Calculated Risk
Disclaimer: Are we really wondering? No! I don't own the Power Rangers! Ships would have actually happened! Really. What was the last canon ship aside from Ashley and Andros?
Chapter 9: Welcome to the Jungle
It was just after closing when RJ sensed it. There was a darkness that suddenly blanketed the world even if only a select amount of people can feel it. It wasn't smothering—not yet— and that's only a tiny bit of relief for this ominous presence can only mean one thing.
Dai Shi has escaped from his prison after all.
Well, it's been ten thousand years, RJ thought wryly as he tried desperately to insert some levity into the situation. The rust over the lock was bound to cause it to break sooner or later.
He gripped the handle of the mop he was holding as he gasped; a wave of pain lancing through his chest then a cold sensation permeated his entire being as he felt the light of Master Mao go out.
RJ had no idea how long he was standing there, willing the pain to leave him when a warm hand gently encircled his wrist, a soft voice pulling him back to the present. "RJ? RJ! What's the matter? What's wrong?"
The voice of his girlfriend. "Fran?" He gasped.
"It's me, RJ," Fran confirmed. She rested a hand against his face. "Are you alright? Do I need to call an ambulance?"
RJ shook his head as he began to feel the cold and pain begin to recede, only leaving an empty ache in its place. "It's begun," he managed to get out.
Fran frowned at his words, still fairly convinced that he was having a heart attack. "What's begun?"
"Dai Shi's return," he answered as he fought to get his breathing under his control. "He's escaped."
"Oh," Fran said, her voice small. "Wonderful."
A weak grin crawled across his face. "My thoughts exactly. On top of that…Master Mao's gone."
She stared at him in disbelief. "And you know this how?" She took in his haggard appearance and suddenly put the pieces together. "Oh," she breathed again. "You can feel it."
RJ managed to nod. "Yeah." He grimaced before continuing, "It's a Pai Zhuq Master thing. We're all faintly connected…we just know that the others are alive but when something that extreme, the way Master Mao died…I could feel that."
The look Fran gave him was full of sadness, but there was no pity. She carefully unlocked his fingers from the mop and rested it back in the bucket that held the cleaning solution used on the restaurant floor before tugging him into a hug, not saying a word as he all but sagged against her.
They remained in their embrace for several moments before Fran gently extricated herself from the hug though not letting go entirely as she kept her arm around his shoulders. She then walked them both to the door to lock it and flip the sign to "closed" before walking them up to the loft, RJ keeping his head pressed against her shoulder as they moved.
Once the pair reached the loft, RJ managed to walk without relying too much on Fran's support, immediately heading for his chair and plopping down into it. With his hand still holding Fran's, RJ pulled her back into his arms with one fluid motion, letting out a soft laugh as she squeaked from falling into his lap. RJ sighed and rested his head against hers.
"So it begins," he mumbled.
"Mm…not yet," Fran mused.
RJ quirked an eyebrow at her words. "How so?"
Fran gestured toward the empty space surrounding them. "Your students aren't here right now, are they?"
"No," he agreed. "But they'll be here very soon."
"In the meantime, I think you're entitled to simply mourn, RJ. Don't worry about planning anything involving Dai Shi or your students. Just breathe, reflect and honor your teacher."
The compassion in his girlfriend's voice had him blinking back tears as he swallowed against a lump in his throat. "Is it cool if I end up crying?" He asked in a tight voice.
Fran turned and wrapped her arms around his torso, placing a soft kiss against his crown. "Crying is a form of release, RJ. If you cry, you won't find any judgement from me." She laid her head against his chest. "I'm here for you, I promise."
RJ pressed his lips together tightly as he felt hot tears well up in his eyes. His whole form trembled as his breath hitched. He tried fighting his crying for two seconds before burying his face in Fran's shoulder and sobbed. He clung to her as he cried for his master's sacrifice, for the students he would soon have whom he strongly suspected would have been witness to Master Mao's death.
He cried out of fear for the danger that Fran was nearly waltzing into.
Neither of them were sure how much time had passed before RJ's sobs tapered off into sniffles and gulps of air as he tried to center himself and get his breathing under control. He was silent for a long moment, simply hugging Fran before speaking, his voice hoarse.
"Master Mao was there for me when I bonded with Togo; he helped me find my courage when I had to tell my father that I wasn't going to be following in the family's footsteps of inheriting the shark spirit." He smirked. "A bit ironic that I needed help being courageous when the wolf spirit is largely about having an abundance of it, but Master Mao understood that I felt daunted by facing my dad and so he gave me the push that I needed to tell him.
