A/N: Alright, the updates are becoming about a week apart. Please, bear with me. I have a lot going on in my life right now.
A/N: This story is really AU, which means, it's not all canon. This is my explanation of what's happened before, during, and after. I'm thankful no one has jumped down my throat. I know Dana knew she had a brother, but this is my interpretation.
Special Announcement! With the holidays upon us, I'm going to write a mini story with a holiday twist. Two of my favorite couples are going to be featured—Tommy/Kim and Jayden/Mia. It's going to be AU of course. I think some of y'all will really enjoy it. I can not wait to post it.
Chapter 16- Dana's Days
Xxxxx
3:36 P.M.
Main Living Room
Palm's Casino
Las Vegas, NV
"Hotel, now. 8th Pink, P.T."
In that one text message, the female rangers minus two knew what that meant. It was time to haul their butts back to the suite and prepare for this occasion. This wasn't the first time a female ranger had taken a pregnancy test during a reunion. It was damn near expected. Last year, Maya had found herself expecting; three years back it was Taylor, and the year before that Karone had peed on a stick and it came back positive.
Tanya was the one to send out the mass text message. She was met with, 'we knew there was something going on with Syd', or 'it's about damn time'. The most unique response had to be Jen, 'Yippeee, I'm set to be a grandma'.
"Come on, Syd, it's time for you to get the 'royal treatment,' the music producer led her to the couch.
"Is it really a big deal," Syd queried the former Zeo and Turbo Ranger. She felt a little overwhelmed already. "Not that I, like, don't mind the attention, but still, we don't know what the others were doing."
Tanya smiled at Syd's emergent bashfulness. "Honey, this is how it is. Don't you remember last year with Maya?" The former Pink SPD Ranger nodded. "Then, this won't be any different."
Other female rangers made their way through the front door. Each with merry smiles plastered on their sun kissed faces.
Maya, Vida, and Maddie went to their rooms to get their cameras. They had their phones out too.
"So, how's Jen going to feel," Maya wondered curiously. "I mean, Sky's about four, and he's already going to be a dad."
"Don't get too far ahead of yourself," Alyssa poked her head out of her room, after she heard the question. "You have to remember that the future Sky got Syd pregnant." She left to the living room with several pillows.
"Right. Besides, it would be pedophilia if Sky got Syd pregnant, right? I mean, wouldn't he also be shooting blanks at this age," Vida eagerly concurred.
Maddie was so glad they were in the confines of their room. She shook her head at her sister. "You have been watching way too much Law&Order: SVU. "Are we ready to head to the front?" She overheard the others squealing, yelling, and excited cheers. "I bet you our neighbors hate us."
Vida giggled. "Honey, when there's a Power Ranger baby possibly brewing, we all get a little crazy," she smirked.
As the three women made their way to the front, they had to dodge Karone, Cassie and Trini.
"Wait, where are you guys going," Maya asked; she held her camera up. "I got it covered."
"You already know standard procedure," Trini pointedly answered. "Dana's getting her equipment ready, while Cassie's heading to get her nursing kit. Tanya asked me to help her, so I'm going to."
Karone walked to her room. "I gotta get the stopwatch," she yelled, and she looked around. "Ugh, never again, am I rooming with Cassie. She's a little piglet."
"Takes one to know one sweetie," Cassie smiled and retrieved her nurse's kit, "I found this with quickness." Her big, black and pink bowler's bag housed all of her nursing needs. She brought this thing to every reunion.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, get back out there, don't you and Dana need to set up," Karone got her back on track.
"Don't you just love this," the former Pink Lightspeed Rescue Ranger queried with cheerfulness. She was very ecstatic. "Alright, I'm headed to the front," she sang out loud.
"Right behind you," Karone shouted.
Taylor exited her room. She was on the phone with her husband. With the ruckus that was ensuing, she found it hard to talk over 28 other women. She began to get frustrated with her husband as well. She found him to be clueless. "Will you listen to me," she lividly stressed. She walked to the front to meet with everyone else.
Tori, Lily, Kira, and Rose walked right in. They were still half dressed after their time at the pool.
"Will you guys wipe up the floor," Jen requested with a glare. She kept stroking Sydney's perfect waves."I can't have this place dirty, nor will I let the possibility of a slip happen on my watch. Someone might be pregnant. I'm not going to have a deformed baby."
Syd looked at her mother in law weirdly. "I'm not going to have a deformed baby," she mouthed to Z.
Z shrugged. "She's gonna be the grandma, and they tend to get overbearing,' she shuddered from experience. "Might as well get used to it now. Knowing her in the future, she's gonna go crazy you're traveling while pregnant," she knowingly whispered.
"Damn it," Syd silently cursed under her breath.
"You're pregnant," Emily gasped after catching the last line from Jen's remark. The other women laughed at her. "What? If she was, she hid it so well," she complimented, and Jen happily smiled at her.
"I really like that Yellow," the leader to the Time Force team vouched, which caused Emily to smile.
"And what are we, chopped liver," Taylor asked about the statement. "What did you say," she snared at her hubby. "You weren't supposed to answer that, stupid."
Summer was by the fridge. Her eyes lit up at the array of drinks present. Though, she already had two Fat Tuesday drinks, she wanted some more. "Who wants to celebrate this occasion with a drink," she slurred.
Kendrix walked by. "I thought you would've had enough," she disbelievingly shook her head, yet she took one anyways. "Ooo, why don't we get the champagne flutes and fill them with Moscato." She got right to work.
