What Lies Beneath (Jack/Syd. SPD)
Final story for the 12_stories challenge. :)
Title: What Lies Beneath
Pairing: Jack/Syd
Rating: G
AN: Many thanks to kikos-ai and wild_force71 who both prompted me for this fic. I'm sure they'll both recognise their influences. :) Also, there's a weird sense of symmetry in that the last story for the challenge is the same pairing as the first.
Sydney Drew stalked along the streets of New Tech City, silently (well, not so silently) fuming, muttering insults under her breath that would surely make their intended target’s ears burn. Who did he think he was anyway? She was off duty, she could wear whatever kind of jewellery she wanted. And anyway, if she had to morph it’s not like dangly earrings were going to get in the way - they’d be safe under her helmet.
She was stopped when hands reached out to steady her as she walked straight into a broad chest and amused/concerned brown eyes. “Syd? You okay?” Jack asked, letting go as she got her balance.
“Yeah,” she replied, feeling her cheeks burning as she looked at her former squad leader and, she flinched, his not-girlfriend, Ally Samuels. “I’m fine. I just wasn’t paying attention, I guess.”
“I noticed,” he replied dryly. “What’s up, Syd? Storming through the streets isn’t like you.”
She scowled, unable to help herself. “Sky,” she snapped. “Insufferable stick up his butt jerk.”
Jack’s mouth twitched slightly. “Being his usual charming self then, huh?”
She let out a frustrated sigh. “I can’t believe he makes me so mad when I know what he’s like, but he’s just so, so, so…”
“Insufferable?” Jack finished with a grin.
“Yes!” She sighed, her shoulders sagging. “I hate him.”
Jack laughed. “Take a break from him then. It’s your day off, right?”
“Yeah, for all the good it’s done me.”
“Well, why don’t you come back to the shelter with us?” Jack offered. “We can always use the help.”
She hesitated. “Are you sure? I’m not exactly dressed for--” she gestured at herself. From head to toe, including the offending non-regulation earrings, she was dressed in designer wear. It wasn’t flashy, but it did tend to scream that she had money and she had the sinking feeling that she was going to stick out like a sore thumb at the shelter Jack and Ally ran. She didn’t usually mind being the centre of attention, and she was used to having people judge her while wearing friendly smiles, but the thought of standing out that way at the shelter made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
“It doesn’t matter,” Ally said cheerfully. “As long as you’re willing to help you’ll fit right in. And we’ll take all the hands we can get.”
Out of excuses, her communicator staying traitorously silent, Syd agreed with as much grace as she could manage. Besides, she did have a lot of time to kill. Might as well spend it doing something worthwhile.
***
Jack kept a careful eye on Syd while she was at the shelter, making sure she didn’t get any hassle beyond the occasional hostile or wary look. The people here were generally good people, volunteers and the people they helped respectively, but there were some who walked the line a little finer than others, and Syd would be a prime target, representing everything they couldn’t and probably would never have. It wasn’t her fault though, she could be wearing the same kind of plain clothes he and the others were wearing and she’d still radiate class. It was just something about how she held herself, unapologetic about coming from a wealthy family.
While she was still prone to occasional bouts of prissiness, Syd wasn’t the girl he’d met almost three years ago now; no longer the girl who hated getting her hands dirty by doing grunt work. It was just too bad that so few people both inside and outside of SPD didn’t look beyond the surface, beyond the rich girl glitter to the compassionate woman lying beneath. He glanced at his watch, then back over at Syd.
“Hey Syd,” he called. “There’s some boxes need taking out back. Want to give me a hand?”
“Sure,” she replied without hesitation, making her way easily through the people to stand next to him, “where do they go?”
He gave her a mischievous grin. “By the dumpsters.”
“Ew.” Her nose wrinkled, but she picked up some of the empty boxes anyway.
They made a couple more trips and by the time they were finished the sun was beginning to set. Syd would be going back to base soon. He snuck a sidewise look at his former team-mate, taking in the blonde hair that was currently more red-gold than Syd’s natural shade, and smiled to himself, shoving his hands into his pockets as they stood in companiable silence. He could appreciate sunsets a little more now than he used to. Before SPD and morphers and galactic domination, sunsets had only really represented cold nights to him; nights alone on the street. But right now, standing there with Syd, he didn’t feel cold.
