Disclaimer: the usual….this chapter gets slightly dark but only for a little bit…so like, if it's necessary, consider this chapter solely a higher rating than the rest of the story. If I'm just being overly cautious, then oh well, enjoy.

CHAPTER 23

Trust In Me

"This is ridiculous," Eric muttered after Lina had explained her story for the third time to the disbelieving rangers.

"What was that Quantum Boy?" Lina asked dryly. Eric glared at her before standing up to stare her down.

"And just how exactly are we supposed to believe that you are from a realm where our lives are a television show?" Eric asked, thinking he caught her. Lina's facial expression did not change as she answered him simply.

"About the same way anyone from this time believes that the four of them are from the year 3000," she said. Eric's face fell. There was no way to beat around the bush then because she had just stated a valid point. That didn't mean he liked it any better though. Katie, Wes, Lucas, and Trip had all taken an immediate liking to Lina. Jen was not full out disliking her. It was just in her nature to be cautious at first but she seemed to be leaning towards liking her with the rest of the group. Eric, as usual, was a completely different story.

"She's telling the truth rangers," Circuit interjected. Lina was a little curious as how the little bird was able to know that when he was from a different realm also.

"I've been programmed to know everything about ranger teams, from different planets and different realms. Although the Storm Callers are the first known team from a completely different realm than us. You guys are looking at the Red Inferno Storm Caller Power Ranger, and the only girl on the team," Circuit explained, reassuring his team. Lina gave a nervous side smirk. She was never going to get used to the information known between the realms. Eric huffed.

"This is so stupid!" he declared before storming out of the Clock Tower. Lina just glanced after him before turning back to the rangers.

"What is his problem?" she asked. Even though she an idea based on what she knew from the television show, there's only so much you could gather on the characters from that alone. Wes sighed.

"He's not used to having to trust people. It takes a lot and if you get to know him a little, you'll understand why," he said. The other rangers had mixed expressions of confusion and understanding. Lina instantly knew why. She realized Eric had only recently been mixed in with the team, so they were still getting to know him a little bit but still had a long ways to go. Wes knew him better than anyone.

"So, um, where are you staying?" Katie asked, interrupting the depressing conversation. Lina's face fell a little.

"I haven't really had a chance to think about that," she replied honestly.

"Well, you're welcome to stay here," Jen offered. The pink ranger's offer took Lina a little by surprise, as she thought Jen was cautious about her. But maybe she was learning to trust her but still keeping her nearby just to be on the safe side.

"Thanks," Lina replied, smiling. Lina settled into a routine for a few days, helping the rangers out with the odd jobs that came in and fighting alongside them in battle. It was getting frustrating because Lina had no clue what the whole point of this realm. Even though she knew it would be clear in the end, patience was not one of her virtues when time was ticking away for her to get back home and save her home. She decided to seek Eric out herself and see what the deal was. She walked over to the Silver Guardians headquarters and suddenly found herself getting nervous.

"Since when am I shy, what is my problem?" she asked herself before entering the facility. She looked around cautiously, noticing some of the cadets glancing at her, unsure as to whether they were suspicious of her or were checking her out. She walked up to the front desk.

"Um, I'm here to see Eric Meyers," she told the woman at the front desk.

"Is he expecting you?" she asked flatly.

"Um, no," Lina responded.

"Then, I'm sorry, you'll have to make an appointment in order to see him," she responded, yet again flatly, seriously ticking Lina off. Lina sighed and walked back outside, unaware of the three cadets following her. She was so focused on how she could locate Eric, wondering if the device Zeek gave her could get a lock on him, that she was taken completely by surprise when a strong pair of arms grabbed her from behind. She struggled but the guy the arms belonged to locked her hands and arms behind her in the exact way she always had trouble getting out of. And he was holding her so tightly that Lina had trouble using her legs that she was in so much pain. He dragged her slightly out of the street and into an alley that Lina hadn't even noticed before. She glanced up when she heard chuckling and saw the other two cadets that had apparently been following her.

"Well well, what have we got here?" one asked rhetorically, glancing her over in a way that Lina hated. The other one walked up and ran his hand from Lina's neck, down her body, roughly taking in her curves and touching her in places that she didn't like anyone touching her.

"Nice firm body," he said, grinning happily. The guy who was holding clutched her tighter, causing Lina to arch up in pain, involuntarily shoving her chest out more. The other two licked their lips like the perverts they were. Lina could feel herself getting weaker and knew she would pass out any second now. One guy started ripping open her shirt but she wasn't tired enough not to notice when he stopped. She was too disoriented from the pain to see clearly but she felt the bigger guy let go of her and she collapsed to the ground, hearing a lot of scuffling and fighting nearby. Before she could clear her vision, everything went dark. She started to come to a few hours later. She woke up and took in the surroundings from the couch she was sprawled out on. Her ripped shirt was folded nearby and had apparently been sewn back together. She looked down and noticed someone had changed her into a very large shirt that was similar to the ones all of the Silver Guardians wore. She carefully sat up, still in some pain and noticed that she was in an office.

"What happened?" she asked out loud.

"You almost got raped," came a familiar voice. Lina looked over at the door and saw Eric standing there in his uniform, no beret, and had few of the buttons undone in a sad attempt to try and relax a little.

"How could this have happened? I'm a ranger, stuff like this isn't supposed to get to me, I'm supposed to be strong enough to fight off crap like that," she said, not thinking before she spoke. Eric walked over and sat down next to her.

"That's the sad thing. No matter how strong you are, crap like that can happen to anybody and apparently they caught you off guard enough to almost go through with it," Eric explained. Lina rolled her eyes and sneered at herself.

"I've never been able to get out of that hold," she said disgustingly.

"I could teach you," Eric offered. Lina looked at him in surprise.

"Really?" she asked. Eric nodded.

"I saw how the guy was holding you. I can teach how to get out of that hold like it's nothing," he said. Lina nodded in appreciation.

"So you were the one who fought them off?" she asked. Eric stopped and stumbled a little before nodding, a little embarrassed to be named the rescuer. Lina smiled, leaned in, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, taking him completely by surprise as well as herself, but she was able to keep her cool better than Eric did.

"Thank you," she said simply. She saw a hint of red wash over Eric's cheeks before he tried to recover himself.

"So, um, what were you doing here anyway?" he asked. Lina got a little embarrassed and bit her lower lip.

"I came to see you," she said quietly. Eric glanced at her.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I want you to trust me," Lina said out flatly. She didn't know why it bothered her so much that he didn't, despite the fact she would need it to use the Unity Morpher but she wasn't even sure if she would need that for this realm.

"I hate to say it, but that's a lot to ask from me," Eric said dryly.

"Could you at least try? I mean, I trust you, all I want is for you to trust in me too," Lina said. Eric glanced at her, a little taken back by her words. No one had ever straight out admitted to him that they trusted him. He gave a small smile.

"Okay," he replied. Lina smiled back at him. Now they were getting somewhere.