As Jayden held Brooke in his arms, he realized that this was becoming a habit. Her crying and him comforting her, but he wasn't complaining. He felt the need to- especially now, since his praise was now causing her to cry on his shoulder. Which he felt bad about, and he almost felt sympathetic. It was the fact that she received so little praise, and probably thought negatively about herself, and that made his heart hurt. It didn't sit right with him, and he meant every word he said to her. However, if Jayden told Brooke that, he had a feeling that it would make her cry more. So he didn't, and just let her cry. He didn't even know how long it had been, but he had a feeling Ji would just materialize at the ten-minute mark and give him a disappointed look.
As if on cue, Jayden heard footsteps crunching across the gravel. Mentally preparing himself for the disappointed look of the day, he looked up and was pleasantly surprised to see Antonio walking towards him and Brooke. Who had stopped crying, but she was still shaking, and her hold on Jayden didn't loosen. She knew she should probably let him go because she was still covered in dirt and sweat, but she didn't want to. She also felt bad for the fact that his overcoat was now damp because of her tears- but he also brought it on himself. So she didn't feel too bad, but she silently thanked Jayden for not just walking away.
"What did you do now, Jayden?" Antonio playfully wondered, and Brooke sniffled, letting out a watery laugh.
She let go of Jayden, stepping back and turning to face Antonio. Who saw her tear-stained cheeks, the tear tracks cutting through the dirt, and quirked a brow at his other childhood friend. "Everything. Red's just horrible- I hate him." Brooke joked, snickering as the ranger in question rolled his eyes.
"I did nothing." Jayden defended himself, raising his hands slightly. He met Antonio's quizzical look with his own raised eyebrow one, the gold ranger sighing and turning his attention to the silver.
"What did he do to you? You have permission to hit him." Antonio offered, grinning when Jayden glared at him.
"While that's tempting, not feeling up to it right now," Brooke laughed, wiping away some stray tears and sniffling. "He told me he was proud of me- which this jackass knows makes me cry." Her voice cracked as she pointed an accusatory finger at Jayden for emphasis, who had raised his eyebrows at the "jackass" comment. However he heard her voice crack and waver, so he grabbed her hand with his own, giving it a comforting squeeze.
"It makes you cry?" Antonio echoed, his playful expression turning into one of sympathy and slight concern. When Brooke nodded, he let out a low whistle. "Are you okay? Fully?" He asked, and Brooke's eyes flashed.
"I don't know, I'll get back to you on that. But," Brooke drew in a shaky breath, tightening her grip on Jayden's hand, turning her attention to him. "Thanks for staying. Even if you made me cry." She thanked, and Jayden wore a fond smile as he brushed some of her hair out of her face.
"It's the least I can do," Jayden replied, the three starting to walk in the direction of the Shiba House. "Antonio, did Ji send you out here?" He questioned, and Antonio shot him a quizzical look but nodded.
"Yeah, how'd you know?" Antonio wondered, knitting his brows, and that caused Jayden to wonder if he should even tell him. He'd know the gold ranger wouldn't let him live it down.
However, Brooke didn't seem to mind throwing Jayden under a metaphorical bus, not that she knew that she was. "Ji's getting real, uh, helicopter parent. He thinks that we're getting too close to each other. It would be funny if I wasn't a part of it." She explained, and Antonio snickered, shooting Jayden a teasing look.
"You two are horrible. I don't know how I put up with both of you for so long." Jayden complained in faux annoyance, Brooke looking almost offended.
"Take that back! You're the one who made me cry!" Brooke huffed, puffing out her cheeks as her eyes flashed. When Jayden didn't reply, only raising his eyebrows and wearing a small smile, she rolled her eyes. "Fuck you." She grumbled, Antonio watched this go down, making eye contact with Jayden.
I wouldn't be opposed to, Jayden thought, then almost screaming as soon as that thought formed in his mind. He just ignored the heat rising to his face and the tips of his ears, praying neither Brooke nor Antonio decided to make fun of him. "Where'd your filter go? You're a lot snarkier right now." Jayden pointed out, cringing at the stutter in his voice. Which Antonio laughed at, and he shot the gold ranger a glare in retaliation.
"I'm really fucking tired, and frankly, I'm not thinking right now. So, I'm sorry, and you know I don't mean it," Brooke apologized, letting go of Jayden's hand when the three reached the back entrance, stopping before they reached the steps. "Thanks for dealing with me, the both of you. You guys are the best." She praised, hugging Antonio and quickly pressing a kiss to Jayden's cheek. With that, she entered the Shiba House, leaving her two childhood friends standing by the steps.
"She's going to kill me," Jayden muttered, shaking his head with a small smile as his cheeks and the tips of his ears burned. He didn't mind Brooke kissing his cheek- in fact, he welcomed it, but that didn't mean he knew how to react. "But, she's not mentally all there right now." He concluded, glancing at Antonio, who wore a cheeky grin.
"She's got you wrapped around her finger. Good luck." Antonio teased, patting Jayden on the back and then entering the Shiba House himself.
That alone caused Jayden to sigh as he ran a hand through his hair, then pushing open the wooden doors and walking into the Shiba House. Antonio wasn't wrong- and Jayden didn't know how to feel about it. He knew he had to reel it in, for the main reason that Ji would scold him, and because of the mission. He knew his mentor was right in some regards, as his feelings for Brooke were getting out of hand. Still, he didn't want it to stop. He enjoyed having her around, as she and Antonio were the only people who he could actually talk to about his issues and not feel like he failed as a leader. It wasn't like he was falling behind on his training anyways, in fact, it was the opposite, as sometimes he trained at night with Brooke. And while it usually turned playful, they did get stuff done. So, it was fine.
Jayden had a feeling he wouldn't be able to stay anyways. He knew Lauren would have to step in eventually and take his role as leader of the team. And that was bittersweet. He would've fulfilled his role as pseudo red ranger, thus completing his part of the war, and that thought was freeing. But he would have to leave Brooke and Antonio- breaking the promise of "I'll always be here for you". That was upsetting, and something he didn't want to do. However, it was fate, and there was no use fighting against it.
Meanwhile, Brooke couldn't be happier to take her doc martens off of her feet. She stood in the shower as she did so, as a way to keep the dirt somewhat contained. Which she was glad she did because as she pulled her shoe off of her foot, a small mound of dirt fell out of it. Still, it caused her to sigh, because the amount of dirt that fell out was much more than she expected. Which was annoying, but could be dealt with.
After getting undressed and getting all of the dirt out of the shower, Brooke then took a shower herself. Which was great, as she finally smelt like something other than dirt and sweat. As she watched the dirt and soap flow down the drain, she tried to organize her thoughts. Which was rather difficult, because she wasn't processing much anymore, everything just being hazy blurs instead of the things that she should remember. Summing it up to the concussion mixed with exhaustion, Brooke turned off the water and got out of the shower, slowly getting dressed. Her outfit wasn't anything extraordinary, just a pair of Adidas sweatpants and a grey t-shirt.
As she walked out of her bathroom, she spotted Jayden's hoodie and flannel, Amaris laying on the two articles of clothing. Brooke debated wearing one of them, but even with her brain being fuzzy, she knew the team wouldn't leave her alone about it. So, she decided against it, just petting the fur in between Amaris' ears. The white wolf cracked open a violet eye at that, her tail wagging slowly and rustling the blankets.
"Heya, Amaris," Brooke greeted softly, sitting on the side of her bed. "I bet you're tired, huh?" She mused, and as if on cue, Amaris yawned. Even her canines were dull, meaning she couldn't attack even if she tried.
"Exhaustion is one of the emotions that the holders of the moon disk and I share. I feel fatigued when you do, and that is a common occurrence, my dear. Make sure to be taking proper care of yourself." Amaris advised, Brooke smiling weakly.
"Yeah, I know. But, I'm gonna eat then go to bed," Brooke thought aloud, ruffling Amaris' fur before standing. She stretched her arms over her head, letting out a yawn, then slipping on her vans. "Love you, Amaris." She murmured, watching as the white wolf's violet eyes sparkled with joy.
"I love you too, my dear," Amaris replied, and Brooke felt a genuine smile growing on her face as she left her room.
