Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Megaforce. This story is fan-made.
Author's Note: This is not where the Megaforce series starts. If you want to read the series without getting lost, I suggest you read my stories in the order they appear:
No To Date Nights - The Party Night - Project Partners - Megaforce: Lives Behind The Masks - Prom Night - A Trip To Remember - First Meetings - Something She Loves – Protective Morans – Samurai In Harwood County – Rainy Days – Luck Had Nothing To Do With It – Ranger Support – Parents and Children – Hero Without The Spandex – Emma's Night – Emma's Mother – Bait And Switch – After Death – A Stormy Day – A Date For Tensou – A Mother's Advice – Mending Fences – Executioner Named Revenge –Those Three Words – On The Fourth Day – Babysitting – Tiger- A Fresh Start – On the Mountains – Looking Ahead – The Rangers' Recovery – Daughter's Nightmare – Megaforce: With Great Power –Cookies – The Babysitters: Jake and Gia – Better Off With The Burrows – A Hard Journey – The Messenger – Megaforce: The Invasion Arrives – Learning To See – Sight Unseen – A Romantic Demise – To Love And To Lose – Distance Travelled
For the most part, the Rangers all got along. They had their fights here and there, a few times where they annoyed each other, but at the end of the day, they were all close friends. They were all loving, trustworthy people.
However, a recent shift in relationships was making their dynamic feel a little less comfortable. After Jake had attempted to viciously murder Cliff, Gia had pulled away from him. She knew his reasons for his actions and understood he had only tried to do so to protect her, but after all the pain she suffered at Cliff's hands, she couldn't bear to associate herself with someone who couldn't restrain himself and be the better person. Fearful this wouldn't be the last time Jake lashed out at someone to protect her, Gia had to get some distance and called off her relationship with Jake.
It didn't mean she didn't still love him. All it meant was that she needed some time away from him until he got himself under control again and she could trust he wasn't going to lose what it was that made him special from most of the other guys: his desire to be a better, more respectful man.
But their first conversation after they broke up hadn't gone as planned. Gia wanted to have Jake beg for her forgiveness, plea she take him back, and assure her that he had learned his lesson and would never let his wild side get out of control again. Instead, he let her go, announcing to her that she had his permission – no, his blessing! – to start seeing Orion. Merely days after she broke up with him, Jake was happy to give up the fight.
If Jake no longer saw her as something worth fighting for, she decided her best option was to turn to someone who did. In the whole time since Jake had tried to murder Cliff, Orion had stood by her side. He provided her with wise words, though never explicitly told her how to think and feel. He was a comfortable shoulder to cry on and safe arms when she needed a little more protection. He understood her confusion and knew how to handle her when she broke down. He also knew how to make her laugh and smile, which in those days had been a rarity. Orion was a good man, and if her heart hadn't been linked to Jake's, she would have seriously considered going on a real date with him.
So when Jake severed those links by giving up the fight, Gia decided not to wait around. If he was done, so was she. She turned to Orion, and while both had agreed to take it very slow, they were, technically, dating. Still just friends, but dating.
In other words, it was rather complicated.
It was just moments before she and Orion were headed down to the woods for a picnic. Emma had packed a meal for them both and Rebecca packed the blanket and some candles (which Gia insisted they weren't going to use). Orion was just getting ready and before he was done and they left, Gia had one thing she needed to do. She walked up to Jake, who was playing cards with Noah and Troy, and pulled him aside.
"Are you sure this is what you want?" she asked him. "You're okay with this?"
"I want you to be with someone who makes you happy," Jake nodded his head. "Orion's a good guy. He'll take care of you."
"But you're okay with this?" Gia asked. For her own peace of mind, she needed to be sure she wouldn't be hurting Jake by moving on so quickly. She would forever love him, and couldn't bear the thought of causing him any pain.
"Yes. Have fun," Jake smiled to her and then made his way back to the table to resume his game. Gia sighed as she watched him go but then turned around when Orion called for her.
"How do I look?" he asked and gestured to his clothes. He wasn't wearing anything special. He had on his usual jacket and a new pair of jeans. Gia didn't need him to dress up, though. They were going on a picnic and there was no need to impress each other. But Orion wasn't used to dates. They didn't have them on Andrasia. She was sure he was a little confused about what was appropriate. She nodded and then walked off the ship with him and their things for the picnic.
