Disclaimer: Characters and situations are the property of MMPR Productions, BVE, Village Roadshow Pictures, and other offshoots of Disney. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's notes: Thanks to Meg F. for the beta. I posted this to my journal circa 2004 as part of my "fic graveyard". A few months ago, I discovered it on Selma's bookmarks list, and decided it should be resurrected and posted properly. If you think it should've stayed dead, blame my partner in crime writing. :) This is an AU in which Tommy was demorphed before Trent became good.
Reefside, California
circa 2004
"Kira, how come you're late?" Dr. O said as Kira dashed into the clearing where the group was practicing.
"I'm sorry, Dr. O, I had trouble getting away from my parents," Kira panted.
Dr. O sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose under his glasses. He looked down at her, his face soft. "Look, Kira..."
"Give me some slack!" Kira snapped, before he could go into lecture mode. "It's not like I can just go tell them I have to go practice being a Power Ranger."
Kira stared at the ground, trying hard not to blink. *I am _not_ going to cry,* she thought fiercely.
It had been a long week. The Dino Rangers were no closer to freeing Trent from the influence of the White Dino Gem. And in the meantime, he had the Cepahlozord and the Dimetrozord.
While so far they'd managed to keep Trent from destroying the city, saying the good guys were getting their butts kicked was an understatement. Dr. O was making them train harder than ever. Which meant additional practices. Which meant coming up with more excuses to be away from home.
"Kira, look at me," Dr. O said quietly.
Reluctantly, Kira looked up, trying to meet his gaze and keep her face schooled.
He frowned, his forehead wrinkling. He reached out to touch her shoulder. "Are you crying?"
"No," Kira said, jerking away.
"Look, Kira, I know this is difficult for you..." Dr. O stopped in mid-sentence, frowning and searching for words.
Kira cast about, looking for something she could say that wasn't obnoxious, wouldn't start the tears she was holding back flowing, and didn't come down to your basic "but you don't understand."
"Dr. O, let's just start practice, OK?" Conner said. "We still need to study, or did you forget about that test you're giving us in a couple of days."
Dr. O sighed. "You're right, I still have to write the thing."
"You could cancel it," Ethan suggested.
"Dream on," Dr. O said. "OK, so this new move I want to show you..."
Kira smiled gratefully at her teammates. It was rare for them to be able distract Dr. O like that. Did Dr. O actually like lying to his parents when he was in high school? Kira tried to put it out of her mind and focus on Dr. O's instructions before he got annoyed with her again.
* * *
Kira should've been tired--even exhausted. Instead, she couldn't sit still. Couldn't read, couldn't study... couldn't even exchange snarky comments on the homework with Ethan via IM.
So she'd gone for a run, starting at her house and heading for the woods. Just running, no music, no distractions, just Kira and mother nature.
Kira, mother nature, and a big, blue, round thing of energy heading right for her.
Kira wasn't sure what it was, it looked sort of like an invisiportal--one that was coming for her like a guided missile. Kira tried to dodge out of its path, but it kept coming. She hit the comm on her morpher.
"Go," came Dr. O's voice immediately.
"I'm being chased by a blue, glowy thing!" Kira exclaimed, running.
"Hold on, I'll punch it up on the monitors," Dr. O said. "Just keep moving."
"Easy for you to say!" Kira panted in frustration. "Think a Pterascream might help?"
"Give it a try," Dr. O said. Kira could hear clicking keys coming over the comm.
Kira screamed. The energy speeded up, enveloping her, reverberating the sound all around her. Her world went black.
* * *
Kira woke to a multitude of unfamiliar voices.
"Is she all right?"
"Pulse is steady."
"Hey, guys what do you think this is?"
All of them spoke at once. "Morpher."
"She's moving."
"Hello, there."
"Can you hear us?"
"Back off, guys, give her some space. Ranger or not, she's probably a little disoriented." This last voice was familiar.
"Dr. O?" Kira said.
"Um, you must have me confused with someone else," was the reply.
Kira rubbed her eyes. It *sounded* like Dr. O.
"Can you open your eyes?" a female voice said.
