25)

On their way back, Sky drove on the highways at night with Z sitting beside him. Z then saw a CD of Maroon 5.

She exclaimed "Maroon 5? Classic!"

Sky smiled as she put the CD in and 'Maps' started to play.

Sky and Z both bobbed their heads to the song.

Sky's hand then left the gear and started stroking her cheek as she sat beside him.

Z chuckled "Skyyy drive."

Sky acted mock angry and said "Fine." and focused only on driving. Z saw this and smiled and leaned closer to kiss him slowly on his cheek.

Sky smirked at her "This isn't gonna help me drive Z."

Z chuckled and simply looked out as her hair flew in the wind and said "I had a great time Sky... I'll miss this place and I'll miss your mom."

Sky smiled "Yeah me too."

Suddenly Z's morpher beeped and she answered it "Z here."

Tylor's voice could be heard "Hey Ellie. I've got those concert tickets that you asked for."

Z looked at Sky who had no expression and said "Yeah thanks. And it's Z not Ellie."

Tylor chuckles "But I love the name Ellie, I think I'll call you Ellie. Ok see ya."

But before Z could answer back, he disconnected the line and Z looked at Sky, butterflies in her stomach, "Sky..."

Sky just waited for her to say something when he exploded "Ellie? Seriously? He knows only I call you Ellie. And why did you need to ask HIM for concert tickets? Wow. It's like you're giving him chances to flirt with you."

Z cut him off "You think I'm giving him chances? Sky I thought you trusted me. Thanks a lot."

Sky screamed "I trust you! Okay? But I do not understand that why do you talk to him-"

"So I'm supposed to not talk to my squad member?" retaliated Z.

Sky scoffed "I didn't know concert tickets were part of any mission."

Z rolled her eyes "You know what I mean Sky. And I only asked Tylor because he knew a guy who could arrange these tickets and it was of your favourite band for your birthd...LOOK OUT!"

In their heated fight both of them failed to notice a big truck had come their way.

2 days later.

Sky woke up groggily in the SPD infirmary to find Syd, Bridge, Kat, the cyborg SOPHIE, and two C-squad cadets.

"What happened?" he managed to say slowly.

Bridge said "Sky... You and Z had an accident."

Sky sighed as his eyes fluttered open "We were on a mission?"

Bridge looked at Kat confused and Kat asked "Sky do you remember anything?"

Sky thought a bit and shook his head, he saw Syd stand behind Bridge and smiled "Hey babe. Don't be scared. I'm fine."

Everyone's eyes widened as Kat said "I need everyone to leave. We'll have to run some tests."

After half an hour Kat comes out looking glum "There's a bad news, Sky has forgotten everything in the recent past. He thinks he's the red ranger."

Syd's eyes widen "That means when he dated me!"

Kat sighs "Yes. His condition is fragile so we cannot pile him up with new information, we need to give him time to heal."

Sophie then asks "What about Z?"

Kat says "Her condition is even more critical, she was apparently thrown out of the car as her seatbelt was not fastened properly and the car being a convertible didn't offer much protection. Thankfully her damages are not in her head. We need to send her to California for her treatment. I'll go with her. So Bridge you are incharge till then."

Bridge nods but with a sad look plastered on his face.

2 weeks later.

Z comes from her treatment and is in the New Tech City Airport with Kat. She manuvers through the smooth airport floors on a remote controlled wheelchair and expects to see Sky waiting for her but is disappointed when she sees 3 C-squad cadets greeting them. Apparently Kat nor the others told her about Sky's condition.

On reaching SPD, she goes to the common room to find everyone, but her heart stops when she sees Syd who is dressed in casual clothes, resting her head on Sky's shoulder as they sat on the couch smiling and talking about something and then Syd moves and kisses him on the lips and he smiles.

Syd on seeing Z, gets off the couch and greets "Oh Z you're finally okay!" but Z's painful gaze was fixed on Sky as he stared back at her and muttered "Z..."

Z looked at him shocked as her heart tore into a million pieces as she was hugged by Syd. She was about to say something when Bridge came in on time and hugged Z "Oh Z your okay..."

She hugged him back and looked at Bridge, her eyes asking her friend for answers, and he gave her a look which made her narrow her eyes.

