AN-Ugh, I should just start all my chapters with an apology now, these are getting out so late! Though, I actually wrote this chapter last Tuesday, but I had editing difficulties all the time after that. So, my lovely readers, here is chapter four! Thanks a billion to my amazing beta, Kierza!


The Calculus Book

By the time Taz had turned 17, Ramona had gotten used to the idea that Lieutenant Up had become a member of the Alvarez family. From the first moment she met him, Ramona had gotten the impression that Up was a lonely character; and from what she gathered over the years, the Lieutenant had no family to speak of, not even a sibling, and joined the Rangers merely because there was nothing else he thought he was capable of. So, when he and her daughter became close, she was wary, to say the least. She wondered why a man seven years older than her daughter would even want to be around her if not for inappropriate reasons. Ramona now realized that Up had no ill intentions towards Taz, and that their friendship was one of the more innocent she had seen. Taz had become closer to him than with her own brothers, and Ramona no longer questioned why.

So when Up knocked on the kitchen door and stumbled in, shivering slightly from the December air, all Ramona had to do was motion towards the stairs that led to Taz's bedroom, smiling that secret, motherly smile.

000

Up lumbered up the stairs, taking them two at a time in an attempt to expel the frigidity he was currently feeling and cursing the global warming that had made this once-warm country into a bipolar weather frenzy. It wasn't just Mexico, though, that suffered this worldwide catastrophe. In the A.D. ages, international weathering and human error had negatively affected the Earth, melting the ice caps and turning the equator into a frozen wasteland. It had been thousands of years since that disaster, however, and Earth's citizens had long adapted to the changed climate. Still, Up had been in Mexico for two and a half years, and this winter was one of the worst he had been though. Up had put on a brave face in front of the others Rangers, but all he desperately wanted to do was curl up in a blanket and wish that the Starship base would turn the heat up to a acceptable temperature.

Thank Dead God Taz's house had an adequate heating system.

Just as he reached her room, Up heard a cry of frustration come from inside Taz's room. Up frowned, pushing open the door slowly. "Taz?" he asked hesitantly. It swung slowly open on it's own accord, making a eerie creaking sound. Suddenly, Up could see something large and square flying towards his head. With a yelp, he ducked down, the large object soaring past his head and giving two dull thuds as it hit the wall and the floor, respectively. Raising his head, Up cautiously looked to see who had thrown the heavy projectile at him. There, clad in a turtleneck sweater and breathing heavily was Taz, eyes narrowed in anger. When she saw Up, her shoulders slumped. "I thought you were Marlon." And with that, she flopped back-first onto her bed.

Up decided to take that statement as an apology, seeing as she was referring to her older brother, Marlon, as her intended target, and stood up fully. He surveyed Taz's room. It was relatively boring, as far as bedrooms go, Up decided, with it's faux-wood floors and pale blue walls. The only defining feature that made the room purely Taz's were the numerous bookcases, filled to the maximum with numerous books, and the two posters depicting the A.D.-era singers Enrique Inglesias and Shakira (Taz had once explained that their CD's were the only ones she owned, so her musical tastes never expanded past that.)

Up picked up the object that had been thrown at him, and saw that it was a worn and violated book. The cover looked like it had been stabbed repeatedly, but Up could still just make out the title. He held it up questioningly. "Calculus?"

Taz covered her face with a pillow and groaned in assent. "It's tough." She whined, her words muffled by layers of cotton. "I hate it!"

Up chuckled. "Yeah, I wasn't so fond of it myself when I was in high school." He sat down beside Taz, her bed creaking beneath him. "But why are you working on math anyway? School let out for Christmas break a week ago."

Taz pulled the pillow away from her face, exasperated. "I know that, estúpido." She sat up and began playing with her bangs, a sure sign, Up knew, that she was anxious. "I need to pass calculus, Up. Tengo que hacerlo."

"Why do you need to-"

"Because the Academy requires all of its Rangers to pass four years of math in order to be accepted."

And there it was, the reason Taz had been anxious and restless ever since her senior year had started. For four months, Up noticed that Taz had taken a sudden interest in her grades at school and a sudden desire to work with Up and the other Rangers in his squad.

He couldn't lie, though; he had seen this coming.

"I know what you're thinking." Taz said suddenly. "You think it's a bad idea."

Up didn't answer right away.

"It's because I'm a girl, isn't it?"

"No, but-"

"Or because I'm tiny, isn't it?"

"No, but-"

"Well I'll tell you something, señor. I am the toughest soldier that the Academy will ever get. And if you think that I'm too pequeña or too femenina to become a Ranger, then you better unfudge yourself and-" Her words became muffled once again, this time because Up had covered her mouth with his hand.

