By day each soul must walk within its shadow.

Only night can make us whole again.

— Nicholas Gordon

By Moonlight

Chapter 1

It was raining in huge, slow drops that painted the pavement with a glittering sheen, washing away the dust and grime of the city.

A young woman lay sprawled on the pavement, a broken doll staring out of empty brown eyes. If there had been blood, the rain had long since washed it away. The only remaining evidence was the two matching red punctures on the side of her neck.

The police officer reached over and closed her eyes, brushing a sodden strand of brown hair out of her face.

"I have a daughter around her age," he said to no one in particular. This was the worst part of his job: knowing that they had arrived too late.

"The chief won't like this," his partner said. Water ran in rivulets down his coat, dripping off the brim of his hat in a cold, steady stream. "This is the third one this month. Same type, same marks. Wanna bet the cause of death is the same?"

The first cop got to his feet. "I don't believe in vampires and neither should you."

"I never said I did. But aliens? Now that's a different story."

"Don't say that anywhere the chief can hear it. He's coming up for re-election and he wants S.P.D. nowhere near this case."

Neither saw the shadowy figure crouched on the rooftop. Sky Tate, B-squad blue ranger, turned away and silently faded into the night.

He knew he was different.

Bridge was the oddity, the strange one. He noticed things that nobody else could — or would. He noticed how sad Kat was when she looked at B-squad, and most especially when she saw Sky.

He noticed how Cruger often seemed lost in thought, his mind wandering to distant planets and terrible battles against someone named Gruumm. The name reeked of fire and metal and Terror, and even though the data-links said otherwise, the Commander thought Gruumm was alive and wondered if, one day, he would bring war to Earth.

There was a connection there, between Kat's sadness and Cruger's dread, but it was so tenuous, Bridge could never quite put his finger on it.

Secrets.

Everyone had them, even his friends.

Especially his friends. This was the seventh time — since he started counting — that Sky had left Headquarters and failed to return by curfew. Sky was out wandering the forbidden streets of Newtech city, but the blue ranger never got into trouble and always seemed to return in time to fight the latest giant robot. Or avian bank robber. Or...

Bridge poked his head in the rec room. Jack was alone, watching the last moments of a popular comedy show. The credits rolled as the clock ticked one minute closer to lights out.

"Can I ask you a question?" Bridge ventured.

He liked Jack. Jack was good-natured and easy-going. He had strong feelings about friendship and loyalty, even if he felt a bit ambivalent toward responsibility. He said what he meant and meant what he said.

"Sure," Jack replied. "Ask away."

"Let's say that you like someone, but you don't know how to tell…" Bridge caught himself just in time, "…them. What would you do?"

"Well, it depends who she is." Jack paused. "It is Syd? Z? That girl from D-squad? Please tell me it's not Kat. I mean, she's hot for an 120-year-old, but…"

"No! It's not Kat," Bridge hurried to say. "Or Syd. Or Z."

"Is it someone at S.P.D?"

"Well…" Bridge was a bad liar. Jack knew it, too.

"Look, if I were you, I would just tell her. I mean, what's the worst thing that can happen? She's not interested." Jack shrugged. "Too bad, there are other girls."

"Thanks," Bridge said, his mind already racing. "I might do that."

Jack turned off the television before reaching for the lights. Then he turned back to Bridge. "One more thing. Don't get caught."

That was another complication. Fraternization between cadets was against regulations, and everyone knew how loyal Sky was to regulations.

Except that Sky was out after curfew, and everyone was wrong.

Sky was nothing like his name, Bridge decided. He was more like the ocean, full of deep eddies and hidden dark chasms. The cool, indifferent surface was only the beginning.

'Just tell him.' If only things were that simple.

Bridge was avoiding him.

At first, Sky thought it was his imagination, but now he was certain. Bridge rarely spoke more than a sentence in his presence, and took great pains to avoid being alone with him. That was no easy task, considering they were required to work, live and train together.

Bridge didn't seem angry or frightened. In fact, Sky had a strange feeling that Bridge was trying to tell him something.

He had given up trying to corner Bridge two days ago. Bridge would tell him, eventually, but only when he was ready. Whenever that might be.

Exactly one week later, a pair of familiar, shuffling footsteps stopped outside at his door. There was a long pause, and then a hesitant knock.

"Come in," Sky said. A clap of thunder sounded in the distance. Rain drops tapped out a sharp staccato against the glass.

Bridge slipped inside, and put his back against the door.

"I wanted…" the green ranger took a bracing breath before continuing, "I wanted to ask if you'd like to go out with me sometime."

Sky blinked. He couldn't possibly mean… "Bridge, I go out with you every day."

"No, not like that," Bridge said. "On a date."

Sky backed away until his palms hit the edge of the desk. The familiar hunger rose up in him like a wild thing. The world narrowed until there was only Bridge — Bridge, vulnerable and so human that Sky could lose himself in the way he smelled, the way he moved, the pulse of blood just beneath his skin…

"It — it isn't you," Sky stammered. "I'm flattered, really, but..." he gestured vaguely above his head, "it won't work. I — I can't…"

Bridge stepped closer, and Sky suddenly couldn't remember what he meant to say.

"Yes, you can," Bridge said. "No one has to know." They were now inches away. "I'm an empath, Sky. I know you want me."

And then there was the kiss. It was warm and deep, and tasted like smoke and the salt of the ocean. It tasted like night and the storm.

It tasted like copper.

~to be continued~

A/N: Happy Halloween! Please take a moment to review, your feedback is very much appreciated.