Bright Skies (Multi - Season Crossover/Power Rangers, prompt #34: Shadow, T)
-Shoots LiveJournal repeatedly with a large shotgun-
-Coughs- Anyway, now that that's partially out of my system, here's another chapter of Bright Skies. This is an experiment to see what Wes' life is like when he's actually *working*. Sort of.
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Fandom/: Power Rangers Time Force moving into S.P.D., multiple Rangers from each season
Characters/: Wes (Time Force), multiple Rangers from other teams (Literally too many to list)
Pairings/: Post - Wes/Eric, Rocky/Adam, Shane/Dustin, Hunter/Cam, Carter/Dana, Andros/Ashley, Zhane/Karone, Carlos/Ronny, Jason/Taylor, Conner/Ethan, Justin/Rose, Tommy/Kimberly, Tyzonn/Mack, Cassie/OC, Nick/Maddison, Zack/Aisha, Trent/Kira, Post - Billy/Cestria. Future Ryan/Carter and Billy/Hayley. More couples will most likely be mentioned, but not shown.
prompt/: #34: Shadow
Rating/: T (For non - graphic mentions of people having babies and being violent with one another)
Disclaimer/: I don't own the Power Rangers, but if Disney's hiring any new writers I volunteer.
Summary/: When Wes' life starts to fall apart, an accident gives him a chance at a fresh start in New Tech City, with Space Patrol Delta. But even a new life has its ups and downs - and weird friends. Meanwhile, Eric tries to move on.
Warnings/: A mentally handicapped person living in a medical facility, angst, male and female slash, non - cemented couples (In otherwords, pairings that will be separated), children created by scientific means
Author's Notes/: I have come to the conclusion that Silver Guardian co-commander or not, I cannot picture Wes as a stern, commanding leader. I have trouble thinking of him of a leader at all. I blame Jen for this, because she was a much cooler team leader than Wes could ever be. Another note: Sara is pronounce 'Saw-ra'.
There is a future A Squad Ranger cameo in this chapter; blink and you'll miss the reference.
Much love and thanks to BlackCrimsonLight, who help prod my muse through this prompt.
Wes blew his whistle sharply, dropping his hand. "Time!" he shouted, checking his watch. "Twelve minutes and fifty-two seconds." He shook his head with a sigh. "You can do better than that, cadets!"
No one answered him, and he frowned, putting his hands on his hips. "You're not helping each other," he scolded. "This is a *team* effort, not a race. You should be crossing this finish line as a unit. And looking back to make sure the person who fell behind you is getting back up doesn't count, Mason," he added with a stern glare.
"He was getting up!" protested Mason.
Max, the cadet they were referring to, scowled and shoved his teammate's shoulder. "Yeah, thanks."
Wes sighed, shaking his head again. "Are any of you even listening to me?" he demanded.
"Yes, sir. Of course, sir," mumbled Jessica as she leaned on Fae. Her eyes were closed.
He scowled at them all and finally sighed, exasperated. "Well, since you're all so unfocused today, why don't you take a mile jog and run through your stretches before you call it a day."
Victor wearily lifted a hand, flashing a familiar hand signal that was far from appropriate.
Karen reached out to smack him in the head, yanking his arm down. "Hey genius! Small eyes today, remember?” she hissed, jerking her head towards the stands.
Wes' eyes narrowed. "Just for that Cadet Lacetings, you can make that a *three* mile jog."
Victor's eyes snapped open as he struggled to sit up. "What?! That's not fair!"
"Brought it on yourself," Sara's translator garbled, his words hissing slightly around his large teeth.
"It's not my fault I forgot what day it was!" Victor tried to protest.
Wes shook his head. "We established that rule months ago, Cadet. No inappropriate language or gestures when Sky's visiting the squad. In any culture," he added, glancing at Sara, Fae, and the twins. "Now everybody up. Come on, cool down and head inside. We'll have the rest of the teamwork lecture on Monday, so you can all spend your day off looking forward to it."
He was met with groans as the group slowly dragged themselves to their feet.
"You guys are lucky Commander Cruger and Deputy Commander Oliver aren't out today, or we'd all be in for an earful," he warned them, giving them all a fondly exasperated look. "I know it's your Friday, but come on. At least *look* like you're putting some effort into it?"
"But it's *Friday*, Sir ... " whined Aralon.
"And it's movie night, Sir!" put in his sister Nolara.
