Bite Your Tongue
by DarkHonda aka Tal
Chapter Ten:
She was walking in a dark green forest, the trees so tall it concealed the sun. She walked carefully, for some reason wanting to be undetected. She looked around, everything was so green, no offence to Joel or anything. She took step after step, silently, holding herself cautiously her right arm still hurting.
Then she accidently stepped on twig, crushing it.
And felt the need to run, but couldn't because her arm would hurt from the movement. She looked around cautiously, trying to foresee a threat, but there was nothing. She eased her tensed position and tried to relax, breathing in and out.
But then there was a light sound of something in motion.
Kelsey tensed up, looking around, and then she identified it; a huge snake was coming after her. It was three floors high and probably the fattest snake on earth. She started to run, not caring about her arm – caring about her life. She needed a place to hide.
Somehow the snake was faster and it started to wrap itself around her, from legs to shoulders. It squeezed her arms to her body, tightening on her wounds and body and slowly suffocating her.
She couldn't do anything but scream.
"ARGHHH!!!" She woke up in her bed, covered with cold sweat and her arm hurting like hell; like the dream was real and someone had been grabbing her injured hand and mauling it. Unable to relax, she grabbed her blanket and rolled out of bed, intending on spending the night at the common room.
She padded through the deserted corridors of the Aquabase on her way to the common room. She entered the room and turned on the lights, settling on the sofa carefully, her arm hurting like hell and her heart beating twice as fast. She totally freaked out from that dream. Nightmare. Whatever. She breathed in and out deeply and made her way to Dana's room now;
She hasn't been to Dana's room since the first day she was released from the infirmary, she has seen her less since the guys decided to take longer shifts and not include her because of her injury. She sighed as she slipped into the infirmary corridor and straight into Dana's room.
It was empty.
Kelsey bit her bottom lip and sat on the chair near the bed.
"Hey, Dana, do you mind if I stay here?" She asked gently. "I had a nightmare." She confessed.
She told the tale of the nightmare to her sleeping friend, finally a little more at ease; it was good to have someone to talk to and say all of those things that were hard to deal with. She wasn't proud of the fact she suffered from nightmares, they were childish threats but hers just looked – and felt – so real. They truly scared her.
She held Dana's hand and rested her head next to her, on the bed. Letting the fatigue demand her presence back in Dreamland.
*
"Kelsey?" Ryan's soft voice came from somewhere. "Did you sleep in this chair?"
She mumbled something.
"You shouldn't have." He said to himself more than to her. "I'll take you to your room, little one." He chuckled and in one movement scooped her carefully in his arms and took her to her room. He knew the code, of course, she told him what so he could come in and sleep whenever he felt like it, but he never used it.
He laid her in her bed, making sure she was tucked in.
"Ryan…" She murmured his name and he stopped, his face inches from hers. "Thanks."
"You're very welcome." He responded gently and kissed her forehead.
"Sweet dreams, Love." He whispered and Kelsey was again trapped between the cobwebs of sleep.
*
Kelsey woke up to a new day rather late. She jumped out of bed, slightly cursing at herself for forgetting her injured arm. A quick shower and new clothes and she was at the common room, hoping there were leftovers from breakfast.
"Someone slept in this morning!" Joel teased while she took a plate and a small cornflakes bowl.
"Oh, shut up, I couldn't sleep last night and ended up sitting with Dana for a while. I suppose it was your shift?" She raised an eyebrow at Joel as she sat down.
"Nope, Ryan's." He replied victoriously.
"Oh." Kelsey frowned and looked around: Carter was reading the newspaper, Chad was staring into midair, probably thinking about Marina, and Joel was conversing with her.
"Where is Ryan?" She inquired.
"Illyria demanded a real breakfast." Chad woke up and rolled his eyes.
"As opposed to the 'disgusting, improvised, bad-nutrition food you make here'." Carter added in a scold. Carter was the last person upon the earth to eat something that wasn't healthy, so it was pretty obvious he was mad at the phrasing.
"She's awful." Chad added and Kelsey shrugged.
"She's Ryan's girlfriend and we shouldn't give her a hard time, she isn't used to our style of living."
"Wow, what's with defending her? She's so mean to you." Joel asked, frowning.
"Well, we have enough trouble, do we really want Ryan having more trouble?" She asked and the guys were silent. "I thought so."
"But she's a bitch." Chad said all of a sudden.
"You can say that again." Carter added in a very uncharacteristic demeanor. Everyone looked at him and he blushed. "What?"