Link to table
Title: What Lies Beneath
Pairing: Jack/Syd
Rating: G
AN: Many thanks to kikos-ai and wild_force71 who both prompted me for this fic. I'm sure they'll both recognise their influences. :) Also, there's a weird sense of symmetry in that the last story for the challenge is the same pairing as the first.
Sydney Drew stalked along the streets of New Tech City, silently (well, not so silently) fuming, muttering insults under her breath that would surely make their intended target’s ears burn. Who did he think he was anyway? She was off duty, she could wear whatever kind of jewellery she wanted. And anyway, if she had to morph it’s not like dangly earrings were going to get in the way - they’d be safe under her helmet.
She was stopped when hands reached out to steady her as she walked straight into a broad chest and amused/concerned brown eyes. “Syd? You okay?” Jack asked, letting go as she got her balance.
“Yeah,” she replied, feeling her cheeks burning as she looked at her former squad leader and, she flinched, his not-girlfriend, Ally Samuels. “I’m fine. I just wasn’t paying attention, I guess.”
“I noticed,” he replied dryly. “What’s up, Syd? Storming through the streets isn’t like you.”
She scowled, unable to help herself. “Sky,” she snapped. “Insufferable stick up his butt jerk.”
Jack’s mouth twitched slightly. “Being his usual charming self then, huh?”
She let out a frustrated sigh. “I can’t believe he makes me so mad when I know what he’s like, but he’s just so, so, so…”
“Insufferable?” Jack finished with a grin.
“Yes!” She sighed, her shoulders sagging. “I hate him.”
Jack laughed. “Take a break from him then. It’s your day off, right?”
“Yeah, for all the good it’s done me.”
“Well, why don’t you come back to the shelter with us?” Jack offered. “We can always use the help.”
She hesitated. “Are you sure? I’m not exactly dressed for--” she gestured at herself. From head to toe, including the offending non-regulation earrings, she was dressed in designer wear. It wasn’t flashy, but it did tend to scream that she had money and she had the sinking feeling that she was going to stick out like a sore thumb at the shelter Jack and Ally ran. She didn’t usually mind being the centre of attention, and she was used to having people judge her while wearing friendly smiles, but the thought of standing out that way at the shelter made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
“It doesn’t matter,” Ally said cheerfully. “As long as you’re willing to help you’ll fit right in. And we’ll take all the hands we can get.”
Out of excuses, her communicator staying traitorously silent, Syd agreed with as much grace as she could manage. Besides, she did have a lot of time to kill. Might as well spend it doing something worthwhile.
***
Jack kept a careful eye on Syd while she was at the shelter, making sure she didn’t get any hassle beyond the occasional hostile or wary look. The people here were generally good people, volunteers and the people they helped respectively, but there were some who walked the line a little finer than others, and Syd would be a prime target, representing everything they couldn’t and probably would never have. It wasn’t her fault though, she could be wearing the same kind of plain clothes he and the others were wearing and she’d still radiate class. It was just something about how she held herself, unapologetic about coming from a wealthy family.
While she was still prone to occasional bouts of prissiness, Syd wasn’t the girl he’d met almost three years ago now; no longer the girl who hated getting her hands dirty by doing grunt work. It was just too bad that so few people both inside and outside of SPD didn’t look beyond the surface, beyond the rich girl glitter to the compassionate woman lying beneath. He glanced at his watch, then back over at Syd.
“Hey Syd,” he called. “There’s some boxes need taking out back. Want to give me a hand?”
“Sure,” she replied without hesitation, making her way easily through the people to stand next to him, “where do they go?”
He gave her a mischievous grin. “By the dumpsters.”
“Ew.” Her nose wrinkled, but she picked up some of the empty boxes anyway.
They made a couple more trips and by the time they were finished the sun was beginning to set. Syd would be going back to base soon. He snuck a sidewise look at his former team-mate, taking in the blonde hair that was currently more red-gold than Syd’s natural shade, and smiled to himself, shoving his hands into his pockets as they stood in companiable silence. He could appreciate sunsets a little more now than he used to. Before SPD and morphers and galactic domination, sunsets had only really represented cold nights to him; nights alone on the street. But right now, standing there with Syd, he didn’t feel cold.
Link to table