Define It
By: theunknownvoice
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
A/N: Takes place after Endings.
Z had missed Jack terribly for the first few days. She knew that Jack hadn't wanted to stay at SPD. She had known but she had expected him to at least say goodbye to her.
Saying goodbye wasn't in Jack's nature. She knew that but she had still wanted him to tell her before he left. He was her brother and the only family she had.
The other rangers moved on with their lives. It was much harder for her. Jack had been her constant for years.
Z sighed as she sat down at the breakfast table. She really didn't feel like eating. It was B-squad's day off. Syd was visiting her family. Bridge had decided to go to the museum. That left just her and Sky alone at SPD command.
Sky had been acting weird around her lately. It seemed like he was going out of his way to avoid her. They had never been really close but this disturbed Z. Sky was her friend and he obviously had a problem with her.
Sky froze when he walked into the kitchen. He had forgotten that today was B-squad's day off. That meant he wouldn't be able to hide around Z. Where was Bridge when you needed him?
Z turned her head towards him. She noticed that Sky was wearing blue. It made her smile a bit. For some reason she preferred to see Sky in blue instead of red. Blue would always be the color she associated Sky with no matter what his ranking was.
Neither one of the two rangers noticed Commander Cruger walk into the kitchen.
"Officer Tate, Office Delgado, I have an assignment for you. I know B-squad is on leave for the day but I'm in desperate need of help," Cruger said.
"Whatever you need sir," Sky said.
"I'm willing to be of assistance sir," Z said.
"I need you both to do inventory in the SPD stock rooms," Cruger said.
Both Sky and Z's faces fell. Inventory was a boring task often given to members of D-squad. They would be spending most of their day in the back stockrooms sorting through barrels of junk. It wasn't an assignment anyone liked.
They said nothing as Cruger explained the inventory process to them. Both of them suppressed a groan. Why had they agreed to do this job?
Cruger lead them to one of the back stocks of SPD. It was on the other side of the complex in the older section of the building. After the two officers had entered the stockroom Cruger turned and locked the door.
"Let us out," Z shouted as banged on the door.
Cruger just merely walked away. They would thank him later. That is if they didn't kill each other.
Sky had examined the entire stockroom and found that everything had already been inventoried. He turned towards Z who was still banging on the door.
"He must have his reasons for locking us together," Sky said.
"So what you suggest we do? We just wait for him to let us out?" Z demanded.
"That's the only thing we can do. He's obviously not going to open the door for us," Sky said.
Z sighed as leaned against the wall. This was the last place she wanted to be on her day off.
An hour passed in uncomfortable silence. They used to be able to talk to each other but that had changed. Too many things had changed with Jack leaving the team. Bridge and Syd had become closer. The pair spent every waking hour together. It was another to drive their respective roommates crazy.
Since Sky had been avoiding Z they really hadn't talked in a while. In fact they hadn't really talked to anyone about anything save SPD assignments.
"Z, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" Sky asked finally caving to the need to speak.
"Shoot," she replied gazing up at him.
"Are you in love with Jack?"
There he had finally asked the question that had been plaguing him.
Z looked at him horrified. "What would give you that idea?"
"You've been depressed since he left," Sky answered evasively.
"I love Jack but not the way you mean."
"Define it."
"What?"
"Define how you love him."
"Do you want details or a point blank definition?"
"Either way. Just define it."
"Okay, Jack and I have a relationship similar to you and Bridge. Bridge is your best friend and you think of him as a brother. I feel the same way about Jack. He's my brother in every meaning of the word."
Sky breathed a sigh of relief that didn't go unnoticed by Z.
"Define that," she said.
"What?" he asked arching an eyebrow.
"That sigh you just gave. Define it."
"Relief," he answered.
"Why would you be relieved that I view Jack as a brother?" Z asked curiously.
"I don't want to loose a valuable teammate," Sky answered evading the question or so he thought.
Z, however, wasn't fooled. "That might be part of it but that's not the whole truth. The real explanation please."
"I don't want you to feel romantic about Jack," he answered straightforwardly.
"Why not?" she asked.
"BecauseIthinkIloveyou," he answered quickly.
"What was that?" she asked. She couldn't have heard him right.
"I think I love you," he said slowly.
She had heard him right.
"I understand if you don't feel the same way. I mean you have every right to. It's not like I was the most welcoming individual. Besides everyone thinks you and Bridge should be together anyway. I just thought you should know."
"Sky," she said softly.
"Yes, Z?"
"Are you always this shy when you ask a girl out?"
He stared at her saying nothing.
"Because I would really like to go out with you."
He stared at her in shock. It took him a few seconds to fully comprehend what she had just said. Gently he kissed her cheek.
"I would like that," he said.
"Sky?"
"Yes?"
"I hope I'm not being too forward," she said.
He raised an eyebrow at her confused.
She kissed him firmly on the mouth pushing him back towards the wall. Neither one of them noticed the click of the door being unlocked.
The End