Hi everyone! I hope everyone had a good Easter and is enjoying this spring time weather!
We're back with a new chapter and I hope you all are enjoying this story. This chapter come with a possible trigger warning having to do with abuse victims. I doubt it will trigger anyone, but just to be safe. I'm putting out a warning. There is also a brief naughty moment between Kyle and Autumn. *shrugs* It happens when dealing with a young couple that are crazy about each other. That should about do it!
Enjoy and see me at the bottom!
The Manor
One week later
It was the first weekend of October; the weather was slowly getting a little cooler and the days were getting shorter. One could definitely feel the change of the seasons.
A week had passed since the fall fest and Kayla had just been released from her grounding. That had been part of her punishment, a week of being unable to play games, along with no TV or movies and she spent every day looking after the dog she'd just had to rescue. And that include doggy droppings.
She'd taken it without complaining, though there had been tears that she would miss out on the Halloween movie nights. It broke the teens' heart to see her look so sad; Kyle couldn't stand it and with a quick huddle, they postponed the movie night till she was released from her punishment. But, sadly, that was all they could do for her. Tommy and Kim had been adamant that she needed to learn her lesson.
Her almost-abduction had scared the hell out of them and Tommy had given the creep that had dared to touch his baby girl an epic beatdown; it had taken both Rocky and Adam to pull the very pissed off daddy away and had it not been for Fred and his partner, Officer Jay, Tommy might have even been arrested.
It was a serious situation, and though it pained Tommy to punish her, he followed through with it and Kayla had taken it like a champ. Kailen had been right there with her. Though he did nothing wrong, he stuck with her and helped her do her chores, even the nasty, smelly ones.
During the week of her punishment, she'd been kept busy even though the work was light. After school, once her school work was done, she helped her mother and aunts in the laundry room as they switched the summer clothing for the fall clothing and put them away in the storage bins. Then she helped her aunts unpack the clothes from last year and put them away in the different chest of drawers. It was tiring work and once that was done, she was sent back up to her room for nap time.
It was during this time, that something adorable happened. Belle (that was what she'd named the beagle) had tried to follow her up the stairs and started howling when she had trouble climbing. Kayla stopped and, went back down the step and tried her best to pick up her four-legged friend but the beagle was just a little too heavy and she looked up at him asking for help.
Kyle had chuckled at the adorable sight, and after another minute, walked over to the struggling duo. He gently picked up the beagle and carried her up to the kid's floor. It hadn't been the last time he'd done so, but pretty soon, it had been decided that for the rest of the week, she'd sleep in living room of Conner and Kira's house where there was a ramp and no need to carry the sweet pup around.
Now, the teenagers sat at the dining room table, just hanging out as various activities happened around them. It was mid-morning and they sat around snacking and browsing the internet.
The two kids, on the other hand were in full decorating mode. Kayla and Keilan were busy switching out the summer themed hand towels with the pretty fall ones with leaves embroidered them. They had already done the same for all the bathrooms on the middle floor and now onto the ones for the kitchen. Then would come that cute shiny garland on the frames of the door. Eventually, Kyle and Autumn would need to go to the store and get a few things to decorate the trailer, though their version of the Halloween décor would differ greatly from the cute stuff around the manor.
Kyle sat at his laptop browsing vehicles, more accurately motor cycles. He'd wanted one for a while now, even before he became Pyre. He loved the idea of cruising in the open air and smelling the scent of freedom. As he scrolled down the page, he expanded his search to include two seaters. Scrolling down the page a little more, his eyes landed on one of those scantily clad models perched very provocatively on top of a very fancy looking Chopper. Out of nowhere, the mental image popped into his head of his leather clad mate sitting in the seat with almost nothing on, giving him a 'come hither' look.
He couldn't stop the grin on his face.
Autumn, who sat with Sapphire, checking their profile, looked up feeling his naughty side come out. "Kyle, whatever caused that naughty thought, you'd better bury it. There are kids in the room."
Kyle smirked at her. "Not a problem, if you can pull yourself away from the computer…first one to the trailer…"
"Ahem!" Adam cleared his throat as he walked in. Autumn laughed loudly at her mate's flushed expression.
"Do I need to hose you two down?" Adam asked a second later.
"No sir. I'm okay. Just looking at some motorcycles."
Rocky composed his face as he walked in behind his friend and towards his son.
"Is that what you want, Kyle?" he asked as he peered over his son's shoulder.
