Disclaimer: The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

BEHIND THE CLOUDS

By Etcetera Kit

Chapter Seven: Good Intentions III

Paris' eyes lit up as Syd explained what she and Z suspected. Bridge hadn't expected her to get this excited about it, but she was. The trio had found her and Austin in the cafeteria, working on something that they had abandoned with their arrival. Technically, Paris was the superior to everyone on the B-Squad and, if she gave Austin an order, he had to follow it.

"It makes perfect sense," she said. "We've always been taught to individually hone our powers and use them as a team, but we've never pitted our powers against one another." She paused and looked thoughtful. "It's such a logical step, but one never taken." There were unspoken words there – their initial training about their powers had been about weaponry, but since they were on the same team, there was no reason to test their powers against one another – especially with the more visible powers that the twins, Sky and Syd had.

"Can we try it?" Z asked.

Paris nodded. "But it's going to take all of us." She shook her head, looking annoyed that she hadn't thought of it. "There's nothing that Austin and I haven't been able to phase through. I just hope this will work."

"It'll take both of us," Austin added. "What you want us to do takes mass amounts of energy and sheer strength." The twins were working in tandem – earlier they had been finishing each other's sentences. It was rare to seem them do that, but natural. That interaction was something the pair didn't get often.

"If we succeed, we'll need the rest of you." Paris glanced at her little sister. "He's already been holding that force field for over three hours – he's going to be weak. All he needs to drop it is a little incentive. Do you still have those diamond earrings?"

"The ones they gave me before I enrolled here?" Paris nodded. "Yeah – they're in my jewelry box." Syd smiled as she realized what Paris was implying. "The setting on them is pretty rotten – I should be able to pry the diamonds out."

"Bridge," she said and he snapped to attention at the mention of his name. "Breaking the force field might cause mental trauma – you're going to have to bring him back to consciousness. Can you do that?"

Bridge took a deep breath. There were times when Sky withdrew into himself when he could barely normally pick up on emotions. If Sky drew much deeper into himself, it would take such sheer amounts of energy to reach him that it was frightening. "I can do it."

"What can I do?" Z asked.

"Crowd control," Paris replied.

Z seemed to understand that answer and was satisfied with it. Normally, Bridge would have been enthusiastic about a new plan of action, especially if it helped someone. Now, he couldn't help but feel that they were grasping at straws. Ultimately, it would be up to the twins to start the process and neither of them knew if they could do it.

"Let's do it," Paris was saying. "We all meet in the infirmary in five minutes."

Various heads bobbed in affirmation before people began to disperse. Bridge stayed where he was at the table, the enormity of the task Paris had set before him making him feel so small and powerless. One of the things he didn't do was flaunt his power – he had been more than happy to give up the gloves and blend with normal society. But this was for Sky – his best friend, his brother… he had to do what he could.

"We should go talk to his father," Z said. "We probably need to get permission."

They were silent as they walked to the infirmary. Life went on as usual around them – only a few cadets had curious looks. The rumor was that Doctor Oliver had already reamed out the infirmary for not calling Sky's dad and botching procedure. Doctor O didn't tend to get livid, but when he did running for the hills was not unprecedented.

Eric Myers was still in Sky's room – Taylor was there as was Wes, Sky's biological father. The trio looked grim – the news that as long as the force field held, Sky would remain alive, but it didn't… no one wanted to think about it. The sad part was that, if it happened, it would happen later that day.

Z explained what they wanted to do and got almost immediate approval. The hope in the trio's eyes was overwhelming. Bridge had always seen the six of them as connected and it appeared that part of that theory was going to be tested.

Paris and Austin reappeared with Syd on their heels. The twins hadn't changed from their pajamas and neither had Syd. The twins were a lot stronger than they appeared – muscles rippled their bare arms. Syd was pulling diamonds from a pair of earrings, cupping the small stones loosely in her hand. Z nodded to them, indicating the approval.

"Ready?" Paris asked as she pulled her hair into a quick ponytail.

Austin nodded and the pair of them took a place on either side of the bed. Sky was still, the force field still going strong. The twins' eyes met, identical shades of blue-gray understanding and passing along some silent communication. They held their hands over Sky's chest, each taking a deep breath.

Without warning, they set their hands on the force field and fell through the blue force field, their hands touching Sky. Bridge held his breath – no one in the room was moving and no one dared to speak, to utter any positive sentiments. It could jinx it. This seemed like a last hope for an otherwise hopeless situation.

The twins exchanged another glance – something passed between them. The joints in their arms snapped rigid and blue sparks flew. Bridge felt his mouth open – they had just made themselves solid, creating a hole in the force field where they had phased through. He hadn't known they could do that – no one had known they could do that. Muscles straining, they moved their hands up, pulling and creating more space in the force field.

