Disclaimers: Characters are owned not be writer of this particular fan fiction. Please do not sue me for I'm definitely not making any money off of this story and this is for amusement only.
Warning: Rated NC-17 for content and language.
Note: The former rangers have moved on in their lives but are pulled back into the game by a little gift left behind from an old "friend." While they fight for their lives yet again, they learn more about each other.
Age check: Billy, Tommy, Jason, Zack-27. Adam, Aisha, Rocky, Trini, Kimberly-26. Katherine, Tonya-25.
Acknowledgements: This one is for Shawn (Ozmandayus), for all the encouragements he has given me and for inspiring me to do this story with all this great writing. Thanks! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Four – Plans and Bedtimes
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April 21, 2001 – 7:19 p.m. Berlin Time
ISS Warsaw Headquarters – Conference Room
Warsaw Poland
"As you can see, we don't have a lot." The Agent in charge of this office was Peter Fitz Patrick. He was nervous and glad that there were main agents coming in to take over this mission. He didn't want to deal with it anymore. It was too disturbing by half. "Everything is at your disposal, Agent Hart, Ag…..Doctor Kwan. Anything you need, just give a holler."
Kimberly nodded while Trini looked rather disturbed. "We don't take over your territory, Agent Fitz Patrick." Trini said gently with a smile. She was tired and beat. All she wanted was some rest without having those god-awful nightmares. "We're just visiting agents. This is your base of operations."
"Please, Peter will do. And you're charge of this mission, which puts me under you. Don't worry about stepping on any toes here, we're just glad someone who knows what they're doing is here." He got up and made for the door. "I'll leave you all to talk. Anything you need before I leave?"
"Food would be nice," Rocky asked with a grin. He was hungry yet again. No surprise to anyone else.
Peter grinned. "Sorry, I forgot. I'll get someone to bring something as soon as possible."
He door closed behind him and the others sat in silence.
Tommy was the first to speak. "Well, I now know as much as these guys do. Which is absolutely nothing!"
Billy nodded his agreement. "We don't have enough information to formulate anything. Rita's monsters tend to run from one end of the spectrum to the others. We are looking at just about anything here."
"Can we get a video camera in there?" Tanya asked as she studied one of the lesser gruesome pictures.
"Not without risking someone." Trini muttered. "And I'm not willing to sacrifice another life."
"But we need more." Adam argued and was ready to kick himself for what he was thinking. "I'll go."
"NO!" Trini, Kimberly, and Aisha shouted at the same time.
"No one is going anywhere." Jason said as he stood up to look at the pictures more carefully. It still turned his stomach to see them but he needed to know as much as possible about whatever it is that they are dealing with. "At least not until we can do it safely."
"How about a rover?" Billy suggested.
"Talk to me, Billy." Trini said as she leaned over the table. She loved Billy's ideas, which was part of the reason she wanted him on her team in the first place. "What are you thinking?"
"NASA used land rovers on Mars. Why can't we use it here?" He got up and turned on his computer. "I'm pretty sure NASA has the prototypes sitting around somewhere."
Trini nodded her mind going now. Her body may be tired but there was nothing wrong with her thought process. "Digital feedback cameras on top with remote. We get instant pictures and mobility without risk of human life."
"Right, here's the other good news." Billy said as he typed his access code in and fed his cell phone in for connection. "Substation stuff I've working on has a rover with arms. We can get specimens as well."
"I'll need an uncontaminated one for the analyzer." Trini nodded gleefully. "Think NASA will be willing to relinquish it?"
"Won't hurt to ask your bosses to request it."
"Kimmy?" Trini looked at her.
Kimberly was smiling as she pulled her cell phone out of her brief case. "I'm all over it." It was good to have the team back.
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April 21, 2002 – 4:57 p.m. EST
Pentagon – General Hammond's Office
Washington D.C.
Director Joel Sherman looked ready to explode as he stood up. "I am not giving up NASA's land rovers!"
