Hunter couldn't believe it. Here he was, in the one place he avoided at all costs. After all, he had a reputation to protect. But one look from his little brother and he caved. He was Hunter Bradley, he couldn't be here! He was a tough motor cross rider. A Ninja. A Thunder Ninja! The Crimson Thunder Power Ranger for heaven's sake. But his baby brother gave him the puppy dog look that he learned from a certain blue Water Ninja, and that was it for this big tough guy. This is how he now found himself wandering through the aisle of a major chain store, shopping for Christmas presents for everyone. Sighing softly to himself, he picked up a delicate looking snow globe with a dolphin in it. He grinned slightly, it was perfect for Tori. One down, five to go.

An hour later found him with two more presents bought. A Tony Hawk skating video game for Shane that he had luckily caught on sale. And a book on the Elements of the Earth for Dustin. It was full of information about rocks and granites and all sorts of things that an Earth Ninja might need to know. As he paid for his purchases and headed for the technology section at the back of the store. He was now down to the two hardest purchases. Sensei and Cam.

Blake was easy this year. Ever since becoming rangers, their life had become even more colour coded than it was before just living at the Thunder Ninja Academy. He needed new racing leathers and Hunter had been saving for the last two months in readiness for Christmas. The leathers were easy, he had gotten Kelly to order them in for him on the quiet and he'd pick them up Christmas Eve. But Sensei and Cam were the hardest to buy for. Not only because he didn't know either of them very well, but the fact that they were Cam and Sensei.

Hunter was had found a book on Japanese poetry that Sensei would like, well, hoped he would like and was now stuck with the hardest person to buy for. Cam. But he was distracted slightly by the sounds of squabbling kids in the toy aisle that he was walking past. He smiled to himself as he remembered similar scenes he and Blake had gone through. A little boy and girl were fighting over a basketball. A very harried looking Mother came running over and took it from them.

"Now you two, I told you, play nice."

"Mummy, can we get this ball please?" The Mother looked sad and regretful.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, but Mummy just doesn't have enough money today. Perhaps Santa will bring it for you." The kids didn't protest like Hunter expected them to, they just put the ball back and followed her, heads hanging down. Hunter took another, closer look at them and noticed the clean but slightly worn clothes. The basic, no-name brand packets of noodles and basic foodstuffs. Stuff Hunter was well aware of, as up until recently with them getting the jobs at Storm Chargers, he was buying that sort of thing for Blake and him to eat and live off. He followed them discreetly, taking a closer look at the mother. She had her pride and her honour that was obvious. Hunter knew how that felt. He smiled gently as he saw how well behaved the kids were being, she had said no and they hadn't complained once. Hunter just hoped that one day when he was a father, he was as good as this mum obviously was. And that made his mind up. Checking around to make sure he wasn't seen, he quickly grabbed up a few essential and non-essential things from the food aisle she had obviously just come from, including the basketball, and quickly paid for the purchases. He looked around and saw the mother loading her few meagre purchases into a beat up but clean looking old Toyota. He grinned and jogged quickly along the path.

"Excuse me ma'am, but you dropped these." He handed her the bags with a smile and turned, heading back to the store before she could say anything. She had taken the bags automatically without thinking and just stared at his retreating back. She looked down into the bags, seeing what was in them, and then looked back up at him. A gentle smile appeared on her face and she sighed as she spoke softly to her kids.

"Santa came a little early kids." She blinked back the tears that Hunter's kindness had generated. It re-enforced her belief in the kindness of strangers.

Hunter fled back into the store, knowing that he couldn't look back, because then he'd have to face her thanks for his moment of kindness. Contrary to the image he gave off, Hunter did have a soft side, buried deep that only really Blake knew off. But he'd seen that look on that woman's face when she had to say no to her kids wanting that basketball, it had been on his own too many times to count. He knew the desperation and the despair that only the direst of circumstances could bring. So, what little he could do, he did when he could. Not even Blake knew of his occasional acts of charity. If it meant he did without a little, he didn't mind. But he always made sure Blake was taken care off. He would go without everything for his little brother. He sighed as he began to make his way towards the computer section and began browsing the selections. He knew he wouldn't be able to afford what he was going to get Cam now, but he looked anyways.

"Damn Cam, how come you're so hard to buy for?"

"Well, I usually don't do the whole Christmas thing much." Hunter spun around, shock and surprise on his face to find Cam standing behind him, hands in pockets and an undecipherable expression on his face.

"Cam! You scared me. What are you doing here?" Cam gave him that smirk he did so well.

"Christmas shopping for Dad. He asked me to pick up a few things for a bunch of over active over destructive super heroes." Hunter managed a tiny smile, Cam at his sarcastic best he could handle.

"I didn't think your Dad did the whole present thing." Cam smiled gently.

"He doesn't normally, but this year he's decided to get into the whole spirit of it." Cam gestured to Hunter's packages. "And you?" Hunter glanced down and then back at Cam.

"Oh, Blake got me to do the whole present thing. He did that puppy dog look he's gotten from hanging around with Tori too much and I pretty much caved." Cam laughed falling into step beside Hunter as Hunter instinctively began to walk towards the exit.

"Yeah, I sort of noticed that. He's good at that, so is Tori."

"Yeah, those two together when they want to get something can do the whole sweet and innocent thing like no one's business." The two of them shared a glance and then a warm laugh. They walked out of the door and Hunter got a warm feeling as he saw the woman's car leave the car park. He didn't notice Cam watching him with a warm smile on his face.

"You know Hunter; you did a good thing there." Hunter turned and looked at Cam in surprise.

"You saw that?" Cam nodded and reached out, putting his hand on Hunter's shoulder and giving it a friendly squeeze.

"Yes I did. And you don't need to get me anything for Christmas Hunter. You just did." And Cam turned and left him to ponder that cryptic remark. Hunter watched him leave and then shook his head, grinning slightly at Cam's retreating form.

"Just when I think I've got that guy figured." Shrugging, Hunter turned and headed back towards his flat. The presents in his bag wouldn't wrap themselves.