"He also gave me the push that I needed to eventually walk away from my father. Granted, I don't think he expected me to cut off contact from my dad for this long, but it's not like he's been seeking me out either."
"Your father?" Fran clarified.
"Mm," RJ sniffled. "Yeah."
The couple fell into silence as Fran gently rubbed RJ's back. They merely sat there as Fran did what she could to soothe and support her boyfriend with her presence as he mourned and wondered about what was out there on the horizon.
Three days later, RJ was hard at work in the kitchen determined to distract himself from his nerves. His students were due to arrive this day and Fran was off on a delivery run, therefore unable to provide him with a much needed pep talk to help him reestablish his balance.
Or provide a distraction with a make-out session.
'Professional behavior Wolf Master', he chided himself. They were on the clock and soon they wouldn't be the only employees of Jungle Karma Pizza. He couldn't exactly kiss or even snuggle Fran whenever he felt like it.
…This was going to be much harder than he thought.
'At least you're in a relationship with her,' Togo offered. 'If you two were still just friends, you'd spend much of your days uselessly pining.'
RJ's face heated at his animal spirit's words. 'I would not!'
'You absolutely would,' Togo replied. He smirked and added, 'You also cannot blame my influence on your desires, cub. That can go to your raging hormones.'
The young teacher squeaked and tried not to choke on air as he pressed his fingers a little too hard into the dough he worked. 'I have no idea what you're talking about.'
'Of course not. And how goes that Mt. Kilimanjaro pizza of yours?'
RJ stared down at the dough beneath his hands. 'I have no idea.'
He received his answer an hour later when he stumbled out of his kitchen through a cloud of smoke, coughing and waving his hands as he tried to clean the air. 'So much for that idea after all,' he thought wearily to himself. 'Really need to remember where I put that fire extinguisher.'
His heart skipped a beat when he saw three young adults in school uniforms that he knew all too well. They were wandering about his restaurant with wary yet curious eyes, obviously seeking out their new master. He bit back a smile and inwardly shook his head as they approached a man that looked vaguely similar to Master Mao. He wanted to write the mistake off as them being stereotypical then immediately scolded himself for the idea. He could feel the trepidation and mourning rolling off of the trio as they executed perfect bows in unison.
They missed Master Mao.
Besides, RJ continued to silently reason as he watched the man shake his head at his new students, he wouldn't have been surprised if Master Mao hadn't actually given them his name.
A cough escaped him, scratching his throat in the process. Apparently he hadn't gotten all of the smoke out of his lungs.
The sound alerted his students who looked at him with surprised yet doubtful stares. He grinned and made his way over to them deciding on the spot to not reveal who he was just yet beyond being the owner of the restaurant they had stumbled upon. He was going to turn this opportunity of mistaken identity into an opportunity. After all, RJ was much more of a hands-on type of teacher rather than a theoretical one.
They could ask Fran about that.
'Er,' he inwardly amended. 'On second thought…maybe not…'
RJ plucked three menus from the host stand and greeted the trio, feigning obliviousness. "I see we have new customers."
The most serious of the three instantly frowned. "We don't have time to sit around and eat pizza; we gotta keep searching."
The other male protested. "But I haven't had pizza in years!" Ah yes, RJ silently sympathized with him. One of the many downfalls of living at the Academy. No pizza parties or pizza Fridays.
"I am a little hungry," the female with them admitted. RJ had to hold back a smirk as he watched the first boy cave at her words and ushered them to an empty table. At the very least, his students would be entertaining.
As they perused the menus RJ had handed to them, he was studiously casual as he studied them. His heart ached when he realized just how young they were. Not that he himself was all that much older, but these three were barely adults and completely fresh out of the Academy who undoubtedly watched Master Mao die.
He wanted to ask how it happened, what went down specifically that caused Dai Shi to escape after millennia and kill Master Mao in the process. But the question died in his throat as soon as it rose to his lips. It was far too soon to ask what happened. It would be too cold, too cruel. Instead RJ said: "You guys on a mission or something? You seem to be searching for someone."
The three exchanged glances at one another before the young woman silently nominated herself as their spokeswoman. "We're looking for our new master," she confessed quietly, her wide blue eyes begging him to be discreet on the matter.
RJ fought to keep his expression neutral, the most casual of smiles gracing his face as he replied, "Aren't we all."
