Hey Folks, Sorry this has taken so long. I was driving home from work last night and I got struck by inspiration, so I pulled into a macdonalds and spent 2 hours typing this out. I have read it through a couple of times this morning, but I am still without a beta. Please let me know what you think.
"Upright and Moving"
The
sound of a scream rang out through the garage and in the kitchen
Flynn calmly reached for a banana and continued making his
smoothie.
"Are
they still at it?" Scott asked as he emerged from his room and
started down the stairs to join Flynn in the kitchen.
"Aye."
He replied, focusing his attention slicing his banana and adding it
to the contents of the blender.
"I
would have thought Ziggy would be sick of training by now."
"Ranger operator series green has been unable to perform at his maximum ability for the past two weeks." Dr. K commented as she came down the stairs, adjusting her lap coat. "I for one am impressed with his drive to return to full operational status." She brushed past Scott, opened the doors to her lab and stopped dead.
"Ranger. Operators. Black. And. Green." The diminutive genius enunciated each word very clearly and with barely contained fury. Scott and Flynn rushed to her side and took in the site before them. Flynn turned his head to hide his grin while Scott did his best to look serious hoping Dr K didn't notice the slight twinkle in his eye.
Ziggy looked over at Dr. K fuming in the door way and squeaked. He quickly tossed the two halves of the broken crutch he was holding towards the far corner of the lab and reached down to help his friend up. Dillon accepted the offered hand and stood nonchalantly holding the broken crutch's very battered twin, a slight grin on his face.
"What
do you think you are doing?" Dr. K questioned them, her voice under
control but icy. "That is grossly improper conduct with medical
equipment." She half answered her own question and stared at the
wolf and shark rangers with her hands on her hips.
"Well,
you see Doc." Ziggy began spreading his hands wide. "I was eager
to get back into top shape after my injury, which I got on while the
job I'd like to add, So I asked Dillon to spar with me."
"And
he was doing so well I decided to give him some real training by
changing the situation." Dillon gestured with the batter crutch he
was holding. "After all everything at hand is a weapon in a fight.
Isn't that right fearless leader?" Dillon smirked and tossed the
crutch to Scott who caught it smoothly and was about to reply when
Dr. K cut him off.
"Do
not bring Scott into this ranger black!" She all but spat.
"Look
Doc, Dillon" Ziggy steeped in between them with his hands
raised. "I think we can call all agree that this is all just an
accident." The shark ranger licked his lips and looked from his
best friend to his boss. "How about if we pay for them?"
Dr. K threw up her arms and stormed past them towards her command
station.
"Just
get out." She growled as she disspapered behind her screens. The
rangers quickly moved to comply. As the door slammed shut behind them
Ziggy slipped into his best grin as he stretched to drape his arm
over the blue ranger's shoulders.
"Say
Flynn buddy, Don't suppose you could lend me a couple of
bucks?"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Later
that day Ziggy was strolling along the path that looped around the
park lost in thought. He hadn't really had any place in mind when he
started out from the garage, he just wanted to get out and stretch
his legs, well, one of them anyway. He stopped next to a bench and
sighed reaching up to rub his cheek softly.
"What
was with that?" He asked to one in particular as he thought back
to that night a week ago. "And why do I keep coming back here?"
With a sigh the green ranger stuffed his hands in his pockets and
vowed to himself that tomorrow he would not come back. His head down
he turned and started towards home.
Ziggy
hadn't gone far when he came across a small rock laying on the path,
with a scowl he lashed out with his foot and kicked it away down the
path.
"Hey
watch it." A voice made Ziggy start and he glanced up an apology
already on his lips. She never came him the chance. "You could
hurt someone with that."
"You..."
Ziggy trailed off.
"Yeah,
me..." Tenaya smiled weakly and spread her arms as if to show
him she was un-armed and dressed in civilian clothes. Ziggy smiled
back and was pleased to see her smile grow and look more confident.
She almost looked completely human like that./p
Tenaya
felt herself smile and wasn't sure why but she liked the way it felt,
better than the sneer she usually wore. She stepped past the green
ranger, wondering why her skin tingled when the back of her hand
brushed his and took a seat on the bench and patted the other side.
Grinning a little when he joined her.
"It's really good to
see you up and around again." She stated, glancing down at his
leg. "How is it?" Ziggy surprised her by stretching his
arms up and lacing his fingers behind his head while crossing his
legs out in front of himself.
"You know your talking to the
best and bravest of all us rangers right?" He asked her grandly
with a stupidly big grin on his face. Tenaya then surprised herself
by laughing, actually laughing right out loud. She had to put her
hand on the bench to steady herself as she doubled over slightly
trying to get her breath back. She wiped her eyes and looked up to
see him grinning back at her.
