Legal: I do not own Power Rangers or the associated names, places, events, characters etc. Anything not covered by these rights should be assumed to be purely the creation of the author.

Rating: T – May be some adult themes.

A/N: Spinoff story from "Serrator's Web".

Friday had come, the end of the week, the second last of term for Spike and his friends. All the schools in Panorama City held their exams in June, so the Juniors and Seniors would be returning shortly for that, but for Spike, Vicky, Mal and Melanie, all of whom were Sophomores, and Cody and Jimmy, both of whom were Freshmen, the end of May would mean the beginning of Summer Vacation for them. Needless to say as a result, the feeling around the school was somewhat divided, between the older kids who still had their exams to look forward to in little over a week, and the younger students, for whom the classes were already starting to wind down since the teachers really didn't see much point teaching them anything that they would only forget over the summer break anyway, and wanted to spend the time with their older students.

The other thing the Panorama City schools did was split up the dances. The formal for the Freshmen and the Sophomores was held on the second-to-last Friday of term, while the Junior and Senior Prom was always held after the exam period at the beginning of July, with the graduation ceremony being held the day after. It wasn't an orthodox system, but it had worked for the people of Panorama City now for years.

Vicky was putting her stuff away in her locker at lunch time, thinking ahead to the night before them. She had already resigned herself to the situation she had managed to get herself into, being torn between Spike, the guy she had been crushing on since Christmas break, and Cody, the guy she had agreed to go to the dance with. She didn't like the fact that her lingering feelings for Spike still tormented her, but she had already made the decision. She was going with Cody, and that was the end of it.

"Hey, are you listening to me?" Melanie asked her again. Vicky had to shake her head clear. She hadn't even heard her the first time.

"Sorry, I was a million miles away." Vicky told her. "What were you saying?"

"It's gym in the afternoon." Melanie reminded her. "If I know the teachers, they might be able to be convinced to take attendance, and then let us go."

"I guess that'd give us more time to get ready." Vicky conceded. "So, are you looking forward to it?"

"I didn't think I would, but I really am." Melanie answered her. "I wouldn't have bothered with it if it wasn't for Mal. He convinced me that the others will all be too concerned trying to make themselves look good to even notice me."

"Melanie, just try not to think about them." She stated. "Forget them, we can have a good time without their say so."

"Yeah, I really believe that now." Melanie continued. "A few weeks back, I'd have thought not being with them, I'd have been finished..."

"Melanie..."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything stupid." She assured her. "I just...I just really wanted you to know I'm really sorry for everything I said and did to you this year. You've all been so great to me."

Melanie was stunned as Vicky hugged her, but she found after a second or two, once the shock subsided, it actually felt really good. She returned the hug, and smiled as she held her.

"You're welcome." Vicky told her. "I don't really believe in holding grudges. Besides, you're actually a pretty cool person. You know...when you're not being a bitch."

"Yeah, thanks." Melanie chuckled in response as she heard Vicky say this. Just then, Mal and Spike arrived, with Jimmy not far behind them, checking something on his cell phone. Mal got to the lockers and smiled as he saw them there.

"So, it's gym all afternoon." Spike reminded them. "Do you think...?"

"Melanie seems to think the teachers won't mind us taking roll call and then heading out." Vicky interrupted him, pre-empting what he was about to say. Jimmy just rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, rub it in why don't you?" Jimmy asked them. "I've got double maths with Mr. Thompson, the only guy in school who takes the last two weeks seriously."

"Aw, poor you!" Vicky teased her little brother. "I'll tell you what, I'll buy you a sundae when we get to the food court."

Jimmy immediately smiled. It was amazing how quickly the promise of ice cream would change his mood. As they talked, heading for the canteen, they all looked forward to the night ahead.

Over at the Shiba House, Serena was sitting with the others in the Living Room, catching up on the events of the time she had missed. She had gone to the farm when she had needlessly endangered others to seek her revenge on Serrator, but after her time away, she was now confident that she had a new, deeper purpose in the events to come.

Everyone loved having Serena back in the house, it was an invaluable morale boost just when they needed it. Emily in particular was delighted to have her back in the house, but all of them really loved the fact that their 'fun aunt' Serena was back. Between helping them train, and taking back her training sessions with Spike, Bulk and Cody, she had helped out with the work load while they recovered, while also spending plenty of time playing board games with them, making dinners, and generally just giving them time to laugh again.

Now though, they had finally set aside some time to talk about what she wanted to know about. When she had gotten back, they had to explain the injuries, and so they had told her about the battle. Now that she was looking for more detail, they had taken some time over it, going over the event again in detail.

Serena just sat quietly, her mouth hanging open in horror. Emily was shaking like a leaf as Jayden finished recanting his tale. He had the most complete version of events, since he was the last one to go down. Serena had heard her mother talk about her own battle with Xandred before, and more than that, she had been old enough at the time to remember her mother waking up in the night, screaming for months afterwards. Given what Jayden had described, it seemed that it was, if anything even more horrific than their mother described.

"Xandred?" She whispered. "You seriously fought Xandred?"