Mia appeared rather confused with why everyone was acting so crazy. "So, it's a very big deal when a Female Ranger takes a pregnancy test," the current Pink pensively inquired about this 'ritual'.
Gemma nodded. "Yeah, I think we get overboard, but it's just because we are looking out for each other," she commented with a smile. She couldn't wait to have a child with Flynn. "It wouldn't be any different if you, or I get pregnant."
Aisha went straight to the refrigerator. "Honey, you need to slow your roll. You might throw up, and none of us will be able to help you," she lightly scolded Summer. The used to be Yellow RPM Ranger frowned. "You know how serious we get about this."
"I hope to get pregnant, and you guys can cater to me," Summer wished with an envious smile. She watched as Sydney was waited on hand and foot.
"Well, when you get knocked up, it'll happen," the Bear Ninjetti updated, not thinking anything else of it."Oh, thanks, Kendrix," she received a flute of the grape fermented drink.
Summer drank her Corona.
Gemma walked over to her teammate. "You wanna be preggers, huh," she pursed her lips together.
Summer nodded and blubbered like a baby. "Dillon doesn't want one," she whined.
Mia and Emily wanted a nonalcoholic drink. One look at Summer, and that caused them to become concerned.
"What's going on," Emily posed the question to the other blonde.
"I'm not pregnant," Summer blubbered and complained, while Gemma rubbed circles on her back.
"Isn't that a good thing," Mia thought so.
Kelsey and Kim stepped into the kitchen area. They were going to prepare the snacks for the women. However, they couldn't. The kitchen was crowded, and they attributed that to the girls being concerned over Summer.
"What's wrong with her," Kimberly asked, and she bent down to get a tray from the lower cabinets. "Summer, snap out of it."
"She's upset cause she can't have a baby," Gemma filled in.
"Take it from us, we've been through childbirth," Kelsey warned, and she placed cookies, bags of chips, and Fruit Roll-Ups on the tray as well, "it hurts like a bitch."
"Yup, feels like my vagina is about to rip apart," Kim agreed.
With that news, Summer immediately calmed down. "I would like my vagina in one piece," she softly said.
Gemma nodded. "Right, then you can have sex properly," she nonchalantly remarked.
"I love to have sex properly," Summer nodded as an afterthought.
Mia and Emily weren't as thirsty as they thought they were and tried to find a seat in the living room.
"Is there a wrong way to have sex," the current Yellow Ranger felt a little clueless.
Kat laughed at the newest rangers. "There is, trust me," she responded.
Katie lightly shoved Kat. "Don't scare them. Sex is a natural thing between a man and a woman," she updated.
"Or, a woman and a woman," Ronny chimed with a lustful smile.
Mia and Emily's eyes practically bugged out of their sockets.
"Happy, we cleaned up the water, or rather Vida did," Kira informed Jen, and she found a place on the floor.
"Yeah, Jen, we knew you can't have a deformed baby," Tori sarcastically stated, and she hoped to not get that overbearing when her daughter became pregnant in the future.
Rose went to the kitchen. "I need a drink, and my partner is busy working away," she mused about Dana's status.
"Alright, we are ready," Dana clapped her hands. She observed all of the women in front of her, and the curious looks coming from the newest female rangers. She gave her little speech. "So, I know this was a little unexpected, but I was glad to see everyone get together so quickly," she began.
"By the way, I'm Godmother," Z hoisted herself up and intruded on Dana's speech. Several pillows were thrown at her.
Taylor rolled her eyes. "That's a given," she curtly added. Her ear was still attached to her phone. "Know what, I'll just call you later."
"When is later," her husband asked.
"Like, half an hour," the former leader to the Wild Force Rangers replied, a little exasperated by her husband's clingy behavior. "So, I'll call you then, okay, bye." She hung up the phone. All eyes of the other women inquisitively wandered to examine her. "Okay, let's get this on the road," she grabbed a flavored roll up and started munching. She also turned her phone off.
"As I was saying," Dana began again, "childbearing can be the hardest thing on a woman's body. Yet, it can be the most joyous thing to happen to a woman's body. Most of us are mothers, so each and every one of you should know what I'm talking about. Now, when a female ranger, past or current, is pregnant, it's definitely something special, and," she cleared her throat when a chiming sound interrupted her.
Jen realized it was her phone. She picked it up. "I'm a little busy, right now, I'll call you later."
"But," the man on the other end tried to stop her. He heard the dial tone.
"Anyways," the pediatrician tightly smiled. This was going on longer than needed, but this was how it was for every pregnancy test at these reunions, "Sydney, all of us are going to be here for you in one way or another. Trini and Tanya have already gotten the test ready for you. Karone has her stopwatch ready, so we can wait that exact five minutes and one second. Yes, that time is for a reason," and then, she stopped speaking further. More cell phones went off.
Aisha picked up her phone first. "Hello," she answered irritably. "You care more about them than asking about me. What the hell is your problem," asked the second Yellow Mighty Morphin Power Ranger.
"There's no reason why you have to patch a transmission to the Delta Base," Ashley dissuaded her husband, "everyone is fine, and we are under one roof," she rolled her eyes.
That was followed by, "What?! Are you crazy," Kira asked her husband. "Babe, I told you not to listen to the other Reds. They play on your naiveness."
"Who's cheating," Kimberly irately wondered, and she surveyed the room. "Everyone is here. Have you been talking to Conner?"
"He has to be putting out a fire; I swear he rivals smokey the bear," Kendrix interjected.
Cassie buried her face in her free hand. "Your haircut will always be regulation, baby," she relayed.
