Stray (Jack/Sky. SPD)
For starandrea who on hearing about this fic asked if I'd consider posting it. I wrote this about a year ago, originally for the prsw22 comm, and it needed some rewriting before I was satisfied with it. I'm still not convinced that Sky's IC in places, so apologies on that front.
Title: Stray
Rating: PG-13
AN: Warning for sap, just in case you don't like that kind of fic. :) Also post-Endings.
“Stop the car, stop the car!”
Jack slammed on the brakes at the exclamation. “What? What’s wrong?”
The only response he got was Sky scrambling out the car and he threw up his hands in bewilderment, before getting out the car himself and following his boyfriend, who seemed to be going through a pile of boxes full of rubbish. “Sky, what are you doing?”
“Shh,” was the only answer and Jack shook his head and looked on in disbelief as his partner went insane.
“Hah, there you are,” Sky said in satisfaction, pulling out a small bundle of something from under a box, making small soothing noises as he did so. Sure by now that Sky had completely lost it (and shouldn’t there really have been signs before now?) Jack moved over to find out exactly what was going on. He stared at the sight of Sky holding the bundle close to his chest, murmuring sweet nothings at it, and he was about to demand an explanation when the bundle emitted a pitiful mew. He stared some more as Sky gently started stroking the bundle, and now Jack could see that said bundle was a kitten. He inwardly smacked himself for not noticing sooner, apparently he’d preferred thinking his lover had gone insane instead of a more reasonable explanation, like rescuing a kitten he’d failed to notice.
He smiled a little at the sight in front of him. “No one at the Delta base would believe this,” he said, amusement plain in his voice. “Big, bad Sky Tate getting mushy over a kitten.” He smirked when Sky sent him one of his patented death glares, not fazed by it one iota. “This is why you had me stop the car?”
“Shut up and get back in. We need to find a vet.”
“A vet? Why? And besides, what do you think the odds are of finding a vet that’s open at this time of night?”
“Just shut up and drive, Jack.”
Jack rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He stalked back to the car and climbed in. Maybe Sky had lost it. He raised an eyebrow as Sky climbed in, carefully arranging the kitten just so, and again he shook his head. This had to be one of the weirdest experiences he’d ever had, and considering some of the things he seen as a ranger that was saying something.
“Turn left.”
“Huh?”
Sky reached out a hand and pulled his arm left, yanking the car to the left. “I said turn left.” Jack stared at him in disbelief, thankful that they had been the only car on the road. After that he followed Sky’s directions, not wanting a repeat performance, and eventually they pulled up outside an emergency vet. Sky climbed out and walked towards the door, leaving Jack burying his face in his hands for a moment, trying to work out when exactly he’d landed in the Twilight Zone.
A moment later he followed Sky in, listening as Sky informed the vet that the kitten had a broken leg. So that’s why we needed to find a vet, Jack thought to himself. Would it have killed him to tell me that? He sat down next to Sky in the waiting area and waited to see if Sky would start talking to him again. It seemed that he wasn’t so Jack decided a little prompting was in order. “Why’s this so important to you?”
Sky looked at him and smiled a little. “I like cats.”
“You have a lot in common with them, but that doesn’t tell me anything.”
Sky grinned softly. “We used to have cats when I was growing up. My mom loved them, and she had this habit of rescuing every stray she found, no matter how much Dad protested that we had enough already.”
Jack felt his lips twitching. “So you’re doing the same? Rescuing every stray you find?”
Sky smirked at him. “It does seem to be a habit doesn’t it?”
Jack blinked for a moment before that sank in. “One, I am not a stray, and two, you didn’t ‘rescue’ me, you arrested me.”
“Same result,” Sky pointed out smugly. “And what do you mean, I have a lot in common with them?”
“Let’s see, there’s the contrariness, the fussiness, the superior attitude, not to mention the fact that you curl up around yourself like one, you like being stroked, and you purr.”
Sky’s brow furrowed. “I do not.”
“Yes, you do. Especially when I do this.” He reached out and ran a finger gently down Sky’s throat, grinning when Sky let out a slight purring noise. “I rest my case.”
“That was not a purr.”
“Yes it was.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“Yes, it was.”
“Was not.”
“Was too.”
“Not.”
“Well, what would you call it then?” Jack demanded, oblivious to the smile on the face of the nurse on reception duty who’d been watching them in amusement.
Sky sniffed. “An automatic reaction to outside stimulus.”
