ADVENTURES IN CHIVALRY
{A/N: This is a oneshot set after a series of oneshots by authoress lily Hanson ending with "Bad things come in threes" If you enjoy this post and my previous post "Closure" For the Kaylee series; you should go check out my original ranger series called "Enter the Legends". Thanks again and don't forget to R&R!}
Kaylee sure did have a way of scaring people, especially her boyfriend. Dustin was still living in Blue bay harbour as a sensei for the Wind Ninja Academy and so he couldn't always be with her in Reefside. He hated it and wished he could be with her but he had to make money somehow. He and Shane were already having a hard enough time paying the rent on their new shared apartment. It didn't help that one: Kaylee was on a new ranger team and he couldn't be there to watch her back; and two: being the girl she was, Kaylee was susceptible to somehow getting herself into unusual situations. It was just a talent she had.
So when Dustin found out about her little stunt where she just up and left the house in the middle of the night without her phone, he wanted to be there to help her through the repercussions. Then when he left not even a week later he found out she had gone and challenged the new boy's team soccer captain to a game of one on one just to prove a point and had fractured her knee. Naturally he wanted to be there when she got back out of the hospital.
So here he was at Kaylee and Tori's place waiting for his girlfriend to get home so he could take her out for the evening and get her away from the constant lecturing he was sure she had been receiving from everyone around her. All he could think about was how awesome a boyfriend he was being. Whether that was true was lost on him and all that seemed to matter was what he was thinking in his head.
~ADVENTURES IN CHIVALRY~
"Tori hurry up I want to get home that hospital was too...hospital-y and I want to...umm," Kaylee whined at her sister struggling to find the words she wanted.
"So you can what?" Tori asked hurrying her sister's sentence along.
"Sit on the couch and be a whale!"
"A whale?" Tori asked confused.
"Yeah, I want to eat a bunch of food and sit around watching TV."
"And why does that seem like fun to you?"
"I don't know it just does."
"You would think that," Tori mocked Kaylee under her breath.
The girls pulled up to their apartment building in Tori's van and Tori spotted Dustin's Bike which he had hidden in a bush so that he could surprise Kaylee with his visit. Thankfully for the two plotting the surprise, Kaylee was being far too...herself, to notice the bike sitting there.
"Tori, do we have any Ice cream in the apartment?" Kaylee asked Tori.
"I don't think sugar is the best idea for you right now and it really doesn't matter anyways because we don't have any."
"You're no fun!"
"How is this my fault? You were the one who ate the last tub all on your own!" Tori asked insulted.
"That is not the point," Kaylee told her sister as she got out of the van.
The girls made their way up the elevator. Normally they would have taken the stairs for the exercise but with Kaylee's fractured knee they figured this was a better alternative.
"This elevator music sucks. Tori change the station please," Kaylee asked her sister politely.
"Umm Kaylee this isn't a radio station I can't change the channel," She responded as she silently cursed the doctors for whatever meds they had given her.
"Then turn down the volume."
"I can't do that either just deal with it for a few more seconds."
"Fine, be that way Kira," Kaylee pouted.
"Kayl, I'm not Kira it's me Tori your sister."
"Oh hey Tor, where the hell did Kira go?" Kaylee asked confused
"Oh Dustin is going to have a blast tonight," Tori laughed to herself aloud. Luckily her younger sister was far too spaced out to take notice of this comment.
The girls stepped off the elevator and walked down the hall towards their apartment... well Kaylee was hobbling on her crutches, but that was only partially due to her injury. It was mostly her fighting through the haze created by the heavy painkillers they had given her.
The girls made it to their apartment and Tori opened the door and let Kaylee in. The young girl immediately spotted her boyfriend sitting in the living room.
"DUSTIN!" Kaylee shouted
"Hey Baby, how you feeling?" Dustin asked her.
"Dustin what are you doing here in New York?" Kaylee asked tilting her head.
"Meds?" Dustin asked turning to look at Tori. She just nodded as Kaylee attempted to run off into the living room, dropping her crutches to see her boyfriend. She only made it halfway there before tripping up and falling toward the couch. Thankfully Dustin was quick enough to react and catch her before she hit her head on something.
"Hey there, beautiful." Dustin chuckled at his heavily medicated girlfriend as he leaned in to kiss her.