Kira did, blinking. There were seven blurry faces leaning over her, mostly wearing Ranger colors. They all looked vaguely familiar. The person in Red however, resolved into familiar, angular features--Dr. O. With really long hair.
Kira sat up, quickly.
"Easy does it," one of the boys, who was blond and wearing a tan shirt said gently. "You probably had a rough ride."
"Date," Kira said.
"I think he's back wherever you came from?" one of the girls said, smiling encouragingly. She was dressed in yellow, and had black braids pulled back into a ponytail. Kira noticed that her cocoa hand was gripping tightly to the pale one belonging to the dark haired boy in green squatting next to her.
"How many fingers?" Dr. O asked, holding up two.
"Two," Kira said. "Not that kind of date. Today's date, what is it? What year?"
"October 15, 1996," another boy said. He was wearing black--which seemed odd with Dr. O right there, and had short, dark hair, and a big, muscular physique. He gave her a friendly smile.
Kira looked around, trying to focus. She wasn't in the woods, but she wasn't sure quite where she was. "Where am I?"
"Angel Grove, California," the boy who had supplied the date said.
Everyone looked so familiar--she was sure she recognized them from Dr. Oliver's video diary.
"You fell through a time hole," the blond man who had told her to take it easy supplied helpfully. "When did you come from?"
"2004," Kira said, deciding to leave out Reefside for the time being.
"What's your name? Does your team know where you are?" the blond continued.
Kira stared, not daring to even *glance* at Dr. O. How much should they know about the future? Did she dare even tell them her name?
She wondered, in a flight of randomness, if Dr. O had recognized her on the first day of school.
A hand waved in front of her face. "Hey, Earth to..." the speaker paused, staring down at his blue shirt. His hair was also dark, but his face was rounded and he looked vaguely latino--though not as dark in complexion as Trent. Or as good looking...
Kira kicked that thought to the back of her head. It wasn't going to help her now. And the guy was *Dr. O's* age for heaven's sake!
"Sorry... I..." Kira blushed.
As far as Dr. O's former teammates went, this wasn't the first impression she wanted to make. In fact, she wondered why Dr. O hadn't started looking for a way to unbind her from her Dino Gem the moment he found out it had chosen her.
"It's morphin' time," Dr. O said quietly with a familiar flick of his wrists.
Two metal bracelets surrounded his arms--and Kira knew, instinctively, that these were his current morphing equipment.
"See?" He said reassuringly, "We're all Rangers here."
Kira nodded. "It's just..." She paused, unsure how to explain. Well, she had all ready admitted to being from the future. "You know the scene in Back to the Future where Marty gets home and every thing's all weird and different?"
Dr. O nodded.
"I'm kinda trying to avoid that," Kira said. "'cause I have a sneaking suspicion that it'll end up changing things for the worse."
Who knew what the consequences of Dr. O knowing his own future could be.
"You might as well tell us your name," the muscular man wearing black said, smiling at her. "No one's forgetting your face." He winked at her.
Ick. He was Dr. O's age. "K-Kira," she stammered, scooting away from him--instinctively heading towards Dr. O even though the black girl wearing yellow was farther from the person frightening her.
"It's all right, Kira, Jason won't hurt you," Dr. O said gently. He reached out to touch her shoulder.
"Don't!" Kira squeaked, scrambling to her feet and trying to get out of the circle of Rangers. She nearly fell, still dizzy from the effects of the time hole.
"Easy, Kira," the girl in pink, who was blonde and had an Australian accent, said, gently reaching out to steady her. "Don't mind Tommy, he just automatically goes into protective leader mode when he meets other Rangers."
Kira opened her mouth, then closed it quickly--snapping "tell me about it" would lead to questions she really didn't want to answer.
"What is it, Kira?" Dr. O said.
Apparently Dr. O's "something's wrong" radar wasn't an artifact of his teaching credentials.
"It's just..." Kira stared at the ground. Even with him not knowing who she was--without him being the Dr. O she knew--she couldn't lie to him. "You guys seem to have me at a bit of a disadvantage--I don't know your names." She should remember them from the video diary--she knew all their faces.
