Bella was doing her makeup by herself in the bathroom, getting ready for school that day. Her father, George, and future step-mother, Lisa, had already left for the day so she was left to drive herself and her future step-sister, Jo, to school, much to her chagrin.
As she got ready, she also was trying to kill time so she could be away from Jo as much as possible. It's not that Jo was a bad person or anything, but Bella had a problem with her that she couldn't really define. She had the same problem with Lisa.
Maybe it was jealousy over having more people living in the house to take her away from her dad, or maybe it was just something she felt about Jo. It was most likely the first, though Bella didn't want to admit that and seem immature.
At the same time, however, she also wished that she could just say something and the two would leave. She missed the days when it was just herself and her father, before the two had moved in and planned to stay, but she felt almost pathetic longing for that.
It felt childish and selfish to long for a time when she was content with being the only one with her father's attention, but he felt lonely only having a daughter around that had been practically dropped off on his door by his ex.
She was truly happy that he was happy, but she still didn't trust Lisa or Jo. She didn't know them very well, to begin with, and she just didn't like them very much.
Even if this dislike was misplaced on people who didn't deserve it, Bella didn't care that much. As long as her father was happy and not at risk of having his heart broken, she was fine with it.
That being said, Bella knew that he could have his heart broken by these two. She felt nervous that he was opening so much of his heart to them.
Logically, she knew she shouldn't be the one worrying about it. It wasn't her place to say what he could do, and it wasn't her place to say that she didn't like them so they had to leave.
Oh, how she wanted to, though. It didn't feel right morally, but it would feel right greedily.
A knock on the door startled her out of her thoughts, "Yeah?"
"Are you almost ready?" Jo asked, through the door. "I need to brush my teeth real quick before we leave."
Bella wanted to say no badly, even though she knew she really wasn't doing anything besides wasting time on makeup that she had already finished long before Jo showed up at the door. Sighing to herself, she replied. "Hold on,"
Opening the door, she grabbed all of her stuff and walked out past Jo. Jo was a skinny girl with bleach blonde hair, blue eyes, and a tall stature, similar to Lisa. "Morning," She greeted, but Bella just smiled briefly at her and walked away.
It was rude the way she acted, Bella knew that, but she couldn't help it. She wanted to protect her dad so, since she couldn't, she resorted to protecting herself from heartache by staying away.
The wedding was coming up soon, though, and she had no idea how she was gonna deal with it. She just tried to remember that it was all for her dad and not her, but it still felt strange and kind of wrong to her that he would just get married to someone she hardly knew and didn't like.
Then again, Bella reminded herself that she was moving out to go to college after this school year, so she supposed it didn't matter too much anyways. She wouldn't have to deal with it for long, and could have her father visit her instead of her visiting them.
Sighing again, she put her things down and picked up her bag, walking downstairs and out of the front door. Bella got into the driver's seat and started the car, waiting for Jo like she did every morning.
- Cue Opening 2 -
Aiden and October walked into class a bit late that morning, having spent their time together before class, and lost track of it. Aiden went to go sit at his table with Ryder, while she walked across the class to sit with Bella.
By the time they had gotten there, everyone was already working on their assignment for the day, so Aiden just sat down and read it over. He looked up when he saw Ryder smirking a bit at him.
"What?" He asked.
"My sister making you late now?" Ryder joked. "Jeez, what'd you even move in for?"
He rolled his eyes, amused. "Don't let her hear you talking like that, or she's gonna want even more from me."
"Alright, too much," Ryder chuckled.
The red ranger looked him over briefly, noticing a small flicker of something behind his amusement. He had been much better than before, and was fully healed now, but had yet to participate in a fight.
In fact, he hadn't even been to the command center since his accident.
It could be a coincidence, Aiden allowed. It could just be that he hadn't been up to it, nor thinking about it, and just didn't go. At the same time, it was something they did all the time, so why hadn't he thought about it? Especially now that he was doing so much better. It didn't really make sense.
