Disclaimer: I own no Power Rangers stuff. Well, okay, a couple of morphers and a shirt, but that's all!
A/N: This is purely a take-off on Impending Darkness with a mix of Dino Thunder (so obviously several years later) and some silliness thrown in just for Christmas.
Merry Christmas, Dr. Oliver
"This is not my idea of the way to spend Christmas Eve," Kira complained to her companion as the two of them darted through the thick crowds of mall-goers.
"Hey, a friend of mine taught me that shopping can b-be a sport and fun at the same time," Azalea replied. "B-esides, I forgot about Tommy and Hayley's presents until this morning." She grabbed Kira's arm suddenly and pulled her out of the path of a very determined-looking grandmother who had shoulders like a line-backer.
"It's so wrong that you call him that," Kira groused, reviving an old argument between the two of them.
"I prefer to think I've earned the right," Azalea said loftily. She paused suddenly as a new sound floated up to the second floor of the mall. "What's that?"
"What is what?" Kira asked exasperatedly, trying not to get run over by desperate parents who'd forgotten this that and the other thing. She stuck her head over the nearest railing and peered down in time to catch the opening bars of 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas' being sung by what looked like a school group. "Oh, it's just a bunch of carolers."
Azalea wrinkled her nose. "A b-bunch of what?"
"Carolers," Kira repeated. "They sing Christmas carols. It's actually a verb. People go Christmas caroling."
"B-ut they're not going anywhere," Azalea said, watching them. "They're just standing around singing."
Kira rolled her eyes; Azalea was just so clueless when it came to music. Of course, being an alien didn't help. "The term 'going caroling' comes from the fact that people used to go door to door and sing Christmas songs, or carols. I used to go when I was little..." A sudden idea occurred to her, and she seized Azalea's arm in her own crushing grip.
"Ouch," Azalea complained. "What, did you see Trent or something?"
Kira blushed for a moment. "No, but I had a great idea. It's been ages since I went caroling with anyone, and the best way to learn about a culture is immersion. Come on." She dragged the younger girl down a few more stores and into a used bookstore.
"Do you have any Christmas songbooks?" she asked the frazzled-looking lady behind the counter.
"Right over there," the lady replied with a general wave in the direction of a couple shelves marked with large red signs as Christmas.
"Kira, what are you doing?" Azalea demanded before becoming utterly distracted by a display of older comic books. "Hey, a couple old Power Rangers comics from the '90s!" she exclaimed, pulling them off of the rack. "Tommy would get a few laughs out of these."
"Focus!" Kira said, paging rapidly through the few songbooks she'd found. "Yeah, these two will do," she said. "Come on!" She and Azalea got in the checkout line and finished paying just in time to see Connor and Ethan wander by the front window.
"Stop those teenagers!" Kira yelled, dashing out of the bookstore so fast that Azalea had to grab the bags with the songbooks in them. She was beginning to think that there had been something extra in Kira's milkshake from earlier in the afternoon.
Azalea caught up with the three Dino Thunder Rangers in time to hear Ethan protest, "But Kira, I can't sing!"
"Yeah, and the whole standing-on-someone-weird's-porch isn't my idea of fun," Connor said. He caught sight of Azalea and sighed. "You totally put her up to this, right?"
"She left me b-behind five minutes ago," Azalea said defensively. "All I did was ask about Christmas car-cara—"
"Carols," Kira corrected. "Come on, you two. You know you owe me favors."
"Oh yeah?" Ethan asked. "Since when?"
"Since I didn't tell Dr. O how Ramen noodles came to be lodged in the keyboard of his supercomputer," Kira shot back. "Or when I didn't tell Hayley who changed all of the computers in the café to load directly to Badgerbadgerbadger dot com for their homepages. Or when—"
"All right!" Connor and Ethan shouted in unison, before looking around to see if they'd been overheard.
"You're cruel, Kira," Ethan muttered. "Where do you want to start?"
A triumphant smile lit Kira's face. "Dr. O's street."
"What?" Connor yelped as if he'd been scalded. "No way! He'll totally blackmail us for forever if we show up at his door singing 'Deck the Falls' or something."
"It's 'Deck the Halls' Connor," Ethan corrected, shaking his head.
"Look, we'll have the first half of the road to warm up and get things like harmony down," Kira said as if it were perfectly logical and as if the three people with her knew how to read music. "Let's grab some dinner in the food court and then drive over there...what are you doing, Connor?"
"What, me? Nothing. No, no, don't turn arou—run Trent! Run before she can suck you in!" Connor shouted, gesturing frantically.
The White Dino Ranger simply stood, mystified at the sight of the other Dino Rangers having a powwow in the middle of the mall. Then Kira's hand closed over his wrist and it was too late.
