ZEDD - ANOTHER WEEK LATER
I'm lost in thought as Thomas navigates traffic. It seems like everyone decided that this was a good time to go to Angel Grove. I'd much rather have stayed home and dealt with Thomas' newest issue - something called 'Christmas presents' - instead of heading to the Ranger reunion. However, we all promised Thomas - after much bullying on his part - that we'd go. None of us felt it necessary to go and be praised for helping him, but he insisted - not to mention that he wants to present me as his mate.
I have to admit, this is a huge step for him - trusting that the other Rangers won't react like that subhuman from the music store a week ago. Though in fairness that was rather fun tormenting the creature for the amusement of a crowd. I haven't done that in quite some time after all. Still where the other power holders are concerned I hope that it won't be necessary and he won't be disappointed…
He parks the vehicle next to Jason's in the parking lot of the hotel where the reunion will be held. We grab our bags and troop inside. "Hang on guys and I'll get us checked in. We should have time to relax before we have to be anywhere." We wait as he approaches the desk and speaks to the woman there. "Two rooms for Oliver."
"Tell me again why we didn't stay home?" Goldar mutters.
Pina sighs. "Dar, he wants everyone to meet us. He's never said so, but I think it's as much about showing everyone that he's safe with us as it is letting them thank us."
"How safe he is depends on how much he annoys me" Dar huffs back, but with no real rancor.
"Oh come on now, you know Jason would have been disappointed if you didn't come with" I remind him teasingly, rather surprised still by how well the two of them seem to get along, and how quickly that occurred.
"He would have kept busy babysitting your mate I'm certain" Goldar mutters, but nevertheless scans the lobby for any sign of the Red Ranger.
"Just remember if you two go out to a bar again you don't plow him with drinks like last time" Pina reminds him sternly, all of us recalling Goldar and Jason returning from a brief trip to a local pub, with the former Ranger clearly having drank past his limit if his uncontrollable laughter and inability to walk straight meant anything.
"Thomas was not pleased" I agree.
My attention snaps back to my mate when an unfamiliar female voice calls out his name. "Tommy!"
He turns quickly in surprise, gaze swiftly locking on a group of three females bearing down on him. He steps away from the counter to allow other patrons access even as the female in front hugs him before the other two follow suit. "Becky! Caroline! Amy! What are you doing here?"
"Having a little getaway before the holidays" one of them answers.
"How are you doing? What are you up to?" he asks, genuinely seeming to be interested although I can feel his discomfort and after a moment spent placing the names and lack of power signature I realize why.
"Damn it."
Looking at me curiously, Pina is the first to question my displeasure. "What is it? Rangers you've encountered before?"
"Not Rangers, just past mates of Thomas" I respond, getting an understanding noise from her now.
The dark haired one holds up her left hand. "Well, I got married a couple of years ago. And in about seven months, we're expecting our first child."
"Congratulations, Caroline!" He gives her another quick hug and looks to another female - this one a red head. "What about you, Amy?"
A flash of something crosses her face. "I owe you an apology, Tommy. When we broke up, I said that you weren't enough for me. It turns out that you were enough, just the wrong gender. I- I'm now engaged to my girlfriend of five years."
He grins widely. "Congratulations with your news too. I'm glad you found someone that can make you happy."
"The funny part is that she does some of the things that you used to do. What I needed was someone like you-"
"Just not me" Thomas laughs. "It's okay, I get it. I'm really happy for you." And he truly is, I can feel it.
Another female voice makes the red head turn. "Amy, angel!"
A woman with short dark hair approaches and wraps her arm around the shoulders of the slightly smaller woman, much as I do to Thomas. Quickly, Amy introduces them and Thomas shakes hands with the newcomer. A little more chitchat and Thomas turns to the blond he called Becky. "What about you? Any special news or relationship developments that you want to tell me about?"
She looks up at him through her lashes, a rather telling smile on her lips that instantly makes me want to yank her away from him. "There's never really been anyone worth mentioning since you." She moves closer, setting her hand on his chest and it takes Scorpina's hand on my arm to stop me. "I missed you - a lot actually."
"Really? Thought I was a cover hog" he teases lightly, making the other two females snicker and agree with him.
"You were, but I've grown up over the years. I think perhaps I can overlook that, besides it's warm enough right now I don't think a lot of covers are really needed, or would be really wanted, if you know what I mean." Must not kill her, must behave. Thomas will be upset if I tear her apart.
"I do, but unfortunately, it's a bit too late for that I think" he says calmly and with a slight smile. "Besides I wouldn't want to cut in on your girls' holiday and all that."
