Bright Skies (Multi - Season Crossover/Power Rangers, prompt #72: Diamond in the Rough, T)
I think this prompt has beat out Fire and Blue as my least favorite. It was a pain, took forever, and I'm still not sure if I'm happy with it. -Shrugs- But, it's done.
Now to move on to even *more* AngstyWes. ^_^V
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Fandom/: Power Rangers Time Force moving into S.P.D., multiple Rangers from each season
Characters/: Wes (Time Force), multiple Rangers from other teams (Literally too many to list)
Pairings/: Post - Wes/Eric, Rocky/Adam, Shane/Dustin, Hunter/Cam, Carter/Dana, Andros/Ashley, Zhane/Karone, Carlos/Ronny, Jason/Taylor, Conner/Ethan, Justin/Rose, Tommy/Kimberly, Tyzonn/Mack, Cassie/OC, Nick/Maddison, Zack/Aisha, Trent/Kira, Post - Billy/Cestria. Future Ryan/Carter and Billy/Hayley. More couples will most likely be mentioned, but not shown.
prompt/: #72: Diamond in the Rough
Rating/: T (For non - graphic mentions of people having babies and being violent with one another)
Disclaimer/: I don't own the Power Rangers, but if Disney's hiring any new writers I volunteer.
Summary/: When Wes' life starts to fall apart, an accident gives him a chance at a fresh start in New Tech City, with Space Patrol Delta. But even a new life has its ups and downs - and weird friends. Meanwhile, Eric tries to move on.
Warnings/: A mentally handicapped person living in a medical facility, angst, male and female slash, non-cemented couples (In otherwords, pairings that will be separated), children created by scientific means, character death
Author's Notes/: Supreme Commander Fowler Birdie may be one of the first characters I've ever hated within two minutes of listening to him talk. I tried to come up with reasons for him being such an ass - which was harder than it should have been. I have a sad one, and an evil one as suggested by the infamous
phantom_blue. Guess which one I went with.
Wes resisted the urge to make an obscene gesture at the shuttle as it finally pulled out of port.
Vanessa didn't.
"Ms. Tate, please retrain yourself," Cruger sighed.
"It's not my fault no on else is brave enough," she muttered.
Cruger scowled as several of the cadets snickered, turning to glare at them. "Wipe those silly looking grins off your faces! If you think that it's going to be a holiday around here now, well you're *wrong*. You're soft. Spoiled. Stubborn. Every last one of you. Aren't you supposed to be attending some training at this particular moment?"
The gathered cadets froze.
"Oh."
"Um - "
Wes smiled to himself as they scattered. Commander Anubis Cruger at his finest. Too bad the kids couldn't seem to tell the difference between a truly angry Cruger, and one that was just throwing his weight around because he could.
"Ooh, it's so good to be back," he heard Cruger murmur to Kat as she tried not to laugh.
He was really going to miss this place.
He turned with a soft sigh. Better clean out his office before anyone realized what was going on. Somehow he knew the news wouldn't go over well.
He barely made it down the hall before he heard "Sergeant Collins. May I speak with you for a moment?"
He held in another sigh. Was Cruger *trying* to make this even more difficult than it already was? It wasn't like there was anything he could do about it - the order had come from 'Supreme Commander' Birdie, after all. "Of course, Commander."
There was a long, awkward silence as they continued toward his office together.
"Where is Jen?"
"I had Vanessa take her home earlier. Figured I'd keep them both out of trouble for as long as I could."
Cruger nodded, clearing his throat uncomfortably. After a moment, he glanced at him sideways as they walked. "Are you aware, Sergeant, that the selection of S.P.D. employees is entirely up to each base commander?"
He tried not to tense. "No. I didn't."
"Yes. It has always been an established rule that a commander would be more familiar with the needs of his own staff than someone who is not as close to the situation."
Wes stopped with a sigh, turning to look at him. "Look. Cruger. I appreciate what you did in bringing me here in the first place, and allowing me to come back. But ... " He shrugged, fighting to keep the hurt and insecurity from his voice. "Birdie's right. What's a blind man doing as a training instructor? How can I help my cadets when I can't even see what they're doing wrong?"
"You seemed to have managed just fine in the last few years," Cruger returned calmly. "A wounded warrior is still a warrior. And what makes you think training H Squad is the only purpose you serve here?"
Wes frowned. "What do you mean?"
