Hope For Love

Hey All I’m Back! Sorry it took me so long to update this chapter, its been a hard couple of weeks, good news is I lost some weight, bad news is I just got fired! *screams in fright/frustration!!!* Anywhos I hope you enjoy reading this chapter. I realize it might be a bit slow in places but unfortunately as Cheyenne is in therapy (emotional and physical) and they had to deal with Michael the Pig, I couldn’t just make it fluffy kittens. I tried to give Hunter a bit more depth in this chapter, I don’t know it just seems like something he’d do but never admit to. *grins* The next chapter will probably be split by what follows right after this chapter then splitting into what happens like three weeks from now when she’s released and some of her injuries are healed (jaw, ribs, arm, ankle) the others won’t be healed completely but by then it will be close so she’ll be like in a wheelchair/crutches.

Ok enough babbling!

CHAPTER FIVE

Wes sighed in frustration, his eyes pouring over the information they’d pulled up on Michael Clarke. He had gone down to the local precinct, getting in contact with the police to bring them in on the investigation as they had the appropriate forensics teams available to them and the clout in the courts. Eric paced on the sidelines, the information they found on Clarke having moved him into a fit, especially when they found the certificate for a Cheyenne Clarke stating her death at age five.

Glancing up to find Eric’s features, Wes was suddenly reassured that they were doing the correct thing as he caught sight of his clenched jaw and blazing eyes. Turning at someone calling their names he nodded in greeting to the two officers walking towards them. “Sorry for calling you out here so late detectives,” Wes apologized as he handed them the file of information they’d dug up on their suspect.

“This is Michael Clarke, three weeks ago we found a young Jane Doe, approximately 15 years old in a field near our residence. After she woke we found out her name was Cheyenne and that her many injuries were caused by her guardian and cousin. We want him arrested and brought to court but we need to gather more physical evidence. Among the documents and other bits of information we found out about Clarke we found adoption papers for his four year old cousin and a year later a death certificate.”

The senior partner, Van Rodriguez reached forward to accept the papers, looking over them thoroughly with his partner Gabe looking over his shoulder. “So you need a search warrant from a judge and then want in on the bust?” he checked as he glanced up to find Wes nodding and Eric glaring off in the distance, his body thrumming with the need to run off and deal with the situation himself.

Gabe sighed and scrubbed his face for a moment before picking up the phone and making the call. Wes watched the younger cop wake the judge before he moved his attentions back to Rodriquez, “So I have the address and found out where he lives on the map, according to the information I have, he lives out in the middle of nowhere, just barely on this side of the county line and definitely outside of the city. Whatever else he has out there he’s sure keeping to himself. I think we need to go in with some serious backup. One of the injuries she sustained was a bullet wound to the arm and she has a knife wound to the shoulder. He obviously doesn’t shy from using weapons and I get the feeling that he wasn’t alone in his treatment of her, he may have friends.”

Rodriguez nodded in understanding and looked around the office. “I might be able to round up a few men, do you have any on call you can get in contact with?”

Wes nodded but it was Eric who answered, “Oh they’ll be here, I don’t care what they’re doing.” He vowed angrily as he continued pacing.

Van smiled at Wes who was staring at Eric in shock. “I take it he really doesn’t like this Clarke character?” He asked as Gabe hung up and came back over with a pleased expression on his face.

Wes shook his head as Gabe spoke up, “We got the search warrant approved, we just need to swing by to pick it up.”

Rodriguez nodded as he stood and motioned the Rangers closer. “Tell your men to meet us there, I’ll round up a forensics team and we’ll go to get the bastard. Gabe, what do we have permission for exactly?” He asked in curiosity as he grabbed a vest and pulled it on.

Gabe smirked as he grabbed another vest and slung it over his shoulder. “Well I told the judge what I knew, Eric Meyers and Wesley Collins, co-commanders of the Silver Guardians and ex Power Rangers found a severely abused 15 year old abandoned and left for dead in a field, she named her guardian responsible and based on the injuries, including a bullet wound, knife wound, severe starvation and dog bites that he was involved in willful attempted murder and rape and that there was probably all sorts of illegal activities surrounding him. In short, there was a very bad man out there and we were just given a great lead to put him away for a very long time. She was thrilled, and as there is an election coming up with her name on the ballot I figured it would be great publicity for her to have signed off on our collecting whatever we could find in order to bring peace back to the city; she of course agreed wholeheartedly.”

