A/N: Now it's time to get into the real familiar story, shall we? Here we
are in mid-3000, and things are about to change forever . . .
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far :)
***
JUNE 12TH, 3000
Alex took Jen's hand and led her through the thick crowd gathered to watch the graduation ceremony of the cadets in Time Force Academy; a large number were Xybrians, since this was the first time a Xybrian would be graduating.
Cadet Trip Regis stood tall and proud in line with the others, his eyes straight ahead as Captain Logan and Alex began the inspection. One corner of the young man's mouth quirked upward slightly as Alex paused in front of him, even he was smirking a little.
"Not now, Cadet," he said, "you can grin all you want when I give you that badge though."
"Yes, sir," Trip muttered.
Alex went on to the other cadets, watching their eyes flash with surprise as he passed by, it pleased him to realize that the name "Alex Collins" was now so familiar and his face recognizable. Finally, the inspection ended and he stood next to Logan in silence as the captain read off a long letter detailing the struggles of the cadets and their years to come as Time Force officials.
The whole thing took about an hour, then the cadets raced into the crowd to hug their families and celebrate their accomplishments; Alex stood still and waited patiently, watching a familiar figure making her way through the people. Her brown hair tied up in a high ponytail, her cheeks flushed as the day was extremely worn and her uniform was too heavy for the heat.
At last, he felt her arms go around his neck and he wrapped his own around her waist, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath; when he opened his eyes, he saw Logan smiling at him from across the platform, nodding his approval.
"Come on," Jen said, "Katie wants to take Trip out to celebrate---"
"I still have work," Alex said.
"No, you don't," Logan replied, walking over. "Go out and celebrate with your friends . . . I'll see you soon." He turned and walked briskly away, but paused briefly to look back and say: "By the way, Lieutenant---Happy Birthday."
"Thank you, sir," Alex said, silently wishing Logan had forgot.
"That's right," Jen said, "twenty-three tomorrow. All grown up."
"I think I grew up a while ago," Alex said, "unlike you . . . " He tickled her sides quickly and she jumped away, giggling.
"Behave yourself," she warned, "or you won't get anything."
Alex laughed and grabbed her hand before she could protest, dragging her off the platform with him; Lucas and Katie found them a few minutes later, then Trip joined the group. "We've got a lot to celebrate today, don't we?" Katie said as they piled into Alex's car.
"Alex, Trip . . . " Jen smiled, sitting in the front seat and patting Alex's leg.
"Jennifer," he muttered.
"None of that in here!" Katie laughed, kicking the back of Jen's seat as she, Lucas, and Trip crammed together.
"How come we're stuck back here???" Lucas demanded.
"Why do you think?" Alex laughed, starting the car.
"You're not cute, like me," Jen teased.
"I'm so better-looking than you!"
"Not to me," Alex said, shuddering.
"Good," Lucas replied.
"So," Katie said, "where are we going? The screens? Dancing? Or my favorite . . . eating?"
"How about all of them?" Jen suggested, "make sure to drop Trip off before midnight though---" she smiled at the boy.
"I don't have to be home til twelve-thirty," Trip said, "I like to get to sleep before one."
"I don't blame you," Alex said, "but get used to about two in the morning if you want to hang out with these three---" he nodded to Jen, then the other two. "When do you begin shifts, Ensign Regis?"
"In a week," Trip answered, "begins at zero-six-hundred."
"Ouch," Katie said, "my first one was at zero-ten-hundred. I got lucky."
"Mine was zero-four-hundred!" Lucas spoke up.
They arrived at the restaurant ten minutes later, and the young soldiers hurried in to find the best table; there were only four chairs at the table and they raced to grab one, Jen ended up plopping down on Alex's lap. He laughed and wrapped his arms around her, clasping his hands over her belly button as they waited to order.
"I'm the only one old enough to drink alcohol here," he said, "so don't try anything!"
A moment later, their drinks appeared and Alex raised his first: "To our newest member, Ensign Trip Regis. Congratulations, and many safe years in Time Force to come."
The glasses clinked together, then Jen spoke: "To Alex . . . I know, I know, I won't get too mushy." Alex rolled his eyes. "To the man I love more than anything in this world . . . stay safe for me, so we can have many more years together. I love you."
"I love you, too," Alex said, quietly.
*****
Alex sat at his computer with a cup of steaming coffee next to him, staring at the screen as if trying to find Ransik without even looking; the screen bore a picture of the mutant leader, snarling at him. "I will get you, Ransik," he whispered, "count on it."
He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Rob Logan smiling down at him. "Still working?" he said, "I thought I gave you the day off."
"I don't need it," Alex told him, "what time is it anyway?"
"Twenty-forty-five," Logan answered. "Go home, Alex."
