Variations Of Pink
Chapter 9: Interlude
Last Revised: August 18, 2005
Summary: Some fluff before I start getting into the heavy stuff
Rating: T, though it may change
Disclaimer: I don't own PR, Disney does
AN: This may be the last chapter for a week or two, as I'm gonna try and dive back into Return Of The Great Power and Ranger Games: A Dino Thunder Reunion, but you never know, as it seems my muse is stuck on this story….
Some people live their lives in compromise,
And hide their dreams away
Some never take the chance, within their hands,
To claim the prize they make
When faith is all you need, to hold the hand of destiny,
Find the love that's meant to be
Michael Bolton "Once In A Lifetime"
Sky sighed as he drove back to the academy. The dinner at his parents' house didn't go quite as planned. He'd wanted Sydney to be able to forget her problems for one night. Instead, the entire after dinner conversation had been about her parents and focused on their new enemy and his plan for the Pink Ranger.
Syd was sitting next to him, leaning against his shoulder, fast asleep. Sky had to grin, she always seemed to fall asleep when she was with him, whether it was in the car after dinner or in the common room watching a movie. Pulling into the parking lot, Sky debated how to wake her.
Deciding it was better to just let her sleep, Sky parked the jeep in its space, and moved Sydney so that she was laying more on her own seat than on his shoulder. Quickly, Sky moved around the outside of the jeep to Syd's side, lifted her into his arms, and carried her toward the building.
Effortlessly, the Blue Ranger took his teammate into the academy. He was thankful the hallways leading to the dormitory were empty, he'd hate to alarm anyone needlessly simply by carrying the sleeping Sydney to her room.
When Sky got to the Common Room, he found Bridge an Z curled up together on the couch watching a movie, or they had been before they'd fallen asleep against each other. Jack was stretched out on the floor, a pile of comic books and cards strewn around him. He too was asleep. Shaking his head, Sky continued on to the girls' room.
Just as Sky was laying Syd down on her bed, he felt her arms come up and tighten around his neck. "Sky?"
"We're home, Syd. Get some sleep," he told her gently.
"Sky!" she cried out softly, tightening her grip even more.
The Blue Ranger was shocked to see tears once again in Syd's beautiful eyes. "Syd, what's wrong?"
"Stay with me, please," she begged. Warring against his better judgment, the man in khaki slacks and blue polo nodded. Kicking off his shoes, Sky nudged Sydney over and climbed into the narrow bed with her.
After a few minutes of trying to make themselves comfortable, the two Rangers finally settled down. Sky sighed and closed his eyes, smiling at their positions. He was leaning against the wall behind the bed, Syd's pillow tucked behind him. Sydney was laying on her right side, facing Z's bed, her head settled on his chest so that her ear was right above his heart. Their arms were wrapped around each other as they both drifted off.
Z sleepily stumbled into her and Syd's room, hoping to catch a few more hours of sleep before it was time to get up and train and patrol. What she found startled her.
Sydney and Sky were sharing the Pink Ranger's narrow bed, arms wrapped around each other, legs intertwining, and heads resting next to one another. Rolling her eyes, Z grabbed her pajamas and headed into the bathroom. When she came back out, she shook her head at her friends then headed for Bridge and Sky's room.
"Hmm?" Bridge mumbled, sitting up at the sight of the tank top and short clad Z sitting on the edge of his bed. "What is it Z?"
"Can I bunk in here tonight? Sky fell asleep in our room, with Syd, and I'd rather not be there when they get up."
Bridge nodded enthusiastically and grinned. "Sure. You can sleep on Sky's bed, or on mine, or you can take the floor, or I can take the floor, or you can share my bed with me, or…"
Z brought her fingers up to rest on Bridge's lips, silencing his rambling. She smiled shyly, Bridge obviously getting her answer. Quickly the green clad man scooted over, allowing Z to crawl in with him, the pair of them instinctively curling together.
"We so have to get Jack a girlfriend."
The Yellow Ranger laughed at Bridge's comment and closed her eyes, drifting off into sleep.
Sky woke alone. He panicked when he realized he'd spent the entire night in the girls' room. Sitting up, he noticed his uniform was laying at the foot of Sydney's bed, a note attached in Syd's graceful hand writing.
