Bright Skies (Multi - Season Crossover/Power Rangers, prompt #74: Healing, T)
-Frowns- My Casey's Blood is almost gone.
I had a dream like, three nights ago, that involved running around some sort of university with Chip, Vida, and Xander, and trying to watch Mystic Force on a massive projector screen. Then I had a snow cone, and I was upset because someone got me a blue one instead of red. (Yes, my dreams are usually this random. This one was oddly coherent in comparison.)
Anyway, I've been craving a snow cone for three days, and today I *FINALLY* got one on my way home from work. -Loves her brother's mom; she's so nice- The flavor I picked? Tiger's Blood. It's some sort of cross between coconut, cinnamon, and a fruit I can't identify. *Very* yummy.
But now I'm having thoughts of Casey's Blood snow cones, and a very interesting Casey/Theo PlotBunny ...
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Fandom/: Power Rangers Time Force moving into S.P.D., multiple Rangers from each season
Characters/: Wes (Time Force), multiple Rangers from other teams (Literally too many to list)
Pairings/: Post - Wes/Eric, Rocky/Adam, Shane/Dustin, Hunter/Cam, Carter/Dana, Andros/Ashley, Zhane/Karone, Carlos/Ronny, Jason/Taylor, Conner/Ethan, Justin/Rose, Tommy/Kimberly, Tyzonn/Mack, Cassie/OC, Nick/Maddison, Zack/Aisha, Trent/Kira, Post - Billy/Cestria. Future Ryan/Carter and Billy/Hayley. More couples will most likely be mentioned, but not shown.
prompt/: #74: Healing
Rating/: T (For non - graphic mentions of people having babies and being violent with one another)
Disclaimer/: I don't own the Power Rangers, but if Disney's hiring any new writers I volunteer.
Summary/: When Wes' life starts to fall apart, an accident gives him a chance at a fresh start in New Tech City, with Space Patrol Delta. But even a new life has its ups and downs - and weird friends. Meanwhile, Eric tries to move on.
Warnings/: A mentally handicapped person living in a medical facility, angst, male and female slash, non-cemented couples (In otherwords, pairings that will be separated), children created by scientific means, character death
Author's Notes/: This chapter was, quite frankly, a bitch. It's also not what I originally intended for this prompt, but after I ended up writing my own version of Recognition for Traumatized, there were some loose ends that still needed to be tied up. So, here it is. Finally. -Grumbles-
This is the second chapter that I'm dedicating to my Zhane for her birthday. Here's your AngstySky, sweetie. ^_~
"Wes? What are you still doing up?"
He glanced up, offering a weak smile. "Couldn't sleep. What about you?"
Aisha sighed. "Cleaning up the medical wing after everything earlier. Most of the injuries have been taken care of, but there was still a big mess left behind - and not just from the Megazord transformation."
He stretched, pushing himself to his feet and slapping his thigh abruptly. Jen barked once in affirmation, and he caught hold of her harness. "You planning on heading home?" he asked.
"I was thinking about checking on the kids one more time before I go," she admitted. "I know it's silly, but ... "
"But today was pretty bad," he finished quietly, nodding. "I was thinking the same." He offered her an elbow. "Keep me company?"
Jen barked loudly, and he gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry. Keep *us* company?" he corrected ruefully.
Aisha giggled a little, sliding her arm through his. "I'd be delighted."
They'd barely passed the squad common room when they heard the sound of shouting.
"Don't even try and deny it! I *heard* you, Z!"
They exchanged glances for a moment before hurrying their pace.
"Maybe it's none of your business, Jack. Did you think about that?" Syd shot back nastily.
"My team, my sister, my business," Jack snapped.
"Jack, I'm fine," Z sounded nothing but irritated. "It's not a big deal."
"You were *screaming*! That *is* a big deal!"
"Just let it go, Jack!"
"Will you all just knock it off all ready!?" Sky interrupted suddenly. "Can't you be quiet for *five minutes*?!"
Wes stopped to crouch down next to Jen. "Go get Sky," he whispered, patting her side.
He watched her bolt ahead of him for a moment before glancing up at Aisha. "Let her calm him down first," he advised. "It also makes us less suspicious."
Aisha shook her head. "Like I care about being suspicious when the kids need me," she muttered, but she waited and helped him up anyway.
"Aunt Aisha? Uncle Wes? Is everything okay?"
The both glanced back as one of the doors further down the hall opened, Sora Bradley-Watanabe poking her head out behind Marinda Hammond. Both girls looked sleepy and bewildered. "Seriously," Sora piped up. "I mean, B Squad fights a lot, but at this hour?"
"We'll take care of it, girls," Aisha assured them. "You two go back to bed."
"You sure?" Marinda persisted, sounding worried. "We heard someone scream earlier ... "
"We've got it," Wes promised. "Now get back to sleep before night patrol comes through here; it's Carter and Ryan tonight."
