What Happens in Aspen Lasts in Reefside

"Have you guys seen Cass?" Devin asked when he saw the others down at breakfast.

"She wasn't in our room when I got up," Kira told him. Though come to think of it, she hadn't remembered seeing her in their room when she came in from the club the night before. But then it had been dark and she had been exhausted.

Taking a seat at the end of the table, he asked, "Has Cassidy seemed different to you guys lately?"

"She's on vacation, we're all a little different," Conner replied as he took a large bite of his pancakes.

"Yeah, but she hasn't been around much. Did she say anything to you guys about going out early?"

"We're not the ones she'd have to as permission from," Ethan told him as they all looked to Tommy at the other end of the table.

Noticing the stares from his students, he put his water down and replied, "Cassidy didn't say anything to me. But if you've noticed I'm not your only chaperone, yet I'm the only one at this table. Maybe she asked Anton if she could go somewhere and he agreed. Or maybe they're getting ready for the competition."

"You noticed there's a competition going on?" Trent asked with a laugh. The others aside from Devin were soon laughing with him.

Tommy only shook his head with a smirk. He knew he hadn't been around much himself lately, but he wasn't so far removed to have not noticed what most of them were there for.

"I just really want to get down there before the rest of the news crews show up," Devin told them. "I know if we get there late she's going to be really angry."

"Well she looks like she's in a good mood right now," Conner said as he watched the petite pink and white clad blonde make her way to the table with a wide smile.

"Morning, all," she said as she took a seat beside Devin.

"Morning," they said in unison.

"Cass, we should be getting down to the competition soon. Just to avoid the crunch," Devin told her.

"I know, but you know how I get when I don't eat first," she replied as she reached over and stole a strawberry from one of his waffles that he had yet to touch.

"Where'd you go this morning? Or last night? Whenever you left our room?" Kira asked her as she followed while Cassidy got her breakfast a minute later.

"I went for a walk. I just needed to clear my head and the cold air really worked," she answered, trying to keep from revealing what really happened the night before.

"Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"You were still out and Dr. Mercer said it was okay."

"You've really been spending a lot of time together," the white and yellow clad young woman commented as they walked back to the table to rejoin the others. "And before you talk about Dr. O and Conner, Ethan, Trent or me, none of us have ever snuck out of one of our rooms to hang out with him. Here or back home."

"Who said we were together?" Cassidy asked. She knew she hadn't and was intent on keeping it that way.

"No one, but he was the only one who knew you'd gone out. Again."

"He was the only one who was awake for me to ask if I could," she answered as she took her seat again.

"Hey, Dad," Trent said as he saw the well dressed man on his way over to them.

"Morning, Trent," he replied with a smile as he glanced to Cassidy and then to the others.

The others still had yet to get used to seeing him out of his usual suits and instead dressed in well fitting sweaters and equally well fitting khakis. Though Cassidy still hated the thought of him having to be dressed at all when he was with her.

"When does the competition start?" Tommy asked as he glanced to his watch.

"At one," Ethan answered.

"Since when do you want to know?" Conner asked, surprised that their teacher had yet to go back to his room.

"I'd planned on joining you today. Is that a problem?" he asked as he looked around the table.

"No, not at all," and variations thereof quickly resounded from the students.

"I think we're just surprised that you're interested today," Kira told him.

"Well, I am," the muscular, black clad man told them. What he wasn't telling them was while he would have preferred to have been talking with Kim again, she was working today and wouldn't have a chance to talk to him until that night.

"I suppose we had best head down soon if you and Devin want to get set up before too many more reporters do," Anton told Cassidy.

"That's what I've been trying to tell her," Devin told him.

"What do you say, think you'd mind driving me down?" Conner asked Kira as the question of who was riding with whom appeared once again after breakfast.

"Ask Dr. O, it was his rental I was driving yesterday," she replied. Though her slight smile revealed she liked the idea of riding with him.

"Fine by me," Tommy replied as he had overheard them. "Cassidy, Ethan, Devin? Are you riding together or do any of you want to head down with us?"

"I'm good," Ethan said as he looked to Trent with a slight shrug.

"We'll see you down there," Devin called to the others as he joined Trent and Ethan.

"I suppose that leaves you with me," Anton told Cassidy with a slight smile.

She giggled. "What a shame," she replied playfully. She began to lean into him for a quick kiss, but the dark blue and khaki clad scientist stopped her.

"We're being watched," he sighed.

