Title: I'll Be Home for Christmas
Rating: PG-13
Chapter: 2. Winter Wonder Dry Land
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.
Conner laid six year old Lisa in her bed. He stroked her red hair back and kissed her forehead. "Sleep well, Angel," he murmured. He walked out of her bedroom, closing the door behind him.
Krista walked out of the nursery, closing the door behind her as well.
Conner looked at her.
Krista smiled at him and took a step towards him.
Conner just turned away and headed back to his office.
"Conner?" Krista asked, frowning.
DT
Trent walked into the old cyber café and shut the door behind him.
He looked around and smiled softly to himself. He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath.
"If you could see us all now, Hayley," he muttered. "If you and Doctor Oliver could see us."
He walked over to the counter and put down the box. He the headed to the office in the back to get to a much more private area without windows.
DT
Ethan nodded, putting down two year old Jeremy on the floor, "I know, Cass'." He looked at Devin. "How'd you put up with her for so long?" he asked in exasperation.
"Let's just say, she's lucky she has a pretty face," Devin chuckled from his place at the dinning room table.
Cassidy picked up Jeremy. "Don't leave him on the floor in the dining room," Cassidy snapped, holding her son on her hip and sashayed into the kitchen.
Ethan nodded, "Yes, Ma'am."
DT
Kira held tight to the bassinet in her hands. She was standing in line with her ticket. She looked at Annie, who was still in between stages of sleeping and waking up. She smiled to herself and handed her ticket over before getting on board.
DT
Trent took a bite of Chinese out of the white carton. He smiled at the picture of Hayley on the desk. He shook his head slightly and then sighed.
He swallowed as the phone rang. He picked it up. "Hello?" he answered.
"Hey Trent," replied Kira's sweet voice. There was loud hustle and bustle behind her.
Trent smiled, "Hey Kiki. What's up?" He leaned back in his chair comfortably.
"I'm at the airport in Blue Bay Harbor. Tori's going to be picking me up. I was just wondering if I could come by tomorrow."
Trent nodded, "Always. You want me to pick you and Annie up at Tori's?"
"Please?" She sounded a bit more chipper than usual, but Trent didn't let it bother him.
"Around 8ish?" he offered.
"Yup."
Trent nodded, "I'll be there. Bye Kiki." He hung before she could reply.
He picked up his carton of noodles again and took another bite.
DT
Kira sighed, hanging up her cell and stood outside the B.B.H. Airport with the bassinet in her hands and a bag in front of her. She looked around anxiously for her ride.
A horn honked and she saw the old light blue tinted van pulling up not too far from her.
Kira smiled brightly and lassoed her arm through the bar of the carrier so she could wave.
Tori got out of the van and smiled, walking over. "Kira," she greeted excitedly.
Kira smiled, "Hey Tor'."
Dustin and Shane walked up not too far behind Tori.
Shane took Kira's bag. "Here, I got this," he assured.
Kira nodded, "Thanks, Shane."
Tori took the carrier from Kira to give her arms a break. "C'mon, Annie. You get to sit in my van," she cooed.
Kira looked at Dustin, who wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "C'mon, Kiki," he said with a smile.
Kira wrapped an arm around his waist and walked with him to the car.
Once the group had settled in and Tori had started driving back to the house, the conversations really started.
"She looks almost exactly like you," Dustin said in awe as he sat on one side of Annie's bassinet.
"Just with Conner's nose," Shane imputed, sitting on the baby's other side.
Kira sighed, looking out the window from the front passenger seat. "I know," she said softly.
Tori gave her a small encouraging smile, "Hey. We love you. And we love her too." She brushed shoulders with her friend at a stop sign. "You know that right?"
Kira smiled a little and nodded, "I do. Thanks, Tori."
"Well, you're the closest thing I have to a sister besides Taylor and Kendrix," Tori stated with a huge smile as she continued driving. "God knows where those two are," she huffed under her breath.
"Awwww!" Dustin cooed.
"What?" Kira asked, turning to look over her shoulder.
"She's smiling at me," Dustin said with excitement.
Shane shook his head, arguing, "No, she's smiling at me."
"Nuh-uh!" Dustin whined.
"Guys, please stop fighting. She'll start crying if you don't," Kira informed.
"Sorry, Kira," Shane apologized bashfully.
"Sorry," Dustin said softly with a frown.
Kira looked at Tori.
Tori shook her head, "Now we know never to leave them alone with her."
Kira couldn't help but laugh at the comment and nodded, "Defiantly not."
DT
Krista sat up in bed and looked at Conner, who was rolled faced away from her. "What's wrong, Con'?" she asked with a frown.
"Kira's not coming to Christmas," Conner mumbled, wide awake. He stared at the wall before him.
Krista rolled her eyes, "You're upset because she's not coming?"
"Ethan and I both are," Conner informed. "Just because you don't have any friends who care enough to be concerned, doesn't me you can ridicule me for being upset for my friend's safety."
