They weren't. In fact they were still in bed, and still naked. As soon as Wes knocked, Rachael cracked her eyes open, but when he yelled into the house, she leapt from their bed and closed the door to their bedroom as quietly as she could, hoping he hadn't see her. Eric had sat up and was looking at her for a moment before she stifled a laugh and leaned on the bed to give him a kiss. Eric held her head to prolong the kiss, but let her go in favor of dressing to meet her brother who was in their kitchen for some reason. Rachael slipped out of the room first, and he went for the nursery, picking Jake up out of his crib and carrying him to the kitchen.
"Hey Eric." Jen was smiling as she stood in their kitchen.
"Hey Jen." Eric grinned at the sight of her. "Do you have news?"
"I do, but I can't access it." Jen blushed a little and held her traveler to Rachael who opened it up and moved to the files they needed.
"Karsis, I've never heard of Karsis." Rachael looked up with a frown. "Does Laina know?"
"Not sure, X found the data and pushed me here." Jen shook her head. "I wasn't really expecting to end up on Wes' front lawn at midnight."
"X, huh." Rachael frowned. "I don't like her, she's weird."
"That isn't a good reason." Eric frowned at his wife while he one handedly made a bottle for their son and presented it to him.
"It's a feeling, I don't know." Rachael sighed and looked at the information. "We've got to get this to Laina and Andros."
"Where's your computer?"
In a few minutes they were accessing the computer and letting Laina know what was going on. She signed off to contact Andros, and they were stuck waiting for at least an hour with only light conversation and Jake to pass the time. Despite protesting, Jen was handed little Jake, and he happily looked at her, laughing when she made faces for him. Eric went to the Silver Guardians later in the morning to check on things and delegate duties in person, leaving the three of them alone, Wes comfortable enough to talk to his sister.
"You're talking again." He commented and Rachael shook her head.
"We talked last night." Rachael sighed and rested her head on one hand and looked at her son in Jen's hands. "I didn't realize how bad it was."
"You scared me." Wes admitted. "The last thing I want to see is you two splitting up." Jen's stomach dropped. Eric and Rachael having problems? Getting divorced wasn't an option for the two of them, they were their team couple, and they were in love.
"I know." Rachael sighed. "It's not like Lauren held us together, but losing her hurt the both of us, it was easier to take it out on each other." She smiled at Jen's horrified face and touched her arm. "Don't worry, we figured it out."
"You had sex again." Wes accused her, getting a roll of her eyes from his sister. "Hey, whatever works." He grinned at her as she stood and went to the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of lemonade.
"Stop talking about my sex life."
"Love you Sis."
"Yeah yeah." Rachael put a glass in front of him and kept two close to her as Jake reached for them on the table. "No babe, you're not old enough for lemonade." She grabbed his hand and held it for a moment.
Wes watched Jen hold Jake with a weird feeling. When they were rangers he'd fantasized about Jen, marrying her, having children with her, but seeing her hold a baby in her arms was surreal. She wasn't uncomfortable, she carefully controlled him when he wanted to grasp at things that he was too little for, and the smile on her face when she looked at him, just wow. It was hard to think that way. It had been over two years since Courtney died, but he still felt guilty for fantasizing about a woman. Especially if that woman was Jen. A woman he couldn't have; never could before, and getting his hopes up now was and even worse idea.
"Guys." Laina was back on screen in an instant, getting their attention easily. "Karsis is way past Onyx, it's going to be rough." She was breathing fast, excited. "Andros and Zhane are going to get here soon to pick up me and Leo; we'll be on Earth by either tomorrow night or the next morning."
"We'll be ready." Wes nodded as Laina cut the com. He stood and thought for a moment. "I'm going to go to work with Eric, fill him in. Do you want to stay here?" He asked Jen awkwardly, realizing she was practically his guest.
"Sure, I can hang out with this one all day." Jen grinned and held Jake close, the nearly one year old bouncing in her lap, chewing on the plastic toy in his hands.
"Go." Rachael encouraged and stood. "But I'm calling Eric."
"Do what you have to." Wes shrugged but grinned. "Dinner?"