It didn't help matters, when the shorter, more serious of the guys who was undoubtedly a barrel of laughs, rolled his eyes, muttering to them that he didn't think that RJ would be of much help to them.
'Don't count your chickens before they hatch, dude.'
"You know," RJ began once he finished scribbling down their orders. "If you guys think you're going to be here in town for a while, maybe you can work here as you find yourselves or whatever it is this master of yours will be helping you with."
Mr. Serious Guy's friends appeared to be genuinely thinking his offer over. The kid grumped and said he'd only consider it if he got something worthwhile like a manager position.
As if there was anything not worthwhile about making the pizzas!
And speaking of a manager…
Fran walked back into the restaurant, finished with her delivery run. She found RJ and smiled sympathetically at his disheveled appearance. "I take it the Mt. Kilimanjaro pizza wasn't exactly a success?" She asked him lightly as she brushed flour from his hair and cheek.
"It's a work in progress," RJ admitted before gently grabbing her shoulders and spinning her to face his students. "Fran, these are my potential new hires. Potential new hires, this is my manager, Fran."
Fran's eyes went wide at the announcement. Well that was certainly news to her! She turned to look at her boyfriend over her shoulder, eyebrow arched. He merely grinned back at her, eyes silently telling her to go with it.
Inwardly shrugging, Fran beamed at the trio. "Well, I hope you go from potential new hires to actual hires! It would be great to have you all on the team!" 'Oh dear, I sound like every other minimum wage paying, part-time hiring manager…'
RJ's students graced her with tentative smiles. As RJ nodded at them, he gently steered Fran toward the kitchen, needing someone to talk to as he worked on their food. "I take it that's them?" She asked him quietly.
"Yep."
"They seem to be as nervous as you."
"They probably are," RJ agreed as he reached for a fresh ball of dough. "They've been through a lot."
Fran smiled sadly and gently squeezed his shoulder. He placed his hand over hers briefly, kissing the top of her head before getting back to work. As he tossed the dough, he was hit with the realization of a piece of important information that he lacked. "You know…" RJ mused as he placed the stretched dough on the pan. "I don't think Master Mao ever told my students what my name is."
Fran wrinkled her nose at that, a habit that RJ adored. "Well that's not helpful."
"I'm also pretty sure he never told me their names either."
His girlfriend bit the inside of her lip as she desperately attempted to keep her expression appropriately serious. "Oh…well, that's definitely not helpful."
"Exactamundo."
RJ had just placed the trays of food in front of his students and was trying to think of a way to get their names when chaos erupted not too far from the restaurant. A Rin Shi, a servant of Dai Shi which was definite proof that the malevolent dragon spirit was truly back, in the form of a _ stormed the downtown area, terrorizing civilians with its power and army of lackeys.
He stepped back and allowed his students to rush off to help out, wanting to see for himself just what those guys could do. He took a deep breath to settle Togo's fighting spirit as he felt the Wolf's eagerness to join the battle rise within him.
'Easy', RJ soothed Togo. 'Not now, not yet.'
'Hmph,' the Wolf spirit huffed. 'Apparently being on the sidelines will be my own test.'
'Our test,' RJ admitted as he made his way back into the kitchen to let Fran know what was going on and where he needed to be. After a brief kiss from his mate, RJ raced up the stairs to his chair and the bank of televisions that had eyes on various locations of the city his students were now charged to protect. He absently pet Smoky as he watched, Gouda's munching on her food reaching his ears.
RJ winced as he took in his students' performance. Their fighting skills were good, though admittedly the girl and Mr. Serious Guy's abilities seemed to be better honed than the other guy's. What was worse was that there was no unity in their movements, absolutely no harmony.
They weren't fighting as a team.
RJ was out of his seat and down the stairs in less than a minute, shouting to his girlfriend that he would be back soon. He arrived just in time to see the poor girl get thrown into her friends who helped her as she staggered to her feet. His movements fluid, RJ stepped in front of his students, his intent to protect even if his stance belied a sort of loose ease.
"Whoa! Dude!" He told the monster while gesturing at it. "Step back!"
His muscles hummed with years of training and experience as he did a series of quick warm ups; an almost feral grin on his face as he finished silently introducing himself with a clawed hand that raked through the air. It took him less than two minutes to hand the army their asses to them. RJ finished the battle by charging up a hint of his spiritual energy and blasting them away.