Wes sighed, shaking his head. "One mile, cool down, and you're free." He pointed at Victor. "*Three miles*, cool down, and then you're free," he reminded him. He lifted his whistle, blowing it once. "Now get moving, cadets!"
"Sir, yes Sir!"
He watched them for a moment as they broke into a slow jog. Rag tag and often disrespectful, they were begrudgingly one of the best groups he'd trained so far. He didn't like to pick favorites, but something about the way they all maintained a sense of playfulness and casual attitude amused him. He knew they each had the potential to be better; they were only starting out at S.P.D., after all.
He smiled as Sky ran up to the group. Sky often liked to spend his Saturdays at S.P.D. these days, balancing his time between tailing after each of his parents throughout their day. His cadets had affectionately nicknamed him 'Shadow, and were all fond of him in one way or another. Several of them ruffled Sky's hair as he jogged past, and he ducked back with a slight frown that bordered on a pout.
Then he turned, and brightened as he caught sight of his father. "Daddy!"
He crouched down to catch his son with a laugh as he sprinted into his arms. "Hey, buddy. Bored out of your mind, yet?" he teased.
Sky shook his head eagerly. "Nu-uh. Can I train with you guys soon?" he pleaded.
Wes tousled his hair with a smile. "Maybe you can try a couple of the exercises next week, okay? We're almost done for the day now."
"Aw, man ... " Sky pouted, kicking at the grass. "I wanted to train, too."
"Maybe next time," he assured him, privately wondering if Vanessa would let him leave the labs if she heard that. "You wanna come with me after this, or do you want me to drop you off with your mom?"
"Whatcha doin' now?"
Wes grinned, making an exaggerated face because he knew what Sky's choice would be. "Paperwork."
Sky frowned. He seemed to hesitate, then at last sighed "Mommy."
Wes cocked his head, squeezing his son's shoulder. "Hey. You okay, Sky?"
"M' fine," Sky muttered.
The cadets returned before Wes had a chance to push, and he was forced to put his concern aside for now in favor of guiding them through their cool down stretches. Later, he promised himself. I'll figure out what's bothering Sky later.
****
Wes stared at the door, Sky's small hand tucked into his. "Experiment in Progress: Keep Out," he read aloud for Sky's benefit. He glanced down at his son. "Looks like you're gonna have to come with me after all, Buddy," he said apologetically.
Sky sighed. "Do you still have colorin' books?"
Wes ruffled his hair with a smile. "For you? Always. I even made sure Uncle Dax and Uncle Chip didn't find them all."
"What about Uncle Dustin?" Sky asked suspiciously. "He's sneaky."
Wes fought a grin; the idea of *Dustin* being sneaky was too funny. But then, he really did love coloring books for some reason. "I hid them in a very special place where he'd never think to look." he promised.
Sky humphed. "Uncle Dustin thinks different than most people," he muttered as he allowed himself to be lead along.
Fortunately, while Dustin *had* struck again, he hadn't managed to find all of Wes' secret stash of coloring books. In ten minutes he was sorting through paperwork and updating files and lesson plans. Sky sat on the floor with a book in his lap, quietly coloring away.
"Daddy?" Sky spoke up suddenly.
"Yeah, Sky?" he said absently.
"Why aren't you and Mommy married?"
Wes froze.
After a moment, he turned to stare at his son, who was watching him with serious blue eyes. "What brought that up?"
Sky shrugged slightly. "Just wonderin'," he muttered.
Wes sighed. He turned away from his paperwork to face his son, leaning forward and folding his hands, pressing the tips of his fingers against his lips. After a long moment of searching for words, he took a deep breath. "Sky, I - "
Someone knocked on the door.
Sky shot a glare at the prospective intruder, while Wes breathed an internal sigh of relief at the reprieve. "Sorry, Buddy, he said regretfully, even as he let out a mental cheer. "It's open," he called louder.
Sara stood stiffly at attention as the door slid open. "Sir," he said quickly, saluting.
Wes waved a hand dismissively. "At ease, Cadet. What is it?"
"Sorry to disturb you Sir," Sara began, "But it's the twins again."
Wes groaned. "Mess Hall again?"
"Yes, Sir."
He glanced at Sky. "Come on, Buddy. Time to go lecture some cadets." he sighed.
Sky seemed to brighten at that. "Can I help?"
