What Happens in Aspen Lasts in Reefside

"So, we'll meet for dinner in the dining room at eight?" Tommy asked the others when they reached the lodge at the end of their day once again.

The others agreed with variations of "Yeah, yep" and, "sounds good."

Cassidy had ridden back with Kira, Conner and Tommy, riding in silence no matter how many times Kira tried to break it. She knew her friend was hurting and was doing all she could think of to help, but it seemed nothing would work.

Anton had driven back alone, not wanting to have to deal with the others just then himself. He hated how he had hurt Cassidy, but he felt it was best for them both. Even though he knew he was just as hurt at being without her.

The petite blonde sank to her bed of the room she and Kira were sharing in tears minutes later, still trying to process what all had happened in the last few days.

"I'm really sorry if this is because of earlier. I just thought -" Kira told her softly as she took a seat beside her.

"It doesn't matter now. It's over. Last night we were in the dining room because I wanted to hear your new song. In the booth, we figured no one would see us and then he wanted to dance. Even he could tell how distracted Conner was with you and we figured you were too focused on him to notice us," Cassidy finally spoke.

"I realized the song I was going to do last night needed more work. I think it's ready now though."

"I hope the others like it," Cassidy told her sadly before bursting into tears again. "Could you just leave me alone for a while?"

Kira nodded. "See you at dinner?"

"I don't think so," she replied as more tears welled up in her blue eyes.

Kira wasn't sure if it was the best idea to leave her alone like this, but she did have a few things she wanted to say to Anton.

"Hey, Kira," Trent said when he opened his room's door to her. "I thought dinner wasn't for another half hour."

"It's not. I just came by to ask if you've seen your dad lately."

"He said he was going out to get some air. He should be right outside," he answered.

"Thanks," was all Kira said before she turned and made her way to the nearest elevator. When she got downstairs though she saw that he was already on his way back into the lobby.

"Dr. Mercer," Kira called as she jogged towards him.

"Kira," he stated, managing a slight smile. He wasn't in a mood to talk to anyone, but dared not let it show. Especially not to her.

"How could you do this to her?" she asked him as softly as she could, though her anger was showing through.

"I don't think this is the time or place," he replied sternly as he glanced around, hopeful the others weren't near by.

"Cassidy is upstairs right now. Miserable over whatever it was you said to her on the way to the competition." Kira didn't care who she was talking to, he had hurt her friend and she was determined to at least try to fix the mistake she had made that afternoon.

"She may be hurting now -"

"May be? Not even I have ever seen her this upset before," she interrupted.

Sighing, Anton continued, "But soon she'll see what I told her was right."

"Don't be so sure. She doesn't even plan on joining the rest of us for dinner tonight," she stated before heading back upstairs.

The scientist knew then how Mesogog's creatures felt after a battle with the Rangers. It didn't help that he was hurting from the turn of events with Cassidy himself. It had just been that until that moment he had somewhat been able to deny it.

Cassidy was the last of the group to join them for dinner that night. Kira had finally talked her into it, convincing her that she should hear her new song. The pink and blue clad young woman had dried her tears and put some make-up on, wanting to look as though all was well.

Each of the others could sense the slight tension as she took her seat, but she wasn't letting on who had caused her to feel that way. Aside from Anton who could barely bring himself to look at her, knowing the pain he would surely see.

"To our last night here," Tommy toasted as he held up his glass, having seen Anton order a beer had inspired him to do the same. The others each soon raised their glasses next, each filled with their sodas or juices of choice.

The others each agreed, some wanting to get back to Reefside sooner than others.

Though for long minutes the Rangers and Devin talked about a few of their favorite Aspen memories, but each of their voices all began to sound the same after a while. At least to the saddened pair at opposite ends of the table.

Their own memories of their time in Aspen had begun playing in their minds. Each smile, each laugh, each intense, blissful sensation. Their memories of this day still cutting through their hearts and minds to where only one voice could bring them back to reality.