"You have to." General Hammond yelled as he too stood up. "We are talking about six countries on the verge of collapsing thanks to something underground that just killed 36 of the best military men we have."
"I'm sorry for the lost, take whatever else you want but the land rovers stay!"
"They go!"
"They stay!"
"GO!"
"STAY!"
"Gentlemen!" Director Richard Ballard of the New York ISS headquarters sat calmly as the two men shouted at the top of their lungs at each other. "This is getting us nowhere."
"I'm not relinquishing the rovers." Joel said calmer now.
"And I'm going tell you again, this isn't your call." Hammond said as he eyed the red phone on his desk. "One phone to the President and that rover is mine."
"You won't dare!"
"Watch me."
"Guys, guys!" Richard wondered how long they were going to be at this. He had already radioed the plane in route from Brazil to head this way for the rover. "We can't wait much longer. The quakes aren't getting any better and we don't have a lot of choices. ISS is willing to build NASA another rover once this is over."
"You can't!" Joel turned on the calm agent. "Only Billy Cranston's got the blueprints for them and he's not giving them up."
"What if I can guarantee that he does?"
Joel looked startled. "How?"
Richard pointed to the phone on the general's desk. "May I?"
"Be my guest if it's going to help this along any faster."
Richard sat down on the edge of the desk and punched in a number. "Hey, Will. Patch me to Agent Hart's cell phone in Warsaw…….Agent Hart, it's Richard from New York…… How is everyone?……Good. Is Mr. Cranston there?…….. Mr. Cranston, I'm going to put you on speaker."
"Hello?" Billy's voice came through slightly distorted.
"Hi Billy. Listen, I have General Hammond of the Pentagon and Director Sherman of NASA here with me. We're having a little dispute over the rover issue."
"What issue?" Billy sounded slightly befuddled.
"Whether or not NASA is willing to relinquish it for our use since it is a prototype."
"Oh for the love of god! What the hell is wrong with you Joel?"
Sherman appeared a little taken aback. "I'm just trying to look after the interest of….."
"People are dying here Joel! The last thing I care about is whether or not some idiot gets to go visit Mars any time soon."
Richard looked amused by this but kept his game face. "Mr. Cranston, we were hoping you could help us."
"What?" Billy sounded irritated.
"The director is willing to relinquish hold of the rover if you are willing to make the blueprints available to them for a second proto."
"That's it?"
"Yes."
"Then yes, you can have the damn blueprints. Now get that rover here!"
"Thank you, Mr. Cranston. You'll have it in the next twenty-four hours."
"Whatever!" the harsh clicked of the phone told them just how angry the usually mild mannered computer genius was.
Hammond looked extraordinary happy. "Well, that went well!"
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April 21, 2002 – 9:08 p.m. Berlin Time
ISS Warsaw Headquarters – Conference Room
Warsaw Poland
"Of all the stupid….." Billy muttered as his hand flew across the laptop.
Trini sat at the table while Jason tried to coax her into putting more food into her stomach if she was not going to sleep. Trini has been up for almost seventy hours now with very little food and enough caffeine to put down an elephant. Jason refused to watch her work herself into a grave.
Tanya was writing letters to her parent and friends – just in case. The fear was there though no one would admit it. There was always a chance that none of them would live through any of this.
Aisha and Adam sat by themselves talking quietly. Whatever was going on between them was coming to a head. He held her hand and watched her with concern eyes. She seemed sad, lost.
Rocky watched his two best friends with still eyes and abated breath. It was the first time in almost a year he's seen Aisha. And perhaps the first time he's seen her with Adam. They looked comfortably content together. Something stirred in his heart that he wasn't sure should be there. Anger? Regret? Jealousy? Did he even have a right to feel any of those things? He's never said a word to anyone, not even Adam. What the hell gave the right to feel anything about this?
Katherine sat by Billy, trying to follow what he was doing with her eyes but was quickly making herself dizzy. Billy was communicating with his buddies at NASA trying to find more than one way of doing this. He was worried that even with the rover, there wasn't going to be enough to find what they need. Katherine was just concern about Billy for it appeared that he was not sleeping any better than Kimberly and Trini.
