Where the Heart Is
Title: Where the Heart Is
Author: dream-edge
Summary: Sequel to Home. Tenaya finally comes home.
Rating: T
Pairings: Dillon/Ziggy, hints of Kenaya
Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers or anything related to the franchise
Where the Heart Is
It was raining. Ziggy hummed to himself as he sat in the Garage, watching the rain pour down. They had opted to leave the garage door open, allowing the cool from the falling water to whisper through the building. The soft pounding of the rain created steady, comforting thump through the room, a perfect backdrop noise as the Rangers worked on their cars. Ziggy sat calmly next to Dillon as the Black Ranger worked, content to merely sit there and watch the rain.
It took him a few minutes to make out the figure slowly approaching the Garage from the rain. He stood slowly, squinting at the figure, trying to make out the details. He caught glints of long, drenched black hair and a soaked violet suit. He opened his mouth to bring the figure to the attention of the other Rangers when the head rose and familiar, dark brown eyes shown out at him, cloaked in exhaustion and pain. The words died in his throat.
Tenaya.
He stared at the young woman who was basically his sister as she entered the Garage unnoticed, coming out of the rain. For a long moment they simply stared at each other. Then Ziggy noticed how she was cradling her arm to her chest, blood slowly leaking from between her fingers. He gasped, reaching out a shaking hand to grab Dillon's attention. "Dillon..." he breathed, unable to raise his voice very high. “Dillon, look."
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Dillon straighten and look at him before slowly his line of sight. He heard him take in a sharp breath. "'Aya." He whispered. Dillon approached her slowly, reaching out for her. "'Aya? You okay?" His voice was still soft and a quick glance around showed Scott was absorbed with his car and Both Flynn and Summer had wandered off.
Tenaya walked further in, a small, relieved smile on her face. She managed a few steps before her eyes rolled slightly and her knees buckled, making her slip to the ground.
Ziggy let out a gasp, a cry escaping his lips as Dillon rushed forward to catch her. "Tenaya!"
Scott jerked up at his shout and turned in time to see Dillon catch his sister by her shoulders, slowly lowering her to the ground. Ziggy ignored his surprised gaping, rushing over to hover above them. The cut on her arm was worse than he'd thought, a long gash that split her arm open from shoulder to elbow, leaving a mess of mangled flesh, blood, and tiny bits of machinery. "Moron!" He shouted. "Didn't we say to take care of yourself?!"
"Ziggy!" Dillon shouted, dragging his attention away from the wound. "Go get the medical box!"
He nodded hesitantly, backing away slowly before turning around and rushing into Doctor K's lab. "Where's the medical supplies?" he demanded, making the young woman look at him strangely. "Now, K!" he shouted. She jerked in surprise, pointing towards where she kept them.
He rifled through the cabinet, letting out a soft cry of relief when he found it. "What's going on Ziggy?" Doctor K asked, looking at him worriedly. He merely shook his head; he didn't have time to explain. He ran back to where Dillon was waiting, Tenaya partially collapsed in his arms and breathing heavily, eyes half-way closed. The Black Ranger was trying to stop the bleeding without much success as he shouted with Scott.
Dropping to his knees beside them, he started to hurriedly shift through the objects packed into the box as Dillon continued to yell beside him. "Just shut the hell up Scott! Ziggy, ignore him." he ordered.
"I just want to know why the hell we're helping her!" Scott shouted down at them.
Ziggy whipped his head up to glare at the Red Ranger. "Because she's family!" he shouted back, silencing him. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see the other Rangers gathering, summoned by the shouting, and looking warily at Tenaya. He turned angrily back towards the two, pulling out a roll of bandages. After closely examining the wound he shook his head. "We need to get her laid out, clean out the wound, and stitch it." He told Dillon, throwing the roll back into the box. As he did he noticed Tenaya was starting to shake, her eyes nearly completely closed.
Suddenly, a clean white coat was laid over her shoulders, making them jerk their gazes up. Doctor K stood above them, staring down at Tenaya with a strange look on her face. "Bring her into my lab." She told them, walking towards the garage door. "It will be warmer there, away from the rain." She told them, pushing the button the closed the door, shutting out the rain and the chill that came with it.
