Disclaimer: Nothing I write of is mine. It's all Disney.

Author Notes: Madison/Nick, yay! Because they're sweet and deserve each other and I like to write them finding each other. Enjoy.

Riding Towards the Flames

The first time Nick invited Madison to take a ride with him on his motorbike, she refused automatically. Motorbikes made her nervous, ever since that bad spill Vida had taken riding Callum Hart's machine four summers ago. Nick told her she'd be missing out.

The second time Nick asked was the night after Madison had been turned into a statue and back again. She kept flexing her fingers and rubbing her knee, working at something that wasn't there any more. Nick had an eyebrow raised and a smile that made her smile right back because the genuinely happy expression was so rare on him.

But Ben wanted to take her out for dinner so she watched Nick leave alone and that image stayed with her when Ben smiled and made her feel special.

The third time was just after Vida had told everyone that Madison and Ben hadn't worked out. He didn't like their time together constantly being interrupted by her cell phone without any real explanation and Madison didn't blame him. No amount of sisterly talks with Vida or ice cream with Chip and Xander was lifting her spirits either.

"You look like you could use a ride," Nick told her, his smile pearly white and her heart did a little twist.

He held out a spare helmet like an offering and Madison had a tiny flashback to how she'd felt when Udonna had handed her a wand. Like somehow her life was going to change, irreparably, again.

Then both of their cell phones rang and they were running towards the tree.

Nick didn't ask for a long time after that. He was learning more about his own history and he spent more time alone than he ever had before. He was still Nick, funny and smart and hard-working. But Madison worried; he looked different now. He looked raw.

She didn't stop reaching out to him, because no one should feel like they're alone, especially when they're not. Vida caught her flipping through motorbike magazines and grinned with teasing eyes.

"Something you want to tell me, sis?" her meaning clear in the slouch of her mouth.

"No..........."

Madison tried to bury herself back into the magazine, but Vida wasn't budging. Madison sighed, frustration and anxiety and something else rattling through her in that single breath.

"Hey," Vida was gentle now, hand stroking through Madison's hair like she used to when they were kids and Madison was upset.

"It's not…….anything," Madison struggled to articulate. "I don't think he always believes we're here for him."

"Hey, he just likes being alone," Vida pointed out. "It's how he deals."

Madison nodded, she understood and that was why she worried. She knew and enjoyed the distance that her viewfinder gave her and that Nick's bike gave him. But there was something about this distance from Nick that was different. Their connection felt paper thin and breakable. Sometimes it felt like Nick was going to disappear.

She gathered her courage and left a stack of motorbike magazines by the register just as Nick was about to come on shift. He caught her eye and his smile felt like sunlight. Every smile she got from him was victory.

Then there was no time because Udonna was missing and LeeLee was dating Phineas and Koragg was Leanbow and then Nick was leaving. Madison was the only one to follow him outside after the big group farewell and felt awkward and needy, digging her sneakers into the dust. She didn't really want him to leave, but she didn't stop him and didn't know what to say. He had his family now.

It was too late to ask him for a ride. But she forced words out and he handed her his blanket with something that sounded like he'd be back. From Nick, that was better than a promise. Their connection shimmered.

Madison didn't stop reading motorbike magazines. Soon, she could identify makes and models and saw Nick in every design. She looked up whenever she heard a bike nearby and had a collection of flyers at home about bike rallies, but could never find the courage to go and film one, to show Nick when he came back. Vida smiled and never told her once to move on.

Madison missed him a lot. She felt hopeful every time she caught sight of his blanket. And scared and doubtful.

It wasn't until the day that Claire was organising a turn-out of Rootcore that Nick showed up. Chip was trying out a spell to collect the cobwebs from the ceiling, Claire wanted them for healing spells, and Xander was arguing loudly with Vida about the way she was packing the boxes. There was a lot of stuff and Claire was keeping a very detailed list that only LeeLee seemed to understand.

It was right when Madison lifted her head to ask about the mushrooms she'd found growing inside one of the rooms that she noticed Nick.

Claire noticed too, loudly.

"Nick!" she flew down the steps and flung her arms around him. "How are you? How's Udonna? And Leanbow?"

"Nick!"

Chip landed with surprising grace at the former Red Ranger's side and grinned, before grabbing him in a hug that got him tangled up with Claire too. Nick laughed.

"Hey, Chip. Nice landing."

Madison gulped in a breath. She knew Vida was grinning at her. Nick was looking at her now. Really looking, like he was happy to see her.

"You've got my blanket?"

Madison could feel her smile grow. The look had gone from his eyes, most of it. What she saw there now made her think of the beautiful piece of footage she'd shot of a gorgeous Harley down by the coast. Her tutor thought it could get her into film school.

"Thanks for letting me look after it," she managed, hands in her pockets and her limbs moving awkwardly.

"Hey, thanks for taking care of it."

There was a breath of silence and Madison realised that everyone else in the room was looking at them. She could feel herself blush, embarrassment crawling up her spine. Claire clapped her hands suddenly, directing Chip back up to the ceiling. Madison was vaguely aware of Vida shoving Xander to the boxes and LeeLee rushing outside to find Phineas. He was with Daggeron and Jenji, handing out what Rootcore didn't need to the villagers.

Nick was still looking at her, with that smile. His hands were in his pockets too. There was a tattoo peeking out from one of his short shirt sleeves, it looked like a spread of flames. Madison drank him in, capturing the image in her mind. She wished she had her camera.

Her smile curled up in the corner of her mouth. Now was her chance to give him a different answer. She took a deep breath.

"Do you think you could give me a ride?"

Nick met her eyes, studying her, his mouth in a surprised relieved smile. He held out an empty hand. It felt like a lifeline.

"You ready for this?"

Madison's fingers gently, finally, interlaced with his.

"We'll find out."

-the end