Sky remained still.

"Almost there," Austin muttered.

One final push and the twins seemed to have reached their goal.

"Now Syd!" Paris called.

Syd held the diamonds in both her hands, wrapping tight fists around them. With a brief look of concentration, her hands turned into diamond, translucent and shining under the fluorescent lights. She stepped next to Austin – and it was clear what the twins had done. They had created enough space for Syd to get her fists through and underneath the force field. The force field would be gradually weakening and the extra incentive…

Moving quickly, Syd placed both her fists under the force field and, with all her strength, pounded on the force field from the inside out. The first blow caused the whole force field to ripple – the second made it visibly shake, like it wanted to dissipate.

"Come on," Syd said softly.

She brought her fist up again and things seemed to happen all at once. The force field dissolved in an impressive display of blue light and sparks. The twins and Syd were thrown backwards with the force.

And Z's job description of 'crowd control' came to life. As soon as the dissolution of the force field started, she created two replicates, sending each one around the room to catch the twins and Syd. Instead of hitting something or falling on the floor, Z caught each of them, preventing any more injuries.

"Bridge!" Austin yelled from where the real Z was holding him upright.

He hurried to Sky – now free of the force field. Without thinking, he placed his hands on Sky's temples and dove into his mind. The surface was mostly white mist, indicating that Sky had withdrawn deeply into himself. Bridge ran forward, free of a body in this state.

Sky! SKY!

Plunging deep into the mist, he saw a figure huddled in the middle of a barren wasteland. He ran forward, realizing that it was Sky. He was sitting with his arms wrapped around his legs, looking scared and unable to move.

Sky? He held out a hand. It's all right.

There was no recognition in those blue-gray eyes. They seemed empty and haunted by horrors unknown. Bridge touched his arm.

Sky… you can't stay here. You'll die.

Sky looked up, the blankness on his face terrifying. It's safe here. I can see all of you and I know that you're safe.

But you can't touch us – you can't interact.

I don't know you.

It's Bridge – you have to come with me. I'm your brother!

Brother?

A light slowly came into his eyes and a frown came over his face, like he was trying to remember. He dropped his arms from around his legs, his posture becoming more fluid and relaxed, like it should have been when Bridge found him.

You're my brother?

Bridge nodded. I'm your brother.

This time, when he held out a hand, Sky took it. He hauled Sky to his feet, but he stumbled, obviously hadn't regained use of his body. Bridge pulled one of Sky's arms over his shoulder, wrapping his free arm around his waist. If Sky couldn't walk out of the misty place, then Bridge was going to carry him.

The walk out seemed to take forever, but he kept going. Abruptly, he was thrown back into consciousness – into the real world. He was holding Sky close to his chest, Sky's head against his shoulder and his hands clutching his shirt. Sky slowly opened his eyes and focused on Bridge's face. "Bridge?" he whispered.

"Yeah," he replied, feeling relief so acutely he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Sky's eyelids drooped shut.

Panic lurched in Bridge's stomach. "No!" he cried. "You can't leave!"

"Leave?" Sky said softly, wrenching his eyes open. "Why would I go anywhere? I'm just tired and I want to sleep."

"Okay." The panic subsided. "You can sleep."

The Blue Ranger's eyes were closed and he was breathing evenly as Bridge eased him away from his chest, lowering him back onto the bed. He stood up, but almost immediately felt his knees give out. Z caught him before he fell and he leaned against her, trying to regain his balance. He suddenly felt exhausted.

"I think you need to sleep now, too," she whispered.

He was too tired to argue. Vaguely, he registered Eric commenting on how they actually succeeded. Paris and Austin both looked sore, like neither wanted to move their arms. Syd was gently stroking Sky's hair, the look of love on her face unmistakable. Bridge allowed himself to be led away to the girls' room and surrendered to sleep.

Something beeping and there was an uncomfortable pinching sensation in his arm. Sky cracked his eyes open and blinked, trying to focus on his surroundings. Harsh fluorescent light made the room seem bare and uninviting. He blinked again and took in the regular menagerie at the foot of his bed – Peanuts, Olive and his old teddy bear. Someone had also put his train blanket over his middle and covered it with Z's baby blanket. He turned on his side and saw Taylor sitting in the chair next to his bed – she had her laptop out and her fingers were flying over the keyboard, probably something for work.

What had happened?

He glanced down at his left arm and saw the IV – and he was hooked up to a heart monitor which was beeping at regular intervals. He raised his right hand to his forehead – the last thing he remembered was putting a force field around Bridge. How had he ended up in the infirmary and what was Taylor doing here?

Taylor glanced up from her laptop and smiled. "Good – you're awake."

"What happened?" he croaked.