That had felt good. It had been so long since RJ used his skills, not even for a proper spar; in that moment, RJ remembered just the kind of rush that he got when battling. The freedom, the joy, the fierce pride as he became one with his Wolf spirit and showed his opponents just what it was that he was made of, that it went leagues beyond his usual happy-go-lucky attitude.
Whirling around, a satisfied smile made its way across his lips as he took in his students' awed expressions. "Can't judge a book by its cover," he playfully chided them while he rolled up his sleeve and revealed to them his Master's tattoo.
"It's you!" The less experienced kid enthused.
"You're our new Master!" The girl beamed.
Even Mr. Serious Guy seemed happy by this sudden revelation.
Yet when they bowed to him, RJ immediately protested, having never been a fan of that one particular tradition. "Uh…just call me RJ," He insisted. "Now, my students, if you don't mind answering me one question…what are your names?"
Casey, Lily, and Theo. Those were his students' names. Names were good. It meant that RJ had something to call them beyond nicknames that were based off of first impressions. Names were also scary. It made this whole thing, them being his students, all the more real.
The trio were exploring his loft that would now be their new home and training area. Casey was thrilled with the foosball table and basketball hoop while Lily eagerly flipped through the channels on one of the few TVs that didn't double as a city monitor. Over twelve hundred channels to explore would certainly keep her busy for a moment. Theo had surprised RJ when his normally serious expression softened at the sight of the cats; the boy had knelt and offered the cats his hand to sniff and get to know him. It had taken him less than a minute to earn their respect as well as their permission to be pet.
RJ smiled as he took the scene in, using their occupied minds as a moment to center and ground himself before calling them over to him. When they arrived, curiosity displayed on their faces, he spoke. "I thought we could use a little extra help in taking down a megalomaniac such as Dai Shi. Have you guys ever heard of the Power Rangers?"
Theo seemed to be the most excited about the prospect of being a Ranger though he immediately tried to downplay it. RJ couldn't blame him; he would have reacted in the exact same way. He went on. "So I made a couple of phone calls to various connections and managed to find someone to help me get connected to the Morphing Grid."
Without ceremony, RJ handed his students a pile of training uniforms with a pair of sunglasses which doubled as their morphers .They rested on top of the new clothes, which were in the primary colors; blue for Theo, yellow for Lily and red for Casey.
Casey gave him very slight pause. Not that RJ had any sort of doubt in his new student, but he could feel the doubt and discomfort that came from the young man himself. He didn't believe that he deserved to be part of this fight; that he belonged there and as the red Ranger, was meant to lead.
Honestly, that doubt was something of a trait for some red Rangers.
RJ grinned at Casey, determined to show the kid that he was just as much a part of the team as Theo and Lily were. After all, RJ had experience in knowing what it felt like to not belong, to be deliberately targeted for being slightly different, thank you Dad. He wouldn't let Casey face the same thing.
The televisions blared, screens switching to show that the Praying Mantis monster was back, stronger and uglier than ever. It was also worthy to note that he wasn't alone. A statuesque woman with a severe visage, highlighted by her thickly lined ice blue eyes and blood red lips, her black tresses tightly braided and coiled into a vague representation of a tail strode ahead of him; her arrogance exuding from her like a billowing cape RJ was slightly surprised that she wasn't wearing.
Ah. He wondered if this woman was Camille; the loyal, vicious general and right hand woman of Dai Shi. He supposed that it only made sense that if Dai Shi had returned that she would be at his side for this war as well.
"Looks like our friend is back," Theo noted.
"And he's brought a lot more company," Lily put in.
As the two of them raced down the stairs, sunglasses clutched in their hands, Casey turned back to look at him. "RJ, aren't you coming?"
He grinned and made his way over to the chair that he had already more or less scolded his students away from. As he plopped down into it, he waved Casey toward the door. "Not this time, my young cub, not just yet. You've got this, show Dai Shi what you're made of."
When Casey hesitated, RJ's smile became warmer as he locked eyes with the newest red Ranger. "I believe in you, Casey."
At his words, the light in Casey's eyes became more determined as he marched down the stairs, sunglasses in hand as he went to go join his teammates. RJ glanced at the monitors and found himself both surprised and pleased to see Lily and Theo already morphed and taking the Rin Shi army on. Casey soon arrived on the scene but it seemed he couldn't quite figure out how to unite with his animal spirit and activate his morpher.
