The Merriest of Christmases: Teen Chapter 3, a power rangers fanfic

Title: The Merriest of Christmases

Summary: Every year, during the week before Christmas the Rangers all get together to celebrate the holidays with each other. For seven years this has been their tradition, and for just as long Tommy and Kimberly have had a little tradition of their own. Unfortunately, this year brings confliction to their tradition, making them both wonder if the path they're going on is the right one.

Timeline: Takes place the year after Dino Thunder

Rating: T (a mature version to this story is being posted as well)

Chapter: 3/5

Original Posting Date: December 14, 2008

Monday, December 19, 2005

Tahoe City, CA

12:45 pm

Tommy emerged from his bedroom for the first time since waking thirty minutes ago and immediately headed for the stairs. After a long night of drinking and dancing at a club across state borders in Reno the night before, he was only just now getting this new day started. Fresh out of the shower he wore a pair of dark blue jeans and a hooded, forest green and orange University of Miami sweatshirt that Kimberly had given to him a few years back as he descended the steps in search of her and the others, if they were even still in the house at all.

His first instinct took him to the kitchen thinking that they might be eating breakfast, but then he found the room empty and remembered that it was the afternoon already. With a laugh he shook his head and started towards the game room which was empty as well, but not before snagging a water bottle from the refrigerator and an apple from the fruit bowl that sat atop the kitchen table.

Eventually he found his friends sitting in the living room watching a movie; most of his friends, anyway. The ladies, including Kimberly, were all conspicuously absent from the group. "Where are the girls?" asked Tommy, announcing his presence to them as he entered the room.

"They left about an hour ago," Billy answered, Tommy nodding. "Since Kim, Kat, and Tanya aren't going to be present for Trini's baby shower in January they all decided to have their own little celebration with her today. I believe that they were going out to lunch in town and then going shopping."

Tommy nodded. "Which means that with Kim there they're going to be gone for at least another three hours," he laughed, taking a seat in one of the three recliners spread out across the room as the others joined his laughter knowingly. "What are we watching?"

Raising an eyebrow, Jason turned to look at Tommy as if his old friend had just told him that the sky was actually purple instead of blue. "A guy in a black bat suit is using a cape to fly around a dark city," he replied, shaking his head. "What do you think we're watching, Tommy?"

Laughing, Tommy started to reply with a witty comeback only to be cut off by Zack who had picked up the remote control and put Batman Begins on pause. "So now that Tommy's here and the girls aren't, I think we should finish talking about the thing tonight."

"What thing?" asked Tommy, furrowing his brow.

Adam rolled his eyes. "Some bar on the south shore is having a karaoke competition tonight. Entry fee is fifty bucks and the winner takes home a guaranteed thousand dollars, possibly more depending on how many people actually end up entering. Zack seems to think we have a pretty good chance at winning if we go Alpha Phi Kappa."

Tommy shook his head defiantly. "Nope; not happening. There is no way in Hell that I am going to relive that night. It was a one time thing that I did under the influence of multiple alcoholic beverages on Halloween to impress a bunch of dumb sorority girls and it is never going to happen again."

"Oh, come on, Tommy," said Rocky, chuckling. "If I remember right that ended up being a damn good night for all of us. And whether you're willing to admit it or not, we all know how much fun you had doing it."

Billy cleared his throat. "Um, excuse me, but I still haven't been fully informed as to the details of what you're presently discussing," he interjected, five heads turning to him as he rolled his eyes. "I said that I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

"Oh," Jason murmured, nodding as he remembered that Billy had been on Aquitar when the event they were discussing had occurred. Still, he didn't continue speaking until Billy shot a glare his way. From there, Jason started to tell the story and pretty soon the others were all jumping in as well, filling in their own personal remembrances of that night as they all roared with laughter at the memories.

"You guys actually did that?" asked Billy, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Oh yeah!" Rocky answered, jokingly slapping Adam's arm from across the couch. "Remember that girl, bro? The one who came up to us afterwards and said she wanted to do all five of us at the same time?"

Shaking his head, Adam let out a quiet laugh. "Don't remind me, man. All I remember is thinking that Tanya was going to somehow magically appear from across the country, drag me out of that sorority house and kick my ass right there on the front lawn in front of everyone."

"Ahh, the good old days," Rocky muttered, folding his hands behind his head as he laid back against the couch.

"So are we going to do this or what?" asked Zack, looking around at his friends. "Billy, we could always use a sixth member, man."

"Having a sixth member would require having five members in the first place, bro," Tommy interjected, narrowing his eyes at Zack. "What makes you think that the rest of us are all willing to do it?"

Zack shrugged. "Because Jase, Rocko, Adam, and I have already agreed to do it; because it'll be fun; because the girls will all be impressed and everyone here knows that good things have a tendency to happen when the girls are impressed."

While the rest of the group laughed their agreement, Tommy rubbed the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger and sighed. "I really have no desire to do this again, guys."

Rocky scoffed. "Come on, Tommy," he practically whined. "You'll do a striptease while snowboarding down a mountain but you won't get on stage for five minutes and sing karaoke with your boys in front of a bunch of people you'll probably never even see again?"

Tommy furrowed his brow, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Well, when you put it that way," he muttered, Rocky's retort giving him little wiggle room to escape. "Alright, I'll do it. But if we're really going to do this, we're going to do it the right way. Do any of you guys have a copy of the song?"

