by: Cynthia & Emerald J
Azure stared into her tea, her mind roaming over various options. It was very hard to make a choice like this, but it had to be done, for a variety of reasons. She glanced up when she heard her husband calling her name. "Yes?"
"You okay?" Adam wondered. "You look kind of distracted." He always looked so adorable when he was worried about her.
"Just thinking." She smiled at him. "About what to make you for dinner. Your parents have the girls and we're alone." There was a gleam to her eye that hadn't been there in a while, and she was certain he saw it. "What would you like?"
"How about lasagna?" She was fairly certain that he'd picked that since they both enjoyed it a great deal, and they usually had the ingredients for it on hand. As he started to set the table, she got to work making it, her hands working deftly to put everything together.
About halfway into the preparation, a sudden wave of dizziness swept over her. She clutched at the countertop to keep herself from falling until it passed, taking several deep breaths until she was feeling steadier on her feet. I don't think Adam noticed. Good. She hated worrying him, and this was probably nothing. She'd been under some stress lately after all. It was nothing to worry either of them.
As dinner cooked, she fished around in a drawer and pulled out to candles she handed to Adam to be placed on the table. He looked at her innocently. "So what's the occasion?" She flashed a hurt look at him, and he continued to look innocently back at her, rousing her ire.
"You honestly don't know?"
He pretended to think about it, and it was so obvious he was pretending it got on her nerves. "Adam!" She hated it when he tried to pretend to forget their anniversary.
"Yes?"
She sighed. "Nothing."
"I'm teasing you, Azure." He kissed her lightly, then helped her put dinner on the table as the timer bell rang. Once it was divided between them, they ate in silent contemplation for some time, only making minor comments on the state of the food or drink.
Once it was over with, though his plate had been virtually scoured clean, hers still had remains on it. Adam eyed it for a moment, but said nothing. Azure usually has a good appetite, but she's just not been herself. I hope nothing's wrong with her. He would've liked it if she went to check with a doctor, but he knew she could be stubborn.
Together they cleared the table off, and once it was done, she asked, "Want to sit by the fire?" That was one of their favorite past-times when they had time to do it. He nodded quickly and she smiled. "Would you go start it? I'll bring you some coffee."
As she got the hot water prepared, another wave of dizziness claimed her. She seized the counter as swiftly as she could and closed her eyes. "Damn."
This time, Adam knew something was up, if only by her expletive. "Azure?"
"Yes?"
"You okay?"
She was glad he didn't come in there to check on her himself. It made lying just a little easier. "I'm fine. I just spilled some coffee on my hand. I'll be right in there."
"Okay." She heard him poking into the fire, and the familiar sounds of the blaze crackling up. He was really good at that, which was why he was doing it. There were few things sweeter than cuddling with your beloved on a chilly winter's night beside a blazing fire. Or any kind of night, for that matter.
As his coffee steeped a little, she grabbed a bag and took a quick trip to the bathroom, changing into a long gauze nightgown once there. She made her back into the living room and sat next to him, holding the coffee she'd picked up on the way out. "Your coffee." She leaned over and gave him a deep, loving kiss as he took it. "Happy anniversary."
"Happy anniversary." They kissed longer and more deeply, then he pulled her onto his lap as her hands dived into his shoulder length dark hair, pulling a wanton moan from him.
She grinned lightly. "Always sensitive about the hair, huh?" He nodded, and she grinned, kissing him just on the hairline. "Like my new nightgown? I bought it just for tonight."
Adam nodded and she stood up and spun, the gown flowing around her like a living cloud. Azure gracefully fell into his arms and looked up at him with sparkling eyes. "I love you."
"I love you." Adam moaned softly as she began to caress him in a very intimate area, straddling his lap. She always knew just how to get him in the mood, even if he wasn't in the mood.
"I have a gift for you." She purred, leaning closer to him as she reached for a box that had been hidden. His hands slid up her back and began to stroke very slowly. She closed her eyes, doing her best not to pass out from pleasure, whispering, "Adam...your gift..."
"What?" Adam had been in the middle of enjoying an entirely different kind of gift, and he wasn't all that fond of being interrupted.
"Your gift..." Azure grabbed hold of the box and handed it to him. "Our anniversary." She knew how he could be, and they were going to get back to business quite soon. He opened up the box and smiled at the fresh shirt inside, cut and colored just perfectly to flatter him. "It spoke to me." She claimed, remembering how it had almost seemed to jump at her when she was shopping. "Wear it tomorrow?"
"Definitely." Adam promised, then fished around in his pocket and pulled out a small box to give to her. "This is for you."
She squealed in joy at the beautiful necklace he'd bought her and quickly fastened it on. It spelled out her name in crystal and gold, and sparkled in the pale lamplight. It was just perfect.
After that, they returned to what they'd been doing, celebrating their wedding night all over again. Once it was over, Azure groaned in pleasure and passed out, her eyes glazed and delighted. Adam watched her worriedly for a few moments, then slowly shook her until she began to wake up. "Azure..." I didn't think we were that enthusiastic!!
