Chapter Twenty
"And this is the rec room." Shadow led Tommy into the room. The old Ranger was greeted by the awed stares of the cadets lounging around. He smiled and greeted them all. A handful of female cadets blushed and giggled. Shadow rolled her eyes at their reaction. Why was it that every woman her grandfather encountered, even those her own age, flirted with him? True he was handsome, but ew.
"Shadow," he set a hand on her shoulder, "can we talk, privately."
"Sure." Shadow nodded and led him down the hall to her room. She worried as they walked. What could he possibly need to talk about with her that was so important he had to say it away from others?
She sat on her bed, knees pulled up against her chest, and waited for Tommy to talk. He settled at the foot of the bed and surveyed her carefully. Silence fell over them.
Finally, Shadow couldn't take it anymore.
"Grandpa, what's going on?"
"Commander Cruger told me how you cam to be a Power Ranger." Tommy's words surprised Shadow. That's why he had needed to talk with her?
"What's so important about that?" She wondered aloud. Her grandfather sighed.
"You were in the park buying drugs, weren't you?" Heat crept up the back of Shadow's neck and over her face.
"How did you-"
"I'm your grandfather, Shadow, it's my job to know what you're doing."
"You knew about my using? How come you never told anyone?" She looked at him, their eyes meeting.
Shadow had always felt a deep connection to her grandfather, a connection she had never felt with anyone else. He was always there to talk to, always willing to help her out should she need it. He was one of the few in their family who would call her by the name she adopted for herself. They had so much in common that some days it seemed that they were more friends than grandfather and granddaughter.
"It wasn't my place." He said. Shadow ducked her head. His answer was just like Sky's.
Shadow's heart ached at the thought of Sky. How could she trust him anymore now that he had kissed her? Her mind instantly turned to the kiss.
It had been a nice kiss. A very nice kiss actually. One that had made her heart thud inside her chest and butterflies swarm her stomach. And his lips. Shadow blushed at the thought of Sky's lips, so firm and gentle against her own.
"I was hoping that you'd be able to beat this on your own." Tommy said, breaking through Shadow's thoughts.
"You're not still using, are you?" He asked, searching her eyes.
"No." She shook her head, "I'm not."
Thanks to Sky. Shadow mentally shook her head. She couldn't think about Sky right now.
"That's good." Tommy smiled at her and wrapped her in a tight hug. Shadow held on to him, wishing that she was a child again, sitting on her grandfather's knee. Everything had been so simple back then. She hadn't had to worry about her boyfriend wanting to protect her from her Ranger duties, and she certainly hadn't had to deal with feelings for someone who wasn't her boyfriend but who she cared for all the same.
"Now," Tommy pulled away and grinned at Shadow, "tell me what is going on with you and Cadet Tate."
"Sky?" Shadow gaped at Tommy. "Nothing is going on between me and Sky."
Liar. The little voice inside her head berated her.
"Actually," she said, "I'm going out with Jack…Cadet Landers."
"The red Ranger. Very ambitious of you." Tommy smirked, teasing her just like he did her grandmother.
"Yeah well, what can I say, I'm a very ambitious person." Shadow shrugged, matching his smirk.
"Did you hear the news?" Syd asked excitedly as she entered the rec room.
"What news?" Jack looked up from the game he and Bridge were playing.
"Cruger has planned a dance for SPD in honor of Dr. Oliver's arrival." The pink Ranger squealed in delight.
"A dance?" Sky frowned. He didn't like dances, there was too much pressure to dress nice. And besides, Sky did not dance.
"Yep, isn't that great?" Any idiot could tell that Syd was fighting the urge to jump up and down and clap her hands like a little kid. She looked as if Christmas had come early.
"When is it?" Z asked, hardly looking up from the magazine she was reading.
"Tonight." The magazine dropped from Z's hands and she looked up at Syd with wide eyes.
"And we're supposed to find dates by tonight?" She asked. Syd shrugged.
"I guess."
"Great." Z sighed and sagged in her chair.
"If you want, I'll be your date." Bridge offered, blushing a little as everyone turned to look at him. "What?" He asked.
Sky shook his head. Why was everyone so wrapped up in this dance anyway? It was just something stupid that required them all to make fools of themselves.
"Well I know I don't have to worry about a date." Jack smiled. "Not since Shadow and I have decided that we are now officially a couple."
Oh, gag me. Sky thought. Why do we even want to hear about what he and Shadow do? That's right, we don't. We don't want to hear about their dates and their making-out. It's disgusting.
It's only disgusting, because you wish it was you that Shadow was dating and making-out with. The annoying voice in Sky's head taunted him.
Shadow entered the room just then, as if summoned by Sky's thoughts. Dr. Oliver followed her. Sky still couldn't believe that the Dr. Tommy Oliver had come to SPD. He couldn't believe that he had spoken with him, shaken his hand even. Dr. Oliver was Sky's role model, the man, the Ranger, that Sky wanted to be. Sure Sky still wanted to be like his father, but Tommy Oliver was a legend among Power Rangers. The best Power Ranger to ever exist.
Tommy nodded a greeting to everyone before his eyes fixed on Jack.
"Cadet Landers," he said, "a word please."
A surge of jealousy went through Sky. What could Dr. Oliver possibly want to talk to Jack about? Sky quickly shook the thought from his mind. It was probably just Ranger business and, since Jack was the red Ranger, it seemed obvious that Tommy would talk to him.
Shadow joined the other Rangers as Jack and Dr. Oliver walked into the hall. She sat beside Z and picked up the magazine that the yellow Ranger had dropped.
"So, what's going on?" She asked them, a smirk on her face.
"There's a dance tonight." Syd said, jumping on the chance to reopen the whole dance conversation.
"Really? Sounds fun." Shadow did, indeed, seem excited by the idea. Sky could imagine why. He could just picture Shadow dancing, her body carried away with the music. It just seemed so…right. She looked up from the magazine and caught him looking at her. Sky quickly looked away, but not before seeing the small smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth.
Alrighty folks, so it was a relatively short chapter, but next chapter should be longer because there is going to be a lot of stuff to cover. Next chapter will have the dance and something interesting conversations and revelations. Please don't forget to review and cast your vote for who you want Shadow to end up with. Right now the count is at:
Sky- 70
Jack-61
This story is quickly coming to a close and you only have roughly three more chapters in which to vote. So, if you want either Sky or Jack to win, please vote.
