Variations Of Pink
Chapter 7: Confessions Pt. 1
Lat Revised: August 16, 2005

Summary: First of many confessions….
Rating: T though it may change later
Disclaimer: I don't own PR, Disney does.
AN: Thank you aquarius12285 for the comment on Sky's powers, see, I didn't know they couldn't use their powers while morphed – I so cannot wait until Sept 6, so I can buy the next two DVD's. So, for this story gang, just imagine they can use their genetic powers morphed as well.

AN2: This chapter is dedicated to BloomingViolets, who told me that she'd basically like to see Sky get teased a bit more and that I should include a few more Syd/Sky moments – hope this tides you over on the Syd/Sky moments. :grins:

"I don't fear insects or spiders. At great heights, I jump off, smiling. In the face of death I wink. But, when I look into your eyes, I'm in fear of how much I love you." Unknown

"You can't help who you love, you're not supposed to." From the movie Save The Last Dance

"Hey Syd, have you talked to your parents?" Z asked as the two girls lounged on their beds.

"Not since they talked to us earlier," Syd told her best friend as she stared up at the ceiling. "They're meeting up with some old friends this afternoon, so I'm guessing I'll have to give them a complete report of what happened out there this afternoon, tomorrow when Sky and I go have lunch with them."

Z laughed. "I'm sure Sky's gonna love that."

Syd frowned. "It's not gonna be bad, Z. Why would you make it sound like that?"

The Yellow Ranger sat up and turned to look at her friend. "You have no clue, do you?"

"No clue about what?" Syd demanded to know.

"Sky's in love with you."

Z's mouth snapped shut at the shocked look on Syd's face. Apparently, the Pink Ranger hadn't known of their friend's feelings toward her. "You didn't know, did you?"

"Not funny Z!" Syd cried.

"I'm not joking; ask Bridge and Jack if you don't believe me. Sky's in love with you, so trust me, this bodyguard assignment of his is perfect for him, but I don't know how he's gonna react to being around your parents."

Z stood and stretched before making her way out of their room, knowing she'd left the Pink Ranger a huge chunk of information to digest.

He sighed for the hundredth time as he sat and listened to his grandfather lecture him about leaving S.P.D. to run the family business. "Grandpa, no offense, but I'm not a businessman, I'm a Power Ranger."

"Your father managed to do both!" Sky's grandfather argued.

"Dad, leave him be!" a younger man, somewhere in his forties with silver highlighted blondish hair, called out as he rolled his eyes at his farther. "Sky's doing what he wants to in life, something it took you forever to let me do."

"Wesley."

"Come on Dad," a beautiful brunette chided as she entered the room, carrying a bowl of fruit with her. "Wes' right, Sky's doing what he wants, and we couldn't be prouder of him."

"Jennifer, the boy needs to be groomed to take over the family business when his time comes."

"Mr. Collins, the Kid is smart as a whip, trust me when I say he'll be ready," the Asian man striding into the room told the gray haired man he nearly considered his surrogate father. Eric felt like this was his family, but there were sometimes when the eldest of the Collins men got on his nerves like no other. "So, Sky, what's with this new assignment your mom was telling us about?" Eric asked, sitting down at the table with his nephew.

Sky looked stricken at the thought of relaying this with his grandfather there, but his parents and uncle were all former Rangers, he knew they'd understand. "Well, we found out Sydney was adopted."

Eric's eyebrows drew up in question while both Jen and Wes went still. "Who told her?" Wes asked, his voice filled with pain.

"Her parents. Why didn't you tell me she was Tommy and Kim's daughter, and that Jason and Katherine had adopted her?" Sky shot back at his father, the infamous Scotts temper he'd inherited from his mother written clearly on his face.

"Would it have changed how you thought of her? Would it change what you feel for her?" Jen asked, laying a hand on her husband's arm while she stared at her son.

"No."

Jen nodded. "Tommy and Kimberly were original Rangers, as I'm sure Jason told you," Jen told Sky, who nodded. "Sky, they died in the line of duty, but more importantly, your father and I share the responsibility of possibly having killed them because of our orders. That's why we didn't tell you," Jen proceeded to explain.

"Loosing someone you work with on a daily basis isn't easy, loosing someone you consider your predecessor is even harder, but what's worse, we loved them like family. You and Sydney practically grew up together the first six years of your life and the first four of hers, and after Tommy and Kim died, it was too painful for all of us involved to deal with it."

"That's why Jason and Katharine moved her away from New Tech City. The memories were too much."

Sky nodded, closing his eyes as the pain bore down on his heart. He'd lost his best friend in the whole wide world when he was six because she'd disappeared suddenly, and his parents had only ever said she'd moved away; twelve years later he'd found another friend, one who knew him just as well, and it had taken another three before he found out that she and the little girl with auburn pigtails and doe brown eyes were one in the same.