She smiled sweetly at him as her eyes opened. "Hi. You wore me out."
He blushed deeply. That was the last thing he'd expected to hear. "Sorry."
"It's okay." She leaned into him for a moment, stroking her fingers across his chest. "You know, I don't think going to the picnic with you and Christi is a wise idea for me. You go and get to know her."
Adam frowned slightly. "Are you sure?" He wasn't all that fond of hanging out with people he didn't know, especially if there was no one that he did know around.
"Yes." Azure nodded firmly. "I have some writing to do." She waited until he agreed, however reluctantly, and smiled. "I'd like you two to be friends." He nodded and she stood up carefully. "I'm going to head up to bed."
She glanced down at him, then grinned softly. Perhaps they hadn't had quite enough celebrating of their anniversary yet. There were still a few things that could be done.
Much later, with the light of dawn just starting to touch the morning sky, Azure stared at Adam as he slept, seated in the chair beside the bed. I wish I could tell him what's going on. I wish I knew what was going on. She knew that she should tell him, but the words just didn't want to come. It was rather annoying.
She glanced at the clock, then back at him. His eyes were just starting to come open. He looked as tired as she felt. Their sexcapades the night before had worn them both out, but a promise was a promise. He definitely felt better than she did, he knew. "You have one hour to get ready." She told him as he started to sit up. "Breakfast is cereal."
He blinked, clearing his mind, then nodded. "No problem. How are you feeling?"
"Tired." The word escaped her before she realized what she'd said, but he didn't appear to take any real notice of it beyond just what it meant.
"Get some sleep." Adam advised, and grinned to realize that she already was. He grabbed a quick shower and dressed, then carefully moved Azure into the bed. That's a weird bruise on her arm. He brushed his fingers against it gently. I hope I didn't hurt her or anything last night.
He would've stayed and checked for more, if he hadn't realized that he was going to be very late if he didn't get moving. We were rather enthusiastic. She probably just banged it against something hard. The multiple meanings of that phrase did not escape him as he gathered what he needed and headed out the door.
Only to run almost directly into his best friend as Billy came up, a small bundle in his arms. "Hey!" Billy grinned at him. "Your niece wanted to visit you." He frowned slightly, noticing just how alone his friend was. "Is Azure okay?"
"Yeah, just kinda tired. We celebrated our anniversary last night." Adam reminded him. Billy nodded, remembering certain anniversaries of his own.
"Want to hold her?" He offered the baby over, and Adam expertly held her, cooing down at the small child. He loved babies, and they did seem to like him back. "I'd better get back to Aura. We'll come visit once Azure's feeling better."
"See you then." Adam waved, then quickly headed out to where the picnic was going to be. By now the sun was risen, and everything looked sparkling clean in the light of morning. Sunrise picnics weren't common, but they weren't unheard of either, so he was glad he hadn't bothered to eat more than a slice of bread. He wanted to have a good appetite.
Christi waited patiently, wondering what was taking them so long. I think Azure said something about their anniversary being yesterday. I hope they're not oversleeping. She knew just how aroused and active Azure could get when she wanted to be, and with a hunk like Adam around, who wouldn't want to get as much action as possible?
Which was why she was rather surprised when Adam turned up by himself, carrying his portion of the picnic supplied. "Where's Azure?" was the first question out of her mouth, even before a greeting. But somewhere in the heartbeat before that, she realized something.
She'd thought of Adam as attractive and hunky before, but it had never really struck her until now just how truly gorgeous he was. It was almost as if he glowed with some kind of special light, something all his own. She almost didn't hear his reply when he made it.
"She's resting. She's tired and not feeling all that well."
"Oh. Sorry to hear that."
Adam settled down on the picnic spread and began to unpack things carefully. Christi eyed him as he did so, licking her lips, feeling a great well of lust rising up in her that she'd never known before. She started to lean closer to him, and was pleased when he did the same thing. Whatever she was feeling, he felt it too.
The two of them joined together with the kind of wild abandon that only wild animals and certain types of people under the influence of drugs know. It was quite a few hours before they finished, and drifted off into a comfortable snooze together.
"Adam?" Christi was the first to wake up, and stared at her erstwhile lover in shock. "Adam?" She moved apart quickly, instinctively grabbing for the wipes that she'd brought along to start cleaning herself up with.
"Hm?" He blinked slowly as he woke up, not quite realizing at first just what had happened. Then it all came crashing in on him, and he felt absolutely sick to his stomach.
"I have no idea what we just did," Christi murmured, tossing him some wipes so he could get himself tidied up. That was something of a lie; they both knew what they'd done, but not why they'd done it. It went beyond both their experiences. "Let's not tell Azure?"
Adam didn't even have to think twice about that. "Good idea. Let's eat." The picnic was still sitting out there, luckily having been made of the kinds of foods that wouldn't be harmed by sitting untended for too long. A few ants had tried to march off with some crumbs, but those could easily be spared.
Once they were done, Adam burped slightly. "That was good."