"You know what?" Ziggy
asked quietly. Staring into Tenaya's eyes.
"What?" She
replied, her gaze locked with his.
"I think," Ziggy
paused to lick his lips as he raised his hand and lent towards
Tenaya, who for her part was wondering why her mouth had suddenly
gone dry. "I think I'd really like," Lights flashed through
the trees and the crunch of tires on gravel caused them both to jump.
Ziggy glanced around quickly trying to see who had just arrived.
Tenaya's upgraded vision didn't have any problem making out the
couple who had arrived.
"Two teenagers, looks like they're up
to something..." She let the statement hang in the air and a
smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth as she turned back to Ziggy.
"You'd really like what?" She asked slowly. Ziggy looked
from the car park to her and swallowed visibly.
"Ahh,"
He stammered. "Ice-cream. I'd really like some ice-cream. Come
on." Ziggy turned and headed towards the other end of the park.
Tenaya indulged in a moment of confusion before she started after
him.
"Here ya go kids" The older man placed the
sundae on the small table between them."Nice choice Zig."
He whispered as he placed a spoon in front of the green
ranger.
"Thanks Frank." Ziggy patted the older man on
the shoulder. As he passed behind Tenaya, Frank winked and gave Ziggy
a thumbs up.
"He really thinks this is a good choice?"
Tenaya asked. as she poked the ice-cream experimentally with her
spoon. Ziggy's mouth fell open and he quickly shoveled in a scoop of
ice-cream to try and cover it.
"Yeah, this is a great. Frank
is a real artist." Ziggy smiled at her gesturing with his spoon.
"What? you don't like chocolate, cherry, bubblegum or vanilla?"
He sounded like he couldn't believe his own question.
"I
don't really know." Tenaya whispered, her eyes darting around
the now empty ice-cream parlor.
"Really? How can you not
know? Everybody know what flavours they like." This time Ziggy
sounded genuinely shocked. Tenaya looked down at her lap.
"I
can't remember." Her voice was quiet and small. "I don't
even know if I've ever had ice-cream before." Ziggy didn't say
anything for a few long moments. For one of the few times in his life
he didn't know what to say. Tenaya looked up slowly, expecting
ridicule or shook. What she didn't expect was a soft warm grin on the
ranger's face.
"Then you're in for a treat." He gently
took her spoon from her hand and picked up a little vanilla and held
it out to her. "Here, try this."
Tenaya's laughter
rang out loudly in the empty street.
"You used to collect
protection money from the ice-cream man?" She managed to force
out before another fit of laughter.
"Well," Ziggy smiled
as he ran a hand through his hair. "I may have pretended to
collect from Frank. But I'll have you know I was a feared wise guy
back in the day."
"Oh really?" Tenaya grinned at
him, her eyes glowing with laughter. "I don't think I believe
you."
"Yeah?" Ziggy countered. "I can't
believe that you ate an entire Choc-Mint-Cherry Explosion all by
yourself!"
"It was good. Not my fault you couldn't keep
up." She smiled at him and stopped suddenly. "Wait a
minute," She trailed off as the thought came to her. "What
kind of wise guy doesn't drive a car?" Ziggy started.
"I
like walking." He blurted out.
"But everyone else
drives."
"It's bad for the environment."
"You
live in a dome." Ziggy paused and glanced around for
inspiration. He didn't find any. He sighed and stuffed his hands in
his pockets.
"Fine," He grumbled. "I can't drive."
Tenaya burst out laughing again.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
When Ziggy looked up at her, she felt yet another new feeling took
hold of her.
"Ziggy, I'm, I'm really sorry." And she
knew that she really was. "I just thought, you know. You pilot
the Shark-zord." She finished weakly.
"That's different,
Doc K says it has something to do with the bio-ressonance with our
suits." He shrugged. "I just think it and the suit makes it
happen." He glanced at his watch and then looked back up at her.
"Look it's getting late and the others will be wondering where I
am." Tenaya felt a sudden rush of alarm.
"They don't
know where you are?" She asked, glancing around quickly. "You
didn't tell them?"
"Of course not." A grin spread
over Ziggy's face. "You think they'd believe me? Hey guys I'm
going out on a date with our super hot enemy. Don't wait up."
Tenaya felt her mouth twitch in a slow smile.
"So this is a
date?" She asked. Ziggy shifted his feet and she saw the look of
panic in his eyes.
"Well, you know, I was."
"Ziggy."
She cut him off and he looked at her with his mouth slightly open. "I
had a great time." And with that she placed her hand on his
cheek, leaned in and kissed him softly on the mouth. "Thank
you." She whispered, backing away. When she was a few feet from
him she smiled and in a flash she had teleported away.
"Yeah,"
Ziggy breathed and shook his head. "They'd never believe this."
