We all go as a team 10
The Red Ranger. That was a job that look a lot of symbol control, training, disipline, honor, and respect. It also took trustworthy leading and being a master of swordplay. When she was five, Mentor had declared her the Red Ranger. They all knew it was her destiny. Until she was ten, her father and older siblings taught her everything she knew as her mom taught her life lessons. When she moved in with Ji, she became only stronger and wiser. They'd all warned her of the serious stress and strain and heartache, but she knew she could handle it. She promised everyone, even more so to herself, that.
But now it'd become to much for Tiffany to bear.
She let the tears flow as heavy as she could. She was trying to weep away her troubles, where nobody would see her at her weakest time. Leaders didn't cry, her father always told her. Well, here she was, falling apart at the sems in the forest alone. Three Rangers were hurt badly, one was stressed out, one was fighting depression, one was missing in action, and her allies were confused and lost. What a huge mess they'd gotten into. And their fearless leader was acting like a baby and losing it.
"What kind of leader am I?" she moaned softly to herself, "the team is falling apart and I'm not stopping it. Gah, my dad is probably so ashamed of me."
"No he's not," John's voice made her jump, "you're a great leader. You're only human, and we're all going to slip up and some things are things we can't handle alone. But we all go as a team in this. All for one and one for all."
"But...but I have to lead them," she tried to hide the fact she was crying, "and...I can't do this."
"Yes you can," he sat beside her on the rotted out log, "I believe in you."
She turned away from him in an attempt to hide her teary face and big watery eyes, but he knew already. He knew how she felt because this happened to him sometimes, too. He knew he had to comfort her. He had such strong passion and affection toward her, and he couldn't bear to let her suffer. Being leader was stressful. She just didn't know how well she was dealing with it. She was the youngest, and she was showing them all up by storm.
Cupping her chin in his hands, he turned her to face him again. He watched in sadness at the tearflow speeding up down her cheeks. Her face was lite up brighter than his spandex, and his heart broke. She was embarrassed at this, and she now needed a shoudler to cry on and not be judged. And being a leader as well, John knew he was just the guy.
"No matter what anyone told you," he spoke, looking into her wide, sad blue eyes, "it's okay to cry. Leaders do cry. Even the strongest have to be weak sometimes. That's how we get stronger."
Looking at him with a sad, pleading, trying-to-contain-weeping face, she let out a sniff and sigh, falling into his chest. He gathered the younger girl in his arms and allowed her to sob into his shirt for the next ten minutes. All the while he held her tight and whispered comforts into her ear until she stopped shaking and sobbing. Lossening his tight secure grip, he allowed her to pull away from him and wipe her eyes furiously. Taking her hands and squeezing, he reached into his pocket and handed her some kleenx. She blew her nose and wiped her eyes, stuffing the soiled paper in her back pocket to throw away later.
"Thank you," she still looked humilaited, "I am truly a child."
"Whoever told you that has mental issues," he replied, wiping a stray tear, "like I said, everybodies gotta' cry sometimes. We'd explode if we didn't, and I don't know about you, but I like to stay in one piece."
Her lips twitched, and he knew he had grazed her funny bone. Grinning slyly, he decided to keep being funny.
"Besides, it got us breathing when we were born," he stepped a little closer, "Mom told me I was a huge crybaby." He then imatated a baby crying while saying between the fake cries, "My bottle is cold, waaaah! I need to be changed, waaaah! I'm bored, waaahhh! You have on a ugly shirt, waaaaah! I'm still crying, waaah!"
Her stomach was shaking from silent laughter now. He was really breaking down her depression and insecure wall of depression and insecurness and sadness, so he kept it on up. Sliding beside her on the log again, he put his head on her shoulder and looked at her with disk-like, big childish eyes and made a little pouty face.
"Are you sad?" he talked like a sad, pouty child.
"Sorta," she looked away from him as a tear streaked down again.
"Oh, no!" he put his hands on his cheeks, pulling back and gasping, "she's crying!"
More tears streaked, and he started to imatate her crying in his hands, sniffing and moaning. She stopped crying and looked at him, confused.
"Why are you crying?" she sniffed.
"To lure you," he replied, not uncovering his face.
"Lure?" she blinked, sadness forgotten in curiousity of what this older leader was up to.
"Into my domen so you can have a visitor," he looked up with his big brown eyes.
"Vistor?" she blinked, lost now, "from who?" She inched a little closer, leaning in so he could mumur it if it was important and secret.
"He's an old friend,"
"Who?"
"I know you'll love him,"
"John, who is it? What are you talking it about?"
"His name is secret, so don't tell anyone,"
"I swear an oath for it to be secret forever,"
"Then lean in so I can whisper it to you," she got up closer than before, basically ontop of him as he put his lips to her ear. His breath brushed gently in her ear as he opened his lips, "his name is the Tickle Monster."
Suddenly, his arms were around her waist and his fingers were dancing across her stomach, her EXTREMELY ticklish spot. She erupted into laughter, not even trying to contain anymore. Seeing her squirm and squeal with delight, he pulled her so that her upper torso was on his lap. She struggled, but he kept her down as he got her shirt flipped up a little. Filling his cheeks with air, he blew on her stomach, making the buzzing noise. She burst into a fit of uncontrolable giggles as he did that, tears of effort in her eyes. A large grin was plastered on her shining face.
"There it is," he laughed as well as she tried to catch her breath when he stopped, "that beautiful, shining smile."
She blushed a little and flung herself at him. He held her close as she had her arms around his neck tight, smiling into his shoulder.
"You're the best," she whispered.
"I know it's tough," he promised, "but that's just what being leaders all about."
"Yeah," she agreed, "but there are some good parts to, like having victory, making friends forever...or falling in love with a fellow leader."
His cheeks turned red as he rocked her strong.
"Yeah," he agreed softly, "that's the best part."
"I have a question," she looked into his eyes.
"Anything, Tiffy,"
She slid her hands under his arms, and she was soon tickling him all over. He squirmed and squealed, but wrestling Josh had given her a grip.
"Are you ticklish?" she laughed it out.
"Very funny, Red," he picked her up bridal style and blew air into her stomach one more time, getting another fit of gigglings, "let's get you to my place so we can rest up. Big day tomorrow."
"Okay," sleepy, she closed her eyes and let him carry her to his home, which was the Dark Ranger's old place.
Laying her in a guest bed, he tucked her in real tight and nuzzled her forehead.
"Goodnight, my beautiful," she could possibly love him too.
But there are good parts too...like falling in love with a fellow leader
Her words echoed in his head, and he grinned like an idiot. But he about had a party when she opened her blues, smiled sleepily, and kissed his lips.
Author Note: That one was for you, lulugirl55!