Theme Challenge: Syd and Sky
Series presented by: BloomingViolets and Pink-Green-White-4ever
Challenge: Scars – written by Pink-Green-White-4ever
Last Revised: September 27, 2005

Summary: The healing touch of love.
Disclaimer: We don't own 'em, wish we did.
Ship: Sky/Syd

AN: Done in response to the Ars Amatoria's Ranger Romance Themes Challenge.

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Content. That's how he felt. He felt content for the first time in years. Of course, he reasoned to himself that may have something to do with the woman in his arms. Sydney was laying against him, sound asleep, in the park. Jack, Bridge and Z were playing a game of Frisbee not far away from where the team had eaten their picnic lunch on this very sunny afternoon off.

Sky watched the Red Ranger leap over a bush to catch the flying disc and smiled. It felt weird, but the animosity he'd held onto for so long toward Jack was pretty much gone. Now and then it flared up, but for the most part, it had been replaced by respect, acceptance, and friendship; and of course, by understanding. That last one wouldn't have been possible without Sydney. The Pink Ranger had been a healing salve on the scars he'd been carrying for years, including losing the Red Ranger mantle to a person he had considered unworthy.

"You're thinking about it too much, whatever it is."

Sky chuckled. "How can you tell?"

"You tensed up, your chest got rock hard and your breathing sped up," Syd told him, looking up at him as she stretched against him. "Whatcha thinking about?"

"My scars."

Sydney frowned. "Huh?"

"The emotional ones, the ones you've pretty much helped heal."

"Like?"

"My anger toward Jack."

That didn't surprise Sydney in the least that that was one of the scars he had. "Oh?"

"If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have understood it or accepted it."

The two of them had spent countless hours talking about Jack being the Red Ranger after it had happened. Sydney had explained, over and over again, why Cruger had chosen Jack over him.

Sky may have been the best cadet at the academy, with the top scores in every area of training, but he hadn't been the ideal leader. He'd been detached from his teammates, he'd been overly confident to the point that he was almost cocky, and he expected the role because it had been his father's originally.

The Blue Ranger still remembered with disturbing clarity what Sydney's reaction had been after weeks of his familiar protests on how unfair it was.

"That was your dad! NOT YOU! Have you ever stopped to think that maybe you're not meant to be Red Ranger!"

Sky remembered protesting only to have Sydney yell at him angrily, tears clouding her vision.

"Destiny is not set, you make your own! Nothing in life is a given!"

Sky shook his head now as he thought about her words. She was right, as always. Taking her words to heart, Sky had let go of the anger, resentment and disappointment. He knew now, if he hadn't, he'd have missed out on a lot of special moments being the Blue Ranger had triggered, including the most precious thing he'd received in his life thus far – Sydney.

"You're still hurting from not being Red, huh?"

"Honestly? No, I'm not. Being Red isn't everything. Besides, if I was Red, I wouldn't have you, and who knows what kind of other scars I'd end up with after this whole thing with Grumm is over."

"Your perfectly fine, whatever color you are and whatever scars you carry, Schuyler Tate. And you can take that anyway you want to."

Sydney winked at him and he started laughing before he bent down and kissed her forehead.