"I'll make it." Rachael nodded and Wes left, feeling good as he drove to the Silver Guardian headquarters. Jen took Jake into the living room where some toys were strewn on the floor and sat him down, showing all of them to him while his mother was on the phone with his father. She was so engrossed with the little boy she barely noticed when Rachael sat down on the couch to watch them.
"Thanks for letting me play with him." Jen smiled. "Ava got big."
"They do that." Rachael smiled the type of smile mom's have when thinking or talking about their children. Jen wasn't sure what to say to her friend, but Rachael moved to the floor with them, giving her son a plastic teething ring to chew on.
"I don't know what to say." Jen blurted after a minute of silence. To her relief Rachael only smiled and shook her head.
"No one knows what to say to us." She looked sad. "So they don't. No one calls, all anyone can say is that they're sorry, how horrible it is." Her face started to contract with anger. "I know how horrible it is, I lost my daughter."
"We're going to get her back." Jen looked at her and Rachael nodded slowly. "Do you want to do something to distract yourself? Like show me the city since I last saw it?" Jen offered, trying to loosen up her friend at least a little.
"Sure, we can bring the guys lunch." Rachael nodded and stood up to grab a bag of things for Jake, then dressing him in a cute little outfit before handing him back to Jen. They packed him in his car seat in Rachael's mustang to drive up to Silver Hills, starting with the one place Jen recognized well. The clock tower had been severely damaged in their last battle against Ransik and, last she'd seen at Rachael's wedding, it was still boarded up and barely held together. Now, almost nine years later, it looked just as it had when she lived there.
"Wow." Jen looked up at it with a huge smile on her face, the memories of the happier times they spent there. "Can I go in?" She looked to Rachael who was smiling too.
"Sure. Dad owns it now; he reopened the 'Nick of Time' too." Rachael pulled Jake from the car and held him against her as they went for the front door. "He hires college students who go to SHU and don't have any work experience to build up a resume."
"Your Dad changed." Jen commented as they went through the door and faced a smiling teenaged girl that asked them in a very chipper voice if they needed any help before seeing Rachael.
"Oh hey Professor Myers." She grinned, putting a hand on her hip. She wore a bright orange t-shirt with a clock logo on it. "Is that your son?"
"It is." Rachael turned Jake so he could see the girl, and he instantly shied away, a flirtatious grin on his face. The women laughed at his natural reaction before stepping behind the counter and going up the stairs. "This is my little project." Rachael grinned as they climbed the stairs up to the floor where Jen had lived for almost a year. Coming onto the landing she gasped at what she saw.
It was almost exactly the same. There were a few things that were different, but most of it was the same as it had been nine years ago, rebuilt, put back in place, and clean. There was no TV, and their things were obviously no longer up where they'd slept, but it felt like home still. Rachael was quiet as Jen walked around her former home, examining everything that had been done to rebuild it. She came back down and found Jake toddling across the floor toward her. Enchanted with him, Jen scooped him into her arms and carried him back to Rachael. "Why are you doing this?" She asked, still looking around at it.
"For Wes really." Rachael laughed when Jake refused to go to her, preferring Jen's arms for now. "He'd had such a bad time, I wanted to do something for him, but then this happened." She shook her head. "I haven't been up here since it happened."
"It looks amazing." Jen smiled. "I'm impressed."
"Thanks, I drag Eric up here sometimes." Rachael grinned. "He rebuilt the table, and a few other things, mostly lifting. Lauren loved to play up here. It was nice to have all of us up here."
"Neither of you lived up here." Jen grinned and got a laugh.
"True, just that one night." Rachael agreed.
"Wes was not happy about that." Releasing Jake back to the floor where he kept practicing walking, Jen continued. "The look on his face that morning when you and Eric were all wrapped up on the floor was priceless; he looked like he'd eaten a lemon." She laughed and shook her head as the thought of what had been said earlier returned. "Are you guys ok now?"
"Not really." Rachael admitted with a sigh. "But I know we'll get there." She nodded slowly. "'Til death do we part."
"You really believe that?" Jen asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable in the wake of her own divorce.
"I believe it for us." Rachael clarified, taking Jen's hand. "Sometimes it doesn't work, but I love Eric, and we're meant to be together, I know that. I blamed myself for losing our daughter, and I took it out on him. It was wrong, and I know that."
"You can't blame yourself." Jen said softly. "You got four of them back safely."
