Pink Surprise
by
BloomingViolets

Disclaimer in Part One

- x -x - x - x -x -

Chapter Six - Feelings

Okay, so maybe he chickened out.

He had been ready though. He had envisioned sweeping her off her feet and her excitedly saying that she would go out with him. He had planned to led her away from everyone else, away from the crowd and casually ask if she wanted to catch a movie and go for dinner the next day.

But the moment Syd and Z returned from the bathroom, Sky’s determination failed him and his courage flew out the window. All of the pep talks that Bridge and Jack had given him were forgotten once he looked at the Pink Ranger. He let out a quiet sigh. How in the world am I ever going to ask her out?

The girls sat down and Jack looked pointedly at the Blue Ranger.

“So Sky,” the Red Ranger pressed, not one to beat around the bush. “Isn’t there something that you’re supposed to ask a certain someone?”

Z and Bridge gave him gleeful looks while Syd looked at him questioningly, curiosity shining in her blue eyes.

“Uh no,” Sky muttered, shooting Jack another glare.

“Really?” Jack went on; ignoring the look Sky gave him. All night long, Sky had been glaring at him and the others nonstop. That look didn’t faze him in the slightest anymore. “That’s funny, I could’ve sworn I heard you say that you were going to ask a certain someone a certain question tonight.”

Bridge hid a smile behind a gloved hand, while Z didn’t even bother disguising the fact that she was laughing at him. “It must’ve been your imagination,” Sky muttered under his breath.

There was a silence.

“You guys are weird,” Syd announced, not having the slightest clue what was going on. There was no mistaking how tense Sky was though. To take the attention off him, Syd quickly changed the subject. “So what did you guys think of Jake?”

Their responses were quick and straight to the point.

“Quiet.”

“Shy.”

“Totally hot.”

The Pink Ranger blinked and rolled her eyes at Z’s comment. “He’s not that hot,” she said and then turned to Sky. “What about you?”

Sky shrugged. “You want my honest opinion?”

“Of course I do!”

“I don’t like him.”

She nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Sky stared. “What?”

“Well, remember when we went to that Broadway show and we ran into him?”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“You said you got the same feeling about him that I did. Something about him was off.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, so that’s why I wasn’t surprised when you said you didn’t like him,” Syd explained.

“I didn’t sense anything off about him,” Z rested her chin in the palm of her hand, thinking thoughtfully; “he was just really shy.”

The Pink Ranger shrugged. “Oh well.”

The conversation and the subject of Jake was long was forgotten and for the next hour, the five Rangers sat around the table and talked. Sky had remarkably loosened up and all traces of the brooding, grumpy, sulky Sky was gone. Bridge, Jack and Z sat back and watched the transformation that had taken place.

Jack leaned over and bumped Z with his arm, catching her attention. The Yellow Ranger turned to face her longtime friend.

“It’s funny how he’s all Mr. Nice Guy once Mr. Rich Man is out of the picture huh?”

Z nodded. “A totally obvious sign that he’s hung up on her.”

“No kidding!”

“It’s kind of amusing to know that if you put him in front of a monster, he’s all brave, serious, and in control, but when you put him next to a girl he likes, all he can do is glare at his competition.”

Jack laughed, “I have to agree with you on that one.”

The Yellow Ranger leaned back in her seat, watching as Syd told some story to Bridge and Sky. Z noted with an amused smile, at how intently Sky was listening to the Pink Ranger’s tale. “It’s never dull around here.”

Some time passed and finally, Syd yawned. “Hey guys, mind if we go home now? I’m so tired!”

Jack exchanged a meaningful glance with Z and Bridge. The Green Ranger nodded his head slightly, letting the Red Ranger know that he agreed with whatever Jack was planning. Jack leaned back in his seat and threw his hands behind his head, his elbows sticking up in the air. “Do we have to leave so soon?”

The Pink Ranger pouted. “I’m tired though.”

Jack let out an exasperated sigh and discreetly gave Z a wink. “Anyone else tired? You can leave with Syd if you are.”

The Yellow Ranger quickly caught on and smiled. She shook her head. “Nope, not tired.” Z turned to the Green Ranger. “How about you Bridge?”

Bridge grinned. “I’m not tired either.”

There was a brief silence before Jack kicked Sky in the leg under the table.

“OW!” The Blue Ranger glared at his leader.

The Red Ranger ignored Sky’s yelp of pain and was unfazed by his murderous looks. “What about you Sky? Are you feeling tired?”

“Well actually-“ Sky started to say before he let out another yelp of pain as Jack kicked him once more. Shooting another annoyed glare at the Red Ranger, he turned to Syd, who was looking at him expectantly. “I’m pretty tired too. Come on Sydney, I’ll take you home.”

The Pink Ranger grinned and kissed his cheek. “Thanks Sky!”

He blushed before following Syd out the door.

Watching their teammates go, the three remaining Rangers grinned at one another. Shifting, a sudden thought just occurred to Bridge. “Uh guys?”

Both Z and Jack regarded him with questioning looks.

“We all came here together in one car and Sky just took our car. How in the world are we getting home?”

X-x-x-x-x

In the car, Syd sighed happily. This was where she had wanted to be tonight. With her friends. With Sky. Laughing, joking, and having a good time.

“Did you have fun tonight?”

The Pink Ranger turned in her seat and observed the Blue Ranger’s profile. He was so handsome! “I had a blast once I met up with you guys.”

“You didn’t have fun on your date?”

Syd rolled her eyes. “He overdid it with the compliments.”

Sky laughed, still focused on the road. “I thought girls liked to hear that they’re pretty.”

“We do, it just gets annoying when you hear it thirty times in a row.”

The Blue Ranger gave another chuckle.

There was a comfortable silence as Sky continued driving. Suddenly there was a loud buzzing sound in the air, causing both Rangers to jump slightly in their seat.

“What was that?” Syd asked, startled.

Sky shifted and lifted his right elbow a bit, both his hands still on the steering wheel. “Can you get that? It’s my cell phone.”

Syd reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a vibrating device. Flipping it open, she answered, “Hello, Sky Tate’s phone!” cheerfully.

“Hello,” a female voice responded, her voice sounding pleasantly surprised. “Whom am I speaking with?”

Feeling a little puzzled, she exchanged a glance with Sky. The Blue Ranger shrugged as she responded, “This is Sydney Drew. I’m Sky’s friend.”

“Oh hi Sydney!” the woman’s voice replied cheerfully. “It’s Sky’s Mother. How are you?”

The Pink Ranger’s eyes lit up. “Hi, Mrs. Collins! I’m great, how are you?”

“Call me Jen honey, and I’m doing wonderfully. Is Sky around?”

Syd glanced at Sky and then noticed that they had arrived back at the Academy. “Yes, he’s sitting right next to me, we were driving and we’re just pulling into the parking lot right now. Hang on just a sec Mrs. Collins!”

“I’m glad you two are driving responsibly. Never drive while talking on a cell phone. And remember to call me Jen dear!”

Syd grinned and passed the cell phone to Sky. The Blue Ranger held the phone up to his ear as he got out of the car. “Hi Mom.”

“Hi honey. I was just calling to ask if you wanted to have lunch with your father and me tomorrow afternoon.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yes, your Aunt and Uncle are coming as well.”

“Uncle Eric and Aunt Taylor are coming too?”

“They just arrived from Silver Hills an hour ago.”

Sky grinned. “Lunch sounds great Mom.”

“Perfect. Meet us at noon at ‘La Casa Encantada’.”

“I’ll be there.”

“Oh and Sky? Bring Sydney along. And the rest of your teammates too. We all want to meet them.”

“Okay,” the Blue Ranger chuckled, “I’ll ask them if they’re interested in coming.”

“Wonderful. See you tomorrow son. Love you.”

“Love you too Mom.”

Sky hung up, and together he and Sydney walked through the SPD Academy Entrance. “Are you interested in having lunch with my family tomorrow?”

The Pink Ranger’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Yes! I adore your parents Sky! Can I really come?”

He laughed. “Well, they did invite you.”

“Then I’m there!”

X-x-x-x-x

“Oof!”

The wind was knocked out of him as Sky landed on his back for the third time that day. Syd’s face appeared above him as she bent over, her hands placed on her knees.

“You must be getting really rusty Sky,” the Pink Ranger commented, grinning. “I’ve been able to kick your butt three times today. What happened to the best fighter on our team huh?”

He caught his breath and Syd extended her arm. The Blue Ranger grabbed her hand and pulled himself into a sitting position. “Yeah well,” he shrugged, “I’ve been preoccupied lately.”

And preoccupied he was. He had shown up on the training field bright and early that morning, as usual, when he learned that Sydney was to be his sparring partner for the day. So naturally, when he saw her (looking stunning as always) he turned into a bumbling idiot and became distracted, much to the amusement of his teammates.

Across the mat, Jack snorted when he heard Sky’s response. “Yeah,” the Red Ranger muttered, “he’s preoccupied with jealousy, and spends half the time glaring at his friends.”

Z, who was standing next to him, rolled her eyes, while suppressing a smirk. She elbowed the Red Ranger in the ribs as Syd shot a curious glance at them. Jack and Z straightened and merely grinned at her with knowing glances.

The Pink Ranger shrugged and resumed training. The sooner they were done, the sooner she could grab a shower. She hated sweating. She blew a strand of hair out of her face, this time she would have to spar against Sky and Bridge. Rounding on Sky, the petite girl was able to tackle the Blue Ranger to the ground once more, before flipping backwards and tackling Bridge as well. Standing up, Syd placed her hands on her hips. “Really, what’s gotten into you guys today? I’m not a bad fighter, but usually when you two team up against me, I barely make it out of there in one piece.”

Bridge groaned, shooting a glare at the Red Ranger. “Can’t blame me, I’m tired. It was a long way home last night you know.”

The Pink Ranger frowned. “Why’s that?”

“Jack had the brilliant idea that we walk home.”

“And the three of you walked home because…?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Bridge quickly replied, “I’ll be fine. I’ll just catch a quick nap before lunch or something.”

Syd just shrugged, quickly letting the subject drop. The Rangers trained for another hour, Sky managed to regain some control and was doing much better. At least he had been able to keep Sydney from pinning him to the ground again.

“Sydney!”

Their training was interrupted as a man walked out onto the field. All five Rangers stopped their sparring and three of them watched with interest as the man made his way towards their Pink Ranger. Syd’s eyes widened. “Jake? What are you doing here?”

“Can’t a guy visit for any reason?”

Sky’s face had taken on a dark expression as soon as he saw Jake. Sky glared at the man. What the hell is he doing here?

Bridge stood up from his place on the mat and walked over to where Sky was standing. The Green Ranger observed his friend’s expression. Boy, if looks could kill, Jake would’ve been six feet under in an instant. Bridge placed a hand on his roommate’s arm. He didn’t need to take off his gloves to see that Sky was not happy. His roommate was projecting his emotions like a satellite. “Calm down Sky.”

“Must be nice, being a business man and all,” the Blue Ranger muttered under his breath. He was so caught up in his jealousy that he appeared not to have heard Bridge’s comment. “Doesn’t he ever have to work?”

“Guess he makes his own hours,” Jack answered, as he and Z made their way over to where Sky and Bridge were standing. All four Rangers watched the interaction between Syd and Jake.

“Um… it’s nice to see you again…” Syd said, giving Jake a small smile.

“Actually, I just stopped by to say hi and give you something,” Jake pulled a small rectangular shaped box out of his pocket.

The Pink Ranger had a wary look in her eyes as she glanced at the object in his hand and made no move to accept the gift. “What’s the occasion?”

The business man shrugged. “No occasion. I just saw this and it reminded me of you, is all.”

“You shouldn’t have.”

Jake shrugged once more and extended his arm.

Still, the Pink Ranger made no move to take the box.

“What’s wrong?” Jake frowned.

“I can’t accept this Jake.”

“Why not?” The man looked puzzled and slightly hurt.

“Because I don’t think we should see each other anymore.”

Sky’s dark expression disappeared at Sydney’s words and a genuine smile appeared on his face. He grinned gleefully at Jake’s back.

Jake was still frowning. “Why?”

The Pink Ranger gave an apologetic smile. “I just don’t think we’re right for each other. I’m sorry if I had your hopes up.”

Jake absently scratched the side of his cheek, continuing to hold the box in his hand. “So that’s it then? For us, I mean?”

Syd’s expression answered for her.

“Did I do something wrong?” he asked.

“No,” she protested, “it’s not that. I just don’t think we’re right for each other. You’ll find someone else though. Someone that will be perfect for you.”