"Your wife made it." Christi reminded him with a chuckle as she began to clean things up. "Well, I'm off. Bye."
With a wave and a grin she was out of there. Adam took care of his portion of the trash and headed home, wondering just what it was that had been in the air that morning. Leftovers from last night? He wondered. He doubted it, but you could ever be too certain. Sometimes strange things just happened.
As he headed for his shower once getting back home, he heard Azure calling out to him from the bedroom. "How was it?"
Well, if that wasn't a question that could have more than one answer... "Good." That was one way to put it.
"What happened?"
He shrugged lightly. "We talked, ate, that kinda thing." There was no need to worry her. This was just a one time little thing, probably an overabundance of hormones, nothing to concern anyone about.
Azure frowned. There was just something in his eyes that told her he wasn't quite telling her everything. Nothing she could pin down, but he was not being fully honest. "What else?"
"Nothing else. What's wrong, do you think I'm lying?" He came over to look at her and she pulled him closer into what he thought was going to be a kiss, until she bit his lip. "Hey!!"
"Sorry." She didn't look too sorry as she leaned back and he settled down beside her, wanting to know just what was wrong. "Nothing." She reassured him. Something is going on. I don't know what, but something. She caught sight of a smear on his collar and looked more closely at it. "What's this? Lipstick?"
Adam glanced at it, looking just as confused as she was feeling. "I have no idea. I didn't see it there earlier." There was honest confusion in his voice, too.
"Just what happened between you two?" Azure wondered, eyeing him carefully. Adam shook his head.
"Nothing."
She looked at him for a moment, then turned her gaze out the window. She felt he was telling the truth, but he was still holding back something. It might just be something innocent, but she wasn't all that sure. And she also wasn't sure just how much she could trust him anymore.
"How is our plan going?" Robin stretched herself out in Jameson's chair, enjoying the luxury of it. This was a step up from her life before, and she didn't plan on giving it up any time soon: or at all.
"Perfectly." The commander smirked at just how perfectly it was all going. If this went just the way he wanted it to, they'd have both Chosen Rangers defeated and out of his hair for good.
"Good. If not, I would have to go down there myself and set him straight."
Jameson strolled over to her and ran a hand across her shoulder, gently caressing down her. She undid the top of her dress to permit him greater access, and gasped as he touched her everywhere he possibly could, teasing and taunting her body. "We need a bigger ship." She finally managed to gasp out.
Her lover looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "We do?" This was the first he'd heard about it.
"One with a private bridge." She slid her hands over him until they were both at a fever pitch, then grinned at him. "Someplace private, perhaps?" She purred, and he nodded. "Now, do you understand why we need a ship with one of those?"
Jameson chuckled softly in amusement. "All right. We can pick one out later." Besides, it would be nice to have a place of their own that wasn't this second hand Subcraft.
"Thank you." The two of them sashayed into their room hand in hand. Robin knew that though he truly was nasty and cruel to those who had crossed him, with her he could be the gentle person he was inside. That was why she had long since made up her mind to stay beside him.
Jameson patted her shoulders gently. "But no girly colors." He teased her. "If you pick out something in bright pink..."
"Disgusting!" She rolled her eyes. What kind of a person did he think she was, after all! "I was thinking very clean colors. Whites. Grays. And we decorate as we see fit."
He nodded in agreement. "Maybe something in a pale blue. But not too pale, mid you."
"Blood red?" Robin kissed him as she giggled, tugging him onto the bed with her.
"Maybe some of it." He kissed her deeply and arousingly everywhere possible. "Too much red is bad for you."
"Emerald green...gothic bedroom..." She gasped out as he began to get hotter and hotter and nearer and nearer to her. The two of them made hot passionate love until they were exhausted, then curled into each other for the post-sex cuddling.
Jameson did have something to show her, though. I knew this would come in handy. He pulled out a catalogue of various bases, fortresses, ships, and other things that were available for sell, ranging from thirdhand or worse to fresh off the factory lot.
"Ohh, perfect." She paged through it quickly until she spied something that was just her style and pointed it out to him. It had everything they could want, plus a few extras that they'd never thought about before. "Can we get this one?"
Jameson glanced at it, then nodded. It was well within their price range. "All right." Somehow, he'd never really thought that being an evil overlord would come with shopping for your own base. Not that he was that bothered by it, really.
"Something is wrong with the Gold Ranger," Robin mused over their latest problem as she leaned into him. She'd been doing a lot of research into this whole new world that she'd found herself in, and she found she fit into it very well. "Why don't we try attacking the defense system of her planet? If we can destroy it...they'll have to evacuate." That would leave them as stragglers and survivors: also known as easy pickings.
Jameson grinned wickedly. His random choice of sex partner had been better than he realized. "Perfect." The two of them cuddling a little closer, then drifted off to evil dreams.
A week had passed since the anniversary and Jameson and Robin's decision. They had been attacking quite frequently, doing everything they could to wear the defenses and the Gold Ranger out. Azure came into her house after another battle, exhausted and drained, but not so tired that she forgot to kiss her daughters when she came in.
