A/N: I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, I sure did! Sorry it's been so
long since an update, I've been sick since last Tuesday and really haven't
had time to work on this. But here I am now, so enjoy!
***
Alex walked over to his bed and found Jen still curled up, her eyes squeezed shut and her fists clenched up by her face as she slept on; he reached down and ran his hand along her soft cheek, smiling gently as she stirred and her eyes opened.
"Happy Birthday," he whispered.
"Alex . . . " Jen giggled as he pulled her out of bed and kissed her playfully on the chin, his hands ran down to her waist and quickly began tickling her through the thin nightgown. She struggled to get away, laughing wildly as she fell back onto the bed with him coming down on top of her, laughing himself as he began to kiss her bare neck.
"Don't you want your present?" Alex teased.
"I have work," Jen reminded him, looking over at the alarm clock. "In twenty minutes. And so do you."
Alex smirked, kissing her lips again before getting up and straightening his uniform. "Anxious to get to work with me, are you?" he said, smiling. "What if I run you ragged all day?"
"Then you'll just have to take care of me tonight," Jen replied.
"I can do that . . . "
Jen stood up and shook her head, laughing as she headed for the bathroom to shower; their partnership in Time Force had served to deepen their secret relationship outside of the work place, giving them time to get to know one another. Alex watched her close the door as she dropped her nightgown, and he felt his body tense at the thoughts that arose in his mind; he shook his head and grabbed his leather jacket, shouldering his way into it as the shower started running.
She was eighteen, finally old enough so they didn't have to hide their relationship any longer; while romances between officers and their subordinates were frowned upon by some, there were no rules forbidding them. He looked in the mirror as he smoothed back his hair and ran a comb through it, the amount of gel he pasted on made his hair look as stiff as sticks, but it held.
A few minutes later, Jen emerged wearing only a small towel, her hair soaking wet and hanging loose over her back, she had let it grow out so now it was shoulder-length. Alex turned to her and rested his hands on her bare shoulders, she looked up at him, it was her turn to kiss him; she stood on tip-toe and pressed her lips to his forehead.
"No secrets from now on, right?" she said, softly.
"We're out in the open now," Alex agreed.
Jen nodded as she grabbed her uniform and got into it, Alex averted his eyes out of instinct and looked down at the shelf, where his Time Force medals lay in a glass case. He couldn't help but look at them and smile, he had earned them . . . the combat medals, the medal awarded to him when he got the Red Morpher.
"Admiring yourself?" Jen said, dryly.
Alex chuckled, turning back around to find her slipping her black turtleneck on over a well-toned stomach and tight arms, Alex took a quick breath before saying: "I'll go start the car." He quickly left the small apartment and headed downstairs, into the fresh air of the early April morning; he sat down in his car and rested his head on the back of the seat.
A little while later, Jen appeared with her hair tied neatly back, having transformed from a cheerful birthday girl to a soldier. She straightened her jacket one last time before looking at him and smiling quickly: "Ready to start the day, Lieutenant?"
"Of course, Ensign," Alex replied.
They drove to HQ to pick up some breakfast, hopefully having enough time to actually eat it all before they were called up; they made their way inside together, smiling as a few glances were cast their way. Lucas and Katie joined them at the food table, the latter smiling slyly at her friend as she spoke quietly:
"Happy Birthday, Jen. What've you been up to?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jen asked, blushing.
Alex glanced at them, hearing the words exchanged and feeling the skin on his face beginning to tingle with embarassment as he felt Lucas' eyes rest on him. "Yes?" he questioned, avoiding meeting the younger man's gaze.
"What'd you think?" Lucas laughed, "you and Jen don't have to keep quiet now, you know."
"But you knew all along, didn't you?"
"Well . . . yes."
Alex sighed, pouring himself a cup of coffee before walking over to a table with Lucas, asking softly: "How many others knew before today?"
"No one, as far as I know," Lucas answered, "some might have suspected though."