After getting a concussion test, which she did have one, Brooke sat at the table in the outdoor dojo. Jayden was next to her, and the team was present, but she didn't talk very much, because who knows what she would say without a filter. She was starting to get to the point where she could barely be awake, even with the sounds of the team talking. The only reason she had been awake was that she was hungry, and now that she ate (a lot, Antonio teasing her about it), her body was deciding to clock out. Brooke didn't blame herself for it, and the smell of Jayden's cologne was so fucking intoxicating that she wanted to sleep on his shoulder. If she wasn't around the team, she probably would. He probably wouldn't mind.
"Hey, Brooke. I have a question for ya," Mike's voice snapped Brooke out of her half-asleep haze, and she quirked a brow, her eyes flashing. "Do you have a boyfriend?" He asked, and with that, the table went silent, which wasnew.
Brooke blinked slowly, trying to process the question. Her mind was fuzzy, and she was too tired and sore for this. "Uh, if I heard you correctly, no. I'm not dating anyone- I mean I've dated people in the past, but that's it. Why?" She wondered, her eyes flashing as she played with her now empty cup. She wasn't flustered or anything like that, she was just confused.
"The guy on your lockscreen." Mike quickly replied, and Emily shot him a look that was telling him to "be nice". Meanwhile, Brooke knit her brows, her eyes flashing multiple times.
"The guy… on my lockscreen?" Brooke echoed, somewhat slapping her thigh to check to see if her phone was in her pocket. It was, and she unzipped her pocket, pulling it out and turning it on. Christ, she thought as her brain lagged in trying to process her thoughts. She scanned her lockscreen, taking in Casper's traditional curly hair and wide smile. "You mean Casper? He's my best friend, well, one of them," Her gaze flickered to Antonio and Jayden for a moment, who both smiled faintly, and then back to her lockscreen. "I've known him since I've had memories, pretty much. We've grown up together- he's from Greensbrook, and his mom provided Maxx and me a place to stay when I couldn't stay at home 'cause of James. He's not my boyfriend, wouldn't dream of it, honestly. He's pretty much a second brother." She explained, shutting her phone off and setting it on the wooden table. The exhaustion returned at full force, and she discreetly reached for Jayden's hand.
Which he let her grab, Jayden offering Brooke a small smile. Which she returned with her own, which was laced with exhaustion. He didn't even feel jealous, and that was great. He knew he had no reason to be- and his mind had finally caught on to the fact.
"If you guys have any questions, I can answer 'em," Brooke yawned, revealing her longer canines, but quickly stifling it with her hand. "But, he's just a friend. I understand why'd you think that though, I could tell which people had trust issues very quickly." She added, the six other rangers peering at her quizzically.
"Trust issues?" Emily echoed, and Brooke nodded.
Something in her mind was telling her to shut up, and Brooke knew she probably should. However, the exhaustion and concussion blocked out that thought quickly. "Mhm. Guy I used to date was not happy that I was friends with Casper. It turned into a fight, which didn't really end well. High school was fun," She explained nonchalantly, waving her free hand in dismissal. Before the team could even process what she said, she let go of Jayden's hand, sliding off of her seat. "Anyways, that's enough of that. I'm going to bed, goodnight." She called over her shoulder as she walked back into the Shiba House.
She quickly made her way back into her room, shutting the door behind her. Amaris instantly woke up at the sound, the white wolf looking rather happy that Brooke returned. "Heya, Amaris. I'm going to bed, so I'm going to need some space." She stated, kicking off her vans and pulling her shirt over her head.
Changing out her Adidas sweatpants for running shorts, Brooke shrugged on Jayden's flannel, making a noise of contentment. Getting into bed, she pulled the white comforter and grey blanket around herself- and it felt great to be in bed. Throwing an arm around Amaris and burying a hand in her fur, Brooke quickly found herself falling asleep.
Brooke woke up to a hand brushing her cheek, and while she would usually slap the hand away, she didn't. Instead, she cracked open a grey eye, taking in Jayden's features. He looked happy, his fingertips barely brushing against her skin- but she could still feel the affection behind the action. He was warm, per usual, and the smell of spice and smoke was clouding her already hazy brain. She wanted him to hold her and not let go anytime soon. "Heya, Red." Brooke greeted with a yawn, opening her eyes fully.
"Hey, you. Sorry about waking you up, I just didn't want to startle you," Jayden apologized, his voice soft. He was crouched at Brooke's bedside, feeling as a hand reached out, somewhat patting him on the top of his head. "I take it you're still somewhat out of it." He concluded, Brooke making an incomprehensible noise in response, her hand falling from the top of his head and back onto the blankets.
"Sleep with me," Brooke begged, and she realized she said something wrong by the way Jayden seemed to freeze. Embarrassment mixed with an emotion that she was too tired to figure out radiated off of him in waves, and she cycled back on what she just said. "Oh," She blurted, realization dawning on her features. Spurring her brain into working, Brooke forced herself to sit up, her body screaming in protest as she did so. "I didn't mean it that way- shit. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable." She apologized quickly, her eyes flashing multiple times as heat rose to her face. Well, yikes. This is starting out great.
A nervous laugh fell from Jayden's lips as he tried to gather his thoughts so he didn't say something he would regret. "No… no, it's fine. I understood what you meant." He reassured Brooke, hearing as she let out a sigh of relief. Then scanning the bed, Jayden noticed that Amaris was in his usual spot, her staring at him in a silent challenge.
"Ah, Amaris, don't be like that," Brooke chided, noticing the staring contest between the white wolf and the red ranger. It was cute, but Amaris didn't seem to think so, her looking somewhat disgruntled as she moved from her spot. She curled into a ball at Brooke's feet, who wore a weary smile. "Thanks, I love you." She thanked, and Amaris' ears flicked.
"I love you too, my dear," Amaris replied, her violet eyes falling on Jayden again. Getting into bed fully, he reached over and scratched behind her ears, it acting as a silent apology for taking her spot.
"This bed's not big enough," Brooke complained, instantly scooting closer to Jayden and resting her head on his shoulder. She felt as a warm arm snaked around her waist, underneath the flannel she was wearing and resting at her hip. Which wasn't very hard to do, as she didn't even button it before getting into bed. She never did, it acted as a silent invitation for Jayden to just touch her. Brooke liked the feeling of his hands on her skin, and she made a quiet noise of contentment as he traced the outline of the azaleas that were tattooed on her side. "I know I've said this before, but, you're warm, and it's nice. I like you holding me." She murmured, and Jayden felt a smile grow on his lips.
"I like holding you," Jayden replied, and this time he didn't even stutter. It was the smoothest delivery he's done in a while, but not that Brooke really cared. He knew she didn't, because she always smiled at him as he tripped over his words, but still. It caused something akin to pride to swell in his chest. "Amaris keeps laying on me- don't look at me like that, you know it's true." He cut himself off, blue eyes meeting violet.
Amaris was staring at him, not saying anything, but it got the message across. Jayden also had a feeling she wouldn't stop anytime soon, until they were in a bed that fit two rangers and a wolf. Which was something that probably wouldn't happen until the war is over, but he wanted Brooke by his side when that happens. He wanted to get to the point where they were sharing a bed together and were out of the Shiba House. Well, first he had to actually confess to her, and that was the hard part, but, he'll figure it out. Jayden had a feeling Brooke wouldn't say no, but he still wanted to make it nice. Somehow. Right now he just basked in the feeling of her falling asleep on his shoulder.
"I'm gonna… let Amaris lay on you. That means you have to stay longer," Brooke declared in a sleepy voice with a yawn, her brain shutting off any rational thought process. "Did I ever tell you that you smell really fucking good, like- I dunno if it's just because you mean a lot to me and it's just a wolf thing, but, you do. It's almost intoxicating, and I- I love it. I can't explain it, but I do. A lot, and if I had to pick only one scent to smell for the rest of my life, it would be yours. I want you to just- I dunno. I want you." She rambled, and Jayden felt his heart stop, then go into overtime. He didn't expect Brooke to just ramble on about how he smelt, and for her rambling to make him flustered.
I want you. Her voice echoed in his head, and Jaydenstopped himself before he said "I want you too" and things instantly went south. He tried to find the right words to say, mentally screaming at himself for the fact that Brooke had said three things that his brain deemed sexual. Which they weren't, and he knew that. He also knew that she wasn't thinking straight, so he shouldn't take her words at full value.