She groaned softly and pulled back. "Guess we'll just have to wait until we're in the car then."

With that she turned and headed for the doors. For a moment Anton could only watch her. Still he couldn't believe that it hadn't even been twelve hours since he had been since her for the first time and while he hoped no one else would find out yet, he was still thankful she had chosen him.

"Are we waiting for everyone to go ahead of us for a reason?" Cassidy asked a little hopefully as she watched Tommy's and Trent's cars near the intersection while they were still sitting in the parking lot.

Anton nodded with a slight smile as he began to lean into her. "This has to tide us over for the next six hours," he stated an instant before his lips met hers.

"Well that's assuming I'm riding back with you," she retorted playfully when their kiss ended moments later. "Otherwise it could be more like seven or eight if last night was any indication."

"In that case." He was still smiling as he leaned in to kiss her again, this time putting his left hand to the back of her head while her right arm moved to his back as she scooted as close to him as she could get.

The announcer's booming voice came on, stating the competition was about to begin just minutes after Devin and Cassidy had gotten set up. The crowd's cheering roars soon followed. True, she hadn't wanted to cut it so close, but the reason of why she had, she felt, had been well worth it.

Over the next several hours Anton watched as Cassidy gave her newscast, further admiring her confidence an comfort in front of the camera and crowd. Though he couldn't deny the slight twinges of jealousy he felt at watching her interview a number of the athletes. All closer to her age, each looking as though they came straight out of a catalogue.

For the last few days he hadn't thought much of it, but now he couldn't help but wonder how she could prefer him when she could have her choice of any of the young men there and back home. He kept trying to shake the thoughts of how she could be better off with on of them, but he still wondered if the day would come that she would feel the same.

Cassidy however knew she didn't have a real interest in any of the athletes she was interviewing. It was good for the camera for her to casually pretend here and there, but she knew she would have preferred to have been with the others. Applauding and cheering with the crowd, enjoying the excuse to be so close to Anton for the majority of the day. Especially since they were still with their close friends and liked that for once there was nothing they would have to pretend.

Here they could admit they were friends. Possibly even close friends and given the noise level, they wouldn't have to worry about someone overhearing a suggestive conversation of theirs or see his fingertips brush her thigh or hers brush his arm given the size of the crowd.

But instead Anton was still watching her from where he sat with the others and Cassidy and Devin still continued with their newscast.

Though all were brought back to reality seemingly too soon as the announcer stated that day two's events and competition as a whole had come to a close.

"Today was awesome!" Conner exclaimed as the Rangers and their companions made their way back to the parking lot.

"I can't wait for tomorrow's, it's gonna be better than making it past level twenty on Ninja Space Invaders," Ethan replied excitedly.

Kira only nodded slowly with her light brown eyes wide as though she was pretending to understand.

"I just can't wait to see what they're going to pull off tomorrow," Trent added.

"I still can't believe we're getting to film it though. Aside 4 our personal collection anyway," Devin chimed.

"So what now?" Cassidy asked in a chipper tone as she looked to the tall, slim blonde beside her.

"Back to the lodge?" Tommy asked.

"Sounds good to me," Kira stated. "They're having an open mike night tonight and I really want to try out a new song."

"You haven't mentioned working on a new song," Conner said as they all continued towards their drivers' rental cars.

"I'm always working on a new song," she replied. "But this one isn't like most of my others. I guess you could call this one inspired."

"By anyone in particular?" he asked with a slight smile, enjoying the notion it was for him.

"Maybe." Partially, Conner was right. But then another pair had put it in her head. She only couldn't be sure if they would hear it, or like it if they did. She had decided she would worry about telling Cassidy later.

"Alone again," Cassidy giggled to Anton nearly as soon as she had closed her car door, the other having made their way to the cars they had ridden to the competition in as well.

"How about we wait until we get back to the lodge before taking full advantage of our circumstances?" It wasn't that he didn't want to continue what they had begun that afternoon. It was because he knew if they started now, neither of them would want to stop and this parking lot wasn't where he wanted her tonight.

She was disappointed, slightly enjoying the idea of being with him there like that. The excitement, the thrill of discovery, but she knew he was right. But she did have a question of her own, "What's for dinner for us tonight?"

"Room service?" he asked as he drove.

"I don't know, I kind of want to hear Kira's new song."

"And you're certain no one will find our having dinner together suspicious after last night and the night before?" he asked her skeptically.