However, their names were currently eluding her. When she got home, she was going to beg Dr. O to let her watch it until she had all their names memorized. *All* the Rangers' names.
"I'm Katherine," Pink said, "this is Tanya," she pointed to the Yellow Ranger, "Adam," the young man whose hand Tanya still held, "Jason," who was creepy muscle boy, "Rocky," the somewhat latino boy, "Billy," the boy in tan, "and Tommy."
"Nice to meet you," Kira managed, repeating each name to herself and mentally substituting 'Dr. O' for Tommy--she'd have to be careful, but the consequences of slipping back home were nearly as scary as the ones slipping here.
"Let's get you back to the medical scanners in the Power Chamber," Dr. O said with a frown.
"Would your team be looking for you here?" Billy asked.
"I... ah, I think they'll know to look for me at the Power Chamber," Kira said. "Or they could always call me on my morpher." Though Kira doubted it would be *her* team sent to find her. She had a funny feeling she was going to be meeting a few of Dr. O's friends.
"If it works in the past," Rocky said. "We've had problems with that before."
"It's... kinda got an independent power source," Kira said.
"Zordon, eight to teleport," Billy said into a thing that wasn't quite a watch on his wrist.
Yellow light surrounded Kira and the park dissipated around her. She found herself in a dim room facing a large bank of computer consoles.
"Welcome, Kira," said a voice that Kira couldn't quite place--she looked around drinking in the computer terminals and a tube with the picture of a face--no, wait--a disembodied head. Kira staggered--nearly pulling Katherine and Tanya down with her.
"It's OK, Kira, Zordon won't hurt you," Katherine said gently.
"Zordon?" Kira repeated.
"Our mentor," Tanya said.
"That explains a lot," Kira muttered.
"Hmm?" Kat asked.
"Nothing," Kira replied. Dr. O had given them the name as a password--telling them that anyone who knew that was a friend. He hadn't mentioned it was the name of his former mentor.
Billy brought in a bed-like thing with some kind of scanner arm around one end of it. Kira was reminded of an MRI machine--if it had been shrunk down quite a bit.
"Come on, Kira," Kat said gently, "let's get you checked out."
Kira nodded and let Kat and Tanya help her onto the medical device. A light tickling sensation soon enveloped her. Kira had to suppress a giggle--it was like an older, clunkier version of the lab's own healing equipment.
Hayley must've improved on the design.
Kira relaxed as the effects of the time hole melted away and her head cleared a bit. She bit her lip; she was safe enough here--and Dr. O certainly knew when and where to find her. In the meantime, she needed to try to act a little more natural. Before someone realized how badly she was being freaked out by her long-haired future science teacher. The pictures she'd seen while helping clean out the lab didn't prepare her for the reality of it.
A few minutes later, she was able to hop down under her own steam and better take in her surroundings. Adam and Billy were standing by the consoles with a robot looking over some kind of readings. Words like "time distortion" and "different than last time" were being exchanged.
Rocky and Jason were talking nearby with Tanya. Dr. O--oddly not involved in the technical discussion--was watching Kat.
Kira wasn't sure what Kat was doing before Dr. O approached her quietly.
"So, Kat, are you ready for the math test on Friday?" He kept looking at the floor.
Dr. O? Not knowing how to talk to a woman? He seemed almost insecure!
It was just plain weird.
"Tanya, Adam, Rocky, and I were going to study with Billy at the Youth Center later," Kat replied. "You should join us."
"Oh, OK," Dr. O said.
Kira winced. She *knew* that look. She saw it every time she, Conner, or Ethan suddenly botched a move they'd been doing so well only the day before. It was Dr. O trying to hide his disappointment.
Kira shook her head, she knew Kat hadn't realized Dr. O was trying to ask her out. Still, the Dr. O she knew... wasn't here.
Weird, weird, *weird*.
Kira turned around, not being able to watch her teacher act like... like an insecure teenager.
She found herself staring at a display of Ranger costumes. She studied the red one for a moment, marveling at how it was also clearly a tyrannosaurus costume, yet it looked nothing like Conner's. She moved down the line, suddenly finding herself face to face with a White Ranger outfit.
