Cupcakes Ch.7
Title: Cupcakes Ch.7
Author: terrierlee
Fandom: Power Rangers Operation Overdrive
Characters/Pairing: MackDax
Disclaimer: I don't own PROO.
Word Count: 1872
Rating: PG-13
Notes: Set post!series. Mack and Dax are an item. Unbeta'd.
Summary: Andrew doesn't usually read the tabloids. Now he knows why.
Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 5 Ch 6
It all started with a picture, a headline, and a very convincing article.
Andrew didn’t usually read the tabloids. They were never right and made even the tamest of stories wild. It was just under a year since Operation Overdrive ended, the Rangers going their separate ways. They still got together, hung out individually, and even invited other known Ranger teams out for some fun.
Jessica Jeffries made a special section dedicated to only Ranger news; at first writing about Operation Overdrive, where they were now, before switching to the newest team in Ocean Bluff. Sometimes, others would write about the Lightspeed or Astro teams and even the team from Briarwood.
They documented the disappearance of the Lightspeed Blue Ranger, most of the public shocked at the nonchalance by his teammates, who simply said he was with the one he loved. There were theories that he died in a surfing accident, or during a rescue mission, but it never went beyond that. There were other such articles, like the marriage between Ashley Hammond and her team’s Red Ranger and how their first child was due within the next year, or how the Mystic Force’s Yellow Ranger opened up his own comic shop, supplying Briarwood with the original Power Rangers comics mint condition. The shop was so popular; a few reporters were a bit suspicious, assuming every person who walked into the store to be a Power Ranger. They could never find any proof, though, and eventually stopped stooping around.
There were also articles about the Overdrive team. Someone did a whole write up on Tyzonn and Vella’s wedding, Ronny’s races, Will’s team of recovery specialists, Rose’s thesis on how to reduce global warming by 91%, Dax’s stream of hit movies, and Mack’s adventures and discoveries. There were even interviews featuring Spencer and Andrew himself.
The more the group hung out, the more the news reporters flocked around them, so it was nothing new when Mack, Rose and Dax appeared in multiple papers, pictures of them attending another movie premiere. No, it was nothing new at all.
What was new was the next article, featuring Mack and Rose, walking out of a jewelry store, a small bag tucked under Rose’s arm, her and Mack laughing at something or other, the headline reading “ANOTHER POWER WEDDING?” The text under the picture read “Young couple Mack Hartford and Rose Ortiz was seen exiting a small jewelry shop in Ocean Bluff. When asked about their purchase, the two shared a look before Miss Ortiz replied, ‘It’s a surprise.’”
Andrew blinked as he stared at the picture. Since when did Mack and Rose start dating? He was a little unaware about some things, like Ronny and Will when they dated for a while, but this was about his son! Andrew took a closer look at the picture. Mack was laughing, yes, but he also looked a little uncomfortable at the cameras, when he didn’t before. Rose had a firm grip on the small bag, making sure no one could look inside it.
When Andrew showed the article to Spencer, the old butler only waved it off as nothing, and went back to making some tea, but the older Hartford man was still uneasy. When he confronted his son, Mack stopped what he was doing, and gave his father a hard stare.
“Dad, I’m not dating Rose. She’s my best friend. We just went out shopping for a friend. Nothing more.”
Andrew let it go after that, trusting Mack’s word and he didn’t speak of the article again.
Two weeks later, another picture, story, and headline came out.
“POWER STRUGGLE?”
“Miss Rose Ortiz was scene coming out of the same jewelry store from Ocean Bluff with famous director Dax Lo. She was holding another small bag from the store, keeping it tucked away. The two were seen earlier this week at a pizza parlor, Jungle Karma Pizza, and one wonders if that was their first date. Is Miss Ortiz cheating on her fiancé or are the wedding plans already off?”
This time the picture showed Dax and Rose inside Jungle Karma Pizza, both looking extremely serious, the pizza in between the two barely touched.