There was an awkward silence as Jake looked thoughtful at Syd’s answer. Finally, he gave a small smile. “I understand,” he offered his hand, “friends?”

Relieved, Syd smiled and took his hand. “Sure.”

“Okay, well I should go,” Jake straightened his jacket and once more offered the box to the Pink Ranger. “Take it, it was meant for you anyway.”

Looking unsure, Syd hesitated before reaching out to accept the gift. “Thank you.”

With a small wave, Jake turned and walked off the field.

X-x-x-x-x

“It’s gorgeous,” Z remarked as she held up the locket to inspect it further.

Syd shrugged. “You can have it if you want.”

Later in their room, while they were getting ready to head for lunch, Syd had opened the gift that Jake had given her. Inside, nestled in some cotton, was a small heart shaped locket with the letters ‘S.D’ engraved on it. If you opened the locket, you could see tiny diamond studs decorating the edges.

The Yellow Ranger gave her roommate a look. “Are you kidding? It has your initials on it. What am I supposed to tell people what the letters stand for if I wear it? ‘Stupid Dork’?”

The Pink Ranger grinned. “You could,” she teased.

Z stuck out her tongue at her roommate.

Syd shrugged. “What am I supposed to do with it? It’s not like I’m going to wear it anyway.”

“You could sell it,” Z suggested as she examined the piece of jewelry. “This looked like it cost Jake a small fortune.”

“Who would want a locket with the initials ‘S.D’ on them?”

The Yellow Ranger shrugged. “What are you going to do with it then?”

Syd stood up from the bed and reached for the locket. Crossing the room, she opened her dresser drawer and carelessly threw the locket in. “There,” she said, shutting the drawer.

Her roommate raised an eyebrow. “Wow, you’re nice. Poor guy, he was so hung up on you too. That was obviously expensive jewelry Syd.”

“So?” Sydney shrugged, “I have a bucket full of expensive jewelry.”

Z rolled her eyes. “That was beside the point.”

Syd flopped into the chair in front of her mirror. “It doesn’t matter anyway,” she replied as she began to braid her hair into two pigtails, “I’m not interested in Jake. Never had been.”

Z shrugged. “Your call.” The Yellow Ranger stood up and stretched before something caught her attention. “Come on let’s –Hey! What’s that?”

Syd turned, “What?”

The Yellow Ranger pointed to an object on Syd’s nightstand. Sydney was out of her chair in a flash. Grabbing the small box, she carefully pulled apart the pink wrappings. Her breath caught.

“What is it Syd?”

The blonde looked up. “Earrings.”

“Earrings?”

“Remember the necklace I got for my birthday?” Syd asked.

“The one that just mysteriously appeared on your bed?”

“Yeah,” the Pink Ranger nodded, “these earrings match with the necklace.”

“Seriously?”`

Syd fell silent, looking at the earrings in wonder. “I received a bracelet too.”

“Wow,” Z paused. “Why don’t you ever wear them? You wear the necklace all the time.”

The Pink Ranger shrugged. “I don’t want my secret admirer to get the wrong idea.” Syd turned away, avoiding Z’s questioning gaze and placed the earrings on her dresser. ‘Besides, my heart already belongs to Sky.’

X-x-x-x-x

Wes and Jen were already seated at the table when the Rangers arrived at the restaurant.

“Mom! Dad!”

Both former Rangers looked up and smiled when they saw their son standing at the entrance. Wes stood up and motioned with his arm for all of them to head towards their table. Jen reached up and hugged her son. “Hi honey.”

Sky kissed his mother’s cheek. “Hi Mom,” he greeted before moving to greet his father. “Hey Dad.”

“Hey son,” Wes grinned, his expression turned into the one he often had when he was about to tease someone. “Gee Sky, I’m beginning to wonder if you ever change your clothes. It seems like every time I see you, you’re wearing that hideous uniform.”

Before Sky could retort, a new voice answered for him. “It’s better looking than your ridiculous Silver Guardian uniform, Wes.”

“Well you wear the same thing,” Wes shot back, grinning.

“I know,” came the reply, “and I think it looks ridiculous.”

Everyone turned and spotted a slim blonde woman and an Asian man with a smirk on his face, standing behind them.

The Blue Ranger’s face lit up. “Uncle Eric! Aunt Taylor!”

“Hi Sky,” Taylor greeted warmly with a smile.

“Hey kid,” Eric grinned, looking up at the Blue Ranger. “Shit, you’ve gotten taller. You’re like a freaking tree.”

Taylor smacked the back of Eric’s head.

“OW!” He shot his wife a murderous look. “What the hell was that for?”

Taylor smacked him again and Eric let out another stream of colorful curses. The former Yellow Wild Force Ranger glared right back at her husband. “Don’t swear in front of Sky!”

The Quantum Ranger shot another glare at his wife and rolled his eyes. “You’re so difficult to deal with sometimes!” he snapped, “The kid is twenty years old for crying out loud! I’m sure he’s heard a couple of swear words in his lifetime.”

“Maybe,” Taylor snapped right back, “But that’s no reason to influence him!”

Sky laughed, while the others just exchanged amused glances.

“Hey,” Wes spoke up, “Why don’t we all sit down? I’m starving, and Sky still has to introduce his friends!”

Eric and Taylor immediately stopped arguing and everyone sat down. Sky quickly introduced his teammates and both Jen and Wes smiled warmly when he introduced Sydney.

Eric elbowed Taylor. “That must be the girl he’s smitten with,” he muttered.

Taylor agreed, smiling. “Aw, young love. That’s so cute.”

Eric rolled his eyes.

Everyone laughed and joked all through lunch. Jen, Taylor, Wes and Eric entertained the Rangers with stories of their own adventures during their Ranger days and the Rangers in return told their own tales. Halfway through her meal, Syd felt the little hairs on the back of her neck raise and she tensed. The Pink Ranger paused and looked up around the room.

Next to her, Bridge noticed her discomfort. The Green Ranger lowered his fork. “What’s wrong Syd?” he asked in a low voice.

“I don’t know,” Syd consciously reached up and rubbed the back of her neck. “It’s this weird feeling I have. It feels like… it feels like... “ Syd paused, trying to find the right words to describe her discomfort. “It feels like someone’s watching me,” she finally uttered, still looking uneasy.

Bridge looked up and observed the restaurant. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. “Maybe you’re imagining things,” he suggested.

“Maybe,” Syd agreed, though she was convinced it wasn’t her imagination. Shrugging, Syd shook her head and tried to get back into the lively conversation around her.

The feeling stayed with her until they left the restaurant.

x-x-x-x-x

That evening, Syd sat in front of her mirror, quietly humming to herself, while brushing her hair. Carefully and skillfully, the Pink Ranger pulled her hair into a firm French braid. Once finished, she searched her dresser for an elastic band. After a few seconds of searching and finding nothing, she decided to check her purse. With one hand holding onto the end of her hair, she stood up and moved over to her bed, reaching for her purse and dumping out the contents on her blanket.

Many things fell out, her mini hairbrush, various items of makeup, her lip gloss, keys, a few photos, her wallet, a few elastic bands, and a small pink box.

The small pink box caught her attention. Quickly grabbing a rubber band and tying her hair in place, she held up the box to her face for a closer inspection. Curiosity overcame her and she quickly threw the small mess on her bed back into her purse before opening the box. Gently pulling apart the white ribbon, Syd’s eyes widened in shock once she lifted the lid.

It was a star shaped locket, no bigger than the size of her palm. Taking the delicate object out of the box and inspecting it, the Pink Ranger immediately fell in love with it. ‘It’s beautiful.’

Carefully, she pried open the locket, wanting to see what the inside looked like- and received a pleasant surprise. A soft sweet melody filled her ears and she gazed at the object with wonder.

It wasn’t a locket; it was a miniature star shaped music box.

‘Who in the world could’ve gotten me something so beautiful?’

She quickly checked the box to see if there was a note.

There was.

Syd placed the music box on her bed and opened the card.

Sydney-

When you love someone, all your saved-up wishes start coming out. I wish that the stars would forever shine in your eyes. Never stop smiling, because I love to see you smile.

“What are you reading?”

Syd jumped, startled at Z’s sudden appearance. “You scared me!”

The yellow ranger shrugged. “Sorry. What were you reading?”

“Look at this,” Syd held out the music box.

The Yellow Ranger’s eyes widened. “It’s beautiful. Where’d you get it?”

“It just showed up in my purse!”

Z shook her head. “Another present from your secret admirer? Three gifts in one day, that’s gotta be some sort of record. Boy Syd, you’ve really got guys falling at your feet huh?” She laughed, “First your secret admirer, then Jake, and now you’ve got Sky too.”

The last statement caught Syd’s attention. “WHAT?”

Realizing her little slip up, Z quickly searched her mind for something to say. “Uh… uh… oh gee, look at the time! Bridge said he’d make me some toast, it’s supposed to be all buttery and stuff. Gotta go, bye!” The Yellow Ranger turned and ran out of the room.

“Z, wait!”

But the doors had already slid shut, leaving Syd alone in the room to ponder her thoughts.

‘What did Z mean by that?’

X-x-x-x-x

Inside the rented Victorian house, Jake Hemmington made his way up the stairs to the corner room. He’d painted the walls black and covered the windows with duct tape and a light-blocking tarp; a red light dangled over a small table along the far wall. His photography equipment was on the table: four different cameras, about half a dozen lenses, and boxes of film. He turned on the lamp and turned it a bit so that the lighting was dimmer. Near the shallow containers of chemicals he used to develop the film was a single photograph that he had taken of Sydney on their last date.

Carefully, he inspected the photograph. ‘She looked happy last night’, he thought, ‘as if she’d known her life had suddenly changed for the better’. And she was very lovely too. Studying her expression, he couldn’t find anything to explain what had happened earlier that day. What happened to cause her to not want to see him anymore?

He shook his head. No, he wouldn’t hold her mistake against her. She was confused. Anyone who cared as much as she did was a treasure, and he was lucky enough to have found her.

He knew quite a bit about Sydney Drew now. She was an only child; her mother had been unable to have anymore children after Sydney had been born. Her mother had been a former model and took pride in being wealthy. Her father owned a very successful business company and would do anything to see his daughter happy. She started talking and walking at the age of 1 and was always demanding attention as she grew up. From the age of 7, she had won every beauty pageant she was entered in, started gymnastics at a young age (when she was 10!) and becoming an Olympian at age 15. She joined SPD when she was 16 and continued training for the next two years, while becoming a fashion model and a singer at ages 17 and 18 at the same time.

She was such an amazing individual, with amazing talents.

Their childhoods were very different. While Sydney had lived the life of a princess, he had lived a different lifestyle. The drinking. The beatings. The cockroach-infected kitchen. The smell of mold and rotting drywall. The disgusting tap water from the sink that made him sick to his stomach. His only escape had been his photography. He had discovered beautiful photographs in books that seemed to whisper of other places, of magical landscapes and spent longs hours at his school library just studying the beautiful images. His mother had noticed his interest and somehow persuaded his father to spend money on a small inexpensive camera and two boxes of film as a Christmas present when he was twelve years old. It was the only time in his childhood that he could remember being truly happy. He would take pictures at dusk and dawn because he liked the light at those hours; he became a pro at moving silently, obtaining close-ups that seemed almost impossible to get. When he finished his roll of film, he would run inside and beg his father to have them developed. When the photos were ready, he would stare at them in his bedroom, trying to figure out what he’d done right or wrong.

In the beginning, his father seemed amused at his interest and at times even glanced through a few photos. Then the comments started. “Oh look, a bird,” he’d say, and “Oh, another bird.” Eventually he began to resent the money being spent on his son’s hobby. You’re just throwing it all away aren’t you?” he’d snarl, but instead of suggesting that Jake do some chores around the neighborhood to pay for developing the photos himself, his father decided to teach him a lesson.

He’d been drinking again that night, and both Jake and his mother tried to stay out of his way. Something happened, Jake wasn’t sure what, but a moment later his father came into the kitchen with his beloved camera, setting it on the kitchen table. In his other hand was a hammer. After making sure he had his son’s attention, he smashed the camera into tiny pieces.

Later that year, his father died. His memories of that day were vivid: the disbelieving look on his mother’s face, the dripping of the faucet, the officers’ hushed tones. And his mother’s hysterical screaming once they were alone. “What are we going to do without him?” she sobbed, shaking him by the shoulders. “How could this have happened?”

