Theme Challenge: Syd and Sky
Series presented by: BloomingViolets and Pink-Green-White-4ever
Challenge: Sacrifice – written by Pink-Green-White-4ever
Last Revised: October 7, 2005
Summary: She didn't think it was worth the sacrifice - his life for anyone else's.
Disclaimer: We don't own 'em, wish we did.
Ship: Syd/Sky
AN: Done in response to the Ars Amatoria's Ranger Romance Themes Challenge.
--
"SKY!"
Z and Bridge shuddered as Syd's scream ripped through the air. The two of them had been helping Jack get the civilians out of the way of the latest monster's path. Sydney had been with Sky up ahead, the pair blasting their way through the rubble. Now Syd lay on the ground, part of the building she'd been standing by having fallen on her leg, pinning her.
And Sky was in the middle of the massive fireball that was exploding upwards in the middle of the street further ahead.
"OH MY GOD!" Z gasped, reaching out to clutch Bridge's hand. Jack stood three feet away from them, his mouth open in shock.
"Sky," Jack painfully breathed.
"He can't be gone!" Sydney gasped helplessly as the Red Ranger finally moved to her and freed her leg.
"Face it Syd, there's no way he could have survived that. He sacrificed himself to protect the civilians, and us," Jack told her, his voice anguished.
"NO! SKY!"
Sydney sat up, sweating and terrified. "Syd, you ok?"
The Pink Ranger nodded to her roommate. Z was sitting up in bed, looking at Sydney with wide, worry filled eyes.
"I'm fine. I'm gonna go take a shower."
Z watched as Sydney shakily moved to their bathroom before she got up and raced from the room.
--
There was a soft knock on the bathroom door while Sydney stood under the spray ten minutes later. "WHAT?"
"Can I come in?"
Syd shivered at the sound of his voice, despite the fact that she was standing under the scolding spray of the shower and the bathroom was steaming hot. Obviously, Z had gone and gotten him. "What do you need?"
"Are you alright? Z said you woke up screaming for me."
Sydney growled, peeved that Z would do that without asking. "It was just a nightmare. It wasn't the first I've ever had, nor will it probably be the last. You can go back to bed, I'm fine."
"Don't take that tone with me Sydney Drew."
The shower curtain rustled, a hand shot out and grabbed a towel before disappearing again. A second later, Syd flung the curtain open and stared at Sky angrily.
Anyone who didn't know Sydney Drew would have taken one look at the look on her face and then would have turned and ran. Sky had seen the look before, so he wasn't intimidated in the least. He also knew her better than anyone, and one look into her eyes told him how truly upset her nightmare had made her.
"Syd," he whispered, tentatively reaching forward to draw her to him, where he held her against his chest. "Talk to me."
Sky shuddered when he felt her tremble in his arms. "What or who do I need to beat up for scaring you like this?"
"Unless you plan on beating yourself up, I don't think there's much you can do," she muttered into his chest, finally relaxing as his warmth and the security of his embrace seeped into her.
"What'd I do this time?" he teased gently. Very few people knew this side of Sky Tate, and even less ever saw it. Syd was one of those even rarer few who ever had this side of him directed at them.
"I really don't want to talk about it."
Sky shook his head and leaned down to peck a kiss to her forehead, smiling gently as he pulled back because of how stubborn his best friend was. "Tell me."
Syd finally relented, and quietly told him about her dream. When she finished, Sky's arms tightened around her. "Syd," he whispered softly.
"It could happen," she told him. "That's just the kind of person you are. You're always jumping in the line of fire to save one of us, or to help an innocent person."
Sky found he had no argument to deny her words. "I do what I do, because that's what I've been trained to do, and because I enjoy helping others."
"I know that, but I don't want to watch you die," she told him, her eyes full of tears. "I don't think I could handle loosing one of my best friends, not like that, not in any way, ever."
Sky tucked her head under his chin and continued to hold her against him, debating how to approach her comments. "You know," he started, sighing. "I worry about you doing the same thing," he murmured to her.
"Me?"
"Yeah, you," Sky spoke, pulling back to look down into her teary blue eyes. "Remember what happened when we went to SWAT Training?"
Sydney shuddered at the memory. She'd been the first of them to jump into the line of fire after the five of them had decided to start acting like the team they were. "Oops."
Sky gave her a look that made her cringe. "Yeah, OOPS?"
"Ok, ok, point taken. SO I guess this means we both need to be more careful then, huh?"
"Wouldn't hurt," Sky grinned. "Come on, get dressed and I'll tuck you back in."
Doing the gentlemanly thing, Sky turned and let her get dressed. Once she was done, Syd touched his hand and felt his clasp hers before he led her back to her bed. Quickly, he tucked her in an then sat on the edge of the bed until she began to fall asleep.
"I love you," Syd yawned sleepily, dropping off before she heard Sky's reply.
"I love you too, Sydney."