RJ frowned and leaned back in his chair. Well, the kid would figure it out sooner or later, he knew that, sometimes the red Rangers were the last to morph of the main group of Rangers.
He just hoped that nobody suffered in the delay.
He also wished that he had brought snacks while he watched, like chips, ooh or even mozzarella sticks.
As his trio fought the army, Theo and Lily taking point while Casey struggled to keep up and figure out how to morph; RJ soon found himself grateful that he didn't have any snacks on him for the monitor on the lower left-hand side revealed something that both made him incredibly proud and somewhat terrified.
A girl around Lily's age had fallen to the ground in the middle of the struggle, about a block away from JKP. She was curled into a ball as she did her best not to be trampled by either the Rin Shi or the fleeing civilians. RJ wasn't the only employee of JKP who had witnessed this.
Fran raced out of the restaurant, running to the girl's side and gently coaxed her to her feet. Just as the girl straightened up, a Rin Shi materialized next to them. The girl screamed, but Fran, oh brave, sweet Fran merely glared up at the monster before turning and shielded the girl, taking a swipe to her upper arm that could have been so much worse if Casey hadn't figured out how to morph just then.
With the red Ranger on the scene, Fran guided the girl into Jungle Karma Pizza and sat her down at an empty table. She got the girl a soda to calm her nerves, napkins to dry her eyes and offered to call someone to pick her up. Once the girl had settled herself, she assured Fran that her own cell phone worked just fine and that she would call her mother.
Fran smiled and gave the girl a gentle squeeze on her shoulder before making her way into the kitchen where she was all but ambushed by her frazzled boyfriend who pulled her into his arms, babbling about her being incredible, insane and that he wasn't ever gonna let her go again.
RJ gently rubbed a balm over the scratch Fran endured when helping out the civilian she had saved. He was deeply relieved that it wasn't serious and while she would be sore for a while, that would be the worst of it.
"Sorry I didn't rely on your training back there," Fran said sheepishly.
"Maybe that's a good thing," RJ mused as he placed gauze over the wound before wrapping it with a bandage. "If you had blocked like I had shown you, it could have been worse."
"Really?"
RJ fixed his mate with a wry look. "Did you see the size of those claws?"
"No," Fran snorted as she rolled down her sleeve. "I was trying to make sure that an innocent young woman wasn't going to be hurt."
When RJ got that look on his face that meant he was blaming himself, Fran frowned and gently lifted his chin, turning his head so they could lock eyes. "Hey now, what's wrong? You're not blaming yourself for this, are you?"
"Casey was right; I should've been out there."
"RJ, you could have been there and that girl still could have been directly in harm's way. I'm not going to sit completely on the sidelines during all of this. You're the mentor to the Power Rangers and you know the risks, but so do I."
Fran fixed him with a firm look. "I have eyes, RJ. Even if I was completely in the dark about all of this, I would still do what I could to help someone if I know that they're in danger and I have the capability to do something."
Her boyfriend pouted at her. "I usually love knowing that you're right but this is one of the times when I'm definitely not a fan of that fact."
She pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. "Deal with it."
RJ huffed and leaned in for a kiss, his lips just brushing Fran's when someone coughed awkwardly and asked, "Uh…isn't that breaking…some set of rules?"
The couple abruptly pulled away from one another and turned to see Casey, Lily and Theo standing in the doorway to the kitchen, Casey having been the one to ask the question.
RJ seemed more annoyed that his kiss had been interrupted over the question Casey had asked. "What set of rules? The fact that Fran and I work together or the whole 'big secret' of Pai Zhuq?" He snorted. "Do you have any idea how many relationships the latter has ruined? I wasn't about to do that to Fran and myself. Besides," he went on blithely. "How else do you guys exist without your parents being in some sort of a relationship?"
He laughed when Fran shoved his shoulder, taking note of his students' scarlet faces.
"He has a point," Lily mumbled to her teammates, still somewhat mortified by her mentor's blunt attitude.
RJ stood up, pulling Fran to her feet in one fluid motion. He had her face the kids and wrapped his arms around his waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Fran, this is Lily, Theo, and Casey," he reintroduced, this time with names for the three. "Lily, Theo, and Casey, this is Fran, my mate."
Fran waved shyly at his students, all three returning the gesture just as unsurely though Lily seemed to be a bit more relieved about having another girl nearby. Fran broke the silence by asking, "So what was it like being Rangers for the first time?"