"Yeah, dad. I was thinking about getting an older model and practicing on it till I get better and pass the driving test."
"Or you could just ask me, son." Rocky replied. "I've ridden a few in my time. I could take you out for a ride and show you how." He paused, remembering the reason he'd come into the room. "But not right now. We have some good news for you Miscreants."
Everyone's head shot up at hearing their name.
"Yeah, what's that?" Kyle asked.
"Kara, Fred's wife called me a few minutes ago." Adam paused and looked at Katsume. "You haven't met her, but she's the head detective for the Angel Grove Special Victim's Unit. She's the officer in charge of Miss Pauline's case."
Katsume looked up. "How is she?"
Adam smiled at him. "She's much better now that her loser ex is behind bars. He's been booked into a jail the next town over and waiting trial. Miss Pauline as moved into a new home here in the city and will be returning to school in another month once her therapist clears her. She's also missing her dog terribly."
"He gets to go home?" Autumn asked.
Rocky couldn't keep the smile off his face. "You bet, in fact, once you guys finish your snacks and get that boy ready to go, I'll drive you to her place and you Miscreants can personally reunite them!"
Needless to say, it didn't take long for them to slip into their hoodies and shoes. While the girls fixed their hair and put on their hoodies and shoes, the Kyle and Katsume walked out to he back to get Tank ready to go. They found him basking in the noontime sun and he gave them a curious look.
"Hey, buddy." Katsume said as he knelt by the canine. "You ready to go home?"
The dog tilted his head curiously.
"Come on, your mom's waiting for you!" Katsume added. Tank perked up as his tail wagged slowly.
Kyle showed him the leash and his tail wagged faster. Katsume pulled out black bandana that had little skulls printed on it. Katsume doubled up the fabric and tied it around the dogs neck.
Kyle clipped the leash on the collar. "Come on, boy. Let's get you home!"
Miss Pauline's house was nestled away in a newer subdivision. Rook noticed as he followed Rocky's truck up the road how peaceful and nice the neighborhood was. The lawns were tended to and flowers colored the landscape. A lot of the houses had already been decorated for the harvest in a way that Martha Stewart would be proud of.
The house they pulled into was one such house. It looked much like the other houses, but on a slightly smaller scale and the décor looked like it had been purchased at an art fair. When they pulled up, the front door opened, and Miss Pauline walked out onto the front stoop accompanied a second later with Kara and Fred . A second later, they could hear Tank whining and panting.
"Hang on buddy, we're here." Rook said as he put the jeep in park. The moment the jeep stopped moving, Tank was out of the jeep and running for his owner. The teens could only stand back and watch the emotional reunion.
There were happy tears from their teacher and enthusiastic tail wagging from the dog. It went on for several minutes before their teacher remembered they were there. She got up from the stoop where she'd been knocked over.
Their teacher was casually dressed in plain lavender tunic and blue jean capris. Her hair was pulled back in a clip and she didn't have a single trace of makeup on. As Katsume walked up, he gave her a once over and saw that the last of her bruises were fading and she looked a hundred times healthier than she had the last time he saw her.
"Thank you so much!" Their teacher gushed. "You guys have taken such good care of my baby."
It's not a problem." Kyle said as he took point. "We took him to the vet for a full check up and he's gotten along really well with the pack of dogs we have at the manor. I'm just glad that he's back home where he belongs."
Miss Pauline nodded and wiped a tear from her eye. Then she gave Katsume a look over of his own. "And you, are you okay? I heard you had to go to the emergency room after that attack."
"I'm fine. Just some minor bruising, nothing major."
"Well, thank you all anyway. I owe you guys more than I can repay."
After assuring their teacher that she owed them nothing, the teens walked back towards their vehicles and climbed in. They were all feeling so very elated over such a positive outcome and felt like they could accomplish anything as a team! When Rocky and Adam walked up to them, they were met with grins and high fives. The smiles fell just a little bit when they noted the serious looks on the adults faces.
"Let's go get some pizza!" Kyle exclaimed. "This is a major achievement."
You are definitely my son." Rocky silently mused. "That sounds wonderful, son. But first, I want you all to follow me, we're going somewhere special."
Before his son could question him further, Rocky and Adam walked away, and the kids had no choice but to climb into their vehicles and follow the big red truck made it's way from the pretty subdivision and back towards the busy part of town.
They all rode in a comfortable silence for a minute or two before Sapphire turned the radio on. Kyle listened half heartedly to whatever was playing on the radio, his mind was just swimming with questions. Only Autumn's hand on his lap and sweet kiss to his neck made him snap out of his myriad of thoughts.
