Disclaimer: Power Rangers does not belong to me, nor does Dekarangers. The plot, the chapter title as well as some of the script for this story is not my own. Shout-outs to TV-Nihon as well.
Chapter 2: Proposal Panic
"Thank goodness I'm not too late for our date!" thought Z to herself with relief; her heart skipping a beat upon seeing her boyfriend from the distance waiting at their usual spot by the park benches.
Z had been dating Hironobu "Ron" Sawii for over three months now, and he still made her feel giddy like a young schoolgirl every time she was with him. With Ron still talking intently to someone on his cell phone, Z took a minute to straighten her yellow and green stripped tank top and smooth down her short, blue jean skirt. Z noticed Ron was wearing his usual navy work suit that flattered his mocha-toned skin with his typical spiky hair making her beanstalk of a boyfriend look even talker than he already was. Giving her sunshine-colored hoodie jacket a final tug, Z in her yellow Converse sneakers eagerly ran over to Ron.
"I don't care about the reason," Z heard Ron tersely say over his cell phone as she popped up behind his back. "This isn't our agreement. If I don't receive it soon…"
"No fair," Z whined to herself as she had been hoping that Ron be surprised by her, but he was too engrossed in his phone call to notice.
"Yes," spoke Ron curtly to the caller. "I'm counting on you."
"Ron!" greeted Z gleefully, throwing her arms around her boyfriend's waist as he shut his cell phone.
"Lizzie!" responded Ron cheerfully, using his pet name for Z as his demeanor once again relaxed to the carefree and gentle nature she knew him to be.
"That was a business call, right?" asked Z curiously as Ron nodded in response to her question. "Till what time do we have together today?"
"I have to be back at my office for a meeting at 3:15 this afternoon," replied Ron apologetically.
"I see," whined Z disappointedly as she glanced down at her watch. "One hour as always of course. Then…I guess…" perked up Z, deciding as usual to make the most of the time her busy business guru of a boyfriend could spare. "Today, shall we…"
Ron cut Z off by reaching down and squeezing the top of her head all while giving her his trademark winning smile. "Let me guess, Lizzie. You want to go…'there'?"
Automatically Z grinned back at her boyfriend, loving the fact how well he had come to know her in just a few months. Ron was her prince charming the way he constantly won her over with his appealing masculinity and commanding charm. In almost everyway, he was her perfect man – someone who took his work seriously and still knew how to have fun. Z loved how completely different from the other complete goofball guys she knew. Especially Bridge.
Z's time with Ron went by way to quickly for her as usual. Like a magician, Ron had seemed to know that Z had felt like going to the New Tech City Amusement Park. They had spent the hour screaming happily together on the roller coaster, holding hands on the flying swings and cuddling on the Love Boats ride. Now, Z laughed as she tossed Ron bits of buttery, yellow popcorn that he tried to catch in his mouth.
"I knew it would be fun to come to the amusement park today," gasped Z between giggles as she and Ron collapsed on a park bench. "Oh, that's right. Here!" announced Z cheerfully as gave Ron the female plushie from the doll couple she had hand-knit.
"I can't believe you made this," chuckled Ron at the poorly-stitched doll version of his girlfriend, even complete with her brown bangs and yellow attire.
"Shut up," said Z, slapping Ron playfully. "I know it's not very well done, but I put my heart into it. And now, we'll always be together!" she added, pulling out her hand-knit doll of Ron and making the toy give the Z plushie a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you," replied Ron smiling tenderly at his girlfriend. "I'll cherish it. Now Lizzie, I have something for you, too."
Z gasped as Ron rose from the park bench and proceeded to get down on one knee. Ron pulled a yellow rose from his inside his jacket that he handed to Z. Pushing the petals apart, Z's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw a silver-banded ring with a small, square-cut diamond mounted on top.
"This is…" stuttered Z.
"Lizzie, I want to marry you," declared Ron, slipping the ring onto her finger and sitting back down beside her. "Will you accept?"
With the ring on, Z drew back her finger quickly and clenched both her hands around her homemade Ron doll. A million thoughts were running through her head: how happy she would be as Ron's wife… how heavy her heart would be to leave SPD. Z loved Ron, but she loved being the SPD yellow ranger and living out her lifelong dream of being a part of something bigger.
"You really want to get married?" asked Z quietly, finding herself unable to look Ron in the eye. "Can you wait a bit?"
"I see," said Ron downcast before determinedly brightening up. "But I will wait for a good response."
"Okay," said Z, still introverted in both her posture and line of thought.
"Ah, our hour together is up," said Ron, regarding at his watch. "I have to get back to the office. Same as usual for our good-bye?"
"Sure," responded Z, once again gazing at him affectionately as Ron took her chin in his hand. Closing her eyes slowly, Z's heart fluttered as Ron drew her toward him and softly pressed his lips against her own. Z kept her eyes closed when Ron pulled away, savoring the gentleness of his kiss.