Fran examined the pizza she had just pulled from the oven. It was the "smoked and crispy" combo. Not one of her best pizzas for she usually had trouble dancing the fine line between "smoked and crispy" and cartoonishly burnt. She sliced into the pizza and pulled out a piece, carefully examining the underside which usually gave her the most difficulties. As she continued to study the slice, Fran wasn't overly aware of the other side of the pizza, not noticing hot, melted cheese that had started to ooze off of the tip of the pizza and dangled precariously over her head.
Luckily someone had her back. "Oh, be careful Fran!" Lily said as she darted over to Fran's side and gently moved the pizza away from her head.
Refocusing on Lily and the pizza, Fran saw the cheese that was now hanging off the edge of the slice. "Whoops!" She laughed. "I might like pizza, but that doesn't mean I want a mozzarella fringe."
Lily grinned and shook her head. "Why were you looking at that pizza so intently?"
"I wanted to make sure that the bottom crust was well-done and not scorched," Fran explained. "I guess I should have waited for the cheese to gel a little more as it cooled off."
"Maybe a little," Lily agreed. "Though I can't really blame you for being impatient, I'm starving!"
"That's right, you didn't get to eat did you?"
"I don't think Dai Shi is going to let us take meal breaks if we need them," Lily said thoughtfully and Fran had to hold back a laugh at the sudden image of her new friends and co-workers randomly breaking out a picnic in the middle of a battle.
Instead she replied, "I thought RJ brought up a few pies for you to try not too long ago."
"He did," Lily confirmed. "He also asked me to check on you and I thought I could use a little girl time especially if I have to live with a houseful of boys for the time being."
"Luckily for you, I'm here every day."
"You won't hear me complaining." Lily's expression suddenly turned coy. "Or RJ, I'm guessing for that matter."
Fran blushed and looked down at her pizza. "No…RJ definitely won't be complaining," she agreed. "But it's not so much that I'm dating him as it is having someone to help him stay balanced while he focuses on being your Master and running JKP."
"I feel like I've suddenly gotten a new older brother, if I'm being honest."
"Already?"
"Yeah," Lily admitted with a laugh. "I'm nervous about our first real training session with him. Thankfully he's giving us a day or two to settle in; at most meditation and warm ups will be expected of us."
"I think RJ is giving himself time too."
Lily smiled but said nothing, suddenly growing shy. Fran frowned at the sudden change in her behavior and poked Lily on the shoulder. "What's up? I may not be your mentor but that doesn't mean you can't confide in me." She tapped Lily on the shoulder again. "You did seek me out after all."
Lily didn't answer her right away, her countenance still shy as she tucked a loose blonde curl behind her ear and fiddled with her fingers as she gathered her courage. "You're okay with this?" She blurted out. "Dating a Pai Zhuq Master?"
Fran blinked in surprise. Not so much her words, but rather, the desperation in her tone. "I will admit, I had no idea of any of this when RJ and I first started dating and I'm almost one hundred percent certain that if it wasn't for Dai Shi's return, RJ would have put off the conversation for a lot longer than he did, but yeah, I'm okay with this, scary circumstances and all."
"I'm sorry we couldn't protect you."
"I'm pretty sure none of you expected me to be out there," Fran snorted. "Least of all RJ and never mind my own expectations." She refocused on Lily's earlier question.
"Is there a reason why you're asking me this? Are both of your parents Pai Zhuq warriors?"
Lily shook her head. "No, neither of them." She shrugged. "I guess I just was wondering if it was possible for a Pai Zhuq warrior to have a relationship with someone who wasn't part of the Order."
Fran considered Lily's thoughts as well as her own response before she gave it. "This has to stay between us," She began, only continuing once Lily nodded. "But RJ's mother knows and she's not part of the Order."
"She knows?"
"Mhm," Fran nodded. "She isn't married to RJ's father anymore but RJ has assured me that it has nothing to do with Pai Zhuq. That being said, I've known for about a month and my own feelings for RJ haven't changed one bit."
She regarded the younger woman before asking; "Is there someone that you like? In or out of the Order?"
Lily snorted. "There's hardly anyone outside of my family that I know well enough to even consider dating. As for within the Order…Theo's practically my best friend and I only really just met Casey when this whole war began."
"Really?"
"Yeah, he's not as experienced as we are but he's got one heck of a Tiger spirit and refused to allow himself to be cowed by a bully which was enough to impress Master Mao and have him team up with Theo and myself."