"How are you?" Adam asked quietly, watching as she held onto the counter for a moment, murmuring that she was fine.
She was able to start dinner, but before everything was in the oven, she looked at him. "I'm going to go lay down." She headed off to the bedroom, but before she could have even gotten to the stairs, Adam heard a soft thunk. He ran in to see her laying on the ground, pale and unconscious, and gently did his best to get her awake again.
"What happened?" She groaned as her eyes cracked open and he asked his question. She knew what the answer was, and he wasn't going to like it. I know part of the answer...
"I passed out." She wasn't going to tell him about the dizziness, not if she could help it. I'm being stupid.
Adam eyed her carefully. "You don't look so good." He was going to insist that she see a doctor, or something. He was not going to lose her, no matter what.
Azure shook her head carefully as he helped her to a seat. "I think I'll be fine. I'm just fighting too much, that's all."
Her husband eyed her again, then shook his head. "Spirit!" In a heartbeat, the filmy embodiment of their world appeared before them. "What's wrong with Azure?"
The ghost-like woman examined her charge for a moment with all-seeing eyes. "Too much fighting."
"See!" Azure felt a surge of triumph, that quickly faded as the Spirit continued to speak.
"And she has cancer."
There was total silence for a heart wrenching moment. "I have what?" Azure stared in shock as the Spirit repeated her words. This couldn't be happening. "What kind?"
"Stomach cancer." The ghost told them. "It is not as bad as it could be, though it is bad enough. You are so tired and dizzy at times because of the Kalakian blood within you, mixed with the human blood."
Azure frowned in thought. That could explain things. Then she did a doubletake. "Wait. Did you say Kalakian blood?" The Spirit nodded calmly. "But I don't have any!"
"You do. Your grandmother is of Kalakan." The Spirit looked almost surprised that she didn't know that. Azure's eyes flashed in anger. Why wasn't she told these things?
She looked sharply at Adam. "Watch the girls." A quick teleport later, she was in front of her parents on Earth, her eyes blazing in pure fury. "Mom, Dad! Grandma is not human! I have Kalakian blood in me from her, and it's causing some weird side effects with me and the cancer running through my body! Why didn't she tell us?"
"I don't know." Her mother replied, obviously just as shocked as she was. "She's at her house now...let's go find out." Shock upon shock was registering, first that her mother, and herself by logic, were not fully of Earth, and second, that her daughter had cancer. There didn't quite seem to be enough time for her to assimilate it all.
Azure nodded briefly and the two of them headed out to the car. I probably should have just teleported right to her, but I guess I still wanted my mommy. Azure almost smiled at that, if it hadn't been for how serious things were. She watched the scenery fly by as they drove, and drifted off into a tedium and cancer-caused nap.
By the time she woke up, they were pulling up just outside her grandmother's country house. She didn't give the older woman time to do anything but open the door as she knocked loudly on it, and glared down at her. "Why didn't you tell us?" Azure asked demandingly.
"Tell you what?" Grandmother asked with a calm look to her old eyes. Azure felt very imperious as she stared down at her.
"That you are Kalakian."
The old woman shrugged. "Oh, that. Well, come on in. I suppose I should tell you everything."
"So what else haven't you told us?" Her daughter asked as they entered, the door closing behind them. She wasn't feeling quite the same sense of outrage that Azure was, but she was still annoyed.
Her mother shrugged again, quite casually, as if this happened every day. "Aura is your niece. Neras was your older brother. Your father and I thought that bringing you here was for the best. It was the only way to keep you safe at the time. You were so happy here. So are Azure and Aura. Or they were, once.
"But you should have told us!" Azure declared. Grandma didn't look that ashamed of what she'd done.
"I was hoping I wouldn't have to. That you'd never need to know."
Azure stalked a little closer. "I have cancer, that is not..." She shivered as the room began to dance and spin about her, and she tried her best to get her message across. "The cancer is getting worse due to my Kalakian blood." That was all she managed to say before passing out almost literally into her mother's arms.
"I've got to take her to the hospital." The older woman declared worriedly, looking at her child's pale and wan face.
"Is that wise? They might find out she isn't totally human." Grandmother wondered. Of course, they hadn't so far, but Azure had never really been in there for anything like this.
Her daughter just glared at her. "Do you happen to have any better ideas?"
"The Spirit of her world." Grandmother knew quite well about the bond between a Chosen Ranger and their world. The Spirit of New Kalakan could do so much more for her than anyone else could.
The Spirit wasted no time arriving either. "Rest her in my arms. I will take her to the hospital on New Kalakan. Do you wish to come with me?" They both nodded, and in a flicker, they were all there.
The two older women paced back and forth nervously for some time in the waiting room there, until the doctor that had taken Azure came out. "She's resting." He reported. "I'm going to admit her for a while, she needs rest and to undergo treatment to see if we can get the cancer into remission."
The Spirit nodded slowly; she had waited just as much as the other two had. "This is not a good time for this to happen. I must choose an Avatar for her. Someone to hold her power when she cannot, and when she can, that person will have their own lesser powers. A sort of partner and aide. I believe Adam will do for now. If he agrees."
