Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or situations presented here and am not making any profit off of them whatsoever.
Story Title: Uncertain Questions
Rated: PG
Word Count: 11,137
Romance: Kat x Rocky
Notes: This takes place after Billy returns from Aquitar and before Kim sends the break-up letter to Tommy. Comments and criticism gratefully accepted.
Summary: Rocky wants to ask Kat out. Kat is asking herself a few questions. If they can get the right answers, it's going to be wonderful.
Rocky knew he wasn't the brightest person that had ever come down the pike. Billy, Adam, they were both smarter than he was in lots of ways. Right now, he felt far more stupid than he could ever remember feeling in his entire life. No matter how hard he stared at the chemistry formulas he knew he had to memorize, it wasn't the homework which was giving him a problem. He knew he'd be able to get enough of them down to pass, at least.
No, it was something else that made his head ache and his tongue tangle in his mouth. To be actually accurate, it was someone else. He looked up quickly, then looked back down at his work in the hopes she hadn't noticed. As far as he could tell, she hadn't, nor had anyone else. That was just what he wanted. Until he could figure out how to actually bring up the question to her, he didn't want anyone knowing what was going through his mind.
Kat. Everything about him seemed to sing at the soft mental whisper of her name. It had started not all that long before. Right after his little accident with the Pollenator, actually. Adam had told him he'd made some odd comments about Kat, and ever since then, she had begun to wander across his mind at odd moments.
He stared down at the formulas again, trying to use them to keep his mind on what needed to be done, instead of what he wanted to do. You can't ask girls out, anyway. The only time you've had a real date in the last year was when Jessica asked you to the Vice-Versa dance. A tiny little poisonous voice whispered in the back of his mind. He knew it was true, and he tried not to listen anyway. When he'd tried to get Jennifer to go out with him, it had been a complete disaster. Sure, there had been reasons for it, but that didn't change the fact she hadn't cashed in that rain check yet.
Rocky sighed and pushed himself back from the table a little, closing his eyes. He didn't know what he needed, but he wasn't finding it here.
"Something wrong, Rocky?" Kat's soft voice drifted over to him, and he stiffened up, mentally and physically.
"No, it's just all these letters and numbers getting in my brain and not letting me think right." He shuddered visibly. It was a half-truth, at least. He hoped Billy would show up soon. He was going to need some serious tutoring, or he might not even remember enough to pass. "I don't see how anyone could understand this!"
Tanya laughed a little. "I feel the same way. It's pretty confusing."
"Confusing?" Rocky shook his head with a rueful grin. "Confusing is algebra. This is insane!" He got to his feet and stretched; maybe a quick workout would help his brains and his hormones start to behave themselves. At the least he should be able to think better. "I'm going to go change and hit the mats for a while. Anyone want to come with me?" He glanced quickly and hopefully at Tommy and Adam.
"Sorry, I've got to get this literature paper done." Adam poked a pencil at the book spread out before him. "I've got another three pages to go on it."
Rocky didn't even have to look at Tommy before the Red Ranger closed his books and got up. "Sure, I could use a break myself. Let's go."
One quick change into workout clothes later, and the two of them were on the mats. Rocky took several deep breaths, and avoided looking over at where the girls and Adam were. You mean where Kat is. That same little poisonous voice whispered in his mind again, and he ignored it just as he had the last time. So what if it was Kat he was trying not to look at right now? It didn't mean too much.
The sparring was fun, quick, energetic, and exactly what he needed to get his mind back where it needed to be. Tommy moved in quickly on him, hands and feet flying, requiring his full attention to block, divert, or deal with in some fashion. That meant he couldn't pay attention to Kat, or the homework sitting there undone. Besides, a softer voice than the one that murmured the truths he didn't want to hear in his ear whispered, if you look good out here, maybe she'll notice you.
He wasn't all that sure, but it wouldn't hurt to at least try. He managed to get in a few attacks on Tommy, ones the other teen blocked quickly, and intercepted a few more coming right at him. This went on, back and forth, until both of them were coated with a light sheen of sweat, and Rocky felt like he could stare at the formulas again without wanting to throw the book across the Youth Center.
Whether he felt like he could look at Kat, much less talk to her, without breaking out into hives or his tongue twisting all around itself was another story altogether.
"I think that's enough for now," Tommy panted at last, straightening himself up from his last attack. "How about you?"
Rocky nodded slowly, wiping away some sweat. "I think I can take on those formulas now. They might still beat me, but it's gonna be a fight."
"You've got someone else on your side now, though," Tommy said, and motioned over to the tables. Rocky looked to see Billy sitting in a free chair, a smoothie in front of him, talking quietly with Tanya and Adam about something. He sighed a quick sigh of relief; Billy usually managed to explain things to him so he could grasp it. It might take a few tries, but it could happen.
As the two of them came closer, Billy looked up, a flash of a grin across his face. He looked so relaxed it was hard to believe that only a few days earlier he'd come within a hair's breadth of either being captured by the Machine Empire or roasting in the depths of the sun. "So I hear you need a little help with chemistry, Rocky?"
"Yeah." Rocky nodded a little. "Let me get a shower first and if you've got the time..."
"No problem."
Rocky's eyes were inexorably drawn to Kat as he started past the table towards the showers. She pushed a stray strand of golden hair behind her ear, her attention on her own work, and he stumbled a little, caught by just how lovely the motion was. His feet tangled underneath him and before he could so much as grab onto a chair for support, he was flat on the floor.
"Rocky!" All the rest of the team was staring at him, and Tommy quickly began to help him up. He groaned; why couldn't he act like a normal human being just once when some girl he liked was around?
"Are you all right?" Kat put her pen down as she started to get up. "Did you hit your head or anything?"
He shook his head quickly in denial. "No, I'm fine. I just...wasn't paying attention to where I was going, that's all." He couldn't get over how stupid that sounded, even to him. From the way Tommy and Adam were both looking at him, they didn't believe it anymore than he did. Billy and Tanya had the same look of disbelief turned towards him as well.
He flashed a quick smile all around, then quickly hurried to the showers, cursing to himself all the way. I am such an idiot. He was quite glad that little snide voice was shutting up at the moment. He could insult himself perfectly well without their help.