Here was how: his father had been drinking at a bar, near downtown. According to the witnesses, he played one game of pool and lost, then sat at the bar drinking the night away. He’d been fired from his job three months before and had begun spending his nights at the bar, looking for pity in the company of alcoholics.

He left the bar a little past eleven, driving home after stopping at the 24-hour market for some cigarettes. A neighbor, who was walking his dog, saw him as he was nearing home. The garage had been left open, and his father pulled the car into the small space.

This was where the speculation began. He had closed the garage door, and there was no doubt, that the room was filled with high levels of carbon monoxide. For all intents and purposes, it looked like Jake’s father had committed suicide. People who knew Jake’s father disagreed with the evidence. ‘He’s a fighter,’ they had said, ‘he wouldn’t have killed himself.’

In the end, it was ruled as an accident, and the death was attributed to alcohol.

Many people came to the funeral. His mother cried bitterly into her handkerchief, while Jake stood beside her. People came and went, offering their condolences. He played the part well, keeping his eyes downcast at all times, once in a while even bringing a finger to his eye, pretending to wipe away tears.

The next day, however, when he was alone, Jake returned to the cemetery and stood in front of his father’s grave.

And spat bitterly on it.

In his darkroom, Jake tacked Sydney’s photograph to the wall. ‘It’s easy to get confused,’ he thought. No, he wouldn’t hold her mistake against her. He knew she couldn’t help it and he understood. He forgave her for what she had done.

He stared at her image, noting the loveliness of her face. How could he not forgive her?

X-x-x-x-x

Chapter Seven - It's About Time!

The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and there was a light breeze in the air the next morning as Syd took a walk through the park. But the Pink Ranger took no notice of the weather, as she sat on an abandoned bench, the star locket clutched in her hand. She let out a sigh, and felt herself relax as she listened to the soft melody of the small music box.

She hadn’t been able to sleep well during the night. Z’s comment had her pondering the meaning all night long, and as much as she hated to admit it, her roommate’s words gave her hope.

“Three gifts in one day, that’s gotta be some sort of record. Boy Syd, you’ve really got guys falling at your feet huh?” Z laughed, the tone of her voice was filled with amusement, “First your secret admirer, then Jake, and now you’ve got Sky too.”

Syd shook her head of the memory. ‘No use getting all worked up about it now,’ she thought as she stood from the bench. Making her way back towards the Academy, the Pink Ranger had a determined thought. She would definitely question the Yellow Ranger later.

-x-x-x-

Z had woken up earlier than usual that morning and left the room in order to avoid the Pink Ranger. She hadn’t meant to let it slip that their normally uptight Blue Ranger had feelings for their diminutive Pink Ranger. Heading towards the room that Sky and Bridge shared, she silently cursed herself. She should really learn to watch what she said sometimes. But what’s done is done. There was no use going back now.

“Bridge! Sky!” she called, knocking on their door, “you guys up yet?”

She waited patiently, smiling slightly as she heard groans through the door. A moment later, Sky’s voice answered, “You can come in Z.”

The Yellow Ranger entered the room. Bridge was sitting up in bed, yawning and rubbing his eyes. It was obvious that the Green Ranger had just woken up.

Sky, on the other hand, looked wide awake. He was sitting on his bed, his uniform perfectly in place as always, and a worn out copy of the SPD Handbook in his hand.

She rolled her eyes once she saw the book. ‘Typical,’ she thought. Didn’t Sky own any other books?

Bridge let out another yawn. “Morning Z. What’s up?”

The Yellow Ranger paused. “Actually, it’s more like, what’s out,” she turned to Sky. “You have the hots for Syd right? Have you told her yet?”

She watched with some amusement as Sky’s ears turned red. “I-I don’t… I-I… well, I… That’s none of your concern!” he sputtered.

Z bit her lip. “Well, you’re going to have to tell her how you feel.”

Bridge gave her a curious glance. “Why’s that?”

It was the Yellow Ranger’s turn to blush. “Well, umm… I ‘think’ I accidentally told Syd you were interested in her.”

“What?” Sky stood up, glaring at his teammate.

She held up her hands as if to defend herself. “Calm down Sky it just kind of slipped out, I didn’t mean it!” Z paused, looking at Sky nervously. “I don’t think Syd knows anything for sure, I ran out before she could ask.”

Sky suddenly looked ill. “I have to ask her out?”

“Don’t you want too?” Bridge asked, pulling back his covers.

“Well, yeah-“

“And haven’t you waited long enough?”

“Yes, but-“

“Stop being such a chicken Sky. What are you so afraid of?”

“Rejection!” Sky exploded.

There was a silence after that statement.

“All I can say is,” Z shrugged her shoulders as she spoke, “you have to take a chance on that Sky. Besides, I don’t think you’ll have that problem. Just ask her out.”

-x-x-x-

Several hours later, Syd was standing over the sink in her bathroom, holding on to the dish towels she’d hastily wrapped around the broken faucet, doing her best to stop the flow of water that had exploded toward the ceiling like a powerful geyser. She grabbed another towel, adding it to the others, and then tightened her grip, which reduced the spray somewhat. Unfortunately in doing so, the water ended up spraying at her.

Turning her face sideways, Syd reached over and grabbed her morpher, keeping her chin as high as she could to keep the water from hitting her face. Frantically, she pressed a button that would enable her to get in contact with the others. Quickly, she tried contacting the first person that came to her mind.

“Bridge! Bridge are you there?”

There was no answer. The Pink Ranger sighed with frustration. Quickly, she pressed another button, this time trying to get in contact with her roommate. Again, there was no answer. Next she tried Jack, but it was the same. No answer from him either. Disconnecting, Syd pressed the blue button on her morpher, praying that Sky would answer on the other end.

-x-x-x-

Sky was on the couch, munching on some vegetables, a tray of salad dressing in his lap and a novel in his hand. When his morpher suddenly buzzed, Sky was ripped from his novel and he jumped; his hand jerked upward, sending a handful of baby carrots all over the place, his book fell to the ground and he shifted spilling the salad dressing all over his lap. Acting on instinct, he tried to wipe off the dressing with his hand and ended making an even bigger mess. Great, now his hand was going to be sticky as well.

He reached for his buzzing morpher with his other hand. “Cadet Tate.”

“Sky!” Syd’s voice floated through the device, sounding stressed. “Are you busy?”

The dressing was beginning to soak through the fabric of his pants and he shifted slightly, trying to get comfortable. “Not really.”

“You sound a bit distracted.”

“It’s nothing big, just had a little accident here with my snack.”

“Huh?”

Finally, he found a dish towel that had been tossed to the side and began cleaning up the mess he made. “It’s nothing, what’s up?”

“I need you!”

“What- You do?” His ego inflated, and for a moment he forgot about the mess he was sitting in.

“My faucet exploded! Help me please!”

“Oh,” he said, his ego deflating just as quickly. “How did that happen?”

“I don’t know! I just turned it on and it exploded!”

“So call Bridge- he’s the mechanical genius.”

Her voice sounded exasperated. “I tried! He didn’t answer. Can you help me?”

Sky chuckled. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“You won’t be long will you? I’m stuck holding a rag and I think there’s more water starting to flow out.”

“I’m on my way.” Sky felt a smile float over his face as he stood up. As he was heading towards his room to change clothes, that small feeling of happiness stayed with him.

-x-x-

“Syd?” Sky called out as he entered the room. Colors of pink and yellow flashed out at him.

“In here Sky!” Syd answered from the bathroom as she loosened her grip slightly from the faucet. “I think something happened though. It doesn’t seem to be leaking anymore.”

“I just shut off the water with the valve outside your room. It should be fine now.” The Blue Ranger entered the bathroom and one word immediately came to mind: breasts. The Pink Ranger was soaked to the point that he could clearly see the outlines of her breasts. It didn’t help that she was also wearing a white top.

“You have no idea how glad I am to see you,” Syd spoke as she wrung the excess water from her hair. “The water was totally out of control, and I couldn’t stop it!”

Sky barely heard her. ‘Don’t stare,’ he commanded himself. ‘Whatever you do, don’t stare at her chest. A gentleman wouldn’t stare. A friend wouldn’t stare. DON’T STARE!’ Squatting, he opened the toolbox that he had brought with him. “No problem,” he mumbled.

Syd tugged at her shirt that was sticking to her skin. “Are you okay?” she asked as she saw Sky shifting.

Sky began searching for a wrench. “I’m fine.”

The Pink Ranger gave him a searching look. “You’re kind of acting like you’re upset.”

“I’m not upset.”

“You won’t even look at me.”

“I’m not staring.”

“That’s what I just said.”

“Oh.”

“Sky?”

“Here it is!” he said suddenly, happy that he found the opportunity to change the subject. He held up the wrench for Syd to see. “I was hoping this was in here.”

The Pink Ranger just kept staring at him, her confusion showing in her eyes. “I think I’m going to go change,” she said finally.

“I think that’s probably a good idea,” Sky muttered.

Syd left the bathroom, and Sky let out a sigh of relief. The job at hand gave Sky something to focus on. He wasn’t a mechanical genius like Bridge was, but he knew enough to get by. He spread some towels on the floor and soaked up most of the water. By the time Sydney had finished changing, he was already on his back working to fix the faucet – only his torso and lower body was visible.

“How’s it going under there?” she asked, leaning against the doorframe.

At the sound of her voice, Sky raised his head, bumping it as he did so. “It’s going good. I’m just about done.”

“Already?”

“It’s not that hard –just had to tighten it a bit.”

Syd saw his arms cranking the wrench and admired the wiry muscles of his forearms as he worked. ‘Nice,’ she thought as she heard a plink as something dropped beneath the cabinet.

“Got it,” he announced. Sky slid out from under the sink and, seeing that she’d changed, felt himself relax. It was easier this way. Less threatening. Less revealing. He stood, brushing his hands as he did so. Then, excusing himself from the bathroom, he vanished out the door for a moment. After turning the water valve back on, he came back in and tried the faucet, making sure that it wasn’t leaking.

“Looks like you’re good to go.”

“You made that look too easy,” Syd remarked as she watched him wipe his hands with a towel.

Sky shrugged. “It was something I picked up from Bridge. I just know the basics.”

“Do you want to grab something to eat?” Syd looked up at Sky, hope shinning in her eyes. “In all this commotion, I didn’t get a chance to eat lunch yet. You up for some pizza?”

Sky smiled. “Pizza sounds great.”

She returned the smile. “Great, let’s go!”

-x-x-

They walked through the park, heading towards ‘Sunny Spot’. Once inside, the two laughed and joked all the way through lunch. They spoke of SPD, his parents, her parents, and their friends. As they were finishing up their pizza, Sky finally found the courage to ask the question that had been plaguing his mind all day.

He looked at the Pink Ranger, suddenly feeling like a little boy again. She was awfully pretty and he couldn’t for the life of him figure out what a girl like her would be doing with a guy like him, but darn it, he was going to give it a shot. “Hey Syd?”

“Hmm?”

“Would you like to go watch a movie and have dinner with me tonight?”

Her blue eyes rose to meet his, and she paused. Seeing her hesitation, Sky felt his heart slowing begin to sink.

“You mean like a date?”

Feeling the heat rush to his cheeks, Sky adverted his gaze and nodded. “Um, yeah.”

“I’d love too.”

Their eyes met, and the Blue Ranger released his breath. They smiled shyly at one another.

Tonight was going to be both interesting and nerve wrecking.

-x-x-

“So you finally asked her out huh?” Jack asked.

Sky sat on the floor, his back leaning against the couch in the recreation room, watching as Bridge and Jack played a video game.

“It was time,” Sky gave an elaborate shrug. He looked calm and cool on the outside, but on the inside, he was shaking with nervousness and excitement. It was obvious he was pretty pleased with himself.

“Are you sure it’s even a date?”

Sky raised his eyes as if Jack’s question tried his patience. “Oh yeah. It’s definitely a date.”

“Well, that’s good. I’m glad you finally decided to take some action instead of brooding around,” Bridge remarked.

Jack snorted from his spot next to the Green Ranger. “That makes two of us.”

-x-x-x-

Sky and Syd left a little before seven-thirty that evening. Halfway through dinner, Syd had decided that she didn’t feel like watching a movie. Instead, she wanted to take a walk through the park and Sky wholeheartedly agreed. Taking a walk meant that they would make conversation – much better than watching a movie and having no conversation at all.

There was a comfortable silence as they walked on the pathway. There was a slight breeze and Sky, noticing that Syd was shivering a bit, took off his jacket and covered her shoulders. The Pink Ranger smiled gratefully and slid her arms into the sleeves.

