Next is a bit on Spenser and Solana when they first met and then reflecting on this moment. Has both Spenser and Solana's thoughts. WARNING: Cheesiest thing I've ever written, but I couldn't help it. I don't know what's with all this fluff lately. I have no stomach for angst right now. Xp

Shipping: Total Spenser/Solana (RingShipping, as I like to call it)

Summary: "At first look, he wasn't much." Spenser and Solana when they first met and then reflecting on this moment.

Impressions

For what must be the tenth time, the teal-haired ranger-to-be straightened her new uniform, her body language clearly showing that she was nervous. Maybe it was the way she paced back and forth, her legs stiff, or the way she kept continually scratching the back of her neck and brushing back her hair. It had been fourteen letters, back and forth with this guy, and now she was finally meeting him. This was her job interview, but it was more than that. It was a whole new life. She adjusted one of the buttons on her uniform.

"Fall City!"

She half-jumped, glancing up as she realized she was already there. Ignoring the paper-dry feeling of her mouth (Arceus, it felt like a desert), she hopped down the stairs, trying to be her peppy self. The sounds of the port threatened to overtake her as she gained her bearings. Get it together, rookie, she half-threatened herself. And at least pretend you know what you're doing. She was good at that. How else had she even gotten this opportunity in the first place? She was a people person, but only to an extent.

Walking with purpose (any other way and she probably would lose her nerve), she made her way out of the port, toward the city. She had to let go of where she came from if she wanted to succeed here. It was all up to her. A tumultuous childhood and no real home to go back to weren't going to affect her here.

There was a near miss with a Plusle as she stopped for an over-excited boy. Her mind was on over-drive and she could feel the adrenaline kicking in, but it was relieving when it turned out just to be the small mouse Pokemon. It's not like she could take care of anything major right now. That was when she practically walked into him.

At first look, he wasn't much. Maybe four or five years older than her sixteen; a young leader, but of course, she had already known that. Messy, blue-green hair that was a bit too long and an open, friendly face. Hands were slumped comfortably in his pockets as if he was used to ease in getting through life. He was a few inches taller than her, although not by much, and more built. His broad shoulders and a stance of quiet confidence made her self-conscious, but she fought it, lifting her chin, locking her jaw, and looking him straight in the eye. Nothing beat first impressions.

"Hi, sorry to keep you waiting," he flashed a grin, which made her feel a bit more at ease. "You're the letter-writer, right?"

She nodded, her throat unable to force out any words even though she wanted to. He walked back and forth in front of her for a moment, appraising her. She kept her jaw locked and eyes ahead, refusing to back down. "The uniform I sent you… It's a little on the big side? Well, I guess it's not that big a concern."

"Nope," there was a flicker of a smile across her face as she met his eyes briefly. He was slightly intimidating, she had to admit, but he was trying to be personable. She had a feeling that he was kind of just saying what came to his mind first, in his uncertainty. Really? Her uniform a bit big?

"Well, anyway, I'm Spenser Hayate. Ringtown's Ranger Leader," he offered his hand this time and she took it, her nerves soothed a bit. "It's good to see you finally. I really enjoyed exchanging letters with you. It brought back memories of the burning ambition I had when I was working on becoming a Ranger. Thanks for that."

She met his eyes and, even though he was appraising her, she could catch the proud glint in his eye. She was his new prospective ranger, the one that he plucked out of nowhere to take under his wing and train. She had researched this Ringtown Ranger Leader and he was the best of the best, someone who, if he had wanted it, could've been whatever position he wanted to within the Ranger Union, even a Top Ranger. She was his and she couldn't imagine wanting it any other way. Now she just had to take the best of this.

"No problem," she answered with a broad grin this time. "Solana, as you may remember. I'm really excited to get started."

She followed him to a whole new world. In a way, he was her door to that world, one that she could be happy in. She was such a hopeless idealist in some ways, looking for the good where there was none, and hiding it with cynicism and a wry grin.

She was lost, looking for a home, and here this leader was, ready to offer one to her. The greatest gift she could get from this experience wasn't the fame she could gain (because the job of a Ranger is full of so much glory) or the people she could help (that was her gift to them), but the sense of belonging and family that she could finally achieve. What she never guessed was that this was the very same reason a twelve-year-old Spenser Hayate, somewhere back in the years of time, had applied for Ranger School.

Years later- seven to be exact- she finally learned the truth of the method to Spenser's madness.

They were leaving Ringtown Ranger base for the last time, saying goodbye to all those memories of the family they had stitched together- a group of people that would never have come together if it wasn't for the job. Lunick was taking over as base leader and Melody as his right hand ranger, but, strangely, while it felt sad to leave, it seemed like that was the right move.

Now it was time for their own family. It hadn't been easy, getting to this point (nothing was easy with Spenser's inability to listen and follow directions, a fault that drove Solana crazy), but they were finally having their happy ending- they were getting married next month. Solana never thought she'd see the day when she'd find a guy more important than her career as a ranger (she had solemnly swore several times throughout her career that she'd never get married), but she supposed things had changed. From here on, it was a quiet home in Chicole Village (Alyssa's hometown, as she liked to point out) and a teaching job at the Ranger School for Spenser. Solana was going to try her hand at stay-at-home mom, although she suspected that she'd be spending plenty of time either at the Ranger School helping Spenser teach or at the closest Ranger base.