"No, Shane, everything is great over here. What do you mean Hunter and Cam are fighting," Tori inquired, and she knew her teammates fell apart without her. "Well, get Blake to talk to Hunter about that wandering eye he has," she waited for a response. "It's not feminine, get my husband on the phone," she eagerly ordered.
"Cole, there's not a never-ending peeing tarantula here," Alyssa didn't understand where this was coming from.
"Casey, no one is eating your jellybeans," Lily comforted.
"And Mack, none of the other women are secreting talc like fluid," Rose calmed her fiance's fears.
The Lion Folding Zord made it's way in. The poor thing was tired, and Mia frowned. "What's going on," she asked the thing. A little scroll of paper fell out of it's mouth. In Chinese characters, a question was asked. "Yes, Jayden is treating me right."
Summer bawled on the phone. "Oh, Scott, I know, right," she cried.
Dana exasperatedly sighed. "Oh forget it, Syd go pee on the damn stick. I need a drink," she promised herself. Her cell phone began to vibrate. "Carter, sweetie, how I've missed you."
Rose smiled. "I love you, Mack, I gotta go," she hung up and followed Dana.
"What happened to pacing yourselves," Lily questioned them. Alyssa grasped her wrist and shook her head. "Yes, I know it's a weak attempt on my part."
Jen and Z ushered Sydney towards the back. Aisha made sure to bring extra bottles of water, just in case Sydney couldn't urinate. For the rest of the girls, they were either on their phone, talking, or waiting.
Taylor phoned up her husband, and she was a damn near livid cockerel. "You called Wes. Not only that but you also called Kira's husband. Are you crazy?"
"It wasn't my fault, I was trying to get a hold of the other guy, and Conner ended up answering. Is it my fault they are always together," her husband defended himself the best he could.
"Sounds familiar, you are always with Wes," she argued.
"He's my partner, of course I'm with him all the time."
"Are you cheating on me," Taylor asked. "You know I can break you like I can break that little Dino Thunder Red."
The former Yellow Dino Thunder Ranger narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Hey, he can kick your ass in soccer," she made sure to stick up for her man.
"That's probably the only thing he can kick my ass in," the former Yellow Wild Force Ranger argued with her tongue sticking out.
"Taylor, I am not a homosexual, why would I cheat on you with a guy? If I did, it would be with a female," her husband reminded her.
"Oh, so you've thought about cheating on me," Taylor lividly rationalized, and she got up and stomped out of the room.
"Jeez, what's up her butt today," Kat questioned, and she got up to get herself a drink. She turned to Kendrix. "You didn't wanna share, now did you?"
Kendrix smirked. "I tried," she gulped down her tenth glass. "Oh, Leo, I love you three," she slurred.
"When's something not up Taylor's ass," Maya queried, and she nicely smiled at Taylor.
"Oh, girl, that's a good one," Aisha congratulated on Maya picking up on good old American wit.
Trini rushed out of the bathroom with the news. "The results are in, the results are in," she chirped happily.
Maddie, Vida, and Maya got their cameras out. Kim, Kelsey, and Kat made sure to get the celebratory drinks settled. Kendrix attempted to help, but they shook their heads. Trini, Tanya, Jen, Z, and Syd remained in the back. Karone came towards the front. The rest other women held their breaths in, and whoever else was on the phone, they made sure to get off and pay extra special attention to the results.
Emily sighed. "Gosh, the suspense is killing me," she anxiously bit into a potato chip. "It's worse than the first time we formed the Megazord," she whispered to Mia.
"I know right," Mia agreed. She watched on.
"Alright, so who's announcing whether or not she's getting pregnant," Katie hurried this up. "We're all ready to know."
"Yeah," the others simultaneously bobbed their heads and yelled.
The first Yellow of Earth smirked deviously. "Hey, I'm just informing the results are in," she was met with boos. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, act like that. See if I'll heal your dumbass hangovers tonight," she retaliated. The women got quiet, and she smiled.
Jen walked to the front first. She made sure to make eye contact with each person in the room. She rubbed her stomach, as if she was truly pregnant, but laughed it off. "Yup, I'm gonna be a grandma!"
The room erupted into cheers. There were hugs exchanged, and Z and the mother to be, Syd, walked out with the brightest smiles on their face. Of course, Syd's face had cascading happy tears. She couldn't believe it. Her last dream was now her reality. She wanted to thank everyone for baring with her and taking part in witnessing this occasion with her.
Dana stumbled a little towards the front. She shook off the liquor. "Alright, Syd, please lie down. We are going to get your first ultrasound done," she pointed to the lounge chair. "Cassie, I need my assistant." The beautiful Korean made her way over and helped her fellow Pink.
So, Dr. Grayson's true profession might be a pediatrician, but with the female rangers, she was their primary doctor. She could've become an OB-GYN, and it's not like it hadn't crossed her mind. However, she loved kids, taking care of kids, and she found great delight in helping kids flourish . At least, she got a taste of the job as an obstetrician-gynecologist by administering her fellow rangers' first ultrasound. Mrs. Fairweather-Rawlings helped to create an on-the-go kit—which had everything needed for a gynecological exam. Dr. Dana Mitchell-Grayson used the transducer and rolled the bulb on Sydney's stomach. She smiled, and thought, these are the days of my life.
(Flashback)
My life can be described in days. These are the significant milestones in my life. Of course I'm going to address when I first thought about being a nurse, what I thought about my father's secret occupation, how I truly felt about becoming a Power Ranger, how I met my current husband, the shock I endured when I found out I had a brother, what's really happened between Kelsey and I, and how I feel about my life now. That covers before I was a ranger, during my time as a ranger, and my life up until now. I would like to think.