Bridge then said "Uhh... Z. We need to talk." and pulled her wheelchair out of the common room leaving a confused Sky behind.

Syd went to the molecular generator to get something and Sky sat on the couch, his heart beating fast. 'Z. Why did she look at him like that?' He thought 'And what was this overwhelming feeling he felt when he saw her?'

Syd then came and sat beside him and gave him a peck and he looked at her, but now looking at Syd didn't feel the same like it was a day before. He suddenly didn't feel strongly for her. He suddenly felt everything feel different after seeing Z. He shook his head and got up and walked out of the common room.

Once Bridge brought Z to the hallway, he bent down and stood on his knees as he cupped Z's face "Z... Sky is suffering from memory loss. He remembers the time when he was the red ranger, when... he was with Syd. The accident... it made him f... forget that you guys dated."

Z's broken expression mirrored her heart as she stared at Bridge who looked at her apologetically. She felt a strong warm hand on her shoulder, a touch which made her become weak in a second. She felt the person kneel down beside her, his breath caused her hair to move as he says "Z are you ok?"

Z knew that just by looking at Sky would cause her to go weak again, so she wipes away her tears and says "Yeah I'm fine... Sky..." without looking at him.

She knew that Sky was not convinced with her answer so she turns her head to see him staring at her, as if searching for the many answers that his heart was asking. Sky didn't know why his heart was beating out of control when he saw Z. He was in love with Syd, but what was it about Z that caused him to completely loose his mind.

Z wanted to hug him, kiss him, so she says as tears flow on her cheeks easily "Sky... I lov.."

Bridge cuts her off "Z! Don... uh... I mean look at the time! Let's get you to bed!"

Sky looks at Z confused, and then shocked at Bridge as Bridge hastily takes Z away by pushing her wheel chair. Sky stood there in the hallway, staring at them, just when Syd comes and holds his hand "What's up Sky?"

Sky, without looking at her says "It's Z... there's something wrong."

In her room, when Bridge and Sophie explain everything to Z about how fragile Sky's condition is, she's completely taken aback.

Z then asks Sophie again "Syd said that the baby was Sky's?"

Sophie nodded grimly and Z glared at them "How could you guys let her do this!?"

Bridge getting anxious says "Z... Kat said that we cannot muddle Sky's brain up with new information. It could be fatal. And Sky seemed to be very much in love with Syd like he was before, so we decided against it, but today I got a change in readings in Sky's aura, when he saw you. It was like everything changed."

Z sighed as tears still glistened her cheeks, she was done acting strong. Sophie hugged Z tightly as Bridge stroked her hair.

That evening, Z came into the common room in her wheelchair to get something to eat when she saw Tylor and Kyle sitting.

Kyle looked at Z and exclaimed "Next time please please please fasten your seatbelt completely! You gave us a scare bud!" as he came and patted her shoulder fondly.

Z chuckled slightly "I think I can manage that."

Tylor rushed to her "Oh Z! Thank God you're alright."

Z who was pissed to the T, shouted "Shut up Tylor! It's because of you that I'm in this mess. You. Just stay away from me okay? I'm serious. STAY AWAY."

Kyle came and pulled Tylor back and looked at her "He'll stay away Z."

Tylor was completely taken aback by Z's hatred and he sees Sky standing in the entrance of the common room, apparently he heard Z's outburst.

Sky felt the urge to comfort Z, he didn't know why. He came up to Z and said softly "Z... did Tylor do anything wrong with you?"

Z sighed as tears now fell from her eyes "Sky let it be. Please. Stay out of this."

Sky could feel his heartbreak on seeing Z crying so much. He'd never seen her cry. He put a hand on hers and said slowly "Tell me. I am apparently the commander now, I can help you out."

Z who was now tired of the whole situation, covered her face with her hands and said "I need to be alone. Leave me alone."

Just then Sophie came in, and pushed Z's wheelchair towards the molecular generator and said "Guys please. Let her eat." as Kyle joined her.

Sky couldn't understand what had caused Z so much pain. She looked so different, she behaved so different, she wasn't that sassy street smart that he knew anymore. Something made her soft along the way. He knew people were hiding something because he could tell by the way everyone talked. He needed to find answers asap.