"I'm sure there'll be plenty of lecturing to go around," Wes promised him with a sigh. "Lead the way, Sara."
****
Wes sighed as he turned on the kettle. Vanessa was already tucking Sky into bed after their day together. As part of their nightly ritual, it was his job to prepare everything while she got him ready, and then he'd tell Sky a story and turn out the lights for him while she finished up with the tea.
It had been a long day of dealing with troublemaking cadets, intermittent with Sky's eagerness to learn along with them. And then there was the hilarious sight of his thirteen year old cadets getting a dressing down from his six-year-old son. Aralon and Nolara had been both chastised and subtly mortified to be lectured about 'proper behavior for an S.P.D. cadet' by someone seven years younger than them. The rest of H Squad had been vastly amused, and he knew the twins would never live it down.
"Mommy? Why aren't you and Daddy married?"
Wes froze, instinctively pressing himself back against the wall next to his son's room instead of going in. He knew there was no real reason for that question to bother him so much, but something about it made him hesitate to give Sky an answer. And if Vanessa was willing to explain for them both ...
"Does it matter?" Vanessa returned calmly.
"Brandy Harrison at school said *all* Mommies and Daddies are married. Or they were married, but they're not anymore. But you and Daddy have *never* been married. ... Does that mean you're not really my Mommy and Daddy?"
Wes winced, hearing the tremble in his son's voice. He *wanted* to go to him, to tell him that wasn't true. But that meant he'd have to explain...
"Sky ... " Vanessa sighed. "Your father and I both love you. You know that, right?"
"Course I do," Sky answered.
"Then does it really matter why we've never been married?"
There was a long silence.
"Yes," Sky whispered at last, so softly Wes almost didn't hear him. "Is it ... is it 'cause of me?"
His heart clenched. Oh, no, he pleaded silently. Sky, that's not it at all ....
But his feet still wouldn't move.
"If anything Sky, you're the reason your father and I are friends." Vanessa soothed, and he could almost see her stroking his hair, the way she always did with him when he was upset. There was another long pause. "Your father and I met one night when we were both very sad. And a few months after that night, I realized you were going to be born. Your father wanted to stay with us, so he moved to Newtech City. That's why he lives with us now."
" ... So you don't love Daddy?" He could hear the frown in Sky's voice.
"Your father is my best friend. I love him a lot, but not the way we would love each other if we were married."
"Do you love *anyone* like you would - like that?"
"No. I haven't met anyone that important to me yet."
"Has Daddy?"
"Yes." She sighed. "There's someone your father loves very much. But they had a fight and now they don't see each other anymore."
" ... But Daddy still loves them?"
"More than anything but you."
"Do they still love Daddy?"
"We don't know. I think so, but it's hard to be sure."
Wes swallowed, squeezing a fist and leaning his head against the wall again. No. He doesn't love me anymore. If he did ... things wouldn't have turned out this way.
He was mildly surprised to realize that while the thought of Eric still ached, it didn't bring that painfully tight feeling in his chest. Maybe he was finally coming to accept that things were officially over between them. Not over it; Eric had come to mean more to him than he'd been able to put into words. But he had learned to live with knowing that he just didn't mean as much to Eric.
"So they love Daddy, but they still won't see him?" Sky sounded outraged.
"That's right." Vanessa seemed amused.
"If I ever meet them, I'll punch 'em in the nose for hurting Daddy!" Sky declared with all the fury of a slighted six-year-old.
He couldn't help but smile. "Punch who?" he asked, turning to come into the room. He blinked as though he hadn't heard what they were talking about. Vanessa knew better, but she also wouldn't force him into talking about it.
"No one," Sky returned innocently. He held up his arms for a hug. "I wanna bedtime story!"
"Oh, really?" he asked, trying not to laugh at Sky's demanding attitude.
"Uh huh. Tell me another story about the Power Rangers!"
"And that's my cue to leave you two," Vanessa interrupted, fighting back a grin as she stood. "I'd hate to intrude on your father-son time."
He shot her a glare as he sat down on the bed, knowing exactly what it was she was laughing at. "Okay, Kiddo. What story do you want this time?"
"Tell me more about your team, Daddy," Sky begged.
He couldn't help but grin. "Okay, then. How about ... the time I was replaced by a Ranger from the future?"
Sky's eyes went wide. "No way! No one can replace you, Daddy! You're the bestest Ranger *ever*!"