"I'm sorry- I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I know that's a weird topic." Brooke apologized, snapping Jayden out of his thoughts. He instantly felt bad and shook his head quickly.
"No, you're okay. Sorry, I was just thinking," Jayden reassured Brooke quickly, his hand now just resting on her side. Maybe Ji was right- she was getting into his head too much, he knew he had to stop overanalyzing every word she said before he did something stupid. Still, he didn't want to leave her side. "I like listening to you ramble, honestly," I like you. "It makes me happy that you think of me." He remarked, Brooke lifting her head from his shoulder.
"Well, duh doy. If I didn't like you or think of you, I wouldn't let you in my bed," Brooke replied, laying down fully with a yawn. "C'mere, I'm tired." She urged, and Jayden laughed but obliged.
Once he laid down fully, Brooke instantly latched herself onto his side. It was a routine they've done many times before, and Jayden always enjoyed it. His hand was buried in her hair, aimlessly twirling some of the black strands around his finger. She quickly fell asleep to that, Jayden wearing a small smile as her breathing slowed. He wanted to stay like this, and he reminded himself that they could after they won the war. Which still seemed ways away, despite the months the team has been fighting the nighlok.
He wanted to protect her, just like he did when they were kids. Except for this time, it was far more dangerous, but Jayden didn't mind. "I'll always be here for you." He vowed to Brooke's sleeping figure, his voice quiet, and he hoped that he could see that vow through. However, he didn't think about that for long, he just focused on now, and now it was peaceful.
Waking up some hours later, Brooke stifled a yawn with her hand. Glancing at the digital clock on her desk- it being about three in the morning, she bit back a groan. She didn't feel tired anymore, just groggy, and she realized she got almost twelve hours of sleep, which was something that usually never happened. Amaris andJayden were a different story, the white wolf laying on top of the red ranger's legs, much to Brooke's amusement. The two were still deeply asleep, and Brooke smiled faintly. It was as if they were a family, even if the family was two samurai rangers and a wolf made out of symbol power. It was a nice thought to have.
Rolling over on her side, Brooke grabbed her phone off of her nightstand. Pulling her grey blanket over her head, she turned it on, squinting at the sudden brightness. Turning it and her volume down, she unlocked her phone, opening her messaging app. To her surprise, Casper was online, but she wasn't complaining about it. Texting out a message, Brooke watched in amusement as the typing bubble instantly popped up.
After texting Casper for a bit, Brooke set her phone on her nightstand, turning her attention to Jayden when she heard blankets rustling. Her first thought was that he was having a nightmare, but she was pleasantly surprised to see Amaris laying on his chest. He had woken up because of the extra weight, and Brooke watched in amusement as he tried to shove the white wolf off of him. It wasn't working very well, as violet eyes full of mischief were just staring at him in a silent challenge. After about thirty seconds, Jayden gave up, letting out a heavy sigh.
"Amaris, why? You don't crush Brooke," Jayden pointed out, then noticing that the ranger in question wasn't latched onto his side anymore. Which he was partly disappointed and partly worried, but he quickly made out her figure in the dark. "Everything okay?" He asked, trying to roll on his side. However, Amaris was somewhat crushing him, preventing him from doing so, and that caused him to let out a groan.
"Yeah, just couldn't really sleep," Brooke answered, then turning her attention to Amaris. "Don't crush Red, I would like it if he actually wants to come back." She remarked, patting the blankets by her feet.
Instead of moving, Amaris disappeared in a flash of silver, Jayden letting out a sigh of relief. He could finally move and breathe, again, taking his chance to roll over on his side. Saying nothing, he reached out and cradled Brooke's face in his hand, stroking her cheek with his thumb. He felt as she nuzzled into his touch, which was definitely a wolf thing, but something he found cute. "You're-" He started, but was cut off by a flash of silver and the sound of the blankets rustling.
Amaris had returned, and now that Jayden was laying on his side, she had ample room to lay down. Which she instantly did, bounding over to her spot and curling up into a ball, but her violet eyes were trained on Jayden, shining with victory.
"She wants to protect you." Jayden mused, and Amaris said nothing on the matter, but her ears did flick in agreement.
"Goodnight, Amaris. I love you," Brooke called to the white wolf before turning her attention to Jayden again. "I'm happy you're here, even when she crushes you." She teased, Jayden rolling his eyes in response.
"I can hold you better now, so something good did come out of it." He replied with a yawn, pulling Brooke into what almost seemed like a hug. Their faces were only a couple of inches apart from each other, and before Jayden could make a move to kiss Brooke's forehead, she rolled over. Her back was facing him now, and she could feel the slight annoyance radiating off of him.
"You're cute, but I can't sleep face-to-face with someone. It scares me when I wake up," Brooke explained teasingly, and she enjoyed the feeling of her back pressed against Jayden's chest. His arms were loosely wrapped around her stomach, but she didn't feel trapped. She felt safe. "Is this okay?" She added, her voice soft, Jayden nodding.
"Yeah, this is great. I'm happy I can hold you like this," Jayden murmured, that being the second delivery of the night he didn't mess up. Which was more than usual, actually, and he was rather proud of himself for it. "Goodnight, Brooke." He stated, and it wasn't long before he fell asleep again, Brooke smiling to herself.
"G'night, Red. I love you, with all the stars and the moon." Brooke declared, but her voice was barely audible. She just hoped she could convey it in other ways, and, soon enough, she could tell him "I love you" to his face.
The next morning, everything was relatively back to normal. Mia had told Brooke to stop working on the despair symbol so she didn't worsen her concussion, and while she didn't enjoy it, she knew the pink ranger was right. So Brooke now sat on her usual stool in the kitchen, eating some fruit and aimlessly scrolling through social media on her phone. Graduation- what was supposed to be hers if she didn't graduate early, was coming up, and she wanted to somehow make time to see Casper graduate. She felt the need to, as they went through half of middle school and almost all of high school together. She also felt somewhat jealous, as if it weren't for the war, she would be walkingacross the stage.
Even after months of fighting, the dream of having a normal life was still there. Running a clawed hand over her face, Brooke sighed, knowing that the dream was all for nothing. It couldn't be reached, at least not anytime soon. However, she shook those thoughts out of her head when she heard footsteps walking into the kitchen. It was Mike's, and her thought was confirmed when the smell of his cologne hit her nose. It was woody- somewhat of a forest, but, in Brooke's mind, Jayden's was far better. But that may be just biased.
"Hey, Mike. G'morning." Brooke greeted without turning around, Mike jumping in surprise.
"Shit, I can really never get used to that. Good morning, Miss Werewolf," Mike greeted, Brooke spinning around in her stool just to shoot him a deadpan expression at the nickname. However, she stopped herself, she and Mike sharing a quizzical look at the faint sounds of a guitar playing. "Uh, you hear that too, right?" He asked, and Brooke nodded.
"Yeah, I can," Brooke agreed, sliding off of her stool and silently walking into the main part of the Shiba House, Mike shadowing her. "Odd question, but, does anybody play guitar?" She wondered, Emily and Jayden stopping their sparring match, the yellow and red rangers presumably hearing the guitar as well.
The four rangers, plus Ji, all made their way onto the front stoop to find the source of the music. Which, in actuality, wasn't bad, as the boy- who had black hair that was almost styled into a fringe, and wore a leather jacket, seemed to know what he was doing. He also seemed to be in his own little world, which was endearing.
"Uh," Jayden cleared his throat, getting the boy's attention, who stopped playing his guitar. "Can we help you?" He asked, and the boy stood up, a wide smile on his face.
"Hey guys, the name's Terry. I'm Mia's brother." The boy, Terry, introduced himself, and the four rangers all shared confused looks.
Chewing on her bottom lip, Brooke knit her brows, her eyes flashing. First, because she didn't know Mia had a brother, as the pink ranger never mentioned having one. At least Brooke brought up Maxx from time to time, but who was she to judge. It's not like she had the picture-perfect family, either, so it would be hypocritical to judge them. Second, it was because Terry seemed familiar. Not in the "I lost my memories about you" way, but in a sense that he's been brought up- not by Mia though. A friend of a friend kind of way.
