Here's the next chapter, the next one will be very special... so keep an eye out for tomorrow...

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers... if I did, Merrick and Alyssa would've gotten together for sure!-

Alyssa Enrilé loved the Holiday season.

She loved it so much, she wanted to spread that joy to her Ranger Teammates.

Taylor had Cole covered, Max Cooper and Danny Delgado were already spreading holiday cheer to their Princess mentor.

Which left Alyssa with their other teammate.

Merrick Baliton was an apple among normal men, given how he was literally from the past and had no idea how to handle most modern things.

But what put him out of the bunch was how secluded he was more times than not, taking his Lone Wolf life far more seriously than one would expect.

So, when Alyssa went back the next day to see how he was doing, she was surprised that Willie Mallard, the owner of the Roadhouse, didn't have any decorations up to celebrate the coming winter season.

Or a Christmas Tree inside, or… anything significant for the Holidays.

As she looked around, someone came in from the back.

"Alyssa!" Merrick blinked when he saw her, "What… what are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to see how you were doing." She relented, "Why aren't there any decorations?"

"What for?" He shrugged, walking over to the pool table to set up a game.

"Any Holiday?" Alyssa answered.

"Oh, I asked Willie not to put them up." He replied.

"Why not?" She blinked.

"I just don't like it… it makes no sense to me."

"But… the Holidays are amazing." Alyssa reasoned quickly, "Even if they don't make sense, you should celebrate them."

Merrick frowned, "You think so?"

Alyssa nodded, "Yeah."

Merrick nodded after a bit, "What… what would one do to celebrate?"

Alyssa shrugged, "Couples usually give the Twelve days of Christmas to one another."

"Twelve days of Christmas?"

"Yeah… uh…" Alyssa thankfully heard the Carolers singing outside, "Come here."

She quickly pulled him outside.

Merrick frowned before he followed and saw those singers from the day before.

"Hit it." Alyssa nodded.

"On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me." One of the women of the group started.

"A partridge in a pear tree." All of them chorused.

"On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me." Another woman let out, "Two turtle doves, and…"

"A partridge in a pear tree."

"On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me."

"Three French hens."

"Two turtle doves."

"And a partridge in a pear tree."

"On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me.

"Four calling birds."

"Three French hens."

"Two turtle doves."

"And a partridge in a pear tree."

"On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me."

"Five golden rings!"

"Four calling birds."

"Three French hens."

Two turtle doves.

"And a partridge in a pear tree."

"On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me."

"Six geese a-laying."

"Five golden rings…"

"Four calling birds."

"Three French hens."

"Two turtle doves."

"And a Partridge in a pear tree."

Merrick didn't know it, but his foot started taping to the rhythm of the music.

"On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…." They slowed down a bit.

"Seven swans a-swimming…"

"Six geese a-laying."

"Five golden rings…!"

"Four calling birds."

"Three French hens."

"Two turtle doves."

"And Partridge in a pear tree."

"On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me," Merrick started humming along, his arms folded.

"Eight maids a-milking."

"Seven swans a-swimming."

"Six geese a-laying."

"Five golden rings…"

"Four calling birds."

"Three French hens."

"Two turtle doves."

"And a partridge in a pear tree."

"On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me." They happily continued.

"Nine ladies dancing."

"Eight maids a-milking."

"Seven swans a-swimming…"

"Six geese a-laying."

"Five golden rings…!"

"Four calling birds."

"Three French hens."

"Two turtle doves."

"A partridge in a pear tree."

"On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me." Merrick kept silent as an idea started to form in his head, though he still nodded along.

"Ten lords a-leaping."

"Nine ladies dancing."

"Eight maids a-milking."

"Seven swans a-swimming…"

"Six geese a-laying."

"Five golden rings…"

"Four calling birds."

"Three French hens."

"Two turtle doves."

"And a partridge in a pear tree."

"On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…" They almost completed.

"Eleven pipers piping."

"Ten lords a-leaping."

"Nine ladies dancing."

"Eight maids a-milking."

"Seven swans a-swimming."

"Six geese a-laying."

"Five golden rings…"

"Four calling birds."

"Three French hens."

"Two turtle doves."

"And a partridge in a pear tree."

"On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…" As the Carolers got to the last verse, Alyssa got a nice idea for Merrick.

"Twelve drummers drumming."

"Eleven pipers piping."

"Ten lords a-leaping."

"Nine ladies dancing."

"Eight maids a-milking."

"Seven swans a-swimming."

"Six geese a-laying."

"Five golden rings…"

"Four calling birds."