Zack was eating enough for four men. His appetite seemed to have come back now that they have a plan. Nothing like a little organization to dispel fear.
Kimberly stared out the window while Tommy watched her from across the room.
"Go talk to her," Zack said around a mouthful of rice.
"I can't." Tommy muttered back as he took a sip of the water on the table.
"Sure you can."
"No I can't. Can't go there right now."
"Tommy, bro," Zack said with a hand at Tommy's arm. "She needs you."
Tommy looked at him. Zack could not have said anything more than that to convince him to go to her.
Kimberly stared out at nothing. The building had less damage than the surrounding areas. ISS knew to put in all the safe guards, no matter where they decided to put their offices. It was night and she didn't feel even a bit tired though by rights, she should be dropping now.
"How are you holding up?"
The voice had her gasping for breath. His tone was velvety soft, so warm on this cold night. She missed him so much. Over the years, she's thought more than once to go back, to visit, to see him. But somehow, she's always talked herself out of it. She couldn't risk it, not her heart and certainly not his life. But she missed him terribly.
"I'm okay."
"You should sleep."
"Can't seem to."
He watched her with concern eyes. She looked so beautifully pale in the light. Her light brown hair curled just under her chin. She was so small, so delicate. He wanted to wrap her up in his warmth and protect her like he use to. But standing here, in this day and time, he knew that he couldn't. She wasn't the same Kimberly that left him. But she was Kimberly, his Kim. He could not let that go.
"Maybe you should…."
"Trini!"
They both turned just in time to see Jason catch Trini as she stumbled.
It was obvious that Trini Kwan had been on her way back to the laboratory even though they all know that she would be better served with more than a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. The lightheadedness must have caught her off guard. Jason was not a happy man as he muttered questioned and comments to her too quietly for the others to hear. She shook her head several times but Jason was not giving up so easily this time around. She pushed away from him only to stumble again.
Shaking his head, Jason grabbed her by the elbow. "That's it!"
"Jason, what are you doing?"
He didn't bother to answer her as he swung her up into his arm and headed for the door. "If anyone needs Trini, tell them that she's sleeping. And don't let anyone bother her for the next ten to twelve hours."
The others nodded while Trini looked shocked beyond belief. "Jason!"
They disappeared beyond the door, as it slammed shut.
"Well!" Katherine grinned. "That's one way to get a girl in bed."
The others laughed.
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April 21, 2002 – 9:31 p.m. Berlin Time
ISS Warsaw Headquarters – Dr. Trini Kwan's Quarters
Warsaw Poland
Jason kicked the door inward and hoped that he won't bounce back, it didn't. Trini was too light for her height, that was what he noticed when he first picked her up. She was too goddamn skinny. What happened to all the muscles she had when they were in high school? Didn't she continue her martial arts?
"Put me down," Trini said squirming in his arms.
"Whatever you say," he dropped her unceremoniously on the bed and went back to close the door.
"That has got to be the most immature, irresponsible……….. WHAT are you doing?"
Jason looked up from the dresser drawer he had opened. "I'm looking for your nightgown."
"Why?" Her eyes were wide on her face.
"Cause you are going to get undressed and go to bed." He continued to go through her clothes. "Where is it?"
"I don't own a nightgown." She said rather irritated. Great, she finally gets him into her bedroom and all he wants to do is make sure she goes to sleep. So much for fantasies!
"Then what do you wear to bed?" Going to the closet to see if there was anything there.
"Nothing at all." She said with a huff as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Jason's eyes crossed at that mental image. He shook his head and took a deep breath. "Well, you'll have to wear something tonight cause I'm staying here."
She blinked. "Excuse me?"
"I said that I'm staying. You're going to get some sleep tonight if I have to strap you down to that bed to do so." He remembered packing a set of pajamas in his own bags. "I'll be right back."
