Author's Notes: I would like to that Engineer Jessie for help on the first chapter. Sorry I forgot to put it at the beginning there :S.
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Past Secrets
Chapter 2: Honey I'm Home.
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"Buzz this isn't fair!" Mira's ireful, shrill voice rang out through the Star Cruiser.
"Now Ranger Nova you rookies are perfectly capable of writing speeding tickets. No worries," Buzz politely stated complementing them.
"That's not the point!" the Tangean argued with her Captain, "The point is if we have to sit here and be bored then so do you!" she poked a finger into his chest. The Princess was not thrilled with being left behind to do menial tasks. This wasn't the first time Buzz had tricked them into doing things he hated. He often used his wiley ways to get them to file the paper work to Commander Nebula.
"Ya!" XR agreed with Mira, "How come you get to run away with a beautiful woman and I don't!?!" the robot disdained, completely missing the whole concept. "Unless you and I Mira."
"Oh please!" she pushed him away, "Why don't you do us all a favor and zip it?"
"Can do!" the robot grabbed a zipper at the corner of his mouth and zipped it across for comic relief.
Mira rolled her eyes and went back to the argument with Lightyear, "As I was saying. This isn't fair," she stomped a boot down and stared coldly at Buzz. But Buzz didn't look moved by her speech. He didn't even blink or budge from his spot. He just looked at her like 'what are you going to do about it?' She got nervous that she was making a fool of herself and decided to drag Booster into it as well so not to feel lonely defying him, "Right Booster?"
The Jo-Adian was now perspiring, torn between two friends, he didn't know who to side with. His hero and friend, Buzz? Or his friend that made a good point he felt was right, Mira? It was tearing him two ways.
"Well umm ah ohh man," he twiddled his thumbs and looked from one face to the other and back again. Neither looked too happy. Mira would be mad at him if he chose Buzz and Buzz would be mad at him if he choose Mira's side. He couldn't do it.
"Come on Booster!" Mira was a little peeved at him now. But the vid-phone saved Lightyear from the mutiny.
"Hey ready to go?" Lex asked over the video.
"Be right there, I'll commence docking sequence," he shut off the vid-phone and pressed an sequence of buttons on his council. Outside an air lock popped out of the belly of 42 and connected to the door of Lex's personal space craft. "OK, Rangers you know what to do. The speed gun is under the seat and tickets if needed are in the glove compartment. Good luck," he talked fast so Mira couldn't interject. "I'll see ya when you're shift is almost up!" he waved excitedly as he walked down the air lock.
"Buzz!" Mira tried to stop him but he was still gibbering good byes, trying to ignore her, "BUZZ!!" and the air lock slammed shut on her face. Mira took on an angry posture with fists clenched and head lowered, "Oh craters!" she spat, "Ditched again."
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Buzz slid into the seat next to Lex and buckled himself in with the seat belt. He looked over with a smile, "Ready."
"Alright then, off to Turan," she started to punch in the hyper space coordinates that would take them out of hyper space inside Turan's atmosphere and close to her how town. But Buzz had something to say first.
"If you're going to hang out with me you have to work on your light speed slogan," he teased her.
"Oh yea?" Lex leered back in jest, "And what would you have me say then eh?"
" This," he put a hand to his mouth and cleared his throat. "Watch a pro and learn," he took a deep breath and was about to say 'to infinity and beyond' when a hand clamped over his mouth making him make a funny phfting sound like a balloon being deflated. Lex started laughing with her hyena laugh, hysterically at her joke on the Ranger, beating her fists on the dash board and leaning her head on his shoulder. Buzz at first didn't think it was too funny, but then too joined in laughing. But Lex had turned her back oh him and that wasn't a good idea. Buzz snuck a hand around and tapped her on the opposite shoulder, making her turn around like a fool to see who was there, and with her head turned he yanked her pony tale.
