Fractured Fates, by TsukinoAkume (Zhane/Sky Tate)
Title: Fractured Fates
Author: Tsukino Akume
Relationship: Zhane/Sky Tate, Jack Landors/Syd Drew, Bridge/Ran
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers, because I probably wouldn't have done this to it even if I did. This is all purplestripe66's fault.
Warning: Character with depression/health issues
Summary: When Andros put Zhane into cryogenic stasis, he didn't wake up until he was completely healed - twenty-four years later. Zhane finds a new team, and S.P.D. tries to deal with the aftermath.
List of 22: 11 ~ laughter
Author's Notes: Not quite what I was originally planning to do with this prompt. Um ... oops?
"Why doesn't food ever come in silver?" Zhane wondered aloud, eyeing a purple jelly bean critically. "It comes in white, but never silver."
"Because silver isn't a flavor, it's a wrapper," Z answered, lazily popping a yellow one into her mouth. "Face it Zhane: you're just not edible enough."
Jack doubled over, hacking and gesturing frantically toward his throat. Another Z appeared behind him to thump his back hard. He coughed, choked, and finally wheezed out "Thanks, Z. You almost killed me."
"You're still alive," she dismissed. "It'll take more than that to kill you, Jack."
"She's right," Zhane agreed, finally eating the jelly bean and making a face at the flavor. He shook his head as he swallowed. "Now I know why we don't have Purple Rangers."
"Syd's kinda tasty," Jack told him, offering a pink one. "I don't think we have Sky in here, though. He doesn't come in jelly beans."
"That's too bad," he sighed, accepting it. He brightened as he munched. "Hey, you're right. She is tasty."
"Do I even want to know what you three are up to?" Syd asked suspiciously as she joined them.
"Jack's convincing Zhane that you're more edible than Sky is," Z informed her. She held out the bowl they'd been working their way through. "Jelly bean?"
"You guys are gross," Syd said flatly, wrinkling her nose.
"Yes. Yes, we are," Zhane agreed solemnly. "Now eat your jelly beans."
She rolled her eyes, grabbing a small handful. "So what are the three of you doing lazing around here? Shouldn't you be doing something?"
"Like what?" Z retorted. "Bridge is hovering outside the recovery room with Cruger to see what's going to happen with A Squad. Sky's on duty. Zhane and I are off today and Jack's only hanging around here to annoy the rest of us."
"No, he isn't," Zhane argued. "He's here to keep us entertained."
"Then he's not doing a good enough job."
"Why *are* you here, Jack? Syd asked with a frown, looking at her boyfriend. "I thought the whole point of a leave of absence was to get *away* from S.P.D."
"No, the whole point was to see if I can have a life outside of it," he corrected. "Unfortunately, the things about S.P.D. I want to keep in it - you guys - are still here." He ate another jelly bean. "Besides, I wanna know if Bridge was right, too."
Syd's frown faded as she sighed quietly, looking worried. "I hope he is. I don't know what he'll do if he's wrong."
"I still can't believe he's *straight*," Jack muttered.
Z kicked him under the table. "That's not funny, Jack," she warned. "You saw how worried he is about Ran."
"Were they dating long?" Zhane asked Syd curiously. "He never really said anything."
She sighed again, absently eating a jelly bean. "I'm not sure how long they've been together - you know what it's like to get Bridge to actually talk about himself. But I know it's been awhile. And he and Sky always knew A Squad better than I did."
Jack raised his eyebrows. "You guys hang out in different social circles or something?"
She gave him a dirty look. "I got promoted to B Squad a couple months before we met you and Z. Sky and Bridge have been with S.P.D. practically forever."
"Why is that?" Zhane wondered. "There's more to life than S.P.D., you know."
The girls gave him odd looks as Jack nodded in agreement. "Sky's always wanted to join because of his dad," Syd said after a pause. "And with Bridge, I think it either had to do with his parents, or something about the technology. It's sort of hard to tell."
"I guess that explains why Bridge puts up with Sky, if they've known each other that long," Z mused.
"No, he puts up with him because he knows Sky isn't as much of a jerk as he pretends to be," Zhane argued.
"Zhane!" a voice bellowed.
He jumped, startled, and they all turned to the door. A few moments later Sky stormed into the cafeteria, his expression radiating fury. His eyes flickered around the room before settling on Zhane, narrowing and turning dark.
"Sky? What's wrong?" he asked, frowning.
"What's wrong? What's *wrong*?" Sky snarled. "You're just going to sit there and ask me like you don't know?!"
Zhane blinked. "Yes?" he offered hesitantly.
"When, exactly, were you planning on telling me we were *married*?!" Sky shouted.
Zhane winced.
