I haven't updated this since November. I'm sorry for that but first I took a break on writing and then when I started again, I turned really paranoid, trying to make it the best I could and then never finished anything. This is not connected to the previous arc which I haven't finished yet. Maybe I'll get dedicated enough again to do so. Thanks for reading.
As usual, Power Rangers are not mine, the song I've used is by Restless Heart and I don't think I've done any harm nor foul to the song or the characters. Any mistakes are mine.
Song
Katie sat alone in the corner booth of the bar/restaurant unaware of the eyes watching her. She wore a slight smile as she watched her friends and the other couples dancing on the dance floor.
Jen's amused voice cut through and interrupted her partner's staring. "I think she's okay, Lucas."
He jerked his eyes away from Katie and couldn't hide his blush. "It's that noticeable?"
She just smiled indulgently.
He groaned and, when his eyes drifted toward Katie again, he whirled Jen around until he was no longer facing Katie. "This is horrible," he muttered.
"What is?"
He glanced quickly at Jen, but not quickly enough that she missed the feelings he usually hid so well. "The way I'm acting, damnit." Her brow arched and he winced. "Sorry. It's the blushing, the staring, and the sweating." His voice trailed off, lost in thought and didn't notice Jen grinning at him.
"I've been asking girls out since I was sixteen. I've had serious relationships; I was engaged for six months once when I was twenty. And now, with Katie, I'm acting like a love-sick teenager."
One song flowed into another and Jen made a harsh movement behind Lucas' back when Alex came toward her. She wanted to hear this out; seeing Lucas and Katie moping around and not doing anything about it was driving her crazy. Alex told her to mind her own business and she had with Lucas. Katie was another story but she didn't have to admit to it. In this case, Lucas was the one who brought it up and she was just getting the scoop for Katie.
Jen started to give him some advice but Lucas had more to say. "I can't even ask her out! What if she says no? Then I'll be staring at her and she'll know why and we'll both be edgy. What if she starts avoiding me? What…?"
"Lucas. Calm down." She was thrilled. Lucas had been her coworker for seven years and this was the first time he'd ever talked to her in depth about his feelings about much of anything. "I think the reason you're acting like this is because this time, she means more to you. You're also best friends and co-workers. It's understandable that you're worried but Katie would never avoid you or treat you badly if you confess you're feelings."
If he'd been paying attention instead of turning and staring at Katie again, he would have seen the tell-tale gleam in Jen's eyes that meant that she knew something that no one else did. But he wasn't.
"You're never going to know unless you say something. Where is the famous Lucas Kendall confidence when he needs it?"
His stomach pitched as the song ended. As Alex came and claimed his wife and as Trip and Nadira met them on the floor so they could return to their table. He glared at the man who was smiling and nodding at Katie and he watched the man go to the keyboard in the corner of the room. A deejay broke in to announce. "It's that time again! Karaoke night here at Spanky's Bar is about to begin. If you haven't entered and want to, don't hesitate. It's bound to be an explosive night!"
Two hours later, the signing, the laughing, and the fun was starting to wind down. Trip and Nadira had performed a rousing version of the 20th century classic, Y.M.C.A., and Jen had even taken a turn. Lucas and Alex both chose not to perform and they had all laughed at Jen's outrageous bribes if Alex would get on the stage.
Katie had disappeared earlier, after saying that she was in the final group to sing. Lucas scanned the crowd for her, and when he found her sitting with the man who she'd been talking to earlier, he frowned. He tried to remind himself that he had no cause for jealousy but it still bothered him that she was smiling and laughing with someone other than him.
"We're going to do something different tonight to close the show," the deejay announced. Our final performance of the evening is a first in Spanky's history. An original song, written and performed by Miss Katie Walker."
Their friends whooped as Katie walked up on stage and the spotlight haloed her. His breath caught and he had the unsettling image that he was staring at an angel.
"This is for Lucas," she said quietly into the microphone as the man at the piano began to play. She stared in the direction of where he was sitting as she began to sing.
Changin my life... with your love
has been so easy for you
And I'm amazed
Every day
And I'll need you...
Her voice was lovely – husky and rich with suppressed longings and Lucas was breathless from the realization that she felt the same way toward him. He was astounded by her courage to sing this song without any hint from him.
Till all the mountains are valleys
and every ocean is dry
My love...
I'll be yours until the sun doesn't shine
Till time stands still
until the winds don't blow
When today is just a memory to me
I know...
I'll still be loving
I'll still be loving
You
I'll still be loving you
His eyes shot to Jen, who was grinning broadly. She noticed he was looking at her and she winked. Lucas laughed. He didn't know if Jen had told Katie or if Katie decided on her own to do this but he didn't care. He had more important things to think about.
Never Before..
did I know
How loving someone could be
Now I can see
You and Me
For a lifetime
Until the last moon is rising
you'll see the love in my eyes
My Love...
I'll be yours until the sun doesn't shine
Till time stands still
until the winds don't blow
When today is just a memory to me
I know...
I'll still be loving
I'll still be loving
You
I'll be yours until the sun doesn't shine
Till time stands still
until the winds don't blow
When today is just a memory to me
I know...
I'll still be loving
I'll still be loving
You
I'll still be loving you.
I'll still be loving..I'll still be loving you...
I'll still be loving..I'll still be loving you...
I'll still be loving..I'll still be loving you...
When the song ended, he was already standing at the edge of the stage. She walked down the steps to stand in front of him; her eyes were wide with uncertainty and with love and his stomach clenched. He winced when the spotlight framed them in front of the crowd.
"What do you think?" she whispered.
"I think that you're courageous, I think you're song is fantastic, and …" His words trailed off and his hands came up to frame Katie's face. He searched her eyes before confessing. "I think I'm falling in love with you."
Her smile was radiant and he tilted her head to a better angle before pressing his lips to hers.
The last thing he heard before concentrating fully on his and Katie's first kiss was the crowd cat-calling and the deejay jibing. "I think her song is a hit, folks!"