Bright Skies (Multi - Season Crossover/Power Rangers, prompt #3: Somewhere in Between, T)
Another repost for
pr_au100.
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/Crestria. Future Ryan/Carter and Billy/Hayley. More couples will most likely be mentioned, but not shown.
prompt/: #3: Somewhere in Between
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 Partol Delta. But even a new life has its ups and downs - and weird friends.
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/: This is totally, absolutely and completely, partially Challon’s fault. This is so not where I was originally going with this story. It was going to be a bunch of drabbles about Eric and Wes during the time they were separated. Then Challon gave me ideas, the evil woman. Now this is definately a few steps away from the original S.P.D. Although, to be fair, a good portion of this can also be blamed on Starhawk’s fantastic Team Building with Jack Landers series and reading Of Love and Bunnies.
"I am pleased that you have decided to join us at S.P.D., Mr. Collins," Anubis Cruger told him as they walked.
His commanding officer was a talking blue dog; he was never going to get over that.
"Please," he interrupted with a faint smile. "Call me Wes. Mr. Collins is my father."
"Wes," Cruger corrected himself with a nod. "As you can see, while S.P.D.'s official presence on Earth has only been in operation for a few years now, we are working to create a permanent force here for the protection of this planet against outside forces."
"I'll be glad to help in any way I can," Wes assured him.
"I'm glad to hear it."
Wes found himself gestured through yet another door. Silently he wondered if he would *ever* figure his way around this place.
"S.P.D. currently consists of eight departments. These will be your co-workers," Cruger began. "This is our Deputy Commander - ."
"Tommy!" Wes exclaimed as he found himself confronted with a familiar face. "I didn't know you'd joined S.P.D. I thought you wanted to settle down in Reefside."
More than one person in the room burst out laughing, earning an exasperated look from Tommy. "That was the original plan," he sighed to Wes. "But then I got drafted into this and well ... the rest is history."
"So what do you do here?" Wes asked curiously.
Tommy gave him a self-deprecating grin. "Officially? I'm listed as Deputy Commander Specialist."
"S.P.D. rankings make absolutely no sense," a tall young man with short blond hair warned him. He wore a uniform in white leather with silver along his shoulders and down over the right side over his chest. "The less you try to think about it, the better off you'll be."
"We just call him Supreme R.C.," a curly brunette man leaning on a console chimed in. He wore a short-sleeved black tunic and slacks, with yellow stripes along his sides and shoulders.
Tommy sighed again as Wes raised his eyebrows at him. "Supreme Ranger Commander," he informed him. "Dustin has a bad habit of nicknaming everything. It's another one of those things you'll get used to. Basically, S.P.D. lists everyone with an official S.P.D. rank, but Power Rangers also get our own ranking system through our teams. That's where the Specialist comes from - as the Green Ranger I was considered Specialist Rank."
"And Supreme Commander?" Wes asked, looking amused.
"Part of that is my Commander status from the rest of my Ranger teams. Specialist is the only Ranking that's never dropped; the others will always end up having you listed by the highest one - Commander in my case. I'm also the Deputy Commander for S.P.D. Earth, because I'm Cruger's second."
"All Rangers answer to the person in charge of their department, then Commander Oliver, then myself." Cruger explained. He gestured to a young dark skinned man dressed in a navy jumpsuit with black bands running along the arms and shoulders. "This is Captain William Aton, head of Security."
"Call me Will," he interjected with an easy smile that bordered on a smirk. "Black Overdrive Ranger," he added as Wes went to shake his hand.
"And this is Captain Dana Greyson of the Medical Department," Cruger went on, moving to a familiar blond woman in a white lab cat with a pink undershirt.
She offered him a warm smile. "It's good to see you again, Wes."
"Same here," he agreed with a grin as he shook her hand.
"Try not to come see me too often?"
His grin turned sheepish. "No promises."
That got a laugh out of the blond man who'd told him not to think about the ranking system. "I'm Zhane of KO-35. Silver Astro." He grinned. "I've got the fancy 'Ambassador' title."
"Captain Zhane is in charge of our Galactic Outreach Program," Cruger interrupted with a scowl. "The program was designed to seek out potential allied planets and help refugees of the Troobian Empire."
Wes had already been given the reports on the Troobian Empire to go over when he arrived; Zhane's Ambassador Program was far more important than he played it off. "Nice to meet you."
