Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Power Rangers. These rights belong to Disney and I'm just a lonely girl using them for the amusement of others and myself.
A/N: Rating changed because of adult situations.
A/N: (Budding) Sorry for still not putting Budding up but I noticed a couple of glitches on Chapter 6 and had to fix it. Then I realized that I took a completely different approach. Sorry 'bout that. I'll have it up as soon as I can...and in the mean time, I'll write another chapter to keep you guys preoccupied.
Wilting
Chapter Four / A Friend in Need
Hayley went up the few steps of Elsa's porch. She knocked gently on the door knowing that the owner of the house expected her presence. She heard a couple of steps heading her way and the door flew open.
"Hey" Elsa told her as she opened the door, "How are you holding up?" she asked her letting Hayley step in.
"Fine, I'm just a little…bugged out, as Ethan would put it."
Elsa chuckled a bit as she followed Hayley inside her living room. "I talked to Anton today," Elsa said trying to get Hayley's mind off of Max.
"Really? How's he doing?"
"Good. He says he'll be back in a couple of days" Elsa told her as she explained Anton's emergency departure to the coast of Africa where another one of his industries was built.
"Tell me, how do you do it?" Hayley asked her friend.
Elsa had been under the control of Mesagog for several months as he tried to defeat the rangers. Often times, he'd use Elsa to do his dirty deeds for him. When the rangers were defeating Mesagog, Elsa was broken from his spell.
Along with her new life alongside Anton Mercer, she received the friendships of the ranger team along with Hayley's. The two started talking to one another when Elsa, from time to time, went into the Cyberspace for lunch. They soon realized they both had a lot in common. Mostly having no other girl to talk to about feminine problems that men wouldn't understand. After a long talk at the Café, they went out for a walk where they talked even more about their personal lives and struggles.
By the end of the night, the two had become best of friends. Neither would believe that they would become so close, yet, when there is something troubling either of the girls, the other was always there to lend an ear.
"How do I do what?" questioned Elsa after Hayley's question.
"How do you end a relationship with a guy and stay friends? I never quite understood that."
"Well, Anton is the only person that I've remained friends with. I guess because we had a mutual break-up."
"So, you've never stayed friends with anyone before?"
"No…not really. Then again, I've never had a mutual break-up before. It was always a break up from my part or the other way around. Why do you ask?"
"I don't know. I know I didn't date Maxwell for a long time, but still, I mean, it was just something that I've never quite understood."
"Yeah. I guess you just have to live through the experience."
"Live and learn" Hayley commented the old adage.
"…And then get Luv's" Elsa commented on the advertisement slogan making them both laugh.
- - -
"Are you gonna get the mouse?" Kat asked Tommy as they were both driving back to their house after dropping off their friends at the airport.
"Yeah" he said.
"Shouldn't you stop at the store to get a mouse trap?"
"No"
"Why?"
"Cuz…I could get it on my own."
"I thought you said you were never gonna catch it."
"Not at night."
"So you're doing it as soon as we get back?"
"Maybe"
Katherine didn't say anything at this point. She was far too frustrated to start an argument with Tommy. She didn't know why he was acting the way he was, but she definitely knew she didn't like it one bit.
- - -
"That was delicious Elsa" Hayley told her as they were both sitting on the island counter in Elsa's kitchen with empty plates in front of them.
"Thanks" she said as she got up and picked up both plates being followed by Hayley with their two glasses.
"I didn't know you could cook so good" Hayley again complimented.
"I started learning as a little girl. I'd watch my mom cook even before my head even reached the stove. After a couple of years, she decided that it was time to teach me."
At that, Hayley's phone rang. The girls paused their conversation and Hayley went over to her purse and retrieved her phone.
"Hello?" she answered.
"That's because I'm not at home" she told Tommy whom was on the other line asking her why she didn't pick up her house phone.
After a short while, Hayley hung up the phone and turned to Elsa who was searching for a movie.
"I think we're gonna have to put our movie night on hold" Hayley told her as she closed her phone.
"Why? Who was that?"
"One guess"
"Tommy"
"MmmHmm"
"Well, what does he need? Anything I can do?"
"No. He just needs me to pick up a few things he left over at the Cyberspace. He doesn't have a key, so…"
"Oh, well, later then?"
"Yeah" Hayley told her saying goodbye and stepping out of the house.
- - -
"What's up with you? You're starting to be a real pain in the butt, you know that?"
"Yeah" Tommy said dryly as he picked up the box and headed out to his jeep.
Hayley just stared at his back as he walked away. Something was definitely wrong with him. She thought it had to have something to do with how his relationship with Kat was going. He had told her days ago that he didn't want Kat to leave but something was telling him that she really wanted to. He started getting angry with himself towards telling her that he didn't want her to go and felt that it was the worst thing for Katherine at this point of her life.