"Hey to you too. Now let me sit down I can't feel my head right now."
Dustin helped her onto the couch so she could sit comfortably and there would be less of a chance of her hurting herself.
"So Tori would you mind if we hang here for a bit until the meds start to wear off?" Dustin asked his friend.
"No problem I wouldn't send you out with her like this." Tori responded.
"So aside from my girlfriend's usual antics what else is new you've been absent from Training the last few days and you should know that your students are hopeless without you." Dustin pointed out.
"Well same old same old" Tori laughed only to realise what Dustin had just told her about her students, "Wait, what do you mean?"
"Well Shane and I did not condone this but, yeah, a few of the other kids had fun with your students... if you catch my drift."
"Not surprise attacks and ninja pranks? Please tell me they didn't pull that stuff." Tori pleaded for Dustin to tell her what she wanted to hear. All the boy could do was lower his face and scratch the back head.
"Smoke bombs filled with sour cream?"
"Yep."
"Ninja Streak lunch steal?"
"Done."
"And..."
"Yep."
"And?"
"That too."
"Oh god not..."
"Yes Mam'."
"Okay now that is too cruel." Tori sulked.
"I know but look everyone goes through it at some point."
"What's too cruel?" Kaylee asked from her spot on the couch as she leaned her head on Dustin's shoulder.
"Companies that don't include batteries with their toys, Kaylee, that is what's cruel." Tori told her sister sarcastically.
"Oh yeah, I agree, because then you have to move your butt to get batteries and that sucks...hey does anyone else hear a random beeping noise?" Kaylee drifted from the subject.
"No I don't do you Tori?" Dustin asked trying to hear what Kaylee was hearing.
"Neither do I, it's just you Kayl Whale."
Kaylee leaned forward to grab the television remote sitting on the coffee table but slipped doing so and fell to the ground. Neither Dustin nor Tori were quick enough to catch her this time as she slipped to the floor landing on her butt.
"Ouch...The Hell, who's the wise guy who moved the table?" Kaylee asked leaning over to rub her rear end.
The other two could only sigh and shake their heads as they helped her up. Tori went to the kitchen to grab the phone and give Blake a call.
~ADVENTURES IN CHIVALRY~
"Hello?" The voice came in over the phone line.
"Hey Blake it's me I was wondering what you were up to tonight?"
"Ah man I'm sorry Tori I have a business dinner with some Factory Blue representatives maybe another time?"
"Okay fine I'll find something else to do."
"Sorry I'll make it up to you."
"It's fine don't worry."
"I'll talk to you later?"
"Yep."
"Bye then, I love you."
"Love you too."
With that the conversation ended. Now what was Tori to do? Blake was busy and so that door had closed up and her sister was being taken out to dinner. That's when a great idea hit her.
~ADVENTURES IN CHIVALRY~
"OH DUSTIN!" Tori sang walking back in to the living room
"You rang?" Dustin called in return.
"Would you mind if I tagged along this evening?" She asked blushing for being so imposing.
"Oh please feel free. I've got no problem with it."
"Thank you so much for letting me tag along, you are the best."
"No worries Tor, we're friends aren't we it will totally still be fun." Dustin comforted his friend who was obviously feeling guilty about impeding their date.
"Okay, so what did you have planned?" Tori asked him.
"Planned?" Dustin repeated.
"Yeah, you know go to dinner at like six thirty then catch a show at about quarter to eight, come back hang out for a bit..." Tori explained. Normally she would have listed hangout as make out time but it was her little sister and her friend and that was something she definitely didn't want to see tonight, or any other time for that matter.
"Yeah well you see me and Kaylee don't often "plan" dates," Dustin tried to explain to Tori.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Well, the thing is usually me and Drugsy bunny over here go out and wander the streets till' something unusual or fun catches our attention and then we try it. It helps keep things fresh you know?" Dustin elaborated.
"Then how the hell does she come back with a stuffed animal EVERYTIME you guys go out?" Tori asked completely confused.
"Its tradition and plus, usually the first place to catch our attention has a claw machine or something similar." Dustin simply stated.
"Then why don't you guys just plan to go somewhere with a claw machine?" Tori suggested.
"Because our way is more fun and less predictable." Dustin grinned at his former ranger teammate.
