I wanted to wish everyone a happy holiday (no matter which one you happen to celebrate), so I decided to put together this little (3 parts) story. It's a short one, And I hope you enjoy!

Since my High School Spanish was taken back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, we'll just assume anything in Italics was spoken in Spanish.

Any characters you recognize belong to JE. All mistakes are mine. I make nothing from this other than the warm, fuzzy feeling I get when I read the reviews.

It was the morning of Christmas Eve, and three of the four people gathered around the desk would normally be in the gym at this time. Each of the men there felt a little uneasy at what the fourth was telling them. Normally, they would never interfere in one of their brother's personal lives, but it was obvious to all four of them that something needed to be done.

"Tia Ella," Lester started, trying to keep the pleading note out of his voice, "we know they belong together, but don't you think that they should be the ones to make that decision?"

His aunt took his hand. "If I'm right, they will be the ones to make the decision. I'm just giving them a nudge in the right direction."

Lester didn't look convinced. "Tia Ella,"

Ella shushed him. "You listen to your aunt before I decide to take a closer look into your love life."

Les paled. "Yes, Tia."

Ella stood to leave. "You each know what you have to do, and when you have to do it. Don't let me down, boys. Operation Christmas Miracle is going to be a success." Each of the men nodded as she left the office.

Once she closed the door behind herself, each of the men let out a breath. Les shivered. "I love my Tia, but I hope she never decides to get that involved in my life." The other two men could only nod in agreement. Ella was the only woman they knew, besides Grandma Mazur, who could make these trained killers tremble with fear.

o0()0o

Carlos was coming out of the bedroom, dressed for another day of keeping the streets of Trenton safe, when Ella came in the front door carrying the tray holding his breakfast. He watched as she set out the plate with his egg white omelet and fresh fruit, followed by freshly squeezed orange juice and black coffee. He knew that the coffee wasn't exactly the healthiest beverage, but at least he didn't drown it in cream and sugar like a certain blue-eyed brunette he could name.

Before he could be carried away by thoughts of her, his aunt finished setting out his breakfast. She turned to him and placed her hand on his cheek. "Feliz Navidad, Carlos."

He closed his eyes and savored his aunt's gentle touch. Considering how many years she had been here, she was like a second mother to him. He gave her one of his rare smiles and said, "Feliz Navidad a ti también, Tia Ella." (Merry Christmas to you too, Aunt Ella.)

She walked to the door to begin her daily duties, but turned around before she left. "Everything is ready for the Christmas party this afternoon. I'll make sure the fridge in the lunchroom is stocked before Luis and I leave. Will I see you at your mother's house tomorrow?"

"No, Ella. I'll be here filling in for some of the men."

She shook her head. "Carlos, Christmas is a time to be with the people you love." She walked back and sat next to me at the table. "Please tell me Stephanie is coming over. I can fix you dinner for two before I go."

He raised an eyebrow. She wouldn't normally force the issue, but she was always more concerned around the holidays. "No, Ella. I would imagine she's going to spend the day with the people who deserve her love."

Ella blew out a breath. "Who deserves her love more than you? That Policeman? Her family? None of them appreciate her for the treasure that she is. You need to look with your heart, Carlos. There is no one more deserving of her love than you."

The corner of his mouth lifted like he was thinking about smiling. "There are some people who would tell you that I don't have a heart."

She reached over and took his hand. "I dare those people to say that to me. You have the biggest heart I've ever seen. I'm going to give you a gift, Carlos. You're going to have three visitors. Each one is going to show you what you mean to everyone around you."

He frowned. "Aunt Ella."

She stood and made her way quickly to the front door. "No need to thank me. Just let me bake the wedding cake." Before he could growl at her, she left the apartment and headed towards the stairs. Before she opened the door, she took out her phone and texted "showtime".

o0()0o

After breakfast, Ranger walked downstairs to his office. He was still thinking about Stephanie, just like his aunt had planned. He was unprepared for the sight that greeted him from behind his own desk. Seated in his chair was someone wearing a bed sheet with holes cut out for eyes, like he and his cousins did when they were kids. If he remembered correctly, their parents were always somewhat less than amused by the stunt.

Spinning in Ranger's chair, the "ghost" finally spoke in the spooky pretend ghost voice they used as children. "I am the ghost of Christmas past."

Ranger shook his head. "You're not a ghost yet, but if you want, I'll tell Ella what you did to her sheets. I'm sure she'll help speed your journey along."

He rounded the desk and snatched the sheet off a grinning Lester. "You think she'll ground me?"

Ranger snorted. "If you're lucky."

Lester stood and walked towards the door. "You ready for a trip down memory lane?"

Ranger frowned at him. "No. I have work to do. I don't have time for games."

Lester shook his head. "Sorry, hermano. Ella's orders. There's no way I'm going to cut up her sheets and not do what she told me to. Your meetings are covered this morning, and we'll be back in time for the Christmas party."

Ranger growled, but walked towards the door. He could argue, but he knew that in the end Ella would win. She controlled the food and every soldier knows that an army moves on its stomach.

Together they walked down to the garage and climbed into Les' SUV. As they got closer to Newark, Ranger began to feel more and more uneasy. When the got to the neighborhood where they grew up, Ranger couldn't help but shake his head. The area certainly hadn't improved with age. They got out of the car and headed towards the bodega where they used to hang out as kids. It jolted Ranger to think that he used to be just like the punks hanging out by the door now, wearing the black and gold colors of the Latin Kings.

As they passed an alley, Ranger noticed a figure in the shadows. Ranger's hand itched to get closer to his gun, but this wasn't his turf anymore. A voice called out to him. "Hey, Esse, you got the time?"