"I think 'fought' might be glorifying it a little." Mike responded. "If we're lucky, he might have bruised a knuckle on us."

"Mike, we weren't going to talk like that anymore, remember?" Jayden chastised him for his statement. He looked back to Serena. "It was every bit as brutal as your parents described. We now know what we're up against."

Serena just grabbed Emily and pulled her across, hugging her little sister tightly. Now, more than before, she felt guilty about her behaviour regarding Serrator. She hadn't even been in the city when her baby sister had gone to face the most powerful Nighlock in existence. It was always bad enough knowing that Emily had taken on her responsibilities because of her illness, but now knowing that she had almost lost her because she was still at the farm trying to come to terms with her own baggage was too much guilt.

"Can't...breathe..." Emily complained as she tried in vain to fight Serena off. Serena let her go, allowing her to breathe.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here guys." She told them.

"You had a lot to deal with." Jayden stated. "We understand..."

"I still feel badly." She told them, looking around. "I promise you, I'm not going anywhere now. I'm going to stay and see this through to the end, no matter how tough things get."

"What about Serrator?" Mike asked her. She just breathed a sigh.

"I can't say I'm not still angry about losing Stephen." She continued. "But now I know this is about more than just me. I've already lost him, I can't lose the rest of you too. I'll keep a handle on things."

"Well, that's good to hear." Ji announced as he arrived. "Now, I think after all your hard work, a night out might be just what the doctor ordered for you all."

"Really?" Kevin asked. "Well, I'm feeling pretty tired and..."

"Now Kevin, you have all been working hard." Ji told him. "You have all come back to form admirably, and I am certain you can think of something more fun to do than sit around in the house all night."

He looked to Jayden and smiled.

"Why don't you call one of the restaurants in the city? It has been a long time since you all went out for a meal." He reminded him. "You can see if there's a movie you'd like to see afterwards."

"I don't know Ji, we're all pretty..."

Serena's words were cut off as the front door opened. They all looked up as Brenda came in.

"Ji, I hope I'm not..." Her words tailed off as she saw the others. "Late."

"So, you want us to go out for the evening for our benefit do you?" Mia teased as she saw the look on Ji's face.

"Yeah, I think I see what's happening." Mike interjected a little mischievously. He got up and gestured to the others. "Come on guys, I guess we can let them have a little privacy."

"Now, you kids behave yourselves." Jayden said to his father figure as he gathered his jacket. "Stay away from the adult channels."

"Don't stay up too late." Kevin added with a giggle as they started to file out of the house.

"And whatever you do, don't play the music too loud. We have neighbours to consider." Emily told him.

"Very amusing." Ji answered sarcastically as he saw them out. "Enjoy your evening."

With that, he closed the door behind them. He turned back into the house, where Brenda was waiting for him.

"I'm sorry about that." He told her. "I tried to get them to go earlier..."

"It's alright, really." She answered. "It's really sweet how much they care about you."

"Come on through." He beckoned her. "I take it that is the meal."

"I picked up something." She told him, setting a bag down on the table. "I hope Indian is alright for you."

"Brenda, you're here." He assured her, taking her hand softly and turning her to face him. "That is all I need."

Over at the food court, Spike was waiting with Jimmy and Vicky for the others to arrive. They had only ordered sodas, waiting for the others to arrive. Vicky in particular was starting to get a little edgy. She kept glancing to Spike, dressed up as he was for the occasion in a dark blue silk shirt and black pants, with freshly shined shoes for the dance. She had to admit that he looked very different from normal, and that she found that he looked good. She had to keep reminding herself that she had already made her decision to go with Cody.

"Hey guys." Melanie announced as she arrived. She was wearing a flowing, red gown for the evening, the one Mal had paid for. Although the others didn't know about that gesture, it meant the world to Melanie. She came over, taking a seat. She could see a couple of the guys at the Chicken Shack looking over, one of them seeming to chatter with his co-workers. She had worked there until very recently, unfortunately losing her job when she yelled at Mal. She was beginning to regret her decision to come here. Clearly they were amused to see her here.

"So, any ideas what to have?" Jimmy asked her.

"Anything that isn't fried chicken." She commented under her breath. "Trust me, I've seen enough breaded chicken legs to last a lifetime."

"Well, the pizza place looks good." Vicky suggested. Melanie smiled and nodded.

"That would be great." She agreed. "Sweetcorn and pineapple is amazing!"

"Sweetcorn and pineapple on a pizza?" Spike asked her, a little surprised to hear this combination. "Where did you come up with that?"

"Um..." Melanie stammered, trying to think of an answer. At her lowest, Mal had shown her home one night, and her mother had invited him to stay for dinner. He had ordered it on a pizza that night, explaining that there weren't many pizza combinations that were kosher that he enjoyed. As she tried it, she was surprised to find how well the ingredients complimented each other. Just then, Mal arrived. She couldn't help smiling to see him. He was dressed in a tux for the night. Vicky let out a little whistle to indicate that she was impressed. Melanie knew he probably had it in storage from his dancing, but she found herself thinking that he looked pretty good in it.

