Skin - Rated T - 2/?

[Kim]

Skin
Prologue: Cruel News
By: Pink-Green-White-4ever
Started: February 16, 2008
Finished: September 26, 2008

Summary: What happens when one of the invincible SPD Rangers falls ill thanks to the genetic powers they’d been born with?
Rating: T
Ship: JA, BZ, eventual SS

AN: I was looking through my Rascal Flatts’ c.d.’s, trying to find something to listen to and I came across one of my favorite songs – Skin (Sarabeth). It’s a song about a young girl who finds out she has cancer, and how she deals with it. I happened to be talking to Enigmaforum and CathyD and the images started hitting me. What would happen if SPD’s resident Pink Princess, the world famous model and pop star, suddenly had to deal with a very real disease? What if the SPD Rangers finally came to the conclusion that their genetic powers had the ability to turn on them in a way none of them ever wanted to deal with? This is my take on that story.

AN2: Research was done at the American Cancer Society website - www.cancer.org, so the information is as accurate as I can get it. It’s called – Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Acute leukemia: In acute leukemia, the bone marrow cells don’t mature properly. These immature cells build up and crowd out normal cells. Without treatment, most patients with acute leukemia would live only a few months. Some types of acute leukemia respond well to treatment and many patients are cured. People with other types often do not do as well. Myeloid leukemia: Myeloid leukemia mainly develops from white blood cells such as granulocytes or monocytes, but can also form from the cells that mature into platelets or red blood cells.

AN3: I’m not trying to turn cancer into a cartoon, cause let’s face it: it’s a reality that millions of people deal with every day. It’s serious, and this story is meant to be serious. Yes, it’s based off a song, but it’s a serious look at how the Rangers deal with something humanizing, something that doesn’t care what race, creed, ethnicity, skin color, age or gender you are. It doesn’t care how much money you have, what social circles you move in, or where and when you were born. This effects people of every background.

Dedication – Angel, Cat, Enigmaforum, Shawn and Rapunzl for helping me with the story, and for being supportive as I wrote it. And to all the Syd and Sky fans out there, for the years of support, the enthusiasm, and for loving SS as much as I do!


--

Friday
September 16, 2033
Commander Sky Tate’s Office
SPD Academy
New Tech City, CA

“Commander Tate to the Command Center!”

Sky sat at his desk, his eyes focused on the picture in the silver metal frame staring back at him. Today was the day he’d been dreading most this year. The anniversary of his father’s passing was always hard, but today, the anniversary on today, was worse. It had been one year since the death of the woman he loved beyond life itself.

The silver picture frame had been a wedding gift, and inside of it was his favorite picture from their wedding. He was standing there in the black tuxedo, his arms around her waist, and his eyes on her face. It was one of the brightest, happiest looks he knew anyone had ever seen on him. Her head was tipped back, blond hair cascading behind her, her big blue eyes were locked on his, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. Her hands were clinging tightly to his forearms, as if she was afraid he’d disappear. The picture was his favorite, because they looked so happy, but it made him hurt. They had four wonderful years together as husband and wife, and a year of falling in love before that, before her body had finally given out on them. To say he missed her, this last year, was the biggest understatement of all time. He felt like his heart had literally been ripped from his chest. After all they’d been through together in their youth, all the years fighting monsters and training to be Power Rangers, one of Earth’s most hated diseases had done what no villain had ever been able to managed; cancer had stolen the tenacious Pink Ranger in her prime.

Shaking his head, he pushed away from his desk and headed for the Command Center, knowing Kat would want to see him about their plans for tonight’s memorial. The door closed behind him with a ringing finality.

--

Sara Beth is scared to death
To hear what the doctor will say
She hasn't been well, since the day that she fell
And the bruise just won't go away

So she sits and she waits with her mother and dad
And flips through an old magazine
Till the nurse with the smile stands in the door
And says will you please come with me

--

Monday
January 5, 2026
Dr. Mick Morgan’s Office
New Tech City, CA

She sat worrying her bottom lip with her teeth, the magazine she’d been reading forgotten on the chair next to her. She really didn’t want to be where she was, could think of a million things she could be doing on a Monday morning; chief among them would be training with her Squad. By now they had to be worrying about her, because she knew that Commander Cruger hadn’t said anything to them yet. She’d asked him not to.

Her eyes fell to her left leg, hidden beneath a demure black skirt. Tears welled as she stared, knowing that something wasn’t right with her. She’d taken a nasty tumble just after Thanksgiving, shortly after they’d defeated Gruumm last year, and the bruise she’d earned from it hadn’t healed. In fact, it had only gotten worse. She did her best to hide it while she’d been at the academy, but when she’d gone home for her two week Christmas vacation, she hadn’t been able to hide it, or the pain, from her parents.

Now she was sitting in her family’s doctor’s office, waiting to be seen by him. “Honey, are you alright?” her mother softly asked, moving to sit next to her. Big, watery blue eyes looked up at her mother, lip trembling as she did. “Sydney?”

“I’m scared,” she whispered, looking back down at her leg. “What if something’s wrong?”

She could tell her parents were hiding their own fears to sooth hers. The tremble of her mother’s lips as she pressed them together was sign enough. “Think positively, Sydney. Whatever’s wrong with your leg, we’ll deal with it, alright? I just think you probably bruised the bone, and it’s taking its own sweet time to heal. It’s not like you’re having a whole lot of problems walking on it.”

She nodded, hoping, praying, her mother was right. She wanted to get back to the academy and her duties as soon as possible. It was strange, but after not being able to stand her teammates in the beginning of their tenure as Rangers, she’d come to love them all so much, and missed them even more. Two weeks away from the academy felt like a lifetime. She missed listening to Bridge go on and on about buttery toast, Z moaning and groaning about Sky’s training schedule, but most of all, she missed Sky harassing each of them in his own way. They’d all grown up this last year, grown into adults who had survived one of the toughest challenges of their lives and still come out alive.