Marinda let out a muffled eep before scurrying back into her room. Sora sighed, throwing her head back in exasperation. "Good night, Aunt Aisha. Good night, Uncle Wes," she informed them. She paused, one hand on the door. "Oh, heads up? I think Keri's still wandering around somewhere. She said she was having trouble sleeping earlier."
"Thanks, Sora," Wes told her, wincing internally and praying that Keri and Jack didn't run into each other. While Jack seemed to have someone resolved things with his squad, he and Keri had made no attempt whatsoever to get along with each other, and neither one seemed to be inclined to make the first move. Another fight between them was the last thing they needed tonight.
Sky barely glanced up as they entered the common room, too busy petting Jen as she whined and tried to lick his face. Z was slumped against one of the couches, Syd standing front of her protectively as she faced off with an obviously irritated Jack. Bridge took a little longer to find; he was hiding further back in a corner, a plate of toast in his lap as he munched quietly. All of them were in their night clothes, and tension practically soaked through the atmosphere of the room.
"Oh, Baby ... " Aisha sighed. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Bridge glanced up guiltily. "Sorry, Mom," he muttered. "I figured you were busy."
"I'm *never* too busy for you, you *know* that," Aisha scolded. She looked around the room. "All right, first of all, who needs aspirin? Sky?"
Sky sighed. "Please," he muttered finally.
She nodded. "Anyone else?"
"Um ... no, thanks," Jack said after a moment. "Uh ... why are you here?" he added as Aisha retrieved a glass of water from the synthetron and handed it to Sky, along with a small packet.
"The reason we stayed here this late, or the real reason we're here?" Wes asked wryly, leaning over to pet Jen as he watched Sky for a moment.
"What's the difference?"
"We're parents, Jack," Aisha informed him. "We were coming to check on all of you because we were worried." She pulled Bridge up off the floor, dragging him into her lap as she sat down on a couch and wrapped her arms around him. She handed him another piece of toast as soon as they were both comfortable. "Eat, Baby," she reminded him gently, kissing his temple.
Z watched the two of them for a moment, tilting her head a little. "You actually *let* him eat all that toast?" she asked finally, sounding skeptical.
Aisha looked up, and Wes saw Bridge cringe slightly. "All what toast?" Aisha demanded. "How much toast has he been eating?"
"When is Bridge *not* eating toast?" Jack returned, looking at her oddly.
Aisha stiffened, and Bridge ducked his head down.
"Bridge is always eating toast?" Wes asked carefully, trying not to look at Sky or Syd. He knew they *knew* what it meant. They couldn't have forgotten that much over the years of their strained friendship.
"Well, not always," Syd murmured, glancing aside in a way that made it all the more the obvious that she was lying.
"What's the big deal?" Jack wanted to know, looking over at Bridge again. "It's just toast."
"Toast," Aisha said tightly, "Is the comfort food Bridge eats when his powers are out of control."
Bridge sighed, dropping his head into his hands. "It's not that big a deal," he mumbled.
"Yes. It is," she returned, her tone booking no room for argument. "Now eat your toast. We'll discuss that later. Right now I want to know what has all five of you sitting in here at this hour."
"Migraine," Sky answered her bitterly. "But that's what happens when your mother smashes a microscope into your skull."
Wes sat down next to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "You'd be more upset if she hadn't tried to defend herself against him at all," he pointed out.
When Wootox had surprised Kat and Vanessa in the lab earlier that day, the story was that Kat hadn't realized it wasn't Sky at first - but Vanessa had. While Wootox was distracted with Kat and trying to demand that she tell him where the Delta Command cockpit was, Vanessa had snuck up behind the impostor and bashed him with a small microscope. Eric arrived just as Wootox sent her flying into a wall.
From what Aisha had said, Shadow Ranger wasn't the one responsible for most of the bruises Sky's body had suffered in his absence.
Sky hesitated. "Yeah," he muttered finally.
"Look, I'm just here because I heard Z screaming in her sleep," Jack said loudly, in a very obvious and unsubtle attempt at drawing everyone's attention away from Sky.
"For the last time, I was not!" Z snapped at him.
"Then you're a lot stronger than I am," Wes spoke up quietly.
He had the eyes of all five teens on him in an instant, and he ignored the careful way Aisha was studying him. "You have nightmares too, Uncle Wes?" Syd asked hesitantly, taking a seat beside Z and leaning against her shoulder.
"Almost every night," he told her, feeling strangely proud of the way his voice didn't waver.
"Nightmares are pretty common for Rangers," Aisha put in. "We go through a lot during our careers. It'd be impossible for anyone *not* to have nightmares from some of the things we've seen."
"What do you have nightmares about, Mom?" Bridge asked curiously, turning to glance back at her.
