A/N: Guess, I didn't check the typos from last chapter. =/ In this story, Sky is son of Wesley Collins, which would make him Schuyler 'Sky' Collins-Tate, therefore, Sydney's married name is Sydney 'Syd' Amanda Drew Collins-Tate. Once again, I'm sorry if I had confused anyone.
A/N: And for those who are waiting for an update for 'Double Life', I'll try to update that as well. 'Requiem for a Yellow' is on hiatus. I'm gonna try to finish this story as quickly as I can.
Chapter 15- Katie's Keeper
Xxxxx
Planet Hollywood
Fat Tuesday
Las Vegas, NV
Dana, Summer, Cassie, Kat, Katie, and Kendrix were at Planet Hollywood. This casino had a variety of things to do, which made this casino appealing than the others. The six women had just finished shopping around the 'Miracle Mile Shops'. They were dazzled by the array of high end stores.
Bright purple, very maroonish-hot pink, and turquoise colors caught the attention of Katie. She almost shrieked in happiness. "You guys, we have to go there," she pointed out the drink bar, 'Fat Tuesdays'. She remembered a couple of reunions back, she had tried this place. There was something about their frozen daiquiris that caused her heart to flutter.
"I am so down," said the former Pink Lightspeed Ranger. She quizzically looked at her comrades. Some of them weren't too excited. "What, I'll pace myself," she offered as an exchange.
"Says the girl that drank a fifth of vodka last night," Kendrix quipped.
"Who also chased that with a strawberry margarita," Summer added with a smile.
"And you can't forget the Mike's Hard Pink Lemonade," Kat practically sang, while she shifted her bags from one hand to the other. She just couldn't stay away from the Sephora shop. She must've purchased over $200 worth of products.
Cassie smirked at her successor. "You know, I just don't see how Carter puts up with you. You are such a lush," she playfully remarked.
Dana turned a bright pink. She knew her friends were just kidding around with her. "When it comes to these reunions, I like to let loose. As a pediatrician in Mariner's Bay, a mother, and a dutiful wife, I would like to think this is my break. I don't see anything wrong with the way I handle myself out here," she explained while the others rolled their eyes.
Kendrix and Summer slung their arms around their fellow beautiful blonde.
"Honey, remember what happened with the dancers," Summer reminisced about the time Dana got on stage. "Come to think of it, Cassie, now I can see why Carter puts up with her," she winked.
They all laughed as they thought about Dana's lustful moves.
"For a white girl you sure got bounce," Katie cackled once again. She smiled at her friends. Being from the way, distant future, she was reminded how times have changed. She liked the modern times. They were very interesting to her.
All of them headed towards the bar. They each ordered a drink that was reminiscent of their signature color. Summer ordered an Amaretto Pineapple while Cassie requested the Jungle Juice. Next, Kendrix wanted the classic Strawberry Daiquiri. Dana and Kat happened to want the same drink, so they both got the Triple Bypass. And lastly, Katie sought the Banana Banshee. They took a seat on one of the bar stools.
The women's mouths erupted in pleasure as they tasted the sweet, yet bitter beverages that were laced with a ton of alcohol. They began to talk about how their trip was going so far, and how much they did miss their home. For Summer and Katie, they were cautious. The bartenders were near them, and for Katie, she was eyeing the cute one that looked to be of Puerto Rican descent.
By no means was Katie a 'slut', as people outside of her world may deem her. After all, just a night or two ago, she was with a man she had met by the pool. Katie was still young, and in her mind, she wasn't ready to be tied down to one man. Her lifestyle was far from the ordinary, and maybe even her thoughts about herself were low. She just couldn't see how one man would want to be with her. She hated that he was willing to wait.
"So, it's been three days since we've been here, and I've yet to gamble," Kat mildly frowned. She watched as the machines lit up with all the different colors of the rainbow. The 'ching' sound did sound heavenly.
"Maybe it's best you don't," Cassie figured, as she took a sip. "My husband told me not to. He believes that these places are the devil's playground." She longingly watched the machines. "I guess a twenty wouldn't hurt," she lightly giggled.
The other women knew Cassie was a woman of her own. She didn't need her husband to watch her every move.
Summer's latest sip almost went down the wrong pipe, as she heard the others. "A couple more of these, and I wouldn't be surprised if I gambled away all of my money," she laughed and asked for another one.
"My kind of girl," Dana highly praised. She, too, nodded for one more.
"I wonder what everyone else is up to," Kendrix wondered out loud. She had been on her phone texting her husband. She smiled at the pictures he sent to her. "Hey, what time do we have to be back tonight?"
