Disclaimer: Power Rangers does not belong to me.

A/N: I just had to take a second to respond to some of the reviews on the last chapter of this story, since a couple people commented on the SPD Academy's automatic bedroom doors. If you look at the SPD episode "Walls," Jack knocks on Sky's door which is already open and the door DOES NOT shut behind him. Then in the later episode "Recognition," when Wootox as Sky walks in on Syd singing, the door DOES automatically close behind him. So, I guess the Academy's automatic doors are just another unresolved mystery from the SPD series. :-)

Now on to the final chapter…

Chapter 12: Only Time Will Tell

"Sky!" gasped Z upon seeing the identity of their eavesdropper.

"Hey," responded Sky awkwardly, clasping and unclasping his hands anxiously as was his token nervous gesture.

"Did you just hear everything Syd and I just talked about?" asked Z accusingly, feeling nausea coming on again at the thought of Sky knowing the scenario of her future relationship with Sam and his marriage to Syd.

"Yeah, I heard everything, Z," confirmed Sky. "Or should I start calling you Nova now?"

Z scowled at Sky's under-handed comment, which she interpreted as his attempt to hide his nervousness through sarcasm. Yet she couldn't stay angry with Sky, especially when he was looking at her with so much love in his eyes. Z and Sky gazed at each other longingly, yet neither of them knowing what to say. Fortunately, Syd seemed to have a solution.

"Cadet Tate, you've just violated rule 55.63 – B in the SPD Rule and Regulations Handbook: cadets will not listen in on other Academy members' private conversations," chided Syd in mock reproach. "I should have you reported to Cruger and reprimanded!"

"Screw it Syd, because I'm the red ranger," scoffed Syd pretentiously. "I can do whatever I want."

"With an attitude like that, it's beyond me why you like him," said Syd nonchalantly, turning to Z.

"Syd!" hissed Z with embarrassment, blushing her crush's red ranger color.

"Ok, ok, I'm out of here," laughed Syd, smiling fondly at the awkward Sky and Z. "I can see you two need some face to face time alone. But Z, just remember what we talked about," added Syd, winking at her best friend.

"Thanks, I will," confirmed Z gratefully as she recalled Syd's earlier advice: "Choose to make your own destiny by simply deciding that you're always in control of the outcome of your life."

"Anyway, I'm off to make my own destiny by going to make love to Lex!" sang Syd happily at the thought of screwing around with her sexy significant other.

"Syd never holds back anything," commented Z out loud as she watched Syd skip out the door to their room.

"That's for sure," agreed Sky, timidly stepping into the girls' room and shutting the door behind him. "Syd always speaks her mind. She's much better than me in that regard."

"You mean Sky Tate, our "Mr. Perfection," actually as flaws?" teased Z in an over-the-top tone, trying to lighten the tension between them. Sky as usual though wanted to get down to business; in this case before he lost his nerve to finally tell Z the truth about where he stood with her.

"Z, I haven't been completely honest with you," began Sky hesitantly, avoiding eye contact with the yellow ranger.

"What do you mean?" demanded Z apprehensively. "There's more besides you overhearing my entire conversation with Syd about the way our lives might possibly play out twenty years from now?"

"We need to talk about the past before we can address the future," said Sky firmly, clasping his now sweaty hands together once again. "Z, I'm not sure if you were aware of this, but Syd and I used to hook up back when we were on D-Squad. Even though this was a long time ago, I should have told you about it before I attempted to start anything between us. I'm really sorry."

"You and Syd used to hook up?" repeated Z, feeling even sicker to her stomach than before. "This just validates everything I saw in the future. You and Syd really are meant to be together!"

"No Z, that's not it at all," protested Sky, rushing over and squatting in front of the yellow ranger at her bedside. "I used to be interested in Syd, but these past few months all I can think about is how much I've come to care for you. I resented you so much when you first came to SPD, just jumping onto B-Squad after the rest of us had worked our way up through the Academy for years. And now," Sky heisted nervously, "I can't imagine my life without you in it. I wouldn't want to."

Z crossed her arms and turned away from Sky's imploring gaze, knowing if she looked into his beautiful blue eyes that her heart would be lost to him forever. Usually hardheaded and reserved, Sky had never been so open or emotional in front of anyone in his life. Yet seeing Z's posture growing self-protective, Sky knew he was going to have to lay all his feelings out on the line in order to have any shot of getting the yellow ranger to trust him with her love.

"Z, do you understand the impact you've had on my life?" asked Sky, resting his hand on Z's knee tenderly. "Nobody here at the Academy could get me to lighten up from my one-track mindset of working to become a ranger like my father. Everyone thought, Bridge and Syd included, that I was uptight all the time because I was a blaming, finger-pointing son of bitch. While that may have been true," Sky chuckled before growing grave again, "The real reason I was so serious about my training all the time was because I saw how my father died in the line of duty."