"Long story." Taylor closed the laptop and set it on the nightstand next to his bed. "You managed to put a force field around yourself – the others got you out of it." She scooted her chair closer to the bed and took his hand.

"Who put all this junk here?" he asked, motioning towards the stuffed animals and blankets. He allowed Taylor to help him into a sitting position.

"Syd," she replied. "That was before Austin made her go to bed." Taylor gave him a wry smile. "I also got to hear the story about how Peanuts survived Syd and Paris' adoption."

"So these guys are cheerleaders?"

"Sort of." Taylor gently placed a hand on the side of his face. "You scared us."

"Where's Dad?"

"In the cafeteria with Wes."

"Who called Wes? I thought Jen was supposed to have the baby tomorrow."

Taylor rolled her eyes. "That's another long story involving extremely messed up procedures – more than one person was livid about it."

Sky leaned back against the headboard of the bed. He didn't remember anything beyond putting that force field around Bridge. That had been a fleeting success – he recalled knowing that the force field had worked, whatever had been attacking Bridge stopped and he hadn't hurt Bridge with that idea. The others had apparently been in and out from the transitional objects in his bed – he felt like he needed to remember something, but couldn't.

"Welcome to the land of the living."

He glanced up as his father walked into the room. Eric smiled at him and he returned the grin. Seeing as he lived so close to the academy, he didn't make it home as much as he would have liked to. Most people around him thought that his situation was odd – especially after he learned that Eric was his godfather. It didn't matter – as far as he was concerned, Eric was his real father and nothing could take that away.

"Wes will be back in a few minutes," his father continued. "He's getting a grand tour of what all that money he donated bought."

Sky didn't reply, just accepted the hug his father offered.

"And you'll be glad to know I chased away Paris," he added.

"What did she want?"

"Wanted to know if you would be up and about for auditions tonight." Eric shrugged. "The doctor told her no way, so she's roped Z into helping her."

Eric and Taylor were sitting next to each other now. They were his parents growing up – while Eric had officially been his father, Taylor had been the closest thing he had to a mother. She didn't like being a shoulder to cry on and didn't like the image of a maternal caregiver, but he had always known she cared about him. He vaguely recalled, when he had been six, that she had a soft spot for Bridge. There was a heart underneath it all.

Wes came into the room. "Message for you from Paris." He handed Sky an envelope. Sky wanted to groan – whatever Paris wanted now, it couldn't be good. He met his real father's gaze, holding it for just a moment longer than necessary. His real parents had understood that he viewed Eric as his father and they didn't want him to change all that – so far, they had been patient and understanding, trying to bring him slowly into their lives. Confusion surrounded the whole situation, because he still went to Eric for advice.

"How's Jen?" he asked, ripping open the envelope. He pulled out a piece of white paper that Austin and Paris had colored all over – it said 'Get Well Soon' in huge letters. The twins thought they were funny – someone had lied and told them that.

"She's fine – the important thing is how are you?"

"Better."

Sky wished he could sort things out, wished that the decisions surrounding his family were easy to make. He was just glad that Gemma would not have the same problems he did.

Bridge had been asleep a few hours, his head resting on her stomach. Z had dozed for a while, but found it much more relaxing to watch Bridge sleep. He looked more childlike in sleep – so peaceful yet so vulnerable. She gently ran her fingers through his messy hair. Paris had drafted her to help with callbacks that night – but those didn't start for some time.

Not too much had happened all day since they broke the force field around Sky. Aside from being drafted by Paris, Austin had shown up earlier with Bridge's morpher and cell phone. According to their Red Ranger, he had talked to Bridge's mother, reassuring her that everything was fine and Bridge was just sleeping. He gave Z the number that Bridge's parents might be calling from and instructed her to answer the phone if they called again. Anything else, the order was to let his voicemail get it.

She thought back to last week – had it only been a week since the rehearsal dinner? Bridge hadn't said anything about his adopted mother bothering him, but that didn't mean that she hadn't. Between auditions and the chaos last night and today, it seemed likely that Bridge wouldn't have mentioned any further incidents. What in the world that woman wanted to talk to Bridge for was beyond her. Most of them knew the bare bones story of Bridge's adopted life – not because he had told them something, but because he let things slip without thinking about it. She couldn't fathom how Bridge had come out relatively normal, with being psychotic from the treatment he had endured.

"Z?"

"Hmmm?" She gently kissed Bridge's forehead as he looked at her, trying to smooth down his hair – which was all over the place.

"I feel like a million bucks – green and wrinkled."

Z smiled. "Your mother called."

"Oh yeah?" Bridge shifted so that he was stretched out next to her instead of using her for a makeshift pillow. His hands touched bare skin from where her pajama top had ridden up her torso. She shivered at the light touch, how it teased her skin.