She backpedaled, instinctively. *That's not Trent's costume.* She reminded herself, still backing up.
"Oof!" Rocky exclaimed.
Kira took a step forward, then turned around. "Oops, sorry, Rocky." She blushed.
"You OK?" he asked.
Kira nodded.
"They're a little spooky without anyone in them, aren't they?" Tanya asked.
Kira glanced at the White Ranger costume, then nodded.
Jason looked at Adam and Billy. "It looks like they're going to be awhile. You want to get something to eat?"
Kira nodded. Anything to get away from the creepy display cases.
* * *
"I'll have a hamburger and french fries," Kira said without thinking.
Dr. O raised an eyebrow. "Ah, a junk food junkie."
Kira blushed. "I mean... umm..."
Ernie patted her shoulder. "Don't mind Tommy, Kira. You can get what you want." He walked off to put their order in.
Jason looked from Kira to Dr. O, his face puzzled.
Dr. O gave her a concerned look. "I was joking, Kira. Are you OK? You're acting like you're having lunch with a teacher or something."
Kira's jaw dropped.
"Hey, you've been a Ranger longer than any of us--when you consider Jason's break," Rocky said. "Maybe you're a legend to future Rangers or something."
"What, and I'm not?" Jason asked, clearly a little hurt at the notion that Dr. O might be a legend and not him.
"So are you star struck, Kira?" Kat teased.
Kira blushed. She wanted to tell them the real reason she was so uncomfortable--but she didn't want to know the consequences of telling Dr. O his personal future.
"She's blushing, that's a yes," Rocky said decisively.
It wasn't lying if she just let them think that, right?
"How do you know she's not flushed with anger?" Jason asked.
"'cause then she'd be closer in color to Kat's shirt than Tommy's," Rocky joked.
"Rocky, chill before Kira decides to hide under the table," Dr. O hissed just at her threshold of hearing.
"Thanks," she said without thinking.
"Stick with me kid, I'll protect you from these bozos." Dr. O put a protective arm around her shoulders.
Kira tensed.
Dr. O dropped his arm to his side. "Sorry."
"It's... I..." Kira stared at the table. She knew that Billy had left Alpha scanning for the time hole, but where was the cavalry? She wanted to get away from this crazy place--surely they had to know when to come to, so why hadn't they all ready? Dr. O knew Rangers who could time travel, surely they'd be able to help.
Ernie brought their food.
"Really, Tommy, a cheeseburger now and then isn't going to hurt you." Adam eyed Tommy's turkey club as if he wasn't sure if the same could be said of it.
"Oh, yeah?" Dr. O started on what Kira, Ethan, and Conner had dubbed one of his trademark rants on junk food. Kira wished she had a mini recorder or something--Conner and Ethan would be highly amused at how little it had changed in in the intervening time.
Adam must've been used to this, because he had counterpoints prepared. Kira happily dug into her burger, grateful for the break from the interrogation.
Though she wished she could've taken notes on Adam's arguments. Maybe Dr. O would give her Adam's e-mail address when she got home.
* * *
"Why is everyone looking at me so..." Kira paused, trying to find the right word.
"Don't worry about it," Adam said. "Everyone's just wondering who the new girl is."
Kira shifted uncomfortably. "Sometimes when people stare at me like that I'm convinced they can see right through me." She fingered her Dinobrace.
"I know the feeling," Adam said. "I've almost blurted everything to my parents at least twice."
Jason nodded empathetically.
"We've all almost done that at or time or another," Dr. O said.
Kira stared.
Dr. O studied her carefully. "It's a natural instinct, Kira. Especially after a tough battle--you just want someone to make it all OK."
"The problem is anyone who knows is likely to get drawn into the battle," Jason said. "And no matter how comforting they might be, your parents can't actually make it OK."
Dr. O nodded in agreement.
"Sometimes that makes it worse," Kat added.