"Man, you two really do make a great couple." Tori sighed.
"Why thank you!"
"That wasn't a compliment"
"Sure sounded like one"
"I would shut up if I were you right now"
"Probably a good idea...Hey Kayl what are you watching?"
"Some kind of T.V show" The green Dino Ranger responded.
"Sounds good enough for me" Dustin stated turning his gaze away from the now glaring Tori.
~ADVENTURES IN CHIVALRY~
"Stupid Hunter and his Stupid dirt bike race. Stupid bike and stupid everything." Kira mumbled to herself as she turned up the radio in her mom's car trying to figure out what she should do for the evening. Hunter had a race as Kira was making evident in her mumbling rant. Conner had soccer, Trent was out of town, Cyberspace was closed for the night, and Ethan had some sort of convention. When she thought about it for a minute she realised Ethan was always at some sort of convention. She had no homework to do and so was now down to one option and one option only. Kaylee and Tori, the failsafe plan. The two of them were never busy. Kira could always count on her two best friends.
Kira pulled up to the apartment building that was home to her two most favourite people in the world – as she described them in her head. She failed to notice the bike sitting in the bush do to the fact that she was too caught up into the music she was blasting through her mom's car speakers.
Kira was happy when one of Kaylee's neighbours walked up to the door at the same time as her so that she wouldn't have to buzz the apartment to have Tori or Kaylee unlock for her.
"Now..." she thought aloud to herself as she got on the elevator.
"I can surprise them!" She exclaimed to herself smiling happily at her little plot.
Kira got off the elevator and skipped her way down the hall to Kaylee and Tori's apartment. She stood in front of the door with a giant grin, bouncing on her toes like an impatient little school girl. She brought her hand up in a little fist preparing herself to knock on the door, but just as she leaned her fist forward to knock on the door it swung open quickly and she was caught off balance and fell into the arms of Tori and Dustin.
"Holy Crap, Kira what are you doing here?" Tori exclaimed, still shocked at finding the Rockstar in her arms.
"Nice entrance," were the only words Dustin could muster.
"HEY KIRA, THAT'S WHERE YOU WENT!" Kaylee yelled to her friend.
"But...but...but...I was going too...And...Now...How did you guys..." Kira fumbled with her words.
"Kira just relax and tell us what's going on." Tori giggled at her friend.
"Well I was going to surprise you guys with a visit because everyone is busy and I don't want to hang out alone tonight." Kira explained regaining her composure.
"Well actually we were just heading out." Dustin told the younger girl.
"Damn! Wait hold up a minute...All three of you?" Kira asked spotting the unusual part of what Dustin had said, because it wasn't Tori's style to tag along on their dates.
"Yeah Tori doesn't have anyone else to hang out with tonight as well so she is tagging along with Kaylee and I," Dustin explained to Kira.
"Can I tag along too...please?" Kira asked trying to look as pathetic as she could.
"I don't see why not," Dustin said throwing his arms up.
"Awesome you guys are the best!" Kira said, pulling her friends into a hug.
"Hey, what about me?" Kaylee asked hobbling her way over to her friends.
"Come here Kayl," Dustin said pulling his girlfriend into the group.
~ADVENTURES IN CHIVALRY~
What am I getting myself into? was all Dustin could think to himself over and over in his head. He was never able to put together much of a coherent answer to the question though. All Dustin could do was hope and pray this date didn't turn in to one horribly drawn out awkward moment.
"So where are we headed?" Kira asked hopping into the back of Tori's van with Tori since Dustin insisted on driving.
"Don't ask him Kir, it's useless. Not even he knows where." Tori sighed shaking her head mockingly at Dustin.
"As odd as that sounds I'm not going to complain and try to enjoy the ride." Kira spoke.
"Hey guys, my head is feeling kind of funny." Kaylee announced as she poked at her head.
"That's just the medication wearing off don't worry." Tori explained to her sister.
"Good to know now, remind me again why you and Kira are coming on a date with me and Dustin? Because I have one thing to say...CLAIMED!" Kaylee shouted reaching over in her seat and wrapping her arms around her boyfriend. The poor girl had been too heavily drugged to really remember what had happened at the apartment.
"Kaylee he's all yours. Dirt really isn't my thing." Kira giggled.
