Rebuilding Bonds
By: Dana Grayson
Disclaimer: " Power rangers don't belong to me I just borrowed a couple of them for a little while. I'll put them back I promise.
Summary: Family is not determined by blood but by heart. Can Ryan and Dana lay the foundations of a relationship again?
Author's note: Yes this is a repost but I have been a little stumped on Forever dreaming so I decided to clean up some of my other stories. I've also decided to add to this story. I'm not sure what the next chapters will hold but relationships take longer than one incident to build.
A.A.N. the way Ryan and Dana went into sibling mode after the titanium ranger decided to stay bothered me so I had to write this. It takes place after "Ryan's destiny" and before the others find out about the tattoo. It consequently pushes back Ryan's tour of the aqua base the next morning.
His lungs burned as Ryan ran. All around him skull castle loomed as monstrous as an all consuming demon. Suddenly the long passage opened into a grotesquely large room, filled by statues of gruesome demons, and Diabolico perched atop a high pillar. He looked to Ryan to be sneering. Fear hit Ryan as he realized he couldn't move. It was as if his legs were trapped in cement.
"You will pay Mortal for betraying me and the Queen!" The demon bellowed and suddenly a series of energy beams erupted from Diabolico's chest, throwing Ryan backwards until he was pinned to a stone column. In horror Ryan felt his shirt torn open, and the burning sensation as something was burned into the flesh of his back.
"This is my final gift to you, the cobra will move up your back every time you morph and eventually destroy you when it reaches your neck."
As the cobra began to slither up his back to his neck the other demons appeared and with a jolt Ryan found himself in his old room.
Letting his eyes survey the room he took in his Michael Jordan poster, a toy box, and the old dresser. Slowly he sat up, taking in even more of the room, the bucket of building blocks at the base of the toy box, a fire truck lying on its side near the dresser and then the faint shadow.
Looking towards the doorway he saw his little sister silhouetted by the light from the upper halls single nightlight. She looked pale, her eyes red from crying, a floppy eared bunny clutched in one hand.
"Ryan?" She asked and he had to smile, Dana looked so young, so innocent. He remembered now that she'd had nightmares ever since mom died, and how afterwards they'd do just this.
"Again?" He asked hearing his own squeaky voice, and she nodded.
He scooted over so she could lie beside him but like always she didn't.
Within moments he felt the slight depression in the foot of the bed and then the feel of a small hand clutching his left foot. She lay curled in a little ball at the foot of his bed.
Laying back Ryan felt a little better himself and listening to her breathing he drifted off to sleep.
******
Laying there Ryan stared at the ceiling, where did that come from? He'd forgotten all about that. He'd started to remember little things when he'd left to find out where he belonged but that memory was new. It was surprising that most of his memories were of him and Dana.
He'd been so filled with hatred for so long that one would have thought he'd permanently blocked out the good times. Then the other dream flashed through his mind and he sat up.
*****
She stood there in the predawn hours, the wind blowing her pale curls every which-way.
He was alive. Dana still had trouble taking it all in. Her brother, the one person she could actually remember losing was alive and hated them. No, he hated her. She'd seen how he'd looked at her. Even when he'd found out the truth… He still despised her. But could she blame him? He'd been taken away and she'd had a happy childhood. At least he thought she had.
Looking down at the place where she'd always thought he'd lost his life, she wondered what it would have felt like to fall, to know she was dying. That she'd never see her father, her brother, her friends…
Dana knew she could not even imagine the fear and pain. She took a step back, picked up her old backpack and slung it over her shoulder.
*****
"Hey have you seen Dana?" Kelsey asked coming into the common room where her friends were gathered.
"Not since we came back." Chad said not looking up from his book.
"No, why?" Carter asked flipping off the new.
"I wanted to borrow one of her tops and when she didn't answer I opened her door. Her stuff was gone and I found this on her bed." She said holding up the pink ranger's communicator.