As the Spirit faded away, the doctor turned to the two older women. "You can go see her if you like. She is awake."
Jessica Robinson nodded briefly and headed in to the indicated room. Azure looked up as she came in and smiled softly. "Where is the Spirit?" She asked as soon as her mom was in there.
"She went to talk to Adam, I believe." Jessica told her. Azure nodded, frowning slightly in concern.
"About me?"
"I think so."
Azure sighed; the last thing she wanted was to be a bother of any kind. She carefully struggled to sit up, breaking out into a cold sweat as she did so. Such a simple exercise, and she had such trouble with it.
"How are you feeling?" The standard question of anyone who was in a hospital. She had the feeling she was going to hear it a lot more before it finally was silenced.
"Tired." She did her best to get out of the bed, and caught a warning look from her mother. "I gotta use the bathroom!" Moms beings moms, she quickly got the help she needed, and was soon back in the bed, sitting on the edge as Adam came running in.
"You should be in bed." Was the first thing out of his mouth after the obligatory greeting. Azure rolled her eyes.
"I am." She indicated the fact she was seated on the bed and he shook his head.
"Flat in bed." He was going to be being that way about things. Annoying.
"I had to use the bathroom." She carefully got herself laying down in bed and then noticed something around his neck. "Adam? What's that?"
He glanced down at the duplicate of her necklace and touched it lightly. "The Spirit gave it to me. I'm going to be filling in for you while you're sick."
"Oh." She really wasn't certain of how to take that at the moment. She let herself drift for a while, not really thinking about anything. There wasn't anything she could do about it anyway. Then something occurred to her. "Who is with the girls?"
"Don't worry." He smiled reassuringly at her. "I got a baby-sitter for them." She couldn't possibly think that he would leave them unattended!
"Oh." She supposed she should have expected that. "Why don't you go home with them? There's not much you can do for me tonight." She squeezed his hand a little, then looked over at her mom and grandma. "I think you two might want to talk to Aura. And Grandma...don't keep secrets like that from us anymore? Okay?"
Grandma peeked in over her daughter's shoulder and smiled. "Okay." There weren't anymore she knew of that she was keeping anyway.
As Azure fell asleep, Adam went back home, still worried about his wife. Cancer. New Kalakian medicine is good, but is it that good? He didn't know, and the thought was terrifying.
"Daddy?" It was Katia. He paused by the girls' bedroom and looked in. His older daughter was awake, her sister asleep in her own bed. "Where is Mommy?"
Adam smiled a bit weakly. "She's in the hospital for a while. Resting."
"Why?"
"She's not feeling well." Adam had no real idea on how to explain this kind of thing to her.
"Why?"
It looked as if he might have to anyway, though. "She's got a disease." He explained stomach cancer the best that he could to her, and she nodded slowly, though he didn't think she really understood. "Come on, baby, time for bed." He tucked her in carefully and she blinked at him.
"I miss Mommy. She reads the best stories."
Adam blinked a little, glancing over at the piles of books by the beds. "I'll read you a story." Anything for his girls.
Katia giggled. "No offense, but you're not good at telling stories." Daddy could do a lot of things, but this wasn't one of them.
"Sorry." Adam grinned at her briefly and Katia giggled.
"It's okay. Not everyone is. Anyway, Jeni is the one who really likes them. And she's asleep." Katia curled up the best she could and was asleep in moments herself.
Adam quietly closed the door behind him and crossed over to the living room, where his baby-sitter and father in law was fast asleep on the couch. He'd barely stepped into the room before Frank Robinson woke, however. "How is Azure?"
"Resting right now. I'm going back to see her tomorrow." Adam told him. Frank nodded acceptingly.
"I'll watch the girls. You go get some sleep." He didn't mind taking care of his grandchildren at all. Besides, how often would he get a chance to go off-planet.
"You too." Adam told him, then headed on up to bed. It was going to be a lonely night.
Billy hummed as he read over a term paper and graded it carefully. He heard the door open and shut, and knew there was only one person who that could be. "You look so cute doing that." Aura told him as she watched. He patted the couch, wanting her to sit beside him, but didn't look up from the paper just yet.
"My dad called earlier." Aura told him. He could hear something odd in her voice as she said it. That was already putting him on alert. Aura never reacted like that to just anything.
"What did he want?"
"Azure's sick."
"From the tone in your voice, it's not a cold." Billy put the paper down and turned to look at her. Aura shook her head quietly, fighting back the tears from her winter-gray eyes.
"She's got cancer."
As she told him all that her dad had told her, he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, feeling her shiver a little beneath him. "We'll go see her tomorrow, first thing. I'll call off. We can wait until morning to tell the kids, though." She nodded and leaned into him even more. She could face this on her own, if she had to, he knew. He was going to make sure she didn't have to. "Was that all she said, that he had cancer?"
Aura shook her head, remembering the rest of the conversation. That had been something amazing. As she told him what had happened, Billy blinked in surprise. "Your sister is your cousin?"