Jack smirked. “It was a purr.”
“Was not.”
***
An hour later the vet came out and gave them the good news that the kitten’s leg had been set and she was going to be fine.
“What’s going to happen to her?” Sky asked in concern.
“She’ll be sent to the local animal shelter and they’ll find her a home.”
Sky nodded and the nurse ran the treatments through the computer until the bill came up. Jack winced a little at the price, but Sky handed over his credit card without batting an eye. Looking at Sky thoughtfully, Jack trod on a shoe lace until it came undone and when Sky went to leave he bent down to redo it.
“Jack, you coming?”
“In a minute, my shoelace came undone.”
Sky nodded. “Okay, see you in a minute.”
Jack smiled back and returned his attention to his trainer. The moment Sky was gone, he turned one of his most charming smiles on the vet. “Hi, I was wondering…”
***
Six weeks later Jack got a phone call that left him with a big smile on his face, and he left the normal running operation of Omega Missions to Ally while he disappeared for an hour, sneaking back in carrying a big box.
When Sky walked into the Mission after finishing his shift for the day, Jack handed his clipboard over to one of the volunteers he was talking to and intercepted his partner before he could reach the stairs to their apartment. “Hi.”
Sky looked at him suspiciously. “Hi.”
“Have a good day?” Jack asked with a bright smile
“It was alright.” Sky frowned at him, suspicion turning into certainty that Jack was planning something.
Jack smiled wider. “Good. Close your eyes.”
“What?”
“Close your eyes,” Jack repeated, patiently.
“Why?”
“I have a surprise for you, that’s why.”
“I don’t like surprises, Jack.”
Jack smirked. “You’ll like this one. It’s upstairs.”
Sky sighed. “Fine. Can I at least close my eyes after I get upstairs?”
Jack rolled his eyes. “Fine. Close them after.” He opened the door and gestured at Sky to go through, which he did after giving Jack a dubious look that just made Jack grin even more. This would so be worth it. They got to the top of the stairs and Sky had just opened the door to their apartment when Jack promptly slapped his hands over his eyes, ignoring the slight exclamation of surprise. “Trust me, Sky, you’ll like this.”
“I’d better,” his lover muttered, a not so subtle threat in his voice.
Jack ignored him and carefully walked him through the open door before steering him towards one of the chairs. Arranging him so he was standing right in front of his surprise Jack let go. “Alright, open your eyes.”
Sky opened them, blinking a little in surprise when he didn’t see anything, before he looked down. He stared in astonishment at the kitten curled up fast asleep in the box. “But…you…how…you…”
Jack grinned to see Sky so completely thrown, stuttering in sheer incomprehension. “Like it?”
Sky just stared at him in utter bewilderment, looking between Jack and the kitten. “How did you…?”
“My secret.” He tilted his head slightly. “Well? What are you going to call it?”
“Her,” Sky corrected, finally reaching in and running a finger along the kitten‘s back. She opened her eyes and blinked at him and he gently lifted her out, holding her up by his face, smiling softly. “Hi there.”
“Fine. What are you going to call her?”
Sky studied the kitten thoughtfully. “Niamh.”
Jack raised an eyebrow. “Niamh?”
Sky graced him with one of his best disdainful looks. “Niahm,” he said, firmly, and, almost as if she agreed, Niahm made a small mewing noise and Sky turned his attention back to her. “You like that?” he asked and he let out what could only be called a giggle as she leant forward and licked his nose.
Jack shook his head in resignation. What had he let himself in for? “She’s not sleeping on the bed,” he said, determined to stand firm on that point.
“But, Jack-”
“No. Not on the bed.”
Sky sniffed disdainfully. “Unfeeling jerk, where’s she going to sleep?”
Jack stared at him incredulously. Unfeeling? Where did Sky get that from? “It’s a novel idea I’ll grant you, but maybe she could sleep in the box. It’s got blankets and everything.”
Sky stared at him. “She can’t sleep in the box.”
“Why not? It’s clean, she can breathe, it’s comfortable, I mean she seemed happy enough there before.”
“She is not sleeping in the box.” He turned his attention back to the kitten. “Don’t listen to him.”
Jack threw up his hands in resignation, knowing he’d lost this argument but determined that he wasn’t going down without a fight. “She can sleep on the couch, she can sleep on any of the chairs, but she is not sleeping on the bed. Sky, no.” That last was said as Sky started walking towards the bedroom, kitten held firmly in his arms. Jack ran after them, imposing himself between his lover and the door, blocking the way. “No. Absolutely not.” Sky looked at him steadily for a moment then pushed past him, leaving Jack standing in the doorway and staring at the empty living room dejectedly. Oh well, at least I tried, he thought tiredly.
