A/N: Like Z Tate wanted me to, here's a chapter on the apologies!

CHAPTER 18: APOLOGIES (Part-2)

Z was hanging out with Sam, and she realized it was fun. She and Sam had gone to the Games' Arcade, and spent three hours playing 'Battle Rocksters Nine' reaching, finally, level sixteen. Perhaps the farthest anyone had ever reached, or so Sam said.

"cool! Then let's beat it!" Z replied, pumped up.

"Let's Rock It Rocksters!" Sam was equally excited.

They were playing intensely, and then suddenly, FINAL BOSS!

This was the last level! The fucking Last level!

Oh yeah!

Button bashing, careful strategies, and well… after all the efforts, the boss—an alien in scaly chitin armor—blew them out with a killer laser beam.

The screen flashed 'Game Over'.

"what the fuck?" Z asked, "oops, sorry, Sam."

"it's fine. But what was this!" he was also mad.

"It's fine." Z said,

"but we spent four hours playing this!"

"Three. Just three. It won't be trouble getting there again"

"it will be!" Sam was reluctant.

"Okay…. Well, how about we try this game again tomorrow?" she said, again.

"yeah, I guess it can work. Yeah, we can play tomorrow. We'll be there, right?"

some time later, she and Sam were looking out of the rooftop of the hotel, out to the pacific ocean, eating ice-cream, to mend their broken heart—broken by the game machine.

"hey, Sam, did you apologize to Kat?"

"huh?" he asked, he was thinking about something, and she had interrupted him.

"did you apologize to Kat?" she repeated.

"yeah, I did"
"how'd it go?"

"it actually went quite well" he said, and went into flashback to narrate what had happened to her.

(FLASHBACK)

"Kat?" he had asked, tenderly.

"oh, Sam? Is there something you want?" she asked.

"well…" he was hesitant, but said it anyway, "Kat, I'm sorry for all the mean things I've said to you."

"what?" Kat couldn't quite believe her ears.

"look Kat, you are taking care of me, as my mother, this is really new for me, I mean, my mom, she passed away when I was three, and I never really knew my dad, and well, my older brother takes care of me. And now that he is off to college, I don't have anyone as such. I don't know how to behave with you."

Kat nodded.

"It's something new for me, to have a mother, taking care of me, even if it's as a cover, in a mission, but it is something I should cherish, not take for granted, which was what I had been doing so far. I'm sorry. I really am. It's just that… it's annoying when somebody is constantly objecting to every single thing I do."

"Sam, I get it. Okay?" she was kind and supporting, "it's new for you, and I am not really someone easy to put up with, I understand Sam, I know teenage can be hard, and sometimes you just lash out it's okay, really. I can put up with it. And just the fact that you came to apologize speaks volumes. Thank you Sammy," Kat said.

This was so easy. Kat had been so understanding, and all, it was if she had done the same thing when she had been a kid, which might be possible. Okay… Awesome!

(FLASHBACK ENDS)

"nice" Z replied, grinning.

"you know Z, you give really good advice" Sam said,

"I only say what's best for you. Kat too."

"yeah, I know Kat's like my mom, but you'll still be my #1 girl!" he complimented.

"geez Sam, don't say that to Kat." Z joked, but her thoughts drifted to how Sky had come to apologize to her. Had she been that forgiving as Kat had been?

Let's see.

(FLASHBACK)

They were still at the SPD academy at the time. And Sky had just learnt that Jack could also be a good leader, and that sometimes what he said was smart. Yes, really intelligent and well thought out. he was still trying to give them a place in his heart, and as an attempt to make amends, he had apologized.

"hi Z!" he sounded a little down.

"Oh, it's you" she didn't sound so happy to see him.

He had caught her in the hallway.

"listen Z, I know I've been really mean to you, like sick, sexist, jerky mean."

"no protest from me" Z replied, crossing her arms as she often did.

