Rebuilding the Bridges We Burn: Moments of Clarity
By: M14Mouse
Summary: Theo should know better than try to avoid Lily.
Disclaimer: Don't own them.
Slowly, Lily walked down the stairs. She could still hear the noise from the boys' basketball game as she reached the bottom of the stairs. She walked across the kitchen and peek her head out of the door to see if Fran and Theo were still there. Theo insisted to help Fran clean up because she did a wonderful job of handling his brother. Luan just rolled his eyes and said he wasn't that bad.
She thought to herself that Luan has brought out Theo's more humorous side.
She smiled a little as she saw Theo wiping down one of the table. Slowly, she opened the door and walked into the dining area.
"Hey."
Theo looked up and smiled a little at her. She walked over to the table he was working on.
"Hey."
"Where did Fran go?"
"I said she could go and I could finish up the rest." Theo said as he put back the napkins in the center of the table.
"That is nice of you."
He shrugged his shoulders. She tilted her head for a moment then she hit his shoulder.
"Ouch…hey…what was that for?" He said with a hurt expression on his face.
"That was for not telling me you had a brother…an identical twin brother no less."
He rubbed his shoulder a little.
"Oh."
Then he moved to another table and started to clean it. She frowned slightly at Theo's odd behavior.
"Theo…."
"I'm sorry, Lily. I'm really am." He said as he turned back to her. She moved over and took a seat at that table.
"Theo….I just wanted to know why you didn't tell me. I mean I told you everything."
He looked over at her and snorted.
"Sometimes, too much information."
"I was trying to get you more comfortable around me."
"I know…I know…" He sighed as he took a seat across from her.
"Is that why you hated me…at first?"
"I never hated you. At first, you just seriously reminded me of Luan. At the time, that wasn't a very good. Me and Luan just had our falling out…and it hurt."
"Oh."
She had no clue how to react to that. She was a little angry…a little confused, and a little upset.
"But I was wrong. Yes, you and Lu are very similar qualities in some ways but very different in others. Lu isn't a morning person at all. You are up at dawn. You pout when you are pretend to be angry with me. Lu just annoyed me even more when he is pretending to be angry with me"
"I don't pout!"
She tried not to pout as Theo smiled at her.
"When you are really angry, I need to make sure my head still attached. Lu likes to give me the silent treatment. You like Thai food…Luan really doesn't like it. When you're nervous, you rub your arms…sometimes, you swing them around. Luan tends to ramble when he's nervous."
She stared at her best friend in amazement. Did he really pick up from her?
"Wow…Just wow…"
He smiled a little then he stared off into space.
"I wished I could say that I did to know my partner better but I didn't. I used it to find more reasons to dislike you."
She frowned. She never thought his words would hurt her so much…it has been years. But the first few months were difficult between them. She couldn't understand why he was distant and uncaring toward her even Jarrod wasn't that bad. She begged Master Mao to switch her with another partner but he refused. She was stuck.
"What changed?"
"The camping trip and when we got sick afterward."
She giggled as she remembered them camping in the pouring rain. It was fun…they seemed to really connect with each other since they have been paired up. Well, until the rain washed away their tents and he had to find them a tree to sleep in for the night. They looked liked a pair of water rats when they returned to the academy. Afterwards, she got really sick and once, she was better. She found out that Theo took care of her which surprised and delighted her. A few days later, she got poor Theo sick…and she realized that Theo was the most stubborn person she has ever met.
He refused to let her take care of him. He curled himself up into a ball and refused to come out. It took Master Mao and her hours to get him to eat anything or do anything. Despite all of that, she smiled to herself, he really started to open up to her.
"Not funny, Lily…that wasn't a fun experience at all"
"Of course, it wasn't…but it did get us to be friends."
"It did…but sometimes, I wonder….," He said thoughtfully.
"You wonder what?" She said in confusion.
"If I took the other offer to join the Wind Ninja Academy."
Her mouth dropped.
"You…you…"
Theo waved his hands in front of him in a panic.
"I didn't forget to tell you, Lil. I have no regrets choosing Pai Zhaq. I felt that I really belonged there….but...maybe me and Luan…"
"You and Luan are fine now. Everything turned out great!"
"Yes…but I wouldn't have become a power ranger or met you and Casey…and RJ."
"Oh, I have no doubt you would have become a ranger and we have become friends."
"Oh, you can tell the future now."
"Maybe…."
She beamed happily then she goes over and hugged him. He blinked in surprise at her.
"You know you need to share more often. It makes you less cranky, angry, and bitter."
"Thank you, Doctor Lily."
She giggled.
"And funnier."
"I'm not my brother."
"I like your brother but you are my best friend. Different rules apply."
She saw a smile played on Theo's face as she let go of him.
"Awww….look at the lovebirds. Maybe, I should take a picture and send it to mom and dad."
She looked over to see a smiling Luan by the door. She glanced over at Theo. He glanced back over at her. A mischief little grin form on his face and she smiled back as well.
"If you grab the legs and I grab the arms, we can dump him into the kitchen sick. I still haven't drained it for the night."
"Deal."
They bolted from the table and Luan blinked and ran into the kitchen.
Poor Luan.
He should have known better than to out run a cheetah.
End of Moments of Clarity
Last Chapter: Good bye, Farewell, and Don't Forget to Beat The Shiny Dude
A/N: I don't know if I ever get around to writing that Lily/Theo friendship ficcy…but there is a hint of an idea that ran around in my head. Anyway, I thank all of you for your reviews. You guys…rock.