Still, she didn't voice that aloud, only following Mike as he led Terry into the Shiba House. The green ranger seemed excited about this turn of events, as he clapped his hands on Terry's shoulders. "You're Mia's brother." He announced, and Terry wore a small smile.
"Yep, all my life," Terry replied, and as he looked around the Shiba House with something akin to awe sparkling in his eyes, Brooke pulled out her phone.
She opened her messaging app, her claws tapping on the screen as she texted Casper. Brooke had come to the conclusion that her best friend knew Terry because that's how he seemed familiar.
Brooke: do u know anybody named Terry?
Brooke: black hair, kinda in a fringe, plays guitar
Casper: yea, we're both working at the children's hospital to get hours so we can get into med school
Casper: why?
Brooke: he's Mia's little brother
Casper: small fucking world damn
"Everything okay?" Jayden asked Brooke, noticing the fact that she had gone mostly silent.
Now, however, she wore a triumphant grin on her face as she shut off her phone. "Terry's a friend of a friend. He and Casper are doing the same program for med school, never met the guy until now, but Casper's talked about him." Brooke explained, her voice quiet, as she stuck her phone in the pocket of her leather jacket.
Jayden nodded, and he was extremely happy that the irrational jealousy didn't even start. While he's gotten better at just ignoring it, it was still annoying to deal with and he knew for a fact that it was, well, irrational. "Small world." He mused, and Brooke shook her head with a grin.
"Preaching to the fucking choir," Brooke muttered, watching Terry with full interest. It was always interesting to see how people reacted to the Shiba House, but it's not like they got many visitors. It was only Scott and Terry.
"So, where is my sis, anyways?" Terry asked, turning his attention to the four rangers again.
"Oh, she's out getting groceries with Kevin," Emily answered in her usual cheerful tone, Terry breaking into a grin.
"You're not going to let her cook, are you?" Terry questioned, walking down the steps and into the indoor dojo, taking a training sword off of the rack. "She's great with a blade… just not a kitchen knife." He teased, Brooke breaking into a grin.
"Trust me, we know from experience," Brooke replied, her eyes flashing. "What brings you into Panorama?" She asked, tilting her head to the side slightly.
"I'm volunteering at the children's hospital over summer break, so is a friend of mine. While he's doing the psychology behind all of it, I'm playing doctor. My parents think it will get me into med school down the road." Terry replied, and Mike peered at the guitar on his back.
"Is there a big demand for guitar playing doctors?" Mike wondered, and Terry laughed faintly.
"This?" Terry pointed to the guitar on his back with his thumb. "Nah, I'm also trying to put together a concert gig. While we have a lead singer, he's pretty swamped with work, so I was hoping Mia could sing." He explained, and Brooke's eyes flashed. She also remembered Casper saying something about being in a band, but that it was just for fun and nothing serious. But, it would make sense if he was the lead singer, as he could sing well. She also remembered the times when he used to sing her to sleep after her nightmares, Brooke recalling those memories with a smile.
Emily was instantly ecstatic over the fact that Mia sings, breaking into a wide smile. "Mia sings?" She gushed, something akin to awe in her tone.
Terry instantly brightened, nodding happily. "Oh, she was awesome! When we were little, we were going to be the world's greatest band," He beamed, but his happy mood instantly fell. "But then the whole power ranger thing." He muttered, and as if on cue, Brooke's samuraizer started beeping.
With a sigh, she dug her samuraizer out of her pocket, flipping it open and bringing up the small map of Panorama. "The elementary school?" Brooke blurted, peering at the map skeptically, her eyes flashing. Shaking her head, she let out a quiet sigh. "Sorry, Terry. We'd love to stay, but, well…" She trailed, motioning to the gap sensor, which started blaring.
"Don't sweat it! Go save the world, I'll just uh," Terry's eyes fell on Ji, him walking over to the older man. "Hang out with Mentor. He seems pretty cool." He stated, Brooke sending him a mock salute with two of her fingers.
"We'll be right back!" Emily called over her shoulder, she and Jayden getting changed out of their training uniforms quickly. With that, the four rangers ran out of the Shiba House and in the direction of Panorama Elementary.
Brooke never imagined she'd ever be fighting moogers in a school. Well, she never imagined any of this- especially not the guy she had feelings for calling out bad puns as he cut down moogers. Jayden even said "let's play a little five on one", which could be taken a completely different way without context. Still, she pushed all of her thoughts to the side and focused on fighting. As the others were taking care of moogers outside, she was running down the halls in her wolf form, sniffing out any remaining moogers. Which, there were some, but they were easy to cut down with her claws, the monsters falling with squeals. Overall, it was a relatively easy battle, which Brooke enjoyed, as she didn't want to worsen her concussion.
It was an easy battle until wolf-Brooke skidded to a stop in the middle of the hall, her claws scratching at the tile floor. She made a move to call out to Jayden, but her words died in her throat, any confidence she had leaving her body and being replaced with fear. Her mind forcibly made her shift back into a human, her eyes widening and her face paling underneath her helmet. Standing in front of her was James Wolfe- who looked the same after two years, the same crazed look in his blue eyes.
"No, no…" Brooke choked out, as a fresh panic took over her body. She nearly demorphed, but drew her Wolf Kunai with shaky hands, holding it at the ready. However, James was saying nothing, and she didn't know if it was a blessing or a curse. Her mind instantly flashed back to the times where she was stuck underneath his "care", and she wanted to throw up.
Why was he here? Why wasn't he saying anything? Brooke's chest heaved as she tightened her grip on her kunai. She squeezed her eyes shut, just praying that she didn't have a panic attack in battle. That she didn't wolf out due to said panic attack- because that wouldn't be great. She just took two hesitant steps backwards, instantly turning on her heel and breaking into a sprint. Amaris wasn't even present in her mind, which was even worse. Brooke didn't even have her emotional support wolf to calm her down, and her breaths were ragged as she tried to navigate the school. She eventually managed to do so, and it took a little bit of time, but she made it to the front doors.
"...Class dismissed!" She heard Jayden yell, followed by a large explosion. At least there were no more moogers to fight.
Brooke collected her thoughts somewhat, hoping that she didn't look like she saw her abusive stepfather standing in the middle of the hallway, leaving the school. She didn't plan on saying anything, just staying quiet as she regrouped with the others. She focused on the team, all seven rangers present, since Kevin and Antonio joined the battle, and Mia was just now walking up.
"Hey, sorry I'm late, but it looks like you handled it." Mia apologized, the seven demorphing, their ranger suits disappearing in flashes of their respective colors.
Instantly focusing on Jayden's outfit of the day- which had a lot of grey in it, surprisingly enough, Brooke forced herself to relax. His shirt was nice, it was a darker red than what he usually wore, and while she wasn't necessarily proud of this thought process, it was better than her panicked state. She always liked Jayden's grey overcoat as well, and while it wasn't the most interesting thing to look at, it was nice. It was also the overcoat that Brooke had gotten tears, and blood, on so maybe it was just the emotional support overcoat as well. However, she shook her head slightly, clearing her thoughts, shoving her clawed hands into her pockets.
"Thanks for the assist, Antonio. I'm glad you were nearby." Jayden thanked, and Antonio instantly launched into dramatics.
"It's nice to feel needed," Antonio replied, placing a hand on his chest and wiping away a non-existent tear. Jayden and Brooke shared a look at that, the silver and red rangers getting the same idea and playfully shoving the gold ranger away from them.
"Speaking of being needed, we're needed back at the Shiba House," Emily added, both Kevin and Mia looking at her quizzically.
"Why? What's going on?" Kevin wondered, Mike instantly perking up and butting into the conversation.
"Oh yeah, Mia's brother! You have to meet him, he's like this super zen guitar player!" Mike blurted, playing an acoustic air guitar for emphasis.
Mia, however, looked skeptical, and almost disappointed. "My brother? With his guitar?" She questioned, and Emily nodded.
"Yeah, and he wants you to play in his band!" Emily exclaimed joyfully, Mia instantly looking somewhat worried and hesitant about the idea.
However, before the pink ranger could say anything, the gold ranger instantly rushed up to her. "Wait, your brother has a rock band? Sweet! I have got to meet him, I'm going to grab my guitar and I'll meet you there in a few. Don't let him leave!" Antonio called over his shoulder, running off, Brooke shaking her head with a small grin.
