Bright Skies (Multi - Season Crossover/Power Rangers, prompt #6: Sunrise, T)
Another repost for pr_au100.
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/Crestria. Future Ryan/Carter and Billy/Hayley. More couples will most likely be mentioned, but not shown.
prompt/: #6: Sunrise
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 Partol 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
Author's Notes/: Okay, so didn't mean to play up the Wes Angst here. Oops? I hope it's not too overdone - the point is supposed to come across at the end. And this is shorter than I'd wanted, but hey, I wrote it in an hour and then it felt finished, so ...
And Sky's fucked up family tree begins. Who can spot the crossover here? -Grins- I couldn't help myself! I was rewatching the movie awhile ago and was like, oh my god, that is so totally *Eric*! They even look alike! (If you ignore the T.V. series, even if I like the series better.) And it escalated from there. Yay.
-(Whoever decided that putting ten cadets in one squad was a good idea should be shot)-, Wes decided as he flopped down in a seat.
"You look like you're about to face - plant in your food," a voice commented.
He glanced up, barely lifting his chin from the table. "Hey, Nes."
Vanessa lightly bopped him upside the head as she set down beside him. "Don't call me that. Mind if I join you?"
He eyed her in amusement. "Go ahead."
"Have I mentioned that work completely sucks today?" she added conversationally.
He smiled faintly. "No, but no arguments here."
She glanced at him as she took an absent stab at her carrots. "What happened to you?"
"Ten cadets," he said by way of explaination. "I barely know what *I'm* doing yet, and I've got ten kids trying to move different directions. I've got two who both think they know everything there is to know and can't stand one another, three who never listen, one who likes to experiment, and four that keep trying to hide in the background. And no matter what I tell them, somebody has an opinion about it. And - what are you doing?"
She glanced up, casually dropping another pile of carrots onto his tray. "I don't like carrots."
"Then why did you get them in the first place?" He frowned. "And why are you giving them to me?"
"Because I used to like carrots," she infomed him, adding more to the pile. "I used to love them. But today, someone doesn't like carrots." She gestured to her stomach, which was just starting to show. "And since it's all your fault that I don't like carrots anymore, today *you* like carrots."
He searched for a suitable response to that, then gave up with a sigh. "It's not worth arguing with you, is it?"
"Nope." she returned almost cheerfully.
He watched her for a minute. "So what happened to you today?"
Her eyes immediately darkened, and he was sort of sorry he'd asked. "We're working on a feasible new form for the base, to increase it's self - defense capabilities while still making it inhabitable. Blue Brat and Perfect Pink couldn't agree on what sort of design would make a good starting point - for *four* hours. Hartford kept trying to keep the peace until he gave up and left them alone, and Manx and I were trying to mind our business and do our own work, but they wouldn't *shut* *up*. Plus Manx keeps working on 'side projects' that she doesn't want anyone to see - I think she's got her eye on moving into the Morpher Project, but doesn't want to admit it yet. And of course Billy was gone all day, so he couldn't run interference when the Awesome Trio showed up and started 'commenting' on our designs while they claimed they were looking for something." She glowered, stabbing furiously into her entreé. "I'm about ready to rig up a security device to electricute anyone that walks within ten feet of me or talks loud enough for me to hear."
Wes held out the brownie he'd grabbed with his lunch. "Chocolate?" he offered.
She eyed him again. "Are you insinuating something?"
He faked confusion. "I'm insinuating that you sound like you need chocolate."
He sighed when she continued to stare. "Eric likes chocolate after a bad day," he muttered.
He started slightly as she kissed his cheek. "Thanks," she said simply, taking the peaceoffering for what it was.
They ate in silence for a few minutes before he finally got up the nerve to ask. "Who are Blue Brat and Perfect Pink?"
She glanced at him. "Ethan James and Rose Ortiz. They're part of my department, and I can't stand them because they both have an ego the size of this base. It's the three of us along with Andrew Hartford, Katherine Manx, and Billy Cranston."