Four hands—those belonging to the embarrassed forms of Adam, Jason, Rocky, and Zack—all went into the air at the exact same time, causing Tommy to shake his head. "Alright then; Jase, why don't you go get the song while the rest of us clear this stuff out. Billy, do you want in on this one?"

With Jason slipping out through the door behind the couch, the first Blue Ranger wore a look that was almost horrified as he shook his head vehemently. "Absolutely not, Tommy," he answered, chuckling. "I'm more than happy to sit with the girls and be amused while you all embarrass yourselves onstage."

Rocky rolled his eyes. "Thanks for all of the encouragement, Billy-man."

"You're most welcome, Rocky," Billy replied, smiling and nodding.

"Alright," said Tommy, standing up and clapping his hands together. "Let's get some of this stuff moved out of the way so we can get down to business. Which reminds me; do you all have tank tops and dress shirts that match your Ranger colors?"

Adam nodded as he and Tommy moved to lift the larger of the two couches. "We already talked about that. I think Rocky's gonna go with blue and I'm gonna do green so that we're not wearing the same colors as Jason and Zack."

"Good call," Tommy replied, carrying the couch to the far back corner of the room. By the time they'd finished moved the two couches, three recliners, and the coffee table Jason had just returned with his iPod and a portable dock in one hand and a fistful of clothes in the other.

"Here you go, bro," said Jason, tossing a pair of basketball shorts to Tommy. As he and Zack were already wearing sweats, Jason had grabbed some extra shorts for Adam, Rocky, and Tommy that way they didn't have to waste more time while they went upstairs to change.

Snatching the black shorts out of the air, Tommy looked at them and nodded. "Cool, man; thanks," he replied.

Unbuttoning his jeans he pulled down his pants and shamelessly started to change into the shorts, momentarily leaving the living room looking like a locker room as Adam and Rocky did the same. Jason just laughed, shaking his head as he walked across the room to get the iPod all set up.

Once the music had been prepared and everyone was in more flexible attire, the group sans Billy who watched from afar reconvened at the center of the room. Immediately they started to spread out, and as they took up their familiar positions Tommy, standing at the center of the group, turned his head to Billy.

"Can you hit the play button on the iPod, bro?" asked Tommy, Billy nodding as he walked towards the device and the dock it rested in. Hanging his head, Tommy signaled for the others to do the same which they did just as the music started to play. "Alright, from the top let's do it," he continued in a singsong tone.

Every ounce of shame Tommy had fled his body from the moment they started singing. For nearly two and a half hours they went over their old routine, rehearsing until they could barely even stand on their own two feet. As soon as he'd agreed to do this Tommy had gone into leader mode, his own competitive spirit coming out in his desire to win the contest and so he pushed them; maybe a little too hard considering the nature of the contest, but the others all understood and honestly wanted to win just as badly.

Again, Tommy didn't care about the prize money. But after Kimberly had so thoroughly whooped him at Guitar Hero the day before he was determined not to lose a competition for the second time in a row.

They'd just finished the song for what had to be the twentieth time when they heard the front door creak open. "Boys, we're home!" Kimberly and Katherine called out in unison. "Where are you?" Kimberly continued.

"Living room!" Tommy yelled back, quickly looking around at his friends as he rushed to turn off the music before the song could start repeating itself again. "We were sparring, okay?"

The guys all nodded their understanding just as their six significant others entered the living room carrying an ungodly amount of bags from their shopping excursion. Seeing five of the six men covered in sweat and the furniture all pushed aside, Tanya looked at Adam with a curious expression. "What are you guys doing in here?" she laughed.

"Sparring!" all six men chorused in perfect unison, so obviously covering for what they had actually been up to.

None of the girls believed their men for a second, but it wasn't like they could just call them out on it with no real proof. "You guys are terrible liars," Aisha teasingly scoffed as she turned for the kitchen with a shake of her head.

"Seriously; that was clearly rehearsed," added Trini, laughing as she followed after Aisha.

Without saying a word Rocky and Billy hurried to catch up with them. And when Angela and Tanya left as well, Zack and Adam did the same thing, leaving Jason, Katherine, Tommy, and Kimberly alone in the living room.

"So what were you guys really doing in here?" asked Kimberly, walking over to where Tommy stood near Jason. He opened his arms for a hug but pushed his chest in rejection, giggling when he started chasing her around the room in a Frankenstein-esque pose. "Eww, get away from me; you're all sweaty and gross!"

"Come on, Kim, you're wearing a jacket. You won't even feel it," Tommy pleaded, giving up as he turned back to where Jason and Katherine were standing side by side and laughing. "See what I have to deal with?"

Katherine frowned. "Aww, is wittle Tommy not feeling loved enough?" she countered sarcastically, Tommy rolling his eyes at his former girlfriend. "Roll them again and I'm pulling them right out of the sockets. Is that understood, mister?"

Tommy looked at Katherine and for the briefest of moments thought about sneering at her. Then he thought better of it, swallowed hard, and nodded his head sheepishly.

"Ouch, burned by the cat lady!" said Kimberly, laughing as she wrapped her arms around Tommy's waist from behind, giving him the hug that he was looking for. "There, now go get cleaned up."

"Why?" asked Tommy, turning around in her arms to face her.

