Wes, Eric, Kat, and all other characters from Power Rangers belong to Disney/Saban. I am using them without permission, however I have not and don't expect to make money from this.
Nick Tate, while technically canon, is mine in the form he appears in here.

Rated T: Be warned, there is some strong language and talk about sex.

This story is slash, meaning sexual and romantic relationships between men. If that's not something you're okay with, don't read it.

The Secret of BioSynth

Relationship

- - -

"What the hell is this?" Eric tossed the note on Nick's desk. The previous night had done nothing to calm him down. Just the opposite; hours of too much thinking and too little sleep had him on the verge of explosion. He had barely been able to stay silent long enough to close Nick's office door behind him.

"What are you talking about?" Nick shot him a defiant look before picking up the sheet of paper. A crease appeared between his brows as he read it. "'You can't hide your secret for long.' What secret?"

"Why don't you tell me?"

Nick stared up from his seat. "What's your problem? This is probably just some nutjob sending you something that doesn't make any sense. We got the same kind of thing at BioSynth."

Eric crossed his arms. "And I guess you had nothing to do with it."

"Of course I had nothing to do with it!"

"Am I supposed to take your word for that?"

Nick's voice dropped into anger as he got to his feet. "I don't see why not."

"And I suppose it's just coincidence that I get this note talking about my 'secrets' right after you arrive in town?" Eric growled.

"Yes, damn it, it's a coincidence!" Nick ground out. They were both leaning across the desk, almost nose to nose. "Back off, Eric. I don't have time for your paranoia."

"Well, you'd better make time, or..."

"Or what?" They glared at each other until Nick sighed, his expression softening. "Look, do you honestly think I would do something like that?"

"After what you said-"

"I know what I said! How many times do you want me to apologize? We were together for a year - doesn't that count for more than one lousy argument?" Nick seemed to forcibly calm himself with a deep breath as Eric stared at him coldly. He straightened and then came around the side of the desk. "You should know me better than to even ask, but I swear; I had nothing to do with that note."

For a moment they looked into each other's eyes. Eric tried to hold on to his suspicions, but he found himself unable to believe it. Nick was right; he had never been vindictive or cruel, in fact just the opposite. He wasn't capable of this.

And maybe the change of heart showed. "Look, can't we put the past behind us?" Nick asked. "Try to be friends, at least?"

"Friends? You and me?" Eric said skeptically. "After everything that happened between us... I dunno."

"Why not? We had some good times together, didn't we?"

"Yeah. I guess we did." Good times. Some of those times had been very good indeed...

"Oh, man..."

Eric felt Nick's chest still heaving underneath him as they both caught their breath. Comfortably spent, he rolled off and sprawled on the bed, closing his eyes. "Not too bad, huh?" he asked after a moment.

"Unbelievable."

"Glad you liked it." Eric smiled at the ceiling. While he always wanted to impress whoever he was with, this time it had somehow been even more important - not only to impress Nick but to please him. It hadn't been easy - more conversation, dinner, and then - finally - this rendezvous in a nearby hotel. Eric had even offered to pay for the room, but Nick had insisted on splitting it.

"Now, isn't this better than doing it up against an alley wall?"

"I dunno. I've had some of my best moments up against alley walls."

"Very funny." Nick rolled onto his side, propping himself on an elbow, and ran a hand over Eric's chest. "And the night's not over, yet."

"Will be soon. Gotta get back to base in a couple of hours."

"Why? We can get up in plenty of time to make formation."

Eric's eyes shifted away. "My roommate'll ask questions."

"So tell him you met a girl and got lucky. Tell him you got drunk in a bar and passed out. Tell him anything."

"Nah. I don't wanna have to deal with that."

"Well, okay." Nick looked disappointed, but he smiled. "If you insist on getting out of a warm bed, I'll go back with you. If you don't mind."

"Of course I don't mind." Relieved, Eric smiled too.

Nick leaned over, his lips contacting Eric's, his tongue slipping between them... A moment later he raised his head with an inquiring look. "What's wrong?"

"Sorry. I'm not really into kissing."

"No kissing. No sleeping over. My friend, you have a lot to learn about romance." Nick's tone was teasing, but Eric didn't miss the slight crease between his brows.

"I'm interested in sex, not romance."

"They don't have to be mutually exclusive. Try the kissing part again, at least. Maybe it'll grow on you."

They tried it again. Nick was right. Kissing wasn't such a bad thing. Not bad at all.

- - -

Wes stood in Eric's office doorway, frowning. His partner had to be around somewhere; the door was open, the light was on, and he wouldn't leave the Bio-Lab grounds without checking in. So where was he? Why hadn't he come by to say hello, or been in his office waiting for their usual morning consultation? Especially today - while he had dismissed the note the day before, it had stayed on Wes's mind throughout the evening, and returned in the morning. Secrets... It was probably nothing, but he still wanted to mention it, and see what Eric thought.

