Sydney Drew tried to contain a yawn as she trudged into a conference room, the clock on the wall just now clicking to 8 AM. "Good morning Princess," the B-squad yellow ranger greeted.
Sydney, now used to her nickname refrained from her usual glare. "Sorry Z, but some of us were kept awake last night while you snored."
"I don't snore," the brunette protested quickly, earning a look from her roommate as they took their seats.
"Do you want me to call Jack and ask? Because I will," Sydney threatened, half motioning to get up out of her chair.
"Alright guys, let's get this meeting started," Sky said as he walked in, an open folder in his hands.
"What about Cruger?" Bridge asked.
"Shouldn't we wait for him?" The newest addition to the B-squad chipped in.
"It's okay Dieter, he's tied up right now and gave me the go ahead," Sky quickly dismissed, picking up a small device to activate a visualizer. Everyone's attention was quickly drawn to the center of the table where the last documented surveillance image of sector twelve was being projected. "Sector twelve has been off the charts with activity but we've been unable to conduct standard surveillance. According to Kat there's an unstable dimensional tear."
"That's how the remaining Troobians have been able to evade us for so long," Z realized aloud.
"Exactly," Sky nodded in affirmation.
"What are we going to do about it?" Sydney asked, not having experience with anything dimension related before.
"Dieter and Bridge were able to get information regarding the next arms shipment from the criminal they detained a few days ago. Apparently they're bringing in several loads tonight. We'll intercept tonight and try to close the tear after we clean up the mess. Kat is working on a device to do that as we speak," Sky informed, shutting off the projector.
The self proclaimed B-squad all nodded in understanding and Sky adjourned the meeting. Z and Bridge had patrol duty and began walking to the parking garage, Bridge adamantly explaining his latest computer upgrade. Dieter excused himself to the command center where he had a shift, leaving Sydney and Sky alone in the conference room. "I know we studied theories on the multi-verse and alternate dimensions in our entry courses but thinking about it all still gives me a headache," Sydney complained mildly, getting up from her chair.
"You'd think it would get easier after personally visiting another dimension but it really doesn't," Sky added, gathering his folders and heading toward the door.
Sydney cocked her head to the side in sudden remembrance as she followed the red ranger out of the room. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that. You don't talk about it really. I'm guessing it wasn't that great of an experience?" she prodded gently.
Sky simply shrugged, not feeling like going into the experience in detail. After learning about the disturbance in sector twelve he began to have recurring nightmares the last few nights about the image of Meredith's body lying in the street. He shuddered at the memory and tried to focus on the brightness and warmth emanating from the pink ranger's eyes. "It's not important. Um…listen, about Friday…" Sky changed the subject a bit uncomfortably.
Sydney perked up at the mention of their date and looked at Sky expectantly, moving to the side of the hallway so they weren't in the passing cadet's ways. "Yeah?"
"How's Italian?"
"Perfect," she smiled, the smile that won her numerous magazine covers and Sky's heart.
"Good. I'll make reservations. I have to go finish a few reports but I'll meet you for lunch?" he asked, still a bit awkward about he and Sydney's dating status. This weekend would be their third official date and Sky couldn't be more thrilled about it, but he hadn't had much experience in the past leaving him to feel out of his element.
"Okay, I'll see you in the dining commons at noon then," she said before squeezing his arm affectionately. She smiled once more then jumped into the flow of traffic toward Kat's lab, having promised to help Boom with his latest project. Sky watched her go, thankful that the platinum starlet had been understanding and sensitive to his shortcomings in the romance department. 'Just one more reason why I don't deserve her,' he thought wryly to himself, thankful she had seen something worth caring about it him.
Sky snapped himself from his thoughts and began walking back to his quarters to get some much needed work done, surprised when he felt a sudden vibration coming from inside his jacket pocket. He juggled the folders in his hands and unzipped his jacket, grabbing his phone and mentally berating himself for forgetting to turn it off while on duty. He opened it up, answering without bothering to check the number. "Hello?"
"Hey Sky," greeted a cool voice over the line.
"Hey Meredith, what's going on?" he asked, weaving in and out of a few younger cadets.
"Nothing I just wanted to see what you were up to on Saturday night. That guy I told you about, you know Nate from my English class, he's throwing a party and said I should invite whoever. I thought if you guys weren't working that you could come," she invited, flipping absently through an art history book in her downtown apartment. Her eight o'clock class had been cancelled but she couldn't get back to sleep and decided to call Sky, knowing he would be up and probably working already.
Sky paused a moment while his automatic doors opened and entered his room, putting the contents of his hands onto his desk. "Yeah, we all have the night off actually and were trying to come up with something to do," Sky informed, sitting down in front of his computer.
"You mean Z and Sydney were trying to come up with something to force you guys to do," Meredith replied with a laugh.
"Basically," Sky ceded.
"Well you guys should totally come. Hey it will give you a chance to woo Syd on the dance floor at least," Meredith said smiling to herself, completely aware of how uncomfortable the comment would make Sky.
"I'm going now," Sky replied flatly, shaking his head at his friend's antics.
"Fine, just let call me when you know for sure okay?"
"Okay."
"Oh and Sky," Meredith began.
"Yeah?"
"When you come, and I know you will because Syd will not let you guys pass up a quality party, please be nice to Nate," she implored good naturedly. Meredith was met with silence from the other end of the phone line. "And stop doing a background check. I don't need to know that he got a traffic ticket when he was seventeen."
Sky stopped reading Nathan Haack's file on his computer and quit the screen, caught off guard that after only nine months Meredith knew him so well. "Sorry Mere, but I'm the red ranger. I'm a busy guy with tons of work and I wouldn't bother doing pointless background checks on guys I don't even know. Don't you think you're being just a bit paranoid?" he quickly replied, trying not to let on what he had been doing mere seconds ago.
"Geez Tate, sorry. Just trying to cover all the bases here," she apologized, scoffing slightly at his defensive response. "I'll let you get back to your work oh important one. Talk to you later?" she questioned with a smile in her voice.
Sky couldn't help but smile as well, "Sure thing Mere."
"Bye." Sky closed his phone and turned it off, still feeling as if he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. It was true, he hadn't treated the last couple guys attempting to court Meredith all too nicely. He did background checks and threw the dirt in their faces at inopportune times but he couldn't help but feel protective of her. She had turned out to be a good friend, even helping him with asking Sydney out. Had he not already had feelings for Sydney he would have considered Meredith in a different light, but it seemed they were just meant to be friends. Sky's thoughts once again floated back to his pink teammate and he had to mentally shake himself to focus on getting his work done, a lingering smile on his face.