Andrew didn’t know what to make of this situation. He knew Mack and Rose weren’t dating, but that wouldn’t stop Dax and Rose from doing so. When he showed the article to Mack, the younger man frowned.
“That’s odd; Dax said he was going to be in Briarwood…”
Somewhere in the house, a telephone rang. The ringing shortly stopped, and Spencer came in, handing the phone off to Mack, “For you, sir. It’s Will.”
Mack gave a feeble smile before taking the phone, “Hey Will.” He nodded to his dad and Spencer before walking out of the room. Andrew frowned at the retreating form, and turned to Spencer.
“Spencer…”
The butler just smiled, “Oh don’t worry about Mack, sir. He’ll be fine. This whole scandal will be over before we know it.”
One week passed, articles and pictures of Ronny’s birthday bash went out, and while the main topic appeared to be the birthday girl, the tabloids focused more on the ‘rivalry’ between Mack and Dax. There were more photos of them than of Ronny. With every photo, there were captions claiming they were probably arguing the whole night long but tried to keep it between them so not to worry Ronny. At one point during the night, Rose joined them, and the paparazzi went crazy, making up their own interpretations when the three laughed.
Two weeks since then, when Andrew thought those silly tabloids finally stopped, Mack announced he was going to spend the night at Dax’s, and that he’d be back in a few days. Andrew waved it off, and thought nothing of it. He didn’t see Spencer see Mack off, nor did he see Spencer slip something into Mack’s pocket and tell him to be careful. He only saw Mack jokingly push the butler before hopping on the SHARC.
Two days later, the tabloids hit again.
Andrew stared at the article, unsure what he should be seeing. The headline was vague enough to be confusing, while the picture, which took up most of the page, made things horribly clear.
The picture showed Mack and Dax, walking out of an expensive restaurant, laughing at something or other, a doggie bag in each hand. The only thing Andrew could focus on, however, was the necklace around Mack’s neck. It was primarily red with a blue line across the middle. He was pretty sure his son wasn’t wearing any type of jewelry when he left the few days before. His eyes moved to the other man, focusing on the same necklace around Dax’s neck, the only difference being that the colors were reversed.
The front door chose this moment to open, Mack’s voice carried into Andrew’s study.
“Yeah Rose, he loved it. Thanks again for helping me pick out a gift. I was worried I wouldn’t have something in time for our anniversary.” There was another laugh, “Yeah yeah, somehow I doubt he would enjoy a weird mini statue from a dead city.” A pause, “Hey Rose? Ronny’s calling me; I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
Andrew got up from his desk, making his way over to the rec room.
“Ronny? …Ronny, stop talking so fast, what’s going on?” Another pause, “No, my phone’s been off all weekend… Wait what?” Andrew stopped at the panic in his son’s voice, “Are you kidd-Oh man. Thanks for calling and letting me know. No, I don’t think-Wait. He did ask me if I was dating Rose once. He might have been keeping tabs… I don’t know…” Another pause, “I hope not. Yeah, hopefully Spencer can help… Alright, I’ll let you know, bye.”
Andrew rounded the corner just as Mack’s figure walked down the hallway. His eyes landed on the necklace. Something about it sparked a memory… something about colors and relationships. Tori mentioned when she and her boyfriend, Blake, started dating, she began to wear all different shades of blue, particularly dark blue. Kira agreed, saying she wore white more with yellow when dating her team’s White. Xander made a joke about how obvious some couples were, muttering something about a baby blanket, while Adam finished off the discussion with “Some Ranger couples wear each others’ colors. Some don’t. I know Tommy wouldn’t wear pink unless Kat made him. Or was it Kim who did it…?” He shook his head, “It just depends on the couple, really. Some are really obvious and some aren’t.”