With that, the team started walking back to the Shiba House, the silver and red rangers taking the lead this time. Jayden nudged Brooke's shoulder with his own, and she quirked a brow at him, her eyes flashed. "I'm surprised you don't play guitar. It seems right up your alley." He remarked, gesturing to Brooke's outfit.
It was composed of ripped dark blue jeans that were rolled up past her ankles, fishnet stockings underneath her jeans, a grey t-shirt underneath a black leather jacket, and her military boots. Not that Jayden found that it was a bad outfit, but it screamed "alternative rock band". Brooke looked down at the outfit she was wearing and then back up at Jayden, grinning.
"Oh, so we're stereotyping now?" She teased, snickering as Jayden rolled his eyes playfully in response. "But, to answer your question- I cannot play an instrument to save my life. I have tried, trust me, but I'm seemingly tone-deaf when it comes to playing an instrument. God, it's so bad," Brooke remarked, lightly punching Jayden's shoulder. "What about you? Are you a hidden virtuoso or something?" She questioned teasingly, and Jayden noticed that her playfulness seemed a little too loud, like she was forcing it. However, he knew it was no use in asking her about it, so he didn't bring it up.
"I've never tried, actually. I don't really have much time to." Jayden replied, Brooke pretending to be in thought for a moment.
"I could see you playing, like, one of the "rich kid" instruments. Like piano," Brooke thought aloud, a figurative lightbulb lighting up over her head. "The violin. I can picture it." She added, pointing a finger at Jayden for emphasis. Her claws were fully bared and her hands were shaking, but she tried to ignore it, only forcing her grin wider.
Jayden noticed it and said nothing about it, just shooting her a comforting smile. Her playful façade instantly fell at that, Brooke looking stressed but relieved. She said nothing, only nodding slightly and shoving her hands into her pockets. She didn't want to drag Jayden, or the team, into more of her "mentally ill adventures", so she didn't. Brooke still couldn't feel Amaris' presence in her mind, which was somewhat concerning. Still, she forced herself not to worry about it. The white wolf was probably asleep or something like that, it was fine.
It's gonna work out- like it always does, Brooke reminded herself as gravel crunched underfoot, and her mood instantly brightened as grey-gold eyes fell on Amaris. Who seemed to notice her presence, the white wolf instantly hopping off the concrete bench and bounding over to Brooke. She stopped right in front of the silver ranger, looking up at her with her tail wagging faintly.
"I am glad to see you are alright," Amaris greeted, Brooke crouching down and petting her. "I could not read your thoughts as I usually do. I feared the worst." She confessed, flattening her ears to her head and her tail drooping.
"I'm alright, Amaris. I don't know what that was about, either," Brooke reassured Amaris, whose violet eyes shone with relief. When the rest of the team walked into the Shiba House, she spoke again, letting out a shaky sigh. "Could fear block you out from reading my thoughts?" She speculated, rising from her crouch.
"Fear?" Amaris echoed, her ears flicking. She seemed to be lost in thought for a couple of moments, then coming to a conclusion. "I have been able to read your thoughts when you have been frightened before, my dear. Is everything alright?" She asked, Brooke letting out a weak laugh as she took a seat on one of the concrete benches.
"I saw James," Brooke muttered, Amaris hopping on the same bench. She was making a move to lay her head on Brooke's thigh, but stopped herself, her eyes sparkling with worry. "He was just… standing there. He didn't say anything- or even move, but it still freaked me out. I'm just trying to pretend like everything's fine because I don't want Red or the team to worry about me. I just- I don't know." She confessed, and the urge to drink crossed her mind.
That coping mechanism reared its ugly head, Brooke wanting nothing more to get drunk and shut off her brain. Which she knew she couldn't, for multiple reasons. Such as the fact that she wasn't living with Maxx and Mary anymore- Brooke doubted that Jayden would be pleased if she got drunk in the middle of the day. The fact that the thought crossed her mind caused her to grit her teeth. Guess quitting wasn't enough to get rid of that addiction.
"Brooke," Amaris started, and Brooke snapped her attention to her, almost gold eyes meeting violet. "Those are hallucinations, this is what I was afraid of. Working on the sealing symbols- both the Shiba and the Wolfe, are able to lead to negative side effects. The one that is most present is visual and auditory hallucinations, specifically people and events that are fearful to the user of the symbol. If these hallucinations get any worse, please tell someone." She advised, Brooke resisting the urge to scream as she ran a clawed hand over her face.
"Nice to know the symbol I have to master to save the world is gonna send me to a psych ward." Brooke joked bitterly, her voice dripping with sarcasm. While her main instinct now was to go to Jayden, she knew she couldn't. She knew she had to deal with it on her own- so, let the games begin.
Letting out a heavy sigh and willing her inhumane features away, Brooke stood from her seat and started walking back into the Shiba House. Amaris hopped off the seat and padded next to her, and she silently thanked the white wolf for her presence. Walking down the halls, she decided to come up with a game plan: running away from her problems. At least for a little bit, and she made a move to pull out her phone. However, she stopped herself when the smell of spice and smoke filled her nose.
"Heya, Red," Brooke greeted, spinning on her heel so that she was facing Jayden. "Everything okay?" She asked, and he nodded, a small smile on his face.
"I feel like I should be asking you that. You look a little frazzled." Jayden replied, Brooke's eyes flashed a couple of times, but still returned to their normal grey. It was an act, though, and she knew he knew it.
"I'm all good, just feeling kinda off. I think it's just the concussion, though." Brooke lied, praying that Jayden wouldn't press. Much to her relief, he didn't.
"You must tell the truth eventually, my dear." Amaris chided, her voice only in Brooke's head, who shot a look of "drop it" in retaliation. She responded with her own stern look, her ears flicking.
After that silent conversation, the two rangers and the white wolf walked into the main room of the Shiba House. Just in time, actually, as Terry was strolling in from the front entrance. Mia, who instantly noticed her brother, beamed, giving the tray she had in her hands to Emily.
"Terry!" Mia greeted, instantly running over and giving her brother a hug.
"It's been a long time." Terry returned her greeting with his own, him being a couple of inches taller than Mia.
Recalling the times Maxx used to pick fights with her because of her height, Brooke wore a ghost of a smile on her lips. It had always been because her platform shoes made her taller than her little brother, the fifteen-year-old, and seventeen-year-old being the same height. Brooke didn't know now, of course, as she hasn't seen her brother in months, but she still tried to keep in touch with him. It was mostly them sending videos and things they found funny to each other without really talking, but it was better than nothing.
"Oh Terry, you haven't met Kevin." Mia introduced him, motioning towards him for emphasis.
"You're blue, right?" Terry thought aloud, outstretching a hand, and Kevin nodded, taking his hand and shaking it. "Heard a lot about you, man. Glad to know you've got my sister's back." He added, Kevin eyeing his guitar.
"That's a great guitar, can I see it?" Kevin asked, and Terry nodded, handing his guitar to the blue ranger.
"So, what brings you here?" Mia questioned, turning her attention back to Terry.
"I'm getting the band back together. We have a gig on Friday, and I was kinda hoping you'd sing with us." Terry answered, Mia instantly shaking her head.
"Oh come on Mia! We want to see you rock out on stage!" Emily cheered the pink ranger on, four other rangers that were present voicing their agreement.
Things, however, started going south. Mia grabbed Terry by the arm, dragging him outside, Brooke instantly raising her eyebrows. "Shit." She concluded, her eyes flashing. Her phone then buzzed, her pulling it out of her pocket and reading the notification.
Casper: odd question, but is the Shiba House wooden?
Brooke: yea, y?
Casper: im outside
Brooke: give me 1 min
"I'll be back," Brooke announced, turning her phone off and shoving it into the pocket of her leather jacket. She ran off before the others could answer, crashing through the front doors.
She hadn't seen her best friend in person since before the war started. Brooke found herself breaking into a happy smile, that only grew wider when her grey eyes landed on Casper. He looked the same as he always did, brown curly hair underneath a black baseball cap and brown eyes. He turned at the sound of footsteps crunching across the gravel, him breaking into a similar smile to the one Brooke was wearing. However, he soon made a noise of surprise when she practically flung herself at him.