"I'm trying not to think about it too hard."
He chuckled softly. "Your family tree is confusing." She grinned faintly at him.
"Try living it instead of just hearing about it."
Billy tweaked her nose gently. "I am, remember? I married you." He kissed her lightly. "But how does it make you feel?"
"Confused."
He grinned. "Glad I'm not the only one. She'll be fine, Aura. You can go visit her now, you know. Visiting hours won't end for another three hours."
The bright smile that lit her face was all the reward he needed for that, though the two kisses she bestowed before leaving didn't hurt at all. He loved having such an affectionate person in his life.
Aura hurried for New Kalakan and the hospital as swiftly as she could, and quite soon was settled in the chair beside her. Azure's eyes fluttered a little, and then opened, focusing on her. "What are you doing here?" She asked her elder sister...cousin...whatever.
"Came to see you." Aura replied. That was a no-brainer.
Azure smiled a bit as Aura got as comfortable as she could. "They told you?" Aura nodded and Azure sighed a bit. "I didn't even know today. It's...so weird. So many blows in one day. First the cancer, then that I'm actually your cousin, not to mention the fighting has been too much here, recently. And now Adam is holding onto my powers until I get well. It's just too much."
Aura patted her hand lightly. "You need to adjust, that's all. You'll make it. I know you will." She tucked her sister in a bit better and watched as Azure slowly cried herself to sleep, doing what comforting she could for that. I wish there was something I could do. Anything. Healing had never been something she was good at, though. Especially things like this.
It was far too soon, though almost late by hospital hours, when a nurse came in and told her it was time to leave. "I'll come back tomorrow," Aura whispered to her sleeping sister, then headed out.
Behind her, the nurse pulled a hypodermic needle out of her pocket and carefully slid it's contents into Azure, making certain that no one saw her. Once it was done, she quietly left. As soon as she was out of sight, a ripple of energy flickered over her, and Robin teleported back to the new ship, just recently delivered. "It's done. She'll be in a coma by morning, and will see everything her husband does."
Jameson grinned at her from the new featherbed. "Perfect." This would definitely ruin everything that those stupid Rangers had tried to accomplish. He tugged Robin over to him and kissed her lightly.
"I like this ship." She murmured, leaning into him as he agreed quietly. It was everything she'd ever wanted. She sneezed briefly, then frowned. "I think I might be sick...either that, or allergies. I don't know to what, though."
Jameson shrugged, tugging her even closer. "Don't worry about it. It's not important. I can whip you up a cure later." He nibbled her ear lightly, and soon the two of them were once more in dark slumber.
Azure was lightly asleep the next morning when Adam came into the room. She smiled at him as she sat up quite carefully. "Hi. I'm feeling a little stronger. Which they say will change. I start my treatments today." She shuddered at the thought. "I will be sick a lot." She picked a bit at the blanket covering her. "If you don't visit me that much, I'll understand."
Adam just smiled at her as he sat down. "I'll come as often as I can." He loved her, and he wasn't going to avoid her just because she was sick.
She leaned back into the pillows. "Can you bring me some stuff from home?"
"Sure. What do you want?"
"Nightgowns and slippers. My robe." She though over a few other things that could come in handy, and that she wanted to do or have done. "We might want to tell your parents. They may want to watch the girls once in a while. Also, if things get too bad, I want them on Earth, okay?" Earth had a lot longer history of battle resistance than New Kalakan did, and she wasn't going to take any chances. She leaned back, rubbing her temples lightly. "Shouldn't you be at work?" She wasn't upset; but she didn't want to risk him losing his job because of her.
"I got the day off." Adam told her. Azure was surprised; that wasn't really like his boss.
"You didn't have to. I'm sure Aura would've come back." The hard part would have been keeping her from doing so.
"She came?"
Azure nodded. "Last night. I slept through most of it. She came in while I was asleep." She took his hand gently and stroked it the best she could with various IVs in her. "So, what are your plans for today?"
"Staying with you while I can." He told her. Azure shook her head at once.
"Not all day." She wasn't going to condemn anyone to sitting beside her for so long, especially with how often she tended to fall asleep now. "Who is with the girls."
"Your dad." Adam responded at once. "He wants to take care of him as much as he can while this is happening."
Azure nodded slowly, then looked at him out of the corner of one eye. "So...this is awkward."
"I know." Adam smiled a touch. "I always have trouble talking to someone in a hospital. It's weird."
"You'd think that we would've gotten used to it with me!" Azure chuckled, and Adam grinned a little. Her good humor didn't last long, however. "I hate this! I hate you not knowing how to talk to me about this, and I hate myself for the same reason!"
Adam sighed; he wasn't too thrilled at this himself. "Maybe if we knew more about it. I can do some research."
"Or we could ask the doctor?" Azure suggested, then thought again. "Then again, Earth libraries would have more information, and you could stop by Christi's and let her know that I won't be around much for a while. Your choice."
Adam thought for a moment, then nodded. "I'll check the Earth libraries soon. I'm more familiar with them, anyway."
