Wes, Eric, and all other characters from Power Rangers belong to Disney/Saban. I am using them without permission, however I have not and don’t expect to make money from this.
Anyone you don't recognize is mine.

Rated T: language, violence, sexual content including m/m sexual relationships.

A/N: This is a response to the Power Rangers Slash Write 22 challenge, a slash-oriented romance theme challenge. A link to the challenge site on LiveJournal is in my profile.

Last chapter. Wes and Eric have reached the end of their road - for now - and so have we. It's been a year in the making: started on Valentine's Day 2006 and now ending on Valentine's Day 2007. Many thanks to my lovely online beta, MzDany, and my also lovely RL beta, Cecilia. You've both been of tremendous help. And huge thanks to everyone who's read and given feedback; I couldn't have done it without your encouragement and ideas.

Now we have a wedding to attend... Reviews are always appreciated.

Turns in the Road

Commitment

- - -

“It’s been a long road for us,” Eric said.

“Sure has.” Wes leaned forward to kiss him. “A long road... with a lot of turns along the way. But here we are, about to get married.”

It was still hard to believe - that the day had finally arrived, and that they were both here. It hadn’t been very long as engagements went, only six months, but somehow the closer they had gotten to the date the harder it had been to wait. But wait they had - planning a wedding took a lot of time, as Wes had found out the hard way. Besides, he certainly wouldn’t have wanted to have to go down the aisle on crutches, and six months had been barely enough for the last traces of his limp to disappear.

The arrangements had been all about compromise. Wes had wanted a big church wedding with an even bigger reception, while Eric had wanted a simple ceremony by a Justice of the Peace with an even quicker getaway straight to their honeymoon. What they had ended up with was a simple civil ceremony performed by a judge who was a friend of Wes’s father’s, at a large local restaurant with the reception immediately following. At the moment they were in a small private dining room to give them some privacy while they waited.

Wes was quite willing to take advantage of that privacy. They kissed again, pressing closer together, arms around each other...

“Ew! Jesus, guys, get a room!” When they looked up, the door was open and a tall, slender, good-looking young man with dark blond hair and blue eyes was standing there, grinning at them.

“We’re in a room,” Wes observed.

“Not this room. Have some respect.”

“It’s because we’re gay, isn’t it?” Eric grumbled.

Sky Tate’s smile widened. “No, it’s because you’re old.”

“Not too old to kick your scrawny butt, morphed or unmorphed.”

Wes laughed. “Okay, okay. What’s up, Sky? It’s not time yet, is it?”

“Not yet.” Sky stepped in and to the side. “There’s some people here to see you.”

“Now?” Eric burst out. “Who the hell...” His voice trailed off.

But Wes had stopped listening, as a woman appeared in the doorway. She was older than he remembered - silver threads glinted in the brown of her hair and there were a few unfamiliar lines in her face, but her eyes were as bright as ever and her step had lost none of its spring as she crossed the room to hug him.

“Jen,” he murmured. “Jen. It’s so great to see you.”

“You didn’t think we’d miss your wedding, did you?” Trip bounded up to hug him as soon as Jen let go, looking a little more mature but otherwise not much different. Probably his species lived as long as Kat Manx’s, Wes thought somewhat ruefully.

“Yeah! It’s bad enough you couldn’t come to Jen and Alex’s wedding.” Katie had put on a few pounds, but they suited her. She looked happy and comfortable - and was as strong as ever as she enveloped Wes in an embrace.

“Time Force policy and all. But man, it’s great to see you again.” Lucas was next, still handsome, hugging Wes with a few manly slaps on the back thrown in.

“Yes, Time Force policy. The same one we’re bending to be here today.” Wes blinked in surprise as the last person in line to greet him held out his hand. Alex looked even more like his own mirror image, not because his dark hair had begun to gray but because of the warm and relaxed smile on his face. The effect of being married to Jen, no doubt.

“Wow, I can’t believe you guys are really here,” Wes said.

The others had moved on to Eric, shaking hands and exchanging greetings, as Jen returned to him. “I can hardly believe it myself,” she said. “How long has it been?”

“I dunno. How long have you and Alex been married now?”

“Twenty years. Our kids are almost grown, one in Time Force Academy and one in high school.”

“Kids? I didn’t even know you had any.”

“Yes. Two daughters.”

“Wow.”

