Disclaimer: Not mine, someone else's. No idea where this came from... it's a lot darker than I normally write. I've been getting into a lot of Ziggy/Dillon fics and this is a prelude to perhaps something more, not sure. I hope you enjoy it... I hope it makes sense mainly. Once again, I use Australian English - my work is always spell checked and everything. Please, read and review and enjoy! AM July 2010.

My Friend, My love?

by Angel Mouse

Ziggy had often wondered what it would be like to have a friend, a really good friend, someone he could count on when times got tough and who would always be there for him.

Sure, he had Benny as a friend while in the Scorpion Cartel, but he wasn't a close friend. Wasn't someone he could trust with his life, someone that he could rely on in a pinch when things went bad, which it inevitably did around Ziggy.

Sure, Benny had helped him escape the city, was the only one that knew the truth about the orphanage and the medical supplies, so he had helped him escape as a friend. Benny always had a soft spot for Ziggy for some reason, but Ziggy found he couldn't really think of him as a true friend. Ziggy had been grateful but he still couldn't call him a close friend. Still wasn't able to break the habit of a lifetime to trust him fully.

But then he had met Dillon in the wastelands and all that changed.

They had made it back to the city and were promptly imprisoned. Dillon didn't seem to care but for Ziggy it wasn't a pleasant time. A fact soon made obvious by the glee most of the cartel aligned inmates and how quickly they decided to make mincemeat of him.

And then Dillon had saved him.

No one had ever done anything like that for him in his entire life.

It made him think, hard, about a lot of things.

He never told Dillon how much that small amount of kindness meant to me and he had thought then he'd never get the chance to. When the Rangers had taken Dillon away, his small measure of protection was gone and it was a difficult, and dangerous, afternoon for him.

He never told Dillon about the bruises and other injuries he had suffered when Dillon had gone with the Rangers, he didn't want to cause the older man to worry.

But then Dillon had told the other Rangers he wouldn't join them unless Ziggy came with him. Ziggy had no idea why he had insisted he come along, but he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. He had acted all easy going and like it was no major thing, but it was to him. Somehow, Dillon seemed to think that he was worth saving, but for the life of him Ziggy didn't know why. He certainly didn't think he was worth saving, didn't think he was worth much of anything if he was being totally honest with himself.

Maybe it was his shadow puppets that sealed the deal for him, he didn't know and he wasn't going to ask. Even though Dillon had told Scott it was the shadow puppets, something that had quickly became a standing joke between them, he still didn't know why he had been rescued.

The other Rangers didn't seem to think very highly of him either. And the less said about Dr K's disdain the better as far as he was concerned. So, he tried to keep a low profile and be as useful as he could, which wasn't that much if he was honest with himself.

And then he was suddenly the Green Ranger, which caused even more problems. In the end they had trusted him for one thing and one thing only, to take the Green morpher to them at the pavilion to give it to the new recruit that they had chosen and even then they were very reluctant to do that.

It was only Dillon's insistence that Ziggy wouldn't let them down that had finally made them relent. It seemed Dillon had more faith in Ziggy than Ziggy had in himself.

But in the end he had no choice, it was either that or let Venjix get it. And it changed his life in so many ways it made his head spin. The only one that seemed to be forever on his side or with him or watching his back was Dillon.

It was Dillon who said to the others that he had no choice, that he'd gone toe to toe with Tenaya and just barely had kept it out of her clutches and in his books that took guts. Especially since Dillon himself was having trouble keeping up with her.

But then there was that whole episode with him learning to use his teleport abilities and ending up in the bank vault. And the Colonel throws him in prison because of his record and Dr K saying she didn't trust him. That's what really hurt that everyone seemed to think he was the villain they were making him out to be – everyone except Dillon.

Then Benny had come forward to see Dr K and told her the truth about the orphanage, which had caused her to change her mind about his being the Green Ranger. But she didn't tell the others about the orphanage, he didn't want them to know and she just said to them that information had come to light where Ranger Green was innocent of the charges laid against him.

And he had stayed on the team. Dillon trained him with daily, teaching him slowly how to defend himself and fight. And in return he found himself letting Dillon into his heart and mind even more.

And then it had been his turn to save Dillon when the satellite bot threw him off the ledge of one of the tallest building's in Corinth. It was totally on instinct that he followed his friend, his only thought on being on saving Dillon.

His only thought was saving Dillon, Dillon who was the most important person in the world to him. He'd do anything to save his friend, anything.

Wrapping his arms around his friends body as he was falling faster and faster to the ground, Ziggy blindly groped at the teleport controls, not really thinking as kept repeating over and over again 'We're going to splat! We're going to splat.' But they didn't, and that was the most surprising thing of all to him.

Dillon had said to him, how did he do it, but he didn't know. He truly didn't know how he had done it. All he knew was that he had to save Dillon. He had to save him.

Things had settled down for a bit with the other Rangers since that day, he had gained a little measure of respect, but he was still seen as a joke by practically all of them.

But he did his best, slowly improved his skills and stayed by Dillon's side in battles and in the garage. He knew he had to slowly gain the other's trust and tried to do better, but deep down, deep in his hearts, he knew he wasn't good enough, would never be good enough.

He fought by Dillon's side, and the others, but always, always was near Dillon in battle and in the garage.

Slowly, oh so slowly, Ziggy realised that not only did he care for Dillon as a trusted friend but he cared for him as someone he loved.

When Ziggy realised this, he fled the garage to think things through.

He hadn't loved anyone like he realised he loved Dillon. He'd never experienced love like that in his life… it scared him. It was the most frightening thing he had ever felt in his young and troubled life.

He knew that Dillon cared for him, but wasn't sure how much. He knew that he could never tell his best friend of his feelings of him. He could tell that Dillon liked Summer, and to be honest, he couldn't blame him.

But it still hurt.

And he knew it wouldn't stop hurting while they were all together like they were. So, once he had gotten over the shock of his discovery, he returned to the garage and tried to act like everything was normal.

Luckily for him, it was about that time that Gem and Gemma joined and they were able to distract the team for a little while over Ziggy's strange behaviour.

So, that's where he found himself, watching from the shadows as Dillon and Summer almost kissed in the Venjix prison where Dillon's sister had been. Dillon was devastated and Summer was there for him. It broke Ziggy's heart in the worst way possible.

And it was then and there that Ziggy knew he could never, ever tell Dillon that he loved him.

The End.