It was the third person he asked, the Bio-Lab lobby receptionist, who knew. "Commander Myers?" she said. "He was here a little while ago, asking where Nicolas Tate's office is. So that's probably where he went."

"Nicolas Tate?" Wes tried not to feel dismay, and hoped it didn't show.

"One of the new guys from BioSynth."

"Yeah, I know who he is. Thanks." Wes started away. He almost headed straight for the section where the BioSynth employees had been assigned, but... Would it look like he was checking up? Like he didn't trust Eric? Which he did, of course. No, better to go back and wait to run into his partner in the course of the day. It was only natural that Eric would want to talk to an old friend, after all this time. But they talked at the reception... They must have more to say to each other. Like what? No, Eric wasn't like that. But what about Nick?

- - -

"Some times were good," Eric admitted.

"Glad you remember."

"But some weren't. Don't forget that part, either."

"Don't worry, I haven't." Nick paused, taking a moment to prop himself on the edge of the desk, and then asked quietly, "How much have you changed, Eric? Do you want all the things with your new guy that you didn't want with me?"

Eric looked up. "What are you talking about? What makes you think I'm with anyone?"

"It's Wes Collins, isn't it?"

"Leave him out of this, dammit!"

"I guess that answers my question," Nick said dryly.

Eric's anger and suspicion had returned, full force. "What do you know about Wes? What the hell are you doing, spying on me or something?"

"Relax, will you? No, I haven't been spying. You told me about him, remember?"

Eric almost denied it, but then he realized what Nick meant. They had talked about Wes, once. In a way.

"Have you ever been in love?"

"Mmm?" Eric stirred, and blinked up at the unfamiliar ceiling. Nick's roommate was away for the day on a visit to his family and the two of them had dropped by his room to pick up a jacket. Of course, they had ended up together in Nick's narrow bed. The sex had been even more exciting than usual, with the knowledge that if they were caught together like this on base they could be in serious trouble.

"I said-"

"I heard you. What kind of a question is that?"

"It's a normal question. People do fall in love, you know. I was wondering if it's ever happened to you."

Eric snorted faintly. "Hell, no. Do I seem like the kind of guy to get all mushy and romantic?"

Nick grinned. "You? Never. Still, you must have felt something for somebody along the line. A little affection. A crush. Something."

"Well... There was a guy in that prep school I went to for a year."

"Yeah? Tell me about him."

Eric shifted in the bed to focus on Nick's face. He had almost forgotten the resemblance, but there it was, bringing its echoes of longing and frustration. "Nothing much to tell," he said, a little reluctantly. "He was from Silver Hills. A rich kid, but nice."

"What did he look like?"

"Uh... sort of blond. Blue eyes. Kinda looked like you, actually."

"So what happened?"

"Nothing. We were just kids. It never went anywhere." He frowned, trying not to remember the results of his one clumsy attempt to make an advance; the look on Wes's face when he almost seemed about to respond - the embarrassment when they had almost been seen - and the way they had both started to avoid each other afterwards.

"Poor Eric, disappointed at an early age... Is that why you don't believe in love?"

"I just don't need it, that's all. Some people think they have to be in love to get laid, but not me. I believe in sticking to the basics."

"That's all it ever is to you? Just getting laid?"

Eric's eyes moved to Nick's face again, seeing a shadow of disappointment and hurt there. "Well, not all," he said awkwardly. "Not all the time... Look..." He reached to run his fingers over the other man's cheek, and kissed him. "I like you, a lot. But don't expect more than that. I don't think I can give it, to you or anyone else."

Nick returned his gaze, his expression serious and uncomfortably direct. "What hurt you so badly that you think you can't fall in love?" he asked softly.

Eric tensed for an instant, and knew Nick felt it. "Nothing," he answered quickly before sitting up and swinging his feet off the bed, looking around for his clothes. "It's getting late; I'd better get out of here."

"It didn't take too much to figure out that the rich kid from Silver Hills you knew in school who looked like me had to be Wes," Nick was saying. "When I saw the two of you at the reception the other day and found out who he was, it all clicked into place." He leaned back, crossing his arms. "He seems like a nice guy. I guess I should be happy for you."

"Yeah, he's a nice guy. I don't want anything to hurt him. Or anyone," Eric said. "Remember that."

"You really are in love, aren't you? Never thought I'd see the day." The smirk on Nick's face had just a hint of hostility. "Back with your high school sweetheart. How romantic."

"Wes was not my 'high school sweetheart.' And shut up."

"Tell me, was that the only reason you hooked up with me? Because I look like him?"

Eric bit back an angry retort as he heard the hurt underneath his former lover's voice. For the first time it occurred to him just what it might feel like to think you had been nothing but a substitute for someone else in the eyes of a person you cared for. Another lesson Wes had unintentionally taught him: the pain of jealousy and rejection.

"No," he muttered. "Maybe that first night we met, but after that - I always liked you for yourself."

