The roofs and grounds of Manor Park were graced with snow as the Christmas morning feeling set in across the country. Adam awoke to that feeling inside his stomach, one that he hadn't felt since he was a child. Christmas was here and, with just enough determination to shake of the weariness and chilly feel that was mandatory on each and every wintry morning, the second Black Power Ranger sat up and got out of bed.
His nightwear was simple, black t-shirt with black shorts. Despite the colour, or lack thereof, Adam was not considered a Goth; in fact, it as an honour to his time as a ranger and role as Zack's replacement when he himself took on the Black Ranger mantle.
Talking of Zack, his predecessor had been the last to deliver his presents to Manor Park in time for the festivities. As he entered the living room from the stairway, Adam spied the snowman-themed navy wrapping paper under the tree that had only been delivered the night before.
Practically collapsing on the sofa, a clearly tired Adam flicked the television on. Ever since he was a child, he had enjoyed the seasonal period of Christmas and the myth and euphoria that worked in tandem with it. But of late, the feeling inside had died down; things hadn't felt the same since everything in his life seemed to fall apart...
As he stood up and stretched, Adam decided to open the presents. Switching the TV off, he settled himself down at the bottom of the tree and gave a sigh. If he could, he would trade all of this; give it all in exchange for the thing he desired most...
But he knew he couldn't. He picked a few presents that were wrapped similarly to open first. Pulling them towards him, he flicked the label up with his thumb; the label read, "To Adam, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Love Tori x."
No matter how bad you felt inside, Tori could always cheer you up, at least getting a smile out of you and making you feel better on the outside. He carefully unwrapped the present to revel the small token that was inside. Typical Tori; wrapping an envelope in paper. Adam carefully slid his nail under the seal and broke it as his finger glided across it. Inside was a wad of cash, $50 to be precise. It came with a note; "Treat yourself, I'm sure you know what you want better than anyone else. Hey, you may even buy a surfboard, but what are the chances?"
Receiving money was seen as better than a present, but in many ways it just doesn't live up to it. The thrill of receiving a present was more exciting than just opening a letter to receive money. Tori was right though, he knew better than anyone else what he wanted. It was just that no amount of money could get Adam what he wanted.
Next was a brightly wrapped selection, given to him by Kira. She had succeeded in her musical ambitions and was now making an impression across America as a solo singer, with her band in tow of course. Eyeing the square-shaped present first, Adam had a pretty good idea of what it was. He opened it to reveal Kira's debut album: Different Worlds. The name was a reference to the different backgrounds the Dino Thunder team had come from and how the only similarity was their destiny as rangers.
He then switched to a flat package; another envelope. Opening it and then opening the expected letter inside, he found a pair of VIP Tickets to her first concert. As part of her tour, Kira had opted for stops at Reefside, Angel Grove and even in Mack's hometown. Tearing himself away from the thought, Adam opened the final package, a gift that made his heart soar. It was a hand drawn picture of the Operation Overdrive team and the Retro Rangers that he'd been a part of that had helped them. He could clearly see himself, clad fully in black, stood next to Mack the team's leader. Tyzonn was stood to the right with Tori and Rose while Xander was with Kira and Ronny on the opposite side. Will, Dax, and Bridge were crouched low in front of Adam and Mack who were stood in the centre. Kira had added a note inside the package. "Hope you like it Adam. It was an idea I had when I and Trent moved house recently and I came across this photo. I asked him to re-create it, seeing as he's a talented artist. Hope you like, Kira x."
He placed the framed image on the windowsill immediately to his left. The tickets and CD were placed with Tori's money on the table. He was now even more excited than before; such lovely presents could only fill one with joy. Xander's presents were next. A magically enchanted plant had already been delivered and Xander had ensured its long life with his ability to manipulate the earth. Now Adam was opening the remaining presents which had remained hidden and secret under the tree for what seemed like an age.
A rattle accompanied the movement of a large box as Adam shifted it closer to him. As expected, underneath the wrapping paper was a large cardboard box and as Adam split the tape that was tightly holding it together with a pair of scissors, the sight of cans greeted him. Xander had sent him a bit of Australia with a crate of Foster's for him to enjoy over the festive period. Adam may not have been one for drowning his sorrows, but even he had to admit he fancied a beer right about now.
