Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Power Rangers…this is for entertainment only…I do own all non-PR characters…
TheDreamerLady—NO! Lance won't be tortured! I'm not that evil! Just wait and see what happens!! This mutant captured him for a reason…and an old enemy returns…
Yes, this is short, yet again! You may hate me for the ending of this one as well...
So we finally heard what Lance's intake on this is…so what is going to happen?
Enjoy ch 7!
Steph
Fear Returned
Wes awoke the next morning and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. His clock read 6:45am. He blinked a few times. The events of the night before came to his mind and he looked over to where Jen was sleeping silently. He smiled as he remembered the events of the previous night. They had made love. Wes sat there for a while watching her sleep. She seemed at peace for those moments. Jen had been worried to death about Lance being taken. Wes just took in her beauty. Jen's long brown hair was sprawled out over the pillow, a few strands hung in her face.
The sheet that was over her body had been removed and Wes saw, like he did, Jen got up at some time during the night and put some clothes on. She lay there in a t-shirt and sweatpants, the sheet draped over her legs and waist. Wes slowly got up, not wanting to disturb her from her sleep. He put on a shirt and a pair of socks. Not before he walked down stairs to eat, he took the comforter and placed it securely around Jen's body.
"Sleep well, Jen." He said as he tucked it around her shoulders. Jen stirred slightly and wrapped the comforter around her and rolled onto her side. Wes smiled and kissed her cheek. He watched as a smile crept across her face. Wes quietly walked across the room and exited the room, leaving Jen to sleep in for the morning.
Later
Jen opened her eyes to see a blur of red numbers. After blinking a few times, the clock read 12:01PM. It wasn't like Jen to sleep late, but she could have slept through an atomic bomb at that point. She had been up worrying about Lance for half of the night, then Wes came along. The events with Wes the night before made her smile. Jen got up and got dressed, then headed down to the kitchen.
She yawned as she saw Wes sitting at the table eating an English muffin with jelly and sipping some coffee. Mr. Collins was there as well. Jen almost didn't recognize him, since he wasn't dressed in his normal business suit. His hair wasn't neatly combed, and he was sitting in an old shirt and slacks. Mr. Collins looked up, saw her and smiled.
"Jennifer! Good morning! Sleep well, I presume?" he asked cheerfully.
"Same to you, Mr. Collins. Can't complain." Jen said.
He laughed. "Please Jen, call me Andrew." Jen nodded.
"This is a record for Jen, you know. She NEVER sleeps this late." Katie piped up from across the room.
"And I though you were the early one." Wes added. "I was up at quarter to seven and you were still in 'dead mode.'"
Jen chuckled. "I was up half the night worrying about my son! Of course I'd be tired." Jen's face went soft at mention of Lance. Wes got up and walked over to her.
"Don't worry, Jen. We'll find him. Eric and Taylor went out all last night with the Guardians looking for him. The best thing you can do for him is to keep searching through the computer. You aren't invincible, Jen. Even Lieutenants need their sleep." Wes said.
Jen sighed. "I know. It's just those motherly instincts I guess."
Mr. Collins chucked. "I know how you feel, Jen. When Wes was injured by that mutant I felt like I had to protect him."
"Yea, and look what happened." Jen muttered. The group laughed, but Wes was silent.
"What's that supposed to mean?" He asked.
Jen shrugged and said innocently, "Nothing." She grabbed a cup full of orange juice and sat down by the computer. Wes silently shook his head.
"We've gotta find him." Wes said as he sat down in a vacant chair. "Jen'll go crazy if we don't."
His dad sighed. "He's a tough kid, Wes. He'll make it."
"Get's that from his dad." Jen said as she re-entered and put a bagel in the toaster.
"Who is his dad, anyway?" Mr. Collins asked. He saw Jen and Wes look at each other.
"Wes is Lance's dad. His pure flesh and blood." Jen smiled. The bagel popped out.
"He's something else of Wes's that's pure, too." Lucas muttered. Trip hushed him, Katie smacked the back of his head and Jen sent him a death glare.
"You mean, he's my grandson?" Mr. Collins said.
Jen nodded and Wes smiled. "Yes, he's your grandson, Dad."
Mr. Collins smiled to himself. "I have a lot of things to catch up on with him, then."
"You bet." Wes said. Jen exited and went back to the computer.
Wes silently shook his head as Jen returned to her perch at the computer and began what seemed to be the hundredth search she'd completed.
Collins Estate: 5:30PM
A frustrated Eric walked into the main foyer and threw down his hat. The Guardians had been searching all day for signs of Lance and the mutant. Eric walked into the kitchen and sat down.
"Rough day?" someone said. Eric looked up to see Lucas walk into the room.
"Yea. It's just pissing me off that we have no trace of them." He paused. "Wes anywhere?"
Lucas shook his head. "No. He took Jen out for a while, to clear her head. She's been on that damn computer searching for the past 5 hours straight. Eyes glued to the screen hoping for something to pop up." Lucas signed and sat down. "Hungry?"
"Starved." Eric replied.
"Pizza? Trip and Katie should be back anytime soon."
"Sounds great. I'm so hungry I can eat the ass out of a dead skunk." Eric said.
Lucas rolled his eyes. He got up and contacted Trip, telling him to pick up a pizza on the way home.
MeanwhileWes and Jen walked down the path through the park. Wes took her out for a while to get her away from the computer. She'd been sitting down for five hours straight doing scan after scan for her son.
