Nothing Worthwhile is Ever Easy
Sky woke up early the next morning.
Earlier than usual that is.
He had run out of things to do by 5:30, that included getting ready, morning workout, showering, eating breakfast and finishing all his reports that were due next week.
Now he was bored and restless.
And he still didn't know what he was going to say once he went over to Syd's.
He had barely slept last night just thinking of the countless conversations that he could possibly have with her about this.
He didn't know if she would be mad, excited, angry, frightened, relieved, or any combination of them.
He just hoped she didn't run.
That would be the worst possible case scenario.
He wasn't sure if he could find her if she didn't want to be found.
Sky still wasn't entirely positive that he was indeed the father of Sydney's child, but (as much as he hated to admit it) Z made a lot of sense.
Syd had been sketchy from the beginning about the father but Z's theory put everything together.
He was really quite embarrassed that he hadn't thought of it before Z; he equated it to emotional stress from Syd leaving.
The next three hours were spent planning out possible conversation scenarios in his head until Sky felt it was acceptable to go over and talk to Sydney.
Once in front of her door though, he started having second thoughts.
What if he really wasn't the father?
What if she was just quiet about the father because it was nobody's business?
What if she just didn't want him to be the father?
Just as he was thinking of leaving, her door opened and out came… Jack?
Jack and Sky were content to stare at each other for a few seconds before Sky was the first to react.
He grabbed Jack by his shirt and shoved him against the door frame, anger evident on his face.
"What the hell are you doing in Syd's apartment?!"
Jack was unable to react to Sky's sudden outburst. He had not even fully comprehended that Sky was even there… at Sydney's apartment… at 8:30 in the morning.
"Sky? What the hell are you doing at Syd's apartment?"
"I – I – came to talk to her! Now what are you doing here?"
"Syd forgot her key and Aly and I are going to be out for most of the day, I had to use my master key to get in and then find her own key. Can you let me down now?"
Sky visibly calmed down tremendously after that. He even managed to look a bit sheepish as well.
As Jack was brushing himself off and smoothing out his shirt Sky spoke up.
"Um – where is Syd?"
Jack didn't look up; content to finish smoothing out the wrinkles on his red t-shirt.
"She had a doctors appointment today, short checkup, and Aly and I have to go to Techwell today to help with a neighboring shelter's annual soup kitchen."
"I know who the father is."
Jack dropped Sydney's key and immediately stopped messing with his shirt.
"Wh- what?"
"I'm the father, right?"
Jack's jaw had dropped to the floor. He didn't know what to say. This was the one thing he didn't want to deal with. He knew that helping Syd keep this secret was going to be trouble, but did he listen to himself? NO!
Sky knew he was right. Jack's face was enough to convince anyone.
Jack sighed. "I'll take you to the hospital."
It was a silent ride to their destination, the only point where anything was said at all was when the car came to a standstill in the middle of city traffic and even then they only spoke to quietly curse under their breath.
The reason for the traffic jam was due to four car pileup a mile up the road, and still two miles away from the hospital with no other route until a turnoff, seven blocks up the road.
"Shit." Sky cursed again and slouched in the passenger seat.
At that moment Jack's cell phone started to vibrate. As he looked at the caller ID he unconsciously glanced over at Sky. It was Sydney.
"Hey Syd, look I know I'm taking a while with the key but there's a major traffic jam and I— Syd what's wrong"
Jack suddenly had a concerned look on his face.
"Jack what's wrong with Syd?" Sky was erect in his seat also looking concerned.
"Syd, come on, talk to me why are you crying?"
"She's crying? Jack why is she crying?"
Jack rolled his eyes at Sky and continued to try and talk to a sobbing Sydney.
"Wait, you're what?! No, no, no you're not due for another two weeks why are they inducing labor!?"
"They're WHAT?!"
"The baby's upside down?"
"There's something wrong with the baby?!"
Jack covered the phone with his hands.
"Sky, I recognize that this is your child and you're worried about Sydney and I'm going to say this in the nicest way possible considering your situation… Shut. The hell. Up."
Sky turned towards the road and crossed his arms over his chest and sulked. He was planning all the possible ways that he could run Jack over with his zord while also trying to listen in on their phone conversation.