"Hey!" she started angrily, but one look at the Ranger in a laughing fit made her laugh right along with him. The whole trip to Lex's home planet was spent talking and laughing. Since the auto pilot wan engaged nobody needed to pilot the ship until they came out of hyper space. They talked about everything and anything, even goofy things that didn't make sense. And if somebody had hear them they would have recommended them be sent to a crazy home.
"Any other tales of Star Command you have to tell Ranger Lightyear?" Lex asked. She just couldn't get enough of the stories of Team Lightyear. Her favorite thing to do was read about ancient legends that had been passed down for eons. This was just another legend just as fascinating. Similar to ones about fierce warriors and gladiators, battling the Lords of the Under World or some sort of Titans. Only this time she knew the characters involved personally.
"Well," Buzz began stroking his chin with thought trying to think of an adventure he hadn't told her the night before. "One time I met my alternate universe self from the other dimension."
"Two Buzz Lightyears?" Lex asked him, "I don't know weather or not that is a good thing or a bad thing." On one hand one Buzz Lightyear was enough, he could be annoying and pigheaded at times, and just down right obnoxious, but then again he was sweet and kind, loving and caring, romantic and smart. Two Buzz Lightyears might be twice as nice.
"It was a bad thing, defiantly a bad thing," Buzz sighed.
"Oh?"
"Yea, this was the Buzz from the backwards galaxy. He was crazy!" Buzz twirled his finger around his ear and crossed his eyes to demonstrate insanity, "He tried to destroy Star Command! And in his universe had done so already! Destroying millions with his rage, demolishing an entire galaxy to nothing! He was worse then Zurg. He had a twisted heart of evil, and a beard."
"Well them I'm glad there is only one of you, my good clean shaven Buzz."
The Ranger was about to slide his arm around her shoulders like a sneaky teen would in a movie theater when this beeping sound went off in the cockpit, scaring him and making him retract his arm back to his side when the moment was lost.
"Well looks like were here," she grabbed the joy stick and took control of the ship. Lex's red civilian ship entered Turan's atmosphere and glided through the sky gracefully. Turan was a strange planet, a very strange planet indeed. Climates didn't match what type of vegetation or living creatures that lived there. In parts were ice ruled palm trees tropical plants and sandy beaches were, and just opposite happened in other parts as well. Many scientists tried to figure out what and how this happened but none could tell you why. Perhaps the innards of the planet differed from it's crust and the roots of the trees grew deep there.
They finally got into Lex's home town. Tall mountains covered with dense tropical foliage engulfed the houses that settled on the peeks. Down bellow a valley of a dessert ran between mountains and a free flowing river ran through it. Birds of different colors flew from the tree tops squawking in agitation when startled by the sound of roaring engines. The Turanians rarely had visitors and rarely left the planet to venture off to other places. Occasionally they went on vacation, or to visit off world as Lex did. But no busy or dense frequent traffic like Capital Planet or Trade World.
Lex settled the ship down easy and deployed the ground wheels so she could pull into her Mother's driveway. She turned off the engines and unbuckled the seat belt.
"Well," she sat back and looked at Buzz, "Ready to meet my Mom?"
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The door bell rang at the front door.
"Oh now that must be Lex," a woman said delighted and got up from her seat at the coffee table to answer the door and greet her guests. It was Lex's Mother, Silvia Morgans. She was a tall woman with a trim figure for a mother. She was blue skinned like the rest of her race of humanoids, and had shoulder length dark blue hair. Her eyes were honey yellow, also a trait of her people. You would never have guessed she was in her late 40s to look at her. She appeared to look younger, right down to the jeans and shirt she wore.
She walked through the living room witch was lined red with glowing green fusion crystals to give off light. She pressed the button that swung open the automatic door. There she saw her daughter escorted by a Space Ranger. Mrs. Morgans had no idea who he was, or why he was here and automatically thought the worse.
"Oh I'm terribly sorry officer!" she quickly apologized for her child.