Andrew frowned. When he thought about it, Will and Ronny did wear each others’ colors a lot. It was public knowledge at the time that they were dating… but he never made the connection about the colors. His brows furrowed. And then there were those times Mack came home in some of Dax’s clothes, but it was shrugged off as Mack not having any clothes over there, and he borrowed the shirt. He never did see Dax in those shirts again…
The older Hartford man couldn’t help but feel like he was on the verge of figuring out something huge, something that he should have seen coming a mile away…
He returned to this desk, the picture still there, as if mocking him. Andrew thought back to the conversation Mack just had with Rose and Ronny. Something about an anniversary and a gift, him asking if Mack was dating Rose, which wasn’t true-
Gift. That’s what Mack thanked Rose for. That’s why he and Rose were in Ocean Bluff. They were getting a gift. They were getting it for an anniversary. But if he wasn’t dating Rose then the gift was for-
Rose was at the same jewelry store with Dax later on. And they got something at the store too. Probably a gift. Like the necklace Mack was wearing.
His eyes focused on the picture again. He remembered then, when they were discussing the relationships with colors with the Retro Rangers, Bridge was the only one who kept quiet. He didn’t ramble on during the talk, just munched on his toast before the spotlight fell on him. He gave a smile, “Oh, we don’t wear each others’ colors. Mostly because we have a uniform and Sky is really strict about stuff like that and he thinks our relationship is still a secret even though Z and Syd know and I think the rest of the academy knows to-” Bridge was cut off by another question and his contribution wasn’t brought up again.
The sound of footsteps broke Andrew out of his trance and he looked up, eyes wide at the person who walked into his office.
“Sir? Dinner is read-”
Andrew’s mouth was open before he realized it, words spilling out of him, “Are Mack and Dax dating?”
The butler went completely still, before a smile graced his face, “Sir, I’m sure if he was, he would tell you. Now, if you aren’t quick, the yeti will eat your food again.” Spencer hurried the billionaire and every time Andrew tried to bring up Mack, the subject would be dropped abruptly.
Well, if Spencer won’t tell me, I’ll have to confront Mack myself.
Author: terrierlee
Fandom: Power Rangers Operation Overdrive
Characters/Pairing: MackDax
Disclaimer: I don't own PROO.
Word Count: 1872
Rating: PG-13
Notes: Set post!series. Mack and Dax are an item. Unbeta'd.
Summary: Andrew doesn't usually read the tabloids. Now he knows why.
Ch 1 Ch 2 Ch 3 Ch 4 Ch 5 Ch 6
It all started with a picture, a headline, and a very convincing article.
Andrew didn’t usually read the tabloids. They were never right and made even the tamest of stories wild. It was just under a year since Operation Overdrive ended, the Rangers going their separate ways. They still got together, hung out individually, and even invited other known Ranger teams out for some fun.
Jessica Jeffries made a special section dedicated to only Ranger news; at first writing about Operation Overdrive, where they were now, before switching to the newest team in Ocean Bluff. Sometimes, others would write about the Lightspeed or Astro teams and even the team from Briarwood.
They documented the disappearance of the Lightspeed Blue Ranger, most of the public shocked at the nonchalance by his teammates, who simply said he was with the one he loved. There were theories that he died in a surfing accident, or during a rescue mission, but it never went beyond that. There were other such articles, like the marriage between Ashley Hammond and her team’s Red Ranger and how their first child was due within the next year, or how the Mystic Force’s Yellow Ranger opened up his own comic shop, supplying Briarwood with the original Power Rangers comics mint condition. The shop was so popular; a few reporters were a bit suspicious, assuming every person who walked into the store to be a Power Ranger. They could never find any proof, though, and eventually stopped stooping around.
There were also articles about the Overdrive team. Someone did a whole write up on Tyzonn and Vella’s wedding, Ronny’s races, Will’s team of recovery specialists, Rose’s thesis on how to reduce global warming by 91%, Dax’s stream of hit movies, and Mack’s adventures and discoveries. There were even interviews featuring Spencer and Andrew himself.
