Title: I'll Be Home for Christmas
Rating: PG-13
Chapter: 1. Too Silent of Nights
Fandom: Power Rangers Dino Thunder
Summary: Kira's not coming home for Christmas and Conner and Ethan want to know why.
Comments:
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the idea.
Kira sighed into her office phone, "Con', I have a lot of work here in Chicago."
Conner pouted, "You promised you'd be home."
"I know," Kira nodded, putting her pen down. "But I got caught up in some work. And I still have a few days."
"Barely five," Conner stated.
Kira rolled her eyes, "I'll drive down to Reefside as soon as I can, okay?"
Conner took his turn sighing, "Fine."
"Thank you. Give Lisa, Gigi, and Chris a kiss for me," Kira said and hung up her phone. She looked back at the paperwork in front of her and groaned, smacking her head on the wooden desk.
"Conner," Krista said, walking into the kitchen with one year old Gigi in her arms. "Who was that?" she asked.
Conner put the house phone on the receiver and sighed, "Kira's going to be late again." He smiled at the little girl in front of him. "Hi Gigi," he cooed, taking her from his wife and kissed her cheek, making her laugh.
Krista furrowed her brow, "Work stuff?"
Conner nodded, "Yeah." He held Gigi out to Krista. "I have to call Ethan."
Krista nodded, taking Gigi back.
Conner left the kitchen for the master bed room.
DT
Kira yawned lightly, getting into her apartment. She hit the button on her answering machine and headed for the kitchen to make some coffee.
"Hi Kira. It's Ethan. Conner just called me. Are you crazy!? You missed last Easter. You're not missing Christmas. Dino Thunder Christmas's are our thing. Well, whatever. Call me back. Bye."
Kira sighed heavily, rubbing her temple. She picked up the house phone and started dialing a number.
"Hey Trent. It's Kira."
DT
Trent pulled up in front of a beautiful white mansion in the Reefside gated community. He took in a deep breath and got out. When he reached the front door, he rang the doorbell.
The door opened to Krista McKnight. Krista smiled, "Trent, what a pleasant surprise."
"You as well, Krista," Trent greeted with a smile. "Is Conner home?" he asked.
Krista nodded, "Surprisingly, he's in his office. Come on in." She moved out of his way.
Trent walked inside and headed upstairs to Conner's office. He knocked on the door.
"It's open!"
Trent opened the office door to find Conner lounging in his chair, staring at something on his desk.
Conner looked up in astonishment. "Oh… Trent," he said, quickly pushing the picture frame down on its face. "I wasn't expecting you."
"I know," Trent nodded. He closed the door and sat across from his old friend. "Kira called me."
Conner sighed heavily, "Oh really?"
Trent nodded, "Yes. She wanted me to talk to you.'
"Why can't she just talk to me?" Conner asked, furrowing his brow.
"Because she knows you," Trent stated in reply.
Conner frowned and pick up his phone. "I'm calling her."
"Conner, you're acting childish," Trent said.
"No, Kira is," Conner said, dialing her cell phone number.
DT
Kira held her five month old close to her to keep her warm as they walked out of her office building through the parking lot. "It's okay, Annie," she cooed softly to the infant and started humming.
Suddenly "Silent Night" started playing. She groaned and unlocked her car. She quickly put Annie in the car seat and pulled out her cell phone.
"Kira," she said.
"What is there that you can tell Trent but you can't tell me!?"
She sighed heavily, placing her phone between her ear and shoulder while buckling Annie in. "Conner, he was going to explain why I can't come to Reefside," she said.
"No. You're coming home for Christmas," Conner said.
"I am home, Conner. I've lived in Chicago for six years. It was your idea that I should come out here. Then you'd follow me," Kira said, trying to stay calm so she didn't bother Annie.
"I couldn't leave Krista pregnant," Conner said in a hushed tone.
Kira sighed, closing her eyes and shook her head, "I have to go, Conner." She quickly hung up and put her cell phone away.
Annie whined a bit before crying out.
Kira kissed her head and wrapped her blanket tighter around her. She quickly started a carol for the child, "Silent night. Holy night. All is calm. All is bright. 'Round yon virgin mother and child. Holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace."
She pulled down her own hat and got up, closing the back door. She slipped into the front seat and sighed heavily, laying her head on the steering wheel.
DT
Conner looked up at Trent after he hung up the phone.
Trent was holding a picture frame.
Conner knew exactly what it was.
"She was always so… crazy wasn't she?" Trent asked, putting the picture frame back on the desk.