"Hey," Aiden said, attracting his attention. "Why haven't you been around the command center lately? I thought you were back into fighting form,"
Ryder looked uncomfortable, but answered regardless, "Honestly, I don't really know if I'm up to being a ranger anymore." He admitted.
This made Aiden's jaw drop. He didn't know how to respond to something like that.
While he wasn't mad at Ryder, and knew that he probably had a good reason for feeling that way, he was shocked and extremely confused. Despite all that they had been through, no one else on the team had even made a comment about quitting.
"Really?" He asked, not knowing what else to say. "What's going on?"
"I don't know, I just..." Ryder trailed off for a moment, before continuing. "I was probably already gonna go downhill anyways, after October's and my parents died, but I feel like being a ranger made it happen faster. I don't know if being back as a ranger would be good for my mentality. I guess it's really a question of if I can handle it again."
"Oh," Aiden was surprised, though he understood. It was difficult and stressful to be a ranger. "Well, I understand where you're coming from, but you know that I'm your leader and I have to say that I hope you change your mind. We're your friends, and we'll help you through this, if you let us."
He looked to the side. "I know, I just have to think about this." Ryder sighed to himself, before getting back to his work.
Meanwhile, October and Bella were working together across the room to get their work done. October knew the answers to most of the questions that they were answering, so it was going by rather fast.
"So, I think the answer to this one is..." October paused, looking up to see that Bella wasn't paying attention. "Are you listening?"
"Huh?" Bella turned back to her. "What's going on?"
October frowned. "Nothing, but I figure I should probably ask you that."
"It's no big deal," Bella sighed, gesturing to their teacher, who was walking around the classroom and handing back graded tests. "That's my future step-mom."
"What? Seriously?" October raised an eyebrow, peering over at Lisa. "Your dad's marrying Ms. Sampson?"
"Yeah, and it's gonna be Mrs. Brown soon," Bella muttered, irritatedly. "I don't get along with her or her daughter, Jo, very well. It doesn't really make me feel any better to have her as my first period teacher so I go straight from seeing her at home in the morning, to seeing her at school an hour later."
The pink ranger grimaced, knowing family issues were not easy to have. "Have you talked to them about the problems you have with them?"
Bella looked at her like she was crazy. "Are you kidding? I can't do that. My dad loves them."
"Well, if you talk to them nicely about it, I'm sure you can work something out." October told her as Lisa came by the table to hand their tests back.
Lisa smiled at October. "Great job," She whispered, before handing Bella's back. "You could've done better, Bella. Study a bit harder next time," She told her as she moved to the next table.
"What is she talking about?" Bella frowned, turning her paper over to see that her test had a 60% on it. She gaped, knowing that had to be a mistake. "Let me see yours." She grabbed October's paper, comparing them, as October had a 98% on hers. Most of the answers were very similar, or the same. "What the hell?"
October looked over, "What's wrong?"
"Most of our answers are practically the same, but she gave you an almost perfect score and me a D!" She replied, angrily. "That's impossible." Bella raised her hand, and when Lisa didn't see her, she called out to her. "Ms. Sampson,"
The teacher turned back to her, and walked over. "Bella, you shouldn't yell for me in the classroom,"
She rolled her eyes. "I'll try to remember that," Bella replied sarcastically. "Why did you give me a D? October got an A, and our answers are almost the same."
"I would appreciate it if you talked to me more appropriately," Lisa commented, as she took Bella's paper back. "But I will look this over, alright? Now, get back to your work."
"Yeah, well I would appreciate it if you didn't act like you were welcome in my house," Bella muttered under her breath as she walked away, before shaking her head and getting back to doing her work with October.
- PRGG -
After school, the rangers, except for Bella, all walked over to the command center to train after school. Ryder was walking a bit behind the others, not sure if he really wanted to train that day anyways.
Looking at the others, he counted them. With Jackie, Luca, October, Aiden, and himself, there were only five of them. That meant one of them had to sit out, and given that he had just recovered, he would likely be the one to sit out.
It almost made him sigh in relief. Then again, he was worried that Aiden would suggest that he spar because he knew how Ryder felt and wanted to encourage him back to the team. He knew Aiden wouldn't be doing it out of spite, and appreciated the effort, but it wasn't letting him have time to decided.