“So,” she spoke, her voice light and happy as always, “you never did tell me why you’re using ‘Tate’ as your last name.”

Sky smiled slightly at her curious tone. “My Dad’s rich Syd. If people found out that I’m attending SPD, the newspapers would be hounding me.”

The Pink Ranger nodded, showing that she understood. Being that she grew up in a high class society, she understood all about always being in the public eye. Everyone always gossiped, and rumors were always spreading. Either you had money or you didn’t. And you were always judged based on the amount of money you had.

“Tell me about your parents.”

She was quiet, looking thoughtful as she contemplated her answer. “Well, my Dad’s a businessman too. He and my mother were married for a year before I was born. Growing up, he was the only one that kept me sane. My mother drove me crazy- she involved me in all these activities. She really objected when I announced that I had wanted to join SPD. She really cares about our image and what society thinks of us. My Daddy though, I think he just wants me to be happy. He didn’t complain when I said I wanted to join SPD."

There was a comfortable silence as they continued walking.

“It was a great idea to go to the park. It’s a beautiful night.” Sky sneaked a look at her and boldly reached for her hand.

Syd smiled with delight as his fingers interlocked with hers. “Yeah, it is,” she agreed.

-x-x-x-

Syd sighed happily as Sky left. The doors slid shut behind her and she gave an excited squeal, jumping up and down a few times. Z, who was sitting on her bed, lowered her book and gazed at her roommate with an unreadable expression.

“Why are you so happy?”

“He kissed me!” Syd gushed as she flopped onto her bed with a dramatic sigh. She leaned back on her bed and stared at the ceiling dreamily. Everything in her room suddenly just looked so much brighter; there was a slight breeze in her room from the opened window. But Syd took no notice of anything as she closed her eyes and replayed those last few moments in her mind, when Sky had leaned in and kissed her lightly.

“Who did? Sky?”

Z’s voice reached her ears and she sat up, her eyes dancing with delight. “Yup!”

The Yellow Ranger’s eyes widened and she placed her book down. “Whoa, you mean he finally had the guts to ask you out?”

“Yes! We went to dinner and then we took a walk around the park.”

Z got off her bed and walked over to Syd’s side of the room, settling herself onto her teammate’s bed. “Alright, you’re going to tell me all the details!”

Syd happily complied, and began her tale. Outside, a breath of wind shook the leaves above, sounding like the faint rattle of shaken pebbles in a jar. After a moment it stopped, but it wasn’t quiet. From the road, a passing car drove by, the sound of the engine rising and falling, before disappearing. A child’s voice carried from the distance. There was a faint brushing sound, something scraping the bark of a nearby tree. Something snapped, and a moment later a branch fell from the tree.

Lost in the Pink Ranger’s story, neither girl noticed a shadow slipping away.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Chapter Eight - Feeling Fear

Sky struggled with the sheet and sat up in bed as he recognized her voice coming from his morpher on his nightstand. As he reached for the device, he caught the blinking numbers of his digital alarm clock. 9:00am? He hadn’t slept this late in awhile. The Blue Ranger yawned before bringing his morpher to his lips. “I am now.”

“So come on. The day’s a-wasting,” She responded, giggling. “I thought you’d be up hours before now.”

Sky rubbed his eyes and yawned once more. “Maybe I was more tired from last night than I thought.”

“Just from a little walk?” Syd teased.

He chuckled. “I guess so.”

“Well, get up and get dressed. I was thinking we could go to the beach together. It’s supposed to be a great day. I figured we could head there first with RIC and let him run around for awhile and the others could come later on during the day. How does that sound to you?”

x-x-x-x-x

Sky stood on the boat taking in a breath of fresh air. The last few hours had been wonderful and he wouldn’t trade them for anything. After Syd’s late morning ‘phone’ call, Sky had quickly gotten dressed and headed out to meet her. She had been waiting for him at the SPD entrance with a picnic basket, dressed in flip flop sandals, denim shorts, and a baby pink t-shirt. A pair of pink tinted sunglasses rested on top her head. Together, they headed out to the beach. He had been nervous, but all that had been washed away as soon as Syd had greeted him with her usual wide smile and given him a kiss on the cheek. And throughout the next few hours, he had been pleasantly surprised, as well as happy to find out that their new relationship still hadn’t changed the friendship between them. She still teased him about wearing his uniform 24/7. And he still told her stories about his parents –which she found fascinating and had told him on several occasions that it was like a fairytale. They sat on top a red and white checkered blanket and had eaten the delicious meal that Syd had carefully prepared, played immature beach games, splashed each other in the water and had even attempted building a small sand castle afterwards.

And he had also been able to steal a few kisses.

Sky grinned as he reminisced. He had liked that part best.

Now they were just waiting on the others to arrive.

“RIC! Down boy, stop nudging me or I’ll drop all these drinks on you and damage all your circuits! What if Bridge can’t fix you if something happens huh?”

The Blue Ranger felt his smile widen as he turned and watched as Syd struggled up the steps to the boat, carrying several cans of soda, RIC barking happily behind her. Reaching out, he grabbed a couple cans of soda, taking some of the load that Syd carried.

“Thanks!” She flashed him her trademark smile as she set the drinks down on the floor of the boat they had rented.

They heard a car door slam and Bridge’s voice floated out to them. “Hi guys!” A moment later, a flash of green appeared and Bridge bounded up the steps grinning, carrying two small coolers of food.

“Hey Bridge,” Syd greeted sitting on one of the lawn chairs they had brought on board.

Jack and Z then came on board, the Red Ranger carrying a few fishing poles and the Yellow Ranger holding sunscreen, towels, hats and anything else she thought they needed for their beach trip. Sky walked forward; helping Jack with the fishing poles and within no time at all the Red and Blue Rangers were engaged in a contest to see who could catch the most fish. Bridge sat across from them, reading a novel that he had brought along, enjoying the peaceful sounds the waves made. Z sat next to Syd on a lawn chair, both girls watching as Sky and Jack competed. There was already a basket filled with a few flopping fish.

An hour later, Syd was standing at the railing when she felt Sky slip his arms around her and nuzzle her neck. She leaned into his embrace, feeling content as he moved to stand beside her.

“Hey there,” she greeted.

“Hi. You looked lonely up here.”

“Nope. Just enjoying the breeze. I was getting kind of hot sitting on the sun.”

“Me too. I think I might be sunburned.”

Syd laughed. “So did you win?”

“I don’t want to brag, but let’s just say that my basket had a lot more fish than his did.”

“So what’s Jack doing now?”

“Probably pouting.”

The Pink Ranger glanced behind her. Jack was leaning over the side of the boat, filling an empty soda can with seawater. When he saw Syd looking, the Red Ranger stood and brought a finger to his lips, begging for her silence.

Syd adverted her gaze and smiled up at Sky. “Did you have fun today?”

The Blue Ranger nodded and looked out to the sea. “I had a blast. I’m glad we went to the beach today.”

“I’m glad,” she paused, “I had tons of fun too.”

The weather remained glorious for the rest of the day. Lunch was informal affair- sandwiches, chips and a container of potato salad all filled their stomachs. At one point, Jack offered Sky the soda can he’d filled earlier and Sky took a drink before choking and spraying it overboard. Jack roared, Bridge and Z laughed, and Syd giggled. And after Sky had wiped his chin, he laughed as well. But he didn’t forget. Later, he grabbed a salmon from the basket and used it to flavor one of Jack’s sandwiches by running the fish over the bread.

Jack turned green as he gagged, then threw the sandwich at Sky. Sky retaliated by launching a spoonful of potato salad. Bridge joined in the food fight by shaking up a soda can and opening it to spray at his friends.

While all this was going on, the girls sat back and watched with amusement. Z leaned close to Syd, “So immature,” the Yellow Ranger rolled her eyes, grinning, “never forget that men are more immature then women.”

The sun was starting to set; the hot temperature was starting to cool down. Stepping off the boat and back onto the sandy beach, Syd let out a happy sigh, looking forward to going home and settling on the couch for their movie night later on in the evening. She went to help Z pack things away when she glanced around the beach. It was then she registered that something was wrong. Glancing around the beach, nothing seemed amiss. Shielding her eyes from the sun with her sunglasses, she scanned the various boats, then the water’s edge, then the people on the shore.

It was there. Something was there.

And whatever it was, it didn’t fit.

Frowning, Syd turned her head and casually glanced around the beach once more. Then she realized what had snagged her attention. And she was right. It didn’t fit, not on a hot day at the beach. Puzzled, she glanced around once more.

Someone wearing jeans and a brown shirt was standing near the dunes, holding… what was that? Binoculars? A telescope? She couldn’t tell, but whatever it was, it was definitely focused on the boat.

On her.

Syd suddenly felt her heart rate speed up as the man lowered whatever he was holding, and for an instant she almost convinced herself that she was mistaken. But then, as if knowing exactly what she was thinking, the person waved, his arm moving back and forth slowly. 'I’m here,’ he seemed to be saying.

Jake.

She felt the blood drain from her face and the little hairs on her arms rose, and she inhaled sharply.

But when she blinked, Jake was gone. Taking off her sunglasses, she turned fully around and scanned the area with her eyes. Nothing. No sign of him anywhere. It was as if she had been seeing things.

Sky noticed her discomfort and reached her side in a moment. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

Syd was still staring toward the beach. Sky’s eyes followed hers, and after finding no sign of Jake, no sign of anything unusual, Syd curled beneath his arm, feeling safe and comforted. “It’s nothing. I think the sun is getting to me,” she said.

‘It had to have been the sun,’ she thought, ‘it couldn’t have been real. No one can move that fast.’

No one.

x-x-x-x-x

Later, they had decided to head to the grocery store to get snacks for their movie night that evening. Jack, Syd and Sky headed toward New Tech City Supermarket, bickering over which things to buy. Sky opt to buy veggies and crackers, while Jack wanted chips, candy and other various goodies. After fifteen minutes, Syd had enough of their arguing and promptly told both men to shut up and that they would buy what each wanted. She added two bags of baby carrots and two bags of Doritos Chips to their shopping cart and that was the end of the argument.

Pushing the cart down the aisle, Syd bent over to search for the kind of dressing she knew Sky liked eating with his carrots, when she realized too late that her cart had crashed into another.

“Oh my goodness! I’m sorry!” Syd automatically apologized as she reached out for her cart. She looked up to see the person that she had crashed into and froze.

“Hello Sydney,” Jake said casually, “how are you?”

Her face paled as she stared at the man in shock. She blinked and gathered her courage. ‘Don’t let him get to you,’ she thought. Mustering a small, but uncomfortable smile, she tried to remain calm. “Hi Jake, I’m alright. How are you?”

“I’m fine.”

There was a silence.

“I’m sorry for bumping into you,” the Pink Ranger finally offered. She glanced around quickly looking for any sign of Sky or Jack, and swallowed. She and Jake were alone in the aisle. She didn’t have a good feeling about this.

Jake held up his hands. “No damage.”

There was another pause.

“Hey Syd! I forgot what kind of candy you wanted,” Sky appeared down the aisle, carrying a package of candy in each hand, “Did you want the gummy bears or the sour peaches?” The Blue Ranger stopped once he saw who was standing with his girlfriend. His face took on an unreadable expression. “Jake,” he stated coolly. Turning, he faced Syd and observed her expression carefully. She was tense, clearly she was uncomfortable but there was relief shown in her eyes at his presence. Sky clenched his fist, the candy still in his hand, as he faced Jake once more, resisting the strong urge to rearrange the man’s face.

A dark expression also appeared over Jake’s face as well once he saw Sky. The businessman nodded, a neutral expression covering his face. “It was nice seeing you again Sydney.” And then he was gone.

Syd let out a sigh of relief and walked over to Sky. He dropped the packages of candy into the cart and his arms folded around her as she buried her face into his chest, breathing in his scent. “Only you Sky,” she mumbled, “There’s only you.”

Understanding what she meant, Sky smiled, rubbing her arm in an attempt to comfort her. He kissed the top of her head. “I know.”

x-x-x-x-x

Later that night as Syd changed into her pajamas, the phone on her nightstand rang. Two rings went by before she picked up the receiver. “Hello?”

There was no answer.

“Hello?” she tried again. There was no reply on the other end, though it seemed the line was still open. Shrugging, she hung up. Maybe it had been a wrong number. Gathering up all the things she needed for their movie night (pillows, blankets, her stuffed animal Peanuts etc.), she was about to leave her room when the phone rang again.