Van laughed heartily as he climbed into the back of the SUV Eric had idling by the curb. “Good work now lets go get the bastard.”

~*~*~

Eric watched the perimeter, carefully making out Wes and the detectives in the predawn glow of morning. After the short clicking interval on the radio frequency they were all tuned in to they quickly approached the house, guns figuratively blazing.

They had been staking out the house for over two hours, in the short time they watched they realized there were at least four men in the house, there were a ton of dogs in the back and the situation was much worse than they had imagined it to be.

Letting Van and Gabe precede them, Eric grabbed Wes’ arm and held him back sharply bidding him to be careful as they held their blasters at the ready. Van rapped his fist against the door, giving the occupants no more than twenty seconds before repeating the loud knocks.

A bleary eyed man opened the door only to shout in surprise and attempt to shut it in their faces at the sight of firearms and police badges. Eric smirked as he lent a foot to kick the door open for the officers following orders to round up the rest of the occupants, his disgust with them rising as he found two passed out drunk, one soiled and another laying in a puddle of vomit which he was feebly trying to pull himself out of.

There was an outraged shout from the direction of the yard and another much crasser stream of profanities originating in the bedroom as the Guardians quickly scoured the house and brought the five men out into the yard and on their knees.

Eric watched the men with narrowed eyes, breaking his stare only as Wes ran to his side, his usually bright face shuttered and sickly. “Wes, what’s wrong with you?”

Wes shook his head as if trying to rid it of cotton as he met the other man’s eyes. “Its bad out the Eric. We found another teenager in the back with the dogs. She hasn’t been there long; it looks like she was snatched off the street about a week ago. She’s got a fractured wrist and a few bruises but she’ll be alright physically. She’s kinda freaked out though, not that I can blame her. But Eric, its so bad out there, there is blood everywhere in the back, most of the dogs are dying if not already dead and the house has to be a smorgasbord of incriminating evidence. On my way out back I noticed that there are framed pictures of Cheyenne naked. The house, god Eric I don’t know it just feels dirty and I think I’m kind of ill actually; just being in there makes me want to punch someone. I don’t even think dealing with Ransik made me this sick.”

Eric sighed and nodded in agreement, “Do you want to sit out here and roast them with the Collins glare while I go bag and tag some of their filth?” he asked softly as he sent his own glare to the shivering half naked men on the ground.

Wes hesitated for a moment before nodding his eyes closing for a moment as if ashamed with his own inability to handle the horror. “Yeah, if you don’t mind I think I need to stay out of there,” he whispered back, his body shuddering uncontrollably.

Eric smiled and patted his shoulder gently as he shifted his weight and chuckled, “Meanwhile why not figure out how you’re going to spoil your little ward because after today I have a feeling its going to be permanent,” he teased, knowing Wes’ delight at spending money.

Wes flashed a quick smile at Eric, the familiar gleam beginning to creep into his eyes at the concept of spoiling the young girl waiting for them at the hospital. “Hurry up Eric, I want to start spoiling her by lunch,” he returned with a small smile slowly spreading across his face.

Eric shook his head in amusement as he made his way back to the house. “Keep your pants on Collins, you’ll see her soon enough,” he shot back playfully as he entered the house to collect the evidence they needed to keep Cheyenne with them permanently.

~*~*~

Hunter was sitting in the corner of ops, ignoring the quiet clatter of keys coming from Cam’s super computer as he buried himself in his book, his brow furrowed in concentration as the Merriam Webster Dictionary took prominence beside him. Although he was quite certain the sight of him reading would bring aneurysms to half of the team, he was ecstatic to find that Cam only seemed to have a very silent sense of approval whenever he caught the elder Thunder with his head in a book. Subsequently, Cam had found himself with company nearly every day as Hunter used ops as his own personal retreat from the outside world and the teasing of the others he feared would come of him reading something other than a comic.