"It has been brought to my attention that on several occasions, B Squad has turned to you for advice and comfort. You were the first to realize that S.P.D. had been infiltrated by a shape shifter, as well as being instrumental in identifying the location of the true Cadet Tate. I am also well aware that you are solely responsible for convincing Cadet Delgado to join S.P.D. Many of our current cadets consider you to be an inspiration, both as a Ranger and a person." Cruger paused. "To be honest, I'm not sure if S.P.D. would survive without you. You are after all, the only person who manages to keep both Sergeant Myers and Ms. Tate from driving everyone, and most importantly myself, insane."
The protest he'd been about to make died with a faint smile. He bowed his head, the smile fading a little. "But is that - "
A large hand rested on his shoulder. "We need you here, Wes," Cruger told him quietly. "I am asking you, both as a commander and a friend, to stay."
He looked up at him. "A friend?" he repeated in surprise. The only one of them that Cruger had *ever* treated as anything like a friend was Kat - and sometimes Tommy.
"It was brought to my attention not to long ago that the bonds of friendship among Rangers is not to be taken lightly. I am still learning how to be a Ranger," Cruger admitted, and secretly Wes was shocked at the rare moment of humility from his commander, "But there is one thing I do understand: Rangers take care of their own."
He patted Wes' shoulder once again as he turned to walk away. "I hope to see Jen back with us again tomorrow. It's good to have a decent conversation once in awhile."
Wes stared after him, and slowly felt himself begin to smile. Maybe there was more to the old dog than met the eye after all.
Shaking his head, he tried to make his way toward his office again - for some time alone now, rather than anything else - and stopped short at the sight of the person standing in front of it. "Kim?"
Kimberly looked up with a faint smile as she leaned back against the door. "Hi, Wes." Her voice was strangely subdued, and the effect was discerning. "I figured I'd just wait for you here in case you planned to do something stupid. For the record, I had to fight Eric for the chance," she added.
Somehow he wasn't surprised, even though he did wonder a little why she was there at all. "Did you need something?"
"I'm here to pick you up for the 'So Long and Good Riddance Feather-Brain' party," she informed him. She paused, studying him speculatively. "And to make sure you're not going to do something stupid."
"Stupid?" he echoed. "What do you mean?"
She looked at him for a long moment. "I'm acting R.C., Wes," she reminded him quietly. "When someone tries to get rid of one of my Rangers, I know about it."
He swallowed uncomfortably. "Oh. Well, Cruger's already taken care of everything, so don't worry about it."
Her hand settled on his arm before he could make his escape. "I *am* worried, Wes. Because I know you. And I know how much you've been through, and how much you over think things."
He blinked, wondering distantly when he'd gone from being the one who never thought things through to being the one who thought about things too much.
"Kim, I'm - "
"Don't you *dare* try to tell me you're fine," she interrupted, her tone gentle despite the way her eyes narrowed. "*I'm* not fine, and what Fowl-Up did to me wasn't anywhere near as bad as what he tried to do to you."
He raised his eyebrows. "Fowl-Up?" Then he paused, frowning. "What did he do to you?" he demanded.
She sighed, looking away. "I'm not the Commander," she said flatly. "And I'm not *really* Ranger Commander, either, so I'm invisible to that stupid fluffed-up jerk. Not even worth his time," she added bitterly under her breath.
"Kim, you know that's not true," he protested softly. "We *need* you here. You're part of what's keeping us all together."
"No, that's you." She glanced up with a faint smile. "I keep the formers in line. You've been keeping the kids sane." She squeezed his arm gently. "They need *both* of us."
He sighed. "Kim, I'm not going anywhere. I already told Cruger I wouldn't."
"I know you won't. That's not what I'm trying to get through your head." She leaned forward, lightly bumping her palm against his forehead. "I'm trying to make you believe that we're not just saying it because it's what you want to hear. We're saying it because it's true. Everyone here has their role, Wes. Yours is just as important as anyone else's."
He sighed again, because he'd never win this argument and he was tired of getting lectured. "I'm trying, Kim," he said finally. "It's just ... harder to remember that then it used to be."
He could sense the way her face softened, and she leaned up to hug him. He held on for a moment, because he didn't like to admit that he needed it, and somehow he thought she did, too. "Did you at least get the chance to give Birdie a piece of your mind?" he asked quietly.
"No," she muttered into his shoulder, sounding annoyed. "Adam locked me in a closet."
He laughed before he could stop himself, and she pulled away to scowl at him. "Are you serious?" he asked, trying to hold it in and failing.
"Yes," she grumbled. She put her hands on her hips when he didn't stop. "You can stop laughing anytime now."