"You okay, Kiddo?" Eric asked, clasping Sky's shoulder, watching his nephew nod numbly.

"Syd's in trouble."

Sky noticed the alarm that appeared on his family's faces. His grandfather remained silent, as did his uncle, but his mother was out of her chair in an instant and hugging him to her while his father shook his head.

"She's ok, right?"

Sky nodded. "For now. Something's happening. She's having mood swings, hallucinations, her hair and eye color keep changing. She nearly killed the new B Squad Rangers during battle this afternoon."

"Cruger take her off active duty?" Eric asked his eyes intense and focused on Sky.

"No. He seems to think her powers will save her. I'm to be her personal bodyguard for the time being." Sky grinned at his father, whose face had taken on a mischievous look.

Wes took a sip of his water before he opened his mouth. "Just be careful, and I don't mean just in battle."

Eric, Mr. Collins and Wes laughed as Sky's face went bright red. Jen merely continued to hug her son. "She'll be safe with you with her. By the way, Sky, have you told her how you feel about her?"

Ashamed, Sky bent his head, not wanting to look his mother in the eyes. "Schuyler Tate Collins, don't tell me you still haven't told her you have feelings for her? You've been in love with her since you met up again."

"I've never found the right time," Sky argued back weakly, receiving knowing looks from the other three males of his family.

"Tomorrow, Sky, bring her over for dinner. I'm sure she'd like to talk to your mom and me about her parents."

Sky nodded at his father while his mother resumed her seat and they started in on their dinner.

It was late when he trudged into the Academy. Most of the staff was in bed, and the few that were up were probably working night shift. He nodded to the guard at the entrance and moved down the corridor toward the dormitory.

He walked into the common room and made for the door to his and Bridge's room when he saw a figured huddled in one of the chairs, rocking back and forth. Prowling over softly, he discovered it was Sydney, curled up with Peanuts, and she was crying.

"Syd, what are you doing out here?" he asked softly, crouching down in front of her.

"Trying not to wake up Z," she croaked her voice barely a whisper to his ears. "Have a nice dinner with your parents?"

He nodded and then shook his head at her. Leaning forward, Sky tossed his jacked on the back of the chair and then scooped Syd up, before he turned with her in his arms and sat in the chair, nestling Syd in his lap. "What got you crying?" he asked, tucking her head under his chin and wrapping his arms around her.

"Everything," she murmured, nuzzling his neck softly, inhaling the spicy tang of his aftershave. In moments like this, Syd knew she was safest. It was as if the rest of the world beyond Sky's arms simply didn't exist.

"I learned something interesting tonight," he told her, wanting to take her mind off whatever was bothering her. "Remember how you told me you had a friend when you were little, who you never heard from again after you moved away from New Tech City?"

Syd nodded slightly, leaning her head against his shoulder. "He was my best friend, and my protector."

"Your dad never told you who he was, did he?"

"No, why?"

"I found out who he is for you," Sky teased.

Sydney sat up and turned her head, staring straight into the blueness of Sky's eyes. "How? Who?"

Sky grinned and stuck out his hand, as if to shake hers. "Long time no see, old friend."

The Pink Ranger gasped softly. "You? But how?"

The Blue Ranger merely chuckled and pulled Sydney back to his chest, so that she was once against cuddled against him. "My parents told me. I guess our families were pretty close before you parents died. I was even at the hospital the day you were born."

A lump of emotion clogged Syd's throat as she thought of the little boy with deep blue eyes and brown hair falling in his face, the little boy who'd pushed her on the swings and who'd kissed her knee when she'd scraped it trying to climb a tree. That little boy was her best friend, her teammate, her protector, and most of all he was the man she loved beyond measure.

"Oh Sky," she cried out, moving to wrap her arms around his neck.

Sky hugged her tightly, savoring the feel of having his best friend, his teammate, his confidant, the woman he loved totally and irrevocably in his arms. "You up for dinner date tomorrow?"

Syd pulled back, shocked. "Huh?"

"My parents invited you to have dinner with us. They figured afterward you could grill them on your birth parents, seeing as how it might be a little less painful for them to talk to you then for your mom and dad to talk to you."

"I'm suppose to have dinner with my parents."

Sky nodded and then grinned. "Call them in the morning and invite them. I'm sure my parents won't mind the extra company."

"Thank you, Sky," she sighed, snuggling against him. 'I love you, Sky.'

"Your welcome, Syd," he murmured into her hair, his hand caressing her back in a soothing manner. 'I love you, Syd.'