"There was no specified time," Katie answered with her eyes practically stalking the bartender. "Hey, what's your name," she asked him.
The former female rangers exchanged glances. Their hearts kind of broke. Up to this time, they had thought Katie was willing to settle down.
The cute bartender walked over. "I'm Juan, and what are your names. You are all very gorgeous by the way," he flashed them a million dollar smile.
"And very taken," Summer defended her girls with a glare.
"Summer," Katie hissed with some anger. She returned her attention to the man in front of her. She nervously smiled. "Excused my friend. She's had too much to drink."
"One and a half daiquiris is not a lot," Summer almost slurred. She covered her mouth, trying to conceal the belch that was making its presence.
Dana laughed out loud. "Summer, you are younger than me and can't hang! That's pretty sad," she obnoxiously observed with a smirk.
Kat shook her head in embarrassment. "I wonder if I can walk through that wall and escape," she muttered to herself.
"Have you ever thought of adding another person to that," Cassie overheard.
The former Pink Lost Galaxy Ranger became red. "Excuse them, they hardly go out."
"My name is Katie," she introduced herself and held out her hand.
"So, are you from around here," Juan only paid attention to the overseer of new cadets at the Time Force HQ.
"Um, no, I'm from a faraway place," and time, Katie pondered to herself, "I'm just here with some friends."
"That's cool," he ogled her. "How long are you in town for?"
"Four more days," Katie quickly replied. "You should show me around some time."
"I might have to do that," he thought about taking her up on her offer. "How about tonight? I get off at four, and maybe we can go out later." He appeared to be very hopeful.
Cassie, Kat, Kendrix, Dana, and Summer were ready to pounce on Katie. She wouldn't dare put a guy before a date out with her friends. Even more, they didn't want her to hurt the one person that's been waiting what seemed like forever for her.
Five eyes were continuously glaring daggers at her. Katie could feel it. She knew their request, but at the same time, she had needs too. As selfish as it may sound, she wanted to head out with Juan tonight. Her eyes bounced from each of her friends to Juan, and then she submerged herself in her mind and memories.
It was the only place she could escape to.
(Flashback)
Katie Mikayla Anderson-Walker, three-zero years old, DNA consists of a professional aero-ball owner and coach and a standard school teacher, wannabe singer, supervision kind of captain at the Time Force HQ, older sister to a loving brother, without kids, and single but my heart is taken; those words or statements describe me.
If there's other stuff to say about me, I wouldn't know or possibly, I just don't want to know. Some can hurt me, while others can get me out of this rut I've dug myself in. I've been kinda overlooked. Yet, people notice me for my enhanced genes. The strong type, but I didn't want that. I should be like other women I know—the gorgeous best friend, the go-to girl, the most appealing girl. Something other than 'Katie' or 'Butch'!
I guess I'm self-loathing.
From a young age, I realized I was different. Other rangers grew into their powers, while I was born with mine. I didn't have a chance or time to adjust. I hated it. My parents thought their first born was going to be a male, so they made sure I was given STRENGTH. If only they would've done the common thing and asked the doctors what was the sex of their child, could they have known this would be a burden on me and not a gift.
This may be the same sob story. Trini was made fun of for her accent and her slanted eyes. Syd was taunted since she was so beautiful, and Kendrix was too geeky. However, for me, being an African American woman coupled with a manly trait, I was severely made fun of. My earliest recollection had to be kindergarten.
Teasing was still prominent, even in the future. There was no way to get around that. One of my classmates, her name was Lucy. She had to be the most beautiful girl I knew. Her bright, round blue eyes, soft, glowy skin, long chestnut, brown hair; she appeared to be dolly like. Her only downfall was she had antennas. It shouldn't have been a surprise, since creatures of various origins lived in harmony with humans. There were these mean little boys, and they made sure to take Lucy's prized possession—a book she always carried around.
Lucy cried and cried and cried for them to give it back. They were so vile, that they decided to use their own supernatural ability.
"See if you can get this," one of the idiotic boys sneered. He hurled the book while the other boy flew and caught it himself.
"Can you really get it now," the other boy pestered.
She collapsed to the ground, her eyes filled with water. As the boys played a more malicious game of monkey in the middle, she watched in horror. Her lip quivered with sadness. "My parents are in that book," she elaborated, "they died in the battle." Her face became long and sad.
Family, and even to this day, was the most important thing to me. Part of me disliked my parents for enhancing my genes to acquire this amount of strength, but they gave me life. Therefore, I loved them to death. I placed my hand on Lucy's shoulder.