"We'll find him, Jen. I promise." Wes said. He put an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. The couple sat down on the bench and watched the sun set.
"I know." Jen said quietly. She then put her head down on his shoulder. Wes put his arm around her shoulders and held her close. "I just can't help thinking he's out there somewhere alone and cold."
Wes smiled to himself. If there was one thing that he knew, Lance was a fighter, much like his mom. They were walking through the park and some kid was picking on a boy smaller then him. Wes smiled at this memory.
"So did you really fight Ransik hand to hand?" Lance asked excitedly. Wes had told him of his final encounter with Ransik was a ' fight to the death'.
Wes laughed. "Yep. Then your mom decided to take him alone and ran off. Myself and the other rangers ran after her. When I arrived, I saw her shoot Ransik who flew back. His daughter, Nadira was lying on the ground. He finally saw that mutants could love and gave himself up." Wes said. Lance's eyes glowed.
Wes and Lance walked a ways, when Lance stopped.
"Anything wrong, kiddo?" Wes asked. Lance didn't answer, only stormed off in the direction towards the swing set. Wes watched in curiosity.
"I said give me your ice cream money, Billy!" the older boy said. He seemed to be around Lance's age, but much bigger.
"I-I-I d-don't h-have any ice c-cream m-money, D-Drake." Billy stuttered.
"Tough for you then, Billy boy!" Drake raised his fist, only to have Lance step in his way and catch his wrist.
"Leave him alone." Lance said forcefully.
Drake got right up in Lance's face. "Oh yea, and who are you to stop me?" Drake challenged. "You wanna fight this wimp's fight, then let's go!" he yelled.
Drake's gang of boys began taunting Lance, but he didn't move. "Come on, chicken! Fight me!" Drake yelled. He shoved Lance. Wes watched in amazement by Lance's cool. "Chicken! Chicken!" Drake walked around Lance flapping his arms. He shoved Lance to the ground with a thud. "Your toast, kid!" Drake went to kick Lance, but he had other plans.
Lance jumped to his side and swept Drake's feet out from under him. Drake fell back and landed hard. He got up, only to see Lance standing, ready to defend himself.
"Had enough?" Lance asked. From 10 yards away, Wes smiled to himself.
Drake's face went hard. "Nope. I'm just getting started!" He jumped for Lance, but Lance easily dodged the bully's punches. Wes watched in amazement, as Lance never raised a fist. But Drake tired easily. Lance smiled, but was surprised as Drake came up behind him and put Lance in a chokehold.
On instinct, Lance grabbed his arm and tossed Drake easily over his shoulder. His fist stopped inches from Drake's face. Drake's gang ran away in fear as Drake cowered beneath Lance's knuckles.
"Now you'll know never to loose your cool, and not take money from other kids." Lance said. He stood back up and Drake ran away in fear.
Lance walked over to Billy. "You okay?" he asked the younger boy.
"I am now. Thanks a lot. Drake and his gang have been terrorizing me for a while now" Billy said. Just then his name was heard and Billy thanked Lance again and ran off.
Lance heard Wes laugh. "Where did you learn that?" He asked in astonishment.
Lance smiled. "My mother."
"He's a fighter, Jen. He'll make it." Wes said. He kissed her forehead. "Come on, let's go home."
The two walked off hand-in-hand as the sun set slowly behind them.
The next afternoonIt was all quiet around the Collins mansion when…
"We've got trouble! The mutant's back!" Wes came running into Jen's room as she was chatting with Katie. The girls bolted and ran towards the park where the mutant was attacking. They morphed and rode to where the mutant was.
Within minutes the rangers and the Guardians arrived on the scene. Jen jumped off and raced to where the mutant stood.
"Hold it right there! Your days of terror are over!" Jen aimed her blaster at the mutant's head. "Time Force! You're under arrest!" Jen said as she held up her badge.
"Ha! You make me laugh, Pink Ranger!" the mutant scowled.
"Where's my son?" Jen asked. The mutant said nothing. "Answer me! Where is he?" Jen yelled.
"You want your son back?" the mutant asked slowly. Lance was thrown down to the ground by cyclobots. "Come and get him."
"Mom! Wes!" Lance shouted. The mutant kicked him.
"Quiet, boy!" he commanded. Jen's temper rose.
"Don't you lay a hand on my son!" Jen bolted toward the mutant. "Chrono saber!" Her weapon materialized in her hand and she upper cut the mutant, causing sparks to fly out of his chest. He fell to the ground and cried out in pain. Lance got up and ran over to his mother who accepted him with open arms.
"Mom! Mom I'm so happy to see you!" Lance said. Jen had tears in her eyes.
"I was so worried about you." Jen held her son close as tears began to form a puddle in her helmet. Lance looked up to see the rangers standing a few feet behind them.
"Wes!" He called out and ran towards him.
"Lance! Don't you ever scare your mom or me ever again." Wes opened his arms to his son and held him close. "God, I'm so glad you're all right, son." Wes said. Lance's eyes shot open.
"D-did you call me son?" Lance asked.
"I call you dead!" a voice said. The rangers fell to the ground as a blast hit them hard. They looked up to see exactly who hit them.
"Oh my god!" Katie called out. The rangers stood frozen at their enemy, and Lance's kidnapper. Jen let out a silent gasp.
They were astonished, and scared at the same time.
"Long time no see, Rangers." He said. Evil pulsated in his red eyes. The gold plates of his body glistened in the afternoon sun. His mechanical voice sceeched the air.
Frax… was… back.
ch 8 up soon…