Kimberly smiled. "Because we drove out to South Lake, saw an outdoor ice skating rink, and want to go ice skating," she answered, giving him her best pouted lips and puppy dog eyes. "You wouldn't say no to your Beautiful, would you Tommy?"

Chuckling, Tommy shook his head. "We can go ice skating," he replied, Kimberly beaming happily as she accepted his offered kiss. "But we have to be at Turn 3 by nine thirty, okay?"

"The sports bar in South Lake?" questioned Kimberly as Tommy nodded. "What's out there?"

"It's a surprise," Jason interjected quickly, just in case. "You'll have to wait and see, but we can promise you that it will definitely be worth it when you do," he continued, turning to Tommy and smiling. "Oh, and by the way…you are so whipped, bro."

Tommy opened his mouth for a retort, but Kimberly came to his defense before he could get a single word out. "Look who's talking, Mr. I-Think-I'm-a-Macho-Man," she interjected, waving her hand flippantly at Jason. "Did Kat ask you to go, Jase? Nope. You know why? Because she doesn't have to. I mean, what's the point in wasting her breath when she already knows that you're going to say yes to whatever she says, anyway?"

"Ouch, burned by the short lady," Katherine hissed in Jason's ear to his dismay.

"Whatever," Jason grumbled, folding his arms across his chest defiantly.

Shaking his head, Tommy let out a half-hearted chuckle. "Alright, since this conversation is clearly moving on the fast track to Nowheresville I'm going to go take a shower and get changed. I'll see you guys in a few," he informed his nodding friends as he turned towards Kimberly. "You coming?"

"Mmm, I hope so," Kimberly whispered so only he could hear her reply.

Craning sideways to look at her, Tommy just smiled as he bent down to pick up his jeans.

Monday, December 19, 2005

South Lake Tahoe, CA

4:15 pm

With the arm of his black parka draped around Kimberly's shoulder and her pink gloved hand resting in the back pocket of his matching ski pants, Tommy smiled as he whispered sweet nothings in her ear, pecking a kiss to the side of the white stocking cap covering her head as he guided them towards a long wooden bench that was one of many surrounding the perimeter of the ice skating rink.

Behind them followed the rest of the group who took up seats along the bench as well, all of them but Billy and Trini carrying rented pairs of ice skates in various colors. Again, it was an activity that was potentially dangerous to the well being of their unborn child, and again Billy was sitting out to keep his wife company. The only reason they hadn't stayed behind was because the others weren't coming back to the house before going to the sports bar where the karaoke competition was being held.

"Man, I haven't ice skated in years," said Rocky, his breath a cloud of steam in the atmosphere as he started to untie his tan work boots.

"Me neither," Kimberly replied, pulling the tiny left skate over her foot. "The last time I did this was like three years ago. I'm probably going to wipe out on my ass within the first five minutes of being out on the ice."

Bent over as he worked on tying his skates, Tommy gently leaned into her side when she said that. "Don't worry, Beautiful," he whispered, barely brushing the knuckle side of his right hand against her thigh. "I'll be right there to pick you back up if you fall."

Kimberly smiled sweetly. "Thanks," she murmured as she carefully pushed herself onto her feet and then reached out for his hands. "Okay, up you go, Handsome," she continued, pulling him up with her before turning to the first Yellow Ranger she had served with. "Tri, can you watch the shoes for us, please?"

Wrapped warmly in Billy's embrace as she nursed the Styrofoam cup in her gloved hands filled with steaming hot cocoa, Trini looked at Kimberly and smiled softly. "Sure thing, Kim," she answered, nodding.

"Thanks, Tri," said Kimberly, slipping her hand into Tommy's. "See you out on the ice, guys."

Taking short, careful steps on the blades of their skates Tommy and Kimberly walked hand-in-hand towards the rink's entrance, coming to a stop just inches in front of the ice. "You ready to go?" asked Tommy, his voice soft in a way that had Kimberly clinging to his every word.

"Mmhmm," was her simple answer, squeezing Tommy's hand as they slowly stepped out onto the shimmering ice. They pushed with their skates in unison and then they were off, gliding smoothly around the inner perimeter of the rink along with a dozen or so other patrons. "So are you going to tell me what you and the rest of the guys are up to tonight, or what?"

Tommy laughed. "Nope," he replied, shaking his head even as Kimberly gave him a look that told him he should give serious consideration to rethinking his answer. "Kim, I'm not going to tell you now and ruin the surprise. Trust me, when you actually see what we're doing for yourself, up close and personal, you're going to be extremely happy that I didn't say anything to you beforehand."

Kimberly rolled her eyes. "I think you should tell me just because you forced me to have a sexless morning by choosing to sleep in until noon."

"You're really not going to give up until I tell you, are you?" asked Tommy rhetorically, Kimberly smiling as she shook her head. "Then I guess you're going to be in for a disappointing next couple of hours."

"Fine, have it your way. I'm sure Palmela Handerson and her five friends will be glad to keep you company tonight," said Kimberly, looking at Tommy defiantly in a way that dared him to call her bluff.

With narrowed eyes Tommy raised a curious eyebrow at her. "You wouldn't…" he started.

"Oh yeah?" questioned Kimberly, swinging their arms back and forth as they skated. "And what makes you so sure of that?"