Azure nodded, leaning back into her pillows as her eyes drifted shut. Odd and disturbing visions of Jameson wandered through her head as she began to doze off. Adam watched her for a few moments, then kissed her lightly on the lips, and slipped away.
Christi's eyes lit up as she saw Adam coming towards her, and she squirmed a little in her porch chair. Every time he'd come over for a visit in the past week, she'd gotten more aroused, and more sex, than she could remember having in the rest of her life. As he drew closer, she saw him shivering a little as he looked at her.
"Something wrong?" She asked, coming over to give him a hug. She wasn't really expecting anything bad; what could happen when life was so perfect?
"Azure's got cancer." He said calmly and sadly, then filled her in on what else had been happening since the last time they'd seen each other.
"How sad." She licked his neck lightly as she started to stroke on him. It wasn't so bad, wanting him to forget his problems, at least for a little while, was it? Of course not. "How is she doing?"
Adam let her lead him inside and close the door behind the two of them. "It's hard to say. They haven't had a chance to do much testing yet."
After that, as they both got naked and in bed, they didn't really think that much about Azure or what might be happening to her.
"Sir!" Robin stared down at Earth through the viewscreen, then looked over at Jameson in concern. "Did you give me the right bottle? She's not in a coma!"
Jameson frowned darkly. His potions never failed. Ever. "Let me see the bottle I gave you." She tossed it over and he read the label carefully, then sniffed the scent.
"What is it?"
"Dominus." He murmured the name of it quietly. It was a good potion, it just wasn't what he'd wanted to use. He must not have been paying proper attention when he had given it to Robin.
His consort considered briefly. "That makes someone your slave." He nodded in agreement, and she smirked. "This is even better! She becomes your slave, and destroys the Rangers, and New Kalakan and Earth! Her sister won't fight her!"
They both cackled a bit over that, and Robin grinned darkly. "And you can have her way with her too. Shall I go and give her your instructions? Hurry up and get well?"
Jameson thought for a moment, then pulled out a potion from his supply, checking to make certain it was the one that he wanted. "Give this one to her. It'll make certain the treatments she gets work better and increase her chances of survival a great deal."
Robin nodded, then chuckled. "Just thought something very interesting. We tell them the truth on what this does? Amber Ranger will owe you a big one for saving her sister! You'll have something on her that no one else ever has!"
The dark overlord smirked in agreement, giving his permission, then leaned back as Robin vanished. Things were not quite working out as he'd planned: they were even better.
"Hello, Amber Ranger." Aura's head snapped up at that, and she saw a strange woman standing there with a bottle of something in her hand. "This will help your sister."
Aura's eyes narrowed at once. She didn't trust just anyone off the streets. "Who are you and why do you want to help her?"
"Who I am is not important. Just this is important. Your sister is more important alive than dead. May I?"
There wasn't really much Aura could say to that. She loved her sister, and there was very little she wouldn't do to help her. "All right." She watched as the stranger injected whatever was in there in Azure, and hoped that she was making the right choice. "At least let me know your name."
"Robin." The other woman said with a faint smirk. "I serve Jameson."
Aura's eyes flashed as Robin vanished, and she stared over at her sister in shock. What the hell was I thinking? If that was poison...I'm going to kill them both with my bare hands!!
She was even more shocked, however, when she saw color returning to Azure's cheeks, and her eyes opened a few moments later. Aura could scarcely believe her eyes. "Feeling better?" The Amber Ranger asked quietly.
"Yes." Azure blinked; she felt very much better. Her mind was clear and there wasn't any pain at all. It was like a miracle! "When did you come?"
Aura smiled a little. "A little while ago." She wasn't really inclined to believe that whatever this Robin had done, it was totally out of good will or anything like that. No, there'd be a price. She just hoped it wasn't too much to pay.
"Where is Adam?" Azure wondered, glancing around curiously. It wasn't like him to spend more time than he had to away from her. Aura shrugged a bit.
"I don't know, I haven't seen him this morning. He'll probably come by later." That was an understatement. There was no way in hell he'd miss seeing Azure for at least a little while every day.
Azure nodded and yawned, feeling tired. With her sister to guard her sleep, she felt no fear about drifting off again. She probably would have even if she'd been alone, that's how tired she was.
Aura looked up a few moments later as Adam came in, his shirt untucked and looking a bit frowzy. As he came over to Azure, she couldn't help but smile. The signs of good health returning were unmistakable. "She's going to be okay."
Adam nodded as he sat and took her hand. "Who was that in here with you a couple of minutes ago?" He'd heard voices, but one of them clearly hadn't been Azure's or Aura's.
"I'm not really sure." Aura told him what had happened and he swore briefly.
"He had better not think any of us owes him anything!"
Aura shrugged lightly. "He will. I know how they think." She'd been controlled by evil enough times to know, and knew that Tommy would agree with her.
Adam growled softly, "We don't owe him a thing!" He wouldn't let this bastard get away with this! The healing he was grateful for, but not if Jameson was going to try and wrench things out of them! That was just another form of hostage taking! He glanced at Aura for a moment. "Can you leave us alone?"