"Taz," He stared at her unwaveringly with his bright blue eyes. "Do you really think I believe those thing?"

Taz sighed, pushing his hand away. "No. But everyone else will, and you know it."

Up silently agreed, but he also knew it wouldn't help if he consented out loud. "Why, though?"

Taz raised an eyebrow.

"Why do you want to join the Rangers?"

Taz knew there was no fooling Up, so she said slowly. "Because I don't want to end up like everyone else."

Up stayed silent, waiting for her to continue.

"The mujeres in Mexico have no future, Up. You either get married and become forever your husband's property, or you become a prostituta." She looked at up, angered. "I don't want that, Up. I don't want to belong to someone just because it's custom. I don't want to sell my body just to survive. I don't want to spend the rest of my life in Mexico. And I don't..." she faltered, lowering her voice. "I don't want to end up like mi madre." The anger in her eyes was now replaced by sadness. "There is nothing for me here, Up, and I want so much more than what my family or this country can give me. I want to be a Starship Ranger."

Up processed Taz's proclamation. One side of him was guiltily glad that Taz had decided to do this, even if for reasons he could no fully sympathize with. Up realized, though, that what Taz said was true; once she finished high school, there was no where else for her to go. A high school diploma was practically useless in Taz's community, and especially useless if you were a girl. You had to have money in order to go on in life successfully. The Alvarez family, Up knew, were not destitute, but they were not fabulously wealthy either. Up had a hunch that the family had spent most of their earnings on higher education for Taz's older brothers, Marlon and Eduardo. It wasn't until this moment, however, that Up realized they could not afford to do the same for Taz. The Starship Ranger Corp was, quite literally, the only option Taz had.

He had to ask though. "But...do you actually want to join the Rangers?"

Taz looked at Up as though he was crazy. "What are you, loco? Of course I want to be a Starship Ranger! I want to fight the robotos! I want to travel the galaxy!" She sat up on her knees, a determined look on her face. "And I'm tough enough to do it, too." She dared Up to disagree.

Instead, he grinned, picking up her calculus book. "Then we better get to work."

Taz grinned back, then unexpectedly flung her arms around Up's neck. "Gracias, mi amigo."

000

An hour and many functions later, Up noticed that the sky had grown dark, and had taken that as a sign he should be heading back to base. After saying their goodbyes, Up had left Taz with two problem left to conquer, fully believing she could manage them by herself. As he passed through the kitchen, he smiled at Ramona, who was sitting down at the table, hands wrapped around a steaming cup. Just as Up opened the door to leave, Ramona asked softly "Did she tell you?"

Up froze, turning back around to face her "How do you-?"

"You think I didn't see this coming?" she said, smiling sadly. "Close the puerta, you're letting all the aire frio in."

He did so, looking at Ramona, puzzled. She motioned for him to sit down, which he also did. "So," she said. "Mi Tazmania wants to be a Starship Ranger, de verdad?"

Up nodded.

Ramona laughed softly, smirking at Up. "This is all your fault, ?" She sighed. "But it is mine as well."

Up protested, but Ramona silenced him with a raised hand. "I won't deny it, and neither should you. I never gave mi hija the elecciones I gave to Marlon and Eduardo, and that is one of my grandes errores." She sighed again, and it was quiet for a few moments as Ramona stared into her mug. "Now you know why I pushed for Tazmania to get married. I thought that if I found someone to take care of her, then maybe I would not feel so culpable about not having el dinero to give her an educación." Ramona paused. "But that isn't what Tazmania wants. She does not want to be married young, to be forced to be a wife. She does not want to become me."

Up sat still, wordless as Ramona broke and put her head in her hands, eyes closed as she tried to keep her tears in check. "Will I ever see her again? After she goes to La Academia?"

"For the first few years, while she's in training, you'll get to see her on a somewhat regular basis. After she graduates, though..." Up shrugged. "There's not a good chance of you seeing her at all."

Ramona raised her head and nodded, an act Up found to be the saddest of all. No tears, no sighs, just the sad resignation of a mother who obviously cared about her daughter enough to know that this decision was the best one for her.

Ramona stood, and Up did also, taking the hint and deciding to leave. Just before he reached the door again, Ramona quietly pleaded. "You'll take care of her, ?"

Up looked at Ramona one last time, and nodded. "I was already planning to."


AN- As per RockAndAHardPlace's request, I will now have translations down here, but only for full sentences in Spanish

Tengo que hacerlo - I have to.