Kira barely managed not to stare. Dr. O was always up front with the team, to the point of being blunt. From him, it always seemed a little freaky and stilted, but here, with his team, it was nearly comforting. He and Jason were giving voice to things she, Conner, and Ethan had all felt--but hadn't been able to speak of except in quiet places far away from both the lab and the Cyberspace for fear that Dr. O would think them unworthy somehow.
Kira realized that here the team wasn't separating their emotions from the hard truths of being a Ranger, like Dr. O often did. Something about knowing these older Rangers felt the same way made her feel less alone.
* * *
Back at the Power Chamber, Kira sat on the floor, leaning against the display case, watching Adam and Billy going over the scans they had just taken of her.
Dr. O had kicked everyone else out to go about their normal schedules lest someone suspect something. Kira was glad for the peace and quiet--the constant grilling was finally starting to get to her.
Jason teleported in.
"I thought you were supposed to be somewhere else," Kira said.
"Got that taken care of," Jason said with a shrug. He sat down near her, carefully maintaining a respectful distance. "Thought you'd like some company."
"Oh," Kira said. "Thanks."
"You know Tommy in the future, don't you?" Jason asked
"No comment," Kira told the floor.
"I won't say a word to him, I promise," Jason said, holding up his fingers. "Ranger's honor."
Kira nodded hesitantly.
"Look, Kira, this... I hope I'm being paranoid, but the way you're acting, it's almost like... I mean... Tommy didn't..."
Kira stared at him, was he thinking what she thought he was thinking? "Dr. *O*? Are you *nuts*?"
"Doctor?" Jason echoed.
Kira blushed, realizing belatedly that Jason was worried that Maybe Dr. O had gone evil again. "Oops. Look, it's probably better if you forget I said that."
"I certainly won't mention it to him," Jason promised. "But tell me one thing: if he's not evil, and I'm guessing he's your teammate..."
Kira nodded.
"...then why are you so uncomfortable with him touching you?"
"Between us?" Kira asked.
Jason nodded solemnly.
"He's my teacher, so he doesn't. And the hair... and just... it's weird!"
Jason stared. "Whoa, your teacher? Like your sensei right, not like a *doctor* doctor. Do we even hang out anymore?"
Kira shrugged. "Hard to tell. He doesn't talk about himself much. I have your number on speed dial for emergencies though--I know you two are still in touch."
"So when you say teacher... in what? Gym teachers aren't doctors either. Um, English?"
Kira shifted, unsure how much she should say.
"It's OK, Kira, I'll never let on that I know," Jason promised. "And you look like you need to talk."
"Science."
"Science? You're kidding!" He gestured at Billy. "I mean..."
"Well, after meeting Billy I know why he was the team leader instead of the team genius. And physics and engineering aren't exactly his specialty," Kira said, "we have other technical help. But still, if you're setting Billy as the standard, isn't the bar a little high?"
Jason just nodded, taking it all in. He looked from Kira to the costumes and back. "Ok, just one more thing. How come you were so spooked by the costumes earlier."
"I... forgot you guys had a White Ranger. And we're having some problems with an evil White Ranger right..."
"An evil White Ranger?" Jason repeated. "Has Tommy talked to me about it?"
"How am I supposed to know?" Kira asked. "He barely talks to us."
"Look, Kira, I don't know how much of his past Tommy's told you, but... look, just when we get you home? Tell him to call me if he hasn't all ready."
"I'll pass that along," Kira said, "but I can't exactly pester him about it." She wondered, absently, if she could ask Hayley to do that for her. She and Dr. O were pretty tight after all.
"Just give me a date, and I'll do the calling if he doesn't."
Kira told him.
An alarm blared.
"Ay yi yi!" Alpha said, another disturbance has appeared at the park.
"It's some kind of vehicle," Adam said.
Kira bounced up to look. "I bet it's the cavalry."
"Cavalry?" Billy asked.
"Friends of my Ranger mentor," Kira said.
"We're getting an incoming transmission," Alpha said. "Putting it on the viewing screen."
"Rangers, we have... oh, hi there, Kira," said a woman wearing some kind of futuristic white jacket over a pink shirt. Her hair was a curly brown.
"Um... hi," Kira said. She couldn't remember this woman's name.