"Hey guys, we're all looking pretty good tonight." He remarked, sitting down. "Have we decided what we're having?"

"We were thinking of pizza." Jimmy told him. He just smiled.

"That sounds great." He remarked. "Sweetcorn and pineapple."

Jimmy, Vicky and Spike all just looked to each other, and then back to Mal. He just shook his head.

"Did I miss something?" He asked them.

"Nothing really." Spike assured him. "Alright, Cody texted to say he's on his way, I guess I'll just go and order."

"I'll help carry." Mal told him, going with him. Melanie just looked to Vicky and Jimmy, who were both just staring at her, and started to turn pink. She knew exactly what they were thinking. They were her friends, and she knew that they had a habit of teasing each other. While she wasn't exactly feeling completely comfortable right now, she couldn't help feeling like this was very different from the dynamic she'd have had with her old 'friends'.

"So, Sweetcorn and pineapple?" Jimmy asked her. Melanie just picked up some napkins and threw them at him.

"Shut up." She chuckled as she shifted in her seat.

Meanwhile, outside of the mall, Kieran pulled up in his truck, stopping in the drop-off zone. He had wanted to take Cody right to the dance, but his son told him that he was meeting his friends here and walking to the dance. He had a feeling that even if that wasn't the case, he'd have insisted that he drop him somewhere other than the school. Things hadn't changed that much since his own school days, no one wanted to be seen being dropped off by their parents.

Cody was fidgeting in his seat nervously, tugging at his clothing. He wasn't used to wearing anything like this, growing up in the shack in the woods with his father. He was wearing white dress trousers, and shiny brown shoes, with a red, cotton shirt. He couldn't stop fidgeting to fix his hair, or check that he hadn't missed anything when he was getting cleaned up. Kieran just looked to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You'll be fine." He told him reassuringly. Cody wasn't used to attending things like this. He generally gave his own school's functions a miss. Kieran knew though that it wasn't only the dance he was nervous about.

"The others should be waiting." Cody told him. Kieran just reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty, presenting it to him. Cody just looked at him a little curiously.

"But...I already have my allowance." He reminded him. Kieran just shrugged.

"It's a little extra for a special occasion." He told his son. Cody took the money and put it away quickly in his pocket.

"Look, before you go, I just want to say..."

"God Dad, this isn't the time for 'the talk' alright?" Cody asked. Kieran just laughed a little.

"No, I have no worries about that." He told him. He looked to his son, attracting his attention to look at him. "I just...would you wait a second, I want to talk to you."

Cody just looked to his father, seeing that he had something he wanted to say, something that he was obviously treating seriously. He shifted a little in his seat.

"I can't believe how much you've grown." He told him. "It seems like only yesterday I was teaching you to walk, and now you're going on your first date."

"Dad..."

"No, please, just let me say this." He continued. "I know it's been rough without your mother. I've done my best, but I know there are things that I couldn't talk to you about, things that you've had to kind of figure out for yourself."

"I know dad." Cody sighed. "Please..."

"I just wanted you to know how proud I am of you." Kieran told him. "I can't believe the young man you've grown into."

"I had a good role model." Cody answered, placing his hand on his dad's. Kieran smiled and jerked his head in the direction of the mall.

"Your friends will be waiting." He told him. "Hey, at least this time you'll be able to go through the front gate instead of over the wall."

"You know about that?" Cody asked him, realising his dad was talking about all the lunchtime visits he had made to Central to speak to Vicky and the others. Kieran just smiled.

"Who do you think you're talking to? I taught you most of those tricks remember?" He asked. "Have a good time."

With that, Cody got out of the truck and headed inside. Kieran found himself having to try hard not to shed a tear as he saw his son going. He really was growing up. He took a second to compose himself, before pulling away to head home and wait nervously for the call to pick him up, just like any other nervous father.

As Cody arrived at the food court, he made his way to the pizza counter, where Spike and Ma were just waiting for their order.

"Hey Cody, you made it." Spike stated. "Uh...I didn't know what to order you, so I just went for Hawaiian."

"That's fine." Cody responded. He looked over to where the others were waiting and waved, earning a return wave from Vicky. He looked back to them, and realised that Mal seemed to be somewhat quiet all things considered.

"So, are we all looking forward to this?" He asked.

"Yeah, it should be a great night." Spike told him. Mal on the other hand, just muttered something of a half-hearted agreement.

"Well, don't bowl us over with enthusiasm." Spike replied sarcastically. "Dude, seriously, what gives?"

"It's just...it's nothing." Mal told him. He realised they weren't going to drop it. "I had kind of a thing with my parents before I came out tonight."

"Is everything alright?" Spike asked him.

"I'd really just rather forget about it." Mal told him as their order was finally delivered. He picked up a tray, taking some of the slices with him. "Come on guys, this is meant to be a night to enjoy ourselves. I can worry about my parents another time."

"Alright, if you're sure." Spike told him. With that, they picked up their meal and headed back to the table. They were sorry to hear that Mal had a run in with his parents, but they were as determined as he was that tonight was meant to be a night to enjoy themselves. Whatever he had to deal with at home could wait.