"You say that now," warned the Asian man in the same black outfit as the brunette. A green ball hung on a cord around his neck, with matching stripes on his uniform.
"This is Lieutenant Specialist Cameron Watanabe, the former Green Samurai Ranger," Cruger informed him. "He's been put in charge of our Morpher Development Project."
"And whatever else he can get his hands on," the brunette put in, rolling his eyes. "He bounces back and forth between Billy's people and our stuff. I'm Dustin," he added. He paused. "Oh, and uh, Yellow Wind Ranger. Or Ninja Storm. Whatever Karone's calling us now."
Cruger sighed. "Captain Brooks runs the Department for Vehicle Design and Maintenance."
"They added that Maintenance part on later," Dustin noted, "After I started calling us the DVDs."
Wes chuckled. "It's nice to meet you."
"Likewise, Dude," Dustin returned cheerfully, shaking his hand with more enthusiasm than was strictly necessary.
Cruger gestured to another blond woman, this time in a pink version of the black outfit. "Captain Karone is the head of our Information Department."
She shook his hand with a smile that seemed almost shy. "Former Pink Galaxy Ranger." She hesitated. "And - "
"Former Pink Galaxy Ranger," Zhane cut in, staring at her.
The look she gave him in return was not quite a glare. "I used to be Astronema," she declared firmly, tossing her hair.
Wes gave her his best reassuring smile. "Glad to have you on our side,"
"Specialist Captain William Cranston is the head of Technology," Cruger told him.
The man before him smiled with eyes that seemed far too old for his face. "Please, call me Billy," he corrected. "And if everyone insists on introducing themselves as thus, I was the first Blue Ranger of Earth."
"It's an honor," Wes said sincerely.
"And I've been told you already know the head of our Training Department, Captain Andros of KO-35. You’ll be serving directly under him."
He smiled at the younger man dressed in light gray, the shoulders and sides of his arms and legs trimmed in red. "Good to see you again."
Andros smiled and shook his hand as well. "Same here. I look forward to working with you."
"Look what the old dog finally dragged in ... " a familiar voice called smugly.
"Sergeant Earhart from the Department for Vehicle Design and Maintenance has volunteered to finish your introduction to S.P.D." Cruger finished an irritated sigh.
He turned toward the doorway and smiled at the yet another familiar blond, now wearing the same black outfit as Dustin. "Taylor." While she wasn’t Jen or the rest of the Time Forces Rangers, Taylor had become a close friend of Eric’s after they’d fought together.
Her grip nearly cracked the bones in his hand when she stepped forward to squeeze it. "Why didn't you warn me you were coming to S.P.D.?" she demanded, pulling back to look at him. "I could have brought you in with a lot less paperwork."
"Sure, *now* you tell me," he sighed, rolling his eyes with a smile.
She paused, frowning, and looked over his shoulder. "Where's - "
"It's just me," he cut her off.
She stared at him for a long moment, then finally stepped back to give him a faint smile. "It’s good to have you here."
"Thanks."
He hoped someday he'd truly mean it.
"I hope you don't mind being dragged all over the base for the rest of the night," Taylor added, smirking.
He laughed softly, even as he dreaded the questions he knew she'd ask. "Not at all."
****
"S.P.D. is technically a police force, but it runs as more of a military base because it follows Galactic Standards instead of Earth's," Taylor explained to him as they walked. "Everyone enrolls as a cadet."
"Everyone?" he interjected with a frown.
"Previous Ranger experience doesn't count. Generally, everyone enrolls as a cadet. Once they made it through basic training, they can choose their track: technology, security, law enforcement, or Power Ranger."
He started. "You train Power Rangers here?"
"We will be. No one's made it that far in their training yet. In fact that's part of what the Training Department is, but I'll get to that. Each Department is assigned a captain, who gets to select a lieutenant. The only people above the captains are Commander Oliver and Commander Cruger. Below Lieutenant is either a basic officer or sergeant. Officers are just above cadets. Then there's Sergeants, into the Lieutenants. You're considered a Sergeant Captain, because S.P.D. calls you sergeant for being a Ranger, but under as a Ranger you're considered a Captain because you're the second on your team. It doesn't really matter which rank comes first here. They usually just go with what sounds better."
"I starting to feel Zhane had the right idea when he said not to think about it," Wes muttered, wondering when he'd been named second-in-command for the Time Force Rangers.
