Author's note: There were a few things I wanted to say.
Golden Arrow: Ty for the r&R. As for not seeing where this is going, just stick around and find out. *smirks*
crazy4nc128: Ty for the review, I tried to give two of the old and new a little bonding time in this chapter and the next few might surve as just the ticket.
Chapter 15 Pink to Pink
"Hey doc, how you doing?" Dana looked up to see her successor standing in the doorway looking both hesitant and concerned.
"I'm fine, just filling out some information on Hollie's chart." Dana told her wondering what she wanted. She'd not known the girl but she looked a little lost and uncertain too.
"We were pretty lucky weren't we?" Marie asked and the doctor nodded. Marie could see she was busy but she wanted to know the woman who even in pain could still treat patients. She just seemed so much larger than life. Marie wondered how she could seem like that and yet be a real person.
"Luck has nothing to do with what happened today." Dana said putting down her file. She could remember first being a ranger, she'd felt so nervous, inadequate, it had been Angela who'd helped her and now Dana knew that it fell to her. "Between Brian's know-how and your speed she'll be fine and so…"
"Doc, did you ever have that happen when you guys were rangers?" Marie asked moving to sit on the edge of the desk.
"Yes, Kelsey got herself caught in a back draft." Dana said remembering her first ranger related emergency. It had been too, most other injuries both ranger and otherwise had been easy to treat. Still when she'd ha to help Kelsey she'd…
"Ouch." Marie winced seeing the distance come into the older woman's eyes.
"That's what Kelsey said when she came around in the hospital." Dana laughed at the memory as she came fully back to the present.
"You were there?" Marie asked a brow raised in surprise.
"Yes, I'd been the one to bring her in." Dana told her glancing back at her work and then up at the brunette perched on the edge of the desk.
"Can I ask you something?" Marie asked slowly and Dana studied her a moment.
"Hmm?" The doctor asked.
"When you were in root were you scared?" Marie asked and fro the frown on her face Dana knew that the younger girl was afraid she'd done something wrong. Didn't she know that everyone was scared from time to time? Heaven's, Dana thought, she still had nightmares about the time when she'd been a ranger, her time on the ledge and never seeing Carter again. That scared her most of all.
"Terrified." Dana said at last.
"And you did it." Marie said sounding as if that made her feel a little better. Dana really hoped so; she knew how hard it could be to have so much responsibility thrust into her lap at such a young age. Then something hit her and Dana asked.
"Marie, when you were a kid what did you want to do?"
"Besides be an astronaut?" The pink clad girl asked shifting thoughtfully and Dana laughed.
"Yeah, besides that."
"I wanted to help people." Marie said thoughtfully, and it was true, growing up that's all she'd ever wanted, to make people happy and healthy.
"And now?" Dana asked brushed a stray curl from her face.
"I want to help people." Marie said thoughtfully.
"And you do." Dana smiled toying with a slim gold chain she wore around her wrist. "Marie, when we're meant to do something it just comes naturally. No matter how scared or how young we are."
"Is that how you became a ranger?" At that question Dana felt a Sharpe pain in her heart. She could remember her father asking her and she forced herself to go on.
"No, actually my father trained me for my entire life."
"Was it hard knowing it was what you had to do?" Marie couldn't imagine knowing she was being trained to save the world. She couldn't imagine her father ever caring that much. No, Bert never cared about anyone but Bert.
"Why don't we talk about this over dinner, I have some things to finish up here and I'm sure the captains will want a word with you guys." Dana said after seeing the rueful look on Marie's face. This girl had something on her mind. Dana knew the feeling and also knew people need people.
"Ok." Marie said and then getting up she headed for the door. Then she turned to call. "And doc?" She called.
"Hmm?" Dana asked looking back over her shoulder.
"Thanks." Marie gave her a smile and was gone.
"For what?" Dana called after her.
"Just being you." The other girl called back as the door shut.
