Chapter 1-It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

-----------------------------------

A/N: This story was inspired by the upcoming RP book "Reggie's Secret Admirer".  As it has not been released yet, I do not know what the plot of the story will involve and I apologize if any segments of this fanfic end up being similar to the actual story.

I know that many viewers and fans are divided over which of the two boys in the gang would make a suitable boyfriend for Reggie: Sam or Twister.  Unfortunately, there are many instances in RP episodes that support either Sam or Twister as having a crush on Reggie (or vice-versa).  Seeing the equal arguments on both sides, I do not have a clear preference.  However, I thought it would be fun to think "What if both had a crush on Reggie?"  How would she react?  Well, you're about to find out what I think would happen.  Hope you enjoy this.

P.S. I better add this disclaimer: Rocket Power is a registered trademark of Nickelodeon and Klasky-Csupo; I have no ownership in the program. All other references to real objects and places are respective trademarks of their respective companies.

----------------------------------------------------

Reggie is 17; Otto, Twister, and Sam are about 16 (give or take a few months)

It was early December and the booming coastal town of Ocean Shores, California was busily preparing itself for the upcoming holiday season.  As Southern California was rarely cold enough for snow, the residents in the town created some unique decorations in addition to the traditional pine trees brought down from the colder regions of Washington state.  In fact, it was not uncommon to see a palm tree or a cactus decorated with holiday lights.  The town even strung Christmas lights among the pine trees lining its main streets.  Of course, the centerpiece of the town's festive preparations was the Pier.  All of the railings glittered in a rainbow of colors from the holiday lights strung there.  The light poles had wreaths of holly and red bows that had been carefully hung.  And where the pier met the main street, a huge 25-foot Blue Spruce was adorned with a plethora of traditional and icicle lights, topped off with a sparkling jeweled star.

For local entrepreneur Ray Rocket, the holidays were a bittersweet time.  Sure, he enjoyed the sights, the sounds, and the smells that came with the final two months of the year.  However, there was something—or someone missing.  What made the holidays hard for Ray was the absence of his dearly-beloved wife who died tragically at a young age, leaving him alone to raise his son and daughter.  He remembered how fun and magical the holidays had been with her, and now that she was gone, the season reminded Ray of his deceased spouse.  While he was often depressed at these thoughts, he tried to hide it.  After all, he didn't want his kids to think too much about their long-lost mother.

"Hey Tito, would you mind handing me another set of icicle lights?" Ray asked while working to pin the decorations for his shore-side restaurant, The Shore Shack.

"Here you are, bruddah," responded a heavyset but jolly man, who emerged from the back with several cases of wreaths, signs, and, of course, lights.  In fact, his jolliness and physical stature would have made him the perfect candidate for a Santa Claus on the island of Hawaii, which happened to be his place of birth.  Although Tito Makani's family was over 1000 miles away, he didn't seem to mind most of the time, even during the holidays.  He had occasionally visited his relatives back in Pineapple County, but he equally enjoyed spending time with his business partner and the kids he affectionately referred to as his "little cuzzes."

"Hey, Rocket Boy!  Mind giving Tito a hand with the holly over the counter?" Ray yelled to the back.

Suddenly, a tall teenage boy with braided red hair and dark glasses burst through the kitchen doors, pushing himself along on his prized skateboard.  Otto Rocket was barely old enough to drive a car, but had already mastered another vehicle with 4 wheels—the skateboard.  In fact, Otto's shelves in his bedroom were crammed with trophies from a myriad of competitions, including Otto's most prized accomplishment—placing second in his division at the X-Games the previous summer.  Of course, his new, tall stature and more advanced skills weren't the only things that had changed for Otto.  In high school, Otto was pulling a 3.88 GPA, had been elected captain of the school street hockey team as a sophomore, and was attracting the prettiest girls in school.

"Sure thing, Raymundo!" Otto replied to his father.  Otto jumped off his skateboard, but failed to stop it.  The board coasted toward Ray, who was standing on a chair while doing his work.  The skateboard hit the chair with enough force to temporarily affect Ray's balance.

"Whoa.  Otto!  Why are you always on your skateboard, even in the Shack!?" questioned his father.

"Come on, Dad.  I'm never gonna keep my position as the 'Best Junior Skater in California' if I don't keep my skills sharp," Otto replied.  Yep, one thing about Otto sure hadn't changed: he still wanted to be the best he could be.

As Otto and Tito worked pinning the string of holly on the rafter above the main counter, Tito commented to Ray, "I wonder where Reggie is?"

"Reggie?  She had a sleepover with her friends, Trish and Sherry.  She's supposed to be here any second," responded Ray.  Now that he thought of it, he hoped she would arrive soon.  There was a lot of work to be done and Ray wanted to get done quickly—he still had plenty of shopping to do with only a few weeks left.  He didn't want the kids to be around so he wanted to go when he was done decorating and while his kids were at hockey practice or at school.

To pass the time, Otto, Tito, and Ray began to discuss their plans for the upcoming Winter Break.  The two business partners, Ray's kids, and their friends had an annual tradition of traveling to the local winter sports spot, Mount Baldy.  However, they wanted to try something different and go up to the Sierra Nevada range where the conditions for skiing and snowboarding were supposed to be even better. 

As they rattled ideas back and forth, they failed to notice a tall boy wearing a hooded jacket, khaki pants, and sneakers.  He cautiously walked up to the edge of the building, looked cautiously at Otto to make sure he wasn't looking, and took out of his pocket a little box wrapped in red paper.  Attached was a card and outside the card was addressed to "The Princess of My Life—Reggie."  The boy carefully placed the box on one of the tables close to the outside and casually walked away, hoping that when Reggie came, she would find the box and open it.

------------------------------------

A/N: Please review this story as this is the first fanfic I have ever published.  I will post the next chapter when I can (after all, school comes first).  Please post positive reviews or use constructive criticism.  As one RP fanfic writer once said, any flames will be used to toast marshmallows :)