Taylor rolled her eyes. "The only things you have to worry about who's in charge of is your department. You report to Andros, or Jason if he's not around. If you need to go over their heads," she eyed him suspiciously, "It's Tommy, then Cruger. You won't really need to know anyone outside of the Earth base for awhile."
"That's a relief." He frowned. "I think."
"New personnel for uniforms," Taylor told the woman in the window they'd arrived at. "Red Ranger Training Greys." She nudged Wes with her elbow. "Where's your ID card?"
"Uh ... " He fumbled in his pocket for a moment, extracting a small, blank white card about the size of a credit card. "Is this it?"
"No, that’s your security rank card. Where’s the grey one?"
"Everything in this place looks the same," he complained, digging out the grey card.
"It won’t for long," she assured him, taking the card from him and handing it to the woman.
Several minutes later he found a small pile of light grey and red clothing being stacked on his arms, and his card placed on top.
"And by the way, never give either of your cards to anyone," Taylor warned.
He rolled his eyes. "So what about my department, if that’s the only one I’m supposed to be worried about?"
"The Training Department is divided into seven squads - eight now that you’re here. They’re lettered A though H. Squads A through D are Ranger track, trying to get into the Morpher program to become Power Rangers. The higher the level, the closer to being given an actual morpher a cadet is. Squads E through H are Law Enforcement cadets. Squads G and H are trained to remain with Earth S.P.D., while Squads E and F are trained for galactic duty."
"So my Squad is being trained for law enforcement on Earth?"
"Yes. All Squads are co-ed, but they room in pairs according to gender. There’s a men’s barracks hall, and a woman’s barracks hall. Your cadets will always be the ones at the end."
"Gee, thanks."
"I’ll introduce you to the rest of your department when we go in for dinner. For now ... " She took his ID Card again and flashed it at a doorpad. "This is your room," she continued as she put the card back on the pile.
The room left much to be desired. It was small, plain, and like everything else in S.P.D., slate grey. The strangest looking bed he had ever seen rested against the right wall, while the left held a pair of built - in bookcases. Blinds on the windows, a pillow and blanket folded neatly on the end of the bed.
He blinked rapidly when the door slid closed behind them.
"Wes?"
He shook his head slowly, setting down his bundle next to the blankets. "Yeah?"
"What happened between you and Eric?"
He chuckled softly because he’d known that Taylor would never leave it alone, and it came out bitter. "There is no ‘me and Eric’. Not anymore." He tilted his head back as he sat on the bed, laughing softly at the ceiling as tears pricked his eyes. "I did what I had to to protect the timeline, even though it meant giving up our kids. And Eric hates me now, because I didn’t tell him what was going to happen."
"You’re not making any sense."
"There’s a procedure in Europe, that combines DNA between men to create a child." He spoke softly, not wanting to admit what he had done. "Eric and I ... Well, he’s always wanted a family, and I wanted a family with him, especially after everything that’s happened over the past few years. We went through the entire process. Two beautiful little boys ... The lab labeled them ‘A’ and ‘B’, so we named them Alexander and Benjamin."
He swallowed hard. "Someone took them before we brought them home."
He could see Taylor start out of the corner of his eye. "Eric was heartbroken. And I had to tell him .... So I told him that I knew that we were going to lose them. Alex told me, the last time he came here from the future. See, Alexander is Alex, the Time Force Ranger that used this Chrono Morpher first." He waved his wrist vaguely. "So for the Time Force Rangers to save 2001 and defeat Ransik, Alex has to go to the future to test the morpher. So I had to let my little boys be taken away, to protect the timeline." He laughed harshly, shaking his head. "’We each make our own destiny’. What a crock. I was so full of myself."
He turned his gaze slowly to meet Taylor’s horrified eyes. "Eric didn’t see me lying to him and letting our boys be stolen as ‘protecting the timeline’," he finished simply.
After a minute he stretched out to lay back on his bed. "I’m sure I’ll find my own way to dinner eventually," he said at last, wishing his voice didn’t sound so tight all of a sudden. "You don’t have to hang around if you don’t want to."
A hand smacked the back of his head sharply.
"Ow!" he yelped, sitting up to hold the injury.
Taylor’s eyes stared straight into his. He waited for another blow, but abruptly found arms around him instead. "I’m not good at this sort of thing," she murmured in his ear, "But I’m here."
It was such an Eric thing to say, because they always had been too much alike - and the thought hurt more than he'd expected it to.