"I'll get it back for you," I promised. I watched as the two classmates were talking amongst themselves. With fury encasing my brown orbs, I stomped right up to them. I used my strength and held them up in the air. The flying dingbat tried to escape, but I prevented him from doing so. They trembled with fear, and I felt great.
"Hey, hey, let us go," one of them pleaded.
"Yeah, yeah, we were just joking around," the other anxiously stated. He became a bundle of nerves and dropped the picture book.
Lucy ran and retrieved the item. She thanked me. I smiled at her. I dropped the little monsters and walked away with my friend.
Then, I heard the words that still rattled me.
"Ugly, BLACK girl," one of them snared, "go clean my room!"
I turned around in shock. My color wasn't and shouldn't be an issue.
"Are you sure she's a girl," the other malevolently teased. "With powers like that, yeah right. She's a boy, an ugly BLACK boy," he added.
"I am a girl," I screamed. I didn't understand. My parents had instilled in me that people with darker skin were still targets. I didn't get it though. People were nice to me, and I was nice to them. Regardless of what color I was, we needed to get along. "Stop it, stop talking about me," I wished they would.
That's what always happened though. If it wasn't because of my ethnicity, then it would be about my 'potential'. As I got older, I began to understand what my parents had warned me about. Color—black and white especially, there had been a lot of bad blood between them. Some sense of rivalry; it made sense why I should 'clean his room'. That's what people of darker color did back in the 1800s.
On the other hand, I would look in the mirror. I didn't see a boy like others did. I saw a girl, a lost little girl, but a girl nonetheless. My lips were full, I had the doe eyes, my boobs were getting bigger, and of course I had a butt. Not only that, but my hair was beautifully curled. Everyone loved my tendrils.
I would be lying if I didn't encounter some racism at the Time Force HQ. I did. When I first applied to be a recruit, the man, who was responsible for my intake papers, simply tossed them to the side. I frowned.
"Excuse me," I politely tried to get his attention.
He ignored me. "Next person," he huffed. More and more people came forward. Their papers were fast tracked. I couldn't believe it.
"Excuse me," I practically grunted. He still didn't want to hear me. I fumed at his careless actions. Equality wasn't evident in his mind. I thought he was denying me since I was a woman, but there were plenty that made their way forward. Then, he stopped one more person from advancing. I noted the man's color. He was black. I saw red, and I cut in line and went behind the apparent incompetent man. I picked up his chair with one hand.
With trepidation, he gulped.
Everyone in the room was in a stunned silence. They couldn't believe their eyes. A thin framed girl like me could pick up a morbidly obese man like that. I wanted to get my point across though. All of us are equals. Our skin color can be different, our features, sexuality; whatever it is, but I shouldn't be denied access to an academy due to that.
And that's when they came, two teenaged guys. At first, I became scared. It reminded me of my childhood, and I thought they were going to stop me from harming the man. I immediately spoke up.
"Don't," I yelled, "what he's doing is wrong. He shouldn't deny me or anyone else."
"And we agree," one of them spoke up. It happened to be Alex Drake. "If this was how they run things, then I don't want to be a part of this organization."
"That goes for me too," the other guy, Lucas Kendall, second. He smiled at me, and in that one smile, I began to like him.
A man in his late 30s entered the building. He perused the scene, and he pointed the three of us out. He didn't seem to be the one for games. If anything, he was dead serious on getting us, three, out of there. At least, that's what it seemed to be. I gulped down my lunch, since it seemed to be creeping up on me. I hadn't even let the man go, since I was so nervous.
I might've ruined my chances to join Time Force, I sorrowfully pondered to myself.
Since I didn't think I had a chance, I let the man fall to the ground. I should've had some second doubts, but I was tired of feeling inferior. In addition, this man deserved every bit of malevolent treatment. Alex and Lucas snickered a bit, and then they became stoic at the other man' face.
"I am Commander Logan," the man introduced himself, and the three of us felt our knees knock together. It was truly an affirmation, our careers at Time Force was already over. State your names."
"Sir, yes, sir, I am Alex Drake," the future Red Time Force Ranger saluted him.
"Lucas Kendall, it's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance," he smoothly commanded with his pearly white teeth showing.
Again, my heart fluttered. I cleared my throat to refocus. "And I am Katie Walker," I had to remind myself that I was there to make a better mankind, not find me a better and kind man. Though, Lucas was just that appealing. Alex was cute too, but he wasn't my cup of tea.
The Commander paced in front of us. It seemed like the world had stopped during the time he seemed to be in deep thought. The words to exit his mouth caused my own mouth to drop. "You three are to be in Squad A. People of your valor and the sacrifice one was willing to endure, I believe you three will succeed at this place."
