Disclaimer: Characters belong to BVE. Kid belongs to me. Rach's internet connection isn't permitted to go to dinner.
Spoilers: Team Carnival-Forever Red.
Notes: Yes, this is a followup to the stories "Inside Out" and "Blushing Bride". You will probably be confused if you haven't been following, though this time I've been trying to pay attention to show continuity. Those following "Long Road Home" will see a part sometime in the next week.
Waiting Period
by Selma McCrory (EstiRose)
Copyright 2002
It had been a long day.
Taylor slumped to the floor of her little house so far away from the Animarium and her teammates above. At this point in her life, she found herself more and more easily annoyed, as she had a few weeks before with Kite and Max at the carnival, and the adventures within. Of course, Kite had turned out to be Animus, but that was a minor detail in the scheme of things. Sure, just go to a carnival with the youngest of the Rangers and a child who turns out to be a deity. No big detail.
*Do I really want to be a mother?* she thought. *I have absolutely no patience with kids!* Which was true. She was an only child and one of those teens that had no aspirations towards babysitting. In fact, she stayed away from most little kids with a passion, though her protective instincts sometimes kicked in, as it did with the twins who proved to be their Bear Zords.
"Just because I can be protective doesn't mean I can be a good mother," she mumbled, gathering her strength to go to the kitchen. Though Eric insisted on cooking for her most of the time, this was supposed to be one of her nights on the Animarium, though it hadn't turned out that way.
She knew she had to keep her strength up, not only as a Ranger but as a mother carrying an unborn child. Though she couldn't feel it yet, she had no doubt that it was there. She'd done a pregnancy test, but more accurately, her Zord had told her, through Cole. Since she couldn't speak Zord yet, he was the only channel Ranger and Zord had to talk to each other. At least as far as she knew.
Maybe she should call Eric. She didn't like bothering the father of her child, given his full busy schedule with the Silver Guardians, but she saw it as part child support plus he tended to get less fussy that way. Plus, he owed her for that little trip to the moon. In a big way. He hadn't even bothered to leave a note: "Gone to the moon after the Machine Empire. Will cook dinner at seven." When she'd gone to his house, it was empty.
She remembered being worried about the empty house, the dishes neatly washed up after breakfast, the stew cooking slowly, ready for the evening meal. She'd dished up a bowl for herself, eating in silence and hoping he'd come home. Or at least called her. She knew he knew how to contact her on her growlphone.
Shaking her head, she reminded herself that she was in the same dangerous occupation, made even more dangerous for her by the life she carried within. And he'd had good reason.
Besides, she had a good right hook, or so he'd told her later.
Taylor pulled her growlphone out of her pocket, punching in Eric's number by memory and hoping the other Ranger wasn't stuck doing the paperwork which resulted from working so closely with the police. She had no idea what she'd be doing when - not if - they defeated the Orgs, but she knew that whatever it was, she had to find something that didn't require the paperwork stuff.
One thing was sure: The Air Force seemed tame after running around defeating Orgs.
"Myers." His greeting was short, the one of too much time spent in the military and too little time to waste on pleasantries. Like everybody else, the way he answered the phone reflected his view of it: it was there for a communications tool, nothing else.
It reminded her of a high school classmate who currently worked in an inbound call center, and refused to answer her phone with anything other than a sullen "hello". Which was understandable if you had to cheerfully answer a phone all day with the practiced greeting of "Good Morning (or Afternoon), this is Beth, how may I help you?"
Sometimes she was glad to be a pilot and a Ranger. At least it wasn't boring. Sure, sometimes Orgs could be defeated by the same strike one after another, but not very often. And she couldn't say she didn't get her daily exercise on the job.
"Eric," she managed.
"Taylor? Are you okay?" Eric asked, voice deepening into concern.
"Just tired, that's all. Don't you watch the news?"
"I do. Yes, I know you guys had an Org today. You sound really tired. Besides, I thought this was a night you were up on the Animarium."
"I changed my mind," Taylor snapped. "I couldn't stand my teammates being cheerful right now, that's all. Got it?"
"I got it," Eric said, sounding exactly like he knew what she was talking about. "So, want to come for dinner, or you just call me up just because?"
"Yes, I want to come for dinner," she said. "What did you think I was calling you up for?"
"Pleasant conversation?" Eric retorted. "I'm having lasagna for dinner. I'll put something else in so we don't both starve. Be over here in fifteen?" she thought she heard his voice soften, but decided she was hearing things.
"Right," she answered, and disconnected. She'd learned never to say goodbye. Just because you might end up dead didn't mean it was necessary to say those words. They were wastes of breath, and Eric understood that. Even if he didn't understand anything else.
At least he understood why she wanted to wait. She wanted to wait until the end of the war with the Orgs. She didn't want to leave him a widower. And as a member of the military, as a Ranger, at least he understood that. Almost too well.