Syd and Z looked startled. Jack grimaced, shooting Zhane a sympathetic glance. And Sky noticed.
"You knew?" he asked Jack icily, his voice low.
Jack shifted a little in his seat uncomfortably, at last settling for a shrug. "I figured it out just before Cruger was taken. I told him to tell you."
"Why didn't *you* tell me?" he demanded.
"Because it needed to come from Zhane," Jack shot back, looking offended. "This is between you two, not me."
Sky's eyes finally turned to him, and Zhane let out a soft sigh. "How'd you find out?" he asked quietly.
"Dr. Felix congratulated me on my 'promised'," Sky snapped back. "He seemed a little surprised when I asked what he was talking about."
"Promised?" Z echoed, looking confused.
Zhane sighed again, looking up at Sky. "It doesn't mean anything," he reminded him. "That's not what you meant, and I know that."
Sky hit him.
He blinked hard for a moment, moving his jaw to make sure it worked before turning back to scowl at Sky. "What was that for?!"
Sky was shaking, fists clenched as he glared. "How dare you," he hissed. "How dare you even *think* that you could - "
"Guys!" Bridge sprinted towards them, stumbling and catching himself on Sky in his haste. "They're okay!" he shouted happily, his entire face lighting up. "A Squad - it wasn't them! They're really okay!"
He paused abruptly, his eyes flickering back and forth between Sky and Zhane. "Uh ... what did I miss?" he asked hesitantly.
Sky shook his head sharply, stepping away. "Nothing," he muttered. "You didn't miss anything. There was never anything *to* miss."
Zhane stiffened.
"I guess there wasn't," he said lowly, staring at the wall across from him.
Sky stalked off, Bridge looking confused as Jack and the girls glanced between him and Zhane worriedly.
Several minutes passed. At last Zhane stood up slowly, staring at the table as he swallowed once to calm the pounding in his ears. His fists clenched. "Tell Cruger I resign," he stated calmly. "I'm going home."
He walked out without another word.
****
"Zhane?" Andros looked surprised to see him when he opened the door, but not upset.
He offered a shaky smile and felt his eyes burn. "Hi. Can I ... Is it ... " He swallowed. "That offer still open?"
Andros' face softened as he reached out to squeeze his shoulder. "Always."
Ashley's face poked out from behind him, offering a warm, sympathetic smile. "Welcome home, Zhane."
He laughed, because if he didn't he'd cry. "It's ... good to *be* home," he returned, feeling hollow.
Author: Tsukino Akume
Relationship: Zhane/Sky Tate, Jack Landors/Syd Drew, Bridge/Ran
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers, because I probably wouldn't have done this to it even if I did. This is all purplestripe66's fault.
Warning: Character with depression/health issues
Summary: When Andros put Zhane into cryogenic stasis, he didn't wake up until he was completely healed - twenty-four years later. Zhane finds a new team, and S.P.D. tries to deal with the aftermath.
List of 22: 11 ~ laughter
Author's Notes: Not quite what I was originally planning to do with this prompt. Um ... oops?
"Why doesn't food ever come in silver?" Zhane wondered aloud, eyeing a purple jelly bean critically. "It comes in white, but never silver."
"Because silver isn't a flavor, it's a wrapper," Z answered, lazily popping a yellow one into her mouth. "Face it Zhane: you're just not edible enough."
Jack doubled over, hacking and gesturing frantically toward his throat. Another Z appeared behind him to thump his back hard. He coughed, choked, and finally wheezed out "Thanks, Z. You almost killed me."
"You're still alive," she dismissed. "It'll take more than that to kill you, Jack."
"She's right," Zhane agreed, finally eating the jelly bean and making a face at the flavor. He shook his head as he swallowed. "Now I know why we don't have Purple Rangers."
"Syd's kinda tasty," Jack told him, offering a pink one. "I don't think we have Sky in here, though. He doesn't come in jelly beans."
"That's too bad," he sighed, accepting it. He brightened as he munched. "Hey, you're right. She is tasty."
"Do I even want to know what you three are up to?" Syd asked suspiciously as she joined them.
"Jack's convincing Zhane that you're more edible than Sky is," Z informed her. She held out the bowl they'd been working their way through. "Jelly bean?"
"You guys are gross," Syd said flatly, wrinkling her nose.
"Yes. Yes, we are," Zhane agreed solemnly. "Now eat your jelly beans."
She rolled her eyes, grabbing a small handful. "So what are the three of you doing lazing around here? Shouldn't you be doing something?"
"Like what?" Z retorted. "Bridge is hovering outside the recovery room with Cruger to see what's going to happen with A Squad. Sky's on duty. Zhane and I are off today and Jack's only hanging around here to annoy the rest of us."
"No, he isn't," Zhane argued. "He's here to keep us entertained."