So, in the words of Marvin Gaye, let's get it on!
The Day I knew my father had a secret(s).
My father took me straight to the hospital after the night of that car accident. Those memories were fuzzy to me. I had a little lapse of amnesia. I remember staying in the hospital, and my father and mother visiting me. I became confused, thinking there was supposed to be one more person there. My law abiding and honest, at least I thought they were somewhat honest, parents shook their heads. It was only the three of us. I accepted that, and I moved on with my life and living as an only child. Suddenly, I began to have these dreadful nightmares. I would scream in terror, wondering who that little boy was that called for father—my father. My mother disregarded them.
"Where's dad, then," I asked my mother after drinking a cup of warm milk. It helped to calm my nerves.
"He's working," she would answer, but she wouldn't look me straight in the eye.
"He went to work earlier," I reminded her with firmness, but he was a firefighter. Something could've come up. "
"And he went again," she said.
"Why?" I wasn't exactly the dumbest person on the block, but I also wasn't Mensa level smart. They should've known they couldn't keep secrets from me.
"Sweetie, your father will be back," she soothed my unnerving emotions. She pecked me on the head, and she headed straight to the door.
I watched with interest. There was something that haunted me, and I hoped she would address it. "Mom," she turned to me. "That baseball jersey, who does that belong to?"
She almost dropped the tray. I could see the way her fingers shook. She lightly laughed and answered. "It was your dad's, from when he was younger," she smoothly lied.
That would be believable, if the jersey wasn't so modern. In addition, it was too clean. Where are the antique stains? I knew they were hiding something, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I had to investigate the truth someday. "Good night, Mom," I sweetly told her and laid on my back. At age six, and even up until this age, I hated someone who kept secrets. Knowing my track record, that shouldn't be such a big surprise, huh?
The Day I found out I wanted to pursue anything in the medical field.
Middle school and I was inside of the cafeteria.
Mariner's Bay Middle School catered to the elite, but it was also magnet. There were plenty of students that wished to excel in their studies in hopes of getting the right marks for college. The school only had 12 and 13 year olds, but they were that serious about their studies. One kid, he had gone mad. This had to be before Columbine and the Virginia Tech Shootings. He brought a gun to school, and he held all of us hostage. I was scared out of my mind, and he pointed the barrel of his gun right at me. I held me breath, and I wondered what it would've been like to walk in his shoes. Was he mad because no one sat with him? Did he not have a good grade? He probably was unrelentingly teased for whatever reason.
Thankfully, he walked right by me. Another guy, he decided to play hero. What a dumbass, no offense. He bum rushed the guy, and the shooter went crazy. People were struck. I hid underneath the table, and I watched as people dropped like flies. I gulped in fear, but my father taught me to remain calm even in the direst situations. I have to thank him for that, since it probably saved my life that day.
Finally, his gun was without bullets. He as apprehended, and I was ushered out of the cafeteria safely. I couldn't go on without helping somehow. One of the paramedics, she saw that I had broken away from my class.
"Excuse me," she cautioned me, "this is no place for you."
"Please, let me help," I felt like I had to repay the fallen victims. I mean, I could've been one of them.
"Do you have any training," she inquisitively wondered. She must've felt bad for me.
I shook my head. "I'm a quick learner. Show me once, and I'll have it down pat," I promised her, and she looked at me surprised. She agreed to let me help. That day, I learned how to make a make-shift tourniquet, how to take a pulse and even made some splints.
Even though, I had the biggest lecture from my father, for not listening to my teacher's directions, he was proud of me. And that's when he admitted one of his secrets—the Aquabase. With the Government's money, this place was created to oversee Mariner's Bay and combat ancient demons that were supposed to be a myth. My father made me a deal, I would continue with my school, studies, but on the weekends I would be there completing necessary classes and training.
In a heartbeat, I agreed.
The Day I found out I was going to be a Power Ranger.
The day everyone in the Aquabase was waiting and dreading for had finally come. On behalf of my father's wishes, it was time to round up the team—which had been preselected by my father and an elite group of individuals. The plan had already been put into motion, Joel, a smooth aerial pilot, Kelsey, a free lancing, extreme rock climber, and Chad a gentle aquatic animal trainer would be picked up by the FBI like agents. I would accompany those same FBI agents to pick up the Red, Carter.
I gave Carter somewhat preferential treatment due to his valor, and it would be an honor. Besides, I had to scope out who was going to carry on the legacy my father had envisioned. Of course, I didn't think Carter was going to be that good looking. Could a woman have been warned first? Shit, even covered in soot he looked amazing and like a Greek God.
When the five of us arrived in the room with my father, I became very confused. There was a person missing. I was going to step out and see if the other potential ranger was afraid of the mission. It's not everyday a person goes from a 'normal' life to engaging in contact with demons of an unknown origin. So, when it was finally revealed I would be the fifth and final ranger, Pink, I was completely shocked. It's no secret I'm Daddy's little girl, but he didn't pick me because of that. If anything, he would've wanted to lock me up in a cabinet and made sure I never got passed the age of 10. To know he trusted me, even more, trust that I could be apart of a team that can represent all of his hard work, I couldn't believe it. Maybe, he made a mistake, however, he didn't which meant a lot to me.
I couldn't let him down.
The Day I knew my father treated me differently than the others and in general.
It was odd to watch my father interact with the others. He seemed to share a relationship with them that I couldn't personally give him.