"She wanted to make sure you're all right."

"Who talked to her?"

"Austin."

"Oh – that's cool. He's all diplomatic and stuff."

Z shook her head, smiling. "You definitely feel better." Since they had broken the force field, most of the parents had dispersed. Her dad headed back to Turtle Cove after having lunch with her and a half-asleep Bridge. Syd's mother had left shortly after that too – double-checking Sky before she left. However, the last she heard, Syd's Uncle Ryan was still hanging around with Paris and Austin. Wes had gone back to Silver Hills – while Eric and Taylor were staying with Sky overnight.

Bridge reached across her and picked up his cell phone, scanning through the missed calls. A frown came over his face as he paused.

"What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing…"

"You're a bad liar."

Bridge shrugged. "There's a reason no one takes me on undercover missions."

"Don't change the subject."

Letting out a long breath, he sat up. Z had never seen him look so lost – sure, he always seemed to be puzzled and rambling, but this took the cake. Maybe he was overloaded from too much happening in a short period of time, most of which was not positive. "It's my adopted mother," he started. "She's called a couple of times, but hasn't left a message." He ran a hand through his hair, succeeding in making it look wilder. "I don't know – I mean I'm afraid that my mom might get upset if I talk to her, not to mention my dad."

"Just talk to them about it – they'll understand."

"It's just – I don't want her back in my life. Things have been going so right."

Z took his hand, threading her fingers through his. She understood his confusion, the feeling that all he had worked for was being threatened. In a way, she had it easier than the others. She had lived in a group home and then the streets, never had an adopted or even a foster family. The closest family she ever had on the streets was Mrs. Mancuso and, later, Jack. But she wouldn't have referred to either in familial terms.

"Bridge," she said seriously. "You have nothing to feel guilty about. If anything, it's your adopted family that should feel guilty for ignoring you all those years."

"I know," he replied with a sigh. "It's just hard."

"No one ever said it would be easy."

To Be Continued...

Author's Note: Well, I got to thinking about it and I realized that I haven't done reviewer responses or even reviewer shout-outs for this piece yet. In light of that, it is high time for me to do so. Reviewer responses for those wonderful people who reviewed chapter 6:

alexis - I like a good cliffhanger as much as the next person. :) Your reviews are always so frantic and entertaining - I hope this chapter has answered a lot of your questions!

Anastasia Athene - The plan just got revealed:) I'm glad you enjoyed the Bridge/Z moments in the last chapter. Those two have such depth to their relationship and I have yet to explore a lot of it. On the parental note, there's going to be a lot more focusing on these kids' relationships with their parents so stay tuned! Glad you're liking this!

BloomingViolets - I'm glad that you like the characterization and relationships between all the characters in this chapter. (Ironically enough, I saw Badge today and really wanted to go back and change the doctor to Doctor Felix.) At any rate, Bond Enforcement is in the very early stages of reworking. I'm working on redoing the first chapter so that it is just Eric and Cam initially - and they go to the grocery store... :) But, I'm glad you're liking this piece!

garnetred - I think you're the first person to put two and two together (in the reviews at any rate!) Way to be a sharp reader:) I'm glad you're liking it!

Giannola - The baby's birth will come into this very soon and, of course, everyone will be around to see her birth. :) So all's well that ends well. Glad you're liking this! (And I just got to thinking - I'm pretty sure you've been reviewing my stuff since Roaring on the Wind. If so, then it's totally awesome that you're still around!)

Jeremy - Thanks! I do try to update every two to four days - sometimes it happens and sometimes not. :)

missy - Thanks:)

redandblack 4eva - Never fear, Sky isn't going to die! lol Thanks for reviewing:)

Samurai-Nashie - Interesting comparison! I honestly have to say that the inspiration for this sequence didn't come from that piece - the inspiration for the sequence in chapter 6 was the Exorcism of Emily Rose (the initial scene in the dorm room where the demon presses her into the bed and she has to physically fight this invisible demon off.) My thought was 'what if something intervened' and the something here was Sky. The sequence in Sky's mind came from the Black Jewels Trilogy. (There are parts of those books where Jaenelle, the main character, describes a misty place in her mind where she goes to retreat from the world.) It made sense to me that a similar place would be where Bridge would find Sky. So after a really long-winded response, very interesting and flattering comparison:)

Weesta - Evil:) I've been accused of it before. Ryan's appearance in all of this will come into play quite soon - I promise! And no one who read Restless Warriors will forget what I did to Dustin. I promise I don't plan on killing anyone else off anytime in the near future. (Unless I think of a good reason for it and I don't have any reasons to here.) :) Ninja twin? lol - Lots of twins around here, but none of them are ninjas. I'm glad you're liking the piece!