"So true" Amy agrees seeming to try and help defuse the situation playfully. "Hardly think you'd enjoy what we have planned, what with the male strippers, and bikini waxes-"
"Sob fest over chick flicks" her mate agrees with a laugh.
"Yeah, not really my thing" Thomas agrees.
"Look, I get I'm not your favorite person after what happened-"
"Becky, it's fine, honest, I never held it against you that we didn't work out" he assures her quickly. "It just…wasn't the right time, like you said."
"Right." Seeming pleased by this, she gives a firm nod. "You were still bouncing all over racing in the summer, piling on classes in the fall, I was swamped with the sorority events, and my own school work, we didn't click right then."
"Exactly" Thomas agrees seeming pleased.
"However-" Oh hell. "Perhaps now that all that is done with, we might 'click' better?" Don't kill her, don't kill her, don't kill her. "Perhaps we could give it another try."
It takes all I have not to go over there and remove her hand from her body. I'm so irritated that I barely hear Thomas' response. "Somehow I don't think my mate would like that very much."
"Oh come on. What she doesn't know won't hurt her" she purrs at him. The others look decidedly uncomfortable, perhaps having a bit more class than their friend.
Thomas almost sounds amused as he says, "Oh, he'll know and he's pretty possessive and protective. He doesn't share - and neither do I."
It's almost amusing - the look she now has. "He?"
"Ha, I knew it, pay up" Caroline states holding her hand out to the red head, smiling as the smaller woman puts a twenty in her palm with a grumble.
"Lucky guess" the young lady hisses softly.
Without even looking, Thomas beckons me. I cross over to the group. "What did you need, love?"
He smiles at me. "To show you off, of course. Zedd, this is Amy and her mate Lisa, Caroline and Becky. Ladies, this is Zedd, my mate."
Everyone except Becky acknowledges the introduction, giving me smiles and discrete, but still caught, appreciative once overs of my form.
"Man, Tommy, trade you" Caroline says playfully and - I'll admit - a bit to my amusement.
"I swear, the two of you are almost enough to turn any woman straight again" Amy agrees, making me decide to let her and her own laughing mate live.
The final female however…Suddenly, fury covers Becky's face. Before anyone knows what's happening, she slaps Thomas – hard, and I swear if she wasn't a female her hand would now be removed from her body because of it. She draws back to strike him again but in a moment, I'm between them, glowering down at her and catching her hand mid-swing. "You do not want to do that again."
"Oh really, says who?" The challenge making me bristle, I however am thankfully saved from having to shove her across the room by Pina.
"Says me." Stepping up to join us, Pina and Dar match my glare, even as Pina locks eyes with the little tramp. "Look here little girl, Zedd and Tommy may not be willing to harm a female, however I myself will beat the hell out of a bitch if they dare think they can get away with insulting and attacking my family."
"She will too" Dar agrees calmly. "A few times they never did find the bodies."
"Hang on, guys, as sweet as that death threat is, Pina, I don't think it's needed" Thomas says softly. Has he lost his mind? He fixes the blond with a look. "How many, Becky?"
She stares at him defiantly. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Becky." When she refuses to answer, he looks to the others. "How many has she had?"
The three exchange looks before Amy says reluctantly, "I know of three."
Caroline shakes her head. "There was at least two before you got here and I'm not sure how many before I got here or when she ate last."
"What are you talking about?"
My mate ignores me for the moment, shaking his head at the woman refusing to meet his gaze. "I should have guessed. You always got sentimental or flew into a rage when bombed. Go sleep it off before you get hurt or embarrass yourself any more, Becky."
"I'm not the one who should be embarrassed" she snarls at him. "I'm not the one who spent my life pretending to be something I'm not. Pretending to like girls when you prefer taking it up the ass." I see the small red head flinch, leaning into her own now fuming mate for comfort.
"Wow, seriously, bitch." Looking to the woman, and making certain her mate is protected, Amy's companion is fast to take up Pina's spot and aggressive stance before any of us can stop her. Not that I would stop her in fairness. "You really might want to rethink where you're going with that, because I'm telling you now, their female friend there isn't going to have a chance to kill you if you say any such thing like that again, as I won't leave anything left of you to kill." Huh, liking these females more and more.
"Look, Becky, I'm not embarrassed about who I am and definitely not about who I'm with." Thomas steps back against my side, and wisely out of the other female's way in case she does attack the obnoxious one, his arm going around my waist even as mine goes around his shoulders - almost a mirror image of the paired females in front of us as Amy urges her own mate back to her side. "If you have a problem with it, then it's your problem and I won't let it be mine. However from the scent of liquor on you, I'd say you still have way bigger problems than me and who I'm with right now."