"Syd, Syd, you need to calm down. The doctors will take care of you and I'll be there as soon as I possibly can, okay. Just remember all the breathing techniques you learned, you'll be fine. You're strong."
Jack closed the phone and sighed.
Sky was immediately snapped out of his brooding.
"Alright what'd she say!?"
"The ultra sound found that the baby is trying to come out upside down. They're inducing labor because they say it's big enough and it's easier to turn around now. The doctors are going to start in the next ten minutes."
"Well we're never gonna get there in time what are we gonna do?!"
Jack sighed again and slammed his hands against the steering wheel.
"I don't know Sky." He answered quietly.
"Well what about you're SPD siren?" Sky was grasping at straws.
"Sky, I quit SPD. The only thing they let me keep was the socks and the little packets of soap they gave me."
"Damn it!"
Sky sat back in his seat again.
"I am going to be at the birth of my child Jack."
"Well that's very unlikely if you stay in this jeep."
"You're right."
And with that Sky open the door and started running, swerving in between cars in a sprint.
Jack smiled.
"Good luck Sky."
Syd was in tears.
Not because of the pain from the birth either.
Okay maybe that was a little part of it.
But because of the fact that she was alone.
Jack wasn't here, Aly wasn't here, Bridge and Z would be working and she was too scared to call them anyway, and she was pretty sure that Sky wouldn't want to come. He would do it if she asked him, but he wouldn't really want to be here and she wasn't going to force him.
Another contraction hit and she was thrust once more into more pain and more tears.
She once again chose her focus point of the only picture in the entire room.
The picture was of a father and child on a beach with their backs turned facing a setting sun.
The man had short blond hair and was wearing a light blue shirt holding the child in his arms as if protecting them from everything bad, even time which would inevitably cause the moment to end.
It made her think of Sky, and how he would hold their child.
It was a shame it would never come to pass.
As the contraction came to an end Sydney was soon aware of a loud commotion happening outside.
The doctor and nurses noticed it too as all their heads turned to stare at the door in silence.
Everyone jumped as the door was slammed open, the voices suddenly magnified. A man was followed by three other nurses as he entered the room, a determined expression on his face.
Sky was not one to be deterred.
He walked over to Sydney's side, nurses yelling and shouting behind him but all he could see was the woman in front of him, her face glistening with sweat.
Syd looked into his eyes. He knew, he knew everything. She didn't know how he found out or how she even knew that he knew, but she was glad he was there.
She gave him a small smile before he kissed her, a light but passionate kiss that they had both been without for almost seven months.
The commotion around them ceased but neither noticed.
As they both pulled away for air he was the first to speak.
"Nothing was going to stop me from being by your side."
She smiled up at him and was about to reply but a contraction intervened.
Syd instead reached out and Sky grabbed her hand.
Her labor lasted two and a half hours. Her baby was turned around without any difficulty and born a healthy seven pounds, twelve ounces and twenty-two inches long.
Jack finally arrived an hour into the birth. He had been picked up by Z and Bridge thanks to SPD intervention on the accident.
Syd was understandably exhausted and had taken a nap.
As she awoke up from her short nap she saw Sky sitting in a chair holding their baby. He seemed to be humming a lullaby and rocking it gently.
As Sydney looked upon the sight she was brought back to the only picture in her room.
After thinking about it she decided that she liked this picture a lot better. You could see Sky's face, his expression on looking upon such a beautiful sight. He looked like the happiest man in the world.
And on looking just a bit closer you could also see the lines of determination. Determination that nothing would happen to his child. He would protect it from anything that dared to cause it harm.
Syd liked that expression. It made her feel safe, knowing that their child would be just fine.
She was no longer worried about SPD and Sky's future. She was even wondering why she even considered those things problems. Sky would always love her and their child, even if he had to make a change of lifestyles.
They would be just fine.
Even if it was just her, Sky, and their beautiful newborn daughter.
Author's Note: Insert applause here. Sky found out, confronted Syd and all is good. Not as long as I would have wanted it but it gets the job done. HOWEVER, I don't like just ending it here at nine chapters when I could do an even ten SO, I decided to put in an epilogue just for kicks. Depending on how sucky school is it should be up within the week, hopefully before the end of August but don't quote me on that.