Typical First Date
by Jeremy Ray Logsdon

Jason stared nervously at the counter before him. Emily was quickly getting the change for his purchase. It was now or never. "Emily, I've got something to say." _NO! That was a horrible first line, you idiot!_

"Oh?" Emily asked as she handed him change for his purchase.

"I was wondering, if... maybe... you weren't busy... we could... go out, tonight? Maybe?" he stammered. He felt the blood rising to his cheeks. He couldn't believe he was this nervous about asking out a girl.

"And just what we would do?"

"I was thinking a movie, or something..." _She's gonna say no. Now how can I get out of this with my dignity intact._ "Actually, now that I think about it, I just remembered, I promised Tommy I'd spar-"

"I'd love to," she smiled.

"You would?"

"Yeah. Pick me up at seven?"

Grinning like a fool, Jason eagerly nodded and said, "Yes!"

The date went remarkably well. They ate at a borderline restaurant, not too expensive but not fast food either. Jason was relieved that the conversation came easily. He was startled at how smoothly the date was going. There were no awkward pauses or anything.

After dinner, they found themselves at a theater. Jason had volunteered to take her to see a chick movie, but he was pleasantly surprised when she said she wanted to see the standard brainless sci-fi adventure. He didn't argue.

However, he received even more of a surprise when Emily asked if they could sit in the oversized seats near the back of the theater. He didn't question her when she picked out two seats at the edge of the aisle. He was a bit perplexed, though, when she grabbed the handrest between the seats and gave it a hard shove.

"Didn't you know about this?" she asked. "In a lot of theaters, the aisle seats have retractable armrest."

He didn't really understand the point, but he didn't say anything. As soon as they sat down and Emily scrunched right up against his side, he was glad he didn't say anything. It was with the greatest of ease that he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

He didn't move for two and a half hours.

After the date, he walked her home. However, rather than leave her at her doorstep, she invited him into the gazebo in her mother's flower gardens.

"I have a woman's taste in music," Jason admitted, a bit sheepishly. He had no idea why he was telling Emily everything, but he just couldn't seem to shut up. "I have a poster of the Spice Girls behind my bed."

"You don't strike me as the Spice Girls type," Emily grinned. "It wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that they're all gorgeous women, would it?"

"Of course not," Jason returned, smiling. "No, not at all."

"Who's your favorite?"

"I guess Scary Spice, but I think Baby Spice is the prettiest," Jason said. Swallowing hard, he found himself admitting, "I really like blondes..." His palms were sweaty, his heart was fluttering, and he very nearly felt light-headed. _I wonder if she would mind if I kissed her?_ He briefly contemplated asking her, but then he just acted. His body took over, and he found himself leaning toward her. He didn't even realize what Emily was doing until he felt her lips against his.

Common sense fled Jason and instinct kicked in, as nature had intended. He leaned into Emily, wrapping his arms around her as she yielded to him. He tilted his face to the left, grinning against her lips as their noses mashed together awkwardly. He found one hand sliding up the nape of her neck and into her hair. Her hair felt wonderful as it drifted between his fingers.

Emily reclined back into the bench, Jason traveling with her. His massive body partially covered her as her tongue probed his apparently-clenched lips. One of his strong arms was wrapped around her body, while the other carefully slid up her side, coming around to smooth across the side of a gently rounded breast.

Suddenly, there was a whipping sound. Jason's eyes flew open, and he felt Emily go tense beneath him. "Emily?"

"Wh-?" she stammered, clutching at the side of her neck. Embedded in her flesh were three silver barbs. She pulled them out, staring at them numbly. Then, before Jason's horrified eyes, her eyes rolled back into her head and she slumped into the bench.

"Emily!" he cried. He took her wrist and pressed his fingers to her pulse point. There was a steady pulse, not too fast and not too slow. Her chest still rose and fell with slow breaths. He breathed a sigh of relief as he realized she was just knocked out.

He heard the creakings of mechanical joints, and he jumped to his feet. _Cogs!_ "What do you want?!"