Looking hard at her, Tommy did not immediately reply. Instead he relinquished his hold on her hand and moved his hand to the small of her back, guiding her to the wall surrounding the rink. Rather quickly Kimberly found herself trapped between Tommy in front of her and the wall behind her. Gazing deeply into her eyes, Tommy slowly removed his glove and raised the back of his hand to her cheek.

"Because when I touch you I can feel you tremble," Tommy murmured, Kimberly trying to remain defiant even as her body betrayed her mind. And then he kissed her, briefly but with passionate intent. "Because when we kiss I know you've never kissed another guy the same way that you kiss me."

Kimberly squeezed her eyes shut tightly. "Being with you is like a drug," she admitted in a whisper, slowly allowing her eyes to flutter open and meet his. "You're the last thing on my mind when I go to sleep at night and the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning. It scares me to know how badly I need you in my life."

Tommy smiled as he reached out and tilted her chin, tenderly kissing her lips. "I love you, Kim."

"I love you too, Tommy," Kimberly replied, hugging him for a few silent moments.

Pushing back a bit, Tommy's hand drifted down until he was holding Kimberly's once more. "Come on," he said softly, tugging her back into the moderately-sized stream of people that were currently circling the rink. "You know," he continued, maintaining his hold on her hand as he raised her arm up and over her head until his own arm was around her shoulder, "I think this is a place I'd like to live when I retire."

"Really?" asked Kimberly, leaning into his embrace.

"Yeah," Tommy answered, smiling down at her as he pecked a kiss to her cheek. "I mean, it's beautiful all year round, the weather is never bad enough to be intolerable regardless of the season, and plus I've kind of always had a thing for the small town atmosphere."

Kimberly chuckled as she laid the side of her head against his arm. "Yeah, it's definitely a pretty little area that's for sure," she replied quietly, silently imagining where she wanted her future to go. "I guess I could see myself living here."

"By yourself?" questioned Tommy with a curious expression simply because he needed to test the waters. Never one for the spotlight, he craved her approval in ways that he couldn't even begin to explain. She was his only weakness. His Kryptonite; the one thing in his life that had the power to seize control over everything that he was as a man.

"Maybe," Kimberly whispered, looking into his eyes. "Or with someone special."

Smiling, as he closed his eyes Tommy could only hope that that someone special turned out to be him. He knew that he was in love with Kimberly, and even more certain that he would never love any other woman as much as he loved her because just the mere thought of life without her left his heart stinging painfully.

"So what are you doing for the holidays?" asked Tommy, giving her hand a squeeze. "After this and all, I mean. Are you getting together with your family or anything like that?"

His question left Kimberly flinching briefly before she regained her composure and sighed with a shake of her head. "No," she answered, almost sadly. "We all live so far apart now that with taking this trip I couldn't afford to leave my school alone long enough to take another extended vacation like I'd have to."

Tommy smiled as he looked down at her. "What about a short one?"

"What do you mean?" asked Kimberly, furrowing her brow in confusion.

The former leader of the Power Rangers shrugged. "I dunno," he mumbled. "I was just thinking since you don't have any other plans that maybe you might like to spend Christmas with me and my family in Angel Grove. No one should be alone on Christmas and I know my that parents would love to see you again. Every time we talk they always ask me how you're doing. And I'm only going for a few days so it's not like you'd have to leave your school alone for very much longer."

Kimberly was so taken aback by his offer that she didn't immediately know what to say. She just looked into his eyes for the longest time, trying desperately to gather her jumbled thoughts into something that remotely resembled coherency. Her head said no, but her heart said yes. What was it that Tommy had said to her in his room on the first day of the trip?

"Most people are too afraid to listen to their hearts, but you do it enough for all of us. It's something I've always admired about you."

Oh yeah, that. She'd be nothing more than a common hypocrite if she ignored the calling of her heart now.

"I'd love to, Tommy," she murmured, craning her neck for a kiss that Tommy gave to her more than willingly. "But before I can commit for sure I need to call my school and make sure my instructors aren't going crazy without me there."

Tommy smiled and nodded understandingly. "Of course," he replied, rubbing her arm as she slipped her hand into his back pocket. Moments later something else that he had said popped into her head.

"Your parents really ask about me?" she questioned, Tommy nodding.

"Oh yeah," he answered with a chuckle. "My mom's always trying to get me to convince you to fly out for more than just this week so they can see you. Of the girlfriends who've made it home to meet mom and dad you were always their favorite."

Kimberly couldn't help but to smile at that as she leaned further into his embrace. "I love your parents," she replied, losing herself in Tommy's eyes. "They were always so warm to me. I just can't believe they still like me after what I did to you."

Tommy laughed. "That was a long time ago, Kim," he reminded her. "Even when it had just happened they were never mad at you. They understood that the decision you made was one you needed to make for yourself. Besides, we were only sixteen back then. How many parents honestly think that their son is going to be with his first high school girlfriend forever?"

Shaking her head, Kimberly knew she couldn't argue with that. Despite the deep seeded feelings that they had held for each other in high school, the odds of them being anything more than a typical teenage romance had never been their favor.

"You know, I think I'm going to go with you regardless. It'd be nice to see your parents after all these years," said Kimberly, gazing deeply into his eyes. "And I'm not going to complain about being able to spend a few more days with you, either."

Tommy just smiled as they continued to skate laps around the rink. Soon enough, though, as it started to grow dark it became time for the rink to close and the group was inevitably forced to leave. Surrounded by their friends, Tommy and Kimberly walked hand-in-hand through the parking lot towards his and Jason's vehicles.