"I'm Jen," she said with a smile. "Your mentor said you might not remember everyone's name."
Kira nodded.
"Can your whole team bring Kira to the park, please?" Jen said, "we need to speak with all of you."
"About?" Jason asked.
"Timeline contamination," Jen said.
"And why should we trust you?" Jason asked.
Jen held up her wrist with the morpher. "Time Force Pink."
"It's OK, Jason, she's a friend of my mentor's," Kira said. "I've seen her picture and everything."
"Just meet us there," Jen said, ending the connection.
Adam made a face. "Is she always that..."
"Curt?" Billy finished.
Kira shrugged. "I've seen pictures, I haven't met her. She's from the future."
Billy raised an eyebrow at her.
"Like the year 3000 future," Kira said.
"Okay," Jason said. "We'd better call the others."
* * *
The eight of them soon appeared in Angel Grove park near where the time ship had landed. Kira bounded out ahead of the others--these Rangers knew who she was.
"Hello, Kira," said a man with green hair and a gem in the middle of his forehead.
Kira backpedaled.
He smiled sympathetically. "Your mentor forgot to tell you guys not all Rangers are human, huh?"
Kira nodded.
"I'm Trip," he extended a hand.
Kira shook. "Kira."
"So why did everyone need to be here?" Dr. O asked when the Zeo Rangers reached the area around the time ship.
Jen sighed, frowning. "I'm sorry to do this, but the captain insisted." She took out some kind of medical device.
"What is that?" Tanya asked, taking Adam's hand.
"A memory lock," Jen said quietly. "It's important that you not remember anything about this little adventure until Kira disappears in the year 2004."
"Why not?" Dr. O asked.
"It could change things," Jason said.
Dr. O turned to him. "She told you what's going on?"
"Enough that I trust Jen here," Jason said.
Dr. O looked at Kira. "What about you?"
Kira nodded. "There's a reason I was being so paranoid."
Dr. O frowned. "I don't know if I like not remembering things."
"It's only until Kira disappears," Jen said. "Then you'll remember all of this. I'm sorry it has to be this way, but I think when you remember, you'll agree it's for the best."
Dr. O crosses his arms. "And if I don't?"
Jen shrugged. "You can always yell at me when you next see me."
Dr. O raised an eyebrow, then turned to the rest of the team.
"It seems prudent, Tommy," Billy volunteered.
The others shrugged.
"Okay," Dr. O said, "but better do it quick before I change my mind."
* * *
"So did he?" Kira asked as she buckled up in the time ship a few minutes later.
"Did who what?" Jen asked.
"Did Dr. O yell at you?" Kira asked.
"We'll find out in a few minutes," Jen replied.
"Oh," Kira said. "Wait, you didn't see him before you left? How'd you know where to find me?"
"Wes relayed all the information to us," Jen said. "Faster that way."
"Oh," Kira said.
"Don't worry, Kira," Trip said gently. "We're taking you straight home to Reefside."
"Your whole team's probably waiting for you," Lucas added.
Kira nodded, biting her lip.
"You OK?" Katie asked.
"Dr. O's probably going to want to know why I was so freaked," Kira said miserably.
"I'm sure he understands," Katie said.
"Wes said that Dr. Oliver thought you might be a little skittish," Jen said. "He wasn't sure what was going on, but just to get you home and he'd straighten it out."
"Oh boy," Kira said miserably.
* * *
"Kira," Conner called as she and the Time Force Rangers disembarked from the time ship a few minutes later.
Overjoyed at seeing her teammates again, Kira ran down the gangplank--only to be swept up in a fierce three-way hug with Ethan and Conner.
She was dimly aware of someone running the other direction.
"Jen, Wes, tone it down, there are impressionable kids here," said a chiding voice from behind Conner and Ethan.
She craned her neck to look, and the guys released her.
"Eric from Time Force," Ethan explained.
"And that's Wes," Conner added, cocking his head in the direction of the time ship.
Kira turned to see Jen kissing a man in a red beret. "How long were we gone? They're acting like they haven't seen each other for years."
"Two, apparently," Conner said. "He's not from the future, he's from our time."