"Three French hens."

"Two turtle doves…."

"And a partridge in a pear…. Tree….!"

Merrick and Alyssa both clapped as the carolers finished up and Alyssa paid them kindly before they left.

"So…" Alyssa started, "What'd you think?"

Merrick shrugged, though his mind was racing with ideas on how he could celebrate with that.

They were back inside the Roadhouse, Merrick making them some hot chocolate.

"It was okay… I guess." He relented as he gave her the cup, "Why'd you have them sing it?"

"The Twelve Days of Christmas are amazing." She replied, "Some people even start celebrating it on the 13th instead of Christmas itself."

"Really?" Merrick blinked, then did the little math he knew in his head, "So… if I'm right… on the 25th… whoever was getting those presents would get a whole bunch on Christmas Day?"

Alyssa nodded, "Yeah… but it'd be special because they love that person for one reason or another… the gifts are incredibly expensive."

Merrick blinked in surprise, "Really?"

Alyssa nodded, "There are at least 364 presents each if you add them all together… one for every other day of the year… so, buying them all together… that's expensive… but people would do it because of love."

Merrick looked away, circling his spoon in his cup, "I… I… can't know that feeling now…

Alyssa sighed, "It's not your fault you had to break up with the Princess, Merrick…"

"That doesn't change the fact that I did it." He reasoned.

Alyssa nodded softly, then put a hand on his, "Merrick… people would be lucky if they could date Royalty… you had to break up with the Princess to protect her… there's nothing wrong with that."

"Then why do you guys keep pushing at it?" He looked at Alyssa, both clearly annoyed and sad.

Alyssa sighed and shook her head, "Taylor came up with the idea… we just go along with it."

Merrick looked away a bit before he took a sip from his hot chocolate.

When he sat the cup down, Alyssa giggled softly.

"What?" He blinked.

"You… you have something on your…." She motioned to her lip.

He wiped it and looked at her.

"You got it." She smiled lightly.

Merrick chuckled softly, glancing down a bit.

This got Alyssa to perk up a bit, having never heard him laugh… ever.

But, all good things must come to an end.

Alyssa's phone buzzed with a Text from Cole.

Upon further inspection, it read; Hey, where are you? Taylor wanted to take me around to get a Christmas Tree or something… wanna come?

She bit her lip, and Merrick frowned before reading the text as well.

"Go." He nodded.

Alyssa blinked before she quickly got up, "Thank you… for listening to the song, and the hot chocolate…. But… I gotta go…"

"You're welcome." Merrick nodded.

With that, Alyssa hurried out.

#######################################################################################################

Once she was done bringing the Christmas Tree they picked out onto the Animarium with the others, Alyssa sat at the main table, trying to think of a way to show Merrick the Christmas Spirit.

Then it hit her.

"Hey, Taylor." She stopped the Yellow Ranger as she walked by, "What would you get a guy for the first day of Christmas?"

Taylor didn't exactly think about it, "A punch in the gut?"

"…I was thinking more along the lines of in place of 'a Partridge in a pear tree'."

"I am the last person you wanna ask about mushy stuff like that." Taylor shook her head, "But, if it means so much… why not a mini Partridge in a Pear Tree? They're selling them at the stores for… about 3 bucks."

Alyssa blinked, then got up, "That's brilliant! Thanks."

"Welcome… but, they're on sale for that much right now… so you should probably give it to… whoever tomorrow." Taylor pointed out.

"Start the Twelve days… before even the 13th?"

Taylor shrugged, Just a suggestion anyway… who do you wanna get it for anyway? We've got everyone up here covered the Holidays."

"But there's one person not up here that should celebrate it too." Alyssa noted.

"Ah…" Taylor nodded, getting it, "Well stop it. I have a perfect idea for Merrick and the Princess… she really wants to make this Christmas special for him… especially since 3,000 years ago, their Christmas consisted of a lot of time away from each other… and no mention of Christmas for miles."

"Taylor?"

"Yes?" She nodded.

"3,000 Years ago was before Christ was even born." Alyssa pointed out.

"My point exactly. This is their very first Christmas together and it's going to be perfect! I just need to start ordering everything today for Christmas, invite on Christmas, and put the two under a mistletoe before then and boom, they're a couple for sure!"

Alyssa forced a smile before she walked away.

Then, the White ranger quickly pulled out her phone and started dialing the retail store for the gift.

"I need to start before she has a chance to do that!"

Took me a while, but here it is.

Tomorrow starts the Twelve days for these guys.

In the meantime, please review... and please no hate!