"Maybe they changed her room." Joel commented even as Carter got to his feet.
"No, she'd have it on, she knows that queen Bansheera will retaliate for Ryan's defection." He was taking the device from the yellow ranger on his way out the door. However Kelsey stayed on his heels.
"Where do you think she is?" The young woman was asking him as Carter pushed opened Dana's door.
It was just as Kelsey had described it. The closet and drawers were devoid of any personal effects. The only thing she'd left behind was a book. Picking it up Carter found that it was a photo album.
"Hey what's going on where's Dana?" Ryan asked and they realized he'd come in right behind them.
"Dana's gone." Kelsey said and Ryan just looked confused.
"She took everything but this and her communicator." Carter told him grimly.
"Why?" Ryan frowned. "This is her home."
"I don't…" Carter began when the slip of paper fell from a page in the book. Bending to pick it up the red ranger's eyes widened.
Ryan's frown grew and he took the paper from Carter's hand.
"What is it?" Kelsey was asking as Ryan read the words of his little sister.
To whoever finds this,
I here by resign from lightspeed rescue. I'm sorry if my departure leaves you hanging but I can't stay. To do so would just subject my family to more pain.
To Kelsey, go that distance.
To Chad, she likes you don't give up on her.
To Joel, keep trying. Angela does like you.
To Carter, You're a great leader. Keep the others out of trouble will you?
To Dad, I'm sorry I let you down Daddy. I know you wanted me to do great things. I love you but I know that Ryan still feels uncomfortable. I also know that my presence makes it worse. Please know where ever I go, what ever I do I'll always love you.
To Ryan, I'm glad your home. I hope you'll stay. When dad lost you… It almost killed him. I'm sorry for all that happened and just want you to be happy.
Dana
Ryan went cold. She'd left because… He could see that it had hurt her to go, the tear marks on the paper were testament to that. To think she'd left so he wouldn't be upset. He'd known he'd hurt her when he'd been evil, but to know what she thought… He felt the unfamiliar sting of tears in the back of his eyes.
"We have to find her." He said finally. He looked up and found Carter and Kelsey
*****
She sat there, on the swing. Her bag lay against the post of the swing set. She'd come because they had many times back when they were happy. The memory of the last time flashed in her mind with vivid clarity.
"Ryan wait up!" Dana called trying to catch up.
"No way you're so slow!" He shouted back reaching the bright red swing set as she herself was breaking from the trees.
"That's no fair, you have longer legs!" She called.
"No you're just slow!" He said patting the swing for her to sit down.
"You first." She'd said and he grinned. Then he took the seat on the swing.
The afternoon passed quickly with them taking turns on the swing, then both swinging.
"You know what I want to be when I grow up?" He'd said and she'd looked over at her big brother.
"What?" It was getting late and Dad would be coming for them soon so they were walking back to the area where he'd pick them up.
"A police officer." He'd said and she frowned.
"Why?"
"To protect shrimps like you." He'd said messing up her hair.
"Hey I'm not a shrimp." She said bending to pick up a handful of grass to throw at him.
"Are to." He'd laughed and she'd stuck out her tongue.
"I don't know what I wanna be. Maybe a power ranger." She said gazing up at the sky wistfully.
"No way, you're a shrimp they wouldn't want you." He said throwing grass at her.
"Hey!" She ran at him and when he moved her forward momentum sent her falling to the ground. Immediately pain erupted in her knee. Tears came to her eyes.
"Hey Danny?" Ryan asked coming over to her. She wouldn't look at him, she'd not let him see what a weenie she was. "You ok?"
"Yeah fine." She said forcing back the tears as she tried to get up. She'd not let him know she got hurt.
"Then why you sitting in the grass?"
"Because I want to." She said and to her shame heard the tears in her voice.
"You got hurt." He was kneeling beside her.
"I'm ok. Just go tell dad I'm…" But he was tilting her chin up.
"Ok, where?"