A nurse came through the waiting room door, a bright smile on her face. “Sydney Drew?”

Looking up, she tried to smile back at the pretty nurse, but her whole body trembled. “If you’ll come with me, I’ll take you back.”

--

Sara Beth is scared to death
Cause the doctor just told her the news
Between the red cells and white, something's not right
But we're gonna take care of you

Six chances in ten, it won't come back again
With the therapy we're gonna try
It's just been approved, it's the strongest there is
And I think that we caught it in time
And Sara Beth closes her eyes.

--

Monday
January 12, 2026
Syd and Z’s Room
SPD Academy
New Tech City, CA

The heart wrenching sobs were what caught his attention as he walked past the girls’ room. It wasn’t the kind of crying a girl did unless something was seriously wrong, or at least that’s what he knew thanks to his limited experience with crying females. Cautiously, he stopped by the door and just listened. He knew it wasn’t Z, as the Yellow Ranger was on patrol with Bridge for another hour. That left Sydney. He debated for a whole minute what to do – give her privacy or go in and see what was wrong. The harsh sounds of her cries tore at his heart; she was his best friend, he couldn’t stand to hear her cry. He quickly keyed his clearance code into the pad at the door and strode in. The sight before him stopped him dead in his tracks and damn near brought him to his knees.

Sydney was on her bed, leaning against the two walls. Her knees were drawn to her chest, her face buried in her hands. Her whole body shook with each cry issued from her throat. Biting his tongue, he quietly moved to sit down on the edge of the bed, reaching his hand out to touch her arm as he did so. When she looked up at him, startled, he watched her composure completely vanish. Without thinking, he grabbed her arms and hauled her into his lap, holding her against his chest while she cried out her heartbreak.

He held her for a long, long time, one hand on the back of her head, the other soothing a caress across her back. At one point, he felt the hot tears she cried against his skin, each one like a flame licking across his flesh. He rocked her gently, trying to calm her down. When she finally did, he felt her all but collapse against him, her strength finally gone. “Syd, tell me what’s wrong. Tell me what I can do to help, who I have to beat up for making you cry,” he whispered to her.

“You can’t help me, no one can,” she hiccupped, rubbing her face against his shoulder, enjoying the comfort he was giving without even realizing he was doing it.

“Come on Syd,” he murmured, drawing away from her. He reached up and cupped her cheeks, wiping her tears away with the pads of his thumbs.

“I’m sick, Sky,” she struggled to tell him.

He looked at her, frowning, wondering why she was so upset about being sick. “Then let me take you to Kat, she’ll figure out what’s wrong with you, give you some medicine. There’s not reason to cry.” Sky realized he’d said the wrong thing when her eyes filled with a fresh round of hot tears and she threw her arms around his waist, burying her face in his neck.

“Kat can’t help me, Sky,” she brokenly cried in his ear, her warm breath puffing against his skin. “I have to go see a specialist.”

Sky stiffened at that, turning his head so he could look down into her eyes. “What do you mean?” he croaked, his voice betraying the sudden fear that had taken root in the pit of his stomach and in his heart. She couldn’t be sick; she was a Power Ranger for God’s sake. Power Rangers didn’t get sick. The power of the Morphin Grid, whether tapped into by man-made or mystical powers, all but guaranteed they were healthy as long as they were Rangers. Or so he thought.

“Remember the bruise on my leg? The one I had checked out?” Sky just nodded. “The doctor ran blood tests, just to be safe, because of how long I’d had the bruise.”

Pulling back, Sky looked down into her beloved blue eyes, his own reflecting the horror of realization that was swiftly flooding his senses. “Syd?”

“They think I have cancer.”

[~*Cathy*~]

Already reviewed at ff.net, but just had to say again how excited I am to see this being posted!! You know I was thrilled when you started writing it, and I'm very excited to see the next chapter. Great job!

[Kim]

*gianormus hugs* THANK YOU! *hands out tissues* As I told Ang, the next chapter is a tear jerker, and if i hadn't been for Flashpoint last night and Grey's the other night, I wouldn't have gotten inspiration for the last scene of the next chapter and the first scene of the chapter afterward. I was afraid I was never going to get around to posting it, or that no one would like it, but I'm glad you do

[lilsmiles]

I know so many people who have been affected by cancer, myself included, so this is going to be interesting read.

And Grey's... Wow, I was a sobbing mess and I'm normally not all that mushy... Okay who am I kidding, I'm uber mushy.

*runs to get tissues*

Nice start Kim!

[Kim]

Thanks. It's going to be a rather short story, with just a few key scenes. My family's been touched by cancer too, so it's been theraputic for me in that sense as well.

[Kim]

Skin
Chapter 1: Dying Dreams
By: Pink-Green-White-4ever
Started: September 27, 2008
Finished: May 9, 2009

Summary: What happens when one of the invincible SPD Rangers falls ill thanks to the genetic powers they’d been born with?
Rating: T
Ship: JA, BZ, eventual SS

AN: I was looking through my Rascal Flatts’ c.d.’s, trying to find something to listen to and I came across one of my favorite songs – Skin (Sarabeth). It’s a song about a young girl who finds out she has cancer, and how she deals with it. I happened to be talking to Enigmaforum and CathyD and the images started hitting me. What would happen if SPD’s resident Pink Princess, the world famous model and pop star, suddenly had to deal with a very real disease? What if the SPD Rangers finally came to the conclusion that their genetic powers had the ability to turn on them in a way none of them ever wanted to deal with? This is my take on that story.