"Wouldn't it be more suspicious if I just headed up to your room tonight, once again leaving Kira to wonder where I'm going?"

"I suppose so," the former substitute teacher replied.

"I think I'm gonna head up to bed," Devin stated as he and the others made their way back into the lodge.

"Not me," Ethan replied. "I still have yet to check out their cyber cafe."

"Well, enjoy. I think I'm going to call it an early night, too," Trent told them.

"In that case, I'm sure you can imagine where I'll be if you need me," Tommy told his students with a partial smile just before he turned as he began to make his way back to his room.

"Ready to eat?" Conner asked Kira as they followed and began making their way towards the dining room.

"Yeah, I just want to go get my guitar first. Then I can do my song and then eat. Not too smart for me to perform on a full stomach," she told him with a slight laugh.

"I'll get us a table then," the Red Ranger stated as his teammate began to head off.

"I think I see a booth for us," Anton stated to the petite blonde beside him as he took her hand.

"Looks good," she replied with a smile as she walked with him. Truthfully part of her didn't like having to sit in a back booth of the already dimly lit dining room. But then she also knew that kind of privacy would allow them a chance to do more than they could ordinarily whether they were open about their relationship or not.

"Is that Cassidy?" Kira asked as she took her seat at the table Conner had found for them.

"Where?" he asked as he turned towards the direction she was looking in.

"All the way there in the back."

"Go Devin," he chuckled before he turned back to Kira.

"I thought he already went up to bed," she reminded him.

"Maybe he changed his mind. Which would explain where Cassidy went last night when she left your room," he suggested.

"Maybe," she replied. But still she wasn't so sure if it was Devin she was with.

"Kira Ford?" a well dressed woman asked as she stood beside their table. Both she and Conner assumed she was a manager.

"Yeah?"

"You're on, dear," she told her.

"Okay," she told her with a smile. She couldn't tell if she was more nervous about performing in front of the crowd or if it was because Cassidy was there since she had been partly the inspiration for this song. Though if Conner was right and was there with Devin, that would make it all the more complicated for her to explain.

But from the stage, though the room was dimly lit, she was able to see Cassidy still. Part of her was a little more worried then, because she was seeing that her suspicion had been true.

Kira soon began strumming her guitar, her song seeming to be a slightly upbeat ballad. Most everyone seemed to be listening and enjoying the melody, much to her relief.

"Did she ever admit this was for Conner?" Anton asked Cassidy.

"No," she answered as she swayed slightly to the tune even with Anton's arm curled around her waist.

At the last second, Kira changed her mind about the song. She saw their closeness and knew now her original version needed work. Nearly seamlessly she began to play "Patiently".

Cassidy and Conner were both a little confused, but still enjoyed the song, just as all the others seemed to.

"Care to dance?" Anton asked his younger lover as he held out a hand to her.

"Aren't you worried someone might see us?" she asked him. She wanted more than anything to say yes, but she was concerned for their secret being out.

"No. The lights are down, Kira's on stage, concentrating on her song and from the look of it, Conner's concentrating on her."

Cassidy gave him a soft smile as she nodded and stood herself, moving close to him soon after.

They were soon dancing seemingly impossibly close together, but keeping in time with the music. Even as Anton began to tenderly kiss the petite, blonde young woman's neck, hearing her moan softly in appreciation with each.

When Kira ended her song moments later, she smiled at the welcomed applause, but she could only wonder how long it would be before she confronted Cassidy with what she now knew.

"You were great," Conner told his teammate with an impressed smile as she took her seat across from him again.

"Thanks," she replied with her own smile. "I know it wasn't the one I'd said I would do, but the other needs a little more work. I just didn't know it before now."

"I still think it would've been great," he told her, his sweet smile yet to fade.

That time Kira blushed. Could Conner really like her? More importantly, why did she hope he did?

"So what are we doing tonight?" Conner asked her. "Up for another club?"

"I don't know. We got really lucky today, I think with Dr. O not finding out. I don't think I want to risk that again."

"Who says he didn't find out? Maybe he's just waiting until we get home to punish us."

"Why would he do that?"

"Think about the things he could have us do back home. Washing our Zords, archiving, cleaning his house. I'm thinking we enjoy Aspen now while we can because there's no way we're gonna be paying for this in two days."

"This from the guy who said he wouldn't find out? Thanks a lot, Conner," she told him sarcastically.

He laughed slightly. "Come on, if we're not going to another club let's at least dance here," he invited as he stood.

She smiled and joined him a moment later.