"I'm not a Weenie." She sniffled.
"What?" He asked confused.
"I'm not a weenie, so what if I fell. I'm not a weenie!" She cried.
"Come on don't cry," he began uncertainly. "I didn't mean to hurt you. Let me see where?"
"Why? You can't fix it." She sniffled.
"Who says? I'm super brother, I can do anything." Ryan grinned and she found herself smiling even through the pain.
It was too bad she didn't have a time machine. She'd go back and trade places with him or maybe she'd even stop her Dad from making that drive home from Grandma's that night. If they hadn't then…
*****
Back at the Aquabase Ryan stood with his fellow rangers.
"So what your saying is without her communicator you can't locate her?" Carter was demanding of the Captain.
"No, the homing device is in the band."
"There has to be a way to find her." Chad said and he looked at Joel. The green ranger frowned. They were not aloud to use the zords for non-ranger business.
"The question is where would she go?" Chad wondered aloud up until now he'd been content to let the others voice their concerns but if there was another attack then they'd need Dana.
Ryan stood listening to them knowing that he had to talk to her. He hadn't realized how upset she was. Dana had just seemed so happy at his party. He knew she was glad to have him safe and alive, but how had the whole thing felt to her? To have the brother she'd thought dead reappear and try and kill her of all things? The thing that shocked him the most was that she thought he wouldn't want her around. It occurred to him that he should have talked to her right after he'd decided to stay. But she'd never have come to him, she had always had too much pride for that. And she had always gotten hurt so easy… The memory of the last time he'd accidentally hurt her flashed through his mind and he realized that she was probably remembering too. He knew she'd go somewhere where there were good memories. Then a flash of insight hit him like a lightening bolt
"I know where she is." He said after a minute. Suddenly all eyes flew to him.
"Where?" His father asked but Ryan had already headed out of the room.
*****
Pushing off of the ground with a foot Dana kept her eyes on the sky. It was so blue, so perfect. It was good to know that there was something out there that was still right. She closed her eyes and let herself swing. There was nothing but the feel of air on her face and the sound of birds and her thoughts.
Dana didn't feel the hands on her back at first. She was that caught up in the freedom. Then she stiffened and opening her eyes moved to jump off the swing. She landed and whirled falling into a fighting stance.
"You know you're lucky it was me Shrimp." She straightened and debated going for her bag before running. She'd known that if they found that note too soon she'd be caught. Idly she wondered who'd done it.
"You'll never make it." Ryan's voice brought her back to her current dilemma.
"Ryan what do you want?" She asked wanly.
"To talk to you." He said and she shook her head.
"No, I'm leaving." She said turning on her heel. She'd rather go now than try for that bag and fail.
"It's hard being on your own." He said and she tried to ignore the lost tone of his voice.
"You're not alone anymore." She said as she walked.
"No?"
"No you have Dad and the others." She called. She was two steps into the trees by now.
"But none of them will push me."
"Ryan your twenty, of course no one will push you." She reminded him.
"So, I still like to swing. Besides I pushed you so it's your turn." She sighed. Why was he doing this? Why wouldn't he just let her go? The thought that she might have a chance at grabbing her knapsack if she did what he wanted hit her and she moved slowly over to him.
"I bet I still push higher." He said and she had to hold back a tiny smile. She was not going to stay. She had already hurt him and…
As Dana pushed him Ryan felt a strange feeling, as if he'd really come home. It was the first time he'd felt like that since he'd found out the truth. He didn't think about his next words.
"You know I missed this." He said and a sharp pain shot through her heart.
"I know." She said and as she'd skilled herself to do over the years, Dana held on to her control.
"I missed you." He added and felt her move from behind him.
"There, now I'm leaving." She said going for the bag.
"Ok," He said and jumped off the swing.
To Dana's surprise he moved to the other side of the swing set and picked up the same duffle bag he'd taken when he'd left the last time.
"Ryan what are you doing?"