"You know, if you want her to go…" Hayley began before getting cut off by Tommy.
"I don't want her to go. Who said I wanted her to leave?"
His question seemed a little too suspicious in Hayley's mind but decided to just drop the subject.
"Fine, I'll see you later" she said heading over to her SUV.
"And why have you been hiding out so much from me huh? Don't wanna see me or anything?"
"What is up with you Tommy?" Hayley asked concerned of a now pale Tommy.
"Nothing" he simply said angrily and got into his jeep, "Just forget I said anything."
He drove off leaving Hayley to wonder what was wrong with one of her best friends she had made over the years.
- - -
"And then he just drove off?" Elsa asked Hayley as they were both talking on the couch.
"Yup. I don't know what's wrong with him. He's been acting like this ever since Kat told him the news about her leaving."
"Hmm" Elsa pondered not knowing what to say.
"What do you think we should do?"
"Honestly Hayley, I don't think we should anything. This is something Tommy and Kat should work out for themselves."
"I know, but…he's my friend you know. I'd do anything for him."
"I know" Elsa said soothing Hayley's back, "How 'bout if you just give him some time, then if he's still the same, we'll talk to him…all of us."
"Yeah, alright" Hayley agreed before both turning towards the TV and seeing the movie.
- - -
"Tommy, it's getting dark" Katherine spoke to her fiancée.
"Yeah, and?"
"And…you said you'd catch that mouse."
"I don't even know where it is."
"You haven't even tried looking for it."
"Have you?"
"I'm not the one that said I'd catch it."
Tommy was now getting really frustrated at this point but kept working on his work at this desk.
"No, but you did order me to do it right?"
"I didn't order you to do anything. I just told you to catch it, that's all."
"Why don't you catch it yourself and leave me alone? I have a lot of work to do."
"I did try to catch it but that rat scared the shit out me!"
Tommy, at Kat's outburst looked up at her and smiled; a smile that Kat had never seen on him that made her get goosebumps.
"It's just a harmless little mouse. Not a rat."
"It's a rat. It's gray, and ugly."
"If it was a rat, it would have tried to throw you across the room. Did it try to do that?"
"Stop acting like that okay? Just catch the rat or mouse or however you wanna call it."
"I'll catch the mouse later Kat. I'm busy right now."
"Fine" she simply said and headed out the room.
As she was walking out of the bedroom, she shook her head. I should've left when I had the chance, she thought to herself, yet quickly regretting it.
She made her way downstairs to start fixing dinner. She knew it was a little too late to start, but she was too busy worrying about the mouse in the house. She walked into the kitchen and heard a scratching noise come from behind the stove.
Take out's good, she thought to herself as she ran back up the stairs and into the bedroom.
"Tommy, the mouse is behind the stove" she told him.
He grunted and was reluctant at first but knew she wouldn't stop with the mouse thing. He got up and headed towards the kitchen.
As he got there, he got the broom and moved the stove a bit. As he moved it, he heard the mouse run and got the broom quickly.
Katherine at this ran out of the kitchen at seeing the mouse. She didn't shriek this time from tying to hold it in. She knew if she did, Tommy would tell her something about it. She knew it was wrong to follow his anger like that, but she just wasn't in the state of mind that wanted to be fighting with him.
He swung at the now running mouse and hit it with the end of the bristles. As Tommy pulled up the broom, he could see the mouse a bit disoriented but still running. Again, he hit the mouse and this time, it knocked it our completely. Tommy smiled at this and got a small bulb-box from the laundry room. He picked up the mouse with a napkin and put it in the box to take it outside to the garbage can.
"There" he coldly said as he slammed the door behind him, "Think you can live now?"
Katherine squinted her eyes in anger yet again decided to say nothing. She just simply took a deep breath and turned around. She went into the kitchen where she didn't notice him following her.
"Why are you walking away from me?" he asked her angrily.
"I'm walking away because you're being an ass!"
"Oh, I'm being an ass?"
"Yeah, you need a q-tip?"
"No, I don't need a q-tip, but I need a girlfriend. Someone that doesn't scare easily from a little mouse."
"This isn't even about the mouse! You just want a damn slave that will do anything you tell it to."
"I don't need that when I got you to do it for me!"
"That's where you're wrong. I'm not supposed to do anything for you! I do things cuz I want to!"
"Fine, then give me something" he said pulling her towards him.
She knew what he wanted and pushed him away, "Not like this Tommy! Not with the way you're acting."
She pushed him out of the way and headed towards the kitchen door.
"Why not?" he said pulling her in again still having her back to him and this time not letting her go even if she tried.
"Stop it! Tommy…no!"
