Thanks for all the great reviews! I really appreciate all the feedback! Third chapter on its way!

This is an alternate universe story. It revolves around the SPD rangers, but has appearances from Ninja Storm and Dino Thunder. None of the rangers are rangers in this story, if that makes any sense at all, except Jack and Sam (Omega Sam, older Sam, etc), who are both part of SPD. This story is T rated for mild swearing and mild sexual references. I've tried my best to work out pairings, but of course not all of them you'll be happy with. I've also now decided that Cam, Ethan, Trent and the Thunder Rangers will make an appearance later on in the story. Also, I've realised I've been spelling Z's last name wrong. Damn.

Full Summary: Z Delgado is hired by Tommy and Hailey Oliver to move into their huge townhouse and manage their kids, thirteen year old skater Shane, ten year old warrior pixie Tori and shy hole-in-the-head Dustin, aged eight. Z puts her relationship with her perfect on paper boyfriend of three years, Bridge Carson, on hold to take the job, but when Tommy's eldest son Sky turns up, Z finds herself torn between them and SPD ranger Jack Landors. Can she get herself out of this mess, with help from her new best friend, Sydney Drew, and with none whatsoever from her childhood friend Kira Ford, and her boyfriend Conner McKnight? Read on to find out!

The Nanny

By Jnr Cpl Scarlett

Chapter 3 – The New Job

Z woke up the next morning to the melodious sound of birds outside her window. She propped herself up against the pillow and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She glanced at her alarm clock on her beside table; it read six thirty. Sun was already shining in glorious beams of light through the window pane. With ten minutes to spare, Z snuggled herself back under her comforter, and went back to sleep.

Only minutes later the alarm clock rang vigorously, waking Z up again. She reluctantly got out of bed and took a quick shower. After that she picked out a pair of black jeans and a long sleeved yellow top from her suitcase and threw them on. After raking through her dark hair with a brush and pulling on some socks, Z was finally ready.

No sooner had she stepped out of the door, did young Tori come rushing past, her blonde hair flying out behind her, her eyes narrowed and screaming at the top of her voice.

"Dustin, if you don't give me my scrunchie back, I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" she yelled. Z grabbed the back of her pyjamas and pulled her to a halt.

"What's this about?" inquired Z, her eyebrows lowered.

"Dustin's stolen my scrunchie!" Tori bellowed, her face contorted with fury. She struggled with all her might to free herself from Z's grasp, and finally won by slapping Z over the back of her head. Triumphantly, she ran off in search of her brother.

Z took in a deep cleansing breath before heading downstairs. She gathered that Tommy and Hailey had already left for work.

Once in the kitchen, Z bustled around, trying to figure out where everything was. She checked her watch, and she had just half an hour to get the kids dressed, fed and in the car. Tommy had left her keys to a silver Ford Focus, and Z was dreading driving them, even though the school was only supposed to be ten minutes up the road.

Finally, Z found a loaf of fresh bread, a toaster and an assortment of jams (jelly) and spreads. No sooner had the toast popped did Shane, Tori and Dustin come rushing into the kitchen, each of them taking a seat at the magnificent oak table.

"I want pancakes!" stated Tori.

"Don't be rude," cut in Shane. He was dressed in black and crimson, making him look quite gothic. It was just a shame that the others weren't ready too.

"Can I have some toast please?" came the quiet voice of Dustin through the thumb in his mouth.

"And what would you like on it?" Z asked gently and she got him a plate.

Dustin mumbled something that sounded like, "Pee but ner."

"Pardon?"

"Peanut butter," he repeated, though a little louder.

"Okay then. Tori, you can't have pancakes. I have no batter made up," Z explained, preparing herself for the explosion.

"I WANT PANCAKES! IF I DON'T GET THEM I'LL CUT OFF YOUR HAIR!" she wailed, banging fists on the table.

"Will you SHUT UP!" shouted Shane, slamming down the book he was reading.

Dustin began to cry. No, Dustin began to sob.

Z didn't know what to do. The two eldest kids were at each others' throats and the youngest was a whinge-bag. She pushed back her hair to find she was breaking into a sweat.

"Excuse me?"

They didn't hear her. Z settled on more drastic measures.

"Put a sock in it!"

That got them.

Silence covered the room. The kids stared at Z as if she were a wild animal.

"Right, it's time we got some order in place," she said calmly through clenched teeth. "Tori, go and change. You too, Dustin, I'll help you if you need me too. Shane, make up some pancake batter. And while we're here, let's get one thing straight: If you don't do as you're told, you'll be denied things you want. There'll be no TV, no playtime and no pancakes. Is that clear?"

