Chapter 2 finally up! Thank you for all the review for ‘Yours Forever’ and the reviews for the last chapter! I’m hoping to have chapter 3 up by Tuesday at the very latest! Thanks for reading everyone :)

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything you recognize.

-x-x-x-

Bridge sighed as he leaned back in his chair and threw his hands behind his head. He was bored. And when he was bored, he started daydreaming. And what he daydreamed about? Let’s just say that chances of it happening were slim to none.

“5…4…3…2…1…Bing!”

The doors to his room opened and Syd walked through. “Bridgey-“ she began, before shrieking in surprise as a piece of toast came flying at her. The pink ranger ducked and the piece of toast hit the doors of his bedroom and fell to the floor, leaving an oil stain on the doors. Syd stood up and straightened out her uniform. “Toast?”

Bridge sat up straight. “Yeah, toast. Want some? I’ll make it extra buttery!”

Syd wrinkled her nose. “No thanks.”

“Okay, you don’t know what you’re missing. So what’s up?”

The pink ranger moved further into the room and made herself comfortable on Sky’s bed. “I’m bored.”

“Where’s Sky?”

Syd carefully inspected her nails. “He’s off having fun,” the pink ranger rolled her eyes, “doing his taxes.”

Bridge couldn’t help it. He burst out laughing. “For some reason, that doesn’t surprise me much.”

Syd snorted. “Tell me about it. I told him that since it was so much fun for him, he could do my taxes as well. He actually looked excited at the thought.”

Bridge just shrugged. “It’s like killing two birds with one stone.”

“Exactly. Anyway, since Sky is doing his taxes, and Jack and Z are off visiting their friends, I thought we could hang out.”

“Oh, I get it,” Bridge gave her an amused look. “So you’re hanging out with me because everyone else is busy. I’m the default.”

Syd pouted. “Aww… come on Bridgey, it’s not like that. You’re my best friend! Why wouldn’t I want to hang out with you?”

Bridge laughed. “I was just kidding Syd. Truth is, I was pretty bored too and technically, since you just told me that Sky was busy, that makes you the person to hang out with by default. So, what do you want to do?”

“Let’s go grab some lunch and catch a movie?”

“Sounds good,” the green ranger remarked, standing up. “Let’s go.”

“Uh, Bridgey?”

“Yeah?”

“Maybe you better clean the doors first so Sky doesn’t get all huffy and complain about that stain from the toast you threw at me.”

“I guess you’re right. And I did not throw that piece of toast at you.”

“Oh yeah… your machine did. Got it.”

-x-x-x-

Z flopped tiredly onto her bed later that night. The day had been eventful and she had tons of fun catching up with her old friends. She brushed her hair and tied it back before laying down, snuggling under the covers. Turning to her side, her hand brushed the side of something soft and she glanced down at it. Smiling softly, she brought the doll up to her cheek and hugged it gently.

The doll had been one of the very few things that had been some comfort in her life. As a little girl, she had carried it around with her at all times and played with it many hours into the night. The doll had been in her clutches since before she had lived on the streets and she couldn’t remember a time without it. The doll, Jenna as she had named it, was very old and ratty and had been stitched and repaired many times. It was cracked in many places, and the little clothes the doll wore were faded and ripped. But as old as it was, Z still loved her. The doll brought her comfort on the lonely, rainy nights that she had been stuck at the orphanage. The doll helped calm her fears when she was alone, living on the streets.

The doll had also been one of the few gifts she remembered receiving from her parents before they had died and that was why she had cherished it so much.

As her thoughts turned to her parents, Z the felt loneliness and longing wash over her, feelings that she had felt many times over the years. Her mother had been pregnant when she had died. Being that she had been so young, Z had never really gotten the details of her mother’s death.

Her father had died when she had been eight and Z had a lot of fond memories of their time together. She remembered being taken to baseball games, going horseback riding and picnics in the park with a bunch of her father’s friends. Her father had been her very best friend and though he was often strict, she knew that her father had loved her very much. Best of all, her father had loved her even though she had special powers. And it was his love that had helped her survive the first few years of being on the streets.

She remembered crying hard at her father’s funeral and then being put into an orphanage a week later. The kids at the orphanage were nice at first and then they discovered her special power. And ran away. She remembered being teased and crying into her pillow at night from all the mean, nasty comments that the other kids had called her. A week later, she ran away from the orphanage and began making a life for herself on the streets.

The doors to her room slid open and her roommate waltzed in, humming happily. Broken from her thoughts, the yellow ranger yawned and sat up in her bed, watching as Syd got ready for bed. “What are you so happy about?”

The pink ranger shrugged, still humming happily. “I’m just in a good mood, I guess. How was your visit with your friends?”

Z felt a smile come to her face. “It was fun catching up with everyone again. It’s the first time Jack and I have seen them since we joined SPD, so there was a lot to talk about.” The yellow ranger gave Syd a sly look. “Better watch out, one of my friends thinks Sky is hot,” she teased.

Syd snorted in an unlady-like manner. “Oh please. Like Sky would ever look at another woman.”

“You’re secure with your relationship,” Z smiled. “That’s good to know. Oh, and just for the record, I told Rosanna that Sky only had eyes for you anyway.”

Syd grinned, before heading into the bathroom to brush her teeth. Once the pink ranger came out, the lights were turned off and the room plunged into darkness. Z gave a soft sigh and rolled over, clutching the doll to her chest and fell asleep.

She crept as quietly as she could towards her bedroom. Maybe if she was lucky, she wouldn’t run into anyone tonight. She was exhausted. Cautiously she opened her bedroom door and breathed a sigh of relief when it shut quietly behind her. She went to lie on her bed and stared at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep, despite being so tired. Minutes later, she heard soft knocking at her door. She sat up and pulled the covers back and went to open the door a crack.

“Caleb!” She exclaimed softly. Z opened the door wide and the boy in front of her, looking equally exhausted as she felt, carried an unconscious Rosanna into her room. Caleb laid Rosanna on her bed and Z knelt down next to her friend.

“What happened to her?” she asked.

“That man was too rough on her,” Caleb whispered, softly stroking Rosanna’s long red hair.

“Why does he make her do this, Caleb?”

Caleb shook his head, not wanting to tell the young nine-year-old girl the truth. He sighed, debating whether or not to tell her but deciding that he would. Z would find out eventually. “Because if Rosanna does this, he gets money.”

“Money?”

“Yes, Z,” Caleb’s voice was patient. “Money. He takes care of us so we have to help him make some money.”

Z stared at her friend. “Will Rosanna be okay?” she asked in a small voice.

“Yes, we just have to take care of her these next few days okay? Will you help me do that?”

Z nodded solemnly.

“Good girl,” Caleb pulled her into a hug. “Someday, he’s going to make you do this too, but I’m going to make sure he doesn’t.”

Wrapped in Caleb’s arms, Z believed that he would protect her forever.

Z sat up gasping for air. It took a few seconds for her to remember where she was and then relaxed. A quick glance at the other side of the room told her that Syd was still asleep. Z sighed and shook her head. Why was she dreaming of all these memories all of a sudden?

-x-x-x-

Far away, on the planet of Xylemar, the man sat on the bed of his jail cell in total darkness. There was a slight breeze coming from the window, making the temperature slightly chilly. The moon was hidden by dark clouds and below, the ocean waves crashed against the shore.

It was late into the night and all he could think about was his plan of escape. He could feel the anticipation rush through him. The time was coming and soon he would be free. Free to take back what was rightfully his and free to take revenge. The man’s eyes narrowed and his smile became twisted and malicious.

Soon.

It was just a matter of time.

-x-x-x-