Which is why, just like Eric would have done, Taylor continued to hold him when he broke down into tears.
pr_au100.
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/Crestria. Future Ryan/Carter and Billy/Hayley. More couples will most likely be mentioned, but not shown.
prompt/: #3: Somewhere in Between
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 Partol Delta. But even a new life has its ups and downs - and weird friends.
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/: This is totally, absolutely and completely, partially Challon’s fault. This is so not where I was originally going with this story. It was going to be a bunch of drabbles about Eric and Wes during the time they were separated. Then Challon gave me ideas, the evil woman. Now this is definately a few steps away from the original S.P.D. Although, to be fair, a good portion of this can also be blamed on Starhawk’s fantastic Team Building with Jack Landers series and reading Of Love and Bunnies.
"I am pleased that you have decided to join us at S.P.D., Mr. Collins," Anubis Cruger told him as they walked.
His commanding officer was a talking blue dog; he was never going to get over that.
"Please," he interrupted with a faint smile. "Call me Wes. Mr. Collins is my father."
"Wes," Cruger corrected himself with a nod. "As you can see, while S.P.D.'s official presence on Earth has only been in operation for a few years now, we are working to create a permanent force here for the protection of this planet against outside forces."
"I'll be glad to help in any way I can," Wes assured him.
"I'm glad to hear it."
Wes found himself gestured through yet another door. Silently he wondered if he would *ever* figure his way around this place.
"S.P.D. currently consists of eight departments. These will be your co-workers," Cruger began. "This is our Deputy Commander - ."
"Tommy!" Wes exclaimed as he found himself confronted with a familiar face. "I didn't know you'd joined S.P.D. I thought you wanted to settle down in Reefside."
More than one person in the room burst out laughing, earning an exasperated look from Tommy. "That was the original plan," he sighed to Wes. "But then I got drafted into this and well ... the rest is history."
"So what do you do here?" Wes asked curiously.
Tommy gave him a self-deprecating grin. "Officially? I'm listed as Deputy Commander Specialist."
"S.P.D. rankings make absolutely no sense," a tall young man with short blond hair warned him. He wore a uniform in white leather with silver along his shoulders and down over the right side over his chest. "The less you try to think about it, the better off you'll be."
"We just call him Supreme R.C.," a curly brunette man leaning on a console chimed in. He wore a short-sleeved black tunic and slacks, with yellow stripes along his sides and shoulders.
Tommy sighed again as Wes raised his eyebrows at him. "Supreme Ranger Commander," he informed him. "Dustin has a bad habit of nicknaming everything. It's another one of those things you'll get used to. Basically, S.P.D. lists everyone with an official S.P.D. rank, but Power Rangers also get our own ranking system through our teams. That's where the Specialist comes from - as the Green Ranger I was considered Specialist Rank."
"And Supreme Commander?" Wes asked, looking amused.
"Part of that is my Commander status from the rest of my Ranger teams. Specialist is the only Ranking that's never dropped; the others will always end up having you listed by the highest one - Commander in my case. I'm also the Deputy Commander for S.P.D. Earth, because I'm Cruger's second."
"All Rangers answer to the person in charge of their department, then Commander Oliver, then myself." Cruger explained. He gestured to a young dark skinned man dressed in a navy jumpsuit with black bands running along the arms and shoulders. "This is Captain William Aton, head of Security."
"Call me Will," he interjected with an easy smile that bordered on a smirk. "Black Overdrive Ranger," he added as Wes went to shake his hand.
"And this is Captain Dana Greyson of the Medical Department," Cruger went on, moving to a familiar blond woman in a white lab cat with a pink undershirt.
She offered him a warm smile. "It's good to see you again, Wes."
"Same here," he agreed with a grin as he shook her hand.
"Try not to come see me too often?"
His grin turned sheepish. "No promises."
That got a laugh out of the blond man who'd told him not to think about the ranking system. "I'm Zhane of KO-35. Silver Astro." He grinned. "I've got the fancy 'Ambassador' title."
"Captain Zhane is in charge of our Galactic Outreach Program," Cruger interrupted with a scowl. "The program was designed to seek out potential allied planets and help refugees of the Troobian Empire."
Wes had already been given the reports on the Troobian Empire to go over when he arrived; Zhane's Ambassador Program was far more important than he played it off. "Nice to meet you."
"You say that now," warned the Asian man in the same black outfit as the brunette. A green ball hung on a cord around his neck, with matching stripes on his uniform.