"I know." It wasn't hard to see Rachael was fighting tears. "Why don't we go get some subs and bring them to the guys?" She stood and pulled Jake away from the couch he was trying to climb on, getting an indignant scream from him as she carried him down the stairs. Despite his protests, Rachael didn't give in, so he stretched for Jen who took him, soothing his little ego so Rachael could drive them to pick up food. By the time they got the Silver Guardian headquarters, Jake was happily playing with Jen as she clapped her hands and showed him to hit hers. "I think our son has a new favorite." Rachael commented as they came in to the office, both men looking up at Jen playing with Jake.
"Darn." Eric grinned and stood to take the subs from Rachael, surprised when she leaned up to kiss him. He wasn't going to complain though, using his free hand to touch the small of her back. "Guess we need another one."
"No way." Rachael laughed and shook her head, dividing the subs to which of them they belonged to. She took advantage of Jake being mesmerized by Jen and letting her feed him as she sat close to Eric, much closer than they had in a while.
"Leo called." Wes commented after a moment. "He and Laina are on the MegaShip, they'll get here late tonight. Emma said she can stay with Ashlynn and Miranda for a while, Jake can stay with them too."
Rachael looked to Eric. "Ok." He nodded to her and she looked back to Wes, repeating the word. "Why don't we all stay at the mansion tonight, wake up all together, I'll throw together a little breakfast, and then Emma can have the kids there all day."
"She'll have to drive Miranda to school then, the bus won't get her there." Wes leaned back in his chair. "But that's a good idea."
"I can help." Jen offered. "Bronwyn showed me how to make pancakes." She grinned at Wes who looked amused. "And yes, I managed to make cookies once."
"Just once?" Wes grinned. "I mean the ones you gave me were pretty bad."
"I figured out the problem." Jen retorted with a slight scowl, but couldn't help but grin. "Ava liked them."
"How old was she? Because if she's under two it doesn't count because they'll eat dirt at that age."
"She was five." Jen felt slightly superior. "Even Bronwyn said it was good."
"Was she lying to make you feel better?" Wes was grinning, now leaning on his desk as if he was interviewing her.
"She wouldn't have eaten them later if she was." Jen defended. "Do I have to make you cookies again?"
"I don't want to risk it."
"Too bad." Jen looked to Rachael and Eric who looked highly amused by the exchange. "Can we go to the grocery store? Apparently I have to prove something to your brother."
"Sure." Rachael laughed. "What do you guys want for dinner?" She looked up at Eric and hand her hand on his leg. His arm was around her shoulders as he thought for a moment. "You want chicken a la king again?" She laughed. "You always want that."
"It's the first thing you ever made me." He laughed as she stood, but pulled her down to kiss her. "I can't help that it's delicious." Rachael couldn't help but grin at him as they packed Jake up again and went out. It was amazing to feel the way she did with Eric again, like they were newlyweds or something again. Eric was trying really hard to patch things up between them, and it took a little work to feel at ease after the way they'd treated each other, but it was getting better.
And they were some of the best damn cookies Wes had ever eaten. He didn't know what the heck she did to them, but they were the best chocolate chip cookies he'd had since he was a kid. Reluctantly he'd had to admit to Jen that fact and the smug look on her face was nice to see. And to be fair to Eric, Rachael did make the best chicken a la king ever. The pair of them went upstairs to put Jake down after dinner, leaving Wes and Jen alone for a few minutes.
"Do you ever think about getting remarried?"
Startled, Jen looked at Wes when he asked the question, leaning on the counter, eating yet another of her cookies. That was the last subject she wanted to talk about with anyone, let alone him. "Not really." She managed. "Why?"
"Just wondering." Wes shrugged. "It's different for you."
"Because I divorced him?"
"Yeah." Wes looked odd as he looked at her. "Courtney died, it's different. You probably don't feel guilty about it."
"Do you think about it?" Jen asked, putting down the dishes she'd started to do and facing him squarely. He looked as distressed as she'd ever seen him.
"It's been two years." He spoke defensively. "I'm a single parent to three kids, it's hard by myself. Eric and Rachael help, but they have their own problems. Then I feel guilty whenever I see the pictures of her around the house, like I'm being unfaithful or something."