She stroked his hair gently. "I'm pretty lucky," she admitted. "I didn't see as many bad things when I was a Ranger as some of the others have. My nightmares are usually watching the Thunderzords be destroyed, or when Master Vile turned back time." Her voice grew a little softer. "When Kim was losing her Powers. When I gave up mine." She swallowed. "When I felt Zordon die."
Bridge turned sideways to wrap his arms around her, and she hugged him close with a sigh. "I'm okay, Baby. Thanks," she murmured.
There was an awkward pause.
"What about you, Sergeant Collins?" Jack asked after a moment.
"You can call me Wes, Jack," he told him, squeezing Sky a little as he felt his son tense. "We're not on duty now." He took a deep breath, reaching down to pet Jen again before she got agitated. "I ... "
"You don't have to, Dad," Sky said suddenly, his voice oddly sharp.
He sighed quietly. "We all have nightmares, Sky. Some of us ... just have more to think about. More to remember." He glanced up, noting the way Jack was watching him somewhat intently, the almost hopeful rise to Z's shoulders, the curious tilt to Syd's head as she snuggled up against her girlfriend.
The way Aisha watched him without judgment, Bridge nestled securely in her arms.
"I've been a Ranger for a long time," he heard himself say at last. "I was twenty years old when I got my morpher, and I was thirty-eight the day I lost the Power. I've worked with two teams, fought more villains than I can name, lost a war for a world that wasn't mine, and gave up my eyesight and four years of my life for people I never knew."
"Why?"
He looked up, smiling softly at Jack's bewilderment. "Because I'm a Power Ranger. Because that's what we do. We fight, so that other people don't have to."
"What do you dream about?" Z asked, her voice so quiet he almost didn't hear her.
"The last battle for Silver Hills," he said after a moment, swallowing. "I dream that my friends never came back to help, and Ransik won. I dream about the months on Aquitar, the first time I ever saw what a real battlefield looks like. I dream - " His voice caught, and he had to force the words out. "I dream about the day I lost my team, when I almost died. Sometimes I even dream about what might have happened if I never woke up."
Sky squeezed him then, and he held his son closer. "Lately, I dream about all of you," he continued quietly. "I dream about things that could happen, that I couldn't stop."
"Me, too," Aisha told them softly, kissing Bridge's head again and hugging him a little tighter.
A long silence fell.
"I ... I dreamed that ... we destroyed Sky," Z whispered suddenly. She closed her eyes, and the tears in her voice were painful to hear. "That no one stopped us, and we lost him because we couldn't tell the difference between our friend and a monster."
Syd hugged her instantly, kissing her cheek and resting her head on her shoulder. "I dreamed about that too," she admitted. "That we didn't save Sky."
"Me, three," Jack muttered.
"I didn't," Bridge announced almost thoughtfully. "But that's because my dreams aren't very cohesive. Or clear, really. Or much of anything, now that I think about it."
"Bridge .... " all four of his teammates sighed in unison.
"My dream was blue and red. And pain. Blackness. Despair," he continued as if he hadn't heard them, the dreamy tone turning distant. He was staring blankly at a wall, and the effect was unsettling.
"Bridge," Sky said sharply. "You okay?"
Bridge glanced at him, blinking for a moment. "I will be," he answered at last, shrugging slightly.
Sky frowned. "That's not what I asked."
For some reason, this seemed to make Bridge smile, which in turn made the tension in Sky's shoulders relax somewhat. "Just a little displaced," Bridge admitted. "Feeling you as not you, and him trying to hide behind you was worse than I expected it to be."
"Then why'd you - "
Bridge looked at Sky, and the older teen shut up. "Because you're my friend, Sky," he reminded him quietly.
Sky swallowed. "Thank you, Bridge. You saved my life today," he admitted.
"You're my friend," Bridge repeated.
"What did you dream, Sky?" Syd asked suddenly, her voice barely audible. It was obvious by the way she wasn't looking at him that she expected to already know the answer.
"Nothing." Sky shrugged at the skeptical looks he received. "I'm not kidding. I haven't slept yet."
"You want a sedative?" Aisha offered.
He shuddered slightly. "I'd rather not."
Wes considered. There was something he and the others - Jen and the others - always used to do after a really rough day. Maybe that could help the kids ...
" ... Dad?"
He glanced up. "Hmm?"
Sky hesitated. "When you ... when you first saw me in Wootox's body, you ... You recognized him, didn't you?"
He froze.
~Images of endless wasteland and black water, farther than the eye could see.~
~"So much death and destruction. I want more! *More!* I want to see *everything* on this planet bleed itself dry!"~
~Screaming for his friend to stop, that it wasn't worth it, there was nothing to do now - ~
~"Oh, is the little Ranger sick?"~
~"Cestro, no! Don't!"~
He shook his head, hard.