"No luck today," Alex sighed, standing up and yawning. "Maybe tomorrow . . . we'll get him soon."
"I'm sure you will," Logan said, "for now, go and relax. Have fun."
Alex's eyebrows shot up quickly, he downed the rest of his coffee and disposed of the cup before saying quickly "Good-night, Captain" and finally leaving HQ. The mid-June night was warm, but not uncomfortably so, and Alex cracked a window as he drove to his apartment, anxious to see Jen again.
She greeted him at the door with a wide smile that melted him and drew him in, he hugged her before going into his small kitchen, asking: "Anything to eat?"
"Take your pick," Jen replied.
"Mmm . . . smells good," Alex said, picking up a plate of food and sniffing it. "You didn't cook it, did you?"
"No," Jen laughed, "I didn't."
Alex sighed in relief, sitting down next to her at the table and taking her hand. "That was a very nice toast you gave the other day," he said, "embarrassing . . . but nice."
"You deserved it," Jen said.
Alex took a bite and closed his eyes, he swallowed. "You sure didn't make this." Jen gasped and elbowed him sharply in the ribs, giggling as he grabbed her and forced her to sit down down on his lap, tickling her sides and kissing her neck.
"Alex!" Jen squealed, "cut it out!"
He laughed and set her down in order to finish his late dinner, he heard Jen from behind him fussing around the apartment; he couldn't help but chuckle under his breath at her, she was always cleaning up after him. He finished and stuck the plate in the cleaner, then turned back to his girlfriend of two years . . . she was now wearing a light nightgown, her hair still tied back in a low ponytail.
"You are so beautiful," he sighed.
"Come on," Jen said, taking his hand.
They walked over together, hand-in-hand. "Happy Birthday, Alex," Jen whispered into his ear as they settled down on the couch. He smiled a little and put his arms around her, holding her tightly . . .
"What's my present?" he asked, teasingly.
"I thought I'd give you something special," Jen said, "how's this?"
She pressed her lips to his timidly, pulling away quickly, then kissed him again with more courage and passion. He felt her warm breath against his bare neck as she began to kiss his neck, then up behind his ear . . . he gasped sharply, her hands running down to his pants and moving to the zipper.
"Good so far," Alex said, "any more?"
"Plenty," Jen replied, grabbing his shirt and lifting it off.
His fingers traced her mouth lightly, he felt her lips on him and his longing increased with every second. "Jennifer . . . " he whispered, harshly, "please . . . "
"I like to tease you," Jen murmured.
But she relented and allowed him to lead her to the bed, where he lowered her down on her back, feeling her body tensing beneath his touch and knowing she was as ready as him. With a trembling hand, he removed her clothes and pulled a sheet over their bodies; they continued kissing one another everywhere for a few more moments, then he heard her gasp loudly.
"Alex . . . " she moaned.
Alex pressed himself against her harder and she finally let out a small cry, his own voice barely came out---harsh and in a whisper. He ran his hand all the way down her body to the bare thigh that was pressed to him, she gasped again as she felt his lips caress her flat stomach; but soon she found reality and ran her fingers through his thick, dark hair, kissing his forehead.
"Like your present?" she said.
Alex just smiled, unable to talk as the heat between them increased and he became more aware of her skin against his own; his hands cupped her face, then ran down her body and massaged her back gently. He felt her body rise, it wasn't over yet . . . finally, they reached the moment of ecstasy and cried out together, their bodies becoming one.
A few moments later, Alex felt Jen shiver as the warmth faded away and he enveloped her in his strong arms. "Thank you, Jennifer . . . "
"For what?"
"For being here."
***
Alex folded his arms and stared at the viewing screen, chewing on his bottom lip thoughtfully, obviously growing more nervous by the second. "What is it?" he finally asked.
"We don't know yet, sir," the ensign replied.
"Any idea?"
"We think . . . it's Ransik." The young man's face paled. "At the warehouse- --I'll send you the coordinates on your way."
Alex nodded and took off as quickly as he could, he morphed as he ran, the directions being sent to him through his helmet; the warehouse was a mile away, an easy run for him luckily, since his car was in need of repair. He ran hard down the sidewalk, faster than he ever had before, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth to keep himself from getting winded too quickly. He breathed heavily, but not from fatigue, rather from the anticipation of meeting Ransik in battle again.
The warehouse had been surrounded by Time Force vehicles when he arrived, he saw Trip go flying by with Katie in front of him, then Lucas take cover behind his car, his blaster ready.
"B Team assist A Team!" Logan barked out orders as Alex went by.
He found his way to the back entrance, hearing Ransik's voice from inside, a shiver ran up his spine as he heard the words:
"If I can't rule the present, then I'll just rule the past!!!"
With a deep breath, his stepped inside and faced the mutant leader fearlessly, he voice strong and steady: "In the name of Time Force, I place you under arrest!"
