Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers.
Dissension within the Ranks
Chapter 13
The next morning Sky woke up in the infirmary. He saw the orphan boy and girl curled up asleep in one chair by his bed. Kat was also in the room.
"You know Sky, in the past week you've spent more time in the infirmary than you have your whole time here. Maybe we should make this your secondary room," Kat said.
Sky smiled. "No thanks Kat. As tempting as that sounds, waking up connected to machines and in a hospital bed is not something I'd like to do on a daily basis," Sky replied.
Kat smiled back. She motioned over towards the children. "They haven't left your side all night," Kat said.
That sentence made Sky smile. He watched them sleep peacefully. They looked so adorable. A thought came to Sky's mind which made him frown. "I'm in trouble aren't I?" Sky asked.
Before Kat could answer, the other rangers entered the infirmary. Immediately, Syd embraced Sky in a hug. "I'm so glad to see you!" Syd exclaimed.
A look of jealousy appeared on Z's face as she watched the scene before her. Sam had noticed it as well and beneath his helmet, it made him frown.
"It's great to have you back," Bridge said. "Hey Syd, you mind sharing Sky?" Bridge asked noticing how Syd was still hugging him.
Syd blushed. She released Sky from her embrace even though she didn't really want to. Bridge and Sky did their "secret handshake".
Something caught Z's attention. She walked over to the chair by Sky's bedside where the children were asleep. "Who are they?" Z asked.
Sky looked over to see who Z was talking about. "They're orphans. I protected them from their abusive foster father," Sky answered.
Just then, the two children woke up rubbing the sand from their eyes. "Could you keep it down?" the little boy asked.
Sky laughed. "Well, good morning," Sky said to the children.
The children's faces lit up at the sound of Sky's voice. "You're awake!" they exclaimed flinging themselves into Sky's arms.
Jack was shocked. He had never seen this side of Sky before. He never knew Sky was so caring and good with children.
The little girl tapped Sky on the shoulder. "You never answered our question. Can you be our daddy?" she asked.
Syd couldn't help herself. She let out an "Aww! That's so cute!"
The room filled with laughter. Sky looked into the children's eyes and could tell that they really wanted him to be their father. "I'll tell you what. I'll take you to Social Services and talk to some people there, and we'll see what we can do, ok?" Sky asked.
The children smiled and nodded their heads up and down.
XXXXXXXXXX
At Gruumm's ship, Gruumm was devising a plan to capture the blue ranger once again.
"Giganis," Gruumm said calling over Sky's former best friend.
Giganis stepped forward. "What is it my emperor?" he asked.
"When you escaped prison, you stole an S.P.D. ship right?" Gruumm asked.
"Yes sir," Giganis replied.
"Excellent. I'll need that in order for my plan to work," Gruumm said. He then transformed into Supreme Commander Fowler Birdy. "It's time to pay S.P.D. a visit," Gruumm said.
XXXXXXXXXX
Back at the infirmary, Cruger had arrived.
"Cadet Tate, how are you feeling?" Cruger asked.
Sky looked at his commander. "I'm fine thanks," Sky answered.
Sam pulled Z outside of the infirmary.
"What are you doing?" Z asked.
"I can't take it anymore!" Sam exclaimed.
Z had a puzzled look on her face. "What are you talking about?" Z asked.
"Yesterday, you said that you were willing to give us a try. Now, Sky's back in the picture and where does that leave us?" Sam asked.
"Don't do this to me," Z said.
"Don't do what?" Sam asked.
Z hesitated. She looked back in the infirmary at Sky. "Don't make me choose between you and Sky," she answered.
"Look Z, I care about you. Care is not a good enough word though. I love you," Sam said.
Z looked in the infirmary and saw Sky interacting with the children. "But you can't give me kids. I never thought Sky would be the type of guy that would be good with children, but look at him. Those children adore him. I've always wanted kids, and I can't have that with you," Z said.
Beneath his helmet Sam was crying. Z could hear Sam sniffling. "We could adopt or you could come with me to the future when we find a time portal," Sam suggested.
"I don't belong in your time. My place is right here in my time. Adopting is out of the question. I want to have my own children," Z said.
Sam transformed into a ball of light and floated away.
Just then a voice over the intercom announced, "Supreme Commander Fowler Birdy has just arrived at the Academy."
Cruger heard this as well. "That can't be right. Birdy always informs us ahead of time when he's going to be arriving. He doesn't just show up unexpectedly," Cruger said.
Kat unhooked Sky from the machines and handed Sky his uniform. "Get changed and meet us in the command center," Kat said as she, Cruger, and the other rangers left for the command center.
XXXXXXXXXX
Over at Social Services, the children's foster father returned.
"Oh my God! What happened to you?" a lady asked in horror upon seeing his black eye andnoticing a trail of blood.