"There's nothing they can do now," Jen pointed out, walking over to join them. "I mean, I'm old enough now, and even though we're partners it's still not against any rules."
"The officers won't like it," Lucas said, "what if you two broke up? Then the Chain of Command would be---"
"Unaffected," Alex interrupted, "I'd never let my personal life get in the way of my job, you know that. And neither would Jen."
"Of course not," Jen confirmed, "I'm not that foolish . . . besides, I don't intend on breaking up anytime soon. What about you, Alex?"
"No," Alex said, smiling up at her. "That's not in my plan."
Before Jen could sit down, Alex's communicator began to beep quickly: "Yes?" he said into it, holding it up and dropping his tray.
"Silver Hills Bank is being robbed," came the captain's voice, "get down there ASAP."
"On our way," Alex said, standing and barking out orders: "All available units get to the Silver Hills Bank and disrupt the robbery in process."
As he and Jen hurried outside, dozens of others surrounded them and leapt into their own vehicles; soon an entire convoy was on its way to the bank. Alex and Jen were the first on the scene, and they rushed up to the front door, keeping out-of-sight.
'How many?' Jen mouthed, unable to see from her position.
Alex looked inside quickly and frowned, holding up six fingers to his partner; Jen nodded in acknowledgement, checking the setting on her weapon as Alex whispered orders into his communicator. "Are we going in?" she asked when he finished.
"Yes," Alex replied, "but around the back. Follow me."
Jen stayed low as they circled the bank and came up to the back door, as quietly as possible, Alex morphed and led the way inside; he scanned the room quickly and saw the five men gathered around a group of civilians while one stood behind the counter.
"I'm in," he whispered.
"Are you going for them, Lieutenant?" came another voice.
"Yes," Alex answered, "cover me and keep an eye on them . . . "
"Are you sure?" Jen questioned, "there's so many . . . "
"I know," Alex said, "I can take them though, you keep an eye on the one behind the counter, okay? I'll take down the five." He raised his wrist: "Bring in the others on my signal."
"Yes, sir."
Without another word, Alex rushed forward and shot down two men before the others realized he was there; another whirled around and knocked his blaster from his hand by firing his own weapon and striking him in the wrist. But Alex recovered quickly and kicked sharply, his boot hitting the man's chest and knocking him back while the other advanced; a blast hit him in the stomach, but he was uninjured thanks to his suit.
"Now!" he said quickly.
As he spoke, a dozen others rushed inside from the front door and Jen took care of the man taking the money. "On the ground NOW!" she shouted, her blaster aimed at his chest. The man obeyed instantly and dropped face-first to the hard floor, muttering some obscenities at the tiny female who had forced him into such a humiliating position.
"Got him?" Alex asked, yanking one man's arms around and handcuffing them behind his back.
"Yes," Jen replied.
"Good job, Lieutenant," Captain Logan spoke as he entered, "no injuries?"
Alex looked around at the startled people, they were all getting to their feet and seemed unharmed, other than scared beyond words. "None, sir," he said, "thankfully. We were lucky."
"Not at all," Logan said, smiling.
He clapped Alex's shoulder as Jen led the apparent leader of the group up to him, holding his handcuffed wrists and pushing him by her blaster in the small of his back.
"Easy, little lady!" he chuckled, eying Jen up-and-down. "Y'know, once I'm out, I oughta' take you out for a fun time . . . show you what a real man can offer!"
Alex's eyes flashed and he brought his hand up quickly, backhanding the criminal across the face before demanding sharply: "You will speak with more respect the next time you address Ensigns Scotts, is that clear?"
"Geez . . . yeah," he grumbled.
"Take him outside, Ensign," Alex said, nodding to Jen, who smiled at him and silently thanked him for the intervention.
"Touche," Lucas muttered, passing Alex's ear as he yanked one of the men to his feet.
