Disclaimers and notes in part 1.
Waiting Period
by Selma McCrory
copyright 2003
part 4
Her car, thankfully, was undamaged. Driving away, she almost growled. The last thing she needed was the team getting ideas about excluding her from battle. It was bad enough that she was worried about her eagle letting her go once her pregnancy was advanced enough.
Of course, she had the sense that her watchers wouldn't go away even if her Zord was forced to find a new partner. That her Zord felt it has something at stake in the new life.
*Great,* she thought. *Maybe I am becoming borderline psychic. As long as I don't turn into Cole.*
She shook her head. "I have to know," she realized out loud, stopping the car. She knew she could drive and talk at the same time, but she felt it was better to pull over and call. She dialed Cole's growlphone.
"Cole here," came the some how reassuring voice of her team leader.
"Cole," she said, "Can I talk to you for a minute?" She was aware that he'd been spending a lot of time with Alyssa lately.
"Sure," Cole said. His cheerful demeanor never faltered. "What's up?"
"I...." She had to pause to collect her thoughts. "Cole, what has the Eagle been saying?"
There was a pause on the other end, though from what she wasn't sure. "It would like nothing better than to let you free, but it realizes you're happier where you are."
"Right," she said, not completely reassured. "But if it thinks I can't do my job anymore...."
"Taylor," Cole said, "It knows you. It cares about you. It's afraid that it might not be able to let you go when it's time." He paused. "It considers your 'chick' as much its child as yours."
She paused at that. The Eagle Zord considered her child as its own. Eric will be.... She realized that she wasn't quite sure how Eric would react to learning that he had to factor her Zord in to the parent equation.
She started the car up. The only way she could find out was by asking. She drove down the street, her mind intent upon Eric and his reaction. *I wonder if the Eagle Zord will insist on being present at the wedding? It would certainly be memorable, to say the least.* The image of her Zord overseeing the wedding kept a smile on her face all the entire way back to Eric's place.
* * *
Taylor arrived back at Eric's place after a few minutes of driving. The lights were all on, which meant Eric hadn't gone to bed yet, but then, it was still a bit early. She stepped out of the car and paused.
"Well? You gonna stand out there all night?"
She blinked. Eric had the door open and was looking expectantly at her. "Sure," she said. Walking in as if she hadn't ever hesitated, she knew that Eric wasn't fooled by the act.
"How'd the battle go?" Eric asked.
Taylor settled down in her favorite chair. "It went," she said.
Eric gave her a nod as he closed and locked the door. "Battles getting tough?"
Shaking her head, Taylor answered, "Not really. I'm not ready to bow out yet."
Eric nodded again. "Good idea," he said. "And why not? It isn't slowing you down."
"Right," Taylor answered. "Now, if my teammates and my Zord would get that idea."
"They'd be fools if they didn't get the idea," Eric said.
Taylor drew a strand of hair behind her ear. "And you?"
"I'm not dumb," Eric said sharply. "I know you have a battle to fight... and I know they can't win without you. Whatever feelings I have over you carrying my child have to be overridden by the fact that you have a job to do. The faster you do it, the shorter amount of time I have to worry about you."
He was serious, she could tell. "Good. That's how it's going to be."
"How are the others treating you?" Eric asked. "They giving you guff?"
"Not yet," Taylor admitted. "But...."
"If you're in a battle, you fight until you're done, even if you have to draw back and regroup sometimes," Eric said. "Cole knows that."
"My Zord knows that," Taylor said, thinking of what Cole had said.
The corner of Eric's mouth quirked up. "That's what you get for having a sentient Zord."
"A sentient Zord that thinks it's responsible for our child," Taylor said, just to get his reaction.
"Your Zord thinks it's responsible for our child?" Eric sounded incredulous.
"As Cole put it, it thinks it's as much a parent to this 'chick' as we are," Taylor told him.
"Never thought I'd be sharing parenting duties with a one-hundred foot metal eagle," was Eric's only comment.
"Believe it," Taylor said. "'Cause it does."
"I'll cope," Eric said. "Can you?"
Taylor smiled. "I think I can," she responded, smiling slowly. "But I can't wait for this to be done. For the Orgs to be gone."
"Think we all do," Eric said. "But...."
"Yeah," Taylor said. "In the meantime...."
"I'll be behind you, every step of the way," Eric assured her.
"Good," Taylor said.
And that was all that was said for that evening.
