Ch 4: Every Heart

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PS. Back with achapter four. Thanks to those who reviewed and for those who haven't, aww c'mon... Hear from ya soon! Squealed smiles...Can't tell you anything so you have to read till the end to know the end.

Sydney recovered physically faster than anticipated. For the next couple of days, she began taking solid food and able to take light walks around the garden. She loved the smell of fine scented roses blossoming and the creeping plant, morning glory that looked authentic to her.

She recalled the incident earlier the day before. Jack had tried to talk to her, trying to revive her memories but got all worked up instead. He had stormed out of the room while she looked at him in resentment. Did she really have a past with him? What was he really like? She seemed to be afraid of him more than like.Her thoughts were disrupted when a clear and low voice interrupted.

"Hey, thought I would find you here. Why are you walking around yourself, where's Z?"

Sydney looked up to stare into a sea of dark cobalt eyes. That was, Sky. His name suited him perfectly. He was all but the most patient with her compared to the restShe had always wondered why she had developed a kinship with Sky. Had they been close friends before? Or was it because he seemed to be the nice, overly protected brother? She didn't know, but she liked the feeling of having Sky around.

Her impression of her friends were, both Jack, who claimed he was her fiancé and Z were reckless people while Bridge spoke like a, well, a clown.

All of them had been formally reintroduced to her and she learnt that her name was Sydney. She had asked about her parentage but Cruger, her supposed commander, a doggie, said they were away. There were queer looking people here, at the academy, she thought. A dog that talks, a feline looking Kat and more.

She wanted to ask more but as she struggled to recall those past memories, her head throbbed a lot.

"I love the gardens. They give me a sense of peace and tranquility. Sky, did I enjoy garden trips before?"

Sky looked at her, eyes almost burning with intensity. "You'd love the roses more than the garden before. You never like soil as it got your soles dirty then."

Sydney heard a beeping sound coming from Sky. She watched him whipped out a, a cell phone or walkie-talkie of some sort and spoke, "I'm on my way. Over." Was he heading somewhere else?

When he ended the conversation, he found her frowning at his morpher. He explained to her, "That's a morpher. You have one too. It's in safe keeps with Commander Cruger."

"Where are you going?" She asked. She needed Sky's company and prayed that he didn't have to go do whatever he was supposed to do.

"Oversee some matters. I will be back as soon as I can, Syd. Be careful." His tall and strong build cowered her as he bent down to kiss her cheek, and then strode off in large steps.

XXX

Nobody came to look for her that afternoon. She had her meal alone and darted off around the academy in ordinary pink clothes.

As she walked, she noticed everyone stared at her. Some curious, some suspicious, some nodded while some greeted her with respect. She smiled at a male cadet who was so shocked he hit against the pillar.

"Careful," she called out and smiled brightly before walking away. Along the way, she approached a group of chattering cadets and overheard them immersed in their conversation. She heard her name being called.

"Didn't you see? Cadet Drew, she's so different from before. It's like she's changed a total person. She wasn't even involved in our training today."

She stood there and listened to them. It seemed that no one had noticed her presence at all. Was she supposed to be in any training? Is that her occupation?

"Exactly, A squad ma'am didn't attend the emergency meeting called by Commander. I heard from my friend that she smiled at everyone she saw. Isn't that weird?"

"Yea," said a girl, "It's like S.P.D pink princess doing playacting."

"Jeez, you girls. I bet she just wanted to change for Jack."

"No way, I heard from a C squad cadet that Cadet Drew tossed him out of her room, not only that, she yelled at him too."

What was she like before? Why's everyone paying attention to her? Just who is she anyway? A thousand questions popped in her mind again. She really wished her memories would come back soon.

One of the whispering cadets turned and saw her standing couple of feet away. He whispered something to the group and they looked back at her, and then scurried off immediately as if she was a plague. She hated the current her now.

XXX

"Syd, I'm glad I found you." Jack called out from behind. She was on her way back to her room, only to be stopped by Jack again. He just wouldn't give up, she groaned.

She turned to face him. "Hi," she greeted without warmth.

He grabbed her hand and started jogging. Sydney trod behind. "Jack, hold on, where are we going?" He kept quiet but continued the small jog.

Before long, they found themselves standing on sandy beaches, watching the big waves lapped against the dock with wet, rhythmic slap.

"Syd, do you remember, this was the place," he pointed to the spot they were standing, "you agreed to my proposal?"

"We exchanged our rings here. The one on your finger is red, while mine is pink, and we had it engraved pink and red with our names." He pointed to her finger and urged her to look at it.

"Jack, there isn't any ring on my finger," she spoke in a quiet voice.

Jack stiffened at her words. "What do you mean?" he stared at her finger. "Syd, did you think I was lying? Where is the ring? Is it kept somewhere during your surgery then?"

She closed her eyes and opened again. "There isn't anything on me when I was found."

For a long minute, Jack stood there, his mind brimming with all the questions he needed answered. "Do you know that Syd, to hold a ring marked your honorable and high status in S.P.D? You may not know that, but Cruger had once reprimanded me when I threw it away."

Sydney kept quiet and bit her bottom lip. "I'm sorry, Jack. But I really don't know where the ring is, or how important it is. Neither can I recall you propose nor I agreeing to them. I'm really sorry." As she said that, she back away, tears falling in rapid motions.

Jack stared at her small frame disappeared. Thunder rumbled across the heavens with all the force of a cannon. Anger, hot and scorching, flared in his eyes and vanished quickly. He shouldn't be angry with her. He's willing to give her more time. And he would.

XXX

The next couple of days had been spent with Sky. Sydney had placed her trust in him and pushed Jack away. Although Jack had tried to talk to her, she had shouted and threw things at him.

The worst had happened.

"Miranda Jakobs. I demand to see my superior." A woman with voluptuous body, clad in green army uniform. Her long hair was bundled up in French bun as she tapped on the table of the academy's ground floor.

A scared looking cadet with freckles stared at her and replied shakily, "Credentials? Who is your superior?"

"Lt. Colonel Landors. Where is he?"

"You need an appointment in order to see him."

"Appointment? Are you kidding? No one speaks to me like that!" she sauntered off and spat, "if you don't let me see him, I shall barge in myself."

Jack was just stepping out of the elevator when he saw the little exchange. He stepped forward.

Miranda brightened up when she saw him. "Colonel," she greeted.

He nodded. "What brings you here?"

"Orders from the top require you to return immediately, Sir."

"Got it. You may leave," he waved his hand asking his assistance to leave.

"No can do, Sir. Orders from the top were to bring you back. We are still in a middle of a mission, Sir."

"Damn it. I know that, Miranda. Just give me more time."

"In that case, I shall have to bunk in here until you are ready to leave." Miranda picked up her baggage near the door.

"Miranda, my order for you is to go back."

"I'm sorry, but I had a direct order from the top." She maybe saying sorry, but she wasn't sorry at all. Miranda had wondered why the Lt. Colonel was back here. But whatever it was, she was determined to get him to return with her. She had begged their chief to issue this order and they had thought twice before obliging her.

Jack was fuming already. He barked out a command asking the cadet to make arrangements for Miranda and left. She smirked at the cadet who hated Miranda at first sight, no doubt of her beauty. Any blind person would have guessed whatever Miranda had in mind.

XXX

Little did Sydney know that she was losing her fiancé, Jack away to the smirking Miranda as she isolated herself away from him.

TBC