Once more, there was silence on the other end. Only this time, before she lowered the phone, she thought she heard a faint click as the caller hung up. Placing the receiver back, she picked up her things and left for the recreation room, ready for the movie.

Less than a minute after she left, the phone rang.

x-x-x-x-x

The next morning Syd and Sky were taking a walk around the downtown area of New Tech City, patrolling for any signs of disturbance. Gruumm had been especially quiet lately and the Rangers were all on guard. All around them, people were strolling around, enjoying the nice weather.

“Sydney!”

Both Rangers turned as someone called out the Pink Ranger’s name. A man stood off to the side, dressed in business clothes and carrying a briefcase in one hand, watching them curiously with a smile on his face.

Syd shrieked and her face lit up as she ran over to the man, her arms opened wide. “Daddy!”

“Hi Princess,” the man opened his arms and gathered his daughter into them. “Do you want to grab some lunch or are you too busy working?”

Syd released her father and looked at Sky. The Blue Ranger shrugged and glanced at his watch. “Our shift is officially over in two minutes.”

Syd grinned. “Yes Daddy, I’d love to have lunch!”

Adrian Drew looked at the young man that his daughter was with. Recognizing him as Sydney’s dance partner from the newspaper all those weeks ago, Adrian smiled warmly at Sky. “Would you like to join us for lunch too?”

Sky held up his hands as if to protest. Syd quickly grabbed one of his hands and intertwined it with hers. “He’d love too!”

Adrian smiled, missing the glare that Sky gave Syd. “Excellent! Come on, I know a great place to eat at.”

x-x-x-x-x

He was impressed.

In the short amount of time that he’d known Sky Tate, the boy had managed to impress him beyond words.

Adrian Drew had always been protective of his daughter, even if he always didn’t show it. Sydney was his entire world, and he loved her with his whole heart. In the past, he had done everything he could think of to make his daughter happy. Whatever she wanted, she would get. That pink dress? Got it. To stay up past bed time an hour later than usual? Okay. Demanding a hug every ten minutes? Most definitely. Whatever she wanted, she would get.

Like most fathers, he would shoot death glares at any male individuals that came near Sydney with bad intentions. In fact, there were more times than he could count; Sydney would be upset with him for scaring away her current love interest. Adrian would just shrug his shoulders and comment that if the boy was frightened of her father, he wasn’t good enough for her anyway.

But he was impressed with his daughter’s latest boyfriend. Sky had a good head on his shoulders; Adrian observed as he watched how Sky and Sydney interacted. He could certainly see why his daughter was taken with him. Sky was intelligent, quiet, and was also very sure of himself. From watching the Rangers’ battles on television, Adrian also knew that Sky was strong and was capable of protecting his daughter in times of danger (not that Sydney needed protection of course, but it was reassuring to know that someone would be looking out for his daughter at all times). And the best part: he wouldn’t have to worry about Sydney being taken advantaged of.

The businessman grinned as he saw Sky offer a napkin to Sydney as she spilled some juice. His daughter was happy and that was all that mattered. He approved of Sky.

Besides, their relationship was still new, there would be plenty of time to scare the boy later.

x-x-x-x-x

“Hey, where’ve you been?” Curious eyes followed the Pink Ranger the moment she entered the bedroom.

Syd grinned at her roommate as she flopped onto her bed. “Out to lunch with Sky and my Daddy.”

The Yellow Ranger raised an eyebrow. “Wow, the boyfriend meeting the parents already. That must’ve been interesting.”

The Pink Ranger shrugged. “It was completely unexpected. We ran into my father just as our shift was ending. He invited the both of us to lunch, Sky was about to back out but I made him go.”

Sympathy washed over Z. “Poor Sky,” she commented, “It must’ve been nerve wrecking for him. You guys just started dating!”

The Pink Ranger giggled. “I know, but the sooner the better right? Besides, Daddy approves, I can tell.”

The Yellow Ranger rolled her eyes. “Sure.”

There was a moment of silence between the girls before the phone on Syd’s night table rang.

“You should probably pick that up,” Z commented, “Your phone has been ringing practically all morning. Every time I picked up, the caller would hang up.”

Syd reached for the phone, letting it ring once more, she picked up. “Hello?”

Silence.

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

Still, no answer.

Syd felt her heart beat faster as she set the receiver down. And a moment later the phone rang again. Z frowned as she saw the frightened look on Syd’s face. The Yellow Ranger stood up from her bed and crossed over to Syd’s side of the room. Snatching the receiver off the hook, she barked, “Look, whoever this is, stop calling!”

A shiver went down Z’s spine as she heard the caller hung up. Hanging up, the Yellow Ranger met the Pink Ranger’s gaze. Her eyes reflected exactly what Syd was feeling.

Fear.

x-x-x-x-x

Jake slowed his breathing, concentrating on Sydney’s image. In his darkened room, he leaned against a chair and thought of Sydney while he waited for the photo to finish developing. She had been nice enough to him at the supermarket, but he knew she regretted running into him. He shook his head, wondering why she had tried to hide it. Even though she was confused right now, he knew she was different from other people. She was one of a kind, better, like he was.

She was strong, unlike his mother.

Jake snorted. Sydney was nothing like his mother. His mother was weak, unable to cope with being alone. Shortly after his father’s death, his mother had begun heavily drinking. One night he had awoken to her grabbing his shoulders and shaking him.

“It was you, wasn’t it?” his mother had all but screamed, “you somehow killed him didn’t you?”

Many nights after that, his mother would beat him with a belt. Jake would cower under his bed and hide. Then one day, when he came home from school, he found his mother sleeping peacefully in the recliner chair. She never woke up.

Later, the police found out that there was an over dosage of sleeping pills dissolved into her vodka. For all intents and purposes, it looked like Jake’s mother had followed his father’s example and committed suicide. Jake was sent to live in a foster home the following week.

The first couple that had taken him in was nice enough, but for the most part, he ignored them. He came and went as he pleased, wanting nothing more than a place to sleep and food to eat. The couple had two boys. It was these two boys who stole his camera two months after he’d moved in, selling it at a pawnshop in order to get money.

When Jake found them, they were hanging out in a vacant parking lot next door. On the ground was a baseball bat, and he reached for it. They laughed at first, since they were both taller and heavier. In the end, they were rushed to the hospital in a pair of ambulances, their faces smashed beyond recognition. Jake had been sent to the juvenile detention center the very next day. There, he sat on a wooden chair as an officer named Ivan McFadden questioned him. Officer McFadden told Jake how badly had injured the two boys and that he was going to spend the next few years in jail. But Jake hadn’t been afraid, just as he hadn’t been afraid when the police had come to question him about the deaths of his mother and father. He had known this was coming. He looked down and began to cry.

“I didn’t want to do it,” he said quietly. “But they took my camera and I told them to give it back. They said they wanted to kill me and I was scared. One of them attacked me with a knife!”

With that, Jake opened his jacket and Officer McFadden saw the blood soaked shirt. Jake had been taken to the hospital; he’d been slashed across his stomach. The only reason it hadn’t been more serious, Jake claimed, was that he had been able to escape at the last minute. McFadden had found the knife on the roof top of the house, exactly where Jake said he’d seen one of the boys throw it.

The two boys, not Jake, had been sent to jail, despite their pleas that neither of them had ever touched the knife, let alone slashed Jake with it. But in the end no one believed the two boys; they did have criminal records after all.

Jake sighed and leaned further into his chair. He knew from experience that all hurdles could be overcome. Sydney just needed the right person to help her. Together, they would be able to accomplish anything, but Sydney had to want him to do this for her.

Was that too much to ask?

x-x-x-x-x

Chapter Nine - Embarrassment

She laid awake, unable to sleep, her room covered in darkness. All evening long she had been in a trance. She was beginning to become paranoid from all the mysterious phone calls she had been getting, every little noise had made her jump and who could blame her? Some psycho was calling her every two minutes and hanging up once the phone was answered.

Who wouldn’t be a bit on edge?

Syd let out a sigh and rolled over, catching the blinking red lights on her nightstand. 2:01 Am. So she had been lying there for close to three hours now. Every time she closed her eyes, the sound of the shrill ringing of the telephone would go through her mind.

She didn’t have the proof, but she was certain the mysterious caller was Jake. Who else could it have been? No one else would prank her. At least, not on purpose. And she was pretty sure her frequent calls weren’t pranks. She let out another sigh.

A soft moan came from the left side of the room and a moment later, a light flickered on at the table next to Z’s bed. Her roommate stared at her with sleepy eyes. “Can’t sleep?” Z yawned.

The Pink Ranger shook her head. “Nope, sorry I didn’t mean to wake you, go back to sleep.”

Z sat up and let out another yawn. “What’s wrong?” Then she peered more closely at her friend. “I know what’s bothering you,” she paused, “it’s those phone calls isn’t it?”

Syd sat up as well, hugging Peanuts tightly to her chest and nodded. She glanced nervously at her phone. Even though it had been unplugged earlier in the evening, the Pink Ranger stared at it as if it was going to ring any moment. “It’s really creeping me out.”

“Have you told the Commander yet?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think it’s something to worry about.”

The Yellow Ranger stared at her in disbelief. “Yeah, right. Some person is calling you every two minutes and the minute you answer, he hangs up? I think this is something to worry about.”

“I’m going to get my number changed in the morning.”

Z stared. “But you’re still on edge aren’t you?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Syd nodded. “Yeah.”

“You think it’s Jake?”

Meeting the Yellow Ranger’s eyes, Syd could only nod.

“You should tell someone. Sky, or the Commander, anyone! If it’s really Jake, then he’s harassing you.”

Another nodded. “Yeah,” Syd paused. “You’re right. I’ll tell Commander Crugger in the morning.”

“Good,” Z observed her teammate. “Think you can sleep now?”

The Pink Ranger let out a sigh. “I’m going to try.”

The Yellow ranger nodded and a moment later the room was dark once again. Syd stretched out on her bed, still holding tightly onto Peanuts. She closed her eyes and rolled to her side. After a few minutes of tossing and turning, Syd sat back up once more. She was still feeling uneasy and just couldn’t sleep. A quick glance at the other side of the room told her that Z had fallen back asleep. Slowly, carefully, she pulled back her covers and got out of bed as quietly as she could. Grabbing Peanuts, she slipped out of the room.

The hallway was silent and filled with dimmed lighting. She padded silently down the hall and stopped just in front of a set of doors. With the same quietness she used to sneak out of her room, she silently slipped through the doors. In the room there were two beds, each of them occupied. Female cadets were normally not allowed into the males’ rooms without being invited but at the moment Syd didn’t care. She moved towards the bed on the right side of the room and for a moment just stood there watching at how soundly Sky slept. The Pink Ranger gave a soft smile. He looked so adorable.

Carefully, she crept onto Sky’s bed, trying not to wake him or Bridge in the process. However things didn’t go as she planned. Sky stirred, letting out a soft sigh as he did so. He opened his eyes slightly and noticed a silhouette from the moonlight through the curtain. “Syd?” the Blue Ranger mumbled sleepily.

“Shhh,” Syd whispered, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

The Blue Ranger opened his eyes fully and observed Syd’s expression. Even in the dim darkness he could tell something was bothering her. “What’s wrong?” he asked quietly.

“I couldn’t sleep.”

Her answer was simple enough but Sky knew Syd. He knew that she wouldn’t have come to him if there wasn’t something bothering her. She was frightened about something, but wasn’t ready to reveal it yet. Well, he wasn’t going to send her back to her room. Not when she obviously needed him. Shifting slightly, the Blue Ranger moved so there would be some space on the bed. “C’mere,” he commanded in a soft voice, stretching out his arms slightly. The Pink Ranger scrambled into them, softly placing her head on Sky’s chest. His arms closed around her, one hand rubbing her shoulder. Immediately Syd felt all the tension and her worries fade away and she relaxed.

Wrapped up in Sky’s arms and feeling very safe, Syd was asleep within minutes.

x-x-x-x-x

Sunlight shone through the window when Bridge woke up that morning. The Green Ranger sat up and yawned while stretching. A glance at the right side of the room gave him the surprise of a life time. He blinked once. Twice. Three times.

Syd was in their bedroom. Curled in Sky’s arms. In Sky’s bed.

Bridge fought back a chuckle and shook his head as he headed into the bathroom. Minutes later, he came back into the room and found Sky awake but still lying on the bed. The Green Ranger stood at the foot of Sky’s bed. “Do I even want to know?” he asked the Blue Ranger with amusement.

