Had it only been yesterday that he had said those words to Cole? Yesterday, as he clasped Cole's hand with Eric at his side, the words had been sincere. Today it was Jen's hand in his and her team at his back, and the words seemed a prophecy fulfilled.

Wes didn't know exactly where they were going, and to tell the truth he didn't care. He had the woman he loved back and there was nothing that could ruin this feeling for him. Even the threat of new enemies had been nothing compared to holding Jen in his arms the night before.

Cole's shout brought him out of his pleasant daydream, and he lifted his hand to wave when he heard Katie yell a greeting. Princess Shayla and Circuit were up ahead, with the promised picnic spread and almost as much enthusiasm as the Rangers. Max darted out ahead of the group and Cole gave chase, prompting one after another to join in the rush.

He wasn't sure who threw the first chip, but Nadira was the one who shrieked. It must not have been her "daddy save me" shriek, because Ransik only looked on indulgently as she and Alyssa pelted Max in return. Her father caught the princess' eye as the fruit was being passed around, and, to Wes' surprise, returned the hug she offered with a grateful smile.

It was still strange to see Ransik and Nadira acting... well, like normal people. He couldn't quite get over it. He wasn't the only one, either. Wes hid a smile as the Wolf Ranger stepped in, putting a possessive arm around the princess' shoulders and leading her pointedly toward the other side of the table.

Wes grabbed a bunch of grapes from one of the fruit bowls as Katie waved it in his direction, and Jen laughed at him when he stepped out of the way too quickly and bumped into her. He held up a grape threateningly, but instead of ducking she lifted her face and opened her mouth. He dropped the grape into her mouth with a grin, ignoring the surprised look Danny gave him behind Jen's back.

Trip was arguing with Katie about what kind of apples she liked. It was a fight he was destined to lose, since Katie changed her mind about what foods were palatable several times a week, but that didn't stop him from trying. Circuit turned his head from one to the other, wisely staying out of the discussion.

Someone had started cutting into the coconuts, and Wes reached for one at the same time as Ransik did. They both paused, and he nodded once to the older man. Ransik smiled slightly. They each took half of the coconut without a word.

Jen turned away from Danny's attempt to juggle in time to see him lift the coconut to his mouth, and she laughed at his expression when the milk hit his tongue. The Wolf Ranger, whose name Wes couldn't for the life of him remember, looked a little amused as well. But who knew coconut milk would taste like coconut?

Max had managed to get Katie mad at him by now as well, and somehow he had turned his avoidance of projectiles into a dance routine. The girls had started to chant his name, and Wes chuckled as Max hammed it up. Almost everyone was cheering now, and he took a moment to look around for Eric.

The Quantum Ranger wasn't at the table anymore. The last time Wes had seen him, Eric had been daring Lucas to eat one of the spiked orange fruits that only Taylor could identify. Or maybe any of the Wild Force Rangers could have done it; Taylor was just the only one he asked. It didn't escape Wes' notice that the Eagle Ranger was missing from the group as well.

Someone had called for a toast while he wasn't paying attention, and Jen grabbed his right hand and lifted his coconut along with her glass. Ransik and Danny lifted coconuts as well, Cole whooped, and Max toasted with a chip. When Katie lifted her glass too, Nadira put both her hands in the air and Wes saw the princess clap delightedly.

The energy level was too high to sustain for long, and Ransik was the next to quietly disappear. Nadira, too, drifted a little away from the group when she realized he was gone, and Wes saw Lucas go over to rescue her from Max's attention. The Shark Ranger didn't look too upset, rejoining the group and immediately getting into a heated debate with Katie over the relative strength of their teams.

That was a mistake, and Wes might have told him so if he wasn't so busy trying to figure out what Cole was doing with all those bananas. The Lion Ranger had started out with his own bunch of bananas which had promptly vanished, had followed up with a token orange, and now he was back to bananas again. Wes hoped it wasn't true that a person was what he ate.

The princess offered to judge a "test of strength" between Rangers, and Wes knew he was in trouble when Jen and Alyssa started whispering to each other. Not as much trouble as Danny, when Max volunteered him to arm wrestle Katie, but enough. Jen beckoned to him, and he took another quick look around before getting up to follow her.

Katie and Trip were giggling together, the Wolf Ranger was positively hovering around a princess who seemed to be doing her best to ignore him, and through the trees Wes caught a glimpse of red and yellow. He wondered what his friend could possibly have done to make Taylor chase him. She didn't seem prone to flights of whimsy.

Speaking of flights of whimsy... Both girls had grabbed napkins from the table, and they were running--in shoes and skirts, no less--toward the other side of the field. Wes exchanged glances with Cole, and the other Red Ranger grinned. Wes grinned back when Cole shrugged as if to say, who cares why?

Jen's voice twined with Alyssa's as it echoed across the meadow, and he and Cole took off simultaneously. Jen was laughing, the sunlight in her hair and the wind tugging at her jacket--she was easily the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. He thought he could run forever if it meant being with her at the end.

He didn't know who won, and as before it turned out that he didn't care. Jen turned as he flew past, and all that mattered was the way she smiled when their eyes met. They had both tried destiny, and rejected it. Now it was time to give love a chance.