Betrayed
A Continuation of the SPD episode “Idol”
By
Veronica Buckland
 

Summary: This takes place a few hours after the ending of “Idol”.

Note: Um…this is kinda the way I would have liked to see the episode end, the ending that they had was okay, but I was disappointed that Sydney didn’t talk to him at all and I think Sydney is the type who would.

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything.

~*~*~

"Does anyone know where Sky is?" Sydney asked.

Jack, Z and Bridge were seated around a small rectangular table in the recreation room and playing cards when she came into the room with a worried frown on her face. Jack had come in from helping Sky a few hours ago and had promptly told Z and Bridge about what Sky had done---telling them that Sky had somehow absconded with his toothbrush and had been using it to clean the cement outside. At first Bridge and Z had looked shocked that Sky ‘Mr. Won't-Go-With-The-Flow’ Tate had done that and then they had burst into laughter. After they'd calmed down enough where they weren't bursting into laughter every ten seconds, Z noted that it could have been a lot worse. Jack glared at her and asked her how that was possible. "He could have been using it to clean the toilets." she answered with a straight face before both she and Bridge started laughing all over again.

Jack looked up and answered. "I haven't seen him, though if you see him again before I do, tell him I owe him."

Sydney hadn't heard what Sky had done so she just asked, "For what?" Bridge and Z looked at each other and then at Jack and started laughing.

Jack glared at them. "You are not helping," he muttered darkly.

Z looked over at Sydney and mouthed "Tell you later, okay?" Sydney quirked an eyebrow and smiled as she whispered back, "Okay," before turning and heading out of the room in search of her missing friend.

She'd been worried about him even BEFORE they'd found out for sure that Dru, his best friend, had been behind the assassination attempt. He'd said some pretty harsh words to Jack but she understood why, or at least she thought she did, he'd had his own doubts and his pride wouldn't let him admit that Jack could be right. She'd been even more worried about him when he'd found out the truth and saw the self-recrimination and betrayal in his eyes. I hope I never see that look in his eyes ever again. She thought to herself as she headed to the one place she hadn't checked---the roof.

"Sky?" she called out as she came out onto the roof of the base. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness around her. The only lights were the ones coming from the stars above and a few lights around the base and the world outside SPD Headquarters.

"I'm here, is there anything wrong?" his voice floated down from somewhere above her. There was worry and weariness in his voice and she looked up to see him, his feet dangling over the edge as the rest of him was safely ensconced between the ears of the dog-head on top of the base.

"How the heck did you get up there?" she asked, watching the way the cool night breeze played with his light brown hair.

He gave her an amused smile and answered. "It isn't that high up, Syd." She stood in front of the dog's head and watched as he hopped down from his perch to stand beside her. He tilted his head at an angle and waited for her to state her business with him. When she hadn’t responded to his unspoken invitation he gave her a reassuring smile.

She sighed and looked down at her SPD issue shoes and sighed before looking back up at him. "Are you okay?" she asked. He looked startled for a moment before shrugging and looking away from her. She touched his shoulder gently and said quietly, "Don't blame yourself, Sky, you didn't know."

He shrugged her hand from his shoulder and said with bitterness, "Then who’s would it be, Syd? It wasn't Jack's," he grinned, "as much as I'd like to say it was," she smiled in amusement; it was no secret that he felt animosity towards the new Red Ranger. The moment passed and he was now looking at her with anguish and guilt in his eyes. "It was mine, Syd. My friend. My pride that nearly got Cruger killed. My mistake." His shoulders slumped and she could see his adam's apple bob up and down as he tried to keep his emotions at bay. She touched his face with her fingertips, tilting it up just enough that their eyes could meet.

"We all make mistakes, Sky, it's called being human."

Sky looked like he was going to say something so Sydney did something most people, with the exception of Z and a few others would be afraid to do, she pressed her fingertips to his lips to shush him. "You made your amends already, to the team, to Cruger,” Sky averted his eyes and she brought her hand to his face and made him look her in the eyes, “and to SPD. Please stop blaming yourself," her voice broke on the last few words and her eyes filled with tears; she hated to see the normally in control Sky Tate being not so in control.

Sky’s eyes were still filled with grief and self-recrimination as he spoke. “He was my friend, Sydney and I...I had to arrest him. I didn't want to, but I had to." He turned away from her and looked up at the sky; white stars sprinkled here and there in the velvety blackness of night.

"Sky," Sydney stepped up beside him and as she wiped the tears away with her hand, she spoke with a tone that was firm with conviction. “Any one of us would have done the same---especially if we had gone through what you did, not knowing if that friend was even still alive."

Sky's shoulders slumped and he sighed as he said quietly, "I'm not even sure I did it for that reason."

Sydney was confused and it was in her voice when she asked, "What do you mean?"

Sky looked at her, the uncertainty in his eyes somewhat unnerving. Sky Tate, uncertain? That was like if the sky was suddenly green and the ground was blue---it was just unnatural and freaky. "I---I" Sky ran a hand through his hair in frustration and let it drop to his side and shook his head in confusion, “I just don’t know.”

"Sky?"

"Hm?"

Before he knew what was happening he was engulfed in Sydney's arms and it took him a moment to react. He tentatively wrapped his arms around her waist and she rested her cheek against his shoulder. He let out a sigh, releasing some of his tension before tightening his hold around her waist and burying his face in her hair, inhaling her scent and just holding on to one of his closest friends. Sydney stroked her fingers through the hairs at the nape of his neck and just smiled, reassured that it would be okay.

"You're not alone, Sky."

Sydney lifted her head from his shoulder, just as he pulled back enough to see her, but not far enough away that he’d have to let her go, he wasn’t ready to just yet. She smiled reassuringly and whispered, “I promise."

He sighed and gave her a small smile and she smiled at him in return before they released each other from their embrace.

"You're going to be okay now, right?" she asked, looking up at him. A half smile appeared on his face and he nodded.

"Good," she said and a look of curiosity came into her eyes, "just what does Jack owe you for?" she asked. Her only answer was the sound of his laughter on the wind.

The End.

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