"Yeah we just have nothing better to do so we are going to tag along and see what you two freaks call a "date"." Tori eased her sister's worries.
Kaylee giggled as she smiled and kissed her boyfriend on the cheek before settling back in to her seat.
~ADVENTURES IN CHIVALRY~
A half hour had passed and the big blue van was still wandering aimlessly in the streets of Reefside, looking for somewhere to eat. Tori and Kira were becoming impatient at Kaylee and Dustin's way of doing a date and were trying to see if they could speed up the process a bit.
"What about that place? It looks really nice," Tori pointed out a quaint looking bistro.
"Nah that place looks boring," Kaylee argued.
"What about there?" Kira pointed to a nice looking steak house.
"Too...Adult-y," Kaylee returned.
"It's like being with a three year old," Kira shook her head.
"Hey you two were the ones that asked to come along. Now shut up or I will take you guys home," Dustin scolded his friends.
"Dustin look! That place looks awesome!" Kaylee shouted pointing at a brightly coloured building.
"Bonzo's Chow Shack? You have got to be joking Kaylee!" Tori laughed hoping this really was a joke.
"No she is serious all right, they have an arcade and claw machines. Kaylee doesn't joke about claw machines," Dustin pointed out.
"Well at least we can eat I'm seriously getting really hungry," Kira stated.
~ADVENTURES IN CHIVALRY~
Welcome to Bonzo's Chow shack. Table for four?" The young server asked dressed in a clown costume.
"Yes please!" Kaylee answered excitedly.
"I can't believe I am actually eating here," Tori sulked.
"You will get used to it. Believe me I have," Dustin whispered to his friend, avoiding letting Kaylee know he really wasn't all to interested in eating here either.
The maitre D lead the four young adults to a booth where they found their menus waiting for them with all the balloons, cute cartoon animals and all the colours of the rainbow; it was blatantly obvious this was a restaurant for children. From their booths Kaylee and Dustin could see an arcade filled with all sorts of flashing games, screaming children, and sitting in the back like a king in all the glory of a Greek god, was a claw machine just waiting for someone to use the claw to access the denizens of prizes hidden inside.
"Dustin..." Kaylee murmured poking her boyfriend in the arm.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Dustin turned to Kaylee.
"Yes! Get up hurry, hurry, hurry!" Kaylee began poking harder.
"Okay, okay ouch stop I'm getting up," Dustin tried calming Kaylee down.
"Where are you two going?" Kira asked the two.
"Claw machine," Dustin simply stated.
"Oh can I come?" Kira asked excitedly.
"Sure."
"Well I'm not going to be the only one left at the table, so wait up," Tori called to them.
"Well hurry up, because your sister may be on crutches, but she is moving at Conner-like speeds right now." Kira chuckled.
"I'm hurrying."
~ADVENTURES IN CHIVALRY~
"Dustin hurry put another dollar in, I want that Green monkey!" Kaylee shouted at her boyfriend.
"But you've already tried twelve times! This isn't play till you win, this is expensive." Dustin tried to reason with the girl.
Kira and Tori just stood back and laughed at the young man who was trying his hardest to please his girlfriend despite what it was doing to his wallet.
"Come on baby, I've got you this time!" Kaylee taunted the machine. The claw came down and grabbed the toy and got a hold of its head slowly drawing it up but just as it was about to make it to the top the flimsy little claw dropped the toy; and as it did Dustin's head fell as he reached in to his pocket for another dollar.
"Oh you are so going down you stupid machine!" Kaylee cursed preparing for another attempt at getting the toy.
"Better make this one count kiddo because we're getting hungry," Kira warned Kaylee.
The claw began moving on Kaylee's command. She manoeuvred it to what she believed to be the perfect spot. After a few minor adjustments she hit the button to lower the claw. The claw grabbed the stuffed toy around the neck and lifted it up slowly out of the sea of stuffed animals. This time the claw was able to hold on and slowly moved towards the prize chute. The claw dropped the toy in successfully making Kaylee the proud owner of yet another stuffed animal toy.
"Yes! Take that machine; no claw machine can ever beat Kaylee Ann Hanson!" The girl cheered gleefully boasting about her success.
