Disclaimer: It's Saban's sandbox. I just play here because its fun.
Author's Note: I do not know where this year went. Suffice it to say there was a wedding, a move, and law school. For anyone still interested in this fic, I thank you. We're starting directly from the last chapter. Also, please note that there is a little rougher language this chapter. While I'm not someone who overuses swearing, I don't shy away from it when I think it's appropriate. It will become more appropriate for the next few chapters.
- + - + - + - + - + -
"Hey Kat …" Tanya dropped her hand as the greeting died on her tongue.
That's funny I could have sworn …
She'd been certain that the blonde across the courtyard was Kat --- right height, right build, even wearing pink. But when the girl stepped away, Tanya realized her mistake – the girl's companion was all wrong – too short, too fair, too unassuming.
He was nothing like Tommy. If anything, from his build to the way he shoved his hands in his pockets, she'd almost think that it was … "Oh my God, Billy?"
Adam looked over at her in puzzlement. "Didn't you recognize him? I know he hasn't been around much, but --"
"No, no, I recognize him, I guess I just didn't expect to see him here …" Like that, she added silently, unable to voice the last two words to her boyfriend because he would ask 'Like what?'
She didn't have an answer to that inevitable question, the notion was too vague, too undefined for her to articulate … it was just that for a moment she was absolutely certain that the other half of the pair should have been Tommy …
There been something about the two, an aura of perfect completeness …
Pulling her mind away from the threads of something she didn't want to weave together, Tanya realized Kat and Billy were now making their way over.
For a split second, she fought the urge to backpedal, to put as much distance as possible between herself and them. Even as better sense prevailed, and she managed to force her face into what she hoped was a 'happy to see you' expression, she couldn't shake the pit of foreboding growing at the bottom of her stomach.
Tanya had never been perceptive, and she always tried to change that piece of herself, driven by the idea that it meant she was too self-involved. But there were times, like now, when her mind recalled a booming voice filled with wisdom and laughter, made quieter by the barrier of double memory.
Stop being so concerned with what is child; your mind cannot be bothered with such things, when it is filled with what will be …
It had made her feel special at the time, but now … well right now she would have settled for just being self-involved because in the back of her mind was the feeling that it wouldn't be long before that vague, undefined notion became clearer, more tangible, and when it did she was going to wish that it hadn't.
Adam, oblivious to the turmoil going on inside his girlfriend, had moved to meet Kat and Billy, only turning back when he realized Tanya wasn't with him. "You okay, Tan?"
No.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, I just went off for a second there, didn't I?"
Adam didn't get a chance to answer as Kat came bounding up beside her. "Hey you two, I didn't realize you were planning on coming here."
"I could say the same for you." She had meant it in the same pleasantly surprised tone that her best friend had. Only she wasn't pleasantly surprised, surprised yes … but pleasantly, no, there was just too much going on inside …
Visibly confused, by Tanya's overly curt reply, the Pink Ranger threw a glance back to her companion, before responding hesitantly, "Well, we didn't exactly plan it … it was sort of spur of the moment."
"It all worked out though." Billy's soft voice added, drawing the Yellow Ranger's focus from her best friend to him. Even though the quiet words seemed designed to heal, Tanya did not miss the note of finality in them. Nor did she miss the warning look he gave her.
Back off.
Whether it was the words or the look, she didn't know, but Tanya felt as though she had just been slapped back into reality. This was her best friend, the sister she never had, and she was treating her like crap … why? Because her stupid overactive imagination had made her a little bit uncomfortable. God, she really could be a bitch when she tried.
"Sorry, I guess I'm just in a really weird mood today. You're right it's totally worked out." Giving Kat a conspiratorial grin, she confided, "You know I was almost desperate enough to get Adam to come dress shopping with me."
"You can't!" "I thought we were eating!"
Adam's outburst was nearly simultaneous with Kat's female indignation. Laughing a little, at her boyfriend's stunned expression, Tanya flashed him a not quite apologetic grin. "Sorry."
"Sure you are." The green ranger turned his attention to his last best hope and pleaded, "Save me."
"Don't worry Adam." Kat soothed his fears. "I'm not going to let my best friend violate a basic girl rule."