Alex quickly raised an eyebrow at him, as if daring him to speak again on the subject, Lucas merely smirked and walked outside; Alex was the last one in the bank, left to stand in silence and survey the minimal damage inflicted. The bank would be reopened within a few hours, the felons locked up by the end of the evening for a good five years . . . punishment was swift and harsh.
He reached up to his heart and touched the badge he wore every day, he smiled softly and started on his way outside, but froze before stepping outside . . .
"Red Ranger . . . "
A chill ran up his spine as he recognized the voice, and he whirled around in shock, gasping: "Ransik!?" But as he looked around yet again, he soon began to realize that he was still completely alone. "What the . . . ?" he wondered aloud.
Louder, he called: "Who's there???"
No answer.
Finally, he turned back and walked outside, shaking it off and silently wondering if he had just imagined Ransik's voice for some reason. "You okay?" Jen asked, looking at him intently as they made their way back to the car.
"Yes," Alex said, "I'm fine."
"You look a little pale."
"It's nothing." Alex smiled. "Let's go finish breakfast, shall we?"
*****
"Come on, Alex!" Jen groaned, "it's just the family . . . no big deal, right?"
Alex sighed as he pulled into the Scotts driveway and sat quietly, resting his hands on the steering wheel and looking at Jen with a pleading expression in his icy blue eyes. "Do I have to go in?" he asked, "we have been going out that long. Is it really 'meet the family' time?"
"It's my birthday, Alex," Jen said, "Mom wanted me to come home to have a little party."
"A party???"
"Just the family," Jen assured him, "a small gathering." She smiled and pinched his cheek teasingly: "Don't tell me that the man who fought Ransik himself hand-to-hand is too afraid to meet his girlfriend's family?"
"I'm not too afraid," Alex said, defensively.
"Then why won't you go in?"
"I---"
"Come on," Jen said, grabbing his hand. "I'm getting you in there even if I have to drag you!"
She nearly did drag him up the narrow sidewalk to the old-fashioned, white farmhouse with a set of ivory- curtained windows on each floor; a young woman was peeking around one of the curtains as Jen pressed the buttons next to the door and it slid open.
"Jenny!" a man's voice called.
In a moment, as Alex watched, Jen was covered with family members whose faces were beaming with joy at seeing Jen after so long; he stepped to the side and stood in awkward silence as they greeted her. Finally, Jen turned to him and said with a smile: "Mom, Dad . . . this is my boyfriend, Alex Collins."
"We've heard about you," Janet Scotts said, "it's nice to finally meet you."
"You too, ma'am," Alex said, politely.
"Janet, please." She chuckled. "We're informal 'round here."
"I'm Jen's father," a tall, scruffy man spoke in a deep voice, "call me 'Jake'. It's good to meet you, son, our daughter speaks highly of you."
"I'm glad," Alex said, smiling at Jen. "She's a wonderful woman."
"She sure is," another man said, hugging Jen tightly. "I'm her older brother, Michael."
Jen had warned him about Michael, her overprotective big brother who had beaten up a boyfriend from High School without asking any questions; he shook hands stiffly, eying Alex suspiciously. Conversation between the two of them would be strained the rest of the evening, prompting Jen to elbow Michael in the side later and mutter to him:
"Lighten up!"
"I don't like him," Michael told her.
"He's just tired," Jen assured him, "we've had a long day."
Alex watched Jen speak to her brother and smiled slightly, realizing she wasn't upset with him; he leaned back on the soft couch as Jen walked over to join him, curling up next to him and resting her head on his lap. He brushed back her hair gently and watched as her face softened and she smiled sleepily, Janet looked over and nodded:
"Long day?"
"Very," Alex said, "she did good. Your daughter was born to be in Time Force."
"You seem to take good care of her," Jake commented, "I've never seen her so happy."
"I've never been so happy before," Alex said, smiling, "she's done a lot for me . . . "
"Why don't you stay the night?" Janet suggested, "it's a long ride home so late, and Jen said you don't have work until late tomorrow."