Kira gaped. "That's so..."
"Brutal?" Conner finished. "I know."
"I was going to say 'romantic'," Kira said, shaking her head.
"You're as bad as the Buffy/Angel 'shippers," Ethan said.
"Boys!" Kira exclaimed.
"Don't worry, Kira," Hayley said, "they grow up eventually." She gave Kira a quick hug.
"Missed you too," Kira said, hugging back.
Hayley released her and Kira turned back to find Dr. O standing with the guys.
He smiled at her encouragingly. "Welcome back, Kira."
"Thanks," she blushed.
"We should probably be getting home," Conner said. "Come on..."
"Why don't you and Ethan go ahead?" Dr. O said. "I'll give Kira a ride home, it'll give us a chance to talk."
Kira stared at the ground. Oh great, what was she going to get lectured on now?
"All right, Dr. O," Conner said.
"Later," Ethan said, patting Kira's shoulder meaningfully.
Kira nodded.
"If he gives you any trouble, threaten to tell us everything," Conner whispered.
Kira giggled. "I will anyway."
"I know." Conner winked. And with that she left.
"Come on, Kira," Dr. O said, bringing out his car keys.
Kira sighed and followed him hesitantly to the car.
"Kira, will you relax, please? I'm not angry, I'm just concerned."
Kira sighed again as Dr. O unlocked the doors to his jeep, staring carefully at the ground.
"Kira look at me," Dr. O said.
Kira kept her eyes on Dr. O's driveway.
"Kira, you have to look at me eventually, or you won't see any Tryannodrones coming from that direction," Dr. O said.
Kira looked up, crossing her arms.
Dr. O sighed, glanced at the ground, then met her eyes with his own. "Look, Kira, have I given you a reason not to trust me?"
"No," Kira said.
"Then why were you so uncomfortable back there?"
"No offense, Dr. O, but the long haired punk look was really freaky."
Dr. O chuckled. "Nice try, Kira, but I doubt it was all about the hair."
Kira sighed. "You're my science teacher."
"You're usually not that skittish..."
"Let me finish!"
Dr. O reeled at Kira's tone, but said nothing.
"There's usually this wall between us and suddenly it wasn't there--at least you didn't know it was there--and I had to come back here and... it was weird," Kira blurted in a rush.
"It was weird that it wasn't there or that you had to come back here where it is?" Dr. O asked.
Kira shrugged. "It's been a really long day, OK?"
Dr. O nodded. "Ok."
Kira climbed into the jeep and buckled her seat belt.
Dr. O did likewise and started the engine.
Kira opened her mouth, then shut it again.
"Look, Kira, if there's something you want to say to me, or talk to me about that happened back there, please say it," Dr. O said. "Things will only be more strained than usual if you don't."
"It's just... you're always so..." Kira sighed. "Sometimes it's hard to talk to you about things--it's like..." She switched tactics. "You remember the conversation we had at the Juice Bar? About not telling our parents?" Kira asked.
"Yeah," Dr. O said.
"That was what I needed to hear at practice, not a lecture," Kira said.
"Kira?"
"It's just... the way you explained things about that, it made me feel... like I wasn't alone. Like of course I felt that way, but here's why it has to be this way," Kira said. "At practice... I felt silly for even feeling guilty."
Dr. O pulled over to the side of the road and faced her. "Kira, I didn't mean to make you feel that way."
"I know," Kira said, "we've all been under a lot of pressure lately. With Trent."
"Yeah," Dr. O said.
"You especially, with the amber and the not being able to demorph," Kira said. "I don't think it hit me that things might be getting to you until..."
"Until?"
"Jason kinda pried a couple of things out of me--about you being our Mentor. And about Trent," Kira said.
"Oh," Dr. O said.
"He wanted me to ask you to call him," Kira added.
"I'll call him when I get home," Dr. O said. "I promise."
Kira nearly stared again. Dr. O had made *her* a promise? She wasn't sure how to react to that.
For some reason, she was suddenly unable to suppress a yawn.
Dr. O put the jeep back into gear and pulled back into traffic. "Come on, let's get you home."
The End