Adam now took out Xander's second present. Feeling the surface with his fingers, Adam felt he thick skin of the gift and was also wary of its bulk. Slowly peeling away the iconic green paper, the words "Gardener's Paradise sprang up at him. As he pulled the book out of the remaining paper, Adam noticed a few sachets of seeds in the bottom. A note was also present. "Being a green ranger like me, I expect you're a green-fingered fella. When summer comes, get out in your garden and follow the tips in the book. As for the beer, simply enjoy. Xander."
It was a nice gesture and though Adam hadn't been particularly agricultural in the past, the idea always appealed to him. Now he was able to sow the seed of life into his garden and with Xander's helpful book, he was sure it couldn't be too difficult. That would have to wait though; for now he would have to be contempt with reading the book from the comfort of his sofa until summer came. Opting to leave the crate below the tree, Adam picked up the book and seeds and placed them on the table with his other gifts.
Now for his final present from the Retro Ranger team, none other than the gifts of futuristic friend Bridge Carson. Adam knew full well that Bridge didn't celebrate Christmas, for he was Jewish and instead celebrated Chanukah. The art of gift giving was still very much part of his faith though and he had left Adam with some presents before his return to the future.
The first gift was fairly flat and looked as if it had no real form due to the paper's loose hold. Adam's immediate thought was clothes, but what was inside was slightly different to what he was expecting. As he pulled out the two piece item, he noticed the familiar badge of S.P.D. glinting in the light of the Christmas tree. It was his own uniform, with black trim to match his ranger designation. It was great, though Adam was unsure when he would wear it.
Next was an oddly-shaped, tall object. Keen to unearth it, Adam tore the paper off like an excited child, until his gift was revealed. It looked like an ancient pot of some description but eager to find out more, Adam picked up the note that lay with it. "Adam. The uniform was just an idea. I hope you like it. As for the artefact-thingy, it's called the Centurian Torch. The Overdrive team used it to help find the jewels of the Corona Aurora. As Chanukah is known as a festival of lights, I thought this would be apt. Light the inside with a match and it will burn for as long as you allow it, have fun. Bridge."
Adam was overwhelmed. He'd barely known these four people but the bonds they had forged had meant so much to him; now they were showing him how much they cared in return. Also amongst the collection were several adventure books written by Mack, Dax's latest movie, tickets to Ronny's Grand Prix race and many other small gifts from the Overdrive team. Christmas had been better than expected, but the regrets that still gnawed away in the back of his mind.
As the hours ticked away, Adam prepared his breakfast, then lunch. He had been planning on skipping the whole Christmas dinner bravado but, seeing as it was tradition, he opted to lay out a feast despite him being the only one to eat it.
As he prepped the veg and inhaled the aromas of the slowly cooked turkey, Adam was surprised to hear a knock at the door. At first he thought he'd imagined it but when a louder, more anger-fused sort of knock sounded, he knew he hadn't been mistaken.
As Adam carefully unlocked, then opened the door, the sight that greeted him was the greatest gift imaginable. As the cocoa-skinned woman stood on his doorstep, hugging her coat tightly against her body as she braved the cold, Adam felt his heart skip a beat.
"T...t...Tanya!" Adam stuttered as the woman smiled at him. "What are you doing here, is something wrong?" Adam couldn't think of any other reason other than a complete emergency as to why the love of his life would be standing on his doorstep.
"No, nothing's wrong." Tanya replied simply. "I came to...apologise. I over-reacted and the whole situation got way out of hand and I'm sorry for how you must have felt afterwards."
"It was kinda stupid though; I was just so nervous and I wasn't sure how you felt about it." Adam replied. He remembered his foolish actions on that date with Tanya which had led to what was probably the worst moment in his life.
"Adam Park, getting all nervous over nothing. So, you wanna try again?" Tanya was the one who had given Adam his best present of all, the chance to be with her once again.
"Yeah! I mean, if you want to then I really wanna give it a shot." Adam replied with new found confidence. "When were you thinking of then?"
"How about right now?" Noticing Adam's confusion, Tanya pulled a sprig of mistletoe from behind her. Back. Adam knew what she wanted now, and sure as hell he knew what he wanted. The pair kissed passionately on the doorstep, before deciding the warmth of the house was a better place to be. Adam had woken up this morning with an unexpected excitement; now his dreams had really come true...