-end
Waiting Period
by Selma McCrory
copyright 2003
part 4
Her car, thankfully, was undamaged. Driving away, she almost growled. The last thing she needed was the team getting ideas about excluding her from battle. It was bad enough that she was worried about her eagle letting her go once her pregnancy was advanced enough.
Of course, she had the sense that her watchers wouldn't go away even if her Zord was forced to find a new partner. That her Zord felt it has something at stake in the new life.
*Great,* she thought. *Maybe I am becoming borderline psychic. As long as I don't turn into Cole.*
She shook her head. "I have to know," she realized out loud, stopping the car. She knew she could drive and talk at the same time, but she felt it was better to pull over and call. She dialed Cole's growlphone.
"Cole here," came the some how reassuring voice of her team leader.
"Cole," she said, "Can I talk to you for a minute?" She was aware that he'd been spending a lot of time with Alyssa lately.
"Sure," Cole said. His cheerful demeanor never faltered. "What's up?"
"I...." She had to pause to collect her thoughts. "Cole, what has the Eagle been saying?"
There was a pause on the other end, though from what she wasn't sure. "It would like nothing better than to let you free, but it realizes you're happier where you are."
"Right," she said, not completely reassured. "But if it thinks I can't do my job anymore...."
"Taylor," Cole said, "It knows you. It cares about you. It's afraid that it might not be able to let you go when it's time." He paused. "It considers your 'chick' as much its child as yours."
She paused at that. The Eagle Zord considered her child as its own. Eric will be.... She realized that she wasn't quite sure how Eric would react to learning that he had to factor her Zord in to the parent equation.
She started the car up. The only way she could find out was by asking. She drove down the street, her mind intent upon Eric and his reaction. *I wonder if the Eagle Zord will insist on being present at the wedding? It would certainly be memorable, to say the least.* The image of her Zord overseeing the wedding kept a smile on her face all the entire way back to Eric's place.
* * *
Taylor arrived back at Eric's place after a few minutes of driving. The lights were all on, which meant Eric hadn't gone to bed yet, but then, it was still a bit early. She stepped out of the car and paused.
"Well? You gonna stand out there all night?"
She blinked. Eric had the door open and was looking expectantly at her. "Sure," she said. Walking in as if she hadn't ever hesitated, she knew that Eric wasn't fooled by the act.
"How'd the battle go?" Eric asked.
Taylor settled down in her favorite chair. "It went," she said.
Eric gave her a nod as he closed and locked the door. "Battles getting tough?"
Shaking her head, Taylor answered, "Not really. I'm not ready to bow out yet."
Eric nodded again. "Good idea," he said. "And why not? It isn't slowing you down."
"Right," Taylor answered. "Now, if my teammates and my Zord would get that idea."
"They'd be fools if they didn't get the idea," Eric said.
Taylor drew a strand of hair behind her ear. "And you?"
"I'm not dumb," Eric said sharply. "I know you have a battle to fight... and I know they can't win without you. Whatever feelings I have over you carrying my child have to be overridden by the fact that you have a job to do. The faster you do it, the shorter amount of time I have to worry about you."
He was serious, she could tell. "Good. That's how it's going to be."
"How are the others treating you?" Eric asked. "They giving you guff?"
"Not yet," Taylor admitted. "But...."
"If you're in a battle, you fight until you're done, even if you have to draw back and regroup sometimes," Eric said. "Cole knows that."
"My Zord knows that," Taylor said, thinking of what Cole had said.
The corner of Eric's mouth quirked up. "That's what you get for having a sentient Zord."
"A sentient Zord that thinks it's responsible for our child," Taylor said, just to get his reaction.
"Your Zord thinks it's responsible for our child?" Eric sounded incredulous.
"As Cole put it, it thinks it's as much a parent to this 'chick' as we are," Taylor told him.
"Never thought I'd be sharing parenting duties with a one-hundred foot metal eagle," was Eric's only comment.
"Believe it," Taylor said. "'Cause it does."
"I'll cope," Eric said. "Can you?"
Taylor smiled. "I think I can," she responded, smiling slowly. "But I can't wait for this to be done. For the Orgs to be gone."
"Think we all do," Eric said. "But...."
"Yeah," Taylor said. "In the meantime...."
"I'll be behind you, every step of the way," Eric assured her.
"Good," Taylor said.
And that was all that was said for that evening.
-end