"Did I just hear you right," I questioned inquisitively. He simply nodded. "Oh, thank you," I engulfed him into my strong yet hearty bear hug. A breath of relief exited. He saw potential in me! That was self affirming, and I just wanted to dance in joy.
"Her name's Katie right," Alex whispered to Lucas.
"Yeah, I believe so," Lucas watched in awe.
"Katie," they both barked.
I released the Commander. "Huh?" I turned to them, and they pointed to the ground. "Oh, Commander," I exclaimed as I found him slumped over. I picked him up by his right arm, and he gratefully nodded at me. "Sorry, I just got so excited," I futilely explained.
He blushed a bit. "It's alright," he straightened his clothes out. He ushered the three of us inside. "Dirk, by the way, you are dismissed of your duties. Time Force is about equivalence; you are just a jerk."
I victoriously smirked.
Two days later, two more recruits made their way in. Jennifer 'Jen' Scotts and Triptonium 'Trip' Regis meshed very well with Alex, Lucas, and I. We were the fabulous five. Jen did have some doubts in passing all of the exams to become a Time Force Officer while Trip had self confidence issues due to his origin. However, we all worked together.
Jen and I became best friends. We were two girls immersed in an academy that was full of men and some other women. We became attached at the hip and our bond grew from there. To the outsiders, she was crude, uncaring, frigid, but I knew her true persona. She was a sweetheart and definitely there whenever someone needed a hand. Her sparring skills were impeccable, and I strived to be like her. But, and this was a big one, I grew envious of her. Amongst our quintet, Alex fell for her, Trip developed this deep admiration for her, and of course, Lucas held these unrequited feelings from her.
Lucas was the type of guy to get any girl he wanted. The fact that Alex and Jen were getting closer; it didn't bother him. If anything, he found that to be like a game. He was positive Jen would fall for him eventually. That wasn't the case, but he moved on, and it was never to me.
Anyways, Alex probably had no clue how much he helped Jen excel in the program. He did though! Oh my gosh, she hit all of her marks; each obstacle course, she surpassed her other times. She made me feel inadequate as another female recruit. I kept my feelings a secret, since I didn't want to be catty with her. I confessed how I felt way later.
As the years and months went on, we became officers, helped protect the city around us, and did whatever we needed to do to keep the bad guys off the street. Alex became a Captain and the Red Time Force Ranger, and Jen was right by his side. Lucas maintained his heartbreaking ways, and Trip was along for the adventure. The inferior feeling soon left me, and I was comfortable in my skin for what seemed like the first time in five years.
When Alex 'died', while trying to prevent Ransik from escaping to the past, our team's heart broke. Lucas and Alex had been friends before Time Force became a big thing, Trip found Alex to be a father figure, and of course, half of Jen was gone. For me, I had never encountered anything like that before. Before he supposedly parted to the other side, he handed over his morpher to Jen.
None of us knew how much that would alter the future or past.
So, we went behind Commander Logan's back, obtained the rest of the morphers, probably disobeyed every rule in the Time Force Manual and traveled to the past. Our mission was to retain Ransik, his daughter, Nadira, Frax, and that horrible excuse of a frog/whale monster. We came face to face with the disgusting gang, and the most embarrassing thing had to happen, we couldn't use the damn Chrono-Morphers. Our wonderful and informative sidekick Circuit—courtesy of Trip, had informed us someone of Alex's DNA line had to unlock them.
Great, so we traveled almost a thousand years into the past, all to find out the morphers couldn't be used until someone of Alex's family tree, who would have the right molecular structure, had to be present!? Were they fucking kidding me? I was beginnging to get a huge migraine from this news.
But before I answer that, I can't forget the first time I saw Wesley 'Wes' Collins? Is it just me or did everyone in their bloodline have an infatuation with Jen? Come on, the way his eyes looked, and I'm sure even his heart twinkled with love when he first laid eyes on her. It was a shock to know about their uncanny resemblance. The two of them are a dead ringer for each other, granted Alex's hair was way darker, and Wes was way hotter. Shhh, don't let anyone know I said that. Jen would go ape shit!
Jen's stubborn ass couldn't admit we needed his help though. She kept complaining about him being a rich, spoiled kid, and he wouldn't know what it would be like to work on a team. Yet, he did the one thing we desperately needed. He made sure we could use each and every Chrono-Morpher. Eventually, Jen warmed up and allowed him to join. That's probably not the only thing she warmed up to.
