Chapter 8 Love can make all the difference
The dining room of the Mitchell house was silent in the wake of the slamming apartment door. The seven remaining people gathered around the table just looked at one another. It was odd but what could any of them say or do?
"She's right." Angela said slowly looking to Chad who shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"I didn't know what to say." Chad defended his own actions.
"You shouldn't have been afraid, but then it's like the trust we shared as rangers evaporated when we took off our morphers." All eyes went to the sky cowboy who had been watching and now understood. He knew Dana and Chad were both rite.
"Yeah, Dana had so little real happiness in the last few years, she just wants those she cares about to be happy." The deep groggy voice came from the speaker phone. All eyes went to it and Kelsey frowned.
"Sir?" She asked.
"She didn't exactly have it easy in high school, training all of the time didn't give her much time for a social life." "She missed out on things like extra curricular activities, dances and sports. I knew she was unhappy but she had to be ready when the demons attacked. I was afraid even if she didn't become a ranger that she'd get caught in one of the attacks and after losing Ryan…" The captain said sounding more and more weary as the words poured from him.
"And she never complained?" Chad asked frowning at the phone.
"No, she just wants his approval." Carter told them all.
"Yeah, she does whatever she can to win it." Ryan nodded thinking of how hard she'd trained even after he'd joined the team. "She's just been so unhappy lately." He said quietly looking at his forgotten plate as if not seeing it at all but something in the past. "She's been pushing everything so hard; I thought I thought it might do her good to see everyone again."
"And we mess it all up." Arena said looking at her boyfriend beside her at the table. Chad just shook his head.
"We couldn't have known."
"That's not the point, you accused her of hurting everyone but she didn't, she just wanted us back together."
Slowly as those words sank in Angela got up and she and Joel began to clear the table. Kelsey headed from the room. She couldn't believe that so much had happen. She just didn't know what to say or do about anything.
"Kelse?" The yellow clad girl looked up from where she was rearranging the tree to find her one time best pal standing a few feet away. She frowned slightly taking in his unease and wondered what he wanted.
"Yeah?" She asked and he moved to kneel beside her.
"I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings." He said quietly and she frowned, hurt…It wasn't' him, it was just that she'd not thought Dana would play match maker with her. Then too had been that initial hurt. Now though she couldn't lie about the rest either.
"Oh, well you know it's funny, I got to thinking about it and you really didn't. Yeah I thought there was more than friendship between us but you know it was transference."
"For Ryan?" Chad asked knowingly.
"Yeah. He was always so unobtainable, but you weren't. You were always right there." She shook her head thinking of that afternoon and now with the muck she'd made of it all would he ever speak to her again?
"Makes sense sort of." Chad's words pulled her back to the present.
"Yeah." She mumbled.
***
Kelsey moved to help but then when she saw Ryan had gone she frowned,
***
"Dana?" Carter called as he stepped outside onto the front porch. He scanned the little shelter but didn't see anything. Frowning slightly he headed to the steps and looked around first the empty yard and then the sidewalk before the house.
When he didn't see her he wondered where else she'd go and then he thought a long minute, if he were Dana and really upset where would he be?"
Then he trotted down the steps and headed for the back yard. When he spotted Dana she was coming towards him, not looking at the ground.
***
"Feeling better?" Carter asked as he rose from the spot
"Carter? Shouldn't you be back inside with the others or something?" Dana asked surprised to see him outside.
"Hey, if I wanted to be back in there I would. But I needed some air." He shrugged.
"So you mad at me too?" She asked looking at him then.
"No, why would I? Dana, I know what you wanted and I understand how you felt after we retired." He said slowly. I felt that way whenever I took the time to relax. It's one of the reasons I kept myself so busy.
"It was?" She asked and then wondered why he was saying this now, so much had happened to night. "Well, in any event I'm sorry things got so messed up." She said as he pulled o opened the front door.
"Carter look around you," Dana waved a hand towards the living room. " Kel's pissed, Ryan looks lost, Chad's upset and Arena is uncomfortable..."She said but he shook his head.
"Dana, maybe you should have a new look." He said and then he pointed to where Arena, Ryan, Angela and Joel were talking.