"Mother!" Lex yelled. She wasn't in trouble, and now her mother was making a scene in front of Buzz she didn't need him thinking her Mother as crazy. Buzz looked over at Lex confused. What was this lady babbling about?
"What did she do? Speeding? Driving without a license? Theft? Leaving the scene of a crime!?" the woman went on.
"She thinks you arrested me," Lex sighed out of embarrassment, whispering quietly to Buzz as her Mother blabbed on. Buzz nodded in understanding of the situation, and decided to play along with it.
"Mother please!" Lex tried to calm her hysterical Mother, "I didn't do anything wrong!"
"That's what they all say," Buzz shook his head in pity. Pretending as if she had in fact done something wrong.
"WHAT!?" Lex now turned to Buzz. Her eyes were shot open like two full moons staring at him. "Don't aggravate the situation!" she growled.
"Ma'am," Buzz started talking to Mrs. Morgans ignoring Lex, "I'm afraid your daughter here is a larcenist."
That was it, Buzz was going too far with his little game. It was one thing to be funny, but this was ridiculous. Boyfriend or not Lex was going to knock his lights out for this one. He didn't need to make her look bad, he should have been trying to help explain who he was. She rolled up the sleeve of her purple sweater and gritted her teeth, "Why you Nerf hearder!!" she hissed. She pulled her arm back ready to give him a right hook to the nose.
"What did she take?!" Lex's Mom ignored her daughters defensive posture.
"Im afraid, that," Buzz bowed his head shaking it slowly in sorrow. He put an arm around Lex's shoulders not paying attention to her threatening look, or her arm cocked back ready to punch him. "Lex has stolen my heart."
Mrs. Morgans looked at them confused, blinking her eyes trying to make sense of this man's strange talk. How could she steal his heart? What, did she chant the Caliema and rip it out of him like in ancient Earthen rituals of the Caliema cult?
But in Lex it stirred another reaction, she put her arm down and let her fingers curl out of their fists. Her face tamed into a smile. His kind words touched her heart, although he could have spared the act and aggravation. She turned to her confused Mother, "Mom, this is Buzz, my boyfriend."
"Pleasure to meet you Mrs. Morgans," Lightyear reached out a friendly hand to shake Lex's Mother's in a warm hand shake.
"Oh!" she put a hand to her heart to slow it down," you had me worried for a moment there."
"Sorry about that," Buzz blushed hoping he didn't worry her too much. Maybe he had gone to far with his sense of humor.
"Well let's not keep you two out here on the porch waiting all day, come in, make yourselves at home!" she led them back into the house and towards the dining room table where they could all sit and talk.
Lex and Buzz followed right behind.
"You weren't really gonna hit me were you?" Buzz asked in a whisper only she could here.
The girl smirked up at him half smiling slyly, "You're lucky you saved yourself." was all she said. Buzz gulped, maybe he had pushed it a little too far, but she really was going to bop him one? Lex sensed his uneasiness and took his hand as a gesture of, 'no hard feelings, I still love you,' that put him back in a lull of ease.
The two sat down at a big glass, oval shaped table and pulled their chairs up. Lex's mother was in the kitchen making some hot chocolate, "Anyone want something to drink?" she asked peeking her head through the overpass window to take orders.
"No thank you Mrs. Morgans," Buzz shook his head politely, raising a hand in a 'no' way.
"How about you Alexis?"
Lex cringed at her full name. She didn't much care for the longer version, but kept quiet about it just this once. It was her Mother, and why make a stink about it? It wasn't worth it. "No Mom, that's OK."
Mrs. Morgans came back into the room and pulled up a chair and sat her mug of hot cocoa on the table in front of her. The dinning room was painted red, like everything else in the house. The table was a rose color glass, and the chairs they sat on were a curving one piece to fit the body's figure in a seated position. Huge sliding, clear glass, doors allowed the sun's rays to flood in and light up the room with natural light, drawing in that warm heat that only the sun could provide.