"Yeah," Alex said, "not till noon. Where's her room?"
"Up the stairs," Janet told him, "second door on the right."
Alex nodded in acknowledgement and easily lifted Jen, she was fast asleep and never stirred as he carried her upstairs and laid her down in her bed gently, tucking the blankets around her before kissing her cheek and whispering: "Good-night, Jennifer . . . Happy Birthday."
MORNING
"Good morning, Jenny," Jake said, kissing Jen's cheek as she came out of her bedroom fully-dressed and prepared to go back to work. She smiled and kissed him back, looking to the side as Alex emerged from the bathroom, shaking his head and yawning.
"Sleep well?" Jake asked, laughing.
"Fine, thank you," Alex answered, rubbing his eyes.
Jake laughed again and headed downstairs, leaving his daughter and Alex alone as she stood on tip-toe and kissed his lips; she smiled slowly while his hands slid around her hips and pressed against her lower back. She moaned softly and clung to his unzipped jacket, recalling the previous night with a smile; Alex shook his head as they went back into her bedroom.
"What?" Jen laughed.
"I really must be some kind of idiot," Alex said, "I did my girlfriend in her childhood bedroom!"
"With my parents down the hall," Jen teased.
"Go eat your breakfast," Alex said, "if you're quick you can have a pancake before we have to go."
Jen disappeared, and he finished packing their things, anxious to get away from the simple country living of her childhood; she seemed perfectly content, but it was all unfamiliar to a city boy such as him. He looked in the old mirror and zipped his jacket up, then smoothed back his unruly hair and went downstairs, where the family was already eating.
"You've been in the Force for a long time, huh?"
Alex looked back to see Michael standing in the doorway and staring at him while sipping a tall glass of milk, he nodded slowly. "I started my training eleven years ago," he told him.
"Really?" Michael said, "you're still very young though."
"I was ten back then."
"Oh."
Alex knew Michael wanted to ask more, he purposefully gave the impression that he was unwilling to give out any more information, because he wasn't; eventually, Michael went back into the kitchen with the family. An hour or so later, it was finally time to leave; Jen kissed her family good-bye again and followed Alex outside into the fresh air of the rural land.
"It's so peaceful here," she sighed as they got into the car. "Don't you think so? Quiet . . . "
"Too quiet," Alex said, sitting down.
"You're paranoid."
Alex smirked, leaning over and kissing her before starting the car and driving away from the old farmhouse as Jen twisted in her seat to look back at it, her eyes slightly moist. He watched her for a moment, then she sat back down and stared at the road ahead of them, silent as stone.
"You really love this place, don't you?"
"Yes," Jen said, "I do."
"I don't blame you," Alex told her, "you have a great family, I admire you for being strong enough to say good-bye to it."
Jen smiled through her tears, but remained silent the rest of the ride to HQ, speaking only when they finally pulled to a stop: "I'm going to wash up, I'll be back in about fifteen minutes, okay?"
"Fine," Alex said, "I'll be in my office."
He went inside and they parted in front of the door as he went on to his office, the door was locked securely, and everything was quiet as he entered and sat behind his large desk to sort out some leftover paperwork. He began to scribble his signature when he heard the door open and someone enter; looking up, he saw Rob Logan.
"Sir," he said, quickly. "May I help you?"
"Just wondering," Logan said, casually, "how are you and Ensign Scotts getting along? Is it a good partnership?"
"Very good, sir," Alex answered, "we work well together."
"I was considering switching you," Logan said, "I'd like to have you concentrate more on capturing Ransik now that you've mastered your powers, and Scotts isn't capable of assisting you with that."
"Who is?" Alex asked.
Before Logan could speak, a beautiful woman stepped through the doorway and stood before him with her hands clasped behind her back in the position of parade rest. Alex fell silent with surprise, recognizing her instantly; Logan nodded toward the young lieutenant and smiled as she said confidently:
"I am."
