Disclaimer: Neither Power Rangers nor the movie "Clueless" belong to me.

Chapter 14: Comfort

(A few hours after Grumm is defeated)

Both Bridge and Sky's heads shot up as the sliding doors to their room opened to show Syd standing in the entrance. The curly blond was clutching her stuffed elephant, Peanuts, and sniffing loudly. Her eyes were red, and her cheeks still tear-stained. Bridge and Sky turned slowly toward each other as if to confirm the other's mutual apprehension regarding the clearly emotional pink princess about to blow up right in their room. They then both looked back toward Syd with matching expressions of concern… and also trepidation.

"Jack, he… he…he…" stuttered Syd between sobs and sniffles. "HE LEFT MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!"

Wailing uncontrollably, Syd's shoulders shook constantly as she gulped for air, sounding to Sky like a pelican with a frog stuck in its throat. He looked toward Bridge and found his roommate mirroring his own expression of a mixed cocktail of helplessness with a slash of awkwardness. Feeling anxious, Sky rubbed his neck as usual and tried to methodically process how he should handle the situation.

He hadn't seen Syd since their meeting in the Command Center, where Cruger had formally announced Jack's departure and appointed Sky the next Red Ranger. Yet before 'congratulations' could even be spoken, an alert of an alien-connected crime at a nearby bank was called in. Doggie had sent the girls out to investigate, keeping Sky to ask him about an appointment for a new blue ranger. Sky had immediately named his best buddy, Bridge, who had still been in the room. Bridge in turn, sensing the promotion train had left the station, had begun to ask about the new green ranger, but Cruger had dismissed them without an answer.

The two boys had gone back to their room and had only been seated on their respective beds a short while before the arrival of the sobbing Syd. Seeing the extent of Syd's raw reaction, Sky hypothesized she had just gotten back to the base from her mission and was just now processing all that had occurred during their extremely eventful day.

"Where's Z?" asked Bridge, jarring Sky back to the situation at hand.

"I dunno," whimpered Syd. "She… she took off as soon as we got back to the base," she sniffled.

"I'm going to go talk to…" Sky started hurriedly.

"Z," cut in Bridge. "I'm going to find Z and make sure she's doing OK."

With that, Bridge hurried out the room. As the doors slid shut behind them, Sky and still sniffling Syd regarded each other uneasily. Her radical wailing had waned to more quiet cries of heartache. Sky sighed tiredly at her tears, but gave her a look of genuine concern as he patted a spot next to him on the bed for her. Syd scuffled over to him and plopped down on the blue blanket, pressing her face briefly into Peanuts. Putting his arm around her, Sky reached into his drawer and offered the girl some tissues.

"I think your stuffed animal would appreciate not being used as the item you blow your nose with," said Sky, trying to lighten the mood.

"Thanks," said Syd appreciatively as she wiped the last of her tears from her face. "And just think a few hours ago, I was so happy 'cause Grumm was defeated. We were all celebrating, and the first person I hugged was... J… J… JAAAACCCKKKKKKKK!!!!!!"

Sky winced and restrained himself from instinctively covering his ears as his teammate once again turned up the volume on her wailing. Desperate to pacify the pink princess, Sky rubbed Syd's arm soothingly. Soon, Syd had downgraded to just gulping back tears.

"Come on now, stopping crying," said Sky, looking uncomfortable, but continuing to stroke her arm. "It's going to be alright."

"I was just thinking while we were celebrating Grumm's defeat that this would finally be the chance for Jack and I to finally start going out on real dates and to try to have a relationship. I'm so stupid. I just should have taken the hint that he was going back to his true love when he skipped out on our dinner date."

"True love?" asked Sky apprehensively as images of Ally and Jack together flashing through his head.

"You know, helping people on the streets," said Syd. "He's always made it clear that's what he wants to do with his life more than anything else."

"Oh, right," said Sky in a tone of relief that went unnoticed by his teammate.

"In the past 24 hours, Jack's missed our dinner date and left SPD without telling any of us first, well except Doggie," said Syd. "I don't even know if Jack and I are still a couple!"

"You need to go find him and talk to him," said Sky. "Jack never gave you a reason why he missed the dinner?" he asked curiously.

"Jack had just come to me to apologize, but had barely gotten 'I'm sorry' out before Cruger sent us off to that planet where we found the awful A-Squad," said Syd. "And after that, everything happened so fast with the inter-squad battle, all the goons we've been fighting this last year finally being beaten for good and then you being appointed Red Ranger."

"And Bridge to blue," added in Sky.

"Really?" perked up Syd automatically, smiling broadly. "Oh that's just so great! Go Bridgey! What??" she asked indignantly, upon hearing Sky chuckle.

"You just smiled," commented Sky, grinning playfully. "It looks good on you."

"Very funny," said Syd dryly, picking up that Sky was repeating what she had said to him after the time he had poured water on her head and proceeded to give a rare laugh at the sight of the soaking pink ranger.

"And you just got to keep on smiling," said Sky, squeezing her shoulder.

"I dunno if I can right now," said Syd sadly. "I mean, was I not pretty enough for Jack?"

"No," said Sky firmly. "I mean, come on now Syd. You're gorgeous, and you know it," he added, blushing slightly.

"Skyyyyy," drawled Syd, also turning bright red.

"Syd, you may be a little spoiled, self-centered and somewhat of a princess," began Sky with his typical bluntness.

"Hey, that's not nice!" pouted Sky, cutting in. "Is THAT supposed to make me feel better?!?"

"BUT," continued Sky, blushing slightly as he continued. "You're sweet, smart, beautiful and completely devoted to the people you care about. Maybe things didn't work out with Jack, but the guy who has the good fortune to end up with you will be one of the luckiest men alive."

"You… you really think I'm beautiful?" asked Syd shyly.

"Especially when you're smiling," said Sky as his cheeks turned red.

"Thanks for saying all that," said Syd gratefully. "And for sitting with me while I was a complete crybaby," she added somewhat embarrassedly.

"I care about you Syd," said Sky truthfully. "I want to see you happy."

"You know," began Syd. "We really have not spent a lot of time together these past few months."

"True, I guess that we've both been a little… preoccupied," he finished; his voice slightly distant.

"Maybe we could have dinner together sometime?" suggested Syd. "Just the two of us?"

"Sure," replied Sky. "I'd like that."

Immediately, Syd leaned forward and squeezed Sky tightly around the waste. Sky, clearly surprised, seemed unsure at first as how to react but eventually ended up wrapping his arms comfortingly around Syd. She responded by sighing contentedly and snuggling into his chest.

And they stayed that way together for a very long time.

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to you Sky/Syd shippers, and Sky/Z fans will get your moment coming up in the next one! That's all the hints I'm dropping for now.

On an unrelated not, my Mystic Force story, "Under Your Spell," has been nominated for the What a Character Awards in the category of "Phineas – Best PRMF Story."The link is in my profile if y'all wanna learn more about the awards. (Thanks SO MUCH to whoever nominated me if you're reading this!!)