"Then he's not doing a good enough job."
"Why *are* you here, Jack? Syd asked with a frown, looking at her boyfriend. "I thought the whole point of a leave of absence was to get *away* from S.P.D."
"No, the whole point was to see if I can have a life outside of it," he corrected. "Unfortunately, the things about S.P.D. I want to keep in it - you guys - are still here." He ate another jelly bean. "Besides, I wanna know if Bridge was right, too."
Syd's frown faded as she sighed quietly, looking worried. "I hope he is. I don't know what he'll do if he's wrong."
"I still can't believe he's *straight*," Jack muttered.
Z kicked him under the table. "That's not funny, Jack," she warned. "You saw how worried he is about Ran."
"Were they dating long?" Zhane asked Syd curiously. "He never really said anything."
She sighed again, absently eating a jelly bean. "I'm not sure how long they've been together - you know what it's like to get Bridge to actually talk about himself. But I know it's been awhile. And he and Sky always knew A Squad better than I did."
Jack raised his eyebrows. "You guys hang out in different social circles or something?"
She gave him a dirty look. "I got promoted to B Squad a couple months before we met you and Z. Sky and Bridge have been with S.P.D. practically forever."
"Why is that?" Zhane wondered. "There's more to life than S.P.D., you know."
The girls gave him odd looks as Jack nodded in agreement. "Sky's always wanted to join because of his dad," Syd said after a pause. "And with Bridge, I think it either had to do with his parents, or something about the technology. It's sort of hard to tell."
"I guess that explains why Bridge puts up with Sky, if they've known each other that long," Z mused.
"No, he puts up with him because he knows Sky isn't as much of a jerk as he pretends to be," Zhane argued.
"Zhane!" a voice bellowed.
He jumped, startled, and they all turned to the door. A few moments later Sky stormed into the cafeteria, his expression radiating fury. His eyes flickered around the room before settling on Zhane, narrowing and turning dark.
"Sky? What's wrong?" he asked, frowning.
"What's wrong? What's *wrong*?" Sky snarled. "You're just going to sit there and ask me like you don't know?!"
Zhane blinked. "Yes?" he offered hesitantly.
"When, exactly, were you planning on telling me we were *married*?!" Sky shouted.
Zhane winced.
Syd and Z looked startled. Jack grimaced, shooting Zhane a sympathetic glance. And Sky noticed.
"You knew?" he asked Jack icily, his voice low.
Jack shifted a little in his seat uncomfortably, at last settling for a shrug. "I figured it out just before Cruger was taken. I told him to tell you."
"Why didn't *you* tell me?" he demanded.
"Because it needed to come from Zhane," Jack shot back, looking offended. "This is between you two, not me."
Sky's eyes finally turned to him, and Zhane let out a soft sigh. "How'd you find out?" he asked quietly.
"Dr. Felix congratulated me on my 'promised'," Sky snapped back. "He seemed a little surprised when I asked what he was talking about."
"Promised?" Z echoed, looking confused.
Zhane sighed again, looking up at Sky. "It doesn't mean anything," he reminded him. "That's not what you meant, and I know that."
Sky hit him.
He blinked hard for a moment, moving his jaw to make sure it worked before turning back to scowl at Sky. "What was that for?!"
Sky was shaking, fists clenched as he glared. "How dare you," he hissed. "How dare you even *think* that you could - "
"Guys!" Bridge sprinted towards them, stumbling and catching himself on Sky in his haste. "They're okay!" he shouted happily, his entire face lighting up. "A Squad - it wasn't them! They're really okay!"
He paused abruptly, his eyes flickering back and forth between Sky and Zhane. "Uh ... what did I miss?" he asked hesitantly.
Sky shook his head sharply, stepping away. "Nothing," he muttered. "You didn't miss anything. There was never anything *to* miss."
Zhane stiffened.
"I guess there wasn't," he said lowly, staring at the wall across from him.
Sky stalked off, Bridge looking confused as Jack and the girls glanced between him and Zhane worriedly.
Several minutes passed. At last Zhane stood up slowly, staring at the table as he swallowed once to calm the pounding in his ears. His fists clenched. "Tell Cruger I resign," he stated calmly. "I'm going home."
He walked out without another word.
****
"Zhane?" Andros looked surprised to see him when he opened the door, but not upset.
He offered a shaky smile and felt his eyes burn. "Hi. Can I ... Is it ... " He swallowed. "That offer still open?"
Andros' face softened as he reached out to squeeze his shoulder. "Always."
Ashley's face poked out from behind him, offering a warm, sympathetic smile. "Welcome home, Zhane."
He laughed, because if he didn't he'd cry. "It's ... good to *be* home," he returned, feeling hollow.