Author: Jadelyn Ja Lee
Story: Through Her Eyes
Disclaimer: I own no one. Don't sue!
Time Frame: During Abandoned
Summary: She may not have been a ranger but that didn't mean she didn't care. Power Rangers SPD.
Author Notes: Enjoy!
(The rangers arrive at Piggy's Place)
Piggy: Why do you insist on coming here and chasing away my clientele! They haven't done anything... well, not today anyway.
"Hey, AJ." Bridge chirped when he saw her Friday morning. AJ looked up from her computer consol and smiled. Each of the rangers, plus Boom, had stopped by her quarters the night before, according to the girls next door to her. Each had been disappointed to find her not back and her fellow officers had warned her that she'd probably be bombarded today, if the ranger's expressions were anything to go by. Looks like they were right.
"What's up Bridge?" she asked, frowning when she saw the weakened spots on Sky's uniform. That boy needs to stop destroying his armor, she mused quietly to herself.
"Um…you see, we were talking and…" Bridge mumbled something under his breath that AJ didn't quite catch.
"Sorry?" she asked, confused. Bridge took a deep breath.
"Do you really like Sky?" He blurted out. AJ blinked while nearby, Kat and Cruger both hid smiles.
"Uh…" she stared at him in shock. That was so what she was not expecting! Bridge looked down self-consciously.
"We didn't talk about it with Sky but we were all pretty…curious." He admitted. AJ blinked at him again before pulling herself together.
"Is that why you all stopped by my room last night? To find out about my feelings for Sky?" she asked curiously. She got her answer when Bridge blushed.
"I see. Well then, pass this onto the rest of B Squad…no comment." With that, she turned back to her consol and, ignoring Bridge, silently cursed Sky's inability to not get fired upon in a fight. None of the other rangers seemed to get hit nearly as much as he did. She absorbed herself so fully into trying to find a solution for the restoration of the weakened armor spots, she didn't notice when Bridge walked out of the command center to find Jack, Z, and Syd.
"You actually asked her point blank if she really liked Sky!" Jack exclaimed incredulously. The four rangers were lounging in Jack's room, discussing the blue ranger and their science technician. From his perch on the couch Jack had bought for his room, Bridge nodded sheepishly. Jack roared with laughter while Z and Syd shook their heads in annoyance.
"Bridge! Me and Z were gonna set them up! Now if we say anything, she'll know what we're up to!" the pink ranger admonished. Bridge looked down.
"Sorry." He replied meekly. Jack, however, looked between the two girls with a wicked smile.
"What were you planning?" he asked curiously. Syd sighed and explained what she and Z had come up with. Jack thought about it for a moment before nodding.
"That would've worked. If Bridge and Syd both bombarded him, Sky would've given in. Me and Z could've worked on AJ." He outlined. Syd nodded.
"Yeah, we know. But with her knowing we're onto her, she'd never fall for it now." Syd moaned. Bridge's eyes lit up.
"What if we changed the plan a little bit?" he asked. His three teammates looked at him and waited. Bridge explained what they could do, the changes that would make its so that neither one of them would know. Syd's eyes lit up.
"That's perfect!" she cried. Jack nodded but Z frowned.
"What about Boom, though? Do you think he'd go along with us?" she asked worriedly. Syd smirked.
"He owes me one. He'll do it." She replied confidently.
"Hey AJ." Sky acknowledged later that day once the whole mess with the stone from the Abyss was settled. AJ had called her self-proclaimed Grandpa Sensei, who'd assured her that he'd check on the Abyss. He'd called her ten minutes before to report a small rumble and little flashing but nothing had come out or gone in. Nevertheless, the aged Sensei of the wind academy had set up a watch on it just to be safe. The science lieutenant looked up and smiled.
"What's up?" she asked, somewhat knowingly. He stood next to her and watched her as she worked.
"Tommy Oliver is your father?" he asked. She sighed and nodded.
"Yup." She agreed, pulling up a schematic of Bridge's suit. Sky frowned.