All she got was three distant nods.

"Good," was all Z could think of.

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Once upstairs, Z followed Dustin into his room, which was littered with small action figures and plastic army men. Dustin sat on his bed, his arms crossed shyly.

"So Dustin, what's your favourite colour?" Z asked gently.

"Ellow," he replied timidly.

"Yellow? That's mine too!" she said. "Tell you what; let's have yellow pants and a yellow t-shirt and some yellow socks. How does that sound?"

The eight-year-old nodded his head affirmatively. He began to change out of his pyjamas shyly, and pulled on the clothes Z picked out for him.

When finished, Z and Dustin came back downstairs and into the kitchen to find the table laid for four, and the plates filled with pancakes. Shane stood over the stove mixing more pancake batter. He looked quite silly in his mother's fluffy pink apron over his school uniform.

"Shane!" gasped Z. "I only asked you to make the batter!"

Shane raised his eyebrows annoyed.

"Fine," he said shortly. "Next time, I won't bother."

"No, no!" rushed Z, throwing all caution to the winds. "It's just lovely that you've gone that one step further! You've made my day!"

Shane's expression softened slightly. He removed his apron and sat down at the table next to his brother.

Two seconds later, Tori re-appeared looking rather disgruntled.

"Wow…" she whispered, noticing the breakfast already laid out.

"A simple thank you will suffice," Z said gently, "for your brother."

"Thanks…"

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Z found to her delight that the silver Ford Focus the Olivers had leant her fit her standards quite nicely. The fact that there was no fuss getting the kids in car was a bonus too. Within minutes, Z pulled the car up outside their school, with some help from Shane directing her.

Z's mouth sagged. This was no ordinary school.

"You go to school at the SPD Academy?" she marvelled in shock.

Shane shrugged. "It's no big deal. Mom and Dad work here sometimes helping Miss Manx with the computers and technology."

Still flabbergasted, Z unloaded the kids' backpacks from the boot and they lead her inside the building.

Tori sped off down one corridor to meet some friends, and Dustin drifted down another. Shane started to head off in one direction. He turned his head back.

"I'll see you later. My form room's up here," he explained. With that, he carried on walking to two other boys, who were standing with a pretty woman with long blonde ringlets.

"Bye, Shane!" called Z, waving her hand.

The blonde woman and the two boys looked up. One boy was tall for his fourteen years of age, with dirty blonde hair and a pair of cold blue eyes. The other was of oriental decent, with a good-natured look to him. Z followed her instinct and followed him over.

"Hey!" said the blonde girl. She held out her hand. "I'm Sydney Drew; you can call me Syd."

Eager to accept Syd's gesture of good will, Z shook the stranger's hand.

"Z Delgado."

"You must be Shane's new nanny!" she continued, smiling widely. "I'm Hunter and Cam's nanny. God knows, they need me! Their rooms are pig sties!"

Shane's friends shifted uncomfortably.

"It's not just us!" exclaimed the dirty blonde hotly. "Blake doesn't make it much easier! He's always rummaging through our stuff!"

"Don't you dare blame it on your brother! He's only eleven!" Syd scolded.

"With a soft spot for Shane's sister…" grinned Cam. "Blake and Tori make such a sweet couple."

"It's almost as if they were made for each other," chipped in Shane, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"They're so alike in so many ways," said Hunter. "They both have the tendency to annoy the heck of their elder siblings."

"Alright, that's enough; be off with you!" said Syd, pushing them away. The three boys turned and went on their way.

Syd linked arms with Z and they proceeded out of the Academy. "So, what's their family like?"

"They're really nice! The house is huge!"

"Yeah, I work for a Sensei! How cool is that?" scoffed Syd, brushing back a stray curl of blonde hair.

"A Sensei? Wow!"

"Yeah, it does have its perks," she continued. "I get free martial arts training whenever I want! You should come along to his next class! It's so much fun! I'm a yellow belt in karate already. Sensei Wantanabe says I'm a natural."

Z pondered that thought for a moment.

"Sure, why not!"

"Yes! Let me give you my cell phone number." Syd rummaged in her bag for a pen. She grabbed the back of Z's hand and jotted it down. "There we go! Well, I'll see you later when I come and pick the toe rags up! Bye, Z!"

Before she even had the chance to say goodbye, Syd Drew bustled away, her head held high, looking like the perfect celebrity.

Getting into the car, Z lay back in the seat. She was doing well.

If every day here is like this one, I shouldn't have a problem. I've made a friend already, and the kids are starting to like me. Heck, maybe this job won't be so bad after all…

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Please review, there's more coming now that it's half term! No school for a week! (Does a little dance!)