The bell rang loudly throughout the halls of Reefside High School as students made their way to their lockers after the eleventh period bell. Cheers of “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Hanukkah” echoed through the busy hallways as they grabbed empty backpacks and headed towards the buses.

That two o’clock bell signaled the beginning of a well needed two week winter break for the students at Reefside High, as well as the teachers. Within minutes the halls quieted so that only the latter remained.

Down in the gym hallway a young teacher happily kicked a few soccer balls across the gymnasium to where at few empty goals rested. Pitching the ball into the air, hitting it with his knee then kicking it sent it flying across the room and landed in a net.

“Goal!” the young teacher cried happily and fell to his knees. “He had done it, folks! The World Cup is all his!”

“Coach McKnight?” a voice asked. Quickly, Coach Connor McKnight stood up and smiled to the young boy.

“Oh, Jake, what can I do for you?” Connor asked the young freshman.

“I was wondering,” Jake began. “If there’s a way I could switch into your class for the next marking period.”

Connor grinned as he began to collect the stray soccer and basketballs. “Don’t really like yoga, do you?” Jake shook his head no. “Maybe we can work something out. But you’d better get going, Jake, you’ll miss your bus.”

Jake smiled. “All right, thanks. See ya Coach, happy holidays!”

Connor waved as the boy ran to catch his bus. Shaking his head and chuckling, he tossed the sack of balls into the closet and locked it. As he walked down the hall to his office, the halls suddenly came to life with the addition of Christmas music that sent the halls ringing.

He had always liked the holiday seasons, ever since he was a little boy. Every year after winter break, he and his friends would always go sledding at the hill over on Charlie Avenue, if it snowed, that is. But his most memorable holiday was probably his Senior Year in High School. He, Trent, Ethan and Kira went out for dinner and a movie marathon over at Dr. O’s lab.

“Those were the days,” he muttered to himself and smiled.

His High School career had been more than just special. After making the Varsity soccer team his Freshman year and playing on Varsity for all four years, his Senior year was his favorite. Not just because it was his last year, no, something else made it special. That year, he was the Red Dino Thunder Power Ranger, the leader of the Power Rangers. Together, Kira, Trent, Ethan, Doctor Oliver and he saved the city from Mesogog.

After he graduated High School, he got his teaching degree as a Physical Education teacher, and came back to Reefside to teach, and coach the Boys’ Varsity Soccer team, his team who won States a few weeks back.

Grabbing his keys Connor headed towards his red Jeep in the Teacher’s Parking lot and left the school for a well deserved break as a soft winter snow began to fall.

--

“Boys and girls, if you will please follow me, we will begin our tour,” said their teacher. Twenty-six children eagerly stood in front of the door to the elite Silver Guardian Headquarters, stationed in Silver Hills. Murmurs of excitement flew the children as they entered the large building and gazed at the numerous floors that towered above them.

From across the floor, Eric Myers groaned as he threw out his cup of water. “Another tour? I thought we stopped those months ago.”

Wesley Collins smiled to the young Officer. “We did, but this was a special favor called in by an old friend.”

Eric raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And who would this special friend happen to be?”

Wes laughed. “It happens to be your girlfriend’s best friend, Eric. Alyssa Enrile, remember?”

The name sounded familiar to Eric as he stroked his chin. “She was a Wild Force Ranger, right? The white one,” he asked. Wes nodded. Eric turned his head as the children came closer. “Showtime.”

Wes stepped forward with Eric at his side as the kids came up closer. “Boys and girls,” Alyssa stepped in front of them and stood between Wes and Eric, “I am happy to introduce you to the two men who help keep this city safe,” She motioned towards Wes. “This is Commander Wes Collins and Commander Eric Myers.”

“Good Afternoon Commander Collins and Commander Myers,” the children chanted in unison.

Wes smiled. “We are happy to have you all hear, and hope you enjoy this tour.”

“What we’ll be showing you today are what makes our departments tick, and what it’s like to be a Silver Guardian,” Eric took over. “If we could have all of you form two lines and find a buddy.”

As the children formed the lines Wes grinned to Eric. “Cute, Eric, ‘find a buddy, please,’” Wes imitated him as Eric threw him a look.