"But—" he tried as Kira led the group down to the food court and they got in line at McDonald's. Connor and Ethan sourly brought up the rear, while a confused Azalea continued to hold hers and Kira's bags.
"No buts!" Kira said, practically bouncing in renewed excitement. "It'll be good to spread some Christmas cheer to others. A number seven meal grilled with root beer," she said to the cashier, handing over a ten-dollar bill. "Besides, Azalea needs to learn what a great and glorious tradition it is!"
"Kira, nobody carols door-to-door anymore," Ethan said in exasperation. "A number one meal, no onions, with a Coke."
"Actually, my cousins do," Connor admitted. "Ow!" he yelped as Ethan stomped on his foot.
"Welcome to McDonald's, can I take your order?" the cashier asked, oblivious to Connor's hopping up and down.
"A number eight with Sprite," Connor managed to say between hops.
"Anyway, I've even got a couple of books we can look at. We can choose our repertoire while we eat," Kira said as Trent took his turn with the cashier.
"Our reper-what?" Connor asked.
"Oh good, I'm not the only one who doesn't know that word," Azalea muttered. "One chicken nuggets kid's meal with milk," she said to the cashier. "What?" she demanded as the others stared at her.
"Dude, you are a sophomore," Connor said. "Why are you still eating from the kid's menu?"
"Because too much grease makes me sick," Azalea replied, putting her change into her wallet. "Fast food is an iffy thing for Eys Sylmai people, apparently."
"The what?" Trent asked, still new to the 'alien ally' thing. He collected his tray and got a straw and some napkins before scouting out a likely looking table.
"That's the name of my people," Azalea explained. She stuck her pink-and-black splotched tongue out at Trent just enough to remind him of her non-human status.
"Ugh," Ethan said, making a face. "Could you not do that when I'm about to eat?"
"Sorry," Azalea apologized, grabbing her small kid's meal box and carton of milk.
The five teens claimed a table and set about devouring their various sandwiches and fries. Kira pulled out the songbooks and handed one to Trent.
"Look for songs that you know," she said. "I think we should have at least five songs to sing; we only have to do two or three per house, but it's good to rotate."
Trent stared at the book as if he'd been handed a tyrannodrone arm. Connor and Ethan gave him looks that said, 'better you than us,' and went on eating.
"What about 'Joy to the World'?" Azalea asked as she nibbled on a chicken nugget. "That's one I've heard before."
"Okay, that's in here," Kira said, dog-earing the page. "And I like 'Let it Snow...'"
"Despite the fact that we live in California..." Ethan muttered before receiving a death glare from the Yellow Dino Ranger. "Okay, okay, how about 'Walking in a Winter Wonderland'?" he suggested half-heartedly.
"Got it," Kira said, marking another page. Then she glanced up at Trent and Connor expectantly.
"I like 'Deck the Halls'," Connor said, eating a couple of fries.
"My mom used to sing 'Silent Night'," Trent said a bit wistfully.
"Check and check," Kira said before grabbing their book and marking the same pages. "Now hurry up and eat so we can get out there!"
Twenty minutes later, two cars made their way out of the crowded mall parking lot and turned toward the suburbs of Reefside. The streetlamps were just beginning to flicker on as they parked at one end of the street where Dr. Tommy Oliver's house was located. The five teens disembarked and stood together in a small huddle.
"Okay, hats, scarves, and gloves if you've got them," Kira said, pulling her own black and yellow hat over her wavy hair. Azalea dug a pink hat and scarf from her pockets with a resigned sigh. After a long moment, Ethan came up with a blue and white hat and Connor pulled a red scarf with soccer balls on it from an inside pocket of his coat. Trent didn't have anything, but Kira solved that problem by pulling something out of one of her shopping bags.
"Merry Christmas a day early," she said, handing Trent a white scarf and gloves. "I knew you didn't have any."
"Thanks," he said, surprised. He smiled shyly at her before winding the scarf around his neck and pulling the gloves on.
"Okay, quick rehearsal," Kira said, still full of an energy so staggering it hurt to watch her bounce up and down. "I'll give you guys the starting note, and then you sing, okay?"
Connor, Ethan, Trent, and Azalea exchanged dubious glances that Kira preferred not to notice. She hummed the first few bars from 'Let it Snow' and then began to sing.
Azalea immediately joined in, followed by Trent and Ethan, and finally Connor who looked around furtively to make sure no one was watching.
"...and since we've no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow," they chorused.
Kira winced slightly, but the grin couldn't be erased from her face. "That will work great! We can do this. Connor, make sure you don't go flat. Ethan, try to enunciate a bit better. Azalea, don't look so confused. Let's go find some test subjects!" Kira took both Connor and Ethan by the elbows and led the way up the nearest driveway.