"So where are we going from here?" asked Katherine as a general question, one that was directed specifically to her male friends who were taking the reins on the remainder of the evening's events.

"We still have a couple hours before we need to be where we're going," said Zack cryptically. "Why don't we go grab a bite to eat or something?"

Rocky grinned widely as he clasped Zack on the shoulder. "You read my mind, man."

The whole group laughed at that, and after a quick discussion on what they wanted for dinner they were off. Adam and Tanya rode with Tommy and Kimberly in Tommy's Jeep while everyone else rode in Jason's oversized Suburban, driving to their next destination on a night that was only just getting started.

Monday, December 19, 2005

Turn 3 Sports Bar

South Lake Tahoe, CA

8:30 pm

Standing in the men's restroom, Tommy gripped the edge of the granite sink counter as he looked himself in the mirror while feeling like the biggest idiot on the planet. He could see the goofy, lopsided grins of his friends standing behind him which only made him feel like more of an idiot for what he was about to do.

"Give me the damn shirt," Tommy grumbled, rolling his eyes when he saw the reflection of Jason pumping his fist victoriously. Not even bothering to turn around, he reached back and waited until he felt the garment in his hand before raising it in front of his face and studying it with a shake of his head. "This is easily one of the stupidest things I have ever done."

"It's also going to be one of the funniest things you've ever done," said Zack, laughing when Tommy shot him a glare in the mirror as he started to disrobe.

Ski pants, parka, and sweatshirt all came off to reveal Tommy standing there in jeans and a thin white tank top. He handed Jason his clothes which were then stuffed into a duffel bag with the rest of their outerwear, kicking himself for agreeing to do this as he slipped into a white, long sleeved dress shirt. To match his friends who were wearing similar shirts in their various Ranger colors, the garment was left un-tucked and the top three buttons undone to reveal the hard planes of his pectoral muscles.

"Are we really going to go through with this, guys?" asked Tommy, slowly turning around to face his friends.

Adam, Jason, Rocky, and Zack were all smiles as they nodded their confirmation, in turn causing Tommy to sigh deeply. "Oh, get over it, Tommy. Don't be such a drama queen," Rocky replied with a chuckle. "As soon as we're done you're going to be glad that you did this. And like Zack mentioned earlier, the girls are going to love it."

Tommy scoffed. "I don't doubt that, Rocky. I'm more worried about my ability to love myself once this is all said and done."

"Then don't do it, man. No one's forcing you to do anything you don't want to do," Jason interjected, frustration evident in his voice. "We're going to do it no matter what, but the more you bitch about it the less fun you're making it for the rest of us. Don't ruin our fun just because your little mangina is sore."

"My mangina?" questioned Tommy, laughing as Jason nodded. The former White Ranger knew what his old friend was trying to do, playing to that part of him that yearned to be the best at everything he did. And though he knew exactly what Jason was doing that didn't prevent it from working to absolute perfection. "Alright, you know what? I'm doing it. And you know why?" he continued, the others shaking their heads as he backpedaled towards the exit while tapping his chest with both hands. "Because I'm the lead singer of the band, bitches!"

With that Tommy let out a whoop and spun on his heels, pushing the door open as he left in search of Kimberly. Unfortunately, Turn 3 was a fairly large establishment and finding her wasn't as easy as he'd hoped. There was a room with pool tables, dart boards, classic pinball machines and plasma televisions on the wall, but she wasn't there. Nor was she near the bar or the restaurant areas.

When he finally found her she was sitting with the other women, huddled around one of many circular tables that fronted the stage where the karaoke competition would be taking place in a few minutes. It was clear to Tommy almost as soon as he started walking towards them that their current conversation was one intended to be discreet, so he at least gave the courtesy of clearing his throat to announce his presence once he was within earshot of their table.

"Oh, hey Tommy," said Kimberly, smiling as he moved to stand behind her with a hand on each of her shoulders.

"Hey, Beautiful," Tommy replied, pecking a kiss to her cheek that earned him approving smiles from the other women.

"Where's everyone else?" asked Katherine, sipping a Cosmopolitan.

Looking over his shoulder, Tommy turned back to Katherine and shrugged. "I don't know to be honest with you," he answered, chuckling. "I'm sure they're around here somewhere, though. Probably getting drinks or something."

"They're they are," Trini interjected a few moments later, pointing behind Tommy to where the five remaining males were entering the room. Judging by the glasses that they were all carrying, two in Jason's case, it seemed Tommy had been right in assuming they had made a pit stop at the bar.

Walking up to his friend, Jason smiled as he offered the glass to Tommy. "Little liquid courage for you there, Mr. Lead Singer."

Kimberly furrowed her brow at that. "Lead singer?" she asked as Tommy took the glass with a murmured thank you.

"Inside joke. You know, since he was the leader of the team and everything," Zack answered with a laugh and a wink, distracting the girls while Adam jammed his elbow discreetly into Jason's side.

Before anyone could question this further the lights suddenly went off and a single spotlight appeared on the stage as a decent sized group of people, started making their way over to see what was happening, most of them locals in their twenties with a few tourists aged across the board splashed in here and there. As the club manager walked out onto the stage in jeans and a black polo, a microphone in hand to address the crowd and inform them of what was happening this evening, the former male Rangers all shared smiles that their significant others could not see.