"Hey, Wolfie. Glad to know I was missed," Casper greeted, slightly bending over to give Brooke a hug. He was tall- standing at 6'2, and that usually meant people thought he usually was, but he was seventeen. "Man, you live here? You've gotten some upgrades." He remarked, inspecting the Shiba House as they pulled away.
"I'm also fighting a war," Brooke reminded Casper, glancing back at the wooden dojo and then back at him. "It's been here for generations, and the inside looks like it. It's a dojo, pretty much. So, what brings you here?" She asked, Casper grinning.
"Honestly? I'm just fucking around. Must be fate or something," Casper replied, shoving his hands into the pockets of the olive green bomber jacket he was wearing. "I just finished up at the hospital, and Terry said we were having band practice, but I don't know what the fuck he's doing." He added, Brooke's eyes flashing.
"About that- I think Mia and Terry got into the traditional "you're not doing what's best for your future" argument. He asked her to sing, and she seemed kinda peeved about it." Brooke summarized, looking up at Casper, who shook his head.
"He's talked about that- but it's really not my place to say. He's a good guy, though," Casper remarking, spinning the thumb ring he was wearing around his thumb. "He's got to find me a replacement for tonight because I have to go get hours at the hospital," He stated, glancing at Brooke, whose grey eyes sparkled with mischief. "You have that look on your face." He pointed out, raising a pierced eyebrow.
"Or it could be just because you're bad." Brooke teased, reaching up and flicking the brim of Casper's hat.
"Should've seen that one coming," Casper muttered, taking off his hat and ruffling his hair. "Don't know how the team deals with you. Speaking of, am I going to get skewered for loitering?" He wondered, partly joking and partly not. He didn't really feel like getting a sword to the heart anytime soon.
Brooke's eyes flashed as she chewed on her bottom lip, thinking for a moment. "I don't think so? Like, the worst you'd probably get is a disappointed look from Ji. But-" She cut herself off when she heard two other pairs of footsteps. "There's your guitar player, and Antonio, if you're up for meeting him." She nodded in the direction of Terry and Antonio, Casper raising his eyebrows when his brown eyes landed on the gold ranger's guitar.
"A fish guitar," Casper blurted, peering at the guitar skeptically for a moment. Then he shook his head, turning his attention to Terry and Antonio again. "Didn't know your sister was a power ranger." He called, Terry instantly snapping his attention to the curly-haired boy.
He looked excited then confused, furrowing his brows slightly. "Casper?" Terry asked skeptically, he and Antonio walking up to Casper and Brooke.
"Wait- this is Casper? As in your best friend?" Antonio blurted, partially looking up at the taller boy, who grinned.
"The one and only. Casper Green, thanks for having Wolfie's back. I've heard a bit about you," Casper introduced himself, Antonio knitting his brows at "Wolfie". "Childhood nickname." He explained, holding out a hand.
"Antonio Garcia, heard about you for the first time yesterday," Antonio replied, shaking Casper's hand with his usual cheerful glimmer in his eyes.
Casper's eyes then slid to Brooke, him quirking a brow at her. She huffed, puffing out her cheeks slightly as heat rose to her face. "I was scared that you guys weren't gonna like him," She mumbled, but she quickly regained her composure. "Anyways, so Goldie is Casper's replacement?" She concluded, turning her attention to Terry.
"For tonight," Terry replied, Casper pretending to be upset, putting on a face of faux hurt. "You know what I mean. So, you must be Brooke, then? Can you really do-" He started, Brooke cutting him off with a snicker.
"The wolf thing? Yeah, watch this." Brooke answered his questions, her bones cracking and popping as she shifted. The brown wolf then looked up at Terry, wagging her tail, him making a noise of surprise.
"So you know about all of this, I'm guessing?" Antonio wondered, noticing that Casper was unfazed by the fact his best friend turned into a wolf.
Casper nodded, grinning as Brooke shifted back. "For like a year now, yeah. She hid it well, surprisingly enough." He teased, putting said ranger in a headlock and ruffling her hair, her letting out noises of protest.
"You two up for some band practice?" Terry asked, his eyes flickering to Casper, who let Brooke out of the headlock, and then Antonio. "You can come too, if you want." He added, Brooke smiling as she combed through her hair with her claws.
"Sounds great." Brooke beamed, trying to ignore the fact that she would probably get a headache because of her wolf hearing. She wanted to watch two of her friends have fun together, and she was happy they seemed to get along right off of the bat. She soon even forgot about the hallucinations, her just smiling and laughing along to the three boys.
However, all good things come to an end. The rangers got summoned to some abandoned structure, and Brooke eyed Serrator warily. Her heart rate increased, but she tried to calm her nerves. Amaris was present in her mind this time, so that was one good thing about the situation. Other than that, it wasn't ideal, but it could be dealt with. Or so she thought, but things started going downhill rather quickly. It was partly because of her, because when Brooke saw James standing next to Serrator, she froze. She knew it was just a hallucination, that he wasn't actually real, but it sure as hell seemed like he was. She tried to convince herself that it was just fake so that she could actually move, but it was difficult.
Serrator noticed the silver ranger just standing still and chuckled. "What's the matter? Lost your edge already?" He taunted, his voice snapping Brooke out of her fearful state.
She only let out a growl in response, narrowing her eyes underneath her helmet. In a flash of silver, she appeared behind Serrator, landing a hard strike on his back and kicking him away. "Guess again." Brooke spat, spinning her kunai in her hand.
The others were dealing with moogers, Mia missing in action, so that just left Brooke and Serrator. Which was fine with her, and she made a move to attack again, but, surprisingly, he wasn't focused on her. He was focused on the team, Brooke mentally preparing herself for when she had a rush in and presumably draw a protection symbol.
"I'd head back to the Netherworld if I were you." Jayden challenged as the team regrouped, Brooke appearing next to him in a flash of silver.
"But you're not!" Serrator retorted, firing blasts from his claws.
Brooke made a move to call on Amaris, but she couldn't feel the white wolf's presence in her mind anymore. So, she reached for her samuraizer, but it was too late. The blasts made contact with the six rangers, which caused them all to let out groans of pain when they made contact with the ground. Smoke rose from their bodies, and Brooke nearly screamed when her vision cleared. It wasn't James who was standing over her this time, it was Jane Wolfe. She had never seen her mother in person before, only in pictures, and she wished it would've stayed that way.
Jane had long brown hair and brown eyes, and her face shape and structure was almost identical to Brooke's. Strong cheekbones and somewhat narrow eyes, giving off a predatory look without really trying. However, that wasn't what Brooke was worried about. She was worried about the blood dripping from her mother's neck from a large gash, presumably the wound that killed her. The blood landed on Brooke's ranger suit, who let out a quiet whimper, squeezing her eyes shut.
It's not real, it's not real. It's okay, Brooke repeated to herself, trying to force herself to relax. It wasn't real, Jane Wolfe was dead, she couldn't be here. It was going to be fine- it was going to be fine.
A hand on her shoulder snapped her out of her thoughts, Brooke snapping her attention to Jayden. "Hey, are you okay? You're freaking out," He asked, his voice laced with concern as he took in the way Brooke's body shook violently. "Is it Serrator?" He wondered, and she shook her head.
"Just- just an off day," Brooke forced out, and Jayden seemed unconvinced but didn't pry. He squeezed her shoulder comfortingly, and she let out a shaky sigh. "Thank you." She mumbled, and with enough mental strength, she calmed herself down and focused on the battle at hand. However, she knew it was bad that the hallucinations were affecting her in battle. It wasn't good at all, but Brooke tried to shake those thoughts out of her mind. It was going to be fine, it was going to work out.
She forced herself to her feet when Mia, who was now in Super Samurai Mode, successfully managed to land a powerful strike on Serrator. The silver ranger jogged over to the pink on shaky legs, patting her back in silent congratulations. The team also ran up and showered Mia with praise, but Serrator didn't seem to enjoy the happy mood.
"You think you've won?" Serrator spat, pointing his staff at the team. "This party's just getting started! Papyrox!" He called, summoning the nighlok, along with giant moogers and spitfangs. The giant moogers we're in a cheerleading pyramid, Brooke laughing quietly under her helmet.