Conner sighed, nodding, "Yeah. I think she lost that. But, god damn, is she still beautiful." He looked at the picture on his desk.
Kira was only 18 in the picture. She didn't look much different since he saw her last Christmas. The only big difference was the light in Kira's eyes in the picture. She was so bright and happy before college. And now, it was easy to see how quick the light was fading.
Conner ran his fingers gently down the glass as if he could touch her through the glass.
DT
Kira pulled up to her apartment building and shivered lightly, closing her eyes. For a minute, if felt as if someone was caressing her gently. She quickly shrugged that feeling off and just blamed it on the cold.
She got out of her car and let out her daughter. She carried the child inside with her. She let them into the apartment and shut the door behind her with her foot. She took off Annie's jacket and laid her in the crib in the one bedroom.
Kira took off her own coat and shivered, rubbing her arms before heading to the kitchen to start another pot of coffee.
DT
Ethan took the two coffees off the counter and handed one to Conner as they headed for a table in the small, cozy Starbucks. "And she just hung up on you?" he asked.
Conner nodded, taking a sip.
"You either pissed her off or she's still got that spunk in her," Ethan said, trying not to chuckle at the thought of Kira's spunk. He took a sip of the coffee.
Conner rolled his eyes, "Both." He sighed heavily, "I just feel like I really screwed her over, y'know?"
"Technically, last Christmas, you did," Ethan reminded.
"Well, yeah. But she wouldn't have dropped out on you if I was the problem," Conner said.
Ethan shook his head, "For loving her so much, you really don't know the girl."
Conner frowned, "I do too."
"Coming to Reefside would make Kira want to see you, Conner. So if she's with me, she knows you'll be no more then one mile from me. She'll go see you and then everything will happen all over again and then we may never see or speak to Kira again," Ethan explained.
"She didn't tell you why she missed Easter or the Fourth of July? Or anything else this year?" Conner asked curiously.
Ethan shook his head, "Not really. She said something about work. I know she's pretty high up there, but even she has to have important holidays off."
Conner nodded, "She does."
Ethan sighed, "I'll call her again tonight."
Conner smiled, "Thanks, Man."
"You owe me," Ethan said pointedly.
Conner nodded, still grinning, "I know."
DT
Kira smiled as she watched Annie half rolling in her crib. "Hi Sweetie," she said softly, stroking back the curly brown hair on the child's head. "You hungry, Babe?" she asked sweetly, scooping Annie up.
Annie went easily and leaned into Kira's chest with a smile.
Kira slowly walked back to the kitchen and picked up the bottle of formula off the counter.
Annie started drinking greedily.
Kira smiled, rocking them as she fed her. "Silent night. Holy night. Son of God loves pure light. Radiant beams from Thy holy face. With the dawn of redeeming grace. Jesus, Lord. at thy birth. Jesus, Lord, at thy birth," she sang soothingly.
Annie spit the nipple of the bottle out of her mouth and whimpered.
Kira put the bottle down and placed the baby on her shoulders, rubbing her back. She continued to sing in a softer tone, "Silent night. Holy night. Shepherds quake at the sight. Glories stream from heaven afar. Heavenly hosts sing hallelujah. Christ the Savior is born."
Kira sighed in relief when all she heard was Annie's soft breathing. She continued to rub her baby's back as she headed to the bedroom. She kissed Annie's head and laid her down gently, covering her up.
As soon as Kira closed the bedroom door behind her, the house phone rang. She rushed over and picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"Hey Kira. It's Ethan," Ethan greeted.
It took everything in Kira to keep her from sighing in relief that it wasn't Conner. "Hey Ethe," she said in a nonchalantly breathless voice.
"You okay?" Ethan asked in concern.
"Yeah, just running around for a workout," Kira shrugged, finally catching her breath. "What's up?" she asked, leaning against the counter.
"Conner talked to me. He's worried about you. I am too," Ethan informed in reply.
Kira rolled her eyes, assuring him, "I'm fine, Ethan. Really. I just have a lot of work this week."
"You didn't last year," Ethan reminded.
Kira sighed, "This change from year to year."
"Kira, please come home?" Ethan pleaded. "We miss you."
Kira shook her head, "I said I'd try. If I do I do. If I don't I don't." She took in a deep breath to calm herself when she could hear her own agitation. "I have to do some things." She quickly hung up on him and got herself another cup of coffee.
Ethan hung up with a sigh. He looked at his picture of himself, Kira, and Conner at their high school graduation. He frowned, feeling like a failure. "I'm sorry, guys," he mumbled. "I tried."