TBC
***
Alex walked over to his bed and found Jen still curled up, her eyes squeezed shut and her fists clenched up by her face as she slept on; he reached down and ran his hand along her soft cheek, smiling gently as she stirred and her eyes opened.
"Happy Birthday," he whispered.
"Alex . . . " Jen giggled as he pulled her out of bed and kissed her playfully on the chin, his hands ran down to her waist and quickly began tickling her through the thin nightgown. She struggled to get away, laughing wildly as she fell back onto the bed with him coming down on top of her, laughing himself as he began to kiss her bare neck.
"Don't you want your present?" Alex teased.
"I have work," Jen reminded him, looking over at the alarm clock. "In twenty minutes. And so do you."
Alex smirked, kissing her lips again before getting up and straightening his uniform. "Anxious to get to work with me, are you?" he said, smiling. "What if I run you ragged all day?"
"Then you'll just have to take care of me tonight," Jen replied.
"I can do that . . . "
Jen stood up and shook her head, laughing as she headed for the bathroom to shower; their partnership in Time Force had served to deepen their secret relationship outside of the work place, giving them time to get to know one another. Alex watched her close the door as she dropped her nightgown, and he felt his body tense at the thoughts that arose in his mind; he shook his head and grabbed his leather jacket, shouldering his way into it as the shower started running.
She was eighteen, finally old enough so they didn't have to hide their relationship any longer; while romances between officers and their subordinates were frowned upon by some, there were no rules forbidding them. He looked in the mirror as he smoothed back his hair and ran a comb through it, the amount of gel he pasted on made his hair look as stiff as sticks, but it held.
A few minutes later, Jen emerged wearing only a small towel, her hair soaking wet and hanging loose over her back, she had let it grow out so now it was shoulder-length. Alex turned to her and rested his hands on her bare shoulders, she looked up at him, it was her turn to kiss him; she stood on tip-toe and pressed her lips to his forehead.
"No secrets from now on, right?" she said, softly.
"We're out in the open now," Alex agreed.
Jen nodded as she grabbed her uniform and got into it, Alex averted his eyes out of instinct and looked down at the shelf, where his Time Force medals lay in a glass case. He couldn't help but look at them and smile, he had earned them . . . the combat medals, the medal awarded to him when he got the Red Morpher.
"Admiring yourself?" Jen said, dryly.
Alex chuckled, turning back around to find her slipping her black turtleneck on over a well-toned stomach and tight arms, Alex took a quick breath before saying: "I'll go start the car." He quickly left the small apartment and headed downstairs, into the fresh air of the early April morning; he sat down in his car and rested his head on the back of the seat.
A little while later, Jen appeared with her hair tied neatly back, having transformed from a cheerful birthday girl to a soldier. She straightened her jacket one last time before looking at him and smiling quickly: "Ready to start the day, Lieutenant?"
"Of course, Ensign," Alex replied.
They drove to HQ to pick up some breakfast, hopefully having enough time to actually eat it all before they were called up; they made their way inside together, smiling as a few glances were cast their way. Lucas and Katie joined them at the food table, the latter smiling slyly at her friend as she spoke quietly:
"Happy Birthday, Jen. What've you been up to?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jen asked, blushing.
Alex glanced at them, hearing the words exchanged and feeling the skin on his face beginning to tingle with embarassment as he felt Lucas' eyes rest on him. "Yes?" he questioned, avoiding meeting the younger man's gaze.
"What'd you think?" Lucas laughed, "you and Jen don't have to keep quiet now, you know."
"But you knew all along, didn't you?"
"Well . . . yes."
Alex sighed, pouring himself a cup of coffee before walking over to a table with Lucas, asking softly: "How many others knew before today?"
"No one, as far as I know," Lucas answered, "some might have suspected though."