Kira had already taken the stage and had begun strumming her guitar. "This next song is for two people who I think really need to hear it now. It's new and I hope you like it," she spoke before she slowed her strumming slightly, revealing just how much of a ballad it was. She wasn't entirely used to them, but she knew Cassidy and Anton needed to hear this,

"I've heard what they all have to say
But not a word means a thing to me
Because I'm still loving you today
It's clear for anyone to see

My heart is yours
So many see it so clear
Though inside I'm torn
I feel your love so near

Let the stars and moon above
Chase away the shadows
That threaten this love
That's far from shallow

My heart is yours
So many see it so clear
Though inside I'm torn
I feel your love so near

Let them say what they will
They can't know what we feel inside
Of fairytales they've had their fill
Yet I know our love will never die

My heart is yours
So many see it so clear
So why are we so forlorn?
And finding ourselves fighting tears?"

Neither Cassidy or Anton could ignore the words to Kira's song no matter how they tried. Occasionally they found themselves glancing over to the other, but again tried to ignore the pangs of regret they felt over what they had said earlier.

The others enjoyed Kira's song as they typically did, the rest of the crowd giving a roaring applause once it had ended.

The petite Yellow Ranger smiled to those applauding her, stepping down from the stage before it died down. It wasn't hard for her to see the few tears stinging Cassidy's eyes once again though she couldn't tell if it was a trick of the lighting or if she was seeing things, but she could have sworn she saw at least one in Anton's eyes as well.

"Great song," Conner told her with a smile, convinced she had written it for him. Mainly out of his hope that she had written it for him. Even if the end didn't quite make sense to him if that had been the case.

"Thanks, Conner," she replied with a smile.

"He's right, you were great up there," Trent added.

"Thanks," she told him with another smile.

"So who were the two who inspired it?" Devin asked, seemingly reading Ethan's and Trent's minds.

She glanced quickly to the opposite ends of the table before answering, "I'm not sure they'd want me to say. I said too much earlier today as it is, I don't want to hurt them any more than I already have."

"What do you mean?" Conner asked her.

"I think they're actually really good for each other and I just hate that they can't see that right now," she replied, once again glancing over to them once she had ended her statement.

But what she hadn't counted on was Tommy picking up on it. He glanced to them next, finally putting it together of just how long this had been going on. How many times they had disappeared together, how close they had seemed since they got to the lodge and now how distant and quiet they seemed.

Like all of them, he was used to that from his friend. But for Cassidy to be this quiet something had to have happened and he now just what that was.

"Can I talk to you for a minute, Anton?" he asked his former colleague , nodding slightly towards a mostly secluded part of the dining room.

"Actually, Tommy, I was thinking of heading to bed. Might be best to get an early start tomorrow since we're heading back to Reefside in the morning," he replied. The last thing he wanted was a repeat of earlier.

"It'll just take a minute." He was already standing from his seat, wanting to make it known he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Once again, Devin and the younger Rangers were lost in their own conversations, not even noticing as their teachers left the table. Cassidy was simply too lost in her own thoughts to notice much else.

"What's going on, man?" Tommy asked the older man once they were alone enough to talk about this.

"I'm tired and I want to get back to Reefside," he answered.

"I meant between you and Cassidy. You two were practically inseparable when you first got here and now you're not even speaking to each other. To me that says one thing."

"You're wrong," he insisted before beginning to step away.

"Then how is it you know exactly what I'm talking about?" Tommy called.

Anton stopped walking. But refused to turn around.

Tommy then followed to where Anton had stopped, brought his voice down and asked him, "What happened?"

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with. It's just been a very long week and I think she and I are both ready for it to be over."

"You had a fight, I can understand that. But don't give up after four days."

"Tommy -"

Ignoring him, he continued, "I know I'm supposed to tell you that you're wrong for each other and that it's a mistake for you to try, but that's not true. You know I saw you last night on the ice. But before that I saw you two on the flight and just now during Kira's song." He heard his friend groan in reply as he looked away, but Tommy was determined to finish, "And I can't honestly say that whatever it is you two have is worth just throwing away."

Anton couldn't ignore what Tommy was telling him, but that wasn't about to stop him from trying. "I'm going upstairs to bed. Tell the others I said goodnight."

"Tell them yourself," the black clad man replied before he began making his way back to the table. The only thing Tommy felt was worse than Anton making a mistake of this magnitude was Anton knowing it was a mistake and being too stubborn to admit it. Most likely another reason he and Cassidy were so attracted to one another, he thought.

"You could slow down a bit, you know," Kira told Cassidy as she watched her throw her clothes into her luggage case nearly as soon as she got up to their room nearly an hour later.