He also knew that he wasn't in a position to ask for time to decide. The rangers needed the team so they could take down Saturn's forces, and it was selfish of Ryder to tell them to wait for him to decide whether he wanted to be one or not.
The thought of being that selfish to the team made him upset at himself, because he really didn't want to do that to them. At the same time, he also didn't want to risk his mental health for that, especially since that wouldn't help anybody.
If he was unable to do it, him being a part of the team would just make things harder.
Unfortunately, the fact was that he was pretty sure he could handle it. If he could handle it while he was doing worse than he was now, then he was sure he could handle it at the place he was now.
His fear was that he would revert back to that place, or would discover that he couldn't deal with it when he's in the more emotional state he's in now. Before, he could just shove his emotions away and not deal with them.
Now, it was the opposite. To keep his mind healthy, he had been dealing with his emotions as they came and had been letting himself truly feel them. He was afraid that he wouldn't be strong enough to do it now.
Ryder shook his head at himself, before being knocked out of his thoughts by a nudge on the arm. He turned to see that October had slowed her pace to walk in the back with him. "Hey, you okay?" She asked.
"Yeah, why?" Ryder responded, nonchalantly.
"I just know that this is your first time back to the command center since your accident," October explained. "And that it's probably hard to jump right back in after being out for a while."
"Oh, I think I'll be alright." He told her, wondering to himself if Aiden had told her what he had said. "I might just be weaker than the rest of you for a while."
October shrugged, "That's alright, we don't care. As long as you're good, we're good." She assured him. "You're a great ranger and I bet you'll get back into it easily."
With the way she was talking, it didn't seem like he had told her, but Ryder wasn't completely sure. He figured if Aiden had told her that she likely would've asked him about it right away, but he really didn't know anymore. She had become a bit more careful about the way she spoke to him, so it was hard to determine. "Probably. So what were you and Aiden talking about?"
"Why do you ask?" She smirked slightly. "Not about anything that concerns you."
He grimaced, "Yeah, I bet."
She watched him for a few moments, "So, you're sure you're alright?"
"I will be," Ryder nodded. "I just need to get it all figured out." He reassured her as they all walked into the command center.
- PRGG -
When Bella got home that day, she was chagrined to find her father, Lisa, and Jo all sitting in the living room, having a quiet, and obviously serious, conversation. They all paused when she came in the room, staring at her with different looks. Her father look disappointed, Lisa looked hurt, and Jo looked indifferent about it all.
It made her cringe to think of what this conversation was gonna be about, but she looked around the room regardless. "Hi," She greeted, questioningly.
"Bella, you should sit down," George told her. She pursed her lips, but did as he said. "I think we should have a talk about your attitude towards Lisa and Jo, especially after your stunt today."
She made a face. "What stunt?"
George looked mildly irritated. "The way you treated your step-mother in class today,"
"I didn't do anything wrong," Bella defended. "She gave me back a test with an unfair grade for no reason. She was in the wrong."
Before George could speak back up, Lisa stepped in. "You're right, I was wrong." She admitted. "But that didn't give you the right to talk to me the way you did, especially with what you said when you thought I couldn't hear."
"What?" Bella froze, not knowing how to respond. What she had said was not meant to be heard, "I didn't mean for you to hear that."
Lisa nodded. "Obviously." She sighed. "Did you mean what you said?"
Bella stared at her, before answering, "What do you think?"
"Don't be difficult, Bella," George rubbed a hand over his face. "What is this about? You were always so good when you were growing up, until Lisa and Jo moved in. I don't understand what happened."
"You really don't get it?" Bella crossed her arms, petulantly. "The only thing that's changed is them! I haven't changed, Dad, everything else has!"
Jo frowned. "What have we ever done to you?"
"All I want is to stay with my dad," Bella said, emotionally. She didn't care how she sounded - she wanted to get it out. "I don't like having you all around, taking him away from me just before you guys break his heart! It's the way it always goes!"