He turned round and stepped into the bedroom, regarding the sight before him with an even gaze. Sky had kicked off his shoes, shrugged out of his jacket which he’d then tossed across a nearby chair, and was currently curled up on the bed, teasing the kitten who was pouncing on his fingers as he scuttled them around the bedcovers. Despite himself Jack grinned and stealthily he backed out of the room and went hunting for his camera.
Finding it a moment later, he walked back to the bedroom and stuck his head round the door. Smiling mischievously he clicked the shutter, forever immortalising the image of Sky lying on the bed with a kitten sitting on his head, paw raised as she batted the fingers he was holding out to her.
So worth it.
He could feel the glare from across the room, even if he couldn’t actually see it, and he grinned, snapping another picture for good measure. “Very nice, Sky. I can just imagine the reactions around the base at the sight of the tough as nails red ranger with a kitten on his head.”
“Very funny,” Sky said flatly, clearly not amused.
Jack smirked and waved the camera in Sky’s direction. “Don’t worry. The pictures will only cost you a small fortune, not to mention all the blackmail material I can get out of them. Z would have a field day with these pictures, I can tell you. I wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up all over the base.”
Sky sat up carefully so as not to disturb Niahm. He treated Jack to a fixed smile that promised all kinds of retribution should Jack carry out his threat. “Try it and die.”
Jack grinned insolently and sauntered out the room, camera hanging loosely from his hand.
Sky followed him out, arms folded and scowling at him. “Have I told you recently that I hate you?”
“Last week, I think.”
Sky glared at him again, before throwing up his hands in disgust and stalking into the kitchen to get something to eat.
The rest of the evening passed relatively quietly, but with Niahm definitely making her presence felt, scooting around the living room and jumping on chairs before settling down on Sky’s lap, giving Jack a smug look and promptly falling asleep, leaving Jack rolling his eyes in resignation.
***
Lying in bed that night Jack was resigning himself to having an extra bedmate, when Sky shifted slightly and looked at him sleepily. “Thank you,” he murmured and Jack smiled, running his fingers through Sky’s hair.
“You’re welcome.”
Title: Stray
Rating: PG-13
AN: Warning for sap, just in case you don't like that kind of fic. :) Also post-Endings.
“Stop the car, stop the car!”
Jack slammed on the brakes at the exclamation. “What? What’s wrong?”
The only response he got was Sky scrambling out the car and he threw up his hands in bewilderment, before getting out the car himself and following his boyfriend, who seemed to be going through a pile of boxes full of rubbish. “Sky, what are you doing?”
“Shh,” was the only answer and Jack shook his head and looked on in disbelief as his partner went insane.
“Hah, there you are,” Sky said in satisfaction, pulling out a small bundle of something from under a box, making small soothing noises as he did so. Sure by now that Sky had completely lost it (and shouldn’t there really have been signs before now?) Jack moved over to find out exactly what was going on. He stared at the sight of Sky holding the bundle close to his chest, murmuring sweet nothings at it, and he was about to demand an explanation when the bundle emitted a pitiful mew. He stared some more as Sky gently started stroking the bundle, and now Jack could see that said bundle was a kitten. He inwardly smacked himself for not noticing sooner, apparently he’d preferred thinking his lover had gone insane instead of a more reasonable explanation, like rescuing a kitten he’d failed to notice.
He smiled a little at the sight in front of him. “No one at the Delta base would believe this,” he said, amusement plain in his voice. “Big, bad Sky Tate getting mushy over a kitten.” He smirked when Sky sent him one of his patented death glares, not fazed by it one iota. “This is why you had me stop the car?”
“Shut up and get back in. We need to find a vet.”
“A vet? Why? And besides, what do you think the odds are of finding a vet that’s open at this time of night?”
“Just shut up and drive, Jack.”
Jack rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He stalked back to the car and climbed in. Maybe Sky had lost it. He raised an eyebrow as Sky climbed in, carefully arranging the kitten just so, and again he shook his head. This had to be one of the weirdest experiences he’d ever had, and considering some of the things he seen as a ranger that was saying something.
“Turn left.”
“Huh?”