"Whoa," Fran breathed. This whole thing was, as her boyfriend would say, intense. "Well, no time like the present to get to know one another and strengthen your team bonds."
Lily brightened at her words. "That's true."
Grinning, Fran picked up the cooled pie and gestured for Lily to lead the way. The blonde held the door open for her new manager before heading up the stairs into the loft. Fran laid the pizza next to the others that only half their slices left. Taking a piece of the RJ special for herself, Fran then seated herself next to her mate.
Silence rang through the room as everyone nibbled on their pizzas, Theo precariously keeping his pizza away from a curious Gouda while Casey allowed Smoky to groom the grease from his fingers, laughing at the odd sensation of her scratchy tongue. Fran leaned against RJ and decided to break the quiet.
"Tell me about Master Mao," She requested of the newcomers.
"He was strict," Theo began. "He could be stern, but he was also kind."
"Even though he'd probably deny it, he was like everyone's dad," Lily said. RJ smiled softly and nodded at her words.
Casey was quiet, eyes unfocused as he tried to think of what he could contribute to the conversation. A moment passed before he finally added, "He saw the potential in others, even when they couldn't…still can't…see it for themselves." He took a breath before continuing, "If he were here, he would probably do what he could to get others to actually recognize that potential within."
Fran glanced up at RJ. 'Are you taking notes?' She silently asked.
As if he was aware of her thoughts, RJ wrapped his arm around her shoulders before raising his slice in a toast. "To Master Mao!"
"To Master Mao!" Lily called out with enthusiasm, Theo echoing her with a bemused grin.
"To Master Mao," Casey added, slightly more sober than his friends.
"To Master Mao," Fran said, her tone respectful as she tapped her slice against her boyfriend's.
The atmosphere lightened as the Rangers swapped stories about their experiences with the late Master, some humorous, some filled with wisdom and some involving disciplinary action following being busted for teenage shenanigans. When those were started, RJ threw in his own tales of mischief and escapades, laughing at the memory of exasperated fondness that was often found in Master Mao's eyes.
After the pizzas were polished off and the stories finished, RJ stood from his chair and stretched. "Now if any of you aren't too full, I can think of one activity we can all do before we hit the hay."
"Wait, we're not gonna watch television?" Theo asked.
"I mean if you want to, you can," RJ said. "But one of the televisions is gonna be devoted to something else." He turned to Fran and winked. She pretended to sigh, standing up and stretched.
RJ faced his students once more. "I thought we could test your agility and endurance…" He laughed at their sounds of annoyance. "…With a few rounds of Dance Dance Revolution!"
Lily leapt to her feet. "I'm in!"
Casey surprised them by standing up. "Me too."
Theo made a face. "I'm not the best at dancing…"
"Oh me either," Fran reassured him. "That doesn't take away from the fun though!"
"We can put it on easy mode," RJ offered, holding his hand up to silence Lily and Casey when they booed.
Theo made a face at his friends before standing up. "Okay, but only because this will be the most fun type of training I've ever had—"
"It's not exactly training," RJ admitted.
"—But if it means I stand a chance at taking on Lily and Casey, then I'm in."
Lily feigned hurt. "Theo! I thought we were friends!"
"All's fair in love and war," Fran pointed out with a laugh, not noticing Theo's blush at her words.
Casey playfully shoved the Jaguar Ranger. "Bring it on, dude."
"Oh I will," Theo assured him.
RJ moved toward the television bank, snatching up the remote that would allow him to activate the game while Fran went off in search of the dance mat. "Then let the games begin!"
Oh thank heavens, this story finally updated! Just shy of two months later! I just could not get inspired! I also couldn't remember the premier episodes! Though I must admit, having this chapter largely in RJ's perspective does help.
Was Fran meant to rush off to help a civilian? Nope. Not at all. Did my imagination suggest that as a possibility and I decided to roll with it anyway? Absolutely.
My favorite thing writing this chapter is the fact that Togo is a little shit. So is RJ. :3(
I'm not sure what the next chapter will be, but I do know that it's based off of Sigh of the Tiger and will give Fran's perspective a little more attention. Especially when things begin to hint to being out of the ordinary…y'all do remember the gift from her mother, right?
Also to trouble-scorn about your review for my Christmas one-shot: *sniffles* No, your reviews were a bright spot in a very dark year! Thank you! And to ChibiDawn23! Thank you for putting up with my babbling and endless RJ/Fran ideas! I would be a lot lonelier without you, my friend!