"Sorry," he chuckled.
She sighed, tilting her head. "Well, at least it got you to smile."
His laughter faded with a soft sigh, and he looked at her. "Kim ... I - " He stopped himself, wondering if he should say something or not.
She touched his arm again in concern. "What is it, Wes?"
He looked at her, taking a deep breath before forcing himself to just say it. "Something about Birdie gives me a bad feeling. And I don't mean just because I don't like him. It's ... more than that."
"Can you describe it?" she asked, and he could hear the frown in her voice.
He shrugged helplessly. "Worse than the feeling before the lab explosion, not quite as bad as right before the battle against - that battle." He shook his head. "I can't explain it any more than that."
She nodded. "Okay. We'll have to be careful around him." She considered him for a moment. "You want to talk about it?"
He shook his head, offering her an arm and a weary half-smile instead. "You said something about celebrating?"
****
"You okay?"
He glanced up as Eric joined him in watching as a grinning Jack tried without success to drag an extremely adamant Sky into the center of the room for a dance. Z and Syd were already there, Syd's head on Z's shoulder despite the fact that it wasn't a slow dance, while Marinda was trying to coax Rhythm out of his stick figure-like state. A quick survey of the room revealed Bridge laughing with Sophie, and Ecliptor, Sora, and Casey chatting with a group of D Squad cadets.
They were all still here, still fighting despite Fowler Birdie and his rude comments about sending children to fight wars. Despite his insistence that Newtech City S.P.D. needed to 'weed out' some of it's officers. Despite his demands that they give away the four morphers being kept safe, never to be used by anyone else.
Maybe S.P.D. Newtech wasn't perfect. Maybe Earth as a whole was defective on some sort of inter-galactic level. But they had produced some of the finest Rangers the world had ever seen out of some of the strangest places. Like Kimberly. Like Tommy. Cole. Joel, Chad, and Kelsey. Shane, Dustin. Tori. Conner, Ethan, Kira. Justin. Chip. Dax. Eric.
Sky. Bridge. Syd. Z. Jack.
No matter what Birdie thought, he knew the kids would be great. And as strange of choices for Rangers as they may be, he knew Grumm would be defeated. Because they were Rangers, they were *Earth* Rangers, and they wouldn't settle for anything less.
And one day, Fowler Birdie and his arrogance would be forced to see how amazing they were.
"Yeah," he said at last, allowing a faint smile. "I'm okay."
Now to move on to even *more* AngstyWes. ^_^V
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Fandom/: Power Rangers Time Force moving into S.P.D., multiple Rangers from each season
Characters/: Wes (Time Force), multiple Rangers from other teams (Literally too many to list)
Pairings/: Post - Wes/Eric, Rocky/Adam, Shane/Dustin, Hunter/Cam, Carter/Dana, Andros/Ashley, Zhane/Karone, Carlos/Ronny, Jason/Taylor, Conner/Ethan, Justin/Rose, Tommy/Kimberly, Tyzonn/Mack, Cassie/OC, Nick/Maddison, Zack/Aisha, Trent/Kira, Post - Billy/Cestria. Future Ryan/Carter and Billy/Hayley. More couples will most likely be mentioned, but not shown.
prompt/: #72: Diamond in the Rough
Rating/: T (For non - graphic mentions of people having babies and being violent with one another)
Disclaimer/: I don't own the Power Rangers, but if Disney's hiring any new writers I volunteer.
Summary/: When Wes' life starts to fall apart, an accident gives him a chance at a fresh start in New Tech City, with Space Patrol Delta. But even a new life has its ups and downs - and weird friends. Meanwhile, Eric tries to move on.
Warnings/: A mentally handicapped person living in a medical facility, angst, male and female slash, non-cemented couples (In otherwords, pairings that will be separated), children created by scientific means, character death
Author's Notes/: Supreme Commander Fowler Birdie may be one of the first characters I've ever hated within two minutes of listening to him talk. I tried to come up with reasons for him being such an ass - which was harder than it should have been. I have a sad one, and an evil one as suggested by the infamous
phantom_blue. Guess which one I went with.
Wes resisted the urge to make an obscene gesture at the shuttle as it finally pulled out of port.
Vanessa didn't.
"Ms. Tate, please retrain yourself," Cruger sighed.
"It's not my fault no on else is brave enough," she muttered.
Cruger scowled as several of the cadets snickered, turning to glare at them. "Wipe those silly looking grins off your faces! If you think that it's going to be a holiday around here now, well you're *wrong*. You're soft. Spoiled. Stubborn. Every last one of you. Aren't you supposed to be attending some training at this particular moment?"