"So, how long have you liked Kat?" Rocky considered coming out of his skin at the unexpected voice, and every instinct he had sent him whirling around to strike at the same time. He eased off as soon as he saw it was Tommy, also getting ready to shower. Yeah. He worked out too.
"I've liked her since she first moved here," Rocky knew that his answer wasn't quite what Tommy was asking, and he hoped the other wouldn't press too hard about it. Tommy just gave him a look, one that spelled out he knew what the other was doing very well.
"I mean, how long have you liked her?"
Rocky turned away some and started to soap up. He wanted all that sweat off before he went back outside. Once again, he wanted something to do so he didn't have to think about things he didn't want to think about. He could still feel Tommy's eyes on him, though.
"So, how obvious was I being?" He finally asked, staring up into the shower head over him. Did everyone else know? Did she know and had she wanted Tommy to find out, so she could figure out a way to let him down gently? Asking would let him know. Which was why he didn't ask.
"I don't think as much as you think." Tommy told him. "So, how long?" He could be persistent when he wanted to be, Rocky had noticed.
"It was that whole thing with the plants. I haven't...until then, I didn't...I don't know...I just like her!"
He caught sight of a brief nod out of the corner of his eye. "So why don't you ask her out or something?" That was Tommy for you. He could be direct, once something had been shoved into his face.
"I've wanted to." He closed his eyes and let the water cascade over him, soaking the warmth in as much as he possibly could. He didn't like talking about things like asking girls out. It was easy for Tommy. He had a girlfriend, even if she was three thousand miles away. It wasn't like that for everyone else. Especially not for him.
"Don't just want to. Do it," Tommy encouraged him. "What's the worst that could happen?"
She'd laugh at me and every chance I have of ever having a date while I'm at Angel Grove High vanishes into thin air? Rocky could answer with that, if he'd wanted to. He just chose not to at the moment. What he said out loud was, "I'd rather not think about that. You saw what happened out there. She wasn't even talking to me and I made a fool out of myself. It's like that all the time."
Tommy said nothing more as he finished his shower, and Rocky was quite grateful for that. He'd ask Kat out if he could ever actually speak the words. That was the whole problem in a nutshell. Maybe he should consider writing it down? No, that would just be stupid. He turned off the water and grabbed for his towel, glad he had chemistry to keep his mind occupied now. At least he could look at the formulas and not have to think about the girl who would be sitting less than three feet away from him. In fact, maybe he could talk Billy into going outside to do some studying, stressing the fresh air or something like that.
Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. He decided to put it into use. Billy wouldn't mind something like that, and it wasn't the first time they'd done their studying outside instead of in the Youth Center or someone's home. He quickly dressed and ran his fingers through his hair, doing his best to look at least partially decent. Just because he was going to be trying to avoid looking at her didn't mean he didn't want to look good in case she looked at him.
Kat watched curiously as Billy and Rocky packed up their books and headed out of the Youth Center. Rocky didn't stumble anymore, though he seemed to be going out of his way not to look at anyone in particular as he left. She thought once she caught him looking back in her direction, but it was virtually impossible for her to be certain. He could've been looking at almost anyone, after all.
"Something on your mind, Kat?" Tanya asked, touching her hand briefly to get her attention. Kat smiled a little and brought her attention at least part of the way back to what she should've been working on.
"Kind of." She hesitated for a moment before asking the next question. "Tanya, is it me, or has Rocky been acting a little strange lately?"
Tanya frowned thoughtfully. "I don't know. I mean, I haven't really thought about it." She played with her pen for a moment, then looked over at Adam where he sat beside her. "You've known him longer than either of us. What do you think?"
Adam had been in the middle of taking a long drink from his smoothie, and almost choked as she asked the question. "Um...what was that?" He looked a little flushed, as if something had startled him more than he wanted to admit. Kat smiled briefly; it was probably the fact Tanya had asked the question. The Green Ranger could be obvious and not even know it at times. She wasn't going to bring anything up though. It was between them.
"Kat and I were wondering if you think Rocky's been acting kind of weird lately." Tanya repeated. Adam blinked a little, wiping a few traces of smoothie from his chin as he did.
"Weird? What do you mean, weird?" Confusion was written large in Adam's face. "I mean, he's Rocky. How do you know when he's acting weird and when he's acting Rocky?"
Kat had to admit there was some truth in that. It didn't stop her from feeling as if there were something going on she didn't know about, though.
Tanya glanced back at her, looked away, then back at her. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think he has a crush on someone," the Yellow Ranger said at last. "I've kind of noticed that he gets all choked up around someone if he really likes them."
Adam hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. He's always been like that. He's not shy, he just freezes a lot." He grinned for a moment. "That Vice-Versa dance when we first transferred over here...he'd been wanting to ask Jessica Peterson out for a month before that, and kept clamming up whenever she came near him."
Kat toyed with a strand of hair for a moment, then smiled a greeting as Tommy, fresh from his own shower, sat back down in the seat he'd vacated to spar with Rocky. "You're just in time. We were talking about Rocky. Tanya thinks he might have a crush on someone."
She didn't mistake the quick look that Tommy and Tanya exchanged for anything but what it was: they were keeping something a bit secret. Tommy shifted around in his chair. "I asked him about that while we were in the shower. I think he does. He wasn't really wanting to talk about it, though."
Tanya flipped through a couple of pages of the history book she'd been studying. "What do you think about Rocky, Kat?" The question was asked just a little too casually.
"He's...nice..." Kat picked up her own smoothie and drank from it, thinking things over. Rocky was very good-looking. Very easy on the eyes. He could be funny. Not quite in the prank and joke kind of way, but just the way he said things, just the way he was at times. It was an understated kind of way. He was nice. That word didn't really seem to be quite enough, but she couldn't think of anything else that really fit.
There were quite a few glances going here and there among the other three Rangers, and finally Tanya said, "There's a pretty good chance that Rocky's got a crush on you, Kat."
What? Kat blinked a few times, not sure if she'd heard that right. "A crush on me?" That couldn't be right. They'd known each other for a while, certainly, but there were a lot of other girls that could be causing him to react the way he did. Why did they think it was her?