"Well, there's always someone better," he reminded him, pulling Sky into his lap. "Now, we were in the middle of another hard battle, when ... "
-Coughs- Anyway, now that that's partially out of my system, here's another chapter of Bright Skies. This is an experiment to see what Wes' life is like when he's actually *working*. Sort of.
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Fandom/: Power Rangers Time Force moving into S.P.D., multiple Rangers from each season
Characters/: Wes (Time Force), multiple Rangers from other teams (Literally too many to list)
Pairings/: Post - Wes/Eric, Rocky/Adam, Shane/Dustin, Hunter/Cam, Carter/Dana, Andros/Ashley, Zhane/Karone, Carlos/Ronny, Jason/Taylor, Conner/Ethan, Justin/Rose, Tommy/Kimberly, Tyzonn/Mack, Cassie/OC, Nick/Maddison, Zack/Aisha, Trent/Kira, Post - Billy/Cestria. Future Ryan/Carter and Billy/Hayley. More couples will most likely be mentioned, but not shown.
prompt/: #34: Shadow
Rating/: T (For non - graphic mentions of people having babies and being violent with one another)
Disclaimer/: I don't own the Power Rangers, but if Disney's hiring any new writers I volunteer.
Summary/: When Wes' life starts to fall apart, an accident gives him a chance at a fresh start in New Tech City, with Space Patrol Delta. But even a new life has its ups and downs - and weird friends. Meanwhile, Eric tries to move on.
Warnings/: A mentally handicapped person living in a medical facility, angst, male and female slash, non - cemented couples (In otherwords, pairings that will be separated), children created by scientific means
Author's Notes/: I have come to the conclusion that Silver Guardian co-commander or not, I cannot picture Wes as a stern, commanding leader. I have trouble thinking of him of a leader at all. I blame Jen for this, because she was a much cooler team leader than Wes could ever be. Another note: Sara is pronounce 'Saw-ra'.
There is a future A Squad Ranger cameo in this chapter; blink and you'll miss the reference.
Much love and thanks to BlackCrimsonLight, who help prod my muse through this prompt.
Wes blew his whistle sharply, dropping his hand. "Time!" he shouted, checking his watch. "Twelve minutes and fifty-two seconds." He shook his head with a sigh. "You can do better than that, cadets!"
No one answered him, and he frowned, putting his hands on his hips. "You're not helping each other," he scolded. "This is a *team* effort, not a race. You should be crossing this finish line as a unit. And looking back to make sure the person who fell behind you is getting back up doesn't count, Mason," he added with a stern glare.
"He was getting up!" protested Mason.
Max, the cadet they were referring to, scowled and shoved his teammate's shoulder. "Yeah, thanks."
Wes sighed, shaking his head again. "Are any of you even listening to me?" he demanded.
"Yes, sir. Of course, sir," mumbled Jessica as she leaned on Fae. Her eyes were closed.
He scowled at them all and finally sighed, exasperated. "Well, since you're all so unfocused today, why don't you take a mile jog and run through your stretches before you call it a day."
Victor wearily lifted a hand, flashing a familiar hand signal that was far from appropriate.
Karen reached out to smack him in the head, yanking his arm down. "Hey genius! Small eyes today, remember?” she hissed, jerking her head towards the stands.
Wes' eyes narrowed. "Just for that Cadet Lacetings, you can make that a *three* mile jog."
Victor's eyes snapped open as he struggled to sit up. "What?! That's not fair!"
"Brought it on yourself," Sara's translator garbled, his words hissing slightly around his large teeth.
"It's not my fault I forgot what day it was!" Victor tried to protest.
Wes shook his head. "We established that rule months ago, Cadet. No inappropriate language or gestures when Sky's visiting the squad. In any culture," he added, glancing at Sara, Fae, and the twins. "Now everybody up. Come on, cool down and head inside. We'll have the rest of the teamwork lecture on Monday, so you can all spend your day off looking forward to it."
He was met with groans as the group slowly dragged themselves to their feet.
"You guys are lucky Commander Cruger and Deputy Commander Oliver aren't out today, or we'd all be in for an earful," he warned them, giving them all a fondly exasperated look. "I know it's your Friday, but come on. At least *look* like you're putting some effort into it?"
"But it's *Friday*, Sir ... " whined Aralon.
"And it's movie night, Sir!" put in his sister Nolara.
