Disclaimer: Power Rangers aren't owned by me.
Author notes: This story starts after 'Facing the past'. Between this episode and the end of the story are a few months.
Inside pain
Eva
She ran away again. Mother, she hated herself for it.
Maya continued running. All the way to the Forest Dome. Her face was wet and few locks were clinging to it.
All he did was asking her out. And for the third time she said no. She wanted to go. But she didn't want to lose a man she loved again. Only Kendrix had known why she was so scared.
Soon she reached her favorite tree and started climbing. High up in the tree she felt safe again.
***
Karone made her way to the Forest Dome. Mike had told her how Maya had stormed of and he asked her to check on Maya.
She tried to remember where Maya's favorite tree was. Maya had only shown her tree once. Suddenly she recognized the vague pad towards the hill. Arrived there she scanned the trees for something yellow.
Suddenly she spotted a few small yellow spots high in a tree. Quickly she walked over towards the tree and peered up. "Maya, please come down. Maya!"
A pale face peered down. "What?"
"Maya, why did you flee? Please come down…"
A few sounds came from the tree and Maya climbed down. Karone noticed that her eyes were red and puffy. Tears still streamed over her cheeks.
"Why did you flee?" Karone asked when they sat down under the tree.
"I was afraid. Afraid to give Mike an answer."
"Why are you afraid to go out with Mike?"
"It has to do with something that happened before I became a Ranger. The tradition on Mirinoi was…"
***
Mike rang the chimes again. Nobody was in the girls' quarters. Suddenly he heard soft footsteps. Turning around he saw Karone and Maya coming. Maya's eyes were red and puffy and Karone had an arm around Maya's shoulder.
Karone opened the quarters and gave Maya a soft push. Then she turned towards Mike. "You better leave. Maya and I have some talking to do."
Mike bit his lip, then nodded. Then he walked away.
***
A few days' later Maya approached Mike. She looked down at her feet and blushed. "Mike, I was wondering if you would like to go to the movie tonight."
"Of course I would like that. Shall I pick you up at seven?"
Maya only nodded, before leaving quickly.
***
That night after the movie Mike and Maya were walking thru the park in the City Dome. Mike was talking, but Maya gave only minimal responses.
Mikes was also silent for a few moments. He considered his action carefully. Then he decided to ask the question. "Maya, why did you flee when I asked you out?"
Maya was silent, but just when Mike wanted to repeat the question, she spoke. "Let's sit down on that bench. I will tell you the story."
When they sat down, Maya was again silent for a few moments. "As you know, on Mirinoi we had the tradition that when a girl had her first period she was an adult and able to mate?"
Mike only nodded.
"When it was so far, the girl's parents sought a suitable partner. For me my parents asked the parents of my best friend, Markan. We were mated when I was twelve."
"And he is on Mirinoi? Turned to stone?" Mike asked.
"No. That was only the beginning of the story. After we were mated for a year, our first child was born. It was a girl, Malysia. One and half year later, we got a son. His name was Firon. Two years after Firons birth I got pregnant again. We were so happy…
When I was six months pregnant disaster came. A horrible plague came over our village. First Firon got sick. After a few day's he seemed to get better, but then it suddenly became worse. He died after twelf Then Markan got sick. He died in two day's. Malysia and I got sick together. My daughter died after five day's. I survived, but I lost my child…"
Maya was silent, tears flowing over her cheek. "There were other men who wanted to mate with me. That was even the tradition, for a widow to mate again as soon as possible, so she could have more children. I shoed them away, lived as a hermit for almost a year. Then my grandpa, Jera returned. With his help, and Shondra's, I came out more and more. The men finally accepted that I wouldn't mate."
A faint smile appeared on Maya's face. "My decision did some good. After me a few more women who had lost their family's in the plague decided not to mate until they were ready. Shondra was the first not to mate. She had lost her mate and her just-born twins…"
Mike was speechless. "I see." he managed to stammer finally. Then he finally composed himself. "If you want to go on, we can take it slow. As slow as you want to, till you're ready. Do you want to try?"
Maya was silent for a few moments, then nodded.
Mike put his arm around her shoulders and calmly guided her home.
***
For weeks everything went well. Mike and Maya went out quite some times and each time Maya was more open, less afraid. She had started to talk more about her past with Mike and Karone.
And after eight weeks they shared their first kiss. On exact the same bench where Maya had told her story…
***
They were walking trough the park again. They had gone on a date again. Eating in a nice place, dancing and talking, it had been a wonderful evening.
This night Mike guided Maya to her favorite place in the park. The pond. There they shared a kiss and sat down besides each other.
Mike pulled Maya close to him. "Maya, you know, this have been some of the most beautiful weeks of my life." He placed a kiss on top of her head. "I love you, Maya."
He felt Maya stiffing in his arms. Then she pulled herself away from his arms and ran towards the living quarters.
Mike looked after her. He knew that his words had caused the reaction. He didn't go after her. He only radioed Karone and asked her to keep an eye on Maya. Then he walked towards his own quarters.
***
Maya ran till she reached the door of her quarters. Some people had stared after her, but she hadn't noticed. Inside she just went to her hammock.