Sky reached out a hand and pulled his arm left, yanking the car to the left. “I said turn left.” Jack stared at him in disbelief, thankful that they had been the only car on the road. After that he followed Sky’s directions, not wanting a repeat performance, and eventually they pulled up outside an emergency vet. Sky climbed out and walked towards the door, leaving Jack burying his face in his hands for a moment, trying to work out when exactly he’d landed in the Twilight Zone.
A moment later he followed Sky in, listening as Sky informed the vet that the kitten had a broken leg. So that’s why we needed to find a vet, Jack thought to himself. Would it have killed him to tell me that? He sat down next to Sky in the waiting area and waited to see if Sky would start talking to him again. It seemed that he wasn’t so Jack decided a little prompting was in order. “Why’s this so important to you?”
Sky looked at him and smiled a little. “I like cats.”
“You have a lot in common with them, but that doesn’t tell me anything.”
Sky grinned softly. “We used to have cats when I was growing up. My mom loved them, and she had this habit of rescuing every stray she found, no matter how much Dad protested that we had enough already.”
Jack felt his lips twitching. “So you’re doing the same? Rescuing every stray you find?”
Sky smirked at him. “It does seem to be a habit doesn’t it?”
Jack blinked for a moment before that sank in. “One, I am not a stray, and two, you didn’t ‘rescue’ me, you arrested me.”
“Same result,” Sky pointed out smugly. “And what do you mean, I have a lot in common with them?”
“Let’s see, there’s the contrariness, the fussiness, the superior attitude, not to mention the fact that you curl up around yourself like one, you like being stroked, and you purr.”
Sky’s brow furrowed. “I do not.”
“Yes, you do. Especially when I do this.” He reached out and ran a finger gently down Sky’s throat, grinning when Sky let out a slight purring noise. “I rest my case.”
“That was not a purr.”
“Yes it was.”
“No, it wasn’t.”
“Yes, it was.”
“Was not.”
“Was too.”
“Not.”
“Well, what would you call it then?” Jack demanded, oblivious to the smile on the face of the nurse on reception duty who’d been watching them in amusement.
Sky sniffed. “An automatic reaction to outside stimulus.”
Jack smirked. “It was a purr.”
“Was not.”
***
An hour later the vet came out and gave them the good news that the kitten’s leg had been set and she was going to be fine.
“What’s going to happen to her?” Sky asked in concern.
“She’ll be sent to the local animal shelter and they’ll find her a home.”
Sky nodded and the nurse ran the treatments through the computer until the bill came up. Jack winced a little at the price, but Sky handed over his credit card without batting an eye. Looking at Sky thoughtfully, Jack trod on a shoe lace until it came undone and when Sky went to leave he bent down to redo it.
“Jack, you coming?”
“In a minute, my shoelace came undone.”
Sky nodded. “Okay, see you in a minute.”
Jack smiled back and returned his attention to his trainer. The moment Sky was gone, he turned one of his most charming smiles on the vet. “Hi, I was wondering…”
***
Six weeks later Jack got a phone call that left him with a big smile on his face, and he left the normal running operation of Omega Missions to Ally while he disappeared for an hour, sneaking back in carrying a big box.
When Sky walked into the Mission after finishing his shift for the day, Jack handed his clipboard over to one of the volunteers he was talking to and intercepted his partner before he could reach the stairs to their apartment. “Hi.”
Sky looked at him suspiciously. “Hi.”
“Have a good day?” Jack asked with a bright smile
“It was alright.” Sky frowned at him, suspicion turning into certainty that Jack was planning something.
Jack smiled wider. “Good. Close your eyes.”
“What?”
“Close your eyes,” Jack repeated, patiently.
“Why?”
“I have a surprise for you, that’s why.”
“I don’t like surprises, Jack.”
Jack smirked. “You’ll like this one. It’s upstairs.”
Sky sighed. “Fine. Can I at least close my eyes after I get upstairs?”
Jack rolled his eyes. “Fine. Close them after.” He opened the door and gestured at Sky to go through, which he did after giving Jack a dubious look that just made Jack grin even more. This would so be worth it. They got to the top of the stairs and Sky had just opened the door to their apartment when Jack promptly slapped his hands over his eyes, ignoring the slight exclamation of surprise. “Trust me, Sky, you’ll like this.”
“I’d better,” his lover muttered, a not so subtle threat in his voice.
Jack ignored him and carefully walked him through the open door before steering him towards one of the chairs. Arranging him so he was standing right in front of his surprise Jack let go. “Alright, open your eyes.”