Jake watched her go with a heavy sigh as he returned to his game. Noah shook his head.
"I told you this would happen."
"It's for the best. I just want her to be happy."
"So... the break up wasn't mutual?" Troy asked with a frown.
"No, it was. I mean, I agreed to it. After what I did, Gia deserves to be with someone who makes her feel safe?"
"Are you going to hurt her or something?" Troy asked. He gathered up the cards and started to shuffle them. "Am I missing something here?"
"I'd never hurt her," Jake shook his head and sounded slightly offended by the suggestion. Troy shrugged his shoulders.
"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I just meant... why is that someone Orion? You and Gia were perfect together."
"It was obvious Gia didn't trust me anymore."
"Um... okay?"
"This dumb dumb decided to throw in the towel," Noah rolled his eyes and flicked his thumb in Jake's direction. "After all that time he spent chasing after her, jumping through hoops for her, building her back up, he decides now that he's finally had enough."
"I haven't had enough," Jake shook his head. "Look, I'm still crazy about her, alright? Nothing and no one means more to be than Gia. But what I did... I've got some things to work on."
"What if Gia was the one?" Noah asked. "I mean, seriously, what if Gia was the only girl out there who could put up with you and you just let her go."
"If it's meant to be..."
"How can it be meant to be when you give up?" Noah frowned. "Jake, you let the most amazing girl walk away from you! You didn't fight, you didn't beg, you didn't tell her how you felt..."
"And who exactly is this most amazing girl?" Rebecca asked, arms crossed, as she walked up to Noah and the boys. She glared in her boyfriend's direction. "I better be getting your voices confused. I did not just hear Noah call Gia the most amazing girl."
"For Jake," Noah said as he guided his girlfriend onto this lap. "Obviously you're number one in my books."
"Good," Rebecca said. She smiled, "So what about Gia?"
"Jake's not over her," Troy told her. Rebecca frowned deeply and turned to her step brother.
"Huh?"
"Guys, can we let this go?" Jake asked. "Gia's happiness is all that matters. Rebecca, tell them she was excited to go on her date with Orion."
"Well, yeah," Rebecca shrugged. "But I don't need eyes to see she's feeling a little awkward about all this."
"First dates are always awkward."
"Do you really still like Gia?"
"I'll always love her."
"Then what are you doing here?" Rebecca asked. "Why is Gia going out with Orion?"
"I'm doing what's best for her. Besides, if it's meant to be, it'll work out."
"Not if you don't try," Rebecca stated and Noah kissed her gently. "You're really just going to let her go like that? You're going to let Orion have her for keeps?"
"If they can make it work..."
"Relationships aren't about making it work. They're about being with the person you love the most and spending the rest of your life with the person who makes you happier than kids on Christmas."
"Rebecca..."
"If you love Gia, you need to let her know! Otherwise, she's going to move on and you'll lose her for good," Rebecca shook her head. She wouldn't dare let Jake think otherwise. "Jake, if I've learned anything from living my life, it's that you've got to take it by the horns. Shit doesn't just fall in your lap! Well, shit does. Shit just happens. It's the good stuff. It's only good because you had to fight for it. You had to want it in the first place! Do you think it was easy for Troy and I to suddenly become family? We had to work on that for months! We're still working on it! Do you think it's easy dating this know it all here?"
"Hey!"
"You are," Rebecca pat Noah's head and then turned back to Jake. "Fate just sets you on a path. You've got to make the best of what's down that road. If you don't tell Gia how you feel, you're going to lose her!"
"I thought you were pro Gia and Orion getting together."
"I thought you were done with her! I didn't know you still had mad feels for her!"
"Rebecca, she made it clear..."
"Let me teach you the first rule of women," Rebecca leaned forward. "We don't make anything clear. You can't take our word on anything!"
"But..."
"She broke up with you because she wanted to know if you were worth it. By giving up, you're showing her you're just another tool. Some guy who won't go the distance. I mean, you went pretty far. Congrats for that. But when the going got really tough, the tough got wimpy, stopped fighting, and ran away because he's too scared of a little begging."