Jen smiled at him and then glanced at the other former Time Force Rangers. “Lucas and Nadira were married for a while, but they split up. Still friends, though. Trip is engaged to someone from Xybria, but they hardly see each other and I don’t know when, if ever, they plan on getting married. Katie’s still single with no kids, but she spends a lot of time with her nieces and nephews.”

So much had happened to the people he had once been so close to. So much that he hadn’t been a part of. It cast a momentary damper over Wes’s mood. “Things sure have changed since the day I first saw all of you in that shopping mall, haven’t they?” he said wistfully.

“Yes, they have. And they’ve changed for you, too.” Jen raised her eyes to his. “I only wish I could have been a part of your life all these years.”

So she felt it too. Wes leaned closer and said softly, into her ear, “You have been a part of my life. If not for you, I don’t know where I’d be now, or what I’d be doing, but it wouldn’t be here, and this.”

“I really shouldn’t be glad to know we changed history,” Jen said. “But seeing you so happy today - I am.” She leaned in to kiss his cheek.

“Okay, you two, break it up.” It was Eric’s voice as he stepped to Wes’s side and took his hand, the words softened with a smile. “Don’t forget who you’re marrying today.”

“Never.” Wes grinned.

Alex had joined them too, an arm around Jen’s shoulders. “I guess we’d better get to our table. We’ll see you at the reception, won’t we?”

“Sure thing.”

Wes’s father appeared as Wes’s former teammates followed Sky out. He looked them over with a quick and slightly nervous glance and said, “The judge is ready. Are you both all set?”

“Yes, sir,” Eric said.

Collins smiled and shook his head. “You really have to stop calling me ‘sir’ now. I’m going to be your father-in-law in a few minutes.”

“You have the ring, Dad?” Wes asked.

“Of course I have the ring.”

“Damn, should have made sure Sky didn’t forget the other ring,” Eric said.

“I didn’t forget.” Sky had returned and was standing at the door. “Don’t worry, everything’s going to go fine. Everyone’s waiting; we should get started.”

“So I guess it’s time.” Wes felt his mouth suddenly go dry, and swallowed nervously. He looked at Eric. “You ready?”

Eric lifted his chin, muscles clenching in his jaw betraying his own nerves. “Ready.” He looked more like he was about to face a firing squad than get married.

Outside, they followed a short hall to the doorway leading into the main dining area. Tables had been arranged to leave a clear path to the other side of the room where the judge was standing, waiting to perform the ceremony. Wes poked his head in just far enough to take a quick look around.

Jen, Alex, Trip, Lucas, and Katie had been put at a table with Tommy Oliver and Jason Scott. Next to them was another table with some of the Rangers they had met and worked with through the years - Cam Watanabe and Hunter Bradley, Cole Evans with Taylor Earhardt and the Air Force captain she had married, Carter Grayson with Ryan and Dana Mitchell. There was an SPD table too, where Anubis Cruger, his wife, and Kat Manx were seated along with Bridge Carson, Syd Drew, Z Delgado, and former Red Ranger Jack Landors with his girlfriend. At the wedding party’s table, Wes’s stepmother Lina waited with Sky’s mother Lyn and her second husband.

The music started. Collins put a hand on Wes’s shoulder as he stepped back. “I want you to know how proud I am today, son,” he said.

“Thanks, Dad.”

He turned to Eric next. “And I want you to know how happy I am to have you in the family.”

“Thank you, si- uh, thanks, Alan.”

“Well - see you out there.” With a smile and a nod, he started his slow march down the improvised aisle to take his place as Wes’s best man.

“Congratulations, guys,” Sky said, his expression completely serious for once. “I’m really happy for both of you.” He shook hands with Eric and then Wes as they murmured their thanks. Then he stepped back towards the doorway, a smirk breaking through on his face. “Just wait till you hear my speech,” he said, turned around and started on his own walk to his spot as Eric’s best man.

“So, it looks like we’re really doing this,” Eric said.

Wes gave him a quick and inquiring look. “Last chance to back out.”

“Not on your life.” Eric’s eyes lingered on his. “For better, for worse,” he said very softly.

“For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health...”

“’Til death do us part.”

Taking each other’s hands they held on tight and stepped out into the open, seeing every face turning towards them as they moved slowly forward together. Eric was still smiling as they exchanged another glance. “Looks like we’ve finally got our happy ending, doesn’t it?” he said quietly.

“Are you kidding?” Wes chuckled and tightened his grip on Eric’s hand. “This is only the beginning!”

- End -