"Yeah." Adam nodded. "He's been looking at you a lot for a couple of weeks now. I don't know what's going through his head, but that's usually how he acts if he likes a girl. At least in the beginning."
"I...you're sure?" Kat had no idea of what to think or say about this. As far as she'd known, no one she'd called a friend had ever had a crush on her. Certainly no one who she had fought beside for months and months.
And you had a crush on Tommy. That's not quite the same thing. She reached for her drink again, covering her confusion with a deep draught. She had liked Tommy as more than a friend, while she was under Rita's spell. Even now, she wasn't all that certain how much of that had been because of the enchantment and how much was just because Tommy was a really nice guy who any girl with half a pulse would gladly crush on, whether he was dating someone or not.
Which was why she'd determined not all that long after being free of Rita's spell that she would never date Tommy, no matter how much she liked him, even if he wasn't dating anyone else. There would never be any way she could be certain that her liking for him was real and not the remnants of that spell. I know Zordon and Alpha said it was all gone, but I'd rather not worry about that, if I had a choice in the matter. Besides, she was really quite happy enough with Tommy being her friend, not her boyfriend.
But Rocky. Rocky was a different matter altogether. Anything she might have with him wouldn't have the faintest hint of the spell-touched about it. It would be entirely what they both wanted. If they both wanted anything.
She knew her friends were watching her, and she couldn't bring herself to say anything right now. If Rocky really did have a crush on her, what could she do about it? It was so hard for him to even talk to a girl when that came up. She'd seen it before.
So maybe...she should be the one talking to him about it? It couldn't be all that hard to just ask if he wanted to go to a movie or something. Maybe if she asked the question, he'd be able to nod. It would be an answer, at least. You've never asked anyone out before. That did make her a little nervous. And what if they were wrong? What if Rocky was just having an attack of the clumsies and that was the reason for everything?
She finished her drink and looked at her books again. She'd almost completed all the work anyway, and the rest of it she could polish off at home, later.
"Kat?" Tanya leaned in a little towards her. "What do you think?"
Kat looked back at her and drew a breath. "You're sure?" She hadn't been answered the first time, and she wanted to know.
"Yeah." Tommy nodded. "We're sure." He kept his attention on her, as did Tanya and Adam. Kat started to close up her books carefully and quickly, packing them into her bookbag. "Kat?"
She looked up at him and smiled a little. "I think I need to get out of here for a while. Maybe take a walk. Get some fresh air. You know how it is when you've been inside for too long."
"Yeah." Tommy smiled warmly and encouragingly at her. "Have fun, okay?"
"I'll make a point of it." Kat swung her bookbag over her shoulder, finished off her smoothie, and bid farewell to her friends before heading for the door. I think I'll drop this off at home before I hit the park. Maybe do a few stretches or something. She didn't want to move too fast. Rocky and Billy hadn't been gone all that long, after all, and interrupting their study session would be quite rude.
She was glad she didn't live more than a fifteen minute walk from the Youth Center as it was, and it was another twenty minutes from her home to the park. That was more than enough time for Billy to explain chemistry to Rocky, or so she hoped at least. Am I really sure I want to do this?
Kat wanted to be honest with herself. She wanted to be honest with Rocky. The first thing to do would be to find out if he really did like her, as much more than just a friend if possible. If he didn't, well, there was nothing that said a couple of friends couldn't take a pleasant walk in the park together, after all. If he did, then a walk in the park would be even better. After that, who knew what could turn up?
She did want to do this. She was certain of that. The thought of dating Rocky certainly wasn't a horrible one. There were several other girls who would probably have loved to have had the privilege, if it had been offered to them. Hadn't he just recently gotten over that whole thing with Jennifer, too? Rebound. The word whispered through her mind, and she dismissed it as quickly as it had come. That was a word to be used when you broke up with someone, not when you hadn't even managed to get a date with them.
Once she'd deposited her bookbag at home, and told her mother she intended to be at the park for a couple of hours, a few more quivers of uncertainty began to worm their way into her. It was nothing she had any kind of basis for, just the faintest sensation of the ground beneath her mental feet shifting.
I know what it is. What do I do if we do start to date and break up? What could it do to the team? There wasn't any real kind of precedent for this. Kim and Tommy were a strong couple, and their relationship had brought greater strength to the team. No one else had dated anyone on the team. There'd been the occasional dance once in a while. She'd heard that Billy and Aisha had kind of, sort of, attended the Junior Police Ball together, a few weeks before she'd moved to Angel Grove. That hadn't lasted long, though.
She shook her head slowly. It was a chance that she would have to take, if she were going to date anyone on the team. Besides, she was certain she and Rocky could remain friends even if they did break up. With a slightly more confidant smile, she walked towards the park, hoping it wouldn't take too long to find Rocky.
"So, do you have that memorized?" Billy asked as he closed the chemistry book. Rocky nodded, hoping that he really did. He'd been able to recite them all back to Billy mostly perfectly, and if he'd had to take the test right then, he probably would've passed. If it would stay that way once he actually took the test, he didn't know.
He got up from where he'd been sitting and stretched, looking around. There were several other high school students around, some he recognized from Angel Grove High. There were even a few from Stone Canyon, but not that many since that was so far from the park. Most of them seemed either intent on studying in the sunshine and fresh air, or were having some fun with their friends.
Sunlight glinting off of a bright head of blonde hair caught his attention, and he wondered just who it was. He hadn't seen too many blondes who had hair quite Kat's shade...
Oh. That would be because that was Kat walking towards them. Well, that explained that. He gulped a little. What's she doing here? None of the others were with her, and she didn't really look as if she were looking for someone in particular. He pulled his attention away quickly and started to pack up his things.
"Thanks for the help, Billy," he said quickly. "When I pass this because of you, I'll buy you a smoothie or something."
Billy chuckled a little. "Don't worry about it. I don't mind helping." He looked around some and paused. "Hey, is that Kat?"
Rocky turned as if he hadn't seen her at all. "Yeah. Wonder what she's doing here." He wanted to sound casual. He hoped he sounded casual. What he was convinced he sounded like was the most obvious person that had ever walked the face of the Earth. If Tommy could figure out he had a crush on Kat just from him tripping over his own two feet, then Billy had to figure it out from less than that.