Flipping open her songbook, Kira pointed to 'Winter Wonderland' and rang the doorbell before humming the starting note.
"Sleigh bells ring, are you listenin'? In the lane, snow is glistening..." the five began slowly, haltingly.
The door opened and an elderly lady peered out at them. She had flour on her hands and on her nose, but she smiled as she saw the carolers on her doorstep. She called to someone over her shoulder, and shortly her husband joined her. They clapped when the song was finished, which made Kira even bolder.
"This one next," she said, pointing to 'Joy to the World.' Without waiting, she gave the starting note and launched right into the song. It turned out halfway through that Ethan knew some form of harmony, and they finished all the verses strongly. Connor found himself tapping his foot in time to the beat, while Azalea's voice began to warm up so much that her stutter nearly disappeared.
"Thank you very much," the elderly man said when the five teenagers had finished. "It's been so long since anyone's come by and done that." His wife disappeared momentarily and reappeared with a paper plate with five cookies on it.
"Score!" Conner said jubilantly, accepting the treats.
"You're very welcome," Kira said politely. "Have a Merry Christmas."
"You too, dears."
"I could get into this," Connor mumbled around a mouthful of chocolate chip cookie.
Azalea looked uncertain. "Why did she give us cookies?"
Kira shrugged. "It's just something people do to show their thanks for us caroling. One time a lady made us all hot chocolate while we were standing on her front lawn, singing." She sighed happily as they went to the next house. "Ah, those were the days."
Down the street they went, collecting treats, thanks, and good wishes from all that heard them. Ethan now held a second plate of still-warm homemade brownies, which they had decided to save for Dr. Oliver. Connor was laughing and talking with Azalea, who was absolutely thrilled to find out that being part of the human culture brought its own rewards. Trent and Kira were walking together, working on a duet of 'Silent Night' when they came to the darkened house of Dr. Tommy Oliver.
"Wha-at?" Connor asked. "Shouldn't he be home?"
Ethan checked the time on his watch. "Maybe he's working late at school."
"Or maybe he's at Hayley's café," Trent suggested. "She was open today."
"Where are his Christmas decorations?" Kira wondered aloud. "There's not even a tree up in his living room."
"Maybe he just didn't b-other b-because he's spending Christmas alone," Azalea guessed. A sudden silence descended upon the group. Then:
"I'll get the front door key."
"Does anyone know if he owns a tree?"
"Azalea, where would he keep Christmas lights?"
"Did any of you leave your present for Dr. O in the cars? I'm going to run back and get mine."
"Do you think he's eaten yet? I bet I could make something decent because he usually can't..."
Like a swarm of hyperactive elves, Connor, Kira, Ethan, Trent, and Azalea burst into the house. In minutes, Trent had thrown on an apron and was rooting through the fridge in search of vegetables to sauté with the chicken he'd found thawing. Connor was elected to run back to the vehicles and pick up everyone's gifts for their teacher, while Kira, Ethan, and Azalea scoured the basement for Christmas decorations.
"I found lights, gift wrap, and what I think used to be mistletoe," Kira reported after some poking beneath the basement stairs. "But I don't think he has a tree."
"Here are some ornaments," Ethan called from another corner. "And some of those fake green pine ropes."
"Garlands?" Azalea asked. "Good, bring them all. I've got an idea."
They assembled what they'd found on the coffee table. Ethan plugged in the various strands of lights to make sure they all worked and then began the arduous process of untangling them. So far he had four separate ends and a two-foot ball of green wire and bulbs.
"Come on, let's get all of Tommy's pots and pans," Azalea said to Kira. "This is an old trick from when my family used to move around a whole lot." Together, the two girls began to stack all of the pans upside down, from largest to smallest. Azalea made sure to adjust the handles so that they stuck out in all different directions. Then she took the garlands and wound them up the silvery stack of cookware.
Connor burst back in through the door, his arms laden with all sorts of objects. "No sign of him yet," he reported.
"Good, here's some wrapping paper," Kira said, shoving the two rolls at him. "Find some scissors and tape while we try and make this thing into a tree." She jerked one thumb at the pots and pans.
Ethan crowed in victory as he managed to untangle one of the strands of lights. Azalea immediately commandeered it and began to drape them over the handles of the pans as she followed the garlands upward.
"Now for the ornaments," she said to Kira. Luckily, Dr. Oliver hadn't bothered to remove the hooks the last time he'd put up the green, silver, and red glass balls.
"I can't find any ribbon!" Connor shouted from the study.
