Title: Family Ties
Part Twenty: Accepting the Inevitable
Author: Kryptonite
Disclaimer: I own Danni, Elizabeth, Mrs. Kelly, Andrew, Kevin, Officer (Jared) O'Brien and Bobby. I think that's currently everybody.
Spoilers: Very, very, very few.
Summary: The rangers (slight), Sensei, Shane, Elizabeth, Marah, Kapri and Zurgane all make an appearance.
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" We're stuck here and it's all your fault! What are we supposed to do here?" Kapri whined later that night. Zurgane had finally had enough, raising one gloved hand to smack Kapri. The girl stood still from shock as tears welled in her eyes.
" We'll do what we have to, to survive. Unfortunately," Zurgane paused as he concentrated. With an imperceptible move, he looked human. " That means looking and acting human. At least until Lothor comes back for us."
" Which might be never." Kapri whined once more, looking for sympathy from someone.
" I didn't know you could do that." Marah stated, looking at Zurgane curiously. The young man standing in front of them blushed slightly at Marah's inquisitive look.
" It was a requirement for working with Lothor." He mumbled at the ground.
" Well it'll come in handy. Tomorrow we start looking for jobs. I guess… I guess this is home until we have more money." Marah looked around at the cave the three were sitting in, a small fire blazing in front of them.
" How are we…" Kapri trailed off, in a combination of shock and despair.
" We'll survive. Don't worry." Marah soothed, scooting closer to wrap an arm around her older sister. " It won't be so bad. Just think, when Uncle comes back we'll have so much information on humans that we'll be able to stop them without even having to work at it."
Kapri's timid and shaky voice asked what all three were thinking. " What if he doesn't come back?"
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Lothor hid as the guards tramped through the ship. He knew that his luck wouldn't last for long, and even if he remained undiscovered, the ship would be impounded and incinerated.
" In here." A voice shouted several pairs of boots coming to stop above the hidey-hole Lothor was stationed in. He flattened himself tighter against the shadows but knew it was hopeless.
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" So what are we going to do about Marah, Kapri and Zurgane?" Hunter questioned the next morning at Ninja Ops as the team was gathered around the low table.
" Wait." Sensei answered, deciding the issue by folding his arms over his chest.
" But-"
" Marah has taken some form of control over the others." Sensei said forcibly talking over Blake's objections. " She is a better person than Lothor ever was. Give them a short while and see what happens."
" Yes Sensei." All seven rangers said demurely, bowing shallowly to their ninja teacher before moving to file out of the room.
" Shane?" The little guinea pig questioned, stopping the boy from leaving.
" Yes Sensei?" He questioned, turning back and kneeling before the table.
" About the little girl in your care."
" Elizabeth." Shane closed his eyes, holding back the anger that someone could leave a little girl on her own like that.
" Yes about her. You are allowed to bring her here if you need a place to keep her when your parents return."
" But… Sensei-"
" I am well aware of the risks but I doubt your mother and father would be open to a little girl leaving with you."
" Actually Sensei… my parents aren't coming back from vacation." Shane stopped embarrassed and more than a little hurt. Sensei simply waited for him to continue. " They- they moved with my brother. They sold the house and I've… I've been living in an apartment…" Shane trailed off, fighting back the constant tears that had been threatening to overwhelm him since his parents had made the announcement.
" In that case." Sensei paused, hoping that the boy would accept the offer. " You can both stay here."
" But-"
" End of discussion. Bring your possessions along with, Elizabeth?, later tonight and I will make sure you are comfortably set up."
" Thank you Sensei." Shane bowed gratefully, standing up at the same time and turning to leave. " Please. Please don't tell the others just yet." Sensei nodded his agreement and Shane left.
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" Elizabeth?" Shane questioned, coming into the darkened room. The little girl suddenly flew out of nowhere, launching herself at his legs, crying. Shane crouched down to look at her. " What's wrong?"
" Powers out." She sniffled between sobs clinging to his neck as he stood up. He wrapped his arms around her so she wasn't dangling and went to flip the light switch. Shane clicked it up and down a couple of times before giving up.
" Flashlight around here somewhere. And we don't have to worry about this anymore." Elizabeth sniffled, her little voice lost in her tears. " No we don't. We're gonna go stay with my ninja teacher. I told you about Sensei?" Shane questioned, distracting the girl from the dark as he rummaged for a flashlight. Elizabeth nodded her head, eyes closed and pressed tight into his shoulder.
" He's offered to let us stay at the school. Now we just have to get our stuff over there." Shane flicked the flashlight on the four or five boxes and the two duffel bags he had brought with him from his house. " Shouldn't be too hard. And since I won't have to pay rent we can go get you some clean clothes tomorrow, okay?"
Elizabeth nodded again and Shane sat down, rocking the little girl to sleep.
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Doyles-always- No it wasn't the last chapter, just the latest in my writers block. So what did you think of this one?
CamFan- &joins him on the tramp& You know, we probably shouldn't be on here at the same time… no popcorn now… I don't feel like flying… (don't ask)
More Sensei interaction and more bad news on the Shane front. What is it about me and torturing that poor boy. Anyway he and Elizabeth will be moving to Ninja Ops, what will the others say to that? shocked expressions
I seem to have lost all my reviewers (except my two favorites ;)) after chapter 16. What happened?!?!?! Oh well.
Bye all, have a good life.
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(I am really seriously getting annoyed with this f&#k$ng Quickedit.)