A/N: Final chapter, folks! Again thanks for the reviews. Hope you enjoy! Songfic Chapter w/ the song "Only One" by Yellowcard.

Chapter 14

Yesterday's Feelings

Bridge and Jack exchange awkward looks as they turn their gazes back at Serenity. The room fell silent until Jack brought up the question that was on both of their minds. "What are you doing here?"

She folded her arms across her chest and smirks. "I came here with Sky."

Their eyes widen in unison as they look around behind her in hopes that she was speaking the truth. "Where is he?" They asked, looking for him.

"He's out searching for Z," she responds. "During the bus ride here, he swore he spotted her on the streets."

Bridge deeply sighs as he scratches the back of his neck. "I should go and find her as well, make sure she's all alright."

"Bridge right? Yeah, Sky told me all about you. You're the guy getting cozy with Z when they were together."

"Hey!" Jack points a finger towards her direction as if giving her a warning. "You better watch it." He gives Bridge the nod as he exits the room.

"Look," Serenity raises her hands up defensively. "I'm not here to cause trouble; I just want to make something crystal clear."

"I don't want to hear it. You should go now."

"I believe you and your friend were misunderstood." She says as Jack furrows his eyebrows and listens carefully. "I'm not Sky's girlfriend."

"Oh so you're his wife?" He blurts out.

"No." Serenity scoffs while rolling her eyes. "That would be disgusting."

"Huh?"

She smiles. "Surprise, I'm his stepsister."

Jack's eyes grew larger as his mouth fell open in complete shock. Moments later, Syd walks in the room and drops her shopping bags at the sight of her. "Oh my God!"

Jack turns his glance over to the blonde. "Syd, it's not what it looks!"

A smile crept over her face as he watches Syd and Serenity scream in excitement and exchange hugs. Jack covers his ears to block out the loud screaming while continuing to look on in bewilderment.

"I can't believe it's you!" Syd shrieks elatedly as soon as they broke apart. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I'm actually here with Sky."

"Sky!" Syd wanders her eyes around the room for him. "Where?"

Serenity pursed her lips. "He's not here; he's actually out looking for Z."

"Oh my God!" The blonde is thrilled at the thought. "That's great news!"

"You think it will turn out well?"

"You kidding?" Syd smiles happily. "Z has been waiting for him. They are so meant to be."

Jack arches his brow weirdly as he breaks in their conversation. "Ahem." He coughs to grab their attention as they follow his glance. "Uh…how do you two know each other?"

Serenity places an arm around her long time friend. "When Sky and Syd use to date she would hang out around the house and we'd talk about lots of things.

"And eventually, we became really close friends." Syd added with a giggle. "But wait a minute," she pauses in mid-sentence, staring at Jack and Serenity suspiciously, "How do you guys know each other?"

Serenity looks at Jack and smirks. "You mean you don't know?" Syd furrowed her eyebrows as she turns to him. Jack, feeling embarrassed grimaced reluctantly as Serenity tells Syd the whole story.

The hard rock music stopped playing in the background of the record store as Z stood completely still with her hand over her mouth and eyes gaped wide open. Although customers swarm the room and soft music ring through the speakers, it felt as though they were the only two that existed in the world as it fell silent between them. Sky's expression is rather incomprehensive, lost and yet serious as he studies her face carefully with anxious eyes, waiting for her to speak but neither has spoken a word after a minute has gone by. Z couldn't believe what was seeing for she assumed her eyes were deceiving her and perhaps hallucinating after her talk with Tori. But then the scene became real to her as the words of the music resonated through her ears.

Broken this fragile thing now

And I can't, I can't pick up the pieces

And I've thrown my words all around

But I can't, I can't give you a reason

"Sky…" A faint gasp escape from her lips as she broke the long silence. "What are you doing here?" She spoke softly with ease.

Sky's lips parted, but no words came out. "I want to come back," he slightly stammers on the sentence, "to SPD."

Z narrows her eyes at him and crosses her arms. "But why?" She scoffs rather coldly. "Aren't you happy in the military academy?"

"I was." He replies softly in response, expecting Z to be hard on him and unwelcoming. "But it didn't feel right being there…not without you."

Z averts from his gaze and chuckles pathetically. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Sky, you've been gone for months. You actually think you can come back and pretend nothing happened."

"It was a mistake."

"A mistake!" Z's voice ascends in volume as she releases a forced laugh. "Is that all you can say to me after all this time?" She broke down while trying to fight back tears. "I was hurting because of you."