While she did that, Dillon gently picked his sister up, carrying her bridal style into the lab. The Rangers followed them, but Doctor K stopped most of them with a pointed glare that Ziggy pointedly ignored, brushing past her to help Dillon where he was laying out Tenaya and a cold metal bed that had been put there for this very purpose. "We need to cut away the sleeve and dry her off." Ziggy instructed, drawling a pair of scissors from the medical box.
Next to him Dillon used the Doctor's lab coat to wipe the water off of her face and gently rub her hair dry. Even as Ziggy started to clean up the blood around the wound Dillon turned to stare at Doctor K. "Can you help her?" he demanded.
"I'm not a medical doctor." She protested.
"But no one knows Venjix technology like you do."
She hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I will see what I can do." she replied.
---
About an hour later, Dillon carefully carried his now unconscious sister to his room. Her wound was cleaned and stitched, and Doctor K had allowed the boys to place her in her pajamas. While Ziggy followed him up, Scott caught Doctor K. "Why are we trusting her?" he asked softly so that the two boys couldn't hear him.
Doctor K looked at him, noticing the other Rangers waiting for her reply as well. "We're not." she answered. "We’re trusting her loyalty to Dillon and Ziggy. If she betrays us, she betrays them. And she won't do that." With that said she turned away from them. "Now, excuse me. I have a patient to attend to."
---
Tenaya woke up slowly, letting out a soft groan as she did so. The first thing she noticed was the room she was in wasn't hers. She had a second for panic before she remembered:
Trying to blow up one of Venjix's facilities
Fighting off an attack bot
Being injured
Stumbling into Corinth with the virus buzzing in her mind, a constant threat to her freedom
Collapsing into her brother's arms, Ziggy's voice shouting at her
Flashes of pale skin, short dark hair, and focused blue eyes
And warmth
She shifted uncomfortably, pushing herself slowly on to her elbows. The room she was in was empty. She had been left alone. She carefully threw her feet over the edge of the bed, bracing herself with her hands as she worked into a standing position. Pain flared through her arm and she winced, grabbing at it. She nearly fell back down but sheer force of will kept her standing.
Something was wrong here. They wouldn't really leave her alone, would they?
Stumbling down the stairs to the lower level, she glanced around but found no one. Where was her brother? Ziggy? The other Rangers? She turned her head when she heard a soft voice calling out and slowly walked towards it. It took her to the lab where Doctor K was typing away at her computer, talking into the head set near her jaw. Tenaya stopped near the doorway, watching as the doctor sat back in her chair, breathing a sigh of relief, and removing her headset.
"We win?" she asked softly. Doctor K looked up at her in surprise, her blue eyes wide. After a minute she settled and nodded. "Yes we did." she answered. She stood slowly, approaching her. "You need to sit down." she told her.
Tenaya grimaced, subconsciously holding her injured arm to her chest. "I'll be fine." she assured. Doctor K sighed irritably. "You are worst than your brother." she huffed. "I need to check your stitches. If you get sick, I'm the one that gets in trouble. So sit down." She ordered, her voice low and commanding.
The two women stared at each other for a long time, and then Tenaya sighed softly and wandered over to the metal bed where she had first been treated.
When the Rangers arrived it was to see Doctor K slowly redoing the stitches on Tenaya's arm. Dillon walked towards his sister and stopped just a foot from her. The two stared at each other for a long moment, then Dillon ducked in, past Doctor K and wrapped her in an affectionate, tight hug. "Welcome home." he whispered, pressing a kiss into her hair.
When he pulled back, Tenaya turned her attention to the boy hovering just beyond them. "Ziggy?" she asked, causing him to look at her. "Can I still take your hand?"
He smiled, stepping closer and holding out his hand for her to take. "Always."
---
Two Months Later
Ziggy yawned as he ran a tired hand threw his hair, stumbling into the kitchen. His other hand was rubbing softly at his neck, which was dotted with dark bruises that he'd fiercely deny were love marks if asked but loved the fact that he would be lying. A soft smile crossed his face at the memory of what had put them there. Dillon had been so very good to him since they'd returned to Corinth and he had loved every minute of it. He wouldn't trade any of those moments for the world.
He poured himself a bowl of cereal, the thoughts still swimming through his head. Both his mind and body froze though when he turned around to see Doctor K entering the kitchen as well. He blinked in confusion, trying to process what he was seeing.