"And the Awesome Trio?"
"Cam Watanabe, Justin Stewart, and Hayley Michaels from the Morpher Project," she sighed. "Everyone treats the three of them like they can do anything they put their minds to, and they all know it."
He hadn't met Justin or Hayley, but Cameron had given him that impression, too. Not that he was going to admit that. "Wanna get out of here later?" he offered instead. "Leave as soon as we can make our escape, go to a movie and pretend S.P.D. doesn't exist for awhile?"
She set down her fork and looked at him. "God, why can't you be straight?"
He blinked. "I'm bi."
She threw her arms around his neck. "I don't care."
****
He woke up staring at an unfamiliar ceiling, with an unfamiliar body in his arms. It took several minutes before he remembered S.P.D., and that this wasn't his room - it was Vanessa's. He'd walked her back after dinner, talking about anything that wasn't work or relationships. She invited him in, the conversation continued, and he fell asleep somewhere around three or four ...
"People are going to get ideas about us," Vanessa muttered in his chest.
"You're having my baby. There's not much worse to have an idea about," he pointed out.
"They might think we're actually in love or something."
"You scare me."
She snorted. "And you don't find that attractive?"
"Not really, no."
There was a pause. "So what was it about Eric?"
He sighed, letting out a sigh. "He didn't scare me," he said at last.
Her head lifted just enough for him to see her raise an eyebrow at him.
He smiled faintly. "Eric is all about showing himself off as tough and indifferent. You can't touch me. But ... I knew he wasn't really like that. I knew him back before he got as bad as when he joined the Silver Guardians, so I knew better. He's really sweet when he tries; he's just awkward about it. And he's not good with people, which makes him shy." He paused, thinking. "He's a lot like his dad, actually."
She cocked her head, waiting.
"His dad is a colonel in the U.S. Air Force. Served for so long that it strained his relationships with his family. And then ... " He flinched, thinking of the look on Eric's face when he finally explained all those years ago. "Eric had a younger brother, Charlie. Charlie got curious one day, found his dad's gun, and .... "
"That's horrible," she whispered. By her almost blank expression, she almost seemed to be saying it for something to say, because he needed to hear it.
Then a hand drifted to her stomach, and he nodded in understanding. "His mother left his dad over it. Eric had already moved out when it happened - we were in prep school together at the time. I found out later it was part of the reason he dropped out of school. He wanted to be there for the funeral, and then there was the mess with his parents ... His dad was reactivated for awhile. Left again, and now he's *back* in service, in some classified department. He and Eric aren't all that close anymore, so they don't talk very often."
He closed his eyes, swallowing hard. "I knew about all that when we finally decided we wanted to try to have a child together. I knew it would break his heart. And I did it anyway, because Alex told me it had to be done. Told me nine years earlier while visiting from the year 3001 that we were going to lose them, and I had to let it happen even though I know they're going to suffer." He laughed softly, bitterly, and felt tears prick his eyes again. "Ben won't even survive. Alex is so screwed up he barely recognized himself. And then I had to tell Eric it happened on *purpose*." He choked back a sob. "No wonder he'll never forgive me. I can't even forgive myself."
He reached up to scrub at his eyes for a moment. "What's wrong with me?" he demanded, fighting more tears. "Why can't I stop - "
She cut him off with a gentle kiss, pulling away to tug his hand free and stare into his eyes. "You're grieving, Wes. And you'll be grieving for a very long time."
He blinked slowly, reaching up again after a moment to cup her cheek. "Nes, I don't ... I *can't* .... "
"I don't love you, either," she interupted, kissing his forehead this time. "But I can be your friend. And I can listen while you tell me everything."
"I already told you that night," he whispered, blinking rapidly again.
Her hand came up to wrap around the one held to her cheek, squeezing gently. "Then tell me again."