Sky lowers his eyes down shamefully, followed by a deep sigh. "I know…I should have called. I wanted to, but--"

"Oh my God," Z intentionally interrupts him before he could even finish his sentences, "Don't even go there, Sky. I don't want to hear it." Her tone was serious and unwavering.

He looks at her desperately. "I came back for you, Z."

I feel so broken up (so broken up)

And I give up (I give up)

I just want to tell you so you know

She looks at him crossly. "You want to come back to, SPD? Fine, that's your decision. But don't expect me to have you back." Z nods her head in dismay as her shoulders abruptly pushes his while walking past him.

"Okay, I deserve that. But that doesn't change how I feel about you."

Z stops on the middle of the isle and turns back around. She searches his eyes carefully, trying to find answers. "Why did you leave me huh? You never called, there was no letter."

"I left SPD, I didn't leave you." She furrowed her eyebrows. "I had to help someone, Z. She has done so much for me."

"Yeah, I bet." She retorted, rolling her eyes.

"Just tell me you still have feelings for me." He pleads distractedly. "The whole time I was away, I thought about you…about us."

"There is no us, Sky!" Z argues back out of mere frustration. "You know, I've been waiting for this day to happen since the day you left." He listens attentively as she begins to break down, explaining her thoughts with mixed emotions. "But now…I wish this is only a dream."

"Look at me, Z." Sky places his hands on her shoulders as she slowly looks up at him. "I'm back now, okay? This is not a dream." He reassures her. "I'm back for good."

"And you think that makes everything okay now?"

"No, I don't." He tells her seriously. "I know I screwed up, Z. I don't expect you to talk to me or forgive me. But I know that I'll make up for the time and somehow make it up to you if you just let me."

"I don't know, Sky." She shook her head disapprovingly. "I don't know if I could ever forgive you. Not after what you've done, there's just no way. How in the world am I ever going to trust you again huh? I mean you threw away what we had for another life and for someone else, and now here you are…asking for another chance." Z rolls her eyes at the thought. "You make me really sick. I'm leaving now."

He groans. "Z, wait!" Sky pulls her arm so that she could face him as he takes her in his arms and kissed her passionately on her lips. Z didn't hold back for a moment for she was lost in the kiss as their lips lock and their tongues begin to intertwine. She opens her eyes and finally realizes what they were doing as she abruptly pushes him away appallingly. The two breathed heavily as Z touched her lips, and Sky waiting for a response.

"Leave me alone. I don't want to ever you see again…EVER! You hear me?"

"Z--"

"I mean it, Sky! It was your decision to leave and your decision to come back. I won't stop you. But just don't even think about patches things up with me."

Here I go, scream my lungs out and try to get to you

You are my only one

I let go, there's just no one that gets me like you do

You are my only, my only one

"Z, what do you want me to do?" Sky asks desperately as they begin to stir attention with the costumers watching and listening nearby. "What will it take for you to forgive me?"

"A sorry and you suddenly coming back won't do it for me. I really don't care what you do. I just want you to leave me alone and stay away."

"I can't, Z. I love you."

She covers her face in hand as she brushes her hair back in aggravation. "You don't mean that."

"But I do love you."

"Lies!" Z screams furiously, striving to hold back the emotion that was troubling her as her eyes were brimming in tears. She slowly walks back, averting from his gaze, as she turns around and runs out the door.

"Z!" Sky hesitated to move a muscle as he stood still without attempting to run after her for she would only push him away. The record store fell silent as eyes all turn to him. Embarrassed and feeling unhappy, Sky avoided their glances and slowly exits the room.

Made my mistakes, let you down

And I can't, I can't hold on for too long

Ran my whole life in the ground

And I can't, I can't get up when you're gone

Z ran as fast as her legs could take her as she headed towards the deserted, dark alleyway just a block from the record store. She ran and ran, refusing to look back, when suddenly she slows down her pace and collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily as her sobs grew louder. Z covers her face, trying to ease the painful emotions that were building up inside of her. The image of Sky remained in her head as she struggles to shake it off. Suddenly, a hand was brought up on her shoulder as Z quickly shook her head without looking back. "Go away!" She demanded, thinking it was Sky as a different voice ring through her ears.

"Z, it's me." She slowly looks over her shoulder as her glance met up with Bridge. His eyes were filled with worry as Z grabs his hand and pulls him down with her on the cold ground. "You okay?"

She presses her lips together and nods. "No, I'm not." She continues to sob uncontrollably, making it difficult for her to speak. "He's here, Bridge. And I can't even look at him." He places an arm around her for comfort as she buries her face in his chest. "He said he loved me…but how? He was gone for months!"

