Summary – Tommy has a hard first night.

-o-

'Such a Doll'

-o-

"So how's that?" Looking the doll house over happily, Kira had to admit the boys did a good job cleaning it off while she found all the furniture that went in it.

Walking around the two-story 'house' Tommy nodded, it was definitely nice. Plus the fact that it was two separate pieces that could be closed up and locked together to look just like a real house of sorts didn't hurt. He'd been a tad worried it'd have an open back that he might accidentally tumble out of in a sleepy or clumsy state later in the night. "It's nice, not exactly where I wanted to spend tonight, or any night really, but it definitely beats sleeping in a jewelry box or whatever else Hales might have put me in."

"Yep, it's made for Barbies and you're actually a little smaller so you should be able to fit in the furniture and get around the rooms without trouble. I know there's not exactly a lot of space, but it's just to sleep in for tonight so hopefully you won't get too claustrophobic." Pushing it around to the far side of her room and hoping it wasn't too noticeable from the doorway, Kira held out a hand helping the still costume clad Ranger from his position on her desk where they'd been cleaning the house up.

"So are you going to change into those doll clothes we found or just stay in your suit?" Looking over the few male clothes they'd found in the box full of dolls, Conner set them down beside their friend.

"I'll change later. Right now I just want to sit down and relax." Cringing as his statement was met by yelling and giggling out in the hallway, Tommy once more regretted his agreeing to this mess. It really wouldn't be that bad had the girl's younger cousins not been around, but they were, and he was almost certain that would result in trouble at some point and time in the night.

"I'll try to get them to quiet down." Standing and cleaning up the mess of rags and cleaners they'd left on her desk, Kira turned back to the others as it seemed Tommy had already disappeared into his new home. "You guys wanna stay for dinner?"

"Naw I have to head home. There's still enough daylight left to mow the yard and if that's not done by tonight I can kiss tomorrow goodbye." Turning to Ethan as he grabbed his keys from the bed, Conner gave him an imploring look. "What about you? You need a ride home or you staying here?"

"I better get home. No offence Kira, but two screaming seven year olds, not my idea of a fun dinner." Waving a goodbye to her and following Conner out, they both barely avoided being covered in finger paints thanks to the kids before making it safely out of the house.

-ooooooo-

"Okay mom, thanks!" Kicking her door closed and pressing her back to it, Kira slowly let out a relieved breath. It was one thing to make an excuse to go eat in your room, but an entirely different one to try and carry a plate of food to said room with two children tugging on your clothing asking why you didn't want to eat with them.

"Trouble in paradise?" Giving the exasperated girl a small and slightly amused smile as she moved to the desk he was once more perched on, Tommy barely held back a laugh as she simply shook her head and muttered something about kids and never having them.

"Remind me to lock the door tonight, those two are definitely working for Mesagog I swear." Setting the plate of food and bottle of orange soda down beside her homework, she carefully moved the book and papers aside, giving her plate and Tommy more room. "So decided against changing clothes still?"

Running a hand through his hair and once more sitting down Indian style, Tommy waited a bit impatiently for her to offer up some food. "I took the helmet off to get some air, but wasn't in the mood to figure out how to get into those doll clothes. I looked at your homework though, number five is wrong."

"If I give you some dinner will you fix it for me?" Grinning and already digging through the box of extra doll toys they'd brought down from the attic, she finally found something that'd work well enough.

"I would if I could actually hold a pencil successfully now." Getting up quickly as a dark brown picnic type table was placed down in front of him, along with a bench that seemed to match, Tommy casually slid onto the seat waiting to see what else she'd produce. "Besides even if I could, I can't work on an empty stomach."

Rolling her eyes at his hints, she finally took a seat in her own chair before tearing off a piece of napkin and placing the desired items on it. Setting the turkey, few kernels of corn, and small piece of bread down on the plastic table she waited for a minute to see if that'd due before scarfing down the rest of it. "Sorry, but I don't have any miniature silverware or anything. Hm, or cups." Thinking it over and finally pouring some of the soda into the plastic bottle cap, she figured that was the best that could be done on such short notice.