"There's nothing they can do now," Jen pointed out, walking over to join them. "I mean, I'm old enough now, and even though we're partners it's still not against any rules."
"The officers won't like it," Lucas said, "what if you two broke up? Then the Chain of Command would be---"
"Unaffected," Alex interrupted, "I'd never let my personal life get in the way of my job, you know that. And neither would Jen."
"Of course not," Jen confirmed, "I'm not that foolish . . . besides, I don't intend on breaking up anytime soon. What about you, Alex?"
"No," Alex said, smiling up at her. "That's not in my plan."
Before Jen could sit down, Alex's communicator began to beep quickly: "Yes?" he said into it, holding it up and dropping his tray.
"Silver Hills Bank is being robbed," came the captain's voice, "get down there ASAP."
"On our way," Alex said, standing and barking out orders: "All available units get to the Silver Hills Bank and disrupt the robbery in process."
As he and Jen hurried outside, dozens of others surrounded them and leapt into their own vehicles; soon an entire convoy was on its way to the bank. Alex and Jen were the first on the scene, and they rushed up to the front door, keeping out-of-sight.
'How many?' Jen mouthed, unable to see from her position.
Alex looked inside quickly and frowned, holding up six fingers to his partner; Jen nodded in acknowledgement, checking the setting on her weapon as Alex whispered orders into his communicator. "Are we going in?" she asked when he finished.
"Yes," Alex replied, "but around the back. Follow me."
Jen stayed low as they circled the bank and came up to the back door, as quietly as possible, Alex morphed and led the way inside; he scanned the room quickly and saw the five men gathered around a group of civilians while one stood behind the counter.
"I'm in," he whispered.
"Are you going for them, Lieutenant?" came another voice.
"Yes," Alex answered, "cover me and keep an eye on them . . . "
"Are you sure?" Jen questioned, "there's so many . . . "
"I know," Alex said, "I can take them though, you keep an eye on the one behind the counter, okay? I'll take down the five." He raised his wrist: "Bring in the others on my signal."
"Yes, sir."
Without another word, Alex rushed forward and shot down two men before the others realized he was there; another whirled around and knocked his blaster from his hand by firing his own weapon and striking him in the wrist. But Alex recovered quickly and kicked sharply, his boot hitting the man's chest and knocking him back while the other advanced; a blast hit him in the stomach, but he was uninjured thanks to his suit.
"Now!" he said quickly.
As he spoke, a dozen others rushed inside from the front door and Jen took care of the man taking the money. "On the ground NOW!" she shouted, her blaster aimed at his chest. The man obeyed instantly and dropped face-first to the hard floor, muttering some obscenities at the tiny female who had forced him into such a humiliating position.
"Got him?" Alex asked, yanking one man's arms around and handcuffing them behind his back.
"Yes," Jen replied.
"Good job, Lieutenant," Captain Logan spoke as he entered, "no injuries?"
Alex looked around at the startled people, they were all getting to their feet and seemed unharmed, other than scared beyond words. "None, sir," he said, "thankfully. We were lucky."
"Not at all," Logan said, smiling.
He clapped Alex's shoulder as Jen led the apparent leader of the group up to him, holding his handcuffed wrists and pushing him by her blaster in the small of his back.
"Easy, little lady!" he chuckled, eying Jen up-and-down. "Y'know, once I'm out, I oughta' take you out for a fun time . . . show you what a real man can offer!"
Alex's eyes flashed and he brought his hand up quickly, backhanding the criminal across the face before demanding sharply: "You will speak with more respect the next time you address Ensigns Scotts, is that clear?"
"Geez . . . yeah," he grumbled.
"Take him outside, Ensign," Alex said, nodding to Jen, who smiled at him and silently thanked him for the intervention.
"Touche," Lucas muttered, passing Alex's ear as he yanked one of the men to his feet.