Of course there was always a catch.

“Um Cam, do you think you could help me with this?” Hunter asked softly as he watched the older man with slight apprehension.

Cam gave the slightest of sighs before turning and nodding at the blond, “What with, a translation?”

Hunter shook his head and held his book aloft for Cam to see, “I’m reading The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer and its really funny but I don’t really get the Wife of Bath.”

Cam grinned for a moment as he came over and sat down next to the blond, “Well its been quite a while since I’ve read Chaucer but if I remember correctly the whole bit from the Wife of Bath is of course, a farce about this woman who is a bit of a black widow, and she’s offering up her advice on marriage because she’s been married so many times and its about how she makes a fool out of her husbands by using her brains, her intimidating personality and her sex appeal to tease and accuse her husbands into what she wants. She is always quoting the scriptures to back up her point of view but she usually does it wrong, her last husband was her worst and best because although he wouldn’t take her shit he also loved her and it all ended happily.”

Hunter grinned then, nodding as he surveyed the page, his expression smoothing as he stretched cramped muscles. “Thanks Cam, it makes much more sense when you summarize it; she’s kind of long winded and manages to forget what she’s talking about a lot.”

Cam nodded as he reached over and took the book, “What translation… good lord you’re reading it in Middle English?” he exclaimed as his eyes sought out and translated the older style of writing. “No wonder your confused, its bad enough translated!”

Hunter laughed and nodded as he put his bookmark in place and stood up, “Yeah but it adds to the story when you read it in the original form. Anyway, I need a break from the middle ages soap operas, want to grab a bite to eat?” he inquired as he held a hand out for Cam.

The Samurai nodded and stood, following Hunter into the kitchen, “So how have you been lately, I mean ever since our sparring session you’ve been really quite which isn’t bad, but,” he hesitated and caught the younger man’s eyes, “you know I’m here if you want to talk right?”

Hunter nodded but stayed silent as he quickly got out the leftovers from the night before and began to heat the stir-fry in the wok on the stove. “I know,” he whispered as he served Cam some ten minutes later meeting his gaze quickly before efficiently cleaning the wok and sitting down across from him.

They ate silently for a few moments, taking refuge in the comfortable silence surrounding them before Hunter spoke softly, “Sometimes I’d like to try and find her grave, just visit her for a bit to get some closure but I don’t know where I’d go to look for it. There are times when I just want to go to the top of a mountain or a huge cliff and just scream and rage about how unfair it all is.”

Cam nodded his eyes moist as he thought of the possibilities of what Hunter was saying.

Hunter looked up at Cam and sighed as he noticed the other’s teary eyes. “You know, you and the winds have really helped us out. I mean no matter how horrible I was you never really took it out on us… on me. I know I’ve got a lot to make up for still, but I just wanted you to know I’m grateful to you for not turning your back on us, god knows we would have deserved it.”

Cam shook his head as he spooned another bit of rice and quickly ate it. “Hunter, just because you made a mistake doesn’t mean we’re going to hold it against you and Blake. You were misguided but you were fighting for honorable reasons and we know that. And I don’t know if you’re interested but I can look in to finding Cheyenne’s grave for you if you really want to visit her.”

Hunter nodded hesitantly, “I really appreciate it, Cam.”

~*~*~

Cheyenne was resting her eyes in the hospital, occasionally flexing her arms and legs as she tried to regain feeling and motion in her limbs. The doctor had explained to her that she was going to have to work really hard to regain the ability to use her arms and legs after all of the broken bones and muscle damage she had received throughout her life.

She was waiting for the physical therapist to come in the room; she had already had a session later in the night and was due for another just to work her legs back and forth trying to loosen the tightened tendons.

She had been informed of all of her injuries and had been given some pretty potent vitamin supplements in order to help her regain her strength; she couldn’t ever remember feeling this good. She smiled carefully at the physical therapist as she knocked and briskly entered the room with a cart showing various exercise equipment and instruments she’d need to complete her session.