"She's gonna have an even bigger problem trying to get my boot out of her ass" the dark-haired girl mutters just loud enough for me to catch, making me think perhaps I'll buy her a drink later on and give her my business card. After all one can never have too many informants or bounty hunters on hand.
We're all startled at the crash of applause around us. It only takes a moment, now that my focus on the female is broken, to realize that we're surrounded by power holders - past and present - and every one of them is grinning and clapping. The blond storms off, curses flying behind her. Thomas looks at the other females. "You'll talk to her when she-"
Caroline nods. "I will." She looks at Amy and Lisa. "I'll understand if you don't want anything to do with her after what she just said."
Amy shrugs. "We'll have to see how she is when she wakes up."
"Yes, when she wakes up" Lisa agrees looking almost the spitting image of me in my evil youth if I ever did see it.
"Oh I like her" I tell Thomas truthfully. "Why didn't you date her?"
Chuckling he shakes his head. "Maybe because she's not into guys, for one thing. Also for another I didn't know her before now."
"Details" I state as three women slip away even as a female voice from the crowd calls out, "Kiss him, Tommy!" The demand is followed by several catcalls of agreement.
"Come on, guys. Not everybody needs or wants to see it. Grow up a little, will you?" he laughs.
A different voice calls out, "That's why we want to see it - because we're grown up!" I can hear Pina and Dar snicker even as my mate reddens a bit.
"Enough! We're going to take our bags to our room and we'll be down in a little while" Thomas answers with a smile, only earning more calls, whistles, and demands to not destroy anything while working up an appetite. Rolling his eyes, he leads us to the elevator, calling out greetings as we go. Once we're moving, he sighs heavily before turning his attention to me. "Mate, I'm so sorry about that scene with Becky."
The mark she put on his face has almost disappeared, but I can still see the edges. Lightly, I stroke my fingers over it. "I'm sorry I didn't realize what she was going to do before she had a chance to strike you."
He shakes his head. "I should have seen it coming." He shakes his head sadly. "She's been drinking. I suspected she was toward the end when we were together, but I never could prove it."
"Maybe that's the reason she broke up with you then" I suggest. "Either she was losing control or she was just afraid you'd find out."
The doors open and we exit as he says, "Maybe. It doesn't really matter now, though." Actually, it kind of does, as I know it still bothers him even if he doesn't wish to admit it. Before we go into out room and Pina and Dar head into their separate one next door, he says, "Just so you guys know, the actual reunion isn't until tomorrow, but a bunch of us will hang out tonight for a while after dinner. There'll be talking, drinking, probably a few of them will head down to the pool for a swim, and maybe a card game or two. You don't have to come down with me if you don't want to, but I'm sure you'd probably enjoy yourselves, and I know some of the girls, like Aisha, Kat, and Kim would like to get to know you Pina, especially since they missed you when they visited last time."
"That sounds nice, maybe I'll join them for a swim later or something" she agrees, before looking to her mate. "What do you think?"
"Did you say card games?" Dar questions not seeming to hear the young woman just yet.
"Yeah, um, a few of the reds usually get together to play poker, or Black Jack, Texas Hold 'em, you know the usual."
I can see Dar's eyes light up even as I know mine are. "Do they now."
Knowing his eager tone is not missed by my mate, I try and quickly settle the situation before he can call either of us on it. "We'll see what happens, Thomas. After all, I'd be just as happy spending the evening with you, you know."
He shoots a quick look at me and Dar, apparently not buying it. "I'm sure you would. However I know you well enough to know that that very likely won't be what happens given the wolf-like expressions on your faces. That being said, I want both of you to promise me that you won't use your powers to cheat anyone tonight, at cards or any other forms of gambling."
Pina says, "Tommy-"
Quickly, Dar cuts her off. "No, no, love, he's right, we're guests here and it would be rude to use our powers to take unfair advantage of his friends. I think that's a fair request if they can't use their powers in return of course."
His eyes narrow, seeming to realize that he's missed something thanks to Dar's far too easy agreeance, but having no idea what. "Fine, we'll go to dinner in a couple of hours." He opens the door and we go in, before he casts one more distrusting look at my best friend and myself. "I'm watching you two."
"Thomas, honestly, what do you think we'll do?" I ask as innocently as possible.
Looking at me suspiciously, he shakes his head before letting it swing shut behind us. "I have no idea, but I have a feeling I'm going to have to fix it whenever I find out."