Turning her attention back to Tanya, she chastised, "You absolutely cannot let him see you in your dress before prom night."
"I'm not marrying her!"
Shooting Adam a dirty look, but otherwise ignoring him, Kat continued, "It ruins the princess effect. You get a better reaction if he hasn't had a preview."
Even as Tanya found herself laughing at the light sparring between the two, she remained uncomfortably aware of the fourth member of the group. No matter how much she wanted to put her intuition aside, to lock it up with all the other wild ramblings of that not quite tamed portion of her mind, Billy's presence made that nearly impossible. Just the way he stood caused that niggling little thread to brush against her consciousness.
Though he was in the circle, something in his posture gave the impression that he remained somehow separate from it all, tethered there only by Kat's presence. He stood closer to the Pink Ranger than he did to Adam and her, which Tanya supposed was only normal, considering the fact that Kat was obviously his best friend here.
Still, it wasn't just that he was closer to Kat. He was skirting her personal space, positioning himself slightly behind her in a way that what was either fiercely protective or fiercely possessive … Tanya wasn't sure which. At the same time, Kat never moved far from him. It was like a subtle dance, each making tiny nearly imperceptible movements to which the other responded, always staying closer than they should, but never so close as to imply something more. What's more, neither one of them appeared to really be aware of what they were doing, for them it was as natural as breathing.
Stop it! Tanya gave herself a mental shake. This officially wasn't going to work. She could not stay around the two of them without hyper-analyzing every movement, look, and word. It was like a puzzle that demanded to be solved. God, if she didn't find a way out of this, she'd probably start trying to derive some hidden meaning from their clothes.
"Tan, did you hear me?"
"Don't worry she's been doing this all day." Adam snapped his fingers in front his girlfriend's face. For his trouble, he got a light elbow in his side.
"I heard her."
"So, when should we go? How about Saturday?"
"Let's go today." Tanya suggested almost desperately. If she could just get Kat away from Billy, she knew that everything would sort itself out. Without him there to make her so uncomfortable, all those niggling threads would be snipped.
"Oh, um, I don't know …" The Pink Ranger hedged as she turned to her companion to confer.
Billy shrugged. "I think it's a good idea. Prom is coming fast, and you don't know what might happen on Saturday. We seem to be free today, take advantage of it."
Surprised that her imaginary nemesis turned out to be her ally, Tanya looked down at the floor guiltily. She didn't want to try to read anything into Kat and Billy's interchange because in that moment she'd been reminded of something critical --- Billy made her uncomfortable because she didn't understand him.
He had to be her opposite in every way, the seasoned member to her rookie, as reserved as she was outgoing. While she made intuitive leaps off gut reactions, everything he proposed seemed to be perfectly reasoned out, step by step without a single gap. When she was being really honest with herself, Tanya knew that she avoided him because he made her feel guilty and inadequate.
Maybe that was why the sight of him and Kat made her uncomfortable. Kat was her friend, her ally in the private mental war Tanya had created between herself and the member she had unintentionally ousted. If she had people who were on her side as a person, then that had to make up for the fact she might not stack up to Billy as a Ranger. Her best friend wasn't allowed to turn traitor!
Looking to assuage a little bit of the guilt at her childish 'I'm her bestest friend' behavior, Tanya hit upon an idea and clung to it like a drowning woman. Unfortunately, the idea was Adam.
"Ow!" Her boyfriend indelicately pried her fingers from his bicep, with one word of explanation. "Nails."
She didn't even bother to apologize. It wasn't necessary with Adam. He didn't hold her to stupid formalities of personal interaction. That was one of the things she loved about him. Even though she sometimes came off as indifferent or uncaring, he knew better. He got her.
"You two should go get measured for your tuxes. Then we can meet up with you guys later."
"Do we get to eat then?"
"Anywhere you want." Tanya promised, as she made a mental note to limit her boyfriend's time around Rocky.
"I'm in."
Billy did not seem so eager to assent. "I don't …"
But Kat didn't give him time to finish his protest, turning to face him she chastised, "Are you really going to make me go through the trouble of repeating everything you just said?"
