Disclaimer- I don't own the Power Rangers, or anything associated with them.
Authors Note- And here it is, the profuse apology for waiting so long to update. I don't even remember the last time I sat down to write anything. Um, blame my teachers? And the severe mental blank I had? And life in general? But yeah, if anyone out there is still reading, then drop us a review please. I'm gonna try and finish it, so I don't have it hanging over my head when I get swamped by assessments again.
He was unconscious again when they entered the base, but not looking as uncomfortable as he had when they had first noticed him strung up between the dino drones. Ethan and Dr Oliver seemed to tired to do more then look relieved that he was ok after Hayley reassured them that Conner being passed out was probably just an effect of the pain killer she had given him.
"He's exhausted, just like you all are" she had said decisively, herding the three upstairs for a drink and a comfortable chair, "I'll look after him and let you all know when he wakes up."
When Hayley used that tone of voice few forces in the world could stop her, and so the they went and sat in Dr Oliver's living room, trying to banish the image of Conner covered in so much blood.
Kira especially was lost in her own mind. Trying to decide which option would be the best for her to take. Why did life have to be so complicated?
Love? Was she in love? Yes, she loved his company, and he made her laugh, and there would be a hole in her life without him, but love? In high school? Kira had always been taught that love came with maturity, and maturity came after school, when people were shoved out into the world, and told that that was what life really looked like.
But what she felt for Conner was strong, not like the petty crush she had had on the cute exchange student from England, or whatever she had felt for Thomas Long before they had broken up 'mutually' at the end of the last year. It was different to anything she had ever felt before.
Her stomach lurched uncomfortably. How was she supposed to put this into words and explain it to Conner? She didn't understand what she felt, how could she explain it to him without giving him the wrong idea and ruining any hope of them ever doing anything together? She would have shot herself in the foot before ruining their friendship, but by trying to respond truthfully to his rather sudden outburst she would be doomed to fail. But then, on the other hand, if she said nothing about her feelings, and agreed whole heartedly then she was already starting the relationship off on the wrong foot.
Hadn't her mother always told her to never hide anything in a relationship? Certainly the fact that she actually didn't love Conner would be classified as hiding something large.
She groaned out loud, and prayed whole heartedly for a solution to appear, doubting very much that one would, that didn't involve her moving to Cuba before Conner was recovered enough to know.
"What's up Kira?" He sounded tired, and shaken, which wasn't completely unusual considering the situation, but also genuinely interested in whatever was making her groan with such ferocity.
She turned, broken from her thoughts, to see Dr Oliver looking at her piercingly, as though trying to decide if she was injured and hiding it.
"I'm fine, I'm not hurt. Just tired."
"You don't seem it."
He was right, she didn't. How was it that this man was so perceptive? Why couldn't he have followed Ethan's example and fallen asleep on the couch, to leave her to brood in silence.
"I'm just…" she sighed, unsure, "confused. It's complicated. I don't think you'd understand."
He was a teacher after all, and no self-respecting student was going to open up and have a heart-to-heart with someone who would also be writing their reports in a couple weeks.
"You don't know what to do about Conner", he said it as though it was the most obvious, casual thing in the world, using a tone that implied he knew exactly what the problem was, and how to fix it, and that there was no way in the world she could deny it.
"How do you do that?" Kira was gobsmacked, possibly less then she should have been (this was, Dr Oliver of course) but still, how could he know what was bothering her so much? Was his special dino power telepathy or something?
"What? Know that? Easy. I was in the same situation once. I can read the signs."
She forgot Conner temporarily, and waited eagerly for him to elaborate. When he stayed silent she prompted him with a direct look and a "what do you mean?"
"I used to like a girl, years ago now, same way you like Conner. And don't deny that Kira, I'm a teacher; we're trained to watch out for these budding relationships. Anyway, there was this girl, Kim, and I liked her, and she liked me. And I didn't realise it, but I was in love with her. Still am really I suppose now that you think about." He turned away for a second, and she wondered just how wiped the fight had made him, to be sharing all this information. She had never heard him share anything about himself before.
Dr Oliver continued, "anyway, I was in love with her, I think she was in love with me, but neither of us really believed it, I just assumed that what I felt was an infatuation. So when she left, and told me that there was someone else" He flinched, "I just assumed that I'd move on, and find someone else."
There was a rather pregnant pause.
"I didn't."
She wasn't quite sure how to respond to this rather revealing testimony, and so waited to see what Dr Oliver would do.
"What I'm trying to say Kira, though I don't know it will help, is that I think what you feel for Conner is that same that I felt for Kim. It might not feel like love, or you might feel to young for it, or whatever, but I think that deep under you just know that it is, or at least you realise once you've missed your chance." Pain filled his voice, though he seemed to be trying to hide it, "don't miss your chance Kira."
Still unsure how to respond she grinned at him, standing even before he had finished his sentence and rushing downstairs, determined.
As she left Tommy stood and moved to the fridge, where he picked up the perfectly dusted picture that rested there, and brushed an invisible piece of dust off the smiling face the frame held.
A.N- Well, that's all for now, history study awaits. But, if anyone out there is still reading, chuck us a line, and I'll try and have more up eventually. I'll really make an effort, I promise. But only if I get some reviews, there's no point finishing a story nobodies reading! Lol. Thanks for reading, REVIEW PLEASE.