As Time Force Yellow, I became even more manlier. My boobs disappeared, depending on the light, I grew about five inches, and my body appeared to be more square. I thought when the power entered my body, it was supposed to give me black belt status, martial arts skills, heightened senses, weapons, not a completely altered body! What the hell was in those morphers? Alright, let's back to the more important stuff. I operated the Time Flyer 4, the Chrono Blaster, Saber, V-4, and the Vector Cycle. That was a definite perk, and I totally, like oh my God, loved the accessories.
And that's what my life in the past was consumed with. I fought, did odd jobs ,wielded Zords whenever needed, hid my true ability, sometimes, tasted the finest dishes (greasy pizza), lived in a clock tower, watched Jen and Wes flirt like crazy but maintain a love-hate relationship, released the feelings I had for Lucas, and of course, adjusted to what the past was.
I knew the past wasn't where I wanted to be though. As a Power Ranger, I accepted duty, the assignment, whatever I needed. But, fighting for the year 2001, I just didn't think it was fair. I had been separated from my family for awhile. My life revolved around training, living on base, practicing the latest defense techniques, and there were times I would go months without seeing them already. With the battle between us and Ransik brewing heavily, we left the future unprotected. There was no telling how long we'd be in the past for. How could I fight for a place I didn't live in? I didn't grow up here, nor did I want to keep protecting Silver Hills.
Of course, my team helped me to see that I was wrong. Wes' kind words, Jen's concurrence with him, Lucas' determination, and of course Trip's presence helped me to see it was just as important to fight for this city as it was to fight for the future. I understood why they were my best friends.
So, as I mentioned before, I secretly felt green towards Jen. The fact her fiance died made her even more colder than before, and I was accepted as the gentler force, maybe what a 'Pink 'should really be. I admitted how I felt towards Jen from beginning up until that point. It was after her battle with her old partner, Steelix. The leader of the Time Force Rangers was unraveling from her brush with evil, and I was helping her bake sugar cookies. Her chocolate chip ones were unbearably awful. Wes was too whipped to admit it. As I began to mix the eggs in, I turned to her.
"Jen, you are my best friend. I'm glad your okay," I confessed, and she gazed at me. Her eyes were curious, and I needed to elaborate. "There's no easy way to say this, and I suppose I just need to open up. There are these feelings I've been harboring, and it's been on my mind for awhile now," I took a deep breath filled with much anxiety. "There's no point in hiding them, since we've come so far and been through so much. And well," she interrupted me with most absurd thought.
"Katie, I do NOT swing that way," Jen angrily hissed.
"Huh, what," I wanted to chuck her rancid cookies at her. "I don't either, what are you trying to say," I placed my hands on my hips and glared at her.
"Well, it's just that," she didn't know how to phrase her words. "Well, you never," she made me want to choke her! "But you didn't, and you never hinted," each statement acted as a verbal slap to my face.
"Jen!" I yelled lividly. "Are you insane?"
"She's insane for making those cookies," Lucas nonchalantly joked as he looked at himself in the mirror. He made those obnoxious model faces.
Trip and Wes almost fell out of their seats with laughter, much to Jen's chagrin. She glared at the two of them which caused the duo to become eerily quiet.
"So, you're not," she wondered.
I really couldn't believe she was inquiring about my sexual orientation. Did she not get the hints that I had thought Lucas was cute, or that Wes' ass was voluptuous for a white guy? It caused me to rethink some things about Jen. Maybe, she wanted to be the center of attention, or it's possible since she was a Pink, she should be the only female in the group! Yet, I knew if I kept this in any longer, I would burst. Another thing, I shouldn't jump to conclusions. It's better to face everything head on. I decided to take a few calming breaths and asked if we could talk alone—without the prying eyes or ears of the guys. She agreed. We went to the upper part of the clock tower, and I spoke from the bottom of my heart. I did not leave one detail out, nor did I let her get a word in edgewise. She figured out quite quickly how serious I was.
"Katie," her mouth gaped.
This kind of monstrous confession caused my eyes to water.
"Without you on this team, we would probably go crazy," she consoled me, and I nodded. "Who else is going to help me keep the guys in check? Yeah, you might not be as bitchy as me, but it's your attitude that helps us to remain optimistic. Though, the roles were almost reversed, when you had that meltdown."
"I did not have a meltdown," I countered.
"Oh honey, in denial much? You so did have a meltdown when Vexicon was in town," she reminded me of the Mutant from a few weeks ago. She smiled nonetheless. "Katie, you should be able to open up to me anytime. You are my best friend, actually more like a sister. I wouldn't know what I would do without you. If anything, I'd probably go crazy."
"You mean it," I asked her.