"I'm not scared of begging."
"So then go after her, get down on your knees, and beg for her heart!" Rebecca grabbed her step brother by the sweater and ripped him out of his chair. "Don't be an idiot! Not when you've got a Gia to lose!"
Jake nodded his head and took off after Gia and Orion, hoping Rebecca's words were true and he did still have a chance with the yellow Ranger. If she needed her space, he was willing to give it to her, but he didn't want her to think he was over her. He didn't want her to believe he had stopped fighting.
He got to the woods and followed the path. He had overheard Emma tell them where the best spot to picnic was and followed her directions until he heard their voices. He ducked behind and tree, breathed in deeply and quickly tried to come up with something to say. He wasn't there to sabotage their date or embarrass Orion, but he needed to tell the truth.
When he thought he had his thoughts sorted he stepped out from behind the tree and looked to the picnic blanket. Unfortunately, he never got to say what he wanted to say. Gia and Orion were sitting together. Gia was leaning against his chest while Orion had his arms wrapped around her softly. They were holding hands, talking and laughing. They looked happy. Gia looked very happy; very comfortable.
Then, Orion leaned forward and kissed her. Gia didn't push him away. She didn't look scared or intimidated at all. She looked like she enjoyed it. She was having fun.
Jake missed his chance. His head fell forward as he realized he had missed his chance. Before he was seen, he teleported back up to the ship.
Meanwhile, at the picnic, Orion pulled away and looked down at Gia with a little smirk. She glanced up at him.
"That's seriously how you greet friends on Andrasia?"
"Like I said, we're a lot more intimate with each other," he nodded. "Without dating, none of it has any link to romance."
"But you do have... moves, right?" Gia asked him. "I mean, when you do choose a mate? If that's what you do to friends, I can't imagine how you'd treat the mother of your children."
"We have moves," Orion answered. "I don't think it's anything appropriate for us, though."
"Absolutely not," Gia shook her head. She sat up and turned to face the silver Ranger, "Alright, well, you've picked up on quite a few greetings we have, but here's one I bet you haven't seen yet."
Gia gently took his hand, raised it to her mouth and lightly kissed the back. Orion frowned and pulled his hand away.
"Ugh. You really do that?"
"Guys mostly greet girls that way. It's pretty formal," Gia nodded. "Why. What's so ugh about it?"
"I'm used to miner hands," Orion told her. "Because we spend most of our time working in the mines, our hands get pretty dirty."
"You don't have to worry about that," Gia shook her head. "This greeting is really only used by the upper class, and trust me, you'll never find them working in a mine or anywhere they can get their hands dirty. You can use it to really impress some girls, though."
"Humans are so weird," Orion said and then reached out for the picnic basket. "All these greetings have made me hungry. Let's see what Emma packed. Oh, the ham sandwich must be mine."
"That's not ham."
"Huh? It looks like ham."
"Trust me. It's not ham," Gia shook her head. "Just, brace yourself. Emma's always trying to sneak her vegetarian meats in."
Orion pulled the sandwich out of the bag, sniffed it and then slowly brought it up to his mouth. He took a little bit and then chewed it cautiously. When he swallowed, Gia waited for his reaction. Suddenly, his eyes widened, he looked down at his meal and then took another big bite. With his mouth full, he turned to the yellow Ranger.
"This is amazing!"
"Seriously?"
"So much better than ham," Orion nodded his head and shoved the rest of the sandwich in his mouth. Gia looked to him skeptically.
"You're kidding?"
"Kidding? I'm dead serious," Orion asked. He reached into the basket and pulled out the sandwich Emma had packed for Gia, "I'll trade you my dessert for this."
"You're going to trade your..." Gia reached in and pulled out a Tupperware of chocolate cake, "cake, for a fake meat and cheese sandwich."
"Why do you guys even bother with real meat?" Orion asked her. "Spare yourselves the trouble and just eat this."
"Maybe you and Emma should date," Gia stuck out her tongue in disgust as Orion wolfed down her sandwich and then said he wished Emma had packed more of the meat. Gia shook her head, "Whatever makes you happy, I guess."