Bridge did not respond for he didn't know what to say. All he could do at the moment was to console her and wipe her tears away as more came streaming down her cheeks. Just then, Jack called in from his morpher, telling him to return to headquarters but Z grabbed it from Bridge. "Hey! That could've been important." He exclaims.

"I don't want to go back, Bridge. Can you please stay with me here for a little while?" She pleads anxiously as her swollen eyes gleamed in the moonlight. "Please?"

He smiles warmly and nods, "Of course."

"You what!" Syd couldn't believe her ears as she looked at Jack in mere disbelief after Serenity explained everything to her long time friend. The blonde turned away, followed by a weak chuckle. "Wow! You and Bridge totally screwed up this time!"

"They were going out for dinner. I didn't know they were related." He explains shamefully. "Sorry, I thought wrong."

Syd scoffs, "Well yeah! And I'm guessing you guys didn't give him a chance to explain because you two were caught up with Sky's leaving and supposedly being unfaithful to Z. You two just walked off, am I right?"

Jack bit his lip in embarrassment, "Correct."

Serenity looks at him and chuckles, "So you two dating or something?" She asks, noticing how intimate and close they are as he places his arms around her petite waist.

"No, we're just family. My parents adopted him." Syd joked playfully as Jack gives her the evil eye.

"Funny."

"You know I'm kidding." Syd kisses him lightly on the cheek and pulls away from his grasp so that their guest wouldn't have to feel uneasy.

"So when do I get to meet this infamous Z?" Serenity wonders out of curiosity as she breaks the silence.

"As soon as she and Sky work things out," Syd winks in response.

Jack's gaze drifted over to the figure that suddenly entered the common room. A smile crept over his face at the sight of him. "I don't think so." Jack grunted as the ladies follow the direction of his glance. "Look, it's Sky."

And something's breaking up (breaking up)

I feel like giving up (giving up)

I won't walk out until you know

"Sky!" Syd screams joyfully as she jumped into his arms with a warm hug. Sky weakly smiles as he returns her embrace and lifted the blonde front off the ground.

"Whoa," he chuckles while setting her down, "you getting heavy."

Syd lightly punches him on the shoulder. "Shut up, you. So where's Z?"

He looks at her and deeply sighs. "She ran off. I don't know where she is." Jack, Syd, and Serenity all exchange worried looks. "She was so upset with me. I don't blame her, but the look she gave me…" he pauses in mid-sentence to capture the image in his head, "it was full of despair and hate. It turned out even worst than I expected it to be."

Syd rubs his back for comfort. "Did you tell her about Serenity?"

"Oh shoot!" Sky finally remembered. "No, I didn't. But even if I did tell her, it wouldn't make a difference."

"You really think so?"

He turns his gaze over to Jack. "It just seemed that my leaving is what hurt her the most."

"We should find her." Syd suggested as a worried expression plastered all over her face.

"Bridge is actually looking for her." Jack tells them as Sky shot him a look. The thought of Bridge and Z was beginning to make him feel uneasy.

"They're not together now are they?" The thought troubled him as all eyes turn to him.

Jack weakly smiles. "No, they're not. But they've gotten pretty close." Sky lowers his eyes down to the floor. "When you weren't around Bridge was always there for her."

"You know how much I care for Z right?"

"Well yeah…" Jack looks at him skeptically, "I know in your heart you do. But you have a crappy way of showing it."

"Jack, I wanted to be here!"

"Guys!" Syd shouts out as the room fell silent at the sound of her voice. "Arguing and bitching about it won't solve anything!"

Jack and Sky looked at each other. They figured Syd was right for arguing isn't going to help either one of them.

"I really shouldn't be here." Sky finally breaks the silence as all eyes turn to him. "My presence would only cause problems."

"No…" Syd places a hand on his shoulder. "Don't say that. She's just overwhelmed that you're here."

"Look, I'm just gonna go. I actually came to give her something." Syd glares at him in disbelief as he furrowed his eyebrows. "What?"

"I don't believe this. There you go again…Running away from your problems."

"I'm not wanted here, Syd!"

"How would you know if you don't learn the truth for yourself?" She argues back, allowing Sky to avert from her gaze. "Look at you, you're a mess," Syd adds, "and so is Z."

"Look, Sky…" Jack slowly walks closer to him. "If there's anything I--" he pauses in mid-sentence, "or we can do…just name it, man."

He looks at them and weakly smiles. "Thanks, guys. But there's really not much to do." All eyes turn to him worriedly but rather sympathetically. "I gotta do this for myself."

"We should get going." Serenity tells Sky as she places her hand on his arm. "There's not much we can do now, bro."

