Spoilers: Mentions of "Nadira's Dream Date", "Undercover Rangers".
Author's Note: Welcome to the sixth fic in the Vereco serial. Like all the others, this is an AU, though it sticks close to the events of the series. Like "New Interlude", this is being posted in several pieces. And, as the title suggests, it's a little less serious than my usual. Probably not by much, though.
Even Love Trips Once in a While
by Selma McCrory
copyright 2001
Wes had to admit, for the second, that everything was almost going completely right in his world. Ransik was still loose, but then again Jen hadn't pulled him over to one side and had a little leaderly lecture about fraternization or anything like that.
Besides, he had evidence now that Alex was more than the cruel, cold leader that he had appeared to be. There was no doubt a reason why Jen fell in love with the guy. He might not like it, but Alex had first claim on Jen.
He had told her that much after the events with the gym that was turning out human cyclobots, but he didn't know if she believed him. It seemed like only he could see why Alex and Jen should be together. But then again, he'd been otherwise busy with his father's business at the time.
Of course, Wes wasn't quite sure who Alex was. Rialtson could have given him some more pre-natal memories instead of an impulse to be a Ranger, but that would have been too easy of course. He suspected that he'd inherited his attraction to Jen from Rialtson's manipulations as well. It would explain why he'd fallen in love with her almost from first sight.
With these revelations, he once again doubted he knew who he was anymore. The question of his true identity had bothered him in fits and spurts, every time he encountered his fathers - either one of them - or learned something new about what Rialtson had done.
This time it had come, oddly enough, in the aftermath of Lucas' misadventures in poetry that had caused Nadira to temporarily fall for their blue ranger. Though that had ended badly on purpose, it had left him thinking about his life with Jen, or in this case, the lack of his life with Jen. He had to keep reminding himself that she had a life in the thirtieth century and he didn't. He couldn't follow her to the thirtieth century, even though she was willing to take him with them. He'd be stuck in a strange time watching the woman he loved marry his 'parent'.
He was sure he was part of the team, but he felt more alone than ever. Ransik was running out of mutants, he knew, and that had to be a good sign that things were almost over. Gone would be his teammates and their presence, a reminder that all wasn't as it seemed.
Wes looked up at the clock tower, up towards the balconies that stood to each side of the clock face. Was anyone watching him now, worried about his sanity? Trip had all but confessed that he and the others had been keeping an eye on Wes ever since the revelation. Wes had kept his mouth shut about what he suspected, not wanting to mess up his team's dynamics. If they were keeping an eye on them, it had to mean that they cared.
Sinking against the tree and closing his eyes, he wished they didn't care so much. The question of what would happen when the five of them caught Ransik and his teammates were able to go home was looming larger. He was part of something extraordinary, but the reality of being without the other four was looming large.
"Hi," a voice, Trip's, came from above and to the right of him. He felt someone's leg and shoulder brush his, and knew that Trip had joined him against the tree. Had somebody sent him, or had he come on his own? With Trip, it could be either way.
He opened his eyes and looked over. Yeah, it was Trip, wearing his most serene smile. His gem glinted dully from under his bangs, barely discernable unless one knew to look for it.
It left him completely unable to decipher Trip's current mood. Or his current reason for keeping Wes company. The two of them got along well, and Wes counted Trip his closest friend on the team, but sometimes Trip got it in his head that Wes needed company, and wouldn't leave him alone. And, despite Trip's claim that he lacked an empathic talent, his Xybrian friend seemed to know exactly when Wes needed him the most.
Wes ignored the little voice which tried to cajole him into asking Trip if he'd been sent or came there himself, and instead asked, "What's going on upstairs?"
"Not much," his friend offered. "Jen's gone all moody again. She's looking at recordings of our most recent battle."
Smothering a grin, Wes asked, "Looking at her ring again?"
Trip shook his head. "No, but I think we're going to have a tactical lecture this evening."
Jen had been looking at her engagement ring a lot lately, Wes had noticed. It had started happening right after Alex's visit, which meant that she had been affected more than the rest of them by Alex's brief visit to the twenty-first century. But affected in what way, Wes didn't know. He hadn't been there.
But Jen had changed, he was sure of that. She was still fond of lectures, sure, but Wes was willing to bet that something had changed in his absence. The looks that she had given him lately had been proof.
* * *
Trip looked at Wes in concern as Wes stayed silent. Their Red Ranger had to sense that the whole thing was coming to an end. Maybe soon they would be on their way back.
And, as Trip very well knew, Jen wasn't in love with Alex anymore. Their leader, having once made a promise to Wes that he wouldn't go with them if he didn't want to, was considering reneging on the promise. As he had seen that white-haired woman explain to her boyfriend on that tape, she just couldn't let him go.
Of course, Jen didn't feel comfortable asking Wes about it because she didn't know that Wes felt the same way about her. Trip had been working on a few plans to get them together, but he had to keep revising and revising them as circumstances changed. Most of his plans were very subtle, at least for him, and they would require more time than they seemed to have lately.
He was at a loss to figure out how to bring the two of them together while keeping his role in the scheme out of public knowledge. He needed help, and soon, but not from Lucas or Katie. He wanted to do this by himself.
And then he realized that there was somebody else he could ask. Someone who might even help in such a scheme.
Jumping up, ignoring Wes, he rushed to get his bicycle out. He might have finally found an accomplice.