AN2: Research was done at the American Cancer Society website - www.cancer.org, so the information is as accurate as I can get it. It’s called – Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). Acute leukemia: In acute leukemia, the bone marrow cells don’t mature properly. These immature cells build up and crowd out normal cells. Without treatment, most patients with acute leukemia would live only a few months. Some types of acute leukemia respond well to treatment and many patients are cured. People with other types often do not do as well. Myeloid leukemia: Myeloid leukemia mainly develops from white blood cells such as granulocytes or monocytes, but can also form from the cells that mature into platelets or red blood cells.

AN3: I’m not trying to turn cancer into a cartoon, cause let’s face it - it’s a reality that millions of people deal with every day. It’s serious, and this story is meant to be serious. Yes, it’s based off a song, but it’s a serious look at how the Rangers deal with something humanizing, something that doesn’t care what race, creed, ethnicity, skin color, age or gender you are. It doesn’t care how much money you have, what social circles you move in, or where and when you were born. This effects people of every background.

Dedication – Angel, Cat, Enigmaforum, Shawn and Rapunzl for helping me with the story, and for being supportive as I wrote it. And to all the Syd and Sky fans out there, for the years of support, the enthusiasm, and for loving SS as much as I do!

--

2:00 pm
Friday
September 16, 2033
Command Center
SPD Academy
New Tech City, CA

Walking through the Command Center doors, he wasn’t prepared for the mass of people he found. They were all beloved faces, friends and family, who’d seen him through his best and worst moments. Each of them had loved his wife as much as he had, if only in different ways. To see them standing there waiting for him was a balm to his broken soul.

“Hey, look who’s late!” Jack cracked, causing the others to laugh as well. Before Sky had the chance to say anything, the former Red Ranger was clasping him in a one armed hug, though it was a lot tighter than normal.

“Look, its Robin Hood,” Sky quipped, trying to recover from his shock. “You’re finally done hiding in Sherwood Forest and decided to come rejoin civilization?”

Jack rolled his eyes and stepped back, allowing Ally to hug Sky before Z and Bridge moved toward him. Bridge gave him the same one armed hug that Jack had, but it was Z who rushed into his arms and held on tight. Sky could feel the quiver of her body, a sure sign of suppressed tears. Sighing, he held her close, knowing he needed the comfort as much as she did.

The former Yellow Ranger pulled away a second later, her watery brown eyes looking up into Sky’s navy blue pools. “How are you?” she softly asked.

Letting out the breath he hadn’t been aware he’d been holding Sky shrugged. “I’m dealing. I was fine until I realized last night what today was…” he trailed off, knowing he didn’t need to say anymore.

Turning, the group faced the room’s other four occupants – Kat, Boom, Isinia and Anubis. Sky moved to salute his superior and was surprised when Cruger stuck his hand out at him instead of saluting him. “It’s a pleasure to see you, Sky, though I wish it were under better circumstances,” Anubis spoke.

“Me too, Sir. Welcome home.” Turning, Sky’s eyes took in Kat. “Kat, what’s on the agenda?”

Smiling sadly, she looked down at her clipboard. “Well, since you’ve basically got the day off, I figured we could all drive out to the cemetery. Your mom and Syd’s parents are going to meet us out there. Then the Rangers have a special surprise for you. After that, it’s dinner at your house.”

Sky nodded. “Um, did you call….?”

“I did. Your mother’s stopping to pick her up so she can be at the cemetery with us,” Kat assured him. “Shall we get going?”

--

1:00 pm
Saturday
February 14, 2026
Syd and Z’s Room
SPD Academy
New Tech City, CA

A shudder worked its way through her, her crying having finally stopped. Yesterday was her final day as the B Squad Pink Ranger, and today was her last day at the SPD Academy. Being a Power Ranger required almost perfect health, being a cancer patient meant she had to give up being a Ranger. Her treatments were already starting to affect her body, making her more tired and weak than she’d ever felt. She hadn’t told the others she was resigning her commission yet, and hoped she’d have her room packed up by the time Z got back from training. She’d written them each a long, personal letter, hoping that they’d understand why she was stepping down. They knew she was sick, but she’d been hiding the effects of the disease and the treatments from them; well, from most of them. Sky’s eagle eyes had met hers more than once, on more than one occasion, so she knew he understood she was trying to be brave for their sakes.

Shaking her head, she continued tossing her clothes in boxes in front of the closet until she was done. She didn’t even hear the door open until his voice boomed across the room. “Sydney! What the heck are you doing?”

She jumped nearly a foot off the ground before she swung around to meet the navy blue stare she knew would have a look of horrid accusation in it. “I’m packing, what does it look like?”

“Why?” he demanded, crossing the room in three steps to stand before her.

So Cruger hadn’t told him yet, she surmised, blinking back the tears in her eyes before turning back to her closet. “As I’m no longer B Squad Pink, or a member of the Academy, I have to get my things moved out of the dorms,” she told him softly.

Sky’s hand clamped down on her arm, spinning her around none too gently. “Excuse me? What do you mean you’re not B Squad Pink or a member of the Academy anymore?”

Looking up into his eyes, she saw the pain radiating from her closest friend and the dam within her slowly began to break. “I resigned my commission, Sky. I’m leaving SPD.”

He looked ready to cry himself, something she’d only seen once before, and that had to do with his father. “But…?”

“Sky, I’m too sick to stay,” she gently told him, reaching up with a soft hand to cup his cheek. “I can’t stay, I’m a liability to the team, and even if I could stay on duty doing something other than being a Ranger, the reminder that my dreams are starting to shatter is too much. I don’t want to be reminded of what was.”

“You’re going to get better though,” he insisted. “And when you do, you can come back. You didn’t need to resign your commission; you worked so hard to be a Ranger.”

She loved him so much in that moment. Sky had been one of her best friends, despite his efforts to evade the title. In the last year, he’d grown up so much, become the man she knew he would be. The fact that he wanted her by his side in uniform warmed her more than anything else could these days. “You and I both know there’s no guarantee that I’m going to get better,” she softly reminded him, her eyes widening and jaw dropping open when his whole body started trembling. “I’m doing what’s best for the team, for SPD, for Earth, but more importantly, what’s best for me. I have to concentrate on getting better, and baring that, I have to live my life to the fullest until it’s time for me to leave this life behind.”