"Use string!" Ethan shouted back. "Left top desk drawer!" He freed another string of lights, which Kira immediately took to the front window. Quickly, she plugged them in and began to outline the pane.
Azalea quickly finished hanging up the ornaments and stood back to admire her silver garlanded "tree" with bright lights and glass ornaments hanging from every single pan handle as well as the garlands. "Oh, wait, we need something for the top!" she exclaimed.
"Who got Dr. O batteries?" Connor called from the study.
"I did!" Ethan called back. "Something of his is always going dead and he never remembers to replace the batteries," he explained.
"Does Dr. O have any Christmas music?" Trent called from the kitchen, where a rather savory scent was making everyone's mouths water.
"I'll check," Azalea volunteered. "Hey Trent, see if he's got a bundt pan!"
"Do I want to know why?"
"I'm going to make a wreath with it!" Azalea began to root around inside Dr. Oliver's entertainment center for anything Christmas-related. Meanwhile, Kira finished putting up the lights in one window and moved to the next as Ethan finished disentangling the last two strands of Christmas lights.
"Are you going to need an extension cord?" Ethan asked Azalea as she emerged with a dusty collection of Christmas classics on CD.
"Yes," she replied, popping the CD into the player and fiddling with the knobs. "And something for the top of the tree."
"Kira, did you get Dr. O this CD organizer?" Connor called.
"Yes!" she answered, still taping lights to the top of the window. Azalea moved behind her and snatched up the last string of lights before detouring into the kitchen for the bundt pan Trent had located. The White Dino Ranger was busily seasoning vegetables in between mixing up some sort of dough.
"Here, I found this trophy which has a star on top," Ethan said as Azalea began passing her lights through the middle of the o-shaped pan she was holding.
"Perfect," Azalea said. "Where did you put those brownies?"
"On the counter. I still have to find an extension cord."
"I'll set the table," Kira volunteered after making sure her window decorations were even.
"Is there a trick to getting the oven open?" Trent asked from the kitchen. Ethan made a side trip to help him out while Azalea jerked open the front door and began looking for a way of hanging her improvised wreath.
"Who's the collection of coffees from?" Connor asked from the study.
"Me!" Trent said over the banging noise of Ethan coaxing the old oven door into cooperating. A few minutes later, he handed Azalea one end of an extension cord, which she used to plug in the lights wrapping the circular baking pan. Then Ethan ran the cord over the top of the door and to the nearest outlet.
"That's pretty cool," Conner said as he came into the living room with the now-wrapped and labeled gifts. He deposited them at the base of the cookware tree. Azalea smiled proudly at the multi-colored circle of light brightening the door before shutting it again.
"Are you about done, Trent?" Kira asked, venturing into the kitchen in search of silverware.
"You can't rush culinary greatness," Trent replied loftily, checking on his homemade stir-fry. "But you can do some of the dishes."
Kira and Ethan began to clean up the kitchen, while Connor and Azalea attempted to straighten up the encroaching piles of mail and newspapers everywhere else in the house.
"Is someone keeping a lookout?" Ethan called at one point as Azalea was dusting off the mantle. Connor meandered over to the window and peered outside, past the lights Kira had put up.
"I don't see anything," he said, and was about to pull away when... "Wait, a car just turned at the end of the street."
"Quick, dish up!" Kira thrust a plate at Trent, who hurriedly spooned chicken stir-fry onto it. Ethan pulled freshly-baked rolls out of their pan and tossed them into a small basket which Azalea delivered to the table.
"Lights out!" Connor said urgently. "The car's still coming!"
"Get your stuff!"
"That's my coat, not yours!"
"But I didn't get a chance to wash the last few dishes."
"Whose hat is this?"
"Trent, you dropped a glove."
"Into the bushes!" Connor ordered. "Stay low and get to the side of the house. We'll circle around."
Kira shut and locked the door behind her and hid the key before following her friends. From their hiding places, the five teens watched Dr. Oliver pull up in his black Jeep...and freeze. He appeared to be staring at the Christmas lights winking at him from his own windows.
Slowly, he got out of his car and walked up to the front door, looking around suspiciously. As he inserted his own house key into the lock, the teens scooted away silently. The instant the door closed behind him, Kira pulled her songbooks from inside her coat.
By the light of a streetlamp, she showed them the song she wanted to sing.
A few minutes later, Dr. Tommy Oliver heard a tentative knock on his front door. He was standing in his dining room, looking at the still-steaming dish of food someone had made for him. In the background, one of his old Christmas CDs was playing softly. And in the corner of his living room sat a tree with presents beneath it.
From outside, he heard five voices.
"Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light..."
Tommy smiled a small, proud smile. "Faithful friends who are dear to us, gather near to us once more," he quoted before going to open the door.