The gathered cadets froze.
"Oh."
"Um - "
Wes smiled to himself as they scattered. Commander Anubis Cruger at his finest. Too bad the kids couldn't seem to tell the difference between a truly angry Cruger, and one that was just throwing his weight around because he could.
"Ooh, it's so good to be back," he heard Cruger murmur to Kat as she tried not to laugh.
He was really going to miss this place.
He turned with a soft sigh. Better clean out his office before anyone realized what was going on. Somehow he knew the news wouldn't go over well.
He barely made it down the hall before he heard "Sergeant Collins. May I speak with you for a moment?"
He held in another sigh. Was Cruger *trying* to make this even more difficult than it already was? It wasn't like there was anything he could do about it - the order had come from 'Supreme Commander' Birdie, after all. "Of course, Commander."
There was a long, awkward silence as they continued toward his office together.
"Where is Jen?"
"I had Vanessa take her home earlier. Figured I'd keep them both out of trouble for as long as I could."
Cruger nodded, clearing his throat uncomfortably. After a moment, he glanced at him sideways as they walked. "Are you aware, Sergeant, that the selection of S.P.D. employees is entirely up to each base commander?"
He tried not to tense. "No. I didn't."
"Yes. It has always been an established rule that a commander would be more familiar with the needs of his own staff than someone who is not as close to the situation."
Wes stopped with a sigh, turning to look at him. "Look. Cruger. I appreciate what you did in bringing me here in the first place, and allowing me to come back. But ... " He shrugged, fighting to keep the hurt and insecurity from his voice. "Birdie's right. What's a blind man doing as a training instructor? How can I help my cadets when I can't even see what they're doing wrong?"
"You seemed to have managed just fine in the last few years," Cruger returned calmly. "A wounded warrior is still a warrior. And what makes you think training H Squad is the only purpose you serve here?"
Wes frowned. "What do you mean?"
"It has been brought to my attention that on several occasions, B Squad has turned to you for advice and comfort. You were the first to realize that S.P.D. had been infiltrated by a shape shifter, as well as being instrumental in identifying the location of the true Cadet Tate. I am also well aware that you are solely responsible for convincing Cadet Delgado to join S.P.D. Many of our current cadets consider you to be an inspiration, both as a Ranger and a person." Cruger paused. "To be honest, I'm not sure if S.P.D. would survive without you. You are after all, the only person who manages to keep both Sergeant Myers and Ms. Tate from driving everyone, and most importantly myself, insane."
The protest he'd been about to make died with a faint smile. He bowed his head, the smile fading a little. "But is that - "
A large hand rested on his shoulder. "We need you here, Wes," Cruger told him quietly. "I am asking you, both as a commander and a friend, to stay."
He looked up at him. "A friend?" he repeated in surprise. The only one of them that Cruger had *ever* treated as anything like a friend was Kat - and sometimes Tommy.
"It was brought to my attention not to long ago that the bonds of friendship among Rangers is not to be taken lightly. I am still learning how to be a Ranger," Cruger admitted, and secretly Wes was shocked at the rare moment of humility from his commander, "But there is one thing I do understand: Rangers take care of their own."
He patted Wes' shoulder once again as he turned to walk away. "I hope to see Jen back with us again tomorrow. It's good to have a decent conversation once in awhile."
Wes stared after him, and slowly felt himself begin to smile. Maybe there was more to the old dog than met the eye after all.
Shaking his head, he tried to make his way toward his office again - for some time alone now, rather than anything else - and stopped short at the sight of the person standing in front of it. "Kim?"
Kimberly looked up with a faint smile as she leaned back against the door. "Hi, Wes." Her voice was strangely subdued, and the effect was discerning. "I figured I'd just wait for you here in case you planned to do something stupid. For the record, I had to fight Eric for the chance," she added.
Somehow he wasn't surprised, even though he did wonder a little why she was there at all. "Did you need something?"
"I'm here to pick you up for the 'So Long and Good Riddance Feather-Brain' party," she informed him. She paused, studying him speculatively. "And to make sure you're not going to do something stupid."
"Stupid?" he echoed. "What do you mean?"
She looked at him for a long moment. "I'm acting R.C., Wes," she reminded him quietly. "When someone tries to get rid of one of my Rangers, I know about it."
He swallowed uncomfortably. "Oh. Well, Cruger's already taken care of everything, so don't worry about it."