He looks down, nodding his head solemnly. "You're right. Z will never forgive me." Sky sighs deeply at the thought. "Who am I kidding? I shouldn't have come here."

"Don't give up yet, Sky!" Syd retorts. "There's still hope."

"What hope? Z is only driving me away."

"Let her know how you feel." Sky averts from their gazes, unsure of what to do as he releases another sigh. "At least let her know. And if it turns out well, great…if not…then at least you've tried right?" Syd explains, trying to get him to think twice about the situation. "You wouldn't want to live your life thinking what it could've been if you've told her. So at least try, Sky." She smiles for his sake. "It's all I'm asking."

Here I go, scream my lungs out and try to get to you

You are my only one

I let go, there's just no one who gets me like you do

You are my only, my only one

The night was getting cooler with the wind picking up more speed. Bridge and Z remained silent the whole way as they begin walking towards the front of headquarters arm in arm.

"Wait," Z stops before they could even reach the door. Bridge looks at her in bewilderment as she begins to turn away in the opposite direction. "I can't do this."

He groans while going after her. "Z, we talked about this already." He caught up to his female companion as they walk side by side from where they came from. "You can't back out now."

"Bridge, I can't even bear look at him again!" She exclaims apprehensively. "It's too painful."

"Z, look at me. Look at me." Bridge places his hands on her shoulders as she slowly lifts her eyes. "I never doubted you, Z." He tells her sincerely. "But you have to tell Sky how you feel."

She sighs reluctantly. "I don't think I have the heart to, Bridge."

"He deserves to know the truth don't you think?"

Z bit her lip, and knowing that Bridge was right; she nodded her head and hesitantly follows him inside headquarters.

As soon as they entered the common room, Jack and Syd immediately look up upon their arrival, shuffling their feet towards them.

"Oh my God," Syd stands in front of Z with her arm around her for comfort, "where have you been?" She asks worriedly. "Are you okay?"

She looks up and weakly smiles. "Yeah, I'm just overwhelmed." Z turns away from their gaze and looks around, expecting Sky to be in the room but found out he was no where in sight. "Where is he?"

Jack wrinkles his forehead. "He left with his sister."

"Sister?" Bridge and Z both furrowed their eyebrows in confusion.

"Yeah," Syd glares evilly at Jack and Bridge before she could explain. "Serenity is Sky's stepsister, not his girlfriend."

Bridge's mouth fell open. "What?" He shrieked in astonishment. "His sister?"

"Well duh!" Syd folds her arms and rolls her eyes.

"It's all a misunderstanding." Jack explains as he turns his gaze over to Z who looks surprise than anyone else in the room. Her lips were slightly parted and eyes fixated on the floor.

"Z," The blonde breaks the silence as she gently puts her hand on her shoulder, "Sky left something for you in the room. You should go and check it out."

Z wrinkles her forehead and started off to their room. Jack, Bridge, and Syd all exchange looks and went to follow her. Once she entered the room she shares with Syd, Z finds a small white box on top of a piece of paper on her bed as she bends over beside it and begins reading the note that reads:

Here I go so dishonestly

Leave a note for you my only one

And I know you can see right through me

So let me go and you will find someone

I love you, Z. Hopefully you will find someone that will love you as much as I do. – Sky

Tears came streaming down her cheeks as Z slowly folds the letter. Her eyes fell on the small box she put aside as she picks it up from her bed and opens it.

"It's a promise ring." Syd replies standing over Z while they watch her lift the ring from the box. Bridge slowly walks over and kneels next to her.

"He's been planning to give it to you for awhile now, even before he left but didn't get a chance to." Bridge explains to Z for he remembered clearly the promise ring Sky bought for her and was asked for his opinion on it. The ring was simple just as it represents their relationship. Simplistic and it was all that they needed.

Z studies the ring carefully, admiring it as a smile crossed her face. Just then her thoughts were interrupted as she stood up and darted straight to the door.

"Where you going?" Jack asks as she abruptly brushes his shoulder while passing by him.

Z turns to the side and faces them, "I have to find Sky before it's too late." Without looking back she quickened her pace down the hallway and disappeared down the stairs.

Jack, Bridge, and Syd exchange looks and smile. "We forgot to tell her that he's only dropping Serenity at the station."

Syd grins cheerfully. "Gee…I love happy endings."

Z ran the whole way from SPD Headquarters to the station in which she assumed Sky and Serenity would be in. It was about a five mile run; however, when she got there…the last bus has drove off from the driveway as Z begins to desperately run after it. "Wait!" She screamed from the top of her lungs, waving her hands up in the air to signal the driver to stop, but is too late as it drove off to the distance. "Wait!" Z screams again, breathing heavily as she dropped to the ground in defeat. It's all over. She couldn't believe he is gone for good as she buried her face in hand and cry softly into the night.

