Hey guys! Sorry about the slight delay?But here I am with the next chapter!
Chapter 3:
Sigh of the Tiger
"Hey Dad what's mom doing with Uncle Derek?" Dillon asked Hunter watching his uncle walk around his mom with caution.
"I thought he was finish training." Diana stated.
"No one is ever finished training." Hunter stated taking a sip of coffee. "There is always something to learn."
Dillon blinked and look up at his dad confused. "Why did you suddenly sound old?"
"Dil!" Diana frowned.
Hunter coughed and looked at his eldest son. "You got to be kidding me. I didn't sound that old Dillon."
The young boy just shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to his mom and uncle.
"Good job on moving with caution." Shayera praised, sitting down on the mat with her eyes closed. "Still need to work on your stepping Derek."
The panther master rolled his eyes and stopped moving, looking at his sister. Watching her closely, Derek silently stated to walk around her finding a weak spot.
"Better." Shayera smiled. "Or maybe not." Suddenly the snow leopard master stuck her leg out ready to trip her younger brother.
Derek quickly dodged it spinning on the ball of his foot in a 360. He smiled and grabbed her leg pulling her towards him. "Gotcha."
Shayera smiled and used her upper body strength to push her body up and try to kick Derek off. "Nice job Derek."
Derek quickly caught himself and stood up looking at his sister. "Well that was fun."
The mother smiled and stood up opening her eyes. "I agree. Shouldn't you be oh I don't know. At work?"
"I took off." Derek smiled walking towards the stairs and opened the gate. "Besides, RJ told me he will call if I'm needed."
"Does it involve those new rangers fighting off Dai Shi?" Shayera asked following him to the patio.
"Maybe." Derek smiled and picked up his water then looked at the twins. "Is it your turn to train?"
"Dad said we should learn how to fight without swords so that if we ever get disarmed we can still fight." Diana stated. "He also said either him or mom will train us."
"So who do you wanna train you Anna?" Derek asked siting on the chair.
"I don't know." Diana shrugged looking at her uncle. "They both fight really good."
"You Dil?" Derek asked looking at his nephew.
"I might go with Dad, but I don't know." Dillon frowned.
Derek smiled looking at his sister and brother-in-law. "Hard choices?"
"You have no idea." Hunter smiled and handed his cup to Shayera. "Want some?"
"Coffee?" Shayera chuckled and took the cup taking a small sip. "Why you drinking coffee? You barely ever drink it."
He smiled and hugged his wife close kissing her ear softly. "Well we came home late last night, then we had bonding time together so that lasted us a while."
Derek coughed and looked at Hunter disgusted. "Dude! Seriously you have to put it like that?"
"What? What's mom and dad talking about Uncle Derek?" Dillon whined.
Shayera laughed. "Wait till you're a little older Dillon then we'll explain it to you."
Hunter chuckled and kissed his wife's cheek holding her close. "It was our anniversary Derek. What you expect from us?"
"Dinner talk then sleep with no action!" Derek groaned.
"Maybe one year Derek." Shayera smiled.
Derek shook his head and walked back into the house, suddenly he hears the phone rings and sighs. "Work? It's my day off!"
"Thank god you made it Derek!" Fran gasped running to Derek. "I thought I was going to be alone, with this party, I don't well with kids and I-"
"Breathe Fran." Derek smiled looking at the tables. "I think we are ready. By the way I'm on pizza making duty." Derek patted Fran's shoulder and walked off to the kitchen.
"Derek? Derek?!" Fran called out and looked at the door. "Oh no…"
Shayera pulled the measuring tape over a long pastel blue dress and turning her gaze to a sheet of paper. "Alright…it's the right length. Now for the width of the bust." Turning the measuring tape horizontally the young mother wrapped it around the bust of the dress. "That matches also. Great just need to call them and let them know the dress is ready."
Suddenly a big crash and a loud cry was heard from the house. The snow leopard master sighed hanging the measuring tape over her neck.
"Or maybe not…What happened this time?"
Derek sighed looking at Theo and Lily as the two rangers peeked out the door watching Fran 'handle' the party outside.
"Look at those little monsters." Theo muttered. "I'm not going out there."
Lily frowned and muttered, "But don't you think we should help Fran?"
Derek chuckled shaking his head at the two. "I think you should considering it's your job here to serve."
"Then how come you're not out there?" Theo questioned the brunette man.
Derek shrugged his shoulders. "Well for one who would cook the pizza and two those little kids don't compare to my nieces and nephews."
