"Love Stinks"
Gen cursed under her breath for the umpteenth time. And for the umpteenth time, Billy reprimanded her. Alpha was functioning, but not all his circuitry was fixed. She had finished most of the work, and was now rebuilding Alpha's backup system. She had received a nasty shock for her trouble. Finally, after hours upon hours of work, Alpha was good as new.
"Finally." Gen muttered. "Let's get these computers back online." She got up, and instantly sat back down, a wave of fatigue washing over her. Kimberly, the "Adult on Duty" as the parents called it, came over.
"Gen, it is three in the afternoon. You have been awake more than twenty four hours. Get some rest, some nourishment, something. You'll make yourself sick." Gen looked at Mrs. Oliver.
"Sorry, no can do. How exactly can we protect Angel Grove without our morphers? Until the computers are back, Angel Grove is a sitting duck." She leaned back under a computer, and began working. Billy grabbed her leg and dragged her out.
"Gen, I'll fix it." Gen stared at him. He wasn't at full health yet, and still had a bandage around his head.
"You must be losing it. Billy, you're the one who needs rest. You've just suffered a massive injury and-"
"Gen, get in the stupid car, and go home. I'll call you when you can come back." Billy said, firmly.
"But-"
"In the car, now!" Billy commanded. Gen sighed. She was never going to win this one. Billy had taken parental control. She sighed, and picked up the keys.
~~
Gen unlocked the door to the trailer. She sank into a chair in the kitchen. The can of soup was still sitting on the counter. She stole a peek at the old answering machine. The message light was blinking. She sighed, and got up to check the messages. There was only one.
"Hey, Gen, it's Drew. I was calling to see if you'd like to go out tomorrow, or something. I'd love to get together again, and my dad would love to get together with your brother to catch up as he calls it. So call me when you get back at 425-1193. Thanks, bye." Gen's eyes got wide. She picked up the phone. Dialing the number, she sat, listening to the ring. A man, probably Drew's dad, picked up at the second ring.
"Hello?"
"Hi, is Drew there?" She asked, tentatively.
"No, he isn't right now. May I take a message?" Gen hesitated.
"Yes, please. Could you just tell him this is Gen, and I'm returning his call?"
"Oh, so you're Gen. Drew told me about you. I'm Zack. Your brother and I were friends in high school."
"Oh, I was wondering for a second there. Well, um, thank you."
"You are very welcome. I'll tell Drew you called as soon as he gets home." He hung up, and as he was putting the phone down, Gen overheard "So polite for someone her age. Billy's doing a good job." Boy, would Billy be glad to hear that.
~~
Gen went into her room, and lay back on the bed, with her legs dangling off the edge. The next thing she knew, the phone was ringing, and it was two hours later. She ran into the kitchen to get the phone.
"Hello?"
"Gen, it's Theo. Get down to the Command Center, now! Billy's got the computers back online, but not the transporters. He needs your help."
"Oh. 'Kay." She mumbled sleepily. She picked up the keys again, and got in the car. She really was doing a lot of driving lately.
~~
Gen got out of the car, and went inside. Billy was crawling out from under the computer console.
"Hey, Gen. We actually just got the communicators and teleporters back online, but not the morphers. I think Alpha and I also just found a way to get Zordon back."
"Great. Let's get to work." Instantly energized, Gen nearly threw herself at the computers. Following Billy's instructions, they worked in tandem to fix the damage. Gen lost track of time. Suddenly, a surge of power flowed through the Command Center. Zordon appeared in his tube.
"GEN, BILLY. GOOD TO SEE YOU BACK."
"It's good to have you back, Zordon." Gen said. "Morphers are still off line, and we still have no idea where the Green Ranger will go next." Alpha stood at a console.
"I think I have an idea." He said. "Gen, you aren't going to like this."
~~
After transporting the other rangers and parents into the Command Center, Alpha began his explanation.
"I began noticing some strange energy readouts about the time Drew Taylor arrived in Angel Grove. Then, Gen mentioned her experience with the evil her mind encountered while repairing me. I did a little checking. Drew is the Green Ranger." Alpha said, gently.
Gen began shaking with rage. She should have known. He was too nice. It was too good to be true. A boy actually liking her? What a joke. Somehow, she expected tears. There were none. There was no love. He was using her. She vaguely felt a hand on her shoulders. She barely heard someone tell her everything would be okay. She began losing control over her mental powers. She heard the thoughts of those around her. Maggie was thinking how much of a jerk Drew was. Joel was realizing his suspicions. Billy was worried. Too many more. She felt Zordon in her mind. It was a quiet, comforting feeling. She felt him take over, and let her regain control. It was rather nice. Like a warm lap or fingers stroking her hair. Like she was a little girl again. Something triggered a memory.
~~
She was running. Darn shoes were too big. She tripped and skinned her knee on the sidewalk. She tore her overalls. She was crying because her knee hurt. Big arms picked her up. They took her into the bathroom and bandaged the cut. She sat on the lap that belonged to the big arms. It smelled like Daddy.
"Shhh, it's okay." Daddy had a comforting voice. Then something broke a window.
"Daddy! Daddy where are you?"
*Gen.*
"No! Go away!"
*Gen!*
"Don't take my daddy!" ~~
Gen's eyes snapped open. She was on the floor. All the faces were over her. Billy looked terrified.
"Gen, are you okay?" He asked in complete fear. "What happened?"
"Memory." She mumbled. "Bad one, too."
"Gen, you collapsed. We thought you'd died or something!" Rose said, almost crying.
"Hasn't happened in a while. Lost control." She was having problems communicating. Joel and Theo helped her up. Gen had to steady herself on them. Drew would pay for this. He would pay.