Here I go, scream my lungs out and try to get to you

You are my only one

I let go, there's just no one, no one like you

You are my only, my only one

"Z?"

After a moment, a familiar voice ring through the air as Z slowly lifts her face up at the call of her name. Her tears slowly subsided and cleared as she allows the cool wind to dry them up. "Z." The voice calls again as she slowly looks over her shoulder and in the shadows finds Sky walking towards her direction. Z's lips parted and her eyes widen at the sight of him as he appeared in the light of the full moon. She slowly gets up from the ground as he makes his way over to her. Moments later, Sky and Z stood in front of each other in awkward silence with mixed emotions running through their minds. Their eyes remain fixated on each other as they continue to search for answers, in reach for consolation, and in hopes to reach each other's thoughts as they stood there in silence.

"I thought you left." A whisper escaped from Z's lips as the cool wind makes her body shiver in the cold.

Sky nervously stuffs his hands into the jeans of his front pockets. "No, I just went to drop off Serenity at the train station."

She nods her head, "Right. Your sister."

"You know?"

Z averts from his gaze in a rather irritated gesture. "That doesn't change what happened between us, Sky."

"You're right. But I didn't walk away from us."

"Damn it, Sky! There you go again!" Z yells out in mere frustration. "You supposedly didn't walk out from us, but you still walked without telling me why! I thought you trust me!"

"I do!" Sky exclaims desperately. "I do, it just hurts to say goodbye!" He exclaims. "It hurts!"

Her eyes narrowed. "Is that all you can say?" She questions. "It just hurts to say goodbye?" Z looks at him with disappointment in her eyes. "Do you have any idea how I felt when you were gone? I've wasted my time crying and waiting for you!"

"Then why are you here? Why come after me?"

"Because!" Z screamed as she trails off, trying to find the right words to say in response. But her frustration towards Sky was rather overwhelming as it took over her thoughts. "Because…" Her voice softens, "I'm not ready to see you go."

Sky stares at her carefully as a small smile crossed his face. He looks down shyly. "I was hoping you'd say that."

Z looks away and chuckles. "Well, don't get used to it." She lifts up her hand and slowly takes out the ring from her finger. "I can't accept this."

She places the ring on his palm as he looks up and wrinkles his forehead. "But it's yours."

"It's a promise ring right? Well you just broke that promise."

He pursed his lips, nodding his head considerately regardless of how much it was killing him inside. Sky is forced to accept the truth and is beginning to learn his awful mistakes. "So that's it huh?" He struggles to even look at her as he avoided her gaze. "It's over. There's no hope between us."

Z looks down and sighs. "I wouldn't say that, Sky." He lifts his eyes up to meet her gaze. "I care about you, Sky. And I fell in love with you. I just can't trust you right now…"

"Z--"

"Wait, just let me finish." She interrupts him and continues on. "I don't know where we'll end up, but all I know is that I need some time to think this through. A sorry is not gonna cut it and you know that, Sky."

"I'll wait for you, Z." He assures her earnestly. "I'll wait as long as I have to."

"Okay, we'll see." She nods her head, smiling his way. "Until then, keep the ring and I'll hold you to that promise."

He smiles back in response as he makes a balled fist and tightly wraps his fingers around the ring. "We're still friends right?" The tension and awkwardness slowly subsided. "I mean despite all the drama we're still cool." Sky tells her uneasily, hoping that their relationship hasn't jeopardized their friendship.

"You kidding? Of course," Z playfully nudges his shoulder. "Just because we're not together anymore doesn't mean we stop being friends."

Sky sighs in relief. "Good because I don't want any weirdness happening between us."

"Unless we allow it, but we won't right?"

He smiles, "Right. I mean we dated once." He comments to lighten the mood, forcing Z to let out a chuckle.

"Yeah, we did."

A smirk crept on Sky's face. "You know, Z…this is a good start…for me and you." He looks at her. "I never doubted us."

Her eyes fell to the floor as she smiles pleasingly in return.

"And neither have I." She whispers. "Neither have I…"

My only one

My only one

My only one

You are my only, my only one

THE END

A/N: So yes, Z ends up with neither Bridge nor Sky. LOL. Sorry, if you're disappointed but I thought it was fair that way…and plus I didn't want to create an obvious ending where she ends up with one of them. Will there be a sequel? Who knows? It depends if I feel like it. But for now…I'll leave you do that since the possibilities are endless. Thanks again for reading, and don't forget to review on your way out! Thanks!