She genuinely nodded. "I have to admit, I'm jealous of how laid back you can be. After everything that's occurred within the last few months, I've become this walking, talking, fighting robot. It's good to have some emotion, but I just... can't," she confessed, and I understood.
I had to laugh at her. "So, when are you going to admit you like Wesley 'Wes' Collins?"
"What," she disbelievingly stared at me. "Are you crazy? I don't like that man with the gorgeous eyes and to die for body," she gazed off towards the distance, then shook her head. "He's so annoying and thinks so highly of himself, but with those features I kind of understand why."
"Yet, you don't like him," I quirked my brows.
"Right," she acted like nothing happened.
I should've brought up what happened with Contemptra. Maybe that would jog her memories, although, Jen's crazy in her own right. She's also the most stubborn person I've ever met. Well, I guess I can't really say that. Eric Myers did rival her.
What can I say about him? He's a rogue ranger, he hated us, he fought against us, and he stole the Quantum Morpher right underneath us! Another thing, he was very much an asshole, and his picture would be found in the Merriam-Webster's dictionary under that word. I have to be honest about something. Eric and I have talked about this too. The two of us are kind of like kindred spirits. Both of us were rather envious of our respective best friends. It took me awhile to like this estranged kind of man, but he needed to meet me halfway as well. The fact was, he did, thefore I have respect for him.
Now, where was I?
Oh, so Alex's arrival marked, well, a lot of things. It was obvious we were getting some kind of help due to the fact Commander Logan seemed dumbfounded about the Time Shadow. Alex notified all of us the fact the time line was shifting. That made sense since Walter, at first, died lonely, then I came back from my little tryst in the past to find out he actually married Gwen. So, if that was the case, what was occurring in the past altered the future. Alex had made that clear, which meant Wes was supposed to take over his father's company, and we would get things to be the 'way they were meant to be'.
That would've been all fine and dandy if we would've never encountered Wes—like ever. It's obvious our lives were destined to collide with his, while his destiny wasn't to run his father's company. I don't know what had caused Alex to become severely demented in his mind, but he did. The person I felt bad for was Jen. That wasn't the man she fell for. It was obvious, and I felt bad for Lucas. He had lost respect for his own best friend. Trip, on the other hand, seemed to be a little indifferent, but he was obviously in cahoots with Wes more. And for me, I couldn't find the same guy that had rescued me all of those years ago. It was kind of sad, bittersweet even. When we had lost Alex, we gained Wes.
Alex's 'death' happened for that reason.
Before I get to my feelings on the final battle, I have to mention something about Mitch. Not many people know about us, but we did have a relationship after our encounter. There was something about the baby faced photographer that made me melt. He paid attention to me, and he saw me for who I was, other than the fact I could lift more weights than the strongest man. He also called me 'gorgeous'. That right there made me fall head over heels for him. Of course, we couldn't continue a relationship due to the truth, which I admitted to him. He accepted, and he said he would never forget about. I couldn't forget about him either. He was my first kiss.
The final battle between the Time Force Rangers and Ransik ended up being Alex versus the Time Force Rangers versus Wes versus Ransik. Alex's domineering and condescending ways were extremely obtrusive, and Wes fell for his dirty tricks! I couldn't believe the Red Ranger, the TRUE, Red Ranger was willing to risk his life to save the world and ours. I'm glad Jen stood up to Alex and returned that cheap, Cracker Jack, engagement ring too. Serves Alex right! I couldn't bear to think about Wes fighting thousands of foot soldiers and dying. I absolutely wouldn't and couldn't be in his shoes. Amicably, us, Time Force Rangers, saved Wes' life that day, altered his destiny, and what was to come in the future world.
Not only that, but Trip had a hand in helping change Nadira's ways, which helped Ransik see the error in his ways. The war was over... finally.
The teary goodbye, Jen will probably discuss that. I have to reveal who my keeper is.
When I returned to the future, I was reunited with my family. Just like I had missed them, they missed me very much and maybe a little more. I became giddy and filled with a ton of joy when I heard about what had happened in those months I was gone for. My father signed a multimillion dollar deal for his aero-ball team. (Aero-ball is the future form of basketball and played in an arena consisting of supercharged air. The players have shoes that counteract the force, which causes them to stay suspended, therefore they can engage in their game. Unlike basketball, there's six quarters.) My mother soon retired from her job as a teacher, but my brother got early acceptance into Time Force. He spoke to Commander Logan and used my name as a reference. Hey, what can I say? My brother happened to be smarter than he looked.