"She'd want you to be happy." Jen said quietly. "Courtney wasn't vindictive. She wouldn't want you to be alone for the rest of your life just for her. No." She stopped him from answering with a hand. "We talked at Rachael's wedding, she wasn't like that and you know it. You just feel guilty."
"She was my wife."
"She'd want you to be happy." Jen repeated. "You don't have to feel guilty, you're human; you're not meant to be alone."
"My Dad told me that." A weak smile grew on Wes' face. "Right before he got remarried." At Jen's look of surprise he explained. "He came to ask us personally, despite how we were both over thirty, that he was proposing an old friend in Boston. They got married this past fall."
"Wow." Jen breathed. Alan Collins had gotten married again; he must have had a bigger personality overhaul than she thought.
"That's what I thought." Wes sighed. "He lived without my Mom for almost twenty years, but I don't like what happened to him."
"No one's saying you should get married tomorrow." Jen smiled and took a step closer to him. "Don't go marry the first girl you see. Go on a date; get comfortable with the idea before you settle down again."
"I will if you do."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jen frowned at him, getting back into her bossy pink ranger mode.
"You haven't dated since your divorce have you?" Wes looked a little too happy with his accusation. When she didn't answer he chuckled. "I knew it. If you go out, I will."
"You can't…" Jen sputtered, completely flustered by his grinning and comments. "I'm not… no!"
"Why not? If I have to go out on a date, you should have to too. I'll use Rachael's traveler so we can compare notes."
"You're being ridiculous." Jen accused him, but he was still laughing.
"I'm teasing, Jen." He said after catching his breath. "I missed hanging out with you."
"I didn't miss you teasing me." Jen tried to frown, but ended up smiling at him. "I missed you too." She admitted after a moment. "It's been a long couple years."
"It has." Wes agreed, grinning widely as his daughters came into the room hand in hand. "Ready for bed?" He asked, moving toward them.
"I am." Seven year old Miranda looked up at her Dad. "Ashes isn't."
"Ok." Wes pulled the two year old into his arms and she immediately snuggled her head into his shoulder. "Where are Uncle Eric and Aunt Rachael?"
"Upstairs." Miranda tucked her blonde hair behind her head while her other hand gripped the edge of her white nightgown. "They were talking in Jake's room."
"Ok." Wes nodded to his daughter, not believing for a second that Eric and Rachael were still talking. "Why don't you go get in bed so I can change Ashlynn?"
"But I don't want to be alone." Miranda shook her head, grabbing at Wes' hand.
"I'll go with you." Jen volunteered as Wes looked torn between his daughters. She looked to the little girl and smiled. "Do you mind?"
"No." Miranda looked a little wary.
"I'll come in as soon as I put Ashlynn down." Wes promised her and started for the stairs. Jen took Miranda's hand and they went together to the stairs, going up them and to the bedroom Miranda was using while they were staying there.
"This is Aunt Rachael's room." Miranda informed Jen as she hopped up into the bed. Jen sat on the bed and helped the little girl climb into it and pulled the covers up.
"I've been here." Jen smiled. "A long time ago."
"Did you know my Mommy?" Miranda perked up and looked excitedly at Jen. "I miss her a lot, but Grandpa told me I can talk to her whenever I want, so whenever I miss her a lot I just tell her, and I feel better."
Jen grinned at the stream of words Miranda let out, but it was nice to hear she was doing well since losing her mother. "I did know your Mom, but it was before you were born."
"That's a long time." Miranda's eyes were wide. "I talk to Chris a lot too." She got quieter. "But I don't think he's gone like Mommy. I think he'll come back."
"Me too." Jen smiled at her. "Do you miss playing with your brother?"
"Yeah, we're friends." Miranda nodded. "We have the same birthday; I hope he's back for it." Now that was something Jen hadn't known. She knew Wes and Rachael had the same birthday a year apart, but not Chris and Miranda too. She was about to agree that he would be when Wes came in and took her place, carefully tucking Miranda into bed and kissing her forehead good night. "I love you Daddy." She said happily, almost carefree as she rolled over to sleep, her teddy bear held tightly in one hand.
"Love you too baby." Wes said softly, following Jen out the door, flicking off the light and closing it gently.