She headed out to the car.
tbc....
Spoilers: Team Carnival-Forever Red.
Notes: Yes, this is a followup to the stories "Inside Out" and "Blushing Bride". You will probably be confused if you haven't been following, though this time I've been trying to pay attention to show continuity. Those following "Long Road Home" will see a part sometime in the next week.
Waiting Period
by Selma McCrory (EstiRose)
Copyright 2002
It had been a long day.
Taylor slumped to the floor of her little house so far away from the Animarium and her teammates above. At this point in her life, she found herself more and more easily annoyed, as she had a few weeks before with Kite and Max at the carnival, and the adventures within. Of course, Kite had turned out to be Animus, but that was a minor detail in the scheme of things. Sure, just go to a carnival with the youngest of the Rangers and a child who turns out to be a deity. No big detail.
*Do I really want to be a mother?* she thought. *I have absolutely no patience with kids!* Which was true. She was an only child and one of those teens that had no aspirations towards babysitting. In fact, she stayed away from most little kids with a passion, though her protective instincts sometimes kicked in, as it did with the twins who proved to be their Bear Zords.
"Just because I can be protective doesn't mean I can be a good mother," she mumbled, gathering her strength to go to the kitchen. Though Eric insisted on cooking for her most of the time, this was supposed to be one of her nights on the Animarium, though it hadn't turned out that way.
She knew she had to keep her strength up, not only as a Ranger but as a mother carrying an unborn child. Though she couldn't feel it yet, she had no doubt that it was there. She'd done a pregnancy test, but more accurately, her Zord had told her, through Cole. Since she couldn't speak Zord yet, he was the only channel Ranger and Zord had to talk to each other. At least as far as she knew.
Maybe she should call Eric. She didn't like bothering the father of her child, given his full busy schedule with the Silver Guardians, but she saw it as part child support plus he tended to get less fussy that way. Plus, he owed her for that little trip to the moon. In a big way. He hadn't even bothered to leave a note: "Gone to the moon after the Machine Empire. Will cook dinner at seven." When she'd gone to his house, it was empty.
She remembered being worried about the empty house, the dishes neatly washed up after breakfast, the stew cooking slowly, ready for the evening meal. She'd dished up a bowl for herself, eating in silence and hoping he'd come home. Or at least called her. She knew he knew how to contact her on her growlphone.
Shaking her head, she reminded herself that she was in the same dangerous occupation, made even more dangerous for her by the life she carried within. And he'd had good reason.
Besides, she had a good right hook, or so he'd told her later.
Taylor pulled her growlphone out of her pocket, punching in Eric's number by memory and hoping the other Ranger wasn't stuck doing the paperwork which resulted from working so closely with the police. She had no idea what she'd be doing when - not if - they defeated the Orgs, but she knew that whatever it was, she had to find something that didn't require the paperwork stuff.
One thing was sure: The Air Force seemed tame after running around defeating Orgs.
"Myers." His greeting was short, the one of too much time spent in the military and too little time to waste on pleasantries. Like everybody else, the way he answered the phone reflected his view of it: it was there for a communications tool, nothing else.
It reminded her of a high school classmate who currently worked in an inbound call center, and refused to answer her phone with anything other than a sullen "hello". Which was understandable if you had to cheerfully answer a phone all day with the practiced greeting of "Good Morning (or Afternoon), this is Beth, how may I help you?"
Sometimes she was glad to be a pilot and a Ranger. At least it wasn't boring. Sure, sometimes Orgs could be defeated by the same strike one after another, but not very often. And she couldn't say she didn't get her daily exercise on the job.
"Eric," she managed.
"Taylor? Are you okay?" Eric asked, voice deepening into concern.
"Just tired, that's all. Don't you watch the news?"
"I do. Yes, I know you guys had an Org today. You sound really tired. Besides, I thought this was a night you were up on the Animarium."
"I changed my mind," Taylor snapped. "I couldn't stand my teammates being cheerful right now, that's all. Got it?"
"I got it," Eric said, sounding exactly like he knew what she was talking about. "So, want to come for dinner, or you just call me up just because?"
"Yes, I want to come for dinner," she said. "What did you think I was calling you up for?"
"Pleasant conversation?" Eric retorted. "I'm having lasagna for dinner. I'll put something else in so we don't both starve. Be over here in fifteen?" she thought she heard his voice soften, but decided she was hearing things.
"Right," she answered, and disconnected. She'd learned never to say goodbye. Just because you might end up dead didn't mean it was necessary to say those words. They were wastes of breath, and Eric understood that. Even if he didn't understand anything else.
At least he understood why she wanted to wait. She wanted to wait until the end of the war with the Orgs. She didn't want to leave him a widower. And as a member of the military, as a Ranger, at least he understood that. Almost too well.
She headed out to the car.
tbc....