Doctor K looked up at him, frowning when she noticed his blank stare. "What's wrong Ziggy?" she asked.
He continued to stare at her, finally taking in the silk, soft violet colored gown she was wearing. It looked very familiar. He was pretty sure Tenaya had one just like it; she had bought it to replace the one she had lost when she came to Corinth. Finally, he just told her, "Nice outfit."
The young doctor looked at him strangely for a long moment then slowly dragged her gaze downwards. The minute she caught sight of what she was wearing she blushed red and turned and walked right back out. Ziggy snorted in amusement, decided to ignore the sight for the moment and finished eating his cereal.
Once that was done he stood up and walked out into the main area. Spotting Dillon resting on the couch he walked towards him, easily climbing onto the couch and curling up in his arms. Dillon opened one eye to look down at him and smiled slightly. "What have you been up to?" he asked.
Ziggy ducked his head into Dillon's chest to hide his mischievous smile. "Hm, you know, waking up late, having breakfast, seeing Doctor K in your sister's nightgown. The usual." He replied. He heard Dillon hum in acknowledgement above him then stiffened as his words sunk in. "What?!" he asked in shock.
He giggled softly causing Dillon to tell him, "Ziggy if you’re screwing with me..."
Ziggy stopped giggling, raising wide eyes to look at him. "Dillon, it's quite the other way around." he said, waiting for Dillon to get it before he told him, "No I'm not joking. And no, you don't get to play protective older brother."
Dillon glared down at him for a moment before sighing and shaking his head. Ziggy smiled widely, leaning up to give him a quick kiss. The Black Ranger pressed back, wrapping his arms around him and shifting them so they were both lying on their sides. "You are impossible, Ziggy Grover." Dillon told him. "But I love you anyway."
The Green Ranger smiled softly, repeating the sentiment. When he had first decided to guide Dillon back to Corinth in the Wastelands he hadn't planned on becoming a Ranger, on joining the team, on following Dillon back out into the Wastelands to join Venjix.
He hadn't planned on falling so completely in love.
But he had. And he didn't regret a thing.
Author: dream-edge
Summary: Sequel to Home. Tenaya finally comes home.
Rating: T
Pairings: Dillon/Ziggy, hints of Kenaya
Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers or anything related to the franchise
Where the Heart Is
It was raining. Ziggy hummed to himself as he sat in the Garage, watching the rain pour down. They had opted to leave the garage door open, allowing the cool from the falling water to whisper through the building. The soft pounding of the rain created steady, comforting thump through the room, a perfect backdrop noise as the Rangers worked on their cars. Ziggy sat calmly next to Dillon as the Black Ranger worked, content to merely sit there and watch the rain.
It took him a few minutes to make out the figure slowly approaching the Garage from the rain. He stood slowly, squinting at the figure, trying to make out the details. He caught glints of long, drenched black hair and a soaked violet suit. He opened his mouth to bring the figure to the attention of the other Rangers when the head rose and familiar, dark brown eyes shown out at him, cloaked in exhaustion and pain. The words died in his throat.
Tenaya.
He stared at the young woman who was basically his sister as she entered the Garage unnoticed, coming out of the rain. For a long moment they simply stared at each other. Then Ziggy noticed how she was cradling her arm to her chest, blood slowly leaking from between her fingers. He gasped, reaching out a shaking hand to grab Dillon's attention. "Dillon..." he breathed, unable to raise his voice very high. “Dillon, look."
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Dillon straighten and look at him before slowly his line of sight. He heard him take in a sharp breath. "'Aya." He whispered. Dillon approached her slowly, reaching out for her. "'Aya? You okay?" His voice was still soft and a quick glance around showed Scott was absorbed with his car and Both Flynn and Summer had wandered off.
Tenaya walked further in, a small, relieved smile on her face. She managed a few steps before her eyes rolled slightly and her knees buckled, making her slip to the ground.
Ziggy let out a gasp, a cry escaping his lips as Dillon rushed forward to catch her. "Tenaya!"