He couldn’t stand to lose people, she knew, because of how he’d lost his father. It scared her though, because he hadn’t been like this when Jack had left the team. “Syd….”

“Look, I’m not going to drop out of your life just because I’m not here anymore. I expect you to make time to come see me, to keep me up to date on the gossip around here,” she joked with him, watching him blink back rare tears. Instinctively, she reached up to wipe the tears from his eyes, gasping softly when he turned his head at the last minute and pressed his lips to the palm of her hand in a gentle kiss.

“You’re my best friend, you know that right?” he shakily asked. Syd just nodded. “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you, so expect me to be over your house at least twice a week, okay?”

“I’m holding you to that, Schuyler,” she whispered, taking a deep breath as she stepped back and looked around the room. Everything was packed. Turning back to Sky, she smiled up at him sadly. “Walk me down to the lobby? Boom’s brining a cart in to get the rest of these boxes in a few minutes.”

Nodding, Sky took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together before tugging her toward the door. When she stopped to look back, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s going to be okay,” he tried to reassure her.

“I hope so,” she smiled sadly. “Will you do me a favor?”

“Sure.”

She handed him the stack of envelops from a chair near the door and walked out of the room with him. “Will you deliver those for me?” He nodded, taking them from her as she led him downstairs to the lobby.

--

4:00 pm
Friday
May 1, 2026
The Drew Household
New Tech City, CA

A haunting melody drifted through the house, coming from the music room that Sydney’s parents had built for her when she’d been learning to play the piano. For weeks her mood had been slowly changing, becoming more sad and melancholy than ever before. Her treatments, chemotherapy the doctors thought would slow the progression of her disease, hadn’t been working. Her body was rejecting the medicine. She was tired, weak, and just that morning, her hair had begun to start falling out. When she’d gotten up to take a shower, she found fistfuls of her beautiful blonde curls lying limply against her pillow.

The doctors had warned her that it was going to happen, given the aggressive nature of the chemo they were applying to her cancer. She had been hoping that since her hair hadn’t fallen out over the last few months, she might be lucky enough and it wouldn’t. Unfortunately, that wasn’t meant to be. Her mother had cried right along with her after her shower, when the two had spent an hour brushing Sydney’s hair. Most of what was left had fallen out during the brushing, or had been cut off at her insistence by her mother. Quietly, she’d reached for a beautiful scarf that her grandmother had bought for her and proceeded to wrap it around her head.

Now she was sitting at the piano bench, eyes closed as her fingers worked across the keys of her instrument, the sadness in her soul working its way out into song. Every few bars she’d stop to write down the notes before she went back to playing. Her thoughts drifted to her friends. They’d all been furious with her a few months before when she’d left SPD, all except Sky and Jack. It had taken several heart to heart talks with both Bridge and Z before they’d forgiven her for not being honest with them. Jack had been her quiet strength, coming over to see her every few days as the weeks wore on and the others’ duties kept them from seeing her more than once or twice a week. And Sky, he’d kept his promise. If he couldn’t make it over to see her, he’d call her late at night, when they both should have been in bed, and they talked for hours about anything and everything that came to mind. If she was honest with herself, she would have admitted he was the reason for the sad, soul wrenching melody of the song she was writing. She and Sky talked more now then ever before, were closer now then when they’d been living across the hall from each other. In the last few months, she’d begun to have terrifyingly new feelings for the Red Ranger, feelings she knew she had no business having for her best friend.

Much to her dismay, she was falling in love with him.

The thought alone brought hot tears to her eyes, each drop scorching a path down her cheeks, vision blurring as she stared at the keyboard. She couldn’t tell him she loved him, because she knew it wouldn’t be fair to him; part of her accepted she wasn’t going to live much longer. Hope was infinitely fragile, and just that morning another crack had appeared. Shaking her head, she went back to work on her song, the piano drowning out the sound of her mother answering the door.

--

“Hello Sky,” Sydney’s mother greeted him, smiling as she let him in.

“Hi Mrs. Drew, I’m not interrupting am I?” he started, only to be waved off by his friend’s mother.

“You’re fine,” she assured him. “She’s actually in the music room working on a new song.” As if on cue, the melodic sounds of the piano drifted from down the hall, each note touching Sky with its sadness.

Without another word to Syd’s mom, he toed off his shoes and then headed down the hallway to where his friend was. When he stopped by the open door, he leaned against the frame, crossed his arms over his chest and simply watched her. Her back was to him, but he could see the change of appearance since the last time he’d seen her – her beautiful blonde hair was gone, replaced by a pink and red scarf. His heart went out to her; Syd’s hair had been as much a trademark as her signature pink had been.

When her shoulders started shaking with her repressed tears, Sky found he couldn’t stand there and just let her cry. Moving quietly, his sock covered feet padded across the hardwood floor, bringing him to her side. He sat down on the piano bench next to her, pulling her into his arms. She gave a gasp of surprise and tried to pull out of his arms, but he held her close. He rested her head against his chest and leaned his cheek against the top of her head. She sat there and cried for a good five minutes before she sort of collapsed against him, her strength gone. “Syd?” he ventured softly when she was done.

“Hmm?”

“What happened?” he asked.

“I don’t want to talk about it, Sky. What are you doing here?”

He looked hurt at the anger in her voice as she pulled back from him. He watched her in confusion as she refused to look directly at him, and then realized what was going on; she didn’t want him to see her like this, without her trademark curls or happy demeanor. “I hadn’t been over in a while, I wanted to see you. I brought movies, figured you’d like to watch one.”