Wes sighed, shaking his head. "One mile, cool down, and you're free." He pointed at Victor. "*Three miles*, cool down, and then you're free," he reminded him. He lifted his whistle, blowing it once. "Now get moving, cadets!"
"Sir, yes Sir!"
He watched them for a moment as they broke into a slow jog. Rag tag and often disrespectful, they were begrudgingly one of the best groups he'd trained so far. He didn't like to pick favorites, but something about the way they all maintained a sense of playfulness and casual attitude amused him. He knew they each had the potential to be better; they were only starting out at S.P.D., after all.
He smiled as Sky ran up to the group. Sky often liked to spend his Saturdays at S.P.D. these days, balancing his time between tailing after each of his parents throughout their day. His cadets had affectionately nicknamed him 'Shadow, and were all fond of him in one way or another. Several of them ruffled Sky's hair as he jogged past, and he ducked back with a slight frown that bordered on a pout.
Then he turned, and brightened as he caught sight of his father. "Daddy!"
He crouched down to catch his son with a laugh as he sprinted into his arms. "Hey, buddy. Bored out of your mind, yet?" he teased.
Sky shook his head eagerly. "Nu-uh. Can I train with you guys soon?" he pleaded.
Wes tousled his hair with a smile. "Maybe you can try a couple of the exercises next week, okay? We're almost done for the day now."
"Aw, man ... " Sky pouted, kicking at the grass. "I wanted to train, too."
"Maybe next time," he assured him, privately wondering if Vanessa would let him leave the labs if she heard that. "You wanna come with me after this, or do you want me to drop you off with your mom?"
"Whatcha doin' now?"
Wes grinned, making an exaggerated face because he knew what Sky's choice would be. "Paperwork."
Sky frowned. He seemed to hesitate, then at last sighed "Mommy."
Wes cocked his head, squeezing his son's shoulder. "Hey. You okay, Sky?"
"M' fine," Sky muttered.
The cadets returned before Wes had a chance to push, and he was forced to put his concern aside for now in favor of guiding them through their cool down stretches. Later, he promised himself. I'll figure out what's bothering Sky later.
****
Wes stared at the door, Sky's small hand tucked into his. "Experiment in Progress: Keep Out," he read aloud for Sky's benefit. He glanced down at his son. "Looks like you're gonna have to come with me after all, Buddy," he said apologetically.
Sky sighed. "Do you still have colorin' books?"
Wes ruffled his hair with a smile. "For you? Always. I even made sure Uncle Dax and Uncle Chip didn't find them all."
"What about Uncle Dustin?" Sky asked suspiciously. "He's sneaky."
Wes fought a grin; the idea of *Dustin* being sneaky was too funny. But then, he really did love coloring books for some reason. "I hid them in a very special place where he'd never think to look." he promised.
Sky humphed. "Uncle Dustin thinks different than most people," he muttered as he allowed himself to be lead along.
Fortunately, while Dustin *had* struck again, he hadn't managed to find all of Wes' secret stash of coloring books. In ten minutes he was sorting through paperwork and updating files and lesson plans. Sky sat on the floor with a book in his lap, quietly coloring away.
"Daddy?" Sky spoke up suddenly.
"Yeah, Sky?" he said absently.
"Why aren't you and Mommy married?"
Wes froze.
After a moment, he turned to stare at his son, who was watching him with serious blue eyes. "What brought that up?"
Sky shrugged slightly. "Just wonderin'," he muttered.
Wes sighed. He turned away from his paperwork to face his son, leaning forward and folding his hands, pressing the tips of his fingers against his lips. After a long moment of searching for words, he took a deep breath. "Sky, I - "
Someone knocked on the door.
Sky shot a glare at the prospective intruder, while Wes breathed an internal sigh of relief at the reprieve. "Sorry, Buddy, he said regretfully, even as he let out a mental cheer. "It's open," he called louder.
Sara stood stiffly at attention as the door slid open. "Sir," he said quickly, saluting.
Wes waved a hand dismissively. "At ease, Cadet. What is it?"
"Sorry to disturb you Sir," Sara began, "But it's the twins again."
Wes groaned. "Mess Hall again?"
"Yes, Sir."
He glanced at Sky. "Come on, Buddy. Time to go lecture some cadets." he sighed.
Sky seemed to brighten at that. "Can I help?"
"I'm sure there'll be plenty of lecturing to go around," Wes promised him with a sigh. "Lead the way, Sara."
