CH.2: Unspoken

Gadget sat on the rooftop overlooking the street below, her legs kicking out as she thought over her decision. Was she acting rash? Should she talk it out with the others? It might've seemed sudden…had it not been the clues left through the weeks, months really of their cases. She could see it in their eyes every time she made an invention or wanted to go out for a fly. They didn't trust her anymore, and in truth she didn't trust herself either.

"Maybe someone should go talk to her," Chip noted, his eyes going over to the silent form of their mechanic and friend.

"I'll do it," Dale took one step and immediately went to hold his foot. "Owwwwwww…darn foot…had to fail me huh?"

"Gadget needs to be alone," Monterey pointed out, "no point in making her feel bad then she already does. We all are hurting, I say it is for the best we stay here till she figures a way to fix the Ranger plane."

The quartet looked over at the plane in its current state and cringed. It was in bad shape, the wings were snapped in half and the balloon was popped. The landing gears stood some ways back from where they landed. All in all it looked ready for the trash heap…not the skies.

"We shouldn't be too hard on her, I mean, these things happen right?" Chip looked around and saw them shrug their shoulders. "You don't think she will-?"

"No way, not Gadget, she is built sturdier then…well the Ranger plane. You are thinking too much on this Chipper, just let her be. She will come to when she can, for now we need to worry about ourselves."

Chip heaved a sigh and knew he was right. Still…he didn't like Gadget being over there all alone. He knew what it was like to have those thoughts, like when a mission didn't go his way or when he felt left out and wondered where his place was. So what if Nimnul had escaped…they would find him, they always did. Besides, he thought, us stopping him before he unleashed one of his zany plans was pretty out there even for us.

Gadget half listened to her friends as they talked. It was sweet of Chip to try and come over, even Dale, though she just wanted to be alone right now. If she decided to stay…would anything change? She hoped it would, but, could she face herself if they got hurt again? Standing up she walked over to the Ranger plane and without a word began fixing it up.

On the news a reporter was conducting an interview with Nimnul. The gloating on his face irritated those who watched him, that of the Rescue Rangers.

"So tell me Professor Nimnul…what is it you exactly want?"

"Well it is quite obvious, I want your money. For every household that pays me I shall return their power to them. For every company that gives me money, I will loan it to them. Think of it like, paying rent. I own the city's electricity…and no one be a hero now…I got enough electricity to short charge a human being into a comma."

"There you have it folks, Professor Nimnul holds the electricity, if you wish for yours back you can contact him-."

"Oh no, they won't contact me, I will be in the old factory at the end of town, they shall go there in person and if the money is legit…consider the electricity returned. And no Police now, we don't want the hospitals with no electricity for life support to have them."

Chip sighed as he turned off the television. "Well there we have it, Nimnul has won."

"Oh don't say that Chipper, we still got a chance." Monterey told him, his hand moving towards the TV as his form got animated. "I mean look at all our missions before, did Nimnul win then?"

"Well no, but-." Chip found himself stopped as Monterey continued.

"No Chip, the answer is no, so you can expect us Rescue Rangers to teach him his lesson soon enough." Monterey smiled seeing Chip take to this news. However deep down he had trouble believing his news himself.

Thunder rumbled outside and Dale dove behind the couch. "Ouch, I forgot about my foot…but I hate thunder more…ouch."

"Looks like we're in for some heavy rain palies," Monterey noted, "though that is nothing compared to my travels in the good ole outback, now there was some thunder."

Chip half listened to Dale's panic and Monterey's tales. During this entire time he did not see Gadget at all. In fact once the Ranger plane had limped back to their headquarters Gadget hadn't said much at all. Normally Gadget would council Dale or listen with apt attention to Monty's tales.

"Hey, uh, Monty…how did you survive the thunder?" Dale popped his head up.

"Well that was easy…thunder does not scare ole Monterey Jack." He smiled encouragingly at his little paly.

Suddenly lightning struck close by and Monterey leaped behind with Dale. "So, uh, what was that?"

"That was lightning, now that I am scared of. I once got zapped in me tale, ooh did that shock." He shivered.

Gadget walked out of her room lugging her carrying case, her eyes on her friends. They had been the closest thing to family since she had lost her father. She had taken jobs and aside from that she never even went outside, well unless it was to gather spare parts. Clearing her throat she tried to not be too awkward or apparent. "Thanks for your attention. Look, due to a string of failures on my part I have come to realize, well, that it is time to move on…from the Rescue Rangers."

"Gadget love…say it ain't so." Monterey Jack stood up and then stepped on Dale's foot.

"Owwww…" Dale began to weep and Gadget moved over stroking his cheek.

"I know this is sad Dale, but, it is in the best interest of everyone if I just go. I fixed the Ranger plane best I could…though you might want to avoid high altitudes, actually avoid trees as well, golly when you think about it-."

"Gadget we get it," Chip told her with an imploring smile for her to take a breath.

"Right, sorry about that. I will miss each and every one of you and I will cherish the memories we shared. Most of all…I will miss this place." Gadget bid each one a farewell till at last she reached Chip. For some reason she had the hardest time saying farewell to him.

"Well…I guess this is it. You sure you won't change your mind?" Chip rubbed the back of his head, his eyes looking anywhere but into her deep blues.

"Yeah, I'm sure, have to move on sooner or later. I will keep the spirit of what we did close to my heart, once a Rescue Ranger…always a Rescue Ranger. I guess this is it…wish me luck." Gadget hauled her case outside as the rain started to come down.

Chip was left standing there, uncertainty lying on him for the first time…in a long time. Memories of him and Gadget sped through his chipmunk brain until the very next lightning flash where he hurtled himself out the door. "Gadget wait up!"

Rain poured all around them as they stood there, him in the back while she by the vehicle set to carry her away. Her blond hair was hanging before her eyes as she moved it aside with a casual hand. Chip's hat was weighing down his head and he cringed inwardly as the pain in his arm shot up.

"What is it Chip?" Gadget looked at him from the Ranger wing as she placed her carrying case inside. Right now this was the only vehicle safe enough, by her regards to carry her away. She would've gone by foot, but, she could drown in a puddle.

"I, well, you see…there is something I've been meaning to tell you-." Chip moved forward but the howl of the wind sent him back and the thunder caused his words to lose volume.

"I'm sorry Chip…I can't hear you. I will miss you too…goodbye." Gadget hurried into the vehicle and started it up. Setting off her tears was lost in the rain as the place she had called home faded away. What was it Chip was trying to tell her? Oh well, it was probably something to make her stay. There was no road map for her now, she simply had to rely on her smarts to make a new living, she supposed.

Chip heaved a sigh watching her leave. "I was going to say…goodbye." Chip had meant to say 'I love you' but would it have mattered? Sniffling he set off inside, knowing the sound of tools working away would be no more. Gadget was really gone.

Authors note: A rather tragic turn of events sends Gadget out the front door and leaving Chip with his words of affection to himself. This isn't the end though; it is just the beginning of the road for Chip and Gadget. In the next chapter the Rescue Rangers try to deal with life without Gadget and Chip's feelings may suddenly find themselves out in the open, no longer hidden.