***
Carter Listened to Ryan lecturing the new rangers and felt a pity for them, they were still so wet behind the ears and he was already giving them hell. Not that his father hadn't but at least the captain had been more understanding. Carter wondered why his partner was now being so harsh and then he noticed that Marie although paying attention, was off in her own little world. He wondered what she was thinking. He'd seen her go into Dana's office and wondered what they'd talked about. He'd have to asked his girlfriend. For now though he had to calm Ryan down and yet impress upon the new team the importance of the current situation.
"Ryan, I think it's time to show them the tapes."
"The tapes?" Ryan asked confused.
"The ones of our mistakes." Joel spoke up for the first time.
"Oh yes right." Ryan nodded grimly and went to get them. Within seconds it was time.
Sitting there Marie watched as Dana and her team fought monsters, were attacked and the blue ranger missed a mark and went down hard.
"He should have been ready." Chad said frowning.
"And watch." Captain Grayson said as the shot of Kelsey and the back draft was displayed.
"She could have been killed." Chris said and Brian nodded.
"She didn't check first." Brian said shaking his head.
"Yes, and for that she nearly died." Joel put in.
"Then there's…" the view of the time when Carter's morpher had given them away in the tomb.
"They could have killed you." Marie gasped at the scene before them.
"Yes, and today Hollie made a mistake that could have killed her. Your job as rangers is not only to fight evil but to protect each other." Captain Grayson said grimly.
"How could we have?" Brent asked frowning. Hadn't they done everything they could have?
"Well, true in that situation you did what you could but in the futures you must be more careful." Captain Mitchell agreed grimly.
***
"Listen I'm sorry for being so annoying with all of my questions." Marie said as she and Dana sat down to dinner in the galley.
"Marie we're all rangers." The elder woman said quietly and Marie smiled, it was true, they were all rangers. "Rangers stick together."
"Right." The brunette smiled.
"Hey guys mind if I join you two?" Both looked up to find the head of lightspeed looking at them hopefully.
"No, not at all." Marie saw the doctor's pretty smile. So she did like him, she'd thought so the night he'd come back from whatever mission he'd been on. But then she'd not been all that sure.
"So can I take this to mean you saved them from Ryan's Rath?" Dana asked with a smile for her boyfriend, she thought that sounded really cute, she'd never had a boyfriend. She'd always been too busy with work or school and now…
"It was tough but I managed." He smiled at the look in Dana's eyes, it was so warm and… Loving? He felt his heart speed up a bit and wondered how things could change so fast; they'd gone from friendship to…
"Yeah, he distracted him." Marie said breaking into Carter's musings. He took in her pretty face and thought she'd make a good match for his successor. They were from all indications a lot like he and Dana.
"He did…" Dana fairly burst out laughing, there had been a time when he'd have been the one giving the lecture.
"Hmm, he got us to watch the ranger follies." Marie told her taking a bite of her tuna salad.
"Excuse me?" Dana asked looking from Marie to Carter show shrugged.
"The tape your father made of all of us." Carter explained adding when he saw the sad look come into Dana's eyes. "Our mistakes."
"Oh, I forgot he made that." She looked down into her tea cup. She remembered a lot of things, his stern lectures, and his heart and…
"Hey, you ok?" Marie caught the look in the doctor's eyes as well.
"Yeah," Dana managed a little smile; she could see her father though, lecturing them as the video feed back replayed over the monitor in rescue ops.
"Listen I can see I'm in the way here so…' Marie said starting to get up, she'd obviously said something wrong, she didn't want to hurt her predecessor she was so nice.
"No, no I'm glad your hear, we can finish what we were talking about." Dana said catching the girl's arm before she could go anywhere.
"And that was?" Carter asked as Marie sat back down.
"Carter…' Dana began but Marie just smiled and shook her head.
"It's ok, I was just curious about her experiences as a ranger." Marie explained.
"Oh, well, she's got a whole truck full of those." He smiled, they all did.
"Actually I bet you all do." Carter wondered if she could read minds.
"True." Dana said oblivious to Carter's thoughts. "You know, it might be fun if…' she began slowly.
"What?" Carter asked and Marie thought these to didn't look like two high ranking military officials but young adults in love.
"What if they come with us tomorrow?" Dana asked and Carter saw the light in her eyes and was glad the shadows were gone.