"Hey, guys!" Kat smiled at them both as she came up to them. "How's the studying going?"
"We just finished." Billy dusted off his pants as he got to his feet and looked around. "What about you?"
"I've got just about everything done. What I don't, I can finish later," Kat told him. Rocky concentrated on not sounding like an idiot if she said anything to him. It kept him quiet, and that was good, as far as he was concerned. Quiet also meant 'not sounding like an idiot.'
"Good luck, then," Billy nodded to both of them and checked his watch. "I've got to get back. There's some repair work I've been putting off too long."
"You don't have to go..." Rocky realized if Billy left, he'd be alone with Kat. Not that being alone would be such a bad thing. But he hadn't been alone with her in a while, not since he'd stopped being able to think straight with her around. Perfect time to make a total idiot out of myself. I bet she does know and she wanted to tell me to forget it in person. Only not like that.
Billy shook his head. "I really need to get this done. Some of those repairs could cause a lot of problems if I don't take care of them. See you around." He waved to both of them before walking down the path and out of sight.
Kat turned slightly towards Rocky once he was gone, a slightly concerned tilt to her lips. "So...looks like it's just the two of us."
Yeah. Wonder if I could persuade Mondo to drop some Cogs in or something. He didn't mind not fighting but at least slamming some of the Machine King's metal minions around would provide a perfect excuse for not talking. He managed a quick nod. "Did you want to do something?" Marvel of marvels, he'd actually uttered a coherent question! Now what kind of an answer would he get, he wondered.
"It's a really nice day," Kat observed, making him briefly wonder if she'd heard him. That would be just his luck, he finally asked, in a roundabout way, if she wanted to do something, maybe something with him, and she'd missed it! But her next words sent joy thrilling all through him. "What do you think about taking a walk?"
Walk. Yes. A walk would be good. He nodded quickly, swallowed, and said, "Yeah, sure. That would be great, really, Kat." Then he shut his mouth quite firmly, determined not to let so much as one stupid word fall out of his lips. Maybe he should invest in a zipper or something like that.
He brushed himself off a little, spying some stray bits of grass and leaves on his pants, and picked up his bookbag. If Mondo did wind up sending some Cogs, it would be a suitable kind of weapon. He slung it over his shoulder and smiled at her. "So, I'm ready when you are." Once again, a firm closing of his mouth once he'd said something. No stupid words coming out of him, not today, not anymore! Maybe he could even walk straight this once.
"Did you want to go anywhere in particular?"
Now he was going to have to think again. And talk again. Well, so far he'd been doing better than he had before now. Maybe it would last. "Not really." He thought for a moment. "Maybe down by the lake?"
"Sounds good." Kat started that way, and Rocky followed, catching up with her in a couple of steps. Her hair brushed by him as he did so, and the fragrant scent of her shampoo nearly sent him reeling off of his feet again. I have to get over this. Somehow. He wasn't very sure if he wanted to get over it, even as he tried to keep himself from falling again. It just felt too good.
Kat looked over at him a little curiously. "Are you all right? You looked like you were about to fall or something."
"No, I'm fine. Just tripped over a stick or something." Rocky hoped she didn't look for the nonexistent stick.
It was a short trip from where they'd been to the lake, and worth it once they got there. The sun was just setting, casting brilliant red light over everything, and more people were leaving than arriving, which meant they had it more and more to themselves as they walked along.
Rocky eyed the lake as some of the swimmers came out, drying themselves off and heading up to clean up before going home. "I've been thinking of maybe signing up to be a lifeguard again next summer, before college."
"You're a lifeguard?" Kat asked curiously. "I didn't know that."
"Yeah, I volunteered for it last year. I've been too busy with school and junk to do it again this year. But since this is the last year..." He trailed off in thought. It had really been a blast those few months, even with the trouble from Rita and Zedd.
Kat's eyes turned towards the lake, then towards him. "I haven't thought a whole lot about diving since I became a Ranger. I've wanted to do it, but things just keep getting in the way. Not just being a Ranger, but everything else. School, like you said, and everything else."
"I don't think I've ever seen you dive," Rocky thought back as long as he'd known Kat. He knew that she'd done it, that she'd went to the Pan Globals for it, but she'd never done it in front of him.
"Maybe I'll give it a shot sometime this summer. Or sooner." She gave him a small smile, and he gave her one right back. "I've been thinking of practicing my ballet more, too."
Rocky's smile turned into a warm and wide grin. "You dive, you do ballet, you train animals. Is there something you can't do?"
"Oh, lots of things," Kat responded, her blue eyes dancing with joy. "I just don't bother doing them, so you don't see me not doing them."
He threw his head back and laughed, all thoughts of making a fool of himself forgotten. "That was good, Kat! I liked that."
She ducked her head, a faint hint of redness caressing her cheeks. "It wasn't that great."
"So? I liked it anyway." He shoved one hand into a pocket as they walked along, a faint sensation of the ice between them having broken. He wasn't sure why, as they hadn't had any to start with, but there was no questioning the fact he felt a lot more relaxed now. "I'd really like to see you dive, though. Maybe we could go swimming some time?"
Kat nodded quickly, and he caught the scent of her shampoo again. He was going to have to find out what it was. Maybe there was something in it that he was allergic to and that was why he kept wanting to float off into space whenever it hit his nose. It couldn't always be because of it being on her, could it? "I'd like that, Rocky. I'd like it a lot."
Was that a date of some kind? He didn't know, and asking was more than he wanted to risk, even as good as he felt right now. But perhaps there was something else he could ask. "Hey, Kat..."
"Yes?"
"I was kind of wondering something. You don't have to if you don't want to. But if you want to..." Rocky hesitated again, feeling his tongue want to tangle, his feet stumble, and himself ruin it all again. Just when things looked at their best, they wanted to fall apart!
She looked at him curiously. "What is it, Rocky?"
"Are you busy this weekend?" He blurted it out quickly, his heart thumping, and when she shook her head, he tried to ask the next part. "What do you think about going out for dinner? Me and you, I mean? I know a couple of good restaurants around here." They were in his price range, too. They weren't cheap, but they wouldn't put him in debt until his grandchildren were around either. "We could go see a movie too. There's a couple of good ones at the multiplex."