Alex quickly raised an eyebrow at him, as if daring him to speak again on the subject, Lucas merely smirked and walked outside; Alex was the last one in the bank, left to stand in silence and survey the minimal damage inflicted. The bank would be reopened within a few hours, the felons locked up by the end of the evening for a good five years . . . punishment was swift and harsh.
He reached up to his heart and touched the badge he wore every day, he smiled softly and started on his way outside, but froze before stepping outside . . .
"Red Ranger . . . "
A chill ran up his spine as he recognized the voice, and he whirled around in shock, gasping: "Ransik!?" But as he looked around yet again, he soon began to realize that he was still completely alone. "What the . . . ?" he wondered aloud.
Louder, he called: "Who's there???"
No answer.
Finally, he turned back and walked outside, shaking it off and silently wondering if he had just imagined Ransik's voice for some reason. "You okay?" Jen asked, looking at him intently as they made their way back to the car.
"Yes," Alex said, "I'm fine."
"You look a little pale."
"It's nothing." Alex smiled. "Let's go finish breakfast, shall we?"
*****
"Come on, Alex!" Jen groaned, "it's just the family . . . no big deal, right?"
Alex sighed as he pulled into the Scotts driveway and sat quietly, resting his hands on the steering wheel and looking at Jen with a pleading expression in his icy blue eyes. "Do I have to go in?" he asked, "we have been going out that long. Is it really 'meet the family' time?"
"It's my birthday, Alex," Jen said, "Mom wanted me to come home to have a little party."
"A party???"
"Just the family," Jen assured him, "a small gathering." She smiled and pinched his cheek teasingly: "Don't tell me that the man who fought Ransik himself hand-to-hand is too afraid to meet his girlfriend's family?"
"I'm not too afraid," Alex said, defensively.
"Then why won't you go in?"
"I---"
"Come on," Jen said, grabbing his hand. "I'm getting you in there even if I have to drag you!"
She nearly did drag him up the narrow sidewalk to the old-fashioned, white farmhouse with a set of ivory- curtained windows on each floor; a young woman was peeking around one of the curtains as Jen pressed the buttons next to the door and it slid open.
"Jenny!" a man's voice called.
In a moment, as Alex watched, Jen was covered with family members whose faces were beaming with joy at seeing Jen after so long; he stepped to the side and stood in awkward silence as they greeted her. Finally, Jen turned to him and said with a smile: "Mom, Dad . . . this is my boyfriend, Alex Collins."
"We've heard about you," Janet Scotts said, "it's nice to finally meet you."
"You too, ma'am," Alex said, politely.
"Janet, please." She chuckled. "We're informal 'round here."
"I'm Jen's father," a tall, scruffy man spoke in a deep voice, "call me 'Jake'. It's good to meet you, son, our daughter speaks highly of you."
"I'm glad," Alex said, smiling at Jen. "She's a wonderful woman."
"She sure is," another man said, hugging Jen tightly. "I'm her older brother, Michael."
Jen had warned him about Michael, her overprotective big brother who had beaten up a boyfriend from High School without asking any questions; he shook hands stiffly, eying Alex suspiciously. Conversation between the two of them would be strained the rest of the evening, prompting Jen to elbow Michael in the side later and mutter to him:
"Lighten up!"
"I don't like him," Michael told her.
"He's just tired," Jen assured him, "we've had a long day."
Alex watched Jen speak to her brother and smiled slightly, realizing she wasn't upset with him; he leaned back on the soft couch as Jen walked over to join him, curling up next to him and resting her head on his lap. He brushed back her hair gently and watched as her face softened and she smiled sleepily, Janet looked over and nodded:
"Long day?"
"Very," Alex said, "she did good. Your daughter was born to be in Time Force."
"You seem to take good care of her," Jake commented, "I've never seen her so happy."
"I've never been so happy before," Alex said, smiling, "she's done a lot for me . . . "
"Why don't you stay the night?" Janet suggested, "it's a long ride home so late, and Jen said you don't have work until late tomorrow."