"Oh, they're happy." Dana said frowning slightly, when had all of this happened? They'd all been so upset… Hadn't they?
"Yep and look over there." He said and his breath fanned her ear as he leaned over to point to where Chad and Kelsey were once again talking, as if they'd never been apart.
"Wow." Dana felt her spirits lifting slightly. "It wasn't' a total loss.
"Yep." Carter smiled and Dana headed into the kitchen to find al of the dishes loading the washer, the sound of its humming and werring filling the room. She headed to the stove wanting to start washing out the pots and pans. She knew if they were left too long they'd never get cleaned.
"Oh..." WHAT could she say to this? Carter moved to the sink, took a rag and began wiping down the counters.
***
"You know what you should take classes in?" Chad asked and Kelsey tilted her head slightly.
"No what?"
"Sociology." Chad said a little smile playing on his handsome face.
"You think?" She asked wondering why.
"Yeah, you kind of come off wild but you're really smart. I always told you that." He said and she wondered how she'd lived without this friendship, or how she'd thought it was love. There was more of a brother and sister feeling about them, as had there always been.
"And then there's that way you have with people." He reminded her.
"Yeah I do have a way don't I?" She smiled at him and he nodded feeling that things were definitely a lot better again.
"I'd say." The deep voice had Kelsey turning to face Ryan.
He was smiling at her.
"Hey." She beamed at him, trying her best to hide her emotions, she really had no clue what was going on with them.
"Hey yourself." He said and she smiled as his arm slid around her waist. "So work things out?"
"Yeah, yeah we did." She still smiled at him, uncertain what to do now. Did this mean there had been more for him in that kiss?
"Good, come on." He was saying as he began to guide her from the corner.
"Ryan?" Kelsey asked uncertainly when she realized he was heading for the laundry room.
"There's something I want you to sea." he said easily and continued on until they entered the darkened utilities room.
"What?" She asked then as she heard him shut the door. She was a little surprised when he then began towards her, almost moving like an animal on the prowl. "What are you doing?" She asked when her back hit the wall.
"Kissing my girlfriend." He muttered and then his mouth claimed hers in a slow deep kiss.
"You want me to..."she asked when moments later he released her lips to catch his breath. She wondered if her mind was playing tricks on her or if he'd truly called her his girlfriend.
"You are. When I look at you my heart speeds up, when I see your eyes I don't know it's like..."He couldn't think of the perfect words, he'd never been that great with them. Then as he pressed a soft kiss to her lips it hit him. "When I kiss you it's like heat..."
"Yeah, and I love that burn." She replied snaking her arms about his neck.
"Me too." he said nuzzling her mouth once more before asking, "What do you have planned for tomorrow?"
"Depends," She breathed feathering her mouth over his.
"On what?" he asked.
"You." she beamed at him and he laughed knowing things were going to be just fine.
"So how about a family dinner?" He asked and she nodded.
"I'd like that.
***
"You know there's just one more thing I think needs said." Carter said coming up behind Dana and dropping the rag into the soapy dishwater.
"What's that?" She asked turning her head to look at him.
"I love you." He breathed when their eyes met.
"You..." Carter..." tears filled Dana's blue eyes and she could only stare at him uncertainly. She loved him too but what if she'd heard him wrong? What if...
"Hey, what's this?" He asked a little confused. Didn't she love him? But he knew, had seen it in her eyes, had known when she'd turned to him when everything fell in on her, she turned not to her brother who knew the plan but to him. Then there was her voice on the phone...
"You really love me?" She asked the dishes in the sink all but forgotten.
"Dana yes. I have since we first met I think but I didn't realize it until those last months." He said truthfully.
"Oh..." She breathed as he turned her around to face him. She just staggered back to lean against the counter, heedless of the water dampening the counter. All she knew was her heart was racing, her eyes streaming with tears and he loved her. "I thought you just thought of me as a good friend."
"That too but I think…" His lips grazed hers, "That this is what should be between us.
"Hey you two get in here!" Joel called and Carter rested his forehead against hers.
"Looks like the natives are getting restless.
"I'd say," He kissed her one last time and arm in arm they headed back into the other room.
TBC
***
PLZ let me know what you think.