"Where is this tux place?"
- + - + - + - + - + -
For a moment, all he and Adam could do was stare in disbelief.
It was huge! Lining one wall that seemed to go on forever was an array of black tuxedo jackets that while Billy was absolutely certain they all had subtle variations, he was equally certain he wouldn't be able to tell the difference. On the other side, hung an even more daunting display of vests and cummerbunds in more fabrics and colors than he was even comfortable thinking about.
Overwhelming was completely inadequate word for this. His mind chastised that this was definitely an appropriate time to practice some of those running skills he'd been perfecting since becoming a Ranger. He might have done just that if it weren't for two things … Kat and Tanya.
If he had thought Kat was forceful, the two of them together was a gale force wind. He did not want to face Kat if he came back without a tux, and Tanya … well, he just didn't want to face Tanya period. Something about the way she had been looking at him, made him extremely uncomfortable, like she knew something about him … something he didn't even know.
Adam chuckled in a scared but amused way. "The things we do to keep those girls happy."
Billy started to retort with a snappy 'Speak for yourself', but stopped when he realized that the only reason he was here was because it made Kat smile. Not really sure what to say at that, he settled for a simple, "Yeah …"
"Well, we better get started, or we'll never get done. Oh man, could you imagine if the girls got done before us? We'd never live it down."
Both grimacing at the contemplation of that rather unpleasant prospect, they managed a step forward into the terrifying world of male formalwear. Looking for a comfort zone, they automatically gravitated to the vests.
**At least choosing the color won't be hard** Billy mused
Except it was. Cream was not a popular color in the tuxedo shop, and even when he did find a vest, he felt vaguely dissatisfied with it. As he held it up, Kat's voice whispered in the back of his mind. Cream isn't really your color.
Sighing, he put in back on the rack, making a mental note of its location, so that he could grab it quickly when he finally gave up. As he did so, his eye strayed to the line of black vests. You looked better in it.
Don't even think about it. Billy chastised himself.
Turning to find out if his friend was fairing any better, the frustrated teen stopped short at the sight of Adam standing in front of four green vests eyeing them critically. Finally, settling on one, he took it off the hanger and put it on. Grimacing at his reflection he shook his head and put it back on the hanger, apparently dissatisfied with the effect.
"Maybe they look better with a real shirt." He muttered to himself, and began to look around for help.
Unable to take it anymore, Billy burst out laughing.
Whirling around, Adam shot Billy a murderous glare. "Sure, go ahead, laugh at my distress …"
All he accomplished was making the teen genius laugh harder. "I'm sorry … *snicker* … but do you … *snort* … do you have any idea what you look like?"
"Like I'm going to my death, if it's anything like how I feel."
"I was going to say Kimberly, but somehow the other fits too. When did you become this fashion conscious?"
"Since I decided that on prom night I'm going to tell Tanya I love her."
Suddenly, Billy wasn't laughing anymore.
Adam looked up as though surprised that he had just said what he did. "Huh, guess I needed to get that out."
"Wow."
"Yeah, wow, huh?" The Asian teen's expression had changed from abject misery to a goofy smile.
Despite Billy's facility with the English language, he could not come up with a better word, so he had to settle for repeating himself. "Wow."
"You said that already." Adam smiled teasingly, but there was an undercurrent of irritation to it.
"And I'll say it one more time … wow. Seriously, Adam, that's something. I mean it's wonderful … but it's something …" The young engineer shook his head in defeat at his mind's inability to quite grasp what was the appropriate response to something like this. "I'm sorry, I'm kind of …"
"Stunned, inarticulate, really really annoying?" His friend was grinning.
"How about D all of the above?" Billy smiled in response, and then closed his eyes in embarrassment at the next question about to come out of his mouth. "I am about to betray how out of touch I am, but, um, how long have you been dating?"
"Well, we started shortly after softball tryouts, so let's see … that's a little less than three months."
"Congratulations." Billy stifled the urge to bang his head against the wall at how stupid that statement sounded, but it was the only thing other than 'wow' that he could come up with.