Those weren't the only changes to come. Sadly, Alex Drake resigned from his post. He needed a vacation from everything and didn't exactly know when he would return, but he couldn't leave Time Force without a leader. He relinquished his title back to Commander Logan. I knew that was probably the hardest thing he's ever done, but I don't blame him. How could he be in the presence of Jen's 'homesickness', or the way she looked whenever she took out Wes' picture from her pocket. At least, he thought ahead for once.
Furthermore, Commander had appointed us to be the teachers at Time Force. It happened to be we were like hometown celebrities for the selflessness we exhibited in the year, 2001 or was it 2002. And of course, Jen had a higher rank than us.
And in the years and months to come after our promotions, Trip and I became closer. I mean, day in and day out, we took notes on who was coming in and who was leaving that place. We compared our findings. We were responsible for who would be able to carry our title as Time Force Rangers. Trip and I flirted here and there, but it wasn't until we got back from the future the first time, did I notice how cute he was. So, he came from a different planet, he had that jewel placed smack dab in the middle of his forehead, and he had that not so flattering neon green hair, but I saw passed that. Honestly, I fell for Trip Regis. There wasn't one bad thing about Trip. I loved his smile, his deep, brown eyes, his intellectual side, the way he looked when a premonition was coming, he treated the cadets with care and the utmost respect, he used his brains for good, and he put others before him.
Though, dating has never been my forte, and I was afraid since I had a relationship with Mitch before considering him, we made some progress.. Right after the battle with Wild Force to combat the Mutorgs, we noticed how everyone around us was in love. Hell, one member stayed in the past to be with the one she loved, while one fraternized with a member of another team. Nadira and Lucas were so entranced with each other, Ransik ended up crying his eyes out. I believed he was crying due to his little girl growing up, and there was little he could do about it.
Anyways, the two of us continued to submerge ourselves in the work we had laid out before we left. Each picture and profile of the future cadets was before us. The work was tedious, time consuming, a lot of information to sort through, and we were tied to our desks. We didn't know how we were going to prepare for the next day without this being completed. It was frustrating, and I wanted to scream. And then, out the blue, Trip began to laugh.
"What's so funny," I asked him, a little upset with his casualness. He didn't stop. He continued for what seemed like minutes. "Trip, what's so funny?"
Then, he snorted like a tiny piglet. Trip's never done that before. I couldn't help but start giggling. The both of us became a mess with how much laughing we were doing. My stomach cramped, and I had to hold it. Tears were coming out of my eyes, he was practically convulsing upright. We looked like fools and started sounding like ones too. There was a slight gurgling noise added with mine since the joyous utterances were caught in my throat.
After a few more minutes of unnecessary laughs, he had the warmest look in his eyes. It made me blush like fifty shades of crimson. It was kind of out of nowhere. He grabbed my hand, and he began to softly stroke my skin. There was a shift in our relationship alright; he moved my chair closer to him. And, there it was, a deep, romantic kiss via Trip of Xybria. There was that unexpected warm feeling, my heart filled with love, if I kept going on and on it would have to be the cheesiest thing ever described. Either way, this had to be the most romantic and loving kiss I've ever participated in.
The need for air became evident, so I broke away from his soft lips.
For Xybrians, their skin doesn't get pink or red when they beging to blush, they turn an ill shade of green. I gasped, thinking I must've overwhelmed him. "Oh my God, Trip!" I hugged him, almost suffocating his small stature. Then, his skin morphed into a sickening blue color. He looked like a blueberry. I let him go.
Trip chuckled a little, while trying to recapture his breath. He pretty soon regained his composure. "Katie, I'm alright," he signaled everything was okay.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," he bobbed his head up and down. "It's been awhile since I felt this way about someone," he admitted. He's opened up about the girlfriend he had on his home plant. A beautiful native by the name of Thalia. He showed me a picture; he still kept her memory with him. Sadly, she didn't survive the war that erupted on Xybria. Trip escaped just in time with his family; something I'll internally be grateful for. Whenever he would speak about her, I knew his eyes would be cloaked with sadness. This time was no exception. I felt so bad for him, but at the same time, I was there. "You aren't her, and I'm glad you aren't. It wouldn't be fair to you, if I constantly compared you guys. I fell for Katie Walker, strong mentally, emotionally, and physically."
That's all I wanted. Recognition for who I truly was. I became ecstatic. Trip and I made out once more.
"I fell for Katie Walker, strong mentally, emotionally, and physically," a familiar voice immaturely mocked us. The two of us immediately whipped our heads towards the direction of the voice. It was Lucas, and Nadira was with him. "About time you two admitted your feelings. Isn't that right, babe?"
Nadira shrieked, and it caused all of us to wring out our ears. "Yes, sweetie," she smiled brightly.