“Well Miss Cheyenne, how are you feeling today? Are you ready to try your exercises again?” the nurse asked cheerfully as she grabbed a few things off the cart and put them on the bed.

Cheyenne nodded, her face adopting a determined set as held her hands out for the stress balls in the therapist’s hands.

She worked hard over the next two hours, pushing herself to the brink of exhaustion as she determinedly finished the full session, despite the flashes of pain it brought. The therapist, who had insisted Cheyenne call Momma Jo, had attempted to end the session early only to be fought with by a very stubborn teenager.

After the end of the workout, Momma Jo was carefully helping Cheyenne into a wheelchair with another nurse when a knock sounded at the door.

Cheyenne quickly smoothed the paper gown over her legs, her diminutive stature bringing the material over her knees as Wes peeked his head in, “Oh, you’re up! Is everything alright?” he asked worriedly as he was all but shoved from behind as Eric anxiously stepped inside to check on her.

Cheyenne smiled at them, her head tilting to the side to observe them as she played with the end of her braid, “I am well, Momma Jo is taking me to get a bath,” she informed gently through the wires.

Eric’s shoulders slumped in relief and he smiled back at her before slowly taking a knee before her, “Cheyenne, I wanted you to know, we just got back from the police station, and we’ve arrested your cousin on numerous charges. We talked to the judge and based on the evidence and his pleading guilty, he’s been sentenced to life with no possibility of parole.”

Cheyenne stared at him in shock her eyes going very wide before flashing them to look at Wes who was smiling at her. Looking back at Eric she started to cry before smiling and holding her uninjured arm out to him.

Eric watched her for a second before leaning in and grasping her hand for a moment, quickly moving back and flashing a small smile before standing. “So where are you off to now?” He asked casually as he stepped back towards Wes.

Momma Jo smiled at the men in the doorway, “Well we’re taking her down to a special room where we can get her into a shallow pool meant for people with injuries, we’re going to get her a good bath, let her trim her hair if she wants and redo her bandages. You boys should be proud of her, she completed a full round of physical therapy, it looks like she might be healing faster than we thought.”

Wes grinned excitedly at her, before stepping closer and crouching down next to the wheelchair. “Well I thought, since we are your guardians now, that I might spoil you a bit,” he teased as he handed her a Victoria’s Secret bag, a bag from Bath and Body works, and a bag from Macy’s.

Momma Jo stared down at it in disbelief, giving Wes a weird look as Cheyenne stared down at the bags in shock. “Oh Mister Wes, you shouldn’t have spent your money on me!” the girl cried anxiously as she looked at the bag in surprise.

Wes sighed softly before lowering himself to his ass on the floor, “Cheyenne, sweetie, first off you just call me Wes ok?” he assured her gently, “and second, don’t you worry about my spending habits, you’re a wonderful girl and you deserve to have nice pretty things. Plus its something to make you feel better and make your stay in the hospital nice, so I want you to have them because you deserve them ok?”

Cheyenne looked up to Eric as if expecting him to disagree but was surprised as he shook his head and smiled at her silently. Looking back to Wes she huffed a sigh and carefully reached into the bath and body works bag only for her hand to immediately come into contact with something smooth. Pulling it out she stared in amazement at a bath kit that was pink and smelled vaguely of strawberries. “Thank you,” she whispered before looking at him with apprehension, “what is it?”

Eric smiled as he sat down on the other side of Cheyenne and pointed to each item. “That’s shower gel, or soap, that’s lotion, that’s body mist kinda like perfume, that’s lip gloss and it comes with a loofah thing to scrub with in the shower.” He said easily enough before smiling up at her, “We weren’t sure what kind of scents you like but we figured you can’t go wrong with strawberry.”

Cheyenne smiled gratefully to the men and handed it carefully to Eric before warily opening the bag from Victoria’s Secret. She reached in and gasped, pulling her hand back and glancing up at Wes before slowly pulling out a small stack of garments. The first was pink and purple thick microfiber pajamas to which Momma Jo smiled and patted the girls shoulder when she gave a happy sigh. The second was a long black satin nightgown that was surprisingly decent given the shop it was bought at. It had short sleeves and it did dip a bit in the front but for all intents was modest and comfortable. The last was a pair of grey sweat pants and sweatshirt with pink piping.