They were taking a break from packing and Solana was laying out on the floor, feigning exhaustion. Spenser sat down next to her, grinning.

"We've come a long way since that first letter you sent me, huh?" He commented, leaning over to brush her hair aside absentmindedly.

She sat up, leaning against him in that habit of hers, even reaching out her hand to tickle him in the side briefly. "You could say that. Especially considering that we had a totally platonic teacher-student thing going on at first."

"Yeah, and then you stopped being the student," Spenser scowled, realizing that such a topic was still a sore spot. "And started surpassing me. You even beat my Capture Arena score. Ungrateful little-"

Solana grinned, not forgetting how competitive he was. "Language, Spense. We talked about this."

He smiled after that, remembering another memory. "When you first came, you were stunned at my swearing."

"Yup," Solana laughed, "And all that happened was that I started swearing too."

"And when you scared us all by organizing the entire pantry?"

"I'm a little OCD sometimes," she muttered in reply. "Besides, you're the one who kept leaving dirty laundry everywhere too. The whole place was a mess."

"And I made a woman joke about you cleaning it up that had you steaming mad."

"You have to remember that I was new," Solana scowled. "I didn't like the idea that the leader I looked up to so much was sexist."

"It was just a joke," the leader responded, throwing his hands up in self-defense as Solana glared at him.

"Hm. Great first impression, huh?"

That thought had him thinking. He'd never told her what had drawn him to her, why he'd chosen her to take under his wing and train.

"You wanna know my very first impression of you, 'Lana?" He asked lazily, the melancholy feeling at leaving the base making him feel a bit more serious. "The very first thing?"

"Besides 'your uniform is too goddamn big and I feel an intense need to mention it'," the teal-haired ranger cracked, grinning at him. "Not exactly the biggest self-esteem booster."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, 'Lana, I'll never hear the end of that. You bring it up every single time."

"Well," she insisted, "It was kind of a dick thing to say. I mean, I was new and unsure and the first thing you said to me was that?"

"Do you wanna hear this or what?"

Fine, tell your story," she motioned for him to go ahead.

"You reminded me of things I'd forgotten, Solana. That's why I instantly liked you."

"That and my cute face," she teased, interrupting him yet again. "Okay, fine. Go on. You've piqued my interest."

"I'm trying to be serious here, you know," the blue-green-haired leader explained wryly.

"Okay," she answered as she stopped grinning. "Serious face. Got it."

"You took a job that not a lot of people find glory in and made it glorious," he paused, running a hand through his hair as if trying to find the words. "Your letters, Solana. They just brought back so many memories of what I used to believe."

"Yeah?" She asked softly, realizing that this was something that she wanted to hear. She was taking a breath, watching his profile, waiting for what it is that he really wanted to say.

"I realized that you were just like me, Solana," replied the leader, ever characterized that way. "You reminded me of myself."

She smiled briefly, feeling that swell of pride and love and just pure happiness that she felt around him. It was stupid to think and say, but she knew that this was love. This feeling of just being around him was love.

For all his words though (the words he said he wasn't very good with), he still could only look at his hands and not her eyes. "You were running from what you didn't want, not knowing where you were going, but knowing it had to be better. And you were willing to do what it took to find that something, even if it meant throwing yourself completely into what you loved."

The loud-mouthed idealist was quiet for a moment, reflecting on what he had said. "But you forgot something." Spenser looked over questioningly, his eyes finally meeting hers, eyebrows drawn. She smiled softly, interlacing her fingers with his. "I found what I was looking for. Just like you."

He smiled as well, wrapping an arm around the girl that had found him. All this time, everyone had thought it had been him to find this newest Ranger prodigy, the saver of worlds and protector of the small. But it was all a lie. She had chosen him to get the credit. She had chosen him to share her success with.

But none of that mattered anymore now, anyway. The Rangers were only one chapter of his life, not who he was. He was finally starting to realize that. The next chapter of his life was her and he was perfectly fine with that.

"Yeah, well, that's a story for another time."

If it's not your kind of thing, I don't blame you. I'd probably barf a little bit if I was reading it as a neutral third party. :P I started it trying to illustrate the similarities between Spenser and Solana (in the fact that they both joined the rangers almost to run from their situation and find a family), and then it turned into this. I know I was a bit ambiguous as to Spenser situation in this, but I'm going to write another one-shots on his family background, so… Yeah.

Okay, I'm done now. And I know it's been a LONG while since I updated my longer story, but I'm stuck. I'll admit it. Xp I know where I want to go with it eventually, but in my current position, I got nothing. If you've got any ideas how I should start the next chapter or if you're interested in helping me out, message me or such.

I can admit to being stuck, despite the hit to my pride… After however many months it's been that I've written nothing. xp

Okay, thanks guys!