So perfect had their timing been that the girls hadn't even had time to question the fact that all of the guys except for Billy had changed into outfits that were oddly quite similar if one looked passed the obvious color differences. Taking up seats at the table next to the girls the guys all turned to meet the eyes of their significant others, both tables waiting to see who would make the first move.

In the end it was Tommy, Jason, and Billy who walked over to the other table with drinks in hand, and as soon as they had done so Aisha, Angela, and Tanya and all got up to go to the table where Adam, Rocky, and Zack were still sitting. Taking the now empty seat next to Kimberly, Tommy looked over at her to find her staring back at him in disbelief.

"You guys are really doing karaoke?" asked Kimberly, raising a curious eyebrow.

Tommy laughed. "Of course not," he scoffed, shaking his head. "For as long as we've known each other, do you really think I'm the type of guy who's going to get up on stage and make an ass out of myself like that?"

Kimberly smiled, having no room to really argue with that. "No, I guess not," she murmured, scooting in close to Tommy as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, settling in as the first performer stepped onto the stage.

From the moment he set eyes on the visibly drunk man walking onto the stage, Jason found himself unable to prevent the laughter he tried so hard to stifle from bursting out. The man was in his mid-forties, dressed to the nines in full cowboy attire with a gut the size of four fully inflated basketballs hanging over the waistband of jeans that were at least a size too small.

Almost instantly an embarrassed Katherine threw her hand over her husband's mouth and held it here. "Jason Lee Scott, you calm yourself right this instant," the pretty Aussie hissed into his ear. "You have no right to laugh at that man. At least he has the balls to get up there and do it."

Jason almost started to defend himself but was silenced when he felt both Billy and Tommy kick his shins beneath the table.

Unfortunately, as soon as the man started to belt out his rendition of the Garth Brooks' classic "Friends In Low Places" Katherine was laughing right along with her husband and the rest of their table. It was so terribly off key, the man's voice cracking at least a dozen times throughout the song. Hell, he'd even hiccupped a few times during the first chorus.

"Man, I think even I could sing better than that," Tommy whispered to the others as the man walked off the stage to a handful of courtesy claps.

Kimberly raised an eyebrow at that. "Oh you think so, huh?" she questioned, Tommy smiling as he nodded. "It's not as easy as it looks, you know. Everyone thinks they sound good when they're singing in the car or shower, but it's hard to get on a stage and do it in front of a crowd no matter how big or small it is."

Tommy shrugged noncommittally. "Eh, I still think that I could do it," he replied, Kimberly rolling her eyes.

"Then stop talking about it and go sign up," said Kimberly, calling his bluff.

"I'll do it if you do it," Tommy countered, trying not to smile as he worked on baiting Kimberly. His goal was to get her to agree to another competition, one that he was certain he'd win despite her talents as a musician simply because he'd practiced with the others for so long.

Narrowing her glare, Kimberly eyed him carefully. "Is that a challenge?"

"It is," Tommy answered, grinning as she began to nibble on the bait.

"And what are the stakes?" Kimberly questioned, winking because she already knew what Tommy's answer was going to be.

"Same as yesterday," he murmured, gently kissing the nape of her neck.

"You're on," said Kimberly, sealing their deal with a firm handshake as Tommy rose from his seat.

"I'll go sign us up."

For the briefest of moments Kimberly flinched, but she quickly recovered before Tommy took notice. "Oh, um, you don't have to do that," she replied, hoping he didn't question her. "I'm going to get up in a minute to use the bathroom, so I'll just sign myself up when I do."

Tommy furrowed his brow but did not argue, shrugging as he walked off to sign he and the guys up for the contest with ten dollars from each of them in his pants pocket to take care of the entry fee. It wasn't until he found the signup line that he realized how big of a contest this really was. There were at least fifteen people ahead of him waiting to register when he stepped in line, and close to that same amount behind him when he'd finally exited the line after putting their names on the list some fifteen minutes later.

As he walked back to their table following a stop at the bar, Tommy couldn't help but to feel some doubt over their ability to win the competition. Seeing as how there was going to be at least forty people singing, if not more, he was almost certain there'd be at least one person on the list who could outdo one guy with a great singing voice—Zack—and four whose voices were, well, not so great.

"So when are you singing for us, hotshot?" Kimberly teased as Tommy returned to his seat beside her.

Tommy winked. "Last," he replied, smiling victoriously. "The lady doing signups was kind of cute and after a few minutes of flirting I got her to put me at the end of the list."

Kimberly wore a confused expression, not really sure why he'd be so happy about going last, but she chose not to question it. Instead she just smiled softly, curling up against Tommy's side when he put his arm around her.

For nearly two hours they all sat around, drinking and watching karaoke, Tommy doing a bit more of the former because if he was going to embarrass himself tonight he really had no desire to remember it in the morning. A few of the singers throughout the night were exceptional, but most of them were simply downright terrible.

Never in his twenty-eight years on Earth had Tommy wanted to end his own life more than when some drunk college kid tried to sing Aerosmith's "Walk This Way," a terrible four minutes that saw Tommy cringe each and every time the kid tried to hit one of Steven Tyler's wailing high notes.