Wes smiled and patted the sweats with a grin, “This is so when you get back up and running you can work out with Eric and I, we jog every morning and we go to the gym to swim, plus they’re really comfy to just wear around.”

Cheyenne stroked the night clothes and thanked him again, tears welling in her eyes at her appreciation for the gifts.

Eric smiled up at her and handed her the Macy’s bag, gently brushing away one of the tears that fell. “Don’t cry sweetheart, its alright,” he soothed as she slowly peeked inside the bag, almost afraid of what else they had gotten her.

She reached inside as she only saw tissue paper and pulled it out to expose a dark purple turtle neck shirt, a pair of blue jeans, a leather jacket and a white dress with blue polka dots and sunflowers. Cheyenne gave a breathy squeal when she saw the dress and stroked the material, quickly fanning it out to find it had a heart neckline, halter fastenings and a thick waistband that tied in a bow in the back. “Oh thank you so much its all so pretty!” she cried causing Wes to laugh delightedly.

“Well, I’m glad you like them, the jacket came from Eric though, and when we manage to get you out of here we’re taking you shopping for a whole lot more!” He promised playfully, his face tightening as her eyes widened in surprise.

“But why would you take me for more? This is so much already,” she said quietly as she turned to look at Eric in surprise, “you don’t need to waste your money on a freak like me,” she told them softly, causing Momma Jo to grumble under her breath.

Eric sighed and leaned forward to capture her attention, “Cheyenne, you know your cousin was an evil disgusting bastard for what he did to you right?” He asked softly as she stared at him with large uncertain blue eyes and nodded. He smiled tightly to her, letting Wes pick up from there.

“Cheyenne, sweetheart, I know we can’t erase what that horrible man did to you, but we want to take care of you now, and taking care of you means making sure you have what you need to function as a human being. We like buying things for you, if we were upset about it at all or even the slightest bit concerned about taking care of you we wouldn’t but we are sure, and we’re here for you as long as you need us, ok?”

She watched them for a moment before nodding, grateful tears falling from her eyes.

Wes smiled up at her and handed Momma Jo another bag, “We got what we thought would fit for undergarments and we got her some toiletries, if anything is too big or too small we’ll fix it.”

Eric nodded before patting Cheyenne’s hand and standing, “Sweetheart we have to get back to the precinct to file paper work and we’re going to get dinner, would you like us to bring dinner back here and eat with you?” he asked her softly.

Cheyenne looked up at Momma Jo for a moment before turning back and smiling at him, “Yes please, I want to get to know you and Mister Wes.”

Wes groaned at the nickname, causing Eric to snicker, “Alright dear, we’ll bring back food, what do you want to eat?” he asked sweetly as he held his hands out for the extra outfits.

Cheyenne looked down at the clothes and with Momma Jo’s help, quickly chose the black nightgown to wear after her bath. “Um, Daddy… I mean Michael… he used to eat Chinese food and it smelled really good, can we try that?”

Eric nodded with a smile and waved as he and Wes moved towards the door, “Chinese food coming right up, we’ll be back soon.”
Cheyenne waved back with a small giggle before holding the bag Momma Jo offered her, “So can I use my new soap?” she asked shyly as she sniffed the package again and was wheeled down the hall towards the injury prep area was located.

Momma Jo laughed as she pulled her backwards into the room, “Of course you can, and if you want, we can cut your hair all pretty, and maybe even paint your finger nails, how would you like that sweetie?” She asked brightly as she drew a really warm bath for the teenager.

Cheyenne smiled tentatively up at her and nodded, “I’d like that, Momma Jo, thank you!”

A/N: Ok that was seriously fun at the end. I figured they went in and got the smallest size they could find of everything and just prayed it fit her! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and as always I’d love to hear your comments questions and suggestions! Thanks for being patient with my updating too guys, it means a lot!