"That's fine." Eating in silence for a few minutes, Tommy finally looked at the bottle cap, wondering momentarily just how he was going to drink from something that was more bowl shaped then cup shaped. Not to mention how heavy it was from the liquid now. "So, um…I like your room. I should have known you'd like Evanescence."

Smiling and looking at her posters of the band, Kira gave a nod. "Yeah they're really good. I'm hoping to go to their concert in LA next month."

"Gonna take Conner?" Snickering around a bite of turkey as this made the girl instantly turn an interesting shade of pink, Tommy did his best to pretend not to notice. "I mean you two are sort of a couple or something aren't you?"

"What? No! Why on Earth would you think that? I mean he's selfish, and stubborn, and self-centered, and a jock, like I would ever be interested in some sports playing jock." Taking a swing of her soda and seeming satisfied with her logical arguments as to why she wasn't falling hard for the soccer playing Red Ranger, Kira nodded sternly to herself. "Yep, so not my type."

"Okay, sorry." Holding his hands up and finishing off his own dinner, Tommy was suddenly struck with a rather bad idea. "My mistake I guess, I mean I just thought since he's always looking at you in class and stuff…but must have been my imagination."

"He's what?" Eyes lighting up at this bit of information, Kira was just about to demand to know just what sort of 'looks' he was giving her when they both found themselves interrupted by rather loud and demanding shrieks.

"Hi! What's you doing Kira? Who you talkin to?" Tugging on the teenager's arm and making her drop her folk, the seven year old Samantha had apparently heard a bit too much of her conversation from the hallway.

"Um, no one. Just, myself. I'm thinking out loud." Holding her breath as she spared a look down at Tommy, she felt a small wave of relief at seeing he'd laid himself out perfectly still on the desktop. Noting his eyes were also closed, she couldn't help but wonder if he'd done that to avoid blinking or just out of pure terror of the situation.

"Hey cool you got a Power Ranger doll!" Picking the Black Ranger up before she could be stopped the second child quickly began to make him 'walk' across the desk. "Neat, you set up a picnic for him too!"

"Jenny no!" Reaching for him, Kira was thwarted as she was now grabbed around the waist by the first girl. "Jenny put him down please, he's very breakable and you have to be very careful so please just nicely and carefully set him back down."

"I'll be carefully." Looking hurt at her cousin's stern and untrusting tone, the little brunette girl unconsciously tightened her hold on her new 'toy'. "I'm always careful Kira, Sam's the one that's not careful. She pulled Barbie's head off last week just to see if anything was in it….There wasn't by the way."

"Oh god, please let me not die like this." Struggling to breath in the little girl's death grip, after his whispered plea Tommy spared a quick glance at his captor. "If I could get my hand free I could possibly shoot her. It wouldn't hurt her too much, right?"

"Okay, okay that's very good Jenny, now please put him down. I mean set him down. Nicely. Please. I'll tell you what, if you set him down all nice and gentle like I'll give you cake. Lots and lots of cake, I promise." Watching closely as the child's eyes lit up at this and she ever so slowly placed her captive back on the desk, Kira was certain if Tommy didn't have a stroke she would. "Good girl, good girl."

"Can we have cake now?"

"Yes, yes, just go ahead and go to the kitchen and I'll be there in just a second okay?" Shooing the girls out of the room and quickly running back to see if her friend was still alive, Kira was relieved to see him now sitting up looking more or less unharmed. "I'm so sorry, are you okay?"

"I've been better." Wincing and certain he'd have five finger shaped bruises on his abdomen by morning, Tommy took a minute to simply breath and collect himself. "You'd better go get them cake before they come back. I think I'll just um, hang out in the doll house until you get back okay."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea." Holding out her hand and waiting until he'd climbed on and seemed steady, she quickly but carefully moved him back to the toy house. "I'll be back in a little bit, I should probably keep an eye on them until they go to bed though just to be safe."

"Yeah." Feeling that was indeed a good idea, he waited until she'd left before slowly walking into the house, relieved to find the front door actually opened and he didn't need her to unlatch the full structure to let him inside it. "Starting to think the spiders in lair were the safer bet."

To be continued…