He waited until the door had closed behind her, then sighed, staring down at Azure. "I screwed up. I've been doing that a lot." He wanted to come clean, but it was rather sad the only time he could do it was when his wife was virtually on her deathbed.
"Adam?" Azure's eyes were partially open. "What did you do? How did you screw up?"
He shook his head quickly. This wasn't what he'd had in mind. Not at all. "I'd rather not say."
"Please..." She looked at him, wondering if this had anything to do with the picnic with Christi. "Why did you tell me that you screwed up if you won't tell me how you screwed up?"
He held out a hand placatingly to her. "Azure..."
"Don't you 'Azure' me! If you won't tell me, then you can just leave!"
Adam sighed. "Azure, it's nothing I can just say. It has to be the right time." And now most definitely wasn't it.
"Right time." She looked firmly at him. "Are you having an affair?"
"No!" He shook his head violently. He wasn't entirely certain what to call what was going on other than 'fucking weird'. In every way that could be taken. "I love you!"
They both looked up as the doctor came over to her, and Azure sighed a bit. "Here for more tests?"
"That's right." He did things she had no names for, but that was mainly because she wasn't a doctor herself. "The results won't be in for a couple of days." He told her. "But I'll tell you as soon as I can."
They exchanged a couple of pleasantries, and the doctor left to do whatever doctors did when they weren't testing patients in weird ways. Azure looked to where Adam was watching her quietly. "Please?"
"Not yet." He sighed. "But I will. I will tell you, I promise. I just don't know when yet."
She eyed him untrustingly. "Do you have a time frame?" He shook his head and she looked away. "When you do, let me know." She wasn't overly fond of secrets right now, especially not ones that he was keeping from her. She stared out the window for a few moments, feeling his presence behind her. "Why don't you just go home?"
"Because I want to be here with you!" He said it as if there was nothing else he could do. She wasn't that interested, however.
"Just go!"
He left.
Two weeks had passed. Azure was feeling far better than she'd ever expected to feel this soon. The cancer was in remission, and she felt healthier and livelier than she could ever remember feeling before. I'm going to surprise Adam. She grinned to herself as she crept into her parents-in-laws house. Adam had told her he was going to house-sit for them, since no one was expecting her out for at least another week, and they were taking their grandkids to Disneyland.
She could hear some noises coming from upstairs, so it was there she went, expecting to find him showering or something like that. "Something like that" was not quite how it could be described.
He and Christi, both naked, Christi's hands tied to the headboard, while Adam ravished her deliciously, both obviously quite willing from the way they were moaning each other's names.
A startled gasp gave her away, and the three of them stared at each other in obvious shock and startlement. Azure wanted to run, but she couldn't bring herself to move, no matter what. Adam called her name a few times, but until he started over to her, she couldn't move.
She slapped him as hard as he could as he reached for her, fury etched in her every move. "Don't bother coming back. I'll be by to get the kids when your parents come home."
"Azure, we have to explain!" Adam burst out. Azure shook her head swiftly.
"No, you don't! You were in bed screwing my former friend. What is there to explain? You told me you weren't having an affair! You lied to me!"
Adam stumbled over himself trying to speak, and Azure changed her mind. "You know what, explain. Explain away." She crossed her arms. "What possible reason could you have for screwing her?"
"I don't know!" He finally burst out. "That's what's so weird!"
"Try me." She said with a scoffing laugh. Adam stared at her helplessly.
"No, I'm serious. Whenever Christi and I aren't around each other, I just think of her as a friend. If I think about her at all. But when we get together..." He shook his head, and she started out. "I know you don't believe me. But that's why I couldn't tell you before. I was hoping to find an answer for it before I said anything."
She glared at him in fury. "Did you have to keep doing it? Couldn't you ask Zordon or the Spirit?"
"Do you have to keep yelling?"
"Yes!" She screeched. "I am pissed off! I yell when I am pissed off!"
He sighed. "If you must know, I did ask them. They're still looking into what's going on. Christi came by without telling me she was coming earlier, and it happened again."
"Until they find out what's going on, don't bother coming to see me." Azure said flatly. She hardly waited for his acknowledgment before sweeping out of the house.
All was silent for a few moments, then he felt Christi standing behind him, having worked herself free. "Zordon? Spirit?"
"Friends." He said sadly. "I can't tell you anymore, not without asking them." He was doing his best not to touch her or look at her. He didn't think he could control himself."
Christi couldn't control herself at all. She laid a hand on his shoulder, and the two of them wound up in a tight liplock. As they moved apart, she asked, "Let me talk to Azure?"
"I don't think she wants to talk right now."
The woman nodded understandingly. "Do you want to talk? Or do you want to do something else?"
Adam sighed. "Let's give it some time." He wasn't entirely certain of what she was asking, or what his answer meant, and he didn't really care right now either. Christi nodded quietly.
"I'll go." She was gone in only a few moments, and he sighed. What a rotten day.