"I just want to be able to walk out of here first thing in the morning without having to think of this place again," she replied as she continued her angry form of packing.

"You can't mean that," Kira told her as she sat on her bed a nightstand away from Cassidy's.

"And if I do?"

"Then you wouldn't be so upset." Cassidy finally stopped and nearly collapsed on the side of her bed. "Why don't you talk to him? Maybe -"

"No, Kira. He doesn't want to see me or talk to me and I can't say that I blame him. What was I thinking? That I was really going to end up with him? How stupid was I?"

"You're not stupid," Kira told her sympathetically. "Why don't we try to get some sleep? Sooner we do that the sooner it'll be tomorrow and the sooner we'll be back in Reefside."

Though sleep seemed to be refusing to come to Cassidy despite her having agreed with Kira. Hours were passing all too slowly and all she could see was how just the night before she had felt so serene and happy. Now she was on her way to crying herself to sleep.

Anton was too furious with himself to sleep. He wasn't even lying down in his bed by now, rather sitting on his side of it. Tommy's words kept coming back to him and as he watched the seconds tick by on the bedside clock, he continued to fight the urge to go to his friend's room. He wanted to hear what he would do in this situation. But then he thought better of it.

He knew he couldn't go to Cassidy's room. Kira was there with her, it was after 2 A.M. now and he couldn't be sure she would even speak to him again. Not that he could entirely blame her if she chose not to.

Though as she was still lying awake herself, Cassidy knew she would speak to him again, assuming he wanted her to. Though finding out, she felt, would be next to impossible. She would have asked Kira's opinion of going to Anton's room, but she was asleep. Just as she assumed Anton was.

Instead both remained in their rooms, exhausted, yet awake. Anton still had his laptop with him and tried to work, but the figures were blurring together.

Cassidy simply remained in her bed, occasionally glancing over to the clock. It was so quiet in there now she could hear the seconds ticking by, knowing each would bring her closer to Reefside. Yet she knew that moment was still several hours away.

"You're really not kidding about leaving as soon as possible, are you?" Tommy asked Anton just before seven the next morning as he saw him taking his luggage out to his rental car.

"I just want to forget this trip ever happened. The sooner the better," he replied quietly with a shake of his head.

"You don't mean that," the black and khaki clad man told his friend. He could still see the pain in Anton's blue orbs and knew this went much deeper for him than a somewhat forbidden fling.

"How much longer before you and the others are ready to leave?" he asked, changing the subject.

"We thought we'd have one last breakfast all together here and then pack up and head out. Our flight's not for another five hours, we should have plenty of time."

"I think I'll pass on breakfast if you don't mind," the lean blonde stated.

"Kira told me that Cassidy said the same. As she was packing just as hastily as it seems you were."

That was the last thing Anton wanted to hear. Once again having to hear how much they seemed to have in common. "And Trent?"

"Is on his way down with Devin, Conner and Ethan. Kira doesn't feel much like leaving Cassidy alone and I can't say as I would blame her."

"Which explains why you're still out here with me," Anton replied as he slammed the trunk lid down so hard the booming crash made Tommy jump.

"Is there anything I can say that'll get you to go down to breakfast?" Kira asked Cassidy in desperation.

"Considering your clichés didn't work, I'm going to say no," she replied. "Look, I'm not hungry."

"Just like how you're not tired?"

"I can sleep on the plane."

"Which brings me to my next question. Who are you flying back with?"

"How can you even ask me that? Trent can fly back with his dad. I'll sit wherever that isn't with him. Just like he wants."

"That's not what he wants and you know it."

"Then why did he say it? Yesterday on the way to the competition he told me that I should fly back with you. You tell me how I'm supposed to take that," Cassidy told her.

"I still say you should talk to him. The sooner the better."

Cassidy only sighed. She knew whatever she said to him then would only cause another fight. Just what she knew they didn't need.

"I'll see you downstairs then. You know where Dr. O's car is parked if you want to go ahead and start loading it up. I'm going down to breakfast."

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A/N: There's a reason you don't recognize the song I put into this fic, it's mine. I wrote it, therefore I own it. It sucks, I know, but I'm not exactly the best at love songs. Anyway, the next chapter will be the last and I hope you've enjoyed this so far and will continue to.