Sky opened them, blinking a little in surprise when he didn’t see anything, before he looked down. He stared in astonishment at the kitten curled up fast asleep in the box. “But…you…how…you…”
Jack grinned to see Sky so completely thrown, stuttering in sheer incomprehension. “Like it?”
Sky just stared at him in utter bewilderment, looking between Jack and the kitten. “How did you…?”
“My secret.” He tilted his head slightly. “Well? What are you going to call it?”
“Her,” Sky corrected, finally reaching in and running a finger along the kitten‘s back. She opened her eyes and blinked at him and he gently lifted her out, holding her up by his face, smiling softly. “Hi there.”
“Fine. What are you going to call her?”
Sky studied the kitten thoughtfully. “Niamh.”
Jack raised an eyebrow. “Niamh?”
Sky graced him with one of his best disdainful looks. “Niahm,” he said, firmly, and, almost as if she agreed, Niahm made a small mewing noise and Sky turned his attention back to her. “You like that?” he asked and he let out what could only be called a giggle as she leant forward and licked his nose.
Jack shook his head in resignation. What had he let himself in for? “She’s not sleeping on the bed,” he said, determined to stand firm on that point.
“But, Jack-”
“No. Not on the bed.”
Sky sniffed disdainfully. “Unfeeling jerk, where’s she going to sleep?”
Jack stared at him incredulously. Unfeeling? Where did Sky get that from? “It’s a novel idea I’ll grant you, but maybe she could sleep in the box. It’s got blankets and everything.”
Sky stared at him. “She can’t sleep in the box.”
“Why not? It’s clean, she can breathe, it’s comfortable, I mean she seemed happy enough there before.”
“She is not sleeping in the box.” He turned his attention back to the kitten. “Don’t listen to him.”
Jack threw up his hands in resignation, knowing he’d lost this argument but determined that he wasn’t going down without a fight. “She can sleep on the couch, she can sleep on any of the chairs, but she is not sleeping on the bed. Sky, no.” That last was said as Sky started walking towards the bedroom, kitten held firmly in his arms. Jack ran after them, imposing himself between his lover and the door, blocking the way. “No. Absolutely not.” Sky looked at him steadily for a moment then pushed past him, leaving Jack standing in the doorway and staring at the empty living room dejectedly. Oh well, at least I tried, he thought tiredly.
He turned round and stepped into the bedroom, regarding the sight before him with an even gaze. Sky had kicked off his shoes, shrugged out of his jacket which he’d then tossed across a nearby chair, and was currently curled up on the bed, teasing the kitten who was pouncing on his fingers as he scuttled them around the bedcovers. Despite himself Jack grinned and stealthily he backed out of the room and went hunting for his camera.
Finding it a moment later, he walked back to the bedroom and stuck his head round the door. Smiling mischievously he clicked the shutter, forever immortalising the image of Sky lying on the bed with a kitten sitting on his head, paw raised as she batted the fingers he was holding out to her.
So worth it.
He could feel the glare from across the room, even if he couldn’t actually see it, and he grinned, snapping another picture for good measure. “Very nice, Sky. I can just imagine the reactions around the base at the sight of the tough as nails red ranger with a kitten on his head.”
“Very funny,” Sky said flatly, clearly not amused.
Jack smirked and waved the camera in Sky’s direction. “Don’t worry. The pictures will only cost you a small fortune, not to mention all the blackmail material I can get out of them. Z would have a field day with these pictures, I can tell you. I wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up all over the base.”
Sky sat up carefully so as not to disturb Niahm. He treated Jack to a fixed smile that promised all kinds of retribution should Jack carry out his threat. “Try it and die.”
Jack grinned insolently and sauntered out the room, camera hanging loosely from his hand.
Sky followed him out, arms folded and scowling at him. “Have I told you recently that I hate you?”
“Last week, I think.”
Sky glared at him again, before throwing up his hands in disgust and stalking into the kitchen to get something to eat.
The rest of the evening passed relatively quietly, but with Niahm definitely making her presence felt, scooting around the living room and jumping on chairs before settling down on Sky’s lap, giving Jack a smug look and promptly falling asleep, leaving Jack rolling his eyes in resignation.
***
Lying in bed that night Jack was resigning himself to having an extra bedmate, when Sky shifted slightly and looked at him sleepily. “Thank you,” he murmured and Jack smiled, running his fingers through Sky’s hair.
“You’re welcome.”