“Wes, Eric, so good to see you both again,” Alyssa said and hugged each of them. Wes and Eric returned her greeting and quickly started the tour, beginning with what it was like to be Power Rangers eight years ago.

Four hours later, they found themselves standing on the same few tiles. “We hope you all enjoyed the tour, we loved having you all!” Wes smiled.

“Thank you for having us,” the class said again in unison. After taking the kids out to the buses, Alyssa came back in for a quick good bye.

“Thanks, guys, you really made their last day special,” Alyssa hugged them again.

“Our pleasure,” Eric said. “Tell Max, Danny and Cole we say hi if you see them.”

Alyssa turned to Wes next and hugged him good bye. “I will,” she said. “Thanks again. Happy Holidays, boys!” She began to walk towards the door and turned around once more. “Tell the others and Jen I said hi, okay?”

“Okay, will do,” Wes smiled, but it quickly faded.

Eric looked at Wes and he saw the look on the red ranger’s face. The topic about Jen was always a difficult one for Wes, especially around the holidays.

Wes saw Eric staring at him and shook it off. “I’m cool, don’t worry about it.”

“I hope so,” Eric said as they stepped into an elevator and headed back towards their office floor. “It’s been, what, eight years since you’ve seen her?”

“Almost,” Wes chewed on his lip, “Haven’t heard a word from her since.” It didn’t bother him as much, but Eric could see past that, and see that it hurt Wes more than he let show. Jen was the one woman who stole his heart away. Eric knew that she still had it.

“I figure she’s still working at Time Force,” Wes continued. “Her and Alex probably got married and have kids by now. I always thought they would. We could never be together.”

“You’re probably right, Wes,” the Quantum Ranger shrugged. Slowly, the sun began to settle over the Silver Hills horizon, and dark gray clouds began to form over the city, releasing from them a soft flurry of snow, the first this year for the city.

As Wes and Eric packed up and headed home, Wes’s mind lingered back to the one woman who would always have his heart. Sure, he’d been on a few dates here and there, but no one could fill his void left for Jen.

After arriving home, eating dinner and settling down into bed, Wes watched the snow fall down slowly. His eyes glanced to a few pictures sitting on his bedside table. One was of him and his father, another of him and Eric. Wes smiled as he picked up the one Polaroid of his friends from the future, Trip, Katie and Lucas. The last one was his favorite picture out of them all.

He and Jen stood outside by his pool, holding each other close and smiling. Wes smiled as he slipped the photograph out of the frame and read the hand-written note on the back:

Wes—

Hope this picture brings back all the great memories we had together. Thank you for showing me the fun side of life. I’ll be back someday, I promise. I love you with all my heart.

Always,
Jennifer

“You promised you’d come back,” he muttered. He slipped the picture back into the frame and lay back down on the bed. “But that was eight years ago,” he told himself. “She and Alex probably got married, had kids and she forgot all about me.”

Wes found himself beginning to wonder what Jen was up to right at his very moment, one thousand years away.

--

A soft jingle of notes came over the radio as she drove down Fifth Avenue on her way back to Headquarters, when the call came over.

“Unit 125 from Headquarters, come in Lieutenant.”

Lieutenant Jennifer Scotts groaned. “Can’t they leave me alone for five minutes?” she asked as she lowered the volume on the radio and picked up the receiver.

“One-twenty five, go ahead, HQ.”

“Lieutenant, respond to Jackson Elementary School, we received a call from the Principal for a disturbance in his office he requests you handle.”

“Not again,” Jen rubbed her eyes. “Received, HQ, responding to the Elementary School.” Turning around the corner Jen sighed. “He had better have a good excuse for this one, or he’s toast,” she muttered as she pulled into the parking lot and exited the Patrol Car.

Walking down the hallways of Jackson Elementary School, Jen let out a deep sigh as she opened the Principal’s office. An aged man sat behind the desk with a smug grin on his face.

“Principal MacDonald,” Jen greeted.

“Ah, Lieutenant Scotts, welcome. Please, have a seat.” Principal MacDonald motioned to a chair.

“It sounded urgent, what’s going on?”