A warm, happy smile was his answer, but she said it out loud anyway. "Yes. I'd like that a lot, too, Rocky."
If Rocky had tripped right then, he was certain he would never have hit the ground. He was too happy to remember to fall all the way.
Kat brushed her hair carefully, making sure there wasn't a single tangle anywhere. She was almost ready for her date. All she needed was to finish her hair and makeup, then wait for Rocky to get there. She glanced at the clock and winced; he'd be there in less than half an hour!
"How's it going?" Tanya leaned in her door. "Just about ready?"
"Almost." She checked through her hair again, then started to sort through the small collection of makeup she had. It wasn't much, since she'd never bothered with it most of the time, but this was a special occasion. "Have Mom and Dad stared staring out the window for him yet?"
"I think they're going to soon." Tanya chuckled a little. "Need any help?"
Kat shook her head. "I don't think this'll take me much longer."
Tanya watched her for a few moments. "You know, you're really lucky, Kat." She didn't have to explain why. Kat knew that Tanya lived every day knowing that she didn't know where her parents were, and there was a real chance she'd never see them again. Even if they were found, they'd probably go back to the village where they'd last left their daughter, not here to Angel Grove. She hoped Aisha remembered them, and would be able to tell them where to go, but it was impossible to know at the moment. They still didn't know all the ways that the Zeo Crystal had changed things.
"I know," she replied quietly. There was no use in trying to say they'd find the Sloans. Tanya had no idea of even where to look, and Kat wasn't going to give her false hope. She stood up and crossed over to her friend, wrapping her in a warm hug. "They're your parents too, as long as you live here, and probably longer. So when you have your first date with someone, they'll be acting just like they're going to be with me."
The Yellow Ranger grinned, all worry gone from her face. "Thanks, Kat. For everything."
"What else are best friends for?" Kat smiled, then sat back down at her dressing table and started to go through her makeup again. It was going to be simple; she wasn't a clown, after all. Just a little eyeshadow, some lipstick, and a fresh coat of nail polish was all she needed. She'd frantically hit the mall earlier that day, Tanya in tow, and they'd shopped until she'd found the perfect outfit to wear tonight. She already had it on: a dark pink sweater with a deep blue, almost sapphire, skirt, and shoes that matched the sweater. Around her neck she wore a simple ruby on a gold chain that had been a gift from her father the previous Christmas.
Tanya looked her up and down and grinned. "Girl, you're going to blow his mind, you know that, right?"
Kat flushed; Tanya had said the exact same thing when she'd seen her first try the outfit on. "I hope not. I like his mind the way it is."
"You just wait and see." Tanya nodded a little as she turned away. "I'll let you know when he gets here. You'll probably be too busy panicking to notice."
Kat wanted to deny it, but it was a little hard to do so as her stomach began to squirm and flutter with every minute of the clock that ticked by. She managed to keep her hands steady enough to apply her makeup, and once that was done, she stared at herself in the mirror. Did she look all right? Had there been too much of it? Did it all really go together or should she try to find something else in her closet?
Breathe. She closed her eyes and fought back her nervousness. She could handle this. It was just dinner and a movie with one of her best friends. It wasn't that much different from going out with the group. Except that it would just be her and Rocky, and he liked her, and she was more and more certain that she liked him, which made it a date, and that was enough to get her nervous and rattled all over again.
Headlights flashed outside the house, and Kat steeled herself not to jump. That was the way lights flashed whenever anyone came up to the house. She heard a car door slam, and slowly stood up. She had no idea where the last half hour had went, but it was over, which meant that Rocky was there, and it was time to get this date started.
Tanya met her before she'd went halfway down the hallway. "He's here," was all the other girl had to say. Kat nodded, her purse gripped lightly between her fingers, and every nerve she had on edge. It had seemed so simple the other day when she'd said yes. Now she hoped she wouldn't throw up out of simple nerves.
Rocky was in the living room, exchanging greetings with her parents. They'd all met before at one or other of the school functions, but this was a new situation. Mr. Hillard looked the tall teenager up and down calmly. "So what are you two going to be doing tonight?" was what Kat heard when she got close enough.
"We're going to have some dinner, and then see a movie. Maybe take in a quick walk before we come home, sir," Rocky said. Kat could hear a hint of nervousness, and wondered if all guys were like that before they took someone's daughter on a date. Her dating experience was a little limited, but she thought it wasn't that impossible. Dads made a habit of trying to intimidate their daughter's dates, after all. Especially her dad.
I'd better get in there. She didn't think he would do much to embarrass either of them, but better safe than sorry. She stepped into the living room and smiled warmly at Rocky. "Hey. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."
From the way Rocky stared at her, she thought at first Tanya was right: his brains had simply left his head. Then he smiled back at her. "No, you didn't. You look great, Kat. Wow."
"I want you home before eleven, Kat," Mr. Hillard said firmly. Kat nodded; not at all surprised. He wasn't the strictest father she'd ever heard of, but she'd known she'd have a curfew.
"That shouldn't be a problem," Rocky said. "Our movie starts at eight, so we can eat first, catch the movie, and have plenty of time for a quick walk before then."
Kat nodded quickly and started for the door. "I'll see you then, Dad. Later, Mom!" She waved to her mom, who was just finishing up the dinner dishes, and another wave at Tanya as the other stood at the end of the hall, watching her go. "See you, Tanya!"
Rocky held the car door open for Kat as she slid inside, then shut it after her, going around to the driver's side. Kat was quiet until they pulled out of the driveway and were part of the way down the road. "I hope he didn't make you uncomfortable or anything. He can be a little bit of a pest when I go on a date."
"If I had a daughter as beautiful as you are, I would be too," Rocky told her, a grin touching his lips. "I don't blame him. But it was okay. I've had a lot of dads act like that."
"A lot?" Kat turned a bit to look at him. "How many?"
It was just a little too dark for her to be certain of it, but she thought he might be blushing. He looked a little darker in the cheek area, at least. "Two or three, really. I mean, I guess it's not that many, now that I think about it." He paused. "I'm going to shut up now."
