You Found Me: A Story of Sky and Syd
Disclaimer: Yeah. Right
Challenge: Gift
Timeframe: Somewhere before Endings. Sequel to Dawn, I suppose.
It rained the day of his mother's funeral. This sort of made him feel a little better; his mother had always loved rain. Sky could still picture her all curled up in front of their fireplace with a mug of cocoa. She usually had Maroon 5 playing softly as well, silently mouthing the words to the song she and Wes had danced to at their wedding.
Syd stood next to him, dressed in mourning black. Sky hated to see his pink SPD princess that way. It was all wrong on her. Her crystal blue eyes were rimmed in red and she held a handkerchief embroidered with an S to her face. Who used handkerchiefs anymore, Sky wondered. He felt her gaze on him, studying his face.
"I'm fine," he mouthed. Sky's attention averted to the pastor. Sydney took his hand once more, her hand so soft in his. Very gently, her thumb rubbed across the back of his hand, comforting him more than she realized.
Syd didn't leave his side once. She stayed with him while he thanked everyone for coming, while people murmured words of sympathy. Never did she release Sky's hand, squeezing occasionally to remind him she was still there for him.
"Come on, sweetheart, eat something," Syd pleaded after quite some time of just sitting in silence. She'd taken to using pet names with him as he'd begun going back and forth between New Tech and Silver Hills, planning his mother's funeral and meeting with the board of executors at the family company headquarters. Syd hadn't left his side then, either, insisting to the Commander that Sky needed her. Sky had no reaction to her plea.
"Damn it Sky, you're going to take care of yourself. I'll be right back."
Syd brought him a plate of food. Sky stubbornly remained still. It was only when threatened with force feeding that he nibbled at the plate she'd brought him. Syd watched with anxious eyes. About halfway through the plate, the fork he'd been using fell, clattering against the table. Sky started crying silently. Without a sound Syd expertly took him in her arms, rocking back and forth slowly.
"I know, baby, I know."
When everyone had gone, Syd led him to his car. "I'll be driving," she informed, not waiting for a response. Sky's arms were folded over his chest as they drove in silence.
Sydney didn't like quiet for too long, and after awhile fiddled with Sky's radio. Then she stopped, remembering what she'd bought on her patrol of New Tech late last night. "Hand me my purse, please."
As they were stuck in traffic, Sydney saw no danger in rooting around through her bag, looking for the item she'd bought. "Here," she said after a moment, handing him a perfectly square package wrapped in shimmering blue paper.
"I'm not in the mood, Syd," he muttered.
"Yes you are," Syd shot back. "Now open it."
Methodically the paper came off, revealing a CD. "This is Maroon 5."
Syd nodded proudly.
"You know my mom loved them…thank you, Sydney."
Syd beamed, her cheerful mood slowly starting to affect Sky's as well. "Put it in, silly," Syd instructed him.
The rain pounded on and traffic didn't move, but neither SPD ranger cared. Silence except for the CD playing softly and the rain, just as both remembered from their childhood nights at Sky's home, playing a fantasy game of being power rangers quietly while Jen watched on, wanting to shed her tears and hoping neither would ever lose the other in the line of duty.