Her hand settled on his arm before he could make his escape. "I *am* worried, Wes. Because I know you. And I know how much you've been through, and how much you over think things."
He blinked, wondering distantly when he'd gone from being the one who never thought things through to being the one who thought about things too much.
"Kim, I'm - "
"Don't you *dare* try to tell me you're fine," she interrupted, her tone gentle despite the way her eyes narrowed. "*I'm* not fine, and what Fowl-Up did to me wasn't anywhere near as bad as what he tried to do to you."
He raised his eyebrows. "Fowl-Up?" Then he paused, frowning. "What did he do to you?" he demanded.
She sighed, looking away. "I'm not the Commander," she said flatly. "And I'm not *really* Ranger Commander, either, so I'm invisible to that stupid fluffed-up jerk. Not even worth his time," she added bitterly under her breath.
"Kim, you know that's not true," he protested softly. "We *need* you here. You're part of what's keeping us all together."
"No, that's you." She glanced up with a faint smile. "I keep the formers in line. You've been keeping the kids sane." She squeezed his arm gently. "They need *both* of us."
He sighed. "Kim, I'm not going anywhere. I already told Cruger I wouldn't."
"I know you won't. That's not what I'm trying to get through your head." She leaned forward, lightly bumping her palm against his forehead. "I'm trying to make you believe that we're not just saying it because it's what you want to hear. We're saying it because it's true. Everyone here has their role, Wes. Yours is just as important as anyone else's."
He sighed again, because he'd never win this argument and he was tired of getting lectured. "I'm trying, Kim," he said finally. "It's just ... harder to remember that then it used to be."
He could sense the way her face softened, and she leaned up to hug him. He held on for a moment, because he didn't like to admit that he needed it, and somehow he thought she did, too. "Did you at least get the chance to give Birdie a piece of your mind?" he asked quietly.
"No," she muttered into his shoulder, sounding annoyed. "Adam locked me in a closet."
He laughed before he could stop himself, and she pulled away to scowl at him. "Are you serious?" he asked, trying to hold it in and failing.
"Yes," she grumbled. She put her hands on her hips when he didn't stop. "You can stop laughing anytime now."
"Sorry," he chuckled.
She sighed, tilting her head. "Well, at least it got you to smile."
His laughter faded with a soft sigh, and he looked at her. "Kim ... I - " He stopped himself, wondering if he should say something or not.
She touched his arm again in concern. "What is it, Wes?"
He looked at her, taking a deep breath before forcing himself to just say it. "Something about Birdie gives me a bad feeling. And I don't mean just because I don't like him. It's ... more than that."
"Can you describe it?" she asked, and he could hear the frown in her voice.
He shrugged helplessly. "Worse than the feeling before the lab explosion, not quite as bad as right before the battle against - that battle." He shook his head. "I can't explain it any more than that."
She nodded. "Okay. We'll have to be careful around him." She considered him for a moment. "You want to talk about it?"
He shook his head, offering her an arm and a weary half-smile instead. "You said something about celebrating?"
****
"You okay?"
He glanced up as Eric joined him in watching as a grinning Jack tried without success to drag an extremely adamant Sky into the center of the room for a dance. Z and Syd were already there, Syd's head on Z's shoulder despite the fact that it wasn't a slow dance, while Marinda was trying to coax Rhythm out of his stick figure-like state. A quick survey of the room revealed Bridge laughing with Sophie, and Ecliptor, Sora, and Casey chatting with a group of D Squad cadets.
They were all still here, still fighting despite Fowler Birdie and his rude comments about sending children to fight wars. Despite his insistence that Newtech City S.P.D. needed to 'weed out' some of it's officers. Despite his demands that they give away the four morphers being kept safe, never to be used by anyone else.
Maybe S.P.D. Newtech wasn't perfect. Maybe Earth as a whole was defective on some sort of inter-galactic level. But they had produced some of the finest Rangers the world had ever seen out of some of the strangest places. Like Kimberly. Like Tommy. Cole. Joel, Chad, and Kelsey. Shane, Dustin. Tori. Conner, Ethan, Kira. Justin. Chip. Dax. Eric.
Sky. Bridge. Syd. Z. Jack.
No matter what Birdie thought, he knew the kids would be great. And as strange of choices for Rangers as they may be, he knew Grumm would be defeated. Because they were Rangers, they were *Earth* Rangers, and they wouldn't settle for anything less.
And one day, Fowler Birdie and his arrogance would be forced to see how amazing they were.
"Yeah," he said at last, allowing a faint smile. "I'm okay."