My boyfriend and I just wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.
And that's how it's been for the past several years—with plenty of bumps in the road. There's no doubt the two of us are in love, but I've had some doubts. It's stemming from the insecurities I still hold. Thalia has been deceased for more than a decade, but he still has her picture hanging in his room. On top of that, Trip and I are seen as a goofy looking couple, so I feel my cheeks get hot when people make fun of us. With Jen gone, I would've thought I was going to be the 'go-to woman', instead I'm still second best. I end up taking my frustrations out on Trip, and that puts a strain on our relationship. And, well, there's the fact that there are billions of other guys in the past and present. Hell, it was obvious when Jen and I went to our first ever reunion. Yet, I didn't engage in any relationships with guys due to Trip. Our conflicts came to head when Trip wanted to settle down, like fo real, fo real as some people like to say.
"Katie, what the hell is your problem," he snapped at me. Trip was usually the gentle one of the group. I couldn't believe how angry he could get. "We've been together for a long time, and it's taking you this long to get past your 'wanna have fun' phase? You have to be joking."
"Trip, I'm not ready," I told him, and I hoped I hadn't hurt his feelings, though I knew I was doing a great job of doing so.
"And how long do you expect me to wait? Should I use the same excuse, there are billions of other girls past and present, so I can see what it's like to wild out?!" Actually, so I can show you how much you hurt me?
"No," I selfishly said. It was probably the self-loathing that was causing me to do this. I was never the pretty enough one, I wasn't as girly as I could be, and I wasn't the one with leader like qualities. I was still a low-grade version of Jen. It still wasn't fair, but it wasn't fair to string Trip along either. "I'm so sorry that I make you feel like this."
"You know how to stop it, Katie. You can give up this carefree life, marry me, and we can start our family. There should be no reason why you're ashamed to be with me., or you need to prove yourself. You are who I want to be with."
I wanted to cry. How could I have such a great guy, yet I'm still willing to scope whoever is out there. I sat down on a couch, ignoring those words. "I love you," I declared for the thousandth time. "I'm very lucky to have you, but..."
He waved his head, side to side, and the anger was immersed in the head shake. "No buts, Katie, either you do or you don't. You do, and you marry me. Or, you don't, and we go our separate ways." I was going to speak, but he interjected. "I am your keeper," he cryptically stated.
"You do hold my heart, but I want to have fun. We are still young, there's no point in settling down now. Please, Trip, if you really did love me, you'd wait for me," I kissed his cheek and left it at that. He didn't stop me, and I think he knew not to stop me. Trip is my keeper. He will always be.
(End Flashback)
The quickened heartbeats of her heart slowed down. She smiled at everyone and Juan. She opened her mouth with an answer. "I have plans tonight. My friends and I are seeing the Cirque Du Soleil show. It's going to be really fun," she gabbed.
The other women felt some relief.
"Well, how about after," Juan questioned, while he wiped down a glass. Other people were seated around the bar, and he wished for an answer soon before he needed to help the others.
Katie thought about it some more. If she said 'yes', then that would allow her to continue her ways. If she said 'no', she was ready to marry Trip. It was obvious that this vacation wasn't any different than the others. The first two she attended, she was completely devoted to the former Green Time Force Ranger. And right now, she was still willing to have other relations. She was about to answer, when all of their cell phones went off.
Summer, Dana, Kat, Kendrix, and Cassie opened their's with quickness. Katie, on the other hand, didn't due to hers being vastly and technologically advanced.
"Hotel, now. 8th Pink, P.T."
"Duty calls," Dana Mitchell deciphered quickly, and she swallowed the rest of her drink.
"Holy, shit, Jen might be a grandma," Summer was stunned by the news.
Cassie giggled. "Summer, don't be so shocked. It's better she finds out now, than later," she said, but then she thought about it again. "Well, she will find out later." She was glad to bring her kit to the hotel.
Kat took one more sip and sighed. "This is turning out to be a wonderful vacation. I love finding out when someone is pregnant."
Kendrix rolled her eyes. "You love seeing others' clothes, finding out when their pregnant, what else do you like," she jokingly asked her predecessor. Kat stuck her tongue out. "Love you too, honey," she smirked.
As the others were getting ready to leave, Katie knew where she needed to be. She looked at Juan. "Thanks for the drinks and the talk," she acknowledged. She exited her seat and left with everyone else. No one would really know Katie's answer to Juan's question, but it's believed the previous Yellow Time Force Ranger wanted it that way.
A/N: Next chapter,Dana Mitchell, Pink Lightspeed Ranger