Kat laughed, noticing that she did that quite a bit with Rocky around. She liked that, too. She leaned back into the seat, looking forward to the rest of the night. "So where are we going to have dinner at?" He hadn't mentioned what place he had in mind yet, and she wondered where it might be. She'd dined here and there in Angel Grove since moving here, but there were always new places to see. At least three new restaurants had opened that she knew of, and she hadn't had a chance to eat at any of them yet.
"I was thinking about trying the Golden Ring. It just opened up last month, and I've heard really good things about it. Sound good to you?"
"Sure. Let's give it a shot." Kat liked trying new things, and she'd heard most of the same reports about the new restaurant that Rocky had, she was sure. The food there was inexpensive, tasty, and the whole place was a marvel of cleanliness and excellent customer service.
It wasn't that long of a drive to get there, and as they pulled into the parking lot, Kat was quite glad to see that it wasn't very crowded either. She had a distaste for crowds and noise that close to her. If they were at the distance of an audience, that was fine, but anything other than that, and all she could think of was ways to get out of there as quickly as possible.
She took a quick look at Rocky as she got out of the car, having been a little too distracted at her house to really see what he looked like tonight. He wasn't very dressed up, which had probably been a point in his favor where her father was concerned, but neither was he in blue jeans and a T-shirt. He wore dark blue slacks and a paler blue shirt, both of which looked absolutely gorgeous on him. She sighed a little in pleasure, both at the sight of him and at the wonderful scents she could tell were coming from the inside of the restaurant as they drew closer to it.
"Kat, before we get started, I just wanted to say...if I do anything to screw this up, I'm really, really sorry, in advance." Rocky almost seemed to peek at her in a little-boy sort of way that was immediately endearing. "I'm just not used to this kind of thing, and I've screwed up before. I don't want to do that now."
"Rocky, this isn't some kind of test. I'm not grading you on what happens, and you shouldn't be grading yourself. It doesn't matter what happens, as long as we have fun. Things have been great so far. Let's keep it like that, all right?" She reached down and caught his hand in hers, squeezing it as comfortingly as she could. He looked at her for a moment, then squeezed back.
"You're right. Come on, let's go have something to eat." He dropped her hand as they headed towards the door, and Kat spent the next ten minutes wondering if she would have liked it better if he'd kept hold of it, and the five after that wondering if she should've taken it back herself.
Rocky put down his fork and finished off the last of his drink with a content sigh. "That was awesome." He wasn't sure if he were talking about the food or the company, but it applied to both of them.
"Absolutely." Kat agreed, putting aside her own utensils. "This was a great place to come." She looked around a little, enjoying the atmosphere of the restaurant. It was decorated in soft blues and whites for the most part, with occasional touches of pale greens and reds here and there in appropriate places.
"Right." He stretched a little, feeling just that touch of uncomfortably full that meant he'd had enough to eat. He glanced down at his watch and blinked. "We'd better get going. The movie's going to start in about thirty minutes."
Kat winced a little; she'd seen how crowded the parking lot around the theater could get when there was a good movie playing. The one they were going to see was no exception at all. "Right." Almost before they could start to get up, their waitress headed over, their check ready.
"Was everything all right?" She asked, smiling warmly at them as she placed the check on the table between them.
"It was incredible." Rocky grinned at her. "This place is awesome. I'm going to be telling people about it."
"I'll be sure to tell the owner you said that." The waitress nodded politely before going off to answer a call from another table
Taking care of the check only took a short while, and soon they were back in the car and on the road to the theater. Kat watched the lights on the road and the stars in the sky equally, her mind comfortable and at peace. It was a feeling she'd seldom had since moving to Angel Grove, and she quite liked it whenever it happened. Even with her experiences, she wasn't certain why the forces of evil almost never bothered to attack at night, but at the moment, she wasn't in the mood to care. It meant she and Rocky were more than likely going to have a splendid evening without any Cogs jumping in to tear things up.
"What're you thinking about?" Rocky glanced at her for a moment before returning his gaze to the road. "You're pretty quiet over there." There was a hint of worry threading through his voice, and she smiled, finding it a little cute. He was so determined to make everything work right on this date.
"Just happy, and glad that everything's quiet tonight." She motioned briefly towards the sky and the moon visible briefly through a few clouds. Even though their enemies weren't exactly on the moon any longer, it made for an understandable shorthand.
Rocky nodded, a few faint tension lines fading as he did. "No argument there." He turned down towards the theater and started to carefully drive down the lanes, searching for an available parking spot. "I hope we can get in there tonight!"
"It is a Saturday night." Kat agreed. "It could be a little hard." She could see other cars moving up and down in the same search they were involved in. Then something caught her eye. "There!"
Rocky pulled up quickly as another car moved out and headed away. "Good eye, Kat. I might've missed that one."
"Thanks." She flushed a little at the compliment. It hadn't been that big of a deal.
The night was warm for early October, though the weather report had said it would turn cold later on in the evening. Kat wasn't quite sure if she believed it or not. This was California, after all. She'd seen weather do more than a few unusual things, and not all of them had been caused by someone wanting to take over the planet. She hadn't bothered to bring an extra jacket because of that. Even if it did turn a bit nippy, it shouldn't be that much of a problem for her.
Rocky shuddered a little at the sight of how many people were streaming into the theater. Maybe they weren't all going to see what they were, but it would still be a pain getting everything. A pain that was worth it, if it made Kat happy, but a pain, nonetheless. Better get moving. At least the movie was going to be good. He'd heard a lot of awesome things being discussed about it at lunch. He hoped it would live up to the rumors about it.
"So, what should we get?" He asked once they'd paid for the tickets and moved over to the refreshments line. He knew what he would get if he were by himself or with the group. He'd never taken a girl on a date to the movies, before. Why didn't this sort of thing come with a manual?
Calm down, he told himself. Things had been going great so far after all. He just needed to keep in mind what Kat had told him before they'd went into the restaurant earlier.
"Maybe share a large popcorn and drink?" Kat suggested, with a faint frown at the prices. They were different from what she remembered before coming here, but she could still tell they were higher than a lot of people would've wanted to pay. Still, it was a part of the experience.
Rocky checked his watch again; they only had about fifteen minutes until the movie was supposed to start. Which really meant they had between twenty and thirty, depending on how long the previews and everything else before it went. "All right."