****
Wes sighed as he turned on the kettle. Vanessa was already tucking Sky into bed after their day together. As part of their nightly ritual, it was his job to prepare everything while she got him ready, and then he'd tell Sky a story and turn out the lights for him while she finished up with the tea.
It had been a long day of dealing with troublemaking cadets, intermittent with Sky's eagerness to learn along with them. And then there was the hilarious sight of his thirteen year old cadets getting a dressing down from his six-year-old son. Aralon and Nolara had been both chastised and subtly mortified to be lectured about 'proper behavior for an S.P.D. cadet' by someone seven years younger than them. The rest of H Squad had been vastly amused, and he knew the twins would never live it down.
"Mommy? Why aren't you and Daddy married?"
Wes froze, instinctively pressing himself back against the wall next to his son's room instead of going in. He knew there was no real reason for that question to bother him so much, but something about it made him hesitate to give Sky an answer. And if Vanessa was willing to explain for them both ...
"Does it matter?" Vanessa returned calmly.
"Brandy Harrison at school said *all* Mommies and Daddies are married. Or they were married, but they're not anymore. But you and Daddy have *never* been married. ... Does that mean you're not really my Mommy and Daddy?"
Wes winced, hearing the tremble in his son's voice. He *wanted* to go to him, to tell him that wasn't true. But that meant he'd have to explain...
"Sky ... " Vanessa sighed. "Your father and I both love you. You know that, right?"
"Course I do," Sky answered.
"Then does it really matter why we've never been married?"
There was a long silence.
"Yes," Sky whispered at last, so softly Wes almost didn't hear him. "Is it ... is it 'cause of me?"
His heart clenched. Oh, no, he pleaded silently. Sky, that's not it at all ....
But his feet still wouldn't move.
"If anything Sky, you're the reason your father and I are friends." Vanessa soothed, and he could almost see her stroking his hair, the way she always did with him when he was upset. There was another long pause. "Your father and I met one night when we were both very sad. And a few months after that night, I realized you were going to be born. Your father wanted to stay with us, so he moved to Newtech City. That's why he lives with us now."
" ... So you don't love Daddy?" He could hear the frown in Sky's voice.
"Your father is my best friend. I love him a lot, but not the way we would love each other if we were married."
"Do you love *anyone* like you would - like that?"
"No. I haven't met anyone that important to me yet."
"Has Daddy?"
"Yes." She sighed. "There's someone your father loves very much. But they had a fight and now they don't see each other anymore."
" ... But Daddy still loves them?"
"More than anything but you."
"Do they still love Daddy?"
"We don't know. I think so, but it's hard to be sure."
Wes swallowed, squeezing a fist and leaning his head against the wall again. No. He doesn't love me anymore. If he did ... things wouldn't have turned out this way.
He was mildly surprised to realize that while the thought of Eric still ached, it didn't bring that painfully tight feeling in his chest. Maybe he was finally coming to accept that things were officially over between them. Not over it; Eric had come to mean more to him than he'd been able to put into words. But he had learned to live with knowing that he just didn't mean as much to Eric.
"So they love Daddy, but they still won't see him?" Sky sounded outraged.
"That's right." Vanessa seemed amused.
"If I ever meet them, I'll punch 'em in the nose for hurting Daddy!" Sky declared with all the fury of a slighted six-year-old.
He couldn't help but smile. "Punch who?" he asked, turning to come into the room. He blinked as though he hadn't heard what they were talking about. Vanessa knew better, but she also wouldn't force him into talking about it.
"No one," Sky returned innocently. He held up his arms for a hug. "I wanna bedtime story!"
"Oh, really?" he asked, trying not to laugh at Sky's demanding attitude.
"Uh huh. Tell me another story about the Power Rangers!"
"And that's my cue to leave you two," Vanessa interrupted, fighting back a grin as she stood. "I'd hate to intrude on your father-son time."
He shot her a glare as he sat down on the bed, knowing exactly what it was she was laughing at. "Okay, Kiddo. What story do you want this time?"
"Tell me more about your team, Daddy," Sky begged.
He couldn't help but grin. "Okay, then. How about ... the time I was replaced by a Ranger from the future?"
Sky's eyes went wide. "No way! No one can replace you, Daddy! You're the bestest Ranger *ever*!"
"Well, there's always someone better," he reminded him, pulling Sky into his lap. "Now, we were in the middle of another hard battle, when ... "