Trini didn't even get chance to respond as he walked out the door, leaving it wide open. She felt like she was in the twilight zone. Everything was all confused and muddy, and she wasn't too sure of anything anymore. She was still there when he walked back in with his duffle bag in one hand and shut the door with his heel. Locking it, he turned to look at her.
"What's the matter?"
She blinked again. "Nothing."
He nodded and searched through the bag. He found a set of pajamas in pale blue and frowned at it. He didn't particular wanted to sleep in his jeans, especially if he had to sleep on the sofa. But having Trini sleep completely in the buff in the same room with him would be too much for his morality, completely unacceptable and emotionally impossible. She'll simply have to settle for the pajama top while he got the bottom. "Here."
She eyed the nightshirt as if it would bite her. "And what do you expect me to do with that?"
"Put it on." He said placing it in her lap.
With a raised brow, she examined it as if it was a fascinating specimen. "You wear this to bed?" It was Jason's. Probably carried his smell and essence on it.
"Sometimes." He muttered and looked around. The bathroom was the only place to change. He'd have to wait until she's done first. "Put it on."
She looked at him with bemusement. "And if I say no?"
He sighed and dropped the pants. Leaning over onto the bed, he looked her straight in the eye. "If you don't, I'll simply have to do it for you."
She gave as good as she got and leaned forward, inches from his face, close enough for him to smell her essence. "You can try."
They were at a stalemate. There was no way in heaven or hell Jason was going to strip her down and put the damn shirt on her, he'd never get pass the stripping part. She wasn't about to be pushed into doing something she wasn't willing to do on her own, that was the feminist in her. One of them had to give in, which one was the question.
Since Jason was at the disadvantage due to his rapidly rising hormone levels, he backed down. "Trini, please…"
She pouted prettily at him and sighed. "Oh fine!"
"Thanks you." He started to smile until she started to unbutton her shirt. "Trini," hr pointed to the door. "The bathroom?"
"Oh," she sighed again and rolled her eyes. "So shy!"
Jason waited until she closed the bathroom door before rubbing his hand over his face vigorously. She was going to drive him out of his mind; it was as simple as that. He got out of his pants and put on the pj bottom as quickly as he could. He debated whether to keep his shirt or not but decided against wearing it since it was more comfortable. If she was going to try to kill him with his own lust, then he could at least give her a little in return.
She looked adorable when she came back out. Her face had been scrubbed clean of any make-up. Her eyes were soft with sleepiness. The shirt was three sizes too big but it looked perfect. Her long, long legs stuck out from under the shirt where it ended half way down her thighs. Her hands were gone from the sleeves and she only buttoned the front enough to keep it decent.
"You know, I think I like that thing better on you than on me." Jason said with a smile. He pulled the sheets back. "Come on, in you go."
She smiled and tucked her legs in. "Do you know when's the last time I slept?"
"No, when?"
"When they called me in from Scotland. I was on my way down to breakfast and the phone rang. The innkeeper at the Bed and Breakfast I was staying at came running like a hound out of hell babbling about the Queen of England wanting to talk to me. Granted I met the lady, but I didn't think that's who he meant."
He laughed. "Scotland? How was that?"
"Beautiful, simply enchanting." She sighed as he helped her adjust a pillow behind her. "There's old magic there, I could feel it when I went walking around the countryside. I hope I get to go back some day."
"You will." He leaned over and kissed her forehead as if she were a good little child. "Good-night."
"Hey, where are you going?" She sat up again as he moved away from the bed.
"Couch."
"Hell no," she reached for his hand and scooted over on the bed. "This bed is big enough for the two of us."
He looked at her rather dubiously. "I don't think that's a good idea."
She smiled mischievously. "What's the matter? Don't you trust me?"
Shaking his head, he wondered briefly if he was going to survive the night. "I don't trust myself." But he got into the bed with her; even knowing it was a terrible idea.
She sighed and tucked herself into his arms, which came around her as if with minds of their own. "Oh relax, what could happen?"