During the days we would train as a team I would watch how my dad would look at the others. He loved playing games of basketball, football and baseball with the 'guys'. Kelsey was considered one of the guys, since she sort of acted like one. With Carter though, my father's eyes would be cloaked with a longing and 'what if' kind of look. He treated Carter like a 'son he never had' or was it like a 'son he wished he still had'? I wasn't sure, but it gave me an uneasy feeling. I did feel like Carter, Joel, Chad, and Kelsey were trying to take my spot. It's not like they didn't have their own fathers to be around or do 'guy' things with, so why try to take mine? It wasn't fair at all, but I didn't speak up about it or I would be deemed the 'girly girl'.
And when the assignment about the fuel cell came up, I wished he would've let me gone with my team. I actually loathed my father, since I felt like he was treating me like a child. Like that little girl that would wrap my arms around his neck while he galloped like a horse in the backyard. He knew I've been through some stuff that's made me resilient like the time I had a gun pointed towards my face, or the fact that I took up the power. He must've forgotten he chose me to be apart of this team, which hurt me the most.
The oddest part though, that day was also like an epiphany for me and my dad. He did trust me, since I had the most important assignment—to protect Earl, who actually held the fuel cell. With that, my confidence was restored in my dad, and even more, my position on this team. He didn't choose me since I was his blood, he chose me because I earned it. For that, I am thankful, and that's how I knew our relationship could be professional as well as personal.
The Day I found out I had a brother.
It wasn't even a day after we lost the secretive morpher; this morpher had been worked on by every single scientist that's come through the Aquabase, and without a hitch or a signal, it was gone. All of us were clueless, but when a ranger, not one of us by the way, in silver began terrorizing the citizens of Mariner's Bay, it became obvious this person had made a 'connection' with the powerful alternator. This person felt like he had something to prove. He fought with passion, vengeance on his mind, and the intent to decimate any person, who came in his path.
I felt like we had a past, like we knew each other in another life. When he came in contact with me the very first time, he must've realized the link we possessed with one another, since he sort of went easy on me. The second time, he acted like a different person, or like I had killed a person very close to him or I had stolen something very dear to him. Whichever it may be, he punished me. His foot connected to my gut and pinned me down. Carter had to get him away from me.
Finally, it was revealed who he was. It's not like the Titanium Ranger's eyes weren't any indication. Too many emotions ran through my head and heart. I ached to understand why and how. Answers to my questions, I angrily demanded them. Damn right, my father would give them to me.
"After all this time, you kept this from me," I shouted at him, my tears threatened to fall, but I maintained my ground. I watched the weariness and regret make it's appearance on his face. He knew what he had done.
"Dana, you have to understand, you temporarily lost your memory. Your mother and I didn't know what else to do, so we came up with this rouse to make you think you were an only child," he weakly defended himself. He looked out one of the very few windows in his office. He sighed, and I think his shame caused him to not look me in the eye, just like my mom. "That night, it was one of the hardest decisions I had to make. It was either end up with one child safe or no child safe. I was desperate, at that very moment. I accepted the condition," he confessed sadly.
"I would've accepted the truth," I promised him. As the heart of the team, I understood emotions, feelings, and anything else that went along those lines. He should've known that, hell, he fucking raised me. As I look back on it, this was worst than the time I thought he couldn't trust me. Maybe, he did this because he couldn't trust me. "Why didn't you tell me? Did you think I was too weak to know this? Were you only thinking about yourself? Or are you wishing it would've been me to be in Ryan's shoes," I coldly asked, and I could see goosebumps surface on the back of his neck.
"No, no, no," he stressed with a frantic head shake. "It was never like that."
"How can I believe you," I broke down. As much as I wanted to stop them, I couldn't. The gut wrenching truth was, I had an older brother. This had been kept for me for the past thirteen years. I thought I was an only child, instead, I was the youngest child, one that hadn't been in on the secret. At 18, the perfect life I led appeared to be a lie. The brother I had hated me, wanted me dead, decided it was best to get back at my father by traumatizing me.
My father hugged me, and I wanted him to let go, although, he didn't. As much as I resisted him, he held me tighter. The hug was filled with love, happiness that I was still there, and a lot of gratefulness. He was appreciative that I wasn't turning my back on my team and most of all him. In that one hug, I made a choice, life or death.
"Come on," he let me go, "it's time we tell the others the truth."
That was on his mind, but not mine. Behind my father and teammate's backs, I went to confront my brother. Innocent civilians were at stake, and I wouldn't let them get in his way. They didn't do this to him.
"Stop it, Ryan," I struggled to say, as he pinned my arm around my back. The rising fear was bubbling within my stomach. More pressure was added to his hold, and I couldn't find a leeway to swing my arm around to strike him. "Ryan, if Dad had the power to save you he would've."
"Silly, girl, is that what he told you," he powerfully kneed me in the stomach and pushed me away.
I attempted to stand, but I couldn't. "Please, stop this," I pleaded, and if I could've been on my hands and knees, I would've done both. "You fighting us will get you no where."
The strength he had acquired was out of this world. He came at me once more, grabbing my uniform with a solitary hand, bunching the fabric in the midst of his knuckles. He huskily laughed at me, as if he knew he had already won this, or I was going to give up. I couldn't let him think I was throwing in the towel, so to say. "Do you know how I feel? Did you want it this way?" I shakily shook my head to the left and right. "Do you know how I lived?" Again, I could only say no. "Did you even care?" Urgency, petulance, demand grew with each inquiry exiting his mouth.