"We're here, Amore." She said when he smiled down at her.
Kyle exhaled softly before he opened the side door. Moments later, he was looking up at the old Slider's Place. It had once been a popular sports bar, but when the owner had been forced into early retirement, he'd sold it to the bank and this once popular bar sat empty and sad looking.
Now, however, the place looked like someone had brought it back from the dead. The old windows gleamed, and the place looked like someone had breathed life into it.
"Dad, what's going on?" Kyle asked.
"I'm not saying anything till Fred and Jay arrive."
"What do they have to do with this old place?" Kyle asked insistently.
"Forget it, Son. This is the one time you won't be able to weasel information out of me. Just chill out for a few minutes and then you'll find out."
Though Kyle wanted to ask more, the stubborn look in his dad's eyes was enough to shut him up. When the two men did arrive, they silently walked to the door, fished out a set of keys and opened the glass door.
When they flipped the switch and the lights came on, the teens looked around the place in confusion. This was the first time they'd ever been in this building. When the bar closed, they'd all been really young. That's how long the business had been gone.
The interior was clean and sterile, the original décor had been stripped away. It wasn't as big as Adelle's and it was a little bigger than your average McDonald's; it was somewhere in the middle. The bar was all chrome and several barstools with shiny plastic coverings sat under the bar as if waiting for their patrons to claim them. On the side of the bar closest to them sat an older coke-a-cola fridge with LED lighting on it.
On the other end of the room were several booths with the same color pleather seats. The chrome tabletops gleamed under the lights, and in the middle sat four round tables with seats around them.
In the very back of the room sat an old jukebox that had been stripped of what might have been musical selections at one time.
The whole entire place was like a fresh canvas just waiting for the artist to make it into something more.
"Dad, are you finally getting your restaurant?" Kyle asked his parent.
Rocky nodded. "I've had this place in my name for a while. Mr. Ryker bequeathed it to me in his will when he found out he had an inoperable tumor. I've been wanting to open this place for a while, but then things happened with you and then your mother got pregnant and I was waiting for things to die down before thinking about reopening this place and making it my own. As it happens, it all worked out for the best.
"More than anything, I've been waiting to see if you wanted in on this." When Kyle opened his mouth to answer, Rocky held up a hand. "Not so fast, son. Our friends have a proposition for us…all of us."
Fred took that as his cue, and he cleared his throat and took a seat on one of the bar stools. Over the months since his accident, he'd healed really well. Most of that was due to the advanced medicine Andros had brought from his home planet. Other than some discoloration of the burned skin, he could still function. The police department didn't dare fire him, because he was so respected by the new officers, but he couldn't return to field work either. So he'd become a desk jockey, which he hated.
This opportunity was a godsend; he just hoped the teens were on board for this thing.
"You guys may remember a few weeks ago when I told you guys that officer Tesla was working on a task force." He paused and looked at Kyle. "I don't blame you for refusing, what happened was really messed up. All I'm asking is that you don't storm out again and that you'll hear me out."
Kyle looked irritated at the mention of officer Tesla, but he nodded anyway.
"It's not well documented, but many of the homicide cases that come from the Special Victim's Unit have to do with battered people…both men and women. About a year ago, Kara and I looked into a homicide on the middle class side of town. It was Kara's first case as a lead detective for the Special Victim's Unit.
The victim's name was Jamie and she was 24 years old. She was a former addict and had worked really hard to get clean. She was in her second year of college and had a refurbished two-bedroom house that she shared with her husband and a 4 year old American Staffy named Mystique. On the night we were called to her residence, we found the dog with point blank gunshot wound to the head and Jamie brutalized beyond recognition. She was rushed to the ER and later died on the operating table.
Kara did a very thorough investigation and found that she had been to the ER before, with less severe injuries. Digging into her past, she found that the husband had violent tendencies and he'd been suspected of abuse. After speaking to her case manager, she found out that Jamie been offered a place at the battered women's shelter but he refused because to go because she couldn't take her dog with her and she knew her husband would kill her furry baby.
She stayed to protect her dog, and she paid for it with her life. After talking to some other women in the shelter, Kara realized that she was getting different versions of the same story. Some had been lucky to have friends and families to take in their pets, but others had to make the hard decision to surrender their animals to the shelter and hope that they wouldn't be euthanized.