“I’m busy, I don’t want to watch movies,” she growled, leaning forward to straighten the papers on the piano. Her eyes never turned in his direction, so she never saw the hurt on his face turn to determination.

“Sydney, look at me,” he ordered her softly.

“This isn’t SPD, you don’t get to boss me around anymore,” she muttered.

“Look at me,” he demanded before he reached over and grasped her chin with his hand, forcefully but gently turning her face to his. “Talk to me, tell me what’s wrong.”

She let out a humorless laugh as she stared at him, shaking her head back and forth. “What’s wrong? I’m sick, Schuyler; I don’t have the energy to argue with you. You know where the door is; show yourself out while I go take a nap.”

Sky blew out a breath when she got up and stormed out of the room and up the stairs. He counted to ten before pushing himself up and heading up after her. He’d long since earned Mr. and Mrs. Drew’s trust about being in Sydney’s room, they were, after all, adults now. He sent up silent thanks that she hadn’t locked her door when he twisted the knob and it gave way.

He silently crept into her room, his heart breaking as he did because she was already sitting there muttering to herself and staring in the mirror at her reflection. She’d yanked the scarf off and tears were coursing down her cheeks as her hand moved across the top of her head. Closing his eyes, he struggled for guidance on what path to take with her. A decision finally made, he closed and locked the door and moved to stand behind her, watching her stiffen when he rested his hands against her shoulders. “Walking away pissed off and angry at me isn’t going to solve the problem,” he calmly told her, watching as she struggled not to reach out and grab the iron pellets off her dresser. “And hitting me with a fist of iron isn’t going to solve anything either. First of all, tell me what upset you, and then you can tell me why you’re pissed off at me.”

She whirled around then, staring up at him. “Sky, do you see this?” she hissed, one well manicured finger pointing to her head. “My hair is gone, because of the chemo. You have no idea what it was like this morning, to wake up and find my hair on my pillow instead of on my head,” she angrily snapped.

Her body was vibrating with the emotions swirling in her, and the only way he knew to calm her down was to be rational with her, so he reached out and cupped her cheeks. “Sydney, the doctors told you this was going to happen, you knew the chemo treatments were going to do this,” he reminded her.

“It’s not fair!” she cried, and finally Sky saw the walls come crumbling down. “It’s just not fair!”

In the entire time she’d been sick, he’d never heard her sound more upset and angry than she did at this moment. Once the initial shock of her sickness had subsided, Syd had been pretty upbeat about beating the disease. After all, she’d been a Ranger, giving up wasn’t part of her DNA. To hear the resentment and sadness in her voice now broke his heart. Leaning down, Sky rested his forehead against hers, licking his lips as he fought to find the words to comfort her. “I know it’s not, and if I could make this better for you, I’d do it in a heartbeat. I know how much pride you’ve always taken in your appearance, and I know this is a blow, but Sydney, with or without hair, you are still the most beautiful woman in the world.”

Her lips trembled then as he knelt in front of her, his hands still cupping her cheeks. “I’m not getting better, Sky,” she told him, her voice cracking as she brought her hands up to place them over his wrists. “I hate this, every day I feel like I’m getting sicker and sicker and the treatments aren’t working.”

“They will, give them time. You’ve only been doing chemo since February, and you’ve got a pretty tough illness there. It’s going to take time.”

Acceptance pushed out the resentment and anger, leaving her sitting there before him, partially shaking. “I’m tired.”

“I’ll come back later then,” he softly responded, only to have her grip tighten on his wrists.

“Actually, will you stay? I want to take a nap, but I want to watch the movies you brought over too. Will you stay with me?” she pleaded. Her question sent a tiny thrill of shock through him. Quietly, he nodded, making her smile. That smile turned to a tiny gasp when he bent down and picked her up princess style, carrying her the short distance from her vanity to her bed. Once she was on it, he crawled onto it with her, waiting for her to get comfortable before he wrapped his arms around her from behind. He lay there listening to her breathing even out all the while wondering what the heck he was supposed to do about falling in love with his best friend.

--

7:00 pm
Friday
May 22, 2026
The Drew Household
New Tech City, CA

“Someone tell me they grabbed the toast off the counter!” Bridge cried out in alarm as the group of six settled down in the den at Syd’s house. Ally and Jack were curled up on the loveseat together, the pretty blonde all but sitting in Jack’s lap thanks to the tight embrace of the former Red Ranger. Bridge and Z were sprawled out on their stomachs on the floor in front of the large, big screen television. And much to everyone’s surprise, Syd and Sky were on the large couch, the former Pink Ranger curled in Red Ranger’s lap, her head resting against his shoulder and his arms cradling her to his body protectively. None of their friends had mentioned the embrace, especially when they noted the luminous smile on Syd’s face or the fact that for once Sky looked completely relaxed.

“YES!” Jack loudly assured him, tapping the glass table in front of him and Ally with his foot, drawing Bridge’s attention to the towering plate of toast.

Z rolled her eyes at her boyfriend while Ally giggled. On the couch, Sky just shook his head before brushing a soft kiss to Syd’s cheek. The former Pink Ranger’s face was lit up by a rare smile, one the others hadn’t seen in weeks. Earlier in the month, her treatments hadn’t seemed to be working, but now, they seemed to be doing the trick. While she still wasn’t healthy - she tired just walking from her bed to the bathroom –but she was looking better, and each day she seemed to be regaining a little bit more of her strength.

The hardest part of all was what they knew now; Kat had tested Sydney’s blood with the most advanced equipment SPD had to offer and had come to the conclusion that Sydney’s own genetic powers were working against the chemotherapy treatments. It had taken the feline scientist a few weeks, but just that morning, Dr. Felix, Dr. Manx, and the Oncologist that Sydney was seeing had begun applying a new treatment to the former Pink Ranger. They’d injected her with a serum they hoped would neutralize her genetic powers long enough for the chemotherapy to do its job in killing the cancer cells.