The more the group hung out, the more the news reporters flocked around them, so it was nothing new when Mack, Rose and Dax appeared in multiple papers, pictures of them attending another movie premiere. No, it was nothing new at all.
What was new was the next article, featuring Mack and Rose, walking out of a jewelry store, a small bag tucked under Rose’s arm, her and Mack laughing at something or other, the headline reading “ANOTHER POWER WEDDING?” The text under the picture read “Young couple Mack Hartford and Rose Ortiz was seen exiting a small jewelry shop in Ocean Bluff. When asked about their purchase, the two shared a look before Miss Ortiz replied, ‘It’s a surprise.’”
Andrew blinked as he stared at the picture. Since when did Mack and Rose start dating? He was a little unaware about some things, like Ronny and Will when they dated for a while, but this was about his son! Andrew took a closer look at the picture. Mack was laughing, yes, but he also looked a little uncomfortable at the cameras, when he didn’t before. Rose had a firm grip on the small bag, making sure no one could look inside it.
When Andrew showed the article to Spencer, the old butler only waved it off as nothing, and went back to making some tea, but the older Hartford man was still uneasy. When he confronted his son, Mack stopped what he was doing, and gave his father a hard stare.
“Dad, I’m not dating Rose. She’s my best friend. We just went out shopping for a friend. Nothing more.”
Andrew let it go after that, trusting Mack’s word and he didn’t speak of the article again.
Two weeks later, another picture, story, and headline came out.
“POWER STRUGGLE?”
“Miss Rose Ortiz was scene coming out of the same jewelry store from Ocean Bluff with famous director Dax Lo. She was holding another small bag from the store, keeping it tucked away. The two were seen earlier this week at a pizza parlor, Jungle Karma Pizza, and one wonders if that was their first date. Is Miss Ortiz cheating on her fiancé or are the wedding plans already off?”
This time the picture showed Dax and Rose inside Jungle Karma Pizza, both looking extremely serious, the pizza in between the two barely touched.
Andrew didn’t know what to make of this situation. He knew Mack and Rose weren’t dating, but that wouldn’t stop Dax and Rose from doing so. When he showed the article to Mack, the younger man frowned.
“That’s odd; Dax said he was going to be in Briarwood…”
Somewhere in the house, a telephone rang. The ringing shortly stopped, and Spencer came in, handing the phone off to Mack, “For you, sir. It’s Will.”
Mack gave a feeble smile before taking the phone, “Hey Will.” He nodded to his dad and Spencer before walking out of the room. Andrew frowned at the retreating form, and turned to Spencer.
“Spencer…”
The butler just smiled, “Oh don’t worry about Mack, sir. He’ll be fine. This whole scandal will be over before we know it.”
One week passed, articles and pictures of Ronny’s birthday bash went out, and while the main topic appeared to be the birthday girl, the tabloids focused more on the ‘rivalry’ between Mack and Dax. There were more photos of them than of Ronny. With every photo, there were captions claiming they were probably arguing the whole night long but tried to keep it between them so not to worry Ronny. At one point during the night, Rose joined them, and the paparazzi went crazy, making up their own interpretations when the three laughed.
Two weeks since then, when Andrew thought those silly tabloids finally stopped, Mack announced he was going to spend the night at Dax’s, and that he’d be back in a few days. Andrew waved it off, and thought nothing of it. He didn’t see Spencer see Mack off, nor did he see Spencer slip something into Mack’s pocket and tell him to be careful. He only saw Mack jokingly push the butler before hopping on the SHARC.
Two days later, the tabloids hit again.
Andrew stared at the article, unsure what he should be seeing. The headline was vague enough to be confusing, while the picture, which took up most of the page, made things horribly clear.
