A/N: This idea came to me while watching "Ghost of a Chance Part 2" There are slight spoilers and it's rated "T" for thematic elements.
First Jungle Fury fic.
--PRJF--
I lied to a Pai Zhuq Master.
After the batter was over we headed back to JKP to talk everything over. We hadn't really had the time before. Lily and Theo were happy – I was too! We got an awesome upgrade and I had defeated Jarrod. But there was a contentedness about their faces that I didn't feel. They had faced their fears and came out victorious. I had too, but my guilt at lying to my Pai Zhuq Master still bothered me. Was it really a lie? I just didn't tell him the whole truth and he assumed… no, he knew what was in my heart all along and what my fear was. The look he gave me – I know he understood. Feeling a little bit better I followed the others up to the loft.
--PRJF--
"I can't believe Fran found out!" Lily said as she sank down into a couch later that night.
"It was bound to happen sooner or later. Fran isn't stupid you know." Theo sat down beside Lily and I chose a different chair.
"Well I'm just glad that now she understands why we keep running off all the time. She really knows how to guilt trip a guy." I said as I sat down.
Lily and Theo started talking about our day and our adventure in the Spirit World. They proudly spoke of their fears and how they had mastered them. I remained silent, hoping against hope that they wouldn't ask me. Could I lie to my friends? Would they believe me?
"So Casey, what was your fear?" Lily asked, curious.
"Yeah, what's the big strong Red Ranger afraid of?" Theo said with a smirk.
If I told him, that would make that smirk slide right off his face, I thought meanly, then instantly discarded the idea. I don't want their pity.
"Well," I started to say, but was interrupted by R.J. coming into the room.
"Ah, going over the day I see. Good idea, but be careful not to dwell on the past, it's the future that counts." He looked straight at me as he said it and I couldn't meet his gaze. "Mind if I join you?"
"No, go right ahead." Lily gestured to R.J.'s beloved chair and he sat down in it, making himself comfortable.
"Casey was just going to tell us all about his biggest fear." Theo said with another small smirk.
"Ah, fears. Let me guess: spiders," he said pointing at Lily. "Fear of failure and people knowing your weaknesses" with a stare at Theo, "and…" he stopped as his hand pointed at me. His fingers curled in slowly. "Well, your fear is something quite different."
"Okay, now I'm curious," Theo admitted, looking at me suspiciously.
"C'mon Casey, it can't be that bad!" Lily said softly. I responded with a short silent laugh.
"If you want to know so badly I'll tell you," bitterness laced my words. I looked at R.J. questioningly, and he nodded encouragingly in return. "For my lesson they sent me to my room."
"Your fear is being punished?" Lily asked, confused.
"Do not jump to conclusions. Understanding comes to those who wait." R.J. said softly.
"I realized that it was my room as it was when I was eight years old. All of a sudden my closet doors started to shake…"
--FLASHBACK--
Eight-year-old Casey scurried under the covers as if they would shield him. A slight whimper escaped his lips as he curled up, trying to make his small body even smaller. He could hear the loud thumps of someone coming up the stairs. He shut his eyes tightly, knowing what was to come next. All of a sudden the door burst open.
Casey relaxed his body, pretending to be asleep. He winced as the covers were suddenly torn off of him; the cool air made him shiver.
"ARE YOU ASLEEP?" Casey couldn't help but jump at the loudness. His eyes opened and he started into the small angry eyes of his father.
"What is it, dad?" he asked, trembling.
"I KNEW YOU WERE AWAKE!" His father continued to yell.
"No, I really was asleep." Casey protested.
"DON'T LIE! AND HOW DARE YOU TALK BACK TO ME. UNGRATEFUL LITTLE MAGGOT." The smell of alcohol assaulted Casey's senses as his father leaned into his face.
"Dad, please, can I go back to bed now?" he asked quietly.
"NO, I'M TALKING TO YOU RIGHT NOW." His fist shot out and connected with Casey's cheek, the force of the blow sending him flying off his bed and crashing to the floor. He got up shakily, hand covering his injured cheek and tears in his eyes. Before he could gain control they slipped down his cheeks.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE SUCH A CRYBABY FOR A SON. STOP CRYING, REAL MEN DON'T CRY!" He grabbed Casey's arm and gripped it tightly, forcing Casey's arm away from his face. The pain that shot through his arm as so great that more tears came out; Casey was crying and he couldn't stop.
"OH, WHAT THE –" His father let go of him roughly, the action almost jarring Casey's shoulder out of its socket. "I DON'T KNOW WHY I EVEN BOTHER WITH YOU. YOU'RE JUST A WORTHLESS COCKROACH AND YOU'LL NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING. IT'S ALL YOUR MOTHER'S FAULT. NO WONDER YOUR SISTERS LEFT. IT'S YOUR MOTHER'S FAULT." His eyes narrowed with hate and he turned towards the door.
"No, leave her alone!" Casey cried out.
His dad sneered "YOU'RE SUCH A MOMMAS BOY, CASEY. WHY DON'T YOU JUST GROW UP?" With that he left the roomed, slamming the door behind him.
The door blocked him hearing of what was going on in the next room, but he knew already. It was the same every time. Casey wiped his nose on the arm of his pyjamas and crawled back into bed. He stared at his pillow, a large picture of the Red Power Ranger, posed and ready to go fight the bad guys, stared back at him.
Casey reached out and touched the Ranger gently, his hand trembling slightly. "One day," he whispered. "One day I'll be strong. I won't be afraid of anything! Real men don't hurt other people. When I grow up Mr. Ranger, I'm going to protect people, just like you do."
--END FLASHBACK--
"So yeah, Mom took me and left soon after that. My biggest fear has always been that he'd find us again and that he'd started beating Mom up again. I conquered that fear by believing in myself and knowing that I am now able to defend myself and my mother."
For the next few seconds there was total silence. Then Theo and Lily burst out talking.
"Casey, that's so awful!" Lily said with her eyes full of tears.
"Man, I'm sorry." Theo was looking very ashamed for teasing me about my fear earlier.
R.J. raised a hand for silence. "Enough. Casey has been very brave in telling you all of this. It's in the past. Let's not speak of it again."
There was silence again for a few moments.
"Did you guys see how I totally defeated Dai Shi all by myself?"
--
A/N: The Red Ranger in the poster (figuring that Casey is 18 during JF and was 8 at the time of the story, making it 10 seasons ago) would've been Andros the Red Space Ranger.