Sky shrugged as best as he could without waking Syd. “Couldn’t tell you if I knew,” he nodded his head at Syd, “she came in here last night. Said she couldn’t sleep, something was obviously bothering her.”

Bridge grinned. “Well, it’s obviously not bothering her now.”

Sky smiled. “I guess not.”

“Going to head out to breakfast soon?”

Sky let out a contented sigh. “I should. But I’m too comfortable to move at the moment.”

“I’ll bet,” the Green Ranger chuckled. “I’ll save you two some food.”

“Thanks Bridge,” the Blue Ranger smiled with appreciation as his roommate left. He laid there for a moment just listening to the Pink Ranger’s rhythmic breathing. After a few minutes, when he noticed the time on his alarm clock, he hesitantly woke Syd up.

Gently, he nudged her side. “Syd,” he called softly, “hey, it’s time to wake up.”

The Pink Ranger stirred, but didn’t open her eyes. Instead she snuggled deeper into Sky’s embrace and buried her face into his chest. “Mmmm, I don’t want to get up,” she mumbled into his shirt.

Sky chuckled. “You’re going to have to get up. If the Commander finds out you slept in my room, we’re both toasted.”

Syd let out a groan then opened her eyes. “Fine.”

The Blue Ranger glanced down at his girlfriend and smiled. Nothing would ever top the feeling he felt when he had woken up next to her. He was disappointed when she sat up, and immediately missed her warmth. With a groan, he pulled her back to him.

“I thought you said we had to get up,” Syd giggled as she flopped over so that she was lying on her stomach.

“They won’t miss us if we’re a few minutes late.”

The Pink Ranger grinned as she leaned forward to kiss him. All traces of her uneasiness from the night before were forgotten.

x-x-x-x-x

“Um, Syd? I think this is hopeless.”

Sky held onto the bark of the tree, trying to maintain his balance as the Pink Ranger skated expertly around him.

The guys had the day off while the girls had to head into duty around mid-afternoon, so that left plenty of time to hang out after breakfast. After everyone had eaten, Jack had suggested that they all go rollerblading in the park. Everyone, except Sky, had immediately been excited at the idea. When asked why he was so objected to the suggestion, the Blue Ranger had simply blushed and mumbled that he had never rollerbladed in his life. After giggling and poking fun at Sky for a few minutes, Syd offered to teach him how to rollerblade successfully. After much hesitation and prodding, Sky finally agreed to go. So the five of them grabbed their gear and headed towards the park for a few hours of fun before Syd and Z had to go patrol the city.

“I can’t believe you’re twenty years old and you’ve never rollerbladed in your life,” Syd said as she came to a stop in front of him.

Sky glowered at her. “Yeah well, I’ve never had any time for things like this.” He cautiously let go of the tree trunk and rollerbladed unsteadily towards a nearby bench, stumbling but managing not to fall. Sitting down, he took off his helmet. “This is ridiculous,” he muttered.

“Aw, come on Sky,” Syd cooed, following him and taking off her own helmet. The Pink Ranger sat next to him and placed a hand on his arm. “You aren’t that horrible, you’re starting to get the hang of it!”

Sky just snorted.

“Look at how much you’ve improved from an hour ago!” She smiled impishly, “at least you’re not falling down as much anymore!”

“I get more injuries from trying to learn how to rollerblade than I do in battles,” Sky continued muttering.

The Pink Ranger let out another giggle and stood up, moving so that she faced him. She bent over and placed her hands on her knees so that they were face to face. “You’ll get the hang of it.”

Sky had a gleam in his eyes and his face took on a mischievous expression. Without warning, he reached out and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her onto his lap. Syd shrieked with surprise as his hands ran all over her stomach, tickling her. After a few minutes, Sky stopped and Syd regained her breath, both of them still laughing.

Shifting so that she was sitting in a more comfortable position on Sky’s lap, she playfully slapped his shoulder. She grinned as she felt Sky’s strong hand running through her hair then reaching to cup her face, and softly stroking her cheek. Closing her eyes, she wholeheartedly embraced the wonderful sensation of Sky’s lips on hers.

x-x-x-x-x

“So what do you guys want to do now?” Bridge asked.

A few minutes earlier, Syd and Z had left –heading back towards the Academy to begin patrolling the city. Sky winced as he rubbed his arm. He could see that there was a bruise beginning to form from where he had fallen a few hours before. It felt so good to be back in regular shoes!

“Let’s head to the mall,” Jack mused as they threw all their rollerblading gear into the SPD jeep. “I’ve wanted to pick up some CDs for awhile now.”

And so they headed towards the mall. After Jack had bought his CDs, the three of them walked around the building, passing various shops.

“Do you guys think I should buy something for Syd?” Sky asked as they passed a particular shop that caught his eye.

“Why not?” Jack answered, “Women love presents.”

“Can’t hurt,” Bridge added.

So a minute later, they found themselves inside the store that had caught Sky’s attention. Walking into the shop, Sky was immediately overwhelmed with all the selections. The store was huge! There was everything from shoes, to lingerie, to jeans and shirts. Feeling lost, Sky turned to his friends only to see similar expressions on their faces.

“Where in the world do I start?” Sky murmured still in awe at how large the store was.

“Is there anything I can help you gentlemen with?” A tall slim Asian woman in her early thirties walked up to them. Her name tag read “Denise.”

“Um yes,” Sky replied still looking around the store, “I want to surprise my girlfriend with something, only I don’t know where to start.”

Denise smiled. “I see. Do you know her size?”

Sky paused to think for a moment. “I’m pretty sure she’s a size small.”

Denise grinned, her eyes twinkling. “Well, we can provide gift receipts for you, so if the clothes don’t fit, your girlfriend can come back and exchange the clothes for the right size.”

The Blue Ranger grinned. “Alright.”

For the next hour, Denise showed Sky various tops and pants while Bridge and Jack stood around giving their opinions once in awhile. The Blue Ranger let out a frustrated sigh; he never knew shopping took so much energy. Why did girls find it so enjoyable? So far, he had only managed to find a pair of jeans that he was sure Sydney would like and they had been in the store for two hours already! Everything that Denise had showed him, he just couldn’t imagine Syd wearing. Sky let out another frustrated sigh as Denise left him to help another customer.

“Hey Sky! What about this one?”

The Blue Ranger looked across the room to see Bridge holding out a light blue sleeveless shirt. A smile stretched out on his face and he walked over to his teammate. Taking the shirt from Bridge, he held it out in front of him. Perfect.

“Do you think there’s one in pink?” he asked.

Luckily there was a similar style to the shirt he held in his hands that was in light pink. The pink shirt had long sleeves with the word ‘cute’ stitched in small letters at the hem.

Sky took both shirts and threw them over his arm, placing them on top of the jeans, all the while grinning.

“Can we go now?” Jack complained from where he sat on the couch that the store provided. A bag emblazoned with the store’s name was sitting next to him. “We’ve been here for over two hours. I’m seriously bored out of my mind.”

Sky ignored the Red Ranger’s complaints. “Not yet.”

Jack sighed.

“Whatcha got in the bag?” Bridge asked, pointing to the small bag.

“A shirt for Z,” Jack replied, “She’ll kill me if she finds out that we’ve been in the mall this entire time and that Syd gets all the presents and she didn’t get anything.”

“Oh,” Bridge paused, “she’ll actually kill you?”

“Well not kill me, more like hurt me,” Jack looked up at the Green Ranger, “she’s not as girly as Syd, but she’s still a girl. She’d definitely get mad if Syd got something and she didn’t. So I got her something small.”

Bridge looked thoughtful. “Think I should get her something too?”

The Red Ranger shrugged. “Go for it.”

Sky heard none of his teammates’ conversation as he headed over to the section where all the accessories were displayed. Scanning the items carefully, he finally picked out a white belt with a butterfly buckle. Looking up, he scanned the racks that held the hair pins. After a minute, he reached up and selected a large butterfly clasp. He added the belt to the collection on his arm and clutched the hair clasp in his hand, before walking over toward another section of the store. He felt the heat rise to his cheeks when he realized which section he had walked into.

The section that held all the lingerie and bathing suits.

Blushing red, Sky was about to turn and walk away when something caught his attention. Glancing at it, Sky walked over to the item and cautiously picked it up. As he looked at the bright pink bikini, Sky tried to shake all the images of Syd wearing it out of his head. As he was about to put it back, a voice rang out behind him.

“Sky?”

The Blue Ranger turned to see his father looking at him with an amused expression.

“I-um, uh, Dad!” Sky sputtered, blushing even redder with embarrassment at being caught holding such an item. “What are you doing here?”

“Buying something for your mother. What are you doing here?”

Sky mumbled a sentence that Wes couldn’t decipher.

Wes looked at his son, a wide smile on his face and all the while shaking his head. “No need to be embarrassed son, it’s not like I haven’t ever bought something like that for your mother.”

‘That is TOO much information dad!’ Sky thought as he tried to put the bikini back on the holder. “Um, I was just-“

Wes chuckled and clapped his son on the shoulder. “No need to explain Sky. Just make sure to use a condom okay? Your Mother and I would love to have grandchildren, but we’d prefer it if you wait a few years first.”

He wanted to curl up and die from the humiliation at those implied words. “DAD! It’s not what you thin-“

Wes waved his hand, brushing off Sky’s comment. “You’re an adult now Sky, I trust that you do the responsible thing.” The Blue Ranger watched as his father picked out a pair of lacy black lingerie, he turned and jammed his eyes shut -he wanted to throw up at the thought of his father picking out underwear for his mother.

There was a tap on his shoulder and Sky turned to face his father once more. Wes grinned. “Invite Sydney out for dinner with us on Sunday okay?”

Sky could only nod numbly as he watched his father walk away to pay for the merchandise. Just as Wes was about to walk out of the store, he turned to face his son.

“Hey Sky,” Wes called out; “If I were you, I’d go for the light pink!” And then he turned and left.

If it was possible Sky blushed harder. He sucked in a breath of air and let it out slowly, trying to will his cheeks to go back to their normal color. He placed the bright pink bikini back on the holder and after a moment’s hesitation reached for the bikini that was the lighter shade of pink. He then turned and walked quickly out of the section.

Walking over to the couch where Bridge and Jack were sitting, Sky let out a sigh of relief, happy to be away from all the bras and underwear. “Okay I’m ready to leave now, just let me pay for all these.”

“Whoa,” Jack nudged Bridge with his elbow and then pointed to the pink bikini. “Looks like someone is having impure thoughts of our little Pink Ranger.”

Sky glared at the two of them. “Shut up, it’s only a bathing suit. I just had a run in with my Dad and now I’m mortified to no end. Let’s get out of here before something else embarrassing happens.”

Both Jack and Bridge fought the urge to snicker as they followed the Blue Ranger towards the register. As Sky placed all the items on the counter, Denise smiled at him. The woman reached for an elegant black number that hung on the rack near the counter. “Do you think your girlfriend would like a dress like this?”

Sky looked at the dress and instantly knew that Syd would love it. The Blue Ranger smiled. “I’ll take it.”

Denise folded the dress and the clothes and placed them into boxes. A minute later, all three Rangers exited the store, each one looking exhausted.

“Finally,” Jack huffed. “Man, I’m never going to the mall with you ever again. You take forever.”

“Cut him some slack,” Bridge cut into the conversation, “being the perfectionist that he is, he wants everything to fit Syd perfectly.”

The Red Ranger shrugged and rolled his eyes, “Whatever. Let’s head to the food court, I’m starving!”

x-x-x-x-x

Syd hummed happily as she brushed her curly hair. Patrolling had gone well and she had finally told Commander Crugger about her mysterious phone calls. The big blue dog had promised to keep an eye out for Jake in case he was ever found wandering around the Academy. Afterwards, using Z’s cell phone, she had called the phone company requesting a number change and they had promised to change her number by that evening. The Pink Ranger was in a particularly happy mood after that and had even plugged her phone back in.

She was in such a good mood that she had begun singing and dancing as she began cleaning up her room. “There’s an angel in my heart,” Syd rattled off the lyrics at the top of her head as she cleaned off the top of her dresser. She continued singing as she cleaned, putting things back into their rightful places. Once she finished, she turned and was startled to see Sky standing in her doorway, watching her.

Syd blushed as he gave a little clap and walked into the room. He placed a bag onto her bed before gathering her into his arms and kissing the top of her head. “You have a beautiful voice,” he told her.

Syd grinned at him and reached up to give him a quick peck on the lips.