"Looking after my little sister." He said hefting it over his shoulder.
"You can't." She said surprised and confused.
"Why not? You said you want me to be happy." He reminded her.
"But that's different. You can be happy here. You'll have a safe home and family and friends." She pointed out.
"But who will be your family?" He asked.
"I don't…"
"Do you know for the first year I kept thinking of the last time when we came here?" His tone was distant. "I thought of how little you were, of how you used to smile at me. It was like I hung the moon." He said and began to walk. She fell into step beside him not even thinking about it.
"You're my brother." She said simply. She was tired. She made to look at the time on her communicator but remembered then why she was there. "Ok, well, I'll see you." She said and turned to go off into the trees.
To her dismay she found him right beside her, a solemn look on his face. Stopping abruptly she turned on him.
"Ryan what are you doing? I told you…"
"Well, since you won't stay I'm coming."
"No." She rounded on him. "I want you to stay. That way you'll have a chance for all the things you never had."
"I don't hate you anymore, Shrimp." He said quietly and her eyes widened, he saw and knew he had her, it was just a matter of time.
"I never said…"
"Hey you're talking to super brother, I know everything. You still think I do. Dana I know how your mind works. I always have. I just forgot for a little while. You think I hate you and that I'll be better off here with no reminders."
Hearing her thoughts spoken aloud Dana couldn't bring herself to look at him.
"Shrimp, Do you know why I came back yesterday?" ?She shrugged.
"It's your home, you just realized that a little late."
"Well, yeah, I was walking near here when a feather landed in front of me." He said and paused to look back at the swing set. "I picked it up, I didn't know it had come from a demon. Then I saw these little kids playing. I stopped to watch them and thought about you. There was this little girl Katie playing ball with her big brother Jimmy." As his voice went soft with the memory Dana felt her heart growing even heavier. "I guess when I saw their bond it made up my mind for me." He said Riley adding, "I just didn't know it yet."
"Ryan, we lost that, you were on your own… I had Dad. You should have had him too. If I'd just fallen then…"
The young man moved like a rattler and before Dana knew it he was shaking her shoulders. There was a protective fury in his silver eyes she'd never seen before. His face was hard and he looked as if she'd just said something blasphemous.
"If it had been you I don't know what I'd have done. Do you know what they did, what they didn't do? Do you know how many nights I cried myself to sleep?" As if just now seeing that the blood had completely drained from Dana's face Ryan went still. She jerked free and crumpled to her knees.
For the first time in fourteen years tears filled her blue eyes. Even knowing what had been done had not prepared her for the feelings
She saw in those flaming silver eyes.
Ryan stared down at her trying to get his emotions back under control. Had he just…
"I'm sorry." She sobbed and he dropped to his own knees his struggle forgotten in the face of this naked emotion. He wasn't sure what to do at first but remembering all of his tears after he'd been taken Ryan did what he'd needed someone to do for him. He gathered her close and just held her.
"You think your leaving will change anything? Dana, what happened. No matter what it will always be there." He said quietly and she sniffled.
"I know but I wish I could make it better. Like you did." Tyan just smiled kissing her hair gently.
"You just did." She lifted her head and found he did look a little less haggard. "And I know how you can keep helping me." He said quietly.
"How?" She asked as he handed her a tissue.
"Stay," he said and she looked from him to the damp front of his shirt.
"Ryan I…" Just then his communicator went off. He looked at her then lifted it to his mouth.
"Go ahead."
"There's trouble downtown." Carter's voice came through loud and clear. Ryan looked at his sister.
"I'm not a shrimp." Dana Mouthed and pushed to her feet. She offered a hand to help him up.
"We're on our way."
"Then you found her." Ryan smiled at the relief in his new friend's voice. Carter was, if Ryan was not mistaken very interested in his little sister. He'd have to have a talk with him, but it could wait. For now they had a job to do.
"Yeah just hang on."
End.
*****
Please R&R.