The man looked at her and replied, "The blue ranger attacked me and left me for dead. Not only that, but he took my children!"
The woman gasped. "Hold on. I'll call an ambulance," she said.
"No! I don't need an ambulance! I need my children back!" the man shouted.
XXXXXXXXXX
In the command center, Cruger, Kat, and the rangers minus Sky were standing at attention in front of Commander Birdy.
Cruger stepped forward. "Welcome to S.P.D. Earth station Supreme Commander Birdy sir. What brings you here?" Cruger asked.
Birdy glared at Cruger. "You know exactly why I'm here. I've gotten wind of the atrocities one of your precious rangers has committed here on Earth," Birdy answered.
Kat stepped forward. "That may not be an accurate assessment. Sky's mind was being controlled," Kat said.
"The fact of the matter is that he committed a serious crime and that will not go unpunished. You know Miss Manx that the punishment for such a crime is banishment from the planet," Birdy stated.
Gasps filled the air.
"I know," came a voice. The rangers saw Sky enter the command center. "I accept my punishment."
Syd ran over to Sky and tugged on his arm. "No, Sky! You can't be serious! We just got you back and we're not about to lose you again!" Syd exclaimed.
"Yeah it wasn't your fault. Your mind was under control," Bridge added.
"You're leaving us?" a tiny voice asked.
Sky turned around and saw the little boy and girl.
"I thought you were going to be our daddy?" the little boy asked.
Sky's heart broke at their questions. Sky walked over them and got down on one knee so he was at their level. "Listen to me. Somewhere out there is a nice couple who would love to be your parents. I know you care about me, but I don't deserve you two. Not after what I've done. Besides, you deserve both a mommy and a daddy not just a daddy. Be good ok?"
"Take us with you!" the little girl shouted tears streaming down her cheek.
"We'll be good," the little boy said his eyes watering as well.
"I'm afraid he can't do that," Birdy said grabbing Sky's arm and leading him out of the command center.
"Hey, what are you doing? Let go of me!" Sky said.
Bridge sensed something was terribly wrong. He took off one of his gloves and scanned Birdy's aura. "Guys, that's not Birdy," Bridge said.
Jack looked concerned. "What are you talking about Bridge?" he asked.
Z went over to Bridge and shook him. "Then who is it?" she shouted.
Bridge was frightened by Z's reaction. "I…I…I don't know. I only read auras so I have no way of knowing," Bridge answered. "All I know is his aura was red and Birdy's aura should not be red. A red aura means an evil presence," Bridge explained.
Cruger ran out of the command center chasing Birdy. "Come on, we have to get to Sky before it's too late!" he ordered.
XXXXXXXXXX
Birdy threw Sky into the S.P.D. ship and prepared for takeoff.
"Ow, what the heck is your problem?" Sky asked picking himself off the ground.
Birdy sent a piercing gaze in Sky's direction. "Mind your manners cadet. You will address me as 'sir'!" Birdy ordered.
The ship took off.
"Damn it! We're too late!" Cruger yelled pounding his fist into a wall.
Bridge contacted Sky through his morpher.
Sky heard his morpher beeping and answered it. "Sky here," he said.
"Sky, it's me Bridge. I don't know who it is, but that is not Birdy. I scanned his aura and his aura was red which means that whatever or whoever he is is evil," Bridge explained.
"What?" Sky asked.
Just then, Birdy transformed into Gruumm. He used his telekinetic abilities to slam Sky into a wall. Sky fell to the ground.
"You know ranger, I'm really getting tired of you running away from me! I guess I'll have to teach you some respect!" Gruumm yelled.
Sky picked himself off the ground. "Yeah, well we'll just see about that. S.P.D. emergency!" he shouted.
Gruumm laughed evilly. "Oh please. Do you really think you stand a chance against me?" Gruumm asked.
"With you no longer controlling my mind, as a matter of fact I do think I stand a chance," Sky answered.
Gruumm fired his staff at Sky. Sky dove to the ground to get out of the way. He formed his Delta Max Striker.
"Fire!" Sky shouted.
Gruumm deflected the attack with his staff. He then lifted Sky into the air with his telekinesis.
"Fine you do stand a chance. However, your chances of beating me are slim to none," He wrapped his hand around Sky's throat while his other hand was holding him in place with telekinesis. Sky started choking. He couldn't even get his hands up to try to pry Grumm's hand off his throat due to his being caught in his telekinesis. Gruumm's hand tightened.
"I should just destroy you right now for your betrayal," Gruumm said.
Sky demorphed. He started to turn blue due to lack of oxygen. A look of fear was in Sky's eyes.
"Is that fear in your eyes ranger?" Gruumm taunted.