TBC
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far :)
***
JUNE 12TH, 3000
Alex took Jen's hand and led her through the thick crowd gathered to watch the graduation ceremony of the cadets in Time Force Academy; a large number were Xybrians, since this was the first time a Xybrian would be graduating.
Cadet Trip Regis stood tall and proud in line with the others, his eyes straight ahead as Captain Logan and Alex began the inspection. One corner of the young man's mouth quirked upward slightly as Alex paused in front of him, even he was smirking a little.
"Not now, Cadet," he said, "you can grin all you want when I give you that badge though."
"Yes, sir," Trip muttered.
Alex went on to the other cadets, watching their eyes flash with surprise as he passed by, it pleased him to realize that the name "Alex Collins" was now so familiar and his face recognizable. Finally, the inspection ended and he stood next to Logan in silence as the captain read off a long letter detailing the struggles of the cadets and their years to come as Time Force officials.
The whole thing took about an hour, then the cadets raced into the crowd to hug their families and celebrate their accomplishments; Alex stood still and waited patiently, watching a familiar figure making her way through the people. Her brown hair tied up in a high ponytail, her cheeks flushed as the day was extremely worn and her uniform was too heavy for the heat.
At last, he felt her arms go around his neck and he wrapped his own around her waist, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath; when he opened his eyes, he saw Logan smiling at him from across the platform, nodding his approval.
"Come on," Jen said, "Katie wants to take Trip out to celebrate---"
"I still have work," Alex said.
"No, you don't," Logan replied, walking over. "Go out and celebrate with your friends . . . I'll see you soon." He turned and walked briskly away, but paused briefly to look back and say: "By the way, Lieutenant---Happy Birthday."
"Thank you, sir," Alex said, silently wishing Logan had forgot.
"That's right," Jen said, "twenty-three tomorrow. All grown up."
"I think I grew up a while ago," Alex said, "unlike you . . . " He tickled her sides quickly and she jumped away, giggling.
"Behave yourself," she warned, "or you won't get anything."
Alex laughed and grabbed her hand before she could protest, dragging her off the platform with him; Lucas and Katie found them a few minutes later, then Trip joined the group. "We've got a lot to celebrate today, don't we?" Katie said as they piled into Alex's car.
"Alex, Trip . . . " Jen smiled, sitting in the front seat and patting Alex's leg.
"Jennifer," he muttered.
"None of that in here!" Katie laughed, kicking the back of Jen's seat as she, Lucas, and Trip crammed together.
"How come we're stuck back here???" Lucas demanded.
"Why do you think?" Alex laughed, starting the car.
"You're not cute, like me," Jen teased.
"I'm so better-looking than you!"
"Not to me," Alex said, shuddering.
"Good," Lucas replied.
"So," Katie said, "where are we going? The screens? Dancing? Or my favorite . . . eating?"
"How about all of them?" Jen suggested, "make sure to drop Trip off before midnight though---" she smiled at the boy.
"I don't have to be home til twelve-thirty," Trip said, "I like to get to sleep before one."
"I don't blame you," Alex said, "but get used to about two in the morning if you want to hang out with these three---" he nodded to Jen, then the other two. "When do you begin shifts, Ensign Regis?"
"In a week," Trip answered, "begins at zero-six-hundred."
"Ouch," Katie said, "my first one was at zero-ten-hundred. I got lucky."
"Mine was zero-four-hundred!" Lucas spoke up.
They arrived at the restaurant ten minutes later, and the young soldiers hurried in to find the best table; there were only four chairs at the table and they raced to grab one, Jen ended up plopping down on Alex's lap. He laughed and wrapped his arms around her, clasping his hands over her belly button as they waited to order.
"I'm the only one old enough to drink alcohol here," he said, "so don't try anything!"
A moment later, their drinks appeared and Alex raised his first: "To our newest member, Ensign Trip Regis. Congratulations, and many safe years in Time Force to come."
The glasses clinked together, then Jen spoke: "To Alex . . . I know, I know, I won't get too mushy." Alex rolled his eyes. "To the man I love more than anything in this world . . . stay safe for me, so we can have many more years together. I love you."
"I love you, too," Alex said, quietly.
*****
Alex sat at his computer with a cup of steaming coffee next to him, staring at the screen as if trying to find Ransik without even looking; the screen bore a picture of the mutant leader, snarling at him. "I will get you, Ransik," he whispered, "count on it."
He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Rob Logan smiling down at him. "Still working?" he said, "I thought I gave you the day off."
"I don't need it," Alex told him, "what time is it anyway?"
"Twenty-forty-five," Logan answered. "Go home, Alex."
"No luck today," Alex sighed, standing up and yawning. "Maybe tomorrow . . . we'll get him soon."