Someone was squeezing his arm painfully tight. He looked up to see Sky staring at him, far closer than he'd been before. "Dad?" he asked anxiously. "Should - should I get Eric?"
"No. I'm fine," he managed. He forced a smile. "Really, Sky. Just ... " He took another deep breath. "Yes. I knew Wootox," he admitted. "That's why Cruger wanted you to bring him in. We didn't have any solid evidence that he was part of Grumm's attack on Aquitar, just witnesses. Until Justin and I saw him, we couldn't verify that he was one of the ones we were looking for."
"What did he do?" Jack asked quietly.
He closed his eyes for a moment. "Wootox is the Destroy of Planets. He enjoys random, pointless destruction. His method of choice on Aquitar was to poison the three largest oceans with some sort of toxin - we couldn't identify it until it was too late. Cestro ... " He took another deep breath, pretending not to hear Aisha's soft gasp of recognition at the name. "The Blue Aquitian Ranger was infected by the poison while trying to stop it. He didn't ... He never recovered."
He reached out to squeeze Sky's hand, feeling his eyes burn. "But you brought Wootox in. He'll be forced to answer for what he's done now."
Even if containment is too good for him, he finished silently.
"I have an idea," he announced abruptly. He stood up, reaching for Jen's harness. "Everybody come with me."
He headed for the door without waiting to see their reactions, calling back over his shoulder. "I'd let you guys use my room here, but it's better if to use one we already know Bridge is comfortable in."
"Dad, what - "
"Sir - "
"Wes?"
He led the way to Sky and Bridge's shared room, ignoring the questions. Leaving Jen by the door, he dragged both mattresses to the floor in between the beds - one of the annoying things about his team's method was that there was never enough cushions on the floor to keep from waking up with sore backs. Well, except for Trip, but that's because he was just irritatingly special like that.
He felt everyone staring at him from the doorway as he began dragging out blankets and pillows, tossing them into the mattress pads.
"Dad? What are you doing?" Sky asked warily.
"Dogpile," he answered shortly, stepping back to survey his work. "We used to do this in the clocktower all the time."
"You did?" Aisha sounded almost amused.
"Of course." He glanced back at her, smirking faintly. "That place was drafty as heck. It was *freezing* at night."
That got a snicker out of Z, which had been his goal, and he smiled warmly at her. "We also did it when we'd had a rough day, just to remind each other we were all home, and we were all okay, you know?" The smile turned rueful. "Took me forever to get used to sleeping alone again after they went home."
"You really think it'll help?" Syd sounded skeptical.
He shrugged. "Can't hurt."
Bridge was the first to move, plopping himself down easily on the floor and looking up expectantly at the others. "Aren't you guys coming?" he asked innocently.
Syd and Z exchanged glances before settling themselves next to him. Syd immediately wrapped her arms around Bridge as they laid down, Z in turn hugging her from behind. "Ooh, I could get used to this ... " Syd murmured contentedly.
"Don't even think about it, Princess," Z retorted.
"Aww ... " she and Bridge protested in unison.
Wes smiled faintly, turning to look at his son. "Just try it, Sky," he said quietly. "Trust me."
Sky looked at him for a long moment. "Good night, Dad," he said finally. And to Wes' surprise, he actually gave him a hug before turning to survey the group with a sigh. "Move over," he grumbled as he took Bridge's other side. "I'm not letting anyone roll me into the bed."
"That's what the blankets are for," Z retorted, even as she shifted further back, pulling Syd with her.
"Hey, who picked this arrangement?" Jack demanded as he stared at them all. "How is this fair for me?"
Z snorted, apparently getting whatever he was protesting about. "Go with Sky, Jack. I'll live without you for one night."
Aisha glanced at Wes as they quietly backed out of the room, letting the door slide closed in front of them. "Did you really do that when you were a Ranger?"
"We didn't get mattresses," he returned wryly. "But yeah." He paused, looking away for a moment. "We did it on Aquitar, too. It just felt ... safer, that way."
His morpher went off just as she squeezed his arm reassuringly. "Time," he answered it automatically.
"Would you like to explain to me what you're doing still at S.P.D., and not at home in bed where you belong?"
"And how would you know?" he countered. "We don't share a bed. And why aren't *you* asleep?"
"Save the stupid questions for when you get here. Which should be *now*."
He rolled his eyes, shaking his head with a slight grin. "On my way. See you soon, Eric."
"I'd better," the other grumbled as the transmission cut off.
Aisha chuckled. "I'll let Ryan and Carter know not to bother them," she promised, tilting her head towards the room. "You'd better get home."
"If he wasn't my boyfriend, I'd call him my mother," Wes sighed, but he was still smiling.
"I'm glad you have someone who worries over you so much, Wes," Aisha told him quietly. She gave him a hug. "Saves the rest of us some trouble. Now get on home and go to bed. Good night."
"Night, Aisha."