"This is Lieutenant Specialist Cameron Watanabe, the former Green Samurai Ranger," Cruger informed him. "He's been put in charge of our Morpher Development Project."
"And whatever else he can get his hands on," the brunette put in, rolling his eyes. "He bounces back and forth between Billy's people and our stuff. I'm Dustin," he added. He paused. "Oh, and uh, Yellow Wind Ranger. Or Ninja Storm. Whatever Karone's calling us now."
Cruger sighed. "Captain Brooks runs the Department for Vehicle Design and Maintenance."
"They added that Maintenance part on later," Dustin noted, "After I started calling us the DVDs."
Wes chuckled. "It's nice to meet you."
"Likewise, Dude," Dustin returned cheerfully, shaking his hand with more enthusiasm than was strictly necessary.
Cruger gestured to another blond woman, this time in a pink version of the black outfit. "Captain Karone is the head of our Information Department."
She shook his hand with a smile that seemed almost shy. "Former Pink Galaxy Ranger." She hesitated. "And - "
"Former Pink Galaxy Ranger," Zhane cut in, staring at her.
The look she gave him in return was not quite a glare. "I used to be Astronema," she declared firmly, tossing her hair.
Wes gave her his best reassuring smile. "Glad to have you on our side,"
"Specialist Captain William Cranston is the head of Technology," Cruger told him.
The man before him smiled with eyes that seemed far too old for his face. "Please, call me Billy," he corrected. "And if everyone insists on introducing themselves as thus, I was the first Blue Ranger of Earth."
"It's an honor," Wes said sincerely.
"And I've been told you already know the head of our Training Department, Captain Andros of KO-35. You’ll be serving directly under him."
He smiled at the younger man dressed in light gray, the shoulders and sides of his arms and legs trimmed in red. "Good to see you again."
Andros smiled and shook his hand as well. "Same here. I look forward to working with you."
"Look what the old dog finally dragged in ... " a familiar voice called smugly.
"Sergeant Earhart from the Department for Vehicle Design and Maintenance has volunteered to finish your introduction to S.P.D." Cruger finished an irritated sigh.
He turned toward the doorway and smiled at the yet another familiar blond, now wearing the same black outfit as Dustin. "Taylor." While she wasn’t Jen or the rest of the Time Forces Rangers, Taylor had become a close friend of Eric’s after they’d fought together.
Her grip nearly cracked the bones in his hand when she stepped forward to squeeze it. "Why didn't you warn me you were coming to S.P.D.?" she demanded, pulling back to look at him. "I could have brought you in with a lot less paperwork."
"Sure, *now* you tell me," he sighed, rolling his eyes with a smile.
She paused, frowning, and looked over his shoulder. "Where's - "
"It's just me," he cut her off.
She stared at him for a long moment, then finally stepped back to give him a faint smile. "It’s good to have you here."
"Thanks."
He hoped someday he'd truly mean it.
"I hope you don't mind being dragged all over the base for the rest of the night," Taylor added, smirking.
He laughed softly, even as he dreaded the questions he knew she'd ask. "Not at all."
****
"S.P.D. is technically a police force, but it runs as more of a military base because it follows Galactic Standards instead of Earth's," Taylor explained to him as they walked. "Everyone enrolls as a cadet."
"Everyone?" he interjected with a frown.
"Previous Ranger experience doesn't count. Generally, everyone enrolls as a cadet. Once they made it through basic training, they can choose their track: technology, security, law enforcement, or Power Ranger."
He started. "You train Power Rangers here?"
"We will be. No one's made it that far in their training yet. In fact that's part of what the Training Department is, but I'll get to that. Each Department is assigned a captain, who gets to select a lieutenant. The only people above the captains are Commander Oliver and Commander Cruger. Below Lieutenant is either a basic officer or sergeant. Officers are just above cadets. Then there's Sergeants, into the Lieutenants. You're considered a Sergeant Captain, because S.P.D. calls you sergeant for being a Ranger, but under as a Ranger you're considered a Captain because you're the second on your team. It doesn't really matter which rank comes first here. They usually just go with what sounds better."
"I starting to feel Zhane had the right idea when he said not to think about it," Wes muttered, wondering when he'd been named second-in-command for the Time Force Rangers.