"Yeah," Alex said, "not till noon. Where's her room?"
"Up the stairs," Janet told him, "second door on the right."
Alex nodded in acknowledgement and easily lifted Jen, she was fast asleep and never stirred as he carried her upstairs and laid her down in her bed gently, tucking the blankets around her before kissing her cheek and whispering: "Good-night, Jennifer . . . Happy Birthday."
MORNING
"Good morning, Jenny," Jake said, kissing Jen's cheek as she came out of her bedroom fully-dressed and prepared to go back to work. She smiled and kissed him back, looking to the side as Alex emerged from the bathroom, shaking his head and yawning.
"Sleep well?" Jake asked, laughing.
"Fine, thank you," Alex answered, rubbing his eyes.
Jake laughed again and headed downstairs, leaving his daughter and Alex alone as she stood on tip-toe and kissed his lips; she smiled slowly while his hands slid around her hips and pressed against her lower back. She moaned softly and clung to his unzipped jacket, recalling the previous night with a smile; Alex shook his head as they went back into her bedroom.
"What?" Jen laughed.
"I really must be some kind of idiot," Alex said, "I did my girlfriend in her childhood bedroom!"
"With my parents down the hall," Jen teased.
"Go eat your breakfast," Alex said, "if you're quick you can have a pancake before we have to go."
Jen disappeared, and he finished packing their things, anxious to get away from the simple country living of her childhood; she seemed perfectly content, but it was all unfamiliar to a city boy such as him. He looked in the old mirror and zipped his jacket up, then smoothed back his unruly hair and went downstairs, where the family was already eating.
"You've been in the Force for a long time, huh?"
Alex looked back to see Michael standing in the doorway and staring at him while sipping a tall glass of milk, he nodded slowly. "I started my training eleven years ago," he told him.
"Really?" Michael said, "you're still very young though."
"I was ten back then."
"Oh."
Alex knew Michael wanted to ask more, he purposefully gave the impression that he was unwilling to give out any more information, because he wasn't; eventually, Michael went back into the kitchen with the family. An hour or so later, it was finally time to leave; Jen kissed her family good-bye again and followed Alex outside into the fresh air of the rural land.
"It's so peaceful here," she sighed as they got into the car. "Don't you think so? Quiet . . . "
"Too quiet," Alex said, sitting down.
"You're paranoid."
Alex smirked, leaning over and kissing her before starting the car and driving away from the old farmhouse as Jen twisted in her seat to look back at it, her eyes slightly moist. He watched her for a moment, then she sat back down and stared at the road ahead of them, silent as stone.
"You really love this place, don't you?"
"Yes," Jen said, "I do."
"I don't blame you," Alex told her, "you have a great family, I admire you for being strong enough to say good-bye to it."
Jen smiled through her tears, but remained silent the rest of the ride to HQ, speaking only when they finally pulled to a stop: "I'm going to wash up, I'll be back in about fifteen minutes, okay?"
"Fine," Alex said, "I'll be in my office."
He went inside and they parted in front of the door as he went on to his office, the door was locked securely, and everything was quiet as he entered and sat behind his large desk to sort out some leftover paperwork. He began to scribble his signature when he heard the door open and someone enter; looking up, he saw Rob Logan.
"Sir," he said, quickly. "May I help you?"
"Just wondering," Logan said, casually, "how are you and Ensign Scotts getting along? Is it a good partnership?"
"Very good, sir," Alex answered, "we work well together."
"I was considering switching you," Logan said, "I'd like to have you concentrate more on capturing Ransik now that you've mastered your powers, and Scotts isn't capable of assisting you with that."
"Who is?" Alex asked.
Before Logan could speak, a beautiful woman stepped through the doorway and stood before him with her hands clasped behind her back in the position of parade rest. Alex fell silent with surprise, recognizing her instantly; Logan nodded toward the young lieutenant and smiled as she said confidently:
"I am."
TBC