"Way to go genius. Now, let's go get some grub and get out of here the endless noise and lights is giving me a migraine," Tori groaned, poking fun at her younger sister
~ADVENTURES IN CHIVALRY~
Dustin, Kaylee and Tori had ordered one pizza to share, while Kira, being the vegetarian she was had a Caesar salad.
"You guys couldn't pick somewhere with a vegetarian menu could you?" Kira sulked.
"Oh stop complaining, vegetable. It's not our fault you don't eat meat," Kaylee commented, never taking her eyes off her monkey, which she was now cradling in her arms.
Kira just glared at the girl, "Do you want me to rip the head off that fourteen dollar monkey?" Kira asked her.
"NO! Keep Lima Bean out of this!" Kaylee shouted using her own body to protect the little toy from her angry friend.
"Lima bean?" Tori repeated making sure she had heard it properly.
"Yep, Lima Bean," Kaylee answered.
"You know Kayl, I'm almost certain there is some nut house out there that lost you a number of years ago and somehow you found your way to our house and ended up being raised by a normal family," Tori tried rationalising her sister's behaviour.
"Maybe, but until they find me you are the one that's stuck with me," Kaylee smiled.
Just as everyone took another bite of their food the waiter appeared out of nowhere.
"Are all your meals fine?" The waiter asked.
"MHHMMMM!" Was all anyone could muster for words before the waiter nodded and walked away.
"I hate when they do that." Tori commented, swallowing the last bite of her slice of pizza.
"I do too," Dustin agreed.
"Alright since there's no more pizza left and you seem to be done your salad Kira. I think I'll ask for the bill when I see the waiter." Dustin said.
"Good thinking." Kira responded.
~ADVENTURES IN CHIVALRY~
Dustin's jaw dropped when he saw the price on the restaurant bill. He tried carefully to keep the girls from seeing the look on his face but it was already too late as they looked up and asked him how much dinner was going to cost.
"Dustin are you okay?" Kaylee asked looking at his face.
"He looks like he's about to have a stroke... Let me see that cheque!" Tori reached for the dinner bill and Dustin attempted to pull away but Tori was too quick for him and she managed to rip it out of his hands.
"Holy crap fifty bucks for a pizza and Caesar salad?" Tori looked puzzled.
"Wow that is pretty steep. If you want, Dustin, we can pitch in and help pay." Kira comforted the boy.
"No it's okay I'm the one taking Kaylee on a date I do plan on upholding the traditions of chivalry." He responded solemnly.
"My ass it's okay! You and Shane are having enough trouble paying rent as it is. You are not paying for this on your own," Tori reasoned.
"No seriously its cool don't worry about it," Dustin grabbed the bill back from Tori as he pulled his wallet out of his pocket.
"You are out of your mind Brooks. You normally don't bring me and Tori along you shouldn't have to pay for us," Kira tried explaining.
"But you see this how I was raised. No woman whether I'm dating her or not should have to pay for their evening when they are with me. I've always stuck by those rules," Dustin explained putting the money with the check and handing it to the waiter as he walked by.
No one else bothered to argue with him any further and the four friends got back in Tori's van. They first dropped off Kira at home, and they then headed back to the apartment of the two Hanson sisters.
"I'll meet you up at the apartment Kayl. And thanks again Dustin," Tori walked into the building.
"No problem see you at work tomorrow Tori," Dustin waved as she walked off.
"That was really nice of you Dustin," Kaylee said drawing his attention.
"What was?"
"Letting them come along and even paying for them, you didn't have to do that," Kaylee explained. Dustin tried to respond but as soon as he opened his mouth she covered it with her hand. Dustin just pulled her into a hug. They kissed and said their goodbyes then Dustin grabbed his bike and blazed off into the distance. She smiled as she turned to walk up to the apartment with her crutches.
"That boy's heart is bigger than his brain. But that's fine by me," she said aloud disappearing behind the doors of her building.
~ADVENTURES IN CHIVALRY~
Dustin returned home and made his way up to his apartment. He walked in to find Shane on the couch playing video games.
"Hey dude how's it going?" Shane asked not tearing his eyes away from the screen.
"Pretty good man, look man I got to tell you something." Dustin began.
"What is it bro?" Shane asked pausing his game to look up at his friend.
"I'm going to be a little short on the rent this month dude." Dustin said rubbing his forehead.
"What? Why? What happened man?" Shane quizzed his friend.
"Well, you see..."