Gruumm threw Sky to the ground. Sky gasped for air and clutched his throat.
"What do you want from me?" Sky asked his voice scratchy.
Gruumm laughed evilly. "The Magnificence told me that the greatest threat to S.P.D. is one of its own, you. The Magnificence told me that you are the key to destroying S.P.D. from the inside out," Gruumm explained.
"I'll never work for evil!" Sky shouted. He picked himself off the ground and ran towards Gruumm.
Gruumm stopped him in his tracks with his telekinesis.
"You know you remind me of myself. All work and no play," Gruumm said.
"I'm nothing like you!" Sky spat.
Gruumm gave another evil laugh. "You are extremely loyal to S.P.D. without a doubt. You think I'm the enemy merely because Cruger said so. Are you sure you're on the right side? What if I were to tell you that Cruger is the enemy not me? What if I were to give you new orders? You want to talk about mind control? Cruger brainwashed you long before I even laid hands on you. You follow his orders without question because he tells you it's the right thing to do," Gruumm said.
"That's because it is! You're a monster! You're evil!" Sky shouted.
"Is that anyway to talk to your master my young apprentice?" Gruumm asked.
XXXXXXXXXX
Cruger let out a piercing howl.
"Damn it! How could I be such a fool? I should've known that wasn't Birdy!" Cruger yelled.
Kat walked over to Doggie and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Doggie, you can't blame yourself," Kat said.
Syd was beside herself. She was so happy and cheerful earlier this morning and now she was unapproachable. She had been bawling nonstop ever since they had been too late to stop the S.P.D. ship from leaving. Bridge walked over to Syd and hugged her.
"Don't worry Syd. We'll get Sky back. He's escaped twice before, he can do it again," Bridge said reassuringly.
Syd broke free from Bridge. "Just leave me alone! All of you!" she screamed before running to her room.
"So, I guess you won't have to choose after all," Sam said to Z.
"You selfish jerk! Sky just got kidnapped, and all you can think about is how I won't have to choose anymore?" Z yelled.
Jack had a perplexed look on his face. "Wait, you are interested in Z?" Jack asked Sam.
"Be careful how you answer that Sam," Bridge warned. "If you say yes, the next thing you know Jack might knock you unconscious!"
"Bridge come on, you're still holding that against me?" Jack asked.
Cruger growled. "Enough! I thought you all had worked out your problems?" Cruger asked.
Z, Sam, Jack, and Bridge all looked at the ground.
XXXXXXXXXX
In the command center, the children's foster parent had found them.
"All right kiddies, you're coming with me!" the man shouted scooping them up in his arms.
They kicked and squirmed and scratched the man trying to break free.
"Let us go!" they shouted.
"Where's your friend? He's not around to help you anymore is he? I guess he doesn't care about you after all," the man said.
"Liar!" the little boy hollered.
"Yeah he loves us," the little girl said.
"Then why isn't he saving you?" the man asked.
A guard heard the shouting and saw the man with the kids in his arms.
"You there, you mind telling me what the problem is here?" the guard asked.
The man smiled. "There's no problem at all. I'm their foster parent and I just came to pick up my kids."
"You're not our daddy!" the children shouted.
The guard was confused.
"Never mind what they said, I'll be going now," he stated.
XXXXXXXXXX
In Syd's room she was waiting for the results from the home pregnancy test she had just taken.
"Oh God!" Syd exclaimed seeing the result was positive. She threw the home pregnancy test at the wall breaking it. "That can't be right!" she said. She burst into tears and buried her face in her pillow. Her body was shaking from her sobbing.
Z entered the room and saw the broken home pregnancy test on the floor. It was clear to her what that meant. Z rushed over to Syd's bed and patted her on the back.
"This can't be happening!" Syd shouted.
Although Z was one to always say what was on her mind, she was at a complete loss for words. She just kept patting Syd's back unable to think of the right words to say.
"I thought you were afraid of me?" Syd asked sniffling.
"I'm not afraid of you. I never was. Besides, we girls have to stick together," Z answered.
"Oh God! Sky doesn't even know Jack raped me let alone that I'm pregnant," Syd said.
Z hugged Syd as she cried herheart out.
To Be Continued…
Note: Whew! Another chapter is done. 13 chapters? Wow! I had no idea my first fanfic would be so long! For the record I'm just as clueless as you about how long this fanfic is going to be! I know I had started my second fanfic, "Best Friends", but then I thought that I should probably finish this one first. You know focus on one thing at a time and finish what I started. Thanks for everyone's support. Don't sweat it if you haven't reviewed every chapter. I know that I personally have liked plenty of fanfics but haven't got around to actually reviewing them all, so I understand. Plus, many of you are writers as well as readers which makes it even more difficult to review, so I completely understand. I'll try to update soon.