"Well I finally get to meet Buzz Lightyear," Mrs. Morgans smiled motherly at the Ranger.
"The pleasure is all mine," Buzz bowed his head in a respectful gesture.
"And what a fine and polite young man you are!" she was defiantly impressed by his manners and respectful tone he had with her. Always calling her 'Ma'am' or 'Mrs. Morgans' she most defiantly approved in her daughter's choice of men. "So how's work?" she asked Lex.
"It's been good. We just set up a display from the ancient planet Naboo. It should be promising and bring a big crowd."
"I'm so glad you got out of that awful archaeologist business," she took a sip of her drink. She always worried about her daughter being out on the outer rim planets, light-years from civilization. "Especially after that whole Light of Orion deal with Zurg and Darkmatter." after hearing about that little ordeal she was so relieved to hear that she was taking a new job, away from the danger of it all.
"Well, I still go on digs when it calls for it," Lex would never agree to strictly an office job. She needed to go out into the universe and discover things nobody else has seen in tens of millions of years. That was her real passions, what she lived for. The only reason she agreed to take this museum job was because of Buzz, they needed to be together, it was as if their fate together was written in the stars.
"Well as least it's not all the time," her mother fingered the rim of her mug. "Now you'll have time to settle down, start a family." she brightened at the thought of her child's wedding. But Buzz and Lex did not. Their eyes shot open in fright of the thought. The thought of being bound by ring never crossed either's mind before, although they knew and hoped someday it would come to that.
Buzz looked at Lex with bright crimson red cheeks. Lex turned to her Mom.
"Mother!" she griped. She was making them uncomfortable. She didn't want her Mom to scare him off.
"I can't wait until you two tie the knot. Oh it will make me so proud!" she ignored her daughters furious glares, and the Ranger's paranoid and petrified pale face. Buzz was sweating and all color flushed from his face. His eyes were a bit crossed eyed as he looked as if he was about to keel over. But the woman went on in her gibber, "And all the grandchildren you'll give me!"
That was it, Buzz thought he was going to pass out on the kitchen table. The marriage wasn't too bad to think of in fact he had to think of it sooner or later, he awaited the day they would be one he just got a little flustered. But fatherhood? that was going too fast. He started thinking about his future with Lex. Sure it would be great, it was what he wanted more then anything, but he wasn't confident in himself to even propose, it wasn't the right time. Of course with his coyness he wasn't sure when the right time was. He could save galaxies and fight bad guys with no fear, but when staring down his future he went to pieces, worrying about if he would do something wrong.
"Mother! Stop!" Lex jumped from her seat. She was sweating too just thinking about it. It made her nervous as well, and her Mother's jabbers were terrifying Buzz into shock. Lex knew Buzz was a bit of a shy guy and neither knew exactly where the bravery came from that day 1 and a half years ago when he told her he loved her. Some strange force must have taken over his body because knowing him now it seemed all too idiosyncratic a behavior. But Lex wanted no more talk about matrimony and children from her Mother's lips. If that ever was their future it wasn't going to happen if she scared pushed them, or put Buzz in a coma.
Mrs. Morgans looked up at her daughter and smiled, "Oh Lex, don't throw such a hissy fit," she sipped her mug calmly, "I didn't mean today."
That calmed Buzz a little bit. Not today, he could put it off for a few months, years maybe. Until he wasn't such a coward at things like this.
"So Buzz," Mrs. Morgans switched the topic, "Lex never mentioned you were a Space Ranger. How goes it?" she smiled cheerful and eager to hear about the exciting life a Space Ranger must lead.
"Well it's not all glamor and space battles," he was glad the topic had gone to something he could comfortably chat about, and he loved talking about himself. "I'm not in it for fortune and glory, because you wont find it in the Rangers. My reward is the satisfaction I feel inside knowing that I made the galaxy safe for others." He went on to elaborate. But wouldn't you know it during a conversation about work, work called. His wrist communicator beeped loudly. Buzz sighed flipping it open, "Yes?" Buzz asked Mira on the other line a bit irritated.
