RPM: Really Persistent Males
A/N: Hey guys, thanks again for all your support through these zany adventures I keep taking you on for the last two years. It has meant a lot to me. Now let's get in gear! ENJOY R&R PLZ!
It was a momentous day for the people in Corinth. It had been two years since the Venjix virus had been eliminated and now, after intensive effort, the air quality had been dramatically improved and they could officially lift the dome. Fireworks were set off and there were already plans to expand the city and rebuild the surrounding ones. Amidst the renewed hope and celebration, the power rangers, Tenaya and Dr. K chose to remain at their old garage, sure they had gone outside to see the gigantic dome lifted but then they returned to watch the partying on TV as if it were a New Year's Day broadcast.
"I never realised how weird it would be to look up and not see the dome," Summer commented.
"Yeah but I like it, the world has been opened to us," Scott moved a hand around grandly. "I heard they're going to recycle all the metal from the Grinders and the factories for the rebuilding."
"Might as well put it to some use," Dillon shrugged. He stood up, "Anyway I think this celebration calls for some slices of Joe's famous pizza from around the corner, who wants to come?"
"Count me in," Flynn got out of his seat followed by Scott, Gem, and Ziggy.
"Ladies…" Dillon offered.
The four women looked at each other. "Nah you boys go ahead," Tenaya said. "Get me a slice of regular pepperoni."
"Hawaiian for me please," Summer requested.
"Me too," Gemma smiled.
"Dr. K you like mushrooms and sausage right?" Ziggy checked.
"Yes Ziggy, thank you," Dr. K replied.
"Alright then, I think we've got all of that. We'll be back." The boys waved as they walked away leaving the girls alone to chat amongst themselves. Half an hour later, arms laden with pizza, the boys returned to the garage only to be greeted by the sound of feminine giggling. None of them would ever know what made them do it but they immediately ducked behind Dillon's prized charger and sat down.
"Should we be doing this?" Ziggy asked but others just shushed him, crept closer to hear.
Tenaya – "Hey Summer, I got a question."
Summer – "Shoot."
Tenaya – "Just how badly do you think Dillon would freak out if I asked Scott to go out with me?"
Well the guys certainly knew the answer to this as Dillon went wide-eyed and started swivelling his head between Scott and the girls' general direction.
Summer – "I'd go with bad." So would the guys.
Tenaya – "Damn, I think Scott is pretty cute. Plus not a lot of guys are willing to look past the whole 'used to be evil' thing."
Gemma – "I guess it wouldn't be any better if I tell Gem that I like Flynn." Cue Gem and Flynn's jaws simultaneously hitting the floor.
Dr. K – "Gemma you never told me that."
Gemma – "I haven't told anybody. Gem is very protective of me, if he were to find out he'd probably threaten Flynn." That wasn't completely true, Gem was merely glaring intense daggers at Flynn though the underlying threat was loud and clear.
Summer – "But Flynn would never hurt you, in fact I think he rather likes you."
Gemma – "You think so?"
Summer – "Trust me, boys don't just invite you to help build weapons with them if they don't."
"Do you like her?" Gem peered at Flynn suspiciously.
"She's great, anyone would like her," Flynn replied evasively.
"But do you?" Scott pushed.
Flynn gave the red ranger a look, "How about I answer that around the same time you ask out Tenaya hmm?"
Scott glanced at Dillon whose expression had him scooting away, "Right yeah, you've got a point."
"Can we discuss this later?" Ziggy hissed. "I'm trying to hear Dr. K!"
Dr. K – "would be so enjoyable running a school. Ziggy is very proficient at working with the children."
Tenaya – "Dr. K…what do you think about Ziggy?"
Dr. K – "I do not understand what you mean."
Gemma – "She means what is your opinion of him?"
Dr. K – "In regards to…"
Summer – "Him…as a person…a friend…"
Dr. K – "He was a competent ranger and is a good teacher. Like I said he works well with children -"
Tenaya – "Oh for god sake, do you like him? Would you ever go out with him?"
Dr. K – "I have gone out with him and we ended up in a cave together and nearly died."
Summer – "She's talking about a date."
Dr. K – "Oh you meant romantically. Well Ziggy is…nice."
"Just nice," Ziggy sagged on the concrete dismayed.
"It's better than what you were getting before," Dillon reminded him.
"Two whole years of working side by side and all I get is 'he's nice'?! Yeah that's some real progress there," Ziggy sighed.
Tenaya – "It's just that Ziggy obviously likes you a lot Dr. K, perhaps you ought to consider going out with him again. I mean the guy knows how you like your pizza off the top of his head."
Dr. K – "And that is significant?"
Summer – "When a guy remembers stuff like that? Oh yeah, it's significant."
Gemma – "I think you and Ziggy would make a great couple."
Dr. K – "I'll consider it."
"See now how's that for progress?" Dillon nudged Ziggy but the former green ranger was too busy savouring the moment to respond.
Tenaya – "Whilst we're on the subject of couples, have you told my brother?"
"Told me what? Told me what?" Dillon nearly stood in anxiety.
"I'll take that as a no," Scott muttered to others who nodded.
Summer – "Oh 'the thing'. Not yet."