"And you haven't gone by his last name because you were kidnapped when you twelve by one of your father's old enemies?" he clarified. She nodded.
"Yup. Zeltrax just didn't know when to die. My dad killed him like twenty times." She replied. Sky snorted and she grinned.
"Okay, maybe not twenty times but it seemed like it." She acknowledged. Sky sighed.
"I…I really don't know what to say." He told her. AJ looked down and sighed.
"There's really nothing to say. My dad is Black Christmas. End of story." She told him, bringing up Syd's suit. Sky frowned disapprovingly at her head.
"It's not the end of the story! He was one of the greatest rangers ever! Why do you hide him?" he asked angrily. AJ paused and slowly turned. She glanced quickly to see that they were virtually alone with only one technician on the far side of the room. She turned to him.
"This is why." She told him quietly. He looked confused. She slowly slipped her uniform jacket so that she was clad in only her black SPD undershirt. Sky paled as he caught sight of dozens of ugly looking scars that criss-crossed her arms. She pursed her lips and quickly put her jacket back on.
"I nearly died that day, Sky, because my last name happened to be Oliver." She told him, looking at the computer screen absently as she tried getting her breathing back under control. A few minutes later she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Zeltrax did that?" He asked quietly. She nodded.
"He did more than that." She admitted quietly. Sky turned white as the implications of torture set in. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, AJ went back to work. A beat later she felt Sky's hand leave her shoulder and him walk away. She glanced back to see him walk out of the command center with his head down and his hands in his pockets. Holding back tears, she turned to the computer consol and continued her work as if nothing had happened.
"Hey Sky!" Jack and Bridge walked into the blue and green ranger's room. Sky looked over at them briefly before resuming his staring contest with the ceiling. Bridge and Jack exchanged looks before shrugging.
"Listen, we need some help." Bridge began. Sky looked over at him again, his focus totally on the green ranger. Bridge faltered. He was getting some odd vibes from his roommate and he suddenly worried that maybe setting him and AJ up wasn't such a good idea. Jack, however, didn't agree and took up Bridge's slack.
"A couple of the cadets in C wing asked us to train them in the simudeck tonight at seven. Unfortunately we just found out that Syd and Z have been planning a surprise double date for the past week. We don't want to disappoint the girls and we were wondering if you would be willing to work with the cadets tonight." Jack explained. Sky thought about it for a few minutes before nodding.
"Sure. It's not like I have anything else to do." He replied. Jack grinned.
"Great! They wanted to train the old fashioned way, without uniforms. The program they chose is some old dojo or something." Jack told him. Sky nodded and stood up.
"I'm gonna go talk to Cruger but I'll be there at seven. Have fun on your date." He told them, heading to the bathroom. Once the door was shut, Jack pumped his fist into the air. Bridge, however, wasn't as enthusiastic.
"We may have done the wrong thing." Bridge told the red ranger as they walked out. Jack looked at him in surprise.
"What do you mean?" he asked worriedly. Did Bridge know something he didn't?
"Something's off about Sky. I'm not sure what it is, but there's definitely something up with him tonight." Bridge replied, looking back at his door and frowning. Jack shook his head and clapped a hand on Jack's shoulder.
"You worry too much, Bridge. Besides," he added as they walked across the room to Jack's quarters, "if Sky really is down, a nice candlelight dinner with his crush will cheer him right up."
Bridge frowned worriedly as Jack collapsed on his bed. "I hope you're right Jack."
Elsewhere, Syd and Z were being interrogated by an amused feline scientist by the name of Katherine Manx.
"So let me get this straight. You two want to set up AJ and Sky and so you're basically gonna lock them together?" Kat asked incredulously. Syd and Z both nodded.
"Technically, we're gonna lock them in the simudeck together where the guys have set up dinner for em. But the thing is, AJ's security access code is higher than ours and she can override the door lock." Z explained, ignoring Syd's worried squawking. Kat studied the two of them for a moment before laughing.
"This has got to be the silliest thing I've ever heard of." She told them. Syd and Z smiles dropped and Kat smiled.