Gen cursed under her breath for the umpteenth time. And for the umpteenth time, Billy reprimanded her. Alpha was functioning, but not all his circuitry was fixed. She had finished most of the work, and was now rebuilding Alpha's backup system. She had received a nasty shock for her trouble. Finally, after hours upon hours of work, Alpha was good as new.
"Finally." Gen muttered. "Let's get these computers back online." She got up, and instantly sat back down, a wave of fatigue washing over her. Kimberly, the "Adult on Duty" as the parents called it, came over.
"Gen, it is three in the afternoon. You have been awake more than twenty four hours. Get some rest, some nourishment, something. You'll make yourself sick." Gen looked at Mrs. Oliver.
"Sorry, no can do. How exactly can we protect Angel Grove without our morphers? Until the computers are back, Angel Grove is a sitting duck." She leaned back under a computer, and began working. Billy grabbed her leg and dragged her out.
"Gen, I'll fix it." Gen stared at him. He wasn't at full health yet, and still had a bandage around his head.
"You must be losing it. Billy, you're the one who needs rest. You've just suffered a massive injury and-"
"Gen, get in the stupid car, and go home. I'll call you when you can come back." Billy said, firmly.
"But-"
"In the car, now!" Billy commanded. Gen sighed. She was never going to win this one. Billy had taken parental control. She sighed, and picked up the keys.
~~
Gen unlocked the door to the trailer. She sank into a chair in the kitchen. The can of soup was still sitting on the counter. She stole a peek at the old answering machine. The message light was blinking. She sighed, and got up to check the messages. There was only one.
"Hey, Gen, it's Drew. I was calling to see if you'd like to go out tomorrow, or something. I'd love to get together again, and my dad would love to get together with your brother to catch up as he calls it. So call me when you get back at 425-1193. Thanks, bye." Gen's eyes got wide. She picked up the phone. Dialing the number, she sat, listening to the ring. A man, probably Drew's dad, picked up at the second ring.
"Hello?"
"Hi, is Drew there?" She asked, tentatively.
"No, he isn't right now. May I take a message?" Gen hesitated.
"Yes, please. Could you just tell him this is Gen, and I'm returning his call?"
"Oh, so you're Gen. Drew told me about you. I'm Zack. Your brother and I were friends in high school."
"Oh, I was wondering for a second there. Well, um, thank you."
"You are very welcome. I'll tell Drew you called as soon as he gets home." He hung up, and as he was putting the phone down, Gen overheard "So polite for someone her age. Billy's doing a good job." Boy, would Billy be glad to hear that.
~~
Gen went into her room, and lay back on the bed, with her legs dangling off the edge. The next thing she knew, the phone was ringing, and it was two hours later. She ran into the kitchen to get the phone.
"Hello?"
"Gen, it's Theo. Get down to the Command Center, now! Billy's got the computers back online, but not the transporters. He needs your help."
"Oh. 'Kay." She mumbled sleepily. She picked up the keys again, and got in the car. She really was doing a lot of driving lately.
~~
Gen got out of the car, and went inside. Billy was crawling out from under the computer console.
"Hey, Gen. We actually just got the communicators and teleporters back online, but not the morphers. I think Alpha and I also just found a way to get Zordon back."
"Great. Let's get to work." Instantly energized, Gen nearly threw herself at the computers. Following Billy's instructions, they worked in tandem to fix the damage. Gen lost track of time. Suddenly, a surge of power flowed through the Command Center. Zordon appeared in his tube.
"GEN, BILLY. GOOD TO SEE YOU BACK."
"It's good to have you back, Zordon." Gen said. "Morphers are still off line, and we still have no idea where the Green Ranger will go next." Alpha stood at a console.
"I think I have an idea." He said. "Gen, you aren't going to like this."
~~
After transporting the other rangers and parents into the Command Center, Alpha began his explanation.
"I began noticing some strange energy readouts about the time Drew Taylor arrived in Angel Grove. Then, Gen mentioned her experience with the evil her mind encountered while repairing me. I did a little checking. Drew is the Green Ranger." Alpha said, gently.
Gen began shaking with rage. She should have known. He was too nice. It was too good to be true. A boy actually liking her? What a joke. Somehow, she expected tears. There were none. There was no love. He was using her. She vaguely felt a hand on her shoulders. She barely heard someone tell her everything would be okay. She began losing control over her mental powers. She heard the thoughts of those around her. Maggie was thinking how much of a jerk Drew was. Joel was realizing his suspicions. Billy was worried. Too many more. She felt Zordon in her mind. It was a quiet, comforting feeling. She felt him take over, and let her regain control. It was rather nice. Like a warm lap or fingers stroking her hair. Like she was a little girl again. Something triggered a memory.
~~
She was running. Darn shoes were too big. She tripped and skinned her knee on the sidewalk. She tore her overalls. She was crying because her knee hurt. Big arms picked her up. They took her into the bathroom and bandaged the cut. She sat on the lap that belonged to the big arms. It smelled like Daddy.
"Shhh, it's okay." Daddy had a comforting voice. Then something broke a window.
"Daddy! Daddy where are you?"
*Gen.*
"No! Go away!"
*Gen!*
"Don't take my daddy!" ~~
Gen's eyes snapped open. She was on the floor. All the faces were over her. Billy looked terrified.
"Gen, are you okay?" He asked in complete fear. "What happened?"
"Memory." She mumbled. "Bad one, too."
"Gen, you collapsed. We thought you'd died or something!" Rose said, almost crying.
"Hasn't happened in a while. Lost control." She was having problems communicating. Joel and Theo helped her up. Gen had to steady herself on them. Drew would pay for this. He would pay.