"She's in Chicago, Conner. She was never safe," Krista informed in a 'duh' tone.
Conner got up, grabbing his pillow and the red throw blanket out of his closet.
"Where are you going?" Krista demanded, glaring at him.
"My office," Conner said simply in reply and walked out of their room to his office.
He locked his office door behind him and threw the pillow down at the end of his couch. He laid on his side and looked at his picture of Kira.
The beautiful yellow dress flowed around her perfectly. Her blonde curls flew around her head in the light breeze. She smiled brightly in a laugh. Her eyes lit up brighter than the sun.
He could still hear her laughing the month before they had come up with their Chicago plan.
"Conner!" eighteen year old Kira squealed out as he took a picture of her.
Eighteen year old Conner smiled, dropping the camera. "Okay, no more pictures," he assured with a grin, holding his hands up in surrender.
Kira smiled, leaning over and kissed him hard on the lips.
Conner wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her back.
Kira shoved him back when she heard a click. She turned to her left and glared. "Ethan, you're dead!" she yelled, rushing after him.
Ethan grinned, waving as he rushed off, "Bye Conner!"
Conner laughed, waving back.
Conner closed his eyes, taking in a deep shaky breath.
The memory was so vivid. Somehow every memory of Kira was so real.
He couldn't even remember what shirt Krista wore yesterday.
Yet, he could remember the yellow butterfly clips in Kira's hair, the day they took the picture of her laughing, that she refused to wear before and after the party at the James's house. She wouldn't even wear them in any pictures. It was a dress or the clips.
Conner laughed lightly at the thought of Kira threatening to wear jeans instead of a dress to an infamous James party.
DT
Kira sat on a bench outside the house in front of Wantanabe Wind Ninja Academy. She had her legs pulled up to her chest and rested her chin over them contently, watching the sun rise.
"Kira?"
Kira sat up properly, dropping her legs and smiled. "Morning Cam," she greeted.
"You're up rather early," Cam stated, sitting next to her.
"I fed Annie about twenty minutes ago and thought I'd just watch the sun rise," Kira shrugged nonchalantly, looking back at the colorful sunrise. "You don't really get to enjoy a sunrise in Chicago at winter. It's either too cloudy or too cold."
Cam smiled gently, offering, "Well, you can watch it here in warm weather whenever you want."
Kira looked at him again and smiled, "Thanks, Cam."
Cam nodded, "Of course." He got up. "Come inside soon. Hunter's cooking breakfast." He walked back inside.
Kira rubbed her arms gently and sighed heavily, closing her eyes.
"Kira…"
Kira turned around in the foyer of the music studio. She smiled, "Conner!" She rushed over and jumped on him in a hug.
Conner reluctantly wrapped his arms around her and sighed heavily.
Kira looked up at him.
Conner's face was sad, his eyes were red, possibly from crying, and he was shaking a bit.
"Conner?" Kira questioned, her voice a bit softer.
"Krista's pregnant, Kira," Conner said softly.
Kira's face dropped even more and she could feel the emotions pushing up in her throat. Anger. Fear. Sadness. She shook her head, "So?"
Conner took in a deep breath, trying to get up the courage to tell her. "With my child. I can't leave her alone, Kira," he explained.
"Yes. Yes, you can," Kira nodded, starting to cry. "Conner, don't leave me," she begged.
Conner kissed her temple. "I'll see you at Christmas," he whispered in her ear and took a step back.
Kira's eyes blurred more with each step he took away from her until he finally left, leaving her looking like a complete fool.
Kira quickly took a wipe at her eyes with the hem of her yellow shirt. She got up, taking in a deep breath of the soothing air. She looked around before walking inside.
DT
Trent pulled up to the house in front of the academy and walked inside the unlocked front door. "Kira," he called out.
"Coming!" Kira called back from god knows where.
Trent walked into the living room and smiled at the infant in the carrier. "Why, hello, Annie," he cooed gently, squatting down and kissed her forehead.
Annie yawned in reply, closing her eyes.
Trent smiled, "Tired, huh? I'll try not to let me and Mommy bother you too much on our way to Reefside, okay?"
"What are you doing?"
Trent stood up and spun around quickly to face Kira, who was in jeans and a yellow t-shirt and some healed sneakers. Her curls were held back by some yellow hair sticks.
Trent shrugged, "Talking to Annie."
Kira nodded, grabbing the diaper bag and her purse off the couch. "Can you grab her?" she asked.
Trent nodded, grabbing the carrier and started outside.
Kira followed him. She put the diaper bag and her purse in the front passenger seat and then helped Trent buckle the bassinet in. "So who's running the café today?" she asked.
"Devin," Trent replied. "He's helping me manage it until you decide to move your ass back here." He looked up at her with a smile.
Kira was smiling a bit, "So forever?"
"You won't even move back for me?" Trent asked in a hurtful tone.
"Nope," Kira stated in reply, closing the back seat door and headed for the front passenger seat.