Taylor rolled her eyes. "The only things you have to worry about who's in charge of is your department. You report to Andros, or Jason if he's not around. If you need to go over their heads," she eyed him suspiciously, "It's Tommy, then Cruger. You won't really need to know anyone outside of the Earth base for awhile."
"That's a relief." He frowned. "I think."
"New personnel for uniforms," Taylor told the woman in the window they'd arrived at. "Red Ranger Training Greys." She nudged Wes with her elbow. "Where's your ID card?"
"Uh ... " He fumbled in his pocket for a moment, extracting a small, blank white card about the size of a credit card. "Is this it?"
"No, that’s your security rank card. Where’s the grey one?"
"Everything in this place looks the same," he complained, digging out the grey card.
"It won’t for long," she assured him, taking the card from him and handing it to the woman.
Several minutes later he found a small pile of light grey and red clothing being stacked on his arms, and his card placed on top.
"And by the way, never give either of your cards to anyone," Taylor warned.
He rolled his eyes. "So what about my department, if that’s the only one I’m supposed to be worried about?"
"The Training Department is divided into seven squads - eight now that you’re here. They’re lettered A though H. Squads A through D are Ranger track, trying to get into the Morpher program to become Power Rangers. The higher the level, the closer to being given an actual morpher a cadet is. Squads E through H are Law Enforcement cadets. Squads G and H are trained to remain with Earth S.P.D., while Squads E and F are trained for galactic duty."
"So my Squad is being trained for law enforcement on Earth?"
"Yes. All Squads are co-ed, but they room in pairs according to gender. There’s a men’s barracks hall, and a woman’s barracks hall. Your cadets will always be the ones at the end."
"Gee, thanks."
"I’ll introduce you to the rest of your department when we go in for dinner. For now ... " She took his ID Card again and flashed it at a doorpad. "This is your room," she continued as she put the card back on the pile.
The room left much to be desired. It was small, plain, and like everything else in S.P.D., slate grey. The strangest looking bed he had ever seen rested against the right wall, while the left held a pair of built - in bookcases. Blinds on the windows, a pillow and blanket folded neatly on the end of the bed.
He blinked rapidly when the door slid closed behind them.
"Wes?"
He shook his head slowly, setting down his bundle next to the blankets. "Yeah?"
"What happened between you and Eric?"
He chuckled softly because he’d known that Taylor would never leave it alone, and it came out bitter. "There is no ‘me and Eric’. Not anymore." He tilted his head back as he sat on the bed, laughing softly at the ceiling as tears pricked his eyes. "I did what I had to to protect the timeline, even though it meant giving up our kids. And Eric hates me now, because I didn’t tell him what was going to happen."
"You’re not making any sense."
"There’s a procedure in Europe, that combines DNA between men to create a child." He spoke softly, not wanting to admit what he had done. "Eric and I ... Well, he’s always wanted a family, and I wanted a family with him, especially after everything that’s happened over the past few years. We went through the entire process. Two beautiful little boys ... The lab labeled them ‘A’ and ‘B’, so we named them Alexander and Benjamin."
He swallowed hard. "Someone took them before we brought them home."
He could see Taylor start out of the corner of his eye. "Eric was heartbroken. And I had to tell him .... So I told him that I knew that we were going to lose them. Alex told me, the last time he came here from the future. See, Alexander is Alex, the Time Force Ranger that used this Chrono Morpher first." He waved his wrist vaguely. "So for the Time Force Rangers to save 2001 and defeat Ransik, Alex has to go to the future to test the morpher. So I had to let my little boys be taken away, to protect the timeline." He laughed harshly, shaking his head. "’We each make our own destiny’. What a crock. I was so full of myself."
He turned his gaze slowly to meet Taylor’s horrified eyes. "Eric didn’t see me lying to him and letting our boys be stolen as ‘protecting the timeline’," he finished simply.
After a minute he stretched out to lay back on his bed. "I’m sure I’ll find my own way to dinner eventually," he said at last, wishing his voice didn’t sound so tight all of a sudden. "You don’t have to hang around if you don’t want to."
A hand smacked the back of his head sharply.
"Ow!" he yelped, sitting up to hold the injury.
Taylor’s eyes stared straight into his. He waited for another blow, but abruptly found arms around him instead. "I’m not good at this sort of thing," she murmured in his ear, "But I’m here."
It was such an Eric thing to say, because they always had been too much alike - and the thought hurt more than he'd expected it to.
Which is why, just like Eric would have done, Taylor continued to hold him when he broke down into tears.