"It's also one of the more creative plans I've had the fortune to be let in on. I'll give you my security clearance code if you promise to give me more of a heads up next time you play matchmaker. And if this backfires, I had nothing to do with it. Got it?" she asked, handing over her card. Syd and Z grinned at each other.
"It's gonna work. We have everything planned out." Syd told her confidentially.
"AJ!" Boom called out frantically. AJ turned around in worry.
"Boom? What's wrong?" she asked, watching as he struggled to regain his breath.
"There's some kind of glitch in the bioframe of the simudeck. Can you take care of it for me?" he asked helplessly. AJ frowned.
"What kind of glitch?" she asked worriedly. Boom shrugged.
"Don't know. All I know is that it has to be fixed by tonight because B Squad has a training simulation tomorrow at 0700 hours." He told her. AJ sighed.
"Figures." She muttered, changing direction. She glanced down with a sigh at the jeans and blouse she had changed into for her bowling plans with her cousin. She pulled out a cell phone and dialed Jaelyn's number.
"Don't tell me you have to cancel." Jaelyn answered. AJ smiled but nodded, absently reminding herself that Jaelyn couldn't see her.
"Sorry Jae." She apologized. Jaelyn sighed.
"It's okay. Actually it's kinda a good thing you had to cancel. I have a tone of homework due on Monday." She replied. AJ rolled her eyes.
"And you were going to go bowling with me instead of doing it? Shame on you!" she admonished as she walked into the command center.
"Yeah, well, you know me." Jaelyn laughed and AJ joined her.
"Yeah, I do know you. Listen I gotta get going. I'll talk to you later?" she asked, pressing the button for the door to the simudeck to open. It didn't budge. She frowned and pressed it again. Nothing. Over the phone, Jaelyn laughed.
"Yeah. Laterz girl!" she chirped. AJ smiled.
"Bye." She told her cousin before hanging up. Placing her phone back in her purse, she set said purse down and then went to work on the control panel. It too wouldn't budge. She growled.
"Stupid piece of junk." She muttered, hitting it. To her annoyance, the door sprang open. She started muttering murderously under her breath and didn't see the two girls behind her until it was too late.
"Ow." She muttered as she got up from where she had been thrown. She looked around, speechless. She was in a beautiful garden with roses of every color imaginable glowing under the hundreds or so candles set up. Two red rose bushes marked the entrance to a path of silver stones. She picked herself up and curiously walked in. When she found the end of the path, she suddenly realized what was going on. A table set for two and illuminated by a single candle sat in the center of a gazebo, much like the one in the park. There was no one around and the seats were pushed in but a cart with covered plates sat steaming off to the side. She heard the doors to the command center open and whirled around.
"What the…?" Sky exclaimed as he walked into the simudeck. The doors shut behind him but he didn't notice. This is definitely not a dojo, he thought silently to himself. He heard a rustling in the path and found AJ walking towards him in black jeans and a black blouse. She didn't look surprised to see him and he suddenly knew why.
"They set us up, didn't they?" he asked. She nodded, walking over to the door.
"Open." She ordered. Nothing happened and she rolled her eyes.
"Authorization code Oliver-one-four-six. Open." She ordered again. Nothing happened and she frowned.
"There is no way my authorization code wouldn't overrule any of theirs." She muttered, thinking silently to herself. Sky frowned.
"They must have someone who has a higher clearance code than us." Sky told her, coming to stand behind her as they studied the door. Without warning, Jack's head appeared. AJ yelped and jumped back, bumping into Sky.
"Sorry. You've been outranked." The red ranger told them. AJ and Sky glared.
"You still have to obey my orders. Open the door." AJ told him. Jack tilted his head and disappeared for a minute. When he re-appeared, he was grinning broadly.
"Sorry. The major in charge out here has ordered me to inform you that you are going to go through the program. Both of you." He added, staring at Sky. The lieutenant and the blue ranger frowned.
"Who…" AJ began but with a wink and a laugh, Jack disappeared again. AJ frowned and put her hand over the door.