Scott jerked up at his shout and turned in time to see Dillon catch his sister by her shoulders, slowly lowering her to the ground. Ziggy ignored his surprised gaping, rushing over to hover above them. The cut on her arm was worse than he'd thought, a long gash that split her arm open from shoulder to elbow, leaving a mess of mangled flesh, blood, and tiny bits of machinery. "Moron!" He shouted. "Didn't we say to take care of yourself?!"
"Ziggy!" Dillon shouted, dragging his attention away from the wound. "Go get the medical box!"
He nodded hesitantly, backing away slowly before turning around and rushing into Doctor K's lab. "Where's the medical supplies?" he demanded, making the young woman look at him strangely. "Now, K!" he shouted. She jerked in surprise, pointing towards where she kept them.
He rifled through the cabinet, letting out a soft cry of relief when he found it. "What's going on Ziggy?" Doctor K asked, looking at him worriedly. He merely shook his head; he didn't have time to explain. He ran back to where Dillon was waiting, Tenaya partially collapsed in his arms and breathing heavily, eyes half-way closed. The Black Ranger was trying to stop the bleeding without much success as he shouted with Scott.
Dropping to his knees beside them, he started to hurriedly shift through the objects packed into the box as Dillon continued to yell beside him. "Just shut the hell up Scott! Ziggy, ignore him." he ordered.
"I just want to know why the hell we're helping her!" Scott shouted down at them.
Ziggy whipped his head up to glare at the Red Ranger. "Because she's family!" he shouted back, silencing him. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see the other Rangers gathering, summoned by the shouting, and looking warily at Tenaya. He turned angrily back towards the two, pulling out a roll of bandages. After closely examining the wound he shook his head. "We need to get her laid out, clean out the wound, and stitch it." He told Dillon, throwing the roll back into the box. As he did he noticed Tenaya was starting to shake, her eyes nearly completely closed.
Suddenly, a clean white coat was laid over her shoulders, making them jerk their gazes up. Doctor K stood above them, staring down at Tenaya with a strange look on her face. "Bring her into my lab." She told them, walking towards the garage door. "It will be warmer there, away from the rain." She told them, pushing the button the closed the door, shutting out the rain and the chill that came with it.
While she did that, Dillon gently picked his sister up, carrying her bridal style into the lab. The Rangers followed them, but Doctor K stopped most of them with a pointed glare that Ziggy pointedly ignored, brushing past her to help Dillon where he was laying out Tenaya and a cold metal bed that had been put there for this very purpose. "We need to cut away the sleeve and dry her off." Ziggy instructed, drawling a pair of scissors from the medical box.
Next to him Dillon used the Doctor's lab coat to wipe the water off of her face and gently rub her hair dry. Even as Ziggy started to clean up the blood around the wound Dillon turned to stare at Doctor K. "Can you help her?" he demanded.
"I'm not a medical doctor." She protested.
"But no one knows Venjix technology like you do."
She hesitated for a moment before nodding. "I will see what I can do." she replied.
---
About an hour later, Dillon carefully carried his now unconscious sister to his room. Her wound was cleaned and stitched, and Doctor K had allowed the boys to place her in her pajamas. While Ziggy followed him up, Scott caught Doctor K. "Why are we trusting her?" he asked softly so that the two boys couldn't hear him.
Doctor K looked at him, noticing the other Rangers waiting for her reply as well. "We're not." she answered. "We’re trusting her loyalty to Dillon and Ziggy. If she betrays us, she betrays them. And she won't do that." With that said she turned away from them. "Now, excuse me. I have a patient to attend to."
---
Tenaya woke up slowly, letting out a soft groan as she did so. The first thing she noticed was the room she was in wasn't hers. She had a second for panic before she remembered:
Trying to blow up one of Venjix's facilities
Fighting off an attack bot
Being injured
Stumbling into Corinth with the virus buzzing in her mind, a constant threat to her freedom
Collapsing into her brother's arms, Ziggy's voice shouting at her
Flashes of pale skin, short dark hair, and focused blue eyes
And warmth
She shifted uncomfortably, pushing herself slowly on to her elbows. The room she was in was empty. She had been left alone. She carefully threw her feet over the edge of the bed, bracing herself with her hands as she worked into a standing position. Pain flared through her arm and she winced, grabbing at it. She nearly fell back down but sheer force of will kept her standing.
Something was wrong here. They wouldn't really leave her alone, would they?