"How could I have cared, if I didn't remember you," I screamed. He punched my stomach, causing my body to abnormally fold on its own. "R-R-Ryan," I couldn't even speak properly, "he didn't abandon you. He wanted you to live at any cost; he didn't want you to die." His hold loosened just a smudge. "Please, forgive dad, we can start over, be the family that dad, mom, you, and I should be...
Negotiations were over. He extended his arm as high as it could go. Silver flames enveloped them, and I remember it barreling down. I prayed like there was no tomorrow. I knew I was done for.
But, I wasn't affected at all. Instead, warm and telling arms surrounded me. At first, I thought this was God's way of welcoming me; instead it was his way of telling me I was safe. My heart practically sang my devotion to him—more on that later. As Ryan saw the rest of the Lightspeed Rescue Rangers ready to attack him, he chose to flee the scene. I wasn't positive on how he came to that choice, but somehow there was a breakthrough.
Regardless of how, my brother made the right choice. He became the Titanium Lightspeed Rescue Ranger, which was one, very much needed, two, a certain Yellow became ecstatic, and three, this became a family affair. We have to remember Ryan was the oldest, so his first assignment was to interrogate a certain Red.
The Day I fell for Carter, and he reciprocated.
When could that have happened?
It could've been the first day, possibly love at first sight like other Power couples. I remember that day vividly. He unveiled himself after he came out of the burning building, amicably saving a little girl trapped inside by the furious fires. He was sweaty, covered in ash, probably a little incoherent, and then I came up to him with two men, who looked like they had escaped from a 'Men in Black' film. On top of that, he came to the Aquabase, accepted his new mission in life with no hesitation, and he became the leader.
Or, maybe it was the day all of us were training, and at the end Carter praised Kelsey on a job well done. Possibly, it was the day that Carter and Ms. Angela Fairweather had spent more time than needed trying to perfect the experimental Titanium morpher. Okay, we all get she's an undercover hottie, but I think Joel hadthat under control!
I wouldn't doubt I fell for Carter way before this event, but the way he acted this particular day was definite confirmation for me. So, the other rangers had forgotten about their obligations to the Aquabase and their loyalties to one another. We all became strangers. Ms. Fairweather had developed some memory boosting technology, and the Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green Ranger went into their 'holders'. They were restrained as the memories of their first day of being recruited, up until that point were fed to them. The process took about three hours, but that was 15 minutes too long. There was a demon on the loose, and no one could get harmed, so I did another rogue battle. Ryan was on a special assignment and couldn't join.
So, I was in a heated battle and getting tossed around like a rag doll. Joel, Chad, and Kelsey arrived on the scene, memories restored, and ready to fight. Carter was still no where to be found, which meant he probably needed more time. Four rangers were better than one, I supposed. As more time passed, and with me being a target, I was beginning to get worn out. My muscles were fatigued, my body felt bruised, and I couldn't go on. His laser attacks struck once more, and I collapsed. Again, I felt my life flash before my eyes. Suddenly, Carter came to my rescue.
"Dana, are you alright," he asked me, and protectively, his body hovered over mine.
"I am now," I replied, which could be taken more than one way. I was glad he remembered who he was, and I was glad he was right in front of me.
Later that night, Carter and I spoke. Joel was still running around the Aquabase trying to see if that offer for a date by Angela was still vaild. Angela laughed, as she ran. Kelsey and Chad had gone to dinner, alone, which bothered me. And, Carter stopped by the room I shared with Kelsey.
"Dana, are you alright," Carter must've retained some memory loss. I simply nodded. "Do you need water, something to eat, a massage," he fired questions, and I couldn't keep up. "Or, a calming game of chess, we can track down Ryan, or look at the stars," I had enough. I carefully got out of my bed. There were some bandages on me, and I stepped up to him.
"Shhh," I whispered, and I took his arm and led him completely inside and away from prying eyes. "Carter, thank you for saving me."
"Huh, if anything I should..."
"Today wasn't the first time, there have been others, and I just wanted to show you my appreciation," I nervously smiled and leaned in. I tenderly kissed his cheek.
The guy in front of me happened to blush the color of his power suit. I laughed a bit. He turned to me, his blue eyes concentrated on me, and this time, he made the move. Our lips made this connection, and it wasn't like my first kiss. This one had more emotion, and my heart did merry somersaults. Taut, staccato filled knocks stopped us from going further. Not necessarily to a different 'base', but from continuing.
"Chowww," Joel clapped and smiled. "About time you got the courage to kiss her, maaannnn!"
"Joel, stop," Carter motioned him to do so.
The wonderful Green Ranger didn't get the hint. "You blabbed to me and Chad, cause me know you couldn't tell Ryan or he would kick your ass about wanting to bone his sister, but yeahhh, you did it my boy!" He sat in between us and wrapped an arm around each of us. "So, when's the wedding date."
"When you marry Ms. Fairweather," I quickly interjected, which caused Joel's jaw to drop to the ground. Luckily for him, Ms. Fairweather decided to marry him a year later.
The Day the Pink Lightspeed Rescue Ranger's reign ended.
The final battle for Lightspeed Rescue had come and gone. The Aquabase and the Megazord suffered a tremendous breach and blew up underground. There was no way to prevent the Batlings from entering and causing the destruction. We all ventured into the Skull Cavern, which Ryan uncovered, and Carter fought Queen Bansheera with us fighting against her remaining foot soldiers. With the Skull Cavern becoming a pile of ash and the ultimate queen of the demons buried in the Shadow World, we were relieved of our duties. The fighting was done, and we would resume our lives prior to our ranger days.