Sky,
Bridge brought over your uniform. I had morning shift. See you at lunch.
Love Syd
Sky shook his head at the note, grabbed his clothes, and headed to shower.
The command center was eerily quiet when Sky entered. "Commander."
"Running a little late this morning, Cadet? Your assignment left two hours ago and is already patrolling the city."
"Can you tell me where she is so I can go join her?" Sky asked through clenched teeth.
Commander Cruger merely looked at the Blue Ranger in surprise. It was seldom Sky lost his cool with his superior officers.
"East quadrant, near the harbor."
Sky saluted and then turned and fled the base. "What love won't push a man to do," the Commander muttered, shaking his head.
"Commander?"
"Yes?"
"Here's the itinerary for the Officer's Ball. We've almost got the guest list completed."
Cruger smiled at the cadet as he took the clipboard from her. "Thank you. I'll have this back to you with any necessary changes by the end of the day."
"Thank you, Sir."
Sydney was making a note in her log book and taking a sip of her water after she finished patrolling the waterfront when she got the crap scared out of her.
"Do you love scaring me or what?" a voice angrily asked, making the Pink Ranger jump in her seat.
"SKY!" she hissed, punching him in the shoulder. "Talk about scaring people."
Sky glared at her, his anger evaporating until it was replaced by the gnawing fear that something had happened to her, which then seemed to settle as he saw her glaring at him. "How am I supposed to watch out for you if you take off without me?"
Sydney had the grace to blush. "Sorry."
"Sorry? Sydney, I can't protect you if you're not with me!" he nearly yelled.
The Pink Ranger nodded. Sky shook his head and leaned against the jeep she sat in. "Everything normal out here?"
"Yeah. Just have to check the factory district before I head in."
"Lets go, I'll follow you on my bike."
Syd nodded and started the jeep. She waited until Sky flashed his lights at her before she pulled away from the curb and took off down the street.
"What's with the chatter around here?" Sky asked when he and Sydney entered the common room. The whole base was buzzing with excitement.
Z handed over a brightly colored flier to the Pink Ranger. "An Officers Ball?" Syd quipped, with Sky looking over her shoulder. She almost whimpered with how close he was to her, with how she could smell his aftershave and feel the heat of his body even through four layers of clothing.
"Yep. Two weeks from today," Jack laughed. "I need to get me a date." Bridge laughed with him.
"What about Z?" Sky inquired.
"Nope. She's going with Bridge." The Pink and Blue Rangers smiled at their teammates.
"Finally!" Syd teased. Both Bridge and Z flushed. Sydney had been trying to set them up for a few months now.
"What about you, Syd?" Bridge questioned, grinning at how close his best friends were standing to one another, completely oblivious to the way they looked together.
The petite Ranger shrugged. "I'll probably skip."
The other four Rangers' mouths dropped open. "Skip? You?" Z gasped.
"I don't have anyone to go with. You'll be with Bridge, Jack's going to find some pretty and intelligent girl to go with the almighty Red Ranger, and we all know Sky isn't going to go. I don't feel like going stag, it's not fun. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a weapons demonstration in twenty minutes. I still want to change and get there early. Later!"
The four remaining Rangers looked at one another before three sets of eyes landed on Sky. "WHAT?"
"Aren't you going to ask Syd to the dance? I mean, come on Sky! This is your big chance!" Jack prodded.
Sky shook his head. "She wouldn't want to go with me, or did she not make that clear enough for the rest of you."
"HELLO?" Z growled, slapping the Blue Ranger upside the back of his head. "She just completely left that conversation open for you to invite her, and instead you stood there like a dork. ASK HER!"
"What if I don't want to go myself?"
"Then don't go," Bridge told him, shushing the others. "But you're never going to get a more perfect chance to tell Syd how you feel than the night of that dance. Besides, you heard what Desdemona said, or have you forgotten this quickly. This Emperor dude is out for revenge on Syd, if we can't stop them, you won't have another chance to tell her."
"And then you'll be wondering for the rest of your life how she felt about you," Jack supplied.
"Besides, I kind of already told Syd how you feel about her, it's about time you did something about it before she thinks I was joking."
The three males turned their attention to where Z was, looking sheepish and apologetic. "YOU WHAT?"