The other three looked at each other but struggled to find words to respond to her statement. Lisa was the first to speak up, "Honey, we don't..."
"Just stop," Bella put her hands up, not wanting to hear more. "Don't try to make this better and don't call me honey. You're not my mother." She stood suddenly, before feeling her locket heat up against her chest. "I have to go."
"Bella," Her father stood to stop her, but Bella just shook her head and walked out past him without another word.
- PRGG -
At the command center, Aiden found himself looking out of the training room and down to the main area at Ryder and Eliza while he and October took a break from their training. He saw the two conversing, instead of Ryder training.
October took a sip of her water bottle and observed her boyfriend, getting up from her seat and seeing what he was looking at. "What are you doing?" She asked.
He startled, and peered over at her. "Oh, I don't know, I..."
"You know something I don't," She concluded, giving him a pointed look. "About Ryder."
Aiden stared at her for a moment, before shrugging nonchalantly. "I don't know what you're talking about,"
"Yes you do," October rolled her eyes. "He won't train and hasn't fought, and I don't know why, but you do. You don't have to tell me about it, as long as you talk to him about it." She told him. "I'm just glad he's talking to someone about it, even if it's not me."
"Really?" Aiden was surprised, knowing how close October and Ryder were. "Oh, okay. Yeah, I'll do that." He nodded at her once before exiting the room and making his way downstairs, where he saw Eliza smile and walk away from Ryder. He approached him. "Where's she going?"
"Make us some food," Ryder responded, smiling softly to himself. "She's something."
He nodded. "Yeah, I bet." Aiden paused for a moment, before continuing. "So, you didn't train with us today," He commented.
"I know," Ryder nodded, looking guiltily up at him. "I just..."
"Look, I'm really sorry to have to do this," Aiden interrupted him. "But you have to make a decision about this. We can't wait for something as big as the fate of the world. I would give you time, but I can't. I hope you understand."
Ryder sighed. "I figured. Just give me until the end of the day, at least?"
Aiden was about to respond when the alarm went off, attracting all of their attentions. He turned back to Ryder. "How about this - we'll be out there, and you can decide whether you want to come and help us or not. No one will be mad if you don't, just think about it."
"I..." Ryder trailed off as he watched them all run out of the room. He sat there for a few minutes, thinking about everything before he couldn't anymore and got up to go see the monitors.
Eliza had moved from the kitchen to the monitors as well to see what was happening, and what the two saw horrified them.
The creature, a Keres, grabbed ahold of Jackie and pulled her close. The Keres put her hands on Jackie's face and suddenly, a spirit-like smoke came out of the white ranger's body and left. Jackie demorphed and collapsed to the ground.
"Oh my God," Eliza gasped, checking the monitors to see Jackie's vital signs. When she did, she gripped the panel to keep from falling in shock. "She's.. she's dead."
He stared at her, wondering if he had heard her right. "What?"
She turned to him and latched onto him tightly. "She's gone!"
"That's impossible," Ryder continued to watch the scene as Luca was taken out as well. He looked at the vital signs, to see none for him too. He struggled to comprehend what was fully going on when he saw Aiden and October being approached on the screen.
The Keres stalked towards them, her hands out. Ryder felt his anger and shock rise when she grabbed the two of them and attempted to do the same. The two struggled fiercely, but as Ryder saw their struggle and vitals grow weaker, he felt something change in him.
Pushing Eliza away slowly, he looked down at her. "I have to go."
"You can't!" Eliza cried as he made a move to leave. "She'll kill you too."
Ryder took a deep breath. "I don't care. I was wrong about it being too hard to be a ranger - it's harder to watch from the sidelines." He took one last look at her before running out of the command center and towards the battle.
Once he got there, he felt himself nearly collapse from shock. All of his friends were laying prone on the ground, while the Keres stood above them all with a smirk on her face.
He looked up from the ground to face her, and immediately wanted to rip her apart. October and Aiden were the hardest for him to see, laying just by her feet, pale and gaunt.