"Sorry to disturb you sir, but Commander Nebula just alerted us that something is going down on Trade World."
"I'm sure it's nothing you guys can't handle," Buzz wanted to stay. What was so important that they needed to interrupt him? Not like Zurg was up to something.
"Well I'm sure Commander won't be happy to find out in the report we file on the situation that you ditched work!" Mira blackmailed him.
Buzz gasped. She wouldn't dare!
"He was already looking for you when he called. Be we covered for you, I don't know why but we did. We told him you were in the bathroom."
"Couldn't you tell him a little less embarrassing excuse?"
"Yea, how 'bout he's at his girlfriend's ditching work!?" Mira made a good point and Buzz didn't argue this time.
"OK I'll be right there, meet me in orbit around Turan at these coordinates," he sent her his position via the com link.
"Got it. Over and out," Mira terminated the connection and Buzz shut his com link cover. He lifted his blue eyes to look at Lex, then her Mom, and back at Lex again. They had been listening to the conversation and now waited for his answer.
"I'm sorry," Buzz sighed lifting himself out of the chair. He felt as if he had to pry his rear end out of the chair with a crow bar. He didn't want to leave, but duty called. Besides who knew what sort of punishment assignment was awaiting him if old man Nebula found out his best Ranger had skipped like a student from math class. "But I have an urgent situation to attend to."
"Oh it's OK," Mrs. Morgans beemed and waved him off, "You won't miss much."
Buzz smiled and nodded his head thanking her for her clearance. He looked at Lex who smiled up at him. She wasn't disappointed, actually kinda glad because with him gone her Mother wouldn't embarrass her.
"Hey don't worry about it. Not like we made official plans for today. Besides if work called me about some new artifact I would go too," she leaned up over the back of her chair and nuzzled her nose with his in an Eskimo kiss, "Have a good day at work."
"I will," he waved good bye and headed out the door.
Mrs. Morgans sipped her mug, "Well he's certainly a lovely boy." she told her daughter.
"Ya, he is," she said dreamily.
"Don't let him get away."
"Mom," she rolled her eyes. If anything her Mother would scare him off before she let him go.
"Don't roll your eyes at me. I've seen you turn away plenty of suitors."
"That was when I was in high school. Besides, none of them were my type. There's just something about him that's different. Calming, caring, charming, witty," Lex went into a tangent about her beloved, "When I look into his eyes I see a whole new world, a perfect world. A dazzling place I never knew. When he touches my skin and holds me I feel safe, like, like I belong there." she drifted off into dream land, her stare seemed to be focused somewhere in space.
"Ohhhhhhh," her Mother broke her thought bubble. "Lexys got a boyfriend, lexys got a boyfriend," she chanted on like a child.
"Yes, yes I do. Thank you for noticing."
Mrs. Morgans leaned across the table and patted her daughter's hand, "I'm glad. He seems like a very kind man. I wish you two all the luck on Turan. I still don't know why you're not married yet," she sighed.
"Mom," Lex rolled her eye's again.
"I just worry about you," she took another sip of the chocolate, "I don't want you to end up alone like me."
"That was a completely different situation," Lex defended. "He walked out on the marriage."
"I know, I know," she put a hand to silence her, "So, how are you?"
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Planet Z had recovered since last time's storm on the planet. Zurg still wasn't giving up using the power of the Light of Orion to deliver his menace to the Galaxy. The great prism had been destroyed by Lex Morgans a year and a half ago. It lay in pieces on top of Zurg's palace, but the Emperor had plans to reconstruct it, piece by piece. Since he had complete and ultimate control of his minions why not make them toil and sweat for a year and a half super glueing it back together piece by tiny piece. It was almost complete but it was missing one small tiny piece the size of a pebble, the very zenith top of the pyramid.