"You make them sound like little monsters." Lily stated turning her head to Derek. "They're sweet kids."
"You only met them once. Once Lily. Try living with them. Especially Dillon."
The two rangers turned their attention back to Fran only for the door to get hit by pasta and the two quickly turning away. The former ranger gave a snort at the two trying not to laugh.
"You two fight monsters, how the hell are you afraid of little kids." Derek shook his head watching the two run upstairs. "Never thought those two would back away from a challenge."
Derek watched Casey clean the floors and tried not to chuckle listening to R.J. telling the red ranger to move faster. "Come on Casey! When you go meet your little niece you're gonna wish you were scrubbing the floor."
"She….cannot….be that….bad." Casey breathed looking up at Derek. "She's still a new born right…?"
"Yeah…but still. She will be." Derek stated.
R.J. chuckled and pointed at Derek. "Stop distracting him."
"I'm giving him motivation." Derek smirked. "Besides if I was distracting him he would have stopped moving. Clearly that hasn't happened yet."
"Clearly…now faster." R.J. stated watching Casey.
A few minutes later the blue and yellow ranger walked down causing Casey to stop and stand up.
"Come on Casey." Lily called out.
"Uh. No." R.J. stated. "Casey needs to finish the floors first."
"Really?" Lily asked in disbelief.
"Yeah." The Pai Zhuq master nodded his head as an answer.
"Get use to it." Derek added. "In this life nothing is fair."
"Says the man who only works here and watches us." Theo stated looking at Derek.
"Hey I have a life." Derek defended himself.
"R.J, we're under attack. If I don't help them they'll be destroyed." Casey exclaimed looking at his friends then back at the master.
"Then they'll be destroyed." R.J. bluntly stated.
Theo and Lily stared at each other in disbelief but ran off to save the city. Derek on the other hand jumped off the rail and looked at R.J.
"Want me to keep an eye on them and intervene if needed?" The young panther user questioned.
R.J. nodded his head looking at his old friend's younger brother. "Yeah, but only if it's necessary to involve yourself. Don't want Shay or Des to murder me in my sleep. More so Shay considering she lives closer."
Derek chuckled and walked off patting Casey on the shoulder. "Advice from family Casey." He started getting the red ranger's attention. "Don't look above the action. Look below the action to find the reason." With that the young man ran off towards the city.
"What was that about?" Casey questioned.
"He's just doing his other part of the job." R.J. shrugged.
Derek flinched watching the two rangers fight off buffalord and failing badly. He sighed and started to contemplate on whether he should intervene because clearly those two are getting their poor ranger butts kicked; or should he sit back and watch them continue to fight and fail. Letting out another sigh the young male got ready to jump down until his phone started vibrate.
"You got to be kidding me." He groaned and pulled his phone out to check the caller. "Shit…it's Rose."
He quickly answered the phone and spoke. "Rose hey."
"Hey Derek how are you?"
The male chuckled softly. "I'm doing great, how are you?"
"I'm good. University is a pain though. What are you doing right now?"
"Well, I'm on break from work right now." Derek explained. "Which will end pretty soon. Tell you what Rose I'll video call you later tonight when I get home."
"Umm…okay. Are you okay? You sound slightly off."
"I'm okay Rose. Like I said I'll call you later. Love you Rose."
"Love you too Derek, don't over work yourself."
"Don't worry. I'm taking care of myself." He stated and hung up letting out a long sigh. "I can't believe I just pulled that off."
Turning his attention back to the fight and let out a small chuckle to see Casey towards the fight. Derek moved away from the rail smirking. "Well seems like he finished his training."
Derek walked towards R.J. after the ground fight. "Well Casey clearly learned something."
"He did. Now shouldn't you be down stairs?" The master asked looking at the young male.
"I'm heading down there." Derek stated walking down the stairs. "You should come too since you're the oh I don't know. The owner of the place."
"I be there. After the rangers come back." R.J. stated looking at the television.
Derek walked out the kitchen holding a mop and coughed looking at the mess. "What the hell did those kids do?"
"A party." Fran sighed switching the sign from 'open' to 'close'. "I could have use your help."
"I cook, then I was on break." Derek stated and started to mop a spot. "Besides this is part of the job."
Fran turned away from the door and walked towards Derek. "Still…I guess it went well."
Behind the door, the three rangers could be heard laughing and the door was pulled open. The three walked in to the shop only to stop laughing and stared at the mess of the shop.