Adam's confession was just so mind-blowing. Love. That very mature emotion he had talked with Kat about in the abstract. His friend was experiencing it in the very-not-abstract. Sure he had always known that Kim and Tommy had really cared for each other, and that they were probably in love, but having suspicions was extremely different from having someone telling you straight up.
Apparently, just as lost as him, Adam simply murmured, "Thanks."
Uncomfortable silence descended. What was he supposed to do now? Were they supposed to hug, or thump each other on the back in a moment of male-bonding? That didn't really seem appropriate. In fact the more he thought about it, the more his 'congratulations' was incredibly misplaced. After all Tanya hadn't responded yet, although maybe if you've dated a girl for three months, not to mention had her back in battle you just know what her response will be …
Billy shot a surreptitious glance at Adam's troubled expression as he continued to contemplate his fashion options.
… then again maybe not. Taking pity on his friend and himself, Billy made his way over to the girl behind the counter.
"Excuse me, miss?"
Looking up from her magazine, the girl popped her gum loudly. "Yeah?"
Okay, high-end fashion this was not. "Do you have any shirts that we can …"
Not even waiting for him to finish his question, the girl pointed to a rack of white shirts. He was about to ask how they were sized, but realized that she had already gone back to her magazine. Sighing, he went over and grabbed two that he thought were likely to fit.
"Here." He handed one off to Adam, as he came back over. "Maybe this will help."
"Thanks." After putting it on, Adam pulled on one of the vests and surveyed himself in the mirror. "Oh, thank God! I was worried."
Deciding to chalk that up to Adam's nervousness, Billy shook his head in amusement and went back to his own dressing challenge.
Still, his mind wouldn't let go of that word … love. Adam had used it with such confidence, such surety, what must that feel like? The more he thought about it, the more something in him wanted to know.
"Hey, if you … um … don't mind my asking … what made you decide?"
Adam looked over at him as he continued to fix his tie. "That I love her or to tell her at prom?"
"Both, I guess."
"Well, prom's easy. It's kind of it, you know? I mean after this we have to get serious about life." At Billy's lifted eyebrow, he gave a half-smile. "Like normal serious, start choosing a college, start thinking about the future …. I guess I just want her to be making those decisions knowing that I love her."
He paused at that. "Come to think of it, that might be what made me realize I love her. I started thinking about all those things, and I just kept seeing her there. I mean, she was a part of everything. Maybe that's it, love is just knowing that this one person will make you smile day in and day out and wanting that."
Billy's hand froze on the hanger. Suddenly he wanted to tell Adam to shut up because he'd heard enough. Thank you very much for the information, and I'll file that away for future reference. But now that he was going, Adam didn't seem likely to stop anytime soon.
"Don't get me wrong though, Tan can make me so angry sometimes, and she's got a temper." He shook his head in some kind of bizarre appreciation, "But that's part of it. It's like suddenly, I've got real emotions, big ones. You go through things and you think you're experiencing stuff, and then this girl shows up … and man, you've never experienced life this way, everything's more intense."
Shit. Shit. Shit. Shut up Adam, please just shut up.
"She's it. She influences everything, I mean make decisions based on what makes her happy. I stop doing things because she doesn't like it. God, that sounds pathetic doesn't it?"
"No," Billy choked out, hoping Adam wouldn't notice the strain in his voice. He definitely did not think that his friend sounded pathetic. Frighteningly familiar was more like it.
Finally his silent plea was granted and Adam turned back to look at the mirror. "So what do you think?"
I think I need to get out of here. Briefly he actually contemplated just walking out of the store, out of the mall, getting in his car and driving … maybe straight out of Angel Grove.
Realizing Adam was looking at him expectantly, Billy finally replied, "I think that if you repeat to Tanya everything you just said, she's going to be a very happy woman."
"I meant about the look, but I'll keep that in mind."
"The look's good, too."
Grinning broadly, Adam laughed, "The things we do for those girls."
Billy pulled on the vest he had been holding; only to find it was a black one.
"Yeah …"
- + - + - + - + - + -
Thank you for reading.
Comments and criticisms appreciated as always.
I finished writing this while studying for my contracts exam tomorrow. For that and what I'm sure are a myriad of other imperfections, I apologize.
Panache