They stayed in each other’s embrace for a minute. “I bought you something,” Sky spoke after the moment of silence.

Her blue eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Yeah,” Sky paused, suddenly nervous. “I don’t know if they’ll fit though. I’ve never picked out clothes for a girl before.”

Her laughter was like music to his ears. “I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

Sky was still anxious. “There are gift receipts in there if you don’t like them. You can go exchange them for something better.”

Syd placed a kiss on his lips. “I’m sure I’ll love them,” she said before reaching for the bag. Pulling out the box, she lifted the lid and pulled out the various items that he had picked out just for her. “Oh this is so cute!” she exclaimed as she held out the pink shirt in front of her. Sky smiled at seeing her delight. Those two long excruciating hours in the store was worth every minute, just to see the expression on her face.

Syd’s breath caught in her throat when she pulled out the black dress and held it up in front of her. “Sky…” she trailed off, unable to form the words.

“Do you like it?”

“Oh my goodness, Sky… I love it!” Syd turned to face him, her expression showing everything she felt. “But Sky, this dress, it looks so expen-“

“It looks like it was made for you,” Sky interrupted.

She looked up at him and their gazes met. Syd gently placed the dress on the bed and reached up to pull Sky into a deep kiss. When air became a need, they reluctantly pulled apart.

“Wow,” Sky gasped, “I should buy you things more often if that’s the reaction I’m going to get.”

Syd playfully punched his shoulder and laughed. “Silly, you can get that reaction anytime.”

He wiggled his eyebrows playfully. “Is that a promise?”

She smirked. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Syd turned once more to the pile on the bed. Pulling out the last item, she raised her eyebrows as she held up the bikini.

She turned to face Sky and watched with amusement as he turned bright red. “Had some interesting images in the store huh?”

Sky coughed and shifted his gaze. “Maybe.”

The Pink Ranger laughed. “Well, if you play your cards right, I might just model it for you.”

He gave her an interested look. “Really now?”

“Mmhmm.”

They stared at one another for a moment before Syd reached out and grabbed all the clothes. She quickly gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you so much Sky!”

“You’re welcome.”

Smiling excitedly, Syd headed towards the bathroom. “I’m going to try these on.”

The Blue Ranger grinned. “Take your time.”

As the door shut behind her, Sky settled himself onto her bed and waited as she tried on the clothes. Minutes passed and out of nowhere the sudden shrill of the telephone rang. Seeing that Syd was preoccupied, Sky reached over and picked up the receiver.

“Hello, Sydney’s phone.”

There was a silence and Sky paused, “Hello?”

Shrugging to himself, the Blue Ranger hung up.

The phone rang again. This time Sky glanced at it with puzzlement before answering once more.

The same thing happened again. No answer.

Sky shook his head and placed the receiver down. Moments later, all thoughts were forgotten as Syd stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in the elegant gown. His breath caught. “You look stunning,” he told her sincerely.

Her hair was partly pulled back by the hair clasp and she twirled in front of him before looking at herself in the full length mirror. “I love this!”

“How about wearing it to dinner on Sunday night with my parents?”

Syd met Sky’s gaze in the mirror and smiled. “I would love too.”

Then Syd quickly turned and headed into the bathroom once more. She came back out wearing the jeans, belt, and the blue shirt. “You look good in blue,” he told her appraisingly as his eyes traveled up and down, taking in her casual appearance.

She laughed. “You know, I think this color might become a permanent part of my wardrobe.” She gave him an amused look. “You’re not that bad at picking out clothes. All of these fit me perfectly except for the jeans – they’re a little loose around the waist, but if I put them in the dryer they’ll shrink a bit so it’s not a huge deal.”

Before Sky had a chance to comment, the phone rang. All traces of happiness on Sydney’s face were gone and she stared at the phone nervously. Giving her a puzzled look, Sky reached out and picked up the receiver.

“Hello?”

“Who is this?” a woman’s voice demanded.

“Um, this is Sky Tate,” the Blue Ranger answered cautiously. The woman was completely rude!

“Where is my daughter? Let me speak to Sydney right now!”

Wordlessly, Sky handed the receiver to Syd, his expression was not happy. “I think it’s your mother,” he told her crossly.

That was all she needed to hear. Her face took on an angry expression and she answered the phone. “What is it mother?” she snapped.

“Sydney, who was that boy? It’s that boy from the newspaper wasn’t it? What have I told you about associating with the middle class society?”

“Mother, I’m really busy at the moment. Did you call to annoy me or to actually discuss something important for once?”

“Sydney I will not have you taking that tone with me! Now you listen to me, I am your mother and I love you. I only have your best interests at-“

“No mother!” Syd burst out, “If you really love me, you would be happy for me and support me. Instead, you’re trying to make me live by society standards when I don’t want too! If you can’t support me in the things I do, then I don’t think we have anything further to discuss. Goodbye mother.”

With those words, the Pink Ranger slammed the receiver down, letting out a sigh as she did so. Sky opened up his arms and she fell into them. I’m sorry about my Mom,” she mumbled.

“Don’t worry about it.”

They sat in silence enjoying each other’s embrace, when the phone rang once more. The Pink Ranger rolled her eyes, “it’s probably my Mom again.”

She picked up the receiver. “What do you want now Mom?”

There was a silence. Chills went down her spine and she clutched the phone more tightly. “Hello?” There seemed to be a distinct sound of someone breathing at the other end of the line.

Noticing the look of fear on her face, the Blue Ranger frowned. “What’s wrong?”

Syd slowly set the receiver down, her body paralyzed with fear. She turned towards the Blue Ranger and looked at him. His eyes reflected concern for her. She felt her eyes tear up and despite the warmth in her room, she shivered. “I’m scared,” she told him honestly.

x-x-x-x-x

Chapter Ten - Confiding In You

In front of him, Syd sniffed loudly. In telling him all her fears, all her worries, and her distress over the phone calls, she had been reduced to tears. Sky let out a sigh, the images of him pounding Jake’s face into oblivion disappeared and he felt his anger melt away into concern. Now was not the time to be angry, Sydney needed him. He held out his arms, and without hesitation, the Pink Ranger rushed into his embrace, burying her face into his chest.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” His voice was soft as he rubbed her back soothingly.

Syd held onto him tighter. “I didn’t think there was anything to worry about at first. But then, the phone kept ringing and ringing –it wouldn’t stop.”

A thought suddenly struck him. “This was why you came running into my room last night, wasn’t it?”

Still frightened, she could only nod.

“And you’re sure it’s Jake?”

Syd nodded once more, raising her eyes to meet Sky’s gaze. “I don’t have any proof, but yeah.”

Seeing that the fear was still in her eyes, Sky rubbed her arm in an attempt to comfort her. “Don’t worry,” he promised, “I won’t let anything happen to you, not while I’m around.”

Syd gave another sniff, and then smiled softly. Gently, she laid her head on his shoulder. “I always feel safe when I’m with you,” she said quietly, “did you know that? Even before we became Rangers, Bridge and I had no doubts that you’d always be there to back us up. It made fighting monsters easier for me, because I knew you would be fighting alongside me. I wasn’t scared of anything with you around.”

Sky tightened his embrace. To hear her words strengthened his resolve and desire to protect her. And he would protect her as best he could –or die trying.

The couple stood there for a few moments enjoying their embrace when the phone rang. Immediately, Syd froze and could only stare at the ringing telephone. Sky frowned and reached to pick up the receiver. “Hello?”

A moment later the frowned was off his face and he nodded as he listened to the voice on the other end. “Yes, I’ll tell her. Thank you.” Sky hung up the phone and turned to the Pink Ranger. “That was the phone company. They were calling to let you know that they’ve changed your phone number as you requested.”

Syd looked relieved. “Thank goodness!”

“Come on,” Sky reached out and grabbed her hand, “Let’s go find the others and forget what just happened.”

Syd followed and moments later they were in the Recreation Room where Z sat, watching Bridge and Jack play video games.

The Yellow Ranger looked up as they walked in and just stared at Syd. The Pink Ranger shifted self-consciously. “What?” she asked.

Z shook her head. “Nothing. It’s just weird to see you not wearing something pink for once.”

Syd looked down at her outfit. In all the commotion, she had forgotten that she had been trying on the clothes Sky had bought for her. She grinned. “What do you think?”

“I think you look good.”

“She better look good,” Jack called from his spot on the floor. Never taking his eyes off the screen, he continued, “Bridge and I suffered for over two hours in that store waiting for Sky to pick everything out.”

Bridge glanced up at the couple. “You look good in blue Syd,” the Green Ranger complimented, “hey, maybe you should force Sky to wear pink!”

Sky mock glared as the others laughed.

-x-x-x-

Across town, Jake Hemmington stood above the tray of chemicals in his darkroom, watching as the image on the photographic paper slowly took form. Watching the process, he anticipated the ghosts and shadows darkening, becoming real. Becoming Sydney. He stared at her image, noticing for the millionth time, her beauty.

As always, he returned to the photography, the single constant in his life. Staring at the beauty of reflected light and shadows on the images brought a sense of purpose, reminding him that he controlled his own destiny.

Studying the photographs in front of him, he again took note of the similarities between Sydney and Susan. Same hair. Same eyes. Same air of innocence. From the moment he had seen Sydney’s picture, he thought they could’ve been sisters.

Jake shook his head, feeling the memory of Susan pull at him.

They had rented a house in Bermuda for their honeymoon, not far from all the large resorts and the finest sights. It was quiet and romantic, with ceiling fans and white wicker furniture and a porch that faced the ocean. There was a private beach where they could spend hours in the sun alone, just the two of them.

Oh, how he’d been looking forward to that! He’d taken dozens of photographs of her during the first few days. He loved her skin; it was so soft and silky to touch and by the third day, her skin had darkened to bronze, and in her white summer dress, she was dazzling. That night, he’d wanted nothing more than to take Susan in his arms and slowly peel the dress from her body and make love to her in their room with candles glowing all around.

But she had wanted to go dancing at the resort.

‘No,’ he’d said, ‘let’s stay here, it’s our honeymoon.’

‘Please,’ she’d said, ‘for me. Will you do this for me?’

So they went. It was loud and filled with drunks, and Susan was loud and kept drinking. Her words began to slur and later she swayed as she made her way to the rest room. She bumped into a young man and nearly spilled his drink. The young man touched her arm and laughed. Susan laughed with him.

Jake seethed as he watched it happen. It angered and embarrassed him. But he would forgive her, he told himself. She was young and immature. He would forgive her, because he was her husband and he loved her. But she would have to promise her not to do it again. But that evening, when they were back at the house, he’d tried to talk to her and she wouldn’t listen.

‘I was just having fun,’ she’d said as she dismissed his concern. ‘You could’ve tried to have fun too.’

‘How could I, with my new wife flirting with strangers?’

‘I wasn’t flirting.’

‘I saw you.’

‘Stop acting crazy!’

‘What did you say to me? What did you say?’

‘Ow! Let me go… you’re hurting me! Stop it!’

‘What did you say?’

‘Ow… please… Ow! Honey, stop!’

‘What did you say?’

In the end, she disappointed him, Jake thought. And Sydney disappointed him too. Sydney cared for him, he knew that. But why couldn’t she realize that too?

Jake left the darkroom and made his way to the bedroom. On the bed, next to all the clutter of the cameras and lenses, he reached for his cell phone. His home phone, he knew, would leave a traceable record, but he had to hear her voice tonight, even if it was only the one word “Hello.” When he heard her voice, he could see the two of them together, living their glamorous future.

He dialed the number, and then closed his eyes in anticipation. But instead of Sydney’s familiar voice, there was a recording from the phone company. He ended the call and dialed again, more carefully this time, but got the same recorded message.

Jake stared at the phone. ‘Oh Sydney,’ he wondered, ‘Why? WHY?”

-x-x-x-

For Sydney, the days began to acquire a new rhythm. After the excitement and chaos of the past month, the next week of Sydney’s life was startlingly quiet. She didn’t see Jake anywhere during the week or the following weekend. Her days had become uneventful (with the exception of Gruumm attacking at odd times) and she kept her fingers crossed that it would stay that way.

And it seemed as if it would. Her phone was evidence to the fact that unlisted, it was an effective way to stop unwanted calls and it was a relief to not hear the phone ringing nonstop every two minutes. Syd was not the only one who was relieved; it seemed that the Yellow Ranger was happy about the situation herself. Having the phone ring constantly was annoying.

