Disclaimer: Don't own anything in this fic.
The Big Suprise
Jack sighed as she leaned back on the couch. The days were boring, when they weren't fighting Gruumm.
"Jack!" it was Boom.
"Hey Boom, what's going on?"
"I have an idea, but I can't do it myself."
"Have a seat, what's this idea, and how can I help?" Jack smiled as Boom took a seat.
"Well you see, Kat's birthday is coming up, and well, she hasn't had a birthday party in I don't know how long."
"And you want to give Kat a birthday party?"
"Not just a birthday party, a surprise birthday party, are you interested?"
"Are Kat's eyes green?" Jack asked, "Of course, this sounds like something to break up the monotony, when is her birthday?"
"This Saturday, maybe we can even get the commander involved, we need to have someone to keep her from coming in too soon, or not showing up at all," Boom said.
"September fifteenth, right?" Jack asked.
"Right," Boom smirked, "This is going to be so great, just be careful, Kat likes to participate in parties, more than she likes for people to make a big fuss over her…"
"So I've noticed… Low key it is," Jack smirked, "Don't worry, I was the one that pulled together Syd's party, I will make sure we can pull off this one… First, I need to call my help."
The rangers gathered in the rec. room to talk about the plan.
"So wait a minute, we've been here for a couple of years, and never knew when Kat's birthday was?" Bridge said in surprise.
"She doesn't like people making a big deal out of it, so she usually doesn't give it out, Cruger and I are the only ones on the base that know," Boom explained.
"So what should we do?" Syd asked, "you know she doesn't like people to make a big fuss about her, she doesn't even like it when I buy her Christmas presents."
"Yes, but you buy expensive gifts Syd," Sky said.
"True, but she deserves nice things," Syd whined.
"I second that… She puts up with all of us, after all," Bridge said.
"Guys I have a plan," Z smirked then Cruger walked in.
"A plan for what?" he asked.
"Just something to do this weekend," Z said quickly… Too quickly for Cruger's liking
"This wouldn't have something to do with surprising someone, would it?"
"Why would we do that?" Syd ask innocently as Cruger approached Boom.
"Boom, if this has anything to do with Kat's birthday, you can count me in," he said, "it's about time she started celebrating it again."
"Okay, yes it does," Jack said, "We were going to plan a surprise party for Kat."
"She isn't too big on this kind of thing, but she would protest if we told her, so surprise party it is," Cruger said quietly, "Rangers, come with me."
The rangers went to another, more private area.
"Sir, in here we won't know if Kat comes until she gets here…" Jack said.
"True," Cruger sighed.
Z smirked, "It seems I'm one step ahead of you guys, look outside the door."
"How will that help?"
"I have a connection to my replicas, if she sees Kat, I'll know," Z replied then told everyone her plan.
Saturday morning came and Kat went to work like it was any other day, unaware of all the work the rangers were doing. Since it was fall and too cold for an outdoor party, they had set up at an indoor location outside of the SPD base.
Cruger was satisfied with the plan; he didn't have to be too involved, just enough to make sure Kat didn't get suspicious.
"Doggie, where are the rangers?" Kat asked.
"They took the day for themselves," he said casually.
Kat took a note that this was suspicious, but said nothing. She knew something was up… She just didn't know what.
Cruger sighed as Kat went back to her lab.
"Jack, how is everything coming? Kat is already getting suspicious," Cruger said over the communicator.
"Don't worry commander, we should be ready for her soon."
"September fifteenth," was the date reading on her computer and she had e-mails from her brothers and mom wishing her a happy birthday.
"Well, at least everything is normal," she didn't know how wrong she was.
"Jack, I think we're almost done," Syd said.
"We need to get this banner ready and then we can have Cruger bring Kat over. Does he have the cover story down?" Jack asked.
"Yeah," Z said.
"Okay, we're good," Jack smiled.
"Sky, could you help me with this?" Bridge asked, referring to the banner.
"Sure," Sky and Bridge went up to ladders to get to where they wanted it.
"Syd, is this straight?"
"No, Sky bring your end down just a little," She watched as he moved the banner like she told him, "There, hang it and lets call for the birthday girl," Syd laughed.
"Okay…" Jack pulled his morpher, "Commander, we're ready when you are."
"Good, I don't want to have to lie to Kat again today," Cruger said, "I'll bring her right over."
"Thank you, sir," Jack said and cut communication.
"They're coming, get the ladders out of here."
The ladders were hidden away and the rangers found good hiding places and Bridge shut off the lights before hiding himself.
"Doggie, you're being too cryptic, would you just tell me what's going on?" Kat asked as he drove the truck.
"You'll see, Kat, you'll see," Cruger replied sticking to being cryptic rather than completely lying to her.
They got to the location and Kat went in first.
'Why are the lights off?' she wondered to herself before turning them on
"SURPRISE, HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAT!"
Kat was shocked; she had to take a step back, and ended up running into Cruger.
"What do you think, Kat?" Syd said.
"I think this is too much," Kat replied still trying to recover her wits from that last shock.
"Come on, Kat, you've done a lot for us, just let us return the favor today," Syd begged, "besides everyone deserves at least one day a year where they get treated specially."
Kat wasn't sure how she should react, all of this, for her.
"Come, I believe this is your birthday party, Kat, I would like to see you enjoy it," Cruger smiled.
Kat looked around and saw a table with gifts from the rangers, Boom and Cruger; the decorations were well done and not over the top.