Ranger breathed a sigh of relief as his hand dropped away from his weapon. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

The man in the alley smiled, which lifted the teardrop tattoos in the corner of his eye. "Got a job to do right here."

Ranger shrugged. "We've both come a long way from this street."

Hector walked out of the alley. "It never really left us, though." Some of the gangbangers that were hanging out at the bodega started to walk in their direction, but Hector gave them a hand signal and they backed off. "They still remember who I am and what I can do. None of them know who Carlos Manoso is anymore."

"Just another punk kid."

Hector shook his head. "Not even back then." He looked at Lester. "Does anyone even know that I was the one who boosted that car?"

Lester looked shocked. Ranger's getting busted for stealing a car was the event that changed his life. He couldn't imagine that it was Hector that stole it. Ranger just shrugged. "It didn't matter. We were brothers, any one of the gang would have taken the fall."

Hector shook his head. "No, brother. You were the one who slowed down so that they would catch you and I could get away."

"Your mother was dying. She needed you more than the cops did."

Hector nodded at the gangbangers who were still hanging out. "That's the difference between you and them. Out here it's every man for himself. Anyone else would have gotten themselves away first. Even when they threatened to send you to juvie, you didn't give me up. It's a debt I can never repay."

Ranger shook his head. "There's no price for helping out a brother. Things turned out the way they were meant to." Ranger and Hector shared a complicated handshake, and the former gangbanger faded back into the alley.

Ranger and Lester got back in the SUV and started to drive back to Trenton. Lester was still shocked by what he had learned. "Man, you got shipped to Miami because you were covering for Hector?"

Ranger just stared out the windshield. "That was a long time ago, and Miami wasn't exactly a difficult city to live in."

Lester refused to let it drop. "Still, you had to go live with Abuela Rosa. It was all the family could talk about."

Ranger stayed silent and watched the miles pass by. When they got to Princeton, Lester got off the highway and drove through a neighborhood. They stopped in front of a well-kept ranch house that Ranger didn't recognize.

The door was opened by a woman in her late fifties. She invited them inside and offered them a drink. Once they were seated, she went to the kitchen to get them some water. Before she could return, a man in a wheelchair rolled out to the living room. Now ranger felt like he was seeing a ghost. The last time he had seen Jones, they were pulling him off the helicopter and taking him straight into surgery. Once he had been offloaded, the helicopter took off, and the men never saw each other again.

Ranger kept his blank face firmly in place as he was assaulted by memories. The mission had been FUBAR from the beginning, but that didn't stop Ranger for feeling responsible for Jones losing his legs when he stepped on a land mine. All of the men made it out alive that time, but Jones had paid the price.

Jones rolled up to Ranger and held out his hand. As they shook, he asked, "How've you been, Captain?"

Ranger found his voice and said, "Fine. How have you been?"

Jones wheeled his chair back a few inches and said, "Still rolling." He laughed at his own joke, although no one else did. He looked at his brothers in arms sitting blank-faced on his mother's couch. "Come on, that was a good one." Ranger still didn't reply, so Jones continued. "Captain, I don't blame you for what happened. I've been through a lot of therapy since I got back stateside, and I like to think I've learned a few things. The most important thing is that I don't focus on what I can't do, it's much better to focus on what I can do. I didn't lose my legs because of you. It's because of you that I made it out alive. You carried me out of that hellhole, and I'm grateful for it. I've got a good life and a great girlfriend. I've made my peace."

By the time they left Jones' mother's house, Ranger and Lester were both in awe of his strength. When they found out that he lived in Georgia, Ranger gave him a card and offered him a position in the Atlanta office. He told them he'd think about it.

When they got back to Rangeman, Ranger was ready to close himself in his office. Lester told him that they had one more stop and led him to the first floor conference room. When Ranger opened the door, he saw that the table had been pushed to the side. Two Adirondack chairs were in the middle of the floor, facing the opposite wall. Projected on the wall was a view of a Louisiana bayou through oak trees covered in Spanish moss. Cal sat in one of the chairs drinking from a bottle. Ranger went in and sat down. "Is anybody working today?"

Cal laughed and took another drink. "My shift starts after the party."

Ranger looked at the bottle on the floor between them. "If you're working today, are you sure you want to be drinking in front of the boss?"

Cal took another sip and handed the bottle to Ranger. "Sweet tea. The bottle is just a prop."

Ranger took a sip and looked at the scene on the wall. "Looks peaceful out there."

Cal nodded. "It is. At least until the mosquitoes come out. Then it's a bloodbath. Any time you need a place to get away, you're welcome to stay there."

"Do you miss it?"

Cal never looked away from the image. "Sometimes. It's soothing. I used to think I'd stay there until either my liver gave out, or I worked up the courage to eat my pistol. Two things saved me from that. The first was an old lieutenant from the Rangers who kicked my ass and made me come to work."

"You might want to think about who you're calling old there, grandpa."

Cal snorted out a laugh. "The second was a little wisp of a girl that brought me a cake when I got a concussion at her niece's birth. She gets under your skin, you know?"

Ranger took another sip of Cal's tea. "Yeah, I know."

Cal nodded. "I guess you do. I love her like a sister. She's family now, and I would move heaven and earth to make her happy."

"So would I."

Cal finally looked at his boss. "Then you need to figure out what it is that would make her happy. I don't think it's what you think it is." He stood and pressed the button on the remote that worked the projector, leaving Ranger sitting in the dark.

He sat there for a few moments without turning on any lights. All too soon, the door opened and someone else sat in the chair Cal had vacated. Ranger expected the new visitor to say something, but he just sat there. Finally Ranger broke the silence. "You here to offer advice, Brown?"

Bobby shook his head and stood. "Nah, man, I'm the ghost of Christmas Present."