There was no guarantee it would work, but they were all keeping their fingers crossed; especially given the new state of Syd and Sky’s relationship. None of the others had said anything yet, though both Jack and Z wanted to quiz the Red Ranger and their former Pink teammate about the new status of the relationship they were watching blossom. Sky and Syd had, each time the team had gotten together the last few weeks, began to get more and more snuggly and comfortable with each other. Sky always went and helped Syd down the stairs to the den for their movie nights, which were becoming more frequent. If there was food or drink to be retrieved from the kitchen, he always made sure to ask her if she wanted or needed anything. And if she fell asleep, he carefully cradled her to his chest until the movie was over before carrying her upstairs. The team had also noticed she never sat with any of the rest of them, always choosing instead to curl up next to Sky on the couch, which almost always resulted, at some point, in her sitting in his lap. Whether or not they consciously realized they were doing it, no one knew, but the other four had noticed.

“Comfortable?” Sky whispered in her ear, brushing her face gently with his hand. Her head was wrapped in a light blue scarf that matched the pajama’s Z had bought her for her birthday this year.

“Perfect,” she murmured, lightly caressing the tops of his arms with her fingertips. Ever since the morning when she realized she was falling in love with him, she’d found she’d been unable to keep from showing him how she felt, even if he didn’t know that’s what she was doing. It hadn’t escaped her notice either that he’d begun being a lot more attentive and affectionate the last few weeks. She knew all she had to do was turn her head gently and he’d peck a brief kiss to her cheek or temple. Part of her knew that it was just him trying to reassure her that he was there for her, but another part of her hoped he felt the same way, even if all it was going to lead to was heartbreak. As if on cue, she felt Sky’s lips brush her temple, causing her to smile. She wasn’t going to think about the pain that she instinctively knew would come in the end. She chose instead to concentrate on being in his arms, surrounded by their friends, and watching the movie Bridge had picked out.

--

The six had quieted down some time before to watch the movie, though occasionally their laughter would ring out when the stars of the movie did something particularly funny. Sky smiled, feeling Syd’s body relax against his, assuming she had fallen asleep. At least, until Jack’s cry of alarm scared them all. “SYD!”

Sky jerked upright and realized that both he and Sydney were covered in blood; her blood. “Z! Go get me towels! Bridge, call the ambulance!” Sky ordered. Ally lunged from Jack’s arms to go and get Syd’s parents while Jack flew to Sky’s side, the pair quickly turning Sydney face down so she didn’t swallow any blood. Hoping to staunch the flow of blood until Z brought towels Sky stripped off his shirt and carefully brought it close to Sydney’s face. He grimly noticed the blood was pouring from her nose at an alarming rate.

“SYDNEY!” Mrs. Drew cried out as she and her husband rushed into the room, Ally hot on their heels.

“Ambulance on the way!” Bridge announced when he reentered the room. The Blue Ranger sucked in a breath as he watched the color fade from Syd’s skin. Against his better judgment he stripped off one of his gloves and waved it in front of him. Much to his relief, Syd’s aura was still incredibly strong, meaning she was still hanging in there, but Bridge knew, if the bleeding didn’t stop, they’d lose her.

“Bridge, go to Syd’s room and grab the blanket off her bed so I can wrap it around her,” Sky ordered, his brain flying through the first aid techniques that had been drilled into their heads.

The Blue Ranger did as told, nearly running Z over when she rushed in with towels and a wet wash cloth. “Here!” The Yellow Ranger tossed the towels at Jack, hitting her knees as she reached out to run the wash cloth over Syd’s bloody face.

“Come on Sydney, don’t do this to me!” Sky ordered, feeling her breathing hitch, which spiked the fear gnawing at his stomach. “Come on Syd! Baby, don’t do this, please!”

The others looked up, their expressions a mix of shock and sadness. Sky’s own words confirmed what they’d only suspected. What seemed like an eternity later, but was only a few moments, a medic came through the door, followed by Bridge.

“Cadet Tate,” the man spoke briskly.

“Steve, I’ve got a nineteen year old female, cancer patient. She collapsed and massive bleeding began from the nasal passage,” Sky snapped the words out.

“Jesus…is that Sydney?” Steve gasped. He’d worked closely with all five of the Rangers during the last year every time Gruumm had struck. When Steve saw the look on Sky’s face, he reached for the radio at his shoulder. “Allen, get that damn stretcher in here, NOW!”

--

1:00 AM
Saturday
May 23, 2026
New Tech Memorial Hospital
New Tech City, CA

She felt light-headed and achy but surprisingly not tired. Yawning and stretching slightly, she opened her eyes, squinting into the dim light around her. She could see her parents in the doorway, talking to a doctor. Z and Jack stood with them, nodding their heads. Turning to the right, she saw Bridge and Ally asleep in a couple of chairs she instantly recognized as the ones from the hospital. A squeeze to her hand had her turning her head to the left. Blue met blue as her eyes connected with Sky’s. “Hi,” she whispered, gently squeezing his hand.

Tears shimmered to life in her eyes when he brought her hand to his lips. She felt the hot wetness of his tears as they fell from his eyes, landing on her skin. In that instant, her heart broke. “Don’t ever, EVER, scare me like that again,” he fiercely demanded, all the while rubbing his lips against the skin of her wrist.

“What happened?” she croaked softly.

“You don’t remember?”

She shook her head. “I remember lying back against you, you kissing my cheek. We were watching the movie, and I felt kind of light-headed, and after that, nothing.”

Sky swallowed the knot in his throat and moved closer to her. He reached out with his free hand to brush her cheek with his thumb. “You passed out and then your nose started bleeding, badly.”

“How bad?” she asked, leaning into his hand. She watched him struggle against the tears and winced when he brought her hand to his cheek, holding it against his face as he closed his eyes. “Sky?”

