Chapter 2confessions
They took the rescue rover, as her father had lent it to any of them who would need transportation. Dana sat in the passenger seat feeling odd as this guy she barely knew was in control.
"So have you lived in Mariner Bay long?" Carter asked wanting to break the silence.
"Actually yes. Born and bread, you?"
"I've moved around a little bit. I was born in Silver Hills, when I was five we moved here and then my mom got a job offer in Angel Grove so we moved there when I was nine." He said and she frowned.
"When we met you were here."
"Yes, I moved back here about a year and a half ago." He replied and glancing at her he saw Dana glance at him and away.
"So how about some music?" Carter asked for a subject they could talk about, and hopefully lighten up the atmosphere in the car.
"Great," she jumped at the idea. "What do you like?"
"Anything except for the weepy." He replied and she began to channel surf.
Dana found a classic rock station and paused.
"This ok?"
"Sure. You like classic rock?"
"I like whatever suits the mood.
"Me too." He turned a corner on to nelson Street.
Dana felt a pang as she passed several houses with children playing on the lawns. She'd never lived in one of those. For as long as she could recall she'd lived in the Aquabase. She wondered what it would be like to have a house, a bedroom a kitchen a living room. Although she'd lived in the base she'd seen a normal house or two so knew what they looked like. Idly she wondered where Carter lived, what would his place even be a house or an apartment.
Dana's silent question was answered when they pulled up in front of a tall apartment building. It was pleasant looking with a neatly kept brick outward appearance and palm trees around the outside, and a single entrance, at least only one she saw.
Dana wondered if she should wait there or if he'd need some help bringing everything he'd need down.
"Dana, listen I know this must be weird, you know after that kiss, the thing is we'll be working together so we have to get passed any aversion either of us might have."
"you don't like me" Dana felt sick; she'd really messed up this time."
"What?" She thought he didn't like her? God, he'd messed up again. "No Dana I don't know what happened before but we have a very important job to do and…"
"Carter, I know that and as for the reason, my friend Angela had dared me to kiss the next guy who came in."
"Oh," Carter blushed; of coarse it had been nothing personal.
"I just, I never go around kissing guys, I'm not…"
"Dana…" When she turned to face him her eyes were worried and he felt as if he could fall into them, she was just so pretty and obviously feeling as he was. The only thing he really wondered was had she felt anything from the kiss?
"Carter, uh do you need any help bringing things down?" Dana asked and she sounded so hesitant he did smile.
"I can manage but you can come up and for iced tea if you'd like." He offered and she was a little surprised by the suggestion. No guy had ever asked her n. But she knew this was no normal situation.
"That would be nice, it's rather warm." She agreed and with in minutes the new red lightspeed ranger was leading her into the elevator.
"So you've lived in the base a while?"
"Yeah, forever." She admitted.
"That would be really weird; I have enough trouble imagining living anywhere but in a house or apartment." Carter commented and Dana shrugged.
"When it's all you've done it's no biggie."
"You know I don't know much about you Dana but I'd say you're something special. You live in a boy's dream, ready to fight monsters at the drop of a hat."
"Woe, that's not me, I live where I live, and I did go to high school and a semester at community college. Home is where your heart is not where you lay your head." She said and he glanced over at her. How many times had he himself thought that?
"I thought I was the only one who saw home that way." He said and promptly blushed. Man, he'd so not meant to say that aloud.
"Yeah, I guess moving around like you have would do that." She said as if feeling a little better about it. He wondered then if kids had made fun of her in school for being different.
Abruptly the doors opened and he was leading the way down the crimson carpeted corridor.
Dana noticed that the area was well lit, nearly spotless and not exactly a cheap place to live. She wondered if he had a second job. She'd not seen one in the file she'd been given to study but maybe it had been over looked?
Carter stopped at the next door to the left and fished in his pocket for his keys. He really hoped he'd not forgotten them or dropped them again. He was always doing something like that. Right now he'd die if that happened, he'd finally found good ground with Dana and didn't want to look silly.
Finding the keys he quickly unlocked the door and entered letting his companion inside as well.