"Since when do you say these things on people?" Joel asked, confused.
"Let's just say I had a run in with her in Dana's room." Carter cleared his throat and pointed at the door. "They should be back here any minute, since training starts in ten minutes." He warned and Kelsey took it as a sign to get her plate filled.
Not five minutes later Ryan and Illyria came in, both of them quiet.
"Hey, Ryan, so Kelsey's telling me you didn't watch over Dana last night?" Joel asked and earned a slap to the back of his head from Chad; there were things you just aren't allowed to say in front of your friend's girlfriend.
"I was and when I returned with some water, guess who I found sleeping with her head on Dana's bed and taking my chair?" Ryan smirked and Joel laughed while Kelsey changed colours.
"What were you doing at Dana's room so late?" Carter asked all of a sudden.
"I told you," Kelsey rolled her eyes. "I couldn't sleep."
"Probably all those scary books she reads." Ryan chirped in.
"Ryan!" Kelsey glared at him and he laughed. Kelsey sighed and resumed eating, finishing with her plate and moving to the bowl for some corn-induced energy.
"So what are you going to do today, Kels?" Chad took over the conversation. Kelsey swallowed.
"I'm all up for some sun and breeze, so strolling." She shrugged and kept eating. "A good opportunity to stay in shape, too." Everyone but Illyria chuckled.
"Ry, can we go to the mall this afternoon? I need to do some shopping." Illyria chose the moment to interrupt.
"Sure, Lyri, whatever you want." Ryan smiled at her and she squealed and kissed his cheek then left the room.
"Oh, Ry, can we go to the movies this evening?" Joel said in a high voice.
Ryan grinned.
"Don't let her hear you or I'm in trouble." He told Joel who nodded.
"Oh, Ry-poo, you'll never be in trouble with me!" Joel got up on his feet and imitated Illyria's proud walk.
"Joel!" Ryan chuckled. Joel sent him flying kisses and walked over to him, laying his head on Ryan's shoulder.
"Oh, Ry." He sighed exaggeratedly. "Can we go to the hairdresser together? He could make our hair look similar!" Joel batted his eyelashes at Ryan in a seductive way. Ryan started to laugh, joining Carter, Chad and Kelsey who were laughing so hard that they clutched their stomachs.
"You're impossible!" Ryan grinned at Joel after the laughing fit died away.
"Thank you!" Joel said and bowed, the other three rangers clapped him.
"Well," Carter sighed and folded his newspaper, "We should get to practice." He said and everyone nodded. They all quickly collected their plates and glasses and put them in the dishwasher before each ranger hurried to his own task of the day.
*
Kelsey was walking in the sun-washed park, enjoying the breeze and warmth. It felt good to breathe the fresh air after the many days she spent locked in the Aquabase, sleeping or resting. The park was almost deserted, there weren't many people walking there in the start of a new day; everyone seemed to be at work or in school and Kelsey loved this solitary, for once.
There was a lot on her mind; her nightmares for one, she kept having the same motifs in her nightmares, a snake. She always hated snakes, they disgusted her. Just the thought of one touching its slick, smooth skin to hers made her shudder. It was always coming after her and always managed to get to her, wrap her up and strangle her whilst crushing her bones, no matter which turn she took or which way she chose.
Did it mean anything or was it just her overactive imagination? Was it one-too-many thriller books?
She shook her head.
Then, there was Ryan. The ever-confusing-and-awkward Ryan. He wanted friendship but in every one of his words she could detect a hidden message, a hidden emotion. Did he feel something more or was it just her?
It pained her to think her feelings were not returned, but maybe it was true. Maybe she and Ryan were not meant to be together, he had Illyria, after all. The thought of Illyria brought back the memory of Joel imitating her which made Kelsey grin widely. Suddenly her vision blackened, her instincts rose in terror and she froze in place.
"Guess who." Ryan's familiar voice asked and she relaxed.
"Um, Brad Pitt?" She offered somewhat hopefully, he chuckled.
"No, not yet anyway." She laughed.
"Travis Pastrana?"
"I don't think so…" He sang.
"It's got to be Ryan Mitchell, then." She said lightly and his hands were lifted from her eyes. She turned her head to see him but he leaned forward and she had to turn back in order to meet his grin.
"What are you doing here?" she smiled, noticing just how much his eyes sparkled. "I thought you were training?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Well…" Ryan started and laughed shortly. "I'm free for now." He shrugged.