"I had no idea," murmured Z sympathetically, turning to face him.

"I thought if I let my mind wander off my training for one second, I would meet the same fate my father did," said Sky with nostalgic sadness, before looking up again at Z determinedly. "But then you came along Z and taught me that loosening up can actually make you a stronger ranger. Granted from where I used to be, I've become this year a much more relaxed and dare I even say fun-loving person. And I owe most of that to your constant chiding at me to lighten up. You've…" Sky voice's trailed off as tried to fight through his pride to give Z the honesty she deserved.

"What?" asked Z in quiet encouragement.

"You've made me a happier person," said Sky, his voice shaking with emotion. "And a better ranger."

"Well I'm glad I've had some sort of a good influence on you considering I'm just a thief," teased Z, trying to make the mood not so somber.

"Stop making jokes Z," groaned Sky exasperated. "This isn't easy for me to talk about all this!"

"I know," replied Z gently, laying her hand on top of Sky's. "It means so much to me to hear you say everything you have. But Sky," Z paused sadly. "I just can't be with you right now."

"Z, when are you going to stop being so scarred of visions from the future?" implored Sky. "Remember, we changed the course of history before when Sam as Omega traveled back through time to help us defeat Morgana and her goons. Who knows? Maybe the whole, bigger purpose of your journey to the future was to warn us both of the obstacles we'd have to face as a couple down the road, so that now we can remake our destinies together."

"And what if we can't change fate, Sky?" asked Z disheartened, thinking of him with Syd again.

"Time always brings changes and often changes to how we feel about each other," responded Sky. "I can't promise what will and will not happen in the future, but I do know this. If I don't tell you how much I feel for your tonight, I'll regret it forever."

"Sky," started Z uncertainly, slowly looking the opposite direction from him. Sky however put his hand to her cheek to stop her from facing away.

"Z," said Sky softly, holding fast as her cheek as she tried to turn her head again. "Don't look away from me. Stop it!" pleaded Sky as Z tried more violently to get away from him.

"Sky, I'm scared!" shot out Z strongly, her head now facing him but her eyes still cast downward.

"Z, look at me," repeated Sky gently again. As Z's chocolate eyes melted into Sky's cloud-colored blue ones, all the emotional walls she had put up to protect herself at once came crashing down.

"Yeah, Sky?" asked Z, her voice barely above a whisper as he sweetly stroked her cheek.

"I'm scared too Z," Sky whispered nervously. "I've never been in love before."

It felt like time had stopped to Z as she and Sky slowly moved toward one another until their mouths were mere centimeters apart. When Z took procession of Sky's lips in her own, no visions of him kissing Syd filled the yellow rangers head this time. As their tongues met in a fiery dance, the future was the farthest thing from Z's mind. Because to Z Delgado, kissing Sky Tate was the only moment that mattered to her right now.

"Sky, I love you too," said Z warmly, when they finally pulled apart, tracing the outline of his soft lips.

"I'm really glad to know you finally feel the same way!" teased Sky in mock-exasperation. Laughing together, Z happily leaned forward and gave Sky another passionate kiss that made his head swim with happiness.

"Sky," said Z, growing serious again as she took his hands in hers. "Do you think we'll make it?"

"I don't know Z," responded Sky honestly. "Only time will tell."

The End

A/N: That's a wrap y'all! So in the end Sky and Z decided to make their own destiny as a couple, but fans of Sky with Syd can believe that in the future the two of them are still fated to be together. I hoped I came through on my promise of delivering an ending that worked for both Sky/Z lovers, as well as Sky/Syd shippers.

THANK YOU SO MUCH to everyone who has reviewed "Only Time Will Tell": Mimi2, Blue Eyed Dragon Girl, monkay-pooh, Forfirith The dark angel, Jnr Cpl Scarlett, Step2stepgirl, DisneyHeart, Mireya, Gear's Girl, Angel pen, Mistress of Phoenix, Veronica, Pink-Green-White-4ever, ja5684, Islandgurlie12 and garnetred. I can't tell you how much your taking the time to submit a review as well as your support for the story meant to me. Y'all are the greatest, and I look forward reading works by each and every one of you in the very near future.

So some people have asked what's coming up for me after "Only Time Will Tell"? Well besides working on my long-term project, my "Romance Theme Challenge: Adam and Tanya," I do have some more SPD story ideas on the brain.

However I am happy to say since I know a lot of hard-core Ninja Storm fans read my stories now after "Season of Love" that my next big fan fic I'm starting on later this week will be a Ninja Storm one. It will feature a Tori/Blake romance as well as love interest for Hunter in the form of a female ranger from a previous season. So please be on the look out for that fan fic soon, and THANK YOU SO MUCH again to everyone who has read my stories!