Bella was also there, struggling to get up from the floor. When the Keres saw him arrive, she stomped over to Bella and grabbed her by the neck, raising her up from the ground to be face to face with her. She sucked the life out of her as well, throwing her off to the ground.
"One little ranger left," The Keres taunted in a raspy voice as she stalked towards him, reaching out to grab him as well. "What are you going to do now?" She wrapped her hand around his face, but he did the same immediately, using his enhanced strength to crack bones in her face.
The Keres let go quickly, growling at him. When she came at him again, he held his hands up in defense, and was shocked by what happened. Instantly, the Keres hissed in pain and moved away from him, as if he was draining her of something.
It didn't make much sense to him, but Ryder held his hand out straighter and focused more on it. As he did so, he could see color returning to his friend's faces and movement coming from them.
"This is impossible!" The Keres cried, watching the other rangers start to wake up. Bella, who had been out the shortest amount of time, regained her bearings first and picked up a discarded sword off of the ground while the Keres wasn't watching.
Ryder glared at her. "Apparently, it's not." He closed his fist slowly, draining her even further of power. As he did so, he felt a drain go through himself as well. "Never underestimate your opponent. Good thing I'm still around, huh?"
She made a move to speak again, but before she could, Bella came up behind her and shoved the sword straight through her back. The Keres gasped and turned slowly, facing Bella as she disintegrated, leaving the sword to fall to the ground.
The two stared at each other for a moment, before running over to help their friends. Ryder immediately moved to October and Aiden, helping them to their feet, while Bella did the same for Jackie and Luca.
"You guys okay?" He asked, looking them over for injuries.
October stopped him and put a hand on his face, frowning. She swiped her finger across the top of his upper lip and pulled her finger away, it coming away with blood. "Are you? What was that?"
He shrugged. "I have no idea. I guess it was a power I didn't know I had." Ryder wiped the blood off. "It made my nose bleed. I feel fine, though, just a bit worn."
"That's common with certain abilities," Jackie assured them. "He'll be fine. It just means he exerted himself."
Aiden raised his eyebrow, "Well, that's good to know," He commented, before turning to Ryder. "So, I guess this means you're staying?"
"Yeah, I think so," Ryder nodded. He looked around at them. "You guys died, you know?"
"That's not something that happens everyday," Bella muttered, before sighing. "Hey, I gotta go do something. I'll meet you at the command center later?"
The others nodded and walked off in the other direction, letting Bella walk back home by herself. When she got there, she walked in through the door to find her family just as she had left them.
Her father stood. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," She waved him off. "Look, I just thought about something - life is too short for this. You guys are happy, and I can learn to be too." Bella said. "So, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said what I said."
Lisa shook her head. "No, Bella, you weren't the only one at fault. I messed up on your test and we came onto you too strong." She said, standing as well. "I know I'm not your mother, but hopefully we can start over and I can be a motherly figure to you. I really want that for us. Would that be alright?"
Bella stared at her, feeling emotion swell in her chest. "Okay."
"I'm glad," Lisa moved forward, engulfing her in a hug. Bella froze for a moment in her grasp, before taking a deep breath and hugging her back.
Next time on Power Rangers Guardians of the Galaxy: Luca wakes up in the ocean, with no recollection of how he got there, leading him to meet Mercury.
Next Chapter Title: Middle Of Nowhere
This one was written pretty fast and late, but I hope it did justice as a good chapter! I'll be publishing chapters all day for the next five days, with this one getting three more chapters before I move onto getting Emergency Responders to a good point!
Anyways, here are the upcoming five chapters!
Ep 24: Diamond's Shine - New rangers! *Title with ('s) is not a typo.*
Ep 25: Fame Isn't Easy - Black and Emerald Rangers focused chapter.
Ep 26: Is Love Real? - All focused chapter.
Ep 27: Jealousy Is Not A Virtue - Aiden focused chapter.
Ep 28: Just One Shot Part I - Black Ranger focused chapter.
I hope you guys liked this chapter, and I'll be back with the next one soon!
© Copyrighted by Charlotte 'Charlie' Hartley