"Tomorrow?" Marie asked and Carter tried to figure out what she was talking about.
"We're going sailing with Chad, the ex-blue ranger." Dana explained and gave Carter a duh look.
"Oh," Marie said and she wondered how the twelve of hem could do that, their weren't too many cruisers that large. Not to mention, why? True they were all rangers but…
Carter said thoughtfully. Maybe she had something there, and then they could all get to know each other and maybe do a little one on one bonding. But would Chad or Kelsey feeling like doing something like that. Still there was the light the very idea brought to Dana's eyes.
"That might um be a good idea but I'll have to call and see if they'd be up for that."
"Ok," Dana agreed.
"Hey Chad, Dana and I were just talking and…" Carter said into his red cell phone.
Dana noticed then how Marie was casting covert looks over at the young man a table over. He wasn't bad looking she noticed, although Carter was better but still Marie had good taste, red rangers made for good catches.
"He's cute." She called in a stage whisper to the new pink ranger.
"Hmm?" Marie glanced over at the doctor and saw the knowing sparkle in the other girl's eyes and blushed slightly. She'd not realized her curiosity was noticeable.
"Brian." Dana smiled and Marie's color deepened. Oh yes, she had her number.
"Oh, um yeah." Marie fumbled what could she say?
"Oh so that's the way the cookie crumbles." Dana smirked knowingly. But then she'd felt the same about Carter for as long as she could remember. Now he was hers and… It was a pang, not in her heart but in her back. She had probably done too much in treating Hollie earlier. Taking deep breath she shifted and couldn't help the wince.
"Doc are you ok?" Marie asked seeing the pain flash across her face.
"Oh… Yeah." Dana let out the breath. "My back's just…'
"Come on why don't we get you back to your room." Marie said getting up and moving to help the other woman up.
"No, no I'm good." Dana argued though her back still ached.
"Hey just talked to Chad and Kelsey, everything's cool." Carter said and Dana smiled a little.
"It is?" Marie didn't know what to say or think, they didn't even know them and yet they were being invited sailing with them?
"Yes." Carter smiled at Dana and then noticed her pained expression. "Dana are you ok?"
"I…" She began and felt another stinging pain.
"She's fine." Marie put in.
"Good, maybe you should go to bed early tonight since tomorrow's going to be a big day. Carter suggested and she rolled her eyes like a child being told to do homework.
"What are you two ganging up on me?" Dana forced levity into her voice.
"No, not at all." Carter said quickly.
"I wonder." Dana made a little pouting face.
"I'm going to go look in on Hollie." Marie said and the captain nodded absently as he tried to convince Dana to go to bed.
"Look you've had a long day and your still healing." He reasoned.
"Carter, we're about to wage another war, there's really not the time…" She argued, knowing she'd already gotten too far behind.
"Well, since I gave on the idea of the new team to come tomorrow you can give on this." He edged.
"But Carter…" She began but his kiss cut her off.
"Hey, no fair." She yelped when he finally broke the kiss and began to carry her from the room. She couldn't believe he'd lifted her so smoothly, not even wincing at her 5FT 8in.
"Who said life was fair?" He smirked at her as he headed for the door.
"But Carter everyone will talk and…" She looked at her hands even as she yearned to wrap them around his neck.
"Well then, I'll just have to fix that." He said, sitting her on her feet and dropping to his knees.
"Carter?" She asked wondering what in heavens name he was up to.
"Dana Anne Mitchell, I know we haven't been dating all that long but will you marry me?" The question had the power of a blaster, cutting off all sound.
"Carter…' She breathed, had he just done this? Was he serious? But then she knew that he was, by the heart felt look in his blue eyes.
"Say yes!" Joel shouted and Dana blushed, how could he be asking her this? They'd been dating like three days and… but then she'd loved him for so long…
"Yeah you two are perfect together!" Brent shouted and found Angela glaring at him, as she was her own husband.
"I…" What could she say? How could they just get married? How could they add this to everything? He didn't even know about the nightmares… He didn't know about… She felt the tears welling up, the panic… She loved him but… "I can't…"
TBC
***
A bit of a shocker don't you think?