"I'm sure you will," Logan said, "for now, go and relax. Have fun."
Alex's eyebrows shot up quickly, he downed the rest of his coffee and disposed of the cup before saying quickly "Good-night, Captain" and finally leaving HQ. The mid-June night was warm, but not uncomfortably so, and Alex cracked a window as he drove to his apartment, anxious to see Jen again.
She greeted him at the door with a wide smile that melted him and drew him in, he hugged her before going into his small kitchen, asking: "Anything to eat?"
"Take your pick," Jen replied.
"Mmm . . . smells good," Alex said, picking up a plate of food and sniffing it. "You didn't cook it, did you?"
"No," Jen laughed, "I didn't."
Alex sighed in relief, sitting down next to her at the table and taking her hand. "That was a very nice toast you gave the other day," he said, "embarrassing . . . but nice."
"You deserved it," Jen said.
Alex took a bite and closed his eyes, he swallowed. "You sure didn't make this." Jen gasped and elbowed him sharply in the ribs, giggling as he grabbed her and forced her to sit down down on his lap, tickling her sides and kissing her neck.
"Alex!" Jen squealed, "cut it out!"
He laughed and set her down in order to finish his late dinner, he heard Jen from behind him fussing around the apartment; he couldn't help but chuckle under his breath at her, she was always cleaning up after him. He finished and stuck the plate in the cleaner, then turned back to his girlfriend of two years . . . she was now wearing a light nightgown, her hair still tied back in a low ponytail.
"You are so beautiful," he sighed.
"Come on," Jen said, taking his hand.
They walked over together, hand-in-hand. "Happy Birthday, Alex," Jen whispered into his ear as they settled down on the couch. He smiled a little and put his arms around her, holding her tightly . . .
"What's my present?" he asked, teasingly.
"I thought I'd give you something special," Jen said, "how's this?"
She pressed her lips to his timidly, pulling away quickly, then kissed him again with more courage and passion. He felt her warm breath against his bare neck as she began to kiss his neck, then up behind his ear . . . he gasped sharply, her hands running down to his pants and moving to the zipper.
"Good so far," Alex said, "any more?"
"Plenty," Jen replied, grabbing his shirt and lifting it off.
His fingers traced her mouth lightly, he felt her lips on him and his longing increased with every second. "Jennifer . . . " he whispered, harshly, "please . . . "
"I like to tease you," Jen murmured.
But she relented and allowed him to lead her to the bed, where he lowered her down on her back, feeling her body tensing beneath his touch and knowing she was as ready as him. With a trembling hand, he removed her clothes and pulled a sheet over their bodies; they continued kissing one another everywhere for a few more moments, then he heard her gasp loudly.
"Alex . . . " she moaned.
Alex pressed himself against her harder and she finally let out a small cry, his own voice barely came out---harsh and in a whisper. He ran his hand all the way down her body to the bare thigh that was pressed to him, she gasped again as she felt his lips caress her flat stomach; but soon she found reality and ran her fingers through his thick, dark hair, kissing his forehead.
"Like your present?" she said.
Alex just smiled, unable to talk as the heat between them increased and he became more aware of her skin against his own; his hands cupped her face, then ran down her body and massaged her back gently. He felt her body rise, it wasn't over yet . . . finally, they reached the moment of ecstasy and cried out together, their bodies becoming one.
A few moments later, Alex felt Jen shiver as the warmth faded away and he enveloped her in his strong arms. "Thank you, Jennifer . . . "
"For what?"
"For being here."
***
Alex folded his arms and stared at the viewing screen, chewing on his bottom lip thoughtfully, obviously growing more nervous by the second. "What is it?" he finally asked.
"We don't know yet, sir," the ensign replied.
"Any idea?"
"We think . . . it's Ransik." The young man's face paled. "At the warehouse- --I'll send you the coordinates on your way."
Alex nodded and took off as quickly as he could, he morphed as he ran, the directions being sent to him through his helmet; the warehouse was a mile away, an easy run for him luckily, since his car was in need of repair. He ran hard down the sidewalk, faster than he ever had before, breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth to keep himself from getting winded too quickly. He breathed heavily, but not from fatigue, rather from the anticipation of meeting Ransik in battle again.
The warehouse had been surrounded by Time Force vehicles when he arrived, he saw Trip go flying by with Katie in front of him, then Lucas take cover behind his car, his blaster ready.
"B Team assist A Team!" Logan barked out orders as Alex went by.
He found his way to the back entrance, hearing Ransik's voice from inside, a shiver ran up his spine as he heard the words:
"If I can't rule the present, then I'll just rule the past!!!"
With a deep breath, his stepped inside and faced the mutant leader fearlessly, he voice strong and steady: "In the name of Time Force, I place you under arrest!"
TBC