MacDonald sighed. “Lieutenant, I don’t know how to tell you this,” he nodded towards the door and the school nurse immerged with a young boy with an ice pack over his eye.

Jen jumped from her chair towards the boy. Kneeling down in front of him, Jen lifted his bangs away from his forehead to reveal a very large scrape. “Dave, my god, honey what happened?” she asked as she examined the scrape on his forehead.

“A third grader punched me, Mom,” eight-year-old Dave Scotts answered and pulled the ice pack away from his eye, revealing a large black and blue mark around his left eye. “It wasn’t my fault.”

Principal MacDonald huffed. “Perhaps, but tell her what happened before Drake punched you, about how you pushed him first.”

Jen eyed her son. “Dave, don’t tell me you started another fight,”

Dave cocked his head to one side and attempted to give her an innocent smile. “Well, umm, it started off like this—”

Jen hushed him. “Dave, what have I told you about starting fights in school? This is the third time this year!”

“But Mom!” he protested.

Immediately Jen cut him off. “No buts, mister, let’s go. I believe you owe Principal MacDonald an apology,” Jen said and turned him to face the Principal.

“Sorry Principal MacDonald,” Dave muttered and gave his mother an angry look.

“We’re going to have to do something about that attitude of yours, David. We’ll start that when Winter Break ends. Until then, enjoy the holidays.”

Jen nodded. “You too, and thank you.” Once they left and the door was closed, Jen and Dave headed outside to her car. “Dave, what am I going to do with you?”

She placed her hand on his shoulder, but he pulled away, and she shook her head as they entered the car again and headed back towards Headquarters. Jen glanced at her son, only to see his face against the glass of the car door and the hot air marks made from his nose and mouth.

“So?” Jen broke the silence between them.

“So what?” he spat back.

“Why did you get into another fight with Drake today?” Jen asked.

“You wouldn’t understand, Mom.” He muttered.

Jen raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Try me.”

He turned to her, and put his feet up on the dashboard. “Drake was making fun of me, for,” he cut off, but Jen urged him on, “For not having a Dad.”

“That’s it? Just because Drake was teasing you?” Jen asked. She laughed. “Since when do you care what people think?”

Dave turned to her. “We have an assignment due in Mr. Lawrence’s class, he wants us to write about our family, what our moms and dads do, and why they’re special to us. But, I don’t have a Dad. I know you’ve told me that Alex is my father, but sometimes I feel like he isn’t. He . . . just isn’t around much to feel like a dad.”

Pulling into the parking lot of Time Force Headquarters, Jen got out of the car with Dave at her side. She bent down and came face-to-face with the eight year old. “I know it may feel that way, Dave. Alex isn’t around as much, and I know that’s difficult for you. You need a guy who can play baseball with and do all the things boys do. For now, it’s not going to be easy, but I promise you. One day, things will be different, and we both will have a guy we love in our lives,” Jen placed a hand on her son’s cheek and smiled at his shining blue eyes. “Okay?”

Dave nodded and they both entered into Time Force, its large elevators took them up to the thirty second floor where Jen’s office was located. Dave went into her office to begin what homework he had over the break, while Jen got back to work. Smiling towards her son, his dirty blonde hair rested carelessly across the top of his head.

She smiled and rolled her eyes. “You’re more like your Dad than you think, Dave,” she said as her eyes glanced at a picture of a man that was nothing more than a memory to her and a name that she kept close to her heart: Wesley Collins.

--

Walking up to a dark house at seven at night was enough to send Vida’s senses on edge. Never in her life was her house dark when she came home, even if her parents were away. Carefully she unlocked the door and called out, “Maddy, you home?”

The only reply she got was the sound of wood creaking beneath her feet as she entered the house. A light draft was coming from the living room, Vida noticed, and went to investigate.

“Madison?” she called out louder as she entered the living room. The large bay window was shattered and the room was a disaster.

Vida noticed a large wet spot in the middle of her mother’s carpet and went to turn on a light. She screamed loudly and immediately she ran for the phone and dialed 911.

She quickly gave them the description of the scene. The window broken, the room in disarray, Madison’s camera that lay in the middle of the carpet, surrounded in a pool of fresh blood . . .

--