Stumbling down the stairs to the lower level, she glanced around but found no one. Where was her brother? Ziggy? The other Rangers? She turned her head when she heard a soft voice calling out and slowly walked towards it. It took her to the lab where Doctor K was typing away at her computer, talking into the head set near her jaw. Tenaya stopped near the doorway, watching as the doctor sat back in her chair, breathing a sigh of relief, and removing her headset.
"We win?" she asked softly. Doctor K looked up at her in surprise, her blue eyes wide. After a minute she settled and nodded. "Yes we did." she answered. She stood slowly, approaching her. "You need to sit down." she told her.
Tenaya grimaced, subconsciously holding her injured arm to her chest. "I'll be fine." she assured. Doctor K sighed irritably. "You are worst than your brother." she huffed. "I need to check your stitches. If you get sick, I'm the one that gets in trouble. So sit down." She ordered, her voice low and commanding.
The two women stared at each other for a long time, and then Tenaya sighed softly and wandered over to the metal bed where she had first been treated.
When the Rangers arrived it was to see Doctor K slowly redoing the stitches on Tenaya's arm. Dillon walked towards his sister and stopped just a foot from her. The two stared at each other for a long moment, then Dillon ducked in, past Doctor K and wrapped her in an affectionate, tight hug. "Welcome home." he whispered, pressing a kiss into her hair.
When he pulled back, Tenaya turned her attention to the boy hovering just beyond them. "Ziggy?" she asked, causing him to look at her. "Can I still take your hand?"
He smiled, stepping closer and holding out his hand for her to take. "Always."
---
Two Months Later
Ziggy yawned as he ran a tired hand threw his hair, stumbling into the kitchen. His other hand was rubbing softly at his neck, which was dotted with dark bruises that he'd fiercely deny were love marks if asked but loved the fact that he would be lying. A soft smile crossed his face at the memory of what had put them there. Dillon had been so very good to him since they'd returned to Corinth and he had loved every minute of it. He wouldn't trade any of those moments for the world.
He poured himself a bowl of cereal, the thoughts still swimming through his head. Both his mind and body froze though when he turned around to see Doctor K entering the kitchen as well. He blinked in confusion, trying to process what he was seeing.
Doctor K looked up at him, frowning when she noticed his blank stare. "What's wrong Ziggy?" she asked.
He continued to stare at her, finally taking in the silk, soft violet colored gown she was wearing. It looked very familiar. He was pretty sure Tenaya had one just like it; she had bought it to replace the one she had lost when she came to Corinth. Finally, he just told her, "Nice outfit."
The young doctor looked at him strangely for a long moment then slowly dragged her gaze downwards. The minute she caught sight of what she was wearing she blushed red and turned and walked right back out. Ziggy snorted in amusement, decided to ignore the sight for the moment and finished eating his cereal.
Once that was done he stood up and walked out into the main area. Spotting Dillon resting on the couch he walked towards him, easily climbing onto the couch and curling up in his arms. Dillon opened one eye to look down at him and smiled slightly. "What have you been up to?" he asked.
Ziggy ducked his head into Dillon's chest to hide his mischievous smile. "Hm, you know, waking up late, having breakfast, seeing Doctor K in your sister's nightgown. The usual." He replied. He heard Dillon hum in acknowledgement above him then stiffened as his words sunk in. "What?!" he asked in shock.
He giggled softly causing Dillon to tell him, "Ziggy if you’re screwing with me..."
Ziggy stopped giggling, raising wide eyes to look at him. "Dillon, it's quite the other way around." he said, waiting for Dillon to get it before he told him, "No I'm not joking. And no, you don't get to play protective older brother."
Dillon glared down at him for a moment before sighing and shaking his head. Ziggy smiled widely, leaning up to give him a quick kiss. The Black Ranger pressed back, wrapping his arms around him and shifting them so they were both lying on their sides. "You are impossible, Ziggy Grover." Dillon told him. "But I love you anyway."
The Green Ranger smiled softly, repeating the sentiment. When he had first decided to guide Dillon back to Corinth in the Wastelands he hadn't planned on becoming a Ranger, on joining the team, on following Dillon back out into the Wastelands to join Venjix.
He hadn't planned on falling so completely in love.
But he had. And he didn't regret a thing.