Kelsey and Ryan began to get serious. Ryan became a rockstar, while Kelsey began to draw out the plans to open her indoor rock climbing gym. Joel and Ms. Fairweather engaged in a whirlwind romance, and they ended up marrying, much to everyone's surprise. Carter and I did become boyfriend and girlfriend. He asked me after he had a very, very long talk with my father and Ryan. I went back to school and was fast tracked. Right away, I began the Mariner's Bay Pediatric Program circa the comunity hospital. And of course, Captain Mitchell, better known as my father, had a happy family, now that his own son was back where he belonged.
So things were boring, oh, I mean, very normal, until the following year. Carter rounded up the Lightspeed Rescue Rangers. Vypra had risen from the dead, hell bent on getting the Solar Amulet. The current team, Time Force, had tried to stop our former villainess, but they had no success. That's why we were called in. Glad to know my father had been tracking this down, and the first person he thought to call was Carter, not his own daughter. I should've been , at the very least, clued in.
Anyways, Time Force held their own, and I could see how they were defending Silver Hills. Gotta admit Jen was amazing to have led that team, and I could see the sparks between her and Wes. Katie and Trip, they were so cute around each other. Lucas was handsome in his own way, and he could definitely maneuver a car, but God's gift to women? Yeah, I gotta question that. And then, there was Eric. Nice to know he had picked up my brother. Odd, but hey, we needed any kind of help we could get. We defeated the evil and visited the Clock Tower not too long later. My teammate's and I handed over our jackets, and they gave us a little piece of the future. When Time Force escorted us home, I knew my time had come to an end.
Carter held my hand, as we drove back to Mariner's Bay. "What are you thinking about," he questioned. He turned on his right signal and exited.
A sorrow filled smile appeared on my face. "It's over," I said, as I stared off. There was mixed feelings there. As much as I wanted to have a life where I can be married, raise kids, and know there wasn't an evil entity making plans to ruin my family's and my existence as well as wiping out the world, I knew I would miss suiting up, picking up my V Lancer, and kicking major ass.
He kissed my hand. "But, look at it this way, we can finally start our lives together."
The Day I found out about my first pregnancy.
And that's what we did, Carter and I married six months later. In late 2003, I took my first pregnancy test. Yeah, we waited and made sure everything was just right. Well, it came out positive. My dream of having a family with Carter was finally coming true. There was no time to waste, I needed to start planning everything, my first doctor's appointment, how I was going to prepare the baby's room, and of course I needed to find Carter. The two of us were ready to purchase a house, so it was time to speed up the process. I called his work, his family's house, Chad's, and Joel's, but I couldn't pinpoint his location.
Thankfully, I did call Wes; the two of them had become really close since the team-up. Carter even ended up becoming friends with Eric too. I actually do like the guy. Anyways, Jen answered the phone, and she mentioned that Wes and Eric weren't at their work either. We both became suspicious, and the former Pink Ranger of Time Force contacted another person. I had no clue who Taylor was, but she clued me in. Taylor Earhardt was the Yellow Wild Force Ranger, and she revealed the truth; there was a special mission for Reds only. That threw me for a loop.
So, I went with Alyssa, Taylor, and Jen to meet the guys there. There were other female rangers as well. That was shocking to me, and they introduced themselves. They hadn't started the female ranger reunion and make it an annual thing until after Trini was released from rehab. I just wanted to clarify that. Yeah, I was there to witness the somewhat embarrassing to watch handicap match. Dr. Oliver was a brave one for that. I wasn't too upset with Carter like the other female rangers were with their respective Red. I did mention Carter's embarrassing middle name, and he got teased for that. That was funny to me, and then I told him about the pregnancy test.
"I'm really going to be a dad," he asked in anticipation and in front of everyone. I happily nodded, and I could feel myself getting teary eyed over his reaction. "Woohoo! I'm going to be a dad!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. He picked me up and spun me around.
"Hey, I do the spinning, that's me, that's my thing," Tommy muttered under his breath. His wife smacked his arm.
"Careful now, we gotta watch out for the little one growing inside of me," I slowed my husband down.
"Sorry," he deeply apologized and kissed me on the lips as consolation. "I love you, Dana," he declared.
"Awwww," the other female rangers albeit Taylor exclaimed. She kept glaring daggers at Eric.
That was the first day. The following year I gave birth to our first child Carter William-Ryan Grayson Jr., at 22" and 8 pounds even. Two months later, I found myself expecting a second child. Danica Colleen-Marie (in honor of our mother's names) Grayson entered the world, and she was 20" long and 6 pounds 12 oz. I guess my husband and I couldn't keep our hands off of each other, since I found myself pregnant again two years ago. We had another boy, Christian Dean Grayson was born, and he was 22" long and 8 pounds 13 oz.
The thought of having another child has crossed my mind, but three is a crowd.
The Day my relationship with Kelsey changed.
This is myself backtracking, but I would like to state my position on this matter.
That day when all the rangers had lost their memories, and Kelsey and Chad had got out to dinner was suspicious to me. I had already spoken to Kelsey about this, and she promised me she was going to take the relationship between her and my brother very seriously. It was her very first relationship. She hadn't dated due to her tomboyish ways, and I hoped she would uphold her promise.
So, I made sure to let Ryan know he needed to watch those two together. He thought I was overreacting, or reading too far into their friendship, but I was just warning him. And when he came to me crying about how she had been cheating on him with Chad, he saw her on top of him, I knew I was right. No one was supposed to know how broken he was, since he doesn't like to speak about it but he was. He didn't want to eat, he couldn't sleep, Carter tried to take him out, but he said no, and all of this was because of Kelsey. Hell, they were supposed to get married, and she was having an affair. It boiled my blood, and I knew things between us weren't going to be the same.