“They weren’t sure they’d be able to get the bleeding stopped,” he choked the words out.

“Oh Sky, I’m so sorry,” she apologized, realizing how real his fear was, how close a call she’d actually had.

“I thought I was going to lose you,” he uttered helplessly. “They had to give you a transfusion; Bridge and Ally gave you some of their blood.”

Her tears ran unchecked down pale cheeks. She’d never been able to stand seeing him fall apart, but never before had she seen it in regards to her. “I’m okay, right?”

Sky pushed up out of his chair and leaned over the rail of her bed. When his lips were close enough, he brushed them against her forehead. “The doctors said you’re going to have to stay a few days, for observation, but yeah, they think you’re going to be okay. Syd?”

“Hmm?” she hummed, watching the nervousness spread across his face and into his demeanor. Sky was almost NEVER nervous, so she was suddenly scared that there was something else he hadn’t told her.

“I love you,” he murmured, leaning closer to her, his lips brushing against her own. It was a short kiss, but he poured all his fears and hopes into it before pulling back, resting his forehead against hers. “Don’t leave me.”

She closed her eyes against the tears that refused to stop, hugging the words close to her heart. She didn’t even need to ask what he’d meant; she’d seen it in his eyes. She wanted to assuage his fears, and her own, but he deserved nothing but the truth. “I love you, Schuyler, but I can’t make any promises.”

When his lips started to tremble, she reached up to cup his cheeks before pulling his mouth back to hers for a longer, deeper kiss. “It’s about damn time,” Bridge’s sleepy voice cut the moment short.

Both Syd and Sky turned to the right, shooting him a look before the three started laughing.

--

10:35 am
Monday
May 25, 2026
The Drew Household
New Tech City, CA

“How are you feeling Kiddo?” Mrs. Drew quietly asked as she brought Syd her lunch. She gently rested the tray with a bowl of chicken noodle soup and a glass of grape juice on Sydney’s outstretched legs.

“Tired but good,” Syd smiled. “Kat’s going to adjust the serum, since that’s what caused my massive nosebleed.”

Her mother nodded and leaned in to kiss her daughter’s temple. Sydney had just spent the last hour on the phone with the feline scientist going over the test results Kat had been running all weekend on the incident from Friday night. Turning her mind away from the cause of so much pain, Mrs. Drew instead focused on something Bridge had said to her Saturday afternoon. “Bridge mentioned something happened between you and Sky at the hospital when you woke up.”

Sydney flushed and grinned brightly for her mom. “He told me he loved me,” she whispered. “And I told him too.”

Mrs. Drew gave a dreamy sigh and smiled. “It’s about time.”

The former Pink Ranger laughed at her mother’s words, which were an echo of Bridge’s. “That’s what Bridge said!”

The conversation was interrupted by the doorbell and then the sound of voices – Sky’s and Mr. Drew’s. “Sounds like your young man is here.”

Sydney frowned and looked at the clock. It was only ten thirty; he should have been at work. “That’s odd, he should be on duty right now,” she muttered to her mother.

“Maybe he switched with someone,” Mrs. Drew smiled at her daughter. That smile grew when she passed Sky as he was coming into the room.

“What are you doing here?” Syd asked, only to quiet when he set down a vase full of pink roses and handed her a little pink teddy bear.

“I took my vacation,” he explained. “I figured we could get you up and out, if you were feeling up to it.” As soon as he sat down on the side of her bed, he leaned over and kissed her cheek.

“Think we could go to the beach?” she asked, her voice soft.

“Absolutely,” Sky smiled. “You want to go for a few days or just an afternoon?”

Syd sighed and leaned into him. “I want to go for a few days, but Mom and Daddy aren’t going to let me out of their sight for more than a day.”

Sky nodded and kissed the top of her head. “Let me worry about your parents, you just pack your bag.”

--

8:35 pm
Thursday
May 28, 2026
Secluded Beach House
Laguna Niguel, CA

It was so peaceful, was all she could think as she sat in the soft sand, listening to the waves crashing against the coastline. Her head was tipped back, staring up at the dark night sky; all she could see were the twinkle of a million stars shining back at her. For the first time since her illness had begun, Sydney felt at peace. Despite her relatively young age, she felt she’d lived a good, full life. If God decided it was time for her to go, then it was time for her to go.

True to his word, Sky had talked her parents into letting him take her away for a few days. To her surprise, instead of the entire team going, it was only the two of them. While she missed the company of their friends, a small part of her was thrilled to have some time alone with him. No one knew how much longer she’d have, and she needed this time with him, to experience what life without cancer would be like with him.

When they’d arrived yesterday afternoon, he’d been a ball of nerves, jumping every time she so much as sneezed, but sometime during the night, when they’d been curled together on the couch in front of a roaring fire, she’d felt him relax and begin enjoying himself. She wanted to give him as much as she could, knowing again that time probably wasn’t on their side.

Sighing softly, she wiggled her toes, feeling the sand slip between them. Sky was in the beach house he’d rented for them, making dinner for the two of them. Their first full day at the beach had been absolutely wonderful. They’d both woken early, thanks to years of having to be up by six-thirty at SPD, and had taken a romantic walk along the beach, watching the sun come up over the mountains to the east and shine across the water, burning away the foggy mist. Sky made them breakfast – bagel and egg sandwiches – before they’d gone to the market to buy supplies for the weekend. She’d gotten to sit on the deck of the house, napping in a chair under an umbrella, while Sky made a picnic lunch for them. After that, they’d done some light hiking, stopping every few minutes when she got tired. She couldn’t help but smile at the memory of Sky asking her if she wanted him to give her a piggy-back ride. She’d just stuck her tongue out at him and pushed herself a little further. Being out in the natural air made her feel vibrant and alive, something she hadn’t felt in a long, long time.