By the time the competition started to reach it's end Kimberly had yet to sing and Tommy had developed the most perfect buzz imaginable, one that would allow his body to function properly while still being able to claim drunken stupidity for what they were about to do. While the young lady who'd just performed an old Christina Aguilera song fairly decently walked off the stage, the manager walked back on as the guys all shared an anticipatory look with one another.

"And now, let me introduce to you the final act in tonight's winner-take-all karaoke competition where the prize is over fifteen-hundred dollars in cold hard cash that Uncle Sam never has to know you won," said the manager, his voice sounding like he'd be better suited to host a Top 40 radio show on Sunday mornings. "Performing 'Tearin' Up My Heart' by NSYNC, they are: Tommy, Adam, Rocky, Zack, and Jason, the Angel Grove Boys! Give them a round of applause as they make their way to the stage, ladies and gentleman."

Without looking at their significant others the guys all stood up from the two tables and quietly converged, slowly approaching the stage as the crowd all clapped for them; sans the girls, of course, who were too busy staring at their men in disbelief.

"Man, why'd you get announced first?" hissed Jason.

Tommy winked at his old friend. "I already told you, bro," he answered with a smile. "I'm the lead singer of the band, bitch."

Jason rolled his eyes as one by one they started up the steps to the stage, crossing it in a single file line until Tommy stood next to the manager who started handing him microphones which Tommy then passed down the line.

"Do your thing, guys," said the manager, exiting the stage as the guys fell into a formation that looked something like a V.

Tommy stood front and center, Zack and Rocky to his left and right with Jason and Adam behind them. All of their heads were bowed as Zack raised his microphone to his lips. "Alright, Miss DJ," he murmured into the microphone, shooting a wink to the middle-aged woman sitting near the CD player. "Turn up that instrumental and drop the vocals. We're about to do it real sexual for all the ladies in here tonight," he continued in a smooth whisper, looking right at Angela as he said that.

Then a slow intro beat started and Tommy was singing into the microphone.

It's tearin' up my heart when I'm with you
But when we are apart I feel it too
And no matter what I do I feel the pain
With or without you

As soon as the actual music hit the girls were laughing their asses off as the guys started in on an intricate dance number that Zack had shown them, but that Tommy had forced them to perfect in the two weeks leading up to the Halloween party where they had first performed the number.

Hey-ah!

Baby, I don't understand
Just why we cant be lovers
Things are getting out of hand
Trying to much, but baby we can win
Let it go…if you want me girl let me know
I am down, on my knees
I cant take it anymore

On their knees, the whole group picked up the chorus as they rose to their feet. Spinning around and sliding to his left, Tommy looked at Kimberly and saw her smiling back at him, shaking her head in a way that said she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

It's tearin' up my heart when I'm with you
But when we are apart I feel it too
And no matter what I do I feel the pain
With or without you

Hooo-hoo-hoo-ooh, all right!

At this point Tommy stepped back and fell in line with Adam, Jason, and Rocky while Zack took the lead at the forefront of the stage, his eyes locked on Angela the whole time as he sang.

Baby don't misunderstand
What I'm trying to tell ya.
In the corner of my mind
Baby it feels like we're running out of time.
Let it go…if you want me girl let me know
I am down, on my knees
I cant take it anymore, ohhhh!

This time everyone except for Zack sang the chorus as they slid up and onto their feet from their grounded position on their knees. The first Black Ranger, however, remained on his knees for a few moments before throwing himself into a series of rather difficult break dancing moves that had the whole crowd cheering for him from the get-go.

It's tearin' up my heart when I'm with you
But when we are apart I feel it too
And no matter what I do I feel the pain
With or without you

As the background lyrics cut out to just music Zack, who was in the midst of a head-spin, rejoined the group at this point by way of a reverse somersault that saw him push off with his hands and throw himself into a perfectly executed back flip that left him right behind Tommy. In the same position they'd started in sans the bowed heads, the group finished the song in unison as they continued to dance around the stage.

Just moments before the lyrics kicked back in the guys all turned their backs to the crowd, dancing all over until five shirts were thrown to the ground in unison revealing five well-muscled men in tight, form-fitting tank tops tucked into their jeans. If the ladies in the crowd weren't already swooning before they definitely were now, proven when the bar was filled with screams so high pitched they couldn't have belonged to a man.

Tearin' up my heart and soul, when we're apart I feel it too
And no matter what I do I feel the pain with or without you

Tearin' up my heart and soul when were apart I feel it too
And no matter what I do I feel the pain with or without you

Then it was time for the big show. Continuing to dance with their backs to the crowd, every female in the place went crazy when the guys literally ripped their tank tops in half, discarding them on the stage as they spun back around.

It's tearin' up my heart when I'm with you
But when we are apart I feel it too
And no matter what I do I feel the pain
With or without you

And no matter what I do I feel the pain with or without you…

The song faded out with the guys all standing side by side at the top of the stage, each of them pointing to their respective significant other as their chests rose and fell rapidly to reveal their heavy breathing. For their part the girls were all smiles and the first to stand in applause for their men just moments before the entire crowd of two-hundred-plus roared their approval in the form of thunderous clapping, high pitched whistles, and extremely loud hollering.

"Ladies and gentleman, I think we have ourselves tonight's winner!" the manager announced, clapping his hands against his microphone as he walked back onto the stage while the guys retrieved their clothes.

