Your Heart Is Pink

Chapter Seven: Connor To The Rescue

A/N: Here we go with yet another chapter! The end….

--PRDT—

Although Connor McKnight had joined the ranks of Power Ranger Leaders, alongside Jason Lee, Leo Corbett, Carter Grayson and the legend himself: Tommy Oliver, He often felt like he didn't belong.

He supposed his latest foray into the realm of idiocy didn't help his inferiority complex.

He cursed suddenly as he narrowly avoided running a stop sign. "Get it together McKnight," he muttered angrily to himself, "The last thing you need is to get a ticket. Again."

Taking a deep breath to calm himself and trying not to think about the way Cassidy had looked after he yelled at her, he drove on, taking more care of his surroundings. That's when he saw the petite form of a girl crumpled on the sidewalk.

Without conscious thought Connor pulled over and was at the girl's side before he realized who it was.

Gently brushing blonde hair away from a familiar face he gasped.

"Cassidy?!"

He was gripped with a terror so sudden and strong that for an instant he froze before rationale took over and he saw that she was breathing steadily, albeit a bit shallowly.

What the hell happened to her?

Later on, he would not remember thinking conscious thoughts as he carefully lifted the prostrate girl in his arms, trying to ignore the way her body fit against him, walked over to his still running car, and gently placed her in the passenger seat, taking extra care that the seatbelt was secure.

He pulled into the parking lot of Hayley's Cyber Space five minutes later.

--PRDT—

Hayley had just finished relaying everything to Tommy when Connor burst through the door with Cassidy in his arms.

To say she was shocked was an understatement. She didn't want to look at the expression on Tommy's face.

"I have an emergency." Connor said stupidly, more to counteract the complete silence that his entrance had generated. In hindsight he could now admit to himself that he really hadn't thought things through. There had to be a better way of getting Hayley's attention then busting in the place with an unconscious girl in his arms. Especially when the place was still half full.

Hayley's gaze went from Connor to Cassidy and back again in the blink of an eye. She shot him a look that demanded to know what happened and said: "Alright everyone, as you can see we have kind of an emergency here so I am going to need all of you out of here. If you haven't paid yet it's on the house and if you have you're entitled to everything on the house the next time you come here. Thank you for understanding."

Connor watched as the crowd thinned out, seeing through them, not really noticing the accusatory looks that were thrown his way.

When the last straggler had gone Hayley gestured towards the counter and began gathering empty glasses and practically throwing them in the sink. Tommy came forward and held out his arms for Cassidy. He was more than surprised when Connor refused and instead lay the girl gently down on the cleared counter space. Tommy was even more surprised when the young man took his flannel shirt off and carefully slipped it under Cassidy's head.

"What happened McKnight?" Hayley demanded.

"I don't know Hayley, I swear. Dr. O you have to believe me. I just found her on the sidewalk unconscious. She was near the park and—"

Hayley held up a hand. “Relax McKnight we believe you. Now—“

“What is that sound?” Connor asked suddenly.

An odd beeping noise was sounding throughout the building and was increasing. It sounded almost like a fire drill—

Hayley shot Tommy a look of utter disbelief. "That's my tracker." She said incredulous.

Tommy's eyes widened. "Are you sure?" There was a sort of desperate hope in his voice that Connor had never heard before.

Connor looked from Hayley to Tommy in confusion. “What’s going on? What tracker?” He was becoming more alarmed by the second.

“The others…they need to be here.” Tommy said. He spoke into his communicator. “Kira, Trent, Ethan, meet me at Hayley’s now.” He had never wished that he had Alpha to teleport them to Hayley’s so bad in his life. Oh the good old days…

“What the hell is going on?!” Connor shouted. He blushed at the looks the two adults gave him. In the background, the incessant beeping continued.

It was Hayley who spoke. “Remember how I told you I was trying to track the energy signature of the sixth gem?”

Connor nodded, not sure where it was all going.

“Apparently it works. Very well.”

Connor couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Are you saying the gem is here?” His words rang with disbelief. “But—wouldn’t we have found it before?”

“It wasn’t here Connor.” Tommy said pointedly.

“But—“

“I think the gem found Cassidy before you did.” Hayley clarified.

Connor’s mouth dropped and he felt the world spin out from under him.

Cassidy? The gem? How? Where?

It was too much and he sat down on a stool by the counter. Cassidy had the gem. She was probably bonded to it already. Who knew what kind of power she had?

“She didn’t have a purse on her or anything did she?” Hayley asked.

Connor didn’t say anything right away as he didn’t hear her. He was too busy trying to make sense of the fact that of all the people to find the gem, it was Cassidy.

“CONNOR!”

“Huh?” Oh he was batting a thousand with the stupid remarks.

Hayley took a deep breath and counted to ten. Backwards.

“A purse? Did she have one on her?”

“Oh. No. I didn’t find anything by her.”

Hayley glanced at Cassidy’s shorts. “It must be in one of her pockets.”

Just then Kira, Trent and Ethan rushed in.

“What’s the emergen—oh.” Kira started visibly at Cassidy lying on the counter. The two boys skidded to a halt behind her.

“It she okay?” Trent asked, coming forward to get a closer look.

“You’re just in time.” Tommy said. There was a graveness to his voice that the teens were not used to hearing.

“Just in time for what?” Ethan asked reluctantly.

“For this.” Hayley, having retrieved the gem from Cassidy’s pocket held it up before the astonished group.

“Is that what I think it is?”

“Yes Ethan.” Said Hayley.

Four mouths simultaneously dropped open.

“But—that would mean…” Kira began.

“We’ll discuss it when she wakes up.” Tommy said firmly. Hayley handed the gem over to him and the teacher’s tanned face paled visibly.

“Doctor O? Are you okay?” Kira asked.

In the uncertain light of the café he hadn’t been able to clearly see the color when Hayley had held it up. But now, resting in the palm of his hand, he saw all too clearly what color it was.

“It’s pink.” He whispered. Almost reverently.

--PRDT—

Well there you go! They finally know she has the gem! I hope you all enjoy and that it lived up to expectations!