"How did you get past Carter?" She asked simply.
"My secret weapon." He smirked. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you."
"Okay, can we keep walking?" she offered with a chuckle and Ryan nodded; the two resumed walking to nowhere in particular.
"Tell me what you were thinking about, you looked pensive."
"You stalked me, Ryan Mitchell?"
"It's what I do best." He grinned at her and she couldn't help but giggle.
"Do you often think very highly of yourself?"
"If often is every day, then I do. Will you answer my question?"
She sighed.
"I couldn't sleep last night, I tried to understand why." She said quietly. "No, I know why, it's – I just don't understand." She confessed.
"What is it?" He looked concerned; she pointed at a sun-filled spot under an old tree and they started to walk to it.
"It's childish." She bit her bottom lip.
No one talked for a while, they took the time to reach the tree, then sat side by side, leaning against the tree trunk. She liked the fact they could be silent together, he gave her the time she needed.
"Are you afraid of snakes?" she shot the question into the air.
"No." He answered quietly. "There is very little that I'm afraid of. Are you?"
"I do now." She sighed. "Can we talk about you?" she asked, making him chuckle and stare into her eyes, she found herself blushing. His eyes looking into hers was taking this very intimate turn, it made her stomach turn. She gulped.
"Ask me anything." He smiled.
"Have you ever cried?" She knew it was a personal question but he said anything and it was the first thing springing to her mind.
"I don't remember crying since Diabolico took me, so you can say I haven't in a long time." He shrugged. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Yes."
"Why did you talk to me in my first day at the Aquabase?"
"You looked lost and I wanted to help you find your place." She shrugged. "We were so used to each other's roles and you were left out." It was really that simple, she turned to look at him and he smiled. It wasn't a huge grin, just a small curve of lips, conveying a lot more than it seemed at first.
"Your turn to ask a question." He noted.
"Can you stretch you legs so I could lean against you? My shoulder hurts." She smiled and he laughed and stretched his legs. Kelsey took the liberty to rest her head in his lap.
"Am I comfortable?"
"Yes." She laughed.
"Will you tell me why you can't sleep?" he stared down at her.
"No, please." She begged and he sighed.
"Okay, distract me then."
"I don't know what to say!" She grinned, suddenly feeling his slightly rougher skin of his fingers trailing her hairline. Her heartbeat raced in a moment. "Well, okay. What's it like being a good guy?" she repeated he asked her a long time ago.
"A lot of paperwork." He responded and they laughed together. His fingers brushed her forehead and one finger traced her nose.
"Really, now." She insisted, still smiling.
"It's surprisingly good. I can trust people, I can be free. It's very different from what I used to have." He smiled. "I like the people I work with, it's something I've never felt and I've never thought I'll feel what's to love again. I do." He confessed and Kelsey fought a lump in her throat, he loved Illyria?
Silence.
How could she respond to that? She sighed silently and waited, let him do the first move. His fingers played with her hair, twisting her curls on his fingers, his eyes watching ahead.
"Tell me something about you." He asked all of a sudden.
I love you. "My birthday's next month."
"Really? What would you like for your birthday?"
You. "Nothing. Now tell me something about you, something no one knows."
"Yellow rangers are my favourite rangers." She giggled.
"Really, Ryan." She pressed.
"Okay, but it's the truth!" He chuckled. "Something about me that no one knows… hmm… I can play the guitar." She smiled, staring up into his eyes.
"Really? Will you play something for me?"
"Maybe." He smiled.
"Ryan, please?" She pouted and he chuckled. His entire palm was now caressing her face and hair, making small shivers run down her spine. She closed her eyes in pleasure.
"Fine, I promise." He gave in so easily! "But you have to promise me something." … or not.
"What?"
"If you ever feel uncomfortable with anything I do, tell me, alright? I won't be angry. I just don't want to lose you, Kelsey." Her heart melted in her chest and she opened her eyes, getting lost in the chocolaty depths of his.
"I promise."
She truly did.
"Good." He smiled while his finger traced her lips. "Now come on, I want some ice cream." He smiled and waited until she pulled herself up. She grinned and offered her good arm to help him up, but he only shook his head and pulled himself up.
He led the rest of the way to the ice cream stand.
A/N: I have to say I'm very pleased with this chapter. It's quite cheery and fun, for me, at least. I'm still shaping out the last scene of this story, it's going a bit slowly to my annoyance, but I might have a break through – another reason to be pleased. Review! :)