"Alright. I know I was wrong. Just because you weren't as…" he looked for a word, "privileged, as me, or Syd, or Bridge, but you are just as capable as any of us, both of you, you're far better off than us. Z, making stereotypes because you don't know anyone else doesn't justify what I did, and honestly, just knowing that you two are in battle with me makes me feel comfortable. Makes me feel safe. Makes me…" he trailed off.

"Z, you and Jack are precious to the team. I won't argue with it. At first I felt like Cruger had done injustice making me blue and Jack red, but now I feel stupid. I agree with him that Jack is a good red ranger, and I will not doubt him, and follow him. Though of course, I'm not telling him any of this to give him a big head. But I think I can trust you." Sky finished, "so basically, I'm sorry"

Maybe she had misjudged him. Maybe he wasn't as egoistic and self-centered as he had seemed in the beginning. But she wouldn't say that she was okay with what he had said. He had called her a freak, a criminal, and well, a lot of other mean stuff, and she wouldn't forgive him that easily, not yet. Maybe sometime in the future. Maybe.

She had stormed off at the time, but some time later, about two weeks or so, she had approached him, and told him that everything was cool between them, and that she had accepted his apology. In fact, she also apologized for the mean things she had said to him, like calling him Rulebook monitor, Hitler Tate and well, other stuff.

In the end, Sky and Z had made up, and ended as friends. And that friendship was one to last. Neither had realized at the time that one day, they'd fall in love.

(FLASHBACK OVER)

Yeah, Z hadn't been as forgiving as Kat had been, but she wasn't much worse off.

She and Sam spent some time in the swimming pool, playing, splashing water on each other, sipping drinks, (Sam having non-alcoholic, of course. Z wasn't as lenient as Sky) and in the end, made their way back to their respective rooms, planning on playing Battle Rocksters Nine again tomorrow, and bid goodbye.

She wondered, on her way back into the hotel room, if she and Sky would take it to the next level, you know, like do it. She knew that he didn't want to, just yet, but that made him even more sought-after. Besides, it wasn't just sex, it was… well, it was something hard to define. Z was confused. Dazed, (and a few other adjectives if you can find them). She didn't know what she felt for Sky. Was it just an attraction? No, definitely no. She wanted this to go somewhere. She wanted them to be something… something extraordinary. Or maybe even something ordinary. Either wouldn't be bad.

She didn't want it to end. But she had a feeling it might. All good relationships did. Unless, of course, it really did go somewhere and they end up coming back to Hawaii for a real honeymoon, as Sky and Z, not as Iris and Mark.

It was definitely something to consider. Wow!

She entered her room with a broad grin on her face.

"somebody's in a good mood" Sky said, looking at her.

"what are you doing?" she asked, looking at him, curiously,

"making coffee. Want some?" he offered.

"hotel coffee? No thank you." She replied.

"how'd it go with Sam?"

"good. He's a nice boy. Yeah, I had a lot of fun." She replied.

"was the smile from some compliment Sam gave you?" Sky asked, curiously.

"no, actually, I was thinking of something else."

"did it involve me?" he asked, mischievously, placing his elbows on the mini kitchen's counter, and looking at her, his eyes twinkling.

"maybe, maybe not." She replied, two could play the game.

"who were you daydreaming about then? Jack?"

"NO!" that was gross!

"just kidding Z, don't panic." Sky grinned, and then fished out something from his pocket.

"what's that?" Z asked him, pointing at the paper.

"Z, 'Night Full of Stars' has been released a few days back, and I really wanted to see it, and now that we are dating, and Z, I want to go take you out for this movie, as a date, you know? So Bridge and I went today and got the tickets. Will you go with me?" he asked, so sweetly.

"Night Full of Stars? I think that's the new romcom right?"

"yeah, it's really cute. A guy and a girl meet hiking, and fall in love. So? What do you think? You want to go?" he asked.

"yeah, Sky, why not. Of course I'll go!" Z replied.

Sky did a little dance in his head, but on his face, he only showed a smile, and a kiss to Z.

A/N: Trouble follows at the movie, what will it be? Will Sky and Z make it? Or is a bigger twist coming up?