Disclaimer: Power Rangers does not belong to me.

Ch. 4: Nerves

Takes place Valentine's Day in the early evening

"Jack, we picked up the dozen red roses you wanted," called Z as she and Bridge knocked on their friend's apartment door.

"I'm in the shower," they heard Jack call from inside. "But the door's unlocked. Come on in, and make yourselves comfortable. I'll be out in a few."

"So Bridge, it's finally Valentine's Day," said Z, trying to sound nonchalant. "Do you have any big plans with your secret admirer?"

"Yeah, we're finally meeting tonight," said Bridge with half-hearted enthusiasm that didn't escape Z's notice. "What about you and your mystery man?"

"Yeah, I got note on my this morning telling me to meet him at 6 tonight in front of the New Tech City cinema," revealed Z excitedly. "When I got there, I'm supposed to go to the ticket counter and pick up the next note that will be waiting for me there."

"How will you figure out who your secret admirer is once you are there?" questioned Bridge as he and Z sat down on Jack's couch.

"The note said he'd find me at the ticket counter," replied Z. "He told me to wear my long, yellow and green tie-dye skirt 'cause he thinks I look pretty in it."

"Well you do look beautiful in it," said Bridge blushing before he noticed Z staring at him curiously. "Ahhh, I mean, it's ummm, a very nice skirt! You know, colorful and well-made. Good job on the hem's stitching," sputtered Bridge, trying to recover.

"There's more, too," continued Z. "He wrote in the note, and I quote here, 'you look so pretty in that skirt that you make my heart melt like butter.'"

"This guy talks the way I would!" scoffed Bridge indignantly.

"Seriously," exclaimed Z. "If I didn't know better, I'd think my secret admirer was you!"

Bridge laughed loudly, trying to play off his discomfort. "What makes you say that?" he inquired curiously. Although he obviously knew he wasn't Z's secret admirer, he couldn't help being jealous that he hadn't thought of the idea first as a way to win the yellow ranger's heart.

"Well I mean, it's obvious you wouldn't give me anonymous gifts or have a hidden crush on me," explained Z. "We're just friends."

"Just friends," repeated Bridge, making no effort to hide the disappointment in his voice as he sunk lower into Jack's couch.

"Is…that a problem?" asked Z in a hopeful tone that took Bridge by surprise… and gave him encouragement to express his feelings.

"No no, of course not!" cried Bridge reassuringly while mentally kicking himself for his inability to speak English around the beautiful Z Delgado. "I mean, if we weren't friends then we wouldn't hang out at all. And if we didn't hang out at all, I wouldn't have gotten to know you. And if I hadn't gotten to know you, then I wouldn't have realized what an amazing, cool person you are. And if I hadn't realized what an amazing, cool person you are then…"

"Bridge, you're babbling again," interrupted Z, mercifully cutting the blue ranger off. "But about everything you just said, thanks. I mean, it's always nice to know someone likes you."

"It's almost like she's hinting that I should tell her!" thought Bridge in a panic to himself. "Is this possible or am I imagining things? And even if I did tell her, what if she didn't feel the same way?"

"Z," Bridge began out loud. "You're secret admirer really sounds like a great guy, and you seem excited about going out with him tonight."

"Yeah," smiled Z hesitantly. "But…"

"But," picked up Bridge. "I mean, if things don't work out with him, which I hope doesn't happen 'cause then you would be sad. And if you were sad, then I'd be sad. And then…"

"Bridge!" said Z exasperated at her friend's run-on sentences. "Out with it!"

"Well, maybe sometime we could go see a movie together?" spat out Bridge nervously, looking just as surprised as Z hearing the words out loud.

Z's mouth dropped to the floor, blind-sided by Bridge's proposal. But before she had a chance to answer, Jack burst into the room wearing a tuxedo with a red bow-tie. "Well how do I look?" asked Jack, spinning around like Michel Jackson for his friends.

"Jack, you look so handsome," sighed Z lovingly, completely forgetting about Bridge's question as she looked at her honorary brother all-dressed up to go ask the girl of his dreams for her hand in marriage. As she went over to straighten Jack's bow-tie, he saw tears welling up in Z's eyes.

"Don't go all soft on me, Z," complained Jack, playfully batting her away. "I'm already emotional enough as it is to give the ring to Ally! Not to mention freakin' nervous as well."

"Of course Ally will say yes," reassured Z, facing Jack with her back to Bridge. "She loves you very much. I just hope one day I can be engaged to someone who cares for me as much as you do for her."

"Oh Z, I think if you looked around a little more you might find that guy was right besides you the entire time!" replied Jack cheekily, winking at Bridge who groaned inaudibly and buried his head in his hands in embarrassment.

"Have you got the ring?" questioned Bridge, trying desperately to change the subject.

"I already put it in my leather jacket so I wouldn't forget it!" cheered Jack.

"So what's the plan for tonight?" asked Z as she sat back down on the couch beside Bridge.

"I'm taking her to our favorite fondue restaurant," replied Jack, smiling shyly. "Then I was going to take her ice skating at the outdoor rink. Then we got hot chocolate afterwards, I was going to put the ring on top of one of those heart-shaped cupcakes they have. You know, a little sweet for my sweetie."

"Awww," cooed Bridge and Z in unison.

"Hold on, the phone's ringing. That must be Al. She must have gotten lost on the way to the restaurant."

Z's eyes followed Jack as he went into the kitchen to answer the phone before turning her attention back to Bridge. "So, where you trying to ask me out on a date earlier?" demanded Z, cutting straight to the point as was her usual style.

"Well…" began Bridge.

"Do you like me?" cut in Z, not letting him answer.

"Well…" began Bridge.

"Do you have feelings for me?" continued Z.

"NOOO!" Z heard Jack scream from the kitchen. Rushing into the other room, Z and Bridge saw Jack pacing anxiously around the kitchen while on the phone with his hand clenched so tightly on the receiver that his knuckles had morphed to white.

"Ally, you can't be serious!" shouted Jack into the phone practically in tears. "I can't believe this is the end!"

"Jack, did Ally break-up with you?" cried Bridge worriedly when he saw his friend finished on the phone.

"It's worse," muttered Jack, stilling pacing around the kitchen in a frenzy. "There was a fire at the homeless shelter downtown. That place housed about 300 hundred people. Now they will all be out on the streets tonight."

"Is Ally alright?" asked Z concernedly.

"What do I do?" ranted Jack to himself, completely unaware of his friends' presence. "What should I do? Ally's helping get people to the hospital. I gotta go help Al!" resolved Jack tersely.

Grabbing his black and red leather jacket, Jack raced out of his apartment leaving a stunned Bridge and Z in his wake. As Jack slammed the door shut to his apartment, the force of his exit knocked the dozen roses he ordered for Ally off his kitchen table. Z and Bridge watched somberly as red petals fell to the floor like sad tears of heartbreak.

"There's no way I can ask to Ally to marry me tonight now," thought Jack sadly to himself as he rushed get his wallet and his cell phone. "Given what happened, I don't know under what setting I could possibly make proposing feel right."