Standing in a line, any line, is probably one of the more boring experiences that can crop up in a date, or in any situation whatsoever, really. Kat shifted nervously, her eyes flicking back and forth at all the people crossing this way and that around her. She shook her head a little; every now and then, ever since Rita had first cast her spell on her, she'd found herself reacting in odd ways that she could only describe as 'cat-like'. Fish, prepared in any sort of way, had become her favorite food. She liked high places where she could see around her more than anything else. Crowds made her twitchy and uneasy.
At least I still get along with animals pretty well. She was grateful for that much, at least, not changing about her. In some ways, she wondered if she got along better with them now. Sometimes she wondered what it would be like to still be able to change into a cat, to feel the coiled-spring strength of her muscles, to enjoy long lazy days in the sun...
"What kind of a soda do you want?" Kat blinked a little, shaking her head as she was pulled out of her thoughts. "Kat? You all right?"
"Yes, I was just thinking about something else, that's all." She smiled at Rocky, then remembered she'd been asked a question. They were at the front of the line already? She had been distracted. "Oh, anything's good, as long as it isn't diet." She kept herself in good enough shape so she didn't have to count every calorie so indulging like this was rather fun. Being on a date meant having fun, after all.
Rocky paid for the popcorn and soda and they went on into the theater. Kat shivered, goosebumps leaping up all over her arms. "Why are these places always so cold?"
"No idea." Rocky cursed to himself; he should've remembered to bring an extra jacket, just for something like this. And if the temperature outside did drop like the weatherman had said, then maybe they should rethink going for that walk. It wasn't bad enough to make being outside a pain, but he didn't want Kat to catch a chill or anything.
Finding a pair of empty seats was a little more challenging than locating the parking spot for the car had been, but they managed it. They weren't the best seats in the place, but they'd be able to see the movie. Kat settled down with Rocky on her right, as another shiver swept over her. "I should've brought a jacket or something."
"I was thinking the same thing." Rocky looked at her for a moment, then asked hesitantly, "Would you mind if I put my arm around you? At least until we get used to being in here?"
Kat blinked a little, surprised, then smiled a little. "I wouldn't mind. Go right ahead." She didn't know too many guys who would have asked instead of going on and doing it. Guess that's why I'm here with him and not them.
Rocky nervously started to reach his arm around her, moving as if he expected her to change her mind at any second. He kept his hand firmly on her shoulder once his arm was around her, not moving up or down by so much as an inch. She could almost hear the worries about whether this was acceptable or not flying through his mind, and leaned in a little towards him. It still wasn't all that warm, but she did feel a little less like freezing like this.
"Thanks, Kat," he said quietly after a few moments. "This feels really nice." The words didn't even begin to cover everything he wanted to say. He had no idea if there were any words that could express it all. They weren't his specialty, anyway.
"Yeah. Thanks to you, too." Kat wasn't that much better with expressing herself sometimes. But saying things wasn't always that necessary, she began to realize slowly. Sometimes you just had to feel them.
The lights began to go down a few minutes later, the curtains opened up, and the previews, in full light and deafening sound, began to play. By then, Kat was certain that she was adjusted enough to the theater that she didn't need Rocky's arm around her to feel comfortable. It was rather convenient to stay like that, though. She held onto their drink, while he held the popcorn, and they could both get to either one without that much of a problem.
It felt good to sit there with his arm around her, too. Better than she might've thought, if she'd thought about it at all, beforehand. This was simply comfortable.
Rocky knew he could stay warm even if he pulled his arm away from Kat's shoulders. He didn't do it, though. Yes, it was easy to get to the soda she held, but that was only an extra benefit. The real prize was holding her like that, knowing that she felt the same way, that there was no need to stay together like this, and doing it anyway. Some part of his mind gibbered insanely in glee, hardly able to grasp that all of this was happening. Another part simply accepted and reveled in the fact that it really was happening. He didn't argue with either one. All he wanted to do was enjoy the moment as long as he possibly could.
Kat shivered as they left the theater and wrapped her arms around herself. The temperature had dropped, just as the weatherman had said it would. She began to entertain thoughts of being curled up on her window seat, a mug of hot chocolate and a good book her only companions.
Well, maybe not quite the only ones. She took a quick look at Rocky. He might be nice to have there as well, or to go walking in the cold with, once they both had some kind of jacket. Or to do a lot of other things with.
"Do you still want to go on that walk?" Rocky turned and asked her as they worked their way through the parking lot back to his car. "I didn't think it was going to get quite this chilly." All things considered, the theater had probably been a bit worse, but in there, in the dark, they'd both been able to sit with their arms around each other and not worry about it. Out here, even though night had fallen, it wasn't quite the same thing, and they both were very well aware of it.
Kat thought about it, playing nervously with the straps on her purse as she did. "I'm not sure. It did seem like a good idea, but I'm a little more tired than I thought I'd be, and I really feel like I want a jacket or something. Or just to be in where it's warm."
"Yeah, I know how you feel." He glanced at his watch again and thought. They had just under an hour until Kat had to be home, and his own parents had indicated that he shouldn't be too much later than that when he came home. Maybe a walk really was a bad idea. On the other hand, he did have another idea. "How about a cup of coffee or something? I know a little place that stays open late."
She laughed, shaking her head, but not to turn him down. "You know a lot of places around here, don't you?"
"Well, when we lived in Stone Canyon, my dad used to drive me up here all the time, and I got to know things pretty well then. Once we transferred here and I could explore around more, I just started to find places." He shrugged casually. "I like traveling around. It makes me feel more at home, I guess."
"I know how you feel." She smiled a little. "So what is this little place you know?"
"It's called Drop On In. I know, it sounds cheesy, but they've got really good coffee, and some other things too. Want to give it a shot?"
Kat had never really been that fond of coffee, but the chance of getting some hot chocolate really appealed to her. They'd probably have that. She didn't know too many places offhand that wouldn't have it. "All right, that sounds good. Let's go."
The drive to the coffee shop didn't take all that long, and Kat marveled at how she'd missed this place with how close it was to some of the other places she'd been in town. It was on the corner of an intersection, perfectly visible to everyone, and yet exuded an air of being cozy and hidden at the same time. The entrance was well lit, and once they were inside, everything seemed as bright and warm as if it were the middle of summer.