It sounded more like a cry for help than a laugh, but she tried to ignore that. "Let's end this party early," Brooke muttered, the team noticing how her voice didn't hold its usual teasing tone. "Wolf Folding Zord: Megamode Power!" She called, throwing the zord into the air and drawing the symbol.
She soon appeared in the cockpit of the wolf zord, Brooke folding up her megablade and sticking it into the control panel. The samurai megazord and bullzord also appeared, the large robot jumping into the wagon that the bullzord carried behind it. As they did so, the wolf zord bounded forward, knocking down one of the giant moogers that was at the bottom of the cheerleading pyramid.
"Goldie! You wanna combine?" Brooke offered as the clawzord appeared in a flash of gold. Antonio agreed, and the two zords formed the wolf armor megazord, the silver and gold rangers appearing in the cockpit.
The bullzord also formed into the bull megazord, the three robots standing side to side. When the spitfangs shot out fireballs, they hit them back, successfully killing the spitfangs. While the spitfangs went up in a large explosion, the megazords performed their finishing moves and successfully defeated Papyrox.
"Samurai Rangers: Victory is Ours," Jayden called, and with that, the battle was over. Brooke couldn't even find the heart to mouth along to the finishing line, only hearing the pounding of her heart in her chest.
That night, things got a little more lively, the rangers were getting ready for the concert that Terry's band was playing. Brooke now was just focusing on making sure her eyeliner was even, which is something she hasn't done in a long time. She used to wear makeup for school, but there was no need for it now, as she usually got dirty and sweaty. But, Brooke was having fun, it was a sense of nostalgia for her- and she always enjoyed doing "not ranger things" with the team. It was a sense of normalcy.
"Mom was a hallucination this time," Brooke blurted, Amaris instantly perking up from where she was laying on her bed. "It's happening in battle, too. I couldn't even summon you to protect the team." She muttered, putting the cap on her eyeliner pencil and turning her attention to her hair. She didn't know what to do with it, and her eyes flashed as she ruffled it.
"I had a feeling that was what happened. Are you alright?" Amaris asked, Brooke letting out a sigh and running a clawed hand over her face.
"Kinda? I'm happy that I get to spend time with the team, but I'm also having fucking hallucinations, so that's something." Brooke answered, turning around to face Amaris. She decided to leave her hair as it was because she didn't know what to do with it. It was too short for her to pull up anymore, and she knew she didn't have time to straighten or curl it.
"Try to enjoy your night to the best of your abilities. Remember that you have a wonderful support system if you need it," Amaris reminded Brooke, who nodded with almost a sad smile. "I love you, my dear. I will always be with you." She added, Brooke walking out of her bathroom.
She scratched behind the white wolf's ears, Amaris closing her eyes in contentment. "Love you too, Amaris." Brooke murmured, then turning her attention to the faint knocking on her door. It wasn't Jayden's usual knock, so she knit her brows, walking over and opening the door.
It was Emily, the yellow ranger wearing a yellow dress and having her wallet in her hand. "I wanted to see if you're okay. You've been quieter today." She explained, Brooke's eyes flashing as she broke into a small smile.
"Yeah, it's all good. Sorry, just been a kinda off day," Brooke replied, letting out a sigh. She stepped out of her room, shutting the door behind her, and started walking with Emily down the halls. "But, it's gonna be fun. I'm also glad when all got the silent message to dress up as well." She joked, and Brooke realized that with her platform doc martens, she towered over the younger girl.
"I've never seen you wear a skirt before, you look good in them!" Emily complimented, and Brooke felt a genuine smile grow on her lips.
She was wearing a black turtleneck underneath a black jean jacket, the turtleneck also being tucked into a grey, white, and black plaid skirt, which stopped at her mid-thigh. Brooke also wore her usual doc martens, with black thigh-high socks. "Thanks, I haven't worn it in forever. Kinda hard to fight in, y'know?" She commented, walking into the kitchen, where the others were gathered.
Mike was trying to reach Kevin some sort of dance move, Jayden watching the green and blue rangers with interest. He tore his attention away from the two when he heard footsteps, one only pair of them, to find Brooke and Emily standing in the doorway. And that's when he found out he found thigh-high socks paired with skirts attractive, or maybe it was just Brooke. She was always pretty, but with the skirt- Jaydenshut off that train of thought quickly, offering her a small smile, which she returned.
"Hey, you," Brooke greeted, walking over to stand beside Jayden. "Anything interesting happening?" She wondered, and Jayden motioned to Mike and Kevin with a nod.
Kevin performed a dance move that looked like he was wiping sweat off of his forehead, looking rather proud of himself. "How's that?" He asked, and instead of responding directly, Mike just stared at him.
Brooke laughed at that, and it was a genuine laugh. It was quiet, yes, but it was genuine. Jayden realized it was the first time she's laughed like that in a while, the last time being when Antonio tried to join the team for the first time. It was when he ripped his blazer with his fish hook, and that was months ago by now. It made Jayden realize how long Brooke's actually been back in his life, and he wasn't complaining at all. He also wanted to tell her that she looked nice, but knew he couldn't do that, for two reasons. One being he probably couldn't get it out smoothly, and that would be awkward as all hell. Two being that the rest of the team was in the kitchen, as that would make things even more awkward.
Brooke however, didn't share the same worries as Jayden. She scanned his outfit of the night, which was a dull red t-shirt (no surprise there) underneath a casual black blazer. He also wore blue jeans and black leather shoes, and it was out of character but in character all at the same time. "You dress up nice." She stated, reaching up and fixing Jayden's bangs for him. He was trying to hide the fact that he was flustered, but was doing a very poor job of it, much to her amusement.
"Thanks." That was the only response that Jayden could come up with, and he internally screamed at himself for getting flustered by Brooke's compliment. It was all fine, though, as the rest of the rangers weren't looking. Or so he thought.
Despite Jayden's embarrassment, the kitchen was filled with a happy atmosphere, but Mia didn't carry the same vibe as she walked into the room. The five other rangers instantly picked up on it, as it was extremely out of character for her. She also wasn't dressed up like the others, Emily noticing this and wearing a small frown.
"Mia, aren't you coming to the concert?" Emily questioned, the ranger in question opening the fridge.
"No, I think I'm just going to tuck in for the night," Mia replied, grabbing a carton of milk from the fridge and turning to face the other rangers.
"Mia, is there a problem between you and your brother?" Kevin asked, and by Mia's reaction, he had hit the nail on the head.
"He's supposed to be volunteering at the hospital, not playing some gig," Mia explained, her voice holding a twinge of bitterness and disappointment.
Eyes flashing, Brooke just decided to stay quiet. She knew Terry was getting hours in at the hospital- as Casper told her, but she couldn't explain that easily. He also told her that the concert was a good cause, it was a charity event for the children's hospital, but Brooke didn't want to start an argument. So she decided to let Mia figure that out on her own.
"Oh, okay," Emily responded, looking a little dejected. "But, after that long battle, we're going to blow off some steam." She remarked, Mia looking a little upset. Nobody blamed her, but it's not like anybody could do anything at the moment.
Sitting next to Jayden in the auditorium Panorama offered, Brooke's eyes instantly widened and flashed. "Fuck." She muttered, kicking herself for not remembering about her wolf hearing. If it was just Casper, she knew she wouldn't have to worry, but this was a concert.
"Everything okay?" Jayden asked, noticing Brooke's somewhat panicked expression. Still, she tried to relax, willing her claws away, reaching for his hand. He let her take it, and she tapped her ear in response to his question. "Wolf hearing." He concluded, and Brooke nodded.
"If it gets too bad, I might have to leave. The joys of being Wolf Girl." Brooke muttered bitterly, her eyes flashing as she tightened her hold on Jayden's hand. Luckily she was at the end of the aisle, so she could easily leave if she needed to. Not that she wanted to, but for the sake of her eardrums? She might have to.
"I don't think Antonio would get mad, so you don't have to worry about that," Jayden reassured Brooke, who nodded faintly as her eyes flashed. "I'm here for you, I always-" He started, but was cut off as the lights dimmed and the announcer started talking.
"Ladies and gentlemen, give a warm welcome to The Rebel Rockers!" The announcer yelled, and Brooke winced. She tried to brave it out for Antonio, but she could only do so much. Her head started pounding much earlier than she thought, and she let go of Jayden's hand.