Only five people- Sky, Z, Jack, Bridge and her father- knew the number, and since she spent all day with the Rangers, that left her father to be the only person in the world that would have a reason for calling her. But after being informed of the situation and hearing how the calls had rattled Sydney, Adrian Drew was apparently giving her a break, not wanting to be responsible for putting his daughter on edge all the time.

Slowly, the Pink Ranger began to let her guard down. But that didn’t stop her from seeking Jake out every time she stepped outside the Academy. And so, of course, were the Rangers and Commander Cruger and Kat. When she was driving, she would sometimes turn suddenly onto a different road and stop, staring in the rearview mirror to see of anyone was following her. She’d scanned parking lots and always kept an eye out for suspicious movement whenever she was on duty patrolling the city. She kept pepper spray in her pocket and a supply of small iron metals in case she needed to use her special powers.

Everyone noticed that she was acting a little paranoid, Jack even commented on it once or twice, but she didn’t care. As the old saying went, it was better to be safe than sorry.

And then there was Sky. The Blue Ranger hadn’t so much as let her out of his sight for more than a few minutes except when she was showering. Although having him around was great, there were moments when it became a little suffocating. Some things were better done without Sky right there. Like shaving her legs, for instance. But all in all, she was grateful to have such a caring man in her life.

Commander Cruger had stopped by a few days earlier and with Sky holding her hand, Syd told the Commander everything she knew about Jake Hemmington. The Pink Ranger felt a lot better when Cruger had promised to double security around the Academy. Visitors would have to report to someone of Authority before being able to set foot inside.

One sunny day, Syd found herself alone in the Recreation Room with RIC by her side. Two weeks had passed and still, there had been no sign of Jake. For a moment, Syd wondered where everyone was and then remembered that everyone had plans. Jack and Z had gone off to visit their friends from the streets. And Sky and Bridge had to report to Kat for special adjustments on their Ranger suits. The Pink Ranger let out a sigh, she was bored. Looking out the window, she spotted the Juice Bar, a place that sold fabulous smoothies, across the street from the Academy and suddenly, she in the mood for a strawberry shake. Syd grinned and looked at the robotic dog next to her. “Hey boy, wanna come with me to get something to drink?”

RIC barked happily and she took it as a yes. Syd jumped up and headed towards the doors. “Come on boy!” Heading across the street towards the Juice Bar, Syd opened the door to the cozy shop and walked up to the counter. After ordering, she looked around at the various customers and tensed up when she noticed someone talking to RIC but heaved a sigh of relief when she recognized the person.

“Hey Sandra!” Syd greeted cheerfully as she neared the slim woman and RIC.

Sandra Connell was a Real Estate Agent and Sydney had met her often when her family had first moved to New Tech City a few years ago. Syd ran into her often over the years while working at SPD.

Sandra turned. “Sydney! How wonderful it is to see you. How are you doing?”

“I’m fine. Just had a craving for a smoothie, so I came over here.”

“It’s a nice day for it,” Sandra smiled, “or it was when we got here. But now it looks like it might start to rain in a little while.”

“We?” Syd asked.

“Yeah, my client is looking for a house somewhere in this neighborhood. Said he was tired of living alone and wanted to be near people. He seemed pretty interested in this one house, so keep your fingers crossed for me.”

It was as Sandra was speaking, that RIC suddenly stood and moved to Syd’s side. The robotic dog’s eyes were flashing red and he was growling. Syd felt her heart begin to pound as she turned in the direction in which RIC was staring. Her eyes took a moment to adjust and she drew a labored breath. In the background, she could hear Sandra going on.

“Oh, here he is now,” Sandra was saying.

Before Sydney could move, before she could think to do anything other than stare, Jake was standing beside Sandra. He smiled at her, making Sandra flush a little.

“As I was saying before,” Jake spoke to the Real Estate Agent, “that house was pretty nice. I really enjoyed the view it gave from the window.”

“Oh yes,” Sandra said, “It’s a wonderful investment.” She laughed, but neither one of them was listening to Sandra now. “Oh where are my manners? I’d like you to meet a friend of mine…”

“Hello Sydney,” Jake said, “What a nice surprise.”

Syd said nothing; it was all she could do to remain standing. RIC continued to growl.

Sandra stopped in mid sentence. “Oh, you two know each other?” she inquired.

“You could say that,” Jake spoke once more. “Isn’t that right Sydney?”

The Pink Ranger tried to steady herself. ‘You bastard,’ she thought, ‘how did you know I’d be here? How did you know?’

“Hey Syd, what’s with RIC?” Sandra asked. “Why is he acting so upset?”

Before she could answer, Jake glanced toward Sandra.

“Sandra- did you bring all the information and prices I requested? I think I should take a look at them while I’m considering that one house on the corner.”

At the word prices, Sandra’s eyes lit up. “Of course I did. It’s all in the car,” she said. “Let me go get it, I’m sure you’ll be pleased, they’re all very reasonably priced. I’ll be right back.”

A moment later, Sandra was gone and Jake turned his smile on Sydney. “You look wonderful,” he said, “I’ve missed you. How’ve you been?”

It was then that Syd realized what was really happening. She took a step backward, suddenly glad that RIC was between them.

Jake smiled and gestured an arm toward the shop window where a house was clearly insight. “It’s a great investment, isn’t it? I’m thinking that this would be a great place to settle down. A man needs a place to call home, and this way, we could be neighbors since the Academy is minutes away.”

The Pink Ranger paled, still not saying a word.

Jake’s smile became wider. “Would you like that, Sydney? Me, living minutes away from you? …No? Then maybe I wanted to talk to you. You changed your phone number and you won’t go anywhere alone. What else could I do?”

She backed away another step; RIC stayed in place, as if daring Jake to approach her.

“I don’t want to talk to you,” Syd finally found her voice and she snarled. “I don’t want anything to do with you. Why can’t you get that through your head?”

“Don’t you remember our dates?” Jake asked, his voice suddenly going soft. He looked almost wistful, and the whole scene suddenly struck Syd as surreal. “Our time together was special, why can’t you see and admit that?”

“We've only been on two dates! There’s nothing to admit,” she said, taking another step back, “You’re crazy.”

“Why are you acting this way?” He sounded worried, puzzled. “Sky’s not here now –it’s just us.”

Syd’s eyes darted sideways, to the entrance of the shop. It was time to get out of there. “If you make one move toward me or try to follow me, I’ll scream.”

He offered a gentle smile, as if patiently trying to explain something to a child. “There’s no reason to be scared. You know I would never hurt you. I love you.”

Syd blinked, not believing what she was hearing. He loves me? “What the hell are you talking about?” she finally said, the words coming out with more force than she anticipated.

“I love you,” he said again. “And we can start over now. We’ll go to Paris, or if you don’t want to, we can go anywhere you want. It doesn’t matter. And we’ll just chalk up this infatuation with Sky as a mistake okay? I forgive you.”

As he spoke, Syd continued back away, her eyes growing wider with every word he uttered. But it just simply wasn’t his words that scared her; it was also the look of sincerity he had on his face. Jake held out his hand, “Now come on, let’s go someplace quiet and grab a bite to eat.”

Syd inhaled sharply. “I’m not going anywhere with you.” She hissed.

“Don’t be this way, please. I’ll make you happy Susan.”

For a second, Syd wondered if she had heard Jake correctly, but she knew that she had. Jake had just called her by his wife’s name.

“You… are… completely… insane,” Syd sputtered.

This time her words stopped him.

“You shouldn’t say things like that,” Jake spoke, his voice acquiring an ugly tone. “You shouldn’t say things you don’t mean.”

From the corner of her eye, she saw Sandra coming back into the shop. Jake was still staring at Sydney when Sandra reached them. “Something wrong?” Sandra asked as she looked from one to the other.

Jake finally tore his eyes away from Syd. “No,” he said, “Not at all.”

The Pink Ranger barely heard him answer. “I’ve got to go,” she said suddenly, starting to back away again.

Jake smiled. “Bye Sydney. See you around.”

Syd turned and rushed out of the shop, forgetting about her drink. RIC stayed for a moment longer, making sure that Jake wouldn’t follow, before turning and following Syd. Once she was out of the shop, she started to run, and then began running even faster. Hearing a noise, she glanced behind her; there was no sign of Jake, but she continued to run. The doors of the Academy were in sight, she kept forcing her legs to keep moving, not daring to slow down till she was inside. Minutes later, she was in Sky’s arms, choking back tears. But she was too frightened, and Sky held her while she cried. After she had calmed down a bit, she tearfully told the Blue Ranger what had just happened.

Sky’s face had gone white. When he spoke, his voice was a whisper. “Let’s go to the Commander.”

-x-x-x-

Commander Cruger and Kat were seated at the table in the Command Centre across from Syd and Sky, their eyes on Syd as she recounted her story. The other Rangers were standing around them listening with rapt attention. It hadn’t taken long for Syd to tell them everything. Though the words were important, it was the look on the Pink Ranger’s face that convinced everyone that the situation was more than serious. This man, Jake, sounded dangerous. Despite the outer calm she was trying to maintain, it was clear to everyone that Sydney Drew was pretty much a wreck. Even Kat Manx, who couldn’t be frightened easily, became spooked, goose bumps rose on her skin when Syd had told them how Jake had called her Susan.

“I don’t like the sound of this,” Kat spoke to Cruger once Syd had finished speaking. Sky had pulled Sydney into his embrace once more, and the other Rangers gathered around them. Sydney was so shaken, and Sky and the other Rangers looked so worried, it was hard for everyone to focus.

“What do we do Commander?” Jack looked toward Anubis for guidance.

“First of all, let’s remain calm,” the big blue dog spoke in his usual tone.

“Let’s get all the facts,” Kat spoke up once more. She looked at the Pink Ranger, “Do you have any idea how he knew you were out there?”

Syd shook her head. “No.”

“But he was there before you were?”

“I guess he rode with Sandra. I don’t know how long he was there, but he definitely arrived before I got there. I saw her car by the side of the road, and I didn’t see them walking in,” Syd’s voice quivered a bit.

Sky looked almost sick. And angry. So did the other Rangers.

Kat looked worried. “Why did you go out there in the first place?”

“I’m an idiot,” Syd mumbled.

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing.” The Pink Ranger took a deep breath. “I hadn’t seen or heard from Jake in awhile, and I guess I hoped it was over. The shop was just across the street, and RIC was with me, I just assumed that nothing would happen.”

“I don’t think you should do that in the future, Cadet Drew,” Cruger spoke, concern was evident in his voice, “try not to go anywhere alone alright?”

Syd gave a humorless laugh. “I don’t think you have to worry about that anymore.”

“And what do you know about his wife, Susan Hemmington?” Anubis asked.

“Nothing at all. Jake said he was married to her for a few years and that it didn’t work out. He didn’t say any more than that. We never talked about her.”

“And again, he didn’t threaten you specifically?” The Commander asked.

“No. But he didn’t have to say anything. He’s insane.”

‘No arguments there,’ Kat thought as a shiver went down her spine. ‘Sounds pretty insane to me.’

“Alright, I know you’re worried and I know you’re scared. And believe me, I’m on your side, so don’t think I’m going to leave here and forget about this. You’re one of my Rangers, and no one messes with my Rangers. I’m going to look into Jake Hemmington’s past to see what I can come up with,” Anubis Cruger had never looked so serious. “I give you my word that we’re going to do everything we can to help you, Cadet Drew.”

Syd smiled softly at her Commander and nodded, looking much more reassured. “Thank you Commander.”

“Alright,” the big blue dog nodded at Sky. “Cadet Tate, please take Syd to the Recreation Room and get her something to eat. The rest of you go with them, be prepared to report back here later when we start this investigation of Jake Hemmington.”

“Yes sir!”

The Rangers left and Cruger turned to Kat. His eyes were serious. “I don’t like the sound of this Kat. This couldn’t have come at a worse time.”

“I agree with you Doggie,” Kat nodded, “let’s get to work.”

-x-x-x-

“Here.” Sky handed Syd a glass of water as he sat down beside her on the couch in the Recreation Room. The Pink Ranger accepted the glass, giving her boyfriend a grateful smile. Sitting on the bean bags in front of them were Jack, Z and Bridge, each of them were giving her a concerned look.

“You gonna to be okay?” Jack asked.

The Pink Ranger shrugged her shoulders slightly. “As okay as a person can get in a situation like this.”

“Don’t worry Syd,” Bridge said, “We’re not going to let this creep keep harassing you like this.”

“Yeah, we got your back,” Z added.

Syd smiled and leaned into Sky’s embrace. “Thanks guys.”

On to Part Three (Chapters 11-15)

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