Kara and I came to the realization that all of these situations could have been avoided if there was a place for these animals to go where they would be safe and cared for until their owners could reclaim them. Like I said before, we've seen similar cases, but this one was the most jarring. We both now how screwed up the law enforcement department is in this city, but maybe what we want to do here could help turn things around."
"I'm in, but what does this have to do with the restaurant?" Rook asked.
"I've spoken with several businesses in town along with many animal rescues and even the shelter here in town. They've formed a network that even goes beyond the city limits. They want to help, but they need some fearless teenagers that are willing to do what they don't have the time or resources to do. As for the restaurant, it would be headquarters that you guys would operate from."
"The former AGPD was really shoddy and a lot of the victims don't trust them, and they would be too scared that their abusers would see them going to the police for help, but a cool retro restaurant would be a safe place for them to come to seek help.
If you agree to be on the task force, you wouldn't be working for the police. Jay and I would be your handlers and your parents would be doing the actual reporting and talking to the victims. Your job would solely be to take in the pets and transport them to a safe place."
"You said there was a network." Autumn asked. "What does that include?"
"Various animal rescue groups, every day people that have the space. Dr. Imogen has signed on to be the veterinarian to treat basic injuries and complete minor surgeries pro bono. She'll be the ride along when you go to pick up the pets in the SWAT van and a couple of employees from Petsmart have volunteered to be her assistant."
Another business in this network is that nice tattoo artist, Odin that gave you that ink job. He's volunteered his bike crew to be extra security should you need it. The owners of Shenanigans have agreed to provide a safe space for the victims to meet with you. We have a complete list of businesses here in town that want to be a safe place for the victims to connect with help."
"And what if the perps come after us?" Katsume asked. "If they were to see our faces, they might come after you guys and this place would be compromised. If there are creeps out there willing to brutalize their girlfriends, what would stop them from gunning us down?"
"We would." Said a deep voice they didn't know was there. The teens turned around to see Jason, Zack, and Billy behind them. We've all been fitted for special armor and Billy has worked with Andros to create new hover gliders that we'll fly as escort when you guys are picking up the critters."
Katsume nodded. "Ok, I'm in."
Autumn turned to look at her dad. "I'm assuming you would have developed some kind of armor for us?"
Adam gave his daughter a wry look. "You really think I'd send you out into the field unprotected?"
"No. Just asking."
Kyle turned to his group. "I'm in, but rules are rules. We're putting this to a vote and it has to be unanimous. All in favor?"
"It's in our blood." Autumn stated. "I'm in."
"Those people need us." Sapphire stated. "I'm in."
"It's not like we don't have the training." Leif said agreeing. "Let's save the animals."
"I've been where they are." Katsume said quietly. "I'm in."
"I'm in." Rook said. "We can't let these victims fall into the gap. If rescuing pets is what it takes for them to leave a dangerous situation, then I'm there."
"Then we're unanimous."
"Yep." Rook added. "Let's go be super heroes."
When they faced the adults, Kyle nodded. We're in."
Rocky was beaming with pride at his son, and Adam looked even prouder.
Rook cocked his head to the side, "You said something about a SWAT van…are you guys for real about that. Did you get us an actual armored vehicle?"
Officer Jay nodded. "Yeah, we refurbished a retired van so that it would provide everything you need to not only transport the animals but provide basic care if necessary. I'll be the one driving it and calling ahead for help if needed."
Katsume was looking at Trent who just walked in with a sketchbook. "I'm assuming you were the one that designed the armor?
Trent nodded with a grin. "Yep, that's what I've been up to for the last couple of weeks. It's why I haven't asked you to work on that mural for Conner and Kira. I've sketched a few different designs that take into account your personal styles, but you guys get the final say."
Rocky was grinning. "Once we have that celebratory pizza you guys asked for, we can start on the fabrication for your new gear."
With the moment over and things quieted down a bit, Kyle looked around the new place. "So, do I get to explore the kitchen?"
Rocky grinned and hugged his son. "You bet; I'll give you the grand tour!"
Autumn watched with a grin as the two men walked through the kitchen door.
So, what do you all think about this chapter! The idea for the crew operating out of a restaurant was of course inspired by Power Rangers Jungle Fury, but I tweaked it a bit to something Rocky would run. I picture it like a 50's style cafe where good old fashioned food would be served along with malts and milkshakes.
Anyway, what do you guys think? Please leave a nice constructive review for me, it helps me keep going down this crazy road!
See you next time!