Dana's first impression of Carter's apartment was that it was small. Still she liked it. There was a couch along one wall, two end tables on either side, and a coffee table before it. She saw the small television on the small cart and to it's right the kitchen area. It was small but had from what she could see the basics, a sink, stove, refrigerator and microwave. Everything in this room was as neat as a pin and she wondered if that was a sign about Carter. Was he a perfectionist like she was? It was funny until now she'd not thought about it but maybe that's why she'd come, to find out about this man who would be one of her teammates.
"Why don't you have a seat and I'll find us something to drink." He suggested noticing her looking around. She seemed Pleased too, that was nice. He wasn't sure how she'd take his bachelor's pad. Not that he was the most normal bachelor; he was rarely home, working most of the time and taking a few classes at the community college towards a sociology degree. He'd learned by what had happened to his father that no matter how good you were at your job things could always go wrong. Carter wanted to have a backup.
Still it was obviously a guys place, no doilies or posters of horses. Not that he didn't like horses but he was so rarely home.
Now it hit him just how odd it had been that he and Dana had met at that club. He was usually so busy he didn't socialize with the guys from the fire station.
"I like you place." He words brought him back to the present and he reached the kitchenette and headed for the fridge.
"It's like we said, a place to sleep."
Dana felt odd, out of her element. What should she say now? Should she tell him about the bet? Should she apologize first? Should she just wait to see what he'd say? She just had no clue.
"Listen," They both began at as he return and Dana blushed taking the glass of iced tea from him as he took a seat beside her.
"I'm sorry go ahead." He urged.
"About what happened, Carter, Ms. Fairweather who you'll meat later was having a bad night. See I never go to clubs, especially dance ones. I was there to…" It hit her abruptly that he'd think her an idiot for being so out of touch, not going out like normal people.
"Cheer her up?" He suggested when she seemed to lose her train of thought.
"Yes, she was seeing this guy who um…:" She didn't know if she could tell him the truth, would he even understand? "He didn't want to date anyone smarter than him."
"Ouch." Carter mumbled and Dana nodded.
"She was down and we were there and she got this nutty idea that I don't date enough so…" Oh god she'd so not meant to say that, heavens he'd think her a total shut in. When he merely waited she found herself going on. "So she dared me to ask a guy out."
Carter realized he liked the pink that blushing brought to this young woman's cheeks; it was ever so light and yet so sweet.
Why was it she kept sticking her foot in her mouth? God she was such a dork. Still Dana knew she had to finish this now that she'd started it.
"I didn't want to so she dared me to ask a guy to slow dance…" Another blush but she kept going. "I wouldn't so she relented until I just had to kiss the first guy who came in the door."
"I see." Carter wanted to laugh at the insane thoughts that had gone through his mind as the tall blonde had pressed her lips to his. It had been a chased kiss but one that had rocked him to his core.
"I didn't mean to embarrass you or anything." She hurried on to apologize. "I just wanted her happy and it seemed like the lesser of two evils."
"Well, I suppose it was. Do you know what kind of guys who go to some clubs?"
"Oh yeah, that's one of the reasons I don't." She explained. "It's easier if your out of the pool."
"Yeah, it's kind of funny there too, I never go to clubs. I'm usually working or studying so there's not much more time. Besides I don't go for that whole scene."
"Guess it's kind of funny then that we were both there." She thought aloud."
"Yeah." They sat a minute in silence and then Carter realized something.
"You know it's funny but with everything that's happened I haven't eaten a thing since I left for work as six this morning."
"I know." She nodded. "I'm not used to it either. The Aquabase is usually pretty quiet so I'm usually studying or working myself. Not to mention…" Dana's thoughts went back to her father's words. It struck her then; she'd been training not only to be a doctor but to be a ranger, both in the pink area.
"Hey tell you what; I think there's some left over from last night. What do you say you help me finish them, you know so I won't have to throw them out?"
"Oh," that was unexpected. What should she say? "I'd like that."
"Good." He smiled seeing she looked a little more with it. For a minute she'd gone distant as if puzzling through something. Although he didn't know Dana well he had a feeling she worked through things alone a lot. For some reason that bothered him. Maybe because they were turning out to be so alike or maybe because he wanted her to talk to him. He liked the shy way she'd recounted that night in the dance club, he liked how her blue eyes were so serious…
TBC
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I do believe that's chapter 2, what do you think? I wanted to explain how they could have gotten closer according to the show and yet show the way I think each would react in this situation.
At any rate please R and R and let me know if you have any suggestions.