gotten more than a hug from Cam since that fleeting moment on the ship.

They had the academies to worry about today. Tonight. And tomorrow. They had students to awe, former teachers to impress, plans to make, positions to defend, accept, or reluctantly reject. He'd been offered head teacher. He had to give Sensei Omino an answer, and he had to do it soon. But how could he go anywhere, just pick up and leave, when Cam was still here?

How could he stay when Cam wasn't even talking to him?

He was down in Ninja Ops even now, trying to salvage something of the mainframe in the wake of a battle that had decimated both the structure and the systems. Hunter didn't even have to ask to know he'd be there: his haven, his responsibility. Ninja Ops was Cam's freedom and his prison, the place where he could be anything he wanted and the place it sometimes seemed he could never leave. The place they entered only on his sufferance.

It was a sufferance Hunter wasn't sure he had anymore. Oh, Cam wasn't actively running him off, and it wasn't like he hadn't been totally friendly in the presence of other people. More than friendly, even, going out of his way to hug Hunter, touch him, smirk at him no matter who was watching. But he invariably disappeared before the group broke up, failing to plausibly orchestrate isolation by convenience and showing no willingness to initiate any alone time by invitation.

Hunter knew where to find him. Cam could find him just as easily. The fact that he didn't bother only reinforced Hunter's fear that he had gone too far, that he had taken advantage of a situation that could never be repeated. He thought he should probably just go. But he didn't know how to do anything except stay.

There was a door on Ninja Ops now. It made him hesitate, and that made him roll his eyes, because of course there was a door. There were several doors. They just hadn't been closed in... well, since before he'd started coming here. Even the outer doors had been left open most of the time, because who was going to walk in? Who still on Earth had even known the academy was here, much less the secret command bunker underneath?

They had paid for that complacence in the end. Lother had walked right in, with his nieces and his reprogrammed cyber duplicate and his weird fascination with everything Cam could do. And Cam had stood up to him, because, well. Obviously. The showdown between the two had torn this place apart.

The afterimage of chaos was concealed by a door that looked more like a solid wall, and it didn't automatically open for Hunter. He lifted his left hand without thinking, because Cam had keyed a lot of their stuff to the morphers, but his wrist was bare. Sensei Omino had his morpher now, and that was just weird, to think of the technology that had bound their team together separated. Almost as weird as the way the morphers no longer did anything except look shiny and familiar and dead. He couldn't get used to the absence of that reassuring power.

He knocked, then felt stupid for doing it. Glancing around, he located the camera in the entryway. "Yo, Cam," he said. "Is it locked or what? How do I get past this door?"

Predictably, there was a moment's pause and then the wall withdrew to reveal the same devastated room he and Blake had run out of days ago, on their way to the Dragonforce vehicle and Lothor's ship. On their way to a confrontation that would free their fellow ninjas and destroy Lothor's base of operations once and for all. On their way to Cam.

Who was now invisible amid the destruction, despite the high-powered temporary lighting that had been set up around the perimeter of the room. Everything looked still and ruined and unreal in the halogen glare. And he couldn't help but think that, wow, it was really over. They weren't moving on because there was work to do, a future to live, a new challenge to conquer... they were moving on because there was nothing to go back to. The Power was gone, the team had split up, and this place that had symbolized everything they were would never be the same.

Except that Cam was still here. Somewhere. Someone had opened the door for him, after all. And Hunter was here, too. So that had to mean something.

"Whatcha doing?" he asked the apparently empty room.

Cam's voice came from the same direction it always had: over by the supercomputer, near where his chair had been. Still was, Hunter realized as he approached. The chair had been dragged back into position and propped up on debris so that at least one side of it made a flat surface to lean against. And there was Cam, leaning against it, papers piled on either side of him and his laptop braced against his knees.

"Working," had been the curt reply, but as Hunter joined him on the far side of the room Cam looked up and caught his eye. "Dad asked me to help locate some students' families. I needed the satellite uplink to access the web."

Hunter considered the makeshift workstation Cam had improvised for himself. Sitting there in the wreckage of a place that had been everything he lived for, he was devoting himself to putting other people's lives back together. "When did this become your responsibility?" he wondered aloud.

Without a word, Cam took one hand off the keyboard and fumbled with the corner of his uniform top. The same green trim he'd been wearing for months, but he yanked the badge free like it was nothing. He didn't even look up as he turned the disc over and held it up for Hunter to see. The metal glinted in them harsh light.

A Wind Academy teaching badge.

"Huh," Hunter said after a moment. "I guess this makes it official, then."

"Yeah." Cam slapped the badge back into place without reverence and went back to his computer search. "That's what they tell me."

He didn't sound too happy about it, but hello, Hunter was talking here. He got to finish his comment before Cam started his. "This is officially goodbye, then."

That made Cam look up, and his expression was startled. "Excuse me?"

Hunter waved at him. "Bye, Ranger Cam. It was nice knowing you."

Cam was gaping at him like he'd announced Lothor had sent them a thank you card from the abyss.

Hunter didn't move, didn't pause, just lowered his hand and knocked on the panel of whatever behind him. "Hi, Sensei Cam." He thrust his hand forward and added, "I'm Hunter Bradley. Nice to meet you."

Cam's eyes narrowed. The relief behind his expression was obvious, and Hunter felt kind of bad for the cutesy shock therapy. On the other hand, it gave him a few answers of his own, and Cam wasn't the only one feeling relieved right now. Nice to know he might be missed.

"I suppose you think that's funny," Cam muttered, but some of the bitterness was gone from his voice and Hunter smiled, just a little.

"Maybe," he said with a shrug. They'd been through exploding vacations, exploding zords, and exploding spaceships in the last few days. Pretty much anything was funny at this point. "Hey, did I tell you I'm from the Thunder Academy? Don't know much about this place. Wanna give me a tour?"

Cam rolled his eyes. "Ha ha."

Hey, Cam was imitating him. Cool.

"Not kidding," he countered. "Come on, Cam, what do I know about your school? It was rubble by the time I got here. I need a break," he added, appealing to Cam's not-so-secret empathy. "And I wanna hang out. In the name of inter-academy relations."

"Ah." Cam was already setting his laptop aside, and Hunter grinned as he held out a hand expectantly. Hunter clasped it and hauled him to his feet as Cam added, "Well, if it's for the good of the academy."

"It's not," Hunter informed him.

Cam just smiled, turning away from the paperwork and the debris and everything that had been broken. His hand lingered in Hunter's a little longer than necessary, urging him along as he headed toward the open door. "That's okay too."