"Authorization Oliver-One-Four-Six, open." She ordered. Like the time before, nothing happened. AJ grumbled under her breath before looking over at Sky. The blue rangers' expression was unreadable.
"Shall we eat?" She asked in a resigned tone. Without waiting for a reply, she disappeared back through the path. Sky silently followed her and found her poking around the gazebo. Sky looked around and found a white note on a bush that he was sure hadn't been their before. He picked it up and opened it.
"A gentleman would help the lady to her seat." The note read. Sky rolled his eyes when he recognized Jack's handwriting. He looked over at AJ who was reading a note of her own. Might as well….
"AJ? May I help you to your seat?" He asked calmly as he came to stand beside her. AJ looked up at his open hand with a raised an eyebrow. She studied his expression for a moment before nodding.
"Sure." She replied, taking the proffered hand and letting the blue ranger help her into her seat. She was pleasantly surprised when he pushed her chair in before sitting in his own. AJ busied herself by unfolding her napkin and placing it on her lap while Sky did the same across from her. Suddenly, the pink ranger appeared. Sky stood but stopped when "Syd" raised a hand.
"Don't bother, I'm a hologram." She told him with a smirk. Sky frowned but sat back down. "Z" appeared next to her and AJ took notice of the long black skirts and matching blouses each hologram was wearing. The two replica's went over and placed the covered plates in front of the diners. With a flourish and a grin, they lifted the covers and giggled at the blue ranger and the science lieutenant's expressions.
"The only food we know you two agree on is Hunans Chinese." "Syd" explained as they took in the egg rolls, fried rice, wontons, and sweat-and-sour pork with broccoli. "Bridge," dressed in a silk green shirt and black slacks, appeared with a bottle of apple-cider. He grinned good-naturedly.
"A drink?" he asked. Sky was looking marginally amused by this point and held up the fluted glass. Catching his humor, AJ accepted the apple cider as well. "Bridge" then disappeared, as did "Syd" and "Z." Sky raised his glass in AJ's direction.
"To meddling friends." He proposed. Snickering, AJ lifted her own glass and gently tapped it against Sky's.
"To meddling friends." She agreed.
They didn't talk as they ate, both preferring the silence. AJ was somewhat surprised to note that despite what had transpired between them earlier, she was having a good time. Sky, too, was enjoying himself, both with AJ's company and planning ways to annoy his teammates for the remainder of the week. He knew the others were aware of his developing feelings for the science lieutenant, and he knew that she had some feelings for him as well, but he was hesitant to do anything about it.
For one, he wasn't entirely sure if her feelings were romantic or platonic. She treated him only slightly different than she treated everyone else and the only reason that was true was because she always seemed to be lecturing him. And secondly, if she and he did start dating, that would make her an even tastier target for Gruumm. He'd nearly had a heart attack when she had been taken by Banaag; if something happened again he wouldn't be able to control his actions. The fact her father was the original evil ranger, was the best of the best, and could probably kick his ass didn't help either.
By the time they finished with dinner, both were full and relaxed. They sat watching each other as they waited for their stomachs' to settle. AJ looked up when soft music began playing. Across from her, Sky studied her with a small smile. He'd been expecting the music because he knew Syd would have added it. He silently stood, causing AJ to look up at him with bemusement.
"Would you care to dance?" He asked, holding out a hand. AJ studied him for a few seconds before she placed her napkin on her plate and stood up. She put her hand in his and smiled.
"I would love to." She accepted. Sky gently guided her to a clearing off to the side. Hesitantly, AJ placed her right hand on his shoulder, her left in his right hand. The blue ranger slowly but expertly swept AJ into a soft waltz. She suddenly giggled.
"I didn't know you could dance." She told him. Sky flashed her a quick smile.
"My father told me that every woman loves a man who could dance." He told her with a mischievous smirk. AJ smiled. As the two danced, neither heard the door to the command center open as the rangers freed them.
They were too caught up in the moment.
End Note: Hope you liked this! I have a bunch of cookies for everyone who got the names right: Tierra, lareinaSalena, and the real vampire. Great work!