Laying down she pulled the blanket over head. Tears flowed down her cheeks. 'I love you.' That had been Markans last words before he died.
'I love you.' 'I love you.' 'I love you.' 'I love you.' The words echoed trough her head. More sobs escaped from her.
Suddenly she heard sounds besides her. It was Karone. Karone pulled the blanket from her head, helped her from the hammock and pulled her besides her on the couch.
Karone didn't say anything. She just hugged Maya, rocked her softly while humming a soft melody.
***
Both Mike and Maya wanted to speak with each other next morning. But there wasn't any time. Even not the next few weeks.
They entered the Lost Galazy. First they had to fight Grunchor, then Hexuba and the Titanisaur. Then came the slave camp.
***
Maya moved through the former slaves, distributing blankets. Under her helmet her face was bright. They were free from the Lost Galaxy. Now she could finally talk to Mike.
Suddenly came a call on her Transmorpher. Karones voice sounded. "Maya, please come to the bridge."
When Maya reached the bridge, the gloomy faces of Leo, Kai, Karone and an unfamiliar girl looked at her. Immediately she sensed something was wrong. "What's wrong?"
The question hung in the air. Karone slowly moved. "Look at the screen, Maya." she said.
Karone started a sequence and Maya looked, shaking more and more when the events unfolded. She saw the Defender Torrozord flying by. She saw him holing the portal open and when the explosion came, a long cry came from her troth. "Noooooooooooooooooooooo!!!"
Karone immediately put her arms around the shaking girl and guided her to a chair. Maya took her helmet of, tears flowing over her face. She looked at Karone to see that she was also crying.
They cried for a while. Damon was informed and people arrived to take care for the former slaves.
Suddenly Maya felt a tug at end of her mind. She closed her eyes and focused. Something was there. Something familiar. Opening her eyes, she started to speak hesitatingly. "Guy's. I am sensing something. I don't know what it is, but maybe it is Mike."
Everybody stared at her. But then Leo grabbed his helmet and headed for the hangar bay. He stopped for a moment. "If he is still alive, I will find him."
***
Everyone was on the Megaship, following Leo's progress. Only Maya was on her favorite place in the Forest Dome.
Sitting in her tree, she was thinking. 'What if I lose Mike too? I don't want to lose him. I love him… I love him??? Yes, I love him."
Thoughts kept turning and turning in her head. 'But what of Markan? I will betray his last words.'
Suddenly a soft voice whispered trough the trees. "Little cub…"
Maya sat up straight. Little cub. That had always been his pet name for her. He had given it to her when she was five and he was eight.
"Little cub. Loving Mike doesn't mean that you don't love me anymore. You need someone in your life. I will always be with you, but find happiness in your life." the voice whispered.
Her Transmorpher gave the familiar warble. "Maya," Kai's voice sounded, "They have found Mike."
Maya didn't hesitate to press the teleport button.
***
She directly arrived in MedBay. Only Kai, Karone, Damon and Alpha were there yet. Suddenly Leo carried Mike in and laid him on the biobed.
Alpha immediately moved over, followed by Karone who started to help. Maya also moved over, softly stroking his hair.
A few moments later Kai stood beside her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Maya, we should let Alpha and Karone do their work. We will only be in the way."
"I will call immediately when we are finished." Karone spoke, running a scanner over Mikes silent form.
***
About an hour later Karone came to the bridge. Maya had been fidgeting in a chair for all the time.
Maya immediately stood up when she entered. "How is he?"
"He will be fine. He had some surface wounds and his head was hurt badly. It will take a while for he is completely well… He also lost his powers." Karone reported.
"Can I see him?" was Maya's anxious question.
"Of course. But he is still unconscious." Karone said and walked with Maya to the second room of the MedBay. There she let Maya alone.
Maya walked over to the bed. Mike lay so peaceful. He was dressed in a hospital like gown and he had a bandage around his head. She sat down beside him and took his hand.
First she was silent, but started talking. And she talked. About how lonely she had felt in the last few weeks. Her fears about losing him…
***
Maya turned around in her hammock. Last night it had cost Karone and Leo quite some trouble to get Maya to bed.
Her morpher warbled again. It was Kai. "Sorry to wake you up, Maya. But Mike has just awakened."
In five minutes Maya was up. She threw her clothes on, brushed her hear and pulled her boots up. Then she teleported.
***
She had to wait a few moments with going in because Haley and Leo were talking with Mike. Finally they emerged and Leo gave her a wink.
Maya took a deep breath and entered. Mike was lying with his eyes closed, but he opened them when he heard her coming. His face lit up with a smile.
Maya sat down of the edge of his bed. "I was worried about you."
Mike reached out and took her hand. He didn't say anything. He just nodded.
Maya took again a deep breath. "I wanted to apologize to you. For storming away that night. I just…"
"I understand, Maya. You don't have to explain it to me. Neither you have to apologize…" Mike said.
"There is something I wanted to tell you… I love you, Mike." Maya said after scraping all her courage together.
Mike didn't say anything. He just pulled her in a hug.
Maya laid her head on his chest and felt safe.