"You know, I'm not a kitten," joked Z softly. "It's okay if you wanted to…"
"I want to cherish you, Lizzie," said Ron tenderly, leaning forward and innocently kissing her forehead. "That's why I don't rush those types of things."
"Ron really does respect for me," thought Z elatedly to herself. "And he care for me so much. Where in the world would I find a better guy then him?"
"Thank you," Z was all she could manage in her happiness to whisper as she ducked her chin and let her head collapse against her beloved boyfriend's chest.
"Z, that girl!" cried an infuriated Jack as he held the green ranger's head captive tightly under his arm. "Bridge, when did my little sister get a boyfriend? Why did you keep something like this from me!""
"Why the headlock?" gasped Bridge under duress as Jack practically dragged him across the Command Center over to Cruger.
"But would Z actually get married and leave SPD?" questioned Cruger out loud.
"You're lying!" declared Syd, putting on her princess pout. "How could someone get married before me?"
"Very easily," smirked Jack as Syd stuck her tongue out at him in rebuttal.
"If Z quit, I would miss her," sighed Sky in a rare show of emotion.
"Nonsense," replied Omega, trying to keep some sense of normality in the room by using his trademark phrase. "Z hasn't even decided if she's heading to the alter."
"Right," responded Sky as the two rangers turned toward at each with relief that they hadn't lost their friend just yet.
"Work and marriage," sighed Syd as she leaned down beside SPD's PC pooch, RIC. "Sure would be nice if you could have time for both, eh RIC?"
RIC barked in response to the attention from his favorite ranger. "Good dog," praised Syd, giving RIC an affectionate pat on the head.
"The analysis on the goods from the smuggler's ship is in," announced SPD's science siren Dr. Kat Manx as she entered the Command Center carrying a glass case.
As Cruger and the other rangers walked over to the central table, Syd sucked in her breath sharply. "Poison poison mushrooms!"
"What's with you and your double words today?" asked Sky, looking at her strangely.
"Can't help it," replied Syd, shrugging her shoulders. "It's in the script."
"Can we stay focused?" begged Kat. "These funguses are commonly known as psycho-mush. If you eat one these mushrooms for an hour, you can predict how someone feels romantically and change into their ideal form."
"Because of its increased use in scam cases throughout the galaxy, space regulations outlaw this item," added Cruger.
"The receiver of this shipment on Earth," began Sky. "He's probably already using this psycho-mush in his crimes."
"Yes," agreed Cruger. "We must investigate this."
"RIC and I are up to bat then," stepped in Syd as she walked over with a mushroom and placed it in front of the computerized dog's nose. "Don't grow timid on me now! Okay? Come on now and listen! RIC, find the person who smells like this psycho-mush."
"Lizzie is back!" proclaimed Z dreamily as she came dancing delightedly into the Command Center.
"What the…?" responsed Kat surprised as RIC growled and immediately pounced on top of Z's chest.
"Hey!" exclaimed Z flabbergasted. "RIC! What is it?"
"Maybe…" mused Omega.
"I got it!" declared Jack proudly, pushing Omega out of the way in the process. "Z ignored RIC and went on a date so now he's mad!"
"Owwwww," groaned Omega as he fell to the floor for the second time that day. "Not again!"
"RIC behave yourself!" begged Z as the dog continued to paw at her relentlessly. "I said I was sorry. Please stop it already!"
"Can you blame him for being upset?" asked Jack pointedly, clearly still pissed that Z had not told her honorary big brother about her boyfriend.
"For once, I agree with Jack's reasoning," said Sky. "RIC can be one crazy hound dog."
Yet Bridge – who had helped build RIC himself – was not convinced. RIC during all their time at SPD had rarely ever lead the rangers astray during an investigation. Rubbing the back of his neck ponderously, Bridge continued to watch uneasily as RIC refused to get off of Z.
"Psycho-mush's effectiveness lasts one hour," murmured Bridge to himself as he thought out loud. "One hour!"
Bridge's eyes widened in worry as he remembered what Z earlier that day had told him about her boyfriend: "He's so busy that we can only meet for one hour at a time."
"Alright," Cruger barked, snapping Bridge out of his reverie. "Everyone please investigate immediately."
"Yes sir!" responded everyone except Bridge, who's eyes had suddenly been drawn to the diamond ring on Z's hand. Bridge felt his stomach sicken… but not as he would have expected from the thought of Z being engaged. Rather, the green ranger had noticed something even more troubling to him.
The stone on Z's ring wasn't a diamond. In fact, the rock wasn't even from Earth.
A/N: Sorry for the little bit of Dekaranger mockery going on in this chapter. I couldn't resist! Please R&R.