The picture showed Mack and Dax, walking out of an expensive restaurant, laughing at something or other, a doggie bag in each hand. The only thing Andrew could focus on, however, was the necklace around Mack’s neck. It was primarily red with a blue line across the middle. He was pretty sure his son wasn’t wearing any type of jewelry when he left the few days before. His eyes moved to the other man, focusing on the same necklace around Dax’s neck, the only difference being that the colors were reversed.
The front door chose this moment to open, Mack’s voice carried into Andrew’s study.
“Yeah Rose, he loved it. Thanks again for helping me pick out a gift. I was worried I wouldn’t have something in time for our anniversary.” There was another laugh, “Yeah yeah, somehow I doubt he would enjoy a weird mini statue from a dead city.” A pause, “Hey Rose? Ronny’s calling me; I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
Andrew got up from his desk, making his way over to the rec room.
“Ronny? …Ronny, stop talking so fast, what’s going on?” Another pause, “No, my phone’s been off all weekend… Wait what?” Andrew stopped at the panic in his son’s voice, “Are you kidd-Oh man. Thanks for calling and letting me know. No, I don’t think-Wait. He did ask me if I was dating Rose once. He might have been keeping tabs… I don’t know…” Another pause, “I hope not. Yeah, hopefully Spencer can help… Alright, I’ll let you know, bye.”
Andrew rounded the corner just as Mack’s figure walked down the hallway. His eyes landed on the necklace. Something about it sparked a memory… something about colors and relationships. Tori mentioned when she and her boyfriend, Blake, started dating, she began to wear all different shades of blue, particularly dark blue. Kira agreed, saying she wore white more with yellow when dating her team’s White. Xander made a joke about how obvious some couples were, muttering something about a baby blanket, while Adam finished off the discussion with “Some Ranger couples wear each others’ colors. Some don’t. I know Tommy wouldn’t wear pink unless Kat made him. Or was it Kim who did it…?” He shook his head, “It just depends on the couple, really. Some are really obvious and some aren’t.”
Andrew frowned. When he thought about it, Will and Ronny did wear each others’ colors a lot. It was public knowledge at the time that they were dating… but he never made the connection about the colors. His brows furrowed. And then there were those times Mack came home in some of Dax’s clothes, but it was shrugged off as Mack not having any clothes over there, and he borrowed the shirt. He never did see Dax in those shirts again…
The older Hartford man couldn’t help but feel like he was on the verge of figuring out something huge, something that he should have seen coming a mile away…
He returned to this desk, the picture still there, as if mocking him. Andrew thought back to the conversation Mack just had with Rose and Ronny. Something about an anniversary and a gift, him asking if Mack was dating Rose, which wasn’t true-
Gift. That’s what Mack thanked Rose for. That’s why he and Rose were in Ocean Bluff. They were getting a gift. They were getting it for an anniversary. But if he wasn’t dating Rose then the gift was for-
Rose was at the same jewelry store with Dax later on. And they got something at the store too. Probably a gift. Like the necklace Mack was wearing.
His eyes focused on the picture again. He remembered then, when they were discussing the relationships with colors with the Retro Rangers, Bridge was the only one who kept quiet. He didn’t ramble on during the talk, just munched on his toast before the spotlight fell on him. He gave a smile, “Oh, we don’t wear each others’ colors. Mostly because we have a uniform and Sky is really strict about stuff like that and he thinks our relationship is still a secret even though Z and Syd know and I think the rest of the academy knows to-” Bridge was cut off by another question and his contribution wasn’t brought up again.
The sound of footsteps broke Andrew out of his trance and he looked up, eyes wide at the person who walked into his office.
“Sir? Dinner is read-”
Andrew’s mouth was open before he realized it, words spilling out of him, “Are Mack and Dax dating?”
The butler went completely still, before a smile graced his face, “Sir, I’m sure if he was, he would tell you. Now, if you aren’t quick, the yeti will eat your food again.” Spencer hurried the billionaire and every time Andrew tried to bring up Mack, the subject would be dropped abruptly.
Well, if Spencer won’t tell me, I’ll have to confront Mack myself.