Yellow light flashed behind him, and he spun around, hoping to see a Power Ranger but instead seeing King Mondo. "Ah, Gold Ranger," Mondo called. "You want your girl back?" Jason turned to see Emily being carried away by a trio of Cogs.

"HEY!" However, before he could run at them, two more Cogs appeared to stand before him. "Bring her back, Mondo!"

"Three Cogs, surely you can beat three Cogs, can't you?" Mondo asked. "Or should you follow Zordon's rules, and go after the Gator?" A circular teleport signal flashed beside Mondo, and a mechanical alligator, on two legs, appeared next to him. "Your girl, or your city?"

"GOLD RANGER POWER!" Jason bellowed. Golden light flashed around him as his armor appeared on his body.

"Decisions, decisions," Mondo taunted just before he disappeared.

Jason looked at the Cogs carrying Emily off and then at Gator. He absolutely had no idea what to do. Gator was hurrying off, no doubt to do major damage to the city, but if he let the Cogs take Emily... "Zordon, there's a monster attacking the city! Send the Rangers!" He leapt through the Gazebo, calling his Golden Power Staff as he did so.

Leaping into the air, he slammed the Power Staff into the back of the nearest Cog. As it tumbled aside, he jumped into the air, kicking both of the Cogs holding her. They dropped Emily, but he was quick to scoop her into his arms before she hit the ground. He ran a few feet to the side and gently laid her to the ground. Already, she was starting to stir. He suspected the sedative had been very mild.

Then, he turned back around, looking at the three cowering Cogs. Shouting a loud bellow of rage, he tore into them, completely dismantling the closest with just one powerful swing of his Power Staff. "It's time for a Gold Rush!" Jason yelled. Extending his staff, a whirlwind of golden particles of energy burst out of it, tearings the Cogs asunder.

One of the cog-shaped portals sweeped down out of the sky and hovered above the dismantled robots, sucking the portals back to the Palace. He saw five streaks of color traveling across the sky, thankful that the Zeo Rangers were going after Gator.

"Jason?" Emily murmured.

He hurried over to her side, kneeling beisde her. "Emily, are you okay?" He scooped one arm beneath her as he helped her up.

"I'm just a little woozy," she said, sitting up. "Jason. Where's Jason?!"

"Jason's fine," Gold Ranger assured her. "Come on, we need to get you to safety."

"Where is Jason?" she repeated again, more forcefully this time.

"He was knocked out too, and... the Pink Ranger took him home," Jason lied. "Let me get you insid-"

Emily placed her hand on his. He had been idly stroking her hair as he supported her. "Jason?" she asked slowly. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly as she realized who he was. "You're Jason, aren't you..." It wasn't a question.

Jason looked down at her for a moment longer before nodding. "Yeah," he said as he reached up to unclasp his helmet. "It's me..."

"Jason? Oh my God...," Emily sighed. She reached up to touch his face as he sat his black helmet down on the ground. "You're a Power Ranger..."

"You can't tell anyone, Emily," he said softly.

"I won't," she murmured.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered. Woodenly, she realized, "You saved me..."

"You'd've done the same for me," he said. "Come on, let's get you inside. I'm kind of needed in battle right now." Standing up, he carefully pulled her to her feet. With one arm around her shoulders, he escorted her to her doorstep.

"Thank you for a wonderful evening," she said, smiling and still in awe.

"Remember, don't tell anyone about this," he repeated.

"I remember," she promised. "Think we could do this again sometime. The date I mean?"

"Yeah!" Jason said, grinning happily. "I'd love to!"

"Great," Emily murmured. "Call me, sometime. Okay?"

"Okay," Jason agreed. Biting his bottom lip, he pondered what to do for a moment. Then, he bent near her and gave her a gentle, slow kiss.

As he broke away, he looked into her shining blue eyes. "G'night."

"Good night, Gold Ranger," she whispered. Smiling proudly, she opened the door and disappeared into the darkness of her house.

Jason felt lighter than air as he slowly stepped down onto the sidewalk that led away from her house. He was halfway down the sidewalk when a thought occurred to him. A quick glance around told him that his secret was still safe. Shaking his head for being so forgetful, he then assumed a strong stance and shouted, "Back to action!"

The End