Nick stared at him, his expression unreadable. Finally he unfolded his arms. "Sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have said that. And I guess I shouldn't have acted the way I did in the lab yesterday. Anyway, while I'm sure we're both really enjoying this trip down memory lane, I have to meet Lyn and the baby in half an hour. So if you'll excuse me, I have a couple of things to take care of first."

Eric nodded silently. Nick was still standing, leaning against the desk and staring at the wall, when he opened the door and left.

- - -

Sky Tate was a cute baby. Even Kat, who didn't particularly like babies, had to smile at his almost-toothless grin. That just made it even more uncomfortable to remember what her work had done to him, and more important to hope that he would come to no permanent harm.

"What do you think?" Lynda's face, framed by blonde hair a few shades lighter than her husband's, was anxious.

"I think he looks fine," Kat said.

Nick rested an arm around his wife's shoulders. "What about the genetic abnormalities? Any change?"

She sighed inwardly. Both Nick and Lyn knew the answer to that; they were just in denial. The tests she had done two months ago, when he first showed signs of his peculiar ability, had shown mutated sequences of DNA. That wouldn't have changed. "I won't know until the results are back," she said. "But it'll almost certainly be the same. The important thing is not what the tests show, but what we're looking at. A healthy baby."

"But the things he can do..." Lyn said.

"I know. Possibly that will stop. Most likely not. You'll have to teach him how to deal with it."

"And the others?" Nick asked. "Paul's taking it okay so far, even though his son has the same kind of genetic changes. But when you told us about this, Maria and Dave were scared enough to just take off. Callie is pregnant, and she's going to go. Jake doesn't say much, but he's not happy. Lyn wants me to leave, too."

"I hope you won't. Our research is vital to developing new, non-lethal weaponry and defensive armor for law enforcement. If we can duplicate morpher technology and maybe even improve on it, who knows how many lives that could save?"

Kat watched them exchange a glance. Unfortunately, Nick had hit on another of her pressing problems. Maria Delgado and David Landors, her lab technicians, had already abandoned the project and disappeared. Among the scientists, Callie Drew had given in her notice as soon as she discovered she was pregnant, and planned to go into teaching after the baby was born. Jake Walsh seemed reluctant to continue. There was still Paul Carson, and those of the team who hadn't been directly affected - but Nick was one of her top people. If he left, it would be a serious blow.

"I know it's important, and I want to stay." Nick was looking at his wife. "But only if it's okay with you."

Lyn met his eyes with a worried frown. "Well - I want you to do what you think is best... But we have to be sure nothing like this will ever happen again."

"It won't," Kat said firmly. "With the resources we have here at Bio-Lab, we don't have to cut corners, and we have a better idea of what we're dealing with now. No, it won't happen again. Trust me."

A few minutes later she watched Nick and Lyn carry their baby out of the small lab they had used as an examining room. Trust me, she had said, and yet even they didn't know the whole truth about the work they were all doing. And they had no idea of the truth about her.

She began to wonder how long that situation would last when she returned to her office and saw an envelope lying on her desk. She wondered even more after her phone rang.

- - -

They met at the door to Mr. Collins' office. Eric paused with his hand on the knob and waited for Wes to reach him. "Hey," he said. "Your dad called you, too?"

"Yeah, said he needed to talk to us." Wes seemed subdued, his usual cheerful smile nowhere in evidence.

"Anything wrong?"

"Just wondering what's going on."

"Well then, let's find out what's on his mind." Eric opened the door and led the way inside.

They crossed the large office and stood in front of the desk, Eric automatically falling into his usual at-ease stance but Wes in a more informal position. Collins nodded to them in greeting. Eric took another look, and noticed an envelope in his employer's hands, plain white, the address computer-printed. Just like the one in his own pocket.

"I called you both in because of this," Collins said. He withdrew a sheet of paper from the envelope and unfolded it, his eyes dropping to read it. "'The secret of BioSynth will destroy you. Stop the research.'" He raised his eyes. "This is the second note like this that I've gotten. As far as I know, the BioSynth people are trying to develop non-lethal weaponry for law enforcement, based on what they've seen of your morphers. Any idea why someone would think that's going to destroy us?"

"No. But I've gotten two notes, too." Wes reached into a jacket pocket, and took out a piece of paper. "'The secret of BioSynth will destroy you. Stop the research.' I got the first one yesterday. Thought it was just the usual kind of stuff we get, but then this one came today."

Eric sighed and pulled out his own letter, holding it up. "Same for me," he said. "And no idea what this secret research they're talking about is. But the two notes are on the same brand of envelope and paper. Looks like the same printing, too. I'm sure they're from the same person."

"That's what I thought. It's time to take this matter seriously." Collins' eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Dr. Manx has some impressive credentials for someone so young: degrees in physics, chemistry, and medicine. Very impressive indeed... If she's conducting research I don't know about, I want to find out." He reached for his telephone, dialed, and looked up at them when he spoke.

"Dr. Manx, I think we need to have a talk with you and the other people from BioSynth. As soon as possible."

- - -

TBC...