The five men all looked at each other in excitement, slapping high fives with one another while the crowd continued to cheer them on. Unfortunately, each of them felt the color drain from their faces when they looked back to the girls and saw all of them but Trini standing up, staring back at them with unimpressed expressions. Not seconds later one of the bar's employees ran onto the stage, whispering something into his manager's ear that caused his eyes to go wide as he returned his attention to the crowd.

"Everyone, it seems I can't officially declare these guys the winners just yet. Although, let's be honest, who's going to top that?" he laughed, looking to the guys who smiled tightly, knowing exactly who it was that planned on stealing their show. "Alright then; it appears our last performance is another fivesome, as well. Calling themselves Better Than Boys, put your hands together for Aisha, Angela, Kimberly, Katherine, and Tanya!"

The crowd applauded politely as the guys walked off the stage, engaging in a defiant stare down with the girls as they passed by each other. The battle lines had clearly been drawn, evidenced when the guys all sat down at the same table, glaring at the stage with their arms folded across their chests.

Unfortunately, Tommy knew they were doomed as soon as he realized that the girls had changed part of their outfits as well. He hadn't seen it before because they'd all been sitting down, but they were wearing matching black sweats, the kind with buttons down the side that made them easy to tear away.

The next three and a half minutes were a blur, the guys looking deflated from the moment the first note of "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls hit. Sweatshirts were pulled off to reveal matching, black, spaghetti-strapped, midriff tank tops. Then came the pants which were torn away and tossed aside, showcasing matching black booty shorts, each pair with name of the woman wearing them written in cursive across the butt.

As the girls sang Tommy studied the crowd carefully. It was almost an even split of men and women which meant neither group was going to win based on sex appeal alone, which in turn meant that it was likely going to come down to their singing abilities. Considering the fact that Kimberly, Katherine, and Tanya were all great singers, Tommy knew that he and the guys didn't have a shot in Hell at winning the contest now.

The roar of applause that was given to the girls upon their completion of the song was easily double what the guys had received for their effort. When the manager announced Better Than Boys as the night's winner the guys all looked at one another with collective head shakes, knowing that they had been played from the start. Even so, despite the fact that they'd lost and absolutely hated that particular piece of knowledge, the guys all rose to their feet and applauded their significant others who were currently in the process of dividing their prize money amongst each other onstage.

When the girls left the stage a few moments later with their clothes in hand Tommy trained his focus on Kimberly, part of him still struggling to grasp what had just happened. It was like being the first to climb a new mountain only to have someone else follow right behind, push you off, and claim the title as first.

As she walked over to him Tommy folded his arms across his chest defiantly, but what little animosity he felt towards losing left his body as soon as she smiled at him. Even though a small part of him wanted to be, he couldn't be mad; not when he still had the most beautiful woman in the world as his consolation prize.

"You knew exactly what we were doing the whole time, didn't you?" Tommy questioned rhetorically, chuckling.

Through her smile, Kimberly nodded. "Of course," she answered, patting his chest. "I overheard the guys talking about getting you to compete in a karaoke contest with them, so I took the idea to the girls and we ran with it."

Tommy raised a curious eyebrow. "How'd you know I was going to agree to do it?"

Kimberly laughed as she shook her head. "Because I know you, Tommy. You got beat in Guitar Hero yesterday, so your pride wasn't about to let you back down from an opportunity to redeem yourself. What I didn't know was how good you guys were going to be. Those girls at the sorority party must have been really impressed."

Tommy winced visibly. "You heard about that?"

Smiling, Kimberly nodded. "The best part was when they started talking about the blonde that went home with you that night," she replied, laughing when Tommy's face went white. "Don't worry, I'm not mad. Why would I be? It's not like we were together back then."

A deep, heavy sigh of relief escaped Tommy's lips. "So let me get this straight. You knew how badly I wanted to win tonight and still decided to compete against me? I mean, you had to have known that with you, Kat, and Tanya we didn't stand a chance."

"I know," Kimberly admitted, slightly embarrassed that she'd taken away Tommy's shot at victory without really having a good reason for doing so. "I honestly wasn't even thinking about trying to beat you guys when I brought it up, I just thought it'd be something fun for me and the girls to do. Now that it's over, though, I actually feel kind of bad about doing it."

"Well you shouldn't," Tommy murmured. Giving Kimberly a kiss, he smiled down at her as he gently rubbed the side of her arm. "Again, you beat me fair and square. I gotta be honest with you, though, I don't know how many more times my pride can take getting beaten by you like this," he added with a laugh, letting her know that he was only teasing.

Kimberly smiled as she opened her arms for a hug that Tommy was more than willing to give to her. "Thanks for not being mad at me," she whispered, looking up at him fondly.

"There's nothing to be mad about, Beautiful," Tommy replied, pecking a kiss to her forehead as he pulled her in close and looked over her shoulder to see Jason approaching them. "They knew the whole time, bro."

"I know; Kat just told me" said Jason, both chuckling and shaking his head as Kimberly turned around in Tommy's arms to face him. "Well played, Kim. We didn't expect a thing," he continued, Kimberly nodding silently. "Anyway, I think we're gonna head back to the house now if you guys are ready to leave."

Tommy and Kimberly shared a speechless look that simultaneously asked and answered Jason's question. "Yeah, we're ready," said Tommy, he and Kimberly following Jason hand in hand to the exit where the others were already waiting for them.