"Wow. What a place." Kat was more than a little impressed. She was learning all kinds of new things on this date, and not all of them were about Rocky. "How'd you find it?"
Rocky flushed just a little. "I didn't, actually. I mean, I know I made it sound like it when I brought it up, and I do like to go around and find places, but I didn't find this one. Billy did. One of the girls he dated brought him here, and he told me about it." He tried to remember which one of them it had been and shrugged. Try as he might, all of those girls blended together after a while, since Billy never dated any of them more than three times. They'd usually broken up with him, not able to deal with him having to leave to fight while he was still the Blue Ranger. Has he had a date since he lost his powers? Rocky couldn't remember a single time off the top of his head. Maybe he should try to find someone for Billy.
That would be another time, though. Right here and now, he wanted to find a place with Kat and just sit and talk. He moved on into the room, spying a free table, and escorted her over there. "What do you want to drink?"
"Just some hot chocolate if they've got it," Kat told him, settling down into the cushioned chair. They had an excellent view of the parking lot, such as it was, and a part of downtown Angel Grove as well from there. She could sit there for a while, just watching people. If she didn't love the Youth Center so much, she might've even given thought to spending some of her homework time there.
As Rocky went over to the counter to order, Kat leaned back and closed her eyes for a moment, breathing deeply. Warmth wrapped all around her, and she found a yawn escaping her once or twice. If I'm not careful, I could fall asleep here.
"You're not that bored, are you?" Rocky came back over, looking at her worriedly. Kat shook her head.
"No, it's just so warm in here that after that, I'm yawning. I think I'm going to sleep in late tomorrow." That was the beauty of dating on a Saturday night. She could sleep in late. "Believe me, I am not bored at all." She couldn't have imagined being bored throughout any of this. The movie had been fascinating, the dinner had been great, and now a cup of hot chocolate with a guy she was really starting to like even more than she'd hoped she would was going to round off the evening.
"Good. I've really enjoyed tonight, Kat." He hesitated a little. "You think we could do this again sometime? I mean, we already talked about going swimming together, but I mean more than just that. Maybe go to the museum or something like that? Maybe the Japanese gardens...they're really great."
A smile played briefly across her lips. "Are you asking me on another date?"
"If you're saying yes to it, then I guess I am." He ducked his head, then looked up at her. "If you'd rather not, that's okay, too."
"I do want to, though. I'd like to see the gardens. I've heard a lot about them." It was true, Billy and Adam both had mentioned them in passing a few times. It seemed an old friend of Billy's family ran them. She'd never met him, but the chance to see something as reputedly beautiful as they were shouldn't ever be passed up, in her opinion. She leaned forward a little. "And I'd really like to see them with you." That, too, was every bit as true as anything else she'd said.
Rocky's familiar goofy grin began to spread across his face, and he leaned closer towards her as well. For a moment, time seemed to hang suspended between them, nothing and no one moving anywhere.
Then the waitress behind the counter called Rocky over to get their drinks, and whatever moment there was shattered and broke. Kat turned slightly to look out the window again, in hopes the sudden blush spreading across her cheeks would fade before Rocky got back.
He settled down in the chair opposite from her, and she couldn't tell if he were blushing anymore, or if he had at all. He placed her cup of hot chocolate in front of her and started to sip on his own coffee, each of them as quiet as they could be. She took a long drink, hissing slightly as the chocolate burned her tongue a little. That was what good hot chocolate was supposed to do at first, after all.
"Kat, I..." Rocky broke the silence suddenly. "Just now, I..."
"Don't worry about it," she told him quietly, a warm smile tracing her lips. "There'll be plenty of time for that. Some other time. No need to rush, right?"
He relaxed some, eyes warming in that way she was beginning to enjoy seeing. "Right. We've got time."
She sipped at her chocolate some more. They really did have time, and she was looking forward to spending that time with him. There was so much she could think of that they would be able to do together. All of it wouldn't be as perfect as tonight. Something like this only came once, after all. But it would be lovely in its own way.
Two cups of chocolate and coffee later, they were back outside, warmed from the drinks and feeling a little more armored against the cold, for the short time they had to be out in it. Tomorrow the weather would be back to its usual balminess, of course. Kat couldn't be too upset at the chill, though. It had brought with it some interesting side effects, after all.
"Do you want to try the gardens next weekend?" Rocky asked and opened the passenger door to his car for her.
"That sounds good to me." Kat agreed. "Maybe on Friday afternoon? Next Saturday, we could try swimming at the lake." She'd preferred the pool for diving, but for swimming, there was nothing like an actual lake, or even the ocean itself.
"If the weather doesn't try to do this on us again!" Rocky waved a hand to indicate the temperature drop, and she laughed. He closed the door politely, and hurried over to his side of the car. "Other than that, it sounds great."
"Then it's a date. It's two dates." Kat smiled warmly, and Rocky returned it just as warmly. He got the car started and pulled out of the parking lot, and set them on their way home. It still lacked ten minutes until eleven, and as much fun as Kat had had tonight, she was beginning to long for the warm comfort of her bed.
Rocky parked where he had earlier and looked at her. "Well, you're home."
Kat nodded, not sure at the moment what to say. Thanks just didn't seem appropriate, no matter how grateful she was. "I had a great time, Rocky. I really did."
"So did I." Rocky glanced towards her house, then back at her. "Come on, I'll walk you up to the door."
Together, they got out and started up there. Neither said anything. Words weren't needed anyway. Everything that needed to be said had been said for the most part. Anything else would just be something to fill the silence.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she said at last, smiling a touch nervously at him. He smiled back, just as nervously, and nodded before he turned away. She watched as he went back to his car and got in, and caught sight of him waving before he started it up. She waved back, and waited until he had driven out of sight before she went inside. There would be a lot of questions, from her parents and from Tanya, questions she didn't want to answer until she'd at least rested for a while. The corners of her lips turned up in a small smile as she thought about what it would be like to see Rocky again after this, both dating and just seeing him around.
There would be questions, and she wasn't sure if she'd always know the answers, but she did know how to reply to one of them, if it were ever asked: she did like him. Maybe she always would. She looked forward to finding out.
The End