"I'll be back," Brooke mumbled, and when Jayden made a move to get out of his seat, she placed a hand on his arm. "Don't ruin your night because of me. I'm okay." She urged, getting up from her seat and walking out of the auditorium.
When she burst out of the auditorium doors, Brooke realized that her ears were actually ringing. However, she wasn't focused on that, she was more focused on the guilt she felt. She wanted to be in there and having fun with the others, but she couldn't, and the dull ringing in her ears reminded her of that. She wanted nothing more than to support Antonio and Terry's band, she wanted to be normal. The experiences the others got to have, she never would be able to have. Unless there was a way to turn her back into a full human, but Brooke highly doubted that there was. She was going to be stuck like this for the rest of her life, and that was frustrating.
Blinking back tears of frustration, Brooke let out a shaky breath. She wouldn't allow herself to fall into that spiral tonight. She was going to have fun, wolf senses or not. She could actually still hear the song, it was upbeat and catchy. It was Antonio, and that caused Brooke to break into a small smile. She knew that he wouldn't be mad, he wasn't that type of person. That quelled her anxiety to a degree, at least.
"Figured you'd be out here," A familiar voice snapped Brooke out of her thoughts, Casper walking up to her. "Wolf senses?" He wondered, her nodding.
"Never gets easier. I feel bad," Brooke replied, her voice cracking. "I wanna be human, Casper." She admitted, Casper wrapping her into a hug.
"Well, you're human to me. I could go into the psychology behind it, but I have a feeling you'd just get bored. But, you're Brooke Wolfe before you're a wolf. You always will be," Casper reassured Brooke as they pulled away. He made a move to pull something out of his pocket, but he and Brooke both furrowed their brows when they heard a feminine voice singing. "Is that…" He trailed, Brooke's eyes flashing.
"Mia? I think so." Brooke finished for him, Casper making a noise of surprise.
"From what Terry told me, she was against all this," He muttered, then shaking his head. Brooke quickly picked up on it when they were kids, whenever Casper got off-topic, he shook his head. It was a quirk of his that was probably supposed to stop when he became a teenager, but it stuck with him. "Anyways, back on task. I got something that reminded me of you, and I wanted you to have it." He remarked, pulling out a necklace from his pocket.
Brooke eyed the necklace, noticing the fact it wasn't silver. Casper knew about her problem with silver, so all the jewelry he wore wasn't silver as well. It was the little things that he did that made her happy. "If it has a wolf on it, I swear," She joked, taking the necklace from his hand. It was a dog tag, and Brooke flipped it over, her eyes flashing. "The moon cycles?" She blurted, running her thumb over the small engravings of the moon cycles.
"We beat the wolf motif to death a long time ago," Casper explained, Brooke letting out a bark of laughter.
"Yeah, we did," She agreed, recalling the Christmases at Casper's where everything she got resembled wolves somehow, due to her last name, that Brooke was ungrateful for any of it, she found it funny, but at this point, she had a lot of wolf memorabilia that she didn't exactly know what to do with. "I really like it, thank you." Brooke thanked, putting on the necklace and beaming at Casper.
"Don't sweat it. I know about your emotional attachments to inanimate objects," Casper teased, the pair then hearing cheers coming from the auditorium. "That means we should probably go inside before Jayden decides to skewer me for keeping you out here." He joked, Brooke rolling her eyes and playfully punching his shoulder.
However, when Casper started walking in the direction opposite of the doors to the auditorium, she raised her eyebrows. "What're you doing?" Brooke questioned, jogging over to him.
He didn't respond directly, only opening a door. It led to backstage, Casper grinning at Brooke's confused look. "Not to brag, but I'm with that band." He stated matter-of-factly, laughing when Brooke shoved him through the door.
The door led to backstage, Brooke instantly spotting the team, sans Mia because she was doing something or another. They had presumably already congratulated Antonio, as now they were just chatting. It was still a little loud, but she tried to ignore it to the best of her abilities, especially when brown eyes fell on her. "There you are!" Antonio remarked, Brooke smiling sheepishly as she jogged up to the five other rangers.
"Sorry, it was just a little overwhelming," Brooke apologized, tapping her ear for emphasis. "But I could hear you from outside, and it was really good. Good job, Goldie," She praised, wrapping Antonio in a hug, which he returned. After they pulled away, she glanced at Casper. He was just leaning against the wall and tapping his toe on the ground, scrolling through something on his phone. "You guys can now meet Casper," Brooke added, the curly-haired boy lifting his head at his name. She waved him over, him shutting off his phone and shoving it back into his pocket.
Casper pushed himself off of the wall, starting to walk over to the rangers, but he stopped in his tracks when Mike spoke. "Holy shit, you're tall." The green ranger blurted, Emily instantly hitting his chest.
"Thanks, I guess?" Casper replied, then shaking his head and walking again. He stopped beside Brooke, hooking his thumbs on his belt loops. "But, as you all presumably concluded by now, I'm Casper." He introduced himself, holding out a hand for Jayden to take.
"Nice to meet you, Casper. I'm guessing you know the rest of the team?" Jayden asked, shaking Casper's hand.
Kevin opened his mouth to say something, but Brooke instantly cut him off. "That's on me. Long story short, a nighlok crashed prom for us, and that was way before I met you guys. I just told him who you guys are, and he knows like, the basics." Please, let me keep him in my life. She explained, Casper nodding.
"I know you guys are dealing with fucking chaos, so I'm not trying to get in your way," Casper added, then glancing at Brooke. "Plus, I'm like her only non-samurai friend." He teased, Brooke instantly flushing pink, her eyes flashing.
"Okay, just because that's the case, you don't have to say it." Brooke fired back, standing on her toes and shooting Casper a playful glare. He flicked her forehead in response, her making a noise of betrayal.
"You guys are really close." Emily concluded, her voice soft, and Casper nodded, grabbing Brooke's wrist before she could "punch" him in the face.
"Five years of this, but yeah. You just never fucking talk about your past," Casper replied, directing the last statement to Brooke, who only grinned. He rolled his eyes, dropping her wrist and turning his attention to the others again. "I understand if you guys want me to fuck off, though. Just say the word, I'm not trying to damn the world or anything." He stated, readjusting his hat on his head and shoving his hands into his pockets.
"You're fine being here, Casper." Jayden declared, Casper quirking a pierced brow in slight surprise.
"Don't be like that, you're fun to have around! Thanks for letting me take your spot in the band for tonight, as well." Antonio thanked, Casper shaking his head with a small smile and waving his hand in dismissal.
"It's not a problem. I'm happy I get to see this dumbass again." Casper teased, motioning to Brooke with a nod, who rolled her eyes. But, she wore a genuine smile, the silver ranger radiating a happy vibe that was almost out of character.
Jayden had split off from the others, and now he walked down the streets of Panorama, his shoes making faint taps on the pavement. Making sure his wallet was in his pocket, which it was, he ran a hand through his hair, calming his nerves. He was nervous, he didn't even know why, but he shoved it aside as he pushed open the door to a small jewelry store.
A chime sounded, a woman looking up from the cash register, peering at Jayden skeptically. She had blonde hair and blue eyes, and looked rather young, her name tag reading Margret."We usually don't get teenagers. What's the occasion?" Margret questioned, but there was a teasing tilt to her words, and heat rose to Jayden's face.
"A… A, uh, confession." Jayden stammered, walking up to the cash register. He tried to ignore the way his cheeks and the tips of his ears burned, only forcing a small smile. Christ, he wished Ji had taught him some basic social skills, as this was more awkward than he thought it was going to be.
Margret smiled faintly at Jayden's answer. "I'm sure she'll accept, especially since you're going to this length. Anything in specific do you think she would like? Certain metals or gemstones?" She wondered, getting out a key and unlocking one of the display cases.
"Anything other than silver," Jayden replied, his heart pounding in his chest. Was this too much? Maybe. But he just wanted to see her happy.
a/n Sorry for the late upload, and honestly mediocre chapter, I've started school again. So, updates might be a little all over the place, as it's my senior year of high school and all of that fun stuff. But I'll try to keep it somewhat consistent! Thanks for reading :)