"Well, where would you like to start, some food, or maybe gifts?" Jack smiled.
"Something to eat sounds good right now."
Everyone was eating and listening to music, and having a good time.
"Well, Kat, I see you're enjoying yourself."
"I'm beginning to think Syd might have been right," she said as she watched the rangers play around, "it couldn't hurt for one day."
"Not at all."
The rangers went into a clear area that no one knew why existed, someone (Jack) pulled out light ball gloves.
"Anyone for a game of light ball?"
"Okay, that sounds like fun, excuse me, Doggie," Kat smirked handing him her drink before walking over to join the rangers.
"Hey, Kat, do you want to play?" Jack asked.
"Yes," Kat smiled and accepted one of the gloves.
The game was another hilarious victory for Kat Manx.
"Well, Kat, it looks like you're enjoying yourself," Bridge said.
Kat smiled as they all gathered.
"It's time for presents," Jack called and everyone gathered around Kat to see what she got. Z held her digital camera ready to take pictures for her scrapbook.
"Here, this first gift is from Z," Jack said handing her a gift. Kat opened it to a find book; she opened it and it was a scrapbook of different pictures.
"Thank you Z," Kat smiled as she held the item for the picture.
"We can add these pictures on to the blank pages after I print them out," Z said.
"The next one is from Syd," Jack handed her the next gift and opened it to reveal an expensive looking scarf.
"Syd, you shouldn't spend so much on me."
"Kat, you didn't see all of it," Syd said.
"Sydney, you really didn't need to do this," Kat said then pulled out a gift card to her favorite bookstore; she enjoyed reading when she wasn't working. "Syd, you spent way too much on me." Kat sighed when she read the amount on the card.
"Don't worry about it, just enjoy it," Syd said.
"Okay, this is from Sky," Jack said, a knowing smile on his face, knowing that Z had helped Sky when he finally admitted he was in a rut. The simple Steve Winwood CD was a change compared to the rest of her gifts so far.
"Thanks Sky," Kat smiled as she looked at the different songs that included, "Reach for the Light," a song she had heard was beautiful, but hadn't heard herself.
"Okay, this is from me," Jack handed her the gift he had bought.
She opened it to reveal a simple gold watch.
"How did you know I needed a watch?" she asked.
"Let's just say I have my was of finding out," Jack smirked then reached for the next gift, "Okay, this is from the commander."
Kat took the gift and made eye contact with Cruger, trying to read something from his expression, but found nothing to read.
'Should know he would have on his best poker face,' Kat thought bitterly as she began to open this gift to show a Journey Diamond pendant (A/n: girls you probably know what this is, but for those who don't is a winding line of diamonds that look like a wavy path. They gradate from smallest at top to largest at bottom) laying there in the small jewelry box her green eyes went wide in shock.
"Doggie, you… you shouldn't have, I…"
"Kat, I saw that and I knew it had to be yours," Cruger smiled.
"Do you want me to help you with that?" Jack asked.
"Yes, thank you, Jack" he placed the necklace on her and fastened it.
"There, it looks good."
"Yes it does," Syd said.
"Here, this last one is from all of us, Boom couldn't pick anything so we collaborated on one," Jack handed her the last gift.
"Rangers, what is this," she said as she revealed the CD.
"Here, let me put it on, it's something we all made," Jack said and placed the disk in the CD player and hit play.
"Today, we celebrate another year of the life of someone we all admire," Sky's voice came clearly from the CD player, "someone that, in her own way has gotten respect from all those around her by just being herself, Dr. Kat Manx."
"Kat you have seen us through our training, and the hard times that we have seen," Syd's cheerful voice came next, "and for that we couldn't be more grateful."
"We've known our share of hard times, as you have too, but to see you now working for what you believe in, is an inspiration for me to be the best red ranger I can be," Jack's voice was next.
"It is amazing how many lives your accomplishments have touched, the lives that you have saved indirectly… We are all in your debt," Bridge said and Kat felt her eyes begin to water as she was in disbelief.
"We all look at what you have helped us do, and can't believe we actually came this far," Bridge continued.
"This far, from where we started, from the bottom to the top, the help you gave us was invaluable," Z's voice was next, "your technology gave us the ability to face Gruumm, but in our own lives the calm compassion you gave to us all hit us on a personal level. You've always been there for support, and I realize we would have never made it very far… Without you…Thank you Kat."
Each ranger took his or her turn saying, "Thank you," on the tape.
"Thank you Kat, for being here for me through my roughest times, and now, I guess it's down to one confession, I love you, Kat, and I always will," Cruger's voice was the last on the CD before the room fell silent.
Kat wiped at her tears in vain.
"Everyone, this was too much."
"No, Kat, it wasn't enough," Cruger said as he hugged her, "after all you've done for us, we can't begin to thank you for your selflessness, and I meant what I said."
"I… I love you too, Doggie," she said returning the embrace.
The rest of the party went flawlessly and that evening, Kat went to bed happy, her birthday had been a wonderful one, she spent the evening listening to her new Steve Winwood CD and looking through the pictures in the scrapbook.
"Kat, how are you feeling?" Cruger asked as he stepped into her lab.
"I'm fine Doggie," she smiled as "Reach for the Light" began to play.
"Such a pretty song."
"Yes it is, but I have to admit I like your company better," Cruger smiled.
Reach for the light
You might touch the sky
Stand on the mountaintop
And see yourself flying
Reach for the light
To capture a star
Come out of the darkness
And find out who you are
The End