And she was pretty damn bold for calling me, telling me she was pregnant, and she didn't know who the father was. I just could not help her though, and I administered her pregnancy test and gave her first ultrasound. As a tiny walnut, there were no real features to compare. I was thankful to know the father was Ryan. And when she got pregnant for the second time, I damn near lost my sanity. Her and Ryan weren't back together, but that didn't mean my brother wasn't open to it. I remember when she told me the truth. We were at our second power reunion, and we were arguing on the balcony. I definitely had some drinks in my system, but I needed to speak with her.
"Couldn't keep your legs shut, could you," I malevolently asked her.
"Dana, please don't do this right now," Kelsey pleaded, and her tears streaked her face.
I watched as her eyeliner smeared, and I felt some satisfaction. She should know how it feels to be hurt, since she did that to my brother. "I will damn well do whatever the hell I want. You aren't my fucking mother," I slurred while I smirked. "You know what you've done, and you know the reason you are in this predicament is because of your actions."
"What the hell are you talking about," she shouted with exasperation.
"Shhh, calm down, you don't want to hurt the baby, don't you?"
"Why are you doing this to me," the former Yellow Lightspeed Ranger asked. "How many times do I need to apologize for what I've put Ryan through, your family, and most of all for how much I've ruined our friendship. Day, you are my best friend, at least I still consider you mine."
"I'm not the one that's gallivanting around this place, pregnant and proud," I sneered.
"Wanna know something, that's what women do. Women, who are pregnant, are excited they are pregnant! It's not a burden on me because I do want another child. You already had two, you should know."
"And what's that supposed to mean? At least, I'm married to the father of my kids. My kids are by one person. You stupid whore, you should know Ryan wants to make things work with you, and all of a sudden you are pregnant by someone else," I spoke highly about my situation, and I wanted her to feel like scum. To know she did some things that whores would do. It could've been the alcohol, but it also could've been how angry I was with her.
Quite the contrary, she surely shut me up right after.
"You are really talking out of your ass," she began, and I didn't get what she was saying. "Dana, Ryan is the father. I haven't been with anyone since him. Is that what you wanted to hear?" I stayed quiet. "If Ryan's been able to forgive me, why can't you? What I did was a mistake, but I'm making it right." She turned back to the hotel suite and entered.
She is right. I should forgive her.
My Days now...
As of right now, my days are revolved around being a dutiful wife to Carter. I love him so much, and we've been married for almost a decade. He knows everything about me. He makes me laugh, smile, gives me the butterflies I love to have, and on a bad day he can turn it around easily. Just one smile can do it. Obviously, my kids make my world go round. Carter Jr. has just turned seven, Danica is six, and our youngest, Christian, is just a year and a half old. Carter Jr. does want to become a firefighter, while our only daughter has thought about becoming a model. I spoke of my little stint to her, and she knew there would be nothing like being a Power Ranger or a doctor to get in her way. She's a big smart alec. Christian is fairly young, so no career aspirations yet. I love my life as a paramedic/nurse turned Power Ranger turned pediatrician turned wife turned mother and whatever other titles I have.
And I am going to talk to Kelsey. Kingston and Riley are my niece and nephew. I would hate for them to ever get the hint that me and their mom don't get along. I believe this is the day, I'm going to let the past go.
(End Flashback)
Dana was just about done. She took the measurement of the fetus. "According to this, you are seven weeks and five days pregnant," she enlightened everyone in the room.
"Oh my gosh, that far along," Sydney's mouth was still open, as she waited for Dana, who asked Cassie what she thought, for the final confirmation. Both of the Pinks nodded. "I've been drinking, and we've been around cigarette smoke, is the baby okay?"
"The baby will be fine," Kelsey resolved her fears. "You aren't the first person to find out during the reunion that they were pregnant."
"And it's not like some of us haven't came to these things while pregnant," Cassie wanted Sydney to see everything should be okay. "Now, that you're done, I think it's time you made a certain phone call."
"Yeah, it's not like he's on a Forever Red mission," Dana joked while other females snickered.
Jen stood up with a smile brightly shown on her face. "I'm going to be the hottest grandma on the block," she nodded keenly.
Taylor retrieved her phone. "Great, now she's going to be even more full of herself," she grinned at her best friend.
"I'm not full of myself," the former Pink Time Force Ranger didn't like that comment.
"Sounds like someone's being a little stubborn," Katie haughtily laughed.
"Yeah, Jen, don't be so modest, most Pinks are like that," Z commentated, and all of the Pinks incredulously looked at her.
"Shouldn't we start getting ready for tonight," Mia wondered, and she hoped to diffuse the situation.
"She's right," Kim agreed. "Come on, we gotta a show to watch."
So, the women began to clean up the minor mess in the living room. Some headed to the showers, others were using their phones, or Skyping on their computers, while others were picking out their outfits for the night. Two women, former teammates at that, happened to meet in the kitchen. They each smiled at each other.
"Kelsey, listen," Dana started.
"Dana, you are my sister in law, and we might as well be sisters. We've fought, disagreed about a lot of things, just know, I know we can get passed this," Kelsey held out her arms and hugged her.
"I was just going to talk to you about that," Dr. Grayson spoke up, as she kept hugging her sister in law.
Summer smiled at the two. She typed on the communal computer.
"Hey, babe," she greeted the person on the computer screen.
Up Next: Summer Landsdown, Yellow RPM Ranger