"You lack wits better find it!" Zurg roared, shaking a fist at the Grubs who crawled on knees with magnifying lasses, searching for the missing puzzle piece. "Leave no stone unturned! I need that piece! My whole Empire depends on it!" Zurg roared again. The Light of Orion was a very delicate thing, it was designed to precise calculations with one part being just as important as the next. Without the last bit it would not work.
"If you don't find it soon I'll super glue YOU to the thing!" the Emperor picked up a tube of super glue in his clawed hand and shook it fiercely at them to prove a point. The Grubs scurried and worked faster at the sight of a threat. Zurg set the glue back down but it didn't let go of him.
"WHAT!? Zurg had glued the tube to his hand. "Lousy piece of.." he went to grab it away with his other hand but it didn't help if that hand was stuck too, "GRAGGHHHH!!" he screamed in frustration. He bent down to use his foot to pry his hands apart but now his foot was stuck as well. The emperor struggled and that only made it worse, contorting his body as the glue stuck more and more of him together.
While the Emperor wrestled to get free a Grub ran up to him with a clip board, "My Evil Emperor Zurg!" he saluted the combating Emperor.
"WHAT!? CAN'T YOU SEE THAT I AM BUSY!? This had better be important!" he glowered with glowing red eyes in the cowering Grub's direction.
"Yes ye ye yes Evil Emperor Zurg," the Grub held out a clip board in his shaking hands in front of the Emperor's lowered helmet. "You're scheduled to go to, your umm 'meeting'"
"Oh," Zurg whispered. He had forgotten about that. It was an important 'meeting' indeed, he was surprised he had forgotten it. Zurg came out of his sort of trance like state and noticed the Grubs were looking at him strangely, had Zurg actually said a word, even a small one without screaming!? What and why was this important? Zurg didn't tell them exactly what it was, and they dared not ask, all it said was 'meeting' in suspicious quotes. Probably code for a secret evil meeting that was so top secrete they were not to know about it.
"Well don't just stand there!" he bellowed back to good, or rather evil, ol' Zurg. "Help your Evil Emperor get unstuck! Go get the Goo-be-gone you numbskulls!"
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Back at the Morgans residence, Lex and her Mother were chatting normally. Buzz was gone back to work and Mrs. Morgans had eased off her daughter's back concerning her life. It was noon now and they sat down to a late lunch. Mrs. Morgans had prepared some sort of traditional Turanian dish similar to Earthen Pasta.
"Smells good Mom," Lex complimented as she picked up a fork and took a lung full of the aroma of the food.
"I just hope it tastes as good," Mrs. Morgans sighed sitting in a chair, "I didn't have any prawns of herbs, so I had to improvise," She shrugged her shoulders and then too picked up a fork. She was about to put the mouth full into her mouth when the door bell rang interrupting her.
"Were you expecting anyone else today Mom?"
"No," she replied confused, "Maybe it's Buzz come back from duty," she suggested.
"Oh maybe, I'll go get the door," Lex started to get out of her seat when her Mother stood up.
"No, no, you eat. I'll see to the door," she smiled and walked out into the front room.
Lex shrugged and took up her fork again.
Whomever was at the door now started ringing it obnoxiously impatient when she did not open it on time.
"Alright! ALRIGHT!" she yelled, "Give me a chance will you!?" she barked through the door. She hit the key panel and slid the door open. But it was not the face of someone she expected to see. It was not the neighbor come to borrow a cup of sugar, it was not the post man there to deliver a package, and not a door-to-door sales man, and it was not Buzz come back from duty. She stood there mouth agape and eyes bulging. Her skin a pale blue after being flushed. The look of disbelief and maybe horror on her face as she stared into the face of a man she had not seen since Lex was before born 23 years ago. The face of her ex-husband, Mark Morgans.
To Be Continued.....