Lunch had been spent on a small hill, overlooking the blueness of the Pacific Ocean. Her heart gave a little trip when she remembered Sky pulling her into his arms and holding her close. For a moment, it had felt like they were two normal young people who were in love with one another sharing a peaceful day together. The tears that welled in her eyes at that reminded her that she wasn’t normal, that nothing about her and Sky’s relationship was normal, and yet, she was okay with that too. Besides, how many people could say they met the love of their life at fifteen and spent four years by their side saving the world? How many people her age could say that they had super genetic powers that had helped lock away an alien Emperor and his goons, keeping them from destroying life as they knew it? She and Sky weren’t normal, because they belonged to a very exclusive group of people who’d been charged with saving the world. Syd found she didn’t want normal, especially if it meant not having Sky beside her.

Her thoughts transitioned to her friends and family, to the life she’d led. She’d been the luckiest woman in the world. Surrounded by a supportive, loving family she’d been encouraged to follow her dreams from the day she was born, and she’d accomplished everything she’d wanted. Model - she’d been that before she’d hit puberty; Singer - she’d had three world tours and ten Top 5 hits; Olympian - she’d spent countless years studying fencing and had a silver medal to prove it; Power Ranger – she’d unknowingly followed in her parents’ footsteps there. And god, the friendships she’d made along the way. Lucky didn’t describe it. She’d had friends as a kid and a teenager, but those friendships hadn’t lasted beyond each of her pursuits, and none of them had lasted to the present. The minute she’d informed everyone she was heading for SPD, they’d abandoned her, but God had blessed her the day she’d walked through the doors at SPD. She’d quite literally run right into Bridge. Talk about instant friendships. She’d met Boom then too, and he’d grown on her over the years. Z and Jack were as close to her now as Bridge, despite their initial beginning. She couldn’t imagine life without either of them now, and she knew their team hadn’t been complete until the moment they’d donned the Yellow and Red uniforms. Her and Sky’s own friendship had been rocky at best, but time and experience had tested their limits and then pushed them past; compassion, strength, and ultimately love had sealed the bond between them. And the Commander and Kat? They were like having an extra set of parents around, who you could go to when your own didn’t understand, or like a really cool aunt and uncle that just understood you better than you thought.

Yes, she’d had a wonderful life. When it was time for her to go, she’d be ready. She’d done more in her short time on Earth than some people could do in several lifetimes. And yet, there were two dreams that would probably elude her…

“Penny for your thoughts?” Sky’s warm voice whispered in her ear. She turned to see him carrying the picnic basket from their lunch as he sat beside her. Under his arm was a glass bottle, which she knew was sparkling grape juice, since she was both underage and taking Chemo, and the doctors had said it was best to avoid alcohol.

“I’ve had a good life,” she told him serenely, watching him nearly bobble the bottle. She knew he probably hadn’t been expecting that. “I’m only 19, but I’ve lived a full, interesting life.”

Sky stared at her, their dinner forgotten in the basket. He had shied away each time she’d brought up her illness that day, but she knew they couldn’t not talk about it. He had to learn to accept it, especially now that they were on the road to being together. “Syd…”

“I’m just saying, I’ve had a wonderful life,” her voice was soft. “We can’t avoid talking about it, Sky; life doesn’t work that way. This weekend is going to be a lovely reprieve, but the reality is, I’m sick.”

He looked out at the ocean and the stars, watching the reflection of the moon shine down from behind them where it had risen into its nightly resting place. There were so many things he wanted to ask her. “Tell me?”

“I’ve made my dreams come true, I had a family who loved me and encouraged me to follow those dreams. I have the best friends in the entire world, even if they did use to piss me off and annoy the hell out of me.” They both laughed at that. “And I have a kind, caring, moody, brooding, simply, irresistibly wonderful man who loves me. I couldn’t really ask for more.”

“So no regrets?” he question, turning those dark navy eyes to stare into her beloved crystal blue ones.

She should have known he’d see, that he’d ask that particular question. “Only two.”

Sky swallowed the large lump in his throat, set the bottle on the sand and reached out to cup her cheek. “Only two?” She nodded, blinking back tears. “What are they?”

Sydney licked her lips and closed her eyes as she tried to regain her composure. She quietly searched for the words to tell him that she regretted that she more than likely would never be able to have a family with him. Until she’d gotten sick, she’d never realized how much she loved him, really loved him; until then, she’d never given a thought to being married or having a family. Since she realized she was in love with him, she’d been mourning and learning to accept that those two dreams were going to probably stay out of reach. “I regret that I’m probably not going to get the chance to get married and have kids.” ‘With you, Sky, I’m going to regret not having them with you’ she silently added, knowing she couldn’t place that kind of burden on his shoulders, no matter how much she loved him. He was going to hurt, but he was going to get on with his life; she wanted him to live for them both, and placing the knowledge that she wanted a life and children with him and couldn’t have them on his shoulders just wasn’t going to happen.

“Say it Sydney,” he whispered, his lips just millimeters from hers. “Finish the rest of it.”

Tears slid down her cheeks, tumbling over his thumbs as he caressed her cheeks. She should have known he’d see what she hadn’t been willing to say. “Sky…”

“Tell me,” he all but demanded. “Don’t you dare hold that back from me.”

“I hate knowing I’m not going to have them with you,” she brokenly cried, her eyes looking up into his, seeing the tears building in those eyes that so rarely cried. “I hate knowing I’m never going to carry our baby, or that I’m never going to get to just stare at you and know we belong to each other.”

Sky leaned in, closing the distance between them. While their lips met, their tears mingled together at the joining of their mouths. Each of them packed as much emotion as they could into the kiss. “We already belong to each other; we always have, always will,” he whispered, placing butterfly kisses all over her face before coming back to her lips. “No matter what, I’m always going to be yours.”