"She's something." Jen commented as they started back down stairs, a baby monitor in Wes' hands for Ashlynn.
"What'd she say?" Curious, Wes caught up with Jen as they went back downstairs.
"She told me about how she misses her mom, and that she talks to her. And how she talks to Chris too." Jen explained, not realizing Wes hadn't known that until she saw the look on his face. "I'm sorry, I thought you knew."
"I didn't." Wes sighed. "But I'm glad you told me. I don't even know what he'll be like when he comes back."
"He's still young." Jen tried to comfort him but didn't have much luck as they went back for the kitchen, meeting Eric and Rachael where the pair was eating cookies and milk. Laughing Jen joined them, the new way of spending a night when you had children. No alcohol or anything, just cookies and milk. The four of them stayed awake until the early hours of the morning when a knock came on the door. Jen opened it to see a very surprised Laina, surrounded by people they sort of knew. Once they were all ushered inside, each was given the food of the night, amusing all of them.
"I cannot believe you made these." Laina gushed as she ate it. Beside her Leo was quiet, but nodded his agreement about the cookies and Andros had eaten quite a few himself.
"I don't see why none of you believe I can cook." Jen was indignant as she crossed her arms.
"Bad reputation." Rachael laughed, surprised when a knock came from the door again. She disappeared to answer it, returning with someone Wes was happy to see.
"Kaity." He stood up and hugged his former sister-in-law as she threw her bag on the floor. "You shouldn't have come."
"Hey Wes." Kaitlynn tossed her now short, straight hair. "I'm not missing this for the world. Courtney would have wanted to go, so I'm going for her." She looked right at him with her brilliant purple eyes and he backed off.
"Didn't you just have a baby?" Laina asked with frown.
"Twins." Kaity grinned and grabbed a cookie. "So did Davina, strange twin phenomenon." She shrugged. "Mine are identical, hers aren't."
"They're babies Kaitlynn." Rachael frowned. "You should be with them."
"They have their father." Kaitlynn looked to her two friends. "And you two should stop acting like my mom, I'm fine." She turned to Wes. "He's my nephew."
"I'm not the one saying no." Wes grinned. "You're welcome to come with us."
"Ha." Kaity sat herself next to Rachael and took another cookie. "These are really good." The cookie conversation repeated itself again before they made it to sleep. An uneasy sleep that they woke from and made it up from and downstairs to see Miranda off to school, and Jake and Ashlynn into the arms of the nanny.
Piling into three cars, they started for the NASADA base, no one speaking as they made their way there. It was tense as the seven former rangers loaded onto the Astro MegaShip and sat around the center console, connecting it straight to Bronwyn from the four travelers between them.
"From the information X got me, it looks like they're in the capital city." Bronwyn winced. "Karsis is worse than Onyx, it's not going to be easy."
"We're prepared." Eric's voice was dark, back in his Quantum Ranger mode, his morpher on his wrist, ready to be used.
"I don't doubt that." Bronwyn sighed and pulled up information for them to see. "Karsis has been ruled for the last thousand years by a Synod, it's like a congress, of ten Lords who vote on their propositions to determine how their planet is governed."
"Sounds like SPD." Wes snorted, getting a look of agreement from Leo, but a frown from Andros.
"SPD may not always manage to do the right thing, but they're trying." He said defensively looking at his brother-in-law. "They want peace, and have made the biggest strides toward it by using diplomacy through their board, not just battling like we do."
"Alright." Leo threw up his hands. "I wasn't thrilled about their tour, and honestly that mishap that affected my child is a little disheartening."
"Anyway." Bronwyn interrupted with a wince. "Karsis has experienced dozens of civil wars in the last century alone, your century, and the last one ended a year ago. They're still rebuilding the main palace from when it was attacked. I'd look there." She offered. "Your travelers can locate them."
"How? They don't have ranger signatures." Kaitlynn frowned.
"Use their mother's." Bronwyn looked at the tablet in front of her. "Karone and Rachael both had a ranger power that can be tracked, and Courtney's signal is unique enough, I'll send it through." Their travelers all lit up with the new information. "Split up into four teams, Wes and Jen, Rachael and Eric, Leo and Laina, then Andros and Kaitlynn." Bronwyn determined, taking the guesswork out of the whole thing. "Good luck."