Fran turned around stating, "Oh. Now you show up." She let out a small chuckle. "How convenient."
"Yeah, we were a little busy." Theo stated looking at his two companions then to Fran.
R.J. jumped in at the perfect time and added. "Not so busy that you and Lily couldn't lend a hand."
Theo closed his eyes while Lily closed her mouth looking at Fran before the two apologized. "Sorry, Fran."
"Well, i-it's all right." Fran stated. "I needed some crash-course training anyway."
R.J. let out a small chuckle and turned to Theo and Lily. "So, for not helping Fran, you two get to clean this place up while the four of us go get ice cream."
Casey smiled and placed his hand on Theo and Lily's shoulders. Derek chuckled and placed the mop down walking towards the group.
"I love ice cream!" Fran exclaimed and looked at R.J.
"I got a better idea." Derek stated looking at Fran then at R.J. "Why not try out my sister's new dessert she been making for the kids."
"Now that sounds more interesting." R.J. smiled at Derek. "Alright, we head to Shayera's place and then possibly if she kicks us out, we get ice cream."
"Sounds good." Casey stated nodding his head.
"Wow…so your sister lives here?" Fran whispered looking at the house. "It looks like a mansion."
"Yeah well they made it bigger than it should." Derek shrugged and opened the door walking in. "Shay! You home?"
"Hey. No shouting, the triplets are taking a nap." Shay stated walking to the front door, and blinked looking at R.J., Fran, and Casey. "You brought guest."
"I did." Derek stated. "Fran worked hard today. She handled a chaotic children's party and R.J. thought it be a good idea to treat her to ice cream."
"So…why you bring them here?" Shayera asked looking at Casey but then back at her younger brother.
"I told them how you been making a new dessert. I thought why not let them try. Especially if Casey here." Derek stated grabbing the red ranger's arm pulling him forward. "Is family."
Shayera nodded her head and smiled softly. "Alright, come on in. I'll get started on it." She turned around walking towards the kitchen. "Make yourself useful Derek and call the twins. They're gonna help."
"Got it." Derek stated walking to the living room. "You guys can hang out here, I'll go fetch my niece and nephew." With that the young man turned around and walked off.
Fran sat down on the ivory leather couch and turned her gaze to Casey. "What did Derek mean by you being family?"
"Well…" Casey started taking a seat on the other side of the couch. "My older half-sister is engaged to Derek's older brother making them my in-laws."
Fran nodded her head and look around the living room. "How could they afford this place?"
"For one, Shayera use to own her own studio but gave it to her younger sisters to own when they get older so right now her mom is keeping tabs on it. Right now she makes dresses and uniforms." R.J. stated. "She actually help remake the pizzeria's uniform."
Fran nodded her head slowly impressed. "That's interesting."
"It is." Casey agreed leaning back on the couch. "In truth I never really got to know Shayera. I only met her once when Desmond and Rachel hosted a dinner in honor of their engagement."
"So that's how you know Derek." Fran said and smiled softly. "That's nice to know you're working alongside family…but why doesn't he tell Theo or Lily?"
"I guess it's more like it's my job to say." Casey shrugged.
"You got that right." Derek stated walking inside the living room. "Well Shay and the twins are working on the desert. She ordered me give you three a tour since she don't get many visitors other than family who are willing to drive over."
"Let's go then." R.J. smiled.
Hey there guys...umm what excuse can I make up.
Well I started this chapter back in the summer during E3 week and that distracted me. Then I had to work at a summer camp then I went on a family road trip to Niagara Falls New York. Then I signed up for college classes, and finally I went on another family road trip all the way up to North Dakota. Yup...that up north...spent a week on a farm barley any internet and my laptop couldn't fit.
Ultimately I then sadly lost interest to continue this story and well as you could see on my profile write a Devil May Cry and Avengers story that I haven't finished yet. One chapter left. one chapter left.
Along with that my friend got me into the anime Tokyo Ghoul and I just simply lost it. I really did that anime destroyed me mentally and emotionally. And it wasn't just the anime but the manga also.
So those are my excuses. Feel free to yell at me in the reviews or in P.M me.
Now also for the hell of it, for those who wish to follow me on Tumblr please send me a P.M. and I will tell you. That will be the only social media I will share. The very only one.
So Yeah...hope you enjoy the chapter this is my last week of college before break so I should be back with more chapters.
I'm so sorry for the wait and hope you all enjoy.
Happy Holidays.