"What's 'the thing'?" Dillon hung on to every word.
Tenaya – "You have to tell him sooner or later, you don't have too much time."
Summer – "I know, but you know he's not going to like it."
Tenaya – "He's got no choice, he'll have to suck it up and deal with it. He should've known there were consequences to dating you."
"Consequences?" Dillon repeated confused.
"You don't think she's…you know," Flynn shrugged awkwardly. "In the family way so to speak."
"Oh dear god," Dillon went deathly pale so quickly the rest became concerned.
"You just had to say that," Ziggy shook Dillon's shoulder, trying to elicit a response.
"We were all thinking it, I just said it," Flynn defended himself.
Before anyone could stop him Dillon leapt up, scaring the girls and went straight to Summer. "Summer please tell me you're not pregnant!"
"What?" Summer jumped out of her seat. "What the hell are you talking about? Why were you hiding behind the car? Were you eavesdropping us?!"
"SUMMER! Are – you – pregnant?" Dillon grabbed her arms.
"What? No! What the hell made you think that?!" Summer struggled to get out his grip but Dillon let her go quickly in relief. He shakily sat down, dragging air into his lungs.
"Guys," Tenaya called rising from her spot. "Are you back there too?" The other three awkwardly moved out into the open.
Scott pushed his hair back, "So not what it looks like."
"Pizza," Ziggy offered them with cheerful desperation.
Summer whistled, "Okay will someone explain to me why Dillon thought I was pregnant and why you were hiding behind the car?"
"Excellent question," Flynn nodded. "Which…Scott here will answer."
Scott looked ready to punch the Scot, "Dillon thought you were pregnant because we overheard you talk about some kind of thing that you were supposed to tell him."
"Oh I meant that my parents are holding a garden party to celebrate their new house." Summer's dad was among the people to prosper thanks to rebuilding. "I know Dillon hates all the socialite business but my mom told me that under no uncertain terms both of us were expected to attend."
"Fantastic," Dillon groaned getting over the baby scare.
"And what about the car?" Gemma demanded her normally bubbly tone absent. She alternated her gaze between Gem and Flynn.
The pair exchanged a look, "We were hiding," Gem said finally, "and listening to you talk." The women closed ranks, forming a line of angry expressions.
"Pizza," Ziggy offered again weakly.
Dr. K crossed her arms, "I do not appreciate being spied on Ziggy."
"I'm sorry K I -"
"What did you just call me?" Dr. K's eyes widened.
"Oh um I guess I just called you K," Ziggy trailed off feebly. Even the others didn't know how to react; no one ever called Dr. K just K, it just wasn't done. The shock seemed to render K speechless and Ziggy went for it, "Look I know I'm more than dead but if you allow me to survive there's a street fair downtown that I'd really like to take you to. I promise we won't get trapped in any caves, just go out with me one more time." The guys couldn't decide whether to congratulate him or start writing eulogies.
Dr. K blinked, "I'm not sure how to respond," neither could anyone else.
That's when Scott decided to follow Ziggy's lead, "Yeah Tenaya I think you'd enjoy the fair too. I know they have these great performers. Let me make this stupid mistake up to you."
Dillon was about to hit Scott when he caught on too, "Summer sweetheart, I'm sorry about this. We were idiots. The fair would be a great way to start apologizing."
Flynn jumped, "Gemma they're doing demonstrations of some of the new technology there too. Gem doesn't mind, do you Gem?"
Gem and Flynn went toe to toe, staring each other down. "No," Gem said finally, "I don't mind. Besides I'll be there too. I need to makes things right with my sister."
"Fair enough," Flynn agreed. With that, they all waited for the verdict.
"We really ought to kill them," Tenaya mused, "but I am intrigued about this fair."
"So am I, I want to know how much they're prepared to suck up," Summer smirked. "Dr. K? Gemma?"
"I am torn," Dr. K replied. "These actions call for consequence and yet I seem to be enjoying the power of holding it over them."
"So am I," Gemma concurred.
"Welcome to being a woman," Tenaya grinned.
"Oh forget it," Summer cried dropping the vindictive tone. "Why don't we let them take us out?" Summer smiled at them innocently. "I think they learned their lesson." Unbeknownst to the men, Summer had her fingers crossed behind her back but the rest of the women could see it.
Tenaya bit her lip mischievously, "Sure, let's go."
Dr. K and Gemma didn't really understand what was going on but when Summer winked at them they agreed too. The men took them to the fair and did everything under the sun to make it as special as possible. Now I know what you're thinking; where's the punishment? The RPM boys certainly did, but after a while with nothing they thought they had gotten away with it. Okay so Scott mixed up his shampoo for a bottle of Tenaya's hair dye. And there was that accident at the dry cleaners that ruined Dillon's suit for the garden party, forcing Summer to rent him a tacky powder blue one (it was the only one at the shop). Then the plumbing went on the fritz during Ziggy's shower causing the water to go haywire, changing flows and temperatures; it took Dr. K a while to sort out the problem. Oh and Flynn misplaced his comic books while Gem couldn't find his favourite track suit, don't worry Gemma gave Flynn romance novels to occupy him and lent her brother one of her pink ones. But hey at least the girls weren't mad.
