Note: "The Gift" is sung by Collin Raye.

"Do *not* let her pick the radio station." TJ was hanging over the back of the passenger seat, and he batted Tessa's hand away from the dashboard in an effort to enforce his own warning.

Max glanced up at the rearview mirror and grinned at his nephew. "Oh, I don't know," he said easily, looking back at the road as the outskirts of Angel Grove fell away behind them. "I thought she was doing a pretty good job of it earlier."

"Thank you," Tessa replied, smirking over her shoulder at TJ. "You're outvoted, Spaceboy."

"Don't you start," TJ told her, his tone a mixture of amusement and resignation. "It's going to be a long vacation if you're both calling me that every time I turn around."

"He's right," Max put in, pretending to be thoughtful. "We'd better start thinking of an explanation for it in case anyone asks." TJ's indignant exclamation made him chuckle.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tessa point to something out the window. "Look!" she said delightedly. "Lights!"

TJ must have turned to look, for Tessa laughed triumphantly and reached forward to change the radio station. "Santa got a semi, flyin' down the road--"

TJ groaned loudly. "I'm sure we've already heard this one today!"

"Southbound North Pole overload," Tessa sang along with the radio, a wide grin on her face as the Tracker passed the city limit sign.

The flames of a fire meant solely for atmosphere rather than warmth were a welcome change from the insidious chill of the planet she had just left. Mirine snuggled closer into the warmth of the couch and glanced over at her brother, to all appearances fast asleep at the other end of the sofa. He rarely looked as relaxed as he did when he slept, even around her.

Cassie appeared in her peripheral vision, and she looked up in time to see the other girl heading in their direction. She smiled as Saryn's wife pulled a blanket up over his shoulders, stroking his hair tenderly before turning toward her.

"Hey," Cassie said quietly, coming over to lean against the armrest at her end of the couch. "Feeling any better?"

Mirine nodded, pulling her voyager's vest closer around her. "Very much so; thank you."

Cassie didn't miss the gesture. "Want a blanket of your own? Or a sweatshirt?"

She smiled again, shaking her head this time. "I'm not cold, but thank you." She saw the sincere concern in Cassie's eyes, knew she must be used to Saryn's self-sacrificing attitude, and added, "Truly. I'm just--glad to be here, that's all."

"Glad to have him back?" Cassie suggested quietly, and Mirine gave her a startled look.

"Yes," she said after a moment, wondering how she had known. "It's... it's been a long time."

Cassie gave her shoulder a squeeze as she stood up. "If there's one thing he's taught me, it's that there is such a thing as a happy ending. I'm going to go see if DECA will make us some hot chocolate--want some?"

After a brief hesitation, Mirine nodded her acquiescence. Cassie gave her a bright smile before disappearing around the control wall of the Simudeck, leaving brother and sister to share the couch in the cozily lit room.

"Checking to make sure they're really asleep before Santa Claus comes?" she teased, putting an arm around her husband's shoulder as she peered into Ashley's room.

"Making sure they're *only* sleeping," Joe muttered. His words were halfway between joking and serious.

Andros was stretched out on Jeff's old sleeping bag, sleeping on the floor beside their daughter's bed. Ashley had invited him for Christmas without bothering to find out how many other relatives would be filling the house the night before, but her boyfriend had assured them that he didn't mind.

"She's almost an adult, now," she said quietly, staring in at the peaceful scene. As much as she missed the days when their children had to be coaxed or threatened into bed on December 24th, seeing them grow up was a treasure no parent in their right mind would forgo. "She can take care of herself."

Joe gave her a slightly wary look. "I hope you don't know something I don't."

"No," she said with a smile. "But that's not the kind of thing you tell your mother. At least, not for a few years," she added, thinking back.

He grunted, not looking appeased. "He could have stayed the night on the Megaship. It's not like it's hard for them to teleport back and forth."

She squeezed his arm, reaching for the doorknob with her free hand. "One thing I do know," she said quietly, as she pulled the door shut. "Somewhere, two parents aren't going to see their little girl for the holidays, because she's spending Christmas Eve on a spaceship with her alien boyfriend."

He opened his mouth, then closed it slowly.

She took a step further down the hallway, pushing Jeff's door open a crack to check on him before closing it again. "I want our children to know they're always welcome here," she said softly as she turned back to her husband. "No matter what."

He didn't think he'd fallen asleep until he rolled over and saw the lighted clock display staring back at him. 12:30... it was after midnight. So what was that glow coming from the floor?

Gabe sat up, suppressing a yawn as he blinked blearily down at his brother's prone form. He must have dozed off more deeply than he thought, for he couldn't make any sense of what he was seeing. "Merry Christmas, bro," he muttered. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I thought you weren't supposed to swear," Carlos said, not looking up from the glowy thing in front of him. "Isn't that a bad example for little kids?"

"Dojo rules don't apply after midnight," he answered, yawning again. "What *is* that?"

"Just a letter," Carlos said, shutting it off. "I didn't have time to read it before."

"That was a letter, huh?" He couldn't resist--letters on this planet were *not* supposed to glow. "Man, do you have any idea how weird your life is?"

He heard Carlos sigh. "Believe me, it gets weirder every day."

He didn't say anything for a moment, startled to hear his older brother sound upset about it. Carlos had done so many things he hadn't even dreamed of. "Hey bro," he said impulsively. "Do you think I could see Aquitar someday?"

"Sure," Carlos replied, rolling over on his back. He sounded mildly surprised, but he didn't hesitate. "Any time. Brothers first, man."

"Brothers first," he echoed, smiling to himself.

It was an odd group that greeted Christmas Day on the Simudeck of the Astro Megaship. Or rather, it was an odd group that was greeted *by* Christmas Day, since none of them were awake yet. The five of them lay sprawled on various pieces of furniture, the simulated fire still burning on the hearth and a decorated evergreen twinkling in the corner.

She stood over her blonde-haired wards, both sleeping soundly in twin recliners by the tree. So different from each other--the one who should have been a Ranger but had been denied the chance, and the other who hadn't been intended for the Power yet came to possess it anyway. She who had been a pacifist had only recently left the fight, and he who was a warrior had only just rejoined it.

She smiled down at Zhane and Kerone, glad that both of them had found their way home again. "We missed you," she whispered. She remembered Andros' silent vigils, night after night, and she had kept her own. There had been some quiet, lonely years on board the Megaship.

She glanced over at the couch. Cassie was the only one aboard now who held the original Astro Power, but as strong as the Pink Ranger was she looked young and defenseless curled up in Saryn's arms.

Saryn... He was a mystery she still didn't know enough about. She regarded the "Phantom Ranger" thoughtfully, wondering about the way he and the Power coexisted. It was a symbiosis that had changed dramatically over the past few months, yet his "bond" with Cassie remained unaltered. There was empathy behind that after all, then--but it wasn't like any definition of empathy she'd ever come across.

Her gaze slid across their sleeping forms toward his sister. The younger Elisian reminded her so much of Kerone--strong, straightforward, and insatiably curious. *There are no weak Rangers,* she mused, watching the rebel leader sleep.

Movement from beside her caught her attention, and she looked down to see Zhane stir a little. The Elisians would wake as soon as he did; neither of them could be considered anything but extremely light sleepers. She took one last look around the room, the tranquil atmosphere making her smile.

Her form dissipated into nothingness as Zhane stirred again, and he blinked sleepily as he glanced around the room. His gaze came to rest on the glowing camera light, and he gave it a drowsy smile. "Morning, DECA."

"Good morning, Zhane," she replied. "Merry Christmas."